The Asante-Akan, like most Africans, do not
believe in proselytizing. A child, when placed on
his or her back, discovers Nyame’s existence, they
believe. They will see the sky, which is the
Creator’s abode. Nyame resides far away, outside
of the reach of humans. The Akan also believe
that goodness is the chief characteristic of the All
Powerful One. It is believed that Nyame did not
create evil, but rather deities and human beings.
Nyame’s creations created evil.
Africans believe that the soul is an immaterial
part of their existence. The soul survives death. It is
the soul that must account to Nyame in the afterlife.
The soul is the Creator’s spark of life. Therefore,
there is a divine essence in all human beings.
It is no exaggeration to state that religion is
present in all things. Religion dictates the value
that the Akan people place on the collective over
the individual. It further informs the Akan of their
morals and values as they relate to human interac-
tion with each other as well as the universe. Even
aesthetics, the Asante perception of beauty, rests
on the Asante’s religious beliefs. Kinship ties and
marriage are predicated on the religious values of
the Akan as well.
The role of ancestors is also prominently fea-
tured in Akan religion. Ancestors are profoundly
important for the Asante. They represent the link
between human beings and the spiritual world. In
fact, their ancestors reside in the spiritual world.
Ancestors are honored and revered, but not wor-
shipped, although they are believed to possess
spiritual power and to be interested in the welfare
of their descendants. They are ever present and
willing to assist in human society.
Adisa A. AlkebulanSee alsoNyame
Further Readings
Buah, F. K. (1998).A History of Ghana. London:
Macmillan Education.
Gyekye, K. (1996).African Cultural Values:An
Introduction. Accra, Ghana: Sankofa.
Kwadwo, O. (1994).An Outline of Asante History.
Kumasi, Ghana: Design Press.
Kwadwo, O. (2002).A Handbook on Asante Culture.
Kumasi, Ghana: CITA Press.
ASANTEHENE
The Asantehene is the paramount king of the
Asante people of Ghana. In previous eras, the
Asantehene had far more power than he holds
today. Now the kingship referred to as the King of
Asante is more symbolic and ceremonial than in the
past, when the Asantehene held the power of life or
death in his hands. This entry describes the leader’s
significance, the Golden Stool that he is charged
with protecting, and the mode of selection.The Supreme Ruler
Opemsuo Osei Tutu I was the first king to be
crowned as the supreme ruler, the king of kings of
all Asante. There were regional and town kings
before Osei Tutu I, but no one exercised all author-
ity over the whole of Asante until the enstoolment
of Osei Tutu I in l701. Since that time, 16 para-
mount kings of Asante have ruled the nation. In
1999, Osei Tutu II became the Asantehene.
The Asante people are a nation of the Akan lin-
guistic group, and this group is divided into clans.
There are eight clans among the Akan, and all
groups of the Akan possess the same clans, which
are Oyoko, Aduana, Ekuona, Bretuo, Asene,
Agona, Asona, and Asakyiri. Each clan is said to
have descended from one of the original ances-
tresses of the Akan people. There are several
groups of Akan—the Baule, Fante, Akyem,
Adanse, and Denkyira—and these groups are
viewed as separate from each other, but they all
have the same structure of an Amanhene, that is,
king of the nation. For example, there is an
Okyenhene for the Akyem and an Adansehene for
the Adanse. However, no kingship has been estab-
lished with as much pomp, pageantry, and wealth
as that of the Asantehene.
The Asantehene is the leader of the nation in
the spiritual response to the Sika ‘dwa and the
master of all religious and cultural celebrations
and practices. Among the Asante, there is the
belief that the Asantehene is the direct descendent
of Osei Tutu I, and therefore he has the responsi-
bility to maintain the nation by evoking and reaf-
firming its beliefs in the ideals that preserve
national life.Asantehene 71