Okana Bara

Everything to Orunmila’s House

Once, Orunmila decided to go to the marketplace, and Obatalá sought out Eshu to accompany him. Eshu asked to be fed first, and then he would go with him to the marketplace. The next day, early, the people arrived at the marketplace and saw a man rushing out through an alley. They followed him, and upon entering the alley they found a large earthen jar full of money and great piles of yams. Eshu, who was among the crowd, through his cunning brought porters and ordered everything to be carried to Orunmila’s house.

The Woodpecker

There was a king who had a very beautiful daughter, and all the suitors wanted to marry her. So the king announced a contest to gather all the birds so that his daughter could choose the one she liked best to marry.

The first to hear of it were the tocoloro and the woodpecker. The latter went to Orunmila’s house, who saw this Ifá for him and told him that he had a dispute and wished to win it, that he should make ebó with all the clothes he was wearing, and that when he went to the contest he should dress in work clothes. The woodpecker did as he was told, but the tocoloro bought himself a very elegant suit and the finest perfumes for the day of the contest.

When the day of the gathering came, the tocoloro dressed with such elegance that no one could outdo him. The woodpecker came in work clothes with his cap on. When all the birds were in the palace, the tocoloro approached the princess and said to her: «When we marry, you will have the finest bedroom set that exists and everything that is best in the world.»

But at that moment, the woodpecker said to the king: «Your Majesty, I cannot sit idle; I need to work until the moment comes for the princess to choose her suitor. Please, could you assign me some work in the palace?» Then the king said: «Look, in the courtyard there is a jiquí tree; there you have work.» The woodpecker began his labor until lunchtime came, and the king arrived and said: «Come, let us have lunch, you must be hungry.» The woodpecker had lunch with the king and then went on with his work; when dinnertime came, the king came for him and the woodpecker ate with the king at his table.

Meanwhile, the tocoloro chatted with the princess and wiped his shoes with his handkerchief, offering her the best of the earth, until the moment came to choose a husband. When the long-awaited moment arrived, the king said: «Well, my daughter, choose the man who will be your husband.»

Quickly she replied: «No, father, you choose the one who will be my husband.» Then the king said: «Very well, you shall marry the woodpecker, because he is a hardworking and honest man.» Then the tocoloro said in fury: «This is an outrage; from this moment I go to the countryside and I shall never return to the city,» and that is why the tocoloro never comes to the city.

Caprice is one’s undoing. God helps those who work.

The Town of Olofin

Once, everyone passed by the place where Obatalá stood without greeting her, for they believed she was a dog and paid her no mind. But one day, to all who wished to see Olofin, Obatalá would say that he was ill and could not receive visitors. Orunmila, however, understood the situation and brought two doves under his arm. Upon arriving, he asked Obatalá why she was so sad, and she answered that everyone thought she was a dog. Then Orunmila handed her the two doves, and she said to him: «You shall have of me and of Olofin.»

Here is born the teaching that when Obatalá turns her back on a person, no Santo can save them — only Orunmila

He Who Does Wrong Pays for It

The king, worried about his future, decided to free all the slaves of his kingdom. At first many were astonished, but they soon understood that this was a great opportunity to start anew and better their lives. The king, seeing the positive effect of his decision, felt happy and satisfied, and from that moment on he committed himself to doing good and helping his people in every way possible.

When Elegbá, Together with Ozain, Betrayed Shangó

On this path, Shangó was a king who had his palace in the land of Takua. Among his subjects were Oshosi, Abat, Oshuú, Ogba, Obatalá and the Jimaguas, but Elegbá did not live in Shangó’s palace. Shangó did not employ Elegbá in his palace, nor did he invite him to the feasts he held every day; he left him going hungry and unattended. Elegbá joined with Ozain to do harm to Shangó; Ozain prepared the powders and gave them to Elegbá to blow at the door of the palace, so that every time there was a feast, a tragedy broke out. Shangó was driven mad thinking about the unrest in his palace, but he could not reckon what was truly happening.

When Shangó went out into the street and met Elegbá, the latter showed him that his friendship was sincere, in such a way that Shangó could never believe that he was the one causing the troubles he was suffering. Wherever Elegbá met someone who knew Shangó, the moment that person turned their back, Elegbá blew the powders Ozain had prepared. When that person arrived at Shangó’s house, a great uproar broke out; thus Shangó suffered great tragedies in his house until, one by one, everyone drifted away and left him alone. He was desperate, finding himself alone and sick inside his palace; no one visited him anymore, there were no more feasts and no more money coming in.

On the day of his Santo, Shangó set out to see Olofin; on the way he met Elegbá, who greeted him upon seeing him. Shangó told him what was happening to him and where he was headed at that moment. Elegbá told him that Olofin was not at home just then, as he had been obliged to go out, but that as soon as he returned, Shangó should go see him and tell him his problem and what was going on. «I was going to warn you about the people who visit your house, but I feared you would tell them, since they were your close friends. They held me for someone so wicked that it is better you not know the things I have heard, even from your own family. Olofin told me that you are wicked and that on the day of your santo you were going to see him; that is why he left today,» Elegbá said to Shangó.

Shangó left Elegbá’s side with a terrible headache, in despair, and was ill for several days. While Shangó lay sick, Elegbá let the animals loose in the garden so they would eat the flowers, and poured hot water over the fruit trees and the edible plants. That is how Elegbá left Shangó with nothing.

The Gatekeeper of Olofin

Obatalá was Olofin’s gatekeeper and was resentful because no one showed him consideration and everyone spoke ill of him, and for that reason he came to let no one pass into Olofin’s presence. Word of this reached Olofin’s ears, and he immediately went to Orunmila’s house; Orunmila performed osode for him and this Ifá came out. He told him there was someone very close to him who was aggrieved, and advised him to perform a cleansing with eyele meyi and give them to Baba.

Olofin did everything as Orunmila had indicated, and Baba was pleased with him. He acknowledged his errors and admitted, moreover, that he had been wrong. From that moment on, Obatalá changed his attitude completely, and people began to speak well of him. When people came to ask permission to see Olofin, he brought them into his presence at once.

This Ifá marks that when Obatalá turns his back on a person or on one of his children, the only one who can intervene and set the situation right is Orunmila. Maferefun Obatalá, Moforibale Orunmila.