Awusi, corresponding to the English Monday,
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday,
and Sunday. However, it is in Nyame’s transforma-
tion as Nyankopon that we see the relationship
with Asase Yaa Afua and the creation of
humankind. The first man, Adu Ogyinae, did not
simply appear without the necessary cosmogony;
he represents all of the abusua of the Akan. Many
of the deities of the clans are symbolized by bodies
of water. For example:
Deit Motif Day Water
Bosom Muru Python Tuesday Muru
Bosom Tano Elephant Saturday Tano
Bosom Pra Leopard Wednesday Pra
Bosom Twi Monkey Sunday Twi Lake
In addition to the bosoms, there are two
Adae, ritual holidays, every 42 days for recogni-
tion of the ancestors. Every sixth Sunday is the
large Adae for the Royal Ancestors, and then
every sixth Wednesday is the Adae for the non-
royal ancestors.
According to the Akan, a large worm opened a
hole in the ground and seven men, five women,
one leopard, and one dog came out of the hole.
These names are normally repeated on a Monday
or Tuesday, which are called Nykli days. The
names of the original people are as follows:
Males Females
Adu Ogyinae Takyuwa Brobe
Opoku Tenten Aberewa Noko
Adu Kwao Aberewa Samanate
Adu Kwao 2nd Aberewa Musu
Kusi Aduoku Abrade Kwa
Ankora Dame
Odehye Sabene
Of the people who came out of the hole, only
Adu Ogyinae seemed to understand. Everyone else
was stunned and bewildered by what they saw on
Earth, and they were fearful. It was then that Adu
Ogyinae began to lay his hands on the other
people to give them strength.
Adu Ogyinae organized them into work teams
to build houses, and in a few days they had built
places to shelter themselves. It was while he was
engaged in felling trees that a tree fell upon Adu
Ogyinae and killed him. This is the beginning of
the Asantewukudaoath, which says, “I swear by
the name of Adu Ogyinae.”Molefi Kete AsanteSee alsoAncestorsFurther Readings
Maquet, J. (1972).Africanity:The Cultural Unity of
Black Africa. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.
Parrinder, G. (1954).African Traditional Religion.
London: Hutchinson University Library.AFRICISM
Africism is the term coined by Aloysius M.
Lugira to refer to the system of African reli-
gious beliefs, ritual practices, and thought con-
cerning the Supreme Being, suprahuman beings,
human beings, and the universe. Africism is
the autochthonous religion and philosophy of
Africa. It isautochthonousbecause, from time
immemorial and independently from develop-
ments in other cultures, it intrinsically pertains
to Africa.
In this age of growing globalization, attention
has been increasingly directed to the acquisition
of objective knowledge about the religion of
Africa. In pursuit of an objective understanding
of the religion of Africa, African scholars have
been encouraged to adopt the African American
approach pioneered by Maulana Karenga, as
stressed by the principle of Kujichagulia. This
Kiswahili term means “self-determination,” that
is, Africans’ ability to “to define ourselves, name
ourselves, create for ourselves, and speak for our-
selves.” This entry describes the geo-ontological
approach to the naming of the religious and
thought systems of Africa, highlights the salient
features of Africism, and describes the develop-
ment of the concept.Africism 11