Meaning of Oyekun Bara in the Diloggún
Description of the oddun: Oyekun Bara
- In this oddun the horse and the ox speak, and only their owner understands them.
- An oddun of attracting and tying.
- In this oddun are known all the bindings of one bold man over another bold man.
- It marks debts with Yemayá.
- You have children with another woman; take care of them.
- Your wife is very inquisitive and talkative; do not trust your secrets to anyone.
- Canes and umbrellas must not be hung up; lay them on the floor.
- The person you care for will come back to your side, even if it takes until next year.
Ritual and ebbo
An orugbo is made with horsehair (oila), 3 cowries, soap (osho), a hen, earth from the street, a broken vessel and 16 atare seeds. With this the oshe is prepared, which is then passed over the board and used for bathing.
An ebbo is also made with hair from the private parts, which is buried at the door of the house, and a whistle is placed for Oshún. The secret bath of this oddun is prepared with oluyare eshin herbs (horse burr), 7 okras, etu juice, white, red, black and yellow thread bound into a scrubbing pad, and a large new vessel filled with rainwater.
Born in this sign
The horse and all its tying gear.
Advice and warnings
- You are always running or in a hurry.
- You had a child with your first wife, so when you see him, give him something.
- You owe a debt to Yemayá and to Shangó.
- Do not reveal your secrets to your wife, for she is very inquisitive. Obatalá has granted you three opportunities and you have wasted them or handed them to someone else, which is the cause of your present difficulties. Another opportunity is on its way. If you tell your secret to your wife, you will bring ruin upon yourself.
- You love her deeply, but if you do not assert yourself, you will come off badly because of her.
- If it is a woman who comes for the reading, she is told that her husband will mistreat her because she is very quarrelsome.
- You have dreamt of a dead person; find out what that dead person wants.
- You must look after the dog you have.
- You dreamt of your wife and of three opportunities given away.
- Place a nail on your Elegguá.
- Your mother gave you up for adoption.
- Do not rush so much after work, and receive Orunmila. Guard yourself against curses.
- Note: the ebbo of this oddun carries a sliding rope smeared with tallow, placed behind the door. The ebbo carries nails.
- In this oddun, what one wishes to obtain cannot be won by brute force, but through cunning and skill.
- Have your guardian angel seated so that you may be happy and obtain what you desire.
- This oddun frees the spirit of the dead awó from the darkness.
- The awó of this oddun must place a lamp at his bedside when he lies down, so that its light may guide the journey of his spirit, imprisoned during sleep.
- In this oddun there is always the risk of being bound for life to a son or daughter of Oshún through the harm of their selfishness.
- It marks a debt with Yemayá and Shangó.
The traditional reading of this sign also warns about the following:
- There is damage to the teeth and pain felt in the eyelids.
- Being good-hearted is what brings failure.
Proverbs of Oyekun Bara
- El guapo amansa a otro guapo. The bold man is tamed by another bold man.
- El caballo atiende solo a su amo. The horse heeds none but its master.
- Lo que pueda hacer hoy con poco, mañana le costara. What you can settle today for little will cost you dearly tomorrow.
Patakíes of Oyekun Bara
The obsession
Prayer: adifafun ifa iku yoye adifafun ita luba olefana sofa nikua mameta lodo shede lade shoka ludo ekun, adie dun dun, isheri meta, ewefa owo loke oma aye rere oma aye kere oma aye ikupa keke ikupa maki ashebo pashan elebo, kaferefun ozain, lodafun obatala.
Ebbó: An object belonging to the dead person, abeboadie dun dun, crimson thread, epo, eri, 3 linae nails, ewefa, opolopo owo.
Oyekun Bara was an awó of great fortune in life, able to win obini and to live well. He lived with his first wife, who was abeyawo, and he had a son with her, but he felt no affection for her because she no longer pleased him. Oyekun Bara lived in the land of Inle Tana, a land of ikupa, where he preferred ogu (sorcery) to Ifá, and he devoted himself to keeping things belonging to Ikú without realising that Ikú (death) had begun to walk through his house, and that she wished to dance with awó Oyekun Bara.
Oyekun Bara became obsessed with eggun inkan buruku intori ogu and worked only with the sorcerer’s adze, whereby he began to grow in power but to lose his peace, for his obini, who had power in her sight, saw ikupa coming in and out of her ilé, and his omo would cry out at night because he saw her too.
Young Oyekun Bara went so far as to throw his obini and his son out of his house; both were children of Obatalá, which was why Obatalá had always given him good fortune. When Obatalá saw how Oyekun Bara treated his children, he laid a curse upon him, and from then on everything went awry for him and he walked in misfortune; he began to go hungry and could barely live. He busied himself only with the things of Ikú, and his leri began to turn.
