In
this essay, I will start by discussing what Adinkra symbols are, their
origin/history and how they are used. I will touch on how they were used in
time past, how they are being used in this modern era and how effective they
are in communication. In conclusion I will discuss my position as to whether
adinkra symbols are good or bad communication tools based on the elements of
communication.
Introduction
Upon first glance by the casual observer, Adinkra does not
seem to be writing. In fact it is usually carved or imprinted onto a numerous
number of mediums and is not written (as we think of the action of writing)
onto anything at all. Perhaps it is due to this factor that renowned linguists,
such as Walter Ong and John DeFrancisis have described or suggested such
writing systems (that are not phonetic) as inferior or in a developmental stage
progressing towards a so called ‘true’ phonetic system. However it is imperative
to know that Adinkra is a writing system, an ideographic script—a script that has
symbols that represent ideas—which is not acknowledged as such because it does
not contain the attributes of Western writing systems which are portrayed as
ideal.
What Are
Adinkra
Adinkra are often defined as symbols (and ideographs), which
through stylized pictures convey the philosophy of the Asante’s of Ghana (also
known as the Akan), the culture to which they belong. (Danzy 2009). In the
language of the Akan ethnic group (twi) of which Asante is a part, Adinkra also
means ‘goodbye’ or ‘farewell’. It has therefore been the tradition of the Akan
especially the Asante to wear cloths decorated with Adinkra symbols on important
occasions especially at funerals of family relations and friends. Stylistically
Adinkra symbols are “based on various observations of and associations between
humans and objects they use, flora and fauna scenes, the human body and its
parts, and elements of nature, [geometric] and abstract ideas” (Arthur 33).
Thus, Adinkra are pictorial designs of birds, vines, chains, body parts, all of
which represent more than their image and are understood within the context of
Asante culture.
History/Origin
of Adinkra Symbols
Although the proverbs that Adinkra symbols represent are
remembered, the actual history of the origin of Adinkra symbols, despite the
many theories that exist, has been lost. One theory held by the spiritual Akan,
and most likely not by anyone else outside of the culture, is that Adinkra came
with the Asantehene’s golden stool. In Asante history there is a belief that
Okomfo Anokye, the first chief priest, called upon the heavens to bring down
the golden stool, an artefact that came to symbolize the power of the first
king of the Asante nation, Osei Tutu as well as the power of every succeeding
Asantehene.
These theorists believe that Adinkra cloth was on top of the stool brought
down from the heavens, which would place Adinkra’s origin in the seventh
century (Willis 31). A more credible yet disproven theory, which comes from
oral traditions, is that Adinkra symbols originated from Gyaman, a former kingdom
in today’s Côte D’Ivoire.According
to an Asante legend, Adinkra was the name of a king of the Gyaman (Nana Kofi
Adinkra). He was defeated and captured in a battle by the Asante’s for having
copied the “Golden Stool”, which represents for them absolute power and tribal cohesion.
He was finally killed and his territory appropriated to the kingdom of Asante.
The
tradition had it that whiles alive, Nana Adinkra wore patterned cloth, which
was interpreted as a way of expressing his sorrow on being taken to Kumasi the
capital of Asante. The Asante people around the 19th century then took to
painting of traditional symbols of the Gyamans onto cloth, a tradition that was
well practiced by the latter.
The Use Of Adinkra Symbols
The Adinkra symbols express various themes that relate to the
history, beliefs and philosophy of the Asante. They mostly have rich proverbial
meaning since proverbs play an important role in the Asante culture. The use of
Proverbs is considered as a mark of wisdom. Other Adinkra symbols depict historical
events, human behaviour and attitudes, animal behaviour, plant life forms and
shapes of objects.
