Ojuani Meyi

The chameleon and the dog

The chameleon, with his single shade and no collar, lived envying the dog. Every time he saw him, the dog was wearing a different colour and a collar adorned his neck. The chameleon, consumed by envy, decided to ask the dog how he managed to change colour and always look more beautiful than he did.

So the chameleon decided to seek out Orunmila’s house in search of something that would let him be like the dog. Orunmila, however, warned him to be careful, not to envy anyone nor wish ill on others, since the harm one seeks for others ends up falling on oneself. Despite the warning, the chameleon insisted, and Orunmila agreed to satisfy him, performing a ritual and handing him certain powders.

But before he used them, Orunmila warned the chameleon that he must go straight home without looking at anyone along the way. Yet the chameleon, on reaching his home, forgot the warning and raised his eyes to look at his mother when she opened the door. In that instant, his mother fell dead at being seen by the chameleon.

Ever since then, people throw stones and sticks at chameleons as punishment for what he did. From that incident on, every time a chameleon moves from one branch to another he also changes colour, and a kind of collar appears at his throat.

The chameleon was left cursed for having caused the death of his own mother. The story serves as a reminder of the harmful consequences that can spring from envy and the wish to injure others, since such acts rebound on the one who commits them.

The evil you do will fall upon yourself.

Cat does not eat cat

In the struggle with Ozain, cats can see in the dark, but for all those virtues they cannot see themselves. And so, as the work is done, those same enemies destroy themselves.

When the saints mocked Orunmila

On one occasion, all the saints gathered and decided to visit Orunmila’s house to learn more about his life and his work. Orunmila explained to them that he found every answer and every solution through his divining board and his Irofa, sacred instruments of divination and wisdom. Hearing this, the saints mocked Orunmila and decided to test whether his words were true.

Eshu, the divine messenger, however, had heard the saints’ remarks and learned that someone out in the street had been the subject of an ill-spoken tale, which had made that person fall sick. Eshu decided to warn Orunmila of the situation and told him what he had to do to resolve it. The curious thing is that the saints could not see Eshu when he came to speak with Orunmila.

The saints, troubled by the man’s illness and looking for a cure, went to Orunmila. The patient was in a grave state, but thanks to Orunmila’s knowledge and actions he was healed and saved. In gratitude, all the Saints shared in the food and drink Orunmila had earned through his work. Thus the saints were convinced of the truth and the effectiveness of Orunmila’s words.

The war between the king and Eshu

The king lost the war and Eshu won it, and everyone was left content and the quarrel came to an end.

The monkey’s discontent

Ojuani Meyi is the Odu of the monkey, who had no home and always longed for one. He went to visit Orunmila in search of a solution, and Orunmila, seeing this Odu, told him he must make an ebo, but that he had to be careful not to regret it afterwards, once he had what he so desired.

The monkey made the ebo and carried it to the foot of a tree where he used to live, and there Aroni appeared to him and said: «Monkey, you shall have what you longed for.» The monkey came to have a large and comfortable house, but in time he began to feel dissatisfied, and one day he said to himself: «What do I want such a big house for, when I lived so well in the trees?» Then he took up a stick and destroyed his home.

Aroni, who was watching him, came near and said: «ashe To, Ashe Bo, Ashe Rima». From this moment on, for having destroyed your home, you shall never have another, and you shall not know the comfort of a house to sleep in, unless you are captured and lose your freedom. Since then the monkey never had a home again, only a cage when he was caught to be put on show.

Freedom is lost. Beware of legal trouble.

The pact between the tiger and Ikú

The Owunko had many clients, which led the tiger to ally himself with Ikú (death) and to agree with him to finish off the Owunko.

They began to follow the Owunko day and night, wherever he went, harrying him constantly and leaving him no quiet place. The Owunko did not know where to take shelter.

