Iwori Meyi

Other important aspects of this sign

The works of Iwori Meyi in heaven

Eji-koko Iwori divined for the sun, the moon and the darkness. His title in heaven was Kpau Yakata. He performed divination for the sun, the moon and the darkness when they were on their way to the world. In Yoruba, the sun is called ojo, the moon oshukpa, and the darkness okuku. He advised the three brothers to make sacrifice in the following way:

• The sun was to sacrifice with a bundle of brooms, white cloth, a white rooster and a white hen.
• The moon was to sacrifice with red cloth, a brown rooster and a brown hen.
• The darkness was to sacrifice with black cloth, a black rooster and a black hen.

He advised them to make these sacrifices so that the people of the world would honor and respect them, and above all so that no one could look them in the face with disdain. Most importantly, the sacrifice was meant to give them power and energy, which would make them indispensable wherever they went. The moon said he was too beautiful and popular to bother with any sacrifice. The darkness said he was already endowed with the right traits to command respect and fear wherever he went.

He too refused to make any sacrifice. The sun was the only one who sacrificed. The moon, however, had earlier made a sacrifice for love, which is why people rejoice when they see the new moon. After the sun had made his sacrifice, he was given the bundle of brooms with which he had sacrificed, to keep always in his hand, with the advice that he should point it at the face of anyone who dared to look at him directly. Those are the sun’s rays, which dazzle the eyes of anyone who tries to look him straight in the face.

The sun, however, is admired because the heat he generates is used for all manner of purposes throughout the planetary system. No one takes much interest in the darkness, and it serves no tangible purpose, because it made no sacrifice. For the same reason, the moon is only admired, but it is neither feared like the sun nor used for productive ends.

Iwori Meyi divined for akun, the coral bead

Before leaving heaven, the beads also went to Iwori seeking divination. He, however, instructed three of his deputies to perform the divination for the bead. They were:

• Afun yin yin
• Ake yin yin y
• Oyin yin ke bi ala

They consulted Ifá for the coral bead (akun in Yoruba and ivie in Bini), which in heaven was called Olomo Akeriwaye. They advised it to make a sacrifice so that it could live forever on earth as an object of adornment and nobility, and be treated with respect and dignity. The sacrifice consisted of a he-goat, a rat, a fish, a white hen, a white dove, white cloth and white thread. Olomo Akeriwaye made the sacrifice before coming to the world and was received with rejoicing on arrival. Ever since, it has commanded respect from one and all and is associated with royal aristocracy and ceremonial adornment.

HE ALSO DIVINED FOR LEAD.

In heaven, two awoses who worked for Iwori Meyi divined for lead (oje in Yoruba and ose in Bini) at a time when it was considered useless. The awoses were Kaun Gere Awo Ilé Aran Y Afosile Awo Ode Kanran Musi, Adifafun Oje Mini Mini Nigba Ti Gbogbo Orun Fi Oju Imere Wo Oje. It was said that, because of its malleable body, it would not live long after reaching the earth.

It was thought to be a union destined to die early on earth. The awoses advised it to make sacrifice with a duck, a rooster and a vulture. It made the sacrifice and came to the world, where it lived so long that it outlived all who had expected it to die young. For this reason, a poem was composed in its honor, which the awoses sing to this day in praise of its longevity:

• Ungun-ungun kii ku lewe kange
• Maadagba maadarigbo kange

WHAT IT MEANS.

The vulture does not die in infancy; I shall live to an advanced age, because lead does not rot and bronze does not rust. When divination with Iwori Meyi is made for someone who is ill, a special sacrifice (ono Ifá) must be performed so that they may live a long life. This work was the last that Ejikoko Iwori did before coming to the world. He composed the following poem before finally arriving in this place:

Ejikoko Iwori

Alade Teeju Momi Koo, Womi Iré

Bo Omode Baa Teju, Moma Ri Owo

Bo Omode Baa Teju, Aamofa,

Ejikoko Iwori

Alade Teeju Momi Ko Wo Omi Iré,

Ejikoko Iwori

Jengen Jengen Jengen

Awaade Olode Ogbodo.

EJIKOKO IWORI DIVINED FOR THE LION, THE COW AND THE BUFFALO.

