History of Mossi People of Burkina Faso , Ghana , Ivory Coast , Togo and Benin.
Wednesday, September 7, 2022
Mossi People can be found in Burkina Faso, Ghana , Ivory Coast , some parts of Togo and Benin in this areas , Mossi has a small population which they were settlers in Togo and Benin and they are part of the Gur Speaking people , they are related to the Nanumba , Mamprusi , Gurunsi, Frafra, Dagomba, Bwa, Lobi and others part of the Gur. They grow crops such as millet , sorghum , maize , sesame , peanuts which is groundnuts also Nakomse are the ruling class and are directed descendants of the first Invader from the South, Moro Naba the emperor whose palace was in Ouagadougou , the capital of Burkina Faso , Nabas are considered to be Chiefs who ruled over the regions of Mossi country and pay homage to Moro Naba.
It is believed Mossi were the descendants of the conquered people who lived in the region before Mossi arrived .
According to Valerine and Jim Roselini account’s on Mossi , The Mossi States were created about 1500 AD , where bands of horsemen rode north from Present day Ghana into the basin of the Volta river and conquered several powerful people and Integrated into a new society of the Mossi , the Invaders as Chiefs they conquered as commoners , Emperor of Mosi was Moro Naba , who lived in their ancient Ouagadougou between 1500 and 1900 , Mossi were a major political and military force in the bend of Niger river and were effective in resisting the movements of Fulani armies across Present day Sudan area , In 897 the first French military explorers arrived in the area and staked french colonial claims .
During the 60 years of colonial rule population was exploited as a source of labor for French plantations in Present day Ivory Coast and It is believed French exercised a policy to deliberate under development Intend to force Mossi laborers to leave their homes.
Mossi mask are used to honor the Ancestors used during ceremonies , It is used for communication and dances , and for dates , Mossi mask include antelope mask , the antelope is used mostly in the southern part of Burkina Faso, it is performed at market days and funeral events, Masks represent animals such as Antelope , crocodile , buffalo and other creatures painted red, white and black also all the masks are worn with costumes made up of thick wild hemp fiber .
According to Afropede the oral tradition has it that they came from the east , but their presence the region could have been since ancient times , It's believed Mossi dynasty claimed to be a descent of Naaba Wedrago , who hailed from Gambaga, Northern Region of Ghana , Naaba Wedraogo’s father was a hunter of Mande origins the five largest states to emerge out of the region including Ouagadougou , Yatenga, Tenkodogo , Boussouman and Gurma, these states were powerful before 1500s , Mossi Kingdom comprised of 20 states their economic livelihood depended on raiding their neighbors which mounted cavalry , they raided farming and prosperous communities , demanding tribute , even from territories under Mali Empire , they took over Timbuktu from 1312-1337 under Mansa Musa In 1338 , they looted Timbuktu , Sunni Ali was able to bring under them the Songhay Empire , Mossi Kingdom was also Involved with salt , kola nuts , Ivory trading in Sahel and Asante forest zone .
Mossi Kingdom was considered to be one of the most powerful Kingdoms in Present day Burkina Faso , which dominated the region of the Upper Volta river for 100 years , Mossi Kingdom was founded by Warriors from Mamprusi areas in Present day Ghana , It is said Mossi intermarried with the locals , centralization of the political and military powers of Kingdoms began in the 13th Century , In 1896 , French took over some Kingdoms and created what is known as French Upper Volta .
According to Mossi Oral traditions , A Mamprusi Princess left Gambaga because of a dispute between the 11th and 15th Centuries , Yennenga escaped and dress up like a man , then she went to the house of a hunter known as Ryalle , Ryalle believed Yennenga was a man but others also claimed she revealed herself to Ryalle and both of them got married , they gave birth to Wedraogo , Wedraogo visited his grand father in Dagbon and he was given gifts such as four houses , fifty cows also Dagomba horsemen joined Wedraogo’s forces and conquered Boussansis and Wedraogo married a woman known as Pouiriketa and gave birth to 3 sons and built Tenkodogo in Present day Burkina Faso , The First born was the oldest known as Diaba Lompo who was a ruler and founder of Fada N’ Gourma in Present day Burkina Faso .
The Second born was known as Rawa who was the developer of Mossi government he was a warrior and he was given the title which is the masters of war, the title was given to him for being a conqueror , his older brother later founded Nungu Empire in Fada N’ Gourma the word ‘ ‘ Fada N’Gourma" means a place where one pays a tithe or tax in Hausa language.
