Divinity Atlas

Sacred Correspondences
Cultures

Akan

Also Known As Akan Peoples
Peoples

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The Akan peoples, among them the Asante, Fante, Akyem and Bono, inhabit the forest belt of southern Ghana and southeastern Ivory Coast. Their religion honors the supreme being Nyame through lesser deities called abosom and through the ancestors, and their thought about the person, the soul and destiny is carried in the Twi language itself. Akan visual culture gave the world the Adinkra symbols, and Akan history gave it the Asante empire and the Golden Stool. Most Akan today are Christian, with tradition alive in chieftaincy, festival and funerary culture.

Facts
Origins
Origin Region
The forest belt of southern Ghana and southeastern Ivory Coast; Akan states include Asante, Fante, Akyem, Akwamu and Bono, with Asante ruling from Kumasi 1
Language Family
Akan (Twi-Fante), a Kwa language of the Niger-Congo family; its terms for the person, okra, sunsum and mogya, carry the tradition's philosophy of soul, spirit and matrilineal blood 2
Writing System
Adinkra symbols are a visual proverb system stamped on cloth rather than a script, each condensing a saying such as Gye Nyame, except God; Twi is written today in the Latin alphabet 3
Traditions
Principal Religious Traditions
Veneration of the supreme being Nyame through the abosom (lesser deities) and the ancestors (asamanfo), with libation and festival; most Akan today are Christian, with tradition continuing in chieftaincy, day-names and funerary culture 2
Practice
Practice Status
Living, and practised in varied local forms 2
Akan religion is a community tradition without exclusive membership; priesthood of the abosom (akomfo) is a trained vocational office, and public festivals such as Akwasidae are open community rites
Learn More
Nyame, the Abosom and the Ancestors

Akan religion rests on a clear hierarchy. Above all stands Nyame, also honored as Onyankopon, the supreme being who made the world and needs no shrine, because, as the proverb behind the Gye Nyame symbol says, no one living saw its beginning and no one will see its end, except God. Beneath Nyame work the abosom, deities of rivers, lakes and forests who take up residence in shrines and speak through their priests, the akomfo, trained mediums who dance the deity in possession and deliver its counsel. Nearer still are the asamanfo, the ancestors, who watch their lineages, receive libation at every gathering and are seated, in a real sense, in the blackened stools kept in the stool rooms of chiefly houses.

Kwame Gyekye's study of the Akan conceptual scheme shows how much of this theology lives inside the Twi language: a person is composed of okra, the divine spark of life sent from Nyame with its destiny, sunsum, the personality-spirit, and mogya, the mother's blood that fixes clan membership in the matrilineal line. Philosophy, religion and kinship are one fabric.

The tradition's storyteller is Ananse the spider, whose cycle of tales, including how he obtained the sky god's stories from Nyame himself, carries Akan wit and moral teaching; carried across the Atlantic, Anansi became a folk hero of Jamaica and the wider Caribbean. Libation prayer, drummed praise poetry and the festival calendar, above all Akwasidae on the sacred day cycle, keep the relationship among Nyame, abosom, ancestors and the living in constant repair.

Asante, the Golden Stool and Adinkra

Around 1700 the Asante kingdom united the inland Akan states under Osei Tutu, and tradition holds that his priest Okomfo Anokye called the Golden Stool, Sika Dwa Kofi, down from the sky to rest on the knees of the new king: not a throne to be sat upon but the vessel of the soul of the whole Asante nation. Ivor Wilks' history of nineteenth century Asante shows a sophisticated state ruling from Kumasi through roads, tribute and diplomacy, its power felt from the savanna to the coast. Ancestral stools, blackened and fed at the Akwasidae festivals, made the same theology of seat and soul work at every level of society.

The British fought Asante through the nineteenth century and exiled its king in 1896; when the governor demanded to sit on the Golden Stool in 1900, the queen mother of Ejisu, Yaa Asantewaa, led the war that followed. The stool itself was never surrendered, and the Asante monarchy, restored in 1935, continues today within the Republic of Ghana.

Adinkra symbols are the Akan's most traveled inheritance. Stamped in black on funeral cloth, each condenses a proverb: Gye Nyame, the supremacy of God; Sankofa, the bird reaching back for what was left behind, teaching that it is no shame to return and fetch it; Adinkrahene, the concentric chief of symbols. W. Bruce Willis' dictionary catalogues scores of them, and they now mark buildings, books and bodies across Ghana and the diaspora, a visual language of Akan thought.

Cross-Tradition Connections

Associated With

Abusua Pa, the good family, represents the unity of the abusua, the Akan matrilineal clan.

Adinkrahene, the chief of the Adinkra symbols, stands for greatness and leadership.

Akan Religion names the tradition of Nyame, the abosom and the ancestors.

Akoben, the war horn, represents vigilance and readiness to act when danger threatens.

Akofena, the ceremonial sword of war, represents courage and the legitimate authority of a recognized ruler.

Akoko Nan, the leg of the hen, represents discipline that corrects without ever destroying.

Akoma, Adinkra Symbols

Akoma, the heart, represents patience, good will and the endurance of a loving, faithful heart.

Akoma Ntoaso, linked hearts, represents the mutual understanding and agreement that bind two parties as one.

Akuaba, the carved fertility doll, represents fertility, beauty and the protection of children.

Akwaaba, welcome, represents the hospitality and gracious reception central to Akan social life.

Ananse Ntontan, the spider's web, represents the wisdom and creative complexity of Ananse's tales.

