In Yoruba mythology, Olokun is the orisha regarded as the ruler of the deep sea.
Olokun is associated with the ocean’s depths, the bottom of the sea, and authority over other water deities. Yoruba communities also connect Olokun with wealth, health, prosperity, and the unpredictable power of the waters. The name is especially prominent in coastal and southwestern Nigerian traditions, as well as in related Afro-Atlantic religions.
Olokun’s gender is not presented identically everywhere. In some West African traditions Olokun is male, while in others the deity is female; in Santería and other diaspora traditions, Olokun may be understood as androgynous or through distinct ritual aspects. These differences reflect the diversity of Yoruba religious lineages rather than a single universal portrayal.
Olokun is often confused with Yemoja, or Yemaya, who is also a major water deity. Yemoja is commonly linked with motherhood, rivers, and nurturing waters, while Olokun is more specifically connected with the deep ocean, hidden riches, and immense submerged power. In some traditions, the two are treated as closely related.