Posted by Chester Morton / Tuesday 4 September 2018 / No comments
How Ghanaians express religious and philosophical ideas
HOW PRE-COLONIAL GHANAIANS EXPRESSED THEIR RELIGIOUS AND PHILOSOPHICAL IDEAS
Introduction
The European explorers who came to the shores of the then
Gold Coast believed that the indigenous people were idol worshippers who needed
to be converted to Christianity and a "modern" form of lifestyle. However, the adherents of African Traditional
Religion also believed that they knew a Supreme Being called Onyankopon, Mawu or
Nyonmo, long before the coming of the European. Over the centuries, the traditional
people have observed man, the society, the world around them and how all these related to their Supreme Being and have
arrived at certain conclusions which they express in religious and philosophical
ways.
EXPRESSION OF RELIGIOUS AND PHILOSOPHICAL IDEAS IN GHANA
Kente and adinkra cloth
One of the ways in which the pre-colonial Ghanaian expressed
his religious and philosophical ideas is through the things printed or designed
in their traditional cloths. The hand-loom is usually used in weaving the fabric
where intricate designs are woven into the cloth and all the designs have their
meanings. The things that the various designs say expresses their religious and philosophical ideas.
Pottery
Another ingenious way the pre-colonial Ghanaian expressed his
religious and philosophical insight is through pottery. Clay was widely used
and mostly women were involved in this trade and in the process of finishing
their handiwork, before it is fired, they express their inner ideas about the
world around them and how they or others have experienced it. In other cases,
after the pot is fired, various colours are used to draw their philosophical
and religious ideas beautifully on the pot.
Wood carvings
Traditional Ghanaians used wood carvings to express their
religious and philosophical ideas. Wood carving is common today but in the
olden days it was restricted to very few skillful people who were believed to
have been gifted by the gods. Carving was done under the strict supervision of
the Chiefs, clan elders and religious leaders. Through these skillful men and the supervision of their leaders, the religious and
philosophical ideas and ideals of the community were expressed. The carved
wooden stool of the King of Ashanti symbolized the unity of the kingdom.
Traditional paintings
Painting and other artistic drawings on walls were also
used as a representation of the religious and philosophical ideas of the people
of Ghana. A very common painting in Ghana is that of a bird with the head
turned toward the back. The traditional people believe that when a mistake is
made, one can go back and correct that mistake and it will not be counted as a
crime. Another common artistic impression is the “Gye Nyame” symbol. The symbol
is used to impress upon the people that only God is capable of certain things
in life.
Proverbs
In an article titled “Akan proverbs about death” Dr. Joseph
Brookman-Amissah wrote in his introduction that “In a culture which depends much on oral tradition,
proverbs perform the important task of encoding the philosophical outlook,
religious conceptions and the world views of society in a digestible form.”
Proverbs represented how the people thought in those days and this was handed down from one generation to the other many centuries ago. They were used to convey traditional knowledge, ancient
religious and other instructions. It constitutes one of the ways in which
Ghanaians express their religious and philosophical ideas.
SAMPLE QUESTION(S)
1. In what ways did the people of Ghana express their
religious and philosophical ideas in the pre-colonial times?
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