Ọbàtálá
The Yoruba arch-divinity who helped shape the earth, created land from water, and molded the first human figurines.
↻ synthesized from 11 sources
When
- First attested
- 3000 BCE
- Attested period
- -3000 – 2020
- Historical notes
- Primordial supernatural being from ancient Ile-Ife Kingdom.
Relationships
- co occurs with
- Oricha, Eleguá, Ochosi, Ochún, Changó, Yemaja, Oyá, Babalú Ayé, Osain, Orula, Ibeyi, Olosá, Agagyú, spirits of the dead, Yemaya, family ancestors, Obalufon Ogbogbodirin, Obalufon Alayemore, Obalufon Deity, Oranfe, Oranyan, Mọremí, Eṣu, Ṣàngó, Oko, Aganju, Ọsanyin, Elédùa, Agẹmọ, Ọ̀ṣọ́ọ̀sì, Ọbaluaye, Ayé, Ajé, Odù, Elders of the Night, Awon Iya Wa, Ọ̀rúnmìlà, Exu, Ajogun
- allied with
- Osangangan Obamakin, Obawinrin, Yemoja, Yemòó, Odùduwà, Ogun, Obalufon Ogbogboinrin
- syncretized with
- Our Lady of Mercy, Jesus Of Nazareth
- consort of
- Yemowo
- served by
- Yemòó
Mentioned by
Sources
Source passages
“the arch-divinity Obàtálá took to the stage equipped with a mollusc that concealed some form of soil, winged beasts, and some cloth-like material.”
#128 · extracted by claude-sonnet-4-6
“Some of the priests of Yemọja believe that she used her fresh water to help Ọbàtálá in the molding of human beings out of clay.”
#3299 · extracted by google/gemini-2.0-flash-001
“Ọbàtálá - creator of human bodies; oriṣa of light, spiritual purity, and moral uprightness.”
#20994 · extracted by google/gemini-2.0-flash-001
“Opeola states that "any Òrìṣà regarded [as essential] in creation, childbirth, protection of a town also possesses the power of Àjé" (including Ọbàtálá, Ọbalúayé, Ògún, to name a few orisha). However, with its origins cosmically in Odù, the womb of existence, and biologically in the menstruating, conceiving, birthing wombs of existence, African women are the owners and controllers of àje.”
#23787 · extracted by google/gemini-2.0-flash-001