Oshe Nilogbe

Okete, the ungrateful one

Orunmila, who was Oshe Nilogbe, had taken Okete into his house as a favour. Yet whenever Orunmila went out, Okete would try to seduce his wife. In time he almost won her over, but she told him it could not be, because Orunmila knew and saw everything.

One day Orunmila needed certain herbs, and Okete offered to go with him into the bush. Before leaving, Orunmila filled his pockets with grains of maize and scattered them along the way. Okete did not notice, and intended only to lose Orunmila in the bush so as to achieve his aims with Orunmila’s wife.

When Okete judged that Orunmila could no longer find his way back, he abandoned him in the bush. Okete returned to the house and tried to seduce Orunmila’s wife, but she would not accept, fearing that her husband might appear at any moment. Okete told her that Orunmila could no longer appear, because he had left him in the bush with no way of returning.

But Orunmila had scattered the grains of maize along the way and managed to get back to his house. He learned what had happened and threw his wife out of the house. Okete fled the place.

Trust in the guardian angel

There was a blind beggar who played the drum and sang to the king, but every day he begged for alms. He used to say that as long as his Angel did not sell him, there was no king who could do anything to him. His enemy heard this and told the king. The king sent for the blind man and gave him a coral necklace to keep. The blind man went back home, and his enemy followed him to see where he kept the necklace. The blind man put it in a place he thought safe, but his enemy stole it and threw it into the sea.

Days later the king sent for the blind man so that he would return the necklace. The blind man went home and realised the necklace had disappeared. He went half mad searching for it and decided to go to Orunmila for help. Orunmila told him he had to make ebbo and feed his leri a large red snapper bought at the market. After making the rogation, the blind man opened the fish and found the necklace. He took it to the king and gave it back.

The blind man and the king’s crown

In a very prosperous kingdom there lived a king with a small daughter much loved by the courtiers. One day the girl was playing with other children of the court at the palace gate when a blind man passed by playing the flute and carrying some serpents in a basket. The children began to mock the blind man and threw stones at him, which caused the girl to put her hand into one of the cages where the serpents were; she was bitten and died on the spot.

The blind man was arrested and brought before the king, but after hearing his explanation the king realised he was not guilty and gave him his crown as proof of it. The king wished for revenge, however, and sent four guards to steal the crown from the blind man. The next day the crown was no longer where the blind man had left it, and the king threw it into the sea.

The blind man, fearing the consequences of his carelessness, went to Orunmila and asked for help. Orunmila told him to go to the shore and buy the largest red snapper he could find. The blind man followed the instructions and, on opening the snapper, found the king’s crown inside. He carried the crown to the palace, and as he drew it out of the basket the king suffered a heart attack and died. The courtiers crowned the blind man as the new king of the kingdom.

This person must be careful about keeping other people’s parcels, which can bring them trouble and even imprisonment, and must take care of their sight: do not look into the dark by the light of matches.

The path of the doves

On this path there was a greedy king who had a great crop of maize, which he toasted and sold to the people so that they could not sow it. Oshe Nilogbe consulted a diviner, who told him to make ebbo with two doves and toasted maize, and to release the doves in his house so that they would breed.

After some time Oshe Nilogbe had another reading, and Orunmila told him to pass the doves over his head, to take out their asheses and to examine the crop. He did so and found maize in the doves’ crops. Orunmila told him to sow that maize, and he did. He then had a great crop of raw maize, which he began to sell to the people, and the people prospered.

Both he and the king realised that one cannot play with Orunmila. On this path a dove is given to Orunmila at the street door, and maize is given to him first; then ebbo is made with the dove’s crop.

Oshe nilogbe marries the daughter of Olokun

DESTINATION: akuko fifo Eshu, 2 eyele fun fun for obori, and with the crop and awado the ebbo is made and thrown into the sea. The rest of the awado is scattered along the way when the ebbo is carried to the sea.

ADDIMÚ: a white plate with 7 rounds of maize, 7 days with molasses, for Olokun. After the 7 days it is thrown into the sea together with the plate.

Olofin wanted to marry off his daughter Yemayá, but one of Olokun’s vassals, who was also in love with Yemayá, always sabotaged the courtship whenever a suitor came. Olokun, weary and unable to find the cause, decided to marry his daughter to Orunmila, the awo eleripin, and sent Eshu to fetch him. When Eshu arrived and told Orunmila what was happening, Orunmila said: «Let me see what Olokun wants of me», and the Oddun Oshe Nilogbe came out. Ifá marked him ebbo and obori.

