Asase Ba Podcast - S5E5: Traditional Akan Spirituality in Ghana

Written By Michelle
              

Transcript

Hello and welcome to Asase Ba, a podcast that honours oral tradition and shines a light on Ghanaian stories that are often untold or silenced. I'm your host, Michelle, and welcome to the season 5 finale of  Asase Ba. If you haven't already go back and listen to the other four episodes, they feature conversations about queer identities, I score a connection and African indigenous knowledge systems. They're great episodes and I'm proud of them. So go check them out if you haven't already, and then come back to this one. 

Okay, so today's episode is a solo one. And I'm going to be talking all about traditional Akan spirituality. But before I get into that, if you've been enjoying this podcast, if you've enjoyed season five, and something has resonated with you, you were engaged, you learned something, you can support the podcast and you can do so in several ways. 

The first way is by sharing. Asase Ba is on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok @AsaseBaPod. You can support by engaging, posting on your Insta stories, sharing on WhatsApp, and telling your family, your friends, your network, and your community to listen. You can also share your feedback and use the hashtag #AsaseBaPod on social media so that I can see it and others can see it as well. 

Another way to support the podcast is by visiting asaseba.com which is the official website. You can go there for curated resources on queer identities, spirituality and cultural work. You're also welcome to submit resources there as well and it may just appear on the website. 

Another way to support—see bringing you different options—you can support in all these ways or choose what works best for you. Another way to support Asase Ba is through monetary donations. I'm the sole producer, editor, planner, interviewer, graphic designer, and doer of all the things so if you want to support me as an indie creator. If you're able to, you can donate via email transfer for those in Canada and if you're outside of Canada, you can donate via PayPal. The email for that is asasebapod@gmail.com. Thank you so much for your support. I appreciate it. Now on to this episode. 

Okay, so as I hinted at or outright said—there was no hinting I mentioned it—today I'm going to be talking about traditional Akan spirituality. Before I get into it, I just wanted to give you some disclaimers. You know when you watch YouTube videos and then—I watched a lot of YouTube essays—and then there is a one-minute disclaimer. Maybe this won't be a minute, maybe it will, but just some things to note before I dive into the topic:

There are many different groups among the Akan ethnic group as we know, so there may be nuances and different ways of practicing these traditions. There may also be slight variations and meanings and names across groups. And this is more so an introduction to traditional Akan spirituality so it's not going to give you a detailed play-by-play of everything. I'm still learning and this involved research and I don't know everything so this is going to be more of an introduction. 

Also, something to note: we don't separate religion and culture in our traditions in most African cultures. Spirituality is seen as a way of life and a continuum so you may recognize some of the things I'll talk about as part of Akan customs and traditions if you are an Akan and not think of it as part of our traditional spirituality. But it is because everything is holistic, which is something that I mentioned in season 5 episode 1.  

Anyway, the sources are me (I'm Akan, Asante to be specific). I also asked relatives and elders, read some books and articles, and watched a lot of YouTube videos. All my sources and references that are accessible online or via books are in the Episode Notes, so make sure to check that out to learn more. Okay, so now let's dive in. 

Ɔdomankoma/Nyankopɔn/Nyame: The Akan Creator

In Akan spirituality, the Creator goes by many different names, you may recognize these names if you're Akan. They're typically used to refer to God in Abrahamic religions. I know they are in Christianity. But they are distinct and not the same as the Christian God. So these names are Ɔdomankoma, Awurade, Nyame, Tweduampɔn, Nyankopɔn.

The most popular ones that I hear and many Akan people are familiar with are Nyame and Nyankopɔn. We have variations in these names because they all describe aspects and characteristics of the Creator. For example, Ɔdomankoma which I just mentioned, goes by the name Ɔbɔadeɛ so Ɔdomankoma Ɔbɔadeɛ. That means Eternal Creator. Tweduampɔn describes how reliable and dependable the Creator is. And Nyame describes how we see the Creator as the Great One. I'll use Ɔdomankoma when referring to the Creator because although it's not used as often in this day and age, it's the name that's used to describe the Eternal Creator. 

