Yennenga

Princess Yennenga
Statue of Yennega, an emblematic figure in Burkina Faso
SpouseRialle
HouseKingdom of Dagbon
FatherNaa Gbewaa (King Nedega)

Yennenga was a legendary princess, considered the mother of the Mossi people of Burkina Faso.[1] She was a famous warrior precious to her father, Naa Gbewaa or Nedega, the founder of the kingdom of Dagbon, now in present day Ghana. But the princess aspired to another destiny and decided to leave the kingdom. On the run with her horse, she meets a young hunter, Rialé with whom she had a child called Ouedraogo. Ouedraogo is a famous last name in Burkina Faso and means "male horse" in honor to the horse which leads the princess to Rialé. Yennenga or her son Ouedraogo are considered the founder of the Mossi Kingdoms. There are different versions about the escape of the princess.

  1. ^ Smith, Cheryl A. (2005). Market Women: Black Women Entrepreneurs--past, Present, and Future. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 17. ISBN 0-275-98379-X.