Osa Ure

The path where the birds ruled for one year

The birds ruled for only one year, for they slept at the top of a pole and the ants would climb up, bite them and kill them.

In a town governed by the birds, but where all of them died after a year, the turn fell to Osa Tura. He decided to consult Ifá and was advised to perform a rogation with a goat, a pole of his own height and a tin of palm oil, and also to use asho pupua.

Osa Tura performed the rogation, then anointed the pole with palm oil and buried it. That night he slept at the top of that pole, and when the ants came to attack him as they had done with the others, they were caught in the palm oil and died. In this way Osa Tura was able to rule for more than a year.

This story is also told as the story of a king who was a son of Shangó.

The path where gonorrhoea was born

Eleguá wished to marry and went to Orunmila to be told what he had to do, for he was in love with a woman. Orunmila consulted Ifá and prescribed for him an ebó that included a ram, a rooster, a hen, a clay jar, among other elements. Eleguá left and never came back to perform the ebó.

Days later, Eleguá had sexual relations with that woman and contracted gonorrhoea, a sexually transmitted disease. His penis swelled so much that it would not fit inside his trousers, and Eleguá was forced to walk about with his member exposed, saying: «For not obeying Orunmila, my penis is out.» It is for this reason that Eleguá displays his private parts when he comes down.

This account speaks of the consequence of failing to obey the prescriptions and warnings of Orunmila, and of how negligence can end in suffering and shame. It also mentions the sexually transmitted disease of gonorrhoea as a lesson about the risks of unprotected sexual relations and the importance of sexual responsibility.

Obatalá’s eure

Obatalá had a euré, a kind of creature he loved dearly because she was good and obedient. In time, however, the euré joined up with other animals and went so far astray that Obatalá could no longer bear her, for she took no notice of him and went out into the street whenever she pleased.

One day Obatalá sent for Oggún and told him: get ready, so that when I give the order you kill the euré. Oggún took pity on the euré and went to look for her. He explained what was happening and told her to go for a reading at Orunmila’s house so that she might be saved. She did so, and Orunmila saw this Ifá for her and told her to have her lerí blessed (oborí ele’dá) and to make ebó. The euré had her lerí prayed over, but she grew careless and did not make the ebó, and before long she went on just as she had before, or worse. One day Obatalá called Oggún and told him to go and fetch the euré, for he was going to give a feast. So Oggún did, and he brought the euré to Obatalá. When he asked Olofi what was to be served at the feast, he answered: euré — and Oggún had no choice but to bring atokú upon the euré.

Shared good fortune

Iyalona was a widow with several children, and they lived in suffering because they were very poor; she longed to see them living well. To that end she spent her life praying to the eggun and to the orishas. One day the eggun of her husband said to her: «I am going to help you obtain what you wish. I will protect one of my sons and give him good fortune, but that fortune he must share with his brothers, for otherwise I shall take it away from him again. To begin helping you, you must give me two akuko fun fun together with Shangó.»

Iyalona was frightened, but so great was her wish to see her children live well that she set out and began visiting them so that they would help her obtain the things needed to feed her husband’s eggun. They kept answering her: «Mother, do you really believe father’s spirit can help us?» Only one of her sons replied: «Mother, tell me what you need, for I see you so worried.» She answered: «My son, I need two akuko fun fun to give to your father’s spirit.» The son replied: «Wait here for me, I am going to fetch them.» A short while later, the son handed his mother the two akuko fun fun.

The mother and that son, whose name was Omomole and who was the eldest, set out in search of Shangó. They soon found him and told him what the eggun had said to Iyalona. Shangó told them: «Let us call that eggun so that he may give Omomole the fortune he offered him.» Shangó drew a cross on the ground, and between him and the eggun they ate the two akuko fun fun. Afterwards they thanked Omomole and then warned him: «You will always have to help your brothers; never abandon them nor your mother Iyalona, for the day you fail to keep this pact we shall take back the grace we have granted you.»

It speaks of a shared fortune: whoever receives it must help and never abandon his siblings, or he will lose it. You must also always help your mother. Here akuko fun fun meyi is given to eggun; Babare together with Shangó in order to receive a fortune from those entities.

The path of a mother’s sacrifice for her son

There was a mother who, begging alms and working hard, gathered the money to buy her son’s freedom. When she went to speak with her son’s master, after several attempts he finally agreed to sell him, but told her: «I will not grant him his freedom until the harvest is gathered in, for he is one of the strongest and youngest of my workforce.»

