The Ewe-Speaking People of Togoland and the Gold Coast by Madeline Manoukian

Author:Madeline Manoukian [Manoukian, Madeline]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781138239388
Barnesnoble:
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Published: 2017-01-19T00:00:00+00:00

SUB -CHIEFS

These were selected in the same way as chiefs, and had largely similar trappings of office. The chief had to be informed of their appointment and was represented at the installation, after which the new sub-chief had to pay him a ceremonial visit.

Relations between the chief and his sub-chiefs and between different sub-chiefs of the same sub-tribe probably varied from one sub-tribe to another. Writing of the Glidyi, Westermann3 says that the sub-chiefs were not bound to pay tribute to the chief, but they sent presents of fowls, sheep, goats and drink to the end-of-year festivals. Sub-chiefs attended important conferences, for example, to discuss going to war, either of their own accord or at the summons of the chief, and they were then his guests. They came without gifts, except for a bottle of spirits or palm-wine or beer to pour libations, because they were coming to ‘their father’. Within his own division a sub-chief had jurisdiction over all but the most important cases ; Westermann explicitly excepts only homicide. An appeal lay from his judgment to the chief, however, but if such an appeal failed then, among the Western Ewe at least, the original fine was doubled. The chief also dealt with interdivisional disputes.

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