Osa Iroso

A woman’s counsel is heard

Orunmila had promised a ram to Shangó and he had the animal, but he never got round to giving it. Seeing this, Shangó took a poplar tree and blocked the road that led to the house. When he realised that nobody was coming, Orunmila decided to look into it. His wife reminded him that he had to fulfil the ram he owed to Shangó. Orunmila obeyed and once again began to carry his offerings to Shangó.

Osa roso, the path of unhappy marriage

Here the husband is somewhat despotic with his wife: he mistreats her with words and may even mistreat her with deeds. The woman falls ill from suffering.

Path of the land of ejigbomeko

Here food is given to Orunmila, Oshún, Yemayá, Shangó and Elegbá. Afterwards a tray of fruit is placed for Orunmila, and Oshún is cooled with a palm-leaf fan.

It was here that the adodí (effeminate men) cared for Obatalá when he was ill, and he, in gratitude, blessed them.

Orunmila’s etú (guinea fowl) got loose and began scratching at his door, making a hole. He went to look and discovered that his enemies had buried a nail there to harm him. Orunmila promised an abó to Shangó, but time went by and he did not give it. Seeing this, Shangó took a poplar tree and closed the road that led to Orunmila’s house.

Noticing that the days passed and nobody came to his house, Orunmila set to thinking about the cause, and his wife told him: «Fulfil your promise and give Shangó the abó you owe him.» Orunmila did so, and the roads opened for him again.

NOTE: One must listen to a woman’s counsel and fulfil what has been promised to Shangó.

When Ozain made peace with Orunmila

On one occasion Orunmila was going through hardship and did not even have food to eat. He had a reading of Ifá done (Osa Roso) and was told to make ebó with: abó, owunko, akuko, eñi adié, a blade, atitán ilé, and he took it to the forest.

Shortly after he had left the ebó, a fire broke out in the forest, and later a man came to his house seeking shelter and healing. Orunmila took him in and tended to his needs. Then the man asked his forgiveness, saying: «I am Ozain, the one who has done you so much harm.» Orunmila forgave him, and Ozain became his best friend.

We must forgive enemies who sincerely repent, since in the future they may become our best friends. We must help those in need selflessly, without asking who they are or what they have to live on.

Why Orunmila and Oshún eat adie dun dun together

When Shangó set fire to the house where Orunmila lived, because those people owed him an abó, Orunmila, crippled as he was, took fright and got up and leapt through the window. Other santos also lived in that house, Oshún among them, and they all saved themselves, forgetting Orunmila, who was still crippled.

It happened that once Oshún was outside the house she remembered Orunmila and, risking her own life, went back inside to try to rescue him. Not finding him there, she jumped through the window and came upon Orunmila.

Seeing her, Orunmila said to her: «My daughter, sinner though you are, you were the only one who risked yourself to save me, and from today on you will eat beside me.» Ever since then, Orunmila and Oshún share the meal of the adié dun dun.

Orunmila’s vessel is placed on the floor with Oshún’s beside it, and both eat of the adié dun dun. Songs are sung to Orunmila and to Oshún. This path teaches that when a person is in danger or misfortune, there is always someone who remembers them.

Here is where Olofin handed Shangó the ashe of commerce

Shangó was waging a bitter war with Ogún, and Olofin sent for Shangó to hand him the ashé of commerce. When Ogún learned of it, he took up position along the way Shangó had to pass. Shangó, riding his spirited horse, saw Ogún posted on the road and with a hard pull on the rein changed his direction, but soon the horse bolted and threw him.

Just then Oyá arrived and, learning that Shangó was on his way to see Olofin and that Ogún was blocking his road, she cut off her braids and dressed him in her own clothes. So Shangó passed right in front of Ogún, who took him for Oyá, and he received the ashé of commerce from Olofin.

It says: a woman will help him overcome every difficulty, for she will spare no sacrifice to help him. On this path, if the awo or the iworos (santero/santera) does not have Oyá, they must receive her without delay.

By this Ifá, Amala Ila (cornmeal with okra) and a bunch of plantains are placed for Shangó. This is for prosperity.

