Ika Rete

The unbelieving woman

There was a woman who sold thread in the marketplace, and her business was going poorly, so she went to be read by Orunmila. This Ifá came out for her, and it ordered ebbó with: two eyele, one akuko, sweepings from the marketplace, and a small box so that she might rise; but she did not do it. Another vendor was listening to everything, and as he too was doing badly, he asked Orunmila to make that ebbó for him. Orunmila made it, and his fortune improved.

When Olofin had no fixed dwelling

Awo Ika Rete must receive Olofin, and from time to time give him eyele meyi fun fun. He must give eyerbale to his leri and to an omiero of ewe hiedra, higo, yanten, salvia, orozus, romero, mejorana, hierba buena, toronjil de menta, anís de españa, flor de marmol, ceiba, iroko, iwereyeye, ou, moruro.

With that omiero he cleanses Olofin, praying: “Olofin Ikawayate Omogara Awawe Enifa Olofin Igba Oddun Awawe Olofin”. To feed him, a leri of eya tuto is placed on top. Afterward a large piece of cotton is taken, along with the leri of the eya tuto that was on Olofin, and eru, obi kola, atare medilogun, orí, efun, obiabon are added; it is placed on the leri and one prays: “Orí Laye Olofin Mori Salu Olorun Mori Mori Ori Kadi Yeye Awo Ikawayate Ika Rete Oddun Orinifa”.

It is left on the leri for three days. The eyele is cooked in a new pot, and for three days he eats from it, keeping the portions hidden in the igbodun. During those three days Awo Ika Rete may not leave the igbodun nor speak with anyone. On the third day he removes it from his leri and washes the leri with the omiero and the ashe; into the last water goes the water of two green coconuts, opolopo orí and efun.

He dries himself with asho fun fun, in which is then placed what he wore on his leri together with the remains of the eyele. He takes what was on the leri and presents it to Olorun, praying: “Modupue Babami Fobae Modupue Fobae Fobae Olofin Ayabi Orun Omo Orun Sarawao Awo Agolona Babami Modupe Fobae Awolode”.

Then he carries it to leri oke, and on placing it there he sings: “Awo Enire Enifa Olofin Modupue Fobae Iré Layeo”.

In the land of Mayekun Enifa lived Awo Ikawayate, who was Omo Ika Rete and Omo Ozain. He always cleansed all the people of that land with asho fun fun, opolopo ori and opolopo efun. To do it, he called on Obatalá Osha Fun Fun Orolu, who had taught him that secret, and as he cleansed them he sang: “Babá Fun Fun Jekuao Asho Fun Fun Orolu Babá Jekuao“.

But the people of that land held him in no regard — not even the other awoses did — because, despite being Omo Ozain, he used few ewes in his work. Olofin in those days had no fixed place to stay, for he was always traveling from one land to another consecrating the omofa, and although everyone fed him, no one took the trouble to cleanse him; and all the blood and the juju stuck to his body gave off a foul smell, so that people did not come near him except for whatever they wanted resolved, and afterward drew away from his side because of the filth upon him.

For that reason Olofin was always weeping and would not stay in any land. One day, when an omofa was to be consecrated in Ifá in the land of Mayekun Enifa, they began to call Olofin: “Babá Olofin Ayagba Olorun Iba Leri Oba Babá Tiyoko Babá Enifa”. Hearing that he was being called, Olofin set out on the road; but when he reached the land of Mayekun Enifa, the foul smell upon him was so strong that all the omofa left and abandoned him, and Olofin went away weeping.

Along the road he met Awo Ika Rete, who, recognizing him, knelt before him, rendered him moforibale, and said: “Agba kile Olofin. Olofin aye agba yare Awo Ika Rete.” Then he said to Olofin: “Babá, you, like me, are held in no regard — but in your case it is because no one cleanses you. I am going to bathe you so that you no longer carry that unpleasant smell.”

After bathing Olofin with the ewes and the omiero prepared by Ozain and Awo Ika Rete, Olofin asked that he be given eyerbale of eyele fun fun meyi and that it be placed on his head. Then he asked to be bathed again, and that the head of the eya tuto be placed upon the ou with which he had been bathed before.

