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Epilda Sacred Knowledge

The Orisa Yoruba Pantheon

The complete sacred record of the 400+1 Orisa Yoruba deities — their stories, taboos, domains, sacrifices, myths and divine mysteries. Preserved and honored as living spiritual truth.

400+1 Sacred Orisa
15 Divine Categories
7 African Powers
∞ Living Tradition

The Seven African Powers

Obatala

King of the White Cloth; Sculptor of Human Bodies; Orisa-nla
Air

Orunmila

Witness to Creation; Grand Priest of Ifa; The Knower of All
Air

Esu

The Divine Messenger; Guardian of the Crossroads; Keeper of
Fire

Ogun

Lord of Iron; God of War, Labor, and the Road; Patron of Smi
Iron

Sango

Oba Koso — The King Who Did Not Hang; Lord of Thunder and Li
Fire

Yemoja

Mother of Fish; Mother Whose Children Are Like Fish — Countl
Water

Osun

Yeye Osun — Sweet Mother; Owner of the Brass; Queen of the S
Water

Oya

She Who Tears — Owner of Winds and Storms; Guardian of the C
Wind

Olokun

Owner of the Ocean Floor; Master of the Abyss; Lord of Deep
Water

Babalu-Aye

Father, Lord of the Earth; He Who Heals the Earth of Its Aff
Earth
⊕   ✦   ⊕   ✦   ⊕

The Divine Categories

Browse the Orisa Yoruba pantheon by celestial domain and spiritual nature.

Supreme Being & Creator
Olórun / Olódùmarè
The highest level of the Yoruba divine hierarchy. Olódumarè is the uncreated, all-knowin
1 Orisa
Primordial Orisa
Orisa Àtijọ́
These are the oldest Orisa ÔÇö the divine forces created before human beings walked the ea
14 Orisa
Sky & Celestial Orisa
Orisa Òrun
Orisa who govern the heavens, stars, lightning, sky phenomena, and the cosmic order. They
23 Orisa
Earth & Iron Orisa
Orisa Ilè àti Irin
Orisa of the earth, iron, war, roads, and the forces that shape the physical world. Ogun a
14 Orisa
Water Orisa
Orisa Omi
The great Orisa of rivers, oceans, rain and freshwater sources. They govern fertility, abu
34 Orisa
Forest & Herbalist Orisa
Orisa Igb├│
Orisa who rule the deep forest, medicinal herbs, hunters, healers, and the secret wisdom o
17 Orisa
Crossroads & Trickster Orisa
Orisa Ona
Orisa who govern transitions, beginnings, choices, communication, and the mischief of fate
5 Orisa
Death, Fate & Illness Orisa
Orisa Ikú àti Àárẹ̀
These Orisa govern death, disease, fate, and the forces that mark the boundary of life. Ba
11 Orisa
Deified Kings & Heroes
ß║©ni T├¡ A Gb├® S├│r├¡ ├Ærun
Historical men of extraordinary power who were elevated to divine status after death or at
26 Orisa
Deified Queens & Heroines
Ayaba Ol├│run
Remarkable women ÔÇö queens, prophetesses, and warriors ÔÇö who transcended their mortal l
4 Orisa
Children Orisa & Twins
Orisa Ọmọ
Orisa associated with children, birth, twins, and the spirit of play and innocence. The Ib
3 Orisa
Ajogun ÔÇö Anti-Divine Forces
Àjogún
The Ajogun are the opposing forces in the Yoruba universe ÔÇö not evil in a Western sense,
6 Orisa
Ancestors & Egungun
Eg├║ng├║n
The Egungun represent the collective power of the ancestral dead. Their masquerades are th
3 Orisa
Regional & Local Orisa
Orisa Ìbílẹ̀
Orisa whose worship is centered in specific towns, regions, or ethnic sub-groups within Yo
202 Orisa
Orisa of the Diaspora
Orisa Àkúdàáyà
Orisa whose primary prominence grew in the New World diaspora ÔÇö Afro-Cuban Lucum├¡/Sante
25 Orisa
✦ ✦ ✦

Principal Orisa

The most widely revered deities of the Yoruba sacred tradition

Olódumarè

The Owner of the Filled Calabash; the Almighty; the Infinite Source
Creation Destiny

Obatala

King of the White Cloth; Sculptor of Human Bodies; Orisa-nla
Creation Purity

Oduduwa

Progenitor of the Yoruba; First King of Ile-Ife; Owner of the Earth
Creation of earth Kingship

Orunmila

Witness to Creation; Grand Priest of Ifa; The Knower of All Destinies
Divination Wisdom

