Ogunda Biode

When Orunmila made ebo for Oka

On this path, Orunmila performed a sacrifice for Oka Maja because he had no teeth to eat with. The sacrifice consisted of four white hens and four kola nuts. Then he told him: «Go and wait for Obatalá on the road, hand him the kola nuts and the hens, and ask him for that favour».

Oka followed the instructions, and when Obatalá met him he said: «My son, how badly I need those kola nuts». Oka answered: «I give them to you, along with the hens, if you grant me the favour of having teeth to eat with».

Since Obatalá needed the kola nuts, he accepted the offer. He took four pins that he had and set them in Oka’s mouth, two above and two below. By his power the pins turned into teeth, and Obatalá told him: «From this day on, and for as long as the world lasts, you will have the ability to make every animal you bite fall down beside you».

Obatalá went off pleased with the kola nuts and with Oka, but along the way he realized that he had lost something from his chamber. He mentioned it to his servant Okete, who said: «Wait for me here, I will go and look for it». Obatalá, however, told him to keep going and not to worry about it. Despite the order, Okete disobeyed and went in search of what had been lost. When he arrived, he came upon Oka, who bit him and swallowed him.

When Obatalá learned what had happened to his servant Okete, he cursed Oka, saying: «For as long as the world lasts, every time you swallow an animal you will have to stop and let it rot inside you, in your entrails». «¡To Iban Eshu!».

Metalofin

Metalofin wanted to put the «bokones» of the city to the test. To do so, he had the statue of a pregnant woman carved from a block of wood. He also paved his whole yard with large stones and covered the stones with sand. Then he set the statue in the hall, dressed it and placed a live dove inside, whose movement made the statue seem alive.

Ejiogbe was the first guest, and Metalofin told him: «Here is my wife about to give birth; I have called you to help me with the delivery». Ejiogbe answered: «Very well, but first I will go and fetch ‘ashe akrolole’». When he returned, he tried to drive his ashe hard into the ground, but the tip broke against the stones. Ejiogbe had not expected that.

Metalofin said: «You know nothing, off to prison», and locked him up. Then he sent for Oyekun Meyi, and his ashe also broke when it struck the stone floor. He was disqualified and sent to prison.

Ogunda Biode, on the other hand, young though he was, was very shrewd and the leader of the thieves. He always travelled from country to country under the pretext of interpreting Ifá. At the time when these events took place in Metalofin’s yard, Ogunda Biode was away travelling.

During his journey he earned three roosters, three balls of akara and three five-cent coins. On his way back, some six kilometres from the city, he met Elegbá, who asked him: «Ogunda Biode, where are you coming from?». Ogunda Biode answered: «I come from the house of a client for whom I have interpreted Ifá». Elegbá asked: «Have you earned anything?». Ogunda Biode listed the rewards he had obtained, and Elegbá said: «And my share?». So Ogunda Biode handed him a rooster, a ball of akara and a five-cent coin.

Each went on his way, but four kilometres from the city Elegbá, this time in disguise, appeared before him again with the same questions. Ogunda Biode handed over the same gifts once more. Two kilometres further on, Elegbá appeared again in his own form. After repeating the same questions, Elegbá added: «Very well, Metalofin needs you, he has called for you several times. He has summoned many bokones to his house and imprisoned them. But I will tell you a secret: he has scattered stones all over his yard, except in one place, the place where he sits».

As for the pregnant woman for whom he has called the diviners, she is only a wooden statue covered with clothes, and beneath her there is a live dove. When Metalofin calls you, take your ashe akrolole and do not hesitate to drive it in near his seat, right at his feet. After driving it in, you will say to Metalofin: «You are nothing but a troublemaker; you have set up a wooden statue covered in clothes to deceive people. If someone in my family has wronged you, it would be better to say so openly instead of imprisoning my kinsmen one by one with such tricks. You have scattered stones all over the yard, all to deceive people».

Ogunda Biode followed Elegbá’s advice to the letter. And when he repeated these words to Metalofin, the latter answered: «What are you saying?». «Only the truth!», said Ogunda Biode.

