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
“One going to take a pointed stick to pinch a baby bird should first try it on himself to feel how it hurts.” -Yoruba Proverb African Traditional (Nigeria) Source “Whenever a person breaks a stick in the forest, let him consider what it would feel like if it were himself
Olodumare the god of the sky sent his two sons, Obatala and Oduduwa, down to this world with three things: a bag, a hen and a chameleon. At that time there was no land, only water, so the two brothers had nowhere to stand. Olodumare therefore dropped a tree from
Known as God and the Creator of the Universe, He is the Father of Obatala (King of the White Cloth) and all Orisa (divine beings); also known as the Sky Father. The ruler of (or in) the Heavens. The Supreme God or Supreme Being omnipotent and the Source of all.
For the Dagara, cosmology begins with the story of creation. In the beginning there was no earth as we know it. In its place was a burning planet, a ball of fire combusting at high speed. Therefore, fire is the first element of the Dagara wheel. Fire is present in
The baobab is the archetypal symbol of the inverted tree, where we integrate and bring the heaven into the earth and the earth into the heaven.
Yorùbá people believe giving birth to children is one of the most important things they live for; they believe children are the most important heritage and legacy to leave behind after death.
A man or woman of marriageable age that refuses to get married does not always get the approval of people of the Yorùbá society. Instead, they make corrective mockery of such individuals until the needful is done.
