Otrupon Otura

-where death wanted to carry off the omo of Orunmila

This is where death wanted to carry off the son of Orunmila, and this Ifá ordered him to make ebbo with: eure. And when death was asked what it wanted, it answered: that eating was its need. Orumila made ebbo, and death left him alone.

Orunmila saves the king’s sons

There was a king who had three sons who had become lost in the forest. After wandering for a long time, they came upon an old man who lived in a hut, who offered them hospitality and gave them everything he had. When the danger had passed, the young men told their story and revealed before Orunmila that they were the king’s sons. In his name they thanked the old man and took their leave. Before they left, the old man showed them the road that would take them to the city. When they arrived, they ran to their father’s house to tell him what had happened. The king, grateful, sent many horsemen to bring the old man to the city, and named him official diviner of the court.

Another version of the previous path

Orunmila wanted to move house, and his Angel told him that it was right there that he would find his fortune, and ordered him to keep a light burning and to offer an adie according to Ifá. Orunmila had only two adie, which fed solely on the eggs the hens laid. But Orunmila, obedient, offered them. That night, two young princes lost their way in the bush, and the light led them to Orunmila’s house. He looked after them very well, gave them food, and let them sleep there that night. The next day, Orunmila walked with them out of the bush and they reached their home, where the young men told their father, the king, what had happened. As a reward, the king granted Orunmila a high office.

When everything bad turned into iré aye unbowa

A person said: «it is better to die than to go on living the way I am». Ikú heard her and took hold of her, saying: «I am your friend». In the same way, another person spoke in similar terms, and Arun heard him and took hold of him. A third person spoke in the same manner, and Ofo heard him and took hold of him.

Then a fourth person came along, cursing, and Eyo heard him and took hold of him. When these people realised how much evil they had behind them, they went to Orunmila’s house. He saw this Ifá and told each of them what was happening to them. He told them that they had to feed all the Oshas and make ebbo with akuko, adie meyi, eñi adie, opolopo owo. The akuko was given to Eshu, the adie meyi to Orunmila, and in this way everything bad turned into iré aye unbowa.

Rich today and poor tomorrow

There was a man who could not get out of one problem without falling into another, and so he decided to seek help from Orunmila. Orunmila saw his Ifá and told him that good fortune was coming in the form of money, but that he had to make a rogación so that it would not bring him trouble. The rogación consisted of offering a sacrifice with two hens, an earthen jar, a jute sack, his belt, and money.

The man ignored Orunmila’s recommendation, thinking that his good luck was enough and that he did not need to make the rogación. But when he went to collect his prize, he was told that the jar was too small for the money and they had to put it in a jute sack. Since he had not put on his belt, the weight of the sack ruptured his insides, causing his death, and he was never able to enjoy his wealth.

This story teaches how important it is to follow Orunmila’s recommendations and to make the necessary offerings in order to avoid harmful consequences.

This person becomes rich in 24 hours, and in 24 hours is left poor. Wear a red and white sash.

Beware of the twins

Once there was a great drought in the land, which brought hardship and misery to a married couple who lived there. Although they prayed to the Santos every day for help, nothing seemed to work. They decided then to gather many diviners so that they might find out the cause of the drought, but each one gave a different answer and none could solve the problem.

At the gathering there was a Santo standing there who did not speak and who wore a feather on his head: Oshalufón. After the diviners had gone off to lunch, Orunmila arrived at the place. As he was walking, some boys approached him and asked him for money. He gave them what he had and asked them where they were going. The boys pointed him to the gathering and told him that Oshalufón was the one standing there without speaking.

When the diviners came back from their lunch, Orunmila proposed that they go and speak with Oshalufón. He moved his head, and what was causing the drought was revealed. What he asked for was done and, a few days later, it began to rain and the problem of the couple who were in difficulties was resolved.

Through being mean and miserly he lost everything

Shangó had a son who worked very hard, but because of the abrupt way of life he led, he kept suffering great losses. Seeing the situation his son had sunk into, and in order to improve his way of living, Shangó would ask him for things so as to help him. Shangó’s son, who loved money so much, had become miserly, and rather than ever spend his money, he never sent Shangó any of what he asked for. As Shangó’s son went on suffering losses, he decided to go to Orunmila’s house, and Orunmila made osode for him and saw this Ifá. He told him that he had to be patient, that he should not quarrel with anyone, least of all with his mother, and that in order to recover what he had lost he had to give food to Shangó and afterwards make the rogación (the one above).

Shangó always watched over his son from above, and he saw that the young man was going through far too many hardships just to live, so he sent Elegbara to ask him for two dry coconuts. The son asked Elegbara where the coconut tree was. Elegbara went back and gave the message to Shangó, who, as a father, let it pass. Two days later, Shangó sent Elegbara again to tell the son to send him two akuko. The son asked him where the flock was that he might send them from.

The young man said: «I do not know what Shangó thinks of me». So Elegbara carried the message back again. Shangó, grieved, said: «You have seen the ways of this boy». After a few days, Shangó said to Elegbara: «Go and tell my son to send me an abo». Elegbara knocked at the door and delivered Shangó’s message. The son, uncomfortable, said: «Good grief, Shangó my father, I have nothing even for coconuts or roosters! Where am I going to find the means to give you an abo? Father, do you not know that I have nothing?». But he waited a moment… and Shangó’s son took an empty sack and got inside it, saying: «Come, take it from this room». Elegbara took it and carried it to Shangó. He was overjoyed to see it and said: «Thank God, my son has sent me something of what I asked him for». Then the awoses who were waiting for the abo in order to make the ebbo took hold of the sack to open it, and they were all astonished to see that young man.

All the Santos who were there said: «Come out and open that door and look». The son opened it, looked, and saw many enormous things, and Shangó said to him: «It was for this that I kept asking you for all those things, to perform a ceremony for Olofin and to be able to send you everything you need. See it with your own eyes». The son was left astonished and very sad, saying: «Oh, Shangó my father, I am going to send you everything». But Shangó said to him: «I am sorry, my son, but you were not meant to see these things that are here inside this room. I will give you a little, but from another room that you have not seen». And Shangó’s son lost everything through being mean and miserly.

This tells us that under this Ifá the person finds it hard to spend money on matters of the religion, and if they do, they do it by halves and grumbling. The person here becomes mean and miserly. In this Oddun the one who resolves is Shangó. Here a woman is mistreated and also deceived, and one may receive a punishment for this from Oshún. Avoid being curious and do not be fond of seeing everything, do not be presumptuous, and avoid caprice. Do not suddenly look into any closed room or house that has been shut up, and much less go prying, because it may be harmful to you and may also cost you an illness or your own eyesight.