Adinkra Symbols

The Adinkra name, by legend, comes from the King who was conquered by the Ashante people of Ghana. The king, Adinkra, wore wonderful patterned fabrics. Adinkra means “goodbye,” and the symbols were reserved for funeral garments. Today the symbols are part of the Ghana popular culture and around the world. You will find the symbols on everything from housing, clothing, to tattoos. These 100 symbols are accompanied by the Ghana name, a loose translation and what the symbol has come to represent. The meanings and symbols are by no means the complete list and some people do not use the exact same translations and meaning as you will find here. These are for casual use and not historical or anthropologically completely accurate.