THE EWE CULTURE.

location map of the Ewe people

 THE EWE CULTURE

The Ewe people are an ethnic group located in Togo formally French Togoland and Volta Region formally British Togoland; both formally Togoland or Eweland, and southern Benin. They speak the Ewe language and are related to other speakers of Gbe languages, such as, the Fon, Gen, Phla Phera, and the Aja people of Togo and Benin. 

The people are ruled by chiefs who have an assigned role in the community. Traditionally, chiefs are not to see the face of a corpse. They may take part in the funeral, however, once the corpse is buried or inside the coffin. They are not to have any contact with the corpse. Chiefs sit on a black stool. A white stool is reserved for 'honorary' chiefs. These are auspicious individuals who have been made a 'chief' as recognition for their contribution to a village. Certain rituals cannot be performed by an honorary chief, and must be attended by the true chief. The pouring of libations is an important ritual within Ewe society. Generally, only chiefs can pour libations, but sometimes, at a durbar, a linguist performs the role. Libations are poured three times, in honor of ancestors, life, and the libation's offerer himself.

A drum

 In architectural works and craft, the Ewe people were shown how to weave 'Kente' cloth. In the Akan wars against the Ewe; Ewe people were captured and some remaining Ewe survivors were enslaved by Akans and made to be weavers. Ke means 'to open' in Ewe and te means 'to press'; the Ewe hold that the word Kete thus describes the weaving motion of the feewww.hypertextile.nett. The hand-woven Kente cloth is not just any kind of fabric that we use to cover ourselves. Kente weaving is a genuine form of popular art, rich in traditions and also in new inventions. Most men are also into the crafting of drums. Hand-weaving is effectively one of the vital organs of the Ewe culture.

a kente cloth

In the cultural fabric of the Ewe the loom is intimately linked to music and dance. These three arts are traditionally learnt and practiced by everyone. And so, Hand-in-hand Weaving opens with a Textile Performance by the weavers of the village of Klikor, along with their families and children. They bring along their best cloths and instruments, both textile and musical. To the accompaniment of a sacred weaving song, they weave and dance before their traditional kings, before the diplomatic representatives and a delegation from the Italian government.www.kganu.net

As part of culture, the Ewe people use a system of giving the first name of a child as the day of the week that the child was born. This arises from a belief that the real name of a child can only be determined after the child has shown its character. However, as a child is a person, not an object, the child must be referred to by some name in the interim, so a name is provided based on the day of birth. A final name is given at a naming ceremony, seven days after the date of birth. 

Ewe religion is organized around a creator/creatures deity, Mawu and Lisa. Mawu and Lisa (Goddess and God) to the Ewe is the Supreme Being and is remote from daily affairs. In addition the Ewe believes in many secondary gods (trowo) that are worshiped in unique ways. They also believe in spirit ancestors and divination is practiced. Se is a word for law, order and harmony; Se is the maker and keeper of human souls; in an abstract sense, Se is destiny. Ewe people are also Voodooists.

The Ewe people have a variety of dance.An example is the Agbadza, is traditionally a war dance but is now used in social and recreational situations to celebrate peace. War dances are sometimes used as military training exercises, with signals from the lead drum ordering the warriors to move ahead, to the right, go down, etc. These dances also helped in preparing the warriors for battle and upon their return from fighting they would act out their deeds in battle through their movements in the dance.www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_MDVzF5Jjl

GA- ADANGBE CULTURE.

The Ga-Adangbe people are found in the Accra plains. They are found in the border area with Togo directly east of Ho. The Adangbes are found the east, the Ga group to the west of the Accra Coast lands. Although the languages are derived from a common Proto-Ga-Adangbe ancestral language, modern Ga and Adangbe are mutually unintelligible. The modern Ga-Adangbe people include the people of Shai, La, Ningo, Kpone, Osudoku, Krobo, Gbugble and, around the central part of Accra, whiles others live in Togo.kwekudee-tripdownmemorylane.blogspot.com

pouring libation

The Ga people celebrate the homowo festival that means ’hooting at hunger’. This festival originated severally centuries ago, when the Ga people experienced severe hunger and so,  the passing of this terrible period was marked by this festival every year. The Ada’s celebrate the ‘Asafotufiami’- an annual warrior’s celebration from the last Thursday of July to the first to weekend of August to commemorate victory and the warrior’s and those who died during the battle. Their priests and priestesses in whom they believe in act as mediators between the gods, ancestors and the living. They pour libation during festivities. 

fishing as an occupation

In terms of the economy, most Ga-Adangbe people are fishermen, fishmongers and farmers. Agriculture is the leading sector of the district. It provides employment for about 51 percent of the adult population and a means of livelihood. The women are also noted for the weaving of mats and salt mining.

