Olumo Rock: A Visit to Ogun’s Mystery Tree of Life and Ancient Shrines
The rock is historical as well as mystical and as such lies at the heart of Egba mythology. Major Tunde Sawyerr (rtd), Executive Director, Olumo Rock Tourist Complex, described it as the cradle of Egbaland. Olumo Rock with a literal translation that means, “God has moulded it,” exudes an awesomeness that leaves lasting impressions on […]
The rock is historical as well as mystical and as such lies at the heart of Egba mythology. Major Tunde Sawyerr (rtd), Executive Director, Olumo Rock Tourist Complex, described it as the cradle of Egbaland. Olumo Rock with a literal translation that means, “God has moulded it,” exudes an awesomeness that leaves lasting impressions on the minds of visitors. The narrow, dark, stony, ancient path that leads to the summit, the dim caves, old graves and shrines are vestiges of the sacredness of the rock. As I climbed the rock through the crevice that forms the ancient route to the top, my heart beat faster. I was afraid that I might stumble on the stony, hilly path and fall. My fear stemmed from the fact that the rock ss the pride of the Egba people, having protected their forebears from external attacks, a shrill voice in my mind was telling me that I was invading the privacy of the sacred gods of a nation. But I was buoyed by the desire to get to the top and pluck the leaf of the mysterious tree of life. Legend has it that once you climb to the zenith of the rock where the tree is perched, and with an iota of faith, you can stretch and pluck a leaf of the tree and whatever you wish, it shall be given to you. With a throbbing heart, I stretched and almost tripped over but my hands never reached the tree. Perhaps, I never had faith. Perhaps, I was just an outsider and it was sacrilegious for me to stand where great Egba sons and daughters had stood and had their destinies handed down to them by their deities. I quickly scampered down, fearing that if I spend a moment longer there, I might be struck by Obaluaye, the Yoruba deity of Karma, whose shrine was nearby.
Olumo Rock, standing at 137 metres above sea level, overlooks the rusty rooftops of the ancient city of Abeokuta and is located at the eastern bank of the serene Ogun river. It is an igneous rock of the granite family, which according to records, is ageless.
There are several igneous rocks dotted across the country, but “Olumo Rock has become the cultural and historical star of the major outcroppings of igneous rocks,” because of its centrality to the cosmology of the Egba people. Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, derives its name from the rock: “A city under the rock.”
According to Major Sawyerr, the rock is millions of years old. He said geologists have confirmed that it was one of the first batches of rocks that was formed. “As an igneous rock, it is formed from magma, the liquid material that forms the core of the earth.”
When the peer review team of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) secretariat, visited the rock as part of their peer review mechanism tour, Sawyerr took us to the second elevator and declared: “You are about to start the journey up this famous historic rock. This rock is a symbol of refuge to the Egbas. As far as human contact with the rock is concerned, nobody can say specifically how long that started, because there are stories about Phoenicians who were said to have visited this rock. But we want to limit ourselves to the Egbas for now.
“When the Egbas were looking for a place where they could determine their own fortune, they wanted to detach from the old Oyo empire where they belonged and they felt oppressed. They set out for reconnaissance to different parts of the country and part of that team arrived here. The team met a man called Adagba who was a hunter and a farmer. He told them that if they were looking for somewhere to settle, he would recommend this area,” Sawyerr narrated.
Sawyerr said Adagba recommended the rock as a settlement area for the Egbas because of the proximity of the Ogun river, precisely, the fertile alluvial soil at the banks of the river which gave good prospects of fruitful farming. Besides, Sawyerr claimed most ancient civilizations started by river banks, citing River Nile, River Gamji, River Euphrates, Tigris and others, as examples.
“Adagba brought them up this rock by the ancient route. At the end of the day, they went back to their leaders and informed them about this land and that was how they started what was similar to the journey of the Israelites. They were able to detach themselves from the old Oyo empire to come to the land now called Abeokuta. Whenever there was war or any form of attack from enemies, they all climbed up to this rock and defends the place. This rock is a crown head of a range of rocks, so they would climb and the warriors would defend the rock from the edges and no enemy could come up,” he added.
At times of war like that, women and children and the elderly were hid in caves. Sawyerr took us to the caves and I marveled at the ingenuity of man, even at primordial times. The dimly lit caves were at the back of the rock on the second base. On the floor of the caves, depressions of different sizes were hollowed out and we were told the dwellers used them for pounding yam and grinding pepper.
