JOJO COBINAH
Gye Nyame

(except God).

Symbol of the

Omnipotence

and immortality

of God

From: Philippa Andoh

 Anserwa is Sankofa symbol

Adinkerahene.

 Another version of

Adinkerahene.

Unlike the other version

of this symbol, this symbol

is used as a symbol

in itself for printing.

Afena (a state

ceremonial sword).

 "Akofena kunim ko a,

 wobo afena

 kye no safohene."

 The retiring great warrior

always has

a royal sword of rest.

 Recognition of galantry.
 

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 Sunsum

(soul).

Some Akans believe

that the soul

of a ruler inhabits

a younger courtier

Pa gya

 (to strike fire or make fire).

This is said to represent war.
 

 Keerapa

(Musu yide)

Good fortune sanctity.

"Kerapa te se

okera.Okyiri fi."

 Sanctity like a cat.

Abhors filth.

Symbol of sanctity

and good fortune

 Ako-ben (war horn).

The sound of Akoben

isa battle cry,

 hence it symbolizes a

call toarms.

 Aya

(the firn)

 This word also means

'I am not afraidof you.'

 A symbol of defiance.

 Ohene niwa

(in the king's eye).

The king has lots

ofeyes and nothing

is hidden from him.

 Nsaa

(a kind of blanket).

 Nea onim

 nsaa naoto nago.

Ohen tuo

(The king's gun).

 Defende or

protector

of the king.

Nkonsonkonso

(link or chain)

 We are linkedin

both life and death

Those who sharecommon

blood relations never

break apart.

Symbol of

human relations 

 Akoma Ntoaso

A symbol of agreement

 or a charter.

 Anibere

 a enso gya,

 nka mani abere koo.

Seriousness does

 not show fiery

 eyes elseyou

will see my face all red.

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 Gyamu atiko.

This is said to

 be the design

shavedby Gyawu,

a once Bantamahene

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Osrane ne nsoroma

(moon and star).

A symbol offaithfulness.

Mpuannum

(Nkontimsofo o Puaa)

 Five tuftsof hair.

 A traditionally

 fashionable hair style.

FUTUMFRAFO
Funtunfunafu denkyem

funafu won

afuru bom nso

worididi a na wo ko.

Sharing one stomach

 yet they fight over food.

Krado - mmra krado (Seal of law and order). Symbolizing the authority of the court.

Tabon

(paddle)

 Paddles are more

common with

coastal tribes.

 

 Dwanimen

(Ram's horn)

 "Dwonnin ye asise

a ode n'akorana na

 ennye ne mben."

 It is the heart and

 not the horns

that leads a ram

to bully. Concealment.

Adinkra hene (Adinkra king). Chief of all the adinkra designs. Forms the basis of adinkera printing.

Afena

(a state ceremonial sword). "Akofena kunim ko a, wobo afena kye no safohene."

The retiring great warrior always has a royal sword of rest. Recognition of gallantry.

 Mframa-dan

(wind house)

 House built to stand

 windy and

 treacherous conditions

 Fofoo.

 Se die fofoo

 pe ne se

 gyinantwi abo bedie.

 What the fofoo plant

 wants is that

the gyinantwi seeds

 should turn black.

Symbol of jealousy.

Bese saka

(a bunch of cola nuts)

 Bese (cola nut)

 is the favorite

of the northern tribes.
 

Mpuannum

(Nkontimsofo o Puaa)

 Five tuftsof hair.

 A traditionally

 fashionable hair style.
 

 Kode Emower Ewa

 (the talons of the eagle)

 This is said to

be shaved on the

heads of some

court attendants.

 Nyame nwu na mawu.

 If Nyame

(God) dies,

 then Imay die.

 Perpetual existence.

Akoma

(the heart)

"Nya akoma

(take heart)."

Have patience.

Symbol of patience

 and endurance.
 

 PEMPAMIE
Hye wo nyhe

(the one who burns

you be notburned)

 Symbol of forgiveness.

 Turn the other cheek.

Ako-ben

(war horn)

 Another significant

version of the

war horn which

symbolizes a

call to arms.
 

Epa

(handcuffs)

 "Onii a n epa da wo

nsa no, ne akowa

 ne wo."

You are the slave

of him whose

handcuffs you wea





 

Duafe

(the wooden comb)

 One of the very

few representational

 forms in

adinkra patterns.

Nyame Nwu Na Mawu
(God Never Dies,

Therefore I Cannot Die)

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 Bi-nka-bi.

 Obi nka obi

(bite not one another)

 Avoid conflicts.

Symbol of Unity

Dame-Dame

(a draft game).

 A more traditionally

 popular game is oware.
 

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 Nsoroma

(a child of the heavens)

 "Obu Nyankon

 soroma te Nyame na

onte neho so"

 (A child of the

Supremem Being

I do not depend

on myself.

 My illumination

 is only a

reflection of His.)."

Nkyin kyin

 (ohema nkyinkyin)

Changing one's self.

 Playing many roles.

 Ntesie-matemasie

 (I have heard

and kept it).

"Nyansa bun mu

nne mate masie."

Symbol of wisdom

 and knowledge.

Owo foro adobE

 (snake climbing

 the palm).

 Performing the

 unusual

or the impossible.

 Wawa Aba

(the seed of the

wawa tree).

'Wawa' is a hard

wood used in carving,

 hence its significance

 in Akan culture.

 Fihankra

(the circular house

of complete house).

This signifies safety

or security in a home.

 Dono

(drum)

This symbol is

more like the dono

 drum than the

other symbol

for the dono drum.

.

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 KRAMO
Kramo-bone amma

yanhu kramo-pa.

 We cannot tell

a good mohammedan

 from a bad one.

The fake and the

genuine look

 alike because

of hypocrisy 

 Gyamu atiko.

This is said to be

 the design shaved

by Gyawu, a

once Bantamahene.

Sepow

(knife used

 in executions)

 This is thrust

through the

victims's cheeks

to prevent his invoking

 a curse on the king.

 Symbol of

the Ghana Production

 Biribi wo soro

 "Nyame biribi wo

soro na ma

embeka mensa

(God there is something

in the heavens,

let it reach me.).

" A symbol of hope

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 Sankofa Another

Sankofa design.

It could be a broken

 piece from the

original design

Nkonsonkonso

(link or chain)

 We are linked

in both life and death

Those who share

 common blood relations

 never break apart.

Symbol of

 human relations.

ADWE

FIE MMOSEA
 

 Mmra krado

 (seal of the law)

 Symbolizing

supreme authority.

 Odenkyem

(crocodile)

da nsuo mu

 nso ohome nsuo

ne mframa.

The crocodile lives

 in the water yet

it breathes

 air, not water.

 Osrane

(moon).

 "Osrane nnfiti preko

ntware man."

It takes the moon

 sometime to go

 round the nation

 Sankofa

 (return and fetch it)

 "SE wo werE fi

na wosankofa

 a yenkyi."

It is no taboo

to return and

fetch it when

you forget.

You can always

 undo your mistakes.

 Nhwimu

(crossing).

 The divisions done

 on to the plain cloth

 before the

stamping is done.

Krado - mmra krado

 (Seal of law

 and order).

 Symbolizing

the authority

 of the court 

 Aban

(fence)

Representing

fenced homes.

 A protector.

 Double security.

 Safe and sound.

 Fool-proof.

Ako-ben

(war horn).

 The sound

of Akoben

is a battle cry,

hence it symbolizes

 a call to arms.