Travel

Osun grove

Text & Photographs : Lesley Lababidi 116

OBELISQUE sides, Osogbo hassteadfastlyprotected itsSacred Groves. succumb tourbansprawl. Although thecitypushesinfrom all mostofthegrovesrubaland, were soldtodevelopers orhave religiontheir art, andnaturalenvironment. Throughout Yo- tures retain anintimaterelationship amongthe , forritualsorshrines. reserved The groves, shrinesandsculp- In traditional , groves are sacred outdoorplaces River andishometoover onehundred shrinesandsculptures. encompass 75hectares oflandalongthebanksOsun in southwest ofLagos. and250kmnorth The Groves Groves is locatedin Osogbo, which is the capital of O Cover: restored due tothe efforts of AdunniOlorishaTrust Fund. Below: Outer wall of the shrine-assemblyhall inthe ofwall-paintings Ogboni shrine-assemblyhall. details and significance the son and international-acclaimed batikartist, explains Right: SangodaraAjala,SusanneWenger’s adopted an elephantandpraystothegoddessofwater,Osun. to ride limbs stretches his of theEarth,Obaluaye spirit birds; thepointed-tiprepresentbird’shead.The Three structures take on the appearanceof gious andculturalsitesin . The Sacred cred Groves reli tobeoneofthemostimportant - Heritage Site. The Yoruba peopleconsidertheSa - sun Osogbo Sacred Groves isanUNESCO World sacredness andnecessityofwaterforlife. mythology, the goddess Osunrepresents the fall, whichsymbolisesOsunRiver.InYoruba here as the undulating wave,the swell and waters,Osun,isdepicted goddess ofliving recognise the essentialness of water. The Water is the substance of life; allworld cultures

117 OBELISQUE traditions, themythologyandGroves art isanexpressionofthe Sacred andtheartistswereinspiredby from a variety of backgrounds. ’s view wasthat this along with the other artists of the New Sacred Art Movement, came Opposite page: sun andmoon. It representsthebeginningoftimewithittongueholding and tail Below: The chameleon stands atthe entrance to the Iya Moopo shrine. who dedicateshisarttoprotectthetraditionofSacredGroves. place. Adeyemiisone of the artisans of the New SacredArt Movement (upper leftcorner) are oftwo villagers welcomingvisitorsto the market restores sculptures. He isanexpert in cement work. Adeyemi’s sculptures Above: Well-known Yoruba traditional carver, Adeyemi Oseni-Idowu, Inside theOgbonishrine.Thecarversofthesetotems, .

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OBELISQUE fertility, mothertoall. Festival, thefoundingofOsogbo andtoacknowledge isheldtoobserve boththegods’ protections andthe goddessof powers for infertility, barrenness, and life’s controversies. Every year around the second week in August, a festival, Osun meanders through theGroves, finally, makingitswaytothe Gulf of Guinea. Thewaterisbelieved topossesscurative life. The river goddessnamedOsun isthespiritualmotherofOsogbo. The flows into Osogbo town and The Osun Osogbo Sacred Groves is dedicated to the goddess Osun. Osun is a Yoruba word that means water of of ‘beinginbalance’. birds onIyaMoopo’sback and bosomaresymbolic of judgement. Her faceisuplifted toheaven.Twin gesture fist-over-fist the is third the out, cast to other visitors. Three daily pairsofarms: one to receive,the height. Herarmsareoutstretched towelcome monumental statue measuring over 10 meters in Above: IyaMoopo is the Great Mother. The Benin Atlantic Ocean Burkina Faso Bight ofBenin Shaki Iseyin Gulf ofGuinea Birnin kebbi Iwo Jega Sokoto Niger OSOGBO Reservoir Kainji IIorin Galadi Art Movement.Art Many ofthegroup thatSusanne mentored gion over generations. This group, shecalled,theNew Sacred would protect nature andartists artisans andthe Yoruba reli- in atraditional Yoruba culture. She believed thisgroup of proach wastoencouragefreedom expression ofartistic with- whoworked inthegrovesand artists withher. Wenger’s ap- Groves. the restoration ofdestroyed shrines,and theprotection ofthe Osogbo. She dedicatedherlife’s work tothere-creation and Susanne divorced intheearly‘60sbutSusanne remained in was askedtorestore shrinesintheGroves. She did.Ulli and she studiedthe Yoruba languageandreligion. In Osogbo, she ancient shrines.In 1960,Susanne Wenger settledinOsogbo; the Yoruba priest,Ajagemo,whoaskedhertorestore some and immersed herself in the culture.her art Here, she met and music. They moved toEde where Susanne focussedon Nigeria atIbadan University drama, in1950tofocusonart, Susanne Wenger. She andherhusband,, arrived in were notforthelifetimededicationofAustrian artist, are prohibited. sacred nature oftheGroves, hunting,poachingandfarming and jumpoverhead through theforest trees. Because ofthe monkeys, are fairlytame.Monkeys recline onthesculptures groups of animals andfauna.Many the animals,particularly Benin Warri City Susanne Wenger inspired andmentored Yoruba artisans The Sacred Groves mighthave beenlosttotheworldifit The Sacred Groves isadenseforest diverse thatsupports Lokoja Isa Delta Shinkafi Harcount Port Bight ofBonny Udi Hills Kaduna Katsina JOS PLANTAU ABUJA Enugu Zaria Makurdi Kano Calabar Niger Gumel Jos Gaya Nguru Hadejia

