Sketch of the sea god Olokun based on a bronze figure holding
lizards in his hands. The figure depicts Olokun with mudfish legs and wearing a royal coral dress.
Sketch made by Rei Inamoto.
Olokun
Olokun, the sea god of the Yoruba people lives in a palace under
the sea with human and fish attendants. His name means "Owner of
the sea." Once, Olokun contested the supremacy of the Yoruba sky
god
Olorun.
It was decided that
either gods would wear his finest dress letting the Yoruba people
decide who was the winner. On the day chosen, Olorun, the sky god,
sent his messenger the Chameleon to compete with Olokun. As a result,
the Chameleon precisely matched whatever splendid robe Olokun wore.
Overtaken by the wit of the rival, Olokun gave up the challenge.
Finally, the sky god superiority was confirmed. Olokun was also the god of wealth. He is often associated with the Greek god Poseidon.
You might also be interested in:
Ahsonnutli was the sky father and chief deity of the Navajo Indians. He created heaven, Earth, and the sky. Each of the four cardinal directions was supported by a giant. Each direction was also associated
...moreAmphitrite was one of the fifty Nereids, the attendants of the sea-god Poseidon. Poseidon (Neptune) had fallen in love with Amphitrite after seeing her dancing on the island of Naxos. Amphitrite rejected
...moreAphrodite was the Greek goddess of love and beauty. She was known to the Romans as Venus. There were actually two different Aphrodites, one was the daughter of Uranus, the other the daughter of Zeus and
...more In Greek mythology, Apollo was the son of Jupiter(in Greek Zeus) and Leto (Letona). He was the god of the Sun, logic, and reason, and was also a fine musician and healer. Leto travelled all over Greece
...moreAccording to an ancient Greek legend, the figure of a gigantic crab was placed in the nighttime sky by the goddess Hera to form the constellation Cancer. Hera was the jealous wife of the sky god, Zeus.
...moreIn the Northern Hemisphere sky is the constellation Cepheus, king of Ethiopia, and that of his wife Cassiopeia. Cassiopeia claimed that she and her daughter Andromeda were more beautiful than the sea nymphs,
...moreAccording tho the Navajo mythology, the Milky Way was created by the misbehavior of the mischievous deity, Coyote. When the world was created, the Holy People gathered around Black God to place the stars
...more