Is there any Ghanaian ethnic group that truly originated from a sacred hole or heaven?

The recent wave of festivals and cultural celebrations has brought to light numerous accounts about the origins of various ethnic groups in Ghana. Many of these narratives are steeped in myths or sacred tales, raising questions about whether any Ghanaian ethnic group truly originated from a sacred hole or even from heaven.

Drawing on the scholarship of the late Professor James Anquandah, particularly his seminal work “The People of Ghana: Their Origins and Cultures,” this article explores these intriguing claims.

Myths of Sacred Origins

In Ghana, several ethnic groups have oral traditions that describe their origins in mythical or sacred terms. These traditions often depict founding ancestors as emerging from holes in the ground, descending from the skies, or arriving from distant lands. Professor Anquandah notes that such narratives are especially prevalent among societies with strong indigenous traditions, where these stories are conveyed through fables or myths.

Bono

For example, the Akan people of Bono-Takyiman and Bono Manso have two distinct versions of their origins. One version states that their ancestors were indigenes who emerged from a sacred hole at Amuowi. Archaeological excavations at Amuowi, supported by radiocarbon dating, reveal early settlements dating back to the 5th century A.D., lending some credibility to this tradition. However, another version of the Akan tradition suggests that their ancestors were migrants from a northern origin, highlighting the complexity and variability of these origin stories.

Similarly, the Bono of Wenchi narrate that their seven ancestral clans originated from a hole near Wenchi, aided in their emergence by a pig-like animal called wankyie. Archaeological evidence supports early settlement in the area around the 11th century A.D., providing a historical context for these oral traditions.

Claims of Heavenly and Foreign Origins

Among the Mande Ligby people of Namasa, near the historic Begho city-state, there is a tradition that their ancestors, led by Chief Gyasa Kala, descended from heaven and founded their settlement in the Kwame Tenten hills. However, archaeological evidence reveals ceramics of Malian origin dating back to the 11th to 13th centuries A.D., suggesting a migratory origin rather than a heavenly descent.

The Case of the Asante

One of the most fascinating examples of conflicting origin stories comes from the Asante, one of Ghana’s most prominent ethnic groups. The origins of the Asante state are encapsulated in two contrasting folk traditions. The first tradition suggests that the ancestors of the Asante were immigrants from the savannah lands to the north, who gradually settled in the region now known as Asante. This narrative aligns with broader migration patterns in West Africa, where movements from the northern savannah into the forest regions were common.

In contrast, the second tradition presents the Asante as indigenous to their current homeland, asserting that they emerged from a hole in the ground, symbolizing their deep-rooted connection to the land. This belief in an autochthonous origin is further elaborated in a variant that claims Asantemanso, a significant site in Asante history, was founded by Ankyewa Nyame, a divine figure. According to this version, Ankyewa Nyame is believed to have descended from the heavens and is considered an ancestor of the renowned Asante leaders, Oti Akenten and Osei Tutu, who are central to Asante history.

Supporting this tradition, historian Wilks mentions the concept of Akanmanpiesiennum, the five first-born Akan settlements, which are regarded as the cradle of several prominent Akan groups, including the Adanse, Akyem, Asen, and Denkyira. This notion reinforces the idea that the Asante, and by extension other Akan groups, have deep historical roots in the region.

Further emphasizing the autochthonous view, Asantehene Agyeman Prempeh I, in his 1907 work History of Asante Kings and the Whole Country, affirmed the belief that the Asante are indigenous to their land, thereby lending royal endorsement to this tradition.

To explore these traditions more scientifically, archaeologists Shinnie and Shinnie conducted excavations at Asantemanso and Adansemanso, sites traditionally associated with the early history of the Asante. Radiocarbon dating from these excavations revealed that both settlements began around the mid-9th century A.D. However, the occupation of Adansemanso ended around 1640, while Asantemanso continued to be inhabited until about 1740, suggesting a prolonged and significant period of settlement at Asantemanso.

