Hogbetsotso Za
A people who escaped a tyrant by walking backwards.
- When
- First Saturday in November
- Where
- Anloga
- Name means
- The festival of exodus
Hogbetsotso remembers an escape. The Anlo Ewe fled the walled city of Notsie in present-day Togo and the tyranny of King Agokoli — and, so the tradition holds, walked out backwards so their footprints would point the wrong way.
The festival's rites follow that story closely. Peacemaking comes first: disputes between families and clans are aired and settled, because the exodus succeeded only through unity. Then Nugbidodo, the general reconciliation ceremony, and a ritual cleansing of Anloga, when the whole town is swept from one end to the other and the refuse carried out.
The climax is the grand durbar at Anloga: the Awoamefia — the paramount chief of the Anlo state — and his chiefs in kente and gold, war drums, the borborbor dance, and re-enactments of the night march out of Notsie.
It falls in November, at the end of Ghana's festival calendar, which makes it a natural close to a Volta itinerary.
The moments worth travelling for.
Nugbidodo reconciliation
Public peacemaking before the celebration.
Cleansing of Anloga
The town swept end to end in ritual order.
Grand durbar
The Awoamefia in state with the Anlo chiefs.
Borborbor drumming
Ewe social dance, all evening, everyone in.
Where Hogbetsotso Za fits in an itinerary.
Keta lagoon and the Anlo coast, Wli waterfalls, and the Volta estuary crossing up from Ada.
Hogbetsotso Za is built to order rather than sold off the shelf — we confirm this year's dates with the traditional council, arrange a local host to walk you into the durbar, and hold rooms before the town fills up. Ground transport, guiding and accreditation are ours to handle.