Briefly, Yongon was a popular king who was very rich and kind, he was very hospitable and generous to people at large. Yongon did remarkable work in the lives of Ɓəna people by integrating them and emphasizing love and hospitality to one another. He could do things necessary to see that people lived in peace with one another; because of his mightiness and eminent attitude that makes him famous, people came from far and near to see and visit him. While people were coming from another tribe, most especially Dəna (Ɓəna Lala) people, they used to say, “We are going to see Yongor” instead of Yongon, while Fulani would say, “We are going to see Yongur” (instead of Yongon) until the time that Yongon himself died. Subsequently, while these people were coming to Yungur (Ɓəna) communities they would say, “We are going to Yongur’s people.” Progressively, Yongur has come to take over as the name for Ɓəna Yongon people until now Yongon has finally changed to Yungur. “Ɓəna is now the name for a wide tribe. Such tribes are as follows: Yungur, Lala, Mboi, Roba, Libo, Fali and so forth.” Stoke.
The Concept of God among Yungur People: The question now is “Who is seen to be the supreme God to Yungur people?” Just like Jewish people, on a general note, Yungur share the same culture and tend to have concept of God based on how God introduced himself in different cases. As Jewish would call God, Jehovah Rapher, or Jehovah Jared etc Yungur people have different names for such instances. Before the missionary came to Yungur Land, Yungur people have the sense of God in whom they believed that he is their problem solver. Oral tradition affirmed that Etgunda is the supreme God literally means “the Creator or, person who owns Heaven” and this name is simply means Yahweh or I am, it is and; was believed to be dare not mentioned the name.It was also believed that you approached your maker ‘Etgunda’ through the small deities or gods own by family, clan, or otherwise the individual shrine. Liura ‘God’ and Ga ‘Almighty God’ are also seems to have the same sense of supremacy but have different capacity. Since Etgunda is so powerful and seems to be Alpha and Omega, who also bring the beginning and the end of everything, Yungur man is scared to call his name for any reason other than during dead, and unhealthy challenges probably to answer the why me questions at sacred places. While people were quiet about Etgunda, Liura becomes friend and easy to go God who has no wrath and do no harm. For such reason, Liura becomes supreme and merciful at any time, though it is also believed that Liura has anger too but not as horror as that of Etgunda.
So Liura is closely related to the present God of the Christian and is maintain as God today. Ga in some way related to the Sun god of the Egyptian practice. All together, the practice of the triune supremacy is ascribing by Ɓəna people to be omnipotent and omniscience God whose presence found anywhere and everywhere.
Moreover, the means in reaching supreme God whom Ɓəna people had knowledge with reference to his supremacy were through the following triune nature of God: (1) through Kaso “Altar,” although it is literally a triune stick with a calabash on top were Pagans use to make sacrifice and offer tithes to appease god. (2) through Mbugunsa: Wiso, a kind of shrine, Sãusa, Ambwa and, (3) through other minor shrines belonging to clan, family, personal, which are all answerable to the triune God mentioned above. These sovereign God is said to live above all other things in heaven and he speak to the Yungur people through Ambwa, “Spirits of peace” Sausa, “Providing Spirit” and Wiso “Horror and judging Spirit” the three major way to speak to the Liura. With these triune concepts, every Yungur family has only one priest who is to lead people to the shrine or to be guiding and leading other members to the shrine.
Nevertheless, the Chief priest has right to enter to the general cult own by the whole tribe is called Pa Ndalta who had received his handing over from Yagun Gunda “the first man who was the same as the Biblical Adam.” While the High priest is both the Paramount ruler who is taking charge of all needs and is both high priest and king. All things were under his command with his palace chiefs other maiden having different responsibility assign to each representative. Yungur people are now 93.5% Christian, 4.5% Muslims and 2% Pagans, and among the 93.5% Christians maintained Liura as the sovereign God, though Ga “Almighty God” and other names mentioned above are found to be attached to their given names but none of the 93.5% practice paganism again.
