Oyekun Ojuani

Obatalá’s rowdy neighbours

Obatalá lived with his children, but next door to his house lived some neighbours who were extremely rowdy, so that there was neither peace nor rest in his home. One day Obatalá decided to complain to those neighbours about the way they lived, but in reply he was insulted, since they believed themselves entitled to everything.

Obatalá, worn out by so much trouble with those neighbours, chose to go off to another town intending to move away. Seeing that Obatalá had left, the neighbours believed he had gone in search of ashélu, so they went to Orunmila’s house. He revealed this Ifá to them, telling them that Obatalá was not going in search of ashélu, but that they should make ebó because ashélu would come to them.

The rowdy neighbours paid no heed to Orunmila, since their only desire was to harm Obatalá. For his part, Orunmila told them: «Do not allow anyone to sit in the street doorway.» But they, with little wisdom, would not let Orunmila go on speaking and cut him off mid-sentence, that is, without hearing his full counsel.

Meanwhile, Obatalá reached the town and met Elegguá, Ochosi and Shangó. They asked him why he was there, and Obatalá told them everything that had happened and what he had had to do to avoid trouble with his neighbours.

Then Elegguá, Ochosi and Shangó went to Obatalá’s house and, late in the night, they saw people in the doorway of the house and said: «This is the place.» And when they arrived, the inkan araye broke out and ashélu carried the neighbours away.

Shangó went to fetch Obatalá and took him back to his house, and so he was able to rid himself of his enemies, who were his neighbours, and could live in peace.

Bad parenting

Yoko Yaddi was a son of Shangó, but Eshu kept close company with him and offered him help. Yoko Yaddi used to make him many offerings, but a time came when he married and had three children, and he drifted away from the saints.

The first two, both boys, looked very much like him, but the girl looked nothing like him and rather resembled her mother. Yoko Yaddi went so far as to say that she was not his daughter. He made that claim to his wife so many times that she, weary of such offences, decided to go to Orunmila’s house to find out why her husband denied his daughter.

Orunmila, on examining the girl, saw this Ifá for her and explained what her husband was thinking. Eshu came out in the girl’s defence and declared that if her father did not want her, he would adopt her and give her all his support, since he was in need of a good daughter.

As time went by, Yoko Yaddi went on doubting his paternity, until one day he decided to leave the home, taking his two sons with him. In this way Yoko Yaddi abandoned his wife and his little daughter.

Finding herself abandoned, the mother looked for work and found it in the king’s house. The girl grew up there and became more beautiful by the day, until she was the admiration of the whole town, where many took her for a princess. Eshu knew that the king had an only son who was away exploring in Inle Reyun, so he transformed himself and began to spread along every road the rumour that the king of those lands was gravely ill and calling out for his son.

When the news reached the prince’s ears, he returned to his land at once. However, on arriving at the palace gates, he was arrested by new guards who did not know that the king had a son.

The prince was imprisoned and afterwards recognised, when it came to light that Eshu had spread that rumour in order to bring about his return.

Once the prince had confirmed that his father was well, he decided to go back to where he had been. But as he passed in front of the palace, he saw a beautiful woman on the balcony.

The prince went to his father and asked him who that woman was. The king revealed to him that she was the daughter of one of his servants and that she had come to live in the palace. So the prince went out in search of the young woman and, when they met, the two fell in love and a short time later they were married.

In time, Yoko Yaddi’s sons abandoned him and went off to other lands, having learned that he had not been a good father, since he had separated them from their mother and had mistreated her.

Yoko Yaddi, old and ill, decided to return to his land, and so he did. On arriving, he began to look for his daughter, walking through the town leaning on a stick. But one day he slipped and fell into a puddle of mud, where he was recognised by some elders of the town who said: «This is Yoko Yaddi, the princess’s father.» Other neighbours, who did not know the story, carried him to the palace and told the guards at the entrance, who let him through. They knocked at the door and the maid came out; on learning that the princess’s father was there, she ran to tell her.

