Otura She

The powers of Otura She

Otura She lived at the top of a mountain, gathering all his powers there. From that place he watched over the whole population around him. He came down and went up without difficulty, walking through any part of the district with a talisman hanging from his neck, which warned him of the dangers his enemies were laying for him.

One day it happened that a band of cannibals attacked the town and carried off the children for their cruel purposes. Otura She stepped in against the band of cannibals, who had the king’s troops at their mercy. Thanks to the power passed to him by his talisman, he defeated the cannibals and saved the king’s troops. He came down to the centre of the city and the king, in gratitude, decided to pay him tribute and hold a feast in his honour, inviting the whole town. The people showed great fondness for Otura She and placed their trust in him.

Even so, the people, jealous of that display, had Otura She thrown into prison. But among the king’s troops there were many who thought as Otura She did and stood behind him, as did most of the town, and they joined him. Together they overthrew the king and crowned Otura She as the saviour king. That is why it is said that a good deed is repaid with a bad one; yet when this letter comes with osorbo (misfortune), it turns to ire. That is to say: nothing bad comes without some good in it.

The loss of good fortune was born

Otura She, an awo named Ishekute, was blessed by Olofin, who had granted him all the ashe so that everyone could always count on him. Otura She had a very wise wife named Awa Lade, who knew every secret of that ashe. Olofin had deposited it in an aive belonging to Awo Ishekute, and he kept this secret closely guarded, since everyone needed that ashe for whatever they were about to do. All the awoses and orishas, however, were looking for a way to take it from him, because they coveted it greatly.

One day Otura She told his wife Awa Lade that he was going to visit the house of Obatalá, since it had been a long time since he had seen him. Awo Ishekute put his secret away and told his wife that she was to guard it well while he was gone, and that before handing it over she must first otoku. When Awo Ishekute set out on the road, several awoses saw him leave and went to his house to speak with his wife, asking her for the secret. Awa Lade told them that before handing it over she would rather ofikale trupon with one of them, and so she did. As it turned out, Obe Di Lele could not obtain the secret and had to leave without it.

Obe Di Lele went along the road annoyed and angry, for Shangó had earlier sent for him and told him that he had a trap ready for when Awo Ishekute arrived at his house. Obe Di Lele, disguised and transfigured as Elegbá, would try to take the secret from Otura She. Remembering this, Obe Di Lele began to sing: «Elegbara Yobo Ni Lorun, Elegbá, Baba Ni Ladeo, Elegbara Ba Yoni Awo». At once Elegbá appeared before Obe Di Lele and said to him: «Take this akuko so that you may eat it, because I shall need your help when the time comes».

«Lend me your clothes and transfigure me into you», answered Obe Di Lele. Elegbá agreed, and the two of them set off walking towards Shangó’s house. When they were close by, they saw that Awo Ishekute was there, but Elegbá had his doubts about it. To make sure, they drew nearer and Shangó signalled to them, since Awo Ishekute wanted to leave and Shangó was keeping him occupied to prevent him from going to Obatalá’s house.

When Shangó realised that Obe Di Lele was transfigured as Elegbá, he went on keeping Awo Ishekute occupied, saying that there was no longer time to go to Obatalá’s house. He decided to return home, and when he arrived his wife told him everything that had happened during his absence. Awo Ishekute took the secret and tucked it away against his chest. At that moment Obe Di Lele arrived disguised as Elegbá and asked Otura She for a little ashe. The two of them fell into a great argument, and when it was at its height Obe Di began to call out: “afefe Teni Yebe Owa Ade Afefe Tenuyeke Awo Awe.” At once a very strong wind arose, which served him and overturned the awe of Inshe Kute, and the ashe fell to the ground, scattering knowledge throughout the world.

The akuko is fifeshu and umbeboro; after the ebbo, obori for the okuni and the obini, with eyele meyi each, preceded by ebbo misi with oragun.

The war of Ozain with Ikú

The day before the ebbo, a siju is offered to Ozain, once the ebbo misi has been prepared with 8 ewe: tomade, sweet basil, alacrancillo, muralla, ita mo rreal, ewe ariku, paraíso and bleo blanco. After the ebbo misi, the ewe are sent to the bush or to the river. The following day the ebbo is carried out, in which the osiadie is offered to Eshu; but before doing sarayeye, it is sent to the bush with eku, eya and awado. Ozain is then in a fit state for an inshe Ozain to be made with the gallinuela and gbogbo igui, tengue, yaya, dominador, in a red cloth, with gunpowder and the person’s name. With those sticks, now consecrated, the afoshe is made together with the ashe of the ebbo. «ika Ni Kaferefun Orunmila, Lodafun Ozain, Adifafun Ikú».

Ikú (death) lived in a land called Ikú Doro, where he reigned. Ozain lived in the forest, and because of his great powers his deeds reached the ears of Ikú Doro. Then Ikú said: «Ozain, you want to take my reign from me, but first I shall destroy it along with your son». Ikú made ready all the eggun of Ibusun Oru to fight Ozain. The war was hard, but Ikú Doro advanced slowly, closing in on Ozain and his son Awo Yire. Then Ozain met Otura She and told him what was happening to him. Otura She said: «Come with me, for I shall make ebbo for you, and with our powers we shall defeat Ikú, since where there are good awoses, Ikú cannot arrive». He took him to the riverbank and made the ebbo for him there. Otura She sang: «Ikú Dende Dende Deku, Bi Ku Batelekun Ebbo Mísí Otura She, Telekun Ozain Owo Awo Yire». And right there the battle was joined. When Ikú Doro was about to finish off Ozain and his son, Ozain threw the powder at him and sang his suyere again: «Ikú Dende Dende Deku, Bi Ku Batelekun Ebbo Mísí Otura She, Telekun Ozain Owo Awo Yire».

