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⁴ Fage, J. D., Introduction to the History of West Africa (1962), 97.Google Scholar

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¹⁰ For accounts of the Ashanti Adai and Odwira festivals see Rattray, R. S., Ashanti (Oxford, 1927).Google ScholarFor a sociological analysis, see Busia, K. A., The Position of the Chief in the Modern Political System of Ashanti (Oxford, 1951), ch. II. During these ceremonies, the past was not merely recited; it was dramatized, and casts of heads of slain chiefs and other var relics were paraded for all to see.Google Scholar

¹¹ Bowdich, 231–2.

¹² Dupuis, 225.

¹³ Rattray, R. S., Ashanti Law and Constitution (Oxford, 1956), ch. 10, 76.Google Scholar

¹⁴ Dupuis, 229. In the Stool Histories collected by J. Agyeman-Duah for the Institute of African Studies, University of Ghana, most of the informants assert this area as their original home; this is also emphasized by informants in Akrokerri.Google Scholar

¹⁵ Collected by the writer.Google Scholar

¹⁶ See a forthcoming publication of the Institute of African Studies, University of Ghana: Ashanti and the North West, ed. Jack Goody and Kwame Arhin, Supplement to the Research Review.Google Scholar

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²⁰ Bosman, William, A New and Accurate Description of the North and South Coasts of Guinea (Entslish trans., London, 1705).Google Scholar

²¹ The Ashanti drummer was the foremost Ashanti historian. His drums had to heat out at festivals the history of the nation or division from its infancy. I undersand from Professor Nketia that the drummer usually starts off with the earliest occurrence of significance in the national or divisional history. Osci Bediako means ‘Osei the warrior’ this usually refers to Osei Tutu.Google Scholar

²² For a stimulating study of the Akwamu empire, see Wilks's, Ivor ‘The rise of the Akwamu empire, 1650–1720’ Trans. Hist. Soc. Ghana, III, Pt. 3 (1958).Google Scholar

²³ Nweneme (Suma) oral traditions; field-notes: these are corroborated by Sunyani and Nkoranza traditions, see Goody and Arhin, op. cit.Google Scholar

²⁴ Meyerovitz, Eva, Akan Traditions of Origin (London, 1950), also Reindorf, op. cit. 72.Google Scholar

²⁵ Personal field-notes.Google Scholar

²⁶ Römer, F. R., The Coast of Guinea (Copenhagen, 1760), extracts from ch. iv, translated and mimeographed by the Institute of African Studies, University of Ghana.Google Scholar

²⁷ Ibid.

²⁸ Information from the chief of Kukuom situated on the old trade route to Half Assini.Google Scholar

²⁹ Bosman, op. cit.Google Scholar

³⁰ Bowdich, 233. Dupuis, 230, asserts that upon the death of Osei Tutu, the Ashanti ‘empire’ extended as far south as within forty miles of the sea coast; but clearly these ‘conquests’ were indecisive and Opoku had to reconquer them. The indecisiveness of these conquests may have conveyed the impression of ‘raiding’.Google Scholar

³¹ Bosman, op. cit. Bossiante, the Denkyira King, had violated a wife of Osei Tutu sent to return him compliments. Later traditions (Rattray) allege the cause of the var to have been Ashanti objection to her tributary relations to Denkvira.Google Scholar

³² Ward. 114.Google Scholar

³³ Jack Goody's introduction to Good and Arhin, op. cit.Google Scholar

³⁴ Dupuis. op. cit.Google Scholar

³⁵ Römer, op. cit.Google Scholar

³⁶ Goody op. cit.Google Scholar

³⁷ The Ashanti spent great sums on Muslim talismans. The Muslims also had another role, that of secretaries (Bowdich. op. cit. passim).Google Scholar

³⁸ Reindorf, op. cit. 72.Google Scholar

³⁹ Goody, op. cit.Google Scholar

⁴⁰ Römer, op. cit.Google Scholar

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⁴² Ward, 131.Google Scholar

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⁴⁴ Ibid.

