Kundum Festival
| Ethnic group | Nzema people, Ahanta people  |
|---|---|
| Country | Ghana |
| Indigenous to | Anokye |
| Dem locate for de administrative territorial entity insyd | Western Region (Ghana) |
| Location | Nzema East Municipal District, Ahanta West Municipal District, Western Region (Ghana) |
| Language of work or name | Nzema |
| Intangible cultural heritage status | National Register – Intangible Cultural Heritage of Ghana |
De Kundum Fesival be festival wey de people of Ahanta den de Nzema people wey dey de Western Region of Ghana dey celebrate.[1] Dem dey celebrate dis festival make dem thank God for chaw food dem harvest for de area.[2]
History[edit | edit source]
One of de earliest record of de festival wey dem write be sam Dutch explorer dem call Bosman, He travel come de Gold Coast insyd 17th century wey he observe de festival.[3]
Origin[edit | edit source]
According to de oral history den dema folklore, de festival begin wen sam hunter bi, Akpoley, during ein expedition he cam see say sam dwarves dey circle insyd wey dem dey dance. After he watch dem he cam back to ein town den introduce am give dem.[4] De ritual dancing be dance dem dey take sack de devil den evil spirits from dema town den villages. During de festival, de people wey dey dance am more be de people wey dey Axim den surrounding towns. E komot from de Nzema people wey e graduate enter de Ahantas for de Western Region for Ghana.
Festival type[edit | edit source]
Kundum be both harvest den religious festival.[3] De start of de festival dey for de day sam fruit of certain palm tree go ripe.
De Celebration[edit | edit source]
De festival dey last for four weeks, but for de first three weeks most of de activities wey dey like drumming den dancing dey take place for nightee for de outskirts of sum place dem dey bell Siedu anaa Sienu. De festival dey occur separately for each town wey dey de Ahanta den Nzema paramountcy. De towns each dey schedule de Sunday dema local festival go start.
De celebration get three main components insyd:[3]
- dancing
- drumming
- feast
Festival attire[edit | edit source]
De people wey dey pariticipate for de celebration insyd dey wear dress, footwear, den more tyms mask. De festival dey start by musicians as dem take dema drums go de five different shrines for de town ein outskirts. For de shrine insyd, dem go make prayers give de town den dem go pour rum put ground as libation.[3]
Programme of activities[edit | edit source]
For de traditional four-week celebration insyd, de drummers dey spend three weeks for de town ein outskirts as dem dey practice den prepare for de fourth week. Dem no dey drum anaa dance for de Monday of de fourth week. Dem go light de ritual Kundum fire for de chief ein palace wey e go burn thru de festival all. De fire dey serve as de center for all dema activities den heat source give de preparation of de main festival meal.
For Tuesday, dem dey sacrifice fowl anaa sheep for de stool room insyd. De stool room be dema sacred palace where dem dey keep de stools of chiefs den elders wey depart. All de sacrifices for de stool room be private, sam small designated group per dey do am. Finally dem go public sacrifice for de courtyard plus fowl. Singing dey start Tuesday den Wednesday insyd, de chief dey join de celebration. He go dey palanquin insyd as people dey drum den sing dey follow am.[5]
De people dey chop large meal togeda for every night wey dem go do anoda feast for Sunday take finalise am. Ebe de women wey dey prepare de food wey dey use de Kundum fire, de elderly women go supervise dem. De rest of de week insyd dem dey perform de ritual Kundum dance. Some dances men dey do am wey women dey do some; wey some dey anybody fi do am.[3][5] De dancing go end for de Castle for Axim. De traditional purpose of de dance is to take disperse any evil spirits anaa devils from dema town den preserve anoda successful year give dem.[5]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ "Kundum". www.ghananation.com. Archived from the original on 17 February 2012. Retrieved 4 December 2011.
- ↑ "MTN donates towards Kundum festival". www.modernghana.com. Retrieved 4 December 2011.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 "Kundum: A western Ghana festival expelling demons and devils". www.units.muohio.edu. Retrieved 4 December 2011.
- ↑ Ansah, Timothy. Kundum Festival of the Nzemas and Ahantas. Accra, Ghana: Onyase Printing Press. p. 88.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Grottanelli, Grottanelli (1988). The Python killer. Chicago and London.: The university of Chicago Press. pp. 223.