The Ashanti legend of the spider
In this way, the parables, tales and legends occupy a central place in Ashanti culture. The animism that underlies Ashanti beliefs places animal figures on the same level as humans: man is indeed an element placed at the heart of nature, in the same way as others, and the opposition between humanity and nature does not exist. In Ashanti tales, animals - whose actions are observed and highly regarded - are often personified, as is the case with the figure of the spider, which occupies the central place in one of the most emblematic Ashanti legends. Here is the gist of it.
A long time ago, when famine struck the forest, a large spider was desperately searching for food. It saw a stone with a large beard that looked like a bird. The spider suddenly saw a fascinated antelope approaching the rock and declaring: "It's crazy, a rock with a beard and a bird's face! The animal had hardly finished his sentence when he was thrown into the sky, and fell so violently that he was killed on the spot. The spider said, "I'm going to have a feast with all my family! The next day, the spider returned to the scene when it came across a rabbit. The rabbit also had an admiration for the stone and suffered the same fate as the big antelope. Intrigued but still looking for a good prey, the spider ate it, as it had eaten the antelope.
Feast after feast, day after day, the spider and his family lived a rather quiet life. But one day, a chameleon hidden in a tree observed the spider's little maneuver... He called out to the spider and said that he had witnessed everything that had happened. Surprised, the spider started to describe the stone... and suddenly, it was thrown into the sky. In spite of some fractures, it survived this hard ordeal. This is why today the spider is considered a fearful animal, which explains why it is always found in hidden corners.
Moral: one should not take advantage of the misfortune of others, at the risk of finding oneself all alone, in one's corner.
The story of Nave and the crocodiles
The story of Nave and the crocodiles is another illustration of the intimate relationship between humans and local wildlife. This time, the story concerns the inhabitants of northern Ghana, around the village of Paga, on the border with Burkina Faso.
It all begins when one day a hunter named Nave leaves the village in search of game to feed his family. After hours of fruitless searching, while thirsty and on the verge of giving up and turning back, Nave accidentally stepped on the tail of a crocodile. Since the crocodile had gone in the direction of a bush, the man decided to follow it and discovered with amazement a vast pond of fresh water filled with crocodiles! Nave drank his thirst and thanked the gods of Paca, his native village, from the bottom of his heart. Back in his family, he shares his discovery and joy with his family and thanks the crocodile for saving his life.
Some time later, Nave leaves again for the forest in order to bring back some game. Unfortunately, he did not manage to hunt any wild animal. To avoid returning empty-handed, he decides to kill a crocodile. But as he was returning home, a few steps from his hut, a servant called out to him and told him that his eldest son had died. A few days later, the hunter kills another crocodile. And this time, another of his sons dies. Then a third son dies when he kills his third crocodile.
To understand the meaning of these amazing coincidences, Nave decides to consult a sorcerer who explains to him that the soul of the crocodile is now merged with the soul of his family. Therefore, each time he kills a crocodile, he will automatically give death to one of his relatives! That day, Nave swore an oath to the gods of Paga that neither he nor any of his heirs would ever attack a crocodile again. Today, Nave's descendants still live in Paga and the surrounding villages. And no one eats crocodile meat. It is believed that each crocodile contains the soul of one of these inhabitants!
Main festivities in the Ashanti region
Ashanti celebrations, while not necessarily religious, are linked to the ancestors and the natural elements with which humans are in constant contact. Here are the main ones.
The Adae and Akwasidae festival is celebrated with great pomp and ceremony exactly every six weeks. The ceremony invariably takes place on Sunday in a palace in Kumasi: the king, carried on his palanquin, is adorned with all his golden attributes and receives the successive tributes of the traditional chiefs and his people. The spectacle is impressive: richly embroidered canopies and umbrellas, singers and trumpeters, dancers and drummers, all these people are joyfully celebrating their departed ancestors!
The Nkyidwo festival is held in Essumeja (near Kumasi) and is the most important festival for the Essumeja people. They commemorate their ancestors during this festival, whose name means "on Monday night". Legend has it that their ancestors emerged from a hole in the ground on a Monday night, and that a dog, a lion, musicians and a horde of dancers followed them out of the same hole! On the occasion of this great festival, it is customary to invoke the gods to attract protection and prosperity to the community.
Other important festivals in Ashanti country are the Odwira celebration in Jachie in January, the Afahye yam festival in Juansa and Effiduasi in September, and the Yam Festival yam festival in October in Effiduasi and Ejura (and again in November in Ejura). For more specific information about Ashanti festivals, check with the Ghana Tourist Board in Kumasi.
