Asase Yaa 73it. As the object that characterizes the unity and
courage of the people, deriving from one of its
most legendary meetings of its most important
prophet Okomfo Anokye and the first
Asantehene, the Golden Stool, which was com-
manded to come down from the sky by Anokye, is
the soul of Asante. Thus, the Asantehene must
always pledge allegiance to the Sika ‘dwa.
Nothing is more important to the Asante
people than the Golden Stool. Consequently, dur-
ing the national celebration of the Golden Stool,
when the people come out to express their solidar-
ity with truth, freedom and vitality of spirit, and
fertility of their seeds, human and physical, they
proclaim at this great Odwira Festival all that the
stool has meant to them. They are led by the
Asantehene, who proclaims in these words:
Friday, the Stool of Kings, I sprinkle water
on you, may your power return sharp and
fierce. Grant that when I and another meet
in battle, grant that it may be
as when I met Denkyira; you let me cut off
his head
as when I met Akyem; you let me cut off his
head
as when I met Domma; you let me cut off
his head
as when I met Tekyiman; you let me cut off
his head
as when I met Gyaman; you let me cut off
his head.
As the edges of the year have met, I pray for
life.
May the nation prosper. May women bear
children.
May the hunters kill meat for food.
We who dig for gold, let us get gold to dig,
and grant
that I get some for the upkeep of my
kingship.Selection ProcessWhen a new king is required, the Asantehemaa or
Queen Mother chooses the person for the role, and
he is then selected by the council of elders and, with
their permission, becomes the Asantehene. In the
meantime, between the death of the king and the
appointment of the king, the Mamponghene,
the king of Mampong, the second most important
ruler of the nation, serves as the regent Asantehene.
The Asante people take the leadership seriously
and therefore have several forbidden activities for
the Asantehene. No one can be king who is impo-
tent, infertile, a gambler, deaf, a criminal, or lep-
rous. The idea is that the king reflects the best
ideals of the people’s vitality, beauty, and power.Molefi Kete AsanteSee alsoAlafin of OyoFurther Readings
Agyeman-Duah, I. (1999).The Asante Monarchy in
Exile. London: Centre for Intellectual Renewal.
Lewin, T. (1978).Asante Before the British:The
Prempean Years, 1875 – 1900. Lawrence: University of
Kansas Press.ASASEYAA
Preceded only by Nyame (Creator) in power and
importance, Asase Yaa (also referred to as
Aberewa [old woman] and Mother Earth) is the
second Great Spirit revered within Akan cosmol-
ogy. The Akan regard the earth as a female spirit
because of her fertility and power to bring forth
life and further personalize her as a mother
because human beings depend on her for their
continual nurturance and sustenance. She is of
paramount importance to the Akan because it is
through Asase Yaa, by way of libation and dance,
that they gain access to and maintain familial con-
nections with the ancestors.
Named according to the Akan tradition of
“day-naming,” she is most often referred to as
Asase (Earth) Yaa (female born on Thursday)
because most Akan believe that Nyame created
Earth on a Thursday. However, among the Fante,
who believe that Nyame created Earth on a
Friday, she is known as Asase Efua (female born
on Friday). Traditionally, among those who call
her Asase Yaa, Thursday is considered a day of
rest, on which there is no tilling of the land,
no burying of the dead, and all acts that may