REIGNS OF TRANCE:

THE KOMFO ANOKYE STORY

Kwasi Anokye

Reigns of Trance: The Komfo Anokye Story

Kwasi Anokye 2001
ISBN-9988-0-0716-7

Reigns of Trance: The Komfo Anokye Story

This narrative unfolds against the grain of genre, format, coherence, continuity, linearity,
accessibility and closure. It allows readers imaginations to reign. As accounts of the Komfo
Anokye story with their myriad contradictions have come to print media through the mists of oral
tradition, in the spirit of thankful respect and to provide leads for further reflection, I open by
crediting the sources sometimes quoted with little or no modification and without citation.
Publications
J. F. Ade Adjayi and Lan Espie - A Thousand Years of West African History. Lagos: Thomas
Nelson (Nigeria) Ltd.
Nana Otamakuro Adubofour - Asante: The Making of a Nation
J. Agyemang-Duah - Asante Stool History
J. K. Anokye - Sensational Discovery-Nnuroso - The Unknown Shrine of Okomfo Anokye.
(Article in The Guardian March 1962)
A.A. Anti - Akwamu, Denkyira, Akwapim in the Lives of Osei Tutu and Okomfo Anokye. Tema:
Ghana Publishing Corporation, 1971
A.A. Anti - Kumase in the Eighteenth & Nineteenth Century (1700-1900).Accra: Damage
Control Ltd., 1996
A.A. Anti - The Ancient Asante King. Accra: Volta Bridge Company, 1974
Kwame Arhin and Kwadwo Afari Gyan [Editors]; Rt.Rev. Sarpong,K.Owusu Akyaw, S. Nkansa
Buabeng, A.K.Opoku, J.R.A.Aryee, Atakora Gyima [Contributors]; G.Kodua, E.K.
Twumasi[Research]-The City of Kumasi. England: Cambridge Fax Books Ltd., 1992
E.V. Asihene - Guan,Anum-Boso-English Dictionary. Apra Services Ltd. (Printers)
Kumi Attobrah - The Kings of Akyem Abuakwa and the Ninety-Nine Wars Against Asante. Tema:
Ghana Publishing Corporation,1976
F.O. Ayim - Okyeman. A Culture History
Sonia Bleeker - The Ashanti of Ghana. London: Dennis Dobson, 1971
K.O. Bonsu Kyeretwie - Ashanti Heroes. London: Oxford Univ. Press, 1964
T.E. Bowdich - An Essay on the Superstitions, Customs and Arts Common to the Ancient
Egyptians, Abyssinians and Ashantees, Paris: J. Smith, 1821
E.K. Braffi - The Esoteric Significance of the Asante Nation, Kumasi: E.K.Braffi. Educ. Press
and Manufacturers Ltd., 1984
David Brokensha [Editor of a collection of Essays], P.K. Blay, Prof. K.B.Dickson, George
Lawson & A.A.Enti, Leo Cole, M.A. Kwamena Poh [Contributors] - Akwapim Handbook. Tema:
Ghana Publishing Corporation, 1972
F.K. Buah - A History of Ghana(Revised &updated). London & Oxford: Macmillan Educ. Ltd.,
1998
P. D. Buakyi - The Life Story of Okomfo Anokye of Awukugua [A published Narration].
K. Yeboa Daaku - Osei Tutu of Asante. London: Heineman, 1976
Basil Davidson (with F.K. Buah and the advice of J.F.A. Adjayi) -The Growth of African
Civilization-A History of West Africa Since 1000-1800. London: Longman Group Ltd., 1977
3

A. Crakye Denteh - Asantehene Ose Tutu. Accra: Asempa Publishers, 1985

Joseph Dupuis - Journal of A Residence in Ashantee. Colburn, 1824
Eric Edusei - 1000 Years of Ghanaian History [ Feature article in Akwaaba - The Ghana
Airways In-Flight Magazine Issue 14].
A.B. Ellis - A History of the Gold Coast of West Africa. Chapman and Hall, 1893
I.S. Ephson - Ancient Forts of The Gold Coast. Accra: Ilen Publications, 1970
I.S. Ephson - A Gallery of Gold Coast Celebrities. Vol. 1 1632-1953. Accra: Ilen Publications,
1969
Encyclopaedia Britannica (Macropaedia) -History of West Africa
Encyclopaedia Britannica (Micropaedia) Akwamu
Encyclopaedia Britannica (Micropaedia) - Denkyira
Basil Freestone - Osei Tutu. The Leopard Owns The Land. London: Dobson, 1968
Francis Fuller - A Vanished Dynasty: Ashanti. Murray, 1921
J.K. Fynn - Asante and its Neighbours c-1700-1807. London: Longman Group, 1971
J.K. Fynn - Okomfo Anokye. [Contribution in The Dictionary of African Biographies,
Encyclopaedia Africana Vol. 1] New York: Reference Publications, 1977
Osei Kwadwo - An Outline of Asante History. Wiamoase: O. Kwadwo Enterprise, 1994
A.A. Kyeremateng - Ghana National Cultural Centre, Kumasi. Kumasi: University Publications,
1970
A.A.Y. Kyeremateng - Regalia For An Ashanti Durbar. Kumasi: K.N.U.S.T., 1961
T.J. Lewin - Asante Before The British: The Prempean Years 1875-1900. Lawrence: The
Regents Press of Kansas, 1978
T.C. MacCaskie - Komfo Anokye of Asante Meaning, History and Philosophy in African
Society[ Article in Journal of Africa History, Issue 27]
George Macdonald - The Gold Coast: Past and Present-A Short Description of the Country & Its
People. London: Longmans, 1898
Manhyia Palace Museum: The Komfo Anokye Sword Site 22 Wonders of Okomfo Anokye in
Asante
M.D. McLeod - The Asante. London: British Museum Publications Ltd., 1984
J.H. Nketia - Compilation of Poems Recited by the Abrafo of Asantehene on State Occasions
J.H. Kwabena Nketia - Our Drums and Drummers. State Publishing Corporation, 1968
Nnummoe - Okomfo Anokye Sword [Article in West African Review. July 1951]
Ernest Obeng - Ancient Ashanti Chieftaincy. Tema: Ghana Publishing Corporation, 1988
E. Osei-Adjei - S.S.S. Notes on A History of Ghana (Earliest Times to 1900). New Tafo, Akim:
E. Osei-Adjei, 1994
R.S. Rattray - Ashanti. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1923
R.S. Rattray - Ashanti Law and Constitution. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1929
R.S. Rattray - Religion and Art in Ashanti. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1927
C.C. Reindorf - History of The Gold Coast and Asante. Basel Mission Book Depot, 1951
Rev. Dr. Peter Sarpong - The Sacred Stools of The Akan. Tema: Ghana Publishing Corporation,
1971
Robert Smith - Warfare and Diplomacy in Pre-Colonial West Africa. Methuen Pulishers Ltd.,
1976
G.T. Stride and C. Ifeka - Peoples and Empires of West Africa (West Africa in History 10001800). Surrey: Thomas Nelson & Sons Ltd. (Nigeria), 1986

J.W. Tufuo and C.E. Donkor - Ashantis of Ghana: People With A Soul. Accra: Anowuo
Educational Publications, 1969
Ivor Wilks - Forests of Gold: Essays on The Akan and Kingdom of Asante. Athens: Ohio Univ.
Press, 1993
Freda Wolfsen - Pageant of Ghana. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1958
W.E.F. Ward - The History of The Gold Coast. London: George Allen & Unwin Ltd., 1952
W.E.F. Ward - A Short History of Ghana. London: Allen and Unwin, 1958
www.otumfuofund.org/enstoolment3.html - Pampaso Rites
Asare Konadu Yamoah - The People Today: The Kingdom of Ashanti
Other Sources and Support
Nana Akua Yeboah Asamoah Hatshpsut
Dr. Kwasi Ofei-Agyemang
Nana Sika Achampong
Prof. Kwame Arhin
Mr. Kisseh Law Faculty. University of Ghana, Legon
Mr. Quaye Balme Library. University of Ghana, Legon
Mr. Lee Yao Hiamey Institute of African Studies Library. University of Ghana, Legon
Mr. Jerry Pengwane Institute of African Studies Library. University of Ghana, Legon
Mr. Lawrence Akosen George Padmore Research Library on African Affairs, Accra
Mr. Yaw Alabi (The Custodiam) Okomfo Anokye Family Residence. Awukugua
Mr. Appiah Awukugua
Sober Kumasi
Theophilus Kumasi
Moses Kumasi
Mr. Seth Ofori Agona-Asante
Mr. Akwasi Sabiru Agona-Asante
Kofi Agona-Asante
Kwasi Agona-Asante
Kwabena Agona-Asante
Mr. Yaw Ben Agona-Asante
Anokye Agona-Asante
Mr. Kwame Poku Boabeduru Ahenfie (Komfo Anokyes Residence), Agona-Asante
Obaa Panin Akua Buo Agona-Asante
The Household of Obaa Panin Akua Buo Agona-Asante
Opanin Yaw Amponsah Agona-Asante
Opanin Kwame Gyasi Agona-Asante
Mr. Acheampong Kumasi Traditional Council, Kumasi
Mr. Patrick Osei Manhyia Palace Museum: Komfo Anokye Sword Site, K.A.T.H., Kumasi
Mr. Aning (The Curator) Manhyia Palace Archives, Kumasi
Mr. Kwaku Ideas Bekoe Madina, Accra
Dan Madina, Accra
Mr. Ohene Afranie Dekyemso, Kumasi
Mr. Asiedu Balme Library. University of Ghana, Legon

Miscellaneous (sometimes contradictory) annotations in non-linear order:

So remarkable was the formation of the Asante union that it was ascribed to magic: the
magic of Komfo Anokye.
Had Asante remained merely a military league the crushing blow of Osei Tutus demise
would have proved fatal to the Nation. But thanks to the genius of Anokye; as it was a
highly organized state it stood strong. It would be better to compare him with the great
American Statesman who determined that the united colonies having successfully
asserted their independence of Britain should remain united. Anokye was a statesman of
genius; he succeeded where the Hellenes of old had failed. He brought the people
triumphantly through the Liberation War and held them together afterwards.
He was successful because his principles and codes of conduct enshrined in what came to
be referred to as The Seventy-Seven Laws of Komfo Anokye were based on a
comprehensive knowledge of the long existing customs in the history of the scattered
people whom by his genius, he welded into one nation.
He said people would never find the antidote to death as long as they violated its great
taboos: funerals and lamentations for the dead. He maintained that death is only death
because people persist in making this change ever an occasion for mourning.
He foretold that the Europeans would successfully invade Asante when an Asantehene
broke the law.
... the ground was strewn with a number of small, perforated pots known as nkosena
(small war pots) in which Anokye prepared the war-medicine used to ensure victory
against the Denkyira army at Feyiase. Anokye could put liquid in these pots without it
running out of the holes. It is said that there were seventy-seven of these vessels, but that
they could "come and go," that is, they could reduce and increase in number.
Anokye drained the Agyempansu and caused it to flow again as the Subin River.
He ensured that the rise and consolidation of the Nation depended on loyalty to a single
political and spiritual head, which transcended all tribal or family loyalties.
His descendants serve(d) as Diviners of the Asante Kings.
He endowed the emerging Asante state with a national capital, a national festival, a
national army and a flexible constitution.
He introduced a law that made it a capital offence for any Asante citizen to over to their
ancestral origins if that should lead outside Asante.
To achieve the best results, Osei Tutu worked very closely with Komfo Anokye the
greatest constitutional advisor of his time.
There are those who are known to possess supernatural powers, but are not necessarily
priests of any particular gods. They work directly for the Most High Creator. Anokye was
in this category.
He lives in a very fine house with [people] of which they relate nothing but miracles.
They affirm that he commands the weather, that he can make it come down soft or hard at
his pleasure and drive it out again; that though his house is without any roof, yet it is
always sheltered from rain, that he not only knows all things past, but can as accurately
foretell all future events as if they were present before his eyes and cures all sorts of
6

distempers.
The meeting of the first Odwira was called in Kumasi by the decree of Komfo Anokye
after the fall of Denkyira.
There are many laws and customs institutionalized by The Seventy-Seven Laws of Komfo
Anokye that are common to the Ancient Egyptians and Abyssinians.
Anokye was born at Adansi Akrokyere, Agona Asante
He was an albino born around 1640.
He was born around 1635.
He lived until 1740.
He passed on in 1719 about two to four years after Osei Tutu's demise.
He lived from 1660 to 1712.
In his old age, Akrofoso became the center of his religious activities.
He prophesied that Asante would remain intact at least through the reigns of the first
seven Kings.
He called Siaw Anim in the presence of Osei Tutu and told them about his impending
quest for the cure to death.
He advised the King on the constitution of cases involving oaths and fines.
He played an important role in judicial administration.
He never submitted to give up or give in to others over what he thought was duly his nor
could he be suppressed.
He spat bits of a small chew-stick he had been using to clean his teeth and a tree grew
where the pieces fell. This was at Kumasi.
He was said to be a distant relative of Osei Tutu.
He was responsible for the moving of the confederation's capital from Kwaman to
Kumasi.
He was a specialist in fortune telling, character reading, curing barrenness and knowing
the medicinal properties of plants.
He negotiated for his own appointment in the Denkyira court [before the formation of the
Asante nation]. It was in Denkyira that he first met Komfo Kyirekye who regarded
Anokye as a threat. Anokye was accused of seducing a woman and escaped to
Awukugua.
He was from the same clan (Agona-Asinie) of the Denkyirahene.
He left Denkyira for Obi-land when his mother was killed in Denkyira on suspicion of
witchcraft.
Malicious slander against him caused his departure to the north of Kwaman.
He was excellent at climbing the palm tree using the behema (fiber)-belt.
He was known in Awukugua as Obi Komfo.
When in the latter part of the twentieth century, the "upside-down" palm tree fell, it spun
around three times and fell on the exact spot where Anokye used to often stand.
His residence at Agona Asante was called Boboabeduru, and the rock oware game he
sculpted with his hands at Awukugua was also named Oboabeduru.
He was regarded as a god in Akyem Abuakwa. There is also an Akyim oath that literally
begins with the words, "I swear [Wednesday] Anokye kill me if ..."
People who believed they were under a curse or were being haunted by bad luck sought
his aid. Those who came to learn about their future left his presence satisfied.
7

 He said the townsfolk that rejected him for speaking against their drinking of polluted
water would give birth to bigheaded females with pretty faces.
It was at Abeten (subsequently named Owuoso the place of death) where a tall palm
tree once stood at Agona Asante that he was last seen.
Anokye predicted that Mamponhene Boahene Anantuo would pass away seven days after
the Liberation War.
Domaa Kusi had two sisters Afua and Asiedua, both of whom Anokye married before the
Third Domaa War. Asiedua gave birth to Agyapa, and Afua to Beresiama.
Before he moved to Agona, he lived at Nkuruoso near Asokore Mampon. This was
before Tafo, which was then very powerful town, got involved in the Domaa War.
Anokye in his youth wandered from Asante to Akwapim, visiting Awukugua and
Apirede to study therapy, amulets, charms and magic.
He succeeded his brother Yamoa the priest in Obiri Yeboas court.
For refusing to forge him an adere (sickle), he damned the smiths of a certain town that
they would work hard at the forge but would never become wealthy.
He achieved the amalgamation of the other clans Bretuo & Asona (Offinso & Edwiso)
and Asinie (Amakom), with the Oyoko (Bekwai, Nsuta, Kokofu, Dwaben, Kuntenase)
who were already bound to Osei Tutu by blood ties.
Kra Amponsem a Denkyira young man, whom Osei Tutu appointed as his soul washer
proved to be an able soldier and was made a Kyidomhene-Commander of the Rear
Guard. When Asante captured the Taa Dwemo shrine, Komfo Anokye went into a trance
and announced that Osei Tutu should make Kra Amponsem the bosomwura (custodian of
the shrine) and entrust him with its resettlement under a certain okoro tree that Anokye
pointed out for the shrines relocation.
He and Osei Tutu were at Feyiase for the final Liberation War battle.
He prepared war medicine at Nnuroso at Essienimpong to inspire the warriors. At
Nnuroso, a sacred orange tree that sprang from the ground when the left-overs of the war
medicine that he sprinkled on the combatants poured on the ground, still stands. The fruit
of this tree had a lethal effect if it was not eaten under the tree. Anokyes deeds in
Essienimpong are remembered by Asante Kings. Essienimpong chiefs are on this account
permitted to shake hands with the Asantehene while still wearing sandals, which is
prohibited to most Asante chiefs. Back then, Anokye prohibited any paramount Chief
from walking on the soil of the town or seeing the town. Any Omanhene passing through
was blindfolded and carried through the street to avoid being blinded. An Edwiso Chief
violated this custom and lost his sight instantly. The sons and daughters of Essienimpong
are noted for their bravery and quick temper characteristic of Anokye and the effects of
the war-medicine.
He and his son Agyapa went to the kyenkyen tree, which he climbed to observe Ntim
Gyakaris camp at Feyiase. His footprints were visible in the trunk of the tree after he had
climbed down and left the scene.
He was small in stature with slender limbs, a seemingly delicate physique, but healthy
and nimble. From time to time, he withdrew into his farm or other quiet places for
inspiration.
The spirit of adventure with which he grew up probably accounted for his capacity to
endure hardship and later gave him strength to go into voluntarily exile.
8

 His hair was knotted up in locks.

As a child he was not given to laughter and was not often seen playing with other
children. Fun making and jokes irritated him. He was usually witty in asking and
answering questions, a characteristic that made the elders marvel. He would sit among
elderly people and hold prolonged discussions with them; they were astonished at his
command of language as well as his extensive knowledge of tradition.
He would sometimes, as a child, go without food or eat very little for three days or more
without suffering any ill effects.
He was reputed to be brave and daring. He was domineering and revengeful, a dangerous
and formidable opponent who was sometimes extravagant in his outbursts of temper.
He exhibited practical common sense, rare wisdom and an extraordinary oratorical
power.
As a boy, he could leave home and stay in unknown places for two or more days. He was
no ordinary human being by everyday standards. His parents noticed early that he had a
peculiar disposition and character, and most people around him acknowledged that he
was on Earth for a special mission.
He could walk through rain without getting wet.
He had a bag in Asante, which, were it to be opened would spell misfortune for the
nation.
He planted a palm tree at Agona Asante saying it symbolized the invincibility of Agona.
Some rivals of his probably cut it down.
He morphed into a vulture that released its droppings into Ntim Gyakaris eyes.
He prophesied that Siaw Anim his nephew would not die. Apparently Anim was last seen
alive in Bonkobuom (The Big Cave).
Komfo prophesied that Osei Tutu would not die in Asante.
He prophesied that Bantoma, where the Sword stands, would be the location for a major
healing center. A hospital named after him was built from 1952-1960 and was
commissioned upon completion by Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.
He illustrated the proverb each with its unique function, the fingers on the hand dont
look equal by throwing five palm nuts at once near the sword site. They germinated the
same day but each has a different height corresponding with that of the fingers on the
hand.
He stretched a cow-tail on a river and a crocodile came out of the water.
He hit the ground with his flywhisk and water began to flow from the ground.
He planted a plantain sucker and harvested it the same day.
His sandals drowned in a river, so he removed the rivers power to drown any people.
He placed three eggs in the Mampong Valley and this is regarded as the reason why there
are no accidents in Gyamaase.
He chewed a kola-nut, spat it to the ground and a white kola nut tree grew from that spot.
The Golden Stool arrived in 1697.
He cursed a woman who turned into a river.
All those guilty of not heeding his instructions against his funeral were caught up in the
Bonkobuom cave. On festive occasions, mysterious drumming and noises can be heard
from inside the cave though no one is seen there.
He laid a pipe on the ground and it turned into a river during the Agona-Dwaben War.
9

 At Agona Akyempem, a mukya (cooking tripod of clay) appears and disappears from
time to time. So do earthenware/clay receptacles of liquid.
Goats that passed directly under the drums he had suspended in mid-air lost their lives.
He sat an albino man on a stool, made him disappear and outlawed the sacrificing of
albinos from thence.
He decreed that the Esa Nyansen Miensa Firewood would be lit in the Atuotuahenes
palace
Komfo had known the then 36 year old Osei Tutu for 17 years when they came to Asante
around 1683 to begin with their nation-building project.
He hand-sculpted another oware game out of rock at Gyaakye.
He cursed the Gyaakye people for seizing his flywhisk and calling him a demon.
At Akutuagya, he caused a palm nut tree with an upward/vertical split in the middle to
grow.
He told people that it was possible/there was a way to live forever.
He said the taboos of death included funerals: solemn drumming, gunshots and mourning.
Siaw Anim, the caretaker of the stool in Anokyes absence wanted the stool so badly he
chose to flout Komfos orders. When his auntie died and Anokye had gone out to bring
the cure to death, Siaw Anim organized a funeral. Some people protested but Siaw and
his close friends wept and fired guns. Anokye was returning to Agona by then with the
antidote to death. He met a young man from Gyamaase who told Anokye when he asked
that it was his sisters funeral that was being held. He introduced himself, handed the
young man his bodua (fly whisk) and asked him to take it to the funeral grounds with a
message that it was from Komfo Anokye. The young man protested that they would kill
or maim him. Anokye told him to be confident and go ahead as he would be protected no
matter what. So he went there with Anokyes bodua and delivered the message. The
stunned mourners quit their folly and hurried to Atonsu where the young man said he had
met Anokye. Komfo had disappeared when they got there.
He prophesied that nothing could disrupt the Asante nations stability unless the Sword
was removed. In 1952, when the constructor of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital,
which is located close to the Sword, said he had to remove the Sword to facilitate
preparations for the building of the facility, those who knew told him the rationale behind
the presence of the Sword. He went ahead and tried to use a bulldozer to remove it. The
Sword would dip underground for the bulldozer to pass and resurface afterwards. After
about a month of trying, he gave up bewildered. Muhammed Ali the legendary former
World Heavyweight Boxing Champion, with permission, attempted to pull it out and
failed like all the other strong men who tried.
In 1900, there was an effort to cover the Sword with a cage. Plunderers tried to break this
off thinking it was made of gold.
Anokye vanished from this plane of existence with his bodua in hand.
The mystery behind the three eggs at Gyamaase is how they got there. Some think
Anokye had something to do with their presence. They have been there over the
centuries.
He arrived in Agona without a wife or children though he was about fifty years old.
The Okomfo Anokye Amoampong Stool sat beside Sika Dwa at Otumfuo Opoku Ware
IIs funeral.
10

 Anokyes descendants act the part at major Asante ceremonies.

Anokye served as Agonahene in his time. The Agonahene keeps on his sandals when he
visits Manhyia Palace.
When Anokye came to Asante, Agona was Kwamans ruling clan.
He was held in higher esteem after he created the Agona Amoampong.
He predicted the Domaa War, for which he prepared potions mixed on the Akyawkrom
Stool for the warriors. At Suntreso after the war he asked Osei Tutu to establish the
Adonten clan.
Asantehene Osei Tutu had to be convinced by Anokye that his ascension to the stool
would be worthwhile before they travelled to Asante.
He was the Asantehenes spiritual, economic and constitutional advisor.
It was at Pimpimso that Anokye consecrated Sika Dwa.
Before the Liberation War, Anokye asked, Who will fight with the fairies or ghosts?
Aduonee Pim volunteered and asked Komfo to inform his brothers. Five Ekuona chiefs,
and the Amakom, Akyawkom and the Antoa chiefs joined and fought the war. True to
Anokye_s prediction, the ghosts lost the war which was fought at Adunku. They were
captured. That was when Anokye created the Adonten Drum from the seven Bofonu
trees.
Anokye turned into a stream at Owuoso when he learnt that his funeral was being held.
After establishing the capital, Osei Tutu asked him to choose where he wanted to reside.
He chose Agona.
By stander: Ei, this Anokye too, he really tried to challenge God.
Yaw Ben: Who says he challenged God? God gave him those powers. Do you think if it
wasnt for God, he could have had such powers and accomplished such feats?
Woman at Sword Site: Did he have a mother and a father?
Curator: Thats what some say, but its hard to tell.
Kwasi: Was he married?
Sabiru: No. He was like a Spirit.
Points of identification in Asante include Anokye-ko-man-mu.
The Okomfo Anokye Memorial Academy in Awukugua was opened in 1961.
There is an Okomfo Anokye Sacred Grove at Awukugua.
Osei Tutu and Okomfo Anokye built the first African Confederation without using
Greece as a reference point.
Anokye encouraged Osei Tutu to create the Poduo (Principal) Stools the Bantoma,
Bantoma Baamu, Adonten and Antoa Poduo Stools.
Safo Pasuampa who had been extremely generous to the King and the Komfo was made
the Baamuhene in accordance with Anokyes will.
Okomfo Anokye made a special sword for Opoku Ware I as a child and made him a ward
of Nana Akyiammaa, Ohemaa of Pampaso and sister of Nana Agyako Kokoo,
Pampasohene. He also planted two spears, one at Pampaso and the other at Asaman, also
a ward in Kumasi, to enable him, Komfo Anokye, foretell which of the two spears would
yield the successor to King Osei Tutu. The Pampaso Spear produced a
number of small pads (kahyire) by which Komfo Anokye foretold Opoku Ware I as the
successor to King Osei Tutu, and the continuity of Pampaso's essential association with
the dynasty. Therefore ever since the installation of Katakyie Opoku Ware I, it is from
11

Pampaso that the final ceremonies and traditional rites of confirming an Asantehene-elect
as Asantehene begins. ... On arrival, the Asantehene-elect does not greet or speak to
anyone but heads directly to Pampafie, the house of Pampasohene. There he leans three
times with his back towards the Piesie Spear planted by Komfo Anokye outside
Pampafie. He then enters the house and goes first to the Stool Room.
It has been said that Okomfo Anokye never once existed; And even if he did, he was not
the prodigy he is said to have been. To some of these analysts, his works should at best
be attributed to acts of nature and other peoples exertions and accomplishments.
Some analysts have argued that the Golden Stool did not drop from the sky. In their view,
Anokye probably commissioned carvers to sculpt it out of wood, after which he had it
covered with gold-plate.
His death has been attributed to someone suddenly waking him up while he was astral
travelling.
He had traveled for years throughout West Africa gathering the wisdom of the elders and
priests.

