Kwasi Anokye

Copyright 2016 by Kwasi Anokye

ISBN 978-1-329-84963-1

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This Story The Kͻmfo Anͻkye story came to print media through the mists of oral tradition. This narrative sustains the opacity of the impressions communicated about him. It unfolds against the grain of genre, format, coherence and closure.

I open by crediting the sources.

Sources J.F. Ade Adjayi & Lan Espie - A Thousand Years of West African History. Lagos: Thomas Nelson (Nigeria) Ltd. Nana Otamakuro Adubofour - Asante: The Making of a Nation J. Agyemang-Duah - Asante Stool History J.K. Anokye - Sensational Discovery - Nnuroso - The Unknown Shrine of Okomfo Anokye. (Article in The Guardian March, 1962) A.A. Anti - Akwamu, Denkyira, Akwapim in the Lives of Osei Tutu and Okomfo Anͻkye. Tema: Ghana Publishing Corporation, 1971 A.A. Anti - Kumase in the Eighteenth & Nineteenth Century (17001900). Accra: Damage Control Ltd., 1996 A.A. Anti - The Ancient Asante King. Accra: Volta Bridge Company, 1974 Kwame Arhin & Kwadwo Afari Gyan [Editors]; Rt. Rev. Sarpong, K. Owusu Akyaw, S. Nkansa Buabeng, A.K. Opoku, J.R.A. Aryee, Atakora Gyima [Contributors]; G. Kodua, E.K. Twumasi [Research] - The City of Kumasi. England: Cambridge Fax Books Ltd., 1992 E.V. Asihene - Guan, Anum-Boso - English Dictionary. Apra Services Ltd. (Printers) Kumi Attobrah - The Kings of Akyem Abuakwa and the Ninety-Nine Wars Against Asante. Tema: Ghana Publishing Corporation, 1976 F.O. Ayim - Okyeman: A Culture History Sonia Bleeker - The Ashanti of Ghana. London: Dennis Dobson, 1971 K.O. Bonsu Kyeretwie - Ashanti Heroes. London: Oxford Univ. Press, 1964

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T.E. Bowdich - An Essay on the Superstitions, Customs and Arts Common to the Ancient Egyptians, Abyssinians and Ashantees, Paris: J. Smith, 1821 E.K. Braffi - The Esoteric Significance of the Asanti Nation, Kumasi: E.K. Braffi. Educ. Press and Manufacturers Ltd., 1984

David Brokensha [Editor], P.K. Blay, Prof. K.B. Dickson, George

Lawson & A.A. Enti, Leo Cole, M.A. Kwamena Poh [Contributors] -

Akwapim Handbook. Tema: Ghana Publishing Corporation, 1972

F.K. Buah - A History of Ghana (Revised & updated). London &

Oxford: Macmillan Educ. Ltd., 1998

P. D. Buakyi - The Life Story of Okomfo Anokye of Awukugua [A published Narration]. K. Yeboa Daaku - Osei Tutu of Asante. London: Heineman, 1976 Basil Davidson (with F.K. Buah and the advice of J.F.A. Adjayi) - The Growth of African

Civilization - A History of West Africa since 1000-1800. London:

Longman Group Ltd., 1977

A. Crakye Denteh - Asantehene Osεe Tutu. Accra: Asempa Publishers,

1985 Joseph Dupuis - Journal of a Residence in Ashantee. Colburn, 1824 Eric Edusei - 1000 Years of Ghanaian History [Feature article in Akwaaba - The Ghana Airways In-Flight Magazine Issue 14]. A.B. Ellis - A History of the Gold Coast of West Africa. Chapman and Hall, 1893 I.S. Ephson - A Gallery of Gold Coast Celebrities. Vol. 1 1632-1953. Accra: Ilen Publications, 1969 I.S. Ephson - Ancient Forts of the Gold Coast. Accra: Ilen Publications, 1970 Encyclopaedia Britannica (Macropaedia) - History of West Africa Encyclopaedia Britannica (Micropaedia) - Akwεmu Encyclopaedia Britannica (Micropaedia) - Denkyira Basil Freestone - Osei Tutu. The Leopard Owns The Land. London: Dobson, 1968 Francis Fuller - A Vanished Dynasty: Ashanti. Murray, 1921 J.K. Fynn - Asante and its Neighbours c-1700-1807. London: Longman Group, 1971 J.K. Fynn - Okomfo Anokye. [Contribution in The Dictionary of African Biographies, Encyclopaedia Africana Vol. 1] New York: Reference Publications, 1977 Osei Kwadwo - An Outline of Asante History. Wiamoase: O. Kwadwo Enterprise, 1994

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A.A. Kyeremateng - Ghana National Cultural Centre, Kumasi. Kumasi: University Publications, 1970 A.A.Y. Kyeremateng - Regalia for an Ashanti Durbar. Kumasi: U.S.T., 1961 T.J. Lewin - Asante Before The British: The Prempean Years 1875-1900. Lawrence: The Regents Press of Kansas, 1978 T.C. MacCaskie - Komfo Anokye of Asante – Meaning, History and Philosophy in African Society [Article in Journal of Africa History, Issue 27] George Macdonald - The Gold Coast: Past and Present - A Short Description of the Country & Its People. London: Longmans, 1898 Mεnhyia Palace Museum: The Komfo Anokye Sword Site – 22 Wonders of Okomfo Anokye in Asante M.D. McLeod - The Asante. London: British Museum Publications Ltd., 1984 J.H. Nketia - Compilation of Poems Recited by the Abrafo of Asantihene on State Occasions J.H. Kwabena Nketia - Our Drums and Drummers. State Publishing Corporation, 1968 Nnummoe - Okomfo Anokye Sword [Article in West African Review. July 1951] Ernest Obeng - Ancient Ashanti Chieftaincy. Tema: Ghana Publishing Corporation, 1988 E. Osei-Adjei - S.S.S. Notes on A History of Ghana (Earliest Times to 1900). New Tafo, Akim: E. Osei-Adjei, 1994 R.S. Rattray - Ashanti. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1923 R.S. Rattray - Ashanti Law and Constitution. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1929 R.S. Rattray - Religion and Art in Ashanti. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1927 C.C. Reindorf - History of the Gold Coast and Asanti. Basel Mission Book Depot, 1951 Rev. Dr. Peter Sarpong - The Sacred Stools of the Akan. Tema: Ghana Publishing Corporation, 1971 Robert Smith - Warfare and Diplomacy in Pre-Colonial West Africa.

Methuen Publishers Ltd., 1976 G.T. Stride & C. Ifeka - Peoples and Empires of West Africa (West Africa in History 1000-1800). Surrey: Thomas Nelson & Sons Ltd. (Nigeria), 1986 J.W. Tufuo & C.E. Donkor - Ashantis of Ghana: People with a Soul. Accra: Anowuo Educational Publications, 1969 Ivor Wilks - Forests of Gold: Essays on The Akan and Kingdom of Asante. Athens: Ohio Univ. Press, 1993

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Freda Wolfsen - Pageant of Ghana. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1958 W.E.F. Ward - The History of the Gold Coast. London: George Allen & Unwin Ltd., 1952 W.E.F. Ward - A Short History of Ghana. London: Allen and Unwin, 1958 www.Otumfuofund.org/enstoolment3.html - Pampaso Rites Asare Konadu Yamoah - The People Today: The Kingdom of Ashanti Other Sources & Support Abena Fεfεna’εfε Nana Akua Yeboah Asamoah Dr. Kwasi Ofei-Agyemang Nana Sika Achampong Prof. Kwame Arhin

Mr. Kisseh - Law Faculty. University of Ghana, Legon

Mr. Quaye - Balme Library. University of Ghana, Legon Mr. Lee Yao Hiamey - Institute of African Studies Library, University of Ghana, Legon Mr. Jerry Pengwane - Institute of African Studies Library, University of Ghana, Legon Mr. Lawrence Akosen - George Padmore Research Library on African Affairs, Accra Mr. Yaw Alabi (Custodian of Komfo Anokye's Legend) - Komfo Anokye's Family Residence, Awukugua Mr. Appiah - Awukugua Sober - Kumasi Theophilus - Kumasi Moses - Kumasi Mr. Seth Ofori - Agona-Asanti Mr. Akwasi Sabiru - Agona-Asanti Kofi - Agona-Asanti Kwasi - Agona-Asanti Kwabena - Agona-Asanti Mr. Yaw Ben - Agona-Asanti Anͻkye - Agona-Asanti

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Mr. Kwame Poku - Boabeduru Ahenfie, Komfo Anokye’s Residence, Agona-Asanti Obaa Panin Akua Buo - Agona-Asanti The Household of Obaa Panin Akua Buo - Agona-Asanti Opanin Yaw Amponsah - Agona-Asanti Opanin Kwame Gyasi - Agona-Asanti Mr. Acheampong - Kumasi Traditional Council, Kumasi Mr. Patrick Osei - Mεnhyia Palace Museum: Komfo Anokye Sword Site, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Kumasi Mr. Aning (The Curator) - Mεnhyia Palace Archives, Kumasi Mr. Kwaku “Ideas” Bekoe - Madina, Accra Dan - Madina, Accra Mr. Ohene Afranie - Dekyemso, Kumasi Mr. Asiedu - Balme Library, University of Ghana, Legon

Same Elixir The Golden Stool at Mεnhyia. The Sword in Bantoma. The quest for the antidote to death. Stories about Kͻmfo Anͻkye’s life and work inspire us to adjust our perceptions of what is possible. We've heard of Kͻmfo Anͻkye’s life and work in Asanti. Was he born among the Asanti people? Was he from elsewhere? Several places have been called his hometown. Someone said Anͻkye was from Nkonya. Nkonya means magic. Some say he was from Nokye. Some say Benyin, Nzema. Some say Denkyira. We've also heard of Awukugua. They say the Asanti nation wanted to take Kͻmfo Anͻkye’s Ͻboabeduru ͻware game from Awukugua. Boabeduru Ahenfie is also the name of his residence in Agona-Asante. Ͻboabeduru was a huge piece of ͻwa re g a m e c a r v e d o u t o f rock. Kͻmfo Anͻkye, with his bare hands, had scooped out the fourteen shallow concave pits for the game in the rock. If the Asanti people found a way to carry the heavy rock game away from Awukugua, relations between the two nations would sour. The game was sometimes locked in a cage to deter those who would seize it. But whenever the Awukugua people caged Ͻboabeduru, people in the town would die in disturbing numbers. It seemed the rock game didn't like to be caged. Yet when it was left uncaged, the Asanti efforts to seize it continued. Did this rock ͻware and Kͻmfo Anͻkye “ belong” to both the Asanti and Awukugua peoples? Did Kͻmfo grow up in Awukugua and later travel to Asanti? Or was it the other way around? Kͻmfo Anͻkye is well known for his role in helping to establish the Asanti kingdom. You may have heard of the Kum seedlings he planted at what would later be called Kumεwu and Kumasi. The tree at Kumεwu died while the one at Kumasi flourished. So Kumasi was chosen as the capital. Some have read intrigue into the narrative. I h e a r d it was the one at Kumasi that died. They say Anͻkye, desiring Kumasi as the capital, sneaked to Kumεwu under the cover of night with the dead plant and exchanged it with the live one there. People saw the withered tree in the morning and said, “Kum εwu,” Kum is dead. The one at Kumasi thrived. The new capital would be built under its shade. It became known as “Kumasi,” meaning “Under the Kum tree.” That's how they say Kumasi, the capital and Kumεmu got their names.

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So the Asanti capital could have been Kumεwu or Kumasi. But could Anͻkye have been from the same people residing in Awukugua and Asanti? You will find the same Akan clans, the Ԑduona, Ԑkuona, Bretuo, Ͻyoko, Asona, Asinie, Asakyiri and Agona in Asantiman and Awukugua. Anͻkye is said to be of the Asinie. The Asinie of Awukugua regard themselves as his children. But it is also said that Anͻkye neither married nor slept with a woman. How then could he have offsprings? I heard they came to him through “visitors”: There are three flowing waters – a stream which the Awukugua people drink from, a river, and a lake. Kͻmfo sent people over to the Asinie Lake one morning. He told them he was expecting some visitors at the lakeside. The visitors – a man and a woman, would be found sitting in a gold basin.” He taught them a particular gesture to greet the visitors with. “Greet them this way and the couple will draw closer to you. You will lead them here to me.” As the story goes, the people went to the lake and returned with the visitors. Anͻkye blessed the visitors in matrimony. The couple arrived with their own food; they didn't e at what thei r hos ts offered. The visitors gave birth to two children, Asarebea and Mεnubea, who settled in the big town, Akropͻn, near Awukugua. Where did he grow up? Who were his parents? How and why was he named Anͻkye? You may have heard somewhere that his mother was a great-granddaughter of the original Ancient Asinie Ancestress, Amoa Gyata of Bonabom. They say her name was Maame Dwirawere Kwa. Some say his father was Owura Kyei Bere. Others say Adu Pim of Adansi Abankεseε w a s h i s f a t h e r . Ye t o thers mention Kyei Pεtuo from Adansi. I was told Dwirawere Kwa was from Awukugua. Some say her name was Kobe; or that she was the very vocal Mεnubea, wife of Papa Anͻ of Awukugua. Is Anͻ another way of saying “Ano,” the limit, the edge, the mouth, in Akan and in Guan? Anͻkye certainly pushed the outer limits of possibility. “Ano” in Asanti also means “ power.” Another story tries to explain how he got his name, Anͻkye: He was born with a nufa, a cut of chalk, in his clenched fist. He opened his tiny fist to show the nufa only when he wanted to. And when he did, the women attending to him would call out to his papa, “Anͻ, kye!” That’s “Anͻ, see” in Guan. They said it whenever something extra-ordinary happened with him. That, they say, is how the name came about. I also heard “Anͻkye” was the name of a shrine he frequented. As a child he would be dressed in that shrine’s cotton tunic during festivals. Some say he was born on a Wednesday, that his name was Kwεku. Some people have referred to him as Kwame. Kwame Adjei Frεmpͻn Manso Anͻkye.

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Some also say Anͻkye wasn’t born of humans. I was told t h a t t h e i n f a n t Kͻmfo Anͻkye came out of the Akwapim hills one day and walked into Papa Ano’s household. Papa Anͻ welcomed him and became his father. In Awukugua, people point to his early works there as well as the house where he grew up. So what about these stories saying Anͻkye was from Asanti? And if it matters to us, did it really matter much to him? The keeper of Anͻkye's estate spoke about the seven areas in Awukugua. Papa Anͻ’s house borders two adjacent areas known as Anͻkye’s area. It’s called Anͻkye Ayimpεde. An area populated by Asinie households. He said, “When you visit Adukrom, ask for the Agyakεde people. They too are known as the Asinie children of Anͻkye. They might point you to the Asinie of Akropͻn.” The Awukugua people aren't very surprised to hear that Anͻkye lived among the Asinie people in Asanti. A reddish, dark brown stone with tiny holes sits in front of Papa Anͻ’s residence. What’s the story behind the stone? Anͻkye attracted a lot of opposition. Certain characters would show up at his home ostensibly to witness Kͻmfo Anͻkye’s feats. Their intention would be to test or attempt to disrupt his work. Anͻkye fixed that stone right at the entrance to spiritually protect the house. It filters out evil intentions of disrupters before they walk into the house. It guards the house. You enter the house by walking in through the gateless entrance facing the courtyard. First you take off your sandals, leave your footwear at the entrance and walk in barefooted – a customary sign of respect. Not even Kings and Queens are permitted to walk into the house Anͻkye grew up in with their sandals on. The courtyard is framed by four buildings joined at perpendicular angles, forming a square. I was told the building to your left as you enter is where he was born. It makes you wonder whether he really suddenly appeared from the hills. Directly facing the entrance, across the courtyard to the right side, is a doorless room. A number of wooden stools stand on cured animal skins in the corner. Important meetings of elders and mystics are held here. Tiny geometric patterns decorate the stools. They look like the patterns on similar stools in Asanti. In an open space on the floor of the courtyard a medicinal plant shoots towards the ceiling. Some pots used for mixing and cooking healing herbs and other rituals lay on their sides nearby. What about the empty space in the courtyard? They say Anͻkye instructed, and so it is, that no one places any item in that empty space. Not far from the house, Ͻboabeduru, the rock ͻware game, stands. It is made of two huge stones, one “stuck” on top of the other. The one

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underneath is the original with its fourteen holes and pebbles of gold. Sometimes when people come and express their doubt about the story, someone rocks the stone and witnesses hear the pebbles moving inside. The rock stuck on top has seven holes representing the seven Adadifo, Awukgua’s governing elders. One side of the piece appeared flattened. People say it was flattened when Anͻkye pressed his chest against it as he carried it to this spot to seal off the lower piece with gold pebbles from thieves. At the bottom corner, intruders, having heard of those gold pebbles, have chiseled away at in futile attempts to reach for the precious stones inside. Awukugua sites have other sights to show. A short distance from Ͻboabeduru stands the tall, upside-down palm tree Kͻmfo planted. It has grown branches up at the top where its roots belong. And footprints, Anͻkye’s footprints, are visible on its trunk. There's also the never-drying lake Kͻmfo caused to flow from the ground. Not even the harshest harmattan dries it up. They say solutions “came to him” in a trance even as a child. Anͻkye was with his parents at the farm. It started to rain. The family took refuge in their farm shed to wait it out. But it kept raining harder and the shed got colder and colder. They made a fire to keep warm, but the water flooded the shed, putting out the fire. They had run out of options. Anͻkye stepped into the rain towards the nearby bushes. Drawn to a particular plant for a solution, he went to it, asked, and was given permission to pluck three leaves. He returned to the shed, handed a leaf each to his parents and kept one for himself. He asked his parents to tuck the leaf in their under-arms, shut their eyes and picture themselves at home. When they opened their eyes, they were home. Here was a child who could walk in the rain without getting wet. They say he pointed his finger at a cruising hawk with a chicken clipped in its beak. The hawk fell from the skies with its prey and the chicken walked free. We are told that a serpent stiffened lifeless when he skipped over it. His performances led some to speculate about where he got his “powers.” One story says late one night people in his household heard Anͻkye’s voice outside. He wanted to come back indoors. He was then still a baby – a baby who regularly left home at night “to go eat.” They say while still a toddler, he jumped and landed with the tip of his toes on top of a flower. There's a story that says the baby Anͻkye could converse in words, and that he could walk soon as he was born. They’ve said he was Obiri Adjei the

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legendary medicine man reborn in new flesh. They’ve also said he was a reincarnated god. Anͻkye the child already had the habit of leaving home for a day or two to listen to the Great Silence in solitude. This time he had been away for three days and his parents was very anxious. His father went out to search for him. His mother imagined that Anͻkye had been hurt, killed by a wild animal or lost his way. Maybe he'd starved to death. How could the child possibly survive in the forest that long without food and water? Three days without food would kill him, she supposed. A hunter returning from the forest came to tell her he had met Anͻkye. Before he could tell the whole story, Anͻkye's mother began to sob. When she was ready to listen, the hunter reminded her that though Anͻkye may be only seven harmattans old, he was a Bεgyina child, one committed specially to Ͻbͻadeε Twediampͻn Nana Nyankopͻn, the Almighty Creator. So Anͻkye wasn’t necessarily subject to the elements. He

told her that Anͻkye looked well when he saw him. He said the boy spoke in great detail about some valued customs of the ancestors and advised the hunter about to avoid falling ill. Anͻkye’s mother was not interested in what he was saying. She wanted her son back home again. She was about to start wailing when they heard footsteps. They held their breaths. It was Anͻkye’s father returning from combing the forests in search of their son. He asked if Anͻkye was back yet. His wife was getting ready to mourn. The child, Anͻkye, entered the room. He was back from listening to the Great Silence. Various stories are told of his physical demise. Was there a plot to cancel out his mission? Was it Sua Anim, Kͻmfo’s designated heir who instigated it? Someone mentioned a certain Duku Pim. Someone said it was an asthma attack. Some say he was unable to recover from an episode of epileptic fits, convulsions. It’s also been said that the bone of a forbidden fish in his meal fatally pierced his throat. There's also a story that he slept with a queenmother who was not his wife. As he'd broken his taboo, he became vulnerable to death. Or was it the young woman who wept upon entering his bedroom and finding him motionless when Kͻmfo had told people not to mourn as he was on a mission to find the cure to death? Absorbing and processing the kaleidoscope of contrasting narratives can be dizzying. We still have some solid ground to work with when we consider what is known about historical events and figures he is associated with. You can’t discuss the work of Kͻmfo Anͻkye without talking about Asantihene O t u m f o ͻ Nana Ͻsεe Tutu or the honorable

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Kontihene Amankwεtia Pεnin. You can’t proceed without discussing other nations Asanti had to interact with. We could start with Denkyira.

Sunglow Kͻmfo was in a trance. He saw a vibrant nation about to become Asanti. Once knotted together, in unity, it would never be subdued. His vision of Asanti contradicted the immediate reality of a fragmented people stressing what divided them. The undue emphases on differences had even made them war against each other. Deep down, the people, a people with a legendary sense of pride, desired unity.

A t t h a t p o i n t , Asanti w a s tormented by the whims of an arrogant neighbor King, Nana Ntim Gyakari, the ruler of Denkyira. This King, oblivious to the fact that Asanti people were his people’s kindred living in another side of the land, subjected the Asanti people to undue humiliations, especially when it came to demanding tributes. But as the saying goes, humiliation never befits an Akan, or any other people. Receiving tributes from conquered lands was common practice. But this was expected to be tempered with a show of genuine respect for the defeated. That particular Denkyirahene, during Akwεsidae, would ask Asanti to send over enough red clay to re-plaster the walls of Denkyira homes. Some say he ordered the Asanti people to provide adequate supplies of plantain fibers to be used for Denkyira women’s menses. The young men and women who took the fiber and clay were forced to clear the weeds growing around Denkyira homes and sweep the floor of Denkyira compounds. The women were raped in the belief that they would bear “better” children by virtue of the rapists’ blood. This was an attempt to ensure that future Asanti rulers would remain loyal to Denkyira, the Mighty Slayer of Elephants. By Kͻmfo Anͻkye's time, Denkyira had expanded into a vast, extremely wealthy empire. The only nations the Denkyira did not target were the prodigious Akyim and the Akwεmu. The Denkyira government had monopoly over the gold in m u c h o f the territories of their conquered neighbors. For rum, guns and ammunition and other European wares the Denkyirahene handed over captured Africans to European slave dealers. His government made a fortune particularly as middleman in the always lucrative gun and gunpowder trade initiated by the Europeans. Needless to say, Denkyira had the best-equipped asafo, army, in the land. Anͻkye and the Asanti leaders decided to rise out of Denkyira shadows and form a new united nation.

