Week 6 - Likpe todome

Caving in the Jungle Deep

Reaching the half way mark of our Ghana trip, the group and I just had to celebrate. And what a better way to do it than to go caving! Saturday morning we arrived at Likpe Todome which is a small village just off the east side of Hohoe, Volta region. We met up with our guide and without wasting anytime, began our journey up the mountain to the Caves. It's becoming increasingly apparent to me that if anyone wants to see/do anything in the Volta Region, there is an implied minimum walk of at least an hour and a half. After walking up the mountain reaching its peek, the tour guide began to tell us the story behind the historical significance of Likpe Todome.

According to our guide and other sources from Accra, many years ago the Ewe people were chased from their homes by the tyrannical rule of an ancient Chief (from the lands that are now Benin). Fleeing further and further, the Ewes finally arrived in a virgin bush, unblemished by the hands of men. There the people began a small settlement. In those days everyone fetched water from the river and did so at the same time. One of those times, members of the majority lineage killed a pregnant woman of one of the minority groups living on the fringe of the settlement. The murderers refused the custom of replacing the deceased with a member of their own tribe and, thus provoked, the plaintiffs began their preparations for war by sharpening stones used in battle. As a result, scouts from the majority party saw this action, known in Ewe as "likpe," and returned with the news of a pending conflict. Cognizant of the fact that they could no longer live in harmony with their antagonists, the Likpes fled to the hills into the caves hoping to once again escape the tyranny of their oppressors. For many years the Likpes lived in the caves on the modern border with Togo. After years spent in hiding, they finally emerged from the caves and founded the first of ten Likpe settlements known as "Likpe Todome" or "Sharping stones from under the mountain" because they came from the caves or "under the mountain." Today Likpe is understood as the people who live under the mountain Todome.
Upon each entrance of the five different caves, our guide explained its purpose to the Likpe civilization. There first cave was the gathering room, the second the bed rooms, the third the dungeon/prison, the fourth the watch tower and the last the the thrown and hide out of the Chief. It was incredibly interesting to find advanced sophistication in the lifestyle of the Likpe peoples who's existance must have dated back hundreds of years ago. And even more interesting was having a chance to meet their descendants of today. All who reside in the village were very kind and welcoming. From our arrival to our departure, I really couldn't help but feel the warmth and acceptance from those who live in Likpe Todome.