Irete Wan Wan

– This is a great secret of Ifá

In this path, in the land of Ifá, Olofin was looking for an Awo he could trust, to reveal to him the secret of Ifá. When he questioned the Awoses, Awo Awabure presented himself, who turned out to be an Omo Shangó. Then Ojuani arrived, the one Olofin had come for, and Olofin asked him whether he knew what he was expected to do. He answered that he did, and Olofin then told him what he had to do with that great secret of Otura Niko.

They called Awo Molaño Molabo, and he asked to carry out his work with Amonsio and Amoroso, who were Iguís. Both he and Shangó hid on the riverbank while the two Awoses went into the water in search of an Ota. When they drew the Ota out of the river, Molaño Molabo sang: «Ota Nilegun, Ota Ni Ibú Losa – Ibú Losa», concluding with: «Ota Odara».

Upon taking out the Ota, Amonsio and Amoroso turned their backs to the river. Each one opened a pit to bury the Ebbo Ipín. Molaño Molabo began to offer Obi and Omi Tutú while singing: «Moyugba Irete Wan Wan Oba Olofin Obaneri Awoire – Obanire Babalo Nura Eri Awa Morure Ifá – Odara Olofin Odara Kuarado Obanire Odara Obanire Awoire – Wan Wan Obani Fafá».

Then they offered Eyele, giving Eyerbale to the Leri, the Ota and the Ebbo Ipín, chanting: «Awobó Awato Oniré La Niwé – Awabo Awato Oríbẹ́ La Niwé – Aweto Àwébó Eyé Eyele Otá Ni Ibú Losa». They washed their heads with Omi Eré in the river while casting the Ota into the water, singing: «Asheto Ashebo Oniré La Niwé». The ritual ended with a prayer of Oshe Bile before the Moyugba, where all present said at Shilekún: «Molaño Molabo Ofun Awaye Bba Tina Olofin», painting the left hand and singing «Molaño Molabo Kifun Awo Keumbo«.

A bath must be taken with 16 ewes, with the eyele that goes inside the ebbo. Afterwards the awo washes his leri with mariwo and omí, ilé, ibú; it goes to the ebbo. Then opolopo efun is added to this, and the ebbo goes to inle ile ibú.

The birth of why Ozain eats ayapa

The Ayapa wanted to visit her Omo, who lived in the land of Toku Inlé, so she went to Aládí to have an Ebbo performed, so that her secret would not be revealed before she set out.

Many years later, a terrible famine came upon both heaven and earth, and the Ayapa decided to go out in search of food. While she was trying to find something to eat, she drew near the square, where a Palm stood in the center of the market. On market day, as the people began to gather, she started to sing: «Opo Oyo Omimo Omo Yonyo – Ope Ota Ireme Omo Yonyo».

Blaming the famine on the Palm, all those present fled without seeing her, and she gathered up what little there was. This happened again every day, until at last the people decided to go to the Oba and tell him what was going on. He sent Oggún in search of answers, but on hearing the song he ran off into the wilderness.

The Oba called Eshu, who in turn called his Ado Shure of Omologú. Despite their efforts, they could not uncover the mystery. Then the Oba called Awo Aladí, the Oluwo Ozain of that land, and it was he who saw this Ifá. He prepared an Ozun of Ozain with Akuko and 16 Akara, and went to the Oloya. When he came among the vendors, they heard the song in the Palm and everyone fled except Awo Aladí. He sat down, heating his Osun of Ozain to offer Akuko at the foot of the Palm.

The Ayapa, believing she was alone, came out of her hiding place beneath the palm and began to eat. At that moment, Awo Aladí took the glowing rod of his Osun and pressed it against her leri where she was singing, while he sang to her: “Ope Oyo Onimo Omo Yonyo Ope Ota Irewe Otawe Omo Yonyo Ope Ota Osha Ayapa Oyá Omo Yonyo ope Ota Biri Ayapa Ika Oyá Omo Yonyo“.

The Ayapa begged forgiveness and promised to be the slave of Oluwo Ozain. So Awo Aladí took the Ayapa and brought her to the Oba to present the mystery to him. The Oba said to her: «From this day on, if you wish to give your secret to Ozain, your children likewise will have to obtain it through Irete Juani. This is why, ever since, the Ayapa has been the favorite food of Ozain, thanks to Irete Juani».

