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Obrumankoma, Odapagyan and Oson: Leaders and Founders of the Fante Ethnic Group
Introduction
It is believed that Fantes, who live between the western border of Ghana’s capital city Accra and Cape Three Points, were led to their present place by mysterious animals – History has it that the said beings were in the form of humans known as Oburumankoma (whale), Odapagyan (eagle), and Oson (elephant).
Oral historians in the courthouses of Fante chieftains hold the view that their forefathers were led to their present settlement by mysterious animals disguised as men. Fantes, as the history has it, tore away from the Bono people, another Akan group in Ghana’s hinterlands, in the 1200s.
It is indicated that it was from that separation that the name ‘Fante’ itself emerged as the term means, “half/part torn” – Fa atsew.
Descending southwards, the Fante were split into three groups and led by three mysterious warrior-priests, namely Oburumankoma (whale), Odapagyan (eagle), and Oson (elephant).
The last of the warrior-priests above conquered the autochthonous Etsii people and founded Mankessim which translates as “in the big town”, and now serves as the traditional headquarter-town of the Fante. The Fante believe these three men were literally beings with magical powers but there are those who hold the view that they were only personified conceptions of beliefs.
F.L. Bartels, the writer of The Roots of Ghana Methodism, for instance, argues that Oburumankoma, Odapagyan and Oson are actually metaphors of Fante self-perception.
Casely B. Essamuah summarizes the leadership of the trio:
“These were all under the leadership of three legendary leaders: Oburumankoma (whale), Odapagyan (eagle), and Oson (elephant)—patriarchs and priests who, in addition to their magical regalia, also possessed mfoa (short swords) signifying their judicial authority. They also represented the three-tiered system of the natural order and the mastery that each animal is said to have had over its sphere.”
Although, the Fantes believe these three men were literal beings with magical powers, there is a school of thought that argues that the trio are personified conceptions of beliefs. The fact that they are not known by any names but names of animals thought to dominate spheres of the natural environment boosts this school of thought.
For proponents of this argument, including F.L. Bartels writer of The Roots of Ghana Methodism, Oburumankoma, Odapagyan and Oson are supposed to be metaphors of Fante self-perception and a privileged retelling of the story of their founding in their present home.
Oburumankoma the whale is supposed to portray how the Fante were brave fisher-folks; Odapagyan the eagle speaks of Fante aerial ability and Oson the elephant symbolizes Fante land dominance.
Further support for this school of thought comes from geo-historical analyses. The hinterlands from where the Fante tore away from the Bono, has no sea hence the reality of Oburumankoma the whale, at least at that time, would seem implausible.
In spite of this, the people believe that their three warrior-priests continue to watch over them from the spirit world.
Essamuah adds:
“The place of interment of these three leaders, in the thicket of trees some ten miles from the city of Mankessim, became in time the “habitat of ghosts [asamanpow] or of spiritual powers inhering in nature [abosompow]”…In addition to serving as the spiritual watchdog over the interests of the Fante community, the Nananom Mpow became the mnemonic of the ancient Fante’s historical identity. It was here in the grove that histories of the people and especially of royal families were recounted.”
Origins of Nananom Mpow
Every self-professed Fante is familiar with the name “Nananom Mpow.” Literally meaning “The Grove of the Ancestors,” Nananom Mpow is known by Fantes as the sacred site where the three founding fathers of Fanteland—Oburumankoma, Odapagyan, and Oson— are buried. The large stones and dense thicket of trees that mark the burial place are still preserved near the village of Obidan, which is located southeast of the Mankessim junction on the Accra-Cape Coast road that stretches across southern Ghana. Although Mankessim is a bustling market center on a major thoroughfare, the sacred grove of Nananom Mpow is rarely visited today. It has become a minor historical monument recognized, but not actually seen, by the minority of Ghanaians who consider themselves to be Fantes and therefore descendants of Oburumankoma, Odapagyan, and Oson. The first documentary evidence suggesting the existence of Nananom Mpow dates from the eighteenth century, but Fante oral traditions insist that the grove became a sacred site much earlier. Oral traditions state that Oburumankoma, Odapagyan, and Oson led a migration of Akan-speaking people southward from the forest interior toward the Atlantic coast and founded the first Akan settlement near what is now the town of Mankessim. A lack of reliable sources prohibits dating this migration with any certainty, but historians tend to agree that the Akan settlement at Mankessim occurred prior to the arrival of Portuguese traders on the Ghana coast in the 1470s. These early Akan settlers in the coastal region are distinguished from more recent generations by the name “Borbor Fante.” In Fante, the term “bor” implies walking from one place to another; when repeated, as in “borbor,” it suggests walking a long way, or migrating.
