shrine of Gyemperem; they sing and dance to a
specialakom(spirit possession) music in praise of
the river king. There is prohibition of shoes,
sandals, and hats on the compound of Kofi
Gyemperem shrine. The site is thronged with
people of all ages, mostly from the eastern region
of Ghana, wearing white outfits. After the custom-
ary exchange of greetings between the priestesses
led by Gyemperem Osofo and the king, the latter
enters the shrine, stands before the Oracle of Kofi
Gyemperem, and informs him about the New
Year. The king makes this solemn announcement
andoffersamalewhitesheeprestingonhisshoul-
ders to the Oracle for feast and palm wine to per-
form a libation. The Gyemperem Osofo receives
the gifts and pours libation to the river god for
the well-being, protection, and prosperity of
Okyeman. The libation also cleanses the state
frommalevolenceanddiseasesandmakesthebar-
ren women and fatherless men bear children. The
priestess, on whom River Kofi Gyemperem has
descended, now sitting with her head against the
Gyemperem sacred odum tree, communicates
through the Gyemperem Osofo to tell the king
what the future holds for Tafoman and Okyeman
in the year. Meanwhile, the crowd outside the
encircled Oracle is entertained to bomaa and
asafo(militia) drumming and dancing. The sheep
is sacrificed to prepare food for Kofi Gyemperem.
Afterward, the Gyemperem Osofo gives eto, pre-
pared with eggs on top of it, to Kofi Gyemperem
toeatthefirstyam.Hecomesoutoftheencircled
Oracle and offers some of the eto to the king and
the elders, and then he sprinkles the rest on the
ground toward River Afua Taako.
Thereafter, the king, who rides in the palan-
quin, and the crowd return to the palace in a joy-
ful mood. The procession is ushered in by cheers,
music, and dancing, while the womenfolk wave
theirpiecesofwhiteclothatorovertheking.The
current king, Osabarima (warrior king) Nana
Adusie Peasah IV, has mastered the art of dancing
several times in the palanquin on his feet to the
cheersofthecrowd.Thepalanquiniscarriedaloft
by the ahenemma.
The king, in his full royal regalia, sits in state,
flanked by the divisional kings and elders, with
the sword bearers sitting in two open columns
in front of him. This durbar is marked by merry-
making, drumming, and dancing by different
groups, professional musicians, and acrobatic
displays as the king receives good wishes from
individuals, special groups, public dignitaries,
government officials, and tourists. He gives his
New Year speech, wishes everyone a happy New
Year, and distributes drinks to the public as the
merrymaking continues until sunset.Kwame Botwe-AsamoahSee alsoAkan; Okomfo AnokyeFurther Readings
Reindorf, C. C. (1966).The History of the Gold Coast
and Asante. Accra: Ghana University Press.OKANDE
The Okande people are a small ethnic group liv-
ing in Gabon. They are believed to number less
than 10,000, having experienced decimation over
theyearsduetoexploitation,disease,andhistoric
violence.Nevertheless,theOkandehavemanaged
to maintain a traditional consistency in their core
beliefs. They are mostly found in the region of
Booué in the province of Ogooué-Ivindo. It is not
knownforcertainwhethertheOkandecamefrom
the east or the north, but there are reports that
they may have come into this region of the coun-
try from outside. Yet the presence and persistence
of their beliefs, in the midst of change and trans-
formation of the social environment, represent a
resilience of will.
It is thought that the strength of the Okande
rests with their strong male initiation society
calledMwiri. The role that Mwiri plays in the
Okande resilience is only suspected, although evi-
dence suggests that the group controls the social
andreligiouslifeoftheOkandepeople.Similarin
many ways to the societiesof secretsamong other
African people, the Mwiri is in effect a brother-
hood of keepers of traditions. They serve the role
of creating protocols and rituals, maintaining cer-
emonies, and ensuring the strength and power of
the ancestral spirits.
Thus, Mwiri is responsible for masquerades
that project the history and culture of the people,486 Okande