If you happen to attend an Ashanti funeral, you will see certain signs and symbols in the cloths of the mourners. these symbols are known as 'Adinkra' which translates into 'saying goodbye' and explains why its mostly present as funerals.
What Are The Adinkra Symbols?
Adinkra symbols are signs, pictures, depictions and art that the Akans of West-Africa used to communicate their philosophies, parables, proverbs and culture. They represent a part of the history of the Akans and served as visual accompaniment to the oral traditions and stories that were passed on from one generation to the other. They are also “a translation of thoughts and ideas, expressing and symbolizing the values and beliefs of the people among whom they occur.” (Agbo ix)
History of the Adinkra Symbols
There are many theories and stories as to the origin of the Adinkra symbols. The earliest of these is that Okomfo Anokye the most famous fetish priest in Asante history conjured an adinkra cloth together with the golden stool from the sky (Willis 31). There’s also the ‘Adinkra Kofi’ theorist who believe the Asantes obtained the adinkra symbols from the king of Gyaman (Ivory Coast) during the Asante-Gyaman wars in 1818 (Arthur 24), this theory although far more credible than its predecessor has however been disproven by latter theorist due to lack of evidence. Another theory which is also believed to have been mixed up with the Adinkra Kofi theory is the ‘Bron Hypothesis’, which states that the asantes obtained the adinkra symbols from the Denkyiras after they defeated them and conquered Domaa in the late 17th century (Arthur 23-4). The ‘Bron Hypothesis’ theorist claim that the name of the chief of the Denkyira people during the time of the war was Adinkra Panin and it may have gotten mixed up with that of the king of Gyaman in Asante oral history due to the similarities in the name. The last and most debated theory is that the Akans obtained the adinkra symbols from Muslims. A researcher W. Bruce Willis acknowledges the presence of certain Islamic signs in the adinkra symbol system, he disagrees with the theory that adinkra originated from Islamic scripts. He bases his argument on the fact that only a meagre percentage of adinkra symbols have Islamic roots and thus Islam cannot be credited with the invention of the adinkra symbols (The Adinkra Dictionary 31). Most researchers also believe that attributing the adinkra symbols to any other influence apart from the West-Africans implies that the Akans were incapable of developing adinkra symbols themselves.
To sum it up, the adinkra symbols represent a very intriguing form of visual and verbal communication as well as a very important aspect of the Akan culture. Regardless of its origins therefore, it must be appreciated for its true worth as art for the sake of life.
