Beads possessed with spirits are myths not reality—Nana Ogyedom

Tema, – Nana Ogyedom Tsetsewa1, Mankralo Gomoa Oguan has demystified myths surrounding the adornment of beads saying there was nothing mystical about it.

Beads serve as a traditional ornament for women to exhibit their beauty and traditional leaders also adorned them to show their power and elegance has over the years been classified as mystical.

She noted that conventional beads are harmless without any spirit inhabitation but could be transformed to possess the power “if spoken into by spiritualist who may chant on the beads to serve a certain purpose”.

“There is no spirit in beads, spirits can only dwell in it when someone invoked or chants words in into it, but revealed that there are different types of beads for specific purposes,” Nana Ogyedom Tsetsewal told the Ghana News Agency in an interview in Tema.

Nana Ogyedom Tsetsewal noted that beads used by traditional leaders, fetish priests, as well as people with spiritual powers even sometimes what twins used may not be an ordinary one as they are sometimes taken through traditional purification and fortification to protect the user.

She said most often people confused beads used by the classified traditional personalities to the normal ones and conclude that all beads have spiritual powers, “that is not true”.

The Queen-mother said in spite of the myth surrounding beads, it continues to serve as an ornament for beautification and it is worn during a celebration either around the neck, wrist, wrist, or ankle.

In some traditional cultures, if a woman adorns brown and black beads around the neck, it means she was a widow, but white beads signify that that woman has given birth or is out of widowhood rites.

She said, “we have spirits around and therefore it is important to pray over the beads before wearing them”.

According to her in Ghana beads are part of our dressing and it depicts the tribe one belongs, people wear beads depending on the occasion they are attending and the time it can be worn.

Meanwhile, Mr Samuel Lartey, the Manager of Hristina Beads Company Limited in Tema also told the Ghana News Agency in Tema that beads are treasures for beautification for women.

He said beads can be designed for specific interests or occasions.

Source: Ghana News Agency