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"V

THE  FREEING  OF  YAW  ASARE

T.  S.  SMUTYLO

Introdnction

A study of the apprenticeship system in the wayside workshops1 of Adabraka,
Accra was carried out between July  1971 and June  1973. In the course of the study
several "freeing" ceremonies, the celebrations which terminate apprenticeships, were
observed. One of the most interesting was the freeing of Yaw Asare,2 a fitting appren-
tice  at  T-K  Motors,  The events during the ceremony suggest both the socialization
and vocational training aspects of apprenticeship in Accra.

By  entering  an  apprenticeship  a  person  undertakes  to  learn  a  trade  through
working for  a  skilled tradesman. The tradesman,  known as the  "master"  provides
for  at least partial maintenance of the apprentice in addition to instructing  him in
the skills of the trade. Learning occurs primarily, however, through the performance
of  tasks,  simple  ones at  first  leading  to  more  complicated  ones  as the  individual
progresses. The master receives payments at the beginning of the apprenticeship in*
recognition  of his responsibilities vis-a-vis the apprentice. Once it is recognized that
the training has been completed, the apprentice and  his family  begin to gather the
payments required to "thank" the master and formally terminate the apprenticeship.
When he is notified  that they are ready, the master sets a time and place for the

freeing ceremony which is convenient for all.

The ceremony itself is run by the master and follows the same pattern as the one
in which he himself was freed. It was reported that an Ewe freed by a Ga master, in
the Ga way, would free  his own apprentices in the same way, regardless of ethnic
background. The form and content differ  slightly for each ethnic group, and among
the trades. But the basic elements remain similar: there is a humiliating experience for
the  apprentice  (which  might,  in  normal  circumstance,  bring  a  strong  emotional
reaction); tools of the trade are presented; acceptance into the brotherhood of trades-
men is given; advice is heaped  upon the initiate; and accounts of his past conduct
are related by the master.

The freeing ceremony can, for  descriptive purposes, be divided into two parts.
The secret part  occurs just before  dawn and is attended only by master tradesmen,
the apprentice and a few of his kinsmen. At this time, the payments are presented
and  counted,  the  guidance  and  protection  of  the  ancestors  invoked,  and  a  ritual
performed in which tools, advice, and a blessing are given to the initiate. The second
part of the freeing takes place in public. Gifts (including drinks) from friends, relatives

1.  The  term  wayside  workshop  is  used  colloquially  in  Ghana,  referring  to  small  craft
enterprises  which  depend  chiefly  on  passing  traffic  for  customers.  These  workshops  are
found  throughout  Accra  where, fitters, carpenters,  tailors,  blacksmiths  and  other  crafts-
men have rented, or squatted on vacant plots and corners of  courtyards or in hallways.

2.  All  personal names and all locations have been disguised in respect for the privacy of  the

people  who  took  part  in  the  study. 

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and fellow apprentices of  the former apprentice, as well as from associates  and rela-
tives  of the master are announced,  the senior guests give speeches filled with advice
for  the young tradesman.  The food and drink part of the freeing payments are con-
sumed by the guests. There may also be a few partly humiliating stunts performed  to
teach the initiate some aspect of the behaviour befitting a tradesman.

JfiM

Yaw's Freeing

Yaw Asare arose two hours before dawn on his "freedom  day", and awakened
his younger brother, who shared the rented room. Outside, asleep in a car which Yaw
was repairing for a customer, one of his elder brothers, an unemployed driver awoke
and came in to get washed and dressed.

Yaw put on a clean, white shirt and newly pressed pants, took his few tools and
the agreement  paper,  and  locked  the room. It  took  them  20 minutes  to  start  the
customer's car and keep it from stalling, then Yaw, who has no driving licence, drove
with his two brothers to his "cousin's" house in Kaneshie. Here, they picked up a
white ram and  drove on to the house of  an elder sister who joined them, bringing
along a large basket of foodstuffs. On the way to the centre of Accra to pick up Yaw's
guarantor3, they stopped at the house of Akakpo, a former T-K apprentice who had
freed himself a few months earlier. The guarantor, Agbo, had already left and, when
they arrived at the master's  house, they found him already there, along with Obimpeh,
his patrilateral cousin, who has a fitting workshop very close to T-K Motors.

The apprentices who lived with one master, Tamakloe, were busy sweeping the
courtyard and washing his car. By this time, the sky was becoming light, and several
people were concerned because Kumah, the other master, hadn't  arrived yet. A few
of his friends  drove to Nima to locate the wake-keeping which he was supposed to
have attended, but the search proved fruitless. At one point during the search, Tama-
kloe climbed a tree and broke off several bunches of leaves, which were later used
in the ritual. When the search party arrived back at Tamakloe's, they found  Kumah
had arrived, red-eyed and somewhat inebriated from the wake-keeping.

