Dipo is still the heartbeat of the Krobo people (and the rest of the Dangme tribes). It is still their identity, a force that unifies them and one of the greatest experiences of all times, especially if one is a Krobo woman. In spite of the intense criticisms from Christianity and other Human Rights Organization against the practice, the Dipo rite is still being celebrated in pomp and pageantry in the Krobo land.
The Dipo rite of passage is not fetishism, but is only a way of life, and the need to maintain it.
Between April and May every year, young Krobo girls become “full Krobo women” after undergoing the Dipo rite. The Dipo rite is performed to initiate young Krobo girls into womanhood, prepare them for marriage, ritually cleanse them from spiritual filth, outdoor and adorn them with precious beads, clothes and ornaments.
The duration in which the Dipo custom used to be performed have been drastically reduced from three years, to a year, six months, three months, three weeks, one week, and finally the five days as it is performed now.
The performance of Dipo rite starts on Thursday, through Friday, then Saturday, Sunday and ends on Monday.
THURSDAY: Performance of preliminary rites. The main preliminary rite on this day is the ‘Dipo Yihi a heso tomi” (Marking the Dipo Initiates). Here, strings of beads which the girls commonly wear around their waists are replaced. Simple string called ‘glo’ (prepared from pineapple leaves) with brownish large beads known as “lɛ” are tied around the waists. This ceremony is called “kpa Womi” (tying a string), and it is done by an old woman.
After this step, an exceptionally large and shinning red loin cloth called “subue” is worn by the initiates. The next is the shaving of the lower parts of their heads (“Yi se pomi’ or “Klo Huɛ’), then “sↃni”; a raffia-like fibre are worn around the necks in a ceremony known as “SↃni mwↃmi”.
FRIDAY: On Friday, the preparation of “Ngma Da” (Millet Beer) takes center stage. The brewing of “Ngma Da” is not done in an ordinary kitchen because it demands the use of large cooking pots. In place of a kitchen, they dig a small trench in the form of a cross or a “Tee’ square on the ground which becomes the place where fire is set for the brewing.
SATURDAY: On Saturday, a number of important rites are performed. One of them is the ‘Pami yami’ (sacred cleansing in the stream). This rite is done in the morning. When going to the stream, the Dipo girls only dress in their loin cloth (“Subue”), in a single file, slowly walking after each other, new items such as calabash, traditional sponge, towel, and cloths to wash. All these items are placed in the calabash.
At the river side, the Dipo initiates are ordered to wash their cloths, take their spiritual baths under the instruction of the dipo queen, and then return home. The initiates, on their way to and from the stream, are forbidden to speak to anyone. This “Pami Yami” ceremony is done to ritually cleanse the Dipo girls off any spiritual filth in preparedness for the most sacred ceremony on Sunday. It is a period when they are taught how to wash down as women, and to learn how to wash their clothes.
On their return, they are received home amidst singing, dancing, and jubilating to “Klama” tunes (Klama is both a dance and songs sung during joyous occasions in Kroboland). Some of the girls are then engaged in preparing food made of yams, plantain, and palm nut soup. From this period, the Dipo initiates are not supposed to eat foods that are not original Krobo diets.
Other rites performed on the Saturday include the “HↃ fufui gbeemi” (Saturday Fufu pounding), “HↃ gbↃkuɛ tɛlimi” (Saturday Evening libation), and the killing of goats (‘To Gbemi’) which ends all ritual activities for Saturday.
SUNDAY: The most important ceremony to climax dipo rite is the sacred rock ritual ceremony (“Tɛgbɛtɛ yami/ TɛkwↃmi’’). However, as prelude to this sacred rock ceremony “WↃyo we yami” (Going to the sanctuary) rite is performed. Here, the Dipo girls are sent to the house (Sanctuary of the Dipo priestess). At this sanctuary, the priest invokes the blessings and protection of the gods and ancestors on the Dipo initiates.
The Sacred Rock Ceremony (“Tɛgbɛte Yami”): The climax of the dipo rite is the sacred stone ceremony [Tɛgbɛtɛ yami] on Sunday afternoon. The Dipo initiates are decorated with dots of kaolin and myrrh (“Mɛmɛ”) on their foreheads, shoulders, arms and legs. Expensive and precious beads such as “Zagba”, “kↃli”, “lɛ”, etc. are also worn around their waists, necks, and wrists. One aspect of the dressing is the replacement of the red loin cloth (“Subue”) around their waist, into a pure white calico.
During this whole ritual, the girl remains silent. A leaf is placed in in between their lips to help the dipo initiates remain silent, and bring their thoughts inwards. Excitements at this moment soars very high as many people troop in to watch their dressing, their ceremonial departure to the sacred stone, and their victorious return.
On arrival at the sacred rock shrine, a libation is poured to the deities- Nana Klow3ki, the ancestors, the visible and invisible powers- to bless all the girls who will sit on the sacred rock {called “t3gb3t3}. After the libation, the initiates are helped to sit on the sacred rock by the Dipo priestess three (3) times . She does that by saying:
Hii si —————Sit down
Tee si—————- Get up
I ng3 mo Klo yo Pee mwɛnↃ——I am making you a Krobo woman today.
The Dipo priestess then quotes an ancient song to the hearing of the dipo girls as follows:
I mi ji Totloku AyimanↃ——–I am Totloku AyimanↃ
Yo kuↃ Ↄ mi——————— A woman climbs me
Lokoo e gbaa e huno ——— Before she marries her husband.
With this song, the girls are always reminded with expulsion from the society should the exercise reveal a previous pregnancy or abortion. After the ‘tɛgbɛtɛ kuↃmi’(rock climbing ceremony) is over, the whole procession returns home singing Klama songs and rejoicing and jubilating to a popular song as follows:
Jangme ke waa ya (2x) ———-Jangme said we must go
Wa ya nɛ wa ba————– We have gone and returned
NↃ ko be blↃ he (3x) ————No trouble was on the way
Excitement runs very high when returning from the “tɛgbɛtɛ kuↃmi”. The “Dipo yihi” are carried on the backs of their companions who hand them over to the young men at a distance from the grove. With a shout “O hiɛ liↃmɛ ma oooo!!! (Meaning the Akans is coming oooo!!!). This saying makes them run very faster, and is a reminiscent of ancient wars fought with the Akans which the Krobos were victorious (i.e. they should rush home for they are victorious).
Upon the arrival at the main Dipo grounds, the “Dipo yihi” (The Dipo girls) are made to sit down three times on the antelopes skin. Then they are shaved nicely and a cylindrical straw hat (“Dipo Pɛ”) is placed on their heads. The ‘Dipo yihi’ are served with roasted millet and goat meat. Before eating, they spread some of the food on the ground for the ancestors. Whiles all these are going on, the singing and dancing of “Klama” (joyous songs and dance) continues unabated, everyone becomes happy, because their daughters have become true Krobo women “ Klo yihi Ngmengmleee”!!!!
MONDAY: Monday marks the end of Dipo rites. Early in the morning, the Dipo priestess or an old woman takes off the Dipo hats from the heads of the initiates three times. Then the ban on foreign diets is lifted, and the girls can eat any other food of their choice.
From this period onwards, the successful Dipo graduates undergo ‘Ni womi” (Dressing) where they are richly dressed with rich magnificent cloths, silk head-kerchiefs, precious beads, jewels, and other beautiful ornaments to go out and show their appreciation to people for their assistance, and to announce to the world that their now full Krobo women. As they along thanking people, they display their prowess in Dipo dancing to the public. From all the aforementioned, the “Ni womi’ ceremony draws the curtain down on Dipo as a puberty rite.