He decided to seek out Orunmila for divination to resolve the situation. Orunmila saw this Ifá and told him he must make a rogation, since the arayes surrounded him on every side and his house was encircled, with nowhere to escape. He said to him: «Make the rogation with Osiadie, a jío jío, 21 ataré, oguede leaves, two round and shining objects, a basket, wood shavings, eku, eya awado, efun, otí, orí, epo, oñí, and other ingredients, much wealth.»

The Owunko made the rogation and Orunmila gave the Osiadie to Elegbá. When Elegbá had finished eating, he put the Owunko inside a basket, covered him with the shavings and carried him out before the very eyes of his enemies. The Owunko’s enemies were surrounding Orunmila’s house, and he invited them in so they could see that the Owunko was not inside. They came in, but they could not find the Owunko anywhere.

That is how the Owunko defeated the arayes (strife) with the help of Eshu and Orunmila.

The Osiadie is given to Elegbá and everything is wrapped in the oguede leaves with the 21 ataré; it is all burned and reduced to powder, and blown towards the arayes so that they trouble him no more.

The devil’s son

In the land of Sonodi Layé there lived a man named Adodo Awo, who was an awo of Orunmila. He was always full of hopeful plans and tried to help others. Although he was a son of Shangó, he received nothing but scorn from people and lived in tears, for his land was full of hardship. Earlier, in that land, there had been another king named Iya Lashe, who held great power and knowledge of the secrets of nature, but who behaved badly towards Obatalá and was turned into a plant and cursed to cry out in pain each time it was pulled from the earth, thus revealing its nature and its spirit.

That curse pursued him, for everyone believed he was the same as the earlier one and mistrusted him, answering him with ill treatment despite his good intentions.

One day, covered in tears and with neither clothes nor food, he had only fresh water, orí and a little sand in his mouth. He called on Olofin at the riverbank, and each of his tears turned into thorns that covered his body. He hid himself on the riverbank so as to survive better, since his enemies were now afraid to come near him, for when they tried to seize him they pricked themselves on the thorns. Yet those who wished to console him and ease his suffering were also wounded by the thorns, which deepened his loneliness and his suffering. The more he wept, the more thorns grew on him.

At that moment, Shangó came to that land to visit his son, and seeing him covered in thorns and suffering, he let out a cry and, turning an acrobatic leap, transformed himself into Abita, the son of Alosin, known as Lucifer. Abita said to Ojuani Meyi Adodo Awo: «I am Abita, which is the same as saying Shangó or Orunmila, and I am also your true father. I will give you all the power you need to overcome your enemies and ease your life.» He then took Adodo Awo by the hand and led him to a very singular tree that grew in that land, a tree that inspired fear and respect in people. There he made him kneel, and Adodo Awo prayed: «Abita, Hijo De Alosin, Awado Ifá».

Abita pulled up the tree, and from the depths of the earth there rose a blood-curdling cry that said: «Abita, the plant, son of the awooo!» Then Adodo Awo took three brown hens and gave them to Abita while intoning this chant: «Abita, protector, protecting hens.»

Abita covered him with his powers, and so that he could always communicate with him, he gave him a gold ring with a large black stone and told him: «Whenever you need me, go with this ring to the foot of this plant, which is the mandrake. Pull up the plant, hold out the ring and give the cry you know, and I will always come to defend you.» From then on, Adodo Awo Ojuani Meyi had Abita’s protection in his fight against his enemies. To Iban Eshu.

Ewe Iya Lashe (the mandrake) was the first plant that existed in the world, holding the knowledge of all the power of the universe. Yet for refusing to share its gifts with Obatalá and for behaving badly towards him, it was condemned to cry out like a human being when pulled from the earth, and that is the cry Abita Lucifer uses to communicate with his descendants.

