The Asantehene has two special category of swords he use to protect himself from witchcraft called an “Akrafena” or soul sword and a “Bosomfena” or spirit sword.
These swords are held by
Ashanti Royal Sword Bearers and the Chief Royal Sword Bearer carries two mysterious swords, the Legendary Nponponsuo and
Bosomuru swords.
THE TWO MOST POWERFUL SWORDS ⚔️ OF THE ASANTE KINGDOM ARE:
THE BOSOMURU SWORD
In the 1600s when Osei Tutu I was uniting Asante tribes and bringing stubborn tribes under control, he embarked on several expeditions and had many precious spoils of war.
Some were precious properties of subjugated kings.
The “Bosomuru” is one of the regalia Osei Tutu captured from Onoo Adu Gyamfi who until his defeat ruled over a wide territory from present day Kumase to as far as Mampong and had settled in Jamase.
Onoo is a town in the Kwaabre district in Asante.
Okomfo Anokye, after this capture, consecrated the bosomuru for Asanteman and added it to the regalia.
The history of the gyemirekutu kyɛ (the hat) is however different from the sword.
According to oral tradition, when he was on his way from Akwamu to inherit his uncle Obiri Yeboa, Osei Tutu met a hunter who had killed an elephant and ɔwam (hornbill).
He asked the hunter for the skin covering the elephant’s kneebone, and the feathers of the hornbill.
Osei Tutu then placed the head of the hornbill on top of the elephant’s skin, and the feathers on both sides of the skin, and added adwera (portulaca oleracea leafs) on his forehead.
He finally placed the adam below the adwera and wore the hat to Kumase and eventually added it to the bosomuru when he captured it from Onoo Adu Gyamfi.
In that sense, the bosomuru hat is connected with doku agyapɔmaa (the gun with beads around the lever butt.
Osei Tutu brought his gun to Kumase after killing the hunter and his wife (Agyapɔmaa), and placed her waist beads around this particular gun.
Apart from Otumfoɔ, no one is allowed to swear the oath of office with the bosomuru sword.
That explains the saying in Asante:
“Bosomuru fa wo bem (lit. bosomuru, you’ve won the case in advance of any precedings).”
As a spiritual leader, the Asantehene cannot be found guilty or no one can argue and win a case against him and as a result, and in advance of any procedings, the elders and chiefs will throw in the towel with the above words.
It is only after swearing the Great Oath of Asanteman with the bosomuru sword, as part of the Pampaso rituals (rituals that were made to consecrate the golden stool), that a newly enstooled king is recognized as Asantehene.
The custodian of bosomuru sits to the immediate left of Asantehene whenever the Asantehene sits in state or during state ceremonies.
The bosomuru is considered “holy” and, unlike the mpɔnpɔnsɔn, it is cutomarirly not used for war (ɛmpɛ basabasa).
Since it is not proper for women to see the bosomuru, the custodian covers it with ɛnwira (white cloth) when women come close to it or during traditional ceremonies when the queen mothers and women take turns to greet Otumfoɔ.
Apart from the Asantehene and the custodian, no chief is allowed to touch or hold it.
In the likelihood that the custodian needs to relieve himself during ceremonies, he will either rest it by Asantehene’s feet or at the feet of the Ankɔbeahene.
THE NPONPONSUO SWORD
The original name of this sword is “mpɔnpɔnsɔn” but it’s now known by its corrupted name, “mponponsuo”.
The custodian of this legendary sword is a chief and he is referred to as “Mpɔnpɔnsɔnhene”.
It is next in rank to the Bosomuru Sword.
Okomfo Anokye created the mpɔnpɔnsɔn for Ɔpemsoɔ Osei Tutu’s nephew, Opoku Ware.
Soon after Osei Tutu’s sister gave birth to Opoku Ware, the king and the great priest went to visit mother and child.
To their amazement, the little boy was waving his hands but these were no ordinary hand gestures.
In reaction to these unusual hand gestures, the mercurial Okomfo Anokye informed Osei Tutu that, he would create the “mpɔnpɔnsɔn” for Opoku Ware.
Not surprisingly, Opoku Ware succeeded his uncle, Ɔpemsoɔ Osei Tutu (who was slain in a hurriedly carried out expedition to punish the Akyems for their insubordination) and during his reign (circa 1720-1759), he expanded Asante.
