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The Issue of the Origin and Meaning of Kente (aka Kete)

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  • CHRISTOS CHRISTOFF 8 years ago

    Kente was started at Bonwere in Ashanti region.IT IS KENTE NOT KETE.

    Why do ewes always envy others and would want to cut them down? You and that so called professor DO NOT UNDERSTAND THE THEORY OF ASHANTI(AKAN HEGEMONY) ...
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  • C.Y. ANDY-K 8 years ago

    It is because of ignorant fools like you that the author/s adopted the tone they did in putting the records straight in this attempt to rebut the loud noises and lies from your ilk. The authors quoted learned sources to suppo ...
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  • francis kwarteng 8 years ago

    Nyebro Yao,

    I think the authors of the article have done a very good job.

    I intend exploring aspects of the article myself.

    It is an insightful and informed piece, if I may add. I have learnt a lot from the authors. ...
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  • C.Y. ANDY-K 8 years ago

    Nyebro Yaw,

    Indeed, the author/s have done a good job. But, as is often the case with historical narratives, the real truth is often not in only one narrative, and so I can vouch that there are some gaps to fill, and conje ...
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  • francis kwarteng 8 years ago

    Nyebro Yao,

    Thanks for the Adler/Barnard text.

    I am truly grateful. I think it is one of the best places to start.

    In the end I think the authors did an excellent. At least they have given those of us who want to d ...
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  • James Bamfo 8 years ago

    This is a very nice piece. I however refute most of the facts entailed in this write-up. The origin of kente or hand-weaving can be traced to Meroe in Kush around 500BC. It reached Kemte in the Nile valley around 3200BC. In t ...
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  • KOLA,LONDON PROPER 8 years ago

    You said the art of kente weaving in Bonwire MIGHT probably come from the people of the North-Timbuktu. Isn't this another imagination from your clueless mind? So why would you not buttress yours with facts from the truth up ...
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  • francis kwarteng 8 years ago

    Dear Bamfo,

    Is this what you mean by "I HOWEVER REFUTE MOST OF THE FACTS ENTAILED IN THIS WRITE-UP"?

    Please come again because?

    There is still so much we don't know about Meroe (the little we know about it have com ...
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  • Nii Teiko 8 years ago

    In my attempt to deflate the nonsense of this hateful Trokosi ass, I would first ask the almighty God to bless my dad, Nii Teiko (Sr.) and Mum Adwoa Abrafi Koto of Ejisu Krapah. I also severally thank my God for not creatin ...
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  • KOLA,LONDON PROPER 8 years ago

    The history books are there if you doubt any of the truth written for you here for free.

    Did you not capture the paragraphs in the article with clear references for your food for thought? What then do you not understand wh ...
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  • C.Y. ANDY-K 8 years ago

    No. It is you who is just a hot air balloon which can be deflated with a pin prick. Anyway, you had reached the limit of how much hot air you can take and is about to burst.

    You have been among the pack of ethnocentric big ...
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  • CORNEY 8 years ago

    Andy I think you educated this fool but as usual I know the idiot who calls himself Nii Teiko will not get it,he will remain stupid and ignorant up until his death.
    Let me answer some of his questions that first of all,his ...
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  • Jato Kaleo 8 years ago

    This article appeared three days ago and was well commented on. Why should we be burdened with it again?

    I don't enjoy people forcing their articles on us repeatedly. ghanawebmaster should see to it that articles are not r ...
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  • CORNEY 8 years ago

    We have to blame some of the problems of this distortions on we the Ewes,
    In the past most of our kente or kete cloths mostly the expensive ones came with what some designs in them called ADANU but these days we will rather ...
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  • MINOR CASE 8 years ago

    These people paaa.Ewes stretch from Togoland to Badagry, so they say. If Kente originated from the them, they will be wearing Kente along the West Coast. Some time ago on Ghanaweb an Ewe came up with Agama symbols to rival A ...
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  • Joe Canada 8 years ago

    There is nothing fascinating and truthful about his article. It is a whole bunch of cooked up history by an Ewe educated fool who is try to rewrite Ashanti/Akan history. Okomfo Anokye was Okomfo anotsie?, give me a break!!.Wh ...
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  • kofi abas 8 years ago

    is insult an important part of your language? the learned writer has references. challenge his sources and stop the insults.

  • Joe Canada 8 years ago

    His Source is just as bogus as his article. Its all fabrication. If he had referenced to some Adu Boahen or any prominent Ghanaian historian, I would have believed him. But to quote a white man, a British who came to Ghana an ...
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  • Joe Canada 8 years ago

    One more thing, when it comes to distortion of facts, Ewe's are experts. The writer himself and all his contributors are Ewe's, what do you expect?. Okomfo Anokye was never an Ewe.

  • C.Y. ANDY-K 8 years ago

    What kind of unscholarly reasoning is this? Of course, some white scholars knew our history far better than most of us. They kept written records of the things they saw or heard in Africa, while we depend on oral transmission ...
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  • francis kwarteng 8 years ago

    Nyebro Yao,

    I one time mentioned Busia's book ("The Position of the Chief in the Modern Political System of the Ashanti") to one of my friends in New York when he said he trust my "white" sources.

    We were discussing so ...
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  • MINOR CASE 8 years ago

    Tweaaa was it not Molefi Kete Asante who wrote that Asantes raided other groups of people in order to get gold to finance their wars ?

