THE LEGEND OF THE GOLDEN STOOL OF THE ASHANTI

 

The Ashanti or the Asante are a major ethnic group in the Ashanti region of Ghana. They speak Asante also referred to as Twi; an Akan dialect similar to Fante. They lived 300km away from the coast of Ghana. In the pre-colonial era, the Ashanti people have a large and influential empire in West Africa. Today, the Ashanti number close to 7 million (about 19% of the Ghanaian population) living majorly in the Ashanti region. Kumasi, the current capital of the Ashanti region, was the historic capital of the Ashanti kingdom.

THE KINGDOM

The Ashanti grew from a tributary state into a centralized hierarchical kingdom. The kingdom was founded in the 1670s by Osei Tutu, the military leader and head of the Oyoko clan. He got the support of other clan heads and using Kumasi as the central base, subdued the surrounding Akan states. He challenged and eventually defeated Denkyira in 1701.

Knowing the weakness of a loose confederation of Akan states, Osei Tutu strengthened the centralization of the surrounding Akan groups and extended the power judiciary system within the centralized government. Thereby, turning a loose confederation of small-city states into an empire looking to expand it lands. Newly conquered areas had the options of joining the kingdom or becoming  tributary states. Osei Tutu was succeeded by Opoku Ware 1, who extended the borders, embracing the much of present day Ghana’s territory.

THE LEGEND

The legend of the golden stool known as the sika dwa is as old as the kingdom itself. In the seventeenth century, in order to gain their independence from Denkyira, then another powerful Akan state, a meeting of all the heads of clans of the Ashanti was called. In that meeting, the priest, Okomfo Anokye(sage advisor)commanded down the Golden stool  from heaven into the lap of the Asantehene(the king of Asante) Osei Tutu 1. Okomfo Anokye declared the stool as Asanteman – the symbol of the new Asante union and an allegiance was sworn to the golden stool and to Osei Tutu as the Asantehene. The newly founded Asante union went to war with Denkyira and defeated it.

The golden stool is very sacred to the Ashanti, as they believed that it contain the sunsum – the spirit or the soul of the Ashanti people. Just as a man cannot live without a soul, the Ashanti would cease to exist if the golden stool were to be taken from them.

The Golden Stool is a curved seat 46 cm high with a platform 61 cm wide and 30 cm deep. Its entire surface is inlaid with gold, and hung with bells to warn the king of impending danger. It has not been seen by many and only the king and trusted advisers know the hiding place. Replicas of the stool have been produced for the chiefs and at their funerals are ceremonially blackened with animal blood, a symbol of their power for generations.

Asantehene Prempeh I

 The Ashanti have always defended their Golden Stool when it was at risk. In 1896, the Ashanti allowed their King, Prempeh 1, to be exiled rather than risk losing a war and the Golden Stool in the process. The Governor of the Gold Coast, Sir Frederick Hodgson, demanded to sit on the stool in 1900. The Ashanti remained silent and when the assembly ended, they went home and prepared for war. Although they lost on the battle field, they claimed victory because they fought only to preserve the sanctity of the Golden Stool, and they had.

The Ashanti have always being proud of the uniqueness of the golden stool. When the king of Gyaaman, Adinkra made himself, a golden stool the Asantehene was annoyed and led a massive army against him. Adinkra was totally destroyed in Bondoukou, and was decapitated. The Asantehene then ordered the melt down of Adinkra golden stool and made into two masks to represent his ugly face. These masks remain hanging on each side of the stool till date.