The Osudoku Djehayem Festival (Wordom)
Introduction:
To understand the genesis of Osudoku Djehayem festival (Wordom) as it is been called in the days of old, one has to first go into the necessities which gave rise to the celebration of the festival. it is well documented that the Osudoku Djehayem festival is not a celebration to show off the Paramount Chief or any other Chief in the land as Osudokus did not have mere Chiefs in the olden days but Priests who were at the same time the Traditional rulers and Mantsemei.
Djehayem (“Wordom”) is a celebration of the Nadu Priest and his Nadu Deity rather than a celebration of the Chiefs as being done in Akan lands. And to understand this, one has to delve into the history of the Aboriginal Osudoku tribes known and called the Gbese People.
The Aboriginal Gbese Tribes of Osudoku:
The Gbese People are the aboriginal dwellers on the land currently called Osudoku. They are Dangbe speaking people who migrated from the land of Israel. Their first place of abode was the Mountain known as ’Noweh Yo’ or ‘Yogwasi’. They might have been well established before the early 14th century. They migrated from the land of Israel and travelled all the way and settled here in Ghana. It is believed that they uncounted other groups such as the Ga, Ada, and Ewes on their long journey.
The Gbese people were led by priests carrying with them, an Ancient Judaism worship which during their long travel became adulterated with rituals and
practices from the many different cultures and civilizations they encountered on their long journey. At the time they settled on the land of Osudoku, the Deity they worshipped has assumed the name NADU. How the name came about is uncertain but there is no doubt that, the original way of worshipping this Ancient deity corresponds with the Jewish Ancient Judaism worship of the most high God.
Nadu is considered to be a “Djemawor” (an Ancient Deity) there is no physical emblem or totem that embodies his essence, he cannot be seen, killed or hurt. You can only pray to Nadu and then wait on him to answer your prayers in his own time. This was the original way the Nadu was worshipped when the Gbese People first settled in Osudoku before the arrival of their refugees. Till date, Nadu does not have any physical representation or image or statue to which prayers or sacrifices are being made to.
The Gbese people did not have Chiefs but rather Priests who were at the same time their natural rulers. It is believed among the aboriginal Gbese Tribes that, the first priest who led them to Osudoku was Ogbe Asumeng Ankra Botuako
The Aboriginal Gbese People who settled on the Yogwasi Mountain constituted twelve large towns which are as follows according to their order of seniority.
1. Gbese Kpono Yokworsi Ma
2. zago Ma
3. Tordom Ma
4. Zutsukpo Ma
5. Lada Ma
6. Same Ma
7. Yo Ma
8. Kplada Ma
9. Matey Ika Ma
10.Mate Aflo Ma
11.Okpeyom Ma
12.Mate Aba Ma.
The above named twelve large towns constituted the aboriginal Gbese towns that inhabited the land of Osu as they were then called as known among the Aboriginal Osudokus. The first town named Gbese Kpono Yokworsi Ma was the capital of these towns that formed Osu.
Ogbey Asumeng Ankra Botuako of Gbese Kpono Yokworsi Ma was the founder and Paramount Chief / Priest of the above named twelve towns that constituted the then Osu. “Ma” is a Dangme tongue which means Town. So, for instance, Mate Aflo Ma would mean Mate Aflo’s Town. Ogbey Asumeng Ankra Botuako was the true representative or Spiritual head / Priest of the Nadu Shrine. Ogbe Asumeng Ankra Botuako selected leaders (Chiefs) over the remaining eleven towns and these towns together were called the twelve stones of Osu. He also made laws concerning marriage, burial and crime. He also made minor priests to serve under him.
Djehayem (Wordom) Festival: - Mode of Celebration and Period
The “Wordom” (Djehayem) festival is celebrated in the month of May, and is preceded by a barn on Traditional Drumming and Dancing (Tsosi fɔm) for a period of three months which begins on the second Friday of the month of February. During this period, citizens of Osudoku are required to be in a state of purity and abstain from unnecessary noise making. They are required to postpone all funerals and other activities which are generally associated with noise making, drumming, dancing etc.
On the first Friday, in the month of May, the Aboriginal tribes of Osudoku together with their refugee tribes would troop to the Shrine of the Nadu Deity to engage in a ceremony called “Pie fim” which literally translates as refurbishing of the straw fence which houses the Nadu Priest and the Nadu Deity. The exercise is believed to be a way of binding their enemies and handing them over to the Nadu Deity for just punishment to be meted out to them.
On that day, the Aboriginals are not allowed to mix with their refugees but they are allowed to start binding from one end towards their left and the refugees are allowed to start binding from the same point towards their right. The two groups eventually meet at one point and the ceremony comes to an end. At midnight on Tuesday morning, the barn on traditional drumming and dancing would be lifted by the High Priest of the Nadu Shrine. at this point, the People would be engaged in merry making, drumming and dancing in all forms and it would be followed by a mini durbar by the Paramount Chief and his subordinate chiefs. (Sɛ he dum) which will pave way for many other programs and activities including the climax which is the Mountain climbing (Yoku mi yam)
on the Thursday that follows. The Ablao Nadu Priest and his subordinate Priests together with elders from the Gbese Clans will take a lead to the Mountain early in the morning of Thursday, and perform rituals that would pave way for safe climbing of the Mountain and also bring blessings to the People of Osudoku. on the next Saturday that follows, the festival will be brought to an end with a grand durbar of Chiefs and People of Osudoku. these were however not part of the celebration until the early 1900s when the Aboriginal rulers decided to nominate representatives to act in their stead as they the Aboriginals were debarred from meeting strangers and interviewing foreigners by the Nadu Deity.
Osudoku Aboriginals were debarred from having engagements with Uncircumcised persons and in the past, it was not much of a problem as they did not require assistance from foreigners or strangers to survive. During the Colonial Occupation however, it became necessary for the true Aboriginal rulers of Osudoku to appoint people from their refugee tribes to represent them in engaging both strangers and Colonialist alike. These representatives from the Osudoku refugee tribes in time were recognized by the Colonial Government as Head Chiefs (Mantsemei) instead of the true aboriginal rulers who were the natural rulers with lineage to the land of Osudoku.
In the year 1913, a Colonial Commissioner whose name was Mr. C.H. Harper was tasked to conduct an enquiry into the Constitution and Tribal organization of the Osudoku People.
It was at this enquiry that fraudulent and misleading evidence was given to Mr. C. H. Harper who has been in Ashanti and did not understand the Osudoku Customs and Tradition. And with this evidence sealed the fate of the Aboriginal Osudokus till date.