«Why did you not say this to the others?», Metalofin asked. «I was afraid of you», answered Ogunda Biode. After a while, Metalofin, full of remorse, ordered the prisoners released, and so Ogunda Biode obtained freedom for all his kinsmen.

: This is why Ogunda Biode is held to be an important oddun, since it can pull people out of straits and difficult situations.

When Oshún was poor and made santo

On this path, Oshún was in dire financial straits and decided to consult Orunmila. He gave her an osode reading and prescribed an ebbó: three arrows and three balls of yam, into which she was to place various ingredients such as buns, eku, eja and other elements. He also told her to take the ebbó to the countryside and walk until she was tired.

At the end of the road, Oshún met a man who kindly offered her his house and said he would introduce her to his wife. Oshún accepted, believing the man was telling the truth, but in fact it was a trap to take advantage of her, since the man had fallen in love with Oshún.

Once in the house, Oshún discovered that there were two other men who turned out to be bandits, and all three fell in love with her. Before they could abuse Oshún, they began to eat the food she was carrying and, without knowing it, swallowed the arrows that were inside the balls. As a result, the three men died.

When Oshún searched the house, she found a great deal of hidden money. Overjoyed, she ran back home to tell Orunmila what had happened. Oshún, however, had already performed a rogation to find the money she needed to make Santo. At that moment Orunmila announced that something bad was going to happen in the city, so all the houses were shut and covered with white cloth as a protective measure.

Taking advantage of the situation, Oshún entered the city unseen, carrying all the money with her, and at last performed the ceremony of making Santo. There was a great celebration, and no one knew where the money had come from.

Where Orunmila ate abo dun dun

When Amiugbokun, also known as Shangó, was king of Oyo, there was a forest full of rams whose throne stood in a tree called «igi abo». The king of the rams was one black as night, named Asusu Masa. This ram boasted of being a powerful sorcerer, able to send all the evil spirits of the forest to destroy his enemies.

In time, Asusu Masa’s fame reached the ears of Amiugbokun, the Oba of Oyo, and a war began between them. Asusu Masa knew, however, that the Oba’s counsellor was a great diviner named Orunmila, so he decided to send a working to finish him off. They set this working at the door of Orunmila’s house. In the morning, on opening the door, Orunmila breathed in the powder and fell gravely ill. His head ached and the blood clotted inside it, keeping him from rising.

In his dying state, Orunmila gave himself an osode reading, and his secretary Ogunda Biode arrived with the medicine, which consisted of calaguala root and ginger. Orunmila drank the infusion and the clot dissolved, and he quickly recovered his health. Then an ebo was made with atitan ile and gbogbo tenuyen, to be taken to the foot of a tree.

When he learned what had happened to Orunmila, Shangó said: «Take up your weapons and let us go and face him at igi abo». Oggún joined the cause as well, but Shangó insisted: «You carry your weapons, I will carry mine». Since Orunmila was still weak, Shangó carried him on horseback. They reached the foot of igi abo, and Orunmila took out his board and marked the a’tena of the meyis and Ogunda Biode, and also passed the obi of the tree. Oggún cut a stick for Orunmila to lean on, and he began his prayer: «baba Olofin, Oduro De Awo, De Orunmila, Ogunda Biode, Amarisa Abo Oye, Ogunda Biode, Gbogbo Aur».

At that moment the abo dun dun, king of all the rams, came out of the forest and charged the three warriors. Oggún threw a chain around its neck, brought it down and then cut off its head. Shangó and Oggún passed the ram’s neck to Orunmila, and all of them shared in the ram’s flesh and bathed in its blood. Then they intoned the following suyere: «Orunmila Ekun Pa Abo Bieye Ewe».

Orunmila kills the ram and bathes in its blood. Afterwards Shangó ate two akuko, as did Oggún, and Orunmila two adie dun dun. Then they all sat down to rest upon the throne of baka ox, and Shangó, Orunmila and Oggún remained as kings and generals of Oyo respectively.

To win the war against enemies and counter the powders thrown at the door of the house, in Ogunda Biode an abo dun dun is given to Orunmila, Shangó and Oggún.

