Many myths and legends
exist as to the origin of
Ogun. Much of the
knowledge of the deity is
based on the fact that he
was one of the earliest
divinities. He loved hunting
and was referred to as
“Osin-Imole”, that is, the
Chief among the divinities.
He cleared the thick
impenetrable way with his
iron implements for other
the divinities when he was
coming from heaven to
possess the earth. Being a
ruthless deity, he lived in
seclusion at the top of the
hill where he went about
hunting. Tired of secluded
life, he decided to go for a
settled life, which he had
rejected earlier on. He came
down from the hilltop in a
garment of fire and blood
but could not find an abode
in any community. So he
borrowed fronds from the
palm-tree and headed for Ire
where he was made king.
Hence, the name Ogun Onire
(Ogun, the Lord of Ire) was
given to him.
The Ogun Festival in Ondo:
The Ogun festival is
celebrated in Ondo between
the months of August and
September every year.
According to Olupona the
preparation for the festival
commences seventeen days
before the actual Ogun day
at the appearance of the
new moon. At an early
morning ceremony in the
house of Ayadi, the ritual
specialist of Ogun public
worship, the upe (a
traditional trumpet made
from a long gourd) is
sounded to notify the people
of the on-coming festival.
The sound of upe then
becomes a common feature
throughout the period of
the festival, which lasts
seven days. The sound of the
upe is very significant
because it carries messages
which are sometimes
complimentary and at other
times abusive from one
youth to the other.
During the seventeen-day
interval, the worshippers of
Ogun assemble in groups to
praise the divinity and other
past cultural heroes
associated with him, such as
Jomun Ila.
On a major market day,
which is nine days before
the festival, the king’s
emissary makes the official
announcement of the
ceremony. Many activities
are usually carried out in
preparation for the festival,
among which is the
communal clearing of paths
and the repairing of bridges
and other footpaths. Five
days to the festival, a few
households perform a
ceremony called aleho.
There are usually three parts
to the ceremony – aisun
ogun (night vigil), ogun ale
(night ogun) and ogun
owuo (morning ogun
celebration). The procession
involves all traditional and
modern day professionals
and guilds. Every possible
professional group in Ondo
– such as blacksmiths,
medicine men and women,
drivers, hunters, tailors,
barbers, to mention just a
few, participate in this
celebration. The only
exceptions are probably civil
servants and white-collar
workers. Most of them are
usually dressed in rags,
palm- fronds with their faces
and bodies smeared with
blue dye, white powder and
or charcoal. Some, however,
use that period to show
affluence and nobility by
wearing unusually beautiful
multicoloured outfits.
The Osemawe is not left out
of this festivity. He usually
leads the early morning
procession. He wears a
beaded crown that covers
his whole face with white
sheet tied on his left
shoulder over his agbada
(flowing gown). Others such
the high chiefs, medicine
men and other trades men
follow the king’s procession.
Every professional
demonstrates his trade. The
most esteemed group is the
traditional medicine men
referred to as oloogun
(medicine people). They are
attired in medicine garments
laced with all kinds of
frightening herbal
substances. This group
usually engages young
school children to write
signposts, which display the
name of their pedigree and
praise names, some with
warnings written in
proverbs and the
metaphorical magico-
medical expertise of the
oloogun.
This serves as a warning to
the general public. The
following are examples of
such signposts:
i). Eni ti o ba fi oju ana wo
oku
He who looks upon today’s
dead with the same eyes
that saw the living.
ii). Ebora a bo l’aso.
Will have his clothe removed
by the spirit.
iii). Ati pe eni ti oju eni ti ju
eni lo.
He who is above one is
above one.
iv). Bi uya lila ba a gbonen
sanle.
If one is brought down by
big trouble.
v). Kekee a ka gun oiho onen
Smaller problems come up
too.
vi). Opekete ndagba
As the palm-tree grows up,
vii). Inu Adama nbaje
The palm wine tapper
becomes sad
viii). Ase i s’amodoun
Many happy returns of this
festival
ix). Ogun ye mo ye
Ogun lives and I live too.
