Jul 18, 2016 the osun osogbo festival, without a doubt, is more than just sacrifices performed to celebrate the osun river goddess. She is considered one of the most powerful of all orishas, and, like other gods, she possesses human attributes such as vanity, jealousy, and spite. She is also known as our lady of caridad del cobre and is regarded as patroness of cuba by her many devotees, who celebrate her feast day on september 8. Oshun is commonly called the river orisha, or goddess, in the yoruba religion and is typically associated with water, purity, fertility, love, and sensuality. People come from all over the world to attend the festival and be blessed andor healed by the sacred waters of the osun river at the city of osogbo. Oshogbo is a very special, sacred forest along the banks of the osun river just outside the city of oshogbo, osun state, nigeria. Daughter of the river, goddess of love, golden one whose taste is honey whose touch is the flow of water whose dance is enchanting who is the glint of gold and the sound of laughter and who is much more than these things, bless us with your ability to love. Oshun goddess of yoruba people who brings all things that. Oshun river goddess possess a beautiful girl at osogbo.
The untold story of a living goddess it is the last week of august, and the feet of hundreds of thousands of osun devotees worldwide stamp towards the osunosogbo forest last friday morning as indigenes from far and near troop to. It takes place in august every year, and begins with the securing of the space where the festival takes place. The osunosogbo sacred grove is situated along the osun river in the city of osogbo and is a unesco world heritage site. Osun history in the osogbo mythhistory, it is said that a prince olarooye from ilesa, went out to found a new city due to a water shortage in. The sacred oshogbo grove, is believed to be a true symbol of identity for all yoruba people. Osun and the origins of the ifa divination by professor wande abimbola by ifa divination we mean ifa and related systems of divination based on the stories and symbols of the odu such as dida owo divination with the sacred divining chain called opele and et.
Once upon a time, a group of migrating people who were led by a great hunter called olutimehin settled on the bank of osun river, to save themselves from famine. Orisha greater, owner of love, femininity and the river. Osun is a brilliant deity whose imagery and worldwide devotion demand broad and deep scholarly reflection. The yoruba hills run through the northern part of osun state. Osun olomoyoyo yoruba river fertility goddess youtube. The festival of osunosgobo, which takes place every year in osogbo, nigeria, celebrates the goddess of fertility, osun. He explores the history of the osogbo school, which helped introduce one style of african. Hairstyles of worshippers of the goddess of osun river. Celebrating yemaya and oshun orisha goddesses of the. Although the independence of this religion from that of the yoruba is discernible, the remarkable similarities of the two religions in terms of metaphysical structures.
To cheer her up, covered with jewels, corals and infinite wealth. This is the reason why yoruba people myths are telling the stories that said that life would not exist without the help of oshun, the goddess of life and fertility. She is the goddess of the sweet waters, beauty, femininity and sensuality. One of the most important roles that oshun plays is that of the goddess of the sweet waters and the protective deity of the river oshun in nigeria. Jun 27, 2019 list of african history books for beginners. Contributors to the groundbreaking africas ogun, edited by sandra barnes indiana university press, 1997, explored the complex nature of ogun, the orisa who transforms life through iron and technology. She is one of the most popular and venerated orishas. Osun in colours is a compendium on one of the most significant traditional deity in africa, the caribbean islands and the americas. Shango and oya of the yoruba star myths of the world. She is the goddess of the river waters and is considered to be the aphrodite of cuba and africa. A deeper look at the trooping crowd revealed a people whose soul was hungry for the invisible osun, as if though, the goddess was missing. She is considered one of the most powerful of all orishas, and, like other gods, she possesses. It is said that oshun is beneficient and generous, and very kind. Although oshun also spelt osun is regarded principally as a goddess of love, there are other aspects to this orisha as well.
The river goddess has been able to give the barren babies and change the lives of many people. Known as the goddess of the sweet waters, she is the protective deity of the river oshun. It is a searchlight to the diversified stories of the river goddess through its more than three hundred pictorial analysis and illustrations from igede to osogbo where the goddess groves. She is known for healing the sick and bringing fertility and prosperity, and she especially watches over the poor and brings them what they need. Strategically located at the outskirts of osogbo, just by the osun river in osun state of nigeria, the sacred grove is not just a tourist site, but a living fossil which has preserved history which dates half a millennium ago. Osun is one of the river goddesses in yorubaland, she is noted for providing for the needs of the people. Once inside the grove, she takes a spiritual rest at the firstever palace in osogboland now converted to an osun temple before the eventual short stroll to the totem edge of the osun river, where the necessary prayers are said. The forest is the abode of oshun goddess with many shrines, sculptures and sanctuaries devoted to oshun and also other deities. Dec 19, 2016 a fact finding exclusive interview about african foremost river goddess. The osun osogbo festival is one of the most prominent cultural festivals in nigeria.
