The Ghana Golden Stool (Sika Dwa Kofi) has been the symbol of power in the Ashanti Kingdom since the 17th century. The Sika Dwa Kofi is a royal and divine throne of kings of the Ashanti people and the ultimate symbol of power in Asante.
According to legend, Okomfo Anokye, a High Priest and one of the two founders of the Ashanti Confederacy conjured the Golden Stool. The Golden Stool was studded with golden bells and was forced to drop from the sky. It landed at the feet of Osei Tutu I, the first Asantehene (King) of Ashanti. Since then, the Ashanti have believed that the Golden Stool houses the soul of the Ashanti nation.
The stool is not allowed to touch the ground. It is also considered so sacred that no one is allowed to sit on it. The stool is instead placed on a blanket. Each stool is understood to be the seat of the owner’s soul; when not in use it is placed against a wall so that other souls passing by may relax on it.
See: The resistance of the Asante Empire to the British
Each new Ashante king is lowered and raised over the Golden Stool without touching it. No one could be considered a legitimate ruler without the Golden Stool. The stool usually occupies its own throne next to the Asantehene.
During solemn occasions, the Golden Stool is placed on the king’s left on a throne of its own, the hwedom dwa. During the Ashanti wars, war chiefs consulted it. As time progressed and as the Ashanti scored more victories over their rivals, the Golden Stool became even more revered.
