Oduduwa was a divine king, legendary founder of the Ife Empire and a creator deity (orisha) in the Yoruba religion.
Myythology[]
According to Yoruba tradition, he was the title holder of Olofin of Ile-Ife, the Yoruba holy city. He ruled briefly in Ife and also served as the progenitor of several independent royal dynasties in the Yoruba region. In Yoruba religious traditions, Oduduwa is seen as a divine being who was sent from heaven by the creator deity, Olodumare, to create the land on the waters.
In the Ife tradition, to which modern Yoruba historians give precedence, Oduduwa is reported to have been a character who migrated from the community of Oke Ora, a hilltop residence east of the original confederation of Ife communities known as Elu.