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Adinkra symbols

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This article is about the Akan visual symbols. For the term in physics, see Adinkra symbols (physics).

Samples of recorded Adinkra symbols

Adinkra are symbols from Ghana that represent concepts or aphorisms. Adinkra are used extensively in fabrics, logos and pottery. They are incorporated into walls and other architectural features. Adinkra symbols appear on some traditional Akan goldweights. The symbols are also carved on stools for domestic and ritual use. Tourism has led to new departures in the use of symbols in items such as T-shirts and jewellery.

The symbols have a decorative function but also represent objects that encapsulate evocative messages conveying traditional wisdom, aspects of life, or the environment. There are many symbols with distinct meanings, often linked with proverbs. In the words of Kwame Anthony Appiah, they were one of the means for "supporting the transmission of a complex and nuanced body of practice and belief".[1]

History

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Adinkra calabash stamps

One oral tradition states that Adinkra symbols were originally created by the Bono people of Gyaman.[2] The Gyaman king, Nana Kwadwo Agyemang Adinkra, originally created or designed these symbols, naming it after himself. The Adinkra symbols were largely used on pottery, stools etc. by the people of Gyaman people. Adinkra cloth was worn by the king of Gyaman, and its usage spread from Gyaman to Asante and other Akan kingdoms following its defeat. It is said that the guild designers who designed this cloth for the Kings were forced to teach the Asantes the craft. Gyaman king Nana Kwadwo Agyemang Adinkra's first son, Apau, who was said to be well versed in the Adinkra craft, was forced to teach more about Adinkra cloths. Oral accounts have attested to the fact that Adinkra Apau taught the process to a man named Kwaku Dwaku in a town near Kumasi.[3][4][5][6][7][8] Over time, all Akan people including the Fante, Akuapem and Akyem all made Adinkra symbols a major part of their culture.

This oral tradition of a Gyaman origin however has been directly disproven, as the Gyaman-Asante war in which tradition recounts the Asante learning Adinkra symbols from Gyaman started in 1818 and the campaign ended in 1819. Two years before this in 1817, Thomas Bowdich visited Kumasi and had personally seen and written about Adinkra cloth being produced in the Asante capital of Kumasi. He also brought back a physical example of Adinkra cloth from Kumasi which is still in the British Museum today. The name of the cloth being Adinkra is explained by an informant from Asokwa that related to Kojo Arthur that King Adinkra's body was found in a pile of dead people and when it was retrieved, his body was found to be covered in Ntiamu Ntoma (Stamped cloth). From then on Ntiamu Ntoma became known as Adinkra cloth. Which suggests that the cloth was known before 1818 and became associated with Adinkra after the war. In the Asokwa and Ntonso areas Adinkra cloth is still referred to as Ntiamu Ntoma. [9][10]

There are other hypothesis and oral traditions for the origin of Adinkra cloth and it's name, such as it originating in Denkyira, though these haven't been disproven they all have their respective issues and the exact origin of Adinkra cloth is not something that is clear.[11]

The oldest surviving adinkra cloth was made in 1817. The cloth features 15 stamped symbols, including nsroma (stars), dono ntoasuo (double Dono drums), and diamonds. The patterns were printed using carved calabash stamps and a vegetable-based dye. It has resided in the British Museum since 1818, when it was donated by Thomas E. Bowdich.[12][13][14]

The next oldest piece of adinkra textile was sent in 1825 from the Elmina Castle to the royal cabinet of curiosities in The Hague, in response to an assignment from Major Friedrich Last, who was appointed temporary Commander of Dutch Gold Coast. He had the cloth commissioned from the Fante paramount chief of Elmina for William I of the Netherlands, which would explain why the coat of arms of the Netherlands is in the centre. The other motifs are typical of the older adinkras. It is now on display in the National Museum of Ethnology in Leiden.[15]

In November 2020, a school board in York, Pennsylvania, banned "a children's coloring book that featured African Adrinkra [sic] symbols found in fabrics, logos and pottery."[16] The decision was subsequently overturned.[17]

Adinkra cloth

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In Akan (Twi), the term adinkra refers to not symbols, but a particular type of cloth.[18][19] Adinkra cloths were traditionally only worn by royalty and spiritual leaders for funerals and other very special occasions. In the past they were hand-printed on undyed, red, dark brown or black hand-woven natural cotton fabric depending on the occasion and the wearer's role; nowadays they are frequently mass-produced on brighter coloured fabrics.[3]

The present centre of traditional production of adinkra cloth is from Ghana, Ntɔnso, 20 km northwest of Kumasi and in Ivory Coast.[20] Dark Adinkra aduro pigment for the stamping is made there, by soaking, pulverizing, and boiling the inner bark and roots of the badie tree (Bridelia ferruginea)[21] in water over a wood fire. Once the dark colour is released, the mixture is strained, and then boiled for several more hours until it thickens. The stamps are carved out of the bottom of a calabash piece. They measure between five and eight centimetres square. They have a handle on the back, and the stamp itself is slightly curved so that the dye can be put on with a rocking motion.

