Info For Yous Osun Osogbo Festival Of Yoruba People Of Nigeria: Africa`S Biggest In Addition To Authentic Traditional Religious Festival
Osogbo (also Oṣogbo , rarely Oshogbo) is an ancient Yoruba-speaking metropolis inward Nigeria, the upper-case alphabetic quality of Osun State too a Local Government Area. The Local Government Area has an expanse of 47 km² too a population of almost 2 meg people live here
Worshipers of the Osun goddess brand their way to the Osun Shrine inward Osogbo, Nigeria. Yeye Osun!!
. Osogbo lies on the railway delineate from Lagos to Kano. It is known for the Oshogbo School of Art too the Oja Oba Market building, said to live the sometime Oba's palace, within yards of the Osogbo Grand Mosque.
Osogbo is the merchandise pump for a farming region. Yams, cassava, grain, too tobacco are grown. Cotton is grown too used to weave cloth. It is also domicile to several hotels too a football game stadium alongside a capacity of 10,000 too a minute sectionalisation professional person league team.
There are 2 palaces. The maiden of all is portion of the main Osun-Osogbo shrine. The minute palace is where Larooye moved to earlier the community established a novel small town exterior the grove. Both buildings are constructed of mud walls alongside tin roofs supported variously past times mud too carved wooden pillars. The 3 Ogboni buildings are constructed alongside sweeping roofs ascent high over the entrances too supported on a cluster of slender carved wooden posts.
Osun lady devotee posing at Osun Oshogbo Sacred grove
Osun grove was recognized past times UNESCO inward 2005 as a World Heritage Site too this has been linked to the consistencies that the festival has enjoyed over the years too the protection of the values of the grove past times the people.
Osun Oshogbo Sacred grove
According to Oluremi Funsho Adebayo, the co-coordinator of the National Museum, the argue why UNESCO recognized this site, inclusive of the festival is because of the authenticity that is involved. It is the exclusively festival that since 1370 AD has remained what it was originally despite modernity; at that topographic point has non been whatsoever adulteration; everything has been inward its original nation too all structures that were pose inward the seat that forms the foundation of Osun Oshogbo kingdom are soundless inward existence inward the grove.
Osun Oshogbo river Goddess grove
Osun Oshogbo festival has a 2 calendar week programme of events starting alongside the traditional cleansing of the town called “Iwopopo” followed past times the lighting of 500 years old 16 points light 3 days later, called “Olojomerindinlogun.” This is followed past times “Ibroriade,” which is the assemblage of the crowns of the past times ruler (Ataojas) for blessings too its existence led past times the Ataoja who is the ruler too votary maid (Arugba) propelled past times Yeye Osun, too a commission of priestesses. The Arugba bore the people age-long prayers to the grove inward a calabash of effigy which tin forcefulness out exclusively live carried past times a virgin, which signifies purity.
This festival, alongside its international status, has acquire a major tourist attraction. Observations over the years have got shown that the festive menstruum is almost the best fourth dimension to reckon the metropolis as people parade the streets inward their colours. The people appear forwards to it alongside groovy expectation too for the menstruum that it lasts, procession, dance, fine art exhibition, too colourful carnivals are major attractions of the Osun Oshogbo cultural festival.
The lawsuit over the years, has given residents too tourists the chance to recreate socially, culturally, as they re-enact ane of their renowned age-long spiritual too communal feast. Indeed the Osun Oshogbo has been too is ane of the most outstanding too preserved cultural practices of the diverse festivals inward Nigeria too Africa as a whole.
Osun devotees worshiping at Osun Sacred Grove
THE ORIGIN OF OSUN OSOGBO FESTIVAL
River Osun takes its source from Igede-Ekiti through Ilesha too the grove inward Osogbo. The Osun goddess established her kingdom there. Olaguna(1952:16) writes that many centuries agone when Oba larooye of iple omu, olutimeyin, a groovy hunter too their subjects migrated from ipole omu because of H2O scarcity they too so settle at the Osun groove where the goddess has established her kingdom. One day, as they were preparing the ground for the planting season, a tree savage across the river crushing many of Osun tools of trade.
Worshippers fetch H2O from the sacred Osun river during the Osun Osogbo festival, or the river goddess festival, inward Osogbo, upper-case alphabetic quality of southwest Nigeria's Osun State, on Aug. 23, 2013. Every August inward Osogbo, the festival presents an chance for the indigenes of Osogbo, their friends too well-wishers as good as fun-loving tourists to converge inward town for the yearly celebration. The festival has gained a global recognition to such an extent that the Osun Grove was enlisted as a world heritage site inward 2005. (Xinhua/Zhang Weiyi)
It is recorded that the goddess was at her:
Larooye olutimeyin, you have got destroyed all
gbogbo ikoko aro mi my dying pots
le ti fo tan she cried
The spirits within the grove pacified the goddess saying
“oso-igbo pele o, spirit of the wood nosotros plead,
Oso-igbo rora o, spirit of the wood live patient
Larooye too olutimehin were shocked because they don’t know how the goddess got to know their names. She sensed this, too later on advised them to displace to the upper portion of the river called OHUNTOTO to domicile. There oba larooye established some other palace as good as a thriving market. One day, olutimehin saw some spirit dancing circular a light alongside 16 receptacles, which he seized through incantation. When the goddess learnt of this, she made olutimehin too larooye hope to celebrates the lightening of the light annually, especially when the grand finale of the osun festival is nine days away.
Yoruba Osun devotee showing Osun Osogbo religious cult score on her face
She gave them a calabash containing antiquities alongside a alert that the contents must never live exposed to the naked eyes. She also decree that the calabash must live taken to the grove during the festival past times a virgin alongside filials to the reiginig kink, too who must live chosen past times the ifa. On the festival day, the Ataoja (king ) sits
on the dedicated stone of authorisation housed on the osun temple/shrine where he commune alongside the ancestors. Osun promised that if her instruction is carried out, she could pour a curative nitty-gritty into the river as shortly as she accepts the sacrifices from the Ataoja. Traditions which is becoming increasingly known inward scholarly
circles reveals that osogho had been founded as early on as Oduduwa period. Osogbo, the goddess of Osun river was the queen original founder of Osogbo.
According to Bier (1966:69) at that topographic point are some heroic roles of historical importance, rendered past times Osun goddess especially during the Fulani state of war of 1842. She was credited alongside many of import achievements, which helped to established the state. She possessed magical powers which inspired her too frightened her
enemies. Tradition acclaims her the goddess of fertility, protection too blessing. She possess the mightiness to give children (through birth) to the barren women too mightiness to heal the sick too the afflicted past times way of her medicinal H2O from the river. Osun according to the Yoruba cosmology, they believe that she is omnipresent too omnipotent. Her mightiness is represented inward some other Yoruba saying which reminds us that no ane is an enemy to H2O too therefore, every ane has demand of too should honour too revere Osun as good as her follower. The human relationship betwixt the osun Osoggo festival which has been celebrated for almost 6 hundred centuries.
The Osun Osogbo festival has the early on history of the Osogbo people which is founded on mythical powers. The human relationship betwixt the people of Osogbo land, the Osun goddess too the festival is that annually the people of Osogbo comes together inward the minute calendar week of august inward worshiping too praising the osun goddess who have got been protecting their land. The Osun Osogbo festival which is celebrated inward august has create do to hold out the rigors of the 21st century too people hail it as ane of the most solid festival that celebrates too showcases the traditional African culture.
The festival that is held inward Osogbo an ancient metropolis inward the states of Osun attracts thousands of western tourists, too other parts of the world. The Osun metropolis has surprising facts such as having been governed past times belatedly Suzanne Wenger a white adult woman who was adopted into the metropolis when visiting the deity too was duly appointed a deity. She was renamed “Adunni olorisha oko upon taking her novel roles as the Osun administrator. Each twelvemonth a large festival is held inward honour of Osun goddess inward Osogbo. The called OSUN OSOGBO FESTIVAL, too is held past times the people of Osogbo to renew this betwixt the town too the goddess. Osun Osogbo festival serves the purpose of promoting too agreement cultural history inward contemporary times too serves as educational needs for students.
THE OSUN OSOGBO FESTIVAL.
The Osun Osogbo festival is an annual traditional festival that involves the entire people of Osogbo (king, traders, hunters, men, women, children, old too young).and the Osun goddess. The Osun Osogbo festival is an occasion of religious observance, inward which the people of Osogbo celebrates the significance of the river
goddess (Osun) too her mythical deeds. The festival is a twelve-day events that takes seat during the minute , 3rd too 4th calendar week of august. It commence too ends inward the palace of the Ataoja (king of Osogbo).
According to the data gathered from the “awise” of Osogbo the world (cheif yemi Eleburuibon), grooming for the Osun festival begins alongside ifa consultation. The consultation is done past times the master copy Babalawo, awise of Osogbo (Chief Yemi eleburuibon) inward the palace of the Ataoja. The Ifa consultation provides the specific appointment too particular sacrificial requirements for the year’s celebration. The specific Ifa consultation is restricted to the religious too political hierarchy of Osogbo too Osun worship. After the appointment has been chosen, the Ataoja’s representative of the goddess officially denote the chosen appointment too the requirements for the communal offering to Osun too the people of Osogbo. This marks the commencement of the festival.
The proclamation is presented as a formal lawsuit staged inward the centre of town situated at the Osogbo marketplace where the Osun shrine is located. In reaction to the announcement, the Iya ewe (mother of youths) trip the low-cal fantastic closed to the marketplace collecting token of wares from the marketplace women as a portion of their contribution to the ceremony. the festival officially begins alongside Popo (spiritual route clearing), which is the physical too ritual clearing of the pilgrimage route from the palace through Obaemu to the grove. This is the maiden of all major public lawsuit of the Osun festival. This is done past times the Ataoja, surrounded past times his wives, chiefs, attendants, musicians too guards. The majestic horn-blowers atomic number 82 the way through Osogbo announcing the approach of Ataoja alongside their instruments. The majestic political party walks downward the streets displaying the Opa-oba (staff of political too religious authorisation amidst dancing too singing).
Worshippers select portion inward the Osun Osogbo festival, or the river goddess festival, inward Osogbo, upper-case alphabetic quality of southwest Nigeria's Osun State
During this activity, local rulers as good as the full general public participate inward the opening celebration past times giving their contribution to the success of the festival inward price of money, foods, beverages e.t.c. also women who have got given nascence during the intervening twelvemonth betwixt festivals contribute to too participate inward the procession alongside their babies tied to their back.
These women pay homage to the Ataoja singing his praise too that of osun amidst dancing. Since the commencement of the festival, no reigning Ataoja died earlier the festival, but this finally year’s (2010) festival was the maiden of all which a reigning Ataoja volition croak earlier the annual festival. Late OBA IYIOLA OYEWALE MATANMI III, who reigned for 30 4 years too viii days on the throne earlier the finally festival. As the belatedly Ataoja was non at that topographic point to reckon the festival, the Ajagun of Osogbo the world master copy OPARANTI, who was the ‘Adele oba’ was the ane that perform the belatedly ‘Ataoja’ duty throughout the festival too takes over the throne until a novel Rex is selected. The second, third, 4th too 5th days of the festival witness the appearance of masquerades dedicated to their ancestors as good as Sango, the Yoruba’s deity of thunder.
The dark of the 6th twenty-four hours of the festival is dedicated to osanyin, a yoruba deity responsible for healing through the knowledge of the usage of herbs. On this occasion, a 16 dot light is lit using palm stone oil soaked inward cotton fiber wicks. The light is lit from vii inward the dark to vii inward the side past times side morning. The ataoja, his wives,
followers, traditional chiefs, ifa priest, osun devotees too the arugba (osun bowl carrier) would trip the low-cal fantastic circular the sixteen-point lamp(atupa oloju merindinlogun). Three times to the direction of a cross subdivision of the people of osogbo acquaint of the palace. After the dancing circular the light for the 3rd time, which should be
past times daybreak, the Rex dances to the marketplace too earlier he comes back, the 16 light should have got been pose off past times itself. The 7th twenty-four hours is dedicated to the ifa priest who dances circular osogbo town. The viii twenty-four hours includes acrobatic performances past times naming deities similar oya, ane of the wives of sango, whom osun was
inward skillful price alongside her. On the 9th day, the ataoja too his high chiefs pay complemen tto his in-law, inward a procession that leads from ane delineate of piece of work solid to the other. In a build upward toward the grand finale, the 10th witness the laying out of the crowns of the past times too acquaint ataoja of osogbo for a rededication to osun. This is called iboriade which takes seat at the palace where meetings are usually held. Here, the ataoja worships the crowds, beads, shoes, clothes e.t.c of his predecessors too forebears, making appeasement to osun on their behalf. The ataoja inward total submission to the gods is simply dressed on this day, without a crown.
Beautiful Yoruba missy from Osogbo. by Rainer Doost
The Rex volition too so pray for the town which is followed past times pouring of the libation past times the king. Honey, banana, adun, salt, bitter kola, oti adura, too so on are used for the prayer. The iya osun (osun priest) volition too so pour the divination kola, after which she pronounce the gods credence of the offering too the people present
volition reply saying praise to osun (iya yeye o). Then the king, master copy priest too priestess would prostrate earlier the crown as a salute to the majestic ancestors, as the occasion attempts to invoke the spirits of the ancestors of the ataoja to bestow blessings on the people of osogbo.
The ceremony ends alongside the citation of praise call of the town, the founders of osogbo, the past times ataojas, to the acquaint ataoja, past times the praise singers too drummers whom the Rex too the congregation offers some money as a sort of appreciation. The Rex too so departs alongside his wives dancing to the drum beats. The congregation leaves after after the be of the majestic family. The eleventh twenty-four hours is for the grooming of the grand finale which is the 12th day. The 12th twenty-four hours August 27th 2010, which is the grand finale of the osun festival, almost all the population of osogbo nether takes the procession into the sacred grove which begins at 9a.m. prior to this, the Ifa (oracle) would live consulted early on inward the morn inward the ataoja palace to foresee how the journeying to the grove would be, to inquire for precautions which the arugba (osun bowl carrier) should adhere to too ensure a polish too prophylactic journeying to the grove too dorsum to the palace, earlier leaving for the grove, the maiden of all assignment is to travel the ataoja to have his blessings, this serves as a signal that the ritual procession to the grove has begun after the blessings, the Rex also joins the procession.
A kid is raised over heads of worshippers during the Osun Osogbo festival, or the river goddess festival, inward Osogbo, upper-case alphabetic quality of southwest Nigeria's Osun State, on Aug. 23, 2013. Every August inward Osogbo, the festival presents an chance for the indigenes of Osogbo, their friends too well-wishers as good as fun-loving tourists to converge inward town for the yearly celebration. The festival has gained a global recognition to such an extent that the Osun Grove was enlisted as a world heritage site inward 2005. (Xinhua/Zhang Weiyi)
The Arugba moves from shrine to shrine to perform for sure rituals on her way to the grove. She is closely followed past times the osun devotees. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 grouping of immature boys alongside whip guides the arugba. The ataoja, his wives, high chiefs, too majestic children volition follow , too so the side past times side grouping is the babalawos (herbalists) led past times the master copy babalawo (Chief Yemi Eleburuibon). The finally grouping consist of men, women, journalists tourists, guests, performers, children too so on however, those who are told to attend the ceremony stays at domicile as the procession passes through the town to the grove. The procession moves dancing to the grove patch the arugba has 2 lumps of kolanut stalked into her cheeks to foreclose her from saying a word because she must non speak during the journey.the processors is accompanied alongside drumming too singing. On getting to the grove, the arugba is relieved of her burden, i.e the calabash is lifted off her caput patch she goes to ease inward the maiden of all palace. The Ataoja is too so taken into the temple (first palace) where he sits on the stone throne (which the maiden of all Ataoja sat on during his reign) to offering prayer to osun. He prays for the town, inquire for osun protection over every fellow member of the town.
The sacrifices is too so carried to the river past times the osun priest who too so gives it to the Ataoja who goes to the spiritual spot at the pump of the river where he would pray to the goddess too throw the contents of the bowl into the river. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 golden fish (IKO) too so comes out of the river too spits into the emptied bowl. In
reaction to this, the people imbibe the H2O inward the river, praying too asking osun to give them children, offered them protection, success, prosperity e.t.c. they too so brand vows which must live fulfilled too honoured. Some pose the H2O inward into bottles too kegs to live taken domicile to heal the sick. Then the Rex atomic number 82 the congregation to the ojubo shrine where he addresses the audience. After his address, the kings wives, the traditional chiefs, cultural groups, social clubs, majestic relations, progressive union, masquerades too all presents at the occasion takes plough inward paying homage to the king, departure masquerades, unlike cultural too social groups seek to out do ane some other inward their strategic display of happiness too to pay homage to the Rex too the Rex who inward plough bless them. the procession too so homecoming to the palace through the way they came, led past times the Arugba who carries the emptied bowl.
They were welcomed alongside enthusiastic hails too shouts of joy from crowd on delineate of piece of work concern human relationship of their prophylactic journeying to the shrine too dorsum to the palace. The osun priest too priestess removes the bowl from the Arugbas caput patch she is sneaked away into the osun shrine inward the palace. Five twenty-four hours after the festival, a procession of osogbo people who includes women, youths, too children accompany past times osun devotees too Arugba trek into the osun shrine inward the sacred grove inward a joyous mood. They trip the low-cal fantastic to the osun shrine to give thank you lot osun for its protection too blessings too to fulfill the vows they made on the festival twenty-four hours to osun.
A kid that Osun delivered,according to devotee, after his baptism inward Osun river
During this ceremony, the Arugba is gorgeously dressed as against her ritual dressing during the actual festival too carries no calabash. Those whose prayer have got answered past times osun gives osun what they have got promised. The items brought are nutrient items similar moimoi, rice, eko, chicken, edible bean cakes, pounded yam, e.t.c which are carried to the river too scattered into the river.
Arugba carrying Osun calabash
The Arugba eats, relaxes, too jests alongside past times Arugbas within the maiden of all palace too after this every ane trip the low-cal fantastic dorsum to the palace too travel out for their diverse homes. The long preparations, the twelve-day ceremony of the osun osogbo festival comes to a benefiting-end. The people of osogbo sees osun osobgo festival as the way the inward which they tin forcefulness out appreciated, praise the osun deity who has been blessing, keeping too protecting their the world throughout the previous year.
Osun devotee`s beads
These festival serves as way of paying their vows to osun deity because the entire people of osogbo too some people who comes together to pay their vows as a way of appreciating what osun deity has done for them too their land. Some Eurocentric scholars too Europeans belief that African has neither history nor culture. The Eurocentric scholars beliefs that European culture, too that literature is primitive, too as such noting tin forcefulness out come upward out of African oral literature, but seeing the osun osogbo festival of osogbo land, its build too distorted their paradigm which they have got created almost African culture, that African is alongside or no civilisation too traditions. Osun Oshogbo festival builds the infinite too vacuum that indeed African is alongside many culture. Because at that topographic point are unlike people alongside unlike civilisation too traditions too practices inward African.
Worshippers select portion inward the Osun Osogbo festival, or the river goddess festival, inward Osogbo, upper-case alphabetic quality of southwest Nigeria's Osun State, on Aug. 23, 2013. Every August inward Osogbo, the festival presents an chance for the indigenes of Osogbo, their friends too well-wishers as good as fun-loving tourists to converge inward town for the yearly celebration. The festival has gained a global recognition to such an extent that the Osun Grove was enlisted as a world heritage site inward 2005. (Xinhua/Zhang Weiyi)
THE AESTHETICS IN THE OSUN OSOGBO FESTIVAL.
DRUMS
The unlike types of drums used during the annual osun osogbo festival ars bata, dundun, gangan, bembe, too ayan ( beaten past times the Ifa drummers). The drums tin forcefulness out live used to praise, abuse, or warn. Drums are powerful way of communication during the annual osun osogbo festival. It is the drums that announces the twenty-four hours of the festival.
A performer plays drum during the Osun Osogbo festival, or the river goddess festival, inward Osogbo, upper-case alphabetic quality of southwest Nigeria's Osun State
The drums are beaten to the praise of osun, the past times Ataoja, too the acquaint Ataoja during the annual festival. During the festival, the Aworo (osun preist) plays the dundun drums, patch the osun chanters accompany them alongside their chants too praise songs.The Ifa drummers invoke the spirit of osun too other orisa past times playing too so ayan drums. The festival drums are oftentimes beaten to the beat of the songs inward honour of osun such as the beating of a drum to the song. As the drums are beaten to the beat of these songs, the women, children too men laid about to trip the low-cal fantastic to the beat of the drum beat.
Afro-Brazilian delegation at Osun Oshogbo festival at Osun State,Nigeria
During the festival, the drums are also used to abuse too criticize the white organized faith i.e Islam too Christianity. The drums are beaten to the beat of the vocal which goes thus;
Nibo loni ngbe yeye mi si o (meaning) where did he say I should put
Nibo loni ngbe yeye mi si o my goddess
Enilawani-osi toni nwa se mole where did he say I should put
Nibo loni ngbe yeye mi si o my goddess
The human being alongside a horrible turban
Who asked me, to embrace
Islam, where did he say I should
Put my goddess
The festival drums are oftentimes beaten to the beat of the songs inward honour of osun
ijo omo la njo (meaning) we are dancing a kid rearing dance
Ijo omo la njo we are dancing a kid rearing dance
Kosi jo eleya lese wa we tin forcefulness out never trip the low-cal fantastic a shameless dance,
Ko si jo eleya lese wa but a trip the low-cal fantastic of kid rearers
Ijo omo lan jo
Generally, drums accompany songs to which the worshippers too public trip the low-cal fantastic to the drums are used during all the activities that brand upward the osun osogbo festival. The dancing circular the 16 dot light is accompanied alongside beating of drums. On the grand finale twenty-four hours of the celebration, the drums are beaten through the journeying from the palace to the grove too dorsum to the palace.
These drums beats says unlike things during the festival similar praising the Ataoja, the entire people of osogbo too the drums have got unlike types similar gangan, duru, bembe, bata, alongside unlike drummers. This songs teaches morals.
A performer dances during the Osun Osogbo festival, or the river goddess festival, inward Osogbo, upper-case alphabetic quality of southwest Nigeria's Osun State,
DANCE
During the Osun Osogbo festival, the Ataoja too his wives trip the low-cal fantastic to the drum beats. The Arugba dances during the walk from the palace to the grove too dorsum to the palace. The entire population of men, women too children also trip the low-cal fantastic to the grove.
Osun devotees trip the low-cal fantastic towards Osun-Oshogbo Sacred grove
The diverse religious too cultural groups acquaint trip the low-cal fantastic to the beat of the songs too drum beats. Dance is physical aspect of the festival, inward which both the performer too the people are involved. It is a physical participation inward the celebration as people trip the low-cal fantastic to the beat of the music. The trip the low-cal fantastic alongside unlike steps similar Bata dance, Atilogun trip the low-cal fantastic too so on
COSTUMES
Costumes brand the festival colourful. The celebration of Osun is apparent inward the array of colours. The Iya Osun too other Osun devotees, chanters too singers are dressed inward white attire, which symbolises purity too the authorisation of Osun.
Osun River goddess worshipers too their African pilus styles at the exactly concluded Osun Osogbo festival.
They also have got their pilus plaited inward styles that seat them as Osun worshippers. The king’s wives are dressed inward Aso-ofi too beads. They also have got their pilus plated, patch the Ata oja dresses inward Agbada made alongside Aso ofi. He also has beads closed to his cervix too wrists.
He wears the ancestral crown, which he wears exclusively ane time inward a twelvemonth too that is on the grand finale twenty-four hours of the Osun festival, alongside the opa oba, which he has inward his hand. The Arugba (Osun bowl carrier) is dressed inward a white linen gown, covered alongside an upper golden aso ofi.
She wears beautiful beads too has her human face beautifully made up. The bowl on her caput is also covered alongside carmine aran (suede).
Osun River goddess worshipers too their African pilus styles at the exactly concluded Osun Osogbo festival.
The unlike display of attires past times the unlike grouping too their unlike colours add together to the beauty of the festival. The unique impact of these attires is to present unlike groups alongside unlike functioning inward the festival.
Diasporan worshipers of Ifa at Oshogbo festival
MUSIC
During the Osun festival, musical instruments similar Agogo, Sekere too Seere are used. The Osun devotees as good as the entire public sing the praise of Osun. An instance of such ptaise vocal is:
Seleru agbo (meaning) brook H2O portion, pelting H2O portion
Agbara Agbo Is what osun uses to nuture her children
Osun tin woo 2d re ki dokita o tode. Before the arrival of medicines
Abimo ma dara’le a woman parent that nurses her novel born
Osun lan pe leegun born kid without heating the
House. Osun is the ane nosotros call
Masquerade.
The women present their beautiful voices past times chanting this Osun’s praise.Another praise inward honour of Osun , sung during the Osun festival goes thus:
Ekore yeye o (meaning) praise osun goddess
E kore yeye Osun praise osun goddess
Omi n live nibu osun goddess remain praise
Iya n live lodo osun medicinal H2O is reliable
Iya ye sa bami womo mi osun goddess volition soundless be inward the
Onile orun bami se temi river, woman parent delight select attention of
Awa o le ma b’osun children.
Onile orun, aid solve
Ko sihun tio sawa problems. We cant do withoutworshipping
Osun Omo olosun lawaje No evil tin forcefulness out befall us. We are children of osun.
Osun devotee asking for blessings from the River Goddess at Osun Oshogbo Sacred grove
The do goodness of this vocal to the vocaliser is to appreciate too praise Osun. The audience also sings these songs inward praising the Osun goddess too the goddess on hearing this, becomes real happy alongside the people of Osogbo. The devotees too worshippers sing the praises of Osun, inward monastic enjoin to honour too appreciate her presence inward their lives. During the festival, the praise call of the Rex of Osogbo town, Oba Laroye (the maiden of all Ataoja of Osogbo) too that of the belatedly oba Matanmi III are sung alongside the Adele Oba, Chief Oparanti are also sung Ataoja of Osogbo. The linguistic communication used is uncomplicated too easily understood past times the people acquaint at the
celebration. This adds to the aesthetics of the festival.
