Can Okomfo Anokye’s Sword Be The Eighth Wonder Of The World?

Okomfo Anokye’s planted sword: Every means to pull the sword from the ground has failed.

Africa stands alone and despite its vast natural resources which play an important role in the flourishing economies of the advanced countries, the continent is never given the recognition it deserves.

According to the ‘Wikipedia,’ the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World is the first known list of the most remarkable creations of classical antiquity; it was based on guidebooks popular among Hellenic sightseers and only includes works located around the Mediterranean rim.

“Christ the Redeemer” statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, a 105-foot-tall (38-meter-tall) statue is now among the “new seven wonders of the world,” following a global poll to decide a new list of human-made marvels. Human-made marvels? Then the ‘eighth wonder of the world’ may be probably found in the Ashanti region of Ghana.

The story of Okomfo Anokye
Okomfo Anokye was born in Awukugua-Akuapim, in Eastern Region of Ghana, West Africa, in the late 1600s. His father, Ano, and mother, Yaa Anubea, were both from Awukugua-Akuapim, part of the Ayade tribe. At the time of his birth, his two palms were firmly held together and could not be separated.

Curious to know what he was holding in his hands, his parents tried to separate both palms but to no avail – about two years into his childhood. Inside his palm were totem poles believed to be from the gods.

His parents and family believe he was sent by the gods to lead the Okere people. Later in life, he attained priesthood and was given the title Okomfo; Fetish-Priest. His full name became Okomfo Anokye. His ancestral home (the house he was born in) is opposite the Awukugua Chief Palace.

A shrine is also located at Awukugua and is a frequent site of meeting for the Ohum festival in October. The shrine consists of a palm tree, which he climbed wearing his sandals, and a large rock, from which he carved a game of Oware. Other shrine sites are located in Awukugua-Akuapim.

The Golden stool that descended from heaven

The Golden Stool of Ashanti, known as ‘Sika ‘dwa) because it arrived on Friday, is the royal and divine throne of the Akan people (Ashanti people). Okomfo Anokye proved he was a man with powers. With assembled chiefs, he commanded a golden stool to descend from the sky and the stool landed on the lap of the first Asante king, Osei Tutu. Such seats were traditionally symbolic of a chieftain’s leadership, but the Golden Stool is believed to house the spirit of the Asante nation—living, dead and yet to be born.

Okomfo Anokye’s sacred golden stool which came down from heaven. The stool is still available in the Ashanti kingdom

As a symbol of the unification of the Ashanti Kingdom, Okomfo Anokye planted a sword and said if anyone removes the sword, then that marks the end of the Ashanti Empire. Dating over three hundred years, the sword Anokye plunged into the earth, remains on the ground of a hospital named after him: Okomfo Anokye Teaching Hospital.

The mysterious sword has invited many tourists worldwide to Kumasi, Ashanti region, but no one has been able to pull it off the ground. In 1964, when Muhammad Ali visited Ghana, he tried to pull it out, but he couldn’t. Anyway let’s assume that human strength isn’t enough to pull the sword from the earth, but what about other methods including machinery which couldn’t do the job?

In my opinion, the Okomfo Anokye’s sword which no one has been able to pull it from the earth gives the sword the eighth wonder of the world.