Olorun
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(African mythology)
Literal meaning: ‘owner’. The head of the Yoruban pantheon, which contains 1,700 divinities. He is Olofin-Orun, ‘lord of heaven’; also he is Olodumare, ‘almighty’ and ‘supreme’. To the Yoruba of Nigeria, this sky god is the discerner of hearts—‘he who sees the inside and the outside of man’. Active in celestial and terrestrial affairs, Olorun is able to do all things; he is the enabler of all who achieve any ends. No one has ever seen this ‘king who cannot be found by searching’, yet as Olodumare he is omnipresent: a mighty, eternal rock, forever constant and reliable.
Olorun created the universe, appointed night and day, arranged the seasons, and fixed the destiny of men. Whenever a misfortune befalls a bad person, the Yoruba say ‘he is under the lashes of god’. Death was his creation too. At first men did not die. They grew to an immense size, after which they shrank into feeble old people. Because there were so many of them creeping around, men prayed to Olorun, begging him to free them from long life, and in this way the old ones died.
Like the other gods in the Yoruban pantheon, Olorun is served by priests. They enjoy an important social status, virtually nothing being done without their ministration. The training period for priests can last as long as three years.
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Olorun
Olòrún is the Yorùbá name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions (and other belief systems), Who is either the sole entity in monotheism, or a single entity in polytheism. Either way, It is regarded as a Self-Existing Being.
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Commonly addressed as Olódùmarè, It is often regarded as the infinite ruler of the heavens; all-encompassing, and said to be the owner of all heads. No gender is typically assigned. Hence, It is commomnly referred to as "It" or "They" (although this is meant to address a somewhat singularity). The divine creator and source of all energy, It is often thought to be the conduit through which the thoughts and actions of each person in "Ayé" (the world) interact with those of all other living things, including the universe itself.
Olòrún has also been variously conceived as being incorporeal, a personal being, the source of all moral obligation and the "greatest conceivable existent".
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Contents
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Etymology
From Yoruba Olú-Ọ̀rún (Ruler of the Heavens)
References
- OGUMEFU, M. I., Yorùbá Legends, London, The Sheldon Press, 1929.
- IDOWU, E. BÔLAJI., Olódùmarè: God in Yorùbá Belief, London, Longmans, 1962.
Further Reading
- Charles Spencer King.,"Nature's Ancient Religion" ISBN 978-1-4404-1733-7
See also
External links
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Copyrights:
Oxford Dictionary of World Mythology
A Dictionary of World Mythology. Copyright © Arthur Cotterell 1979, 1986, 2003. All rights reserved.
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