In that interval the slave fell gravely ill and died, and never enjoyed the freedom he had longed for.

It speaks of a mother’s sacrifice for her son. Take care, lest just when you come to believe your problems are being resolved it should already be too late for you, and you die. Here Obatalá exchanged the gold for the silver. Here wisdom speaks.

The parrot’s feather

It once came to pass that there was a magician who did everything he wished by means of a dead spirit he kept, but who was somewhat careless about his own affairs. One day he lay down and the spirit turned against him, and told him to go to the house of the awó who lived far from his own, so that he would tell him the three things he needed for happiness.

He did so, and the awó gave him an ounce of gold. The awó kept a very striking bird in front of his consulting room; it looked at Osa Tura and told him that he would find his happiness. Osa left, and shortly afterwards he came upon a chest holding many jewels; he took it and walked on. A little later he came upon a ball of amber colour, took it and walked on.

He sat down on the bank of a river and there he saw a maiden. They married and had two children. The woman had to make santo for the sake of her health, and he ceased to be a magician and became a diviner.

NOTE: it was here that Osa gained Obatalá’s trust, becoming a parrot’s feather.

You are worth as much as you own

Olofin held Ogún as a man of his confidence, but because of the mischief Ogún got up to, complaints about his acts and omissions kept reaching Olofin.

One day, weary of so many complaints, Olofin sent for Orunmila so that he would take Ogún away and kill him at his house. Orunmila took Ogún away and, on reaching home, gave him a reading; this Ifá came out and he thought: «This man is too important to die», and he resolved to leave him alive. And so that Olofin would not find out, he took a goat, cascarilla, cocoa butter and a garland, closed the door and killed the goat.

Just then Olofin arrived and, as the door was closed, the goat’s blood ran out from under it. Olofin, who had no liking for blood, went away believing that Orunmila had killed Ogún as he had ordered.

Straight away Orunmila cleaned his house with efún and ori, and with the garland, and put Ogún in the cellar he had in his house, and explained to him the situation between them. After some time, Olofin came to Orunmila’s house and told him that he had a very difficult situation and that he needed the man he had handed over to him, because he was the only one who could resolve it.

Orunmila answered Olofin nothing, and he went away. Soon afterwards he returned with another similar problem, saying that Ogún was the only one who could solve it for him. Time passed and Olofin came to Orunmila’s house a third time, telling him that Ogún was the man who knew all the secrets. Then Orunmila answered that he could find him one who was just like him, to which Olofin replied that he doubted it. Then Orunmila, who was acting in concert with Ogún, struck the floor three times, and Ogún came out of his hiding place while Olofin was speaking with Orunmila.

Olofin was astonished, gave him a strong embrace, and asked Orunmila how it was possible that he had raised a dead man. This secret remained between Ogún and Orunmila, and straight away Olofin made Orunmila king.

You are worth as much as you own; and whoever gives away what he has is left with nothing but the need to ask.

Where for the first time Ikú ate Christians

It was in Osogbo that Ikú first ate Christians, and to eat them she did so at the foot of a poplar tree, singing: «Eggun Ikú eye. Eggun Baraloku eye.» Ikú came out scattering the eyes, for she was smeared with what she had eaten, but realising that she might be discovered, she reached a thicket, gathered the flowers that grew there and covered herself with them so that she would not be recognised. She went on her way and came to the land of Obara Ikú Leye. There she seized another eggun and, seeing that she might be discovered in the same way, she covered it with the flowers she was carrying.

Ikú went on her way and, on returning to the poplar tree, she saw Oshalufón coming along another road. Ikú ate and hid behind a carob tree. He passed by and did not see her. Then Ikú came out, reached the poplar tree and laid there the third eggun she had eaten. Ikú said: «Now I am going to the land of Obara Lewi Leye and I shall eat everything I find there.» She set out on the road and had to keep hiding from all who passed, so that nobody would recognise her.

