#offinso

Life like the umbrella opens and closes... for such are the days of our lives! 📸: Nana Osei - 2021 #offinso #ashantiregion #asante #ghana #africa #funeral #grandfather #father #women #streetstyle #streetphotography #photography #sony #ashantiimmigrant #dynamicafrica #everydayafrica #visiterlafrique #accrawedey #chief #umbrella #life (at Offinso) https://www.instagram.com/p/CQ3HJJ6jFhJ/?utm_medium=tumblr

At my grandpa’s funeral, my father said “Mmaa n’ay3 ayie..” Which literally translates “women organize funeral” 📸: Nana Osei - 2021 #offinso #ashantiregion #asante #ghana #africa #funeral #grandfather #father #women #streetstyle #streetphotography #photography #sony #ashantiimmigrant #dynamicafrica #everydayafrica #visiterlafrique #accrawedey (at Offinso) https://www.instagram.com/p/CQlFtgAj925/?utm_medium=tumblr

Photo: Nana Osei Kwadwo (2017)

The Akans believe there is life after death, meaning there is another world that people go to settle when they die. Regardless of ones religious beliefs, there's the believe that death is a journey to another world (usually believed to be in a spiritual realm). For example, Christianity accommodates this belief that human beings are on a journey, and this world is just a transit point. So at a point all humans will embark on this journey to the final destination (Heaven & Hell). Funeral rites are a way of sending off the deceased to the afterworld. It is believed that this journey could be a long one, and so during the funeral rites gifts "akwan kogya ade3" (send away gift) are given to the deceased to help them on the journey. The gift may include handkerchiefs, matches, water, Fabrics, sweets, money + whatever the family chooses to add. It could be anything that was a favorite of the deceased. People from not too distant families may also include gifts, and ask the deceased to give it to a relative who had died earlier. Some people leave messages with the deceased to deliver to their ancestors. If the deceased has relatives who stay abroad, they come with things from where they live (a reason why there are American flag Handkerchiefs among the gifts). . . 📷: Nana Osei - 2017 . . #offinso #asante #akan #kumasi #ghana #africa #culture #funeralrites #funeral #afterlife #world #spiritualrealm #transit #gifts #family #relatives #death #streetstyle #streetphotography #everydayafrica (at Kumasi, Ghana)

One of the important parts of Asante funeral rites is the costume for the mourning/celebration. The family of the deceased decides on the specific attire/cloth for the funeral. And this decision is usually made based on the gender, age, social status, and/or circumstances that lead the the death. Asantes are sometimes particular about the costume for a funeral because they may want it to be remembered as a special celebration by a particular family or clan. According to Ghanaian musicologist Professor Kwabena Nketiah in one of his writings on the expensive showcasing at Akan funerals in 1950 said "The celebration of funeral is regarded as duty and no pains are spared to make it a memorable event. 'Was it well attended?' (Ayie no nkrofuo bae?), 'Was it exciting?' (Ayie no soe?) Those are the questions that may be asked as a test of successful funeral." The beauty of an Asante funeral sometimes based on how well the funeral costume is worn to the grounds. It's creates a certain uniformity that shows each and everyone present shares in the celebration. And for outsiders, it is a respectable way of showing solidarity to the bereaved family. These clothes mostly carry distinctive messages in them, and the messages are mostly in the adinkra symbols and/or text. Some of the messages include "Odupon bi atu ahwi" (a great tree has fallen), "s3 asa" (it is finished), "Owuo sei fie" (death destroys homes), "Obi nim nea owu wo a, anka onsi ho ara da" (if one knew where death resides one would never stop there). Today at Obaapanin Comfort Amoah's funeral the family decided to use a cloth that transmitted a message that Odupon bi atu ahwi (a great tree has fallen). 📷 & Text: Nana Osei - 2017 . . #offinso #kumasi #asante #Ghana #Africa #culture #funeral #costume #funeralrites #proverbs #adinkra #death #clothes #family #akan #professorKwabenaNketiah #ashantiimmigrant #streetstyle #streetphotography #everydayafrica (at Offinso Methodist)

Among the Akans, one of the very first rituals that is done when a family member dies is to paint their family house. The immediate understanding of this ritual is to make the house look clean and welcoming, but I'm told there is an underlying narrative behind this ritual. Will find out and share! . . 📷: Nana Osei - 2017 . . #offinso #asante #kumasi #ghana #africa #funeralrites #ritual #culture #rites #painting #family #house #death #funeral #streetstyle #streetphotography #everydayafrica #ashantiimmigrant (at Offinso Methodist)

In Asante funeral tradition, the close relatives of the deceased wear red (Kobene) and/or Black (Kuntunkuni). These colors or clothes signify the pain the deceased has caused the family. Chiefs and Queens from the Asante traditional areas usually wear any of these two to funerals. Since they are custodians of the land, anybody from the traditional area is a son, daughter, brother, sister, father or mother (a relative) to him or her. And so they wearing this cloth to funerals show how serious the death of the person means to them. In this photo Nana Agyare Kokoro, chief of Antoa traditional area in Offinso at the funeral of a relative in his Kobene. . . 📷: Nana Osei - 2017 . . #offinso #asante #kumasi #ghana #africa #culture #tradition #funeral #kobene #kuntunkuni #cloth #chiefs #queens #antoa #ashantiimmigrant #streetstyle #streetphotography #everydayafrica (at Offinso Methodist)

The Asantes like other ethnic groups in Ghana have special attributes for their Kings and Queens. These attributes are endearments that acknowledges the importance, legitimacy and authority of these Kings and Queens. And they are usually spoken in proverbs and wise-sayings In Offinso, one of the attributes/endearments of Offinsohemaa Nana Serwaa Nyarko is "Obaa a okura nufu kese3 a obiara nom anoo..." (A woman with big breast that breastfeeds everyone). . . 📷: Nana Osei - 2017 . . #offinso #asante #kumasi #ghana #africa #culture #asanteman #kings #queens #endearment #attributes #offinsohemaa #chieftaincy #breastfeed #leadership #streetstyle #streetphotography #everydayafrica # (at Asamankama, Ashanti, Ghana)