By  this  time it was almost 6.00  a.m.  Yaw Asare, his elder sister, his brother,
his guarantor, Obimpeh, and the two masters, went into Tamakloe's hall and sat down.
Yaw himself kneeled on the floor at one end of  the room, facing the wall. In front of
him on the floor, spread out on green leaves, were his tools and a calabash of  corn
flour  mixed with water.  Beside  this was a  bottle of  DZOMI (red palm  oil).  There
were two kinds of leaves, the smaller  ones, which Tamakloe picked from  the tree,
are called ANYATSI, which is a species traditionally used in building a fence around
a fetish house. The longer leaves were AVENYA; they are herbs considered to have
the power to expel evil.

Tamakloe examined the drinks, and foodstuffs,  and he verified all the quantities.
Then the guarantor  handed  him  thirty  cedis in  cash,  which  he  carefully  counted.
Kumah then squatted down in front  of Yaw beside the tools and leaves, picked  up
the calabash and began stirring the contents with his thumb. He poured a libation,
saying:

3.  A  guarantor  often  plays  aa  important  role  by  providing a  "personal  surety"  of  the  sin-
cerety of the youth just entering an apprenticeship. This may be a parent, guardian, senior
relative  or  friend  who,  on  behalf  of  the  apprentice  discusses  apprenticeship  terms  with
the master, is a party to the agreement and puts up some or all of  the money  for  the  pay-
ments. The  guarantor  sometimes  shares  in  the  youth's  maintenance  and  is  the  one  who
is approached  should the  apprentice  run away,  misbehave  or  become ill. 

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"Our great grandfathers, we call upon you;  great grandmothers, we call upon
you. The oia great fitters of  Accra, known and unknown, we call upon you all.
Today we are freeing  Yaw Asare. Anyone who is here who says he will have no
peace, no  job to do, no drink, no children, then drink the drink I am pouring
down for  you and be  intoxicated against this very person. But there should be
peace with  those who  wish him peace, prosperity in job,  happy  marriage  and
children.

We don't know the enemy; you know the enemy. Anyone who does not -wish
him a long life should knock his foot  against a log and fall down and die. Let
him die freely. There will never be peace if an enemy is around. Peace for those
who want to lead^aJust life and to work hard; theirs is the water."
Tamakloe then repeated the same actions, saying the following:

"Amen. I shall continue what has already been said. Great old fitters, the late
Mr. Vira, Mr. Tofio  and  all those who are no more, I can't remember  all. All
great fitters who passed away leaving the job for us to do. People like Mr. Michael
(Kumah's master, who arrived later) who gave us the skill and we have given to
our son also. Let him work hard, with strength, with peace, and with patience,
but let him get work to do and do it with peace. We are freeing him today. We
are not freeing him because of anything bad; he stayed with us with good manners
he worked humbly and  faithfully.

We thank his parents that they suffered  and brought drinks to come and free
their son. We thank them very much that they are not shamed by their son and
we too, we do not shame them. We bless him; let work be prosperous. May God
bless him. We admit him with both hands into our midst; let the great  fitters_of
Accra bless him  . ..

We are giving him a spanner; let it be a good day. Anywhere he goes and there
is a lorry which has been broken down for a long period, even for ten years, and
cannot move at all; if he touches it with his spanner, let it spark and move away!"
Continuing to speak, Tamakloe poured the DZOMI over the tools and leaves,
which he then lifted  and placed in Yaw's outstretched hands.

"We are not giving him this spanner to break doors with; it is for work. Work
is done with the hammer also. Pliers are used in holding things, and in tightening
things firmly. You do not take a spanner to go and do goldsmithing; it does the
work of fitting. The hammer is an object without a hole inside. Do not let anyone
see your weak points; work hard with strength and faith.  So then, on this, his
freeing day, the spanner and all these things are given to him. Let him work with
prosperity."

Kumah then stood up and continued with some advice.
"Respect your  master's wife and do not chase her. You will go astray if you
go chasing your master's wife. If  you see something of your master going wrong,
you should run and inform  him about it  so that he must take care of  himself.
That is how a boy and his master should be. Even if  you are forced, you should
not go and be a ruffian in the town. You should work with faith.

Put forth your  hand quickly so that I lay down the spanners into your arms.
One,  two,  three, four, five, six,  seven  (counting  out  the  spanners  into  Yaw's
hands, again). I give you spanners; I give you them on a good day. To put them
under a bed and  then be a ruffian  in town—we are not for  that! Take care of
them, All people will add to them."
Tamakloe  then  took  the  calabash  of  flour  and  water  and  stood  beside  Yaw,
jokingly telling him to kneel lower, because he could't reach (Yaw is tall and Tamakloe
is very short). The  next words which he spoke were punctuated  by his taking a sip

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said over them were rendered very potent. 