Ɔdomankoma is everywhere all at once and is viewed as androgynous, both masculine and feminine yet neither. They possess both masculine and feminine qualities, but they also go beyond our conception of masculine and feminine or just our conception of gender and of male and female. And this is something that I talked about in S3E3: Non-Binary Concepts in Ghanaian Traditional Religions if you want to go listen to that. Ɔdomankoma created the earth, the sky, the rivers, plants, animals, spirits of the water, rocks, humans, and Abosom, which are the deities that take care of humans.

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Asaase Yaa/Afua: The Physical Manifestation of the Akan Creator

When we're pouring libations, you'll hear people refer to Ɔdomankoma/Nyankopɔn and then you'll hear Asaase Yaa or Asaase Afua (which is commonly the name in Fante).  Asaase Yaa/Afua is the physical manifestation of the Creator. This speaks to the feminine aspect of the Creator, the Creator in creation. I've seen some other concepts regarding Asaase Yaa/Afua. Some see her as a separate entity from Ɔdomankoma. 

I like the idea that she's Ɔdomankoma or Nyame in creation, that she's a physical manifestation but I understand that there may be different interpretations across cultures and different people. But that makes a lot of sense to me personally.  The names and the appellations for her describe her as a mother, an elder, and a caring mother, so we have Ɔbaatan, Abrewa. Those are different features and aspects of Asaase Yaa/Afua. 

We came from her and return to her when we pass. She's seen as a spirit but not regarded as Ɔbosom. They are seen as Mother Earth who receives the dead back into her womb. In some Akan societies, her sacred day is Thursday, and in others it is Friday. So on each of these days, no one can work on the land and breaking this is a taboo and can have some serious consequences. For example, you may become lost in the woods or be picked up by Mmoatia which are spiritual creatures that live deep in the forest. I'll come back to that later. 

With Asaase Yaa/Afua, offerings and sacrifices are made to her to help plants grow, to ward off misfortune that may befall farmers. Before planting anything, traditional Akan farmers sprinkle the blood of sacred fowl on the land and they also cook different food that they then scatter in four directions (north, south, east west) as an offering to Asaase Yaa/Afua.  

Also, before digging any grave, people pour libation. The purpose of the libation is to formally request Asaase Yaa/Afua's permission to dig a grave so that one of her children, aka us, can be buried in her womb. Another feature that I find very interesting about Asaase Yaa/Afua is she's known as the upholder of truth so people will put soil on their tongues to swear that they're telling the truth. 


Abosom: The Akan Deities

The Abosom (pl) or Ɔbosom (s) are deities sent to Earth to work on behalf of Ɔdomankoma. They're created by Ɔdomankoma and they are everywhere. Their purpose is to fulfill a specific function or task and they have powers. There are major ones and there are smaller spirits all over Ghana. They're known as Nyame Abrafoɔ or Nyame Akyeame, meaning Ɔdomankoma's executor of justice or spokesperson/linguist respectively. 

Abosom can be any gender as well and in many cases, they don't have to be the same gender as the person they work with. There are clan levels, traditional levels, family levels, etc. Abosom are usually attached to towns villages, or water bodies. When your community or family is going through difficulties, you consult an Ɔbosom. They communicate with humans from time to time by possessing or mounting a trained human being, an Ɔkomfoɔ. 

One thing I found really interesting while doing my research is that if an Ɔbosom is not effective, they are abandoned by practitioners for another Ɔbosom. And if they are powerful, people see them as worthy of worship. So I found that really interesting. 

The main type of Ɔbosom or a category of Abosom is the Tete Abosom, which are ancient Abosom. They're often protector spirits and they've been with Akan people and different Akan groups since the beginning. They're usually associated with society's natural elements— bodies of water, rocks, mountains, etc. Their work is directed towards protecting human communities from danger and misfortune (musuo). So they communicate with human beings and Ɔdomankoma and function as an intermediary. 

It’s said that there are hundreds of them, but it's kind of hard to count because they give birth, in a way, to other Abosom all the time. There's a state level and clan level, and oftentimes, they are associated with professions such as hunting, fishing, farming, etc. 

