Ewe History

The Ewe Scientist Nominated For Nobel Peace Prize After Curing Millions : Dr. Raphael Armattoe

TikTok · Ewe History 358 likes, 30 comments. “Todays Lesson Class.. Lets discuss.. Was the dr. Assinated or Untimely death ? 👇🏾”

How Maya Angelou , Famous American Poet found her Ewe Ancestry !!

How Maya Angelou Found Her Ewe African Ancestry Embark on a captivating journey with our latest video as we unravel the fascinating story of Maya Angelou's discovery of her Ewe ancestry during a visit to K...

Ewe Wars: Akwamu Invasion and the rise of ‘The Krepi State’.

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Ewe Wars : Akwamu Invasion and The Rise of ‘The Krepi State’ Witness the historic battle between Ewe’s and the Akwamu, a turning point in history that led to the liberation of the Ewe people. This video sheds light on ...

The Journey of Ewe’s .

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Why did we grow up knowing and accepting more about Greek mythology than our own Êʋê Mythology ?

Êʋe Gods Vs Greeek Gods 👇🏾

Blemator_Gbe on TikTok Euê (Ewe) Vs Greek Gods - Most African traditions have similar gods with different names

The Êʋê cultural naming system was influenced by circumstances of birth, later events in a person's life, occupation of a person & social praise to a person or even religion.
Therefore, in the Êʋê naming system, we have four kinds of names: Natural names, Given names, Acquired names and Religious names.
The last three are mostly what the Êʋê people have as their surnames.
This post focuses on Given names and Acquired names because they have the strangest meanings and interesting histories behind them.
I briefly posted this topic 2 years ago and it was interesting to see the meaning & history of some surnames .
Let us know the meaning behind your surnames.⬇️⬇️

*Typo - "Ŋku nyɛ lɛ ŋu" (meaning: I have not forgotten)

- The Êʋê Journey -
A detailed view of the journey of our Ancestors from as early as the 12th century .
More research needs to be done on early Êʋê history before that. There are so many versions of origin prior to Ketu but unfortunately none that I have read have any archeological evidence that relates to Êʋês.
What we do know and what is evidentially proven is from Ketu onwards .
Infact the entire migration from Ketu was recorded in song texts of alot of Êʋê traditional music .
An unorthodox way of recording history but never the less valuable .
Hopefully we can continue to preserve the knowledge of Êʋê history through modern ways like social media .

*Read and Share ***

- Keta Market -

The Keta Market was not just a place for trading, it was an establishment that attracted people from towns allover. It was synonymous with the town , which would not exist without it.
The market is presumably as old as Keta itself and would have, as such, experienced all the changes of its host.
When the Bremen missionaries first arrived at Keta in 1853, they found just a few huts and a lone shop lining a single street – no mention was made of a market.
This is because previous houses and market would have been blown up and set ablaze by the cannons of Fort Prinzenstein during one of the last of the many ‘wars’ that the Danes waged with the Êʋês, then known as Agudzeawo (1844-1847) .
However, by the late 1940s and early 1950s, the market had redeveloped into a major regional distribution and trading hub.
All activities were dictated by and centred around the market day; when one could perform a wedding ceremony, find transportation to distant destinations, pay a visit to friends and relatives all depended on the days market was held.
Aside from the normal names for the days of the week, there were also unique names for the four- day market cycle: asiḍinki (day-after), domegbe (day-between), asimloegbe (day-before) and asigbe (market-day).

Traders from towns and villages like Anyako, Atiavi, Alakple, Seva and Tsiame brought farm produce and artisanal products (dried to***co leaves, dried or smoked or fried lagoon fish, mats and baskets, local confections and delicacies) in exchange for imported and ‘luxurious’ European wax prints, sugar, Ovaltine and Horlicks beverages, Exeter corned beef and canned sardines, Maggi seasoning cubes, perfumed toilet soap.
Two types of specially processed lagoon fish that the area was famous for and which traders from afar came specifically to purchase were the salted-dried lagoon tilapia (akpatogui), a delicacy among connoisseurs and the dried fermented fish (lãƒiƒi) which was used in kitchens around the region in small amounts to add flavour to soups and stews, the local organic condiment that the imported artificial Maggi cube threatened to replace.

https://youtu.be/Rx3Pe5wHJdE

Ewe Concept of Being : Mawu I this four part series , we are going to discuss some ewe traditional concepts which may now have been deemed indigenous or even outdated by modern society ...