MAJOR ROLES TAKEN AT THE OSUN OSOGBO FESTIVAL.
The functioning of the osun festival involves the participation of the Ataoja (the Rex of osobgo), Arugba (osun bowl carrier), Aworo osun (osun priest),Iya osun (osun priestess) too the entire people of people of osogbo who human activeness the audience.
Osogbo Osun devotee kid alongside his pigeon for sacrifice to Osun deity
THE ATAOJA
The Ataoja is the traditional caput of osogbo too the representative of their ancestors. He has the concluding say inward all the traditional matters. The appointment of the festival is been chosen too announced past times the Ataoja. The osun osogbo festival cannot select seat or does non select seat without the Ataoja.
Ataoja of Oshogbo, Oba Iyiola Oyewale Matanmi III, is the electrical flow Rex of Oshogbo inward Osun State, Nigeria
THE IYA OSUN (OSUN PRIESTESS)
The Iya osun is the osun priestess. She is the ane inward accuse of the worship of the osun divinity everyday too at the festival period. She has the total knowledge of the undercover of osun too she speaks alongside osun. She ever sings the praise of osun
THE ARUGBA OSUN (OSUN BOWL CARRIER)
The Arugba osun is a immature holy lady who gives upward the whole of her fourth dimension too unloose energy to the religious worship too service to osun.
Arugba Osun
Traditionally, she must live a spinster too a virgin too remain so until she attain the postal service for matrimony too she must live a missy of the majestic delineate of piece of work solid which is the ruling house. She is picked past times the Ifa oracle.
It is forbidden for the Arugba to hitting her human foot on the stone on her way, as this is a bad sign or omen for herself too the worshippers. This is the argue why the woman parent too relations of the Arugba do remain restless until the Arugba safely returns from the grove. The festival cannot select seat without the Arugba.
THE AWORO OSUN (OSUN PRIEST)
Every orisha inward Yorubaland has his or her ain priest. Aworo osun is the osun priest . He performs inward conjunction alongside Iya osun inward the worship of osun everyday too at the Annual osun festival. He knows what sacrifice is to live offered, how it should live offered too he knows what is necessary to live done to pleaseosun both inward fourth dimension of peace too trouble.
Osun priestess
Before whatsoever piece of work of fine art to live consummate too accepted as been aesthetically fulfilling, it must possess the elements discussed above. Therefore, since the osun osogbo festival possess these aesthetics chemical constituent nosotros tin forcefulness out say that the annual osun osogbo festival has the aesthetic experience whatsoever fine art would demand to brand it a
consummate piece of work of arts. And the elements discussed above, brand the festival colourful too appreciated.
THE AUDIENCE
The audience is the combination of the entire people of the Osogbo who are the indigenes, the journalists, tourist, foreigners, worshippers, researchers too everybody witnesses the functioning of the festival. The audience joins inward the singing of Osun praises, they trip the low-cal fantastic to the songs too drum beats.
They participate inward the lawsuit past times drinking the medicinal H2O too bathing themselves inward the river. They also pray to osun, too asking her to offering them protection, fertility. They select sacrificial items similar epo (palm oil), eko (solidified pap), moimoi (beans pudding), obi (kolanut) too so on.
Source:http://alayeogba.unilorin.edu.ng
KEEPING THE GODDESS ALIVE
Marketing Culture too Remembering the Past inward Osogbo, Nigeria
By Peter Probst
The Osun Osogbo Festival is ane of the most prominent cultural festivals inward Nigeria. It takes seat inward August every year, too begins alongside the securing of the infinite where the festival takes place. The goal is reached twelve days later, alongside a public sacrifice to the river goddess Osun at the Osun River.
Critics of the festival have got lamented almost the increasing folklorization of the event. Yet looking at the festival inward a historical perspective, such laments seem rather an appear of nostalgia than a justified point. Thus, already inward 1952, the American anthropologist, Schwab, observed “the introduction of a European type band march-ing downward to the river where the most of import portion of the Osun ritual occurs, playing ‘Way downward the Riverside’” as an instance of “the to a greater extent than colorful innovations” which had begun “a number of years ago” (Schwab 1952: 835).What too so is the Osun Osogbo Festival? Basically, it is a metropolis festival embody-ing too fostering what Olupona (2001), next Bellah (1970), has called a“civil religion” (Olupona 2001: 46).
As Olupona notes, civil religions render the framework past times which political entities are able to empathise their historical experience inward religious terms. In the instance of Osogbo, this historical experience is based upon the rituals too beliefs centered on Osun. Most oftentimes Osun is characterized as a H2O or fertility deity, but the notions associated alongside Osun are much wider, embracing as imageries of healing, femininity, motherhood, sexuality, wealth, wisdom, knowledge, beauty, art, too power. In fact, Osun has unlike identities, resulting from the diverse weather condition nether which people have got lent important to her. Consequently, the ideas too imageries of Osun inward Osogbo are unlike from those found inward other Yoruba towns, too the diverse places inward the Americas where Osun is as honored, as a final result of the bulk enslavement of Yoruba men too women inward the belatedly eighteenth too early on nineteenth century.
Even inward Osogbo, the conceptualization of Osun changed. The electrical flow fashioning of Osun as existence responsible for the advent of Osogbo as a pump for the fine arts is a final result of the changes that have got taken seat inward the mid-twentieth century.Nevertheless a number of core themes too elements tin forcefulness out live delineated. In the elaborate oral traditions attributed to Osun, she is explained as existence the exclusively woman soul divinity amidst the seventeen spiritual beings ane time sent past times the Supreme Creator spirit, Oludumare, to organize too send out the human inward habitation of the world.
In the course of study of this task, Osun moved from what was originally, a rather marginal role into the pump of importance. By her special woman soul qualities, she non exclusively linked upward alongside the other manly soul divinities,thereby acquiring fundamental knowledge similar that of divination, she also made her-self indispensable, inward that she provided—and soundless provides—the divinity of Obatala alongside the H2O that he uses to polish the clay alongside which he moulds the human beings. In other words, Osun controls H2O as the source of pro-creation, too the representation of the life giving regulation par excellence.Considering this crucial seat inward the Yoruba pantheon, Murphy’s too Sanford’s recent remark that Osun is related to the word orisun, important “the source of a river, a people, or of children” points to the profound political role of Osun (2001: 2).
Indeed, as Verger has noted, Osun is praised—among other ways—as the ane who “dances to select the crown without asking” (1959: 426).Given the political history of Osogbo, on the ane hand, too the Osun Osogbo Festival, on the other, it seems feasible that Osun was originally a fertility cult,practiced past times the autochthonous population, but too so turned into a cult of mightiness too kingship. At least, a number of ritual events taking seat inward the course of study of the festival signal that the latter was maybe transformed from an agricultural New Year's Day festival into a ritual of kingship, commemorating the foundation of the metropolis too legitimizing the authorisation of its ruler. Be that as it may, the seizing of mightiness too the taking over of rulership does constitute a prime number characteristic inward the narratives told almost the root of Osogbo.
According to these traditions, an Ijesa prince, Laroye, was the official founder of Osogbo.Together alongside a little grouping of people, he had left the hamlet of Ipole because of a shortage of water. When they came to Osogbo they discovered the Osun River. They tried to settle there, but the expanse was inhabited past times wizards. Laroye managed to defeat the wizards past times seizing a sixteen-point lamp, an human activeness that essentially paved the way for the establishment of Osogbo as an Ijesa settlement. It is because of this that Laroye too Osun, the river goddess, made a pactof mutual protection. Just as Laroye promised to protect the the world of Osun, the latter promised to protect Laroye too his people. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 real similar story is narrated almost Osun.
According to this tradition, the sixteen-point light is said to have got belonged to Osanyin, a Yoruba deity, responsible for herbs too healing. Osun, however, managed to defeat Osanyin, too made him portion of her divine kingdom. Taking these 2 traditions together, it seems as if the Ijesa cohort, nether Laroye, overtook the territory from the autochthonous population, too installed the cult of Osun as symbol of mightiness too rulership. Over time, the goddess developed into the most of import factor of integration of the town, too alongside the growing number of its adherents, her influence,political status, too mightiness increased.
A crucial role inward this context was played past times the Fulani wars inward the belatedly 1830s (see Gbadamosi 1978). Unlike Ilorin too Oyo, Osogbo was non sacked past times the Muslim forces, but succeeded inward fighting dorsum the aggressors. The defeat of the Fulani meant that the refugees who had left the part to seek shelter inward Osogbo remained inward the city. Their incorporation into the urban community took seat through Osun. To bind them to the majestic house,the Rex of Osogbo, existence as the master copy priest of the Osun cult, provided the refugee families alongside unmarried refractions of Osun, together alongside a seat within the Osun grove as a private seat of worship too sacrifice to these modest deities.
Though the victory over Fulani did non halt the expansion of Islam, Osun was able to maintain its integrative function. With the advent of Christianity, how-ever, the province of affairs changed. The first missionaries had arrived inward Yorubaland already inward the first one-half of the nineteenth century, but inward Osogbo, the impact of Christianity was effectively felt exclusively some fifty years later. Instead of multiple religious loyalties that characterized the procedure of Islamization inward Osogbo, the missionaries made it clear that at that topographic point is no choice to the gospel. Combined alongside the effects of an increasing control of British colonial rule, their efforts turned out to live successful, too inward the early on 1930s, roughly a hundred years after the Fulani war, the mission forced the Rex to surrender his office as the master copy priest of the Osun cult.
Orisa worship at Osun goddess presence
With the introduction of the aworo (today the manly soul counterpart of iya osun, the Osun priestess)a novel office was created whose incumbent right away took over the ritual duties of the Rex within the Osun cult, leaving the Rex mainly alongside representative functions. In other words, the “innovations” Schwab had observed during his fourth dimension of enquiry were already portion of an ongoing ritual transformation, whose dominant characteristic seems to have got been an increasing outwards orientation, produced too prompted past times the incorporation of the Osun cult into the colonial world too its authorities of meaning.
Osun Oshogbo sacred grove water
Osogbo Modern
In what Enwezor (2001: 10–16) has named “the curt century,” the processes of decolonization he refers to alongside his phrase found their most shrewd expressions oftentimes inward the field of arts.
Osogbo is commonly seen as having played a crucial role inward this “short century.” After all, it was inward Osogbo where the confrontation alongside modernism did final result inward an influential fine art movement, which explicitly attacked too contested the epistemic foundations of the colonial project.
Susanne Wenger too her colleague. The 94-year-old Austrian has lived inward Osogbo for 58 years too has acquire a high priestess of Osun.
Embodying this modernism, too thus real much inward the pump of the confrontation, were 2 expatriates, Ulli Beier too Susanne Wenger. Both had come upward to Nigeria inward 1950—Beier as a phonetics lecturer at the academy of Ibadan, too Wenger as an creative soul (see Ogundele 2003). Both had met the twelvemonth earlier inward Paris, where Wenger had gone inward search of novel inspirations inward her artistic work.
Osun devotees fetching holy H2O from Osun river
However, disappointed past times what she considered to live the too‘intellectual’ agreement of fine art past times her French colleagues, she accepted Beier’s offering to accompany him to Africa. Their ambitions were shaped past times a rejection of the politics too ideologies that they believed contributed to the onset of traditions that had led to World War II, too when they arrived inward Ibadan, both refused to conform to the expectations of the colonial establishment.
While Beier invested his energies into projects that aimed to ‘reanimate’African traditions of artistic expression, Wenger immersed herself inward traditional Yoruba religion. When, inward 1958, after a stage of searching too learning, they finally settled inward Osogbo, they made the metropolis the pump of their private projects. Thus, Beier founded the famous Mbari Mbayo club, inward which he organized readings too fine art workshops, curated exhibitions, too initiated house performances.
Whereas Wenger made it her life chore to save too reshape the grove of the local guardian deity Osun alongside novel shrines too sculptures.The immediate occasion provided the status of the Osun grove. The traditional taboos on hunting too fishing were non enforced whatsoever longer. Farmers too businessmen had started to usage the grove for commercial purposes. In addition, a primary schoolhouse had been erected on an of import ritual site inward the grove. Last but non least, the most of import edifice inward the grove, the main Osun shrine, a modest mud edifice situated past times the river, showed clear signs of decay. White ants had begun to touching on the structures.
Osun devotee exhibiting his trunk painting
Public back upward to alter the province of affairs did non exist. Active membership inward the cult had declined considerably, too thus money to restore the shrine was non available. Against this background, the Osun cult officials turned to Wenger for help. The displace was a real pragmatic one. For the Osun cult officials, Wenger was seen as an attractive ally. Already familiar alongside Yoruba religion, Wenger became a fellow member of the Obatala cult too the Ogboni society. Since coming to Osogbo,her membership inward these 2 ritual institutions legitimately allowed her to bring together also the town’s little ritual community.
Right from the start, she developed an involvement inward the ritual landscape of Osogbo. Many of the shrines had already col-lapsed, yet their sites were soundless remembered, too some sacred functions were soundless carried out on them. For Wenger, they provided the chance to rebuild them according to her ain artistic ideas of traditional Yoruba religion. In fact,even earlier she started the Osun grove project, she had rebuilt an old shrine of her ain cult grouping along the outskirts of Osogbo. With its dynamic form, the final result differed from the plainly appearance of traditional Yoruba architecture.
Nevertheless, the ritual site had a proper structure. Coupled alongside the realization of Wenger’s status as an expatriate, too the importance of having access to the exterior world that this status offered, the Osun cult officials approached Wenger to inquire for aid inward the grove. Expectedly, the strategy worked. Wenger was able to gain financial back upward from the subdivision of antiquities inward Lagos too the piece of work began. Wenger’s commission was restricted to the eradication of the ants inward the Osun shrine past times the river. Soon after this was achieved, however,the piece of work extended to other parts of the grove. Together alongside a handful of local craftsmen, to a greater extent than oftentimes than non bricklayers too carpenters, Wenger started to build a mud wall decorated alongside relief images of of import religious too historical figures to protect the inner sanctum of the grove.
Next came the reshaping of the Osun shrine itself, followed past times the erection of a robust cement sculpture representing Osun right at the riverbank. The piece of work on the shrine led to farther projects inward other parts of the grove. In the course of study of time, this profusion of architectural too sculptural structures throughout the grove became known as “The New Sacred Art” (see Beier 1975); “Sacred” because all of the works were devoted to Yoruba deities; “New” because the bold too expressionistic vogue of the piece of work stood inward sudden contrast to the repose of traditional Yoruba sculpture; and“Art” because Wenger conceived of the projection as existence indebted to the creative heed of their producers.
Osun Oshogbo sculptural work
Wenger’s reshaping of the grove took seat at the same fourth dimension as Beier’s activities inward the Mbari Mbayo Club. Both Beier too Wenger shared the same perception too agreement of fine art as existence basically, a self-referential procedure brought forwards past times a single, autonomous mind, disentangled from the past. Yet both differed inward their approach to the stimulation of artistic expressions. While the so-called ‘Osogbo School,’ promoted past times Beier, had its roots quite deliberately exterior of what was seen as ‘tradition,’ Wenger concentrated her efforts inward creating a motion that was as embedded within it as good as transcending it.Given the political context of the time, alongside Nigeria having reached independence inward 1960, Osogbo became a synonym for the successful seek to the overcoming of the oppressive bonds of colonialism.
In fact, as Beier himself has remarked: “on the international scene credence too rejection were oftentimes determined past times political rather than artistic considerations” (2000: 48). Significantly, the first museum exhibiting the piece of work of the Osogbo artists inward Europe was the Naprstek Muzeum inward Prague, inward 1965. With the aid of paper too television, Osogbo also became celebrated inward the ‘West’ as well. More too to a greater extent than visitors came to Nigeria to witness too study almost the ‘rebirth’ of Yoruba fine art too culture.
For the actual representatives of this ‘rebirth,’ the gro-ing popularity of the town improved their situation. Artists such as Twins Seven Seven, Nike Davis, or Rufus Ogundele, who had come upward out of the fine art workshops organized past times Beier, shortly became portion of the global fine art world. The same held truthful for members of Wenger’s group. Some of the sometime helpers, similar Adebisi Akanji, were able to brand a career on their own. Others were less successful.Not promoted past times Wenger, they could either travel out the grouping or had to remain inward the lower ranks, doing mainly maintenance work.
From the 1980s onwards,however, the smash declined. Though the flow of the visitors coming to Osogbo remained unbroken, the marketplace for Osogbo fine art changed. The involvement of the national as good as international public shifted, too began to focus to a greater extent than on the Osun festival. As a result, the political processes inward Osogbo itself shifted as well; as the opening address of the Rex of Osogbo indicates, the realm of fine art soundless plays an of import factor for the communal identity of Osogbo. But at the same time, this identity has acquire to a greater extent than fragmented, making it to a greater extent than difficult to maintain a feel of communal coherence.
Marketing Osun
Both a result, as good as a medium, of this procedure is the Osun Festival Committee too the Osogbo Cultural Heritage Council. The duty of the 2 bodies is to organize the festival too render data stuff for the public. Both of the 2 bodies have got their offices at the palace. Membership overlaps, but is non identical. For example, patch the 2 leading ritual officials of the Osun cult are portion of the Festival Committee, they are non portion of the Heritage Council.The Festival Committee is the older of the 2 institutions. It was founded inward the mid-1970s. One of its founding members was Jimoh Buraimoh who has been on the commission ever since. Born inward Osogbo inward 1943, Buraimoh belongs to the first generation of the so-called Osogbo artists. Although he was unsuccessful inward reaching the inner circle of those promoted past times Beier too his colleagues, he ha sbecome the local icon of ‘Osogbo Art.’
The street he is living inward bears his name;the palace, the delineate of piece of work solid of assembly, as good as several private too fellowship houses inward Osogbo are decorated alongside his mosaics. He sits inward numerous clubs too committees, including the Rotary Club, the Osun Festival Committee, the Osogbo Cultural Heritage Council, the Progressive Union, too the Confederation of Professional Artists inward Osogbo of which he is the president. In addition, he carries the chieftaincy championship of asoju oba, signifying his status as leader of ane of the fourteen quarters Osogbo consists of. Last non least, Buraimoh is also a successful businessman. Sensing the growing tourist potential of the town too the international attending it received, he early on invested his money inward the edifice of a nightclub too hotel. Over the years, the delineate of piece of work concern kept flourishing too expanding.
As a result, both the hotel too the dark society have got non exclusively acquire a pop address for unusual tourists visiting Osogbo too the Osun festival,they represent, also, a favorite coming together seat for local politicians, bankers, too businessmen. As Buraimoh admits, he owed his nomination to the commission to the acquaint Rex of Osogbo, Matanmi III, who had been installed inward July 1976. In contrast to his predecessor, Matanmi had no intimate knowledge of the cult too the festival. He had been raised as a Muslim, too was working as an accountant inward Lagos when he ascended the throne. To gear upward a Festival Committee suited non exclusively the modern bureaucratic milieu he had been living in, it was also a way of exercising command over a realm he felt detached from. To attain this, he gathered a number of immature people closed to him whom he considered reliable. As a cousin of Matanmi, Jimoh Buraimoh was ane of them. Matanmi considered Buraimoh to live especially qualified for the piece of work of the committee. He was portion of the fine art movement, too knew the latest developments inward Osogbo much ameliorate than Matanmi. Right from the start, Wenger’s activities inward the grove had been met alongside resistance. Religious reasons were interwoven alongside economical ones. Being a commercial pump alongside lots of immigrants, Osogbo—like all Yoruba cities—was, too is upward to now, curt of land. Thus, farmers too businessmen had moved into the grove, thereby violating the pact the founder of Osogbo had made alongside the goddess. In monastic enjoin to foreclose farther damage, Wenger too her followers appealed to the state. The appeal was successful, too inward 1975, the Nigerian Government declared the Osun grove a National Monument, too obliged the Rex of Osogbo to oversee too behaviour the festival.
Osun Oshogbo traditional championship holder
The the world was officially measured, too signs were pose upward inward the wood forbidding farming, building, the hunting of animals,and tree felling. Although the protection the grove received nether its novel status of a national monument turned out to live effective, the conflicts did non stop;they only shifted from the grove to the festival.The main work right away became the important too significance of the festival.With the involvement of the Nigerian state, the importance of grove too the festival had been transferred from a local to a national framework, within which both institutions became objects of a policy that stressed the dignity too strength of Nigerian civilisation inward particular, too African civilisation inward general. The definitive climax of this evolution constituted the legendary International Festival of African Arts too Culture (FESTAC), held inward Lagos inward 1977.
Financed past times stone oil money, the FESTAC was a spectacle too political demonstration of a novel postcolonial self-esteem (Apter 1996). Its international success sparked off anew form of ethnic too religious tourism, alongside people of African ancestry com-ing to Nigeria to seek too revitalize their ethnic too cultural roots.In Osogbo itself, the evolution led to the formation of the Osogbo Cultural Heritage Council. Founded inward 1986, alongside Jimoh Buraimoh ane time again ane of its founding members—the official tasks of the Council were “to identify, fully revive too educate the historical monuments too activities into tourist attractions”(Osogbo Heritage Council 1986: 9). The economical enthusiasm was great.Thus, it was planned to erect kiosks, restaurants, parking spaces, too fifty-fifty an amusement commons inward too closed to the grove.
Adunni Olorisa (Susan Wenger), Osun`s greater devotee of Caucasian extraction
These processes of cultural reification too ‘objectivization’ that have got under-pinned the evolution of the grove too the festival could live understood to live a final result of the global forces of commercialization too secularization. The truth,however, is that both of these forces seemed to have got bypassed Osogbo. Tourism,the dream of the 1970s, turned out to live an illusion. The fame of Osogbo as a metropolis of arts has begun to dwindle, leaving exclusively the grove too festival as the main attractions. Certainly, the festival did acquire a global event, but the twelve days the festival lasts were non plenty to create a feasible tourist industry. Equally simulated is the secularization thesis. Rather than a decline of religion, Osogbo has seen an enormous increment of Christian churches too Islamic sects that have got acquire a serious threat to the religious pluralism too syncretism that characterized Yoruba society inward the past. Indeed, a religious polarization has laid in, with ardent Christians too Muslims rejecting the festival as an appear of paganism, too a rather diffuse bulk of the population embracing too sup-porting it as a symbol of belonging too local identity (Ogungbile 1999).Caught betwixt these 2 fractions, the Rex of Osogbo found himself inward a precarious situation. While representatives of the Islamic sects reminded him of his Muslim identity too urged him to closed downward the grove too forbid the festival, the king-makers too ritual officials of the Osun cult made it clear that the history of his office demanded his active participation inward the functioning of the rituals devoted to the goddess.
In monastic enjoin to counter the criticism on the side of the Muslims, King Matanmi too his personal consultants opted for a policy of enhancement too desacralization, past times which they tried to trim the religious content of the festival, too represented it as a social lawsuit too a festival of commemoration too remembrance. An indication of this are the publications of the heritage center. In the course of study of the finally 20 years, they have got shifted the frame of reference inward their public advertising of the festival. While inward the 1980s, the places the Council referred to inward its publications were religious centers similar “Mecca” too “Jerusalem,” from the 1990s on-wards, these places have got acquire to a greater extent than too to a greater extent than substituted by references to global amusement centers, similar “Las Vegas” or “Hollywood.”
The ritual maiden of Osun carrying Osun’s sacrificial wearing clothing during the Osun festival (Photo: Peter Probst 2002)
Osun devotees
Worshipers of the Osun goddess brand their way to the Osun Shrine inward Osogbo, Nigeria. Yeye Osun!!
. Osogbo lies on the railway delineate from Lagos to Kano. It is known for the Oshogbo School of Art too the Oja Oba Market building, said to live the sometime Oba's palace, within yards of the Osogbo Grand Mosque.
There are 2 palaces. The maiden of all is portion of the main Osun-Osogbo shrine. The minute palace is where Larooye moved to earlier the community established a novel small town exterior the grove. Both buildings are constructed of mud walls alongside tin roofs supported variously past times mud too carved wooden pillars. The 3 Ogboni buildings are constructed alongside sweeping roofs ascent high over the entrances too supported on a cluster of slender carved wooden posts.
Osun lady devotee posing at Osun Oshogbo Sacred grove
Osun grove was recognized past times UNESCO inward 2005 as a World Heritage Site too this has been linked to the consistencies that the festival has enjoyed over the years too the protection of the values of the grove past times the people.
Osun Oshogbo Sacred grove
According to Oluremi Funsho Adebayo, the co-coordinator of the National Museum, the argue why UNESCO recognized this site, inclusive of the festival is because of the authenticity that is involved. It is the exclusively festival that since 1370 AD has remained what it was originally despite modernity; at that topographic point has non been whatsoever adulteration; everything has been inward its original nation too all structures that were pose inward the seat that forms the foundation of Osun Oshogbo kingdom are soundless inward existence inward the grove.
Osun Oshogbo river Goddess grove
Osun Oshogbo festival has a 2 calendar week programme of events starting alongside the traditional cleansing of the town called “Iwopopo” followed past times the lighting of 500 years old 16 points light 3 days later, called “Olojomerindinlogun.” This is followed past times “Ibroriade,” which is the assemblage of the crowns of the past times ruler (Ataojas) for blessings too its existence led past times the Ataoja who is the ruler too votary maid (Arugba) propelled past times Yeye Osun, too a commission of priestesses. The Arugba bore the people age-long prayers to the grove inward a calabash of effigy which tin forcefulness out exclusively live carried past times a virgin, which signifies purity.
This festival, alongside its international status, has acquire a major tourist attraction. Observations over the years have got shown that the festive menstruum is almost the best fourth dimension to reckon the metropolis as people parade the streets inward their colours. The people appear forwards to it alongside groovy expectation too for the menstruum that it lasts, procession, dance, fine art exhibition, too colourful carnivals are major attractions of the Osun Oshogbo cultural festival.
