OSUN

This work will give original facts about Orisa Osun . This work will not concern itself with
casual or ceremonial part of Osun festival. But in this work Babalawo Obanifa will only address
the historical and spiritual facts about Orisa Osun. Osun which the people of Brazil called Oxum,
and people of Cuba called Ochun, and many in diaspora know her as Oshun, but the real name of
this deity is Osun. Such name difference arise as a result of long time loss of contact with
indigenous language by people in diaspora due to slave trade. The ancient town of Osun is Igede
Ekiti(this town Igede Ekiti still exists in Irepodun/Ifelodun part of present Ekiti state
Nigeria).History and traditions has it that ,there was a man named Ake(this man is a powerful
herbalists) and her wife called Erindo. Ake and his wife Erindo and their servant move from Ile
Ife (Ile Ife still exist till today, ILE Ife is in Ife central Osun state Nigeria up till today) to Igede
Ekiti. They have sixteen children, eight were male, the remaining eight were female. The female
children include: Elemi, Osun, Okunisi among other. Osun is a very beautiful and lovely woman.
Osun get marry to a man who have many wives. All the wives that this man have before getting
married to Osun were said to be barren, but immediately the man marry Osun all of them begin
to become pregnant but they all start giving birth to female folks, none of them give birth to
male. But when Osun become pregnant, Osun give birth to a male. At the point of delivery when
all the other old wife discover that Osun deliver a male. They conspire against her, nobody
comes to her rescue to take the baby from the blood that comes out during delivery. When Osun
barely stands up from the delivery spot where she delivered the baby there is no water for her to
wash the delivery blood and fluid on the baby and none of the old wives is even ready to give her
water because they all jealous and angry that she is the only one that gives birth to male child
among them. Osun now take her sacred Oru (Oru is a local clay pot for fetching water) to
journey straight to the river to get water to wash the baby she delivered, despite the fact that she
doesn't even have the strength because of much pain and blood she has lost during her
self-midwifery to deliver the baby. Her husband is not around and no one among the older wives
is ready to help. When Osun fetched the water into the Oru and began to journey home. As she
reaches half- way, Osun has lost all strength and stamina and she collapses and the Oru (local
clay pot) for fetching water falls to the ground and breaks into two. By the time Osun relaxes and
gains strength and stands up, a certain mysterious event had taken place. What happens is that
the water from the broken Oru (small clay pot for fetching water) has developed into a small
flowing stream at the spot where osun collapsed.. Osun now said that the water that I want to use
to bathe my newborn baby boy, I will follow this stream to wherever it is flowing to. (The spot
where these spiritual historical events takes place is between Igede and Awo in Ekiti state
Nigeria up till today, Awo is a name of the town that shares boundaries with Igede Ekiti). So
Osun continue to follow the stream, the more the stream flow it becomes more bigger and large
and Osun herself become more stronger to follow, when the stream get to a place called Ijero
Ekiti (Ijero Ekiti still exists in Ijero local government of Ekiti state Nigeria up till today) the
stream turn to a little big River but no enough space for the water so the water continue to
journey forward (the spot where this river pass is still in Ijero Ekiti up till today), the name of the
river is called Omi Osun, Osun River it passes through the government reserved forest (any
interested person can still visit all the place mentioned for confirmation). Then the river
continues to move on pass Ido to Osun when the river get to Iponda (Iponda still exists in
present Osun state Nigeria) the river becomes even more bigger yet there is not enough space.
Then the river continues until the river reaches the present day Osogbo (Osogbo is in present day
Osun state Nigeria). It is a thick plain forest then, the river becomes larger and finds enough
space then it stops. That’s where Osun became the Queen of this river alongside other spirits
therein. Osun maintain the administration of the spiritual world of that forest for a very long
period of time until the coming of Oba Gbadewolu Larooye and Olutimehin who is a great
hunter and there subjects, who as a result of famine and scarcity of water migrate from Ipole
Omu to the floodplain of Osun river.

In ancient time there was a town called Ipole Omu. This is a town that is blessed with fertile
land. The people of Ipole omu do engage in agricultural activities and rearing of livestock. And
they are very successful in it. In fact the people of Ipole omu have a good sound record of seven
prosperous reigning kings before the reign of Oba Gbadewolu larooye. The names of those kings
are Oba Adegokanbale, Aikunya, Ogbogba,, Saso, Liberin, Adetuturinrin, it is Adetuturinrin that
beget Lajomo and Larooye, Lajomo reign before Larooye. It during the reign of Larooye that the
kingdom turns upside-down. There was a great famine as a result of lack of rainfall, all river in
the kingdom dry up, no food because no rain for agriculture, no potable water. This prompt king
Larooye to send Olutimehin (Olutimehin is a great powerful hunter) to lead other hunter to find
a greener pasture for water and farming activities for purposes of relocation of the people of
Ipole omu,. But this entire search is to no avail. Until one day when Olutimehin was on hunting
expedition in and he get to a spot called Gbonmi (this place is still in present Osogbo Osun state
Nigeria Oke Baale to be precise). History has it that Olutimehin look around see that the water at
Gbonmi cannot sustain the people of Ipole Omu. He then search further until he get to one
stream called Okrokro, Olutimehin trace the source of this stream to the Osun river that has been
in the forest for ages. He went back to Ipole omu to relay the news of this new found land. Oba
Gbadewolu larooye and Olutimehin and the entire subjects of Ipole omu later move to the
relocate from Ipole omu to the resettled at the floodplain of Osun river (that is the river bank)
Oba Larooye built his first Palace at the Osun bank there (this old Palace is known as Ile Osun
today).
In the year that follows people started the farming activities in their newfound land. As history
handed it down, when the people started to clear bushes and cut trees for their agricultural
purpose, they mistakenly fell a tree which fell on the river and the bank, this caused a damage to
dyeing industry of Osun spiritual world.. A strange event occurs. A strange voice was heard from
the Osun river echoing 'larooye, Timehin e ti fo gbogbo ikoko aro mi' which simply translated
thus (larooye and Timehin you have broken all my dying pot) consequently there are other
reciprocating voices of lesser spirit of Osun river placating and commiserating with the Osun the
voices echo thus 'Oso igbo Pele ooo' which is translated thus (the forest queen we commiserate
with you or forest wizard we commiserate with you). It is at this Junction that king larooye and
Olutimehin know the name of the Queen of Osun river as Oso igbo. Hence the name Osogbo was
derived from the words Oso igbo. Osun godless covenant with the king larooye that she will
protect them and heal them and make their women fertile and fruitful if they can be offering
annual sacrifice to her... They agreed to be making annual sacrifice to her, that is the origin of
Osun Osogbo annual festival which is now a global festival every year. The issue of Atupa
Olojumerindingun and Igba Osun and arugba Osun is a thing I will not elaborate in this work for
sake of time and space.
Osun has been sacrificed to in other towns in Yoruba land but not as that of Osogbo. Osun
elements are usually made of a sacred stone called ota osun ("osun stone'') this stone is usually
consecrated for seven day along with cowries. The leaves and other items that are normally used
during consecration will not be mentioned here too. After consecration the elements is put inside
Oru (oru is a local pot for fetching water) although we have seen in some places people using
carving or molded image to represent Osun elements but Ota osun (consecrated Osun stone
even if it is just one remain a valid Osun elements).
The following items can be used to appease or venerate Osun: Obidiye (hen) Abo Ewure) she
goat) Asaro isu (mashed yam with oil) Omuluku (cooked beans) efo yanrin (wild lettuce) obi
oloju merin) kolanut with four lobes.