Ogun, Lord of the Forest

"In Duro Ladipo’s play, Oba Moro, there is a scene when the Ghost emissaries are captured by Oluode (the Hunter) in the forest of Ajaka. He tells them that they have been captured by Ogun. In Oluode’s reference to Ogun as the one who captured the Ghosts, he metaphorically refers to himself as a vessel of the divinity in catching the ghosts by making it known that he had used Ogun’s charms which have the power to capture creatures of the sky, the earth, the 142 trees and the grass. As a devotee of Ogun, Oluode’s charms, his association with the ijala chant (the Yoruba poetic genre dedicated to Ogun by the Yoruba hunters) and his use of the machete as a paraphernalia and emblem of Ogun’s power for instance, enhance his metaphysical aspect and make him able to imitate the attributes of orisa Ogun as the lord of the forest. [1]

The forest represents raw power. Those who venture into the mysteries of the forest are immediately confronted by the realities of life and death. It serves as a perfect metaphor for spiritual development. Beyond the neat appearance of your conscious, rational mind, there is a vast expanse of wilderness, called the soul. It is the source of raw spiritual power that manifests through things like dreams, spirit possession and rites of passage. In the days of old, some people did not survive initiation. They entered into the sacred forest and were consumed by some force, unseen but definitely felt and experienced. As you delve deeper into the realm of spiritual development, may the spirit of Ogun empower you to grow and progress. Ogun ye! Mo ye! Live the medicine."

Obafemi Origunwa, MA | www.OrisaLifestyle.com

[1] Oluseyi, Ogunbiyi. The Origin of Duro Ladipo's Theater