Momome

Momome is a female cleansing ritual among some Akan groups in the present day Ghana and Ivory Coast. The ritual is aimed at cleansing the community from impending crisis. The momome ritual in the precolonial setting was held in response to wars but within the twentieth century it was increasingly evoke in moments of crisis (illness, deposition, death) of prominent figures of the chiefly establishment.

History

The momome ritual existed long before the seventeenth century where practices about it was first witnessed. It had similar names and same significance among the many Akan tribes who practice. The Asantes calls it mmumue, mmusu(o)yiedee, momome or mmobomme. The ritual is known as momome amongst the Aowin, mume, mumune or momone amongst the Anyi and aworabe amongst the Akwapim.

The Akan people in those era considered crisis which befell their communities as attacks from evil spirits. They believe those omen had both spiritual and tangible aspects. The performance consists of a mimic fight demonstrating the terrestrial visible expression of a spiritual clash between malignant forces and the supernatural allies defending the community The ritual was a distinctly a female form of spiritual warfare. The ritual though was mainly meant for spiritual cleansing, it gained strong political significance in the peoples fight for independence.

Reasons

The momome ritual has several significance, it was performed on many occasions with different purposes. The ritual is held to avert real or potential environmental disasters. It was on record that a momome was held to avert the flood of river Tano in 1968. It is performance also to stop the spread of diseases. Among the Akans in Sefwi momome were often held to protect the community from epidemics. The momome rituals performed within the twentieth century was of more political reason. Momome were held to react to national political threats such as the fall of Busia in 197210 or the expulsion of over a million Ghanaians from Nigeria in 1983.