Òṣogbo and the Ọ̀ṣun State Towns

Today Ọ̀ṣun State get two kind Yoruba town wey dey very different from each other. Ilé-Ifẹ̀ and Ilésà, wey dey inside their own file, na ancient center dem be with their own royal lineage tradition. Most of the remaining ones, including Òṣogbo, Ìwó, Èdè, Ìkirun, Ìlobù and Ejigbo, na provincial town dem be for Ọ̀yọ́ empire, wey dem arrange into provinces and na ọba dey rule dem, wey get specific duty wey dem must do for the Aláàfin. Ìlá-Ọ̀ràngún dey under a third category, as e be Ìgbómìnà town with crown wey dem count among the senior Odùduwà foundation dem.

The main thing wey important pass for the state na the Ọ̀ṣun grove for Òṣogbo, wey be the only Yoruba sacred grove for UNESCO World Heritage List and one of the last remaining forest wey surround every Yoruba town before.

Òṣogbo

Ruler. The Atáọ́ja of Òṣogbo.

The covenant wey dem take found am

The story of how dem found the town na agreement between one town and river, and dem still dey act am every year.

The ruler wey migrate Laroye, the hunter Ọlútìmẹ̀hìn and their people come reach the river, come know say the name of the spirit for the forest na Oṣo-Igbo, where Òṣogbo come from; Laroye come become the first Atáọ́ja 1. The tradition talk say the group cut one tree wey fall enter the river, come disturb the goddess, wey come out come complain, and agreement come follow am: say Ọ̀ṣun go protect the town, give dem wealth and children, and for exchange, the people go dey do yearly sacrifice and hold the festival 2.

The sacred stone stool wey dem dey call Stone of Authority dey inside the temple wey Laroye, the first Atáọ́ja, use pass four hundred years ago 1.

According to tradition, the title Atáọ́ja come from a-tẹ́wọ́-gba-ẹja, person wey stretch e hand out to receive fish, wey dey refer to the fish wey dem say the goddess put for the king palm as sign of the agreement. Make una take that one as traditional explanation.

The grove

Ọ̀ṣun-Òṣogbo Sacred Grove cover 75 hectare with buffer zone of another 47 hectare, along Ọ̀ṣun river for the outside area of the city 3. E be thick forest, one of the last primary high forest wey remain for southern Nigeria, and e get sanctuary and shrine dem, sculpture and artwork wey dem do to honor Ọ̀ṣun and other òrìṣà 4.

Dem put am for UNESCO World Heritage List for 2005 3.

The main matter na say the grove still dey. Historically, every Yoruba town get forest belt outside their wall, wey the shrine dem dey inside. City development and farming don clear almost all of dem, and Òṣogbo's still dey because of one specific intervention wey happen for twentieth century wey save am.

Susanne Wenger and New Sacred Art

The grove spoil well well throughout the 1950s: dem neglect the shrine dem and priest dem leave am as customary duty and sanction dem begin weak 35. Susanne Wenger, 1915 to 2009, one Austrian artist wey stay for Òṣogbo, start the work to repair am and e start the archaic-modern art school wey dem dey call New Sacred Art, one branch of the wider Òṣogbo school 5. With encouragement from the Atáọ́ja, wey be custodian of the shrine, and support from the local people, Wenger and the New Sacred Art artist dem confront land speculators, chase poacher dem comot, protect the shrine dem and bring the grove wey dey spoil back to life 6.

The big big sculpture work dem inside the grove, wey dem use cement and iron do, na the physical result. Dem no be repair of older shrine dem but na new work inside one art style wey Wenger and her partner dem develop, and this one dey bring up one question wey person suppose talk instead of to avoid am: say the grove wey UNESCO put for list get plenty twentieth-century sculpture wey dem do under the direction of one European artist. The way UNESCO describe am be say the development of the new sacred artists movement and how Yoruba community accept Wenger na fruitful exchange of idea wey revive the grove 6, and dem initiate Wenger as priestess and e live for Òṣogbo pass fifty years. The point no be say the intervention no legit, but say the grove as e dey now na mid-twentieth-century joint work and e still be old sacred site, and any honest description must talk the two truth dem.

