Adinkra are visual symbols or ideographs that represent concepts and aphorisms originating from the Akan people, the dominant ethnic group of present-day Ghana and the Ivory Coast located in West Africa. Adinkra are an important part of Ashanti culture, an ethnic subgroup of the Akan people.
The Ashanti Empire spanned a large portion of West Africa, including what is today Ghana, from the late 17th century until the early 20th century, until the British deposed and exiled the Ashanti king and annexed the Ashanti Empire to the Gold Coast colony in 1902. The Gold Coast gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1957, the first African colony to do so, and renamed itself the Republic of Ghana.
The origins of Adinkra symbols are debated and several theories exist to explain their creation. The origin story from the Ashanti is that the first chief priest of the Ashanti who lived in the 7th century called down from the heavens the golden stool, the royal throne which came to symbolize the power of Ashanti kings.
The first recorded account of the existence of Adinkra symbols is from a drawing of an Akan celebration in Thomas E. Bowdrich’s book Mission from Cape Coast to Ashantee, published in 1819. The British government sent Bowdrich to Ghana in 1817, and his book that came out of his expedition was the first European account of the Ashanti people.
Adinkra symbols are widely used all throughout present-day Ghana, which I saw for myself during my study abroad trip to Ghana this past summer. Adinkra symbols can be found on clothing, fabric, furniture, jewelry, art, decorations, common day-to-day objects, and even in architecture; I remember seeing exposed cinderblocks used in all sorts of construction and architecture throughout Ghana bearing the very common Adinkra symbol Gyε Nyamε (pronounced “jyeh nyah-meh”).
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While Adinkra symbols have been adapted to be used in everyday life on all kinds of objects, traditionally they were used in considerably more limited and reverent ways as ceremonial clothing pieces. Traditional Adinkra cloths and clothing are stamped with carved calabash (a type of gourd common to Ghana) stamps using a dye made from the badie tree.
The bark of the badie tree is boiled and then strained from the resulting dark liquid that forms. The liquid is further boiled down until it is a thick, ink-like dye. Traditionally, Ashanti royalty, spiritual leaders, and other elites wore Adinkra cloth to special occasions, including to funerals as a way to honor the deceased.
Symbols represent ideas. Adinkra are visual symbols that represent concepts, proverbs, and aphorisms. They originated from the Akans of Ghana in the 1700s or before. Back then, they featured as prints on cloth which royals wore to important ceremonies.
But they have transcended these Akan origins. They now grace logos, clothing, furniture, architecture, and more. Saturated with meaning, Adinkra have come to represent the richness of Akan culture in particular and African culture in general. They serve as a concise way to convey deep truths in visual form.
In fact, many of the symbols have their own associated Akan proverbs. Due to their appealing attributes, Adinkra symbols are often used in logos and emblems to promote ideas and causes.
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What Is the Origin of Adinkra Symbols? - African Roots And Routes
Specific Adinkra Symbols and Their Meanings for Family
- Eban: A symbol of love, safety and security. The home of the Akan is a special place. A home which has a fence around it is considered to be an ideal residence. The fence symbolically separates and secures the family from the outside.
- Gye Nyame: Except God. A symbol expressing the omnipotence and supremacy of God.
- Sankofa: Go back and get it! A symbol for the wisdom of learning from the past to build for the future. While Gye Nyame may be the most popular Adinkra symbol in Ghana, Sankofa is the most popular one beyond the shores of Ghana, serving as a symbol of deep spiritual significance for many African Americans and other Africans in the diaspora who want to connect with their roots.
Sankofa has two main representations: a bird and a stylized heart. The current one is the famous Sankofa bird, a mythical bird with its head turned backwards, holding an egg in its beak, while it appears to move forward. This depicts the importance of drawing lessons from the past to guide the present and the future. This stylized heart with spirals is an alternative representation of the Sankofa symbol.
- Asase Ye Duru: The earth has weight.
- Boa Me Na Me Mmoa Wo: Help me and let me help you. A symbol of cooperation and interdependence.
- Odo Nnyew Fie Kwan: Love does not lose its way home.
- Nyame Dua: God's tree (sacred stump).
- Nyame Nti: By God's grace. More literally, "Because of God." A symbol of faith and trust in God.
- Sesa Wo Suban: Change your character.
- Adinkrahene: King of the Adinkra symbols. A symbol for authority, leadership, and charisma. Also a symbol for qualities associated with kings.
- Dwennimmen: Ram's horns. A symbol of strength (in mind, body, and soul), humility, wisdom, and learning.
- Mpatam: Pacification knot.
- Mate Masie: I have heard and kept it. A symbol of wisdom, knowledge, and prudence.
- Mmere Dane: Time changes (times change).
- Nkyinkyim: Twisting. A symbol representing the tortuous nature of life's journey and, also, the toughness, versatility, and dynamism required to thrive in it.
- Nkonsonkonson: This link or chain represents the importance of bonds between people. As is the case of many Adinkra symbols, this basic meaning has been adapted to symbolize a variety of human bonds. The bond between the living and those who have died signifies that even when separated by death, the link between those who shared an important bond in life is never truly broken. This everlasting bond calls for veneration and remembrance of the deceased by the living. The Nkɔnsɔnkɔnsɔn symbol is an affirmation that relationships are important because people are inextricably interdependent of each other. Our lives are created, shaped, and given meaning by other humans, and we provide the same in return. For many, this unity between people that is central to human existence does not begin and end with life, but continues on in a link spanning from those who are alive to all those who have passed on into death.
- Odomankoma: Totality of the universe or the vast expanse of creation. A symbol of the totality of the universe--natural and social creation. From the expression, "Abode santann yi firi tete, firi Odomankoma; Odomankoma boo adee; oboo awia, osrane ne nsoromma, oboo nsuo ne mframa; oboo nkwa, oboo nipa, na oboo owuo. Ote saa daa," to wit, "This panorama of creation is from time immemorial, from God; God created things; he created the sun, the moon, and the starts, he created water and the wind; he created life, he created human beings, and he created death. He remains the same." According to Arthur, the symbol incorporates the eye, teh rays of teh sun, the double crescent moon, and teh stool.
Using Symbols in Family Life
Families care for each other over the decades and during times of struggle or illness.
Family ceremonies, such as weddings, births, and funerals, present an ideal opportunity to use symbols of family.
Symbols can be incorporated into presents for family members, either in the gift’s packaging or the gift itself.
Traditional and contemporary African arts and crafts often feature symbols of family.
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Some Africans wear symbols of family as jewelry, clothing adornments, or accessories. A family might even want to wear matching items.
Some families use a specific symbol or a modified version as their family’s crest or emblem.
