IFA IRETE MEJI COMMENTARIES BY BABALAWO OBANIFA-Obanifa Extreme Documentaries -Reformed Africa Ifa Spirituality – Odu Ifa Series
In this current work Babalawo Obanifa shall
extensively examine different scriptural stanza in Odu Ifa Irete -meji.
It is instructive to note that it is also Irete Meji that Babalawo nickname Eji
-Elemere. This work shall examine among other thing :What is Odu Ifa Irete
-Meji?,What are the associate or affiliated Orisa and Irumonle with Odu Ifa
Irete -meji?,What are the taboo Of Odu Ifa Irete Meji?, What are Congenial
Professions or Occupation for those born by Odu Ifa Irete -meji?What are the
likely names that can be given those born by Odu Ifa Irete -meji during their
Itelodu (ifa initiation) or Ikosedaye (the first Ifa divination for new born
baby) .Succinct general information for those
born by Odu Ifa Irete -meji and Some sacred messages contain in this Odu Ifa
shall be examine as well as Commentaries on them. All these and more shall be
the major focus of this work.
Irete -meji is one of
the sixteen principal Odu Ifa.It major dominating element is water.
WHAT ARE THE ASSOCIATE OR
AFFLIATED ORISA AND IRUMONLE WITH ODU IRETE -MEJI?
By this we mean those Orisa
or Irumonle that those born by Odu Ifa Irete -meji can have along with their
IFA in other to succeed and have problem free life. These Orisa as
point out by differrent sacred stanza in odu ifa Irete -meji are :Ifa, Ori,
Egbe, Obatala, Sango, Osun, Ile.Each of them have their function.
1.Ifa - Veneration of
ifa will grants success, victory, long life
2 .Esu Odara -Esu will
guarantee protection, success and stability
3 .Ori- To facilitate
speedy fortune
4. Egbe- for financial
development and prevention of loss
5 .Obatala- for
success and happiness
6 .Sango- for
protection and long life
7 .Osun- for
protection against defamers
8 .Odu- for protection
and success
9 .Ile- for long life
and prosperity
WHAT ARE THE TABOOS OF ODU
IFA IRETE-MEJI?
By this we mean the
things both animate and inanimate such as food, plants, animal, behaviors or
character that those born by Odu Ifa Irete -meji must avoid to use, eat
or do in other to have success and problem free life. Some of these taboo
range from Okere (Squirrel), Alakan(crabs),Owiwi (Owls). Obo (Monkey )among
others so those born by this Odu should not do the following :
1.They should not eat
squirrel to avoid premature death.
2 .They Must not
pay evil with evil to avoid the multiplication of evil and disaster.
3.They should
not use Eeran Herb at all to avoid continence with the Elders of the Night.
4 .They should
not use Buo (owl) at all to avoid contention with the Elders of the Night.
5 .They should
not be invulnerable in business to be the sole owner to avoid unfinished
fortune.
6 .They should not use
anything from the monkey family at all to avoid premature death.
7 .They should not
involve others in what they know nothing about to avoid humiliation and
disaster
You should not eat crab
to avoid prolonged problems.
WHAT ARE THE AREA OF
PROFESSIONALS OR OCCUPATIONS FOR THOSE BORN BY ODU IFA IRETE- MEJI?
Those born by this O du
can thrive in any kind of business, but they are usually successful in
business, but it must be a partnership business.
WHAT ARE THE LIKELY NAMES
THAT CAN BE GIVEN TO THOSE BORN BY ODU IFA IRETE-MEJI
These name range from
Ilemajeyi, Okanbi, Olaberinjo, Ifagbamila, Iyewaajare.These name are derive
from positive Ifa character in different stanza of Irete meji .It can be given
to male and female respectively.
Male
1.Ilemajeyi- My
mother-earth saves this from Consumption
2.Okanbi- A child of
special birth
3 .Olaberinjo- Honor
is as big as an Elephant
4 .Arundu-A small
child
5 .Ifaduri- Ifa
protects my headñ
6 .Ifabagmilia- Ifa
saves me
Females
7 .Ilemajeyi- My
mother-earth saves this ,dont consume it
8 .Okanbi- A child of
special birth
9 Iyewaajaare
10. Oladebu- It is
worth sharing the honor
SUMMARY OF SOME GENERAL
INFORMATION BY THOSE BORN BY IRETE -MEJI DURING ITELODU OR THEIR IKOSEDAYE.
MEANING OF IRETE MEJI FOR
THOSE BORN BY THIS ODU DURING ITELODU OR IKOSEDAYE
The children of Irete
Meji normally live happy and comfortable lives. They have the help of mother
earth, which ensures that they are blessed with gain. They are also equally loved
by Olodumare. They are considered as ambassadors of Olodumare here on earth.
This is like the greatest function that Irete Meji's children perform
splendidly. That is part of the reason why they do not need to go to work in
jobs where they have to sweat profusely before the day breaks.
The children of Irete
Meji triumph more outside the coasts of where they are born than if they remain
where they are born. Wherever they go they will turn it into their abode. They
do not believe that someone discriminates against them where they go. They will
also cooperate with those they encounter or know where they are going. For all
this, they take their opportunities and advantages from any opportunity that
comes their way.
It is always advisable
for the children of Irete Meji to ensure special preparation was made for them
to demolish the houses which are being erected by their Egbe in the heavens so
that they may live those which they are raising here on earth. This is very
important to avoid a situation in which they will lose their lives as soon as
they complete or acquire any property on the land.
Many times the
children of Irete Meji are accused of perpetrating evil, of which they know
nothing. The organizers of these lies will make everyone believe that he is
truly the bastard of Irete Meji's children; the truth will prevail at the end:
unfortunately for those liars of the perpetrators of the children of Irete Meji
they do not easily forget or forgive anyone who has done them wrong.
Sango and Orunmila are
the two older Irunmoles who protect the sons of Irete Meji against a premature
death. Sango protects her breasts and Orunmila her head. With these two
Irunmoles behind them, longevity is assured.
To succeed in life the
children of Irete Meji must enter into partnership with others. It is not
advisable for them to get into business alone, as this would not bring the
maximum profit for them. If they are going to enter into a business
partnership, they will be able to maximize their profits, especially if all partners
invul- cated in business specialize in different fields and categories of
business or segments. They however need to spell out the invulneration of
business associates before that business venture begins. They also need to
spell out the profit or loss formulas beforehand. In doing this,
misunderstanding frictions will be reduced to bubbles.
The children of Irete
Meji also suffer from the problem of containment with the Elders of the Night.
They try to stop them in reaching their goals in life. However, with the
appropriate ebos and Ipese, these problems will become things of the past.
SOME SACRED MESSAGES IN
HOLY ODU IRETE-MEJI AND OBANIFA COMMENTARIES
ON THEM.
1.
Ifa warns the person
to whom this Odu is revealed that there is a need for him or her to do Ipese
for the Elders of the Night, so that the problems he or she is currently
encountering, caused by the witches, can be eliminated. Ifa says that the life
of a young man is being threatened by the Elders of Night where this Odu is
revealed. This is the reason why Ifa recommends this ebo to prevent this young
man from experiencing premature death.
Ifa advises that there
is a need to offer ebo with a mature goat and money. After this, there is a
need to make Ipese with a mature goat. The goat will be sacrificed from the
back of the neck to the throat. The flesh of this goat will be well distributed
raw. It should not be cooked in the house where this ebo is offered or in the
house of the Babalawo. On this, Ifa says:
Eeran ti kekere p’eto
Owiwi o dun idun ana
Dia fun Orunmila
Ti yoo fi ewure gb’omo
re l’owo Eleye
Ebo ni won ni ko waa
se
Translation:
Eeran, is what grows
in the branches since its creation
The Owl does not
make the same sound he did yesterday
That was the Ifa
launched for Orunmila
He who rescues his
children from the hands of witches with a goat
He was advised to
offer ebo
In this Odu, Akapo was
successfully married to children. The couple had lived happily until Akapo
inadvertently found himself in contentious circumstances with the Elders of the
Night. How it happened? Some people came to him for Ifa consultation when
their children were experiencing unexplained ailments. After the consultation,
Akapo told the client that the problems were being caused by the Elders of the
Night. Therefore he recommend the appropriate ebo and ipese. The client
obeyed.
Before long, Akapo had
been known as an expert on type matters relating to children and their
well-being. That was how Akapo had inadvertently offended the Witches. Unknown
to him, most of the children he had saved from premature death had literally
been marked by the Elders of the Night to be consumed.
They had been the ones
who had marked the children before they began their illnesses. In fact, these
ailments were the mark as that the Elders had put in their bodies to have an
excuse to cause the death of those children when they really died. They saw
Akapo as an enemy who had removed their potential meals from their mouths. They
therefore concluded that Akapo should be punished for this. They decided to
take his best son to replace all the children he had refused to consume.
Before long, Akapo's
favorite son became ill, all the medicines he had successfully administered
over other children failed to have any effect on his own son. The boy became
thinner, paler and weaker each day. Akapo's family was thrown into confusion
and sorrow. That's when Orunmila decided to go to Akapo's aid.
One day, Akapo had a
dream and Orunmila told him that his problem was with the Elders of the Night;
therefore he should consult Ifa. During the consultation, Ifa told Akapo to
offer ebo with a mature goat for the victory for the children and the family.
After this, he had to use a mature goat as a substitute for his son because the
flesh of his son had already been shared by the Elders of the Night. They were
only waiting for the boy's death before taking physical action of the parts of
his body. He was instructed to sacrifice the animal from the back of the neck,
which was an unconventional way of sacrificing animals, because the Elders of
the Night planned to eliminate his child in an unconventional manner. He
was also told that he should share the meat of this raw animal since no part of
that goat had to be cooked in his house. Akapo obeyed with the ebo and shared
the flesh of the goat among those who lived around his house. Within a week,
the boy got well and fully recovered. Joy returned to Akapo's family.
