Ghana’s National Folklore Board treats folklore as a living body of oral expression, customary knowledge, symbols, stories, music, and practice rather than a single national catalogue of “superstitions.” Across Akan, Ga-Dangme, Ewe, Mole-Dagbani, Guan, Gurma, and other communities, the same sign can carry different meanings. This article documents 86 widely reported Ghanaian superstitions, omens, taboos, and folk beliefs; many are regional, some overlap with religious practice, and no assumption is made that every Ghanaian family accepts them.
Belief, Religion, and Social Custom in Ghana
Ghanaian folk belief often sits beside Christianity, Islam, indigenous religion, chieftaincy, family law, and ordinary etiquette. A libation, a shrine restriction, or a weekly rest day may be a formal religious duty for one community but only a remembered family custom for another. The descriptions here use “belief” broadly while distinguishing ritual obligations from casual omens whenever that difference matters.
Older records must also be read with care. Early ethnographers preserved valuable Akan and Asante material, yet some used language shaped by colonial assumptions. More recent university research, national heritage work, and community studies help place those records in a fairer setting.
Protection, Ancestors, and Sacred Objects
Suman Charms for Personal Protection
Among some Akan communities, a suman may be carried or kept at home as a protective object. Its meaning depends on the specialist who prepares it, and it should not be treated as a substitute for medical care or ordinary safety.
Written Amulets in Northern Ghana
In some Muslim communities of northern Ghana, verses or prayers may be enclosed in leather packets and worn for protection. This practice belongs to a religious and regional setting; not every Muslim family uses such objects.
Protective Beads for Infants
Beads tied around a baby’s waist, wrist, or neck may be understood as guarding the child, marking identity, or watching growth. The color and purpose vary between Akan, Ga-Dangme, Krobo, Ewe, and other families.
White Clay as a Purifying Sign
White clay may be applied during shrine, healing, or festival rites to signal purity, blessing, or contact with a deity. It is a ritual material rather than proof that supernatural protection has occurred.
Libation Before an Important Undertaking
Some families pour drink onto the earth before a journey, marriage discussion, installation, or public ceremony. The act addresses God, deities, or ancestors and asks that the undertaking proceed without hidden trouble.
Black Stools as Seats of Ancestral Presence
In Asante and other Akan settings, blackened ancestral stools are treated as sacred links with deceased rulers. Sitting on, moving, or handling one without authority may be feared as an offence against both the office and the ancestors.
The Golden Stool Must Not Touch the Ground
Asante tradition treats the Golden Stool as the spiritual symbol of the nation rather than ordinary furniture. Accounts stress that it is never used as a seat and should not be allowed to rest directly on the ground.
Sacred Groves Guarded by Spirits
A grove connected with a deity or ancestral history may be entered only under local rules. Cutting wood, hunting, or making noise there can be interpreted as inviting spiritual punishment, while also serving a clear conservation purpose.
Totem Animals Must Not Be Killed
Akan clans and several other Ghanaian communities associate particular animals with lineage stories or protection. Members may avoid killing or eating the clan animal, believing that harm to it can bring misfortune to the family.
Sasa After Killing Certain Animals
In some Akan thought, killing an animal—especially one regarded as spiritually potent—may expose the hunter to sasa, a dangerous spiritual influence. Purification may be sought before the meat or trophy is brought into ordinary life.
Sacred Rivers Can Punish Pollution
Where a river or lagoon is linked with a deity, dumping refuse, washing certain objects, or taking fish on a forbidden day may be feared as an offence. The belief also reinforces community rules for protecting water.
Protective Names After Repeated Infant Loss
Families that have endured repeated infant deaths may give a later child an unusual, humble, or spiritually defensive name. The name is meant to confuse or discourage the force believed to be taking the children, though meanings differ by language.
Household Warnings and Everyday Conduct
Sweeping at Night Can Sweep Away Wealth
A familiar household warning says that sweeping after dark may remove money, luck, or unseen blessings from the home. A practical reading is that small valuables were easier to lose before electric lighting became common.
