Otrupon Yekun

– for not believing in Orunmila he lost all his riches

Once, the king of a wealthy region went to Orunmila’s house to learn something about his son’s life. Orunmila made osode for him and this Oddun of Ifá came out, so he ordered the king to bring his son to have ebbo made for him, for otherwise the king would go through great difficulties, and his son as well. The king asked Orunmila what difficulties could possibly befall him, being so powerful, and thereupon he left Orunmila’s house.

Once the king’s son left the castle and began to walk through the city, he saw in the yard of a house a beautiful cherry tree laden with fruit. At the back of that yard there was a man busy with his chores. The boy went into the yard and climbed the tree to take the fruit without asking permission. When he tried to come down, he could not, and when he tried to speak, he could not either. A long while passed like this, so the king, noticing his absence, sent one of his servants to look for him and bring him back.

The servant passed by that same yard and saw the boy perched in the tree, and he went in to fetch him without asking permission. When he reached the foot of the tree, he too was left paralysed. Things remained this way for a long time, which worried the king, who decided to go and look for him himself.

As the king passed near the yard in question, he saw his son in the tree and his servant beneath it, and he headed toward the yard, intrigued, asking permission of the man at the back to come in. When the king entered the yard, he took a chair and sat down, calling to his servant, who answered that he could not move, neither he nor the boy, for reasons unknown. For these reasons the king called the man who was in the yard, and the man came to him and asked what he wanted. The king told him that what he wanted was for his son to come down from the tree. The man of the yard replied that his son had entered the yard and climbed the tree without permission, and that therefore, in order to come down from the tree and go home, he would have to pay derechos (a ritual fee), which consisted of handing over part of the king’s lands and properties.

Once the king of a wealthy region visited Orunmila’s house to learn more about his son’s life. Orunmila made a reading of Ifá for him and told him that his son needed to make ebbo, for otherwise the king and his son would face great difficulties. The king asked why they needed to make ebbo, since he was very powerful, and he left Orunmila’s house without doing anything.

Later, the king’s son left the castle and saw a beautiful cherry tree laden with fruit in the yard of a house. He entered the yard without permission and climbed the tree to take the fruit. When he tried to come down, he could not, and he lost the ability to speak. Noticing his absence, the king sent someone to look for him, but the servant too was paralysed upon entering the yard and could neither move nor speak. The king went to look for his son and found the boy in the tree and the servant beneath it. When he tried to rise from the chair belonging to the owner of the house, he could not move, and he discovered that he had to pay a derecho for using it. The owner of the house asked for lands and the king’s crown as payment, and the king lost everything for not following Orunmila’s advice. The owner of the house was an ozainista living in the town, and he grew rich on the king’s misfortune.

In short, this story underlines how important it is to listen to the advice of the wise and to respect the laws and the rights of others.

– the path where painting was born

Osaidie fifesho, adie okan funfun, adie okan jabada, powder of every kind, paint of every kind, eku, eya, epo, gbogbo asho, eran malu, maraquita, gbobo ikin, opolopo owo, igui ewe amansaguapo, parami, llamao, cambia voz, ewe oriye, vergonzosa, dormidera, a mirror.

In the land of Boribalara there lived an awó named Beyekun, who was a son of Shangó. He lived with his wife Gueyere, a very beautiful woman who was expert in prayers and suyeres. Beyekun was madly in love with her, but he did not like her spending so much time in front of the mirror.

Elsewhere, Omo Legun had a son named Asheri Bawa, who had received Ifá and who had a daughter nobody paid any attention to because she was not attractive. Asheri Bawa was worried, because his daughter was forever complaining about her bad luck in love.

One day Asheri Bawa took his daughter to his father’s house so that he might do something for her. Omo Legun told him to take her to the foot of Ozain, and gave him igui and ewe so that Asheri Bawa could get there and explain his situation to Ozain, singing along the way so that Ozain would hear him with the sticks, saying: «Agogó Ni Legun Agogó Ni Le Ozain Ni Guagua Agogó Nl Lekun Agogó Ni Le».

After Ozain had done his work, obini Gueyere was very happy and grateful to him. Ozain told her that she was to walk about the town and that she must not stop in front of the mirror, but she was so excited that she could not resist the temptation to look at herself in every mirror she came across. Awo Beyekun, who was in love with her, met obini Gueyere and did not recognise her, because she was so beautiful that she looked like a goddess. He fell hopelessly in love with her and could not believe she was the same woman he had known before.

Awo Beyekun could not resist her beauty and began to court her, but obini Gueyere told him she was not interested in him because she was already in love with another man. Awo Beyekun felt very sad and confused, for he could not understand how it was that obini Gueyere had no interest in him.

Soon afterwards, obini Gueyere met her true love, a man who loved her for who she was and not for her beauty. They married and lived happily ever after. Awo Beyekun learned a valuable lesson: that beauty is not everything, and that true love goes beyond outward appearance.

Awo Beyekun’s obini went to consult Ifá because she realised something was wrong in her home. Oyekun Batuto came out for her, and Ifá explained what she had to do to put the situation right. She was told to prepare an offering with a rooster for Shangó and to consult her own Ifá.

The obini followed Ifá’s instructions and prepared the offering for Shangó. Afterwards she consulted her Ifá and Iroso Fun came out. Ifá told her she had to make ebó with a turtle, a hen’s foot and a jutía in order to draw prosperity and harmony to her home.

The obini made the ebó and, thanks to the help of Shangó and of her own Ifá, she managed to set her home right. Awo Beyekun realised his mistake and repented of having abandoned his obini. He promised to change and to devote himself to his family as he should.

From then on, the obini and awo Beyekun lived happily and in harmony, thanks to the help of the Orishas and their faith in Ifá.

TO MAKE EBBO: cochineal, sweet potato vine, squash, cacao flower and a chicken. Orunmila made ebbo for him and told him to smear that on the face and the obo; then awo beyekun made ofikale trupon with her and stayed with her.

In this path Oyá is set to eat with Ifá so that Ifá may draw the obini near; this is its great secret.

The peanut farmers

In the land of Imale, the people lived from the peanut trade, their main crop. However, they stopped worshipping Orishaoko and Shangó, the patron Saints of that trade, and began to neglect them. As a result, the harvests dwindled and the people fell ill and died.

Worried about their situation, they went to Orunmila, who marked a cleansing ebbo for them and advised them to pray to Orishaoko and Shangó and to offer them food so that they might be blessed by them. The farmers followed the advice and offered food and fruit to the Saints, who forgave them. As a result, the following year’s harvests were better and the people were able to come out of the straits they were in.

To Iban Eshu.