- Êʋê Dzesiwo-

Dzesi/ Dzesiwo is the name given to the indigenous êʋê symbols.

Êʋê's have a cultural identity which is embedded in our symbols. Most of these symbols have been documented as early as the late 18th century and are derived from ancient proverbs and life events.

Individually each symbol is associated with a specific proverb or saying rooted in Êʋê experience. Collectively, these symbols form a system of writing that preserves and transmits the cultural values of the Êʋê.

These symbols are used by royals, traditionalist, traditional rulers, herbalist, elders and the people within the community.

They are represented in their indigenous art forms such as their linguistic staff, stools, canoes, local architecture, doors and paintings but mostly in the traditional woven cloth we know as KETE.

They are ‘coded’ and need to be unravelled for a better appreciation and understanding.

These symbols have aesthetic and educational values from which moral lessons are learnt and it is an integral part of the everyday life

Credit to Juliet Fafali Tamakloe for sourcing these symbols .

- Êʋêdome Towns and their Totems -
Continuation from previous post
Totems have been in the African culture from time immemorial. Totems identify the different clans that historically made up the dynasties of their ancient civilization.
Totems in African society demonstrate the close relationship between people, animals and the environment.  They are usually a wild animal but can also be body parts like heart and lung, plants, a force of nature like rain or water, a reptile, fish, a bird or even an essential attribute for survival like power, as in a sword.
Totems are passed down from generation to generation and define your kinship. You are expected to live your life according to the attributes of your totem. Those who share the same totem regard each other as being related even though they are not necessarily blood relatives.
Membership of a clan carries many distinguishing characteristics in the form of names, food taboos, clan totem which is associated with stories about its origins or their founding ancestors.
Note that these Êʋêdome totems are not limited to the ones we have posted , different clans in the respective towns may have more specific totems .
Which clan are you from and which totem do you relate more too?
My Êʋêdome, Avenor, Tongu, Togolese, Beninese, Nigerian Family feel free to educate us in the comments ✊🏾👇🏾👇🏾

- Anlo Êʋê clans and their Totems-
Totems have been in the African culture from time immemorial. Totems identify the different clans that historically made up the dynasties of their ancient civilization.
Totems in African society demonstrate the close relationship between people, animals and the environment. They are usually a wild animal but can also be body parts like heart and lung, plants, a force of nature like rain or water, a reptile, fish, a bird or even an essential attribute for survival like power, as in a sword.
Totems are passed down from generation to generation and define your kinship. You are expected to live your life according to the attributes of your totem. Those who share the same totem regard each other as being related even though they are not necessarily blood relatives.
Every Anlo male and female is said to belong to one of these 15 clans known as ‘hlɔwo’ and each clan is identified by the paternal line called ‘tɔ-ƒome’.
Membership of a clan carries many distinguishing characteristics in the form of names, food taboos, clan totem which is associated with stories about its origins or their founding ancestors.
Which clan are you from and which totem do you relate more too?
My Êʋêdome, Avenor, Tongu, Togolese, Beninese, Nigerian Family feel free to educate us in the comments ✊🏾👇🏾👇🏾🦎

- The Datsutagba War -

A BRIEF history on how this war started , how it escalated and the results .
This was a very important war for the Anlos because it had great warriors like MAMA YAKAGBE , a female warrior who fought valiantly with her male counterparts.

These stories will be explained in depth on our YouTube coming soon !

