Nineteen Yorùbá proverbs in which Olódùmarè and Ọlọ́run appear, showing how ordinary speech talks about the supreme being's power, patience and inaccessibility to human interference.
The Yorùbá wey dem quote, the proverbs, oríkì, ẹsẹ Ifá, word list headwords, Odù names and citations dey exactly as the corpus record dem, for every language.
Yorùbá proverbs about Olódùmarè and Ọlọ́run no be theology for the way doctrine wey dem argue out dey be; na ordinary speech, wey dem dey use for everyday dispute, wey just happen to call the supreme being make e settle matter. Dis file gather nineteen of dis kind proverbs, wey all of dem come from Owomoyela collection. If person read dem togeda, dem dey describe one being wey person no fit cheat, bribe, argue pass, or tire out, and im decisions about wetin go happen to human being final pass any oda authority decision. The proverbs no dey argue whether God dey. Dem dey take am say e dey and dem dey use am as the strongest proof wey dey to back up wetin dem talk.
Olódùmarè and Ọlọ́run dey appear for inside dis proverbs as names wey person fit use for each oda for the same being, wey match the account wey dem give for olodumare-and-olorun . Olódùmarè na the name wey formal pass or wey dem dey use for worship; Ọlọ́run, wey mean "owner of the sky" by direct translation, na the name wey dey common pass for use, and both of dem show for the text-dem below without any proverb wey show difference between dem.
Literal: A kì í one does-not ba Ọlọ́run ṣòwò trade with-God ká pàdánù and come-up a-loser.
Idiomatic: "One does not trade with God and come up a loser."
Meaning: Any venture wey person do wey e put God inside go succeed.
Used when: Owomoyela note: "Any venture that takes God into account will surely prosper" Dem dey talk am to encourage person make e go ahead with confidence, or to explain say success happen because person keep God for mind.
Notes: The trade metaphor, ṣòwò, to trade, na deliberate: e put God inside transactional frame wey Yorùbá proverb language dey use freely for oda places, and the force of the proverb depend on how trade be area wey loss na real possibility for every oda person.
Source: Owomoyela 2990.
Literal: Bí alàgbà-á bá júbà if the-elder pays-homage fÓlúwa to-the-Lord, ọ̀nà á là the-path will-open.
Idiomatic: "If the elder pays homage to God, the path opens."
Meaning: Na respect for God dey clear obstacles.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Nothing is possible without God, and nothing is impossible with God"
Notes: Olúwa, Lord, show here as anoda name wey dey circulate alongside Ọlọ́run and Olódùmarè; the proverbs no separate the three, and dis file no dey put difference wey the sources no make.
Source: Owomoyela 2996.
Literal: Àtisùn dá the-going-to-sleep-and-not-waking (dying) ò ṣẹ́hìn is-not-hidden-from Olódùmarè.
Idiomatic: "A human being's dying is not hidden from the Creator."
Meaning: Death dey happen under God knowledge and by God timing, no be by mistake or by authority of any oda power.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Only God determines the time of a person's death"
Notes: Dá, to sleep and no wake, na euphemism for death, wey dey among the broad Yorùbá practice wey dem no dey call death by name directly, as dem discuss am further inside the mortality file of dis section (75).
Source: Owomoyela 2994.
Literal: Eégún a-masquerader ṣé-é jó can-be set-alight; òòṣà-á an-òrìṣà ṣé-é jó can-be set-alight; ti Olódùmarè-é that-of-Olódùmarè yàtọ̀ is-different.
Idiomatic: "A masquerader can be set alight; a god [or idol] can be set alight; God, though, is a different matter."
Meaning: The physical objects wey dem dey use for religious practice, like masquerade costume or carved image, fit spoil; but God, nobody fit destroy am.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Only God is beyond peril at the hands of humans"
Notes: Dis proverb draw clear line between the physical form wey an òrìṣà get (image wey fit burn) and God, wey no get dat kind form wey person fit attack. Na native statement wey separate the supreme being from the pantheon, wey scholars of Yorùbá religion also make based on oda grounds; see olodumare-and-olorun and the pantheon overview for 06-orisa/01-what-an-orisa-is.md.
Source: Owomoyela 2997.
Literal: Màlúù tí ò nírù a-cow that has-no tail, Ọlọ́run ní ḿbá a léṣinṣin God is-who helps-it against-flies.
Idiomatic: "A cow that has no tail can count on God to help it chase flies away."
Meaning: God dey provide wetin creature wey no get helper lack the means to provide for itself.
