Otura Pompeyo

The loss of memory

On this path, Yemayá Asesú did not concern herself with attending to the orishas, because she was very fond of parties; and seeing that she had fallen ill, Asesú decided to go and consult Orunmila. He revealed this Ifá to her and told her that all the orishas had turned their backs on her and no longer answered for her. The only orisha still supporting her was Olokun, but to keep that bond she had to perform ebó and great ceremonies. Orunmila carried out all the ceremonies, and so Asesú erased everything she had done on earth and lost her memory, then departed to join Olokun, living in Olokun’s world forever.

After undergoing a great transformation in her life, Asesú became the inseparable daughter of Olokun and, therefore, an eggun of great power, since she lived joined to Olokun. Everything Asesú did she shared with her father, having broken her alliances and commitments with the earthly world and erased her past as a saint on earth, thereby losing her memory.

NOTE: This path establishes that this is the Yemayá closest to Olokun. She lives in an earthen jar, carries Ozain, and is the only one of all the Yemayás who eats duck. In this Ifá it is necessary to seek out Olokun in order to overcome difficulties and obtain the power the person needs. If Olokun is already received, abo fun fun must be offered to him to defeat that same problem.

In this way what the person does on earth is erased and they are placed at Olokun’s mercy, where the person undergoes a transformation in their life. After 7 days, that person will make another obori eleda with: bebikan tuto, fresh things, etc. Etu, akuko for Olokun and Yemayá, where the 9 adimuses will be set out with 9 itana and a black cloth, where coconut is given to Olokun, where everything is packed up — animals, adimuses, etc. — and thrown into the sea; 1 chicken with its ingredients for oparaldo.

The trap set for odideo (the eagle)

On this path, Odí-Edió, the eagle, was very arrogant and everyone feared him. Orunmila sent for him so that he would perform an ebó, since a trap was being prepared against him with a combination that would defeat him. By making the ebó he could prevail. The eagle refused to make the ebó, arguing that everyone respected him.

Shortly afterwards, all the birds gathered and asked Orunmila to make the ebó for them, but he refused. At that moment Eshu arrived and told Orunmila to do it. Orunmila obeyed Eshu and performed the offering for the birds.

When the birds came out from making the offering, they saw the eagle approaching. Quickly they took sand and cotton, and when the eagle was near they raised a strong wind and hurled the cotton with the sand at him, blinding him completely. The eagle fell to the ground, and so the birds managed to defeat him.

The guacalotes of asesu and Yewá

The agutan is for eggun; the akuko is for Elegbá, with the guacalotes. When this Ifá comes out in atefa, an Ifá of ewe aye (40 guacalotes) is prepared at once. It is washed and the ilé akan iré is taken. Red ochre, ash, afoshe bogbo igui, bogbo ashe and a little of the añari from the atefa are added to it. Otura Niko and Irete Yerube are marked. The sign of Otura awo goes inside Oyekun Meyi, which is marked well opened out. The guacalotes are placed on top and an agutan is given, calling upon Orun. If in the house where the atefa is being done there is a fundamento of Orun, this is done before the fundamento.

As the agutan is given, this is sung: «eggun Alayota Ile… Eyewa Nifa Orun Adele Nifa». Then the guacalote Ifá is gathered up, cleaned and spread over the oponfa. The ilekan is placed before the Ifá, and there a young she-goat is given to the guacalotes and to the alawo’s Ifá, calling upon Yewá. The ake goat is sacrificed first and it is said: «ake Ololorun Yewá Isa Isoro». Then ake is offered and this is sung: «Eyenifa Ake Yenye Reniye Alafo Ota Yewá Ilé».

When it is poured over the alawo’s Ifá this is sung: «eyenifa Ake Yenye Renike Adelenifa Yewá Ilé«. Afterwards the guacalote Ifá is cleaned and confirmed with ire or osorbo using the guacalotes. The other goat (eure) is offered in the ordinary way. To the ilekan, with the ingredients it has consumed in the two ceremonies, an aikoride is added and it is shaped into a leri. Eyes and a mouth of aye of Osha are set into it. This entity lives beside the awo’s Ifá and eats together with it until kuanardo is received. When kuanardo is received, this leri eats together with the Ifá, and before the ceremony etu is offered to it along with the kutu, calling upon Yewá: «Ifá Alawo Karile Yewá Yewá Iré Adelenifa Ifá Alawo Karile Yewá Yewá Iré Adelenifa«. The etu goes to the kutu and the ebbo is placed on the leri. The guacalote Ifá in the kuanardo eats together with the adelenifa. On the day of itá the Oddun toyade is drawn with adelenifa, and ire or osorbo with alayonita.

