Ogbe Bara

The path of Oduduwa

On this path, Oduduwa was Olofin’s secretary, but Olofin was very proud, and whenever anyone came looking for him, Oduduwa would say he was not available. Olofin had granted all his powers to Oduduwa, but gradually he began taking them back. Whenever Olofin grew angry, he would take away one of Oduduwa’s legs to slow him down. Another day he took an arm, and so on, until Oduduwa was left with only his head, his eyes, his mouth, and his whiskers.

Oduduwa was a rich man who lacked nothing, yet he was constantly dissatisfied and lived embittered by his imperfection. Olofin sent Elegbá to Oduduwa’s house to ask him for the paolle, but Oduduwa replied that Olofin was always asking for things and that he would give him nothing. Elegbá then said he would take the paolle himself. At that moment, Oduduwa began rolling around inside the house and hurled Elegbá into the air, throwing him outside.

Elegbá picked himself up from the ground badly hurt and went to Olofin’s house to tell him what had happened, to relay Oduduwa’s complaints, and to ask why he had not been given what he was sent to fetch. Olofin then told Elegbá that the form Oduduwa was in was enough, because whenever Oduduwa grew angry he stirred up winds and destroyed everything. Therefore, if Olofin completed him — that is, if he gave him what he lacked — he would end up destroying the world.

Through this path, Oduduwa must be received.

Ifá of the doves

On this path, the doves lived in the wilderness and suffered many hardships. Elegbá took pity on them and spoke with Olofin, who told him to bring them to his palace, where he would use them to carry messages and so spare them their toil. When the doves arrived at the palace, the other animals began to feel envy and conspired to harm them. Olofin, who was aware of all this, sent Orunmila to perform osode on them, and he saw Ogbe Bara, which indicated that they should perform an ebbo. The doves fulfilled the ebbo, and Olofin then told them that, because of their purity and cleanliness, they would be entrusted with carrying his messages.

In time, the doves grew vain and thought themselves superior, and no longer wanted to do the work. Olofin then expelled them from the palace as punishment. The doves faced hardship once more and, repentant, went to ask Olofin’s forgiveness. He forgave them, but considered that they now bore a stain where they had lost their purity. That is why, for the ceremonies of the head, only a white dove without a single blemish is used. There is also a rogation with white doves that is used to ask for forgiveness.

The Ifá of the traitor

Elegbá had a friend from whom he was inseparable, but this friend betrayed him and took refuge in the land of Ofo. After searching for a long time, Elegbá discovered his whereabouts. He took water, food, and other provisions for the journey, and set out for the distant land of Ofo. Elegbá was in the land of Iyefa and was determined to kill his enemy. On the road, Elegbá met two men heading in the same direction, but they did not speak and seemed not to know him. These two men were Shangó and Orunmila, and they knew where Elegbá was going.

So that Elegbá would not recognize him, Orunmila went dressed as a beggar. Elegbá grew hungry and sat down beneath a tree; at that moment Shangó and Orunmila arrived, and Elegbá offered them his food and water, which they accepted. Orunmila said to Elegbá: «Where you are going, you will no longer be able to do what you intend, because that person is dead». They finished eating and walked on. They came to a crossroads with two directions; Elegbá took the left, and Shangó and Orunmila took the right.

When Elegbá arrived in the land of Ofo, he learned that his enemy had already died, and he said: «He has already paid for it». He returned to his own land and, as soon as he arrived, he met Orunmila and Shangó, who revealed themselves and told him they knew who he was and had gone out to meet him to keep him from doing what he had planned. They told him: «Your enemy was punished by another whom he also betrayed; that is why among us there must be great harmony and goodwill for life».

The disobedient young man

Once there was a very disobedient young man who liked to travel from town to town. On one occasion, he arrived in a town, seduced a beautiful young woman, and dishonored her, but at no point did he reveal his true name; he called himself Kabiosile. He then arrived in another town and did the same, but this time he called himself Oba Koso. Time passed and he came to yet another town, where he called himself Shangó, and again he seduced a young woman, but this time her family denounced him to the authorities.