Eeran ti kekere p’eto
Owiwi o dun idun ana
Dia fun Orunmila
Ti yoo fi ewure gb’omo
re l’owo Eleye
Ebo ni won ni ko waa
se
O gb’ebo, o ru’bo
Eni ti ngb’apa, e waa
gb’apa
Odiodi ni won np’eran
aje je o
Odi-odi
Eni ti ngb’ese, e waa
gb’ese
Odi-odi ni won np’eran
aje je o
Odi-odi
Eni ti ngb’eyin, e waa
gb’eyin
Odiodi ni won np’eran
aje je o
Odi-odi
Eni ti ngb’ori, e waa
gb’ori
Odiodi ni won np’eran
aje je o
Odi-odi
Eni ti ngba’fun, e waa
gba’fun
Odi-odi ni won np’eran
aje je o
Odi-odi
Eni ti ngb’orun, e waa
gb’orun
Odi-odi ni won np’eran
aje je o
Odi-odi
Eni ti ngb’edo , e waa
gb’edo
Odi-odi ni won np’eran
aje je o
Odi-odi
Eni ti ngba saki, e
waa gba saki
Odi-odi ni won np’eran
aje je o
Odi-odi
Eni ti ngba fuku, e
waa gba fuku
Odi-odi ni won np’eran
aje je o
Odi- odi
Eni ti ngba’ge, e waa
gba’ge
Odi-odi ni won np’eran
aje je o
Odi-odi
Translation:
Eeran, is what grows
in the branches since its creation
The Owl, does not make
the same sound he made yesterday
That was the Ifa
launched for Orunmila
He who rescues his
children from the hands of witches with a goat
He was advised to
offer ebo
He obeyed
Those who have the
right to members come and take your parts
In an unconventional
way, the animal of the witches is sacrificed
Truly, it is
unconventional
Those who have the
right to lead, come and take your parts
In an unconventional
way, the animal of the witches is sacrificed
Verbally, it is
unconventional
Those who have the
right to the neck, come and take action on their part
In an unconventional
way, the animal of the witches is sacrificed
It is definitely
inconvenient
Those who have the
right to the bowels, come and take your part
In an unconventional
way, the animal of the witches is sacrificed
Truly, it is
unconventional
Those who have a right
to the gut, come and take your part
In an unconventional
way, the animal of the witches is sacrificed
It is definitely
unconvetional
Those who have a right
to lungs, come and take their part
In an unconventional
way, the animal of the witches is sacrificed
Truly, it is
unconventional
Those who have the right
to breast come and take your share
In an unconventional
way, the animal of the witches is sacrificed
Truly, it is
unconventional
Ifa says that the
person for whom this Odu is revealed will be rescued from the hands of the
witches.
II.
Ifa assures the person
for whom this Odu is revealed during Ikosedaye or Intelodu that he or she will
be blessed with profitability. He or she would never die young. He or she will
be happy and comfortable. He or she will be blessed with the help of Ile, the
mother-Earth.
Ifa advises him or her
to offer ebo with a mature goat and money. He or she also needs to know what
Ile will take from him or her and feed it accordingly. On this, Irete-Meji
says:
Iyan Bemubemu lo kun
inu igba
Oro Bemubemu ko kun
ikun agbalagba
Dia fun Ilemajeyi
Ti yoo k’ere aye je
Ebo ni won ni ko waa
se
Translation:
A large piece of
pounded yam could fill a calabash to the top
But a big issue can
not fill an old man's stomach
This was the Ifa
launched for Ilemajeyi
Who will be blessed with
everything good in life
He was advised to
offer ebo
When Ilemajeyi was
coming from heaven to earth, he chose, and was blessed with, all the good
things in life, riches, good wife, good and loving children, peaceful family
orientation, good neighborhood, good mentality, good health, etc. .. When he
came to earth he had everything he took to be successful in life.
One day, Ilemajeyi
went to see Ifa to see what the chances of success would be in his life; would
he triumph? Would he be able to achieve his goals in his life? Would he
be blessed with riches, wives, children, property and all other things in life?
Would he live a happy and fruitful life on earth? These and many more were the
questions that he had in the back of his mind when he approached the Awo
mentioned above for consultation of Ifa. The Awo assured him that he had
the opportunity to succeed in life because he had chosen all ire of life
as part of his destiny. The Awo advise him to pray for these things in his
life: one; a life without problems, two; good health, and three; long life.
Ilemajeyi is advised never to go out of his way to go to court problems so that
his prayers for a life free of problems is accepted by Olodumare. He was also
advised not to abuse or overabuse of himself physically, psychologically,
emotionally or spiritually so that his prayers of good health are accepted. He
was also warned against being a 'Hero', he also had to look for ways to save
his life when death threatened, especially when it was possible to do that.
That would be when his prayer for long life would be accepted. The Awo advised
him to offer ebo with a mature goat and money. He was also advised to feed Ile,
Mother Earth, because he had a strong connection with her. the ebo recommended
to Ilemajeyi, he is reminded, that he was not to be rich or to triumph; but instead,
it was to gain victory over problems, illnesses and premature death. Ilemajeyi
obeyed and offered the ebo as prescribed. He also took the advice of the Awo
seriously. He started out as a farmer. Her crops were beautiful. Before long he
was a great success. He soon took a wife. Together they made greater
cultivations and collected better crops. His wife proved to be simple, modest,
gentle, easy to wear and honest woman. They were blessed with many children
whom she trained in the fear of Olodumare and respect for the elders.
When the children grew
up, the family erected a magnificent family property. They managed to be out of
trouble all the time. They did all their things in moderation and were blessed
in good health. They consulted Ifa regularly and performed all prescribed ebo
regularly. They were very happy with life and life was very happy with them.
They lived long lives. They became something of a model for the community. All
the envious were held at bay by the community, and as such they were protected
and defended.
Iyan Bemubemu lo kun
inu igba
Oro Bemubemu ko kun
ikun agbalagba
Dia fun Ilemajeyi
Ti yoo k’ere aye je
Ebo ni won ni ko waa
se
O gb’ebo, o ru’bo
Ko pe, ko jinna
E wa ba ni ni jebutu
Ire gbogbo
Jebutu ire gbogbo laa
ba ni lese Obarisa.
Translation:
A large piece of
pounded yam could fill a calabash to the top
But a big issue can
not fill an old man's stomach
This was the Ifa
launched for Ilemajeyi
Who will be blessed
with everything good in life
He was advised to
offer ebo
He obeyed
Before long, not too
far
Let's get together in
the middle of everything good in life.
That is what Ifa has
guaranteed us
All that remains for
the person for whom this Odu is revealed is a life free of problems, good
health, long life so that he can enjoy all those divine blessings.
Ifa assures the person
to whom this Odu is revealed that he or she will never live a chaotic life. Ifa
assures him or her that if he or she can devote all of his life to him or she
will be made an Olodumare Ambassador. He or she will also be blessed with all
the Ire of life.
III.
Ifa advises this
person to have the Ifa seal on his person at all times. He or she needs to have
the Ide of Ifa around their face and their necks all the time. If possible, he
or she may have it around the hip. With this, all the negative principalities
will keep the distance of him or her because they will know that he or she has
the mark and the protection of Ifa on his person. Ifa recommends this person to
offer ebo with 2 rats, 2 fish, 2 hens and money. He or she is also advised to
feed Ifa with a mature goat. On this, Irete Meji says:
Eerun yan nf’odo kete
Dia fun Atoka
Tii se Ilari Olodumare
Ebo ni won ni ko waa
se
Translation:
During the dry season,
it is possible to jump over a stream
This was the message
of ifa to Atoka, the bird of the cold regions
The ambassador of
Olodumare
He was advised to
offer ebo
Atoka, was born into a
large family of priests of Ifa and priestesses. However, he took agriculture as
his own way of life. He was very successful as a farmer, but he was not a happy
man. He knew that something was missing in his life but he could not point the
finger at what it was. As much as he dealt with, he could not find out
what it was. All he knew was that the peace of mind and joy for which he had
been praying fervently in his life was not there. He was financially well. Yes,
he had a good family. But yes, he was not satisfied with his life. But he was
determined to do something about it.
One day he went to the
house of the Awo mentioned above for consultation of Ifa: would he be
blessed with peace of mind in his life? Would he be hcontent with his
life? Would he live the long time and be protected against the vagaries of
life?
The Awo advised Atoka
to put his mind to rest. He was assured that not only would he be protected, he
would also be elevated. He would be blessed with peace of mind and joy. Atoka
was told that he would be chosen as an Ilari, ambassador of Olodumare. As a
result of this, there is a need for him to dedicate his life to Ifa. He was to
study Ifa as his religion, prophecy and his complete way of life. He was told
that he had no need to go to agriculture or to the farm or the river to fish or
to draw water. He must have been in his house to serve Ifa and Olodumare. He
was told that every time he left, he must be in service to Olodumare.
Atoka is advised to
offer ebo and feed Ifa as previously prescribed. He obeyed. As soon as he left
the house of the Babalawo, he summoned all the members of the family and
announced that from that moment on, he would devote his life to the service of
Olodumare through Ifa. At first, his family found it hard to understand
how he could do this when, according to them, he had all things going well for
him. He made it clear to them that what he needed most in his life was not
monetary gain, instead it was inner peace and joy.
He told them that he
had not been at peace with himself all his life. The family had no choice but
to respect his point of view; After all, what he planned to do was no
stranger to the family.
