Iroko

The Orixá of the Sacred Tree

Domain: Time, Trees & Ancestry
Alignment: True Neutral
Element: Earth
Relics of Power: Ancestral Trunk

Speak with Iroko

The People

People

Yoruba people

Region

West Africa & the diaspora

Period

c. 1000 AD – present

The orixás are worshipped by the Yoruba people of present-day Nigeria and Benin, with Ile-Ife as their spiritual center. Through the slave trade, their faith crossed the Atlantic and flourished in the Americas as Candomblé, Santería, and Vodou. It is today one of the most living and widespread African religious traditions in the world.

The Osun festival in Osogbo, Nigeria, draws thousands to the sacred grove of the Osun river, a UNESCO heritage site. The Ifá oracle guides decisions through the odus, and in Brazil the Candomblé terreiros honor each orixá with their own drums, dances, colors, and foods.

The Sacred Scrolls

Orixá of time, ancestry, and the great sacred trees, Iroko dwells in the largest and oldest tree of the forest. Witness of all ages, he keeps the memory of the ancestors and the secret of the passage of time. His tree is a living temple where offerings and requests for longevity and stability are made. As The Orixá of the Sacred Tree, this deity occupies a position of supreme prestige in the iorubas pantheon. Their domains over Time, Trees & Ancestry reflect ancestral cosmic order maintained across millennia. In classical iconography, they are depicted with an aura of unshakeable majesty and sacred attributes that inspired reverence in emperors and peasants alike. Their influence extended beyond earthly boundaries, governing fates and harmony between the visible and invisible worlds. For ancient devotees, contemplating their essence was to understand the very fundamental forces of nature and human existence.

Sacred Symbols

The giant tree, the ancient trunk, the white ribbons and time

Divine Lineage

Orixá tied to the great trees (gameleira in Brazil); guardian of time.

The Legendary Myth

Iroko lives in the largest tree of the forest, and from it observes the unfolding of all generations, being the most patient and ancient of the orixás.

Legends & Deeds

A celebrated secondary legend preserved in the oral traditions of the iorubas recounts the journey when Iroko intervened directly in the lives of mortals.