Ofun Obara

The disciple of Orunmila

This is a story from the Yoruba tradition that tells how the disciple of Orunmila, Adele Hutanle, also known as Awo Omo Owo Ara, deceived Oduduwa by charging him more than was necessary for an ebbo. While gathering the materials for the ebbo, Oduduwa met Osun, who told him that Awo Lakuetun never asked for so much. Osun and Oduduwa went to the house of Awo Lakuetun, but he was not there. Instead, they found Awo Omo Owo Ara, who performed the ebbo deceitfully. Elegbá realized what was happening and went for Orunmila, who, with the help of Oluo Popo and Awo Lakuetun, managed to punish the disciple for his deception. Awo Lakuetun helped him repair the harm he had caused by distributing among the gods the animals that had been used in the ebbo, and one of his fingers remained crooked as a reminder of his falseness. This story underlines the importance of honesty and truth in the practice of the religion and the divination of Ifá.

The eya tuto is for Oluo Popo, the adie are for Orunmila, the eyele are for Odudua, the akuko for Osun, the jío jío for Elegbá, baolo leri umbeboro.

In this oddun it is vital to have Oddua; the Ifá always eats adie funfun, and the animals of the ebbo are always white.

Ololofo, the fly who became powerful and obtained everything she wanted

This is a tale from the Yoruba religion telling the story of Ololofo, a fly who sought to do as she pleased in the world. Orunmila, an orisha, performed an ebbo and an inshe for her so that she could move about freely. However, Olofin, another orisha, grew angry because the fly went wherever she pleased, even to his house and to the house of ikú (death). So he decided to put her to the test.

Olofin prepared two mats: inside one he placed a rooster and inside the other a cat, both hungry, and he wrapped them with different ilekes (bands). He sent two emissaries to carry the bundles to Ololofo’s house so that she would divine their contents. If she failed, she would be condemned to death. The emissaries bought abagdo niña from a woman who turned out to be Ololofo’s mother, and she gave them the clue to what the bundles contained.

Ololofo’s mother served them otí (an alcoholic drink) and told them to wait for the finest one she had put away. She warned Ololofo of what was coming in the bundles and waited for the emissaries. When they arrived, Ololofo asked them whether they had brought the cat and the rooster by order of Olofin, and they confirmed it. Ololofo proved her ability to divine what the bundles contained, and Olofin recognized her ashe (power) and allowed her to keep doing as she pleased.

This story shows how the fly, thanks to her iwi and to her mother (iyare), managed to pass a difficult test and prove her power. It also shows how the Yoruba religion values knowledge and the ability to divine the future and solve problems.

The awado niña is offered to all the Santos, beginning with Eleguá and ending with Orunmila. An inshe is prepared with the atitan ilé loya, awado niña, the skin of ekun and of kokoroko, bogbo igui, gbogbo ashe, ataré, the 7 flies from the ebbo, and the elenu and oyu of the akuko from the ebbo that will be given to Eleguá. This is wrapped with an ileke of Orunmila and closed with an ileke fun fun and pupua. It eats akuko, and with an ileke ayakua it lives at the foot of the awó’s Ifá, and he uses it when he goes out into the street.

Ofun Susu was secretary to Ejiogbe; this is an Ifá of much envy toward the babalawo.

When people removed their hearts to bathe

SYNTHESIS: An intelligent, explosive person, neglected and capricious, and because of that, intori aralle. Ifá speaks of a short life through arun okokan; the person must be treated with oshegun intori buyoko Osha lodafun Oshún. Romantic and passionate — this is an Ifá of ecstasy. That love must be pulled out of the heart in time, before it tears the heart to pieces.

In those times, it was common for people to remove their hearts and keep them somewhere safe while they bathed. In one land lived a shrewd man who had three enemies who set traps for him every day, yet he always managed to escape. This man went to see Orunmila, who saw this Ifá in him and marked betrayal. Orunmila told him to perform works to protect himself from his enemies and not to trust his luck too much, for that could cost him his happiness and his life.

The man ignored Orunmila’s advice and went on trusting his lucky star. One day, his enemies invited him to bathe in the river, after which they would hold a great feast in his honor. Upon reaching the river, they removed their hearts and left them on the bank. The man’s enemy swapped his heart for a stone and crushed it with another stone.

When the man came out of the water and looked for his heart, he realized he had been deceived. Unable to find his heart, he fell into despair and drowned in the river. This story teaches us the importance of following wise counsel and not trusting too much in luck.