Whistling at Night Attracts Unwanted Beings
Night whistling is discouraged in some Ghanaian homes because it is said to call snakes, spirits, or thieves. The rule can also be understood as a way of keeping children quiet and reducing confusion after dark.
Answering a Nighttime Call Can Be Risky
Some people hesitate to answer when they hear their name called outside at night, especially if the voice is unclear. Folklore warns that a spirit may imitate a familiar person; cautious families first confirm who is calling.
Stepping Over a Child May Stop Growth
If someone steps over a child lying on the floor, the child is sometimes said to stop growing. The usual remedy is to step back over the child in the opposite direction, symbolically undoing the act.
Sitting on a Mortar Can Delay Marriage
A wooden mortar is a working household object with social meaning. In some homes, an unmarried person who sits on it is warned that marriage may be delayed, turning respect for utensils into an easily remembered rule.
Pounding an Empty Mortar Invites Trouble
Children may be told not to pound an empty mortar because the sound can attract hunger, spirits, or misfortune. The warning also protects a valuable tool from cracking and limits needless noise.
A Broom Touching the Feet Delays Marriage
When a broom brushes an unmarried person’s feet, one popular response is that marriage will be postponed. Some immediately tap or reverse the action to cancel the omen; this belief is also found elsewhere in West Africa.
Pointing at a Rainbow Harms the Finger
Children in parts of Ghana are warned not to point directly at a rainbow because the finger may bend, swell, or become injured. The warning gives a supernatural consequence to a rule of respectful wonder toward the sky.
Giving With the Left Hand Brings Offence
The left hand is avoided when giving food, money, or greetings in many Ghanaian settings. This is mainly etiquette, yet some households add that persistent disregard can attract bad luck or weaken a relationship.
Calling Someone Back After Departure Spoils the Journey
A traveler who has just stepped out may dislike being called back for a forgotten detail. One folk explanation says the interruption breaks the journey’s good beginning, so the person may sit briefly before leaving again.
Birth, Naming, and Childhood Beliefs
A Newborn Is Outdoors After a Waiting Period
Ghanaian outdooring ceremonies commonly introduce a baby to family and community after the earliest vulnerable days of life. Among many Akan families this occurs on the eighth day, though timing and ritual details vary.
Day Names Carry Character Associations
Akan day names such as Kofi, Ama, Kwame, and Akosua do more than record the weekday of birth. Popular character descriptions are often attached to them, although people do not consistently match those expected traits.
The Child’s Public Name Should Be Spoken Carefully
Before naming or outdooring, some relatives avoid widespread use of a newborn’s final name. The delay reflects the child’s fragile early status and limits public claims before the family ceremony.
Twins Share a Special Spiritual Bond
Twins may be treated as children with an unusual spiritual connection and receive paired names, songs, beads, or offerings. Akan, Ga, Ewe, and northern practices are not identical, and the custom varies greatly between households.
A Surviving Twin Needs Ritual Attention
When one twin dies, some families provide a carved figure, special object, or rite for the surviving child. The purpose is to maintain balance and prevent the surviving twin from being troubled by the lost sibling.
The Placenta Must Be Disposed of Securely
The placenta may be buried or otherwise handled by trusted relatives because it remains symbolically connected to the baby. Careless disposal is feared to expose the child to spiritual harm, gossip, or hostile ritual use.
The Umbilical Cord Must Not Fall Into the Wrong Hands
A dried cord stump may be kept, buried, or discarded privately. Some families believe that anyone who gains possession of it could influence the child, a belief that encourages careful handling of birth materials.
First Hair and Nail Clippings Need Care
A baby’s first hair or nail clippings may be buried, burned, or placed where strangers cannot collect them. The concern is that bodily remnants retain a connection to the person and could be used to cause harm.
