Devoted to opening up the dialogue not only between but also within cultures	A study of African and Native American Culture and Proverbs
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Ashanti Symbols

Ashanti symbols translate not as ecpected to individual words, but to proverbs. Below are Adinkra symbols, and the proverbs associated with them. Several of the symbols in the adinkra cloths record social changes that have been brought about by both external and internal factors.

			Adinkra hene (Adinkra king). Chief of all the adinkra designs. Forms the basis of adinkera printing.
	ohene tuo ne akofena King's Gun & Sword		Tumi nyinaa ne asase. : All power emanates from land		Fawohodie freedom
	This symbol commemorates a historical event - the building of a magnificent palace for the Asantehene. The building was made of carved stone and was completed in 1822 during the reign of Osei Bonsu. It was roofed with brass laid over an ivory framework, and the windows and doors were cased in gold, and the door posts and pillars were made of ivory. Wealthy merchants known as vrijburghers of Elmina were believed to have aided in the construction of this castle. The aban has been referred to as the Palace of Culture. This Castle was ransacked and blown up by the British in the Sagrenti War of 1874.		Bi-nka-bi. Obi nka obi (bite not one another). Avoid conflicts. Symbol of Unity.		Fofoo. SE die fofoo pE ne sE gyinantwi abo bedie. What the fofoo plant wants is that the gyinantwi seeds should turn black. Symbol of jealousy.
	Nipa nye abe dua na ne ho ahyia ne ho. Or, Se mmerenkensono si ne ti ase a, na ewo dea asase reka kyere no. Also, Nnua nyinaa bewu agya abe. The human being is not a palm that she or he should be self-sufficient. Or, Whenever the palm tree bends down it is because of what the earth has said to it. Also, All trees will wither but the palm tree.		Funtumfunafu, denkyemmfunafu, won afuru bomu nso wodidi a na worefom efiri se aduane ne de ye di no mene twitwi mu. Two headed crocodiles fight over food that goes to a common stomach because each relishes the food in its throat.		Tumi te se kosua, woso mu den a, epae; na se woanso mu yie nso a, efiri wo nsa bo famu ma epae. Power is as fragile as an egg, when held too tightly it might break; if it is held too loosely, it might fall and break.
	Adwera nsuo, wo ne nkwansuo, nsu korogyenn a wohuru nso wonhye. Water of life, you are the pure crystal clean water that boils, but does not burn.		Odo ye wu. Love survives till death or, Love is everlasting		Hye wo nyhe (the one who burns you be not burned). Symbol of forgiveness. Turn the other cheek.
	: Ohene nya ahotenafo pa a, ne bere so dwo. When the king has good counselors, then his reign will be peaceful.		Dwanimen (Ram's horn). "Dwonnin ye asise a ode n'akorana na ennye ne mben." It is the heart and not the horns that leads a ram to bully. Concealment.		Kramo-bone amma yanhu kramo-pa. We cannot tell a good mohammedan from a bad one. The fake and the genuine look alike because of hypocrisy.
	Akoko nan tia ne ba so a, enku no. When the hen treads on its chicken, she does not mean to kill them. Or, Parental admonition is not intended to harm the child.		"Abode santan yi firi tete; obi nte ase a onim n'ahyase na obi ntena ase nkosi n'awie, Gye Nyame." This great Panorama of Creation dates back to time immemorial. No one has seen its beginning and no one will see its end Except God.		Obakofoo mmu oman. One person does not rule a nation
	mmomudwan unity		Nkonsonkonso (link or chain). We are linked in both life and death.Those who share common blood relations never break apart. Symbol of human relations.		Nea onim nsaa na oto nago Nsaa (a kind of blanket).
	Mpuannum (Nkontimsofo o Puaa). Five tufts of hair. A traditionally fashionable hair style.		Obra kwan ye nkyinkyimiie. The course of life is full of twistings, ups and downs, and zigzags.		A recent development is the incorporation of phonographic symbols (letters) in Twi or English in the adinkra cloth symbols
	Okuafo pa ne obi a oye nsiyefoo, ono na ose: W'afuo so a, woye ne nyinaa. The good and industrious farmer says: No matter how big your farm is, you tend it all.		The ohene (as well as the ohemmaa) adwa encodes the Akan philosophical construct of state territoriality. As Preston (1973, p. 81) points out, the ohene adwa "exists only in relation to specific laws of custody of the earth [asase] and this custody has its origins in prime occupancy of territory which is considered a de facto sacred act." That is, the existence of ohene adwa carries a territorial concept with it. This territory may be kuro (town) or oman (state). In essence, where there is no stool, there is no town or state		Odenkyem (crocodile) da nsuo mu nso ohome nsuo ne mframa. The crocodile lives in the water yet it breathes air, not water.
	Osrane (moon). "Osrane nnfiti preko ntware man." It takes the moon sometime to go round the nation.		Owuo Atwedie Baako Nfo (obiara bewu). All men climb the ladder of death.		"Se wo were fi na wo sankofa a yenki" It is not a taboo to go back and retrieve if you forget
	Sepow (knife used in executions). This is thrust through the victims's cheeks to prevent his invoking a curse on the king.		Funtunfunafu denkyem funafu won afuru bom nso worididi a na wo ko." Sharing one stomach yet they fight over food.		Tuo nya otiafoo a, na odi abaninsem. It is only when a gun has a man to cock it that it performs warlike deeds.

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