3 Adinkra symbols you did not know depict peace
Acting Director of the National Folklore Board and social activist, Nana Adjoa Adobea Asante has detailed on three very popular Adinkra symbols that a lot of people do not realize stand for peace.
Speaking on the role of women in peace building with host, Eunice Tornyi on eTV Ghana’s African Women’s Voices show, she started off with the “Ese ne Tekrema” symbol which like its name suggests, is the teeth and tongue. She explained this symbol saying, “Sometimes, you accidentally bite your tongue but it doesn’t mean that you cut it out and throw it away”.
This is to say that despite the fact that the tongue sometimes gets bitten accidentally by the teeth, they still cohabitate peacefully in the mouth therefore, although humans wrong or offend each other sometimes, we can and must still learn to co-exist peacefully, keeping in mind that we all fall short at some point but in the end, we all love each other.
Secondly, she talked about the “Denkyemfunefu” also known as “Funtumfunefu” which is the symbol of the Siamese crocodiles.
“They have one stomach, however, they fight for food. The theory is that when we have a common goal, we’re to work together to achieve the common goal. It doesn’t matter if it comes through my mouth or your mouth because it’s going into the same stomach and we’ll both be full”, she expunged.
Nana Adjoa ended with the “Bi Nka Bi” symbol which means ‘don’t bite me and I won’t bite you’. This symbol was the official logo for Ghana’s 62nd year of independence because the President, H.E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo – Addo was instrumental in securing peace for the Dagbon people.
“With regards to this, it was symbolic that for that year’s independence celebration, the Bi Nka Bi symbol be used, as the symbol stands for the peace that was secured in the Dagbon conflict”, she further noted.
By: Maureen Dedei Quaye