Elegbá saw Ikú and began to shout: «Ikú, Ikú.» Then Ikú found a white sheet that Oshalufón had dropped and covered herself with it, beginning at the feet and then the body. She turned towards where Elegbá was and said to him: «Eggun Losa Orun.» Elegbá took fright and ran off, reaching the land of Osara Yelokun, and Ikú followed him. Elegbá went into Oshalufón’s house and told him what was happening. Oshalufón had a son there who went out, curious to see whether what Elegbá said was true. Oshalufón was eating at Awo Mesan Distintos and became very agitated. He asked Elegbá: «Where is my son?» Elegbá told him: «He went outside.» Then they went out and saw that Ikú had seized Omo Omolawo, for so Oshalufón’s son was called, and had already taken out his eyes. She was eating him while he cried out: «Jekua, jekua.» Oshalufón and Elegbá ran after Ikú.

Oshalufón carried Awo Mesan in his hands and Elegbá a coconut. Ikú reached the poplar tree and laid Omo Omolawo down, wrapped him in her white sheet, and placed herself to one side. When Oshalufón and Elegbá reached the foot of the tree, the first saw his son and Ikú beside him, and began to hurl the plates at her and to sing: «Omo Malawo oyare fiedeno agufao agufao.» All the

The three roads: illness, the restlessness of seeking good, and reality

Obatalá had a son named Omoní Ifá Rúnke who, despite having many blessings, was not satisfied with his life because of his lack of faith. Obatalá was always displeased with him, for he had given him three roads to follow whenever he went out into the street, and he told him that he could neither heal him nor guide him through life towards happiness. He told him that he should call on Elegbá and ask his permission, so that he too might free him from the illness.

Omoní Ifá Rúnke never believed what Obatalá told him, but Elegbá, hidden in a thicket behind a fence, watched his disobedience. He waited until he was drenched in sweat and ill. Omoní Ifá Rúnke only repeated: «Baba Jekuá, Baba Jekuá», but Obatalá would not listen to him.

Seeing Omoní Ifá Rúnke’s despair, Obatalá carried him at midnight, went out and stopped at three roads to pray to Elegbá. But he did not answer, and the one who came out was Ogún with Obe Meta in his hand. On recognising Obatalá, he paid him homage saying: «Jekuá Baba», and asked what was the matter. Obatalá told him: «Look at the state of my son Omoní Ifá Rúnke.» Ogún, seeing his condition, told Obatalá that he would go and look for Elegbá, and ran off, but did not find him. On his way back he pulled up Shewerekuekue, Ou and Ewe Ayó, and said to Obatalá: «I did not find Elegbá, but let us take Omoní Ifá Rúnke to the riverbank to bathe him and see whether I can relieve him.»

Once at the riverbank, Ogún took a piece of Asho Fun Fun from Obatalá’s clothing and bathed Omoní Ifá Rúnke. Then he said: «Baba, now we must take your son before Orunmila to save him from the evils that may come.» Elegbá, who was in hiding, had witnessed everything, and he closed the roads leading to Orunmila’s house.

Obatalá and Ogún searched everywhere, but could not find the roads. Ogún was desperate; he saw three Jío Jío, took them and began to sing: «ago Elegbá Eh Eh, Ago Elegbá Eh, Elegbá Nifá Laroye Sokuo, Elegbá Nifá Laroye Sokuo». Elegbá poked his head out on hearing the chicks cheeping and saw how Ogún pretended to be eating them. He came running out and threw himself upon Ogún, who handed him the three chicks. When Elegbá saw Baba, he threw himself upon him too and took Omoní Ifá Rúnke. He began to cleanse him and said:

«I am going to cleanse him and open all his roads; I shall take away the illness and the restlessness so that he can reach Orunmila’s house.» Elegbá told Oggún to accompany Baba to Orunmila’s house and said that he would bring Omoni Ifá there.

Along the way he went on cleansing him until they reached Orunmila’s house. He left him at the door and hid. Orunmila saw Omoni Ifá and said to him: «Ifá Fore Aye Ashegun Ota». He called Elegbá and told him: «I hand him over to you, so that you and his father Baba may save him and give him good.» Orunmila had an Eure and he gave it to Omoni Ifá Runke so that he in turn would give it to Obatalá. All of it Iban Eshu.

Obe Meta for umbeboro, akofa, three small pieces of yaraeko, jío jío and a little ewe. The ishu meta, eleguede, ado meta, awado, oñí and otí go to Oggún, and eyele meyi is killed for him; everything taken away from Oggún, when he says so, goes to a thicket that makes a path; the ewe are for bathing as soon as the ebbó is finished. With the asho and the oshe and one eyele, everything from the bath goes either to a thicket or to ilé ibu.