The Ga People and Homowo Festival

By : Daniel Tetteh Osabu-Kle
Carleton University

The Origin of the Ga People
The Ga people belong to the Ga-Dagbe group of Kwa people who inhabit the Greater
Accra region of present day Ghana. The Kwa people of Africa include the Ga-Dagbe,
Ewe, Akwapim, Fanti, Kwahu, and Akim and Ashanti. According to some legends Ga
people migrated from Nigeria, others that they were part of Israel that migrated southward
through present day Uganda, then along the CongoRiver, westward through Cameroons,
Nigeria, Benin, Togo and finally to Greater Accra.
Given that Africans have roamed the continent for thousands of years and that
such migrations might have been northward, southward, eastward or westward, the origin
of any group of people in Africa may be very uncertain. Any African might have
relatively originated from anywhere in Africa. The cited origin might as well be what
could be remembered about the recent past and not the ultimate origin. For example, the
Wolof name for a king is Fari which is very similar to the word Faro of ancient Egypt and
may point to the Egyptian heritage of the Wolof in West Africa. The Egyptian word for
the highest god and righteous father was Ra and the Setwana word for father is also Ra.
It is therefore not surprising that among the Ga people, those at Teshi claim to have
migrated from a town called Boma on the shores of the Congo River, those at Labadi
from Boney Island off the coast of Nigeria and those from Gamashi from Benin City in
Eastern Nigeria.

While these legends from remembered history cannot be proved, they cannot be
denied as well. There are several names in Uganda among the Acholi which are very
similar to Ga names and there is supposed to be a language in the Cameroons called Ge
which is similar to the Ga language. Moreover, the pronunciation of the word Ga is more
similar to the word Ghana than the word Akan from which Dr. J. B Danquah created his
myth linking the Akan to the ancient Ghana empire. To complicate matters, the ancient
unleavened bread of the Ga people called akpiti1
is much the same as the unleavened
bread of the Jews. What can be said with certainlty is that the Ga people were not static,
but dynamic and engaged in the very common phenomenon of migration in Africa and
that the Homowo festival had its origin in such migration. Before delving into the origin
and meaning of Homowo, it is expedient to provide a brief account of the political
structure of the Ga people, and some brief account of their culture. Because very few
people including Rev. Carl Christian Reindorf (1834-1917), A. B. Quartey-Papafio2
, and Rev. Peter Addo 3 have taken the trouble to write about the Ga people, much will be
derived from the rich remembered history handed down from generation to generation.
Quartey-Papafio’s account of Homowo applies to Gamashi only while that of Rev. Peter
Addo is very brief.

While remembered history cannot be full proof, written history cannot be also full
proof. Elements of truth can be garnered from each of them through critical and
comparative analysis of facts collected from various sources. Much of the work of Carl
Christian Reindorf followed this approach when he compared and analyzed remembered
history collected from various people. Normally, such remembered history is written in
the minds of trusted initiates of the royal houses after the rite of butung 4
As one who hails from one of the royal houses of the Ga State, I had the advantage of being educated
in the tradition of the Ga people by the grey-headed wise men and women through the
practice of writing in the mind rather than on paper described below in the section on the
culture of the Ga people. I consider it my responsibility to transfer some of what has been
written in my mind on paper to the benefit of humankind.

