Ofun Iroso

Olofin cannot be received without having Oduduwa

In the land of Osha Gere, all the Babalawos worshipped Olofin, for in that land they did not know Odduwa, and he felt sad because no one gave him anything and no one ever called on him for anything.

Odduwa was angry and sent Shangó to bring great fire upon that land, which caused mistrust and quarrels among the people. Everyone prayed to Olofin for peace, but each day they understood one another less, and the families divided, losing their children in the process.

Yemayá was deeply worried about what was happening, so she went to the house of Awo Erun Opon Ofun Olosun, who was like Odduwa, to see how she could help save that land. With her was Elewa, and together they sang: «Yemayá Omokuye, Iré Omóde, Onalaye Osha Gere Nifa, Odduwa Onire, Omo De Olofin».

When they arrived at Awo Erun’s house, he was feeding his Ifá together with his Baba Tobi Odduwa, and he was putting plenty of Osun Naburu on the Adele and on the Adie. There they met Odduwa, and they found him so beautiful that they bowed and gave him moforibale.

Shangó was beside Awo Erun Opon, and Odduwa was with Akarina with sulfur on the Leri, and they fed him akuko together with Odduwa. Elegbá wanted them to be sworn into that beautiful secret, so they swore Elewa into the secrets of Odduwa. Awo Opon told them: «You only worship Olofin, but you do not know that to reach him you must first see Odduwa, who is the power of Olofin. He placed Osha Gere on earth to govern everyone — aleyo, Awoses, and Iworos alike — and it is through him that all are saved.»

Then Elegbá and Yemayá brought all the aleyo and Awoses to that land so that Shangó and Awo Erun could consecrate them in the secrets of Odduwa, and they received the power.

Olofin was pleased, because he saw that the families were coming together again. The ina that Shangó had been sending was diminishing, and the land was recovering. But there were many awores who held the secrets of Olofin yet did not know the power of Odduwa. Every time they worked, their affairs did not turn out well. It was then that Shangó and Awo Erun Opon said that, in order for them to set their affairs right and hold the secrets of Odduwa, a ceremony had to be performed.

They took an Adie Fun Fun and placed it on the leri of Awo Omo Odun, but they painted its right eye with Efun and its left eye with Osun Naburu. They gave Eyebale to the leri together with Ifá and sang: «Eye Orí Kanwa Odduwa, Etiwa Orí Iré Agba, Adie Olofin».

Then the secrets of Odduwa and Olofin were handed to them, and they were consecrated in the world as Awo Alowabana, recognized as the children of Oddun and Odduwa. All the powers of Osha Gere shall walk with them, to help them live on earth with safety and steadfastness.

However, so that it would always be remembered that it was Shangó and Elegbá who brought this power, whenever they feed Ifá they must first put plenty of Osun Naburu on top of the Adele, so that they know Shangó comes first for them in this land. In this way, the ina will not harm them.

Here, when Orunmila eats, Osun is put on the adele. The adie of Orunmila are given to the awo, eyerbale to his leri. In this oddun the adie are painted with a line of efun over the right eye and with Osun over the left.

The four friends

There were four friends who farmed a small plot of land and decided to sow corn. They worked hard, but what grew was maloja. They tried sowing again, but got the same result.

One of the friends, who had many children, turned to Olofin and to all the saints to ask for help in making the land bear fruit. Elegbá approached and asked him what was wrong. The man told him what had happened, and Elegbá took him to Orula.

Orula advised him to sow pumpkin and gave him the seeds. The man told his friends what had happened and what Orula had advised, but they paid him no mind. In anger, the man threw away Orula’s seeds.

Soon, a beautiful pumpkin patch grew. Oshún passed by and was amazed. She asked whether they were for sale, but they said no. Oshún asked what they wanted for them, and they said a grace so that the land would produce corn. Oshún told them it was easy — they simply did not know how to sow it — and she taught them.

Shangó also passed by and asked whether the pumpkins were for sale. The friends said they wanted corn, but Shangó told them that land yielded yam, and they sowed it just as they had the corn. San Lázaro asked the same and advised them to sow beans. They did, and everything grew in abundance.

Finally, Oyá arrived and asked about the pumpkins. She advised them to plant trees, and they did. Everything grew in abundance thanks to the help of the Santos and Orishas.

A young rooster for Elegbá and two adie for Oyá. Cleanse oneself with them and take them to Oyá’s house, but leaving them on the outside.

Shofe the diviner

Shofe, the ewi’s diviner, walked along the road while the diviner Ofa divined for the ewi, and he observed everything he did. The ewi decided to call another diviner to assist him, but Shofe thought he would have to leave if that happened, so he informed the ewi that the diviner required a sacrifice. The ewi sent for the diviner, and they took him prisoner to be judged.

