Ojuani Otura

The younger brother was the one who saved him

The deposed Oba accepted the condition imposed by his younger brother and handed over control of his kingdom to him. The elder brother, who had lost everything and had taken refuge in his brother’s land, found himself once more in a position of power thanks to his younger brother’s intervention.

From that moment on, the two brothers began to work together to rebuild the kingdom and restore peace to the region. The younger brother used his wisdom and leadership to guide the kingdom, while the elder brother learned from his past mistakes and became a loyal and respectful ally.

As time passed, the kingdom prospered under the joint reign of the two brothers. Together they put in place just policies and promoted the wellbeing of their people. Their reconciliation not only brought stability to the kingdom; it also strengthened the bond between them as brothers.

From then on, the two brothers ruled in harmony, always remembering the hard times of the past and valuing the importance of forgiveness and family unity. Their story became a lesson in perseverance, forgiveness and reconciliation for everyone in the kingdom and for the generations to come.

The daughter of the hen’s egg

On this path there lived an extremely poor man named Tetelono, who did not even have a wife. He fed on field mice, and his cloak and trousers were made of mouse skin. One day, as he was leaving his humble hut to hunt mice in the bush, he came across an Eñi Adie and said to himself: «I will eat this Eñi Adie when the wind blows from that side», and he kept it in his house. The man went on with his search for mice, and when he returned to his hut he put the egg in a safe place, waiting for the wind to blow from the direction he had named so that he could eat it.

The next day he went out to the bush as usual to hunt mice, and when he came back in the afternoon he found a piece of freshly baked bread and freshly prepared oti. This happened several days in a row. He asked himself in astonishment: «If I have no wife, who but a wife could be baking bread and preparing oti?».

One day a beautiful woman came out of the egg and said to Tetelono: «Even when you are drunk on oti, never call me omo of Eñi Adie». From that moment on, that young woman became Tetelono’s wife.

One day she asked him: «Tetelono, would you like to have people under your command?». He said that he would. The woman left the hut and began to beat the place where the ashes were thrown. The next day, when Tetelono woke, he heard a great commotion as of a crowd of people. He had become a chief; he was dressed in jackal skin, and his hut had turned into a great mansion. Around it stretched a large town full of people who came to him with their petitions, and from every side they cried out to him: «Hail, chief! Hail, chief!». Tetelono was the chief of that immense town.

Tetelono began to grow proud and came to despise his old clothes made of mouse skin; he had them burned and from then on wore only garments made from jackal hides. At night he covered himself with warm blankets.

One day Tetelono got so drunk on oti that he could not move, and he began to shout at his wife: «Daughter of a hen’s egg — yes, that is what I call you, you are a daughter of a hen’s egg». That night Tetelono lay down well wrapped in the jackal hides and fell fast asleep. At midnight he woke feeling cold, and reaching out he realised he was lying on the hard ground, covered by his old mouse skins, which barely reached his knees. He realised his wife was not beside him and that she was inside his old hut. Filled with fear, he got up and saw that the town no longer existed. In that moment he remembered everything and cried out sadly: «Oh, what will become of me? Why did I shout at her, ‘daughter of a hen’s egg’? Why could I not keep that secret?».

Tetelono became once again an extremely poor man, without wife or children. He grew old and died, feeding only on mouse meat and wearing the dried skins of those animals.

NOTE: It is the woman who grants the good fortune one enjoys. Do not mistreat or insult her, because the day she leaves you, you will never lift your head again. You will die poor, hungry, without clothes and filthy. This Ifá deals with bindings. You made a pact with an eggun, you received it and you carried it to its destination.

Here the quimbisa was born, the Ifá of adulteries and deceptions, since a man is lost through mistreating his wife. The person is shameless and will go on being so.

The two foremen

There was a foreman much loved by all his workers, but he had an enemy who constantly contradicted him, claiming that he was too old to lead and ought to be replaced. The boss decided to replace him, giving in to his opponent’s wish.

The new foreman, on taking up the post, ordered work to stop so as to celebrate his triumph, and spent three days feasting without working.

The displaced foreman, who was a son of Yemayá, decided to consult Oshún, and this Ifá came out in the oracle. He was marked to do an ebo with two akuko and an iron ingot. He performed the ebo and the akuko were offered to Yemayá together with the ebo. Then Orunmila told him: «Take it to the wharf and tie the ingot to the keel of one of the boats moored there». The dismissed foreman followed the instructions, taking advantage of the fact that everyone was busy with the festivities and did not notice what he was doing at one of the vessels.

