happiness, felicity, and peace. To achieve the
full manifestation of nkwa,ahonyade(posses-
sions, prosperity) must be present, adding
wealth and riches to the meaning of life.
Additionally, asomdwei (peace, tranquility) is
also required to achieve the full manifestation
of nkwa. Although a community must have
peace and harmony to be completely located in
the realm of nkwa, it is also necessary to
encourage, support, and maintain the creative
energy necessary for fertility in both the sense
of agriculture and the productive sense of
human procreation. It is the source of eternity
for the community. Without nkwa, nothing
exists because life does not exist.
The ultimate end of one’s existence on Earth is
the enjoyment and fulfillment of nkwa in its fullest
expression. The Akan believe that nkwa, in its truest
form, can be obtained only through the mediation
of and spiritual connection with divinities and the
ancestors. As a result, nkwa is the focus of many
Akan prayers that call for rain, food, children,
health, prosperity, power, success, and wealth.
Nkwa is connected to the Akan concept of
the supreme manifestation of the abundant and
joyous life. The Twi term nkwagye refers to
nkwa (life in all its fullness) and gye (rescue,
retake, recapture). In that sense, nkwagye repre-
sents the preservation, protection, and sustain-
ing of life. Of course, this can only be done by
activating the continuing involvement of the
ancestors in everyday life. One must always
carry out rituals and perform ceremonies that
cleanse the people, reconnecting the discon-
nected to their spiritual roots, in an effort to
secure the everlasting flow of spiritual energy.
One can be protected from those who would
do harm, such as evil persons with bad spirits
(abayifo), false teachers and priests (akabereky-
erefo), and quack doctors (asumantufo). By
staying in contact with thensamanfo, that is, the
ancestors, the people can maintain nkwa as the
main frame of their entire society’s existence
because it remains the creative and productive
force of the community.
Some scholars believe that the power of nkwa
in Akan may have been one reason that enslaved
Africans survived capture and the brutal transport
to the Americas. In the purificatory rites of the
Akan, when one goes to theabisa(shrine priests),
we find the connectedness to the idea of the
appeasement of all offended ancestors who have
been disturbed by the enslavement of Africans.
Thus, nkwa remains a key component to the
traditional African religion’s concept of the circu-
larity of the community.M. K. Asante,Jr.SeealsoAkanFurther Readings
Busia, K. A. (1968).The Position of the Chief in the
Modern Political System of Ashanti. New York:
Frank Cass.
Danquah, J. B. (1968).Akan Doctrine of God.
New York: Humanities Press.
Opoku, K. A. (1978).West African Traditional Religion.
Accra, Ghana: FEP International.NOMMO
In West Africa, the Dogon people of Mali believe
that the African concept of Nommo, the power
of the spoken word, carries an energy that pro-
duces all life and influences everything from
destiny to the naming of children. By human
utterance or through the spoken word, human
beings can invoke a kind of spiritual power.
Nommo, the generative power of the spoken
word, is the force that gives life to everything. It
is present everywhere, and it brings into exis-
tence all that is seen and unseen. Furthermore,
the Dogon believe that humans have power over
the word and thereby can direct the life force. All
human creation and natural phenomena emanate
from the productive power of the word, that is,
Nommo, which is a life force. Nothing happens
in human society without Nommo. It is like
magic in one way, but that is not strange to the
Dogon because, in the thinking of the Dogon, all
magic is ultimately Word magic. This is true
whether the Word is manifested in incantations,
blessings, or curses. In fact, if the Word did not
exist, all forces would be suspended, there would
be no procreation, and, therefore, there would be
no life.454 Nommo