Obara Sa

The daughter of Obatalá

Obatalá had a very beautiful daughter who was courted by many men from different tribes. Because these suitors often gathered at Obatalá’s house, conflicts arose among them.

Faced with this situation, Obatalá decided to feign his daughter’s death in order to decide which of the suitors would be the best for her. Obatalá’s daughter accepted her father’s idea, and he proceeded to stage her funeral with the help of Elegbá.

News of the death spread, and the suitors came to offer Obatalá their condolences. Most of them brought gifts for Obatalá’s daughter, but on learning of her death, they took them back. Only one of the suitors, a man who was carrying flowers for Obatalá’s daughter, chose to lay them on her chest as a sign of respect.

Obatalá, seeing the man’s gesture, judged him the right husband for his daughter and told him that she was not dead but alive, and that he would be her husband. And so that man, through his modesty and good heart, became the husband of Obatalá’s daughter. To Iban Eshu.

When this Ifá comes osorbo, an oparaldo must be performed.

Aggayú the king

Shangó was spreading the religion of Osha through every town, but he always came up against one land that was covered in thunder and fumes and trembled without cease. He wished to enter this land to preach the religion, so he visited Orunla, who advised him to make an ebbó on the bank of the river. Shangó followed Orunla’s instructions, and when he arrived he met Elegbá. After they greeted each other, Elegbá told him that in the valley beyond there was a town whose people were distracted and whose king kept himself hidden, allowing no one to see him.

Shangó could not believe that a town could have an unknown king, so he decided to seek him out. Elegbá informed him that the king cooled himself in the river every afternoon and that Oshún waited for him there and knew where he lived.

As evening fell, Shangó reached the river and heard a great noise while he watched a woman running along the far bank. Soon a very large man arrived and plunged into the water to free himself of the smoke that covered him, while the woman cooled him by pouring water over his head. Shangó, who was watching everything, began to shout to draw their attention, and when they noticed him, they asked him what he wanted. Shangó answered that he wished to cross the river.

Aggayú, who was the king, took a palm and used it as a staff to carry Shangó across the river. After crossing it, they introduced themselves and asked Shangó again what he wanted. He answered that he wished to see the town. Shangó went to the town and observed that its people lacked all restraint, while Aggayú avoided going near them. When he asked him why they behaved that way, Aggayú replied: «Come to my house and you will know,» and it was then that Shangó discovered that Aggayú lived in the volcano.

Aggayú was astonished to see Shangó walking over the lava without burning himself and asked him how it was possible. Shangó answered that he was the only son of Iyamese and that he wished to help his people, for he had noticed that some could speak with Aggayú directly, while others lost their minds when they came near him.

Then Aggayú, Shangó, and Eshu made a pact: Shangó and Oshún would have the same right as Aggayú to seat the head of Aggayú’s children, whenever those children could not speak with him directly.

To seal the pact, Aggayú served Shangó akuko, meyi, etu, and eyele, and painted on his head, beneath his crown, a red line, a white line, and a red line. Then Shangó served Aggayú etu, akuardo, oka, olele, ekru, and aro.

So that the whole world would know of the pact, when the volcano erupts, first comes the fire, which represents Shangó, and then the lava, which represents Aggayú.

Treatise of Aggayú given directly

The first thing to be done is to be certain that the Eleda of that Owo permits it to be done directly, and if it says yes, the procedure begins. Three otás are sought: one from the river, one of mineral stone, and one from the middle of the wilderness; to each of the places where the otás are to be gathered, the corresponding derechos (ritual fees) are brought.

To the river: oshinshin, 5 half-coins, otí. Where the mineral otá is to be gathered, one brings: 25 grains of corn and a bit of sweets. To the wilderness one brings a small güiro into which are poured otí, oñí (honey), awado, and 1 piece of hard coal that has caught fire. In all these places, Eggun and the Santo who rules that place must be called, and afterwards Aggayú. Then the otás are gathered together and taken to the mouth of the river where it meets the sea, when the tide is low, and there an eyele is given to them with all its ingredients: awado, oñí, iyo, efun, ori, bogbo tenuyen. Then all of that is placed in a joro in the mud of that same shore, leaving the 3 otás outside; these go to the house of the godfather or godmother. There, another eyele is given to the 3 otás together with the Aggayú of the person who is going to perform it, leaving it there three days; the pigeon goes to the joro at the seashore. Afterwards all the ceremonies are carried out; then one waits until 5 days remain before the asiento, and the final ceremony begins, which consists of the following:

The neophyte must prepare the following ingredients: a rooster, akara, olele, ekru, balls of boiled plantain, dry wine, awado, oñí, 9 itenas, a bottle of water, a whole dry coconut — which will be smashed against the ground once the ceremony or work is finished — and, separately, 5 pieces of coconut must be brought to give coco. The person must go to that place alone. The godfather goes to the place of the work with the neophyte before performing it, to show him the place and the way.

Afterwards, the officiant goes first to wait there at the place for the neophyte, who must go alone to the place carrying the load mentioned. Once at the place, the officiant opens a joro joro in a circular shape, large enough to hold the ingredients, and the neophyte gathers some dry sticks (somewhat thin) from the surroundings, with which the officiant lights a fire inside the joro joro. To this ceremony must be brought the godfather’s Aggayú, Shangó, and the neophyte’s three otás. Aggayú is placed on one side of the joro joro, Shangó on the other side, and the neophyte’s three otás at the spot where he is to stand. This must be done facing a palm tree, but the neophyte stands with his back to the joro joro; beside him, on the right side, the rooster; on the left side, the coconut — both of these on the ground.

Coco is then given with its corresponding moyugba; once this is done, the cleansing with the rooster proceeds; then eyebale is given while singing this suyere: (first) «Ayere Yere Ikú Meni» and the response is Aina jua: feeding Shangó, Aggayú, and Aina. Afterwards the rooster is cast into the fire, the neophyte’s clothing is torn and cast into the fire, and then the nine candles are set around the joro in 9 small candleholders made from plantain stalk. The neophyte is dressed in other clothing he has brought clean, leaving the place without looking back.

This work must always be done at a palm tree near a river, because on leaving the place of the work one must go to the river to wash one’s hands. There too, the neophyte’s three otás with their tools are placed in a tin, and with it water is drawn from the river; it is then carried to the place where the Santo is to be made. The Oluo performs the ebbó of entry for him and lights it for Orisha alone. When food is to be given to the dead, a pot like the one used for Oro Aggayú, with 9 marks, is set out, and eyerbale of eyele is given to Oggún and Aina while singing this suyere: «Guere Guere Imayo Ikuyere«. The same is sung in response. In this ceremony of Oggún, the candleholders of plantain stalk are also set out. The Ozain of Aggayú’s head is painted in the colors of the rainbow, and only the right half of the head is shaved; the oriate must perform a rogación with a filila on his own leri, on that of the godmother, and on the oyugona, so as not to have problems in his life. In addition, Aggayú carries in the parada 9 kerchiefs of different colors, and early on the day of itá the other half of the head is shaved and Aggayú is placed on the head once again.

The ologbo and the fish

The ologbo stole the fish and was eating it; just then they questioned him, he swallowed it whole, choked on it, and fell ill of the throat.