Olokun
| Olokun | |
|---|---|
Water, Health, and Wealth | |
| Member of Osa | |
| Other names | Olókun |
| Venerated in | Edo religion,Yoruba religion, Candomble, Santeria |
| Region | Nigeria, Benin, Cuba, Brazil |
| Ethnic group | Benin people, Yoruba people |
[1]Olokun the deity associated with the seas and oceans, has long been venerated among the Edo-speaking people of Benin City and the surrounding region of southern Nigeria. Olokun is believed to endow those who honor him with wealth and fertility, bestowing health and wellness upon his followers. As a force of nature, Olokun is a harbinger of the beautiful, and the shrines dedicated to his worship are adorned with an elaborate display of earthen sculptures and an array of many objects and materials including: effigy staffs, pots, sculpted chalks, miniature boats, drums, gongs, bells, and maracas, among other objects.[2]
It is the belief that the complementary use of such visual objects and specific substances such as those collected from various medicinal shrubs and minerals in the construction of the shrine sculptures, combines to activate the potency of the deity during the actual worship experience. Despite the powerful impact of modernity and the increased role of introduced religions, Olokun worship still thrives, supported significantly by related material culture, including the construction of sacred spaces, shrines filled with sculptural forms given an order that can be compared to that of the court of the oba of Benin.[3]
West Africa
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Water deities are "ubiquitous and vitally important in southern Nigeria";[4] Olókun worship is especially noted in the cities of the Yoruba and Edo people in southwest Nigeria. In West African areas directly adjacent to the coast, Olokun takes a male form among his worshipers, while in the hinterland, Olokun is a female deity.[5]
According to Yoruba traditions about their divine dynasty, Olokun - in her female incarnation - was the senior wife of Emperor Oduduwa. Her rivalry with one of his other wives is said to have led to her manifesting the Atlantic Ocean.[6]
Candomblé
[edit]In the Candomblé religion of Brazil, Olokun is venerated as the mother of Yemoja and the owner of the sea. She is recognized in Candomblé terreiros, but not during celebrations. In this respect, Olokun is similar to Odudua and Orunmilá; they held great importance in West Africa but play a minor role in Afro-Brazilian religion. There are no xirê chants dedicated to Olokun as with other orixás. Candomblé initiates recognize the divinity of Olokun but do not hold her as a personal deity. The veneration of Olokun has been revived in the late 20th and early 21st century through visits to Brazil by West African priests.[7]
Olokun is celebrated during the Festival of Yemoja (Festa de Iemanjá).
Santería
[edit]Olokun is an orisha in the religion of Santería. Olokun is an androgynous orisha, meaning Olokun is a man and a woman, depending on if it is the Olokun of Ifá or the Olokun of Ocha.[5][8]
Pataki
[edit]According to The Book Of Ifá, Olokun became enraged and rose to the surface. As Olokun did this to drown the humans, the orishas went to Orunmila to ask him what to do. Orunmila told them that Ogun needed to create the longest chain he could possibly create. It was ultimately Obatala who had the responsibility of imprisoning Olokun in their domain. Knowing this, Obatala went to Ogun and asked him to make the chain and so he did. Obatala then went down into the ocean and trapped Olokun with it.
See also
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References
[edit]- ^ Ẹbọhọn, Ọsẹmwegie (2010). Olokun Worship in Benin Kingdom. Ebohon Centre Publications. ISBN 978-978-34683-3-7.
- ^ "Olokun Shrines: Their Functions In The Culture Of The Benin Speaking People Of Southern Nigeria | Art History Dissertations and Abstracts from North American Institutions". openpublishing.psu.edu. Retrieved 2025-02-06.
- ^ Ezeluomba, Ndubuisi (2019-07-19). "Benin Olokun worship and modernity". nomadit.co.uk. Retrieved 2025-02-06.
- ^ Murphy, Joseph (2001). Ọ̀ṣun across the waters: a Yoruba goddess in Africa and the Americas. Bloomington: Indiana University Press. p. 238. ISBN 9780253108630.
- ^ a b Clark, Mary Ann (2007). Santería : correcting the myths and uncovering the realities of a growing religion. Westport, Conn.: Praeger Publishers. p. 62. ISBN 978-0-275-99079-4.
- ^ "Olokun, Osaara: The Making Of The Atlantic Ocean And The Lagos Lagoon". The Sun.
- ^ Silva, Marcel Franco da (2012). "A polissemia do sagrado em do amor e outros demônios de Gabriel García Márquez". INTERAÇÕES: Cultura e Comunidade. 7 (12): 69–90.
- ^ Babalawo, Santeria's High Priests: Fathers of the Secrets in Afro-Cuban Ifa, Por Frank Baba Eyiogbe, Olokun
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