List of Yoruba deities

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

The Republic of Benin and Nigeria contain the highest concentrations of Yoruba people and Yoruba faiths in all of Africa. Brazil, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Haiti, Trinidad and Tobago are the countries in the Americas where Yoruba cultural influences are the most noticeable, particularly in popular religions like Vodon, Santéria, Camdomblé, and Macumba. (In 1989, it was believed that more than 70 million individuals in Africa and the New World participated in Yoruba religion in one way or another.) ^[2] 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. 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]

The following is a list of Yoruba orisha (òrìṣà), or deities.

List of orisha

Name	Deity Of	Ethnic Group	Religion	Member Of	Homeland
Agemo	Chameleon, Servant	Yoruba People	Yoruba Religion	Orisha	Yorubaland
Aganju	Volcanoes, Wilderness, Desert, Fire	Yoruba People	Yoruba Religion	Orisha	Yorubaland
Ajaka	Peaceful, Love, Equality	Yoruba People	Yoruba Religion	Orisha	Yorubaland
Aja	Wild, Herb, Plant, Leaf	Yoruba People	Yoruba Religion	Orisha	Yorubaland
Aje	Wealth, Property, Prosperity, Fortune, Success	Yoruba People	Yoruba Religion	Orisha	Yorubaland
Akògún	Warrior, Hunter,Wear Straw	Yoruba People	Yoruba Religion	Orisha	Yorubaland
Ayangalu	Drummer, Gángan	Yoruba People	Yoruba Religion	Orisha	Yorubaland
Alaafia	Peace, Humble, Patience	Yoruba People	[Yoruba Religion]	Orisha	Yorubaland
Ara Ara	Weather, Storm, Thunder	Yoruba People	Yoruba Religion	Orisha	Yorubaland
Ayelala	Punishes Crime	Yoruba People (Part)	Yoruba Religion (Part)	Orisha	Yorubaland (Part)
Aroni	Beauty Of Nature, Spirit Of The Forest, Herb, Plant, Tree	Yoruba People	Yoruba Religion	Orisha	Yorubaland
Arun	Diseases, Affliction	Yoruba People	Yoruba Religion	Orisha	Yorubaland
Aye	Passion, Environmentalism, Nature	Yoruba People	Yoruba Religion	Orisha	Yorubaland
Biri	Darkness, Night, Midnight	Yoruba People	Yoruba Religion	Orisha	Yorubaland
Babalu Aye	Smallpox, Epidemic Diseases, Healing	Yoruba People	Yoruba Religion	Orisha	Yorubaland
Bayanni (Dada)	Justice, Peace, Intelligence, Wisdom, Born with hard-to-comb hair [4]	Yoruba People	Yoruba Religion	Orisha	Yorubaland
Dada	Children, Vegetables, Abundance [5]	Yoruba People	Yoruba Religion	Orisha	Yorubaland
Ela	Manifestation & Light & Passion For Charity & Giving	Yoruba People	Yoruba Religion	Orisha	Yorubaland
Edi	Spirit Of Evil, Whisperer Of Undoing And Corruption)	Yoruba People	Yoruba Religion	Orisha	Yorubaland
Egungun	Sainted Dead	Yoruba People	Yoruba Religion	Orisha	Yorubaland
Erinle	Hunter, Earth, Natural Force Of Universe	Yoruba People	Yoruba Religion	Orisha	Yorubaland
Eshu	Trickery, Crossroads, Misfortune, Chaos, Death, Travelers, Messenger	Yoruba People	Yoruba Religion	Orisha	Yorubaland
Ibeji	Twins	Yoruba People	Yoruba Religion	Orisha	Yorubaland
Iroko	Tree, Wilderness	Yoruba People	Yoruba Religion	Orisha	Yorubaland
Iya Nla	Primordial Spirit	Yoruba People	Yoruba Religion	Orisha	Yorubaland
Iku	Death	Yoruba People	Yoruba Religion	Orisha	Yorubaland
Imole	Sunlight, Soothsayer	Yoruba People	Yoruba Religion	Orisha	Yorubaland
Logunede	War & Hunting	Yoruba People	Yoruba Religion	Orisha	Yorubaland
Moremi	Saviour	Yoruba People	Yoruba Religion	Orisha	Yorubaland
Oba	River	Yoruba People	Yoruba Religion	Orisha	Yorubaland
Obba	Passion For Homemaking, Domestic Policies	Yoruba People	Yoruba Religion	Orisha	Yorubaland
Obatala	Creation	Yoruba People	Yoruba Religion	Orisha	Yorubaland
Oduduwa	Progenitor, Warrior	Yoruba People	Yoruba Religion	Orisha	Yorubaland
Ogun	Warriors, Soldiers, Blacksmiths, Metal Workers, Craftsmen	Yoruba People	Yoruba Religion	Orisha	Yorubaland
Oke	Mountain, Hill	Yoruba People	Yoruba Religion	Orisha	Yorubaland
Oko	Agriculture, Farming, Fertility	Yoruba People	Yoruba Religion	Orisha	Yorubaland
Olokun	Water, Health, Wealth	Yoruba People	Yoruba Religion	Orisha	Yorubaland
Olumo	Mountain	Yoruba People	Yoruba Religion	Orisha	Yorubaland
Ọranyan	Progenitor	Yoruba People	Yoruba Religion	Orisha	Yorubaland
Orò	Justice, Bullroarers	Yoruba People	Yoruba Religion	Oriṣa	Yorubaland
Oronsen	Progenitor	Yoruba People	Yoruba Religion	Oriṣa	Yorubaland
Ọrunmila	Wisdom, Knowledge, Ifa Divination, Philosophy, Fate, Destiny, Prophecy, Babalawo	Yoruba People	Yoruba Religion	Oriṣa	Yorubaland
Ori	Beforelife, Afterlife, Destiny, Personal Identify	Yoruba People	Yoruba Religion	Oriṣa	Yorubaland
Osanyin	Herb, Plant, Nature, Herbalist, Magician	Yoruba People	Yoruba Religion	Oriṣa	Yorubaland
Oṣosi	Hunt, Forest, Warrior, Justice	Yoruba People	Yoruba Religion	Oriṣa	Yorubaland
Oṣun	Goddess of Water, Purity, Fertility, Love, and Sensuality	Yoruba People	Yoruba Religion	Oriṣa	Yorubaland
Oṣunmare	Rainbow, Serpent, Regeneration, Rebirth	Yoruba People	Yoruba Religion	Oriṣa	Yorubaland
Otin	River, Fighter	Yoruba People	Yoruba Religion	Oriṣa	Yorubaland
Oya	Storms, Wind, Thunder, Lightning, Dead	Yoruba People	Yoruba Religion	Oriṣa	Yorubaland
Ṣango	Thunder, Lightning, Fire, Justice, Dance, Virility	Yoruba People	Yoruba Religion	Oriṣa	Yorubaland
Ṣigidi	Guardian Of Home & Environment	Yoruba People	Yoruba Religion	Oriṣa	Yorubaland
Yemoja	Goddess Of Creation, Water, Moon, The Motherhood, Protection	Yoruba People	Yoruba Religion	Oriṣa	Yorubaland
Yewa	Yewa River	Yoruba People	Yoruba Religion	Oriṣa	Yorubaland

