Mossi Kingdoms

The Mossi Kingdoms of what is now Burkina Faso trace their beginning to a woman. In Mossi tradition, Yennenga was a warrior princess of Dagbon, in what is now northern Ghana, who rode away from her father's court on a stallion.

She met a hunter named Riale, and their son Ouedraogo founded the Mossi royal line. His descendants established several kingdoms, the best known being Ouagadougou, whose ruler holds the title Mogho Naba.

The Mossi states built strong cavalry forces and kept their independence for centuries, holding off the great Sahel empires of Mali and Songhai around them.

France conquered Ouagadougou in 1896, but the Mogho Naba still holds a ceremonial role today. Yennenga is a national symbol, and the top prize at FESPACO, Africa's largest film festival, is named the Golden Stallion of Yennenga in her honour.