Aanta

Aantha (self-name), akhanta , anta , ante - the Akan people living in Ghana on the coast of the Gulf of Guinea between the Ankobra River and the Sekondi-Takoradi Mountains. The total number of 40 thousand people ^[1] .

Aantha are a part of Anya , are close to Nzima and Evalue , were strongly influenced by Fanti . They speak the language of aanta, which is often regarded as a dialect of anya. The religion of most Aanthus is Catholic and Protestant Christianity. In addition, there are adherents of Christian-African churches and sects. A significant part of the people also adheres to traditional beliefs ^[1] .

In the pre-colonial period, Aantha created the chiefdom Aantha (also called Akhanta, Anta), which was part of the Ashanti Confederation in 1745-1826. The main occupations are manual farming and sea and river fishing. Bananas , yams , taro , peanuts , corn , rice , oil palm are grown . Traditional crafts such as blacksmithing, pottery, weaving, wood carving, weaving, the manufacture of boats and fishing tackle, and evaporation of salt are developed. Aanta live in rectangular houses made of wood and clay with a gable roof made of palm branches or slate. Traditional clothes (all-Kentan kent ) are used as festive, and the European costume is everyday. The main food is fish and vegetable (cereals, stews, boiled, fried and baked tubers and vegetables with palm oil and hot spices) ^[1] .

The main traditional social institutions: village and large-family communities, matrilineal clans, patrilateal groups, asafo military organization units. The marriage settlement is virilocal , polygyny , levirate , litter , purchased marriage are practiced. The kinship account is matrilineal with remnants of patrilaterality. Common: the cult of ancestors, polydemonism, fetishism, faith in magic and Vedostvo, there is an idea of ​​the heavenly spirit of Nyamiye. There are all the main genres of folklore . The festival of yams Kuntum is celebrated ^[1] .