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upon awakening, he realized that the beings that he had created were deformed and defective. He swore to never drink alcohol again, and created perfect human beings. Obatala thus became the universal deity of humankind, protector of the handicapped, and god of purity.
Obatala is the fairest and kindest god since he recognises he shoulders part of the blame and redeems himself by protecting his creations. He, as the father of mankind, represents the Orisha and closely guides us. Unlike other cases where a perfect god shows compassion towards imperfect beings, Obatala shows compassion because he believes himself to be at fault and relates to us.
The first ruler and father of all Yoruba was Obatala. Although he thinks of all mankind as his “children”, he did have children with his wife, Yemaya; goddess of childbirth, fresh water, and the moon. Over time, their 16 sons and grandsons were crowned and sent off to establish their own kingdoms, creating the first 16 Yoruban kingdoms. As descendants of Olorun, these first Yoruban rulers and their descendants were divine kings and only people of such lineage could wear special veiled crowns that symbolized their sacred power.
Although in many places the veiled crowns are no longer worn, to this day, Obatala and his descendants continue guiding mankind with compassion and kindness. The most important lesson to be learnt from Obatala is to be open-hearted, accepting, and treat everyone equally.
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