Every King Of The Asante Empire Needs A Procession

Since days of yore, the Asante Kingdom of Ghana has been controlled by various Kings including Osei Tutu Kwame Asiba who ruled from 1804–1824, Otumfuo Nana Osei Yaw Akoto (1824–1834), Otumfuo Nana Kwaku Dua (1834 – 1867), Otumfuo Nana Kofi Karikari (1867 – 1874), Otumfuo Nana Opoku Ware Katakyie (1720–1750), Otumfuo Nana Prempeh I and numerous other Kings who have ruled the realm to date.

The incumbent King, His Majesty Otumfour Osei Tutu II who started his rule in April 1999, has also assumed control over the mantle and proceeding with the inheritance of the Asante realm.

The Asantehene is the absolute monarch of the Kingdom of Asante, with its cultural region being Asante, and the Asantes being people’s ethnic group.

The Asante regal house follows its line to the Oyoko (an Abusua, signifying “clan”) Abohyen Dynasty of Nana Twum and the Bretuo Dynasty of Osei Tutu Opemsoo, who framed the Empire of Asante in 1701 and was crowned Asantehene (King of all Asantes). Osei Tutu held the Asante seat until his death fighting in 1717, and was the 6th lord in Asante regal history.

There are numerous physical and spiritual tradition formulated by the Asantes that makes them ‘ground-breaking’. For such huge number of years, these customs which includes an extraordinary procession for the King, have been trailed by the Asantes.

Each King is generally required to experience a parade or procession, which is an elaboration of the necessity that the King should consistently be accompanied and never left alone in any public space.

It is highly unacceptable for an Asante King to walk alone. On a fundamental level, procession by every single other Chief in the Asante Kingdom follow the same pattern but with less depth, glamour, pomp and pageantry.

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By Asante customs, a procession might be with the Chief by walking or having a ride in a palanquin. That is, the Chief walks or rides in a cart to any place and for whatever purpose.

When an ‘Apakan’ (palanquin) is used, procession for the most part lead to durbar or memorial service grounds; else it is a mobile activity. A procession by the Chief may also be in happiness, for example, going to celebratory durbars or in grief, for example, heading towards the burial service grounds.

A chief’s procession, as an image-projecting communication activity, consolidates the verbal and nonverbal message for effective
political communication. Among the latter are messages in recitation, ‘Kwadwom’ or ‘Amoma’ (praise poetry or bard) and ‘Nsabrane’ (appellations).

Visiting any festival or durbar of the Asantes will consistently fill your heart with joy since, you get to see more processions that are colourful and intrinsically meant to initially superficially please the eye.

The entire encoding system is guided by coloring codes, for instance, red and black for grieving and black and white for festivity; also, of various sorts and colours of umbrellas, first in libation prayer; and the ‘Nyamedua’ (God’s stump) image.

“Samanka’ (a metal bowl containing therapeutic herbs) is carried on the head by Samanka Komfoɔ(Samanka cleric). It drives the procession to profoundly clean up or drive away all awful spirits in transit.

In Asante Empire, Chiefs are graded from Asantehene (the main King), ‘Amanhene’ (Paramount Chiefs), ‘Abremponfo’ɔ (Kumasi Divisional Chiefs) and ‘Adikrofo’ (Headmen). The initial three are ‘Apakanhene’ (king of palanquin) who fit the bill to ride in the cart.

This implies, not all Chiefs are permitted to ride in the palanquin. That being said, their umbrellas are evaluated offering significance to the articulation, “Ahenfo” fiendish spirits and kill every shrewd intension by enemies. The ‘Samanka’ drives a wide range of procession, celebratory or those of “anguish”.

Not only the Asantes, but all other Chiefs in Ghana, appearance to public places is a great deal. For the Chiefs, with respect to each politically dynamic individual, your appearance has huge impact on every public event. It is an essential message of a procession which must be obvious to all, particularly the handlers of the occasion. The appearance of every Chief complements his completeness.

In such manner, strategic points of the body, particularly (the joints) are constantly secured with decorations. The Chiefs wears various things on the shoulder, elbow, wrist, midriff, underneath knee (on the shin), lower leg; while all fingers are adorned with rings all intended to make parts of the entire body hold together.

The Chief’s appearance, presents a significant message to the social gathering. Procession gives colour, grandeur and pomp to flavor up the activities of an occasion.

The Asante Empire and Confederacy comprised part of present-day Asanteman (southern Ghana) and portions of present-day eastern Côte d’Ivoire between the 17th and 20th centuries.

source: oseiagyemang.com