Encyclopedia of African Religion

For the Yoruba, the divinity of the sea and
marshesisOlókun.AmongsomeYorubaandEdo
of Nigeria, Olókun, which means “owner of the
sea,” is masculine, but among other Yoruba and
the Fon, she is feminine. Olókun, also called
Yemíderegbe, or Awoyo among the Fon, lives in
the depths of the Atlantic Ocean, which is
believed to be a gateway to Heaven below (Òrun-
Odò). Olókun is the richest entity in the world
and the first of the Yoruba orisha to wear a
crown. She is the wife of Orunmila, the deity of
divination, the son of the sky deity, Olorun. As
with the Fon, for the Yoruba, there is a complex
relationship between sea and sky deities. Olókun
ruled over a vast expanse of water and wild
marshes that was grey, with no living creatures or
vegetation.Obatalathoughtthearealackedinspi-
ration and life, so, with the assistance of Olorun
andotherdeities,hecreatedsolidlandwithforest
fields, hills, and valleys. Olókun was upset that
her domain was disturbed and washed everything
awaywithaflood.ShesoughttochallengeOlorun,
the deity of the sky, but soon realized that the
powers of the sky were greater than her own.
Other Africandeities associatedwiththeocean
orseaareNaiamongtheGa,OpofromtheAkan,
WuamongtheEwe,NgaanamongtheCongolese,
and Kianda found in Angola, all of which are
masculine. Feminine deities include Yemoja
(Ye.mo.nja), Osun, and Mami Wata. Sometimes
these feminine deities are associated interchange-
ably with the ocean, a sea, a specific river, or any
significant body of water.

Primordial Ocean

In many creation accounts, there is a state of
existence prior to the creation of the physical
universe. This state contains the potential of
everything that will be created. Although this
realm is potential, it does have a physical form
that is likened to an ocean. The ancient Egyptians
called this dark liquid mass that has no surface
and stretches in all directions beyond the reach of
imagination Nun. Nun is the deity of the primal
waters and was depicted as a man, waist deep in
water,partiallycoveredwithscalessupportingthe
solarbark.Nun’sfemininecounterpartisNaunet,
and both are part of the Hermopolitian Ogdoad.
In this creation account, Atum arose out of the

primeval mound that emerged from Nun. Nun

continues to exist after creation and is found

along the boundaries of the universe, in the Nile,

and in sacred lakes. Nun is shown on the enclo-

sure walls of temples by a unique pattern of alter-

nating bricks that gives the appearance of water,

whichthenmakesthetemplea symboloftheuni-

verse or a distinct place from the watery abyss of

Nun.Nunalsorepresentstheunderworldthrough

which Ra, the sun, travels at night.

AmongtheDogon,beforetheuniversewascre-

ated, it was first designed with signs drawn with

water. However, Amma had placed too many

thingsincreation,andwaterleftthewhole.Amma

was dissatisfied with creation and began again

keeping water, a seed, and the elements of fire,

Earth,andair.Inthenextcreation,oneofthefirst

eight animate beings will be incomplete because it

is missing water. This being is the Fox or Yurugu.

Among the peoples of the Congo, the creator

emergesfromaprimevalmarshthatinturncreates

offspring that would populate the Earth.

Denise Martin

See alsoWater

Further Readings

Abímbolá,K.(2006).Yoruba Culture:A Philosophical

Account.Birmingham,UK:ÌrókòAcademicPublishers.

Courlander, H. (1996).A Treasury of African Folklore:

The Oral Literature,Traditions,Myths,Legends,

Epics,Tales,Recollections,Wisdom,Sayings,and

Humor of Africa. New York: Marlow & Co.

Griaule, M., & Germaine, D. (1986).The Pale Fox

(S. C. Infantino, Trans.). Chino Valley, AZ:

Continuum Foundation.

Scheub, H. (2000).A Dictionary of African Mythology:

The Mythmaker as Storyteller. New York: Oxford

University Press.

ODUDUWA

The orisha Odudua or Oduduwa has a complex

history in Ifa theology that contains female and

male conception of the orisha. There is some

scholarshipthatsuggestsOduduwawasoriginally

474 Oduduwa