Source: Ghana News
Adinkra symbols are a unique representation of cultural expressions, concepts, values and traditional mythology of the Akan of Ghana and Gyaaman of Ivory Coast.
The intricate symbols of Adinkra have an appealing but also represent objects that encapsulate evocative messages that convey traditional wisdom, aspects of life or the environment.
The Adinkra symbols and meanings express subjects that chronicle the history, philosophy, and heritage of the Asante people.
The heritage dates back to the prehistoric time when Africans inscribed on walls and caves as a means of written communication.
All about Adinkra
The intricate symbols of Adinkra have an appealing quality that represents reminiscent messages of traditional wisdom, cultural and religious aspects of the Ashanti and Akan communities. Adinkra means ‘goodbye’ or ‘farewell' in the Akan language. Wearing of traditional outfits adorned in Adinkra has been a practice amongst Akan and Ashanti for centuries.
Traditionally, only the nobles and religious leaders had the privilege to adorn Adinkra cloths on special events. However, in modern times, Adinkra has been adopted and extensively been integrated into fashion, architecture, wood carvings, jewelry furniture, pottery and so forth.
Legend has it that the Adinkra is christened after the king of Gyaman, Nana Kofi Adinkra. The Asante artists were later to learn the Adinkra designs King Kwodo Adingras son, Appau after Asante defeated Gyamnan. It continues to insinuate that Nana Adinkra dressed in patterned cloth, in response to his grief on being taken to the capital of Asante, Kumasi.
The symbols on Asante’s traditional fabric are also known as Adinkra. These emblems were originally crafted by the Akan community.
Among the hundreds of all Adinkra symbols and their meaning that have been recorded and preserved, the former symbols hold intangible fables, proverbs, folktales, songs, and phrases. The Adinkra also portray important events, the behavior of flora and fauna plus the human's behavior
Ancient symbols in retrospect
The greatest civilizations like the Egyptians, Native Americans, Romans, and Greek had intricate and complex symbols we can still study today. These ancient symbols are consistent with geometry laws - the foundation of the universe. These symbols and emblems were cherished in ancient civilization. It has been studied that living organisms like plants, seashells and so on have geometry embedded in their design, further implying of advanced ancient knowledge.
Ancient symbolic Pictures that formed works of art sheds interesting knowhow few can comprehend.
Think about the papal cross, Chinese dragon, Star of David, Horned God Symbol, Eye of Horus, the list is endless. They are common to sight but have you ever posed to wonder what they mean, or the massages or possible energies they possess to those who revere them?
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