Tano (Tano Akora)

Tano, whose true name is Taa Koraa or Tano Akora , and Tando to the Fante is the god of war and strife in Ashanti mythology of Ghana as well as the Agni mythology of the Ivory Coast.^[1] He represents the Tano River, which is located in Ghana.^[2] He is regarded as the highest atano, or Tano god in Akan mythology.

Names[]

Tano is commonly as Ta Koraa and/or Tano Akora in the Techiman-Bono area and that is his true name, and also Obomuhene, ‘king within the rock’ as Tano Akora was also identified with the rock promontory from which the river Tano springs. The name Ta Koraa most likely means the 'immense father' as Kora means “the immense” and Ta may be derived from a word meaning “father”, showing how he is the father of many abosom and is one of the strongest deities in Ashanti mythology. Another name Tano Akora may have is Tano Kwasi, meaning that his day is a Sunday, although saying the name belongs specifically to Tano Akora may be incorrect, as another atano God has the name Tano Kwesi. He can also be called Asuhyia Tano meaning the blessed waters of Tano, a reference to Tano being a river deity, or Nana Ko nim, meaning 'The one who wins wars'. Another name he has is Tano Okoradie meaning that he is a savior and protector, not a destroyer. This is a call back to him despising Owuo as he is a Destroyer and being a protection deity. The original Tano is Tano Akora

Attributes[]

Tano Akora is represented by the Tano River and the rock promontory in his nature form. Tano Akora has the appearance for a big and strong warrior armed with Ashanti weapons such as an Akrafena, a Spear, a Bow, a gun known as “Kodiawuo”^[3] and other such Ashanti weapons. His day maybe Sunday, as said by one of his names, but there is an atano God who has the name Tano Kwesi.

It is said that his shrine and home is protected by Tano Akora's personal army of baboons, who serve as guards.

Character[]

Tano Akora is amongst the most powerful deities in the Akan Pantheon of Gods, second to that of Nyame and Rivalling that of Bobowissi. For this reason, Tano Akora is the patron God of the Ashanti and the Northern Akan tribes. Unlike other deities of war, like Ares, he is in rivalry with Owuo (Death). Tano Akora is a War deity more like Mars or Athena, as he uses military tactics to defeat his enemies, evident in the Ashanti military ideology of adaptation.

His most famous tactic is the ‘Captured on purpose’ tactic, in which he would transform himself into a little boy during wars, allow himself to be taken to the enemy kingdom, then spread pestilence among them, leaving them vulnerable to his own armies. He is also a heroic deity, who knows no fear, which is evident in the Asante belief that bravery in battle is honorable, and cowardice punishable by death.

Despite his reputation being the god of war and strife, he has appeared to be merciful as it is said that if a person is a witch and they confess and vow to change, he will forgive them. He will try and find a peaceful solution to war, due to him valuing life (whish is the reason why he despises Owuo, who is literal death), but will quickly, effectively and ruthlessly use force against those who don't heed his calls for peace.

Representation[]

Tano Akora is considered as a river god, owing to his representation as Tano River.^[2] He is also known as a nature god as well as a war god, with the latter role taken up in times of conflicts.^[1] As with several of his siblings, Tano Akora is known as the father of the Ashanti divinities, called abosom, or (at least) the greastest of them all.^[4]^[5] The Atano (Water/Tano- Gods) are said to 'descend' from Tano Akora and the river Tano. He was possibly once a thunder god as well, although Bobowissi may have taken that spot.^[6] He may've been a thunder god until his confrontation with Owuo in which, due to his struggle with Owuo who is a powerful Asante deity, he became the Asante god of war.

Family[]

According to Ashanti mythology, Tano Akora is the second son of Nyame, the supreme creator god, and Asase Ya, the earth goddess.^[7] It is said that Tano Akora has several siblings: his older twin brother, Bia (who represents Bia River and is the Asante god of the wilderness (This is due to Tano Akora cheating him out of his inheritance). In some stories, specifically Agni people stories, Tano Akora is the firstborn twin, and Bia is the younger brother. He also has 3 younger brothers Bosomtwe (who represents Lake Bosumtwi), Anansi and Apo, Asante God of the Sea.^[1]^[5] Tano Akora is known for not getting along with his brothers Bia and Bosomtwe. He is said to be married to the goddess Afua Kranka (Also spelt Kanka Afia) and has 30 or so child deities. Two of their children are oman abosom, Gods of the Techiman-Bono state.

