Yoruba Tradition
Yemoja
Also known as Yemaya, Iemanja, Yemanja
- ocean
- motherhood
- fertility
- protection
- fish
The Orisha of the ocean and motherhood. Yemoja is the great mother of many Orishas and all sea creatures.
About Yemoja
Mother of the Ocean
Yemoja is the great mother Orisha, whose name means 'Mother whose children are fish.' Originally associated with the Ogun River in Nigeria, she became the goddess of the ocean during the Middle Passage, as enslaved Africans prayed to her during the horrific Atlantic crossing.
Mother of Many
Yemoja is considered the mother of numerous Orishas, including Shango, Ogun, and others. She is particularly protective of women, especially pregnant women and new mothers, and of children.
The Middle Passage
Yemoja's importance exploded during the transatlantic slave trade. As millions of Africans crossed the ocean in chains, they prayed to the river goddess for protection. She answered by becoming the ocean itself.
Festival and Worship
In Brazil, the Festival of Iemanja (February 2) sees millions of people offering flowers, perfume, and mirrors to the ocean. In Cuba, she is syncretized with Our Lady of Regla.
Origin story
Yemoja was created by Olodumare as the embodiment of maternal waters. Originally dwelling in the Ogun River in Nigeria, she accompanied her children across the Atlantic, becoming the goddess of the ocean itself.
Across traditions
Parallel figures
Figures who play a role like Yemoja's in other traditions.
GreekTethysIllustrationBoth are primordial mother goddesses of the sea
Compare Yemoja and Tethys side by side
Worship and cult
Temples, festivals, and practices recorded for Yemoja
Mother of many orisha, salt or sweet water depending on the house. The cult is the water's edge and children.
Sacred sites
- River and ocean shrines; Brazilian Iemanja on the shore
Festivals
- Yemoja festival; New Year offerings to the sea in the diaspora
Family
Questions about Yemoja's family
- Who are Yemoja's parents?
- The atlas's kinship records name one parent of Yemoja: Nana Buruku. Ancient accounts do not always agree on divine parentage.
- Who are Yemoja's children?
- Children of Yemoja recorded in the atlas: Oshun.
- Who are Yemoja's siblings?
- Siblings of Yemoja recorded in the atlas: Olokun.
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 Yemoja
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
Yemoja's parents, consorts, children and rivals, as recorded in the atlas.