By: Rita Naa Ayeley Armah
At first, you might think you are witnessing a vision. Barefooted figures clothed in white drift silently along the road, their feet dusting the earth with ancient purpose. One carries a sack. Another, a bundle of wood. None speak. None look back. Their silence is heavier than words.
This is no ordinary procession—it is a sacred pilgrimage, a living relic of ancestral tradition. It begins in the quiet dawn, in the hills of Oyibi, where the chosen ones depart bearing the season’s first corn. They walk for miles under the open sky, bound for Nungua, the first of the Ga-Adangmes to awaken the spirit of Homowo.
This is not merely a journey—it is a rite. A cleansing. A renewal.
A group is sent to Oyibi to fetch corn, an act steeped in sacred tradition. One group departs on Friday, followed by another on Saturday. Then, at the break of dawn on Sunday, they begin their solemn journey on foot, walking all the way from Oyibi to Nungua which is 29.3km.
The one entrusted with carrying the corn does not utter a single word throughout the entire journey. The lips remain sealed until they reach their destination, Nungua; for speech would break the spiritual charge.
Those involved in this sacred journey neither look back, nor eat during their journey. They walk barefooted, clad in only white, a symbol of purity with some wreathed bitter melon leaves locally called ‘Nyanyra’ around their necks. Their bare feet kiss the earth as if asking permission to pass.
As they draw near Nungua, the atmosphere shifts. The town stirs. The people pour into the streets, their voices rising in jubilation. They do not simply welcome the travelers—they exalt them. Cheers, chants, and ancient songs fill the air. It is as though the town breathes as one.
The silent walkers press on, unfaltering, until they reach the Kpowulu Nɔ; the town’s square. There, at last, they are received and offered water—simple, sacred, and restorative.
Later in the day, the Gborbu Wulɔmɔ, the Chief Priest of the land, emerges with the other Wulɔmei (other priests). Together, they move through Nungua, sprinkling the fresh corn at shrines and sacred sites, blessing the soil, the spirits, and the souls of the people. This they believe, signifies a good year ahead and will yield a bountiful harvest for the Homowo festival.
It is a solemn invocation—a prayer in action—that the coming year will be fertile, the harvest rich, and the people protected.
And thus, the spirit of Homowo is awakened not with fanfare, but with reverence. A journey of silence. A ritual of faith. A story walked into history—year after year.
