Traditional Marriage Rite Performed Among The People of Frafra In Ghana.

                                      FRAFRA TRADITIONAL MARRIAGE.

BY DANIEL ATTAYAO BEDIAKO (DCS20832).
Marriage is an important part of a human life and it start with choosing the right
partner, you’ll have to know each other personally either it’s an arranged
marriage or you personally found and fell in love by yourselves.
After both people have agreed to further the relationship to be committed
completely, the man have to meet his parent and elders and discussed with them,
so will the woman. The family of the man have to convince those of the woman
that they are ability to take care of their daughter is assured.
The Frafra people are sites within Bolgatanga, Bongo, Tongo and Kongo areas in
the upper East Region.However the test and norm of the Frafra marriage is, the
man family taking a number of smoked guinea fowls, kola, tobacco and drinks to
the woman’s house for a number of times before the girl family agrees to formal
process of the marriage.

Past times, the girl can be married to a man she hardly knows, either at a market,
during festivals, funerals or when the man goes to farm he and his colleagues can
ruse the girl to the fringe of the market and then carry her to the village.
Sometimes the girl can resist if she’s not interested yet she’ll still be carried to the
boy’s house any way, if she’s fond of the boy she’ll agree.

Hence a form of an entertainment will be organized at the man’s house to keep
the girl entertained so she won’t be thinking about going home to her father. The
village people will gather around to gaze at the beautiful girl and peep the
entertainment scene display as well. The girl will be closely monitored because it
is know that many girls flee back to their father’s house if no one is watching
her(them).
After a long night the girl will have to sleep at the boys place in a separate room.
The next day, the family head will send someone to the girl’s father’s house to
inform them they have their daughter.
Further, the man’s family will take along three smoked guinea fowls, buy locally
prepared gin, kola nuts and some tobacco. Most often the girl’s parent accept the
items without showing interest or saying a thing till they bring the next offer the
next day. This will show how acute the man’s family is determined. Among the
‘Nabdams’ and the “Talensi” the man’s family would have to visit the girl’s house
for at least 7 to 8 times before they agreed to begin the official arrangement.
After they announce the arrangement of the marriage, the man’s family will now
send an invitation to the girl’s family to come to the house and drink water.
Before the girl family arrives, the girl family will send young men with few elders
to come with them to the man’s house. When the stay extend to night, the man’s
family will have to kill a dog, 2 goats and a few fowls, the meat won’t be eaten at
the man’s house rather be taken back to the girl’s father’s house. This rites called
“hand running.”

A big cock and kola will be send to the girl’s family a few days after the “hand
running.” This process is hold with utmost importance because without it any
child birth will belong to the girl’s family. But with the Talensi and the Nabdam,
this process is performed last. Once the process done, they can delay paying the
cows.

Furthermore, payment of 4 cows can paid in full or installment, with a batakari
cloth to the girl’s father. When the man refuse to pay her wife’s cow, the girl’s
family will wait till their daughter give birth to a girl so that when the girl daughter
is to be wed one day, she’ll pay for her father’s debt.