The lion, the cow and the buffalo were born of the same father, who was the king of the animals in heaven. When he set out for the world, it became necessary for one of his sons to succeed him as king of the animals. Meanwhile, the lion ran to his father’s diviner, Ejikoko Iwori, in search of divination. He was advised to make sacrifice in the following way:

• He was to throw ten pieces of elephant meat into the river.
• He was to serve his head with a dove and kola nut.
• And he was to give a he-goat, a filter and beads to Esu.

After the corresponding sacrifice was made, the buffalo became king, but his reign was marked by violence and cruelty. The other animals, worried by the situation, went to Ejikoko Iwori for help. He advised them to be patient, and he told the lion and the others that if they wanted to become kings, they would have to do what was needed to have their own Ifá.

Meanwhile, the wife of the cow king, who had been unjustly accused of stealing meat, fled with her husband to the earth. The lion, disappointed that he had not been crowned king, sought the counsel of Ejikoko Iwori, who recommended that he obtain his own Ifá to achieve his goal.

Finally, the discontented animals sought out Ejikoko Iwori to ask his advice on how to bring the buffalo’s reign to an end.

Oten – omo ilara

Ogoro – omo olode

Oju – omo ijarere

After the lion was proclaimed the rightful king, all the animals began to live in peace and harmony. The lion proved to be a good leader and settled the community’s problems fairly and even-handedly. He also built a royal court and appointed his counselors and ministers.

From then on, an annual ceremony was held in which all the animals gathered to give thanks to the creator for the peace and harmony of the animal community. At this ceremony, the lion offered sacrifices to the gods in gratitude for their wisdom and guidance.

The story of the animal community stands as a reminder that true greatness comes not from power or force, but from wisdom and justice. The lion, though beaten and humiliated, proved to be a true leader who led his community to peace and prosperity.

Iwori Meyi leaves heaven for the earth

Meanwhile, in heaven, Iwori Meyi was the most senior of the olodus of Orunla, but his procrastination and complacency dropped him to third place when he reached the earth. When Orunla returned from his first and only journey to the earth, he invited his 16 sons to join the children of the other divinities in founding a permanent dwelling there.

On further thought, he proposed that they go one after another rather than all leaving at once. Iwori Meyi was the first to come forward, and he said that he was so useful in heaven that his time to depart had not yet come. He argued, moreover, that a good general does not send his best soldiers to be the first into battle, and so he proposed that omo nighorogbo, who became Ejiogbe on earth, should be the first to go.

Eager to flatter Ejiogbe, he described him as the only olodu sociable enough to deal effectively with the other divinities, and said he would make a better ambassador of the house of Orunla. Ejiogbe offered to lead the way, since he had good reason to go to the earth. As we saw in Ejiogbe, he was crowned king of the day as soon as he arrived on earth, because he got there in broad daylight. Upon arriving, he reported his findings on earth. It was also Iwori who proposed to Orunla that Oyekun Meyi should be the next to go to the earth; as we saw in Oyekun Meyi, he was born at night and was eventually crowned king of the night.

When Iwori Meyi began to hear news of how life was prospering on earth, he decided to follow his two brothers. As soon as he made up his mind to come to the world,

The Following Awoses Performed Divination For Him:

Akaka Raka, Moni Tiika Owara Wini, Oju Egun Iba Afo Demi, Mu Akpoko-akpwa Mo Mu Ko

«Strong people make others strong. A divine sacred place is always surrounded by mysteries. My father told me to carry the bag of successes around my neck, so you will not hand the bag of prosperity to anyone.» These are the names of the three awoses who performed divination for Iwory Meyi before he left heaven and set out for the world.

They also advised him to give a he-goat to Esu and a rooster to his head, or anything he knew it would eat. He gave the he-goat to Esu, a dove to his head and a ram to Ifá. He also went to Olodumare (the almighty god) to seek authorization and blessing. As he was leaving the divine palace, he asked for Akpominijekun (the bag of mystery) and God gave it to him. After this, he set out for the world.