The Political Structure of the Ga People
The political structure of the Ga people comprises six main independent sub-states known
as the traditional areas of Gamashi, Osu, La, Teshi, Nungua and Tema. Each traditional
area has several villages in the hinterland under it and the names of the traditional areas
are the same as the names of the capital towns from which the names of the traditional
areas derive. The Mantsemei5 or Kings of the capital towns are of equal status and
independent. In each village or town are clans “differentiated from one another by name,
by the names of the members and by their particular religious alliances and rites” (OsabuKle,2000,p.88). Each village has its own Mantse or chief who is under the Mantse of the
traditional area who is the same as the Mantse of the capital town. Each clan is assigned
a role to play in the life of the community. The differentiation of clans by name and
membership suggests that the towns and villages were founded by previously independent
groups who considered it safer and convenient to lead civilized life. The clans which
represent relations of the same patrilineal or matrilineal origin are subdivided into
families and the families are further divided into ‘houses” – people of a common and
nearest ancestral origin. A person may belong to two traditional areas, two clans, two
families and two houses at the same time, one by virtue of his father and the other by
virtue of his mother.
Each house and each family is headed by a wise elder who is usually, but not
necessarily the oldest able member. Female elders head the female members and male
elders head the male members, but the male elders additionally take on the additional
responsibility of heading the houses and families as a whole. When an elder is feeble by
age another is appointed consensually to act as head through a practice known as
shuonotamo (sitting on the lap of the elderly and wise).

Unlike the heads of houses and families which are age related, the selection of the
clan head is based upon merit. When there is need for a clan head, the heads of the
various houses and families of that clan meet to prepare a list of eligible candidates
selected by merit according to how they have been observed from childhood. The list is
presented to an electoral college comprising the heads of the various clans, the heads of
professional groups notably the head of farming, Okwaafoiatse, and the head of fishing,
Woleiatse, the Wulomo or chief priest and clan captains, asafoiatsemei6
and asafoianyemei. It is this same electoral college or council who assist the Manche in
ruling the town or village. The electoral college selects the clan head by consensus from
the list in secrecy to avoid competition and petty jealousies. At a predetermined date the
selected clan head is presented ceremonially to the people of the town or village where he
swears oath of allegiance to the ruling college and to the Mantse. The selected candidate
is obligated to take office since refusal is considered a taboo and a disgrace punishable
with banishment from the village or town.
The selection of a Mantse is very similar to the selection of the clan head. Several
houses, normally three to four, constitute the royal clan. The houses of the royal clan
provide Mantsemei by rotation. When the mantle of succession falls upon a particular
royal house, it is the responsibility of that house to provide a list of candidates selected by
merit to the clan head who, in turn, forwards the list of names to the electoral college. The
electoral college selects the Mantse from the list by consensus and appoints a date for
ceremonial presentation of the Mantse to the people of the town or village where he
swears and oath of allegiance to the electoral college and the electoral college, in turn,
swears an oath of allegiance one by one to him.
Just as clans came together to constitute towns, villages and traditional areas to
enable them lead a more secure civilized life, the independent traditional areas also came
together to constitute the Ga State as a whole. At some point in time, the Gamashi
Mantse was selected to be the first among equals to preside over the meetings of the Ga
State Council. The members of the Ga State Council are the Mantsemei of the capital
towns of the traditional areas. The speaker of the Ga State Council is the Nai wulomo.

The Culture of the Ga People
Culture comprises the knowledge base, beliefs, values, and attitudes and orientations of
people towards social objects. Through a process of cultural education from childhood
culture contributes to define people and to make people think and behave in the manner
they do. The Ga people did not develop the technique of writing on paper to store
knowledge. Instead they developed a technique for writing in the wax of the mind called
yitsontao7. The technique involved repetitive imparting of knowledge followed by testing
at each repetition to ensure that the knowledge is eventually inscribed permanently in the
yitsontao. Symbols in the form of images and if necessary punishments are sometimes
used to aid the process.
The Ga people believe in the existence of spirits some of which may be good and
others bad. They believe in the existence of a supreme spirit that created the world, but
this supreme being has both masculine and feminine properties. Accordingly, the name
of this supreme being is Ataa-Naa Nyonmo (God who is both He, Ataa and She, Naa)
who is also referred to as Ofe – the one above all – or Maawu. While nyonmo means god,
Ataa-Naa Nyonmo, Ofe, and Maawu are used exclusively only for the creator and
sustainer of the world – the Most High God. Maawu has an adversary or enemy called
abomsam who is the head of the evil spirits. Because Maawu is far away, he works
through a system of intermediary nyonmoi arranged in a hierarchical order or levels. The
first level and closest to Maawu are DzemaWodzi (singular Dzemawong) and the second
level are Wodzi.

