HOHOE
How Hohoe Was Founded
In their search for a permanent settlement, following their escape from King Agokoli's rule in the Notse Kingdom, the Gbis arrived at a mountainous area toward the West of Togo. Water was a decisive factor in choosing a settlement. So, when they spotted a sizable amount free-flowing water running across the low-lying portion of the area, the Gbis knew they had stopped at a good place.
There was a problem however. It was obvious from the presence of the pile of palm branches used to partially secure the riverside, that some other group had arrived there before them and had taken possession of it.
The Gbis noticed that the palm branches were still green, a sign that the other group arrived not long before them. Smart as they were, they came out with a plan to defeat that group: get hold of dry palm branches, pile them on another section of the river andargue based on the age of their leaves that they arrived earlier.
The Gbis won the argument, driving off the other group who ended up settling in a nearby area. The Gbis named their new found area Xo O Xoe – pronounced "Hoh-O-Hweh" – meaning, "it was taken." Over time, the name got corrupted to XoXoe, now spelled "Hohoe."