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According to one story, the Denkyira were originally of Agona kinship. Like all the peoples i n the west of Africa, w e a r e t o l d they c a m e from a land to the east. Before heading farther south to their present home, they settled first in the Bono area between the valleys of the Ͻda and Ͻffin Rivers. As one of the five of the “Pioneer Akan states” alongside Adansi, Assin, Akyim and Asanti, they were first ruled by the Adansi – the first of the five to establish a formidable nation. According to legend, Nana Twum and Nana Antwi founded Adansi. Then came Kwabena Amεnfi who took up the building of Asantimanso. Amεnfi rulers spoke to the people through linguists. Tables turned when war was provoked between Adansi and Denkyira. It was during the reign of the second Adansihene, Nana Awurade Basa, who, some say, became the first Great King of this ancient Akan nation. Reigning from the capital, Adansimanso, Awurade Basa made his nation very powerful. But he misread the situation and sent an undisciplined son of his, Appia Brεnya, to collect tribute from the Denkyira. While there, the young man started a love affair with a Denkyira woman. He was apprehended and brought before Nana Ͻboakropa, the then Denkyira King. For his punishment, they cut off his beard and handed it to him as the levy for his father. Shorn beard in hand, he returned to Adansimanso and told his side of the story. The wise men of the Adansi Council of Elders were already aware of his philandering. They concluded that losing his beard in such a shameful manner would help him curb his carnal passions. To them, there was no reason to pursue the matter any further. But his father, thinking might is right, chose to “teach” the Denkyira a lesson. Awurade Basa opted for a fight. And it was quite a battle down the confluence of the Ͻda and Ͻffin Rivers. The elders say the Adansi lost; that the Denkyira won because they had a just cause. Besides moral strength, they were better prepared. After crushing their opponents on the battlefield, the Denkyira took the fight into Adansi itself. Adansimanso was destroyed. After the war, the Adansi capital had to be moved to Dompoase, about three miles from the hills. That was how Adansi came under Denkyira rule. With its capital at Abankεseεso in the Ͻda Valley, Denkyira set out to conquer its neighbors and expand in all directions as its wealth and power increased. King after Denkyira king built a stronger kingdom. When it came to the era of Denkyirahene Nana Owusu Bͻre, events took a drastic turn. He complained that the Sεhwihene, Nana Oburum Ankoma the First had failed to support him against the Akwεmu. We’ll come back to the Akwεmu story. Owusu Bͻre invaded gold rich Sεhwi,

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returning to Denkyira with booty of massive loads of gold in barrels. With such access to gold, Owusu Bͻre introduced the solid gold shields and gold hilt swords as part of the palace regalia. After the Twifohene, Nana Atoam Ͻbempͻn Akrofi, passed away Nana Owusu Bͻre demanded the estate of Nana Akrofi’s twin brothers and their three hundred personnel. War broke out with Denkyira when one of the twins, Nana Asiedu Apεnten, refused to comply. The Denkyira set out to fight them by crossing the River Pra. The Twifo removed the invader's floats on the waters, leading to the defeat of the Denkyira in that encounter. Nana Asiedu Apεnten was one of the casualties in that war. Nana Ofosuhene Apεnten succeeded him. Denkyirahene Nana Owusu Bͻre was upset because his original ivory stool got drowned in the war process. He kept up the pressure on the Twifo. So Nana Ofosuhene Apεnten retreated from Twifo Atoam to Aowin. The larger Twifo nation moved around for some time and finally settled in Akyim Kotoku. Nana Owusu Bͻre declared war against Nana Ansa the King of Twifo and asked the Sεhwi king, Nana Ankam the First, for support. Nana Ankam was not interested. Owusu Bͻre went ahead and won against the Twifo. N a n a Ansa had to flee to Asamankεse. Next, the Denkyirahene turned on Nana Ԑbimoro the Paramahene and temporarily subjugated him. Nana Owusu Bͻre, the mighty warrior, conquered the Wassa. It didn’t take too long for Denkyira to cover a large territory from Tano, to Bia to Anum, and all the way south to the coast. The Denkyira Empire included what would become Asanti territory as well. In time, Komfo Anͻkye, Nana Osei Tutu and the kings of Asanti would be tasked with creating, unifying and liberating the new Asanti nation. It was during the reign of Denkyirahene Akafo Ebiaka that Nana Ebiaka instituted a band of specially trained, virgin vocalists whose artistic focus was to sing of the achievements of the Ancients. The king who occupied the stool after him increased the number of fan and fly-whisk bearers in the royal court. He was notorious for his ostentation and frivolity. He set up a harem and placed eunuchs and watchmen about the women. Nana Amoako Atta the First was enstooled after him. He created the twelve pure-gold canes for the linguists and added two gold stools to the regalia he inherited. The reign of Nana Asare, better known as Boampͻnsεm, followed. Ԑlmina, the site of major trade with the seafarers came under Denkyira control. The Europeans paid the Denkyirahene land rent for the Ԑlmina castle. They regarded the Denkyirahene as a valuable business partner. Nana Boampͻnsεm reigned for a long time bringing on greater prosperity to his nation. It was during his reign that a percussive, calabash instrument covered

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with stretched animal skin which sounded “pͻnsεm, pͻnsεm, pͻnsεm” when it was beaten and shaken, was introduced. This, it is said, is how his name Boampͻnsεm came about. His successor, Nana Ntim Gyakari, earned the reputation as a humiliator of conquered nations. This is the regime the Asanti of Nana Ͻsεe Tutu and Kͻmfo Anͻkye's time had to confront. Around that time, an Adansi chief who rebelled against the Denkyira and fled, first to Akwεmu, and then later on to Akyim, founded the Kokobiεnte paramount stool of Akyim Abuakwa in Kyebi. It's been said that while Anͻkye was among the Awukugua people, they too were a nation dominated by a vicious overlord neighbor. Kͻmfo caused a palm tree to grow from the ground by pouring the dregs of palm-wine on a particular spot in Awukugua. The tree grew, bore fruit and was yearly harvested, and shared among the Adadifo. During festivities when revelers ran out of drink, they would send to Anͻkye for more palm-wine. Kͻmfo would then climb the palm tree, bend a branch, which would serve as a pipe, and the intoxicating drink would come flowing downwards into the pots arranged beneath the tree. Even if some people were only interested in satisfying their tongues and senses, refusing to give them the palm-wine would mean letting down a whole town. And in principle, the Adadifo had to be obeyed. It was needed for divination in a time of crisis. Men from the conquering town would climb up p a l m t r e e s and cut mature palm fruits off the trees and order Awukugua men to catch the falling, heavy thorny fruits with their bare hands. The reluctant catchers’ hands would bleed from wounds from the hard prickles of the huge and heavy palm fruits. There was also the story of the pregnant Awukugua woman who was shot in broad daylight at the marketplace by one of their tormentors. An explosion between Awukugua and the “overlords” was bound to erupt. With Anͻkye on their side, the Awukugua people were confident they would defeat the oppressor. He was the one who had walked across a suspended silk string wearing his nkronnua, wooden sandals. The one locked away in a room, yet was able to walk out of the building without opening the door. They say he dashed a hen’s raw egg against a hard rock and the shell wouldn’t crack. We’ve already heard about how he pointed his forefinger at the flying hawk with the chicken in its beak and both birds came falling to the ground. He was known to make bowls of f o o d appear from nowhere. The Adadifo sent for Kͻmfo Anͻkye. Kͻmfo arrived before the seated seven Adadifo. He exchanged greetings with them and listened. The elders wanted to know if the time was right to direct the Asafo, the

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warriors, to pick up arms against the overlords. They wanted to know how Awukugua was faring in the Creator’s “eyes.” At a sacred rocky location at Ayεte, t h e seven ornamented pots had been properly arranged before he got there. Water would gush from the rock into the sacred pots if the Most High was pleased with Awukugua. Anͻkye prayed: After a long wait, an imperceptible trickle became a consistent drip. It became a mellow flow. Then suddenly, a violent gush of water, spouting in a downward curve into the well-placed ceremonial clay pots amidst clapping and cheers. I t w a s t i m e t o c l e a n s e a n d f r e e t h e l a n d . These were the waters they washed the Awukugua ceremonial palm nuts with.

Alone & Never Lonely Kͻmfo Anͻkye headed out to Apεdwa, another town where he he is said to have left his footprint in a rock. An epidemic had hit the town and their king had sent for him to come heal the sick. Anͻkye often traveled similar paths to Apirεde and Adukrom and occasionally to Nyadaw the capital of Akwεmu to heal and counsel. He knew sooner than later, he was going to permanently leave Awukugua for another setting where his ideas would be better received. First, these ideas had to crystallize. He needed time to prepare. After a few days on the road, he arrived at his destination. He stopped at the banks of the choked-with-debris main stream at the outskirts of the town. Women and children fetched water into drinking pots of all sizes and walked away balancing them expertly on their heads. He was well received at the Apεdwa King’s ahenfie, palace. Some say the King “offered” him a woman for his pleasure and for marriage. Kͻmfo didn't seem interested. A banquet w a s h o s t e d i n h i s h o n o r . But he wouldn't eat or drink of the delicacies. Anͻkye sat quietly at the table thinking of the work to be done. Morning came. He strolled to the riverside. Women were washing clothes on the rocks lining the mouth of the gently flowing stream. The waters coursed towards mid-town where people fetched it as drinking water. Some emptied body waste into the waters. He told a group of people that it was the pollution of the water that was causing the sickness. They didn’t like him saying that. To them he was a meddling heartless stranger adding insult to injury. They grabbed him and brought him to the palace. At the palace, the King listened to the charge against Anͻkye, confirmed Kͻmfo’s identity and asked his accusers to leave. But he and his elders were also not happy w i t h Anͻkye’s posture. The King did not hesitate to let his guest know that he was personally offended b y the fact that Kͻmfo didn’t accept the woman he “gave” him the night before. He thought Kͻmfo did not have their best interests at heart. Why would he not taste of the banquet’s delights. How can you be sure of a guest who refuses to wine and dine? How can you trust one who turns down your gifts? But Kͻmfo was there on a mission. He suggested that his host ask the people to stop contaminating the waters. He described methods for purifying it, but the Apεdwahene did not invite Anͻkye for all that. He had already had enough of Anͻkye’s “idiosyncrasies.” The King and elders would have

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felt better if he had blamed it on an enemy town or evil people. They held a brief meeting and quickly decided on what to do. The King o r d e r e d Kͻmfo out of town. Anͻkye was used to rejection. It only strengthened his resolve. He headed back to Awukugua, but not before he cursed that town. Back in Awukugua, the seven Adadifo continued to consult with Anͻkye. But there too, p e o p l e d i d n ' t l i k e the sort of changes Kͻmfo w o u l d suggest. Anͻkye may have been attempting to discourage the wanton chopping down of trees when he banned whole bundles of firewood tied with jute or grass ropes being brought to town from the farm. Of course heating water for a warm bath at that cold elevation up the hills could not be entirely done away with. He permitted only a few lose pieces at a time brought and many did not quite like that. And he would not budge. He also discouraged livestock rearing. Predictably, this affront on ingrained habits resulted in widespread murmuring. He had to consider what people's attachment to the familiar. So he started by tabooing the breeding of goats. This didn’t reduce the grumbling. Most people did not stop visiting him for healing and counseling, but t h e y generally kept their distance from him when they could. This came as no surprise to Kͻmfo, disheartening though it could felt. He had lived close to them in flesh and loved the people deeply. As the bad feelings mounted around him, he yearned to work from a place where he would find influential partners eager for a change, a people more receptive to his ideas. He wouldn’t move to the coast where a new set of values imposed by the Europeans directly buffeted the people, violently changing the cultural landscape. The far-sighted there spent their time strategizing and fighting the seafarers on a daily basis. They could not focus on nation-building. Nor was Anͻkye about to settle in any of the neighboring nations where he was already familiar. He sensed the possibility of new desires taking shape a little farther north. Specifically, Asanti. What brought Anͻkye to Asanti? Here’s one story: There was only one person responsible for serving Anͻkye’s meals – boiled eggs and mashed, cooked yam mixed with palm oil. She was his grandmother. It was her duty to bring the food to the end of the town just before each sunset. One day, she forgot to do so. They say an angry Anͻkye grabbed and killed her for keeping him hungry and waiting. He was arrested and imprisoned. Ͻsεe Tutu, who was then a prince aspiring to the Kwaman Aban Dwa, was on friendly terms with the Awukugua

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Adadifo. He had come to visit. He was taken around places of interest which included w h e r e Kͻ mfo w a s b e i n g h e l d . When Anͻkye, who had not met him before, saw him, he told the prince: “You will be the next Kumasihene and become King of the whole of Asanti.” Ͻsεe Tutu wondered how Anͻkye knew he was vying for the stool. Sensing the potential benefits of Anͻkye’s companionship, he asked that Kͻmfo be released into his custody. The Adadifo agreed and that was how, according to that story, he left Awukugua for Asanti. Have you heard this other one? Anͻkye and his mother left Awukugua because most of the people there were fed up with his presence. Obi Kͻmfo brought his mother with him. First, they lived in Akwεmu. Then they left for Denkyira. Kings of his day courted him. With him on their side, they were sure to hit fresh heights of glory. Now Anͻkye’s mother had an odd coloring on her hands. Denkyira was going through some difficulties. Their priests blamed it on her and executed her. Anͻkye was devastated. He looked forward to the day he could inflict similar pain on the Denkyira rulers. Ͻsεe Tutu lived in the Denkyira ahenfie with the same ambition having observed the ill-treatment of non-Denkyira people. The pair left for Kumasi together with vendetta on their minds. Here's another story: War broke out between Akwapim and Asanti. After major Asanti gains, the Akwapim side unfurled the flag of truce. The Asanti captain refused to recognize it. He wanted a total thrashing of the foe. Kͻmfo Anͻkye who was then in Akwapim had to step in. People say he turned an Akwapim warrior into a young woman selling tiger-nuts in a pan balancing on her head. He sent her into the enemy’s camp. The captain w a s unaware that she was on a mission. He led her into his tent and went to sleep with her. His desires did not end there. He wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. He g a v e her free access to everything in the camp, including battle plans. She carefully studied their strategies and quickly returned to the Akwapim camp with the relevant information. Anͻkye changed her back into a man and formulated a counter-plan against the opponents'. The Akwapim army won the war that followed. But they lived to fight another day. Does that convince us that he was from Akwapim? No, s a y some who insist that h e only went to Akwapim to sharpen his healer and magician skills. The Awukugua people are reputed masters of the science of healing and magic. The prize was Anͻkye himself when war broke out between the two armies again. After trying hard and failing to capture him, the Asanti side planned on an all-out onslaught. Battle casualties were high. It was a Monday. That's why the Monday of the Awukugua Odwira is observed

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as the day they lost Anͻkye to the Asanti. On that day, they do not eat any food. Someone said Anͻkye implored Awukugua not to let him go when he noticed their waning ardor. But they felt overwhelmed and handed him over when the Asanti fighters with their fiercely enchanting war drum sounds descended upon them. According to the story, Anͻkye was not pleased. Deeming it betrayal, he damned the town. Damned in what sense? Anͻkye sometimes damned people who rejected his ideas or didn't take him seriously. This tendency probably drew little attention when he immersed himself in Asanti political life. His curses hold until the accursed leave behind the mindset that led to the infringement. He predicted that the women of a certain town would find it difficult understanding fidelity. Anͻkye said, and it still holds that, until mentalities change, marriages between couples from certain clans would be unstable. He is said to have put up a sign in Awukugua saying the town wouldn’t do very well until a given time. They wouldn’t be able to repay the loans they took, and their women would be unduly domineering. His point was Awukugua would neither rise nor fall. To illustrate, he fixed a bofunna peg to two knives in the ground under a tree. Above the peg and the knives, in midair, he suspended a gong-gong with nothing holding the musical instrument to the tree. The drum defied gravity for centuries, neither rising nor falling. There’s another story, this time, linked to the upside-down palm tree in Awukugua: Anͻkye uprooted a palm tree he had earlier planted to symbolize Awukugua's prosperity. He then dug a hole and planted the tree upside-down. This meant the town would be “turned upside-down.” That’s the tree he climbed with his thick heeled, wooden sandals. The footprints are still visible on that palm tree's trunk. Its roots are up at the apex; the branches are in the ground. He considered the blameless and tempered his curse with a positive. At the r iver bank, he used his heel to dig grips in the slippery rocks to ensure the safety people who walked on it. He sculpted, out of rock, the form of a pair of breasts. Any young women who doubted their fertility because they had small or no breasts could visit that site. There a custodian-healer would perform rituals. Not long after that, she would grow breasts and, in due time, bear children. I heard Kͻ mfo settled briefly in Latε. There, h e healed and counseled. The townsfolk were drawn to his teachings. People brought him gifts as a token of their thankfulness. Farmers brought fruits; hunters brought their kill. Some of the hunters told stories of how a crab who came out to receive their gifts at Anͻkye’s door. This crab would

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crawl back sideways indoors with the meat in its claws. Some local he al e r-p rie sts w e r e u n h a p p y a b o u t t h i s . The upset priests wanted him out of the town. They hatched a scheme to put an end to the show of gratitude. They managed to convince the well-meaning hunters that Anͻkye was evil, deserving no honor. From then, some hunters refused to be friendly with Anͻkye. In response, he warned, “Go along with those priests’ ideas and you will lose your way. You’ll disappear, or be killed by huge, wild cats when you go hunting in the forests.” His words came true. In a short space of time, many hunters were mauled by leopards. Others simply disappeared. This was disturbing. The authorities moved to resolve the matter. In a meeting, the priests persuaded them that Kͻmfo’s presence was the problem. “The people of Awukugua are themselves complaining about this meddler?” They agreed to kick him out. Anͻkye replied with a curse tempered with a positive: “In war, you will deliver devastating blows to your opponents, damaging their legs. But you will lose every single battle.”

Kͻmfo must have been viciously vindictive, some would say. Others may disagree reminding us that he balanced out curses with degrees of blessings. Besides, he is remembered in Agona, not for curses, but for his kindness and tender care. What made some uncomfortable was, Kͻmfo always questioned and attempted to influence situations against what he considered wrong-headed entrenched values. Kͻmfo went beyond healing the unwell. He taught people to prevent disease. He broke hexes and gave free advice to anyone regardless of social status – even when no one had asked his opinion. No doubt, Anokye annoyed many, especially those whose sense of self was built around those practices he questioned. He had gotten himself on the wrong side of many. In such an atmosphere, he left for Akwεmu where his services were needed in the King’s court. They say Kͻmfo met Ͻsεe Tutu in Akwεmu. Maybe you’ve a l s o heard that both Nana Ͻsεe Tutu and Kͻmfo Anͻkye had Asanti mothers and Adansi fathers. They say Owusu Pεnin of Akrokyere was Ͻsεe Tutu’s father. I also heard that Anͻkye, while in his twenties or thirties, was serving as Priest of the Otutu shrine at Berεkuso inside Akwεmu territory. Wasn’t the Otutu shrine at Awukugua instead? I’ve also been told that it was in Asanti. Speaking of shrines, Nana Obiri Yεboa the then Kwaman king needed an heir to his throne. He looked up to his niece to bear a man-child. But from all indications, she was infertile. Obiri Yεboa lived in Kokofu, the seat of government. According to the story, he heard about Kͻmfo Anͻkye and sent the woman to him

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for treatment. She returned and bore a son. He was named Ͻsεe Tutu after the Otutu shrine. Ͻsεe, name of the Boso-muro ntorͻn – spirit male-child. Now back to Anͻkye in Akwεmu. I was told Anͻkye was still in Akwεmu when Ͻsεe Tutu, now an adult, came there. Royals of conquered nations were sent to serve in the overlords’ courts. Bεrima Ͻsεe Tutu had been living and studying in the Denkyirahene’s court. It was an opportunity for the prince to come to terms with the relative sophistication of the Denkyira government. Nana Obiri Yεboa willingly let the youthful Ͻsεe Tutu go. He knew his nephew could be harmed in a power struggle if he, the king, suddenly passed on. But Ͻsεe Tutu's stay came to an abrupt end when he made a Denkyira princess pregnant. She advised him to flee. Was that when Ͻsεe Tutu surfaced in Akwεmu? First, he returned to Asanti. But Obiri Yεboa knew the Denkyiras would come after his nephew. He asked the prince to leave for the Akwεmuhene Ansa Sasrεku’s court. Nana Sasrεku was a loyal friend. He liked Bεrima Ͻsεe Tutu. But Ͻsεe Tutu wasn't in Akwεmu just to seek refuge. Nana Obiri Yεboa was still alive. Yet factions in Kwaman were already sparking up a power struggle. Ͻsεe Tutu, the heir apparent, who had spotted Kͻmfo Anͻkye’s genius, needed his help to outdo the competition. When he arrived, Kͻmfo was in detention for challenging the Akwεmu authorities. The Asanti prince pleaded for Anͻkye to be released into his custody. Some wondered why Ͻsεe Tutu wanted this unorthodox Kͻmfo in his company. “He may be unorthodox,” Ͻsεe Tutu explained. “But please, I need him with me on my journey.” His hosts yielded. There's yet a different story: After Bεrima Ͻsεe Tutu escaped from Denkyira, he went directly to Akwεmu. There he met Anͻkye. He received word that Nana Obiri Yεboa was preparing to go to war with the Dͻmaa. Dͻmaa was a major thorn in the side of Kwaman. Ͻsεe Tutu wanted to go and join his uncle in battle. He asked and got Kͻmfo’s advice: “Your battles to come are many, Bεrima Ͻsεe. And this isn’t one of them.” Ͻsεe stayed. They say a delegation led by Antoahene Sarkodeε Datε Bͻmmͻfo and the Akyeamehene arrived with a message for Ͻsεe Tutu: The Dͻmaa people have moved from Suntrεso to Abesim under pressure from Nana Obiri Yεboa and the Kwaman army. But the war is lost, and Kwamanhene Obiri Yεboa rests with the ancestors. They invited Ͻsεe Tutu, to come along and continue his uncle’s work. First, he needed to possess the vacant government seat, the Aban Dwa stool. He already had the Kwaman people's support. Anͻkye gave Ͻsεe the go-ahead; Ansa Sasrεku gave

