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Momome
Momome is a female cleansing ritual among some Akan groups in present-day Ghana and Ivory Coast. The ritual is aimed at cleansing the community from impending crisis. The momome ritual in the precolonial setting was held in response to wars, but in the 20th century it has been increasingly evoked in moments of crisis (illness, deposition, death) of prominent figures of the chiefly establishment. See also * Apotropaic magic * Religion in Ghana * Religion in Ivory Coast * Traditional African religions The beliefs and practices of Demographics of Africa, African people are highly diverse, and include various ethnic religions.Encyclopedia of African Religion (Sage, 2009) Molefi Kete Asante Generally, these traditions are oral tradition, oral rath ... References {{reflist Akan culture Akan religion Akan language Culture of Ghana Culture of Ivory Coast Ashanti people ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Akan People
The Akan () people are a kwa languages, Kwa group living primarily in present-day Ghana and in parts of Ivory Coast and Togo in West Africa. The Akan speak languages within the Central Tano languages, Central Tano branch of the Potou–Tano languages, Potou–Tano subfamily of the Niger–Congo languages, Niger–Congo family.''Languages of the Akan Area: Papers in Western Kwa Linguistics and on the Linguistic Geography of the Area of Ancient''. Isaac K. Chinebuah, H. Max J. Trutenau, Linguistic Circle of Accra, Basler Afrika Bibliographien, 1976, pp. 168. Subgroups of the Akan people include: the Adansi, Agona, Akuapem people, Akuapem, Akwamu, Akyem, Anyi people, Anyi, Ashanti people, Asante, Baoulé people, Baoulé, Bono people, Bono, Chakosi people, Chakosi, Fante people, Fante, Kwahu, Sefwi people, Sefwi, Wassa, Ahanta people, Ahanta, Denkyira and Nzema people, Nzema, among others. The Akan subgroups all have cultural attributes in common; most notably the tracing of royal m ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Akan Religion
Akan religion comprises the traditional beliefs and religious practices of the Akan people of Ghana and eastern Ivory Coast. Akan religion is referred to as Akom. Although most Akan people have identified as Christians since the early 20th century, Akan religion remains practiced by some and is often syncretized with Christianity. The Akan have many subgroups (including the Fanti, Ashanti, the Akuapem, the Wassa, the Abron, the Anyi, and the Baoulé, among others), so the religion varies greatly by region and subgroup. Similar to other traditional religions of West and Central Africa such as West African Vodun, Yoruba religion, or Odinani, Akan cosmology consists of a senior god who generally does not interact with humans and many gods who assist humans. Anansi the spider is a folk hero who is prominent in Ashanti folktales where he is depicted as a wise trickster. In other aspects of Akan spirituality, Anansi is also sometimes considered both a trickster and a deity ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ghana
Ghana, officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It is situated along the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, and shares borders with Côte d’Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, and Togo to the east. Ghana covers an area of , spanning diverse ecologies, from coastal savannas to tropical rainforests. With nearly 35 million inhabitants, Ghana is the second-most populous country in West Africa. The capital and largest city is Accra; other significant cities include Tema, Kumasi, Sunyani, Ho, Cape Coast, Techiman, Tamale, and Sekondi-Takoradi. The earliest kingdoms to emerge in Ghana were Bonoman in the south and the Kingdom of Dagbon in the north, with Bonoman existing in the area during the 11th century. The Asante Empire and other Akan kingdoms in the south emerged over the centuries. Beginning in the 15th century, the Portuguese Empire, followed by other European powers, contested the area for trading r ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ivory Coast
Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d'Ivoire and officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a country on the southern coast of West Africa. Its capital city of Yamoussoukro is located in the centre of the country, while its largest List of cities in Ivory Coast, city and economic centre is the port city of Abidjan. It borders Guinea to the Guinea–Ivory Coast border, northwest, Liberia to the Ivory Coast–Liberia border, west, Mali to the Ivory Coast–Mali border, northwest, Burkina Faso to the Burkina Faso–Ivory Coast border, northeast, Ghana to the Ghana–Ivory Coast border, east, and the Atlantic Ocean's Gulf of Guinea to the south. With 31.5 million inhabitants in 2024, Ivory Coast is the List of African countries by population, third-most populous country in West Africa. Its official language is French language, French, and indigenous languages are also widely used, including Bété languages, Bété, Baoulé language, Baoulé, Dyula language, Dyula, Dan language, Da ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Akan Chieftaincy
In many parts of West Africa, there is an old chieftaincy tradition, and the Akan people have developed their own hierarchy, which exists alongside the democratic structure of the country. The Akan word for the ruler, or one of his various courtiers, is "Nana" (English pronunciation ). In colonial times, Europeans translated it as "chief", but that is not an exact equivalent. Other sources speak of "kings", which is also not entirely correct, especially in the case of the said courtiers. The term "chief" has become common even among modern Ghanaians, though it would be more correct to use the expression "Nana" without translation wherever possible. History The roots of Akan chieftaincy are unknown, and written sources are scarce. When the Akan were settling in Bonoman, in the period before 1300, Bonos had already long used the chieftaincy system. The paramount chief held a position that can be compared to that of an absolutist king. When the Republic of Ghana was founded ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Apotropaic Magic
Apotropaic magic (From ) or protective magic is a type of magic intended to turn away harm or evil influences, as in deflecting misfortune or averting the evil eye. Apotropaic observances may also be practiced out of superstition or out of tradition, as in good luck charms (perhaps some token on a charm bracelet), amulets, or gestures such as crossed fingers or knocking on wood. Many different objects and charms were used for protection throughout history. Symbols and objects Ancient Egypt Apotropaic magical rituals were practiced throughout the ancient Near East and ancient Egypt. Fearsome deities were invoked via ritual in order to protect individuals by warding away evil spirits. In ancient Egypt, these household rituals (performed in the home, not in state-run temples) were embodied by the deity who personified magic itself, Heka. The two gods most frequently invoked in these rituals were the hippopotamus-formed fertility goddess, Taweret, and the lion-deity, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Religion In Ghana
