Institution
Poro
The Poro is a secret society for men among peoples of Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea and Côte d'Ivoire, including the Mende, Temne, Kpelle and Vai. It initiates boys into adulthood through training in bush camps and has long held religious, political and judicial authority, regulating trade and warfare and helping to install chiefs. Its counterpart for women is the Sande society.
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Cite this entry
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). Poro. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/poro
- MLA
- “Poro.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/poro. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “Poro.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/poro.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Poro’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/poro (Accessed: ).
Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