Hogbetsotso festival - Volta region of Ghana.
The festival is celebrated on the first Saturday of the month of November every year. The traditional drumming and dancing, cheering crowds, palanquins in different shapes and sizes and singing of traditional war songs, combine to make the Hogbetsotso festival a must-not-be-missed spectacle.
The Hogbetsotso festiva is used by the Anlos to commemorate the exodus and the bravery of their traditional rulers, who through endurance and sacrifice delivered them from the despot King Agorkoli.
The Hogbetsotso festiva is used by the Anlos to commemorate the exodus and the bravery of their traditional rulers, who through endurance and sacrifice delivered them from the despot King Agorkoli.
Anloga, a town marked by a meandering lagoon and golden sand beaches overhanging the atlantic ocean, is where the grand durbar is held on every first Saturday in November. (See also the location map of Anloga, below)
[ Significance of the festival
Hogbetsotso reminds the Anlos of their ancestry. It rekindles the bond of relationship that existed between them and other Ewe-speaking people and also affords the citizens the opportunity to appraise their development programmes in the past year.
The festival is an occasion when the whole of Anlo is open to visitors and where the full cultural value of the people is put on display.
Rituals preceding the festival
One of the most significant rituals that precedes the Hogbetsotso festival is a state divination which is performed by distinguished seers selected from major towns throughout the 36 Anlo states.
Once the seers have announced the rituals that need to be carried out, the traditional priests perform the appropriate ceremony invoking the gods of the land.
After that, all the seers gather at Atiteti on the estuary of the Volta Lake to perform additional sacrifices.
Another important ritual is the state cleansing and sanitation programme known as “Dodede and Apekplorkplor” which is also performed by recognised seers.
On the last Thursday before the day of the durbar, the ritual performed is aimed at social reconciliation.
This activity is aimed at reconciling individuals and groups within the 36 Anlo states. ] Writer's mail: gabashy@yahoo.co.uk
Hogbetsotso reminds the Anlos of their ancestry. It rekindles the bond of relationship that existed between them and other Ewe-speaking people and also affords the citizens the opportunity to appraise their development programmes in the past year.
The festival is an occasion when the whole of Anlo is open to visitors and where the full cultural value of the people is put on display.
Rituals preceding the festival
One of the most significant rituals that precedes the Hogbetsotso festival is a state divination which is performed by distinguished seers selected from major towns throughout the 36 Anlo states.
Once the seers have announced the rituals that need to be carried out, the traditional priests perform the appropriate ceremony invoking the gods of the land.
After that, all the seers gather at Atiteti on the estuary of the Volta Lake to perform additional sacrifices.
Another important ritual is the state cleansing and sanitation programme known as “Dodede and Apekplorkplor” which is also performed by recognised seers.
On the last Thursday before the day of the durbar, the ritual performed is aimed at social reconciliation.
This activity is aimed at reconciling individuals and groups within the 36 Anlo states. ] Writer's mail: gabashy@yahoo.co.uk
History Of Hogbetsotso
The term Hogbetsotso, according to historians, was derived from three Ewe words – Ho, meaning to uproot or move, Gbe meaning day and Tsotso, meaning crossing over. So literally, Hogbetsotso means the day the people rose up and moved out of Notsie.
The term Hogbetsotso, according to historians, was derived from three Ewe words – Ho, meaning to uproot or move, Gbe meaning day and Tsotso, meaning crossing over. So literally, Hogbetsotso means the day the people rose up and moved out of Notsie.
See below 2011 video. Unfortunately, there is no better video available yet. Actually, this video is the best you can find at the moment.
The Anlo Kingdom has many local festivals that date back to the pre-arrival of the major religions, and which are still occasions for beautiful display of cultural traditions through dancing and some other performances. - Read Here More About -
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