User:Chrysosli/Ọbatala

Obatala
Obatala is an orisha in the Yoruba mythology that was given the task to create the Earth but failed the task by being drunk on palm wine and was outshined by his little brother Oduduwa. As punishment for his negligence's to an important task he was given the job to create humans beings. This was authorized by his father, Olodumare which gave Obatala the name sculptor of mankind."'Now Olodumare [the supreme being] once called on Obatala and told him that he would love him to assist in creating human beings that would live in the world he was about to create. This is because as he (Olodumare) said further he would not like the world he was planning to create to exist without human beings.'"While Obatala worked on his task with the assistance of Osun. He was successful at creating human beings with water and clay, but during the creation phase he had become drunk with to much palm wine due to thirst. Causing him to create human beings with disabilities. When his mind became clear and saw his mistake. He vowed to never drink again and reinvented himself as The Great White God and the protect of people with disabilities. Due to this reinvention, he was given ascendancy over human beings.

Creation Myth
According to Yoruba mythology, Obatala is one of the oldest of all of the orishas and was granted authority to create the Earth. Due to Obatala being drunk, Oduduwa took this opportunity to show his worth to his father. He took the satchel that Olodumare had given Obatala to aid him in creation and used it to create land on the primeval ocean. Odudwa did such a great job that Olodumare granted him the title "God of the Earth."

Due to this Obatala was given the task to create human beings. With this task he takes a "long gold chain, a snail's shell filled with sand, a white hen, a black cat, and a palm nut" and climbs down to the end of the chain.

He releases the white hen that spreads the sand from the shell to create mountains and valleys, planted and the palm nut to create a forest.

After being content with what he created, he started to mold human beings from clay. During this creation progress he was drinking a large amount of palm wine, created from the palm nut forest, which cause him to create deformed figures in his drunken state.

When he became sober and realize what he has done, he vowed to never drink again and protect the people with disabilities.

After he successfully created the human being figures, they were given ase, a copper knife, and a wooden hoe. They were able to prosper.