In this Ifá a gold ring with a black stone is used, which is washed with ewefa and eats together with Orunmila, Shangó and Abita. The ring is rubbed and brought to the lips to give the cry. Then the witch plant is taken and pulled up by the root at midnight. At that moment the cry that rises from the depths of the earth will be heard. Next, a pact is made with Abita, giving him three brown hens on the mound. One must sit with one’s back to the mound, with a lit candle at one’s back and a mirror in front. When the image of Abita is seen in the mirror, it is kissed and one asks to see the spirit one wishes for, even if it be someone who died a thousand years ago, and Abita will show him. The mandrake root is gathered to make an inshe of Ozain of invisibility (see works).

The awo ologbo

In the land of Lafeshoko Inle, where the oba Oduduwa reigned, a sacred place of Okuni Oyimbo Oju Aroko, which was the land of Oduduwa, the kingdom of the spirits and the celestial world, there lived the awo Ologbo. Ologbo had eyes bearing the very same insignia as Oduduwa, and he was the awo of his land.

Ologbo had two great enemies, who were Dun Dun and Oduduwa, though Oduduwa was fair-skinned. Ologbo’s enemies wanted him defeated, but since he was an awo connected to the spirit world, he always had the protection of Agba Egungun. In that land everyone was white-skinned, fair-haired and blue-eyed.

Seeing so much strife, Ologbo asked Olofin to show him a way to overcome his enemies. He made a consultation with obi and Eyele Meyi, and then, at four in the morning, he did Osode and this Ifá was revealed, which told him to make an ebbo and carry it to the woodland. Following the instructions of the Ifá, Ologbo made the ebbo and set out for the woodland.

When he reached the woodland he met a misshapen man named Aroni, who told him he would prepare for him a great secret of kobelefo, a special cauldron, so that no one in the world could defeat him. Ologbo Ojuani Meyi knelt down and Aroni swore him in, and at that moment his eyes took on a particular brightness. Then Shangó appeared and told him that with his power and that of Ozain he would be able to overcome his enemies. Finally Oduduwa arrived and laid his hands on Ologbo’s head, and Ologbo showed respect and gratitude to Oduduwa, Ozain and Shangó.

Then Ozain gave Ologbo his kobelefo, his herbs and his inshe. When Ologbo returned to the land of Lafeshoko Inle, Elegbá Adubele gave him 21 dilogunes, which he placed inside his kobelefo, and he hid his secret at the foot of a mamey tree. There he buried his cauldron. At that moment Oyá arrived and gave him 21 caimito leaves to cover his secret with.

Ologbo gave his secret Ayakua keke meta and acquired the strength of the kobelefo. Aroni appeared to him and consecrated him with malaguidi okan of igui Ramón so that it would always watch over Ojuani Meyi, and placed on it an ewe (chain) so that he could live off the life of his fellows and no one could defeat him, since ingratitude always works harder than Ojuani Meyi does.

When Ologbo had finished with his secret, his enemies came to the place where he was to attack him with ogu, but on seeing Ologbo’s eyes shining with the power of Ozain they were thrown into confusion. Without thinking, they turned on themselves, fighting and killing one another. Thus Ologbo was left free of his enemies and became lord and master of the land of Oduduwa, keeping the trust of Oduduwa and Obatalá.

This is the Ifá of the earth, and a capon owunko is offered as a sacrifice to death in the earth. Here is where death’s wife cut off Ikú’s testicles so that he could not live with a woman of the world of the living. In this Ifá, Oggún tries to intervene, and so an ebbo is made with a dazed hutia, plaster, 9 akara, 9 itanas and 9 silver pesos. The secret is to send it into the brush.

The Ifá of Ojuani Meyi is reinforced with two flint stones, a hoe and an Eshu with three akofa, since it is in this Ifá that Eshu wins the war, brings joy and puts an end to the quarrels in the house of Ojuani Meyi.

The marvellous flute

Ojuani Meyi was an awo named Awo Mayere who lived in the land of Narekun Orun, which was the home of the Ikú Elegbá, beings ruled by Eshu Alawana who lived in the form of mice.

Awo Mayere did not belong to the earth but to the heavens, and for that reason no one understood him, which left him with constant enemies who tried to do away with him.

