Yoruba Pantheon (Orisa, Gods)

The Yoruba Pantheon or Orisa is comprised of about 400 gods. Each god has a particular function and place in a hierarchy. Ancestor spirits occupy the lowest position in the hierarchy. Yoruba gods can have different functions and sex in different locals. In one tradition Obatala created land. But in another tradition, Oduduwa created land. Olukun in one tradition is male, in another female. Some gods are universal in the Yoruba pantheon. 


Gods Description
Aja  goddess of forest who taught the use of herbs 
Eshu trickster God 
Ibeji  god of twins 
Jakuta  the one who hurls stones; associated with Shango, co-creator of lightning and thunder with Shango 
Obatala  king of the white cloth;creator of man; representative of Olorun on earth; founder of Ife 
Ogun God of iron, war, hunt 
Olorun Olodumare; Owner of Endless Space; Supreme God, owner of the sky
Orishala/Odudua First ruler of Ife, god ancestor 
Osanyin  God of medicine and divining 
Olokun He/she god of the marshes 
Shango  deified fourth ruler of the city of Oyo 
Yansan  god of the wind 
Yemaja  goddess of Ogun River, mother goddess from whom 15 gods came to be 
   

Related Article: Condomble, Fon Pantheon (Gods, Vodun),  Haitian Voodoo , Akan Asante Pantheon , Igbo Pantheon , Ancient Egyptian Gods, Kushite Gods and Goddess

Works Cited

Coulter, Charles Russell and Turner, Patricia(2000). Encyclopedia of Ancient Deities. McFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN 0-7864-0317-9.

Lynch,Patricia Ann and Roberts, Jeremy. African Mythology, A to Z. Infobase Publishing, p. 101, ISBN 143813133X, 9781438131337


tags: african religion gods goddess