The Anyi people are an ethnic group in southeast Côte d'Ivoire

Côte d'Ivoire

The Republic of Côte d'Ivoire or Ivory Coast is a country in West Africa. It has an area of , and borders the countries Liberia, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso and Ghana; its southern boundary is along the Gulf of Guinea. The country's population was 15,366,672 in 1998 and was estimated to be...

 and Ghana

Ghana

Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...

.. They are an Akan people

Akan people

The Akan people are an ethnic group found predominately in Ghana and The Ivory Coast. Akans are the majority in both of these countries and overall have a population of over 20 million people.The Akan speak Kwa languages-Origin and ethnogenesis:...

 who speak the Anyi language.

History

The Anyi people are a subgroup of the Akan, originally from Ghana, who fled the from the Ashanti tribe to their current location in present day Ivory Coast between the 16th and 18th centuries. They established the Kingdoms of Indene, Sanwi, and Moronou

Moronou

-References:*This article was initially created from the French Wikipedia....

, it should be noted that another group of Anyis went further west than their companions and are today known as the Baoulé

Baoulé

The Baoulé are an Akan people and one of the largest groups in the Ivory Coast. The Baoulé are farmers who live in the eastern side of Côte d'Ivoire . The Baoule people are represented by religion, art, festivals, and equal society . There are more than sixty-five different Akan-speaking ethnic...

.

Today the Anyis live mainly in the area once known as the Kingdoms of Sanwi and Indene. They also inhabit Zanzan

Zanzan

Zanzan is one of the 19 regions of Côte d'Ivoire, West Africa. The region's capital is Bondoukou. Covering 38,000 km², its population is 839,000.The region is divided into three departments: Bondoukou, Bouna, and Tanda....

 in Ivory Coast and there are small populations in Ghana.

Leadership

The Akkan people generally operate under a monarchial system which is also true for the Anyi. Before France colonized the regions inhabited by the Anyi there were three castes: nobility, freemen, and slaves. Today there is usually a local headman, who is directed by a council of elders and who represents his constituency in regional politics. Like other Akan peoples, the Anyi have a highly stratified society that includes a hierarchical political administration with titled officials who proudly display their rank and power. The Anyi are a matrilineal people, and women have relatively high social status exhibited in both the political and economic arenas.

Society

The Anyi live in loose neighborhoods of family housing complexes which are generally spread apart. Funerary images and monuments are the preferred forms of art of the Anyi. A family often displays its affluence through the decadence of its memorials as greater beauty is thought to indicate greater respect to those being memoralized.

Family

To marry a suitor must provide three things:
O-Bla-kale : financial assistance for education maintenance of the bride
Adyia-tila : to purchase the trousseau
Be-ti-sika : binds the girl and her parents

Adultery

Adultery

Adultery is sexual infidelity to one's spouse, and is a form of extramarital sex. It originally referred only to sex between a woman who was married and a person other than her spouse. Even in cases of separation from one's spouse, an extramarital affair is still considered adultery.Adultery is...

 is frowned upon and at one time people would be banished from villages due to it and even put to death.

Religion

The Anyi follow Christianity and also a traditional belief. In the traditional belief living one's life so that one will be remembered and respected as an ancestor is a primary motivations. Their religious system is based upon the continued honoring of one's departed ancestors. When a person passes away an elaborate ceremony follows, involving ritual washing, dressing the deceased in fine garments and gold jewelry to be laid in state for up to three days, and a mourning period that allows the family and community to show their respect for the departed in order to guarantee a welcome into the spirit world.

Economics

Anyi operate primarily under an agricultural economy which revolves around banana

Banana

Banana is the common name for herbaceous plants of the genus Musa and for the fruit they produce. Bananas come in a variety of sizes and colors when ripe, including yellow, purple, and red....

 and taro

Taro

Taro is a common name for the corms and tubers of several plants in the family Araceae . Of these, Colocasia esculenta is the most widely cultivated, and is the subject of this article. More specifically, this article describes the 'dasheen' form of taro; another variety is called eddoe.Taro is...

 production. Yams are also an important staple crop. Many locally grown crops were introduced from the Americas during the Atlantic slave trade. These include maize, manioc, peppers, peanuts, tomatoes, squash, and sweet potatoes. Farm animals include sheep, goats, chickens, and dogs. Markets which are primarily run by women take place every four days and are the center of the local economy. Local produce and craft items are sold alongside imported goods. Palm oil is sold as a commodity on the international market.Forestry work is also practiced by the Anyi.

Further reading

• http://www.uiowa.edu/~africart/toc/people/Anyi.html General Anyi Information
• http://www.rezoivoire.net/cotedivoire/patrimoine/154/les-agni-de-l-indenie-ou-agni-n-denean.html Detailed Report on the Anyi (French)