The name Tano is a generic, family name of which all of his descendants bear. Such children who have the name Tano are Tano Kofi, Tano Kwesi, Tano Kwabena and Tano Yaw. He also is said to have an army of Baboons who protect his shrine and household

Worship and Shrines[]

Shrines[]

Tano Akorahas shrines dedicated to him at Tanoboase (a village named after him), the Tano Rock shrine, at Saaman (The Tano Kwadwo shrine), in Tomade and the Tano Abenamu shrine, amongst other places in Ghana.

Prayers and music[]

The 'Beautiful Prayer' is dedicated to Tano Akora. Many Traditional Ashanti War songs may be also dedicated to Tano Akora, as he is the Akan God of War.

Okomfo and Abisa[]

Most, if not all, Ashanti priests and priestesses will state that the reason they first adopted their profession was because they discovered that they were subject to possession by some spirit influence. They might have been going about their ordinary tasks, but more often were attending some religious ceremony, when suddenly, and without previous warning, they heard ' the voice of Tano ' (or of some other god) and fell down in a fit or went into a trance.

Sacred riturals, lakes and festivals[]

The Tano River is said to be a sacred river, and a woman going through puberty may not cross the River (or any sacred rivers) until she stays in a 'bush' village for six days. Other festivals which include the river Tano are the Odwjra ceremony and in funerals.

Myths[]

Tano Akora has a few myths involving and/or about him. Here are some of the most popular:

How Asuo Tano (Tano Akora) was introduced to humans, the first priestess and the founding of the state of Techiman[]

A man called Nana Takyi Fri went out hunting daily to feed himself and his younger sisters after they had settled in a forest. His youngest sister, Afia Ankomah decided to go fishing in the forest, prefering fish to the meat of an animal. When she got to the water banks, she put her fishing basket into the water to catch fish, but when she though that she had caught a fish, she saw that something else had ended up in the basket. Not thinking much of it, she took it out of the basket. But all of a sudden, the place became dark. Every time she put it back into the basket the darkness would go, and every time she took it out of the basket, the darkness would return. As a result, she knew that she'd have to take it home as if she didn't, the place would become dark and she wouldn't be able to retrace her steps home. So she took it home, but asa soon as she reached home, she was possessed by the object. The obect, through Afia identified himself to her siblings as the river deity Asuo Tano, for which he was to live with them. He brought Nana Takyi Fri and his family to the place where he dwelled, protected by a horde of baboons. He taught Nna Takyi Fri and his family his laws and rules so they could live with him and his family. Nna Takyi Fri became the hunter for the family, whilst Afia Ankomah (the youngest sister) became the first Priestess for Tano Akora. In time she married Amadu, a Dagomban blacksmith, whose first wife was called Amea Tomfour who came from Sheawu Besease. Nana Takyi Fri pleaded with Amadu to marry his little Priestess sister for the reason to relieve her of her spritual workload through her nephews and nieces, as Takyi was not interested in helping his sister with her spiritual work. Amadu agreed and he and Afi got married and have a son, whom they called Nana Fosu Aduanwoma. When he came of age, his mother Afia retired all of her spiritual duties to him and he inherited the shrine elements of the Great Tano. After this, Takyi decided to move forward for his plan to find a new settlement. He moved to Tuabodom with Amoafowaa (his sister), leaving his little sister behind. The Great Tano decided to send one of his children called Twumpuro to possess Takyi Ofri. Takyi Fri and Amoafowaa left Takyi Ofri behind after their Priestess sister to help her and her son with their spiritual duties. It was clear that Takyi Fri was trying to avoid his spiritual assignments, something that the Great Tano would not allow. So when Takyi Fri moved to a new settlement in present day Tachiman, the Great Tano again sent his son Taamensah (Tano Mensah) to possess Takyi Fri's sister Amoafowaa. Takyi Fri finally realised that he couldn't keep running from his spiritual obligations, so he accepted his spiritual obligations and stayed at his settlement, in the process founding the Techiman nation, which means the nation of Takyi^[8].

