Iwori Bofun

The path of the great dispute

Awo Abaguiña Omo Iwori Bofún was an awo who lived in the land of Otakua Mobilaye. Shangó had placed him there to receive the Omo Olofin Ifá Ade Ejiogbe, who were to come in search of the secret that Olokun kept on earth. That secret was needed in order to live with good fortune. Those who did not have it were the Awó Arufin Ota Ikú, who were the Omo Okana Yeku and who held the powers of Olokun.

Shangó wanted the Omo Olofin Ifá Ade Ejiogbe to live well, for they lived in great insecurity because of Olokun’s secrets and powers. Oshún Iya Agbaye had a son named Awo Orun Omo Agba Ori, who was Omo Odun Oshe Lowó.

He was Olofin’s trusted one, and his task was to guide the Omo Olofin Ifá Ade Ejiogbe so they would reach the land of Otakua Morilaye. There he would hand them over to Awo Araguiña to be cleansed, so that they could arrive clean to see Awo Arufin. He would consecrate them with the powers of Olokun.

In this way all the children of Olofin were being saved. Awo Abaguiña bathed them with Gbogbo Ewe and gave Eyelé Meyí to Ebomisi together with Orí. He also sang to them:

“Eyé Obimó, Obimó Iré Ebowemú Eyelé Odolofún Omo Olofin.”

Then he would take them to the house of Awo Arufin Ota Ikú with an akukó fun fun for Olokun. But after a time, Awo Arufin Omo Okana Yeku began to consider himself the most important of all and started quarreling with Awo Abaguiña Omo Iwori Bofún. He argued that since he was the owner of the law that Olokun gave for living, the Omo Olofin Ifá Ade Ejiogbe on earth were his responsibility. He, Okana Yeku, was the eldest of all and the true savior of the children of Olofin on earth.

Then Awo Omo Abaguiña spoke with Awo Orun Omo Agba Ori Omo Oshe Lowo, asking him not to bring down the children of Olofin any longer, but Oshe Lowo told him he would go see Awo Arufin to persuade him. When Oshe Lowo went to see him, the same thing happened to him as to Iwori Bofun, for he had a great dispute with Awo Arufin Omo Okana Yeku.

So Awo Orun Omo Agba Ori turned back and began once again bringing down the Omo Olofin Ifá Ade Ejiogbe and taking them to Awo Abaguiña, but the dispute was so great that the consecrations were incomplete, for Awo Arufin would not let those being consecrated reach the land of Olokun, and because of this many calamities began to befall all the children of Olofin.

Shangó, who saw what was happening, was furious and began to fill the earth with gbogbo Egguns. What Awo Abaguiña and Awo Orun were bringing down and consecrating were Egguns, who were as if they were people, and when they arrived at the house of Awo Arufin they could not enter, and Awo Arufin waged war on Awo Abaguiña Omo Iwory Bofun and on Awo Orun Ome Oshe Lowo.

Oshún, who had come to see how her son Awo Orun was faring, found that war underway and began pleading with Olofin. She set out on the road to see him, singing as she went:

“Oshún Ebawa Osha Olofin Jekua. Omo Abani Lese Olofin Ololofin. Eni Omolodun Awo Ashe Otunde.”

On the road, Oshún met Oshanlá, who told her: «take that thing lying over there,» which turned out to be an agboran omo Ikú, so that Olofin could see what was happening on Earth. When they arrived before Olofin, they offered him Moforibale and showed him the agboran omo Ikú, and he understood what was going on. Then Olofin called his son Awo Aketa Nilorun, who was Omo Oyekun Nilogbe, and told him: «go to the Land of Otakua Mobilaye together with Oshanlá and Oshún and bring me Awo Abaguiña, Awo Arufin Ota Ikú and Awo Orun Omo Agba Orí, so that the dispute may end.»

When Oshanlá and Oyekun Nilogbe arrived in the Land of Otakua Mobilaye, no one understood why Shangó was attacking the people. Oshanlá took asho fun fun and opolopo orí and poured it over Shangó while singing to him:

«Ero Ero Kalile Ori Bawa Shangó Kalile Were Were Onito Were Shangó Obatakua Ero Ero Kalile Orí Orí Bawa Shangó Mobilaye Ona Takua Kalile».

