Iwori Obara

Through having a good heart, one loses

In the land of Obe Meku there ruled a king who was good and generous to his subjects. Yet the people abused his kindness and did as they pleased, without any punishment from the king. The thief went unpunished, because he promised never to steal again, and the king took pity on him and let him go. Because of this, the land of Obe Meku was riddled with theft, corruption and vice.

One day the king attended a gathering of rulers in a nearby land, where the other monarchs criticized his failure to punish wrongdoers, pointing out that this set a bad example for their own kingdoms. The king returned to his people ashamed and saddened, and sought counsel from his ministers. All of them spoke harshly, except the eldest, who suggested he seek out a wise man named Orunla for advice.

The king went to Orunla, who told him that his kindness was being taken advantage of, and that he should treat the good well but show no mercy to the wicked, in order to bring his people back to right conduct. After performing a rogation, Orunla gave the king an akuko and told him to prepare a great feast for his people. During the celebration, the wrongdoers were dazed and drunk on the food and drink the king had offered. Osun and Elegbara seized that moment to arrest them. When they sobered up, they begged the king to forgive them and promised to become upright people. But this time the king did not give in to their pleas, thanks to Orunla’s good counsel.

From then on, the land of Obe Meku came to be respected, and its king along with it.

2.- THE KIND-HEARTED MERCHANT.
EBBÓ: One chicken, two hens, 5 eñi adie, opolopo oñí, omi ilé ibu, atitan ilé, shop trinkets if available, eku, eya, epo, awado.

This story tells of a trinket merchant who, in a short time, prospered and expanded his business. The merchant’s sister asked him to let her live in his house with her husband, and out of his good heart the merchant agreed. Later, the sister spoke to their other siblings so they could all come live together, and the merchant agreed once more. In time, the man began to have money troubles because of the family burden, and he decided to go see Orunla.

Orunla made osode for him and saw this Ifá, and told him he had fallen behind through doing so many favors, and that he should treat his family as he would strangers, for they would repay him badly. Orunla prescribed a rogation so that he might free himself of so heavy a burden and not fail. Even so, the merchant turned a deaf ear and made no decision regarding his siblings, and they all went on living at his expense.

In time, everything Orunla had foretold came to pass for the merchant. His family even tried to put him out of the house, and he went back to Orunla over certain disputes with his brother-in-law. So many were his troubles that he came to the brink of losing his mind, and he had to close his business because he no longer had the head to run it.

Orunla made osode for him again, and the same Ifá came out. He ordered an ebbó for his prosperity, and after sending his siblings away from his house, the merchant reopened his business. Yet he never again stood where he had before closing it, for now he had competitors.

The virtue of the pica pica

In this account, Orunla was called to resolve a problem in a town, but before setting out he consulted the orishas, and a sign came out indicating there was a trap along the way. He was therefore ordered to make an ebbó to protect himself before leaving. While he was preparing to make the ebbó, a desperate man arrived begging for his help, and Orunla attended to him; but the man was so agitated that he did not wait for Orunla to finish examining him and rushed off.

Eshu, who had been watching everything, placed a large stone at the street door, so that the man tripped on his way out and hurt himself. Enraged, the man went to the governor and accused a diviner of having robbed him. The governor and a company of soldiers set out for Orunla’s house to find the diviner, but when they arrived, the man could not find the house. The governor concluded that the man was a liar and had him arrested.

Orunla, for his part, had made the ebbó and had given a sacrifice to Elegbara at the door of his house to protect himself. In the end he had no trouble with the governor and was able to depart in peace toward his destination. This account shows the importance of following the instructions of the orishas and of being cautious about possible traps along the way. It also shows how Eshu can step into a situation to teach important lessons.

4.- WHY THE HEAD ROGATION IS DONE WITH PARGO.
PRAYER: Adifafun Yemayá Ataramagua Adifafun Awo Seiko Asekan Korre Egua Ori Eya Tuto Olontoaye Guayr Ayaka Atafun Iya Olo Oyo Orubashiru Agbe Achicuiabioeo Funi Orun Bi Ogbe Ishu Fere Obini Oni Tan Aoba Oyo Omi Nilekey Nikoro Orunla Olorun Ashe Abaima Migualoreyu Kaferefun Olofin.

Yemayá Tarmagua lived both on land and in the depths of the sea. She was a very beautiful and somewhat arrogant woman. On one occasion she had relations with Inle, but since she believed no one would find out — being at the bottom of the sea — she went on boasting before all the creatures of the deep. For this reason she was known as Yemayá Oku Onilaye (bad mistress of the world).

Olofin, however, had his secret watchmen, and one of them was Eya Tuto (the pargo), who kept watch over everything that happened at the bottom of the sea. Seeing what was going on, he reported it to Olofin, but Olofin did not believe what he was told and wanted to be certain of the truth. So he asked the pargo to give him some sign concerning Yemayá.

The pargo answered: «she has a mole on her legs, her breasts are always damp, and she has much hair on her private parts. When she performs ofikale, she loses herself and goes wild, crying out loudly. She also wears a chain on her left leg.» Then Olofin said: «You shall be my watchman for as long as the world exists. The greatest secret for bringing any head into communication with me shall be through you, and those few saints who eat of you must beg your forgiveness in a ceremony.»

For this reason, ever since then, the obori elede of Eya Tuto Osan Osha a tuni gbogbo Osha has been the greatest head rogation, for it brings the leri into contact with Olofin.

Ozain must be received.

Eshu, after eating the owunko that Orunla gave him, covered the house with pica pica, and so neither the man nor the governor nor the soldiers could see Orunla’s house.