I'm going to name a few popular ones. There's Tano or Ta Kora. Tano is one of the oldest and most revered Ɔbosom. They're a state Ɔbosom with lots of historical significance, especially for the Bono and Asante people. They exist in a body of water called Tano River and also the Tano Sacred Grove. Tano resides in Techiman, in the Brong Ahafo/ Bono East Region. 

Another really popular Ɔbosom is Bosomtwe which is represented by Lake Bosomtwe in the Ashanti Region. The two words—Bosom  (deity) and Ɔtwe (antelope)— are the root words. There are really interesting stories that have been passed down about the origin of Bosomtwe and Tano so if you have a chance to look that up, I would urge you to do so. 

Another very popular Ɔbosom is Bosompo, which is the Ɔbosom of the sea. They're the protecting deity for fishing. Tuesdays are their sacred day, so nobody fishes on that day. When the sea is rough, not enough fish is caught, and there's erosion, it's said that Bosompo is angry. Bosompo is very important, especially to folks living in the coastal area where the sea is located.

Another example of Tete Bosom is Nana Bruku. Nana Bruku is located in the Eastern Region, in Kwahu-Tafo. They reside in a rock and they're known as the protecting deity of the Kwahu people. 

As I mentioned earlier, there are many more Abosom. There are a lot of Abosom within different regions or towns or villages that are not necessarily Tete Abosom but are very well known and popular amongst people. 

Suman

Suman is another word that I encountered a lot when watching different YouTube videos and it seems like it's used interchangeably with the word Abosom. However, upon my research and further investigation, there seems to be a distinction. Suman usually refers to objects or mixtures that are for protection and there are spiritual entities that activate them. That's where the power (tumi) comes from. Abosom (such as the Tete Abosom I mentioned earlier) are usually considered larger or more powerful than Suman. 


Mmoatia: Small Spiritual Creatures

Another group of spiritual creatures in Akan spirituality are Mmoatia. They are about 12 inches in height, and some say their feet point backwards. Some say their feet actually do not point backwards and that's a myth. But I've seen and heard both just watching YouTube videos and reading articles. 

Mmoatia live deep in the forest and are invisible to human beings and regular people and can take on many forms. They use a whistle language to communicate with each other and with human beings. They love bananas. They have families and lives and whole societies. Something very distinct about Mmoatia is they're very good at herbal medicine and some work with a particular Bosom. Also, some Mmotia are known as tricksters.

I've read stories and watched videos where people relay accounts of being taken by Mmoatia into the forest and living there for years and some come out with all this herbal knowledge.

They usually leave some clues that they've taken someone. Watch a YouTube video on that. People will come and they'll tell their whole story and they come and they're very knowledgeable about herbs. 


Akomfoɔ: Traditional Akan Diviners, Priestesses and Priests

Akomfoɔ are diviners, priestesses and priests. The singular term is Ɔkomfoɔ or people will use "Komfo" before the person's name. For example, Komfo Anokye who commanded the Golden Stool from above is a very important person in Asante culture.

The word “Akomfoɔ” comes from the word “Akom” which means “trance”. Imagine being mounted or being possessed by an Ɔbosom. You go into some sort of trance. Some people also say Akom means "to dance." I guess I can see the connection because when you watch videos of people in ceremony or ritual, they do the dance of their particular Ɔbosom until they are, I guess, mounted by them so I can see the connection there.

The job of Akomfoɔ is to preserve and protect the religious and cultural traditions of the ancestors and they play an essential role in ritual. They lead in purifying rites and rituals during special festivals. They offer prayers and sacrifices to Abosom and ancestors. Akomfoɔ also use their herbal knowledge to treat spiritual and physical illnesses. They can remove curses, find the truth in a situation, and reveal evil.  How it works is that an Ɔbosom descends on them in order to directly communicate with humans about their problems and you typically go to an Ɔbosom for divination purposes. 

