With a glorious history of more than 300,000 years the country of Ghana
has been inhabited by different ethnic groups at different times. This invasion
has left behind some impressive marks in the evolution of the art and cultural
scenario of the country. Evidences indicate that towards the middle of 13th
Century, the Akan Kingdoms rose to
prominence in Ghana with their empires being extended even to the far off
coastal lands.
In 1471, the Portuguese traders arrived in Ghana in search of gold and ivory initially ,
but later lured Ghana by the trade in ivory and gold. They continued to rule
for a considerable period of time and they intermingling with the local
cultures and that led to a radical change in cultural spheres of country.
The Akan kingdom contributed a lot towards the up gradation of the
social culture of the country through the construction of a series of historic
monuments which are now an important part of its great heritage and serves the
dual purpose of being a popular architectural landmark of the country.
SYMBOLS
Symbols are things that represent or stand for
something else, especially a material object representing something abstract. They
are used to communicate
complex knowledge, abstract truths and ideas about life and its meaning.
Symbols play an important role in the Ghanaian idea of reality. An understanding of the Ghanaian patterns of
thought and feeling requires an appreciation of the nature and function of
symbolism as a medium of communication in the Ghanaian culture.
In Ghana, there are six major
groups of symbols. These six groups are the adinkra symbols, stool
symbols, linguistic staff symbols, National symbols religious symbols and literally
symbols. Each of the symbolic group has information to convey concerning the
way of life of the people at every situation they are presented or the history
of the society it represents.
This presentation will discuss four groups of symbols in Ghana as sources of insight into the Ghanaian
orientations to life.
The role of symbols:
- Symbols identify us as Ghanaians as well as Africans
- They promote our Ghanaian cultural heritage
- They communicate and transmit information ideas, attitudes and truths
- They are unique and therefore enrich our culture and traditions
- They are trademarks of the country
- They serve as the pride of the people and the country as a whole
NATIONAL SYMBOLS IN GHANA
The national symbols of Ghana define the nation as a whole. The Ghanaian
national symbols tell about the country’s history besides its rich tradition
and culture. These symbols include:
- the National flag,
- the Coat of arms and
- the ceremonial cloth (kente)
The National Flag of Ghana
The Ghanaian national flag was designed by Mrs. Theodosia Salome Okoh to
replace the flag of the United Kingdom of Britain and Ireland after its
independence.
- The color Red of the national flag of Ghana represents the blood of those who died in the nation's struggle for independence
- The Golden Yellow stands for the country's mineral wealth
- The Green symbolizes the country's rich agriculture and forest and
- The Black star stands for the hope of African’s freedom
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| The flag of Ghana |
Ghana Coat Of Arms
The Coat of Arms was designed by Mr. Amon Kotei, an internationally
renowned Ghanaian artist. The Coat of
Arms consists of a shield, divided into four quarters by a green Cross, with
Gold edges. Each quarter contains a symbol and all the symbols have their
meanings, below are the names and meanings of the symbols beginning from the
top left corner.
- Crossed linguist staff and ceremonial sword on a blue background represents the Local Administration
- A heraldic castle on a heraldic sea with a light blue background represents the National Government.
- Cocoa Tree represents the Agricultural wealth of the Country
- Mine Shaft represents the mineral wealth of the Country
- Gold Lion represents the continued link between Ghana the Commonwealth
- Black star rimmed with Gold standing on the headdress of red, Gold and Green colours represents the lode star of African Freedom
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| The coat of arms |
Two
Eagles, around their necks hang black star medals suspended from a ribbon of
red, gold and green colours signifies a protector with strength, very clear and
attentive eyes keeping watch over the country.
Kente is a national ceremonial cloth hand-woven on a horizontal treadle
loom. Kente cloths come in various colors, sizes and designs and are worn
during very important social and religious occasions. kente is more important
than just a cloth. It is a visual representation of history, philosophy,
ethics, oral literature, moral values, and social code of conduct, religious
beliefs, political thought and artistic principles.
The term kente has its roots in the word kenten which means a basket.
The first kente weavers used raffia fibers to weave cloths that looked like kenten
(a basket); and thus were referred to as kenten ntoma; meaning basket cloth.
The original Asante name of the cloth was nsaduaso or nwontoma, meaning
"a cloth hand-woven on a loom" and is still used today by Asante’s
weavers and elders. However, the term “kente” is the most popularly used today,
in and outside Ghana.
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| Kente |
Another school of
thought also suggests that kente was originated from the Volta Region, in a
town called Kpetoi. Kente in the ewe perspective means ke (open) and te
(press). Kente cloth is also a traditional
dress for kings in Ghana and is a symbol of pride in the heritage and culture
of the people. The impact of kente has gone beyond the borders of Ghana to other
parts of the African Diaspora to Europe and America and it is embraced as a
symbol of black identity. Its inspiration can be found in visual art forms as
diverse as greeting cards, book covers, clothing and household accessories.
ADINKIRA SYMBOLS
The Adinkra symbols are believed to have their origin from Gyaman, a
former kingdom in today’s Côte D’Ivoire. According to an Asante (Ghana) legend
Adinkra was the name of a king of the Gyaman (Nana kofi Adinkra). Adinkra was
defeated and captured in a battle by the Asantes for having copied the “Golden
Stool”, which represents for them absolute power and tribal unity. He was
finally killed and his territory annexed to the kingdom of Asante. The
tradition had it that, Nana Adinkra wore patterned cloth, which was interpreted
as a way of expressing his sorrow on being taken to Kumasi the capital of
Asante.
