Asase Ya/Afua

As the upholder of truth, lying is a taboo committed against Asase. When a member of the Akan people wants to prove their credibility, they touch their lips or tongue to the soil of the Earth and recite the Asase Ya Prayer-Poem as evidence of their honesty[13]

As the Goddess of the Earth, she is credited as being the nurturer of the earth and is considered to provide sustenance for all. As such she is regularly worshipped so she doesn't withhold her abundance of resources.[11] For the Asante, Bono and most other Akans, Thursday is reserved as Asase's day. On said day these Akan people generally abstain from tilling the land.[14] However, for the Fante and few other Akans, Friday is reserved as Asase's day. On said day, Fante and other Akans generally abstain from tilling the land.[4]

No one is allowed to change or agitate the land without the consent of Asase, which can only be gained by pouring libations to Asase. Serious consequences can befall those who violate this rule. Before planting the person who is going to plant must knock upon the earth as if she was a door[4]

During a child's outdooring (naming) ceremony, once the child's complete name is bestowed upon the infant, the child is placed on a mat symbolizing thanksgiving to Asase for sustaining its life and for allowing the parents to successfully procreate[4]

As the aspect of Earth, Asase receives the deceased body for interment[9]

The colour marron is associated with Asase due to its link to clay (which comes from the earth) and the clay, due to its connection to Asase is seen as a healing and purifying agent in Akan culture.[13]

If a person commits a sexual in the bush, Assase Yaa must be propitiated[13]

Before setting up a house, a sacrifice of appeasement is made towards Assase so that the house is protected from evil spirits[13]

When humans die, their honam and mogya are returned to Asase[13]

During ayie (funeral rites) libations are poured so Asase can permit the grave of the deceased to be buried[4]

Asase is the God of peace, meaning that when there is a murder, war or a way where human blood is intentionally spilt, very substantial sacrifices are needed in order to appease Asase[4]

As the Mother of the Dead, she is the one who comes to fetch Akan people's souls to the otherworld (Asamando) at the time of death [cite]. Also, it is with her name that the first offerings are made to the ancestors, due to the fact that the Ancestors are looked over by Asase.[4] During ayie libations are poured so Asase can accept and protect the person to be buried and to lead them peacefully to Asamando[4]

As the first deity to be created by Nyame, Asase is called in libations immediately after Nyame[4]

The Akan believe that everyone has the ability to show reverence towards Asase, whether by pouring libations to her or by looking after her (i.e. looking after the world)[4]

Fowls are sacrificed in her name and their blood poured onto the floor, specifically by farmers when they need Asase's permission to plough, plant and harvest[4]

O Mother Earth, who gives birth, who wed the sky,

Who nurtures and sustains all, who gives us life:

While we live, we depend on You; when we die,

We lean on You. You taught us the tiller-knife,

You give us law, order, and truth-seeing eye;

Save you alone we would live in fear and strife.

We press our lips to your bosom, the rich soil,

Ever turn with song and smile to holy toil.[17]

Into your womb I place the seed of self

To be nurtured in goodness and grown in love.[7]

Nana Firimpong

once you were here

hoed the earth

and left it for me

green rich ready

with yam shoots, the

tuberous smooth of cassava;

take the blood of the fowl

drink

take the eto, mashed plantain,

that my women have cooked

eat

and be happy

drink

may you rest

for the year has come round

again.

Asase Yaa, You, Mother of Earth,

on whose soil

I have placed my tools

on whose soil

I will hoe

I will work

the year has come round

again;

thirsty mouth of the dust

is ready for water

for seed;

drink

and be happy

eat may you rest

for the year has come round

again.

And may the year

this year of all years

be fruitful

beyond the fruit of your labour:

shoots faithful to tip

juice to stem

leaves to green;

and may the knife

or the cutlass

not cut me;

roots blunt,

shoots break,

green wither,

winds shatter,

damp rot,

hot harmattan

come

drifting in harm

to the crops;

the tunnelling

termites not

raise their red

monuments, graves,

above the blades

of our labour[18]

According to legend, Asase and Nyame were once very close. However a person, either Asase herself or someone else pounds their yam with a pestle either to prepare fufu for their children or just to annoy Nyame. Either way, the pestle routinely bumps against the heaven, hitting Nyame. Annoyed, Nyame separates himself from Asase by turning into his true creator form; Ananse Kokroko (Great Spider) and climbing on a thread to heaven.

In one version of the myth, Asase attempts to reestablish her relationship with Nyame. To do that, she gets many mortars, piling them one on top of the other. In the process, she moves closer and closer to the sky. To reunite with Nyame, she needed just one more mortar. She asks a child to get one for her, but he can find none. In desperation, she tells him to take one of the mortars from the bottom of the pile. He does so, and, when the mortar is removed, the entire tower collapses, forever separating Asase and Nyame[19]

In another version the woman who pounds her pestle against heaven orders her children to build a tower of mortars, one atop another, right to Nyame. Needing one more mortar, the children took it from the bottom—and the whole tower collapsed, killing many[20]

In a third version of the myth, Nyame and Asase are so close, humans were squished between them. So man annoyed Nyame with cooking smoke, banging pestles, and slicing off chunks of the sky for the pot until he retreated further away from the earth.[21]

According to myth, Asase had a long, sharp sword that could fight by itself. When she ordered the sword to fight, it slaughtered everyone it encountered. When she commanded the sword to stop fighting, by saying "cool down", it did.

Ananse had fled to his mother, Asase's house. There were one of two reasons for this:

1) Because there was famine in the land, and the only food available was in the storehouse of Nyame. Ananse, in order to become Nyame's agent and sell his food supplies to the people, Ananse agreed to let his head be shaved daily but the shaving was painful, and people made fun of the way he looked.[19]

Or

2) Because he had tried hiding beans under his hat, but the beans were extremely hot and ended up scalding his head and hair, leading to him becoming mostly bald with a bit of oddly placed hair, where again people made fun of how it looked

Either way, when Ananse could no longer stand this situation, he stole some food and fled to Asase's house. When he asked the goddess for her protection, she granted it. One day, when Asase left the house, Ananse stole her sword. He returned with it to Nyame and offered to use the sword to protect Nyame whenever he needed help. Nyame accepted Ananse's offer. When an enemy army approached, Anansi ordered the sword to fight. It slew all of the enemy forces. However, Ananse could not remember the command to make the sword stop. With no enemies left to kill, the sword turned on Nyame's army. When only Ananse was left alive, it killed him too. Then it stuck itself into the ground and turned into a plant with leaves so sharp they cut anyone who touched them. The plant still cuts people, because no one has ever given the sword the command to stop.[19]