Yoruba religion

A Yemoja devotee in Nigeria

Yoruba divination board Opon If

The Yoruba religion, comprising the traditional religious concepts and practices of the Yoruba people, is
found primarily in southwestern Nigeria and the adjoining parts of Benin, and Togo, commonly known as
Yorubaland. Yoruba religion is ancestral to the American
religions Santera, Umbanda, Candombl, and Vodou.[1]
Yoruba religious beliefs are part of itan, the complex cultural concepts which make up the Yoruba society.[1][2][3]

Each person attempts to achieve transcendence and nd

their destiny in Orun-Rere (the spiritual realm of those
who do good and benecial things). Ones ori-inu (spiritual consciousness in the physical realm) must grow in order to consummate union with ones Iponri (Ori Orun,
spiritual self).[4]

Those who stop growing spiritually, in any of their given

lives, are destined for Orun-Apadi (the invisible realm
of potsherds). Life and death are said to be cycles of existence in a series of physical bodies while ones spirit
1 Beliefs
evolves toward transcendence. This evolution is said to
According to Kola Abimbola, the Yoruba have evolved be most evident amongst the Orishas, the divine viziers
a robust cosmology.[1] In brief, it holds that all human of Olorun.
beings possess what is known as Ayanmo[4] (destiny, Iwapl (or well-balanced) meditative recitation and sinfate) and are expected to eventually become one in spirit cere veneration is sucient to strengthen the ori-inu of
with Olodumare (Olorun, the divine creator and source most people.[2][4] Well-balanced people, it is believed, are
of all energy). Furthermore, the thoughts and actions of able to make positive use of the simplest form of conneceach person in Ay (the physical realm/Life) interact with tion between their Oris and the omnipotent Olu-Orun: an
adura (petition or prayer) for divine support.
all other living things, including the Earth itself.[2]
1

Prayer to ones Ori Orun produces an immediate sensation of joy. Elegbara (Eshu, not the divine messenger
but accuser of the righteous) initiates contact with spiritual realm on behalf of the petitioner, and transmits the
prayer to Ay; the deliverer of ase or the spark of life.
He transmits this prayer without distorting it in any way.
Thereafter, the petitioner may be satised with a personal
answer. In the event that he or she is not, the If oracle
of the Orisha Orunmila may also be consulted. All communication with Orun, whether simplistic in the form of
a personal prayer or complicated in the form of that done
by an initiated Babalawo (priest of divination), however,
is energized by invoking ase.

REINCARNATION

a large patch of dry land; the various indentations they

created eventually becoming hills and valleys.[5]
Obatala leaped onto a high-ground and named the place
Ife. The land became fertile and plant life began to ourish. From handfuls of earth he began to mold gurines.
Meanwhile, as this was happening on earth, Olodumare
gathered the gasses from the far reaches of space and
sparked an explosion that shaped into a reball. He subsequently sent it to Ife, where it dried much of the land and
simultaneously began to bake the motionless gurines. It
was at this point that Olodumare released the breath of
life to blow across the land, and the gurines slowly came
into being as the rst people of Ife.[5]

In the Yoruba belief system, Olodumare has ase over all For this reason, Ife is locally referred to as Ife Oodaye
that is, and hence Is considered supreme.[2]
- cradle of existence.[5][7]

1.1

Olodumare

Main article: Olodumare

Olodumare is the most important state of existence.[5]
Regarded as being all-encompassing, no gender can be
assigned. Hence, it is common to hear references to it
or they (although this is meant to address a somewhat
singularity). They are the owner of all heads, for during human creation, Olodumare gave emi (the breath
of life) to humankind. In this, Olodumare is Supreme.[5]
Perhaps one of the most important human endeavors extolled within the Yoruba literary corpus is the quest to
better ones Iwa (character, behaviour). In this way
the teachings transcends religious doctrine, advising as
it does that a person must also better his civic, social and
intellectual spheres of being; every stanza of the sacred
If oracular poetry (Odu Ifa) has a portion covering the
importance of Iwa. Central to this is the theme of righteousness, both individual and collective.[6]

