Queen Pokou, or Awura, Aura, or Abla Pokou (reigned c. 1750 - c. 1760) was Queen and founder of the Baoule ethnic group in West Africa, now

Ivory Coast Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d'Ivoire, officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a country on the southern coast of West Africa. Its capital is Yamoussoukro, in the centre of the country, while its largest city and economic centre is ...

. She ruled over a branch of the powerful Ashanti Empire as it expanded westward. A subgroup of the

Akan people The Akan () people live primarily in present-day Ghana and Ivory Coast in West Africa. The Akan language (also known as ''Twi/Fante'') are a group of dialects within the Central Tano branch of the Potou–Tano subfamily of the Niger–Congo ...

, the Baoule people are today one of the largest ethnic groups in modern

Biography

Queen Pokou was born princess of Kumasi, Ghana, daughter of Nyakou Kosiamoa, sister of Dakon, the ill-fated successor of

Opoku Ware I Opoku Ware I (born 1700–1750) was an '' Asantehene'' of Oyoko heritage, who ruled the Ashanti Empire which occupied parts of what is now Ghana. He is credited with being the "empire builder" of the Asante empire. He married and had two children n ...

, and niece of Osei Kofi Tutu I, a formidable king who was the co-founder of the Ashanti Empire. Queen Pokou became the leader of a breakaway group from the main Ashanti Empire, which she refused to join. Disagreements among the factions resulted in war. Pokou led her group westward, through a long, arduous journey, to the Komoé River. Legend has it that she had to sacrifice her only son for her people to cross the river. After crossing the river, Pokou and her people settled into an agricultural way of life in the savanna of the area. Pokou died shortly after creating the Baoule kingdom. Her niece

Akwa Boni Akwa Boni (died c. 1790), was a sovereign Queen of the Baoulé people. The niece of Queen Pokou Queen Pokou, or Awura, Aura, or Abla Pokou (reigned c. 1750 - c. 1760) was Queen and founder of the Baoule ethnic group in West Africa, now Ivory Coas ...

succeeded to the throne. She pursued wars of conquest to widen the limits of the young kingdom. The Baoule people today inhabit the territory between the Komoé and Bandama Rivers. They make up 15 percent of the country's population, having assimilated some smaller tribes over the centuries.

Legend

The founding legend of the Baoule people holds that, when Pokou and her people arrived at the Komoé River, it was uncrossable. Pokou asked her priest for council, and he told her the sacrifice of a noble child was required to cross the river. Pokou then sacrificed her son, throwing the infant into the water. Legend has it that, after the sacrifice, hippopotami appeared and formed a bridge, which Pokou and her people used to cross to the opposite bank of the Komoé. Once on the other side, she called out "Ba ouli" or "the child is dead." This is why her descendants today are known as the Baoule.

Portrayal in Film

The Ivorian animated film ''Pokou, princesse Ashanti'' by N'ganza Herman and Kan Souffle, which was released in Ivory Coast in 2013, was inspired by the legendary life of Abla Pokou.

Portrayal in Literature

In Queen Pokou: Concerto for a Sacrifice, which won the

Grand prix littéraire d'Afrique noire The Grand prix littéraire d'Afrique noire (one of the major literary prizes of Black Africa for Francophone Literature) is a literary prize presented every year by the ADELF, the Association of French Language Writers for a French original text ...

, Véronique Tadjo offers multiple versions of the legend of Queen Pokou. The story of Queen Pokou and the Baoule was also retold by Maximilien Quenum in his ''Légendes africaines''.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pokou, Queen 1730 births 1750 deaths 18th-century women rulers Akan culture Ashanti Empire Ashanti monarchs Baoulé people History of Ivory Coast Ivorian women in politics Queens regnant Women rulers in Africa