Origins and early life Okomfo Anokye was born in
Ghana around 1655. According to
Akuapem tradition, he was son of Ano and Yaa Anubea, His name originated from the following incident: {{Blockquote During his birth in Awukugua, it is said he brought with him gifts from the gods; totem poles which were firmly clinched to his palms that no one could open it; and in the other hand already was a short, white tail of a cow (Podua).
Miracles of Okomfo Anokye Okomfo Anokye is said to have commanded down a
golden stool named
"Sika Dwa Kofi" from the sky during a
durbar in the Ashanti empire, This stool is said to have fallen on the then King of the Ashante
Osei Tutu I. It is believed he planted an Unremovable sword in the grounds in
Kumasi where to this day none has been able to remove it, this sword is located in the Komfo Anokye teaching hospital.
Unification of the Ashanti people To throw off the Denkyira yoke required a powerful unity that transcended the particularism of the
Ashanti segments, and Anokye employed not only the political influence of his priesthood but also the spiritual ties it engendered to transform the loose Ashanti alliance into a "national" union in 1695. Anokye and Tutu established rituals and customs of the Ashanti state to diminish the influence of local traditions. They designated
Kumasi, the Ashanti capital. They then established a state council of the
chiefs of the preexisting states admitted to the union and suppressed all competing traditions of origin. Finally, they reorganized the
Ashanti army.
War with the Denkyira The War with
Denkyira (1699–1701) did not go well at first, but when the Denkyira army reached the gates of [Kumasi], Anokye's incantations supposedly produced defections among their generals. The Ashanti broke the Denkyira hegemony and captured the
Dutch deed of rent for
Elmina Castle. This gave the traders of the empire access to the African coast and involved them henceforth in the commerce and politics of the coastal
slave trade. According to legend, a
kola tree in
Feyiase grew from a seed spat by Anokye, at the site of the
Battle of Feyiase against the Denkyira. The tree became locally popular and was believed to have healing powers and was a tourist attraction. It was cut down in 2023, sparking outrage and a search for the culprit.
Death After
Osei Tutu's death in 1717, Anokye is said to have returned to Akuapim and died at town called Kyirapatre in Kumasi between 1717 and 1719 (aged between 62 and 64). The real cause of his death is not known and it is said that he was going to bring the key to death so no one would die again - and so no one should cry; if anyone is heard crying he will never return. After a couple of days he still was not back and so the women cried, and he never returned. According to another tradition, Anokye went into a trance and never woke up. He was mourned by his loving wife Bukyia Mansa. But latest research has shown that throughout his life Anokye suffered asthma and this might have been the cause of his death. He died in his sleep in 1719 at the age of about 64. ==References==