1.2

Creation

1.3 Orisha
Main article: Orisha
An Orisha (spelled ra) is an entity that possesses
the capability of reecting some of the manifestations
of Olodumare. Yoruba Orishas (commonly translated
unique/special/selected heads) are often described as
intermediaries between humankind and the supernatural.
The term is also translated as Deities or Divinities or
Gods.[8]
Orisha(s) are revered for having control over specic elements by nature, thus being better referred to as the
divinities or Imole. Even so, there are those of their number that are more akin to ancient heroes and/or sages.[3]
These are best addressed as Dema Deities. Even though
the term Orisha is often used to describe both classes
of divine entities, it is properly reserved for the former
one.[3]

1.4 Irunmole

The Yoruba regard Olodumare as the principal agent of Irunmole are entities sent by Olorun to complete given
creation.
tasks, often acting as liaisons between Orun (the invisible
[3]
According to a Yoruba account of creation, during a cer- realm) and Aiye (the physical realm). Irunmole(s) can
tain stage in this process, the truth was sent to conrm best be described as ranking divinities; whereby such dithe habitability of the newly formed planets. The earth vinities are regarded as the principal Orishas. Irunmole,
being one of these was visited but deemed too wet for from Erinrun - 400, Imole - Divinites or Divine Spirits
conventional life.
After a successful period of time, a number of divinities
led by Obatala were sent to accomplish the task of helping
earth develop its crust. On one of their visits to the realm,
the arch-divinity Obatala took to the stage equipped with
a mollusk that concealed some form of soil; winged beasts
and some cloth like material. The contents were emptied
onto what soon became a large mound on the surface of
the water and soon after, the winged-beasts began to scatter this around until the point where it gradually made into

2 Reincarnation
The Yoruba believe in Atunwa, reincarnation within the
family. The names Babatunde (father returns), Yetunde
(Mother returns), Babatunji (Father wakes once again)
and Sotunde (The wise man returns) all oer vivid evidence of the Ifa concept of familial or lineal rebirth.

3 Yoruba religion around the world

Main article: Yoruba history
According to Professor S. A. Akintoye, the Yoruba were
exquisite statesmen who spread across the globe in an
unprecedented fashion;[11] the reach of their culture is
largely due to migrationthe most recent migration occurred with the Atlantic slave trade. During this period,
many Yoruba were captured and sold into the slave trade
and transported to Argentina, Brazil, Cuba, Colombia,
Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Trinidad and Tobago,
Uruguay, Venezuela, and other parts of the Americas.
With them, they carried their religious beliefs. The
school-of-thought integrated into what now constitutes
the core of the New World lineages":[11][12][13][14]
Candombl (Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay)
Santera (Cuba, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic)
Trinidad Orisha (Trinidad and Tobago)
Umbanda (Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay)

3.1 Relationship with Voodoo

An Egungun masquerade dance garment in the permanent collection of The Childrens Museum of Indianapolis

There is no simple guarantee that your grandfather or

great uncle will come back in the birth of your child,
however.
Whenever the time arrives for a spirit to return to Earth
(otherwise known as The Marketplace) through the conception of a new life in the direct bloodline of the family,
one of the component entities of a persons being returns,
while the other remains in Heaven (Ikole Orun). The
spirit that returns does so in the form of a Guardian Ori.
Ones Guardian Ori, which is represented and contained
in the crown of the head, represents not only the spirit and
energy of ones previous blood relative, but the accumulated wisdom he or she has acquired through myriad lifetimes. This is not to be confused with ones spiritual Ori,
which contains personal destiny, but instead refers to the
coming back to The Marketplace of ones personal blood
Ori through ones new life and experiences.[10] The Primary Ancestor (which should be identied in your Itefa)
becomes if you are aware and work with that specic
energy a guide for the individual throughout their lifetime. At the end of that life they return to their identical spirit self and merge into one, taking the additional
knowledge gained from their experience with the individual as a form of payment.

