Ogbe Sa

The jaboncillo, or ewe bana

Orunmila was travelling through the world and came to the land where Olofin lay ill in his eyes and his testicles (epon arun and ofoyude). Olofin had offered riches and kingdoms to anyone who could cure him, but he had also promised otoku to anyone who failed. Ogbe Sa was sleeping under a tree, resting after a long walk, when he heard two birds perched on a branch saying: «So many people have died for failing to cure the king, and with these leaves the king would be healed of his ailments».

When the birds had gone, Ogbe Sa filled his apo with the leaves of that plant and presented himself before the king, asking leave to try to cure him. Olofin answered: «Very well, but if you do not succeed, you will die». Ogbe Sa performed the exact ceremony and applied omiero of those leaves to Olofin’s eyes and testicles, and cured him of his ailments. So Ogbe Sa gained riches and a kingdom.

Ewe bana (jaboncillo). The leaves of ewe bana are laid over Ozain and two small birds are given to him. Afterwards omiero is made. The leri of the person concerned is prayed over with eyele meyi fun fun, and compresses are placed on the eyes and the testicles. Every awo is born of another awo and afterwards takes his own path. This is why Ifá has so many paths, because each awo takes a different one; because not all are born for the same thing, even though all are awoses. This path says that after sight is restored to the awo, it is not known what causes that blindness. Here is where Ogbe Sa was under a sacred tree and the birds could not eat its fruit. Ogbe Sa overheard their conversation and, since he understood their language, he was able to cure blindness.

Olofin sent a wind and the tree began to sway, and the fruits began to fall, and they were the adele of Orunmila. Olofin sent that wind when he heard Ogbe Sa pray: “iwi Soro Agban Oba Ni Adifafun Oshoroin Koruwo Arugbo Arugbo Tente Nie Tete Ori Lodafun Oluwo Ogbe Sa”. Orunmila said to him: “just as the adele have eyes, so you will have sight”, and with the adele awo Ejiogbe washed the sight of Ogbe Sa, and he was able to see. This is the reason why Orunmila gives sight to any awo, whether young or old.

It speaks of the blind and of the ruptured.

Where a trap was set for Orunmila and Oshosi appeared

There was a town governed by Orunmila and Abo, but since Orunmila had all the clientele and Abo did not live well, Abo wanted to be rid of Orunmila so as to remain alone. Unable to do it by sheer malice, he devised a trap for Orunmila to fall into and so get what he wanted. He dug a hole in the road, threw in a great deal of burning firewood and then covered it over with grass and straw. He went to Orunmila’s house to fetch him and told him he had to come to the woods to talk, because there could not be two kings in the same place and one of the two was one too many there.

He also told him that there they would fight to see which of them would remain. Orunmila agreed and told him to wait for him in the woods the next day. When Abo had left, Orunmila made Osode and this Ifá came out, telling him there was a trap on the road and that he should make Ebbo to defeat the araye (strife and enemies). So Orunmila did, and when he began to ask what to do with the objects of the Ebbo, Oggún took the akuko and everything else he had to carry along with the Ebbo. Orunmila set out for the meeting with all he had prepared in the Ebbo. The meeting place was far off; after walking a long while he felt weary and sat down in the brush. That was precisely where the trap was. He set everything he carried on the ground in front of him.

The leaves would not stay still, because the embers down in the pit would not let them. Orunmila watched and began to probe the brush with his staff. He saw smoke come out and went on probing, cleared away the grass and uncovered the hole, and into it he threw everything he had brought, and the water. Abo was watching him, hidden in the brush, and seeing that Orunmila had discovered the trap, he tried to circle round from behind towards the hole. But Oshosi, who was passing that way tired and hungry, sprang upon Abo before he could push Orunmila. Orunmila, hearing a noise behind him, turned and saw Oshosi holding Abo by the legs, and understood Abo’s intention. He said to Oshosi: «Bring him here». And inside the trap, Leri Opa, and it was given to Ina, and Oshosi ate the body.

Here ileye ibaniwani wi waniye means: it frightens, but it does not kill.

The man who raced against the horse

There was a man going through a bad spell who had grown weary of his troubles. An old man named Babalú Ayé came up to him and offered to help him out of his straits in exchange for his house. The man accepted and went to Orunmila’s house, where he was given a reading of Ifá and told he had to make an ebó in order to govern in another place and obtain what he wished.

At that time the governor of that land organised a horse race, and the man presented himself before Yemayá, who advised him to enter the contest and to declare that he would run on foot. The oba laughed at him, but admitted him to the race. When everyone set off after the blue flag, the man went to Yemayá’s house, and she lent him an ekuekueye and told him to ride it, since she would be his iyare and would help him. The ekuekueye grew larger as it advanced, and by the time the man reached the place, he had won the contest.

