African Folklore: An Encyclopedia - Marshalls University

African Americans 769
the hierarchical system are the paramountcies, each of which has a powerful chief and
queen mother. Small towns and villages are located within a division and serve a
particular paramountcy, but each of them has its own chief and queen mother.
Consequently, Ghana has many queen mothers of differing status. To explain that a chief
and queen mother each have their own authority, it is said that the chief and the queen
mother each have their own stool. The stool is the symbol of authority in all Akan
societies, functioning much like a throne for European monarchies.
A queen mother of the Asante (and the other Akan groups) is considered to be the
mother of the chief and of the particular clan and community, whether or not she is the
biological mother of the chief. Therefore, like the queen mothers of other societies, she
has specific responsibilities associated with the roles of mothers and female leaders.
When the position of chief becomes vacant, she nominates an individual from the royal
family to become the new chief. Her nomination goes to the elders of the royal family,
and ultimately to the subchiefs (who represent the clans other than the clan of the royal
family). Once the new chief has been enstooled, the queen mother is expected to advise
him, drawing upon her wisdom and knowledge, and he is expected to consult her. Her
responsibilities also encompass the welfare of the women in her domain. One of her
major responsibilities includes the settlement of disputes. The Asantehemaa maintains
her own court, with elders (predominantly male) that meets once a week to hear cases
brought primarily by women concerning the conflicts of everyday life. Other queen
mothers hear cases as well, but with a smaller court. A queen mother has her own living
space separate from the chief, and she will meet with people to resolve disputes and
conduct other business at her own “palace.”
A queen mother and a chief must both be members of the same royal family, so they
will be sister and brother, uncle and niece, aunt and nephew, cousins, or distant relatives,
and in some instances, mother and son. Queen mothers are not only expected to have
children, but it is unlikely that a woman would be chosen, from among those qualified,
for the position if she did not have children, because of the importance of the concept as
well as the reality, of motherhood. However, a queen mother need not be married. She
may also divorce, and she may remarry if she wishes. Unlike every other woman, a queen
mother can exercise freedom in matters of sexuality, whether or not she is married. In this
domain, as in other domains of her life, she has autonomy. Her position as symbolic
mother of the clan and of the chief, and her position as procreator, is enhanced by her
autonomy with regard to matters of sexuality, procreation, and marriage. These combine
with her political, ritual, and juridical authority to create a position (like that of chief),
that integrates elements of kinship, politics, and religion, creating strong positions of
traditional leadership that have endured, with modification, through colonization and
modernization.
Most African societies display flexibility, adaptability, and even creativity in their
political and religious systems. This can certainly be observed in regard to the Asante. It
is illustrated by the fact that some of the most well-educated and wealthy individuals in
the society also hold positions as chiefs. The king of the Asante, Osei Tutu II, enstooled
as Asantehene in 1999, was an active and well-educated businessman in London when he
was nominated by the Asantehemaa, his biological mother, for the position.
Enthusiastically received by the Asante people, he has established an educational fund for
the enhancement of the schools in Asante and has given it a high priority.