the akans first settled in ghana during their migration.
the akans first settled in ghana during their migration.
where did the akans first settle during their migration?
ghana
the name derives from its myths of origin, "the slave (akoa) died (wu)," which was based on an ancient prophecy that a slave would die so the wandering tribe of akan would know where to settle. this resonates with the etymology of the ba-wu-le (baoulé) akans of the ivory coast. the myth was part of the historical stories of the agona matriclan, the first paramount lineage of kwawu, and was later adopted by the bretuao-tena matriclan (twidan) who later replaced them. other historians trace the name kwahu to the dangers associated with making the mountainous terrain a habitat as it became known as a destination of no return: go at your own peril or "ko wu" in the twi language. this latter version is thought to have come either from their ancestral people in mampong who did not support fragmentation or from enemies who perished in trying to take fighting to the kwahu in the treacherous mountains.
kwahu
the way akans ruled their nation fascinated the tribes of other west african nations and as the akans conquered or formed alliances with these nations parts of it was transmitted to them. the british particularly felt the akan system was highly efficient and tried to establish it throughout their dominions in west africa using the indirect rule system. the ewes and the ga-adangmes with their close affinity to the akans have modified certain aspects of it to fit their societies.
akan people