He started his studies
seriously. The initial period was hard and difficult. Surprisingly, instead of
feeling bad about the decline in his finances, he was indeed happy, he realized
that bringing joy into the lives of other people was more remittance than all
the wealth in the world. Before he finished his studies, he was already at
peace with himself. His life made sense to him. He saw life from a different
perpestiva entirely. His family did not do that and they were all very happy
for him. Most of his friends and business colleagues did not accept the fact
that Atoka had finally abandoned agriculture and the negotiation of agricultural
products. They were going to persuade him to work in the business of agriculture,
so part-time. Atoka replied that as an Ilari of Olodumare, he did not need to
cultivate, fish or negotiate anymore. Eventually, they all gave up and left
Atoka quietly to chart the way of his life as he wished.
When he finished his
studies, he became an instant success. He was known from far and near. He was
in very high demand. This pleased him more than anything in his life. He was
very happy attending people. These people also showed their appreciation. They
were always at his side to help him. He was loved and happy; he had inner
peace; he was loved and respected. In addition, he had more financial gains
than he had when he was a farmer. Atoka lived and died a happy man.
Eerun yan nf’odo kete
Dia fun Atoka
Tii se Ilari Olodumare
Ebo ni won ni ko waa
se
O gb’ebo, o ru’bo
Mo di Ilari Ikin, emi
o r’odo
Atoka di Ilari
Olodumare
Mo di Ilari Ikin, emi
o r’odo
Atoka di Ilari
Olodumare
Ko pe, ko jinna
E wa ba’ni b’ayo
E wa wo’re o
Translation:
During the dry season,
it is possible to jump over a stream
This was the message
of ifa to Atoka, the bird of the cold regions; the cold bird
The ambassador of
Olodumare
He was advised to
offer ebo
He obeyed
I have become the
Ilari of Ikin, I have no need to cultivate
Atoka has become the
Ilari of Olodumare
I have become the
Ilari of Ikin, I do not need to fish
Atoka has become the
Ilari of Olodumare
Before long, not too
far
Let's get together in
the middle of happiness
Come and persuade all
the Ire in life.
Ifa says that for the
person for whom this Odu is revealed he will live a happy life. He or she must
be happy with his life. He or she will gain respect and honor, and he or she
will not live in poverty or need.
Lesson/Commentries
One thing that is
clear from the stanza of Irete meji above is that. It is important for an
individual to find And Know his path and follow it. That is the only way they
can have inner peace along with their achheivment in life.
IV.
Ifa says that the
blessings in the family where this Odu is revealed must be divided into two; a
part must be given to him or her while the other party must be given to the
other members of his or her family. ifa says that this must be so because the
woman who gave birth to this person has offered many ebo for the benefit of him
even before he or she was born, and when she was young, the prayers of the
mother of he or she had been giving favorable consideration and acceptance to
Olodumare even before he or she had been born. For this reason he or she has
the right to everything in life.
To be able to open the
door to everything Ire in life. Ifa advises the person for whom this Odu is
revealed to offer ebo with 4 giuneas and money. On this, Ifa says:
Poro bayii
Aala bayii
Dia fun Ladebu
Tii se Yeye Oke
Ebo ni won ni ko waa
se
Translation:
Poro bayii (crops
stacked this way)
Aala bayii (and the
boundaries of in this way)
They were the Awos who
launched Ifa for Ladebu
Who was Oke's mother?
She was advised to
offer ebo
When Ladebu was newly
married, her biggest concern was to be blessed with a child she was very proud
of and who will be the center of attention of the entire community. Never
before had she become pregnant, she made several visits to the house of the
group of Awos mentioned for the consultation of Ifa. All she was begging for
was for her to give birth to the most important baby in the whole community.
She wanted to be seen and known as the mother of the most precious son of the
community. She believed that if Olodumare gave her this child, then her life
was worth living. All the ebos that were prescribed for her by these Awos were
made by Ladebu.
When she became
pregnant, she continued to go to these Awos every seven days and she continued
performing all the ebos that were prescribed. She never stopped these practices
until the baby was born. (The son was named Oke because he was wrapped in an
amniotic sac when he was born.) He grew up to be an intelligent boy. He behaved
well and very obediently. When he grew up, he went to the house of the same Awo
whom his mother used to go to when he was young, for Ifa's advice; would he
succeed in life? During the consultation, Irete Meji was revealed.
The Awo assured Oke
that everything would be okay with him, they told him that even before he
was born, his mother had offered all the necessary ebos so that he was a
successful man on earth. He was assured that the pleas of his mother had been
taken to Olodumare for consideration and approval by Esu Odara. After due
consideration, Oke was informed, that Olodumare had approved the pleas of his
mother. Oke was told to go home and do his best in all the things he was doing
and make sure he was out of trouble. To make sure that all life was manifested,
Oke was advised to offer ebo with four guineas and money. He obeyed promptly.
As soon as Oke did this, every thing he touched became an instant success. He
was blessed with so much money that people believed half the money of his
entire family belonged to him, while the rest belonged to the rest of the
family. It was the same story with the wives, children, horses, property, and
other good things in life.
Poro bayii
Aala bayii
Dia fun Ladebu
Tii se Yeye Oke
Ebo ni won ni ko waa
se
O gb’ebo, o ru’bo
Aje ile yii nko o?
T’Oke ni o
T’Oke t’oke l’etu nke
Aya ile yii nko o?
T’Oke ni o
T’Oke t’oke l’etu nke
Esin ile yii nko o?
T’Oke ni o
T’Oke t’oke l’etu nke
Ile gbogbo ile yii nko
o ?
T’Oke ni o
T’Oke t’oke l’etu nke
Translation:
Poro bayii (crops
stacked this way)
Aala bayii (and the
limits of the farm in this way)
They were the Awos who
launched Ifa for Ladebu
Who was Oke's mother?
She was advised to
offer ebo
She obeyed
Who is it possesses
all the riches of this house?
They belong to Oke
'T'oke t'oke is the
sound made by the guinea when it is Sound
And the women of this
house?
They belong to Oke
'T'oke t'oke is the
sound made by the guinea when it is sound
And all the blessings
of this house?
They belong to Oke
'T'oke t'oke is the sound
made by the guinea when it is sound
Ifa promises the
person to whom this Odu is revealed that he or she will be sought for guidance
and assistance in all aspects of life by his or her family and community. Ifa
says that this is because he or she has been given much, he or she is strongly
advised not to defraud himself or his family and / or community.
Lesson/Commentaries
Parent have a great
role in determine the future of their children. The best way to determine the
future is to create it. This can be deduce from the activity of Ladebu in this
stanza.
V.
Ifa says that for the
person for whom this Odu is revealed will not only be blessed with all the good
things in life outside of where he or she is born, he or she will also have a
lot to show for all these blessings. Ifa says there are three of them who are
moving together but who have not been born in the same cities. Ifa assured the
three of them that they would triumph in their new places of habitation and
they Would be able to take evidence of their triumphs back to their birth
lands.
Ifa advises these
three people to offer ebo with 3 white doves, 3 ducks, 3 roosters, 3 guineas,
and money. On this aspect, Ifa says:
Aro-gbagede-gba
Dia fun Olaberinjo
Omo won l’ode Isanlu
Ebo aseyori ni won ni
ko waa se
Translation:
Aro-gbagede-gba
It was the Awo who
make ifa consultation for Olaberinjo
The indigene of the
land of Isanlu
He was advised to
offer ebo to succeed and achieve
Olaberinjo were
indigene to the city of Isanlu. He left his hometown to settle in the city of
Ado-Ekiti. When he arriveto his new house, he knew a single person in that
city. This person used to visit Isanlu as a merchant who sold clothes to the
Olaberinjo family. It was through this merchant that Olaberinjo moved to Ado-Ekiti.
Shortly after he
arrived in this new city, he realized that it would not be easy to succeed as a
non-indigene of the city. His friend had very little time to introduce
him to other people because of his travels and his busy itinerary.
Olaberinjo was in a
state of dilemma when he met Jegue. Jegue was indigenous to the land of
Otunmoba. He also came to the city of Ado-Ekiti when he heard that business was
thriving there. He did not have many business connections in his new place of
residence so he decided to try his luck anyway. When he first arrived, it
was difficult for him to even eat. He was determined to stay in spite of
temporary delays. He started to draw water and cut wood for people to survive.
It was during one of his trips to the river draw water that he knew Olaberinjo.
his dilaect is not that of Ado Ekiti.They talked. They became friends
instantly. They decided to stay and work together.
Three weeks after
this, the two friends met Okanlawon. Okanlawon was from Alatamode Akoko. He
also came to Ado-Ekiti to begin a new life. He had tried his hands on two
business adventures in his native land and had unfortunately failed in both.
Something kept telling him that he would succeed anywhere else. He did some
research and decided to move to Ado-Ekiti. The third day of arriving at his new
home was the day he met Olaberinjo and Jegue. The three became inseparable.
When you found one, surely the other two were close. Before long, the entire
city of Ado-Ekiti began to notice them as close friends.
One day, the three of
them sat together to discuss seriously how they could progress in life. During
their discussion, they realized that they needed to begin their business
adventures in what they knew best. Olaberinjo said that his family specialized
in hunting and that he had participated in several hunting expeditions. He was
convinced that he would become a successful hunter in Ado-Ekiti. Jegue was a
farmer all his life. He knew how to use manure to produce beautiful crops. Not
only that, he knew what tricks to use to kill insects, rodents and birds away
from his farm. He concluded that with the fertile land of Ado-Ekiti, coupled
with a good business climate, he was destined to succeed. Okanlawon said he had
been a trader all his life. Even though he had tried to be a seller and a
woodcarver and had failed like that, he knew he was going to succeed because
Ado-Ekiti's business environment was right for trade.
