These guardians of the Akan culture are essentially located in the east of the Ivory Coast, and also in Ghana in the famous Ashanti kingdom.

In the Akan language, and more particularly in Agni or Baoulé, this word is pronounced in two ways: Kômian or Kômien. It has a double meaning.

Kômian could be broken down as follows: "Kô" (Go) and "mian" (When you find yourself in trouble). And thus: "Go to consult him when you find yourself in problems". As for Kômien, we can read there: " Kô " (Go) and " mien " (Lord, God). Hence "Go to God": "Kô mien i wun lô". (Dr. Yapi Michel).

Composed essentially of women and girls, these priestesses are endowed with great mystical powers. Capable of overcoming several serious illnesses thanks to their knowledge of medicinal plants, they are also in the front line during the enthronement of kings and chiefs. They are considered as a medium between the physical and metaphysical worlds.

As in many other traditional African societies, komians are key players in social life. Their powers of prevention and healing are put at the service of the entire community in the context of more or less frequent public practices, but which are obligatory around the yam festival. The komian then signal possible misfortunes hovering over the village, approaching epidemics or bad spells cast by enemies. Their dance of possession ahô or ahoé is performed to ward off bad luck, diseases, but also to make the rain fall or stop it according to the needs of the moment. They are responsible for the metaphysical security of the community.

The legend tells of a woman who decided one day to go in search of snails and fruit. She went missing and when she returned to the village after a long time, she was holding a variety of paraphernalia. She began to sing and dance. Thus she became the first Komian.

There is a school to be Komian: the Centre initiatique des komians Adjoua Messouma d'Aniansué (CIKAMA), founded in 1992 and recognized by ministerial order in 2014.