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The Ewe people ( Ewe: , lit. "Ewe people"; or Mono Kple Volta Tɔ́sisiwo Dome, lit. "Ewe nation","Eʋenyigba" Eweland;) are an African ethnic group. They are the largest ethnic group in Togo (32%), the third largest ethnic group in Ghana (14%), and southern Benin (4%).

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The Adja Kingdom of Tado, in an area constantly populated since prehistory and known for metalworking and other crafts, was situated near the east bank of the Mono River, at about the same latitude as Abomey. It was probably built by immigrants from the Oyo Kingdom or from Ketu, to the east (Nigeria). Most Adja people today still live in and around Tado. Fon and Ewe peoples are the descendants of emigrants from Tado who intermarried with other groups they encountered en route to their present-day locations.

Ewe populations today are the result of various migrations moving west and toward the coast, eventually dominated by emigrants of the Adja Kingdom of Tado, who first settled in the new vassal kingdom of Notse. Early in the seventeenth century they left Notse in several groups and settled farther south and west. Their descendants eventually became the Anlo, Abutia, Be, and Kpelle, as well as the Oatchi, further south and east, in the Vogan area.

Anlo Ewe, who settled in the Volta region, in what is now the southeastern corner of the Republic of Ghana, were located in one of the strategic areas of the Atlantic slave trade. In 1683 Keta was already an important slave market. By 1727 Dutch and English slave traders were posted in Aflao, and in 1784 the Danes built a fort in Keta; Anlo territory thus became a center for the Atlantic trade. Anlo Ewe participated in the capture and sale of slaves to Europeans, and many were themselves sold into slavery and taken to the New World.

In close contact with their militarily superior and more politically centralized Asante neighbors, Anlo nevertheless were a separate polity and have maintained an Ewe identity until the present. Dominated by Akwamu during the first third of the eighteenth century, they joined with them and the army of Ouidah to war against Aliada. Numerous other local wars with-and against-Akan armies involved Anlo Ewe during the seventeenth through nineteenth centuries.

Trading with Europeans was an aspect of Anlo Ewe life almost from the beginning of their settlement in the area. Bremen missionaries and other Christian emissaries set anchor in Eweland both in the Volta region and inland on the (now) Togolese side during the nineteenth century. Various Ewe populations were under close colonial supervision during the British regime on the Gold Coast and during German control of Togoland. After World War I, approximately a third of Togoland, including much of Eweland, became a part of the Gold Coast; the remainder of the country taken from the Germans became a French protectorate called Togo. Thus Eweland was split in two, and remains so today. Ewe, who were mostly "southerners," were among the first in the two countries to receive an education in British and French colonial schools.

Fon are among those who left Tado to found the Kingdom of Aliada; some of them subsequently left Aliada, around 1610, and migrated toward Abomey, where they succeeded in dominating the native Dahomey population some 70 years later. Fon created the royal city of Abomey (where the famous "Amazons" had their headquarters), and other Fon founded the city of Ouidah. The two cities were linked, both high places of slave commerce during the Atlantic Trade. The Brazilian Francisco de Souza, a key figure on the Slave Coast of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, established slave trading posts and built forts both in Aneho among the Mina (now in Togo) and in Ouidah among the Fon (now in Benin).

The Fon Kingdom of Dahomey, which lasted from 1625 until its defeat by the French in 1893, is legendary, thanks to numerous visitors and their accounts, from those of Bosman (seventeenth century), Norris (eighteenth century), and Burton (nineteenth century), to those of twentieth-century ethnographers, including Le Hérissé (1911) and Herskovits (1938). Focal to the Atlantic trade on the Slave Coast, the kingdom was expansionist but highly centralized only in and around its main cities-Abomey, Aliada, and (much later) Ouidah-high places of art, courtly ceremony, and commerce with Europeans. The kingdom was said to include a territory much larger than it could effectively control, from the Volta River in the west to Badagary in the east, and northward to the 8th parallel. Its coastline, however, extended only 16 kilometers on either side of Ouidah. Although it was thus about 39,000 square kilometers in area, the king had authority only within some 10,400 square kilometers of that territory. Numerous wars and intrigues, including captures and contests of nerves with European envoys, mark the history of the Kingdom of Dahomey. Its more cruel kings were renowned for human sacrifice (always a royal prerogative), the stunning extent of which is described in perhaps exaggerated terms by some writers (e.g., Herskovits 1938, 2:52-56).

