#yennega

Princess Yennega (14th-15th centuries) is a legendary figure of the Mossi people of Burkina Faso who ran away from her father and founded the Mossi Kingdoms.

[Statue of Yennega with a javelin and a bow]

Born to King Nedega and Queen Napoko of the Dagomba Kingdom (modern-day northern Ghana), she was raised to be a warrior from a young age. She fought on horseback with javelins, spears, and bows, and was a military commander. She was such an excellent warrior that her father refused to let her be married--something to which she objected.

Yennega left and traveled north on a stallion, where she met Riale, an elephant hunter from the Boussani. They fell in love and had a son, Ouedraogo. Yennega and Riale reunited with her father, who accepted them into his family. Ouedraogo would then found the Mossi Kingdom (modern-day Burkina Faso).

[Carving of Yennega into a tree]

FESPACO 2021: Khadar Ahmed  de la Somalie remporte   l’Etalon d’or de YENNEGA

  27e FESPACO : Le cinéaste somalien Khadar Ahmed  remporte   l’Etalon d’or de YENNEGA  avec son film « la femme du fossoyeur ». Le prix,  une valeur de 20 millions de FCFA.

Princess Yennenga, a legendary princess warrior who helped unify the Mossi Kingdoms -12th century- in the current Burkina Faso, with her mythical horse Overwinter Enigma (Author unknown).

“And since then has the Sun King understood That a girl is not just made To look good And make children And make food That a girl is also made To look good And ride horses And make conquests And since then has the queen mother also understood That a girl is not just made To look good And wash the dishes And make love That a girl is also made To look good And do the business And make war.”

(own translation)