Esu

The Divine Messenger; Guardian of the Crossroads; Keeper of Àṣẹ
Crossroads Beginnings

Ogun

Lord of Iron; God of War, Labor, and the Road; Patron of Smiths
Iron War

Sango

Oba Koso — The King Who Did Not Hang; Lord of Thunder and Lightning
Thunder Lightning

Yemoja

Mother of Fish; Mother Whose Children Are Like Fish — Countless and Be
Water Motherhood

Osun

Yeye Osun — Sweet Mother; Owner of the Brass; Queen of the Sacred Rive
Love Fertility

Oya

She Who Tears — Owner of Winds and Storms; Guardian of the Cemetery
Wind Storms

Olokun

Owner of the Ocean Floor; Master of the Abyss; Lord of Deep Wealth
Deep ocean Mystery

Babalu-Aye

Father, Lord of the Earth; He Who Heals the Earth of Its Afflictions
Smallpox Disease
✦ ✦ ✦

All Orisa Yoruba — A to Z

Every deity in the sacred Orisa Yoruba pantheon, arranged alphabetically.

All Primordial Deified Men Deified Women Nature Orisa Ajogun
158 results — Primordial  ·  Clear filters
Name Type Domain About
O

Osun Abeokuta

Primordial Orisa Osun at Abeokuta; The River Near the Sacred Rock

Osun Afolabi

Primordial Orisa Osun Who Wears the Crown; Queenly Authority of the River

Osun Aponbibe

Primordial Orisa Osun Who Shoots From Above; Divine Arrow of Sweetness

Osun Aro

Primordial Orisa Osun Who Heals the Sick; The Healing River

Osun Asebi

Primordial Orisa Osun of the Sacred Calabash; Water Held in Holy Vessel

Osun Eko

Primordial Orisa Osun of Lagos; The River Goddess in the City

Osun Ibu Adefunke

Primordial Orisa Osun Who Has Given the Crown of Beauty; The Blessed Water

Osun Ibu Akuaro

Primordial Orisa Osun of the Quail; The Hidden River Aspect

Osun Ibu Aoto

Primordial Orisa Osun Whose Pot Is Full; The Avatar of Complete Abundance

Osun Ibu Awoyemi

Primordial Orisa Osun of the Water Children; She Who Keeps the Young Safe

Osun Ibu Elemii

Primordial Orisa Osun Who Has Spirits; Osun's Most Spirit-Filled Avatar

Osun Ibu Funke

Primordial Orisa Osun Who Uses Her Intelligence; The Wise River

Osun Ibu Ido

Primordial Orisa Osun of the Sacred Gathering Space; The Communal River

Osun Ibu Kolade

Primordial Orisa Osun Who Brings Honor From Above; The Crown of Osun's Blessing

Osun Ibu Kolé

water
Primordial Orisa the vulture's wisdom, transformation thr Osun Ibu Kolé is the darkest, most initiatory avatar of Osun — the aspect that governs the

Osun Ibu Laro

Primordial Orisa Osun at the Blue River; The River in Its Deepest Blue Clarity

Osun Ibu Lodo

water
Primordial Orisa everyday water access, the sacred ordina Osun Ibu Lodo is the most accessible avatar of Osun — the divine presence in everyday wate

Osun Ibu Mayelewo

Primordial Orisa Osun Who Profits Gracefully; Wealth Through Wisdom

Osun Ibu Mole

Primordial Orisa Osun of the Underground Waters; Hidden River Goddess

Osun Ibu Mosan

Primordial Orisa Osun of the Odo River at Mosan; The Local Sacred River

About the Orisa Yoruba Tradition

The Yoruba people of West Africa — primarily in present-day Nigeria, Benin, and Togo — have one of the richest and most sophisticated spiritual traditions in human history. At the heart of this tradition are the Orisa: divine forces who embody every aspect of nature, human experience, and cosmic law. The Yoruba pantheon is traditionally expressed as 400+1 Orisa, reflecting the understanding that the divine is not closed by a finite count but remains living and expansive.

The Orisa fall into several categories: the primordial Orisa created by Ọlọdùmarè before the world was formed; nature Orisa who embody rivers, storms, forests and the sea; and deified humans — kings, queens, warriors and healers of extraordinary power who were elevated to divine status. Each Orisa has their own domain, their own taboos, their own sacrificial requirements, and their own rich mythology encoded in the Odu Ifa — the sacred corpus of Yoruba divination wisdom.

The worship of the Orisa survived the Middle Passage and took root across the Americas, giving birth to Santería in Cuba, Candomblé in Brazil, Trinidad's Shango-Baptist faith, and Vodou in Haiti. Today, Orisa worship is practiced by hundreds of millions of people worldwide.