Long before the advent of Christianity and Islam into the Igbomina community of Esie. It's people annually pay annual pilgrimage and religious celebration to the site of the soapstones congregation, even up to the late 80s.The soapstone statues became the dominant deity of the people. Such activities have since heavily reduced to a mere annual international museum day.
According to the oral historical source, I heard according to the Gbafiniyi of Esie- Late Rachael Olagbenjo Oyinloye, the founding father of Esie-Baragbon Meregun (a great hunter) was said to have embarked on a hunting expedition (one of his numerous), during which he shockingly discovered a congregation of soapstones. He thereafter led the priest within the community to consult Ifa Oloku Asorodayo (the god of divinity). According to Chief Gbafiniyi, Ifa gave the people rest of mind not to fear, that the soapstones are not some kind of demons nor are they dangerous to the peaceful co-existence of the community. Resultantly, they were advised to keep and protect the soapstones. An Ayarun (chief worshipper) was appointed to lead the people’s worship of the statues on a regular basis.
According to Chief Olagbenjo, the statues were found neatly seated to one another under a palm tree with one assumed to be the King (Oba Ere) of the statues, seated like he was presiding over a people. Till date, the Oba Ere is still preserved along the others at a site where a special kind of trees were planted to demarcate the area of discovery.
The statues according to history were believed to have originated from a pronouncement made by Eledua over a group of people who were refused entry into the then Esie to settle and live among the people but later settled outside the community. Their refusal became an anger that led them to take vengeance into their hands, as they plan to attack Esie people who were saved by Eledua by turning them the rebellious settlers into soapstones statues just in time before they could carry out their attack.
Another oral history believed that some visitors believed to be God-sent conveyed a message to the King of their intention to visit the community on a particular day, and as a result, none of them must go anywhere but remained locked in their homes. The people obeyed until after few days when their food stuff could not take them longer, in which case they (including the king) decided to go to the farm to get some foodstuffs. Unfortunately, the visitors came the same day and discovered that their message was not obeyed to the letter. As a result, a pronouncement was made upon the people to turn them into soapstones statues for disobedience.
However, the oral history goes, the key point here is that people turned into soapstone by a higher power and authority of Eledua. Though some other people believed the statues were carved. But with what instruments or technology? The height of the statues also ranges from 0.55 to 104 kilograms. They are too short to be human some may say, but till date, there are humans in another part of the world that are that short as a community. The statues reveal so many differences based on the physical features on the faces. Such seems to be too real to be handiwork of human
This unresolved mystery of Esie would perhaps live with us forever, as no known scientific explanation has been able to give any evidence of ‘carving’ of the statues. Though it is the oldest natural museum on the Africa continent. It is yet to receive the deserved attention of the governments, corporate bodies and philanthropists like museums elsewhere in the world. It remains under -promoted and under-funded despite its UNESCO status. The little of its rich history were the great support and commitment of the Esie people and the academia. While the history around this Igbomina enclave lives with us, we await the future to tell us exactly ‘who carved the stones and with what?’ or we all live and die with the little we know, with praises to Eledua for another evidence of awesomeness.
Eni Esie ta lo’ofa yi eku,a ma wowe lori bi isu.-Fatok Taiye Timmy (Abuja, Nigeria)
No comments:
Post a Comment