  • 1817 Adinkra mourning cloth
    1817 Adinkra mourning cloth
  • 1825 Adinkra cloth
    1825 Adinkra cloth
  • Anthony Boakye uses a comb to mark parallel lines on an adinkra cloth in Ntonso, Ghana.
  • Anthony Boakye prints an adinkra cloth with a calabash stamp in Ntonso, Ghana.

Sample of symbols listed

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Adinkra symbols recorded by Robert Sutherland Rattray, 1927
Adinkra alphabet is a phonetic writing system derived from adinkra symbols

Recorded sample of 53 adinkra symbols and their meanings.

List of symbols and Information
Number Symbol Name Literal Meaning Further Details Related Symbols
1 Aban a two-storied house, a castle This design was formerly worn by the King of Asante alone.[22]: 265 
4 Adinkira 'hene the Adinkira king 'chief' of all these Adinkira designs[23]: 266 
8 Agyindawuru the agyin tree's gong the juice of a tree of that name is sometimes squeezed into a gong and is said to make the sound pleasing to the spirits[23]: 266 
Akam an edible plant, possibly a yam [23]: 266 
9 Akoben the war-horn
12 Akoko nan tia 'ba, na nkum 'ba A hen treads upon chickens but does not kill them [23]: 268 
13 Akoma a heart, sometimes with a cross in the centre [23]: 267 
[None listed] No. 13
14 AKOMA NTOSO the joined hearts [22]
18 Aya the fern the word also means 'I am not afraid of you', 'I am independent of you' and the wearer may imply this by wearing it[22]
20 BI NKA BI no one should bite the other
23 DAME-DAME name of a board game symbol of intelligence and ingenuity
25 Dono the dono drum [23]: 268 
26 Dono ntoasuo the double dono drums [23]: 266 
27 Duafe the wooden comb [22]
28 Dwenini aben the ram's horns [23]: 266 
30 Epa handcuffs [22]
34 Fihankra the circular house [23]: 266 
35 Se die fofoo pe, ne se gyinantwi abo bedie what the yellow-flowered fofoo plant wants is that the gyinantwi seeds should turn black An Asante saying. One of the cotton cloth designs bears the same name. The fofoo, the botanical name of which is Bidens pilosa, has a small yellow flower, which, when it drops its petals, turns into a black spiky seed. Said of a jealous person. According to Ayensu (1978), the gyinantwi also refers to Bidens pilosa.[23]: 266 [24]
37 Funtunfunefu Denkyemfunefu Siamese crocodiles They share one stomach yet they fight over food
38 Gyawu Atiko the back of Gyawu's head Gyawu was a sub-chief of Bantama who at the Odwira ceremony is said to have had his hair shaved in this fashion[22]
39 Gye Nyame 'Except God' or 'Only God' Fear none but God[23]: 267 
41 Hye wo nhye He who would burn you be not burned [23]: 266 
44 Kojo Biaden
47 Papani amma yenhu Kramo The (large number of) people who do good prevents us knowing who really are Mohammedans as adherents of Islam are enjoined to do good works in the community, and increasing numbers of non-Muslims are also doing so, we can no longer use that criterion to distinguish those Muslims living amongst us[23]: 266 
49 Kuntinkantan bent and spread out nkuntinkantan is used in the sense of 'do not boast, do not be arrogant'[22]
50 Obohemaa Queen of stones copied from Europeans adopted by Akans to define Gold Coast's diamond mining, which began in 1919[25][23]: 267 
Non listed Kwatakye atiko at the back of Kwatakye's head Kwatakye was a war captain of one of the Asante kings; at the Odwira ceremony he is said to have cut his hair after this fashion[23]: 267 
Non listed Mmrafo ani ase the keloids on a Hausa man
55 Mmra Krado the Hausa man's lock [23]
56 Musuyidie something to remove evil a cloth with this design stamped upon it lay beside the sleeping couch of the King of Asante, and every morning when he rose he placed his left foot upon it three times[23]
58 Mpuannum five tufts (of hair) [22]
62 Nkonsonkonson links of a chain [23]
63 Nkotimsefuopua Certain attendants on the Queen Mother who dressed their hair in this fashion. Variation of a swastika.[22]
64 Nkuruma kese dried okras [22]
66 Nkyimkyim the twisted pattern [22]
68 Nsaa from a design of this name found on nsa cloths[22]
69 Nsirewa cowries [22]
70 Nsoroma / Nsoromma a child of the Sky / Child of the Heavens referring to the saying: Oba Nyankon soroma te Nyame so na onte ne ho so, 'Like the star, the child of the Supreme Being, I rest with God and do not depend upon myself.' / the pattern was on the King of Asante's pillow[23]: 267 
71 Ma te; Masie I have heard (what you have said); I have hidden it this extols the virtue of being able to keep a confidence[23]: 267 
Non listed Nyame, biribi wo soro, ma no me ka me nsa O God, everything which is above, permit my hand to touch it the pattern was stamped on paper and hung above the lintel of a door in the palace. The King of Asante used to touch lintel, then his forehead, then his breast, repeating these words three times[23]
74 Nyame dua an altar to the Sky God [23]
76 Nyame nwu na ma wu May Nyame die before I die [23]
Non listed Obi nka obie I offend no one without a cause [23]: 267 
84 Ohene niwa (in) the king's little eyes To be in the king's favour[23]: 267 
85 Ohen' tuo the king's gun [23]: 267 
86 Kodie mmowerewa the eagle's talons [23]: 268 
92 Owo Foro Adobe The symbol of heroic deeds and accomplishing the impossible, but being quiet about it
Pa gya To strike fire (with a flint) [23]: 267 
96 Sankofa turn back and fetch it [22]
97 Sankofa turn back and fetch it [22]
98 Sepow a knife thrust through the cheeks of a man the man is about to be executed to prevent his invoking of a curse on the king[23][page needed]

