The Krobo people, an ethnic group in Ghana, are renowned for their vibrant culture and unique traditions. They are the largest group of the seven Dangme ethnic groups of Southeastern Ghana and are grouped as part of the Ga-Dangme ethnolinguistic group.
The Krobo people are from the Eastern Region of Ghana and are divided into two groups: the Manya and the Yilo. The exact date of this division remains unknown. In earlier years, the Government of Ghana referred to Manya Krobo as Eastern Krobo, and Yilo Krobo as Western Krobo.
The Krobo are the largest of the Ga-Adangme-speaking peoples, located in the mountains just inland from the coast, they constitute the fourth largest ethnic group in Ghana. During the 19th century, they were one of the small states of the Gold Coast in their formative stages of political and cultural development.
Let's delve into some of the fascinating aspects of Krobo culture.
Origins and Historical Journey
The historical origins of Krobo people to their present habitation is a subject of great academic and oral debate in Ghana. While Jackson, backed by oral tradition, state that the Krobo migrated from somewhere in Eastern Nigeria, the other documented sources support other theories.
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The Krobo under the leadership of Madza and Aklo Muase settled in a newly discovered plateau with steep sides and a few entry points, (The Krobo Mountain). On this mountain they lived for more than four hundred years.
The exact date on which the Krobos divided themselves into Yilo and Manya Krobo is still uncertain. According to one account, the Krobo remained a more or less united nation until 1858. It opined that, in 1858 Ologo Patu, the Chief of South Western Krobo led a rebellion against the Government. This owed its origin partly to the strong objection the people of the eastern districts had against the paying of poll tax, and partly to a quarrel with Odonkor Azu, the Chief of Eastern Krobo, whom Patu attacked. (In earlier years the Manya Krobo were known to Government as the Eastern Krobo, whilst the Yilo were known as the Western Krobo). From that date to this day, the Krobo have been administered as two separate States, named today as Manya and Yilo Krobo.
Ologo Patu, or his predecessor that is the Yilo, were said to have arrived on the Krobo Hill a very long time after the main body. He and his followers were said to have come from Denkyera probably after the collapse of that ancient Kingdom in the latter part of 17th century.
The name Manya came from the word, Maonya‘ that is, “keep your mouth shut‘. This goes with the saying “nɔ bi nya me tee‘- literally meaning, “one does not need to talk about everything one sees‘.
Yilo on the other hand comes from the expression “wa yilɔ‘, meaning “we don‘t eat that‘. Some oral traditions have it that, when the Yilo returned from Krobo Denkyera, they lost most of the indigenous Krobo customs. As a result of that, they were taken through series of aculturalisation rites to make them accepted into the society. This process involved orientation for meals that the Krobo tabooed.
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Huber (1993) also cited a deep valley and other mountain top features as natural geographical division between the two, with Manya to the northeast and Yilo to the South in their former mountain home. These notwithstanding, they all used to be described as Klo-mă (Krobo town).
However, oral tradition describes a kind of co-operation among them which culminated in a kind of Parliament on Totroku. The former also holds that there are three patterns of social groupings. These are Wetso, Kăsi, and We.
According to him, the Wetso has twelve divisions in all (six for Yilo and six for Manya, and constitute the largest social unit in the Krobo society. has grown so large that some cannot easily trace their direct root to the one ancestry or the cluster of different ancestral roots that has come together as a division as the case may be. Such divisions were as far back as the days on the mountain, and which have evolved into political units and now headed by divisional chiefs.
The second social group according to him is the Kăsi which could be described as people from the same patrilineal ancestry. Literally, the term Kăsi means “people belonging to or eating from the same dish‘. These may be made up of households, all of whom traced their ancestry to one person.
‘We‘ are the next social grouping among the Krobo of Ghana. Literally,’We‘ or ‘Webii‘ stands for people of a house.
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The Dangme people initially traveled as one group, splitting into seven distinct groups only after arriving in Ghana. These seven Dangme groups were the Krobo, Ada, Prampram, Shai, Ningo, Osu-Doku and Kpone. After the split, each group took different paths: the Osudoku people ascended the Osudoku mountain, the Ada people moved to the east coast, the Shai, Prampram and Kpone people ventured inland, and the Ningo people headed southward to the coast. The Krobo people continued westward until they discovered a 1,108-foot-high (338 m) mountain divided by a gorge into two unequal sections. They viewed this mountain as an ideal settlement location, as its difficult ascent would provide natural protection against invading tribes.
Their favourable report led to the mountain being named "Klo yo" (Krobo Mountain). Krobo Mountain became the cultural and ritual center of the Krobo people. The settlement featured remarkable stone houses, some multiple stories high with up to 20-30 rooms. The Krobo developed an innovative water system to sustain their growing population. As their numbers increased beyond the mountain's capacity, people began establishing settlements in surrounding areas.
From the 17th century onward, Krobo Mountain faced numerous attacks from invading tribes. Krobo Mountain served as both the spiritual and physical home of the Krobo people, being their first settlement after separating from other Dangme Groups at Lɔlɔvɔ.