DzemaWodzi and Wodzi are assigned various names. Included among the names
of DzemaWodzi are Osabu (the sky god), Gbobu, Odame, Dantu, La-Kpa, and the lagoon
gods of Sakumo, Korle, Osu-Klotey, Kpeeshi (the war god of the Ga people), and Sango.
While individuals may own and worship their own Wodzi, DzemaWodzi can only be
owned and worshiped by groups or societies. DzemaWodzi and Wodzi may possess
individuals turning them into mediums or Wulomoi (priests) and Woyei (priestesses)
through whom they communicate with humans. While DzemaWodzi and Wodzi can be
appeased with the blood of cattle, sheep, goats or fowls, Maawu can be appeased with
only praises and libation. Because murder is a taboo, it is a taboo to offer human sacrifice
or blood to the DzemaWodzi and Wodzi of the Ga people. For the same reason, the Ga
people do not have any institution of brafo, the organization of executioners.

Apart from DzemaWodzi and Wodzi, there are also spirits called Bofoi who may
be messengers of Maawu or Abomsam- the enemy (Satan) of Maawu. The messengers of
Maawu are called Nyonmo-Bofoi and the messengers of Abomsam are called mumoi fodzi evil spirits.
All natural bodies and living things such as the sky, stars, planets, moons, sea,
rivers, lakes, lagoons, trees, forests, bushes, plants, animals, fishes, birds, insects and
humans have spiritual components. In particular, the spirits of the sky, stars, moons, sea,
rivers, lakes, lagoons and forests are DzemaWodzi (Field, 1961, pp.4-6). Death does not
destroy the spirits of living things which are always in communication with the bodies
they leave behind. The human body is believed to comprise three entities, the Gbomotso
(body), Susuma (the spirit of man associated with dreams), and Kla (the sustainer of life).
All people born on the same day have the same Kla and the same Kla name or day name8

When the Susuma wanders about in dreams, the Kla stays behind to maintain life
(ibid, p.93). If both the Kla and the Susuma leave the body together, the death occurs. If
either the Kla or the Susuma leave the body permanently, the person dies. When humans
die, their Susumai (plural of Susuma) live on to become ancestral spirits always willing to
help their descendants while the Kla may enter into reincarnation (ibid, p.94). The spirits
of animals and plants can be tapped and used to create Wodzi or for healing purposes. The
various stools of Mantsemei are also DzemaWodzi. Humans can communicate with
spirits through the pouring of libation. Moreover, the DzemaWodzi and Wodzi of the
various traditional areas are not the same although some may bear the same name and
function. Typically, the shrines or places of worship are not the same even if the names of
DzemaWodzi and Wodzi coincide.
There is also a conception of trinity which is quite different from the Christain
conception of trinity. The sky, Nwei, is considered a male and the earth, Shikpong is
considered female. The marriage between Nwei and Shikpong resulted in the birth of the
sea, Nsho. This trinity of Nwei, Shikpong, and Nsho sustain life, Wala. The sacred day of
Shikpong is Thursday on which farming is prohibited. The sacred day of the Nsho is
Tuesday on which fishing is prohibited. Thus, the Ga people have two Sabbath days in a
week.

The Ga people also have a value system of taboos that guide their behaviour.
Thus, all acts of incest, homosexualism, rape, murder, disrespect for the elderly and other
immoral acts are considered punishable taboos – by death (in the case of murder), by
banishment from society, or by heavy fines.
The brief account of the Ga political system and culture lays the background for
understanding the Homowo festival of the Ga people to which we now turn.

