The old woman, determined to find a way to
reach Nyame and bring him back, instructed her
children to pile all of the mortars they could find
on top of one another until the tower of mortars
reached where Nyame was. The children com-
plied; however, they were one mortar short of
reaching Nyame. Because they could not find any-
more mortars, the old woman told them to take
one out from the bottom and put it on the top.
When her children did so, the tower of mortars
fell to the ground, causing mass destruction and
killing many people.
The story ofAbrewa na ni mbanot only por-
trays the Akan conception of the creation of the
universe, but also teaches a moral and ethical
lesson. At one time, Nyame lived close to people,
and it was easy for them to reach Nyame with
their concerns and requests. Bothered by the old
woman’s action, he asked her to obey his request
to stop hitting him with her pestle; but because
she ignored his request and subsequently dis-
obeyed him, Nyame moved farther away from
people. Stubborn, the old woman was deter-
mined to reach Nyame anyway, but her disobedi-
ence had already sealed humanity’s fate, causing
people more pain and distance from Nyame. The
lesson is that people must obey the wishes of
Nyame or suffer the same consequences of
Abrewa na ni mba. The Akan identify a constel-
lation calledAbrewa na ni mba, which is com-
posed of an arrangement of seven stars, each
corresponding to the seven matrilineal divisions
of the Akan people.
Cosmology
Cosmologically, the Akan universe is essentially
spiritual. All things, animate and inanimate within
the Universe, are endowed with varying degrees of
sunsum. One of the most important aspects of
Akan cosmology is the reverence of the Nsamanfo
(ancestors). In addition to their belief in a
Supreme Being (Nyame), Mother Earth (Asase
Yaa), and a host of intermediaries/deities (abo-
som), the Akan believe in the omnipresence of the
Nsamanfo, made evident by daily acts such as
the pouring of libation, throwing on the ground
the first morsel of food, as well as periodic ances-
tral ceremonies (Adae).
Because the universe is endowed with sunsum,
the Akan consult the Nsamanfo before making
and acting on many daily decisions. For example,
if a person wants to build a house, he or she can-
not just go to the forest, cut down trees, and begin
to build. The trees contain sunsum, and the per-
son must first ask the Nsamanfo permission to cut
down the trees.
Additionally, Akan culture is ancestral: They
believe that, although the Nsamanfo no longer
occupy physical space on earth, they maintain
important roles in each person’s life. Most impor-
tant of their roles is that of direct messenger to
Nyame, as opposed to the Abosom, who are mes-
sengersfromNyame. When Akan pour libation or
chant prayers, they do not reach Nyame directly.
Instead, they invoke the Nsamanfo to pass their
messages along to Nyame because they are the
spiritual representatives of living people and are in
closer proximity to Nyame.
It is believed that the Nsamanfo are spiritual
beings with the power to bring good fortune to
the living, specifically members of their lineage or,
if dissatisfied, to show their displeasure by causing
ill fortune, sickness, and so on. They may manifest
themselves in human form, in dreams, or through
trance, and their spiritual presence may be
invoked to assist the living. Prayers, offerings, and
sacrifices are most often offered to them to seek
their blessings and avoid any misfortune.Conception of Man/Woman
The Akan believe that each individual consists
of certain material and spiritual elements. The
honam (body) and mogya (blood; connection to
matrilineage) represent the material or physical
components, whereas the kra (life force/soul),
honhom (breath of Divine Life), and sunsum
(spirit; connection to patrilineage) represent the
spiritual or nonphysical components. Nyame
(Creator) bestows these material and spiritual
elements on us at conception and birth; however,
when we “die,” the honam and mogya join Asase
Yaa (Mother Earth), whereas the kra, honhom,
and sunsum return to Nyame.
Good health is contingent on balance and
harmony between both the material and spiritual
elements. If one is injured, the other is affected.Akan 25