The Vodun faith, which originated amongst a dierent

ethnic group (the Gbe speaking peoples of present-day
Benin, Togo, and Ghana), shares some similarities with
the Yoruba faith, and may even be taken to be theologically related on some levels.[15]

4 Syncretism
Chrislam is a neologism used to refer to syncretism
between Christianity and Islam among the Yoruba of
Nigeria, mentioned by Greeneld (2001) as an example
of the Yoruba genius for syncretism. [16]
Yoruba Chrislam includes two distinct religious movements, one called Ifeoluwa founded by Tela Tella in the
1970s and 80s[17] and another called Oke-Tude founded
by Samson Saka in 1999. They are also known as The
Will of God Mission or The True Message of God Mission respectively.[18] Adherence to Chrislam in Nigeria is very limited; Soares (2009) notes that such eorts
towards religious fusion or synthesis seem to be rather
exceptional and increasingly so. In many places there
has been intense competition and higher levels of tension
within and between dierent confessional groups.[19]
Ifeoluwa (Love of God) recognises both the Bible and
the Qur'an as holy texts, and practices running deliverance, a distinctive practice of spiritual running likened
to Joshua's army circling Jericho, or the practice of Pilgrims circumambulating a Church for Palm Sunday or the

6 FURTHER READING

Kaaba, and Jews around the Synagogue during Sukkot. [14] Karade, Baba Ifa (1994). The Handbook of Yoruba Religious Concepts. York Beach, New York: Weiser Books.
In contrast to other Chrislamic sects, Tela Tella, while
ISBN 0-87728-789-9.
claiming to believe in both the Qur'an and the Bible, says
they are incomplete, and is writing his own book called
[15] Fandrich, Ina J. (2007).
Yorb Inuences on
the Ifeoluwa Book.[20] Tela Tella claims that an anHaitian Vodou and New Orleans Voodoo.
Jourgel of God came to him and told him that he gave him
nal of Black Studies.
37 (5 (May)): 775791.
the mission and the name Ifeoluwa: The Will of God
doi:10.1177/0021934705280410. JSTOR 40034365.
Mission.[20]
Oke Tude (Oketude) in Ogudu (a northern suburb of [16] The term is mentioned by Greeneld, Sidney (2001).
Reinventing Religions: Syncretism and Transformation in
Lagos), founded by Samson Saka in 1999, is slightly
Africa and the Americas. p. 52, 53. (note 21)
less recognisable to mainstream Christianity, resembling
more interfaith worship with three dierent sessions or [17] Marloes, Janson. Chrislams Healing School in Lagos. p.
services that take place on Sunday. The rst is a Mus3, footnote 4.
lim session, then a Christian session, and nally there is a
joint session that Saka leads. During this he stresses the [18] The Christian Science Monitor. In Africa, Islam and
Christianity are growing - and blending. The Christian
similarities between Christianity and Islamic beliefs.[20]
Science Monitor.

References

[1] Abimbola, Kola (2005). Yoruba Culture: A Philosophical Account (Paperback ed.). Iroko Academics Publishers. ISBN 1-905388-00-4.
[2] labimtan, Aflabi (1991).
Yoruba Religion and
Medicine in Ibadan. Translated by George E. Simpson.
Ibadan University Press. ISBN 978-121-068-0. OCLC
33249752.
[3] J. Olumide Lucas, The Religion of the Yorubas, Athelia
Henrietta PR, 1996. ISBN 0-9638787-8-6
[4] labimtan, Aflabi (1973). ynm. Lagos, Nigeria:
Macmillan. OCLC 33249752.
[5] Bolaji Idowu (1982). Oldmar: God in Yoruba Belief.
Ikeja, Nigeria: Longman. ISBN 0-582-60803-1.
[6] Ifaloju (February 2011). Od-If Iwr Mj; If speaks
on Righteousness. Ifa Speaks... S.S. Popoola, Ifa Dida,
Library, INC. Retrieved 8 April 2012.
[7] Leeming & Leeming 2009 entry Yoruba. Retrieved
2010-04-30.
[8] Cf.The Concept of God: The People of Yoruba for the
acceptability of the translation
[9] Courlander, Harold (March 1973). Tales of Yoruba Gods
and Heroes. Crown Pub. ISBN 978-0517500637.
[10] Neimark, Philip John (28 May 1993). The Way of the
Orisa (1st ed.). HarperOne. ISBN 978-0-06-250557-6.
Retrieved 2012-04-08.
[11] Akintoye, Prof S. A. (2010). A history of the Yoruba people. Amalion Publishing. ISBN 2-35926-005-7. ASIN
2359260057.