That day, the three of
them concluded that they would procure three types of locally made shotguns
for Olaberinjo from their collective savings so that he could begin his
winnings as a hunter. They did it. The rest of the money was used to buy
machetes, hoes, pickets, knives and other agricultural implements for Jegue.
They approached the head of the community in their area to plant the land and
Jegue was given land. They told Okanlawon to take over selling all the hunting
pieces that Olaberinjo killed and all the products from the Jegue farm.
farm. The three of
them were in business that they knew with which they understood each other very
well once again.
The first day,
Olaberinjo went to the forest to hunt, he returned with two huge antilopes and
a rat. They cooked the rat to eat and sold the antilopes. The sale convinced
the other two friends that Okanlawon was a fantastic trader and a hard trader.
With this
breakthrough, Olaberinjo was not entirely satisfied. He decided to approach
Aro-gbagede-gba, the best Babalawo in Ado-Ekiti in that stage for consultation
of Ifa.
The Awo told Olaberinjo
to offer ebo as was previously prescribed. The Awo explained that to have an
abundant harvest or to kill several hunting pieces was not enough to succeed.
What was more important was that these products hit the market at the most
appropriate time and so they could pull the right string in the minds of
consumers. This was more important when considering the fact that those
bringing the same products to the market were many. Therefore there was the
need to offer ebo so that its own products were the most attractive for those
who would consume it every time they hit the market.
Olaberinjo was
impressed with the explanation and offered the ebo as prescribed by the Awo
Shortly after the ebb
was offered, things began to change for the better for Olaberinjo. People
preferred their animals to those of others. Okanlawon had a hard time trying to
appease his clients' grievances when they did not see any animals to buy when
Olaberinjo's pieces went to market. Olaberinjo began to show signs of triumph
more than his two other friends.
One day, Olaberinjo
called a meeting for the three of them to have another serious deliberation. He
made it clear to the two friends that the difference of success between him and
his two friends was beginning to broaden. He was convinced that if the gap
continued to widen as he went, there would be cause for envy and that was very
dangerous for his friendship. He told them that such an event was unacceptable
to him because he wanted mutual love and respect for them more than all the
riches of the world. The solution? The request was made by two friends, who
went to the house of Ar-gbagede-gba and made sure that they offered all the ebo
he would prescribe to them. After much deliberation, Jegue agreed to give the
Olaberinjos council a chance.
Aro-gbagede-gba
Dia fun Olaberinjo
Omo Ode Otunmoba
Ebo aseyori ni won ni
ko waa se
Translation:
Aro-gbagede-gba
It was the Awo who
threw Ifa for Olaberinjo
The indigene of
the city of Otunmoba
He was advised to
offer ebo to succeed and achieve
When Jegue went to
Aro-gbagede-gba, he was also assured success. He was also advised to offer the
same ebo Olaberinjo offered and for the same reasons. He also obeyed as he was
advised.
Shortly after this,
Jegue not only had an abundant harvest, its products also arrived at the market
in the most opportune moment. Again, okanlawon had a hard time explaining to
those who did not see anything to buy and why this was so and to exercise
patience.jegue also became very successful.
In all of this,
Okanlawon was finding it more difficult to make more profit for it. He had not
changed much from his old poverty. One day, Olaberinjo and Jegue insisted
Okanlawon that he should go for consultion with Ifa to find out why he had not
been successful like them. He was advised to offer everything that
Aro-gbagede-gba recommended. They made it clear to Okanlawon that anyone who
had met them three when they started moving together would have the impression
that he had not been treated fairly.
In the end, Okanlawon
agreed to go for consultation of Ifa in Ar0-gbagede-gba's house, to find
a way forward:
Aro-gbagede-gba
Dia fun Okanlawon
Tii s’omo won ni
Alatamode-Akoko
Ebo aseyori ni won ni
ko waa se
Translation:
Aro-gbagede-gba
He was the Awo who
launched Ifa for Okanlawon
The Indingeneof the
city of Alatamode-Akoko
He was advised to
offer ebo to succeed and achieve
Aro-gbagede-gba blame
Okanlawon for having waited so long before going to consult Ifa. However he was
assured that it was not too late. He is recommended to offer the same ebo as
his two other friends. Okanlawon offered the ebo as prescribed.
As soon as he did
this, his situation changed for the better. He started to make big profits from
his sales. The more profit he made, the more his customers loved his products.
They considered their products to be expensive because they were of superior
quality. Soon I added material of clothes and carved wood to the sale of its
products. Surprisingly, he began to make more gains in these than in animals
and agricultural products. That's how he knew that it was not the witches and
wizards in AlatamodeAkoko who warned them to succeed when he was there. To
convince himself, he took his products to his hometown and sold everything.
Including the sack he used to load his products there!
The three friends were
married in Ado-Ekiti. They were blessed with several children; they acquired
many properties and they were highly respected on earth. When it was time for
each of them to return to their respective homelands, the indigenous people of
Ado-Ekiti and visitors fired them with tears of joy rolling down their cheeks.
Aro-gbagede-gba
Dia fun Olaberinjo
Omo won l’ode Isanlu
Ebo aseyori ni won ni
ko waa se
O gb’ebo, o ru’bo
Aro-gbagede-gba
Dia fun Jegue
Omo Ode Otunmoba
Ebo aseyori ni won ni
ko waa se
O gb’ebo, o ru’bo
Aro-gbagede-gba
Dia fun Okanlawon
Tii s’omo won ni
Alatomode-Akoko
Ebo aseyori ni won ni
ko waa se
O gb’ebo, o ru’kobo
pe, ko jinna
E wa ba ni ni wowo ire
gbogbo
Nje Isanlu n’ile
Olaberinjo
Olaberinjo la
O re Isanlu
Isanlu n’ile
Olaberinjo
'
Otunmoba ni ti Jegue
Jegue la
O r’ode Otunmoba
Otunmoba nile Jegue
Okanlawon l’omo won
‘lode Alatamode-Akoko
Okanlawon la
O r’ele Akoko
Akoko n’ile Okanlawon
o
Translation:
Aro-gbagede-gba
It was the Awo who
threw Ifa to Olaberinjo
The indigenous of the
land of Isanlu
He was advised to
offer ebo to succeed and achieve
He obeyed
Aro-gbagede-gba
He was the Awo who
launched Ifa to Jegue
The indigenous of the
city of Otunmoba
He was advised to
offer ebo to succeed and achieve
He obeyed
Aro-gbagede-gba
He was the Awo who
launched Ifa for Okanlawon
The indigenous orf the
land of Alatamode-Akoko
He was advised to
offer ebo to succeed and achieve
He obeyed
Before long, not too
far
Let's join in the
midst of all the blessings of life
Isanlu was the home of
Olaberinjo
Olaberinjo triunfo
And back to Isanlu
Isanlu was the home of
Olaberinjo
Jegue was indigenous
to Otunmoba
After the success of
Jegue
The return to Otunmoba
his homeland
Jegue was indigenous
to Otunmoba
Alatamode-Akoko was
the birthplace of Okanlawon
Okanlawon triumph
And return to the land
of Akoko
Akoko was the
birthplace of Okanlawon
Ifa advises three
friends who are from different lands to offer ebo so that the three of them
will triumph together. It is also important that the three of them offer ebo to
prevent a situation where one or two of them succeed and others do not.
VI.
Ifa says that he
foresees the blessing of all Ire in life for the person for whom this Odu is
revealed. Ifa says that this person will be blessed with honor and followers.
He or she will be respected and adored.
Ifa says that at this
moment this person is pursuing wealth at the expense of his spiritual
elevation. Ifa warns him or her that whatever he or she does for wealth or not,
he or she will be blessed with wealth; but if he or she loses his spiritual
essence, then he or she has lost everything.
Ifa advises him or her
to offer ebo with 2 pigeons, 2 guineas, 4 rats, 4 fish, abundant shrimp and
money. He or she needs to be eating shrimp regularly so that the wealth that is
destined for him or her will reach his hands as quickly as possible. On this,
Ifa says:
Apo aje ba’le , o ro
jinnginni
Apo omo’kun ba’le ro
jogbojogbo
Nitori ki n le ni
isinmi
Ni mo se n sai sinmi
Eyin o gbo t’Oosa mo
Are Aje le n saa kiri
Alagbigba n lu
Kanrankanran r’okun
Alagbigba n lu
kanrankanran r’osa
Alagbigba n lu
kanrankanran r’ode Oyinbo
Dia fun Yense Iledo
Ti n sunkun oun o
ri’re
Ebo ni won ni ko waa
se
Translation:'
A bag of cowries s
landed and produced a rebound sound
And a bag full of
Omo'kun beads landed and made a dull sound
So that I may have
rest in the future
That's the reason I've
refused giving myself rest now
You no longer listen
to Orisa's instructions
You are in franks
pursuit of wealth
The fortune-teller
Agbigba repeatedly enchants the mars
And it enchants the
lagoons
And still it enchants
repeatedly to the earth of the man Oyinbo
Those were the
messages of Ifa for Yemese Iledo
Who was crying in
mourning for his inability to secure everything in life.
She was advised to
offer ebo
Yemse iledo was a
hardworking woman. She had been trained to appreciate the value of hard work.
Her mother told her that if she wanted to rest when she had gray hair, she had
to work hard when she had black hair. This lesson she took very seriously. In
her attempt to succeed in life, she had no time for anything else. She totally
abandoned the Orisas of her ancestors. However, there was no market around her
community that she did not know. Anyone who wanted to go to some market went
and asked her to wait in that market and she provided them with the information
in a correct way. She was a wonderful market analyst.
