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Onyame, Nyankopon (Onyankapon) or Odomankoma is the supreme god of the Akan people of Ghana, who is most commonly known as Anyame.[1] The name means "The one who knows and sees everything", and "omniscient, omnipotent sky deity" in the Akan language.
| Nyame (Ono nya me) | |
|---|---|
Supreme God and Sky Father | |
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| Venerated in | Akom |
| Ethnic group | Akan • Ashanti Bono Fanti • Afro-Caribs |
| Genealogy | |
| Spouse | Asase Ya |
| Children | Bia • Tano/Tano |
| Equivalents | |
| Roman | Jupiter |
| Bakongo | Nzambi Mpungu |
| Egyptian | Amun |
| Igbo | Chukwu |
Names
editOdomankoma
editThe name Odomankoma means "Creator" which is said to be derived from the literal translations of the two sections of his name, "Dom" (meaning state or universe) and "Anko-ma" (meaning "who alone gives"). The name "Odomankoma" therefore means, in the literal sense, "The only one who gives the universe or world".[2] However, others believe Odomankoma is an abbreviation of Odomankoma's full and true name: O-doma-ara-nko-ma in which all parts of the name (excluding the first o) has a meaning: "Doma" meaning 'abundance', "nko" meaning "only" or "alone", "ma" meaning "full of", coming together to mean "The one who is uninterruptedly, infinitely, and exclusively full of the manifold, namely, the interminable, eternally, infinitely, universally filled entity'.[3]
Odomankoma is also known by the name Odomankoma wuo, which means "The Creator's death", referencing Odomankoma as the creator of Death (Owuo), later being killed in return. Odomankoma also goes by various other epithets: "Oboade" meaning "Creator", "Oboo nkwa" meaning "The Creator of life", and "Oboo-wuo" meaning "The Creator of death", which once again references to Odomankoma creating Owuo.[4]
Odomankoma also bears the epithets "Borebore", meaning "Architect", and "Ananse Kokuroko", meaning "The great designer" or, if interpreted literally, "The great spider". This name shows that beyond the fact that Odomankoma possesses a godly level of wisdom as in the Akom belief, it is believed that the wisdom of the spider is greater than that of all the world. It also shows his connection to Ananse, who is a spider and additionally might be directly Odomankoma's son.[5] Odomankoma is also known as "Amaomee" meaning "The giver of plenty", linking to him being the creator in the Akom religion.[6]
Onyankapon
editThe name Onyankapon literally means "The Only Great Onyame" which is said to be derived from the 3 parts that supposedly make up Onyankapon's name: "Onyame" shortened to "Onyan", "Koro" shortened to "Ka" meaning one and "Pon(g)" meaning great. His full name is Onyankapong.[7][8][2]
Onyankapon also goes by other epithets: Otumfoo meaning "the powerful one", Onyankapon Kwame meaning "the great one who appeared on Saturday" symbolising that was born on a Saturday[7] and Twidiampon(g) meaning "all powerful Nyankapon(g) [8] and Amowia meaning "The giver of the sun", referencing to Nyankapon's link to the sun.[6] Onyankopon also shares names with Odomankoma as Odomankoma became the spirit of Onyankapon after Owuo killed Odomankoma, so along with other names for Odomankoma, the names Opanyin or Nana are used, meaning "Grand Ancestor".[8] Nyankapon might also be the Fante patron God Bobowissi, as well as the God stated as the supreme God in other traditional religions of peoples in Akan dominated countries such as Ivory Coat and Ghana specifically. However, they could either be their own Supreme God or Onyame, another aspect of the Akom Trinity and the parent to Onyankapon.[9][8]
Description
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Nyame, Nyankapon and Odomankoma are 3 aspects of the trinity that make up the Supreme God in the Akom religion. They are, however, one God.
