Adinkra Symbols - Nyame Biribi Wo Soro

Guest Post - by Tom Collins

I've had the wonderful opportunity to work with Claudia Thomas on the layout her book and on implementing her desire to enhance the telling of her story using the Adinkra symbols that have become so meaningful to her. A sampling of the symbols chosen for the book appear down the left side of her blog. Claudia has asked me to write a series of posts about the symbols and how they've been used to characterize each chapter in her story.

Claudia saw Adinkra symbols carved in doors at the Union Temple Baptist Church in Washington, DC, and as she explains,

"the Nyame Biribi Wo Soro symbol, resembled an anatomic drawing of two kidneys. This symbol signifies 'God is in the heavens,' symbolizing hope and inspiration. Nyame Biribi Wo Soro has been chosen to appear on the cover of God Spare Life, not only for its meaning but also because of the importance to the author of kidney transplantation."

The version of the symbol above accompanies the Prologue and Chapters 17 and 19, where her loving and courageous sister Catherine endured the multiple attempts required to give Claudia a live-saving kidney.

Here's the more artistic version, created by designer Karin Choi for the cover of God Spare Life.

And I'm sure you'll understand how Nyame Biribi Wo Soro took on such deep significance for Claudia and why she wanted it on the cover (overlapping the picture of Catherine and Claudia):

Next time, God spare life, we'll take a look at another Adinkra symbol, Onyankopon Adom Nti Biribiara Beye Yie, and start exploring the origins and significance of Adinkra symbols.