Iwori Otura

The war of Shangó

Shangó accepted the challenge of facing a strong and powerful enemy who dwelt on the plain. From the top of a hill he watched the enemy’s movements and hurled a sling with a stone tied to it, striking him in the head, knocking him down and killing him. To make sure he was dead, he came down from the hill and cut off his head with his sword.

2.- THE SOWING OF THE EWE AYO.

In this story, Olofin divided the lands among his children so that they would govern them, cultivate them, and live on them. All the Santos, except Shangó, planted whatever they wished on their lands. Before sowing what belonged to him, Shangó visited Orunla, who performed osode for him and advised him to plant ewe ayo. So Shangó prepared the land and sowed it entirely with ewe ayo. He lived with Oyá on his great estate, and their livelihood depended on what the land gave them.

A year later, when all the Santos went to gather their harvests, they discovered that theirs had borne no fruit. Upon learning that Shangó’s lands were flourishing and full of life, they went to complain before Olofin.

Olofin, on learning the reason for their visit, said to them: «Each of you planted whatever you wished on your lands, but Shangó was the only one who consulted Orunla before sowing and followed all his recommendations. Because he was obedient, he now has a great harvest. Learn from his example and consult the wise before making important decisions.»

3.- THE WEALTH OF Olokun.

When Olofin decided to create children in the world, Olokun sent his daughter Agye, who was very ugly, into the world with all the riches, and delivered them to men. They carried her on their shoulders and forgot about Olokun and his daughter Agye. Olokun, greatly angered, came looking for all the men who lived at the seashore; that is why the waves can announce wealth, or death and destruction.

Orunla was very poor, and Elegbá went to visit him; afterward the two went to a place and saw the riches of Olokun. Orunla wanted to take the most beautiful ones, and Elegbá told him to choose, but to take nothing. When Agye passed by, Orunla chose her, and Elegbá said to Orunla: «you have ruined me.» Then all the riches returned to the sea, and Orunla became very poor again and had no strong children.

Meanwhile, Elegbá left Orunla and went to the house of Olokun. When he arrived, Olokun asked him why he had returned and where his daughter was, since they had gone into the world with her. Elegbá told Olokun that his daughter was in Orunla’s house, and from that moment Orunla became rich, and thanks to Olokun he was able to have strong children.

4.- Eshu GOGORO AND THE SON OF Oyá AND Obatalá.

Elegbá EBBO: Akuko meta, ota meta, igui ewe meta, atiponla, ologo tuye, ewe cardon, jío jío, eyele okan, gbogbo ileke, jun jun meta, eran malu, eku, eya, epo, awado, opolopo owo.

If there are problems of onilu, neither otí nor oñí is added; on this path, at least 2 hours before performing the ebbo, Elegbá, Oggún, Oshosi, and Shangó are set out, and the 3 akuko are given to them directly, and the leri go inside the ebbo. After it is finished, the three otas are placed, one for each of them, with eran malu, and iyefa is sprinkled on them; one is placed at each corner and the other at the door of the house, and powdered woods are sprinkled over it.

In the land of Ieni Aye there was a Babalawo who was the son of Oyá and Ayaguna, but he left home very young because he was afraid of Obatalá and Oyá. He moved to the land of Aye Bawa, where Eshu Elegbá Gogoro lived, but he went to eat at the street corner every day. Awo Omo Iwori Tunilara, who saw Eshu Gogoro, began to sing to him with a small bell:

«Eshu Gogoro, lord of the land, son of Ifá, the great elder, son of Ifá Iwori Tunilara, son of Elegbá, father of the world, son of life.»

He knelt before Elegbá, and Elegbá cleansed him with herbs and a chicken, took him to the other corner, cleansed him with herbs and a dove, and said to him: «I will help you, but look, I have a sack of sticks of different kinds of wood, a sack of sacred stones, and a sack of beads so that you can set up a market here and the people may come to know you. But you must place your seal on the ground and divine for everyone, and I will make everything you say come true.»

Awo Ifá Ori Aye Iwori Tunilara embraced Eshu Gogoro, and he gave him his blessing and said:

«Ashe Berekun Aye Oyá, Ashe Berekun Maye Ayaguna, Ashe Berekun Aye Ori Laye, Eni Ifá Orunla, Ashe Berekun Aye, Orun Male Olofin Ashe Berekun Aye Abbun».

Elegbá gave him his blessing so that he would have all the powers, and handed over all the things to him, but Elegbá had not eaten roosters in a long time. Iwori Tunilara fell asleep and dreamed that the first person to come would be asked for 3 roosters to give to Elegbá, who had not eaten them in a long time; and a woman and a man appeared looking for their son, and he said to them: «You are searching for something you have given up for lost, but you have three roosters in your house, one black, one red, and one white. You must bring them in order to do something.»

They left, and Eshu Gogoro rejoiced and said:

«Ashebo, Asheto Onire Agba Ashegun Ota».

«Oyá and Obatalá set out; Iwori Tunilara said: ‘they look like my parents’, and the next day Oyá and Obatalá appeared with the three roosters. Iwori Tunilara Ori Aye said: ‘wait here’, and went to Eshu Gogoro, who was asleep, and fed him the three roosters. He told him: ‘give them the three pieces of eran malu, and when they leave here, have them cast one away on the road, and two at two street corners’. But Obatalá and Oyá placed it at the door of the house and sang:

‘Ifá Niwa Mayekunye, Orí Aye Orí Ni Ifá Ori Bawa’.

