Ogunda Ka

The elephant and the hunter

There was a hunter who went to consult Orunmila. Orunmila made a divination and told him he had to make a sacrifice, called ebó, in order to avoid bad luck. The hunter, however, paid no attention and did not carry out the ebó. Every time he went hunting and shot with his akofa, the prey vanished through the mischief of Eshu.

On one occasion an ayanaku passed through that land, but the animal was destined to die in the mountains. The hunter felt so wretched that he went back to Orunmila’s house. Orunmila then told him that setting his situation right would now cost him twice as much. He prescribed the ebó mentioned above, and this time the hunter followed his instructions.

When he went out hunting, he came upon the ayanaku that was making its way to die in the mountains. He shot it with his akofa and the animal staggered, but crossed over a bridge made of sage. The hunter followed it all the same and, on reaching the other side of the mountain, found that his house had disappeared. Content with that, he set about tying up all the ayanaku’s tusks and stowing them in his saddlebag. Yet when he reached nine tusks, no more would fit.

So he decided to cut off their tails, and people began to look for the meat. One of them struck the ayanaku’s head with an axe and found an aweba with a lid. He took it and brought it to Orunmila. Orunmila told him not to uncover it, to have a cover made for it, to worship it and ask of it whatever they wished. And that when the time came to feed it, they should remove the cover but not uncover it, giving it its food from the outside.

The cult of Elegbá must be carried out and, if one has him, it must be checked what needs mending or setting right, or whether there is any obstruction or crushing, since there is someone who wishes to leave.

When Olofin was unknown in the land of Bebe Oriaye

On this path, in the land of Beleku Oriaye, Olofin was unknown. There was a babalawo named Funke to whom the awoses would come to make Ifá. The orishas travelled to that land in search of that awó so that he would make Ifá for their children, but he refused, because he did not believe that Olofin existed, which enraged the orishas.

One day Awo Funke consulted Orunmila, and the oddun Ogunda Ka came out. Ifá told him to take an igba, place Ogunda Ka inside it, and carry out a sacrifice. He was also told to call upon Shangó and to place the head of the sacrifice inside the igba, burying it at the foot of the araba palm. Besides that, he was to cook the meat and feed all the babalawos who were in his house.

When he went to sacrifice, Awo Funke called upon Ori Baba Olorun and sang: «Orí Layee, Orí Layekun, Baba Olorun, Orí Layee, Baba Yerun Yemi Ifá Olofin Layeni Orun». At that moment he felt something momentous in his head. He took two eyele and, together with the jícara (gourd bowl) that held the head of the sacrifice, fed his own head with the leri of the abo, saying: «Fori Eye Eye Lekun, Baba Ejiogbe, Baba Lekun Orí Eye». He went on praying through all sixteen mejis.

Afterwards he cooked the eyele with onion, dry wine and ori, and ate them. He put the bones in the igba, covered it, and fell asleep. In his dreams he heard a voice that said to him: «My name is Baba Oriye; I shall reveal your great secret to you and tell you where to look for it so you may find it». The voice told him he would find Ayanaku and would meet Shangó, who would tell him what to do with the igba.

Awo Funke woke with a start, but at that very moment Shangó knocked at his door, together with Oggún. Shangó asked him for a rooster to give to Oggún, who was hungry. Oggún began to eat the akuko while Shangó spoke with Funke and told him: «We must make a sacrifice, we must go to the land of Beleku Ori Aye, but we cannot cross freely, because there is a very great river where the ayanaku die. We must call upon the egun named Orí Onilogun and Egun Maye Afefetekun».

