The Codex
13 gods & spirits
Yoruba Mythology
Not a mythology recovered from ruins: Yorùbá religion is practised now, in southwestern Nigeria, Benin and Togo. There is no single pantheon — which òrìṣà are served, and what each holds, shifts by town, river and lineage. Lucumí and Candomblé carry these names onward as traditions of their own.
13 gods & spirits
Olorun
owner of the sky, the breath in all
Obatala
sculptor of bodies, king in white
Yemoja
mother whose waters are the sea
Ogun
lord of iron and the cleared path
Shango
the thunder that dances
Oshun
sweet water, honey and gold
Eshu
keeper of the crossroads
Oya
the wind that clears the way for change
Orunmila
witness to destiny, voice of Ifá
Osanyin
keeper of the leaves and their healing
Babalú-Ayé
lord of plague and its passing
Aganjú
the volcano and the wild places
Olokun
the unknowable deep of the sea