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and Indianapolis: Indiana University Press.
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Indiana University Press.
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and Afro-American Art and Philosophy. New York:
Vintage Books.
Knappert, J. (1995).African Mythology:An
Encyclopedia of Myth and Legend. London:
Diamond Books.
OHUMFESTIVAL
TheAkyem,likemanyAfricankingdoms,observe
festivals that accentuate the religion of the king-
dom. One such festival is Ohum. The Akyem
Ohumisacommemorativefestivalthatexplicates
the religion and origin of the Akyem people.
CentraltoOhumisRiverBirem,thespiritualforce
andfountainsourceoftheexistenceoftheAkyem
state. Legend has it that the aboriginal Akyem
people led by Okomfo Asare emerged from the
depth of River Birem at Bunso with five divine
stools. Okyeame (state philosopher), Okomfo
(HighPriest)Asareemergedfromthedepthofthe
river with his body covered with white calico,
merekenson(palmfrond)heldonhisleftshoulder.
But, according to some accounts, the Akyem of
theAduana abusua(maternal kinship) migrated
fromNyanoaorFomenaunderKingOkruBanin,
with Okomfo Asare leading the way, to settle on
the banks of River Birem at Bunso by the 15th
century. The apparent contradictions notwith-
standing, both of them concur that the Akyem
came out from River Birem.
BackgroundThe story is that the Aduana migrants, upon
reaching the western bank of River Birem at
Bunso, saw a hunter (believed to be a Guan);
to avoid being noticed by the hunter, they went
under the river to hide. All except the Queen
Mother, Bawaafri, came out of the river. Another
version says that an exclamation by the hunter
andhispeople,astheAkyemwereemergingfrom
the river, amidstbomaaandmpintindrum music
and merrymaking, caused the Queen Mother to
return to the depth of the river. This miraculous
phenomenon occurred on the Tuesday after
Akwasidae (the Akan sacred Sunday). They thus
considered the river a Tuesday deity and called
her Biremu Abenaand the site Bunso.Beremu
(Birem) means “the midst of palm branches,”
Abena means “female born on Tuesday,” and
Bunsomeans “the bank of the depth of a river.”
Astonished by what they believed to be supernat-
ural developments, the Akyem migrants decided
to settle on the eastern bank of River Birem and
called the siteafriye(the site of emergence).
Some years later, human activities polluted the
surroundings of River Birem and caused the dis-
pleasure of the river, resulting in constant calami-
ties. Consequently, the Akyem resettled at Tafo
nearRiverAwansaunderthespiritualguidanceof
OkomfoAsare.Again,conditionsatAwansacom-
pelled them to move to a new settlement close to
River Taako, and they called the town Tafo. Tafo
has since served as the origin and soul of Akyem
Abuakwa, as well as the heart of Akyem Ohum.Okyeame, Okomfo Asare, and Ohum Rites
It was to commemorate the transcendental events
and settlement of the Akyem on the eastern bank
of River Birem at Bunso on the Tuesday that
Ohumwasborn.OhuminTwimeans“aneyewit-
ness to a phenomenal event.” It is celebrated
on the Tuesday after Akwasidae. Every year, the
elders and Okomfo Asare would go to the sacred
afriye or asoreyeso (the holy site of worship) to
launch Ohum. They would stand on the bank of
the depth of River Birem and start with incanta-
tions and prayers saying that “the New Year is
justapproachingandwehavecometoaskyoufor
merekenson to cleanse the Akyem kingdom.”
Thereafter, Okomfo Asare would dive into the
depth of River Birem, commune with her from 1
to 7 days, and then emerge. If he came out of the
river with merekenson on his left shoulder and
white calico on his body, in addition to holding
adwene(mudfish) and threeatidie(porgies) in a
large copper bowl, then it signified prosperity in
every human endeavor and victory in wars. He
would then prepare eto(mashed plantain) with
the fish and place them before the ancestral kings
in the stool house for them to eat. If, in contrast,Ohum Festival 483