Oshun
/ˈoʊ.ʃuːn/noun
Oshun is a Yoruba orisha associated especially with rivers, freshwater, love, beauty, fertility, and prosperity.
Did you know?Oshun’s sacred grove at Osogbo, Nigeria, remains an active religious site and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005.
Etymological Timeline
Precolonial period
Yoruba
Ọ̀ṣun
“Name of a major Yoruba river and the orisha associated with it; the name’s deeper lexical origin is uncertain.”
Precolonial period
Yoruba
òrìṣà
“Divine spirit or deity; the religious category to which Ọ̀ṣun belongs.”
19th Century
Yoruba
Ọ̀ṣun
“Yoruba name recorded in developing Latin-based writing systems for the river deity and river.”
19th–20th Century
English
Oshun
“Anglicized spelling used in English-language writing about Yoruba religion and its Atlantic diaspora.”
20th Century
Spanish/Portuguese
Ochún/Oxum
“Diasporic forms of the name used in Cuban Santería and Brazilian Candomblé.”
Modern English
English
Oshun
“A widely used name for the Yoruba orisha of freshwater, sensuality, fertility, beauty, and abundance.”