Journal of Philosophy, Culture and Religion www.iiste.

org
ISSN 2422-8443 An International Peer-reviewed Journal
Vol.39, 2018

The Multiplicity of Ahonhom (Spirits) in the Akan Spiritual

Cosmology
E. M. Kwapong Koranteng-Green
Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Victory Congregation, P.O. Box AF 1000, Adentan, Accra- Ghana
Email: [email protected]

Abstract
African tradition and thought consider spirits to be elements of power, force, authority, and vital energy
underlying all existence. There is therefore this huge fear of what goes on in the unseen world since spirits are
known to operate in this realm. Invisible though this power may be, Africans perceive it directly. This has led to
the adoption of all manner of strategies in order to get closer to Onyankopɔn, ‘the Supreme Being’ so that the
necessary support and protection may be received. Without the spirits, the Akan feels that there is no way to
reach God. In this paper I will discuss the role of Onyankopɔn, ‘the Supreme Being’ and some other spirit beings
in the Akan spiritual cosmology and the various roles they play in the affairs of human.
Key words: Onyankopɔn, ahonhom, Akan, ancestors, deities, spirits, abosom

1.0 Introduction
Onyankopɔn, ‘the Supreme Being’ as the creator of this world created both “visible and invisible” things
(Guthrie, 1994). It is in this invisible world that we see the operation of ahonhom, ‘spirits’. And since spirits are
thought to be invisible and ubiquitous, people can never be sure of their presence around them (Mbiti, 1969).
This seems to create some sort of fear in the life of human beings as people will do anything possible to explore
those spirits to their advantage and to ensure that they do not offend the spirits in order not to receive their wrath.
The Akan people also believe in the spiritual world (ahonhom wiase) of powers. For them, there are two groups
of ahonhom, namely ahonhom pa, ‘benevolent spirits’ and ahonhom bɔne, ‘malevolent spirits’. These ahonhom
are believed to impinge on human life either positively or negatively. The ahonhom pa function in a way that
leads to the welfare of the Akan people (Afriyie, 2010). On the other hand, the ahonhom bɔne work against
human beings and try to keep them from enjoying nkwa (life that is filled with good health, prosperity, among
others).

2.0 The Akan People of Ghana

The Akan people inhabit most of the southern parts of Ghana. Thus, they are mainly found in Regions like
Ashanti, Eastern, Central, Western and Brong-Ahafo, and are culturally ethnic and homogenous group consisting
of the Ashanti, Mfantse, Akyem, Akuapem, Sefwi, Agona, Wassa, Akwamu, Kwahu, Ahanta, Nzema, Bono,
Assin, Ahafo and Denkyira. With the exception of some of the Fantis, who are engaged in fishing, the Akan are
predominantly crop farmers, growing cash crops such as cocoa, coffee and oil palm, and food crops like maize,
beans, cocoyam, yam, tomatoes, pepper and plantains. Some are also engaged in livestock farming or rearing of
animals such as sheep, goats, cattle, poultry and pigs. Though, all the Akan ethnic groups speak a common
language called Twi, there are considerable amount of variations in vocabulary (Evans, 1950; Ekem, 2009 &
Ntow, 2014).

3.0 Socio-Political Structure of the Akan People

Akan socio-political organization, inheritance and successional structure are matrilineal in nature; where a group
of people claim their root or lineage to one particular ancestress. Thus, members of each abusua (clan) are
believed to come from the same ancient ancestress hence in the past, marriage between members of the same
abusua was forbidden. The abusua, ‘clan’ which constitutes a political unit is headed by the abusuapanyin,
‘family head’ and several clans may be headed by a chief and a council of elders who are basically the family
heads of the various clans. The chief so chosen must come from the royal family of his mother’s clan,
suggesting that a son cannot succeed his father when he dies or abdicate the throne (Tweneboah, 2012). Apart
from one belonging to his or her mother’s family, a person may also inherit their ntorɔ or ntɔn from their father
but, they do not belong to their father’s family (Opoku, 1978). The ntorɔ or ntɔn of a person determines his or
her name and akyiwade, taboos or hated things or avoidances, and the particular ɔbosom that protects him or her.

4.0 Classification of Spirits in Akan Traditional Religious Thought

The Akan spiritual cosmology is made up of different classes of spirits, the Chief of all been, Onyankopɔn. They
have a great belief in, Onyankopɔn (Supreme Being), abosom (deities), Nananom Nsamanfo (ancestors), and
other divinities such as Asase Yaa (earth spirit), which are considered as benevolent spirits while Sasandua

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ISSN 2422-8443 An International Peer-reviewed Journal
Vol.39, 2018

(Vindictive Trees), Sasammoa (Vindictive Animals), Sasabonsam (The Forest Monster), and Mmoatia (Dwarfs
or Fairies) falls within the malevolent spirits.

4.1 Onyankopɔn (The Supreme Being)

The Akan, like many other Africans, have belief in a Supreme Being, Onyankopɔn, who is responsible for the
creation and maintenance of all the creation order, including abosom (lesser deities), who serve as intermediaries
between humankind and Him. God is omnipresent, but He is evident through His creative works. This is the
reason why people will unsuccessfully look for anything to represent the person of God (Evans, 1950). As the
Akan proverb expresses it, Wopɛ asɛm aka akyerɛ Nyankopɔn a, ka kyerɛ mframa, ‘If you want to say something
to God, say it to the wind’. In Edwin W. Smith’s engagement with Emil Ludwig about the Africans’ perspective
of God, Smith indicated to Ludwig that “there was no need to persuade pagan Africans of the existence of God:
they are sure of it, but not sure of Him as a living power in their individual experience” (Smith, 1950) which
confirms Danquah’s position that “Akan religious doctrine knows only one God” (Danquah, 1968). This
suggests that, the African and for that matter the Akan, truly knows God and who He really is. And this affirms
an Akan proverb that: Obi nkyerɛ abɔfra Nyame, ‘God needs no pointing out to a child’. The Akan expresses the
supremacy and incomparability of the Supreme Being through various names that they have coined for Him,
such as Tweduampon (the God in whom one may put all trust), Tetekwaframua (enduring from ancient time),
Brekyirihunuade (all-seeing, even from behind), Bɔrebɔre / Ɔboɔdeɛ (the Creator, Originator) and Ɔdomankoma
(the only giver of mercy). The Akan designation of various names to Onyankopɔn is based on the fact that He
reveals Himself in various ways through His creative works.
The Akan also believe that Onyankopɔn is the Creator and protector of human being, and has the power
and authority to sustain life and to take it. But, because of the awesome and transcendent nature of God, the
Akan hold the belief that God is unapproachable and can only be approached through the abosom and other
divinities. This also account for the reason why though the Akan has great respect and reverence for God, there is
no shrine or place created for Him to be worshipped, except through the abosom and other divinities. In His
benevolence, Onyankopɔn causes rain to fall and the sun to shine on all mankind. Providing food and other needs
of mankind at all times.

4.2 Nananom nsamanfo (Ancestral Spirits)

In Akan community, there is the general belief that “after death, the departed ones enter into a spiritual state of
existence and interfere in human activities” (Opoku, 1978). This suggests that, the community is made up of both
the living members and the nananom nsamanfo. Bediako (2014) has posited that “ancestors represent a more
enduring reality in the African world-view than do the divinities, other non-human spirits, amulets and charms”.
And to Turner (1977), “the ancestors figure so prominently in the first level or region of the spirit world that they
seem to create an ancestral cult and to obscure the spirit beings before whom they otherwise serve as mediators
between the transcendent and the human”. So who are the ancestors? They are the spirits of people who have
lived here on earth, and are dead and have gone to live at a special place called ‘asomando’ (which is similar to
heaven though the Akans do not have a concept of heaven), who are “essentially clan or lineage ancestors. So,
they have to do with the community or society in which their progeny relate to one another and not with a system
of religion as such” (Bediako, 1999). Mbiti (1975) reiterates that the ancestors are “family spirits going back four
or five generations, and the living are conscious about the need to remain on good terms with these spirits”. This
suggests that no one can take somebody’s ancestor to be his or her ancestor. And to qualify as an ancestor, one
must be married, give birth to children, live a good life, dies a natural death and be properly buried (Opoku,
1978).
Since, the Akan believe that, the ancestors play a significant role in their daily affairs and keeps watch
over them; they also honour the ancestors with various offerings, in the form of food, drinks, among others.

4.3 Abosom (the lesser deities)

The Akan consider the abosom (the deities,) as Onyamemma (children of God). Apart from sons of Onyankopɔn,
the abosom can also be described as abrafo (executioners) and akyeame (linguists or spokesmen) (Dickson,
1984). Since Onyankopɔn is remote, transcendent and unapproachable (Smith, 1950 & Parrinder, 1976), the
abosom are His most competent representatives on earth (Onyinah, 2002). Most of the abosom are identified
with rivers, seas, trees, and rocks as their place of habitat (Evans, 1950). To Onyinah (2002), “the abosom are not
considered to be in these objects or places, such as the stones, the rivers or the sea, but that as deities they may be
consulted or worshipped at such places”. In giving another perspective to the abosom, Evans (1950), has
indicated that “one of the most distinctive objects in this cult is a brass pan which becomes the localized
dwelling-place of the spirit-god on solemn occasions. These pans are filled with various sacred objects and
medicinal herbs, and the ɔbosom is summoned by the sounding of bells and an elaborate ceremonial dance”.