Map of Ghana showing the regions where the Krobo people reside in the Eastern Region.
The Dipo Ceremony
One of the most significant and well-known traditions of the Krobo people is the Dipo ceremony, an initiation rite for young girls.
PRAMPRAM DIPO ''RITE OF PASSAGE''
During the performance of the Dipo rites, participants are dressed in a special way to show that they are initiates. They have food restrictions and are only allowed to drink water from a well. They are taught the Klama dance, undergo a ritual bath and are made to sit on a stone which determines virginity. Those who are virgins get up easily, whereas those who are not virgins get stuck onto the stone.
On the last day of the rites, the participants are dressed up in colourful Kente cloth and adorned with a lot of beads on their neck, arms and waist with body marks. A durbar is held during which the girls perform the Klama dance amidst singing and in the presence of onlookers.
The Dipo ceremony used to last a very long time as there was no formal education and it served as vocational training for matured girls. It could last several months and even up to a year. The girls were camped and made to go through several processes, in the form of a “curriculum” for the training. They were taught how to tend a farm, collect firewood for cooking in the home (they had to have a reserve of firewood in their homes as good women because they could have visitors at night), fetching of water, doing dishes and laundering clothes. They were sent to a riverside and taught how to wash their clothes and learnt personal hygiene in the process. The girls also took turns to do the cooking during the period of seclusion.
Some of the girls may have been betrothed before going through the rite. Their suitors were therefore expected to contribute to the performance of the rite for the girls. They also carried the girls from the shrine after the ultimate test of sitting on the sacred stone as a means of warding off other interested men. This also signified that they would one day carry the girl to their bed.
The girls had their bodies exposed during the rite as a form of marketing - to show the members (especially men) of the community that the girls were beautiful and ripe for marriage and therefore attract potential suitors. They were taken to the market place to dance also as a form of exposure to the outside world. It was common in those days, for girls to be married soon after Dipo was performed for them.
The last stage involves the girls being purified on the bank of the sacred river, stripped naked and washed, their hair cut and finally prepared to wear the beautiful and colourful glass beads, typical of the region, an important symbol of femininity, beauty and wealth for the Krobo woman. Even today, local craftsmen perpetuate the secrets of these beautiful handicrafts in traditional workshops, a treasure trove of one of the oldest traditions in West Africa.
Young Krobo women during the Dipo ceremony, adorned with traditional beads.
Krobo Beads: Artistry and Tradition
Nestled near the serene Krobo Mountain in Ghana, a unique form of artistry has flourished for over a century. The skilled artisans of the Krobo and Ashanti tribes have mastered the craft of creating Krobo beads, a vibrant testament to their rich cultural heritage and dedication to sustainable practices.
Krobo beads have been handcrafted with precision and passion for more than 100 years, embodying a tradition passed down through generations. The process of making these powdered glass beads is both time-consuming and intricate, with one batch taking up to a week to complete. The value of each bead is determined by its color rarity, design complexity, and the meticulous effort involved in its creation.
The journey of a Krobo bead begins with the collection of glass, which is then transformed into chunks or powder using a metal mortar and pestle. The powdered glass is carefully placed in forms, with cassava stems at the center to create the bead's hole once burned out during firing.
Krobo beads are celebrated in three primary styles: fused glass fragment beads, two-halve beads, and writing beads or "Mue ne Angma." Each style represents a different aspect of Krobo creativity, from the simplicity of fused glass beads to the complexity of beads designed with mixed and layered powdered glass.
The allure of Krobo beads has transcended borders, capturing the hearts of people across the globe. From the bustling markets of Venice and Istanbul to the fashion-forward streets of the USA and India, these beads have become a symbol of worldly elegance and sustainable fashion.
Krobo beads are more than just accessories; they are a celebration of Ghanaian artistry, tradition, and the spirit of innovation. Each bead tells a story of cultural pride, artistic dedication, and the harmonious balance between nature and craftsmanship. As we adorn ourselves with these stunning creations, we carry with us a piece of Ghana's soul and a reminder of the enduring legacy of its people.
In the world of jewelry, Krobo beads stand out as a vibrant reminder of the beauty that can be created when tradition meets sustainability.
Other Cultural Events
The symbolic and anecdotal language associated with the colours and decorative motifs obtained from glass fusion is interesting. Another very colourful ceremony steeped in tradition is the Millet Festival, held in October at the end of the rainy season.
The entire population flocks to thank the voodoo deities for the good harvest season and parties are held for several days, with music, dancing and food. The heads of the clans come on parade, richly dressed and carried on sedan chairs protected by large decorated umbrellas, supported by servants.
| Social Group | Description |
|---|---|
| Wetso | Largest social unit with twelve divisions (six for Yilo and six for Manya). |
| Kăsi | People from the same patrilineal ancestry, sharing common ancestry and meals. |
| We | People of a house, representing the smallest social grouping. |
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