Mother of Mossi People Of Burkina Faso
over 900 years ago in the kingdom of Dagomba (what is now North Ghana) King Nedega and Queen Napoko gave birth to a beautiful Princess, they named her Princess Yennenga, referring to her beauty.
She grew up so beautiful and she was loved by the whole kingdom of Dagomba.
Princess Yennenga as precious as she was to her people none can match the love her Father had for her
Princess Yennenga became a cultural Icon, a woman with a strong character and an independent mind and beloved princess who from the age of 14, fought in battle for her Father against the neighboring Malinkes. She was highly skilled with Javelins, Spears and Bows, She was an excellent horsewoman and commended her own battalion. As she grew older she kept on getting better and stronger. indeed the King was a proud Father in the whole kingdom.
Princess Yennenga’s greatest strength and courage even put the King’s greatest warriors to shame.
but despite her being praised as the greatest warrior in all the Dagomba kingdom, a high honor amongst her people, she was missing one thing that she wanted the most,so sadness became her common theme through out her days, Princess Yennenga wanted to start her family.
Princess Yennenga asked her Father to gave her away in Marriage but her father refused saying “ How can I lose the Dagomba’s greatest warrior to marriage ”
her Father’s refusal to her marriage deeply sadden her, she begged her Father but he still said No
as smart as Princess Yennenga was, one day she got an idea, she planted a very beautiful field of wheat, which impressed her Father , after seeing her Father’s excitement, who even invited his friends to come to see the beautiful field of wheat.
after few days Princess Yennenga decided to let the wheat to rot, her Father was troubled by her act and he asked why she did that,
Princess Yennenga realized that her time has come, she gathered her courage and told her Father “ you see Father as precious as you say I am , still let me rot like this wheat in the field ”
her Father felt with anger immediately locked her in the palace, days became weeks, and weeks became months
Sadden by her condition the king’s horseman proceeded to help princess Yennenga to escape, he dressed her as a man and gave her a horse, they rode together through the night,
the North Star on their vision as sign of freedom. on their way escaping they were stopped by Melinke warriors. The king horseman knew that they both will surely die, so he fought one by one but his efforts weren’t enough for he was killed, but his heroic effort distracted them away from princess Yennenga as she was running away.
Princess Yennenga passed forward heading North out of the land of Dagomba her home.
Soon Yennenga found an elephant hunter named Rialé, in the forest of Bitou, cared for her and gave her a shelter, Rialé not knowing she was a woman because she was dressed as a man, did not at all recognize who she really was,the heir to the throne of Dagomba kingdom.
Princess Yennenga stayed with Raelé as she was recovering,She later on decided to reveal who really was and the two fell deeply in love and got married, they had a son they named him Quedrago which means “male horse” in honor to the horse which led the princess to Rialé.
When Ouedraogo was a young boy, Yennenga sent Ouedraogo to Dagomba to meet his grandfather Naba Nedega. When Naba Nedega meets Ouedraogo he was immediately overjoyed because he searched for his daughter for years and was happy she was alive. Naba Nedega arranged a feist inviting Yennenga, Riale, and Ouedraogo to attend. Once and for all, Naba Nedega’s family was reunited. Ouedraogo would learn to become a ruler and warrior from his grandfather. Ouedraogo was said to be as skilled as his mother in riding a horse, using the spear, javelin, and bow and arrow. When Ouedraogo became of age, he moved to Bitou and eventually established the Mossi Kingdom (present day Burkina Faso)
Today in Burkina Faso the beautiful princess Yennenga is acknowledged as the Mother of Mossi people.Princess Yennenga