Ogunda Otura

The ram and the dog

On this path, Oggún and Shangó travelled together. Oggún always took a ram with him, and Shangó went wherever he pleased with a dog (aya). There was a great friendship between Oggún and Shangó, so much so that where one was, the other was too.

One day Shangó and Oggún went to a feast and both were enjoying themselves. Oggún, caught up in the celebration, asked Shangó to look after his ram (abo) for a while, since he was busy. Shangó agreed to watch it for as long as Oggún was occupied. But it happened that, in the middle of the merrymaking, Shangó and his companions grew hungry. Seeing the ram he was keeping for Oggún, Shangó said to his companions: «Don’t you think we’re hungry by now? Why don’t we eat this ram?» Shangó’s friends ate it in no time.

When the feast ended, Oggún looked for Shangó, as they always did whenever they went to a feast together. Oggún asked Shangó about his ram, and Shangó told him what he and his friends had done with it. Oggún flew into a rage against his friend Shangó, to the point of nearly coming to blows with him. But at that moment his eye fell on the dog (aya) that always accompanied Shangó, and in revenge he seized the animal, sank his teeth into its neck and began to suck its blood. As Oggún drank the dog’s blood, he liked it more and more, and his violent temper began to change into something calmer and more content as he savoured the blood of the aya. From that moment on, whenever he has the chance, Oggún eats the flesh of aya. And so his anger with Shangó came to an end.

“ Oggún Arere Kuanlo, Oggún Aya Kuanlo Oggún Arere Oggún Mokan Kualo Oggún Aya Kuanlo.”

Whenever a seating of Oggún is performed, an aya must be sacrificed seven days beforehand. Oggún’s cauldron is taken to the bush and there an aya is offered to him in sacrifice. Once sacrificed, the cauldron is covered with salvadera leaves and left in the bush for 7 days. Then, when it is brought back to the house, 3 doves must be offered in order to soften somewhat the force of the aya’s blood. The aya must be opened along the belly and hung in the yard of the house where the Santo is to be made. It is hung between two tall poles in front of the room of the bordón.

The path of Oshosi

On this path, Aye was the wife of Oshosi. He was a great womaniser and had many women. Because of this, Oshosi paid no attention to Aye, until he abandoned her altogether. Alumo, who at that time was a strong man, a womaniser and somewhat vain, served as go-between for Aye and Oshosi so that they might be reconciled. Aye went off with Alumo to the top of the mountain; not even Oshosi knew where she was or with whom she was living.

Oshosi’s life was one love affair after another. On one occasion, Alumo began boasting of how he had taken Oshosi’s woman away from him. Elegbá and Eshu heard those rumours and went into the city to speak with Oshosi. They told him that Alumo was saying he had taken his woman and was living with Aye. Oshosi paid it no mind, but another day Eshu and Oggún learned that Alumo was saying Oshosi was a coward. They went to tell Oshosi, who on hearing it flew into a rage and made ready with all his arrows to set off for the mountain. As Oshosi drew near, Alumo, seated at the summit, watched him, with Aye on his lap. From below Oshosi called out: «Alumo, come down, I am going to kill you.» Alumo held Aye clasped to his chest; Oshosi set his arrow, loosed it, killed Alumo and carried Aye back to his own land.

Receive Oshosi.

Orunmila’s despair

Orunmila had a very large house and many relatives. One day, in dire financial straits, he woke with fifteen cents to his name and felt deeply despondent. He thought: «I am going to take my own life.» He bought 2 eko and 5 corn cakes and made his way towards a hill. There he ate what he had brought, threw away the husks and the leftovers, and took hold of a vine with a long trailing length. As he was fitting it around his neck to hang himself, two wild doves came and said to him three times: «awo nagui aramako, awo nagui aramako». Orunmila, hearing them, asked: «What are they saying?» He watched them eating what he had thrown away and said: «I was about to take my own life, and yet others are in worse conditions than I am.» And he decided to leave; three days later great wealth came to him, for before deciding on suicide he had performed an ebó with 2 wild doves and had released them, and it was precisely they who saved him.

