CHAPTER ONE

1.0 Background of the Study

According to the general knowledge of festival that we know, it can be defined as an

event that usually takes place in our local community. It focuses on some important ways of

life of the people in the community which make the incoming generation know more about

their culture and tradition. It particularly brings people from far and near together so that they

can make impact on the community. Most especially, the festival scope of this research work

which happens to be one of the worldwide known festival which brings people from different

tribe, beliefs and customs every year, this festival has impacted in a whole lot of lives and

this makes it very significance in the world known festival.

There are different types of festival across the globe with different origins, cultural

significance and so on. Some certain people have different beliefs of festival, some believe it

is to commemorate a significant occasion in their history while some believe it is to pay

homage to their ancestors for sacrifices they have made for the land in the past.

Festivals entails a set of activities and practice designed to educate and to entertain the

people of a particular society. Some of these activities includes performances, display of arts

and crafts, sacrifices of specific item and so on.

According Ekpeyong(1981:31) states that festivals are periodic re- occurring days or

seasons of merry- making set aside by a community, tribe, clan for the observance of sacred

celebration, religious, solemnities or musical and traditional performance of social

significance. 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, good harvest and so on.

As it is known that this research work as to do with Aesthetic little definition of it will

be done to make the work more expressive.

1
 Aesthetic may be defined as the philosophical study of beauty and taste, it comprises

of what is good and bad in any work of art, it deals with values of art and nature and as well

give answers to natural object that find expression in the language of the beautiful and ugly.

In another sense, we can define aesthetic as the science study of beauty. According to

Encyclopaedia Britannica, it explain aesthetics as the study of beauty and to a lesser extents

of its opposite apparently the ugly. It has often been defined as the science of the beautiful

suggesting an organised body of knowledge of a special subjects matter, it is usually

concerned with effort to understand with the theoretical study of the work of arts with effort

to understand and explain them.

The word aesthetic itself was coined out by a German philosopher Alexander

Baumnger in 1750 which he derived from the Greek word “Aesthetics” which means

“Perception.” The word aesthetics which is pertaining to perception is formed, he gave the

word to what earlier philosopher called theory of beauty or the taste.

Aesthetic being the perception of beauty, as well as appreciating beautifulness and

ugliness in human, nature, arts and culture, this is drive that brought about this research topic

because Osun Osogbo has been cited as World Heritage by Unesco which accepted Osun

groove into the list of cultural and natural properties which are a great source of foreign

revenue to the Nigerian government and as such it is expected to have a whole lots of

aesthetics features in it.

Osun Osogbo festival has different aesthetics which makes it unique and adorable,

part of which are:- Drums, Dance, Music, Chants, Languages, Audience, Praise Poetry and so

on. Praise poetry which happen to be the focus of this work has a whole of impacts in this

festival because it has a lot of sacred utterance in it.

2
 Praise Poem is a kind of combination of word use to offer admiration or worship of a

person or god, this form was popular in the middle age and continues to be a familiar form in

various African culture.

Praise Poetry was popular in medieval literature and during Renaissance period, it

often expresses words of worship and admiration for heroes, kings, or deities. However, it

lost popularity as a form of English literature beginning in the 17th century.

But, in the African society praise poetry continues to be a familiar literary form, the

genre of praise poetry called Isibongo from the Zulu culture which offers imagery and

storytelling related to a person and the history that surrounds him or her. In this region, a

praise poetry is considered a high form of literary art which can be found in many cultures, it

has a serve as a form of oral documentation and this is very spectacular in West Africa and in

Yoruba to be precise, it serve as a form of documentation for young ones in the tribe to know

their origin and more about themselves. Oral poetry is either sung or chanted, it is unusual for

African Praise Poetry to be performed accompanied by musical instrument which makes it

very interesting.

Praise poetry is also important because we are learning when we do not realize we

are, this interactive method allows us to embody the poem fully from beginning to the end,

and we are actually absorbing the subtleties of the poem while learning the meaning, mood

and tone of the poem, this method incorporates and empowers all of us.

Osun Osogbo festival which is not the only celebrated festival in Osogbo land but

rather is most popular. The goddess who the myth claims the river was named after hails

from Ijesha land. She was the only female among about 16 deities sent by Olodumare to help

the mankind but due to the patriarchal way of the Yoruba people, the other male deities did

not involve her in their dealings in life and this lead to their downfall until they got a

revelation from Olodumare that they should involve the only woman he sent to them to the

3
surface of earth then will there be peace on earth and so they did and things work out for

them.

