HISTORY OF OWO IGOGO FESTIVAL
When Olowo Ojugbelu was leaving Ife, he carried with him some of the custom and traditions of the city including some of the 401 festivals like those connected with harvesting of yams and with the commemoration of the birth and death of heroes. The notable festival observed and performed in Owo was ORE festival among others. However, IGOGO festival came to take preeminence and became the most important festival superseding other festivals due to its relevance and importance.
Igogo Festival started during the reign of Olowo Rengenjen at about 1340 AD. Thus, Igogo Festival started Two hundred and twenty - one years after Owo itself came into existence. This goes to buttress the fact that Igogo was not among the early festivals in Owo. Uwa also known as Oronsen, the distinguished character in this epic history was a daughter of Olofin from Ute, a beautiful and charming woman, adorned with enormous beauty and spiritual prowess. She was an extra-ordinary woman. She had large breast but had no virgina. She was said to have been the wife of another extra-ordinary being from Emure-Ile known as URU. They did not marry each other but they were called husband and wife because of their uniqueness, they had similar character, powers and for the fact that they were almost born at the same time and loved each other.
In her escapades, she visited the Oba of Benin and told him that she will stool and urinate on his throne, he sent her away oblivious of what she was made of. She went to Elekole who also sent her away. When she got to Ewi of Ado, he accepted her and each time she defecates and urinates, she passes out beads. These beads were so many that Ewi had to adorn his dog with some. She later left for Owo and met Olowo, Olowo accepted her and she performs her usual role by defecating beads. These beads made Olowo rich that he begin to give some to his chiefs, great people in the city and his friends.
Being an imposing lady whose beauty was really adorned, the king decided to add her to his harem of wives, with persuasion and royal tactics, Olowo successfully became the husband of Oronsen. Before accepting his offer, she revealed her three taboos, which the Oba must keep and asked if he could keep it. The Oba answered in affirmation and vowed not to violate it. First, a head load of firewood was not to be thrown down in her presence; secondly, water was not to be splashed on the ground before her and thirdly, she should neither hear the sound of okro being grounded on a grinding stone nor should same be done in her presence.
In keeping with this therefore, the Olowo assigned her special quarter and a maid who would see to her welfare. Within a short time, Oronsen, charming appearance captured the husband's heart while the other wives became madly jealous. Olowo had many wives before marrying Oronsen but his love for her and his actions towards her was second to none. This preferential treatment set off a spate of excited jealousy hence the inordinate ambition of the king's wives to deal decisively with Oronsen grew daily.
Consequently, Yeyesa, the senior wife of Olowo convened a meeting of all the Oloris (Wives of the Oba) with the exception of Oronsen since the said meeting was to find means to put an end to her existence. Having failed in their various attempts, a new approach was painstakingly devised. The Oba was lavishly entertained by the Oloris and got drunk. Searching questions about Oronsen was put to him and he conveniently and thoroughly recalled the taboos of Oronsen without realizing the danger inherent. As usual, Olowo had left the palace on his warring expeditions. The Oloris gathered at the open place and Oronsen was sent for and being completely oblivious of the hitherto evil machinations of her colleagues. No sooner had she got to them that one of the women carrying a bundle of wood threw it down before her, the second split water on the ground in front of her while the third woman was busy grinding okro on a stone nearby. The die was cast, Oronsen's taboos had been broken, Oronsen had no alternative but to leave the palace and head to an unknown destination.
