Shao Awon and Mysterious Story Behind its Mass Wedding

Ladies are simultaneously given to their heartthrobs en masse. Aesthetically, Shao Awonga has always been a lively fanfare event, as it combines festivity with celebrations and felicitations.

Alabidun Shuaib Abdulrahman

Shao town is located in Kwara State North Central Nigeria, it stands out as a classical tourist Center, owning to the popular Awon Mass Wedding celebrated every October in the town. A time where lost friends and family members get to meet again.
Simply put, it is a time for reconnection where the cultural heritage of the ancient town of Shao is being shown to the global world.
Little is said or known about the historical background of why it is being celebrated, which thus according to Oke (1996) in his research narrated that Omo Larele; (the son of Larele) was a hunter and each time he went hunting, would call at a small stream to drink water.
On one of such occasions, he was met by a strange fairy woman with only one breast. Tradition claims that the woman emerged mysteriously to Omo Larele and she claimed ownership of the water from which he had been drinking however, she did not show any resentment to his encroachment, but instead, she requested to be led to Oba Olanibo, the first Ohoro of Shao.

The myth has it that the woman spent about eighteen days with the people of Shao, and left after holding a closed-door meeting with the Ohoro and his chiefs.
She was said to have been seen off by the Ohoro and his son in the company of other chiefs, in appreciation of the time well spent with them, and on her way, she chose a path and ordered. the Baruba hunter among them to cut the bush and make a path through which they walked.
On reaching a spot, she halted and disclosed her name as Awon. This was when she was bidding farewell to the Ohoro and his chiefs. However, in her farewell address, Awon disclosed to the Ohoro and his chiefs that they would no longer see her, but she will hand over a charm to them to enable them to establish a strong settlement and When this is realized, they should rename the settlement after her as Shao-Awon.
She was said to have urged the people that a day be set aside yearly to commemorate her presence and to ensure that all marriageable girls are given in marriage on that day.
The mysterious woman pledged that she would always bless the people with children if her injunctions were followed faithfully. She also pledged to bless all the descendants of Shao along with the strangers amidst them if only they put their request to her any time especially during the celebration of the annual mass wedding festival.
Problems like unsuccessful life, barrenness, among others can be channeled to Awon through her priest for a solution.
But that can be done when the person concerned put absolute trust in Awon, immediately after her speech, Awon fell down and vanished into the air. She was quickly followed by waves. It was at this spot that water began to gush out, and started to flow as a stream which later developed into a big river called ‘Awon’ river.
The spot where the woman fell down and from where the water started to gush is called “AWON YALE;” the spot of the disappearance of the mysterious woman is very significant today among the people of Shao as it is referred to as ‘OJUBO AWON’, that is, the spot where the people gather to worship the Awon goddess.
After the mysterious disappearance of the stranger woman, the Ohoro, and his chiefs went back to their abode. Later, they received two other unknown women, who described themselves as sisters to Awon. They were on a search mission for Awon who had vanished mysteriously. When they could not find their sister, they also left for an unknown destination. It was later gathered that one of the sisters came to be known as “Asa” ( a river that passes through Ilorin) and the second sister was believed to be “Osun” in Osogbo.
Today there are many similar images and figures found in both Osun and Awon shrines.
After the departure of Awon and her sisters, the Ohoro, Oba Olanibo, and his chiefs instructed Mogaji Gbenagbena, who is the family head of the woodcarvers and the sculptors, to engrave the wooden image of the one-breasted woman and her sisters to immortalize and symbolize their presence among the people of Shao. These in turn became the symbol of the Awon goddess. Conclusively, in strict adherence to Awon request, the Ohoro then decreed that the annual Awon mass wedding festival should be celebrated once in a year among the citizens of Shao in remembrance of the mysterious woman and her sister.