The birth of Iwori Meyi

His father was a beggar, while his mother was a divine priestess. The mother was called Jetti (the unkempt one) and his father was called Ako-oko. Even in the womb, he drew gifts and blessings upon his parents. During the pregnancy, his mother was often allowed to go without paying for the services or goods she received. She was frequently told that the child in her womb was a great priest of Ifá who deserved respect.

On the day of his birth, he cried at the front of his father’s house, but his cry echoed at the back of the house. He was often left alone because of the mystery surrounding his life. He would often go deep into the forest, where he used all kinds of foliage to rub his head. He grew up under hardship, since his parents were not always well off.

Even as a child, he was already a diviner, and he could often speak about people’s problems. On one occasion, he told his parents to serve each other’s heads so that they might prosper. The father was to use a hen to serve the mother’s head, while she was to use a rooster to serve his father’s head. After the sacrifice, their land improved astonishingly.

Iwori Meyi contends for seniority on earth

When Iwori was born, he realized that his two younger brothers, Ejiogbe and Oyekun Meyi, had been crowned kings of the day and of the night respectively. From then on, Iwori was determined to prove on earth the heavenly superiority he held over his brothers. Even his sign, two inside and two outside, had been designed to challenge the authority of Ejiogbe and Oyekun.

His brothers, however, were equally determined to impose their earthly authority over him. One day, as he sat in front of his house, he saw a long procession approaching, led by Ejiogbe on horseback. Iwory did not bow to him, which enraged Ejiogbe, who ordered that in the future Iwori should shut himself in his house during the day if he could not submit to the authority of the king of the day.

Later, when Iwori saw another procession led by Oyekun Meyi, he did not bow to him either, which led Oyekun Meyi to order that Iwori confine himself to leaving his house only at night if he could not submit to the authority of the king of the night.

Iwori withdrew into his house, disgusted by his brothers’ attitude, and decided he had to do something to prove his superiority over them.

This passage tells the story of Iwori Meyi, one of the Odus of the Yoruba religion. Iwori Meyi was the third son of his family and had trouble with his two elder brothers, Ogbe and Oyekun, who considered themselves superior to him. As a result, Iwori was punished and could not leave his house by day or by night.

Esu, a Yoruba deity, transformed himself into a chief in order to advise Iwori to invite his brothers to a meeting to settle their differences. After the discussion, it was agreed that Iwori would hold third place in the family hierarchy.

Iwori, however, wanted the same authority as his brothers, and he consulted the priests of heavenly Ifá, who advised him to make a sacrifice of a ram. After doing so, Iwori returned to the world with the same authority as his brothers.

The passage also underscores the importance of reincarnation and the role of Ifá in the Yoruba religion. The author of the passage even shares his own personal experience of how the priests of Ifá advised him about his son’s health and discovered that his son was the reincarnation of an earlier son who had died shortly after birth. His son’s Ifá is Iwori Meyi.

How Iwori Meyi eventually surpassed his brothers

The awoses who had performed divination for Iwory in heaven returned to the earth several years later with a proclamation: whoever could reveal their names would be rewarded with riches. Those who did not know their names would be sent back to heaven. The reigning monarchs who failed to guess the names were forced to return to heaven, and all their earthly possessions were confiscated.

After dealing with the kings, the awoses visited the house of Iwori, who was serving his head at that moment. Before this, he had consulted his Ifá, who advised him to offer a he-goat to Esu with akara, eko, a güiro of palm wine and three cudgels. In addition, he was to serve his head with a guinea hen before the sacrifice to Esu.

Iwori followed Ifá’s instructions, and Esu built a small kiosk near the entrance of his house. On the day the heavenly gentlemen arrived, Esu offered them food and drink at the kiosk. While they ate, he asked them about their mission on earth, and they told him they had come to put Iwori to the test.

If he could guess their names, he would become rich, but if he failed, he would be sent back to heaven.

After Esu revealed the names of the heavenly gentlemen to Iwori, he received them with familiarity and shook their hands warmly. He told them their names in order of importance, addressing Akaka Raka Moni Tiika as Ojuere Ree, Owara Wini Oju Egun as Odojo Meta, and Iba Afo Demi Mu Akpoko as Ojure Re Ekerubo. The heavenly gentlemen were astonished that Iwory could know their names and asked him how he had discovered them. Iwori explained that Esu had told him everything.

