Ọbatala
King of all orishas and sculptor of humankind.
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He is also known as Oriṣanla and is considered the father of humanity.[1][2] In the Yoruba religion, Ọbatala (also called Oriṣanla) is regarded as the sovereign over all oriṣa and is credited with fashioning both the Earth (Ile Ayé) and human beings.[1]
Life and work
Obatala facilitated the death of Oduduwa and retrieved his throne with the assistance of his support base.[3] One narrative says Obatala became intoxicated on palm wine after the trickster Eshu lured him, causing him to fail his assignment.[1] After that failure, Obatala was reassigned to shape human beings using water and clay.[1][4] He came down from Heaven on a chain to sculpt the first people, and he continues to form every child while it is in the womb.[5]
The human Obatala established Ile-Ife and ruled as its King, which earned him the name Olufe.[3] Oduduwa led a rebellion that interrupted Obatala's rule.[3] The Obatala festival in Ife and the coronation ceremonies of the Ooni annually reenact this event.[3]
What the cited sources add
The Godchecker account states that Obatala "accidentally" gatecrashed a Godparty and spent the evening roaring drunk on palm wine.[6] It adds that the drunken Obatala was ridiculed, chastised, and punished by being put to work making men and women.[6] According to this source, Obatala eventually learned the error of his ways and went very firmly on the wagon.[6] The Godchecker entry lists Obatala's wife as Yemaya.[6]
A 2009 Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine article reports that in Brazil, the snail Achatina fulica serves as an offering to Obatala.[7] According to the same 2009 article, Obatala will only consume offerings prepared with honey because he dislikes dende oil.[7]
References
- Wikipedia, "Ọbatala" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Ọbatala is Tempted With Palm Wine", Oxford Reference (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Ọbatala" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Asante, "Encyclopaedia of African Religion", SAGE, 2009 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Ọbatala" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: NAI CSO 26/3 file 29829, Report on the Native Organisation of Ife District – Oyo Province by J. A. McKenzie (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Ọbatala" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Aabo, "Awọn ọlọrun yorùbá", Ìtàn wa publishing (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Ọbatala" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Probst, "Osogbo and the Art of Heritage", Indiana University Press, 2011, p. 17 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- "OBATALA - the Yoruba God of Purity (Yoruba mythology)", Godchecker - Your Guide to the Gods. facts only, no text reused. godchecker.com
- Wikipedia, "Ọbatala" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Léo Neto, "From Eshu to Obatala: animals used in sacrificial rituals at Candomblé "terreiros" in Brazil", Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine, 26 August 2009, p. 23 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Ọbatala (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
More in Supernatural beings identified with Christian saints
Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Ọbatala (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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