When the celebration ended and each man went back to his post, those in charge of the barge could not move it however hard they tried. They had to call the new foreman, but not even he could get the boat to sail. As a result, work at the wharf came to a halt.

Faced with this, the owner of the wharf decided to look for the old foreman, judging that he had more experience than the newcomer to solve the problem. When the old foreman took up his position again, Yemayá, by her virtue, released the ingot from that vessel, which allowed it to begin sailing and work at the wharf to resume.

The new foreman, seeing his failure and finding himself dismissed, got drunk and went looking for his sister, who was a daughter of Oshún and used to give him good advice, though he never listened. In that moment, while she was trying to counsel him, he struck her so hard that he killed her. Then he hid the body in the hold of a ship. However, because of the traces he left in his drunken state, it was discovered who had been responsible. The law arrested him and tried him for the murder of his sister.

This patakín warns about the traces one may leave in a place and the trouble they can bring. Fingerprints and glass arose here. The load of this Elegbá carries glass in its secret. He has no fixed dwelling. A personal item is kept together with the head of an Eggun inside. It speaks of an enemy who wants to take his job, his position, or usurp his rights. Because of drink, he may commit a shameful act that will weigh on him for as long as he lives.

The hunter

In the first times of creation, the forests were lashed by a relentless cold and Ojuani Alakentu could barely find anything to quiet his hunger. He realised that the plant foods he used to gather from the ground were growing scarcer and scarcer. Ojuani Alakentu began to look for another source of food, but what he found did not stay still: it moved from place to place, fleeing from those who pursued it. In despair, Ojuani Alakentu consulted the oracle and saw this Ifá, his oddun, which marked him to do an ebbo. The new food was meat, and as he and his tribe ate it more often it made them stronger and let them devote more time to work. Yet snow, storms and cold made hunting in the forest difficult, so it was necessary to keep stores of meat for the winter.

This led Ojuani Alakentu and his tribe to leave the forest, since they had to follow the animals and extend their range into the plains and valleys, places where they could not have survived had they gone on depending only on gathered roots and fruits. Ojuani Alakentu underwent a transformation in becoming a hunter, imposing himself once more upon the natural elements.

The time came, however, when it was necessary to seek larger animals, and on the plains there was a great variety of them, such as the gigantic mammoth, which advanced slowly and without noise, like a moving mountain. Ojuani Alakentu liked the meat of these animals very much and devoted himself to hunting them, which became common among the tribes.

Kaferefun Orunmila, Kaferefun Oshosi, Kaferefun Azojuano!

The ebbo is taken before San Lázaro the hunter.

The self-sufficient brother

There were two brothers, one a son of Yemayá and the other a son of Obatalá. The younger brother, son of Yemayá, believed he knew everything and considered himself able to solve all his problems by himself. One day he separated from his elder brother and faced a war against some pirates who arrived and very nearly destroyed him altogether. He sent a group of his followers to his elder brother’s land to ask for help. In response, the elder brother swiftly sent his soldiers to his aid.

After defeating the pirates, the son of Yemayá did not know how to face his elder brother. When they finally met, the elder brother said to him: «However much you believe you know, I will always know more than you, because I have the experience you have not yet acquired».

This patakín teaches that, however much knowledge one may have, it is important to respect one’s elders.

The peacock: the secret of Eshu Alakentu is born

On this path, the land of Alakentu was born, ruled by Elegbara. Elegbara, however, had a secretary named agboyami, a peacock, to whom he entrusted his secrets. Although agboyami lived comfortably in Elegbara’s house, he was a complicated creature and was not sincere.

Elegbara had an omo (son) named Yobi Ifá, who warned him to be careful with agboyami, since he was not trustworthy. But Elegbara did not believe Yobi Ifá’s words, considering him too young in Ifá.

Agboyami managed to obtain great power and always spread out his beautiful tail. Seeing him like that, Elegbara would sing: «obogbo Yobi Wawa Lodo Oyá Guare Agbo«. The people of the land of Alakentu would come to see Agboyami, and Elegbara would begin to divine for them, and everyone respected his words.

Ozain, who knew that Agboyami was malicious and would betray Elegbara, warned him, but Elegbara paid him no heed. As time went on, Elegbara kept performing the same ceremony, but Agboyami would sometimes appear and go to Elegbara’s secrets to perform ceremonies of his own. He would sing: «oni mayoro orun oyu toribashe Elegbara» and would receive the offerings and scatter them across the land of Alakentu to conceal what he was doing. But Yobi Ifá, who had seen it all, went out weeping and singing along the road: «Olona Omo Soku Omolu Yobi Ifá Olokun Ade Bibo She Agboyami». Weeping, he made his way to Olokun, who listened to him and began to sing: «bara Hara Alakentu Omo Leri Yobi Alakentu».