However, surprisingly
she did not have to show for her versatility. As much as he tried, his
condition did not improve. Tired of this, she gathered courage one day and
decided to go to the house of the group of Awos mentioned above for
consultation of Ifa. Would she triumph in life? She asked.
Awo's group assures
her that she will surely triumph in life. They were told that even though it
was a good thing to be a hard worker, it was really the blessing of the Orisas
and the approval of Olodumare that really made one successful. She was told that
since she had left the Orisas they had also closed their ears to her cries and
had chosen not to assist her in her quest for triumph. She is advised to
continue to work hard but at the same time, she will find enough time to
venerate the Orisas and Olodumare regularly. She was doing that, she was
assured, that success would come her way. After this, the Awo advise her
to offer ebo as previously discussed. They also advises her to eat
shrimp regularly and to use them to feed her Orisa. She obeyed. She
also planned her life in a way that would not allow any disturbance to keep her
from worshiping her Orisa regularly.
Shortly after this,
his life began to change for the better. She was able to see that it was not
just hard work that was worth living life. She realized that organizing one's
life in an organized way was more important than working hard only. There
should be time to work, time for leisure, time to worship, time to rest and
time for all things in life. When she realized that it was time for a change of
position, she began planning for marriage. She was successfully betrothed. She
had splendid children. She trained her children well. She was blessed with the
wealth she had been longing for, and her wealth had significance to her because
she had people to share with. She was able to live a happy life.
Apo aje ba’le , o ro
jinnginni
Apo omo’kun ba’le ro
jogbojogbo
Nitori ki n le ni
isinmi
Ni mo se n sai sinmi
Eyin o gbo t’Oosa mo
Are Aje le n saa kiri
Alagbigba n lu
Kanrankanran r’okun
Alagbigba n lu
kanrankanran r’osa
Alagbigba n lu
kanrankanran r’ode Oyinbo
Dia fun Yense Iledo
Ti n sunkun oun o
ri’re
Ebo ni won ni ko waa
se
O gb’ebo, o ru’bo
Ko pe ko jinna
Ire gbogbo waa ya de
tuturu
Ire Aje ti o de
Ede lo ni ko de
Owinniwinni, ede lo ni
ko de
Ire oko ti o de
Ede lo ni ko de
Owinniwinni ede lo ni
ko de
Ire omo ti o de
Owinniwinni ede lo ni
ko de
Ire ile ti ko de
Ede lo ni ko de
Owinniwinni ede lo ni
ko de
Ire gbogbo ti ko de
Ede lo ni ko de
Owinniwinni ede lo ni
ko de
Translation:'
A bag of snails landed
and produced a rebound sound
And a bag full of
Omo'kun beads landed and made a dull sound
So that I may have
rest in the future
That's the reason I've
reused giving myself rest now
You no longer listen
to Orisa's instructions
You are in frank
pursuit of wealth
The fortune-teller
Agbigba repeatedly enchants the mars
And it enchants the lagoons
And still it enchants
repeatedly to the earth of the man Oyinbo
Those were the
messages of Ifa for Yemese Iledo
Who was crying in
mourning for his inability to secure everything in life.
She was advised to
offer ebo
She obeyed
Before long, not too
far
All the Ire in life
came in abundance
The ire of wealth that
had failed to come
It was Ede, the
shrimp, which ordered him to come
Owinniwinni, he has
ordered you to come
The ire of wives who
had failed to arrive
It was from here that
I ordered you to come
Owinniwinni ede has
led you to come
The ire of sons who
had failed to arrive
It was from here that
I ordered them to come
Owinniwinni ede has
led you to come
The ire of the
properties that had failed to arrive
It was from here that
I ordered them to come
Owinniwinni ede has
led you to come
The ire of all the
blessings that had failed to arrive
It was from here that
I ordered them to come
Owinniwinni has
summoned to come
Ifa says that the
person pqrq who this Odu is revealed will be blessed with all Ire in life. All
he or she needs to do is organize their life in an organized way and try to
identify their priorities. He or she must also approach his Orisa and
Olodumare.
VII.
Ifa says that the
person for whom this Odu is revealed has everything necessary to succeed in
life, especially if he or she wishes to leave their birthplace in search of
greener pastures elsewhere. Ifa says that the initial stage, it could not be
easy because he or she will have to contend with three obstacles in their
pursuit of success. Ifa advises this person not to confront these obstacles,
instead, use their wisdom and understanding to turn them around to succeed. If
this can happen, this person will triumph where others have failed. He or she
will have cause to celebrate.
Ifa recommends this
person to offer ebo with animal bones (any animal) pounded yam , corn meal, and
money. On this, a stanza in Irete Meji says:
Okiti babaaba nii
pekun opopo
Dia fun Laigbo Ogege
Ti nlo ree gun’gi olà
n’ife
Ebo ni won ni ko waa
se
Translation:
Okiti babaaba ni pekun
opopo
He was the Awo who
launched Ifa for Laigbo Ogege
Who was going to climb
the tree of prosperity in Ife
He was advised to
offer ebo
Laigbo Ogege had made
several attempts to climb the tree of prosperity in Ile-Ife but had not been
successful. Why? At the foot of this tree (Ege) were four animals that looked
wild that prevented anyone from climbing the tree. These animals were
agbo-momo, the ram; obuko, the goat; aja, the dog; and akkuko-otan-galanga, the
rooster. All the people who had tried to climb the tree had been persecuted.
Those who tried to be brave were bitten mercilessly by the dog, beaten forcibly
by the ram and the goat, and scratched with the nails by the rooster.
Despite this, Laigbo
Ogege was completely determined to climb the tree. He knew that anyone who
climbed the tree would become prosperous, beyond even his own dreams. When he
reached the foot of the tree he saw the animals sleeping. He quickly but
silently walked to the tree to climb it, only to receive a horrible bite from
the guard dog of the tree. There must be a way to climb this tree, reason. When
he could not think of any other trick to climb the tree of prosperity, He
decided to approach the aforementioned Awo for consultation of Ifa:
would I have success climbing Ege , the tree of prosperity?
The Awo assured Laigbo
Ogege that he would be able to climb the tree of prosperity. He was told that
success did not come cheap or easy. That was why he had to wait for obstacles
at the foot of the tree. Laigbo Ogege was comforted that anything that seemed
to be an obstacle on the way to one's success could not be removed by force;
instead the obstacle had to be overcome with wisdom and understanding. The Awo
told Laigbo Ogege that he had not succeeded in climbing the tree of prosperity
Ege, because he had failed to apply wisdom and understanding. Part of applying
the wisdom in overcoming the obstacles was to approach Ifa for a solution.
The Awo explained
further, that the four animals were salvages because there was no one to feed
them. It was therefore the duty of Laigbo Ogege to go and feed the animals so
that they would have a positive disposition toward him.
The Awo advised Laigbo
Ogege to offer ebo with animal bones, peel, maize, corn meal, and money. He was
also asked to go to the foot of the Ege prosperity tree, and to feed the
animals with the same materials. He obeyed.
As soon as he offered
the ebo, he went in search of more of the articles and went straight to the
bottom of the tree. As soon as the animals saw him, they were ready for a great
fight. Instead, He place the bones for the dog; He gave the hulls of love to
the ram; He gave the rooster the corn; and gave him the eeri, the spoil corn
meal to the goat. At first, the animals were looking at him suspiciously. It
did not take long before their hunger decided for them. They began to eat what
Laigbo Ogege had brought them. He repeated his visit and gave them a second
meal, a third and a fourth day.
On the fifth day, the
animals were already waiting for him. The dog was wagging its tail when it saw
it. The ram and the goat moved near him and they were playing with him. He gave
them his food. The animals were so busy when Laigbo Ogege went to the foot of
the tree of Ege to Climbed it. They did not notice. He climbed the tree
to the top and the animals were not disturbed. At the top of the tree, he was
blessed with all the prosperity that anyone could acquire in life. Laigbo Ogege
became the most successful person through out thé world at that stage in
time. He was filled with joy at his achievement. he return to
Awo who threw Ifa for
him and wanted to offer that particular ebo one more time. However the Awo told
him that it was not the practice to offer the same ebo twice. He alone needed
to praise the Awo who made the ebo for him, the Awo needed to praise Ifa for
making his predictions come to pass; while Ifa needed to thank Olodumare for
putting Ase on the ebo.
Okiti babaaba nii
pekun opopo
Dia fun Laigbo Ogege
Ti nlo ree gun’gi olà
n’ife
Ebo ni won ni ko waa
se
O gb’ebo, o ru’bo
Aja idi ege kii je ki
won o g’ege
Agbo-momo idi ege kii
je ki won o g’ege
Akuko-otan-galanga idi
ege kii je ji won o g’ege
Obuko idi ege kii je
ki won o g’ege
Laigbo Ogege lo wa fi
ogbon inu m’ata
O fi imoran m’obi
O wa lo ree gun ege
igi Ola n’Ile
Nje Ogege de o, igi
agunla
Eni to ba g’ogege
Igi ola lo gun
Translation:
Okiti babaaba ni pekun
opopo
He was the Awo who
launched Ifa for Laigbo Ogege
Who was going to climb
the tree of prosperity in Ife
He was advised to
offer ebo
He obeyed
The dog at the foot of
Ege did not allow anyone to climb the tree of Ege
The ram at the foot of
Ege did not allow anyone to climb the tree of Ege
The rooster did not
allow anyone to climb the tree of Ege
And the goat did not
allow anyone to climb the tree
Laigbo decided to look
for guinea pepper in its pod with wisdom
And I'm looking for
obi, kola nuts, with understanding
And he went to climb
Ege, the tree of prosperity in Ile-Ife
Behold! Ogege, the
tree of success
Anyone can climb Ogege
People have climbed
the tree of prosperity
Ifa says that for whom
this Odu is revealed so that he can succeed in life, instead of using
confrontation to remove obstacles; he or she needs to be using wisdom and
understanding. To do this prosperity is assured. Success is assured.
