Salutations in the Yeke Customs

In a structured society as the Bayeke’s, where everyone has his/her place, and the symbols designate their place in society. It is easy to understand why salutations would differ depending on social classes, according to the time of day.

1. SALUTATIONS FOR THE MWAMI WIHALA (KING SUZERAIN)
   1. KASHINDE WALIHA = Greetings Conqueror; of the verb KUSHINDA = to conquer. WALIHA is a term that can be translated as Majesty.
   2. Between noon time and 3:00pm, when the sun is at the zenith, we say: IZYOBA LYAGALA WALIHA = the sun is very ho, Majesty, which is a skillful way to let the king know that one is thirsty.
   3. Late in the afternoon, we say: MPINDI IZYOBA, until 6:00pm we say: LYA MPINDI WALIHA = Good afternoon, Majesty.
   4. After 6:00 pm, we say: MPINDI YE BUFUKU. Throughout the night we say, to everyone, including the Mwami, BWAFUKULA or KE BUFUKU. It is nighttime.
   5. To say good night to the Mwami, we say: ULAGABA BABA = Keep giving, Keep sharing « Father », of the verb KUGABA: to give, to distribute.
2. SALUTATIONS FOR THE BAGOLI (QUEENS)
   1. To those who wear the Ndezi: KATULE.
   2. The other queens who do not wear the Ndezi are saluted in the normal way, by their ancestors’ names, from grandparent to grandparent, as we will see in Point IV.
3. SALUTATIONS FOR DIGNITARIES
   1. The Bami Batemiwa (vassals) do have the same salutations as those of the Mwami Wihala. Similarly, their spouses are greeted in the same manner as the Suzerain.
   2. The Bagabe: SHI HEKA of the verb KU HEKA means, ‘to carry on the back’, in the image of a mother, for the Mugabe is considered the Mwami’s mother.
   3. The Bamolega: SHA MUMOLEGA of the verb KUMOLEGA = to bring light with a torch.
   4. For the Banangwa, dignitaries and others, see Point IV.
4. GENERAL SALUTATIONS
   1. In the Bayeke customs, we greet each other in a specific manner, which allows to identify one’s family, their generation, etc., or their social rank, as we have seen above. We greet by naming the grandfather’s name or the grandmother’s name on the paternal side (preferably), or the grand uncles, grand aunties, from both sides of the family.
   2. Late in the afternoon, PINDI IZYOBA. We say : LYA MPINDI, followed by the title or the person’s name. For exemple, Lya Mpindi Mwanangwa, Baba, Mayo, Mugabe, Francis, etc.
   3. At night: BWAFUKULA or KE BUFUKU for everybody.
   4. There are certain salutations that are dictated by circumstances or events. For example, the verb KULONDA or KULONDERERA (to follow, to go towards) is used to greet an individual who has travelled a long distance to join other people. SHA MULONDELA, which we can translate as: Greetings to the one who has followed.
      1. In times of mourning, even in the case of the Mwami Wihala, all forms of greetings become nil. Even the Mwami has no right to a salutation. As a matter of fact, he has to sit on a mat to show to his subjects that they are all equal in the face of death. Similarly, when the Mwami is eating, we do not salute him. Normally we would wait until he has finished his meal. The same goes for ‘commoners’ when they are eating. Not only don’t we greet them, but neither do they, even when in the presence of the Mwami.
      2. When the Bayeke are sharing a meal, we say: BEKULYA (singular= EKULYA). In the case of the Mwami, we say: MWAMI EKUBONEKA = The Mwami is ‘restoring’ his body.
      3. When someone is going to greet another, we say: NAZYA KUKEZYA. Of the verb KUKEZYA = to greet. For the Mwami, we say: NAZYA KULAMYA BWAMI, which can be translated as: ‘I am on my way to pay homage to the Kingdom, to the king’.
      4. When one does not know another person’s ancestry, and are finding it difficult to greet them, there exists a formula that they can use to find out. They would say, ‘KULABILANGA’, which can be translated as ‘introduce yourself, who is your ancestor?’ And they would respond, ‘Sha… so and so’. They would then name their grand parent.
      5. The element ‘Sha’ which precedes the name of an ancestor can be translated as: ‘in the name of, Honor be upon you so and so, Greeting to you descendant of so and so.’
   5. Here are other greeting formulas:
      1. MWANGARUKA = Good morning. Response: MWANGARUKA NIMWE = Good morning to you too.
      2. MWADIRA: This was a good day, wasn’t it? Response: eee MWADIRA NIMWE: yes, I hope it was for you too.
      3. KAYAGO : Welcome. Response : KASANGWE.
      4. To bid someone farewell, one would say: USHIKALE NINZA = goodbye, stay in peace. And they would reply: UZYE NINZA = safe trip, safe journey back, and go in peace.
      5. MPOLA: May peace be upon you! Good day! Greetings!