They fed Egun with the abo, and while Egun was eating, a wind rose that tore up shrubs and carried a bunch of sage to the feet of Shangó and Funke. Shangó set an Oduara on Funke’s head along with a cap, and they gathered up that sage and threw it into the river, where it formed a great bridge. Shangó said to Funke: «You must say: ‘Ogunda Ka Awo Bayeni, Awo Funke Baba Yeku Lelekun Aguani Eun Baba Orí Aye Olofin’«, and as he crossed the bridge he was to repeat those words. Shangó told him: «I shall wait for you here so we may go to the house of Ori Aye». Then Shangó called up thunder and lightning, darkening the place. Awo Funke took an igba he had upon his head and turned it backwards. Shangó took an obi he was carrying, broke it, chewed it and added orí, efun, epo and a powder he had, and poured it into the igba that Ayebelekun had handed over. Then Shangó removed the Oduara from Funke’s head and placed it in the igba, putting ori on Funke’s head.

Shangó and Funke set out on their way, taking Egun with them. They told Egun to go and ask Elegbá to send them the agogó of Obatalá. At that moment hot and cold water began to fall from the sky, and Shangó pressed on. Obatalá handed the agogó to Elegbá so that he might give it to Oggún, who began to strike it and sing: «Baba Olofin, Ifá Ni Leyekun, Agogó Layele». At last they reached the house of Orí, who let them in and said to them: «I shall reveal your great secret to you so that you may make Ifá on earth». To Iban Eshu.

To feed egun one must lay out the sign Ogunda Ka and give it the animal, then cover it with sage and afterwards give it a dove.

On this path, the babalawo who is given Olofin must have three paraldos made for him on the riverbank in order to capture his shadow. The first is done with a speckled adie, the second with a black one and the third with a white one. All these paraldos are made with a sprig of sage together with the adie, and are thrown into the river.

The young hunter and the old one. the doubt cast on his morals

There were two hunters who went deep into the forest. Every time they wounded an animal, they could never catch it, since it was lost in the thickness of the forest. They spent a long while hunting elephants, but whenever they managed to wound one, it escaped across a swollen river whose ford the animals knew. The two hunters were left at a loss before the river’s quicksand, asking themselves how it was possible that the elephants disappeared when they were so close.

On one of those days they wounded an ayanaku (elephant) again and followed its trail. The ayanaku crossed the river at the firmest point of the quicksand. The hunters went into the sandy ground trying to follow the elephant’s trail, but reaching it proved difficult, since the ground was high and slippery with mud.

Faced with this awkward situation, the younger hunter said to the older one: «I am going to climb on your back to reach firm ground. Afterwards I will help you up with a rope». He tried to do it that way, and as he was trying to climb, his member became aroused. In his arousal he threatened the older man with his spear, and the older man chose to lose his honour rather than lose his life.

Some time later, the younger hunter was in the company of several young women when he saw the older one. One of the young women asked him: «Why has that man, who is your friend and hunting companion, not come over to greet you? What trouble is there between you?». The younger hunter kept silent, but because of the young woman’s insistence and the effect of the drink, he revealed the homosexual encounter they had had in the forest.

The remark reached the old man’s ears, and in the village people began to doubt his morals, which forced him to leave and go and live somewhere else.

The violent sage

There was a sage whose character was very hard, and who used to settle all his troubles with cutting and piercing instruments. One day the leaders of his village devised a way to destroy him: they sent a young woman to his house to persuade him and ask him to let her spend the night there, claiming she had nowhere else to stay. The sage understood that this was a trap laid by his enemies to drag him into trouble with the law, but he boldly gave the stranger shelter.

Early the next morning, the sage’s followers arrived to confront him. He told them: «I do not know this young woman. She came and asked me for shelter, and I granted it». That explanation, however, set off a fight in which the young woman lost her life. The sage was forced to answer to the law for what had happened.

The success of eyenifa

On this path, Shangó lived in the land of Iya Orun, but he had a hard time of it because there were not many young people in that land. Shangó began to help and to work, until one day, at four in the morning, someone called him and said: «Shangó, you are in my land, which is called Iya Orun». And she began to sing: «Iya Orun Leye Eni Ifá Shangó Beleye Ni Ewe«. At that moment there was a sage plant and a cedar there, and Shangó cleansed himself with them and answered: «E Iya Orun, I bow before you; may you have peace in this life».

