The National Epic of the Adangme

The Adangme are a people about a million strong, who live inthe Volta Valley in the Gold Coast, where a scheme costing £room.for irrigation and bauxite development is being considered.The two main divisions are Krobo and Ada. A remarkable factabout this people is the part played by their national epic,Klama, in maintaining their identify, after their state wasdestroyed 450 years ago. The writer is at present working inthe School of African Studies, and the article was originallygiven in the form of a talk in the regional service of the B.B.C.,which will perhaps explain its form.