12

Same Elixir
Kmfo Ankye planted the Sword in the ground. The elders say, It marks our
break from a divisive past. Our differences shouldnt keep us apart. This
sword, like the Asante nation cannot be removed, spiritually rooted to Earths
core as it is. No human can pulled it out from the ground even if they try. And
there is the Golden Stool - the symbol of the soul and unity of the enduring
Asante nation. But the story of Ankyes life is shrouded in mystery. Perhaps
he prefers us to remember him in such an open-ended way. Maybe he wants
to point us to something beyond accessibility. Amazing, yes his works were.
But for him, was it about intrigue? It was about holding together a people tapping into the creativity of the Most High.
How do you get a people from different nations of the land to come stand
together as one nation? Hear this story: Asante men were attempting to seize
Kmfo Ankyes Oboabeduru ware game from Awukugua. Kmfo Ankye, with
his bare hands, had scooped out the fourteen shallow concave pits for the
game on a huge piece of rock. If it was true that the Asante people were
finding ways to lift and carry away the heavy rock game from Awukugua,
relations between the two nations would sour. The game was periodically
locked in a cage to deter those who would seize. But something odd was
happening in the town. Whenever the Awukugua people attempted to secure
boabeduru by caging it, people in the town had died in disturbing numbers. It
seemed the rock game disliked being casged it wanted to breathe free. Yet
when it was left uncaged, the Asantes seemed to keep up their efforts seize it.
What was the logic of this dilemma? Did the rock belong to both the Asante
and Awukugua peoples? It was as confusing as the question of Anokyes
origins.
Much is said about Kotowbr Kmfo Ankyes life in Asante. The question has
been, was he born among the Asante people or was it in Awukugua among a
Guan people? Who were his parents? Where did he live? What were his
works? Where was he from? Some have said Anokye wasnt born of humans.
But in Awukugua, people can point to his works there as well as the house
where he grew up. I was told Kmfo Ankye came out of the Akwapim hills
one day as an infant, and walked into Papa Anos household. Papa Ano, who
became known as his father, welcomed this wonder-working child. So what
13

about these stories saying Ankye was from Asante? Did he grow up in
Awukugua and later travel to Asante? Or was it the other way around? And if
it matters to us, did it really matter much to him?
Kmfo Ankye is well known for his role in helping to establish the Asante
nation. Many have heard about the naming of Kumasi: the story of the Kum
trees he planted at what would later be called Kumwu and Kumasi in the
process of deciding on the Asante capital. The tree at Kumasi flourished and so
was chosen as the capital, while the one at Kumawu died. Some have read
intrigue into the narrative and said that it was the one at Kumasi that died.
That story says, Ankye, desiring Kumasi as the capital, cunningly sneaked to
Kumwu with the dead plant under the cover of night and exchanged it with
the live one there. People saw the withered tree the next morning and said:
Kumwu Kum is dead. The one at Kumasi thrived, and the capital was built
under its shade. It became known as Kumasi, meaning Under the Kum tree.
What is for certain is that is how Kummu and Kumasi, the capital, got their
names.
While the Asante capital could have been Kumawu or Kumawu, could Ankye
have been from the same people residing in Awukugua and Asante? The Akan
clans in Asante, the Aduona, Ekuona, Bretuo, Aduana, Oyoko, Asona, Asinie,
Asakyiri are the same clans you find in Awukugua. Ankye is said to of the
Asinie. The Asinie of Awukugua regard themselves as his children. But it is
also said that Anokye neither married nor slept with a woman. If we should
follow that line of thought, how then was it possible for him to have
offsprings?
One answer is quite interesting: There are three flowing waters a stream,
which the Awukugua people drink from; a river, and a lake. Kmfo sent people
over to the Asinie lake one morning. He told them he was expecting some
visitors to arrive at the lakeside. The visitors a man and a woman, would be
found sitting in a gold basin. He taught them a particular sign to greet the
visitors with when they got there. Once they see that particular greeting sign,
the couple will draw closer to you. Then you will have to lead them here to
me. As the story goes, the people went to the lake, saw what Anokye had
described and returned with the visitors. Anokye then blessed the couple in
matrimony. This couple also came with their own food; they never ate what
the townsfolk offered them. The visitors went ahead and had two children

14

Asarebea and Mnubea who settled in the big town Akropn next to
Awukugua.
They could explain that there are seven areas in Awukugua; that Papa Ans
house stood in the two joint areas referred to as Anokyes area. Its called
Ayimpde. Ankye Ayimpde, an area populated by Asinie households. They
might add that when you visit Adukrom, ask for the Agyakde people. That
they too are known as the Asinie children of Anokye. They might point you
towards Akropon and say they are Asini people. Some Awukugua people had
heard that Anokye lived among the Asinie people in Asante.
The Awukugua people would have more to show that Kotowbre was from
their town. They could bring visitors to the reddish, dark brown stone with
tiny holes that stood in front of Papa Ans residence. What about this stone?
Wherever something positive is happening, something negative rears its head
against it. Ankye attracted a lot of opposition. Sometimes certain characters
would show up at his home ostensibly to witness Kmfo Ankyes feats.
Actually, their intention would be to test or attempt to disrupt his handiwork.
Anokye fixed that stone right there at the entrance to spiritually protect the
house. What it does is it filters out evil vibrations of testers and disrupters
before they walk into this house. Its the guard of the house.
You enter the house by walking in through the gateless entrance to the
courtyard. But first you have to take off your sandals, leave your footwear at
the entrance and walk in barefooted a customary sign of respect when one
reaches the entrance of any household in the land. Not even Kings and Queens
are permitted to walk into the house Ankye grew up in with their sandals on.
The courtyard is framed by four buildings joined at perpendicular angles at
the ends, forming a square. The custodian will tell you the building to your left
as you enter is where he was born. It makes you wonder what about the story
that he suddenly appeared from the hills. In a doorless room to one side of the
building directly facing the entrance across the courtyard, a number of
wooden stools stood arranged on animal skins in the left hand corner. This is
where important meetings of elders and mystics are held. Pleasing, tiny,
geometric patterns decorate the stools, very similar to the patterns on stools
for like-purpose in Asante. In an open space on the floor of the courtyard right
in front of the room of wooden stools, a medicinal plant shot towards the
ceiling. Some pots used for medicine and other rituals lay on their sides

15

nearby. They say Ankye instructed and so it is, that No one places any item
in this empty space.
About fifty meters from the house, Oboabeduru, the rock oware game, stood
two huge stones, one stuck on top of the other. The one underneath, is the
original with its fourteen holes and pebbles of gold. When people come and
argue that this is just only a myth, the stone is shaken and witnesses can hear
the pebbles rocking inside. The rock stuck on top has the seven holes
representing the seven Adadifo, Awukguas governing elders. One side of the
piece appeared flattened. People say it was flattened when Ankye pressed his
chest against it as he carried it to this spot to seal of the lower piece with gold
pebbles from thieves. And indeed at the lower bottom corner robbers, having
heard of those gold pebbles, had chiseled away at in futile attempts to reach
for the precious metal game pieces inside.
A short distance from Oboabeduru stood the tall, upside-down palm tree
Kmfo had planted. It had grown branches up at the top where its roots were,
and Ankyes footprints were clearly visible on its trunk. And there was the
never-drying lake Komfo caused to flow from the ground. Not even the
harshest harmattan could dry it up.
Stepping away from perplexing accounts of Anokyes works for a moment,
lets turn to the confusing story of the person and attempt to untie some knots
about his origins. Weve just heard he was from Awukugua. What about this
other story about Komfo Anokye being from Nkonya? Nkonya is synonymous
with magic. They have also said he was from Nokye, or maybe Denkyira. But
some have said he was an albino, born and bred in Asante. So who really were
his parents? And where was he from? You may have heard somewhere that
his papa was Owura Kyei Bere; and his mama a great-granddaughter of the
original Ancient Asinie Ancestress, Amoa Gyata of Bonabom whom they say
descended to Earth from Sky, was called Maame Dwirawere Kwa. Theyve also
mentioned Adu Pim of Adansi Abankse and at the same time, Kyei Patuo
from Adansi, as his father. Then they say Dwirawere Kwa was from
Awukugua. You may have also heard that her name was Kobe; or that*she was
the sprightly and vocal Mnubea wife of Papa An the meditator from
Awukugua. In Guan, the source tongue of the Akan, Ano is the limit, the edge
or the mouth. Ano in Asante has an added meaning however: Power. He
could have been from here or there, but I want to know the specific place!
demands the rational mind. The question for a people needing a solid
16

encompassing global Black nation: Which is more useful for nation-building,

his familys origins and hometown or his guiding principles and mission? The
Power of True Unity asks, Do these details make us more loyal to each other
for this higher mission? Or is it because it seems out of reach?
It seems more valuable to explore Ankyes origins in terms of his attitude
towards the impossible, what seemed out of reach. To others it was
impossibility, to him it was possibility. A childhood story: Anokye was with his
parents at the farm when it started to rain. The family took refuge in their
farm shed to wait it out, but it just kept raining harder and harder as the
temperature got colder. They made a fire to keep warm, but the water soon
flooded the shed putting out the fire. It was obvious that his parents were
running out of options. Ankye stepped out into the rain towards the nearby
bushes. Drawn by the light in a particular plant for a solution, he went to it,
asked, and permission was granted to pluck a three leaves. He returned to the
shed, handed a leaf each to his parents and kept one for himself. He asked his
parents to tuck the leaf in their under-arms, shut their eyes and picture
themselves at home. When they opened their eyes, they were at home.
While he was still a child, they say solutions came to him in a trance in times
of emergency: Here was a child who could walk in the rain without getting
wet. They say he pointed his finger at a cruising hawk with a chicken clipped
in its beak, and caused it to fall from the skies with its prey, leaving the
chicken to walk away free. We are told that a serpent stiffened lifeless when
he skipped over it. Kmfo was a child that people wondered what food he ate
as they hardly saw him eat.
Another story says one late night they heard Ankyes voice while he waited to
come back indoors. He was still a baby a baby who regularly left home at
night to go eat. They say while still a toddler, he once jumped and landed
with the tip of my toes on top of a flower. They say the baby Ankye could
dialogue with spoken words, and that he could and walk. Theyve said he was
Obiri Adjei the legendary medicine man reborn in new flesh. Theyve said he
was a reincarnated god, and that he suffered bouts of convulsions when his
trance-state hit.
Yet another childhood story explains how he got his name, Ankye, saying he
was born with a nufa, a cut of chalk, in his clenched fist. It says he opened my
tiny fist to show the nufa only when he wanted to. And when he did, the
17

women attending to him would call out to my papa. An, kye! Thats how you
say Ano, see in Guan. They said it whenever something extra-ordinary
happened in, from or about him. That, they say, is how the name came about.
Ankye was the name of a shrine he frequented, is another story told. They
discuss that shrines cotton tunic I wore during festivals. Some say he was
born on a Wednesday, that his name was Kwku. People refer to him as
Kwame. Kwame Adjei Frmpon Manso Ankye, one who symbolized Life.
Was it conspiracy by the defenders of the status quo who drove him out of this
plane? Was it Sua Anim, Kmfos designated heir who instigated it? Someone
mentioned Duku Pim; or was it the young woman who strayed into my
bedroom and found my body laying there motionless? Or again, was it a larger
plot to cancel out his mission? Or was it asthma? Some say he was sickly, that
he had a frail figure. They say he suffered from epileptic fits, convulsions. Its
been said that a forbidden fishbone in his meal pierced my throat. There is a
story that he slept with a queen-mother who was not his wife, which warped
his sense of judgment and made him vulnerable to death through breaking his
taboos. Some even say his wife was used to get him to break his taboo. They
say she served him the cooked fish whose bone caused his demise.
Another story says seven days had gone by since he announced he was going
out to find the antidote to death. Others say eight, six, three, a hundred
seventy or seventy-seven days. Someone with the aura of unknowingness
entered his room while he was away. It was an innocent soul, with a sad
heart. Dense vibrations filled the room; Ankyes body couldnt stand it. The
sorrow-driven mind moved the persons palm over Ankyes nose to see if he
was still breathing. He was not breathing, but his body was alive, waiting for
the Return*from the Travel. There was a disheartened sigh as the griefstricken character exited the room shaking her head. She joined the gloomy
gathering out in the courtyard. When asked what she saw, she expressed
distress. The gathering forgot at once that Kmfo had instructed them not to
mourn. The women yowled and howled. The men fetched their muskets,
aimed them at the high skies and fired shots announcing the abominable. They
shut Ankye out, creating webs and walls that made it absurd for him to
return to the same flesh. The strong wills behind the loud rhythms pounding
off the drum skins, the tale-bearers were out and about, saying what hed
tabooed when he addressed them before he Traveled. People entered the
bedroom, wept some more and went on to plan a funeral, abandoning the very
purpose of Ankyes immediate project.
18

Making sense of the kaleidoscope of narratives could be dizzying without solid

ground on which to think through these stories. Slipping again from the
sequential lets think about Ankyes contributions to building Asante. We
could start with the stalwarts he worked with. You cant discuss the work of
Kotowbr Kmfo Ankye without talking about Asantehene Nana Ose Tutu;
or the honorable warrior-king Kontihene Amankwtia Pnin. You cant
proceed without talking about other nations Asante had to interact with. We
could start with Denkyira.

19

Glow Sunglow
Kmfo was in a Trance. This is what they say he saw: a vibrant nation that was
about to be: Asante. Once knotted together, tight as the locks on his head, it
would be united, never to be subdued. But at that point in time, his vision for
Asante, his love for the people existed against the disheartening spectacle of a
fragmented people stressing what divided them. The undue emphases on
differences had made them war against each other. Inside their hearts, almost
all of them a beautiful people with an unshakable sense of pride desired
unity. But Asante then was an unformed nation besieged and tormented by
the whims of an arrogant neighbor King, the ruler of Denkyira. This King,
oblivious to the fact that Asantes were his peoples kindred living in another
side of the land, subjected the Asante people to unspeakable humiliations,
especially when it came to demanding tributes. Receiving tributes from
conquered lands was standard practice, but it was expected to be tempered
with a sense of fellow-feeling. That particular Denkyirahene seemed to
dismiss compassion and empathy altogether. He would, during Akwsidae, ask
Asantes to send over enough red clay to re-plaster the walls of Denkyira
homes. Some say he made, people from Asante bring adequate supplies of
plantain fibers to be used for Denkyira womens menses. The young men and
women who took the fiber and clay were forced to clear the weeds growing
around Denkyira homes and sweep the floor of Denkyira compounds. The
women were raped in the belief that they would bear better children by
virtue of the overlords blood running in their veins. This was actually a way of
ensuring that future Asante rulers would remain loyal to Denkyira - loyalty
hinging on the ability to trace their lineage to Denkyira, the Mighty Slayer of
Elephants. Denkyira dominated the scene when Ankye and the Asante
leaders decided to form their united nation. Then Asante rose out of its
shadows.
One story says the Denkyira were originally of Agona kinship. They had now
expanded into a huge empire and were extremely wealthy. Denkyira was
getting richer by the day. The Denkyira King had slave holdings and deals with
European slave dealers. The Denkyira government also had monopoly over
the gold business in the territories of their conquered neighbors. On top of
that, they were engaged in the always lucrative gun and gunpowder trade
initiated by the Europeans. Needless to say, they had the best-equipped army
in the land. Like all the peoples on the west coast of Africa, they also came
20

along way having trekked from the homeland Abyssinia through Kmt and
beyond, through whats called the Western Sahara. Before heading farther
southwards to their present home, they settled first in the Bono area between
the valleys of the Oda and Offin Rivers. Were relaying oral traditions: As one
of the five of the Pioneer Akan states alongside Adansi, Assin, Akyim and
Asante, they were first ruled by the Adansi the first of the five to be establish
a formidable nation. According to legend, Nana Twum and Nana Antwi
founded Adansi. Then came Kwabena Amnfi who took up the building of
Asantemanso. Like our Ancient Kmt and Ethiopian ruling fore parents, Amnfi
spoke to his people through a linguist. The tables turned when war was
provoked between Adansi and Denkyira during the reign of the second
Adansihene, Nana Awurade Basa who, some say, was the first Great Chief of
this Oldest Akan Nation. Awurade Basa made his nation very powerful, but he
somehow blundered along the way by sending an undisciplined son of his,
Appia Brnya, to collect tribute from the Denkyira. The young man was caught
at an intrigue with a Denkyira woman. He was apprehended and brought
before Oboakuropa the then Denkyira King. For his punishment, they had the
emissarys beard shorn off and handed to him as the levy for his father. Beard
in hand, he returned to his father and haughtily told only his side of the sordid
story. The Wise men of the Adansi Council of Elders, aware of his
philandering, concluded that losing his beard in such a shameful manner
served him right. It was time, they said, for him to curb his carnal passions. To
them, there was no reason to pursue this matter any further. But his
misguided father chose to teach the Denkyiras that might was right.
Awurade Basa opted for a fight. And it was quite abattle down the confluence
of the Oda and Offin. The elders say the Adansi lost; that the Denkyira won
because they had a just cause to fight for. Besides the moral strength, they
were better prepared. After crushing their opponents on the battlefield, the
Denkyira took the fight into Adansi itself. After the war, the Adansi capital had
to be moved to Dompoase, about three miles from the hills. The reason for this
was because Adansimanso was utterly destroyed. That was how Adansi came
under Denkyira rule.
Lets think through, for a moment, what weve heard about Denkyira. With its
capital at Abankseso in the Oda Valley, Denkyira set out to conquer its
neighbors and expanded in all directions as its wealth and power increased.
King after Denkyira king built a stronger kingdom. When it came to the era of
Denkyirahene Nana Owusu Bore, events took a drastic turn. He complained
that the Shwihene, Nana Oburum Ankoma the First had failed to support him
21

against the Akwmus. Well look at the Akwmu story later. Owusu Bore
invaded gold rich Shwi, returning to Denkyira with booty of massive loads of
gold in barrels. With such access to gold, Owusu Bore introduced the solid
gold shields and gold hilt swords as part of the palace regalia. After the
Twifohene, Nana Atoam Obempon Akrofi passed away he demanded the
estate of Nana Akrofis twin brothers and their three hundred retainers who
succeeded the deceased leader. War broke out when Nana Apnten Asiedu
refused to comply. The Denkyiras set out to fight them by crossing the River
Pra. The Twifo removed the invaders floats on the waters, leading to the
defeat of the Denkyiras in that encounter. Denkyirahene Nana Owusu Bre
was deeply upset because his original ivory stool got drowned in the process.
Unfortunately, Nana Asiedu Apnten was one of the casualties in that war and
Nana Ofosuhene Apnten took over. Under pressure from the powerful
Denkyiras, he had to retreat from Twifo Atoam to Aowin. The Twifo moved
around for some time and finally settled in Akyim Kotoku. Owusu Bore
declared war against Nana Ansa the king of Twifo proper and asked the Shwi
king, Ankam the First for support. King Ankam was not forthcoming. Owusu
Bore went ahead and won the battle. Ansa also had to flee to Asamankse.
Next, he turned on Nana Abimoro the Paramahene and temporarily
subjugated him. Nana Owusu Bore, the mighty warrior, conquered the Wassa
as well. It didnt take too long for Denkyira to cover a large territory from
Tano, to Bia to Anum, and all the way south to the coast. The Denkyira empire
included what would become known as Asante territory as well. Ankye, Nana
Osei Tutu and the kings of Asante will be tasked with creating, unifying and
liberating the new Asante nation.
Heres a brief unrelated anecdote from Ankyes childhood before we continue
with the Denkyira story and how it impacted and was impacted by the
formation of the Asante kingdom. Ankye the child had been away from home
for three days and his mother was getting anxious. He had the habit of leaving
home for a day or two, but on this was the third day since he left. His mother
felt something had gone wrong with her son when a hunter came in to tell her
he had seen Ankye. Before he could tell the whole story, she began to sob,
imagining Ankye had been hurt, killed by a wild animal, lost his way or
starved to death. She could not conceive of how Ankye could possibly survive
in the forests after three days without food and water. He could go up to two
days without food; but three days without food would kill him, she supposed.
When she was ready to listen, the hunter told her though Ankye may be only
seven harmattans old, he as a Bgyina child one committed specially to GOD
22

 wasnt really subject to the elements. He told her that Ankye looked well
and actually sat with him to talk. He said boy spoke in great detail about some
valued customs of the ancestors and advised the hunter about how not to fall
ill. Ankyes mother was not interested in what he was saying. She was in
tears and wanted to see her son alive and well, again. Just when she was about
to start wailing, they heard footsteps. They held their breaths. It was Ankyes
papa returning from combing through the forests in search of their son. He
asked if Ankye was not back yet and his wife was getting ready to mourn.
None of them noticed when the child Ankye entered the room.
And back to Denkyira. It was during the reign of Denkyirahene Akafo Ebiaka
that Nana Ebiaka instituted a band of specially trained, virgin vocalists whose
prime occupation was to sing of the achievements of the Ancients. The king
who occupied the stool after him increased the number of fan and fly-whisk
bearers in the royal court. He unfortunately had a weakness for frivolity which
in turn weakened the nations moral fiber though. He set up a harem of many
wives for his personal pleasure, and wasted no time in placing eunuchs and
watchmen about them. He was given to ostentation. Nana Amoako Atta the
First was enstooled after him. He created the twelve pure-gold canes for the
linguists and added two gold stools to the regalia he inherited. The reign of
Nana Asare, better known as Boamponsm, followed. At this point, Denkyira
material superiority was buttressed with Elmina, the site of major trade with
the seafarers along what was called the Gold Coast, came under Denkyira
control. The Europeans there, of course, regarded the Denkyirahene as a most
valued business partner besides their paying land rent for the Elmina castle to
him. Nana Boamponsm reigned for quite a long time bringing on even greater
prosperity to his nation. It was in his day that a percussive, calabash
instrument covered with stretched animal skin over the open top which
sounded ponsm, ponsm, ponsm when it was beaten and shaken, was
introduced. This, it is said, is how the name Boamponsm came about. His
successor persistently humiliated the nations they conquered and this is the
regime, the Asante had to contend with. Around this time, an Adansi chief who
rebelled against the Denkyira and fled, first to Akwmu, and then later on to
Akyim and founded the Kokobinte paramount stool of Akyim Abuakwa
located at Kyebi. It is worth noting that the only nations the Denkyira kept
away from were Akyim; and Akwmu. Well later hear the story of the
prodigious Akyim nation and the struggle between Denkyira and Asante.

23

Before then, another peek into another point in Ankyes life before his
accomplishments in Asante. There is a story about a palm tree he had caused
to grow from the ground by pouring the dregs of palm-wine on a particular
spot in Awukugua. The tree grew, bearing fruit and was yearly harvested and
shared among the Adadifo. During festivities when the revelers ran out of
drink, they would send to him for more palm-wine. Ankye would then climb
the palm tree, bend a branch, which would serve as a pipe, and the
intoxicating drink would come flowing downwards into the pots beneath. He
performed these works to teach the ability of human beings to manifest the
things their minds through feelings could conceive of. But it seemed some
people were only interested in using his works to satisfy their basest desires.
He contemplated refusing to give them the debilitating palm-wine, but that
would mean letting down a whole town, and in principle, the Adadifo had to
be obeyed.
It was time for divination in a time of crisis, and the Adadifo sent for Kmfo
Ankye. Awukugua was a nation viciously dominated by the overlord
neighbor. Men from the conquering town would climb up and cut mature
palm fruits off the trees and order Awukugua men to catch the falling, heavy
thorny fruits with their bare hands. The reluctant catchers hands would bleed
from wounds from the hard prickles of the huge and heavy palm fruits. There
was also the story of the pregnant Awukugua woman who was shot in broad
daylight at the market place by one of their tormentors. An inevitable
explosion between Awukugua and the overlords was bound to erupt. With
Ankye on their side, the Awukugua people were confident they would defeat
the oppressor. Here was the man who was said to have walked across a
suspended silk string wearing his nkronnua heavy wooden sandals. A man
who was said to have been locked in a room, yet he walked out of the building
without opening the door. They say he dashed a hens raw egg against a hard
rock and the shell wouldnt crack. Weve already heard about how he pointed
his forefinger at the flying hawk with the chicken in its beak and both birds
came somersaulting to the ground. He was known to make bowls of ripe
bananas, pineapples, oranges, pawpaw, mangoes and guavas appear from
nowhere.
When he arrived before the seated seven Adadifo who together governed the
town were waiting, he exchanged greetings with them and listened. The elders
wanted to know if the time was right to direct the Asafo, the warriors, to pick
up arms against the cruel overlords. They wanted to know how Awukugua
24

was faring in the Creators eyes. At a sacred rocky location at Ayte, the
seven ornamented pots had been properly arranged before he got there.
Ankye prayed: water would gush from the rock onto the sacred pots if the
Most High was pleased with Awukugua. After a long wait, an imperceptible
trickle become a consistent drip. Then a mellow flow was suddenly followed
by a violent gush of water, spouting in a downward curve into the well placed
ceremonial clay pots amidst clapping and pious cheers. This was the water
they washed their ceremonial palm nuts with.

25

Alone, & Never Lonely

Kmfo Ankye headed out to Apdwa the town where he had left his
footprint in a rock. An epidemic had hit the town and their king had sent for
him to explain the cause and heal the sick. Ankye had often traveled similar
paths to Apirde and Adukrom and occasionally to Nyadaw the capital of
Akwmu to heal and counsel. He knew sooner than later, he was going to
permanently leave Awukugua for another setting where his ideas would be
better received. Between now and then however, these ideas had to
crystallize. He needed time to prepare. After a few days on the road, he
arrived at his destination. He stopped at the banks of the choked-with-debris
main stream at the outskirts of the town. Women and children fetched water
into drinking pots of all sizes and walked away balancing them expertly on
their heads.
When he called at the Apdwa Kings palace, he was well received: one story
says the King offered him a woman for his pleasure and for marriage. A
banquet at which he ate or drank none of the delicacies served followed.
Ankye had not come to party. He sat quietly at the great table thinking of the
work to be done the following day. He strolled to the riverside the next
morning, where women and girls were washing clothes on the rocks that lined
the mouth of the mellow flowing stream that coursed to the mid-town where
drinking water was fetched. People took baths and some eliminated bodily
waste into the waters. When he told a group of people that it was the pollution
of the water that was causing the sickness, they took offense. Some thought he
was a heartless stranger who had come to add insult to injury. They grabbed
him and brought him to the palace. At the palace, the King listened to the
charge against Ankye, confirmed Kmfos identity and asked his accusers to
leave. But he and his elders were also not happy about Ankyes comments.
The King did not hesitate to let his guest know that he was also upset about
the fact that Kmfo didnt touch or even look at the woman he had been given
the night before. His misgivings sparked from the assumption that Kmfo did
not have their best interests at heart because he did not taste of the banquets
delightful dishes. How can you be sure of a guest who refuses to wine and
dine? And how can you trust one who turns down your precious gifts? But
Kmfo was there on a mission. He suggested that his host ask the people to
stop contaminating the waters. He described methods of purifying it, but the
Apdwahene did not invite Ankye for such a diagnosis or prognosis. Besides,
26

he had already had enough of Ankyes idiosyncrasies. I brought you here to

cure the sick, not to lecture us on how to live! said the King. The living have
the power to raise the dead, but its all for nothing if we dont remove what
causes disease and unnatural death in the first place, Kmfo was resolute.
The water your people are drinking is extremely toxic through pollution. This
epidemic will cease as soon as you stop washing, bathing and eliminating into
the same water you drink. Its as simple as that. The towns elders and King
did not quite like this type of a healer. They would have felt better about him if
he had blamed it on an evil witch, an enemy town or supernatural forces. They
held a brief meeting behind closed doors and quickly came to a resolution.
Send him back where he came from! There are thousands of healers to
choose from. This ones a charlatan! Who does he think he is? Our foreparents have drunk this water from antiquity. Is he claiming he is wiser than
our ancestors? The displeased King took back his gifts and sent Kmfo on
his way. Ankye headed back to Awukugua, but not before he cursed that
town. He was accustomed to rejection; it only strengthened his resolve.
Back in Awukugua, the seven Adadifo continued to consult with the maturing
Ankye. But there too, the sort of changes Kmfo suggested often touched a
raw nerve. Ankye may have been attempting to discourage the wanton
chopping down of trees; he could also have been trying to discourage the
unnecessary application of fire to food when he tabooed the bringing of large
bundles of firewood into the home. Of course heating water for a warm bath at
that cold elevation up the hills could not be entirely done away with. So he
banned whole bundles of firewood tied with jute or grass ropes and allowed
only a few lose pieces at a time brought to town from the farm. Many did not
quite like that. And he would not budge. To dissuade arbitrary killing of
animals for food and meat eating, he chose selective measures. Livestock
rearing had to be outlawed. Predictably, this affront on well- ingrained,
generations old, culinary delights resulted in murmuring and bad feelings all
around. He thought he had to meet society halfway. So he started by
tabooing the breeding of goats. This, as expected, didnt temper the grumbling.
It turned out to be anathema. Though most people did not stop visiting him
for healing and counseling, people generally kept their distance away from
him. This came as no surprise to Kmfo, disheartening though it sometimes
felt. He loved the people and had been lived close to them in flesh, but now it
seemed the people had had enough of him. Thankfully, he tried to remain
distant from them in mind. As the bad feelings mounted around him, he
yearned for another beginning a place where he would find influential
27

partners eager for a change, a nation needing a new values-system, a people

who would be more receptive to his ideas.
He wouldnt move to the coast where a new set of values imposed by the
Europeans directly buffeted the people. It was violently changing the cultural
landscape. The far-sighted there could only focus on resistance, not on
building a new nation what they could do was spend their time strategizing
and fighting the seafarers on a daily basis. Nor was Ankye about to settle in
any of the neighboring nations where he was already familiar. He sensed the
possibility of new desires taking shape further north. Specifically, Asante land.
What brought Ankye to Asanteman? Ive heard many stories. Heres one:
There was only one person responsible for serving Ankyes meals boiled
eggs and mashed, cooked yam mixed with palm oil... I thought he didnt eat
cooked meals. Thats why I started by saying rumors. She happened to be his
grandmother. It was her duty to bring the food to the end of the town just
before each sunset. One day, she forgot to do so, and they say an angry Ankye
grabbed and killed her for keeping him hungry and waiting. He was arrested
and imprisoned. Ose Tutu, who was then a prince aspiring to rule the
Kwaman Aban Dwa, government, was on friendly terms with the Awukugua
Adadifo and had come to visit. He was taken around places of interest and
finally, to the detention house. When Ankye, who had not met him before,
saw him, he told the prince: You will be the next Kumasihene and King of the
whole of Asante. Ose Tutu wondered how Ankye knew he was vying for the
stool. Emotionally moved and considering the likely benefits of Ankyes
companionship, he asked that Kmfo be released into his custody. The Adadifo
agreed and that was how he left Awukugua for Asante. Have you heard this
other one? Ankye and his mother had left Awukugua because most of the
people there were fed up with his presence. Mother and son went first to live
at Akwmu, and then left for Denkyira. You see, all the kings of his day courted
him. With him on their side, they were sure to hit fresh heights of glory. Now
Ankyes mother had an odd coloring on her hands. Denkyira was going
through some difficulties. Their priests suggested they sacrifice that witch
with the strange coloring on the skin of those hands of hers. That was the
reason for the ritual murder of his mother. Ankye didnt take this very lightly.
He vowed to revenge and waited for the day he could inflict devastation on the
kingdom of Denkyira. Ose Tutu lived in the palace with the same ambition
having observed the ill-treatment of non-Denkyiras. The pair left for Kumasi
together with vendetta on their minds.
28