Although many Ewe and Fon are Christian (perhaps the highest percentage among the Ghana Ewe), the majority continue to practice Vodu or Tro worship, which has remained the religion of the Adja-Tado peoples for centuries.

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History and cultural relations - Ewe and Fon

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The Adja Kingdom of Tado, in an area constantly populated since prehistory and known for metalworking and other crafts, was situated near the east bank of the Mono River, at about the same latitude as Abomey. It was probably built by immigrants from the Oyo Kingdom or from Ketu, to the east (Nigeria).

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Most of the LEARN NC Content has been archived using the Wayback Machine. Instructions for how to access that content is below, including links to frequently requested materials.

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Religious Beliefs. Various Vodu (Fon) and Tro (Ewe) orders are at the foundation of Fon and Ewe religion. A High God exists, according to numerous informants. Ewe may say that Mawu is the creator, similar to the Christian god, or, for some, more like the diffuse life force of the universe. For yet others, Mawu is the "mother/father" of all the Trowo (powerful spirits or deities). Among Fon, Mawu and Lisa are a couple, twins, or a female (Mawu) and male (Lisa) hermaphrodite divinity. Fon may say the world was created by Nana-Buluku, who gave birth to Mawu and Lisa. For others, Nana-Buluku, Mawu, and Lisa are all Vodus, and there is no all-powerful separate creator. Among Anlo Ewe, Nyigbla, the deity of the Sacred Forest is very important, as well as the entire pantheon of Yehve spirits, including Heviesso, god of thunder and lightning, and Avle, a goddess who sometimes impersonates men. Gu or Egu, the warrior and hunter god of iron, is central among all Ewe and Fon groups. There are a number of other Tro and Vodu orders, including Gorovodu, which is popular across Ewe and Fon populations in Ghana, Togo, and Benin. Mama Tchamba, a related order, involves the worship of the spirits of slaves from the north that Ewe once owned and married. The selfhood of each individual is involved with these major deities and spirit personalities. They are also protectors, healers, judges, and consummate performers. All Vodu and Tro orders work hand in hand with Afa (or Fa) divination, a complex interpretive framework within which each person has a life sign ( kpoli ), of which there are a total of 256. Each sign is connected to a set of plants and animals, stories and songs, dietary taboos, Vodus, and dangers and strengths, all associated with each other, as though clan-related. Events, projects, activities, and relationships also have their own Afa signs. Everything in the universe is related to Afa texts and themes, as though nature itself were divided into exogamous clans.

Many Ewe and Fon have become Christians; given their proximity to the coast, these ethnic groups were among the first to accept Christianity in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Certain Christian groups originating in West Africa, such as Aladura and Celeste, have a considerable following on the coast.

Religious Practitioners. Vodu and Tro priests are usually men, but postmenopausal women may become priestesses. The great majority of spirit hosts or "wives" of the Vodus are women. Priests, priestesses, and "wives" of the Yehve deities (Sosi, Avlesi, Dasi, etc.) do not usually practice trance. Afa diviners are almost always men, although it is said that a woman can become a diviner if she wishes.

Ceremonies. Vodu and Tro ceremonies are compelling performances for both insiders and outsiders. Worshipers who begin dancing to the drum music may go into trance. Spirits who possess their "wives" may have messages for the community, may take part in judging certain cases of conflict, and may heal the sick. Above all, they are dancing gods, and there are aesthetic conventions that have long traditions. In Vodu orders where possession is not usual, ceremonies are all the more dazzling because of the perfection of their collective execution. Rows of dancers, all clothed in ceremonial attire, move across a ritual space as one person, performing specific movements. Drums always provide a sort of text or context for movement, including narrative associations and instruction. Ceremonies are events during which symbolic associations are reinforced, individual and collective identity is stated, certain aspects of identity and power are recalled and redistributed, healing and admonishment take place, and, above all, collective exhilaration, ecstasy, and awe are produced. Ceremonies are always gifts to the gods.

Afa divination involves numerous complicated rituals based on a binary system of questions and responses, and permutations of the 256 life signs associated with collections of oral texts.