Navigating the realm of an aztec water goddess and one of the five suns. This documentary tells the beauty and misconception of worshiping osun river goddess. Oshun helped them, created sweet and powerful waters and all the life on earth with it. Their early history is founded on mythical and spiritual beliefs. It is bounded by the states of kwara on the northeast, ekiti and ondo on the east, ogun on the south, and oyo on the west and northwest.
The osun osogbo sacred grove is a large cultural landscape of undisturbed forest near the city of osogbo in southwestern nigeria. Love is a river, flowing from my heart, flowing from my heart. It is a searchlight to the diversified stories of the river goddess through its more than three hundred pictorial analysis and. Immediately, oba larooye, olutimehin and subjects obeyed the command of the goddess of osun river and moved to ohuntoto, leaving behind his first palace now called osun temple inside the sacred grove. Pictorial history of the river goddess, osun afolabi, kayode on. Every year, tens of thousands of people from around the world visit the sacred grove of osun, osogbos guardian deity, to attend her festival. Oct 09, 2001 asun is a brilliant deity whose imagery and worldwide devotion demand broad and deep scholarly reflection. For she carries on the beneficience of her chief goddess, osun, quietly, loyally and annonymously waxing love and judicious judgement in line with the omnipotent and the omnipresent will of the beloved lady, blessed osun. But thats just the beginning as shes another yoruba deity with many different aspects to her character. The history of oshun santeria botanica,ifa products supplies. Osun in colours is a compendium on one of the most significant traditional.
It is the symbol of coquetry, grace and female sexuality. Peter probst takes readers on a riveting journey to osogbo. Susan wenger, also known as adunni olorisa was an artist and a priestess, who became attracted to the african culture when she came to nigeria. She is goddess of the niger river, which is called the river oya odo oya, but she anifests herself as the strong wind that precedes a thunderstorm. Vodon known as voodoo in the african diaspora is the most important religious tradition among the west african fon. Sep 25, 2018 the osun osogbo sacred grove is situated along the osun river in the city of osogbo and is a unesco world heritage site. Osun across the waters continues this exploration of yoruba religion by. Thats why he lives in the river oshun and yemaya want both. When oba larooye and other lesser spirits within the community pacified the goddess of the river by saying osoigbo pele o, oso igbo rora, the ancient city was said to have derived her name from. Oshun, river goddess and patroness of love spells cycle. Hairstyles of worshippers of the goddess of osun river osun river goddess worshipers and their african hair styles at the just concluded osun osogbo festival. A brief history of adunni olorisa the white priestess of.
Osun state was created following series of pressure mounted on the federal military government over a long period of time by the founding fathers, most of whom are traditional rulers and community leaders. It is the place of the largest annual osun festival. Dedicated to osun, the yoruba goddess of fertility, the area was established more than four centuries ago and is the largest of the sacred groves that have survived to the present. By ifa divination we mean ifa and related systems of divination based on the stories and symbols of the odu such as dida owo divination with the sacred divining chain called opele and et. Yemaya took her under his protection, and gave the river to live. Nigerian women in history a brief history of adunni olorisa the white priestess of an african goddess. Osun state was created in 1991 from the eastern third of oyo state. During the life of the mortal oshun, she served as queen consort to king shango of oyo. She can turn from curing the sick and promoting fertility to being the goddess of luxurious love. Historically, an ancestral occurrence led to the celebration of this festival.
The untold story of a living goddess it is the last week of august, and the feet of hundreds of thousands of osun devotees worldwide stamp towards the osunosogbo forest last friday morning as indigenes from far and near troop to osun river for the 2015 edition of the festival. It is a searchlight to the diversified stories of the river goddess through its more than three hundred pictorial analysis and illustrations from igede to osogbo. The book traces the biographical origin of the goddess from her humble beginning at igede ekiti and goes further to exhibit the exact source of her waters the popular river osun in yorubaland till the point she crossed the atlantic. The state has a covering of tropical rain forest, and the oshun is the most important river. Osunosogbo or osunosogbo sacred grove is a sacred forest along the banks of the osun river just outside the city of osogbo, osun state, nigeria.