The lawsuit over the years, has given residents too tourists the chance to recreate socially, culturally, as they re-enact ane of their renowned age-long spiritual too communal feast. Indeed the Osun Oshogbo has been too is ane of the most outstanding too preserved cultural practices of the diverse festivals inward Nigeria too Africa as a whole.
Osun devotees worshiping at Osun Sacred Grove
THE ORIGIN OF OSUN OSOGBO FESTIVAL
River Osun takes its source from Igede-Ekiti through Ilesha too the grove inward Osogbo. The Osun goddess established her kingdom there. Olaguna(1952:16) writes that many centuries agone when Oba larooye of iple omu, olutimeyin, a groovy hunter too their subjects migrated from ipole omu because of H2O scarcity they too so settle at the Osun groove where the goddess has established her kingdom. One day, as they were preparing the ground for the planting season, a tree savage across the river crushing many of Osun tools of trade.
Worshippers fetch H2O from the sacred Osun river during the Osun Osogbo festival, or the river goddess festival, inward Osogbo, upper-case alphabetic quality of southwest Nigeria's Osun State, on Aug. 23, 2013. Every August inward Osogbo, the festival presents an chance for the indigenes of Osogbo, their friends too well-wishers as good as fun-loving tourists to converge inward town for the yearly celebration. The festival has gained a global recognition to such an extent that the Osun Grove was enlisted as a world heritage site inward 2005. (Xinhua/Zhang Weiyi)
It is recorded that the goddess was at her:
Larooye olutimeyin, you have got destroyed all
gbogbo ikoko aro mi my dying pots
le ti fo tan she cried
The spirits within the grove pacified the goddess saying
“oso-igbo pele o, spirit of the wood nosotros plead,
Oso-igbo rora o, spirit of the wood live patient
Larooye too olutimehin were shocked because they don’t know how the goddess got to know their names. She sensed this, too later on advised them to displace to the upper portion of the river called OHUNTOTO to domicile. There oba larooye established some other palace as good as a thriving market. One day, olutimehin saw some spirit dancing circular a light alongside 16 receptacles, which he seized through incantation. When the goddess learnt of this, she made olutimehin too larooye hope to celebrates the lightening of the light annually, especially when the grand finale of the osun festival is nine days away.
Yoruba Osun devotee showing Osun Osogbo religious cult score on her face
She gave them a calabash containing antiquities alongside a alert that the contents must never live exposed to the naked eyes. She also decree that the calabash must live taken to the grove during the festival past times a virgin alongside filials to the reiginig kink, too who must live chosen past times the ifa. On the festival day, the Ataoja (king ) sits
on the dedicated stone of authorisation housed on the osun temple/shrine where he commune alongside the ancestors. Osun promised that if her instruction is carried out, she could pour a curative nitty-gritty into the river as shortly as she accepts the sacrifices from the Ataoja. Traditions which is becoming increasingly known inward scholarly
circles reveals that osogho had been founded as early on as Oduduwa period. Osogbo, the goddess of Osun river was the queen original founder of Osogbo.
According to Bier (1966:69) at that topographic point are some heroic roles of historical importance, rendered past times Osun goddess especially during the Fulani state of war of 1842. She was credited alongside many of import achievements, which helped to established the state. She possessed magical powers which inspired her too frightened her
enemies. Tradition acclaims her the goddess of fertility, protection too blessing. She possess the mightiness to give children (through birth) to the barren women too mightiness to heal the sick too the afflicted past times way of her medicinal H2O from the river. Osun according to the Yoruba cosmology, they believe that she is omnipresent too omnipotent. Her mightiness is represented inward some other Yoruba saying which reminds us that no ane is an enemy to H2O too therefore, every ane has demand of too should honour too revere Osun as good as her follower. The human relationship betwixt the osun Osoggo festival which has been celebrated for almost 6 hundred centuries.
Religious personnel select portion inward a ritual during the Osun Osogbo festival, or the river goddess festival, inward Osogbo, upper-case alphabetic quality of southwest Nigeria's Osun State
The Osun Osogbo festival has the early on history of the Osogbo people which is founded on mythical powers. The human relationship betwixt the people of Osogbo land, the Osun goddess too the festival is that annually the people of Osogbo comes together inward the minute calendar week of august inward worshiping too praising the osun goddess who have got been protecting their land. The Osun Osogbo festival which is celebrated inward august has create do to hold out the rigors of the 21st century too people hail it as ane of the most solid festival that celebrates too showcases the traditional African culture.
The festival that is held inward Osogbo an ancient metropolis inward the states of Osun attracts thousands of western tourists, too other parts of the world. The Osun metropolis has surprising facts such as having been governed past times belatedly Suzanne Wenger a white adult woman who was adopted into the metropolis when visiting the deity too was duly appointed a deity. She was renamed “Adunni olorisha oko upon taking her novel roles as the Osun administrator. Each twelvemonth a large festival is held inward honour of Osun goddess inward Osogbo. The called OSUN OSOGBO FESTIVAL, too is held past times the people of Osogbo to renew this betwixt the town too the goddess. Osun Osogbo festival serves the purpose of promoting too agreement cultural history inward contemporary times too serves as educational needs for students.
Worshippers of Osun goddess pray to the goddess too other spirits as they select H2O from the Osun river inward Osogbo, Nigeria
THE OSUN OSOGBO FESTIVAL.
The Osun Osogbo festival is an annual traditional festival that involves the entire people of Osogbo (king, traders, hunters, men, women, children, old too young).and the Osun goddess. The Osun Osogbo festival is an occasion of religious observance, inward which the people of Osogbo celebrates the significance of the river
goddess (Osun) too her mythical deeds. The festival is a twelve-day events that takes seat during the minute , 3rd too 4th calendar week of august. It commence too ends inward the palace of the Ataoja (king of Osogbo).
According to the data gathered from the “awise” of Osogbo the world (cheif yemi Eleburuibon), grooming for the Osun festival begins alongside ifa consultation. The consultation is done past times the master copy Babalawo, awise of Osogbo (Chief Yemi eleburuibon) inward the palace of the Ataoja. The Ifa consultation provides the specific appointment too particular sacrificial requirements for the year’s celebration. The specific Ifa consultation is restricted to the religious too political hierarchy of Osogbo too Osun worship. After the appointment has been chosen, the Ataoja’s representative of the goddess officially denote the chosen appointment too the requirements for the communal offering to Osun too the people of Osogbo. This marks the commencement of the festival.
The proclamation is presented as a formal lawsuit staged inward the centre of town situated at the Osogbo marketplace where the Osun shrine is located. In reaction to the announcement, the Iya ewe (mother of youths) trip the low-cal fantastic closed to the marketplace collecting token of wares from the marketplace women as a portion of their contribution to the ceremony. the festival officially begins alongside Popo (spiritual route clearing), which is the physical too ritual clearing of the pilgrimage route from the palace through Obaemu to the grove. This is the maiden of all major public lawsuit of the Osun festival. This is done past times the Ataoja, surrounded past times his wives, chiefs, attendants, musicians too guards. The majestic horn-blowers atomic number 82 the way through Osogbo announcing the approach of Ataoja alongside their instruments. The majestic political party walks downward the streets displaying the Opa-oba (staff of political too religious authorisation amidst dancing too singing).
Worshippers select portion inward the Osun Osogbo festival, or the river goddess festival, inward Osogbo, upper-case alphabetic quality of southwest Nigeria's Osun State
During this activity, local rulers as good as the full general public participate inward the opening celebration past times giving their contribution to the success of the festival inward price of money, foods, beverages e.t.c. also women who have got given nascence during the intervening twelvemonth betwixt festivals contribute to too participate inward the procession alongside their babies tied to their back.
These women pay homage to the Ataoja singing his praise too that of osun amidst dancing. Since the commencement of the festival, no reigning Ataoja died earlier the festival, but this finally year’s (2010) festival was the maiden of all which a reigning Ataoja volition croak earlier the annual festival. Late OBA IYIOLA OYEWALE MATANMI III, who reigned for 30 4 years too viii days on the throne earlier the finally festival. As the belatedly Ataoja was non at that topographic point to reckon the festival, the Ajagun of Osogbo the world master copy OPARANTI, who was the ‘Adele oba’ was the ane that perform the belatedly ‘Ataoja’ duty throughout the festival too takes over the throne until a novel Rex is selected. The second, third, 4th too 5th days of the festival witness the appearance of masquerades dedicated to their ancestors as good as Sango, the Yoruba’s deity of thunder.
The dark of the 6th twenty-four hours of the festival is dedicated to osanyin, a yoruba deity responsible for healing through the knowledge of the usage of herbs. On this occasion, a 16 dot light is lit using palm stone oil soaked inward cotton fiber wicks. The light is lit from vii inward the dark to vii inward the side past times side morning. The ataoja, his wives,
followers, traditional chiefs, ifa priest, osun devotees too the arugba (osun bowl carrier) would trip the low-cal fantastic circular the sixteen-point lamp(atupa oloju merindinlogun). Three times to the direction of a cross subdivision of the people of osogbo acquaint of the palace. After the dancing circular the light for the 3rd time, which should be
past times daybreak, the Rex dances to the marketplace too earlier he comes back, the 16 light should have got been pose off past times itself. The 7th twenty-four hours is dedicated to the ifa priest who dances circular osogbo town. The viii twenty-four hours includes acrobatic performances past times naming deities similar oya, ane of the wives of sango, whom osun was
inward skillful price alongside her. On the 9th day, the ataoja too his high chiefs pay complemen tto his in-law, inward a procession that leads from ane delineate of piece of work solid to the other. In a build upward toward the grand finale, the 10th witness the laying out of the crowns of the past times too acquaint ataoja of osogbo for a rededication to osun. This is called iboriade which takes seat at the palace where meetings are usually held. Here, the ataoja worships the crowds, beads, shoes, clothes e.t.c of his predecessors too forebears, making appeasement to osun on their behalf. The ataoja inward total submission to the gods is simply dressed on this day, without a crown.
Beautiful Yoruba missy from Osogbo. by Rainer Doost
The Rex volition too so pray for the town which is followed past times pouring of the libation past times the king. Honey, banana, adun, salt, bitter kola, oti adura, too so on are used for the prayer. The iya osun (osun priest) volition too so pour the divination kola, after which she pronounce the gods credence of the offering too the people present
volition reply saying praise to osun (iya yeye o). Then the king, master copy priest too priestess would prostrate earlier the crown as a salute to the majestic ancestors, as the occasion attempts to invoke the spirits of the ancestors of the ataoja to bestow blessings on the people of osogbo.
The ceremony ends alongside the citation of praise call of the town, the founders of osogbo, the past times ataojas, to the acquaint ataoja, past times the praise singers too drummers whom the Rex too the congregation offers some money as a sort of appreciation. The Rex too so departs alongside his wives dancing to the drum beats. The congregation leaves after after the be of the majestic family. The eleventh twenty-four hours is for the grooming of the grand finale which is the 12th day. The 12th twenty-four hours August 27th 2010, which is the grand finale of the osun festival, almost all the population of osogbo nether takes the procession into the sacred grove which begins at 9a.m. prior to this, the Ifa (oracle) would live consulted early on inward the morn inward the ataoja palace to foresee how the journeying to the grove would be, to inquire for precautions which the arugba (osun bowl carrier) should adhere to too ensure a polish too prophylactic journeying to the grove too dorsum to the palace, earlier leaving for the grove, the maiden of all assignment is to travel the ataoja to have his blessings, this serves as a signal that the ritual procession to the grove has begun after the blessings, the Rex also joins the procession.
A kid is raised over heads of worshippers during the Osun Osogbo festival, or the river goddess festival, inward Osogbo, upper-case alphabetic quality of southwest Nigeria's Osun State, on Aug. 23, 2013. Every August inward Osogbo, the festival presents an chance for the indigenes of Osogbo, their friends too well-wishers as good as fun-loving tourists to converge inward town for the yearly celebration. The festival has gained a global recognition to such an extent that the Osun Grove was enlisted as a world heritage site inward 2005. (Xinhua/Zhang Weiyi)
The Arugba moves from shrine to shrine to perform for sure rituals on her way to the grove. She is closely followed past times the osun devotees. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 grouping of immature boys alongside whip guides the arugba. The ataoja, his wives, high chiefs, too majestic children volition follow , too so the side past times side grouping is the babalawos (herbalists) led past times the master copy babalawo (Chief Yemi Eleburuibon). The finally grouping consist of men, women, journalists tourists, guests, performers, children too so on however, those who are told to attend the ceremony stays at domicile as the procession passes through the town to the grove. The procession moves dancing to the grove patch the arugba has 2 lumps of kolanut stalked into her cheeks to foreclose her from saying a word because she must non speak during the journey.the processors is accompanied alongside drumming too singing. On getting to the grove, the arugba is relieved of her burden, i.e the calabash is lifted off her caput patch she goes to ease inward the maiden of all palace. The Ataoja is too so taken into the temple (first palace) where he sits on the stone throne (which the maiden of all Ataoja sat on during his reign) to offering prayer to osun. He prays for the town, inquire for osun protection over every fellow member of the town.
The sacrifices is too so carried to the river past times the osun priest who too so gives it to the Ataoja who goes to the spiritual spot at the pump of the river where he would pray to the goddess too throw the contents of the bowl into the river. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 golden fish (IKO) too so comes out of the river too spits into the emptied bowl. In
reaction to this, the people imbibe the H2O inward the river, praying too asking osun to give them children, offered them protection, success, prosperity e.t.c. they too so brand vows which must live fulfilled too honoured. Some pose the H2O inward into bottles too kegs to live taken domicile to heal the sick. Then the Rex atomic number 82 the congregation to the ojubo shrine where he addresses the audience. After his address, the kings wives, the traditional chiefs, cultural groups, social clubs, majestic relations, progressive union, masquerades too all presents at the occasion takes plough inward paying homage to the king, departure masquerades, unlike cultural too social groups seek to out do ane some other inward their strategic display of happiness too to pay homage to the Rex too the Rex who inward plough bless them. the procession too so homecoming to the palace through the way they came, led past times the Arugba who carries the emptied bowl.
A dressed-up missy takes portion inward the Osun Osogbo festival, or the river goddess festival, inward Osogbo, upper-case alphabetic quality of southwest Nigeria's Osun State
They were welcomed alongside enthusiastic hails too shouts of joy from crowd on delineate of piece of work concern human relationship of their prophylactic journeying to the shrine too dorsum to the palace. The osun priest too priestess removes the bowl from the Arugbas caput patch she is sneaked away into the osun shrine inward the palace. Five twenty-four hours after the festival, a procession of osogbo people who includes women, youths, too children accompany past times osun devotees too Arugba trek into the osun shrine inward the sacred grove inward a joyous mood. They trip the low-cal fantastic to the osun shrine to give thank you lot osun for its protection too blessings too to fulfill the vows they made on the festival twenty-four hours to osun.
A kid that Osun delivered,according to devotee, after his baptism inward Osun river
During this ceremony, the Arugba is gorgeously dressed as against her ritual dressing during the actual festival too carries no calabash. Those whose prayer have got answered past times osun gives osun what they have got promised. The items brought are nutrient items similar moimoi, rice, eko, chicken, edible bean cakes, pounded yam, e.t.c which are carried to the river too scattered into the river.
Arugba carrying Osun calabash
The Arugba eats, relaxes, too jests alongside past times Arugbas within the maiden of all palace too after this every ane trip the low-cal fantastic dorsum to the palace too travel out for their diverse homes. The long preparations, the twelve-day ceremony of the osun osogbo festival comes to a benefiting-end. The people of osogbo sees osun osobgo festival as the way the inward which they tin forcefulness out appreciated, praise the osun deity who has been blessing, keeping too protecting their the world throughout the previous year.
Osun devotee`s beads
These festival serves as way of paying their vows to osun deity because the entire people of osogbo too some people who comes together to pay their vows as a way of appreciating what osun deity has done for them too their land. Some Eurocentric scholars too Europeans belief that African has neither history nor culture. The Eurocentric scholars beliefs that European culture, too that literature is primitive, too as such noting tin forcefulness out come upward out of African oral literature, but seeing the osun osogbo festival of osogbo land, its build too distorted their paradigm which they have got created almost African culture, that African is alongside or no civilisation too traditions. Osun Oshogbo festival builds the infinite too vacuum that indeed African is alongside many culture. Because at that topographic point are unlike people alongside unlike civilisation too traditions too practices inward African.
Worshippers select portion inward the Osun Osogbo festival, or the river goddess festival, inward Osogbo, upper-case alphabetic quality of southwest Nigeria's Osun State, on Aug. 23, 2013. Every August inward Osogbo, the festival presents an chance for the indigenes of Osogbo, their friends too well-wishers as good as fun-loving tourists to converge inward town for the yearly celebration. The festival has gained a global recognition to such an extent that the Osun Grove was enlisted as a world heritage site inward 2005. (Xinhua/Zhang Weiyi)
THE AESTHETICS IN THE OSUN OSOGBO FESTIVAL.
DRUMS
The unlike types of drums used during the annual osun osogbo festival ars bata, dundun, gangan, bembe, too ayan ( beaten past times the Ifa drummers). The drums tin forcefulness out live used to praise, abuse, or warn. Drums are powerful way of communication during the annual osun osogbo festival. It is the drums that announces the twenty-four hours of the festival.
A performer plays drum during the Osun Osogbo festival, or the river goddess festival, inward Osogbo, upper-case alphabetic quality of southwest Nigeria's Osun State
The drums are beaten to the praise of osun, the past times Ataoja, too the acquaint Ataoja during the annual festival. During the festival, the Aworo (osun preist) plays the dundun drums, patch the osun chanters accompany them alongside their chants too praise songs.The Ifa drummers invoke the spirit of osun too other orisa past times playing too so ayan drums. The festival drums are oftentimes beaten to the beat of the songs inward honour of osun such as the beating of a drum to the song. As the drums are beaten to the beat of these songs, the women, children too men laid about to trip the low-cal fantastic to the beat of the drum beat.
Afro-Brazilian delegation at Osun Oshogbo festival at Osun State,Nigeria
During the festival, the drums are also used to abuse too criticize the white organized faith i.e Islam too Christianity. The drums are beaten to the beat of the vocal which goes thus;
Nibo loni ngbe yeye mi si o (meaning) where did he say I should put
Nibo loni ngbe yeye mi si o my goddess
Enilawani-osi toni nwa se mole where did he say I should put
Nibo loni ngbe yeye mi si o my goddess
The human being alongside a horrible turban
Who asked me, to embrace
Islam, where did he say I should
Put my goddess
performer plays drum during the Osun Osogbo festival, or the river goddess festival, inward Osogbo, upper-case alphabetic quality of southwest Nigeria's Osun State
The festival drums are oftentimes beaten to the beat of the songs inward honour of osun
ijo omo la njo (meaning) we are dancing a kid rearing dance
Ijo omo la njo we are dancing a kid rearing dance
Kosi jo eleya lese wa we tin forcefulness out never trip the low-cal fantastic a shameless dance,
Ko si jo eleya lese wa but a trip the low-cal fantastic of kid rearers
Ijo omo lan jo
Generally, drums accompany songs to which the worshippers too public trip the low-cal fantastic to the drums are used during all the activities that brand upward the osun osogbo festival. The dancing circular the 16 dot light is accompanied alongside beating of drums. On the grand finale twenty-four hours of the celebration, the drums are beaten through the journeying from the palace to the grove too dorsum to the palace.
These drums beats says unlike things during the festival similar praising the Ataoja, the entire people of osogbo too the drums have got unlike types similar gangan, duru, bembe, bata, alongside unlike drummers. This songs teaches morals.
A performer dances during the Osun Osogbo festival, or the river goddess festival, inward Osogbo, upper-case alphabetic quality of southwest Nigeria's Osun State,
DANCE
During the Osun Osogbo festival, the Ataoja too his wives trip the low-cal fantastic to the drum beats. The Arugba dances during the walk from the palace to the grove too dorsum to the palace. The entire population of men, women too children also trip the low-cal fantastic to the grove.
Osun devotees trip the low-cal fantastic towards Osun-Oshogbo Sacred grove
The diverse religious too cultural groups acquaint trip the low-cal fantastic to the beat of the songs too drum beats. Dance is physical aspect of the festival, inward which both the performer too the people are involved. It is a physical participation inward the celebration as people trip the low-cal fantastic to the beat of the music. The trip the low-cal fantastic alongside unlike steps similar Bata dance, Atilogun trip the low-cal fantastic too so on
Osun devotee dancing at Osun Oshogbo festival
COSTUMES
Costumes brand the festival colourful. The celebration of Osun is apparent inward the array of colours. The Iya Osun too other Osun devotees, chanters too singers are dressed inward white attire, which symbolises purity too the authorisation of Osun.
Osun River goddess worshipers too their African pilus styles at the exactly concluded Osun Osogbo festival.
They also have got their pilus plaited inward styles that seat them as Osun worshippers. The king’s wives are dressed inward Aso-ofi too beads. They also have got their pilus plated, patch the Ata oja dresses inward Agbada made alongside Aso ofi. He also has beads closed to his cervix too wrists.
Osun River goddess worshipers too their African pilus styles at the exactly concluded Osun Osogbo festival.
He wears the ancestral crown, which he wears exclusively ane time inward a twelvemonth too that is on the grand finale twenty-four hours of the Osun festival, alongside the opa oba, which he has inward his hand. The Arugba (Osun bowl carrier) is dressed inward a white linen gown, covered alongside an upper golden aso ofi.
Osun River goddess worshipers too their African pilus styles at the exactly concluded Osun Osogbo festival.
She wears beautiful beads too has her human face beautifully made up. The bowl on her caput is also covered alongside carmine aran (suede).
Osun River goddess worshipers too their African pilus styles at the exactly concluded Osun Osogbo festival.
The unlike display of attires past times the unlike grouping too their unlike colours add together to the beauty of the festival. The unique impact of these attires is to present unlike groups alongside unlike functioning inward the festival.
Diasporan worshipers of Ifa at Oshogbo festival
MUSIC
During the Osun festival, musical instruments similar Agogo, Sekere too Seere are used. The Osun devotees as good as the entire public sing the praise of Osun. An instance of such ptaise vocal is:
Seleru agbo (meaning) brook H2O portion, pelting H2O portion
Agbara Agbo Is what osun uses to nuture her children
Osun tin woo 2d re ki dokita o tode. Before the arrival of medicines
Abimo ma dara’le a woman parent that nurses her novel born
Osun lan pe leegun born kid without heating the
House. Osun is the ane nosotros call
Masquerade.
The women present their beautiful voices past times chanting this Osun’s praise.Another praise inward honour of Osun , sung during the Osun festival goes thus:
Ekore yeye o (meaning) praise osun goddess
E kore yeye Osun praise osun goddess
Omi n live nibu osun goddess remain praise
Iya n live lodo osun medicinal H2O is reliable
Iya ye sa bami womo mi osun goddess volition soundless be inward the
Onile orun bami se temi river, woman parent delight select attention of
Awa o le ma b’osun children.
Onile orun, aid solve
Ko sihun tio sawa problems. We cant do withoutworshipping
Osun Omo olosun lawaje No evil tin forcefulness out befall us. We are children of osun.
Osun devotee asking for blessings from the River Goddess at Osun Oshogbo Sacred grove
The do goodness of this vocal to the vocaliser is to appreciate too praise Osun. The audience also sings these songs inward praising the Osun goddess too the goddess on hearing this, becomes real happy alongside the people of Osogbo. The devotees too worshippers sing the praises of Osun, inward monastic enjoin to honour too appreciate her presence inward their lives. During the festival, the praise call of the Rex of Osogbo town, Oba Laroye (the maiden of all Ataoja of Osogbo) too that of the belatedly oba Matanmi III are sung alongside the Adele Oba, Chief Oparanti are also sung Ataoja of Osogbo. The linguistic communication used is uncomplicated too easily understood past times the people acquaint at the
celebration. This adds to the aesthetics of the festival.
MAJOR ROLES TAKEN AT THE OSUN OSOGBO FESTIVAL.
The functioning of the osun festival involves the participation of the Ataoja (the Rex of osobgo), Arugba (osun bowl carrier), Aworo osun (osun priest),Iya osun (osun priestess) too the entire people of people of osogbo who human activeness the audience.
Osogbo Osun devotee kid alongside his pigeon for sacrifice to Osun deity
THE ATAOJA
The Ataoja is the traditional caput of osogbo too the representative of their ancestors. He has the concluding say inward all the traditional matters. The appointment of the festival is been chosen too announced past times the Ataoja. The osun osogbo festival cannot select seat or does non select seat without the Ataoja.
Ataoja of Oshogbo, Oba Iyiola Oyewale Matanmi III, is the electrical flow Rex of Oshogbo inward Osun State, Nigeria
THE IYA OSUN (OSUN PRIESTESS)
The Iya osun is the osun priestess. She is the ane inward accuse of the worship of the osun divinity everyday too at the festival period. She has the total knowledge of the undercover of osun too she speaks alongside osun. She ever sings the praise of osun
Osun priestess
THE ARUGBA OSUN (OSUN BOWL CARRIER)
The Arugba osun is a immature holy lady who gives upward the whole of her fourth dimension too unloose energy to the religious worship too service to osun.
Arugba Osun
Traditionally, she must live a spinster too a virgin too remain so until she attain the postal service for matrimony too she must live a missy of the majestic delineate of piece of work solid which is the ruling house. She is picked past times the Ifa oracle.
It is forbidden for the Arugba to hitting her human foot on the stone on her way, as this is a bad sign or omen for herself too the worshippers. This is the argue why the woman parent too relations of the Arugba do remain restless until the Arugba safely returns from the grove. The festival cannot select seat without the Arugba.
Arugba Osun
THE AWORO OSUN (OSUN PRIEST)
Every orisha inward Yorubaland has his or her ain priest. Aworo osun is the osun priest . He performs inward conjunction alongside Iya osun inward the worship of osun everyday too at the Annual osun festival. He knows what sacrifice is to live offered, how it should live offered too he knows what is necessary to live done to pleaseosun both inward fourth dimension of peace too trouble.