Nananom Mpow thus originated as a sacred grove of trees and brush that remained uncleared for farming. It was one of numerous nature shrines across the landscape of southern Ghana. It initially functioned as a place where people connected with the invisible world of the Borbor Fante ancestors in order to venerate them and seek advice. Nananom Mpow joined the features of two main types of shrines: it marked both an ancient settlement and the burial place of important ancestors. From its origins until the early 1700s, Nananom Mpow was regarded as a sacred place by a relatively small population living within a radius of roughly twenty kilometers of modern-day Mankessim. During this period, the Borbor Fante and their descendants established new settlements at places like Anomabo, Abora, Ekumfi, Nkusukum, and Eyan—intermarrying with and sometimes displacing the indigenous population.European maps from the early seventeenth century identify the tiny polity of “Fantyn” as one of several that lined the so-called “Gold Coast.” The coastal mini-kingdoms were, from west to east, Ahanta, Commenda/Eguafo (Elmina), Fetu (Cape Coast), Sebu (Moure), Fantijn/Fantyn (Fante), Agona, and Accra. Each of these mini kingdoms became host to one or more European trade posts during the seventeenth century, as the Swedes, Danes, English, French, and Brandenburgers joined the Portuguese and Dutch in pursuit of the lucrative gold trade on this stretch of the West African coast.
Because European trade centered on African gold, not captives, for the first two centuries of Afro-European contact on the Gold Coast, the inhabitants of southern Ghana experienced integration into the growing Atlantic World economy in a way that was unique in West Africa. Gold was the principle export commodity from the time of Portuguese arrival on the so-called Gold Coast, ca. 1471, until the late 1600s. The records of Portuguese traders clearly demonstrate that the Gold Coast was a destination for enslaved Africans prior to the seventeenth century, rather than a source of slaves for trans Atlantic trade. Captives purchased by Portuguese traders along the Windward Coast and in the Bight of Benin ports were sold to African merchants on the Ghana coast, in exchange for Ghana gold. For the population of southern Ghana, then, trade with Europeans began as an enterprise that did not encourage widespread violence for the production of human captives, which was typical of the development of Afro-European trade elsewhere in western Africa. Nananom Mpow’s development from a local shrine—whose power and influence were comparable to those of several ancestral shrines along the coast—to a regional shrine with a regional following, coincided with the shift in Afro-European trade from gold to slaves. The shift can be explained in part by the simultaneous exhaustion of those gold mines in Ghana that could be profitably mined without industrial machinery, and the development of large-scale gold mining in Portugal’s American colony, Brazil, during the mid- to late-seventeenth century. As a result of these shifts in gold production and the expansion of markets for captives in the western hemisphere more broadly, the trans Atlantic slave trade became the prominent external economic stimulus on the Ghana coast at the close of the seventeenth century and beginning of the eighteenth century. The violent and highly competitive nature of political and economic life ushered in by the expansion of the Gold Coast slave trade created unprecedented needs for protection among the people living near the coast.
The Mankessim Kingdom founded by Osun
The Mankessim Kingdom (c1252–1886) was a pre-colonial African state in modern-day Ghana. It is regarded as the heartland of the Fante people, and operated as capital of the Fante Confederacy in the 19th century. The town of Mankessim still exists, and is located in the Central Region of Ghana, about an hour and a half drive west of Accra. The Mankessim Kingdom’s influence was quite vast; it extended to the whole of the Fante people, and at times the entire coast of modern-day Ghana.
