The cultural heritage of Nigeria is rich in mythology in the form of tales, fables, and folklore. This mythology often governs the laws of communities and informs how their members and any visitors must behave. As a ‘Kopa’ one needs to be aware of the rules and taboos guarding any society you find yourself in, as well as immerse yourself in the legends of a new place.
During my NYSC year, a discussion of myths started during a mountaineering expedition at the Okuta Hills inKwara State. I had a group of ‘Kopa’ friends who loved adventures. All four of us (two guys and two girls) dressed smartly one evening and wore our jungle boots to protect us from any reptiles.
Jungle boots: the ever-ready Kopa’s staple
We climbed up the path, but before we got to the mountain summit, we girls got tired. Luckily, the guys were kind and offered to carry us. The first couple moved quickly ahead while the second (of which I was a member) was behind. We began to compete with the first couple but alas, my partner and I tripped on a rock and almost rolled down the mountain.
When we got to the summit of the mountain, we could see beautiful trees, birds, butterflies and insects of beautiful colours. It was nice to get away from the rowdiness of the town. We went through the thickets and took some pictures.
On top of the world!
The most fascinating sight was the imprints of what looked like the footsteps of a giant, which were all around the mountain summit. To imagine that a giant lived (or lives!) on this mountain was incredulous and gave me goose bumps. Having had a good time looking at the rock formations, we decided to return to our lodge. On our way back, we talked about several Nigerian myths such as the Yoruba origin stories, and the legends of theIgbo-Ukwu and Nok cultures. The other girl in the group began to share a story about her village, Oron, in Akwa Ibom State:
A long time ago in Oron there was a river called the River of Life. It was the source of every good thing the villagers enjoyed in the village. All sorts of blessings could be found in the river such as salt, periwinkle, oil, kerosene and fish. The people of this village made sacrifices to the river goddess and she repaid them in multiple folds. For instance, if a fowl was thrown into the river, a thousand fowl would later come out of it! The river gave the people longevity of life: it was common to see an old man riding on a bicycle on the way to his farm there. If a child accidentally fell into the river, it would be returned unharmed.However, there was another river whose goddess was displeased with what Oron’s river goddess was doing and tried to persuade her to put an end to her goodness, but the River of Life would not consent. Thus, a seven-month war between both rivers ensued. During this war, nothing good came out of the river. Villagers that went to the river to fetch water could not use the water because it became polluted and poisonous But after the war was over, everything returned to normal.
The fight between these two rivers reminded me of the story of Oya and Osun, the wives of Sango, the legendary god of thunder. It was believed that after the death of Sango they became river goddesses and each time both rivers met, they clashed fiercely. Their conflict was said to be the result of one being treated more favourably by Sango than the other.
Inspired by her story, I sought to find out the myths behind the mountain we had climbed. The local belief is that a large snake that the villagers worship lies underneath the rock. Several years ago a group of foreigners wanted to demolish it because of the precious stones and gold beneath it, but they were thankfully stopped. Today, despite the advent of Christianity and Islam in the society, there are still a number of people who worship the mountain. However, I still don’t know whether or not the giant who left the footsteps is really there or not…
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