Description
Oshun is a revered Yoruba goddess associated with love, beauty, fertility, and rivers. She embodies grace, sensuality, and nurturing qualities, often depicted as a protector of humanity and a mediator among the Orishas. Oshun is connected to the Osun River in Nigeria, where her sacred grove is located. Her symbols include mirrors, peacock feathers, and honey, representing beauty, allure, and sweetness. She is celebrated for her ability to bring life and prosperity, as well as her role in maintaining spiritual balance.
Place of Origin: Yoruba regions of Nigeria and Benin
Origin Date: Circa 1000 CE, prominent in Yoruba mythology
Religion: Yoruba mythology.
Attributes: Healing powers, Fertility and abundance
Domain: Love, Beauty, Rivers
Symbols: Mirrors, Peacock Feathers, Honey
Epithets: Mother of Sweet Waters, Protector of Humanity
Equivalents: Greek: Aphrodite, Roman: Venus
Iconography: Depicted as a radiant figure adorned with gold and peacock feathers, often near flowing waters.
Worship Beliefs and Practices
Oshun is honored at the Osun-Osogbo Festival, held annually in August at her sacred grove. Rituals include offerings of honey, gold, and confections, as well as dances and prayers by devotees.
Relations: Yemoja (mother), Shango (spouse in some myths)
Narratives
Creation Myth: Oshun brings life to Earth with her waters, ensuring humanity's survival.
Source: Jeffries, B. S. (2021). Oshun: Yoruba Goddess of Love and Fertility. Britannica.
Sacred Texts & Oral Traditions
Sacred Texts
Yoruba deities do not originate from written scripture. Their stories, attributes, and lineages were preserved through memory, ritual practice, and spoken transmission rather than through canonical texts.
Oral Traditions
Odu and Oríkì (Yoruba Oral Foundations)
The identities of Yoruba deities are preserved through two core forms of oral tradition:
Odu Ifá — the divination corpus containing verses, teachings, and cosmological narratives associated with each deity.
Oríkì — praise poetry that carries their names, attributes, lineages, and cultural significance.
Together, these oral sources form the authoritative foundation for understanding Yoruba deities and their roles within the tradition.
Modern Resources
In modern times, aspects of Yoruba oral tradition have been written down, recorded, and studied by practitioners, scholars, and cultural historians. Contemporary resources include transcriptions of Odu Ifá verses, collections of Oríkì, ethnographic studies, practitioner‑authored works, and digital materials such as articles, videos, and podcasts. These sources help preserve and interpret Yoruba teachings for a wider audience while acknowledging their origins in an oral, living tradition.