Akan means the Enlightened or Civilised
The Akan /əˈkæn/ are a meta-ethnicity and Potou–Tano Kwa ethno-linguisticgroup predominantly residing in the southern regions of the former Gold Coast region in what is today the nation of Ghana. Akans also make-up the majority of the populace in the Ivory Coast.
Akans are the largest meta-ethnicity and ethno-linguistic group in both countries and have a population of roughly 20 million people. The Akan language (also known as Twi–Fante) is a group of dialects within the Central Tano branch of the Potou–Tano Kwa language family.[2] Also included under the term “Akan” are the Bia languages (in which case it is common to speak of “Akan languages”, as a group of languages).
Subgroups of the Akan proper include: Asante, Akuapem and Akyem (the Asante, Akuapem and Akyem dialects are together known as Twi), Agona,Kwahu, Wassa, Fante (Fanti or Mfantse: Anomabo, Abura, Gomua) and Bono. Subgroups of the Bia-speaking groups include: the Anyin, Baoulé, Chakosi(Anufo), Sefwi (Sehwi), Nzema, Ahanta and Jwira-Pepesa. The Akan subgroups have cultural attributes in common, notably the tracing of descent, inheritance of property, and succession to high political office.
A large number of Akans were taken as captives to the Americas, and many people of African descent in the Americas have partial Akan ancestry. During the 18th and 19th centuries, Akan slaves were all referred to as Coromantees. Due to their organization, common language, and fierce nature, Coromantees were responsible for the majority of slave revolts in the Caribbean and North America.
The Akan people are believed to have migrated to their current location from the Sahara desert and Sahel region of West Africa into the forested region around the 11th century, and many Akans tell their history as it started in the forested region of West Africa as this is where the ethnogenesis of the Akan as we know them today happened.
Oral traditions of the ruling Abrade (Aduana) Clan relate that they originated from ancient Ghana. They migrated from the north, they went through Egypt and settled in Nubia (Sudan). Around 500AD (5th century), due to the pressure exerted on Nubia by Axumite kingdom of Ethiopia, Nubia was shattered, and the Akans moved to the west and established small trading kingdoms which later grew and around 750AD it became an Empire called Ghana. The Empire lasted from 750AD to 1200AD and collapsed as a result of the introduction of Islam in the Western Sudan, and the zeal of the Muslims to impose their religion, their ancestors left for Kong (i.e. present day Ivory Coast). From Kong they moved to Wam and then to Dormaa (these are both on present day Brong-Ahafo region). The movement from Kong was necessitated by the desire of the people to find suitable Savannah conditions since they were not used to Forest life. Around the 14th century, they moved from Dormaa South Eastwards to Twifo-Hemang, North West Cape Coast. This move was commercially motivated.
The kingdom of Bonoman (or Brong-Ahafo) was established as early as the 12th century,and between the 12th and 13th centuries a gold boom in the Akan area brought wealth to numerous Akans.
During different phases of the Kingdom of Bonoman groups of Akans migrated out of the area to create numerous states based predominantly on gold mining and trading of cash crops. This brought wealth to numerous Akan states like Akwamu Empire,(1550-1650) and ultimately led to the rise of the most well known Akan empire, the Empire of Ashanti,(1700-1900), the most dominant of the Akan states.
They basically trace their descent philosophically as from one woman. Within this nation are the three branches based on dialect - Guans, Fantes and Twis. Then each branch is a collection of tribes. The tribe is usually ruled by several Paramount Chiefs whose territory is considered a State. The state is the basic unit of Akan polity. Several states can band together to form a Confederacy regardless of tribe or which branch they belong to. For example, the Guan state of Larteh and the Akyem state of Akropong joined together to form the Akwapim Kingdom. Under the State there are Divisions and under these Divisions the towns and villages.
Akan Chiefs of whatever rank have other noblemen who serve them as sub-chiefs. These sub-chiefs do not have hereditary titles and therefore do not have black stools. In addition each Chief or King has a female co-ruler known as the Queenmother. This custom is as old as the ancient Egyptian and Nubian kingdoms from which the Akans are descended. The Queen-mother is more like a figurehead representing the King or Chief’s eldest sister and hence the mother of the next King or Chief. They present the candidate for consideration as chief. A sub-chief does not have a Queenmother as his title is not hereditary.
A Prince is any of the members of the lineage eligible to sit on a stool. However, not all the noblemen or noblewomen are Princes as some may be ineligible. A prince is not necessarily the son of a chief. As such nobles strive to achieve the position of prince in their families or for their children.
Akan refers to the language of the Akan ethno-linguistic group and the Akan language in which was and is the most widely spoken and used indigenous language on the Ashantiland Peninsula. Akan is officially recognized for literacy on the Ashantiland Peninsula, at the primary and elementary educational stage (Primary 1–3) K–12 (education) level, and studied at university as a bachelor’s degree or master’s degree program.The Akan language spoken as the predominant language in the Western, Central, Ashanti, Eastern, Brong Ahafo regions of the Ashantiland Peninsula.A form of Akan Ndyuka is also spoken in South America, notably Suriname, French Guiana, Guyana, with the Akan language coming to these South American and Caribbean places through the trans-Atlantic trade and Akan names and folktales are still used in these South American and Caribbean countries(main example of Jamaica and its great influence with Akan culture and Twi loanwords). With the present state of technology, one can listen to live radio broadcasts in Akan from numerous radio stations and receive mass media and public broadcasts in Akan from numerous multimedia and media broadcasting.Akan is studied in major universities in North America and United States, including Ohio University, Ohio State University, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Harvard University, Boston University, Indiana University, University of Michigan, and the University of Florida.The Akan language has been a regular language of study in the annual Summer Cooperative African Languages Institute (SCALI) program and the Akan language is regulated and administered by the Akan Orthography Committee (AOC).
Akan has some unique linguistic features like tone, vowel harmony and nasalization.
Akan culture is one of the traditional matrilineal cultures of Africa. Akan art is wide-ranging and renowned, especially for the tradition of crafting bronze goldweights, using the lost-wax casting method. The Akan culture reached South America, Caribbean, and North America.
Some of their most important mythological stories are called anansesem, literally meaning “the spider story”, but in a figurative sense also meaning “traveler’s tales”. These “spider stories” are sometimes also referred to as nyankomsem: “words of a sky god”. The stories generally, but not always, revolve around Kwaku Ananse, a trickster spirit, often depicted as a spider, human, or a combination thereof.
Elements of Akan culture also include, but are not limited to:Akan art, Akan Calendar, Akan Chieftaincy, Akan goldweights and Akan religion
Queen Nanny or Nanny (c. 1685 – unknown, circa 1755), Jamaican National Hero,was a well-known, 18th-century leader of the Jamaican Maroons. Much of what is known about her comes from oral history as little textual evidence exists. However, historical documents refer to her as the “rebels’ old obeah woman,” and they legally grant “Nanny and the people now residing with her and their heirs … a certain parcel of Land containing five hundred acres in the parish of Portland …”.Nanny Town was founded on this land.
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