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Vol.39, 2018

The Akan have two main divisions of abosom, and these are the Tete abosom, ‘tutelar gods’ and
Abosom abrafo, ‘executing gods’. The first, tete abosom such as tanɔ and antoa abosom, are the gods that are
communally owned and they function as guardian spirits, protecting its members from any harm and mischief.
The tete abosom are derived from Onyankopɔn, and are positive and work to help people as they mediate
between humanity and Onyankopɔn. Opoku (1978) describes them as “gods who have been worshipped from
time immemorial”, and occasions such as festivals are marked to honour them. Onyinah (2002) has suggested
that the tete abosom “do not necessarily hunt for witches…these gods are very flexible”. For the second division
of abosom, the abosom abrafo, Opoku (1978) prefers to refer to them as ‘medicine’ because “they are physical
objects or instruments used in the practice of magic which have been elevated to the status of gods” and have
their “main activities centred on witch-hunting” (Onyinah, 2002) by executing quick retribution to wrongdoers.

4.4 Asuman (Fetish Spirit)

Aside the abosom, are the asuman (suman, singular). According to Onyinah (2002), the “asuman are numerous
classes of objects such as amulets, charms and talismans”, and are “constructed of a strange variety of
ingredients – fibre, the skin of wild animals, the tail of a porcupine, the horn of an antelope, the claw of a
leopard, a snail-shell, feathers, seeds, beads” (Evans, 1950) with the blood of sacrificed animals like fowls, and
eggs been smeared on them (Onyinah, 2002). Unlike the tete abosom which protect the whole state or
community, the asuman are used as a form of personal protection, and “most Akan men and women possess
suman for protective purposes, and they often hang them round the necks of their infant children” (Evans, 1950).
Others may use the suman as offensive magic to inflict pain and even cause the death of their enemies. And one
of such “dreaded suman is the one called sabe, which contains needles embedded in a variety of objects. By
sticking one of the needles into a lime and uttering the proper incantation it is believed that the death of one’s
enemy is rendered inevitable”. According to Onyinah (2002), “there is suman for everything that a person needs
among the Akan societies; these include suman for marriage, fighting, protecting against witchcraft, business,
playing football, learning and hunting.”

4.5 Asase Yaa (The Earth Goddess)

In Akan traditional culture, the next deity that ranks after Onyankopɔn is His consort, Asase Yaa (the Thursday
Earth Goddess), who is often referred to as His wife, ‘yere’. And this is mostly reflected in Akan libation pouring
practices where the linguist or the one pouring the libation will say, ‘Tweduapon Nyankopɔn nsa (Almighty God
this is wine or drink), Asase Yaa nsa (Earth Goddess this is wine or drink), nananom nsamanfo nsa (Ancestors
this is wine or drink), …’ In other Akan tribes like Mfante, she is called Asase Efua (Friday Earth Goddess), and
can generally be referred to as Aberewa, ‘old lady’ in most cases in all the Akan tribes (Opoku, 1978). Like
Onyankopɔn, there are no temples or shrines for her to be worshipped there since everybody is believed to have
access to her though various offerings are often made to her. This account for the Akan maxim, asase nyɛ bosom
na w’akyerɛ mmusuo, ‘the earth is not a god to provide divination’. To the Akan, Asase Yaa is a mother, and as
such provides for the needs of her children. Asase Yaa serves as the fertile ground for the production of food
crops. In most Akan tribes, the day of the Earth Goddess, that is, either Thursday or Friday is set aside as a
sacred day and no tilling of the land takes place. This also conforms to that of the Ga people of Ghana, who do
not go fishing in the sea on Tuesdays, which is a day considered sacred for the sea goddess, ‘Nana Bonsompo’.
Severe punishment was meted out in the past to whoever infringed this taboo for it was feared that evil might
befall the entire society if this rule was not rigidly observed. It is also believed that anyone who ventures into the
forest on these special days will encounter the most unpleasant things imaginable and may not even survive to
tell his experience (Opoku, 1978). Today, most of these taboos which served as a means of protecting the land,
vegetation and other natural resources are no longer in force, leading to land degradation and wanton destruction
of virgin forests.

4.6 Sasandua and Sasammoa (Vindictive Spirits of Trees and Animals)

The Akan also believe that certain tree plants, sasandua and animals, sasammoa have spirits. The word, sasa,
‘evil revengeful ghost’ is a non-human spirit (Opoku, 1978). Sasandua such as tweneboa (Entandophragma),
nyamedua (Alstonia gongensis) and odum (chlorophora excelsa) can only be felled when libations are poured to
appease the spirits (Opoku, 1978), and failure to do that may come with its own consequences, such as sasa yare,
‘disease’ (Onyinah, 2002). Sasammoa such as ɛkoɔ (the roan), ɔtromo (the bongo) and ɔsono (the elephant) are
killed by hunters who pacify them or are well protected spiritually.