The awo of this Odun must not buy a house, for that will bring death upon him. The plant associated with this Ifá is the afoma, and in the Arará tradition it is known as guisimo.

When Oggún ate dog

On this path there was a village where nobody fed the dogs, and one day a man arrived who, seeing how thin they were, gave them food. He did so every day, and the dogs began to put on weight. After a time, Oggún came and asked the man what he was doing there. The man answered: «I am feeding the dogs.» Then Oggún saw one of the dogs and ate it. From that moment on, Oggún eats dog (specifically, dun dun dog).

When Oshún had no husband

On this path, Oshún had everything except a husband, and she decided to ask the hill, the mountains, the sky, the sun, the rivers, the road, the scrubland, the moon and all the rest to grant her a husband. After being disappointed, she finally went to Orunmila’s house, where he performed the osode for her and this Ifá came out, and he told her she must make the ebbó (the one listed above). Oshún told Orunmila that the very objects he was asking of her were precisely the ones she used to attract men, but despite this objection she agreed and performed the ebbó. The outcome was that afterwards Orunmila himself became her partner, and so the two of them were happy.

Because of this Ifá, Oshún’s eleke carries beads of Orunmila and Orunmila’s eleke carries coral. Also, because of this Ifá, the person must wear a piece of coral.

When Iño the coral refused to make ebbó

On this path, Iño, who was the coral, was a son of Obatalá, who granted him all riches, money and a house as his fortune. One day Iño went to Orunmila’s house, where the osode was performed for him and Ogunda Tetura came out in the Ifá. Orunmila told him to make an ebó with 16 eyele, to give 8 of them to Obatalá, and to ask to whom he should give the others so as to be able to enjoy what Obatalá had given him. But Iño, having already been given everything, decided not to make the ebó. Then Obatalá learned what Iño had done and, seeing his disobedience, cursed him and turned him into stone, saying: «You shall be the foundation of the earth.» Iño asked why he had been turned to stone and why he had lost everything. Obatalá answered: «I have taken it all from you because you are deeply disrespectful, since you did not carry out what Orunmila commanded you. For that reason, all I gave you I now take back, and I leave you in destitution.» This is why it is known that in Africa they turn stones into coral.

The betrayal of Shangó’s son

On this path, Shangó had acquired an imposing castle furnished with every comfort, and he decided to marry a beautiful maiden. Before long, Shangó had a son whom he taught the art of handling weapons, since he himself was a warrior and wished his son to become one like him. But Shangó did not notice that his son always coveted his possessions and, at times, gave orders inside the castle without his father’s consent.

One day Shangó gave his son a fine dagger as a gift. As time passed, the son’s desire to take his father’s place and own the castle grew ever stronger. Obsessed by it, the day came when the son, using the very dagger Shangó had given him, stabbed him in the back and killed him, taking for himself everything that had belonged to his father.

Property cannot be held in his own name.

The three brothers, omo Olofin

In the land of Abelere Yekun there lived three awoses who were brothers and descendants of Olofin. Their names were Awo Maddi, Awo Masoku and Awo Marosode. They were counsellors to Olofin, guiding him in what he should do on earth. One day they resolved to set out on a journey in search of greater knowledge, so as to become oba leri awo.

Awo Maddi was the first to leave, being the eldest and the wisest. Yet, having neither Olofin’s permission nor Orunmila’s guidance, he was lost in the land of Obaleri. Next came Awo Masoku’s turn, who was likewise a very wise awo and sure of himself. He too was lost in the land of Obaleri.