Arts. Some Ewe men specialize in weaving prized kente cloth (similar to that of Asante), worn during all important occasions. The weaving is done on small looms that produce narrow strips of brightly colored cloth that must be sewn together to make a kente 76 to 152 centimeters wide and as long as 4.5 meters. There are numerous combinations of colors and patterns that bear great significance for the wearers. Now batik art, brought from Indonesia, is practiced in Togo and is popular among tourists. Fon artists are widely known for their appliqué hangings with legendary motifs from the Kingdom of Dahomey and Vodu culture. Elaborate engraving or carving of calabashes is another Fon art. Brass casting (using the cireperdue , or lost-wax method) has been practiced by the Fon since early times. Brass workers belonged to special guilds in the Kingdom of Dahomey; they created some of the more striking objects constituting the king's wealth. Silverwork was also mastered. Both Ewe and Fon still carve wooden bocio figures for spiritual practices, as well as Legba statues (guardian deities) and other Vodu god-objects. Earthen Legbas are also common. Some god-objects, entirely abstract in form, are confected as a collage-sculpture, with numerous ingredients including cowry shells, goat horns, cows' tails, birds' claws, iron bells, and tree roots, all united with red clay and glazed with the blood of sacrificial animals. Drums of many different kinds are produced for specific ceremonies. Vodu costumes for spirit possession may be richly adorned with cowries sewn on in patterns. All of the objects necessary for Afa (Ewe) or Fa (Fon) divination are also created with great care and elaboration; thus they are sometimes bought by Europeans as objects of art. Stools are important to Ewe and Fon lineages. They are often carved with narrative detail so that their symbolic significance is inscribed for future generations to see.

Medicine. Today many Fon and Ewe seek medical assistance in modern clinics and hospitals and go to Westerntrained doctors. They may also frequent local healers and Vodu priests who employ plants and carbonized ingredients, as well as rituals to address illness and conflicts playing themselves out in a person's body and soul. Vodu medicine is not hostile to modern biomedicine. Upon asking Afa, though divination, what to do about illness, a sufferer may be told by Afa to go to a doctor in town. Vodu medicine is particularly effective in cases of madness. Ingestion of roots and plants, as well as "speaking pain and desire" to the Vodus make it possible for the alienated to mourn losses and go on with life once again.

Death and Afterlife. Upon death, certain aspects of the person are lost forever in their individuated form, whereas other aspects, for example, the djoto , or reincarnation soul, will come back in the next child born to the lineage. The luvo , or death soul, may linger for some time after death, looking just like the person in life and frightening loved ones with demands for attention and its cravings to be still with the living. According to some informants, the person as constituted in life does not survive death, but parts of the personality may indeed continue and even join with Vodus, as part of the conglomerate energy and personality of a deity. Others say that the spirit realm mirrors human life in every aspect, so that after death individuals go on in much the same way as before. Funerals are the single most important event in a person's history, more lavish and expensive than any other celebration or feast. Groups of drummers are hired, and mourners may dance throughout the night for several nights in succession. Attending funerals and contributing to them financially and with food and drink are among the most binding obligations for lineage members, neighbors, friends, chiefs, and Vodu worshipers (above all, for those who belong to the same order as the deceased).

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Religion and expressive culture - Ewe and Fon

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Religious Beliefs. Various Vodu (Fon) and Tro (Ewe) orders are at the foundation of Fon and Ewe religion. A High God exists, according to numerous informants. Ewe may say that Mawu is the creator, similar to the Christian god, or, for some, more like the diffuse life force of the universe.

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The Anlo-Ewe people are today in the southeastern corner of the Republic of Ghana.

History: According to oral history, the Anlo-Ewe people settled at their present home around the later part of the 15th century (1474) after a dramatic escape from Notsie, an ancestral federated region currently within the borders of the modern state of Togo. The escape and subsequent resettlement are commemorated in an annual festival known as Hogbetsotso Za.

Earlier settlements were established along seamless stretches of white sandy beaches of the Atlantic ocean, from what is now the international border between Togo and Ghana and due west to the eastern shores of the Volta river. Names assigned to some of the settlements - Keta, which means "the head of the sand," Denu, which means "the beginning of palm trees" etc. - echoed the natural endowment and beauty of the landscape they were to call home.

The close proximity of the settlements to the sea, however, offered no safety from the frequent raids for slaves by European slave traders who would navigate their ships easily to the shores of the ocean for their human cargos. The memory of these raids and the loss of entire settlement populations have been deeply imprinted on the Anlo-Ewe consciousness through the holdings of oral tradition such as folklore, myths and songs. A mass migration northward and the establishment of lagoon island settlements begun as a necessary security against becoming a slave in some strange land.

The Keta lagoon became central to the early evolution of the Anlo-Ewe traditional state. Its shallow waters were not navigable by the large slave ships and provided a much needed buffer-zone between the settlers and the aggressive slave traders.

