ORISA OKO (FACTS ABOUT ORISHA OKO)

In this article babalawo Obanifa will be explaining  in full spiritual facts about orisa Oko and how individual or Orisa devotee can use it for the betterment of their spiritual, social and economic well being. Orisa Oko is deity or god of Agriculture, any kind of farming, and fertility.orisa oko is also one of the diety in charge of hunting. Orisa Oko name has been corrupt by many tradition to names like : Oko, the Latin America and Santeria  practionals know this orisha as Oco, orisha okko, Oko, this orisa Oko has been syncretized with saint Isidore in some tradition . With due respect the correct name of this orisa is Orisa Oko the yoruba name for him. The meaning of the name simply mean 'The god of the farm' that is the god of farm produce. So it is instructive to state clearly here that the widely circulated believe among some santeria practionals and people in diaspora that the meaning of Orisa Oko mean 'god of the penis' is wrong with due respect. I humbly suggest that such view should be ceased to be pass to future generations.
So what is orisa Oko or better put who is orisa Oko?  Orisa Oko is the divinty in charge of land, agriculture, farming, fishing, fertility. He is the first person on earth to possess the esoteric knowledge how how to make land yield bountiful harvest. He has great power to make an infertile person either male or female to become fertile. He is a great provider of husband and wife for those who seek one, for he is the one of the orisa that allow sexual Intercourse to be carry out within his premises during his festival, wish many of it in most cases usually later lead to marriage or long life marital relationship. May be that is why some people mistakingly interprete meanings of his name orisa Oko to mean  diety of the penis. But in actual fact the meaning of it name is diety of the farm. Orisa Oko like other orisa is also in charge of hunting. He a great fortune teller, palmist and a judge. He hate evil witch, as he killed those who practice evil witchcraft at will. He protect those who use their witchcraft power to do good.
EARTHLY HISTORY OF ORISHA OKO
oral tradition handle down to us by people before us make it clear that orisa Oko leave as human beings in one of the ancient Oyo town know as Irawo. Even odu ifa Edi ika also known as Idinkaa make it clear that orisa Oko is Agba Irawo(that's orisa Oko is an elderly stateman of Irawo town). He leaves as a very humble farmer. he practice farming cum hunting. His major property was a hoe, cutlass, a gun, and a dog, and his sacred staff . He is a very quiet and silent person. He likes to leave alone in a stone cave. His farming produce is usually very bountiful more than any body in the town. He kill from his hurting. He sale his farm produce cheap to feed the poor. He has the power to bring rain from heaven any  time he wants and as a result his farm produce is all year round. People begin to reverend him, that this man that leaves alone in a cave and performing all this wonder to the benefit of all of us must be extra ordinary. He begin to get many follower and devotee who want to learn and gain from his immense power and knowledge. As he advanced in years incapacitated to till soil. He ceased to go on hurting and farming again, the disciple he had gathered continue to do such. He now started to practice as a fortune teller, women or men who have fertility problem will come to him at the cave he will solve their problems. Farmer who want bountiful harvest will come to him,he will do spiritual work for them to ori have bountiful harvest. People who need husband or wife will come to him he do link up. He serve as a judge he will settle dispute between disputed parties. When someone is alleged of practicing evil magic or using witcraft in evil way, they will brought such fellow to him, if he found the person guilty, he has a room inside the cave he will push the person inside, where unseen force will beheld the witch.
It happens one day when he becomes extremely old, he didn't not die rather than disappear from face of Earth. No body where he disappeared to, all his farming tools and dog disappear with him, remaining only the staff wich stand from the ground erected. Then the follower and neighbors who have witnessed and benefits from the immense knowledge of this man and his wealth of spiritual power, decided to continue his legacy. The staff he left was deify as opa orisa Oko. They begin to celebrate him annually at the end of each harvesting season. And sacrifice made to him at the beginning of each planting season. The stopage of using orisa Oko to catch witch long time ago. After the post humus deification  of orisa Oko, his followers try to continue the act of killing condemned with as practice by him. As a result they find a strong virile man and put in one room inside the cave, who usually killed any condemned witch put inside the cave. It happens one day that a man name Oso Ogiyan who is a practicing magician and evil witcraft, he was very hefty and giant man, he was brought before orisa Oko devotee for punishment. When they push him inside the room in the cave.he actually killed the person who to beheld, because he was able to overpower him. He throws out the head of the person hide inside the cave, he come out unscathed. From that day orisa Oko devotee don't push witch in cave again. Rather they will sacrifice to orisa Oko through his staff, it is orisa Oko who will now mysteriously kill the witch.
