Osun-Osogbo: the sacred grove Nigerians and an Austrian artist brought back to life
Several centuries old and on UNESCO's list since 2005, it hosts a festival each August believed to have a history of more than 700 years.
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Osogbo — Just outside the city of Osogbo, along the banks of the Osun river, is one of the last of the sacred forests that once stood at the edge of most Yoruba cities. The Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove is several centuries old, and UNESCO made it a World Heritage Site in 2005.
A grove in danger, and its rescue
By the 1950s, shrines were neglected and priests had left. Fishing, hunting and tree felling, all once forbidden, went on unchecked.
The Austrian artist Susanne Wenger, working with the support of the Ataoja, the king at the time, and concerned local people, helped to restore the traditional protections. Her New Sacred Art movement challenged land speculators, repelled poachers and protected shrines. She was honoured with the title Adunni Olorisha for her devotion.
The festival
The Osun-Osogbo Festival, believed to have a history of more than 700 years, takes place at the grove every August. It draws worshippers, spectators and tourists from around the world.
Tradition says a group of migrants led by the hunter Olutimehin settled by the river to escape famine. The river goddess, Yeye Osun, appeared and promised protection and prosperity in return for an annual sacrifice.
The two-week programme begins with a traditional cleansing of the city and includes the lighting of a 500-year-old, 16-point lamp and a gathering of the crowns of past rulers. It ends with a procession to the shrine, led by the Ataoja and the Arugba, a young woman of royal lineage who carries the sacred calabash, amid drumming, dance and praise poetry.
Background: Wikipedia.