Elegbá, who was hidden, answered them: ‘Oma Laye Ni Oma Laye Eni Ifá Laye Unyen Eni Elegbá Ni Laye Unyen Ni Ifá’. Obatalá and Oyá heard a voice they could not place and said: ‘that voice comes from behind and says that we should turn back, that within seven days we will find our son, but that we must go to that diviner Iwori Tunilara Ori Aye Elegbá’.

Eshu Gogoro turned back and embraced Ifá Ori Aye and said to him: ‘son, you now have the whole town attending to the aleyos, but you have found your parents, who came here, and they will come to visit you often’. Oyá and Ayaguna set out for the land of Aye Bawa to see Iwori Tunilara Ifá Ori Aye and Eshu Gogoro, whom they had seen along the way. Oyá with her bells and Ayaguna with his carried two water jars and called out:

‘Oma Ni Layeo. Omo Ifá Ori Aye. Ni Elegbá Ni Eyewara Onire. Elegbá Omo Oma Omo Orí Aye. Ayokun Aye Ashegun Ota Elegbá.’

Until they arrived in the land, well dressed and handsome. Iwori Tunilara Ori Aye put on his cap covered with cowries, with his necklace above it — Elegbá black and white, black and red — he put it on; they arrived and saw the crowd waiting for him to attend to them. Eshu Gogoro, who is also your father as we are, is the one who has made you a great Babalawo and given you a great dominion.

Eshu Gogoro, Oyá, and Ayaguna blessed him and held a great celebration for him at his house. Obatalá, with the permission of Eshu Gogoro, said to him: ‘we are going to give you a secret, because you have many enemies’. Oyá took a royal poinciana pod, removed its seeds and filled it with maravilla seeds, and Obatalá took out the salt and gave it to him to toast. Elegbá took out the ash, poured it into a small güiro and marked it with his sign. They sent him to blow it far from the house and to bring back earth to make ebbo

Eku is given to the leri at the riverbank, and it is washed with the Oshe. The apasote plants are buried at the foot of a tomb. The akuko: one for Olokun and the other for Elegbá. Olokun must be received so that he grants the gift of having strong children. There is an ugly woman whom everyone despises; she will be the one who brings you your good fortune.

On this path one must gather atiponla ewe, olobetuye, and ewe cardon. Make a bundle and go to each corner where the person lives, the chicken on the right and the eyele on the left, and speak with Elegbá, Obatalá Ayaguna, and Oyá. Perform oparaldo, and the next day gather the herbs and the earth to make ebbo, with otí and oñí.

The hollow tree

In a hollow tree lived different insects that took refuge there to protect themselves from bad weather and from other animals that regarded them as enemies. They lived side by side, each with its own ways and its own kind. One day, larger animals appeared that fed on these insects and began to dig into the hollow tree to eat them.

The insects could not come to an agreement on how to defend themselves from the approaching danger, and did not know how to protect themselves. Instead, they decided to abandon the refuge that for so long had saved their lives. Each one chose its own path of escape.

Mosawere Awo, the capricious one

On this path lived Mosawere Awo, also known as Iwori Otura, who was troubled because all his paths were closed even though he always offered sacrifices to all the Santos, especially to Oyá and Obatalá. One day he rose early, stood at his door, and sang a suyere to Oyá, asking for her help.

Suddenly a great wind rose, and Mosawere Awo was frightened and ran off. But then he heard a voice telling him that the wind had been raised by Oyá, whom he had just called. Oyá told him to take two doves and bring them to Obatalá, who would tell him what he had to do to solve his problems.

So Mosawere Awo took the two eyele and set off along the road, where he met Obatalá and handed him the doves. Obatalá told him that he knew he would come to see him, and that he had to put an end to his willfulness, for all his paths were closed and an illness was entering his body.

Then Mosawere Awo went to Obatalá’s house and handed the doves to Shilekun Ilé, while they sang «Shilekun Kelefun Eni Letu». Obatalá gave him the necessary instructions so that he could solve his problems and move forward.

They entered Obatalá’s ilé, and Obatalá said to Mosawere Awo: «Listen well to what I am going to tell you. The only one who can save you from the illness that is coming is Ozain, with whom you must make a pact so that he gives you strength; for if you do not, not only will you fail to escape your problems, but your virility will also weaken until you can no longer use it.»

On hearing this, Mosawere Awo was somewhat displeased, but said nothing to Obatalá. He returned to the land of Ñaña Tori and paid no heed to Obatalá, because his willfulness was leading him to ruin. As time passed, Mosawere Awo felt worse and worse, and his affairs grew more and more tangled. One day he rose early, performed osode on himself, and saw his own sign, which told him that his temperament and willfulness were destroying him, and that he had to make ebbo and go out in search of Ozain to see if he could still be saved.

He went out in search of Ozain, and as he walked he sang this suyere:

«Obanile Lelele Intori Arun, Mosawere Awo Obanile Ozain».

Ozain, who was hidden behind an aragba tree, said: «Here comes the one who did not respect the words of Obatalá; let me see what he wants.» Ozain came out and said to Mosawere Awo: «I know that you are sick and that all your paths are closed through lack of respect for Obatalá and Oyá, but I am going to give you one last chance. You must swear to me that you will abandon your willfulness and listen to your elders when they speak to you. I must perform a great ceremony for you at the foot of my fundamentos so that you gain strength, all your paths open, and you live like all the other awoses.»

Mosawere Awo asked forgiveness and said: «Never again will I part from Ozain, and I will always listen to my elders.» Ozain consecrated him in his secrets, and from that moment on, Mosawere Awo began to feel better and his problems began to resolve themselves.