Ill tell you another one. War broke out between Akwapim and Asante. When
after major Asante gains, the Akwapim side unfurled the flag of truce, Kae!
The Asante captain refused to recognize it. He wanted a total thrashing of the
foe. Kmfo Ankye who was then in Akwapim had to step in. People say he
turned an Akwapim warrior into an irresistible, young woman selling tigernuts in a pan she was balancing on her head. He sent her into the enemys
camp. The captain unaware that she was on a mission was taken by the
allure of her voluptuous beauty. He led her into his tent and went to sleep
with her. His desires did not end there. He entertained thoughts of spending
the rest of his life with her. He practically offered her free access. Having
been given full access to everything in the camp including battle plans, she
carefully studied their strategies and quickly returned to the Akwapim camp
with the relevant information. Ankye changed he back into a man and
found a counter-plan against the opponents. Inevitably, the Akwapim army
won the war that followed. However they lived to fight another day. That
means he was from Akwapim. No, he was from here. Kotowbr only went
there to sharpen his skills as a medicine man. You know how the Awukugua
people are reputed masters of the science of healing and magic. When war
broke out between the two armies the next time, the prize was Ankye who
was by then through with his studies. After trying hard and failing to capture
him, the Asante side planned on a final attempt. Casualties were high in the
ensuing engagement. It was a Monday. So the Monday of the Awukugua
Odwira is solemnly observed as the day they lost Ankye to Asantes. On that
day, they do not eat any food. Ankye had a soft spot for his hosts. He implored
Awukugua not to let him go when he noticed their waning ardor. But they
buckled under and handed him over when the fierce Asante fighters
descended upon them sounding their enchanting war drums. Naturally,
Ankye was not exactly pleased with their attitude. Deeming it betrayal, he
damned the town.
Damned in what sense? Well, Ankye had an enormous appetite for damning
people who trivialized his ideas. This tendency probably was relegated to the
background when he immersed himself in Asante political life. His curses hold
until the cursed breaks out of the mentality that led to that infringement. He
predicted that the women of a certain town would find it difficult
comprehending fidelity. Here, Ankye said and it still holds that until
mentalities change, marriages between couples from certain clans would be
shaky. Perhaps that sign in Awukugua meant they wouldnt do very well until
29

a given time. Two of the specific afflictions he imposed there were the one
about their women being talkative and domineering; the other was they
wouldnt be able to repay the loans they took. There was a bofunna peg fixed
to two knives hed stuck in the ground in Awukugua. Above the peg and the
knives in midair, he suspended a gong-gong. With nothing holding it to the
tree nearby, the drum defied gravity for centuries. I was told that this was one
of the signs of the curse he inflicted before he left the town. Probably the point
was that the town would neither rise nor fall.
Theres this other story: Ankye uprooted a palm tree he had planted to
symbolize the prosperity of Awukugua. He dug a hole and planted the tree
upside-down. This meant the town would be turned upside-down. Thats the
tree he climbed wearing his thick heeled, wooden sandals. The footprints are
still visible on the trunk of that palm tree. Its roots are up at the apex while the
branches are in the ground. He considered the blameless, future generations
and characteristically tempered his curse with a positive. A positive miracle of
his is there at the banks of their river, where he used his heel to dig grips in
the slippery rocks to ensure the safety of the people. Also, on his way out, he
sculpted out of rock, the form of a pair of breasts. The purpose is any young
women who fretted about their fertility by reason of their flat male-like chests
could visit that site. There the woman, with the guidance of an appointed
custodian-healer, would pray and not long after that, would see feminine
breasts backing up the nipples on her chest, and subsequently conceive and
bear children. Ive seen this sculpture with my own eyes and heard two young
mothers attesting the efficacy of this ritual. Ritual? Weve heard kmfo said
the only purpose of rituals was to provide profound material/physical
reminders to bolster confidence in attaining goals, especially the seemingly
impossible. But this thing about curses; you want to say more?
He settled briefly in Lat. There, Ankye healed many, counseling them on
how a pure diet of raw fruits was the surest guarantee to optimal health.
These teachings caught on with those who tried Awurade Basa it even the
hunters. He, to the chagrin of the healer-priests over there, touched the hearts
of the townsfolk who had decided to send him some gifts as a token of their
thankfulness. Akora, after experiencing the advantages of sticking mainly to
the live foods, they in large numbers brought him bundles of presents
according to the produce of their occupations. Farmers brought fruits;
hunters, as expected, ironically brought some of their kill to Kmfo. Ankye
wouldnt eat the corpses. Neither would he totally reject such a gesture. He
30

gave the animal cadavers to others who had a use for them. This went on for a
while. Some of the hunters told startling stories of how when they brought
their offering to Ankyes door, and it wasnt Ankye the man, but, a crab who
came out to receive them. This crab would crawl back sideways indoors with
the meat in its claws. Some speculated that this was due to Kmfos meat
eating taboo. The peeved priests of the town got together and hatched a
scheme to put an end to this show of gratitude as a first step towards driving
him out of the town, they were able to convince the hunters to be party to
their designs. They managed to compel the well-meaning hunters that he was
a demon-possessed wizard deserving no honor. From that day on, some
hunters refused to be friendly with Ankye. In response, he warned, Go along
with those priests ideas you will lose your way. Youll disappear, or be killed
by huge, wild cats when you go hunting in the forests. These words came
true. Very many hunters were reported mauled by leopards or simply went
missing, in a short space of time. This was of course disturbing to everyone.
The authorities needed to resolve this issue. The priests persuaded them, and
they met to decide on what to do about Kmfos presence. The assembly
decided to get rid of this meddlesome outsider. Nobodys asked him for any
advice! Havent we heard the people in Awukugua are themselves tired of, and
complaining about this irritating behavior? They agreed to kick him out.
Ankye thought of the good people of the town and replied with an execration
tempered with a positive, as usual: In war, your men will deliver devastating
blows to their opponents, leaving their legs permanently damaged. On the
other hand, you will lose every single battle you engage in.
Kmfo must have been viciously vindictive then, some will say. Others will
disagree reminding us that he compensated those he cursed with some degree
of blessing or advantage. He held nothing against those who didnt attempt to
get in the way of his lifes mission or disrespect him. Of course his seemingly
extreme reactions against those who were against what he stood for placed
him in another league of rage altogether. Was he regarded as a terror when he
became king in Agona Asante? Youll be surprised that he was rather quite the
opposite. He is remembered in Agona for his kindness and tender care for the
people. The main reason why people didnt want him around anymore is
obvious. Kmfo always questioned, and attempted to influence people against,
fallacious yet deeply entrenched values. No doubt, he annoyed many,
especially those whose sense of self was built around the practices but not the
essence of traditions. Obi Kmfo went beyond healing the unwell, he taught
people to prevent disease. He broke hexes and gave free advice to anyone
31

regardless of social status, even when no one asked for his opinion. Of course,
some appreciated it, some didnt. Having gotten on the wrong side of many,
they say he left for Akwmu where his services were urgently needed in the
Kings court.
Its said that he met Ose Tutu in Akwmu. Maybe youve heard this other
story that both Nana Ose Tutu and Kmfo Ankye had Asante mothers and
Adansi fathers. They say Owusu Pnin of Akrokyere was Ose Tutus father.
Ankye, who must have been then in his twenties or thirties, serving as priest
of the Otutu shrine at Berekuso, inside Akwmu territory. Wasnt the Otutu
shrine at Awukugua instead? Ive also been told that it was in Asante.
Speaking of shrines, Nana Obiri Yboa the then Kwaman chief needed an heir
to his throne. He looked up to his niece to bear a man-child, but from all
indications, she was infertile. Obiri Yboa lived then at the seat of government
Kokofu. Having heard about the works of Kmfo Ankye he sent the woman
to him for treatment. She returned and bore a son. He was named Ose Tutu
after the Otutu shrine. Ose is a name that may be given to a man-child of the
Boso-muro ntorn spirit.
Now back to a story about Ankye in Akwmu. Ankye was still in Akwmu
when Ose Tutu, now an adult, came there. Ose Tutu had been living and
studying in the Denkyirahenes court in accord with custom when he was
younger; royals of conquered nations were sent to serve in the overlords
courts. There was an advantage to Asante in this arrangement. It was an
opportunity for the prince to come to terms with the relative sophistication of
the Denkyira government on a first hand basis. These were excellent
preparation grounds. Obiri Yboa willingly let the youthful Ose Tutu go also
because, in the event of his passing on, he knew his nephew could be harmed
in a power struggle if he was still in the vicinity. But his stay came to an abrupt
end when he made a Denkyira princess pregnant against acceptable norms.
She advised him to flee before the physical signs could no longer be concealed.
Was that when Ose Tutu surfaced in Akwmu? No. First, he returned to
Asante. But Obiri Yboa knew the Denkyiras would come after his nephew. He
advised the prince to leave for the Akwmuhene Ansa Sasrkus court. Nana
Sasrku was a faithful friend who showed strong personal affection for Barima
Ose Tutu. But Ose Tutu didnt simply go to seek refuge in Akwmu. The
situation wasnt that simple. Although Obiri Yboa was still alive, factions in
Kwaman were already sparking up a power struggle. Ose Tutu, the heir
apparent, who had spotted Kmfo Ankyes genius, needed his help to outdo
32

the competition. When he arrived, Kmfo was in detention for challenging the
Akwmu authorities. The Asante prince pleaded for Ankye to be released into
his custody. Some wondered why Ose Tutu wanted this unorthodox Kmfo in
his company. He may be unorthodox in his ways, Ose Tutu explained. But
please, I need him to accompany me on a certain journey.
I heard yet a different story: after Ose Tutu escaped from Denkyira, he went
directly to Akwmu where he met Ankye. While there, he received word that
Obiri Yboa was preparing to go to war with the Domaas who were a major
thorn in the side of Kwaman. Ose Tutu wanted to go and join his uncle in
battle. He asked and got Kmfos advice: Dont go, Brima Ose. Your share of
battles is on its way and this isnt one of them. Ose stayed and prayed for the
best. Somebody told me a delegation led by Antoahene Sarkode Dat
Bammofo and the Akyeamehene soon arrived with a message: The Domaa
people have moved from Suntrso to Abesim under pressure from Nana Obiri
Yboa and his men. But the war and the physical life of Kwamanhene Obiri
Yboa, permit us to announce, have been lost. We now call on you, Ose Tutu,
to come along and continue your uncles work. First, you need to possess the
vacant government seat, the Aban Dwa stool. You already have the support of
the people of Kwaman. Ankye gave Ose the go-ahead; Ansa Sasrku gave his
blessings. The most outstanding warriors in the length and breadth of
Akwmu territory at that time were from Anum. As Anum had fallen to the
Akwmus, the Akwmuhene kept the very best of these fighters in the
Akwmu army. Momentarily emotionally overtaken by his affection for Ose
Tutu, he ordered three hundred of these Anum warriors to escort the Asante
prince to Kwaman and remain loyal to him. He gave them seventy-seven guns
for the mission. Not long after they had left, so the story goes, Ankye
requested, was granted audience with the King and said: Nana. You know
whats going to happen? The very best of your best troops are gone; your
supremacys forever gone with Ose Tutu to Kwaman. He will now become the
most powerful king in the land. According to this account, Ansa Sasrku took
offence. He regretted committing such a major, irreversible, tactical error.
Someone had to be the target of his venom. It had to be Kmfo. Ankye was
arrested and incarcerated. Theres yet another story about Ankye being
imprisoned in Akwmu. Some say Ankye was detained because he
accidentally shot a royal son while his friend Ose Tutu had left for Asante.
When the new Kwaman King returned to thank the Akwmuhene and found
his future co-architect a captive. He pleaded on his behalf for clemency and
Ankye was freed.
33

Ive also heard that Ankye was part of the contingent of well-wishers from
Akwmu who later followed up to Kwaman. An elder also told me Kmfo went
along in the company of Ose Tutu and the Anum warriors. He said the prince
came down with small-pox on the journey, and the priest cured him. There is
yet another version that he, in his own time, left Awukugua, traveled to
Apdwa and to Akwsiho Kwhu and then to Asante. Someone else told me
that when Ankye was a child, he left the comfort of his home and embarked
on a quest for knowledge in all corners of the open country. It was during
these travels, said the elder, that he met Ose Tutu around Akokofe near the
royal capital Kokofu.
Ive also been told that for chastising Ansa Sasrku, they bound him and
drowned him in a deep river. When they heard, afterwards, that he was still
alive and working in Awukugua, they trivialized it: It must be his ghost, they
joked. Eye-witnesses confirmed that Ankye was indeed alive and well back in
Awukugua. The authorities sent men there, rearrested him after harassing the
defenseless Awukugua people, and returned to Akwmu with him as a
prisoner to be executed. Present us with seven able-bodied Awukugua men
in exchange for the captive. Thats if you want him back alive, his captors
declared. They kept him locked in one of those hollowed-out logs awaiting the
day of his execution or ransom, until the new Kwamanhene Ose Tutu
intervened on his behalf.
There is still this other story I heard when I was in Awukugua: Ose Tutu, who
knew about Ankye, had come there asking the Adadifo to allow Ankye to
accompany him back to Kwaman to help him in his bid for the stool. Well,
Ankye was not contacted for his opinion. Incidentally, the Adadifo were in a
bit of a hurry to see him leave. They sent for him. He alarmed them when he
walked in: Why? he asked, have you reached a decision about my destiny
without consulting with me? They had nothing much to say. They simply
ordered him to leave with Ose Tutu. He felt betrayed. Ankye walked out on
them. He went to Oboabeduru, the rock oware game he created by sculpting
holes with his heel in the huge block of stone, and its gold pebbles used in
playing the game that he made to appear from nowhere. On Fridays when the
people took a day off from their farming to give the soil of the Earth some rest,
the elders of the town would sit around Oboabeduru and play oware. Now he
was on his way out into exile. Ankye lifted another rock of the same size, and
by placing this other big stone on top of the rock oware game, he sealed it so
34

no one could play oware there. He said, Ill leave a sign here that there were,
once upon a time, these seven Adadifo who plotted against me. Once again
with his heel, he made seven holes on top of the rock each representing one of
his betrayers.
Have you heard the one about the Aburi chief who came to plead for Ankyes
release because the Awukugua people could not find the surety of seven
Awukugua men that the Akwmuhene was demanding in return for his
release? You may have also heard that Ose Tutu who knew him had already
recommended him to his Council of Elders, who subsequently sent him a royal
invitation while he was in Akwapim. Another variation says, he had left
Awukugua years before, and was in Krachi when Ose Tutu was enstooled as
Kwamanhene. Asante was then still under Denkyira rule, so he would come in
and leave after short durations. He was unwilling to live under the Denkyiras.
He went up north for some time and returned to Asante after conceiving of a
well thought out plan to help remove the Denkyira yoke. According to that
one, Ankye had met Ose Tutu at Denkyira earlier on. Kmfo worked his
magic and escaped with Ose Tutu to Asante where the latter would be
enstooled.
What have you heard about any struggle for the stool? There were two
factions yearning to have their choice inherit Obiri Yboas stool. They were
the Oyoko house of Adoma Akosua who had their preferred future King, and
there was the Agona house led by Adu Gymfi who wanted Ose Tutu, who
was then at Nyadaw in Akwmu territory, to rule. I thought Ose Tutu was an
Oyoko man. Ankye offered to help Adu Gymfi achieve his aim, but the
response was lukewarm. Adoma Akosua took Ankye in. Hearing later on
about the abilities of Ankye, Adu Gymfi through cunning persistence,
dissuaded Adoma Akosua from joining with Ankye. She dissociated herself
from him and did nothing to keep him when Adu Gymfis men came to run
Kmfo out of Kwaman. That was when the influential King Akrasi of Dwabn
offered Ankye a place of residence in his town. They became close friends.
Ankye after a while moved to Obi. Most Asantes knew Obi was where he lived
before he finally came to settle among them. They called him Obi Kmfo. The
stool dispute remained unresolved. By then Adu Gymfi had regretted having
Ankye chased away. He being a skillful negotiator, found a way to settle the
stool dispute diplomatically. Adu Gymfi sent for Ose Tutu who was at
Nyadaw. When Ose Tutu arrived, Ankye resurfaced and went to see Nana
Akrasi. Nana Akrasi. I have something important to tell you about the future
35

of Asanteman. Speak, my good friend. Its this; Odomankoma, the Most

High, has detailed to me a special mission in Asante. This people will unite and
become an invincible nation. Your brother Brima Ose Tutu will be the
rallying force in this new arrangement. Kindly link me up with him. I have a lot
to tell him. Nana Akrasi knew Ankye was a serious man with great ideas. He
also felt the need for changes in Asantes politics. So he set up a meeting
between Kmfo Ankye and Barima Ose Tutu. Thats how, according to that
story, the two got together.
There are stories saying Ankye had to first prove himself when he came to
Asante. One says, Ose Tutu asked him to cure his relative, Akosua Bensua, of
her barrenness. Kmfo did, and she bore a child to the surprise of the
doubters. As a reward, Ankye was given a thousand men to go with him and
found the town of Agona-Asante. Agona existed before that time, didnt it?
Theres this other story about how he came to Agona: How he got to Agona
was through another test given by the people themselves. While some
interrogated him in a dark room, two cows were locked in two separate sheds.
They then brought him out to where the structures stood. Their leader said,
Theres a black cow in one of these huts, and a white one in the other. Tell us
which of the huts has which cow if you are really who they say you are.
Ankye calmly replied, What youre calling a white cow is actually a brown
one. Its in this one here, and the black cow is in the other shed to our right.
His testers laughed at him, sure of themselves that they had chosen a black
and a white cow. They were convinced they were going to prove him a fake.
To their surprise, their white cow turned out to be sporting a brown hide
when they opened the door to the shed. Questions flowed: Who is this?
Whats your name again? Where did you say you are from? Agona? Yes.
They led him to the then Agonahene who took him in as a citizen.
A friend of mine said Ankye was originally from Nokye. He says Kotowbr
was a notorious thief who stole the Nokye peoples golden stool in a time of
war over there, and escaped with it to Asante. According to him, Ankyes new
hosts initially called him Kurmfuo a ofi Nokye the Thief from Nokye. My
friend further complicated his narrative by adding that the name was actually
Kurmfuo na yakye no the Thief that has been caught. I insisted that Kmfo in
Akan is a priestly title, but my friend was adamant.
I heard something else about Kmfos time in the Denkyira palace. In the
Denkyirahenes court where Ankye served, Ose Tutu was a hostage shield
36

bearer. As the Asante royals in the court were harshly treated, Ose Tutu had
the same desire as Ankye to pay the Denkyira kingdom in its own coin. Thats
how they came to join forces for the mission. I thought Ose Tutu was there to
study the fine-art and science of government. I heard he was never a hostage
himself.
Its also said that Ankye came to Asante from Akwmu with Ose Tutu. When
strangers arrive in any nation, they first go where they can be among the
people of their respective clans. One story says Ankye was an Asini man, so
he came to Agona where his mothers distant relatives live. He remained there
as he liked the place. Was he born here? I was told he was from Awukugua.
Ankyes mother had blood relations in Agona-Asante. As an oKmfo who
travelled quite a bit, he went to live in Awukugua. He wasnt from there? No.
He wasnt from there. He wandered from town to town studying,
strengthening and healing people. After some time he returned to Asante. And
he became AgonaheneHe was the chief priest until after the third chiefs
reign. That was when Ankye was enstooled.
But first of all, he was an kmfo, you know. Lets talk a bit about his personal
habits. His character? They say he was a recluse with a long list of taboos.
They say nobody saw him eating. That he was an extremely serious public
figure with a private disposition, and a very secretive one at that. According to
those stories, Kmfo wouldnt sit and chat or casually mingle with people. His
focus was completely channeled towards his work.
Did he come first to Agona? He first lived in Kwaman. Kumasi-Kwaman. When
he took power and gave it to Ose Tu, he planted the Kum-nini pythonkiller tree seedlings at Kwaman and Kumwu. One of the two towns had to
be made the capital. The one at Kwaman grew into a mighty tree; the one at
Kumwu withered away. The tree at Kumwu earned that town that name
because it expired. So the capital was established under the kum-tree in that
part of Kwaman we now call Kumasi. Later he moved to Agona. Anything to
say about Ankyes roofless house in Agona? Where he slept wasnt exactly
roofless. It was where he worked, the courtyard, that had no roof. He could tell
the pouring rain not to come into that part of the building.
What about his role in winning the war? In the language of an elder, when
Kmfo Ankye came to Asante, he said he was going to help Se Tu fight and
win a war of liberation against Denkyira. The then Denkyirahene, Ntim
37

Gyakari had been sending, every year, a messenger with a large brass basin
and emissaries to Kwaman to have the Asante chiefs fill it to the brim with
gold nuggets for him. Dwabn supplied firewood; Mampon gave fibres; Nsuta
sent red clay; Bkwae provided water; Kwaman offered a wife to tend to
Denkyira princes. This time around, Ankye advised Ose Tutu: Do not pay!
He said the same thing to the kings who had assembled to meet with the
Denkyira ambassador. Amane Abbrs the Denkyira Afrasohene was Ntim
Gyakaris ambassador who accompanied the basin. The Asante kings stepped
to Abbrs and had him killed. Thats why you hear the proverb in Asante:
Where were you when we were beating up Abbrs? to illustrate a weighty
matter. One of the Denkyira men was sent to tell their King of the insurrection.
Ntim Gyakari was furious. Am I a dead man? How could he Ose Tutu a
Kwaman man and his people, have dared to slay my Afrasohene? I will teach
them! He sent for his Chief Priest OKmfo Kyir, who consulted their oracle
and predicted accurately the upcoming war between Denkyira and Asante.
Trusting in military might and wealth, Ntim was more than convinced that a
Denkyira victory was a foregone conclusion. He ordered his men to prepare
for war. The Asante chiefs turned to Ankye: What do we do? This is some
heavy stuff weve gotten ourselves entangled in. Havent we bitten more than
we can possibly chew, Kmfo? They believed they needed protection to
defend themselves. Protection, yes, Kmfo agreed. But Asante is bigger than
just seeking protection. Well drink deep. Well destroy Denkyiras might. Well
take three years to prepare for this war! Knowing the magnitude of what he
had set in motion, Ankye carefully considered the consequences and humbly
prayed for help from the Most Supreme One.
Someone told me Kmfo went over to Denkyira. That he transformed himself
into beauty of a young woman selling pawpaws. Someone saw this seller and
went to inform the King. The King sent for her. He took the woman to bed
that night and Ankye collected his semen in a carefully placed leather pouch.
Kmfo then returned to Kwaman with the Kings viscous fluids and told Ose
Tutu, Weve weakened him.
Ill attempt to translate the elders words on how Ose Tutu returned to
Asante to become King: Years before, when Ose Tutu was living in Denkyira,
King Boamponsm had a niece. Ose Tutu saw her and fell in love with her.
She got pregnant by him though she had already been betrothed since her
childhood to the Gyaasehene. So she told the Asante prince, Se Tu, Im about
to bear our child. Your head could be in the obrafuos hand if we arent careful.
38

Find a place to escape to. Well, any royal who travels is given an escort. So
when Se Tu asked the unsuspecting Boamponsm for permission to travel,
he gave him a few men to accompany him. Ose Tutus attendant, Ahenkwaa
Gywu, was asked to leave with him. As they left at night, he disclosed the
matter to his Ahenkwaa: Gywu, this is why were leaving. They walked a
great distance till they reached, the following morning, a place where some
palm-fruit harvesters were at work. Ose Tutu saw Boamponsms palm
harvesting chief Nana Sasrku directing the crew. They knew each other
already. Sasrku asked: Barima! Where are you off to? Ose Tutu replied,
Im running an errand for the King. Sasrku served him with some palm
drink. After the drink, Se Tu whispered to Gywu: This man. He will go and
tell. Well have to eliminate all those who are likely to tell on us until we reach
our destination. So they took Sasrkus life. They then lifted his body and
discarded it on a heap of harvested palm-nuts and went on their way. Its
unclear if the other harvesters witnessed the incident. What is certain is, the
Executioner at the Asantehenes palace recites:
Ose TutuHe has dispatched Sasrku,
And dumped his body
On a pile of palm nuts.
They stopped over at a village where Nana Atinka lived. Atinka was
Denkyirahene Nana Boamponsms chief hunter who also knew Ose Tutu. He
asked, Nana. Where are you off to? Ose Tutu answered, The King has sent
me on a mission to Asante. Can we find a place to rest for the night? Atinka
invited them into his home and asked his wife Skyiwa to serve his guests a
meal. After dining together, the visitors cooled their heels for a while. Ose
Tutus eyes fell on a gun leaning against the chief hunters wall. He asked, Can
I try my hands? Atinka was surprised: Ei, Nana. Have you ever fired a
musket? The prince responded, Ive fired a few in my time. Im quite handy
with it too. Nana Atinka passed the weapon to him. Se Tu stunned him by
firing a shot into his hosts chest while they sat in the hut. So you hear the
Royal Executioners lyric:
Ose Tutu!
You have fired a shot at a gun,
And made your target crooked,
You have fired a shot at Atinka...

39

With blood gushing from the gunshot wound in the lifeless body of the Chief
Hunter, Ose Tutu got on his feet and called out to Atinkas wife who was
resting after a long day: Skyiwa! Get up; lets go! She left with them. Peaah!
They took off. When they got to the Adansi road, they met an old friend, Safi.
This was a man they could trust. Ose Tutu greeted him: O Safi, we have met
again! Where are you headed? Safi said, Im in trouble at Adansi, and am
escaping from capital punishment. So they got together and traveled on to
Akwmu. Akwmuhene Kusi gave them a warm welcome. That was when
Ankye met Se Tutu and they became close friends. They lived there till news
came that Obiri Yboa Mnu had gone to war against Domaahene Kusi, and
excuse me to say, it was in that war that he got stuck somewhere. The elders
sent to Akwmu for Ose Tutu. Ose Tutu said to Ankye, Kmfo, its time to
leave! Thats when they came to Asante.
He didnt know Ankye before they met in Akwmu? He didnt. Yes, he did. No,
he didnt! He knew him. See, hed heard about Ankye but he hadnt met him
personally. They came together to Asante and Ose Tutu was enstooled. They
organized and triumphed against Domaa; the Denkyirahene sent for the
tribute and they refused to pay. After the manhandling of Sasrku, Ose Tutu,
Ankye and the kings knew it was time to defeat the Slayer of Elephants.

40

Through The Eyes of the First Everliving One

To hold the people together, Kmfo Ankye and Nana Ose Tutu had to
channel memory. First, they had to convince the people that they were one
people with essentially one destiny, identity and history. Where did we begin?
Ethiopia! Then we spread out in all directions. We created that civilization in
Kmt with the principles of our Ethiopian fore-parents. Over there and here.
For us the year still begins after the rainy season three moons before the dry
season, the harmattan. Each day of each month is still sacred for one or
another purpose. The spiritual significance and implications of sickness, parts
of the day, the existence of rivers, streams and lakes, our humanity and the life
of all that has been Created remain important to us. Our peoples lives and
activities are regulated by these considerations.
Eating animal flesh and drinking animal milk have always been abhorred. Its
only recently that weve mistakenly taken to the eating the flesh of fish, eggs,
mollusks and crustaceans. Wed rather not speak or drink water while eating.
We dont spit about in public or belch in the presence of guests. We dont
touch food, greet or receive things with the same left hand we use to wash.
We seclude ourselves from people to attend to natures call or create a
detached room in our houses where this occurs. The home is a sacred
place. Those who commit adultery do so in the bushes or the forests. Their
noses could be cut off and they would become the slaves of those who catch
them in the act.
Slave wasnt such a demeaned position as the godless have made it out to be.
Even the powerful kings who control the King are called his slaves. Also slaves
have a legal right to demand release from their owners if they are mistreated.
For healing, protection, identity and aesthetics, scarifications and tattoos still
adorn our peoples skins. Amulets and charms decorate the upper arms,
wrists, ankles, necks and waists. Women don their waistbeads. The way we
weave the kente and the shama, and how we put on our cloth, the types of
sandals on our feet, the mysterious aggrey beads, the patterns of the
hieroglyphs and the low relief on the walls of our buildings are still the same.

41

So are the motifs of the palm tree and flowers we use as well as the perfectly
round houses and the mainly square houses we live in.
The court plans and palace arrangements are quite the same. A well-trusted
porter locks the door that visitors enter through to meet with the King who is
often seated on a stool, skin, throne or a couch positioned on an elevated
platform.
People are expected to help each other. Failing to help a man whos under
attack by bandits calls for the ultimate punishment, unless its proven beyond
doubt that helping would be humanly impossible that nothing could have
been done to rescue or help rescue the victim, in which case the witness
should help find the attackers. Harboring or protecting those who harm
others or deliberately destroying others property is also unpardonable.
An individuals recognized achievements and services to the nation are often
considered before they are sentenced at the end of a trial. Executions are
carried out promptly.
Revealers of family and national secrets are treated like fake-currency dealers.
They have their tongues or upper lips sliced off. Apart from the Kings robbers
whose job it is to harass unwanted visitors and sellers, thieving is severely
punished. We still insist on returning stolen items to the rightful owners.
Women still kneel or sit on stools to deliver their babies. They control the
market. They dissuade their men from ventures they consider fruitless or
pointlessly dangerous. Men dont involve themselves in the quarrels and
lawsuits of their women. If her man insults or beats her up, she is in her rights
to dissolve their marriage and keep the property of the man. Its a woman who
will lead the Asante nation in the most celebrated effort in resistance to
European rule in the near future. Youll find out that, the more indulgent
our people and leaders become with perverse life-styles, the more well lose
touch with the Light within and disrespect our women.
Woman is respected as the custodian of culture, indispensable mother of the
universe and intuitive guardian of the earthly, material life - materializer of
ideas generated by men. The queenmother is the leading adviser to the king.
As a prime influencer, she is required to be of highly refined character.