Practically, all the “mfena” (royal swords) belong to Asantehene, but the mpɔnpɔnsɔn is considered his personal afena.
During processions and depending on the situation, he walks with it by holding the hilt while the Mpɔnpɔnsɔnhene holds the remaining part of the sword.
A newly enstooled Asantehene swears the oath of allegiance to his people by using the mpɔnpɔnsɔn.
When the Asantehene is dancing to fɔntɔmfrom atoprɛtia he uses the mpɔnpɔnsɔn and a gun.
In times of crisis, when the king is performing funerary rites for a deceased member of the royal family, or Ɔmanhene (a paramount chief), or a high-ranking chief at Manhyia Palace, he uses the mpɔnpɔnsɔn.
Amanhene (paramount chiefs) and abrempɔn (Kumase chiefs who are recognized as such) also use mpɔnpɔnsɔn to swear the oath of office before the Asantehene.
Not all Kumase abrempɔn use this sword to swear the oath of office.
Whenever the king sits in state for ceremonies, the custodian sits to his immediate right and runs errands.
For instance, the Mpɔpɔnsɔnhene may invite visiting dignitaries to greet the king or he may inform assembled chiefs that the king is about to recess.
When the Dwabenhene is visiting Kumase, it is the Mpɔpɔnsɔnhene who goes to the Dwabenhene’s house with the sword to inform him that the Asantehene is sitting in state and it is time for him attend the gathering.
Other swords were created overtime.
There are swords that are generally referred to as kɛtɛanomfena (swords on the edge of bed) for they are placed at the edge of the king’s bed when he goes to sleep (dies).
Additionally, they are placed on the edges of the apakan (palanquin) when the king rides in it as part of a procession.
Kɛtɛanofena are further subdivided into two sets:
AKRAFENA
(swords of the soul) and abosomfena (deity swords).
The akrafena are positioned to the right and the abosomfena to the left of the Asantehene during processions and they maintain the same position when he sits in state.
In a hierarchical order, the akrafena are:
mpɔnpɔnsɔn, ahwebaa, kraku panin, Kra Kofi (Apemase Nsa Da), Kra Kwasi, Kra Kwame, Kraku Kumaa, kɔtɔkɔ, abubummabaa, sakatempobi.
Similarly, the abosomfena are:
bosomuru, dɛnkyɛm, bosomprapanin, nimsaakakyi, bosompra kumaa (akokɔbaatan), bosomurutwe, esie, esrɛmusei gyata, gyapetia.
kɛtɛanomfena are identified by the abɔsodeɛ (cast gold ornaments) of an animal or a fruit representing a proverb or an epigram.
Practically, all the kɛtɛanomfena are proverbs conveying a message or statement from the king, or embodying an incident in the history of the kingdom.
Further, the Afenesoafoɔ wear a hat mostly made from ɔtwe nhoma (duiker leather) or sebɔ nhoma (the leopard’s skin).
Akrafokɔnmu (gold disc-shaped chest ornaments) are usually tied to a rope and hang around the neck to the chest.
These are also referred to as pectoral discs and they come in different sizes, shapes, and designs.
In all we have 24 royal swords of the ancient Asante Kingdom.
Four New Swords have been created by Otumfour Osei Tutu II (who started ruling from 1999 after the death of Opoku Ware II) to honour famílies who are honoured to be the Sword bearers of the King.
⚔️ESIE NE KEGYA (The Sword of Appreciation)
⚔️SAKATEMPOBI ( Sakatempobi are nkranee (big ants in the forest) that in times of bush fires, while the undergrowth is burning, they continue to feed on grasshoppers as they leave the scene of the fire. The proverb in Twi stipulates, egya ɛhye sakatempobi no, na ɔsɔ mmɛbɛ (grasshoppers). In creating this sword, Otumfoɔ Osei Tutu II said, “ɔno wasan aba no, nea ɔbɛka sɛ ɔbɛyɛ biara no, ɔbɛ yɛ. Ɛnyɛ nea obi bɛka na ɛbɛ ma no agyae neɛ ɔpɛsɛ ɔyɛ.” He will come back to continue his work and no matter what people might do or say, he will accomplish whatever tasks he has set up for his return.)
⚔️ESIREMU SEI (The Lion of the Wilderness)
⚔️ABUBUMABAA (The abode of the Silkworm and the Silkworm itself… which came first?? This sword reveal the mysteries of how the ancient kingdom was set up in the midst of wars!!)
