Orunla

Orunla is a deity in the traditional religion of the Yoruba people of southwestern Nigeria and Benin. According to myth, Orunla is the daughter of the diviner deity Orunmila and the elder sister of the goddess Osanyin. She is associated primarily with wisdom and the ability to grant wishes that involve material prosperity, yet is also considered a temperamental figure who can bring misfortune if not properly venerated. The name Orunla means “heavenward” or “spirit of the sky” in Yoruba, reflecting her celestial origin.

Traditional worship of Orunla centers on the use of symbolic offerings, including kola nuts, palm wine, and small animal sacrifices, typically presented at household shrines or at village hearths. Priests of the Orunla cult, known as “Ajogun” or “oyinlola,” interpret omens and perform divination to manage the deity’s moods. Rituals are often conducted during festivals linked to the Harvest and the New Year, when people seek blessings for abundance and protection from greed.

Literature describing Orunla is found in the oral corpus of the Egbúclass and in stories circulated among the Ibadan and Ilesa regions. In twelveteenth-century Yoruba manuscripts, the goddess is sometimes portrayed as a double-edged figure: she grants material gains but demands humility and respect. Contemporary scholars view Orunla as a symbol of the complex relationship between humans and divine providence in Yoruba cosmology. Orunla’s presence remains visible in modern Yoruba naming practices, where “Orunla” as a given name is associated with destiny and faith in divine intervention.