Music and sports forms part of the culture of Ga people. Music includes drumming and dancing. ‘kpanlogo’ is one of the traditional dance styles. Ga’s are also known for having boxing as a sport. Bukom is a town considered as the mecca of boxing in Ghana known to have produced great boxers as ‘bukom banku’ among others.

kpanlogo dance.

Rite of passage cannot be left out in this culture. From Shai and Krobo people, the dipo is the formal age-old practiced rites of passage for matured women in the twenties. This was originally designed as a formal marriage training. Another important aspect is their funeral celebration and processions.  They believe that when an individual dies, he moves on to another live and so, they spend a lot of money on funerals and fanciful coffins.

A young girl in dipo outfit

                                                                                                                         

MAMPRUSI CULTURE.

MAMPRUSI CULTURE.



A young mamprusi chlid in a smock doing the damba dance.

Mamprusi people; one of Ghanaian unique and ancient people in the North and the eldest of the Mole-Dagbani ethnic group comprising of the Mossi,Nanumba,Dagomba and the Mamprusi.They are mostly found in the Northern and Upper East regions of Ghana in specific towns as Nalerigu and Gambaga and the Northern part of Togo.History has it that, this group of people are descendants of Na Gbewa.

Among the four groups, the Mamprusi people are the leaders and the final authority. In terms of the language, mampruli is one of the number of Mole Dagbani dialect spoken in Ghana, Burkina Faso and Togo.Many languages of this people are spoken by contiguous population due to the frequent intermarriages.Focusing on the economy, agriculture and animal husbandary provide subsistence for most of them.

Based on their belief system, a majority of mamprusi people are traditionalists. The supreme god is referred to as 'Naa-wuni' which is used by Mamprusi  muslims and traditionalists. In traditional worship, the god is not worshipped or referred to except in exclamations. Ancestors are believed to intervene  through  various diviners who live in each village .Communication with ancestoral spirits is done via sacrifices and offerings.There is also a belief in witchcraft. In Africa this is usually common due to the little knowledge about science and effective ways of dealing with unpleasant situations. Ancestors and witches are seen as brains behind such situations.When a woman is accused of witchcraft, she is banished from the community and confined to a camp.eg Gambaga witchcamp.
                                                                                             



Tuo Zaafi

With respect to marriage,Mamprusi royal must marry commoners. In effect, they want to spread their matrilineal alliance. In view of this, members of one matrimonial alliance cannot marry but those of one patrilineal alliance can marry. However, polygamy is allowed among chiefs and important commoners while sororal polygny is frowned upon.Marriage is established with gifts of kola. Also, the Mamprusi people celebrate both the Damba and Bugum(fire) festivals.Some delicacies of this group of people include; 'Tuo Zaafi', rice balls with green leaves soup, cowpea with sheanut oil and pepper called 'tubaani', millet or corn porridge. Beverages includes 'zoom koom' or toasted millet flour in water, and 'fula' mashed in water, milk ginger and sugar.

Architectural and craft  aspects identifies mamprusi people with round huts with conical thatched roofs.Traditional textile in the North is the Fugu or smock at centers as Yendi, Tamale, Gushiegu and Daboya.Water pots and baskets are alsao produced. Indeed, the mamprusi people have also contributed to the rich Ghanaian heritage.

 

                                      A young boy in 'fugu'.     

THE ASANTE CULTURE.

Asanteman flag.

The Asante community without doubt is regarded the citadel of Ghana's rich cultural heritage.They are mostly located in the central part of Ghana between Volta and Eastern regions. The Asante people are the major ethnic group of the Akans in Ghana, the most powerful and known to be fierce fighters.