4.7 Sasabonsam (The Forest Monster)

Another supernatural being which inhibit the forest is Sasabonsam. The Akan believe that there is only one
Sasabonsam, unlike the other spirit forces which are many (Onyinah, 2002). Sasabonsam, who is the most
feared, is known to be “a tall, hairy, wild-eyed monster, with misshapen feet, facing both ways. He sits high up

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Vol.39, 2018

among the branches of odum tree, and is said to use his feet to hook up unwary hunters or other passers-by”
(Evans, 1950). The modus operandi of Sasabonsam is wholly evil in nature, and above all “he is in league with
the witches and magicians” (Evans 1950 & Opoku, 1978). This relationship that exist between Sasabonsam and
witches is expressed in the Akan maxim, Sɛ Sasabonsam kɔ ayi a, ɔsoɛ ɔbayifo, ‘when Sasabonsam attends a
funeral, he lodges with the witch’.

4.8 Mmoatia (Dwarfs)

Mmoatia, ‘the little people’ are a group of spiritual forces that dwell in the forest and assume personalities. They
are also believed to enjoy rocky areas as their place of abode. According to Evans (1950), the mmoatia, are
“about eighteen inches in height and of three varieties – black, red and white. Their feet point backwards, and
they converse by means of whistling” and eat banana as their food. He indicated further that “they are invisible,
and, except to be initiated, their presence is usually only to be detected by the mischief they do. Some of the
black ones can be trained and, it is said, are employed in various capacities in the courts of Chiefs”. It is believed
that the black dwarfs are less innocuous to Africans, and for the red dwarfs, they steal and cause mischief, while
the white dwarfs are noted to be insidiously evil. However, it is widely acknowledged that, “the better mmoatia
are believed to be the instructors of the oduyɛfo, ‘medicine-men’, while the more evil kind both provide suman
for witches and act as their agents” (Evans, 1950).

5.0 Conclusion
Onyankopɔn, the Supreme Being has a strong place in Akan ontology. The Akan regard Him as self-existent,
unchanging, and reliable God whose power transcends all powers. He is seen as the Creator, Omnipotent,
Omniscient and Omnipresent Being who is immortal and directs all human affairs. Though no temples have been
erected for Him as a place of worship, He is still worshipped in diverse ways. Again, there is no image of Him
because He is incomparable and beyond human comprehension.
Onyankopɔn according to Akan ontology has so many deputies, the abosom, ancestors and other
divinities, who work with Him in the unitary theocratic governance of the universe. They do not have absolute
power themselves but derive their power from Onyankopɔn, and as such serve as intermediaries between
humanity and Onyankopɔn. Shrines and temples are erected for these divinities, where they are worshipped and
various sacrifices are offered to them.
Since the Akan and for that matter the African believes in the existence of Onyankopɔn, the only
missing link would be the introduction of Jesus Christ to him as the only and better intermediary to Onyankopɔn,
other than the deities that they worship as a way of reaching out to God. This is to make relevant what Jesus said
in John 14:6, ‘…I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me’.
Despite the Akans’ full knowledge of God; he can only have full access to God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Additionally, on the part of the malevolent spirits like bayie (witchcraft), asuman, mmoatia and sasabonsam who
can cause harm to humankind and therefore requires all manner of sacrifices and restitutions to appease them, the
Akan traditionalist can be well assured of maximum security in Jesus Christ. This because all authority is vested
in Jesus as he has indicated ‘… All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me (Matthew 28:18), and
no evil shall therefore befall those who put their trust in Him as it is assured that ‘But the Lord is faithful, and he
will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one (2 Thessalonians 3:3)’.

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About the author

Rev. E. M. Kwapong Koranteng-Green is a Minister of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana and currently stationed
at the Victory Congregation – Fafraha, Accra as an Associate Minister. He was born on 4 November, 1984 at
Anum-Nkwakubew in the Asuogyaman District of the Eastern Region of Ghana. He holds a Master of Arts in
Theology and Missions from the Akrofi-Christaller Institute of Theology, Mission and Culture at Akropong-
Akuapem, Ghana in 2017, and a postgraduate diploma in business administration (PGDBA) from the Graduate
School of Governance and Leadership, an affiliate of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology,
Kumasi in 2014. He developed interest in Gospel-Culture engagement while at the Akrofi-Christaller Institute
and has since been researching into various aspects of it. He is the author of book, Launching into the Deep and a
couple of Integrated Science workbooks and practical books for Junior High Schools.

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