Yorubas Account of Creation Oduduwa the legendary progenitor of the Yoruba was sent on a mission by Olodumare (God) together with his elder brother Obatala to create the earth. They were given a chain, a handful of mud, a five toed fowl and a guidance note. On their way though, they found palmwine somewhere by the way, Obatala drank himself into a stupor, Oduduwa picked the items and continued the journey leaving his brother behind. He got to the point of commencing, he was a little bit timid but a chameleon encouraged him, the Chameleon made him to understand that there was no going back. Oduduwa lowered the chain from heaven till it reached the earth which was primeval ocean. He threw the mud across the earth and lowered the fowl unto it to help disperse it all across. Oduduwa stepped on earth (the first person on earth), he planted a nut and thereafter, a mighty tree with sixteen branches appeared to represent the Yoruba clans and early life at Ile-Ife. This opportunistic creation by Oduduwa led to an unending conflict between both brothers. After successful creation of the world, Oduduwa became the first supreme king of Yoruba, and Obatala was said to have created the first humans out of mud and clay. This story is very much adhered to by followers of the Yoruba religion, they do not only believe that Ile-Ife was the origin of the Yoruba but that of the world in general.
Posted on: Wed, 20 Nov 2013 20:05:21 +0000
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