and what he should be) and, on the other hand, his capacity to assume
those duties (the Nya mbôrô’s experience of life today). The latter may
be rendered by the German word Verantwortlichkeit.
Generally speaking and according to Father Jean-Samuel Zoie
Obianga the Nya mbôrôfulfils the role of ‘repository and transmitter
of a founding figure’ (the original ancestor). ‘He is the leader who
activates the original forces, contributing to perpetuate certain values
and enduring powers that guarantee the integrity of the ideal of the
human being, humanity and society, of which the archetype is to be
found at the time of the creation’.
Above all, the Nya mbôrôis the man who guarantees the equilib-
rium of the village and of the family. As the referee in differences
among the members of the community, he personifies justice and
impartiality. He is the one they can turn to for the right advice, a solu-
tion to their problems, peace of mind. Another distinguishing feature
is his capacity to sacrifice his own interests to those of the group and
to forego certain privileges on account of his reputation as a Nya
mbôrô. He is surrounded by an element of mystery and it is all these
things together that give him the status of patriarch.
In practice, experience with those who are called to be, or are con-
sidered as the Be Nya bôrôtoday has been mixed. Here and there we
have noted some confusion in identifying who is a Nya mbôrô, as well
as an inability on the part of the latter to assume their responsibili-
ties, whether because of the material pressures around them, or delu-
sions of grandeur or simply a misunderstanding of the times. So we
have some Nya bôrôwho are out of step with the times and who
cannot understand and cope with their world today. Many of them
complain of a lack of respect and understanding among the young,
which gives rise to a generation conflict. Moreover, in the midst of
rampant individualism, today’s Nya mbôrôfinds it difficult to fulfil
his tasks in the community and, above all, in the family.
The answers to the question of who is a Nya mbôrôin our soci-
eties, in our villages and families today will be varied, contradictory,
partial and biased. Some will say the Nya bôrôare the elite of the vil-
lage or the family because they enjoy a degree of material prosperity
that allows them to maintain a group of individuals in their pay or
because they act like griotsin maintaining a personality cult. Others
will consider the oldest member of the family as the Nya mbôrô, even
though he does not assume that role. Yet others will say it is the rich
man of the village, or the village chief appointed by the sub-prefect, or
the chairman of the local committee of the party in power. Some
informed people will have the courage to say who are not Nya mbôrô,
and be bold enough to say who, in the light of the traditional criteria
listed above, can be considered as a Nya mbôrô according to that scale
of values. In other words, the conceptual limitations to the notion of
Traditional and Christian Approaches in Cameroon 39