Language;
The Ga people speaks in the Gbe language. They don't have a specific dialect. Each tribe has a different dialect that sometime other Ga's cannot understand. The most spoken Gbe language is Ewe. There are five most spoken dialects; Ewe, Fon, Aja, Gen or also known as the Mina and Phla-Phera. More and more Ghanas are beginning to forget their native tongue since English is also a language widely spoken in Ghana. (Language, n.d.; Linguistic Affiliation, 2002)
The Ga people speaks in the Gbe language. They don't have a specific dialect. Each tribe has a different dialect that sometime other Ga's cannot understand. The most spoken Gbe language is Ewe. There are five most spoken dialects; Ewe, Fon, Aja, Gen or also known as the Mina and Phla-Phera. More and more Ghanas are beginning to forget their native tongue since English is also a language widely spoken in Ghana. (Language, n.d.; Linguistic Affiliation, 2002)
Culture;
There are many festivals and celebrations that the Ga-Adangbe's have to prepare all year. On that last Thursday of July to the first weekend of August a festival is taken place to celebrate the victories and the deceased who fought on the battlefield for their people to be where they are today. This festival is called Asafotufiami or Asafotu, for short. To remember those who fought, they re-enact the historic events by dressing up in traditional military clothing and re-enacting the battle. While celebrating, the priests and priestesses who are believed to be able to communicate between the gods, ancestors, and the living will pour libations during the festival. (GA-ADANGBE CULTURE, 2013; Arts & Culture, n.d.) For this next celebration, the Ga’s will have to start early in the year in order to get all planting and growing crops ready for the Homowo on time. The Homowo festival means “hooting for hunger.” There is a meaning behind this name, back several centuries ago the Ga’s didn’t have any crops due to seasonal rains which lead to the Ga people experimenting severe hunger. The Ga’s then decided to mark this as a celebration for overcoming starvation and getting back on track. Every year Homowo is celebrated between August and September. When getting prepared for the Homowo each month is important, in May they start planting crops since it’s the rainy season and then in June they begin a ritual called gbemlilaa which means locking the way. During the June days they play music for the crops to grow with no troubles. After this ritual there will be another ritual following it there another one following that ritual. For example there’s a ritual to calm the sea called nshobulemo. The arriving week before the Homowo on the Friday is used to remember those who passed away during the year. Homowo is a ritual that is addressed directly for the ancestors. On the morning of Homowo, the women wakes up early to prepare the dishes. Two main dishes eaten on these days are kpekple, or also known as kpokpoi, and palm nut soup. When it is time to eat, men will eat first then women. It didn’t specified when the children may eat. After the meal, a dance will be performed. (Ghana Guide,n.d.; GA PEOPLE, 2013; The Ga-Adangbe,2012; Marion Kilson, n.d.) There’s a celebration between Chiefs where they come together and alliance with each other. They are accompanied with traditional military groups called ‘Asafo Companies’ These bands will play their instruments, sing, and dance on the street of the durbar land.(GA-ADANGBE CULTURE, 2013; Arts & Culture, n.d.) |
Religion;
Before boys and girls came to learn together, boys and girls were taught based on their gender either by older relatives of the same gender or a school system of the new generations. When the children are done training they are expected to do their duties. Women mostly did the farming, cooking and prepare for weddings while the men cleared new lands, fished, wove, and maintained nets. Women does a lot of selling and trading goods, they do it so much that some women even becomes successful large-scale traders. Because of the many successes of women traders, a right was passed saying that women have the right to own land without needing the man’s permission. Women and men both sold and bought slaves. (History and Cultural Relations, Trade, Industrial Arts, 2002) Most Ga's are Christians but many other religions are also combined with Christianity. Recently Islam has joined in their mix of religion. However the original religion is involved with a dzemawon or a spirit. Some of the spirits are associated with places and can change shape at their own will. Priest are males but sometimes the priests can be female. The spirit mediums that communicates with their own voice are usually females. There are spirits that worships singing and dancing, that is called kple. (Religious Beliefs, 2002)
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Art/ Music/ Sports;
They are known for making richly woven cloth brass gold weights, carved stools, gold artifacts and jewelry. Women usually knows how to make beer and prepare foods with many different kinds of items. In the 1940s they also made baskets and wood carved. (Music & sports; n.d.; Music, Art and Crafts, n.d.; Industrial Arts, 2002) The Ga's always include drumming and dancing in part of their music. One of their traditional music and dancing styles is called Kpanlogo. This dance and music is developed around the 1960’s. Some of the musical instruments includes the kaganu, kidi, sogo, and atsimevu, which are all different types of drums in shapes and sizes. Other instruments are the axatse which is a rattle and the other is a gankogui which is like a double bell or gong. (The Ga-Adangbe, 2012; Music, Art and Crafts, n.d.) The main sport in Ghana is boxing. Start at 2:26
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