Girlhood Initiation Rights
in Krobo Society
Pregnancy and Birth
Pregnancy
Fertility
Birth
Death of a Child
After Live Birth
Childhood Initiation
Historic Dipo
Western Influences
Christian
Influences
Dipo Today
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The Krobo Tribe, which is now mostly located in Ghana, originated from the Sudanic Empire. The Sudanic Empire went through many wars from 1600 through 1700 A.D. People of the tribes traveled from the grasslands to the forest of West Africa to seek shelter. These different groups of people seeking shelter in the West were led by priests, priest-hunters, and priestesses.
The Krobo tribe believes that Klowεki is the legendary priestess who assisted their ancestors during the hard time. The legend which has been passed down from the Krobo ancestors is that the goddess Klowεki was reincarnated into a woman. Her real name is YO OSEKI which means first sacred woman of the Krobo tribe and director of their nation. Her name is so holy, that the Krobo people won’t call her by her real name; they have alternate names for her. Klowεki is a very important and respected person in this community, especially concerning the topic of pregnancy and childhood initiation.
The other names
the Krobo community called
Klowεki:
Yomo : The old lady.
Yolu : holy woman
Yo Oseki : famous woman heroine.
Yo masi : well rooted woman.
She is one of Krobos leaders, but most importantly she is their teacher. She educates
the tribe in matters of spirituality, morality, social and economical issues.
The Tribe members come to her for many different reasons. One of these
reasons deals with circumcision.
Boys in the Krobo tribe have the ritual of circumcision. This ritual marks the boy’s passage from childhood to adult hood. Mothers with girls became jealous that their daughters didn’t have a similar ritual. Klowεki believed that adolescence was the second most important part of a persons life (birth being the most important) and because of this she made a new custom for the girls called the dipo. The dipo is equivalent to the boy’s ritual of circumcision. 5.