Orunmila, not knowing what Olokun wanted of him, set out on the road, but Eshu said to him: «How can you go without knowing what it is for?» Then Orunmila decided to make obori with an eyele, and did so before setting out for Olokun’s house. But Eshu, who was travelling with Orunmila, lost sight of him and began to shout to see if he could find him. Orunmila answered him, and together they took the road back to Orunmila’s house.

Meanwhile Olokun waited, and seeing Orunmila’s delay he sent for him again. This time, however, Orunmila had made obori with the crop of the eyele and had carried out an ebbo. On this occasion Orunmila travelled with Eshu, who went scattering maize along the way in case they should get lost. On reaching Olokun’s house, Olokun told him of his wish to marry him to his daughter, but the vassal, on learning of this, began to sabotage the courtship once more. Since Orunmila had already made the ebbo, however, the vassal could not undo the match, and Yemayá married Oshe Nilogbe.

This Oddun marks marriage, and also liver disease and a nervous crisis, which a relative also suffered.

Oshe nilogbe, the son of Olokun

On this path, Olokun had a son named Oluguere, but he did not know that he had been born of his mother, Iya Benigua Aye Ayalugua. During her pregnancy she came out of the sea, and a very fierce storm caught her as she gave birth to Oshe Nilogbe, who was also called Oluguere.

This son of Olokun grew up alone, feeding only on the fish tails he sucked and sleeping in the sand at the sea’s edge. One day he laid his head upon an ota that belonged to Oddudua and began to dream with it. Everything he saw in his dream he spoke aloud, because he was possessed by an Eggun omo of Olokun called Abonanai Ifá. He was an awo who otoku — that is, Oshe Nilogbe — and this Eggun spoke Oddun to him. He took the ota and kissed it; at that moment it began to rain heavily, and Shangó and Elegbara appeared. Shangó told him to place his hand on his head and pray; then Elegbá brought a large red snapper. Shangó placed it on the boy’s head and prayed to the Eggun: «Eggun Magua Moye Ori Iha Ni Ni Lorun Eggun Magua Ori lorun Olosaguere Baba Ni Eggun Beye Oshe Nilogbe Eni eggun Abenani Ifá».

Suddenly everything went dark and a voice was heard saying: «Oshe Nilogbe To Iban Eshu». The son began to pray: «Eya Logua Me Fesesi Ori, Eye Eggun Mefesesi Ori«, while Shangó said: «Eye Ni Leo Baba Ni Logua, Ashebo Asheto Eya Logua Mafesesi Ori«. The boy raised his hands to his head, and Shangó told him that he must always call upon the Eggun of his father, since then no one in the world would harm him and he would have good fortune, but that he must go out to a very dark place while praying: «Jekua Baba Oluguere Obatalá La Eni Baba Oshanlá, Jekua Bosi Aboni Eya Ori».

With your father’s power you will go on in this world with the light of knowledge and the blessing of your father’s Eggun, and you will have good sight. Shangó and Elegbá set out on the road, and Elegbá carried a bell in his hand. Shangó told him that, as they made their way to the great foundation, they should carry an abo, an akuko, an osi kuekueye and an eyele, and sing: «Agueluma Oddun Layelowa Arami Odduduwalaye Legba Jekua Nida She Baba Olokun Baba Ni Bashe Eggun Ni Lokun Aboni Lasheo Baba Kosi Wewe Eggun Kosi Lasheo Orunmila».

When they reached Omika everything was dark, and only Oddun and Olokun were there. They said: «What is that coming this way?» Shangó, Elegbá and Oshe Nilogbe arrived and knelt before Odduduwa and Olokun. They handed over the animals and bathed Oshe Nilogbe. Then all the animals were sacrificed, and the eggun of his father, Baba, presented himself. They consecrated Oshe Nilogbe and told him that whenever he called upon them, and in the presence of Ifá, he should say: «Oshe Nilogbe Otoromu Aye Omo Oluguere«.

And no one in the world will harm you; you will always be able to count on Shangó, Olokun and Odduduwa, who handed you their powers before Shangó and Elegwa. But now you must go before Ifá — and so they set out on the road. Odduduwa, however, had told Shangó and Elegwa that before reaching Ifá they had to offer a red snapper and 16 eyele to eggun. Shangó did so.