Direct Praise Can Expose a Baby to Envy
Some adults soften praise of a beautiful or healthy baby, add a protective phrase, or touch the child gently. Excessive admiration is feared to attract envy or an unseen gaze, even though Ghana has no single nationwide evil-eye custom.
A Child Should Not Be Taken to a Cemetery Casually
Young children may be kept away from burials or graves because their spirits are considered vulnerable. The restriction is not universal, and many families instead include children in funerals with supervision.
A Child Born After Earlier Losses May Receive Marks or Beads
After repeated infant deaths, a later child may receive distinctive beads, skin marks, or a protective name. The acts identify the child as one who must remain with the living and may also rally family care around the newborn.
Stepping Back Reverses Harm to a Child
Several childhood warnings include a simple reversal: if an adult accidentally steps over a child or passes an object across the child, repeating the movement backward is said to cancel the danger.
Pregnancy and Maternal Food Taboos
Early Pregnancy May Be Kept Private
Some women avoid announcing pregnancy during its earliest months because public knowledge is thought to attract envy, spiritual attack, or intrusive attention. Privacy can be culturally comforting, but it should not delay antenatal care.
Snails Are Avoided for Fear of Excess Saliva
In some Ghanaian communities, a pregnant woman may avoid snails because the child is feared to drool heavily or develop a slow temperament. This is a symbolic association, not a medical effect.
Okra May Be Avoided in Some Ewe Households
Research among Ewe communities has recorded avoidance of okra during pregnancy because it was linked with miscarriage or a difficult outcome. Such restrictions are local and should be discussed with qualified health workers when they narrow nutrition.
Ripe Plantain May Be Restricted During Pregnancy
Some Ewe accounts connect ripe plantain with pregnancy loss and therefore discourage it. The belief is not shared across Ghana, and ripe plantain itself does not predict miscarriage.
Eggs May Be Linked With Undesired Child Behavior
A common food warning says that eating eggs in pregnancy may make a child greedy, thieving, bald, or slow to speak. Explanations vary, and eggs are a useful food when safely prepared unless a clinician advises otherwise.
Crab Is Linked With Hand or Walking Problems
In some families, crab is avoided because its claws or sideways movement are symbolically connected with deformity, delayed walking, or difficult labor. The association is cultural rather than biological.
Twin Bananas Are Said to Encourage Twin Births
A double or fused banana may be avoided by someone who fears bearing twins. In other families it is treated as a fertility sign. Eating such fruit does not determine whether a pregnancy will be multiple.
Clan Animals Remain Forbidden During Pregnancy
A pregnant person may continue to avoid the animal connected with her lineage or her partner’s lineage. The reason may involve clan identity, ancestral protection, or fear that the child will inherit an unwanted trait.
Stepping Over Rope Can Tangle the Cord
Some pregnant women are warned not to step over rope, vines, or crossed objects because the umbilical cord may wrap around the baby. Cord position has medical causes unrelated to stepping over household objects.
Sitting in a Doorway Can Obstruct Labor
Because a doorway is a passage, blocking it during pregnancy is sometimes linked symbolically with obstructed childbirth. The warning may also keep busy entrances clear and reduce the chance of falls.
Night Walking Exposes Pregnancy to Spirits
Pregnant women may be advised not to walk alone late at night because unseen beings are believed to target the unborn child. Ordinary reasons—poor lighting, traffic, and personal security—also make accompanied travel safer.
Unmet Cravings Can Mark the Baby
Relatives may try to satisfy a pregnant woman’s strong food craving because refusal is feared to leave a mark on the baby or cause distress. Cravings are real experiences, but they do not imprint the desired food on an infant’s skin.
Marriage, Fertility, and Family Fortune
Marriage Within the Same Akan Clan Is Taboo
Among Akan peoples, members of the same abusua are traditionally treated as kin and should not marry. Breaching the rule may be feared to bring illness or misfortune, while its main role is regulating lineage and kinship.