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his blessings. Overtaken by his affection for Ͻsεe Tutu, he ordered three hundred of his Anum warriors to escort the Asanti prince to Kwaman and remain loyal to him. He gave them seventy-seven guns for the mission. Anum had fallen to the Akwεmu and the Akwεmuhene kept the very best of these fighters in the Akwεmu asafo. The Anum warriors were perhaps the most formidable warriors in Akwεmu territory. Not long after they eft, Anͻkye requested, was granted audience with the King and said: “Nana. The very best of your best fighters are gone. Your supremacy’s forever gone with Ͻsεe Tutu to Kwaman. He will become the most powerful king in the land.” They say Ansa Sasrεku regretted his decision. Someone had to be the target of his venom. It had to be Kͻmfo. Anͻkye was arrested. There’s a related story about Anͻkye being imprisoned in Akwεmu. Some say after his friend Ͻsεe Tutu had left for Asanti, Kͻmfo Anͻkye was detained because he accidentally shot an Akwεmu prince. When the new Kwaman King returned to thank the Akwεmuhene, he found his future partner a prisoner. He asked and Anͻkye was freed. I’ve also heard that after Bεrima Ͻsεe Tutu left, Anͻkye was part of the contingent of well-wishers from Akwεmu who followed up to Kwaman. An elder also told me Kͻmfo went along in the company of Ͻsεe Tutu and the Anum warriors. He said the prince came down with small-pox on the journey, and the priest cured him. There is yet another version that Kͻmfo, in his own time, left Awukugua, traveled to Apεdwa and to Akwεsiho Kwεhu and then to Asanti. Someone else told me that when Anͻkye was a child, he left the comfort of his home and embarked on a quest for knowledge in all corners of the open country. During these travels, said the elder, Obi Kͻmfo met Ͻsεe Tutu, for the first time, around Akokͻfe near the royal capital Kokofu. Someone else said for chastising Nana Ansa Sasrεku, they bound Anͻkye and drowned him in a deep river. Days later they heard that he was still alive and working in Awukugua. They thought it wasn't true. But eye-witnesses kept confirming that Anͻkye was indeed back in Awukugua. Nana Sasrεku sent soldiers to rearrest him. They returned with Kͻmfo Anͻkye to Akwεmu. Anͻkye was a prisoner to be executed. “If you want him back alive,” his captors declared, “present us with seven able-bodied men.” They kept him locked in a hollowed-out log awaiting execution or ransom. It was then that the new Kwamanhene Ͻsεe Tutu intervened on his behalf and left with Kͻmfo. There is still this other story I heard in Awukugua: Ͻsεe Tutu, who knew about Anͻkye, had come there asking the Adadifo to allow Anͻkye to

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accompany him back to Kwaman to help him in his bid for the stool. Anͻkye was not contacted for his opinion. The Adadifo were in a bit of a hurry to see Kͻmfo leave. They sent for him and simply ordered him to leave with Ͻsεe Tutu. He felt betrayed. Anͻkye walked out on them. He went to Ͻboabeduru, the ͻware game he created by sculpting holes with his hand in the huge block of stone. A game to be played with gold pebbles he conjured from thin air. On Fridays people took a day off from farming to give the soil of the land some rest. The elders of the town would sit around Ͻboabeduru and play ͻware. Now he was on his way out into exile. Anͻkye lifted another rock of about the same size, placed it on top of the rock ͻware game, and he sealed it. No one could play ͻware there any longer. He said, “I’ll leave a sign here that says once upon a time, these seven Adadifo plotted against me. Again, with his hand, he scooped seven holes in the top rock. Each hole represented one of his “betrayers.” You may have heard that the Aburi king who came to plead with the Akwεmuhene for Anͻkye’s release because the Awukugua people could not find the surety of seven men. You may have also heard that Ͻsεe Tutu, who knew Kͻmfo, had already recommended him to the Kwaman Council of Elders, who subsequently sent him a royal invitation while he was in Akwapim. Another variation says he had left Awukugua years before, and for some reason was in detention in Krachi when Kwaman heir apparent Ͻsεe Tutu came to town. According to that one, Anͻkye had p r e v i o u s l y met Ͻsεe Tutu in Denkyira. Kͻmfo worked his magic and escaped with Ͻsεe Tutu to Asanti where the latter would be enstooled. Kwaman was then being governed by Denkyira. Kͻmfo didn't want to live under Denkyira rule. So he would come to Kwaman and leave after short durations. He went up farther north for a while and returned to Asanti after conceiving of a plan to remove the Denkyira yoke. What about the struggle for the Kwaman stool? I was told that Ͻsεe Tutu was away living in Nyadaw in Akwεmu territory. There were two factions yearning to have their choice inherit N a n a Obiri Yεboa’s stool. The Ͻyoko house of Adoma Akosua had their preferred future King; the Agona house, led by Adu Gyεmfi, wanted t h e a b s e n t Ͻsεe Tutu to rule. I thought Ͻsεe Tutu was an Ͻyoko man. Initially, Anͻkye offered to help Adu Gyεmfi but was ignored. Adoma Akosua took Anͻkye in. W h e n h e l a t e r heard of the abilities of Anͻkye, Adu Gyεmfi, through persistence, dissuaded Adoma Akosua from joining with the kͻmfo. She dissociated herself from Anͻkye. Adu Gyεmfi’s men came to force Kͻmfo out of Kwaman. That was when

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Dwabεn's King Akrasi offered Anͻkye a place of residence in Dwabεn. They became close friends. After a while, Anͻkye moved to Obi. Word in Asanti was that he lived in Obi before he finally came to settle among them. People called him Obi Kͻmfo. The stool dispute remained unresolved. Adu Gyεmfi regretted having chased away Anͻkye. He being a skillful negotiator, found a way to settle the stool dispute diplomatically. Adu Gyεmfi sent to Nyadaw for Ͻsεe Tutu. When Ͻsεe Tutu arrived, Anͻkye re-appeared and went to see Nana Akrasi. “Nana Akrasi. I have something important to tell you about the future of Asantiman.” “Speak, my good friend.” “Ͻdomankoma has detailed a special mission for Asanti. The people will unite and become an invincible nation. Your brother, Bεrima Ͻsεe Tutu, will be the rallying force. Kindly bring me to him. I have much to tell him.” Nana Akrasi knew Anͻkye was a serious man with great ideas. He also felt the need for changes in Asanti’s politics. So he set up a meeting between Kͻmfo Anͻkye and Bεrima Ͻsεe Tutu. That’s how, according to that story, the two got together. I heard Anͻkye had to prove himself when he first came to Asanti. They say Ͻsεe Tutu asked him to cure his relative, Akosua Bensua, of barrenness. Kͻmfo did, and she bore a child to the surprise of the doubters. As a reward, says that story, Anͻkye was given a thousand men to go with him and establish Agona-Asanti. Agona already existed before that time, didn’t it? There’s ye t this other story: How he got to Agona was through another test given by the people themselves. When he arrived in Asanti, he was taken to a dark room and interrogated. Two cows were locked in two separate enclosed sheds. Kͻmfo was brought to where the structures stood. “There’s a black cow in one of these huts, and a white one in the other” he was told. “Tell us which of the huts has which cow if you are really who they say you are.” Anͻkye calmly replied, “What you’re calling a white cow is actually a brown one. It’s in this one here, and the black cow is in the other shed over there.” His testers laughed at him, sure of themselves that they had chosen a black and a white cow. To their surprise, their white cow was a c t u a l l y sporting a brown hide when they opened the door. Questions flowed: “Who is this?” “What’s your name again?” ”Where did you say you're from? Agona?” They led him to the then Agonahene who took him in as a citizen. Some of the stories locate his earlier years outside this frame. There are convincing stories saying he was in fact from Benyin in Nzema land. A friend of mine a l s o said Anͻkye was originally from Nokye. He says Kotowbrε was a notorious thief who stole the Nokye people’s

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golden stool in a time of war, and escaped with it to Asanti. According to him, Anͻkye’s new hosts initially called him “Kurͻmfuo a ofi Nokye,” the Thief from Nokye. Then my friend took it further and complicated his narrative. He said the name was actually “Kurͻmfuo n’a yakye no,” the Thief that has been caught. I insisted that “Kͻmfo” in Akan is a priestly title, but my friend was adamant. Back to something else I heard about Kͻmfo’s time in the Denkyira palace: Ͻsεe Tutu was, a t t h a t t i m e , a hostage shield bearer in the King's co u r t w h e r e A s a n t i ro y a l s we re ha rs hl y tre ated . I thought Ͻsεe Tutu was never a hostage himself. I thoug ht Ͻsεe Tutu wa s the re to s t ud y the f in e- a rt an d s c ie nce o f g o v e rnm en t . No he was being held there against his will. Ͻsεe Tutu and Anͻkye shared the same desire to be free from the Denkyira dominion. That’s how they came to join forces for the mission. Another story I heard in Asanti repeats that Anͻkye arrived in Asanti with Ͻsεe Tutu from Akwεmu. When strangers arrive in any nation, they first go among the people of their respective clans. One story says Anͻkye was an Asinie man. He came to Agona where his mother’s distant relatives lived. He liked the place, so he remained there. Does this mean he was born in Asanti, and not Awukugua? As an ͻkͻmfo who traveled wide, he moved from town to town studying, strengthening and healing people. He went to live in Awukugua. Bu t he wasn’t from there. After some time he returned to Asanti. He was Chief Priest until after the third Agona king’s reign. Then Kͻmfo Anͻkye was enstooled as Agonahene. So Kͻmfo was now in Asanti with Nana Ͻsεe Tutu. How did Asanti people perceive him? What were his personal habits? They say he was a recluse with a long list of taboos. I heard he was very secretive. They say nobody saw him eat. That he didn't like jokes and small-talk. Some preferred Kͻmfo Tuda. Tuda was more accessible. He would casually mingle with the people and sit for a little chat every now and then. But Anͻkye had an edge. He was an ͻkͻmfo of Twediampͻn Nana Nyankopͻn. Anͻkye was a public figure with a private disposition. His focus was on his work. Did he come first to Agona? “No, he first lived in Kwaman. Kumasi-Kwaman,” my friend explained. “There, he took 'power' and gave it to Ͻsεe ‘Tu. They needed a capital for their project. Anͻkye planted Kum-nini, python-killer tree seedlings at Kwaman and Kumεwu. Where the seedlings blossomed, that would become the nation's capital. The

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Kwaman seedling grew into a mighty tree; the one at Kumεwu withered away. The capital was established ‘under the kum-tree’ in that part of Kwaman we now call Kumasi. Later, he moved to Agona.” There's a story that says Anokye planted the kum-nini trees at Kumεwu, Kwaman and Dwabεn to determine which of the three towns would become the capital. Kumasi was strategically located in the fertile valley of Kwaman. Ͻpimsoͻ Nana Ͻsεe Tutu's ahenfie was named “Mεnhyia,” Where the nation meets. W ha t about Anͻkye’s roofless house in Agona? “Where he slept wasn’t exactly roofless. It was where he worked, the courtyard that had no roof. He could tell the pouring rain not to come into that part of the building.” An elder said to me, “When Kͻmfo Anͻkye arrived in Asanti he said he was going to help 'Sεe ‘Tu fight and win a liberation war against Denkyira.” The elder said each year, Denkyirahene, sent ambassadors and carriers with a large brass basin to Kwaman. The Asanti kings w e r e e x p e c t e d t o fill the basin with gold nuggets for the Denkyira ruler and people. In addition, Dwabεn would supply firewood. Mampͻn gave mposae. Nsuta sent red clay. Bεkwae provided water. Kwaman offered wives to tend to Denkyira princes. This time when Nana Ntim Gyakari's emissary Nana Amaneε Abεbrεsε arrived, Anͻkye had already advised Ͻsεe Tutu and the kings not to pay. And the leaders had agreed. Nana Abεbrεsε was the Denkyira Afrasohene. He thought the Asanti kings would f i l l the basin. Rather, the kings attacked Abεbrεsε and slew him. That’s why we stress the seriousness of a weighty matter with the proverb: “Where were you when we were beating up Abεbrεsε?” The Denkyira witnesses returned to tell their King of the Asanti insurrection. Ntim Gyakari was furious. “Am I a dead man? How could Ͻsεe Tutu, a Kwaman king, and his people dare to touch my Afrasohene?” He sent for his Chief Priest, Kͻmfo Kyirε. Kͻmfo Kyirε consulted their oracle and predicted war between Denkyira and Asanti. Ntim was confident that Denkyira would win. He trusted in his weapons and wealth. The Denkyirahene ordered his soldiers to prepare for war. The Asanti kings turned to Anͻkye. Kͻmfo said, “We’ll destroy Denkyira’s might. Let's use the coming three years to prepare.” Someone told me while preparing for the war, Kͻmfo traveled to Denkyira. There he transformed himself into a young attractive woman selling pawpaw. Someone saw her and went to tell Nana Ntim Gyakari. The King sent for her and took her to bed. Anͻkye collected his semen in a carefully placed leather pouch. Kͻmfo then returned to Kwaman with the King’s fluids and told Ͻsεe Tutu, “We’ve weakened him.”

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Another elder discussed the lead-up to the war by tracing Ͻsεe Tutu return to Asanti: Ͻsεe Tutu was a young prince living in the Denkyira court of Nana Boampͻnsεm. N a n a Boampͻnsεm had a niece. Ͻsεe Tutu was in love with her. She got pregnant by him though she had already been betrothed since childhood to the Gyaasehene. So she told the Asanti prince, “Ͻsεe ‘Tu, Your head could be in the Ͻbrafuͻ’s hand if you do not escape.” Any royal who travels is given an escort. So when t h e K wa m a n p r i n c e asked the unsuspecting N a n a Boampͻnsεm for permission to travel, he asked a few retainers to accompany him. Ͻsεe Tutu’s attendant, Ahenkwaa Gyεwu, was also asked to leave with him. Ͻsεe Tutu told Ahenkwaa why they were leaving. They walked a great distance. The following morning they met some palm-fruit harvesters at work. The Denkyira palm harvesting chief Nana Sasrεku directed the crew. They knew the Asanti prince. “Bεrima Sεe ‘Tu! Where are you off to?” Sasrεku asked. “I’m running an errand for the King.” Ͻsεe Tutu replied. Sasrεku served him some palm wine. After the drink, the prince whispered to Gyεwu: “This man will go and tell.” So they took Sasrεku’s life. Then they lifted his body onto a heap of harvested palm-nuts and went on their way. Today, the Executioner at the Asantihene’s ahenfie recites: Ͻsεe Tutu He has dispatched Sasrεku And dumped his body On a pile of palm nuts They stopped at a village. That's where Nana Atinka lived. Atinka was Denkyira’s Chief Hunter. He too knew Ͻsεe Tutu. He asked, “Nana. Where are you off to?” Ͻsεe Tutu answered, “The King has sent me on a mission to Asanti. Can we find a place to rest for the night?” Atinka invited them into his home. He asked his wife Sεkyiwa to serve his guests a meal. After dining together, the visitors rested for a while. Ͻsεe Tutu’s eyes fell on a gun leaning against the Chief Hunter’s wall. He asked, “Can I try my hands?” Atinka was surprised: “Ei, Nana. Have you ever fired a musket?” The prince said he had. Nana Atinka passed the weapon to him. Ͻsεe Tutu fired a shot into his host’s chest. So you hear the Ͻ brafo, the Executioner, say:

Ͻsεe Tutu You have fired a shot at a gun, And smashed that gun, You have fired a shot at Atinka

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Atinka’s wife was resting after a long day. Ͻsεe Tutu called out, “Sεkyiwa! Get up. Let’s go!” She left with them. They got to the Adansi road. They met an old friend, Safi. Ͻsεe Tutu trusted him: “O Safi, we meet again!” Safi asked where the prince was going. “I’m in trouble. I'm escaping.” Safi joined them. Together they journeyed to Akwεmu. The Akwεmuhene was happy to welcome them. That was when Anͻkye met Ͻsεe Tutu. They lived in Akwεmu till they heard Nana Obiri Yεboa Mεnu had gone to war against Dͻmaa, and excuse me to say, had gotten stuck somewhere. The elders sent to Akwεmu for Ͻsεe Tutu. Ͻsεe Tutu said to Anͻkye, “Kͻmfo, it’s time to leave!” That’s when they came to Asanti. He didn’t know Anͻkye before they met in Akwεmu? He’d heard about Anͻkye but he hadn’t met him personally. They came together to Asanti. Ͻsεe Tutu was enstooled. They organized and triumphed against Dͻmaa. The Denkyirahene sent for the tribute. They refused to pay. After striking at Abεbrεsε, Ͻsεe Tutu, Anͻkye and the kings knew it was time to defeat the Slayer of Elephants.

Pure Sure

If unity looked impossible, Kͻmfo Anͻkye welcomed the opportunity to create it. Working with Asanti King, Ͻsεe Tutu would be priceless. The people needed a symbol of unity. They had to institute the understanding that they were one. Kͻmfo decided to travel around the Asanti towns. He would study the people’s feelings and prepare them for their new nation. Most Asanti people had not yet seen him. Anͻkye mingled without drawing much attention to himself. Th e p e o p l e g e n e r a l l y desired unity. B u t each wondered if their neighbors r e a l l y wanted it too. The obsession with micro-sovereignty had created mistrust. Kͻmfo was well-received in certain places. Sometimes people were indifferent. In some places, he was treated badly. He blessed or cursed accordingly. They say the Asεndua people didn't take Kͻmfo very seriously. Anͻkye said they would rarely build new houses. Ntonsu is said to have suffered from his curse because they publicly humiliated him for soiling a beam at a public place of convenience. “The people of this town will quarrel each time they decide to build more public places of convenience.” The Ntonsu people regretted this and performed purificatory rites. When the Apaa people of Aboasu rejected him, he told them they would lack the drive for excellence. He said traders of Fumesua would not be very successful because the townsfolk rejected his ideas. Praase at Atebubu was where he “boiled a stone.” He told them the territory wouldn't expand though the people would live long. On his way from Kintampo, he stopped at Kwaberε Soεdru and asked for a drink of water. They turned him down. He wove a rope around the town saying: “This town will not expand beyond w h e r e this rope lies.” I h e a r d t h e Kwaberε Bomfa people also denied him drinking water. They t o o g o t d a m n e d . Here's a story about the tour's friendlier side: At Asanti Effiduase, he met Abranteε Baabu, a weaver with a pleasant demeanor. Abranteε Baabu was very, very advanced in age. And he was overly fastidious. He was busy at work when Anͻkye came. Baabu made time for Kͻmfo. He liked the Asanti unity-message. He took his guest home and refreshed him with a d r i n k o f water and food. Anͻkye b l e s s e d Baabu with a happy and fruitful life. You can only die three

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days after the cloth you are done weaving is done.” Kͻmfo said of the fabric in the loom. Baabu, with his zest for life and keen eye for detail, became ever more meticulous from that day on. For yea rs , he would come to the loom, pass the shuttle through the silks fo r a few strokes, step away and return another day. This went on years. Abranteε Baabu lived to see many more decades. After the tour, Kͻmfo Anͻkye and Nana Ͻsεe Tutu noted that though the general desire for greater unity was strong, people’s feelings for their home state was stronger than what they had for an unseen new united nation. The Dͻmaa, Amakom and Tafo seemed especially content with the status quo. Uniting the nation through war wasn't a desirable option. It could cause more unnecessary fighting. The people needed convincing. A unity code by which they'd rally around the same roots was crucial. If it is about origins, it all started with the first Ͻyoko Ancestress, Nana Anͻkyewaa Nyame. She first settled in Asantimanso when she descended to Earth by a gold chain from the Sky. Asantimanso was then located at the northern-most edge of the Amansie and Adansi districts. It stretched up to the western edge of Lake Bosomtwe. And out of ‘Santemanso came the Ͻyoko, Bretuo, Aduana, Asona and Asinie clans. Obaahemaa Asiama Nyankopͻn Guahyia who descended b y a s il ve r chain from Sky at Ahensan is the Bretuo Mother Ancestress. Still on the genesis: Amoa Gyata Berewa Mmosu is the first Mother of the Asinie. She stepped into this world from a rock at Bonabom in Adansi. You may have heard that Kͻmfo Anͻkye’s mother, Dwirawere Kwa of Asinie, was the daughter of Adutwumwaa and Twumεsi Ampͻnsεm. Adutwumwaa’s mother was Dufie Gyampͻntimaa whose mother was Amoa Gyata. Their descendants established Amansie and Adansi. Amansie means “building the nation.” It was located around Lake Bosomtwe in the deep cup of the Kwisa hills between the Upper Ͻda and Anum Rivers in Asanti heartland. A few permanent streams flow into Lake Bosomtwe. None leaves it. Stony torrent beds hug the lakeside. They say the Adansi Ͻyoko settled there. The people of Asantimanso had their home in the Amansie area between Bεkwae and Asumεgya. Three towns – Kyikyiwerε, Bεkwae and Dompoase were the first base of Asanti government. I also heard Asumegya oral traditions say, when the Aduana and the Ͻyoko of Asantimanso appeared on the scene, they already had an Asantihene. Adansi translates as “building houses.” Adansis were the first to build mud-brick houses. The Adansi and Amansie people formed the Asantiman Nnum, the Five States of Asanti – Kokofu, Dwabεn, Bεkwae, Mampͻn and