Often Adinkra symbols are not recognized for the messages
that they communicate but rather their aesthetic features. Adinkra appears on a
variety of art mediums, “textiles, pottery, stools, umbrella tops, linguist
staffs, gold weights, jewelry, swords, architecture,” and much more (Quarcoo
ix). However they are most common on utilitarian objects, like combs, stools,
clothes, etc. Although Adinkra is present on items of useful value, they are
not less meaningful nor are the objects less beautiful.
Today, Adinkra symbols are
symbolic pictures or motives used to decorate colourful patterned
cloth by fashion designers in Ghana. Designers
in modern times use Adinkra symbols in creating and decorating
other accessories than cloth. Other artisans/crafts men such as
sculptors, carpenters, and architects also use the
symbols to design their products. Some corporate
institutions in Ghana now use the Adinkra symbols as their
institutional Symbol or Logo.
How
Effective Adinkra Are In Communication
Before
we can settle as to whether Adinkra serve as a good communication tool or not,
we will first have to understand what we mean by communication and then see how
best Adinkra helps in the process of communicating.
Communication
in its simplest form is the transmission of message from a source to a receiver.
It has been defined by Huss Rebekah (2002) as “the process of understanding and
sharing of meaning”. This is to say that communication is not complete until
the parties involved have a common meaning of the message. With this in mind
let us now look at how Adinkra helps in creating a shared/common meaning
between various parties involved in a communication process taking the elements
of communication (Process, Understanding, Sharing, Meaning and
Environment/Context) into consideration.
·
Communication is
an activity, an exchange or set of behaviours that occur over time and also
it’s not an unchanging product. The emergence of new Adinkra symbols is
reflective of the new ideas that have developed as a result of social,
cultural, and historical changes (i.e. exchange
or set of behaviours that occur over time).
Adinkra symbols and their
meanings have transcended time yet they have adapted (i.e. not an unchanging product) to the social, cultural, and
historical changes that characterize modern Ghanaian society. An example of
this is the Adinkra symbol of a chain link, “epa” that was created before the
slave trade with Europeans. When the symbol was created it stood for ‘law and
justice’ reflecting that in the past people who committed crimes were sold into
slavery.
However, in present day Ghana the symbol does not stand for the
possibility of becoming a slave but rather for “the uncompromising nature of
the law” and the price for committing a crime being imprisonment (“West African
Wisdom”). Another symbol that has adapted to changes throughout time is the
“Gye Nyame” symbol. This symbol in the past reflected the Akan’s belief in the
supremacy of God.
Today it also stands for the supremacy of God; however, it is
applied to the Christian God (Arthur 42). While the meanings of the symbols
have not changed, they are being adapted to fit the changes in Ghanaian society.
Adinkra has been adapted into all aspects of Ghana’s developing society and
appears on churches, universities, banks and insurance houses (Quarcoo ix).
This then means Adinkra can be confined within the communication element
‘Process’.
·
Communication involves
perceiving interpretation and construction of meaning of verbal and non-verbal
behaviour/ideas of others. Adinkra is a writing system, an ideographic script—a
script that has symbols that represent ideas. These ideas have common meanings
among the Asantes.
The Okyeame, advisors to the king, were one of the first to
propagate values through the use of Adinkra. They were known as Chief Linguists
because of their ability to communicate wise words through language and images
like Adinkra. When advising the king, the Okyeame always carried a staff of
office carved in wood with an emblem at the top covered with gold leaf.
These emblems
described on the head of the linguist staff were symbols, either Adinkra
symbols or less stylized representations of things that represented a meaning
(a proverb, symbolize qualities of the chief, or reflect a historic event in
the life of the nation). The Okyeame used these symbols to communicate values
to the king and the royal court (but the symbols still have significance today).
An example of an Adinkra emblem on an Okyeame staff is the symbol called
Sankofa, which means to learn from the past in order to move forward—se wo were
fin a wosankofa a yenkyi (it is no taboo to return to fetch something which has
been forgotten).