Shangó calmed down, offered Moforibale to Oshanlá, and told her: «I am going to help you.» Then they went in search of Iwori Bofun, Oshe Lowo and Okana Yeku and brought them to the three roads of Olofin. When they arrived, they offered Moforibale to Olofin, and he told them: «all of you have the right to stand at my side, because each of you has helped save the Omo Olfin Ifá Ade Ejiogbe, and you will keep doing so because I so command; but each of you will have his power, his rank and his purpose.» He asked the three of them to kneel to receive the right.

OSHE LOWO

“You will be the one who continues bringing all my children down to earth, and you will confirm everything they do, and I will confirm everything you do, for you will be the only one who knows the secret road from heaven to earth and from earth to heaven.”

This is the path of the great dispute between Iwori Bofun, Oshe Lowo and Okana Yeku over being close to Olofin, for they were the only ones who knew how the children of Olofin would come down to earth without being lost. This Ifá is a great secret of the beginning of the atefa and of the defense of life through ebbo.

The three signs are written in the igba, the malaguidi is placed there and set to eat from the akuko together with Olokun, and eye is given to the ebbo; the leri of the akuko umbeboro. The akuko is taken to ilé onika; the eyele are for the leri and eat the ebbo together with the leri; the leri of the eyeles umbeboro.

The malaguidi is commissioned from igi of moruro and is loaded with eru, obi kola, osun, gbogbo igi, eku, eya, awado, gbogbo ewe and iyefa from the ebbo; afterwards this malaguidi lives beside the Ifá of the awo.

Iwori Bofun

“You will be the one who washes them of all their burdens and covers them to consecrate them in life. Without you nothing can be consecrated in life, for you are the one who cleanses and makes life be born anew, and I give you my Ashe always.”

OKANA YEKU

“You will be the one who grants authority over everything good or bad that my children do on earth, as the owner that you are of justice and of wickedness. You will always have to be present in everything, and I give you my Ashe, and before beginning a consecration they will have to come see me in Onika, where you will live together with Olokun Omo Alagba.” Then he went on: “but from today onward you will have a guide, who will be my son Aketa Ilorun, who is:…”

OMO OYEKUN NILOGBE

He is the one who will test the road so that Oshe Lowo can bring my children down safely and deliver them to you. That is why all of them will walk behind him, with the Ashe handed to him by my son Oshe Tura. All were satisfied with this, and that is why, every time a child of Olofin comes down to earth:

HE IS GUIDED BY: Oyekun Nilogbe.

HE IS BROUGHT DOWN BY: Oshe Lowo.

HE IS BAPTIZED BY: Iwori Bofun.

HE IS CONFIRMED BY: Okana Yekun.

“For these were the ones who saved the children of Omo Olofin Ifá Ade Ejiogbe, so that they could come to earth. That is why the sign written before the one who is coming down is Oshe Tura, and behind the one coming down is written Oyekun Nilogbe, and behind that Iwori Bofun, Okana Yeku and Oshe Paure, which is Oshe Lowo, so that everything may come to pass in the world Ebofi Ebo Ada.”

Then the children of Olofin began to come down to earth once again, and when his labor was done, Oshe Lowo began to sing:

“Ebo Fi Ni Oshe. Ebo Ada Nifa Moforaye”.

And so the children of Olofin had a way to defend themselves on earth from all their enemies, and the defense of the lives of the children of Çolofin was born.

Who is called Rosary?

Orula found himself forced to flee the town because of his many enemies, who wanted to kill him. In his haste, however, he forgot to take his okpele. To throw off his pursuers, Orula decided to take refuge in a church. While he was there, he looked closely at the rosary the Virgin held in her hands and realized that it was an Ifá. Oggún advised him to pray to his mother, and the awo wondered how he could pray to his mother if she was still alive, which made little sense. But Oggún explained that his mother was the Virgin of the Rosary, and that is how Orula managed to save himself, thanks to the intervention of Oggún and the Virgin of the Rosary.

After the ebbo is finished, the person is cleansed with the two eyeles, which are then given to Oggún. Through this Ifá one must keep an okpele made of rosary.

The shroud of the egguns

1ST EBBO: Eure meyi, adie meyi, eyele meyi, asho fun fun, remaining ingredients, derecho (ritual fee): 6.80 pesos.

2ND EBBO: Eyele medilogun, 101 igbin igba, 101 akara, remaining ingredients, 101.20 pesos.

Oduduwa oshaogo was the leader of the abados, and he presented himself with a dagame mask, a saber and a silver chain. He never wanted his relationship with the dead to be known. He went to see Orunla, who performed osode for him and saw that he needed to make ebbo in order to establish himself on earth and hide his eggun beneath his shroud.