Yungur Theory of Heaven and Hell: Haven stated the concept of God in Yungur ethnic group; it is good to know that Yungur people also have the concept of Heaven and Hell even before Christianity in their culture. Yungur people believed that everyone will one day return to his ancestors (which they sometime mean ‘creator’) in Heaven called ‘Gunda’ and Hell which is call “‘Ara’ ən nem kwasa” Hell ‘at the left hand side in heaven.’ These two places are both in heaven but; it is believe that Hell is by the left hand side of God while Heaven as Paradise or bosom is at the right hand of God. Yungur Account of Creation: If there was concept of God to Yungur man as stated above, then account of creation is also ascribe to him. So the question is how did all things came to existence base on Yungur account?There is no written account recorded as to how Ɓəna Yongon (Yungur) people believed on the creation of the universe. However, oral tradition has it that Etgunda “the Creator” was and is the epitome and the creator of the universe. Yungur man believed that Etgunda is the owner of all things including man. He created all things and he owns all things. The tradition does not mention what day each thing were created only that human being were made while all things was created and after creation of man, a woman was created as a wife to him then God handed over the powers and the source of all creatures to him.
Consequently, as stated above, there were no account as to what he begun to create order than he began to create the world itself then followed by firmament, sun, moon, and stars, water and tress beast and all things in them. God ended with Human beings, he created them male and female as mentioned above. Findings also has it that God form human in a miraculous and special way using special mud, breath a spirit of life in him, and handed over Ndalta ‘Ark of God’s creatures’ source of powers of creations’ to Ɓəna man on the seventh day.
Furthermore, Ndalta the source and powers of all creatures God used in creating all things including humans and handed it over to the first man with a command to use it in order to subdue all creatures including the earth. This is why Ɓəna person does not agree that God can cause one to die but someone else can take life base on the reasons base known to the actor, so any person that dies a true Ɓəne person will prefer consulting sorcerers to tell him or her cause of his beloved one.
Ndalta was not built nor been neither designed by any human being nor created by humans but it is believed that after God created man and handed over Ndalta to Ɓəna man to stand as a covenant of authority to rule, subdue and control the earth.
Conversely, the early converts seem to have a different account, which might be possible that they were influence with the account recorded in the Bible. This is because the difference of their account with pagans is that all creation that was completed and been recorded in six days and Etgunda rested in seventh day. But not all creatures were clearly recorded as to what was created on a certain day. Though pagans too believed that Etgunda rested but they did not affirmed that he rested on the seventh day, and that his rest has nothing to do with creation because he is so powerful and able to do all things just by words. This believed is somehow related to the Bible because both account does not mentioned that Etgunda who is the creator has used his hand or do something’s before any creature came to being. Both pagans and early converts to Christianity also believed that human beings are in Etgunda’s form that Man is in his creator’s form. We look like him who created us they affirmed. But Etgunda is mighty and all in all. No one could talk about him or seek to know his parent, for he does not have the beginning and no one could ever imagine his end.
Origin of Human: So the question is where does these act of creations take place and when? Ɓəna people believed that the origin of human being is from God, which he performed his act of creations at Gunda “Heaven or through the east” and handed over the powers of creation to Yagun Gunda “the first man ever on earth.” Moreover, this took place through invoking Ndalta similar to the Bible record that the creation was done through Word, Ndalta was also the medium of pronouncement at which by it all things were made.Therefore, base on the above account of creation human beings and all creatures came from Gunda Heaven through the East”
Conclusion: It is quiet important to know that God who is the creator is supreme and exist in Ɓəna tradition, religion, culture, faith and believes. Moreover, Ɓəna (Yungur) people honor his name and worship him in their own religious way before the coming of Christianity and Islam. This makes Ɓəna people unique and special and it gives clear understanding as to why Ɓəna people call themselves people or nation of heaven and see other tribes as Etkalta in singular and plural form as Ɓetkalta gentle or gentles or otherwise outcast. Conclusively, the previously mentioned account helps in understanding how one can work with true Ɓəne person as regard to his or her faith and believes.