MANKESSIM -BORBOR FANTSE

On your way to Cape Coast, the regional capital of Central Region is a town called Mankessim. Here there is round-about with statues of the three founders-priests of Fantes, Oburumankoma, Ɔdapagyan and Oson. But do you know the history of Mankessim?

Mankessim is the traditional capital of Fante people. Mankessim means The Big Town. This is so because it was the land in which all the seven sub-ethnic Bɔrbɔr Fante groups, namely Amanfo, Nkusukum, Ekumfi, Abora, Anomabo, Enyan, and Gomoa settled before moving to their present locations.
When the Fantes crossed River Pra, leaving their cousins: Wassa and Ahanta people behind to move upward into the interior and southward to the mouth of River Pra close to Shama, they settled at Kwamankesse. From there they moved to Adowagyir, an Etsii settlement. Here they fought and defeated them. The leader of the Adowagyir Etsii was Nana Akraman.

After defeating Akraman to flee to Dwoma (Mumford), the Bɔrbɔr Mfantse group occupied Adowagyir and renamed the land Ɔmankessim or Omaim. Mankessim was adopted as a settlement because their leader and Ɔman sɔfo-panyin (High priest), Komfo Amina performed a ritual ceremony which proved that the place was the best for their habitation. According to Fante oral traditions collected by Professor John Kofi Fynn and J B Crayner (the Fante folkloric writer and historian), Sɔfo-panyin Kɔmfo Amina upon reaching the land planted a a spear called, “Akyin-Enyim” on the ground, which still remains there till today. No one can pull it out. At that time, the Mankessim people were called Amanfo (or Kurentsir Amanfo) amongest the Bɔrbɔr Fante. They were also the elders. Their seniority and reverence among Bɔrbɔr Mfantse can be adduced from the drum beats of B]rb]r Mfantse"

"Ɔdomankoma bɔ adze
Ɔbɔ ebɛn adze?
Ɔbɔ OkyeremaKwaanan
Ɔyɛ Kurantsir Amanfo ne dehye e
Okyerema kasa kasa!!"

Translated:
"The Everlasting One created things
What did He create?
He created Kwaanan the divine drummer
Who is a Kurentsir Amanfo royal,
Drummer talk talk talk!”

Unlike the other Bɔrbɔr Mfantse groups that migrated out of Mankessim, Kurantsi Amanfo boron (quarter) led by their leader Nana Amanfo Edu did not move out. As seniors, they made Mankessim their perpetual abode. Mankessim tradition had it that availability of good drinking water was one important factor that the ancestors of Bɔrbɔr Mfantse considered in choosing the land as their final settlement. To ensure that the water around the vicinity was adequate for human consumption, the Bɔrbɔr Mfantse high priest, Kɔmfo Amɔna ordered his hunter-dog called EKU to taste the stream which later became known as EKU ASO (Eku has tasted it). It lies between Mankessim and Krofu village. When the dog did not die after drinking the water the Bɔrɔ]r Mfantse migrant then settled in Mankessim.

They later found EMINSA OKYI also known as River Ochi or River Eminsa. Mankessim Akwambo has a history that is linked to this river and during Akwambo festival the paths leading to River Eminsa is cleared by the community. Among the Bɔrbɔr Mfantse groups, the people of Mankessim had a religious belief that they were invincible during war times. The have posuban (war shrine), which has a monster with four heads looking at all corners. It has wings, and a bow. The local proverb associated with it says"ebetu anaa, ebeye ra" translated it means..."will you fly or vanish when faced with us? This proverb clearly shows the tense characteristics and warlike atmosphere at the time and serves as a warning to potential enemies then.
The Kurentsi Amanfo boron of what is now Mankessim was geographically divided into five distinct suburbs which includes the original OMAM MU states namely, TWAFO (Akapon), OBROM (Kuyinpa) and ANAFO and two adjacent suburbs i.e., NKUSUKUM (ebir) and EDUMADZE (Bɔrbɔr Kunkunfi). Each of these suburbs have its Asafo Company, a form of militia units that served as security organizations during the times of frequent warfare. These companies exist today as emergency groups and provide music and dance for festivals and other occasions: They also act as check and balances on the role of the chief in the community.

When a Mankessim indigene meets his/her fellow Mankessim indigene, they greet:
Kurentsir Amanfo

and the other will respond:

Amanfo Gyado!