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| Name ▲▼ | Origin ▲▼ | Description ▲▼ |
|---|---|---|
| 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 "Ogiuwu" | Edo / Benin, West Africa | God of death. Believed to own the blood of all living things which he smears on the walls of his palace in the otherworld. Until recent times human sacrifice was made regularly to this deity in the capital of the Edo region, Benin City.... |
| God name "Ogun" | Edo / Benin, West Africa | God of war, hunting and metalwork. This rather loosely defined deity was sent by the god OSANOBUA to cut open the land to allow crops to be planted. He is the strength inherent in metals and piles of metal objects are left beside his sanctuaries. As a god of war he defends the tribe and is depicted wearing armor and with red eyes. As a god of hunters and farmers he is generally benevolent.... |
| 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.... |
| God name "Osande" | Ovimbundu / central Angola, southwest Africa | Guardian deity. A benign elderly god who forms an integral part of ancestor worship. Considered to be the founder of each family lineage.... |
| God name "Osanobua" | Edo / Benin, West Africa | Creator god. The father of the god OLOKUN, he is regarded as a benevolent deity controlling prosperity, health and happiness.... |
| 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 "Sakumo" | Gan / Accra region, Ghana, West Africa | God of war. The guardian deity of the Gan tribe.... |
| 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.... |
| God name "Soului" | Hua / southeastern Ghana, West Africa | vegetation god. A benevolent deity who can bestow wealth as well as good harvests. He is also god of Medicine and of the sounds of music. His devotees wear white and daub white chalk on their faces. His symbol is the cowrie shell.... |
| God name "Xewioso" | Ewe | Thunder god. [Benin, West Africa]. Depicted as a ram accompanied by an ax, he is also perceived as a fertility deity whose thunder and lightning are accompanied by Rain.... |
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