Bissa people
Ethnic group in West Africa From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bissa (or Bisa (singular), Bisan, Bissanno (plural)) is a Mande ethnic group of south-central Burkina Faso, northeastern Ghana and the northernmost tip of Togo. Their language, Bissa,[6] is a Mande language that is related to, but not the same as, a cluster of languages in the old Borgu Kingdom area of Northeast Benin and Northwest Nigeria, including Busa, Boko, and Kyenga. An alternate name for the Bissa is Busansi or Busanga which is used by the Mossi people.
Daniel McFarland's Historical Dictionary of Upper Volta refers to them as "intrusive Mande who settled the area along the White Volta below Tenkodogo by 1300. Some live across the border in modern northern Ghana and Togo. According to some traditions, Rialle, progenitor of the Nakomse line of Mossi rulers was Busansi."[7]
They are known for their cultivation of peanuts. Traditionally, a Bissa man who wants to court a Bissa girl must work in her mother's peanut field, and be able to provide the girl with her own peanut field if they get married.[8][9]
The Bissa are divided in three language groups, that is the Barka, the Lebir and the Lere. They are further divided into several clans. Each clan has a name and an appellation normally called dedaa by the Bissa. The appellation is now used as a surname in Burkina Faso. Bissa make up 2/5th of the Burkina Faso population.
Some Bissa live in Ivory Coast.
The Busa and Boko peoples of Benin and Nigeria
The Busa and Boko peoples, two subgroups of the Bissa people, live in Northwestern Nigeria and Northern Benin near Borgu in the Nigerian States of Niger, Kebbi and Kwara (mostly Bokobaru subgroup) and in the Beninese Departments of Alibori and Borgou.[citation needed]
They speak Busa (also known as Bisã) and Boko (also known as Boo). This peoples are referred to as Bussawa in Hausa.[citation needed]
Notable clans and appellations
Summarize
Perspective
The Bissa people are divided into numerous clans. Their primary dialects include Barka, Lere and Lebir, each with slight variations.
Most Bissa people are Muslim. The Bissa of the Garango Circle are among the most representative of the northern group. The township of Garango, which serves as the center of the northern Bissa population, remained independent, while the northwestern districts fell under the influence of the Mossi Kingdom of Ouagadougou and the northeastern townships under the supervision of the Mossi Kingdom of Tenkodogo.
In Accra, Ghana, several towns are notable for their Bissa populations. These include Busanga Line in the North Kaneshie area of the Okai Koi constituency, as well as Town Council Line (Lartebiokorshie) and Shukura in the Ablekuma Central constituency. Nima, located in the Ayawaso Central constituency, is another significant Bissa settlement.
Within Bissa society, the Lingani clan holds both political and mystical power. The authority does not rest with the individual who wears the crown, but rather with the one who bestows it. No one can assume power or wear the crown without first undergoing mystical preparation by the Lingani clan in Tangaré (a village in Garango, Boulgou Province, Burkina Faso). The Lingani are traditionally hunters, and a ceremonial fig tree, along with an ancestral hunting spear dating back centuries, remains near Tangaré Mountain, facing the Lingani family residence.
Bissa burial practices reflect a deep connection to their ancestors. Deceased family members are buried in front of their homes as a means of honoring them. Bissa graves are constructed in the shape of traditional dwellings but are built underground, with a small opening for the body's entry. A designated individual receives the body and lays it to rest inside. Multiple family members may be interred in the same grave, and the entrance is sealed with a clay vessel, which can be removed when needed for future burials.
According to Bissa tradition, their ancestor Barso was a hunter.
| The Clan | Appellations |
|---|---|
| Pagou | Nombre/Ziginni |
| Gassuogou | Yaalah |
| Tangari | Lengani |
| Tangaré | Lingani |
| Garango | Bambara |
| Tunugu | Saare |
| Bussim | Guerm/Guerne |
| Sandugu | Zeba |
| Lergu | Jinko |
| Ziglah | Bandau |
| Pakala | Billa |
| Tuuro | Dabre |
| Woono | Zaare |
| Saawunno | Nyenni |
| Chenno | Yabre |
| Bura | Zuure |
| Saarugu | Saare |
| Muungo | Gamine |
| Kayo | Gampine |
| Bugula | Darga |
| Gulagun | Nombone |
| Yiringu | Galbane |
| Lengi | Monnie |
| Kadpugu | Yankini |
| Ganni | Samandulugu |
| Jangani | Guengane |
| Bedega | Wandaago |
| Leda | Zampaligidi |
| Woono | Wango |
| longa | Welgu/Keera |
| Sasima | Daboni |
| Zangila | Kidibari |
| Kuu | Lenkoni |
| Zaka | Boibani |
| Hunzaawu | Zombra |
| Bergu | Baara |
| Nyaawu | Campaore |
| Gulanda | Bayere |
| leere | Zampoo |
| Dansanga | Genni |
| Somma | Zakaani |
| Sominne | Senre/Sebene |
| Gudu | Sewonner |
| Sonno | Lembani |
| Wargu | Bansi |
| Tollah | Bansi |
| Wanda | Gulla |
| Dansanga | Genni |
| Zhetta | Zesonni |
| Koonteega | Yourda |
| Bangu | Sambare |
| Youngou | Gambo |
| Gerrimah | Nyenni |
| Kerimah | Ziigani |
| Yakungu | Gengani |
| Gangila | Nunkansi |
| Kele | Gansani |
| Tinga | Bidiga |
| Bann | Zanni |
References
Further reading
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