Notes

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  1. ^ Appiah, Kwame Anthony (1993). In My Father's House: Africa in the Philosophy of Culture (1st paperback ed.). New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-506852-8.
  2. ^ "Adinkra Ghanaian Textile is a printed traditional cloth in Ghana". Bellafricana. 30 June 2015. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
  3. ^ a b DeMello, Margo (30 May 2014). Inked: Tattoos and Body Art around the World [2 volumes]. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 978-1-61069-076-8.
  4. ^ "Adinkra Symbols | African Themed Weddings | African Wedding Ceremonies | African Wedding Traditions". Archived from the original on 8 June 2020. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  5. ^ "History and Origin of Adinkra Symbols". 25 April 2015.
  6. ^ "Adinkra Symbols and the Rich Akan Culture". African Heritage. 27 August 2014.
  7. ^ Boateng, Boatema (2011). The Copyright Thing Doesn't Work Here: Adinkra and Kente Cloth and Intellectual Property in Ghana. University of Minnesota Press. ISBN 978-0-8166-7002-4.
  8. ^ Rucker, Walter C. (2006). The River Flows on: Black Resistance, Culture, and Identity Formation in Early America. LSU Press. ISBN 978-0-8071-3109-1.
  9. ^ Arthur, Kojo (2001). Cloth as metaphor : (re)reading the Adinkra cloth symbols of the Akan of Ghana. Internet Archive. Legon, Ghana : Centre for Indigenous Knowledge Systems. pp. 24, 34. ISBN 978-9988-0-0791-1.
  10. ^ McCaskie, Tom C. (2011). "Local Knowledge: An Akuapem Twi History of Asante". History in Africa. 38: 192. ISSN 0361-5413.
  11. ^ Arthur, Kojo (2001). Cloth as metaphor : (re)reading the Adinkra cloth symbols of the Akan of Ghana. Internet Archive. Legon, Ghana : Centre for Indigenous Knowledge Systems. pp. 25–26. ISBN 978-9988-0-0791-1.
  12. ^ "Adinkra". Encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
  13. ^ "Adinkra Ghanaian Textile is a printed traditional cloth in Ghana". Bellafricana. 30 June 2015. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
  14. ^ "cloth | British Museum". The British Museum. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
  15. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 22 March 2012. Retrieved 13 April 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) clickable image on right links to description
  16. ^ Locurto, Tina. "'Afraid to teach': School's book ban targeted Black, Latino authors". York Dispatch. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  17. ^ "Central York School District Reverses Diversity Ban: 'We Have Heard You'". yorkdispatch.com. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
  18. ^ Christaller, Johann Gottlieb (1881). "adiṅkărá". A Dictionary of the Asante and Fante Language Called Tshi (Chwee, Tw̌i). Basel: The Evengelical Missionary Society. p. 84.
  19. ^ Kotey, Paul A. (1998). Twi-English/English-Twi Dictionary. New York: Hippocrene Books. p. 23. ISBN 978-0-7818-0264-2.
  20. ^ "Cool Planet - Oxfam Education". Oxfam GB. Archived from the original on 29 July 2012. Retrieved 16 April 2011.
  21. ^ Jansen, P. C. M. (2005). Dyes and Tannins. PROTA (Plant Resources of Tropical Africa). p. 102. ISBN 9057821591. Retrieved 19 June 2013.
  22. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Rattray, Robert Sutherland (1958). Religion and Art in Ashanti – via the Internet Archive.
  23. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac Rattray, R. S. (Robert Sutherland) (1969). Religion and Art in Ashanti. London: Oxford University Press – via the Internet Archive.
  24. ^ Ayensu, Edward S. (1978). Medicinal plants of West Africa. Algonac, Mich.: Reference Publications. p. 101. ISBN 9780917256073.
  25. ^ Arthur, Kojo (2001). Cloth as Metaphor: (Re)Reading the Adinkra Cloth Symbols of the Akan of Ghana. Legon, Ghana: Centre for Indigenous Knowledge Systems. p. 97. ISBN 978-9988-0-0791-1 – via the Internet Archive.

Further reading

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