Development of small scale marine commercial activities for sustenance began immediately. These activities included the construction of canoes for fishermen who navigated the lagoon for usable fishing sites and canoe landings. Hunters used the canoes to explore other islands and the inlands north of the lagoon for games, drinking water, farm lands and new settlement sites. Farmers shuttled by the canoes between the islands and the fertile inlands to cultivate crops. The canoe shuttle became an important tradition and a major means by which commodities and information flowed freely between the settlement

Culture: Dance-drumming is an integral part of this community life and an important necessity in the pursuit of the collective destiny, perhaps the essence of their shared experience. Everybody participates. Non participation amounts to self excommunication from society as a whole and carries with it severe consequences in a similar manner as non performance of some civic obligations in other cultures of the world.

The most severe penalty for non participation is to be denied a proper burial. Receiving a good burial is extremely important to the Anlo-Ewe. In contrast to other societies of the world that demonstrate the importance of having a good burial by buying funeral insurance from commercial funeral homes, the participation of the Anlo-Ewe in the collective and shared experiences of the community is the only insurance towards receiving the proper burial.

The degree of participation by each individual, however, varies and reflects a hierarchy of relative importance among the performers. This hierarchy has the elders at the top representing the chiefs and the leadership of the community. The male elders are called vumegawo and the female elders are called vudadawo. Their principal role is to provide a source of authority and advice insuring an orderly and systematic performance according to the shared traditions of the community and the entire traditional state.

The second level of the hierarchy is held by the composer (hesino), the master arts man, who is responsible for the creation of the distinct texture that forms the characteristic dance-drumming style. He is followed directly by the lead drummer (azaguno), another master arts man, who guides the entire ensemble in performing the various shared traditions of good dance-drumming.

The next level of the hierarchy includes: (a) Tonuglawo (ring-leaders), consisting of some more experienced participants with leadership potentials, who inspire and exhort the performers along the performance arena and provide them with examples that they emulate. (b) Haxiawo (supporting song leaders), who assist the composer in leading and directing the singing. (c) Kadawo, the whips of the musical community who enforce discipline and secure the attendance of the community members at every performance.

The fifth level of the hierarchy is occupied by the supporting drummers who assist the lead drummer in the performance of the various musical guidelines. The rest of the ensemble occupies the lowest level of the hierarchy. Their main roles are to sing, dance, and at times accompany themselves with rattles and hand claps.

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anlo-ewe people in the republic of ghana

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The Anlo-Ewe people are today in the southeastern corner of the Republic of Ghana. History: According to oral history, the Anlo-Ewe people settled at their present home around the later part of the 15th century (1474) after a dramatic escape from Notsie, an ancestral federated region currently within the borders of the modern state of Togo.

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Unlike the political and social organization of the Akan, where matrilineal rule prevails, the Ewe are essentially a patrilineal people. The founder of a community became the chief and was usually succeeded by his paternal relatives. The largest independent political unit was a chiefdom, the head of which was essentially a ceremonial figure who was assisted by a council of elders.

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Ewe: Ewe, peoples living in southeastern Ghana, southern Benin, and the southern half of Togo who speak various dialects of Ewe, a language of the Kwa branch of the Niger-Congo family.

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BuzzGhana - Famous People, Celebrity Bios, Updates and Trendy News

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We are a unique informational platform, created with Ghanaians in mind including those living in diaspora and locally. BuzzGhana creates informative and relevant contents that meet the needs of Ghanaians. We have put a lot of infrastructure in place to bring you focused, high-quality contents with the most relevant news information, updates on popular events, biographies of notable people and amazing places you need to see in Ghana.

We channel these into various categories which include Travel, People, Entertainment, Politics, Tech, Love, Nature, among many other verticals.

We answer some of the most important questions you may have about your most-loved celebrities and famous individuals, helping you see how you are connected. We encourage you to read through our articles and immerse yourself in deep knowledge of what matters to you, especially at these times the world is changing so fast.

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Contents - Articles You May Find Interesting on BuzzGhana

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We are a unique informational platform, created with Ghanaians in mind including those living in diaspora and locally. BuzzGhana creates informative and relevant contents that meet the needs of Ghanaians. We have put a lot of infrastructure in place to bring you focused, high-quality contents with the most relevant news information, updates on popular events, biographies [...]

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Ewe kente and its zoocentric symbolic language is one of Ghana's intangible traditions. Master weaver Bob Dennis Ahiagble is taking steps to ensure its survival.

