Fante people

The Fante belong to the ethnic group of the Akan. The approximately 1.7 to 1.9 million members live mainly in the Central Region in southern Ghana. As part of the migration innerghanaischen the Fante are today but also about 10 % of the 1.5 million residents of the capital region of Greater Accra.

History

The Fante ( Fanti or ) came in the 15th century with Europeans in contact, as Portuguese and Spaniards drove along the coast of West Africa.

With them related Aschanti the Fante since the rise of Aschantireichs lived in constant fighting, as the Fante, together with the allied British, the Ashanti access to the sea and thus to trade with the Europeans restricted (see conflict over the establishment Elmina ). As a defense against the Ashanti founded at the end of the 18th century within the hitherto often hostile 24 Fantestaaten the first Fantiföderation. At the beginning of the 19th century escalated this conflict and ended up in the short-term subjugation of the Fante. In association with the British, the Fante were able to free himself again, but exchanged it ultimately Aschantivorherrschaft against the British one.

To escape colonization by the British, they eventually formed a short-lived 1868 2 Fantiföderation, which is often regarded as one of the first " self- government movements " in Africa.

Culture

The traditional houses of the Fante are due to their warlike past, the European forts and castles of the West Coast, inspired designs that unite many other style elements and are decorated with carvings and figures. These are mostly scenes from the struggles of the past. The Fante are like the rest of Akanvölker organized matrilineal, ie define family membership and inheritance is through the maternal line, the Abusua. Famous are the so-called asafo - companies of the Fante, a kind of warrior societies today with far-reaching social significance. These are deviating patrilineal organized by other schema. In art circles the imaginative flags of the Asafo companies are known.

Language

Fante, also Fannti, Odschi or Fante - Twi is spoken mainly in the " Central Region " of Ghana. It is a dialect, which belongs to the group of the Akan languages. Fante is highly regarded as the language of commerce in Ghana a high social prestige, several members of neighboring small languages ​​such as Ahanta speak Fante as a second language. In a gradual process change many speakers of these less significant and prestigious small languages ​​to Fante as the main language.

Famous Fante

  • Kofi Annan, former Secretary General of UN
  • Ayi Kwei Armah, writer
  • Quobna Ottobah Cugoano, writer
  • Joseph Ephraim Casely Hayford, writer
  • Willie B. Lamousé -Smith, a sociologist
  • William Ansah Sessarakoo, son of a slave trader, who was kidnapped into slavery
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