List of Yoruba deities

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The Yoruba people have a large population in West Africa and broad dispersion through enslavement in the Americas.[1]

The most prevalent West African religions, both in Africa and the Americas, are often those of the Yoruba people or those that were influenced by them.[2] These West African religions also have intricate theologies. For instance, the Yoruba are thought to have a pantheon of up to 6,000 deities.[3]

Yoruba deities are classified majorly into two groups: the Oriṣa (benevolent spirits) and the Ajogun (malevolent spirits). This article consists of a list of the Oriṣa and Ajogun.[4]

## Contents

* 1 The Oriṣa
* 2 The Ajogun
* 3 Supreme Deity
* 4 Major male Oriṣa
* 5 Major female Oriṣa
* 6 Metaphysical personifications or spirits
* 7 See also
* 8 References

## The Oriṣa

Name  | Description  | Gender

|
|

Agemo  | The chameleon servant of the supreme being Ọlọrun. He carries messages between the Oriṣa and Ọlọrun.  | Male
Aganju  | Deity of volcanoes, the wilderness, deserts and fire. He is the son of Ajaka and the nephew of Shango.  | Male
Ajaka  | Deity of peacefulness, love and equality. He was an Alaafin of Oyo. He is the elder brother of his near polar opposite Ṣango.  | Male
Aja | Deity of the wild, herbs, plants and leaves.  | Female
Aje  | Deity of wealth, property, prosperity, fortune and success. She is strongly associated with Olokun.  | Female
Ayangalu | Patron deity of all drummers.  | Male
Ara (Aramfẹ/Ara-gbona)  | Deity of the weather, storms and thunder.  | Genderless
Ayelala  | Deity of justice, oaths and retribution.  | Female
Ayé | Deity of the Earth, passion, environmentalism and nature.  | Female
Biri  | Deity of darkness, night, and midnight.  | Male
Babalu Aye  | Deity of smallpox, epidemic disease and healing.  | Male
Bayanni (Dada)  | Deity of justice, children, vegetables, abundance, peace, intelligence and wisdom. He is described as having locked hair and said to protect children born with locked hair (also called Dada).[5] | Male
Ela  | Deity of manifestation, pure light and passion for charity and giving. He is closely associated with Ọrunmila and Ifá.  | Male
Erinlẹ  | Deity of hunting and abundance. He is described as the "great elephant of the Earth".  | Male
Eṣu  | Deity of crossroads, trickery, misfortune, chaos, death and travelers. He is described as an unpredictable force that acts as an intermediary between humans and the Oriṣa.  | Male or Androgynous
Ibeji (Taiwo and Kehinde)  | Twin deities of duality, playfulness, mischief, abundance and twins. They are the children of Shango.  | Male and/or Female
Iroko  | Tree deity seen as the King of forest spirits (iwin).  | Genderless
Iya Nla | Primordial Spirit  | Female
Logun Edé  | Deity of forests and rivers, war and hunting, youth, grace and balance. He is the son of Oṣosi and Oṣun and possesses qualities of both of them.  | Male or Androgynous
Moremi  | Legendary Queen who saved Ile-Ife from raiders and was deified after her death.  | Female
Oba  | River deity of homemaking, domesticity and marriage. She is the first wife of Shango.  | Female
Ọbalufọn  | Legendary king of the Ife Empire who became deified as an Oriṣa associated with weaving, art, bronze and brass casting, royalty and wealth.  | Male
Obatala | Deity of creation, purity, creativity, wisdom and of the disabled. He is credited for being the creator of the Earth and humans. He is the King of the Oriṣa.  | Male (commonly) or Female
Oduduwa  | Warrior deity said to be the progenitor of the Yoruba. Some versions of the creation story describe him as being the brother of Obatala who created humans and the Earth when Obatala failed due to him being intoxicated on palm wine.  | Male (commonly) or Female
Ogun  | Deity of war, soldiers, dogs, blacksmiths, iron, craftsmen and metalworkers. He is described as one of the most powerful and respected Oriṣa. He is often seen as a rival of Shango.  | Male
Oke  | Deity of mountains, hills and heights.  | Male
Oko  | Deity of agriculture, farming and fertility.  | Male
Olokun  | Deity of oceans, water, health and wealth. They are the head of all water deities and one of the most powerful Oriṣa. They are strongly associated with Aje.  | Male, Female or Androgynous.
Olumo  | Mountain deity linked with the Olumo Rock.  | Genderless
Ọranyan  | Legendary King of Ifẹ who founded the Oyo Empire. He was the husband of Queen Moremi, the father of Shango and Ajaka and the grandson of Oduduwa.  | Male
Orò  | Deity of bullroarers and communal justice.  | Male
Oronsen  | Deity who was the wife of Olowo Rerengejen.  | Female
Ọrunmila  | Deity of wisdom, knowledge, Ifá divination, philosophy, fate, destiny, prophecy and babalawos. He is described as all-seeing and credited with the revelation of the Odu Ifa (sacred corpus).  | Male
Ori  | Deity of the beforelife, the afterlife, destiny and personal identity.  | Genderless
Ọsanyin (Aroni)  | Deity of herbs, healing, plants, nature, herbalists and wizardry.  | Male
Oṣosi  | Warrior deity of the hunt, forests and justice. He is the father of Logun Edé.  | Male
Oṣun  | Deity of rivers, water, beauty, purity, love, fertility, and sensuality. She is described as being extremely beautiful, kindhearted and a great cook. She is the second and the youngest wife of Shango.  | Female
Oṣunmare  | Deity of the rainbow, regeneration and rebirth. They are described as being a serpent spirit who created the rainbow.  | Male or Female
Otin  | River deity of protection. She is said to be a hunter and the wife of Erinlẹ̀.  | Female
Ọya  | Warrior deity of storms, wind, thunder, lightning and the dead. She is the third wife of Ṣango. She is described as being an unstoppable force in battle and having a temper comparable to that of Ṣango. She is also compassionate and loves children.  | Female
Ṣango | Deity of thunder, lightning, fire, justice, dance, virility and drumming. He is one of the most powerful and most feared Oriṣa. He is the younger brother of Ajaka, father of the Ibeji and the husband of Ọba, Ọṣun and Ọya.  | Male
Yemoja  | Deity of rivers, fish, water, the moon, motherhood and protection. She is one of the most venerated Oriṣa.  | Female
Yemowo (or Yemòó)  | Water deity. She is the consort of Obatala.  | Female
Yewa  | River deity of the Yewa River.  | Female