Ozain gave Olofin certain ingredients, including eru, obi kola, efun, obi edun, 16 itana and 16 atare, and told Awo Ika Rete to place the ashe on his head. Awo Ika Rete sang: “Ori Laye Olofin Mori Salu Olofin Mori Mori Ori Kadi Yeye Awo Ikawayate Ika Rete Oddun Orenifa”.

Olofin instructed Awo Ika Rete to leave everything they had removed from his body in a joro joro, and then to make osode for him. After this, Olofin asked that everything be carried to Agba Eri Oke and that he be called to accompany them. He said he would always be grateful to Awo Ika Rete and Ozain for having bathed and cleansed him, and for having blessed him.

After arriving in the land of Mayekun Enifa, Olofin and Awo Ika Rete went straight to the igbodun of Ifá. On arriving there they found everyone in a bad way, singing: “Afoyun Bodun Onife Afoyun Bodun Orilleo Awo Omafoyu Olofin Bodun Enifa Afoyu Bodun Orileo”. All fell to their knees, astonished to see Olofin so clean.

Olofin told them that only Awo Ikawayate Ika Rete and Ozain had done this, and that from then on, in everything done with him, Awo Ika Rete and Ozain must be present, for they are the only ones with the courage to bathe him and dress him. From then on they began to hold Awo Ikawayate in regard. That is why Olofin dresses in asho fun fun and wears opolopo orí and efun.

Awo Eya Bomu

Awo Eya Bomu was the king of the fish and at the same time was very close to Shangó and Yemayá. Because of the virtues these Orishas had granted him, he was respected and obeyed by all. Awo Eya Bomu grew very proud on account of his great fortune, and at a certain point he no longer needed Shangó or Yemayá for certain things. In his territory lived Awo Abeya, a modest awo who decided to visit Awo Eya Bomu after hearing of his fame.

When he arrived, he found Awo Eya Bomu ruling over all the inhabitants of the land, including Mogba, the territory of Shangó — something Awo Abeya did not know. Awo Eya Bomu challenged Awo Abeya to see who knew more Ifá. Awo Eya Bomu made a consultation and saw Ika Rete, then asked Awo Abeya to speak of Ifá.

Awo Abeya said to all present: “The fish dies by its mouth” — that is, that we must speak as little as possible — and that an ebbó should be made with akuko, fishhooks, meyi, river mud, fishing twine, a dip net, and other ingredients. Awo Eya Bomu only wanted to humiliate him, so he laughed and told the people that they did not need to make that ebbó. Awo Abeya left, calling on Shangó along the way: “Shangó, Kola Oniyunta. Eya Enu Gbogbo Enu Lofe Lofeya Mogba. Shangó, Kola Eni Yunto”.

Along the road he met Shangó and told him of Awo Eya Bomu’s arrogance and unpleasant treatment. Shangó grew furious and went to the land of Awo Eya Bomu, in Mogba. On arriving, he saw Awo Eya Bomu surrounded by his children and lunged at him to seize him, but Awo Eya Bomu, on seeing him, leapt into the sea and fled with his children.

At that moment Yemayá arrived, having seen everything that had happened. Seeing Shangó so enraged, she said: “This is my house and you cannot kill him here.” Then Shangó answered: “I respect that you live in Yemayá’s house; but when you leave it, it will be to feed and save the people of the earth, and you will die. To Iban Eshu.” Shangó handed the net, the hooks, the twine and the rest over to the people and told them to use them to catch Awo Eya Bomu and his children, but only for their own benefit. Since then, fish live in the water and cannot leave it, for if they do, they die.

Under this Ifá one may not eat fish in any form; the ebbó must be made along with the following inshe: after the ebbó, of the hooks and the net, one is placed with Yemayá and the other with Elegbara. On the eya tuto, Ika Rete is painted on both sides and it is placed with Shangó, and the akuko is given to Shangó together with Oggún so that in life the person may be freed from their troubles.

The fish dies by its mouth

There was once a man whose fame as an elephant hunter had spread throughout the jungle. He had killed so many that he wiped out all those to be found for many leagues around the village where he lived.

This hunter was known as Ekege Efon, and melancholy nested in his heart from the day he was forced to remain idle, smoking his pipe in the shade of the tall trees and listening to the stories that came from the wise mouths of the elders. In all that region there no longer remained a single elephant he could put to death with his sharpened arrows and his powerful spear, which now lay cast aside, rotting in the darkest corner of his house.

