Across the internet, a curious keyword has emerged: For devotees of the Orisa (Ifá, Santeria, Candomble) and scholars of African traditional religions, this phrase rings unusual. Obatala (also known as Orisanla, Oshala, or the King of White Cloth) is the arch-divinity of purity, peace, and the shaping of human bodies. How can a being of such supreme authority be "imprisoned"?
The narrative serves as a cosmic lesson in humility. On his way, he encounters Esu, the trickster deity, who tests Obatala’s commitment to his vow of purity. Through a series of mishaps involving charcoal and palm oil, Obatala’s pristine white robes are stained. Later, he is wrongfully accused of stealing a horse and is thrown into a dungeon for many years. imprisonment of obatala pdf download full