In Yoruba religion, á»Ârun (Yoruba alphabet: á»ÂÃÂrun, also called Ikole Orun or Ode Orun), is the celestial place that serves as both an afterworld for the deceased and the abode of the divinities. It was created and is ruled by Olodumare, the Supreme Deity. It is the place of origin for all humans where souls are made, and where humans return to after death. According to some beliefs, Orun has several layers, from ', the realm of the irredeemable, to á»Ârun Mare, the highest realm, which houses Olodumare. The sky is sometimes called ' which literally means "face of á»Ârun".
The universe in Yoruba cosmology is described as a metaphysical calabash ('), whose top half represents the spiritual world, Orun and bottom half represents the physical world, Ayé. The physical world is also described as "a marketplace [we visit], while the otherworld is home". The term Orun Rere, which is a realm of Orun for the good and kind-hearted, is also used by Yoruba Christians and Muslims to refer to Heaven and Jannah, while Orun Apaadi is used to refer to Hell and Jahannam.
á»ÂÃÂrun is a compound Yoruba noun composed of two elements: the nominalizing prefix á»Âàand the verb run which means "to originate". Thus, á»ÂÃÂrun literally means "the place of origin". Yoruba words such as ' ("the source of the soul") and ' ("the source of water") are also closely related in etymology with á»ÂÃÂrun.
Many Yoruba believe that á»ÂÃÂrun is composed of two major realms: á»ÂÃÂrun Rere and á»ÂÃÂrun Apaadi. Some however view á»ÂÃÂrun as being consisting of nine distinct realms, linked in a hierarchy of desirability. The oriá¹£a á»Âya determines where each soul is placed after death.
The belief in á»ÂÃÂrun led to several cultural practices associated with death and commemoration among the Yoruba and other related groups.
Ancestors in Orun are referred to as Ara á»ÂÃÂrun and their physical manifestations are called Egungun. It is believed that ancestors have the power to watch over their descendants. Therefore, people make an effort to remember their ancestors on a regular basis. This is ancestor veneration, which some have wrongly labelled ancestor worship. It is believed that the love that exists between a parent and a child here on earth should continue even after death. And since the parent has only ascended to another plane of existence, it should be possible for the link to remain strong. Masquerade festivals for ancestor reverence are also called Egungun.
Yoruba believe that a baby may come with a pre-ordained name, known as orúkỠàmútá»ÂÃÂrunwá (which means "name brought from Orun"). Twins (ibeji) are believed to be sacred and have orùkỠàmútá»ÂÃÂrunwá. The first to be born of the twins is named Tayewo (which means "taster of ayé"). It is believed that the first twin is sent by the other one from Orun to taste the world. If he/she stays there, it follows that it is not bad, and that would send a signal to the other one to start coming. Hence the second to arrive is named Kehinde ("late arrival"). Other orúko àmútá»ÂÃÂrunwá include Alaba, Idogbe, Ige, Ojo/Aina, Dada, Ajayi and multiple others.