Akan Naming Ceremony

[aziza]

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Akan Naming Ceremony

The name is an essential component of the spiritual anatomy of a human being. Thus, from time immemorial Africans have said in respect to the sacredness of the name: "Truly, without a name the human being does not exist."

The name is a group of sounds - sounds/vibrations grouped together in a unique way. Power from the sound/vibration of a properly given name moves throughout the spirit of the person when heard or spoken. The spirit responds to this power, stirring within the person an awareness of their unique purpose in life and of the potential they possess to carry out that purpose. As the purpose of one's life is given to him or her by The Creator before birth, we recognize our unique purpose, our destiny, our function in Creation, to be a divine purpose, a divine destiny, a divine function we are to execute in this world. Thus, the name, the power-carrying indicator of our divine destiny, has always been and continues to be most sacred to us. It is within this context that the naming ceremonies of African people must be viewed. The den to (Naming Rite) of the Akan people of West Africa is expressive of these principles.

The Akan (Ah-khan) people live primarily in the region of West Africa which includes the sacred waters of Lake Bosom Twe as well as the sacred rivers Tano, Pra, Bia and Afram. The ancestry of the Akan is an ancient ancestry stretching back to the ancient civilizations of Keneset (Nubia/Ethiopia), Kemet (Egypt) and beyond. For thousands of years up to this day, the Akan have preserved their culture, a culture which has survived various challenges including forced migrations and the slave trade.

Den to

After a baby is born he or she is kept indoors for eight days. The eighth day is the day of the naming ceremony, den to. The newborn receives two names. The first name received is called the "kra den" or "soul name", and is determined by the day of the week that the child was born. This is because Nyame (oun-yah-may , God in Akan culture) placed seven of His children over the seven days of the week. Each one of these seven divinities (Gods/Goddesses) carry different spiritual qualities of their Father (Nyame). The day of the week upon which a child is born indicates which divinity governs that day and therefore which spiritual qualities of Nyame (God) are transferred to and carried by the soul of the child.

The seven days of the week and divinities governing these days are:

Akwesida (Sunday) - Awusi or Asi

Dwoda (Monday) - Adwo

Benada (Tuesday) - Bena

Wukuda (Wednesday) - Aku or Wuku

Yawda (Thursday) - Yaw

Fida (Friday) Afi

Memenda (Saturday) - Amen

All females and males in Akan society thus receive their kra den (soul name) according to the day of the week they are born into the world.

Female kra den

Akosua or Esi (Akwesida)

Adwoa or Adjoa (Dwoda)

Abenaa (Benada)

Akua or Edua (Wukuda)

Yaa or Aba (Yawda)

Afua, Afia or Efua (Fida)

Amma or Ame (Memenda)

Male kra den

Kwesi or Kwasi (Akwesida)

Kwodwo or Kwadwo (Dwoda)

Kwabena or Kobena (Benada)

Kweku or Kwaku (Wukuda)

Yaw or Kwaw (Yawda)

Kofi or Kwafi (Fida)

Kwame or Kwamena (Memenda)

In the various names 'a' is pronounced like the 'a' in "father"; 'e' as in "bet"; 'i' like the 'ee' in "beet"; 'o' as in "no"; 'u' like the 'oo' in "boot".

The kra den greatly affects the spirit of the Akan female and male, for it carries the power which works to align the spirit of the individual with her/his divine qualities. This is one reason why the den to (naming rite) is performed on the eighth day. For example, if a child is born on Akwesida (Sunday) then the naming rite is performed eight days later on the following Akwesida. The divinity (God or Goddess) of that particular day lends its energy to the proceedings.

The child also receives its formal name, 'den pa', on the eighth day. The naming ceremony begins and ends before sunrise. It is the father that has the responsibility of naming the child, thus the family comes together in the early morning at the father's house. The Elders pour libation to Nyame (God), Asaase Afua (Earth Mother/Goddess, female counterpart to Nyame, also called Asaase Yaa) and the Nananom Nsamanfo (Honored Ancestral Spirits) to assist with the proper naming of the child.

After the name is acquired, the infant is given to an Elder from the father's side of the family who announces the formal name to the family for the first time. There are two cups, one which contains water and the other nsa (strong drink). The Elder dips his index finger into the water and places it on the mouth of the infant saying, "When you say it is water, it is water." He dips his index finger into the nsa and places it on the mouth of the infant saying, "When you say it is nsa, it is nsa." This is repeated three times. This is done to instill within the infant a consciousness of morality, the necessity of always living in harmony with the truth, for all of her/his life. Whether the consequences of truthfulness leaves a pleasant taste in your mouth (water) or a bad taste in your mouth (nsa), truthfulness nevertheless must be upheld. The remainder of the water and nsa in the two cups is then mixed together and given to the parents, that they may participate in the ritual in unity with their child. The parents are here confirming the importance of the moral lesson taught to the child and at the same time vowing to reinforce this lesson throughout the life of the child. The stability of the community, and the parents are making their vow before Nyame (God), Asaase Afua (Mother Earth/Goddess), Abosom (the Diviniteis/Goddesses and Gods), Nananom Nsamanfo (Honored Ancestral Spirits) and the family.

