ju-bo-dah-own-wloo-ah ownh-ni-mahn! - dr. joe … ju-bo-dah-own-wloo-ah ownh-ni-mahn! rabbi prince...
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Ju-bo-dah-own-wloo-ah
Ownh-ni-mahn!
Rabbi Prince Joseph Tomoonh-Garlodeyh Gbaba, Sr., Ed. D. (Author)
Descendant of the Nien Dynasty of Krahn Kings of Liberia
Ju-bo-dah-own-wloo-ah
Ownh-ni-mahn!
When I was a little boy
Of the tender age of five
My parents Both from same royal background
Of the Krahn ethnic group of Liberia
Taught me a moral and historical lesson
I will never forget
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They said:
“Ju-bo-dah-ownh-wloo-ah
Ownh-ni-mahn!”
In other words
“Know your heritage
To prevent you from getting lost!”
For, in this world of immeasurable bounds
There are five billion human beings
From all spheres of the globe
And if you do not know your heritage
You will say you are Chinese
When in reality you are Kissi!
And being something
Or someone you are not
Is not to be trusted
For it sets within you
An everlasting vacuum
That never gets refilled
Because true happiness and success
Come through self-fulfillment
And self-fulfillment can only be attained
When you rediscover yourself
And love yourself for who you are
And not when you hate yourself
Or your brethren!
Yes, self-fulfillment comes
When you eat palm butter
With dried monkey meat
And when your mother
Stacks your bowl
With palm butter and rice
And crowns it with the smoked
And dried monkey head
So you can eat the brain of the monkey
To be clever in school
And to give your classmates “dust”!
To gain more wisdom and strength
To know who you are
And from where you came
In order to know where to go
Or where to hide
During stormy climates
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Yes,
“Ju-bo-dah-ownh-wloo-ah
Ownh-ni-mahn!”
Maternally, I am the son of
Princess Martha Gbeh-Nyennon-Garh Gaye
She was born circa 1930 in Gleplay Town
Unto the union of Princess Gbeh-Nyennonh
And a renowned Tchien zoe named Gayee-bo-bah
In what was then known
As the Eastern Province of Liberia
But that is now called Grand Gedeh County
My mother died May 14, 2011
She was eighty-one years old
And she lived more than three scores and ten!
Princess Martha Gbeh-Nyennonh-Garh Gaye
Descendant of the Nien Dynasty of the Krahn ethnic group of Liberia
My mother was popularly known as Gbeh-Nyennonh-Garh
By the Krahn people of Liberia
She was the daughter of Princess Gbeh-Nynnonh
And Gbeh-Nyennonh who was the daughter
Of the legendary Krahn leader and zoe
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Prince Wrighyee-Kpodeah
Of the “Zee-eh-moon” Clan
Wrighyee-Kpodeah was brother
Of Gweay-zeon and Kah-lay
Gweay-zeon was the mother of Bellah-Beh
And Kah-lay was the mother of Deh-Suah
Bellah-Beh was John Payee-Beh’s father
And an all time legendary Krahn ruler
And Deh-Suah was a Krahn ruler
Nelson “Gardey” Suah’s father
And the first Representative
Of the Krahn people
In the Liberian Legislature
So you see
The “Zee-eh-moon” people
Are great people
And they are my mother’s fathers and mothers
Because the uncle or aunt
Is father or mother
Of his sister’s or brother’s child!
In the Krahn language we call it:
“Bah-wloo-ah-woo”!
Meaning, “Father that born us”!
So Prince Robert Wrighyee-Zahbay Flahn is my father
And George Ninneh, Gbarwoo, Karwoo, Marvin,
Benedict, and Stanley Flahn are my fathers
Alfred Zulu is my father
And Vera Gaye, Edith Wrighyee
And Dweh-Mama are my mothers
My great-grandfather Prince Wrighyee-Kpodeah
Was the son of Princess Manee-Doo-doo
She was from the “Gene-fleh-bo” Clan
She was the sister of Bah-Sayee
The founder of Bah-Sayee-bli
And so all the “Gene-fleh-bo” people
Are Prince Wrighyee-Kpodeah’s fathers and mothers
So Stanley Bah is my father
And Hillaryson Soe is my father
And Ruth Soe is my mother!
Manee-doo-doo was the daughter
Of Princess Kpaylee
The daughter of King Boduo-Chelley
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Of the Nien Dynasty of Liberia
A dynasty is when a family produces
Eight successive rulers in a role
As you will observe
from this genealogical account of my ancestors
Also, Princess Kpaylee was the sister
Of King Barduway-Jaylah—
The son of King Boduo-Chelley
King Barduway-Jaylah
Was the last of the Nien kings
To rule the Krahn people
Before the introduction
Of the Western governance structure in Liberia
King Barduway-Jaylah was as well
The grandfather of Prince Robert
Wrighyee-Zarbayh Flahn
And Princess Kowoo Tweh
Hence, King Barduway-Jaylah
Was the son of King Boduo-Chelley
And King Boduo-Chelley
Was son of King Boduo, II
And King Boduo, II
Was son of King Mannah
King Mannah was the son
Of King Gwenyon-Younlon
And King Gwenyon-Younlon
Was the son of King Gwenyon
King Gwenyon succeeded his father, King Gaye
and King Gaye was the son of King Boduo, I
The first Nien monarch
In all, There were eight successive Nien Kings
Before any other ruling Krahn family
Took over the leadership
of the Krahn ethnic group of Liberia
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Prince Jack Tomah Yeleyon Gbaba
(January, 1926-December 26, 2008)
Descendant of King Boduo, I and hier
of Yarlee-Gbahn, Founder of Zwedru City,
Grand Gedeh County, Liberia
Paternally,
My ancestry
Within the Nien Royal Household
Starts from King Boduo, II
He was father of King Boduo-Chelley
My mother’s direct ancestor
And King Boduo was also
The father of Princess Fye,
My father’s ancestor
Hence, King Boduo-Chelley
And Princess Fye were brother and sister
And my parents are descendants
Of these two siblings
From the Nien Royal Household
For in those days
It was common
For members of royal families
To marry each other!
Princess Fye was the mother of Gbolay-Doe-dee
And Gbolay-doe-dee begot five children:
Glorh-woo, Gwah-Kpah-geayee, Dway-yee-yelon,
Gbay-diah and Gwenyon-Younlon,
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The father of Keh-Gbaba
My grandfather
Keh-Gbaba was the father of four sons:
Doo-doo-Glorh-woo,
Zarlee-Kpoo-du,
Doo-doo,
And Tomoonh Yeleyon
My father
My father was named Tomah at birth
By a famous Gio Chief named Tomah from Nimba County
Also, Keh-Gbaba
Was a great Krahn warrior
Famously known as “Play-ah-gay-lay-yah”!
Meaning, “Running into someone
When you are running away from him”!
Keh-Gbaba was also heir of Yarlee-Gbenh,
Founder of Zwedru
Zwedru is the regional capital city
Of Grand Gedeh County
The main home of the Krahn ethnic group of Liberia
However, Krahns are also found
In the northeastern region of Nimba County
And also in Sinoe County,
And within the Krahn-Bassa forest region
Between Grand Gedeh and Grand Bassa Counties
Of course you know by now
I am the proud father of five
And grandfather of three:
Prince Julian
Princess Jolynn Dehkontee
Prince Jacques Toomah Yeleyon
Prince Joe, Jr.
And Prince Jose Flora
Jacques begot Jaeden and Journee Lynn
And Prince Julian begot McKenzy
And so you see my friends
It pays to know thyself
So that you may be self-fulfilled
And that is why my parents said: