The old virgin and the beast

Tamba Korniang went to the First World War as a young, proud Kissi man at the age of 22 Farm Seasons. He came back a hero but with third degree burns, he was virtually dysfunctional to his wife, Granny Wulukeylay. She grew in respect with age and eventually became the village’s Traditional Birth Attendant (TBA). Yarwah, the wife of one of the respected community elders, Kulayfai, died in child birth in the hands of the TBAs, headed by Granny Wulukelay. The burial of Yarwah, unlike normal burials of women, must be done entirely by women. Chief Tunja Bubu and his childhood friend Kulayfai, find solace in everything through proverbs and palm wine. Kanji Bai, the Indian Army Sergeant, who was present at the Recruitment of Tamba Kornaing, comes back to Korniang village with his colleague’s benefits, albeit posthumously and hands over to an old woman, Wulukeylay. To prove her fidelity to her late husband, Wulukeylay swears to a horse about her chastity and commands it to walk. The story is full of cultural anecdotes: Poro society rites of passage, Bondo society for young girls, birth, midwifery, the naming of children, death, burial ceremonies, and village merry-making that uniquely portrays peace, harmony, love, and the respect for age and hierarchy.