ORISA OKO ANNUAL FESTIVAL
the orisa Oko is an orisa that almost every town and villages here in yoruba land have shrine for. Because orisa Oko is a provider of food. giver of children and husband and wives to those who need them. The annual festival of orisa Oko is usually on the harvest of new yam season. This Is usually fall in month of August and begin of September. The orisa Oko annual festival is usually a thing of joy to all devotee. There will be plenty off food, especially melon soup and pounded yam in large quantities are available. People looking for children or husband usually come to orisa Oko shrine at this period. Women have free access to men for sexual Intercourse purpose during this festive season at the shrine of orisa Oko vice versa. Although this act of having sexual Intercourse in such an indiscriminate way have stop for a very long time. Women looking for husband come to orisa Oko, and one looking for children. And Farmer who want profit in his work. When the pray, by next annual festival they would have achieved their objective. Through out the festival there is usually rain fall. If rain refuse to fall, the devotee will call babalawo who know how to make rain fall or other orisa devotee who can invoke rain, to bring rainfall to grace the festivities. This is usually done to commemorate the divine power of orisa Oko himself to bring rain fall at will during his life time.
SYMBOL OF ORISA OKO
what we call orisa Oko this day is the staff of orisa Oko know as opa orisa Oko. This opa orisa Oko (orisa Oko staff) is produced by blacksmith out of and iron and wood. it have a sheat know as aso orisa Oko or Ewu orisa Oko. These is an embroidered leather with expensive beads work. This sheat will have covered or cap of similar texture and embroidered beaded design. It is inside this sheat that the staff is keep at the orisa Oko shrine when ever it not in use. It is instructive to note that the type of iron used by blacksmith to make orisa Oko staff is not a raw or new iron. If a Babalawo want to prepare orisa Oko staff for a person or devotee of orisa Oko want to do same. What they usually do is to go and get and old cutlass that have been use by a practicing Farmer has abandoned  (okutu ada),hoe that the farmer has use to farm for many years, that he has abandoned (abibon oko) this are the type of iron that the blacksmith will melt together to produce the staff. After the staff have been produced, the preist will now get :obidiye (fowl) igbin (snail) Ako ewure (he goat) Agbado tutu (fresh corn) akukodiye (cock) obe egunsi (melon stew). All this will be ready. The preist will then proceed to get the following leaves :
ewe olojoungbodu (fleurya aestuans) ewe jiwini (Acalypha ciliate) ewe ajekobale(croton  zambesicus). I will not be privileged to give you all the list of items use to consecrated this staff to be fully charged, I do this for the benefit of people who belong to the cult  who handle the knowledge to me. They guide the secret very much with care. The staff will then go through some proceed I will not like to share for private and public morality reason. Then the sheat will be given to onise ona (beads maker) who will make a great design sheat to house the staff. You can order consecrated Opa orisa Oko from babalawo if deem it feet to have one.
The favorite color at the shrine of orisa Oko is red and white. Their preist usually wear beads with pink and light blue color.
Food items offer for orisa Oko are usually :obe Ede (melon soup) igbin (snail) obidiye (hen) Ako ewure (he goat) Agbado (corn) otin (gin) etc.
ORIKI ORISA OKO /PRAISES OF ORISA OKO
Orisa oko
Eleni a te ikaa
O ri aje o pa nipa kupa
O ri ogun o yo sese
O ri ibon gbe roju ogun
Orisa to tori okele iyan
Fun ni ogun omo
O tori agbebo adiye
O fun Eni waya
Ni ogorun aya
O tun fun Eni wa Oko ni ogorun Oko
Orisa Oko baba oo
Eni ti o kuru o n Tiro
Eni ti o gun o bere
Won Toro owo Toro omo lowo re
Baba to ri iyan to jo ibembe
Baba to ri iyan to se saki saki
Orisa Oko gbe mi ooo
Translation
The diety of the farm
One who lay his mat without remove it again
One who killed witch mercilessly
One who became exceedingly glad at the sight of battle
He have plenty of guns to take to battle
A diety who because of one morsel of pounded yam
Give his devotee  one hundred children
He who because of hen
Give a wife seeker,
One hundred wives
He also give and husband seeker
One hundred husbands
Orisa Oko you are a father
You who a short person is lingering to see
A giant person is bending just to see you
They are beseeking you for wealth and children
You who dance to bembe drum on sighting pounded yam
You who pay obeisance on sighting pounded yam
Orisa Oko please bring me good luck of life.
The odu ifa that can be recited by orisa oke devotee in his praise can be found in odu ifa idikaa(odi ika)it goes thus
Idin kaka ejika
Eji wonwon Eji won
Opelope ejika ti ko je ki Ewu o bo
Opelope baba rere ti Se bini
Difa fun orisa Oko
Agba Irawo
E sode 'hin - in-hin
' Haa-hin-ha'
Orisa gbe mi
Mayin mi nun
Hin - in--in ha
Translation
Idinkaka ejika
Eji wonwon,  ejiwon
appreciation to the shoulder that helps the body to hold dress
Thanks to the Father who gives birth to one
Cast ifa divination for orisa Oko
Who is an elder stateman of Irawo city
Great the  hunter,
The hunter reply hin hin hin
Orisa bring me luck
Don't abandoned me.#ifa#orisaoko#babalawoobanifa#
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