Ancestors May Be Consulted Before Marriage
Some families pour libation or consult elders before accepting a marriage. Approval is sought not only from living relatives but also from the lineage’s ancestors, who are believed to guard family continuity.
A Bride Should Not Look Back When Leaving
One wedding warning says a bride leaving her family home should not turn back repeatedly. Looking back may be interpreted as reluctance, a weak transition, or a sign that she will soon return after marital conflict.
The Right Foot Opens a Fortunate Entrance
A bride or visitor may be encouraged to enter a new home with the right foot first. The gesture represents a favorable beginning and appears in several religious and secular settings rather than one Ghanaian tradition alone.
Certain Days Are Chosen Through Divination
Before marriage, travel, installation, or building, some families ask a priest, diviner, elder, or religious leader to identify a suitable day. The chosen date is believed to reduce conflict with spiritual or ancestral obligations.
Infertility May Be Blamed on a Spiritual Breach
Some households explain infertility through offended ancestors, broken taboos, or spiritual attack. Such beliefs can cause stigma and delay treatment; fertility problems have many medical causes and deserve respectful clinical care.
Twins Can Be Read as a Household Blessing
Although twin traditions differ, many families celebrate twins as bearers of luck, fertility, or prosperity. Special songs and names emphasize that the birth affects the wider household, not only the parents.
An Ancestor’s Name May Pass On Character
Naming a child after a respected relative can express hope that the child will inherit the person’s good qualities. Families may also avoid the name of someone remembered for a troubled life.
Animals, Birds, and Weather Omens
An Owl’s Call Can Warn of Loss
In parts of Ghana, an owl calling near a house at night may be interpreted as a warning of illness, death, or witchcraft. The call is natural animal behavior and should not lead to harming the bird.
A Dog Howling at Night Signals Trouble
A dog’s prolonged howl may be linked with an approaching death, stranger, or unseen presence. Dogs can howl because of communication, stress, territory, or nearby sounds; the behavior does not foretell an event.
A Rooster Crowing at an Odd Hour Is an Omen
When a rooster crows far outside its expected time, some listeners take it as a warning that the household should be alert. Artificial light, disturbance, and normal variation can also shift crowing.
A Snake in the House May Be an Ancestral Visitor
Where a snake species is tied to a clan or shrine, entering a home may be interpreted as a visit or warning rather than a random intrusion. Safe removal should be left to trained handlers.
Pythons Can Be Protected as Sacred Animals
Certain communities avoid killing pythons associated with local deities, shrines, or lineage histories. The animal’s protected status joins spiritual respect with wildlife conservation.
Crocodiles at Sacred Ponds Must Not Be Harmed
At well-known sacred crocodile sites in northern Ghana, local tradition treats the animals as spiritually linked to people or ancestors. Harming one is feared to bring community misfortune; visitors should follow site safety rules.
A Butterfly Indoors May Announce a Visitor
A butterfly entering a room is sometimes read as news that a visitor is coming or that a gentle ancestral presence is near. Meanings change with color and household tradition.
A Large Moth Can Be Mistaken for a Spirit
Large nocturnal moths entering houses may be associated with the dead, witches, or an unwelcome message. Their attraction to lamps offers a direct natural explanation for their nighttime appearance.
Bats Circling a House Can Be a Warning
A sudden gathering of bats near a roof may be interpreted as spiritual disturbance or bad news. Bats usually follow food, roosting space, and seasonal movement; people should avoid touching them.
Frog Calls Announce Rain
Farmers may connect loud frog choruses with approaching rain. Frogs respond to humidity and breeding conditions, so the observation can contain environmental knowledge without requiring supernatural prediction.
Ants Moving Eggs Foretell Wet Weather
When ants rapidly move larvae or eggs, some households expect rain. Changes in moisture and pressure can alter insect activity, but a single observation is not a certain forecast.
A Rainbow Must Be Treated Respectfully
Beyond the warning against pointing, a rainbow may be treated as a sign of spiritual presence, a river being drawn into the sky, or a boundary between realms. Interpretations differ by language area.
