Stopover at The Yaw Tano Shrine, Ejisu Besease, Ghana

Ejisu Besease is an unassuming village. The type of place you drive through without a second glance, but this quiet village just off the Accra-Kumasi highway has a special surprise tucked into it. It has the last examples of Asante traditional architecture (a subset of the Akan people of Ghana), and one of them holds a deity that a queen consulted before going to war.

This village had stood out to me during the Manhyia Palace Tour, because it was the home of Yaa Asantewaa I, Queen Mother of Ejisu during the days of the Ashanti empire. There are only 10 left and perhaps the most important is the Tano Yaw Shrine, dedicated to a powerful and protective water deity called Tano Yaw. This force represents the mighty Tano river, and is a vital spiritual pillar for protection, war and communal unity. As a result, it is part of the UNESCO Heritage Site list.

Elevated thatched roofing style of Asante traditional architecture

The War of The Golden Stool

This was the final in a series of conflicts with the British. One of their Governors (Hodgson) had demanded to sit on the sacred object, a major political error. The Golden Stool (Sika Dwa Kofi) represents the soul of the Ashanti kingdom, and legitimate authority was confirmed by its possession. Understanding this, and in attempt to legitimize the British colonial agenda, Hodgson demanded the stool be brought to him. The Akan leaders would meet to deliberate this insult to their kingdom and Yaa Asantewaa I is famously known to have stood up and raised her voice, appalled by the lack of morale the men showed. She said

“How can a proud and brave people like the Asante sit back and look while the white men took away their King and chiefs, and humiliated them with the demand for the Golden Stool. The Golden Stool only means money to the white men; they have searched and dug everywhere for it. I shall not pay one predwan to the Governor. If you, the chiefs of Asante, are going to behave like cowards and not fight, you should exchange your loincloths for my undergarments (Montu mo danta mma me na monnye me tam).”

In Ashanti land, for the Queen mother to offer her undergarments to the men wasn't a metaphor, it was a verdict. Many African nations hold their matriarchs in high regard but Ghanaians (particularly the Ashanti) uphold this. Traditionally, men mostly occupied executive positions but the women held immense authority to check male power, manage diplomacy and oversee succession. This is why Yaa Asantewaa’s role in the war of The Golden Stool is a pivotal yet under reported part of Ghanaian history.

Yaa Asantewaa and the Tano Yaw Deity

Before the war started (1900), Yaa Asantewa I came to this site to consult Tano Yaw. What drew me to this shrine is what it says of Tano Yaw himself. He arrived at Besease through a woman - Yaa Kyaa, who became his first priestess after the deity emerged from her body in place of a child. He has quite the male persona, being the deity of war and protection, but his origin is a river, deeply maternal. It is not the energy of war for war's sake, it is the energy of the maternal protecting something sacred. This was the instinct when she shamed the chiefs into action, she was confronting the existential threat to her people with the ferocity of someone who had something significant to lose.

She rallied an army and they fought fiercely, successfully reclaiming and safeguarding their sacred artifact. The British had to send reinforcements after they realized what the fortified Asante army could do. This was how they were ultimately overwhelmed, captured and exiled to Seychelles. Yaa Asantewaa I would die in exile at the age of 81 in 1921.

Inside the Yaw Tano Shrine

You step into this structure and it opens up into a square courtyard that immediately encloses you. The 4 structures surrounding you are each dedicated to a different purpose, one houses the deity, the others are for cooking, singing and drumming. You get the sense of being shielded from the outside world by the closely packed walls and the strikingly high thatched roofs.

Courtyard view showing square layout, spiritual motifs and distinct 2-tone coloration

Spiritual motifs as ornamental design serve dual purpose - fortification in the spirit realm and beautifying the courtyard in the physical realm.

The walls, made from mud and timber are decorated with adinkra motifs, spiritual symbols and depictions of animals, birds and plants. These symbols reflect the cultural identity and historical narratives of the people, and the deep dives into these are fascinating. The wall are coloured with white clay and red laterite, and then polished for a bit of shine. The roofs provide more room for heat to rise, and these materials work together to regulate heat, keeping the structure cool in the heat of the sun.

Drums and other musical instruments for invoking the deity - Tano Yaw

Utensils for meal prep

The Yaw Tano Shrine is one of those places that earns its UNESCO World Heritage Status not just on paper, but in person. The materials are simple, the design is functional but the architechture is doing something profound; protecting life in the physical and spiritual realms simultaneously. A medicinal plant glimmers in the sun, beneath it, a pile of gin bottles past libations - the Gods are still being tended here, and if you are looking for things to do near Kumasi, Ejisu Besease is worth the detour.