The Gods Descend from Heaven (Yoruba myth)

Author: Traditional Yoruba

Time Period: 1001 CE–1500 CE

Country or Culture: Africa

Genre: Myth

PLOT SUMMARY

The chief priest of the Yoruba people, Arába, tells how the gods descended from heaven long ago. The supreme god, Arámfè, sent forth the gods from heaven to create the earth, along with Odudúwa, the father of the Yorubas. Odudúwa had earlier taken from heaven a bag filled with soil so that humanity could benefit once the world came into being. The gods, along with Odudúwa, were made to journey far across a barren desert before they could descend to the earth. They reached a high cliff, overlooking the dark depths of the sea far below, leaving behind them the vast wasteland. Odudúwa appealed to his uncle Orísha, the creator god, asking why Arámfè would make them take such a journey as though they were outcasts.

Orísha answered by reminding Odudúwa that he had stolen from the gods, including Orísha himself, to give gifts to humanity in order to win their favor. Orísha then said that he longed to use his talents to create humanity, especially since he and Odudúwa could not return to heaven without Arámfè’s knowledge. Thus, Odudúwa set about his job, lowering a chain to the dark sea so that each god could be brought into position to perform his or her own task.

Odudúwa sent his priest, Ojúmu, to sprinkle the sand on the ocean and commanded a magical, five-clawed bird to build the earth, including the hills and the deep forests. As the land emerged from the sea, lagoons and bays appeared. However, the waters pounded the shores, threatening to undo the creation of the land. Odudúwa thus sent Olókun, the goddess of the sea, and Olóssa, the goddess of lagoons, to tend to the coastline and ensure that humanity, once introduced to the earth, would not suffer the wrath of the sea.

Odudúwa and the gods still lamented the mandate Arámfè placed on them—they did not wish to leave heaven and feared living in the cold, unfamiliar darkness of this strange new world. They were particularly saddened by the fact that they were leaving their sunlit world and living in a place where the dawn simply did not exist.

Odudúwa, through his messenger, Ífa, appealed to Arámfè to give them the light of the sun and moon. Arámfè was sympathetic to Odudúwa’s request and sent the sun for the day—via the vulture, with the top of its head aflame—and the moon for the night. These gifts gave great joy to the gods and people alike, for they could now see the world. The sun and moon inspired the people to work hard in this land, known as Ilé-Ífè, and gave them the courage to build such things as wine vessels and iron tools. Over time, Ilé-Ífè began to resemble heaven in many ways. The celebratory sound of heaven’s music played as Odudúwa began his reign over the new world.

SIGNIFICANCE

This tale comes from the Yoruba people, rooted predominantly in what is now Nigeria and Benin. The story shows the special status enjoyed by the legendary divine king Odudúwa. Odudúwa is traditionally identified as the father of the Yoruba people, as he is said to have conceived the first Yoruba children, all sixteen of whom became kings.

The supreme god asks Odudúwa and the gods to create the world under harsh conditions. They first undertake a long journey away from heaven and arrive at a cliff high above the vast, dark ocean. In a previous tale, Odudúwa had taken from the gods a bag of primordial sand after the god given charge of the bag drank too much and fell asleep. Odudúwa, ordered to leave the comforts of heaven and endure the hardships of the sunless, cold, and featureless world, is being punished for his misdeeds.

In this story, the land from which the creation of the world took place, Ilé-Ífè, is also presented. Ilé-Ífè is an ancient city in southwestern Nigeria, believed to have originated around 1300 CE (although it was likely initially populated earlier). According to Yoruba tradition, this region was originally the land at which the gods arrived to create the world. For this reason, many scholars refer to Ilé-Ífè as the Athens of Africa. Throughout Yoruba and African history, Ilé-Ífè has been viewed as an important cultural site.

Still, the creation of the earth presents the gods and Odudúwa alike with great opportunity. After all, theirs is a task that presents nearly limitless possibilities, as the gods and Odudúwa are given the chance to make the world as they desire. As each god is assigned his or her own tasks, Odudúwa becomes a king, giving life to an entire civilization, building the earth, and successfully asking Arámfè to give the world light. Although he is faced with hardship, Odudúwa endures it so that the world and its inhabitants may live and prosper.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Abimbola, Kola. Yoruba Culture: A Philosophical Account. Birmingham: Iroko, 2006. Print.

Akintoye, S. Adebanji. A History of the Yorùbá People. Dakar: Amalion, 2010. Print.

Johnson, Kofi, and Raphael Tunde Oyinade. “Monotheism in Traditional Yoruba Religion.” Thinking about Religion. North Carolina Religious Studies Assn., 22 May 2004. Web. 17 Jun. 2013.

Karade, Ifa. The Handbook of Yoruba Religious Concepts. York Beach: Weiser, 1994. Print.

Love, Velma E. Divining the Self: A Study in Yoruba Myth and Human Consciousness. University Park: Pennsylvania State UP, 2012. Print.

Wyndham, John. “The Descent.” Myths of Ífè. Alexandria: Lib. of Alexandria, 1921. 20–26. Print.