The only one left was Awo Marosode, the youngest and the least learned. He decided to rely on Orunmila and Olofin for his journey. Orunmila performed the osode for him and Ogunda Tetura came out, where Olofin told him that every awo who travelled must make an ebó and carry prepared secrets with him. He then told him he must take atitan from the savannah, atitan Deerita merin, atitan inle oke, atitan from a bibijagua nest, atitan elese araba and atitan elese ope, gungun of alakoso, gbogbo leri, 7 atare, afoshe of 21 igi, 1 adele, 3 atareaguma, 3 ewereyeye, eku, eja, otí, oñí, quicksilver, eru, obi, kola, aira and the ashé of the ebó. To this an akuko, 3 jio jio and one eyele were to be offered, invoking Laroye.

He was also to take a chain and set upon it: 1 pick, 1 scimitar, 1 ada, 1 sickle, 1 hook, 1 hoe, 1 crowbar, 1 awl, 1 iron mallet, 1 iron sledgehammer, an agboran of jiqui, 1 akofa, 1 axe, 1 rake and an okpele of metal with 7 small holes in the centre and 7 small notches along the edges. He was to wash them with ewe mokogun and ewe añai, and then invoke Laguede, offering an akuko and a dun dun eyele.

With these secrets, Awo Marosode set out for the land of Obaleri. On arriving, he was to give himself three jio jio on the head with inle oguere and to give osode to the first person he met. Awo Marosode set out on his journey and, on reaching Obaleri, gave himself the three jio jio on his head with inle oguere while singing:

«Baba yewe yewe leri Kayewe yewe yewe leri Baba Olofin yewe yewe leri.»

At that moment a man appeared who was spellbound by everything he witnessed. When Awo Mamarosode had finished, the man asked him whether he was a descendant of Olofin and Orunmila, to which he answered that he was, and he performed the osode for him. Ogunda Tetura came out in the man’s osode, and Awo Mamarosode performed an ebó for him, offering an akuko and an eyele to Oggún. Just then an aya passed by, and Awo Mamarosode told the man to take it and offer it to Oggún, while he sang: «Oggún Okuoo Olodumare Oggún Aya Damido».

The man began to convulse and was mounted by Oggún, scattering aya leaves all over his body. Awo Mamarosode said to him: «Before you, two others came seeking the secret of this land, which is Obaleri Iré Oma Olofin. But they did not invoke Olofin as you have done, and for that reason opaleri. You shall be the oluo (priest) of this land, and I swear you in with the secret of Obaleri Iré Oma Olofin.»

Then he handed him an agboran and told him to take the leri (feathers) of the jio jio with a little atitan. He also handed him other objects, including ada with which to cleanse his body, igi moruro, root of araba, root of ope, leri of etu, leri of aya, 16 atare, eru, obi, kola, aira, abifin, obi motwao, ikordie, and he told him to offer one jío jío okan and place it beside his Ifá, and to feed it every time he himself ate. Awo Mamarosode said to Oggún: «Those two who came before were my brothers.» Then Oggún brought out two smaller agboranes and said: «These were for them, but since they did not invoke Olofin, death came to the elder sons of Olofin.» Awo Mamarosode took the agboranes and handed them to the man, telling him they would live inside his Ifá, one on each hand, and that so they might always accompany him he must feed them jío jío and eyele with egun before they ate with his Ifá. And he sang to him: «Awo Maddi Ikú Poroweye Ikú Poroweye, Awo Masoku Oma Ikuro Ikú Poroweye».

Awo Mamarosode felt that the egun (spirits) of his brothers rejoiced greatly and swore to Olofin that they would always grant him «Iré Oma Olofin», so that he might become what they had not been able to be, that is, awo obaleri. And thus it was that Awo Mamarosode became the head of the land of Oggún, by the will of Olofin and Orunmila, and with the help of Awo Maddi and Awo Masoku.

The war among the olorori

In the land of Araba Ifá Odaye there was a great war among all the olori (chiefs) who wished to rule that land, which belonged to Oduduwa and Olofin. No one cared for anyone else and many people had lost their lives. In that place there lived an awo called Awo Akunifa Ogunda Tetura, who was forever begging Olofin to put an end to that state of affairs: «Olofin Fobae Ayani Odara Ope Llaiye».