Osun is the river goddess of fertility and every other things like goodness, prosperity,

and so on. Osun did not give birth to more than one child but yet has a lot of childrens she

was a generous woman who helped both visitors and land owner she got the name Osun

Sengese Oloya iyun which means Osun the owner of the flawless, perfectly carved comb,

Osun did not have it origin in Osogbo but Laaroye and Olutimiehin made her popular

because Timiehin was the hunter who located the water when there was water scarcity in his

own town while Laaroye was the king. They made the people of Larooye relocate to the now

known Osogbo coined from Osho Igbo which is what the demons they both met on their way

coming from Osun called them and as well entrusted in their care the 600 year old 16 faced

lamp (Atupa Olojumerindinlogun).There are a lot of atrocities caused by humans for the

goddess but yet she was very accommodating though she was angry because one of her

concoction pot was broken but she took sacrifice and asked the people to move a little bit far

from the river and gave them a golden fish which served as a way of telling them that she is

no more angry with them and she thereby told them that whatever strange thing they saw on

their way going back they should not fall for it that until they can no more hear her voice that

is where they should stop and settle down which is today known as the Ataoja’s Palace which

happens to be the centre of Osogbo town. Another interesting fact about Osogbo is that it is

very accommodating.

After all being said the people of Osogbo expressed their gratitude to the river

goddess by setting aside about 2weeks in the month of August to celebrate the goddess and

appease her as it is believed that this practice averts possible calamities aimed at the town.

This ritual involves looking for a virgin girl from the ruling King’s family(known as the (the

Calabash Carrier) to carry the sacrifice to the shrine according to the promise Timiehin made

4
to Osun and the golden fish must also be taken along, although what the Calabash contains is

unknown to the layman expect the occultists.

1.1 Research Problem

As it is known that Osun Osogbo Festival is no joke in the realm of African writers

and scholars’, therefore different people have written numerous articles, journals, long essays

on the subject matter. However, this research focuses on addressing the subject matter in a

different way. It although limits its study to the Praise Poetry and highlighting its

significance, it also addresses the total aesthetics of the festival.

1.2 Aims and Objectives

The major aim of this work is bring out the beauty and significance of the Osun

Osogbo Festival praise poetry. This study will not be limited to the festival praise poetry, it

would cut across every aesthetical part of the festival.

This long essay also attempts to reveal the hidden aesthetics of the festival. It will as

well examine how people consider praise poetry as significant part of the Osun Osogbo

festival.

1.3 Research Methodology

This research employed primary sources of data such as interviews, taken in audio

and video recordings. Also secondary source of explored are journals, articles, newspapers…

website. Notable source of data for this study includes information retrieved from the

interviews with priestess and custodian of Osun Festival who are wholehearted devoted to the

goddess.

1.4 Expected Contribution to Knowledge

This research addresses a specific part of the festival that much attention has not been

paid to, it also aims to challenge scholars to write more about the festival as whole, they

5
should begin to look at it from a more different angle that will be beneficial to the coming

generation and people who would like to learn more about Yoruba culture and tradition.

1.5 Significance of Study

Osun Osogbo festival is a very significant festival in the history of Yoruba land, its

importance showcases the culture of the Yorubas’ which gave rise to the popularity of Late

Susanne Weger known as Iwinfunmi Adunni Oloorisa, a lover of art of culture of the

Yorubas’ and revived the long abandoned groove of Osun where sacrifices are made.

This festival is very beneficial one to the people of Osogbo and its environ because

during the span of the festival the economy of the state will be boosted every businessman

and woman in Osogbo land always gain profit as a result of this festival.

It should be noted that even though the culture is going down the drain due to the

presence of modernity and religion yet the celebration of the Osun Osogbo festival is not

retrogressing but progressing and this ways it is paving way for incoming generation to know

more about culture and tradition because it holds a lot of aesthetics in it which make it widely

significant.

However, the praise poetic part of this festival is very important because it carries a

lot of power in it that serve as an appeasement for the gods of Osogbo land and a form of

request for something more than they have had before.

1.6 Scope of Study.

This research work is on the Osun Osogbo festival and apparently it will limit itself to

bringing out it aesthetic of praise poetry in the festival according to the ways it is being

performed and rendered.

6
 CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW

Many European and American scholars like Ben- Arnos, Malinowski and Bascom.