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Nsuta who once lived farther south in the forest belt's southern region close to the Denkyira. I heard the Denkyira and Akyim trace their lineage to Adansi ancestors. The Adansi-Amansie modeled their town on Akan towns' seventy-seven streets prototype. The peoples of the Adansi state, founded by Oppͻn Anim and Amansie are basically of one family, speaking the same sub-dialects and sharing the same customs. The Adansi-Amansie people moved northwards. The Dͻmaa, Amakom, Atwima, Kwabere and Tafo had already settled nearby. It didn’t take very much convincing to have them welcome their new neighbors. The new arrivals cleared the forests some more and set up new towns. They farmed. They built. The towns of Amakom, Dͻmaa, Kwaman, Kenyaase, Asokͻre, Ԑdwiso, Dwabεn, Mampͻn, Nsuta, Ͻffin, Tafo, Agona, Kontenase, Brokrom, Kokofu and Bεkwae developed into new states. The rulers of Denkyira, Akyim and Akwεmu, the emerging military states, wouldn’t attack each other. But they were subjugating smaller nations. Asanti Ancestresses are either from Adansi or Amansie. Amansie, situated around Lake Bosomtwe between the Anum River and Upper Ͻda River, was settled by the Adansi Ͻyoko clan who founded ‘Santemanso the first home of Asanti in Amansie. The towns of the Adansi district are Ahwiren, Amoεgya, Dεnyaase, Adankrεnya, Pompͻn, Adεnso, Adumai, Adwampͻn, Amoafo, Dwabεnman and Asumεgya-Asantemanso. As said earlier, the seat of the Asantimanso government was in the Bεkwae, Dompoase and Kyikyiwerε area. Nana Twum and Nana Antwi were the co-founders of Asantimanso and and co-leaders of the Ͻyoko clan. Berempͻmaa Piesie, the first-born of Ͻbrempͻn, the Great One, who was a daughter of Anͻkyewaa Nyame of Asantemanso gave birth to eight daughters and three sons. Kyeremaa was one of her daughters. Berempomaa Piesie urged her children to spread out and settle where they could. Kyeremaa grew up and had two sons Kwabena Amεnfi and Oti Akεntεn. This was during the reign of Awurade Basa the first King of Adansi. Nana Awurade Basa succeeded Nana Twum and Nana Antwi. The first wave of Gyaaman settlers had started moving westwards out of the land. Nana Adu Bini, then King of Dͻmaa, left their homeland and migrated westward with his people. In Awurade Basa’s time, the Adansi nation prospered remarkably. But the Asanti peoples were not prepared for a major war. The Denkyira attacked and overpowered them. Adansihene Nana Kwabena Amεnfi, who reigned after Awurade Basa, inherited a stool under Denkyira rule. His stool was

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at Asumεgya-‘Santemanso near Lake Bosomtwe. Nana Amεnfi moved to Kokofu, which had remarkably fertile farmland and more uninhabited land. He and his people were well received by Owura Koko, owner of the farmland. They settled down and increased in number. But the space they occupied wasn’t large enough. Nana Amεnfi decided to move again and find a more suitable place. Nana Kwabena Amεnfi joined the ancestors before they could properly settle elsewhere. His younger brother Oti Akεntεn was enstooled in his place. The lyricist says in honor of Oti Akεntεn: In the Beginning Nana Nyame created the Earth and the Drummer And the Drummer Was Discovered by Oti Akεntεn The Queenmother was determined to remain in Kokofu though she received information that there was fertile land a little farther northward at Kwaman. Nana Oti Akεntεn preferred to move to the new location. She gave him her blessings. Akεntεn set out with his people towards Kwaman. They reached Kwadane and wanted to settle there. The king there was against the idea. They defeated the Kwadane asafo and took Daredoso. They stationed some warriors to hold that territory while they continued to Kwaman. Abokrompi of Asaaman reportedly “discovered” Lake Bosomtwe around that time. The Asεnsu, Kontenase, and Asaaman fished the waters. They also settled their war captives there. King Ampao of Akyim soon laid claim to the lake. He ordered the settlers to leave. They say he captured and executed Abokrompi and his wife. The Asaaman, Asεnsu and Ahwiren joined forces and took the Akyim on in battle. They found out that the Akyim were not easy opponents. I heard they consulted with Kͻmfo Anͻkye. Wait a second. Wasn't that way before Ͻsεe Tutu's time? The answer I got was Anͻkye worked there around that time. He asked each of the leaders to dress a son in nkwaro, a woven fabric. “Arm them with short pistols and set them on the path of the advancing Akyim warriors. They'll defend themselves till they are slain.” The encounter, they say, took place on the side of a mountain near Anamrεku, close to a huge odum tree. It lasted for three days. Nana Ampao was slain. So was his Gyaasehene, Nana Ntorikoko. The dispute was over. The lake was divided among the Asaaman, Asansu and Ahwiren kings. Nana Oti Akεntεn led his people onward to Kwaman. The neighboring kings were uneasy about the new arrivals’ presence. The Amansie people wanted to move to Daredoso. The neighboring rulers asked the

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Amansie to first seek permission f r om Nana Kwεku Dompo of Tafo. Oti Akεntεn’s journey to Kwaman continued. The people of Amεnfi, the nation’s home, joined him. They met the Dͻmaa who were not very welcoming. Led by Koli Batafo, they battled against Oti Akεntεn. That was the First Dͻmaa War. The Dͻmaa asafo was overpowered and driven southwards to Ohwim. Some Dͻmaa people migrated to find another place to settle. The Dͻmaa people who stayed were generally more accepting of the Adansi-Amεnfi arrival at Kwaman. Nana Kusi of Dͻmaa, Nana Kwεku Dompo of Tafo, Nana Akosa of Amakom and Nana Akora of Kaase shared the surrounding territory. T h e y met with N a n a Oti Akεntεn and showed him their boundaries. Adwoa Nkwawiri owned the land of Kwaman. They say she sold the Kwaman land to him for sixty-seven and a half ounces of gold. Others say the custodian that sold Nana Akεntεn the land was Aberewa Yεbetua. Abankεseεso, the Denkyira capital in the Ͻda Valley, was only about fifty-miles away from Bεkwae. This was unsettling to the new Kwaman people and their immediate neighbors living under Denkyira domination. After founding Kwaman, Nana Oti Akεntεn laid a strong, political foundation for future generation. Kwaman earned the respect of the nearby sister states. One story says Denkyirahene Nana Boampͻnsεm asked Nana Akεntεn to send over one of his family members and some palm oil as tribute for settling in Kwaman. The Kwaman king complied. That’s how, they say, Ͻsεe Tutu got to Denkyira. He went there accompanied by Amankwεtia, son of Maame Doku, stool carrier for Ͻsεe Tutu’s mother. Amankwεtia was Ͻsεe Tutu’s stool carrier. They left along with Tuffuͻ his gun-bearer. A conflict of interests sparked war between Kwaman and Dͻmaa. Nana Oti Akεntεn attempted but could not completely defeat the Dͻmaa before he passed on. Nana Obiri Yεboa Mεnu succeeded him and continued building the nation. He also had to finish the war with Dͻmaa. Obiri Yεboa was the one who arranged to have the Amansie kings settle in Kwaman after diplomatically negotiating the terms with Nana Dͻmpo of Tafo. Kwaman was near Dεnkyεmanso, near Amakom. During Oti Akεntεn’s reign, Bͻfoͻ Nyame, his Chief Hunter, came across a kum-nini tree with a cozy shade and a massive buttress. It became a central spot under whose shade people came to catch some cool breeze. According to that story, Nana Obiri Yεboa founded Kumasi under the kum tree and named it the capital of Kwaman. Soon afterwards, the Ͻyoko leaders of Ԑkoͻna – Kagya Pεnin of Mampͻnten, Kwaw Pεnin of Faobawase, Dua Bodεe of Kenyaase,

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Nyama of Suman and Antwi of Sawua – arrived and set up their towns around the area now called Kumasi. Next, the Adansi chiefs moved into that same area. Living so tightly knit together they were a formidable frontier. The Pεnyinasehene, Nana Adakwa Yiadͻm also moved in and settled near Boama Kokoboate. There, he founded Dwabεn. The next wave of settlers formed the Nsuta, Mampͻn and Kumεwu states. Bεkwae for one didn’t need to move from their original home on the Ͻffin River to stay close to her kindred. It seemed Asantimanso had been deserted. Their neighbors debated consolidating their respective sovereignties or joining the new nation. The Aduana of Kaase would not readily submit to Ͻyoko leadership. Neither would the Asinie of Amakom. The Dͻmaa complained of Kwaman encroachments due to the massive influx of people. Nana Obiri Yεboa was elected War Leader of the new Kwaman nation. He placed his warriors on alert and looked forward to asserting his authority. He had already sent his regent Ͻsεe Tutu to Nana Boampͻnsεm's palace. N a n a Yεboa entertained fond dreams of the prince's return to take over from him. Obiri Yεboa contemplated methods of uniting the people. He had a dream one night, which he narrated to his Chief Priest Kͻmfo Yamoa: “There was this broom. First, it appeared as a broomstick. A hand reached out and picked it between its fingers and broke it to pieces. It looked easy. Then I saw a broom made of a whole bunch of broomsticks. This time, two strong hands held it at both ends and tried to break it but failed.” Chief Priest Yamoa responded, “The point is Unity. Nothing can split us once we are locked together in unity.” The interpretation resonated with the Kwamanhene. The Dͻmaa wanted another war, the Second Dͻmaa War. They wanted to settle the score. I was told Denkyira gave their support to Dͻmaa. Nana Obiri Yεboa rallied his standing army in preparation. While they trained, he introduced a new battalion, the Soεduru, the Medicine Carrier, under the command of Awerε the Palace Servant. They say Obiri Yεboa sent for heir apparent Ͻsεe Tutu who was then living in the Akwεmu palace. Kͻmfo Anͻkye’s take on it was, Kwaman would put up a good fight but would not win this one. Anͻkye cautioned Tutu against going on the battlefield. He would only be there to witness and share in the defeat. Ͻsεe Tutu didn’t go. True to Anͻkye’s prediction, another message from Kwaman arrived: The war had been lost. Nana Dwamena Akεntεn of Ͻffinso, Kͻmfo Yamoa and Nana Obiri Yεboa Mεnu had all been slain. It seemed whoever took the crown was unlikely to prevail against the stronger nations. Kenyaasehene Nana Frεdua Agyeman, like the other eligibles, had turned down the offer to be crowned king. Ͻsεe Tutu, the preferred heir

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chosen by Nana Obiri Yεboa, therefore did not face a lot of opposition. Bεrima Ͻsεe Tutu returned to ascend and defend the Kwaman Stool, the Kwaman Aban Dwa. One story says Nana Ͻsεe Tutu, wearing his unusual crown made of elephant skin, headed for Kwaman in the company of Kͻmfo Anͻkye, Anum Asamoa, the three hundred Anum warriors from Akwεmu. They arrived at a beautiful cascading, seemingly impassable waterfall. Ͻsεe Tutu asked Kͻmfo to lead them across. Kͻmfo could not find a safe route. Anum Asamoa had followed a wild hog to the shallow waters where the animal safely navigated across. It was Asamoa who led his associates to the other side, following the route of the pig. On arrival in Kwaman, the new king, Ͻsεe Tutu, gave the Anum warriors the parcel of land now called “Adum” to settle, under the leadership of Anum Asamoa the first Adumhene. Nnεtibanso at Adum was acquired for Kͻmfo as a work base and place of residence. There was physical closeness and cultural unity among the future united Asanti states, yet it seemed no one wanted to be directed by any king but their own. When it was first proposed, Dwabεn, Nsuta and Bεkwae accepted the unity concept. The union was made up of the Ͻyoko people in Mampͻn; Ͻffinso and Ԑdwiso, who are Bretuo and Asona; Amakom, whose people were Asinie. Anͻkye kept trying until he convinced the resourceful Mampͻnhene bring the rest of Mampͻn into the new Kwaman Union.

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Walls of Melody Kͻmfo Anͻkye and Nana Ͻsεe Tutu knew it would take time and the help of the Almighty Creator to fulfill their mission. Anͻkye often retreated into solitude where he could concentrate on the Great Silence for inspiration and energy to accomplish this extra-ordinary task. Meanwhile, he continued healing the unwell. I heard this story: Anͻkye needed a constant flow of water for his work. He had boiled water in a pot for curing patients. Kͻmfo poured the water in the pot onto the coals of fire and prayed to Nana Nyankopͻn to let a river flow right there to serve the people. Out of the ground welled a pool of water. It flowed westwards as its volume increased. It became a full flowing stream and Kͻmfo named it Bosom Kwabena. Denkyirahene Nana Bo-Asanti, Subjugator of Asanti, Boampͻnsεm, who used only the better part of freshly mined gold, heard about Nana Ͻsεe Tutu’s enstoolment. Though he still wanted to integrate Asanti into Denkyira, he sent a delegation that included his most esteemed wives to congratulate him. The entourage arrived with the Amoakwa and Ntakrawobεn horn blowers of Denkyira. They came with their musical instruments to perform. Ͻsεe Tutu gave them a fitting reception. They were impressed. In fact, the hornsmen in particular decided not to return to Denkyira. In line with protocol, Nana Ͻsεe Tutu also sent an entourage, which included some of his wives, to Denkyira. Boampͻnsεm was enthralled by the charm of one of the Asanti women and slept with her before she returned to Kwaman. Ͻsεe Tutu already had a gripe with the Denkyirahene. This further fanned the flames of fury. It made him firmer than ever in his resolve to “shatter the glory” of the Denkyira Empire. Nana Boampͻnsεm knew he had gravely offended Ͻsεe Tutu. He offered hundred marks in gold as compensation, but Nana Ͻsεe Tutu preferred to strike at the Denkyira regime’s existence instead. The Europeans on the coast also heard about the new Kwaman king. They also heard of his “wonder-working confidant.” They sent diplomats to greet the king. Kwamanhene Ͻsεe Tutu, a thoroughbred diplomat himself, knew very well that the Europeans were not about friendship. They were about material things, and not much else. They returned to their fort on the shore speaking glowingly of Nana Ͻsεe Tutu.

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Kͻmfo Anͻkye consulted with Ͻsεe Tutu and invited the Asantiman-Nnum kings for the formal formation of the nucleus of the new Kwaman nation. Kͻmfo said, “ It’s a new time. Burn to ashes and put away the stools you had before the Second Dͻmaa War. We are about to get Dͻmaahene Nana Sikafo Kusi to unite with Kwaman. Things that remind us of the previous Dͻmaa War will have to be erased. The stools were destroyed. New ones were created. War was declared, not only to resolve, on Kwaman’s terms, the border dispute and to add Dͻmaa to the union, but also to wipe the sting of the memory of defeat from the previous encounter. An archetypal leader in this state of war had to be appointed to inspire courage. They elected the stalwart Amankwεtia Pεnin, named him as Head Warrior king, and enstooled him as Kontihene and Bantomahene. One account sheds some light on how Nana Amankwεtia Pεnin became Kontihene: The Kwaman kings were in a meeting at Amoako to decide on a strategy for the next Dͻmaa War. One of the kings asked Kͻmfo Anͻkye if victory was assured. The kings wanted to see a physical sign. Anͻkye turned to Amankwεtia Pεnin, a fearless and principled man whom he admired and respected. Amankwεtia had been loyal to Ͻsεe Tutu ever since he was appointed stool carrier for the then prince. “Nana Amankwεtia Pεnin. You will go to a spot i n Diakͻmfiase. You'll find a leopard there. Capture it and lead it here to us by its paw,” said Anͻkye. Amankwεtia Pεnin did not hesitate. He left immediately for Diakͻmfiase. Some of the kings were uneasy about it. To their relief, Amankwεtia safely re-appeared with the leopard exactly as Anͻkye had detailed. It was brought to Kwamanhene Ͻsεe Tutu. Nana Ͻsεe Tutu beheaded it as a sacrificial offering. The leopard’s spotted skin was sewn into a hat for Amankwεtia. The skull was buried at Toperε Mεnu Nkwanta. Amankwεtia Pεnin was elevated to the rank of Kontihene. He would serve as the Commander of the asafo. I was also told that after Nana Obiri Yεboa Mεnu passed on, his successor, Nana Ͻsεe Tutu had to stick with tradition and “send someone special along” with his granduncle. The kings and elders chose Amankwεtia. Ͻsεe Tutu needed Amankwεtia alive. But he had no authority to overrule the leaders' decision. He prayed for divine intervention. Kontihene Amankwεtia Pεnin’s wrists were crossed behind him and tied together. He was made to lay his neck on the executioner’s slab, ready to be beheaded. Suddenly, Akyeamehene Nana Boεnsi Kofo of Adεnkyεmmanso stepped forward and spoke: “Nana, you know what's best for our nation. However, we need Amankwεtia. The nation needs him.” Ͻsεe Tutu liked what he was

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hearing. The Akyeamehene recounted the selfless service Amankwεtia had offered so far. Ͻsεe Tutu listened as the kings came to agree with Nana Boεnsi Kofo. Ͻsεe Tutu now had solid grounds to free this man whom he loved and revered. Quickly, the Kwamanhene ordered his good friend’s release. One story says Nana Amankwεtia Pεnin did not stop to celebrate this reprieve. He offered to go to war against any of Ͻsεe Tutu’s adversaries and return with fifty or a hundred men for Nana Obiri Yεboa Mεnu’s journey. He was asked to attack the surrounding towns of Brεman, Takwa, Sεpε and Pankrͻno who had withheld their support in the first Dͻmaa War. Amankwεtia faithfully carried out this mission. Amankwεtia and his warriors had always distinguished themselves. Anͻkye advised Ͻsεe Tutu to honor Amankwεtia and his captains. The Kwamanhene consulted with his Council of Elders and named Amankwεtia's captains sub-generals with immediate effect. Nana Amankwεtia was raised to the status of General. Kwaman then turned its attention to tackling Nana Kyerεme Sikafo in a third Dͻmaa War. Preparations progressed. Anͻkye asked Ͻsεe Tutu to have the sword-smiths craft swords for swearing a new oath. The priest handed out the swords to the commanders. There were swords for everyone except Ͻsεe Tutu. Each commander held up his new sword and swore an oath composed by Kͻmfo: I vow on the life of Ͻsεe Tutu I’d have violated this Oath If I don’t do all I can To have Kyerεme Sikafo captured Anͻkye asked Ͻsεe Tutu to offer one of his close young male relatives for this cause. Ͻheneba Sabεn, son of Obiri Yεboa, was brought before Kͻmfo. Anͻkye gave him an elegantly designed shield. Sabεn would bear this shield in battle on behalf of the Kwaman asafo. Anͻkye explained. As long as he kept the front of the shield facing the adversary, Nana Kyerεme Sikafo's Dͻmaa would keep retreating. Anͻkye told him to stay alert and avoid anything that would cause him to forget the instructions. After three years of preparation, the Kwaman fighters set out to war. During seven days of fighting, the Dͻmaa retreated each time a Kwaman assault was launched. Then the Kwaman asafo ran out of food and water. Sabεn was one of the few who had not conditioned his mind for such an eventuality. He thought he was about to die of

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hunger and thirst . At his wit’s end, Sabεn wandered off. He met a seller with a pot on her head. He asked if she had water in her pot. She said it was palm-wine. “I am Oheneba Sabεn, son of Nana Obiri Yεboa,” he announced. “We are the ones fighting the Dͻmaa on the battlefield. Can I have a drink?” She handed him a calabash and filled it for him. He drank the palm-wine, handed back the emptied calabash back, and hurried back to the battlefront. Sabεn was tipsy. His shield fell from his hand. He picked it up. It dropped again. To the Kwaman army’s surprise, the Dͻmaa were no longer retreating. Rather they came charging at the Kwaman fighters. It was the Kwaman who had to quickly retreat from the battlefield this time. “You said this one was ours to win! Didn't you?” a baffled commander asked Anͻkye. “It’s not over,” Kͻmfo replied. Warriors were questioned. Sabεn admitted that overtaken by thirst, he forgot the taboo and sipped a bit of fresh palm-wine. “We’ll call off this fight and start all over again,” Kͻmfo declared. To re-start, Kͻmfo told the soldiers to remove all thoughts that reminded them of defeat. The commanders would have to drown their oath-swords in the Awomfena stream. Holding up newly minted swords, the Warriors’ Oath was taken afresh. “What do we do with Sabεn?” someone wanted to know. “He’ll go with us again to the battlefield,” said Anͻkye. “But he won’t return.” The war horn blowers blew, “Sabεn will be slain in battle.” The stakes shifted in Kwaman’s favor. And the Dͻmaa were overcome at Abεsin. Sabεn was cut down during the exchanges before the Dͻmaa retreated. In the previous war, Nana Obiri Yεboa had driven the Dͻmaa to Abεsin from Suntrεso. It seemed fitting that Nana Ͻsεe Tutu’s asafo would deliver a crashing blow there. The decisive battle was at Toperε Mεnu Nkwanta – where the leopard skull was buried. Dͻmaa Adͻntenhene Nana Akyerekokogyan was slain. The Anͻkye ordered that Dͻmaahene Nana Kyerεme Sikafo's life be spared. Nana Sikafo was only defending the sovereignty and heritage of his people. Anything less would have made him a traitor. Preserving the Dͻmaa leader’s dignity, Kͻmfo Anͻkye appointed N a n a Sikafo as Ͻsεe Tutu’s soul- washer. The Dͻmaahene was presented with a gold plate to be worn around his neck as a badge of his high office. The honor accorded to Sikafo was to serve as a model for treating nations the Asanti vanquished. Kings who surrendered would, in principle, be treated with honor. Their people would be integrated into the new nation.

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Nana Kyerεme Sikafo joined the ancestors. Dͻmaa Kusi, his nephew, became ruler. Kusi attempted a rebellion against Kwaman. He was defeated, but his life was spared according to the edicts of Kͻmfo Anͻkye. Nana Dͻmaa Kusi was sent to live at the shrine Anͻkye had built for the worship of the Creator, Ͻbͻadeε at Asokͻre Mampͻn. The troubles with Dͻmaa had been settled for the moment. Dͻmaa people who fled Suntrεso because of the defeat formed the Gyaaman state. Mampͻnhene Nana Boahen Anεntuo visited Kͻmfo. Nana Anεntuo came with Saka his sister. He, like Saka, desired to have a son who would inherit the Mampͻn stool. Other medicine men had tried to help and concluded that she would never give birth. But Boahen Anεntuo needed an heir. He needed Anͻkye’s help. She had to be cleansed off any barrenness. “Do this for yourself. Go to the banks of the Ͻda River. Fetch some of the sand there. Take it home to your bedroom where you will spend the next seven days alone. Sprinkle the sand on your mat and lay on it until the seven days are over. Let no one into the room. Eat no food. A void distracting thoughts. Spend all your time feeling within your soul the boy you want to give birth to. Pray and Give Thanks with sincerity for him as often as possible.” Saka did as she was told. Nine moons went by. She had the son she had been praying for. He was named Amεniampͻn after his great-grandfather. Some called him the son of the Ͻda River when they heard the story. Maame Saka, with her baby in her arms, in the company of her uncle, w e n t t o t h a n k Kͻmfo Anͻkye.