42

We still carry loads on our heads and occasionally on our shoulders. In the
evenings, our people sit down to music, games and other forms of
entertainment. We drink out of the same calabash to signify unity and
reconciliation.
When a commitment is made to embark on a dangerous pursuit for the good
of the people, such as pledging allegiance in times of war, or when an
individual faces trial, the oath is: May I die or may the King die if Im speaking
dishonestly.
Warriors still put on headbands and scarves knotted at the back with the ends
hanging in the air or dangling like small wings down their necks. They
sometimes show their extravagant zeal when swearing oaths to their king by
going to the extent of pointing the tips of their swords at the bridge of their
kings nose. Blaring horns are sounded to distinguish the most outstanding
warriors during ceremonies. We still anoint our skins and hair before we
enter battle.
Some warriors save their semen while preparing for and during war, by which
practice they boost their vital force.
The three rallying proclamations kings make before wars are still the same:
Prepare your weapons and supplies. We are on the battlefield today! Clear all
the pathways for we may choose any! Im encamped! Join me or you are
against me!
The Chief of Government, with the Treasurer by his side, is the Army
Commander behind the king or whoever deputizes for the ruler in battle. He
moves only after others have advanced towards, or have been repelled by the
opposing army. When theres no war, he lives at the back of the town the
back quarters.
Elected civilian authorities and judges attend to the king during military
campaigns. Three or four of them are appointed to settle tributes and make
treaty laws. They condemn the enemies of their king when these are
overpowered.

43

Warriors fight warriors, and nobody else. We dont wipe out the enemy
soldiers even when we are in the position to do so We capture them.
Captives are assimilated into victor nations. Genocide is pointless.
We dont fight battles in the dark or when visibility can be questionable. There
are particular days when no battles are fought.
The four great military generals influence the most important political
decisions including succession to the throne or stool. The Chief of Government
can single-handedly overturn the decision or sanction the ascension to the
throne even of the legitimate heir. His power is obvious to all members of
government and the king must wait patiently for his presence at meetings,
however delayed.
The king votes strictly in agreement with his government in matters of foreign
policy. For the king to persist where he remains in the minority, is tantamount
to the usurpation of sovereignty, which is equally enshrined and vested in the
whole government.
The king does not influence the decisions of the treasury and the judiciary.
Most political ranks and priestly roles are hereditary though some positions
remain open to others as well. Members of government are permitted to hold
their own purificatory ceremonies and other festivals in their areas of
jurisdiction. They can also wear the buckle-like silver circles similar to what
distinguish the king. They have the power to unilaterally administer justice
and independently impose levies.
A king generally doesnt swear at his ascension or succession. Where he
swears an oath he does so in the presence of his queen. After formally hearing
the details of the issue through the linguist, she holds up her forefinger at the
king.
A deposed king is paid a salary and made to live in a secluded part of the
kingdom. Its only when he refuses to not interfere with smooth governing,
that he is secretly executed.
All kings attend national purificatory ceremonies. At the annual purificatory
rites, which we all still hold, the king, war chiefs, captains and people
assemble at a chosen lake or river with their domestic utensils and ornaments
44

for cleansing. They all jump into the water and throw water over each other as
part of the purificatory rites.
One who is raised to a status of favor by the king could become an
ambassador. Besides representing the governments abroad, ambassadors may
be sent out to collect fines and tributes. Responding positively to him means
loyalty to the king; disrespecting him is considered betrayal.
Treacherous kings are only arrested during the national purificatory
ceremony. In principle, a King must treat news of an insubordinate king as a
rumor to be confirmed. That is after hes sent a first, a second, and, perhaps, a
third officer to make sure its not empty speculation.
To remove the headband or royal crown of the head in the presence of a
superior, or to take off ones sandals and to uncover ones chest when one
rises to speak to the King is a sign of respect. Only the greater kings cover
their chests after addressing him.
The king consults a council of four on the creation and repeal of a law. These
officials wield veto power over the kings decisions regarding foreign policy,
tributes and war.
The four great military generals influence the most important political
decisions including succession to the throne or stool. The Chief of Government
can single-handedly overturn the decision or sanction the ascension to the
rulership even of the legitimate heir. The king must wait patiently for this
chiefs presence at meetings no matter how delayed.
The king has a Court Jester who comes in to entertain and criticize him from
time to time. Everyone else lives in dread of the king. The king remains
seemingly aloof and distant from his subjects. However, he interacts closely
and deals one on one in a friendly manner with the palace servants.
The king speaks through a Linguist who starts his interpretation with Hear
what the king says!
The king avails himself for morning worship soon after sunrise. Soon after
worship, the wise elders repeat to him the outstanding actions and precepts of
the great men and women who lived before him. Before deciding on any
45

criminal case, the king withdraws from everyone else and consults with his
Secret Counsel.
He never eats in public. Only his fan-bearers and closest attendants may be
present at his mealtimes.
Two men hold the arms of the king when he walks. It is high treason for
anyone to sit on his seat. Nobody with a visible bodily defect becomes king.
The type of white headband and wristband he wears on ordinary days is
never to be put on by his subjects. On certain occasions a white zigzag pattern
is painted across his forehead when he wears his crown.
Officers who lead the king in procession lash away the crowd in their path. A
well-dressed Officer of The Wardrobe, Chief Musician with the Chief HornBlower accompany him. An entourage, some of whom bearing dining plates
covered with leather, follow the Chief Cook under a canopy.
Kings send their children and nephews to live with and understudy the most
powerful kings in the land.
The king and priests give out their lands to farmers to cultivate for a
reasonable return. The person of the priest is detached from all the citizenry
and attached to The One he worships. He sees only one GOD and never
professes his mode of worship as exclusive. He is a vehicle and a voice of the
One they worship. He therefore cannot pretend to do what he does by his own
power. He is given supplies and is exempt from taxes. The king consults with
him before going to war.
Our Dagomba horse-rider kindred still use the small chains on their horses
reins, the bell on the collar, the large saddle, and the red leather covering the
elevated cantle with a soft padding underneath to make the ride comfortable
for the horse.
As it was in Kmt, the cat symbolizes the kra, ka or soul; and the vulture, which
is a scavenger, is regarded as sacred. White represents purity; so does Black.
Black also symbolizes humility, morality, divinity and rebirth. We still regard
the sun as a healer, nourisher and energizer. We acknowledge one Supreme
Creator. We still say Amn at the end of prayers as we did in Kmt. We still
regard Saturday as a day for special communion with GOD.

46

Some of us travelled here from Ethiopia among ourselves more than thirty
hundred harmattans ago. Then about three hundred years ago, some of our
people came here in the company of some Europeans who may have thought
they were pioneers in these parts. They settled on the banks of the Firaw. Not
so long after that, more waves of our people came in from East Africa.
But there are concepts that create problems. Good people get executed
because someone suspects they are malicious witches or wizards. There are
also wrong interpretations of the essence and implications of death. Of course
it is only natural to be saddened by the loss of a loved one, and to assist
families in mourning is a noble show of respect. There were unparalleled
scientific advances in preserving the fleshly frame by embalming it after
removing all the organs except the heart and filling it up with the salty sand of
the Nile. These days we smoke them for preservation. Because of the wrong
premise on which we define death, we hold prolonged funerals. Sometimes
funerals are held twice, thrice, four times, or up to twelve times. The groaning
is willfully over-prolonged and so are the bad vibrations, which ultimately
affect everything in nature the air, the land, the plants, birds and animals
negatively.
O why do you leave us? they wail as they did in Kmt and Ethiopia. Women
disfigure themselves to prove their grief if doing so, to them, makes sense.
They beat their chests and sleep outdoors when a dignitary passes on. They
abstain from their regular meals. Some lay on their sides and wont sleep on
their backs until the burial is over. All these, was done in latter day Ancient
Egypt. Alongside there is some notion that GOD desires alcohol libations or
the flesh or spilt blood of animals.
We can talk about good things: We still name our children Amn, Ankra, Adjei,
Arma, Mnsa, Mansa, Ando, Ayibu, Amosi, Amon, Asare, Asafo, Anum, Amba,
Gyima, Bakri, Owura, Nana, Ose and so on names we used in Kmt and
Ethiopia. The names of our peoples, nations and towns also maintain the link:
Axim, Ankobra, Anum, Hausa or Habasha another name for Ethiopia;
Akamba, Dagomba, Kon, Atagra, Gama, Daworo, Kombo, Begame.
You can trace the footsteps of the ancestors who dispersed from Ethiopia, to
Ancient Egypt and Kmt, to Ghana, Mali and Songhae, to todays Akan states.
Some of the early ones include Adansi out of which came Asante, Akyim, Assin
and Denkyira. But these are the offspring of the Bono who came from the
47

Guan, who brought forth the Akwapim and Fante. These are the same people
as the Ga and Ew. Arent they the ones who were once upon a time the
Mnde, Mndinka, Susu, Tmne, Loko, Kunta, Karrta, Dyula, Gegu, Yatenga,
Hausa, Wagalugu, Gonja, Mamprusi, Dagomba and Banda people?
When the Guans reached the north, this place was uninhabited. The name
Asante we still give it to our children over here and among those who still
speak the original strand of Guan. Ask, and the Gonja will tell you about their
Guan roots. So will the Brissa who will also the children of the original Asantes
of a previous generation called Guan, and those we call the aborigines of the
Bono, the Kwhu and the Fante, Agona and Nzema on the coast. The Denkyira,
Akyim, and Akwmu all trace their roots through the Bono to their Guan
ancestors who were once upon a time identified as the Mnde and Mndinka.
This is without question. The waters of forgetfulness give way to memory.

48

Be Pure; You Will Be Sure

It looked impossible. Ankye must have been Thankful for the challenge, the
opportunity, to weld together a people against the grain of divisiveness. And
the companionship of the compassionate, patient and results-minded new
Asante King, Osei Tutu was priceless. What was needed was a unifying
symbol. None knew in what form this symbol would be manifest. They needed
the Eternal One. They had to indelibly establish the understanding that they
were one same people. To infuse the public conversation with this fact, Kmfo
decided to travel around the towns of Asante, mingle without drawing much
attention to himself. He would re-study the peoples ways in person and
prepare them for what was about to happen.
He set out right away on assignment. Ankye was able to enter and exit the
towns incognito as an ordinary kmfo. Most of the Asante people had not yet
encountered him. He sensed an underlying desire for unity. The hitch was
each seemed to wonder if their neighbors wanted unity that badly too. Also
the obsession with micro-sovereignty threw up barriers of mistrust,
chauvinism and toxic rivalry. In certain places, he was well-received; in others
he met with indifference or was treated badly. He would lovingly bless or
harshly curse according to how the message was received. And those punitive
pronouncements came swift and hard.
Its said that the Asndua people rarely build new houses because they were
cursed for not taking Kmfo very seriously. The people of Ntonsu are also said
to have suffered from his curse because they publicly humiliated him for
unintentionally soiling a stick when he visited their public places of
convenience. The people of this town will quarrel among themselves when
its time to build more public places of convenience, he reportedly foretold.
The Ntonsu people regretted their misdeed and performed purificatory rites.
Still, Ankye verdict would hold as long as their hostility remained. They built
more places of convenience but could not use them because conflicts erupted
when it came to how these structures are to be managed.
When the Apaa people of Aboasu rejected him, he told them they would lack
the drive for excellence. For a similar reason, he said the traders of Fumesua
would not be very successful in their endeavors. Praase at Atebubu where he
boiled a stone was another place where a considerable portion of the
49

inhabitants would not co-operate with him. He told them their area would fail
to expand though the people would live long. On his way from Kintampo, he
stopped at Kwaber Swdru and asked for a drink of water. They turned him
down. He wove a rope around the town saying: This town will not expand
beyond where this rope lies. He also removed the prospect of prosperity
from Kwaber Bomfa until they would remedy their outlook for also
refusing him water to quench his thirst.
On the happier side of the tour: He met Abrante Baabu a man with a
pleasant demeanor at Asante Effiduase. He was a diligent though overly
fastidious weaver and was busy at work when Ankye called. Baabu made
time for Kmfo. He took his guest home and served him with cool, fresh,
spring water from the hills and the choicest, ripe fruits in his store. He had
fallen in love with the Asante unity-message. Ankye was deeply touched.
You, Baabu the rest of your life on this planet will be happy and fruitful. Its
not over till your weaving is through. Your exit should be a full three days
after the cloth has been woven. Kmfo said of the fabric in the loom. Baabu,
with his zest for life and an eye for detail, became ever more meticulous from
that day on. He would come to the loom, pass the shuttle through the silks a
few strokes, step back, take some time off, and return another day. This went
on year after year after year. The weaver lived to see many more decades.
After the tour, Ankye drew a conclusion: Just as marriages of convenience
were bound to pose problems later in the future, uniting the nation through
war was not the most appropriate lasting solution. Of course war was what
would compel Domaa, Amakom and Tafo to favorably examine these new
developments beneficial relevance to their destiny. Beyond that, the people
needed convincing and a workable mechanism by which they were to live
together in one political union.
One cannot express an answer to the question. Its been clearly stated in the
Laws of Kmfo Ankye: you are not obliged to touch on our origins. Havent
you been told not to ask that question? You simply dont talk about where
people come from in Asante. Why? Ill tell you why. Tracing our origins in
these times could easily lead to prejudice. Ill tell you some of what Ive been
taught. When the first Oyoko Ancestress, Nana Ankyewaa Nyame first
touched the ground with her feet. She landed on Earth by a golden chain from
the heavens above, it was in Asantemanso that she first settled. Asantemanso
was then located at the northern-most edge of the Amansie and Adansi
50

districts. It stretched all the way up to western edge of Lake Bosomtwe. And
out of Santemanso came the Oyoko, Bretuo, Aduana, Asona and Asini clans.
Obaahemaa Asiama Nyankopon Guahyia who descended from the high skies
at Ahensan by a silver chain is the Mother Ancestress of the Bretuo.
Still on the genesis stories: Amoa Gyata Berewa Mmosu is the first Mother of
the Asini. Into this world she stepped, out of a rock at Bonabom in Adansi. You
may have heard that Kmfo Ankyes mother, Dwirawere Kwa of Asini, was
the daughter of Adutwumwaa and Twumsi Amponsm. Adutwumwaas
mother was Dufie Gyampontimaa whose mother was Amoa Gyata.
Amansie means building the nation. It was located around Lake Bosomtwe in
the deep cup of the Kwisa hills between the Upper Oda and Anum Rivers right
in the heartland of Asante. Lake Bosomtwe has a few permanent streams
flowing into it and none leaving it. It has around it, stony torrent beds. The
Adansi Oyoko clan settled there over hundred harmattans ago. The first home
of Asante in Asantemanso was in the Amansie area between Bkwae and
Asumgya. Three towns Kyikyiwer, Bkwae and Dompoase, claim the honor
of being the first seat of Asante authority. And according to Asumegya oral
tradition, when the Aduana and the Oyoko of Asantemanso appeared on this
planet they already had an Asantehene.
Adansi translates as building houses. Adansis were the first to build mudbrick houses. The Adansi and Amansie people form the Asanteman-Nnum or
the Five States of Asante Kokofu, Dwabn, Bkwae, Mampon and Nsuta who
used to live farther south at the southern region of the forest belt close to the
Denkyira. They built it where there were many trees so that an ohwam could
fly across without worrying about descending to ground level. They built it
with the characteristic seventy-seven streets of Akan towns. You know the
Denkyira and Akyim trace their roots to Adansi ancestors just like some of us.
The people of the Adansi state, founded by Oppon Anim about two centuries
ago, and the citizens of Amansie, are basically of one family, speaking the same
tongue and sharing the same customs.
The people moved northwards because there was more space up there. Also
the people already there didnt pose as much of a political problem as the
Denkyira, Akyim and Akwmu the emerging military states. These three
powers were subjugating smaller peoples, but wouldnt attack each other.
They would sell those they captured in battle as slaves to the abominable
51

white seafarers. When the Adansi-Amansie people reached their northward

destination, they met the Domaa, Amakom, Atwima, Kwabere and Tafo people
some of whom still maintained the Guan the Ancient Akan culture of the
ancestors. They were less prepared for war. It didnt take very much
convincing to have them give us lands to settle on. Almost immediately, the
people organized and cleared the forests some more and set up new towns
there. After a while of building and farming they moved into a new phase. The
small towns of Amakom, Domaa, Kwaman, Kenyaase, Asokore, Edwiso,
Dwabn, Mampon, Nsuta, Offin, Tafo, Agona, Kontenase, Brokrom, Kokofu and
Bkwae now rose and continued developing into new states.
All the Asante Ancestresses are either from Adansi or Amansie. Amansie,
situated around the sacred Lake Bosomtwe between the Anum River and
Upper Oda River was settled by the Adansi Oyoko clan who founded
Santemanso the first home of Asante in Amansie. The towns of the Adansi
district are Ahwiren, Amogya, Dnyaase, Adankrnya, Pompon, Adnso,
Adumai, Adwampon, Amoafo, Dwabnman and Asumgya-Santemanso. Three
towns, Bkwae, Dompoase and Kyikyiwer claim the honor of being the first
seat of Asantemanso authority. Nana Twum and Nana Antwi were the cofounders and co-rulers of Asantemanso and the Oyoko clan.
Berempomaa Piesie, the first-born of Obrempon, the Big One, who was a
daughter of Ankyewaa Nyame of Santemanso gave birth to a daughter,
Kyeremaa, among seven other daughters and three sons. She urged her
children to spread out and settle where they could. Kyeremaa grew up and
had two sons Kwabena Amnfi and Oti Akntn. This was during the reign of
Awurade Basa the first Great Chief of Adansi, immediately after the days of
Nana Twum and Nana Antwi. The first wave of Gyaaman settlers had started
moving westwards out of the land. Adu Bini, the then King of Domaa, left their
homeland and migrated with his people towards the west. In Awurade Basas
time, the Adansi nation prospered remarkably. But as earlier said, the Asante
peoples were inadequately prepared for a major war. The Denkyira
overpowered them. As a result Kwabena Amnfi who reigned after Awurade
Basa inherited a stool that was effectively under Denkyira rule. His royal stool
was at Asumgya-Santemanso near Lake Bosomtwe. He moved to Kokofu,
which had remarkably fertile farmland and more uninhabited land. He and his
people were well received by Owura Koko the owner of the farmland. They
settled down and not long afterwards realized that the space they were
occupying wasnt nearly enough. He said to his people: Well have to move on
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and find a more appropriate place. Kwabena Amnfi joined the ancestors
before they could properly settle elsewhere, and his younger brother Oti
Akntn was enstooled in his place. Osei Tutu and Kmfo Ankye stood on
these ancestors shoulders.
In the beginning
GOD Created the Earth and the Drummer,
And The Drummer was Discovered by Oti Akntn!
The Queenmother was determined to stay though she received information
that there was fertile land a little farther northward at Kwaman. But she was
adamant about her decision to remain in Kokofu. Oti Akntn, who preferred
to move to the new location, received her blessings and set out with his people
towards Kwaman. They reached Kwadane and wanted to settle there. The
king there was against the idea. They fought against the Kwadane army, seized
the town of Daredoso and left a few warriors to hold that territory. During this
period Abokrompi of Asaaman reportedly discovered Lake Bosomtwe. The
Asansus, Kontenases, and Asaamans did their fishing and settled their war
captives over there. King Ampao of Akyim soon laid claim to the lake. He
ordered the settlers to move away. He then had Abokrompi and his wife
captured and executed. The Asaamans, Asnsus and Ahwirens joined forces
and took the Akyims on in battle. They soon found out that the Akyims were
not easy opponents to deal with.
They consulted with Kmfo Ankye. Ankye, they say, went into the Trance
and came out saying: If you want to win this war, each of you should dress a
son of yours in Nkwaro a woven fabric, arm them with short pistols and set
them on the path of the advancing Akyim warriors to defend themselves till
they are slain in the onslaught. The exchanges took place on the side of a
mountain near Anamrku close to a great odum tree. It lasted for three days.
Chief Ampao was slain. So was his Gyaasehene, Chief Ntorikoko. The dispute
was over. The lake was divided among the Asaaman, Asansu and Ahwiren
chiefs.
Oti Akntn led his people on to Kwaman. The neighboring chiefs were uneasy
about these new arrivals. The Amansie people indicated that they wanted to
move to Daredoo. The neighboring chiefs asked the Amansie to first seek the
permission of King Kwku Dompo of Tafo. Meanwhile, Oti Akntns journey
to Kwaman continued. The people of Amnfi the nations home joined him.
53

On the way, he ran into the Domaas who were not very welcoming. Led by
Koli Batafo, they engaged Oti Akntn and his men in the First Domaa War.
The Domaa army was overpowered, though, and driven southwards to Ohwim
with some of their people. The rest of the Domaa people who stayed behind
were however more accepting of the Adansi-Amnfi arrival at Kwaman. Chief
Kusi of Domaa, Chief Kwku Dompo of Tafo, Chief Akosa of Amakom and Chief
Akora of Kaase who shared the surrounding territory met with Oti Akntn
and showed him their boundaries. Now, Adwoa Nkwawiri owned the land of
Kwaman. Adwoa, they say, sold the Kwaman land to him for sixty-seven and a
half ounces of gold. Others say the lands custodians name was Aberewa
Yebetua and Aberewa is said to have sold it for thirty pergwan.
And Denkyira wasnt far from Bkwae. Actually Abankseso, the Denkyira
capital in the Oda Valley, was only about a fifty-mile walk away. This was
unsettling not only to Oti Akntn and his people, but to his immediate
neighbors who also happened to be dominated by the Denkyira.
After founding Kwaman, King Oti Akntn created a reasonably strong,
political foundation. He earned for his nation the respect of the nearby sister
states as a potential power. Boamponsm the Denkyirahene asked Oti Akntn
to send over one of his family members and some palm oil as tribute for
settling in Kwaman. The Kwaman Chief complied. Thats how Osei Tutu got to
Denkyira. He went there accompanied by Amankwtia son of Maame Doku the
female stool carrier of Ose Tus mother. Amankwtia was his stool carrier.
They left along with Tuffuo his gun-bearer.
A conflict of interests was quick to arise between Kwaman and Domaa. Nana
Oti Akntn attempted but did not succeed at defeating the whole of Domaa
before he passed on. Obiri Yboa Mnu who continued with the building of the
nation succeeded him. Obiri Yboa was the one who arranged to have the
Amansie chiefs settle in Dompo after diplomatically negotiating the terms
with Chief Dompo of Tafo.
Kwaman was near Dnkymanso, at a location close to Amakom. During Oti
Akntns reign, Bofuo Nyame his Chief Hunter had come across a kum-nini
tree with a cozy shade and a massive buttress. It subsequently became a
central relaxation point under whose shade people came to catch some cool

54

breeze. Obiri Yboa founded Kumasi under the kum tree as the capital of
Kwaman.
Right afterwards, the Oyoko headmen of Okoona Kagya Pnin of
Mamponten, Kwaw Pnin of Faobawase, Dua Bode of Kenyaase, Nyama of
Suman and Antwi of Sawua came and set up their towns around Kumasi.
Next the Adansi chiefs moved into that same area. They constituted a
formidable frontier, living so tightly knit together. The Pnyinasehene, Nana
Adakwa Yiadom also moved in and settled near Boama Kokoboate. There, he
founded Dwabn. The next wave of settlers to come in was the Nsuta, Mampon
and Kumwu states. Bkwae for one didnt need to move from their original
home on the Offin River to stay in close proximity to her kindred who together
were forming the new nation. It seemed Asantemanso had virtually been
deserted. No doubt, this move raised eyebrows. Their neighbors considered
the option of consolidating their respective sovereignties and whether they
should join the new nation or hold back? This was the burning question on
their minds. The Aduana of Kaase would not readily submit to Oyoko
leadership, neither would the Asini of Amakom. The Domaas also complained
of Kwaman encroachments due to the massive influx. That was to be expected.
Obiri Yboa who had been accepted by the new Kwaman nation as its War
Leader placed his warriors on alert and looked forward to asserting his
authority if he was occasioned to. He had already sent his regent Os Tu to
Boamponsm and was entertaining fond dreams of his return to take over
from him. He was more concerned with the future of the new nation. Obiri
Yboa contemplated methods of uniting the people. He had a dream one night,
which he narrated to his Chief Priest Kmfo Yamoa the morning after: There
was this broom. First, it appeared as a broomstick. A hand reached out and
picked it between its fingers and broke it to pieces without much effort. Then I
saw a broom made of a bunch of broomsticks. This time, two strong hands
held it at both ends and tried to break it but failed. The point is Unity. Nothing
can split us once we are locked together in unity. Kmfo Yamoa answered.
The interpretation resonated with the Kwamanhene.
It so happened that the issue couldnt be amicably settled. The Domaas
wanted another war The Second Domaa War, to settle the score. Obiri Yboa
rallied his standing army in preparation. While they trained, he introduced a
new battalion the Soduru, under the command of Awer the Palace Servant.
One account says he sent for his heir apparent, Ose Tutu, who was now living
55

in the Akwmu palace, to come join them in the battle. Kmfo Ankyes take on
it was, Kwaman would put up a good fight but would not win this one. Ankye
cautioned Tutu against going on the battlefield. He would only be there to
witness and share in the defeat. Ose Tu loved war. He was however accepted
the hard-to-swallow piece of advice in good faith. True to Ankyes prediction,
another message from Kwaman arrived: The war had been lost. Nana
Dwamena Akntn of Offinso, Kmfo Yamoa and Nana Obiri Yboa Mnu had
all been slain. It was time for Ose Tutu to come and ascend the Aban Dwa.
Kenyaasehene Nana Frdua Agyeman, like the other eligibles, had turned
down the offer to be crowned king, ascend the stool. Ose Tutu therefore did
not face a whole lot of opposition this time because it seemed whoever took
the crown was unlikely to succeed against stronger nations that dwarfed them
economically, politically and militarily. Brima Ose Tutu had brighter ideas.
One story says Nana Ose Tutu, wearing his unusual crown made of elephant
skin, headed for Kwaman in the company of Kmfo Ankye, Anum Asamoa, the
three hundred Anum warriors that were accompanying him on the orders of
the Akwmuhene and Kmfo Ankye. They arrived at a beautiful cascading,
apparently impassable waterfall. Ose Tutu asked Kmfo to lead them across.
Kmfo simply could not. Anum Asamoa had followed a wild hog to the shallow
waters where it safely navigated across. So Asamoa was the one who led his
associates to the other side, using the route of the animal he had observed
through the misty sprays off the falls.
On arrival in Kwaman, the new king, Ose Tutu, gave the Anum warriors the
parcel of land that we now call Adum to settle in under their leader Anum
Asamoa the first Adumhene. Nntibanso at Adum was acquired for Kmfo as a
place of residence and work base. There was physical proximity and cultural
unity, yet it seemed no one wanted to be directed by any King but the one of
their own state. When it was first proposed, Dwabn, Nsuta and Bkwae
accepted the unity concept. The Asanteman, then, were the Oyoko people and
Mampon; Offinso and Edwiso which are Bretuo and Asona; and Amakom
which is Asini.
Ankye succeeded after numerous attempts, at convincing the powerful and
very independent Mamponhene to join the new Kwaman Union.