The hunters

This is a story about three hunters who decide to hunt lions instead of monkeys in order to earn greater rewards. One of them prefers to hunt large lions, another prefers to hunt small lions because they are less dangerous, and the third is a great boaster and says he does not care whether they are large or small.

When they split up in the jungle, the hunter who prefers large lions finds one, but instead of killing it, he calls the carefree hunter and shows him the lion. The latter kills it, and they send the meat to the town. The same happens with the hunter who prefers small lions: the carefree one kills it and the meat is sent.

But one day, the carefree hunter falls asleep behind a hill, and the hunter who prefers large lions comes upon an enormous lion. Frightened, he begins to call the carefree hunter, but he does not hear him, and the lion attacks him and tears off one of his arms. For his part, the hunter who prefers small lions finds himself surrounded by them and calls the carefree hunter, who does not hear him either. The mother of the small lions attacks him and also tears off one of his arms.

When they reach the town, the people receive them as heroes, and they take credit for all the lion hunting and the meat that was sent, without mentioning their carefree companion. He, seeing that he is not received as a hero, goes to see Orunmila, who advises him to perform an ebbo with the eye of animals, mix it with water, and pour it at the entrance of the town and around the house of his former companions.

At night, the lions are drawn by the smell of blood and approach the town and the hunters’ house. The carefree hunter kills them all with his shotgun while the others flee. The people of the town realize that he is the true hero and shower him with honors. The hunter tells them the truth and wins the affection and respect of all.

The three sons of Olofin and the melon

Olofin had three sons to whom he used to give a peso each every day. But the day came when he had nothing to give them, and instead he handed each of them a melon. The youngest son was not satisfied and wanted to get rid of the melon, but his brother made him change his mind, and together they returned home along the same road by which Oggún was coming, having just finished a war, weary and thirsty.

Upon meeting the boys, Oggún asked them for water to refresh himself and asked why they were so sad and angry. The boys explained that on that day their father could not give them the usual money, so he had given them melons instead. One of the sons gave Oggún a melon so that he could quench his thirst, and seeing how grateful he was, the other two also offered him theirs. As a sign of his gratitude, Oggún granted each of them an office: governor, chief of sanitation, and awó of the town.

The sick king

Once there was a king who fell ill, and no physician could find a cure for his illness. One day, Orunmila offered to heal him, and the king accepted. Orunmila used ewe to heal the king, and by the next day he was cured. In gratitude, the king held a banquet in honor of Orunmila and his retinue.

However, the physicians, who had been unable to cure the king, were jealous and decided to set a trap for Orunmila during the banquet. They ordered the people not to let Orunmila approach the palace.

Orunmila became aware of the trap that had been set for him thanks to Osorde, and he arrived at the banquet, but chose to circle the grounds of the palace so as not to come too close. The king complained that Orunmila had not come and sent for Oggún, who took charge of finding Orunmila.

Oggún found Orunmila in the palace gardens and told him that the king was furious and wanted to see him. Orunmila explained the situation and decided to eat in the kitchen to avoid the trap. Oggún informed the king, and the king went to the kitchen to meet Orunmila.

The king was impressed by Orunmila’s wisdom and named him counselor of the entire kingdom, making sure that no one would trouble him. To Iban Eshu!

Orunmila is angry

On this path, Ofun Susu was an awó of the land of Orosale. He had a son named Oloremi, who also had a strong and haughty character. If anyone bothered him or crossed his will, father and son reacted in the same way.

One day, Oloremi fell in love with a beautiful young woman and, despite Ifá’s counsel that she would lead him to destruction, he was set on marrying her. But in the end she destroyed him.

Seeing his son destroyed, Ofun Susu was consumed by pride and confusion, and his mind was leading him toward death. Then they called Obara Fun, his friend, who said: «Orunmila is angry» because of the character of his son Ofun Susu, and the only way to save him was to give adie Meyi fun fun to his Ifá. Everyone gathered and gave adie Meyi to the Ifá of Ofun Susu, and at once the illness of Ofun Susu began to fade. And within a few days, he came to reach serenity of spirit.

