Puberty rites
Puberty Rites of the Akan (Bragoro/Brapue):
Puberty rites among the Akan are known as “Bragoro” or “Brapue.” Most Akan, especially the Asante and Bono, perform puberty rites for their daughters. A girl who is being initiated is called “Brani” or “Sakyima.”
“Bragoro” can be performed only after a girl’s first menstruation. As soon as a parent knows of her daughter’s first menstruation, she prepares towards the ceremony. Before the rite, the girl is presented to the queenmother who by some physical examination ensures that the girl is not pregnant. There are both spiritual and material preparations for the ceremony. The spiritual preparation involves finding out if the girl’s ‘kra’ (soul) likes the ceremony to be performed or not. The material preparation, on the other hand, consists of providing all the necessary things such as food items, money, chicken, and so on.
The ceremony is usually held on a Monday or a Tuesday. Relatives, friends, and “Brannwom” (puberty songs) groups are invited. On the day of the ceremony, the initiation is announced early in the morning by the mother. She beats the metal part of a hoe or an old pan with a stick to announce it.
Immediately after the announcement the people assemble on the initiate’s compound and sing “brannwom.” The first rite for the day is the “enstoolment” which is performed by an old woman who has many children. The initiate takes her bath and covers her head to the waist leaving the face bare. She is placed on a stool three times, remaining on it the third time. The stool is usually placed on a mat covered with a blanket or “kente” cloth. A brass basin called “Yaawa” is filled with water containing “Adwera” or “Odwen-Ahaban” (leaves of Odwen) with an egg and a dry okro fruit is placed beside the girl.
A woman sits beside the “Yaawa.” When gifts in the form of coins are put in the “Yaawa,” this woman sprinkles water with the “adwera” or “odwen” on the
Puberty rites among the Akan are known as “Bragoro” or “Brapue.” Most Akan, especially the Asante and Bono, perform puberty rites for their daughters. A girl who is being initiated is called “Brani” or “Sakyima.”
“Bragoro” can be performed only after a girl’s first menstruation. As soon as a parent knows of her daughter’s first menstruation, she prepares towards the ceremony. Before the rite, the girl is presented to the queenmother who by some physical examination ensures that the girl is not pregnant. There are both spiritual and material preparations for the ceremony. The spiritual preparation involves finding out if the girl’s ‘kra’ (soul) likes the ceremony to be performed or not. The material preparation, on the other hand, consists of providing all the necessary things such as food items, money, chicken, and so on.
The ceremony is usually held on a Monday or a Tuesday. Relatives, friends, and “Brannwom” (puberty songs) groups are invited. On the day of the ceremony, the initiation is announced early in the morning by the mother. She beats the metal part of a hoe or an old pan with a stick to announce it.
Immediately after the announcement the people assemble on the initiate’s compound and sing “brannwom.” The first rite for the day is the “enstoolment” which is performed by an old woman who has many children. The initiate takes her bath and covers her head to the waist leaving the face bare. She is placed on a stool three times, remaining on it the third time. The stool is usually placed on a mat covered with a blanket or “kente” cloth. A brass basin called “Yaawa” is filled with water containing “Adwera” or “Odwen-Ahaban” (leaves of Odwen) with an egg and a dry okro fruit is placed beside the girl.
A woman sits beside the “Yaawa.” When gifts in the form of coins are put in the “Yaawa,” this woman sprinkles water with the “adwera” or “odwen” on the