The festival

Dem dey hold the Ọ̀ṣun-Òṣogbo festival every year for August for about two weeks, and the documented part dem na:

• Ìwọ́pọ́pọ́, the ritual cleaning of the city.
• How dem dey light the sixteen-point lamp, Ìnà Olójú Mẹ́rìndínlógún.
• Ìbọríadé, the gathering and blessing of the crown of past ruler dem.
• The big procession go the shrine wey the Atáọ́ja lead alongside the Arugbá, the calabash bearer, wey dey re-enact the foundational meeting 35.

The Arugbá na the main person and e deserve clear explanation. She na young lady wey never marry from the royal family wey dey carry the covered calabash of sacrifice material for head from palace go the grove, without talking, and as she dey waka, people believe say she dey carry the town load join. She no be priestess and the role no dey permanent; e dey end once she marry.

The festival dey pull plenty crowd including big group of diaspora people from Brazil, Cuba and United States, wey make Òṣogbo one of the main place where Atlantic òrìṣà practice and Nigerian practice dey meet face to face. We talk about that circulation for the diaspora section.

Òṣogbo na the capital of Ọ̀ṣun State. Na also the place where the battle of 1838 happen where Ìbàdàn defeat the army of Ìlọrin emirate, the fight wey stop the jihad from spread go south, and e be one of the six nineteenth-century Yoruba city dem wey dem record say pass forty thousand people 7.

The Ọ̀yọ́ provincial town dem

Inside the imperial Ọ̀yọ́ structure, Èdè na prominent member of the Ìbọ̀lọ̀ province, alongside the Akirun of Ìkirun, the Olóbù of Ìlobù, the Atáọ́ja of Òṣogbo and the Adimula of Ifẹ̀-Odan. The Epo province get the Olúwo of Ìwó inside 8.

Dat provincial arrangement na im be di frame for most of di town dem wey dey below. Dem no be independent kingdom like di way Ifẹ̀, Ìjẹ̀ṣà or Ìjẹ̀bú be; dem na towns under di empire, and dia ọba hold crown inside am.

Ìwó

Ruler. Di Olúwo of Ìwó.

Dem establish di Ìwó kingdom for di fourteenth century, and dem tok say di Ìwó pipo, like oda pipo of Yoruba origin, come originally from Ilé-Ifẹ̀ and migrate for dat century 9. Na Adékọ́lá Telu found di earliest settlement, wey dem describe as di pikin of one Ọ̀ọ̀ni of Ifẹ̀ 10.

Dey get difference for wetin di source dem tok about which Ọ̀ọ̀ni. One account tok say Adékọ́lá Telu na pikin of di sixteenth Ọ̀ọ̀ni; anodat account tok say na pikin of Ọ̀ọ̀ni Lúwo Gbàgìdá, wey be di twenty-first Ọ̀ọ̀ni 910. Di second claim dey more interesting bikos Lúwo Gbàgìdá na di only woman for di Ifẹ̀ king list, and Ìwó tradition join di town name to her own name. Pesin no fit settle which one dey correct from di available source dem; so make dem report di two.

Ìwó na one of di six Yoruba city dem wey record show say dia pipo pass forty thousand for di nineteenth century 7, wey make am big town for im own time instead of small provincial town, and e stil remain one of di biggest town dem for di state. E be strong Muslim town and di base for long-standing Islamic scholarship tradition.

Èdè

Ruler. Di Tìmì of Èdè.

Èdè na clear example of town wey Ọ̀yọ́ establish. Unlike most Yoruba town dem, e no get direct link with Ilé-Ifẹ̀; all di different account of im origin trace am go Ọ̀yọ́-Ilé, and na during di reign of Aláàfin Kórí dem send Tìmì Agbalẹ̀ go Èdè 8.

Dem establish di town as frontier post. Im work na to guard di Ọ̀yọ́ trade route wey go east and to protect di area against raid, and di title of di Tìmì carry military meaning: Tìmì Agbalẹ̀ Olóf̀à-ìnà, di Tìmì wey dey carry fire arrow, na di praise name wey pipo know, wey dey refer to di fire arrow wey dem say di founder use. Èdè tradition na warrior tradition and dem describe di town for dia own material dem as di home of warriors 11.

