Iwori Ogunda

Odde’s estate

In this path, Odde shows his courage and determination to protect what is his. Despite the constant loss of his animals, he did not give up; he waited patiently until he discovered the thief. When he realized that a tiger and a lion were behind the disappearances, he decided to act.

Armed with a bow and arrows, Odde killed the lion and then faced the tiger. Although he managed to put the animal to death, he could not escape his own death, owing to the wounds and lacerations he suffered in the fight.

This path shows the importance of perseverance and courage in protecting what is valuable to us, and it also reminds us that at times the cost of that protection can be very high.

You like to steal other men’s women, very young women captivate you, and you try to take them through the anus. You are a cerebral person and often suffer pain in the head, so you must have your head refreshed with a rogación often.

The woman and the foreign eggun

There was a woman with several small children whose husband decided to abandon them at the moment they needed him most. This woman decided to work in order to support her children. After some time, she began to feel a strange sensation in her body.

She decided to look into the cause of this sensation and came to the house of Orunla, who performed a consultation and saw this Ifá for her. Orunla told her: “An Eggun has attached itself to you in the house where you went looking for work. This Eggun was a white foreigner in his last life. He is the cause of your ailment. You must perform an oparaldo to rid yourself of him, for he will help you materially, but will then try to pass on to you a secret from one of his former lives that will harm you gravely — you could even lose your life.”

The woman left Orunla’s house and never returned to perform the oparaldo. Shortly afterwards, she began to prosper thanks to the Eggun’s help and became rich overnight. The Eggun had a pot from when he animated the flesh, and one day, in dreams, he showed the woman where it was so that she would keep it. The woman paid no attention and, shortly afterwards, her legs began to swell. Within a few days her illness became very grave, and she finally died. This illness was the very affliction that had caused the death of the foreign Eggun when he animated the flesh. Thus Orunla’s prophecy was fulfilled.

Take care of the heart; if a woman, mind the legs — it may come from having stepped on witchcraft. The circulation may also be affected.

In this Ifá we must beware of attachment to the sendings of an Eggun who may benefit us economically, but who, through that same attachment, can transmit to us the illnesses that brought about the spirit’s fall when it animated the flesh. One must beware of matters of mayombe and perform the works that Ifá marks so that you are not lost.

The euro

In Africa there is an animal called the euro, very dangerous to hunt. When wounded, it turns on the hunter; yet despite this, the flesh of the euro is greatly desired because of how much it yields. A hunter went to Orunla’s house because he had no luck in the hunt, and Orunla advised him to perform an ebbo. The hunter did so, and when he went into the wilderness he found a euro. He shot it, and the wounded animal charged to attack him. Fortunately, the hunter was able to climb a nearby tree, and the euro finally bled out and died.

Ifá says that whoever has eaten pork also wants the cracklings. This means that the hunter, after succeeding in the hunt of the euro, will want to keep hunting dangerous animals. Ifá also indicates that the hunter must perform a ceremony of Ozain to protect himself from his enemies, who want to do him harm. Furthermore, during the next seven days there will be heavy rain, and one must not walk on the mud. It is advisable not to leave the house for the following seven nights. Ifá also says that the hunter has many false friends and that Yemayá is in a restless state, which means there will be heavy seas. In the hunter’s house there is a sick person who does not heal, and someone plans to use a portrait to work witchcraft against him. A rogación is recommended to ward off the evil.

Beware of hemorrhage. This person is going to hold a position of authority.

Fright was born

Suyere of the oparaldo of the Eggun Ifá. At the first call, the etu is placed on the person’s forehead and one says: “Etu Awayore Babá Oni Babá Otorabi Ikú».

It is passed over the person’s head and over the back of the hair, and one says: “Obada Gori Eshu Baku Ogba Yeku; Babawa Ori Eshu Ni Bako Yele Ikú Kuakua Lode Arun Kuakua Lode Ofo Kuakua Lode Eyo Kuakua Lode Iña, Kuakua Lode Inkan Buruku Umbati Osode Unlo Kuakua Lode “.

The etu is taken, the person is told to turn in circles, and one sings: “Yenye Yenye Nire Etu Bigbo Araye … Etu Kuakua Lode Yenye Yenye Nire Etu Gbogbo Oboku Kuakua Lode Iña …”

The awo must hold a bottle of otí in his hand, praying over the person, while the person keeps turning and tearing some of the clothes they are wearing. An omiero is prepared of alacrancillo, peonía leaves, tibisí, white bleo, campana, ewe dun dun, and small-leaved platanillo.

When the person has finished tearing part of their clothes, they take a bath and, standing before Oggún, put on orí, efun, eya, epo, oñí; an eyele is taken and the person is thoroughly cleansed with it — let them ask clearly for what they wish to resolve — and the eyele is given to Oggún. It is placed head-down with the tail pointing upwards, and opolopo oñí, otí, and orí are poured over it, and all of this goes to the foot of a palm tree or to the river.

In this path, Oggún lived in the land of Oba Nire and had a son with Yemayá named Awo Nilorun. At three years of age, Oggún made Ifá for him and wanted to make him chief of his land so that everyone would respect and esteem him, since Oggún had to leave that land: Obatalá had sent for him so that, together with Yemayá, he would form the government of the land of Oba Nire.