The heavenly gentlemen were so impressed by Iwori’s wisdom and cunning that they granted him riches and blessings in abundance. From that day on, Iwori became a figure of great renown and was regarded as one of the wisest and shrewdest men in the world. The story of how Iwori was able to discover the names of the heavenly gentlemen became a legend told for generations, and Iwori’s cunning and intelligence became a model for many people.

After this, Esu motioned to the visitors to sit down and went to the room to fetch kola nuts to offer them in thanks for their help in the serving of Iwori’s head. When Iwori withdrew to the room, Esu asked them whether they were diviners, and they answered that they were. Meanwhile, the men hung their mysterious bag of treasures on a nail in the wall of the sitting room.

When Esu saw that they had hung up the bag, he told them that three days earlier a diviner had told Iwori that three diviners from an unknown land would visit him while he was serving his head. The diviner had advised Iwori to use the three diviners to serve his Ifá, in order to prosper. The men fled, leaving the bag of treasures behind them. When Iwori came out of the room with the kola nuts, Esu told him that the visitors had left.

Iwori, however, told Esu to go and fetch them. Esu called after them and told them to collect their bag. They replied that, as compensation for his knowing their names, they were leaving the bag to Iwori for his benefit. Esu then told Iwori that the visitors had fled and had no intention of returning. Esu directed Iwori’s attention to the abandoned bag, revealing that it was a bag full of riches whose purpose was to enrich him.

At first, the bag seemed to be dripping fresh blood, but when they opened it, they saw that it contained every kind of article of wealth — money, bronze, human beings, of every description, in multiples of several hundred. Iwori Meyi then thanked Esu with another sturdy he-goat. After this, he invited all the diviners, including his two brothers, to an elaborate meal, at the end of which he sang in praise of the heavenly diviners, and there was joy and celebration.

Thus, although Iwori Meyi lost the battle for seniority to his two elder brothers on earth, he became a far more prosperous person than they were. If Iwori Meyi appears at Ugbodu, the initiate will surely be very prosperous in later life, provided he does not abandon his Ifá and keeps close contact with Esu through frequent sacrifices.

How Iwori Meyi became a strong priest of Ifá

After becoming rich, everyone else began to envy him. So, through divination, he went to consult a diviner named Atari Ogbigbo Mu Arayen Bi Oje (the tip of the tiokan’s beak is as strong as lead). The diviner advised him to make a sacrifice with a sturdy ram to the elders of the night and a he-goat to Esu. Iwori Meyi made both sacrifices. After the sacrifice, the elders of the night worked on him for 7 nights to make him a strong, invincible man. On the seventh day they gave him four eyes with which he could see in the night. At the same time, Esu also summoned the strong men of the day to prepare him for seven days. On the seventh day, they gave Iwori another four eyes with which he could see anything that happened by day. That is why he is considered the strongest Olodu of the day and of the night, which eventually made him more powerful than the kings of the day (Ejiogbe) and of the night (Oyekun).

THE LAST WORKS OF IWORI.

After he became strong and rich, many subordinates gathered around him, and he trained them in the art and practice of Ifá. Once he had passed his knowledge on to his deputies, they helped him perform divinations for anyone who sought help. His first deputy was Okiti to Berebero Maye, who performed a divination for Oni Iwori Eyo when his fortunes were about to turn from penury to prosperity. He advised Oni Iwori Eyo to make a sacrifice with plenty of corn and beans, because he would prosper before the year was out.

To the sacrifice he was to add a white rooster and a white dove. He made the sacrifice. After the sacrifice, the priest of Ifá divided the corn and the beans into two portions each and gave him one part to carry with him. At the same time, he was advised to keep moving from place to place. Following the priests’ advice, Oni Iwori Eyo began to travel, and so he continued until he came to a place where the birds of the forest were holding a meeting.

When he arrived at the meeting place, the birds asked him for food and he gave them corn. When they had finished eating the corn, they asked for more food and he gave them the beans. After eating the beans, they asked whether he had anything left, and he told them he had nothing more to offer them. In a gesture of gratitude, the birds assured him that he would become a rich man before the year was out. A bird called Aluko (Awe in Bini) plucked out two of its feathers and gave them to him, and the parrot also plucked two feathers for him.