Then Olofin said to Shangó and Oduduwa: «Go to the land of Araba Ifá Odaye and find out what is happening to Awo Akunifa, who is always bringing me complaints about that land.» Shangó and Oduduwa set off there and, on arriving, witnessed the fierce war being waged among the chiefs. Shangó tried to speak with them, but no one paid him any heed. Then Shangó said to Awo Akunifa Ogunda Tetura: «In this land they do not know the secret of Orun and Oboni, and you need that in order to live in the midst of so much war and envy. Let us go and seek it in the land of Oboni Layeo.» They set out, and on arriving Shangó began to call Oboni Layeo: «Oboni Layeo, Awoni Ifá Irelu Irelepo, Oboni Bokuoo Awolekun Ori Aye Enifa Oboni Layeo».

At that moment Akoedan and Aboedan rose up out of the earth, two egun (ancestral spirits) who guarded the entrance to that land. Shangó gave each of them an eyele meyi dun dun. Then the 16 Awoni Obini Oba Egun presented themselves, who were the keepers of the secret of Oba Orun. Shangó and Oduduwa prostrated themselves before them, paying them homage, and told them what Olofin had commanded, on account of the disorder in the land of Araba Ifá Odaye. The Awoni Obini Oba Egun agreed to perform the great secret of Orun, known as Oboni Eri Aye, so that Awo Akunifa Ogunda Tetura might govern that land by Olofin’s mandate.

They all set off, chanting: «Oshugbo Ogorofa Egun Orun Layeni, Shangó Orun Layeni Oduduwa». When they reached the place, they said to Awo Akunifa: «Here, at the foot of the Araba you have in your ilé (house), we shall consecrate the great secret.» They asked him to fetch an igba of obi; they washed it on the outside and painted it with osun and efun with the 16 meyis on its exterior, including Ogunda Tetura, Baba Ejiogbe, Irete Juan Juan. Then they took eñi adie and painted the same Oddun on them, placing four otases in each one (Ejiogbe, Oyekun Meyi, Iwori Meyi and Odi Meyi), and put it inside.

They poured epo over it, then took 21 unpeeled adele, washed them with the omiero and put them inside the igba. They placed the igba in the hand of Awo Akunifa Ogunda Tetura. Shangó and Oduduwa began to pray: «Ori Oun Lala Orunmila Akueni Ebora Orinile Onawede Oduduwa Egun Mawa Orun Adelenifa Ofun Adelenifa Orun Eleguedeni Enibona Eniwa Olorun Yikotin Enibona Olorun Yikosi Loni Osun Naburu Eleni Orun Adelenifa».

Then they told him: «Put this in the kutun ese araba, but first paint it with the four colours of the earth and, besides that, paint an atena Ifá in front of it.» They sang over each one of the Oddun: «Oddun Nile Eleni Awo Oddun Nifa».

Afterwards they took an eyele fun fun (a white dove) for each Oddun and for the secret of «Orun Oboni Eri Aye». They sang: «Eye Ni Eye Eyele Ni Olofin, Awo Ni Odara Ifá Leyere, Oduduwa Layere, Shangó Lashere, Ori Oboni Layere». They cast the leri (feathers) inside. Then they took an adie dun dun (a brown hen) and offered it in the same manner, singing: «Adie Majun Adie, Adele Oboni Ifá, Adie Majun Adie, Awo Odara Ori Odara».

Then they said to Awo Akunifa Ogunda Tetura: «Now you must come with us to be mounted on ‘Orun Bikú Ofun Eri Baye’.» They took an aya (ram) and added to it: ota ogbin, sea horse, damselfly, ota iman, atitan of inle Yewá, afoshe of a shard from an ituto jar, 9 ota keke of egun, leri of eyo, leri of aguema, leri ologbo, Eru, obi, kola, aira, oñí, obi motiwao, eri of egun, añari onika, añari ibulosa, root of araba, ogude ope, yagruma, indigo, carob, tamarind. They carried it to the nigbe (cemetery) and marked Ogunda Tetura on the ground. They cast sulphur and gave it iña, while they prayed: «Ogunda Oboni Tetura, Egun Awoni Ifá Mayebi, Oddun Eleni Ifá».

