Yennenga

Yennenga, also known as Yennenga the Svelte, was a legendary African princess, considered the mother of the Mossi people of Burkina Faso.cite book
last = Smith
first = Cheryl A.
authorlink =
title = Market Women: Black Women Entrepreneurs--past, Present, and Future
publisher = Greenwood Publishing Group
date = 2005
pages = 17
url = http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=pQ59WHse1pkC
isbn =027598379X ] She was a famous warrior whose son Ouagadougou founded the Mossi Empire.

Biography

Yennenga was the daughter of Nedega, an early 12th century king of the Dagomba Kingdom in what is now Northern Ghana.cite web
title = The Legend of Yennenga Stallion
work = What is Fespaco?
publisher = BBC World Service
date = 2001
url = http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/africa/features/fespaco/stallion.shtml
accessdate =2008-05-03 ] She was a beautiful and beloved princess who from the age of 14, fought in battle for her father against the neighbouring Malinkés. Skilled with javelins, spears and bows, she was an excellent horsewoman and commanded her own battalion. Yennenga was such an important fighter that when she reached a marriageable age, her father refused to choose a husband for her or allow her to marry.cite book
last = Allan
first = Tuzyline Jita
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = Women's Studies Quarterly: Teaching African Literatures in a Global Literary
publisher = Feminist Press
date = 1997
pages = 86
url = http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=QD8TgZVWugYC
isbn =155861169X ] To express her unhappiness to her father, Yennenga planted a field of wheat. When the crop grew, she let it rot. She explained to her father that that was how she felt, being unable to marry. Nedega failed to be moved by this gesture and locked his daughter up.cite book
last = Sheldon
first = Kathleen E.
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = Historical Dictionary of Women in Sub-Saharan Africa
publisher = Scarecrow Press
date = 2005
location =
pages = 272
url = http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=36BViNOAu3sC
isbn =0810853310 ]

One of the king's horsemen helped Yennenga, dressed as a man, escape on her stallion. Attacked by Malinkés, her companion was killed, and Yennenga was left alone. She continued to ride north. One night, when she was exhausted from crossing a river, Yennenga's stallion took her into a forest. She met a solitary elephant hunter called Riale. When he saw through Yennenga's disguise, they fell in love. Yennenga and Riale had a son they named Ouedraogo, which means "stallion" and is now a common name in Burkina Faso. Ouedraogo founded the Mossi Kingdom.

Legacy

Yennenga is considered by the Mossi to be the mother of their empire and many statues of her can be found in the capital city of Burkina Faso, Ouagadougou. A statue of a golden stallion, called the Étalon de Yennenga, is awarded as the first prize in the biennial Panafrican Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou (FESPACO). The national football team is nicknamed "Les Étalons" ("the Stallions") in reference to Yennenga's stallion. [cite book
last = Marchais
first = Julien
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = Burkina Faso
publisher = Petit Futé
date =
location =
pages =102
url = http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=6jsBLSzJWYsC
language = French
isbn =2746916010 ]

References