M NEXUS INSIGHT
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What is Obatala used for?

By Lily Fisher

What is Obatala used for?

Obatala is Olodumare’s representative on Earth and the shaper of human beings. According to the oral traditions of Ife, the mortal Obatala was the founder of and the king of Ife during its classical period. His position as the King was challenged by Oduduwa who assumed leadership of the town for a brief moment.

What are the powers of Obatala?

Powers. Immortality: As a god, Obatala is virtually immortal. He cannot be destroyed through conventional means, and he will never age.

How many paths are there in Obatala?

Obatala: Four Paths to Equanimity.

Who is Obatala wife?

Oduduwa
Oduduwa (Odudua, Oduwa) is the chief goddess of the Yoruba, the creator; she represents the earth. She is the wife of Obatala, but she is contemporary with Olorun—not made by him, as was her husband.

Was Obatala a real person?

History records it that Obatala was the ruler of the indigenous peoples of southwestern Nigeria when they were conquered by Oduduwa. The exact date of the encounter remains problematic, owing largely to the nature of the source of information, oral tradition.

Is Obatala a God?

The most powerful and sweetest god is Obatala, a universally known deity. Much like Christian Jesus, Obatala is the child of god. Olorun, the father, permitted Obatala, the child, to descend from the heavens, create land over the waters, and template human bodies from popo (mud and clay).

How do you honor Obatala?

Obatala is honored with brilliant white cloth, white lace, white beads and cowries, white flowers, silver coins, and silver jewelry. He is honored with white hens, snails, white melon soup, pounded yams, and other white food such as eko, fermented corn wrapped in plantain leaves.

Is Obatala male or female?

Obatala does not have a permanent gender. He is androgynous. He is married to Yemaya, the goddess of oceans and the godmother of Orishas.

Who is Yemaya’s husband?

Abeokuta, the capital of Ogun state, is the site of her principal shrine; she is especially celebrated in the Ibara quarter of that city. Yemonja is frequently portrayed as the wife of various male personified orisha, such as Obatala, Okere, Orisha Oko, and Erinle.

Who is Shango’s wife?

He had three wives, namely Queen Oshun, Queen Oba, and Queen Oya.

Is Obatala the Creator?

Obatala was the creator. In the beginning, the earth was water. Olodumare, the supreme being and sky god, summoned Obatala (Orisa-nla), charging him with the first act of creation—the making of land. Obatala descended to earth with a hen with five toes, a pigeon, and a calabash containing a piece of dry soil.