Osa Irete

When Orunmila saw osa rete for Shangó

Shangó was at war and went to Orunmila, who saw this Ifá for him. Orunmila told him to make ebó with aikordié and eyelé meyi and then take it to Alafía’s drummer. Shangó went to war and Orunmila went with him, telling him there was no need for so much eagerness. Shangó, however, found himself so powerful that he threw himself into the battle, to the point that Orunmila was shouting at him: «Hey, hey», but Shangó would not stop his advance, hurling fire without restraint. That is how he won the war. Allá cuá, mío! Obákoso Eró.

Behind the laughter comes the weeping

Here is where the frogs had nowhere to live and were making a great deal of noise. Obatalá let them into his house and they went on with their racket. He warned them, and since they paid him no attention, he threw them out of his house.

Obatalá cursed the frogs and told them: «As long as the world is the world, you will live singing». Ifá of the curse of the elders.

The person has nowhere to live, and if they do have somewhere to live, they are not tolerated there because of their manner, and they have been thrown out or will be thrown out of that place.

The birth of the continents

Here Shangó, by Olofin’s command, divided the earth into two parts by hurling his enormous Oduara. Ever since then, humankind lives divided.

When Olofin saw that dividing the earth had not achieved what he wanted, he cursed humankind, saying: «Being as you are, you will always have to complain and to live as a slave».

The day Obatalá grew angry with Orunmila

When Obatalá lost the mouse, the toad, the parrot, the chameleon and so on in his house, he went to Orunmila’s house, and Orunmila told him to make an ebbo to find them. He used akuko (rooster), ishu (green plantain), omi boha (hot water), atitán ilé, jujú of aikordié and opolopo owo (a great deal of money). When all the little animals turned up in his house, Obatalá accused Orunmila of being a thief and a liar, since his animals had appeared in his own house and were therefore never lost. He then accused him before Olofin.

When Olofin learned of the matter, he said to Obatalá: «It is true that all your little animals turned up in your house, but was it not after Orunmila made the ebbo for you? So what are you complaining about? Orunmila has neither deceived you nor stolen your money».

Since Orunmila was upset, he said to Olofin: «Baba, from today on the result of the ebbo will not be seen on earth until three days have passed since it was made, and this will work against my children».

Osa Rete is never satisfied with anything done for them.

Why the awó does not give readings outside his own house

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Orunmila had the habit of asking the people he knew how their health was and whether they had anyone sick who needed curing. On one occasion they answered him: «Ask no more about sick people, we are all well here». Orunmila was left embarrassed.

A few days later, that same family came looking for him to cure someone who had fallen ill. He refused to go, because of the embarrassment he had suffered days before. The only option left to that family was to bring the sick person to Orunmila’s house so that he would attend to them.

This is the reason why an awó gives no reading to anyone outside his own house. All those who need the awó must come to his house to be consulted.

In ogbe tuanilara the earth rotted, and in osa rete the earth was cleansed

Osa Reté nifa Inle Okú Fekún Dudú was the strong earth; the volcanoes, the fire, lived beneath her. And sick and rotten, the earth produced nothing and no one could live there. Everything that was born died. Olofin watched all this, but said nothing, because she spent her time cursing and railing against everything. Yet the earth could bear no more, for she was almost turning to mud, in the shape of a human figure. These figures came apart and turned back into mud. So Olofin sent her ashé, so that the earth could ask. She would crack open and make a sound. And in those sounds Olofin understood as if she were begging his forgiveness. It seemed to him as if she were singing: «Baba Kuele ni lauré, baba Kuele ni laré, modupué baba Kuele ni laré modupué baba».

Olofin sent Osa Reté to see whether he understood it as he did. He came down to the earth and said: «My father, what you have heard is true». Olofin said: «The earth is wicked and foul-mouthed, and she must be divided, one piece set apart from another». Olofin spoke with Shangó and Yemayá Afefelerun and told them: «I need you. A way must be found for Osa Reté to live on the earth and for the earth to produce, so that things may be eaten in their season and things may be allowed to live for as long as they must live, so that the world can sustain itself». Shangó said: «Well then, I will begin, and I will divide the lands». He filled himself with otasés, dressed himself in lightning, thunderbolts and flashes of fire, which fell upon the earth and went on dividing her. He marked the dark earth, which is called Inlé Okú Fekún Dun Dun; he marked the earth and told her: «You will be called Inlé Okú Fekún Fuda».

