If you watched the movie “Sango” as a child, you’d know some of the story, but I really want to tell you more. In secondary school, I had the opportunity to visit Osun State, and we had a tour. After hearing stories about Osun, the fertility goddess, I became even more curious about her.
You’re probably wondering who she is and where she came from, so let’s do some introduction.
Osun was the second wife of Sango (god of Thunder), after whom the state of Osun is named, and she holds a special place in Yoruba mythology.
You: Who is this Sango you mentioned as her husband?
Me: Sango? Let me tell you about him too
Oriire described him as “Sàngó, the god of thunder, who is believed to have been a great deity and a great man during his lifetime. He had three wives: Oba, Osun, and Oya. Among these three wives, Osun was Sango’s favorite.
Why? Osun was a great cook. She held Sango in her control with her cooking. That was the power she had over him.
This is a clear indication that men cannot do without food. Who did this to y’all?
If Osun was his favorite wife, why did Sango shout at her? Let me give you the tea. Oba, who was Sango’s first wife, was very jealous of Osun because of how much he loved her.
How can my man leave me and go to another? This must have been her thought.
Oba wanted to know everything that Osun did to make Sango love her more than the others because she wanted him all to herself.
Oba asked Osun what she did, and Osun, who was very cunning, deceived her by saying that the secret ingredient in her meal that made Sango love her was that she had cut off one of her ears to prepare a meal for him years ago. Hearing this, Oba was glad to know Osun’s secret and thought she would do the same.
She went ahead to prepare Sango’s favorite meal, “Amala,” and cut off her ear as part of the ingredients in the meal. While Sango was eating, he saw the ear and was very angry. He called Oba and asked her why she decided to poison him.
She wanted to explain, but he was not having it, so he called thunder down angrily and chased her away from the house. As she was running, she fell down and turned into a river, which is known as River Oba to this day. This river is located in Oyo State, Nigeria.
When Sango did his investigation and truly found out what Osun had done, he was angry too and called Osun while he was causing rain and thunder. Osun, scared for her life, ran away too and turned into River Osun to this day. This river is located in Osun State, Nigeria.
As for his last wife, Oya, there are rumors that she took her own life when Sango died. These myths are being told around the Yoruba lands in Nigeria to this day.
Sometimes, I even imagine the kind of conversation they would have had when this happened. What do you think Sango would have said when he found out it was his beloved wife’s fault?
If you enjoyed this, 50 claps from you will go a long way for me. It’s a sign of encouragement, and I’d really like that.