On a day of great war in the land of Eri Yeye, they began sending egguns so that he would die. Feeling unwell, he made an osode consultation and this Ifá was revealed. He called on his secret, which was Eshu Alawana and Oba Yokun, a powerful eggun that he possessed and that had been Oba Ogu, so that they would protect him. He prepared a stew together with etu and offered it to Alawana and to Eggun Oba Yokun, and with the skin of the etu he made an inshe that allowed him to survive his enemies’ attacks.

Awo Mayere was also a master flautist, with the art of drawing harmonious melodies from his flute and mastering all who heard him. With his flute he directed all the eggun Elegbá, and through them he managed to master every situation. At times, however, those eggun led him to live in the most utter solitude, for they were jealous of anyone coming into Awo Mayere’s land.

Awo Mayere felt so alone that he wept day and night. One day he dreamed of his baba tobi, who was Eggun Oba Yokun, who lived in the land of Baba Lodo Lorun Inle. In the dream he said to him: «Whenever you call me, I shall be at your side, for I am your father.» He told him to rise at 4 in the morning and pass his hand over his Ifá, then to take two eyele fun fun and place them on his head, and afterwards carry them to the river and release them into the current, driving illness away in this manner.

Awo Mayere woke with a start and worked the okuele. Seeing himself, Ojuani Meyi thought: «This is a message from the eggun.» Then he took the eyele, and on going to the river he met Ozain, who said to him: «I am going to swear you into my secret.» He took an ayakua and steeped it in an omiero of ewefa for him to drink and so heal his throat, which was ailing from so much suffering and weeping. He also showed him a lemon cane and told him he must rinse his mouth with it to drive all illness away.

When Awo Mayere returned home, he followed every instruction and managed to be cured of all his ailments and to overcome all his enemies, thanks to the powerful Ozain and his bond with the eggun.

Ojuani Meyi must hang a cluster of ikines and the feathered skin of an etu at the head of the bed to protect himself from Ikú. He must also make a saumiero with laurel leaves, chilli, cinnamon and incense.

: To overcome his enemies, three etu eggs are taken, the white emptied out, and pica pica added, along with 3 eating ataré, 3 of china and 3 of guinea, aroma seed, black ink and epo. Place the eggs before Eshu for three days, then throw one at each corner and the third onto the roof of your enemy’s house.

Why lightning strikes the palm, or the chameleon’s chill

In the land of Oshi Lowa Inle there lived Sahagan, who had a trusted man named Aguema. This man possessed great powers of Ozain and black magic, and he was charged with carrying Shangó’s messages to the neighbouring lands. Shangó used him both to send gifts of prosperity and to bring death and desolation to different places. Because of the trust Shangó placed in him, Aguema was lord and master of that land.

That land was full of palm trees where Shangó kept his secret. Aguema lived on a throne at the top of Ope (the palm), above Shangó’s secrets. Every day at noon he came down to salute the secret of his witchcraft, tracing a cross on the ground and praying: «aguema Akua Adamalekun Odara Ojuani Meyi Ifá Bele Odara Aguema Bimere Eni Buru Ashe Alaguema Shangó Bi Odara Alaguema Ewerere». Shangó would bless him and then Aguema would climb back to his throne.

Aguema was a man of many colours on account of his great power as a sorcerer, and he wished to rule other lands and to be lord and master of the land of the palms. Every now and then he would slip away to live there in secret, hiding from Shangó. That land, however, was damp and cold, and the climate affected his throat, making him lose his voice through coughing and irritation.

One day Shangó sent Aguema to carry a precious stone called okuta yekube as a gift to the daughter of an Oba of another land whom he meant to win. Aguema put it in his mouth and set out for that land. But because of his throat trouble he began to cough and accidentally swallowed the stone, which lodged in his throat. Aguema hid himself to avoid facing the consequences.

