According to Asante, or Ashanti, tradition, the Golden Stool was delivered from heaven to the nation and its priest at the time, Okomfo Anokye. Regardless of its origins, however, the nation of Asante, now present-day Ghana, will go to war over that stool.
The Asante waged war for this stool in the early 1900s, after the British empire tried to take the stool as a sign of the Asante’s submission to British rule. But the nation would not tap out.
After a sound beating from the Asante, British colonizers gave up and swore to never pursue it again. But what made this stool so important?
The Golden Stool represents a tradition that has kept the Ashanti’s spirit strong. Our historical relics are more than their monetary value. They remind us to embrace the spiritual and historical power in our families and communities.