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Olodumare or Olorun as the supreme, self-existing deity. According to author Bolasi E. Idowu:
"He is supreme over all on earth and
in heaven, acknowledged by all the divinities as the Head to whom all
authority belongs and all allegiance is due. . . His status of supremacy
is absolute. Things happen when He approves, things do not come to pass
if He disapproves. In worship, the Yoruba holds Him ultimately First and
Last; in man's daily life, He has the ultimate pre-eminence." 1
However, Idowu's reference to Olodumare as a male
apparently is derived from the author's Christian background. In
reality, within Yoruba, Olodumare generally has no assigned gender and
is commonly referred to as "it."
He is also referred to as: Oluwa (Lord),
Eleda (Creator), Olofin-Orun (King of heaven), Orise (the source of all
things) and Oba-Orun (The king who dwells in the heavens). 2
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| Orisha (a.k.a. Orisa; literally "head guardians"),
who are considered as ministers of Olodumare and intermediaries between
Olodumare and humanity. Estimates of their number range from 201 to
1,700. These correspond to the Orisha in Santeri and Orixa in Candomblé.
They include:
 | Esu, an trickster deity who generates confusion but
is also a protector. |
| Ibeji, the deity of twins. |
| Ogun, the god of iron, war, justice, and the chase. |
| Orisa-nla, a senior Orisha who created the Earth and humanity. |
| Orunmila, the oracle divinity. |
| Osanyin, the god of magic and medicine. |
| Osun, the goddess of the river Osun |
| Oya, the goddess of the river Niger. |
| Sango, the god of thunder and lightning. |
| Sopona, the divinity associated with smallpox. |
| Yemoja, the goddess of all rivers.
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| Spirits, psychic agencies, or forces of nature. They are often
associated with trees, rocks, rivers, forests, hills, etc.
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| Ancestors from previous generations who have died, become spirits
and yet who retain an interest in their families. They can "...
influence living members of the family for good or evil, but their
influence does not extend beyond their specific families. In short, they
act as intermediaries between their living descendants and the orisa or
Olorun." 2 |
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