Aikhistory: THE ORIGIN AND MIGRATION OF THE AKAN

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐆𝐈𝐍𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐀𝐊𝐀𝐍

The forest zone is the home of the largest single ethnic group in Ghana, the Akan. The Akan constitute about 47.3% of the population of Ghana. They currently occupy the middle belt stretching to the Western part to as far as Ivory Coast. They speak a common language known as the Twi and Fante and share common social, religious and political features.

𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑩𝒐𝒏𝒐, 𝑾𝒂𝒔𝒔𝒂, 𝑫𝒆𝒏𝒌𝒚𝒊𝒓𝒂, 𝑨𝒅𝒂𝒏𝒔𝒆, 𝑻𝒘𝒊𝒇𝒐, 𝑨𝒌𝒚𝒆𝒎, 𝑨𝒌𝒘𝒂𝒎𝒖, 𝑩𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒂, 𝑨𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒏 𝒆𝒕𝒄 are the most notable group of the Twi speakers.

Towns such 𝒂𝒔 𝑪𝒂𝒑𝒆 𝑪𝒐𝒂𝒔𝒕, 𝑴𝒂𝒏𝒌𝒆𝒔𝒊𝒎, 𝑺𝒂𝒍𝒕𝒑𝒐𝒏𝒅, 𝑬𝒍𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒂 𝒆𝒕𝒄 speak the Fante dialect.

Historians can’t quite settle on one version of the origins of the Akan group. The main source for the writing of the history of the Akan is the oral tradition because most of the sources that emanate from the people themselves are based on legends and myths. Two major versions of the origins of the Akan are known; the external and the internal versions.

𝑺𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒆𝒙𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 of the Akan clans assert that their ancestors might have migrated from the Middle East and North Africa. For instance, the Adanse Akrokeri and Asebu of Fante country assert that their forefathers migrated from the Middle East or Egypt.

Scholars like 𝐀𝐝𝐮 𝐁𝐨𝐚𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐲 𝐉𝐨𝐡𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐧 based on linguistics, oral tradition and serology provided evidence that suggested that the Akans might have migrated from Yoruba in Nigeria. In Ghana, they settled in the area between the Mono and Volta Rivers before having another stop at the Aframs Plains. They finally moved to the Pra Offin Basin where some groups decided to move further south.

𝐉. 𝐁 𝐃𝐚𝐧𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐡 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐌𝐞𝐲𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐳 𝐄𝐯𝐚 𝐝𝐞 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐟𝐭 𝐉𝐨𝐡𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐧 provided another version of the external origins of the Akan. According to them, the Akan migrated from Ethiopia through to Egypt before making a stay at the Ancient Ghana Empire. The collapse of the Ancient Ghana Empire brought the Akan further down south to Modern Ghana.

Another version of the traditions disagrees with the Akan migrating from somewhere.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 regards the Akan as an aboriginal of the land, which means that they migrated from within. The Adanse claims to be the area where God (Odomankoma) started the creation of the world and from this area, the seven Akan clans evolved. They further claim to be the first entity to introduce the office of Okyeame and the Okyamepomaa and the building of a house with mud with its Capital at Adansemanso.

The People of Wenchi also claim to have migrated from a sacred Hole near Bonoso. Again, the Bono of Hani-Nsawkaw have similar claims that their ancestors also emerged from a Sacred Hole called Bonkese near Wenchi town. The Bono of Takyiman points to Amouwi Hole as the place of origin of the Takyiman people.

With regards to the coastal states,𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙁𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙚, from linguistic evidence assert that their ancestors migrated from Bono Takyiman under the leadership of three warlords, Oburumankoma, Odapagyan and Oson. They first settled at Kwaman near Saltpond and waged a war of expansion against the indigenous people (the Guan peaking group of Etsi) where their capital Adowegyir (now Mankessim meaning the Big State) was captured. The three leaders died and were buried in a sacred place now known as “Nananom Mpow”.

The pre-Fante states of Eguafo, Fetu, Asebu and ESti claim migration from the sea and heaven in a big brass pan under the leadership of Abo Takyi.

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