More About the Tegbesu Era

Abstract

Tegbesu tried to get around his problem of legitimacy by manipulating the ideological-religious sphere. In particular, he promoted the cult of Mawu-Liisa, the Supreme Deity, and tried to link it to the monarchy. But the evidence seems to indicate that the internal opposition, as symbolized by the formally outlawed divinities of the “owners of the land”, especially Sakpata, continued to be significant. If the beginnings of the bocio art (grotesque sculptures of fury), can be attributed to this period, then we might say that we are confronted with a society which suffered from a collective trauma. It is possible that all the members of that society were actually slaves of the king. As for the wider geopolitical picture, we note the increasing importance of the Eastern Slave Coast, due in part to the policy of Oyo. And on the Western Slave Coast, the Danes and especially the new mighty Asante empire of the Gold Coast began to make their impact felt, whether directly or indirectly.