⁴⁵ Bowdich, 233.Google Scholar

⁴⁶ Goody, op. cit.;Google ScholarDupuis (1824), 230.Google Scholar

⁴⁷ Römer, op. cit.Google Scholar

⁴⁸ Bowdich, 236; also Ashanti Court Records, Institute of African Studies' collections, AS/CR. 31.Google Scholar

⁴⁹ Bowdich, 231. Much of what Bowdich says about Ashanti–Fanti connexions can be said of all the Akan States.Google Scholar

⁵⁰ Meredith, W., The Gold Coast of Africa (London, 1812). Meredith was a British official stationed at the various forts. He defended the Anomabo fort in 1807 and left an eye-witness account in this work.Google Scholar

⁵¹ Dupuis, 257.Google Scholar

⁵² Claridge, W. W., A History of the Gold Coast and Ashanti, II (London, 1915), 279–280.Google Scholar

⁵³ Robertson, G. W., Notes on Africa (London, 1819), ch. 10.Google Scholar

⁵⁴ Dupuis, xxvi.Google Scholar

⁵⁵ Ibid. xxix.

⁵⁶ See document T. 70/1604/I in Metcalfe, G. E., Documents of Ghana History (London, 1964).Google Scholar

⁵⁷ Bowdich's treaty in Bowdich, op. cit., also Dupuis, Journal.Google Scholar

⁵⁸ Daboya Traditions: copy in Library of Institute of African Studies, University of Ghana.Google Scholar

⁵⁹ Cardinall, A. W., Natives of the Northern Territories of the Gold Coast (London, 1930), 9.Google Scholar

⁶⁰ Dupuis, Journal, xxxix.Google Scholar

⁶¹ Ibid. 244.

⁶² Aowin was probably conquered (Cruickshank, op. cit. passim), but the connexions created had been loose. Bowdich writes of Aowin envoys in Kumasi in 1817: ‘The Aowins, to anticipate the ambitious views of the Ashantee government, lately sent an embassy with offers of service and tribute but the amount of the latter has not yet been decided’ (op. cit.244).Google Scholar

⁶³ See Lonsdale, Rupert S. T., on his report on a visit to Gyaman, in Affairs of the Gold Coast, C. 3386 (London, 1882).Google Scholar

⁶⁴ Bowdich, Mission, 234.Google Scholar

⁶⁵ Rev.Balmer, W. T., A History of the Akan Peoples (London, 1925), 91–92.Google Scholar

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⁶⁹ Ibid. 69.

⁷⁰ Correspondence Relating to the Mission of Mr G. E. Ferguson into the Hinterland of the Gold Coast Colony (Colonial Office, 1894).Google Scholar

⁷¹ Reindorf, op. cit. 59.Google Scholar

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⁷⁶ Rattray fully discussed the role of the Adainfo on pp. 94–8 of Ashanti Law. My Suma informants confirmed the existence of these links at least for Gyaman; the link was, for some areas the Akyempimhene of Kumasi, and for some the Bantamahene.Google Scholar

⁷⁷ Reindorf, op. cit.Google Scholar

⁷⁸ Cruickshank, 61.Google Scholar

⁷⁹ See Bowdich on ‘customs’ in The Mission….Google Scholar

⁸⁰ Reindorf, 60.Google Scholar

⁸¹ AS/CR 31 in the series of the Institute of African Studies Collection of Ashanti Court Records.Google Scholar

⁸² Dupuis, 241.Google Scholar

⁸³ Bowdich, 255.Google Scholar

⁸⁴ Robertson, 182–5. I have explored this idea in a draft paper: The State and Economy in Ashanti to the End of the Nineteenth Century.Google Scholar

⁸⁶ Meredith, 169.Google Scholar

⁸⁷ Reindorf, 169.Google Scholar

⁸⁸ Crooks, J. J., Records Relating to the Gold Coast Settlements, 1750–1874 (Dublin, 1923) 161.Google Scholar

⁸⁹ Dupuis, Introduction to the Journal.Google Scholar

⁹⁰ Bowdich, The Mission…Google Scholar

⁹¹ Crooks, 163.Google Scholar

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⁹⁴ Ibid. XXVII.