The day came when that hunter decided to move to distant lands in search of the morbid pleasure it gave him to kill so great and noble an animal, man’s faithful companion in war and in labor. After walking a long way, he came upon the king of the elephants, old and ill, soaking his wrinkled hide in the clean waters of a stream. Without any compassion, he gave him a treacherous death.

It happened that the hunter’s mother had followed her son, and when she found him, the two lodged in a hut deep in the jungle of that land. The daughter of the king of the elephants, known as Irun Lewe, who knew the perfidy and cruelty of that hunter, swore to take vengeance for her father’s death.

And by the force of her power of transformation, the young elephant turned herself into a beautiful girl who, walking day and night through that immense jungle, went seeking news of the whereabouts of that merciless hunter. Until at last she found him, sitting at the door of his hut, no doubt thinking of the next elephant hunt he was preparing.

The young woman, who in truth was the daughter of the king of the elephants, had managed to work her way into the hunter’s life in order to avenge her father’s death. For several days she lived with him, feigning happiness and love, while in truth she was planning her revenge.

One day, when they went out hunting together, the young woman found the opportunity to fulfill her purpose. When they reached the place where the rest of the elephants were, she took on her true form, and the animals recognized her as the daughter of the king of the elephants. Then the elephants attacked the hunter and killed him.

The hunter’s mother, who had disapproved of her son’s union with the unknown young woman, was devastated to learn of his death. The daughter of the king of the elephants, her vengeance fulfilled, disappeared into the jungle, never to be seen again.

They had set up their room beside the mother’s chamber, and Ébano, as he had named her, asked him before going to sleep: “tell me, what great power is this of yours, that without anyone’s help you kill wild elephants as no one has ever done before, giving them treacherous death? A rumor reached my ears that you put to death the king of the elephants, who had done you no harm, without his ever realizing a man was upon him. Tell me, in what does that power of yours consist?”.

He, drunk on pride and on liquor, answered her: “my dear Ébano, that is very simple; my power lies in the faculty I have to transform myself into different things and animals. When I wound an elephant with my mighty spear and it attacks me in fury with its trunk, I turn into a tree trunk; if it goes to strike the trunk, I turn into leaves.”

At this the hunter heard the voice of his mother calling him. He answered: “why does the grieving mother interrupt from the other room?” Go to sleep, the son ordered her in annoyance. And all fell silent. Some days later, Iran Lewe (Ébano), as he called her, again asked the hunter to continue the unfinished story of his power to kill elephants, for the desire for vengeance grew ever stronger in the heart and mind of the unhappy young elephant. The hunter Ekege Efon continued his tale.

If I discover that the elephant is too intelligent and stern, I transform myself into a fly and alight upon it, so that it cannot wound me for all its fury; the rest is easy. Again time passed without unhappiness entering the heart of Ekege Efon. On a dark night, when the moon had not yet fully shown its burnished face in the sky and the forest was sunk in impenetrable darkness, Iran Lewe, in silence, as if her feet were wings, fled from the hut and went deep into the jungle, taking back her true being as a young elephant, beautiful and strong.

Ekege Efon, on discovering his young wife’s flight, ran sad and furious with his weapons (bow, arrows and spear) after the fugitive; and when the sun kindled the day again, the men of the nearest village, who had gone to work their lands, were terrified to see their crops destroyed by the tracks of an enormous elephant. Swift as the wind they went in search of Ekege Efon, and when they found him and he learned why they sought him, he forgot the fugitive woman and, pleased and proud at this new chance to display his gifts as an invincible hunter, thought that the vanished young woman would return to him on hearing of his new feat.

Ekege Efon, presumptuous, went out after the elephant following its tracks; but the elephant, waiting for him in ambush, charged him on sight without giving him time to use his powers. The terrified hunter turned himself into trunks, into leaves, and at last into a fly, and began to buzz and circle above the elephant’s head until he settled on her neck.

The elephant saw that the moment of triumph had come, and striking herself a heavy blow with her trunk on the spot where the fly had settled, she brought him down to the ground, mortally wounded; little by little the fly turned back into the hunter. The elephant came before him and transformed into the woman, and he, recognizing his beloved Ébano, said to her in a weak voice: “how is this possible?”

She told him: “I am the daughter of the king of the elephants, whom you murdered by treachery without giving him time to defend himself, and I have avenged him.” And so the hunter died.

