Unlike the Ashanti of Ghana and Kikuyu of
Kenya, the Yoruba do not have temples, priests,
andaltarsforOlorun,butneverthelessGodisreal
tothepeople.AlthoughtheYorubahavenoimage
of Olorun, that should not be misconstrued to
mean the denial or lack of belief in the Supreme
Being. Rather, it is a mark of the unique position
of Olorun. Although the Yoruba worship some
divinities and venerate some ancestors, they con-
sider these as intermediacies between Olorun and
human beings.
AttributesConsequently, Olorun is credited with omnipres-
ence, omniscience, and omnipotence. The names
of God among the Yoruba have immense impor-
tance and significance. Such names reveal the
people’s concept(s) of God. Olorun is held to be
Oba mimo,Oba pipe(The Holy and Pure King).
Because of these, Olorun is also referred to as
Obati ko leeri(one without blemish). Olorun is
alsoadakedajo(a just and impartial judge, some-
times meting out judgment on the wicked in this
world).HeisEleda(thecreator),Alaye(theliving
one), Elemi (owner of spirit given to human
beings),Oga ogo(the high one or the Lord of
Glory), andAterere-ka-ri-aye(one whose being
and influence extend over the whole Earth).
The MythOne of the creation stories of the Yoruba states
that there was a time when Orun (the skyey
heaven) was close to the Earth. It was even possi-
ble for human beings to touch the skyey Heaven.
It is believed that there was a close association
between Olorun and human beings who had
unhindered access to the good things in Heaven.
However, the bliss was short-lived because a man
with dirty hands touched and made mucky the
immaculate Heaven. Instead of expressing regret
for what the reprobate had done, other people
were joined in washing their dirty hands after
eachmealwiththecloudsthatcoveredthefaceof
God. Olorun became irritated and detached the
skyey Heaven away beyond the reach of human
beings. Henceforth, Olorun could be approached
only through intermediaries. These mediators are
represented in the myriad divinities. This myth
and its implications explain why some authors
have suggested that Olorun is adeus obsconditus
(withdrawn God).Deji Ayegboyin and S.K.OlajideSee alsoNkulunkulu; Orisha; ShangoFurther Readings
Adeoye, C. L. (1985).Igbagbo ati Esin Yoruba. Ibadan,
Nigeria: Evans Brothers.
Awolalu, J. O., & Dopamu, P. A. (1979).West African
Traditional Religion. Ibadan, Nigeria: Onibonoje.
Idowu, E. B. (1962).Olodumare:God in Yoruba Belief.
London: Longman, Nigeria.
Idowu, E. B. (1973).African Traditional Religion:A
Definition. London: SCM Press.
Parrinder, G. (1976).Africa’s Three Religions. London:
Sheldom Press.ONTOLOGY
African ontology is the fundamental hermeneutical
key that unlocks the meaning of African religious
views and practices. Within the discipline of
philosophy of religion or theology, the notion of
ontologyreferstothatbodyofknowledgethatdeals
with the question of being or the nature of reality.
What is the fundamental nature of being? Is reality
unified or are various beings fundamentally differ-
ent from one another? This inquiry begins with the
most fundamental question of all: Why is there
something rather than nothing? In African religion,
this is the question of origin. It is addressed within
the framework of African cosmology and cos-
mogony. This entry leaves such a question to cre-
ation myths and focuses instead on the essential
ontologicalquestion(i.e.,thenatureofbeing).
In African religion, there are a variety of con-
ceptions of being. Water, air, fire, and Earth play
a critical role in African creation myths. But the
fundamental notion remains that humans share a
profound kinship with the whole created world.
The most systematic studies of Bantu ontology
articulated by Alexis Kagame and Mulago gwa
Cikala Musharamina have generated a heated and
ongoingdebatethatshedlightononecentralpoint:
the role that the notion of “vital force” plays in492 Ontology