The Mysterious Leopard And The Birth Of The Asante King

 The Mysterious Leopard and the Birth of the King

It is August 1892 and Kumase, the capital of the Great Asante Kingdom, is under 'siege'. The gong beaters have announced to the residents of the traditional 77 wards in Kumase that a dangerous predator, a leopard, is lurking in the surrounding forests.

Nana Kwaku Dua III is the Asantehene - the only King who sits concurrently on the Gold Stool (Sikadwa), Kerawe and Berawe skins. 

The King summoned his warriors and skilled hunters and gives clear instructions: "Catch the leopard ALIVE". A leopard (panthera pardus) is known in the local dialect as 'ɔsebɔ' or 'etwie'.

Now, in the town of Ejisu Besease, about 19km away from Kumase, resides a royal couple - Nana Kwaku Owusu and Nana Abakoma. Nana Abakoma is the granddaughter of Nana Afua Kobi I, the Asantehemaa.

The hunters and the warriors are combing everywhere in Kumase, from Asikasu to Adontenmu to Bantama. 

Luckily, after some days, the leopard is captured alive at Dominase (a ward in Kumase) and the search party in ecstacy visit the Asantehene to make this wonderful announcement on that memorable Saturday. Surprisingly, it was a mixed feeling for the Asantehene as the leopard had before being captured caused the death of two persons and injured five others. 

Nonetheless, as fate would have it, just when the europhia seem to be dying down, message come from the mmagyegyefuo (royal nannies) to the Asantehene that a royal baby had been delivered by Nana Abakoma at Ejisu. 

Nana Kwaku Dua III is overwhelmed with joy and proclaims that the baby is NAMED Barima Kwame KYERETWIE loosely meaning 'catch the leopard'.  A kente cloth was created to immortalise this wonderful event. 

Later, by divine arrangements, Barima Kwame Kyeretwie will later become the 14th Asantehene with the stool name Otumfuo Osei Tutu Agyeman Prempe II. 

Nea ɔnnim sua a, ohu

#AsantemanKyidom