Path of ekunlabe, «the society of the sons of the leopard»

Ozain OF THIS Ifá: It is covered with leopard skin, earth from the doorway of the house, a leopard’s fang and claws, asoge, nine ants, an iguana’s head, foam from the mouth of a horse that has won a race, eku, eya, epo, ataré, nine small pieces of basket.

SECRET OF THIS Ifá: To give abo to Shangó, Ifá ni Kaferefun Shangó y Ozain lodafun Orunmila. On this path the leopard, the owunko and the abo speak.

Shangó was once the leader of the society of the sons of the leopard. His sons fed on rams and goats they took as prey, spreading terror among the animals.

At that time Owunko went to be read by Orunmila, who told him to make ebbo with leopard skin and other ingredients. Owunko followed the instructions and went to Ekun’s house with those objects. Ekun was sitting with his wife and, seeing Owunko approach, said: «That is not what our sons eat, I think not. If it were, he would not come here. You know the fear they have of us. If he is from another land, let us go out to receive him and give him to our sons to eat.»

When Owunko arrived he pretended not to see them, took out a piece of adofa, began to eat it and said: «Let us see how this adofa of Ekun is, the one you heard about yesterday.» Then he spat it out and said: «Look, today I shall kill the Ekun and take out their livers to eat.»

Seeing and hearing this, Ekun and his wife were terrified and shut the door of the temple, and did not open it again for a long time. Later they would see the Owunkos near the temple door, but they could not tell whether the warrior was among them. The Owunkos and the abos were there, and Abo asked Owunko how he had managed it, and Owunko told him everything. Then Abo said: «If you did it, I can do it too.» He gathered the same objects, but instead of going to the temple of Ifá he went to the door of the temple of Ekunlabe.

Seeing him come, they secured the temple even further, but Abo knocked at the door, took out a piece of adofa and said the same thing Owunko had said; he ate it and exclaimed: «It is good, today I need more.» Witnessing this, Ekun leapt upon Abo and cut his throat, giving him to his sons and his wife to eat.

Witnessing this, the Owunkos and the Eure who were outside began to flee in terror, while the sons of Ekun came out after them, killing all the abos. Ever since then, the door of the temple of Ekunlabe stays open, because of Abo.

Path of when the guardian angel was determined by the cowries

In a land where all the santos lived and Obatalá was the ruler, the other santos rose up against him. In that land each santo determined the guardian angel through the cowries, each with his own way of doing it. One day Shangó began to notice that there were more children of Baba than of any other santo, so he gathered the other santos, shared his thoughts with them and asked their opinion on the matter. They all agreed to go to Obatalá’s house to complain that in his house only his own children came out as guardian angel. Obatalá, who read the aleyos with his cowries, was the Oba of those lands. They all agreed to go, but there was fear of confronting Obatalá and none of them wanted to speak directly.

Shangó said: «I will speak to Baba», backed by Oshún and Ogún. When they reached Obatalá’s house he noticed the commotion. He came out of his palace and asked them all why they had come. Shangó stepped forward and said: «Look, Baba, we are here because we want to know why, when you read an aleyo and determine the guardian angel, we never come out as the parents, only you do.» Obatalá answered: «What happens is that in my house I determine it that way.» Then Shangó said: «Well, Baba, that is not fair. It would be better to go to Orunmila’s house so that he can tell us how to settle this problem.» Obatalá agreed and said: «Very well, to iban Eshu. You are right, since Orunmila has no preferences, and you distrust me, but I also distrust you. As long as the world exists, it will be Orunmila who determines each person’s guardian angel, since he is impartial. To iban Eshu.»

For this reason, no one’s guardian angel should be determined using the cowries. There is also the self-interest of whoever does the reading, or often of the santo himself, who becomes fond of the person or of the aleyo’s head and distorts their path.

Unhappiness in marriage

In the land of Eru Oba there lived a young woman named Oshún, who lived with a man named Shangó who was despotic and mistreated her badly. This had caused Oshún great suffering, changing her nature and wearing her down little by little.

Baba, Oshún’s father, visited her one day and realised what was happening to her. He said to her: «Why do you not go and see Orunmila so that he can help you in this situation?» Oshún answered: «Father, if Shangó sees me go into Orunmila’s house, he will think I went to seek something against him and he will leave me, as he has done on other occasions.»