Ben Arnos being the most notable has suggested that whatever systems of classification we

give to folklore of a people, it must be based on the systems traditionally recognized by the

people themselves which seems like a very good idea because the citizens of a community

are perhaps better than outsiders to determine into what aspect of their lives a particular song

or story fits. For instance, in grouping a song such as “Praise Poetry” when the people who

sing it would prefer to categorize it under “Funeral Poetry”.

As it is known that Oral literature is now one of the most commonly used term for

culture related studies in most Nigerian Universities, it is simply a study that exists as one

which is delivered by word of mouth, which has turned out to be a very useful concept for

scholars and students who are interested in culture and for them to be able to put it into

writing.

“Oral Literature may be defined as those utterances, whether spoken, recited or sung,

whose composition and performance exhibit to an appreciable degree the artistic

characteristics of accurate observation, vivid imagination and ingenious expression.”

(Nandwa and Bukenya 1983:1)

Oral literature has its origin from Europe in the 19th Century. It was part of the general

concern which European intellectuals showed for human culture and whereby the question of

their origin, characteristics, what step to be taken to teach the culture to those who show

interest in it comes up, the study of human culture is known as ethnology.

7
 The pioneer of this study was Charles Darwin (1809- 1882) whose great argument

had prominent influence on students culture such as his fellow Englishmen Edward Burnet

Tylor (1832- 1917) and James George Frazer (1854- 1941).

In Africa, poetry has a history dating back to pre-historical times with the creation of

hunting poetry, and panegyric and elegiac court poetry were developed extensively

throughout the history of the empires of the Nile, Niger and Volta river valleys.

This research focuses on poetry, particularly praise poetry. The praise poetry among

the Osogbo people has not gained much attention from scholars unlike the other forms of

Yoruba oral literature such as proverbs and divinatory chants.

The Osun Osogbo praise poetry which is evaluated and explored in this work using

functionalism provides insight into the status and the nature of African oral art as a literary

form with structures and functions that serve aesthetic purposes.

In African Oral Literature, there are different ways to presenting poetry. i.e there are

different types of poetry which include; funeral poetry, praise poetry, occupational poetry,

elegiac poetry (which can also be related to funeral poetry) and so on. The practice of poetic

composition and performance as a specialist art is not uncommon in Africa, poetry is by and

large differentiated from prose as it is being marked by greater specialism.

2.0 FORMS OF ORAL POETRY

EPIC: it is often time assumed to be the typical poetic form of non- literate people or

at least non- literate people at a certain stage, whereas this does not seem to be borne out by

African evidence, epic can be assume as a technically long narrative poem, it hardly seems to

occur in the Sub- Saharan Africa apart from forms like (written) Swahili utenzi which are

directly attributed to Arabic literary influence. Apparently, it is not a typical African form of

poetry and therefore it has little or no significance in Africa Oral Poetry.

8
 PANEGYRICS (Praise Poetry): this is a special kind of poetry which fall under

court poetry and it is one of the most developed and elaborate poetics genre of Africa, it

seems to go with a particular ethos, a stress on the royal or aristocratic power and admiration

of some past military achievement, this form of poetry is very popular among non-

centralized people and also the use of praise names is very universal and it can classified as

basis of formal praise poetry.

In West Africa, formal praises are addressed to supernatural beings, because for the

spirit to be invoked, its praise songs are chanted through one after the other until it takes

possession of one of its worshipper and this can be related to either the king or the Arugba in

the concept of this study. The Yoruba praise poems to deities are common in Nigeria and

Dahomey i.e Yorubas’ in Brazil are particularly famous because many Yoruba deities

(Oriisha) has series of praises expressed in figurative and obscure language sung by the

priests. Unlike uncommon the self praises created and performed by the deity through the

object and possession.

However, most Praise Poetry seems to adopt more or less obscure and allusive style,

the language may be archaic and lofty, they often make references to historical events or

people which may result to interpreting even to local listener because the figurative

expressions are not common. Not all Praise Poetry takes allusion in high esteem but in

general panegyrics allusion is exploit and imagery is constant to some certain degree than

other form of poetry in Africa.

Also, Panegyrics can be seen as more formalized and less variable than many other

types of oral literature unlike Self- praises and other informal and topical praise poems which

seems to be a marked by the tendency of state praise of both former and latter rulers which is

to be to be handed down in a more or less received version.

9
 Praise Poetry often plays an essential part in rites of passage, when an individual or

group of people moves from one status to another in the society, the transition is celebrated

by praises marking the new status or commemorating the old.

