A Drummer's Testament
<Home page>
<PDF file>
The traditional market system; the daalana; chiefs and markets; schedule of markets; benefits of markets; festival markets; the contemporary market system
<top of page>
Supplementary material
Schedule of markets
- Tamale
- Tolon (Katiŋ daa)
- Savelugu (Kinkaŋa daa)
- Voggo, Tampion, Yendi (Champuu)
- Nyankpala, Gushegu
- Kumbungu
Images
<top of page>
Contents outline and links by paragraph
Introduction
- 1. markets have many benefits
How the daalana collected items in the market
- 2. chiefs control the market: daasaha and daalana collect things for chief
- 3. this talk from time before white men, no tax; daalana carried a bag
- 4. the daalana would collect items from different sellers in the market; guinea corn, fish
- 5. for some items, use small calabash for measurement; salt
- 6. collecting seasonings: nili
- 7. types of peppers
- 8. types of seasonings: kpalgu, kantɔŋ, ncho
- 9. types of beans
- 10. kebabs, pito
- 11. cloth sellers; receiving cowries
- 12. cowries were money before white men came
- 13. kooshe, fried yams; other prepared foods
How the chief receives the items
- 14. the daalana takes the items to the chief; respect for the chief for holding the town and the market
- 15. the chief makes sacrifices to repair the market; help from tindana and elders
- 16. the chief helps to maintain the markets; clearing grass
- 17. the daalana's does not force to collect things
- 18. the food items collected are for the chief's wives and housechildren to eat, not the chief
The markets and messaging
- 19. send messages via someone's townspeople at a market
- 20. different towns' people sit in their particular place in the market
- 21. people are happy at markets; see people; can buy and sell things
Festival markets
- 22. at some markets especially following Praying and Chimsi Festivals
- 23. the three market days
- 24. how the villagers show themselves at festival markets
- 25. not much selling, except in preparation
- 26. example: how villagers dance and celebrate at Voggo festival market
- 27. the festival market are very important to people
- 28. going around to attend different festival markets
Markets in northern Ghana
- 29. not only Dagbamba have markets; also other towns like Bolgatanga and Bawku
- 30. markets have been there since olden days; people walked even to far markets
- 31. some markets grow in importance while other small markets die
The six-day schedule of markets
- 32. Tamale is the biggest market; people travel from many towns and places
- 33. Tolon (Katiŋ daa) was formerly the big market; how villagers drink at the market
- 34. Savelugu (Katinŋa daa)
- 35. three markets: Voggo, Tampion, and Yendi (Champuu)
- 36. Gushegu and Nyankpala
- 37. Kumbungu
Markets in eastern Dagbon
- 38. all types of people in Dagbon like the markets; Konkombas also enjoy the markets
- 39. Yendi market a big market in eastern Dagbon; many Konkombas
- 40. other markets in eastern Dagbon beyond Yendi
- 41. Gushegu market; far away; larger-scale trading
- 42. Karaga market; similar to Gushegu but not as big because same day as Tamale market
Trading
- 43. buying from one market to sell at another
- 44. bringing animals to market; restrictions on types of fowls
- 45. trading food for animals from Gurunsis
- 46. how Gurunsis would travel to Dagbamba markets for food
- 47. formerly men and women sold different things; now mixed
- 48. example: calabashes men would farm but women would sell
- 49. food: formerly men would farm but women would sell; now sell at the farm
- 50. farming tools and salt formerly from Krachi; traveling to trade was for men
- 51. now all buyings and sellings are generally mixed between men and women
- 52. only men still sell animals, not women
- 53. women do not sell medicines
- 54. blacksmiths, barbers, and weavers sell their things; only men
- 55. women sell pito, soap, thread; now both women and men sell cloth
<top of page>
Proverbs and Sayings
It is inside the market that friendship starts.
It is inside the market that in-laws start.
A market does not stand useless.
As for suffering, somebody sees it and eats, and he knows why he is eating suffering: it is his heart that wants it.
<top of page>
Dagbani words and other search terms
- Chiefs and elders
- Naa Nyagsi (Naa Nyaɣsi)
- Naa Zanjina
- Sabali Yɛri-Naa Yamusah
- Miscellaneous terms
- bambara beans
- bira
- bua
- cedis
- chenchinga
- chilo
- chugu (chuɣu)
- chugu daa (chuɣu daa)
- chugu daa kpaha (chuɣu daa kpaha)
- daa
- daalana
- daasaha
- Dagbani
- Dakpema (Dakpɛma)
- digli (diɣli)
- gbingbing (gbiŋgbiŋ)
- groundnuts
- guinea corn
- guinea fowl
- gunga (guŋa) [Ceiba pentandra (L) Gaertn.]
- housechild
- housepeople
- kanton (kantɔŋ)
- kapok
- Katin Daa (Katiŋ Daa)
- kebabs
- kinkanga kinkaŋa [Ficus gnaphalocarpa (Miq.) Steud. ex A. Rich.]
- Kinkanga Daa (Kinkaŋa Daa)
- kooshe
- kpalannyirichoo
- kpalgu
- kpasanga (kpasaŋa)
- lorry, lorries
- maha
- naanzubua
- naanzuchirga
- naazutogu (naanzutɔɣu)
- napongtari (napoŋtari)
- ncho
- nili
- noodigli (noodiɣli)
- nugso (nuɣso daa)
- nugso daa (nuɣso daa)
- pesewas
- pito
- pupugu (pupuɣu)
- Ramadan
- sanzhi (sanʒi)
- sellings
- simpee
- tindana
- tua [Adansonia digitata]
- tukari
- tuya
- yona
- zuuna
- Towns and places
- Banvim
- Bawku
- Bimbila
- Bole
- Bolgatanga
- Bugunayili
- Bunjai
- Champuu
- Changnayili
- Daboya
- Dagbon
- Doogonkade
- Damongo
- Diari
- Difaa
- Fu
- Gambaga
- Gbanjan
- Gbulun
- Gushegu
- Jeriguyili
- Jimli
- Karaga
- Kasuliyili
- Korli
- Krachi
- Kumasi
- Kumbungu
- Lungbunga
- Masaka
- Mion
- Nakpali
- Nakpali Wariboggo
- Nalerigu
- Nanton
- Navrongo
- Nyankpala
- Pagazaa
- Pong Tamale
- Sabali
- Saboba
- Sagnerigu
- Salaga
- Sankpala
- Savelugu
- Singa
- Sunson
- Taatali
- Tali
- Tampion
- Tibung
- Tolon
- Tugu
- Vitin
- Voggo
- Walewale
- Wariboggo
- Wulihi
- Yapei
- Yelizoli
- Yendi
- Yogu
- Zangbalin
- Zantana
- Ziong
- Zugu
- Zuo
- Cultural groups
- Dagbana, Dagbamba
- Gurunsi, Gurunsis
- Konkomba, Konkombas
- Mossi,Mossis