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Bono people

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This article is about Akan people of West Africa. For the kingdom, see Bono state.
Bono
A Bono dancer from Ivory Coast
Total population
~2,800,000
Regions with significant populations
Bono region, Bono East region, Ahafo Region, Eastern Ivory Coast
Languages
Bono Twi, English, French
Religion
Bono Ancestral worship and spirituality, Christianity
Related ethnic groups
Fante, Akwamu, Other Akan

The Bono, also called the Brong and the Abron, are an Akan people of West Africa. Bonos are normally tagged Akan piesie or Akandifo of which Akan is a derivative name. Bono is the genesis and cradle of Akans.[1] Bono is one of the largest ethnic group of Akan and are matrilineal people.[2][3] The Bono people speak the Bono Twi.[4]

In the late fifteenth century, the Bono people founded the Gyaaman kingdom as extension of Bono state in what is now Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire.[5][6][7]

In the 12th century, the Bono kingdom became wealthy with the discovery of gold at the Twi river and Prabom across the Tain river. Bonos used the gold dust as a measure of currency in Bonoman and at the various market centres of Djenne, Timbuktu, and North Africa. In most cases, gold weights (abramboo) were used to determine what quantity of gold should be exchanged for a commodity. Bono people were noted for brass casting, weaving of cloth (gagawuga, kyenkyen, and kente), pottery and so on. Around 1471, when the Portuguese arrived at the Gold Coast, Begho of Bonoman was one of the largest ancient cities in West Africa, with an estimated population 12,000.

Bono Manso, another historic city, played a noteworthy role in the Atlantic slave trade, and in contemporary times, diaspora Africans often visit to learn more about their history. Traditionally, Bono is the hub of Akan cultures, and many aspects of Akan culture originate from Bono, e.g. clans (abusua), ntoro, Akan drums (fontomfrom, atumpan), Akan nomenclature, umbrellas used for kings, adinkra symbols, fly whisk, ivory trumpets, head gears, swords of the nation. Bonos perform many Akan traditional dances such as Kete, Adowa, fontomfrom, and other dances.[8][9][10] The Bono people are mostly located in central part of Ghana and northeastern Ivory Coast.

Etymology

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Bono means "pioneer" or the "first born on the land". Among the Bonos, when a woman gave birth for the first time, it was referred to as her abonowoo.[11]

History

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Oral traditions and archaeological evidence indicate that the Bono people were among the earliest Akan-speaking groups to establish a centralized state in the forest–savanna transition zone of present-day Ghana. Rather than migrating from the Ghana Empire as earlier theories proposed, more recent research supports an indigenous origin rooted in the region surrounding modern-day Techiman and Nkoranza.[12]

According to Bono oral tradition, the earliest ancestors emerged from a sacred cave known as Amowi, which remains a key spiritual site for the Bono people. From this origin point, they founded a town called Yefiri (meaning “we are coming out”), symbolizing their emergence into political and spiritual autonomy. Guided by ancestral deities and clan leadership, they eventually established Bono Manso, which became the capital of the Bono state. The city was organized into a confederation of clans, each responsible for different ritual, political, or military roles.[13]

The Bono state expanded by incorporating surrounding settlements, many of which were named after local shrines or sacred objects (abosom). This territorial growth was achieved more through spiritual authority and social organization than by military conquest. Archaeological surveys at sites like Amowi and Bono Manso support these traditions with evidence of long-standing occupation, shrine activity, and craft production.[14]

Culture and society

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Bono Conceptions of Bonoman (Bono State)

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In Bono political thought, the foundation of a state is closely tied to matrilineal inheritance, sacred authority, and the ancestral continuity represented by the queenmother (ɔhemaa). Within the traditional Akan political system, the queenmother plays a central role in both succession and state identity. She nominates the king (ɔhene) and ensures that the royal lineage (abusua) is maintained through the maternal line. This reflects the broader Akan understanding that the queenmother is both the political mother of the state and its ancestral link to the past.[15]

Among the Bono, this structure is also expressed ritually through the veneration of ancestral stools, the practice of libation, and the maintenance of shrine houses, which serve as symbolic foundations of state legitimacy. The king and queenmother operate together as spiritual and administrative heads, representing the balance between ancestral authority and living governance.[16]

The organization of society around seven or eight matrilineal clans—each with its own totems, taboos, and origin stories—continues to shape Bono political and spiritual life. These clans historically provided the structure for leadership selection, shrine maintenance, and social obligations, ensuring both continuity and diversity within the Bono state.

Sources

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  • Anquandah, James (2013). "The People of Ghana: Their Origins and Cultures". Transactions of the Historical Society of Ghana (15): 1–25. ISSN 0855-3246. Retrieved 23 April 2025.

References

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  1. ^ Buah, F. K. (1998). "2". A History of Ghana. Macmillan. p. 9. ISBN 978-0-333-65934-2.
  2. ^ Akuamoa, Geoffrey (2013-03-18). KWAME, THE LAST SLAVE FROM WEST AFRICA. Lulu.com. ISBN 978-1-291-35746-2.
  3. ^ Transactions of the Gold Coast & Togoland Historical Society. The Society. 1974. p. 218.
  4. ^ Akan(Twi-Fante). "Resources for self instructional learners of less commonly taught languages". UW Press Journals.
  5. ^ A Profile of Bono Kyempem (Essays on the Archaeology, History, Language and Politics of the Brong Peoples of Ghana), Edited with Introduction by Kwame Arhin. Senior Research Fellow, Institute of African Studies, University of Ghana, Legon.
  6. ^ Effah-Gyamfi, E. "Aspects of the Archaeology and Oral Traditions of the Bono State. Transactions of the Historical Society of Ghana"(1974) 15(2):217-227.
  7. ^ Muhammad, Akbar. The International Journal of African Historical Studies 10.2 (1977): 242-258
  8. ^ The Akan of Ghana: Their Ancient Beliefs. Faber & Faber. 1958.
  9. ^ Shillington, Kevin (2005). Encyclopedia of African History: A - G.. 1. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 978-1-57958-245-6.
  10. ^ Adandé, Alexis; Arinze, Emmanuel; Arinze, E. N. (2002). Museums & Urban Culture in West Africa. West African Museums Programme. ISBN 978-0-85255-275-9.
  11. ^ Arhin, Kwame; Studies, University of Ghana Institute of African (1979). "3". A Profile of Brong Kyempim: Essays on the Archaeology, History, Language and Politics of the Brong Peoples of Ghana. Afram. p. 49.
  12. ^ Effah-Gyamfi, E. “Aspects of the Archaeology and Oral Traditions of the Bono State.” Transactions of the Historical Society of Ghana, vol. 15, no. 2, 1974, pp. 217–227. JSTOR
  13. ^ Warren, Dennis M. “The Use and Misuse of Ethnohistorical Data in the Reconstruction of Techiman-Bono (Ghana) History.” Ethnohistory, vol. 23, no. 4, 1976, pp. 365–385. JSTOR
  14. ^ Effah-Gyamfi, E. “Aspects of the Archaeology and Oral Traditions of the Bono State.” Transactions of the Historical Society of Ghana, vol. 15, no. 2, 1974, pp. 217–227. JSTOR. Accessed 24 April 2025.
  15. ^ Warren, Dennis M. “Bono Royal Regalia.” African Arts, vol. 8, no. 2, 1975, pp. 16–21. JSTOR
  16. ^ Effah-Gyamfi, E. “Aspects of the Archaeology and Traditions of the Bono State.” Transactions of the Historical Society of Ghana, vol. 15, no. 2, 1974, pp. 217–227. JSTOR
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