Odi Bara

No one ever knew who the thief was

Shangó, feeling hungry, told Yemayá that he would find something to eat. He took a saddlebag and climbed onto Yemayá’s shoulders, and together they went to a plot of land belonging to Oggún, where Shangó stole yams — but the thief’s feet left their marks in the earth.

Oggún learned of the theft and sent for Shangó to put him to a test. However, it could not be proven that he was the thief. Later, Oggún met Yemayá and questioned her, to which she replied: «My hands did not touch that theft,» and no one ever knew who the real thief was.

Marriage was born

There was a time when men and women lived apart in different lands. When the men needed the women, they would go find them, use them, and then return to their homes. The men decided to wage war on the women.

Before beginning, the men visited Orunmila, and he told them they had to make an offering if they wanted to win the war against the women. The offering consisted of 6 jícaras (gourd bowls) of oñi, 6 of epo, 6 different animals, and owo la megua. The men refused, saying that to beat the women all they needed was to give them a slap. For that reason, they did not make the offering.

The women learned of the war the men intended to wage on them and prepared for it. They went to see Orunmila, who told them to make an offering of eure meyi, adie meyi, aicordie, and owo medilogun. They all made the offering, and when the men reached the wall of the women’s town, night had already fallen and it began to rain heavily. The rain soaked everything the men had brought for the war, and they could not use it.

The men grew so cold that they cried out for help to the women, who heard them and came out to their aid. In every house where a man stayed, a marriage was established. The next day, Olofin announced that for every man who had stayed in a woman’s house, that woman would be his wife. And so marriage came into being.

Your luck depends on giving Orunmila whatever he asks of you, and his apeterbi as well. A woman will come to your house with lottery tickets; do not turn her away — buy tickets from her. An egg is broken so that what is bad may turn white.

Here speaks the conscience of the person

Obatalá had three sons, but the eldest killed the youngest out of envy, for he was Obatalá’s favorite and was also rich and powerful. The eldest brother could not bear that his brother was richer and more powerful than he. The murder took place near a swamp and was witnessed by a moorhen. From that day on, whenever the eldest brother left his house, Olegsha (the moorhen) would flutter above him and then perch just out of his reach.

One day, Obatalá went out with his two remaining sons and noticed that Ologsha fluttered only over the head of his eldest son whenever he went out with them. This caught his attention. Obatalá asked his sons about his youngest son. The eldest said he knew nothing of him, while the second son, though he knew his elder brother had killed him, kept silent or evaded the question, which made Obatalá suffer.

One day, Obatalá saw his eldest son go out and watched how Ologsha fluttered over his head and then perched beyond his reach. He followed his son and saw him arrive at a swampy place, kneel down, and quietly beg his younger brother’s forgiveness for having killed him out of envy. Obatalá, who heard and saw everything, wept bitterly and said: «As long as the world is the world, the shadow of conscience will pursue murderers.»

Here speaks the conscience of the person, for whatever evil they have been or done in life.

The war between the adie and kuekueye

Kuekueye was very proud of being the favorite of the Oshas, for in those days there were more ducks than hens and they were therefore used more often, and their eggs were the main food. The hens felt slighted, because Kuekueye insulted them and boasted of his worth.

One day, the hens gathered to find a solution to this situation. They decided to go to Orunmila’s house, and he looked at them and divined what was happening to them through this Oddun. He instructed them to make an offering (ebbó). After the ebbó, the hens began to multiply rapidly, since they laid and hatched eggs every 21 days. The ducks, on the other hand, took 42 days to hatch eggs and could only do so two or four times a year. The hens laid and hatched eggs far more often throughout the year.

In time, there were more hens than ducks, and their eggs became more widely accepted throughout the world because of their more delicate flavor compared to duck eggs. Thus the hens took the place of the ducks both in food and in religious rites, and it was established that the hens would displace the ducks in these matters.

The pact between Ikú and Obatalá

Obatalá had a son named Alade and, angered by the incomprehension of human beings, he wanted to put an end to the world. He made a pact with Ikú to wipe out every living being. To summon Ikú, he sang: «baba Ikú Folona Afefe Ikú Afefe Lona Baba Ikú Folona».

When Ikú arrived and began to destroy everyone, Obatalá’s own children also fell victim to death. Then Obatalá repented of his decision. He went to see Orunmila, who made an offering (ebbó) for him and divined this Ifá: Ikú pursues you and your children, but to save yourself you must seek out iwereyeye, an herb that carries the virtue of Olofin, Shangó, and Oyá. This herb cleanses and protects from bad things. Orunmila performed an oparaldo for Obatalá and his children with three hens and the herb iwereyeye.

Afterwards, Obatalá hid his children among the iwereyeye plants, and Ikú could never reach him or his children. Obatalá sang: «iwereyeye Obori Baba Obatalá Takasho Mamelo Eni Kilo Lashe Olofin Oba Ewe Esalaye».

And so they were all saved thanks to the herb iwereyeye.

: iwereyeye stands in for any herb missing from a work. In this Ifá one must keep a necklace of peonies and have the plants in front of the door.

The path of the war of the peony

Iwereyeye was very proud, for everyone — including the Oshas — used her in omiero, in Ozain, and in the rites of the Orishas. Even Obatalá respected her. But one day a voice was heard saying: «If I am so accepted by the Oshas, and therefore so necessary, it is because of my beautiful, even black color.» That voice came from the black part of the peony. The red part of the peony heard this and replied: «That is a lie. If I am so sought after by the Oshas, even for making iroke, it is only because of my beautiful, brilliant color — not because of that dull black.»

They went on arguing like this for some time, and reaching a state of arrogance, without thinking of the consequences, they began to fight one another. At that moment, Shangó passed by and, seeing the quarrel, decided that the tiny, smooth seeds could be used to make his ashere sound better than anything else. For as they fought, and because of their warring nature, the seeds struck against one another inside the ashere.

Orishaoko, discoverer of Shangó at the mouth of the earth

This event marked the appearance of Shangó on earth, who was born of the breasts by the work and grace of Olofin and Olodumare. Olofin said: «This is my son,» and gave him to Santa Rita de la Acasia (abañere Orisha) to raise. Olofin paid her for the costs of raising his son. The boy grew, and his father Olofin shared all his secrets with him, for he wanted to have a son here on earth.

Olofin visited Shangó every six months. When Shangó became an adult, he went away, and Olofin was in despair at not having his son near. So Olofin went to Orunmila’s house to seek help. Orunmila, upon examining him, divined this Ifá and prescribed the ebbó (the one above). After it was done, he told him to place it in a joro joro and then spread the word that a prize or a virtue would be granted to whoever found his son, who knew all the secrets of his life.

While Orishaoko tilled his lands with his plow, he sang: «infunso Nisere Yombao Niserere». Suddenly, a voice answered from the depths of the earth — and that voice was Shangó’s. Orishaoko dug deeper with his plow and, all at once, a stone appeared on the surface of the earth. In an instant, the stone transformed into a man, and that man was Shangó.

Immediately, the man turned back into a stone, which Orishaoko picked up and kept in his pocket. When he arrived at Olofin’s house, he told him the story of his find. Olofin replied: «That is the man I need, the only one in the world who knows my secret.» For this, Olofin blessed Orishaoko and told him: «From this day forward, you shall be king of the earth forever.» Orishaoko became Shangó’s second closest friend, after Olofin. For this reason, it is said that whoever wants to build a house and has trouble finding Orishaoko should paint a roof tile white and red to mark their home.

Santa Rita de Acasia, elder Orisha sister of Shangó, who raised him.