The Practice, Meaning and Significance of Homowo
Homowo derives from two Ga words homo meaning hunger and wo meaning to hoot at.
Homowo therefore means hooting at hunger. According to legend, during the process of
migration, the Ga nation experienced famine and severe hunger. However, they mustered
up courage to till the land, planted corn and called upon Ataa-Naa Nyonmo, the
DzemaWodzi, Wodzi, and Sisadzi, the ancestral spirits through libation to bless the farms
to yield in abundance. In response to their prayers deluge of rains, followed, the crops
grew and yielded in abundance. Being experts in fishing they also caught fish in
abundance which included giant red snappers called tsile and giant tunas called odaa.
Their sheep and goats also multiplied as they fed on abundance of green pasture.
They celebrated this abundance of food and victory over hunger with a specially prepared
diet from unfermented corn powder called kpokpoe which has now been corrupted to
kpekple, and palm nut soup of fish. They hooted at and ridiculed hunger as they ate the
kpokpoe with the palm nut soup prepared from fish only (notably tsile and odaa), poured
libation and offered some of the diet symbolically to the DzemaWodzi and ancestral
spirits, Sisadzi. Homowo which is celebrated annually between August and September is
to commemorate that day when hunger was defeated, hooted at, and ridiculed. Given the
political structure of the Ga people, it is to be expected that this hooting at and ridiculing
of hunger might take different forms.
The independence of the traditional areas and the possibility of an individual
belonging to more than one traditional demands that the celebrations be organized in
succession such to enable interested parties to attend any of them. The dates for the
celebrations in the traditional areas are decided upon by consensus a council of Wulomei
representing the various traditional areas. The first to begin is Nungua because the
Nungua people are supposed to be the first of the Ga people to arrive in Ghana folowed
by the people of Gamashi. Teshi is the last to celebrate being the youngest of the Ga
towns which broke away from La and was established in 1710.

The preparation for the festival begins with the planting of crops before the rainy
season that begins in May. In June, a ritual called gbemlilaa (locking the way) bans
drumming and music to enable people attend to crops with seriousness. This is followed
by nshobulemo or ritual to calm the sea. Another ritual called okomfemaa bans fishing in
the lagoons until the Homowo festival is over. The Homowo is preceded by yam festivals
in the villages of the hinterland. This is the village version of celebrating victory over
hunger, but falls short of hooting and ridiculing hunger which is reserved for the capital
towns. When the date for the Homowo festival of a traditional area is near, the people of
that traditional in the villages are expected to return to their homes in the respective
capital towns. The villagers begin to arrive a week before the celebration beginning on
Thursday, the sacred day of the earth when farm going is prohibited. The first arrivals on
Thursday are called Soobii (Thursday people).

The villagers arrive with pomp and jubilating songs bringing their harvested crops
especially maize and palm nuts along. They arrivals parade the streets all day and retire
only during the night. Friday of the arrival week is dedicated to remembrance of those
who died during the year. In the early morning hours of Tuesday, the sacred day of the sea
when sea going is prohibited, kpokpoe and palm nut soup are prepared for the feasting.
The Mantse of the traditional area, clan heads, family heads and head of families pour
libation to Maawu, Sisadzi, DzemaWodzi, and Wodzi and sprinkle white kpokpoe mixed
with palm soup to the DzemaWodzi, Wodzi and Sisadzi to thank them invite their
blessings, and to signify the beginning of the feast. The next day, Wednesday, is the day
of ngoowala when young visit the elderly to wish them log life and the elderly, in turn,
shower the young with gifts of all sorts including money.
There are some variations in the celebrations in the capital towns after the
kpokpoe feast. At Teshi, Tema and Labadi, for example, the feast is followed by the
Kpashimo dance and parade. At Nungua, it is followed by Obene dance during the night
and Kpele dance during the day. The most popular celebration after the kpokpoe feast is
the Kpashimo of Teshi which attracts foreigners. It begins on Sunday after the feast and
ends on the next week Saturday with Sesebumo9.