According to the Finnegham, “the social significance of praise poetry is clear, because

it can validate status by the content of the praise, by the number and quality of the performer

and by the public nature of the recitation”. Praise poetry stresses accepted values, for instance

the Hausa praise their ruler in term of descent and birth, the Zulu emphasize military exploits.

2.1 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

Unfortunately, Nigerian Oral Literature or verbal arts are still being studied among

conjecture theories i.e there is no specific theory to analyse studies in Oral literature, when

there is a need for analysis, theories used are imagined because there is no matching for any

form of verbal arts. This brought about the reason why scholars and researchers finds its hard

to analyse their work on Oral Arts.

According to some scholars, a search for Nigerian Oral literature must not only

emphasize general criteria assessment, the specific situations are very important to be

included. An approach such as suggested by Bensons and Hughes under the name

“Ethnomethodology”(1983) is simply too general but very fundamental.

Another Scholar Joseph Muleka, suggested the theory of “performer- centrism” where

oral artist is seen to be at the centre of every performance, the scholar argues that attempt to

understand an African Oral Performance which does not recognize the central role of the oral

artist or performer is only likely to yield a superficial results. However, there is another

approach which is considered as germane to the study of Nigerian Oral literature. This is

called “Oratural Eclecticism”.

10
 Oratural Eclecticism which can be defined as a form of orality, which involve itself in

taking from different sources, what seems to be suitable for one purpose, it is seen as

beginning of the literary tradition in all culture, because the experiences of people of the

community in the form of proverbs, rituals, songs, dance and so on could be the subject

matter of any performance or written works of literature, and therefore for the benefit of

proper analysis this approach is adopted because of its dynamicity and limitlessness.

According to Peter Barry’s definition of Narratology, he describes Narratology as a

study of how narratives makes meaning and what the basic mechanism and procedures are

which common to all acts of storytelling and as such Narratology is not the reading and

interpretation of individual stories, but the attempt to study the nature of story itself as a

concept and cultural practice.

In lieu to the above definition, this research work can adopt any of these theories for

proper and essential analysis which will make it easy for reader to relate with.

11
 CHAPTER THREE

3.0 BRIEF HISTORY ABOUT OSUN OSOGBO FESTIVAL.

Our mother Osun Sengese Oloya Ayun according to history is not an indigene of

Osogbo she hailed from Ijesha in Ilesha Osun State that is why she is popularly called Iya

Ijesha, she is known as a woman of virtue and also the only female among the deities the lord

has sent to earth to help mankind, she is also the head of female witches in this world because

of the power she possess. Osun River and shrine that we all know to be very popular among

the Osogbo people does not have its source from Osogbo, it has different branches in the state

of Osun and perhaps we have different people worshipping it in different part of the world.

It is widely believed by the people of Osogbo that Osun possesses mystical powers,

she is one of the many wives of Sango (once an Alaafin of Oyo), she was defied and is

greatly revered by her adherents as the goddess of fertility. It is believed that water from the

river especially after the rituals at the “Ojubo” has a curative power of making barren woman

fertile and curing invalids on this note this attribute earned her sobriquet of “Osun Osogbo

Olomoyoyo” Osun Osogbo the one with very many children.

According to research, in Osun State there are sixteen shrines of Osun in which all of

them are rivers, but due to modernity, religion and exit of the practicing family we have about

six to eight that is still being worshipped and adore. This festival according to the world is

been celebrated around August and it is been celebrated for about twelve days but according

to Osun priests and priestesses it commence about six month before August as there are

different sacrifices made before the festival and these sacrifices are important.

12
 In respect to the popular Islamic Festival called Eid- l- kabir there is an important

part of it that makes it possible which is looking for the moon, the same thing applies to Osun

Osogbo Festival before the commencement of the festival they must look for the river

goddess which called Wiwa Osun (looking for the Osun goddess) for about 16 days before

the festival begins, it is after it has been found that they will start festival with Iwopopo

where people will greet themselves, be happy and celebrate perhaps no important sacrifice is

made on this day it is mainly celebration and after four days the popular Ina

Olojumeerindinloogun(fourteen faced lamp) will be on and celebrated as part of their oath

with the goddess that will always take care of it as their own.

It should be noted that in the course of this festival there is a day set aside for eating

yam as the priests and priestesses together with the king are expected to be the one to open

the floor for the new yam before the sixteen faced lamp is lightened.

