Obatala does not have a permanent gender. He is androgynous. He is married to Yemaya

Who is the wife of Obatala?

Oduduwa (Odudua, Oduwa) is the chief goddess of the Yoruba, the creator; she represents the earth. She is the wife of Obatala, but she is contemporary with Olorun—not made by him, as was her husband.

What does Obatala symbolize?

The gentle Obatala is associated with honesty, purpose, purity, peace, the New Year, forgiveness, and resurrection, which is why some authorities associate him with Christ and the Egyptian Osiris. As the divinity of created form, “the old man” is the patron saint of artists, called the Divine Sculptor.

Who is Obatala?

Obatala or “Orisa Nla” (known as Obatalá in Nigeria and in Caribbean and South American Spanish and Oxalá in Brazil) is an orisha. He is believed, according to Yoruba cosmology, to be the Sky Father and the creator of human bodies, which were brought to life by the smooth breath of Olodumare.

Is Oshun male or female?

Oshun, being one of the original 17 sent to Earth, was the only female deity. The other gods, all male, failed at their attempts to revive and populate the Earth.

Who is Yemaya husband?

She was married to Aganju and had one son, Orungan, and fifteen Orishas came forth from her. They include Ogun, Olokun, Shopona and Shango. Other stories would say that Yemaya was always there in the beginning and all life came from her, including all of the orishas.

How strong is Obatala?

At his peak, Obatala possessed sufficient strength to lift 100 tons in his physical prime. He was also able to augment his strength beyond 100+ tons by tapping into the Spirit of Olorun.

How many paths are there in Obatala?

Obatala: Four Paths to Equanimity.

What number is Obatala?

* Obatala Obamoro’s shrine draped in light lavender cloth with oke on the right and Agidai on the left. Oya is the ruler of the winds, the whirlwind and the gates of the cemetery. Her number is 9 which recalls her title of Yansa or “Mother of Nine” in which she rules over the egun or dead.

What effect did drinking the wine have on Obatala?

When drinking too much Palm Wine dulled that Clarity, Obatala is said to have created deformed and handicapped people.

Article first time published on

Who is the most powerful Orisha?

Ṣàngó is viewed as the most powerful and feared of the orisha pantheon. He casts a “thunderstone” to earth, which creates thunder and lightning, to anyone who offends him.

Which Orisha wears white?

Characteristics of Obatalá The creative part of a man is his Anima or female aspect. The spark of consciousness in us is Obatalá. She/He looks after everyone, unless another Orisha takes your head. Obatalá wears white because it has all the colors in it and she/he takes care of all of us.

Who is the youngest orisha?

Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Ayagunna is the youngest path, or avatar, of the undergod Obatala in the Lukumi (Santería) pantheon. In this manifestation, Obatala is a youth who battles with a scimitar. He is credited with having spread gunpowder throughout the world.

What is a daughter of Oshun?

Jenmi; Daughter of Oshun. Oshun is a Nigerian Yoruba Orisha, a spirit or deity that reflects one of the manifestations of God in the Ifá and Yoruba religions. She is one of the most popular Orisha’s and the only female irunmole (primordial) sent to set up the world by Olodumare.

Is Olodumare male or female?

Women Can’t Be Heroes The Erasure of Female Pain and the Nationalization of Male Suffering. In the beginning, according to a version of the Yoruba creation story, Olodumare, the creator of the universe, sent 17 Oriṣas on a mission to establish the earth. 16 of them were male and one was female; her name was Oṣun.

What Orisha day is Wednesday?

ỌSẸ̀ in Yoruba calendarDay in Gregorian calendarỌjọ́-Ajé (Day of Economic Enterprise)MondayỌjọ́-Ìṣégun (Day of Victory)TuesdayỌjọ́rú (Day of Confusion & Disruption)WednesdayỌjọ́bọ̀ (Day of Arrival)Thursday

Who is the African god of love?

Oshun is the African Goddess of love. The daughter of Oshun is another important figure in African mythology and both Oshun and Oshun’s daughter are worshipped by many people.

What are Orisha?

The Orishas are forces of nature (parts of god) who mediate between Olodumare and humanity. Humanity can commune directly with God by way of the trance/possession – always in a ritual setting. Ebo, or sacrifice, is a broad concept including all types of sacrifices and offerings to the Orisha.

Who was Oshun's husband?

Ọ̀ṣun OshunEthnic groupYoruba people, Fon peoplePersonal informationSpouseChangó, Erinle

What color is Yemaya?

She’s associated with the numbers seven and ten, the colors blue and white, pearls, silver, conch shells, and doves. Offerings for her include molasses, coconut cakes, white flowers, and watermelon. For practicing witches, Yemaya has a fierce, nurturing, gentle energy often associated with the moon and sorcery.

What day is Yemaya birthday?

YemọjaDay2 February 31 December 8 December 7 SeptemberColorBlue and White/Crystal beadsRegionYorubaland, Brazil, CubaEthnic groupYoruba people,

What day is Obatala day of the week?

Obatala is often found in churches, libraries, universities, mountains, forest and the military. His number is 8 and his feast day is the 24th of September.

Who is God in Africa?

There is no single God of Africa, as each region has its own supreme God and other Gods and Goddesses based on their practices. In different countries of Africa, there are different Gods and Goddesses from different African mythologies that are worshipped.

What is Oshuns day?

Celebrate the feast day of Oshun (September 8) with her altar essentials.

Who is Yemaya Achaba?

Courtney Desiree Morris | ‘Sopera de Yemaya: Ashaba,’ 2020 Yemaya is the Ocean Mother Orisha (deity) in Santería, an Afro-Caribbean religion rooted in Yoruba culture and brought to the Americas, mainly Cuba and Brazil, by enslaved Africans.

Is Oshun a warrior?

Oshun is an Orisha, or Yoruba divinity, praised across the world. … Oshun is a superb warrior and lover —she loves just as fiercely as she fights. She’s about creative resistance & the power of art. Yoruba stories speak of her ending wars through dance, and enchanting enemies with sweetness.

Is Obatala an Igbo?

They turned and memorialized the leader of the Igbo, Obatala, into a god, and the period of Igbo culture as the highest moment of creative fluorescence in the Yoruba world. The Ifa preserves this for us. … The Ooni suggests that the Igbo moved from Ile-Ife to their current settlements in Igbo land.

Is Obatala an IFA?

Obatala is the Spirit of the Chief of the White Cloth in the West African religious tradition called “Ifá”. The power of Obatala is described by Ifá as one of many Spiritual Forces in Nature which are called “Orisha”. …

How many Orisha are there?

Yoruba tradition often says that there are 400 + 1 orisha, which is associated with a sacred number. Other sources suggest that the number is “as many as you can think of, plus one more – an innumerable number”. Different oral traditions refer to 400, 700, or 1,440 orisha.

Who is Shango favorite wife?

American folklorist William Bascom notes: “Oya is the favourite wife of Shango, the only wife who remained true to him until the end, leaving Oyo with him and becoming a deity when he did. She is Goddess of the Niger River, (Odo Oya), but she manifests herself as the strong wind that precedes a thunderstorm.”

Who is the king of the Orishas?

ShangoReal NameShango, Sango, XangoAliasesChango,RelativesOya (wife), Olorun (father), [Yemoja] (mother), Ogun (brother), Ochosi (brother)