History and Origin
The Fante people separated from the Bono people, around 1250 AD. This act became the origin of their name, “Fa-atsew” meaning “the half that left”. The Fante left their Bono brethren at Krako, present day Techiman in the Bono East Region of Ghana, and became their own distinct Akan group. The Fante were led by three great warriors known as Obrumankoma, Odapagyan and Oson (to wit, the whale, the eagle and the elephant respectively). According to tradition, Obrumankoma and Odapagyan died during the exodus and were embalmed and carried along to the group’s destination.
Oson led the people to what would become Mankessim in 1252. Legend has it that the Fante’s chief fetish priest, Komfo Amona, planted a spear in the ground when they reached the location of the settlement. The spear is called the Akyin-Enyim, meaning “in front of God”. The place became the meeting place for the Fante elders and the head fetish priest when discussing important matters. The first Omanhen (king) of Mankessim was installed here, and later kingmakers would visit the site for consultation. According to the Fante, the spear cannot be removed by mortal hands.
The land the Fante reached was initially called Adoagyir by its aboriginal inhabitants, which the Fante called “Etsi-fue-yifo” meaning people with bushy hair. The Fante conquered these people and renamed the settlement Oman-kesemu, meaning large town. The name has evolved into the current name, Mankessim.
The Fante settled the land as their first independent kingdom, and buried Obrumakankoma and Odapagyan in a sacred grove called Nana-nom-pow. Komfo Amona also planted the limb of a tree he had brought from the Akan homeland in Krako to see if a place was good for settlement. The day after the priest planted the limb, the people found a tree starting to grow. The tree was named Ebisa-dua, or the consulting tree, and its location is today one of the most important shrines in Mankessim.
Organization
The Fante quickly organized themselves into military groups, or companies, called Asafo, to defend themselves from non-Akan groups in the vicinity, as well as separate Akan groups – most notably the Ashanti in later centuries. Tradition has it that the Fante sub-groups Ekumfi, Abora, Enyan, Nkusukum and Kurentsir were the first to settle Mankessim. They were later joined by the Gomoa, Ajumako, Akatakyi and the other Fante states such as Agona and Breman Essikuma.
Formation of The FANTE NATION; Africa’s Most Influential Ethnic Group in Contemporary Times
The modern Mfantsefo or Fante (“Fanti” is an older spelling) confederacy is a combination of Akan people and aboriginal Guan people. The Fante people are mainly located in the Central and Western regions of Ghana, occupying the forest and coastal areas. Their land stretches from the eastern part of western region in the west to Gomoa in the east. The Fante can be broadly categorized into two groups – the Borbor Fante and the Etsii Fante who are also aboriginal Guan people. Over the last half century, Fante communities have been established as far as Gambia, Liberia, and even Angola due to fishing expeditions. Major Fante cities in modern Ghana include Oguaa (Cape Coast), Edina (Elmina), Agona Swedru, Mankessim, Sekondi-Takoradi, Winneba, Saltpond, Komenda and Anomabo.
According to their oral traditions, the Borbor Fante, an intrusive group, migrated from Tekyiman in the Brong Ahafo Region of Ghana and settled in Fanteland. They initially established themselves in Kwaman before moving to Mankessim. After residing in Mankessim for a period of time, they went on to establish the states of Abora, Ekumfi, Enyanmaim, Mankessim, and Nkusukum in the surrounding areas. The burial ground near Mankessim, where the remains of the three leaders of the migrants (Oburumankoma, Odapagyan, and Oson) were interred, became known as Nananom Pow, the most sacred place in the Borbor Fante territory. The Borbor Fante, who share a common language (Fante) and cultural traits, inhabit a concentrated area within Fanteland. The historical and spiritual capital of Borbor Mfantseman is Mankessim (Oman kesi mu).
