Over different ancient culture all over the world, a particular deity was put in charge of Love, but not in most of the cases, a goddess. For instance , in this world of ours, there are love goddess which are in Roman and Greek and are named Venus and Aphrodite respectively, Ishtar and Astarte in ancient near east, now in West Africa, Oshun which is been believe by the Yoruba as a love goddess
The southern region of Benin and the south-western region of Nigeria is been occupied by Yoruba people. Those practing Yoruba tradition believe there are 401 gods ( which Yoruba call orisha) which are looking over the human life. There are other duty perform by goddess Oshun which is the goddess of sweet water and the protector of the Oshun river in Nigeria. There is a sacred groove dedicated for oshun along the river side.
the sacred groove is located at the border of oshogbo town, in western Nigeria. There are about 40 shrines and 2 palace in this sacred groove and lot of sculptures, also works of arts. The sacred groove was engraved in 2015 as UNESCO world heritage list.
In a story popularly known, that some villages in a neighboring town was searching for water which make them live along the river beside oshogbo without having the idea that the land below to oshun. There is a day they were preparing for planting season and fell down trees in the area. Unluckily for them, a tree fell into the river and a voice was heard
"You have destroyed my dyeing pots."
This voice make the villagers to start fearing and look for ways to appease the goddess which was a success for them and they were advice my Oshun to the upper region of the river because there is no relationship between humans and spirit so they can't be living together. The people did not disobey the word, so the formal settlement was named osun-shogbo sacred groove.
Oshun is been respected as a kind-hearted deity and been regarded as a guardian to the poor and orphan's mother. Their needs in life is been supply by goddess Oshun. Oshun is also known as a teacher who enlighten villagers on culture and agriculture, healer of the sick, she also enlighten them on art of divination by making use of cowrie shells, chant and medication, songs which her father obatala taught her.
Oshun is been pictured in art as many of her twin in other culture. She is seen as a beautiful and a charming young woman and decorated with lot of ornaments which include jewelry of gold, beads and so on and according to facts, it was stated that Oshun have lot of attraction to things that glitters. She is also pictured as a mermaid which possess a fish tail, maybe if was a suggestion to her status as the sweet water goddess
As at the time of Africa diaspora, Oshun was adopted by the American into pantheons which came out of the African tradition belief system. Oshun is still greatly respected in Nigeria annually during the ceremony call Ibo-osun.
