Thousands of years ago, there was nothing but darkness and the atmosphere. For many years, it remained so. Both elements were so intangible yet so real. They existed but were non-existent. Their presence was so prominent that after several years, they grew conscious. The atmosphere consisted of all kinds of substances. It was so rich in substance that it could create anything from itself. The darkness could expand and mould some of the atmosphere’s creation. Together, they created the universe, the world, and its people. The atmosphere was referred to as Olodumare and the darkness as Okunkun.

But the darkness imposed itself on all the creations. They depended on him and his minions, the darklings, to see, to survive. Okunkun was powerful and invaluable. He felt superior to Olodumare. For many years it remained so. It mattered not that the people were drowning in sorrow as long as they depended on Okunkun for every move they made. 

The despair was unacceptable. Olodumare despised Okunkun’s desire for control so much that he forged eyes for himself and opened them to the universe and the world he created. The right eye of Olodumare was so bright that it dispelled Okunkun far beyond the reach of his creations. His left eye was dim, it couldn’t dispel Okunkun completely but it weakened what was left of him so the people stood a chance against him. His right eye is known today as the sun while his left is referred to as the moon.

The world was saved from the rule of Okunkun. The eyes of Olodumare reached everywhere but one space; a vast land to the west remained covered in darkness. Its people were so naturally inclined to the darkness that Olodumare could not dispel its grip on the land.

Within these vast lands, three people could sense each other in the darkness. They cared for one another amidst the harsh conditions. Their kindness and love in dark times were so phenomenal that Olodumare had a direct link to them. He gave them his eyes. The three men became so powerful that they dispelled and fought off Okunkun and his darklings with the eyes of Olodumare. But they were not strong enough to loosen Okunkun’s grip on the land. So they ventured to three opposite locations in the dark lands. One to the north, the others to the east and west; and when they stopped at a destination, they built a shrine each to worship Olodumare.

As they worshipped Olodumare, his eyes penetrated the darkness and dispersed it from the vast lands in the west. But Okunkun was an immortal entity. He was a major part of the fabric of life. He couldn’t be annihilated. Before he was completely dispersed, he attached himself to every creature and thing as a mark of his existence. His marks are the shadows attached to our bodies and everything the eyes of Olodumare touch.

The rule of Okunkun was over. His darklings dispersed and went into hiding. The three friends were idolized as vessels of Olodumare and they protected the shrines they created. They dwelled in their chosen locations and became the founding fathers of the three great tribes in West Africa: Yoruba, Igbo, and Hausa. Their seeds inherited the essence of Olodumare and became orishas. Till today, they protect these regions as their eyes keep the shrines fueled with worship for Olodumare to keep the West Africa out of the hands of Okunkun.