Ga Wiemɔ

Ga Samai

The traditional symbols of the Ga people. Each one is a small picture that stands for a proverb or a piece of wisdom.

What the symbols are

The name comes from sama, a design, symbol or mark. Samai is the plural, so Ga Samai means Ga symbols.2 Aryee describes them as pictograms that hold the traditions and culture of the Ga people.1

They are the nearest thing Ga has to its own way of writing, but they are not an alphabet. A letter stands for a sound. A symbol stands for a whole saying, so you cannot spell a word with them. They work more like the Adinkra symbols of the Akan, which you may already know from cloth and signs.3

Where they come from

Nobody knows when the symbols began. There are no early written records of them.1 Fisherfolk once painted them on their wooden canoes, and Dr Richard Afutu Kotei thinks those canoe paintings may hold clues to how the symbols grew.3 Aryee found that the canoe painting has mostly stopped.1

Some symbols came through contact with the Akan, and some are direct translations of Adinkra symbols. Tsuiŋ kpaŋmɔ (heart covenant) matches the Adinkra Akoma Ntoaso, and shade kpakpa (good omen) matches Mmusuyideɛ. The Adinkra Gye Nyame is now seen far more often than its Ga partner, Ja Nyɔŋmɔ.1

Aryee warns that many symbols may already be lost, and that traders often sell Ga designs mixed in with Adinkra ones without knowing the difference.1

The symbols of the Ga towns

The Ga state has one symbol of its own, and each of its seven coastal towns has another. These are the symbols Aryee recorded at the palaces.1

The maps show where each town lies along the coast. Their shapes follow today's district boundaries, cut to the coast, so their edges are only a guide. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

  • The whole Ga state

    The Ga state symbol: a deer standing on an elephant
    Ga state Samai
    Map of the Ga coast, all shaded
    The Ga coast

    Adowa ni damɔ shwuɔ nɔ

    Shows a deer standing on an elephant.

    Saying

    Jwɛŋmɔ mli kwɔlɛ: “wisdom”

    The Ga state is small beside its neighbors, yet the small deer stands on the giant elephant.

  • Ga Mashie

    The Ga Mashie symbol: a thumb pointing to the sky
    Town Samai
    Map of the Ga coast with Ga Mashie shaded
    Ga Mashie within the Ga state

    Wao gɔŋti ni miitsɔɔ ŋwɛi

    Shows a thumb pointing to the sky.

    Saying

    Nyɔŋmɔ pɛ gbeyei wɔsheɔ: “we fear only God”

    Many of the old Ga warriors came from Ga Mashie, among them Nii Ayi Kushi.

  • Osu

    The Osu symbol: a lion shaking hands with a monkey
    Town Samai
    Map of the Ga coast with Osu shaded
    Osu within the Ga state

    Jata kɛ Akpɔsɔ

    Shows a lion shaking hands with a monkey.

    Saying

    Suɔmɔ kɛ ekomefeemɔ: “love and friendship”

    A lion would normally eat a monkey. Here they are friends, as the four divisions of Osu should be.

  • La

    The La symbol: a cockerel
    Town Samai
    Map of the Ga coast with La shaded
    La within the Ga state

    Wuɔnuu

    Shows a cockerel.

    Saying

    Wuɔ gbɛɛ, La gbɛɛ: “when the cockerel crows, La is ready”

    La people see themselves as the ones who led the Ga on their migration, always ready like the cock that wakes the town.

  • Teshie

    The Teshie symbol: a ram with coiled horns
    Town Samai
    Map of the Ga coast with Teshie shaded
    Teshie within the Ga state

    Too Ojwɛni

    Shows a ram with coiled horns.

    Saying

    Hewalɛ: “strength”

    A ram does not run from a fight, even with broken horns.

  • Nungua

    The Nungua symbol: a royal stool with a chief sitting on it
    Town Samai
    Map of the Ga coast with Nungua shaded
    Nungua within the Ga state

    Maŋtsɛsɛi ni maŋtsɛ ta nɔ

    Shows a royal stool with a chief sitting on it.