Obatalá did not reply, but he was deeply worried. A few days later Oshún fell gravely ill, but since Shangó had been away for several days he knew nothing of her condition. Obatalá learned that his daughter was ill in bed and hurried to Orunmila’s house. There Orunmila gave him this reading of Ifá and said to Obatalá: «We must perform an ebó for your daughter» (with the items listed at the beginning).

Obatalá obtained what was needed for the ebó marked by Orunmila and performed it for his daughter Oshún. When the ebó was finished, Orunmila said to Obatalá: «Now take Oshún the rooster and the hens, and tell her to sleep all night with the hens so that she absorbs their warmth and they in turn absorb hers. Then put them with the rooster so that they may breed. When Shangó comes home, take a plate of food and give it to him while you sing: ‘Ari dale oñi eko ayiloda, eko dale Oshún, eko ayiloda’.»

When Shangó came home, Obatalá did just as Orunmila had told him. Shangó was gradually enchanted by the song and the dance, until he said to Oshún: «Let us do an oficale», which was what Oshún needed. After the oficale was over, Shangó asked her forgiveness and said: «You will always be a woman respected by me.»

When the hens are taken and one sleeps with them, this prayer of Ifá is said to Oshún. If Shangó is to be sweetened, Oshún’s stones are taken and plenty of honey is poured over them, so that the honey falls straight from Oshún’s stones onto Shangó’s, while the suyere named in the story is sung.

The land of ejigbo meko

One day Oshún invited Elegbá to go out walking, and he accepted, thinking they were going to do oficale together. As they went on, they crossed great fields of maize, black-eyed peas, yams, plantains and more. Oshún asked Elegbá: «Elegbá, what land is this?» Elegbá answered: «It is Ejigbo Meko Nile.» Oshún asked again: «And who is the owner of all these plantations and all this wealth?» «The owner is Orunmila», answered Elegbá.

That day Orunmila had consulted Ifá at dawn and had made an ebó with all the produce of his fields. He had also offered two red hens to his Ifá and had a great offering laid out.

Oshún, wishing to meet the owner of Ejigbo Meko, asked Elegbá to take her to Orunmila’s house. When they arrived, they greeted Orunmila. Seeing the offering Orunmila had set before his Ifá, Oshún felt hungry and asked him for something to eat. Orunmila shared some of the delicacies with her. After eating, Oshún asked Orunmila whether she might rest, because she was very tired. Orunmila found her a seat and, once she was sitting, cooled her with a fan. Then Oshún said to Orunmila: «I am staying in this land, because I see you need a woman to look after you.» And so Oshún stayed in the house of Orunmila, who was unmarried after having recently separated from Yemayá.

Orunmila and Oshún often went out walking together, until one day, beneath the Ikoko tree, Oshún became pregnant. Her belly began to grow and she tried to hide her condition. The rumours spread, however, and reached Yemayá, who decided to go to Ejigbo Meko to find out the truth of the matter.

When Yemayá arrived at Orunmila’s house she saw Oshún there and asked: «Who is this intruder?» But Oshún did not say a word. Then Yemayá called Orunmila and reproached him: «I, who was the woman who loved you most, and you abandoned me. And yet you got Oshún with child, and she does not love you as much as I loved you.»

Orunmila, eager to know which of the two women loved him more, summoned Shangó and Elegbá and told them: «Shangó, you will be present at a meal I am going to give, to which I shall invite Oshún, Yemayá and you, Elegbá. When I give you the signal, you will set the house on fire, and when I tell you, you will put it out.»

The day of the gathering came and, while the guests were enjoying Orunmila’s food, he gave the signal to Elegbá and at once a great fire broke out inside the house. Elegbá shouted: «Fire, the house is burning!» Hearing this, Yemayá threw her arms around Shangó and cried: «My son!» Oshún, hearing it, threw her arms around Orunmila and cried: «Arugboni Araina!» (Orunmila, my son, you are burning). Then Orunmila gave the other signal to Elegbá, who quickly put out the fire.

Once calm was restored, Orunmila declared: «Now I know what I wanted to know: Oshún is the one who loves me most and she is my favourite. And you, Yemayá, for your gesture, will embody the love and sacrifice of a mother; you will be Iya Mo Aye (the mother of the world).»