When Yemayá carried Orunmila and rocked him. The wealth

Yemayá had much owo and wanted Obeyawo with Orunmila. She set out in search of him and met Eshu. She asked him: «What do you live on?» He answered: «On the corner, eating eku, eja, awadó, eko and running errands». Yemayá said: «You will not do for me» and went on her way. Then she met Oggún and asked him what he lived on. He told her he was a blacksmith, but she told him he would not do for her. She went on and met Orunmila. She asked him what he did and what he lived on. He answered: «I am a diviner and I live from that». Yemayá said: «He lives from divining, he is the one for me». But Orunmila, who sees all, saw Ogunda Biode and told her that in order to marry she had to make ebo. Yemayá made the first ebo, but the next day Orunmila told her she had to make another. Yemayá did not much like it, but she did it. On the third day, Orunmila again saw Ogunda Biode and told her she had to make ebo. Then Yemayá said: «This one wants to finish off all my owo» and left.

Eshu had gone to the house of Odi Meyi, who was a son of Obatalá, and asked him to prepare Agboran Meta for him, the secret Eshu held in the land of Odi Meyi and Ogunda Biode. Odi Meyi asked Obatalá to cast ashe upon them and baptized them with the name of Asokere Adere Isani. They came to life as people and went to sell them in the market of Ile de Oyá, saying they were selling them at any price. Yemayá, who was passing by with the little owo she had left, bought them along with some shrimp and took them home.

On reaching home, Yemayá gave each of them orders about what they had to do. The next day, Yemayá got up and realized that nothing she had ordered had been done, so she put her hands to her head and grew very sad, because she remembered Orunmila. She cooked the shrimp and for three days went early to Orunmila’s house and brought him shrimp. Speaking to no one, she would call out to Orunmila to give him the shrimp.

«Ogunda Biode Borobe, Okuda Ofidi Anati, Okuada Ofidi Anati, Eru Lokun Unloshe, Oní Shika Aye, Oni Tikun Aye, Shilekun Te Nini».

Orunmila opened the door to her and ate the shrimp. On the third day he told her: «I forgive you; take the three Agboranes and give an akuko with Elegbá, and take what was left of the shrimp to where you took the other two ebo».

When Yemayá took them, three igara appeared, and she told them that what she was carrying was shrimp left over from Orunmila’s food of three days. They liked it and ate it all, but it gave them stomach pains and they vomited. They gave Yemayá a great deal of owo, and the greatest wealth came to her. Yemayá took it to Ogunda Biode (Orunmila) so that he would marry her, and she carried him and sang to him:

«Orunmila Adashe Ada Mashe, Adawewa Mashe, Adamashe Kashe Oda, Asawese Umbalowo, Yemayá Mowese Eru, Yemayá Kashebe Eru Olofa».

Great wealth came to Ogunda Biode, and Yemayá’s sadness came to an end.

Abo for Yemayá, akuko for Elegbá and Oggún, adie for Orunmila, the Agboran Meta for Elegbá, with gbogbo tenuyen. The shrimp are cooked with white onion and placed before Orunmila for three days, speaking with him for three days early in the morning without speaking to anyone, eating a little; and what is left over is not thrown away — it is asked where it should go.

The one who made the three Agboranes of Ogunda Biode was Odi Meyi, which also carries the same loads and is called Asokere Adere Isani.

The asokere of Oshún

This path tells how Oshún, a deity in the Yoruba religion associated with love and fertility, lived with Orunmila and was jealous of him. To watch Orunmila’s movements, Oshún bought an Asokere, a wooden object prepared and loaded with spiritual powers.

Orunmila gave orders in Oshún’s absence, but the Asokere obeyed only Oshún, since it was her slave. It therefore did not obey Orunmila. At a certain point, Orunmila consulted the oracle of Ifá and received the sign Ogunda Biode, which warned him that he was being watched inside his own house and that he had to be careful to avoid trouble. Orunmila decided to make an ebo (a ritual sacrifice) and handed the ebo to Asokere to take it to the river as an offering to Oshún.