The Asante people around the 19th century then took to painting of
traditional symbols of the Gyamans onto cloth, a tradition that was well
practiced. Adinkra also means ‘goodbye’
or ‘farewell’ in Twi language of the Akan ethnic group of which Asante is a
part. It has therefore been the tradition of the Akan especially the Asante to
wear cloths decorated with Adinkra symbols on important occasions especially at
funerals of family relations and friends. This is to signify their sorrow and
to bid farewell to the deceased.
Today, the Adinkra cloth is not exclusively worn by the Asante people.
It is worn by other ethnic groups in Ghana on a variety of social gatherings
and festive occasions. Adinkra symbols
are also use these days for house decorations and carves
Significance of the Adinkra Symbols
- The Adinkra symbols express various themes that relate to the history, beliefs and philosophy of the Asante. They mostly have rich proverbial meaning since proverbs play an important role in the Asante culture. The use of Proverbs is considered as a mark of wisdom.
- Other Adinkra symbols depict historical events, human behaviour and attitudes, animal behaviour, plant life forms and shapes of objects.
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AKO-BEN AND AKOMA NTOASO
Ako-ben: war horn
The sound of ako-ben is a battle cry.
A call to arms readiness and
preparedness
for action or battle. It also means vigilance
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Some indigenous Adinkira Symbols
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GYE NYAME "except God" symbol of the
supremacy
of God.Omnipotence and immortality of God.
This unique and beautiful
symbol is ubiquitous
in Ghana. It is most popularly use in decoration,
a
reflection on the deeply religious
character of the Ghanaian people.
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Akoma ntsoaso: “Extension of heart”
It stand for understanding,
agreement or charter unity
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| Akofena: “Royal/ceremonial sword”. It symbolizes bravery |
SANKOFA
“Return and get it” Is a symbol of importance of learning from the
past. It is believe that people can always
learn from their mistakes or use past experience to build the future so it is
not a taboo to return to fetch something good in the past to refer to the
future.
NKONSONKONSON AND FINHANKRA
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Nkonsonnkoson: “Chains links”
It implies human relations or unity
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Finhankra: “House”
It represent safety and security in a home
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Dwannimmen: “Ram’s horns”
It is a symbol of humility and strength
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Items with Adinkra Symbols
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| Tattoo |
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| T-Shirt |
ITEMS WITH SYMBOLS
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| Kente Cloth with Gye Nyame symbol |
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| Company’s logos |
LINGUISTIC STAFF SYMBOLS
The linguistic staff is the symbol of authority which the linguist
carries. The linguist (okyeame) is the king's counselor, confidant, orator and
diplomat. And at public functions, the okyeame carries a staff (or mace) of
authority.
The staff is usually carved from wood and is usually coated with gold
colour. Usually the top part of the staff is a symbol designed to communicate
specific messages either about the status and authority of the okyeame or the
message he, as a cultural attaché, is authorized to convey on behalf of the
king at specific public functions.
OKYEEA POMA
This staffs illustrate proverbs that assert the ruler's legitimacy and
capabilities or praise the linguist's experience and sagacity.The staff is surmounted by two human figures nearby a large web, with a
spider positioned at its center. It refers to the saying,
"No one goes to the house of the spider Ananse to teach him wisdom."
Ananse the spider is wise and it is believed to have brought wisdom to the
Akan. Since Ananse is the ultimate repository of erudition, nobody challenged
him in that domain. |
SANKOFA
“RETURN FOR IT” for it A symbol of
importance of learning from the past
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OBAKOFOO MMU OMAN - ONE PERSON DOES NOT RULE A
NATION
It is a symbol of participatory, democracy and warning against
dictatorial rule.The Akan belief is that democratic rule requires consultation, open discussion,
consensus building, and coalition formation.The use of the Queen mother as a co-ruler and the Council of state or
council of elders are examples of Akan forms of participatory democracy
depicted by this symbol
STOOL SYMBOLS
The stool is conceived as a female principle and its seat part is shaped
like a curve and represents the warm embrace of a mother welcoming her beloved
child home from a journey or from the day's labors. The curved part of the
stool is called atuu, which is a word used to embrace a person arriving
from a journey.
The middle portion of the stool is carved as a symbolic representation
of an object such as an elephant, a sankofa bird, or of an abstract idea such
as "Gye Nyame". The stool usually derives its name from the symbol
that is used in its middle portion, which is called in Ewe titina
(middle) or nufiala (teacher), because the particular message of any
stool is found in its middle portion.
The message of the Wisdom Stool may be used as an illustration. It is
rendered as: "The present generation cannot lay aside easily the wisdom of
the past; and they can only do this if they have something better to replace
it." The stool is therefore used as a seat as well as an aid to teach
something important.
THE SEAT OF STATE OF GHANA
This Seat of State takes the form of the Akan stool. It is used by the
President of Ghana. It was first used in 1960 when Ghana became a republic. The
first President to use this Seat of State was Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. It was designed by Kofi Antubam, a renowned Ghanaian
artist.It incorporates several symbols.
ESONO - ELEPHANT
Symbol of authority, power, protection, and greatness.
NKABOM ADWA - UNITY STOOLSymbol of unity, strength in unity, and national integration
From the expression: Nkabom ma yetumi guina ho, mpaapaemu ma yehwe
ase.
Literal translation: United we stand, divided we fall
CONCLUSION
Symbols do adequately represent a certain idea or discipline, but have
beauty as well. Beauty itself is a concept which is often put on the
side of visual, culture and
literature. Symbols are unique and
therefore play a significant role in our Ghanaian society. They represent the
true nature and heritage of the Ghanaian society
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