Osun Osogbo grove: the divinisation of water and the contestation of its history

Sacredness is one of the distinctive phenomena of religion. It is about the divine existence of a thing set apart due to its supernatural abilities that can bring humanity closer to divinity. It is the core of existence and has transformative effect on people's lives and destinies. Osun Osogbo sacred grove houses over one hundred shrines and sculptures. The main objective of this study is to examine the divinisation of water, the contestation of its history, the religiousness behind the grove, and the interconnectivity between religion and water. The study reveals that the deification of Osun Osogbo water shows humans' thirst to commune with the supernatural in seeking solutions to problems beyond the natural realm. This study concludes that what links religion and water is the supernatural and that adherents believe that the supernatural can inhabit nature with the desire to have a dialogue with the human in yearly rituality.

Automated summary

This article discusses the phenomenon of sacredness in religion and the process of deifying water in the Osun Osogbo sacred grove. The study reveals the human desire to commune with the supernatural and seek solutions beyond the natural realm through religious rituals.