Olodumare, the god with no images, shrines

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Olodumare

According to the Yoruba, Olodumare is omnipotent and the source of all things. Because Olodumare is not directly involved in human affairs, he relies on his sons and daughters to address human concerns through divination, possession, and sacrifice.

Olodumare, on the other hand, is in charge of everything when they go to sleep at night. Odumare is the name of a divine entity that has no parents and is both bound and unbound by space, time, or dimension.

There are no images, shrines, or sacrifices made directly to Olodumare in Yoruba tradition. Some people question whether Olodumare is worshipped directly because of his distance from humanity. Many others worship Olodumare directly.

In addition to being the source of virtue and mortality, Olodumare is the one who bestows knowledge upon all people at birth. As well as being omnipotent, transcendental, and all-knowing, he also has the capacity for both good and evil.

Olodumare is invoked by the Yoruba when other deities (orishas) are unwilling or unable to assist.

An orisa is a person who lived on earth at the time of its creation and is the ancestor of today’s humans. All of these supernatural beings known as orisa represent human activity as well as natural forces (egungun, ajogun).

It was Olodumare, according to Yoruba mythology, who fashioned the universe’s other forces so that it could continue its evolution.

The sky and Olodumare were once much closer to the earth than they are now. When man began eating from the sky and wiping his hands on it, he offended God.

In response, God and the sky distanced themselves from the earth. Olodumare has ruled the world from afar ever since.

Olodumare, according to Yoruba tradition, held back the rain because orishas had misbehaved, and instead of destroying them, he let them learn from their mistakes and suffer during the drought.

The orishas implored Olodumare to pardon them, but he was too high in the sky to hear them. Orishas were unable to contact him despite their best attempts.

Oshun, the least noticed orisha, volunteered to try. She transformed into a peacock and flew to the heavens. But her feathers were damaged and fell off, and she became a vulture as a result. She continued to fly, and eventually reached Olodumare.

He was grateful for her sacrifice and perseverance, and he brought rain. Olodumare made her the messenger, the only orisha allowed into the heavens to communicate with him.

Some Yorubas still worship Olodumare while some do not and call on God as Olodumare.