The Woman and God - A Ghanaian Folklore
Long long ago, before civilization and before the invasion of the whiteman in the land of Gold the skies was closer to mankind. Mankind could stand on planet earth and to God physically and directly. The heavens were close enough for anyone tall enough to touch it.
Cassava and plantain on the left used for pounding fufu
There was a woman by name of Yaa Mansa. Yaa Mansa’s favourite food was fufu. She could pound fufu every single day at whatever time that suited her. She could eat fufu 3 times a day and wasn’t bothered. She had the longest pestle in the land and would always be hitting the heavens whiles pounding fufu.
Fufu is a Ghanaian delicacy made from pounded cassava and plantain mostly. It can be done with just plantain, cocoyam or only cassava. Yaa Mansa mostly preferred fufu made from cassava and plantain. Her husband was a rich farmer so she always had cassava and plaintain for her fufu.
A guy pounding fufu
She had maids but she was always the one pounding her own fufu. She always disturbed the heavens whenever she pounded and the angels would come to ask her to stop but she wouldn’t listen. She countinued pounding day in day out even after the angels had warned her many times.
One fateful day, God was resting when He started to hear and feel the usual sounds and shakes from Yaa Mansa’s pounding. God asked angel Gabriel to go tell her He wanted some peace and quiet but she said she also had to eat. Angel Gabriel suggested she shorten her pestle then so she can pound without disturbing anyone. She refused.
Angel Gabriel reported back to God and God decided to tell her Himself. “I am God. If she wouldn’t listen to anyone, at least she would listen to me”, God said. “Yaa Mansa”, God called and she responded, “yes Nana Nyame”. “Please stop pounding your fufu for now or at least, cut down your pestle so we can have some peace up here”, God pleaded.
“Nana Nyame, with all due respect please let me finish. I will be done soon”, was the response Almighty God got from His creation. God had just had enough and couldn’t take it any longer. He went back very angry and asked all the angels to pack. “Where are we going” they all asked, and God said, “far away from mankind”.
Heavens Far Away
When the last angel had finished packing, all the angels assembled at the assembly grounds in heaven and in a swift moment, they were all faraway in space. Most of them loved the fact that they would have peace of mind from all the ramblings of mankind. A few said they would miss having conversations with mankind and since then, the Heavens have been far away.