The time has come for gifts to be presented to the newborn, afterwhich the remainder of the nsa in the bottle is shared with members of the community. The name of the newborn is spoken to each member of the community, and each member sips some of the nsa as a show of respect for the child and as a toast to the newborn's health. A meal is then shared by all.

We recognize the name to be intimately tied to the purpose for which Nyame (God) has fashioned us and Asaase Afua (Earth Mother/Goddess) has borne us. This is precisely why during slavery and colonialization our African names were replaced with foreign names/labels - names that are totally devoid of power and directly antagonistic to our spiritual development and endeavor.

It is time, and of necessity, that we return to our true names.

[aziza]

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EDIN TOA
Edin Toa: Akan Baby-naming Ceremony
(From an interview with Akan priestess Yaa Nson Opare, conducted by Steven Zeitlin, New York City, 1992)

The religion of the Akan people from Ghana is one of several African religions practiced by a growing number of African Americans. The baby-naming ceremony is the first of many life-cycle rituals performed in the Akan religion throughout a person's life. This is how Yaa Nson Opare, an African-American Akan priestess, describes the ceremony:

The Akan do not name a child until a child's been alive for seven days. The feeling is that the baby night be a spirit who has come to look at the world and then go back. After a child is born, according to tradition, the mother and child are usually kept inside for at least seven days. There is no big hoopla or big excitement about this baby for seven days. In fact, if the child should pass away before the seventh day, there is no mourning for that child.

But, if the child lives for seven days, then it is felt that the child has come to stay and be a part of the community. At that time, you give the child a name. The child is also introduced to the community, because the child does not just belong to one person, the child is part of the community. The community is instructed that this is their child and that they must look out for, and help raise the child. At the same time, the child is told what is expected of him or her.

Traditionally, the child's name is given by one of the elders of the family. Here in America, we generally go to our shrine, where our gods reside, and we consult the priest for the name of the child. The first name is usually the day of the week on which the child was born. The second name is something specific, and personal about the child, such as something about the birthing experience, or an ancestor's name. The third name is the family's name. Sometimes there are more names, but there are at least these three. They bring the child before the crowd and put it on the ground. To begin the ceremony a libation is poured to offer drink to the gods and ancestors. The priest says a prayer asking blessings for all who are gathered, especially for the baby. The gods and ancestors are asked to protect and guide this child, to see that the child has the things that are needed for a good life and to help the child become a positive member of the community. The child, the mother, and the godparent(s) face the crowd. If it is a male child, the godfather performs the ceremony. If it is a female child, the godmother performs the ceremony.

Certain sacred beads are put on the child, and clay marks specific to this ceremony are put on the child and mother. The mother is dressed in white. The godparent lifts the child three times from the ground into the air to introduce the child to the ancestors and to the gods. If the child is, for example, a boy who was born on Sunday, the godparent says, "What is today? Today is Sunday, grandfather Sunday, grandmother Sunday. Today we show the child who sojourns with us to the morning star." So we show the child to the earth, to the ancestors, to the heavens, and to the community, and ask for blessings for the child.

We lay the child back down, and pour libations on the ground for the ancestors and the gods. Corn is the staple crop of the Akan people, and so we put some corn liquor into the child's mouth three times, and tell the child to taste the staple food of his or her ancestors, in other words, to become a part of the society.

Next, the child is told what is expected of him or her. Addressed by name, the child is told something like this: "I want you to always respect the gods and the ancestors. I want you to respect your grandfather, your grandmother, your father, your mother, all the elders of the society. I don't want you to lie. I don't want you to cheat. I want you to be a child who is going to help us in what we do, help make our nation great. I don't want you to be a drunk," and so on. This is what you tell the child. Then you sing some songs in praise of the child.

Then comes what is called collecting "petrol." The term comes from association with the English. It is said that just as a car needs petroleum to make it run, a child needs "petrol" to make it in life. So people should give the child something so that the child will have a good start in life. People bring the child gifts, especially money.

Then there is a big feast with singing and dancing. Every adult at the celebration drinks a little of the corn liquor to testify that the ceremony has been performed in the correct manner, and that everybody is sealed by the ceremony. You know that this is your child, and the child knows that it is part of the community and has responsibility to that community.