Storytelling is one of the oldest, if not the oldest method of communicating ideas and images. Story performance honed our mythologies long before they were written and edited by scribes, poets, or scholars. Storytelling, as it is defined here, is a linguistic activity that is educative because it allows individuals to share their personal understanding with others, thereby creating negotiated transactions. Without this interactive narrative experience humans could not express their knowledge or thought. Storytelling is part of how humans translate their individual private experience of understanding into a public culturally negotiated form.

Storytelling is also a performance art, one that has been revitalized in recent years and which has developed into a neo-tradition throughout the U. S. A. Today, the modern storyteller performs texts that (for most) have been learned from books. However, the art of storytelling still remains connected to its ancient roots in that it remains an activity where a tale is told aloud, to an audience, without the use of memorized scripts or other literary texts. It is the closest thing we have, in modern contexts, to the orality of our preliterate ancestors. Modern storytellers, therefore, like their ancient counterparts, continue to rely on their manipulation of language in order to relate an anecdote and often make use of dramatic skills such as characterization, narration, vocalization, and mimetic action.

Ever since ancient times, storytelling in African culture has been a way of passing on the traditions and beliefs of a particular society from one generation to the next. It has also been used as a means of passing on traditions and codes of behavior, as well as maintaining social order. African tales are told and retold under the shade of a tree or around a village campfire, passing on the history, philosophy, and moral laws of the people.

Although alphabetic writing had not been developed in ancient Ghana, there were still existing means for Ghanaians to record their thoughts, beliefs and feelings. These means included various forms of African art such as artifacts, myths and ceremonies. The adinkra cloth symbols constitute one art form in which  the Akan of Ghana encoded several stories. In this section two symbols and the stories they encode are illustrative of the power of storytelling among the Akan of Ghana. The first story is followed by its English translation.
 

ADEPA BƐBA DA BI - ƆBANYANSAFOƆ NA ODI KOSUA A ƆBƆ DOMPE MU

Opanyin Bεεko nye ne yer Ɔbrawɔdan tsenaa ekura bi ase. Wɔwoo mba mbanyimbasia ebiasa: Pesie, Maanu na Mensã. Mensã yε abofra a ɔdwe na ɔyε somakɔr. Mensã edzi mfe du. Maanu edzi mfe duebien na Pesie edzi mfe duanan.

Da kor ewimbir bi Ɔpanyin Bεεko frεε ne yer na mbofra no dze too hɔn enyim dε, orubotu kwan ekedzi paa wɔ beebi a wɔrepaa keteke kwan no. Ɔpanyin Bεεko yii nkyirefua ebiasa fii kotoku bi mu na ɔkyεε no nkor kor dze maa ne mba no. Ɔsee hɔn dε, “Hom nhwε hom maame yie na hom nhwε hom ho yie.”

Ahanamakye no, Ɔpanyin Bεεko sii mu tuu ne kwan. Anapa no, Pesie nye Maanu noaa hɔn nkyirefua no na wodzii. Mensã dze ne nkyirefua no maa ne mame dε ɔmfa nto akokɔbaantan n’ase ama oehuan kyirefua no. Maame Ɔbrawɔdan dze kyirefua no too akokɔbaatan n’ase. Enndzi nda ahen biara na akokɔbaatan no huaan Mensã ne kyirefua no.

Nokwar, mpanyimfo kã dε, “adze a ɔbεyε yie nnsε da.” Mensã ne kyirefua no huanee bεyε akokɔber. Annkyεr biara na Mensã n’akokɔber no hyεε ase dε ɔrotow nkyirefua. Akokɔ no toow nkyirefua pɔr pɔr akrɔn. Ber a akokɔ no huaãn ne nkyirefua no, Mensã nyaa nkokɔber anum na enyin anan. Mensã n’enyiwa gyee pii. Mensã hwεε ne nkokɔmba yie ma akorɔma annkyer no mu kor mpo. Nkokɔ yi nyinii ma aber no hyεε ase dε hɔn so worɔtow. Mensã nyaa nkokɔ pii ma ɔkãã kyerε ne maame dε ɔntɔn enyin no bi mfambɔ ne ho akɔhoma. Maame Ɔbrawɔdan dze akokɔ sika no bi tɔɔ mbofra no hɔn sukuul ntar na mbuukuu.

Ɔpanyin Bεεko wɔ akwantu mu no, wɔhɔ wɔhɔ a, na ɔamona fie na ɔato nkra dε no ho yie. Ɔpanyin Bεεko atu kwan bεyε mfe ebien. Da kor bi na Maame Ɔbrawɔdan nyaa nkra fii ne kun hɔ dε borɔnya ɔreba afe n’eweie no, ɔbεba fie. Iyi bεyε enyigyesεm kεse wɔ fie hɔ osiandε nna hɔn nyina afe no.

