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List of Gods : "Deity Nigeria" - 14 records

Name ▲▼Origin ▲▼Description ▲▼
Goddess name
"Ala"
Ibo / eastern Nigeria, West Africa Chthonic fertility goddess. A popular deity who is also goddess of the underworld linked with a cult of the dead (which rest in her womb). Her temple is the Mbari which contains a cult statue depicting the goddess seated with a child in her arms and adorned with the crescent moon. She is flanked by attendant deities. She enjoys a profusion of local shrines which are well supplied with votive offerings. Serious crimes including murder are considered to be offenses against her. An annual yam festival is celebrated in her honor. Also Ale, Ana, ANI....
God name
"Eshu"
Yoruba / Nigeria, West Africa Itinerant god. An ancient deity regarded as the attendant and messenger of the creator god OLODUMARE. He påśśes among mortal people åśśessing character and meting out punishment. Devotees are identified by necklaces of black or brown beads....
God name
"Esu"
Edo / Benin / Nigeria, West Africa God of påśśage. A fearsome deity who stands at the gates of the home of the gods holding a set of keys. He is known for his trickery....
God name
"Ifa"
Yoruba / western Nigeria, West Africa God of wisdom. An oracular deity who, according to tradition, lives in a sanctuary in the holy city of Ile Ife but who is called on by the tutelary god, OLDUMARE, for advice. He is the father of eight children, all of whom became paramount chiefs....
God name
"Ikenga (right forearm)"
Ibo / Nigeria, West Africa God of fortune. A benevolent deity who guides the hands of mankind. He is depicted wearing a horned headdress, and carrying a sword and a severed head. He is invoked as a household guardian....
God name
"Ikenga Ibo"
Nigeria A god of fortune, a benevolent deity
God name
"Obatala"
Yoruba / Nigeria, West Africa Fertility god. The first deity engendered by the creator god OLODUMARE. His consort is Yemowo. Among other responsibilities, he makes barren women fertile and shapes the fetus in the womb. He is considered to be the sculptor of mankind. He is depicted wearing white robes and symbolizes cleanliness. Offerings include coconuts and maize fruits. A jar of clean water is carried by a priestess to his sanctuary each morning and the water is drunk by women to make them fertile. Also Orishanla (archaic); Orisha-Popo; Orisha-Ogiyan; Orisha-Ijaye....
God name
"Olokun"
Fon / Yoruba / Benin / Nigeria, West Africa God of fresh waters and oceans. The eldest son of the creator god OSANOBUA. He is symbolized in the sacred river Olokun, which runs almost the length of Benin and from the source of which come the souls of unborn children. A girl baby is given a shrine of the god which includes a pot of river water and which she takes with her to her new home when she marries. The god is particularly popular among women and has a cult of priestesses. Olokun is also a guardian deity of mariners....
God name
"Ori (mind)"
Yoruba / Nigeria, West Africa God of wisdom. The deity who, in heaven, guides the soul but who also acts as a personal guardian, controlling individual mental ability, so that one person becomes wise and another foolish....
Goddess name
"Osun"
Yoruba / Nigeria, West Africa River goddess. The daughter of Oba Jumu and Oba Do and the consort of the god SHANGO. The guardian deity of the river Osun, revered particularly in the towns and villages along the banks of the river where sacred weapons are kept in her shrines. Also a goddess of healing. She is worshiped particularly by women and is honored in an annual festival, the Ibo-Osun, during which new cultic priestesses are selected....
Goddess name
"Oya"
Yoruba / Nigeria, West Africa River goddess. The consort of the god SHANGO, she is the guardian deity of the river Niger. Also a goddess of storms and thunder. Her sacred animal is the buffalo and her presence is symbolized by its horns....
God name
"Shango"
Yoruba / Nigeria, West Africa Chthonic storm god. As an earth deity he was once a mortal man, the king of Oyo, who transformed himself into an immortal. According to tradition, during his life he breathed tongues of fire. He then ascended into the sky by climbing a golden chain and became the god of thunder and lightning. He is also god of justice, punishing thieves and liars. His consorts include OYA, Oshun and Oba. Cult followers of Shango are believed to be able to make lightning strike an adversary. In shrines to Shango, the image of the god is adorned with a ram's head. Also SANGO....
Deity name
"Soko"
Nigeria A rather vague and abstract concept, referring more to a mysterious impersonal power than to a personified deity. Nupe, Nigeria
Deity name
"Yamba"
Nigeria Yemba. The supreme deity of the Kulu. Nigeria