They gathered that earth with the sulphur and the iña and cast it into the aya. Then they set off for Onika and, on arriving, wrote Otura Niko and Irete Yero and called Olokun: «Otura Niko, Apaboni Egun Orun Waye Ikú, Irete Yero, Egun Balokun Shangó, Egun Igungun, Egun Odara, Olokun Wewe Inle Orun, Afefeokun». They added that añari inside the aya and made their way to Ibu Losa, where they marked Irete Juan Juan and prayed: «Irete Juan Juan Oboni Bokunagbayure, Enifa Awoni Borun Orun Laye Bewa, Enifa Enifa Molaño Molabo Ifá Orun Odaro». They put atitan from that place inside the aya.

Oduduwa handed him the «opon orun loye», a board carved with an eri egun at each of the four corners, and gave him an ileke dun dun. They told him to cast iyefa and to present the ileke to the four points of the opon, passing them across it and praying Ogunda Tetura, and then to put them inside the aya together with the ileke. They sealed the aya and lined it with dilogun, then placed it upon the secret of «orun oboni eri laye».

Olofin arrived and the 16 oboni bowed before him, offering him moforibale. Olofin stood upon the secret and ordered that Awo Akunifa Ogunda Tetura be laid down on a mat facing the secret. They gave him obori with eja tutu gan gan while he lay there, and the leri of the eja tutu was placed on Olofin’s eri. They sang: «Ori Olofin Ifá Lashere, Eri Oboni Awo Odara».

Then Shangó began to call the 16 oboni oba egun, and he called them thus:

1.- Okan koleni oni orun oboni awo odeboni ero oribashe awo orubo.
2.- Eyi oni orun oboni awo atekun otanla ori oshe oladi egun awo orubo.
3.- Eta oni orun oboni awo Ifá babayiwo adedeota awo oruboo.
4.- Erin oni orun awo oba orun asulola egun adede orun awo orubo.
5.- Arun oni orun oboni awo are orun aye ilu awo orubo.
6.- Efa ni orun oboni awo Ikú foruñi Ifá lode orun adedefaa awo orubo.
7.- Eye oni orun oboni awo ayeleogun orilele Ikú dada iyu ashele Ikú awo orun orubo.
8.- Eyo oni orun oboni awo obasha Ikú bawa adedeyo awo orubo.
9.- Esan oni orun oboni awo etalofun oba egun aun mesaran Ikú awo orubo. 10.- Ewa oni orun aboni awo ori obasami orue aun mewa wawalona Ikú awo orubo.
11.- Okanla oni orun oboni awo orun ori ololoye enifa aun okanla ire egun awo orubo.
12.- Eyila oni orun oboni awo agba Ikú wiyo Olorun ewefa adedelawa orun awo orubo.
13.- Etanla oni orun oboni awo orun isogan oshe aun etanla Ikú awo orubo.
14.- Erinla oni orun oboni awo obokun Ikú oboni oshemowe adederin orun awo orubo.
15.- Arunla oni orun oboni awo orun oboni Ikú bolayokun Ofin arunlashe awo orubo.
16.- Medilogun orun oboni awo oboni oni yumu Olofin ebowioshe adedefa orun awo orubo.

