Bono people
 A Bono dancer from Ivory Coast | |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| ~2,800,000 | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Bono region,Bono East region,Ahafo Region,Eastern Ivory Coast | |
| Languages | |
| Bono,English,French | |
| Religion | |
| Bono Ancestral worship and spirituality,Christianity | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Boribori Mfantse,Akwamu,Akan |
TheBono,also called theBrongand theAbron,are anAkan peopleofWest Africa.Bonos are normally tagged Akanpiesieor Akandifo of which Akan is a derivative name. Bono is the genesis and cradle ofAkans.[1]Bono is one of the largest ethnic group of Akan and arematrilinealpeople.[2][3]Bono people speak theBono language,which is closely related to theAkan language.In the late fifteenth century, the Bono people founded theGyaamankingdom as extension ofBono statein what is nowGhanaandCôte d'Ivoire.[4][5][6]
In the 12th century, when Bonos discoveredgoldat the Twi river and Prabom across theTain river,Bonos became very powerful owing to its wealth in gold atBonoman.Bonos used the gold dust as a measure ofcurrencyinBonomanand at the various market centres ofDjenne,Timbuktu,andNorth Africa.In most cases,gold weighing(abramboo) were used to determine what quantity of gold should be exchanged for a commodity. Bono people were dexterously noted forbrasscasting,weavingof cloth (gagawuga, kyenkyen, and kente),potteryand so on. Around 1471, when thePortuguesearrived at theGold Coast,BeghoofBonomanwas one of the largest ancient cities inWest Africawith an estimated population 12,000.
Bono Manso,another historic city, played a noteworthy role in theAtlantic slave trade,and in contemporary times, diaspora Africans often visit to learn more about their history. Traditionally, Bono is the hub of Akan cultures, and many aspects of Akan culture originate from Bono, e.g.clans (abusua),ntoro,Akan drums (fontomfrom,atumpan),Akan nomenclature,umbrellasused for kings,adinkra symbols,fly whisk,ivory trumpets,head gears,swordsof the nation. Bonos perform many Akan traditional dances such as Kete,Adowa,fontomfrom, and other dances.[7][8][9]The bono people are most located in Ghana in the north
Etymology
[edit]Bono means "Cave"or"Hole ".The
First Akan settlers use to dwell in caves or holes, Around Amoowi and it's environs, thus "Bon no mu fo" in Akan Twi which later became the acronym used to described the earlier settlers of the Akan people.
History
[edit]Bonos migrated fromAncient Ghana.Due to the imposition on them of another practice, they fled to the southern part of theBlack Volta riverand the tropical forest of centralGhanain order to maintain theirBono Ancestral worship and spirituality.According to oral tradition, a moiety of Bonos emerged from a hole called Amonwi cave due to an earthquake at Pinihini near Fiema inNkoransastate, and converged with the former group at thither. With the leader being Ohene Asaman in consultation with hisgod(bosom buruorbosommuru) for guidance, the god advised him to build towns or states. The god therefore got his laudatory name Biakuru, meaning "he who builds towns". Bonos then proceeded to build a town called Yefiri (literally “we are coming out of the cave” ). Ohene Asaman of thefalconclanAyokoand the Bonohemaa Ameyaa Kesse built another town as an extension and named itBono Mansowhich became a capital toBonomanwith a confederation of seven powerful clans. Some other settlements were named afterabosomthat occupied that land. The Krontihene however stayed still at Yefiri. Thefamiliesthat came along were encouraged to live apart from each other, in different parts of the acquired territory.[10][11][12]
Culture and society
[edit]Bonos concept of Bonoman (Bono State)
[edit]Traditionally, astatecould not be founded without a queenmother in the olden days, although many states were founded without aking.As the succession was (and still is) in the female line and as only the maternal ancestors were (and are) venerated, it was very essential that a female of royal blood gave birth to a state. That is why a queenmother owns a state, as a mother owns a child. The queenmother is always seen as the daughter of themoonby Bonos, who symbolizes the female characteristics ofNyame,the Supreme Being who created the universe by giving birth to the sun (Amowia). Thesunis therefore regarded as the son of the moon and is personified as the Sungod. Thequeenmothertherefore is represented as the great Mother-Moon-goddess, the king as theSungod,and the state as theUniverse.Silverrepresents moonlight as the colour of the queenmother, just as gold, the colour of the sun, represents the king. Perceived from another angle, seven heavenly bodiesMoon,Sun,Mars,Mercury,Jupiter,Venus,andSaturnrule theheaven.Sevenabusuaor matrilineal clans represent them onearthand rule the state.[13][5]
References
[edit]- ^Buah, F. K. (1998). "2".A History of Ghana.Macmillan. p. 9.ISBN978-0-333-65934-2.
- ^Akuamoa, Geoffrey (2013-03-18).KWAME, THE LAST SLAVE FROM WEST AFRICA.Lulu.com.ISBN978-1-291-35746-2.
- ^Transactions of the Gold Coast & Togoland Historical Society.The Society. 1974. p. 218.
- ^A Profile of Bono Kyempem (Essays on the Archaeology, History, Language and Politics of the Brong Peoples of Ghana), Edited with Introduction by Kwame Arhin. Senior Research Fellow, Institute of African Studies,University of Ghana, Legon.
- ^abEffah-Gyamfi, E. "Aspects of the Archaeology and Oral Traditions of theBono State.Transactions of the Historical Society ofGhana"(1974) 15(2):217-227.
- ^Muhammad, Akbar.The International Journal of African Historical Studies10.2 (1977): 242-258
- ^The Akan of Ghana: Their Ancient Beliefs.Faber & Faber. 1958.
- ^Shillington, Kevin (2005).Encyclopedia of African History: A - G.. 1.Taylor & Francis.ISBN978-1-57958-245-6.
- ^Adandé, Alexis; Arinze, Emmanuel; Arinze, E. N. (2002).Museums & Urban Culture in West Africa.West African Museums Programme.ISBN978-0-85255-275-9.
- ^Warren, Dennis M. (1973).Disease, Medicine, and Religion Among the Techinan - Bono of Ghana: A Study in Culture Change.Indiana University.
- ^Brempong, Owusu (1978).Attacking Deviation from the Norm: Insults in Bono - Ghana.Indiana University.
- ^Westermann, Diedrich; Smith, Edwin William; Forde, Cyril Daryll (1963).Africa.Oxford University Press.
- ^Meyerowitz, Eva Lewin-Richter (1951).The sacred state of the Akan.Faber and Faber.
