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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
Page 5 of 19  ·  363 Orisa total
Name Type Domain About
E

Eshu Yangi

Primordial Orisa The Laterite Esu; Esu Born From the Red Earth

Esinlo

Nature Orisa The Horse Spirit; Power of the Sacred Horse

Eso Abiodun

Deified King / Man The Born-on-a-Festival-Day Hero; The Lucky Warrior

Esu

fire
Primordial Orisa crossroads, beginnings Esu (also known as Esu Elegba or Elegbara) is the Orisa of the crossroads, communication,

Esu Aberekoda

Primordial Orisa The Hidden Esu; The Crossroads That Cannot Be Seen

Esu Agba

Primordial Orisa The Elder Esu; The Most Senior Crossroads

Esu Alabwanna

Primordial Orisa The Crossroads Esu of the Road Junction; Keeper of Four Ways

Esu Baba

Primordial Orisa Father Esu; Esu in His Most Ancient and Most Authoritative Form

Esu Elese

Primordial Orisa Esu Who Presses the Foot; The Crossroads Under the Foot

Esu Ibi

Primordial Orisa Esu of the Bad Crossroads; The Crossroads That Cannot Be Avoided

Esu Igberu

Primordial Orisa Esu of the Bush; Crossroads in the Uncultivated Land

Esu Igbo

Primordial Orisa Esu of the Forest; The Crossroads Within the Trees

Esu Ijibu

Primordial Orisa Esu of the Ijebu Roads; The Crossroads of Ijebu Country

Esu Ina

Primordial Orisa Esu of Fire; The Hot Crossroads

Esu Laalu

Primordial Orisa The Laughing Esu; The Trickster in His Most Joyful Form

Esu Laroye

fire
Primordial Orisa eloquent communication, opening paths th Esu Laroye is the avatar of Esu governing eloquent communication and commercial pathways —

Esu Oba

Primordial Orisa The Royal Crossroads; Esu at the King's Gate

Esu Odara

Primordial Orisa The Good Esu; Esu in His Most Benevolent Avatar

Esu Ogiri Oko

Primordial Orisa Esu of the Farm Boundary; Guardian of Agricultural Crossroads

Esu Ojiji

Primordial Orisa Esu of the Shadow; The Crossroads in the Dark

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.