Osun priestess
Before whatsoever piece of work of fine art to live consummate too accepted as been aesthetically fulfilling, it must possess the elements discussed above. Therefore, since the osun osogbo festival possess these aesthetics chemical constituent nosotros tin forcefulness out say that the annual osun osogbo festival has the aesthetic experience whatsoever fine art would demand to brand it a
consummate piece of work of arts. And the elements discussed above, brand the festival colourful too appreciated.
Aworo Osun
THE AUDIENCE
The audience is the combination of the entire people of the Osogbo who are the indigenes, the journalists, tourist, foreigners, worshippers, researchers too everybody witnesses the functioning of the festival. The audience joins inward the singing of Osun praises, they trip the low-cal fantastic to the songs too drum beats.
They participate inward the lawsuit past times drinking the medicinal H2O too bathing themselves inward the river. They also pray to osun, too asking her to offering them protection, fertility. They select sacrificial items similar epo (palm oil), eko (solidified pap), moimoi (beans pudding), obi (kolanut) too so on.
Source:http://alayeogba.unilorin.edu.ng
KEEPING THE GODDESS ALIVE
Marketing Culture too Remembering the Past inward Osogbo, Nigeria
By Peter Probst
The Osun Osogbo Festival is ane of the most prominent cultural festivals inward Nigeria. It takes seat inward August every year, too begins alongside the securing of the infinite where the festival takes place. The goal is reached twelve days later, alongside a public sacrifice to the river goddess Osun at the Osun River.
Critics of the festival have got lamented almost the increasing folklorization of the event. Yet looking at the festival inward a historical perspective, such laments seem rather an appear of nostalgia than a justified point. Thus, already inward 1952, the American anthropologist, Schwab, observed “the introduction of a European type band march-ing downward to the river where the most of import portion of the Osun ritual occurs, playing ‘Way downward the Riverside’” as an instance of “the to a greater extent than colorful innovations” which had begun “a number of years ago” (Schwab 1952: 835).What too so is the Osun Osogbo Festival? Basically, it is a metropolis festival embody-ing too fostering what Olupona (2001), next Bellah (1970), has called a“civil religion” (Olupona 2001: 46).
As Olupona notes, civil religions render the framework past times which political entities are able to empathise their historical experience inward religious terms. In the instance of Osogbo, this historical experience is based upon the rituals too beliefs centered on Osun. Most oftentimes Osun is characterized as a H2O or fertility deity, but the notions associated alongside Osun are much wider, embracing as imageries of healing, femininity, motherhood, sexuality, wealth, wisdom, knowledge, beauty, art, too power. In fact, Osun has unlike identities, resulting from the diverse weather condition nether which people have got lent important to her. Consequently, the ideas too imageries of Osun inward Osogbo are unlike from those found inward other Yoruba towns, too the diverse places inward the Americas where Osun is as honored, as a final result of the bulk enslavement of Yoruba men too women inward the belatedly eighteenth too early on nineteenth century.
Even inward Osogbo, the conceptualization of Osun changed. The electrical flow fashioning of Osun as existence responsible for the advent of Osogbo as a pump for the fine arts is a final result of the changes that have got taken seat inward the mid-twentieth century.Nevertheless a number of core themes too elements tin forcefulness out live delineated. In the elaborate oral traditions attributed to Osun, she is explained as existence the exclusively woman soul divinity amidst the seventeen spiritual beings ane time sent past times the Supreme Creator spirit, Oludumare, to organize too send out the human inward habitation of the world.
In the course of study of this task, Osun moved from what was originally, a rather marginal role into the pump of importance. By her special woman soul qualities, she non exclusively linked upward alongside the other manly soul divinities,thereby acquiring fundamental knowledge similar that of divination, she also made her-self indispensable, inward that she provided—and soundless provides—the divinity of Obatala alongside the H2O that he uses to polish the clay alongside which he moulds the human beings. In other words, Osun controls H2O as the source of pro-creation, too the representation of the life giving regulation par excellence.Considering this crucial seat inward the Yoruba pantheon, Murphy’s too Sanford’s recent remark that Osun is related to the word orisun, important “the source of a river, a people, or of children” points to the profound political role of Osun (2001: 2).
Indeed, as Verger has noted, Osun is praised—among other ways—as the ane who “dances to select the crown without asking” (1959: 426).Given the political history of Osogbo, on the ane hand, too the Osun Osogbo Festival, on the other, it seems feasible that Osun was originally a fertility cult,practiced past times the autochthonous population, but too so turned into a cult of mightiness too kingship. At least, a number of ritual events taking seat inward the course of study of the festival signal that the latter was maybe transformed from an agricultural New Year's Day festival into a ritual of kingship, commemorating the foundation of the metropolis too legitimizing the authorisation of its ruler. Be that as it may, the seizing of mightiness too the taking over of rulership does constitute a prime number characteristic inward the narratives told almost the root of Osogbo.
According to these traditions, an Ijesa prince, Laroye, was the official founder of Osogbo.Together alongside a little grouping of people, he had left the hamlet of Ipole because of a shortage of water. When they came to Osogbo they discovered the Osun River. They tried to settle there, but the expanse was inhabited past times wizards. Laroye managed to defeat the wizards past times seizing a sixteen-point lamp, an human activeness that essentially paved the way for the establishment of Osogbo as an Ijesa settlement. It is because of this that Laroye too Osun, the river goddess, made a pactof mutual protection. Just as Laroye promised to protect the the world of Osun, the latter promised to protect Laroye too his people. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 real similar story is narrated almost Osun.
According to this tradition, the sixteen-point light is said to have got belonged to Osanyin, a Yoruba deity, responsible for herbs too healing. Osun, however, managed to defeat Osanyin, too made him portion of her divine kingdom. Taking these 2 traditions together, it seems as if the Ijesa cohort, nether Laroye, overtook the territory from the autochthonous population, too installed the cult of Osun as symbol of mightiness too rulership. Over time, the goddess developed into the most of import factor of integration of the town, too alongside the growing number of its adherents, her influence,political status, too mightiness increased.
A crucial role inward this context was played past times the Fulani wars inward the belatedly 1830s (see Gbadamosi 1978). Unlike Ilorin too Oyo, Osogbo was non sacked past times the Muslim forces, but succeeded inward fighting dorsum the aggressors. The defeat of the Fulani meant that the refugees who had left the part to seek shelter inward Osogbo remained inward the city. Their incorporation into the urban community took seat through Osun. To bind them to the majestic house,the Rex of Osogbo, existence as the master copy priest of the Osun cult, provided the refugee families alongside unmarried refractions of Osun, together alongside a seat within the Osun grove as a private seat of worship too sacrifice to these modest deities.
Though the victory over Fulani did non halt the expansion of Islam, Osun was able to maintain its integrative function. With the advent of Christianity, how-ever, the province of affairs changed. The first missionaries had arrived inward Yorubaland already inward the first one-half of the nineteenth century, but inward Osogbo, the impact of Christianity was effectively felt exclusively some fifty years later. Instead of multiple religious loyalties that characterized the procedure of Islamization inward Osogbo, the missionaries made it clear that at that topographic point is no choice to the gospel. Combined alongside the effects of an increasing control of British colonial rule, their efforts turned out to live successful, too inward the early on 1930s, roughly a hundred years after the Fulani war, the mission forced the Rex to surrender his office as the master copy priest of the Osun cult.
Orisa worship at Osun goddess presence
With the introduction of the aworo (today the manly soul counterpart of iya osun, the Osun priestess)a novel office was created whose incumbent right away took over the ritual duties of the Rex within the Osun cult, leaving the Rex mainly alongside representative functions. In other words, the “innovations” Schwab had observed during his fourth dimension of enquiry were already portion of an ongoing ritual transformation, whose dominant characteristic seems to have got been an increasing outwards orientation, produced too prompted past times the incorporation of the Osun cult into the colonial world too its authorities of meaning.
Osun Oshogbo sacred grove water
Osogbo Modern
In what Enwezor (2001: 10–16) has named “the curt century,” the processes of decolonization he refers to alongside his phrase found their most shrewd expressions oftentimes inward the field of arts.
Osogbo is commonly seen as having played a crucial role inward this “short century.” After all, it was inward Osogbo where the confrontation alongside modernism did final result inward an influential fine art movement, which explicitly attacked too contested the epistemic foundations of the colonial project.
Susanne Wenger too her colleague. The 94-year-old Austrian has lived inward Osogbo for 58 years too has acquire a high priestess of Osun.
Embodying this modernism, too thus real much inward the pump of the confrontation, were 2 expatriates, Ulli Beier too Susanne Wenger. Both had come upward to Nigeria inward 1950—Beier as a phonetics lecturer at the academy of Ibadan, too Wenger as an creative soul (see Ogundele 2003). Both had met the twelvemonth earlier inward Paris, where Wenger had gone inward search of novel inspirations inward her artistic work.
Osun devotees fetching holy H2O from Osun river
However, disappointed past times what she considered to live the too‘intellectual’ agreement of fine art past times her French colleagues, she accepted Beier’s offering to accompany him to Africa. Their ambitions were shaped past times a rejection of the politics too ideologies that they believed contributed to the onset of traditions that had led to World War II, too when they arrived inward Ibadan, both refused to conform to the expectations of the colonial establishment.
While Beier invested his energies into projects that aimed to ‘reanimate’African traditions of artistic expression, Wenger immersed herself inward traditional Yoruba religion. When, inward 1958, after a stage of searching too learning, they finally settled inward Osogbo, they made the metropolis the pump of their private projects. Thus, Beier founded the famous Mbari Mbayo club, inward which he organized readings too fine art workshops, curated exhibitions, too initiated house performances.
Osun River goddess worshipers too their African pilus styles at the exactly concluded Osun Osogbo festival.
Whereas Wenger made it her life chore to save too reshape the grove of the local guardian deity Osun alongside novel shrines too sculptures.The immediate occasion provided the status of the Osun grove. The traditional taboos on hunting too fishing were non enforced whatsoever longer. Farmers too businessmen had started to usage the grove for commercial purposes. In addition, a primary schoolhouse had been erected on an of import ritual site inward the grove. Last but non least, the most of import edifice inward the grove, the main Osun shrine, a modest mud edifice situated past times the river, showed clear signs of decay. White ants had begun to touching on the structures.
Osun devotee exhibiting his trunk painting
Public back upward to alter the province of affairs did non exist. Active membership inward the cult had declined considerably, too thus money to restore the shrine was non available. Against this background, the Osun cult officials turned to Wenger for help. The displace was a real pragmatic one. For the Osun cult officials, Wenger was seen as an attractive ally. Already familiar alongside Yoruba religion, Wenger became a fellow member of the Obatala cult too the Ogboni society. Since coming to Osogbo,her membership inward these 2 ritual institutions legitimately allowed her to bring together also the town’s little ritual community.
Right from the start, she developed an involvement inward the ritual landscape of Osogbo. Many of the shrines had already col-lapsed, yet their sites were soundless remembered, too some sacred functions were soundless carried out on them. For Wenger, they provided the chance to rebuild them according to her ain artistic ideas of traditional Yoruba religion. In fact,even earlier she started the Osun grove project, she had rebuilt an old shrine of her ain cult grouping along the outskirts of Osogbo. With its dynamic form, the final result differed from the plainly appearance of traditional Yoruba architecture.
Nevertheless, the ritual site had a proper structure. Coupled alongside the realization of Wenger’s status as an expatriate, too the importance of having access to the exterior world that this status offered, the Osun cult officials approached Wenger to inquire for aid inward the grove. Expectedly, the strategy worked. Wenger was able to gain financial back upward from the subdivision of antiquities inward Lagos too the piece of work began. Wenger’s commission was restricted to the eradication of the ants inward the Osun shrine past times the river. Soon after this was achieved, however,the piece of work extended to other parts of the grove. Together alongside a handful of local craftsmen, to a greater extent than oftentimes than non bricklayers too carpenters, Wenger started to build a mud wall decorated alongside relief images of of import religious too historical figures to protect the inner sanctum of the grove.
Iya osun
Next came the reshaping of the Osun shrine itself, followed past times the erection of a robust cement sculpture representing Osun right at the riverbank. The piece of work on the shrine led to farther projects inward other parts of the grove. In the course of study of time, this profusion of architectural too sculptural structures throughout the grove became known as “The New Sacred Art” (see Beier 1975); “Sacred” because all of the works were devoted to Yoruba deities; “New” because the bold too expressionistic vogue of the piece of work stood inward sudden contrast to the repose of traditional Yoruba sculpture; and“Art” because Wenger conceived of the projection as existence indebted to the creative heed of their producers.
Osun Oshogbo sculptural work
Wenger’s reshaping of the grove took seat at the same fourth dimension as Beier’s activities inward the Mbari Mbayo Club. Both Beier too Wenger shared the same perception too agreement of fine art as existence basically, a self-referential procedure brought forwards past times a single, autonomous mind, disentangled from the past. Yet both differed inward their approach to the stimulation of artistic expressions. While the so-called ‘Osogbo School,’ promoted past times Beier, had its roots quite deliberately exterior of what was seen as ‘tradition,’ Wenger concentrated her efforts inward creating a motion that was as embedded within it as good as transcending it.Given the political context of the time, alongside Nigeria having reached independence inward 1960, Osogbo became a synonym for the successful seek to the overcoming of the oppressive bonds of colonialism.
In fact, as Beier himself has remarked: “on the international scene credence too rejection were oftentimes determined past times political rather than artistic considerations” (2000: 48). Significantly, the first museum exhibiting the piece of work of the Osogbo artists inward Europe was the Naprstek Muzeum inward Prague, inward 1965. With the aid of paper too television, Osogbo also became celebrated inward the ‘West’ as well. More too to a greater extent than visitors came to Nigeria to witness too study almost the ‘rebirth’ of Yoruba fine art too culture.
Ulli Beier, Susanne Wenger `s sometime husband.
For the actual representatives of this ‘rebirth,’ the gro-ing popularity of the town improved their situation. Artists such as Twins Seven Seven, Nike Davis, or Rufus Ogundele, who had come upward out of the fine art workshops organized past times Beier, shortly became portion of the global fine art world. The same held truthful for members of Wenger’s group. Some of the sometime helpers, similar Adebisi Akanji, were able to brand a career on their own. Others were less successful.Not promoted past times Wenger, they could either travel out the grouping or had to remain inward the lower ranks, doing mainly maintenance work.
From the 1980s onwards,however, the smash declined. Though the flow of the visitors coming to Osogbo remained unbroken, the marketplace for Osogbo fine art changed. The involvement of the national as good as international public shifted, too began to focus to a greater extent than on the Osun festival. As a result, the political processes inward Osogbo itself shifted as well; as the opening address of the Rex of Osogbo indicates, the realm of fine art soundless plays an of import factor for the communal identity of Osogbo. But at the same time, this identity has acquire to a greater extent than fragmented, making it to a greater extent than difficult to maintain a feel of communal coherence.
Marketing Osun
Both a result, as good as a medium, of this procedure is the Osun Festival Committee too the Osogbo Cultural Heritage Council. The duty of the 2 bodies is to organize the festival too render data stuff for the public. Both of the 2 bodies have got their offices at the palace. Membership overlaps, but is non identical. For example, patch the 2 leading ritual officials of the Osun cult are portion of the Festival Committee, they are non portion of the Heritage Council.The Festival Committee is the older of the 2 institutions. It was founded inward the mid-1970s. One of its founding members was Jimoh Buraimoh who has been on the commission ever since. Born inward Osogbo inward 1943, Buraimoh belongs to the first generation of the so-called Osogbo artists. Although he was unsuccessful inward reaching the inner circle of those promoted past times Beier too his colleagues, he ha sbecome the local icon of ‘Osogbo Art.’
The Ataoja of Oshogbo, Oba Iyiola Oyewale Matanmi III, is the electrical flow Rex of Oshogbo inward Osun State, Nigeria
Iya Osun
As a result, both the hotel too the dark society have got non exclusively acquire a pop address for unusual tourists visiting Osogbo too the Osun festival,they represent, also, a favorite coming together seat for local politicians, bankers, too businessmen. As Buraimoh admits, he owed his nomination to the commission to the acquaint Rex of Osogbo, Matanmi III, who had been installed inward July 1976. In contrast to his predecessor, Matanmi had no intimate knowledge of the cult too the festival. He had been raised as a Muslim, too was working as an accountant inward Lagos when he ascended the throne. To gear upward a Festival Committee suited non exclusively the modern bureaucratic milieu he had been living in, it was also a way of exercising command over a realm he felt detached from. To attain this, he gathered a number of immature people closed to him whom he considered reliable. As a cousin of Matanmi, Jimoh Buraimoh was ane of them. Matanmi considered Buraimoh to live especially qualified for the piece of work of the committee. He was portion of the fine art movement, too knew the latest developments inward Osogbo much ameliorate than Matanmi. Right from the start, Wenger’s activities inward the grove had been met alongside resistance. Religious reasons were interwoven alongside economical ones. Being a commercial pump alongside lots of immigrants, Osogbo—like all Yoruba cities—was, too is upward to now, curt of land. Thus, farmers too businessmen had moved into the grove, thereby violating the pact the founder of Osogbo had made alongside the goddess. In monastic enjoin to foreclose farther damage, Wenger too her followers appealed to the state. The appeal was successful, too inward 1975, the Nigerian Government declared the Osun grove a National Monument, too obliged the Rex of Osogbo to oversee too behaviour the festival.
Osun Oshogbo traditional championship holder
The the world was officially measured, too signs were pose upward inward the wood forbidding farming, building, the hunting of animals,and tree felling. Although the protection the grove received nether its novel status of a national monument turned out to live effective, the conflicts did non stop;they only shifted from the grove to the festival.The main work right away became the important too significance of the festival.With the involvement of the Nigerian state, the importance of grove too the festival had been transferred from a local to a national framework, within which both institutions became objects of a policy that stressed the dignity too strength of Nigerian civilisation inward particular, too African civilisation inward general. The definitive climax of this evolution constituted the legendary International Festival of African Arts too Culture (FESTAC), held inward Lagos inward 1977.
Financed past times stone oil money, the FESTAC was a spectacle too political demonstration of a novel postcolonial self-esteem (Apter 1996). Its international success sparked off anew form of ethnic too religious tourism, alongside people of African ancestry com-ing to Nigeria to seek too revitalize their ethnic too cultural roots.In Osogbo itself, the evolution led to the formation of the Osogbo Cultural Heritage Council. Founded inward 1986, alongside Jimoh Buraimoh ane time again ane of its founding members—the official tasks of the Council were “to identify, fully revive too educate the historical monuments too activities into tourist attractions”(Osogbo Heritage Council 1986: 9). The economical enthusiasm was great.Thus, it was planned to erect kiosks, restaurants, parking spaces, too fifty-fifty an amusement commons inward too closed to the grove.
Adunni Olorisa (Susan Wenger), Osun`s greater devotee of Caucasian extraction
These processes of cultural reification too ‘objectivization’ that have got under-pinned the evolution of the grove too the festival could live understood to live a final result of the global forces of commercialization too secularization. The truth,however, is that both of these forces seemed to have got bypassed Osogbo. Tourism,the dream of the 1970s, turned out to live an illusion. The fame of Osogbo as a metropolis of arts has begun to dwindle, leaving exclusively the grove too festival as the main attractions. Certainly, the festival did acquire a global event, but the twelve days the festival lasts were non plenty to create a feasible tourist industry. Equally simulated is the secularization thesis. Rather than a decline of religion, Osogbo has seen an enormous increment of Christian churches too Islamic sects that have got acquire a serious threat to the religious pluralism too syncretism that characterized Yoruba society inward the past. Indeed, a religious polarization has laid in, with ardent Christians too Muslims rejecting the festival as an appear of paganism, too a rather diffuse bulk of the population embracing too sup-porting it as a symbol of belonging too local identity (Ogungbile 1999).Caught betwixt these 2 fractions, the Rex of Osogbo found himself inward a precarious situation. While representatives of the Islamic sects reminded him of his Muslim identity too urged him to closed downward the grove too forbid the festival, the king-makers too ritual officials of the Osun cult made it clear that the history of his office demanded his active participation inward the functioning of the rituals devoted to the goddess.
Osun devotees
In monastic enjoin to counter the criticism on the side of the Muslims, King Matanmi too his personal consultants opted for a policy of enhancement too desacralization, past times which they tried to trim the religious content of the festival, too represented it as a social lawsuit too a festival of commemoration too remembrance. An indication of this are the publications of the heritage center. In the course of study of the finally 20 years, they have got shifted the frame of reference inward their public advertising of the festival. While inward the 1980s, the places the Council referred to inward its publications were religious centers similar “Mecca” too “Jerusalem,” from the 1990s on-wards, these places have got acquire to a greater extent than too to a greater extent than substituted by references to global amusement centers, similar “Las Vegas” or “Hollywood.”
The ritual maiden of Osun carrying Osun’s sacrificial wearing clothing during the Osun festival (Photo: Peter Probst 2002)
The policy was made quite explicit inward 1993 when, inward his opening phonation communication of the Osun festival, Matanmi III declared: “Osun Osogbo Festival is a festival. That isall. It is the celebration of the nascence of Osogbo too the remembrance of the events that led to the founding of the town. The occasion is an seek on our portion to appear dorsum into the life our forefathers which nosotros tin forcefulness out soundless appreciate too hope to paw over to generations after us. It is non organized faith per se but a remembrance festival” (Osogbo Heritage Council 1993: 2)The bluntness of this disceptation caused an outcry of protestation inward Osogbo.
There are 2 palaces. The maiden of all is portion of the main Osun-Osogbo shrine. The minute palace is where Larooye moved to earlier the community established a novel small town exterior the grove. Both buildings are constructed of mud walls alongside tin roofs supported variously past times mud too carved wooden pillars. The 3 Ogboni buildings are constructed alongside sweeping roofs ascent high over the entrances too supported on a cluster of slender carved wooden posts.
Osun lady devotee posing at Osun Oshogbo Sacred grove
Osun grove was recognized past times UNESCO inward 2005 as a World Heritage Site too this has been linked to the consistencies that the festival has enjoyed over the years too the protection of the values of the grove past times the people.
Osun Oshogbo Sacred grove
According to Oluremi Funsho Adebayo, the co-coordinator of the National Museum, the argue why UNESCO recognized this site, inclusive of the festival is because of the authenticity that is involved. It is the exclusively festival that since 1370 AD has remained what it was originally despite modernity; at that topographic point has non been whatsoever adulteration; everything has been inward its original nation too all structures that were pose inward the seat that forms the foundation of Osun Oshogbo kingdom are soundless inward existence inward the grove.
Osun Oshogbo river Goddess grove
Osun Oshogbo festival has a 2 calendar week programme of events starting alongside the traditional cleansing of the town called “Iwopopo” followed past times the lighting of 500 years old 16 points light 3 days later, called “Olojomerindinlogun.” This is followed past times “Ibroriade,” which is the assemblage of the crowns of the past times ruler (Ataojas) for blessings too its existence led past times the Ataoja who is the ruler too votary maid (Arugba) propelled past times Yeye Osun, too a commission of priestesses. The Arugba bore the people age-long prayers to the grove inward a calabash of effigy which tin forcefulness out exclusively live carried past times a virgin, which signifies purity.
This festival, alongside its international status, has acquire a major tourist attraction. Observations over the years have got shown that the festive menstruum is almost the best fourth dimension to reckon the metropolis as people parade the streets inward their colours. The people appear forwards to it alongside groovy expectation too for the menstruum that it lasts, procession, dance, fine art exhibition, too colourful carnivals are major attractions of the Osun Oshogbo cultural festival.
The lawsuit over the years, has given residents too tourists the chance to recreate socially, culturally, as they re-enact ane of their renowned age-long spiritual too communal feast. Indeed the Osun Oshogbo has been too is ane of the most outstanding too preserved cultural practices of the diverse festivals inward Nigeria too Africa as a whole.
Osun devotees worshiping at Osun Sacred Grove
THE ORIGIN OF OSUN OSOGBO FESTIVAL
River Osun takes its source from Igede-Ekiti through Ilesha too the grove inward Osogbo. The Osun goddess established her kingdom there. Olaguna(1952:16) writes that many centuries agone when Oba larooye of iple omu, olutimeyin, a groovy hunter too their subjects migrated from ipole omu because of H2O scarcity they too so settle at the Osun groove where the goddess has established her kingdom. One day, as they were preparing the ground for the planting season, a tree savage across the river crushing many of Osun tools of trade.
Worshippers fetch H2O from the sacred Osun river during the Osun Osogbo festival, or the river goddess festival, inward Osogbo, upper-case alphabetic quality of southwest Nigeria's Osun State, on Aug. 23, 2013. Every August inward Osogbo, the festival presents an chance for the indigenes of Osogbo, their friends too well-wishers as good as fun-loving tourists to converge inward town for the yearly celebration. The festival has gained a global recognition to such an extent that the Osun Grove was enlisted as a world heritage site inward 2005. (Xinhua/Zhang Weiyi)
It is recorded that the goddess was at her:
Larooye olutimeyin, you have got destroyed all
gbogbo ikoko aro mi my dying pots
le ti fo tan she cried
The spirits within the grove pacified the goddess saying
“oso-igbo pele o, spirit of the wood nosotros plead,
Oso-igbo rora o, spirit of the wood live patient
Larooye too olutimehin were shocked because they don’t know how the goddess got to know their names. She sensed this, too later on advised them to displace to the upper portion of the river called OHUNTOTO to domicile. There oba larooye established some other palace as good as a thriving market. One day, olutimehin saw some spirit dancing circular a light alongside 16 receptacles, which he seized through incantation. When the goddess learnt of this, she made olutimehin too larooye hope to celebrates the lightening of the light annually, especially when the grand finale of the osun festival is nine days away.