VIII.
Ifa says that the
person for whom this Odu is revealed may be suffering from headaches and chest
pains. He or she may be having some dizziness and lightness in his or her
head, while at the same time hé may be experiencing a slight
heaviness in his chest or you may be feeling some discomfort inside. Ifa
says that this is normal because Orunmila and Sango are protecting their head
and chest from the attack of Death, Iku, and that is why he or she is having
this sensation in their chest and head. Ifa says that as soon as he or she
offers the appropriate ebo for this, the sensation will disappear. Ifa advises
the person for whom this Odu is revealed to offer ebo with a mature goat and
money. After this, he needs to feed Sango and Orunmila.On this, Ifa says:
Keke b’idi meregbe
Dia fun Okaka
Ti n loo f’owo ti’ku
Ebo ni won ni ko waa
se
Translation:
Keke bidi meregbe
The Ifa launch for
Okaka
When he was going to
stretch his hands to push away death
He was advise to
offer ebo
Akapo had paid his
social contributions. He had served the Irunmoles diligently. He had the fear
of Olodumare in the back of his mind. He spoke the truth all the time. He was
humble and easy. Despite all this though, Iku, Death, was chasing after him.
Akapo was not aware of this event at all.
Sango, also known as
Okaka, felt that it was his responsibility to protect Akapo because Akapo had
served him well. Sango was very satisfied with Akapo, and Sango was determined
that Akapo would live to advanced age. Consequently on this, Sango went to Keke
b'idi meregbe to know what he needed to do to protect Akapo from the threat of
Iku. The Awo informed Sango that Akapo should be held out to Iku. Sango was determined
to do this. Each time Iku approached Akapo, Sango placed his hands on Akapo's
chest and pushed him away from Iku. When this began to occur repeatedly, Akapo
began to develop some chest pains. All herbs applied by Akapo proved to be
ineffective.
Keke b’idi meregbe
Dia fun Odudu
Ti n loo du’ri Ilemere
Ebo ni won ni ko waa
se
Translation:
Keke b'idi meregbe
The Ifa launch for
Odudu
Who was going to
protect the Ori from the one who is destined to die Young
He was advised to
offer ebo
Iku was becoming
increasingly futile. He could not understand why Sango was getting in his way.
He decided to use another strategy to kill Akapo at the slightest opportunity.
When Orunmila realized this, he approached Keke b'idi meregbe for consultation
of Ifa in favor of his Akapo.
He was advised to try
everything he knew to try to protect Akapo's head to prevent Iku from cutting
his head off. As a result of this revelation, Orunmila never left his Akapo
alone. Each time Iku approached, Orunmila covered the head of his Akapo with
both his hands and his body. This action prevented Iku from accessing Akapo.
While Sango was busy
pushing Iku and Akapo away from one or the other, Orunmila was protecting
Akapo's head from any danger. Akapo soon began to feel some sensation in his
head. Again no grass could heal him.
One day, Akapo himself
approached the Awo mentioned above for consultation of Ifa. He was informed
that the discomfort he felt in his chest and head was not the result of any
physical problem. It was rather the efforts of Sango and Orunmila to protect
him from premature death. He was advised to offer ebo with a mature goat and money.
He was also advised to serve Sango and Orunmila as appropriate. Akapo did so,
as soon as he did this, the pain in his chest and the headache disappeared.
Keke b’idi meregbe
Dia fun Okaka
Ti n loo f’owo t’iku
Ebo ni won ni ko waa
se
O gb’ebo, o ru’bo
Keke b’idi meregbe
Dia fun Odudu
Ti n loo du’ri Ilemere
Ebo ni won ni ko waa
se
O gb’ebo, o ru’bo
Nje tani yoo du’rii mi
fun mi?
Odudu, Ifa ni yoo
du’rii mi fun mi
Sango ni Okaka tii
f’owo t’iku
Odudu, Ifa ni yoo
du’rii mi fun mi
Orunmila n i Odudu tii
du’rii Ilemere
Odudu, Ifa ni yoo
du’rii mi fun mi o
Odudu.
Translation :
Keke b'idi meregbe
The throw Ifa Okaka
Who was going to
stretch his hands to push death out
He was advised to
either ebo
He obeyed
Keke b'idi meregbe
The Ifa launch for
Odudu
When he was
going to protect the Ori from who was destined to die Young
He was advised to
offer ebo
He obeyed
Now, who would protect
my Ori for me
Odudu, Ifa is the one
that protects my Ori for me
Sango is Okaka who
pushes death outside
Odudu, Ifa is the one
that protects my Ori for me
Orunmila is Odudu, who
protects the Ori from being destined to die young
Odudu, Ifa sure
protects my Ori for me
Odudu, Ifa will surely
do it for me
Ifa says that Orunmila
and Sango will not allow the person for whom this Odu is revealed to die young.
While he or she thinks, say all those things that please Olodumare and Irunmole
all the time, he or she even if destined to die young, the two Irunmole and
Olodumare are going to extend their life and make him or her live to witness
their old age.
IX.
Ifa says that the
person for whom this Odu is revealed will be placed among Kings and Queens of
this world. He or she will be among the promoters and agitators of their
community. Whatever he says matters and will be taken seriously by all.
Ifa says that there is
no condition or situation that this person is not able to adapt himself. This
is his own talent and it is a special blessing from Olodumare.
Ifa advises this
person to wear all the clothes he or she has in his life in a single day - even
if these dresses were more than five hundred! All he or she needs to do is put
them one after another. He or she however needs to remove one and then put the
other. By doing this he or she will receive honor and glory from Olodumare. On
this point, Irete Meji says:
Eden ihin o jo t’ohun
Ede ohun o jo t’ihin
Dia fun Oosanla
Oseeremagbo
Olodumare ni ko wa ba
oun s’odun
O ni Alageno l’oun yoo
ran lo
Ebo ni won ni ko waa
se
Translation:
The language of this
place is different from the language of the other place
And the dialect of
another place is different from the one of this one
This was the message
of Ifa for Oosanla Oseeremagbo
To whom Olodumare
invited him to cone and celebrate with him
He said that he would
send Alagemo, the Camaleon, to represent him
He was advised to
offer ebo
When Olodumare created
the universe, He gave Oosanla Oseeremagbo (Obatala) a very important role to
play. After the creation, Obatala was given free hand to add to, subtract from,
the qualities of some creatures.
For example, Obatala
made the sugar cane sweeter than the bamboo, even though she looked similar.
Obatala also made the banana sweeter than many fruits that look alike. Obatala
made the birds faster than the butterflies and gave the parrot more
intelligence than other birds.
In the case of
Alagemo, the Camaleon, Obatala gave him the ability to adapt to the color,
design, pattern and even form of anything that he had contact. Obatala was so
happy with Alagemo that one of the people in his right hand did it.
One day, Olodumare
called Obatala out and gathered for a celebration in the heaven . Obatala felt
that it was time to show Alagemo to Olodumare. He wanted Olodumare to see his
wonderful design. Consequently, he decided to send Alagemo to represent him at
the ceremony. Before he did that, he went to the aforementioned Awo for
consultation of Ifa: would not he be defrauded in his attempt to send Alagemo
as his representative?
The Awo assures
Obatala that Alagemo would wonderfully disembark where he was sent. For this
reason, Obatala had no reason to fear or be apprehensive. Obatala was advised
to summon Alagemo and instruct him in what he would do when he reached the
abode of Olodumare. The Awo told Obatala many good and competent people had
failed in life, not because they could not be disbursed, but rather because
they were not properly instructed on what they were expected to do. The Awo
told him that after the instructions, Obatala needed to put on all her clothes one
after the other. During this process, Obatala needed to see how Alagemo would
share the same dress so that he would be able to judge whether Alagemo would be
able or not to perform according to Obatala's expectations. The Awo told him
that any dance that anyone is planning to dance out in the middle of the crowd
should first be practiced and danced inside the house. That would give the
viewer the opportunity to determine how the dance would look when danced
outside. This would also give you the opportunity to make corrections and
arrangements if needed. Obatala thanked the Awo and left. He obeyed with all
the advice given to him by the Awo. After much practice, he was satisfied that
Alagemo would perform satisfactorily when he arrived in heaven to participate
in the Olodumare ceremony.
When alagemo arrived
in heaven , he went directly to Olodumare and announced that he was the
representative of Obatala. When the ceremony began, Olodumare adorned herself
with a white immaculate dress. The whole sky was blank. Those on earth who were
not aware of what was happening in the celestial sky and concluded that the sky
was very clear. In the sky however, all the Irunmoles were dancing in
procession passing by where Olodumare was.
When the turn to
Obatala arrived, Alagemo went ahead and adorned the same with the same dress
worn by Olodumare with the hat and the same shoes! All the other Irunmoles were
amazed. Olodumare was highly impressed. Olodumare went to change her dress to
Aso Etu, the dark dress with Row abetiaja, the dog's ear cap, and shoes covered
in combination. The whole sky became dark and those on earth believed that it
was going to rain. As soon as Olodumare came out, look! Alagemo had adorned
himself with the same dress, the same color, the same row and the same shoes!
There was tumultuous applause and those on earth believed that thunder had
struck in preparation for the torrential rain in the heavens. Olodumare change
his cloth san-anyan, Aalari, aran, Dagogo, apere ododo, and so on, with crowns,
row; Gobi, Akete, etc., in combination, and Alagemo replied all! It was the
most wonderful occasion in the heavens.
