Nyame
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Nyame (Ono nya me) | |
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Lord of the Sky | |
![]() Adinkra Symbol: Gye Nyame | |
Consorts | Asase Ya |
Issue |
Nyame (or Onyankopon) is the God of the Akan people of Ghana.[3] His name means "he who knows and sees everything" and "omniscient, omnipotent sky god" in the Akan language.
Function[]
Nyame is the Twi word for God. The symbol "Gye Nyame" means "nothing but God". The Akan people usurped the Adinkra symbols when their chieftain imprisoned Nana Adinkra, chief of Gyaman and his entourage. The Akan chief had his scribes copy the Adinkra symbols and then appropriated them into their culture, changing the meaning to fit what today means "there is nothing except God" in the Twi language of the Akan. However, the Adinkra people who originated the symbol knew nothing of Christianity and invented the symbol independent from its use and meaning in today's Akan culture. The Gyaman people are also Akan.
Nyame and Ananse[]
A giant python once terrorised the Ashanti people, who then prayed to Nyame. Nyame was tired of a human named Kwaku Ananse, the "Spider Man", boasting about his so-called wit and intelligence, and as a punishment, assigned him with the task of dealing with the python.
Ananse tricked the python into eating a heavy meal and consuming strong wine. When the snake fell unconscious, Ananse summoned the villagers to beat the creature and drive it away. Nyame was pleased with Kwaku’s wit and blessed him with tremendous wisdom and life.
See also[]
References[]
- ^ God of waters.
- ^ Also god of waters.
- ^ Egerton Sykes, Alan Kendall (2001). Who's who in non-classical mythology. Routledge. p. 144. ISBN 9780415260404. Retrieved 2010-05-24.
- Akan
- African gods
- Sky and weather gods
- Legendary progenitors
- Names of God in African traditional religions