To Build I was told that Anͻkye planted a plantain seedling at Apimso. Spectators watched it spring upwards, become a tree, and bear fruit that ripened and was harvested all on the same day. In the same town, he rooted a musket by the tip of its barrel in the ground and laid a cowbell beside it. This gun and cowbell could vanish and reappear from time to time.

They say it was after the Third Dͻmaa War that Anͻkye called a meeting with the Kwaman kings at Dwabrεm in Kumasi to present a national constitution. I was told Kͻmfo threw up his fly-whisk, caught it and handed it to Nsumankwahene Nana Asabrε who was responsible for libations. That was when Anͻkye gave Nana Asabrε the state key to be handed back to him during major ceremonies. He addressed the gathering as if they already had a unifying symbol, a federation, and were being led by a figurehead. Anͻkye pronounced some laws:

The Asantihene’s Stool should not be duplicated. Any king who consults an oracle without focusing on the Twediampͻn Nana Nyankopͻn, is unfit to rule. He will be destooled. The Asantihene can create and degrade posts. He is the final arbiter in disputes, but can only make laws in consultation with his counselors whose posts are hereditary. The Abrεmpͻn, The Great Council of Kings, is the Government. The King of kings cannot create or modify a law without their consent. He must comply with their majority decisions. Dwabεn, which is like a twin sister to Kwaman, will have her king and the Mampͻnhene serve as Heads of Government. Mampͻnhene is in a unique position as he belongs to the only neutral clan – Bretuo. Their linguists will speak at government meetings. The Ͻkyeame, Chief Linguist, wields extra-ordinary power. His duty is to state both sides of cases and of verbalize verdicts. He is the mouthpiece of the King, and serves also as counselor, crown protector, counsel for defense and judge. Those in authority will be properly addressed as a matter of protocol. A king who conspires or rebels against the King will lose his life. A king who is found to have embezzled the wealth of his people will immediately refund what he took and be unseated from his stool.

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Unless there is reasonable justification that should warrant a fine, refusal to attend to the King’s call will result in capital punishment or destoolment. A king will be unseated from his stool if he assaults the King’s sword bearer.

A king who wrongs his subjects must apologize to the person or people, or pay compensation according to the degree of damage. A priest who wrongly predicts events will lose his right to priesthood. Even if a man claims to have “accidentally” committed incest under the influence of alcohol or some other intoxicant, he will still be killed. There should be no sex between a parent and child or between a brother and his sister. A girl who engages in pre-marital sex should be purified. She is not to be killed. Sex in the forest or bushes is forbidden. A pregnant woman who has been sentenced to death will be allowed to live till she delivers her child. A young woman should inform her parents when she begins to menstruate. A deaf, blind, dumb or leprous person should not be killed. Don’t kill an insane person either – he or she does not know what he is doing. Killing, except in war, is an abomination. Only those proven guilty of a capital offense can be killed. And only the king and his executioners are permitted to kill. Drunkenness should be discouraged. A vessel containing alcohol should not fall or break in the streets. Eggs should not be broken in the streets. The township will be reserved for housing, and the outer limits will be reserved for farming. Casual evening strolls will not be encouraged. Dress codes according to one’s status in society will be enforced. The architectural design of a house should conform with the owner’s social status. Unauthorized embellishments will not be permitted. It is a capital offense, in our new nation, for anyone to place any undue emphasis on where their fore-parents belonged before they joined the union...

These are some of the precepts of The Seventy-Seven Laws of Ͻkͻmfo Anͻkye.

Some of the kindred nations were still not keen on joining with the others under one umbrella. The Aduana of Kaase would not yield to Ͻyoko leadership. They got ready for war to protect their sovereignty. It was natural to expect the King to “convince” them through war. Ͻsεe

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Tutu attempted to soothe the hardened feelings of some of these fiercely independent peoples by first marrying a woman from the Kaase Aduana clan. The King then waited till they least expected a fight. That was when he struck, defeating them with a surprise attack.

While some of the kindred refused to unite with Kwaman, the idea of an Asanti union touched hearts elsewhere. Over in Denkyira, the Denkyirahene’s Chief Fͻntͻmfrͻm Drummer, Ͻkyerεma Benuako, for one, was so moved, he migrated to Asanti. They say his seventy fͻntͻmfrͻm drums sailed like birds through the skies after him to Dεnkyεmanso where he settled. Benuako was received at Mεnhyia Ahenfie. There, he fascinated the audience with deft manipulations of rhythmic messages from his large ensemble of drums. He then presented his drums to the Kwamanhene. Prior to that, only a single fͻntͻmfrͻm drum was played at the palace. From then on, the set became a feature at Mεnhyia.

Asanti kings who refused to join the union were given ultimatums and promised compensation. The reluctant kings held their ground. Ͻsεe Tutu turned his attention to Tafohene Nana Safo Akoto. Safo Akoto had a taste for the finer things of life. He also had a set of magnificent fͻntͻmfrͻm drums, the Ntah era ho rn s, a stringed instrument of solid gold, and several other priceless artifacts. He governed well over a hundred towns. With war staring him directly in the face, he sent out his hornsmen blowing their instruments with a message: “Stay away from this territory, Ͻsεe Tutu. Please, stay away!” He had not provoked Ͻsεe Tutu whose ambition was to bring Tafo into the union. The Kwamanhene declared war. They battled. Ͻsεe Tutu defeated Safo Akoto and had all his musical instruments brought to him at Kumasi. He spared Nana Akoto’s life.

But then the Kwamanhene fell ill. They say it was because he had antagonized the guiltless Nana Safo Akoto. Kͻmfo hurried to the King's bedside. “You need to apologize and pacify the soul of Safo Akoto.” Ͻsεe Tutu sincerely apologized to Nana Akoto and made peace with him. The Kumasi-Kwamanhene then appointed him Benkumhene of the union. Ͻsεe Tutu regained his health. He issued an edict: None of Nana Safo Akoto’s family or descendants should ever, under any circumstances, be killed by any member of Nana Ͻsεe Tutu’s family.

The conflicts between close kin had to come to an end. Ͻffinso was still holding out. They also had aboriginal status and were not keen on being part of the federation. Ͻffinsohene Nana Wiafe Akεntεn was

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defeated and also brought into the Asanti union. To consolidate the triumph, Nana Ͻsεe Tutu organized, and successfully attacked the Asinie of Amakom. Nana Akosa, the Amakomhene refused to surrender and was slain. His nephew Ԑdua Mεnsa became the next Amakomhene. Ͻsεe Tutu and Nana Ԑdua Mensa became loyal friends. Nana Ԑdua Mensa would marry Ͻsεe Tutu’s niece Kusi Amoa and father Nana Opoku Ware.

Nana Boampͻnsεm of Denkyira had died. Rumors of foul play floated. A group of Europeans who some six weeks earlier visited the Denkyirahene were suspected. A n o t h e r s u s p e c t w a s a Denkyira citizen, Oduro of Assin. Oduro fled. Reports came to the new Denkyirahene, Nana Ntim Gyakari, that Oduro was found refuge in Kwaman.

The face of Kwaman was changing. Dwabrεm was already the designated durbar grounds. Kwamanhene Ͻsεe Tutu decreed that major trade be re-routed through Kumasi. The King also had the creative carvers, metalworkers and weavers settle and work close by the Mεnhyia Ahenfie. To bolster the economy, Ͻsεe Tutu looked south at Sεhwihene Nana Brum Ankoma’s astonishing wealth and decided to conquer the Sεhwi nation. Such an expedition would require a more heavily equipped K w a m a n army. Ͻsεe Tutu asked f o r e q u i p m e n t f r o m the new Denkyirahene, Nana Ntim Gyakari, whom he assumed was on friendly terms with him. Some say t he N a n a G ya k a r i was the son the Denkyira princess had by Ͻsεe Tutu – the son whose conception caused Ͻsεe Tutu’s escape into exile from Denkyira. “Why should I help you?” Ntim responded. “I won't give you the guns or gunpowder you ask for. And, Brum Ankoma. He breathes fire out of his mouth, ears and nose. You cannot beat him.” Kͻmfo Anͻkye advised Ͻsεe Tutu to use what he had. “Go to Sεhwi with your own asafo and your scant war supplies. You will win.” Kwaman did win. The booty was transported to Kumasi from Sεhwi. Nana Brum Ankoma lost his life because he would not surrender. Akεsantefo was appointed to succeed him. Sεhwihene Nana Akεsantefo was made to swear allegiance to Nana Ͻsεe Tutu. In return, the Akwεmuhene of Asanti was named Akεsantefo Adamfo – Akεsantefo's official friend – to maintain good relations between the Sεhwi and the new nation.

They say Kͻmfo saw a vision:

Past and present kings, queens and elders had assembled. Behind them, a broad river flowed. Hail fell amidst a heavy downpour. Darkness

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enveloped the meeting grounds. A blue cloud rose from the earth and hovered over the riverbanks and above the gathered people's heads. The glow of the smoke illuminated the scene. In front of the assembly was a heap of used sandals, broken leather straps and tattered headgear. It also had human bones, gold dust and umbrellas. In the quiet distance, away from the darkness, stood a little hut. Nana Ͻsεe Tutu was seated at the hut's entrance facing Nananom - the kings, queens and queenmothers. A stranger in the crowd floated towards Ͻsεe Tutu. Suspended in the air above the stranger's head was a stool strapped to a brass pan with an adinkra-like fabric. The stranger's head was covered with another adinkra-like cloth. The excited crowd rose to its feet and followed the floating stranger. The smoke above seemed to protect and lead them at the same time. Nana Ͻsεe Tutu stood up. He gestured to the throng to halt. The smoke became darker and thicker. It filled the place obscuring visibility. The stool was now on the stranger's back. He stopped beside Ͻsεe Tutu and left the stool with the king. The stranger entered the hut and shut the door behind him. The flowing river in the background expanded and turned into a town - a densely populated town. The stranger re-emerged from the room. The buildings and people of the populous town, which had become a teeming nation blended into one. The town turned into a sheet of shimmering sand as another man, came into view with another stool. I heard them say that after Anͻkye had that dream, he ordered two stools f o r t h e K i n g from the Chief Carver. Two men brought the stools when they were polished and ready. Anͻkye asked them to wait till the arrival of Nana Ͻsεe Tutu and the Queenmother. A bolt of lightening struck. One of the men turned to smoldering ashes. The other vanished into thin air. A date was set for the presentation of the new stools – the symbol of Asanti’s unity. Some elders have said Ͻsεe Tutu and Anͻkye instructed a carver from Asεkyerεwa to create two stools from one tree trunk. The one from the piece closer to the roots was for Ͻsεe Tutu. It was called Ͻsεe Tutu Amoampͻn. The other was named Kͻmfo Anͻkye Amoampͻn. Yet another story says that Kͻmfo performed some rites over a stool that had been presented to him and handed it over to the then Tafohene Krodua. That night, Nana Krodua, with the stool in his house, had a dream similar to the one Anͻkye had just had. He woke up shaken by what he had seen. He couldn’t quite grasp the meaning. So he returned the stool to Kͻmfo with a narration of what had jolted him out of his sleep. These narratives set us up for

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the “entrance” of the Golden Stool. I’ve also heard t h a t another unifying symbol existed in Asantiman before the Golden Stool. They say it's a suman, charm, hidden in a certain bongo antelope horn somewhere. The leaders of the new nation met. Anͻkye made an announcement: “ Asantiman is going to have to be led by one King in the tradition of Nana Obiri Yεboa Mεnu and Nana Oti Akεntεn. But instead of letting flesh and blood choose that Leader, we will let The Ͻbͻadeε Nana Nyame, the Supreme Creator, do this in the presence of all the kings and elders of Asanti.” Yes, the Asumegya say when the Amansie came out of the ground in Asantimanso, they already had an Asantihene. But now the different states were merging as a new federation. They needed a stronger nation. Kͻmfo Anͻkye asked Nananom to go without food for the next twenty days, to purify our bodies and thoughts as they conditioned themselves for project of the n a t i o n ' s rebirth. A n a t i o n that they'd soon be called upon to defend. At the end of the twenty-day fast, they would meet again in Dwabrεm to witness the choosing of the first overall Asantihene. The twenty days went by. It was Fofie Fiada, the second Friday after Akwasidae. Nananom, in pomp and pageantry, took their seats at the Dwabrεm durbar grounds. An array of mesmerizing regalia, shiny precious metals, colorful and intricately decorated large umbrellas were spinning over their heads. The Asanti elders and people were also present. I was told the fͻntͻmfrͻm spoke deep with murderous authority. Sizzling cowbell and clip patterns mingled with the drum poetry. Anͻkye kicked his feet and danced. A thick, dark cloud unlike anybody had seen before overshadowed Dwabrεm. Anͻkye was in a trance. The pulsating beats accompanied his body movements. It started to drizzle. Spectators' eyes were pinned on the darkening hues of the soil beneath their feet. Then, a blinding lightening zapped. A crack of deafening thunder roared. Many youngsters and some adults fled home to safety. A powdery white cloud lightly wafted across the blue-black purple heights. Fly-whisk in hand, Anͻkye lifted his arms towards Sky. Those who braved the moment raised their eyes and saw an unexpected earth-bound spectacle: Dangling on invisible strings, a stool of gold with attached brass bells, descended majestically. Softly, it landed at none other than Ͻkatakyie Nana Ͻsεe Tutu’s knees. Without a spoken word, the people knew they had their first Asantihene. The euphoric gathering was overcome by a sense of oneness as the first generation of Abrεmpͻn set eyes on the fantastic Sika Dwa Kofi.

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This was the Stool Kͻmfo Anͻkye would caution the kings not to re-create. It would be named Sika Dwa Kofi, the unifying symbol they had been waiting for. It was about a foot high and about two feet across. Its seat rested on had an elegant column with small, square motifs arranged in geometric order. Two slanting, smaller columns linked the seat and a circular base. “This Stool will not be a common sight, Anͻkye relayed the instructions he had received. “Not even at yearly Asanti national festivals will it be displayed. Its loss or defilement is unthinkable. Sika Dwa contains the soul of this new Asanti nation. Nana Ͻsεe Tutu and his successors will occupy this Stool. But no human will sit on this Stool. It is of greater importance than the Asantihene himself. Only the Asantihene’s hand may rest on this Stool when he is symbolically lowered thrice on it during his enstoolment. This Stool should never touch the floor. Sika Dwa will rest in splendor under the shade of a special umbrella when it’s occasionally brought into public. A special Stool Bearer – the Akonnuasoafohene will be appointed. He will carry it, not on his head or shoulders, but, on his back. Any king that assaults him will be executed. It is a capital offense for any king to create a Golden Stool for himself. The Mampͻnhene will however have a Silver Stool. As part of the the welcoming ritual, Ͻsεe Tutu’s Queenmother, Nanahemaa Mεnu; and Kokofuhene Nana Gyεsi and his Queenmother, Nanahemaa Adwoa Pinaman, contributed shaved bits of the hairs of their head, under-arms and pubes. They added clippings of their fingernails. Anͻkye burned the pieces together into one black mass, mixed some it with water and rubbed the mixture on the Stool. This affixed the nation’s very existence to that of Sika Dwa. The Abrεmpͻn swore allegiance to the Stool and declared that no one amongst them would take up arms against the Asantihene. Nana Ͻsεe Tutu, in turn, swore to remain loyal to the Abrεmpͻn. I heard he was instructed to have two more brass and two gold bells attached to the Stool. A string of precious beads was tied to it as well. “No stool of the past should be ‘alive’ while Sika Dwa Kofi is amongst us.” Anͻkye decreed. I was told he asked for and was brought all the black stools of the various kings. These were buried under the ground in Bantoma. Kͻmfo raised a mound over the spot where he buried the stools. Then he stabbed a special Sword into mound. “This Stool is the symbol of Asanti Unity, Strength and Existence. And the Sword is for its longevity. Many will try, yet no one will be able to uproot this Sword. It’s the more accessible accessory of Sika Dwa Kofi.

Asanti Denkyirahene Ntim Gyakari was probably convinced that no Stool could compare to his Silver Stool, the main symbol of Denkyira supremacy. While savoring the spell of his magnificent beads-stool, the Abankwa Dwa, a n d his elegant Silver Stool, the ego-deflating news about the Asanti’s Golden Stool came. Of course, in Gyakari’s view, the Asanti moves were an uncalled-for bid for autonomy. The Asanti were showing no fear of the dreaded Slayers of Mighty Elephants, Denkyira, the greatest military and economic power in the land. Asanti’s independence would disrupt the Denkyira slave raids and deals in the Nta and Bono territories. Boampͻnsεm had done everything in his power to conta in the mushrooming Asanti nation. Nana Ntim Gyakari declared, “I’ll beat them into submission!” as he began making new plans to contain Asanti and assimilate her into Denkyira. Denkyira had conquered most of the nations in the land, including Kͻmεnda, which had previously conquered Ԑlmina. In effect, the Dutch, who took over the Ԑlmina Castle from the Portuguese, paid land rent, not to the Komεndahene, but to the Denkyirahene. Ntim Gyakari, a reputed slave dealer placed his faith in Denkyira's unequaled pedigree, wealth and arsenal. Through the gold, slave and ivory deals with the Europeans on the coast, h i s g o v e r n m e n t had acquired, in addition to muskets and ammunition, grenades and a few canons. I heard that, years before, while Ͻsεe Tutu was living in Nana Boampͻnsεm’s ahenfie, the Asanti royal with seven of his men were sent along with the Denkyira army on an expedition to Sεhwi, where there was abundant bullion. Ͻsεe Tutu and the Denkyira asafo successfully defeated the Sεhwi. They returned with barrels of gold. But Ͻsεe Tutu reportedly kept some of the loot for himself. This was brought to the attention of Nana Boampͻnsεm. The King ordered him to surrender the gold in his possession. Bεrima Ͻsεe Tutu refused. With this gripe coloring his thoughts, Boampͻnsεm seduced one of Ͻsεe Tutu’s Denkyira wives. I heard that Ͻsεe Tutu pulled a knife on Boampͻnsεm and got the Denkyirahene to confess. I wonder how he managed to get past the retainers after such an affront. Ͻsεe Tutu didn't want to be charged with high -treason for threatening the King. So he fled to Kumasi. N a na Boampͻnsεm sent men after him, but Ͻsεe Tutu lost them in his trail. That was a

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sure recipe for conflict between the two nations. Peace had not yet been made between Boampͻnsεm and Ͻsεe Tutu, that is to say Denkyira and Asanti, when Ntim Gyakari, the least circumspect of latter-day Denkyira kings, appeared on the scene. It was his duty to maintain Denkyira’s dominance. There's another story explaining Asanti motives for the war. It says Kͻmfo Anͻkye was driven by vengeance because Denkyirahene Nana Boampͻnsεm and Anim Kͻkͻbo, a Denkyira prince, had violated one of his wives. Having resolved to take Asanti by the scruff of the neck upon hearing about the ceremony at Dwabrεm, Denkyirahene Ntim Gyakari sent a delegation to the Mεnhyia Ahenfie. The party included his court-crier, a shield-bearer, a sword-bearer and four men carrying an enormous brass basin. They placed the basin before their host. The A s a n t i h e n e sent for Kͻmfo Anͻkye and the Abrεmpͻn – General Amankwεtia Pεnin of Kumasi-Bantoma, Asafo Awerε of Kumasi-Akwεmu, Kumεwuhene Tweneboa Kodua, Nsutahene Agyin, Mampͻnhene Boahen Anεntuo and Dwabεnhene Adakwa Yiadͻm. The Denkyira court-crier was given the floor: “The Mighty Denkyirahene Ntim Gyakari is unhappy about developments over here. He wants you, his subjects, to hand over Oduro. He says you should fill this basin with gold dust, bars and nuggets, and add some kyikyrikonna, precious beads. Also, each As a n t i king should send along with us, their most loved child to serve in Nana Ntim Gyakari's court. Each king will also send his mother and one of his wives with a supply mposae for the Denkyirahene's wives' menses, and become concubines in Nana Gyakari's harem. He orders you to stop complaining about our men taking your women as this only makes royal babies with Denkyira blood. We know that an Asanti king should not be blemished in any part of his body. But Nana says each of you will have to cut off a finger and add it to the gold in the basin. Finally, the Denkyirahene decrees that you immediately dissolve your new Asanti nation and send over your Golden Stool to him.” They say Asantihene Nana Ͻsεe Tutu Anͻkye gave him a direct response. “Today, Asanti terminates all allegiance to Denkyira.” Dwabεnhene Nana Adakwa Yiadͻm drew his Domfomsan sword and exclaimed, “Pa hwi! We aren’t paying!” He struck brutal blows to the face and body of the Denkyirahene’s court crier. The rest of the Abrεmpͻn followed his example and left the Denkyira delegation in a