- Oustanding Êʋês Series -
Esther Afua Ocloo (Born as Esther Afua Nkulenu) is One of Ghana’s great entrepreneurs, the founder of Nkulenu Industries Ltd, a food processing company in Ghana and one of the founders of WOMENS WORLD BANKING in 1976, a global micro-lending organisation.
She has been remembered for her role in promoting local industrialisation and popularising the micro-lending scheme to empower other women.
Nkulenu Industries still makes orange marmalade today and exports indigenous food items to markets abroad.

Installation of King Tɛngɛ Dzokoto II, Dufia (City-Ruler) of Anyako and Miafiagã (Commander-In-Chief, Left Wing Division, Anlɔ army) as Awomefia (Paramount King) of the Anlɔ State.

King Tɛngɛ Dzokoto II is seated second from the left.

Anlɔga, Anlɔ State, 1889.

Photo by Verlag der Norddeutschen Missionsgesellschaft, Bremen No. 116/Serie Keta.

D. K. T. Djokoto & Co Archives

- Oustanding Êʋês Series -
Frederick Kwasi Apaloo (9 January 1921 – 2 April 2000) was a Ghanaian barrister and judge who served as Chief Justice of Ghana from 1977 to 1986 and Chief Justice of Kenya from 1993 to 1995. He remains the only Ghanaian Supreme Court judge to have served in the first three Ghanaian republics.
Apaloo was born at Woe, a village near Keta in the Volta Region of Ghana. His secondary education was at Accra Academy in Accra which he completed in 1942. He subsequently read law at the University College, Hull .
He was appointed Ghana's Chief Justice in 1977. He was the sixth person to hold this position since Ghana became an independent nation. This was during the era of the military Supreme Military Council of Ghana. On resumption of democratic rule under Hilla Limann in September 1979, the People's National Party government attempted to replace him as incumbent Chief Justice by insisting he be vetted for the office he already occupied.

A Ghanaian citizen, Amoako Tuffuor, took the issue to the Supreme Court and the presiding judge, Justice E. N. P. Sowah, who succeeded him on his (Apaloo's) retirement, ruled that Apaloo became Chief Justice in the Third Republic as soon as the 1979 Ghanaian constitution came into force.

He served through the third republic of Ghana and continued after the overthrow of the Limann government on 31 December 1981. Due to his independence, the new military government, the Provisional National Defence Council led by Jerry Rawlings also tried to remove him as Nkrumah had tried before but failed in 1983. He retired at the age of 65 years in 1986
Kenya had a vacancy for Chief Justice in 1993 with no obvious candidate to fill it so he was appointed as the Chief Justice of Kenya in March 1993.
He was noted to be against the death penalty while he was in Kenya. He remained Chief Justice until 1995.
He died at the age of 79 on April 2nd , 2000.

- Amedzofe , 1895 -
Amedzofe is full of Êʋê history.
The role Amedzofe played during the Ashanti wars to the German possession of which actually gave birth to the contruction of Amedzofe Teacher Training College in the year 1880s.
Much of this history still live through the stories of people in the town.
It is also home to one of the tallest Mountains in Ghana, Mount Gemi.
At the very peak of the mountain is a tall cross made of iron erected by German missionaries in 1939.

- Êʋê Ancestors -
Togbewo (male) / Mamawo (female) or Togbenoliawo meaning Ancestors or Ancestoral spirit .
An insight to how we see our ancestors and how we stay connected to them . The importance of spiritism in the life and culture of Êʋê and Africa in general cant be exaggerated . It is apart of our everyday life .
I would highly recommend visiting ReVodution: Voodoo Education to understand and learn more about Êʋê Vodu and Spirituality in general. It is also apart of our history.

The Sagbadre War of 1782 till 1784.