Oduduwa prospered enormously, gathering riches in gold and ivory. One day he asked Orunla how he could have many followers under his command, and Orunla advised him to perform the second ebbo of his sign, which would be the emblem of his baba tobi Olofin on earth.

Following Orunla’s advice, Oduduwa made the ebbo, and to his house began to come all the barren women, the men who sought wisdom, the pregnant women who could not give birth, and those who suffered from illness. They came to Oduduwa’s house to receive his secret, and he always healed them. Thus he had many followers and was content. In this oddun originate the shroud of Eggun and the worship of Oduduwa.

The path of the fisherman

There was once a fisherman who did well at his trade, but was very much a loner among his companions. This fisherman always made offerings to Yemayá. One day the fisherman married, and as time passed his wife became pregnant on several occasions, but her pregnancies never came to term, for she miscarried them. The poor man longed for his wife to be able to bear a child.

One day the fisherman decided to go to the house of Orunmila, who saw this Ifá for him and told him: «you have always made your petitions to Yemayá; now, to resolve your problem, first ask Yemayá for permission and then make the petition you desire, and you will see how she grants it.»

The man did so. He went to where Yemayá was and asked her permission. Then he said: «mother of mine, I wish to have a child, and I come to ask you to grant me one.» Yemayá told him: «very well, let us do one thing. I will grant you what you have asked of me, but the one thing that cannot be determined is whether it will be a girl or a boy. Olofín is the one who can determine that. If it is a boy, he must be an awo of Orunmila, and if it is a girl, when she comes of age she must marry a son of mine.»

The fisherman accepted what Yemayá had proposed, and he developed a great grudge against Orunmila, coming to think and to say that Orunmila knew nothing and had had to send him to Yemayá’s house. Yemayá had also told the fisherman to give her a tolo-tolo, then to open it well and boil it with omi from ile ibú, and for seven days his wife was to drink it as if it were ordinary water.

The fisherman performed the work, and before long his wife became pregnant again. They went to Yemayá’s house, knelt before her giving thanks, and Yemayá told them: «remember the pact we have.» Nine months later a beautiful girl was born, and by then Yemayá already had an omo in Orunmila’s house who had turned seven years old and had received the ceremony of Ifá.

When the girl turned three, she fell ill, and her mother, behind her husband’s back, took her to Orunmila’s house. He told the mother that the girl’s life had to be secured with idefa, and he also said: «your daughter is going to be very intelligent, and when she comes of age she will have to marry an awo.» Within a few days the girl recovered. Then the woman told her husband everything, and he answered heatedly: «I would rather see her dead than married to an awo.»

The girl grew up and became interested in the son of Yemayá. Her mother begged her husband to allow the relationship, but he flatly refused. One day the father went out fishing, taking his daughter with him, and he kept doing so with the deliberate intention of keeping her away from the young man.

One day the young woman fell from the boat, and the father threw himself into the water to save her, but he drowned. This brought a change in the family’s life. A short time later, the fisherman’s daughter married the awo of Orunla, who was a son of Yemayá.

The secret for placing the omofa in the batea

In the land of Abayen Ifá lived a great awo oba named Ori Ifá, who had a son. The mother called him Atolobayo, and he always lived inside an atebo (basin). She had wished to have a son in order to consecrate him before she died. One day she went out with Ori Ifá, the boy’s father, carrying an atebo and calling on Olofin, Ozain and Shangó in this way:

“Eweni Ateno Oni Waeni Aye Ni Shangó Ori Nifa Eweni Atebo Oniwa Aye.”

Suddenly Iworyi Bofun, who is the awo of Ifá, appeared with a basket full of ewe; he took the atebo from the couple and began to crush the ewe. At that moment Ozain and Shangó arrived to help and called on Olofin. At that moment Atolobayo, who was in eweloñun, gave birth. Then Shangó painted his hand with ofun, orí and epo, and everyone offered moyugba to Orunla in order to wash the head of the omofa who had just been born.

When they went to place the omofa in the atebo, an awo named Eri Aben Ifá Ewe arrived, who rubbed his secret onto his hands, and they began to wash the head of the omofa together with Shangó, Ozain and Orunla. But before that, when they had all rubbed orí, efun and epo on their hands, they sang:

“Oribawa Atebo Ori Nifa Lawewe, Orunla Laye Orun”.

Then they feinted three times with the left foot and said:

“Shanguesi Mayeri Awo”.

They placed the omofa in the atebo and bathed him, singing:

“Awebo Aweto Onire Lawewewe.”

