Susan Wenger’s House
The late Adunni Olorisa whose untainted devotion to the Osun goddess, Susan Wenger died two years ago. She left her house in charge of one of her children. Taiwo Abiodun who visited the residence recently in Osogbo writes
The entrance to the two storey building painted in white is designed with wall murals. Animate and inanimate objects of different artworks are crafted on them. The beautiful green flowers that covered part of the building give it a shade, thus making the environment cool.
As one sashays into the expansive building one is confronted with animals of different species starring at the visitor as he enters. But there is only one thing; they are harmless and are motionless as they are only made of wood carvings, and paintings of all kinds. The staircase, tables, and chairs are all made of artworks; some made of iron, steel, stone, wood and oil paintings .The walls are also adorned with artworks. Not only this, in the corner of the living room, is a place meant for consulting the gods. Whoever comes to the living room will go to the corner where some ritual objects and clay pots are placed, to pay obeisance to the gods. Two women who came in knelt down, bowed and gently hit their foreheads on the ground three times and then uttered some incantations.
Welcome to Susan Wenger’s house at Ibokun Road, Osogbo, Osun State. The place is being manned by one of her adopted children, Mrs.Doyin Faniyi.
Welcome to the house of Adunni Olorisa, the Yeye Osun of Osogbo. Susan Wenger lived all her life studying Yoruba culture and arts, declared Faniyi , an art historian, chief priestess and a devotee of Osun Osogbo goddess.
She declared. “I am a complete traditional worshipper. I don’t go to church and I don’t care whatever anybody says about my religion and I have no apology for this,” she said, fiddling with the pendulum-like beads on her neck. She said each of the beads is a symbol. She noted; “The beads you are seeing are not ordinary beads; we have the one that represents my chieftaincy title, another represents another title while I also have a whisker as a traditional chief. All these are my accessories and paraphernalia of the positions I hold. There are taboos that are attached to all these and they must not be broken.”
The woman who has a first and Master’s degree in Yoruba and African Studies from the universities of Ilorin and Ibadan respectively said she remembered Yeye Osun always. She spoke about her relationship with the late cultural icon; “I am one of the children of Mama Aduni. I was here from birth and I grew up with her as my mother. She was a wonderful mother and I have continued from where she stopped. I can never forger her roles in my life”.
Asked whether she felt inferior or discriminated against because of Wenger’s white skin, the woman laughed and said it never crossed her mind whether the late Wenger was black or white as she never behaved as such. “She had already become a Yoruba woman so the thought never came to her at all,” she added.
According to her, she became a Chief Priest some years ago, consulting the gods and acting as a diviner, who helps people to solve their problems, and performing rituals as well as offering sacrifices when necessary. “I am a traditionalist to the core. I also act as a consultant to those who come here for research. I paint, and as well do textile design for exhibitions. While Iya Aduni Olorisa was alive, I travelled with her to many places like the United States of America, Great Britain, and Austria for exhibitions,” she exhaled.
On the last days of Yeye Osun, she said; “Oh, it was wonderful and nobody expected it. Though she was sick, she was getting better until she just died. She did not die in the house but in the hospital. It is a pity we could not do anything as the reality dawned on us at last. We will always be remembering her for many things, for her maternal care and devotion. Mama was a wonderful, great model. When you get to the groove, you will see the monumental sculpturing on the walls and many other works she did there. She wrote books on textile designs”.
However, what still surprised many is the fact that the house Susan Wenger had occupied since the 50s does not belong to her. She rented it. According to Braimoh, “The house belonged to my late father and Susan Wenger rented it when she came to Osogbo. They have just paid for another 10 years for the house rent and they have not told us whether they will acquire it or not”. The question on many minds is whether the state government will acquire the house and turn it into a monument of attraction in areas of cultural research.
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The late Adunni Olorisa whose untainted devotion to the Osun goddess, Susan Wenger died two years ago. She left her house in charge of one of her children. Taiwo Abiodun who visited the residence recently in Osogbo writes
The entrance to the two storey building painted in white is designed with wall murals. Animate and inanimate objects of different artworks are crafted on them. The beautiful green flowers that covered part of the building give it a shade, thus making the environment cool.
As one sashays into the expansive building one is confronted with animals of different species starring at the visitor as he enters. But there is only one thing; they are harmless and are motionless as they are only made of wood carvings, and paintings of all kinds. The staircase, tables, and chairs are all made of artworks; some made of iron, steel, stone, wood and oil paintings .The walls are also adorned with artworks. Not only this, in the corner of the living room, is a place meant for consulting the gods. Whoever comes to the living room will go to the corner where some ritual objects and clay pots are placed, to pay obeisance to the gods. Two women who came in knelt down, bowed and gently hit their foreheads on the ground three times and then uttered some incantations.
Welcome to Susan Wenger’s house at Ibokun Road, Osogbo, Osun State. The place is being manned by one of her adopted children, Mrs.Doyin Faniyi.
Welcome to the house of Adunni Olorisa, the Yeye Osun of Osogbo. Susan Wenger lived all her life studying Yoruba culture and arts, declared Faniyi , an art historian, chief priestess and a devotee of Osun Osogbo goddess.
She declared. “I am a complete traditional worshipper. I don’t go to church and I don’t care whatever anybody says about my religion and I have no apology for this,” she said, fiddling with the pendulum-like beads on her neck. She said each of the beads is a symbol. She noted; “The beads you are seeing are not ordinary beads; we have the one that represents my chieftaincy title, another represents another title while I also have a whisker as a traditional chief. All these are my accessories and paraphernalia of the positions I hold. There are taboos that are attached to all these and they must not be broken.”
The woman who has a first and Master’s degree in Yoruba and African Studies from the universities of Ilorin and Ibadan respectively said she remembered Yeye Osun always. She spoke about her relationship with the late cultural icon; “I am one of the children of Mama Aduni. I was here from birth and I grew up with her as my mother. She was a wonderful mother and I have continued from where she stopped. I can never forger her roles in my life”.
Asked whether she felt inferior or discriminated against because of Wenger’s white skin, the woman laughed and said it never crossed her mind whether the late Wenger was black or white as she never behaved as such. “She had already become a Yoruba woman so the thought never came to her at all,” she added.
According to her, she became a Chief Priest some years ago, consulting the gods and acting as a diviner, who helps people to solve their problems, and performing rituals as well as offering sacrifices when necessary. “I am a traditionalist to the core. I also act as a consultant to those who come here for research. I paint, and as well do textile design for exhibitions. While Iya Aduni Olorisa was alive, I travelled with her to many places like the United States of America, Great Britain, and Austria for exhibitions,” she exhaled.
On the last days of Yeye Osun, she said; “Oh, it was wonderful and nobody expected it. Though she was sick, she was getting better until she just died. She did not die in the house but in the hospital. It is a pity we could not do anything as the reality dawned on us at last. We will always be remembering her for many things, for her maternal care and devotion. Mama was a wonderful, great model. When you get to the groove, you will see the monumental sculpturing on the walls and many other works she did there. She wrote books on textile designs”.
However, what still surprised many is the fact that the house Susan Wenger had occupied since the 50s does not belong to her. She rented it. According to Braimoh, “The house belonged to my late father and Susan Wenger rented it when she came to Osogbo. They have just paid for another 10 years for the house rent and they have not told us whether they will acquire it or not”. The question on many minds is whether the state government will acquire the house and turn it into a monument of attraction in areas of cultural research.
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