Another bird called Okin, the peacock, likewise plucked two feathers and gave them to him, after which he continued his journey. Shortly afterwards he met Oggún, the great warrior, who was returning from battle with 200 captives at the front and 200 captives at the rear carrying the spoils of war. When he came upon this caravan, he stopped to greet Oggún, though he told him that despite his warlike appearance he lacked dignity and nobility.

In this account, Esu swiftly inspired Oggún to demand that Oni Iwori Eyo show him how to be dignified and noble. Oni Iwori Eyo ordered Oggún’s followers to close their eyes and quickly placed two red aluko feathers on Oggún’s head. After this, he asked the followers to observe Oggún’s new appearance, and they all exclaimed: «Ogún yee!»

When Oggún asked for comments on his new appearance, everyone confirmed that he looked noble and honorable. From then on, Oggún wore a red feather as part of his royal insignia. Oggún handed over to Oni Iwori Eyo the 200 captives and what they were carrying, as compensation. Then Oni Iwori Eyo went on his way and arrived at the palace of Olofen, who was seated on his throne.

Once again, Oni Iwori Eyo told the king that, although he looked prosperous, his appearance lacked majesty and nobility. When the king asked him to show him what he meant by majesty and nobility, Oni Iwori Eyo inserted the okin feather into Olofen’s crown. The palace audience remarked that the king’s new appearance was majestic. Oloin handed over part of his kingdom to Oni Iwori Eyo to administer, and he continued his journey.

Finally, he came to where Orisa Nla was seated on his divine throne. Once more, Oni Iwori Eyo told Orisanla that although he held authority over the whole universe, his appearance lacked dignity and majesty. When Orisanla asked him to show him how to be honorable and majestic, Oni Iwori Eyo inserted the two parrot feathers into Orisanla’s head. When everyone opened their eyes and saw Orisanla’s new appearance, they shouted: «Baa taa laaoo!» Orisa was delighted and gave Oni Iwori Eyo 10 units of each of the most valuable treasures on earth.

By the end of his journey, Oni Iwori Eyo had become a very rich man, richer than anyone else around.

HE DIVINED FOR AN ONLY DAUGHTER.

Agbonmota Lo Otun and Agbonmota loori were the two followers of Iwori who performed divination for Omokon and Okombi, the only daughter of her parents. The diviners advised her to keep to herself, alone, both by day and by night. They also advised her to offer the head of a rooster and a he-goat to Esu. In addition, she was to gather different kinds of food, including ekuru (emieki in Bini) and a small chicken, and tie them in a raffia bag (oke in Yoruba and ebo in Bini) to offer as a sacrifice in the middle of the forest to her enemies (erhee in Bini and ota in Yoruba). She was also to offer a rooster to Shangó.

After she made the sacrifice to Esu, her father asked her to prepare food. But while she was busy preparing the meal, all the market women had left, and the road stood lonely and deserted. Even so, she decided to go home alone to leave the sacrifice and then go to the market to buy the remaining materials for it.

When she reached the heart of the forest, she stopped to pray with the sacrifice bag, and at that moment the most notorious bandit of the forest appeared and called out to her. She began to tremble, but the bandit was held back by Esu, who filled him with more conciliatory thoughts. The bandit dropped his machete and asked her first to go to the market and buy some items for him.

He gave her money to buy a rooster and showed her the route she was to follow on her journey, warning her to come back alone. While she was at the market, a fierce storm began to blow, followed by a heavy downpour that uprooted a great tree near where the bandit lived in the forest and crushed his hut, ending his life.

When the rain stopped, the girl returned to the forest to bring the bandit his rooster, but got no answer. She saw, however, the signs of a fallen tree, and walked along the path until she found the bandit dead beneath it. She then used the bandit’s rooster to serve her head in that very place.

When she stood up, she saw everything the man had plundered during his years of banditry. She gathered what she could of the valuable treasures and went home. Once there, she told her father about her experiences and what she had found, and he immediately went with her to the forest to collect what remained of value. Meanwhile, she offered a sacrifice to Shangó with the rooster she had bought at the market.

