Yoruba Tradition
Olodumare
Also known as Olorun, Olofi, Eledumare
- creation
- supreme power
- cosmic order
- destiny
The supreme creator deity in Yoruba religion, who exists beyond human comprehension. Olodumare created the universe and delegated specific powers to the Orishas, who serve as intermediaries between the supreme being and humanity.
About Olodumare
The Owner of Eternal Heavens
Olodumare is the supreme deity of Yoruba religion, whose name means 'Owner of Eternal Heavens' or 'Almighty.' Unlike the Orishas who actively intervene in human affairs, Olodumare is considered too transcendent for direct worship. Instead, prayers reach the supreme being through the Orishas.
The Source of Ashe
Olodumare is the source of Ashe, the divine energy that permeates all things and makes magic, prayer, and transformation possible. Every Orisha possesses Ashe given by Olodumare, and humans seek to align themselves with this cosmic power through ritual and righteous living.
Creator of All
In Yoruba cosmology, Olodumare created the universe from the primordial void, then delegated the task of shaping the earth to Obatala and other Orishas. After creation, Olodumare withdrew to the highest heavens (Orun), observing but rarely intervening directly.
The Three Aspects
Some traditions speak of three aspects: Olodumare (creator), Olorun (sun and heavens), and Olofi (communicator with Orishas). Whether these are three separate beings or three faces of one deity varies by tradition.
Origin story
Olodumare has always existed, before time and space, in the eternal heavens of Orun. From this supreme being emerged all creation: first the Orishas, then the primordial waters, then the earth and all living things.
Across traditions
Parallel figures
Figures who play a role like Olodumare's in other traditions.
HinduBrahmaIllustrationBoth are supreme creator deities who delegate to lesser gods
Compare Olodumare and Brahma side by side
Worship and cult
Temples, festivals, and practices recorded for Olodumare
Too high for ordinary sacrifice. Ashe comes from here and is handled by orishas. White, the sun, and the refusal to make a statue. Yoruba cult is mediation: you do not drop in on the owner of heaven.
Sacred sites
- No direct temple; every orisha house is downstream of Olodumare
Festivals
- Ifa divination as the supreme being's speech through Orunmila
Family
In the atlas
Where Olodumare appears
Sources and further reading
Source notes
These references are recorded in the catalog. Their passage wording and translation have not been checked, so quotations are not displayed here.
- Ifa Oral Tradition
About this entry
By Elizabeth Stein for Mythos Atlas. About the author. Editorial notes are grounded in the site's cited sources and can be challenged through the contact page.
Parallels are editorial comparisons across traditions: a shared role does not, by itself, establish a shared origin.
Family relationships come from the atlas's kinship records. Ancient sources often disagree on divine genealogy.
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Genealogy
Family tree
Olodumare's parents, consorts, children and rivals, as recorded in the atlas.