Osun Seegesi: The Elegant Deity of Wealth, Power, and Femininity Paperback – January 1, 1995

Interesting read. Worth the time to read it. Content is clearly well researched.

In this book, Diedre Badejo presents a thorough and engaging overview of Òsun, the Yoruba goddess of wealth, power, and femininity. Chapters include a translation of the chants about Òsun; an overview of Yoruba cosmology and Òsun's role in it; a description of the Òsun festival; and a discussion of gender, power, and African feminist theory. Òsun is a particularly fascinating goddess and exemplar of feminine power in the Yoruba religion: in the Yoruba cosmological myth, sixteen male gods left out Òsun when they were creating the world, but she surreptitiously foiled their plans. Only when they apologized and made amends could they begin their work, together (73). I also liked seeing the translations of the chants, particularly the line that calls Òsun the goddess who recognizes that "people are more important than wealth" (23).If you have a particular interest in Yoruba religion or Òsun, this is a solid treatment that will provide good material. But if you are looking for an introduction to Yoruba religion in general, I would suggest Jacob Olúpònà, "City of 201 Gods"  City of 201 Gods: Ilé-Ifè in Time, Space, and the Imagination . The methodology in Olúpònà is more advanced, and the writing is more dense, but what you get for that is a stronger covering of religious studies and gender issues in particular. Here is my review of that book: http://www.amazon.com/review/RADFOTH52MF7Z/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm.