OLOKUN
Olokun (Yoruba: Olókun,
known as Olocún in Latin America)
is an orisha. Olokun is believed to be the parent of
Aje, the orisha of great wealth and of the bottom of the ocean. Olokun is
revered as the ruler of all bodies of water and for the authority over other
water deities. Olokun is highly praised for her or his ability to give great
wealth, health and prosperity to her or his followers. Communities in both West
Africa and the African diaspora view Olokun variously as female, male, or androgynous.
Water deities are "ubiquitous and vitally important in
southern Nigeria";
Olókun worship is especially noted in the cities of the Edo people in southwest
Nigeria. In West African areas directly adjacent to the coast, Olokun takes a
male form among his worshipers, while in the hinterland, Olokun is a female
deity.
According
to The Book Of Ifá', Olokun became enraged and rose to the surface. As
Olokun did this to drown the humans, the orishas went to Orunmila to
ask him what to do. Orunmila told them that Ogun needed
to create the longest chain he can possibly create. It was ultimately Obatala who
had the responsibility of imprisoning Olokun in her/his domain. Knowing this,
Obatala went to Ogun and asked him to make the longest chain he had ever made,
and so he did. Obatala then went down into the ocean and trapped Olokun with
the chain.
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