- Oustanding Êʋês Series -

Annie Ruth was born in Lome , Togo 7th October 1918 . She was a Ghanaian lawyer, judge and women's rights activist. The first Ghanaian woman to become a lawyer, and also also the first woman in Ghana and the Commonwealth of Nations to become a HIGH COURT JUDGE.
Her parents being school teachers. She started schooling at Lome but was later sent at the age of 6 to her maternal grandmother Mrs Julia Babara Sedode , at Keta because her father wanted her to be educated in English and not French .
After an initial career as a teacher, she was admitted to the London School of Economics in 1946. Despite the suggestion of her male colleagues that the material would be too difficult for her (and their generous offer to arrange her attendance at a dress design course in Paris), Annie received her LLB in 1949 and was called to the Bar at Lincolns Inn in 1950.
After initially establishing a private practice upon her return to the Gold Coast, she quickly received one judicial appointment after another: becoming a magistrate in 1953, a circuit court Judge in 1959, a Judge of the High Court in 1961 and was appointed to the Court of Appeal (the highest court in Ghana at that time) in 1969 and was later president of the Court of Appeal from 1980 until her retirement in 1983. She was a member of the constituent assembly that wrote the constitution of Ghana’s Third Republic in 1979 and also served on the committee of experts who drafted Ghana’s constitution in 1991.
In addition to her achievements as a lawyer and judge, she championed the rights of women worldwide.
Appointed to represent Ghana on the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women between 1962 and 1972, she was the principal architect of the Declaration on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women.

She later she founded the Ghana National Council on Women and Development. Upon learning that access to credit was a priority for the financial independence of women, at the International Women’s Conference in 1975, she and others pledged seed money for a women’s bank (now Women’s World Banking).

From 1993 until her death, Jiagge served on Ghana's Council of State. She died on 12 June 1996 in Accra.

The Justice Annie Jiagge Memorial Lectures were established by the Ministry of Women and Children in 2009.

A boarding house, the Annie Baëta Jiagge House, formerly, House 17, at her alma mater, Achimota School was named in her memory in recognition of her role as a trailblazer in the legal profession in Ghana.

@ Lomé, Togo

Coronation of Flt Lt J.J Rawlings as “Tɔgbui Avaklasu I” ( Warrior & Development Chief ) of the Aflao Traditional Area . -2013
Next to him is Tɔgbui Adzonugaga Amenya Fiti V ( Paramount chief of Aflao Traditional Area) and also Tɔgbui Avaklasu's wife Nana Konadu Rawlings

- Oustanding Êʋês Series -
This is a series about Remarkable Êʋês from the 20th Century who have made a huge inpact in our society with thier lives and achievements.
The first of the series is of the great Dr. Armattoe. 👇🏾👇🏾
Dr Raphael Armattoe was born in Keta on 12th August 1913 to Êʋê parents. He had his early education in Lome , Togoland. His Father then sent him to Europe for further studies where he spent about 20 years there.
After World War I, the former German colony was divided among the French and British. Young Armattoe learned five European languages as well as his native Êʋê . He would build on that knowledge to later publish works in French, German and English. According to the “Authors and Writers’ Year Book” (1947) he was “the only person to have written books in three languages”.
After his studies, Armattoe moved with his wife to Edinburgh Royal College of Surgeons, where he qualified to practice medicine in the British Isles and to work as a certified surgeon.
In 1948 at the age of 35 , he received a nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize in Physiology for his general research works, when a group of parliamentarians from Stormont (Northern Ireland) and Westminster (England) joined together to sign letters nominating him for the prize.
His research on ‘Abochi drug’ which can cure guinea-worms, toothache, bronchitis , boils and allied diseases was popular across Africa and the UK. This drug saved MILLIONS of lives in Africa in the 1940s.
The drug was so popular and effective that the Nigerian government bought the patent for thousands of pounds and named it Abochi.”
He also became active in the Joint Togoland Congress, calling for the reunification of the Togoland mandates as opposed to uniting British Togoland with the Gold Coast Colony. Dr. Armattoe traveled to New York in 1953 to address a United Nations committee on the “Eweland Question”.
On his way back to Gold Coast, he visited Ireland and Germany. Taken sick en route, Armattoe was treated in hospital in Hamburg, where he died on 21 December, aged only 40 years old.
After his wife received the news of his death, she told friends that her husband had said he’d been poisoned, but she did not know by whom.
A blue plaque in his honor was unveiled by the Ulster History Circle at 7 Northland Road, Londonderry (Northern Ireland) Where he had a medical practice and devoted time to writing and public speaking on a variety of topics under the imprint of the Lomeshie Research Centre named after his mother.