When Asokere took up the ebo, she went deaf and could not hear Oshún calling her. When Oshún arrived and saw Asokere in the distance heading for the river, she tried to call her, but Asokere could neither hear nor answer her because of her deafness. As a result, Asokere reached the river and was never able to return to the house. In this way Orunmila rid himself of the spy he had in his home.

It is said that when «Biode» indicates that someone is watching Orunmila’s steps and that he must be careful, it refers to the presence of some kind of doll or figure prepared with egun (spirits of the dead) that could cause trouble. To prevent this, an Asokere is placed for Oshún as a safeguard. Problems related to the egun abiku are also mentioned — spirits of children who died prematurely and who can be troublesome in the Yoruba tradition.

A very fine asokere (doll) is placed for Oshún. This doll also carries a load with: leri of eggun, leri of Oshún’s adie, copey root, jaguey root, moruro, eku, eja, obi, kola, osun, obi motiwao; it eats with Oshún.

The representation of Olofin on earth

In this Ifá or path, Olofin summoned the 16 Meyis (the 16 principal odús or signs of the Ifá divination system) to gather, because he understood that each one, individually, represented Olofin through the virtues each possessed.

Having been told of this situation by Elegbá, who informed him that the Meyis were in great dispute on Earth over power and that they also wanted Olofin to be represented through one of them, Olofin decided that he must settle the matter and called the 16 Meyis to council.

During the meeting, all of them demanded that Olofin be represented by one of them on Earth. To which Olofin replied: «That cannot be; you have not considered that on Earth there cannot exist a single oddun (sign) alone. All of you thought that when you had children, they would be Meyis just like you, but that cannot be. Your children shall be called Omoluo, which means children of kings, and that is why you generate compound odduns».

For this reason, all of them will represent me on Earth when I am present and represented by any awó (diviner), no matter whether he is Omoluo, because both the Meyis and the Omoluos will represent me. Hearing this, the Meyis said: «Well, we are all here, no one is missing», but Olofin replied: «Yes, someone is missing — the one I sent for».

Shortly afterwards, Ogunda Biode appeared accompanied by Elegbá and, after paying reverence to Olofin, said to him: «Baba, here I am, entirely at your disposal». Olofin said: «Do what you must do».

Ogunda Biode began to place the Meyis in an ivory shell he had prepared, and when he finished, he said to Olofin: «It is done». Then Olofin asked him: «And in which oddun did you place yourself?». «Well, baba, I placed myself in Oragun, in the middle of it», answered Ogunda Biode. Olofin asked: «And why did you choose that oddun?». To which Ogunda Biode answered: «Because your own words determined that the Meyis are not the only ones who determine and govern on Earth; and besides, it is known that with that oddun, disobedience costs life and losses».

Having said this, Ogunda Biode knelt before Olofin and, together with the Meyis, paid reverence to Olofin for being the first Omoluo who would represent him on Earth.

After this, Olofin declared: «And so that everything may be firm and definitively settled, I will send Shangó and Oggún, who are of my confidence and will represent my strength and my wisdom on Earth. That is why Shangó sits at my right and Oggún at my left, and they eat together with me».

Here the osun of Ozain was born

One day Olofin, tempted to test Ozain, for he had heard that Ozain worked miracles with his staff, decided to challenge him and told him: «I give you 7 days to find, with your staff, the hole I have prepared». Worried, Ozain went to consult Orunmila and the sign Ogunda Biode came out, which told him to make an ebbó with a cane, 16 sacred herbs of Ifá, to offer an akuko to Elegbá and other ritual elements. Elegbá told him: «Cover your cane with the sacred herbs of Ifá and follow me». He showed him the secret Olofin kept, which was a hole covered by a mat in front of his feet. Before that, he told him: «You will come with me into his wife’s house, you will have relations with your cane and the herbs, and thus you will obtain power over Olofin». The following day, which was the seventh day, Ozain presented himself before Olofin. Raising his magic cane and threatening to break Olofin’s, the latter lifted his foot, and Ozain’s staff pierced the eyele (a hen) that lay beside Olofin’s feet and went into the hole that was covered by the mat. At that moment, Olofin gave ashe (power and blessing) to the osun (sacred object) and to Ozain’s cane, granting it great power.