Tano Akora's rivalry with death[]

Tano Akora is associated with a origin of death myth. In this story, it was said that Tano Akora got into a feud with the personification of Owuo, the Akan God of death over a competition to catch up with a hunter. Whoever got to him and was invited for supper first would claim humanity. Tano Akora transformed into an antelope and let the hunter chase him before turning around and assuming his huge god form again. He tried to set off with the hunter, but Owuo stopped him. The contest details change according to the source, ranging from singing^[1] to fighting.^[7] However, the outcome is the same nonetheless—neither won.^[1] They reached an agreement – whenever Tano Akora had to visit the human realm or earth, Death will accompany him.^[7] In another account, the agreement was different: Whosoever arrived first when a human was sick or wounded, will be able to claim their life. So, if Death came first, that person's life was forfeited, but if Tano Akora showed up instead, they could continue with their life.^[1] Regardless of the outcome, it was this struggle with death that Tano Akora became the Asante god of war.

The division of lands[]

Nyame wanted to divide up the lands between his sons: Tano Akora and Bia. It is well known that Nyame had always liked Bia best, as Bia had alway been more obedient than Tano Akora, and thus he planned to give the most fertile land, which is the land of present-day Ghana, to Bia. Tano Akora would receive the less fertile land, which is the land of present-day Ivory Coast.^[7] However, this did not come to pass. According to one source, the goat Akua Abirekyi, who is Nyame's servant, was entrusted to deliver these messages. However, the goat liked Tano Akora better. So, the goat told Tano Akora to pretend to be his brother which will lead Nyame to give the fertile land to him instead. Tano Akora did so and succeeded.^[1] In another source, mostly attributed to the Agni people, Bia was the one who cheated Tano Akora instead (as they say Tano Akora was Nyame's oldest and favourite son), then fled west due to Tano Akora's strength and power.^[7] Either way, Tano Akora got the fertile lands of the Asantelands, modern day Ghana and bits of eastern Ivory Coast, and Bia was stuck with the barren lands of the central and western parts of Ivory Coast. This started a feud between Bia and Tano Akora which extends even to their rivers. As another consequence, Bia was cast into the role of the Asante god of the wilderness.

The moving of Rivers[]

In this story it is said that Bosomtwe disliked Tano Akora so much, he moved his entire river just to get away from Tano Akora.

The Hunter who fetched ones river into another's river[]

Due to Tano Akora cheating Bia out of his inheritance, their rivers (Tano River and Bia River) became mortal enemies and still are to this day. It is said that if you try to fetch one river's water into another, you will die. As the story goes, an Ashanti hunter did this and for angering Tano Akora and Bia, he was turned into a Palm Tree. It is said that his gun hangs from the branch of the Palm tree. He serves as warning to those foolish enough to fetch either Bia or Tano Akora's river waters into the other's river.

Asante Gyaman war (1818)[]

According to oral tradition, Asantehene Nana Osei Bonsu sought out the help of Tano Akora to defeat the Gyaman King, Kwadwo Adinkra. Tano Akora requested for a special gun to be crafted. It came to be known as “Kodiawuo” and he told Asantehene that the war with Kwadwo Adinkra would be fought for seven days and on the seventh day, he would see four stars representing Tano Akora and his 3 sons and that on that day, they would go to Gyaman. Tano Akora and his sons turned themselves into little boys by allowing the unsuspecting Palace guards to take them to the Palace of Kwadwo Adinkra. It’s believed that Tano Akora and his sons killed all those in the Palace, with Tano Akora shooting Kwadwo Adinkra using Kodiawuo and then Tano Akora and his sons vanished. As a result of Tano Akora's divine intervention, the Asante became victorious after the war.^[3]

References[]

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g Lynch, Patricia Ann; Roberts, Jeremy (2010). African Mythology, A to Z. Infobase Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4381-3133-7.
^ ^a ^b Sarpong, Peter Kwasi (1967). "The Sacred Stools of Ashanti". Anthropos. 62 (1/2): 1–60. ISSN 0257-9774. JSTOR 40456847.
^ ^a ^b Asante, The Kingdom Of (2021-10-20). "Tano as God". BLOGPAY. Retrieved 2021-11-30.
^ Asante, Molefi Kete; Mazama, Ama (2008-11-26). Encyclopedia of African Religion. SAGE Publications. ISBN 978-1-5063-1786-1.
^ ^a ^b "Nyame Sends a Python to Teach Humans to Mate". Oxford Reference. Retrieved 2021-03-29.
^ "Tano Struggles with Death". Oxford Reference. Retrieved 2021-11-30.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e "Tano Struggles with Death". Oxford Reference. Retrieved 2021-03-29.
^ How Tano Became the God of War of The Asante Kingdom, retrieved 2022-02-25