A Forest of Brothers

Long, long ago, before the rivers even had their names, a great leader named Thoma took his people on a long, arduous journey. They were leaving their old home, a place called Bauchi, that was slowly fading away. Thoma had a strong feeling that his family line would one day be as numerous as the stars, and they would need a vast piece of land to live on.

After many years, they finally found a beautiful valley with fertile soil. Thoma knew he was nearing the end of his life, so he didn’t call for his sons. Instead, he summoned his four grandsons: Dyeri, Deh, Kyout, and Ndak, who were the sons of his firstborn, Gong.

From his bed, he brought out four wooden sticks, carved from a special ironwood tree from their old home.

“These are the seeds of new nations,” Thoma said, his voice as dry as the wind. “Each of you must go out into the world. Don’t come back. Where your stick takes root and grows, that’s where your people will live and be strong. This is the last thing I ask of you.”

The four brothers felt compelled to honor his command, but they also knew they were now heading in different directions. They each chose a path at the great crossroads.

Dyeri, the oldest, went north. He thrust his stick into the hard dirt on top of a windy hill. For two days, nothing happened. But on the morning of the third day, a huge eagle flew down from the sun and made its nest in the curve of the stick, letting out a loud, proud shriek. Dyeri saw this as a sign of great strength. “This is where I will build Takou!” he declared. His people became known as tough and proud, yet they still loved to travel. Years later, Dyeri’s youngest son took the stick again. He walked until the wood felt warm in his hands, and then it burst into sweet-smelling white flowers beside a silver lake. There, he founded the town of Kyozi, which became the first of many families.

Deh, the second brother, went east into a rocky, hilly place. He struggled to plant his stick in a crack between two huge rocks. He waited, but instead of growing, the stick turned gray and hard. By morning, it had become part of the mountain itself, its center glowing with veins of quartz. Deh understood its meaning. His people wouldn’t be known for soft flowers but for their unbreakable will. He founded Bi-Fagong, and his Bi-Kugong people became masters at working with stone, building their homes and their spirits from the very heart of the mountain.

Kyout, the third brother, felt drawn to the quiet, deep forests in the south. He placed his stick in the soft, dark ground at the foot of a giant kapok tree. He awoke to a wonder: the stick was gone, completely enveloped by thick, strong vines that bore strange, sweet fruit. The vines had twisted into the shape of a sturdy fang. “We will be one with this land!” Kyout proclaimed. His Fana Gong people became renowned hunters and healers, their lives intertwined with the endless green mystery of the forest.

But Ndak, the youngest, was never seen again. Some say he kept walking west until he reached the great water, called Kiman, and his stick became the very first boat, which is why his descendants live on the water. Others whisper that his stick sank into the ground and became a spring that feeds all the rivers, his spirit eternally nurturing the lands his brothers settled.

And so, Father Thoma’s wish came true. From one root, four great trees grew—each one distinct, each one strong, but all remembering they came from the same special ironwood seed.

Origins

This story is inspired by the migration and founding legends of the Gwong people (also known as Kagoma). The details come from their oral history, particularly the tale of their leader, Thoma, who led a great journey from Bauchi.

It explains how his descendants, Dyeri, Deh, Kyout, and Ndak, went on to establish separate communities. The tale uses a familiar theme in African oral history—a leader’s command to found new territories—to explain the origins and connections between different Gwong groups. The Gwong people are primarily located in the Jema’a Local Government Area of Kaduna State, Nigeria.