The festival of Osun-Osgobo, which takes place every year in Osogbo, Nigeria, celebrates the goddess of fertility, Osun.
This year’s festival will take place from July 29th to August 9th.
The festival renews the contract between humans and the divine: Osun offers grace to the community; in return, the community vows to honor her Sacred Grove.
This ceremony is part of a rich indigenous Yoruba religious tradition that began in West Africa and has become one of the ten largest religions in the world, with upwards of 100 million practitioners.
Osun River is one of the river goddesses in Yorubaland. She was reputedly one of the wives of ̣Ṣango, the Yoruba god of thunder.
Osun, the second wife of Alafin Sango, turned to a river after she lost in the contest of who succeeds their father, Ake.Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove The Osun-Osogbo Festival is a two-week-long annual festival that’s usually held in August at the Oṣun-Osogbo Sacred Grove, on the banks of the Osun river. The festival takes place to honour the goddess Osun.
The dense forest of the Osun Sacred Grove, on the outskirts of the city of Osogbo, is one of the last remnants of primary high forest in southern Nigeria. Regarded as the abode of the goddess of fertility Osun, one of the pantheon of Yoruba gods, the landscape of the grove and its meandering river is dotted with sanctuaries and shrines, sculptures and art works in honour of Osun and other deities.
The history of Osun-Osogbo Festival
The Osun-Osogbo Festival dates back 600 years and was started by the founders of the Osogbo community. The story goes that they intended to clear all the trees in the area for settlement.
But, as soon as they began cutting down the trees, Yeye Osun the river goddess appeared from the water in front of their leader, Olutimehin. She asked him to lead his people to a special place – the present-day Osogbo town.
In return for an annual sacrifice to her, the goddess promised to protect the group and bring them prosperity. How could they refuse? The group accepted the proposition, and today the annual sacrifice to the Osun River Goddess is still celebrated at the Osun-Osogbo Festival.
Procession to shrine.
The festival culminates in a huge procession from the Ataoja’s (the town’s king) palace to the main Osun Shrine, where rituals with the sacred objects carried by the Arugbá (the votary maid) are conducted.
During the procession the streets of Osogbo are filled with drumming, dancing and celebration, as thousands begin the mile-long walk from the city centre to the Sacred Grove.
At mid-morning the Arugba (votary maid) steps out from her shrine, hidden beneath a canopy, and carries the sacrificial offerings to the river.