Supreme being

The supreme being in Yorùbá culture is known as Olódùmarè/Elédùmarè, Elédùà as well as other names.

Metaphysical personifications or spirits

• Orunmila - spirit of wisdom, divination, destiny, and foresight
• Ori - personification of one's spiritual intuition and destiny

Àwọn òrìṣà ọkùnrin (male orishas)

• Aganjú - orisha 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 orisa.
• Agemo - the chameleon servant of the supreme god Olorun.
• Ọbalúayé - orisha of the Earth and strongly associated with infectious disease and healing
• Erinlẹ̀ - an elephant hunter and physician to the gods
• Èṣù - Èṣù is the orisha of crossroads, duality, beginnings and balance
• Ibeji - twin orisha of vitality and youth
• Ọbàtálá - creator of human bodies; orisha of light, spiritual purity, and moral uprightness
• Odùduwà - progenitor orisha of the Yorubas
• Ògún - orisha who presides over iron, fire, hunting, agriculture and war
• Okó - a hunter and farmer
• Osanyin - orisha of the forest, herbs and medicine
• Oṣùmàrè - divine rainbow serpent associated with creation and procreation
• Ọ̀ṣọ́ọ̀sì - orisha of the hunt, forest, strategy and of the knowledge
• Ṣàngó - orisha of the thunders and lightnings ^[6]
• Akògún - a warrior and hunter, wear straw ^[7]

Àwọn òrìṣà Obinrin (Female Orishas)

• Yewa - orisha of the Yewa River.
• Nàná Bùkùú - orisha of the river and of the earth
• Ọbà - first wife of Ṣàngó and orisha of domesticity and marriage
• Ọtìn - orisha of the river Otín, she is hunter and wife of Erinlẹ̀
• Olókun - orisha of the ocean
• Ọ̀ṣun - orisha who presides over love, intimacy, beauty, wealth, diplomacy and of the Osun river
• Ọya - orisha of the Niger River; associated with wind, lightning, fertility, fire, and magic. ^[8]
• Yemọja - a mother goddess; patron deity of women and of the Ogun river
• Yemowo - wife of Ọbàtálá and of the water.

References

1. "Deities of the Yoruba and Fon Religions | Encyclopedia.com". www.encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 2022-12-11.
2. Mark, Joshua J. "Orisha". World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2022-12-11.
3. "Deities of the Yoruba and Fon Religions | Encyclopedia.com". www.encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 2022-12-11.
4. "The Lukumí Pantheon: Orishas Worshiped by the Lukumí—English » Eleda.org". Archived from the original on 2010-09-27. Retrieved 2025-09-28.
5. "The Lukumí Pantheon: Orishas Worshiped by the Lukumí—English » Eleda.org". Archived from the original on 2010-09-27. Retrieved 2025-09-28.
6. "The 5 Most Influential Orishas". The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News. 2019-08-11. Retrieved 2022-12-11.
7. Thabit, Khadijah (2022-09-21). "Yoruba gods and goddesses: their history explained in detail". Legit.ng - Nigeria news. Retrieved 2022-12-11.
8. "Deities of the Yoruba and Fon Religions | Encyclopedia.com". www.encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 2022-12-11.