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Walls of Melody
Hear this: Ankye washed a large pot. He had boiled water in that pot for
cleansing patients bodies. A constant flow of water was crucial. Kmfo poured
the water in the pot onto the coals of fire and prayed GOD let a river flow right
there to serve the people. Out of the ground welled a pool of water. It began to
flow westwards as it increased in quantity. It became a full flowing stream and
Kmfo named it Bosom Kwabena.
Kmfo Ankye and Nana Osei Tutu knew though that it would require time to
pull the people together as a nation, considering the strong sentiments of the
people. It had to be done; they had to work hard from the start. They were
going to need the Help of the Almighty every step of the way. Ankye retreated
into sweet solitude where he could concentrate on the Great Silence. Again he
saw a vision of Asante as an irreducibly powerful nation in the land enduring
through time.
Denkyirahene Bo-asante The Subjugator of Asante Boamponsm who
spent only the better part of freshly mined gold, heard about Nana Ose Tutus
enstoolment. Though he still harbored thoughts of integrating Asante into
Denkyira by any possible means he sent a delegation that included his most
majestic of wives to congratulate him. The entourage arrived with the
Amoakwa and Ntakrawobn horn blowers of Denkyira who came armed with
their musical instruments. Ose Tutu gave them a royal reception befitting
their stature, and they were left with a favorable impression of the new
Kwaman king. In fact, the hornsmen in particular were so impressed, they
decided not to return to Denkyira.
In line with protocol, Ose Tutu also sent over an entourage to Denkyira,
which included some of his finest wives. Boamponsm was enthralled by the
charm of one of the Asante women and indulged his carnal appetite with her
before she would return to Kwaman. Osei Tutu already had a gripe with the
Denkyirahene and this could only further fan the flames of fury in the
Kwaman king. It made him firmer than ever in his resole to destroy the
Denkyira Empire and shatter their glory once and for all. Boamponsm knew
he had gravely offended Ose Tutu. He offered hundred marks in gold as
compensation, but Ose preferred to strike at the Denkyirahenes flesh.
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The Europeans on the coast also heard about the new Kwaman king. Whites
heard as well of his wonder-working, wild-haired confidant. They sent
diplomats to greet the king with a hand of friendship. Kwamanhene Ose Tutu
knew very well that his interactions with the whites could not be about
friendship. It was about trade, and not much else. As a thoroughbred diplomat
himself, he was not hostile to them. They returned to their fort on the shore
with an impression of Nana Osei Tutu as a well-groomed statesman. The
Kwaman kings focus was on the new united nation they were about to build.
Straight out of his meditation, Kmfo Ankye in consultation with Ose Tutu
invited the Asanteman-Nnum kings for the formal formation of the nucleus of
the new Kwaman nation. Immediate, direct blood-ties bind the peoples of new
Kwaman. Still, all the other clans share this same link with Kwaman a link
that shouldnt be overlooked when tracing our history.
Kmfo said, Its a new time. Burn to ashes and put away from your sight all
the stools that existed before the Second Domaa War in which our Beloved
Nana Obiri Yboa tragically got stuck. We are about to get Domaahene Nana
Sikafo Kusi to unite with Kwaman. All vibrations that remind us of the
previous Domaa war will first and foremost have to be erased. One by one, the
stools were destroyed. New ones were created in their stead. War was
declared, not only to resolve, on Kwamans terms, the border dispute and to
add Domaa to the union Ose Tutu and Kmfo Ankye had envisaged. But also
to completely wipe out the sting and memory of the defeat they had endured
in the previous encounter. War was the mark of that phase in time. A role
model had to be appointed to inspire courage. The stalwart Amankwtia Pnin
was elected Head Warrior king Kontihene and Bantomahene.
According to one account, the Kwaman kings met at Amoako to decide on
specifics for the next Domaa War. One of the kings demanded of Ankye to
state if victory was guaranteed. Kmfo answered it was an opportune time to
work for triumph. The kings wanted to see a physical sign. Ankye scanned
the assembly of great chiefs. He then fixed his gaze on Amankwtia Pnin a
fearless, principled and humble man whom he admired and deeply respected.
Amankwtia had been loyal to Ose Tutu from the day he was appointed to
accompany the then prince to Denkyira, and to serve as his stool carrier.
He addressed the warrior king. The kings listened in total silence. Nana
Amankwtia Pnin listened. You will go to Diakomfiase and find a live,
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untamed, leopard at a spot Im about to show you. Capture it and lead it here
to us by the paw, said Ankye. Amankwtia, as if there was nothing dangerous
about capturing the huge, wild cat with his bare hands and bringing it all the
way, did not hesitate. His countenance remained unchanged as valor welled
up within him. He pictured himself leading in the subdued leopard by the paw
as he left for Diakomfiase.
The other kings, some of whom thought this task was a little weird, waited
anxiously for Amankwtias return. Most of them wondered if he would return
alive. To their relief, Amankwtia safely returned with the leopard exactly as
Ankye had detailed. It was brought to Kwamanhene Ose Tutu. Nana Ose
Tutu beheaded it as a sacrificial offering. The leopards spotted skin was sewn
into a hat for Amankwtia and the animals skull was buried in the ground at
Topere Mnu Nkwanta. Subsequently, Amankwtia was elevated to the rank of
Kontihene whose duty it was to serve as the Commander of the Army.
After Nana Obiri Yboa Mnu passed on in the Second Domaa War, his
successor, Nana Ose Tutu had had to stick with tradition and send someone
special along with his granduncle to the Land of the Countless Ancestors. By
general consensus of the kings and elders, Amankwtia was chosen. Ose Tutu
had his misgivings about this decision. He had no authority though to
overturn it, regardless of the powers vested in him. He prayed for divine
intervention. Kontihene Amankwtia Pnins wrists were crossed behind him
and tied together. The outstanding and revered warrior was then made to lay
his neck on the executioners slab, ready to be beheaded. Akyeamehene Nana
Bonsi Kofo of Adnkymmanso stepped forward and humbly offered a timely
suggestion: Your Majesty, Im not in the position to tell you what to do Nana,
because you in your wisdom will know what is best for our nation. However,
we are all too touched by the loyalty and prowess of this exceptional Warrior
Chief who is about to be executed. Isnt he a bit too much of a national
treasure to be lost in this time? Ose Tutu felt the same way. So did most of
the men watching. They remembered the selfless, personal service
Amankwtia had offered so far. Ose Tutu listened as the kings took up Nana
Bonsi Kofos motion that had just been tabled. Ose Tutus desire had been
fulfilled. He had grounds to free this man he revered, without betraying a bias
favoring Amankwtia. Quickly, the Kwamanhene ordered his good friends
release.

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One story says Amankwtia did not even stop to celebrate this reprieve. He
offered to fight any of Ose Tutus adversaries. He wanted to go to war and
return with fifty or a hundred men for Nana Obiri Yboa Mnus journey. He
was asked to attack the surrounding towns of Breman, Takwa, Sepe and
Pankrono who had withheld their support in the first Domaa War.
Amankwtia faithfully carried out this mission with exquisite distinction. On
his return from that expedition, Ankye went to Ose Tutu and said. In turn
Ose Tutu raised Amankwtia to the status of General. The Kwamanhene
consulted with his Council of Elders and honored warrior Amankwtia and his
captains have always distinguished themselves. His captains were named subgenerals with immediate effect; and their director himself would be known as
and function as General Amankwtia. Kwaman turned its attention to a third
Domaa War.
Preparations for the Third Domaa War progressed. Ankye asked Ose Tutu to
offer one of your close, young male relatives for this cause. Oheneba Saben, a
son of Obiri Yboa was brought before Kmfo. Ankye gave him an elegantly
designed shield. Saben would bear this shield in battle on behalf of the
Kwaman army. Ankye explained that the shields function was to keep the
enemy retreating. As long as he kept the front of this shield facing the
adversary, they would keep retreating. Ankye told him to stay away from
alcohol: drinking even the least intoxicating palm-wine, would cause him to
forget the instructions.
Ankye asked Ose Tutu to have the sword-smiths craft swords for the
swearing of a new oath. The priest handed out the swords to the commanders.
Everyone, except Ose Tutu, but, including Ankye, held up his new sword and
took the oath composed by Kmfo:
I vow on the life of Ose Tutu, that
Id have violated this Warriors Oath if
I dont give my all
To have Kyerme Sikafo captured.
After three years of training, Ose Tutus men set out to war. Hostilities
ensued for the next seven days with the Domaas retreating each time a
Kwaman assault was launched. Then the Kwaman army ran out of food
supplies. Many of them had conditioned their minds for such eventualities;
Saben was one of the few who had not. At his wits end, he wandered off. He
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saw a seller with a pot on her head. He asked if she had water in her pot. She
said it was palm-wine.saben imagined he was about to die of thirst and asked
for a drink. I am Oheneba Saben, son of Nana Obiri Yboa, he said. We are the
ones fighting the Domaas on the battlefield.
She handed him a calabash filled it for him. He drank the palm-wine, handed
the emptied calabash back to the seller, and trotted back to the battlefront.
Saben soon felt tipsy. The shield dropped from his hand. He picked it up. It
dropped again. To the Kwaman armys surprise, the Domaas came charging
against them. They had to quickly back out.
You said this one was ours to win! a commander pestered Ankye Its not
over, Kmfo replied. One of us made a wrong move. Warriors were brought
in for interrogation. Saben admitted that he had forgotten the taboo as he was
overtaken by thirst, and sipped on a bit of fresh palm-wine. Well call this off
this operation and start all over again, Ankye said suspending battle
engagements.
To re-start, the first step was, again, to remove all thoughts that reminded
them of anything other than winning. The commanders would have to discard
their oath-swords by drowning them in the Awomfena stream, Ankye
instructed. Holding up newly minted swords, the Warriors Oath was taken
afresh. What do we do with Saben? someone wanted to know. Hell go with
us again to the battlefield, said Ankye. But he wont return alive. The war
horn blowers began blowing, Saben will be slain in battle.
This time it did not take too long for the stakes to shift in Kwamans favor.
Saben was cut down in the course of the exchanges, and the Domaas were
overcome in the final battle at Absin where Obiri Yboa had driven the
Domaas to from Suntrso. Nana Ose Tutus army delivered the final blow at
Absin from where the Domaa fled to join their kinsmen at Gyaman. The
decisive battle was at Topere Mnu Nkwanta where the leopard skull had
been buried. By the end of the war, the Domaa Adontenhene, Nana
Akyerekokogyan had been slain. Instead of executing Domaahene Nana
Kyerme Sikafo, Ankye requested that his life be spared.
Nana Sikafo was only defending the sovereignty and heritage of his people
and their heritage. Anything less would have made him a traitor. Preserving
the Domaa leaders dignity, Kmfo Ankye appointed Sikafo as Ose Tutus
soul washer. The Domaahene was presented with a gold plate to be
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suspended around his neck as a badge of his high office. The honor accorded
to Sikafo was to serve as a model for all those that Asante defeated in war.
Their kings lives were to be spared where possible. They would be treated
with honor. Their people would be integrated into the new nation.
Kyerme Sikafo joined the ancestors, and Domaa Kusi his nephew took his
place. Kusi attempted a rebellion. He was soundly defeated, but his life was
spared according to the edicts of Kmfo Ankye. He was however sent to live
in the temple Ankye had built for the worship of none other than Our
Supreme Ruler the Designer of Creation at Asokore Mampon. The troubles
with Domaa had been settled for the moment. The new Gyaaman state of the
Domaa people who fled Suntrso was formed.
Nana Boahen Anantuo, the Mamponhene, visited Kmfos healing center with
Saka his sister. He, like Saka, desired to have a son who would inherit the
Mampong stool. She had to be cleansed off any barrenness. Other medicine
men said she would never give birth. But Boahen Anantuo needed an heir he
needed Ankyes help.
The therapist empathized with their desperation. He stepped in give her
nourishment and to remove her blockages reinforced by her acceptance of the
negative opinions and perceptions of those she interacted with as well as her
own fears of the unknown.
Do this for yourself and your body will certainly heal itself. Go to the banks of
the Oda River. Fetch some of the sand you will find there and take it along
with you to your room where you will spend the next seven days alone.
Sprinkle the sand on your mat and lie on it until the seven days are over. It its
possible, let no one into the room. Drink only the healing Life-waters of your
body. Make sure you eat no food and avoid distracting thoughts. Spend all
your time visualizing with all your soul the boy you want to give birth to. Pray
and Give Thanks with sincerity for him as often as possible.
Saka did as she was told. Nine full moons went by. She had the son she had
been praying for. He was named Amniampon after his great-grandfather.
Some called him the son of the Oda River when they heard the full story.
Maame Saka, with her baby in her arms, in the company of her uncle were
soon knocking cheerfully on Ankyes door. They had come to say Thank you.

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By then, Ankye may have already planted the kum-nini trees at Kumwu,
Dwabn and Kwaman to determine which of the three towns would become
the capital. Only the one at Kumasi-Kwaman had flourished. Kumasi the
domain of Ose Tutu was strategically located in the fertile valley of Kwaman.
Awaking from a Trance after the Third Domaa War, Ankye called a meeting at
Dwabrm with The Kwaman kings. It was to create a unifying symbol. Kmfo
threw up his fly-whisk, caught it and handed it to Nsumankwahene Nana
Asabr who was responsible for libations. Ankye gave the king the state key
to be handed back to him on occasions. He addressed the royal gathering as if
they already had a unifying symbol, a federation, and were being led by a
figurehead. Ankye laid down these laws for the running of the new nation:
Any king who consults an oracle without focusing on GOD the Supreme Being,
is unfit to rule; he will be destooled.
The Asantehene can create and degrade posts. He is the final arbiter in disputes,
but can only make laws in consultation with his counselors whose posts are
hereditary.
The Abrmpn The Great Council of Kings is the Government. The King of
kings cannot create or modify a law without their consent. He must comply with
their majority decisions. Dwabn, which is like a twin sister to Kwaman, will
have its king and the Mamponhene the Head of Government, who should be
treated special because he belongs to the only neutral clan - Bretuo, function as
the heads of the Abrempo. Their linguists will speak at government meetings.
The OkyeameLinguist, wields extra-ordinary power. The Chief Linguist, has the
crucial responsibility of stating both sides of cases and of verbalizing the
verdicts. He is the mouthpiece of the King, and serves also as counselor, crown
protector, counsel for defense and judge.
Those in authority will have to be properly addressed as a matter of protocol.
A king who conspires against the King will lose his life.
Capital punishment is in order for anyone who rebels against the King.
A king who is found to have embezzled the resources of his people will
immediately refund what he took and be effectively destooled.
Unless there is reasonable justification that should warrant a fine, refusal to
attend the Kings call will be met with capital punishment or destoolment.
No king can assault the Kings sword bearer. If anybody did, they would be
destooled.
A king who wrongs his subjects must apologize to the person or people, or pay
compensation according to the degree of damage suffered.
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The Asantehenes Stool should not be duplicated.

A priest who wrongly predicts incidents and events will lose his right to
priesthood.
Even if a man claims to have accidentally committed incest because he was
under the influence of alcohol or some other intoxicant, he will still be killed.
There should be no sex between a parent and their child. Also there should be no
sex between a brother and his sister. A girl who engages in pre-puberty or premarital sex should be purified. She is not to be killed.
Sex in the forest or bushes is forbidden.
A pregnant woman who has been sentenced to death will be allowed to live till
she delivers her child before she is executed.
Should a young woman begin to menstruate, she should inform her parents
about it. Announcing her first menses affords the opportunity to share
knowledge and for purification.
A deaf, blind, dumb, leprous or insane person should not be killed. Dont kill a
mad person either he does not know what he is doing.
Killing, except in war, is an abomination and can only be legally carried out by
the king or Kings expert executioners in the case of capital punishment.
Alcoholism should be discouraged. A vessel containing alcohol should not fall or
break in the streets.
Eggs should not be broken in the streets.
The township will be reserved for housing, and the outer spaces will be reserved
for farming.
Casual evening strolls will not be encouraged.
Dress codes according to ones status in society will be enforced.
The architectural design of a house should conform with the owners true status.
Unauthorized embellishments will not be countenanced.
It is a CAPITAL OFFENCE in our new nation, for anyone to verbalize with any
undue emphasis, where their fore-parents belonged before they joined the
union...
These are some of the precepts known as The Seventy-Seven Laws of OKmfo
Ankye designed to regulate the socio-political conduct of Asante.
Ankye planted a plantain seedling at Apimso. Amazed spectators watched as
it sprung upwards and became a tree, bore fruits, was ripened and harvested
all on the same day. In the same town, he rooted a musket by the tip of its
barrel in the ground and laid a cowbell beside it. This gun and cowbell vanish
and reappear from time to time.
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Some of the nations were not keen on joining with the others under one
umbrella. The Aduana of Kaase became overtly antagonistic. They would not
yield to Oyoko leadership and readied themselves for war to protect their
sovereignty against that notorious war-loving Kwamanhene. It was natural
to expect the King to convince them through war. Ose Tutu soothed the
hardened feelings of these fiercely independent people by first marrying into
the Kaase Aduana clan to harmonize diplomatically with them. Then the King
waited till they least expected a fight. That was when he struck militarily
conquering them with a surprise attack.
Over in Denkyira, the Denkyirahenes far-sighted Chief Fontomfrom
Drummer, Okyerema Benuako migrated to Asante when he heard of the
fledgling nation. It is said that his seventy fontomfrom drums with their
auxiliaries sailed like birds through the skies after him to Dnkymanso where
he had settled. Benuako was granted audience at the palace where he
fascinated onlookers with an awesome manipulation of rhythms from his
large ensemble of drums. He then presented them to the Kwamanhene who,
prior to that, used only a single fontomfrom drum.
Ose Tutu turned his attention to Tafohene Nana Safo Akoto. Safo Akoto had a
taste for high art and other niceties of life. He also had a set of magnificent
fontomfrom drums, a stringed instrument of solid gold, the Ntahera horns,
and several other priceless artifacts. He had well over a hundred towns under
his authority. With war staring him directly in the face, he sent out his
hornsmen blowing their instruments musically with a message: Stay away
from this territory, Ose Tutu. Please, stay away! He had not provoked Ose
Tutu whose ambition it was to bring Tafo into the union by any possible
means. They had to battle it out. Ose Tutu defeated Safo Akoto in the war and
had all his musical instruments brought to him at Kumasi. He spared Nana
Akotos life.
But then the Laws of the Universe had a slightly different take on these
developments. The Kwamanhene fell ill, shivering under the blankets as a
result of willfully antagonizing the guiltless soul of Nana Safo Akoto. Kmfo
hurried to his bedside. I know you know its because of your latest enterprise
concerning Tafo and Nana Akoto. Ose, a spiritually conscious man, agreed.
You need to go forward, apologize and pacify the soul of Safo Akoto. Ose
Tutu sincerely apologized to Akoto and peace was made. The Kumasi65

Kwamanhene appointed him as the Benkumhene of the union. Ose Tutu

regained his health and an edict was issued: From thence, none of Safo Akotos
family or descendants should ever, under any circumstances, be killed by any
member of Ose Tutus family.
Next, there was Offinso. They also had aboriginal status and a skeptical
outlook towards the complex federation that was being pieced together.
Offinsohene Nana Wiafe Akntn was defeated and also brought under the
umbrella of the Asante union. The conflicts for Unity had to be put behind
them. The leaders were given ultimatums and promised compensation.To
consolidate the triumph over the Domaas, Nana Ose Tutu organized, and
successfully attacked the Asini of Amakom. Chief Akosa the Amakomhene was
slain when he refused to surrender. His nephew Adua Mnsa became the next
Amakomhene. Ose Tutu became a loyal friend of Adua Mensa who later
fathered Opoku Ware after marrying Ose Tutus niece Kusi Amoa.
Boamponsm of Denkyira had died. Rumors of foul play floated. Two targets
of culpability The group of Europeans who some six weeks earlier had paid
the Denkyirahene a courtesy call; and a Denkyira citizen, Oduro of Assin
were being investigated. They narrowed it down to their African kinsman.
Oduro fled. Intelligence reports were presented to Nana Ntim Gyakari the new
Denkyirahene: Oduro was hiding in Kwaman.
From the Kwamanhenes Mnhyia Palace it was decreed that major trade now
had to be re-routed through Kumasi. The King, to showcase art, also had the
creative carvers, metalworkers and weavers settle close-by.
News of the astonishing wealth of Shwihene Brum Ankomas nation, Shwi,
down south, reached Nana Ose Tutu. He deemed it strategically sensible to
have a stake in this fortune by winning a war against them. He was however in
two minds as he estimated that such an expedition would require a more
heavily equipped army than what they had. Ose Tutu turned to the new
Denkyirahene whom he assumed was on relatively friendly terms with him
for equipment. It has been said that he was the son the Denkyira princess
had by Ose Tutu. The son whose conception caused Ose Tutus escape into
exile from Denkyira. Why do I have to help you? Ntim responded. That son
of a monster Brum Ankoma; he breathes fire straight out of his mouth, ears
and nostrils. It will be futile spending resources fighting him. I will neither
support nor give you the guns or gunpowder you ask for.
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Kmfo advised Ose Tutu: You will use what you have, Nana. Go to Shwi with
your own army and your seemingly scant war supplies. You will win.
Kwaman did win. Loads of booty were transported to Kumasi from Shwi.
Brum Ankoma lost his life because he would not surrender. Aksantefo was
chosen to succeed him. He was made to swear allegience to Ose Tutu. In
return, the Akwmuhene of Asante was appointed as Aksantefo Adamfo the
official friend to maintain familial links between the Shwi and the new
nation.
A fascinating picture was revealed to Kmfo in his meditation:
Hail falls amidst a heavy downpour. The kings, queens and elders of the past and
present have assembled. Behind them, a broad river flows in rhyme. Darkness
envelopes the meeting grounds. A luminous, blue smoke-like cloud rises from the
earth and hovers over the riverbanks. From where it hangs above the
gatherings heads the glow of the smoke illuminates the whole scene. In a heap
that stands before the assembly are a pair of used sandals, broken leather straps
and worn out and tattered headgear; human bones, gold dust and umbrellas too.
In the quiet distance, which looks even brighter than the assembly grounds, is a
little hut. Facing the kings and elders is the lonesome figure of Ose Tutu seated
at its entrance. Strapped to a brass pan with an adinkra-like fabric is a stool
suspended in the air above the head of a stranger from among the crowd,
heading towards Ose Tutu. This stranger who is floating has his head covered
with another adinkra-like cloth.
The excited crowd rises to its feet and follows the floating man. The smoke above
appears to be protecting and leading them at the same time. Ose Tutu at the
other end stands up. He gestures to the throng to halt. The smoke becomes
thicker and darker. It fills the place and obscures visibility. The suspended stoolcarrier with the stool now on his back is beside Ose Tutu. He leaves the stool
with Ose Tutu, enters the hut and shuts the door behind him. The flowing river
in the background becomes broader and broader multiplying in volume and
metamorphosized into a town - a densely populated town. The mystery man reemerges from the room. The buildings and occupants of the populous town,
which is now a teeming nation blend and becomes a sheet of shimmering white
sand as another man, comes into view with another stool.
Ankye woke up, took a moment to stabilize his nerves and digest what he had
seen. He had to speak with the Asantehene.
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It was early in the morning. Nana Ose Tutu had been revisiting, as always,
with the Elders, some of the achievements of the Forefathers; Prayers had
been said; Thanks and Praises had been given. It all seemed like routine but
the king and the old men alike came out of these sessions, refreshed and
highly motivated.Not all the elders were fond of Kmfo Ankye. Frankly, I
prefer Kmfo Tuda, one remarked. He sits for a little chit-chat every now and
then. An oKmfo should make himself more available.The conversation could
then unfold like this: Ankye is courteous whenever I meet him. Kmfo
Tuda is great; but hes limited to a god. Thats where Ankye has an edge. He
is an OKmfo of Twediampon Nana Nyankopon The Most Supreme One. Ive
always been unhappy myself about how Ankye wont make himself very
accessible. In any case he addresses us with gracious dignity. He is a true
statesman. The only problem, I agree, is he needs to make himself more
available. The King was always glad to see Kmfo. The Elders, they insist that
you avail yourself for meetings.He filled the king about the Revelation that he,
Ankye, was not about to unwind from.
There are many stories about the unifying symbol. I heard them say that, after
Ankye had that dream, he ordered two stools from the Chief Carver. Two
men brought the stools when they were polished and ready. Ankye asked
them to wait till the arrival of Ose Tutu and the Queenmother. A bolt of
lightening struck. One of the men turned to smoldering ashes. The other
vanished into thin air. A date was set for the presentation of the new stools
the symbol of Asantes unity.
Some elders have said Ose Tutu and Ankye instructed a carver from
Askyerwa to create two stools from one tree trunk. The one from the piece
closer to the roots was for Ose Tutu. It was called Ose Tutu Amoampn. The
other was named Kmfo Ankye Amoampn.
Yet another says that Kmfo performed some rites over a stool that had been
presented to him and handed it over to the then Tafohene Krodua. That night,
Krodua, with the stool in his house, had a dream similar to the one Ankye had
just had. He woke up shaken by what he had seen as he couldnt grasp the
meaning. So he had the stool returned to Kmfo with a narration of what had
jolted him out of his sleep.

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These stories set us up for the entrance of Sika Dwa Kofi the Golden Stool.
Ive also heard of another unifying factor that existed in Asanteman before
Sika Dwa. Is it true that it is a sumancharm hidden in a certain bongo
antelope horn somewhere?
The leaders of the new nation held a conference. Ankye made an
announcement: Asanteman is going to have to be led by one King as Nana
Obiri Yboa Mnu and Nana Oti Akntn set out to establish earlier on. But
instead of letting flesh and blood choose that Leader, we will let The Supreme
Creator do this in the presence of all the kings and elders of Asante.
It is true that the Asumegya say, when the Amansie came out of the ground in
Asantemanso, they already had an Asantehene. But things have changed.
Today we stand together as a complex-federation with our kindred. We, under
the present circumstances, all crave a stronger nation to which we can
securely belong. We will, as a collective, go without food for the next twenty
days, to purify our bodies and thoughts; and also to condition ourselves for
the Rebirth of the Nation that well soon be called upon by Good Fate to
defend. We will meet again in Dwabrm, at the end of the twenty-day fast, to
witness the choosing of the first overall Asantehene.
The period of fasting went by. It was the second Friday after AkwasidaeFofie
Fiada. The expectant kings in pomp and pageantry took their seats at the
Dwabrm durbar grounds. A mesmerizing array of magnificent regalia, shiny
precious metals, colorful and intricately decorated large umbrellas were
spinning over their heads. The elders and the people of Asante came too.
The fontomfrom spoke - deep and with murderous authority. Sizzling cowbell
and clip patterns mingled with the drums seminal poetry. Ankye kicked his
feet and danced as if no one was watching. Swirling dreadlocks lumped and
intertwined in threes and sevens in all directions. His frenzied dance
intensified by the second. A thick, dark cloud unlike anybody had seen before
overshadowed Dwabrm. Ankye was in the Trance. The heart-stomping,
pulsating beats kept him right in there, doing his complicated steps. He
wheeled around as it started to drizzle evenly. Most eyes were pinned on the
darkening hues of the soil beneath their feet. Then, Zzzimm!!! A blinding
lightening zapped, followed by a most deafening crack of thunder that sent the
youngsters and some adults speeding off home to safety. A cloud of powdery
white overlapped the blue-black purple heights.
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Fly-whisk in hand, Ankye lifted his trim arms up to the heavens. Those that
had had the guts to brave the drama to this point raised their eyes and saw up
in the stratosphere, an unbelievable earth-bound spectacle: Dangling on some
hidden strings controlled by the Fingers of The Great Puppeteer, a stool of
gold with attached brass bells, descended majestically. Softly, the artifact
landed at none other than Ose Tutus knees. Without a spoken word, they
knew they had their first Asantehene and at the same time, the unifying icon
they so urgently needed.
This was the Stool Kmfo Ankye would caution the kings not to create. It was
about a foot high and about two feet across and had an elegant column with
regularly arranged in geometric order, cute, square motifs. Two slanting,
smaller columns linked the seat and a circular base. Absolutely no animosity
was felt in the hearts of the other kings. Not even one of them. In fact they
were all overcome by an euphoric sense of belonging an intoxicating logic of
elemental commitment when this first generation of Abrmpn set eyes on the
fantastic Sika Dwa Kofi. Ankye danced himself out of the Trance. He gave
Thanks and relayed the Instructions he had Received:
Sika Dwa contains the soul of this new Asante nation. It is of greater
importance than the Asantehene himself. You Nana Ose Tutu and your
successors occupy this Stool. No human is fit to sit on this Stool. Only the
Asantehenes hand may rest on this Stool when he is symbolically lowered
thrice on it during his enstoolment. This Stool should never touch the floor.
Sika Dwa will rest in magnificence under the shade of a special umbrella when
its brought into public. It is a capital offence for any king to create for himself
a Golden Stool; The Mampnhene will however have a Silver Stool. A special
Stool Bearer the Akonnuasoafohene will be appointed who will carry it, not
on his head or shoulders, but, strictly on his back. Any king that assaults him
will be executed. This Stool will not be a common sight, not even at yearly
Asante national festivals. Its loss or defilement is unthinkable.
The Chiefs and Queenmothers present included Ose Tutus Queenmother
Mnu and Kokofuhene Gysi and his Queenmother Adwoa Pinaman. They
contributed shaved bits of the hairs of their head, under-arms, pubes, and
chips of their fingernails. Ankye burnt the pieces together, mixed some water
with it and rubbed it on the Stool. This means our Nations very existence is
attached to that of Sika Dwa. To further consolidate their already centralized
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union, the Abrmpn swore allegiance to the Stool and declared that no one
amongst them would take up arms against the Asantehene. Ose Tutu in turn
swore to be loyal to the Abrmpn. He was instructed to have two more brass
and two gold bells to be hanged on it. A string of precious beads was tied to it
as well.
No stool of the past should be alive while Sika Dwa is amongst us. Ankye
said. He asked for and was brought all the black stools of the various chiefs.
These were buried under the ground at Bantoma. He then stabbed a special
sword into the mound he had raised over the spot where he buried the stools.
This Stool is the symbol of Asante Unity, Strength and Existence. And the
sword is for its longevity.
The seafarers will finally arrive here. They will try, yet nothing or no one will
be able to uproot this Sword for centuries to come. Itll be the more visible
accessory of Sika Dwa, and symbolize the Endurance of Asante.

