Dictionary Of God And Godedesses

232 Okeanosgods and invoked by seafarers. In alternativetradition, they are river gods, the sons ofOKEANOS.OkeanosGod of the oceans. Greek. A deity who remainedat his post when most of the other gods weresummoned to Olympus by ZEUS. His consort isTETHYS and he fathered children who includedthe OKEANIDES, mainly river gods, and a largenumber of daughters headed by STYX, and includingDORIS, METIS, and TYCHE.Oki-Tsu-Hiko-No-KamiGod of kitchens. Shinto [Japan]. One of the offspringof O-Toshi-No-Kami, the god of harvests.The consort of Oki-Tsu-Hime-No-Kami andresponsible for the caldron in which water isboiled.Oko (hoe)God of agriculture. Yoruba [Nigeria, WestAfrica]. According to tradition he descendedfrom heaven and lived at a farm near the townof Irao, where he attained a great age. Oneday he disappeared, leaving only his staffwhich was taken as a symbol of his presence.Annually, at the start of the rainy season, afestival with strong fertility emphasis is heldin his honor.O-Kuni-Nushi-No-MikotoCreator god. Shinto [Japan]. The great organizerand consolidator of the earth in thecreation mythology of Shintoism. He took uphis duties after IZANAGI and IZANAMI had createdthe land. Tradition has it that he firstunderwent a series of ordeals and then reignedover the world. He has many consorts and innumerableoffspring.Ola BibiLocal plague goddess. Hindu. Worshiped in Bengalwhere she is associated with cholera.OlodumareCreator god. Yoruba [Nigeria, West Africa]. Heengendered the god OBATALA as his deputy. Thesouls of the dead are expected to make confessionto Olodumare. When he created the earth, hefilled a snail’s shell with dirt, placed inside it ahen and a pigeon and threw it down, whereuponthe hen and pigeon began to scatter the earth andcreate land. Olodumare then sent a chameleonto report on progress. Sand was added, followedby a palm, a coconut and a kola nut tree. Whenthese were established the god placed on earth thefirst sixteen humans. Also Alaaye; Elemii; OlojoOni; Olorun; Orishanla.OlokunGod of fresh waters and oceans. Fon and Yoruba[Benin and Nigeria, West Africa]. The eldest sonof the creator god OSANOBUA. He is symbolizedin the sacred river Olokun, which runs almost thelength of Benin and from the source of whichcome the souls of unborn children. A girl baby isgiven a shrine of the god which includes a pot ofriver water and which she takes with her to hernew home when she marries. The god is particularlypopular among women and has a cult ofpriestesses. Olokun is also a guardian deity ofmariners.OlorunSee OLODUMARE.