Aboakyer festival

Aboakyer festival

festival

Continent	Africa
Country	Ghana
Edey de administrative territorial entity insyd	Central Region
Ein location	Winneba, Central Region

Aboakyer Festival be bushback hunting festival wey de people of Winneba wey dey de Central Region for Ghana dey celebrate.

Overview

De name Aboakyer dey mean say “hunting for game anaa animal” for de Fante dialect insyd. Dem dey take de festival remember de migration of Simpafo (de traditional name give de people of Winneba). De people komot de north-eastern town of Timbuktu for ancient Western Sudan Empire cam dema present land for de central coast of Ghana. De journey dem take from de north-east cam de west coast of Ghana dema leaders be two brothers. Dem dey believe say one gods whom dem dey bell Otu, protect dem as dem dey migrate so, dem do take show appreciation, de people cam talk de priest for der, de priest de act as middle man give dem den God, so dem ask de priest make he ask de gods wey sacrifice ein dey hia. De people cam shock as de gods say he dey want person blood, person wey e komot de royal family insyd. Dat sacrifice do for some years den e stop as dem no dey like de human sacrifice. Dem make request give de gods say make e change de sacrifice as dem see say if dem dey sacrifice de royal family like dat dem all go die. De gods talk dem say make dem give am some type of wild cat wey dem catch alive den cam present am for de shrine. After de presentation, dem go behead am as de sacrifice. Dem for do dis like festival every year.

Before de festival go start, de people cam settle de gods for some town dem dey bell Penkye. After dem move de god change ein name cam Penkyi Otu, make dem use am so say dis be ein final home. To mark de festival de people catch de animal as de gods asks. Chaw people die as dem dey hunt am den move am cam Penkye. De people go de second time ask Penke Out make e change de sacrifice. De god agree change de sacrifice cam mature bushbuck. Dem cam create two hunting groups, de Tuafo (Number One) den Dentsifo (Number Two), dis dem give de task say make dem dey hunt de animal den bring show de people for de durbar. Dis festival dey cam May as e be major event for Ghana insyd. De warriors dey catch de bushback or deer with dem hands, dem no go use weapon.

Oral tradition

De people of Simpa pass de tradition give dema ancestors for songs form insyd, dem dey sing am for dema war chants den dema moonlight nights story form. Dem do dis tradition till de colonial Europeans arrive de Gold Coast den bring dema English language. Sholars cam translate de Oral Story from de ‘Fante’ cam English.

The festival

Dem dey celebrate de festival on de first Saturday for May insyd. De festival day de two warrior groups, de two Asafo companies for Winneba go take part for de hunting insyd. De first troop wey go catch live bushback from de game reserve dem dey use for dis purpose cam present give de chiefs den people for de durbar insyd go be de winner, dem go see dem very brave. Dem go sacrifice de bushback take start de Aboakyer festival. Dem dey use de festival pray say make dem get chaw harvest den spiritual guidance from de god for de year wey dey cam insyd.

Gallery

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  Sam group catch deer make dem take celebrate de Aboakyrr festival
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  Group of men wey dey sing, dance den chant for de festival insyd
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  Sam group catch deer make dem take celebrate de Aboakyer festival
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  Man wey dey carry Schnapp go do ritual for de Aboakyer Festival
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  Big crowd wey dey celebrate de fsetival.