Aug 19, 2018 a devotee of the osun river goddess makes her way to the sacred river to offer sacrifice and prayer, during the osun osugbo festival in osogbo, southwestern nigeria on august 17, 2018. We bring both local and diaspora audiences together for a period of two weeks filled with different activities to reveal the myth behind osun osogbo groove and its healing powers. The river goddess has been able to give barren babies and change the lives of many other people. The sacred oshogbo grove, is believed to be a true symbol of identity for all yoruba people. Osun is a brilliant deity whose imagery and worldwide devotion demand broad and deep scholarly reflection.
This documentary tells the beauty and misconception of worshiping osun river goddess. The yoruba hills run through the northern part of osun state. As a daughter of oshun i humbly present some glimpses of her resplendent beauty. Osun across the waters continues this exploration of yoruba religion by. She was credited with many important achievements, which helped to establish the state. Hairstyles of worshippers of the goddess of osun river.
Oya, on her part, went back to the forest in nupeland. We are currently not taking essential workers, even with a note. This is in line with yoruba traditions, which use mythical stories to explain the origins of the ruling families of an early yoruba state. In nigeria osogbo is the venue of the annual osunosogbo festival along the river osun. 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. The festival of osun osgobo, which takes place every year in osogbo, nigeria, celebrates the yoruba goddess of fertility. The state has a covering of tropical rain forest, and the oshun is the most important river. 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. But thats just the beginning as shes another yoruba deity with many different aspects to her character. Today the annual sacrifice to the osun river goddess is what is still celebrated as the osun osogbo festival. Although, known to be a lively goddess, oshun can be moody, jealous and petty especially whenever she gets disappointed by the one she loves. Schedule appointment with the river oshun pronounced oshoon. Sync your viewing history and pick up where you left off on any device. The early history of osogbo is essentially the legendary account of the spiritworld.
Yemaya orisha oshun goddess yoruba orishas african words yoruba religion african. Pictorial history of the river goddess osun is a pleasant surprise. This festival is celebrated in honor of osun, the river and fertility goddess, as an appreciation of bountiful yield and productivity in the land. The queen goddess, who is believed to be the founder of the osogbo people is expected to bless barren women with children on the day of the festival. There was an everlasting covenant between the goddess of the river and the founding fathers of osogbo land. Osun state was created in 1991 from the eastern third of oyo state. She lived in a beautiful surrounding and possessed magical powers, which inspired her people and frightened their enemies. African goddess of love and sweet waters ancient origins. Oshun ran away and also fell into a river, becoming the river goddess of fertility till date. Not only is the author a native yoruba, born and raised in the oshun cult, but he also isnt shy to share. Every year, tens of thousands of people from around the world visit the sacred grove of osun, osogbos guardian deity, to attend her festival. She is considered one of the most powerful of all orishas, and, like other gods, she possesses.
The goddess is believed to impart fruitfulness on women when they worshipped in her river. Oshogbo is a very special, sacred forest along the banks of the osun river just outside the city of oshogbo, osun state, nigeria. The festival has a rich and an enduring history as it was first celebrated around 70 ad. Battabox presenter adeola brings you culture at its natural best as speaks to mrs nike, one of the faithful servants of osun, the river goddess in yoruba land, she recounts how osun has changed. 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. A brief history of adunni olorisa the white priestess of. Osun is a river goddess in yoruba religion which is typically and traditionally associated with water, purity, fertility, love and sensuality. Oshun is the goddess of love and marriage, fertility, and gold in the yoruba religion.
Aug 15, 2016 the archetype of oshun and the divine feminine. Since ancient times, worshippers arrive at the osun sacred grounds to present their prayers and offerings to osun the goddess of rivers, fertility, sexuality, prosperity and love, says radhika, tracing the oral. Oshun, also spelled, osun, oxun, oshoun, oxum, ochun, yeye is the west african orisha mother of fresh water fish and birds. Oshun goddess of yoruba people who brings all things that. Immediately, oba larooye, olutimehin and their 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. The river therefore, plays an essential part in the celebration as the water is regarded as possessing both healing and purifying forces hence the water is highly regarded. Known as the goddess of the sweet waters, she is the protective deity of the river oshun. Osun is one of the river goddesses in yorubaland, she is noted for providing for the needs of the people. The spirit is domicile in the osun river, which runs its course through. 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. Immediately, oba larooye, olutimehin and their subjects obeyed the command of the goddess of osun river and moved to ohuntoto, leaving behind his first palace now called osun.
Peter probst takes readers on a riveting journey to osogbo. Brief history of osogbo in osun state nigeria osogbo page. He said year in year out the osun osogbo festival attract mammoth crowd, with unprecedented list of eminent personalities gracing the festival which is celebrated at the shrine, located in the outskirt of the capital of osun state. There are several activities planned around the festival, as tourists and visitors all come to witness, interact and partake in the twoweek long celebration. The forest is the abode of oshun goddess with many shrines, sculptures and sanctuaries devoted to oshun and also other deities. The river has its source in ekiti state, in the east of nigeria, and passes through the city of oshogbo, where osun osogbo sacred grove, the principal sanctuary of the deity, is located. Susan made illustrations for and designed yoruba books. It is usually called river orisha, and it is connected with water, purity, love, fertility and sensuality. Oshun is commonly called the river orisha, or goddess, in the yoruba religion and is typically associated with water, purity, fertility, love, and sensuality. Osogbo according to yoruba oral history, had been founded as early as oduduwa period. Download asun is a brilliant deity whose imagery and worldwide devotion demand broad and deep scholarly reflection. Why has the home of a yoruba river goddess become a unesco world heritage site and a global attraction. Black history books black history facts strange history egyptian goddess names.
