Adekyem Festival

"Cultures grow on the vine of tradition.” -- Jonah Goldberg

Adekyem Festival in Bechem, Ghana. Start time on program = 10am. Actual start time = 1pm. Welcome to African time, as they call it here. I’ve been told repeatedly that Africans do not respond to time. Clearly. And that may be part of the problem here folks, but that is another tale for another day. This is a festival to honor the history of this traditional area, which includes the towns of Bechem, Dwomo, Terchire, and Tanoso, which were used by the king to protect the Golden stool of the Asante Kingdom in times of war, especially against attacks from the North..

Adekyem became known as Bechem when over the years the name was mispronounced time after time.

In the past, during the Asante wars, hunters would bring their “booty” a.k.a. dead animals, to Bechem to share with people. Bechem literally means “sharing”. The celebration of this festival brings to memory the historic importance of Bechem and is a time for citizens, chiefs, and important dignitaries to come together.

The chiefs of local tribes and their entourages. When these groups entered, they passed by each tent and greeted all of the people at the festival.

The highlights of the festival were the Chief of Bechem, followed by the Queenmother, and the King of the Ashante Kingdom though he isn't visible within the large crowd surrounding him in this picture). The former two are hoisted above their respective entourages and carried throughout the festival. Chiefs rule within a democracy and rule in accordance with the will of the people. A chief is chosen from the local royal family of that area, and is not necessarily always the eldest son of the previous chief. The Queenmother is there to ensure that the chief doesn’t overstep his boundaries.

Each chief has his own official stool which is symbolic of the ancestral power he inherited. His duties historically have included political head, religious head, judge, war leader, and advisor. However, with national politics coming forth with independence from colonial rule, the power of chiefs has somewhat lessened.

However, they are still influential in local affairs and even the president will respect a chief. Chiefs continue to remain the rightful owners of their ancestral land. At this festival, I was lucky enough to be able to witness all the pomp and circumstance that surrounds chiefs. They are held in very high esteem and are greatly celebrated. It was an enriching day indeed.