The Wa Naa, Fuseini Seidu Pelpuo IV, has climaxed this year’s Dumba Festival with a rare and historic act of crossing over the sacrificial cow using his walking staff.
This marks the first time in 18 years that the overlord has not personally jumped over the cow, and the first in more than a century that any Waala chief has relied on the staff of authority to perform the symbolic duty.
The annual cow-jumping ritual, regarded as the spiritual highlight of the Dumba Festival, is a mandatory custom for every Waala overlord. Success is believed to signal good fortune for the Waala State, while failure portends doom.
At 74 years old, Wa Naa Fuseini Seidu Pelpuo IV has previously performed the jump 17 times since ascending the skin. Ahead of this year’s ritual, speculation was rife over whether age and frailty would hinder his ability to personally execute the task.
Dressed in an ancestral smock adorned with amulets, the Wa Naa appeared before his subjects in a solemn atmosphere. Unlike past years of jubilation with drumming and dancing, this year’s ritual was marked by prayers from queen mothers, chiefs, and close relatives.
Tradition required him to circle the cow three times before the crossing. To the surprise of many, the overlord extended his walking staff over the animal, completing the ritual without making the physical jump.
Palace elders later explained that using the staff, which is his symbol of authority, is permitted when the chief is unable to perform the leap.
Following the successful ritual, the Wa Naa retired briefly before reappearing in full regalia, adorned with a medallion that signified victory and spiritual relief for the Waala State.
The cow-crossing remains the most anticipated moment of Dumba, and this year’s symbolic act has been described as both historic and spiritually significant for the Waala people.
Source: Rafiq Salam
