Iwori Ojuani

The proud king

There was once a very proud king who allowed no visits from his subjects and forbade anyone in the town to be friendly with his servants. This king had a daughter who had been ill for a long time, and he had spent a great deal of money trying to cure her. In the judgment of the town’s healers, she was under the evil eye of the previous generation. One day, one of his servants advised the king to go and be seen by Orunla about his daughter’s illness, but the proud king, who took no counsel from his inferiors, threatened to kill them if they ever spoke of that conversation.

It so happened that the king’s daughter grew worse, and the king, overcome by love for his daughter, sent for Orunla. Orunla sent word that, being very busy, it was impossible for him to come to the palace, but that when the king went hunting in the forest he could stop at his house, since he had to pass by it anyway. The king was outraged at Orunla and, after much talk, resolved not to go, for a king such as he could not lower himself before a diviner.

As the king’s daughter remained ill, he decided to go to Orunla’s house. When he reached the door, the threshold was low and the king rather tall; entering, he did not realize he had to bow his head — something his haughtiness had never accustomed him to — and his crown struck the lintel of the door and fell off. The crown went rolling down the slope, and his subjects hid it from him, so the king was forced to go from door to door asking after his crown until it was returned to him.

The king went back to Orunla’s house, but this time, on entering, he removed his crown for fear it would fall again. Orunla said to him: «Your majesty, the only crown that prevails here is mine.» The king answered: «Today I understand that my pride has served only to humble me, for had I not been so proud, my subjects would not have hidden my crown, and I would not have suffered the shame of going door to door asking after it.»

The proud merchant

There was a merchant who always gave coffee to a little old man who visited his shop, and the old man, in return, gave him his blessing. Because of this, the merchant’s business went well and prospered little by little. The merchant, however, grew proud and stopped attending to the old man, for he was always very busy and it bothered him that the old man kept coming to his shop; so, little by little, he began to scorn him.

In time, a stranger’s stand was set up across from that shop. When the old man visited it and asked for a coffee, the owner gave it to him without charging. The old man blessed him for his good deed.

The old man had stopped visiting the first shop because he realized its owner despised him for being poor, so he began to visit the new shop every day, where the owner treated him very well. Thanks to the good treatment this new merchant gave his customers, people began to come to his shop daily, and the first merchant’s clientele began to dwindle. Lacking the old man’s blessings as well, before long he had to close his business.

The new merchant, on the other hand, though his business was prospering, never stopped treating the old man kindly and helping him in whatever way was needed and within his reach.

For the ebbo to take effect, it must be passed over the aleyo’s back and behind the clothing. A drum must be played for the person’s Guardian Angel.

If the person is ill, they are given a staff from the rogation (ebbo) so that every day they walk to their door.

The guardian of the joro joro

There was a king named Laye in the land of Oyó, a follower of the religion of Shangó. He grew very proud and stopped holding feasts in honor of his ancestors, which caused his health to decline and things in his kingdom to go wrong. One day he went to consult with Orunmila, and the Ifá that came out told him: «You are no longer honoring your protector spirits, and that is why you are ill and everything is going badly. You must make the sacrifice to your ancestors and then consult with Ifá so that you recover your health and everything else.»

But king Laye did not make the sacrifice to his ancestors, and although he made Ifá shortly afterward, the Oddun of Iwori Juani came out, commanding him once more to honor his ancestors. As the king’s situation did not improve, he decided to make the recommended sacrifice, and when he arrived where his ancestors were, they rejoiced greatly and offered to make him their guardian.

The ancestors, however, lived in the joro joro (the pit), which frightened the king. He asked them how he could possibly live with them, and after much pleading he finally persuaded them to let him live among the people. But he always had to remember his ancestors and be their guardian, protecting their home in the joro joro.

Since then, Iwori Juani has been the guardian of the joro joro of ibo Eggun by command of Shangó, who was the father of Oba Laye; when a joro joro is opened, Iwori Juani is prayed, for he is its gatekeeper.

The path of Oke

Oke was going through hardship when he met Eshu, who told him: «Go see Orunla so he can examine you and make you an ebbo.» Oke went to see Orunla, and this Ifá came out for him; Orunla advised a sacrifice with: a goat, a rooster, a cowrie shell, four doves, a piece of earth from his house, black-eyed beans, the ring of a crown, and other ingredients and money. Orunla told him: «Now that you have made the ebbo, go and ask your master for a piece of land to plant beans.»

Oke did so, and his master gave him a piece of land, which he planted with beans. His harvest was good and abundant, while his master’s was lesser. The master began to steal Oke’s harvest, but Oke found him out and went to Orunla to ask for help. Orunla told him: «Take the drum you used for the ebbo and play it while you sing: ‘Oke Oba Mi Oke Mi Ole Omore Yeye’».

When the master heard Oke’s song, he called him and said: «I give you the land you are working.» But Oke kept playing and singing, and the master gave him more land, his crown, and other gifts, until at last he died of shame for having robbed his servant. Oke went on playing his drum and singing his suyere, to remember forever his triumph over injustice.

One must guard against a disgrace that could cost one’s life. A drum must be played, and a drum placed for Oke.