NOTE: Here food is given to Orunmila, Oshún, Shangó, Yemayá and Elegbá. Then an offering is set out for Orunmila and Oshún is cooled with a fan.

He who was born a monkey is a monkey, and a monkey he stays

Obatalá lived with Yemayá. The two of them lived alone, because their children were scattered across the world, and they were always sad. Ayedun, the monkey, who was a son of Obatalá, was ignored by everyone and wandered the world in hardship. Obatalá felt compassion for him and took him into his house to shelter him. Little by little the monkey won the trust and affection of Obatalá and Yemayá. Obatalá bought him new clothes and dressed him like a person, and he took charge of receiving the visitors that Obatalá and Yemayá received. All those who had ignored him before began to respect him.

At mealtimes the monkey had his own seat at the table of Obatalá and Yemayá. As time went by the monkey began to think himself important and to harbour selfish thoughts, saying to himself: «These two are nobody without me.» One day, while they were sitting at the table, Obatalá asked the monkey to pass him the bread, but the monkey answered that he should take it himself, arguing that kings should not be disturbed while they eat. Obatalá was taken aback by the monkey’s answer and rebuked him, but the monkey rebelled against Obatalá. Obatalá got up from the table, and then the monkey went over to Yemayá, seeking to have her do ofikale with him.

Yemayá, who had several times caught the monkey behaving improperly while she was with Obatalá, took a chain she had and struck the monkey on the head. She seized the chance to go to the house of Orunmila, who in that land was known as Awo Lamu Regun. He read Osá Roso and said to her: «He who was born a monkey will go on being a monkey.» Then he said: «Give me your chain», and he prepared it, telling her: «Take this chain to Obatalá now, sit down together at the table again to eat with the monkey and give him plenty of drink. When he is drunk, put the chain on him and shut him away, since it does not suit you to be in conflict with him, because although you will always defeat him, if he bites you he will complicate matters. After a rogación is made to Orunmila, everyone will be roused and will pay him homage.» The monkeys were delighted and went off with him, leaving Yemayá behind.

How osa adiro freed himself from the eggun’s bondage

Osa Adiro was in charge of looking after the lagoon, and he took a stone from there to build a hearth so that his wife could cook. He did not know that in a moruro trunk set apart from the other trees there lived a solitary female spirit who had died by fire and bore a grudge against people. That spirit made Osa Adiro’s wife burn herself and enslaved Osa Adiro.

One day Orunmila came to the place and asked Osa Adiro to give him a reading to see what was happening to him. Orunmila saw this Ifá and told him he had to make an ebó with a rooster and a hen. After the ebó was done, he told him the hen was to be cooked and placed at the foot of that burnt trunk, so as to be freed from the spirit that lived there.

In this way Osa Adiro managed to free himself from that spirit, and afterwards Orunmila told him he had to keep an osun (an amulet) at the foot of the door as protection.

The land of azojuano

On this path, Azojuano had his lands and Orunmila had his own. In Orunmila’s land a war was being waged among the awo (diviners). While some sought to better themselves, to have good fortune, stability and blessings in everything, others sought power to destroy, to kill and to harm others for their own gain.

There was an evil awo who, not finding what he was after in that land, decided to go to the land of Oluo Popo. When he reached the house he found Azojuano sitting behind the door with his pot beside him. The evil awo went in and explained to Oluo Popo what he had come for. Azojuano told him: «I cannot attend to you at this moment, come back tomorrow.» Oluo Popo, however, already knew everything about that man’s intentions.

The good awo of Orunmila’s land consulted this Ifá, where Ifá told him to place a loaf of raw sugar with honey water and a spirit drink behind the door, and to cover it with a pot. That would be enough for his enemies to be unable to harm him.

Meanwhile Oluo Popo rose early and, coming up to his pot, saw everything the good awo had placed there and said to himself: «This is the one I shall help.» At that moment the evil awo arrived and Oluo Popo received him. When the evil awo set out what he had come to seek, Oluo Popo handed him the evil work so that it would end his own life, and so that evil awo paid with his life for the harm he wished upon others.

Oluo Popo had told the good awo: «Pour three coconuts’ worth of water at the door of your house and say these words: ‘kukuve kukuve kukuve’.»