    Saying

    Wɔkɛ wɔmaŋtsɛ ba: “we came with our king”

    This is the older Nungua symbol. Aryee found that the Nungua stool now uses the deer on the elephant, the symbol of the whole Ga state.

  • Tema

    The Tema symbol: bent fingers
    Town Samai
    Map of the Ga coast with Tema shaded
    Tema within the Ga state

    Waobii enumɔ ni adɔrɔ

    Shows bent fingers.

    Saying

    Kɛji wɔmɔ bo lɛ, wɔŋmɛɛɛ ohe: “when we get hold of you, you cannot escape”

    Fingers bend to hold something tight. Oral history says no Ga town tried to make war on Tema.

  • Kpone

    The Kpone symbol: fingers holding an egg
    Town Samai
    Map of the Ga coast with Kpone shaded
    Kpone within the Ga state

    Waobii ni hiɛ wɔlɔ

    Shows fingers holding an egg.

    Saying

    Hiɛmɔ lɛ jogbaŋŋ: “hold it with care”

    Royalty is like an egg. If it falls and breaks, that is the end of it.

The quarters of Ga Mashie

Ga Mashie, the old town of Accra, is made up of seven quarters, each with its own chief (mantsɛ).5 Aryee found that the quarters and their families have symbols of their own, alongside the symbols of the towns, but these have not yet been written down.1

  • Asere. By the Asere stool's account, the enstoolment of a Ga Mantsɛ is complete only with a rite performed by the Asere Mantsɛ.6
  • Gbese, the Adonten, the military head of the Ga state. The Gbese Mantsɛ opens Ga Mashie's Homowo by sprinkling the first kpokpoi.4
  • Abola
  • Sempe
  • Otublohum
  • Akumadjay
  • Ngleshie Alata, around James Town

If you know the symbol of a quarter or of your family, tell us, so it can be recorded here.

Before Ga Mashie: Ayawaso

Before the Ga settled on the coast, their capital was Ayawaso, also called Great Accra, on the plains inland, near today's Pokuase. Akwamu forces destroyed it around 1677 to 1680, at the end of the reign of Okai Koi, and the Ga then built Ga Mashie by the sea.7 No symbol of Ayawaso is known today.

Symbols and their proverbs

Many more symbols carry a proverb that anyone can use. Most of the explanations here come from Aryee;1 others come from a chart of Ga Samai shared among Ga people. Some symbols still need a fuller explanation. If you know a symbol by another name or meaning, tell us.

  • The Abiii wo ni ahe nu symbol (nobody asks for honey and is given water)

    Abiii wo ni ahe nu

    nobody asks for honey and is given water

    “a grateful attitude shapes your life”

  • The Abobonua symbol (woodpecker)

    Abobonua

    woodpecker

    Fuufeemɔ: “pride and boasting, which a person should avoid”

  • The Abui symbol (a needle)

    Abui

    a needle

    Akɛ mlifu mɔɔɔ saji anaa: “do not use anger to settle a matter”

  • The Adowa fai symbol (the deer’s hat)

    Adowa fai

    the deer’s hat

    Nilee ni akɛkuraa maŋ: “the cunning and wisdom of the king”

  • The Akpa symbol (a trap)

    Akpa

    a trap

    Akaseɔ nii kɛjɛɔ niashikpamɔ mli: “experience teaches us to do things well”

  • The Akpakpa symbol (pawpaw held by two hands)

    Akpakpa

    pawpaw held by two hands

    “we are strong when united and weak when divided, so handle with care”

  • The Akpokpolonto symbol (tortoise)

    Akpokpolonto

    tortoise

    Tsuishitoo ji kunimyeli: “patience is victory”

  • The Alagba tɛ symbol (a useless stone)

    Alagba tɛ

    a useless stone

    Mɔ fɛɛ mɔ he yɛ sɛɛnamɔ: “no one in this world is useless”

  • The Alakaaa Nyɔŋmɔ symbol (God cannot be fooled)

    Alakaaa Nyɔŋmɔ

    God cannot be fooled

    Mɔ ni susuɔ akɛ eelaka Nyɔŋmɔ lɛ, lɛ diɛŋtsɛ ehe elakaa: “whoever thinks they are fooling God is fooling only themselves”

