Article
Suro Nipa (Fear Humans): A Cultural Analysis of A. E. Asiamah’s Akan Language Novel, Suro Nipa
International Journal of Humanities, Literature & Arts
(2022)
Abstract
The current article examines suro nipa, a popular maxim of the Akan people of Ghana, against the backdrop of a fictional tale told in the popular Akan novel written by A. E. Asiamah titled Suro Nipa. In this book, an ambitious young man named Kwabena Anson who owned a flourishing retail business was driven by arrant desire for instant fabulous wealth to engage in a fiendish act. He sought the assistance of a money-making spiritualist who requested him to spiritually sacrifice the life of a beloved relative for great wealth. He sacrificed his most beloved uncle, Kofi Asomani. For the ritual, Kofi Asomani was spiritually slain by Kwabena Anson who then became fantastically affluent through the money ritual. Throughout the story, Kwabena Anson’s demeanor did not change, giving no clues about the abhorrent act he had committed. Many people were flabbergasted about his instant, fantastic wealth. In the end, Anson inadvertently consumed pork, violating the money ritual’s biggest taboo. He became violently ill and confessed his misdeeds before dying a wretched death. No one in Kwabena Anson’s social circles ever suspected that Anson’s newfound wealth was attributable to blood sacrifice and that he had spiritually caused his uncle’s abrupt or untimely death. This shocking story confirmed many people’s perception of human nature as vile, devilish ad fiendish, and therefore, needing to be feared.
Keywords
- suro nipa,
- Akans of Ghana,
- Akan Language,
- Akan Language Literature,
- Akans view of Human Nature,
- Ghana
Disciplines
Publication Date
Spring April 3, 2022
Citation Information
Mensah Adinkrah. "Suro Nipa (Fear Humans): A Cultural Analysis of A. E. Asiamah’s Akan Language Novel, Suro Nipa" International Journal of Humanities, Literature & Arts Vol. 5 Iss. 1 (2022) ISSN: 2632-9441 Available at: http://works.bepress.com/mensah_adinkrah/53/