At the end of the
ceremony, Olodumare called Alagemo. He told Alagemo that it was one thing that
it was one thing to give a person the tools to a person for her to perform; and
another thing was that the person knew how to use the tools provided so that he
could perform excelently. Olodumare stated that Alagemo had performed well. He
blessed Alagemo that he would not lack anything on earth. Olodumare said that
he would not have dressed in the earth that Alagemo was not able to replicate.
All the Irunmoles present chanted a resounding Ase !!!!
Eden ihin o jo t’ohun
Ede ohun o jo t’ihin
Dia fun Oosanla Oseeremagbo
Olodumare ni ko wa ba
oun s’odun
O ni Alagemon l’oun
yoo ran lo
Ebo ni won ni ko waa
se
O gb’ebo, O ru’bo
Ko pe, ko jinna
E wa ba ni b’ayo, e
waa wo’re o
Nje oniruuru aso kii
won l’odo Alagemo
Eyi to ba wu Oga nii
yoo lo
Translation:
The language of this
place is different from the language of the other place
And the dialect of
another place is different from the one of this one
This was the message
of Ifa for Oosanla Oseeremagbo
To whom Olodumare
invited him to come and celebrate with him
He said that he would
send Alagemo, the Camaleon, to represent him
He was advised to
offer ebo
He obeyed
Before long, not too
far
Come and join us amid
the joy and celebration of all Ire
Alagemo will never
lack any dress
Anything he likes that
will get
Ifa says that this
person needs to work hard if he is sent anywhere to represent others. The
potential to succeed is there already, but he or she must put more efforts to
exert.
Ifa says that if
someone is planning to send another person to represent him or her to any
event, assignment or occasion, that person needs to put his or her mind to rest
because he or she will be well represented. He or she will be praised for his /
her choice of representative and the representative will also be praised and
blessed for the job well done.
X.
Ifa says that there is
a contentious issue confronting the person for whom this Odu is revealed. Ifa
says that with the appropriate ebo, he or she will overcome the problem. There
could also be the problem love or marriage matters that this person is currently
facing. Ifa says that he or she must offer ebo so that he or she is able to get
out of trouble without being hurt.
Ifa advises this
person to have a ebo with six large kola nuts, a plate and plenty of money. Ifa
says that if this can be done as soon as possible, this person will not be
humiliated or blamed for their actions.
On this aspect, Ifa
says:
Oko re
Aya ore
Dia fun Okere jagbe
Ti yoo fe obinrin Iku
tan
Ti yoo f’obi mefa ke
Ebo ni won ni ko waa
se
Translation:
May peace be with the husband
And with the wife too
This was the message
from Ifa to Okere jegbe, the squirrel
Who would take his wife
to Iku, Death
And hé use six kola
nuts to appease her
He was advised to
offer ebo
Iku married a very
beautiful woman. The woman was very obedient to him. Even so Iku treated her
badly. He threatened her and her family all the time. To the point, that Iku
locked her in a small room and never allowed her out. This woman lived in
constant fear. She lost interest in life and in everything it meant. She prayed
to Olodumare to get her out of trouble. One day, Okere was wandering in the
woods looking for food. He soon heard the sob of a woman. The sound was so weak
that he thought his ears were cheating on him. He listened carefully and he
heard the unmistakable voice of a woman moaning and crying quietly. He moved
quickly in the direction where he was listening. When he got there, he realized
that where the woman was crying had been completely sealed. Who could do this
to a human being? He wondered. 'Who is there?' Okere asked softly. The woman
said 'It's me. Please help me'. The deep melancholy and despair in his voice
was too much for Okere to ignore. He tried to break the door but could not. 'Do
not worry. I have tried to break the door but it is firmly closed. Come back
tomorrow to help you get out of this place. I promise, 'Okere said and left.
During that day, Okere
was not his normal person. At night, he could not sleep. Who could do this to a
human being? He continued asking himself. The next day, he went to the forest
with a goat's foot to break and open the door. When he got there, no matter how
much the deal, he could not break the door or knock it down. He had to find a
hole in the ground where Iku's wife stepped from scalvity to freedom. The woman
thanked him deeply but there was no place where the woman could go. She told
Okere that she preferred to take her to his house. She swear that instead of
returning to Iku's house, she instead preferred to lose her life.
On her way to Okere's
house, the woman told him the story of her life. It was a pathetic story
indeed. She told him Okere the story of constant intimidation, unjust
aggression and incredible cruelty, which sometimes bothered sadism. She had no
one to complain to, because her whole family was also under the threat of Iku.
Now that she had escaped, nothing could bring her back to her captivity.
On the night of that
day, the two Okere and Iku's wife slept on the same mat. One thing led to the
other and they became man and wife. From that day on however, Okere had no more
peace of mind. He was always in constant fear and apprehension. He knew that
Iku would not remain calm and would allow someone to take his wife without a
violent reaction from him.
Every day, Okere
became more and more desperate to find a solution to this problem. Without
anyone knowing, Iku was in love with his wife. He thought that the only way to
secure this woman for him permanently was to scare her and intimidate the whole
world for her. he thought that if he feared her enough, he would be able to
assure his complete disposition. He was fully aware of the damage he had done
to this woman socially, physically, psychologically, mentally, and spiritually.
As far as he was concerned about feeding and dressing her were more than enough
requirements. He was playing the role of the husband who believed him well. Why
then did she run away from home? He asked himself. After much deliberation, he
concluded that a misguided person had seduced his wife. He swear that hé would
give him, along with all the members of that person's family, a lesson that
they Will not forget or in an emergency. He began to hunt the seducer of
his wife wherever he wanted.
While iku was hunting
for his wife's supposed seducer, Okere was being chased by Iku's fear and all
possible consequences on what iku could do to him when he caught him. In his
desperation, he went to Oko re and Aya re for consultation of Ifa: would
he survive this containment? He asked The Awo told Okere that he was
living in constant fear of the reprehension of his actions. He was told that he
was invulnerated in a contentious affair, which he was not sure would end in
his favor or not. the Awo assured him that it would end in his favor. He was
advised to offer ebo with six large kola nuts and money.He did
immediately. The ebo was placed on the side of the road. As soon as the
ebo was done, Esu Odara took control of everything. He went straight to Iku and
asked what his problem was. Iku replied that his wife, who was his personal
property, was taken away by an unknown person. He said it was totally
unacceptable to him and that the culprit would be severely punished. Esu Odara
said that Iku should give a bitter lesson to the culprit, and he promised Iku
that he would follow him to find the elusive guilty. Esu Odara led Iku to the
road where the ebo was with the six kola nuts. IHe showed him the nuts and told
the one to consume them as Iku went there eating kola nuts. Iku could not
resist kola nuts because they were big and tempting. After eating three nuts,
Esu Odara stated that there was nothing that Iku could do against the person
who had taken the wife to Iku, never again. Iku asked him why it had to be like
this, Esu Odara said that the person who snatched his wife was the same person
who had placed the nuts where Iku picked them up. He added that it was a taboo
and totally ineffective for Iku to consume a person's gifts and then go and
kill such a person. The consolation to Iku to take his heart and accept the
loss of his wife in good faith. There and then Iku knew he had lost.
Oko re
Aya ore
Dia fun Okere jagbe
Ti yoo fe obinrin Iku
tan
Ti yoo f’obi mefa ke
Ebo ni won ni ko waa
se
O gb’ebo, o ru’bo
Ko pe ko jinna
E wa ba ni laruuse
Ogun
Ifa de alase
Ope ab’ise wara
Translation:
May peace be with the
husband
And with the wife too
This was the message
from Ifa to Okere jegbe, the squirrel
Who would takethe
wife of Iku, Death
And hé use six
kola nuts to appease her
He was advised to
offer ebo
He obeyed
Not far, shortly after
Come and find us where
we celebrate the victory
Here comes ifa
The sacred palm tree
that manifests itself with efficiency
XI.
Ifa says that the
person for whom this Odu is revealed or someone close to him or her is
currently raising a building. There is a need for him or her to offer ebo
immediately to avoid an impending disaster. This is because this person is
raising a building on the earth, and his Egbe in the heavens is also building
another property for him or her in anticipation of the arrival of him or her.
That is why it is necessary to offer ebo so that the house in the heaven is
demolished while that which is being done on earth can be completed. Ifa says
that if this is not done in time, as soon as he or she gets the construction of
property on the land, he or she risks losing his or her life under mysterious
circumstances.
Ifa advises this
person to offer ebo with a mature ram and money. An improvised tent will be
raised with sticks and palm leaves to represent the house in the heavens. The
ram will be tied to the improvised tent of tent, then the ram will be chased
afterwards in such a way that eventually the trailer tent improvises. The store
represents the property that is being lifted in the sky for this person by the Egbe
of him or her. After this the ram will be sacrificed and its head will be
buried where he or she is building his house. That is why it is advisable to do
this ritual in the place where the house has been started to build. It is also
advisable that this ritual be done before the house is finished building. On
this, Ifa says:
Pa gunnungun bo’fa Awo
won nile Alara
P’akalamagbo b’Ose Awo
Oke Ijero
P’atioro b’Ogun,
al’aya bi obe eebo
Faa-naanaa-ko-si-tu-pee
Ode a gbon’mi nii
wo’le eja
Ap’ajuba nmi wo’le
aparo
Olugbongbo tinla ni
won fi nsegun Oguluntu
Ako esin nii sa’re
boranyin-boranyin
B’esin ba ji
Esin ko gbirin-gbinrin
ha’nu
Dia fun Laigbo Ogege
Ti nmo’le e re l’aye
Ti won np’ilee t’ourn
pe ko wa
Ebo ni won ni ko se
Translation:
The one who sacrifices
a vulture to feed Ifa, the Awo of the house of Alara
The one who sacrifices
akalamagbo to feed Ose, the Awo resident in Mount Ijero
The one who sacrifices
an agent to feed Ogun, who is as bald as an imported knife
He who stresses something
forcefully until he breaks it and spreads it everywhere.
