Odun Agbon Osara is a festival of fertility which is celebrated yearly in the ancient city of Ile-Ife which is believed to be the source of the Yoruba race.
The ArabaAgbaye, surrounded by high ranking chiefs and family members, was already seated waiting for his guests who arrived amidst drumming and singing.
The gaily dressed procession, after paying homage to the Araba who is the leader of all Ifa priests in the world, prayed for his long life and the prosperity of Ile-Ife, Yoruba land and Nigeria, turned back, marched past the palace of the Ooni of Ife down to the Osara compound where the celebration and worship took place.
What strikes any visitor, and they were many, is the peculiar garb of the celebrants and adherents of Osara, a river goddess.
They were swabbed in indigenous attires and bedecked with beads and all sorts of ornaments. Something, however, looked odd: Thery were all tied the agbon (woggle-like fruits found on coconut trees).
“It is the essence of the festival. In fact, the festival is named after the coconut. Coconut in the Yoruba language is agbon,” the Olori Iwarefa Awo Agbaye, Owolabi Aworeni, explained to our correspondent.
Aworeni said, “History has it that both Osara and Olokun were wives of Oduduwa, the progenitor of the Yoruba. Olokun, the king’s favourite was wealthy and beautiful but childless. As a result of this, she persuaded her husband to take as wife her lowly placed friend, Osara.
“After much hesitation, Oduduwa finally consented to Olokun’s wish; he married Osara who conceived immediately and gave birth to many children.”
The US-based Ifa priest, who flew into the country mainly for the festival, continued: “To the child-starved Oduduwa, Osara became a breadth of fresh air. Before long, he started giving her more attention to the chagrin of Olokun who became incensed with jealousy.
“Then came a festival to be held in the palace. Olokun, the wealthy one, came adorned with gold, jewellery and priceless beads (Iyun). But her rival, the poor Osara, only came with her children whom she could not even clothe properly because of her penury.
“To cover their nakedness, she clad them with palm fronds and tied coconut fruits on their ankles. These produced some sounds as they walked and danced.
“When Olokun was invited to the dance floor, she came alone. She was unaccompanied. Alone she danced. And she received ovation for her rich appearance. But when Osara hit the dance floor, it was with her children. Though barely covered, they drew a thunderous ovation from the crowd. And the king could not but join them in dancing.
“When Olokun saw this, she stood up and started adorning the dancing children with the cloth, beads, gold and other jewellery she had with her.
“After the event, Olokun felt ashamed and fled Ile-Ife to Eko where she turned into Okun (Atlantic Ocean). When Osara got to know about this, she also turned into a river and flowed to Lagos where she became the lagoon. The Yoruba name for lagoon, Osa, was coined from her name, Osara.”
Aworeni’s explanation was corroborated by Logun Olosara, the head of the Osara family. He, however, added that, Osara festival came to being as a result of obeying the directives of Osara as she was about to change form.
He said, “Before she turned into a river, Osara commanded her children to always do what we are doing today in commemoration of her life. And ever since, it has become a yearly affair where all and sundry come and ask for different favours: not children alone. Fertility is whatever one lays one’s hands on and prospers.”
Just behind a modern bungalow off the main road is the Osara grove. The real ojubo (shrine) is a small enclosed pond tucked in the shadows of a mini plantain plantation. The coolness of the grove contrasts sharply with the heat pouring down from the scalding tropical sun which ceaselessly beat those just a stone throw away from the place.
To the right is a small building with a narrow veranda. It is painted in white. There, supplicants gather and wait patiently for their meeting with the Chief Priest of Osara.
The supplicants at the last Osara festival were male and female, low and high, sophisticated and rustic. It was a galaxy of humans. Each sat with their own thought waiting for their turn with the priest.
The Logun Olosara, an Ifa priest and employee of the Works Department of the Ife East Local Government Area of Osun State, however, said not everyone at the festival was in need of the fruits of the womb.
Monsurat Abeke was one of them. Our correspondent observed her talking with the priest before she knelt reverently before him. The priest later collected the container she was clutching, opened it, dipped his hands inside and brought out some of its content. It was cooked beans. He took a handful, threw some to the left, some to the right and the remaining on the white pebble dotted courtyard in front of the veranda.
Abeke picked up her container, ate some of the beans, muttered some prayers and went her way.
When approached, Abeke told SUNDAY PUNCH, she was a trader. And she had come to seek the face of the goddess for good fortune in her business.
She said, “I have a shop at the market. I sell baby things. But for some time now, my business has nosedived. That is why I am here. I want Osara to revive my business.”
‘‘Are you a member of the Osara family? our correspondent asked her. “No, I am not. I have been hearing people talking about this place. That’s why I came today.”
Rachel Ademola is 17 years old and a pupil of St John’s Secondary school, Ile-Ife. She is from Ile Oba quarters of the ancient town. And it was her first time of kitting up for the Agbon Osara festival. Why? “I just love the way they dress and I want to do it. This is my first time of tying the agbon,” she told our correspondent.
For Mrs Esther Osunwusi whose two boys, Saheed and Taofeek, were all kitted up for the festival, it was a family tradition.
“I am a wife and it is the tradition of my husband’s family. His children must also dress like this. That is why I brought my boys here. I have been dressing them up and bringing them here since two or three years ago” she said.
Femi Oyaro is a musician. He plays the traditional adamo music. He also graced the occasion but not to perform. He said he came as a tourist.
Oyaro, however, expressed reservation at the way most traditional festivals are conducted in the country and the religious colouration they are given.
He said, “This is not a strictly religious affair. It is also cultural and historical. The government can do more in propagating festivals like this and creating more awareness. The story of Osara cannot be divorced from that of the Yoruba race. Many more people should be made aware of its existence.”
source: punchng.com
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