Elegbara, who was nearby with Ozain advising him, heard the suyere and the two of them went in that direction. They saw Yobi Ifá kneeling before Olokun, laying out his complaints about Agboyami’s doings. Elegbara also knelt before Olokun and swore to him that he would listen to his son. Olokun told Elegbara that he must swear his son into the great secret of Alakentu, and that they must seek out Obatalá and Oduduwa to consecrate him, but that first they had to strip Agboyami of all his power. Olokun said to Ozain: «You will be the one to go to the place where Agboyami’s secret is kept; you will break it and take all the juju that hang throughout the land of Alakentu, so that everyone may see what is about to happen».

Elegbara sought out Oduduwa and Obatalá, and together, along with the other orishas, they began to sing: «agboyami, Agboyami Obeye Ku Ikú Aba Ala Eri Moyare Fo». Agboyami began to dance with his juju raised, and at that moment Ozain burned them. Agboyami, looking down at his feet, began to spin around. Elegbara seized the chance and snatched the crown from Agboyami, who was shamed and lowered all the juju of his tail. He was subjected to an ituto, a rite of purification.

Oduduwa and Obatalá strung a black and white necklace, took Agboyami’s juju and consecrated Omo Yobi Ifá. Ozain handed him a staff and said: «Here is your great secret, so that you may be the king of this land». Elegbara rejoiced greatly and paid homage (moforibale) to all the orishas who were present. He began to sing: «omo Iré Mawao Elegbara Tari Loshe Iré Bawao Omo Alakentu».

NOTE: This is the suyere sung on this path. The first orisha to be crowned was Eshu Alakentu, because here the great secret of Eshu Alakentu was born. When the peacock looks at its feet, it is shamed. When the peacock dies, the ituto must be performed for it. This Ifá speaks of complexes. If the indications of the oddun are followed, one can live well; otherwise, success will never be reached.

The path of the two brothers

There was a territory near the land of Abo Okuta where Awo Ojuani Alakentu was the owner and king. He had two sons, and the elder of them believed he had more rights than the younger.

The king had a wharf called Ibu Nibu, where everyone had to pay a toll in order to cross to the capital. Finding himself old, he entrusted the business to his elder son. One day, however, the elder son began to mistreat the slaves who ferried people to the capital, where Oko Iba Igui was worshipped and offerings were made to the ancestors on set days.

One day, without his father’s authorisation, the elder son brutally whipped three slaves. One of them died, another got an infection in his foot, and the youngest said to him: «You whipped us for no reason, but your punishment will come. You are the king’s son, but you do not know who we are». At that moment the king’s younger son arrived and stopped his brother from going on mistreating the slave, saying: «Now I am going to tell father about this».

The sons did not know that their father was an Awo of Orunmila, so on hearing what his younger son said about the elder, the father consulted Ifá to resolve the situation. Ifá revealed that it was too late for the elder son, since he had mistreated a son of Oggún, one of Eshu and one of Azojuano.

Faced with this, the father reprimanded his elder son, but the son did not believe in Ifá. So the father charged the younger son with making a rogación with Owunko, Akuko, an Oko Iba (it must be a güiro), Ofa meta… The younger son carried out the rite and then took the post his father had previously given to his elder brother. Thanks to his intelligence and his courteous manner, the young man quickly won the goodwill of the wharf workers and of the town.

Faced with this, the elder brother slandered his younger brother before their father, going so far as to demand that he be stripped of his post. The father, however, would not agree to it. The elder son flew into a rage, insulted his father, and when the father ordered him arrested, the elder son escaped and fled into the forest.

Shortly after entering the forest, a violent storm of rain and wind broke out. The river burst its banks and, as he was passing beneath a tree, a heavy branch fell on him and knocked him unconscious. He was swept along by the wind and carried away by the waters. On learning of the tragedy that had befallen his elder son, the father stopped charging the toll for crossing the river, and the younger son became the prince, being consecrated in Ifá in the land of Abo Okuta.

In time, the king’s son gained dominion over most of that land, which led the father to try to destroy him. He could not do it, however, because the son had been born under his own Ifá and had come to dethrone him in order to carry out what his father had not done, which was to work in Ifá instead of remaining at the wharf. Soon the son achieved his purpose, after the death of his father, Ojuani Alakentu.

