Owuo

Owuo is presented as a monstrous giant with one eye (like that of a cyclops) and a near-naked appearance, save for the large amount of hair that covers his body. He also has long (usually white) hair, which is his second most highlighted feature and said to extend over many miles, from Krachi to Salaga.[2] It is so big and long that the hair can hold items in it. He has the tusks of a warthog or elephant, and the build of a giant gorilla. His skin colour and/or his fur is red, which is symbolic of death in Africa He may also be depicted as one giant eye. He is a cannibalistic giant who feeds on human flesh and is said to have the power to kill humans by just blinking his eye.

His eye is his most distinguishable feature.

He is an extremely powerful deity in the Akan religion, even able to fight Tano to a standstill. He is one of Tano's rivals and is his main one in terms of life and death.

Owuo is represented by the adinkra symbol of a ladder and his name comes from Owuo atwedee baakofoo mforo a proverb meaning “Death’s ladder is not climbed by just one person.”[4]

Owuo's skin colour and/or his fur is red, which is the colour of death amongst the Asante peoples and why the Asante peoples who wear red at funerals. Due to this logic, his fur may also be black.[5]

Owuo is seen as a punisher, and one who humans are to be obsessively scared of.

He sometimes is represented as a farmer who wields a cutlass.[6] Ivory horns were also represented as Death due to the sound that is made when they are blown on[7] (they may also represent Owuo via his tusks, as Owuo is depicted as having tusks, and the Ivory horns are made out of elephant tusks). For this, they are often blown at executions and funerals, but not exclusively.[7] They are often decorated with human jawbones.[7] Owuo is also represented as an executioner, although Abrani is the Asante deity of executioners.[8]

A person dies in Akan mythos and in life when Owuo blinks or, if the human is an Ashanti soldier, when Owuo races Tano to reach the soul of the dying.

In the Krachi representation, Owuo has all of the same physical attributes as the General representation (see above), most likely because Owuo traditionally, most likely, comes from the Krachi people, although in the days of the Ashanti Empire, the area that the Krachi people originate from was controlled by the Ashanti and, before that, most likely the Akwamu Empire, so Owuo could've traditionally been an Akan god who was adopted by the Krachi due to the culture of the Ashanti Empire. The opposite reason is also possible and is the most likely.

Unlike the Asante, who fear Owuo, the Krachi don't depicted as a malicious creature[9][2]

In one story, it was said that Tano 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 transformed into an antelope and let the hunter chase him before turning around and assuming his mighty god form again. He tried to set off with the hunter, but Owuo stopped him. The details of this story change according to the source, ranging from singing[9] to fighting.[10] However, the outcome is the same nonetheless — neither won. They reached an agreement that whenever Tano had to visit the human realm or earth Owuo will accompany him, symbolizing how with war, death comes. In another account, the agreement was different: whosoever arrived first when a human was sick or wounded, specifically in war, will be able to claim their life. So, if Owuo came first, that person's life was forfeited, but if Tano showed up instead, they could continue with their life[9]

It is said that a male Krachi youth encountered Owuo during his travels. At the time, famine was widespread – and the boy was also afflicted by it. When the boy first met Owuo, he was uncertain of his welcome. But Owuo did not attack him – he instead asked the boy what he wanted from Owuo.[11] The boy asked Owuo for food, and the giant granted his wish. However, he asked for a favor in return – the boy must serve Owuo for a period of time. The boy agreed and Owuo fed him meat, and from then on the boy started becoming Owuo’s servant.[12] After a while, the boy started to miss his hometown. So, he requested a leave from his duties. Owuo eventually acquiesced, with one caveat: The boy must leave another boy in his place. He did as Owuo commanded and left his brother in his stead while he stayed at his hometown for a short holiday. Some time passed, and the boy started missing the meat that Owuo fed him. Thus, he left his hometown once more, and returned to Owuo. Owuo welcomed him back and allowed the boy to eat his meat – as long as he started serving Owuo again.[2] Once more, the boy wanted to have a quick visit home. Owuo agreed, as long as the boy prepared him a human wife before he left. So, the boy gave Owuo his sister, and left her and a maid while he returned to his hometown. Again, the boy decided to come back to Owuo because he missed the meat. And Owuo accepted him back this time as well, with the same condition: That the boy continues to serve him.[11] However, this time, the boy had a look inside the storage room where Owuo put his meat. Here, he discovered that the meat that he had been eating came from the corpses of his brother, sister, and the maid that accompanied her. In horror, the boy fled back to his hometown and told the people what happened.[2] The people decided to kill the giant by burning his hair. Like lighting a TNT fuse, the fire which started from the ends of his hair quickly traveled to Owuo's head. As the giant fell, the boy realized that a vial of medicine was hidden in his hair. He took it, and as he poured it all over the corpses of his brother, sister, and his sister’s maid, they returned back to life. The boy also poured the medicine on Owuo’s eyes – he did not come back to life, but his eyes continued to blink. From then on, whenever Owuo closed his eyes, a person shall die.[11]