There are always scientific explanations to every occurrence in nature, but in Africa, every mystery is tied to a history. What can science say about a fountain that produces both cold and hot water which part into tributaries then confluence at a point to form a warm spring?. The spring was founded by a hunter who was thirsty, he realized one path of the spring was hot and another cold, amazed with his findings he decided to inform the natives he came across during his hunting.
History behind the hot, cold, and ice spring
Many years ago, a native physician found favor with the gods who made his healing process successful using water. It is believed that the fountain was the source where he fetched his water from. At a point, he made a pledge with the gods who required an offering for their kindness to sacrifice himself, his son, and his two wives. One of his wives was hot tempered, the other was cold temper, while himself and his son were more cold, so during their death, the four of them made up the spring, the wife who was hot tempered represent the hot water, the wife who was cold temper represent the cold spring, himself and his son formed the ice water. The spring is then made of those four bodies.
The spring below is the cold one. I dipped my hands to get a feel of it.
The spring below is the hot one. It may not look so until you dip your hands into it.
The spring below is the ice. You feel it while drinking the water as if put inside a refrigerator
The statue built with stones shows the meeting point of the cold and hot spring.
Another belief about this spring is its ability to answer prayers. People believe the native physician had sacrificed himself to allow the spring to serve as a medium of supplication to the gods. So anyone who walks from the cold water through the hot water and says a prayer, that his prayer will be answered if he believes. I believe people have had answered prayers from such a practice and this makes a lot of people come there to say a prayer.
The people seen inside the spring are all saying a prayer.
Finally, it's always strange when a palm tree grows together with another tree of different species. In Africa, no other tree grows alongside a palm tree. When such a thing happens, it's believed to be extraordinary, holding some spiritual meaning. Like the example below, you can see a palm tree growing together with another tree. According to the tradition of the land, the trees are united in matrimony, the palm tree is the wife and the tree by its side is the husband(male). There is more history behind it but usually just a little is told.
The belief may be some fable, but people hold strongly to it.
Below are photos taken at random on the site.
Location: Ikogosi, Ekiti, Nigeria.
Region: Southwest