Oyekun Okana

Path 1

One day the king saw this letter and gave the order that no one was to go out into the street at night, and he posted guards throughout the city to kill anyone who did. The king’s son had to go out, but his father told him not to. He said that all the guards knew him, and he went out into the street; but Oggún found him and killed him.

This sign is a child of Obatalá, and it is necessary to receive him for one’s own good.

The path of the troublesome child

He was a very mischievous boy, wicked and hard-headed, and he did precisely what no one wanted him to do. His mother gave him a great deal of advice, but he paid her no attention. One day the rascal went off to the bush, something his parents had forbidden because of the great danger it held. There his eye was caught by a shrub that belonged to the very God of the bush, and he tore it apart; and the god, seeing such an act, put a spell on him and shut him in.

Seeing what was happening, Elegbá sent Owunko to protect the boy; and on reaching the shrub, Owunko damaged the other part of it with his horns, and the God believed it was the boy himself and grew angrier still. But Ayaguna, the representation of Oduduwa, appeared and said to the god of the bush:

«It was not the boy, it was Owunko», and they laid the blame on him.

The Ifá of reincarnation

Leri ofo was a girl who from her birth required a special ceremony or rogation, since she had come to the Earth on loan. This ceremony was to be performed before she turned three years old, but for various reasons her parents did not carry it out, and the girl grew up with a materialized spirit that watched over her jealously as if it were her father. In truth, however, that spirit had been a woman in its last stage on Earth.

When Leri ofo was already a young woman, she married a man she liked, but the materialized spirit did not like her husband. From then on the young woman led an unhappy life, to the point that the spirit seduced her; and feeling ill at ease beside her husband, she began to seek the attention of other men, going so far as to have relations with a friend of her husband, by whom she became pregnant.

The materialized spirit liked that man, but what it truly wanted was for Leri ofo to lead an unrestrained sexual life, like the one it had led itself when it was in human form: one husband today and another tomorrow, and so on. And that is precisely what happened with Leri ofo. In dreams, that spirit told Leri ofo to take potions to abort, so that her husband would not learn of her fault. However, because the child she carried in her womb was «omo Shakuana» (a child of San Lázaro), she could not abort him, and the boy was born with blotches and sores all over his body. This affected Leri ofo deeply within.

As a consequence of her unrestrained sexual life, Leri ofo contracted a venereal and blood disease, the very one the materialized spirit had suffered in life.

She must be given a bath of efun before she turns three years old, to take the dead one off her; otherwise it materializes and will disturb her always, making her lead a life of marital instability.

The spirit was born

Aye had several children and favoured Eggun Leri Fifesho, but she did not respect her father, Olokun. He was always taking Aye to task over it, but she held great sway over Olokun because she had gone to Ozain, who had revealed a great secret to her. Every day, at dawn and at midday, she went to see Ozain, called him and said to him: «abelekun Omi Mogualle Teni Eggun Mazaron Eggun Mazao».

The daughter of Aye and Olokun was also called Aye. Olokun was worried and took Aye to task, since he noticed something that was not natural, which annoyed her. Olokun, weary of the situation, went out walking and reached Ile Yegua deeply troubled. Oddua asked him what was wrong, and Olokun told him everything. Then Oddua took two eyele and cleansed Olokun, saying: «eggun Yare Ikú, Eggun Leri Omo Fifesho». Then he handed his power over to Oddua and said: «I will see to it that she respects and values me, but you must part from her so that she lives in the world forever in sorrow. I will give you something to throw into Aye’s secret place, so that it dies».

Oddua gave Olokun a bottle with water, ero, carob root, indigo, and cat’s and dog’s urine. «When you arrive, pour it in there», he told him. «I am going to turn all of Aye’s children around, because they have deceived me and have not been sincere with me. I will punish them. Go and do this; I will wait for you here».

Eggun Fifesho began to eat leri de eyá tutu, eyele dun dun, and they threw it into a joro joro while they sang: «Sebele Eggun Ori Aba Sebele Eggun Omo Fifesho Ori Oba».

When Olokun performed the operation in Aye’s secret place and went to see her, he found that Aye’s children had been turned into Ayacuata. Olokun was astonished and ran out with a bell and an ashere. He said to Oddua and to Eggun Fifesho: «What a great sorrow! I have decided never to return to Aye’s house». Oddua replied: «You will return, so that you know what is going to happen. I keep my word to you, but you must understand that you can no longer live with Aye». Olokun asked forgiveness and said: «I would never want to leave Aye, but I do want her to respect me».