Thunder Can Express Divine or Ancestral Anger
Powerful thunder during a ceremony or dispute may be taken as disapproval from a deity or ancestor. Meteorology explains thunder through lightning-heated air, while ritual meaning belongs to the community interpreting the moment.
A Bee Swarm Near a Home Can Promise Prosperity
Some people welcome a settled bee swarm as a sign of industry, abundance, or incoming fortune. Because bees can sting and colonies need proper removal, symbolic optimism should be paired with expert handling.
Sacred Days, Land, Water, and Work
Tuesday Is a No-Fishing Day in Some Coastal Communities
Along parts of Ghana’s coast, fishers traditionally stay ashore on Tuesday so the sea deity can rest or replenish the waters. The exact day and explanation vary by town, and the pause also reduces pressure on fishing grounds.
Lagoon Fishing Stops on Deity Days
Communities around lagoons may close fishing on a weekly sacred day or before a festival. Breaking the rule can be feared to anger the lagoon deity and may also trigger social penalties.
The Earth Receives a Weekly Rest Day
In several Akan areas, farming is avoided on a day associated with the earth deity, often Thursday in local accounts. Working the land then may be treated as disrespectful and spiritually unsafe.
New Yams Must Wait for the Festival
In yam-growing communities, eating the new crop before the chief, priest, or festival has ritually opened the season may be forbidden. The rule coordinates harvest timing and communal gratitude.
Sacred Trees Must Not Be Cut
A tree linked to a deity, ancestor, grave, or founding story may be protected from felling. Illness, crop failure, or family trouble may be expected after unauthorized cutting.
Bloodshed Defiles Sacred Ground
Fighting, killing, or sexual activity in a shrine grove, farm, or other sacred place may be believed to offend the land. Cleansing rites can be required before ordinary use resumes.
Washing Is Restricted in Sacred Water
Certain rivers and pools forbid soap, pots, menstrual materials, or laundry. Spiritual sanctions support local rules against contamination, though restrictions differ from one shrine jurisdiction to another.
Festival Silence Must Not Be Broken
Before Homowo and during comparable ritual periods, Ga communities may impose a ban on drumming and loud music. This is a public religious rule rather than a casual superstition, and its meaning is tied to the festival calendar.
Dreams, Death, and Ancestral Warnings
A Dead Relative in a Dream May Carry a Message
Dreams of deceased relatives are often treated as visits, warnings, or requests for remembrance. Grief, memory, and recent family discussion can also shape such dreams.
Eating in a Dream Can Be Read as Spiritual Attack
In some modern Ghanaian church and household interpretations, eating unknown food in a dream suggests spiritual manipulation or illness. Dream content is not medical evidence and should not replace diagnosis.
A Snake Dream Has Competing Meanings
A snake in a dream may be linked with an enemy, fertility, a spiritual calling, or hidden wealth. The meaning changes across religious and regional settings, so no single interpretation is authoritative.
Falling Teeth in a Dream Warn of Loss
Dreams in which teeth loosen or fall may be connected with bereavement, family conflict, or fear. They are common anxiety dreams in many cultures and do not predict a death.
A Proper Funeral Helps the Dead Join the Ancestors
Among several Ghanaian traditions, a socially recognized funeral helps the deceased move from ordinary personhood toward ancestral status. Funeral scale and form depend on age, lineage, religion, and the circumstances of death.
An Improper Burial Can Leave a Restless Spirit
A person denied expected rites may be feared to remain angry, wander, or trouble relatives. This belief helps explain the care given to burial, mourning, and settlement of unfinished family obligations.
Widowhood Rites Separate the Living From the Dead
Some communities use washing, clothing changes, seclusion, or symbolic acts to end the bond between a surviving spouse and the deceased. Practices vary and should never be used to justify coercion or abuse.