In this Ifá an ado shure is prepared for Elegbá, loaded with ota of Elegbá, 7 hot peppers, 7 adeles, igui abre camino, amansa guapo, vencedor, guama, moruro, vance batalla, yamao, dominador, the elenu and oyu of eya tuto, 7 bibijaguas, atitan from a bibijaguero, añari from ibu losa, metals, leburu, iyefa of the sign, leri of gunugun, leri of owiwi zunzun; akuko shashara is given to it at the foot of a palm on the riverbank, and it lives hanging behind the door of the ilé.

A complete ebbo must be performed.

The path where Oshún is worshipped

In Nigeria, the Annual Festival of Offerings to Oshún was chosen to renew the pact between the first Local King and the River Laro. The ancestor of the present King, after his wanderings in search of a place to settle with his people, came to the River Oshún, whose water flowed without interruption. It is said that days after his arrival, a daughter of the King disappeared beneath the waters while bathing in the river, but reappeared magnificently dressed and declared to her father that she had been grandly received by the Divinity dwelling there.

In gratitude for this blessing, Laro made an offering to the River of several fish, messengers of the Divinity, who came to eat as a sign of acceptance. A great fish drew near and spat out water, which Laro collected in a calabash, thus beginning a pact of alliance between them. The King stretched out his hands and the fish leapt into them; so he took the title of Atá Osa (a Yoruba contraction of «Tinogbo Eyá», «He who stretches out both hands»). Taking the fish, they declared: «Orubgo», that is, «Oshún is in full maturity». For this reason the City of Oshogbo received its name.

Through this Ifá, Oshún must be worshipped and tribute rendered to her at the river.

Why some oranges are sour and others sweet

Oshún lived in a land where all was prosperity and joy, because her waters made the soil fertile. She had her orange trees planted for her own nourishment, these fruits being her favorite food and strictly forbidden under pain of punishment.

One day Oshún’s garden dawned ravaged: branches cut, the fruit thrown on the ground and the rest scattered over the earth. Oshún was deeply saddened when she learned that it had been people from the town, who wanted to know the taste of her oranges and so violated the prohibition. Oshún managed to punish those who had violated her garden, and then decided to disappear from that land and go to live in a cave beside the River, covered with dormidera.

In response to the loss of fertility that the land now showed, the farmers consulted Orunmila, who told them they would have to make Ebbo to appease Oshún. He likewise warned Oshún, so that the ebbo would not be received by those thieves; she would allow no one at all to approach the river until the offerings for the satisfaction of the divinity had been completed.

Elegbá had heard Orunmila’s warning, but even so he wanted to test Oshún’s worth; he approached the River and found everything calm. When he drew nearer still, he saw Oshún come out of her cave and offer him boyitos de carita. Elegbá tried to take them and fell into the dormidera at the entrance of the cave, remaining bewitched beside the river.

The people of the town returned to Orunmila’s house to have the ebbo done, and Orunmila told them he could not do it, for there was no Elegbá to carry it. He performed an osode to find Elegbá, and gave him 5 small cakes with honey and 5 boyitos with eku, ewa and awado to free him from his spell; the bodies of the chicks were thrown into the river, while he took hold of the dormidera, trapping it.

Orunmila returned to his house with Elegbá, performed a ceremony with the dormidera and the heads of the three chicks, thus reinforcing the secret. The ebbo was done, and everyone went with their offerings to the riverbank. Oshún came out of the river brandishing the supplications, forgiving the town for its actions; nevertheless, as a reminder of their ingratitude, she decreed: «all oranges shall carry a bitter taste, representing the pain they caused».

The Ifá of the ventriloquist

Orunmila performed osode on himself and a sign came out in which Ifá marked an ebbo for him with a dove, corn straw and a cloth bag; everything inside the latter, ready to be placed on the chest. However, he forgot to take it with him when he went to the conference.

He attended it all the same, though he did not carry the ebbo, considering that he had received an invitation from a group specialized in Ozain. When he knocked at the door to enter the distant town where the meeting was held, the doorkeeper asked him whether he brought «aye», but Orunmila answered «No». Immediately the doorkeeper shut the door, forcing him to return home.