Used when: Owomoyela: "There is always some help for even the most helpless person"
Notes: The image dey work through normal observation, cow wey no get tail, and e no need supernatural vocabulary before person understand am, wey be the normal way dis proverbs dey take argue: from everyday picture go reach wetin dem dey claim about how God dey pay attention.
Source: Owomoyela 3003.
Literal: Múni-múni the-professional-arrester ò lè mú cannot arrest Olódùmarè.
Idiomatic: "The professional arrester cannot arrest the Almighty."
Meaning: No human authority, no matter how dem get power to hold and punish person reach, get authority over God.
Used when: Owomoyela: "God is beyond human punishment"
Notes: Múni-múni, wey dem repeat from mú, to hold or arrest, na name for agent-role instead of a person, the professional catcher of people wey do bad, and to put dat role against Olódùmarè show the limit of all earthly authority with just one image.
Source: Owomoyela 3004.
Literal: "Ǹgò níí sin Olúwa, I will-not worship the-Lord, ǹgò níí sin Ànábì" I will-not worship the-Prophet; ohun tí olúwarẹ̀ ó sìn the-thing that such-a-person will worship ò níí tó èkùrọ̀ will-not amount-to a-palm-kernel.
Idiomatic: "'I will not worship God, and I will not worship Allah'; what such a person will worship will not be so large as a palm kernel."
Meaning: Person wey reject di main things wey dey available to worship sake of principle go end up dey worship something wey no get value, since say person must get something wey go matter pass everything to am.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Person wey select too much go end up without anything to select"
Notes: Ànábì, wey be di Prophet, na direct reference to Islam, and di proverb call Christianity and Islam language for God (Olúwa) and di Muslim figure (Ànábì) side by side as di two main options wey dey available for di world wey di proverb come from, which show say di proverb start to dey spread after Islam don land well for Yorùbá land. E no be proverb about traditional religion specifically, but e use di same reasoning wey di other proverbs for inside dis file dey take treat God claim as something wey person no fit escape.
Source: Owomoyela 3005.
Literal: Nítorí Ọlọ́run because-of God nìmàle è ń jẹ mọ́sà is-why the-Muslim eats fried-corn-cake.
Idiomatic: "It is in deference to God that the Muslim eats fried corn cake."
Meaning: Condition, wey dem present as obedience to God, dey force person make e accept wetin e for no choose normally.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Condition dey force person do wetin e for no do normally"
Notes: Di proverb assume say di person wey dey hear am know one specific practical detail, say fried corn cake (mọ́sà) na food wey Muslim community dey chop during fasting when better options no dey, and e use dat detail talk about any situation wey force person to accept something. Like entry 7, e call Islam direct, wey show proof say di religious history of di communities where dis proverbs dey circulate get different layers, instead of say e come from only pure traditional origin.
Source: Owomoyela 3006.
Literal: Ọlọ́run God la kì í sú is-who one does-not tire-of.
Idiomatic: "Only God never gets fed up with us."
Meaning: Human being patience dey finish; God own no dey finish.
Used when: Owomoyela: "No be like human being, God get patience wey no dey finish"
Notes: Na three words carry di whole point. Di sentence pattern la kì í X isolate God as di only exception to general statement of wetin dem no dey do ("person no dey X"), na compact form wey other entries for dis file use repeatedly (compare entries 6 and 10) to show say God dey unique by clearing every other candidate first.
Source: Owomoyela 3014.
Literal: Ọlọ́run ní ń ṣèdájọ́ God is-who renders-judgment a-fehín-pínran one-who-uses-teeth-to-share-out-meat.
Idiomatic: "Only God can render justice to the person who uses his teeth to share out meat."
Meaning: Na only God fit judge corner-corner favouritism or theft wey happen for secret, where no human witness dey to settle matter.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Na only God dey see, and fit reward, wetin people dey do for secret"
Notes: Di picture, wey be to bite meat take divide am instead of to cut am fairly, dey describe selfish move wey person do when dem dey share things, where di person wey do wrong na him still be judge. Di proverb put God specifically inside di role of witness wey no human sharing process fit bring out.
Source: Owomoyela 3015.
Literal: Ta who ni tàkúté Olúwa is-it-that the-trap of-the-Lord ò leè mú cannot catch?
Idiomatic: "Who is beyond being caught in God's trap?"
Meaning: Nobody fit escape God judgment.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Nobody dey beyond God judgment"
Notes: Tàkúté, wey be trap, na hunting word, and as e apply to God, e show God judgment as something wey dey work di way trap dey work: with patience, and without needing di animal cooperation or make e even know.
