A Queen's Fury, a Kingdom's Blessing: The Unveiling of Owo's Igogo Festival, Ondo State

by

and

August 18, 2024

The Goddess

Queen Oronsen is an orisha from Yoruba mythology. She was Olowo Rerengejen's wife. In her honor, Owo hosts the yearly Igogo festival. During one of his hunting expeditions some 600 years ago, King Rerengejen of Owo met a young woman named Oronsen. She was immediately admired for her beauty, so he brought her back to his palace and had her accepted into his harem. Oronsen told her husband after they were married that she was an orisha and not just a maiden.

The king was scandalized; normally, having relations with the gods as he had been doing would have resulted in his instant death; however, Oronsen assured him that he need not fear her, as she was content with him and would gladly stay on Earth as one of his wives, provided he ensured that three of her inviolable taboos were never broken. Rerengejen vowed to fulfill this obligation, and later cautioned his senior wife and other wives not to violate the taboos.

United by the revelation, the king and his queen's bond deepened. Oronsen, touched by divine favor, brought prosperity to her husband's entire household.

Certain rituals became forbidden in her presence. Grinding okra for stew, spilling water in the courtyard, and receiving firewood deliveries directly from the farm were all banned. King Rerengejen ensured his other wives adhered to these restrictions.

However, during the king's absence on a hunting trip, Oronsen clashed with the other queens. In a fit of spite, they deliberately flouted all three of her taboos.

Oronsen, wracked with pain, bolted from the palace. Guards and chiefs gave chase, hoping to escort her back, but their efforts were in vain. Exhausted, she found refuge at "Ugbo Laja". Here, pleas to return were met with refusal, infuriating the guards who then seized her. However, she eluded their grasp once more, vanishing into the sacred forest of "Igbo Oluwa", leaving behind her head ties as a marker at Ugbo Laja. These were later returned to King Rerengejen. "Ugbo Laja" itself is now revered as a sacred grove.

News of the events unfolded upon the king's return from the hunt. Grief-stricken, he personally embarked on a search for his wife.

After a relentless four-day odyssey, he found her within the embrace of the forest. Rerengejen pleaded with Oronsen to rejoin him, but her heart remained fractured by betrayal. She declared her intention to forever forsake the human realm. However, she offered a blessing: a ceremony held in her honor to eternally safeguard Owo. The king, consumed by sorrow, readily agreed. Upon his return, he formally established the ceremony, giving rise to the Owos' enduring celebration of the "Igogo festival".

The Igogo Festival

The "Igogo" festival, held annually in September in Owo, Nigeria, honors Queen Oronsen, the mythical wife of King Rerengejen. During this Yoruba celebration, the reigning Olowo of Owo and high chiefs pay homage by dressing in women's attire – adorned with coral beads, beaded gowns, and plaited hair. Uniquely, the festival forbids headwear, drumming, and gunfire.

***A picture of an Olowo of Owo with his braided hair in an Igogo Festival***

A testament to Oronsen's legend emerged when a terracotta sculpture of the queen was unearthed from the Igbo Oluwa forest by Nigerian scholar Ekpo Eyo. This discovery served as a symbolic reminder of her permanent departure from the palace. However, the statue also conveyed a promise: in exchange for an annual offering of two hundred diverse items – including dried fish, alligator pepper, kola nuts, and bitter cola – Oronsen would perpetually safeguard the kingdom.

The 17-day Igogo festival kicks off with the Upeli procession, led by the Akowa of Iloro, the head of the Iloro chiefs. Spanning 12 days, this procession features various ceremonies like Utegi, Ugbabo, Uyanna, and Ugbate. It also coincides with the celebration of the new yam harvest.

***A picture of Owo indigenes celebrating the Igogo Festival with their attires***

Uniquely, the festival prohibits drumming and headwear for both men (caps) and women (head ties) near the Owo monarch. A captivating spectacle unfolds as bare-chested Igharo men, from the Iloro Quarter, take center stage. Dressed in white caps and brandishing buffalo horns, they dance through the town and sacred sites, striking the horns together in rhythmic harmony. Any animal encountered during their dance becomes part of the celebratory feast.