Have You Heard Of The Phrase “Osibrekete An Osi Bantama Kurotia?”

Many tribes in Ghana have got many proverbs and idioms. The Ashante Kingdom is of no exception. Have you heard of the phrase “Osibrekete a osi Bantama Kurotia”?

According to a research done by Mr. Yaw Afreh, there are two versions of this narrative. According to the first, the full phrase is “Osibrekete a osi Bantama kurotia, hini me oo!”

During one of the war expeditions to the Ahafo and Takyiman area, the Asante warriors returned and informed Asantehene that they found one tall, muscular man at a village near “Nkɔkora mmiensa kuro mu” or Nkoranza. Katakyie ordered for the man to be brought to Kumasi. When he appeared at the Palace, he gave his name as “Osibrekete”.

This tall man was said to have been handed over to Bantamahene to guard the ‘gates’ linking the “Banmu”(royal mausoleum) to Bantama. Osibrekete was said to be strong and deadly.

The name Osibrekete was known by only the true Asantes. As a result, if you are a stranger and you get to the gate and you are unable to mention Osibrekete’s name, then you are killed.

With the passage of time, whenever people get to the gates, they would say, “Osibrekete a osi Bantama kurotia eei, mesrɛ wo, hini me”.

The second version is that Osibrekete is the traditional ‘by-name’ of the famous brass pan “ayakɛseɛ” that was once placed at the entrance of the Royal Mausoleum (Banmu) at Bantama.

According to authoritative sources at the highest level, this brass pan was captured from Denkyira and was placed at the Bantama Banmu as a memento to the independence of Asanteman. In fact it is said that the brass pan was the one seized from the nseneɛfoɔ (messengers) who were sent by Dankyirahene Ntim Gyakari to demand for ‘tributes’ from then Kwaemanhene.

However, due to toxic commentaries by some English writers such as Baden-Powell, saying that the pan was used to store blood, the British took the opportunity whiles ransacking Kumase in 1874 and took away the pan, and never returned it in spite of persistent efforts.

 The British stole it from the Ashantes and with the help of Osei Tutu II, it will be returned soon to Manhyia. 

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