Ọlọrun
| Ọlọrun | |
|---|---|
Monarch of the Heavens, Supreme Monarch of Deities, Sky, Earth, Universe | |
| Member ofOrisha | |
 ObatalaPriests | |
| Other names | Olorun, Olodumare, Olafin-Orun, Olofi, Olofin |
| Venerated in | Yoruba religion,Umbanda,Candomble,Santeria,Haitian Vodou,Folk Catholicism |
| Region | Yorubaland,parts ofLatin America |
| Ethnic group | Yoruba |
Olorun(Yoruba Alpha bet:Ọlọrun) (Ede language:ɔlɔrun) is the ruler of (or in) the Heavens creator of the Yoruba. The Supreme Deity or Supreme Being in theYoruba pantheon,Olorun is also calledOlodumare(Yoruba Alpha bet:Olódùmarè), Eledumare and Eleduwa/Eledua.
In Yoruba culture, Ọlọrun is credited with creating the universe and all living things. Ọlọrun is frequently perceived as a compassionate entity who protects its creations and is thought to be omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. Humans do not worship Olorun directly; there are no sacred areas of worship, no iconography, nor ordained person. Olorun is outlying, distant, and does not partake in human rituals. There are no shrines or sacrifices dedicated directly to them, although followers can send prayers in their direction.[1][2]
Olorun has no gender in the Ifá Literary Corpus, and is always referred to as an entity who exists in spiritual form only.[3][4]Christian missionaries, such asBolaji Idowu,aimed to reinterpret traditional Yoruba culture as consistent with Christian theology as a way of pushing conversion. The first translation of the Bible into Yoruba in the late 1800s bySamuel Ajayi Crowthercontroversially adopted traditional Yoruba names, such as "Olodumare/Olorun" for "God" and "Eshu"for the devil, and thus began associating Olorun with the male gender.[3]
For Yoruba traditions, there is no centralized authority; because of this, there are many different ways that Yoruba people and their descendants or orisa-based faiths can understand the idea of Olorun.[1]
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| Yoruba religion |
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Historically, the Yoruba worship Olorun through the agency of the orisa; thus there is no image, shrine or sacrifice made directly towards Olorun, since Olorun is known to BE everything, and everywhere.[1]There is some controversy about whether Olodumare is directly worshiped, due to their aloofness from humanity, or due to the belief that Olorun already is ALL manifestation of life and existence, and the believer is bound to be grateful and loving towards all existence, and all beings, since Olorun IS everything.[5][6]However, there are those who also worship Olodumare directly. Olodumare is the origin of virtue and mortality, and bestows the knowledge of things upon all persons when they are born. Olorun is omnipotent, transcendent, unique, all knowing, good, and evil.[5]Theseorisaor orishas are supernatural beings, both good (egungun) and bad (ajogun), who represent human activity and natural forces, all at the same time, and is all harmonious, all possessed of equilibrium and worth.[7]
Western ideology
[edit]In Trinidad Orisha, this God is known as Orun.[8][further explanation needed]Creator of the cosmology and all that exists,Ayé.[8]
Etymology
[edit]From theYoruba language,Olorun's name is a contraction of the wordsoní(which denotes ownership or rulership) andọ̀run(which means theHeavens,abode of the spirits).
Another name, Olodumare, comes from the phrase "O ní odù mà rè" meaning "the owner of the source of creation that does not become empty," "or the All Sufficient".[9][10][11][6]
In popular culture
[edit]- Olorun is mentioned in the song "the rhythm of the saints" from the 1990 solo albumThe Rhythm of the SaintsbyPaul Simon.
- Olorun appears as one of the gods in theSmitegame series.
References
[edit]- ^abcR., Prothero, Stephen (2010).God is not one: the eight rival religions that run the world(First HarperCollins paperback ed.). [New York, New York].ISBN9780061571282.OCLC726921148.
{{cite book}}:CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^Akintoye, Adebenji (2010). "Chapter 2: The Development of Early Yoruba Society".A History of the Yoruba People.Senegal: Amalion Publishing.ISBN978-2-35926-005-2.
- ^abAbímbólá, Kólá (2005). "Chapter 3: The Yorùbá Cosmos".Yorùbá Culture: A Philosophical Account.Great Britain: Ìrókò Academic Publishers.ISBN9781483535944.
- ^Mligo, Elia Shabani (2013). "Chapter 3: The Concept of God".Elements of Traditional African Religion.Eugene, Oregon: Resource Publications.ISBN978-1-62564-070-3.
- ^abBewaji, John (1998). "Olodumare: God in Yoruba Belief and the Theistic Problem of Evil" (PDF).African Studies Quarterly.
- ^abEkundayo, Adejuwonlo; Ekundayo, Olugbemiga (2020),Spirituality and Mental Health: An Ifa Overview,INARC Corp, U.S.,ISBN978-0-9815-674-0-2,Kindle EditionASINB08FCVVKYG
- ^Peel, JYL (2016). "The Three Circles of Yoruba Religion".University of California Press:214–232.
- ^abSalamone, Frank A. (2004). Levinson, David (ed.).Encyclopedia of Religious Rites, Rituals, and Festivals.New York:Routledge.p. 24.ISBN0-415-94180-6.
- ^Ayegboyin, Deji; Olajide, S. K. (2009), "Olodumare",Encyclopedia of African Religion,Sage Publications, Inc.,doi:10.4135/9781412964623.n306,ISBN9781412936361,retrieved 2019-10-10
- ^Cynthia Duncan, Ph.D.About Santeria
- ^Mobolaji Idowu (1994),Olódùmarè God in Yorùbá BeliefLongman NigeriaISBN9780582608030
- Ogumefu, M. I.,Yorùbá Legends,London, The Sheldon Press, 1929.
- Idowu, E. Bôlaji.,Olódùmarè:God in Yorùbá Belief,London, Longmans, 1962.
- Adebola Omolara Adebileje, '"A Comparative Description of Affixation Processes in English and Yoruba"
- Asante, Molefi K. and Ama Mazama, editors.Encyclopedia of African Religion.Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc., 2009. Sage Knowledge, 13 Apr 2023,doi:10.4135/9781412964623.