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Asante
Denkyirahene Ntim Gyakari imagined nothing more profound than his shining
silver plated stool a symbol of Denkyira supremacy. It was pregnant with
meaning. The king was so taken by his Silver Stool to him no other stool could
surpass or come close to its pre-eminence. While under the spell of the
mystery beads-stool the Abankwa Dwa - on his mind, and sedated by the
sight of his Silver Stool and the court singers sweet praise-songs, an
informant came to him with the ego-deflating news about the Asantes Golden
Stool. This, in Gyakaris view, was uncalled-for.
Now how could Ankye have pulled such a masterstroke? He wondered. We
hear hes blessing it sacred as we stand here and speak right now. Certainly he
has something under those red eyes of his. Asantes independence will mean
a disruption of the Denkyira slave raids and deals in the Nta and Bono
territories. It was common knowledge that the Asantes did not entertain any
fears of the dreaded Slayers of Mighty Elephants Denkyira, the greatest
power in the land. Boamponsm had done everything in his power to keep a
lid on the mushrooming Asante nation. He had plans of finally assimilating
Asante into Denkyira before his time elapsed. Nana Ntim Gyakari repeated to
his advisor what his predecessor had always said: Its Asa-nti Because of
war that these people will rally together. I will cut them down to size!
Denkyira had conquered most of the towns in the land, including Komnda,
which had previously conquered Elmina. In effect, the Dutch who had taken
over the Elmina Castle from the Portuguese no longer had to pay land rent to
the Komndahene. They paid it to the Denkyirahene instead. Ntim Gyakari had
a reputation as a major slave dealer. His faith was in the unequalled Denkyira
arsenal, pedigree and wealth. Through the gold, slave and ivory deals with the
Europeans on the coast, they had acquired, in addition to all those muskets
and ammunition, grenades and a few canons.
Let us move forward with this other back story in mind: While Ose Tutu was
in Boamponsms palace years before, the Asante royal with seven of his men
had been sent along with the Denkyira army on an expedition to Shwi, where
there was abundant bullion. The Denkyiras were successful in defeating the
Shwi. They returned with barrels of gold. Ose Tutu reportedly kept some of
the loot for himself though. This was brought to the attention of Boamponsm.
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Youd be better off surrendering that horde of gold in your possession, Ose.
The king advised. Barima Ose Tutu refused. With this gripe coloring his
thoughts, Boamponsm seduced one of Ose Tutus Denkyira wives and
wished it would be without significant consequences. At knifepoint, Ose Tutu
got the king to confess to this act. Having done this, Ose Tutu fled to Kumasi
so as not to be charged with high treason. Boamponsm sent men after him,
but Ose Tutu lost them in his trail. That was a sure recipe for conflict. Peace
had not been made between the Boamponsm and Ose Tutu when the
otherwise affable Ntim Gyakari the least circumspect of latter-day Denkyira
kings appeared on the scene. He resolved to take Asante by the scruff of the
neck when he heard about the ceremony at Dwabrm. He was in to foment
war to maintain Denkyiras dominance. You could taste the simmering strife.
To the Mnhyia Palace one serene morning, came a Denkyira delegation. They
were the court-crier, a shield-bearer, a sword-bearer and four men carrying
an enormous brass basin. They placed the basin before their host after he
welcomed them and made them sit. The King could sense a fishiness about
this visit. Before they would state their mission, he sent for Kmfo Ankye and
the Abrmpn General Amankwtia Pnin of Kumasi-Bantoma; Asafo Awere
of Kumasi-Akwmu; Kumwuhene Tweneboa Kodua; Nsutahene Agyin;
Mampnhene Boahen Anantuo and Dwabnhene Adakwa Yiadom.
The Denkyira court-crier was given the floor when all were seated: The Great
and Mighty Denkyirahene Ntim Gyakari says you, his subjects, should hand
over Oduro for trial; fill this basin with gold dust, bars and nuggets; and add
some kyikyrikonna precious beads. Also, each king should send along with
us, their best loved child to serve in his court, their mother and one of their
most vivacious wives to supply mposae for his wives menses, and to become
his concubines in his ever-expanding harem. He orders you to stop
complaining about our men impregnating your women as this only makes
royal babies wholl have enriching Denkyira blood in their veins. We know
that an Asante king should not be blemished in any part of his body; but Nana
says each of you will have to cut off a finger and add it to the gold dust. Finally,
the Denkyirahene decrees that you immediately dissolve your so-called new
Asante nation and send over your Golden Stool to him.
Asantehene Nana Ose Tutu looked at Ankye; Kmfo looked back at him. The
Abrmpn were furious. Today, Asante terminates all allegiance to Denkyira.
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The King solemnly declared. Dwabnhene Adakwa Yiadom had already drawn
his Domfomsan sword, and was up on his feet. To stress the point, he
grimaced and exclaimed as he struck brutal blows to the face and body of the
Denkyirahenes court crier: Pa hwi! We arent paying! The rest of the
Abrmpn followed his example and left the Dnkyira delegation in a
bloodied, sorry state. They filled the brass pan with stones and asked the
carriers to take it back to their king.
Denkyirahene Ntim Gyakari received the feedback. He got on his feet and
harangued, They will hear from me! He paced. This means war! Ill teach
them the lessons they failed to learn. Denkyira victory, in his estimation, was
a foregone conclusion, and why not? He pictured the warfront: Canons
booming, grenades exploding, his men in iron mail butchering their
Oppnents, and the tens of thousands of arms and ammunition in their hands
as they trample the rebels into submission. Besides, the irreducible Akyims
were Denkyiras allies. Their support was guaranteed. Denkyiras tributaries
would also send in soldiers, Gyakari imagined.
This is the end of the sunshine days of Ntim Gyakari, Kmfo Ankye
intimated to Ose Tutu. And I know you love battle action, but the coming war
is such that you, Nana, shouldnt participate on the battlefield. This was
another hard one for the King to swallow and Kmfo knew that. Dont worry,
lets do the work. GOD will lead us against them for you.
Nana Ose Tutu had created the Konti Advance Guard unit; the Akwmu
whose leader was second in command consisting of the Adum warriors he
had returned from Akwmu with; the Benkum Left, and Nifa Right Wings;
the Kyidom Rear Guard; Adonten; Gyaase and Oyoko, in addition to the
Dumakae, Saaman, Soduro and the units that existed before the union.
The Adansi informed the Asantehene about their dilemma on the conflict.
They supported the Asante decision, yet their blood links with Denkyira were
too strong; they had resolved not to involve themselves in the fighting. It was
amicably agreed that they relocate to Denkyira until the end of the upcoming
war.
Ankye began shaping the mind and heart-set of the Asante people. We need
to remind ourselves that though the Nana Ofori Korobn the extremely
powerful king of Dampon a nation which, like Denkyira, is of Agona origins,
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and the Akyim have now joined with Ntim Gyakari to fight against us, GOD will
help us win this war if we remain determined enough. They formed their
coalition when they heard that Akwmu had agreed to lend us support in
terms of men and weapons. Ankye said. Many Denkyira people will realize
that we will win, Ankye predicted. Lots of their citizens will soon start
moving to Asante to live among us. We will embrace them as bonafide
Asantes.
They were going to need many more muskets, slugs and gunpowder in
addition to all the help their Akwmu friends could afford. Their Oppnents
are not limiting their warfare to the use of traditional weaponry. They used
guns. Weapons from Korankye Abo along the coast had to be purchased in
sizable quantities. To get there and back, the Asantes had to walk through
Denkyira, which lay, directly to the south of Asante. Ntim Gyakaris counselors
came to him: Your Majesty. Those Asantes are using our territory as their
route from the coast from where they are packing phenomenal stocks of arms.
Weve got to stop them. Ntim Gyakari was convinced that Asante
preparations would avail little, No soul, living or otherwise, can pose a threat
to the Slayer of Mighty Elephants. Do you undestand? Ntim asked, Am I not
a reasonable King? Allow the boys to happily collect their playthings. Then
theyll make the mistake of coming forward to face the men. He dismissed the
issue.
About motives, according to some hearsay, Ankye was vext by the fact that
Denkyirahene Boamponsm and Anim Kokobo a Denkyira prince had violated
his wives. Thats a strong reason why he was so intent on winning against the
Denkyira.
Grudges wont solve grudges, Ankye is said to have cautioned the Asantes
who had been personally offended by the Denkyiras. We will meet them slug
for slug, sword for sword and arrow for arrow. But first we need to remember
that rage can destroy the angry. We will concentrate on overpowering them
simply to liberate our people. This surprised many: Wasnt this the same man
with a temper? Did he not curse those people of the towns that messed with
him?
One of the most respected of Denkyiras kings, Nana Boa Kropa, disgruntled by
the promiscuity and tyranny of the King, puzzled Nana Ntim Gyakari by
refusing to fight on his side. After a while, as Kmfo foretold, lots of Denkyira
75

citizens including some of their best warriors made their way to Asante with
their families and belongings. They were properly received, and accorded the
rights of residency and citizenship. Ntim Gyakari was still satisfied with only
his side of the story: Defectors! They want to go the way of Oduro? Let them.
After the war, well chain and drag them here, and cut off their heads! In his
sober moments, he asked his Wise men why so many desertions? They say
its because the dancing, warrior priest Kmfo Ankye is on their side. That
man can make just about anything happen. GOD is with him.Ntim Gyakari
however maintained that God was on Denkyiras side. How else could they be
this rich and undefeated? Of course, sometimes the Denkyirahene toyed with
the idea of having Ankye on his side. Then he would console himself that
Denkyiras phenomenal Kmfo Kyirkye was endowed with equal talent and
was primed for orchestrating a Denkyira victory.
Into Asante came the Denkyira Atwuma people led by Adjei Bi, Yim Awer and
Kwakwa Ben. Then Kyerma Bi the Chief Drummer along with about a
thousand Denkyira people followed. Migrations from Denkyira were now the
order of the day. It was as if the Universe had decided to empty Denkyira into
the new Asante nation. The Asante army stood at up to sixty thousand men.
Akwmuhene Nana Ansa Sasrku provided men directed by General
Gyrntwi. The King of Koyia-Assin who had lived in Kumasi since Denkyira
recently overran, his homeland, also joined the Asante Army with his finest
warriors.
About thirty thousand warriors from Akyim joined the Denkyira. They also
had men from Shwi, Shwi-Ahwiao, Shwi-Bkwae, Wassa and Twifo.
Together with their allies, they exceeded a hundred thousand men
outnumbering the Asante side. Ntim was so impressed with the strength of
their numbers that he had the soldiers march over an enormous bundle of
tough fiberous green plants. Very many soldiers were yet to reach it when the
plant had been reduced to tiny pieces. He sent home those who had not yet
reached the bundle before it was blown away by the wind.
The customary three years of preparation were up. Wives and children had
preparing and packing food so that the warriors would not have to depend on
rations on the battlefield too soon.
Ose Tutu did what his forefathers did before a big war A final attempt at a
diplomatic solution. Owusu Krakos a seasoned ambassador was sent. Krakye
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Owusu impeccably dressed and holding an elegant, golden staff decorated

with the sculpted, miniature hand holding up an egg at its fingertips, appeared
in the presence of Nana Ntim Gyakari at Abankseso. Nana Ose Tutu Mnu
has sent me here to humbly find out if Your Dreaded Majesty Denkyirahene
Nana Ntim Gyakari in your wisdom, has per chance, decided that since both of
our nations would be better off avoiding bloodshed, he is ready and eager to
go along and call off the war. He prays it is peace that your August Highness is
also contemplating. Ntim Gyakari, flattered by the import of Krakoss bearing
and fluency, was also taken by this show of meekness in sharp contrast to the
information he had received from his spies: The unbelievable amount of
resources the hot-blooded Asante Government had spent on acquiring
implements of war and training in endurance and energy building was no
secret. Plus, the the fastidious fine tuning of the battlefield maneuvres and
soldiers marksmanship was under way.
The Asante sharpshooters had mastered not only the exacting technique of
sighting and firing muskets from the shoulder while kneeling or standing, but
also of the demanding art of firing from a lying-down position and while
running too. This was something most armies around except the Akwmus
and to some extent, the Elminas, at best handled with evident mediocrity,
wounding themselves and wasting slugs and gunpowder.
Undeniably, impressed by the charming, mellow mood of Owusu Krakos. But
that was only for a short moment. He could not repress his inner feelings.
This must be a trick! he said. Grab this smooth talking spy! Cut off his
fingers! All of them. One of the court retainers held Owusus hand on a ledge.
The other, with a sharp knife started slicing off the fingers. With his blood all
over the ledge, Owusu grabbed his wrist in pain, but did not scream. Alright,
leave one finger! Ntim ordered. Its got to stick out for his Ose Tutu to
savor. Krakose did not have to speak when he got back for his King and the
assembled Abrmpn to know the Denkyirahenes position on calling off the
war.
Business was good for the gun dealers at the coast. The gun: an un-beautiful
weapon. When the Portuguese first steamed upon our shores, they wouldnt
sell a gun to Africans as a matter of policy. Yes, they were afraid our people
would turn it on them, bearing in mind the timeless, martial prowess of
African people. But then they decided to arm the Elmina people whom they
considered friendly to protect them against the other African nations.
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Through constant practise, the Elmina warriors became adept at handling the
fire-stick. As for the English, Danes, Brandenburg and Dutch, they engaged in
the sale of muskets to Africans as soon as they had unloaded their ships. What
else would serve their purpose? Guns would keep us fighting amongst
ourselves while they took our land from us. Alcohol and guns. Thats what the
Europeans have to offer. The Dutch Mnufactured the flintlock Dane guns that
were so common here. They are ahead of all other nations in the export of
muskets, lead and gunpowder. This gun trade is mainly funded by the sale of
African captives. Soon, guns would exceed a fifth of the cargo shipped to Africa
from England. The Akwmu had deviced their own methods of handling the
weapon. But presently, there were no people in the land who had perfected
the artof gunfighting than the Asante infantry.
Having dealt with the physical and intellect, Ankye had now to concern
himself with the mind-set of the fighters. The the memory of his deeds that
guaranteed their recent victories against the Domaas were not quite fresh on
their minds. There was a need for periodic psychological boosters to offset the
selective memory. Being willing to win was not enough. As in every successful
endeavor, resilience correcting errors and bouncing back from the most
heart-wrenching setbacks was going to be an integral part of the conditioning
for this Liberation War they had courted. Ankye knew they had to totalize
their confidence in each other and in GOD and brace themselves for the
Impossible.
Nana Ose Tutu, in his warriors smock, sat on his War Stool at Hwdom on
the raised, war mound. The Abrmpn were seated before him. The general
mood was somber but upbeat. Kmfo proposed: Some of us will volunteer to
lay down our lives for this victory. Who will they be? The place was quiet. A
number of the Military Chiefs considered stepping forward. It was Nana
Tweneboa Kodua the Kumwuhene who was the first to act upon this thought.
As if on impulse, Edwisohene Nana Duku Pim and Adwumakaseksehene
Nana Asnso Bosekofo also came forward. What do you demand of Asante for
your
patriotism?
Ose
Tutu
asked.
The
Edwisohene
and
Adwumakaseksehene asked for immunity from capital punishment for
members of their clans and citizens of their states. Ankye whispered
something into Ose Tutus ear. The King nodded gently. Granted, Ose Tutu
said. What do you ask, Nana Kodua? Nana Tweneboa Kodua humbly
answered, I ask the same, Nana. And that Asante be liberated.
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Your children and their childrens children will have all lands that Asante
conquers eastwards towards the Firaw, in addition to what you ask for. The
war horns, when sounded, will mention the heroic sacrifices of these
distinguished Asante warrior chiefs to remind future generations of what
youve done for us today, the Asantehene decreed.
The one who leads the army will lose his life three days after the final
victory, Ankye hinted. We will need Nana Ose Tutu with us after the war.
He stared at the Military Chiefs: So His Majesty wont come along to the
battlefield with the rest of us. Someone will perform the duties there on his
behalf. Our responsibility will be to keep Nana informed on a daily basis. The
words of guidance Your Majesty will send should be well taken. Ose Tutu did
not want to see the action through the eyes of a message-bearer. He wanted to
lead his men through their most difficult tests and this was a quintessential of
wars coming up he was going to miss the action.
The Ekuona and Asini will unite and form one infantry unit. Ankye said.
Mampnhene Boahen Anantuo was appointed to deputize as Commander-inChief for the actual battlefield action. Ankye continued, Also, the man that
elects himself to carry the Commander-in-Chiefs gunpowder will become an
Obrempon after the war. Hell however lose his ability to give birth. Wholl
this be? Nana Kodie the Dwansahene stood chest out and came forward:
Should I choose between my own virility and Asante Liberation, he said, Id
prefer our liberation. I need to ensure a greater Asante dignity.
Ankye then declared, The Asantehene himself will offer one of his own
stepbrothers. Bonwirhene Nana Bobie was selected, also with the assurance
that none of his descendants would ever be sent to the executioners. Also,
they would be entitled to the sole right of decorating their royal umbrellas
with the Oyokoman fabric.
War medicine to protect the warriors from bullet wounds and make them
inibvisle to the Oppnents was prepared by Kmfo at Nnuroso in Essinimpon.
The combatants took the potions and lotions, smeared some on their skins
and gyirapaw and suman charms. Ankye prepared the medicine in his
seventy-seven Nkosena War medicine brewing pots. The magic with these
pots that could increase and decrease in number contained was, each was

79

filled with holes; many holes. Yet the liquid never leaked out of those gaping
holes.
Kmfo Kyirkye who, like his client, wished Ankye would be found belly up,
was determined to outshine his rival. This would kill the spirit of the Asante
warriors. He compressed a river into an airtight container and sent it to
Ankye with a message: If you think you are powerful, open this. The Voice
told Ankye not to, or there would be a terrible flood. Obi Kmfo put aside the
container. He took an elephant tusk in his hands, prayed, tied this piece of
ivory into a tight knot, and had it delivered to Kyirkye who couldnt undo the
knot no matter how hard he tried. Knowing that Kyirkye would be totally
disorganized and his power nullified if he was touched by excrement,
Ankye had many a youngster relieve their bowels into a bag. He had someone
place this bag on Kyirekyes rooftop in the dark of the night.The Denkyira
kmfo came out for some fresh air in the morning. He took a seat in his yard.
To his dismay, the faecal matter drip-dropped irreverently on his priestly
head. Thats why you hear, I defecate on Kyirkye when the horn blowers
are at it.
Theres a similar story: Ankye turned into an asesewa a tiny bird, flew to
Denkyira and perched on a lower branch of a high tree in Abakseso. The
attractive intricate shapes and dazzling, clean and tasty, primary and tertiary
colors on its cute body drew a large crowd. Kyirkye followed the crowd and
stood right under the tree. He lifted his eyes in an unguarded moment at the
lovely bird, which released its droppings into his eyes, blinding the Denkyira
Kmfo.
Every healthy son of Africa is a warrior by birth. He, in principle, is an
automatic member of the nations army. So, all able-bodied men were
conscripted. About one-fifth of the Asante population and their allies: about
two hundred thousand men availed themselves for the war. A fifth of this
number could do the job at hand in a given moment. Their numbers was
whittled down to a select seventy thousand. Indeed, only up to ten thousand
could take to the battlefield at a time, considering the jungle terrain.
After every fifty shots or so from the flintlock gun, a new flint had to be fixed.
Poisoned arrows could, on the other hand, fly at their targets in far greater
numbers over a longer duration of time. About three-quarters of the armed
forces were therefor archers and swordsmen. The rest were sharpshooters.
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Each soldier was armed with at least a leather decorated wooden board of
two, three, or four knives strapped over their groin, solar plexus, hip or chest.
Swords in their sheaths and other weapons in hand, jute ropes were in handy
to tie the limbs of captives.
They wore close fitting, jute trousers and smocks. The batakarikse bulletproof smock had several sb the neatly stitched, square, rectangular,
circular and triangular, leather talismans filled with stones, wood or metal,
affixed to protect the chest and abdomen. Some put on leather skullcaps,
intricately embroidered. Their legs and feet were covered with knee or ankle
high, soft, leather boots. Some preferred to fight barefooted with their soles
directly in contact with the life-giving elements in the earth. Others wore snug
sandals. They wore headbands, anklets, and arm and wristbands studded with
stones, brass or cowries. The generals wore the ntakraky plume-like
feathered headgear. Around their waists and across their chests they wore
leather pouches and special belts with many pockets containing gunpowder,
otosas for grinding substances to powder lead, other poisoned missiles,
and water bottles. Smaller pouches, some of which contained medicinal plants
for treating wounds, leaves, small rocks, pieces of glass, gold-dust, and
anything that subjectively inspired invincibility were attached to the smocks.
Meanwhile, King Ntim Gyakari placed his men, standing at about a hundred
thousand strong, at the ready. He ordered his famous inexhaustible armory
opened and the Denkyira implements of war were impressively outdoored to
the pleasure of the citizenry. It was quite a display. Thousands of men clad in
mails of iron, and the War Drummer with his Kwantempon small drum
tucked under his arm, led the Denkyira forces. Their canons acquired from the
Dutch slave buyers were positioned in the forefront ready to bombard targets.
The loyal generals Kwame Tebi commanded the vanguard, Kwadwo Wiafe led
the Right Wing and Kwku Butuwakwa directed the Left Wing. Kwsi Pepra
was in charge of the Rear Guard and Asiama Tia headed the Bodyguard of the
Denkyirahene. We would have done with the priceless services of Boa Kropa,
one Denkyira elder commented. Dont say that! Ntim Gyakari scoffed. Dont
say that. He wants to desert because he thinks we will lose, I spiritually block
the barrel of that gun he intends to use for those Asantes. We have friends in
the gold rich west the Wassa, the Shwi, the Bkwae, the Twifo and all those
prosperous nations. Forget that brainless Kropa! The embarrassed elder held
his peace.

81

The commanders of the Asante Army met to finalize their strategy. Kontihene
Amankwtia Pnin, Kumwuhene Tweneboa Kodua and Mampnhene Boahen
Anantuo were present. So were Dwabnhene Adakwa Yiadom, Asumegyahene
Onomapau, Bkwaehene Dwaa Ayboafo, Kokofuhene Agyeman Ampomfi and
Nsutahene Oduro Pnin. Also seated were Offinsohene Wiafe Akntn,
Edwisohene Duku Pim, Tafohene Krobea and Kmfo Ankye. The Abenfo
spiritual men made their rounds in the respective camps, teaching the
combatants incantations and rituals. The somewhat cryptic verses when
recited in the heat of battle would supposedly, either deflect bullets from their
target or detoxify poisoned arrow-tips that struck. There were other sets of
words that would crush the enemys arrows and knives. The Abommofo
spies posing as hunters crossed into enemy territory.
Ive been told that an Asante was chopped to bits and vultures picked up those
bits, flew to Denkyira and dropped the pieces to the ground. The men of the
area where the pieces fell became weak-hearted. The elders also say Kmfo
Ankye morphed into a lovely woman selling food, and strolled enticingly into
Abankseso. All those who tasted of her merchandise, lost their unbridled
faith in the power of the Denkyira kingdom. But it was her physical beauty
that did even greater damage. Knowing of their Kings desires, his subjects
escorted the fine prize to the palace where the King asked her to stay the
night. The woman returned to Kumasi after the elated Denkyirahene allowed
her to listen to their war plan the next morning.
The Asantes tactics had to be modified when they compared notes with the
Denkyiras plans. New tentative methods of outmaneuvering their Oppnents
were deliberated upon. A definite novel and formidable war formation was
devised. The King addressed the Generals: ...In the lead will be the scouts.
Theyll pick up enemy plans and advancements. Behind them will be The
Twafo the Cutters, who will be the advance guard. The main body the
Adonten, will follow them. A stretch of auxiliary fighters will flank the main
body. Directly behind the main body will be the Commander-in-Chief with his
own warriors and retainers. To their left will be the Nnaasi Benkum, Nsuta,
Kontenase, and Anafo. And at the outer wings will be the Benkum-proper
wholl be led by the Asumgyahene Gyebi Kankanfo; Tafohene Safo Akoto;
Kumwuhene Tweneboa Kodua, Abodomhene Ansr Poni; Askyirhene
Odabo; Kontihene Amoay; the Mimanhene; Asenhene Agyensam;
Atbubuhene Amoako; Ampomasehene; Asnsohene Amoako and Kwasohene
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Ofosu Pim. To the immediate right of the Commander-in-Chief, the Nnaasi

Nifa, the Abohen, the Akwmu, and the Bkwae will be positioned. And at the
extreme end, the Nifa proper: The Adenkranyahene; Adansihene Adu Bonsra;
Offinsohene Wiafe Akntn; the Beposohene; Edwisohene Duku Pim;
Bonwirhene Bobie; Odumasehene Obodum; Abrakasohene Asenso;
Nkroransahene Bafo Pim and Asotwehene Kwahene Yamoa will lead their
men. The Abuosohene Gykye Pnyin; Saresohene Karikari; the
Dnkymansohene; Kwamohene Adom Pnyin; Antoahene Sakode Dat;
Eduabnhene Adu Anim Pim; Amakomhene Akosa Yiram and Kmfo Ankye
will command the Adonten Main Central Force. The rest of the Abrmpn
commanded the Kyidom Rear Guard.
One of the Denkyirahenes chief scouts hastened to his King describing a
sighting of the Asante battle formation. From the hilltop where I stood, it
looked exactly like a huge bird in motion. Ntim Gyakari slammed the news.
Where are those Asantes encamped? The informant obviously had yet to
regain his composure. I thought they mentioned Adunku as the venue of
combat to Your Majesty. But Nana, he said. They guard the main body while
they move forward. The warriors on standby run in to replace those who may
fall. Ntim Gyakari stated, Adunku? All right. Were on our way to Adunku
tonight.
King Ntim Gyakari deployed some of his troops close to Adunku. Later on that
night at Adunku, while some of his men patrolled the vicinity ready for any
infraction of war-laws like a surprise attack, and others stayed behind in the
camp, Ntim Gyakaris zeal stole sleep from his eyes as he and his retainers
headed towards Adunku. The Denkyirahene was high on the war that was
about to begin. He sang a martial verse:
Sleep soundly?
I will sleep,
Come that day,
But
Not tonight,
Not a wink
Till I reach Adunku
Till I teach a Slayers lesson
To Ose Tutu