This path indicates that the son comes to dethrone his father and to fulfil on earth what his father could not do, which is to work in Ifá.

The mad prince

This Ifá speaks of whims and of mental disorders. On this path, people want to impose their own whims above the customs and rules accepted by everyone. Each one seeks to do whatever comes into their head without considering the consequences. To avoid this, it is recommended to gather earth from four different places and make an ebo with it, using a malaguidi loaded with those earths and following Orunmila’s indications.

Eyele must be fed together with Orun, and then the ebo is made and taken directly to be placed upon a crag or stone standing out in the middle of the river, offering an akuko as well. Each year the awo must summon the spirit in that place in order to receive its help and to prevent it from holding dominion over him.

This Ifá also points to the godfather’s dominion over the godchild and, in turn, to the imbalance this can create in the godchild through the godfather’s advice. It further indicates someone’s dominion over the person who comes seeking guidance and counsel.

In the land of Odo there lived an awo named Awo Odo, who was very wilful and fond of having everyone do what he wanted. When he failed to get his way, fits of madness came over him and he would order the death of those who did not obey him.

He ruled the power of the river, and it happened that in the middle of the river there was a great rock where Awo Okuta lived. Awo Okuta did not hold the power of the kingdom, but he was very well regarded by Olofin for his obedience and his strength. Every day, when the water struck that rock, Awo Odo would say to Awo Okuta: «One day I will take you out of my way, since because of you I have to divert my powers and cannot dominate everyone». To which Awo Okuta would reply: «If it were up to me I would withdraw, but Olofin placed me here so that you would know that we must live together and get along. However, since you are the elder in this land, with your crown, you believe you have more rights than I do. And that is why Olofin does not allow you to destroy me or to wipe out my existence. What would become of the small ones if the greatest used his power to trample them?».

Awo Odo would not listen to what Awo Okuta told him, and grew ever more insistent in his drive to dominate and destroy, sowing envy and hatred among everyone in his land.

Weary of so much struggle, Awo Okuta went to Orunmila’s house to ask for counsel. Orunmila told him: «Remember that this is the land of Ojuani Alakentu, where enemies are always fighting one another. Each day their hatred and envy will grow stronger. But they will not be able to defeat you so long as you follow the precepts of Ifá, because Olofin has created you as an example to be cared for all your life and to help your fellow beings». Orunmila marked him an ebo, and when it was finished he said: «Remember that your land is ruled by a king who is mad and who always calls Orunmila by the name of Orun. Olofin will not let him defeat you, because beside you lives Igui Amugara, which is the invincible power of Orun Salekun Orun. Only once will it happen, one day a year, one hour a year, when Olofin allows his power to swell and harden. But keep yourself humble in your place, and call upon the power of Igui Amugara with an eyele dun dun and this prayer: ‘Igui Amugara Efe O Mogbo Ni Soku Afe O Mogbo Ni Fokun’».

After that time, when he reaches you, he will have to be meek and turn the course of his powers aside, because against the power of Ifá there is no crown on earth that can prevail.

Awo Okuta followed to the letter everything Orunmila had indicated, and little by little the people of that land began to see that Awo Odo was an Awo Siguiere, while Ogbe was the heir prince. Those who had followed him before abandoned him, and at last, realising that his powers were being turned aside, Awo Odo sank into his own rage and madness until he destroyed himself.

Thus the word of this Ifá was fulfilled.

Where Oshagriñan came down to earth

On this path, Oshagriñan came down to earth to establish respect and discipline. At that time the Ebara fun fun were created, the first inhabitants who are now the orishas. They were all androgynous and the world was upside down. It was then that Olofin entrusted Orunmila with the task of putting that situation right.

Orunmila visited the various Ebara fun fun seeking help, but they all refused, each giving his own reasons. Only an old warrior named Oshagriñan, who was also Oshade and had the habit of eating mashed ishu, accepted the charge. He tied a twisted leather belt around his chest, along with his magic güiro and his sword, and went to be read so as to know what he should do. In his reading of Ifá he committed himself to going down with Orunmila to earth, and an ebo was marked for him, which he carried out strictly, along with the Kofibori Eleda and the Etu. Then he set out for earth with his magical preparation.

In the land of Eyigbo he summoned all the beings who lived there and explained to them that the way they were living could not go on. He told them that the earth needed men and women who would join together and people it, and that the Ebara had to lead and receive the power of Olofin in order to guide those men and women. The Ebara, fearing his power, abandoned Ode Aiye and went off to Ode Orun. Then Oshagriñan, drawing on his power and on the Ashe of Ojuani Alakentu, granted permission to procreate to a pair of beings to whom the Ebara had denied that right.