One day Eshu Mako happened to pass by, and seeing that land peopled with egguns inkan buruku (dark ones), he took fright and went in search of Ozain. The two came, each with an osiadie, and they came singing: “eggun Laboguede Labera Unlo Ozain Laboguede Ikú Unlo Eggun Buruku Unlo”.
They performed sarayeye, and all the egguns inkan buruku were there, and he was foaming at the mouth. Then they came up to him and made sarayeye over him with the osiadie, which they gave to Ozain while they sang: “eggun Baloku Lole Eggun Baloku Lole Unlo Unlo, Eggun Buruku Abeye Ni Ikú Ozain Lele Ikú Olokun Eggun Buruku Unlo”.
When the influence of the eggun had left him, they bathed him with ewefa and made rogación on his leri with eyele meyi fun fun, giving them to Obatalá, and they laid him down to sleep. He dreamt of his obini and awoke, because Obatalá was telling him that he had to make ebbo with everything he kept of Ikú and beg his obini’s forgiveness. He awoke with a start and made osode for himself, where Oyekun Bara came out, which was his Ifá, and he made ebbo with what he kept of ikupa and set out for the land of Obatalá to ask his pardon.
On the road he met his obini and his son and asked their forgiveness and gave them owo, and when he reached his ilé Obatalá was waiting for him together with Elegbá, Shangó and Ozain. Oyekun Bara knelt before Obatalá and begged his pardon, repenting of all he had done.
Obatalá said to him: as a remembrance of this you will always have in your life spells of poverty and of wealth, and you will always have to lean on me and on Shangó for your fortune; furthermore you will always have to defend yourself from your enemies with Ozain, and Eshu Mako will live with you and guard the door of your house. There Ozain swore him into his secret, and Oyekun Bara became once more an awó of great power as before, with the same good fortune, but remembering that he could never abandon his wife and his son.
The appeasing of Shangó
Prayer: Oyekun Bara Lodafun Eshin Lo Ozain Shangó Shintilu Osushe Muti Eshin Niloko Ifá Shomi Oshún Lonshe Mamu Olufina Opolopo Otí Ogu Were Ninshe Omo Olofin Lodafun Ozain Kaferefun Aboño Oñí Shangó.
Suyere: eshin koko, oro asarele oni shangó were were ni to sun.
Ebbó: Akuko, a wooden cup, opolopo otí, cinnamon, iyobo dudu, iyobo fun fun, opolopo owo, gbogbo tenuyen, in ilé Olofin, owura (gold).
Path 3
On this path, in the land of Osushe, lived Oshún, who was deeply in love with Olufina Akakomasia, a man known for his elegance as a womaniser and a diviner, but even more famous for his unwillingness to commit himself in his dealings with women.
Oshún wished to bind Olufina so that he would be her Oko (husband). She had tried in many ways to keep him by her side, but he always slipped away to the lands of other women, mounted on his spirited white horse, known as Shebe Shintilu.
So she went to the house of the famous diviner of that town, who was Ifá She Mi, and when he made her reading he saw Oyekun Bara and told her that there was only one person in that land capable of bringing calm and quiet to Shangó, who was known as the runaway rider. She made the ebo that Orunmila indicated to her, and then went to the house of Òlòózàìn, who together with Ifá She Mi prepared for her the secret of the land of Oyekun Bara, the one that would bring Shangó to rest.
With those preparations in her hands, she waited for the moment when Olufina would come into her land; he arrived galloping on his horse and came singing: «kaowo, Kaowo, Moforibale Kenny Alado, Titi La Eyo Akualado Oshún, Titi La Eyo».
Oshún then invited him to dismount, and before she made ofikale with him she offered him, in the cup of Abaña that Òlòózàìn and Ifá She Mi had prepared for her, opolopo oti ogu, and as he drank Oshún sang the suyere given above.
When Shangó drank that compound he felt himself deeply intoxicated, and with an inner peace that made him feel at ease in that land; and after he made ofikale with Oshún, he grew calm and stayed there for good.
The horse and the wild boar
Prayer: oyekun bara olodaba esu lo kimolu ni okuseni te esin ni loko sese ni toasemi lafose niba abal bonse omo olofin.
Ebbó: Akuko, a horse’s bit, eku, eya, epo, awado, opolopo owo.
On this path there was a horse that was harassed by a wild boar. If there was water, the boar fouled it; it ruined the grass and everything else. The horse had grown tired of putting up with so much, so he decided to go to the house of Orunmila.