Shangó went back to where Olofin was and said: «I have divided the lands now». Olofin said: «I know what you did, but the red earth, you left it drier». Shangó answered: «Because this one will serve to paint different things, and when afele aje comes to cleanse the lands, the dust it carries away will fall on the lands and will serve to feed them, together with the water». Olofin sent afele, and it cleansed the lands. But it could not hold the red earth well and kept letting it go. It bound itself with the dark earth. Olofin sent a whirlwind and a waterspout to gather up the water and carry it upward. They reported back to Olofin, and he said: «Release the water»;

And it began to rain. The earth was cleansed of all the foul creatures she carried, and the first thing she produced was aila, the second awado and the third ere. The first plant that was born was ou, the second aragba and the third obi. Olofin sent a blessing upon the earth, and some of the creatures became animals and the rest became people. The earth was very pleased with all the children of Olofin he had sent her. But there came a moment when the fire she held beneath her and the great weight she carried began to trouble her. She started to curse and to swallow things. Olofin, who heard her, said: «Now you see how ungrateful you are. But you will always have to live like this, for this I will never forgive you. There will be land beneath the water, and that will be what gives you the strength to hold yourself up. You will never be able to live except by complaining and as a slave, since that is how you are. I will send bogbo orisha down to where you are, so that they may help you to live alongside you». The earth, not satisfied, said: «No» — and all the orishas, when they came down, had to go back up again, because of the strength she had. The only saints who stayed were Elegbará, Obatalá and Shangó.

The parrot

The parrot was the one Obatalá loved most and was very well regarded, and among all the animals there was envy at the trust Odide enjoyed with Obatalá. Among them were the mouse, the chameleon, the toad and the maja, and since they had no access to Odide’s house, they met to work out how they could get into the parrot’s house to take it from him and keep everything he had. They agreed to dig a tunnel that would bring them to the drain in the yard, but it turned out that Odide could hear noises under the floor of the house and could not sleep well. He went to Orumila’s house, and Orumila saw this Ifá for him and told him to call upon Obamoro and beg him with ishu and a purple flower so that he would help him, and to pour the hot water in which he had boiled the ishu down the drain. So Odide did, and since his enemies were there, they were scalded and had to flee, and he was left as king of his house, with the power of Obatalá and thanks to Orumila.

The vanity of the curujey

Once the curujey complained that he could never find out what was happening in the bush, and he went to Orunmila’s house seeking divination. Orunmila saw this Ifá for him and marked ebbo. As soon as he had made the ebbo, the curujey, who had lived crawling among the trees, took hold of them and began to climb higher and higher until he reached the tallest tree. When he found himself above all the other trees, he filled with vanity, and whenever he saw the other trees he would say to them: «Why did you not make ebbo as I did?» The trees grew so tired of the curujey’s vanity that they went to Orunmila’s house and made ebbo. After that, the curujey fell and returned to his former state, below the other trees. That is why the curujey, when it takes hold of the other trees, feeds off them too and grows more than they do.

Omo sabi awo, the son of osa rete

On this path, Osa Rete is called Paralode, and he had a son named Omo Sabi Awo, who was a babalawo. This son was protected by Ozain, and everything he said came to pass. Paralode, who held powers over the wind, had his güiro, which made a great deal of noise and revealed his secret, killing all the creatures that flew around it because of its foul smell. When he sang or took part in this ceremony, he would intone the following: «baba Paralode, Eshinshi Ikú Olona Baba Paralode, Eshinshi Ikú Olona«. All the creatures fell to the ground where his son was. The son, because of the noise his father made, would come out and sing to him in this way: «Baba la yire, Ikú oumbo la yire, Ikú oumbo». His father and Ozain, who heard him, were greatly pleased, and Ozain said to Omo Sabi: «You will have great fortune and you will be a great diviner because of the power your father gave you. I will give you fortune, but you must live with my secret. You will command and you will divine, and your life will be easier». He took up Ozain and was left in awe; he knelt before Ozain, and Ozain laid his hand on his head and told him: «All I ask is that, when you are transformed, you fulfil my command and give my strength to anyone who needs it». Ozain kissed his forehead and turned him into a worm. At once the earth filled with ants and bibijaguas, which set to work carrying every dead creature they found to Omo Sabi’s house. Omo Sabi, who had a great trade and worked by seasons, had a friend named Obara Bashe, who was always trying to do him harm. Paralode and Ozain, seeing this, conjured the wind and the water, put out the fire and did away with Obara Bashe.