 A Bono dancer from Ivory Coast | |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| ~2,800,000 | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Bono region, Bono East region, Ahafo Region, Eastern Ivory Coast | |
| Languages | |
| Bono, English, French | |
| Religion | |
| Bono Ancestral worship and spirituality, Christianity | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Boribori Mfantse, Akwamu, Akan |
The Bono, also called the Brong and the Abron, are an Akan people of West Africa. Bonos are normally tagged Akan piesie or Akandifo of which Akan is a derivative name. Bono is the genesis and cradle of Akans.[1] Bono is one of the largest ethnic group of Akan and are matrilineal people.[2][3] Bono people speak the Bono Twi of Akan language. Twi language, thus the dialect of Bono is a derivative of a Bono King Nana Twi[4]
In the late fifteenth century, the Bono people founded the Gyaaman kingdom as extension of Bono state in what is now Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire.[5][6][7]
In the 12th century, when Bonos discovered gold at the Twi river and Prabom across the Tain river, Bonos became very powerful owing to its wealth in gold at Bonoman. Bonos used the gold dust as a measure of currency in Bonoman and at the various market centres of Djenne, Timbuktu, and North Africa. In most cases, gold weighing (abramboo) were used to determine what quantity of gold should be exchanged for a commodity. Bono people were dexterously noted for brass casting, weaving of cloth (gagawuga, kyenkyen, and kente), pottery and so on. Around 1471, when the Portuguese arrived at the Gold Coast, Begho of Bonoman was one of the largest ancient cities in West Africa with an estimated population 12,000.
Bono Manso, another historic city, played a noteworthy role in the Atlantic slave trade, and in contemporary times, diaspora Africans often visit to learn more about their history. Traditionally, Bono is the hub of Akan cultures, and many aspects of Akan culture originate from Bono, e.g. clans (abusua), ntoro, Akan drums (fontomfrom, atumpan), Akan nomenclature, umbrellas used for kings, adinkra symbols, fly whisk, ivory trumpets, head gears, swords of the nation. Bonos perform many Akan traditional dances such as Kete, Adowa, fontomfrom, and other dances.[8][9][10] The bono people are most located in Ghana in the north
- ^ Buah, F. K. (1998). "2". A History of Ghana. Macmillan. p. 9. ISBN 978-0-333-65934-2.
- ^ Akuamoa, Geoffrey (2013-03-18). KWAME, THE LAST SLAVE FROM WEST AFRICA. Lulu.com. ISBN 978-1-291-35746-2.
- ^ Transactions of the Gold Coast & Togoland Historical Society. The Society. 1974. p. 218.
- ^ A Profile of Bono Kyempem (Essays on the Archaeology, History, Language and Politics of the Brong Peoples of Ghana), Edited with Introduction by Kwame Arhin. Senior Research Fellow, Institute of African Studies, University of Ghana, Legon.
- ^ A Profile of Bono Kyempem (Essays on the Archaeology, History, Language and Politics of the Brong Peoples of Ghana), Edited with Introduction by Kwame Arhin. Senior Research Fellow, Institute of African Studies, University of Ghana, Legon.
- ^ Effah-Gyamfi, E. "Aspects of the Archaeology and Oral Traditions of the Bono State. Transactions of the Historical Society of Ghana"(1974) 15(2):217-227.
- ^ Muhammad, Akbar. The International Journal of African Historical Studies 10.2 (1977): 242-258
- ^ The Akan of Ghana: Their Ancient Beliefs. Faber & Faber. 1958.
- ^ Shillington, Kevin (2005). Encyclopedia of African History: A - G.. 1. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 978-1-57958-245-6.
- ^ Adandé, Alexis; Arinze, Emmanuel; Arinze, E. N. (2002). Museums & Urban Culture in West Africa. West African Museums Programme. ISBN 978-0-85255-275-9.