After the victory, the man gave thanks to Yemayá and offered her a good reward. He took possession of his post as governor and kept the old man at his side. Olokun came constantly to his house, and so peace and prosperity came to him. This story speaks of the importance of asking for help when it is needed, and of how cooperation and support can lead to success and happiness.

Obatalá, Yemayá and Oluo Popo, speaking osobo (in misfortune), say that there are people with sores and holes in the body, on the inside.

Things done in full

There was a hunter who had gone several days without success in his hunting. Worried, he decided to consult Orunmila to learn the reason. After making osode for him, Orunmila told him to make an ebbo. The next day the hunter came to Orunmila’s house to perform the ebbo, but he brought only half of the materials he had been told to bring.

Shortly afterwards a deer appeared and told Orunmila that he had not had a moment’s rest because of the hunter. Orunmila made osode for him too and told him to make the same rogación, but he likewise brought only half of the materials.

Days later the deer appeared, deeply grieved, because the hunter had killed his son. Orunmila told him to be glad, since the ebbo had been done by halves and therefore had not reached far enough to protect the deer and his family. Later the hunter turned up with a small deer he had caught. Orunmila told him to be content with what he had caught, since the ebbo he had made had also been done by halves.

Let things be done in full.

The three friends who deal with one another falsely

CHARACTERS:

• Abo: the ram.
• Igui: the stick.
• Oga: the rope.
• Onibodo: the gatekeeper.

Olofin had a daughter, but Death fell in love with her and made it known to Olofin. He was taken aback that Death, Ikú (death), should ask for his daughter in marriage. Since Olofin could not make distinctions among his children, he said to Ikú: «Very well; if you undertake to bring me a hundred heads (marvels from the other world), then you may marry my daughter». But as Ikú was a man of light thoughts, he reckoned that a hundred heads was too great a feat and that it would be better to make him another offer. He said to Olofin: «Olofin, this is very much to my advantage. A hundred heads, what for? When you know there is one head worth more than a hundred together». Olofin asked: «Whose?». Ikú answered: «That of igui». Olofin knew that igi was a man who fulfilled his duties and his rogaciones, and so he accepted Ikú’s proposal.

Ikú set out in search of igui and met abo, to whom he told of his interview with Olofin, saying: «If you help me in this, I assure you that you will never die». Abo accepted and called oga. He told him: «I need you, as my friend, to do me a favour. Go to igui’s house and, since he is our friend, bring him here. You will not have to work any more, because if we manage to deliver him to Olofin, we shall be saved». Oga went to igui’s house, where igui was lying down. Oga knocked three times at the door, but no one answered, since igui had made a rogación that kept him from opening the door to anyone once he had lain down. Oga knocked again and igui asked: «Who is it?». «It is me, your friend Oga, open up». Igui answered: «No, I cannot, I am lying down».

Seeing that igui would not open the door, Oga went to abo and told him what had happened. Abó decided to go and fetch igui himself and, knowing that he was fond of coconut, took one with him. He knocked at igui’s door and said the same thing Oga had: «It does not matter if you do not open the door all the way, just a little», showing him the coconut he was carrying. Igui did so, and as he stretched out his hand to take it, abo seized him, put him into a box, set it on his head and walked off to carry him to Ikú.

But Oyá knew all of this; she hid herself, and when abo was carrying igui away she sent a great whirlwind that raised a fierce gale. Abó took fright and fled to shelter, leaving the box behind. Then Oyá seized the chance, took igui out of the box and put nine bracelets inside it. Once the whirlwind had passed, Abó went on his way.

Ikú was waiting in a secret place when he heard the sound of the wind saying «leri noda fitibu». He vanished at once from the place where he was hidden and went on his way to where Olofin was.

Onibode, Olofin’s gatekeeper, was waiting for him, but Abo, sensing something, would not go in and kept backing away (faniseyi). Olofin kept saying «guele» (come in), but Abo faniseyi persisted. Seeing that Abo would not enter, Olofin ordered: «murele, murele guale» (seize him at once), and the others answered Abo: «firole guale abo firele guele». So they seized Abo and opened the box, and found nothing inside. Olofin cursed Abo and said: «as long as the world is the world, Shangó and Oggún will eat you, all of it Iban Eshu. There you see the betrayal. The ram, the rope and the stick are three true friends, since the ram is tied with a rope that is fastened to a stick. They are three friends who eat together. There are three friends who deal with one another two-faced, with hypocrisy and falsehood».

