The Golden Stool Descends from Heaven (Ashanti/Akan)
During the reign of the Ashanti King Osei Tutu I, the great priest Okomfo Anokye summoned a golden stool from the sky in a cloud of dust and thunder. The stool, made of pure gold, descended onto the lap of the king, signifying that the Ashanti nation was united under his rule. The Golden Stool is believed to house the soul (sunsum) of the Ashanti people and is considered so sacred that no one has ever been allowed to sit on it. When British colonial forces demanded the stool in 1900, the Ashanti waged the War of the Golden Stool rather than surrender their sacred symbol. The stool was hidden a