Otura Ojuani

Do not deceive Baba

Here is where Obatalá sent for the quail, and the two friends agreed between themselves to ask for it whatever they wanted. When they arrived, Obatalá asked how much they were worth, and one of them answered that they were worth 4 pesos, but the other thought that was too little and said they were worth 8. So Obatalá did not want them. At that moment the quails died, and the two had to sell them at a lower price.

The king’s inheritance

This Ifá speaks of a king who had three sons, and the youngest was balogu. Three days before dying, he buried all his money accompanied by his servant, and instructed him to say nothing to anyone, because he was going to leave nothing to any of his sons. He left out only the money needed for the days he thought he would be ill, and some clothes as well. When he died, the eldest son came looking for the money and found nothing. Then the second one came, and he found nothing either.

Shortly afterwards the government was entrusted to the eldest, and he died, and so it went on until it reached the youngest. Someone advised him to go to Orunmila’s house for a reading, since he had seen the others who had tried to govern and had died. He obeyed and went to Orunmila’s house, and this sign came out, where he was told to make a rogación with akuko, owunco, adie meyi, eyele meni and a whistle to call Eshu. He was told that his father had died leaving a great deal of money, that a servant was the one who knew about it, and that after making the rogación he should go and find him. So he did, and when he arrived and saw the servant he said to him: «Your blessing, my father». The servant answered: «I am not your father, your father died. I was only his servant». The young man told him he had come to seek him out so that he might help him govern. At lunchtime he told him to sit at the table, but the old man did not want to. In the end he sat down, and at dinnertime he did the same. Seeing the young man’s kindness, the old man showed him the secret.

It says to give thanks to Eshu. You are three siblings, or you have three pieces of business in hand. You must make ebbo so that you see that you have to place a basket before Eshu so that he opens the way for you. This ebbo takes sand and ata meyi and is placed before Olórun, and afterwards you must take it to the head with three ewe (ewe dun dun, ewe ou and ewe tete). You must feed your head, but it has to be an iyalocha. The ebbo goes to the marketplace.

Another version of the previous patakin

There was a person who spent his whole life without making a will, and he had three children. They called the eldest son and, despite the many questions they put to him, he said nothing. Then, annoyed at the lack of answers, they threw him out of the palace. The same happened to the second son. They gave up and decided to bring the youngest son, who was in the countryside. They tied him up, but he asked to be released, promising to go to the palace. Before going to the palace, he went to Orunmila’s house and made an ebbo. Orunmila also told him not to approach any young woman, but the older women, since they would save him. And where they touched the ground, the inheritance appeared.

The envy of the three siblings

There were three siblings who envied one another, and the humblest was the one who made ebó. Shortly afterwards she withdrew to a cay where the sea, with its waves, cast sand upon her. Thus an islet was formed, and she became its queen, giving rise in time to a whole people. On the other side there was a queen whose people had risen in revolt, and the daughter of Oshún was in danger. Not knowing who the queen on the other side was, the daughter of Oshún asked for help, and soon the daughter of Yemayá came to put down the revolt. When the fighting ended, the daughter of Oshún saw her sister and thanked her, to which she replied: «Whenever you need me, I will be at your side, but now I must return to where my subjects are».

Your destiny is in your hands

On that path there was a young man who was going through great hardship and need. Tired of this situation, he decided to set out in search of fortune. One day he started on his way and, a little later, he met Elegbá, who asked him what was wrong. The young man told him his problem and his resolve. Then Elegbá said to him: «Let us go to Orunmila’s house». Orunmila examined him and revealed this Ifá: «You must make an ebó with an akukó, a wheel and a small house». The young man made the ebó, and Orunmila told him: «On your road you will face difficult and decisive moments, but if you do not let temptation defeat you, you will triumph and be happy. You will have encounters that will try to turn you from your path, but your destiny is in your hands». The young man gave thanks and went on his way.

After a long journey he came upon some bandits dressed in gold and precious jewels. One of them, apparently the leader, asked him: «Young man, what are you doing on these roads?». The young man answered: «I am looking for fortune and a good life on the road of life». The man said to him: «Join us and you will have everything: money and precious jewels like ours». Temptation took hold of the young man and he hesitated for a moment, but he remembered Orunmila’s words and answered: «No, thank you». He went on his way, going through hardships, until one day he arrived exhausted at the foot of a hill and saw a modest house. He drew near to rest a while.