- The Wall of Agbogbo -
Notsé, a major economic and political regional center from at least the mid 15th century was walled and gated for two main reasons;
(1) as a symbol of spiritual, religious, political and major economic power and center; and (2) for defense and security against both internal and external attacks.
From archeological and historical sources, there were two walls within Notsé. The bigger wall called agbogboga (big gated wall) built around the kingdom has been estimated to measure about 15, 000 kilometers at its perimeter and enclosed over 14 square kilometers even though it was never finished.
The second wall, which was the inner and smaller wall, was called agbogbovia (the small gated wall) . It is said to have concealed some of the principal deities of the kingdom as well as its rulers.
Fully handbuilt and clay based, the Wall of Agbogbo is one of the last remains of the Êʋê people. Le Togo

- Tɔgbui Sri II and his chiefs -

Tɔgbui Sri II CBE (1852–1956) was the Awoamefia (King) of the Anlo Êʋê from 1906 to 1956.
Upon becoming Awoamefia, Sri II modernised the role, developing it into a constitutional monarchy. He abandoned the traditional practice of living in seclusion, and removed the ban on the wearing of European clothing in Anloga.
He became friends with Francis Crowther, the British District Commissioner at Keta, who helped him expand the influence of the Anlo Traditional State.
In 1912 Crowther, then Secretary for Native Affairs in the Gold Coast included Avenor, Afife, Aflao, Dzodze, Fenyi, Klikor, Some and Weta in the Anlo State.

- Êʋê Colour Symbols-

Colours form a part of symbolism. Among Êʋês , colour is a representation of beauty. That is to say that, to the Ewe, every colour is seen as beautiful whether it is black or white.
The widely used colours among the Ewes are mostly red, white and black. The use of colours are not just for their aesthetic purposes but for the symbolic usage.
The slides give a brief symbolic meaning of various colours used generally by Êʋês .

The God of Epidemics in Vodu: Anyigbator or Vodu Sakpate (Sokpata)

Anyigbator or Vodu Sakpata (Sakpate) is the Vodu deity of illness and epidemics such as coronavirus, smallpox, and other infectious diseases. In Vodu cosmology, this deity both causes and ends epidemics depending on its manifestation: positive or negative. In times of epidemics, Vodu practitioners ask for his support to end the crisis. He is depicted as a cripple and l***r with wounds all over his body in images, while when molded into a Vodu he is smeared with blue and brown dots (see image).

Anyigbator literally translates to “owner of the land” and is called this because all (wo)men will surrender to him if he strikes. For this reason, elders often advise people not to mention his name in vain for the fear of unintentionally inviting his presence and wreaking havoc. In some parts of Eweland, it is taboo to have s*x on the ground (earth) because it is synonymous with having s*x on top of Anyigbator.

In these Coronavirus times, we advise that you make offerings to Anyigbator to be on his good side while also following all the safety precautions (i.e. washing hands, social isolation, etc) prescribed by WHO, African Union, and other relevant medical bodies. Because you are a traditional practitioner does not mean you should only take advice from traditional healers or practitioners. We advise that you take the dual approach that combines both traditional and conventional healing methods.