Mambila Gashua

Mountains Potiskum Chappal Waddi (2 419m) Lake Chad Maiduguri Geidam Yola Cameroon Mubi Kukawa Republic African Central Chad Chad

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OBELISQUE until herdeathin2009;shewas93. the adored. From 1960,Susanne Wenger remained inOsogbo a priestess,Olorisha, andwasgiven thenameAdunni, meaning River Osun anddeepwithintheGroves. Wenger wasinitiatedas meters wide,are foundalongwindingpathways,thebanksof Susanne Wenger’s sculptures, someover 12metershighby 15 is a spiritual expression, “Art is she a said. ritual or it is not art,” Osun Sacred Groves are extraordinary. Wenger believed thatart work. University’s Saïd Business School is one of Sangodara’s- batik art Golden Jubilee Award 2010.On permanentdisplayatOxford Sangodara wonNigeria’s prestigious National Competition Art such asSangodara Ajalahave gainedinternationalrecognition. oftheSacredcontinue inthepreservation Groves today. Artists Susanne Wenger’s monumentalsculptures throughout the to themarketdanceduring theEgungunfestival. isamasquerade. Theyaregoing Right: Thiswall-painting highly sophisticated. society. The composition and proportions are considered panel representsthecoreofOgboni symbolism who wentintoatranceEach as theypaintedthewalls. hall were assembly paintedbypriestess,elderlywomen of theOgbonishrine- Above: Traditionally,theinnerwalls Below: judgement. to Earth.Thefist-over-fistsculpturedepicts Right: Entrance totheOgbonishrine dedicated undulating wavesoftheriverOsun. the entrance;to left andright are the of theOgbonishrine.MotherEarthtowersabove mad4now.com. Ω and Nigeria. She hasauthored several booksandblogsatno- Ω survival. pride, theOsogbo Osun Sacred Groves hasagoodchanceof nated UNESCO World Heritage Site andwithcommunity fromporations and support diplomatic missions. As a desig- Sacred Groves hasreceived fundingfrom internationalcor- ofRobinof theuntiringefforts andHugh Campbell,the the responsibility ofrestoration Because andpreservation. tures. Afterherdeath, The Adunni Olorisha Trust tookover sale ofherown fortheupkeepofshrinesandsculp- artwork During Susanne Wenger lifetime, sheused money from the makes maintenanceofthesculptures acontinuouschallenge. and mud. The harshtropical climateandtermiteinfestation than 100sculptures, whichare madeofstone,iron, cement The Groves isagrandsculpture garden thatshowcase more tion resources becauseofitsgreen spaceanditsculturallife. Lesley Lababidi writes on the culture and history ofEgypt Lesley Lababidiwritesontheculture andhistory The Sacred Groves isthecrown jewelofNigeria’s- conserva This entranceleadstotheprivateinterior

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