Olorun, Lord of the Universe
(Also spelled Ọlọrun) is the ruler of the Heavens. As the Supreme God or Supreme Being, Olorun is also called Olodumare (Almighty), Olofin-Orun (Lord of Heaven), and Oba-Orun (King of the Sky). Tracing this name to Christianity and Islamic religions, Olorun refers to the Abrahamic God. Humans do not worship Olorun directly, as he is more of an outlying, distant presence. For Yoruba traditions and orisha-based faiths, there is no centralized cosmic authority, because, in part, of the way traditions were scattered throughout the trans-Atlantic slave trade. Hence, there are many ways in which the idea of Olorun is understood.
Olorun is one of two creator gods, the other being the god/goddess Olókun. It is said that while Olorun ruled the skies, Olókun dominated the vast marshy waters below. No other god possessed as much knowledge or power as Olorun. The exact origin of Olorun is a mystery, as he is a sentient, omnipresent, consciousness with no physical form. He can manipulate vast amounts of energy and can control the forces of nature. He is known to communicate telepathically with other orisha. He is also known to be the enabler of those who desire to achieve by any means. Olorun created the universe, appointed time by distinguishing night and day, arranged the seasons, and fixed the destiny of men. When misfortune befalls a bad person, the Yoruba are known to say, “he is under the lashes of god”, referring to Olorun.
There are stories that when Olorun decided to create physical offspring, he took DNA from an advanced race of beings known as the Progeny. From a pair of male and female humanoids, he formed Obatalá and Yemaya. They were then given a dimensional plane in which to rule known as the Oyo Empire. They eventually came across a primitive species called humans, in a realm now known as Earth. This god power couple selected the strongest of the humans they could find on the land known as Africa, particularly focusing on the western region of the landmass, Nigeria, infusing them with a portion of their powers. These infused humans became the orishas. Obatalá and Yemaya eventually produced offspring of their own, establishing the Orisha Royal Court. Humans worshipped the orishas, and they, in turn, were tasked to protect humans from other advanced races across the cosmos. Olorun is one of the oldest Progeny, along with Zeus (Greek mythology), Odin (Germanic, Norse mythology), Atum (Egyptian mythology), and others.
Another origin story says that Olorun obtained a snail shell inside which were a hen, a pigeon, and some soil from the great orisha Nla. Olorun was set out creating the world and mankind. He then threw the soil from the snail shell in one small point of the Earth and upon it placed the hen and the pigeon. From that place called Ife (meaning “wide”), the two animals spread the soil about, creating solid ground. After the creation of mankind, the word Ile (meaning “house”) was added, thus making Ile-Ife the most sacred site and city for the Yoruba people.
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