Ọbatala, also known as Oxalá, is an orisha creator of humanity in Yoruba mythology and Candomblé and Umbanda religions.
Legend[]
Creation Myth[]
Obatala/Oxalá was given the task to create the Earth but failed the task by being drunk on palm wine. His sister Oduduwa seized the opportunity and took the bag that their father Olódùmarè had given to Oxalá/Obatalá and used it to create land in the primordial ocean. As punishment for his negligence to an important task he was given the job to create humans beings. This was authorized by his father, Olodumare which gave Obatala the name sculptor of mankind.
To create mankind, he takes the bag of creation containing a "long golden chain, a sand-filled snail shell, a helmeted guineafowl or a black hen, a black cat, and a palm nut" and descends to the tip of the water currents. Then, he releases the chicken that spreads the sand from the snail shell, thus giving shape to the relief, continents, hills; then he plants palm and oil palm trees to create forests. While Obatala happily worked at his task (in some narratives with the help of Ọṣun, in others with the help of Nanã), he succeeded in creating human beings with water and clay. Due to his reinvention and overcoming, he was given ascendancy over humans. When people have a major health problem, it is this Orisha that they can turn to.
In Africa[]
Obatala as deity[]
A thorough assessment of traditional Yoruba religion shows that each of the 201 deities is understood by their descendants and adherents to have had a part in the creation of the earth. This suggests that the beginning of the world is an aspect of Yoruba cosmogenesis associated with numerous deities in Yoruba pantheons, in addition to the role played specifically by the siblings Oxalá/Obatala and Oduduwa.
Obatala as mortal[]
According to Ife oral traditions, the mortal human named Obatala was founder and king of the Ife Kingdom during its classical period. His position as king was challenged by his brother Oduduwa, who briefly assumed leadership of the city. However, Obatala managed to emerge victorious in the dispute and this led to the assassination of his rival Oduduwa and the recovery of his throne. Understanding the qualities of the orixá Obatalá was incorporated into the history of this human Obatalá who ruled in Ifé, after his posthumous deification. Thus, the human Obatala who was king in Ife was admitted into the Yoruba pantheon as an aspect of the namesake primordial deity.
On the American Continent[]
Candomblé and Umbanda in Brazil[]
In Umbanda, it is syncretized with Jesus Christ. In less traditional (a.k.a. whitened) Candomblé lines, it is syncretized with Nosso Senhor do Bonfim; in this capacity, he is the patron saint of Bahia. The extensive use of white clothes, associated with the cult of Oxalá, became a symbol of candomblé in general. Friday is the day dedicated to worshiping Oxalá. A large syncretic religious celebration of Festa do Bonfim in January in Salvador celebrates both Oxalá and Nosso Senhor do Bonfim; includes washing the church steps with special water made from flowers.
The snail Achatina fulica is used for religious purposes in Brazil as an offering to Obatalá. It is seen as a replacement for the giant African snail (Archachatina marginata) which is used in Yorubaland as they are known by the same name (Igbin or Ibi) in both Brazil and Africa.
Santeria in Cuba[]
Obatalá in Cuba is also known by other names, Obatalá Babbadé, Ochanlá, Báhálúbbó, Alamoréré, he wears white and his manifestations are warriors.
Offerings and Rituals[]
In terms of offerings to the orixás, the female orixás (Iabás) "eat" female animals, while the male orixás (Borós) "eat" male animals. However, Obatalá is the only male orixá who "eats" in the wheel of Iabás, thus accepting sacrifices of female animals in his honor. His androgynous characteristics would explain why this orixá accepts female animals as offerings. According to some priests, however, Obatalá has no sex, since, according to myths, he is the Father of Creation. Oxalá/Obatala is therefore equivalent to the Christian God, who also has no specific gender.
Unlike other Orixás, Obatalá only accepts offerings cooked in honey, as he has an aversion to palm oil. Like any other Orisha, Obatalá does not exactly eat the offering, but consumes the energy of the offering, or Axé. The expression "eat" is used as symbolism for a spiritual form of eating. The orixás do not "descend" from the spiritual plane to eat (literally speaking) the offered animal. Traditionally, for offerings to Obatalá, considered an orixá-funfun (literally "white orixá"), the animals or their parts must be completely white, like the white blood of the mollusk called Igbin (Achatina fulica).