| Name ▲▼ | Origin ▲▼ | Description ▲▼ |
|---|---|---|
| Goddess name "Ala aka Ale" | Africa | Ana, Ani, Chthonic fertility goddess who is also goddess of the underworld linked with a cult of the dead, which rest in her womb . Ibo Eastern Nigeria, West Africa |
| God name "Tar" | Tiv / Nigeria, West Africa | Chthonic earth god. Engendered by the creator god AONDO, Tar is depicted as a prostrate figure with his head toward the east, comparable with the Egyptian god GEB.... |
| 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 "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 "Aondo" | Africa | Creator god who lives in the sky and sends the Sun each morning. Central Nigeria, West Africa |
| God name "Chhene" | Isoko / southern Nigeria, West Africa | Creator god. An abstract being who is embodied by a mediator in the form of a sacred wooden totem, the Oyise. The god has no temples or priests.... |
| God name "Aondo" | Tiv / central Nigeria, West Africa | Creator god. An abstract principle who lives in the sky. He sends the Sun each morning, roars with the thunder which heralds his storms and is the creator of the earth.... |
| God name "Olodumare" | Yoruba / Nigeria, West Africa | Creator god. He engendered the god OBATALA as his deputy. The souls of the dead are expected to make confession to Olodumare. When he created the earth, he filled a snail's shell with dirt, placed inside it a hen and a pigeon and threw it down, whereupon the hen and pigeon began to scatter the earth and create land. Olodumare then sent a chameleon to report on progress. Sand was added, followed by a palm, a coconut and a kola nut tree. When these were established the god placed on earth the first sixteen humans. Also Alaaye; Elemii; Olojo Oni; Olorun; Orishanla.... |
| God name "Pemba (great thing)" | Bambara / Mande / Mali, West Africa | Creator god. He was created out of the empty or Fu and his first task was to form the egg of the world. He descended to earth as an acacia seed (Acacia albida) which first grew to a mighty tree and then died. From the wood Pemba generated human souls and a female being whom he impregnated to engender all human and animal life. His brother is the god FARO, creator of the river Niger.... |
| Supreme god name "Oduduwa" | Yoruba / Nigeria, West Africa | Creator goddess. The consort, or alternatively the daughter, of the supreme god OLODUMARE. She is perceived as the substance, or matrix, of the earth which Olodumare impregnated to generate life. She is also a goddess of war and her sons include the great heroic Yoruba god OGUN. According to some traditions Oduduwa is also perceived as a god.... |
| 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 "Oko (hoe)" | Yoruba / Nigeria, West Africa | God of Agriculture. According to tradition he descended from heaven and lived at a farm near the town of Irao, where he attained a great age. One day he disappeared, leaving only his staff which was taken as a symbol of his presence. Annually, at the start of the Rainy season, a festival with strong fertility emphasis is held in his honor.... |
| God name "Orunmila" | Yoruba / Nigeria, West Africa | God of destiny. He accompanied the creator god OLODUMARE at the creation of the world and when the destinies of mankind were decided. He is consulted in an oracular capacity at IFA and makes decisions on such matters as choice of sacrificial animals. He is also a god of healing and in many households enjoys personal shrines which include palm nuts, fragments of ivory and sea shells.... |
| God name "Ajalamo Yoruba" | Africa | God of fetuses. west Africa() / Nigeria |
| 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 "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 "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 "Sarigo" | Yoruba / Nigeria, West Africa | God of thunder. His sacred animal is the ram whose bellowing is likened to the noise of thunder. Attributes include an ax which is worn on the head and bears six eyes.... |
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