Mensã kãã kyerε ne maame dε ɔntɔn ne nkokɔ enyin no bi ma sε ne papa ba fie a, wɔdze sika no bi ato pon dze ama no akɔaba. Afei so Mensã yεε no dε ne maame mfa nkokɔ no so bi nyε edziban ma wɔmfa ndzi borɔnya soronko.

Da a adze rebεkyẽ ma borɔnya esi no, Mensã kɔr gua mu dε ɔrokɔtɔn ne nkokɔ no bi. Ɔpanyin bi baa Mensã hɔ dε ɔbɔtɔ ne nkokɔ no. Wogu do ridzi nkokɔ no bo ano ara na ɔpanyin yi hun no dε ne ba Mensã na ɔrotɔn nkokɔ no. Mensã dze oennhu dε n’egya na ɔnye no ridzi bo ano no. Ɔpanyin no tɔɔ nkokɔ no nyina na ɔserεε Mensã dε ɔmfa nkogya no wɔ ne fie. Mensã bisaa papa no dε ne fie wɔ hen. Papa no kaa dε ne fie nye Mame Ɔbrawɔdan ne fie. Hɔ na Mensã rebohu dε ne papa na ɔnye no rekasa no. Mensã tui baam ne papa na ohuahuaa no maa no ak]aba. Ɔgyee ne papa ne bɔtɔ no dze kaa nkokɔ no ho. Enyigye dodow ntsi Mensã tuu mbirika dzii kan kɔr fie kεsee dε ne papa aba. Mbofra no nyina dze ose na enyigye dze behyia hɔn papa kwan nye no kɔr fie.

Borɔnya n’ewimbir no, Maame Ɔbrawɔdan too pon kεse dze frεε ebusuafo baa bεmaa no kun akɔaba. Maame Ɔbrawɔdan yεε edziban pii, na ebusuafo no so dze edziban ahorow pii bae. Enyigye a osii hɔ dze, ɔsε w’enyi na ɔnnsε wo kakyerε.

Pesie na Maanu yεε dε wɔrefa akokɔnam no bi edzi no, Mensã tseãã mu see hɔn dε: “Ɔba nyansafo na odzi nkyirefua a, ɔbɔ biew mu”ntsi wɔmfa akokɔnam a wɔafa no nto hɔ. Ɔpanyin Bεεko tsee dεm no, obisaa Mensã dε ɔnkyerε asεm a okãe no ase. Mensã kyerε mu kãã dzaa osi ber a hɔn egya tuu kwan no. Iyi na mpanyimfo dze ayε asεnkã dε: “Adzepa bεba da bi.” Ntsi sε ridzi wo nkyirefua na akae dε rewe wo nkokɔ ara nye no.

Nsembisa

1.                            Ber a Ɔpanyin Bεεko maa ne mba nkyirefua na ɔkãã dε wɔnhwε hɔn maame no, nna ɔkyerε dεn?

2.               Mensã yεε dεn hwεε ne maame?

3.               Sε wɔkã dε boa w’awofo a, ebεnadze na mbofra tum yε dze boa hɔn awofo?

4.               Aponto ase wɔyε dεn? Aber bεn na nkorɔfo tɔ dε wɔto pon?

5.              Ebεn esuasεm bi so na inya no dεm okodzi yi mu a edze bεyε mfatoho wɔ w’abrabɔ mu?

English translation

SOMETHING GOOD WILL BE FORTHCOMING - IT IS THE WISE CHILD WHO CRACKS INTO A BONE AS S/HE EATS AN EGG

The wise child is the o­ne who cracks into a bone even when s/he is eating an egg. There o­nce lived a man who had three children (boys) with his wife. They lived in a small town. They were happily married and the children had been raised very well. o­ne day, the man called his sons together and told them that he was going o­n a journey and that he would be gone for some time.

On the eve of his journey he called the sons together again in the presence of his wife. The man then gave an egg each to his three sons and urged them to help their mother in his absence. The next day he set out o­n his journey. Immediately the father left, the two older boys cooked and ate their eggs. The youngest boy gave his egg to his mother to put under her hen that was about to hatch her eggs. Very soon, the boy’s egg was hatched and he had a hen so he decided to keep her in order for her to have more chicken for him. And in no time, he had several chicken.

One day the father returned home. They had a big feast to welcome him back. When they sat down to eat, the oldest son reached out for a chicken drumstick. The youngest son snatched the drumstick from his brother. He said to his senior brother, "The wise child is the o­ne who cracks into a bone even when s/he is eating an egg." The father was taken aback o­n hearing that statement. He asked for an explanation. The youngest then explained how his two older brothers had eaten their eggs soon after he the father set out o­n his journey. He, the youngest son was the one who had his egg hatched that yielded the chicken that were used for the food they were about to eat. If the older boys wanted to crack into bone, they would have not eaten their eggs.

This story teaches the moral of delayed gratification.