Asase Ye Duru, the earth has weight, honors Asaase Yaa as the source of sustenance and moral order alongside Nyame.

Aya, Adinkra Symbols

Aya, the fern, represents endurance and the defiance of a plant that thrives in difficult ground.

Bese Saka, the sack of kola nuts, represents abundance and a prosperity that gathers people together.

Bi Nka Bi, no one should bite another, calls for peace and harmony through the avoidance of provoking conflict.

Boa Me Na Me Mmoa Wo, help me and let me help you, represents cooperation and reciprocal aid.

Dame Dame takes its checkered pattern from an Akan board game, representing intelligence and strategic thinking.

Denkyem, the crocodile, stands for adaptability and resourcefulness, an animal at home in water and on land alike.

Duafe, Adinkra Symbols

Duafe, the wooden comb, represents the feminine care, hygiene and patience Akan tradition prizes in a partner.

Dwennimmen, ram's horns curved back to back, teaches that true strength still submits to humility and discipline.

Eban, Adinkra Symbols

Eban, the fence, represents the protective love a family builds to keep what is precious safe.

Epa, Adinkra Symbols

Epa, handcuffs, represents law, justice and the fairness that restrains wrongdoing.

Ese Ne Tekrema, the teeth and the tongue, represents the friendship that endures small friction without breaking.

Fawohodie represents independence and the courage that freedom, once won, requires to use well.

Fihankra, the walled compound house, represents the security and solidarity of an entire household.

Funtunfunefu Denkyemfunefu shows two crocodiles sharing one stomach yet fighting, a warning against infighting among people who share one fate.

Gye Nyame, except God, is the most famous Adinkra symbol, proclaiming Nyame's supremacy.

How Anansi obtained the sky god's stories is the charter tale of the Akan storytelling tradition.

Hye Won Hye, that which does not burn, represents imperishability and a reputation that survives hardship.

Kete Pa, the good mat, represents a marriage built on as sound a foundation as a well made mat.

Kuntinkantan warns against arrogance and boastful display, holding that extravagance collapses under its own weight.

Kuronti Ne Akwamu names two offices of the Asante state council, representing shared leadership and checks on power.

Kwatakye Atiko commemorates the hairstyle of a war captain remembered for exceptional bravery in battle.

Mate Masie, what I hear I keep, represents wisdom, discretion and the trustworthiness of a careful listener.

Mframadan, the wind resistant house, represents fortitude and resilience proven under real pressure.

Mmere Dane, time changes, represents the shifting nature of fortune and circumstance.

Mmusuyidee, the remover of bad luck, represents good fortune and protection from misfortune.

Mpatapo, the knot of pacification, represents reconciliation and the restoration of good relations after a dispute.

Mpuannum, five tufts of hair, represents the loyalty and skill expected of a court or priestly office.

Nea Onnim No Sua A Ohu, he who does not know can learn, promotes lifelong education.

Nkonsonkonson, the chain link, represents unity and the strength found in interdependence.

Nkuruma Kesee, big okra, represents growth and the value hidden in what looks ordinary.

Nkyinkyim, the winding path, represents initiative and the toughness needed to navigate a changing life.

Nsaa, Adinkra Symbols

Nsaa, named for a prized hand-woven textile of northern Ghana, represents excellence and genuine quality.

Nsirewa, cowrie shells, represents wealth and the prosperity built through trade.

Nsoromma, child of the heavens, represents guardianship and a child's dependence on a higher power.

Nyame Dua, the tree of God, represents divine presence and protection over the household.

Nyame Nnwu Na Mawu, God does not die so I cannot die, asserts the eternal presence of God and the immortality of the soul.

Nyansapo, the wisdom knot, represents the patience and ingenuity of practical wisdom.

Odo Nnyew Fie Kwan, love never loses its way home, represents the enduring loyalty of love.

Ohene Adwa, the king's stool, represents authority and the continuity of the state beyond any one office holder.

Okodee Mmowere, the eagle's talons, represents strength, bravery and the exercise of superior power.

Osram Ne Nsoromma, the moon and its star, represents the faithful, harmonious bond between devoted partners.

Owo Foro Adobe, the snake climbing the raffia palm, represents the steadfastness and prudence needed to achieve what looks impossible.

Owuo Atwedee, the ladder of death, represents the mortality every person eventually climbs regardless of status.

Pempamsie, sew in readiness, represents the steadfastness of thorough preparation before a challenge.

Sankofa, the bird reaching back, teaches that it is no shame to return and fetch what was left behind.

Sepow, Adinkra Symbols

Sepow, the executioner's knife, represents the enforcement of law and the consequences of serious wrongdoing.

Sesa Wo Suban, change your character, is a direct call to personal transformation and renewal.

Tabono, paddles arranged around a shared center, represents strength achieved through coordinated effort.

Wawa Aba, the tough seed of the wawa tree, represents hardiness and perseverance under pressure.

Woforo Dua Pa A, when you climb a good tree you are given a push, represents cooperation and support for worthwhile effort.

Contains

Asante, Cultures

Originated In

Ghana, Countries

Ghana holds the Akan heartland, the Asante monarchy at Kumasi and the Adinkra craft towns.

West Africa and the Caribbean spans the Akan homeland and the diaspora that carried Anansi and the day-names abroad.

Originates in Language

Akan, Languages

Akan is the language of the Akan peoples and of the adinkra proverbs.

Worship Of

Nyame, Deities

Nyame, the supreme being of Akan belief, needs no shrine; the Gye Nyame symbol proclaims his supremacy.

Sources
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