OLODUMARE (Olofin, Olorun)
Saint: Jesus Christ or the dove of the Holy Spirit.
Day of the Week: Thursday.
Colors and Collars (Ilekes): All and none. Sacrificial Animal: None. No animal sacrifices of any type.
Sacrificial Food: None.
Herbs: None.
Ornaments: None.
Apataki: Olodumare, even though he was king of the other gods, had a mortal fear of mice. The other gods thought that a king, especially their king, should not be afraid of anything as unimportant and weak as a mouse. "Olodumare has turned into a weak old woman," they said, for they believed it shameful to fear mice. "It's time that we took away his power and named another king." Besides, they wanted total dominion of the world. Things continued as they were until the principal Orishas got together again. "We must take away Olodumare's power," they said. "He is getting old and weak."
Everyone agreed, again. There was a problem, though. Olodumare was old, but he certainly was not weak. He was fierce and terrible and not one of the other Orishas would dare to challenge him in combat. The Orishas thought and talked and thought some more until one, no one knows who came up with an idea. "Let's scare Olodumare to death," said the unknown Orisha. "How do you propose to do that?" asked the other Orishas, since they themselves were deathly afraid of Olodumare. "Olodumare is afraid of mice," said the Orisha. "Everyone knows that," exclaimed the disappointed Orishas. "We thought that you had an idea." "If he is afraid of one mouse," continued the Orisha, "what would happen if we invite him over to our house and fill it with mice?" "Tell us," said the other Orishas. "If Olodumare finds himself in a house full of mice, he will be so afraid that he will run away from here or die. We'll take over his house and we will be the masters of the world." "That's a wonderful plan," they all exclaimed.
Putting their heads together, the Orishas began to plot how they were going to lure Olodumare to their house and scare him to death with mice. They forgot that Elegua was by the door. He lived by the door, since he is the Orisha that rules roads, routes and entrances. They had forgotten all about him. He heard all their plans. What did Elegua do? What did the trickster Orisha do? He knew the day that Olodumare was coming. He had listened to the other Orishas' plans. He waited and hid behind the door. Olodumare arrived, happy to have been invited to a party. He knew that he was not as popular among the Orishas as he used to be. Little did he know that the other Orishas were hidden, waiting to release hundreds of mice. The moment he stepped inside, the door was slammed shut at Olodumare's back. The mice were released.
Olodumare was terrified and ran around the house screaming, "The mice are attacking. The mice are attacking!" He tried to find a place to hide, but every box he opened and every closet he ran into just had more and more mice. Olodumare ran head first at the door, ready to demolish it, just so that he could escape the tormenting rodents. Just as head and door were going to meet, Elegua stepped out and stopped his panicked rush. "Stop, Olodumare," said Elegua, putting his arms around the terrified old Orisha. "No mouse will harm you." "Yes they will. Yes they will," cried Olodumare. "Watch," said Elegua. He started eating the mice. Elegua ate and ate and ate until he had eaten all the mice. Olodumare, whose fear had turned to fury, demanded, "Who dared do this to me?" Elegua said nothing. Smiling like a happy cat, he pointed out the hiding places of all the plotting Orishas. Olodumare immediately punished them in a very terrible and painful manner. After he grew tired of watching them hop and scream, he turned to Elegua and said, "Now, what can I do for you?" Elegua scuffed the floor and shook his head. "Oh, nothing," he said. "Nothing!" roared Olodumare. "You saved me and you saved my crown and you want nothing?"
"Well," said Elegua, "maybe just a little thing." "You can have whatever you want," said Olodumare firmly. "I want the right to do what I want," said Elegua. He went on with more conviction, ignoring Olodumare's raised eyebrows. "I want the right to do what I will. I want the right to do what I want, whatever that may be." Olodumare wished it so, and so it was. From that moment on, Elegua is the only god that does as he wills without restraints or limits.
Notes: Olodumare is unique within the Yoruba pantheon. He never comes down to earth. Few Santeros speak of Olodumare because there are no Babalawos "asentados" in him. No one is "asentado" in Olodumare. He never possesses anyone at a "bembe" or a "golpe de Santo". He is the ruler of all the other gods, except Elegua, as the Apataki shows. More than the Orishas' ruler, he was their creator as well as the source and origin of men, animals, plants, rivers, oceans and the heavens. He also created the earth, the sun, the moon and the stars. Before going to bed, a Santero will ask Olodumare to give him the strength to get up the following day by chanting, "olofin ewa wo", "May Olofin help us get up". At dawn, when he awakens and ascertains that he is still among the living, he says, "olodumare e egbeo", "May Olodumare grant us a good day".
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