However, this festival is always headed by the king and the custodian of Osun it is on

this note that the present king has to pay homage to the past kings which is called Iboriade

Ritual. The most celebrated part of this festival that attracts masses is the day the calabash is

going to the river popularly known as Arugba.

The Arugba Osun must be a maiden lady in her teens from the present king family

and it must be chosen by the oracle which is part of the oath they made with the river goddess

Osun and it is noted that no one aside the people that prepare the calabash knows what it

contain but according to research it is noted that there is a fish given to the founder of Osogbo

town and they are ask to always bring it with them anytime they are coming for appreciation

and no one knows when this fish always go to the river and for sure it is not what the

calabash contains.

It is worthy to know that Arugba after being helped with the calabash on head is the

most powerful and at that moment she is with the calabash she is possessed by supernatural

13
power and as such she does not walk alone, also she does not pass through the route in which

normal people following she and the priestesses pass through another path to the river and

everyone will make supplications and ask for whatever they want from the goddess. On this

note we can say the Osun Osogbo has come to end for that year but not with the priests and

priestesses.

It is to be noted that in the course of this research, it is made clear that the spirit and

deities are not to be invoked in the afternoon but rather in the morning and evening due to

their powerfulness.

As it is been said above that there are sixteen shrines and river Osun State all together

but there about five existing ones which is been worshipped and celebrated aside Osun

Osogbo itself and the rivers namely goes thus;( Ajiigun, Busayyin, Ijunmu, Lakookan, Ibu

Aje and so on) and all of these rivers has a head priest that worship them but Osun Osogbo is

the most widely known by everybody therefore it is the head of rivers. but this research work

is planning to focus on three or four of these rivers bringing out the aesthetics and

significance of their praise poetry and their significance to the people of Osogbo land and its

environ.

14
 CHAPTER FOUR

4.0 INVOCATION AND ANALYSIS OF PRAISE POETRY IN OSUN OSOGBO

FESTIVAL

This research work that focus itself on particular aspect of Osun Osogbo festival

which is not always noticed by other scholars and researchers which is the praise poetry

aspect. This work out of the sixteen rivers in Osun State that made up Osun River and five

existing ones which is still being worshipped and praised is trying to focus on four which are

like the part that made Osun a river which are Busain, Ajiigun, lakookan and Osun River

itself.

It is very essential in this kind of work to begin with the Oshogbo panegyrics as its

history has been told in the former part of this work and its panegyrics goes thus; Osogbo

Ooriki Asala

Omo ari omi sa legbe legbe

Aree o pe ta

Aree pe taa won gba

Osun osogbo pele olomo yooyo

Osogbo ilu aro…

15
This is the panegyrics that reveals the identity of the Timiehin and Larooye’s conquest in

Osogbo, we can now hereby proceed by starting with the highest diety which is Osun

lakookan.

Osun Lakookan, this is the first diety to be seen and appeased before the Osun Goddess can

be approached, it is like a consort to Osun goddess, as we all know that before you can see

the God you have to go through processes for it to be successful, it is to be noted that Osun

Lakookan is a male which possesses some spiritual power that can make people fall for his

trap because during the festival procession or any healing session using this deity there is

always a transformation of him from being a deity to being human and as such anyone can

fall for his trap and as soon that happens there is no remedy to it, this can be noticed in the

below praise:

Lakookan oooo

Alaja dudu ona iwo

Abiamo mo ju be ni ko ba igbora lo

Iya mi abiamo ti re ti igbe…,

this excerpt explains more about Lakookan.

However, Osun Busain which is the second river this work is focusing and the first

river located by Olutimiehin and serve as a survival to both him and his clan who were the

founder of Osogbo town, this river is very wide and filled with every kind of solution to

problems faced by the people but the river feels the need to go broad but it was limited

because people are already situated at its place and the goddess feels she cannot use her hand

to destroy what she created so it flows to another end. This particular river and god can be

praised by saying:

Busain ooo

Busain ooo

16
 Iya wa peele ooo

Enikan e fi eru mo le

Enikan e fi alapa poo sun

Enikan e je esuru eleyo meyo

To ooo

Eewo Osun…

Which implies that no matter what anyone wants to do water is very essential and important

and therefore nobody can make enemy with water.

Moreso, Osun Ajiigun which is very powerful among the deities of Osun who happens to be

a male and more importantly an hunter though he is very weak at the same time strong that

even when he is been made sacrifice for he prefers Pounded yam and very good soup with it,

because he is a strong man at what he does, it present head is a female who is almost a man.

