Funtunfunefu Denkyemfunefu

Adinkra symbol of two crocodiles sharing one stomach: unity in diversity.

Funtunfunefu Denkyemfunefu shows two crocodiles joined at the middle: they share a single stomach. The proverb behind it says that although they share one stomach, they still fight over the food. Whatever one of them eats feeds them both, so the quarrel makes no sense, and yet they quarrel.

The symbol stands for unity in diversity and for democracy: people with their own heads, wills and interests who are nevertheless bound to one shared fate. It is used for families, clans and communities, and often for a nation, as a warning against infighting and a reminder that what harms one part harms the whole. It is printed on Adinkra cloth and carved and cast in many forms, usually as two crocodile bodies crossing over a shared centre.

It is closely related to Denkyem, the single crocodile of adaptability, and the two often appear side by side.

Elders often use the image when they settle disputes. Pointing to the two crocodiles is a short way of saying: whatever divides you, you will eat from the same bowl tomorrow, so find a way to live together.

In dreams, two crocodiles together, or two animals bound to each other, can be read in an Akan way with this proverb in mind. Such a dream often appears during conflict within a family, a partnership or a team: two people pulling in different directions while their fortunes are in fact shared. Read that way, the dream does not predict a fight, but asks what the shared stomach is, and whether the struggle is worth it. On Dreamkin the crocodile has its own symbol page, where the Akan reading names both Denkyem and this symbol.