Some foreign devotees who attended the recently concluded Osun-Osogbo festival have expressed their belief in the sanctity of the Osun deity, stating that the annual fiesta provides an opportunity for worship through the sacred grove.
The tourists, who spoke with REPORTERS AT LARGE on the sidelines of the festival’s grand finale in Osogbo, said the event brought them joy and a sense of belonging in worshipping the Osun goddess.
A Brazilian, Mrs Regina Alberto, said she was in Osun specifically for the Osun-Osogbo festival as a devotee of the Yoruba Orisa worship.
Alberto is a member of Oduduwa Worldwide Group, a diaspora socio-cultural organisation committed to promoting Yoruba culture, tradition, and worship.
During Friday’s grand finale, the group sighted no fewer than 50 members at the sacred grove.
Alberto, who said this was her second outing at the festival, however, mentioned that her group had been attending the festival since 2011.
“I am from Brazil. I am with Odudua Brazil, which is part of Odudua Worldwide Group.
“This is my second year of coming to the festival, but my group has been coming since 2011.
“The Osun-Osogbo festival is essential to us because in Brazil we praise Orisa deity and being here and seeing everyone praying and worshipping, just like we try to do, is so emotional.
“The energy is so powerful, it is really hard not to cry,” she said.
Alberto said that the understanding of her group that the source and worship point of the Osun goddess was located at the Osun-Osogbo Grove spurred their interest in the festival.
She said the festival gave joy to members of the visiting devotees in being in the company of indigenous devotees and others from around the world to celebrate the Osun goddess.
Also speaking with NAN, a German, Johnnnes Wollbold, said he was in Osun to study Yoruba culture and take part in the Osun-Osogbo festival.
Wollbold said the study would give him a comprehensive report on the lives and nature of the Osogbo people.
Wollbold, who said he came from Weimar, Germany, stated that he was working in partnership with the Jungle Communication Centre (JCC) to study African philosophy in relation to Yoruba culture.
He said he had been to Nigeria three times in the 90s but took part in the Osun-Osogbo festival in 1995.
“I am here to study Yoruba /West African culture, the music, drumming, dancing and African philosophy.
“The Yoruba culture is not individualistic. Often, the Yoruba celebrate together, and the Osun festival serves as a unifying force, bringing people together.
“The festival allowed me to understand how the Yoruba people mix, their contact with nature and the harmony between nature and humans, and not forgetting their roots.
“The Osun festival is the joy of life. I see people in their everyday life, joyful and I love the celebration.
”I like the Yoruba people. They are friendly. They are not individualistic. As a German-European, I will, however, like them to stay peaceful.
“There is a senseless war in Europe between Russia and Ukraine, which is crazy, so I will advise Nigerians to learn to settle their differences and stay peaceful,” he said.
