Iroso Yekun

Path 1

1.- THE PATH OF THE SHADOW.

In the land of Yeyere Ifá Inle lived Awo Oba Koloye, who had the power to protect all his children from Ikú, death.

Awo Obakoloye hid them in secret so that Ikú would not find them; his father, Awo Koloye, had entrusted this secret to him. Every time someone came to swear before Awo Koloye, Ikú killed a hen behind the chair where the visitor sat and made him disappear.

Ikú often visited the land of Yeyere Nifa Inle, but she found only the chair and the hen. Unable to find Awo Oba Koloye, who through his skill had learned to turn himself into a black shadow, Ikú grew angry and felt powerless.

One day, Ikú went looking for Olofin, but she could not find him either. Enraged, Ikú left the place singing. Elegbá, who was passing by, asked her what was wrong and she told him her trouble.

Elegbá joined Ikú and they gathered several Awoses to send for Awo Oba Koloye. Together, they traveled to the land of Delele Awo Makuaba, where the father of Awo Oba Koloye lived. The father of Awo Oba Koloye sent his son off with Elegbá to resolve the matter.

Oba Koloye went along with Elegbá, but he was displeased. When he arrived in the land of Delele Awo Makuaba, he met his father, Awo Oba Yeibeye Ikú, who called his son aside and scolded him, saying: «You should have given the osadie to Elegbá, and every time you boasted of the secret I sent you and taught you, which is yours, you should have buried the adie dun dun at once in a joro joro so that Ikú would not have picked up any trace of it, and would know nothing of your secrets. Now you will have to be Ikú’s servant for not having done things as I taught you. You wanted to know and do more than I, and now you will serve as punishment and will have to make an oath with Ikú.»

Then Awo Oba Yeibeye Ikú made Ikú and her children kneel before the other Awoses and said to them: «You swear that you will accept the pact forever.» And they swore.

Afterwards, Awo Oba Yeibeye Ikú said to his son: «You will have great power over Ikú, and every time you bury an osadie in a joro joro and thereby save some of your children, you must go out before Ikú to indicate to her what you want her to unye.» Ikú answered him: «Very well, but you throw the earth on top.» And so the two of them swore before Awo Oba Yeibeye, Ikú and the other Awoses.

To seal the oath, Awo Oba Koloye brought adie and eyele at that very moment. Ikú, who had never eaten animals, ate them this time. And then they covered the animals, just as had been agreed.

While Awo Oba Koloye was throwing the earth, he sang: «Iba Koloye, Iba Koloye, Iba Koloye, Igua Inle Koloye».

Through this path, when the shadow (awo oba koloye) is called and one performs moyugba to give her adie, it is done with this call: «Iba Ikú Oreo Bayebeiku Unlo Bayebeiku Ikú Balaye Beiku Ikú Olorun Bayebeiku Ikú Olorun».

The secret of how to drive Ikú away

On this path there was an awo named Akukuan Bangan Orun, an old man who had done much good in his life and whose time was fulfilled. Death entered his house to take him away.

On rising in the morning, he performed osode and this Ifá came, telling him that Ikú was coming for him, and that the only one who could do something for him was an awo named Amonsun, who lived on the other side of town.

Awo Akukuan Bangan Orun went in search of Awo Amonsun, who cast this same Ifá again, but in Iré (good fortune), and there he marked the Ebbó (the one above). Once the Ebbó was done, he took a branch of igui orozú, an Osun leri the height of the awo, nailed the little box on top of it, placed inside it what came from the Ebbó, and hung an eyele toward each wind: one at seven in the morning, one at midday, one at seven in the evening, and one at midnight. And on the following day he was to give the four remaining eyele to Obatalá with eight coconuts on the four plates. He was to prepare food for Ikú in an ikoko with its nine paints and give her an akuko and bogbo tenuyen.

Akukuan Bangan Orun did as he was told and was able to free himself from Ikú thanks to Awo Amonsun.

The cloak of Ikú

SECRET: Until the person performs ebbó, they must not open any door when someone knocks from the street. As a resource, the awo may cleanse the sick person with a black adie; through this path, the person’s name is called three times into their ear, saying each time: konaguo fía (three times while the cleansing is being performed)

On this path, there was a person who enjoyed a prosperous and enviable life. He owned clothing of such quality that even death admired it, but one day Ikú came to his house and knocked at his door to take him away. The man’s wife, trying to protect him, said he was sleeping and that she would not wake him. But he, sensing the danger, decided to go out and face death. Ikú took him away, stripped him of his cloak and used it to cover herself. Then she went to sit in the marketplace of Obatalá, where she caused great panic among the muleteers and buyers.

Orunmila, on learning what had happened, went to the marketplace with an eruke and a black abeboadie. He asked Ikú what she was doing there and gave her the black abeboadie so that she would go on to her destination. And that is how Ikú departed.

This Ifá says: what Orunmila says, comes to pass.