7.- HOW IKA RETE DEFEATED HIS ENEMIES, “OBA KELETU”.

Awo Ifarobi lived in the land of Omodorun and was a son of Shangó and Yemayá, and so he always had their blessings. Everything he did turned out well, which brought him great fame — to the point that people said there was no other awo like him in all that land.

However, he also had many hidden enemies who worked sorcery against him, which caused him many afflictions. Awo Ifarobi belonged to Oyá, but she had separated from Shangó and Yemayá and was now accompanied by Oluo Popo. Awo Ifarobi needed a secret that was not known in that land.

One day, Awo Ifarobi made himself osode and saw Ika Rete, which told him he had to give unyen to the Eggun of his iyare, along with an adie. However, Awo Ifarobi’s enemies, the Oba Ogu, were lying in wait for him and had prepared a leri of eggun to end his life.

When Awo Ifarobi arrived at the door of Inle Yegua to give the adie to the Eggun of his iyare, his enemies attacked him and left him dying, with a leri of Eggun at his side.

Shangó and Yemayá knew nothing of their son and began to search for him. Oyá and Oluo Popo, who had never visited the land of Omodorun, decided to go looking for him as well.

When they reached the ilé Yegua of the land of Omodorun, they found Awo Ifarobi half dead at shilekun ilé, with a leri of Eggun at his side.

They carried him inside ilé Yegua, where they found an igui fun fun (acacia tree, also called bien vestido or palo blanco), against which Oyá laid him, placing the leri of Eggun at his side. Then she took the adie that Awo Ifarobi carried in his apo and began to call Oba Keletu: “Oba Keletu Omodorun Eggun Made Yewá Igui Balele Ayagba Leleri Ayagba Lele Oyá Made Kolasho Igui Ba Leleri O”.

And Oba Keletu appeared; Oyá took the adie and gave them to leri agba Eggun and to the leri of Awo Ifarobi, singing: “Awori Oyá Mafun Eye Dide Dideo Oba Keletu Eggun Irebi Oyá Mola Eleya Dide“. Then Awo Ifarobi revived, and Oluo Popo took an etu and began to cleanse him while singing: “Pesebe Awo Ñaña Bosoibe“.

Afterward, they ate the etu together with Oba Keletu. When Awo Ifarobi had fully recovered, they set out for Awo Ifarobi’s ilé. Along the way they met Shangó and Yemayá, who were searching for their son. Awo Ifarobi, on seeing his parents, threw himself to the ground, rendered them moforibale, and kissed the earth. Then he told them everything that had happened to him.

Shangó said to him: “I am going to make oparaldo for you.” Shangó took eya tuto keke, painted Ika Rete on it and dressed it with asho pupua; he cleansed him with it, placed igba meyi with otí at his side, took an osiadie shewerekuekue (jabao chicken) and performed the oparaldo, singing: “Sarayeye Shangó Mowuo Lele Eggun Oriye Lona Kamariyen Ikú”. Then Oluo Popo bathed him with omiero of ewe kankan, took some of his ashe and of Oyá’s, bound it with that of his Ifá, and said to him: “With this, your enemies will not defeat you; and with the very thing they meant to destroy you, you will be saved.”

Awo Ifarobi took from his bag the leri agba Eggun that his enemies had prepared to destroy him. He added the following ingredients: eru, obi kola, aira, root of igui fun fun, of aragba, of atori, atitan osi of inle Yegua (earth from the left side of the entrance to the cemetery), ilé of leri of aya, leri of eku, asho arae, asho mesan. To that leri agba Eggun he gave unyen.

Then he was told: “this was the secret you lacked. It is called Oba Keletu Eggun Olu Aye. You will set it to live in the yard of your house, covered with asho mesan, and every time you feel unwell, carry it to ilé Yegua and, at the foot of an igui fun fun, give adie to this secret from your own leri.”

Then all the people of the land of Omoderun came to know the powers of Oluo Popo and of Oyá, and they said: although we are omo ni Shangó and omo ni Yemayá, whenever we need them we will worship Oyá and Oluo Popo just as Awo Ifarobi does. And so, whenever we need the help of Oyá and Oluo Popo, we will call them and they will come to our aid without Yemayá and Shangó opposing it, for it was they who saved their omo Awo Ifarobi.

The secret by which one is saved must not be told, for the hidden enemy will prevail.