The Mepe Traditional Area is located in the North Tongu District. This capital, Mepe, is found on the western bank of the Volta River,

 

about some 16 kilometers north east of Sogakope.

 

The people of Mepe, like most other Ewe-speaking groups, have a history of migration from Notsie with a brief stay at Tsevie just

 

north of Lome before finally making to their present location. According to their tradition, their ancestors were among the Ewe groups

 

which lived under the oppressive rule of Togbui Agorkorli in the walled city of Notsie, located in central Togo. They had earlier lived

 

along the Kwara (Niger) River in present day Nigeria. After leaving Notsie, they settled for some time at Panyi, near Dzodze, before

 

ultimately settling in their present-day location. They would put the time of settling here at about three hundred (300) years ago.

 

Afenorto festival which literally means “those staying at home, resting or relaxing at home” is a successor to the earlier festivals

 

organized by the people. According to tradition, the floods which follow the major rains of May, June and July greatly restrain

 

economic activity. Hence the period August-November was used for relaxation from tedious economic activities, and is characterized

 

by story-telling, games settlement of disputes and marriage ceremonies, and many other ways of relaxation to commemorate the

 

period of rest after the year’s hard work. It was within this atmosphere that the festival of Hatudada, “mass firing of musketry” caused

 

the discontinuation of Hatudada until 1954 when the decision was taken to revive it. The name was however changed to Afenorto.

 

This main festival was instituted in 1940 during the reign of Togbui Tetteh Dugbazah IV.

 

 

“Mefe Kukurukuu Isagbatsia Nekotsoe be yewoe bi dzo wo xe”

 

The Celebrations

Afenorto festival starts towards the end of July and extents its climax to the first Saturday of August on which a grand durbar of chiefs is held. The festival lasts for about 14 days. The highlights are as follows:

On the last Friday of July is the homecoming day and citizens resident outside the Traditional Area are welcome home. The leaders of the five divisions (also called clans) pour libation in their countless ancestral homes. Later in the day the sounds of atmpan herald a ban on funerals and commencement of the festival.

On the following Saturday, there is clean-up exercise preceded by the sounding of the atumpan drum. The following is a programme of the festival:

Sunday: Torching procession in the evening through the principal streets of the town. This is mostly patronized by the youth even though the elder have their own fair share of the night life.

Monday: Opening of Schools games in commemorating the festival. Merry-making throughout the town and Traditional Area gives the festival a unique and relaxing mood. In the evening there is story-telling in the homes which usually covers stories of Ewe origin, migration, wars and other migratory stories and folktales.

Tuesday: Haxlexle i.e. drumming societies move around town singing, characterized by various drumming groups with singing and dancing through the town.

Wednesday: Inauguration of drumming and dancing by traditional cult groups, including Yeve cult group. There is also a parade and general march pass by school children, artisans, farmers and market women, as well as almost all economic, social and cultural institution in the town.

Thursday: This is the day for Afekpototo that is general meeting in ancestral homes by all the five divisions (clans) namely Dzagabaku, Adzigo, Sevie, Gbanvie and Akorvie. Clans meet at various ancestral homes to thank their ancestors for a wonderful year and also ask for more blessing for the coming years.

Friday: Gbedziyiyi: The Queen mother leads the women’s dance group in dancing and singing throughout the southern Ewe area, i.e. southern Volta Region. Gbeyi involves members of the dance group to assemble at a point outside the town where they would sing together towards a particular spot in town and marry making continuous at the location.

Saturday: (First Saturday in August). Firing of musketry at dawn rings the bell of this day. Festival commences by the firing of seven rounds of musketry. In the morning a grand durbar of chiefs and people is held in the town. It is the day to exhibits one’s riches in the form of cloths and ornaments as well as other possessions. The beautiful ceremony is marked by carrying of chiefs of the durbar grounds in palanquins and speeches by chiefs, prominent personalities of the area and an invited guest. It is a colourful occasion during which the various divisions (clans) appear in their traditional costumes. The procession of the divisions is led by Dzagbaku clan who are usually dressed in white outfit. They are followed closely by Adzigo clan in their green attire. Then comes the Sevie clan division in yellow. Gbancie clan dressed in red are the next with Akorvie clan in a special divisional cloth with cock as a symbol bringing up the rearmost.

Sunday: Next to the durbar is a non-denominational thanksgiving service and a State Harvest. This is followed in the afternoon by a grand Afenorto soccer match among various formal but mostly informal group such as work groups.

Monday: Regatta.

Tuesday: Merry-making after which at 6 p.m. the ban on funerals is lifted.

After this day, the festival continues for another week with a number of activities including funerals, drumming and dancing, picnics, games and other activities and seven rounds of musketry are fired to signal the official end of the festivities, after 6: 00 p.m. On the second Monday after the durbar, curtain is drawn on the festival with the final sound of the atumpan.

 

How to get there

Mepe  in off the Accra-Afloa road. From Accra turn left at Sege. The distance between Sege and Mepe is about 28 kilometers and the roads are in good conditions.