Proverbs Many Akan weights are associated with proverbs. The Akan like to use proverbs in their everyday speech to communicate ideas or feelings that might be considered impolite if stated more directly.
Proverb: You can tell from the quills of the porcupine whether or not he is prepared to fight. Meaning: You can judge the readiness of a nation to wage war on its enemies just as you can judge a porcupine's intentions by looking at its quills. Fact: Quills protect the porcupine from the head to tail. When the porcupine is calm, its quills lie down flat next to its skin. When it is frightened or surprised, the quills stand up straight.

Proverb: No animal dares to meet the porcupine in a struggle. Meaning: If enemies believe a nation is strong or powerful, they will not dare to threaten it, just as animals keep their distance from a porcupine. Fact: When threatened, the porcupine turns its back on its enemy and thrashes its tail. The quills loosen and penetrate the enemy's skin. Barbs (like a fishhook) cover the end of each porcupine quill making it almost impossible to pull out. back to Using Gold-Dust as Money