10. In Yoruba, the god Obatala climbed down from the sky by using a long gold chain. He used a snail shell filled with sand, a white hen, a black cat, and a palm nut to create land and living things.
In West Africa, the Yoruba tribe’s creation story starts with the chief god Olorun who ruled over the sky and the goddess Olokun who ruled all below the sky. Obatala was a lesser god who felt that there needed to be more in existence. One day, he went to the wise Orunmila, the eldest son of the chief god Olorun. Orunmila instructed Obatala to create a very long, golden chain, and gather a snail shell filled with sand, a white hen, a black cat, and palm nut. He went to all of the other gods, gathering what gold they had to offer, and from this gold, fashioned a golden chain. The rest of the objects Orunmila instructed Obatala to gather were placed in a satchel.
Obatala descended from the sky by using the golden chain, slowly lowering himself until he had reached the ground. He took out the sand filled snail shell and dumped the sand out. Next, he took out the white hen and placed her on the pile of sand. The sand the hen scattered away from the pile became land masses. Next, he dug a hole and placed the palm nut into the hole. It immediately grew into a fully grown palm tree, and from it, other palm nuts and trees sprang forth. He took the black cat from the bag and sat it down with him so they could enjoy each others’ company. After drinking bowl after bowl of wine he had made from the pine nuts, a drunken Obatala began creating beings. However, because he drank so much wine, the beings that he created were imperfect. After seeing what he had done, he swore to never create again.