In years past, before the advent of Christianity and Islam in Ijebu-Ode, various indigenous modes of religious worship or beliefs served the people spiritually. Most of these traditional beliefs and the roles they played in the society are vaguely understood today and have suffered pejorative labelling. Many are now referred to and looked down upon as “primitive”, “heathenism” or “paganism”. The traditional divinities worshipped and celebrated in Ijebu-Ode include Sere, Obelu, Imuni0si0Ona, Igbe, Irawo, Osu, Igbesu Osu, Erinna, Irole Oropo, Eibi, Ijasa, Oro, Agemo. Many of the above divinities are no longer worshipped but some e.g. Oro and Agemo have stood the test of time and are still worshipped annually. These divinities had specific times in the year when sacrifices were offered to them. This was their special ‘odun; hence there was an Odun Sere for Sere, Odun Osu for Osu and so on.

It is particularly significant to point out that all the divinities mentioned above centered around the Awujale, the King of Ijenuland. “Gbgobo odun lodun Oba”. The King is the chief celebrant of all festivals this giving irrefutable credence to the fact that the Awujale as the political head, is also the spiritual head of the land. The Awujale is thus regarded as sacred. And the Awujales that have joined their ancestors are deified to be praised, worshiped and appeased during the Odun Osu

The Odun Osu was celebrated usually in the month of December. Pictures of the past Awujales who have joined their ancestors are displayed, prayers are offered for a prosperous year, for the fertility of the farms, for the protection of the community from disease, for the happiness of the community and for the spirits of the dead. Pounded yam, Kolanuts and drinks are offered and dancing climax the rest of the Odun Osu festival. The root of our name M osu ro is “osu”. We have not been able to absolutely establish the link between the Osu festival and the osu in our name. There is no written record in  our family of the 19th century and beyond, This is to be expected. It was strictly an era of oral passage. We however do know from interviews with some of the aged in Ijebu-Ide and our family that we worshipped Osu and perhaps, featured more prominently in it than the other divinities worshiped up on to the late 19th century.

This leads us to conclude that if there is an association between Mosuro and Odun Osu, the most plausible explanation we can offer is that Mosuro perhaps referred to the priest or one of the officials charged with the annual conduct of the festival. “Eniyan ti o mu osu ro” (One who ensures the Odun osu holds). This may have been contracted for ease of call into the name Mosuro. This is but one explanation of the meaning of Mosuro.

ANOTHER VERSION

In years past, before the advent of Christianity and Islam in Ijebu-Ode, various indigenous modes of religious worship or beliefs served the people spiritually. Most of these traditional beliefs and the roles they played in the society are vaguely understood today and have suffered pejorative labelling. Many are now referred to and looked down upon as “primitive”, “heathenism” or “paganism”. The traditional divinities worshipped and celebrated in Ijebu-Ode include Sere, Obelu, Imuni0si0Ona, Igbe, Irawo, Osu, Igbesu Osu, Erinna, Irole Oropo, Eibi, Ijasa,

Oro, Agemo. Many of the above divinities are no longer worshipped but some e.g. Oro and Agemo have stood the test of time and are still worshipped annually. These divinities had specific times in the year when sacrifices were offered to them. This was their special ‘odun; hence there was an Odun Sere for Sere, Odun Osu for Osu and so on. It is particularly significant to point out that all the divinities mentioned above centered around the Awujale, the King of Ijenuland. “Gbgobo odun lodun Oba”. The King is the chief celebrant of all festivals this giving irrefutable credence to the fact that the Awujale as the political head, is also the spiritual head of the land. The Awujale is thus regarded as sacred. And the Awujales that have joined their ancestors are deified to be praised, worshiped and appeased during the Odun Osu.

The Odun Osu was celebrated usually in the month of December. Pictures of the past Awujales who have joined their ancestors are displayed, prayers are offered for a prosperous year, for the fertility of the farms, for the protection of the community from disease, for the happiness of the community and for the spirits of the dead. Pounded yam, Kolanuts and drinks are offered and dancing climax the rest of the Odun Osu festival.

The root of our name M osu ro is “osu”. We have not been able to absolutely establish the link between the Osu festival and the osu in our name. There is no written record in  our family of the 19th century and beyond, This is to be expected. It was strictly an era of oral passage. We however do know from interviews with some of the aged in Ijebu-Ide and our family that we worshipped Osu and perhaps, featured more prominently in it than the other divinities worshiped up on to the late 19th century.

This leads us to conclude that if there is an association between Mosuro and Odun Osu, the most plausible explanation we can offer is that Mosuro perhaps referred to the priest or one of the officials charged with the annual conduct of the festival. “Eniyan ti o mu osu ro” (One who ensures the Odun osu holds). This may have been contracted for ease of call into the name Mosuro. This is but one explanation of the meaning of Mosuro.