Tìmì Abíbù Lágunjù, wey rule for late nineteenth century, dey among di earliest Muslim ọba for Yorubaland and na documented pesin for di history of Islam for di region 12.

Èdè dey among di six nineteenth-century Yoruba city dem wey get pass forty thousand pipo 7.

Ìkirun

Ruler. Di Akírun of Ìkirun, for di Ìbọ̀lọ̀ province of di Ọ̀yọ́ empire 8. Ìkirun na di place where one of di important battle dem for di nineteenth-century war dem happen, di Jalumi war of 1878, wey Ìbàdàn force defeat Ìlọrin and dia ally army for di town.

Ìlobù and Ifẹ̀-Odan

Di Olóbù of Ìlobù and di Adimula of Ifẹ̀-Odan complete di list of di rulers wey dem mention for Ìbọ̀lọ̀ province 8.

Ejigbo

Ruler. Di Ògìyán of Ejigbo. Di title na di short form of Ògìrìnìyàn, wey be di papa of di founder of Ejigbo, Akínjọlé, and tradition trace di holder go Odùduwà and di ruling family of Ilé-Ifẹ̀. Dem tok say Ògìyán and im brothers, especially di Akíre, founder of Ìkire-Ile, leave Ilé-Ifẹ̀ with Ọ̀rànmíyàn, founder of old Ọ̀yọ́, make dem go establish dia own town dem 13.

Ejigbo dey unique for modern terms bikos of how im diaspora community for Côte d'Ivoire big and organized reach, where one Ejigbo community don dey Abidjan for generations and stil dey keep strong link with dia hometown.

Ìlá-Ọ̀ràngún and di Ìgbómìnà

Ruler. Di Ọ̀ràngún, in full Ọ̀ràngún of Ìlá, paramount ruler of one of di ancient Ìgbómìnà kingdom dem, wey im palace and capital dey for Ìlá-Ọ̀ràngún 14.

Dem dey count di Ọ̀ràngún among di senior Odùduwà crown dem, and Èkìtì tradition call di Alárá, Ajẹrò and Ọ̀ràngún brothers wey share di same mama, wey be claim about di position of di Ìlá crown compared to di Èkìtì ones.

Di Ìgbómìnà occupy land wey now fall across Ọ̀ṣun and Kwara state dem, and dem be one of di Yoruba group dem wey pipo dey mostly overlook for general history, mainly bikos state boundary divide dem and bikos Ìlọrin's emirate dominate di Kwara story. Ìgbómìnà town dem include Ìlá-Ọ̀ràngún, Òkè-Ìlá Ọ̀ràngún, Ọ̀mù-Aran, Òkè-Ọdẹ, Ìṣanlú-Ìṣin and Ajase-Ipo. For di nineteenth century, Ìbàdàn force di Ìgbómìnà enter dia tributary system, and dem join di Èkìtìparapọ̀ fight against am.

Ìgbómìnà dey important for arts as one of di main centre dem for Egúngún masquerade and for di Èpa headdress tradition, wey dey covered for di arts section.

Di oda town dem

Di oda established town dem for Ọ̀ṣun State include Ìlá-Ọ̀ràngún and Òkè-Ìlá Ọ̀ràngún, Ìrágbìjí, Ada, Ìkirun, Ìpetu-Ìjẹ̀ṣà, Ìjẹ̀bú-Jẹ̀ṣà, Èrìn-Òkè, Ìpetumodù, Èdè, Ìlobù, Ìwó, Ejigbo, Ìbòkun, Ode-Omu, Otan Ayegbaju, Ifetedo, Èsa-Òkè, Okuku, Otan-Ile and Ìgbàjọ 15. Both Ìgbàjọ and Ifẹ̀wàrà claim say dia founder dem come from specific quarter dem for Ilé-Ifẹ̀, wey dey covered for di Ifẹ̀ file.

Ìpetumodù, under di Apetu, and di Ifẹ̀ North town dem dey right inside di hinterland of Ilé-Ifẹ̀ and dia tradition dem tie closely to am.