In this Ifá, when in osobo (misfortune), two adie fun fun are given to Orunmila and to his leri, eyerbale to the ebbo. The two leri of the adie are placed on his leri with gbogbo ashe, obi orí, efun, ou. When the ebbo closes, the rogation is placed inside the

One must master one’s character, pride, and whims. One must watch over one’s children to lead them along the right path. But the disobedient one, when he fails, must be helped — yet you must not let that situation upset you, so that you do not put yourself in danger. In this Ifá, when two adie are given to Orunmila, this suyere must be sung: «Adie Meyi Fun Fun Kowo Orere Lawa».

The path of the disobedient one

On this path, Eshishi was known for his weakness for women, and he fell in love with Atemu, the daughter of Ozain. He wished to marry her and went to see Orunmila to seek his counsel. Orunmila saw in him the sign Ofun Susu and warned him to be careful, because if he married her, Atemu would never allow him to divorce, and he would have to feed Ozain, his father-in-law, so as not to suffer losses.

But Eshishi paid no heed and married Atemu anyway. One day, while she was covered in resin, Eshishi touched Atemu and remained stuck to her, unable to pull free. Eshishi sang «Emini Modeooo Emini Mofeooo Ofiku Soyu Atemu» while he remained stuck to her. In the end, he died joined to Atemu for not having obeyed Orunmila’s counsel and for not having given Ozain what had been ordered.

The awó of this oddun must never lack Ozain; moreover, he must never kill flies, and he may divorce three times.

Atemu is the table, which is the daughter of Ozain, for it is made of igui (wood), and flies die on the table because they always land there. That is why Awo Ofun Susu must never sit at the table, for what happened to Eshishi could happen to him: to suffer losses. This Ifá says that the person may marry a beautiful woman, but when he wishes to divorce, the woman will refuse, and the man will have no peace with her until death.

What beautiful clothes — I want them for myself

FOR THE OPARALDO: An osiadie keke, ewe aberikunlo. This is done often. Ebbo misi to refresh. Cotton, plantain leaf, salvia prodigiosa. Mamu oti kosinka. Ifá ni Kaferefun Oggún. For a serious problem, aya dun dun is given to Oggún. A chain of twenty-one pieces must be placed on Oggún. If the person has Santo made, they must receive the cowrie of Oggún as soon as possible. They must receive Oduduwa. A person who commits reprehensible acts while under the effects of alcohol or drugs. They like to be the center of attention at gatherings, where they justify their errors and deeds after having committed a grave mistake, and for this reason they drift away from their loved ones.

In a prison there were two men: a drunkard from Takuara and a madman from Dahomey, who were imprisoned for a crime they had committed. But the authorities knew that one of them was the real criminal and believed they were pretending. So the chief ordered the jailer to leave the door open to see whether they would try to escape, and thus find out if they were truly pretending. The jailer left the door open while bringing the food, but withdrew immediately afterwards. The drunkard escaped, and the madman, seeing him leave, stretched his arms to the sky and began to dance as if he had been freed of a burden.

Oggún, the son of Oduduwa

Here Oggún is presented as the son of Oduduwa, a feared and bloodthirsty warrior who, in each of his expeditions and campaigns, gathered a considerable spoil of attributes and riches. In one of them, he killed the king of the city of Ife and placed one of his sons on the throne, giving him the title of Onire. Oggún would set out from Ife toward neighboring lands to conquer them, and would always return to Ife afterwards. On one of his returns, however, he arrived on the very day of a great consecration during which the rule was not to speak, but to communicate only through gestures and signs. Oggún, hungry and thirsty, saw leftovers of food and wine on the table and, receiving no greeting and being spoken to by no one, flew into a rage, believing he was being scorned. Taking his saber, he began to smash all the plates and jars on the table and to cut off the head of anyone who came near him.

At that moment his son Onire appeared, who ordered food and wine to be served to his father, and in the meal he gave him black dog and snails, which Oggún greatly enjoyed. After satisfying his thirst and hunger, Oggún lamented what had happened and declared: «Whatever a man’s bravery and valor may be, one day he must find a place where he can rest and repose», and he drove his saber into the earth. Before withdrawing, he spoke a few more words, but these can never again be repeated in the course of a battle. Oggún appears to help the one who has called him.

From that day on, the merchants of palm wine take care to turn their empty jars toward the ground, in order to avoid any slight or trouble with Oggún.