This pair were called Ida Murin, the male, and Eyela, the female. It was they who gave rise to the first man and the first woman on the face of the earth, and Oshagriñan was the one who established the bond between the Ebara and human beings.

Therefore, from that time on this Orisha has been known as Oshagriñan Oba Eyigbo Orisha Nile Olodumare Isiko Ojuani Alakentu.

In memory of what Ode Aiye owes to Oshagriñan, this Orisha is attributed a belt of goat leather with a small güiro hanging from it, inside which a stone from a hill and a silver chain are placed. An Akuko fun fun is also offered to him. As a remembrance of the power granted by Orunmila, he carries a Malaguidi loaded with leri of Gunugun and Eye of Elegguá, and the leri is prayed over with Etu Meyi.

The Ozain of Oshagriñan is kept inside a cedar bowl placed at his side. Ojuani Alakentu came down to earth with that power because in Ode Orun he had no order, and thanks to Obatalá he was able to save himself and obtain powers on earth.

: The secret of Ojuani Alakentu’s endurance lies in respect and discipline, since Obatalá is fundamental, both through the virtue of Orunmila in bringing him to Ode Aiye with his power and through his destruction and annihilation. In this Oddun, Adie Meyi fun fun is offered to Obatalá, and an Orisha named Agbala is also received, a fun fun Orisha who dwells in the Peregun tree and is placed in the yard.

Olugara the disobedient

There was a father with several children, and the eldest was called Olugara, who was disobedient, stubborn, quarrelsome and a maker of trouble. For this reason the father, worn out, told him one day to go and roam the world in search of fortune through the land of Yeran.

Olugara set out for the land of Ilu Yeran, but he was not well received there, since he thought himself superior to everyone else. He argued with all and stirred up conflicts, which earned him enmity. Not feeling at ease in Ilu Yeran, he fell ill and sores broke out on his legs and feet, on top of stomach troubles. He decided to leave that land and head for Dahome. First, however, he had to cross a long stretch of sea, where Olokun said to him: «Son, change your ways so that in time to come you do not find yourself alone and turned into a vagrant».

Olugara, following Olokun’s counsel, reached the land of Dahome adopting a humble bearing, and was well received there, just as Oluo Popo had been in the past. At first Olugara behaved properly, but then he began to behave badly, forgetting Olokun’s counsel and trying to prove his wisdom and superiority over the natives of that land. This brought upon him the hatred and enmity of those who had received him well, and so he had to leave. Before departing he consulted Oluo Popo, who advised him to change his ways and, in order to be cured, to receive him and his companion, Eshu Afra, and to stop eating grains and anything from the innards of animals.

Bad son, bad father, bad husband and bad friend

There was once a married couple with several children, and among them one believed himself superior to the rest. This arrogant brother felt great envy towards one of his elder brothers, because he thought their mother preferred him above all the others. He decided to set a trap for him and invited him out for a walk.

The mother, who knew her children well, found out about this and immediately warned her elder son not to accept the invitation. She saw the malice and the wish to kill in her other son’s eyes, driven by envy.

The ill-intentioned brother, however, had overheard the conversation and grew so enraged that he came out of his hiding place, struck his mother with a heavy object and left her dead. Then he went off, abandoning his brother with the body and expecting him to fend for himself.

The brother whom everyone considered slow and dull began to weep inconsolably. But he soon composed himself and decided to teach his brother a lesson. He took his mother’s lifeless body in his arms and carried it to the riverbank. There he washed her, cleaning the blood from her body, dressed her in her finest clothes and laid her against a tree trunk as though she were resting after hard work. Then he hid among the vegetation, waiting for what was about to happen.

A short while later, a man came along the road. Seeing that beautiful woman resting against the tree trunk, he knelt at her side and exclaimed: «What a beautiful woman!» He tried to touch her, but the body fell to the ground, lifeless as it was, which startled and terrified the poor man.

Then the young man came out of his hiding place in deep grief and began to reproach the luckless traveller: «Oh, sir, you have killed my beloved mother! Now you will receive the punishment you deserve. But if you do not want this to be made known and the tribe to condemn us, give me compensation for your crime so as to ease my suffering».

Indignant, the traveller, aware of his innocence in that crime, flatly refused to satisfy the young man’s demands and declared that he would pay no tribute for a crime he had not committed. Even so, the young man persisted and brought his case before the tribe’s tribunal, accusing the innocent man of murder. The tribunal decided to impose a heavy fine on the man, who would have to pay it if he wished to avoid a worse fate. Faced with this, the man had no choice but to meet the young man’s demands and pay him the tribute demanded.