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bloodied, sorry state. They filled the brass pan with stones and asked the carriers to take that back to their King. Obviously, the Asanti Abrempͻn were psychologically prepared for war. Denkyirahene Ntim Gyakari received a briefing of the incident at Mεnhyia. He became more eager to go to war. He thought about his canons booming, grenades exploding, his men in iron mail butchering their opponents, tens of thousands of arms and ammunition in their hands. Besides, the irreducible Akyims were Denkyira’s allies. Their support was guaranteed when needed. Denkyira’s tributaries would also send in soldiers, Gyakari imagined. A Denkyira victory, in his estimation, was a given. The Asantihene wanted to be on the battlefront, and Kͻmfo knew that. “I know you love battle, but in the coming war you, Nana, shouldn’t participate on the battlefield.” Kͻmfo Anͻkye said to Nana Ͻsεe Tutu, “Nana Nyankopͻn will lead us against them for you.” The Asanti King accepted Kͻmfo's counsel. He immersed himself in overseeing war plans. It was the Asantihene who created the Konti, the Advance Guard; the Akwεmu – whose leader was second in command – consisting of the Adum warriors Nana Ͻsεe Tutu returned from Akwεmu with; the Benkum, the Left Wing and Nifa, the Right Wing; the Kyidͻm, the Rear Guard; the Adͻnten, Gyaase and Ͻyoko forces, to work with the Dumakae, Saaman, Soεduro and the detachments that existed before the union was formed. “The Ԑkuona and Asinie will unite and form one battalion,” the Asantihene addressed his Generals: “...In the lead will be the scouts. They’ll pick up enemy plans and advancements. Behind them will be the Twafo, the Cutters, who will be the advance guard. The main body – the Adͻnten, will follow them. A stretch of auxiliary fighters will flank the main body. Directly behind the main body will be the Commander-in-Chief with his own warriors and retainers. To their left will be the Nnaasi Benkum, Nsuta, Kontenase, and Anafo. And at the outer wings will be the Benkum-proper. They’ll be led by the Asumεgyahene Gyebi Kankanfo, Tafohene Safo Akoto, Kumεwuhene Tweneboa Kodua, Abͻdͻmhene Ansrε Poni, Asεkyirεhene Ɔdabͻ, Kontihene Amoayε, Asenhene Agyensam, Atεbubuhene Amoako, Asεnsohene Amoako and Kwasohene Ofosu Pim, the Ampomasehene and the Mimanhene. To the immediate right of the Commander-in-Chief, the Nnaasi Nifa, the Abohen, the Akwεmu, and the Bεkwae will be positioned. And at the extreme end, the Nifa proper: The Adinkranyahene; Adansihene Adu Bonsra; Ͻffinsohene Wiafe Akεntεn; the Bepͻsohene; Ԑdwisohene Duku

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Pim; Bonwirεhene Bobie; Odumasehene Obodum; Abrakasohene Asenso; Nkoransahene Bafo Pim and Asotwehene Kwahene Yamoa will lead their men. The Abuosohene Gyεkye Pεnyin; Saresohene Karikari; the Dεnkyεmansohene; Kwamohene Adom Pεnyin; Antoahene Sakodeε Datε; Eduabεnhene Adu Anim Pim; Amakomhene Akosa Yiram and Kͻmfo Anͻkye will command the Adͻnten – Main Central Force. The rest of the Abrεmpͻn commanded the Kyidͻm – Rear Guard. The Adansi supported the Asanti decision. But their blood links with Denkyira were too strong. It would be difficult to fight their immediate kindred. They informed the Asantihene about their dilemma. It was agreed that they relocate to Denkyira until the end of the upcoming war. Nana Ofori Korobεn, the powerful king of Dampͻn, a nation which, like Denkyira, is of Agona origins, and the Akyim joined Ntim Gyakari against Asanti. They heard Akwεmu had agreed to support Asanti with soldiers and weapons. Daunting as the challenge seemed for Asanti, Anͻkye predicted that many Denkyira people would realize that Asanti would win. “Many of them will start moving to Asanti to live among us. We will welcome them and treat them as bonafide Asanti citizens.” The Asanti asafo had to be equipped with more muskets, slugs and gunpowder in addition to all the Akwεmu help. Their opponents didn't rely on knives, swords, spears, bows and arrows. They used guns. Weapons from Korankye Abo on the coast had to be acquired in sizable quantities. To get there and back however, the Asanti had to travel through Denkyira, which lay directly to the south of Asanti. Ntim Gyakari’s counselors warned their King that the Asantis were using Denkyira territory as their route to and from purchasing stocks of arms from the coast. Nana Ntim Gyakari thought it wasn't necessary to stop the Asanti gun buyers. He was convinced that Asanti preparations would avail little. A respected Denkyira king, Nana Boa Kropa, disgruntled by the tyranny of his King, puzzled Nana Ntim Gyakari by refusing to fight on his side. As Kͻmfo foretold, lots of Denkyira citizens including some excellent warriors moved to Asanti with their families and belongings. They were properly received, and accorded full rights of residency and citizenship. Ntim Gyakari was convinced Denkyira would win and the defectors would suffer the fate in store for Oduro. He h o we ver asked his a d v i s e r s why t h e r e w e r e so many desertions. “They say it’s because Kͻmfo Anͻkye is on their side. That man can make just about anything happen. Ͻbͻadeε is with him.” Ntim Gyakari however

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maintained that the Denkyira side was favored. How else could Denkyira be this rich and undefeated? If the Denkyirahene toyed with the idea of having Anͻkye on his side, he consoled himself that Denkyira’s phenomenal Kͻmfo Kyirεkye was primed for orchestrating a Denkyira victory. Migrations from Denkyira occurred daily. It was as if the Universe was emptying Denkyira into the new Asanti nation. The Denkyira Atwuma people moved to Asanti. I was told they were led by Adjei Bi, Yim Awerε and Kwakwa Ben. Then Kyerεma Bi the current Chief Drummer along with about a thousand Denkyira people followed. Some say the Asanti asafo stood at about sixty thousand men. Some say they were more. Akwεmuhene Nana Ansa Sasrεku provided soldiers directed by General Gyεrεntwi. The King of Koyia-Assin, who had lived in Kumasi since Denkyira recently overran his homeland, also joined the Asanti asafo with his finest warriors. They say about one-fifth of the Asanti population and soldiers from friendly nations formed the Asanti asafo. Together, they stood at about two hundred thousand. The leadership decided that a fifth of these would suffice. The number was whittled down to a select seventy thousand. I heard that given the battlefield's size only up to ten thousand could take to the battlefield at a time. The numbers definitely favored the Denkyira. About thirty thousand warriors from Akyim h a d joined the Denkyira. They also had fighters from Sεhwi, Sεhwi-Ahwiao, Sεhwi-Bεkwae, Wassa and Twifo. Together with their allies, they had several hundreds of thousands of fighters, far outnumbering the Asanti side. Nana Ntim Gyakari was taken by the strength of their numbers. He had the soldiers march over an enormous bundle of tough fiberous green plants. Very many soldiers were yet to reach it before the plant had been trampled to tiny scattered pieces. He sent home those who had not yet reached the bundle before the wind blew it away. Gun dealers on the coast were benefiting immensely from the upcoming war. When the Portuguese first came ashore, they wouldn’t sell guns to Africans. They were afraid the Africans would turn it on them. Even without guns, the Africans were already instinctively traumatizing the seafarers with consistent violent resistance. The Portuguese decided to arm the Ԑlmina people, whom they considered friendly, to protect them against the other African nations. The Ԑlmina warriors became adept at handling the fire-stick. Then the English, Danes, Brandenburg and Dutch came and sold guns to Africans as soon as they unloaded their ships. The Dutch manufactured the flintlock Dane guns that soon became common in the land. They exported more muskets, lead and gunpowder than any other nation

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across Europe and abroad. Soon, guns exceeded a fifth of the cargo shipped to Africa from England. Guns would keep Africans fighting among themselves. Alcohol and guns. In exchange, the Europeans demanded African captives. The Denkyira were excellent gunfighters. And the Akwεmu had devised methods for handling the weapon. But presently, there were no people in the land who had perfected the art of gun-fighting than the Asanti infantry. But flintlock guns didn't necessarily ensure efficient continuous firing. A new flint had to be fixed after every fifty shots or so. Poisoned arrows could, on the other hand, fly at their targets in far greater numbers over a longer duration of time. About three-quarters of the armed forces were therefore archers and swordsmen. The rest were sharpshooters. They say Nana Ͻsεe Tutu, in his warrior’s smock, sat on his War Stool at Hwεdͻm on the raised, war mound. The Abrεmpͻn were seated before him. Kͻmfo proposed: “Some of us will volunteer to lay down our lives for this victory. Who will they be?” There was silence. Some kings considered stepping forward. It was Nana Tweneboa Kodua, the Kumεwuhene, who was the first to act upon this thought. Then Ԑdwisohene Nana Duku Pim and Adwumakasekεsehene Nana Asεnso Bosekofo also came forward. “What do you demand of Asanti for your offering?” Ͻsεe Tutu asked. The Ԑdwisohene and Adwumakasekεsehene asked for immunity from capital punishment for members of their clans and citizens of their states. The King consulted with Anͻkye and nodded. “Granted,” Ͻsεe Tutu said. “What do you ask, Nana Kodua?” Nana Tweneboa Kodua answered, “I ask the same, Nana. And that Asanti be liberated.” Touched, the Asantihene decreed, “Your children and their children’s children will have all lands that Asanti conquers eastwards towards the Firaw, in addition to your request. The war horns, will speak of your heroic sacrifices.” “The one who leads the army will lose his life three days after the final victory,” Anͻkye hinted. He reminded the leaders that Otumfoͻ would not come along to the battlefield. Someone else will perform the duties on his behalf. Mampͻnhene Boahen Anεntuo was appointed to deputize as Commander-in-Chief on the battlefield. Anͻkye continued, “Also, the man that elects himself to carry the Commander-in-Chief’s gunpowder will become an Ͻbrempͻn after the war. B u t , he’ll no longer be able to give birth. Who’ll this be?” Nana Kodie the Dwansahene volunteered. “I prefer our liberation than anything else,” Nana Kodie said. Anͻkye then declared, “The Asantihene himself will himself offer one of his own stepbrothers.” Bonwirεhene Nana Bobie was chosen, also with the assurance that none of his descendants

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would ever be sent to the Ͻbrafo. Also, they would have the sole right to decorate their royal umbrellas with the Ͻyokoman fabric. At Nnuroso in Essiεnimpͻn, Kͻmfo prepared war lotions, brewed a war potion to strengthen courage, protect the warriors from bullet wounds and make them invisible to the opponents. Anͻkye prepared the medicine in his seventy-seven Nkosena, war medicine brewing pots. The magic with these pots that could increase and decrease in number contained was, each was covered with holes, many holes. Yet the liquid never leaked out of those gaping holes. The combatants took the potions t o d r i n k and lotions to b e smeared on their skins and gyirapaw and suman, charms. Denkyira's Kͻmfo Kyirεkye was determined to outshine Anͻkye. Achieving this would “kill” the spirit of the Asanti warriors. He compressed a river into an airtight container and sent it to Anͻkye with a message: “Open this if you think you are truly powerful.” Anͻkye sensed that there would be a terrible flood if he did. Kͻmfo Anͻkye put aside the container. He took an elephant tusk in his hands, prayed, tied this piece of ivory into a tight knot, and had it delivered to Kͻmfo Kyirεkye with a similar challenge, “Untie this knot.” The Denkyira priest tried but couldn’t undo the knot. Someone told me Anͻkye knew that Kyirεkye would lose his “power” if he was touched by excrement. So Anͻkye had someone place a bag on Kyirεkye’s rooftop in the dark of the night. The Denkyira kͻmfo came out for some fresh air in the morning. To his dismay, the feces drip-dropped irreverently on his priestly head. That’s why you hear, “I defecate on Kyirεkye” when the horn blowers blow. There’s a similar story explaining the saying: Anͻkye turned into an asesewa, a tiny bird, flew to Denkyira and perched on a lower branch of a high tree in Abankεsεeso. The attractive intricate shapes and dazzling colors on its cute body drew a crowd. Kyirεkye followed the crowd and stood right under the tree. He lifted his eyes in an unguarded moment at the lovely bird, which released its droppings into his eyes, blinding the Denkyira Kͻmfo.

Each Asanti soldier was armed with at least o n e leather decorated, wooden board of two, three, or four knives strapped across their groin, solar plexus, chest or hip. Swords in their sheaths and other weapons in hand, jute ropes were carried to tie the limbs of captives. They wore close fitting, jute trousers and smocks. The batakarikεse, bulletproof smock had several sεbε, the neatly stitched, square, rectangular, circular and triangular, leather amulets and talismans filled with stones, wood or metal, affixed to protect the chest and abdomen.

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Around their waists and across their chests they wore leather pouches and special belts with many pockets containing gunpowder, ͻtosa for grinding lead, other poisoned missiles, and water bottles to powder. Smaller pouches, some of which contained medicinal plants for treating wounds, leaves, small rocks, pieces of glass, gold-dust, and anything that subjectively inspired invincibility were attached to their smocks. Some put on leather skullcaps, intricately embroidered. Some wore knee or ankle high, soft, leather boots and some preferred to fight barefooted with their soles directly in contact with the ground's life-generating elements. Others wore sandals. The warriors wore headbands, anklets, and arm and wristbands studded with stones, brass or cowries. The generals wore the ntakrakyε, plume-like feathered headgear. Meanwhile, King Ntim Gyakari placed his men, standing at about a hundred thousand strong, at the ready. He ordered his inexhaustible armory opened. The Denkyira implements of war were outdoored to the pleasure of the citizenry. It was quite a display. Thousands of men clad in mail of iron, and the War Drummer with his Kwantempͻn, small drum, tucked under his arm, led the Denkyira forces. Their canons acquired from the Dutch were positioned in the forefront ready to bombard targets. General Kwame Tebi commanded the vanguard. Kwεdwo Wiafe led the Right Wing and Kwεku Butuwakwa directed the Left Wing. General Kwεsi Pepra was in charge of the Rear Guard and General Asiama Tia headed the Bodyguard of the Denkyirahene. “We would have done with the priceless services of Boa Kropa,” one Denkyira elder remarked. “Don’t say that!” Ntim Gyakari scoffed. “Don’t say that. I spiritually block the barrel of that gun he intends to use for those Asantis. We have friends in the gold rich west – the Wassa, the Sεhwi, the Bεkwae, the Twifo and all those prosperous nations. We don't need Boa Kropa.” The commanders of the Asanti asafo assembled. Kontihene Amankwεtia Pεnin, Kumεwuhene Tweneboa Kodua and Mampͻnhene Boahen Anεntuo were present. So were Dwabεnhene Adakwa Yiadͻm, Asumegyahene Ͻnomapao, Bεkwaehene Dwaa Ayεboafo, Kokofuhene Agyeman Ampomfi and Nsutahene Oduro Pεnin. Also seated were Ɔffinsohene Wiafe Akεntεn, Ԑdwisohene Duku Pim, Tafohene Krobea and Kͻmfo Anͻkye. The Abenfo, medicine men, made their rounds in the camps, teaching the combatants incantations. The somewhat cryptic statements when recited in the heat of battle were supposed to either deflect bullets from their target or detoxify poisoned arrow-tips that struck. There were other sets of words that would crush the

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enemy’s arrows and knives. The Abͻmmͻfo, spies posing as hunters, crossed into enemy territory. I’ve been told that an Asanti was chopped to bits. Vultures picked up those bits, flew to Denkyira and dropped the pieces to the ground. The men of the area where the pieces fell became weak-hearted. The elders also say Kͻmfo Anͻkye morphed into a lovely woman selling food, and strolled enticingly into Abankεseεso. All those who tasted of her merchandise, lost their faith in the power of the Denkyira kingdom. But it was her physical beauty that did even greater damage. Knowing of their King’s desires, his subjects escorted “the fine prize” to the palace where the King asked her to stay the night. She returned to Kumasi after the elated Denkyirahene allowed her to listen to their war plan the next morning. The customary three years of preparation were up. Wives and children had prepared and packed food for the fighters so that they would not have to depend on rations on the battlefield too soon. Ͻkatakyie Nana Ͻsεe Tutu did what his forefathers did before a big war. He made a final gesture showing his willingness for a diplomatic solution. Owusu Krakosε, a seasoned ambassador, was sent to Denkyira. Krakye Owusu appeared in the presence of Nana Ntim Gyakari at Abankεseεso. “Nana Ͻsεe Tutu Mεnu has sent me here to humbly find out if Your Majesty Denkyirahene Nana Ntim Gyakari, in your wisdom, may have decided not to fight, since both of our nations would be better off avoiding bloodshed. He is ready to call off the war. He prays it is peace that your Highness is also contemplating.” Ntim Gyakari considered what he knew about the Asanti government's unprecedented expenditure on weapons. He had also heard of the fastidious fine-tuning of Asanti battle plans, maneuvers and soldiers’ marksmanship. The Asanti sharpshooters had mastered the exacting technique of sighting and firing muskets from the shoulder while kneeling or standing. They could also fire from a lying-down position and while running too. Only the Akwεmu, and to some extent the Ԑlmina, could do this without wounding themselves and wasting ammunition. Nana Ntim Gyakari said, “Grab him! Cut off his fingers! All of them.” Court retainers held the Asanti diplomat's hand. They started slicing off his fingers with a sharp knife. “Alright, leave one finger!” Ntim ordered. “It’s got to stick out for his Ͻsεe Tutu to savor.” Krakose did not have to speak when he got back for his King and the assembled Abrεmpͻn to know what the Denkyirahene felt about calling off the war.

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A Denkyira scout went to his King describing a sighting of the Asanti battle formation. “From the hilltop where I stood, it looked like a huge bird in motion.” Ntim Gyakari slammed the news. “Where is the Asanti asafo encamped?” The informant answered, “Adunku, the venue of combat. But Nana,” he continued, “They guard the main body while it moves forward. I'm told the warriors on standby run in to replace those who may fall.” Nana Ntim Gyakari exc la im ed , “Adunku? We head for Adunku tonight.” King Ntim Gyakari deployed some of his troops close to Adunku. In batches, and in shifts, they patrolled the area. The Denkyirahene’s zeal stole sleep from his eye. He sang a martial verse: Sleep soundly? I will sleep, come that day, But not tonight, Not a wink Till I reach Adunku Till I teach a Slayer’s lesson To Ͻsεe Tutu The Adunkuhene and one of his helpers had gone to the fields to inspect their hunting traps. As they drew nearer to one of the traps, he asked his retainer to stay behind and look out for enem y movements. The Adunku king reached out to check his traps. He heard a rustling in the bushes. A group of Denkyira warriors pounced on him. Some aimed guns at his head. The king shouted a code for help. His look-out heard the distress-call and neared the scene only to watch the silhouettes of his bound and gagged king being led off into the dark night. He hurried to the Adunku camp and told what he saw. The deputy commander of the Adunku contingent and a body of other Asanti fighters picked up their weapons. They walked through the thistles and grasses, searching till they found where their king was being held. They were met with a barrage of gunfire when they attacked. But they overcame the Denkyira fighters. They freed their leader but couldn't get away before reinforcements from Ntim Gyakari’s camp arrived. Outgunned, it seemed impossible to break out from behind enemy lines. But they fought on till the Denkyira retreated. The Asanti mission returned with their rescued king. After he was briefed about the Adunku episode, King Ntim Gyakari whipped up the confidence of his asafo and informed his opponent the Asantihene that the war would begin the next day. The Asanti were ready.

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In Kumasi, Asantihene Ehumiabobirim Ͻpimsoͻ Nana Ͻsεe Tutu would set out on regular midnight strolls, as he had would throughout the length of the war. During his walk, he prayed to the ancestors and Ͻdomankoma Nana Nyame the Almighty for victory. The special long horn, blown for clearing the streets, would sound to notify the nation. Now that even the cocks were going to have to obey and postpone their crowing till dawn, people found outdoors at that crucial hour would have to forfeit their lives. As Ͻsεe Tutu walked, you could hear the haunting riffs of that long horn blow. War-chants followed war-horns and drums. The Denkyira asafo, which included Akyim Kotoku warriors, was brimming with confidence when they clashed with the Asanti warriors who came out sporting red bands and strips. The Asanti side included their Akwεmu allies. Day after day, the two sides dueled from sunrise to sundown. Casualties on both sides increased. The Denkyira forces realized that it was impossible to significantly decimate their opponents. It seemed as if a thousand Asanti fighters rose to replace every thousand slain. Neither side gained clear advantage until an Asanti leader missed a step. Suddenly, the soldiers along the flanks, who linked the Main body to the Advance Guard, were being left behind. The Denkyira to advantage of the error and quickly cut them off, slaying most men of the Asanti Advance forces. This shook the Asanti army. Kͻmfo Anͻkye and his fellow warrior kings worked to keep the warriors spirits up. There was revelry at the Denkyira camp. The fighting had raged for about six moons and none could claim victory. It was raining. Through the muddy terrain, the Asanti asafo returned to the battlefield. The Denkyira with their superior arsenal, having contained the Asanti forces over the half year period since the first Adunku engagement, assumed that the Asanti would be slowed down by the soggy terrain. The Asanti held the Denkyira in check but could not overcome them. Both sides had been inflicted with a toll of severe proportions. Though much of what they saw and experienced signaled defeat, the undaunted Asanti p u s h e d h a r d e r a n d g r a d u a l l y managed to turn the tide. H o w e v e r , i t wouldn't help very much if the fighting dragged on with the same outcomes for another six moons. Triumph seemed distant. Strategies had to be redefined. Another day on the battlefield, the Asanti kept the platoons of the wings gradually spreading outwards as the Twafo swordsmen in the middle

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quickly ran straight ahead to attack. This distracted the Denkyira who did not notice when they got encircled, or when the Asanti archers and musketeers at the wings sprang at them from the sides and from behind, and cut them down in large numbers with very many slugs and arrows before the sun called it a day. The Denkyira commanders envisaged imminent defeat. They mustered courage and suggested to Denkyirahene Ntim Gyakari, who was aware of the pressure his side was enduring, that it was time to temporarily call off the campaign. “You are soldiers of the Denkyira asafo, aren't you? I say we’re going to defeat them. Nothing less!” he replied. The Denkyira soldiers endured a slaughter when the two sides clashed again. Asanti determination surged as Denk y i r a morale dwindled. Realizing that the Asanti were not merely trying to answer his questions, the Denkyirahene sought the counsel. His advisers explained: “Asanti isn’t just testing our mettle, Nana. Our commanders have seen how they fight. We can better prepare for them if we take a few moons off. Then we'll return and defeat the Asanti and their Akwεmu friends.” The reluctant Denkyirahene yielded, but first someone had to be blamed: “Our Akyim Kotoku allies’ support has been consistent. But those half-hearted gestures of those Aowin, Twifo and Wassa soldiers have come to my notice.” He whined, “We would have by now reduced the Asanti to pulp had it not been for these fellows. And what are the Akwεmus supporting Ͻsεe Tutu and his people for?” Denkyirahene Nana Ntim Gyakari swallowed his pride and offered the olive branch. Asantihene Nana Ͻsεe Tutu accepted it. Hostilities were put on pause. A year went by. As expected, the Denkyirahene called off the truce. The Asanti army went back to face the Denkyira. Flying arrows and flint criss-crossed from both sides, tearing through shields and human flesh. Swordsmen charged at each other i n w h a t s e e m e d l i k e endless slashing and clanging of blades. Shields clashed and warriors fell. The smell of acid possessed the smoke-filled war front. The cacophony of yelling commanders, drums and horns, harrowing human sounds of the wounded and gunfire, drowned-out by detonating Denkyira grenades and the periodic earth-rocking boom of Denkyira canons filled the air. The Denkyira pinned the Asanti into a tight corner. They had found answers to Asanti tactics, they believed. Volleys of slugs were “endlessly” lobbed at the Asanti. The Asanti defended and stopped attacking. They retreated, but not briskly enough.

