A History Of Oshun

What up African world, it's Home Team here, and I'm back at it with another video of African history, culture, and worldview. Today, we're going to get into African religion once again and talk about the African goddess, Oshun. And as always, if you want to support the Home Team, you can do so on Patreon.com. I have some new awards for you guys, so be sure to check that out. Also, go to Afrographics.com, a website where you can find unique illustrative infographics summarizing African history. All links to Patreon, Afrographics, and Home Team merchandise are in the description box below. Oshun is in the Yoruba pantheon of deities known as the Orisha. She's primarily the goddess of the river, but she also exemplifies love, pleasure, beauty, sexuality, diplomacy, purity, and fertility. Oshun was said to be one of the first goddesses created and was known to be generous and kind. There are several myths concerning the heavenly and earthly activities of Oshun. Oshun is said to be the lover of jewels and ornaments of yellow copper. Oshun is considered one of the most powerful of all Orisha, and like other gods, she possesses human attributes such as vanity, jealousy, and spite. The Orisha handle all issues related to humanity and serve as enforcers of justice and retribution, each possessing its own unique powers. In most of the Yoruba stories involving Oshun, she is depicted as a protector, savior, and nurturer of humanity. In essence, she is the mother of sweet things. Oshun is special as an Orisha because she was a female deity involved in the creation of humans. She was said to be pivotal in the creation of humanity. All the other male deities failed miserably in their attempt to create mankind. The male deities realized that without the life-giving powers of Oshun, they would continue to fail. Oshun agreed to help them as they swallowed their pride, bringing forth her powerful life-giving waters. It was the arrival of Oshun to earth that the creation of mankind was finally complete. Olodumare, the supreme god, was pleased that Oshun was able to complete the task, and she became one of the primary intermediaries between humans and the supreme god. Not only can Oshun give life, but she can also take it. When angered, Oshun can bring forth floods to destroy crops and other livelihood. The Yoruba themselves have a flood myth, and it involves the anger of Oshun. In this myth, Oshun becomes enraged at her followers one day and sends so much rain that it nearly floods the entire earth. Upon her appeasement, she saves the earth from a watery grave and pulls back the floods. The first recorded interaction between Oshun and humans begins at Oshogbo. The city of Oshogbo is It's believed to be protected by Oshun herself. According to legend, Oshun gave the people permission to build the city of Oshogbo as long as they honored and worshipped her the way she prescribed, loving her the way she wanted to be loved. Oshun and the people made a covenant. The people would set up their homes along the Oshun river, and Oshun would provide for them, protect them, and grant their prayers if they worshipped her making the obligatory offerings, prayers, and other rituals. Out of this first encounter between the people of Oshogbo and Oshun evolved the Oshun festival, which is still practiced today by the Yoruba people of Oshogbo and all over West Africa. The annual Oshun festival is filled with her devotees at the Oshun river. Her followers pay homage, make sacrifices, and pray for wealth, the health of their children, and many other things. The Oshun-Oshogbo sacred grove is a holy site for her worship. It's located in a dense forest in Nigeria today. Previously, the Yoruba had a sacred grove in many areas, but the arrival of Christianity slowly eliminated the existence of these sites. Thus, the Oshun-Oshogbo sacred grove has become a grand symbol of Yoruba identity. Oshun is often described as a favorite of all the Orisha by the supreme god Alurumare. He favors her primarily because of her beauty and sensuality. The most popular interaction between Oshun and other Orisha is her marriage with Shango. Oshun is the second wife of Shango. Oba, the third wife of Shango, was attempting to gain the exclusive love of Shango. Oshun played a mean trick on Oba by telling Oba that she aroused Shango's love for her because she prepared a special dish for him. Oba was eager to learn this dish from Oshun. Oshun, wearing a headscarf to cover her ears, cooked a meal for Shango. Oba observed mushrooms that looked like ears and assumed that Oshun had removed her ears and put it in Shango's meal. However, Oshun simply pretended as if she had cut off her ears. Oba did not hesitate to follow suit and cut off one of her ears in Shango's next meal. Shango was extremely disgusted and appalled at the one ear of Oba. Oshun removed her headscarf to show Oba that she had been deceived and the two fought. This clash of Oshun and Oba is said to symbolize the clashing of two rivers when they meet. Oshun is not only important amongst Yoruba women but all women of African descent across the diaspora. She bears the title of Iyalode or She Who Leads All Women of the Town. The worship of Oshun has even survived the Middle Passage as her followers venerate her in the Caribbean and South America. Oshun is called different names by Afro-descended women in the diaspora such as Axum in Brazil and Alchon in Cuba. Oshun is especially important to femininity. Women who aspire to have children and suffer from infertility call frequently on Oshun to hear their supplication. Oshun is very popular in Brazil, Bahia in particular. The dance of Oshun imitates a vain woman who swims in the river, puts on necklaces and bracelets, shakes her arms to make them jingle, shows off gracefully and looks at herself with great satisfaction in the mirror. Oshun is greeted with shouts of Oreieio. Her altar consists of river pebbles and yellow copper bracelets. It is said that a good dish to offer Oshun is Umuluku, which is a mixture of onions, beans, salt and shrimp. She also receives adon, cornflour mixed with honey and sweet oil. Followers of Oshun consistently wear necklaces of yellow beads and copper bracelets.