Quartey-Papafio, A.B. " The Ga Homowo Festival", Journal of the African Society, Vol. 19, 1919

THE GA HOMOWO FESTIVAL

It is not intended here to trace the origin of the Ga Homowo or Harvest Custom of the Accra peoples. This takes place yearly according to the Native Calendar as given out by the Priest of the Fetish Dantu of the Damte Dsanwe people of the Asere Quarter. Asere is a sub-division of the Ga Division of the Accra District of the Eastern province of the Gold Coast Colony, nor to discuss why Harvest Custom has been held for so many centuries past and still continues.

The Ga language is spoken among a very limited population of the Gold Coast. Neither this population nor the territory it occupies is of much consequence in comparison with those of the neighbouring nations. However what the Gas lack in numbers and extent of territory, they have made up in valour and sound common sense-so much so that they have been frequently attacked. The Gas have never been conquered and made slaves of. The soil of the land has always been, and is, the property of the Ga people.

What is sought to be done here is simply to give, as far as possible, the days and dates which make up the native year with some of the events which take place on each day through out the native year, according to the Native Calendar, as given to all the Gas by the Priest of the Damte Fetish.

This Damte Dsanwe place and the Dantu Fetish with its Priest has already been referred to, and described, in one of my articles entitled "The Native Tribunals of the Akras". This much can be said here, that the Damte Dsanwe people are, or are supposed to be, of Akan origin, and are some of the real Ga people who first came to this part of the Coast with their Mantse and Priest and regular suite, in accordance with the Native Court or State.

As with other tribes and peoples of the Ga nation, the subsequent wars and strife greatly reduced them in numbers and power; their Mantse is no longer with them and the real Stool of