The Third born was Zoungrana who was a ruler during the Mossi ruler his tomb is located in the village of Zomtoega in Present day Burkina Faso . According to other accounts at one time Mossi were organized into three Kingdoms which is Tenkodogo , Wagadugu and Yatenga however It is claimed a raid on the city of Timbuktu in 1329 , Mossi rulers resisted conversion to Islam even though some other groups accepted new beliefs in about the 10th Century this modern day Islam influenced Mossi culture , Others believed they were the last to be colonized by the French and In Mossi culture.
A person’s name shows something about his or her birth , same as Dagomba , Akan , Ga , Ewe they also have day names depending on the day or week the person was born , Arzuma is the name of a male born on Friday and Zuma for a female , Hado born on Sunday , Larba born on Wednesday but Lokre is a name for a person born at the end of the month of Ramadan , Kibisa for a person born during Tabaski festival which is Ramadan.
Mossi celebrate Basega festival which is a thanksgiving festival in December after harvesting millet and other crops they have been harvested they thank God and the Ancestors for a bountiful and successful harvest , they gather together and help one another as one people .
Among Mossi when a Chief is been greeted you must lay down in front of him as a symbol of respect in general people shake hands and ask about how one is doing and during the rite of passage baby is formally presented to the community three days after birth for a boy 3 days and for a girl 4 days , the baby’s is announced at that time , the child is formally welcome to the family and takes the family , before becoming adults , both boys and girls are separated during circumcision , boys initiate when they are 15 to 30 to bush camps , where they stay for 90 to 100 days to recover from necessary operation.
They are taught by older men the things they need to know before becoming a member of the society during adulthood they are marked by marriage.
Mossi instruments it is used to set rhythms for agricultural tasks such as hoeing and threshing , the musical instruments they used the most are drums , some are large calabashes a type of gourd with leather drum heads and are played with the hands , there are also wooden drums played with sticks , the drummer can change a drum’s pitch by changing the arm movements on the strings tying the head to the drum , there are also flutes and stringed instruments.
In Mossi traditions storytellers are considered as Griot also they recite family histories and traditions , Mossi culture ‘s endurance can be attributed to the Importance placed on family and Kingdom values , they have been able to adapt to changes in society , and stand as a symbol of strength.
According to York Shona , The diversity of Mossi art styles reflects the diverse origins of Mossi rather than creating art forms in one or more style , which can be illustrated as archetypal or textbook , and the first empire of them was believed to been have founded during the 15th Century by Invaders from Northern Ghana and sculptors are famous for their polychrome mask which are worn during funeral ceremonies and to guard crop these masks which have a totemic role are stored.
According to Dorotheum they are a large ethnic group in Burkina Faso from about 1000 AD onwards , they were organised in sacred Kingdoms that still exist today as local authorities with Kings and royal courts of Ouagadougou , Yatenga , Ouahigouya , Mogho Naba was the title of the reigning monarch and reigns over a traditional Kingdom that dates back to the 12th Century and they live on the central plateau traversed by Nakambe currently , the account for half the total populations of Burkina Faso.
Mossi are descendants of conquering riders from Ghana in the 15th Century , Nakomes , who have Integrated into several Kingdoms , Winfred Korley from Ghana designed his first mask of a handsome young man which is a Mossi mask with Kente cloth as a cap It is Identified by ritual scarring on the face , this handsome young man is a member of the Mossi people .
Applications of white clay , created an aged , antique effect while a cap of Kente cloth adds a color , Winfrey Korley carves this elegant mask by hand and he hail from Accra , Greater Accra Region of Ghana he promote different african tribal masks , Mossi people belong to patrilineage lineages they are grouped into larger clans , which share common Ancestors and totemic animal .
Mossi people perform dances such as Warba and other dances , Warba is a highly energetic dance the distinctive feature of the dance is the rapid shaking of hips and bottom , there are also acrobatics movements , the movements is more than 30 , Warba dance costumes are also a distinctive a flared skirt of braided cotton , bells tied around waist like belt , traditional hats, necklaces , and other ornaments made from leather and ceramic shells in this present day quite colorful costumes are worn and dance features in many festivals and competitions , Including the biannual warba festival in Ganzourgou.
Mossi Warba dance is performed by only Mossi people of Burkina Faso , Ivory Coast and Ghana as well and they have a smaller populations of Mossi settlers in some parts of Present day Togo and Benin who settled there for a long time.
Warba dance occurred only for enthronements and funerals , bendre a calabash drum covered with a sheep skin struck with the hands , is traditionally used to play the lead , this drum has been associated with the court of Naba for announcing important messages It is accompanied by lunga , Kienna , lunga which is similar to a bigger drum and Kienna or Kiema which is an iron bell and wiga flute .