After all this, she brought two goats, cloths and necklace beads to give thanks to the priests of Ifá who had performed the divination for her, adding a bag of money and a good quantity of yams. This experience led her to prosperity.

When this oddun appears in divination, the person should be advised not to walk alone at quiet hours, so as to avoid falling victim to marauders who might kill them, unless they make the sacrifice recommended above.

HE DIVINED FOR ORARE.

The third follower of Iwori Meyi was Aro Ni Ikpin, who performed a divination for Orare, a beggar who was starving to death. After living in poverty for a long time, his Guardian Angel appeared to him one night and advised him to go and consult Orunla. So he went to see Eji Iwori, who asked Aro ni Ikpin to perform a divination for him. He was advised to do what was needed for Orunla. He was also told to give a he-goat to Esu and, after making all the sacrifices, to take in and raise an abandoned dog.

The man went out to find money to do the things he had been asked. The custom of the town in those days was that when the king died, every adult male bought a dog and tied it at a crossroads. Koriko, the lion, would then come from heaven to take one of the dogs. So when the oba of the town died, all the men began tying their dogs at different crossroads. Orare followed the others’ example and tied his battered dog at a crossroads. He did this only to satisfy the custom of his people, as he was convinced that the heavenly visitor would take no interest in his miserable dog.

When Koriko finally visited the town, he took only Orare’s dog. The next morning, everyone found their dogs where they had tied them, with the exception of Orare, whose dog had been taken by Koriko. The custom of the place was that the person whose dog was taken should be crowned the next king of the town. When the officials verified that it was Orare’s dog that had been taken, they invited him to the secret conclave and prepared him for coronation. He subsequently became the new king. After the coronation, he prepared a thanksgiving meal at which there was general rejoicing and singing in praise of the awo who had performed divination for him.

HE DIVINED FOR KIMIUN.

The fourth follower of Eji Iwori was Alatushe Kiite Atushe Arare Kuu, who performed a divination for Kimiun (the dinosaur) when other animals were trying to strip him of his father’s land. During the divination he was advised to make a sacrifice with a ram, a goat and a he-goat. After the sacrifice, the priest advised him to go to the land in question, encircle it with his urine, and stand in the middle of the ground shouting a proclamation of his title over the land. He was to remain there and watch what happened next.

He did as he was told, and after encircling the land with his urine, he stood in the middle and shouted that anyone who felt entitled to dispute the ownership of his father’s land could meet him in combat. Since the other contenders for the title had long been hunting for Kimiun, they went into the forest determined to kill him. All who crossed the circle of urine fell and died on the spot.

When the others saw what was happening, they ran off, leaving Kimiun to inherit his father’s land in peace. That is why Kimiun is described as «Eni Tomu Ito Gba Uyi Owo Eron Koogbo.» When this comes out in divination for anyone contending for the ownership of something that is rightfully theirs, they should be told to make a similar sacrifice, and they will surely win the dispute.

Advice to the children of Iwori Meyi

At the height of his prosperity, a priest of Ifá visited Iwori Meyi. The priest was called Eni Aja Baawa Ni Aja Abino, which means: the dog returns home with the person it went out with. He gave Iwori Meyi the following advice in the form of a poem:

Ifá teju momi

Koo womi ririe

Eji koko Iwori

Okpee teju momi ririe

Eji koko Iwori.

«My Ifá has looked after me well; I too shall look after my Ifá. The divine palm shall protect me, just as I shall serve Orunla with all my heart.»

When Iwori Meyi comes out for someone newly initiated into the religion of Ifá at Ugbodu, the person should be advised to serve Orunla with complete sincerity, because Orunla will likewise always look after them well.

While in heaven, Iwori was the most senior olodu (apostle) of Orunla. He was highly accomplished in the art and practices of Ifá. He raised several heavenly priests and also had many deputies working for him. He was, however, very conceited, which explains why he eventually lost his seniority to Ejiogbe and Oyekun Meyi, who were, for that matter, much younger than he was in heaven. He did many works in heaven, though no tales of them survive, since he did not allow his followers in heaven to come to the earth, where they would have revealed his heavenly works. Some of his heavenly works, however, have been recounted by those who benefited from them.