Ewe kente - 'Asidanuvo' hand picked "one-sided" float pattern cloth (detail). Courtesy of adireafricantextiles.com

Weaving is a gift from the animal kingdom. In Ewe culture, oral legend traces kente back to the hands of an exhausted hunter. Upon taking rest this hunter began to observe a spider weaving its web. This inspired an imitation of the process on what is now called the children's loom.

Many claim this spider to be the famed Anansi. Known to the Ewe as Ayiyi, this popular folkloric arachnid is a central figure in the traditional stories of Voltaic Ghana. Children have long been raised on tales of this lovable trickster. The diminutive character uses wit and cunning to overcome the strengths of others. Anansi is not the only animal guide associated with Ewe kente; numerous species populate the cloth and each hold an individual purpose.

Ewe kente abounds with proverbial symbolism of both animal and inanimate kind. It plays a vital role in adorning the revered during traditional rituals, rites of passages or other such milestones. The cloth is imbued with ancestral spirituality and reflects ones wealth and status.

The cultural relevance of kente has not waned. Ewe weavers are still supplying key regalia as investments to be passed down through the generations. The practice has also been adapted into more saleable items such as clothing and home furnishings. This broader use of Ewe kente has opened it up to a wider audience without diminishing its ceremonial significance.

To be a master weaver is a family affair, Bob Dennis Ahiagble learnt the tradition alongside his brother through the teachings of his father. Ahiagble aims to raise the standard of weaving locally and the awareness on a global scale. By passing on this essential cultural facet of Ghana to younger generations, Ahiagble is offering employment to the under-privileged and ensuring the survival of Ewe kente.

As the author of The Pride of Ewe Kente and the upcoming Woven Cloths, Africa's Heritage, Ahiagble delivers his expertise by way of workshops and demonstrations throughout Ghana and beyond.

Bob Dennis Ahiagble, Kente cloth weaving demonstration, Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, 2012.

'Style Africa' at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery-an exhibition of which Ahiagble was a part-conveyed the capacity and diversity in which clothing can communicate. In this context Ahiagble declares Ewe kente"a visual presentation of history, oral literature, philosophy, moral principles, religious beliefs and rules of social conduct."

Kente cloth can be read like an instruction manual. Each animal and object recalls popular proverbs or sayings to indicate how we should conduct ourselves. Society is warned against unwise manners on a personal level and for the greater good of the community.

Among the animals that populate Ewe kente are crabs of determination, bitter scorpions, birds of merriment and punctual butterflies. The mighty elephant is the emblem of successful leadership, suggested by such proverbs as "No one follows the elephant in the bush and gets wet from the morning dew." While the crocodile's connotations with invincibility and danger is apparent upon seeing its thick skin and fearsome jaws. The aquatic nature of the reptilian provides man with insights on which to reflect. As the saying goes, "Crocodiles do not drown in a river no matter how deep the river is". One can prevail in even the most difficult of circumstances.

Ewe kente - 'Asidanuvo' hand picked "one-sided" float pattern cloth (detail). Courtesy of adireafricantextiles.com

The gecko silently lingers in the most secret places or rooms. A cloth on which it appears teaches us to be mindful of where we tell our secrets and to whom. The gecko represents and calls for silence. With its careful stride, the chameleon is a symbol of patience and versatility. The world is a place of change and the chameleon, by manipulation of colour, implores us to change with it.

Mere observations of another species adaptation for survival can have a positive effect on our own. The human brain can tailor the behavioural and physical traits of animals into tools of social governance, as demonstrated through proverb and fabric. Ewe kente is a compelling case of how animals necessitated the development of the human societal structure.

Ewe kente by Bob Dennis Ahiagble. Courtesy of Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery.

Ewe kente - Guinea Fowl (detail). Courtesy of adireafricantextiles.com

Bob Dennis Ahiagble is a master weaver of kente cloth. He has exhibited widely in his native Ghana and beyond. In 2003 he was recognised by UNESCO for his skill, leading to the listing of Ewe kente as an intangible heritage. He passionately endeavours to keep alive the tradition of hand-looming kente for generations to come.

Dennis, Ahiagble Bob. The Pride of Ewe Kente. Accra: Sub-Saharan, 2004. Print.
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Adire African Textiles is a London-based gallery dedicated to exploring the vintage textile traditions. Working with a network of partners throughout West Africa, Adire African Textiles sources museum-quality textiles for leading museums, private collectors, and interior designers.
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Written by Keiron LeVine.
Ghana | Doing our part to combat immappancy

All images courtesy of the artists. All rights reserved.