Yoruba Osun devotee showing Osun Osogbo religious cult score on her face
She gave them a calabash containing antiquities alongside a alert that the contents must never live exposed to the naked eyes. She also decree that the calabash must live taken to the grove during the festival past times a virgin alongside filials to the reiginig kink, too who must live chosen past times the ifa. On the festival day, the Ataoja (king ) sits
on the dedicated stone of authorisation housed on the osun temple/shrine where he commune alongside the ancestors. Osun promised that if her instruction is carried out, she could pour a curative nitty-gritty into the river as shortly as she accepts the sacrifices from the Ataoja. Traditions which is becoming increasingly known inward scholarly
circles reveals that osogho had been founded as early on as Oduduwa period. Osogbo, the goddess of Osun river was the queen original founder of Osogbo.
According to Bier (1966:69) at that topographic point are some heroic roles of historical importance, rendered past times Osun goddess especially during the Fulani state of war of 1842. She was credited alongside many of import achievements, which helped to established the state. She possessed magical powers which inspired her too frightened her
enemies. Tradition acclaims her the goddess of fertility, protection too blessing. She possess the mightiness to give children (through birth) to the barren women too mightiness to heal the sick too the afflicted past times way of her medicinal H2O from the river. Osun according to the Yoruba cosmology, they believe that she is omnipresent too omnipotent. Her mightiness is represented inward some other Yoruba saying which reminds us that no ane is an enemy to H2O too therefore, every ane has demand of too should honour too revere Osun as good as her follower. The human relationship betwixt the osun Osoggo festival which has been celebrated for almost 6 hundred centuries.
The Osun Osogbo festival has the early on history of the Osogbo people which is founded on mythical powers. The human relationship betwixt the people of Osogbo land, the Osun goddess too the festival is that annually the people of Osogbo comes together inward the minute calendar week of august inward worshiping too praising the osun goddess who have got been protecting their land. The Osun Osogbo festival which is celebrated inward august has create do to hold out the rigors of the 21st century too people hail it as ane of the most solid festival that celebrates too showcases the traditional African culture.
The festival that is held inward Osogbo an ancient metropolis inward the states of Osun attracts thousands of western tourists, too other parts of the world. The Osun metropolis has surprising facts such as having been governed past times belatedly Suzanne Wenger a white adult woman who was adopted into the metropolis when visiting the deity too was duly appointed a deity. She was renamed “Adunni olorisha oko upon taking her novel roles as the Osun administrator. Each twelvemonth a large festival is held inward honour of Osun goddess inward Osogbo. The called OSUN OSOGBO FESTIVAL, too is held past times the people of Osogbo to renew this betwixt the town too the goddess. Osun Osogbo festival serves the purpose of promoting too agreement cultural history inward contemporary times too serves as educational needs for students.
THE OSUN OSOGBO FESTIVAL.
The Osun Osogbo festival is an annual traditional festival that involves the entire people of Osogbo (king, traders, hunters, men, women, children, old too young).and the Osun goddess. The Osun Osogbo festival is an occasion of religious observance, inward which the people of Osogbo celebrates the significance of the river
goddess (Osun) too her mythical deeds. The festival is a twelve-day events that takes seat during the minute , 3rd too 4th calendar week of august. It commence too ends inward the palace of the Ataoja (king of Osogbo).
According to the data gathered from the “awise” of Osogbo the world (cheif yemi Eleburuibon), grooming for the Osun festival begins alongside ifa consultation. The consultation is done past times the master copy Babalawo, awise of Osogbo (Chief Yemi eleburuibon) inward the palace of the Ataoja. The Ifa consultation provides the specific appointment too particular sacrificial requirements for the year’s celebration. The specific Ifa consultation is restricted to the religious too political hierarchy of Osogbo too Osun worship. After the appointment has been chosen, the Ataoja’s representative of the goddess officially denote the chosen appointment too the requirements for the communal offering to Osun too the people of Osogbo. This marks the commencement of the festival.
The proclamation is presented as a formal lawsuit staged inward the centre of town situated at the Osogbo marketplace where the Osun shrine is located. In reaction to the announcement, the Iya ewe (mother of youths) trip the low-cal fantastic closed to the marketplace collecting token of wares from the marketplace women as a portion of their contribution to the ceremony. the festival officially begins alongside Popo (spiritual route clearing), which is the physical too ritual clearing of the pilgrimage route from the palace through Obaemu to the grove. This is the maiden of all major public lawsuit of the Osun festival. This is done past times the Ataoja, surrounded past times his wives, chiefs, attendants, musicians too guards. The majestic horn-blowers atomic number 82 the way through Osogbo announcing the approach of Ataoja alongside their instruments. The majestic political party walks downward the streets displaying the Opa-oba (staff of political too religious authorisation amidst dancing too singing).
Worshippers select portion inward the Osun Osogbo festival, or the river goddess festival, inward Osogbo, upper-case alphabetic quality of southwest Nigeria's Osun State
During this activity, local rulers as good as the full general public participate inward the opening celebration past times giving their contribution to the success of the festival inward price of money, foods, beverages e.t.c. also women who have got given nascence during the intervening twelvemonth betwixt festivals contribute to too participate inward the procession alongside their babies tied to their back.
These women pay homage to the Ataoja singing his praise too that of osun amidst dancing. Since the commencement of the festival, no reigning Ataoja died earlier the festival, but this finally year’s (2010) festival was the maiden of all which a reigning Ataoja volition croak earlier the annual festival. Late OBA IYIOLA OYEWALE MATANMI III, who reigned for 30 4 years too viii days on the throne earlier the finally festival. As the belatedly Ataoja was non at that topographic point to reckon the festival, the Ajagun of Osogbo the world master copy OPARANTI, who was the ‘Adele oba’ was the ane that perform the belatedly ‘Ataoja’ duty throughout the festival too takes over the throne until a novel Rex is selected. The second, third, 4th too 5th days of the festival witness the appearance of masquerades dedicated to their ancestors as good as Sango, the Yoruba’s deity of thunder.
The dark of the 6th twenty-four hours of the festival is dedicated to osanyin, a yoruba deity responsible for healing through the knowledge of the usage of herbs. On this occasion, a 16 dot light is lit using palm stone oil soaked inward cotton fiber wicks. The light is lit from vii inward the dark to vii inward the side past times side morning. The ataoja, his wives,
followers, traditional chiefs, ifa priest, osun devotees too the arugba (osun bowl carrier) would trip the low-cal fantastic circular the sixteen-point lamp(atupa oloju merindinlogun). Three times to the direction of a cross subdivision of the people of osogbo acquaint of the palace. After the dancing circular the light for the 3rd time, which should be
past times daybreak, the Rex dances to the marketplace too earlier he comes back, the 16 light should have got been pose off past times itself. The 7th twenty-four hours is dedicated to the ifa priest who dances circular osogbo town. The viii twenty-four hours includes acrobatic performances past times naming deities similar oya, ane of the wives of sango, whom osun was
inward skillful price alongside her. On the 9th day, the ataoja too his high chiefs pay complemen tto his in-law, inward a procession that leads from ane delineate of piece of work solid to the other. In a build upward toward the grand finale, the 10th witness the laying out of the crowns of the past times too acquaint ataoja of osogbo for a rededication to osun. This is called iboriade which takes seat at the palace where meetings are usually held. Here, the ataoja worships the crowds, beads, shoes, clothes e.t.c of his predecessors too forebears, making appeasement to osun on their behalf. The ataoja inward total submission to the gods is simply dressed on this day, without a crown.
Beautiful Yoruba missy from Osogbo. by Rainer Doost
The Rex volition too so pray for the town which is followed past times pouring of the libation past times the king. Honey, banana, adun, salt, bitter kola, oti adura, too so on are used for the prayer. The iya osun (osun priest) volition too so pour the divination kola, after which she pronounce the gods credence of the offering too the people present
volition reply saying praise to osun (iya yeye o). Then the king, master copy priest too priestess would prostrate earlier the crown as a salute to the majestic ancestors, as the occasion attempts to invoke the spirits of the ancestors of the ataoja to bestow blessings on the people of osogbo.
The ceremony ends alongside the citation of praise call of the town, the founders of osogbo, the past times ataojas, to the acquaint ataoja, past times the praise singers too drummers whom the Rex too the congregation offers some money as a sort of appreciation. The Rex too so departs alongside his wives dancing to the drum beats. The congregation leaves after after the be of the majestic family. The eleventh twenty-four hours is for the grooming of the grand finale which is the 12th day. The 12th twenty-four hours August 27th 2010, which is the grand finale of the osun festival, almost all the population of osogbo nether takes the procession into the sacred grove which begins at 9a.m. prior to this, the Ifa (oracle) would live consulted early on inward the morn inward the ataoja palace to foresee how the journeying to the grove would be, to inquire for precautions which the arugba (osun bowl carrier) should adhere to too ensure a polish too prophylactic journeying to the grove too dorsum to the palace, earlier leaving for the grove, the maiden of all assignment is to travel the ataoja to have his blessings, this serves as a signal that the ritual procession to the grove has begun after the blessings, the Rex also joins the procession.
A kid is raised over heads of worshippers during the Osun Osogbo festival, or the river goddess festival, inward Osogbo, upper-case alphabetic quality of southwest Nigeria's Osun State, on Aug. 23, 2013. Every August inward Osogbo, the festival presents an chance for the indigenes of Osogbo, their friends too well-wishers as good as fun-loving tourists to converge inward town for the yearly celebration. The festival has gained a global recognition to such an extent that the Osun Grove was enlisted as a world heritage site inward 2005. (Xinhua/Zhang Weiyi)
The Arugba moves from shrine to shrine to perform for sure rituals on her way to the grove. She is closely followed past times the osun devotees. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 grouping of immature boys alongside whip guides the arugba. The ataoja, his wives, high chiefs, too majestic children volition follow , too so the side past times side grouping is the babalawos (herbalists) led past times the master copy babalawo (Chief Yemi Eleburuibon). The finally grouping consist of men, women, journalists tourists, guests, performers, children too so on however, those who are told to attend the ceremony stays at domicile as the procession passes through the town to the grove. The procession moves dancing to the grove patch the arugba has 2 lumps of kolanut stalked into her cheeks to foreclose her from saying a word because she must non speak during the journey.the processors is accompanied alongside drumming too singing. On getting to the grove, the arugba is relieved of her burden, i.e the calabash is lifted off her caput patch she goes to ease inward the maiden of all palace. The Ataoja is too so taken into the temple (first palace) where he sits on the stone throne (which the maiden of all Ataoja sat on during his reign) to offering prayer to osun. He prays for the town, inquire for osun protection over every fellow member of the town.
The sacrifices is too so carried to the river past times the osun priest who too so gives it to the Ataoja who goes to the spiritual spot at the pump of the river where he would pray to the goddess too throw the contents of the bowl into the river. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 golden fish (IKO) too so comes out of the river too spits into the emptied bowl. In
reaction to this, the people imbibe the H2O inward the river, praying too asking osun to give them children, offered them protection, success, prosperity e.t.c. they too so brand vows which must live fulfilled too honoured. Some pose the H2O inward into bottles too kegs to live taken domicile to heal the sick. Then the Rex atomic number 82 the congregation to the ojubo shrine where he addresses the audience. After his address, the kings wives, the traditional chiefs, cultural groups, social clubs, majestic relations, progressive union, masquerades too all presents at the occasion takes plough inward paying homage to the king, departure masquerades, unlike cultural too social groups seek to out do ane some other inward their strategic display of happiness too to pay homage to the Rex too the Rex who inward plough bless them. the procession too so homecoming to the palace through the way they came, led past times the Arugba who carries the emptied bowl.
They were welcomed alongside enthusiastic hails too shouts of joy from crowd on delineate of piece of work concern human relationship of their prophylactic journeying to the shrine too dorsum to the palace. The osun priest too priestess removes the bowl from the Arugbas caput patch she is sneaked away into the osun shrine inward the palace. Five twenty-four hours after the festival, a procession of osogbo people who includes women, youths, too children accompany past times osun devotees too Arugba trek into the osun shrine inward the sacred grove inward a joyous mood. They trip the low-cal fantastic to the osun shrine to give thank you lot osun for its protection too blessings too to fulfill the vows they made on the festival twenty-four hours to osun.
A kid that Osun delivered,according to devotee, after his baptism inward Osun river
During this ceremony, the Arugba is gorgeously dressed as against her ritual dressing during the actual festival too carries no calabash. Those whose prayer have got answered past times osun gives osun what they have got promised. The items brought are nutrient items similar moimoi, rice, eko, chicken, edible bean cakes, pounded yam, e.t.c which are carried to the river too scattered into the river.
Arugba carrying Osun calabash
The Arugba eats, relaxes, too jests alongside past times Arugbas within the maiden of all palace too after this every ane trip the low-cal fantastic dorsum to the palace too travel out for their diverse homes. The long preparations, the twelve-day ceremony of the osun osogbo festival comes to a benefiting-end. The people of osogbo sees osun osobgo festival as the way the inward which they tin forcefulness out appreciated, praise the osun deity who has been blessing, keeping too protecting their the world throughout the previous year.
Osun devotee`s beads
These festival serves as way of paying their vows to osun deity because the entire people of osogbo too some people who comes together to pay their vows as a way of appreciating what osun deity has done for them too their land. Some Eurocentric scholars too Europeans belief that African has neither history nor culture. The Eurocentric scholars beliefs that European culture, too that literature is primitive, too as such noting tin forcefulness out come upward out of African oral literature, but seeing the osun osogbo festival of osogbo land, its build too distorted their paradigm which they have got created almost African culture, that African is alongside or no civilisation too traditions. Osun Oshogbo festival builds the infinite too vacuum that indeed African is alongside many culture. Because at that topographic point are unlike people alongside unlike civilisation too traditions too practices inward African.
Worshippers select portion inward the Osun Osogbo festival, or the river goddess festival, inward Osogbo, upper-case alphabetic quality of southwest Nigeria's Osun State, on Aug. 23, 2013. Every August inward Osogbo, the festival presents an chance for the indigenes of Osogbo, their friends too well-wishers as good as fun-loving tourists to converge inward town for the yearly celebration. The festival has gained a global recognition to such an extent that the Osun Grove was enlisted as a world heritage site inward 2005. (Xinhua/Zhang Weiyi)
THE AESTHETICS IN THE OSUN OSOGBO FESTIVAL.
DRUMS
The unlike types of drums used during the annual osun osogbo festival ars bata, dundun, gangan, bembe, too ayan ( beaten past times the Ifa drummers). The drums tin forcefulness out live used to praise, abuse, or warn. Drums are powerful way of communication during the annual osun osogbo festival. It is the drums that announces the twenty-four hours of the festival.
A performer plays drum during the Osun Osogbo festival, or the river goddess festival, inward Osogbo, upper-case alphabetic quality of southwest Nigeria's Osun State
The drums are beaten to the praise of osun, the past times Ataoja, too the acquaint Ataoja during the annual festival. During the festival, the Aworo (osun preist) plays the dundun drums, patch the osun chanters accompany them alongside their chants too praise songs.The Ifa drummers invoke the spirit of osun too other orisa past times playing too so ayan drums. The festival drums are oftentimes beaten to the beat of the songs inward honour of osun such as the beating of a drum to the song. As the drums are beaten to the beat of these songs, the women, children too men laid about to trip the low-cal fantastic to the beat of the drum beat.
Afro-Brazilian delegation at Osun Oshogbo festival at Osun State,Nigeria
During the festival, the drums are also used to abuse too criticize the white organized faith i.e Islam too Christianity. The drums are beaten to the beat of the vocal which goes thus;
Nibo loni ngbe yeye mi si o (meaning) where did he say I should put
Nibo loni ngbe yeye mi si o my goddess
Enilawani-osi toni nwa se mole where did he say I should put
Nibo loni ngbe yeye mi si o my goddess
The human being alongside a horrible turban
Who asked me, to embrace
Islam, where did he say I should
Put my goddess
The festival drums are oftentimes beaten to the beat of the songs inward honour of osun
ijo omo la njo (meaning) we are dancing a kid rearing dance
Ijo omo la njo we are dancing a kid rearing dance
Kosi jo eleya lese wa we tin forcefulness out never trip the low-cal fantastic a shameless dance,
Ko si jo eleya lese wa but a trip the low-cal fantastic of kid rearers
Ijo omo lan jo
Generally, drums accompany songs to which the worshippers too public trip the low-cal fantastic to the drums are used during all the activities that brand upward the osun osogbo festival. The dancing circular the 16 dot light is accompanied alongside beating of drums. On the grand finale twenty-four hours of the celebration, the drums are beaten through the journeying from the palace to the grove too dorsum to the palace.
These drums beats says unlike things during the festival similar praising the Ataoja, the entire people of osogbo too the drums have got unlike types similar gangan, duru, bembe, bata, alongside unlike drummers. This songs teaches morals.
A performer dances during the Osun Osogbo festival, or the river goddess festival, inward Osogbo, upper-case alphabetic quality of southwest Nigeria's Osun State,
DANCE
During the Osun Osogbo festival, the Ataoja too his wives trip the low-cal fantastic to the drum beats. The Arugba dances during the walk from the palace to the grove too dorsum to the palace. The entire population of men, women too children also trip the low-cal fantastic to the grove.
Osun devotees trip the low-cal fantastic towards Osun-Oshogbo Sacred grove
The diverse religious too cultural groups acquaint trip the low-cal fantastic to the beat of the songs too drum beats. Dance is physical aspect of the festival, inward which both the performer too the people are involved. It is a physical participation inward the celebration as people trip the low-cal fantastic to the beat of the music. The trip the low-cal fantastic alongside unlike steps similar Bata dance, Atilogun trip the low-cal fantastic too so on
COSTUMES
Costumes brand the festival colourful. The celebration of Osun is apparent inward the array of colours. The Iya Osun too other Osun devotees, chanters too singers are dressed inward white attire, which symbolises purity too the authorisation of Osun.
Osun River goddess worshipers too their African pilus styles at the exactly concluded Osun Osogbo festival.
They also have got their pilus plaited inward styles that seat them as Osun worshippers. The king’s wives are dressed inward Aso-ofi too beads. They also have got their pilus plated, patch the Ata oja dresses inward Agbada made alongside Aso ofi. He also has beads closed to his cervix too wrists.
He wears the ancestral crown, which he wears exclusively ane time inward a twelvemonth too that is on the grand finale twenty-four hours of the Osun festival, alongside the opa oba, which he has inward his hand. The Arugba (Osun bowl carrier) is dressed inward a white linen gown, covered alongside an upper golden aso ofi.
She wears beautiful beads too has her human face beautifully made up. The bowl on her caput is also covered alongside carmine aran (suede).
Osun River goddess worshipers too their African pilus styles at the exactly concluded Osun Osogbo festival.
The unlike display of attires past times the unlike grouping too their unlike colours add together to the beauty of the festival. The unique impact of these attires is to present unlike groups alongside unlike functioning inward the festival.
Diasporan worshipers of Ifa at Oshogbo festival
MUSIC
During the Osun festival, musical instruments similar Agogo, Sekere too Seere are used. The Osun devotees as good as the entire public sing the praise of Osun. An instance of such ptaise vocal is:
Seleru agbo (meaning) brook H2O portion, pelting H2O portion
Agbara Agbo Is what osun uses to nuture her children
Osun tin woo 2d re ki dokita o tode. Before the arrival of medicines
Abimo ma dara’le a woman parent that nurses her novel born
Osun lan pe leegun born kid without heating the
House. Osun is the ane nosotros call
Masquerade.
The women present their beautiful voices past times chanting this Osun’s praise.Another praise inward honour of Osun , sung during the Osun festival goes thus:
Ekore yeye o (meaning) praise osun goddess
E kore yeye Osun praise osun goddess
Omi n live nibu osun goddess remain praise
Iya n live lodo osun medicinal H2O is reliable
Iya ye sa bami womo mi osun goddess volition soundless be inward the
Onile orun bami se temi river, woman parent delight select attention of
Awa o le ma b’osun children.
Onile orun, aid solve
Ko sihun tio sawa problems. We cant do withoutworshipping
Osun Omo olosun lawaje No evil tin forcefulness out befall us. We are children of osun.
Osun devotee asking for blessings from the River Goddess at Osun Oshogbo Sacred grove
The do goodness of this vocal to the vocaliser is to appreciate too praise Osun. The audience also sings these songs inward praising the Osun goddess too the goddess on hearing this, becomes real happy alongside the people of Osogbo. The devotees too worshippers sing the praises of Osun, inward monastic enjoin to honour too appreciate her presence inward their lives. During the festival, the praise call of the Rex of Osogbo town, Oba Laroye (the maiden of all Ataoja of Osogbo) too that of the belatedly oba Matanmi III are sung alongside the Adele Oba, Chief Oparanti are also sung Ataoja of Osogbo. The linguistic communication used is uncomplicated too easily understood past times the people acquaint at the
celebration. This adds to the aesthetics of the festival.
MAJOR ROLES TAKEN AT THE OSUN OSOGBO FESTIVAL.
The functioning of the osun festival involves the participation of the Ataoja (the Rex of osobgo), Arugba (osun bowl carrier), Aworo osun (osun priest),Iya osun (osun priestess) too the entire people of people of osogbo who human activeness the audience.
Osogbo Osun devotee kid alongside his pigeon for sacrifice to Osun deity
THE ATAOJA
The Ataoja is the traditional caput of osogbo too the representative of their ancestors. He has the concluding say inward all the traditional matters. The appointment of the festival is been chosen too announced past times the Ataoja. The osun osogbo festival cannot select seat or does non select seat without the Ataoja.
Ataoja of Oshogbo, Oba Iyiola Oyewale Matanmi III, is the electrical flow Rex of Oshogbo inward Osun State, Nigeria
THE IYA OSUN (OSUN PRIESTESS)
The Iya osun is the osun priestess. She is the ane inward accuse of the worship of the osun divinity everyday too at the festival period. She has the total knowledge of the undercover of osun too she speaks alongside osun. She ever sings the praise of osun
THE ARUGBA OSUN (OSUN BOWL CARRIER)
The Arugba osun is a immature holy lady who gives upward the whole of her fourth dimension too unloose energy to the religious worship too service to osun.
Arugba Osun
Traditionally, she must live a spinster too a virgin too remain so until she attain the postal service for matrimony too she must live a missy of the majestic delineate of piece of work solid which is the ruling house. She is picked past times the Ifa oracle.
It is forbidden for the Arugba to hitting her human foot on the stone on her way, as this is a bad sign or omen for herself too the worshippers. This is the argue why the woman parent too relations of the Arugba do remain restless until the Arugba safely returns from the grove. The festival cannot select seat without the Arugba.
THE AWORO OSUN (OSUN PRIEST)
Every orisha inward Yorubaland has his or her ain priest. Aworo osun is the osun priest . He performs inward conjunction alongside Iya osun inward the worship of osun everyday too at the Annual osun festival. He knows what sacrifice is to live offered, how it should live offered too he knows what is necessary to live done to pleaseosun both inward fourth dimension of peace too trouble.
Osun priestess
Before whatsoever piece of work of fine art to live consummate too accepted as been aesthetically fulfilling, it must possess the elements discussed above. Therefore, since the osun osogbo festival possess these aesthetics chemical constituent nosotros tin forcefulness out say that the annual osun osogbo festival has the aesthetic experience whatsoever fine art would demand to brand it a
consummate piece of work of arts. And the elements discussed above, brand the festival colourful too appreciated.
THE AUDIENCE
The audience is the combination of the entire people of the Osogbo who are the indigenes, the journalists, tourist, foreigners, worshippers, researchers too everybody witnesses the functioning of the festival. The audience joins inward the singing of Osun praises, they trip the low-cal fantastic to the songs too drum beats.
They participate inward the lawsuit past times drinking the medicinal H2O too bathing themselves inward the river. They also pray to osun, too asking her to offering them protection, fertility. They select sacrificial items similar epo (palm oil), eko (solidified pap), moimoi (beans pudding), obi (kolanut) too so on.
Source:http://alayeogba.unilorin.edu.ng
KEEPING THE GODDESS ALIVE
Marketing Culture too Remembering the Past inward Osogbo, Nigeria
By Peter Probst
The Osun Osogbo Festival is ane of the most prominent cultural festivals inward Nigeria. It takes seat inward August every year, too begins alongside the securing of the infinite where the festival takes place. The goal is reached twelve days later, alongside a public sacrifice to the river goddess Osun at the Osun River.
Critics of the festival have got lamented almost the increasing folklorization of the event. Yet looking at the festival inward a historical perspective, such laments seem rather an appear of nostalgia than a justified point. Thus, already inward 1952, the American anthropologist, Schwab, observed “the introduction of a European type band march-ing downward to the river where the most of import portion of the Osun ritual occurs, playing ‘Way downward the Riverside’” as an instance of “the to a greater extent than colorful innovations” which had begun “a number of years ago” (Schwab 1952: 835).What too so is the Osun Osogbo Festival? Basically, it is a metropolis festival embody-ing too fostering what Olupona (2001), next Bellah (1970), has called a“civil religion” (Olupona 2001: 46).
As Olupona notes, civil religions render the framework past times which political entities are able to empathise their historical experience inward religious terms. In the instance of Osogbo, this historical experience is based upon the rituals too beliefs centered on Osun. Most oftentimes Osun is characterized as a H2O or fertility deity, but the notions associated alongside Osun are much wider, embracing as imageries of healing, femininity, motherhood, sexuality, wealth, wisdom, knowledge, beauty, art, too power. In fact, Osun has unlike identities, resulting from the diverse weather condition nether which people have got lent important to her. Consequently, the ideas too imageries of Osun inward Osogbo are unlike from those found inward other Yoruba towns, too the diverse places inward the Americas where Osun is as honored, as a final result of the bulk enslavement of Yoruba men too women inward the belatedly eighteenth too early on nineteenth century.
