Tongnaab: The History of a West African God
"Until recently, Ghanaian historiography has focused on the Asante and other Akan states, but has neglected the so—called stateless societies. In this well—researched book, Allman (Univ. of Illinois) and Parker (Univ. of London) have undertaken to fill the gap by shedding light on the Talensi of northern Ghana. They examine the spread of an indigenous god, Tongnaab, from its base in the Tong Hills to the south, where it became Nana Tongo in the Gold Coast, and Anatinga in western Nigeria. The authors argue that this cross—cultural ritual exchange must be understood in the context of British colonialism and ! anti—colonial resistance in the increasingly competitive ritual market place of West Africa. The British ordered the destruction of the great fetish and, in 1925, recognized the Yanii bo'ar shrine as the official Tongnaab, thus misunderstanding the complexity of the ritual practice in the Tong Hills, where Tongnaab had multiple sites. Despite the paucity of archival documentation and the problems posed by oral sources, the authors have contributed to the understanding of the structural transformations and social history of some rural communities in northern Ghana under colonial rule. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper—level undergraduates and above. —CHOICE, March 2007" —K. J. Ngalamulume, Bryn Mawr College