The Ogun Olojo Festival
This festival is one of the most significant festivals in the history of Ile-Ife. It is so important that it is the only time that the sacred ARE CROWN comes out publicly. To fully understand the importance of the ARE crown, we have to go back in time to creation of Ile Ife by OLODUMARE. After Oduduwa and the other orisa had settled on the land, they made Oduduwa king, over them. Each Orisa was given responsibilities according to the powers they possessed and the first council of chiefs was formed. Ogun was mandated to make the crown for the king. Thus, The ARE was wroth, it was made with steel and iron and OSUN covered it with beads. The amount of materials that Ogun used in making the ARE is still unknown but legend has it at over one ton of steel and iron. The ARE crown is the MODEL crown for all Obas in Yoruba land up to the present day BENIN REPUBLIC and all the other lands to where the Yoruba kingdom spread. It is the most respected crown in the history of Yoruba and that is why it is called ARE ODUDUWA (the Crown of Oduduwa). This crown is the only one in existence and that is why the OONI who wears the crown is called AROLE OODUA (Descendant of Oduduwa).
The crown comes out once in a year during the Ogun Olojo Festival in commemoration of the role and importance of Ogun as the Orisa who led the way from Orun (heaven/place of creation) while OBATALA slept off after drinking palm wine, and also for Ogun making the ARE crown. The ARE is so powerful that when it comes out during the Ogun festival, the physical demeanor of the king becomes so different that he is not recognizable anymore and becomes an entirely different individual. The weight of the ARE can be visibly seen on the king as he makes his way to the Ogun Shrine from the palace to perform the sacrifice with the Ogun Chief Priest who will be waiting for him at the shrine. It is no coincidence therefore that the Ogun Shrine is in a straight horizontal line to the palace in a distance of not more than 3kilometers because no one can carry ARE for a longer distance without snapping the neck.
During the festival when the king comes out, the spiritual power of ARE draws rain, yet it must not be wet. It is the duty of OSOGUN (Ogun Chief Priest) to make sure no rain falls through sacrifices and offerings, or else he will be fined. If it rains on the day of festival, Ogun Priest will pay a fine to the king according to whatever he requires and if it doesn’t rain, it’s vice versa. Most times, it is king who pays fine.
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