Odomankoma is the creative aspect of the trinity, corresponding to reason, reality and the Absolute, is the spirit of the Universe and is one of the most dynamic and complex modalities of the trinity. Odomankoma is consistently cast in the role of creator. This creative function of Odomankoma is embodied in several maxims. One saying of the Akan surrounding Odomankoma is "Odomankoma boo ade", meaning Odomankoma created the "Thing" (the universe). Odomankoma created not only the "Thing," i.e., the universe. He also created life and created death as well. Mysteriously Odomankoma himself succumbed to death. This juxtaposition of life (himself, the creator) with death in Odomankoma is expressed by the most enigmatic and unutterable of all Akan maxims: "Odomankoma boo owuo na owuo kum no", which means Odomankoma created death (Owuo) and death killed him. Odomankoma accommodates the contraries of life and death within his being. As the creator of both life and death, he transcends both experiences. The story of Odomankoma does not end with Owuo killing him as after his death, it is said that life (himself, as he is the creator) came to him and woke him up. From here he reived as Kra, and lives through Nyankapon, becoming Nyankapon's sunsum (soul), as stated in the Akan maxim "Onyankapon onye Odomankoma sunsum" which means Nyankapon is Odomankoma's personality, symbolising that Nyankapon is Odomankoma's successor (as Odomankoma used to be the aspect of the Nyame trinity that controlled everything until Owuo killed him).[10] Odomankoma is also quite powerful and smart as after his "revival", Nyankapon/Odomankoma had a great struggle with Owuo in which they defeat Owuo with resistance to Owuo's venom, kra (whom was now Odomankoma). Odomankoma then managed to achieve a total triumph over Death, as stated in the maxim "Odomankoma na orna owuo di akane", which means it was none but Odomankoma who made Death eat poison. In this second meeting between Odomankoma and his final creation, Owuo, Odomankoma unleashes his creative might upon Owuo as, after having been vanquished, death is made to eat his poison. However, despite defeating Owuo, Owuo is still alive and causes death to mortals.[4][11]
It is said that he talks through a drum and has a drummer for that drum called Odomankoma Kyerema, the Drummer of Odomankoma who is said to be the most knowledgeable person regarding Asante traditional history.[12] Odomankoma has a set of stories and tales called Adomankomasem, similar to Ananse.[13]
Odomankoma is also represented by two animals: vultures and spiders. Odomankoma's link to vultures is expressed in the Akan maxim: "Odomankoma a oboadee, ne kyeneboa ne opete", meaning the animal that symbolizes Odomankoma who created the world is the vulture.[14] The spider connotation comes the belief by the Akan that spiders are the wisest of all animals, and it was possibly Ananse that advised Odomankoma to create humans. However, Odomankoma goes by the name Ananse Kokuroko, so it might have been just him.[13] Odomankoma also has a human form, but storyteller rarely treat him as having a human form.[13]
Onyankapon is the male aspect of the trinity and is the youngest member of the Trinity, being the son of Nyame and the successor to Odomankoma.
Symbol
editNyame is the Twi word for god, and the Adinkra symbol "Gye Nyame" means "I Fear None Except God".
The symbol has adopted a different use and meaning in today's Akan culture due to the influence of Christianity.
See also
edit
References
edit- ^ Willis, Roy (2006). World Mythology The Illustrated Guide. Oxford University Press. p. 266. ISBN 9780195307528. Retrieved 2022-06-23.
- ^ a b Addae, Thomas (1970). "Some Aspects of Ashanti Religious Beliefs". Africa: Rivista trimestrale di studi e documentazione dell'Istituto italiano per l'Africa e l'Oriente. 25 (2): 157–182. ISSN 0001-9747. JSTOR 41852579.
- ^ Smith, Edwin W. (1945). "Religious Beliefs of the Akan". Africa: Journal of the International African Institute. 15 (1): 23–29. doi:10.2307/1156827. ISSN 0001-9720. JSTOR 1156827. S2CID 145465350.
- ^ a b Brookman-Amissah, Joseph (1986). "Akan Proverbs about Death". Anthropos. 81 (1/3): 75–85. ISSN 0257-9774. JSTOR 40462026.
- ^ Vecsey, Christopher (1981). "The Exception Who Proves the Rules: Ananse the Akan Trickster". Journal of Religion in Africa. 12 (3): 161–177. doi:10.2307/1581431. ISSN 0022-4200. JSTOR 1581431.
- ^ a b Ost, Brad. "LibGuides: Traditional African Religions: Akan". research.auctr.edu. Retrieved 2023-03-14.
- ^ a b "Onyankopon". Oxford Reference. Retrieved 2023-03-14.
- ^ a b c d "Encyclopedia of African Religion". SAGE Publications Inc. 2023-03-05. Retrieved 2023-03-14.
- ^ Meyerowitz, Eva L. R. (1951). "Concepts of the Soul among the Akan of the Gold Coast". Africa: Journal of the International African Institute. 21 (1): 24–31. doi:10.2307/1156155. ISSN 0001-9720. JSTOR 1156155. S2CID 144738297.
- ^ Danquah, J. B. (1952). "The Culture of Akan". Africa: Journal of the International African Institute. 22 (4): 360–366. doi:10.2307/1156919. ISSN 0001-9720. JSTOR 1156919. S2CID 143029068.
- ^ Rowell, Charles H. (1983). ""The Unraveling of The Egg" an Interview With Jay Wright". Callaloo (19): 3–15. doi:10.2307/2930927. ISSN 0161-2492. JSTOR 2930927.
- ^ Daaku, Kwame Y. (1971). "History in the Oral Traditions of the Akan". Journal of the Folklore Institute. 8 (2/3): 114–126. doi:10.2307/3814101. ISSN 0015-5934. JSTOR 3814101.
- ^ a b c Wilks, Ivor (2004). "The Forest and the Twis". Transactions of the Historical Society of Ghana (8): 1–81. ISSN 0855-3246. JSTOR 41406709.
- ^ Grayson, Sandra M. (1998). ""Spirits of Asona Ancestors Come": Reading Asante Signs in Haile Gerima's "Sankofa"". CLA Journal. 42 (2): 212–227. ISSN 0007-8549. JSTOR 44323194.