The Yoruban Creation Myth

It is man's nature to seek an explanation for the things that are seen or experienced. Often a group of people have a story, entrenched in the distant past, giving a reason for a specific item. Such stories can concern things as minor as a flower, or as important as the creation of the world. These myths are uniquely personal in their reflections of their individual societies. They tend to reflect certain aspects of a culture even as they explain the vast and immeasurable, such as societal structure, as is evident in the Babylonian and Chinese myths, or objects common or prevalent in the daily life of a people, such as the palm nut employed in the Yoruba myth of creation. Some myths of creation provide rather negative, unhappy, or warlike impressions, often accurate reflections of their respective cultures. One myth of creation that seems to answer a great many questions concerning the development of the known world and seems to also reflect a more positive attitude is the creation myth of the Yoruba, a group of people indigenous to a part of Nigeria in Africa.

The Yoruba myth of creation begins and ends simply; it is not terribly detailed, but is not sketchy either. In the beginning, the world exists in a rather primeval state, and the gods, with the exception of one, are content. Not content with the status quo, Obatala sees potential in the vast waters and marshes which comprise the early world. He is bored, and decides to ask his loving father if he can make a playground and some playmates ("The Creation of the Universe and Ife," World Mythology, ed. Rosenberg, p. 510). It is interesting that the Yoruba regard their gods as being similar to themselves not only physically, but emotionally as well. The gods experience the range of emotions that humans experience, and treat one another with respect, if not love. The Yoruba convey through their story a sense of love and respect for family and others, as well as a sense of closeness, both between family members, and between gods and men. The only deity who does not accept the new animals and people Obatala has made is Olokun, the earth goddess, whose kingdom has been usurped. Obatala, unlike in other creation myths, did not seek to trick Olokun or rob her of her kingdom, but rather improve it, so while he did in fact take much of Olokun's power, he did not do so out of spite, anger, or revenge.

Other myths of creation, e.g., the myth of the Babylonians, are violent and negative in aspect. The ruling female deity is much older than the new pantheon of gods who usurp her ancient power. Tiamat, the Mesopotamian Earth goddess, is usurped and violently killed ("Enuma elish," ed. Rosenberg, p. 9). The Babylonian gods are quick to anger and fight, quite similar to the Babylonians themselves. The gods are power-hungry, and place the greatest value on might, courage, and ability, valuable in war. Not until the third generation of gods does there emerge the mightiest of gods to defeat all others and assert his greatness over all he wishes to possess.

In the Yoruba myth, Obatala creates man with great joy, molding and shaping the clay of the earth into perfect human forms, reflections of the forms of the gods. He works at a great pace, continuously shaping, until he realizes he is thirsty. So Obatala makes for himself palm wine, and proceeds to get drunk. He then goes back to forming people, but inebriated, he cannot make the forms perfectly anymore; they are misshapen and deformed. Obatala then asks his father Olorun to breathe life into his creations "The Creation of the Universe and Ife," ed. Rosenberg, p. 512). Perhaps this part of the story is indicative of a more tolerant, forgiving culture, because Obatala is remorseful for his errors. He is sorry that some of the people are deformed, and he extends his special protection over all born with deformities. His regret for his actions indicates compassion, often absent from the myths of other cultures, such as the Chinese myth of the great mother goddess Nu Kua.

She was formed as a woman, but with the tail of a dragon rather than human legs. One day, Nu Kua was traveling over the earth. She marveled at all the living things that had been created, but as she looked, she decided that the creatures she observed had no real intelligence. So Nu Kua used the clay from the Yellow River to shape people in forms like her own, but with legs instead of a tail. As the people were finished, she breathed life into them. But as she grew tired, she developed something of an assembly line, to work more quickly. Thus, the people she fashioned with less care came out rougher and became the common, poor folk, while the well-formed people became the wealthier, high-born people ("Nu Kua," ed. Rosenberg, p. 327). In this way, the Chinese myth establishes a reason for a class system in Chinese culture. Nu Kua is not sorry that her people were not all created and treated equally. Unlike Obatala in the Yoruba myth, Nu Kua shows no remorse for the inequality; rather, she conveys the idea that things are as they should be, and the poor folk are accorded no extra protection. To the 21st century mind, this establishment of inequality seems wrong. The Yoruba recognized that no one is better or worse for simply being poor.

Myths provide explanations for phenomena that cannot be readily explained by simple means. Some myths provide more plausible explanations of such troubling questions as the manner of creation when viewed in comparison to other myths. The Yoruba myth seems to account for the creation of men in a more believable way, as well as providing a more reasonable situation between men and gods. Unlike the Babylonian myth, which highlights the separation between the mighty and the weak, the Yoruba myth focuses more on the positive aspects of life, and provides an answer to many key questions, even as it gives the Yoruba a solid foundation for a tolerant culture.

Works Cited

Rosenberg, Donna, ed. World Mythology: An Anthology of the Great Myths and Epics. Lincolnwood: NTC Publishing Group, 1999.