Even inward Osogbo, the conceptualization of Osun changed. The electrical flow fashioning of Osun as existence responsible for the advent of Osogbo as a pump for the fine arts is a final result of the changes that have got taken seat inward the mid-twentieth century.Nevertheless a number of core themes too elements tin forcefulness out live delineated. In the elaborate oral traditions attributed to Osun, she is explained as existence the exclusively woman soul divinity amidst the seventeen spiritual beings ane time sent past times the Supreme Creator spirit, Oludumare, to organize too send out the human inward habitation of the world.
In the course of study of this task, Osun moved from what was originally, a rather marginal role into the pump of importance. By her special woman soul qualities, she non exclusively linked upward alongside the other manly soul divinities,thereby acquiring fundamental knowledge similar that of divination, she also made her-self indispensable, inward that she provided—and soundless provides—the divinity of Obatala alongside the H2O that he uses to polish the clay alongside which he moulds the human beings. In other words, Osun controls H2O as the source of pro-creation, too the representation of the life giving regulation par excellence.Considering this crucial seat inward the Yoruba pantheon, Murphy’s too Sanford’s recent remark that Osun is related to the word orisun, important “the source of a river, a people, or of children” points to the profound political role of Osun (2001: 2).
Indeed, as Verger has noted, Osun is praised—among other ways—as the ane who “dances to select the crown without asking” (1959: 426).Given the political history of Osogbo, on the ane hand, too the Osun Osogbo Festival, on the other, it seems feasible that Osun was originally a fertility cult,practiced past times the autochthonous population, but too so turned into a cult of mightiness too kingship. At least, a number of ritual events taking seat inward the course of study of the festival signal that the latter was maybe transformed from an agricultural New Year's Day festival into a ritual of kingship, commemorating the foundation of the metropolis too legitimizing the authorisation of its ruler. Be that as it may, the seizing of mightiness too the taking over of rulership does constitute a prime number characteristic inward the narratives told almost the root of Osogbo.
According to these traditions, an Ijesa prince, Laroye, was the official founder of Osogbo.Together alongside a little grouping of people, he had left the hamlet of Ipole because of a shortage of water. When they came to Osogbo they discovered the Osun River. They tried to settle there, but the expanse was inhabited past times wizards. Laroye managed to defeat the wizards past times seizing a sixteen-point lamp, an human activeness that essentially paved the way for the establishment of Osogbo as an Ijesa settlement. It is because of this that Laroye too Osun, the river goddess, made a pactof mutual protection. Just as Laroye promised to protect the the world of Osun, the latter promised to protect Laroye too his people. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 real similar story is narrated almost Osun.
According to this tradition, the sixteen-point light is said to have got belonged to Osanyin, a Yoruba deity, responsible for herbs too healing. Osun, however, managed to defeat Osanyin, too made him portion of her divine kingdom. Taking these 2 traditions together, it seems as if the Ijesa cohort, nether Laroye, overtook the territory from the autochthonous population, too installed the cult of Osun as symbol of mightiness too rulership. Over time, the goddess developed into the most of import factor of integration of the town, too alongside the growing number of its adherents, her influence,political status, too mightiness increased.
A crucial role inward this context was played past times the Fulani wars inward the belatedly 1830s (see Gbadamosi 1978). Unlike Ilorin too Oyo, Osogbo was non sacked past times the Muslim forces, but succeeded inward fighting dorsum the aggressors. The defeat of the Fulani meant that the refugees who had left the part to seek shelter inward Osogbo remained inward the city. Their incorporation into the urban community took seat through Osun. To bind them to the majestic house,the Rex of Osogbo, existence as the master copy priest of the Osun cult, provided the refugee families alongside unmarried refractions of Osun, together alongside a seat within the Osun grove as a private seat of worship too sacrifice to these modest deities.
Though the victory over Fulani did non halt the expansion of Islam, Osun was able to maintain its integrative function. With the advent of Christianity, how-ever, the province of affairs changed. The first missionaries had arrived inward Yorubaland already inward the first one-half of the nineteenth century, but inward Osogbo, the impact of Christianity was effectively felt exclusively some fifty years later. Instead of multiple religious loyalties that characterized the procedure of Islamization inward Osogbo, the missionaries made it clear that at that topographic point is no choice to the gospel. Combined alongside the effects of an increasing control of British colonial rule, their efforts turned out to live successful, too inward the early on 1930s, roughly a hundred years after the Fulani war, the mission forced the Rex to surrender his office as the master copy priest of the Osun cult.
Orisa worship at Osun goddess presence
With the introduction of the aworo (today the manly soul counterpart of iya osun, the Osun priestess)a novel office was created whose incumbent right away took over the ritual duties of the Rex within the Osun cult, leaving the Rex mainly alongside representative functions. In other words, the “innovations” Schwab had observed during his fourth dimension of enquiry were already portion of an ongoing ritual transformation, whose dominant characteristic seems to have got been an increasing outwards orientation, produced too prompted past times the incorporation of the Osun cult into the colonial world too its authorities of meaning.
Osun Oshogbo sacred grove water
Osogbo Modern
In what Enwezor (2001: 10–16) has named “the curt century,” the processes of decolonization he refers to alongside his phrase found their most shrewd expressions oftentimes inward the field of arts.
Osogbo is commonly seen as having played a crucial role inward this “short century.” After all, it was inward Osogbo where the confrontation alongside modernism did final result inward an influential fine art movement, which explicitly attacked too contested the epistemic foundations of the colonial project.
Susanne Wenger too her colleague. The 94-year-old Austrian has lived inward Osogbo for 58 years too has acquire a high priestess of Osun.
Embodying this modernism, too thus real much inward the pump of the confrontation, were 2 expatriates, Ulli Beier too Susanne Wenger. Both had come upward to Nigeria inward 1950—Beier as a phonetics lecturer at the academy of Ibadan, too Wenger as an creative soul (see Ogundele 2003). Both had met the twelvemonth earlier inward Paris, where Wenger had gone inward search of novel inspirations inward her artistic work.
Osun devotees fetching holy H2O from Osun river
However, disappointed past times what she considered to live the too‘intellectual’ agreement of fine art past times her French colleagues, she accepted Beier’s offering to accompany him to Africa. Their ambitions were shaped past times a rejection of the politics too ideologies that they believed contributed to the onset of traditions that had led to World War II, too when they arrived inward Ibadan, both refused to conform to the expectations of the colonial establishment.
While Beier invested his energies into projects that aimed to ‘reanimate’African traditions of artistic expression, Wenger immersed herself inward traditional Yoruba religion. When, inward 1958, after a stage of searching too learning, they finally settled inward Osogbo, they made the metropolis the pump of their private projects. Thus, Beier founded the famous Mbari Mbayo club, inward which he organized readings too fine art workshops, curated exhibitions, too initiated house performances.
Whereas Wenger made it her life chore to save too reshape the grove of the local guardian deity Osun alongside novel shrines too sculptures.The immediate occasion provided the status of the Osun grove. The traditional taboos on hunting too fishing were non enforced whatsoever longer. Farmers too businessmen had started to usage the grove for commercial purposes. In addition, a primary schoolhouse had been erected on an of import ritual site inward the grove. Last but non least, the most of import edifice inward the grove, the main Osun shrine, a modest mud edifice situated past times the river, showed clear signs of decay. White ants had begun to touching on the structures.
Osun devotee exhibiting his trunk painting
Public back upward to alter the province of affairs did non exist. Active membership inward the cult had declined considerably, too thus money to restore the shrine was non available. Against this background, the Osun cult officials turned to Wenger for help. The displace was a real pragmatic one. For the Osun cult officials, Wenger was seen as an attractive ally. Already familiar alongside Yoruba religion, Wenger became a fellow member of the Obatala cult too the Ogboni society. Since coming to Osogbo,her membership inward these 2 ritual institutions legitimately allowed her to bring together also the town’s little ritual community.
Right from the start, she developed an involvement inward the ritual landscape of Osogbo. Many of the shrines had already col-lapsed, yet their sites were soundless remembered, too some sacred functions were soundless carried out on them. For Wenger, they provided the chance to rebuild them according to her ain artistic ideas of traditional Yoruba religion. In fact,even earlier she started the Osun grove project, she had rebuilt an old shrine of her ain cult grouping along the outskirts of Osogbo. With its dynamic form, the final result differed from the plainly appearance of traditional Yoruba architecture.
Nevertheless, the ritual site had a proper structure. Coupled alongside the realization of Wenger’s status as an expatriate, too the importance of having access to the exterior world that this status offered, the Osun cult officials approached Wenger to inquire for aid inward the grove. Expectedly, the strategy worked. Wenger was able to gain financial back upward from the subdivision of antiquities inward Lagos too the piece of work began. Wenger’s commission was restricted to the eradication of the ants inward the Osun shrine past times the river. Soon after this was achieved, however,the piece of work extended to other parts of the grove. Together alongside a handful of local craftsmen, to a greater extent than oftentimes than non bricklayers too carpenters, Wenger started to build a mud wall decorated alongside relief images of of import religious too historical figures to protect the inner sanctum of the grove.
Next came the reshaping of the Osun shrine itself, followed past times the erection of a robust cement sculpture representing Osun right at the riverbank. The piece of work on the shrine led to farther projects inward other parts of the grove. In the course of study of time, this profusion of architectural too sculptural structures throughout the grove became known as “The New Sacred Art” (see Beier 1975); “Sacred” because all of the works were devoted to Yoruba deities; “New” because the bold too expressionistic vogue of the piece of work stood inward sudden contrast to the repose of traditional Yoruba sculpture; and“Art” because Wenger conceived of the projection as existence indebted to the creative heed of their producers.
Osun Oshogbo sculptural work
Wenger’s reshaping of the grove took seat at the same fourth dimension as Beier’s activities inward the Mbari Mbayo Club. Both Beier too Wenger shared the same perception too agreement of fine art as existence basically, a self-referential procedure brought forwards past times a single, autonomous mind, disentangled from the past. Yet both differed inward their approach to the stimulation of artistic expressions. While the so-called ‘Osogbo School,’ promoted past times Beier, had its roots quite deliberately exterior of what was seen as ‘tradition,’ Wenger concentrated her efforts inward creating a motion that was as embedded within it as good as transcending it.Given the political context of the time, alongside Nigeria having reached independence inward 1960, Osogbo became a synonym for the successful seek to the overcoming of the oppressive bonds of colonialism.
In fact, as Beier himself has remarked: “on the international scene credence too rejection were oftentimes determined past times political rather than artistic considerations” (2000: 48). Significantly, the first museum exhibiting the piece of work of the Osogbo artists inward Europe was the Naprstek Muzeum inward Prague, inward 1965. With the aid of paper too television, Osogbo also became celebrated inward the ‘West’ as well. More too to a greater extent than visitors came to Nigeria to witness too study almost the ‘rebirth’ of Yoruba fine art too culture.
For the actual representatives of this ‘rebirth,’ the gro-ing popularity of the town improved their situation. Artists such as Twins Seven Seven, Nike Davis, or Rufus Ogundele, who had come upward out of the fine art workshops organized past times Beier, shortly became portion of the global fine art world. The same held truthful for members of Wenger’s group. Some of the sometime helpers, similar Adebisi Akanji, were able to brand a career on their own. Others were less successful.Not promoted past times Wenger, they could either travel out the grouping or had to remain inward the lower ranks, doing mainly maintenance work.
From the 1980s onwards,however, the smash declined. Though the flow of the visitors coming to Osogbo remained unbroken, the marketplace for Osogbo fine art changed. The involvement of the national as good as international public shifted, too began to focus to a greater extent than on the Osun festival. As a result, the political processes inward Osogbo itself shifted as well; as the opening address of the Rex of Osogbo indicates, the realm of fine art soundless plays an of import factor for the communal identity of Osogbo. But at the same time, this identity has acquire to a greater extent than fragmented, making it to a greater extent than difficult to maintain a feel of communal coherence.
Marketing Osun
Both a result, as good as a medium, of this procedure is the Osun Festival Committee too the Osogbo Cultural Heritage Council. The duty of the 2 bodies is to organize the festival too render data stuff for the public. Both of the 2 bodies have got their offices at the palace. Membership overlaps, but is non identical. For example, patch the 2 leading ritual officials of the Osun cult are portion of the Festival Committee, they are non portion of the Heritage Council.The Festival Committee is the older of the 2 institutions. It was founded inward the mid-1970s. One of its founding members was Jimoh Buraimoh who has been on the commission ever since. Born inward Osogbo inward 1943, Buraimoh belongs to the first generation of the so-called Osogbo artists. Although he was unsuccessful inward reaching the inner circle of those promoted past times Beier too his colleagues, he ha sbecome the local icon of ‘Osogbo Art.’
The street he is living inward bears his name;the palace, the delineate of piece of work solid of assembly, as good as several private too fellowship houses inward Osogbo are decorated alongside his mosaics. He sits inward numerous clubs too committees, including the Rotary Club, the Osun Festival Committee, the Osogbo Cultural Heritage Council, the Progressive Union, too the Confederation of Professional Artists inward Osogbo of which he is the president. In addition, he carries the chieftaincy championship of asoju oba, signifying his status as leader of ane of the fourteen quarters Osogbo consists of. Last non least, Buraimoh is also a successful businessman. Sensing the growing tourist potential of the town too the international attending it received, he early on invested his money inward the edifice of a nightclub too hotel. Over the years, the delineate of piece of work concern kept flourishing too expanding.
As a result, both the hotel too the dark society have got non exclusively acquire a pop address for unusual tourists visiting Osogbo too the Osun festival,they represent, also, a favorite coming together seat for local politicians, bankers, too businessmen. As Buraimoh admits, he owed his nomination to the commission to the acquaint Rex of Osogbo, Matanmi III, who had been installed inward July 1976. In contrast to his predecessor, Matanmi had no intimate knowledge of the cult too the festival. He had been raised as a Muslim, too was working as an accountant inward Lagos when he ascended the throne. To gear upward a Festival Committee suited non exclusively the modern bureaucratic milieu he had been living in, it was also a way of exercising command over a realm he felt detached from. To attain this, he gathered a number of immature people closed to him whom he considered reliable. As a cousin of Matanmi, Jimoh Buraimoh was ane of them. Matanmi considered Buraimoh to live especially qualified for the piece of work of the committee. He was portion of the fine art movement, too knew the latest developments inward Osogbo much ameliorate than Matanmi. Right from the start, Wenger’s activities inward the grove had been met alongside resistance. Religious reasons were interwoven alongside economical ones. Being a commercial pump alongside lots of immigrants, Osogbo—like all Yoruba cities—was, too is upward to now, curt of land. Thus, farmers too businessmen had moved into the grove, thereby violating the pact the founder of Osogbo had made alongside the goddess. In monastic enjoin to foreclose farther damage, Wenger too her followers appealed to the state. The appeal was successful, too inward 1975, the Nigerian Government declared the Osun grove a National Monument, too obliged the Rex of Osogbo to oversee too behaviour the festival.
Osun Oshogbo traditional championship holder
The the world was officially measured, too signs were pose upward inward the wood forbidding farming, building, the hunting of animals,and tree felling. Although the protection the grove received nether its novel status of a national monument turned out to live effective, the conflicts did non stop;they only shifted from the grove to the festival.The main work right away became the important too significance of the festival.With the involvement of the Nigerian state, the importance of grove too the festival had been transferred from a local to a national framework, within which both institutions became objects of a policy that stressed the dignity too strength of Nigerian civilisation inward particular, too African civilisation inward general. The definitive climax of this evolution constituted the legendary International Festival of African Arts too Culture (FESTAC), held inward Lagos inward 1977.
Financed past times stone oil money, the FESTAC was a spectacle too political demonstration of a novel postcolonial self-esteem (Apter 1996). Its international success sparked off anew form of ethnic too religious tourism, alongside people of African ancestry com-ing to Nigeria to seek too revitalize their ethnic too cultural roots.In Osogbo itself, the evolution led to the formation of the Osogbo Cultural Heritage Council. Founded inward 1986, alongside Jimoh Buraimoh ane time again ane of its founding members—the official tasks of the Council were “to identify, fully revive too educate the historical monuments too activities into tourist attractions”(Osogbo Heritage Council 1986: 9). The economical enthusiasm was great.Thus, it was planned to erect kiosks, restaurants, parking spaces, too fifty-fifty an amusement commons inward too closed to the grove.
Adunni Olorisa (Susan Wenger), Osun`s greater devotee of Caucasian extraction
These processes of cultural reification too ‘objectivization’ that have got under-pinned the evolution of the grove too the festival could live understood to live a final result of the global forces of commercialization too secularization. The truth,however, is that both of these forces seemed to have got bypassed Osogbo. Tourism,the dream of the 1970s, turned out to live an illusion. The fame of Osogbo as a metropolis of arts has begun to dwindle, leaving exclusively the grove too festival as the main attractions. Certainly, the festival did acquire a global event, but the twelve days the festival lasts were non plenty to create a feasible tourist industry. Equally simulated is the secularization thesis. Rather than a decline of religion, Osogbo has seen an enormous increment of Christian churches too Islamic sects that have got acquire a serious threat to the religious pluralism too syncretism that characterized Yoruba society inward the past. Indeed, a religious polarization has laid in, with ardent Christians too Muslims rejecting the festival as an appear of paganism, too a rather diffuse bulk of the population embracing too sup-porting it as a symbol of belonging too local identity (Ogungbile 1999).Caught betwixt these 2 fractions, the Rex of Osogbo found himself inward a precarious situation. While representatives of the Islamic sects reminded him of his Muslim identity too urged him to closed downward the grove too forbid the festival, the king-makers too ritual officials of the Osun cult made it clear that the history of his office demanded his active participation inward the functioning of the rituals devoted to the goddess.
In monastic enjoin to counter the criticism on the side of the Muslims, King Matanmi too his personal consultants opted for a policy of enhancement too desacralization, past times which they tried to trim the religious content of the festival, too represented it as a social lawsuit too a festival of commemoration too remembrance. An indication of this are the publications of the heritage center. In the course of study of the finally 20 years, they have got shifted the frame of reference inward their public advertising of the festival. While inward the 1980s, the places the Council referred to inward its publications were religious centers similar “Mecca” too “Jerusalem,” from the 1990s on-wards, these places have got acquire to a greater extent than too to a greater extent than substituted by references to global amusement centers, similar “Las Vegas” or “Hollywood.”
There are 2 palaces. The maiden of all is portion of the main Osun-Osogbo shrine. The minute palace is where Larooye moved to earlier the community established a novel small town exterior the grove. Both buildings are constructed of mud walls alongside tin roofs supported variously past times mud too carved wooden pillars. The 3 Ogboni buildings are constructed alongside sweeping roofs ascent high over the entrances too supported on a cluster of slender carved wooden posts.
Osun lady devotee posing at Osun Oshogbo Sacred grove
Osun grove was recognized past times UNESCO inward 2005 as a World Heritage Site too this has been linked to the consistencies that the festival has enjoyed over the years too the protection of the values of the grove past times the people.
Osun Oshogbo Sacred grove
According to Oluremi Funsho Adebayo, the co-coordinator of the National Museum, the argue why UNESCO recognized this site, inclusive of the festival is because of the authenticity that is involved. It is the exclusively festival that since 1370 AD has remained what it was originally despite modernity; at that topographic point has non been whatsoever adulteration; everything has been inward its original nation too all structures that were pose inward the seat that forms the foundation of Osun Oshogbo kingdom are soundless inward existence inward the grove.
Osun Oshogbo river Goddess grove
Osun Oshogbo festival has a 2 calendar week programme of events starting alongside the traditional cleansing of the town called “Iwopopo” followed past times the lighting of 500 years old 16 points light 3 days later, called “Olojomerindinlogun.” This is followed past times “Ibroriade,” which is the assemblage of the crowns of the past times ruler (Ataojas) for blessings too its existence led past times the Ataoja who is the ruler too votary maid (Arugba) propelled past times Yeye Osun, too a commission of priestesses. The Arugba bore the people age-long prayers to the grove inward a calabash of effigy which tin forcefulness out exclusively live carried past times a virgin, which signifies purity.
This festival, alongside its international status, has acquire a major tourist attraction. Observations over the years have got shown that the festive menstruum is almost the best fourth dimension to reckon the metropolis as people parade the streets inward their colours. The people appear forwards to it alongside groovy expectation too for the menstruum that it lasts, procession, dance, fine art exhibition, too colourful carnivals are major attractions of the Osun Oshogbo cultural festival.
The lawsuit over the years, has given residents too tourists the chance to recreate socially, culturally, as they re-enact ane of their renowned age-long spiritual too communal feast. Indeed the Osun Oshogbo has been too is ane of the most outstanding too preserved cultural practices of the diverse festivals inward Nigeria too Africa as a whole.
Osun devotees worshiping at Osun Sacred Grove
THE ORIGIN OF OSUN OSOGBO FESTIVAL
River Osun takes its source from Igede-Ekiti through Ilesha too the grove inward Osogbo. The Osun goddess established her kingdom there. Olaguna(1952:16) writes that many centuries agone when Oba larooye of iple omu, olutimeyin, a groovy hunter too their subjects migrated from ipole omu because of H2O scarcity they too so settle at the Osun groove where the goddess has established her kingdom. One day, as they were preparing the ground for the planting season, a tree savage across the river crushing many of Osun tools of trade.
Worshippers fetch H2O from the sacred Osun river during the Osun Osogbo festival, or the river goddess festival, inward Osogbo, upper-case alphabetic quality of southwest Nigeria's Osun State, on Aug. 23, 2013. Every August inward Osogbo, the festival presents an chance for the indigenes of Osogbo, their friends too well-wishers as good as fun-loving tourists to converge inward town for the yearly celebration. The festival has gained a global recognition to such an extent that the Osun Grove was enlisted as a world heritage site inward 2005. (Xinhua/Zhang Weiyi)
It is recorded that the goddess was at her:
Larooye olutimeyin, you have got destroyed all
gbogbo ikoko aro mi my dying pots
le ti fo tan she cried
The spirits within the grove pacified the goddess saying
“oso-igbo pele o, spirit of the wood nosotros plead,
Oso-igbo rora o, spirit of the wood live patient
Larooye too olutimehin were shocked because they don’t know how the goddess got to know their names. She sensed this, too later on advised them to displace to the upper portion of the river called OHUNTOTO to domicile. There oba larooye established some other palace as good as a thriving market. One day, olutimehin saw some spirit dancing circular a light alongside 16 receptacles, which he seized through incantation. When the goddess learnt of this, she made olutimehin too larooye hope to celebrates the lightening of the light annually, especially when the grand finale of the osun festival is nine days away.
Yoruba Osun devotee showing Osun Osogbo religious cult score on her face
She gave them a calabash containing antiquities alongside a alert that the contents must never live exposed to the naked eyes. She also decree that the calabash must live taken to the grove during the festival past times a virgin alongside filials to the reiginig kink, too who must live chosen past times the ifa. On the festival day, the Ataoja (king ) sits
on the dedicated stone of authorisation housed on the osun temple/shrine where he commune alongside the ancestors. Osun promised that if her instruction is carried out, she could pour a curative nitty-gritty into the river as shortly as she accepts the sacrifices from the Ataoja. Traditions which is becoming increasingly known inward scholarly
circles reveals that osogho had been founded as early on as Oduduwa period. Osogbo, the goddess of Osun river was the queen original founder of Osogbo.
According to Bier (1966:69) at that topographic point are some heroic roles of historical importance, rendered past times Osun goddess especially during the Fulani state of war of 1842. She was credited alongside many of import achievements, which helped to established the state. She possessed magical powers which inspired her too frightened her
enemies. Tradition acclaims her the goddess of fertility, protection too blessing. She possess the mightiness to give children (through birth) to the barren women too mightiness to heal the sick too the afflicted past times way of her medicinal H2O from the river. Osun according to the Yoruba cosmology, they believe that she is omnipresent too omnipotent. Her mightiness is represented inward some other Yoruba saying which reminds us that no ane is an enemy to H2O too therefore, every ane has demand of too should honour too revere Osun as good as her follower. The human relationship betwixt the osun Osoggo festival which has been celebrated for almost 6 hundred centuries.
Religious personnel select portion inward a ritual during the Osun Osogbo festival, or the river goddess festival, inward Osogbo, upper-case alphabetic quality of southwest Nigeria's Osun State
The Osun Osogbo festival has the early on history of the Osogbo people which is founded on mythical powers. The human relationship betwixt the people of Osogbo land, the Osun goddess too the festival is that annually the people of Osogbo comes together inward the minute calendar week of august inward worshiping too praising the osun goddess who have got been protecting their land. The Osun Osogbo festival which is celebrated inward august has create do to hold out the rigors of the 21st century too people hail it as ane of the most solid festival that celebrates too showcases the traditional African culture.
The festival that is held inward Osogbo an ancient metropolis inward the states of Osun attracts thousands of western tourists, too other parts of the world. The Osun metropolis has surprising facts such as having been governed past times belatedly Suzanne Wenger a white adult woman who was adopted into the metropolis when visiting the deity too was duly appointed a deity. She was renamed “Adunni olorisha oko upon taking her novel roles as the Osun administrator. Each twelvemonth a large festival is held inward honour of Osun goddess inward Osogbo. The called OSUN OSOGBO FESTIVAL, too is held past times the people of Osogbo to renew this betwixt the town too the goddess. Osun Osogbo festival serves the purpose of promoting too agreement cultural history inward contemporary times too serves as educational needs for students.
Worshippers of Osun goddess pray to the goddess too other spirits as they select H2O from the Osun river inward Osogbo, Nigeria
THE OSUN OSOGBO FESTIVAL.
The Osun Osogbo festival is an annual traditional festival that involves the entire people of Osogbo (king, traders, hunters, men, women, children, old too young).and the Osun goddess. The Osun Osogbo festival is an occasion of religious observance, inward which the people of Osogbo celebrates the significance of the river
goddess (Osun) too her mythical deeds. The festival is a twelve-day events that takes seat during the minute , 3rd too 4th calendar week of august. It commence too ends inward the palace of the Ataoja (king of Osogbo).
