Visual tradition · Ghana
Adinkra symbols and their meanings
Adinkra are visual symbols of the Akan peoples of Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire, each linked to a proverb, a historical event or an idea — Gye Nyame for the supremacy of God, Sankofa for learning from the past, Dwennimmen for humility combined with strength. Traditionally stamped in a black bark dye onto cloth worn at funerals and important occasions, they now appear on buildings, furniture, jewellery, logos and tattoos around the world.
Published 3 min read
Where adinkra comes from
Akan oral history links the name to Nana Kofi Adinkra, a king of Gyaman, a state on today's border between Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire, who was defeated by the Asante in the early nineteenth century; his cloth and its art are said to have been taken to Kumasi. The word is also explained as meaning "farewell" or "goodbye", which fits the cloth's traditional role at funerals. A stamped adinkra cloth taken to Britain by the traveller Thomas Bowdich, who visited Kumasi in 1817, is thought to be the oldest surviving example.
How adinkra cloth is made
The craft is centred on Ntonso, a town near Kumasi. Makers:
- Boil the bark of the badie tree for many hours, with pieces of iron slag, until it reduces to a thick black paste: adinkra aduro, the dye.
- Carve stamps from pieces of calabash (gourd), with a handle of small sticks on the back.
- Lay out the cloth, traditionally cotton, and divide it into squares by drawing lines with a wooden comb dipped in dye.
- Dip the stamps and press them by hand, filling each square with one symbol or a pattern of them.
Dark cloths in brown, brick red or black are worn for mourning; lighter and brighter grounds are used for celebrations. Today adinkra symbols are also screen-printed and embroidered.
Twenty adinkra symbols and their meanings
Translations vary slightly between sources; these are the most commonly given.
| Symbol | Literal meaning | What it stands for |
|---|---|---|
| Gye Nyame | "Except for God" | The supremacy of God |
| Sankofa | "Go back and get it" | Learning from the past |
| Adinkrahene | "Chief of the adinkra symbols" | Greatness, leadership |
| Dwennimmen | "Ram's horns" | Humility together with strength |
| Nyame Dua | "Tree of God" | God's presence and protection |
| Akoma | "The heart" | Patience and tolerance |
| Akoma Ntoso | "Linked hearts" | Understanding and agreement |
| Funtunfunefu Denkyemfunefu | "Siamese crocodiles" | Unity in diversity; a shared destiny |
| Nkyinkyim | "Twisting" | Initiative, dynamism, adaptability |
| Ese Ne Tekrema | "The teeth and the tongue" | Friendship and interdependence |
| Mate Masie | "What I hear, I keep" | Wisdom and knowledge |
| Nea Onnim No Sua A, Ohu | "He who does not know can know from learning" | Lifelong learning |
| Aya | "Fern" | Endurance and resourcefulness |
| Duafe | "Wooden comb" | Beauty, care and good hygiene |
| Bese Saka | "Sack of cola nuts" | Abundance and unity |
| Osram ne Nsoromma | "The moon and the star" | Love and faithfulness |
| Eban | "Fence" | Safety and the security of home |
| Nkonsonkonson | "Chain links" | Unity and human relations |
| Hwe Mu Dua | "Measuring stick" | Examination and quality |
| Fawohodie | "Independence" | Freedom and emancipation |
The crocodile pair is a good example of how the symbols work: two crocodiles share one stomach, yet fight over food — a reminder that people bound by a common fate gain nothing by quarrelling.
Adinkra today
In Ghana adinkra symbols are everywhere: carved into furniture and doors, cast in metal for gates and fences, printed on fabrics, and used in the logos of universities and businesses. Gye Nyame is probably the most widely seen.
Sankofa has travelled furthest. Across the African diaspora it has become an emblem of reclaiming a history that slavery and colonialism tried to erase, and it gave its name to Haile Gerima's 1993 film Sankofa.
If you are choosing a symbol for a tattoo or a logo, it is worth learning the proverb behind it: each one is a short piece of Akan philosophy, not a decorative shape.
Related
Adinkra cloth is the companion of the woven kente, the other great Asante textile. Both belong to the wider story of African textiles, alongside Mali's mudcloth. For the cultures of the region, see West African art.