The good characterWhite clothCool waterThe first fruitTruth
Invocation Approach
Tone
Silent awe
Address
OlodumareOlorunEleda
Relationship
The source no one approaches directly
Warning
There is no cult of possession and no bargain
Resonance
Those who need the source rather than an intermediary
Symbols
SkySunWhite clothThe unseenAse
Mythology Summary
Olodumare is the supreme being of Yoruba religion, the source of ase and the one who allocates each person's destiny (ipin); the orishas are the emissaries through whom he is reached, and Ifa calls Orunmila 'second to Olodumare'. The names Olorun (owner of the sky), Eleda (creator) and Olofin (ruler) are related and are not always distinguished, and the tradition does not fix Olodumare's gender. There is no possession cult and no image of Olodumare, and the ethical core of the tradition is iwa pele, good character.
Modern Practice
Olodumare is not served with a personal shrine or a possession cult: the practice is good character, the keeping of the orisha and ancestor obligations, and the offering of first fruits through the orishas. Ifa divination is the tradition's way of asking what destiny requires. The 'supreme being' is not a Sunday devotion but the ground of the whole practice.