 Apart
from the fact that the Osun Osogbo festival is celebrated annually in
Osun State of Nigeria, what else do you know about this cultural
festival of the Yoruba people? Well, here are six facts you need to know
today about Osun Osogbo festival:
1. History of the Osun Osogbo Festival
The
origin and story of Osun festival started over 700 years ago when a
group of settlers led by one great hunter Olutimehin, settled at the
bank of the river to escape the famine in their former dwelling place.
Osun, the water goddess was said to have appeared to Olutimehin and
requested him and his group to move up some bit to higher ground – the
present Osogbo town.
Osun revealed herself to be the goddess of
the grove and of the river and pledged to protect the group and make
their women fruitful if only they would offer the annual sacrifice to
her in return. The group agreed and vowed to sacrifice annually to the
goddess if she would honour her vows. Today, the annual sacrifice has
gone past just offering sacrifices to a river goddess, it has become an
international celebration of cultural events attracting people from all
over the world.
2. Osun Osogbo festival is an international cultural event
The
Osun festival started as an annual sacrifice to a river goddess, it
later became a celebration of a river goddess, but today an
international celebration of cultural events with attendees from all
over the world. The Osun Osogbo festival is no longer a cultural event
of the Osogbo or Yoruba people, it has become a global event with people
attending from Cuba, Brazil, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, Spain,
Canada, and the United States.
Adherents or believers in the Osun
goddess travel from all over the world to attend the annual cultural
event in Osogbo, Osun State. The traditional ruler of Osogbo Town, the
Ataoja of Osogbo - HRM Oba Jimoh Olanpekun Larooye II, the Nigerian
Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) representing the federal
government, and the Osun State government all collaborate to make the
annual event a great success
3. The main festival
The Osun
Osogbo festival usually lasts for two weeks, and it is celebrated every
year in August. The festival commences with Iwopopo, the traditional
cleansing of the town from evil, and three days after this the Ina
Olujumerindinlogun (16-point lamp), a 600-year-old is lighted. Following
this is the Iboriade, an event where all the crowns of the past kings
or Ataojas are assembled for blessings by the sitting Ataoja of Osogbo,
the Arugba, the Yeye Osun, and a committee of priestesses
4. The Arugba
The
Arugba (Calabash carrier) is the key feature of the Osun Osogbo
festival. She is a votary virgin (a cultural version of the Virgin Mary)
who bears the Osun calabash on her head; the calabash contains
sacrifice materials to appease and worship the Osun goddess or river.
The Arugba is not only seen as a virgin maid any longer, she is regarded
a goddess herself and people make prayers and cast all their problems
on her as she bears the calabash and passes on to lead the people to the
river
The current Arugba, Osuntomi Oyetunji, is the young daughter
of the sitting Ataoja of Osogbo. She took over from Abolade Oyewale, who
carried the sacrifice calabash to the river goddess and was herself
considered a goddess for 10 years.
5. It's not only about the sacrifice
Do
not think that the Osun Osogbo festival is all about sacrifice in the
Osun groves; it is also a celebration of cultural events. Many business
organizations and companies now take part in the celebrations – seizing
upon the opportunity to showcase their products and sell their services.
You can see branded cars, give-away shirts, and promotional business
activities ranging from advertising to marketing of new ideas and
existing goods
6. The festival was upgraded by Susanne Wenger
The
story of the Osun Osogbo festival would not be completed without
mentioning the huge contributions of Susanne Wenger, an Austrian who
since the early 1950s devoted the rest of her life to restoring the
glory of abandoned shrines. She renovated the abandoned shrines again
and remodeled the gods in sculpture and ceramics, representing over 75
cultural gods in artful representations.
Wenger stopped people
from abusing the integrity of the groves and prohibited hunting,
fishing, felling of trees in the grove, and she personally rebuilt the
customary shrines and groves again until her death. She had been briefly
married to Horst Ulrich Beier, better known as Ulli Beier in Nigeria
for his pioneering works in literature, drama, poetry, and visual arts
|