When they were about to perform the ceremony of Eggun on that path, Shangó said that he had to look for Eggun «ofana nifa» so that he would give eya tuto to Eggun and the eyele to obananimifa. Shangó told Oshe Nilogbe that he had to eat eya tuto so that he could solve any problem that might arise for him. During the ceremony, Shangó called upon Olokun and Odduduwa, and also called upon Eggun, saying: «Eggun Masoku Lode, Eggun Ni Olonu Eggun Moyareo Eggun agwoni Shangó Eggun Moyareo , Baba Jekua Orun Jeku Odua eggun Moyareo Eggun Awoni Shangó Eggun Moyareo Ifá Ni Awo Eggun Omo Yere Orunmila Layereo Eggun Moku Lode Eggun Ni oddua».

Olokun and Oddudwa were listening to the conversation Shangó was having with Ifá, and they blessed Oshe Nilogbe. Shangó covered Oshe Nilogbe from head to foot with blood (he put the eya tuto on the ground and took a chicken to make oparaldo for him, saying: «Sarayeye Belekun Ni Awo«. He opened a hole and called upon Eggun, prayed and offered the blood of the chicken, buried it leaving it almost exposed, and immediately gave an eyele to the shadow.

He had also prepared a yam broth with ori, efun and an eya tuto.

This ceremony is carried out at the foot of a ceiba and is buried with a stone. The plants for the bath are: yenten, fig, cotton, caña brava, ceiba, sage, yagruma and white bleo (this last one if Oddduwa is held). In the jícara (gourd bowl) one places ori, epo, efun and oñi for Oddduwa, and it is carried to the sea or to the forest. To the omiero an eyele is given together with the Eggun and the name of Oddudwa.

To take away bad luck, one looks for almácigo, escoba amarga, álamo, prodigiosa, itamo real, aberikunlo and water from the Pacific Ocean.

The secret of the jagüey

SECRET: for Shangó, a red rose set before Shangó, a black-eyed pea fritter, bee honey, a cinnamon stick and a beer; this is placed before Shangó and Oshún to please him.

Once, a torrential rain caught an ant by surprise, and she asked herself: «Where can I take shelter?». The ant saw a jagüey tree in a clearing of the bush and ran towards it, slipping in under its branches. She waited there for the rain to pass, but the rain only grew heavier.

All at once a butterfly dragged herself up to the jagüey tree and begged the ant to let her get under it, since she was soaked and could not fly. «How can I let you in?», the ant answered. «There is barely room for me». «It does not matter, we shall be squeezed together, but you will have company», the butterfly replied. In the end the ant let the butterfly shelter under the jagüey tree.

The rain kept falling harder and, suddenly, a mouse came running and said: «Let me shelter under the jagüey tree, I am drenched». The ant and the butterfly answered: «How can we let you shelter here if there is barely room for the two of us?». «Squeeze up a little», said the mouse. In the end the ant and the butterfly squeezed together a little to let the mouse shelter beside them.

While it went on raining hard, a sparrow arrived running and weeping and said: «I have soaked my wings and my feathers. Let me dry off and rest a while under the jagüey until the rain stops». But the ant and the butterfly told him there was no room left for him, that they were already tightly packed. «Please, find a place for me», the sparrow begged. The ant and the butterfly squeezed a little more and made room for the sparrow.

While this was happening, the rabbit came fleeing from the fox; he saw the jagüey and headed for it, saying: «Hide me, save me. The fox is after me». «Poor rabbit», said the ant. «Let us squeeze a little more and hide the rabbit from the fox». When the fox arrived and asked whether they had seen the rabbit around there, they all answered that they had not. The fox flicked her tail and moved away from the jagüey. Soon after, the rain began to ease until the sun came out and the whole earth began to dry. They all came out from under the shade of the jagüey, and the ant was left thinking. «How can this have happened? Before, we barely fitted under the jagüey, and now there is room for five», said the ant. «Ha ha ha cua cua», someone laughed. Then the frog said: «Have you not realised that the jagüey…?», but she never finished the sentence and went off, leaping from branch to branch. They all looked at the jagüey and understood why, at first, not even one of them fitted under the tree, and later there was room for five.

One can always do good to whoever needs it, wherever one happens to be.

Loved ones are cared for even after death

The son loved his mother dearly. On the day she died he wept for her inconsolably and begged that she not be taken away to be buried, since he wanted to stay by her side forever. After much pleading, they finally agreed and left the mother’s body in his house. After three days, however, the stench was unbearable, and the son began to demand rudely that the body be taken out of there, since he could not stand the smell.

From then on, the son never once troubled himself to take flowers to his mother at the cemetery.