According to the data gathered from the “awise” of Osogbo the world (cheif yemi Eleburuibon), grooming for the Osun festival begins alongside ifa consultation. The consultation is done past times the master copy Babalawo, awise of Osogbo (Chief Yemi eleburuibon) inward the palace of the Ataoja. The Ifa consultation provides the specific appointment too particular sacrificial requirements for the year’s celebration. The specific Ifa consultation is restricted to the religious too political hierarchy of Osogbo too Osun worship. After the appointment has been chosen, the Ataoja’s representative of the goddess officially denote the chosen appointment too the requirements for the communal offering to Osun too the people of Osogbo. This marks the commencement of the festival.
The proclamation is presented as a formal lawsuit staged inward the centre of town situated at the Osogbo marketplace where the Osun shrine is located. In reaction to the announcement, the Iya ewe (mother of youths) trip the low-cal fantastic closed to the marketplace collecting token of wares from the marketplace women as a portion of their contribution to the ceremony. the festival officially begins alongside Popo (spiritual route clearing), which is the physical too ritual clearing of the pilgrimage route from the palace through Obaemu to the grove. This is the maiden of all major public lawsuit of the Osun festival. This is done past times the Ataoja, surrounded past times his wives, chiefs, attendants, musicians too guards. The majestic horn-blowers atomic number 82 the way through Osogbo announcing the approach of Ataoja alongside their instruments. The majestic political party walks downward the streets displaying the Opa-oba (staff of political too religious authorisation amidst dancing too singing).
Worshippers select portion inward the Osun Osogbo festival, or the river goddess festival, inward Osogbo, upper-case alphabetic quality of southwest Nigeria's Osun State
During this activity, local rulers as good as the full general public participate inward the opening celebration past times giving their contribution to the success of the festival inward price of money, foods, beverages e.t.c. also women who have got given nascence during the intervening twelvemonth betwixt festivals contribute to too participate inward the procession alongside their babies tied to their back.
These women pay homage to the Ataoja singing his praise too that of osun amidst dancing. Since the commencement of the festival, no reigning Ataoja died earlier the festival, but this finally year’s (2010) festival was the maiden of all which a reigning Ataoja volition croak earlier the annual festival. Late OBA IYIOLA OYEWALE MATANMI III, who reigned for 30 4 years too viii days on the throne earlier the finally festival. As the belatedly Ataoja was non at that topographic point to reckon the festival, the Ajagun of Osogbo the world master copy OPARANTI, who was the ‘Adele oba’ was the ane that perform the belatedly ‘Ataoja’ duty throughout the festival too takes over the throne until a novel Rex is selected. The second, third, 4th too 5th days of the festival witness the appearance of masquerades dedicated to their ancestors as good as Sango, the Yoruba’s deity of thunder.
The dark of the 6th twenty-four hours of the festival is dedicated to osanyin, a yoruba deity responsible for healing through the knowledge of the usage of herbs. On this occasion, a 16 dot light is lit using palm stone oil soaked inward cotton fiber wicks. The light is lit from vii inward the dark to vii inward the side past times side morning. The ataoja, his wives,
followers, traditional chiefs, ifa priest, osun devotees too the arugba (osun bowl carrier) would trip the low-cal fantastic circular the sixteen-point lamp(atupa oloju merindinlogun). Three times to the direction of a cross subdivision of the people of osogbo acquaint of the palace. After the dancing circular the light for the 3rd time, which should be
past times daybreak, the Rex dances to the marketplace too earlier he comes back, the 16 light should have got been pose off past times itself. The 7th twenty-four hours is dedicated to the ifa priest who dances circular osogbo town. The viii twenty-four hours includes acrobatic performances past times naming deities similar oya, ane of the wives of sango, whom osun was
inward skillful price alongside her. On the 9th day, the ataoja too his high chiefs pay complemen tto his in-law, inward a procession that leads from ane delineate of piece of work solid to the other. In a build upward toward the grand finale, the 10th witness the laying out of the crowns of the past times too acquaint ataoja of osogbo for a rededication to osun. This is called iboriade which takes seat at the palace where meetings are usually held. Here, the ataoja worships the crowds, beads, shoes, clothes e.t.c of his predecessors too forebears, making appeasement to osun on their behalf. The ataoja inward total submission to the gods is simply dressed on this day, without a crown.
Beautiful Yoruba missy from Osogbo. by Rainer Doost
The Rex volition too so pray for the town which is followed past times pouring of the libation past times the king. Honey, banana, adun, salt, bitter kola, oti adura, too so on are used for the prayer. The iya osun (osun priest) volition too so pour the divination kola, after which she pronounce the gods credence of the offering too the people present
volition reply saying praise to osun (iya yeye o). Then the king, master copy priest too priestess would prostrate earlier the crown as a salute to the majestic ancestors, as the occasion attempts to invoke the spirits of the ancestors of the ataoja to bestow blessings on the people of osogbo.
The ceremony ends alongside the citation of praise call of the town, the founders of osogbo, the past times ataojas, to the acquaint ataoja, past times the praise singers too drummers whom the Rex too the congregation offers some money as a sort of appreciation. The Rex too so departs alongside his wives dancing to the drum beats. The congregation leaves after after the be of the majestic family. The eleventh twenty-four hours is for the grooming of the grand finale which is the 12th day. The 12th twenty-four hours August 27th 2010, which is the grand finale of the osun festival, almost all the population of osogbo nether takes the procession into the sacred grove which begins at 9a.m. prior to this, the Ifa (oracle) would live consulted early on inward the morn inward the ataoja palace to foresee how the journeying to the grove would be, to inquire for precautions which the arugba (osun bowl carrier) should adhere to too ensure a polish too prophylactic journeying to the grove too dorsum to the palace, earlier leaving for the grove, the maiden of all assignment is to travel the ataoja to have his blessings, this serves as a signal that the ritual procession to the grove has begun after the blessings, the Rex also joins the procession.
A kid is raised over heads of worshippers during the Osun Osogbo festival, or the river goddess festival, inward Osogbo, upper-case alphabetic quality of southwest Nigeria's Osun State, on Aug. 23, 2013. Every August inward Osogbo, the festival presents an chance for the indigenes of Osogbo, their friends too well-wishers as good as fun-loving tourists to converge inward town for the yearly celebration. The festival has gained a global recognition to such an extent that the Osun Grove was enlisted as a world heritage site inward 2005. (Xinhua/Zhang Weiyi)
The Arugba moves from shrine to shrine to perform for sure rituals on her way to the grove. She is closely followed past times the osun devotees. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 grouping of immature boys alongside whip guides the arugba. The ataoja, his wives, high chiefs, too majestic children volition follow , too so the side past times side grouping is the babalawos (herbalists) led past times the master copy babalawo (Chief Yemi Eleburuibon). The finally grouping consist of men, women, journalists tourists, guests, performers, children too so on however, those who are told to attend the ceremony stays at domicile as the procession passes through the town to the grove. The procession moves dancing to the grove patch the arugba has 2 lumps of kolanut stalked into her cheeks to foreclose her from saying a word because she must non speak during the journey.the processors is accompanied alongside drumming too singing. On getting to the grove, the arugba is relieved of her burden, i.e the calabash is lifted off her caput patch she goes to ease inward the maiden of all palace. The Ataoja is too so taken into the temple (first palace) where he sits on the stone throne (which the maiden of all Ataoja sat on during his reign) to offering prayer to osun. He prays for the town, inquire for osun protection over every fellow member of the town.
The sacrifices is too so carried to the river past times the osun priest who too so gives it to the Ataoja who goes to the spiritual spot at the pump of the river where he would pray to the goddess too throw the contents of the bowl into the river. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 golden fish (IKO) too so comes out of the river too spits into the emptied bowl. In
reaction to this, the people imbibe the H2O inward the river, praying too asking osun to give them children, offered them protection, success, prosperity e.t.c. they too so brand vows which must live fulfilled too honoured. Some pose the H2O inward into bottles too kegs to live taken domicile to heal the sick. Then the Rex atomic number 82 the congregation to the ojubo shrine where he addresses the audience. After his address, the kings wives, the traditional chiefs, cultural groups, social clubs, majestic relations, progressive union, masquerades too all presents at the occasion takes plough inward paying homage to the king, departure masquerades, unlike cultural too social groups seek to out do ane some other inward their strategic display of happiness too to pay homage to the Rex too the Rex who inward plough bless them. the procession too so homecoming to the palace through the way they came, led past times the Arugba who carries the emptied bowl.
A dressed-up missy takes portion inward the Osun Osogbo festival, or the river goddess festival, inward Osogbo, upper-case alphabetic quality of southwest Nigeria's Osun State
They were welcomed alongside enthusiastic hails too shouts of joy from crowd on delineate of piece of work concern human relationship of their prophylactic journeying to the shrine too dorsum to the palace. The osun priest too priestess removes the bowl from the Arugbas caput patch she is sneaked away into the osun shrine inward the palace. Five twenty-four hours after the festival, a procession of osogbo people who includes women, youths, too children accompany past times osun devotees too Arugba trek into the osun shrine inward the sacred grove inward a joyous mood. They trip the low-cal fantastic to the osun shrine to give thank you lot osun for its protection too blessings too to fulfill the vows they made on the festival twenty-four hours to osun.
A kid that Osun delivered,according to devotee, after his baptism inward Osun river
During this ceremony, the Arugba is gorgeously dressed as against her ritual dressing during the actual festival too carries no calabash. Those whose prayer have got answered past times osun gives osun what they have got promised. The items brought are nutrient items similar moimoi, rice, eko, chicken, edible bean cakes, pounded yam, e.t.c which are carried to the river too scattered into the river.
Arugba carrying Osun calabash
The Arugba eats, relaxes, too jests alongside past times Arugbas within the maiden of all palace too after this every ane trip the low-cal fantastic dorsum to the palace too travel out for their diverse homes. The long preparations, the twelve-day ceremony of the osun osogbo festival comes to a benefiting-end. The people of osogbo sees osun osobgo festival as the way the inward which they tin forcefulness out appreciated, praise the osun deity who has been blessing, keeping too protecting their the world throughout the previous year.
Osun devotee`s beads
These festival serves as way of paying their vows to osun deity because the entire people of osogbo too some people who comes together to pay their vows as a way of appreciating what osun deity has done for them too their land. Some Eurocentric scholars too Europeans belief that African has neither history nor culture. The Eurocentric scholars beliefs that European culture, too that literature is primitive, too as such noting tin forcefulness out come upward out of African oral literature, but seeing the osun osogbo festival of osogbo land, its build too distorted their paradigm which they have got created almost African culture, that African is alongside or no civilisation too traditions. Osun Oshogbo festival builds the infinite too vacuum that indeed African is alongside many culture. Because at that topographic point are unlike people alongside unlike civilisation too traditions too practices inward African.
Worshippers select portion inward the Osun Osogbo festival, or the river goddess festival, inward Osogbo, upper-case alphabetic quality of southwest Nigeria's Osun State, on Aug. 23, 2013. Every August inward Osogbo, the festival presents an chance for the indigenes of Osogbo, their friends too well-wishers as good as fun-loving tourists to converge inward town for the yearly celebration. The festival has gained a global recognition to such an extent that the Osun Grove was enlisted as a world heritage site inward 2005. (Xinhua/Zhang Weiyi)
THE AESTHETICS IN THE OSUN OSOGBO FESTIVAL.
DRUMS
The unlike types of drums used during the annual osun osogbo festival ars bata, dundun, gangan, bembe, too ayan ( beaten past times the Ifa drummers). The drums tin forcefulness out live used to praise, abuse, or warn. Drums are powerful way of communication during the annual osun osogbo festival. It is the drums that announces the twenty-four hours of the festival.
A performer plays drum during the Osun Osogbo festival, or the river goddess festival, inward Osogbo, upper-case alphabetic quality of southwest Nigeria's Osun State
The drums are beaten to the praise of osun, the past times Ataoja, too the acquaint Ataoja during the annual festival. During the festival, the Aworo (osun preist) plays the dundun drums, patch the osun chanters accompany them alongside their chants too praise songs.The Ifa drummers invoke the spirit of osun too other orisa past times playing too so ayan drums. The festival drums are oftentimes beaten to the beat of the songs inward honour of osun such as the beating of a drum to the song. As the drums are beaten to the beat of these songs, the women, children too men laid about to trip the low-cal fantastic to the beat of the drum beat.
Afro-Brazilian delegation at Osun Oshogbo festival at Osun State,Nigeria
During the festival, the drums are also used to abuse too criticize the white organized faith i.e Islam too Christianity. The drums are beaten to the beat of the vocal which goes thus;
Nibo loni ngbe yeye mi si o (meaning) where did he say I should put
Nibo loni ngbe yeye mi si o my goddess
Enilawani-osi toni nwa se mole where did he say I should put
Nibo loni ngbe yeye mi si o my goddess
The human being alongside a horrible turban
Who asked me, to embrace
Islam, where did he say I should
Put my goddess
performer plays drum during the Osun Osogbo festival, or the river goddess festival, inward Osogbo, upper-case alphabetic quality of southwest Nigeria's Osun State
The festival drums are oftentimes beaten to the beat of the songs inward honour of osun
ijo omo la njo (meaning) we are dancing a kid rearing dance
Ijo omo la njo we are dancing a kid rearing dance
Kosi jo eleya lese wa we tin forcefulness out never trip the low-cal fantastic a shameless dance,
Ko si jo eleya lese wa but a trip the low-cal fantastic of kid rearers
Ijo omo lan jo
Generally, drums accompany songs to which the worshippers too public trip the low-cal fantastic to the drums are used during all the activities that brand upward the osun osogbo festival. The dancing circular the 16 dot light is accompanied alongside beating of drums. On the grand finale twenty-four hours of the celebration, the drums are beaten through the journeying from the palace to the grove too dorsum to the palace.
These drums beats says unlike things during the festival similar praising the Ataoja, the entire people of osogbo too the drums have got unlike types similar gangan, duru, bembe, bata, alongside unlike drummers. This songs teaches morals.
A performer dances during the Osun Osogbo festival, or the river goddess festival, inward Osogbo, upper-case alphabetic quality of southwest Nigeria's Osun State,
DANCE
During the Osun Osogbo festival, the Ataoja too his wives trip the low-cal fantastic to the drum beats. The Arugba dances during the walk from the palace to the grove too dorsum to the palace. The entire population of men, women too children also trip the low-cal fantastic to the grove.
Osun devotees trip the low-cal fantastic towards Osun-Oshogbo Sacred grove
The diverse religious too cultural groups acquaint trip the low-cal fantastic to the beat of the songs too drum beats. Dance is physical aspect of the festival, inward which both the performer too the people are involved. It is a physical participation inward the celebration as people trip the low-cal fantastic to the beat of the music. The trip the low-cal fantastic alongside unlike steps similar Bata dance, Atilogun trip the low-cal fantastic too so on
Osun devotee dancing at Osun Oshogbo festival
COSTUMES
Costumes brand the festival colourful. The celebration of Osun is apparent inward the array of colours. The Iya Osun too other Osun devotees, chanters too singers are dressed inward white attire, which symbolises purity too the authorisation of Osun.
Osun River goddess worshipers too their African pilus styles at the exactly concluded Osun Osogbo festival.
They also have got their pilus plaited inward styles that seat them as Osun worshippers. The king’s wives are dressed inward Aso-ofi too beads. They also have got their pilus plated, patch the Ata oja dresses inward Agbada made alongside Aso ofi. He also has beads closed to his cervix too wrists.
Osun River goddess worshipers too their African pilus styles at the exactly concluded Osun Osogbo festival.
He wears the ancestral crown, which he wears exclusively ane time inward a twelvemonth too that is on the grand finale twenty-four hours of the Osun festival, alongside the opa oba, which he has inward his hand. The Arugba (Osun bowl carrier) is dressed inward a white linen gown, covered alongside an upper golden aso ofi.
Osun River goddess worshipers too their African pilus styles at the exactly concluded Osun Osogbo festival.
She wears beautiful beads too has her human face beautifully made up. The bowl on her caput is also covered alongside carmine aran (suede).
Osun River goddess worshipers too their African pilus styles at the exactly concluded Osun Osogbo festival.
The unlike display of attires past times the unlike grouping too their unlike colours add together to the beauty of the festival. The unique impact of these attires is to present unlike groups alongside unlike functioning inward the festival.
Diasporan worshipers of Ifa at Oshogbo festival
MUSIC
During the Osun festival, musical instruments similar Agogo, Sekere too Seere are used. The Osun devotees as good as the entire public sing the praise of Osun. An instance of such ptaise vocal is:
Seleru agbo (meaning) brook H2O portion, pelting H2O portion
Agbara Agbo Is what osun uses to nuture her children
Osun tin woo 2d re ki dokita o tode. Before the arrival of medicines
Abimo ma dara’le a woman parent that nurses her novel born
Osun lan pe leegun born kid without heating the
House. Osun is the ane nosotros call
Masquerade.
The women present their beautiful voices past times chanting this Osun’s praise.Another praise inward honour of Osun , sung during the Osun festival goes thus:
Ekore yeye o (meaning) praise osun goddess
E kore yeye Osun praise osun goddess
Omi n live nibu osun goddess remain praise
Iya n live lodo osun medicinal H2O is reliable
Iya ye sa bami womo mi osun goddess volition soundless be inward the
Onile orun bami se temi river, woman parent delight select attention of
Awa o le ma b’osun children.
Onile orun, aid solve
Ko sihun tio sawa problems. We cant do withoutworshipping
Osun Omo olosun lawaje No evil tin forcefulness out befall us. We are children of osun.
Osun devotee asking for blessings from the River Goddess at Osun Oshogbo Sacred grove
The do goodness of this vocal to the vocaliser is to appreciate too praise Osun. The audience also sings these songs inward praising the Osun goddess too the goddess on hearing this, becomes real happy alongside the people of Osogbo. The devotees too worshippers sing the praises of Osun, inward monastic enjoin to honour too appreciate her presence inward their lives. During the festival, the praise call of the Rex of Osogbo town, Oba Laroye (the maiden of all Ataoja of Osogbo) too that of the belatedly oba Matanmi III are sung alongside the Adele Oba, Chief Oparanti are also sung Ataoja of Osogbo. The linguistic communication used is uncomplicated too easily understood past times the people acquaint at the
celebration. This adds to the aesthetics of the festival.
MAJOR ROLES TAKEN AT THE OSUN OSOGBO FESTIVAL.
The functioning of the osun festival involves the participation of the Ataoja (the Rex of osobgo), Arugba (osun bowl carrier), Aworo osun (osun priest),Iya osun (osun priestess) too the entire people of people of osogbo who human activeness the audience.
Osogbo Osun devotee kid alongside his pigeon for sacrifice to Osun deity
THE ATAOJA
The Ataoja is the traditional caput of osogbo too the representative of their ancestors. He has the concluding say inward all the traditional matters. The appointment of the festival is been chosen too announced past times the Ataoja. The osun osogbo festival cannot select seat or does non select seat without the Ataoja.
Ataoja of Oshogbo, Oba Iyiola Oyewale Matanmi III, is the electrical flow Rex of Oshogbo inward Osun State, Nigeria
THE IYA OSUN (OSUN PRIESTESS)
The Iya osun is the osun priestess. She is the ane inward accuse of the worship of the osun divinity everyday too at the festival period. She has the total knowledge of the undercover of osun too she speaks alongside osun. She ever sings the praise of osun
Osun priestess
THE ARUGBA OSUN (OSUN BOWL CARRIER)
The Arugba osun is a immature holy lady who gives upward the whole of her fourth dimension too unloose energy to the religious worship too service to osun.
Arugba Osun
Traditionally, she must live a spinster too a virgin too remain so until she attain the postal service for matrimony too she must live a missy of the majestic delineate of piece of work solid which is the ruling house. She is picked past times the Ifa oracle.
It is forbidden for the Arugba to hitting her human foot on the stone on her way, as this is a bad sign or omen for herself too the worshippers. This is the argue why the woman parent too relations of the Arugba do remain restless until the Arugba safely returns from the grove. The festival cannot select seat without the Arugba.
Arugba Osun
THE AWORO OSUN (OSUN PRIEST)
Every orisha inward Yorubaland has his or her ain priest. Aworo osun is the osun priest . He performs inward conjunction alongside Iya osun inward the worship of osun everyday too at the Annual osun festival. He knows what sacrifice is to live offered, how it should live offered too he knows what is necessary to live done to pleaseosun both inward fourth dimension of peace too trouble.
Osun priestess
Before whatsoever piece of work of fine art to live consummate too accepted as been aesthetically fulfilling, it must possess the elements discussed above. Therefore, since the osun osogbo festival possess these aesthetics chemical constituent nosotros tin forcefulness out say that the annual osun osogbo festival has the aesthetic experience whatsoever fine art would demand to brand it a
consummate piece of work of arts. And the elements discussed above, brand the festival colourful too appreciated.
Aworo Osun
THE AUDIENCE
The audience is the combination of the entire people of the Osogbo who are the indigenes, the journalists, tourist, foreigners, worshippers, researchers too everybody witnesses the functioning of the festival. The audience joins inward the singing of Osun praises, they trip the low-cal fantastic to the songs too drum beats.
They participate inward the lawsuit past times drinking the medicinal H2O too bathing themselves inward the river. They also pray to osun, too asking her to offering them protection, fertility. They select sacrificial items similar epo (palm oil), eko (solidified pap), moimoi (beans pudding), obi (kolanut) too so on.
Source:http://alayeogba.unilorin.edu.ng
KEEPING THE GODDESS ALIVE
Marketing Culture too Remembering the Past inward Osogbo, Nigeria
By Peter Probst
The Osun Osogbo Festival is ane of the most prominent cultural festivals inward Nigeria. It takes seat inward August every year, too begins alongside the securing of the infinite where the festival takes place. The goal is reached twelve days later, alongside a public sacrifice to the river goddess Osun at the Osun River.
Critics of the festival have got lamented almost the increasing folklorization of the event. Yet looking at the festival inward a historical perspective, such laments seem rather an appear of nostalgia than a justified point. Thus, already inward 1952, the American anthropologist, Schwab, observed “the introduction of a European type band march-ing downward to the river where the most of import portion of the Osun ritual occurs, playing ‘Way downward the Riverside’” as an instance of “the to a greater extent than colorful innovations” which had begun “a number of years ago” (Schwab 1952: 835).What too so is the Osun Osogbo Festival? Basically, it is a metropolis festival embody-ing too fostering what Olupona (2001), next Bellah (1970), has called a“civil religion” (Olupona 2001: 46).
As Olupona notes, civil religions render the framework past times which political entities are able to empathise their historical experience inward religious terms. In the instance of Osogbo, this historical experience is based upon the rituals too beliefs centered on Osun. Most oftentimes Osun is characterized as a H2O or fertility deity, but the notions associated alongside Osun are much wider, embracing as imageries of healing, femininity, motherhood, sexuality, wealth, wisdom, knowledge, beauty, art, too power. In fact, Osun has unlike identities, resulting from the diverse weather condition nether which people have got lent important to her. Consequently, the ideas too imageries of Osun inward Osogbo are unlike from those found inward other Yoruba towns, too the diverse places inward the Americas where Osun is as honored, as a final result of the bulk enslavement of Yoruba men too women inward the belatedly eighteenth too early on nineteenth century.
Even inward Osogbo, the conceptualization of Osun changed. The electrical flow fashioning of Osun as existence responsible for the advent of Osogbo as a pump for the fine arts is a final result of the changes that have got taken seat inward the mid-twentieth century.Nevertheless a number of core themes too elements tin forcefulness out live delineated. In the elaborate oral traditions attributed to Osun, she is explained as existence the exclusively woman soul divinity amidst the seventeen spiritual beings ane time sent past times the Supreme Creator spirit, Oludumare, to organize too send out the human inward habitation of the world.
In the course of study of this task, Osun moved from what was originally, a rather marginal role into the pump of importance. By her special woman soul qualities, she non exclusively linked upward alongside the other manly soul divinities,thereby acquiring fundamental knowledge similar that of divination, she also made her-self indispensable, inward that she provided—and soundless provides—the divinity of Obatala alongside the H2O that he uses to polish the clay alongside which he moulds the human beings. In other words, Osun controls H2O as the source of pro-creation, too the representation of the life giving regulation par excellence.Considering this crucial seat inward the Yoruba pantheon, Murphy’s too Sanford’s recent remark that Osun is related to the word orisun, important “the source of a river, a people, or of children” points to the profound political role of Osun (2001: 2).
Indeed, as Verger has noted, Osun is praised—among other ways—as the ane who “dances to select the crown without asking” (1959: 426).Given the political history of Osogbo, on the ane hand, too the Osun Osogbo Festival, on the other, it seems feasible that Osun was originally a fertility cult,practiced past times the autochthonous population, but too so turned into a cult of mightiness too kingship. At least, a number of ritual events taking seat inward the course of study of the festival signal that the latter was maybe transformed from an agricultural New Year's Day festival into a ritual of kingship, commemorating the foundation of the metropolis too legitimizing the authorisation of its ruler. Be that as it may, the seizing of mightiness too the taking over of rulership does constitute a prime number characteristic inward the narratives told almost the root of Osogbo.
According to these traditions, an Ijesa prince, Laroye, was the official founder of Osogbo.Together alongside a little grouping of people, he had left the hamlet of Ipole because of a shortage of water. When they came to Osogbo they discovered the Osun River. They tried to settle there, but the expanse was inhabited past times wizards. Laroye managed to defeat the wizards past times seizing a sixteen-point lamp, an human activeness that essentially paved the way for the establishment of Osogbo as an Ijesa settlement. It is because of this that Laroye too Osun, the river goddess, made a pactof mutual protection. Just as Laroye promised to protect the the world of Osun, the latter promised to protect Laroye too his people. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 real similar story is narrated almost Osun.
