Tano (Tanoɛ), whose true name is Ta Kora (abbreviated from Tano Kora/Akora), but is often confused with Tano Akora, and is known as Tando to the Fante is the Abosom of war and strife in Akan mythology and Abosom of Thunder and Lightning in the Asante mythology of Ghana as well as the Agni mythology of the Ivory Coast. He represents the Tano River, which is located in Ghana. He is regarded as the highest atano, or Tano abosom in Akan mythology.
Names and epithets
Tano is commonly as Ta Kora, Ta Akora,Tano Kora and/or Tano Akora in the Techiman-Bono area and that is his true name. The name Ta Kora 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 Asante mythology. The word "Akora" also means "old man", which is reason why Tano's true name is Ta Kora, as the name "Kora" also means "to mend", meaning Tano's true name means "Tano the mender" or "Tano the healer" calling to his healing powers. Another name Ta Kora may have is Tano Kwasi, meaning that his day is a Sunday, although saying the name belongs specifically to Ta Kora may be incorrect, as another atano Abosom has the name Tano Kwesi. He has 4 epithets: Asuhyia Tano meaning the blessed waters of Tano (a reference to Tano being a river deity), Nana Ko Nim meaning 'The one who wins wars' (linked to Ta Kora being a war deity), Obomuhene meaning ‘king within the rock’ (as Ta Kora was also identified with the rock promontory from which the river Tano springs) and Tano Okoradie meaning that he is a saviour and protector, not a destroyer (this is a call back to him despising Owuo as he is a Destroyer whilst Ta Kora is a protection abosom). Tano's true name is Ta Kora which is depicted either as a single or a double abbreviation of his full name written as Tano Kora or Tano Akora
Attributes and symbols
Ta Kora is represented by the Tano River and the rock promontory in his nature form. Ta Kora has the appearance for a big and strong warrior armed who can change his appearance via shapeshifting, who has several Akrafena, two of which make up his emblem with a sword with two blades fused at the middle, and a legendary gun known as "Kodiawuo", literally meaning to "Go eat and die" or more simply "Pandemic", attributing to Tano's ability to spread illness amongst his enemies. It also has links to its destructive power as the word "Kodiawuo" is used when talking about missiles in the Twi language and other such weapons of mass destruction. He also wields Thunder and Lightning due to him being the Abosom of Thunder (although in the case of the Fante, he never was a Thunder Abosom). His day may be Sunday, as said by one of his names, but there is an atano Abosom who has the name Tano Kwesi.
Ta Kora's animalistic symbols are baboons, fish, crocodiles, elephants() and goats. Fish are said to be the children of Ta Kora, with him being able to appear as a bearded fish with a double line of cowrie shells on his back with a braided dorsal midrib. The fish's superiority is maintained in the proverbs; it is never referred to irreverently and is not subject to the usual harsh comment or sarcasm. The solemn maxim "From the river whose fish we do not eat, we do not [even] take a [gold] nugget, displaying the extent that the Asante revere the Tano river and Ta Kora. Goats were said to be taken from Asase Ya, and as a nod to Akua Abirekyi, a goat who was the old messenger of Nyame and who helped Tano become the patron Abosom of the Asante by tricking his brother Bia. It is said that his shrine and home is protected by Ta Kora's personal army of baboons, who serve as guards and fight spiritually for humans and the Tano family. Crocodiles are the messengers of Ta Kora. He sends them to deliver news of evil that is about to befall the community. Their presence on land out of the river is an indication. There are times when the crocodiles lie across the roads and streets instead of being in the river. When this happens, the traditional priest propitiates Ta Kora to find out the bad news and ways the society could avert such calamities from happening.
Ta Kora also has several pieces of regalia, including a crown, staffs, large umbrellas with ornamental tops, several Akrafena and precious beads worn henes (kings), as well as a brass pan.
His emblem is made up of stones which are taken from the bed of a river, a sea or a stream. Such stones are heaped in a place where medicinal herbs are grown