  • The Alamai symbol

    Alamai

    “the wilderness is not the playground of the seashore crab”

    keeping your place

  • The Aleee ahaamɔ symbol

    Aleee ahaamɔ

    “no one can do another person’s thinking for them”

    enquiry

  • The Aleee Nyɔŋmɔ jwɛŋmɔ symbol

    Aleee Nyɔŋmɔ jwɛŋmɔ

    “God’s mind cannot be unravelled”

    God is beyond knowing

  • The Amaa a mɔ tu symbol

    Amaa a mɔ tu

    “a gun may be borrowed to hunt”

    working together

  • The Ameo symbol

    Ameo

    “the ripe tomato made the darkness of the black berry plain to see”

    genuineness

  • The Amɔɔ nine symbol

    Amɔɔ nine

    “no one beats their chest with another person’s hand”

    boldness

  • The Anɔkwa sheee gbeyei symbol

    Anɔkwa sheee gbeyei

    “the truth fears nothing”

    honesty

  • The Aŋtwere symbol (ladder)

    Aŋtwere

    ladder

    “the people you meet on your way up are the people you meet on your way down”

  • The Apaawa symbol (gramophone record)

    Apaawa

    gramophone record

    “life is like a record: it has two sides”

    resilience

  • The Apasa tsu symbol

    Apasa tsu

    “the roof of a liar’s house is not burned, it is torn down”

    exposure

  • The Arooo symbol

    Arooo

    “a town thrives by means of the mammy truck”

    development

  • The Asamaŋkama symbol (a thorny plant)

    Asamaŋkama

    a thorny plant

    Ofite osaa: “the thing that harms can also heal”

  • The Ashinao symbol (beads)

    Ashinao

    beads

    “a string of beads does not break or get lost before the elders”

    justice

  • The Aspaatere symbol (a pair of sandals)

    Aspaatere

    a pair of sandals

    Mɔ fɛɛ mɔ kɛ enaagba: “everyone has their own troubles”

  • The Asrafoi symbol (soldiers)

    Asrafoi

    soldiers

    “there are no incompetent soldiers, only incompetent captains”

    leadership

  • The Atoobi symbol

    Atoobi

    “the bird Atoo has its own range of flight”

    judging on merit

  • The Atsiki oye symbol

    Atsiki oye

    “Atsiki is strong”

    expertise

  • The Atswa symbol (a scar)

    Atswa

    a scar

    Hiɛtɛlɔ naa efɔŋ ni etsiɔ ehe: “prevention is better than cure”

  • The Awale tɛ symbol (the awale seed)

    Awale tɛ

    the awale seed

    “the awale seed says it will live among thorns for the sake of the future”

    security

  • The Awɛŋ bɛ ŋmɔ symbol (a lazy person has no farm)

    Awɛŋ bɛ ŋmɔ

    a lazy person has no farm

    Kɛji otsuuu oyeee: “no food for the lazy”

  • The Hiŋmɛi sɛɛ symbol (eyebrow)

    Hiŋmɛi sɛɛ

    eyebrow

    “nuts cannot be cracked on someone’s eyebrow”

    covetousness

  • The Ja Nyɔŋmɔ symbol (except God)

    Ja Nyɔŋmɔ

    except God

    Mɔ ko mɔ ko bɛ ja Nyɔŋmɔ: “there is nobody except God”

  • The Maŋ ko ta maŋ ko nɔ symbol (one town sits on another town)

    Maŋ ko ta maŋ ko nɔ

    one town sits on another town

    Nɔyaa: “moving forward in life by learning from others”

  • The Nshɔ woo ŋlɛ woo symbol (sea and waves)

    Nshɔ woo ŋlɛ woo

    sea and waves

    “if the sea is not calm, the waves cannot rest”

    restlessness

  • The Nyɔŋmɔ jeee kanto tsɛ symbol

    Nyɔŋmɔ jeee kanto tsɛ

    “God does not tolerate injustice”

    justice

  • The Nyɔŋmɔ kɔɔyɔɔ symbol

    Nyɔŋmɔ kɔɔyɔɔ

    “if you want to send a message to God, speak to the wind”

    arbitration

  • The Nyɔŋmɔ tɛ symbol (God’s stone)