The princess appeared at the door and asked him: «Who do you say you are?» And Yoko Yaddi answered: «I am your father; I come to you because your brothers have abandoned me.» The princess said to him: «Look, I cannot be your daughter, because when one plants a seedling and it grows, one must tend it with fertiliser and water so that it may grow, and that you did not do with me. But I will be different» — and she turned to the maid, telling her: «Bring plenty of water to wash the filthy mud off my doorway.» Then she said to Yoko Yaddi: «Withdraw, and let the town think of me what it will; someone will remain who knows what you did as a father.»

Yoko Yaddi left the palace and a short time later died of sorrow, paying in this way for the bad raising of his children.

Kaferefun Shangó and kaferefun Eshu.

By this path Elegbara must be taken up, and if the person already has him, the condition he is in must be checked; besides, he is surely neglected. Here there is something with Shangó, or with a prenda de 7 rayos, or a dead one belonging to that path, which you have forgotten, and that is what will decree your destruction.

In this Ifá an akuko iti (an old rooster) is offered at the door. When this Oddun comes up in Ashegun Ota, a piece of yam is taken and used to make the inshe.

Where awo fare did not attend to Elegbá

Obatalá was suffering because in the land of Oyere there lived Awo Fare, but he took no interest in what was happening there nor did he attend to Elegbará. Elegbará abandoned him and went off to another land where Badawá Efa lived, who always cared for Elegbará and gave him everything he needed. There was abundance of everything there.

One day Obatalá set out along the road carrying his agogó and singing: «baba Ifá Na Nure Osabi Osá, Baba Ifá Ñanire». Orunmilá heard him and came out to embrace Obatalá, asking him what was wrong. Obatalá then told him about all the troubles Awo Fare was facing. Besides, in the land where he lived there was great poverty.

Orunmilá said to him: «Let us go and visit Awo Fare», and they set out together along the road. Orunmilá was carrying a rooster, 7 goats, 3 chicks, ékú, eyá, awadó, and he said to Obatalá: «You will see how we shall succeed, since Elegbará has never eaten owunko or akukó, and now we have everything we need to prevail over omo Badawá Efa.»

They reached the place where Awo Fare was, and he was overjoyed in spite of his sadness. Obatalá and Orunmilá told him: «From today your land will prosper and you will lack for nothing, but owunko and akukó must never be missing in this land.» Awo Fare showed his gratitude to Orunmilá and Obatalá, and the two of them set out for the land of Badawá Efa. Each one carried his agogó and they sang: «awo Fare Neyelé, Awo Fare Niyebé, Ounbo Badawé Abasiré, Elegbará Badawó».

Elegbará, who heard them, showed them his gratitude and said: «What is that delicious smell you bring with you?» Orunmilá answered: «This is the food you have never eaten.» Elegbará said: «Well then, where is that delicious food?» Obatalá answered him: «In the land you abandoned.» Elegbará replied: «I shall go with you at once.»

They set off for the land of Awo Fare, and he showed his gratitude to Elegbará. Elegbará said to him: «I shall stay with you in this land so that you may prosper.»

Depending on what is to be resolved, an inshe is made with ota meta.

Within 7 days an owunko must be given to Elegbará. A piece of the owunko’s hide is always toasted, he is given everything Elegbará eats, and it is distributed in different places. Elegbará should be refreshed with 7 of his herbs, and the head should be prayed over with obí omí tutu. When the oddun toyale is ire asegunota, the etá is taken with a piece of «ebó» akukó and the «iré» is made.

The gathering of all the malignant children of Shakuana

On this path, Shakúana had no fixed dwelling and came to the house of an awo named Oyekun to receive a reading. During the consultation, the sign Oyekun Ojuani came up for him, and he was told that he had to perform an ebo with two piglets, 16 fish, 2 vessels of palm oil and a hat. Shakúana made the ebo, and the awo instructed him that, since he had no secret place in which to hold his ritual meal (kiti), he should leave it set out at the entrance to the town.