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The Denkyira gave chase. Kͻmfo begged Nana Nyame to let darkness fall on the side of the pursuing Denkyira soldiers. In an instant, the sky was black as night precisely above the Denkyira pursuers' side. But it was daytime clear on the Asanti side. This impossible picture of night and day sitting side by side at the same time in one small scene was baffling. The shocked Denkyira troops, suddenly forced to find their way in the dark, banged their bodies and heads against each other and tree trunks. Some tripped against the thick roots and tumbled in the undergrowth. It was a good time to strike. Nana Anum Asamoa and his squadron were c loses t t o the scene. They attacked the Denkyira, slew some, chased many out of the area, and took prisoners. Days of more intense battles followed. The Asanti warriors held their ground in formation. But a link in the chain was broken again. And once more, the Denkyira warriors noticed this. Their musketeers fired non-stop. The stunned Asanti army, overwhelmed by their more aggressive opponents, stuck together for a while. Then their formation collapsed. They were being shepherded southwards – closer and closer towards Denkyira. Kͻmfo Anͻkye had to act. He prayed. A thicket of tightly interwoven palm trees sprang up from the ground. The row of trees separated the opposing forces. For the Asanti, it was an effective wall of protection against enemy fire. They had survived. But there were more difficult encounters ahead. The Denkyira dictated the rhythm i n t h e next series of battles. They seemed to have an endless supply of ammunition while the Asanti stock had run out. The Asanti a s a f o held together against the onslaught. Then they counterattacked. But their attempt was foiled. Steadily, the Denkyira hemmed them in on all sides. It looked improbable to make it out of that trap alive. Again, Kͻmfo intervened. A swarm of bees swooped down onto the Denkyira warriors. Some stung their faces and heads as the rest went for their necks, backs and limbs. Weapons and positions were quickly abandoned as the Denkyira fled. The dust cleared behind the escaping Denkyira warriors. The Asanti soldiers gathered their opponents' muskets, arrows and unused slugs on the ground and returned in high spirits to their camp. It was a Saturday morning, after a week of combat. Normally, on Saturdays fighting was suspended so that people could reflect and bond with Ͻdomankoma Nana Nyame, the Most High. Field Marshall Nana Boahen Anεntuo and the generals met to discuss strategies to forge ahead in the war. Denkyira defections were also announced: “Safi and the Denkyirahene’s aide-de-camp, Asiama Tia, both highly

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skilled warriors, have joined us,” t h e y w e r e t o l d . Anͻkye p u t i n a w o r d t o a v e r t possible sagging resolve: “We must remember that this war is bigger than all of us. We need to concentrate on our goal and fight as if each single battle is what will liberate us from Denkyira rule.” In another battle, a massive hail of bullets from well-aimed Denkyira muskets rained on the Asanti warriors. The Asanti had to scatter and regroup. The noise of gunfire with exploding Denkyira grenades, canons followed the Asanti as they escaped across the gravelly, grassy plain. They say Kͻmfo shouted to his colleagues, “Remain behind me!” He pointed his bodua, fly-whisk, at a mighty tree standing at Akrofoso in the distance. All bullets fired at the Asanti in those moments were directed into the left side of that tree. Those who passed away that day were those who could not hear his instructions amidst the noise and those who did not listen to Anͻkye. Back in their camp that night, they agreed to name the tree “Ͻdan Gye Abuͻ,” The building that receives bullets. I heard about another incident when things weren't going well for the Asanti army on the smoky battlefield. The Asanti were under heavy assault. A phalanx of Denkyira musketeers and archers were striking at an exposed Asanti column. Kͻmfo prayed once again. A nearby tree expanded sideways like a stonewall taking all the flints and arrows while the Asanti ran for cover. This did not completely restore the wavering confidence of some of the otherwise brave asafo however. Another day, an Asanti commander was struck dead while retreating in the heat of battle. Some warriors stopped and picked up his body. They were not going to grant the Denkyira the satisfaction of having his head. The weight of the deceased commander's body however slowed down his fatigued bearers' motion. Before they knew it, their pursuers had caught up with them. Panicked, they abandoned the body and took off. Anͻkye, they say, noticed this and stopped. He stared at the corpse and transmitted Life back into the body. The “sleeping” commander rose to his feet and sped off with the rest of the Asanti warriors. But it appeared as if Anͻkye’s magic was only good enough for defense. With a few exceptions, all the Asanti army seemed to have done from Adunku to Aboaten was fight and retreat. There's a story that says the Asanti a s a f o navigated their way around botches of deep quicksand towards Petuwεgya without losing a single fighter under the dawn time sky. At Petuwεgya, Anͻkye studded

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a silk cotton, gown-like smock with talismans and gave it to Nana Duku Pim the Ԑdwisohene. He whispered a few instructions into Duku Pim’s ear and told him to put on the garment. He put it on and, as the story goes, his feet were lifted off the ground. Nana Duku Pim found himself flying like a bird towards the enemy’s positions. Wh e n he landed, the Denkyira warriors knowing where he was from, grouped around him like ants on sweet juice. They tortured him to know his mission. Duku Pim remembered Anokye saying, “It will weaken their resolve and lead to their defeat if you show no signs of pain.” I was told Nana Duku Pim did not even wince as his interrogators bled dear life out of him. But after exchanging fire for hours at Petuwεgya, the Asanti army received a bloody trashing. Darkness brought a welcome reprieve, but gloom loomed in the Asanti camp. Anͻkye listened while another pragmatic king spoke: “I swear on the life of Nana Ͻsεe Tutu, come thunder storm or fire, I’ll never surrender nor will I desert. Never! But Kͻmfo, tell us, is victory slipping through our fingers?” Anͻkye asked calmly as all eyes turned to the Kumεwuhene. “Nana Tweneboa Kodua is still with us, isn’t he?” The gathering listened. “He’s been a leader of infinite inspiration to us all, hasn’t he?” They all agreed. “Well, just when he’s slain, we will gain the upper hand. When Tweneboa Kodua falls, the Denkyira kingdom falls.” Investigations were conducted into the motives behind Safi and Asiama Tia’s defections to the Asanti side. Some curious concerns were uncovered in the case of the ex-aide of the Denkyirahene, Asiama Tia. Apparently, an excited nephew of his had painted his arm with white clay – a practice reserved exclusively for the Denkyira King. Asiama Tia’s nephew committed the unthinkable error after drinking too much alcohol on an evening of revelry when news came of Denkyira successes. Through his drunken haze he saw two armed men walking towards him. They arrested him. Before he could wish he was only dreaming, he was in the executioner’s chamber. Nana Ntim Gyakari took it a step further. The King sent for Asiama’s wife and added her to his harem. He claimed she had seduced him. Asiama Tia was on the battlefield by then. He received reports and crosschecked the facts. When he was sure what he had heard was true, he shifted his allegiance to the Asanti side. Several Denkyira kings also left because of that episode. Safi, on the other hand, had not been offended by the King. He had quit the Denkyira asafo because he realized that the Asanti were fighting for a worthier cause.

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The Asanti asafo returned to Nnuroso at Essiεnimpͻn to refresh their confidence in their mission. Then they set out looking forward to the next series of battles with a deeper desire for victory. W hen the y got back to the i r cam p, the y agreed tha t t he on l y ob jec t i ve now was to end the war. With his wooden sandals on his feet, Anͻkye climbed a kyεnkyεn tree to locate the position of the Denkyirahene’s camp. He came down and relayed his observations: Denkyirahene Ntim Gyakari was stationed only about seven and a half miles from Kumasi. This was about half a mile from Fεyiase. That was close. It would frustrate their efforts if the Denkyira warriors by-passed them and entered Kumasi. They had to win this one. The war would be over as soon as the Denkyirahene himself was taken. The two sides agreed upon Adunku as the next venue. The Asanti battalions brimmed with confidence. They mesmerized their opponents through the open fields and the Nyame-εkuma pots-strewn undergrowths of Adunku. No longer were they simply trying to hold their own against the fearsome best-equipped force in the land. They were out to defeat them. They had one thing on their mind: To capture the Denkyira King. The seemingly impregnable units of the Denkyira asafo finally gave after a long drawn fight. The Asanti warriors blazed forward until sunset when hostilities had to cease. They encamped at Aboaten, about two and a half miles from Fεyiase. The Asanti fighters massed into Fεyiase drawing closer to the Denkyira camp. They braced themselves for a difficult encounter. And as if they asked for it, they encountered the fiercest opposition yet. After three long days of bloody combat, Nana Tweneboa Kodua was cut down from behind by a surprise slash of a sword. Hard as i t w a s t o t a k e , it reminded the Asanti warriors of Kͻmfo’s prediction, “When Tweneboa Kodua falls, the Denkyira kingdom falls.” His passing awakened them to the phase in which they were. They reflected on Nana Tweneboa Kodua's strength of character, courage and commitment. This seemed to have the effect of amplifying inspiration in the hearts and minds of the warriors. All they could see was a defeated N a n a Ntim Gyakari. But the closer they got to his camp, the harder they had to struggle against waves of robust Denkyira defenses. Soon the Denkyirahene’s camp was within their view. “I’m going to his camp,” Kͻmfo Anͻkye told the commanders. “Fight your way in there if I’m not back after three days.” Aiming at uprooting the Denkyira kingdom, the Asanti fighters pressed against the unrelenting Denkyira final line of defense. In the process, Nana Boahen Anεntuo unfortunately took a slug in the belly. He did not fall dead. His will to

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live became his life-line. Kͻmfo had not returned by the third night’s end. On the fourth day, Dwabεnhene Adakwa Yiadͻm led a Dwabεn battalion to Anͻkye’s rescue. Their onslaught compelled some of the Denkyira warriors to escape or surrender. Others fought valiantly to the death as the Asanti soldiers overrun their defenses. Someone told me that Nana Ntim Gyakari was seated next to one of his concubines, waiting for news of a reversal of events and a Denkyira triumph. They say he had a pair of gold cuffs affixed to his and his lover's ankle. “Nana. They’re coming!” a message-bearer arrived and said. “Who?” asked the King. “The Asanti, Nana,” he answered. Others brought the same message. “They are heading straight for this camp.” T hings weren't going well out there at all. A Denkyira commander had left his position and absconded. And their Chief Priest, Kͻmfo Kyirεkye, had already been slain at Adansi. Thankfully, Denkyira warriors had escaped with Kͻmfo Kyirεkye’s body. But the counselors wanted to keep their King alive. They tried to convince the Denkyirahene to flee to safety. Ntim Gyakari couldn’t accept the implications of running away. After all, Denkyira swallows whole elephants. The seated Denkyirahene Nana Ntim Gyakari may not have noticed when a Dwabεn squad led by the Dwabεnhene Nana Adakwa Yiadͻm entered his camp. The Denkyira King looked up and saw Nana Yiadͻm standing over him with a raised, sharp sword. Before he could object, the Dwabεnhene hacked off his arm on which he sported a glittering gold bracelet. The shocked Denkyirahene cringed as his limb fell to the ground. Akosa of Edumpͻn removed the precious ornament off the severed arm. He handed the bracelet to the Dwabεnhene. I heard they also took the gold fetters binding Denkyirahene's ankles to his lover's. Together, they led the captured Nana Ntim Gyakari out of the camp. The Dwabεn warriors followed close behind with drawn swords and guns at the ready. As the saying goes, the Denkyirahene had carried his nation to Fεyiase only to lose it. Plus he's lost his arm and stool without being given the pleasure of, at least, a parting speech. 'Katakyie Nana Ͻsεe Tutu thanked Ͻyεadeεyie Twediampͻn Nana Nyankopͻn when the news came. The Denkyira soldiers who had not escaped or been slain were captured and brought to Kumasi. Asanti warriors overrun Dwukwa and the rest of Denkyira. For two weeks, the victorious army ransacked that wealthiest nation in the land. Most of the Denkyira citizens were already on their way out to Asanti where they were welcomed and given a place to settle and citizenship rights. Upon

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arrival in Asanti, the Denkyira king Nana Yim Awere went to see Nana Ͻsεe Tutu with presents. He brought his kingly talking drums along. The King’s Drummers each had a go at it. The King then asked the visitor to play. Yim Awere took the drumsticks and improvised on the words the King had spoken. Awere colorfully drummed the gatherings' minds and souls up into beauty heights. “Nana Awere!” said Ͻsεe Tutu, “These drums will remain here in Mεnhyia.” As Kͻmfo Anͻkye had indicated, three days after the final battle, the celebrated Mampͻnhene Nana Boahen Anεntuo, the Commander-in-Chief, breathed his last at Dwabεn Kyeneso. He was r i d i n g in his palanquin towards Kumasi when it happened. Nana Ntim Gyakari, his precious Silver Stool and the sparkling gold fetters found locked around his and his lover’s ankles, were led out to Kumasi. The canons used in the war were rolled into the Asanti capital as well. The guns fell silent.

After the War Someone said that having annexed Denkyira, Nana Ͻsεe Tutu appointed Nana Ͻhemaa Ohuagyeiwaa, a respected Denkyira queen, to govern Denkyira while they decided on the new Denkyirahene. At Dwabrεm, the Executioner had his way about Nana Ntim Gyakari's neck. Captured Denkyira generals were also beheaded. Their King’s body was dismembered. According to legend, the Mampͻnhene kept, as a trophy, the Denkyirahene’s legs. The Dwabεnhene took his arms. The Bεkwaehene kept Nana Ntim Gyakari’s beard. The Asantihene was given his head. For siding with King Ntim Gyakari, an indemnity of two thousand weights in gold was imposed on Akyim Kotoku. I heard that about thirty thousand of their warriors with their leader Nana Ofori Korobe and his bodyguard were slain in the war. They say about seventy thousand Denkyira w a r r i o r s lost their lives. The Asanti side lost some hundred thousand warriors, along with Nana Tweneboa Kodua, Sabεn Odiawuo t h e son of Nana Obiri Yεboa, Ԑdwisohene Nana Duku Pim, Bonwirεhene Nana Bobie and Nana Nsuase Poku. Regarding defectors, I heard that Safi was elevated to succeed Nana Nsuase Poku. As for Asiama Tia, he was executed as a traitor because he only turned against the Denkyirahene after he was personally offended by Ntim Gyakari. Captured weapons were brought to the armory. Seized Denkyira canons would be put on display at Apremso. The triumphant warriors met with the Asantihene and tried to out-perform each other in their uninhibited war dances with the Nkrawiri and Mpebi drums that Daasebrε Nana Ͻsεe Tutu had introduced as part of his paraphernalia. The Asantihene paid homage to those who had laid down their lives. He gave expensive rewards to their respective families. All warriors alive also received precious gifts to merit each individual’s performance. Names of the known kor-ankͻ-bi, those who hid from the call to arms and those who had deserted were mentioned and shamed. The kings among them were destooled. The vindicated Kͻmfo Anͻkye was named Commander of the Vanguard and given the title “Kotowbrε,” Bow to him without ceasing. He was also given a huge, gold arm bracelet, a hundred peregwan of gold, three hundred men. Seven hornsmen, a set of huge drums and a magnificent state umbrella with four gilded gold swords on its apex were added. He was appointed the Paramount king of Agona

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after the reign of Nana Gyεdu Kumenin who ruled after Nana Oppͻn Pεnin's tenure. Kͻmfo would govern from his Boabeduru Ahenfie in Agona. Some say he was given a thousand of everything. This included the thousand men that went with him to Agona and became known as the Kͻmfo Anͻkye Apim-asefo. What about the pillage and the troubles gold can bring? There’s this story: A rift occured between Dwabεnhene Nana Adakwa Yiadͻm and Kͻmfo Anͻkye. Kͻmfo wanted Nana Yiadͻm to turn i n King Ntim Gyakari’s gold bracelet: “We are both wealthy men. Neither of us really needs this gold bracelet.” Nana Yiadͻm refused to give it up. “We are the ones who, captured Ntim Gyakari,” he reminded Anͻkye. It was a sunny minor Akwεsidae morning at Dwabεn. Nana Adakwa Yiadͻm, seated in grandeur, was enjoying the breeze. He felt something ticklish around in his nostril. He blew his nose several times, but the thing was not coming out. Fear took a hold as the king gasped for air. He heard a clear voice ringing out through his nose: “Kotowbrε says hand over the bracelet right now. Will you?” This frightened Nana Adakwa Yiadͻm some more. He ordered one of his attendants to fetch the jewelry case in which the bracelet lay. It was brought to him. “Place it in a royal gift box and send it to Kͻmfo Anͻkye. Hurry!” he said. The bracelet was well on its way to Kotowbrε before the thing in his nose slowly came out. I heard that once the thing had come out of his nose, Nana Adakwa Yiadͻm changed his mind and quickly re-called the messenger. They say Nana Adakwa Yiadͻm retained possession of the ornament. He didn’t give in to Anͻkye. The vision of a liberated Asanti nation had come to life. Kͻmfo decided to keep the people's focus on Asantihene Nana Ͻsεe Tutu. To stay out of the public eye he retired to Agona-Akrofoso where he occupied his time with healing, counseling and his duties as ruler of the Agona state. Yet Asanti national public life would not leave him alone. His role as judicial administrator and as constitutional adviser and economic adviser especially in matters of oaths and fines, took up his time. He had roused a sleeping giant – Asanti – and had to keep it awake. It would be wrong to leave Nana Ͻsεe Tutu to bear the burden alone. Whenever duty called, Kͻmfo made himself available. It seemed as though he lived both in Kumasi and in Agona. Before finally settling in Agona-Akyempem, Anͻkye paid a visit to Nkorͻnso near Asͻkore, Asanti-Mampͻn. There he tapped into the Great Silence for directives in guiding Asanti forward. He and Ͻsεe Tutu then met to discuss the importance of a national major annual

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cleansing ceremonies observed by the Akan people, the Odwira festival. It would be a time to take stock of the past year’s events and wrap the nation in purity so that Asanti people would realign with and recommit to making themselves more acceptable to the ancestors and Nana Nyame. Kͻmfo explained, “The Odwira festival, culminating in the Akwεsidae Kεse, will be observed each year when the yams are harvested. It will signify the renewal of Asanti. You agree that our existence is worthless without purity. During Odwira, people will abstain from eating food or eat very little until the day of feasting. When it begins, the land will hear no drumming. We'll give the elements of Creation some quiet to regain their balance. The lifting of the ban on drumming and the celebration of the New Harvest on Tuesday will follow the Path Clearing of Monday. On the Awukudae, the Wednesday, we will spend the day remembering the Asanti martyrs and, indeed, all Asanti ancestors. The festival will climax in the worship and adoration of the Supreme Creator. Sika Dwa may occasionally be displayed when the Asantihene, Asantihemaa the Queenmother, kings and Elders come together with the citizenry at Dwabrεm. The Denkyira Stool's seized possessions were examined. Two documents were presented to Ͻsεe Tutu. The sheet on top was a Dutch Kostbrieffe – an agreement referring to the periodic payments of land rent covering the Ԑlmina Castle property. Part of it read, “… to The Monarch of Denkyira. There is granted a kostgeld of 2 oz. of gold a month in trade goods…” On the back of the yellowing sheet were records of payments so-far made. It bore the signature of the Dutch leader on the coast. First, Ͻsεe Tutu made sure it was addressed to The Monarch of Asanti. They would collect the rent at regular intervals if two ounces of gold a month in goods w a s worth the trouble of travel. The second paper stipulated rights to the gold mines in Obuasi. African trade with the Europeans had been significantly reduced during the three years of war. Ntim Gyakari still owed the Dutch a thousand peregwan. “If we are going to inherit her wealth,” the Asantihene declared, “we will take on Denkyira’s debts too.” Ͻsεe Tutu paid off the debt incurred. Otumfoͻ Ͻsεe Tutu checked the records. Payments for eighty pieces of ivory sold to a group of English traders had not been made. He sent a representative to the coast to collect what was due. At first, the Europeans protested. They said they had honored their end of the bargain. Then, they considered the likely consequences of incurring the displeasure of the Asantihene. The Europeans stopped insisting and sent the full, specified sum. As a follow up, they sent ambassadors to

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greet the King. The Englanders had heard about the loyalty pledged by the other European nations to Nana Ͻsεe Tutu. They were keen on outdoing the competition. An elegant field bed with superior quality English quilt and cotton covers, and highly finished living room furniture were brought to the Asantihene. It is said that a general’s truncheon, a colonel’s scarf, a colonel’s bullet mold and holsters with a pair of pistols were added for good measure. “We are willing to present the same to your sons,” the spokesman said as he unfolded a fabric freshly woven out of silver and gold strands. “We brought this choice piece of cloth for your Senior Wife.” A King’s head never rests easy. Nana Ͻsεe Tutu and Kͻmfo Anͻkye were both aware that some kings would start asking, “Why Ͻsεe Tutu? Why not me?” They’d rise to fight the King. Also some Denkyira fighters would rebel and fight Asanti. They heard about a dissident group of Denkyira soldiers who had retreated to Ankaase, ready for more war. The Asantihene implored them to surrender. They couldn't be stopped. Kwakyeman situated at the South-East of Lake Bosomtwe, was governed by Nana Boakye Ntow Kuroko, a renowned warrior King. The insurgent Denkyira warriors asked Kwakyemanhene Nana Kuroko, who had always been on friendly terms with the Denkyira, for support. King Ͻsεe Tutu did not personally go out to handle this insurgency. He asked General Amankwεtia Pεnin to do so. Nana Amankwεtia conquered Nana Ntow Kuroko’s Kwakyeman and Ankaase, and had them annexed to Asanti. Nana Ntow slipped away southwards with some of his warriors and founded a new town, which they named Akyim Bosome. Ͻsεe Tutu a l s o heard reports of an Asanti king who was planning on seceding. Through a series of investigations, he found it wasn't merely conjecture. The King decided to await the Odwira.