These findings provide a tangible historical context for the Asante origin stories, although they do not conclusively confirm either tradition. Instead, they highlight the rich nature of Asante history, where myth, tradition, and archaeology intersect to create a multifaceted narrative of the Asante people’s origins.

Indigenous and Migratory Origins

Beyond the sacred and mythical, many ethnic groups in Ghana have traditions that point to more terrestrial origins, either as indigenous peoples or as migrants from other regions in West Africa.

Fante

The Borbor Fante states, including Oguaa, Anomabo, Saltpond, Abora, Eguafo, Mankessim, Efutu, and others, have a consistent oral tradition that traces their origins to a migration from Takyiman Bono to the coastlands of Central Ghana. According to these traditions, this migration occurred around the 12th to 13th centuries A.D. Upon their arrival in the coastal regions, the Fante encountered an Indigenous group known as the Etsi, who were already established in the area.

While this narrative is widely accepted within Fante oral history, some scholars have raised doubts about its authenticity, particularly due to the lack of linguistic similarities between the Fante dialect of Akan and the Twi spoken in Takyiman. Despite these linguistic discrepancies, the broader evidence supporting the Fante migration from Takyiman appears compelling. This evidence includes not only the oral traditions but also historical patterns of migration and settlement that are consistent with the Fante’s account of their origins.

Ewe

The Ewe-speaking people of Ghana and Togo trace their origins to the Yorubaland region in modern-day Nigeria. Oral traditions suggest that the westward expansion of Yoruba society triggered the migration of the Ewe from Ketou, located in present-day Benin. This migration led to the establishment of key settlements such as Tado and Notsie (also known as Glime) around 1400 A.D. In Notsie, a ruling dynasty emerged, with one of its rulers, King Agorkorli, becoming notoriously oppressive. His harsh reign led to a significant dispersal of the Ewe people in the late 15th century. This dispersal resulted in the foundation of many of the major Ewe settlements that are now located in Ghana’s Volta Region, including Kpando, Peki, Ho, Anloga, Keta, Kpalime, Tsito, and others.

Ga-Dangme

Similarly, oral traditions among the Ga and Dangme peoples recount their migration history, though the details vary. Some traditions claim that their ancestors migrated from southern Nigeria due to pressure from the expanding Yoruba empire. Other versions suggest that the Ga-Dangme migrants came from the Te te tu tu region, which straddles the present-day Benin-Togo border. However, some traditions assert the Dangme were originally autochthonous, establishing early post-Neolithic settlements on the Accra Plains.

Historian Adu Boahen has argued convincingly that the linguistic similarities between the Ewe, Fon, and Adja languages support the theory that the Ewe migrated from the Dahomey (now Benin) and Togo regions. However, Boahen also notes the distinct linguistic similarities between the Ga and Dangme languages, which are unique to Ghana and do not align with other West African languages. Based on this linguistic and historical evidence, it can be reasonably concluded that the ancestors of the Ga and Dangme were largely indigenous to Ghana. Their interactions with the regions of Togo, Benin, and Nigeria were likely driven by trade or, in the case of the Dangme of Ladoku, by migration due to civil wars and the Akwamu invasion. This suggests a complex history of both indigenous development and external influence in the formation of these communities.

The diversity of traditions among Ghanaian ethnic groups makes it challenging to draw definitive conclusions about their origins. What is clear, however, is that the origins of Ghana’s peoples are as diverse as their cultures. Whether these origins are depicted as sacred, migratory, or indigenous, they are deeply rooted in the historical and cultural fabric of the region.

As Professor Anquandah concludes, “Numerous ethnic groups in Ghana are, in terms of linguistic culture at least, related more or less to various ethnic groups in the West Africa sub-region.” This suggests that the cultural and historical connections of Ghanaian ethnic groups are far more complex and interwoven than the myths of sacred holes, heavenly descents, or distant lands might suggest.