Ging Gang GooliDuring the first World Jamboree B.P. was looking for a song that everyone could sing, no matter what their language was.
Ging Gang Gooli was the result.
It is of no language, but it means a lot of fun. The story was apparently created later.
In the deepest darkest Africa there is a legend concerning the Great Grey Ghost Elephant. Every year, after the rains, the great grey ghost elephant arose from the mists and wandered throughout the land at dawn. When he came to a village, he would stop and sniff the air, then he would either go around the village or through it. If he went round the village, the village would have a prosperous year, if he went through it, there would be hunger and drought.
The village of Wat-Cha had been visited three years in a row by the elephant and things were very bad indeed. The village leader, Ging-Ganga was very worried, as was the village medicine man Ha-la-shay. Together, they decided to do something about the problem. Now Ging-Ganga and his warriors where huge men with big shield and spears. They decided to stand in the path of the elephant and shake their shields and spears at it to frighten it away. Hay-la-shay and his followers were going to cast magic spells to deter the elephant by shaking their medicine bags as the elephant approached which made the sound shalawally, shalawally, shalawally.
Very early in the morning of the day the Great Grey Elephant came, the villagers gathered at the edge of the village, on one side were Ging-Ganga and his warriors, (indicate right) and on the other was Hay-la-shay and his followers (indicate left). As they waited the warriors sang softly about their leader Ging gang gooli, gooli, gooli, gooli, watcha, Ging, gang, goo, Ging gang goo, Ging gang gooli, gooli, gooli, gooli, watcha, Ging, gang, goo, Ging gang goo, As they waited the medicine men sang of their leader Heyla, heyla sheyla, Heyla sheyla, heyla ho, Heyla, heyla sheyla, Heyla sheyla, heyla ho, And they shook their medicine bags Shalli-walli, shalli-walli, Shalli-walli, shalli-walli, And from the river came the mighty great grey elephants's reply Oompa, oompa, oompa ... The elephant came closer, so the warriors beat their shields and sang loouder (signal warriors to stand and beat their thighs in time) Ging gang gooli, gooli, gooli, gooli, watcha, Ging, gang, goo, Ging gang goo, Ging gang gooli, gooli, gooli, gooli, watcha, Ging, gang, goo, Ging gang goo, Then the medicine men rose and sang loudly Heyla, heyla sheyla, Heyla sheyla, heyla ho, Heyla, heyla sheyla, Heyla sheyla, heyla ho, And they shook their medicine bags Shalli-walli, shalli-walli, Shalli-walli, shalli-walli, And the mighty great grey elephant turned aside and when around the village saying Oompa, oompa, oompa ... There was great rejoicing in the village and all the villagers joined together to sing ... Ging gang gooli........
Supplied by : Ron Taylor Service Scouter, Edmonton Region ron@amc.ab.ca
Story repoduced by kind permission of:
Kevin 'RR' Wright (Campfire Kev)