A Corpse That “Refuses” a Route Reveals Trouble
In some funeral processions, unusual movement of a coffin is interpreted as the deceased objecting to the route or identifying hidden wrongdoing. Physical movement by bearers has ordinary explanations and should not be used to accuse anyone.
Calling the Dead by Name at Night Is Avoided
Some families avoid repeatedly calling a deceased person’s name after dark because the spirit may answer or follow the caller home. The restraint also marks respect during mourning.
Libation at the Grave Maintains Family Ties
Drink may be poured at a grave or memorial gathering to greet the dead, report family events, or ask for peace. The act belongs to a continuing relationship with ancestors, not a verified way to obtain predictions.
Regional Variations Across Ghana
Southern Akan-speaking areas preserve many beliefs connected with matrilineal clans, ancestral stools, the earth deity, sacred groves, and lineage totems. Fante fishing towns add sea and lagoon rules shaped by coastal work. In and around Accra, Ga customs are closely tied to Homowo, ancestral settlement histories, coastal deities, and periods of ritual silence.
Volta Region accounts often reflect Ewe and related traditions, including local food taboos, twin customs, shrine practices, and strong oral interpretation of dreams. In northern Ghana, Dagomba, Mamprusi, Gonja, Gur-speaking, and Muslim communities may combine lineage traditions with Qur’anic amulets, divination, sacred ponds, and festival calendars. Urban Accra, Kumasi, Tamale, and other cities add church-linked dream interpretation, imported omens, and social-media retellings. These newer forms should not be mistaken for beliefs shared everywhere.
Historical Roots and Cultural Transmission
Many Ghanaian beliefs pass through conversation rather than written doctrine. Children hear short warnings while cooking, farming, fishing, traveling, or attending funerals. Proverbs, Ananse stories, praise names, drum language, clan histories, and festival performances preserve ideas about proper conduct and the unseen consequences of breaking it.
Environmental rules often combine sacred authority with practical restraint. Closed fishing days, protected groves, clan animals, and limits on washing in rivers can reduce pressure on local resources. Household warnings may also preserve older safety habits: night sweeping risks losing small objects, pounding an empty mortar damages equipment, and walking alone after dark carries ordinary danger even without a spiritual explanation.
Migration, mission Christianity, Islam, formal schooling, radio, film, and Pentecostal prayer culture have changed how beliefs are explained. Some older shrine ideas are now retold as “spiritual attacks,” while imported omens may be presented as Ghanaian. Family practice remains the best guide to local meaning.
Observation, Memory, and Coincidence
People naturally remember the owl call followed by bad news more strongly than the many owl calls followed by nothing unusual. This selective memory, together with pattern recognition and confirmation bias, helps omens persist. A ritual can also reduce anxiety by giving a person a clear action—sit before restarting a journey, reverse a step, or ask an elder for a favorable day.
Some beliefs begin with real observation. Frogs become active in humid weather, ants move brood when conditions change, and fish stocks may benefit from regular rest days. The observation can be useful without proving that an animal or ritual predicts the future through supernatural means.
Health and Safety Notes
Pregnancy food taboos deserve gentle handling because they may reduce protein, iron, or dietary variety. A pregnant person should discuss restrictions with a qualified health professional and continue antenatal care. Infertility, miscarriage, mental illness, epilepsy, and childhood illness have medical and social causes; accusations of witchcraft or taboo-breaking can deepen harm and delay treatment.
Snakes, bats, crocodiles, bees, and other animals should not be touched, trapped, or killed because of an omen. Trained wildlife or emergency services are safer. Traditional medicine can remain culturally meaningful, but herbal or spiritual treatment should not replace urgent clinical care, especially for poisoning, bites, severe bleeding, breathing trouble, seizures, or pregnancy complications.