Once the young man had got what he wanted, he went home and showed his brothers the amount of money obtained through his deception. He told them: «Look, brothers, I have sold the body of our mother, whom you killed. I sold her, and her price was higher dead than she would have fetched alive». These words awakened envy and greed in that brother who believed himself wiser than the rest. Seeing his brother’s fortune, he quickly decided: «If I kill any other woman and pass her off as my mother, I could get the same wealth or even more». And as he thought it, so he did. He killed the first woman he met on his way, dismembered her and took her to the market of the neighbouring town to sell her.

His deed was discovered at once, however, and he was captured. But on the way to prison he seized on a moment of carelessness among his captors and managed to escape. Going straight home, he looked for his brother to take revenge. He found him asleep, and it was easy to tie him up and put him inside a sack. Then he set off with him towards the river.

On reaching the river, he remembered that he had an urgent visit to make to a friend, so he left the sack on the bank, among the undergrowth, and went off to the town, to his friend’s house. Meanwhile his brother, inside the sack, was thinking fast about how to escape his adverse fate.

Hearing someone coming along the road, the traveller in the sack began to shout excitedly: «Oh, what a pleasant life one lives inside this sack!» Curious, the man who was approaching and heard his words asked to be let into the sack. The young man answered: «How can I allow that?» The man insisted, and the young man said: «Untie me first so I can get out, since the two of us will not fit in here». The naive busybody untied the sack and pulled the young man out, setting him free. Then the young man quickly tied the mouth of the sack and went off home. On the way, he bought every animal that was for sale: goats, billy goats, lambs, roosters, hens and ducks, and took them to the pen at his house.

When the brother came back from his friend’s house, without saying a word he threw the sack into the river with the poor busybody inside and hurried home. On arriving, he was astonished to see so many animals in the pen. He immediately asked where they had come from, and his brothers told him that the «fool» had brought them. Not believing it, he went to see the «fool» and asked him: «How did you get out of the sack, and how did you get all these animals?» The «fool» replied: «The spirit of the river gave them to me when he saw me after you threw me in inside the sack. He took pity on me and heaped riches upon me».

Greed, envy and the craving for superiority clouded the brother’s mind, and without thinking twice he said to the «fool»: «Go on, put me in a sack and throw me into the river». The «fool» answered: «Do not do it; I will give you a share of my goods». But knowing how greedy his brother was, the brother said: «Keep your goods, I want everything for myself. If you do not put me in the sack, I will beat you and finish you off». So the brother tied up the «fool», put him inside the sack, and carried him to the river. Without another word, he threw him with all his strength into the deepest part. He would never come out of there again.

Thus the brother who was considered the greatest «fool» of them all defeated the brother who believed himself the wisest and was the most ambitious and ruthless. That one possessed no virtue at all and did not even love his own mother, stopping at nothing to reach his ends. He never understood that there are people with talent and intelligence, since these qualities are born with the person and are worth more than force and greed.

In this Ifá, the act of dismembering a person is recounted for the first time. Those who receive this Ifá have difficulty acknowledging the virtues of others. They think they are the only ones who possess knowledge and are gifted with an intelligence superior to everyone else’s, believing they deserve everything. They spare no effort to maintain their sense of superiority over others.

Such people can show negative behaviour, being bad sons, bad fathers, bad husbands and bad friends.

Once a year it happens

In the middle of the river there was a great rock. Every day, when the water struck the rocks, the river would say to the stone: «One day I will take you out of my way, since because of you I have to divert my waters».

To which the rock replied: «If it were up to me I would move aside, but Olofin put me here so that you would know that we must live together and get along. But since you believe yourself the elder and think you have more rights than I do, Olofin does not allow you to destroy me or subjugate me. What would become of the small ones if the great one used his power to crush them?».

The river, however, would not listen to the rock’s words and persisted in its purpose.

Weary of so much struggle, the rock went to Orunmila’s house, and he revealed this Ifá to her and said: «Your enemy lives with you and his hatred will grow ever stronger, but he will not be able to defeat you. Olofin has created you as an example to follow. You must take care of yourself all your life. When they see that they cannot impose themselves, they will resort to force». Then he marked the necessary sacrifices.

At the end he said: «Only once a year, one day, one hour, will he pass over you. It will be when Olofin allows him to swell and rage. But keep yourself humble in your place, for after that time, when he reaches you, he will pass gently and turn his course aside. He will not be able to defeat you».