The path where Orunmila shared with Olorun and with Oshukba

Orunmila was called Awo Ori Balaye and, walking the world alone, he sought out his food, which consisted of atare, ekru, and kola, and he went in search of his orí. He performed osode on himself and saw Ofun Bara, and Olofin told him that he had to share his food with Olodumare and with Oshukba so that money and good fortune would come into his hands. Orunmila did so and filled himself with patience until the fortune he desired arrived.

A circle is drawn in the middle of the courtyard, beginning on the inside with efun, then pupua, then arolodo, and ending with akueri. Orí and oñí are poured over the circle, and in the center of the circle an igba is placed with cow’s milk (wara malu); orí, oñí, sugar, efun, otí, and sixteen small pieces of ewe dundun are also added to the igba. The igba is presented to Olorun and one says:

Orun Bale Mini Mini Olorun Moforibale Mini Mini Irawo Moforibale Mini Mini La Oshukua Moforibale Mini Mini Obalawa Mini Mini Ashe Moforibale Olorun Bogbo Orumale Kofiedemu Kofiedeno Oshanla Kofiedemu Ara Onu Kofiedeno Kofiedenu.

And the jícara (gourd bowl) or the coconut is placed in the center of the circle. Sixteen itanas are set around the circle, and immediately afterwards obi omi tuto is given, informing Olofin of the ceremony that is about to be performed. Next, the eyele meyi funfun are given, singing:

Olorun Eye Eyele Nilorun Eye Eye Olorun Eye Eyele Nilorun Eye Eye Irawo Ilé Ofere, Irawo Ile Ofere La Oshukua Irawo Ilé Ofere Inkolode Yemi Yemi Inkolode

While this ceremony is being performed, the agogó of Obatalá or of Oduduwa is rung until the sacrifice is finished. The igba or the coconut is covered with asho funfun, and the next day it is taken to Inle Oke. The awó must be dressed entirely in white. On that day, nangareo must be done, and he may not go out until the sixteen itanas have burned down completely.

Ceremony for feeding Oshukua.

A kutu is opened just large enough for the two eyele. A basin with indigo water is prepared. The hole is covered with efun, and Irete File is written inside it, and an iga with the sign Baba Ejiogbe written on it is placed within. This work is done when there is a full moon or a waxing quarter.

The eyele are sacrificed, giving eyerbale to the basin with the indigo water. The eyele are placed in the kutun, the general prayers are recited, and coconut is given to see whether there is eboada. If there is eboada, the hole is covered with the feet. Once covered, water is poured over it, and the basin with the indigo water is placed on top with a candle lit upon it. Before the eyele are sacrificed, eku, eya, awado, epo (palm oil), and oñí are added to the igba that is in the kutu.

«Asho Pa Awa Ni, Asho Pa Awaniyo Asho Pa Edun Awao Asho Pa Awa Ni, Omi Unyen Eyele Eye Eyiwe, Eyewese Edu Eni Omo Mi.»

The eyele merin are for Olorun. Here part of the secrets of Olorun were born. Plenty of ekru is offered, dedicated to Olorun. The awó of Ofun Bara should frequently eat ashe of kola with atare in order to have great fortune in his ashé.

This Ifá says that a man with money matters more than one who holds a title or is a chief, and so that he may know the value of fortune joined with the power of destiny: that fortune is equal to any wealth, because he builds it with his own hands.

The ebbo of the seven keys

The chain and the keys are kept washed with omiero and fed with Orunmila, and they live in the Ifá. From time to time, the person puts them on. When the adie are given to Orunmila, eyerbale is given to the ebbo, to the chain, and to the keys.

At the creation of the world, Olofin saw «ofun sun sun» in all the oshas and ordered them to perform ebbo so that there would be beautiful women in this world. The ebbo required a gold chain with 7 keys, an akuko, and two adie fun fun, but no Osha dared to do it — some believed it was a trap and others lacked the materials. Only Orunmila, «ofun susu», decided to do it, and thus won the virtue of having the most beautiful women.

Olofin had an enchanting daughter locked away in a palace behind seven different keys. The princess admired Orunmila and sent him gifts, so he decided to visit her. Using the chain with the keys and the «irofa», Orunmila opened the doors and reached the princess’s chamber. After seducing her and ofikale with her, the princess became disenchanted with Orunmila and wanted nothing more to do with him. Orunmila withdrew, but kept Olofin’s trust and the virtue of having the most beautiful women. Yet he always remembered his experience with Olofin’s daughter, and he had trouble with women.