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from the calabash and ("Piearh!")  spraying the mixture at Yaw and then pounding
with his hand the place sprayed  on Yaw's body. This was done, first to the top of
the head, then to the chest, then to the back. It was repeated several times on Yaw's
head, and, with the final statement, Yaw received a full blast right in the face.

"We are giving youspanners;work mih  them. We are not giving them to you,
to break somebody's door. We are not giving you the spanners to be kept under a
bed, while you go and be a washman. Piearh! There should be peace in your mind.
Your  brain  should  be  open  to  understanding.  Piearh! There  should  be peace
in your heart.  Respect your father  and  mother. Piearh! Today:we are leaving
you to go into the city. You go into the world. You should work and earn your
own living. Today all the world is for you. Take care otvour parents. Be hard
working. The money they spent on you, you are going torepay it. It is your debt
and you will pay it in its place. It is a debt they have given you.
.  All things are in their place—fine. Piearh! We give you spanners in the names
of great fitters. Kumah and Tamakloe are giving you spanners with righteousness.
You  have stayed with us peacefully,  take the spanners  and do  the same. The
work that one chooses is what one does. You have learned your work and  finished
successfully. Take these spanners and work with them. Don*t go and break doors
with them. Work with them and help your family. Don't marry, though woman
should  stay  with  man.  But  work  and  have  something  down  before  marrying
a wife. Piearh! I give you spanners."
While Tamakloe was speaking, Kumah interjected several times to add something,
or to repeat a phrase in chorus. Kumah then stood over Yaw, and performed roughly
the same rituaj'. 

.

The masters  explained  that  the  leaves possessed  great  power  and  that  words

The atmosphere relaxed while the power of the leaves was explained. Tamakloe
poured schnapps (the first appearance of alcohol) in a glass and it was passed around.
This part  of the freeing  ceremony was now completed  and everyone moved  out of
the small room to sit on chairs ranged in a circle under a tree, outside.  {
;'•  As,the sun rose higher, more guests arrived and drinks were served. In the mean-
time,  four  of the  T-K  apprentices slaughtered the ram,  and cut it into pieces. The
women present began cooking the food.

Three senior fitters arrived, and each one took Yaw back into the room away
from the guests, blessed him and sprayed him with the liquid from the calabash. The
most distinguished of these senior fitters was Mr. Micheal, Kumah's mother's brother
and his former  master.  Yaw reported  later  that  when he went into  the room  with
Mr. Michael, the following happened.

"He drank some of the mixture and sprayed it into my face saying that, if I
went into the world, people would pour water into my face, people would slap
me in the ear, people would do me all sorts of harm,, but I should not retaliate.
I should do as he himself has done." 
Back  outside, Yaw  sat bare-chested  under  the tree  surrounded  by the guests.
One of TamaMoe's "cousins" acted as master of ceremonies. All who had advice to
offer were given the floor and Yaw stood solemnly listening. Drinks presented to him
were  consumed  by  all  present/After  everyone  had  eaten,  the  advice  continued,
accompanied  by phonograph  music. Different  people stressed  their  own particular
themes. A devoutly Catholic uncle of Yaw gave a long speech about the importance
of following Christian teachings. The older relatives and tradesmen spoke mainly of
respect  for  one's  elders. A young mechanic just returned from  abroad stressed ver-
satility and continued learning. Tamakloe told everyone about Yaw's working habits

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and mentioned a few of his faults. He made Yaw take part in a humiliating demon-
stration  of  how  it  was necessary  to  work  within  the  rules laid  down for  the trade.
Another fitter warned that frugality was essential to achieve success.

By  noon  all advice  had been given and the gathering began to  break  up.  Yaw
and  his  relatives  thanked  and  shook  hands  with  Kumah,  Tamakloe  and  the  other
guests;  and  then  everyone  departed,  including  the  two  masters,  who  were  driving
to  Koforidua to tow a customer's car back to Accra.

Descriptions  of freeing ceremonies by other tradesmen were very similar to the
ones observed. All used AVENYA leaves, although sometimes in a slightly  different
way.  In some, it was reported, dew on the AVENYA  leaves is used, and the blood
of a slaughtered ram or fowl is sprinkled on the initiate's feet. The elements of initia-
tion, advice and celebration were always present.

It is obvious that the kind of advice given to the apprentice on his freeing day is
aimed at producing a responsible, productive  citizen as well as a skilful tradesman.
The  freeing  reinforces  actual  experience  in  the  workshop,  where co-operation  and
respect for authority are basic to work organization.

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