#BLAFOWO and #ASRAFOWO
The Ewe Traditional Society has a group of Warriors Known as “BLAFOWO” and ASRAFOWO, who are the Guards and Protectors of the King and the Kingdom.
BLAFO according to my personal findings refers to a “Captain in the Traditional Army” who are more or less like “HIGH RANKING SPECIAL FORCES” among the “SOLDIERS”. Whiles ASRAFO refers to the “Kings Guards or Royal Bodyguards”, but has also been used to mean a “SOLDIER” in modern texts.
My findings of the differences between BLAFO and ASRAFO means is based on a biblical translation of a text in the #KingJames version of the Christian Bible into the Ewe language.
The first half of “2 Kings Chapter 11 vrs 19” mentions both in the Ewe text. And so let’s just compare it with the English text.
#English_Text;
“Then he took the Rulers over hundreds, the Captains, the guard and all the people of the land”
#Ewe_Text;
“Eye wòɖe ame alafawo ƒe amegãwo, blafowo kple fia ŋu asrafowo kpakple dukɔ hahoo la katã”.
We can therefore say from comparing the above texts that BLAFOWO refers to CAPTAINS or Soldiers in the Armies, whiles ASRAFOWO refers to the “Royal BodyGUARDS”.
I can’t tell if ASAFO is also one of the name the group for by in Ewe. What I know is that the Akans call it ASAFO and they have a lot of well written history online about it on Wikipedia.
Just Google ASAFO and a lot of Articles and Thesis would be available for you to read.
This group or Warriors, be it the BLAFO or the ASRAFO is always ready and prepared with both physical strength and spiritually fortified magical powers, to defend the King and the Kingdom anytime they are called upon.
“They have for ages been our Gallant Warriors
Magically fortified Guards and Conquerors
Defenders of the Great Ewe Kingdoms
Protectors of our Rights and Freedoms”.
I speak highly of this group of Warriors as the reason our Forefathers were able to have safely journeyed through thick forests and dangerous places!
And they are the reason we the Ewe people have been able to resist attacks and random Captures against our adversaries and other Tribes.
#Note;
Who actually knows the difference and relationship between the 3 words BLAFO, ASRAFO and SAFO.
Is there a difference between a BLAFO and an ASRAFO?
And is SAFO also used by the Ewe people?
#Akpenami
#LearningOurHistory
📸 Kobby Blay
✍️ Selorm Ameza
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