Christianity is the largest religion in Ghana, with 71.3% of the population belonging to various Christian denominations as of 2021 census. Islam is practised by 19.9% of the total population. According to a report by the Pew Research, 51% of Muslims are followers of Sunni Islam, while approximately 16% belong to the Ahmadiyya movement and around 8% identify with Shia Islam, while the remainder are non-denominational Muslims.Owusu-Ansah (1994), "Religion and Society". Ethnic religion, Traditional religions such as the Akan religion, Akan Traditional Religion and Kingdom of Dagbon, Dagbon Traditional Religion are indigenous. Islam was the first Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic religion to be introduced in the country between the tenth and 15th centuries, by Muslim traders. Later, Christianity was introduced via contact with the European Missionary, missionaries. Christianity is mainly in the country's south while Islam is based in the north. Islam gained widespread acceptance in nort ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Religion In Ivory Coast
Religion in Ivory Coast is diverse, with no particular religion representing the majority of the population. According to the 2021 census, Islam (mainly Sunni Islam, Sunni) is professed by 42.5% of the total population, while adherents of Christianity (mainly Catholic Church in Ivory Coast, Catholic and Evangelicalism, Evangelical) represented 39.8% of the population. In addition, 12.6% of Ivorians reported to be Irreligious, non-religious and 2.2% claimed to follow Traditional African religions, Animism or traditional faiths. Between the 2014 and 2021 censuses, the share of Christians increased from 33.9 to 39.8 percent, while the share of Muslims declined from 42.9 to 42.5 percent of the total population. According to the 2020 estimate by the Pew Research Center, Muslims are the largest religious group at 44% of the total population, followed by Christians at 37.2% of the population. It also projected 8.1% of Ivorians to be Irreligion, unaffiliated and 10.5% as adherents of Tr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Traditional African Religions
The beliefs and practices of Demographics of Africa, African people are highly diverse, and include various ethnic religions.Encyclopedia of African Religion (Sage, 2009) Molefi Kete Asante Generally, these traditions are oral tradition, oral rather than Religious text, scriptural and are passed down from one generation to another through narratives, Music of Africa, songs, and : Festivals in Africa by country , festivals. They include beliefs in Spirit (animating force), spirits and higher and lower gods, sometimes including a King of the gods, supreme being, as well as the veneration of the dead, use of Magic (supernatural), magic, and traditional African medicine. Most religions can be described as Animism, animistic with various polytheistic and pantheistic aspects. The role of humanity is generally seen as one of harmonizing nature with the supernatural. Spread Adherents of traditional religions in Africa are distributed among 43 countries and are estimated to number over 10 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Akan Culture
Akan may refer to: People and languages *Akan people, an ethnic group in Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire *Akan languages, a language group within the wider Central Tano languages *Kwa languages, a language group which includes Akan *Central Tano languages, a language group which includes Akan Places *Akan (Ghana parliament constituency) * Akan District, Hokkaido, Japan ** Akan, Hokkaido, a town in Akan District, Hokkaido ** Akan National Park *** Akan Volcanic Complex, a volcano in Hokkaidō, Japan ***Lake Akan, a lake in Hokkaidō, Japan *** Akan River, a river in Hokkaidō, Japan * Akan, Wisconsin, a town in the United States Other uses * Akan religion, traditional beliefs and religious practices of the Akan people * Akan (surname), a surname * Akan names, names of Ghana origin *Akan (biblical figure), a person mentioned in the Book of Genesis * Akan (Maya god), a deity in Maya religion (identified with the god A') *Akan (あかん), a Japanese Kansai dialect The is a group o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Akan Language
Akan (), or Twi-Fante, is the most populous language of Ghana, and the principal native language of the Akan people, spoken over much of the southern half of Ghana. About 80% of Ghana's population speak Akan as a first or second language, and about 44% of Ghanaians are native speakers. The Bono dialect is also spoken across the border in Ivory Coast. Three dialects were developed as literary standards with distinct orthographies: Asante and Akuapem, collectively known as Twi, and Fante. Despite being mutually intelligible, they were inaccessible in written form to speakers of the other standards until the Akan Orthography Committee (AOC)'s development of a common Akan orthography in 1978, based mainly on Akuapem dialect. As the first Akan variety to be used for Bible translation, Akuapem had become the prestige dialect. With the Atlantic slave trade, Akan languages were introduced to the Caribbean and South America, notably in Suriname, spoken by the Ndyuka, and i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Culture Of Ghana
Ghana is a country of 33.48 million people and many native groups, such as: * The Akan people, Akans in the center and South of the country, * The Ga people, Ga and Adangbe in, around, and East of Accra, * The Guang people, Guan people in the rainforest, * The Dagomba people, Dagombas, Mamprusi people, Mamprusi, and related peoples in the North, * The Gurunsi languages speaking peoples in the far North, * The Gonja people, Gonjas in the Northern Region. English language, English is the official language, with the indigenous Akan language, Twi of the Ashanti people, Ashantis, the Fante language, Frafra language, Frafra, Dangme language, Dangme, Ga language, Ga, Dagbani language, Dagbani, Mampruli language, Mampruli, Gonja language, Gonja, and Ewe language, Ewe also having official status, and being taught in schools as indigenous (local) languages in the respective areas where they are predominant. People Akans The Akan people primarily live in Ghana, parts of Ivory Coast, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
