Mmusuyidee
Adinkra symbol meaning "that which removes bad luck": good fortune and sanctity.
Mmusuyidee means that which removes bad luck, or that which removes misfortune, and the Adinkra symbol stands for good fortune and sanctity. It expresses the wish, and the effort, to keep a person or a household clean of what brings harm, both in the physical and the spiritual sense. The symbol is a solid square with four slits running in from the corners, which leave a cross at its centre.
In Akan thought, misfortune, mmusu, is not only bad chance. It can be the result of a broken taboo, of discord, or of something left unresolved, and much of Akan ritual life is about cleansing and restoring balance. Mmusuyidee belongs to that world: it is a sign of purity and of a life kept in good order, of a home and a body treated as places that deserve care.
Like other Adinkra symbols, it is printed on cloth and used in decoration. It is a symbol to treat with respect: it expresses a hope and a way of living, not a charm that removes bad luck by itself.
Its message sits close to the Akan festivals of purification, such as Odwira, in which the whole community is cleansed and renewed.
In everyday Akan life the same idea shows in simple habits: sweeping the compound in the morning, washing before greeting elders, settling a quarrel before a festival. Order outside is meant to support order inside.
In dreams, the Mmusuyidee pattern, or images of cleaning a house, sweeping, washing or clearing away rubbish, can be read in an Akan way with this meaning. Such dreams often come after a hard period, when someone longs for a fresh start. Read with Mmusuyidee, the dream does not promise that bad luck is over, but points to what you can clear away: a quarrel to settle, a promise to keep, a space to put in order.
Related terms
- Sankofa Adinkra symbol of a bird looking back: go back and fetch what you forgot.
- Anansi (Kwaku Ananse) The clever spider of Akan stories, who through slavery also became known in Suriname and the Caribbean.
- Nsamanfo The ancestors in the Akan tradition, who counsel, warn and protect the family.
- Sunsum A person's spirit or personality in the Akan tradition; it is said to travel during sleep.
- Adinkra The symbols of the Akan, each with its own proverb or thought.
- Ɔkra The soul Onyame gives at birth, carrying destiny (nkrabea); the origin of the Winti kra.
- Onyame The creator and supreme god in the Akan tradition.
- Abosom The Akan deities, children of Onyame, who dwell in rivers, lakes and forests.
- Asase Yaa The earth as goddess among the Akan, invoked second after Onyame.
- Adae (Akwasidae) The sacred day of the Akan calendar on which the ancestors are honoured.
- Gye Nyame Adinkra symbol meaning "except God": the supremacy of Onyame.
- Nyame Dua Adinkra symbol meaning "God's tree": Onyame's altar, a sign of his presence.
- Denkyem Adinkra symbol of the crocodile: adaptability.
- Funtunfunefu Denkyemfunefu Adinkra symbol of two crocodiles sharing one stomach: unity in diversity.
- Dwennimmen Adinkra symbol of a ram's horns: humility together with strength.
- Adinkrahene The "chief" of the Adinkra symbols: greatness, charisma and leadership.
- Akoma Adinkra symbol of the heart: patience and tolerance.
- Eban Adinkra symbol of the fence: love, safety and security.
- Nkyinkyim Adinkra symbol of twisting: initiative, versatility and life's winding road.
- Aya Adinkra symbol of the fern: endurance and resourcefulness.
- Duafe Adinkra symbol of the wooden comb: beauty, care and good conduct.
- Hye Won Hye Adinkra symbol meaning "that which does not burn": imperishability and endurance.
- Osram ne Nsoromma Adinkra symbol of the moon and the star: faithful love and harmony.
- Mpatapo Adinkra symbol of the knot of reconciliation: making peace after strife.
- Bese Saka Adinkra symbol of a sack of cola nuts: abundance, power and unity.
- Fawohodie Adinkra symbol of independence: freedom, with the responsibility it brings.