Dutor Torgbuiga Wenya I and the founding of Anlo Kingdom Pt.6

ANLO CHIEFTANCY AND TORGBIGA WENYA’S STOOL

In the lifetime of Torgbiga Wenya I, he was the head of the monarchical arrangement he established after founding the Anlo Kingdom. Next to him was his brother Awadzigla Doe Kpotui and Dotse Setsi was the State Linguist. Fia Sri later joined his uncle Torgbiga Wenya I to help him administer the kingdom due to old age.

Originally, the Ewe were ruled by Priest-Kings. The Priest-King who ruled at Dogbo was Torgbiga Gbe who they believed had become a deity after his death. 

There is a shrine (Torgbi Gbefe) to his memory at Anloga. When the Dogboawo arrived at Notsie, their ruler was Torgbiga Gemedra under the over-lordship of the Anyigbafia of Notsie. It was said that Torgbiga Gemedra lived for so long that when he eventually died, there was torrential rain for three days and three nights at Notsie and it was not possible to make fire and cook food. So the saying goes “Gemedra tsitsi xoxo, eku dzoku Notsiesiwo tsi dzonumada”. Old Gemedra died and fire died, the women of Notsie could not cook food.

Torgbiga Gemedra was succeeded by Torgbiga Wenya I who led the Ewes out of Notsie to their present homes. It was during Torgbiga Wenya’s time at Notsie when Kponoe was brought from Tando and made chief of the Dogbo youth as Sri I to be in charge of communal labour often demanded by the Anyigbafia of Notsie from the youth.

At Notsie the title of Torgbi was restricted to the Anyigbafia/Agbogbomefia only. All other heads were titled Amega. The insignia of office was not always a carved stool. 

Torgbiga Wenya’s insignia of leadership was Firemaking Stone(Dzosikpe), Fia Sri’s was Fortune or Rain Stone(Tsikpe/Tsina) and Torgbi Tsamla’s was a Scimitar(Akaklaku). Among the foregoing, Torgbiga Wenya’s stool was the most ancient descending from Torgbiga Gbe, the Dogbo ruler in the 14th century to Torgbiga Gemedzra then to Torgbiga Wenya I. The next is the Tando’s stool founded by Adela Dzavoe the Tando ruler of the 15th century from whom it descended to Torgbi Adza Ashimadi then to Kponoe alias Fia Sri I. 

Each of these stools have their accompanying war stool. Fia Sri’s stool has it’s accompanying war stool as Akaklaku whereas that of Torgbiga Wenya was the Awadetsi also descending to Awadzigla Doe Kpotui. These were the only chieftain insignia brought from Notsie. After the settlement at Anloga, three types of stool came into being.

1. Founder stools (togbezi) which belonged to the founding fathers of towns and villages. A founder of a town who was himself the leader of his people would establish a stool in the traditional way and become a chief or appoint to it a son or some other person who showed qualities of leadership.

2. War Stools founded or captured during wars. A man who displayed bravery and leadership on a field of battle or captured a stool from an enemy would be made a chief on a war stool(awazi).

3. Wealth Stools (hozi) founded in honor of prominent men. A wealthy man who played an important role in the social life of the community was commemorated on his death and immortalized with a stool as a rallying shrine of the family.

The first two types of stools were hereditary and succeeded to on the death of their occupants.