Then Shangó placed upon their heads a leri of eja oro together with atare, epo, orí, efun, eru, obi, kola. Afterwards he took an abo and 16 eyele and gave them to the secret, together with Olofin and Oduduwa, and the 16 oboni who were being transformed into egun. Shangó himself began to eat, and at that moment it began to rain and odu-ara fell upon that land. One fell that broke into pieces, and each oboni took one. The elders of that land went to the house of Awo Akunifa Ogunda Tetura and, seeing the secret with the 16 oboni, they were struck with fear and bowed down. Olofin said to them: «From now on, these oboni will be charged with punishing anyone who does evil in this land.» He left them living beside the secret, one on each side, and so ended the war of the olori in that land. Awo Akunifa Ogunda Tetura remained tending that secret which Olofin had delivered, with the help of Shangó, Oduduwa and the 16 oboni.

One takes leri of egun, ikodie, odu-ara, eja oro, 16 atare, epo, orí, efun, eku, eja, eru, obi, kola, aira, osun, leri of abo gunugun, owl, atitan araba, inle Yewá, root of araba, iroko. They are given an eyele, akuko and etu, and the leri are placed inside. With that the agboranes are loaded. These are washed with carob, araba, yaten, ou, iroko Peregun, atiponla, ewe akoko, yenkoko, yokoye, atori, ewe Tentenifa, ewe odundun, ewe mokogun, ewe añai and paraíso. These agboranes eat with the secret and live on either side of it, wearing an ileke fun fun with 9 dilogunes and an ileke dun dun with a tusk of ekun. The other two agboranes at the door are called «akoedan and aboedan». These carry no loads; they are washed and fed, and are buried at the door joined by a chain. Each one eats an eyele dun dun and they live there.

The curujey

The curujey went off to live as a parasite in the highest branches of the trees of the forest, which stirred the envy of the others. They complained to Olofin, who went out in search of the curujey. On finding him, Olofin asked: «My son, what are you doing up there?» The curujey, understanding the betrayal he was falling victim to, answered at once: «It is that I want to be as close as possible to your presence; that is why I am here, so as to entreat you and to see you better.» Then Olofin said to him: «Very well, you may stay where you are.»

When he did not attend to the saints

On this path, Awo Nagi greatly revered Orunmila and all the saints, but because he did not attend to them properly, sometimes things went well for him and sometimes badly, since he did not know how to conduct himself with the Saints. One day, worn out and weary of coping with family troubles, he decided to take his own life. He told his wife he was going out to the countryside to gather herbs, but in truth he meant to kill himself far from home. Before leaving, he left his wife half of the money he had left, and with the other half he bought the items for the ebbó.

After performing the ebbó and asking Ifá’s forgiveness for what he was about to do, he made his way into the woods with the ebbó. There he released the eyele and began to eat the corn cakes and the eko, watching how the eyele ate the crumbs of the cakes and the eko, feeding themselves on that. In that moment he understood how mistaken he had been and how wrong the attitude he had taken towards life was, and so he decided to return home.

On arriving, he found three people waiting for him to give them osode. He then took the vine with which he had meant to hang himself and handed it to Oshún as an offering.

Give thanks to all the Saints, carry out spiritual investigations, keep a monkey in the house, clean and sweep the house down with herbs. Keep doves loose in the house and place ishu so that the vine may sprout. Study in order to acquire knowledge of the Saints and of Ifá.

The ugly bird

There was a very ugly bird that possessed no special feature, not even in its plumage, and despite its ugliness it was surrounded by enemies who wished to do it harm. The bird, realising this, decided to go to Orunmila’s house to undergo a consultation of Ifá, and in that process the odu Ogunda Tetura was revealed. Orunmila told it to perform an ebó and to hang an asia in its home. The bird followed the instructions to the letter.

Whenever the bird was out in the countryside, Oggún protected it and no one could harm it. And when it was at home in the city, Shangó likewise watched over it. In time the people, who had formerly been its enemies, grew accustomed to seeing it and began to respect it.