The wake of the wild beasts (the deer)

On this path, the lion was the leader of all the wild beasts of the forest and of its animals. He had, however, fallen out with the deer, which led to a rift between them. That situation brought the lion certain misfortunes and troubles, and he understood that he had to be rid of it, but did not know how.

One day the lion feigned his own death in order to do away with the deer during the wake. The lion’s godchildren all came to see him one last time (as they believed) and drew near to weep for the death of their godfather. The deer, who had heard rumours of the lion’s death, went first to Orunmila’s house. There osode was made for him, this Ifá came out, ebbo was marked for him and he was told to be very careful because there was a trap. The deer made the ebbo and then set off for the wake of his godfather, the lion.

The first thing he did was to look about him, and then he laid one of his hooves on the lion’s chest. Realising that his heart was still beating, he said: «My brothers, this is a trap so that we may be devoured by the strong», and he ran off, followed by all the other harmless animals of the forest.

You must be like the deer, always wary and on the alert; and once you are free of a problem you cannot go back to clear anything up, because you may end up bound, or you may lose your life.

The strange thing

Once, the townspeople saw something that looked like a man circling overhead. So the people of the town began to light fires to drive it away, but each time it came closer. They tried to shoo it off by fanning at it, but that did not keep it from approaching either. Then they decided to seek out Orunmila, who made osode and ordered them to make a rogación with akuko, adie, etu, cave cockroach, thirteen igui and other ingredients. He told them to put the ebbo into the fire so that the man would disappear. When they made the ebbo as Orunmila had indicated, that being began to fade away and peace returned to the town.

The shadow of eggun buruku

Ogbe Sa was a man who took great pleasure in strong drink, but when he drank he turned violent and mistreated the people he loved most. All of this was owing to the influence of a malign eggun that covered him with its shadow. Realising that he could not go on like that, he decided to go to Orunmila, who made osode for him and told him he had to perform ebbo. He advised him to go to the foot of a jobo tree with a gourd of water and kola nuts, and to sacrifice two hens and a ram. He also told him to prepare an omiero with certain herbs, such as tentenifa, dun dun and laurel, and to wash his head after sacrificing the birds.

After following Orunmila’s instructions, Ogbe Sa was able to free himself from the influence of the eggun and to leave his drinking behind.

When awo Ogbe Sa sees Ogbe Yono, this work or ceremony must be performed. The awo Ogbe Sa should wear sandals of deerskin.

Atemoleta

Oshún, weary of the betrayals and the slights of her family and her own people, decided to move to the land of Onilekan. There she found the peace she needed, for there was much orosún and oyin (oñí, honey). That land had been recommended to her by her sister Yemayá. In that land there lived only the akan iguede, some very large crabs that looked like stones, and they accepted her when Oshún arrived. But before long they began to come out of their caves to make war on her, which made Oshún afraid and kept her from leaving her house. On the days when the akan iguede did not come out of their caves, Oshún would go out with an igba of oyin and pray to Olófin to help her, singing:

«Olófin, la oyin enifa tobamayee, oyin Olófin omo oddun».

And afefe would come and carry her words to the far shore of the sea, where Oniká lived, an awo nanio omo ogbe sa who was very sad at being alone. One evening he made a kobori with his eledá, orosún and eyele meyi fun fun, and when he lay down to sleep, he dreamt that Olófin told him that in the land that separated him from the sea there lived a woman named Oshún, who needed his help to settle the war she was facing.

When Ogbe Sa awoke, he made ready his apo and went to the house of Añarí Nifá Awo Salú Ayo, who was the leader of his land, and told him his dream. Añarí Nifá Awo Salú Aye warned him: «Be careful what you are about to do, because it may cost you your life». Awo Nanio answered: «I have to go, because Olófin told me that Oshún needs me». Añarí Nifá Awo Salú Ate told him to place his Ifá in Oniká in order to feed two adié meyi dun dun. Then Añarí Nifá Awo Salú Aye gave Awo Nanio the eyerbale of the adié on his head, so that it would fall upon his Ifá, and sang:

«Tente Ori Laye O Enifá Ogbe Sa, Tente Ori Laye».

Afterwards, he gave Awo Nanio the eyerbale of the adié on his head, so that it would fall upon his Ifá, and sang:

«Adié Maya Ri Yéun Adéle Nifá Maya Ileo».

And he marked Baba Ejiogbe on his back, and at that moment Shangó and Orun arrived, and set to eating of the hens’ herbs. Then he took a white hen and gave it to Orun together with Shangó. Awo Nanio, son of Ogbe Sa, sang: «Agba Orí Ifá Ogbe Sa Ifá ni laye». Afterwards he gave herbs to them all, singing: «Awo Nanio yenyere nifa bab Ejiogbe yenyere Ifá». Finally he gave them strong drink and told him: «Now you may go where Olofin has sent you; do not fall in love, for it will cost you your head». Awo Nanio set out for the land of Onilekan, singing: «Agbani Boshe Awo Nanio Ogbe Sa Ori Ifá, Agbani Boshe Agba Lala Nifa Orun Layeo».