Iya Orun told him to take a branch, and drew an agboran from her bag, saying to him: «Now you must go to the land of Iya Niewe». Shangó set out on his way and first met the shadow of Ozain. Shangó handed him the agboran and the sage, and Ozain was pleased and told him: «In this land you will become great in your work, but you will be very fond of parties, and that will do you harm. Even so, I shall always help you». Shangó was carrying a drum and began to sing and play: «Ozain Eguegue Ni La Musiye».

Ozain began to sing and dance alongside Shangó, and set about pulling up herbs and consecrating that agboran, saying: «This shall be your child, so that he may always help you and set apart what he has». Iya Niewe together with Shangó sought out akuaro, etu and osiadie, gave them and buried them, and thus it became an agboran. Shangó was very pleased and went out to different lands, beginning to prosper and to rule, always protected by that shadow. Shangó brought Ozain before Ayenife, who was a babalawo of the land of Iya Lorun. There they found a woman named Iyanikun Iyalorde, who lived on the riverbank and was a figure of importance in that land.

Shangó approached her and asked her to share her great power with Ozain. Once she was persuaded, they called Ozain and began to sing: «Ewe Ozain Ashebo Ashe Ozain Shebo Niewe Iya Omo Ni Idi», «Shekuekue Ni Elegbá Eni Ifá Omo Laye«. That woman bathed Ozain and buried the water of his bath in the river. Then they went to Ayenifa’s house and spoke with him, telling him that there lay the great secret or power that would help him in the world. Ayenifa was overjoyed, and from that moment on the people of that land began to go from house to house, bringing people from different lands to Ayenifa.

But along the way, whenever they reached a new land, Shangó would tell Iyalorde that they needed to look for Elegbá to help Ayenifa, and they began to sing. Elegbá, who was in hiding, heard the song and came running out, throwing himself in front of Shangó, Iyalorde and Ozain. They held him fast upon a stone and gave him obi, kola and erun on his head, and a chicken that Ozain was carrying. They told him: «From this moment on, you must live alongside us and serve one named Ayenifa, in good times and in bad». Elegbá knelt and swore that he would fulfil his duty.

Then they made their way to the land of Eyenifa, where people from different places began to arrive for a feast. Most of those who came were of white colour (fun fun) rather than dark (dun dun), and so began the success of Eyenifa.

The grave of ayanaku

On this path, Orishaoko saw that the earth was having trouble spreading beyond Ilé Ife. He therefore went to consult Awo Falako, to seek the guidance of Inle Oguere through Ifá. In the osode, Ifá revealed that they had to look for Layimbo, the deer that Olofin had given to Oshún so that she could travel swiftly about the world. Agbani, with his magic, went every day to eat eruba (elephant grass) on the riverbank, and so the miracle came about that the land of Ilé Ife grew solid.

After this, Obatalá decided that the deer should stand at the head of the animals, and explained to Agbani that he would give him an inshe that would turn him into a large animal. Agbani, however, took offence at the sight of the elephant and paid him no heed when he offered him the inshe so that he too might grow large. Agbani hurried off on his legs.

When the children of Orunmila needed Agbani in that land, they captured him and handed him over to Oshún and Orunmila. Their children, though, began to fall ill, and they had to call upon Erin Oke. He came, and Orunmila made osode for him, revealing the oddun Ogunda Ka with Ogbe Ate as witness. In the osode it was said that in order to renew life on earth they had to look for Ayana, who kept the secrets of life at the centre of the earth, on the banks of the river of life.

So Erin Oke (the elephant) set out at once in search of Ayana, since life was fading from the earth. He reached Ayana, but Ayana refused to come out and fought against him. Erin Oke killed him and kept the symbol of life, preserving the secret of life. Oduduwa consecrated him with the name of Laye, the owner of the world, and he became known as Ayanaku, the one who killed Ayana and saved Ilé Ife.