Asesú and Yewá always travelled together over the sea in a great boat made of igui jocuma. They went along the whole coast handing out ewe ayo to all the men who gave themselves to gambling, for Asesú and Yewá had made a pact to hold dominion over men through that game, since in their fascination with gambling the men would abandon everything. Asesú and Yewá became the owners of all the riches of those lands and named Elegbá as chief. They went to fetch the guacalotes in the land of omo ayo, which was prosperous and had access to the sea; but the people of that land were not content with what was happening there, since their greatest wealth was the guacalotes, which came in many colours.

In that land lived Awo Alayo Ota, whom everyone loved because he was a son of Orunmila and possessed great wisdom. He always gave counsel to the people of the land of omo ayo, where everyone was stubborn. They went to see Awo Alayo Ota, who saw this oddun for them and told them they must wait for Asesú and Yewá to arrive in their boat to collect the guacalotes. Then they would give food to them both, and would take agutan and etu. While the two were eating, the people of the land of omo ayo went out with the boat and began gathering up all the men who were waiting for Yewá and Asesú with the ayo. They took them to the land of omo ayo, where Awo Alayo Ota was waiting and made Ifá for them. He also took the ewe ayo, washed them with the Ifá and offered them as food to Yewá. They began to obtain the oddun toyade Otura Wo.

But it happened that Elegbá, on learning of this, grew angry and began to afflict the mind and the sight of all the men who were sons of the land of omo ayo. Then Omo Ayo Alayo Ota took alayonifa and washed them, and told Yewá and Asesú that they must go and fetch Elegbá and bring him to that land to consecrate him. They took the boat and set out for Oni Okun, where Elegbá lived, and began to call him: «Elegbá mota bi aye… Omo ayo obani sokun ire alayo, Yewá kaniwaye alayonifa, Asesú moki ota». When Elegbá heard them, he climbed into the boat, and Yewá and Asesú sang to him: «Yewá, Yewá, omo ayo, Yewá, Yewá, oyu elese, Yewá… Omo ayo, Asesú».

Elegbá thanked them both warmly, was appeased, and went with them to the land of omo ayo, where everything was already prepared. Awo Alayo Ota made Ifá for Elegbá and the Odun Oturawo came out. He then handed Elegbá alayonifa together with adelenifa, and also offered akuko to Asesú and ake to Yewá, along with the Ifá. To all of them a leri of mud was given, and they told Elegbá that he was to keep it beside his Ifá every day, that it would serve him to obtain great powers and secrets in that land, and that he should greatly venerate Yewá and Asesú. They further explained to him that Olofin’s guacalote on earth was the secret of the development and health of his children in that land, as was Olofin’s game.

Should Otura awo come out in the Ifá of kuanardo, an Ifá of ewe ayo is washed. A little earth from the kutu is taken and used with the ingredients to make the leri. However, it is placed on the ground and an ake is offered to it, calling upon Yewá. Then the leri is carried up the hill, and on returning 2 akuko fun fun are offered to Asesú in onika. If the awo has Yewá, the Ifá eats with Yewá; if he does not have her, he must receive this saint urgently. In this Ifá an idefa made of a strand of Orunmila’s beads is used. When this oddun comes out in atefa, the godfather makes ebbo with eya tuto as if it were an ordinary ebbo, then obori eleda with the same; the next day it is removed from him and placed with Elegbá, and on the day of ita it is put into the godchild’s ebbo.

This Ifá is placed inside a jocuma boat.

Why the eya is caught by man

The eya refused to make ebbo, because the sea was vast and it could escape anywhere, and no one dared venture into the sea to catch it. Ever since, the eya are hunted by man.