Orish Plot Summary

In the beginning, all that was, was the sky overhead and the waters beneath. The sky and waters was ruled by the mighty Orisha, the authority of all gods. Furthermore, Olorun ruled the sky overhead and Olokun controlled all life in the waters beneath

Sooner after, a god named Obatala decided to establish dry land with Olorun and asked for his permission and asked for advice from Orunmila who is the wisest of the authority of Orisha.

Orunmila gave some advice to Obatala. “You’ll need a long gold chain, a snail’s shell filled with sand, a white hen, a black cat, and finally a palm nut.”

So he went out to collect all the things he needed to create dry land.

Once he had all objects that he needed, he placed them into a bag. Next he drawled the long, gold chain from the bag and hung it from the corner of the sky. He then climbed down, further and further each time, until he reached the end of the chain.

A few seconds later, he set the white hen free. As the hen landed on the sand below the mist, it immediately began pecking and scratching at the sand, scattering in all paths and directions.

Soon after the sand formed valleys and mountains.

Obatala then grabbed the palm nut from his bag and began to plant it into the ground that he had just created. The palm nut grew into an entire palm forest that stood before him.

Obatala was really satisfied with all the work he had just produced. He then decided to name his new land Ife and then inhabited with his cat to live on his new land.

Several months after living on his land, he grew bored. To entertain himself, he started to shape clay in human figures. While he was working he drank palm