When he was given a reading, this Ifá came out, and Orunmila told him: «You want to take revenge on someone, but you must not do it, because you may lose your freedom in the attempt.» The horse left Orunmila’s house dissatisfied, saying: «Instead of giving me something to punish the one who torments me, he tells me I am going to do a wrong that will harm me. This man is mad.»
The horse went on his way with his craving for revenge, and so he met a hunter. He told him his case, and the hunter said: «I will help you, but for that you must let me put a bit on you and a saddle, and let me ride you.» Blinded by anger and by the craving for revenge, the horse accepted the hunter’s request.
After he had let himself be saddled and bitted, the rider was able to mount, and so they chased the boar that harassed the horse until they killed it. The horse felt satisfied with his revenge and then asked for his freedom, but the rider, who was Esu, understood how useful he was for hunting animals and would not grant his request. He led him to the stable and there he tied him up. From that day on, man rides the horse.
The horse’s bit is scraped and one arranges for the adversary to take the scrapings with iyare of Orunmila. Blowing it will also give good results.
Elegbá’s trap
Elegguá wanted to make a slave of the horse, but since he was small he could not, for the horse was big and strong. So he went to the house of Orunmila, and this Ifá came out, and Orunmila told him: «you wish to obtain a thing that you will not be able to win by force; to get it you must use skill and intelligence.»
Elegguá made ebo with: awado, rope, and so on. Orunmila told him to scatter a little awado where he used to sit and watch the horses. When Elegguá came to the tree from where he watched the horses, he scattered a little maize and sat down beneath it. One of the horses came to the tree on his round and asked Elegguá for maize. He gave him a little in exchange for being allowed to climb onto his back; the horse agreed.
A little later the horse asked him for some more maize, and Elegguá said: «I will give it to you in exchange for letting me tie this rope in your mouth, so that when I ride you I can steer you along the road.» The horse agreed, and thus he was mastered by Elegguá.
On this path, the person desires a thing that cannot be obtained by force, and must go about it with cunning and skill. They should have their guardian angel seated, so that they may be happy and be helped to obtain what they desire.
Works and ebbó of Oyekun Bara
Works of Oyekun Bara
Ebbo for the troublesome woman
A horse’s bit, a horse’s spur, a whip, orí together with red cloth, meno owo.
Ebbo for tying
A horse’s bit, eku, eya, epo, awado. The bit is scraped, then covered; it is mastered with ayo (fire) and the bit is blown. It carries a rope and a rooster. With the rope the bit is bound while naming the person to be tied, and it is placed on top of Oggún.
Ebboses for success and prosperity
- Ebbo: a pair of spectacles, a horse’s bit, red cloth, 2 doves, eku, eya, epo, orí.
- Ebbo: akuko, bocado de eshin, bogbo ashe. The bocado de eshin is scraped and what comes off is given to drink with eye and epo, or blown at the person one wishes to master.
- Ebbo: akuko, a wooden cup, opolopo oti, cinnamon, iyobo dudu, iyobo fun fun, opolopo owo, gbogbo tenuyen, in ilé Olofin, owura (gold).
- Ebbo: two yams, two doves, eku, eya.
Work for iré owo
A dry obi is taken and into it go eru, obi kola, osun, obi motiwao, aira, leri of 21 birds, filings of silver, gold, copper, aluminium and iron, ajaboshe coral and amber. Feed it 2 quail with Shangó; it lives behind the door and always eats with Shangó.
In this oddun, to keep peace in the life of the child of this Ifá, an abaña is prepared using a wooden cup with a base. A hole is made in the base and it is loaded with cotton of the Santos, oils, tiger hide, gold, a piece of odu-ara, ero, obi, kola, osun, orogbo and obi motiwao.
It is then sealed with the wood of the cup itself. This cup is washed and an offering of aparo meyi is made to Shangó. Afterwards it is set aside and the inside is painted with osun mixed with powder from the heart and the feathers of Shangó’s aparo.
In the oddun Oyekun Bara, the following mixture is added inside this cup: aguardiente, red wine, white wine, dry wine, sweet wine, six sticks of cinnamon, brown sugar, white sugar, rock candy and six royal coins. This is offered to Shangó, asking him to resolve every situation connected with the money and the work of the child of this Ifá. Oyekun Bara is prayed.
Furthermore, in this Ifá an ebbo is made with eshin koko, a straw figure that children in the countryside sometimes make to represent a horse. After the ritual it is burnt, and the ashes, together with the feathers of the aparo and the abore ekun, are the fundamental secrets of the Iyefa of this sign.
Note: in this Ifá there is the danger of being permanently bound to a daughter of Oshún. The danger is named because of the harmful selfishness of that person.
