page_title: Ọbatala
section_title: Santería
hierarchical_section_title: Ọbatala / In the Americas / Santería
caption_attribution_description: Português: Geddel em caminhada durante festa do Bonfim, em 2010
context_page_description: Obatala is an orisha. He is believed to be the Sky Father and the creator of human bodies, which were brought to life by the smooth breath of Olodumare. Obatala is the father of all orishas. His principal wife is Yemoo.
  Obatala was authorized by Olodumare to create land upon the water beneath the sky. Due to his efforts, the first Yoruba city, Ife, was founded. Obatala is Olodumare's representative on Earth and the shaper of human beings.
  According to the oral traditions of Ife, the mortal Obatala served as king of Ife during its classical period. His throne was lost to the lineage of his rival Oduduwa at some point during the 12th century CE.
  Following Obatala's posthumous deification, he was admitted to the Yoruba pantheon as an aspect of the primordial divinity of the same name.
context_section_description: Obatalá (also known as Ochalá or Oxalá; Orichalá or Orixalá) is the oldest "orisha funfun" ("white deity"), referring to purity, both physically and symbolically as in the "light" of consciousness. In Santería, Obatalá is syncretized with Our Lady of Mercy and Jesus Of Nazareth. Obatalá is said to have an equal number of male paths as female paths, but more often crowns women in part because men are traditionally crowned in Ifá in many lineages.
caption: Festa do Bonfim, Bahia.
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