21/03/2024
History of the Kusugu Well at Daura
The Well at Kusugu is an ancient well located in Daura, Nigeria. The well is famous for its connection to the legend of the hero Bayajidda defeating the snake Sarki. The well and Bayajidda's supposed dagger are now tourist attractions.
According to the Hausa myth, Hausa communities have been living in Central Sudan (much of modern-day Northern Nigeria and some parts of Niger) for over 2000 years. Daura was believed to be one of the largest Hausa cities of that time. It had queens as heads of government who oversaw the affairs of the people. During the reign of Queen Daurama, the major source of water at Daura was the Kusugu well, people were only permitted to fetch water on Fridays due to the snake that resides in the well.
That was how people continued to starve and thirst until one day when a person who was believed to be a Baghdad prince, Bayajidda (Abu Yazid), came to Daura because he could not get the throne after the death of his father. The brave prince, after lodging in the house of an old woman by the name Ayyana, requested water, but he was not given enough. He then requested for the location of the well to fetch more water, and she warned him about the strange snake. He went to the well and eventually killed the snake after a long struggle, and Daurama the queen had vowed that any man who killed the snake would be given a huge prize, but the Prince requested the Queen's hand in marriage instead. The queen agreed and married him, and he became a king. Because he could not speak Hausa before, people started calling him Bayajidda, meaning he didn’t understand before.
He later had seven children, who ruled the seven Hausa states each that are called Hausa Bakwai.
The Kusugu Well is where the giant snake Sarki was killed by Bayajida in the 10th century at Daura, Katsina State, Nigeria.