Akyekyedee-Tortoise

Akyekyedeε se: Ohia ma adwen

The tortoise says: It takes thinking and planning

OHIA MA ADWEN

Anyenkofo beenu bi tsenaa ase mber bi a wɔabesen kɔ. Hɔn nye osuã na akyekyer. Hɔn anyenkoye sɔɔ twann de ahwea mu bankye no fufu. Da kor bi osuã ne maame dae a, ɔannsoer. Ɔnam de nyimpa fa nyenko dze sie ansaana oenya amandze ntsi, osuã soma egya epan de ɔmbese ne nyenko berebo akyekyer eyi de epesi na fundahɔ no wɔreye no wɔ dɔtɔ mu wɔ dupɔn kese bi no nkɔn mu. Akyekyer seree ɔsomafo no kwan na ɔsoeree keheen ne pia mu. Akyekyer tuu no ho egyina na ntsem ara, ohun dza ɔbeye. Ɔsanee besee epan de: “Matse; mbom mibedzi kan wɔ epesi no ase hɔ dem ntsi, se ifi fie rokɔ a, ɔno si ha na befa m’akyekyedze a medze bɔkɔ eyi no, na fa bre me osiande murunntum nnsoa m’akyekyedze yi ma memmfa mmfow dupɔn no ma ɔnnye yie.” Epan gyee pen na opuei.

Afei, akyekeyer see ne yer de: “Ɔdɔ, fa  m’eyitam nye me mpabowa no na fa kã mo ho kyekyer me wɔ bɔtɔ mu. Iwie a, fa bɔtɔ no to ha na se epan ba a, se no de medzi kan kɔ dadaada ntsi ɔmfa me akyekyedze yi nkɔto eyiadze hɔ wɔ dupɔn kese no no nkon mu.” Ɔyerpa so tsiee no kun ne nhyehyee no na ]yee no dem. Annkyer koraa na epan n’enyim wora! Epan befaa amonadze no tuaa n’ano na otu faa dze ker eyiadze hɔ. Okebisaa no, ɔyee no nwanwã de akyekyer nnkodur hɔ. Wɔkyeree no ahɔhodan no ma ]dze amonadze no kɔtoo mu bɔkɔɔ. Nna akyekyer noara nyim mbre obesi esian pɔw no na oepue efi bɔtɔ no mu.

Ɔyee de ɔmaanam dze no ho rekã ha no, wɔnkɔhwe a, ɔbentsen na oetutu n’edzinkratam egu no do hom na oriyi akyeã dze reba yi. Ɔhyehye n’ahenmba mpabowa na ɔdze kɔben abɔ ne tsir na oritsiatsia twom, twom, twom. Obiara no ho boow no. Dodow ara hɔn asem nye de, yehu akyekyer ne mbae mu, na yebɔhwe no nkɔree mu.

Akyekyer dzii ne nyenko osuã atwewã de mbre ɔfata ma ɔdze yee ne mame n’eyi no ferenkyemm. Afei odzii kan kaa epan n’adwen bio de, se eyi no tu apo a, ɔno ɔmbɔ mbɔdzen nkɔ ahɔhodan mu hɔ na ɔnkefa no bɔtɔ no ndzi kan nkema ne yer mma no kakra na nyimpa hia mboa. Epan so yee setsie na somakɔr de mbre ɔse.

Aber a enyim rumua ma eyiadzefo etu apo no, akyekyer bɔɔ tom kesesãã no ho wɔ ahɔhodan no mu. Oduaa kwan bi do dze no ho nye ne ndzemba no kyekyeer no ho wɔ bɔtɔ no mu na ɔdze ne se nye n’awereba suoo ano dzendzenndzen. Epan so nnyim dza esi. Ɔdze n’ano maa bɔtɔ no do de mbre nkan no ɔyee noara na otuu fãã dze amonadze no bree akyekyer ne yer. Epan daan no ho ara na okentsemfo so fii bɔtɔ no mu puei. Ɔdze eyi no ho amandzee pa bɔɔ ne yer.

Adzekyee no, asomafo a wofi eyiwuranom hɔ bedaa akyekyer ase no, wobisa no mbre osii kɔr eyiadze hɔ na mbre osii fii hɔ dze baa fie. Akyekyer buaa hɔn de: “Ohia ma adwen, na onyansafo biara dzidzi n’adwen ho.”

          Nsembisa

1.     Eben abebu na ɔwɔ anansesem yi mu? Kyere kor biara n’ase.

2.     Eben ntsi na eyiadzefo no ho boow hɔn ber a akyekyer kopuee hɔ no?

3.     Kyerekyere kasafua yinom ase:

a.     Fenenkyemm

b.    Atwewã

c.     Ɔkentsemfo

d.    Ɔdae a ɔannsoer

e.     Yi akyeã

f.      Enyim rumua

g.     Ɔmaanam dze no ho rekã ha.

Onyansafo dzidzi n’adwen ho – iyi n’ase nye den?

Here is a pdf version in case you do not have the Gentium font on your computer.