    Nyɔŋmɔ tɛ

    God’s stone

    “when God picks up a stone, he does not rush to throw it”

    forbearance

  • The Ŋmaa symbol (corn)

    Ŋmaa

    corn

    “the corn has fallen into the maize farm”

    support

  • The Ŋmɛ symbol (oil palm)

    Ŋmɛ

    oil palm

    “God’s eyes are with the palm tree”

    care and resilience

  • The Ŋrami symbol

    Ŋrami

    “when day breaks the stars go nowhere, but the one who made them has outshone them”

    accountability

  • The Ŋwɛi kɛ shikpɔŋ symbol (heaven and earth)

    Ŋwɛi kɛ shikpɔŋ

    heaven and earth

    “if you speak with respect to the heavens, do the same to the earth”

    fairness

  • The Obla kpaa symbol

    Obla kpaa

    “fashion is not what makes a person”

    not being ashamed

  • The Odarklɔ symbol (lizard)

    Odarklɔ

    lizard

    “the lizard says it will not die by the machete”

    caution

  • The Ofɔi symbol (tsetse fly)

    Ofɔi

    tsetse fly

    “there is a tsetse fly perching on the broom”

    confidentiality

  • The Ohiafo symbol (the poor one)

    Ohiafo

    the poor one

    “the poor should not be despised”

    empathy

  • The Ohiafo blɛ symbol (the poor one’s flute)

    Ohiafo blɛ

    the poor one’s flute

    “the flute of the poor is faint”

    discrimination

  • The Ohia woo mla symbol

    Ohia woo mla

    “poverty does not set rules”

    flexibility

  • The Oklopon symbol (eagle)

    Oklopon

    eagle

    “while the eagle claims the sky, the leopard eyes the raffia barn”

    innovation

  • The Okpolu symbol (bowl)

    Okpolu

    bowl

    “the way you hold your bowl decides how much maize you get”

    diligence

  • The Okpɔŋɔ symbol (horse)

    Okpɔŋɔ

    horse

    “if the horse is mad, what of its owner?”

    two should not both act foolishly

  • The Onufu symbol (snake)

    Onufu

    snake

    “the snake says if length were worth anything, it would boast of its own”

    choosing what suits

  • The Onu obi symbol

    Onu obi

    “when you hear, ask”

    not harbouring resentment

New symbols today

Dr Richard Afutu Kotei, a son of Amon Kotei who designed Ghana’s coat of arms, is adding to the tradition. He has published two books with more than 200 symbols, old and new.2 He calls the symbols “Ga wisdom statements presented as lively or dynamic symbols”.3

One of his designs is a circle meaning “we are unbreakable when united”. It comes from the elders of La, his hometown, who stand in a circle to pray before Homowo.2

About the drawings

We redrew each symbol for this page from the forms Aryee recorded at the palaces and in collections.1 Some of those records are gold 3D renderings or photographs, so our flat drawings simplify them. If you know a symbol is drawn differently in your town, tell us.

Sources

  1. Aryee, S. (2023). Semiotic study of Ga traditional symbols in some selected palaces. MPhil (Ga) thesis, University of Education, Winneba.
  2. “Ga Samai.” BusinessGhana, on Dr Richard Afutu Kotei’s lecture at the Institute of African Studies.
  3. Quansah, H. N. (2025, August 14). Dr Richard Kotei revives Ga symbolism with new ‘Samai’ designs. The Mirror, Graphic Online.
  4. “Homowo: Gbese Mantse sprinkles first ‘kpokpoi’.” Ghana News Agency, August 2022.
  5. “Gbese Mantse and Adontehene of Ga State.” The B&FT Online.
  6. “Asere Stool of Ga State denies sending any accredited representative.” Modern Ghana.
  7. “Ayawaso and the Ga Dangme world: urban power and coastal connection.” ghanaculture.gov.gh.

Drawings of some symbols are also on adinkrasymbols.org.