  • francis kwarteng 8 years ago

    Minor Case,

    This is why I sometimes ignore your comments. You are almost always misrepresenting/distorting facts on Ghanaweb. Why are you confusing Molefi Kete Asante probably with Henry Louis Gates?

    Read the following ...
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  • francis kwarteng 8 years ago

    Author: Henry Louis Gates

    Source: The New York Times

    Title: "Ending the Slavery Blame-Game"
    .............................................................................................................................. ...
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  • francis kwarteng 8 years ago

    Minor Case,

    Read both Asante and Gates and make your decision as to which of the two is right. You can then share your thoughts with readers.

    Good day.

    Thanks.

  • CORNEY 8 years ago

    Due to your ignorance you don't know that they weave kente throughout Eweland including those areas you listed.
    Do you think the kente the people of Togo and Benin wear are woven by Ashantis or they come to Ghana to buy the ...
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  • MINOR CASE 8 years ago

    Nonsense,If Ewes taught Asantes how to weave Kente in Asantehenes palace , there would have been remnants of them at the palace with Ewe names.So how come Asante is synonimous with Kente through out the world and not Ewe ?

  • Kojo T 8 years ago

    I think the best is to come up with counter arguments.The article is long and has various referencss and it would be for you as a knowledgeable person and an intellectual to make references to debunk them. Too many times we g ...
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  • MINOR CASE 8 years ago

    What debate are you talking about? An Ewe writer qouting from all fellow Ewes and you call for debate over their lies ? Deep down in your heart , you know Ewes are the most dishonest , inward looking group of people in Ghana.

  • k, no problem, a 8 years ago

    Interestingly you failed to name the guys who were sent to teach the Asantes. If the were really sent to weave for the great king of Asante, the would lived in the court of the Asantehene. The Asantes as generous and prudent ...
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  • Kwamebeba 8 years ago

    Unity is good but not the conspiracy of the Kotoka-Harlley-Afrifa type.

  • C.Y. ANDY-K 8 years ago

    Agree with you in toto. No tribal alliances based on malevolent, predatory pre-colonial plundering states.

    Andy-K

  • LarryB 8 years ago

    Guys. Be prudent if you think you a his historic facets to debunk this long pieces of articles, llet's hear from you. Don't behave like like kids.

  • klinker 8 years ago

    Let's we forget. There was a weaver from Agortime Kpetoe who wove kente known as Fatia for President Kwame Nkrumah. His name is Korwu Djeke Atixaley. I think he needs to be mentioned in the write up. His children are still ...
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  • kofi abas 8 years ago

    pls some one shd show me how to get to kpetoe via bus /coach/troski. as for anyako, I knw once I get to dabala junction, I will easily be shown.
    as for the noise makers,ghanaians have come to knw their deception so no one ta ...
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  • kofi abas 8 years ago

    thanks doc. for the education. as usual expect the illiterates noise makers to come up with their insults

  • akwodaa 8 years ago

    I am very impressed at the content, timeline, claims from other world history preserving institutions...you got me so engulf! Can't wait to hear more on the origins of the label or code #9 !!!! Babies make noise when they h ...
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  • Mensah,Madina 8 years ago

    please do not forget.Ewe won miss Ghana twice with the same #9 first in 1957 and second time 1958.
    Too beautiful Ewe girls.yes originals

  • C.Y. ANDY-K 8 years ago

    You don't have to wait patiently for that. The beauty queen mentioned wore the tag with #9!

    The skin-pain people turned her victory into a way of demeaning Ewes. Isn't that pathetic?

    Andy-K

  • Agbelengor 8 years ago

    When backward, uninformed, Ashanti misfits open their dirty mouth.......spews bullshit. This is an intellectual discussion.

  • MINOR CASE 8 years ago

    Look at this idiot. You call this ditsrorted trash intellectual discussion ? All the pre Gold Coast history books in Ghana were based on interviews conducted by the writers and since nobody points the 'left finger at the fat ...
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  • Nima Old Soldier 8 years ago

    What does this writer aim to achieve by writing this long thing about who ever invented Kente cloth?

    Does the writer mean this long thing is what going to put food on the poor man's table? or how is it necessary to waste ...
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  • Prof Lungu 8 years ago

    Interesting essay!

    A good read!

    One of a kind, with multiple contributors.

    READ: "...We are also aware of the fact that ancient Ewes from Badagry (formally Gbagle or Ogbaglee in Lagos State of Nigeria), Dahumey (now ...
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  • Kwame Kumi 8 years ago

    "...basket, a crude and porous container woven exclusively by women."

    I don't know in which part of Asante Kente is woven EXCLUSIVELY by women. On the contrary in fact, it is the exception, rather than the norm, for women ...
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  • Milton 8 years ago

    Infact, Ghana should get rid of the volta region and all ewes in the various regions should repatriate back to their useless volta region and form their own ewe state. Afterall that's what they are good - and that's secluding ...
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  • francis kwarteng 8 years ago

    Why don't you go ahead and rid Ghana of Volta Region?

  • G. K. Berko 8 years ago

    You can eloquently weave your mendacious yarn all you want to claim Kente is an Ewe discovery. That does not change the inalterable truth that it originated in Ashanti. Period!

    If anyone would spend as much time as you ha ...
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  • K A. 8 years ago

    "We rather need more of what would unite us, not what divides us."

    G. K. Berko, if you really meant what you've said in the above quote, I'm afraid your write-up has accomplished the exact opposite effect. You've made no ...
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