The destruction of the human being through pork

In the land of Odeni Ifá there lived an awó named Omodele Awo, who possessed a great secret inherited from his late father. From time to time, Omodele would go to his secret and invoke it in this manner: «eyeni Eye Baba Omodele Awo Mayele Egun Malekun Ori Ni Laye» while offering it a hen, and he watched how his affairs and his town prospered through that great paternal secret. In that land everyone raised livestock — some raised sheep, horses, cows, hens and roosters — and prosperity reigned.

One day a man came to the land of Odeni Ifá with some pigs, singing: «elede Yeni, Elede Yeni Fun Loye Ikú (death) Loreo Mayemi Arun, Mayemi Ofo«. As he went along, everyone looked strangely at the man with the pigs, since pigs had never been raised in that place. The man found a spot and settled there with his pigs. As the pigs multiplied, the other animals of the land began to die. The people grew alarmed and went to visit Omodele Awo to find out what was happening to the animals that were dying.

When they reached the awó’s house, they found him invoking his late father’s secret. Interrupted at the secret, Omodele Awo said: «This land is rotting from the pigs’ excrement. Tell my son that this man is omogu (a sorcerer) and has come with the pigs to disturb your peace». The people grew furious and went to where the stranger was, and killed him along with the pigs and began to eat them.

At that moment, Omodele Awo rose from the ground and ran towards Elegbá ringing his bell, while he sang: «Ikú Bawao Egun Bawao Elede Yeni Bawao». Omodele Awo exclaimed: «They have lost their reason». He took up the Okpele and consulted Ifá, and the sign Ogunda Biode came out, in which Orunmila warned him that his people would begin to die little by little because they were not to eat the flesh of that animal.

Omodele Awo went out into the street, took one of the pigs and made his way to the place where his father’s secret was kept. In Elegbá’s company, they offered the pig to the secret, which spoke and said: «My son, never eat this flesh you have given me, for it will be your destruction. Next time you give it to me, give it to me at the sea. Blessings to Eshu!»

In this oddun pork is not eaten, because it breeds a microbe that sickens the blood and the internal organism of the person. The owner of this oddun must have Olokun, and when Olokun asks for it, a pig is given to him at the sea, so that the father’s spirit may help him and his religious community not be lost.

Because of the horn the grave is opened

Ogunda Biode one day met a married woman, struck up a friendship with her and finally married her, but she turned out to be an adulteress. They had a daughter who grew up and reached the age at which children go to the market to buy food for their parents. One day, Ogunda Biode’s wife declared that she was ill. He tried his most unfailing remedies, but seeing that her condition was worsening, Ogunda Biode went to his father and told him what had happened. His father said to him: «Come now, your wife knows perfectly well what she is doing».

Ogunda Biode’s wife had arranged a meeting with her lover at midday, and at exactly that hour she closed her eyes, declared that she was dying and stopped breathing. Ogunda Biode hurried to his father’s house and told him that his wife had died. His father, however, answered: «No, she is still alive; but since you are certain of her death, wrap her in a mat». Ogunda Biode invited seven or eight young men to help him, and together they tied the body to a mat. Then they set off towards Iroko chanting «ago ago» so that passers-by would clear out of their way. They laid the body at the foot of Iroko and the bearers returned to their homes. The wife’s lover was hidden behind the Iroko tree. Once the bearers had gone, he took out a knife, cut the bindings of the mat and freed the woman, who followed him to the country of his maternal uncle, Loxulu, king of the jungle. There she was free to become his wife, and she became a good woman who prospered selling goods in the market.