Shakúana reached the appointed place and, just as he was about to set the ebo on the ground, he heard Elegguá’s voice behind him, saying: «The ebo you have laid down in this land — you shall keep apart from it. If you do not, you will find no success. Remain seated here, in this place, and you will leave behind all the wicked children. And here you shall call whenever you have need.»

Shakúana then followed the instructions he had received. He opened a hole in the ground and sacrificed a piglet and a rooster, placing them in the hollow. Then he added sand from the sea, from the river, the lagoon, the bush, the marketplace, the street, from his house, from Iroko, Luero, Azowana and Ogún, from all the orishas. He formed a small mound at a crossroads using 16 leaves of Ifá. On top of this mound he placed a cordón plant and a stone with inlays, together with a plate of iyefa with 16 meyis. Afterwards he consecrated the place with a mottled chick, sprinkling its blood over the earth. Finally he hung two cloths, white, red and black, at the spot.

The chick was cooked and eaten by Shakúana. From then on, the first kiti of Azowano was established, intended to protect the wicked children of Shakúana, known as Yesu. This kiti is called Yesu, and also votimo.

The runaway and the dog

On this path there was a slave who was worn out by so much suffering and hardship, so he decided to escape and become a cimarrón, a runaway. Exhausted by so much walking, the slave lay down beneath a tree and fell into a deep sleep.

Waking at dawn, a small noise caught his attention, and looking beside him he found a little dog. In time they became good friends, always fleeing and looking after one another to avoid being caught. Together they hunted and shared everything they had. They spent days of joy and of sorrow in each other’s company.

One day, while it was raining heavily, the friends decided to take shelter in a cave they found. The dog began to sniff about and wag his tail, and suddenly he pulled out some bare, foul-smelling bones. The runaway, recognising them, said to the dog: «Let us go, the rain has stopped. Those bones are from a human being.»

As they walked on, the dog sniffed again and began to growl. The runaway asked him: «What is it? Why are you like this?» At that moment the runaway realised that a few paces away, among the undergrowth, there was a dark-skinned woman with a water jar on her head. A smile lit up the runaway’s face, and he crept up on her. When he was close to the woman, he seized her by the neck and covered her mouth. He then killed her brutally, and the dog completed the deed by finishing her off.

The runaway and the dog carried on with their adventure without realising that they were nearing a batey. Suddenly, men with machetes came out of the undergrowth and threw themselves on the runaway, who was shouting: «Do not beat me, do not kill me!» In the confusion, the dog slipped away and was lost in the bush.

Several days went by and, one night, under the faint light of the moon, the dog howled, missing his friend the runaway. A few days later, near a road, a group of men approached the dog. In that group was the runaway, who, on seeing the dog, ran to him full of hope and cried out: «Dog, my friend!» The dog began to circle and wag his tail. The runaway, full of joy, knelt down and stretched out his hand to stroke his head; the dog, however, only growled, and every time the runaway tried to touch him, the dog answered with growls. The runaway murmured: «But my friend, do you not know me any more? Come to my side», he said, moved at meeting his friend the dog again. Suddenly, as he laid his hand on the dog’s head, the dog bit his hand and went on attacking him until he had torn him apart and killed him. After that tragic encounter, the dog went off into the bush and disappeared.

CIMARRÓN: The mayombero who used the prenda de zarabanda in a cruel and bloodthirsty way, accompanied by his dog, the prenda’s dog, which learned to kill human beings alongside its master. This kind of prenda needs to be fed periodically with animal blood, and if that is not done, the same happens as with the runaway, who parted from it and left it unattended. Then the runaway became the source of food for that prenda, which acted in a frenzy for want of a guide to provide it with animal blood.

On this path, before making ebbo, the awo is given kobori and bathed with jaguey. And, if it is a woman she must be given ikofá quickly, and if it is a man he must make Ifá quickly; he should take care, because they may strike him with a piece of timber until killing him. Trust no one, neither at home nor in the street. Your best friend is your enemy.