Most people from the traditional areas
of the Ga State, foreigners, and other Ghanaians domiciled in the Ga State converge at
Teshi to watch the last celebration of the Homowo season, Sesebumo.
The Kpashimo of Teshi begins on Sunday with sesefaa (the carrying of a wooden
dish containing water and sacred leaves) and ends on Saturday with Sesebumo (the
overturning of the wooden dish and its contents) to cleanse the people, make their wishes
come true, and bless them. During sesefaa, the kpa groups from the seven quarters of
Teshi are led first to the palace of the Mantse. The Mantse pours libation and provides
some amount of money as a customary gift of appreciation. The kpa groups proceed to
the palaces of the divisional chiefs, heads of clans, heads of families, asafoiatsemei,
asafoianyemei and Wulomei of the town by turn who also pour libation and provide gifts
of appreciation. This opens the way for kpashimo.
Kpashimo is of two types. The more gentle type is in the form of traditional songs
and dancing and it is called Amlakui-Akpa meaning the Kpa dance of the nobility. The
sese carrying group engages always in this type. The other type is very democratic and
aims at exposing the wrongs committed by the nobility and commoners alike during the
past year with the view of making them change their behaviour for the better. The kpa
groups from the seven quarters of the town engage in this type. After sesefaa, the kpa
groups break into their separate groups ad begin to expose the wrongdoings of the
nobility beginning with those of the Mantse. The wrongdoings of the head of State of
Ghana and his Ministers may also be exposed. They then proceed to expose the
wrongdoings of individuals. Any person whose wrongdoings are exposed is expected by
tradition to provide some gift usually money to express his or her appreciation. This goes
on from Sunday to Friday while the sese carrying group continues to engage in Amlakui Akpa and people desiring special blessing shower the sese with gifts of money. Paper
notes are handed over to the sese group leader while coins are put into the sese. The sese
group parades through the principal streets of the town once a day.
Saturday is the day of Sesebumo to bring an end to Kpashimo and the Homowo
festival as a whole where all attention is focused on the sese group. In the morning, the
sese group goes to the Mantse, and elders as it did on Sunday to greet them. The pour
libation to invoke blessings from Ataa-Naa Nyonmo (the same as Ofe or Maawu),
DzemaWodzi, Wodzi and ancestral spirits. They repeatedly sing the song: Sese yaabu dza neke afi.
Mee loo abaaye ? Sese shall not overturn again till next year.

What fish shall we feed on?
After greeting the nobility, the sese group rests till the afternoon. In the afternoon,
the sese group leads the kpa groups of the seven divisions of the town who are also
followed by the towns people and visiting spectators through the principal streets of the
town all singing “Sese yaabu dza neke afi. Mee loo abaaye?”. The procession ends at
Sangonaa near the Sango lagoon. At Sangonaa, the song and kpashimo get louder, more
vigorous and intense till finally the carrier of the sese overturns it and its contents. This
overturning of the sese marks the end of the Homowo of the Ga people and the lifting of
the ban on drumming.

Conclusion
The Ga people of Ghana belong to the Kwa speaking people of Africa which also
includes the Ewe and the Akan. Several legends give differing account of the origin of
the Ga people. What can be said with certainty is that they were dynamic people who
participated in the phenomenon of migration on the continent for thousands of years that
make it impossible to determine with accuracy the ultimate origin. During one of such
migrations, the faced some acute famine, but were courageous to plant and pour libation
to Maawu, DzemaWodzi, Wodzi and ancestral spirits to bless their farms. After a deluge
of rain which they considered a response to their prayers, there was an abundance of food
and fish. They prepared a special type of food from unfermented corn which they ate
with palm nut soup prepared with fish. They hooted and ridiculed hunger in those days.
Homowo means hooting at and ridiculing hunger. It is an annual festival to
commemorate the day the ancestors won victory over hunger, hooted at it and ridiculed it
with songs and dancing.
Despite the popularity of the Homowo festival in Ghana, very few have written
about it. This is partly due to the Ga tradition of writing on the wax or slate of the brain
called yitsontao using repetition, testing, symbols and initiation. Hailing from one of the
royal houses of the Ga State and a product of the yitsontao process of education in Ga
history, culture and traditions, I have used my unique experience to enrich what others
before me have written. I have personally lived the life of Homowo for decades of my
life. What I have seen, what I have experienced and what I have been educated in is what
I have committed on paper so that others may read, study and enjoy.