Characters
What god decided to make the dry land?
Obatala
Who did Obatala ask for advice about how to create dry land?
Orunmila
What animal did Obatala settle down to live with?
A cat
What specific element of the earth do the people value the most?
The sea
What is the name of this religion?
Yoruba
What god is the masters of the water?
Olokun
Why did his statues turn out disfigured when Olorun breathed them to life?
He drank wine while he was creating them out of clay.
Why did Obtala give up drinking?
His clay figures were deformed and the people became ugly.
What is the significance of Olorun breathing life into the clay people?
This is significant, as it shows that Olorun is not only the ruler of the sky/heavens, but also the Supreme and Almighty God in the religion.
Where is the story based?
Nigeria
What god is the ruler of the sky?
Olorun
What did Obatala make out of Palm nuts?
An entire palm forest.
Which animal scattered the sand on the dry land?
A hen
What can you interpret from the story on why it is frowned upon in the culture to drink alcohol?
When Obtala drank , the humans were deformed and ugly. After he gave up drinking he made "perfect beings of clay." So it can be assumed in the culture they would not want their women to drink so their people would remain "perfect."
Is the country in which this religion is most prominent a 1st, 2nd, or 3rd world country?
3rd
Who is the wisest of the gods?
Orunmila
In the beginning there was only __ and __?
The sky above and the water below.
What were the materials Orunmila told Obatala he needed to create dry land?
A long gold chain, a snails shell filled with sand, a white hen, a black cat, and a palm nut.
How is the story affected by it's location?
Due to this religions prominence in a country on the coast of Africa, it makes sense that the story would reference the importance of the sea, as it is likely a large part of the culture in the region.
How long did it take for Obatala to become bored?
Several months
What is the name of the council of gods?
Orisha
How did Obatala get down from the sky?
A long, gold chain.
What did the sand become?
Large mountains and valleys.
What are the values in this creation story?
In this creation story, there are strong values of respect and accountability, especially when it comes to Earth and the elements.
What percent of the Nigerian population takes part in Yoruba culture?
21%
What did Obatala become a patron of?
Mankind, specifically the deformed.
Why did Olokun cause the flood?
He was mad that he was never consulted about the creation of earth and mankind.
What did Obatala name the land?
Ife
Do you think there is a correlation between how his people turned out, and how our world has turned out?
Possible answers include: Nobody is perfect, this shows that people can become careless when creating things if they don't see the value. This may teach us to cherish all things in life because they may turn out to be extremely important.
How many times does it say Obatala in the story?
10