Irete File

There Is No Happiness in the World

Shangó was in the land of Takua, where all the inhabitants were happy. Even so, Shangó declared that there was no complete happiness in the world, and no one believed him, which caused great arguments. Shangó decided to prove his claim within 12 days, but then he had second thoughts and went to Orunmila’s house in search of help.

Orunmila told him to make an ebbó with beef, asho teladi (pink cloth), shaguaro meyi, and agogo okan. Shangó made the ebbó and began riding out on his horse every day for 12 days, singing «Kenefi Tokere Shangó Olokun A Nolo Guere».

The women, busy with their chores — washing, cooking, or tending to their husbands and children — would drop their tasks when they saw Shangó and say, «here comes the man on the horse.» Lunch ran late, the laundry stayed dirty, the children cried, and the men came home to find no food ready at midday.

After six days, all the men were fed up with Shangó riding out every day at 12 noon, singing. Then Shangó changed his song, and the men complained that he had worn them down and that nothing was ever ready at home when they arrived.

On the ninth day, Shangó appeared with a cowbell on the horse’s head and began to sing while holding sprigs of basil, nine candles, and a hen on the horse’s head. In their fury, the men began to beat the women.

The next day, Shangó rode out with roosters and doves hanging from the horse’s head, singing. Then all the men poured into the street enraged, and Shangó said to them: «you see, there is no happiness in the world.» Afterward, Shangó went to Orunmila’s house and said: «Iboru, Iboya, Iboshishe, Elegguin Akuedo, Guello, Omolayokua, Bamba Eggun Ra Totelle«.

Irete File the Disobedient

Akuko, gbogbo leri (16 o 101), un tamborcito, dos malaguidi, obi meyi, itana merin, gbogbo asho, shewere melidogun, igui onan de su tamaño, ainlanla ara, una ota, 3 macitos de leña, un carbón, un pedazo de soga, ceniza, 9 pelotas de gofio, un pedazo de jaguey, añari ile, lokun añari ile, ibu, opolopo owo.

Irete File was the youngest son of death, and at the same time the builder of the Aña. He was entrusted with the task of building a white eru in aña koko, who is the father of the dead. Irete File was to play the tingua drum, which only he could play, and to make an ebbó with 101 heads. When he arrived before the awo, he was to hand over the heads so that the father would release them in each of the 16 towns he had to cross. Then, when he came into the father’s presence, he was to deliver the remaining heads of the 101 so as not to have to surrender his own.

Irete File failed to carry out the ebbó, claiming that he was the youngest son of death. On reaching the white land, he met Elegbá, who asked him about the errand he was supposed to bring. Irete File answered that he had forgotten it. Elegbá told him to go see his father, but first he had to pay the tribute in order to enter and leave. He refused, saying that he owed no tribute since he was the youngest son of death. He finally arrived where his father was, and his brothers were waiting for him for the feast. His father demanded the heads, and since he did not deliver them, he was left enslaved in those lands, in the service of Aña Koko, building and testing the Aña Koko.

While testing the Aña Koko, Irete File would invoke his dead brothers in his songs, and he came to speak with his brother Ofun Bile, who told him to look to him so that he could get out of that confinement and be free. He then spoke with his father in the Pasho Owunko and explained that he was not used to being shut in, that he was a wanderer. The father scolded him for his disobedience and asked him for a dove as tribute for not having delivered the 101 heads he had requested.

For this reason, a fun fun eyele is given to the Oddun upon entering the igbodun of Ifá.

FOUNDATION OF IRETE FILE:

Willfulness is an undoing. He sings, he dances, and he will never be able to go out. Irete File must fulfill all the precepts of Ifá and heed the counsel Orunmila has given him and the advice he receives daily.

Irete File must respect the dove for life. He must wear 9 small bells on his left foot to play the drum; this drum is the long one, sealed at both ends, with two openings in it, so that its sound comes out with a contagious sonority that rises above all others.