[19] Benjamin Soares, An Islamic social movement in contemporary West Africa: NASFAT of Nigeria"in : Stephen
Ellis and Ineke Van Kessel (eds.) Movers and Shakers: Social Movements in Africa (2009), p. 181.
[20] Chrislam: Forging Ties in a Multi-Religious Society.
egodiuchendu.com. (New Scientist Magazine, June 17,
2006)

6 Further reading
Fayemi fatunde Fakayode, Iwure, Ecacious
Prayer to Olodumare, the Supreme Force ISBN
978-978-915-402-9
Chief S. Solagbade Popoola & Fakunle Oyesanya,
Ikunle Abiyamo: The ASE of Motherhood 2007.
ISBN 978-0-9810013-0-2
Chief S. Solagbade Popoola Library, INC Ifa Dida
Volume One (EjiOgbe - Orangun Meji) ISBN 9780-9810013-1-9
Chief S. Solagbade Popoola Library, INC Ifa Dida
Volume Two (OgbeYeku - OgbeFun) ISBN 978-1926538-12-9
Chief S. Solagbade Popoola Library, INC Ifa Dida
Volume Three (OyekuOgbe - OyekuFun) ISBN
978-1-926538-24-2
The Way of the Orisha by Philip John Neimark:
Publisher HarperOne; 1st edition (May 28, 1993)
ISBN 978-0-06-250557-6

[12] Brown (Ph.D.), David H. (2003). Santera Enthroned:

Innovation in an Afro-Cuban Religion. University of
Chicago Press. ISBN 0-226-07610-5.

Oldmar : God in Yoruba Belief by Bolaji Idowu, Ikeja : Longman Nigeria (1982) ISBN 0-58260803-1

[13] Oditous (2010). Anthropology: [Yoruba]". Anthrocivitas Online. Retrieved 2011-03-27.

Dr. Jonathan Olumide Lucas, The Religion of the

Yorubas, Lagos 1948, C. M. S. Bookshop.

5
Leeming, David Adams; Leeming, Margaret Adams
(2009). A Dictionary of Creation Myths (Oxford
Reference Online ed.). Oxford University Press.
Morales, Ed (2003). The Latin Beat. Da Capo
Press. ISBN 0-306-81018-2., pg. 177
Miguel A. De La Torre, Santera: The Beliefs and
Rituals of a Growing Religion in America, 2004,
ISBN 0-8028-4973-3.
Miguel R. Bances Baba Eshu Onare, Tratado Enciclopedico de Ifa. Los 16 Meyis y sus Omoluos u
Odus o Signos de Ifa.
Olgundd, Day ; foreword by Akinla Akiww (2008). The cradle of Yoruba culture (Rev.
ed.). Institute of Yoruba Culture ; Center for Spoken Words. ISBN 978-0-615-22063-5.

External links
Yoruban cosmology and mythology
Ibeji
Ifa Books/The 16 Mayis and Omoluos
Traditional Yorb site dedicated to teaching
Ifa Studies Podcast hosted by Awoyinfa Ifaloju on
iTunes
West African Orisa Tradition of Nigeria
Yoruba Movies & Films Yoruba Theatre is the origin
of Nigerias Nollywood,the equivalent of Americas
Hollywood.

8 TEXT AND IMAGE SOURCES, CONTRIBUTORS, AND LICENSES

Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses

8.1

Text

Yoruba religion Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoruba_religion?oldid=753555742 Contributors: The Anome, Charles Matthews,

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8.2

Images

File:Chiwara_male_drawing.png Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Chiwara_male_drawing.png License:

CC BY-SA 3.0 Contributors: Own work Original artist: T L Miles
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File:The_Childrens_Museum_of_Indianapolis_-_Egungun_masquerade_dance_garment.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.
org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/The_Childrens_Museum_of_Indianapolis_-_Egungun_masquerade_dance_garment.jpg License: CC BYSA 3.0 Contributors: Wendy Kaveney Original artist: Yoruba peoples, Nigeria, West Africa
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8.3

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