When Oshún heard the song, she came out to meet him and bathed him with leaves of ewe, orosun and honey while she sang: «Awo Nanio Ogbe Sa Ewe Ladun, Ewe Tuto Ifá Ni Lashe». Then Oshún told him what was happening to her and they made a pact. The Akan Iguele, however, furious that Oshún now had company, resolved to do away with Awo Nanio. One night they stole his Ifá, and when Awo Nanio realised it, he went after the Akan Iguele. By the trail he saw that they had taken his Ifá into a cave, and when he tried to go in, they killed him and dragged him into the cave.

Oshún, finding herself alone, wept a great deal and called upon Olodumare with her «kekere» in her arms, praying: «Oboñu Bi Omo Awo Nanió Firubaye Akan Kotowo Alaba Oshún». Time passed and Awo Nanió did not return to his land. So Awo Añari Nifa Ogbe Salu Aye sent Oshe Tura to report to him what was happening in the land of Onilekan. But Oshe Tura did not return either, so Awo Añari Nifa Ogbe Salu Aye sent Okana Gio, Okana Yekun, Okana Sa and Ogbe Tuanilara, and none of them returned. At last he decided to go himself, but Awo Ojuani Shogbe told him: «No, you are not going, for they have come to no harm; they are all together with Oshún. I will go, so that they may know that, comfortable as they are, they need Ifá, since they will always have tragedy upon them».

When Awo Ojuani Shogbe set out for the land of Onilekan, Shangó and Elegbá went with him. They found all the Awoses together with Oshún, and saw the «omokekere» of Awo Nanió. They agreed that in order to save that land and the «omo» of Awo Nanió, «untefa» had to be made. They went together to the entrance of the «ileke iguede» and took «akuko», «ayapa» and «eyele» to give to Inle Akan. They also called upon Shangó and Elegbá, praying:

«Obayire Omo Ogbe Sa Onilekan Awo Nanió Eni Bodun, Shangó Agbada Adele Nilekun Oguejun Omo Nifa Elegbá Ni Olodumare Atemoleta Omo Nifa».

They went on giving the animals to the land, and they sang:

«Omo Ni Shangó Shewewe Were Omo Nifa».

«Elegbá is the chief of the diviners and the son of Ifá». Together with the earth that came out of the cave of Akan, there came the head of awo Nanio, the son of Ogbe Sa, which by then was earth as well. They gathered up the earth, and when they returned to the house they added hens, Guinea pepper, kola nut, peanut, mouse, smoked fish, red palm oil, cassava bread and the branch of a plant called eledó. Then they took the Ifá of Omokekere of Awo Nanio and set it before them and sang:

«Tente Ori Laye Eri Ogbe Sa Awo Nanio, Tete Ori Laye».

With that earth they made a diviner’s head, and inside it they placed the Ifá of Omokekere of Awo Nanio, and they prayed:

«To the diviner, son of Ifá, the blessing of the abundance of the divinity; may Olofin grant us the benefit of prosperity».

And they sang:

«Diviner, you have the blessing of life; diviner, you have the blessing of life. Atemoleta has Ifá, the diviner has divine wisdom».

Once he had taken his blessing, they prayed to him:

«Awo Nanio, head of Ogbe Sa, the diviner son of Ifá, with his blessing, atemoleta has the abundance of the god of wisdom».

They all embraced and sang:

«Tente Nanio, Tente Nanio, Atemoleta, Cabeza De Ogbe Sa, Tente Nanio».

Then, in a reading of divination, the sign Ogbe Sa came out and they said: «the diviner, son of Ifá».

The awo Ogbe Sa does not dance tente nanio, for he dances his own leri; and besides, by this Oddun the awo must not make more than seven Ifá.

What belongs to the father belongs to the son. Afterwards they gave to the omo of awo Nanio. Every time an Ifá is to be consecrated, you must give to your secret two eyele, together with Obatalá and Oshún and with your leri, and that atemoleta you keep beside your Ifá. When you make another Ifá, on finishing it you give adie meyi to that atemoleta together with your Ifá, and you take it to ilé ibu losa and go out in search of a new one. It came to pass that after all this the akan iguede began to otoku, leaving Oshún in peace, and the land of onilekan was able to prosper thanks to the leri of Ogbe Sa and to atemoleta.