It is noted that Osun Ajiigun cannot be invoked in the sun or else certain sacrifice must be

made and it can also be praised such as:

Ore yeeye ooo

Ore yeeye ooo

Ajiigun ooo

Oro ko le gi

Oro koko gba oju ona

Ogba ona Ijesha lowo eleere

Efon aweri wo do

Baba mi odi owo re

Baba mi ko gbo do

17
According to this praise, it can be denote that this river is somewhere around Ijesha and it

explains that the man in question is a very powerful being that is capable of doing anything as

long as he is satisfied in term of sacrifice.

And the last of this research which is Osun Osogbo itself, is known to be powerful and

blissful which everyone know as the only existing water goddess which as it shrine at Isale

Osun where everyone gathers every year to worship, Osun Osogbo as we all know as mother

of all is a woman of substance and perhaps has a lot of praise poems and songs that is being

used to appease and glorify her on every occasion and one of it goes thus;

Ore yeeye ooo

Ore yeeye ooo

Ore yeeye mo ro ooo

Alo ru la do

Luule ooo

Omi ooo

Ota ooo

eri ooo

agba ooo

ore yeeye ooo

Another version of her praise is;

Ore yeeye oo

Ore yeeye oo

Iya ijesha

Iya wa agbe ni gbe re pade osun…

According to research, it is almost incomplete dealing with one deity without

involving others as we have plenty deities in the western part of the world part of which are

18
Egbe (oga ogo apo bi epe ile), osa la, oya, sango, ogun and so on. It is worthy of note that in

the shrine of Osun all of these shrines are present and worshipped and each of them has how

they are being praised. For instance osaa la whose praise poem goes thus;

E e pa orisa

Osa la osoro mo gan

Ala ba ri di

Okoko baba erin

Modi modi ti mori omo tun tun

Osa dakun dabo fi ye de nu…

All of these deities have different people that worshipped and it is not possible for someone

to worship two gods or more and each of them as a high priest or priestess who head every

sacrifice and knows how to worship them.

CHAPTER FIVE

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION

This research has done its part in bringing out the value of praise poetry in Osun

Osogbo festival, its aesthetics and significance.

The major concern of this work in relation to the excerpt and eulogies above have

shown that Praise poetry is an important aspect in entire Yoruba cultures and festival, it in a

way reveal the identity and past event of a particular family, individuals, warriors, deities and

so on.

For Instance in the above panegyrics in Chapter four of Osogbo which goes thus:

Osogbo Ooriki Asala

Omo ari omi sa legbe legbe

19
 Aree o pe ta

Aree pe taa won gba

Osun osogbo pele olomo yooyo

Osogbo ilu aro…

The above panegyrics explains the city of Osogbo as one which embraces strangers

and visitors, it also defines it as one that has water that surrounds and it also serve as survival

to the people as it is during the time of Laarooye the first. It also explains further the fact that

the river goddess is mother of plenty children because according to history she was known to

be a mother who embraces plenty children, this can be seen in the popular song of Osun

Osogbo which goes thus:

Osun Osogbo peele ooo

Peele ooo olomo yooyoo…

Furthermore, it can also be pinpoint in the popular praise song that says:

Iya wa Osun Sengese Oloyayun

Awede ko to we mo

Awede ti we ri omo tuntun…

All these are in one way or the other explaining the uniqueness, powerful, loving and caring

of how the river goddess is.

This is also applicable to all other co-ordinate that made Osun River their praise poetry

speaks a lot about them which gives more information who they were, their kind of

personality and so on.

The credibility of praise poetry in the life of every human being or thing is very

important such as it makes a total stranger relate with you on hearing what your praise poem

20
(panegyrics) looks like and it also important to note that praise poem serve as a reflection of

family, way of life, past history of our ancestors and so on.

In conclusion, all of this praise poetry are used to appease the gods and for humans it

is used to beg or persuade a person to do some things like our mothers in Yoruba homes.

WORK CITED

Finnegan, Ruth. Oral Literature in Africa. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1970.

Finnegan, Ruth. Oral Tradition and the Verbal Arts. London: Routledge, 1992.

George, Joseph. “African Literature” In Gordon and Gordon, Understanding Contemporary

Africa, 1996.

Olugunna, Deji. “Osogbo Cultural Heritage Council” Osun Osogbo Festival, 1986.

Okoh, Nkem. Preface to Oral Literature. Port Harcourt: Lamison Publishers, 2002.

21