Yoruba Mythology: Stories of the Orisa from West Africa and the Diaspora

The first major work of Yoruba mythology, retelling hundreds of traditional tales of the Orisa, Yoruba heroes, and Ijapa from West Africa, Cuba, and Brazil.

Yoruba mythology is sacred to the religion and culture of the Yoruba people. A primarily oral tradition, its stories revolve around Olodumare, the Supreme Being, and a vast number of divinities, or orisa, who govern all aspects of human life and nature.

Yoruba Mythology is, to date, the most comprehensive published collection of more than 300 myths from this ancient, profound, and beautiful storytelling tradition. Authors Ayodeji Ogunnaike and Oludamini Ogunnaike are uniquely qualified to share these stories, having spent decades learning, collecting, and studying them. Many are drawn from their own childhood memories, while many others are the result of years of research and encounters with practitioners and elders in and from Nigeria, Cuba, and Brazil.

Alongside the myths of the orisa, the Ogunnaikes also include dozens of mythos of greater cultural significance, including the founding of Yoruba kingdoms, stories of heroes and other powerful beings, and classic fables. The final section is dedicated to the beloved Ijapa, the Yoruba trickster tortoise whose cunning and greed often lead him into trouble, but whose stories impart valuable lessons about honesty, perseverance, and character.

The book is made complete with stunning art by Data Oruwari, whose work brings the myths and characters to life in a manner that evokes traditional depictions of the orisa in West Africa and throughout the diaspora.

A gift to both those familiar with Yoruba culture and religion and those encountering it for the first time, Yoruba Mythology is an important and long-awaited contribution to the global mythological canon.