In Yoruba orisha (also spelt orisa or orixa) veneration, Obàtálá, through the power of God, the Supreme Being, (called by various names in the Yoruba language such as Olodumare, Eledumare, Olofin-Orun, Eleda, and Olorun), made human bodies, and Olorun (God) breathed life into them. Obàtálá is also the owner of all ori or heads. Any orisha may lay claim to an individual, but until that individual is initiated into the priesthood of that orisha, Obàtálá still owns that head. This stems from the belief that the soul resides in the head.
According to mythical stories Obatala created "defective" (handicapped) individuals while drunk on palm wine, making him the patron deity of such people. People born with congenital defects are called 'eni orisa': literally, "people of Obatala". He is also referred to as the orisha of the north. He is always dressed in white, hence the meaning of his name, Obatala (King or ruler of the white cloth). His worshippers strive to practice moral correctness as unblemished as his robe.
In Candomblé, Obatalá (Oxalá) is the oldest "Orixa funfun" ("white deity"), referring to spiritual purity and pure light, both physically and symbolically as in the "light" of consciousness). In the Bahia State (Brazil), Obatala has been syncretized with Our Lord of Bonfim and is the subject of a large syncretic religious celebration, the Festa do Bonfim, which takes place in January in the city of Salvador.
