Opa Osanyin Philosophy, Mysticism and Magic

  Abstract An inspirational foundation in Opa Ọsanyin Philosophy and Mysticism, my development of ideas about cosmology, nature, in general, and human nature, in particular, through the symbolism of opa ọsanyin, a staff constituted by birds organized in relation to a central bird, representing Ọsanyin, the Yoruba origin Òrìsà cosmology deity of the biological and spiritual power of plants and the orientation of these ideas towards the theory and practice of the quest for intimate knowledge of ultimate reality. In developing these ideas I correlate the associative values of opa ọsanyin with similar imagery of birds on a staff in Yoruba visual symbolism, specifically, the osùn babaláwo, the staff of the babalawo, adept in the esoteric knowledge of the Ifa system of knowledge, and opa erinlẹ, the staff representing Erinlẹ, the deity of the forest and the powers of nature in general. The composition of this piece was inspired by the collage below, made by myself through combin...

  Abstract This essay is a brief examination of the interpretive contexts, embracing Yorùbá verbal and visual art, philosophy and spirituality, that converge in the construction and associative power of Ọpa Ọsanyin, a metal structure made up of a pole with birds clustered round it and a bird surmounting the pole or of only a single bird on top of the pole, a dramatization of the beauty of nature and its evocative force representing Ọsanyin , the Yorùbá origin Òrìsà cosmology deity of the spiritual and biological power of plants. Continued from Part 1 . Image Above Perched on a pole marked by raffia grass, the elegant bird looks out over the landscape of possibility represented by the staff of which it is the summit. Grass and its vegetative associations in relation to nature in general. The pole, upright like a tree on which a bird is perched. A tree reaching deep into Earth and towards the sky. Its branches, the possibilities of existence. Its roots, the source, its crown, the...

  Abstract A brief examination of Ọpa Ọsanyin, a great but understudied Yorùbá sculptural form, using one example of the art, exploring its imaginative conception, technical genius and associative range beyond the universe of Yorùbá culture. The essay is enriched by images of an example of Ọpa Ọsanyin and of various kinds of birds, amplifying the ideas expressed in the text. Imaginative Conception and Expressive Skill Image Above Ọpa Ọsanyin image from Pinterest , one of the best online sources for this sculptural form. A conclave of voices, raised in adoration of the Supreme, is an idea suggested to me by this sculpture. The classical Yorùbá art form Ọpa Ọsanyin is an animal centred art, a metal structure made up of a pole with birds clustered round it and a bird surmounting the pole or of only the single bird on top of the pole. Ọpa Ọsanyin evokes birds in terms of the finest attributes, qualities suggested through the associative character of design and quality of sculpt...