This Ifá indicates that the awó, when he sees this oddun in a woman, must not court her. She idealizes the awó and will give him gifts and live in love with him, but if he performs the sexual act with her, she will become disenchanted and withdraw her favors upon seeing that he is a man like any other. This is an Ifá of disenchantment in the woman.

To remove a woman who is obstructing the awó’s path, the following afoche is prepared:

• Juju of etu, one juju from each wing.
• The orukere of the woman written on tracing paper and burned.
• Sacu sacu.
• Droppings of Orunmila’s adie.
• Igui pierde rumbo.
• Vete lejos or ponte lejos.
• Piñón florido.
• Scrapings from the back of the irofa.
• Twenty-one ataré.

Everything is made into iye and then placed on the atefon of Ifá with the following atena:

• + + +
• i o o i i o i i
• i o o o o i o o
• i i i o o o i i
• i i i i o i i o
  This powder is blown at the obini from behind.

The falseness of an awó with the word of Ifá is punished

Orunmila had a disciple named Awo Owo Omo Ara, who learned quickly and was very intelligent. However, Oluo Popo always warned Orunmila that Awo Owo Omo Ara was very self-interested and should not be trusted.

One day, when Oduduwa needed a reading, he went to the house of Awo Lakuetu, but he was not there. Awo Owo Omo Ara took advantage of the situation and performed osode for Oduduwa, deceiving him into requesting more animals than were needed for the ebbo.

On the road to fetch the animals, Oduduwa met Osun, who questioned the number of animals he was carrying and told him that Awo Lakuetu never asked for so many. Together, they headed to the house of Awo Lakuetu, singing a song in honor of Osun.

When they arrived, Elegbá realized the deception and went out to find Awo Lakuetu, who was greatly angered by his disciple Awo Owo Omo Ara. Oluo Popo took the matter into his own hands and began to ring the bell and to sing, casting shepe upon Awo Owo Omo Ara.

By the time Orunmila and the other awó arrived, Awo Owo Omo Ara had already suffered the consequences of his deception. His hands were covered in sores and he could not complete the ebbo for Oduduwa. Awo Lakuetu performed the ebbo with the animals and explained to Awo Owo Omo Ara that he had been punished because he did not tell the truth of the odun that had come out. Awo Lakuetu helped him distribute the animals and the things he had asked for in excess. The eya tuto with plenty of orí went to Oluo Popo, the eyele went to Oduduwa, the akuko to Osun, and the three jío jío to Elegbá.

Awo Owo Omo Ara repented, asked Orunmila for forgiveness, and told him the truth about what had happened. Orunmila forgave him, but one of Awo Owo Omo Ara’s fingers remained crooked as a reminder that falseness in the word of Ifá is punished. From then on, Awo Owo Omo Ara never strayed from Orunmila’s teaching, so that he could always live well in the land of Adele, which was the land of Oduduwa Baba Fun Fun.

: the eya tuto is for Oluo Popo, the adie are for Orunmila, the eyele are for Oduduwa, the akuko is for Osun, the jío jío are for Elegbara, bogbo leri umbeboro.

In this oddun it is vital to have Oduduwa. The Ifá always eats adie fun fun, and the animals of the ebbo are always white.

Awo Ofun Sun Sun

There was a very intelligent awó whom his companions envied, and upon realizing it, he decided to withdraw and live in the countryside. But Orunmila needed Ofun Sun Sun in the city, so he sought out Eshu Ni to help bring him back.

Eshu Ni went to the house of Obatalá and, while he slept, sent him a dream about his son, Ofun Sun Sun. The next day, Obatalá went to the countryside to find his son and asked him to come back home, for he was very lonely.

Ofun Sun Sun returned to the city and never left again. He was the awó of the land of Orosale and had a very strong character. When he grew angry or his will was not done, he became furious.

Ofun Sun Sun had a son named Oloremi, who was very haughty and capricious. Despite the warnings of Ifá, he fell in love with a very beautiful woman and married her. However, she destroyed him.

Seeing his son destroyed, Ofun Sun Sun swelled with pride and his mind became confused. They called Obara Sun Sun, his abure, who said that Orunmila was angry because of the character of Ofun Sun Sun, and the only way to save him was to make a sacrifice of Adie Meyi Fun Fun to Ifá.

Everyone offered Adie Meyi Fun Fun to Ifá, and the cyanosis of Ofun Sun Sun began to fade. In the end, he found peace and serenity thanks to the sacrifice.