Osun (Pronounced Or-shun)
Osun is one of the most popular and venerated Yoruba female Orisa recognised as both a spirit (Orisa) and deity (Irunmole) in Yoruba culture. She is the Orisa of love, feminism, fertility, beauty, purity, sensuality, diplomacy and divinity (Erindinlogun). Her domain is the fresh flowing waters of rivers.
Osun is honoured and celebrated by devotees and visitors at the annual Osun International Festival. A two-week long festival that takes place in the month of August, at the Osun-Osogbo Grove on the banks of River Osun, in Osun State of Nigeria. The Osun-Osogbo Grove is a protected Nigerian National forest that was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2005.
Odu Ifa - Ose Otura
This Odu elucidiates Osun as the only female Orisa amongst the first 16 Orisa’s sent to Aiye (World) by Olodumare to develop it and to make it conducive and habitable.
When the Orisa’s arrived to aiye (world) the male Orisas decided to ignore Osun citing she was a mere female (Obirin lasan lasan) who was not relevant to them or to their important tasks at hand. She was not involved in anything they did. Overtime the male Orisas found that all their efforts did not manifest in the way and manner they expected and they became frustrated. Despite their might and prowess nothing appeared to be working out for them.
The male Orisa’s went back to Olodumare to complain about their inability to manifest and complete the tasks that they were sent to aiye to do. Olodumare asked them, ‘What about Osun? and they replied, What about her? She is just a mere woman who had no business in the affairs of men. Olodumare told them that if they wanted to succeed, they needed to involve Osun in all they were doing because she carried (Ase) within her and the mystical knowledge they needed to complete their tasks.
Ase, pronounced as Ar-sher, is the power to make manifestations through the spoken word.
By the time the male Orisa’s returned to aiye (world) they found that Osun had become pregnant. (A version of the Odu, claims Osun was pregnant with child from her marriage to Sango). The male Orisa’s begged Osun to forgive them and to participate in what they were doing so that they could succeed in the task’s Olodumare had sent them to do. She told them that she would only forgive them if she gave birth to a male child otherwise she would wreck havoc in all they did. The Orisa’s frantically set about making sacrifices and atonements to Osun so that she would bear a male child. She also demanded that if she bore a male child he would become the 17th Orisa, who will act on her behalf to assist the male Orisa’s to manifest their tasks and to be the emissary of the Orisa’s to Orun.
To the relief of the male Orisa’s, Osun bore a male and Olodumare granted her wish. The name of the child Osun bore was Esu. He acted as mediator between the earth and spirit worlds, allowing order and prosperity to reign. One of Osun’s praise names is ‘Eleti Laaroye’, meaning the one who has the ears of Esu Larooye. Osun remains the only Orisa that Esu listens to and takes counsel from without question.
Thereafter Osun became the essence of female authority in Yoruba culture. She holds supreme status amongst all female Orisas except Olokun who already existed in the vast oceans waters before Obatala created land.
Osun is the leader of Iyaamis (Mothers of the spiritual realm) and the head of all Iyalode’s without whom an Oba’s (a yoruba traditional ruler) enthronement and ruling counsel is incomplete. The term Iyalode is given to a female leader known and respected for her wealth, community influence and spiritual practices. Through her multifaceted persona, her mysterious and mystical prowess as well as commercial acumen, Osun is unquestionable source of self empowerment for all Yoruba women.
In Ose Otura, it is also stated that Osun married Orunmila who taught her to how to use 16 cowries to make divinations, called Erindinlogun. This method of divination is still used today by Olorisa priests/tess in Yorubaland and in the Yoruba Diaspora. Osun is also known to have had a liaison with Ogun the Orisa of war, hunters and blacksmiths whose essence is consistency, loyalty, truth, justice and the Orisa who clears all obstructions.
Osun in the Diaspora
Osun was transported to the West Indies and the America’s during the African holocaust, known as African Transatlantic slave trade which spanned over 500 years. She is venerated and celebrated in other religious systems such as Santeria and Candomble influenced by Yoruba cultural belief called Isese.
Edited by Sayo Faponle, Curator – Yoruba Gallery