She immediately fled the palace and did not stop until reaching Olisagho's house where she beat the wall of the house to bid goodbye to its owner. While doing this her ring slipped off her finger and fell on the ground without noticing it. She later resume her flight, dropping a hairpin (eka in Owo dialect) at Igbo-Ogwata and therefore, she stopped to rest, it was also said that when she got to Arigidi that she placed a curse on Owo that if they failed to worship her yearly they will never give birth to male children. Obata Apeyeje and Obajo were farmers at Agbado while Alaja also farm at Ulaja, Alaja was the first to sight Oronsen and was surprised to see her. His quest to hold her ended up having her head tie and she said the place shall called Ulaja (ulu-oja). Obata Apeyeje met Obajo and both pursed her, she stopped and gave two "Iko Odide" (parrot's feather) to Obajo and said he will be the person to see her and also worship her. Olowo Rengenjen returned from battle only to find out that his lovely wife had fled. It was discovered that it was her taboos that was broken and the king made an enquiry to know who led the plot. It was revealed that Yeyesa, the senior wife and the daughter of Adanigbo from Iloro were the chief architects of the plot. Olowo now on the Iloros to find his wife. The Isegbemeso, a group of eighty-one were asked to go and find her. As they proceed they kept singing "Awa yeye" meaning we are many and later became "Ayoyo". After rigorious search, they caught up with the queen at Igbo Oluwa but since it was forbidden for anyone to touch an Olowo's wife, all they could do was to plead with her to return to the palace. In reacting to their request to come back to the palace, she demanded of the Olowo, as a condition the head of Yeyesa, the senior wife, the condition could not be fulfilled due to the position Yeyesa occupied.
However, another head was sent to her but she got infuriated at the mere sight of the substitute provided, in anger and utter disappointment, she demanded a similar sacrifice annually if Owo was to have peace and plenty, there and then, Oronsen disappeared into thin air and that was the last time she was seen face to face by any being.
This tragedy took place in the season of annual yam festival, which hitherto, used to be a period of pomp and pageantry, featuring among other things, drumming and dancing, olowo was in state of mourning during which he banned the beating of drums in the town. A festival was built around the annual sacrifice demanded by Oronsen and superimposed on the yam festival, logically, therefore, beating of drum during yam festival became a thing of the past. Instead of drums, metal gongs (agogo or igogo) in Owo dialect were used during the festival hence the festival came to be known as IGOGO FESTIVAL.
Igogo festival lasts seventeen (17) days, this period witnesses the performance of series of traditional rites. The ceremony is declared opened by banning drumming, weeping and firing of dane guns throughout the period. The first day, the chiefs goes to Upele which starts with "Ulabi" three times for five days at "Ogwagbe" market and on the third day the Ugbamas wears a pair of trousers, a white washed calabash as head gear, a long cane in hand while the Ighares holds gongs and horns of animal to provide music. They dance from Arigidi, halts at the market to pay homage then proceed to the Oba's palace to announce the beginning of the festival. This period is also meant for them to clear the footpath leading to Ilaja bush. The long canes carried by the Iloro young men are now used to flog anybody who comes into contact with them wearing a cap or head tie. The Ugbamas covered their hands with calabash head gears, no other person must do so. They visit Ugbo Ulaja for five (5) days and on the fifth day, they come to Ugbate, the women who sells meat would come to the evening market wearing white dresses to receive Oronsen in the market, prayers would be offered by the women to goddess Oronsen to provide barren women with children and for peaceful co-existence in the Oba's domain.
The Ugbamas proceeds to the Ugbo Ulaja to observe a night vigil there while the Ighares awaits them. Arriving the following day, the Ugbamas collects the gongs and horns of animals with which they celebrate Igogo. On the 13th day, Owo chiefs and Ojomo would dance round the town to pray for peace prosperity, it was also an opportunity for the chiefs and town people to sing proverbial songs against one another to the amazement of the spectators. This is one of the beauty of the festival, anybody who was caught in an immoral act or who misbehaves in the society is used in singing irrespective of his or her position or status in the town. All the chiefs including the Iloro chiefs would gather at the palace to dance before the Olowo and pray for him. The Olowo in return would present kolanuts to the chiefs. The Igborokos, Ehinogbes, Ugbamas and Ighares will visits the king. The Igbamas will present 200 rats while Ighares will presents 200 fishes, they will go in a procession from chief Oshogbon's house to the Oba's palace
great and well written. a new understanding of the people.
ReplyDelete@valeria Thanks
ReplyDeleteNow I know why Owo my home town respect Igogo festival
ReplyDeleteIgho a gbe wa o