Asafo: Akan Paradigm for Warriors

[IfasehunReincarnated]

Even though the Akan societies, had no standing army, the asafo - i.e., a people's militia - was a well established social and political organization based on martial principles. Every able-bodied person belonged to an asafo group; every child automatically belonged to his or her father's company.

Internal sub-divisions within an individual company included the main fighting body, the scouts, reserves, and the minstrel unit whose main job it was to sing patriotic and war songs to boost the morale of the military.

The asafo companies forming the national army were organized into main fighting divisions thus: adonten (vanguard - main body under the adontenhene), twafo (advance guard), kyidom (rearguard - under the kyidomhene), nifa (right wing under the nifahene), benkum (left wing under the benkumhene), akwansra (scouting division), ankobea (home guard under the ankobeahene), and gyaase (the king's bodyguard under the gyaasehene).

Asafo interest links and flags:
http://www.marshall.edu/akanart/asafo.html
http://www.hamillgallery.com/FANTE/F...safoFlags.html
http://www.quiltethnic.com/fante.html
http://www.smithsonianmag.si.edu/smi...ana_flags.html
http://treasurenc.com/sys-tmpl/homagetofanteasafo/
http://www.adire.clara.net/asafogallery.htm
http://www.blackstarleopard.org/ASAFO_OFFICIAL.htm

[Akyeame Kwame]

htp Baba Ifasehun,

BlackCellent post Baba...unfortunately most folk leave out the abennegyefo/abennedifo...these are the skirmishers/guerrilla warriors who are sent out first in small bands and units to attack the enemy...this is, among the Akan, considered the most dangerous aspect of war...as a matter of fact, on analogy if someone says "eyi dee, merekodi abenne", they're are saying "this work/task is too difficult for me"...this is a position that most of US find Ourselves in contemporarily (my Baba had a book out in the early 80's "Black Guerrilla warfare in amerika" that speaks to this point)...once again BlackCellent post Baba,

AK

(ps. --*tag*)

[Sundiata Olugbala]

Meda ase,

Recently, I've been collecting a lot of info and knowledge on this topic. Basicaly, utilizing the concept, worldview and language and applying them to our social/political/spiritual etc. context [in Amerikkka].

I few of the links are no longer in service...

Nante yie