Ikan ogu

Ogunda Tetura was an awo who was forever besieged by Ikan Ogu, and the troubles he had were unceasing. The burden and the suffering became so overwhelming that one day he decided to take a rope and hang himself. When his spirit rose to Orun Arere, he wept all the more, for he realised that the omologu who had tormented him for so many years was his own godfather. Then Olofin and Shangó said to him: «You have come before your time, that is, before your destiny. Now you will dwell among the egun and you will descend again to Inle Isalaye, this time as a shadow of Orun, so that you may remain there for the years you had left to live.» And so he became a black shadow and descended with the power of Olofin and Shangó, and began to destroy his godfather until he brought him to the grave. He went on working in Inle Isalaye until his time was fulfilled. Then he ascended once more, now purified, and was received by his godfather. Olofin joined the two of them together, and they remained with Shangó in Ode Orun, to help the egun who, like themselves, decide to take their own lives.

In relation to this Ifá, it is asked whether the iré (good fortune) is Timbelaye or Timbelerun.

When ologbo did not keep his word to Orunmila

Elegodo, an ounce who belonged to the family of the ologbo (the cat), borrowed from Omotekun (the panther) and undertook to repay him by going every day for a year to work for him at his house.

Elegodo went for three months, but one day he failed to come and Omotekun sent his son to find out what had happened to him. Elegodo made his excuses and said he was ill and for that reason could not come. Omotekun’s son returned and told his father everything, and his father said: «That is an excuse to avoid meeting his obligations, and one day I shall settle accounts with him.»

The next day Elegodo went to work, but after three months he stopped going. Omotekun’s son went to see Elegodo again, and Elegodo told him: «Tell your father I am still ill.» From then on, prudently, Elegodo stayed at home to avoid running into Omotekun. Sensing the war that was coming, Elegodo went to Orunmila’s house, where he was given the osode and this Ifá was seen.

One day Omotekun went hunting and came before Elegodo’s house. He began circling the house and took the ram’s head that was in the igba. He said to himself: «I am going to eat the ram Elegodo has in the yard and then finish him off.» But when he leapt, the crossbar snapped and fell on him, injuring his kidneys. He had to go away hurt, without collecting the debt, and Elegodo celebrated the power of Ifá. Afterwards, however, Elegodo tried to cheat Orunmila out of what was due to him, and Orunmila called Ozain and said to him: «Eat her, since she holds great power for you.»

Here ologbo is given to Ozain so that he may fulfil what Orunmila indicates.

The two brothers, the good one and the bad one

Eyo (tragedy) was the brother of Ogunda Tetura. On this path, Ogunda Tetura was born first and then Eyo, who was the mischievous one. Ogunda Tetura had been told to let no one sleep in his house. However, it happened that his brother Eyo was going about doing wicked things and was fleeing from the law. When at last they had him cornered, Eyo went to where his brother was and, finding himself in that plight, asked him for shelter for three days.

Ogunda Tetura took pity on Eyo and granted it to him on the condition that he leave at daybreak. But Eyo was idle and slothful, and ended up falling asleep tangled in the tree, which was Ogunda Tetura’s «ilé».

The king of that land had put a price on Eyo’s head, so everyone was looking for him without success. But since the sun beat down on Eyo, who was at the top of the tree, he gradually rolled over until at last he fell. In that condition, Eyo’s enemies caught him and killed him.

ACCOUNT:

When the ebbó is performed, the needles are taken and buried in the ground. The mortar is taken and placed beside Shangó; then eyerbale of akuko is offered, letting it fall over the mortar and into the hole where the needles are. Immediately afterwards, the hole is covered with the mortar and the person sits down. The person’s head is rested against the wall and the kobori eleda is performed with the two eyele fun fun. When the blood is poured over the head, it must run down the wall until it reaches the floor. Afterwards, the owunko is offered to Oggún, the head is taken and given 7 stabs, and is then covered with a cloth. Oggún is then asked where he wants it taken and for how many days it is to be left there.

Ogunda Tetura told him he must quickly give a ram to Shangó and place the ram’s head in an igba, leaving it in the yard of the house propped against a stake.

The two brothers were of the same kind, one bad and the other good. The ceremony is to prevent the bad one from bringing about the death of the good one.