Obara Ka

Appearances deceive

On this path there was an Oba who employed a peasant. The peasant, in turn, had a very beautiful wife, and the Oba was in love with her behind the peasant’s back. She, however, rejected him.

One day the peasant met Orunla, who showed him a sign indicating that he must not let himself be deceived by appearances. But the peasant paid him no heed.

One day the Oba sent a letter to the wife telling her that he would come to live with her that night. But she returned the letter with the messenger, with a message written on the back saying that if he dared to come, she would kill him. The messenger dropped the letter on the road, and the peasant found it, opened it, and read the Oba’s missive. Not seeing his wife’s reply, which was written on the back and had been stained with mud, the peasant went mad and resolved to kill the Oba.

That night, when the Oba passed along the road, the peasant killed him with machete blows and then went home to kill his wife. As he burst in furious, she mistook him for the Oba and stabbed him. When he cried out, she realized she had killed her husband by mistake.

The peasant explained that he had found the Oba’s letter on the road and had not seen her threatening reply on the back of the envelope. The wife broke down in tears, but her husband told her not to weep, because he died happy knowing that she truly loved him.

Where Orunla is saved thanks to the yagruma

Once Orunla was passing through a land, and along the road many porcupines appeared before him; upon seeing him, they rushed to devour him. Orunla, finding himself in trouble, managed to spot a yagruma tree and climbed up into it, where he was able to save himself from the porcupines, who did not devour him. Maferefun the yagruma.

The fish and the mouse

Orunla told the mouse to make ebbo. And the mouse refused, saying that he was very happy in his burrow. Orunla then went to where the fish was and told him to make ebbo, and the fish would not do it either; and ever since, the mouse falls into the trap and the fish into the landing net. And the flor de agua and the landing net made ebbo with a rooster.

How Orunla and his wife obtained food

One day, Orunla was walking along the road with his wife, who told him she was hungry, for they had nothing to eat. Orunla told her to wait, and that at the first house they came upon, she would be able to eat. At last they reached a house; Orunla spoke with the owner and asked him to make an ebbo with the previous day’s food. The owner replied that there was no food left over, but Orunla told him to increase the food, and so he and his wife were able to eat.

After Orunla made the ebbo, everyone present had to eat. Orunla and his wife continued on their way, but when night fell, his wife told him again that she was hungry. Orunla tried to carry out the same operation to obtain food, but his wife kept saying she was hungry and could not bear it.

Then Orunla decided to go to the king’s house and told him that his wife was pregnant, and that if he wanted the birth to go well, he must make an ebbo and offer a great meal for many people. The king agreed, and Orunla and his wife were able to obtain food once more. In the end, the king’s wife gave birth, and the king, filled with happiness, gave Orunla a great gift.

Another version of the previous patakin

Orunla was going along the road with his wife, and she told him she was hungry. He answered her: «At the first house we reach in the next town, we shall eat.» But he was overheard by an enemy, who got there ahead of him and told the people, «A liar is coming along the road; do not believe anything he tells you.» This is where people speak ill of the Babalawos.

Yansa and Orunla’s enemies

On one occasion, Orunla had many enemies and, despite attending to all the Santos every day, he found himself worse off, because more enemies kept appearing. One day, Yansa told him that she would take charge of the situation, but that he was to give her nothing, as he did with the other Santos. Then she instructed him to make a rogation with a canasta meyi and a scythe.

Orunla performed the work, and when he finished, Yansa asked him to give her addie meyi colorada. One night, Yansa went out into the street and finished off all of Orunla’s enemies, causing a great disaster. Orunla was frightened, but she explained to him that this was the only way to put an end to the enemies.

Orunla cures the king

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Orunla told the king to make an ebbo with money, since that money was «hot,» and afterwards it would be seen what would be done with it. The king, however, refused, claiming that he could not give his money away. A short time later, the king fell ill, and no physician or sage could find a cure for him.

Faced with the king’s critical condition, he ordered that all the money he had be gathered to perform a rogation. After the ebbo, Orunla took part of the money and gave it away to the servants. From that moment on, everyone began to shower blessings upon the king, who improved significantly, for what he suffered from were the many curses that had been cast upon him and that would not let him live.