They presented themselves before Olofin, and when they took him out of the atebo, they sang:

“Onire Loyekun Awo Ori Lode”.

When this omofa was born, Awo Ori Ifá took an akuko and gave it to Eggun, placing that akuko inside a joro joro. He took the leri, which were malu asada, asho fun fun and dun dun, and tied it to the left leg of an osiadie shashara. Then he sprinkled it with otí, set down Iwori Bofun and performed oparaldo on him, singing:

“Teni Ori Baba Akuaniyoni Layeo.”

He buried everything in the same joro joro where he had buried the akuko. When the omofa was six or seven years old and they went to swear him in, the mother of Atolobayo and Ori Ifá went to see Shangó. He told them that before making Ifá for the boy, they had to perform an ebbo, but that he could not be present.

Here was born the great secret for placing the Omofa in the basin, along with what the awo must say and rub on his hands. Ceremony of the bath of Ifá.

Ori Ifá did everything Shangó commanded, and when he arrived there

The awo brought a little water from the river and prepared omiero to consecrate the son. He washed all the adeleses and gave them two black hens together with the ilekan, and also added a red hen. On Friday he gave him omiero and performed sarayeye on him, calling on Olofin in this way:

“Eyele Nileo Atebo Ni Ifá Ni Shangó”.

Then they removed the head and neck of the hens and cooked them. The iñales of the omofa were cooked with them, and the resulting broth was drunk and eaten. What was left over was wrapped in asho fun fun and cast into the river. The following Wednesday or Friday, the omofa came so that his oluo Ori Ifá could wash his head and give him omiero. A week later, the omofa returned, was given omiero again, and obori eleda was performed for him. He was summoned for the following week, and before it arrived, a red hen was given in the omiero together with his mother, Atolobaye, while they sang:

“Eyele Nileo Iya Babá Eye Ni Ifá.”

The mother tasted a little (if the mother is not living, the godfather tastes it), and the omofa drank a little dry wine with epo. During this process, which is called Lawewe, one says:

“Awo Bo Awo To Onire Lawewe”.

The godfather who performed this consecration was named Lawewe, and he lived in the land of Abayen Ifá. Every time a human being was born, he brought them before Ori Ifá so that he could wash everyone’s head. When Olofin was forming the world, he asked how Ori Ifá would be able to wash the head of everyone who made Ifá.

At that moment Shangó arrived and, seeing Olofin worried, asked him what was the matter. Olofin told him everything, and Shangó said he would bring him a Babalawo who was the best, and who lived in the land of Abayen Ifá. Olofin was pleased.

Shangó and Olofin set out on the road, carrying an akuko, a piece of roasted meat, asho fun fun and dun dun, and they sang:

«Ewe Nileo Malagua Olokun».

They arrived in the land of Abayen Ifá and saw Ori Ifá performing a ceremony for his son Lawewe. Olofin was pleased and gave foribale to Iwori Bofun together with Shangó, and told him: «You, awo Ori Ifá, are a model; you are one of the three great Babalawos who exist within the secrets of Ifá, and without you Ifá could not be made, nor without your secret.»

Olofin ordered that the akuko be given to Eggun and its head taken for Oparaldo. Olofin knelt together with Awo Ori Ifá with ateboleta to the right, and they set down Oyekun Meyi and placed the elder hand to the left, Iwori Bofun, and placed the little hand. The mother was given an adie and the little girl was given an eyele, and they sang:

«Adie Mafun Awo Ni Ifá» (while the adie is being given).

«Eyele Eye Nifa Mayekun Mawe Ifá Ni Oduduwa» (while the eyele is given).

The gallows

Maferefun Orunla

There was once a town plagued by violent robberies and murders, which left the authorities bewildered. Orunla, on one of his journeys, arrived in that town, but being a stranger he could not identify himself, and he was accused and condemned to death for a murder he had not committed.

When he was taken to the gallows, he asked that the blindfold be removed from his eyes, explaining that only traitors who fail to fulfill their mission in life die blindfolded. When the blindfold was removed, the executioner was astonished to see that Orunla was neither a murderer nor a thief, but someone who promoted goodness and charity. The executioner confessed that he himself was a murderer and that he could not kill someone as noble as Orunla.

The governor, upon hearing the executioner’s confession and seeing the clarity of Orunla’s innocence, spared his life and also pardoned the executioner for his conduct. In the end, «To Iban Eshu» was said in gratitude to the Orisha Eshu, who is believed to protect travelers.

The godfather is saved by his godchild.