In which I highlight some findings on the language of perception in Siwu, a language of eastern Ghana, as described in a chapter in an eternally forthcoming edited volume. Studying the language of perception shows the deep entanglements of the sensory and social worlds we inhabit.
The Mawu of present-day Akpafu relate in their oral histories that their ancestors lived in the mountains between their current location and the Volta river, in an area currently known as the Togo Plateau. Names they use for this area include Mawu kùbe (‘Mawu mountain’) and Àwubeame (‘in the Mawu mountains’). Hunters who frequented the area told me they were familiar with several ìkpakpi (historical settlements). This post is a synthesis of information from historical maps, scientific literature, oral traditions, and my own trips with Mawu community members.
Travel journals provide some of the first written sources on Akpafu. I have previously posted an excerpt from a 1887 journal by David Asante. This here is an excerpt from a similar journey two years later. The whole journey took three months, but this excerpt relates only a trip to two Akpafu towns on 17-18 December 1889. Nicolas Clerk, an indigenous missionary born in Aburi, was alone during the first part of the journey and accompanied by his colleague Hall from Dec. 30 onwards.
Archaeologists may be interested to hear the following story, told to me by an elder in Akpafu-Mempeasem in Ghana’s Volta…
Colleen’s post about the Hand Drawn Map Contest reminded me of a neat map of Kawu I was given some…
The earliest description of Kawu (Akpafu) I have found so far is quite special in that it was written by…