However, remembering what Ifá had marked for him, once back at his house he performed the ebbo. Returning once more to the distant town where the ceremony was held and knocking again at the doors, when he saw the same doorkeeper, the man asked him the same question once more: did he bring «aye»? It was then, astonishingly, that the dove itself gurgled kuruk-kuruku without Orunmila having to open his mouth, prompting the amazed doorkeeper to wonder.

Overcome by that phenomenal event, he allowed him into the inner hall; the other members of that group were equally amazed by what had happened, and so they named him president and supreme head of that society, thanks to the «ventriloquist» Aye that Orunmila carried. Great prayers were offered by the group in his honor: ​Kaferefun Yalorde, Orunmila, Kaferefun Eshu​.

The blood must be checked regularly. The throat must be looked after; the person may have nothing of “palo”. They must receive San Lázaro, the land of the ventriloquists. The Eshu of this sign is Laroye; the Ota is at the foot of a plant on the riverbank. The woodpecker gave away with its song where its nest of sawdust (iye) was, and that is how it was discovered.

You have a ring with a stone that you could lose; it does not suit you. There is a boy in the house who is always climbing up on things; he could fall and break a leg. Do not keep birds in your house. Do not allow whistling at the door of your house.

An Ozain must be made with the head of a dove, its heart and its feet. The person may not eat dove.

The secret of Orun Ozain

In the land of Yoro lived a king with great powers of Ozain and consecrated secrets. The king’s son was his sole source of happiness and devotion, considering that otherwise he had only daughters from whom to choose an heir. As the boy grew, he began to wander through the castle; one day he entered the chamber where his father kept his secrets of Ozain. On drawing back the curtains and seeing the pieces, he was struck blind, and could never see his father again.

Filled with grief and sorrow, the king shut himself away in that room, refusing to see anyone else. Dark desires then led him to make malignant pacts with Ozain to draw the attention of the dark powers; he had lost all faith in Olofin.

The king’s son grew up and became a handsome young man. Together they governed the town, but he began to lose the radiance of Olorun because of his father’s curses. Darkness and sadness took hold of that town more and more, until Orunmila, who lived nearby, decided to go out for a walk and get to know the surroundings. When he arrived there, he found total darkness in broad daylight.

At that very time they were performing the ituto of the king, who had died mad; within it an Irete Juani came out, and so Orunmila said: «The king dies with the sorrow of not seeing his successor carry out his great secrets, since he is blind; as he could not initiate him properly, the curse continues to reign over his land».

The queen and the prince approached Orunmila so that he might find a solution to the problem of the darkness in the place. He told them they must form a great secret with the Ozain and the secrets of the deceased king, in order to consecrate the prince. The king was buried with great honors and then, 16 days later, Orunmila ordered his body to be exhumed, to use his bones and begin to create the Orun-Ozain secrets.

Then they swore the prince into them and held a great feast for Oduduwa and Shangó. Once the three had consecrated the prince in Ifá, he recovered his sight, and that castle was consecrated as a temple dedicated to Orun and Ozain; Orunmila was named Awo of the Court, while Shangó and Oduduwa were appointed protectors of the town. The name adopted by the Awo was Ifá Yoro Yoro.

Ozain: its usual load.

ORUN: its usual load. The animals offered must be black, and dried before being killed.

Swear into Orun Ozain. These secrets lived buried in the earth so that the light would not touch them; all the animals and implements are buried together with the secret, covered with a new cooking pot, in the bottom of which a hole is made, through which it is fed. The oath of Orun Ozain is taken at the same time. The secrets will live together. Among the loads carried by the stones and the seat are: the brain of a man and of a woman, two eyes of a man and two of a woman, skull, jaw, fingers, joints of the bones of the father or of an Eggun of Oduduwa or of Shangó, leri of aya, of bat, of owl, of birds that sing.

The secret of Irete Wan Wan

Irete Wan Wan was an adventurous spirit who walked the lands in search of stability. One day he came to the foot of a ceiba and saw a hand beckoning him to dig. There he discovered a silver coffer with two keys, and the Egun told him to open it. When Irete Wan Wan did so, inside was, fashioned in silver and of small size, the dismembered skeleton of a man. From within, a voice was heard saying: «What you see is your secret for living in stability and with money. I am Oduduwa, and by keeping me you will be able to live happily and without worries». To Iban Eshu.