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Asase Ye Duru is an Adinkra symbol that represents power, divinity, providence, and importance of Mother Earth for human life. To the Akans, it’s a reminder to nurture and respect the Earth.
What is Asase Ye Duru?
Asase Ye Duru is one of the most popular West African symbols that literally means ‘the earth has weight’. It’s formed from two heart-like shapes placed on top of one another, with the points facing in opposite directions.
Symbolism of Asase Ye Duru
Asase Ye Duru is considered a sacred symbol of divinity, power, and providence. The Akans regard it as a symbol of the earth’s significance and a reminder that humans should respect the earth, and not act in ways that could harm it. The earth sustains life, so it’s crucial that we take care of it, leaving behind a clean, safer, and sustainable environment for future generations. The Asase Ye Duru symbol also represents the Earth goddess in Akan religion.
There are several African proverbs related to the Asase Ye Duru symbol. Two of the most famous proverbs include the following:
- Tumi nyina ne asase – All power emanates from earth.
- Asase ye duru sen epo – The earth is much heavier than the sea.
Asase Ya
Asase Ya is the Earth goddess of fertility who is widely revered by the Bono people of Ghana. Also known as ‘Aberewaa’ or ‘Mother Earth’, she was a highly powerful and respected deity among the Akans. She was the wife of Nyame, the sky god, who created the universe. She had several children by him, including Bea, Anansi (the trickster), and Tano.
Although there are no temples dedicated to Asase Ya, the people of Bono typically worship her in the agricultural fields. They make offerings and sacrifices in her honor, with the belief that the goddess would give them her blessing.
As the Earth goddess, Asase Ya is associated with the symbol Asase Ye Duru, which represents the importance of the Earth as well as its preservation.
FAQs
The Earth has no weight.
Asase Ya is the Bono goddess of the earth and fertility.
This symbol represents divinity, providence, power, and the importance of the earth.
What Are Adinkra Symbols?
Adinkra are a collection of West African symbols that are known for their symbolism, meaning and decorative features. They have decorative functions, but their primary use is to represent concepts related to traditional wisdom, aspects of life, or the environment.
Adinkra symbols are named after their original creator King Nana Kwadwo Agyemang Adinkra, from the Bono people of Gyaman, now Ghana. There are several types of Adinkra symbols with at least 121 known images, including additional symbols that have been adopted on top of the original ones.
Adinkra symbols are highly popular and used in contexts to represent African culture, such as artwork, decorative items, fashion, jewelry, and media.