That is why, when the elephant is about to die, it goes far off in search of the grave of Ayanaku, and so, through wars and catastrophes alike, life goes on among men.

When Oduduwa gave power and good fortune to awo abaye

On this path, in the land of Ikaniye, lived Awo Abeyeni Ifá, a great sage with extraordinary powers. He always kept his head covered with sage. For all his greatness and his powers, he lived worried about his son, named Omo Ifá Obaye. He knew his son had good fortune, but did not live in keeping with his destiny. The son was the child of Iya Orun, born in the land of Ikabaye, ruled by Oduduwa. His mother, Iya Orun, however, did not believe in Oduduwa and cursed him constantly.

Oduduwa left that land as Omo Ifá Baye, and the mother went on cursing him. But those curses, through the great power of Oduduwa, worked to Ifá Baye’s benefit. Oduduwa came to the land of Ikabaye and covered Awo Abeyeni Ifá entirely with sage, while he sang and cleansed him with a black rooster. «Eñi Adie, Adie Makokun, Adie Sarayeye, Eni Odu Shangó Abaniye Ikú Nayaorun». Then he poured blood over his head and body with the rooster, and they came to the river. Oduduwa threw the rooster in along with the sage and washed Awo Abeyeni Ifá’s head with the water of the river. Afterwards he gave him a young dove and sang to him: «Orí Loniyegue, Orí Fonibawao, Iré Aye«. Oduduwa told him to keep walking, and that wherever he arrived he would meet with hardship but would have good fortune, until he reached the land of Baba Ningun, where he would first meet Ozain and Elegbá, who would help him in many things.

When you see them, greet them and sing to them or call them: «Ogunda Ka Kakalaye Lorun, Ogunda Ka Kakalaye Iré Aye, Ogunda Ka Kakaliye Beyiwa, Ogunda Ka Ozain Ori Bawa Lorun». Then you throw yourself to the ground before Ozain and Elegbá, and they bless you and say to you: «Come with us, we shall give you great powers so that you may live well in this land, but you will have to make an invocation to a Saint named Shangó and Oshosi, so that together we may consecrate you». Elegbá sets out on his way because Ozain sends him, carrying a bell and saying: «Jekua Osha Eni Aye, Ogunda Ka Yewá Ni Ifá«. Shangó comes with the father of Omo Ifá Obaye, named Abeniye Ifá, covered in sage. Elegbá kneels and says to him: «Come with me to where Ozain is». Ozain tells Abeyeni Ifá, the father of Omo Abaye, that his son’s peace of mind depends on their getting Oduduwa to come to this land. Shangó says they must go and fetch Oduduwa, and they set off with the bell ringing, carrying a pair of eyele and sage, because Shangó knows that Oduduwa is ill. Shangó and Elegbá set out on their way, carrying a white rooster in the left hand, and they sing: «Oduduwa Jekua Baba Oduduwa, Oduduwa Akualeyeni Jekua Oduduwa Baba Moforibale».

Oduduwa hears the song, but he is unsettled and cannot rise. He almost kneels before the ceiba, and Shangó, seeing him, feeds around the ceiba and sings: «Baba Ori Bewao Oduduwa Awuele Kun, Oduduwa Awo Olofin Jekua Baba Beyele Awelokun Jekua Baba Oduduwa Bilari Oduduwa«. Oduduwa shakes himself and lays his head at the foot of the ceiba, and Ozain, the father Ifá Abeyeni and Omo Ifá Abaye kneel beside Oduduwa, take the sage and offer him two roosters, and remove from his head what he had upon it. Oduduwa embraces Shangó, Oshosi and Elegbá, and says to them: «I swear to help and to bless, and to give the power of good fortune to Awo Abaye».

On this path, the awó of this oddun must receive Oduduwa in order to have good fortune and to get ahead in life.