Abstract:
This thesis presents the traditional symbols found at selected palaces of the Ga people
and brings out the historical, philosophical, educational and moral values inherent in
them. It seeks to encourage the understanding and usage of the Ga traditional symbols in
a more meaningful way by the Ga people themselves, Ghanaians as a whole and
foreigners as well, as well as contemporary artists, designers, craftsmen, teachers, and all
who appreciate the traditional symbols. The thesis highlights the seven symbols that
represent the seven coastal towns of the Ga state, namely Ga Mashie, Osu, La, Teshie,
Nugua, Tema and Kpone. The thesis finally discusses how the symbolic meanings,
philosophical, historical background, and the moral lessons of some selected symbols can
be applied to contemporary living. The research approach is qualitative. The Peirce
Semiotic theory was used for the analysis of the data. The thesis posits that, the Ga
traditional symbols form part of the Ga culture and their communication values are very
important. The thesis adds to knowledge in the disciplines of linguistics in general and
semiotics in particular.
Description:
A thesis in the Department of Ga-Dangme Education,
Faculty of Ghanaian Languages Education, submitted to the School of
Graduate Studies, in partial fulfillment
of the requirements for the award of the degree of
Master of Philosophy
(Ga)
in the University of Education, Winneba.