83

The Adunkuhene and one of his helpers had gone to the fields to inspect their
hunting traps. As they drew nearer to one of the traps, he asked his retainer to
stay behind and look out for any odd movements. He reached out to check if
his traps had caught any meat. There was a rustling in the bushes. Is it trying
to get away? He wondered and made an attempt to touch the contraption.
Suddenly, a trio of Denkyira warriors pounced on him. Two more men had
their guns aimed at his head. The king screamed a code for help. His look-out
heard the distress-call and neared the scene only to watch the silhouettes of
his bound and gagged chief being led off into the dark night in the company of
well-armed men. He hurried to the Adunku camp and told what he saw.
Upon digesting the information from the eyewitness, the deputy commander
of the Adunku unit of the Asante Army and a body of fighters picked up their
weapons, navigated their way through the thistles and grasses, searching till
they found where their king was being held. With full force, they attacked.
They were met with a barrage of gunfire but it did not take too long for the
Denkyira fighters who stood in their way to be struck aside mercilessly. They
freed their leader before reinforcements arrived from Ntim Gyakaris camp.
Outgunned, though not out-maneuvered, it was impossible to overwhelm the
enemy this time; but they surprised even themselves by holding their own till
the Denkyiras retreated. The Adunku warriors returned with their rescued
king. Imagine what would have happened if the whole Asante Army had come
out at us tonight, a Denkyira leader commented. After he was briefed about
the Adunku episode, King Ntim Gyakari whipped up the confidence of his men
and informed his Opponent the Asantehene that the war would begin the next
day. The Asantes were ready.
The next morning, the Asante Army, which for this war, included their
Akwmu allies, came out sporting red bands and strips; and the Denkyira
Army which included Akyim Kotoku contingents, trooped to the agreed upon
battlefield. The war cries followed the war-horns and drums. With
undiminishing verve, the two sides dueled from sunrise till sundown. Day
after day, the casualties on both sides increased. Hardly any significant gains
were made until an Asante leader missed a step. Suddenly, the men along the
flanks, who linked the Main body to the Advance Guard were being left
behind. The Denkyira took advantage of this error and quickly cut them off.
They slayed most men of the Advance forces; the survivors had to save their
skins. This shook the Asantes in a most distressing manner. Predictably, there
was revelry at the Denkyira campground.
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In the months that followed, very many fell as the two sides shot at each
others men from the trenches and in running battles like. Neither side would
concede defeat or claim victory; but there was concern in the camps. The
Asante commanders met to appraise their efforts. Ankye who had been badly
shot in the elbow was present. No questions were to be directed at him it
seemed. They knew he would say only one thing: Lets fight on.
Whats our next move Field Marshall? someone asked. Id say we stick it
out, Nana Boahen Anantuo responded. Well, though the Commander-in-Chief
wanted to continue the fight, what he sensed was a general pessimism even
among the commanders. The commanders, wanted to avoid the needless
decimation of their units. What are our chances? a double-minded official
asked, avoiding Ankyes eyes. Not very good, if were losing confidence this
early, Anantuo answered. The Abrmpn agreed to return to the drawing
board. They asked Boahen Anantuo for his input. He was open to fresh ideas.
Whats going on? A commander yielded to the temptation of involving Kmfo
in the discussion: How was that battering we took possible? Kmfo replied,
Nothing we didnt expect. Reverses are unavoidable; Victory is inevitable.
The other sides strategy is fluid. We need to be less predictable. Also, the
coherence between the units will have to be perfected before the next battle.
Someone asked, What about the victory you promised, Kmfo? Ankye
responded reassuringly, Step-by-step, brothers, well get there. That answer
wouldnt do it. Yes, but look at our situation. Too many men are getting
killed. Sorrow, for a moment, overtook Ankye. He found his voice and said:
We still will win, ultimately. This statement did not revive very much
enthusiasm. Ankye noticed this. He continued. None of us here wants to pass
this war on to the next generation. Somehow, this new statement struck the
chord. A shot of inspiration filled everyones hearts at the thought of the yet
unborn they were fighting for; the will to persist became alloyed with the will
to win no matter what. A mighty storm that lasted throughout the night
followed.
It was still raining when the men started off the next morning. Through the
muddy terrain, the Asante Army returned to the battlefield and surprised the
Denkyiras. The profound gains of the opening encounters of the Denkyira over
the half year period since the first Adunku engagement, had lulled them into a
bit of complacency. Though everything they saw and experienced had
indicated otherwise, the undaunted Asantes managed to turn the tide. They
85

held the Denkyiras in complete check but could however not overcome them.
The results of the next series of battles were more encouraging. It convinced
them of the likelihood of victory. But both sides had been inflicted with a toll
of severe proportions. And with the fighting dragging on with the same
outcome for another six moons, strategies had to be redefined.
When the Asantes lunged at their Oppnents the following day, they kept the
infantrymen of the wings gradually spreading outwards as the Twafo
swordsmen in the middle quickly ran straight ahead in attack. This indeed
distracted the Denkyiras who did not notice when they got encircled, or when
the Asante archers and musketeers at the wings sprang at them from the sides
and from behind, and cut them down in their numbers with very many slugs
and arrows before the sun called it a day. The Denkyira commanders
envisaged imminent defeat. They mustered courage and told the snooty Ntim
Gyakari, who was aware of the mayhem his side was enduring, that it was
time to temporarily call off the campaign. Were striking out at the Asantes;
Nothing less! he ordered them back to the battlefield the next day.
The consequences were bizarre. Too many Denkyira soldiers were
slaughtered in the face of surging Asante determination. Morale dwindled to
its the lowest ebb and the Denkyirahene could not deny this. Frustration had
set in. His advisors said to him again: Asante isnt just testing our mettle,
Nana. We can better prepare if we take a few moons off to correct our
approach and come back with a more viable strategy against these Asantes
and their Akwmu friends. The reluctant Denkyirahene yielded, but first
someone had to be blamed: Our Akyim Kotoku allies support has been
consistent; but those half-hearted gestures of those Aowin, Twifo and Wassa
soldiers have come to my notice. He nagged. We would have by now reduced
those Asantes to pulp had it not been for these fellows and those Akwmus,
who have been supporting Ose Tutu and his people. Ntim Gyakari
swallowed his pride and offered the olive branch. Ose Tutu accepted it.
Hostilities ceased. But both Kings kept their men in training. The commanders
spent the break at the drawing board. They knew they were about to fight
ever more gruesome battles another day.
A year went by; and, predictably, the Denkyirahene called off the truce. The
back and forth was on again in full swing. Hundreds of arrows and flint crisscrossed the skies often tearing through human flesh, shields, or whizzing by
the fighters ears. The swordsmen charged at each other with the endless
86

slashing and clanging of blades while shields clashed and men fell. The
cacophony of yelling commanders; the harrowing screams of some badly and
some mortally wounded fighters, and the unabated gunfire, overshadowed by
the occasional earth-rocking booming of the prepositioned canons and
detonating of grenades from the Denkyira side was the music on the acridscented, smoke-filled war front. The Asantes got backed into a tight corner.
The Denkyiras were now nullifying the tactics of their Oppnents with relative
ease. They had done their homework exceptionally well. Volleys of slugs were
endlessly being lobbed at the Asantes whose defensive posture was not of
much help. Though they were escaping, they were not doing so briskly
enough.
Kmfo begged GOD to let darkness fall on the side of the pursuing Denkyira
forces. In an instant, pitch darkness covered the heights precisely above
where the Denkyiras were; while in sharp contrast, it was bright and clear on
the Asante side. This impossible picture of night and day sitting side by side at
the same time in one small scene was enough to baffle any robust intellect.
The Asantes watched as the Denkyiras finding their way in the dark knocked
their bodies and heads against each other and tree trunks. They tripped
against the thick roots, tumbling in the undergrowths. Best time to strike!
hollered Nana Anum Asamoa to his men as their proximity to the scene was
the most appropriate. They wheeled around and charged with great force into
the Denkyira side, slew some, chased many out of the area, and took
prisoners.
More days of intensive battle followed. The Asante warriors held their ground
in formation; but a suspect link in the chain gave, and the Denkyira warriors
exploited it judiciously with their musketeers firing non-stop. A Denkyira slug
grazed the forehead of Kmfo who himself had missed a step while leading
the charge at his end. He ordered his men to take cover. The stunned Asantes
could not contain their more aggressive Oppnents. They took the heat for
about half an hour more. Then their formation collapsed. They had been
mesmerized and were being shepherded, against their strong wills,
southwards closer and closer towards Denkyira. Ankye had to act. His
timely prayer had the Creator causing a thicket of tightly interwoven palm
trees to spring up separating the two opposing forces. It was so effective a
wall of protection against enemy fire that, the Asante fighters could not
believe they had survived. But there would be more close shaves ahead that
rainy season.
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Things did not go too well for the Asante Army in the next series of battles.
They had run short of ammunition while the military superiority of the
Denkyiras dictated the rhythm again. The Asantes soaked up the onslaught,
and counter attacked but their attempt was foiled. Steadily, the Denkyiras
hemmed them in on all sides. It looked improbable that the Asantes would
make it out of that trap alive or free. Again Kmfo intervened. The prayer he
sang was answered in a manner un-anticipated. A huge swarm of bees glided
in a downward swoop onto the Denkyira combatants. Some stung their faces
and heads as the rest went for their necks, backs and limbs. This drove helterskelter the Denkyiras who had by then abandoned their weapons. The dust in
the air cleared, the Asantes gathered the muskets, arrows and unused slugs on
the ground and trooped in high spirits with their booty to their camps.
Another week of combat was through. Field Marshall Nana Boahen Anantuo
addressed the generals at the Saturday morning meeting: Today is the day
devoted to God. We give Thanks for His Help. Well review our strategy and
modify it so we can forge ahead better next week. Defections were
announced: Safi and the Denkyirahenes aide-de-camp Asiama Tia, both
highly skilled warriors, have voluntarily joined us. Ankye tackled the issue
of sagging resolve: We need to fight as if each single battle is the final one.
Success is always going to be conditional. This War is bigger than all of us. Let
us do it for GOD and the children. Then we can see and think clearly enough to
achieve this worthily. Thats the only way this episode can be of enduring
value to generations that follow.
Marale had sunk low again after a series of devastating battles. I heard that
Kmfo couldnt make it alive to his camp. Hes dead. whispered one of them
with all certainty as he did look up to see the diffidence in his friends eyes.
Not even all the nkonya in him could wrench him from the claws of
odomankoma owuo this time. He got shot in the heart. Ankye had slipped out
of the despair in the camp and withdrawn to the edge of a clear river about
fifty meters away. He was not as disconcerted by the stench and sights of the
camp as he was by the profoundly negative vibrations. He kept his eyes on the
gentle motion of the waters.
For a moment, Kmfo Ankye contemplated giving up temporarily. Not
permanently, but temporarily, because he knew that winning was bound to
come. The timing according to his conscious mind was flawed. The collective
88

will and available material resources were reasons enough to shove aside any
rationalizations disproving the fact that they were ill prepared. Easier options
played mind-games when he remembered what that disappointed young
fighter said: So the three years of training, and all that war medicine and
incantations were for nothing, Kmfo could feel his pain. The recurring
pessimism was compelling Ankye to be more rational and shelve the
Liberation War effort for at least a year in the name of practicality. Too many
sons of Asante mothers were going to be lost. Supplies were now scant and
there was no way to immediately find the quantity or quality of resources you
will need. But the vibe inside spoke with marked finality. Mine is the
impossible! Forget the mortal mind; I make the decisions here!
Had Time broken its pledge? Well she herself had promised nothing in fact
he knew way down that the Promise still held. The delight of its fulfillment reconsumed his whole being. His prayer was that a modification of the battleweary Asante warriors attitude would occur with the washing away of the
blood spilt that day on the battlefront. Ankye wished he could undo the
events of the day. He wished the bodies that had been removed and buried
could be restored to life as the rain fell more and more intensely. Kmfo knew
things would turn around in Asantes favor. He returned late to the illsmelling, camp. A fighter could be heard retching in his sleep. The weary men
were sleeping off their woes on the wet rocks, grasses and sand patches,
through mazes of gory nightmares. The Commander-in-Chief and General
Amankwtia got together and paid him a midnight visit. Its good to see you,
Kmfo. I hear Opimsuo Nana Ose Tutu hasnt eaten any food for days; he
wont let his masseurs rub his body either. Hes worried, Kmfo, the Field
Marshall raised his eyebrow. Are you still optimistic? There was silence,
then, Ankye answered, Yes! Asante spirits had to be lifted back up.
That night the high-spirited Military Chiefs of Denkyira gathered in their
Kings presence. Nana Ntim Gyakari listened as Commanders rendered
versions of the days events amidst cheers and clapping. Their beaming King
stood up and graciously walked among them, affectionately hugging them one
after the other.
Action on the battlefield the following day was swinging in the Asante armys
favor. The Denkyira warriors pushed back against the Asante fighters. A
massive hail of bullets rained out of the well-aimed barrels of Denkyira
muskets on the battered Asantes who every now and then had to scatter and
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regroup. The noise of exploding grenades, canons and gunfire overshadowed

the yelling of the warriors as they escaped across the gravelly, grassy plain. A
commander choking on gunpowder smoke coughed asking the dejected
looking Ankye to do something to help. Kmfo who had again been pierced by
a flying flint, had figured out what to do: He hopped to the left on his right leg
and shouted at the top of his voice to his colleagues, Remain behind me! He,
by pointing his fly-whisk at a mighty tree standing in the distance at Akrofoso
after a short, silent prayer, directed the bullets into the left side of that tree.
The unfortunate ones who passed away that day were those who did not
listen to him and those who could not hear his instructions due to the loud
firing and shouting. The awe of the Asantes returned to the hearts of the nowperplexed Denkyiras in that instant, while the Asantes confidence was
restored. Back in their camp that night, they agreed on a name for the tree:
They called it Odan Gye Abuo The Building that receives Bullets.
Another day on the smoke-filled battlefield, flying ammunition drew streaks in
the light blue sky. The Asantes, suddenly under assault, were rattled by the
confusing difficulties they were encountering. A sturdy, better-conditioned
phalanx of Denkyira musketeers and archers were taking a broadside at an
exposed, nervous Asante column. The Asantes were getting hit as they moved
away from the battery and the bulletproof smocks were not of very much
help. Please GOD, Kmfo prayed once again. Please help us out.
Miraculously, a nearby tree expanded sideways like a stonewall taking all the
flints and arrows while the Asantes ran for cover. This did not completely
restore the lost faith of the brave Army however.
An Asante commander was struck dead by lead while they were retreating in
the heat of battle. Some warriors picked his body up and trotted along with it
in desperation: They were not going to grant the Denkyiras the satisfaction of
having his head. The weight of the deceased however slowed down his
fatigued bearers and before they knew it their pursuers were only about a
swords-swipe away from their spines. Panicked, they abandoned the body
and took off. Ankye, they say, stopped, stared off the pursuing men, and then
at the corpse. He transmitted the Life Vibe back into the body. The sleeping
man rose to his feet, jogged forward past Ankye and sped off with the rest of
the Asantes. This spectacle froze their assailants in their tracks.
Flagging Asante grit characterized that phase of the war. Having sloshed their
way to the camps, through the puddles, swamps and thorns, the commanders
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decided impromptu to meet with Nana Boahen Anantuo. Ankye was not
present. Ankye may be able to save us sometimes from danger, one leader
admitted. But I think weve been jinxed. I think this is way, way beyond his
power to correct. Another official countered, You can tell from happenings in
the morning, how the day will go. He added, Kmfo is human. He can do
what he has done, nothing more! Another leader agreed: We should fight on
if we will win; but if we were meant to win, it wouldve happened a long time
ago. The pragmatic replaced the intuitive. Yes, our successes are too few and
far between. Ankyes magic is probably not potent enough to uproot this
particular enemy. All weve done from Adunku to Aboaten where we are now
is retreat, retreat, retreat! A tough looking one blew his top and spat
despicably on the grass at their feet. Why are in such a hurry to go back
home? What at are you missing? joked a surprisingly cheerful Chief. The
food? Your wives? Few welcomed the wry interjection. An angry debate
ensued. An elder appealed for calm. The bitter argument came to a stop. The
elder who was also a seasoned old-fighter stepped forward with a parable:
A hunter had chained two rabbits to leather straps around their waists in a cold,
metal cage. They were told they would be freed after seventy days. On the outset,
both of them accepted this reality. But then, when restricted movements soon
took its toll, the supple bunnies started asking questions about whether freedom
was really in store. They had been promised that they would be released. Both
were however eager to go free. One rabbit was overly desperate. Every time he
fretted about the promise, he gave reasons why he had to break free, and pulled,
tearing a bit of his waist with every single effort. The other stayed still, thinking
of the day he would go free; and biting off bits of the leather around his waist at
a time. He told his friend. Timing, discipline and attitude are the masters of
actions. Patience is the conqueror. But other rabbit whose waist was
generously covered with blood, wanted action - not talk. By the eve of the sixtyninth day, only a sinew of the restless rabbits flesh at the waist remained. His
partner advised him to cool out to allow the flesh to heal and grow back. But he
was preoccupied with the reasons why he had to break free immediately. Only
two days more, said the more thoughtful one who took another bite at the strap
around his own waist. Two days? Thats a long, long way. So he pulled and the
sinew began to snap. The next day, he was at his most desperate. On the dawn of
the seventieth day, the hunter came and opened the cage and without looking,
unlocked both chains. No rabbit came out. One had already escaped. The other
could not make it - Its stiff body lay there in two separate pieces. Which one of
these two friends do we want to come out of this war like?
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The assembly was quiet. Nobody wanted to fight a losing battle. But they
would not want to end up like the asinine rabbit either, though its eventful life
definitely sounded the more colorful.
The Asante army navigated their way around the botches of deep quicksand
to Petuwgya without losing a single fighter under the dawntime sky. Ankye
studded a silk cotton, gown-like smock with talismans and gave it to Nana
Duku Pim the Edwisohene. He whispered a few instructions into Duku Pims
ear and told him to put on the garment. He put it on and, as the story goes, his
feet were lifted off the ground without his needing to stretch out his arms
sideways. Nana Duku Pim found himself flying like a bird towards the enemys
lines. There, he landed, and the Denkyira warriors knowing where he was
from, grouped around him like ants on sweet juice. They tortured him without
restraint to know his mission. If you show no signs of pain, it will further
weaken their morale and lead to their final defeat. Ankye had told him.
Nana Duku Pim did not even wince as his interrogators bled dear life out of
him. Neither did he consider giving away as much as a hint of any secrets. Not
a frazzle. The leading Denkyira interrogator shrugged. These Asantes! They
had the rest of the Asante warriors to worry about. He called his men away
from the fallen Warrior Chief and returned to battle.
At Petuwgya, after trading fire for hours, a severe thrashing sent things
haywire for the Asantes. Dark brought a welcome reprieve though gloom
loomed in the Asante camps. The commanders met Ankye was there. He
listened while another pragmatic king stood up and spoke: I swear on the life
of Nana Ose Tutu, Ill never desert, nor will I surrender; through lightening
and thunder. Never! But frankly I think by listening to this oKmfo, victorys
slipped through our fingers. Ankye asked calmly as all eyes turned to the
Kumwuhene. Nana Tweneboa Kodua is still with us, isnt he? The gathering
listened. Hes been a leader of infinite inspiration to us all, hasnt he? They
all agreed. Well, just when hes slain, we will gain the upper hand. And there
will be no turning back. Yes, when Tweneboa Kodua falls, the Denkyira
kingdom falls. Was it the right time to hear such awkward logic?
Investigations into the motive behind Asiama Tias defection to Asante
unearthed some curious concerns about the ex-aide of Nana Ntim Gyakari.
Apparently, an excited nephew of his had committed the unthinkable error of
painting his arm with white clay a practice reserved exclusively for the
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Denkyira King on an evening of revelry when news of Denkyira gains

arrived. Asiama Tias nephew had been drinking. Through his drunken haze
he saw two armed security men walking towards him. They arrested him.
Before he could wish he was only dreaming, he was saying his last prayers in
the executioners chamber. King Ntim Gyakari, driven by his insatiable libido
had took it a step further yet by violating Asiamas wife, and adding her to his
harem. He claimed she had seduced him. Asiama was on the battlefield by
then. He received reports and crosschecked the facts. When he was sure what
he had heard was true, he shifted his allegiance to the Asante side. Several
Denkyira chiefs did the same. Safi, on the other hand, had not been offended
by the King but had realized they were fighting for a cause he could not
support and did the honorable thing by quitting the Denkyira army.
Asantehene Nana Ose Tutu set out on yet another of his midnight strolls. He
needed room to roam. The special long horn blown for clearing the streets
was sounded to notify the nation. Now that even the cocks were going to have
to obey and postpone their crowing till dawn, people found outdoors at that
crucial hour would have to forfeit the rest of their days in the present lifetime.
As Ose Tutu walked, meditating on success in the war and thinking through
the messages he had received from the battlefield, one could hear periodically,
the haunting riffs of that long horn.
The wavering in the Asante camp had given way to an unshakable faith in
their mission. After visiting Essienimpon for a morale booster, they set out for
the next set of battles with the gleam of victory twinkling in their eyes. With
his wooden sandals on his feet, Ankye climbed a kynkyn tree to locate the
position of the Denkyirahenes camp. He came down and relayed his
observations to the generals: Denkyirahene Ntim Gyakari was stationed only
about seven and a half miles from Kumasi and half a mile from Fyiase. Thats
close. Well have to win this one for two reasons. If they should by-pass us and
enter Kumasi, such an experience will upset our women and children, which
will bring about the transmission of wrong vibes that could ultimately
frustrate our efforts over here. The other reason is the war is over as soon as
we take their King. And we will take their King come what may.
The agreed upon venue was once again Adunku. The Asante battalions,
brimming with the confidence of angels, mesmerized their bemused
Oppnents through the open fields and Nyame-kuma pots strewn
undergrowths of Adunku. No longer were they simply trying to hold their own
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against the fearsome best-equipped force in the land. They were literally out
to defeat them. They were poised for one objective: To capture the Denkyira
King. The seemingly impregnable units of the Denkyira Army were now
perceived as cracked clay obstacles in the way. With this frame of mind, and
after a long drawn series of give and take, the Asantes blazed forward like
wounded lions on the attack. They then encamped at Aboaten about two and
a half miles from Fyiase. Before the Asantes massed into Fyiase, they braced
themselves for the worst. And as if they asked for it, there, they met the
fiercest opposition yet. After three long days of bloody combat, Nana
Tweneboa Kodua was cut down from behind by a surprise slash of a sword.
Sad as this was, it reminded the fabulous Asante warriors of Kmfos words
and awakened them to the phase in which they were: Denkyira rule was
history. The strength of character, courage and commitment examplified in
the life of Nana Tweneboa Kodua seemed to be amplified virtually seven
hundred and seventy seven times over in the hearts and minds of the
warriors. All they could see was their target a defeated Denkyira and the
fear in the eyes of their adversaries. Sweet victory was within reach. But they
knew there were waves of robust Denkyira defences to overrun before they
would get to King Ntim Gyakari.
Im going to his camp, Ankye informed the Commanders. Fight your way in
there, if after three days Im not back. Aiming at uprooting the Denkyira
kingdom, the Asante Army fought with profound panache as they faced the
extremely desperate, unrelenting Denkyira fighters. In the process, Nana
Boahen Anantuo unfortunately took a slug in the belly. He did not fall dead.
His will to live became his only life-line. Kmfo had not returned by the third
nights end. On the fourth day, the fighting was directed towards the
Denkyirahenes camp near Fyiase. Dwabnhene Adakwa Yiadom resolved to
lead his battalion to Ankyes rescue. Their onslaught compelled the Denkyira
combatants to beat the retreat of their lives. Those who could not, committed
suicide, surrendered or got killed as the Asante soldiers overrun their
defences.
Nana Ntim Gyakari wanted news of a Denkyira triumph. A bleeding messagebearer appeared. He had been running for dear life. Nana! Theyre coming!
he breathed, brushing his soiled battle-clothes. Who? asked the King. The
Asante warriors, Nana, he answered. A trio of Wiseman entered. To the
Denkyira Kings consternation, it was a similar message: They are heading
straight for this camp. They dont have to lay hands on you. Ntim Gyakari
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couldnt accept the implications. Denkyira swallows elephantswhole

elephants; remember that! he thought. A prominent Military Chief arrived:
Our men are being slaughtered, he said. Yet another batch of counselors
came in in great haste: Allow us Nana to conceal your person; they dont have
to find you. They had to say more: Theyve killed Kmfo Kyirkye! If the
King needed convincing, their spokesman spoke. I swear by the gray hair on
the back of my great-grandfathers hand, Nana. It occured at Adansi. Must be a
vengeance-killing for the help Kyirkye gave our grandfathers when we
defeated Oti Akntn. Our men succeeded at escaping with Kyirkyes body
anyway. But Nana, a host of Asantes are headed here. They talked about a
Denkyira commander who had left his position and absconded. The Asante
warriors broke through those lines.
The seated Denkyirahene Ntim Gyakari may not have seen the warriors of the
Dwabn company led by their Chief enter his camp. The Denkyira King looked
up and saw Nana Adakwa Yiadom standing over him with a raised, very sharp
sword. Before he could object, the Dwabnhene hacked off his meaty arm on
which he sported the glittering, solid gold bracelet. The shocked
Denkyirahene cringed as his limb fell to the ground. Akosa of Edumpon got
down on one knee and removed the precious ornament off the severed arm.
He admired the priceless, big ring for a brief second and handed it to the
maverick Dwabnhene. Together, they led the one-armed Ntim Gyakari out of
the camp. The edgy Dwabn warriors followed close behind with drawn
swords and guns at the ready for any false move. The Denkyirahene had
carried his nation to Fyiase only to lose it, plus his chunky arm, without being
given the pleasure of, at least, a parting speech.
Katakyie Ose Tutu was thankful to GOD when the news came. But, like those
on the battlefield, he was hurt by the human toll. The Denkyira soldiers who
had not escaped or been slain were captured. Waves of Asante warriors
overrun Dwukwa and the rest of Denkyira. For the next fifteen days the
victorious army ransacked that wealthiest nation of the day. Most of the
Denkyira citizens were already on their way out to Asanteman where they
were welcomed and given a place to settle. Upon arrival in Asante, the
Denkyira chief Nana Yim Awere went to see Nana Ose Tutu with presents. He
brought his kingly talking drums along too. The Kings Drummers each had a
go at it. The King then asked the visitor to play. Yim Awere came forward. He
took, one in each hand, the seven-shaped drumsticks and started improvising
on the words the King had just spoken. Everyones eyes lit up as Awere
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colorfully drummed their minds and souls up into all heights. Nana Awere!
smiled Ose Tutu, These drums will remain here in Mnhyia.
As Kmfo Ankye had solemnly indicated, three days after the final battle, the
celebrated Mampnhene Boahen Anantuo the Commander-in-Chief breathed
his last at Dwabn Kyeneso. He was being carried towards Kumasi in his
palanquin when it happened.Nana Ntim Gyakari, his precious Silver Stool and
the sparkling gold fetters found locked around his and his lovers ankles, were
led out to Kumasi. The canons used in the war were rolled into the Asante
capital as well. And the guns fell silent.

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After The War

At Dwabrm, the Swordsman had his way about Ntim Gyakari and his
generals bared necks. The Kings body was dismembered. According to
legend, the Mampnhene kept as a trophy, the Denkyirahenes legs, the
Dwabnhene took his arms, the Bkwaehene kept Nana Ntim Gyakaris beard
and the Asantehene was given his head. For siding with King Ntim Gyakari, an
indemnity of two thousand benda of gold was imposed on Akyim Kotoku.
They say about thirty thousand of their warriors with their leader Nana Ofori
Korobe, and his bodyguard were slain in the war. Another seventy thousand
or so men of the Denkyira side had lost their lives. The casualties on the
Asante side stood at a hundred thousand warriors, along with Tweneboa
Kodua, Saben Odiawuo a son of Obiri Yboa, Duku Pim the Edwisohene,
Nana Bobie the Bonwirhene and Nana Nsuase Poku. Safi was elevated to the
rank of Chief in replacement of the departed Nana Nsuase Poku. As for
Asiama Tia, he was executed as a traitor because he turned against the
Denkyirahene after he was personally offended by Ntim Gyakari.
The triumphant warriors met with the Asantehene and tried to out-perform
each other in their uninhibited war dances with the Nkrawiri and Mpebi
drums Daasebr Nana Ose Tutu had introduced as part of his paraphernalia.
Names of the kor-anko-bi men who had hidden from the call to arms, and
those who had deserted were mentioned and shamed. The kings among
them were destooled. The King paid homage to those who had laid down their
lives. He handsomely rewarded their families. All warriors alive also received
precious gifts to merit each individuals performance.
Kmfo Ankye had finally been vindicated. He was made the Commander of
the Vanguard and given the title Kotowbr Bow to him without ceasing. He
was also given a huge, gold, arm bracelet, a hundred peregwan of gold, and
about three hundred men; Seven hornsmen, a set of huge drums and a
magnificent state umbrella with four gilted gold swords on its apex were
added. He was appointed the Paramount Chief of Agona after the reign of
Nana Gydu Kumenin who took charge after Oppn Pnin.
A thousand of everything, some have said, is what he was given including the
thousand men that went with him to Agona and became known as the Kmfo
Ankye Apimasefo.

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What about the pillage? The troubles gold brings. Theres this story: A rift
occured between Dwabnhene Nana Adakwa Yiadom and Kmfo Ankye, over
King Ntim Gyakaris gold bracelet. Ankye wanted Nana Yiadom toturn it in:
We are both wealthy men. Neither of us really needs this gold bracelet. Nana
Adakwa in turn reminded Kmfo: We, it was, who, captured Ntim Gyakari. It
was a minor Akwsidae sunny morning at Dwabn. Nana Adakwa Yiadom,
seated in all grandeur, was enjoying the breeze when something ticklish made
its way in through his nostril. Was it a small praying mantis? Or was it a
moving oware pebble or an ant? He had consistently refused to hand over the
bracelet. After blowing his nose several times, and the thing was not coming
out, fear took a hold. The Chief gasped for air. He heard a clear voice ringing
out through his nose: Kotowbr says hand over the bracelet right now. Will
you? This frightened Nana Adakwa Yiadom some more. He ordered one of his
attendants to go to the jewelry box where the bracelet lay and bring it over. It
was brought to him. Place it in a royal gift box and send it to Kmfo Ankye.
Hurry! The bracelet was well on its way to Kotowbr before the thing in his
nose slowly came out. I heard that once the thing had come out of his nose,
Nana Adakwa Yiadom quickly re-called the messenger. That Adakwa Yiadom
retained possession of the ornament he didnt give in to Ankye.
This fifty harmattan-old dream of Ankyes had eventually come to life. He
preferred to help keep the focus on Nana Ose Tutu. To stay out of the public
eye he retired to Agona Akrofoso where he occupied his time with healing,
counseling and the responsibility of ruling the Agona state. Yet Asante
national public life would not leave him alone. His role as judicial
administrator and as constitutional and economic advisor especially in
matters of oaths and fines, took up his time. He had roused a sleeping giant
Asante and had to keep it awake. It would be wrong to leave Ose Tutu to
bear the burden alone. Whenever duty called, Kmfo made himself available. It
seemed as though he lived both in Kumasi and in Agona.
Two documents were brought to Ose Tutu. The sheet on top was a Dutch
Kostbrieffe an agreement referring to the periodic payments of land rent
covering the Elmina Castle property. It read: to The Monarch of Denkyira.
There is granted a kostgeld of 2oz. of gold a month in trade goods On the
back of the yellowing sheet were records of payments made. It bore the
signature of the Dutch leader on the coast. First, Ose Tutu would make sure it
was addressed to The Monarch of Asante. Then well collect the rent at
irregular intervals because two ounces of gold a month in goods should be
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worth the trouble of travel. The second paper stipulated rights to the gold
mines in Obuasi. African trade with the Europeans had been signifiicantly
disrupted by three years of war. Business had to be revived. If we are going to
inherit her wealth, the Asantehene declared. It is in order that we should
take on Denkyiras debts too. Ose Tutu paid the thousand peregwan owed
the Dutchmen: a debt incurred by Ntim Gyakari during the war preparations.
We will have to make deals with the seafarers, Ankye agreed. But the trade
in human-cargo, well neither endorse nor participate in. Because it is
lucrative, there are many people here with us that might disagree with this
position, but we will not engage in it. The nations we capture or conquer will
continue to live as free people whether they settle here or not. Your Majesty
will however direct issues that pertain to their sovereignty. And if any of them
should rebel, You wield the biggest stick, Nana!
Ankye realized that after the dust settled, a few chiefs would start asking:
Why Ose Tutu? Why not me? Theyll organize to fight against the King.
Then youll have to treat them back in line. A Kings head never rests easy.
Otumfuo Ose Tutu checked the records and noticed that payments for eighty
pieces of ivory sold to a group of European traders had not been made. He
sent men to the coast to collect what was due. At first, the Europeans
protested that they had honored their end of the bargain. Fortunately, they
were mindful of the consequences of incurring the displeasure of the
Asantehene. The Englishmen stopped insisting and sent the full, specified sum.
The political ambitions of Nana Ose Tutu were obvious. They had to be in the
good books of the Asantehene. As a follow up, they sent ambassadors to
greet the African King. These Englanders had heard about the loyalty
pledged by the other European nations to him and had to better them the best
way they knew how: A prettily made field bed with superior quality English
quilt and cotton covers; and the highly finished living room furniture were
brought to him. A Generals truncheon; a Colonels scarf; a Colonels bullet
mold; Holsters with a pair of pistols were added for good measure. We are
willing to present the same to your sons and your senior wife. Actually we
brought this choice piece of cloth for her, the spokesman said as he unfolded
a fabric freshly woven out of silver and gold strands.
Before settling finally at Agona-Akyempem, Ankye paid a visit to Nkoronso
near Asokore, Asante-Mampn. From there, he and Ose Tutu met to discuss
the need for a major annual cleansing ceremony, in the form of a festival. Itll
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be a time to take stock of the past years events and wrap ourselves up in
purity so we can be more acceptable to our ancestors and Creator, Ankye
pronounced. Thats how well buttress Asante spirituality.
After their defeat at Fyiase, Ohuagyeiwaa a dignified woman whose gait
was such that she dipped sideways when she walked, was appointed to the
Denkyirahenes stool. Nana Ose Tutu heard about a dissident batch of
Denkyira soldiers who had retreated to Ankaase, ready for more war. He
implored them to surrender. They turned a deaf ear. Kwakyeman situated at
the South-East of Lake Bosomtwe, had a king who was reputed to be endowed
with as much military prowess as the Asantehene himself. They asked
Kwakyemanhene Nana Boakye Ntow Kuroko, the powerful warrior king who
had always been on friendly terms with the Denkyira for support. But King
Ose Tutu did not personally go out to handle this insurgency. He told General
Amankwtia Pnin to do so. Amankwtia conquered Nana Ntow Kurokos
Kwakyeman and Ankaase, and had them annexed to Asante. As for Ntow, he
slipped away southwards with some of his warriors and founded a new town,
which they named Akyim Bosome. Ose Tutu heard unsubstantiated reports
of an Asante Chief who was planning on seceeding. Through a series of
investigations, what sounded like conjecture turned out not to be an untruth.
The King decided to await the Odwira.