Some time later, a great famine struck Ogunda Biode’s town, and since there was abundance in Loxulu’s country, Ogunda Biode decided to send his daughter there for provisions. The young woman set out, and when she reached the market the first thing she saw was her mother. The daughter exclaimed: «Ah, it is you, my mother!». But her mother said to her: «Be quiet. Here I sell charcoal, prawns, peppers, salt. You must never look upon the face of the dead. Buy what you need and go». These were her mother’s words, which made her daughter begin to weep. The young woman returned home and told her father, in tears, what had happened. Although he thought it impossible, she insisted so much that he told her: «On the next journey, I will go with you».

Shortly afterwards, father and daughter went to the market. The father carried an ase akrolode (an object of power) and a guadagio (a bead necklace). They boarded a canoe and hired a crew. Once they reached the shore, the father told his daughter: «Go on ahead; if you see your mother, come and fetch me and take me to her». The young woman made her way to the place where she had seen her mother and found her in the same spot. She then went back for her father, who took her by the hand and said: «Where is the king’s house? Let us go and find him». The lover was there too and joined them on the way to the king’s house.

When they reached the king’s house, they exchanged greetings with him, and it was the woman who spoke first. She said: «This is what happened: my first husband did not care for me when I was ill, he did not even look after me. One day I fainted and, instead of caring for me, they tied me to a mat and carried me to the foot of a tree (iroko), as they do with the dead in my land. Only by chance, thanks to this man, was I untied, and he took me to his house, where I stayed. What is wrong with that?».

Then the king asked the rival: «Where did you get the boldness to steal Ogunda Biode’s wife?». The lover spoke and said: «I have not taken his wife. One day, as I was passing through the forest along the main road, I heard shouts of ‘ago ago’ and saw people carrying a corpse. I hid while the procession passed and then went on my way. A little later I passed near the iroko tree again and heard moaning; I thought: ‘There is a dead person complaining’, I drew near and saw the woman tied up there. I untied her and took her to my house. As I was not married, she followed me and I made her my wife».

The king asked Ogunda Biode how he had sent his wife under the iroko tree on a mat while she was still alive. Ogunda Biode answered: «Let us not speak of that most disloyal woman; she is an adulteress with all the wrongs that entails. The moment she declared herself ill, I did everything possible to resolve the situation. I even went to my father’s house, and he told me she was not dead and was pretending. Then she closed her eyes and stopped breathing. What more could I do? I could not keep a corpse in my house». Ogunda Biode begged Loxulu to have his wife returned to him so that he could tell his father what had happened and that what he had said was the truth. Loxulu answered: «Let her be returned to you; take her back to your country». He recovered her, put her in the canoe and returned to his country.

Once at his father’s house, he said to him: «Here is the woman who claimed to be dead and is still alive». The father said: «Did I not tell you that this woman was deceiving you». Ogunda Biode said: «Now promise me, my father, to do it for real». He asked his father to gather the townspeople at the ringing of the bell.

When the people were assembled, Ogunda Biode took the woman by the feet and struck her head against the floor. Then he laid her down, planted an ase akrolode in her heart and opened her by the belly. Then he made a hole in his room where he buried her standing upright. Afterwards he covered the hole and set his bed over it for 16 days, in order to know whether she would come back to life a second time to take a third husband.

And it is from that time that the dead are buried, whereas before they were laid out at the foot of Iroko.

The path of weakness

In this story there was a king who was close to dying and decided to seek a successor to protect his interests. He summoned his retinue for the following morning to give them the news. The retinue wondered what the reason for the meeting might be. The next day the king told them: «I have called you to share my wishes should the day come when I am no longer here. I would like you to name my son king of this town, because you know that he is obedient and respectful.» The retinue accepted this designation with an oath, since the king was very demanding and would accept no arguments, and the retinue had been hoping he would renounce the throne. Before he had finished speaking, he was acclaimed by the crowd. The king understood that his council had never agreed with him, and at that very moment he took off his crown and placed it on his son; but he suffered a heart attack and died, leaving his son as sovereign of the town.

Here the king handed over his life (crown) and power to his son, and for that reason he died. One must not take off what is one’s own to give it to another, since it could cost one’s life or one’s reign.

When this Ifá appears, the sacrifice of the rooster of the room is not performed until 7 days have passed. Every day the agogo of Obatalá and Oduduwa is sounded in the yard, while this is sung: «Ifá baba yemi wawao, Oduduwa aremu wawao baba wawao».

