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.
Ta Kora's animalistic symbols are baboons, fish, crocodiles, elephants([6]) and goats.
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.
[1][8] 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.
[7] 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.
Such stones are heaped in a place where medicinal herbs are grown Ta Kora is amongst the most powerful deities in the Akan Pantheon of Abosom, possibly second to that of Onyame and rivialling that of Bobowissi, whom to the Fante and to the Akan is Onyame, meaning that Ta Kora is possibly just as powerful as his father.
He is also a heroic deity, who knows no fear, which is evident in the Akan belief that bravery in battle is honorable, and cowardice punishable by death.
Despite his reputation being the Abosom of war and strife, he is often depicted as merciful as it is said that if a person is a witch and they confess and vow to change, he will forgive them.
He has since become a more peaceful deity, which might display the difference between how some Bonos saw him compared to Asantes due to their patron abosom being either Ntoa or Asase Ya.
According to Asante mythology, Ta Kora is the second son of Nyame, the supreme creator god, and Asase Ya, the earth goddess.
He also has three younger brothers Bosomtwe (who represents Lake Bosumtwi), Anansi and Apo, Asante Abosom of the Sea.
Tano's shrine at the Tano river is the largest of the Atano shrines and contains 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.
[16] Most, if not all, Asante 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 abosom) and fell into a fit or went into a trance.
Here are some of the most popular: A man called Nana Takyi Fri went out hunting daily to feed himself and his younger sisters after they had settled in a forest.
He brought Nana Takyi Fri and his family to the place where he dwelled, protected by a horde of baboons.
Nana Takyi Fri became the hunter for the family, whilst Afia Ankomah (the youngest sister) became the first Priestess for Ta Kora.
In time she married Amadu, a Dagomban blacksmith, whose first wife was called Amea Tomfour who came from Sheawu Besease.
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.
The Great Tano decided to send one of his children called Twumpuro to possess Takyi Ofri.
In this story, it was said that Ta Kora got into a feud with the personification of Owuo, the Akan Abosom of death over a competition to catch up with a hunter.
Ta Kora transformed into an antelope and let the hunter chase him before turning around and assuming his all powerful abosom form again.
[1] They reached an agreement – whenever Ta Kora had to visit the human realm or earth, Death will accompany him.
[13] In another account, the agreement was different: Whosoever arrived first when a human was sick or wounded, will be able to claim their life.
However, when Ta Kora heard about this, he took it into his own hands to forcefully take back what was rightfully his and set off to confront Bia.
Bia, knowing of his older brother's immense power, fled westward rather than face the humiliation of inevitable defeat at the hands of Ta Kora.
As the story goes, an Asante hunter did this and for angering Ta Kora and Bia, he was turned into a Palm Tree.
The Baule people supposedly lived to the east, and the Anyi were already well established in the area at the time of the Aowin arrival.
[20] According to oral tradition, Asantehene Nana Osei Bonsu sought out the help of Ta Kora to defeat the Gyaman King, Kwadwo Adinkra.
When his folly was exposed through an oracle by the traditional priest, he was asked to pay 1000 Ghanaian Cedis as monetary fine as well as sacrificial items of four schnapps and two white fowls to appease the deity.