However, on entering the house he was astonished to discover that from the outside it seemed insignificant, but inside it was a palace. The young man was marveling when a man who turned out to be Oduduwa asked him: «My son, what are you doing here?». The young man told him that he had traveled the world in search of a future. Oduduwa said: «You have been an obedient young man in following the advice you were given, and as a result you will remain as master of this palace, because I have a mission to fulfill for Olofín». He took his leave of the young man, leaving him governing that palace. And so the young man was happy thanks to his obedience.

On this path the strength to hold up the body is missing

On this path, Olofín sent for Obatalá so that he would carry out the various joinings of the human body. Obatalá said to him: «Father, what you are asking of me is almost impossible, because the human body has no support». Olofín answered: «Go to Inle Arishanla, where there is an awo called Otura Nibarabi, so that he may see what can be done». This awo had Osain as his secret, and he always counted on the help of Elegbá, who had been away from his house for some time, visiting Oyá to bring her two adiés that the awo Otura Nibarabi had sent her. Obatalá set out on the road to the land of Arinlala, and on arriving he was received by Osain, since he came weary. Osain bathed him with ewé ou, misi misi, ewefin, ewefa, and gave him obí painted white to place upon his head at the foot of an ou tree. After refreshing himself, Osain took him before Otura Nibarabi, and Obatalá told him what Olofín desired. Otura Nibarabi answered: «Very well, I shall make an ebó with: bogbo iguí, iyefá, osiadie shashará and gunugún, three birds, iguíre», and he gave him an akukó fun fun. And in his chant he said: «kolí Alá, Loma Alá, Ni Osain, Leri Alá, Leri Alá, Iki Ni Olórun, Leri Alá, Leri Alá, Ewa Baguá, Akukó Lori Alá, Ayani Efun Olofín».

A loud noise was heard: it was the different limbs joining themselves to the human body. All the limbs knelt before Obatalá, for the legs had no strength to hold up the human body. Obatalá listened to what the different limbs were saying and rejoiced. At that moment Elegbá arrived, coming from Oyá’s house with a message for the awo Otura Nibarabi. Elegbá handed the message to the awo and, before Obatalá, prayed over the head of the human body. But something was still missing, since there was a deficiency, for Obatalá was flying through the air with the güiro that Osain had prepared for him. The awo began to play it, and the legs appeared saying: «We will hold up the body». Obatalá warned them: «Pay attention to this oath you must keep; do not go back on it». The legs promised, and Obatalá told them: «You will have the strength to hold up the body, to bear it and to do everything, but you cannot fail».

Obatalá joined the human body with orí, efun, eyá, éku, epó, oñí, and placed it upon Elegbá. Elegbá told the awo to pray his sign, and he and Osain made an afoshe and roasted the head of the pío pío, its feet, iguí and wings. Time went by and the legs could not bear the weight of the body, so they went to complain before Obatalá. He told them: «You must go on with this, because you committed yourselves to carrying the human body. Very well, you will keep on doing it until he dies, for as long as the world exists. This is the curse of the legs».

OPARALDO: After six in the evening, one needs 1 chicken, 1 dove, white cloth, ori, efun, éku, eyá. The person is cleaned, the oparaldo is performed and taken to the foot of a tree. One prays before Obatalá with 2 itanas.

In the land of Ori Bokori, the people who lived there had their minds occupied and hardly ever devoted themselves to obori the eledá, which left them weak. In that land lived the awo Ori Ashebi Aye, who kept his secrets at the foot of the ou tree, which always grew in that land under the blessing of Obatalá. He always offered two eyele fun fun from his head to Osun, together with his secret, and the shadow of Orunmila was always over him.

One day the people of that land went to visit the awo Ori Ashebi Aye, who revealed this Ifá to them: everything that was happening to them was because they did not attend to their heads, and they had to obori constantly. But since they were very busy with other things, they had to perform a kofibori kofibofidán, a great rogación with the secret of Ou Elepe, so that it would serve them for the whole year. He took them to the foot of Iguiou with a jio jio, and there they carried it out, while they sang: «Ori Kofibori Irún, Olowo Kofibofidán, Okorun Abele Ori Owoshe».

Then they all took buds and leaves to obori. The awo Ori Ashebi Aye ground them with orí and efun, and took two eyele fun fun from his head to offer to Osun and to the rogación. Then he went on touching the different parts of each person’s body while he called upon them, and each time he did so, an orisha appeared who was the owner of the part named.

