Akrafena
Ashanti sword
- Type
- sword
- Place of origin
- Ashanti Empire
An afena (Twi to mean sword) is an Akan sword, originally meant for warfare but also forming part of Akan heraldry. The foremost example of an afena is the Mponponsuo (meaning "responsibility"), which belonged to Opoku Ware II. It has survived to the present day because it is still occasionally used in ceremonies, such as the Akwasidae Festival.
The expert use of afena is also a martial art, utilising the blade in conjunction with knives, improvised weapons, street-fighting, hand-to-hand combat, joint locks, grappling and weapon disarming techniques, as well as using the martial art of afena unarmed. The afena martial art is the national sport of the Ashanti Region.
External links
Facts from Wikidata Q382149 (CC0); quoted introduction from English Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Data retrieved 2026-10-22.
Data: Wikidata (CC0 1.0); Wikipedia (English) (CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.
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