When Olokun came back, he found Aye’s daughter as if she had lost her mind, repeating «Eggun Leri Fifesho». Aye took fright and threw herself down before Olokun. Then she went into the room and saw her other children turned into Ayacuata. Olokun told her that he would be in the house, but that he would no longer live with her.

The curse of aye

On this path, Aye lived with Olokun and he knew all her secrets, but there was a certain distrust because of a problem Aye had had with Orishaoko. For her part, Aye also went through moments of sadness, shame and resentment.

One day Olokun went out walking with Aye and was very happy with the outing, so they decided to go to the land of Obaradare, where Obarayire lived. There, Aye began to sing: «awo Berey Beyere Obini Mayare Awo Bayere Obini Mo Aye Obini Abonu Olokun».

Olokun answered her: «You will see what she does and what she will be, because I do not want her to take after her mother». Awo Obarayire asked: «What is the matter with her mother?». «Well», Olokun replied, «she has had every fault a woman can have, and that is why I keep her as my slave. My daughter, however, will inherit none of her faults». And Olokun began to sing: «baba Omo Yeku Lorun Baba Omo Eya Yekun Lorun Omo Eyayekun Eggun Lerefun Obayebiokun Eggun Mowa Leri Lode Ikú Obayanire Eggun Odara Awo Obarayire».

Awo Obarayire said: «But father Olokun, why do you do this?». «I have already explained to you», Olokun replied, «what the reason is, since Aye will cast curses and worse things will be brought forth that will be born into the world». Olokun went on saying to Awo Obarayire: «You will see the phenomenon with your own eyes. We will stay here with you for 7 months».

After that time, Aye gave birth to a very beautiful girl, who began to grow. As she grew, she showed prodigious knowledge, for she was Lerifun Olodiko. With this, Olokun showed Awo Obarayire that what he had told him was true: that his daughter would not be like her mother.

For her part, Aye was greatly displeased to see how her daughter had been born, which made her weep a great deal. One day Aye began to curse the land of Obaradare, where Awo Obarayire lived. This awo had his wife, called Loyebeise, and 7 younger children, who, at the moment of the curse, were transformed one into another.

Loyebeise said nothing to her husband, but he went to see Olokun to reproach him for what he had done with his daughter Lerifun. Olokun then said to him: «Come with me so you can see how your children have been changed». When Awo Obarayire reached his house and saw the state of his children, he was astonished. Lerifun, Aye’s daughter, parted from them and from her father Olokun, and went to live in the land of Ara Oñuen Awa.

The Religious Preparation Of The Paint Was Born

In the land of Odara Bi Osha, where the children of the Oshas lived, a misfortune had taken place. Awo Osha Ekun Oda had been robbed of the paint that Obatalá and Shangó, by mandate of Olofin, had given him for the consecrations of that land.

Yemayá and Oshún, who had the most children in that land, had stolen it because they were not satisfied with the colours used in the paints. They hid them in a güiro and concealed it inside Nigbe. Awo Osha Ekun Oda was deeply worried, since he could no longer consecrate any child of the Oshas and was worn out from searching for the lost paint.

One day, while he was calling on Obatalá and Shangó to tell them what had happened and to ask for their help once more, he saw Baba Erin Oke arrive, who was known as Ayanaku and was a son of Oddudua. He came upon Awo Osha Ekun Oda as he was offering an akuko to Elegbá, so that Elegbá would go to see Shangó and Obatalá, while he sang: «Osha ita laroeye sokuko, Awo Elegbá akuko masokuko». Elegbá was delighted and told him he would help him find what had been lost.

When they saw Baba Erin Oke, everyone rejoiced, for a long time had passed since his last visit to the land of Odara Bi Osha. When he learned what had happened, he took the ebbo and set out to carry it to the foot of the Igui de Awe. On arriving, he came upon a very strange bird, taller than the rest and of many colours. With his tusks he broke it open, and out of it came the lost paint of the land of Odara Bi Osha.

Baba Erin Oke was overjoyed, and Elegbá, who was with him, ran towards the house of Awo Osha Ekun Oda. However, Oshún and Yemayá stepped into his path and said to him: «It was we who hid the paints, because the colours used in this land were not enough, and it was necessary to use ours». Then Elegbá said to them: «Let us all go and look for Obatalá and Shangó to settle this». And they set out.

