The Emblem of His Majesty the King of the Ashanti (or
National Emblem
A national emblem is an emblem or seal that is reserved for use by a nation state or multi-national state as a symbol of that nation. Many nations have a seal or emblem in addition to a national flag and a national coat of arms. Other national sy ...
of
Ashanti) is the
national emblem
A national emblem is an emblem or seal that is reserved for use by a nation state or multi-national state as a symbol of that nation. Many nations have a seal or emblem in addition to a national flag and a national coat of arms. Other national sy ...
of the
Ashanti nation, adopted by the Ashanti King
Asantehene
The is the title for the monarch of the historical Ashanti Empire as well as the ceremonial ruler of the Ashanti people today. The Ashanti royal house traces its line to the Oyoko (an ''Abusua'', or "clan") Abohyen Dynasty of Nana Twum and t ...
Osei Tutu I in 1701, and depicts a
Porcupine
Porcupines are large rodents with coats of sharp spines, or quills, that protect them against predation. The term covers two families of animals: the Old World porcupines of family Hystricidae, and the New World porcupines of family, Erethizont ...
, which has been the Ashanti national animal since the early-eighteenth century
AD.
Emblem origin
The Porcupine, as the Ashanti national emblem has been used by the
Asantehene
The is the title for the monarch of the historical Ashanti Empire as well as the ceremonial ruler of the Ashanti people today. The Ashanti royal house traces its line to the Oyoko (an ''Abusua'', or "clan") Abohyen Dynasty of Nana Twum and t ...
, the king of the Ashanti people, since 1701.
The Porcupine is the designated
national animal
This is a list of countries that have officially designated one or more animals as their national animals.
National animal
{, class="wikitable sortable"
! Country
! Name of animal
! Scientific name (Latin name)
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...
of the Ashanti.
The national emblem was created by Asantehene
Nana
Nana, Nanna, Na Na or NANA may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Nana (given name), including a list of people and characters with the given name
* Nana (surname), including a list of people and characters with the surname
* Nana ( ...
Osei Kofi Tutu I
Osei Kofi Tutu I ( – ) was one of the founders of the Ashanti Empire, assisted by Okomfo Anokye. The Asante are an Akan ethnic group of West Africa. Osei Tutu led an alliance of Asante states against the regional hegemon, the Denkyira, comple ...
(
r. 1695 – 1717).
Emblem description
The
Ashanti national emblem is a red
Porcupine
Porcupines are large rodents with coats of sharp spines, or quills, that protect them against predation. The term covers two families of animals: the Old World porcupines of family Hystricidae, and the New World porcupines of family, Erethizont ...
(or
Ashanti: Kotoko) on a
gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile met ...
background that symbolizes
gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile met ...
which has been a source of Ashanti wealth. The Porcupine has been the designated national animal of the
Ashanti since 1701 right through to the 21st century and stems from the
Ashanti proverb:"The porcupine fights from all angles" and the readiness of the
Ashanti nation to wage war on its enemies with the
Ashanti nation motto "Kum apem a, apem beba" (Kill a thousand, a thousand will rise) in reference to the Porcupine's quills as symbols of
Ashanti warriors, is still quoted.
See also
*
Political systems of the Ashanti Empire The political organization of the historical Ashanti Empire was characterized by ''stools'' which denoted "offices" that were associated with a particular authority. The Golden Stool was the most powerful of all, because it was the office of the Ki ...
References
{{Ashanti topics, expanded
Ashanti
Ashanti people