Orunmila’s prophecy

There was once a very mischievous but good-hearted boy. Although he shared everything he had with the others, the other children did not do the same for him. Behind his back they would say they would not invite him to play. At times the boy felt hurt and took refuge at home. His mother, seeing him like that, would tell him not to cry, that one day he would be a man and they would need him. She urged him to study hard so as to make something of his life. But since the situation did not change, she encouraged him to go out and play in the street.

One day the boy had a quarrel with an older boy and, with the stick he was playing with, seriously wounded him. The law stepped in, and the mother took the boy before Orunmila, who saw this Ifá for him and said: «Do not worry, nothing will happen». Then he asked for a chain and did a work with it, warning him never to take it off, since his blood would run and, in time, the boy would do what he himself was doing, that is, consult Ifá.

One day, when the boy was already grown, he decided to take off the chain, and with an object he was carrying he fell and wounded himself. From that moment on the law pursued him relentlessly. Oggún hounded him without giving him rest.

The young man had to leave his home and went through many hardships until he reached Orunmila’s house. Orunmila advised him to receive the orishas and to make Ifá. The young man followed Orunmila’s counsel, and in this way the prophecy of the awo who made Ifá to save himself and others was fulfilled.

One must not raise a hand against anyone, since there is danger of causing a death.

Beware of gossip

Oggún was going through great hardship. His clothes were worn out and falling off his body. Yemayá, seeing the situation Oggún was in, felt pity for him. Since she had a prosperous herb business, she decided to help him.

One day Yemayá called Oggún and said: «Look, my business is not a big one, but I can give you a hand with what I have». And so it was. Oggún gratefully accepted what Yemayá offered him to eat and get by. Yemayá’s enemies, however, filled with envy at her success in the herb trade, approached Shangó, who was Yemayá’s herb supplier, and made deals with him.

When Shangó went to collect from them, they could not pay him, because there were many of them and they could not share out the profits fairly. They claimed that Yemayá was cornering the whole business by selling the herbs at lower prices. So Shangó thought of taking the business away from Yemayá and giving it to them, believing that this way he would earn more, since they were more numerous.

Those people, who had Oggún as their messenger, began telling him gossip, saying that Yemayá had him working for her all day long and that she had told Shangó not to do business with him because he would not pay, and would then report him to Obatalá for the outrages Shangó was committing in that town.

Oggún, with his limited understanding and stirred up by the gossip, went to Shangó and said: «I cannot give you any more, because Yemayá told me that you might report me to Obatalá». Oggún, furious and without asking Yemayá about any of it, tried to attack her with a machete, but Ochosi stepped in and so Yemayá was able to save her life.

Here one must beware of the gossip that is born out of envy.

The obini cannot see Olofin, only the awoses

Olofin lived in Leri Oke, in the middle of the bush, and Orunmila went every day to visit him and give an account of himself. Orunmila would kneel, pray to him, and Olofin would bless him, granting him ashe and everything Orunmila asked for, and that is why everything he did turned out well.

Because of his success, his enemies envied him and said: «What does this man have, that everything he does turns out well?» Both men and women envied him and waited for the right moment to act. Orunmila’s enemies observed the place where he knelt in the bush and said: «Let us fix up that spot tomorrow».

The next day, early in the morning, they prepared two traps with sharpened little stones and set them inside, covering them with herbs so that Orunmila would not notice and would cut himself. Their aim was for him to bleed on his way home and destroy himself.

That day, before leaving his house, Orunmila made a divination and saw this Ifá, which marked him Intori Araye (strife), but since he was running late and had to go to Olofin’s ile, he thought: «When I get back, I will do the ebo». So he set out to make his visit to Olofin’s ile, which was the appointed place.

On arriving, he knelt and put the palms of his hands on the ground. To his surprise, on standing up he noticed that all his joints were bleeding. Olofin, seeing him in that state, told him: «Do not be alarmed, this is nothing. Rub your hands with herbs, era (hen’s foot herb) and oñí. Take what is under the herbs to your house and make an ebo with it».

Orunmila kept saying there was nothing there, but Olofin insisted: «Take what is there and carry it away so that you may do the ebo». Orunmila looked again and found it, picked it up and took it to his house. When he arrived, his hands had scarred over (the scars we all have on our finger joints).