Realizing he was wanted by the law, he went to Orunmila’s house. Orunmila consulted him and told him to perform an ebbo with abo. However, the young man was very disrespectful, left Orunmila waiting, and never came. Things got worse and he returned to Orunmila’s house, and Orunmila told him: «Now, because of your disrespect, you must give eure to Ifá to see what he says». They did so, and this sign came out, whereupon Orunmila told him that he knew him under three different names and that from that moment on he had to choose one, for otherwise he could not receive an inheritance that was due to him.

The young man followed Orunmila’s advice and the law stopped pursuing him. Of the three women he had been with, he chose the most suitable one and was happy, because he followed Orunmila’s guidance.

The Middle East, Ifá of tragedy and betrayal

On this path, Olofin named Shangó head of the government of the Middle East. When Shangó arrived, he realized that Oggún was governing and had Oshosi as his secretary, and both were friends of Shangó. Shangó went to where Olofin was and questioned how he was supposed to govern that land when his two friends were its leaders. Olofin then told Shangó: «Go there and offer them plenty of eran tutu and otí, and when they are asleep, take control of the Middle East». And that is how Shangó came to govern in that land.

This is where Shangó’s necklace was of a single color. This is also where Shangó was known only through what Ifá said.

Gesturing was born

The flamingo Leke Leke was a marginalized bird who longed to become the leader of the world of the birds. With that purpose, he went to Orunmila’s house, since he had a dispute with the quail and the parrot, who also desired that position. Orunmila performed a consultation and saw this Ifá, then instructed Leke Leke to perform an ebbo.

When Leke Leke gathered with all the other birds and began conversing with graceful gestures, he managed to captivate them. Thanks to his powers of persuasion and his charming gestures, he won over all the birds and became king.

On this path was born the method of conversing through well-placed gestures that give force to the word.

The servant, the enemy of the oba

All the Babalawos gathered to examine the king of that land, performing an osode on him and consulting this Ifá. Orunmila then revealed to him that his first enemy was his own servant. The awoes sent for the king, but he decided to send his servant in his place to hear what the babalawos had to say. When the servant returned, he informed the king that he had to perform an ebbo with his first son, when in reality the ebbo he had to make was with his first servant, since he was the one causing him harm.

Never send someone else to solve your problems.

Ifá of the orchids and the flying fish

On this path, Ogbe Bara was a very devoted and self-sacrificing awo of Orunmila, for he believed that Ifá was present everywhere. Tired of the struggles and the ingratitude of his own land — which came from his own godchildren — he decided to move and settle on the shores of the ocean, in the land of Iworan, where there was a salt lake inhabited by flying fish that performed acrobatics and pirouettes in the water. As soon as Ogbe Bara arrived in that land, he consulted with Orunmila, who advised him to perform an ebbo so that he could settle there and become the oba of that land.

Ifá granted him his blessing and the knowledge needed for his new life in that land, as well as the secret of the inshe Ozain he required and the ashe of Ifá. As a result, Ogbe Bara became a much loved and respected oba, receiving an abundance of money and gifts. He founded a new town where he had many godchildren, and what Ifá had told him came to pass: «while the tree sheds its leaves, the palm does not shed its own».

Duality

Alawana was a powerful being with a great capacity of mind, which allowed him to be connected to two worlds at once: the inner world of the spirit and the outer world around him. However, when he immersed himself in the power of the inner world, he did not hear the words of his children, and they thought Alawana was deaf. His children were aguemas.

One day, Orunmila went to Alawana’s house to perform osode on him and, during the consultation, saw this Ifá, which indicated the need to perform an ebbo with two whistles, one open and one closed. When Orunmila blew the open whistle, Alawana awoke from his inner world and returned to the outer, material world. He descended from the palm where his house stood, covered by a white sheet, and began fulfilling all his children’s requests, paying homage to Orunmila. Thanks to him, to the ebbo, and to the sign Ogbe Bara, Alawana managed to establish communication between the two worlds, the material and the spiritual.

The secret of Oduduwa Alawana is called Kara Bru Awo; these are two heads carved from a hollow piece of wood and loaded with palm root, eru, obi, kola, osun, obi motiwao, leri de eyele, leri de egungun, leri de aguema. These heads eat eyele, Oduduwa; on top of them go two whistles, one open and one closed, covered with a white cloth. As for the eguns of the load of the mokekere, if they were albinos it would be much better.