Yennenga

[1] She was a famous warrior precious to her father, Naa Gbewaa or Nedega, the founder of the kingdom of Dagbon, now in present day Ghana.

Yennenga was a princess of Burkina Faso, who lived over 900 years ago, the daughter of the king Nedega and the queen Napoko.

[1][2] 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.

Princess Yennenga together with Raile returned to the Dagomba kingdom with open arms from her father; who ensured that his grandson Ouedraogo received the best of trainings.

[1] 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.

[2] 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).