By Jesse Ampah Owusu
Accra, April 28, GNA – The Nungua Traditional Council has performed “Jenten Nishwamo” -a traditional rite ahead of this year’sHomowo celebrations.
Jenten Nishwamo is a pre-Homowo rite performed to feed the gods with a traditional unleavened corn-made dish-“kpokpoi” prepared by the traditional priests and priestess of the area.
This is done by the traditional authorities to feed the deities of the traditional area.
It means that that the gods would not partake in the Kpoikpoi that would be prepared during the actual Homowo festival.
The rite commenced in the morning with the preparation of the meal by the traditional priests and priestess in a sacred space at the Kpowulu No, which represented the Gborbu Groove.
Only a few people were permitted by Nuumo Borketey Laweh Tsuru XXXIII, Gborbu Wulomo-Shitse to witness the preparation, with those doing the cooking prohibited from talking. They used sign langyage.
The Gborbu Wulomo, in Nungua custom and traditions, serves as the interface between the people and the ‘living god’ and their 99 gods; he is also described as the Overlord of the GaDangbe State.
After the preparation, the Oofu Wulomo, second in command to the Gborbu Wulomo, carried the dish in his arms whilst the Gorbu Wulomo-Shitse sprinkled it at the temples of the 99 gods of the GaDangbe State.
Nii Bortey Frankwa, Mankralo of Nungua Traditional Area, said the event was of traditional and historic significance and helped to keep the earth in balance since Nungua fell within the centre of the world.
He said the traditional rite dated back to their historical stay in Israel and had been in existence for more than 820 years.
Nii Frankwa said what made today’s ceremony exceptional was the involvement of Naa Yoomo Ayemode, the newest priestess of the Gborbu shrine, who was unveiled recently.
He said the ceremony also paved way for them to be able to eat the new corn after feeding the gods.
Nii Frankwa said they would be performing seven more traditional rites before the start of the actual Homowo celebrations in July.
Homowo, also known as Kplejoo, is a traditional festival of GaDangbes in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana.
The festival starts at the end of April into May with the planting of crops before the rainy season starts.
The GaDangbe people celebrate Homowo in the remembrance of famine, which they experienced in precolonial Ghana.
GNA