You are called to be an Ɔkomfoɔ, it's not really something you decide to become. I talked about it a little bit in S5E1: Traditional Education & African Indigenous Knowledge in Ghana. Some people say they have visions, hear certain things, and get ill.  When they go to an Ɔkomfoɔ and are diagnosed, that's when all their visions or illness stop. That's one of the signs that you're being called. Once you are called, you undergo several years of training—about three years, that's what I read. You learn about the craft, including the Ɔbosom you're serving, their taboos, their dances, their songs and you also learn divination.

Nananom Nsamanfoɔ: The Enlightened Ancestors

Nananom Nsamanfoɔ are the Enlightened Ancestors.  When someone passes, their spirit goes to another place called Asamando (Asamandzie in Fante) which means land of the spirits. They are then either accepted into Asamando or refused entry. Because of this, not everyone who passes away is considered an Enlightened Ancestor. This is because you must meet several criteria. One of them is fulfilling your purpose in life, amongst other things. 

I'll talk more about purpose soon. Those that don't become part of Nananom Nsamanfoɔ wait to be reincarnated. Reincarnation is something that Akan people believe in and so that's where that comes from. Nananom Nsamanfoɔ are respected, revered and venerated, they're not worshipped. We pay them the highest form of respect and honour. And they're not seen as Bosom, they're different. Because of the life they lived on Earth, they're very wise and they're here to protect and guide us through life. So that's the role that they play. 

Because of their new status as Nananom Nsamanfoɔ, they acquire special insight or foresight that allow them to guide and protect us and see things that we don't necessarily see. We call on them and invoke them by pouring libations, leaving offerings for them in the form of food or drink, and naming our children after them. 

Nananom Nsamanfoɔ are always with us and it's really important to build a relationship with them and get to know them, just like your family members. When you build a relationship, you can ask them for assistance in your life, talk to them, engage them during prayer, etc.

Nkrabea and Hyɛbrɛ: Purpose, Fate and Destiny

In Akan spirituality, we believe that we all have a purpose in life. Two words that I kept seeing in my research related to this concept are nkrabea and hyɛbrɛ. I found that they were often used interchangeably and sometimes the meanings are switched. I actually watched so many videos, read, also consulted some relatives and elders just to find a conclusive meaning of those two words. Spoiler alert: I didn't arrive at a conclusive definition, but I'll present what I learned. In general, the concept of nkrabea and hyɛbrɛ discuss purpose, fate, and destiny. Lowkey, I feel like trying to translate them into English is what has caused some of the confusion, but anyway... 

Nkrabea

Some believe nkrabea means the place we said goodbye to Nyame before entering Earth and being born. In the Akan language, "nkra" means saying goodbye or bidding farewell. It can also mean message. That's where that definition comes from. 

Another meaning is nkrabea is the work we came here to do on Earth. This is something we chose before coming on Earth and it's a promise to Nyame on what we came here to do. Because of this, some people believe that we can't change our nkrabea, it's fixed. And of course, as I said, some people have different meanings and definitions. Some people believe that you can change your nkrabea. 

Hyɛbrɛ

Now, let's discuss hyɛbrɛ. Some people believe that hyɛbrɛ is the path we take to do what we came to do on Earth. It can also describe your circumstances and the life and the things we encounter on Earth. For example, our family members, how and when we pass, how we make money, what we go through in life. We have hyɛbrɛ with every reincarnation until we come to a state of wisdom and divine consciousness. That was another definition that I liked. 

As you experience different lives and go through a path of learning, Ɔdomankoma or Nyame gives you adom (grace), which can remove the negative aspects of your hyɛbrɛ. Some people also believe that hyɛbrɛ can be changed and others don't think it can be changed no matter what you do. 

Those are the different concepts and ideas that I found in the rabbit hole I went through trying to find the definitions of nkrabea and hyɛbrɛ.  In conclusion, many ideas are floating around about the meaning of nkrabea and hyɛbrɛ. And so for me, the takeaway is that we all have a purpose on Earth and there's a path that we take to fulfill our purpose. We learn and figure out our purpose by sitting with ourselves, reflecting on what we feel connected to, being in community with others who often recognize our strengths and what we're good at, and also being spiritually connected.