When this oddun is seen and the priest has the Ibeyis consecrated, two eyele fun fun are placed over them to secure everything. If a follower of Orisha owns the Ibeyis and they are to go, one is taken leave of first and, if it is held, the ideu is withdrawn; and after 9 days the other Ibeyis is taken leave of. In this oddun there is a ceremony of Ozain called «ishe Ozain», which combines aspects of osa meyi and ojuani meyi, and is known as «oyun eleripin».

The three thieves and the wealth of Oshún

On one occasion, Orunmila was going through hard times and this oddun came out for him, and he had to make ebo so that the great fortune of owo would come to him. At that time there were three thieves who, after robbing countless kingdoms, had hidden their treasures in a valley whose entrance the three of them guarded, and anyone who came near was killed.

Oshún, informed by Elegbá of where the road lay, decided to see what she could get, and told Orunmila that she would obtain the money Ifá had spoken of. She got hold of a small basket and filled it with akará, and added a very powerful poison to three of the loaves, which she marked. She made her way to the place and met the first thief, who, on seeing her, paid her a compliment, since she was scantily dressed. She drew near and he told her she could not pass, since it was forbidden. Oshún began to talk with him and, at that moment, he saw the little basket and asked what she was carrying. She answered that it was akará. He asked her for one and she gave it to him, and the man died. She went on her way and, a little later, met the second thief. He asked her what had happened and she told him a story, and he, seeing how beautiful she was, agreed to lie with her, ate akará and died.

Then she met the third, struck up a pleasant conversation with him and afterwards lay with him, then gave him akará to eat. Suspicious, he asked whether it was poisoned, and she told him no, since she had given the same to the other thieves. He ate the akará and, feeling dizzy, told Oshún that she had given those akará to the others in order to kill him and keep the third for herself. He got up and showed Oshún where the treasure was, and died at once.

Oshún, seeing the road clear, informed Elegbá and sent word to Orunmila that the treasure was his and that he should send a cart to collect it. Orunmila sought a way not to be implicated in what was happening; he made ebo and went to find the Oba (king) and told him that he was going to make an Ifá and that he needed to plant igbodun. The king gave him permission.

Orunmila took the cart, covered it with fun fun cloth and mariwo, and in this way carried all the treasure over six days; and on the seventh day he opened his doors and held a great feast with food, handing out money in abundance, because he had become immensely rich. ¡Maferefún Yalorde!

The dispute between Olofin and Abita

In the primitive times of the African religion, Olofín lived on earth with his brother Abita, but the devil did not share the same views, since one preached good and the other evil. Abita said to Olofín: «You are governing very badly, because you gave power to your children». Olofín answered: «What does that matter, when they all respect me and listen to me?». Abita said: «When they realize the power they have, they will not need you nor call upon you. I am leaving». And he said: «nkpa orahshe ni iyoba lonju oyina le skapadi e oti ori Nikpa gbogbo bore omo sigboran», which means: «In the sky I shall make my kingdom, far away in hell, and I shall not look down upon all your disobedient children».

When Ogún and Baba Lú Ayé saw that Abita had left the earth and had left Eshu as his representative, they began to get up to their tricks. One as owner of illness and the other as god of death, they distracted Eshu with sweets in order to turn him into a gluttonous child. But Eshu, in order to find out what they were plotting, played along. Baba Lú Ayé and Ogún, one would sicken and the other would kill whenever offerings were not made to them. One was very fond of palm oil and the other liked to get drunk on palm-seed wine.

Eshu brought his complaints to Olofín: «They were killing, but they could not get rid of the victims, I prevented it». Abita knew everything that was happening on earth and laughed at his brother. So much so that Olofín, shamed, decided to leave the earth and set up his kingdom in the sky. Olofín left Obatalá in his place with instructions to follow, but Obatalá could not master them and complained to Olofín. He told him: «You will see how I master the two of them». Olofín would send his message by way of the sun, and he told Olokun to inform the goddess of the river that she would dry up as punishment. That is how he defeated Baba Lú Ayé and Ogún, since the palm and palm-oil trees dried up. Both went to ask Olofín’s forgiveness and told him that from that day on they would do whatever he wished and would obey him in everything. ¡To Iban Eshu!

