| The Lion of Tor | *old name of Singapore |
| Sang
Nila Utama, the legendary prince from Palembang (Sumatra), might
have mistaken this lion-like rock (photo right) for the majestic maned
creature that he reportedly saw. He might have seen it while approaching
the tiny island of *Temasek from the sea, instead of the popular
notion that he saw it while hunting in the forest. It could have been a misty dawn, or visibility was poor due to rain, or in all probability, it could have been his heightened anxiety - |
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brought about by the uncertainties of the islanders' reaction or reception
to his visit - that played tricks on his sense of judgement. As we know it, lions do not occur in S.E. Asia, and how it got into our popular folklore is anybody's guess. At least, the 'lion' should mystify and excite impressionable young history learners and cause them to wonder what other animal it could have been that Sang Nila Utama saw, or whether it was an animal at all. However, none of this folklore is as incredulous as our modern-day fabrication of the Merlion - which is truly laughable. Even if necessity dictates the evolution of an iconic folklore to bring in the extra tourist dollar, I think we could have been more sophisticated in tale-spinning, and give Singaporeans greater credence for creativity on the world's stage. Folk history can do with a huge dose of inspiration from the vibrant natural history still found in Singapore. And we can take a lesson from this lion-rock. |
| Unknown
to many, it is the geological history of this lion-like rock that
stands out as it does so prominently along the main Ubin's Jetty. Did you not notice the vertical furrows on the rock, and scratch your head wondering how these are formed? It is a common feature to be found on boulders, called tors, around the coastline of Pulau Ubin, and also on Pulau Sekudu which is also fondly called the Frog Island. (photo right: giant tors found on Pulau Sekudu) |
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The answer is simple - the vertical furrows, known as pseudo-karren (singular - karre), were etched by rain. Pseudo-karren started out as fine indented lines on the textured surface of the tors and through time - slowly but surely - the ancient fingers of water had quietly 'clawed' the lines deeper and longer as it ran down the rock surfaces. This dynamic weathering process still continues today as it did thousands of years ago. What is so fascinating about tors then? These are actually exposed boulders that were once bed rocks buried under a top layer of soil in past geological landforms that preceded present-day landforms or seascapes. When the sea-level rose and subsided several times through geological history, the top soil got washed away. The exposed bed rocks, in their present 'alleviated' positions, became rock-capped hills on land, or rocky islands in the sea. (e.g. Pulau Sekudu). That is why tor is called inselberg in German; berg meaning hill, and insel - island. It is also interesting to note that berg and the following words - tor (turr in Old English), beorg (Old English; for barrow), berhh (Old German; for berg), perh (Celtic; for perch) and turris (Latin; for tower) - shared the same linguistic origin for all things 'high and lofty'. |
| Geologists are not the only ones fascinated by rocks. Religious people are too. They stand in awe and found in rock formations deep reverence worthy of divine dwelling and worship. One such place of worship is the large outcrop of boulders piled most uniquely to form a cavern within which some taoists had build a popular shrine. It was located at Tanjong Tajam, west of the main jetty of the Outward Bound School in Pulau Ubin, and was common for worshippers to travel here by boat and land on a berthing platform that had |  |
| since
been washed away by the sea. Visitors were, no doubt, held spell-bound
by its raw appeal set in the wilderness. It is such a pity that a
place rich in folk history and nature had been allowed to disappear.
However, an intrepid incense burner still remain today (photo above) as if waiting confidently for the resurrection of the shrine to its former glory. A picture of the interior can be found in Dr. Chua Ee Kiam's wonderful book, 'Pulau Ubin - Ours To Treasure' (page 46). Folk history, as such, is not isolated in the human affairs that we hold dear, but steep in the conciousness of the environment that we live in. By the same token, a Merlion or any other disneyed-inventions that are devoid of actual folk history, cannot hope to represent Singapore in its wholeness. This unique wilderness shrine, and other local and natural phenomenons, could have been world-famous heritage sites if they had been accorded greater respect, esteem and consideration by one's own. When I look at the vertical furrows on this lion-rock, I see Mother Nature's tears. Much of what we have in nature had been obliterated from our physical landscape and this had in turn, made more barren the emotional landscape that holds us, our forebears and our children historically to this place we call our homeland. |