Suriname folk-lore

w) Akantamasu.

205.

Y - e -a - e mia mia mia mia mia mia mio Te na 'ɔ -

[p. 663]

 

ro mi dɛ - dɛ trɔ - bi mio Mi'a na Ką - ta - ma - sio

 

Mi'a na Ką - ta - ma - su Ma li - bi su - ma trɔ - bi mi

 

A bǫn - bǫn tɔ Tɛ mi bǫ - bǫ sɛm - be sɛm - be

 

Te na mi̯'o - ro, mi dɛ - dɛ trɔ - bi mio Mi bǫn-bǫn sɛm-be

Ye-a-o, mia, mia, mia,
To my very lair my dead trouble me-o,
I am Kantamasi-ǫ,
I am Kantamasu,
But human beings trouble me,
It is well, too
Since I am a good¹ person
To my very lair, my dead trouble me,
I am a good person.

1 Informants said this was said ironically, but bɔn, in Fanti means ‘evil’.

206.²

A - ma - sio fa - ni - nim-ba - A-kan - ta - ma - sio fa-
Ma - to gre-nya - Ma-
ni - nim-ba - A - ya - ma - sio fa - ni-nim-ba -

2 The translation of this song was not obtained.

[p. 664]

 

to gre - nya (.......) ni - nim-ba Ma - to gre - nya -

 

ba - 'ma - sio fa - ni - nim-ba

 

fa - ni - nim - ba Ma - to gre - nya

 

A - kan - ta - ma - sio fa - ni - nim - ba -

207.

Tɛ na tɔmp' ɛ - dɛ mi si - dɔn - 'A su - ma sɛn' kar' mi
'A Ko - nu Bi-a, Bi-a, Bi-a, Su - ma sɛn' kar' mi
Tɛ na tɔmp' ɛ - dɛ mi si - dɔn - Su - ma sɛn' kar' mi
'A Ko - nu Bi-a, Bi-a, Bi-a, Bi-a, Su - ma sɛn' kar' mi
Tɛ na tɔmp' (etc.)

[p. 665]

 

At the top of the stump I sit,

 

And the people send to call me.

 

The King Bia, Bia, Bia,

 

People send to call me.

208.

Kan-ta - ma - su d'a bom go - go (...) ųn no fre - de Kan-ta-
ma - su d'a bom go - go ųn no fre - de Ųn no trɔb' 'ɛm
dia Ųn no trɔb' 'ɛm dia Wakti dą mi pi - ki - o
Ųn lib' ɛ̨ŋ (......) Kan - ta - ma - su d'a bom go - go
Ųn no trɔb' ɛ̨ŋ Kan - ta - ma - su na ɔ - gri sa - ni
(....)mi no trɔb' ɛ̨ŋ A dɛ'̯a bus' a n'e trɔb' ųn, ba,
Di - dɛn - dɛ, ba - Kan - ta - ma - su d'a bom go - go

[p. 666]

 

Di dɛn mek' a tąn Ųn no tro - bio Ųn no tro - bio

 

Kan - ta - ma - su no bǫn sa - ni Di - den-dɛ A - di-

 

den - (i) a - di - den - dɛ A - di - den - (i) a - di - den - dɛ

Kantamasu is at the foot of the tree
Fear not.
Do not trouble it there.
But I say-o
Let it be.
Kantamasu is at the foot of the tree
Do not trouble it.
Kantamasu is an evil thing
I do not trouble it.
It is in the bush,
It does not trouble you, brother,
Di-den-de, brother.
Kantamasu is at the foot of the tree
Diden, let it be
It does not trouble you-o.
Kantamasu is not a good thing.
Di den dɛ,
A di den,
A di den dɛ.¹

1 A Gold Coast informant states that at Akantamasu, where a great battle was fought, there are many ant-hills, ‘red ones, and high.’ It has already been explained (above, p. 66) that the Akantamasu deity in Suriname is god of the anthill.