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Crystal Nectar Dance

The Asante leaders met to discuss the Odwira festival. The okyeame spoke:
Otumfuo Ose Tutu Kwame Mnu
The Powerful One
Osagyefo Ose Tutu Kwame Mnu
The Possessor of Wealth
The Golden Stool and the Golden Elephant Tail.
Gye -Wealth is what Your Gold Elephant stands for
Tumi -Power is what Sika Dwa stands for
Authority is Yours, Nana
Authority is Yours
Kmfo explained: The Odwira festival culminating in the Akwsidae Kse
will be observed yearly to signify the rebirth of our nation, when the yams are
harvested. You agree that our existence is worthless without purity. During
the national cleansing Odwira period, Ankye continued. The eating of food
will be at a minimum until the day of feasting. We start by placing a ban on
drumming, to give the elements of Creation the peace and quiet to regain the
balance. The lifting of the ban and the celebration of the New Harvest on
Tuesday will follow the Path Clearing of Monday. On the Awukudae the
Wednesday, we will spend the day remembering the Asante Martyrs and,
indeed, all Asante Ancestors. The festival will climax in the worship and
adoration of GOD. Sika Dwa may occasionally be displayed when the
Asantehene, Queenmother, Chiefs and Elders come together with the citizenry
at the durbar grounds.
During the Harvest period, the first Odwira festival was celebrated. It
represented the consummation of the sacred unity of the Asante Nation. Every
part of the momentous ceremonies went as planned. The grand durbar was
held at Dwabrm. The King sat under his large multi-colored umbrella at the
center of the curve of the horseshoe formation in which the kings were seated.
At his right hand side were the Akrafo representatives of his soul. The Chief
Linguist stood in front of him, the Chief Executioner stood right behind him.
On his left the Queenmother was seated on her stool high above the gathering.
The Amanhene of the Asanteman-Nnum faced the King in the distance, with
the sub-chiefs linguists, retainers and executioners between them sat under
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state umbrellas, the size and color was determined by their rank. Directly
behind them were the captains and warriors. The Kt, Nkrawiri and Mpbi
drums were sounded. The athletic Chief Executioner stepped forward and
displayed vigor and deftness of movement in a superb dance. Other
executioners similarly mesmerized the crowd. On came mmoatia, led by the
Kings Dwarf with their unforgettable performance. The cowbells, atumpan
and the fontomfrom played. Ose Tutus Amoakwa and Nkrawobn horns rang
out their messages in conversation with the beats of the percussion
instruments. Major purification ceremonies were held. Blessings were said,
and there was feasting. The purification continued on Apafram Saturday
through Apafram Sunday.
On Apafram Saturday, the kings arrived in their palanquins amidst drumming.
These Amanhene State kings were welcomed at Apremso where the
captured Denkyira canons stood. Sika Dwa Kofi, some say with Ntim Gyakaris
lovers gold fetters fastened to it, was on show beside the King. The ceremony
lasted till around mid-night. The dissenting kings went through the motions
when the kings held up their swords in turns according to rank, and swore
their allegiance to the Asantehene in the daytime. Ose Tutu also had words to
say:
On the Life of Asante
Nation, Be Prosperous
Let Your Fertile Land and
Your Women Bring Forth Fruits and Children.
Let Hunters succeed
Let Miners find Gold
That I Receive Mine
For This Sacred Stool
Apafram Sunday: The War trophies had been brought in from Bantoma-Konti
where Amankwtia resided and ruled, and the Apafram charm had been
brought from Asafo. It was then that the disloyal chief was grabbed. The
Warrior Chiefs met in seclusion with Ose Tutu who was dressed not in his
imperial garments, but in an ordinary kyenkyen bark cloth. He then smeared
red clay on the Odwira charm - the Apafram.
A new Denkyira King Nana Boadu Akafu Brempon was enstooled. An
Advisor came to the Asantehene: Nana, he didnt mean a word when he
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swore the oath. Hes up in arms against your Stool. Ose Tutu struck and reestablished Asante authority in that territory. Kotowbr was at home. From
Mnhyia came the Asantehenes message: You will accompany me to war
against the Bontuku - Abo leads them. Ankye came along to the battlefield
with his friend. They returned triumphant, and Ankye formally retired from
public life.
The fabulously gold-rich Twifo nation located inside the Elmina hinterland
was reluctant to submit to Asante rule. King Ose Tutu could understand their
position on the matter. He offered them the option of a peaceful settlement
versus that of war. The resourceful Twifo wanted to fight. An Asante-Wassa
coalition force struck; and after two years of intensive fighting, the Twifo king
finally accepted the Asantehenes peace terms brought in by Nti Pinim who
would soon become the Dadisohene.
One story says, about three thousand Asante traders who also happened to be
active warriors, arrived in Axim to purchase arms. What are you buying this
many caches of arms for? the sellers asked. We are buying them for a certain
nation that has been contracted by the Aowin to help them in an upcoming
war. came the answer. Something confusing was about to occur. Aowin Koko,
situated between Aowin and Asante, was destroyed in the war that followed.
It was looted as well. The officials of bigger Aowin who were aware of the
Asante warriors accomplished mission stopped the fighters on their way out
with their weighty booty, and took them to their king. Why dont you come
and stay here with us as free and independent people? the Aowin ruler
offered, as he eyed their booty. Dont worry, you get to keep your booty for
yourselves; plus, we will give you land to live on. Naturally, the Asantes were
suspicious: Is this why we were intercepted? What good have we done for
you, to deserve this? After days of convincing, they agreed to stay. Other
Asantes, enticed by the lure of gold, moved to join them there. As time went
by, Aowin became a stronghold of Asante deserters, rebels and runaways.
There they got together with others of like-mentality who had moved from
Akanni, Twifo and Denkyira.
Kontihene Amankwtia Pnin had to go and tackle the Aowin who were
asserting their independence from Asante rule. To Wassa, from where he
would launch his attack, he came, having been showered with gifts by the
English who hosted him on his way. The Generals reputation was assuming
legendary proportions though he was neither moved by acceptance nor its
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opposite. Winning his favor, to the Europeans, implied winning that of the
Asantehenes. Now Aowin with all those Asante men in their fold felt
indomitable. And before they came, Aowin was already another powerful,
gold-rich nation. When Kmfo Ankye heard about the complications leading
to the impending assault, he knew it was going to be another demanding
project. He sent vibes of inspiration to Amankwtia. Once again, General
Amankwtia, joining together with Chief Gyntua of Wassa, subdued the
Aowin.
All this while, the Abrmpn had not been receiving their shares of moneys
accrued from constitutional cases. They were extremely upset about that. A
Supreme Council meeting was held to settle the matter. The King sat facing the
Chiefs. His financial advisor Kmfo Ankye wisely deflected the accusations
away from Nana, to a brave and worthy defendant one who would neither
make heavy weather of, nor hide any of, the facts. This matter threatens the
unity of Asante. Its the eloquent Akyeamehene who collects moneys on
Nanas behalf. He should explain. The Okyeame responded with tact: Blame
not the King; but, like you, it does disturb me too. Daily, I sweat in the sun,
latching on to my tired, old stick, collecting sums for Otumfuo. He fears no
man and will tell no lie. Truth is Ive never been paid a speck of gold dust for
all my troubles. Ose Tutu did the honorable thing and admitted his fault. He
amended the arrangements: The Chief Linguist was made the Atuotuahene.
Ose Tutu then asked him to regularly pay a portion of what he collected to
the kings and Linguists. From that day on, he, the Atuotuahene was also to
take a weekly salary and sit, not in the sun, but, beside the King while
performing his duties.
About two decades had melted since the Liberation War. The Akyims; they
have refused to pay the indemnity, the King informed the Abrmpn. For the
strong nations, there was a perpetual temptation to fight and defeat Asante.
Well, the Akyims who were growing stronger by the day certainly had the
resources to do just that. Kmfo told the King, They are planning on a war.
The Akyim- Kotokuhene, Nana Ofosu Apnten has linked up with AkyimAbuakwahene Nana Ofori Pnin. Asante will eventually win the war, but not
until we have seen the worst reversals in our history, worse than what we
endured during the War of Liberation. This was not a very light matter. They
dialogued into the night. Im willing to do my bit to help keep Asante intact,
said Ankye. The King decided: Kontihene Amankwtia and Mampnhene
Amniampon will have to be there. I will lead our men against the Akyims,
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said Ose Tutu. Ankye sensed in the foreboding tone of the Asantehene, a
readiness to give his life to protect Asante sovereignty. Kmfo said: Should
you get stuck in this one, it would be wrong for the Asante people to witness
your lifeless body. You symbolize the Life of Asante. He looked sternly at the
King: The sight of your body will undo all you have succeeded at building
over these thirty harmattans. The King agreed. The Akyims have a highly
advanced and refined system. Ankye said. We know how well they treat
their captives. How they make it easy for slaves to assert their dignity and
become free citizens. About two hundred years ago, they had a university,
they love to study.
The Asantehene sent a message-bearer to ask Amankwtia to leave Aowin
territory which was now populated by many Asantes, and return to Kumasi
at once. Before Amankwtia left, the General and Gyntua had gotten the
Aowin king to agree to a total tax payment of six hundred ounces of gold on
behalf of the Aowin citizenry. The Kontihene arrived. Nana Ose Tutu was
anxious to hear a first hand account of the Aowin War, and the status at
present. The Aowin king had the Asante migrants kept in shackles. Armed
guards with orders to restrain them from leaking to us, any Aowin secrets,
stood over them. They were to be killed as soon as our soldiers broke in.
Amankwtia said, They combined forces with Abrambo and Adom to
challenge our warriors and those of the great Wassa Chiefs who helped us. We
were without the equipment for the full-blown war that this evolved into. We
lost the first phase. We returned with enough arms and an alliance with the
Twifos. The Aowins had to succumb when we opened up for a protracted
war.
The leaders listened with their minds on how things came to such a head with
the Akyims and what to do about it. The General continued his narration:
Having defeated Axim where, it seems, there hangs a permanent raincloud
we, together with the Ntwan, went to Iguara to finish with the Aowin warriors
who had escaped. The resistance they put up was remarkable. Many of their
fighters broke out of their hiding places and escaped. We had to chase them all
the way to Nkasa and Bgoro. We even had to move northwards across the
River Tano to really wrap things up. While in the territory, we had to hold
things together. That was when we annexed the two great nations of Banda
and Gyaaman to Asante like the message-bearer told you. Nana Ose Tutu
congratulated the General and hinted on the brewing storm. Ankye strung
the incidents together: Some Adansi people had turned against Asante and
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offered some revolting Denkyiras a place of refuge. These visitors declared

their support for the Twifohene whom His Majesty had deposed; they wanted
to restore him as king of his people.
The Akyims started psyching up and loading equipment for this war years
ago. We know that they possess more gold than any other nation in the land.
Gold is their legal tender, and there is hardly a thing they want to purchase
that they cannot have especially from the seafarers who are basically here
trading mainly guns for our people and gold. Their business with the
Europeans is now at an all time high. As we speak, the Akyims are purchasing
unimagined quantities of arms and transporting them to their homeland
through varying routes. When there was agitation and the Akyims pledged to
help the Komnda people who had offered asylum to the Twifo in the event of
an Asante attack, the Europeans attempted a mediation to cool down tempers.
You have nothing to gain either way, an Akyim diplomat wittily advised.
The Asantes may be your close, trading partners, but they are not your
friends. And if they lose, your best and most powerful trading partners on the
coast would have to fold up shop. Twifo and the other smaller nations will
harass and blockade traders passing through. Theyll demand expensive
presents from you, and surely make business difficult for you. Remember, we
are your most important gold suppliers. The mere mention of gold quieted
the seafarers.
First, the Akyims defeated the Akannis who then escaped to the coast. And
instead of following the fleeing Akanni people, the Akyims retreated
strategically. They were not going to dissipate resources battling through the
powerful war-minded coastal Agonas territories. We all know about the fierce
warrior queens who for generations, have ruled in those parts. As a first step,
the Agona nations blockaded Akyim arms and ammunition supplies. Apart
from Swdru, all the Agona nations declined to co-operate with the Akyims
because of their indissoluble ties with Asante. It was when the Agona nations
invited Asante to join in an alliance with Akwmu against Akyim, that the
tactful Akyims withdrew. They then resorted to spreading anti-Asante
propaganda. By then, the third Akyim state, Akuropon, had joined them and
they had become much stronger. With their newfound muscle, they hit the
coastal Agona with a surprise attack, but had to call it off once again in the face
of the formidable resistance.

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When Your Majesty defeated Akyim-Kotokuhene Ofosu Apnten, a pledge

was made to pay indemnity and to hand over the Asante hostages in their
territory. The Akyims didnt act upon their promise though. The bitter
memory of defeat at the hands of Asante during the Dnkyira War was up in
their minds. So was the defeat of Nana Ampao with their Gyaasehene,
Ntorikoko when they encountered Oti Akntn during the Lake Bosomtwe
dispute. No matter how much Ose Tutu urged them to make good on their
promise they succeeded at coming up with some plausible excuse: The
Okyehenes advisors and proud people have threatened to overthrow him if
he pays even a dot of dust to Your Majesty. Another point of contention is the
return of the Asantes living in Akyim. It all seems like too much to ask. Yet the
matter could not be laid to rest. Under unrelenting Asante diplomatic
pressure, two Akyim kings had been handed over as surety. They had even
sworn allegiance to Otumfuo. Nana Kuntunkununku the Chief of AkyimAkuropon and Nana Ofori Pnin refused outright to allow the Adansis living in
Akyim to leave. Opimsuo Ose Tutu pressed t he matter and Bonsra Afriyie
returned to Fomena with some of the Asantes. He was made Adansihene. Amo
Yaw, Okumnini Gyamfi of Ahamso, Danso of Akokoase and Gyenim of
Kwantanan also returned with their people. On arrival, they swore allegiance
to the Golden Stool after paying more than two hundred ounces of gold. Ofori
Pnin convinced Kuntunkununku to attack the Akwmu. Defeating Akwmu
would put a dent in the Asantes confidence. He and Frmpon, led about forty
thousand men and tried, but got killed. Damran was then chosen to lead. He
was also killed. Akyim had to take on Asante.
Otumfuo Ose Tutu visited Paakoso to psyche up for the coming war when the
three years of preparation was over. After his seven-day stay beside the river
there, he led the Asante Army into Akyim. Accompanying him to war were his
nephews and heir apparents Opoku Ware and Boa Akwtia, and the most
highly esteemed seven Ko-kwan-a-nnya Dont travel without them war
horns carrying the music which was anchored by the war drums. The
firepower of the Akyim army overwhelmed the gallant Asantes as they
trooped almost diffidently into Akyim territory. To match up with their
Oppnents, the Asante Army had to spend a longer period there and expend
far more ammunition than they had anticipated. That was the only way they
hoped they could tip the scales in their favor. A surprise plague of smallpox hit
and took numerous Asante lives. It was Ose Tutus presence that kept morale
afloat. Surrounded, low on supplies while already deep inside hostile territory

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and without food or water, the Asantes had to find a way to pull out by recrossing the River Pra.
Someone knocked softly on Kmfo Ankyes door: Kotowbr! Please, a group
of young men have come to see you. Could it be traders wanting to weigh or
loan some gold on his agyiratwefa scales? Ankye did not charge any interest
on loans.It was a message-bearer in war clothes. Ive been sent with this
Kunorokosm. Kotowbr, a mighty tree has been uprooted, he gasped.
Ankye knew it was about Nana Ose Tutu. A fire has been put out. We were
re-entering Akyim territory. There were Akyim snipers firing at him from
Akromante. Then they waited till we had crossed ahead of Nana. When he was
being carried across the River Pra in his War Palanquin, paww! They fired.
The lead must have hit him twice. He fell into the river. The shock froze most
of us. More and more bullets rained on us. We lost our rhythm and many of us
were slaughtered. About three hundred of our men died in the exchange of
fire that followed. Our divers did not find Nanas body when they searched the
bottom of the river. I hurried with the news to Kumasi and they asked me to
come here to let you know.
Kmfo was hurt by the loss of his comrade. He gave Thanks that Otumfuo had
at least lived to see their vision of an Asante nation come true. The news was
kept from the Asante public. The Queenmother, according to custom ruled
while a new Asantehene was waiting to be chosen. Boa Akwtia and Opoku
Ware were recalled to Kumasi. Was it going to be Bediako, or Opoku Ware, or
Boa Akwtia? After long days and nights of debate, Mampnhene
Amniampons choice, Opoku Ware, was elected by the Queenmother and
acknowledged as the new King. The Abrmpn swore allegiance to him, and
he, to Sika Dwa. Bediako, who believed he was statelier and in effect, better
suited for the post of Asantehene, registered his displeasure and tried to rouse
the people against Opoku Ware. But he could not quite rally considerable
support. Disappointed, he left disgruntled to Aduman and, later on, relocated
at Offinso.
Nana Opoku Ware the Tall One who also proved to be a war genius, was
dressed in King Ose Tutus ceremonial batakarikse. His predecessors
matching amulet-ed cap was placed on his head. He was carried in a palanquin
into Akyim territory. Vengeance was the Asante Armys that day. The positive
impact of having Nana Opoku Ware for a new Asantehene was magical. It was
like having a reincarnated Ose Tutu amongst them. Asante war fire had been
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stirred and was raging hot once again. With Asantehene Opoku Ware in the
lead, they took on the Akyim Army and routed it, razed the whole town of
Akromante and set it ablaze reducing the town to soot and ashes. The leaping
giant flames had cooled off. And smoke was still rising from the ruins when
the Akyims proposed a peaceful settlement to what they defined, not as a loss,
but simply, as a national crisis. Opoku Ware would not stop. He decided to
remain inside Akyim to secure the territory and direct affairs from there.
But then the new Asantehene received a dismal report: The Aowins, led by
Abimoro, had invaded Kumasi. They are carrying away hostages in addition to
property. They had abducted royals among others. Nana Opoku Ware
dispatched Brafo Yam and a thousand men to Kumasi. After putting in all their
effort, Brafo sent to inform Opoku Ware about the impossibility of containing
the large size of the invading forces starting to trickle out of Kumasi while
fighting heroically. Hiaahene Saben was sent with more warriors to
strengthen the Asante side defending Kumasi. After a long curious wait for
feedback from Kumasi, Opoku Ware consulted with General Amankwtia.
They analyzed the situation together. General, the new Asantehene said,
Youll have to go home and bring things under control. The Kontihene
entered Kumasi. He defeated the remaining invaders and placed on alert, a
strong guard to defend the city while he tracked those who had left already.
The King delegated his duties to Mampnhene Amniampon who was in
Akyim with him and instructed the Akwmu unit on methods of sustain the
military gains in the Akyim territory. Opoku Ware headed for Kumasi. The
idea that the Asantehemaa the Queenmother, was among the royal captives
taken by the Aowin deeply worried Nana Opoku Ware though he felt a little
better about the news of restoration he was receiving from Asante this time
around. When he got to Mnhyia, he vowed: Im not setting foot in the palace
until I have brought back my Asantehemaa and the other hostages. He went
after them himself and returned with all the hostages. Abimoro was about to
cross the River Tano when General Amankwtia caught upon and slew him.
Having wrapped up the Akyim expedition, the Kumasi Army returned to
Kumasi. They came with the Akyim Kotokuhene Ofosuhene Apnten and his
Queenmother Ofosua both of whom were sent to the executioner.
Kmfo was in Agona Asante. A visiting griot called on Ankye with a song
about recent developments within the Akwapim nation. Kmfo was not
surprised to hear that the Guans had resisted Akwmu rule. He had not
minced words in prophesying that tyrannical overlord nations would fall
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disgracefully for the ill-treatment they meted out to their tributaries. The
griots song translates broadly thus: Amu the nephew of the Akwmuhene had
been side-stepped as a successor when Akwmuhene Akonno passed away.
Accra, since Nii Okai Koi was defeated about fifty years ago, had become a
province of Akwmu. The reason for the rejection of Amu was, he had already
accepted and for fourteen years served in another capacity as governor of the
then tributary of theirs, Otublohum in Accra. Ansa Kwao was thus made
Akwmuhene instead of Amu. After a few years in power, everyone was
convinced that Ansa Kwaos reign was going to be characterized by far more
cruelty than Ansa Sasrkus. Ansa delighted in seizing as many of the Guan
men, women and children and selling them to the Europeans as slaves to be
shipped across the deep blue ocean. That same trade in slaves was robbing
Africa of about a hundred million people and had already brought into the
land, more than thirty thousand guns from Europe. His nephews, Oten
Abransemdu and Oten Agyare, were said to be fond of using the space
between the young Guan womens breasts for target practise. The Guans
though ill-prepared for war, rallied their fighters for battle to demonstrate
their displeasure. The Akwmuhene responded by sending out laws from Lat,
Aburi and Berekuso who lived in Accra, along with a few Nyadaw-Akwmu
warriors to crush the uprising. The war lasted for another two years. Ansa
negotiated successfully with the Akyim Abuakwa and Akyim Kotoku Kings
who were by then bouncing back after their encounter with Asantehene
Opoku Ware. The Akwmus promised free land offers if they would contain
the Guans. Uniting with Kamena of Gykiti, the Guans redefined their
objective: This had to be a war to destroy the Akwmu kingdom altogether.
The war that followed weakened Akwmu significantly. They had underrated
the might of their tributary. Many Akwmus sensing an uncertain future in the
aftermath migrated across the Firaw. Ansa was determined to maintain a hold
on his now shaky capital. He handed over to the Akyim warlord Ofori Dua the
Dictatorship over Akwapim title. Ofori Dua then established an Akyim
dynasty in Akwapim. The messy tenure of Ansa Kwao was getting on the other
nations nerves. Akyim Kotoku invaded Nyadaw the Akwmu capital. This
attempt was repelled. The Akyim attacked again, this time they were better
prepared. After five months of intensive fighting, Akwmu was conquered at
Nsaki. Ansa Sasrku was captured. Three days later, he was executed.
More Akwmu people fled across the Firaw where they founded a new capital
Akwmufie. Amga of the Ladoku replaced Ansa Kwao as ruler. Cautious of
the lurking Asante and Agona danger, Akyim Kotokuhene Nana Frmpon
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Manso refrained from pursuing the fleeing Akwmu people. Akyim

Abuakwahene Bakwante seized the Akwapim hills, which used to be under the
control of Akwmu, and brought along waves of migrant Akyims. The Guan
people also spread out, migrating into various parts of the former Akwmu
nation. Nana Kwsi Ofi Agyeman the Guan ruler at Adenya was unhappy with
the idea of the Akyims coming in to establish their dynasty over the Guans.
Ofi Agyeman who was of the Amoakaade made his position on this issue
clear. Others thought his prediction that one day, the Akyims would try to lord
it over them was a bit far fetched. He seemed to be under the spell of trauma
and paranoia carried over from the psychological and physical injury Akwmu
rule brought. The various Akyim, Guan and remaining Akwmu community
leaders in the area came to an agreement at Abotkyi. The numerous Akyims
were given lands to settle and farm on. After five successive rulers of Akyim
descent, Skyiama was enstooled. Skyiama Tenten-Safori-Ko Ofori Dua-Ofori
Kae-Ofori Kuma the prominent Leader of the Akyim contingent founded the
new Akwapim The Thousand Groups nation. He was asked to stay as the
Akwapimhene by those he came to meet there. He became the first real Akyim
Akwapimhene and was succeeded by Nana Fianko. Ankye and the griot
agreed it was almost impossible to tell the difference between a Guan, Akyim
and an Akwapim.
Several months of silence were observed before the funeral of Nana Ose
Tutu was announced and held. When the grieving was over, Asantehene Nana
Opoku Ware held discussions with Kmfo Ankye on ways of keeping the
nation united and progressing. Kotowbr told him: At this point, Asante
needs total loyalty. Another oath will have to be sworn in memory of the Life
of Ose Tutu. The commanders are the ones responsible for the security of
Asante. We need to shore up their inner energies with a feel of his presence.
The Kormante Memeneda Ntamkse The Great Oath which starts with:
...I swear by that Saturday
I swear by Kormante...
was crafted by Kmfo and sworn by the Warrior kings.
Nana Opoku Ware progressed with enlarging the bounderies of the empire.
The Gyaaman state was flourishing under the able leadership of its king, Nana
Adinkra. The Gyaamanhene fantasized about a golden stool of his own. His
advisors tried to discourage the idea. Im going to have it made anyway! the
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defiant Chief sounded courageous. Gyaaman will challenge Kumasi. He had

the goldsmiths make a beautiful golden stool to placate his soaring ego. War
with Kumasi was the natural outcome. Nana Adinkra was defeated at Bontuku.
His head was lopped off. His golden stool was melted and sculpted into a pair
of abstract mask representations of his face. These masks were attached to
either side of the real Golden Stool.

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Is There A Limit?
Ankye addressed the people of his household at Agona Akyempem. Im on
my way to find the Remedy to death. Few seemed to be keen on this upcoming
project. He continued, Im travelling. If after seventy-seven days, Ive not
come out of my room, nobody should start mourning or a funeral. Just be calm
and wait. These directives articulated to facilitate the Trance, may not have
sounded extremely abstract to Ankye. Yet his audience wondered exactly
what the meaning was. He entered his room and closed the door.
The final day of waiting rolled away. You could hear musket shots every ten
minutes or so, the dirgy drumming and the harrowing wailing that continued
far past the townsfolks normal bedtime.A young man shared what he
experienced. I was hurrying home when an old man stopped into my path at
Abten.
Akora, youre coming from Agona? The young man answered, Yes. Why do
you ask? And what do you know about that noise were hearing from over
there? The young man said what he had heard: Theyre holding Kmfo
Ankyes funeral. That was when he looked and recognized the visage of the
one whose funeral was being held. The yong man quivered with alarm. I didnt
want to be there. Struggling to maintain his composure, he ran, tripped, fell to
the ground, and rose to my feet once more. Then he dashed with all my energy
into the closest house where he blacked out on the courtyards stone floor. He
had seen Kmfo Ankye returning with the Cure against Death from the land
of the numberless. Weeping, pounding drums and muskets being fired could
be heard from time to time even at that hour.
A woman came with a similar story: In the still dark dawn, a solitary figure
approached from behind the tall blades of grass ahead. The stranger drew
closer, stood still and engaged her attention with a gentle Good morning. He
asked, Why all this wailing in town, young woman? She assumed he was a
stranger. They are mourning the death of Kmfo Ankye... She looked in his
face. He said, What? Me?!!! he said with the same profound conviction that
he promised to return with The Remedy. She was stunned. But she realized
she was not afraid. Then before her unbelieving eyes, the stranger morphed
into a stream that suddenly materialized, flowing from where she last saw him
place the soles of his feet.
START
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