·
Communication involves
interaction between people to exchange meaning. This means parties involved in
the process agree on same meaning of the message communicated. Adinkra is a means of communication, particularly
in the Asante language “twi” but the ideas can also be expressed in other languages
because the symbols do not represent sounds and are used to give advice or warnings.
Here it can be said that Adinkra can still be used for communication by other
people (who are not necessarily Asantes) although it did not originate from
them. This is because there is agreement as to what which symbol signifies.
Example the “Gye Nyame” symbol connotes the supremacy of God in Asante. It
also connotes the
same if a Ga uses it. This is because there has been a shared meaning as to
what the symbol signifies.
·
Communication
involves shared understanding of the message. It involves learning cultural
codes and symbols of the message. One will have to learn what a particular
symbol signifies before they can be used to communicate effectively. An example
is the “Sankofa” Adinkra.
There are two versions of this Adinkra symbol. One is
a very stylized image that looks like a heart but are two birds looking
backward as their front still extends forward. Often this is not the
representation used on the linguist staff, instead of using this stylized
version, there is another Adinkra symbol of a clear representation of a bird
facing backward with a calabash in his mouth as his feet move forward.
The
Okyeame used this ‘particular’ staff
to visually remind the King and council to look to their history in order to
act appropriately in the future. It can be said then that the Okyeame upon
learning, discerned that, the second type of the same Adinkra (Sankofa) is what
he needed to best communicate his message even though there are two types. Here
we also talk about the meaning people attach to something.
In Asante culture
for example, objects are appreciated and valued more because of the Adinkra
symbols that appear on them, which adds to their aesthetic value because
Adinkra is full of meaning
·
Communication
also involves the socio culture arena/context in which communication and
interaction takes place (e.g. Ghana) It also sometimes refers to the people
involved in the communication process (primarily Asantes in this case).
While
Adinkra is valued for its link to art, outsiders of the Asante culture do not always
value the symbols for what they visually communicate such as “proverbs,
parables and maxims” (Agbo v check). Adinkra are pictorial designs of birds,
vines, chains, body parts, all of which represent more than their image and are
understood better within the context of Asante culture.
This means in Asante
land Adinkra will be more appreciated and understood when used than other
places in Ghana; just as some words can be better understood within the
specific context they are used.
Conclusion
Adinkra
symbols are to a large extent good communication tools in Ghana; taking into
consideration the fact that people put on cloths with Adinkra to announce a
situation (death) or their emotional state (grief). Also Adinkra has been
adapted into all aspects of Ghana’s developing society and appears on Churches, Universities, Banks and Insurance houses and some Corporate Institutions in
Ghana even use the Adinkra symbols as their institutional Symbol or Logo.
Example…..
It is however imperative to
know that the meanings of these symbols are not understood by all. Thus Adinkra
is most popular among the Asantes. Also due to evolution people in this era do
not really appreciate or see the essence of Adinkra. This may be due to the
fact that methods of communicating have evolved and thus more complex ways of
expressing same meanings are available. People thus do not have the urge to
learn or understand Adinkra Symbols today.
Bibliography
Agbo, Adolph Hilary. Values of
Adinkra and Agama Symbols. Kumasi: Bigshy Designs
and Publications,
2006.
Arthur, George F. Kojo. Cloth as
a metaphor: (re)reading the Adinkra cloth symbols of
the Akan of Ghana.
Legon: Centre for Indigenous Knowledge Systems, 2001.
Danzy J. Adinkra Symbols: an
ideographic writing system. Stony Brook University,
New York, 2009.
Quarcoo, Alfred Kofi. The
Language of Adinkra Patterns. 2. Legon: University of Ghana,
1994.
Tetteh, V. ADINKRA: cultural symbols
of the asante people. 2011
Willis, W. Bruce. The Adinkra dictionary : a visual primer on the language of Adinkra.
Washington, D.C:
Pyramid Complex, 1998.
By: Julius Ofori Boadu (JOB)
(juliusboadu@gmail.com)
Twitter: @CwesiOfori