When Shangó arrived in that land he learned that the princess had never received the jewel, so he went to demand an explanation from Aguema. Aguema tried to explain himself and tried to get the stone out of his throat, but he could not. Shangó, angered, hurled a bolt of lightning at him. For all Aguema’s powers, he could not avoid it, and he climbed up to his throne. Yet every time Shangó remembered the jewel, he hurled lightning at his throne. Aguema was left suffering in the throat, and his red collar showed his disobedience to Shangó.

Ojuani Meyi points to throat trouble in men as well as in women. One should not live alongside people who practise witchcraft, since this affects the personality and brings illness. He must move house, since cold weather affects him. This Ifá speaks of withdrawing and being in solitude. Children abandon their parents.

The hidden treasure

On this path, in this land, there were some men who set out in search of fortune and came to a royal road with all their belongings and whatever they had managed to gather. As night fell they pitched camp in a clearing and lit a bonfire. To prepare the meal they tied up the dog and the horse, and they themselves ate. Then they put out the fire and gave no food to either the dog or the horse, despite their being their best friends.

Several days passed in which neither animal ate, but one day the dog managed to break free and went off in search of food, going deep into the woods, where he was seen by the men who worked felling trees. One of the men, ploughing with an owunko, on seeing the dog said: «Friend, where there is a dog there are people; let us go and see who has dared to come this far.»

On his way back from his search, the dog stumbled on a knotted rope and, pulling at it with one of his paws, uncovered a treasure. The dog ran off, and when he reached his owner he was exhausted, which made his master realise he had not fed him, so they gave him food and water.

The dog went to eat at a crossroads on the road and, desperate with hunger, dug out a buried stone and made a hole that led straight to the cave where the treasure was hidden. Then the dog began to bark to give notice of his find. The men seized all they could of the valuable treasure, but the owners of those hills and roads had orders to leave no one alive who ventured into those parts, for fear of being robbed. They came out armed to punish the intruders’ boldness, but the dog, who had recovered after eating and drinking, saw them and made ready to fight. He hid his master and the other men, and when Oggún and Elegbá, the owners of those hills and roads, arrived, the dog opened his eyes wide and gave off a bright glow, almost like living fire, and barked in such a way that the most fearsome man did not draw his weapon and said: «Tikarami pa aya fuye ina» (this animal spits fire). Oggún, already enraged at the travellers’ boldness, grew angrier still at the dog’s barking, drew his weapon and with a single blow cut off the dog’s head.

The man clothed in the skin of a big cat

In a land near the sea there lived a king who was gravely ill and who governed with great difficulty. Because of this, his people were backward and sick. In the territory the king ruled, three individuals who were his advisers and practised witchcraft kept everyone from entering. These advisers held the whole population terrified and under their sway, living in constant unease and fear that some enemy sent by their neighbours might slip into their lands to bring death and desolation. As a result, all the borders were closed and heavily guarded, except the side facing the sea, since the sea was always enraged with great waves that made access impossible.

One night the sea grew furious in the extreme, with waves higher than usual and a terrifying roar that filled the whole population with fear. The next morning the sea grew calm and the people went down to the beach to see what had happened. While they stood at the shore, they were left frozen and astonished at the sight of a man approaching wrapped in the skin of a big cat, something they had never witnessed before. As the man drew nearer, they noticed something supernatural in his presence, something mysterious. When he reached them he spoke in a language unknown to them, which made communication difficult. So the people decided to take him before the king and his three advisers.

On arriving at the palace, it proved impossible to speak with the king, since he frequently suffered severe stomach pains despite the constant attention of the three sorcerers. On learning how the stranger had arrived wrapped in the skin of a big cat, the three sorcerers understood that here was a powerful enemy for them and tried to poison him with his food. The man, however, ate the food without suffering any effect, which frightened the sorcerers and led them to add no more poison. Instead they launched a campaign of slander against him, but it came to nothing, since from the moment the man in the big cat’s skin arrived by sea, the sea had calmed so completely that the population began to enjoy its benefits and its riches. Moreover, peace and quiet could be felt, transforming the life of the population in general.

