THE MYTH ABOUT TANGALE SNAKE

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THE MYTH ABOUT SNAKE IN GOMBE STATE.

 AHMADU PATIENCE MUSTAPHA.

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 The Snake is the symbol of TANGALE tribe and its very big like a

Python. During the time that the Tangale people were looking for a

place to stayed, they were lead by the ancestral spirit and the

leading was personified by the snake. It is assume that the snake was

a lady and by extension it means the spirit that lead them was a woman

spirit. On there journey n looking for were to reside three stones

that look like a grinding stone were following them and any were the

stone stop they people have to stop and wait for direction from the

stone, however, inside the stones there are snake inside.the Tangale

people migrated from Yemen through what is now Borno State. Due to

constant tribal wars,they had to keep on moving from one place to

another. They settled in seven different places before they came to

their present location. Some of the places where they settled include

Sanum Kude (Big San) near Ngazargamu and Kupto. At Kupto they were

together with the Bolewa, Waja, Songom, Kare Kare, Tera, Longuda, and

some of the present neighboring tribes. It was at Kupto that the

tribes parted ways to search for new land and shelter. Many of them

moved into mountainous areas because they were safer places to settle,

this development brought the Tangale Nation to its present empire.

This snake is still alive till date,because its the one that give

protection and security for the people and if you found doing things

that are not holy like smoking, drinking, cheating on your spouse and

the rest the person will die automatic.

In the land fertility of a woman is also consulted by the spirit, if a

woman gives birth the smaller snake will visit the child, and you will

find the snake lying close to the baby,or lying under bed or inside a

local ash of fire wood,and as a woman before cooking you must check

inside the ashes to find if the snake have come to visit or not if the

snake is found they people will welcome the snake but the snake don't

bite, however there are some ignorance woman who will just light up

fire without checking the ash and will just light up the fire at this

process it will harm the snake by burning up its body so by this

regard as the lady you have to rub shear butter for the snake for it

to recover if not it will die.

Mostly the big snake lives inside the hills were there is water and

has a small opening at the top of the hill, most of the time the snake

don't come out, unless the people of the land wish to visit the snake

then they have to communicate through the chief priest and there is

some rituals he will perform for like 3-4 days before seeing the

snake. But mostly if you see the snake comes out on its own its means

danger is approaching then he will protect the people.

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