The Etsii Fante states, which include Eguafo, Fetu, Asebu, are positioned from west to east. The others are Oguaa, Elmina, Moree, Otsir, etc. The majority of the people in these states do not have migration stories. According to their oral traditions, their ancestors either descended from the heavens or emerged from the sea, rivers, or dense forests. For instance, Eguafo, which is known as Oman Panyin in Fanteland and is the oldest state, was founded by people who descended from the heavens in a large brass pan called Ayewa Kese. The Asebu people claim that their ancestors emerged from the earth, while the Sonkwa people believe that their forefathers emerged from a sacred grove nearby.
The Fante people are of heterogeneous ancestry. That is, Guan and Akan. Therefore,with the modern Fante Confederacy, it will be totally wrong to identity Fante as an Akan group or a Guan group only. However, the Fante are one of the largest groups in Ghana. The Fante have a great deal of history. Despite the rapid growth of the Ashanti Empire and constant war with the Ashanti and allied Dutch in the mid-1800s, the Fante have always retained their state to this day and fought numerous wars to protect their northern flank from Ashanti incursions and several other wars with the Dutch, and English. Currently, they number about 4.5 million, which is about 13% of modern Ghana’s total population. Inheritance and succession to public office among both the Etsii and Borbor Fantes are traditionally determined by matrilineal descent, a culture the Etsii (Guan) Fantes adopted from Borbor (Akan) Fantes.This culture is also common among other Akan peoples.
However, Fante males of fighting age traditionally belonged to their father’s Asafo company.
When the Portuguese arrived in the 15th century, the Fante prevented them from venturing inland and leased properties for Portuguese trading missions. But when the Portuguese objected to Fante rules and regulations, the Fante expelled them after a series of skirmishes and battles. Thereafter the Dutch arrived, followed by the British. The Fante served as middlemen in the commerce between the interior and British and Dutch traders on the coast. The Fante became a very wealthy and prosperous state upon their dealings with the various European powers.
In the early 18th century, the modern Fante Confederacy was formed, with the aim of establishing themselves as a nation to be taken seriously by their European counterparts and the withdrawal of Europeans from Fante lands. The Fantes for centuries already had a very complex system of federal government in which various states co-exist in an alliance. Each Fante state is led by a Paramount Chief. However, in times of war, they always mobilized a Union army often commanded by the Paramount Chief of Abura. Facing such stern resistance, the Portuguese, Germans, Swedish and Danes after many decades vacated all trading forts in Mfantseman. The Dutch decided to stay, leading to many wars between Fante and the Dutch, who failed to colonize them. In 1844, having been weakened by constant battles with the Ashanti and their allies the Dutch, the Fante Confederacy signed the bond of 1844 with the British. The British left Cape Coast and moved the capital of Gold Coast to Accra as a response to the resistance movement from the Fante. The modern Fante Confederacy was established in response to the threat of Europeans attempting to colonize vast areas within modern-day Ghana. So in 1844, a bond was signed between the Fante Confederacy, on behalf of the Gold Coast, and the British, allowing the Gold Coast to gain total independence without war one hundred years later.
Several Ashanti-Fante Wars followed, due to the Ashanti quest for direct trade routes to the coast. On one occasion, the Fante were aided by the British, who nevertheless managed to seriously weaken the strong Fante confederation established between 1868 and 1872, believing it a threat to their hegemony on the coast. The British and the Dutch took sides in these Ashanti-Fante wars, with the British supporting the Fante and the Dutch supporting the Ashanti.
While Mfantsefo are known widely to be a peaceful people, in times of war they rally for the common defence. Due to wars with the Dutch and allied Ashanti, the combined strength of the Fante Union Army numbered more than thirty thousand men in 1844. It was under the command of Amfo Otu, Paramount Chief of Abura, that they laid siege to their own town of Elmina and its European castle, eventually expelling the Dutch from their stronghold in Elmina.