The band of thieves

It once happened that there was a band of thieves whose chief was Ogundá Biode, and after committing a robbery they used to hide in the mountains. On this occasion, however, after dividing the spoils as was their custom, Ogundá Biode told his companions to scatter across the mountain. He took a gorge he had never seen before and knew nothing about, and was astonished, on looking up, to see a light as bright as a searchlight, expanding and shrinking. Wanting to discover what that mystery was, he drew closer and closer until he came upon a group of men who were gathered together and were awooses performing Ifá. To his surprise, those awooses took him prisoner and made Ifá for him, thus giving rise to the practice of performing Ifá in a reserved place where no one may witness anything — that is, the ceremony of Igbodun. And that powerful light which had caught his attention was the oddun.

Another man’s wife is respected

Ozain was in love with Orunmila’s wife. On one occasion he gave her a potion and she died. Orunmila took her to the bush and left her lying there, because in those days the dead were not buried. While Orunmila was leaving the bush, Ozain drew near and gave her the antidote to the potion he had given her, and revived her. Then he took her to live with him. A few days later, Orunmila had a reading done for himself and had to make a rogation, after which he was to go and live in another place with his son. As soon as he reached that new land, he had another consultation and the odu Ogunda Biode came out. He then had to make ebo with okra.

Orunmila sent his son to the market to buy it, and there the boy saw his mother, who was selling produce and who handed him the okra. The boy was astonished and told his father, but Orunmila paid him no heed because he thought his wife was dead. He made the ebo and took it to a hill. A few days later, Orunmila had another reading and the odu Ogunda Biode came out again, telling him to take the ebo to the market. After finishing the ebo, Orunmila went out with his son to deliver it and, at the same time, so that the boy could show him that woman he had seen who looked like his mother.

When Orunmila saw her, he recognized that she was his wife, and she, on seeing him, was so frightened that she died on the spot. At that moment Ozain arrived and, seeing what had happened, said to Orunmila: «What have you done, Orunmila? I came to see a dead woman». Then Ozain understood that he could not compete with Orunmila. Since then, another man’s wife is respected.

Where it was born that the oluos should eat of Orunmila’s adie

One day Olofin, king of Olorun, asked after Orunmila, since the latter had undertaken to prepare an ebo for him with: adie meyi dun dun, and he could not leave a work unfinished. After the sacrifice, he shared the adie with his daughters; he gave one wing to Iboru, another wing to Iboya and a thigh to Ibochishe. He took the osun and touched it to the foundation of Olofin’s palace.

When Orunmila had finished, he returned to his house. Two days later, Olofin sent for him. Meanwhile, Olofin’s three hunters — Aritesi, Arioitasi and Atamasi (the secret of the three sons of Oshosi, who are born in Oshe Logbe) — set out to hunt an ayanaku (elephant). They shot at the animal, and shortly afterwards it passed right by them without their being able to kill it. The wounded elephant made its way to Olofin’s palace. There it laid its trunk against the wall. When Olofin’s servants saw this marvel, they called Ogunda Biode. The king of the palace, for his part, on seeing what it was about, sent for Ogbontere Oluo of Ajero, the Oluo of Saguejino and the one of Akuaja Oji.

They arrived, saw what had happened and opened the elephant. In its entrails they found a bundle wrapped in asho fun fun, and inside it there was a covered igba, and inside that, a newborn child, but with a beard and fun fun hair on its leri; in each hand it held eight palm nuts (ikines).

Olofin was greatly astonished and said: «never in my long existence have I seen the like», and asked after Orunmila. When he arrived, Olofin asked him: «what is joyful in this?». Orunmila began to sing: «Who might the newborn be… he is one who is called Ifá. Which of us knows the newborn?… he is one whom they call Ela, son of Orunmila, son of Olorun».