TO FEED THE MOON:

A joro joro is opened, just big enough to hold the dove. A basin is prepared with indigo and omi. The hole is dusted with cascarilla, Irete File is written inside it, and a jícara (gourd bowl) is placed with the Oddun Ejiogbe. When the full moon or the waxing quarter rises, the eyele is sacrificed and placed inside; the funeral prayers are said over it, then it is covered with the feet, afterward the water is poured in, the itana is lit, and obí is given to see whether it is eboada.

– Awo Mayure

There was an awo named Awo Mayure who lived in a place that did not prosper; he wanted to leave but could not. He went to see Orunmila, who saw for him this Ifá, which was Awo Mayure’s own sign, and marked an ebbó with a young bull, a rooster, a white cap, eku, eya, epó (palm oil), agbo oti, promising it would carry him wherever he wished. When he arrived there, he met Eshu Bi, who lived in the forest and had a cap. Eshu Bi asked him for it, and Awo Mayure gave him Moforibale. Meanwhile, Eshu Bi asked why he was there, and Awo Mayure explained. At that moment, the Oba’s favorite passed by with his retinue, and Awo Mayure told Eshu Bi that he could match that at once — that this was the Oba’s favorite and no one could defeat him. Eshu Bi replied that he would like to compete against him, so he presented him to his friend Shangó, who approved of the idea.

The next day, Awo Mayure went with Eshu Bi to the Oba’s house to arrange the contest. The Oba accepted the wager: whoever drew more people into the street without spilling blood over 15 days would win the prize. The first to go out was the Oba’s favorite. At that moment, Eshu Bi went out into the street and, at the corner, found eku, eya, awado, and further on, otí. When he reached the café, a great brawl broke out. Many were the obinis who left their chores to watch the Oba’s favorite, and quarrels flared up with their husbands, at times to the point of bloodshed. So the days went by, until the Oba told his favorite not to go out anymore, because too much blood had been spilled.

Afterward, Awo Mayure went out into the street riding the young bull at 12 midnight, like a bolt of lightning. He rode so fast that no one could see him before midnight. The people were bewildered by the noise, since no one could see who the rider or riders were. Even the Oba himself began to grow alarmed. Mayure went out into the street riding the young cow, and the crowd trailing behind him was endless; but he rode very slowly, in broad daylight, without a single misfortune or accident among the people of the town. Thus he won the wager by being the more intelligent, and the Oba rewarded him by declaring that he would succeed him on the throne.

This is an Ifá of inheritance.

The Power of the Igui Adawa Moye (Almácigo)

Orunmila had three omo who were awoses, named Kaje Leli Ewe, Awo Kasu Leli Emo Ewo, and the last, Kafikeke Asho Fun Fun Negbo Ara Awo. One day, Orunmila called them to interpret Ifá when he was invited by the Oba Olueshi of the land of Ayo Nile to travel through it. Orunmila saw himself in Irete File, and his omo marked an ebbó for him, which Orunmila performed before setting out for Ayo Nile. Three days later, Orunmila reached those lands, and the Oba received him at his court. This Oba suffered from elephantiasis of the testicles — that is, canchila — which hung down to his knees.

Elegbá had told the Oba to invite Orunmila and ask him for a cure. Orunmila saw this Oddun of Ifá for the Oba and marked an ebbó with owunko okan, akuko meyi, eyele meyi, adie meyi, asho timbelara, and owo medilogun. The Oba asked him: «Are you certain that if I make ebbó, I will be cured?» «Certain,» Orunmila answered, and performed the ebbó for him. Orunmila took out a small güiro and, measuring the canchila with pupua and dun dun ou, placed the measure in the güiro together with resin from the igui adawa moye, and hung it from one of the branches of the igui adawa moye. Within three days, the Oba was cured.

The Baba Tobí of the Oba, who was Oduduwa, had been cursed by all the subjects of his kingdom and had gone mad. Orunmila, with the power of the igui adawa moye, cured him, and Oduduwa then established this igui as the blessed tree, adawa moye. Orunmila returned to his lands and there blessed his three omo for all the good they had done him through the ebbó.