Why you cannot wear these beads if you are not a chief, queen mother in Ada

Every ethnic group has their own distinct culture and traditions that map them out as unique people and this is the case among the people of the Ada traditional area.

As part of their traditions, they have a set of rules and regulations termed ‘taboos’ that all indigenes of the area are to abide by.

One of such taboos has to do with the wearing of beads.

Speaking to GhanaWeb’s People & Places team, Stool Prince of the Kabiawe Yumu clan, Ayiku Akuako, explained that there are some specific beads that signify authority among the Ada people.

And the order in which they are worn is also very symbolic. As such, not everybody can wear these beads.

One of these beads is white and is made with a single thread. Only chiefs and queen mothers are supposed to wear them.

He also added that one cannot wear more than 2 or 3 beads in the presence of a chief priest, chief or queen mother. Anyone who does this seeks to challenge authority and will therefore be punished accordingly, he added.

“You don’t use more than 2 or 3 beads in the presence of the queen, mothers and chiefs. It’s like you are challenging them because they elected them from our midst and made us head them,” he said.

“There’s a specific bead you don’t wear. If you see the chiefs and queen mothers, there’s a specific bead they wear, a white one with only one thread in it. It’s a taboo, if you are found wearing it, they’ll fine you and hold you responsible,” he added.

Ayiku Akuako also noted that caps or hats are not worn in the presence of chiefs and queen mothers for the same reasons.

“If you are not a chief, you don’t put on caps or hats when the chief and queen mother is around,” he indicated.