Yam is called "ete" in Ewe. The word ete literally means it is bloated. Oral history has it that a hunter on his normal hunting expedition discovered the crop in the forest. It was during the famine period but instead of taking his newly discovered tuber home, he decided to hide it in the soil for use some other time. When he later went back for it, to his dismay, the tuber had germinated and grown bigger. This was how the cultivation of yam started.
The celebration of yam festival by Ewes was brought down from Notsie in the Republic of Togo where it is still celebrated. During the harvest time which is normally in September, the gods and ancestors are served first with the boiled and mashed yam normally white and palm oiled, called "bakabaka", before any living being tastes it. This rite is called "Dzawuwu". After that, the rest of the mashed yam is eaten as a communal meal. A symbol of unity and reconciliation of families, clans and the entire community.
Objectives of the Celebration:
-As thanskgiving to God, and also to the gods and ancestors for a bumper harvest, and as an occasion to offer prayers for good health and prosperity for all.
-To foster unity through forgiveness and reconciliation.
-As an annual stocktaking event for all occupational endeavours, especially farming.
-To mobilize both human and material resources of Asogli State for job and wealth creation.
-To serve an an annual re-affirmation of allegiance by all chiefs and their subjects in the Asogli State to the Agbogbome stool.
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