It is virtually impossible to understand the Yoruba worldview without a good understanding of Mythology - the study of myths.
A myth is a traditional folktale that explains the origin and early history of a people and their culture.
Like any other ancient culture (Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Jewish, Babylonian etc), the Yoruba have their own creation myth - a very colourful one indeed.
According to the Yoruba oral traditions, the world was created at Ilé-Ifẹ̀ (literally - The start of spreading) and the Yoruba were the first humans to walk the face of planet Earth and from them went forth other races to populate the Earth.
The implication of this is that the ancient Yoruba were the progenitors of the human race! According to the legend, the progenitors descended from the sky using a chain!
The implication of this is that the ancient Yoruba were the progenitors of the human race! According to the legend, the progenitors descended from the sky using a chain!
This may sound incredible or ridiculous to many people these days but at least, compared to other creation myths, this is one of the closest to the scientific truth that humans came out of Africa.
The creation narrative as captured in Ọ̀fún Méjì goes like...
Àtẹlẹwọ́ f’ode ṣọ̀kan
Àtànpàkò ya ara rẹ̀ lọtọọ̀tọ̀
A dífá fun Olódùmarè, Atẹ́-aiyé-matu,
Ọ̀yin fẹrẹ̀ fẹ̀rẹ̀, awo ilé Ọ̀rúnmìlà,
Kékeré ni mo ti j’olu
O dífá fún Oòduà, A-tẹ̀wọ̀n-rọ,
Ọ̀yin fẹrẹ̀ fẹ̀rẹ̀, awo Alaràn
A dífá fún gbogbo Ẹ̀-jẹ-n-din-lógún awọn isòrò
Ti nwọn yóó f’ori-k’ori l’alade-ọ̀run,
Láti fi idi ayé sílẹ̀
S’órí alagbalúgbú omi.
Àtànpàkò ya ara rẹ̀ lọtọọ̀tọ̀
A dífá fun Olódùmarè, Atẹ́-aiyé-matu,
Ọ̀yin fẹrẹ̀ fẹ̀rẹ̀, awo ilé Ọ̀rúnmìlà,
Kékeré ni mo ti j’olu
O dífá fún Oòduà, A-tẹ̀wọ̀n-rọ,
Ọ̀yin fẹrẹ̀ fẹ̀rẹ̀, awo Alaràn
A dífá fún gbogbo Ẹ̀-jẹ-n-din-lógún awọn isòrò
Ti nwọn yóó f’ori-k’ori l’alade-ọ̀run,
Láti fi idi ayé sílẹ̀
S’órí alagbalúgbú omi.
English Translation…
Àtẹlẹwọ́ f’ode ṣọ̀kan (The palm presents a unified face)
Àtànpàkò ya ara rẹ̀ lọtọọ̀tọ̀ (The thumb separates itself from other fingers)
Cast Ifa for Olodumare
The Sovereign Being in heaven who made the earth which can never go barren.
Two other Ifa priests
Ọ̀yin fẹrẹ̀ fẹ̀rẹ̀, awo ilé Ọ̀rúnmìlà (The quiet Chief priest of Ọ̀rúnmìlà compound)
Kékeré ni mo ti j’olu (From Childhood I became great)
Also cast Ifa for Ọ̀rúnmìlà himself,
Who is also called Oòduà,
The one who came down by a chain
From heaven down to the earth.
Still another Ifa priest,
Ọ̀yin fẹrẹ̀ fẹ̀rẹ̀, awo Alaràn (The quiet Chief priest in velvet apparel)
Cast Ifa for all the divinities
Who were the elders of heaven,
When all of them consulted in heaven
For the purpose of laying the bedrock of the earth,
On the primeval expanse of water
That submerged the uninhabited earth.
Àtànpàkò ya ara rẹ̀ lọtọọ̀tọ̀ (The thumb separates itself from other fingers)
Cast Ifa for Olodumare
The Sovereign Being in heaven who made the earth which can never go barren.
Two other Ifa priests
Ọ̀yin fẹrẹ̀ fẹ̀rẹ̀, awo ilé Ọ̀rúnmìlà (The quiet Chief priest of Ọ̀rúnmìlà compound)
Kékeré ni mo ti j’olu (From Childhood I became great)
Also cast Ifa for Ọ̀rúnmìlà himself,
Who is also called Oòduà,
The one who came down by a chain
From heaven down to the earth.
Still another Ifa priest,
Ọ̀yin fẹrẹ̀ fẹ̀rẹ̀, awo Alaràn (The quiet Chief priest in velvet apparel)
Cast Ifa for all the divinities
Who were the elders of heaven,
When all of them consulted in heaven
For the purpose of laying the bedrock of the earth,
On the primeval expanse of water
That submerged the uninhabited earth.
THE YORUBA´S CULTURA AN RELIGION ARE VERY IMPORTANT IN THE FUTURE POINT OF VIEW OF THE COSMOS INFLUENCES IN THE HUMAN LIFE AND IN THE EARTH EVOLUTION. JCG.
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