OKOMFO ANOKYE: Man or god?

sqrible (45)in #writing • 7 years ago (edited)

Let me take you back to days past; days when gods walked amongst men and feasted with them over battles won. Let me tell you about a man; or was he a god? we really can't tell. Let me take you on a journey to Ghana in the late 1600s and tell you of a man called Okomfo Anokye. Relax, take a deep breath and enjoy the ride through history.

In the late 1600s, a woman called Yaa Abubea, had a son named Kwame Anokye with his father being Ano. His father was from Awukugua-Akuapim and mother from Asante Agona.

When Kwame Anokye was birthed, he came with his palms clasped together. His parents weren't able to separate his palms until he was about two years of age. When he finally open his hands, there it was, a totem. He had a totem clasped in his hands from the womb of his mother. It was believed to be a gift from the gods and immediately his parents realized their child wasn't just an ordinary boy but was a god incarnate.

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Kwame Anokye grew up to become a fetish priest. He then got the name or title "Okomfo Anokye", meaning Fetish Priest Anokye. But growing up, little Anokye was said to have performed some wonders and miracles beyond human comprehension. It was said that, little Anokye teleported his parents from the farm to their house because it was raining and the farm was quite a distance from their house. This is not an X-men mutant fictional character. This was a man who actually lived and there are evidence all over to support his existence.

SOME WONDERS AND MIRACLES OF OKOMFO ANOKYE

He commanded a Golden Stool from the skies which landed on his laps. This was after the Asanti's defeated the Denkyera's. The stool was then handed over to the Ashnati's. It was and is the symbol and power of the Ashanti Kingdom. A replica was made and given to the British when they invaded the Ashanti Empire. The real stool still exists with the Ashanti's and it is brought out on specific festivals.

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Okomfo Anokye stuck a sword in the ground as a symbol of unity between the Nzema's and the Ashanti's. And it meant that the Ashanti's had no right attacking the Nzema's. And because of that act, they could intermarry. Thus the Ashanti's and the Nzema's.

The sword can never be removed from the ground. It is similar to the Excalibur. In the 1950s, a British man tried removing it with earth-moving machines but failed. And even Muhammad Ali, the famous boxer on his trip to Ghana gave it a shot but also failed to remove the sword from the ground. It still remains.

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Okomfo Anokye carved holes in a rock to form the famous Ghanaian game "Oware", just so he could play with the gods. He once boiled plantain, planted it and grew the same day. He then harvested the plantain and cooked some for supper.

Okomfo Anokye poured palm wine on the ground. The palm wine poured on the ground germinated and grew into a palm tree in a day. He then climbed the palm tree. He left foot marks on the palm tree while climbing. That palm tree still remains and the marks are visible on it till date.

He could walk in rain and never get wet. He fetched water from wells with a perforated basket and it never drained. He could command the rains to stop when there's a durbar of chiefs.

And He did not die. He simply vanished. It was said that he told his people he was going on a quest to find an antidote to death and no one should cry till he returns. Unfortunately, they cried thinking he was dead. When Okomfo Anokye was returning from his quest, he heard the town crying. This made him return and never to be seen again.

So then, was he a god or a man or both? well, decide for yourself.

This is the story of Okomfo Anokye. There are other versions of it but the facts still remains that he was truly sent by the gods. I hope you enjoyed the ride? if yes, then stay glued to this page for more amazing true stories.

This is @sqrible from #teamghana #teamaccra

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7 years ago in #writing by sqrible (45)

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masterroshi (57) 7 years ago

Loved this article bro! Its always grwat to hear these stories.

Keep an eye out for @accra upcoming writers competition.

We are lookong for creators to write short stories based on our heritage to be published.

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sqrible (45) 7 years ago

Thank you @masterrohi
I'll be looking forward to that competition. Our story can be best told by us.

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jaguarpawmu (44) 7 years ago

Awesome read! Thanks for sharing!

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1 vote

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sqrible (45) 7 years ago

You're welcome @jaguarpawmu
stick around for more of such posts...
cheers!

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drotto (48) 7 years ago

This post has received a 0.22 % upvote from @drotto thanks to: @banjo.

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philmorgan (36) 7 years ago

It's amazing to finally see people like you who care about African heritage and make it known to the World of how beautiful it is..... Amazing work.... Great work done

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sqrible (45) 7 years ago (edited)

Thanks @philmorgan
It's our Africa, our story...

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