MARK ON THE FOREHEAD: Omi Tuto Leri Bakeri Otura Osi Obatalá Nilaye.

MARK ON THE HOLLOW: Omi Tuto Leri Yi Eyi Afere Lorinifee Lewa Oriboshe.

MARK ON THE EARS: Omi Tuto Osun Orí Asebe Legui Ni Olofin Obatalá Enife Orí.

MARK ON THE BACK OF THE NECK: Omi Tuto Alami Lokun Olofin Eshu Bagua Eshi Bekaye Ni Bari Ni Awo Eggun.

CENTER OF THE HEAD: Omi Tuto Ozain Abani Lorun Omo Shangó Bari Oni Kuako Obatalá Fiedenu Osha Bi Lowa Oribawao Mosha Ni Bagua Eni Kuako.

MARK ON THE LEGS: Omi Tuto Loshe Ni Tiku Unlo Belese Lorde Osini Yawa Elese Ota Elese Osi Orinilaye Inle Babague Olofin.

MARK ON THE ARMS: Omi Tuto Eni Towo Orile Ota Apa Gangan Onishe Awo Ori Enini Igbeni Apakini Oseni Ifá Kainde Orí Ibeyis Apekeyi Obori Baye Olofin Shangó Fiedenu.

MARK ON THE FEET: Omi Tuto Okuebe Iyanzan Gbogbo Orí Ojuani Arawayo Koyo Telese Inkan Buruku Omadeo Orun Elese Inkan Buruku Lode Omadeo.

MARK ON THE HANDS: Omi Tuto Orun Owo Alafia Obami Dowe Oggún Inshe Owo Otun Lashe Ni Eggun Moba Ishe Owo Omilo Oniwashe Shangó Owo Bawo Owo Elese Bawo Ese Owo Ara Eni Lafitunwa Enishe Epo Ni Aye Owo Banila Olofin.

Then all the Oshas who came strengthened the power of Orí in that land, and the people began to feel better. Awo Ori Ashebi Aye took everything he had upon his head, together with the heads of the eyele, wrapped it in asho fun fun and told them: «Place this secret beneath your heads so that you may sleep, and when a year has passed, ask where it should be taken and feed the secret of Ou again. That way you will never lack the strength to overcome difficulties». But their legs were weak, since they resisted carrying the head. Awo Ori Ashebi Aye said: «Let us go and see Elegbá». «Elegbá Ori Elese, Ou Nifá Sherí Iré Elese».

When Elegbá came near them, Awo Ashebi Aye took two jio jio and handed them to Elese together with Elegbá, while he sang: «Ese otún, otowá, forí sabe leri, ese ori boshe Elegbá, ese osí obá, ese iré farafún leri, ese ori boshe Elegbá». Then Elese and Ori came to an agreement thanks to Elegbá. Awo Ori Ashebi Aye told them: «The last thing left for you is to swear it by the great shadow of Orunmilayeo». Then he took one eyele dun dun and one fun fun, and gave the white one to Apa Otún while he sang: «apa Otún Boyé, Obá Ori Oye, Orunmilayeo». And the dun dun to Apa Osí while he sang: «apa Osí Alabo, Eggun Ori Oye, Orunmilayeo». Then the shadow of Orunmilayeo covered them all, and they knelt before Awo Ori Ashebi Aye. He told them that they were saved, but reminded them that they must always care for their heads in order to go on working in that land where they lived.

1.- Mark on the forehead: Omi Tuto Leri Bakeri Otura Osi Oba Talanilaye.
2.- Mark on the hollow: Omi Tuto Leri Yi Eyi Afefe Lorinife.
3.- Mark on the ears: Omi Tuto Ori Asebe Legui Ni Olofin Obatalá Enife Osi.
4.- Mark on the back of the neck: Omi Tuto Alami Lokun Olofin Eshu Bagua Eshi Bekaye Ni Bari Ni Awo Eggun.
5.- Mark on the head: Omi Tuto Ozain Lorun Omo Shangó Oni Kuako.
6.- Mark on the legs: Omi Tuto Lese Ni Tiku Unle Belese Lorde Osini Yawa Elese Ota Elese Osi Ori Ni Laye Inle Isheggun Olofin. One goes on marking with efun, orí, then obi; the asho is called (ala) and one shakes it over the person.
7.- The land of ori bokori.