The Anlo-Ewe believed in God and referred to him as “Mawu” before the Bremen missionaries arrived in West Africa in the 19th century. They explain the name “O Mawuga Sogbolisa, Kitikata adanu wo to amesi wo asi wo afo” when they call for his appearance.This alludes to the Almighty God who made the hands and feet. However, they have honored him by means of their customary intermediary gods. Yewe, Eda, Nana, Mamiwota, Afa, and so on are a few of them. Our patients were healed by the priests of these deities long before West African medical science existed.
The traditional healers do not regard God as being insignificant. Everything in the universe, including water and plants, was made by him. The healers always give God the glory when their patients recover because they cure their patients using water and herbs. They typically say something like, “God has blessed our efforts.” When someone is unwell, you should only allow them to wash themselves with the water in the basin in front of the image or with herb water, which will help them get better. Yewe, the god of thunder and lightning in West Africa, is revered by the Ewe of Ghana and Togo as well as the Fo of Benin. It is known by the Yoruba people of Nigeria as Shango. The initiated members of Yewe are given the Yewe names, just like African Christians adopt what we are told are Christian names. The community would be informed of the member’s new name at the graduation performance, and it would be forbidden for anyone to refer to them by their previous name. After the formal introduction, anyone who addresses the member by their forbidden name will have transgressed both the deity’s and the member’s rules. In accordance with the religious rules, the offender will be called upon and put on trial before a jury made up of priests and Yewe elders. The culprit will have to pay a hefty fine if proven guilty.
The divination-focused astral deity of West Africa is called Afa. He is Yewe’s younger brother. The Yoruba people of Nigeria, who refer to it as Ifa, created it in IIe-Ife. It is referred to as Fa by the Fo of Benin and Afa by the Ewe of Ghana and Togo. Afa is a visionary deity who can see into the future and the past. She shares her visions with diviners through “Agumaga.” When gripped by the loop, Agumaga, a divining chain with four concaves on each side of the chain, resembles a horseshoe. The diviner asks questions of Afa in the spirit realm by grasping the head that resembles a loop and tossing it upon a mat.The spirits of Afa and the client direct the concaves to turn in an unexpected way to display the sign that would answer the client’s question when the divining chain lands on the mat. The inquiry would be answered by the first “kpoli,” or sign, that manifests itself. For clarification, the client may also pose queries.After the procedure is complete, the diviner will review the kpoli literature to determine the answers to the questions and what the client should or should not do to receive their good desires.
One can consult with Afa in any number of ways. On group matters, groups may consult. A social dancing company might speak with a seer to determine the viability of their performances. Is there anything they could do to ensure their success if they choose not to? In order to find out what their gods want done before to the start of their yearly celebrations, the elders of all the other deities, including Yewe, consult Afa diviners. Afa membership is entirely voluntary. In contrast to Yewe, the members retain their given names following initiation. Its music is performed by both members and non-members as long as the latter dress in white, just like the former. However, unless the performance is during a member’s burial, non-yewe members do not perform with the members. The non-members will perform with the members and sing the Yewe songs with immunity only on that one day. It’s always said that the performance that day is “free-for-all.” A day following the free-for-all performance, a non-member who continues to sing the songs is in violation of the moratorium and will be fined heavily.
Members of AFA also acknowledge God’s supremacy. The officiating priest will invoke another sign, “Kpoli, Gudafluwogbe,” after calling the names of the principal kpoliwo or signs. This is done to convey the congregation’s petitions to God, leave the negative omens there, and bestow God’s blessing on the members.
AFA
There are 257 “Kpoliwo,” or signs, in the Afa divinity, but only 16 “Dunowo,” or twin signs. The twins are numbered 1 through 16, and combination signs are referred to as “viklewo,” or the 17th. It is the result of combining the twins’ 13th and 15th signs. The signs in casting are not made by hand. When the Agumaga is thrown into the mat, they form. (Refer to the indicators below.) Astrological connections suggest that there may be some similarities between “Kpoliwo” and zodiacal signs. However, “kpoliwo” are neither assigned to anyone by the religion’s high priest nor based on one’s date of birth. The initiation process will reveal each member’s symbol. This is an objective procedure that is only impacted by the individual’s and the divinity’s spirits.
Agumaga
The Kpoliwo, or sign, is determined by the pattern the Agumaga produces as it is thrown upon the mat. Examples of the first seventeen Kpoliwo are shown here.
1. Gbemedzi Tototo,lololo
2. Yekumedzi Bokono tedu kpokpo
3. Wolimedzi Gbodovi mebu na
4. Dimedzi Wodi kpa
5. Losomedzi Akpa bie nu ne xe
6. Nolimedzi Agbali kpata
7. Ablamedzi Ebe xexi me no
8. Aklamedzi Adenyra mewua
9. Gudamedzi Ebe yeti,yeti
10. Samedzi Awuito awuida
11. Ekamedzi Eka dzelele, nka
12. Trukpemedzi Ezie avu to, avu ha
13. Tulamedzi Tumbe, dombe
14. Letemedzi Ezu si gla ye
15. Tsiemedzi Kata dzie dza
16. Fumedzi Fumedzi, hekpa
17. Tsietula Klevovi mefoa to wo de o