The Asantes have a lot of beliefs and practices. They belief in the existence of the supreme God,lesser gods, ancestors and also believe that trees and animals have souls which others worship.Also, the belief that the golden stool is sacred and a great pride to them. As an Asante symbol,the golden stool represents the worship of ancestors, well-being and the Asante nation. As a symbol of nationhood believed to contain the soul of the Asante people, it is highly protected. In addition, the Asantes have a special way of greeting where you hold your left hand out. The explanation is; the left hand holds the shield and the right hand holds the spear. To show trust in someone, you put down your shield and have your left hand free to greet.

As part of identity, Asantes have their favorite dish to be fufu and light soup. This food is eaten by Asantes at least twice a week. In the aspect of recreation, importance is attached to the game called 'owari 'thus moving beads or stones around a wooden board that has cups similar to that of an egg carton.During festivals and important ceremonies libation is poured to thank both gods and ancestors, the traditional 'adowa' dance is displayed as the talking drums are played.Http://youtu.be/eYo0HtKHeeo

The talking drum

The Asantehene

The Asantes are known for their crafts namely weaving, ceramics and wooden sculpture.Historically these crafts villages were originally established centuries ago to produce regalia for the king and  his court.Today anyone who can afford those crafts can purchase them.Kente cloth weaving at Bonwire is a great tourist site. These clothes are woven in different patterns and colours with some adinkra symbols printed in it. Each cloth has its own name, sometimes the patterns represents one's social status, clan and a saying.Kente is worn on joyous and special occasions as festivals, marriage rites and the enthronement of a king but today not only is it worn to the above occasions but to religious worships and death ceremonies.

The elegant kente cloth

Adinkra symbol

Asanteman is credited with sculpture carved from wood. A case in point is the common fertility doll(Akuaba). This is used by an Asante woman as fertility figures especially if the woman has troubles becoming pregnant. She takes the doll to the shrine to be blessed then, she carries it every where she goes on her belly and this is to give her luck to get pregnant.In the field of ceramics, pots are mostly designed with adinkra symbols. Indeed, the Asane kingdom have contributed immensely towards the diversity of Ghanaian culture.

My culture, My heritage.

Culture has many discussions pertaining to how it developed. Some earliest account have been traced to Herodotus, a Greek Historian. He wrote about the cultural and racial diversity of the Middle East and surrounding parts of Asia and Africa while he traveled through the Persian Empire. His findings was linked to the difference in people's geographical location. For almost 2000 years following the time of Herodetus, many people attributed culture and its diversity to racial inheritance, others to the biblical account of the Tower of Babel where God caused people to speak in different tongues. The word 'culture'  came into use in the middle ages, derived from the latin word for cultivation .Originally it referred to people's role in controlling nature but today it can be discussed in a broader sense.

Culture generally refers to lifestyle of a particular people or society. It differs from people to people. Culture is not inherited but man-made; it evolves as humans respond to the local and biological environment for the purpose of living. However, its expressed in both material and non-material form; a case in point is with the different types of food consumed by a group of people, clothing worn, body decoration, visual arts and symbols also language, philosophical thought, morals beliefs and rituals respectively. It should be noted that culture is not static but dynamic.

 Culture was created by the various ethnic groups as they settled and saw the need to have a source of identity. In Ghana, over 100 linguistics and ethnic groups have been identified. These groups have been categorised into two major linguistics families; the Kwa and Gur. The Kwa speakers by tradition are associated with areas South of the Volta and its major subset or group is the Akan people ie, the Akuapem, Akyem, Bono, Fanti among others. The Nzima's, Ga's, Gonja's, Adangbe and Ewe are all part of the Kwa family. The Gur linguistics family are mostly found in the North areas with its principal Gur language as Dagbane and its major groups as Dagombas and Mamprusi people

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Indeed it is evident that culture is a strong  tool to be used to foster national development. In view of this, the 1992 constitution of Ghana in chapter 6, article 39 subsection 1,2,3,4 talk about the essence of culture. It is the duty ot the state to preserve and protect places of historical and cultural interest. Due to the importance of culture in Ghana, on the list of of stakeholders, prominence is given to the National House of Chiefs because of their role to preserve and transform culture.

Culture and the very best of traditions must be preserved and passed unto various generations to come.  As Ghanaians we must take pride in our culture and be good agents for championing culture, for it is our culture and our heritage.