Asafo are traditional warrior groups in Akan culture, based on lineal descent.[1] The word derives from sa, meaning war, and fo, meaning people. The traditional role of the Asafo companies was defence of the state. As the result of contact with European colonial powers on the Gold Coast (present-day Ghana), the Fante, who inhabit the coastal region, developed an especially complex version of the concept in terms of its social and political organization based on martial principles, and with elaborate traditions of visual art,[2] including flag banners with figurative scenes,[3][4] and designs alluding to historical events or proverbs.[5]
Posuban shrines (the name derived from a corrupted form of the word "post" combined with the word "ban", signifying a fortification) are traditional structures usually made of concrete, intricately designed and painted with bright colours, serving as both military and religious posts for Asafo groups, as well as meeting grounds.[6][7]
- ^ DeCorse, Christopher R.; Sam Spiers (2009). "A tale of two polities: socio-political transformation on the Gold Coast in the Atlantic World" (PDF). Australasian Historical Archaeology. 27: 36. S2CID 67755840. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2020-02-15.
- ^ "Asafo Companies". twi.bb. Retrieved 23 April 2012.
- ^ Casely-Hayford, Gus (4 February 2016). "Gus Casely-Hayford on Fante Asafo Flags – Artist & Empire". Tate – via YouTube.
- ^ "Asafo Flags: Stitches Through Time". Heni Talks. 24 April 2018.
- ^ Ong, Jyni, "Asafo flags embody cultural meanings and narratives from Ghana’s Fante people", It's Nice That, 11 September 2018.
- ^ "Posuban Shrines of Ghana". Asafo Flags. 2 March 2023. Retrieved 25 December 2023.
- ^ Eli-Zafoe, Désiré. "Posuban: Fante Military Shrines". The Cultural Encyclopaedia. Retrieved 25 December 2023.