When Ayadi ushers Ogun in,
he must sacrifice dogs (aja)
and tortoise (aghon) and
pour libations at the shrine
of Ogun. It is the general
belief in Ondo that a dog is
Ogun’s favourite meat. Thus
during Ogun festival, dogs
are usually mercilessly
immolated. The Ondo people
do not in any way regard a
dog as a pet as the western
people do. Ondo people
seldom eat dog meat but
they frequently sacrifice
dogs to appease Ogun.
Hence, their neighbours
nicknamed them Ondo aj’aja
that is, Ondo the dog eater.
The sacrifice of dogs is the
climax of the ritual and by
this, the blood flows into the
shrine.
Ogun is the kernel of Ondo’s
popular religion for many
reasons. During O gun
festival, every section of the
society is represented. It is
only during this festival that
children, domestic servants,
foreigners, artisans,
traditional circumcision
doctors, religious and
political authorities perform
as devotees of Ogun. As the
divinity is tied to
professionalism, everybody
participates. For example,
warriors, blacksmiths,
traders and even women
who hardly participate in
other Ondo festivals play
very significant roles in
these festivities. Certainly, it
is a time when women-
dominated professions such
as traditional medical
paediatrics (alagbo omode
or olomitutu) and women’s
market associations display
their wares and advertise
their profession.
Furthermore, during this
festival, people show their
indebtedness to Ogun as the
founder of iron and metals,
which are essential
ingredients for technological
development. It should be
noted that sacrifices are
made to ogun from time to
time, particularly whenever a
journey is going to be
undertaken. It is not
surprising then that the
importance and fierceness
of ogun is captured in this
proverb: “Onen yo ri ibi
ogun ti gbe’je de sa eyin jija
e fa i”. (Whoever sees ogun
where it is taking blood and
does not run, certainly has
problem with his heels).
It should also be
emphasized that Ogun
festival serves as an
occasion whereby the
memory of deceased
ancestors and cultural
heroes are commemorated.
The worshippers of Ogun
proclaim O gun’s praise-
names as follows:
Ogun lakaiye, osin imole –
Ogun, the strong one of the
earth, Chief among the
deities
Ogun alada meji, ofi okan
san’ko, o fi Okan ye’na –
Ogun, the possessor of two
matchets; with one he
prepares the farm, and with
the other he clears the road.
Ojo Ogun nti ori oke bo –
The day Ogun was coming
down from the hilltop.
Aso ina l’o mu bora, ewu eje
l’o wo – He was clothed in
fire and bloodstained
garment.
Ogun onile owo, olona ola –
Ogun, the owner of the
house of money, the owner
of the house of riches.
Ogun onile kangunkangun
orun – The owner of the
innumerable houses of
heaven.
O pon omi s’ile f’eje we – He
has water in the house but
takes his bath with blood.
Ogun awon l’eyin ju, egbe
lehin omo orukan – Ogun
whose eyeballs are rare (to
behold), protector of
orphans.
Ogun m’eje l’ogun mi –
There are seven ogun who
belong to me.
Ogun Alara ni igba’ja – Ogun
of Alara takes dogs.
Ogun Onire a gba’ gbo –
Ogun of Onire habitually
takes rams.
Ogun ikola a gba’ gbin –
Ogun of surgery habitually
takes snails.
Ogun Elemona nii gba esun
’su – Ogun Elemona takes
roasted yam.
Ogun a ki’run ni iwo agbo –
Ogun a ki’run habitually
takes ram’s horn.
Ogun gbena gbena eran
awun nii je – Ogun of the
artisans eats the flesh of
tortoise.
Ogun Makinde ti d’ogun
l’ehin odi – Ogun Makinde
has become the ogun after
the city wall.
Nje nibo l’ati pade Ogun? –
By the way, where did we
meet Ogun?
A pade ogun nibi ija – We
met ogun in the battlefield.
A Pade Ogun nibi ita – We
met Ogun at the junction.
A pade re nibi agbara eje
naa – We also met him at the
pool of blood.
A gbara eje ti i de ni l’orun bi
omi ago – The pool of blood
that reaches the neck like a
cup of water.
Orisa t’o ni t’ogun ko to
nkan – Whichever divinity
regards ogun as of no
consequence.
A f’owo je’su re nigba
aimoye – Will eat his yams
with his hands (without a
knife) times without
number.
E ma b’ogun fi ija sere – Do
not joke about war with
Ogun.
Ara Ogun kan go-go-go –
Ogun is anxiously waiting to
strike.
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