The True-Life Story of Oronsen; A Legendary African Queen By Dedeigbo Ayodeji Samson

The True-Life Story of Oronsen; A Legendary African Queen By Dedeigbo Ayodeji Samson

The book is an historical compendium of the history of Owo, headquarters of Owo Local government of Ondo State, Southwest Nigeria. The focus or emphasis centers on how the popular annual Igogo festival in Owo started and the mystical story surrounding the traditional rivalry usually led by the monarch, Olowo of Owo in the month of September.

The history and story of Oronsen is not in any way of different from the mysterious founding of many Yoruba towns, cities or legendary monarchs or queens. The story line is very similar to that of queens like Oya , Osun who reportedly bece a river at their own demise.

They were therefore deitified and worshipped till date, same manner Owo deitified and worshipped Oronsen every September during Igogo festival.

The book traced the history of Owo from ancient time until the reign of Olowo Renrengenjen, a brave warrior and hunter. The great monarch in one of his military and hunting expedition met in a forest a damsel, Oronsen. It was love at first sight. She had before then married other monarchs and divorced them because they could not keep her taboo and secrets. But she agreed to marry Olowo Renrengenjen on the agreement that he keep her secrets and observed certain taboos. One of Oronsen’s secrets that was impossible for any Human to keep her was that she used to defecate in her room in the palace.

The top most secret was that the farces were beads, expensive shits you will say. Her husband Olowo Renrengenjen sold the beads and became exceeding prosperous .

The other Oloris (Queens) were envious that a strange woman whose behavior made her to be in rank with lunatics (defecating inside the room) and the last wife ‘monopolized their husband. They managed to know the weird woman’s taboos and waited patiently unroll the day their husband went to battle front and they broke all the taboos.

Enraged Oronsen abandoned the palace for a forest where she became invisible. When Renrengenjen returned to meet an empty palace, he sent hunters to storm and search the forest for his dearest wife. The hunters were unable get her. The Olowo went himself.

Oronsen because of her love for Renrengenjen revealed herself but declined going back to the palace . Instead, she ordered Olowo to offer sacrifice to her in that forest every year. Olowo did. It became an annual event . Today Igogo festival in Owo ranked among the Osun Osogbo festival, Oke Ibadan festival etc in Yoruba land.