UE/R Kukula the river god in perspective –KNWD

This is the front part entering in to Kukula the River God ( the scene is feathers from fowls used for sacrifices 

Shrines and Growths, rivers, hills and forest play a very significant role in the lives of our people, either environmentally, economically or spiritually based on one’s believe and faith on the later. 

They are natural sites governed with traditions that our forebears have bequeathed to us with a lot of history behind them, their relevance today cannot be underestimated. 

One of such is Kukula the river god in Kayoro/Akania in the Kassena Nankana West District of the Upper East Region. As part of the heritage month, Radio Ghana took a visit to Kukula. 

Kukula the river god, takes its source from Burkina Faso running through Kayoro/Akania in the Kassena Nankana West District of the Upper East Region and ending up in the White Volta tributary in Pwuluga.

 Kukula is believed to have come from the sky in the form of light and struck a huge rock in the court yard of the Kayoro/Akania Chief’s Palace and split it, signifying that, the Aduinawo’s Palace should be the custodians of the god. 

This is how the power that came struck and  splinted part of the rock 

Beside the splinted rock is another rock in the form of an arm chair for resting such as this one 

From there, the power moved and settled in the river and has since become their river god “Kukula”. 

The water in the river hardly dries up and it is in this water that, when consulting, after performing the necessary rituals you are directed all alone to go into the water and make all your wishes then bath in it. 

According to the Chief priest of the river god Emmanuel Ayerah stated that, Kukula is a god that blesses people and have the solutions to all problems of human endeavor such as success in marriage, money, power, education, business, fame, travelling abroad, except to kill someone. 

He indicated that, people both home and abroad visit the river god including some pastors. 

The linguist of Chief’s Palace Aduna Adubinwo revealed that, historically, Kukula saved the people of Kania and Kayoro during the slave trade in the 1615s to 1630s, when the Kayoro/Akanias were pursued by the slave raiders, they consulted Kukula that they were being tormented for far too long and that they the natives needed power to overcome the enemy. 

According to Aduna, the linguist the next attack by the raiders, it was during March dry season.  Akanians run across their river god on dry land when the slave raiders tried to cross, Kukula suddenly filled herself with water, the raiders were rounded up, killed and the river carried their bodies away with the water.  This history is similar to that of Moses and the Israelite at the red sea against Pharaoh and his chariots.

The shackles taken from the slave raiders are in custody at the Akania chief’s Palace as exhibits.

The Chief linguist Aduna holding the shackles for as exhibit 

 When the slave raiders arrived, they shot a gun and the bullet hit a Tamarine in the 16^th century, that tree is still alive today with mark.

This is the gun shot of the slave raiders on the tree

Inside the Akania’s Chief Palace, where the suckles are kept, there is a platform which according to the linguist their ancestors came and met and it has never change. 

The frequent visits of people to area is a form of tourism and revenue to the natives as visiting there is not totally free. Kukula is located in a forest which as serves as a forest reserve.

 According to the natives, the forest has wild animals such as elephants, lions, monkeys, Antelopes, among others that servers as wildlife. The tree species found in the forest are the sheanuts, dawadawa, tamarine, black berry and ebony trees among others. 

In time past, that stretch of forest was very dense and fearful but was less patronized as the Kukula was not popular as of now. 

As a result of human activities, it lost its vegetative cover drastically as the common phenomenon bush fires bedevil the area.Though the Sustainable Land and Water Management Project (SLWMP) is operating in the area.

 As we celebrate the heritage month, there is the need to conserve whatever that has been bequeathed to us by our forebears for generation yet unborn, to come and experience it, learn and share. Otherwise, planet earth will suffer a disservice injured and destroy and posterity will not forgive for a wicked act.