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Mythos Atlas

Yoruba Tradition

Orunmila

Also known as Orula, Orunla, Ifa

Illustration of Orunmila, a deity of the Yoruba Tradition
Illustrative imageIllustration of Orunmila. Generated with an AI image model; not a historical artifact. About our images
  • wisdom
  • divination
  • destiny
  • knowledge

The Orisha of wisdom and divination. Orunmila witnessed the creation of the universe and holds the secrets of destiny.

About Orunmila

The Witness of Creation

Orunmila holds a unique position among the Orishas: he was present when Olodumare created the universe and assigned each person their destiny. This makes him the keeper of all knowledge, past, present, and future.

The Ifa System

Orunmila is inseparable from Ifa, the complex divination system that is central to Yoruba religion. The Ifa corpus consists of 256 odu, each containing hundreds of verses, stories, and prescriptions. Babalawo (fathers of secrets) dedicate their lives to mastering this wisdom.

UNESCO Recognition

In 2005, UNESCO proclaimed the Ifa Divination System a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.

Origin story

Orunmila was with Olodumare at the beginning of creation, witnessing the formation of the universe and the assignment of each soul's destiny. He was given the task of bringing this wisdom to humanity through the Ifa divination system.

Across traditions

Parallel figures

Figures who play a role like Orunmila's in other traditions.

Worship and cult

Temples, festivals, and practices recorded for Orunmila

The 256 odu are the temple. Divination, not a spectator festival. Palm nuts, chain, and a long apprenticeship.

Sacred sites

  • Ifa groves; babalawo compounds

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.

  • Oriki Orunmila

    Catalog date: Traditional

About this entry

By Elizabeth Stein for Mythos Atlas. . 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.

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Genealogy

Family tree

Orunmila's parents, consorts, children and rivals, as recorded in the atlas.

Open the full tree