How Death Came to Humanity (Yoruba/Benin)
In the beginning, humans did not experience death. When they grew old, the god Olorun would rejuvenate them. A man named Iku (Death) was sent to test humanity. Iku appeared as an old man begging for food, but only one woman, a poor widow, shared her meal with him. Iku rewarded her by warning her that a plague would come and only those who stayed indoors would survive. When the plague struck, the disobedient died, and from that moment on, death entered the world. Iku was appointed as the one who carries souls to the afterlife. The Yoruba believe that death is not an end but a transition to the