COLLECTION GARDIENNES ANCESTRALES - Abla Pokou (2023) Painting by Hugues Matumona

Abla Pokou was born in the early 18th century. She was the niece of King Osei Tutu, co-founder of the Ashanti Empire in present-day Ghana. Upon his death, a war of succession broke out and Dakon, Abla Pokou's second brother, one of the heirs to the throne, was killed. Fearing for her life and her family, Abla Pokou.

A flight with her people

Abla Pokou took to the road with all the people who were loyal to Dakon and who refused to see Opokou Waré on the throne. She then gathered a massive caravan and led the people towards the lands that are today's Ivory Coast.

A river to cross

Legend has it that, during their flight, Queen Abla Pokou and her supporters found themselves stranded on the banks of the Comoé River, a natural border between present-day Ghana and Ivory Coast. The river, at its highest level due to heavy rains, is impassable. Queen Abla Pokou then consults the wise man who accompanies them. He explains to her that, to cross the river, the gods of the river require a sacrifice in the form of a child of the noble lineage. Abla Pokou then decides, shortly after, to throw her own child into the river.

Crossing the Comoé River

The legend then tells of the incredible event that occurs: the trees on the bank bend their trunks to make a bridge. Another version says that enormous hippopotamuses appeared and lined up to create a footbridge allowing Abla Pokou and her escort to cross the river.

"The child is dead"

After the crossing, Abla Pokou greets her companions and says "Bâ wouli", which means "The child is dead". This phrase could be the origin of the name of the Baoulé people ("ba wouli"), who live today in Côte d'Ivoire. "Queen Abla Pokou probably did not sacrifice a child," says Kouamé René Allou, professor of history at the Université Félix Houphouët-Boigny. "There are also times in the year when the Comoé River is so low that you can ford it, thanks to the rocks that appear on the surface."

After crossing the river, the Baoulé people settled in the region. Queen Abla Pokou lived in Namounou, in the Bwake region, not far from the village of Akawa. Namounou means "to take care of the mother", people had to take care of Abla Pokou there. Unfortunately, the village of Namounou was deserted after the queen's death. She was buried in the N'draba River. Akawa Boni, who succeeded her, went to settle in Sakassou.

A legend that endures

Queen Abla Pokou is still celebrated in oral and written literature in Ghana and Ivory Coast. However, it is difficult to find representations of Abla Pokou today since there is no monument or museum in her memory, with the exception of a metal statue on the Place de la République in Abidjan. In the field of fashion, some designers have created styles bearing the name of the famous Queen Abla Pokou.