THE FESTIVAL OF OSUN OSOGBO: ITS AESTHETICS AND PURPOSES

1.1 Introduction

Aesthetics is the philosophical study of beauty and taste. It comprises of what is good and bad in any work of art. It deals with nature and value of arts as well as those responses to natural objects that find expression in the language of the beautiful and ugly. Festival is an event usually set by a local community. It centres on and some unique Aspects of that community. It is a set of activities and practice designed to entertain the People of that particular community. Among many religions, a feast is a set celebration in honour of God or gods. Festivals also remind people of their traditions and in resents times also helps in unity among family. There are numerous types of festival in the world, though many have religious origin, others have some cultural significance. Also, certain people celebrate their own festival to mark some significance occasion in their history.

As a prelude to other parts of this study, this chapter will discuss the background upon which this study was initiated, the statement of problems that led to this study, the Aim and Objectives of the study. Others are Significance of the study, Scope of work, Research questions, Limitations of the Study and Definition of technical terms.

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1.2 Background of Study

The Osun Osogbo festival in Nigeria is an annual celebration of Osun, the goddess of fertility, prosperity, and healing (Oparanti, 2004). Although many members of the Nigerian diaspora use their attendance at the festival as an opportunity to reconnect with their roots and home culture, there is a section specifically motivated by the problem of their infertility and many other challenges in life. During the festival, at the grove, they seek for blessings from the Osun goddess and are able to reconnect with the spiritual roots of their identity while expressing their desire without shame or reservation. The festival is considered to be a space of comfort, and a destination of pilgrimage for these diaspora Nigerians to seek solutions to their challenges (Taha, 2016).

Festival is a set of activities and practice designed to educate and to entertain the People of a particular community through ritual performance, celebrations or social activities. A Feast and a festival are historically inter-related. Festival of many types serves to meet specific Needs as well as to provide entertainment. These types of celebration offer a belonging to Religious, social or geographical groups. The festival has been described as a strong motivation for many members of the Nigerian diaspora, irrespective of their ethnic group, religion, or social status, to embark on a return visit back home (Oyeweso, 2012). It is an occasion of public manifestation of joy. It can take the form of the form of religious celebration during which sacrifices are offered to the different gods having power over rain, sunshine, marriage, thunder, and good harvest. Among the Yoruba, the indigenous religious have largely given way to Christianity and Islam, but the old festival still observed. Nigeria has many local festivals that date back before the arrival of major religion and which are still occasion for masquerades and dance.

The aesthetics in the Osun Osogbo festival includes: Drums, Dance, Music’s, Costumes, Languages, Audience and so on. These make the festival more appreciated by the people and more colourful. The festival immense benefits to the tourist sector of Nigeria economy. It enables the community to sell its culture to tourist among others coming from within and all outside the country.

Festivals in Yoruba land i.e. African society is a means of worshipping different gods which Have significance and different roles. Sango, which is the god of thunder, Ogun the god of Iron and Osun, and the god of water; these gods have roles they play in the African society. Orisha is a spirit or deity that reflects one of the manifestations of Olodumare (God) in the Yoruba spirit or religious system.

The Yorubas believe in Orisha, and their theogany enjoys a pantheon of orishas, these includes Aganju, Obaluaye, Erinle, Eshu, Yemojs, Obatala, Oshumare, Ogun, Orunmila, Oshun, Oya, Sango and many countless other Orishas. The Yorubas also generates their ancestral spirits through Egungun, masquerades, Oro, Irunmole, Gelede, and Ibeji the orisha of twins which in no wonder since the Yorubas are officially known to have world’s highest rates of twin birth of any group.

Obatala is the father of human kind, divinity of light, spiritual purity and moral uprightness, Eshu is the messenger between the human and divine worlds under god of divinity. Eshu is recognized as a trickster and is childlike. Osumare is a rainbow deity, divinity of movement and activity, guardian of children and associated with the umbilical cord, Sango a god of thunder, warrior deity, fire, skyfather, represents male power and sexuality. Ogun is a warrior Deity, divinity of iron, war, labour, sacrifices, and technology e.g. railroads. Osun is divinity of rivers, love, feminine beauty, fertility and also one of Sangos lover and beloved of Ogun. These Orishas plays significant roles in the African society and the Yoruba’s belief in these Orishas.

Therefore, in Nigeria where the research was carried out, the activities that was conducted is to know the Aesthetics and Functions of the Osun Osogbo Festival.

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1.3 Statement of Problems

Investigation revealed the problems of the existing research work which entails that, the cost of transportation fare can be astronomical, between the Osun Osogbo festival wristband, accommodations, VIP access, clothes (Osun Osogbo festival outfits are a must) and possibly a flight, things can add up. If the Osun Osogbo festival is in a different country it may add stress and anxiety to your first few days. With travel comes the possibility of a language barrier and culture shock, Osun Osogbo Festival goers know drinking and drugs are often involved. Not everyone is trustworthy and authentic while under the influence, therefore mindful of your belongings and prepare accordingly.

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1.4 Purpose of Study

Osun Osogbo festival is the most important and significant components culture of Osogbo. The major purpose of this study us to analyse the aesthetics and functions in the Osun Osogbo festival and to look at the way the people of osogbo have been celebrating these festival in the past years and recent years, to look at the difference between the past years and recents celebrations.

These work will also look at the way the people of Osogbo react to this festival despites the numerous of Africans that identify themselves as either Christianity or Islam, and ancients beliefs still have its plaxe in their lives. It will also look at the roles this festival performs among the people of osogbo.

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1.5 Aim and Objectives of Study

The aim of the study is to determine the Aesthetics and Functions of the Osun Osogbo Festival. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out as follows:

1. To examine the functions of Osun community members towards migrants attending the Osun Osogbo annual festival.
2. To investigate the perception of members of the Osun community regarding the Osun Osogbo festival.
3. To analyze the experiences of these people at the Osun Osogbo festival, especially in relation to their spiritual beliefs.

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1.6 Research Questions

The study came up with research questions so as to be able to ascertain the above stated objectives. The specific research questions for the study are stated below as follows:

• What are the functions of Osun community members towards migrants attending the Osun Osogbo annual festival?
• What is the perception of members of the Osun community regarding the Osun Osogbo festival as tourists?
• What are the experiences of people at the Osun Osogbo festival, especially in relation to their spiritual beliefs?

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1.7 Justification of the Study

The purpose of this study is to justify the assertion that indeed, the Osun Osogbo festival is full of aesthetics elements of dance, drums, musics, costumes, and so on, this study is to correct the image created by some Eurocentric scholars and Europeans that Africa has either history nor culture. The Eurocentric scholar’s belief that European culture is superior to African culture and that African literature is primitive and as such noting can come out of African oral literature.

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1.8 Scope of Study

The scope of the research is focused on the Aesthetics and Functions of the Osun Osogbo Festival in Nigeria.

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1.9 Limitations of the Study

During the course of this study, many things militated against its completion, some of which are:

1. Time Constraint: The time frame given to accomplish this project was very short due to school academic calendar and it was carried out under pressure which made the researcher not to implement some necessary features.
2. Research material: availability of research material is a major setback to the scope of the study.
3. Frequent power failure: This made the researcher append more money on fuel to ensure sustainable power.
4. Financial Constraint: Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet).

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1.10 Methodology

The research methodology of this work is based on analysis of data and interviews which are gathered and showing relevant places of pictures taken during the festival of relevant places and people.

The data gathered and analyzed which includes different people, both men and woman, old and young, who come for the festival and participates in the Osun festival whole heartedly.