Crystal Nectar Dance

The Harvest period came. The ͻkyeame spoke: Otumfoͻ Ͻsεe Tutu Kwame Mεnu The Powerful One Osagyefo Ͻsεe Tutu Kwame Mεnu The Possessor of Wealth The Golden Stool and the Golden Elephant Tail Wealth is what Your Gold Elephant stands for Power is what Sika Dwa stands for Authority is Yours, Nana Authority is Yours

The first Asanti Odwira festival was celebrated. The grand durbar was held at Dwabrεm. The King sat under his large multicolored umbrella at the central the curve of the horseshoe formation in which the kings were seated. To his right hand side were the Akrafo, representatives of his soul. T he Ͻbrafo, Chief Executioner, stood right behind him. The Ͻk yeam e, Chief Linguist, stood in front of him. On his left the Asantihemaa was seated on her stool high above the gathering. The Amanhene of the Asantiman-Nnum faced the King in the distance. They s at un d e r s t a te um b rel la s w h o s e s i z e s a nd co l o r s we r e d e te rm i n e d b y the ir ra nk . Dire c t l y b e h ind the m we re the ca pta in s a nd warrio rs . with kings' linguists, retainers and abrafo s e a t e d o r s t a n d i n g between them. The Kεtε, Nkrawiri and Mpεbi drums were sounded. The Chief Executioner stepped forward and did his dance. Other abrafo then danced. On came the mmoatia, the dwarfs, led by the King’s Dwarf. They gave a gripping performance. The cowbells, εtumpan and the fͻntͻmfrͻm played. Ͻsεe Tutu’s Amoakwa and Nkrawobεn horns rang out their messages in conversation with the percussion instruments. There was feasting after major purification rites were performed and blessings were said. The purification ceremony would continue through Apafram Saturday and Apafram Sunday. On Apafram Saturday, the kings arrived in palanquins amidst drumming. The Amanhene, State kings were welcomed at Apremso where the captured Denkyira canons stood. Sika Dwa Kofi, some say with Ntim Gyakari’s lovers’ gold fetters fastened to it, was on show beside the King. The kings held up their swords in turns, according to

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rank, and swore allegiance to the Asantihene. The ceremony lasted deep into the night. Nana Ͻsεe Tutu also had words to say: On the Life of the Asanti Nation, Be Prosperous Let your Fertile Land bring forth Fruits Let your Women bear Children. Let Hunters succeed Let Miners find Gold Let Me receive mine for this Sacred Stool

Apafram Sunday had arrived. The warrior kings met in seclusion with Otumfoͻ Ͻsεe Tutu. The King wasn't dressed in festive regalia. He wore kyεnkyεn, bark cloth. War trophies were brought in from Bantoma-Konti where Nana Amankwεtia Pεnin resided and governed. The Odwira charm, the Apafram had been brought in from Asafo. The Asantihene smeared red clay on the Apafram. The disloyal king was arrested. A new Denkyira King, Nana Boadu Akafu Brεmpͻn, was enstooled. After a while, an Advisor came to the Asantihene: “Nana, he didn’t mean a word when he swore the oath. He’s up in arms against your Stool.” Ͻsεe Tutu struck and re-established Asanti authority in that territory. Kotowbrε was at his Boabeduru Ahenfie. From Mεnhyia came the Asantihene’s message: “You will accompany me to war against the Bontuku. Abo leads them.” Anͻkye came along to the battlefield with his friend. They returned triumphant. I heard that's when Anͻkye formally retired from public life. The fabulously gold-rich Twifo nation located inside the Ԑlmina hinterland was reluctant to submit to Asanti rule. Nana Ͻsεe Tutu offered them the option of a peaceful settlement. The resourceful Twifo wanted to fight. It took about two years of intensive fighting for the Asanti-Wassa coalition to win. The Twifo king finally accepted the Asantihene’s peace terms brought in by Nti Piεnim who would soon become the Dadiεsohene. Like the Twifo, the Aowin, who were also extremely rich in gold, did not wish to become a tributary of Asanti. One story says about three thousand Asanti traders arrived in Axim. They also happened to be active warriors. They went to purchase arms. “What are you buying all

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these guns and ammunition for?” the sellers asked. “We are buying them for a certain nation that has been contracted by the Aowin to help them in an upcoming war.” was the answer. Aowin Koko, situated between Aowin and Asanti, was destroyed in the war that followed. The town was looted. Asanti fighters were leaving with their weighty booty when officials of bigger Aowin stopped them and took them to their King. “Why don’t you come and live here with us? We're a free and independent people,” the Aowin ruler offered. “You get to keep your booty for yourselves. And, we will give you land to live on.” The Asanti warriors were suspicious. After days of convincing, they finally agreed to stay. Other Asanti people, drawn by the gold, moved to join them there. Aowin was asserting her independence from Asanti rule. As time went by, Aowin became a stronghold of Asanti dissidents who joined forces with others from Akanni, Twifo and Denkyira. Kontihene Nana Amankwεtia Pεnin had to go and tackle the issue. He went to Wassa. They say some English officials hosted him on his way and showered him with gifts. Winning his favor implied winning that of the Asantihene. And with Wassa support Nana Amankwεtia Pεnin launched his attack. Now Aowin, with all the Asanti warriors in their fold, felt indomitable. And even before their arrival, Aowin was already another powerful, gold-rich nation. Kontihene Amankwεtia Pεnin faced more difficult resistance than what he had planned for. Af ter a wh i le , Nana Ͻsεe Tutu received news tha t Nana Amankwεtia Pεnin, working with Nana Gyεntua of Wassa, had triumphed. They fought and took Gyaaman and Banda, and informed the Asantihene. Nana Amankwεtia remained in Aowin to stabilize the situation. The Abrεmpͻn had not been receiving their due share of moneys from constitutional cases. They desired an explanation. Mistrust would threaten the unity of Asanti. A Supreme Council meeting was held. The kings faced the King. “It’s the Akyeamehene who collects money on Nana’s behalf. The Asantihene's Financial Adviser Kͻmfo Anͻkye deflected the accusations to an eloquent defendant, the Chief Linguist, one who would neither make heavy weather of, nor hide, the facts. “He should explain.” The Ͻkyeame responded: “Blame not the King. But, like you, it does disturb me too. Daily, I sweat in the sun, latching on to my old stick, collecting sums for Otumfoͻ. He fears no man and will tell no lie. Truth is, I’ve never been paid a speck of gold dust for all my troubles.” The point had been made. Ͻsεe Tutu did the honorable thing and admitted his fault. He amended the arrangements: The Akyeamehene was appointed Atuotuahene. Ͻsεe Tutu asked him to regularly pay a portion of what he collected to the kings and

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l inguists. From that day on, he, the Atuotuahene would receive a weekly salary. And for transparency, he would sit, not in the sun, but, beside the King while performing his duties. For the other military powers in the land, there was a perpetual temptation to fight and defeat the powerful Asanti kingdom. The Akyim, who were growing stronger, certainly had the resources to do just that. The Akyim were not merely rich economically and militarily advanced. They had a highly refined political system. Like the Asanti, they made it easy for war captives to become free citizens. This generally secured the loyalty of those they conquered. I even heard they had institutions of advanced learning, a university about two hundred years ago. About two decades had melted since the Liberation War and Akyim Kotoku had not paid the two thousand weights in gold indemnity to the Asantihene. The King informed the Abrεmpͻn about Akyim reluctance to pay. Also, Asanti people residing in Akyim who wanted to return to Asanti were being prevented from leaving. Kͻmfo A n ͻ k ye told the King, “They' re planning a war. Akyim-Kotokuhene Nana Ofosu Apεnten has linked with Akyim-Abuakwahene Nana Ofori Pεnin. Asanti will eventually win the war, but not until we have seen the worst reversals in our history, worse than what we endured during the War of Liberation.” Anͻkye said he was re-committing himself to help keep Asanti intact. The Asanti King decided to lead h i s a s a f o against the Akyim. “Kontihene Amankwεtia and Mampͻnhene Amεniampͻn will come with me,” said Ͻsεe Tutu. “Should you get stuck in this one, Nana, it would be wrong for the Asanti people to witness your lifeless body,” Kͻmfo said. “You symbolize the Life of Asanti.” The Asantihene sent a message-bearer to ask Nana Amankwεtia Pεnin to leave Aowin territory, and return to Kumasi at once. Aowin was by then heavily populated with many Asanti people. Before Amankwεtia left, the General and Gyεntua had gotten the Aowin king to agree to a total tax payment of six hundred ounces of gold on behalf of the Aowin citizenry. The Kontihene arrived. Nana Ͻsεe Tutu listened carefully to his first hand account of the Aowin War, and the state of affairs at present. “The Aowin king had the Asanti migrants kept in shackles. Armed guards, with orders to restrain them from leaking any Aowin secrets to us, stood over them. They planned to execute them as soon as our soldiers broke in,” Amankwεtia told the Asantihene. “They combined forces with Abrambo and Adom to challenge our warriors and the asafo of the great Wassa Chiefs who helped us. We were without the equipment for the full-blown war that this evolved into. So we lost the first phase. We returned with enough arms and an alliance with the

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Twifo. The Aowin succumbed when we opened things up for a l o n g war.” The General continued: “We, together with the Ntwan, went to Iguara to finish with the Aowin warriors who had escaped. They fought well. But many of their fighters broke out of their hiding places and escaped. We chased them all the way to Nkasa and Bεgorͻ. We even had to move northwards across the River Tano to make sure. And as the message-bearer informed your Highness, we annexed the two great nations of Banda and Gyaaman to Asanti.” Nana Ͻsεe Tutu congratulated the General and hinted on the brewing storm. Anͻkye strung the incidents together: “Some Adansi people have turned against Asanti and offered some Denkyira a place of refuge. They've declared their support for the Twifohene whom Otumfoͻ has deposed. They want to restore him as king of his people. We'll have to deal with that. And right now, we're looking at a war against the Akyim.” “We've heard that the Akyim started buying weapons for this war years ago,” said Anͻkye. “As you know, right now, they possess more gold than any other nation in the land. Gold is their money. There is nothing they want to purchase that they cannot have – especially from the seafarers who trade guns for gold and our people.” By then, the Akyim had pledged to help the Kͻmεnda people who had offered asylum to the Twifo in the event of an Asanti attack. The Europeans thought it wasn't prudent to go against the Asanti in that time. The seafarers attempted to mediate. “You have nothing to gain either way,” an Akyim diplomat wittily advised. “The Asanti may trade with you, but they are not your friends. And if they lose against the Twifo, your most powerful trading partners on the coast will stop cooperating with you. Twifo and the other smaller nations will harass and blockade traders passing through and that will not be good for you. They’ll demand pricey fees from you. They'll make it difficult for you. Remember, we are your most important gold suppliers.” The mention of gold m u s t h a v e quieted the seafarers. First, the Akyim defeated the Akanni who then escaped to the coast. Instead of following the fleeing Akanni people, the Akyim retreated strategically. They were not going to dissipate resources battling through the war-ready coastal Agona’s territories. We know about the fierce warrior queens, who for generations, ruled in those parts. The coastal Agona towns had denied passage for Akyim arms and ammunition supplies. Apart from Swεdru, all the Agona peoples declined to co-operate with the Akyim because of their indissoluble ties with Asanti. The coastal Agona invited Asanti to join in an alliance with Akwεmu against Akyim. Faced with such opposition, the Akyim wisely

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withdrew. By then, the third Akyim state, Akropͻn, had joined the Akyim Kotoku and Abuakwa forces. With their new found muscle, they struck at the coastal Agona with a surprise attack. But, then again, they had to call it off. The resistance was overwhelming. When the Asanti defeated Nana Ofosu Apεnten's Akyim-Kotoku, the Akyim pledged to pay indemnity and hand over Asanti hostages in their territory. The bitter memories of defeat during the Asant i -Dεnkyira War were still vivid on all minds. So was the defeat of Nana Ampao with their Gyaasehene, Nana Ntorikoko when they encountered Nana Oti Akεntεn during the Lake Bosomtwe dispute. The Akyim didn’t act upon their promise. They refused t o p a y a n y t h i n g t o A s a n t i . They did not want to release the Asanti people in Akyim either. They came up with plausible excuses each time Nana Ͻsεe Tutu urged them to make good on their promise. Under increased Asanti diplomatic pressure, two Akyim kings w e r e handed over as surety. They swore allegiance to Otumfoͻ. Akyim-Akuropͻnhene Nana Kuntunkununku and Nana Ofori Pεnin refused outright to allow the Adansi living in Akyim to return to Asanti. Ͻpimsuͻ Ͻsεe Tutu sent Bonsra Afriyie who returned to Fomena with some of the Asanti hostages. Afriyie was made Adansihene. Amo Yaw, Okumnini Gyεmfi of Ahamso, Danso of Akokoase and Gyenim of Kwantanan also returned with their people. On arrival, they swore allegiance to Sika Dwa Kofi and the Asantihene after paying an indemnity of more than two hundred ounces of gold. Nana Ofori Pεnin convinced N a n a Kuntunkununku to attack the Akwεmu. Defeating Akwεmu would shake Asanti confidence. He and Nana Frεmpͻn led about forty thousand warriors aga ins t t he Ak wεm u. N a n a Kun tunkununku wa s slain in battle. Nana Damran was chosen to replace him against Akwεmu. Na na Dam ran was also killed. Akyim felt it had no other option at that point than to take on the Asanti. War was declared. Otumfoͻ Ͻsεe Tutu visited Paakoso to psyche up for the coming war when the three years of preparation was over. After his seven-day stay beside a river at Paakoso, he led the Asanti asafo into Akyim. Accompanying him to war were his nephews and heir apparents Opoku Ware and Boa Akwεtia. Sounds of the seven Ko-kwan-a-εnnya, “Don’t travel without them” war horns, soared around them as they went into battle. The war drums anchored the sounds. The Asanti asafo trooped gallantly into Akyim territory. But the firepower of the Akyim army halted their movement. The Asanti as a f o sp e n t far more ammunition than

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they had planned to. A surprise plague of smallpox hit taking numerous Asanti warriors' lives. Surrounded, low on supplies while already deep inside hostile territory and without food or water, the Asanti asafo decided to pull out. It was Asantihene Nana Ͻsεe Tutu’s presence that kept morale afloat. They began to exit by crossing the River Pra. A message-bearer in war garment arrived at Boabeduru Ahenfie. Kͻmfo Anͻkye came out to hear what he had to say. “I’ve been sent with this Kunorokͻsεm,” said the message-bearer. “Kotowbrε, a mighty tree has been uprooted. A fire has been put out.” Anͻkye knew it was about Nana Ͻsεe Tutu. “On Saturday, we were retreating from Akyim territory. Akyim snipers fired at u s from Akromante. Then they waited till some of us had crossed ahead of Nana. When he was being carried across the River Pra in his War Palanquin, paww! They fired. He fell into the river. Curtains of bullets rained down on us. We fought back. But we lost our rhythm. About three hundred of our men were slain. Divers could not find Nana’s body when they searched the bottom of the river. I hurried with the news to Kumasi and they asked me to come here to let you know.” Kͻmfo was hurt by the loss of his partner. But among the Asantihene's many accomplishments, Otumfoͻ had at least lived to see their vision of an Asanti nation come true. The news was kept from the Asanti public for a period. In the interim, the Asantihemaa, according to custom, governed while a new Asantihene was waiting to be chosen. Boa Akwεtia and Opoku Ware were recalled to Kumasi. Was it going to be Bediako or Boa Akwεtia or Opoku Ware? After several days and nights of debate, Mampͻnhene Amεniampͻn’s choice, Opoku Ware, was elected by the Asantihemaa and acknowledged as the new Asantihene. T h e n e w K i n g w a s o u t d o o r e d . The Abrεmpͻn swore allegiance to him, and he, to Sika Dwa Kofi. I was told that Bediako was unhappy about the decision and tried to stir the public against N a n a Opoku Ware. But he could not quite rally considerable support. Disappointed, he left for Aduman and, later on, relocated at Ͻffinso. Nana Opoku Ware – the Tall One, also proved to be a war leader of stellar calibre. Dressed in Nana Ͻsεe Tutu’s ceremonial batakarikεse and matching cap he was carried in a palanquin into Akyim territory. Vengeance was the Asanti army’s that day. The positive impact of having Nana Opoku Ware for a new Asantihene was magical. It felt like having a reincarnated Ͻsεe Tutu as leader. With Asantihene Nana Opoku Ware in the lead, they routed the Akyim asafo, ordered residents to leave Akromante and burned the town down to soot and

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ash. Smoke was still rising from the ruins when the Akyim proposed a peaceful settlement to what they defined, not as a loss, but simply, “a national crisis.” Asantihene Nana Opoku Ware decided to remain inside Akyim to secure the territory. But then the new Asantihene received a dismal report: A massive detachment of the Aowin asafo, led by Nana Abimoro, had entered Kumasi. The invaders had taken hostages and property and were about to leave. Their captives included the Asantihemaa and other royals. Nana Opoku Ware dispatched Brafo Yam and a thousand men to Kumasi. They fought the Aowin without success. Brafo sent to inform Asantihene Opoku Ware about the impossibility of containing the large size of the invading forces. Hiaahene Sabεn was sent with more warriors to strengthen the defenders of Kumasi. After waiting for feedback from Kumasi, Opoku Ware asked General Amankwεtia to go home and bring things under control. The Kontihene entered Kumasi. He defeated the remaining invaders and placed a regiment on alert to defend the city while he tracked the escaping Aowin fighters. The idea that the Asantihemaa was among the royal captives taken by the Aowin deeply disturbed Nana Opoku Ware. He couldn't stay away any longer. The King delegated his duties to Mampͻnhene Nana Amεniampͻn who was in Akyim with him. On a way out, Nana Opoku Ware firmed arrangements with the Akwεmu allies to help sustain the military gains in Akyim territory. Opoku Ware headed for Kumasi. When he got to Mεnhyia he vowed, “I’m not setting foot in the palace until I have brought back our Asantihemaa and every single hostage.” He went after the Aowin himself and returned with all the hostages. Nana Abimoro was about to cross the River Tano when General Amankwεtia caught up with him and slew him. The Asanti asafo then returned to Kumasi from Akyim. They came with the Akyim Kotokuhene Nana Ofosuhene Apεnten and his Queenmother, Nana Ͻhemaa Ofosua. Both of them were sent to the executioner. Several months of “silence” were observed before the funeral of Nana Ͻsεe Tutu was announced and held. When the grieving was over, Asantihene Nana Opoku Ware held discussions with Kͻmfo Anͻkye on ways of keeping the nation united and progressing. Kotowbrε told him: “Asanti needs total loyalty. Another oath will have to be sworn in memory of the Life of Ͻsεe Tutu. The commanders are the ones responsible for the security of Asanti. We need to shore up their inner energies with a feel of his presence.” The 'Kormante Memeneda Ntamkεseε, the Great Oath, was crafted by Kͻmfo Anͻkye and sworn by the Warrior kings. It starts with,

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I swear by that Saturday I swear by 'Kormante... While Nana Opoku Ware continued enlarging the boundaries of the k i n g d o m , Gyaaman flourished under the able leadership of Nana Adinkra. The Gyaamanhene fantasized about having a golden stool of his own. His advisers tried to discourage the idea. “I’m going to have it made anyway!” the defiant king persisted. Now that Nana Ͻsεe Tutu himself was not ruling in person, he thought Gyaaman could challenge Kumasi. He had the goldsmiths make a beautiful golden stool to placate his unrestrained ego. War with Kumasi was the natural outcome. Nana Adinkra was defeated at Bontuku and brought to Kumasi. The Ͻbrafo lopped off head. They say his golden stool was melted and sculpted into a pair of abstract mask representations of his face. These masks were attached to either side of the real Golden Stool.

Is There A Limit? There’s this other story: Anͻkye announced that he was on his way to find the remedy to death. “If after seventy-seven days, I’ve not come out of my room, nobody should think I'm dead. No one should mourn. Be calm and wait. I will be back.” Another version says he asked for a waiting period of seven days. Some say eight days. Some say six. Some say three days. Yet another says he asked them to wait for a hundred and seventy days. Kͻmfo Anͻkye entered his room and closed the door. People had been able to make sense of the idea of creating a united Asanti nation. They may even have heard stories of individuals who never died. But hardly anyone could relate to the idea of an antidote to death for a whole people. They say someone walked into his room. Anͻkye did not seem to be breathing. The grief-stricken individual left the room and joined the already gloomy gathering out in the courtyard and told them what they expected to hear. The gathering “forgot” that Kͻmfo had instructed them not to mourn. Some men fetched their guns, aimed them at the high skies and fired shots announcing his passing away. People wept. Drummers drummed and horn blowers blew their horns. Musket shots, dirge music and harrowing wailing continued to punctuate the ambiance into the night. A man was hurrying home in the dark. At Abεten, an old man stopped in his path. “Akora, you’re coming from Agona?” The man answered, “Yes.” “What do you know about that noise we’re hearing from over there?” The man said, “They’re holding Kͻmfo Anͻkye’s funeral.” That was when he looked in the elder's face and recognized he had jus t met Kͻmfo Anͻkye “ returning with the cure” from the land of the numberless. In Agona Asanti, I was told another story: It was a still, dark dawn. A woman was on her way to fetch water. A solitary figure drew closer and greeted her. Then he asked, “Why do we hear wailing in town, ͻhemaa?” She assumed he was a stranger. “They are mourning the death of Kͻmfo Anͻkye...” “What?” he remarked. “I have re turned with the rem edy as I p rom ised! ” Then, before her eyes, the “stranger” morphed into a stream that suddenly took form, flowing from where she last saw him place his feet.

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