Ethnic Identity and Religion on the Upper Slave Coast

Over time, the Amlade and Lafe re-wrote oral traditions and linked the two clans through a common ancestor who had given birth to twins; one twin became the Lafe clan ancestor, while the other became the Amlade clan ancestor. According to the oral story, the families of the twins scattered and were re-united later.

The common ancestor justified the Amlade's new status, while the fact that they had been scattered explained why the Amlade had not been one of the insider clans from the first and thus, did not have access to land.

The common ancestor further allowed the Amlade to maintain communication with their dead ancestors without leaving the area and returning to their place of origin on a regular basis (Greene 67).

The Anlo-Eve are a great example of how African religion, identity, and cultural customs are inseparable. However, a word of caution: Making generalizations about traditional African religion is dangerous. The hundreds of ethnic groups encompass hundreds of religious traditions. For every similarity, there are a dozen differences. Above all else, African history is local history.

For Further Reading:

David M. Anderson and Douglas H. Johnson, editors, Revealing Prophets, Athens: Ohio University Press, 1995.

Thomas D. Blakely, Walter E.A. van Beek and Dennis L. Thomson, editors, Religion in Africa: Experience and Expression, Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 1994.

David Chidester, Savage Systems: Colonialism and Comparative Religion in Southern Africa, Charlottesville: The University Press of Virginia, 1996.

Sandra E. Greene, Gender, Ethnicity, and Social Change on the Upper Slave Coast: A History of the Anlo-Ewe, Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 1996.

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