According to Yoruba legend, Olorun was one of two original creator gods. The other was the goddess Olokun. In the beginning, the universe consisted only of sky and a formless chaos of marshy water. Olorun ruled the sky, while Olokun ruled the vast marshy waters below. There were thousands of other gods, but none had as much knowledge or power as Olorun.
Olokun was a weaver of unequaled skill and knowledge, but every time she made a beautiful cloth, Agemo the chameleon— who carried messages for Olorun—changed the color of its skin to match her weaving. When Olokun saw that even Olorun’s messenger could duplicate her finest cloths, she accepted defeat and acknowledged Olorun as the supreme god.
In the Candomblé religion of Brazil, Olokun is venerated as the mother of Yemoja and the owner of the sea. According to Yoruba traditions about their divine dynasty, Olokun – in her female incarnation – was the senior wife of Emperor Oduduwa. Her rivalry with one of his other wives is said to have led to her manifesting the Atlantic Ocean.
