Yoruba Mythology

About this book

The first major work of Yoruba mythology, retelling hundreds of traditional tales of the Orisa, Yoruba Heroes, and Ijapa from West Africa, Cuba, and Brazil. Yoruba mythology is sacred to the religion and culture of the Yoruba people. A primarily oral tradition, its stories revolve around Olodumare, the Supreme Being, and a vast number of divinities or orisa, who govern all aspects of human life and nature. Yoruba Mythology is, to date, the most comprehensive published collection of more than 300 myths of this ancient, profound, and beautiful storytelling tradition. Authors Ayodeji Ogunnaike and Oludamini Ogunnaike are uniquely qualified to impart these stories, having spent decades learning, collecting, and studying them. Many are remembered from their own childhood, while many more are the result of yearslong research and encounters with practitioners and elders in and from Nigeria, Cuba, and Brazil. Alongside the myths of the orisa, the Ogunnaikes also include dozens of mythos of more cultural significant, such as the founding of Yoruba kingdoms, stories of heroes and other powerful beings, and classic fables. The final section is dedicated to the beloved Ijapa, the Yoruba trickster tortoise whose cunning and greed always land him trouble, but whose stories impart valuable lessons about honesty, perseverance, and character. The book is made complete with stunning art by Data Oruwari, whose work brings the myths and characters to life in a manner that evokes traditional depictions of the orisa in West Africa and the diaspora. A gift to both those familiar with Yoruba culture and religion and those who are encountering them for the first time, Yoruba Mythology is an important and long-awaited contribution to the mythological canon.