The funeral ceremonies of Royals in Akan kingdoms are described as biribi a ɛsɛ wani — meaning something whose true assessment can only be made with one’s own eyes.
In other words, such ceremonies are “indescribable.” Anyone who witnessed the final funeral rites of the late Asante Queen Mother (Asantehemaa), Nana Boakye Yiadom III, in Kumasi from September 14–18, 2025, would have collected enough memories to satisfy the curiosity of generations to come.
Thanks to modern platforms like YouTube and TikTok, anyone interested can now experience parts of this historic event online. While not everything was televised, what was shown was rich enough to amaze even the most seasoned cultural observers.
I thought I had seen all that Manhyia Palace had to offer, but I was mistaken. Behind the grand public displays lay deeper, more mysterious layers of tradition that even the most imaginative eyewitness could not have conceived of.
A Strange Post-Funeral Revelation
Days after the main palace ceremonies, a Kumasi radio station aired a peculiar segment that stirred disbelief among listeners. It wasn’t a news report — it was a recorded complaint and warning from a woman who identified herself as Obosomfuor Nana Tafregya, a well-known fetish priestess.
“My name is Obosomfuor Nana Tafregya,” she began.
“I was one of the fetish priestesses who danced in the procession that accompanied Otumfuo Osei Tutu II to the dais where he received mourners for the late Queen Mother.”
According to her account, she and a group of priests and priestesses performed spiritual dances, invoking protection from their deities for the departed Queen Mother and for the Asantehene himself.
As she danced, she noticed a young man who seemed captivated, recording her every move with his mobile phone.
“He told me he had never seen a fetish priestess as beautiful as I was,” she said. “I was flattered — he was handsome, too. I asked him to share some of the videos with me, and he agreed to meet me after the ceremony.”
The priestess gave him the address of her lodging and her room number. What followed next, however, was not the spiritual encounter she had expected.
A Blend of Sacred and Human Temptation
The story, circulating widely after the broadcast, sparked both laughter and moral reflection across social media. Many questioned how a spiritual custodian — whose role was to safeguard sacred rites — could be swayed by such worldly temptation.
Yet, beneath the amusement lay a deeper cultural commentary: even those considered sacred are human. The priestess’s confession — raw and unscripted — served as a poignant reminder that tradition and modernity often collide in unexpected ways.
A Ceremony Beyond Words
The Asantehemaa’s funeral was a spectacle that reaffirmed the richness of Akan royal traditions, blending the spiritual and ceremonial in a way that words alone could never capture. From the golden regalia to the thundering drums of Kete and Adowa, the event was more than a farewell — it was a reaffirmation of continuity between the living and the ancestors.
Indeed, as the Akan say, biribi a ɛsɛ wani — some things must be seen to be believed.
By Cameron Duodu
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