Later, Shofe told the ewi that people were inviting him to their homes in order to kill him. Then Shofe informed the ewi that the diviner who attended him was conspiring against him and was having relations with one of his wives. To prove his innocence, Shofe asked that all the ewi’s wives bring their bags of clothing, and the ewi’s cloth was found in one of them. The ewi’s servants bound and buried Shofe to be used in the very sacrifice he himself had prescribed. However, the diviner Ofa helped him escape and told him never to return. He then killed a goat and buried it in his place.

Some time later, the ewi discovered that Shofe was still alive and asked his new diviner what had happened. The new diviner replied that he had killed him, but that perhaps he possessed powers to return from death. Shofe thanked the ewi for not allowing him to be sacrificed, and he sang a song as he walked along the road.

Ifá SAYS: Someone is not acting rightly and must be careful. The person who deals with you in Ifá is living with your wife. The sick person’s wife is deceiving him with the diviner. For the sacrifice, a she-goat, 4,400 shells, and the cloth from their body are used.

Ifá SAYS: Someone will be called to the outskirts of the city to prepare medicine. When casting Ifá, he must be careful lest it find him at the place he is going. An evil spirit sent by the enemies of the sick person for whom he is going to cast Ifá to make the medicine. He must perform a sacrifice with 2,600 shells. Ewi is the title of the king of Ado Ekiti, a city fifty miles from Ifá, while Ofa lies at the same distance to the north. As this verse explains, it is taboo for the diviner or sorcerer to commit adultery with his client’s wife, for this causes the work, the ebbo, and the medicine he prepares for that client to have no effect.

The one who falsified Ifá’s message to protect himself

This Ifá indicates that there is a man in a relationship with a woman whom he does not treat with respect, and he is in love with his neighbor. He constantly courts this neighbor without realizing that she is stronger than he is, and that her influence will lead him to destruction, and to the destruction of his home. This situation points to a fault toward Oshún, so offerings must be made to this Orisha. The woman in question could be a daughter of Shangó or of Oyá.

Ifá also advises not to be insistent with friends and family, and to be careful about the people allowed into one’s home. Care must be taken with fire and flammable liquids.

This Ifá is made in honor of Orunmila and Orisha Oko.

The fire and the cotton

The fire envied the cotton and bore it ill will for how white it was and how much Obatalá loved it, on account of the services it rendered him. Obatalá, seeing what was happening, ordered the fire to withdraw a little, but the fire took advantage of the wind. Then Obatalá saw this and ordered the wind to change direction, and the fire thought of circling around. But then Obatalá sent the cotton to the house of Orunmila, who prescribed it an ebó with omi. And the fire went out, and the ebbo defeated its enemy.

The virgin of the rosary

This speaks of memory loss and the wearing down of neurons. This Ifá speaks of Orunmila’s mother, the virgin of the rosary. The awo of this sign must place rosary beads on his opkuele. Here it also speaks of epilepsy due to a development of the cerebral hemispheres.

This is a story of Orunmila, who lived with his wife, Yanya Yekun Lona, while his father, Orun Yekun Lona, lived in other lands. Before departing, the father left an inshe beneath his son’s bed so that they could communicate, and he entrusted his wife with the task of overseeing the study of the religious secrets he had left for their son.

The boy helped his mother during the day and devoted himself to the study of Ifá at night. One day, from the inshe beneath the bed, he heard a voice telling him that he had to study faster, and that his mother was not being demanding enough. The inshe consisted of a basin with the Oddun of Ifá painted in an atena at the bottom, which Orunmila filled with seawater, river water, well water, and other elements.

From then on, his father began to communicate with him in dreams to give him instructions and deepen his religious knowledge. This affected his daily life, for he began forgetting some of his responsibilities at home.

One night, his mother caught him talking in his sleep and gesturing while receiving instructions from his father and the eggun. She came so close that her son accidentally struck her, and she lost consciousness. When she awoke, Orunmila promised her that, from that moment on, he would have to be struck in order to speak during the ceremonies. That is why Orunmila must be struck during the atefas.

The palm, the sugarcane, and the fire

This tale tells the story of two men, one devoted to planting sugarcane and the other to cultivating palm to make brooms and houses. Although sugarcane had never before been traded in the area, the cane man believed he would grow rich from his plots.

However, planting sugarcane beneath the palms was destroying the trees, and this led the cane man to start a dispute with the owner of the palms. The latter, saddened by the situation, went to Orunmila in search of a solution. The wife of the palm owner had a dream in which she was told to go to Orunmila’s house, and that Eshu would help them.

Orunmila prescribed them an ebbo that they were to cast away in the cane field. While doing so, they were pursued by two men, who in the end stayed behind talking with them. Days later, the cane was flowering, and the owner of the cane fields was thrilled to see he would soon be rich. But when he mounted his horse, it bolted and threw him near where the men were hiding.

The men lit cigars and tobacco which, fanned by the wind, started a blaze that spread through the entire cane field. Only the beautiful palms remained standing, and the owner of the cane fields died of grief, while the owner of the palms, for having obeyed Eshu and Orunmila, went on building his fortune alongside his family and prospering greatly.