Prayers and suyeres of Oyekun Bara
Liturgical material transcribed from the source manuscripts; it is preserved verbatim.
Oyekun Bara Alordafun Oshún Lo Osain Oñí Shangó Shebe Shintilu Osushe Muti Eshin Niloko Shishe Ifá Shemi Oshún Lonshe Olufina Opolopo Otí Oñí Shangó.
- Oyekun Bara Olodofa Eshu Loqui Malu Ni Malu Akushewi Ti Oshi Mi Bokoshishe Bi Tonshenila Fashe Niba Abale Ni Tishe Obini Ambimu Pawale No Kitim Iya Lona Akuko Un Beresi Mi Pamale Londe Omo Olofin. Oyekun Bara Mofoko Shokuollo Kaferefun Obatalá, Kaferefun Eshu.
- Adifafun ifá ikú yoye adifafun ita luba olefana sofa nikua mameta lodo shede lade shoka ludo ekun, adie dun dun, isheri meta, ewefa owo loke oma aye rere oma aye kere oma aye ikupa keke ikupa maki ashebo pashan elebo, kaferefun ozain, lodafun obatalá.
- Oyekun bara lodafun eshin lo ozain shangó shintilu osushe muti eshin niloko ifá shomi oshún lonshe mamu olufina opolopo otí ogu were ninshe omo olofin lodafun ozain kaferefun aboño oñí shangó.
Eshin kiko, oro asarele oni shangó were were ni to sun.
Orishas in this sign
The orishas that the letter itself links to this sign, according to what the source records:
- Eshu — Eshu, however, said that he could indeed catch him, and he made an ebbo.
- Yemayá — It marks a debt with Yemayá and Shangó.
- Oshún — An ebbo is also made with hair from the private parts, which is buried at the door of the house, and a whistle is placed for Oshún.
- Shangó — It marks a debt with Yemayá and Shangó.
Other important aspects of the sign
Ewé of the sign
Jonjoto, bejuco garañón, bejuco congo.
Oyekun Bara (Oyekun Obara): patakíes, meaning, advice, works or ebboses and secrets
What Ifá Oyekun Bara tells us
Premonitions
- In front of your home there is a tree or a plot of land, and there lives an old man with reddish hair who has money that has not been stolen from him thanks to you. Who in your house has broken a leg?
- You have had thoughts of taking your own life.
- You will find work, and you also have people who will work for you.
- Do not raise your hand against your wife, and do not spread about what you know.
Stay alert
- Do not let your guard down, for they will try to catch you by the feet. A trap is being laid to kill you, but they cannot do it. This is like the time Eshu laid a trap to trick the horse, because people wanted to catch him in order to ride him, but they could not. Eshu, however, said that he could indeed catch him, and he made an ebbo.
First inshe
Oyekun Bara alternates between misery, setback and prosperity. The person must have an Eshu of great power, and likewise Ozain for their defence. The Eshu of Oyekun Bara is called Eshu Mako; it is made from a cowrie set into an ikoko and loaded with: ilekan, leri of gunugun, leri of ominu (owl), leri of etu, boar’s tusk, macaw feathers, 21 atares, caiman’s tusk, 3 judío eggs, an ota, parrot feathers, eru, obi, kola, obi motiwao, osun, cemetery earth, 21 strong iqui. This one eats akuko grifo.
Second inshe
In this oddun, to keep peace in the life of the child of Ifá, an abaña is prepared using a wooden cup with a base. A hole is made in the base and it is loaded with the following ingredients: cotton of the Santos, tiger hide, gold, a piece of oduara, ero, obi, kola, osun, orogbo and obi motiwao. It is then sealed with the wood of the cup itself.
The cup is washed and an offering of akuko meyi is made to Shangó. Afterwards it is set aside and the inside is painted with osun mixed with powder from the heart and the feathers of Shangó’s akuko of the oddun Oyekun Bara. Inside the cup the following mixture is placed: aguardiente, red wine, white wine, dry wine, sweet wine, 6 sticks of cinnamon, brown sugar, white sugar, rock candy and six royal coins. This is offered to Shangó, asking him to resolve every situation connected with the money and the work of the child of this Ifá. Oyekun Bara is prayed.
Furthermore, in this Ifá an ebbo is made with oshinkokou, a straw figure that children in the countryside sometimes use in their games to represent a horse. After the ceremony it is burnt, and its ashes, together with the feathers of the akuko and the abore of akun, are the basic secrets of the Iyefa of this sign.
For tying
With a rope the akuko is tied, and to the other end the horse’s bit is tied, naming the person who is to be bound, and it is placed on top of Oggún.