How to Learn More About Akan Spirituality

I hope you enjoy this episode. If you want to learn more, I would ask family members or elders. A lot of this stuff is woven into our culture so even if people claim to not practice, it's so embedded in our culture that there's no way to remove it from our traditions and customs. 

If you live in Ghana or you're able to visit Ghana, it’s a unique opportunity to learn about these customs and traditions, right where they take place. Some of these are woven into nature sites. For example, Bosomtwe, Tano and Bruku are nature sites where people conduct tours and are there to educate you.  You can go to those nature sites and honestly just be in that environment and learn more there. You can also read the sources I provided in the Episode Notes. All of the references I used are there. 

This was the last episode of season five. Thank you so much for listening to this season of Asase Ba. I want to thank everyone who supported this podcast by sharing and engaging. It just makes me so happy to see that. I'm very proud of this season and I really hope you enjoyed it as well. Of course, I'll be back next year for another season. If you want to keep up with Asase Ba while we're on a break and learn any updates, you can check out our website at asaseba.com.  Also follow us on social media—Instagram, Twitter, TikTok—@AsaseBaPod. Keep the conversation going: what do you know about your traditional spirituality? What would you like to learn? #AsaseBaPod. Thank you so much once again, and I will see you soon. Bye bye.

Want to learn more about traditional African knowledge? Contact us for educational workshops tailored to your community organization, library or university/college.

 

Episode Notes

In the season 5 finale of Asase Ba, I talk about the traditional spirituality of Akan people. I discuss Nyankopon, Asaase Yaa/Afua, the Abosom, Nananom Nsamanfo, Mmoatia, hyebre vs. nkrabea and more!

Join in on the conversation! Use the hashtag #AsaseBaPod.

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HOST

This podcast is produced, edited and hosted by Ghanaian Canadian Michelle (pronouns: she/her). She is also the creator of the theme music.

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REFERENCES

Arthur, K. (2017). Cloth as metaphor: (Re)reading the adinkra cloth symbols of the Akan of Ghana. iUniverse. 

Bempah, K. (2010). Akan Traditional Religion: The Truth and the myths. Booksurge. 

Botchway, D.-V. N. Y. M., & Sarpong, A. A. (2015). Indigenous work ethics among Akan of Ghana. Religions: A Scholarly Journal, 2015(1). https://doi.org/10.5339/rels.2015.work.14 

Coffie, C. K. (2003). Obosom Tigare of nsiakrom: A study of an indigenous religious movement among the Akan of Ghana (thesis). Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/1807/118136

Ephirim-Donkor, A. (2008). Akom: The Ultimate Mediumship Experience among the Akan. Journal of the American Academy of Religion, 76(1), 54–81. http://www.jstor.org/stable/40006025

Ephirim-Donkor, A. (2017). African religion defined: A systematic study of ancestor worship among the Akan. Hamilton Books, an imprint of Rowman & Littlefield. 

Harvey, M. (2015). Medial Deities and Relational Meanings: Tracing Elements of an Akan Grammar of Knowing. Journal of Africana Religions, 3(4), 397–441. https://doi.org/10.5325/jafrireli.3.4.0397

Kwamena-Poh, M. A. (1975). The Traditional Informal System of Education In Pre-colonial Ghana. Présence Africaine, 95, 269–283. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/24349566

Kyerewaa, O. N. A. (2005). The quest for spiritual transformation: Introduction to traditional Akan religion, rituals and practices. iUniverse, Inc. 

Kwame Brenya - Abosom (gods). YouTube. (2020, August 29) https://youtu.be/8i_ZytYtoSM

Kwame Brenya - Asaase yaa (earth goddess). YouTube. (2020, August 22). https://youtu.be/qBGHGu8km3w

Kwame Brenya - ƆKƆMFOƆ (priest). YouTube. (2020, September 12). https://youtu.be/B3c8ZtskNAU

Kwame Brenya - HYƐBRƐ (Destiny). YouTube. (2020, October 17). https://youtu.be/EEpVTPYrhoA?si=gdVk6VyK84UMLMoH

Michelle
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