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Ewe kente and its zoocentric symbolic language is one of Ghana's intangible traditions. Master weaver Bob Dennis Ahiagble is taking steps to ensure its survival. Ewe kente - 'Asidanuvo' hand picked "one-sided" float pattern cloth (detail). Courtesy of adireafricantextiles.com Weaving is a gift from the animal kingdom.

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BuzzGhana - Famous People, Celebrity Bios, Updates and Trendy News

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Though the Ewe people (pronounced 'ev-ay') may not be well-known outside Ghana, they are a truly unique group that live in an area called Togo. They are well-known in Ghana for their ancestor worship, unique language, and fabulous weaving skills. They create a unique textile called the Kente cloth.

Roughly, about three million people speak the unique Ewe language, with many skilled in weaving the Kente cloth, a skill they learned during enslavement by the Akans. They have an honestly unique culture and skills that make them well-known in Ghana and deserving of acknowledgment worldwide.

The following highlights capture the things one ought to know about the Ewe people, their language, family life, naming culture and other facts.

1. The Ewe have a strong sense of family

The founder of each Ewe community is actually the chief, a man who is succeeded by his sons or male relatives. Many of the Ewe can trace their paternal ancestors all the way to their original family villages where they came from. Extended families, especially, are important to the Ewe. The smallest familial division is the hut, made of a man, his wife or wives, and their unmarried children, but family members are honored all the way up to the chief of the village.

2. Ewe weavers create a type of kente cloth

This they learned from the Akans, as well as a unique fabric called adanudo. Adanudo features bright, rich colors and pictures, often on silk, rayon, or cotton. They cover subjects like livestock, horses, humans, stools, hats, plants, and domestic objects. They are often quite realistic and lovely. Their cloth is very similar to Asante kente cloth, with symmetric interplay of weft thread, creating a speckled effect. The Ewe use the word 'kete' to describe the weaving motions of their feet.

3. Their chiefs have an interesting code of behavior and ethics

While elected by consensus, the chiefs have strict behavior standards that they are expected to observe. These standards range from predictable to unusual ones. They must keep their heads covered in public; along with that, they can not be seen drinking. The chief is considered the voice for the people to the ancestors and must therefore always be in a clear state of mind and ready to delve into the world of the ancestors.

In addition to that, the chiefs are not even allowed to see a corpse's face or touch a corpse, though they may lead the funeral if the corpse is already buried or in a coffin. The chief even has a special stool that he sits on, painted black and meant just for him.

4. The Ewe know how to throw a party

They throw many festivals throughout the year, one of the largest being Hogbetsotso. The Hogbetsotso Festival is held on the first Saturday in November in the Volta area. It features a large gathering of citizens and important chiefs. It is the 'festival of the Exodus,' held to celebrate the escape of the Anlo Ewes from King Agokoli in Togo. All of the chiefs are dressed in their finest regal clothing and prepared to receive honor from others. There is dancing, drumming, and drinks in celebration.
See Also: 10 Interesting Facts About Ghana
5. Ghana's Ewe people find great significance in naming their children

Each child receives a name with great meaning, either signifying the spirituality of the parents or the time and circumstances of the child's birth. Their name scheme also refers to the day of the week that the child arrived and, there are very few single-sex names for the Ewe.

The 'day of the week' name is temporary. Much like many Native American tribes in North America, a child's real name can only be figured out after the child's personality develops. Their birth date name may be their main name, even after a real name is chosen. The given name is used most often on legal and formal documents. In case of repeated names, suffixes such as -ga (meaning big) or -vi (meaning little) are added in giving names for clear identification purposes.

The Ewe people represent an incredibly complex subset of Ghana's culture. They have their own unique way of life and hold strongly to their ancestors and their rituals. Though patrilineal, they find great significance and importance with their family and lineage. They have put up with much strife and suffering over the years; despite this, the Ewe are truly growing as one of Ghana's foremost ethnic groups. Be it through naming, religion, or family groups, there is little that is not fascinating about the Ewe people of Ghana.

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Ewe People, Language, Family Life, Naming Culture, and Other Facts

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Ewe people represent an incredibly complex subset of Ghana's culture. They have their own unique way of life and this piece captures the things one ought to know about the Ewe people, their language, family life, naming culture and other facts.

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The Pride of the Volta Region perform their traditional dance at Dagbe, Volta Region, Ghana.