It is one of the last remnants of primary high forest in southwestern nigeria, which extended to the edges of most yoruba cities before extensive urbanisation eroded its reach. Osun is the yoruba personification of the waters of. Why has the home of a yoruba river goddess become a unesco world heritage site and a global attraction. Everything you need to know about the osunosogbo festival. Oshun, also spelled osun, an orisha deity of the yoruba people of southwestern nigeria. The end is reached twelve days later, with a public. Aug 05, 2015 as the tradition goes, the virgin so chosen is the personification of the goddess osun and must not stumble. Here, a statue of the goddess osun stands by the river with her arms outstretched as if to welcome visitors to her forest. The osunosogbo sacred grove also known simply as the osun sacred grove is a dense forest covering an area of 75 hectares on the outskirts of the city of osogbo in osun state along the osun river. Invoke the goddess osun during the osun osogbo festival using handmade brass bells.
The osun osogbo festival is believed to have a history of more than 700 years. Oshun, river goddess and patroness of love spells cycle harmony. A fact finding exclusive interview about african foremost river goddess. The osunosogbo festival, without a doubt, is more than just sacrifices performed to celebrate the osun river goddess. Basically, this grove is a dense forest featuring sacred huts, shrines and wooden, metal and clay works of art. But a disciplined and well educated practitioner of the craft is a great help to whatever community he or she lives in. Mar 05, 2019 oshun is the goddess of love and marriage, fertility, and gold in the yoruba religion. Dec 25, 2019 although oshun also spelt osun is regarded principally as a goddess of love, there are other aspects to this orisha as well. Osogbo was founded around early 18th century by hunters from a nearby village which was suffering from famine. A brief history of adunni olorisa the white priestess of an. Strategically located at the outskirts of osogbo, just by the osun river in osun state of nigeria, the sacred grove is not just a tourist site, but a living fossil which has preserved history which dates half a. Find showtimes, watch trailers, browse photos, track your watchlist and rate your favorite movies and tv shows on your phone or tablet. The history of oshun santeria botanica,ifa products.
The procession can take more than two hours to reach the river. Oshun is an important river deity among the yoruba people, divine feminine, fertility, beauty and love. The book traces the biographical origin of the goddess osun in colours is a compendium on one of the most significant traditional deity in africa, the caribbean islands and the americas. Nov 16, 2016 welcome to our women in history series, we will be sharing stories about women in the history of nigeria. The osunosogbo sacred grove is a dense forest on the outskirts of osogbo town, western nigeria. Contributors to the groundbreaking africas ogun, edited by sandra barnes indiana university press, 1997, explored the complex nature of ogun, the orisa who transforms life. Oshun is the goddess of love and marriage, fertility, and gold in the yoruba religion. This documentary tells the beauty and misconception of worshiping osun. Ritual paths lead devotees to 40 shrines, dedicated to osun and other yoruba deities, and to nine specific worship points beside the river.
Susan made illustrations for and designed yoruba books. The elegant deity of wealth, power, and femininity by diedre l. Oshun is honored at the osun osogbo festival, a twoweeklong annual festival that usually takes place in august, at the osun osogbo sacred grove on the banks of the river. Feb 21, 2020 the goddess oshun, also known as ochun, is worshipped across the globe as the divine energy of the waterfall, the sweet river, the tasty honey of life. Asun across the waters continues this exploration of yoruba religion by. African goddess of love and sweet waters ancient origins. Osun and the origins of the ifa divination by professor wande abimbola.
As a daughter of oshun i humbly present some glimpses of her resplendent beauty. There are several activities planned around the festival, as tourists and visitors all come to witness, interact and partake in the twoweek long celebration. While traditional festivals may have been modified over time, they are still celebrated as they should be. In the past, sacred groves were commonly found in areas where the yoruba lived, and every town would have had one. Goddess oshun mantra of love money happiness ochun duration. Oya is the favorite wife of shango, the only wife who remained true to him until the end, leaving oyo with him and becoming a deity when he did. Dec 04, 2016 oya is the favorite wife of shango, the only wife who remained true to him until the end, leaving oyo with him and becoming a deity when he did. The hunters decided to move a few of their family members to the lower terraces of a nearby river, the river osun. It was time for osogbo people to reenact their mystic bond with osun the river goddess that gives fertility and protection.
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