Countries With Related Folk Beliefs
Ghana shares languages, trading histories, clan links, religious traditions, and coastal environments with several West African societies. Comparable motifs often travel across borders, but the ritual owner, local name, and social meaning can differ.
| Shared Motif | Ghanaian Form | Comparable Forms |
|---|---|---|
| Akan clan and ancestor customs | Abusua marriage rules, ancestral stools, totems, and libation in southern Ghana | Related Akan practices among Baoulé, Anyi, and Abron communities in Côte d’Ivoire |
| Ewe shrine and twin traditions | Regional food taboos, twin rites, and spirit interpretation in the Volta area | Closely related Ewe and Mina forms in Togo, with local ritual differences |
| Coastal deity rest days | Weekly no-fishing days and lagoon restrictions in selected Ghanaian towns | Comparable sacred fishing calendars along parts of Togo and Benin |
| Protective written amulets | Leather packets containing prayers in some northern Muslim communities | Related Islamic amulet traditions in Burkina Faso, Mali, and northern Nigeria |
| Sacred crocodile and python sites | Protected animals linked with local ancestors, deities, or settlement histories | Comparable sacred animal traditions in Burkina Faso, Togo, Benin, and Nigeria |
📚 Roots of Belief
- National Register on the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Ghana — Records living heritage categories, communities, festivals, and transmission practices used to frame Ghana’s regional diversity. (A national culture ministry register.)
- National Folklore Board Ghana — Explains the state body’s role in researching, administering, and protecting Ghanaian folklore. (An official Ghanaian institution established by law.)
- UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage: Ghana — Provides Ghana’s participation and safeguarding work under the 2003 Convention. (A United Nations cultural agency.)
- Ghana Museums and Monuments Board: Asante Traditional Buildings — Documents shrine buildings, palace traditions, and the religious setting of Asante heritage sites. (Ghana’s legal custodian of material heritage.)
- Akan Indigenous Religio-Cultural Beliefs and Environmental Preservation — Examines sacred groves, taboos, totems, and spiritual ideas connected with conservation in Ghana. (A university research paper in religious studies.)
- Animal Symbolism Among the Akan of Akyem — Studies Akan animal symbols, clan links, cosmology, and attitudes toward particular species. (A KNUST institutional repository thesis.)
- Traditional Natural Resource Management Practices and Biodiversity Conservation in Ghana — Discusses sacred days, deities, taboos, and community control of forests, wildlife, and water. (A university-hosted agricultural and environmental research paper.)
- Maternal Food Beliefs and Pregnancy Outcomes in Ghana — Records Ewe pregnancy food restrictions, including local concerns about okra, snails, and ripe plantain. (A University of Ghana repository study.)
- Food Taboos and Traditional Beliefs Among Pregnant Women in Yilo Krobo — Examines adherence to maternal food restrictions and their nutritional effects in an Eastern Region community. (A University of Ghana public-health study.)
- Stools in Asante Culture — Explains the social, political, and spiritual meanings of stools, including ancestral and chiefly associations. (A KNUST institutional repository thesis.)
- Akan-Ashanti Folk-Tales — Preserves Akan-language tales with English translations and notes on clan totems, animals, spirits, and oral storytelling. (A digitized historical volume held by the Internet Archive.)
- eHRAF World Cultures: Ashanti — Catalogues a major ethnographic study of Asante kinship, ritual, spirits, ancestors, and law. (A curated Yale University anthropology database.)
- Psychological Belief in Spirits Among the Ga of Ghana — Studies ancestral and spirit concepts among Ga participants and their interpretation in contemporary life. (A University of Denver doctoral repository.)
- WHO: Traditional and Complementary Medicine in Ghana — Describes Ghana’s effort to connect traditional practitioners with regulated primary health care and safety standards. (The World Health Organization.)
- Beliefs About the Causes of Mental Illness in Ghana — Examines spiritual, social, and medical explanations of mental illness and the effect of belief on care-seeking. (A University of Ghana research study.)
- WHO Questions and Answers on Traditional Medicine — Sets out evidence, regulation, safety, and appropriate health-system use of traditional medicine. (The World Health Organization.)