A beautiful mountain in the park
In the heart of Tai National Park rises a mountain, offering an amazing view for visitors over the beautiful canopy of a primary tropical rainforest.
The Mount Niénokoué is 396 m high and located about ten kilometers from the Ecotel at Djouroutou. The way up can be steep but easy enough to climb. You need about an hour and a half to reach the summit and you should be in good physical condition to succeed.
This mountain is sacred for the Patokola people and is the place of adoration rituals in December each year.
Mount Niénokoué, sacred mountain for the Patokola people
Stories of the mount Niénokoué adoration
After a ceremony at Mount Niénokoué by the Patokola population, Mr OUPAYOU Gnaoué, Tribe Chief, responsible and supervisor for the cultural values of the Trépo ethnie, told us the reason of that ceremony:
” The Mount Niénokoué is traditionally seen as a stone, which felt from the sky and confined a family. Indeed, in the past our village was located where the inselberg is today. When the stone appeared, the family who was in the village was locked up by the stone. Then, our ancestors, the Nidjèkouo from the Magnron, sons of the family confined in the stone, were the first to celebrate the ceremony, followed by the ethnies Gblekouo, Powekouo and Djrèwé, which is today perpetuated. The ceremony is an invitation to the godsend to share their meals (chicken, rice, red oil) in hope that the latter bring happiness, success, development, procreation, benediction, etc., to the village.”
After the rituals of beef, young goat and chicken immolation, the main part of the ceremony is proceeded by the initiated group at the summit.
