Oduduwa

(noun)

The King of Ile-Ife, whose name is generally ascribed to the ancestral dynasties of Yorubaland because he is held by the Yoruba to have been the ancestor of their numerous crowned kings. Following his posthumous deification, he was admitted to the Yoruba pantheon as an aspect of a primordial divinity of the same name.

Related Terms

Examples of Oduduwa in the following topics:

  • The Yoruba States

    • Therefore, his younger brother, Oduduwa, took the three items of creation from him, climbed down from the heavens on a chain, and threw a handful of earth on the primordial ocean, then put a cockerel on it so that it would scatter the earth, thus creating the land on which Ile-Ife would be built.
    • On account of his creation of the world, Oduduwa became the ancestor of the first divine king of the Yoruba, while Obatala is believed to have created the first Yoruba people out of clay.
    • Until today, the Oòni (or king) of Ife claims direct descent from Oduduwa.

  • Ile-Ife

    • According to their mythology, Oduduwa created the world where Ile-Ife would be built, and his brother Obatala created the first humans out of clay.

  • Ile-Ife and Benin Sculpture

    • According to Yoruba faith, the city of Ife is where all of humanity originated: Oduduwa created the world where Ife would be built, and his brother Obatala created the first humans out of clay.