## The Ajogun

Name  | Description

|

Iku  | The spirit of death. It is considered the head of the Ajogun.
Arun  | The spirit of disease and illness.
Ẹgba  | The spirit of paralysis and infirmity.
Epe  | The spirit of curses.
Eṣe  | The spirit of wounds and affliction.
Ẹwọn  | The spirit of imprisonment/captivity.
Ofo  | The spirit of loss and destruction of property.
Oran  | The spirit of conflict and trouble.

## Supreme Deity

The Supreme Being in Yorùbá culture is known as Ọlọrun, Olódùmarè or Elédùa amongst other names.

## Major male Oriṣa

* Aganjú - oriṣa that was a warrior king, walked with a sword as a staff, and is associated with fire. He is not associated with volcanoes in Yorùbáland in West Africa, contrary to what is believed in Cuban-style practice of Oriṣa.
* Agẹmọ - the chameleon servant of the Supreme God Ọlọrun.
* Ọbalúayé - oriṣa of the Earth, strongly associated with infectious disease and healing.
* Èṣù - the orisha of crossroads, trickery, duality, beginnings and balance.
* Ọbàtálá - creator of human bodies; oriṣa of light, spiritual purity, and moral uprightness.
* Odùduwà - progenitor oriṣa of the Yoruba.
* Ògún - oriṣa who presides over iron, fire, hunting, smithery and war.
* Okó - a hunter and farmer oriṣa.
* Osanyin - oriṣa of the forest, herbs and medicine.
* Ọ̀ṣọ́ọ̀sì - oriṣa of the hunt, forest, strategy and of the knowledge.
* Ṣàngó \- oriṣa of thunder and lightning.[6][7]

## Major female Oriṣa

* Ọbà - first wife of Ṣàngó and oriṣa of domesticity and marriage.
* Ọ̀ṣun - oriṣa who presides over love, intimacy, beauty, wealth, diplomacy and of the Osun river.
* Ọya - oriṣa of the Niger River; associated with wind, lightning, fertility, fire, and magic.[8]
* Yemọja - oriṣa of water, women, the moon and of the Ogun river.
* Yemowo - wife of Ọbàtálá and oriṣa of the water.

## Metaphysical personifications or spirits

* Ara - personification of thunder.
* Ori - personification of one's spiritual intuition and destiny.
* Lua error in Module:Language at line 197: Name for the language code "non" could not be retrieved with mw.language.fetchLanguageName, so it should be added to Module:Language/data. \- personification of death.
* Ajogun - each is a personification of negative aspects of life.

## See also

* Irunmọlẹ
* List of deities
* Oriṣa
* Lwa
* Alusi

## References

1. ↑ "Deities of the Yoruba and Fon Religions | Encyclopedia.com". https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/deities-yoruba-and-fon-religions#A.
2. ↑ Mark, Joshua J.. "Orisha" (in en). https://www.worldhistory.org/Orisha/.
3. ↑ "Deities of the Yoruba and Fon Religions | Encyclopedia.com". https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/deities-yoruba-and-fon-religions#A.
4. ↑ St. Marc, Jean-Luc (8 October 2025). "The Complete List of Orisha: 30+ Yoruba Deities and Their Meanings, Colors and Powers". https://louisianavoodoo.com/list-of-orishas-yoruba-deities/.
5. ↑ "The Lukumí Pantheon: Orishas Worshiped by the Lukumí—English » Eleda.org". http://eleda.org/blog/2008/11/11/the-lukumi-pantheon-orishas-worshiped-by-the-lukumi-english/.
6. ↑ "The 5 Most Influential Orishas" (in en-US). The Guardian (Lagos, Nigeria). 2019-08-11. https://guardian.ng/life/the-5-most-influential-orishas/.
7. ↑ Thabit, Khadijah (2022-09-21). "Yoruba gods and goddesses: their history explained in detail" (in en). Legit.ng. https://www.legit.ng/1175618-yoruba-gods-goddesses.html.
8. ↑ "Deities of the Yoruba and Fon Religions | Encyclopedia.com". https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/deities-yoruba-and-fon-religions#A.

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