Threaded Tribes
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mindful art,
designed & produced in ghana.
15/05/2026
looking for the perfect throw-on and outfit completer? get acquainted with our cloaks. deep pockets, striking prints & enough presence to carry any occasion from slow mornings in to breezy evenings out. yours to layer, yours to live in. 🌿
available online & in-store:
www.threadedtribes.com
threaded tribes, ixora drive, accra 📍🇬🇭
mon – sat: 10am – 5pm
SOUNDS FROM THE ABOAKYER FESTIVAL 🦌🇬🇭
culture can be so deep and beautiful! here’s a breakdown of the significance of the aboakyer festival by the effutu people of winneba:
SPIRITUAL
the deer must be caught alive and without weapons to preserve its spiritual purity. its capture symbolises prosperity, a good harvest, and the removal of evil. the beheading at the penkye otu shrine signifies communal purification and cyclical renewal.
ANCESTRAL COVENANT
during their migration from the ancient western sudan empire, the effutu people made a pact with their deity otu, who promised protection in exchange for perpetual annual sacrifices. failure to honor this vow was believed to invite famine or invasion. aboakyer is the effutu people renewing that promise every year.
IDENTITY & UNITY
the festival is a living archive of effutu history, passed down through ritual, song, and active participation. elders narrate ancestral stories while youth take part in the hunt, keeping cultural knowledge alive across generations.
THE BODY PAINT
each asafo company paints their skin in different colours before the hunt. beyond protecting against thorns, the paint carries spiritual power, believed to bind wild animals and ensure a successful catch.
ECONOMIC & SOCIAL
aboakyer draws visitors from across the country and beyond, boosting local commerce and giving artisans, vendors, and performers a platform.
it is simultaneously a thanksgiving offering, a covenant renewal, a test of bravery, a community reunion, and a passing of history from one generation to the next. not just a festival. a civilizational act. gotta love it. 🇬🇭🌍
06/05/2026
did you know there’s a festival in ghana centered around deer hunting? every first saturday in may, the streets of winneba come alive for ABOAKYER. chiefs in full regalia. drumming. dancing. and two rival asafo groups - DENTSIFO ASAFO in red and TUAFO ASAFO in white, charging into the forest before dawn, armed only with sticks, racing to catch a live deer and present it to the paramount chief, who steps on it before it is sacrificed to the deity - PENKYE OTU.
aboakyer translates to “aboa”- animal and “kyer” - catching in the akan language, fante. it is a tradition rooted in the effutu tribe’s ancient migration from timbuktu, a living act of gratitude to their deity, PENKYE OTU, for leading their ancestors to safety.
how the festivities unfold:
on the eve of the climax, the asafo companies perform rituals and outdoor their gods. on the morning of aboakyer day, paramount chiefs, sub chiefs, dignitaries, and the public assemble at the durbar grounds, awaiting the catch amidst drumming and dancing. there is jubilation through the streets until the deer is deposited at the shrine, where it awaits sacrifice.
this year, the DENTSIFO ASAFO group, clad in red won, & the whole city felt it. 🔴🦌🇬🇭
03/05/2026
the last of this print - ALARA - is available in-store & on our online store. once it’s gone it’ll move to pre-order. this preman dress is made using baulé, a handwoven textile indigenous to côte d’ivoire 🇨🇮
www.threadedtribes.com
threaded tribes, ixora drive, accra 📍🇬🇭
mon – sat: 10am - 5pm
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