Source: Owomoyela 3016.
Literal: Tinú tẹ̀hìn with-belly with-back ni labalábá is-how the-butterfly ń fi yin Ọlọ́run praises God.
Idiomatic: "It is with both its belly and its back that the butterfly praises the Lord."
Meaning: Praise to God suppose dey complete, wey person give with everything wey e get, no be half-half.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Person suppose glorify God with everything wey e get"
Notes: Butterfly wing dey show both di up side and di under side as e dey open and close dem for air when e dey fly, and di proverb view dis natural movement as say person dey give di whole self for worship, as belly and back both turn to praise one after di other.
Source: Owomoyela 3017.
Literal: Kàkà kí ebí pa ọmọ awo kú rather-than hunger kill the-child of-an-initiate, ìpèsè ni yó yòó o the-sacrificial-provision is-what-will feed-him-to-satisfaction.
Idiomatic: "Rather than the child of the priest dying of hunger, he or she will feed to satisfaction on goods provided for sacrifice."
Meaning: Providence dey make sure say people wey dey do sacred service no go suffer hunger, even if e mean to take from wetin dem keep for di gods.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Providence no go allow di person suffer lack"
Notes: Ọmọ awo, wey be pikin of initiate or of cult member, put di proverb inside religious household specifically, and di conclusion, say sacrifice food go turn to di pikin food instead make e stay hungry, treat di line between sacrifice and provision as something wey fit bend for human survival.
Source: Owomoyela 3000.
Literal: Kì í ṣe ẹ̀ṣẹ̀ eléhín gan-gan-ran it-is-not the-fault of-the-one-with-protruding-teeth; òrìṣà ló dá a it-is-the-god that created him tí kò fi awọ̀ bò ó who did-not with skin cover-him.
Idiomatic: "The blame does not belong to the person with protruding teeth; it was the god who created him or her that failed to cover them with enough skin."
Meaning: Person no get blame for defect wey dey body since creation.
Dem dey use am when: Owomoyela: "Dem no suppose blame person for wetin e no fit control"
Notes: Dis proverb give òrìṣà di credit for how dem take create each person and form dem body, instead of to call Olódùmarè direct. Dis one agree with di division of labour wey dem record for oda places inside di corpus, where Olódùmarè na di ultimate creator and particular òrìṣà (especially Ọbàtálá, inside fuller cosmological accounts) get credit for molding di individual body. Check 06-orisa/04-obatala.md for di fuller doctrinal picture; dis proverb just dey show say normal everyday speech dey carry dis same division even without explaining am full.
Source: Owomoyela 3555.
Literal: Rìkíṣí intrigue/conspiracy ò gbọ́ oògùn does-not heed medicine; Ọlọ́run ní ḿbáni ṣẹ́gun rìkíṣí God is-who helps-one conquer intrigue.
Idiomatic: "Intrigue cannot be combatted with medicine; only God can help one conquer intrigue."
Meaning: Some danger, especially di ones wey come from human wicked plan, pass wetin medicine or charm fit cure, and na only God intervention fit solve am.
Dem dey use am when: Owomoyela: "Na only God fit help person win im enemies"
Notes: Di proverb draw line around wetin oògùn, medicine or charm remedy, fit do, and e put plot and conspiracy outside dat boundary, say na only God fit handle am. Dis na proof say Yorùbá proverb-speech no dey treat medicine and divine help as tins wey person fit swap as e like; each one get im own proper area.
Source: Owomoyela 3594.
Literal: Kọ̀ṣẹ̀-kọ̀ṣẹ̀ kan not-a-single recalcitrant-person kì í kọ̀ iṣẹ́ Ọlọ́run refuses God's errand.
Idiomatic: "No recalcitrant person ever refuses God's errand."
Meaning: Even di person wey stubborn pass go obey when di command come from God.
Dem dey use am when: Owomoyela: "Nobody fit refuse to do wetin God command"
Notes: Di power of dis proverb depend on kọ̀ṣẹ̀-kọ̀ṣẹ̀ wey name particular character type, person wey dem know say dey reject normal request, so dat di point go strong pass when dem compare am against dat kind person instead of people wey dey normally obey.
Source: Owomoyela 3558.
Literal: Bí Ọlọ́run ń ṣe rere if God is-doing good, à ní Ó ń ṣe ibi someone-says he is-doing evil.
Idiomatic: "When God is doing good, someone says he is doing evil."
Meaning: Human beings dey judge wetin God dey do wrongly because dem no fit see di masterplan behind am.