The goddess promised to protect all the group and bring them prosperity in return for an annual sacrifice to her. Aug 20, 2016 osogbo according to yoruba oral history, had been founded as early as oduduwa period. Oct 11, 2006 osun in colours is a compendium on one of the most significant traditional deity in africa, the caribbean islands and the americas. The osunosogbo sacred grove is a dense forest on the outskirts of osogbo town, western nigeria. She is also a materialistic goddess who hates being poor. Some describe her as the osoigbo, the queen and original founder of oshogbo town. In the past, sacred groves were commonly found in areas where the yoruba lived, and every town would have had one.
She was credited with many important achievements, which helped to establish the settlement. In the midst of this sad state of affairs kayode afolabis osun in colours. In nigeria osogbo is the venue of the annual osun osogbo festival along the river osun. It is said that oshuns father obatala the first of the among the gods similar to the amen of new testament book of revelations chapter 1 verse 18. The festival of osun osgobo, which takes place every year in osogbo, nigeria, celebrates the goddess of fertility, osun. The festival is a celebration of culture and the fulfilment of a pledge between the people and the goddess osun and underscores the long history of the early settlers of the town of osogbo. The osun osogbo 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. The fame of the goddess spread making this incident one of the reasons for the festival.
The most significant festival in osun state is the twelveday annual osun osogbo festival which takes place in julyaugust. He explores the history of the osogbo school, which helped introduce one. 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. The modern state of osun was created in august 27, 1991 from part of the old oyo state. The osunosogbo sacred grove is situated along the osun river in the city of osogbo and is a unesco world heritage site. Oshun, also spelled, osun, oxun, oshoun, oxum, ochun, is given hale because she rules the rivers that sustain life. The archetype of oshun and the divine feminine youtube. Osun and the origins of the ifa divination by professor wande abimbola. The osun river goddess is credited with the founding and establishment of oshogbo town. The festival renews the contract between humans and the divine.
In osun state where i come from, once a year, people and pray to her for fertility. Tales by moonlight the story of sango and his wives. The states name is derived from the river osun, the venerated natural spring that is the manifestation of the yoruba goddess of the same name. The spirit is domicile in the osun river, which runs its course through the osun grove, the venue of the yearly event. 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. Ohun is a female deity that represents one of the manifestations of god for the yoruba and ifa people in southwestern nigeria. Please be advised, oshun is no longer accepting new clients ignoring this new policy change and booking anyway will forfeit your deposit you can book with the other stylists by clicking the section titled our honeys covid 19. Thousands celebrate osun, goddess of fertility and water. Navigating the realm of an aztec water goddess and one of the five suns. 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. Her priestesses dance to the rhythms of the streams, rivers, lakes and waterfalls in which she rules, and that. Since then, people have continued to celebrate it every year. The festival is centered around the sacred grove of the river goddess. She can turn from curing the sick and promoting fertility to being the goddess of luxurious love.
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. 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. Osogbo was founded around early 18th century by hunters from a nearby village which was suffering from famine. A festival of purgation and purification of some sorts with some form of established rituals, is actually a homage to the goddess who is seen as the guiding light of the people, the one giver of life and the one responsible for the progress of the people and the city. Osun in colours is a compendium on one of the most significant traditional deity in africa, the caribbean islands and the americas. Oshun is honoured at the osun osogbo festival, a twoweeklong annual festival that usually takes place in august, at the osun osogbo sacred grove on the banks. Jul 18, 2016 the osun osogbo festival, without a doubt, is more than just sacrifices performed to celebrate the osun river goddess. 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. Here, a statue of the goddess osun stands by the river with her arms outstretched as if to welcome visitors to her forest. Brief history of osogbo in osun state nigeria osogbo. Osun river goddess worshipers and their african hair styles at the just concluded osun osogbo festival photo. Oshun is a particularly sensous goddess and has been associated with many lover and husbands. He explores the history of the osogbo school, which helped introduce one style of african modern art to the west, and investigates its intimate connection with osun, the role of art and religion in the changing world of osogbo, and its prominence in the global arena. Osoigbo, the goddess of osun river, was the queen and original founder of osogbo.
Oshun, also spelled osun, an orisha deity of the yoruba people of southwestern nigeria. 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. Although oshun also spelt osun is regarded principally as a goddess of love, there are other aspects to this orisha as well. Through her son, cathy was introduced to leon, pastoriza and the practice in 1974, receiving a full set of ileke bead necklaces representing the seven primary orisha as a daughter of the river goddess, osun, taking on the name monife and moving into a deeper and more afrocentric approach to her christian spiritual roots. She is the goddess of the river waters and is considered to be the aphrodite of cuba and africa. At the river side, osun the goddess appeared from the water in front of olutimehin and requested him to lead people to a special place present osogbo town. The yearly osun osogbo festival holds to bestow fertility on participants of the festival that desire children.
Her realm also contains the aspects of love, flirtation, sensuality, beauty and the arts. Not only is the author a native yoruba, born and raised in the oshun cult, but he also isnt shy to share many socalled secrets with us, both in text and in pictures. The spirit is domicile in the osun river, which runs its course through the osun grove, the venue of the yearly. The osun osogbo festival is a twoweeklong programme. 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. In her form of the diviner she is the wife or lover of orunmila, the first prophet of ifa divination. A fact finding exclusive interview about african foremost river goddess. Many barren women have reportedly visited to have the river goddess help them with child bearing with several promises made to bring something back for the deity. The osun goddess is also known to be a mother of many children as the osun olomoyoyo image inside the shrine depicts. 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.
Nigerian priestess tells how osun osogbo river saved her. The river goddess has been able to give the barren babies and change the lives of many people. Dec 19, 2016 a fact finding exclusive interview about african foremost river goddess. Osun in colours is a compendium on one of the most significant traditional.
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