We were also shown Obaluaye’s shrine, the god of small pox and missiles, also called Sopona. “If there is an attack people come here to pray to ward off smallpox and measles,” Sawyerr said.
“That is Iroko tree you are looking at. If a king has to be installed in Egbaland, the king is crowned with the leaves, even for a chieftaincy title, they use it as well. But this particular one, they use it to crown the Alake of Egbaland, the paramount ruler of Egbaland. During the rainy season or dry season, it doesn’t wither,” a tour guide at the rock, Mrs Dupe Adebayo explained.
The presence of primeval caves, old graves and shrines created an eerie feeling. Yet there were human beings living there. A priestess in one of the shrines just returned from the farm with her young daughter, both of them carrying firewood on their head. The facade of some of the shrines were painted blue with pictures of animals, birds, pots and weapons depicted on the walls.
The priestess who spoke under condition of anonymity, spoke to us in Yoruba and what she said has been interpreted to mean that Olumo Rock is the place to go if one is looking for anything. “If you are looking for money, children or good health, your wishes will be granted once you come here. Whoever brings a problem to this place will not return without his wish being granted,” she said.
She also confirmed that Iroko leaves are used for the coronation of kings and that the leaves have mysterious powers. “Though you can get the leaves in other places, the one under the rock here is special,” she said.
As we went down the rock, I played back the much that I had taken in within the few minutes that we were there. Three images flashed in my mind and I certainly knew that those were the images of the rock I was taking away with me. The ancient route that gave me the scare of my life when I scaled up the peak of the rock became an indelible landmark in my mind. It is a huge fissure in the rock that was used to climb to the peak before lifts and staircases were fixed by Governor Gbenga Daniel.
Then the natural caves that were both shelter and refuge to the Egbas…formed within the natural, formidable beam of the rock is a large cave. Within the large cave are smaller caves which provided shelter for as many people as could find their way in. The extended wing of the large cave houses the consultation rooms of the traditional priestesses, who still consult for people seeking solutions to their problems through the major deities of Yoruba cosmology.
The crown tree, also called the tree of life, was another major landmark for me. An iroko tree, said to be over two centuries old, grows out of the rock and produces leaves all year round. Major Sawyerr explained that “it is called crown tree because it forms a living stem or plume on the crown of Olumo Rock. It is believed that silent prayers or supplications made near the tree would receive favourable divine consideration. However, conditions apply: A supplicant must make reasonable and positive requests or wishes. A supplicant must have been purged of any negative ill-feelings such as hatred, malice, jealousy against any person or group. A supplicant may briefly touch the stem of the crown tree, but must not inflict any injury, scratch or cut or mark on it, or pluck any of its leaves. Any leaf that falls off the tree naturally, is a prized relic, but must be shown to designated management officials of the rock for proper documentation.”
However, Major Sawyerr said Olumo Rock was an unpolished diamond ten years ago. “Since it was the childhood dream of the governor to turn the place into a major tourist attraction, about N642 million has been spent to turn around the place. The Otunba Gbenga Daniel administration has, through major infrastructure development, greatly enhanced the tourism face of Olumo Rock. The infrastructural development includes the installation of three panoramic lifts which embrace the rock and offer an optional access to the peak of the rock.
“Other infrastructural features include accommodation for an eatery, arts and crafts shop, a museum and a multi-purpose hall for conferences, receptions and exhibitions,” he said.
He added that the goal of the infrastructural development was not to take away the sacredness, beauty and fun of climbing the rock, but “the goal is to unobtrusively and profitably, showcase Olumo Rock in its natural, historical, and cultural splendour.”
He said about 4, 000 to 5, 000 visitors, consisting adults and children, visit Olumo Rock Tourist Complex as paying tourists every month since March 2006 when the complex was commissioned.
That sunny Wednesday morning of March 10, was a memorable day for me. Though the excitement was shortlived, the feeling of reverence came like tremors of an earthquake the impressions will on my waxy mind, endure forever. And I could not help wondering if great Egba sons like Wole Soyinka, Fela Kuti, Olusegun Obasanjo and the others once stood under that crown tree and prayed for successes in their chosen careers. As I did so, I upbraided myself for lacking faith to ask for something tangible the way others might have done.