Ika Juani

The dispute between the omo of Yemayá and Oshún

The omo of Yemayá and those of Oshún fell into dispute without their respective mothers knowing. The omo of Yemayá claimed they were superior to the omo of Oshún, and those of Oshún considered themselves superior to those of Yemayá, and so all of them were forever at war.

Look after your children better: when they go out into the street they argue with other youngsters, and they are forever quarrelling among themselves.

The three omo of Obatalá

Obatalá had three sons named Talabi, Salako and Talade, whom he fed with the milk of the eure (goat) he kept at his house. In that town there were three thieves who kept the townspeople in constant alarm, for with their continual misdeeds they harmed almost everyone.

One day, Obatalá went to the house of Orunmila for a divination, and in the osode this Ifá came out, and Orunmila told him: «You must take better care of your things, lest a robbery be committed in your house and you be gravely harmed.» Despite all the precautions Obatalá took in his house, one night those thieves stole the eure with which he fed his three sons.

When Obatalá learned of the theft of the eure and understood that his three sons had been deprived of that eure’s milk, he cursed the thieves, saying: «I wish with all my heart that one of the thieves lose a leg, that another be struck mute forever, and that the third lose the use of an arm, for having stolen my eure and thus deprived my three sons Talabi, Salako and Talade of their food.»

Obatalá’s curse came to pass, happening exactly as he wished and considered just. And that is how the people of that land were freed from those thieves who had been harming their interests.

3.- WHEN ENIN DESTROYED ALL THE CROPS.
EBBO: Akuko, arco, flechas, desnucador, abiti, eku, eya, epo.

Once, an elephant named Ayanku arrived in a region and, with its powerful legs and trunk, destroyed all the planted fields, harming their owners. Soon afterwards, a shortage of food reigned in the village. One day the Ayanku passed very close to the house of Odde and destroyed everything he had planted around his house, so Odde went on his guard. The Ayanku also destroyed the field that lay beyond Odde’s house, and Odde went to gather the townspeople to go out and hunt the elephant.

Odde brought together all the inhabitants of that village and of the neighbouring areas and told them: «Let us hunt the Ayanku so that it harms us no more; bring tubs, axes, knives, desnucadores and ropes.» When everything was ready, Odde set out at the head of those people.

When they saw the Ayanku they pursued it, and once they had it cornered, Odde shot his arrow; and when the elephant fell, unable to run or even walk, Odde closed in on it and finished it off with a desnucador. Odde kept the Ayanku’s two tusks for himself alone, and its blood and flesh he shared out among those townspeople. This happened to Enin for believing itself stronger and more powerful than everyone else.

Beware of a wrong deed that harms a child of Obatalá, lest he curse you.

Be careful with the people you have harmed, and do not go on doing so, for they can kill you as the malú are killed, with a hard blow to the back of the neck.