Codex of FaithsAn illustrated atlas of belief

Codex of Faiths · codexoffaiths.com

Yoruba religion: quiz worksheet

A printable worksheet for the classroom: 8 multiple-choice questions on Yoruba religion, with an answer key and explanations on the last page.

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Circle the letter of the best answer.

  1. Who is the supreme being in Yoruba religion?

    1. A Sango
    2. B Olodumare
    3. C Orunmila
    4. D Esu

  2. Into how many odu, or figures, is the Ifá corpus organised?

    1. A 256
    2. B 16
    3. C 64
    4. D 108

  3. What does “babalawo”, the title of an Ifá priest, mean?

    1. A Keeper of the drums
    2. B Elder of the town
    3. C Father of secrets
    4. D Son of the king

  4. In which city, Yoruba myth tells, was the world created?

    1. A Osogbo
    2. B Lagos
    3. C Ile-Ife
    4. D Oyo

  5. Sango is the orisa of…

    1. A Iron and work
    2. B Thunder
    3. C Rivers and love
    4. D The crossroads

  6. What did Yoruba orisa worship become in Cuba?

    1. A Candomblé
    2. B Vodou
    3. C Umbanda
    4. D Santería, also called Lucumí

  7. What is ori?

    1. A An ancestor’s spirit
    2. B Good character
    3. C The power to make things happen
    4. D Each person’s destiny, chosen before birth

  8. Where is the sacred grove of the river goddess Osun, a UNESCO World Heritage site?

    1. A Osogbo
    2. B Ile-Ife
    3. C Oyo
    4. D Abeokuta

Answer key

  1. B · Olodumare. Olodumare is distant and unique and is not given shrines; the orisa act in the world.
  2. A · 256. 16 principal odu and 240 combinations of them, each with many verses.
  3. C · Father of secrets. The babalawo casts palm nuts or a divining chain and recites the verses of the odu.
  4. C · Ile-Ife. Ile-Ife flourished as a sacred city from about 1000 CE.
  5. B · Thunder. Osun rules rivers and love, Ogun iron and work, Esu the crossroads.
  6. D · Santería, also called Lucumí. Candomblé grew in Brazil; enslaved Yoruba in Cuba often identified the orisa with Catholic saints.
  7. D · Each person’s destiny, chosen before birth. Ase is the power to make things happen, and iwa pele is good character.
  8. A · Osogbo. Two weeks of rites are held there each August.

From Codex of Faiths, codexoffaiths.com. You may print and copy this worksheet for teaching.