When they reached the house of Awo Osha Ekun Oda, he was talking with Obatalá and Shangó, telling them of the troubles in that land over the paint. As soon as Obatalá saw Elegbá arrive together with Yemayá and Oshún, he understood everything and said to them: «Very well, we shall also use your colours in this land, and Oddua will give his verdict, but first we must consecrate the paints».

At that moment, Baba Erin Oke arrived with the awe of the paint, and Obatalá and Shangó said to Yemayá and Oshún: «Set yours down separately».

So they placed them on the ground, each one apart, and Obatalá and Shangó sang to them: «orun Bawa Agbani Boshe, Orun Bawa«. Awo Osha Ekun Oda took an akuko and offered it to the paints: «Akuko for the divine paint, akuko for the sacred paint, akuko for the heavenly paint».

Then Baba Erin Oke began to mix them, each one with his tusks, while Awo Osha Ekun Oda sang: «orun Bawa Agbani Boshe, Orun Onilayeo, Ifá Onilayeo, Odara Bi Osha Onilayeo, Odduduwa Onilayeo». After this, Obatalá said to Awo Osha Ekun Oda: «The paints are ready once again to consecrate this land».

White: «Inle Aye Inle Aye Layeo, Inle Aye Baba Osha Lofun, Efun Lade Inle Layeo»

Red: «Inle Aye Inle Aye Layeo, Osun Laye Shangó Osha Pukua, Osha Lorun Inle Layeo»

Blue: «inle Aye Inle Aye Layeo, Osha Akoko, Akoko Iyana, Osha Lofun Inle Layeo»

Yellow: «Inle Aye Inle Aye Layeo, Osha Akueri Laye, Iya Lade Inle Layeo»

When they had finished, they began to sing: «iya Okuo Ekauro, Osha Ekun Yoko, Osha Ekun Kale». Then they took the ewe ikoko and covered the secret while they sang:

Presenting the ewe to all: «Ozain Orun Lolo, Odara Bi Osha Ewe Ikoko Orun Lolo». Covering the secret: «Odduduwa Ewe Osha Tete Layeo, Agba Eni Osha Ewe Layeo».

Then they set down the odo that Shangó had brought and prayed to it: «odo Shangó, Agba Eni Osha, Buyoko Omo Osha, Odo Dele Baba Ni Boshe, Odara Bi Osha Bawao«. They seated him and painted Osun on his head while Awo Osha Ekun Oda sang to him:

• White: «omo Yoko Lodun Osun Osha Efun Bawaoo, Osun Awa Ori, Awa Oma Epon Lasheo Efun Dewaoo Osun Naburu»
• Red: «Omo Yoko Lodun Osun Osha Pukua Bawaoo, Osun Agba Ori, Agbaona Epon Lasheo Epun Dewaoo Osun Naburu»
• Blue: «omo Toko Lodun Osun Osha Akoko Bawaoo, Osun Agba Ori, Agba Oma Epon Lasheo Efun Dewaoo Osun Naburu»
• Yellow: “omo Yoko Lodun Osun Osha Akueri Bawaoo Osun Agba Ori Agba Oma Epon Lasheo Efun Dewaoo Osun Naburu”

Then Obatalá said to Awo Osha Ekun Oda: «Now the secret for the consecrations in the land of Odara Bi Osha is present once more, and you must always pay homage to Oddudua and to Baba Erin Oke in the consecrations of the children of this land».

Then they raised the king’s son whom they had consecrated and erased the kale from the ground, first with oti while they sang: «oti Osha Ele Ele Lele Iye, Aye Inle Layeo«. Then with omiero: «omi Osha Ele Ele Lele Iye, Aye Inle Layeo». And so peace returned to the land of Odara Bi Osha, since Yemayá and Oshún were satisfied with what Elegbá and Orunmila had achieved.

Here the paints for Osha had been lost, and the elephant found them inside the gourds and broke them open with his tusks, and they appeared again.

Here the religious preparation of the paint was born, for it was known as such in ogbe tua, but it was consecrated in oyekun peleka.

Note

The paint of consecration must be mixed with an irofa of ivory or, failing that, with a piece of it. These paints must be prepared or consecrated by a babalawo during the ebbo of entry. This Ifá teaches that it is in fact the babalawo who must paint the head of the iyawó.