All over the world, Yaa Asantewaa has come to be known as the brave female warrior whose contribution to building the Ashanti Empire can never be underestimated.
But did you know there was a female Ewe warrior who fought for the Anlos in the Volta Region and left a mark with her display of bravery?
She was known as Mama Yakagbe; the legendary female warrior of Anlo.
According to details from the Spokesperson of the Awoemefia, Togbi Sri II, Mama Yakagbe fought alongside her male gallant male warriors during the Datsutagba war of 1866 against the British army.
She is revered for her bravery in the war when it appeared all hope was lost for her people.
Mama Yakagbe is said to have acted like a mad person and entered the camp of the enemy, gathering information which she used to the advantage of her army.
She is said to have possessed supernatural powers with which she also fortified her people and displayed during the said battle, making her people invisible to the enemy and their weapons deadly.
Oral history has it that she also set traps in the enemy’s camp after which she set fire such that her enemies fell into the traps in the bid to escape.
Her display of valour and bravery earned her admiration of all upon her return. Such was the impact of courage that a ‘chief’s Stool of Valour’ was created for her. The stool called ‘Atorkor’ is regarded as one of the powerful stools of Anlo today.
Mama Yakagbe also gained the heroic status and is likened to other legends including Yaa Asantewa of the Asante and other African women of repute.
She is also mentioned as an Ewe heroine and compared to other heroes including Tsala and Tsali (The Ewe mythical Twin brothers). She remains one of the three of the greatest Legends in the Anlo history whose names invoke great pride and inspiration.
AW
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