Dem dey use am when: Owomoyela: "People wey no understand God big plan dey find fault for some of wetin e dey do"
Notes: Dis na one of di few proverbs inside di collection wey talk am direct say human observers fit mistake God action as bad tin. Dis make am rare internal Yorùbá reflection on theodicy, di question of why e be like say God dey do wrong, wey dem express inside normal proverb form instead of formal doctrine.
Source: Owomoyela 3516.
Literal: Bí Ọlọ́run ò pani if God does-not kill-one, ẹnìkan ò lè pani no-one can kill-one.
Idiomatic: "If God does not kill one, nobody can kill one."
Meaning: Death need God permission; no human being fit cause am on dia own.
Dem dey use am when: Owomoyela: "Na only God fit direct people fate" Another version wey Owomoyela record na Bí Ọlọ́run ò pani ọba ò lè pani, "If God no kill person, king no fit kill di person" , wey replace di general word "nobody" with di king, di highest human power wey Yorùbá speaker normally go fear.
Notes: Di king version dey important to keep because e mention di exact human authority wey dem dey compare di proverb with: no be just abstract "anybody," but di one person inside traditional government wey get real legal power over life and death, and even dat power still dey under God own.
Source: Owomoyela 3517.
Literal: Ta ló gbọ́ ikú ẹbọra? who has-heard the-death of-a-spirit? Ẹnìkan kì í gbọ́ ikú Olódùmarè no-one hears the-death of-Olódùmarè.
Idiomatic: "Whoever heard of the death of a spirit? No one ever hears of the death of the Almighty."
Meaning: Spirits and God, dem claim say di two no fit die, but dem state God own power over death as di one wey strong pass.
Dem dey use am when: Dem dey use am dismiss di idea say powerful, well-established authority or entity fit just stop to exist or dem fit commot am easily, say dat kind tin no fit happen.
Notes: Di proverb pair ẹbọra, spirit, with Olódùmarè inside single argument wey dey climb up: even spirits no dey die, so God, wey dem mention second and treat as di stronger case, no go ever die at all. Dis entry na di fullest evidence inside dis file for di idea, wey dem talk plain instead of to argue am, say Olódùmarè no dey die for way wey even pass lesser supernatural beings.
Source: Owomoyela 5230.
Two patterns dey inside dese nineteen proverbs wey make sense to point out.
God dey show as di ultimate boundary, no be like story character. Almost every proverb here dey work by listing wetin normal human or supernatural being no fit do, and den e go name God as di only exception (entries 6, 9, 11, 15, 18, 19 all use dis pattern). Di proverbs no be stories about wetin God dey do; na arguments wey dey use God unlimited capacity as di strongest comparison wey dey.
Two proverbs (7 and 8) dey show the layered religious history of the region pass say na purely indigenous cosmology. Both of dem mention Islam specifically, and dem two follow the same logical pattern like the more general Olódùmarè proverbs. As dem dey inside Owomoyela collection alongside proverbs wey no mention Islam or Christianity, e show say proverb style absorb later religious words without changing how e dey arrange argument. Na the same caution about layered religious history apply elsewhere for this corpus, for instance for owe-iwa-character entry 26 concerning one possible thing wey dem borrow from Bible.
Dis na documented sayings about the supreme being, no be liturgy and no be instruction for worship. None of the nineteen proverbs here na prayer or invocation; each one na everyday argument wey just use Olódùmarè or Ọlọ́run as authority.
Twenty-two Yorùbá proverbs in which òrìṣà appear as the vehicle of an argument about human affairs, showing how ordinary speech treats the gods as present, particular, and sometimes named individually.
Fifty Yorùbá proverbs on ọ̀run-àpáàdì, orí and àyànmọ́ (fate and destiny), drawn from Owomoyela's dedicated section "On fate (and reciprocity)," showing destiny as chosen before birth, unappealable, yet compatible with real human effort.
What the sources actually attribute to Olodumare, the disputed etymologies, and the live scholarly argument over whether the supreme-being framing is indigenous Yoruba thought or a shape given to it by the missionary encounter.
Fifty-eight Yorùbá proverbs on character, presented with the original, a literal gloss, a named translation, and the situation each is spoken in.
Forty-eight Yorùbá proverbs on the ọmọlúàbí ideal, presented with the original, a literal gloss, a named translation, and the situation each is spoken in.
Sourced Yorùbá proverbs about telling the truth, the mechanics of lying and self-deception, and the value placed on a person whose word is reliable.