The king, noticing the situation, sent for the man who lived in the woodland and was visited by many people from the town, whom he healed with remedies, thus earning his fame and everyone’s affection. When Abani arrived — for that was the man’s name — he identified himself as an awo ozainista sent by Orunmila to solve the problems of that land.

After consulting with Abani, who made osode for the king and revealed this Ifá, he told the sovereign that he must make an ebbo and that his worst enemies were within his own court, advising him to expel them from his palace and to open the borders to allow trade between the various peoples, thereby promoting the progress of the land. He also told him that his stomach pains were caused by benign tumours and that he must take herbs to be cured.

The king ordered the execution of the three sorcerers, opened the borders and established trade with all the neighbouring peoples. He also began taking the recommended herbs, which resulted in a complete cure of his stomach pains. Thus he was able to govern successfully, driving the progress and prosperity of his kingdom.

The arayes of the akuko

It once happened that Akuko, the rooster, had many clients, which stirred the envy of Ekun, the tiger. Ekun decided to join with Ikú, death, to finish off Akuko. The two agreed to follow Akuko wherever he went, with Ekun pursuing him on horseback and harrying him constantly. Akuko, worn out with so much fleeing, took refuge in Orunmila’s house, and Orunmila, taken aback at the situation, advised him to make an ebo. He also warned him that the arayes were waiting outside the house and that he had no way out.

Akuko made the ebo and, thanks to Eshu’s intervention, the situation was resolved. Eshu placed Akuko inside a basket and covered him with wood shavings, carrying him out before the very eyes of the arayes. They, who wanted to catch him at any cost and were still surrounding the house, never realised that Akuko was inside the basket.

After Akuko had got out, Orunmila invited the arayes in to check whether Akuko was still in the house. But the arayes searched everywhere and did not find him. In this way, Akuko came out victorious in the war against the arayes.

Where San Lázaro comes down with the aja and ends the war between osore (guinea fowl) and apawo (quail)

In primeval times, Osore and Apawo were the sorcerers of the forest. Both held great power in their arts of witchcraft, and a moment came when they decided that one of them was one too many, which unleashed a war to the death between them, drawing in all their followers and staining the forest with spilled blood.

Meanwhile, terrible epidemics scourged the earth, and the germs of these diseases carried witchcraft with them, so that their descendants were sorcerers from birth. Since then, eggs have been used in practices of malevolent witchcraft.

The scale of the death and destruction drew the attention of Alakaso, who carried the news to Orun, the celestial kingdom. Yet no one was willing to come down to earth to put an end to that war. Then Ojuani Meyi asked Olodumare for permission to intervene and stop the conflict.

Olodumare agreed, but told Ojuani Meyi to wait for the right moment. That moment came when Alakaso reported that in the land of Dasa the final battle between the armies of Osore and Apawo was being prepared.

When both armies stood face to face with their respective kings at their head, Ojuani Meyi came down from the sky crying: «Xakuano» (crowned king), landing between the two armies. Astonished and horrified, they watched as Xakuano challenged Osore and Apawo to a duel. Both accepted the challenge and attacked Xakuano, but he defeated them with a blow of his weapon, the aja. Apawo was struck down while flying over Xakuano’s head trying to blind him with his droppings, and Osore was run through by a thrust of his aja. Thus the war was brought to an end.

All the children and followers of Osore and Apawo became slaves and servants for life to Xakuano, the crowned king of Dasa.

In this way, an end was put to the war that ravaged Dasa, and the epidemics and the dying ceased.

That is why Osore and Apawo are secrets of the adde (insignia) of San Lázaro, and their feathers adorn the aja in the ceremony of consecration.

Mawo (Olofin) fashioned a crown from the leri (head) of Apawo for Osore and crowned him king of Dasa. Since then he has been known as Xakuano Odasamu Meyi, the crowned king and judge of Dasa, son of God.