According to this tradition, the sixteen-point light is said to have got belonged to Osanyin, a Yoruba deity, responsible for herbs too healing. Osun, however, managed to defeat Osanyin, too made him portion of her divine kingdom. Taking these 2 traditions together, it seems as if the Ijesa cohort, nether Laroye, overtook the territory from the autochthonous population, too installed the cult of Osun as symbol of mightiness too rulership. Over time, the goddess developed into the most of import factor of integration of the town, too alongside the growing number of its adherents, her influence,political status, too mightiness increased.
A crucial role inward this context was played past times the Fulani wars inward the belatedly 1830s (see Gbadamosi 1978). Unlike Ilorin too Oyo, Osogbo was non sacked past times the Muslim forces, but succeeded inward fighting dorsum the aggressors. The defeat of the Fulani meant that the refugees who had left the part to seek shelter inward Osogbo remained inward the city. Their incorporation into the urban community took seat through Osun. To bind them to the majestic house,the Rex of Osogbo, existence as the master copy priest of the Osun cult, provided the refugee families alongside unmarried refractions of Osun, together alongside a seat within the Osun grove as a private seat of worship too sacrifice to these modest deities.
Though the victory over Fulani did non halt the expansion of Islam, Osun was able to maintain its integrative function. With the advent of Christianity, how-ever, the province of affairs changed. The first missionaries had arrived inward Yorubaland already inward the first one-half of the nineteenth century, but inward Osogbo, the impact of Christianity was effectively felt exclusively some fifty years later. Instead of multiple religious loyalties that characterized the procedure of Islamization inward Osogbo, the missionaries made it clear that at that topographic point is no choice to the gospel. Combined alongside the effects of an increasing control of British colonial rule, their efforts turned out to live successful, too inward the early on 1930s, roughly a hundred years after the Fulani war, the mission forced the Rex to surrender his office as the master copy priest of the Osun cult.
Orisa worship at Osun goddess presence
With the introduction of the aworo (today the manly soul counterpart of iya osun, the Osun priestess)a novel office was created whose incumbent right away took over the ritual duties of the Rex within the Osun cult, leaving the Rex mainly alongside representative functions. In other words, the “innovations” Schwab had observed during his fourth dimension of enquiry were already portion of an ongoing ritual transformation, whose dominant characteristic seems to have got been an increasing outwards orientation, produced too prompted past times the incorporation of the Osun cult into the colonial world too its authorities of meaning.
Osun Oshogbo sacred grove water
Osogbo Modern
In what Enwezor (2001: 10–16) has named “the curt century,” the processes of decolonization he refers to alongside his phrase found their most shrewd expressions oftentimes inward the field of arts.
Osogbo is commonly seen as having played a crucial role inward this “short century.” After all, it was inward Osogbo where the confrontation alongside modernism did final result inward an influential fine art movement, which explicitly attacked too contested the epistemic foundations of the colonial project.
Susanne Wenger too her colleague. The 94-year-old Austrian has lived inward Osogbo for 58 years too has acquire a high priestess of Osun.
Embodying this modernism, too thus real much inward the pump of the confrontation, were 2 expatriates, Ulli Beier too Susanne Wenger. Both had come upward to Nigeria inward 1950—Beier as a phonetics lecturer at the academy of Ibadan, too Wenger as an creative soul (see Ogundele 2003). Both had met the twelvemonth earlier inward Paris, where Wenger had gone inward search of novel inspirations inward her artistic work.
Osun devotees fetching holy H2O from Osun river
However, disappointed past times what she considered to live the too‘intellectual’ agreement of fine art past times her French colleagues, she accepted Beier’s offering to accompany him to Africa. Their ambitions were shaped past times a rejection of the politics too ideologies that they believed contributed to the onset of traditions that had led to World War II, too when they arrived inward Ibadan, both refused to conform to the expectations of the colonial establishment.
While Beier invested his energies into projects that aimed to ‘reanimate’African traditions of artistic expression, Wenger immersed herself inward traditional Yoruba religion. When, inward 1958, after a stage of searching too learning, they finally settled inward Osogbo, they made the metropolis the pump of their private projects. Thus, Beier founded the famous Mbari Mbayo club, inward which he organized readings too fine art workshops, curated exhibitions, too initiated house performances.
Osun River goddess worshipers too their African pilus styles at the exactly concluded Osun Osogbo festival.
Whereas Wenger made it her life chore to save too reshape the grove of the local guardian deity Osun alongside novel shrines too sculptures.The immediate occasion provided the status of the Osun grove. The traditional taboos on hunting too fishing were non enforced whatsoever longer. Farmers too businessmen had started to usage the grove for commercial purposes. In addition, a primary schoolhouse had been erected on an of import ritual site inward the grove. Last but non least, the most of import edifice inward the grove, the main Osun shrine, a modest mud edifice situated past times the river, showed clear signs of decay. White ants had begun to touching on the structures.
Osun devotee exhibiting his trunk painting
Public back upward to alter the province of affairs did non exist. Active membership inward the cult had declined considerably, too thus money to restore the shrine was non available. Against this background, the Osun cult officials turned to Wenger for help. The displace was a real pragmatic one. For the Osun cult officials, Wenger was seen as an attractive ally. Already familiar alongside Yoruba religion, Wenger became a fellow member of the Obatala cult too the Ogboni society. Since coming to Osogbo,her membership inward these 2 ritual institutions legitimately allowed her to bring together also the town’s little ritual community.
Right from the start, she developed an involvement inward the ritual landscape of Osogbo. Many of the shrines had already col-lapsed, yet their sites were soundless remembered, too some sacred functions were soundless carried out on them. For Wenger, they provided the chance to rebuild them according to her ain artistic ideas of traditional Yoruba religion. In fact,even earlier she started the Osun grove project, she had rebuilt an old shrine of her ain cult grouping along the outskirts of Osogbo. With its dynamic form, the final result differed from the plainly appearance of traditional Yoruba architecture.
Nevertheless, the ritual site had a proper structure. Coupled alongside the realization of Wenger’s status as an expatriate, too the importance of having access to the exterior world that this status offered, the Osun cult officials approached Wenger to inquire for aid inward the grove. Expectedly, the strategy worked. Wenger was able to gain financial back upward from the subdivision of antiquities inward Lagos too the piece of work began. Wenger’s commission was restricted to the eradication of the ants inward the Osun shrine past times the river. Soon after this was achieved, however,the piece of work extended to other parts of the grove. Together alongside a handful of local craftsmen, to a greater extent than oftentimes than non bricklayers too carpenters, Wenger started to build a mud wall decorated alongside relief images of of import religious too historical figures to protect the inner sanctum of the grove.
Iya osun
Next came the reshaping of the Osun shrine itself, followed past times the erection of a robust cement sculpture representing Osun right at the riverbank. The piece of work on the shrine led to farther projects inward other parts of the grove. In the course of study of time, this profusion of architectural too sculptural structures throughout the grove became known as “The New Sacred Art” (see Beier 1975); “Sacred” because all of the works were devoted to Yoruba deities; “New” because the bold too expressionistic vogue of the piece of work stood inward sudden contrast to the repose of traditional Yoruba sculpture; and“Art” because Wenger conceived of the projection as existence indebted to the creative heed of their producers.
Osun Oshogbo sculptural work
Wenger’s reshaping of the grove took seat at the same fourth dimension as Beier’s activities inward the Mbari Mbayo Club. Both Beier too Wenger shared the same perception too agreement of fine art as existence basically, a self-referential procedure brought forwards past times a single, autonomous mind, disentangled from the past. Yet both differed inward their approach to the stimulation of artistic expressions. While the so-called ‘Osogbo School,’ promoted past times Beier, had its roots quite deliberately exterior of what was seen as ‘tradition,’ Wenger concentrated her efforts inward creating a motion that was as embedded within it as good as transcending it.Given the political context of the time, alongside Nigeria having reached independence inward 1960, Osogbo became a synonym for the successful seek to the overcoming of the oppressive bonds of colonialism.
In fact, as Beier himself has remarked: “on the international scene credence too rejection were oftentimes determined past times political rather than artistic considerations” (2000: 48). Significantly, the first museum exhibiting the piece of work of the Osogbo artists inward Europe was the Naprstek Muzeum inward Prague, inward 1965. With the aid of paper too television, Osogbo also became celebrated inward the ‘West’ as well. More too to a greater extent than visitors came to Nigeria to witness too study almost the ‘rebirth’ of Yoruba fine art too culture.
Ulli Beier, Susanne Wenger `s sometime husband.
For the actual representatives of this ‘rebirth,’ the gro-ing popularity of the town improved their situation. Artists such as Twins Seven Seven, Nike Davis, or Rufus Ogundele, who had come upward out of the fine art workshops organized past times Beier, shortly became portion of the global fine art world. The same held truthful for members of Wenger’s group. Some of the sometime helpers, similar Adebisi Akanji, were able to brand a career on their own. Others were less successful.Not promoted past times Wenger, they could either travel out the grouping or had to remain inward the lower ranks, doing mainly maintenance work.
From the 1980s onwards,however, the smash declined. Though the flow of the visitors coming to Osogbo remained unbroken, the marketplace for Osogbo fine art changed. The involvement of the national as good as international public shifted, too began to focus to a greater extent than on the Osun festival. As a result, the political processes inward Osogbo itself shifted as well; as the opening address of the Rex of Osogbo indicates, the realm of fine art soundless plays an of import factor for the communal identity of Osogbo. But at the same time, this identity has acquire to a greater extent than fragmented, making it to a greater extent than difficult to maintain a feel of communal coherence.
Marketing Osun
Both a result, as good as a medium, of this procedure is the Osun Festival Committee too the Osogbo Cultural Heritage Council. The duty of the 2 bodies is to organize the festival too render data stuff for the public. Both of the 2 bodies have got their offices at the palace. Membership overlaps, but is non identical. For example, patch the 2 leading ritual officials of the Osun cult are portion of the Festival Committee, they are non portion of the Heritage Council.The Festival Committee is the older of the 2 institutions. It was founded inward the mid-1970s. One of its founding members was Jimoh Buraimoh who has been on the commission ever since. Born inward Osogbo inward 1943, Buraimoh belongs to the first generation of the so-called Osogbo artists. Although he was unsuccessful inward reaching the inner circle of those promoted past times Beier too his colleagues, he ha sbecome the local icon of ‘Osogbo Art.’
The Ataoja of Oshogbo, Oba Iyiola Oyewale Matanmi III, is the electrical flow Rex of Oshogbo inward Osun State, Nigeria
Iya Osun
As a result, both the hotel too the dark society have got non exclusively acquire a pop address for unusual tourists visiting Osogbo too the Osun festival,they represent, also, a favorite coming together seat for local politicians, bankers, too businessmen. As Buraimoh admits, he owed his nomination to the commission to the acquaint Rex of Osogbo, Matanmi III, who had been installed inward July 1976. In contrast to his predecessor, Matanmi had no intimate knowledge of the cult too the festival. He had been raised as a Muslim, too was working as an accountant inward Lagos when he ascended the throne. To gear upward a Festival Committee suited non exclusively the modern bureaucratic milieu he had been living in, it was also a way of exercising command over a realm he felt detached from. To attain this, he gathered a number of immature people closed to him whom he considered reliable. As a cousin of Matanmi, Jimoh Buraimoh was ane of them. Matanmi considered Buraimoh to live especially qualified for the piece of work of the committee. He was portion of the fine art movement, too knew the latest developments inward Osogbo much ameliorate than Matanmi. Right from the start, Wenger’s activities inward the grove had been met alongside resistance. Religious reasons were interwoven alongside economical ones. Being a commercial pump alongside lots of immigrants, Osogbo—like all Yoruba cities—was, too is upward to now, curt of land. Thus, farmers too businessmen had moved into the grove, thereby violating the pact the founder of Osogbo had made alongside the goddess. In monastic enjoin to foreclose farther damage, Wenger too her followers appealed to the state. The appeal was successful, too inward 1975, the Nigerian Government declared the Osun grove a National Monument, too obliged the Rex of Osogbo to oversee too behaviour the festival.
Osun Oshogbo traditional championship holder
The the world was officially measured, too signs were pose upward inward the wood forbidding farming, building, the hunting of animals,and tree felling. Although the protection the grove received nether its novel status of a national monument turned out to live effective, the conflicts did non stop;they only shifted from the grove to the festival.The main work right away became the important too significance of the festival.With the involvement of the Nigerian state, the importance of grove too the festival had been transferred from a local to a national framework, within which both institutions became objects of a policy that stressed the dignity too strength of Nigerian civilisation inward particular, too African civilisation inward general. The definitive climax of this evolution constituted the legendary International Festival of African Arts too Culture (FESTAC), held inward Lagos inward 1977.
Financed past times stone oil money, the FESTAC was a spectacle too political demonstration of a novel postcolonial self-esteem (Apter 1996). Its international success sparked off anew form of ethnic too religious tourism, alongside people of African ancestry com-ing to Nigeria to seek too revitalize their ethnic too cultural roots.In Osogbo itself, the evolution led to the formation of the Osogbo Cultural Heritage Council. Founded inward 1986, alongside Jimoh Buraimoh ane time again ane of its founding members—the official tasks of the Council were “to identify, fully revive too educate the historical monuments too activities into tourist attractions”(Osogbo Heritage Council 1986: 9). The economical enthusiasm was great.Thus, it was planned to erect kiosks, restaurants, parking spaces, too fifty-fifty an amusement commons inward too closed to the grove.
Adunni Olorisa (Susan Wenger), Osun`s greater devotee of Caucasian extraction
These processes of cultural reification too ‘objectivization’ that have got under-pinned the evolution of the grove too the festival could live understood to live a final result of the global forces of commercialization too secularization. The truth,however, is that both of these forces seemed to have got bypassed Osogbo. Tourism,the dream of the 1970s, turned out to live an illusion. The fame of Osogbo as a metropolis of arts has begun to dwindle, leaving exclusively the grove too festival as the main attractions. Certainly, the festival did acquire a global event, but the twelve days the festival lasts were non plenty to create a feasible tourist industry. Equally simulated is the secularization thesis. Rather than a decline of religion, Osogbo has seen an enormous increment of Christian churches too Islamic sects that have got acquire a serious threat to the religious pluralism too syncretism that characterized Yoruba society inward the past. Indeed, a religious polarization has laid in, with ardent Christians too Muslims rejecting the festival as an appear of paganism, too a rather diffuse bulk of the population embracing too sup-porting it as a symbol of belonging too local identity (Ogungbile 1999).Caught betwixt these 2 fractions, the Rex of Osogbo found himself inward a precarious situation. While representatives of the Islamic sects reminded him of his Muslim identity too urged him to closed downward the grove too forbid the festival, the king-makers too ritual officials of the Osun cult made it clear that the history of his office demanded his active participation inward the functioning of the rituals devoted to the goddess.
Osun devotees
In monastic enjoin to counter the criticism on the side of the Muslims, King Matanmi too his personal consultants opted for a policy of enhancement too desacralization, past times which they tried to trim the religious content of the festival, too represented it as a social lawsuit too a festival of commemoration too remembrance. An indication of this are the publications of the heritage center. In the course of study of the finally 20 years, they have got shifted the frame of reference inward their public advertising of the festival. While inward the 1980s, the places the Council referred to inward its publications were religious centers similar “Mecca” too “Jerusalem,” from the 1990s on-wards, these places have got acquire to a greater extent than too to a greater extent than substituted by references to global amusement centers, similar “Las Vegas” or “Hollywood.”
Osun Priest (aworo) renewing the paradigm on a figure representing Laroye.The figure is housed at the palace too is exclusively taken out ane time a twelvemonth inward Nov on theoccasion of the so-called festival of images. (Photo: Adigun Ajani 2002)
The paradigm works that stand upward inward the grove have got never been‘washed.’ For the priests, they are exactly ‘monuments.’ As such what they refer to too remind of is a unlike history, a unlike remembrance to the ane the priests are interested in. In other words, the public they appeal to is unlike from the ane the priests experience belonging to.The priests’ ambivalence toward the paradigm works links upward alongside a com-plaint, whose ground is non so much rooted inward religious but inward political issues.In contrast to the complaints almost the desacralization policy, these comments are rather hidden too hardly ever fully articulated. It is to a greater extent than a rather diffuse uneasiness too discomfort.
The context inward which I came across it was during the discussions almost the publications of the Heritage Council. What turned out to live a frail number was the representation of the history of Osogbo given inward the brochures. Often, the explanations given to the diverse places inward the grove formed the occasion for expressing a careful critique, concerning the correctness of the data given inward the texts.
The context inward which I came across it was during the discussions almost the publications of the Heritage Council. What turned out to live a frail number was the representation of the history of Osogbo given inward the brochures. Often, the explanations given to the diverse places inward the grove formed the occasion for expressing a careful critique, concerning the correctness of the data given inward the texts.
Osun devotees
Discussing the affair inward particular it shortly became apparent that the palace is using the brochures to exclude rivaling claims too competing historical traditions inward favor of the ruling majestic lineage.While such a procedure of a political centralization is far from existence extraordinary inward African society, what is interesting inward the instance of Osogbo is that hither the written media through which this procedure operates is based upon visual media.That is, the history of Osogbo, which is given inward the brochures, is narrated along the shrines too sculptures standing inward the grove. Thus, what has taken seat is the creation of a double representation, alongside the written representations using the visual too verbal ones as their legitimization too dot of reference.
A shrine inward the Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove, inward Osogbo, Osun nation , Nigeria
Media, Meaning, too Memory
In Yoruba society, the inquiry whether Yoruba divinities are either deified humans who had ane time achieved fame too prestige, or stand upward for an independent too autonomous regulation of spiritual forcefulness too mightiness is non an ontological but a pragmatic issue. Both perspectives hold, but the inquiry of when to opt for what is decided along political lines.
After all, political legitimacy of a Yoruba kingdom requires a straight link alongside the divinities, Oduduwa, the progenitor, is said to have got sent from sky to populate the earth.The history of Osogbo told inward the brochures of the Heritage Council is a casein point. Two genres of histories are distinguished: a “legendary” too a “traditional” history. The sometime focuses on the goddess, Osun, who is described as a beautiful queen, credited alongside magical powers.
Named also Oso Igbo, translated as ‘wizard of the forest,’ the foundation of Osogbo is attributed to her. The actual fourth dimension of this lawsuit is left open. It is exclusively mentioned that all of this took seat “as early on as the menstruum of Oduduwa” (Aofolau 1999: 6). The “traditional history” starts alongside the coming of 2 people, Laroye too Timehin, whose appearance is situated inward the seventeenth century. Both Laroye too Timehin are said to have got come upward alongside their followers inward search of novel land. While the regain of the Osun River, too the first interaction alongside the goddess residing inward the H2O is credited to Timehin, Laroye is said to live the ane who established permanent contacts alongside the goddess too her people past times founding a settlement.As fourth dimension passed on, regular floods caused a problem
. Laroye’s people consulted the Ifa oracle, which stated that the floods were sent past times Osun, who had acquire angry almost the immigrants’ destruction of her land. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 sacrifice was made too Osun showed them a novel seat to settle. The novel domain prospered, to a greater extent than too to a greater extent than people came, too shortly the seat became likewise small. Thus, some other seat was sought too ane time once again the people moved. This time, they settled way upward the Osun River where they stayed upward to now.Both of the genres usage the paradigm works created past times Wenger too her collaborators as an organizational regulation of their narratives. That is to say, the diverse shrines too sculptures standing both within too exterior the grove render the occasions for explaining the unlike episodes of the migration history. For example, some of the shrines located along the Osun River are said to stand upward for the officials who worked at the majestic courtroom of Osun earlier the advent of Laroye too Timehin.
Other structures are said to live markers of the diverse palaces Laroye built on his way from the banks of the river upward the acquaint site. In other words, the text reinforces the structuring of the social infinite marked past times the images. As such, the content of the text differs, however, from the explanations Wenger herself has given to the structures.From the 1970s on-wards, she began to explicate her projection inward a number of publications (Denk 1985; Wenger 1977; Wenger 1990; Wenger too Chesi 1981).
Yet conflicts soundless simmer. What is depicted inward the brochures as a to a greater extent than or less linear history of political evolution is genuinely a complex too rather fragile matter.
Up to now, at that topographic point are lineages inward Osogbo whose root goes dorsum to the indigenous population. Although they have got acquire fully incorporated into the political trunk of the immigrants of which they experience a constitutive part, their ritual duties too positions during the installation ceremonies too the annual sacrifice at the Osun river reflect their historical status; some of them possessed particular places inward the grove where they met for seat unit of measurement rituals. Others were inward accuse of little shrines for deities nether Osun, which were later on built anew past times Wenger too her collaborators. In the course of study of the finally decades, however, these lineages have got lost their ritual importance. The ruling seat unit of measurement has skipped somof the rituals at the river, leaving the shrines as a politically empty monument.
Arugba (middle), carrying the Osun-Osogbo Calabash covered. PHOTO: OYASAF
But resentment toward the strategy of centralization prevails non exclusively amidst those whose seat has acquire difficult inward Osogbo. It is also a affair of concern amidst those who have got made a career out of Yoruba organized faith too ritual.A brilliant instance is Chief Elebuibon, a priest of the Ifa oracle, too past times far the most successful religious entrepreneur of Orisha worship inward Osogbo (see O’Connor too Fayola 1999). Elebuibon started his career inward the belatedly 1960s past times producing radio programs based upon the Ifa divination corpus. The production of books, sound cassettes, too video films, all devoted to diverse aspects of Yoruba organized faith followed. In fact, the regularly expressed plans on the side of the Heritage Council too the Tourist Department to plough the grove into a“Nigerian Hollywood” are mainly due to his activities.
In the belatedly 1980s, non the to the lowest degree through contacts made alongside visitors who had attended the Osun festival,Elebuibon expanded his delineate of piece of work concern ventures to the U.S. too Latin America where he established himself as a poet, film maker, too authorisation of Ifa divination.Today, he sits inward diverse committees organizing too co-coordinating the diverse versions of Yoruba organized faith on an international level. He receives visitors from abroad; exactly as regularly, he himself flies to the U.S. to reckon clients, give lectures,and attend conferences. Having thus acquire a global participant of Yoruba religion,Elebuibon soundless has a keen involvement inward local history too politics. The ground for this is his genealogy, which is said to travel all the way dorsum to Timehin, the cofounder of Osogbo. Elebuibon criticizes the palace for non giving plenty credit to the role of Timehin inward the history of Osogbo.
In his view, the historical texts published past times the Heritage Council are highly misleading too demand to live rewritten again. Indeed, he is planning to make a video on the history of Timehin,which he intends to shoot inward the grove, using the shrines too sculptures standing therein as portion of the scenario.Even though the palace knows of Elebuibon’s political claims, both sides cooperate alongside ane some other on the ground of mutual profit. In price of money too prestige, this year’s festival, for example, was especially successful. As a fellow member of the organizing commission of the 2001 world conference of Orisha religion, Elebuibon arranged to contain the Osun festival into the programme of the conference which was held inward Ife, the historical too religious centers of Yorubal and, almost twoscore kilometers due south of Osogbo. In thought of the groovy numbers
Reading through the material, it is evident that the ritual practices too oral traditions connected to Osun were sensibly realized as representing an elaborate religious too political landscape. Seeing that this landscape was almost to live destroyed, Wenger laid out to save it past times erecting novel structures embodying the events of the past. Compared to the old images, these novel ones differed non exclusively inward stuff too shape but also inward nature. Whereas earlier the advent of Wenger, the effigies used for ritual purposes were either ephemeral or secret, the novel structures were public too permanent.
Osun Osogbo worshipers performing ane of the rituals of the festival, during the 2011 edition. PHOTO: OYASAF
The departure is crucial, for it has given way to a procedure of freezing inward a discursive political milieu,that which was formerly inward nation of constant flux.In thought of the course of study of events that have got taken seat inward the grove, it seems fair to nation that both Wenger too the palace were quite aware of these implications. After all, exactly as Wenger used the creation of novel shrines too sculptures strategically to protect the the world of the grove from the encroachment of religious zeal too economical interests, the palace, too, has used Wenger’s structures to consolidate its hegemony.
Osun-Osogbo purification ritual existence performed at the Osun river during the 2011 edition. PHOTO: OYASAF
Thus, it is hardly a coincidence that the first of the historical brochures published past times the Osogbo Cultural Heritage Council appeared inward 1994, exactly shortly after Osogbo had been made the upper-case alphabetic quality of the newly created Osun state. The brochure testified non exclusively the historical importance of the novel capital, but also legitimized novel claims based upon the newly acquired administrative status.
In the thought of groovy numbers of unusual visitors attending the festival, the Rex of Osogbo commented upon the fame too importance of the town as ane of the most of import centers of Nigerian arts too civilisation too renewed his asking vis-à-vis the invited representatives of the nation to build a academy inward Osogbo.
In the thought of groovy numbers of unusual visitors attending the festival, the Rex of Osogbo commented upon the fame too importance of the town as ane of the most of import centers of Nigerian arts too civilisation too renewed his asking vis-à-vis the invited representatives of the nation to build a academy inward Osogbo.
(http://www.academia.edu/457550/Keeping_the_Goddess_Alive)
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Till date, Osun goddess is soundless deified too this is quite visible from her oriki (panegyrics):
Oshun, Oshun, Oshun, The deity of love, wealth, beauty, sensuality, healing too fertility,
The woman soul irunmole (deity or spirit) who accompanied the 16 manly soul irunmoles to yeah (Earth) to flora monastic enjoin too balance,
Olodumare (the Creator) warned all the 16 manly soul orishas that their plans volition fail,
If they do non include her inward their deliberations…
Oshun, Oshun, Oshun…
Yeye Omi (Mother of the Rivers)
Yeye Wa Gbogbo (Mother of Us All)
SUSANNE WENGER, Nigeria’s Mystical White High Priestess
VIDEOS:
Countless films too documentaries have got also existence made inward her honour. When she left Western Europe inward the 1950s inward search of what she called her ori inu (the existent essence), footling did she know that she would regain it within the forests of an African people. Today, Adunni Olorisha rests on, non far from the River Osun -in its timeless soil, communing alongside the gods.
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