When Ikú Doro arrived, all he saw was a gallinuela, for Ozain had already blown the powder at him. The gallinuela flew up into the air, deceiving Ikú, and plunged into the water. Ikú felt defenceless after smelling the powder Ozain had sent him with the power of Otura She. He chose to leave the land of Ozain. Ever since then, Otura She and Ozain defeat Ikú.

4.- THE TWO ROADS.

On one occasion Orunmila had to go to a town to carry out certain works commissioned by Olofin. He left his house and came to a place where there were two roads. On one of them there was a man, and Orunmila asked him where the town he was headed for lay. After pointing out the road he should take, the man told him that when he reached the river he would find a plank, and that he must offer an adie to the river in order to cross. Orunmila did so, reached the town and carried out the works. On his way back, before he had crossed the plank again, he met once more the man who had shown him the way, and they fell into conversation. During the talk the man, with great skill, took something from Orunmila’s pocket, threw it on the ground and trampled it.

When Orunmila was about to leave with his two sacks of money, the man told him he could not go yet, because something of his was missing. Orunmila searched his pockets and realised that his okpele was gone. He told the man that this was another of Eshu’s tricks and asked him to give it back. Eshu answered that he would have to pay for it if he wanted it back. Orunmila paid, and Eshu returned the okpele to Orunmila.

The discontent of Otura She

Otura She was a man who was forever asking for money. His Angel told him he should be content with what he had, but he insisted on wanting money to solve his own troubles and those of his family. So the Angel took a shovel and filled his son’s sack with money, saying: «Now you have money». When the man tried to lift the sack to carry it away, it turned out to be extremely heavy and he had to make a great effort to hoist it. He managed to lift it at last, but as soon as he began to walk the sack tore open. Be careful: money can be your undoing, whether through illness or for other reasons. Beware of excessive strain; you could suffer hernias or be exposed to serious accidents that put your life at risk. Take care, for money can cost you your life.

The ashe of the feathers

Three brothers went up to heaven to meet Olofin, who granted them ashe in the form of feathers that they were to hold in their hands. On the journey back, however, they went so fast that their hands opened and all three lost the feathers. They then returned to heaven to lament their loss, and Olofin told them: «The grace has already been granted».

Nothing bad comes without some good in it

Otura She lived on a very high mountain, where he found all his powers. From there he looked out over the whole population around him and could come down and go up without difficulty, walking through any district. Hanging from his neck he wore his talisman, which warned him of the dangers his enemies were laying for him.

One day a town was attacked by a tribe of cannibals who carried off the children for their own purposes. Otura She stepped in against that tribe, which had the king’s troops in subjection. Thanks to his power and to the talisman, once the tribe was defeated he made his way to the centre of the town, where he met the king. In gratitude, the king offered a feast in his honour and invited the whole town. When the moment came to present Otura She, the people placed all their trust in him. The king, jealous of that display, ordered him locked up. Fortunately some of the king’s troops, who shared the people’s thinking, joined Otura She, overthrew the king and crowned him as the saviour king. That is why it is said that «a good deed is repaid with a bad one». But when this letter comes with osorbo and turns to ire, it is said: «nothing bad comes without some good in it».

Alagboran was born, the image of the three beings of man

On this path, after the creation of the world, two great spirits came down from heaven. The first was called Asheda and the second Akoda. In those times there were no medicines and there were few human beings in all the world. These spirits called all men together to tell them that they had been sent by Olodumare, and that each one needed to know his destiny through Ifá and to worship the orishas and his ancestors. The human beings asked what this thing called Ifá and these ancestral beings were. The prophets explained that Ifá was the spirit or creature with which Olodumare created the spirit of each man, and that only Orunmila knew it. That Obatalá was the owner of the body, but the spirit belonged to Olodumare. Each man had his Ifá, which set out his way of being, and through these signs Olodumare revealed to them what they could and could not eat or do.

When Asheda and Akoda had said this, they added that each man had a spirit called Oshalagba Terí, which was his personal god and had to be worshipped. But outside those sacred signs, the intimate details of each of those personal gods could not be known. It was necessary for all the inhabitants of the earth to worship that spirit or personal god, since by the will of Olodumare it was the one who guided each human being from birth to death. When Asheda and Akoda had finished speaking, the whole town understood that it was necessary to worship Ifá and those personal beings or gods.

Knowing that near the river Anya, close to Cisi, there lived an old man named Alaundje who had clairvoyance and was a living oracle, they went to see him in search of counsel. He told them that before worshipping Ifá they should go to the riverbank, and that he would send them Otura She, who was the one charged with gathering the prayers and carrying them to heaven. Each man took what Orunmila indicated: three agboranes and three eyele. On arriving they were received by Otura She, who said to them: «That is your mission. Come with the spirits that accompany each human being. They are called:

• Ajaka, the guide.
• Oku, the protector of the dead.
• Ogbona Isin, the obsessing being».

These spirits were to be worshipped by every man during his stay on earth. With the three malaguidi, Otura She prepared upon the agboran the image of these spirits so that men could worship them.