What do you know about Anyigabtor? Share your wisdom

- Chief Traditional Priest of Ho -

Circa ; 1863/1868
(Name unknown)

Chief Priest were once seen as a symbol of spiritual, religious, political power . They were also a source of defence and security from internal and external forces.
Infact , Anlo history shows that not just hunters like Tɔgbui Sri but spiritual leaders like apklomada , Tsali , Tsala & Amesimeku were the leaders that discovered the fertile land that is volta region and some parts of Togo during the migration from Notsié.
Over in Dahomey(Benin) , Ewe/Fon warrior king Tɔgbui Kundo Husso Behanzin himself was regarded as one of the most successful, powerful , politico-military and spiritual personalities. There are many stories of wars he had won whilst showing his spiritual powers.
According to the recorded history of Kpando, for a long time during their migration and later settlement, many Êʋê communities were led by traditional priests and priestesses.
Oral traditions recorded by the chiefs of Kpando show that the people of Kpando were led to their present home by priests: Asianu, Adedze and Eko.
The Danyibakaka festival is celebrated by the people of Kpando to recount this history and to honour those priests.
@ Ho, Volta Region

- Yevu -

These days if you ask a person under 30 or 40 what the term Yevu means , they will simply say white or a white person .
However yevu does not contain the term for a person nor the term for white (which is actually spelled ɣi) .
It is actually a contraction of the words ; Aye ( tricky) and Avu (dog) = Yevu (Tricky /Cunning dog.).
Coined at some point during colonial rule , this representation captured a passionate perception Êʋê people had of the Europeans they came into contact with.
Picture captioned ; ‘Preaching to the heathen’.
German missionaries preaching in Togo between 1891-1910 . @ Lomé, Togo

- Êʋê Cultural Symbols -

Ewe cultural symbols are said to originate from ancient parables . These parables which developed into poems and songs then later evolved to proverbs out of which the symbols were created .
These symbols are used by royals, traditionalist, traditional rulers and elders . There are symbols also reserved for religious purposes. Similarly, there are symbols which are universal; they are used by everyone.
They are represented in their indigenous art forms such as their linguistic staff, stools, canoes, local architecture, doors and paintings. They are also predominantly seen in kete.
The ‘Fiayi’ symbol as shown is a symbol for chiefs. The symbol literally means ‘the royal sword’ and is seen as a symbol of authority and justice.
There are also symbols used for herbalist and traditionalist like the ‘Amagba / Agba ‘symbol.
Amagba (bridge) is considered a path way that links detached places making it easier for people to access both places. This symbol is therefore seen as a symbol of connection
If you check the previous posts on the Êʋês Kete you will see some of these images on the original ketes that used to be made.
I will break down each symbol and the proverbs it comes from in the next few post to come.
These symbols and their meanings are gradually dying with the knowledge of the older generations so we must do our best to keep these symbols alive . Share this as much as possible !!!

- A salt depot in Anyako with a small part of the town and the keta lagoon behind it -
Circa ; 1880/1910

Another reason why Asantes and Anlo Êʋê had a great relationship was because of their economical benefits to each other.
Until the late 18th century / early 19th , the trade of salt to the inner lands (especially east of the Volta) was dominated by the Anlo Êʋês.
Salt and fish were traded upriver as far as it was navigable, to Akwamu, and then to Kwahu, Krepe, Asante and beyond to Salaga and Brong .

Infact coastal salt was regularly on sale in the Kumasi market.
The production of salt was in so much demand that each household had at least one or two huts for salt storage, each containing approximately 50 'tonnes'.
During the Asante wars of the 1860s salt was even smuggled to Kumasi because direct access had been temporarily cut off .

- Anlo Êʋê & Asante Alliance / Relationship -

Awoamefia Tɔgbui Sri III (King of Anlo) and Otumfuo Nana Osei Tutu II (King of Ashanti) standing together and celebrating Akwasidae in 2018.
Celebrating and honouring the longstanding and old Anlo-Asante alliance and relationship.

- Legba ; The protector of the household and the community -
1 - A Êʋê man standing outside his that his thatched house in southern Togo . There are also straw structures surrounding the house . One which Legba is also under (on his left) .
Circa ; 1910 - 1920

2. Legba protecting the entrance of a village somewhere in what is Volta Region today .
Circa ; 1888-1908