Seeing that his son lacked the strength of command, Oggún took him to where Orun was, by order of Elegbá, and as they went along the road, Elegbá played his agogo and sang:

“Oba Nire Orun Ogba Niyere, Ogba Nire Orun Egun Niyere, Oba Nire Egun Ogba Nire Orun Lariye”.

Along the way, Oggún kept gathering the yaguas he found, because all the eguns had come out so that his son would not take fright, and when they arrived where Orun was, all the Eguns were there and gave moforibale to Elegbá, to Oggún, to Eggun, and to Awo Nilorun. Just then Shangó was approaching — by order of Obatalá he was going to where Orunla was — and on seeing them he hid, and watched all the ceremonies that Orun performed for the son of Oggún. Orun said to Oggún: “I am going to give your son great power and strength so that he may obtain the power of the world. I take from him the yaguas that were of no use, and I order the Egguns to fetch him 7 pieces of yagua, 7 leaves of amansa guapo, 7 leaves of quiebra hacha, 7 leaves of yaya, 7 of jagüey, and 7 of muralla.” As the Egguns returned with what Orun had asked of them, they came singing:

«Onaro Orun Oribawo, Onaro Regute Orun Oribawo, Oggún».

They boiled all the ewe and bathed him with the great power of Orun; they performed ogbori eleda for him with eyele meyi fun fun, obi, orí, efun, eku, eya, eran malu, and fortified him well, and while they carried out that ceremony, all the Egguns sang:

«Onaro Orun Warayonile Omowa Wao Akaro Oni Odara».

While they performed the ceremony on the Leri, they gave “eyerbale” to Oggún to give him power. Orun said to Oggún: “you must go and continue governing the land of Oba Nire, so that you can protect your son and be the pride of the whole world.” When they left, Shangó came out of his hiding place, went to Orun’s side and said: “what have you all done that I have not seen? You have done something very bad. That great power that you, Elegbá and Orun, have given to those persons is going to harm Obatalá.” Orun answered Shangó: “what business is this of yours?”.

Shangó, who was carrying a bit of sulfur, at that moment stuck out his tongue and provoked terror. Orun took fright and said: “how frightening!” and gave “Moforibale” to Shangó. Shangó said to Orun: “there are other powers besides fear, but I am not going to give you the message that Obatalá sent you. It said that you should not do what you have just done. I have my son, who is ‘awo Ifá’ and is called Oni Ifá Awo; I am going to send for him to take away that great power that Oggún and his son hold.” And he added: “Orun, you will never be able to do anything unless you call on me. I, with my power and my strength, will give strength to you.”

Oggún arrived in the land of Oba Nire together with his son. When they sounded the “yaguas” seven times, the people of that land lived in fright under all the power of the “Egguns,” and Oggún kept the land in a great state of fear. Shangó went to Obatalá and told him what was happening. Obatalá consecrated the son of Shangó with an “etu,” which was handed to him, and said: “go to your father, Shangó; he will give you the great power you hold, and as you go along the road, sing: ‘Etu Awayoro Babá Oni Babá Obarabi Ikú’». And he went along passing the “etu” over his head, while Shangó went burning sulfur along the road until they reached that land. Oggún, seeing this, was seized by great fear; all the “Eguns” fled, and Shangó sang: «Eggun Alele Olona Shangó Awa Egun Abere Ikú Olona Ina Bawa Ikú». All the “Egguns” departed on catching the unmistakable smell of the sulfur and the fire, and the people of that land awoke in great fear. Oggún too took fright. Shangó took the “yaguas” away from Oggún and his son and said: “now the fright in this land will come to an end.”

Obatalá, who was coming behind, said to Shangó: “now, ‘Awo Oni Ifá’, gather the ‘yaguas’ from the midst of all this land, build a house of ‘yaguas’ for Oggún and for all who worship Oggún, and his son I shall take with me to hand him over to Yemayá, so that she may teach him and raise him in all that is good.” Obatalá, Shangó and Awo Oni Ifá took eyele, and to all the people of that land and to Oggún they gave eyele. And thus the fright and the terror ended in the land of Oba Nire.

Here fright was born, and it was Oggún who brought it into the world.

The caballito del diablo (survival is born)

Lami Lami (the caballito del diablo, the damselfly) went to the river hoping to find a place to make his home and to have children and peace. But every time he reached the riverbank in search of the right spot, his enemy Alan Takun (the hairy spider) attacked him to kill him and eat him, and Lami Lami, unable to defend himself, had to flee on several occasions.

Weary of this situation, Lami Lami went to the house of Orunla, who saw this Ifá for him and marked the ebbo indicated above. The needles of the ebbo became the damselfly’s stingers, and when he went back to the river he met, as always, his enemy Alan Takun, who attacked him. A fight to the death began, one that Alan Takun was sure would go her way, given the contempt she had for Lami Lami’s abilities — but he flew above the spider and with his stinger killed Alan Takun. Afterwards he laid his eggs on the dead body of his enemy, which served as home and food for his children.

This Ifá is one of war, and it is where survival is born.

The betrayal

On a certain occasion Obatalá had a war on his hands and called Oggún to help him against his enemies. Oggún went to the war and soon returned to tell Obatalá that he had already defeated his enemies. Obatalá then declared that he would enter the town where the battle had taken place, to see for himself how his enemies had been destroyed.

As they were nearing the place where the combat had supposedly been fought, Oggún began to slip away stealthily from Obatalá, intending for him to be captured by his enemies so that he could then demand a heavy ransom for his release.