Akan religion
Encyclopedia
The Akan people
of Ghana
and Ivory Coast believe in a supreme god who takes on various names depending upon the region of worship.
The highest god is called by some to be Brekyirihunuade ("he who knows and sees everything"), Otweidiampon, Okokroko, Onyame, Awurade, Odomankoma. There are no priests that serve him directly, and people believe that they may make direct contact with him.
According Akan mythology, at one time the god interacted with man, but that after being continually struck by the pestle of an old woman pounding fufu
, a traditional Ghanaian food, he moved far up into the sky.
Besides this focus on theism, Akan mythology shares animism and ancestor worship with the other African traditional religions:
Spirits are known as abosom. They receive their power from the supreme god and are most often connected to the world as it appears in its natural state.
These include ocean and river spirits and various local deities.
Priests serve individual spirits and act as mediators between the gods and mankind. Nearly everyone participates in daily prayer, which includes the pouring of libation
s as an offering to both the ancestors who are buried in the land and to the spirits who are everywhere.
The earth is seen as a female deity and is directly connected to fertility
and fecundity
.
Finally there is he Nsamanfo (Ancestors). The Akan traditional religion pays respect to their ancestors.
Akan people
The Akan people are an ethnic group found predominately in Ghana and The Ivory Coast. Akans are the majority in both of these countries and overall have a population of over 20 million people.The Akan speak Kwa languages-Origin and ethnogenesis:...
of Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
and Ivory Coast believe in a supreme god who takes on various names depending upon the region of worship.
The highest god is called by some to be Brekyirihunuade ("he who knows and sees everything"), Otweidiampon, Okokroko, Onyame, Awurade, Odomankoma. There are no priests that serve him directly, and people believe that they may make direct contact with him.
According Akan mythology, at one time the god interacted with man, but that after being continually struck by the pestle of an old woman pounding fufu
Fufu
Fufu, , is a staple snack of West and Central Africa. It is a thick paste usually made by boiling starchy root vegetables in water and pounding with a mortar and pestle until the desired consistency is reached...
, a traditional Ghanaian food, he moved far up into the sky.
Besides this focus on theism, Akan mythology shares animism and ancestor worship with the other African traditional religions:
Spirits are known as abosom. They receive their power from the supreme god and are most often connected to the world as it appears in its natural state.
These include ocean and river spirits and various local deities.
Priests serve individual spirits and act as mediators between the gods and mankind. Nearly everyone participates in daily prayer, which includes the pouring of libation
Libation
A libation is a ritual pouring of a liquid as an offering to a god or spirit or in memory of those who have died. It was common in many religions of antiquity and continues to be offered in various cultures today....
s as an offering to both the ancestors who are buried in the land and to the spirits who are everywhere.
The earth is seen as a female deity and is directly connected to fertility
Fertility
Fertility is the natural capability of producing offsprings. As a measure, "fertility rate" is the number of children born per couple, person or population. Fertility differs from fecundity, which is defined as the potential for reproduction...
and fecundity
Fecundity
Fecundity, derived from the word fecund, generally refers to the ability to reproduce. In demography, fecundity is the potential reproductive capacity of an individual or population. In biology, the definition is more equivalent to fertility, or the actual reproductive rate of an organism or...
.
Finally there is he Nsamanfo (Ancestors). The Akan traditional religion pays respect to their ancestors.