Orunmila made the ebo with what was indicated and had it placed in the bush where he passed every day. The next day Oggún and Oshosi appeared, and on finding the traps and the ebo they were delighted. They decided to take the ebo to consume it, and on seeing what it contained they looked around them and found Orunmila’s arayes, who were waiting to see what would happen to him. Oggún and Oshosi said: «These people have done us harm, and now they will see». Oshosi took his acofa and Oggún his machete, and they finished off Orunmila’s arayes.

This patakin speaks of recognition through the hands and fingerprints, and also of a person ill with sores on the legs and with skin problems above all.

Osi and Otolo

On this path, Olokun ruled the land of Yere Yere, and life for those who lived there was impossible, full of upheavals and hardships. The only animal that dwelt in that land was Otolo (the turkey), but it did not prosper and did nothing but curse. One day, at noon, Olokun called Otolo because he was cursing, and reprimanded him. Otolo was shamed and asked to be killed. Olokun lit two itanas and called Olorun with this suyere: «Olorun Yere Awo Baba Loreo».

Olorun heard him and asked what was happening. Olokun told him everything that was going on in the land of Yere Yere. Olorun answered: «I am going to send my trusted man and protector». And Olorun sent Osi (the goose). Olokun consecrated him and told him: «Swear to me that you will keep faith with me as you do with Olorun. I will make you a king without a crown; if you know how to keep faith and guard my secrets, then I will give you my crown».

Osi was very pleased and was always with Olokun. Olokun went on revealing his secrets to him, and when he called him he would say: «Olokun ferele lele, Olokun Osi mayaku olona leri ofo, Olokun ferele lele». But Osi did not understand; he was overjoyed and began to fall in love with Otolo, forming a large family around the secret of the land of Yere Yere. Behind that land there lived a man wholly trusted by Olokun, who was Ozain. He dwelt in a large jar and listened as Osi revealed all the secrets to Otolo.

One day, Ozain came out singing: «Olokun Ferele Lele, Olokun Ferele Lele, Osi Inu Ferele Yere Olorun».

Olokun, on hearing him, thought: «What can Osi be up to?» When Ozain reached Olokun, the first thing he did was to present him with 16 inkines Ifá he was carrying in his hands; on each one of them Okana Yeku was written. Olokun, seeing this, asked Ozain: «My God, Ozain, how is it that you have this?» Ozain replied: «This is nothing, since Osi, your trusted man, tells them to his wife Otolo». Olokun said: «Swear it to me!». Ozain said: «Here comes Osi; ask him yourself».

When Osi arrived, Olokun passed his hand over his head and body, and Osi could not utter a single word. All he could do was scream, run off and reach Otolo, where he fell ill. None of Osi and Otolo’s children looked like Osi, and so Osi’s family began to degenerate. Osi went to beg Olokun’s forgiveness, and when he arrived Olokun said to Ozain: «Opa» (kill him) and put him inside your secret so that he may live beside you and I may hear his Eyerbale.

Ozain placed Osi’s head inside his secret. When Ozain killed Osi, what he held in his hand was a piece of glass, which he also put into his secret. Olokun said: «Let us leave this one’s children in this land, because on account of these people’s conduct everyone will leave here because of their scandals».

The omo Ojuani Alakentu must receive Olokun in order to have security, so that they may be respected and regarded by others.

The disowned son

It happened that there was a father who was very proud of his son because of his intelligence and his interest in his studies. In time, the son decided to try life on his own terms, and when the father learned that he planned to clothe and shoe himself by his own means, he was greatly displeased. From that moment on he denied him financial, moral and spiritual support. He would even tell his acquaintances, unasked, that he no longer wanted anything to do with him. The father gathered his other children and announced that from that day the boy was no longer his son and that nothing of his estate would belong to him when he died.

The boy’s wife and children asked the father why he had taken that decision. The father would answer furiously that the boy’s conduct undermined the family’s good name. The mistreatment of the boy grew worse to the point that he decided to leave the house and go his own way as a man, without his father’s support.

As time passed, the father fell ill. Everyone came to visit him, and whatever the state of his health, they went on telling him gossip about the disowned son. The father, however, had understood his error and would ask everyone to send word to his son to come and see him. In the end, the young man decided to visit his sick father.

When the father saw his son, he could not hold back and asked his forgiveness, saying: «My son, forgive me, I was blind». The son answered: «You are the one who must forgive me, because had I been at your side, you would not have fallen victim to so many betrayals».

The son went to Orunmila to consult about the situation, but Orunmila told him: «There is nothing more to be done, but do not grieve, because if your father had not acted that way towards you, you would not have become a man. You have suffered and sacrificed, and only those who sacrifice reach success».