The Frafra Tribe of Ghana: Ghana marriage

The Frafra people are located in the Northern part of Ghana within Tongo, Bongo, Kongo, and Bolgatanga district council area.

In the Frafra society, when a man intends to marry a girl, his family would lure and abduct the girl and take her hostage in the man’s home, where she is adequately monitored and guarded against escape.

After her (intended bride) abduction, entertainment of all sorts is organized by the man and his friends to keep her entertained in order not to be bored or miss her family and home.

People around will troop to the man’s house to get a sight of her.
The next day, the family head will send delegates to the girl’s father’s house informing them about their daughter’s whereabouts.

In the first visit, the man’s family will take along three smoked guinea fowls, tobacco, Kola-nuts, and local gin to the girl’s house. At times, the girl’s parents reject this on the first visit, other times, the items are accepted without any positive answers.

Usually, they are told to go and come back some other time because the elder of the house has traveled even if otherwise. This is always the beginning of the test for the man.

On rare occasions, the man is encouraged to impregnate the girl. This is often advocated if the girl’s parents are showing signs of refusal to the marriage plan. It is often not accepted in the Frafra culture, to have a daughter giving birth at her parent’s home except for those sanctioned to do so.

In this event, once pregnant, she will have to stay. Moreover, it was believed that once the man mates with her, she will become more emotionally attached to him and will not seek to leave any longer.

When the girl’s family finally agrees to start the marriage rites, an invite by the man’s family often known as “drink water” will be sent to the girl’s family. The girl’s family is then accompanied to the man’s house by some young men and few old people.

Preceding this, a rite is known as “hand running” is carried out. This rite entails the killing of a dog, two goats, and several fowls, which are well spiced and taken to the girl’s home. The groom’s family then officially present the dowry to the girl’s family.

This dowry consists of four cows, some guinea fowls, kola nuts, and money. The spiced meat is now shared among everyone present to eat, in the bride’s family home as an indication of a joint union.

In the hindsight, If the man’s family is unable to provide the expected marriage items, the woman’s family would wait for a girl to be conceived from the union and their dowry retrieve in full during the girl marriage ceremony.

To sum up, Frafra marriage is distinctive and unique among many cultures. Marriage among the Frafra tribe involves the union of two families rather than the two intending couples.