Those who drain the
torrent destroy the fish house
Those who clean the
agricultural lands destroy the houses of the birds of the bush
A large stick is what
is used to spread a lump of earth
A stallion is the one
who makes his itinerary while running
When a horse wakes up
He is gagged with the
riendase
These were the
declarations of Ifa for Laigbo Ogege
When he was building
his house on earth
While another was
built in the sky so that the outside and resided there
He was advised to
offer ebo.
Laigbo Ogege was very
successful in his career of choice; He made good money in his business. As a
result, he plans to build his own building in his family's enclosure. He was
given all the necessary aids and approvals by the elders of his family.
When the
construction of the building began, Laigbo Ogege was having strange dreams and
his instincts kept sending him a warning note that something was wrong. As much
as the deal, he could not figure out what was wrong at the time. He therefore
decided to approach the group of Babalawos mentioned above for consultation of
Ifa; who was responsible for those strange dreams? Would he be able to overcome
all the negative feelings he was having? Would your dreams return to normal?
These and many other questions were at the back of Laigbo Ogege's mind when he
consulted with Ifa. He was eager to know the roots of all his problems.
The Awo told Laigbo
Ogegeque that he had been having a series of strange feelings and that was why
he had gone by consultation of Ifa. The Awo assured him that he would overcome
his problems. However the Awo explained that while he was assuming a leadership
position in his life, he was a leader among the Egbe of heaven. When he left
heaven for this world, his Egbe was waiting for him to return very soon to
assume his leadership position once again. As soon as his Egbe saw that he was
raising a house on earth, they were also building another house in heaven. They
were full of hopes that he would soon return to heaven to join them. The Awo
concluded that if Laigbo Ogege was not ready to die and return to heaven to
reunite with his Egbe, there was a need to offer ebo as previously prescribed.
Laigbo Ogege weighed the opinions of the Awo; die to go to assume their
position of leadership in heaven, or stay to continue playing leadership on
earth. The ruling in favor of the latter. Consequently, he obeyed and offered
the ebo as advised.
Pa gunnungun bo’fa Awo
won nile Alara
P’akalamagbo b’Ose Awo
Oke Ijero
P’atioro b’Ogun,
al’aya bi obe eebo
Faa-naanaa-ko-si-tu-pee
Ode a gbon’mi nii
wo’le eja
Ap’ajuba nmi wo’le
aparo
Olugbongbo tinla ni
won fi nsegun Oguluntu
Ako esin nii sa’re
boranyin-boranyin
B’esin ba ji
Esin ko gbirin-gbinrin
ha’nu
Dia fun Laigbo Ogege
Ti nmo’le e re l’aye
Ti won np’ilee t’ourn
pe ko wa
Ebo ni won ni ko se
O gb’ebo, o ru’bo
E ba wa wo’le orun nu
E wa tun t’aye mo o
Ijogun arun ab’ewu ori
sanko
Ile Awo ma n wo l’orun
Ogerere, ile Awo ma n
wo l’orun
Translation:
The one who sacrifices
a vulture to feed Ifa, the Awo of the house of Alara
The one who sacrifices
akalamagbo to feed Ose, the Awo resident in Mount Ijero
The one who sacrifices
an agent to feed Ogun, who is as bald as an imported knife
He who stresses
something forcefully until he breaks it and spreads it everywhere.
Those who drain the
torrent destroy the fish house
Those who clean the
agricultural lands destroy the houses of the birds of the bush
A large stick is what
is used to spread a lump of earth
A stallion is the one
who makes his itinerary while running
When a horse wakes up
He is gagged with the
riendase
These were the
declarations of Ifa for Laigbo Ogege
When he was building
his house on earth
While another was built
in the sky so that the outside and resided there
He was advised to
offer ebo.
He obeyed
Please come and help
demolish the house being built in the sky.
And come to
consolidate that of the earth
You! Celestial forces
with weak gray hair
The home built for an
Awo in the sky is collapsing
On the ground, the
house erects for an Awo in the sky is collapsed
Ifa says that this
person will not be allowed to die young. He or she will live a long time until
his old age. This is the message of Ifa.
XII.
Ifa says that the person
for whom this Odu is revealed is blessed with a good Ori. He or she has chosen
all the good things in life without exception and all those things have been
recorded in his Ori. However, there is the problem of the fact that his
legs, That, do not complicate his Ori. In other words, the legs of him or her
are working against the promises and potentials of their destiny. There is an
urgent need to correct this anomaly. To correct this, there is the need to
offer ebo with three white doves, three guineas and money. After this the Awo
needs to prepare a soap with leaves of alupayida. These leaves will be crushed
and mixed together with the soap.
The person needs to
dig three holes in the ground, wash the head of him or her in the center hole,
and wash the left leg in the left hollow; and the right leg in the right slot
in that order. If this can be done, Ifa assures this person that his, legs will
stop working against their destiny, Ori. A stanza in Irete Meji, on this
subject says:
Iwo ote
Emi ote
Ote di meji o d’ododo
gbako-gbako
Dia fun
Al’ori-ire-ma-l’ese-ire
Ebo ni won ni ko waa
se
Translation:
You print on one leg
Irete
And also prints on one
leg Irete
When the impression
becomes two
The real Irete Meji is
formed
This was Ifa's message
to that-who-has-an Ori-favorable but lacks good legs
He was advised to
offer ebo
When Alori-ma-lese-ire
was coming from heaven, he had chosen all the good things of life for himself.
Coming to the land, he began with a job in agriculture in anticipation that
everything would go well for him. He is very good at his job; Anything that he
planted worked well and in good quality. The people in his community had
recognized him for his great potential and skill in crop production. During the
market days people were always waiting forhis agricultural products.
Unfortunately for him, before taking his agricultural products to the market,
one thing led to the other and the result was always his inability to make good
sales. Some of the people waiting for him had to leave as a result of
impatience, others had decided to buy another seller, and others felt that the
price to their products were very expensive.
Alori-ire-ma-lese-ire
did this for a long time, but unfortunately, he could not make any progress.
One day he decided to switch from farmer to trader. Thus he could enter to sell
and buy products, this time he would triumph financially. In this business he
showed a good business acumen that made him stand out among the other merchants
in the market. unfortunately again, whenever he decided to go and finish his
business with the people, he was disillusioned since the people who initially
had shown the intention to buy with him suddenly lost the interest. This also
happened for several years without stopping.
The thought of how to
make things work out well and the possibility of financial triumph worried him.
One day, he decided to go for Ifa's consultation : would hé become
prosperous in life in any profession that he chose; would hé be
measured in society as his colleagues, would he be responsible for their
failures? All these questions and many more were the questions that he asked
during the consultation of Ifa.
The Awo assured him
that he would triumph and that he had all the potential to be great in life. He
was told that he had chosen all the good things in life as he had been firmly
and surely established in his Akunleyan from heaven, but his greatest
backwardness was the fact that he had not chosen good legs along with his good
destination. In fact, it was his leg who had been working against the
realization of his good destiny, gifts and potentials. He was then advised to
offer ebo as mentioned above, after which a special Ifa soap would be prepared
for him to wipe his head and legs to make his legs complement the potentials of
his Ori.
Alori-ire-ma-lese-ire
Obey. After a while, his business began to flourish, and shortly after,
he became successful; even more than others who engaged in the same profession
with him. With his resounding success, he was able to marry a good wife, had
children and built a house of his own. In the end, he was happy, bowing and
giving thanks to the Awo.
Iwo ote
Emi ote
Ote di meji o d’ododo
gbako-gbako
Dia fun
Al’ori-ire-ma-l’ese-ire
Ebo ni won ni ko waa
se
O gb’ebo, O ru’bo
Ikin mi ErigiAlo
Ifa je ki n l’ori ire
Ki n si l’ese ire
Translation:
You print on one leg
Irete
And also prints on one
leg Irete
When the impression
becomes two
The real Irete Meji is
formed
This was Ifa's message
to that-who-has-an Ori-favorable but lacks good legs
He was advised to
offer ebo
He obeyed
My Ikin, Erigi -Alo
Ifa please let me have
a good Ori
And good legs to
complement it
Ifa says that this
person will be blessed with a good Ori and good legs to complement it. He or
she will prosper in all your companies.
XIII.
Ifa advises the person
to whom this Odu is revealed to offer ebo to avoid getting into serious trouble
within seven days. Ifa advises this person to offer ebo with a mature goat and
money. He or she must feed Esu Odara with a large cock.
Also, Ifa says that he
foresees the Ire of children for those suffering from lack of children where
this Odu is revealed. Ifa assures them that they will be blessed with the
fruits of the wombs.
For this to happen,
Ifa advises one of the women to offer ebo with 4 rats, 4 fish, 2 hens and
money. There is also the need to feed Ifa with a mature goat.On these two
aspects, Ifa says:
Opekete a se’di
berebere
Dia fun Odan
Ti nmenu sunrahun omo
Ebo ni won ni ko waa
se
Translation:
Opekete, the palm tree
jover, with its wide base
It was the Awo who
threw Ifa to Odan
When he lamented for
his inability to make a child
She was advised to
offer ebo
Odan was also married
for several years. She had not been blessed with any son either. She treated
everything she knew but equally failed.
One day, she went to
her friend Igbo's house to find out what she did before she became pregnant.
Igbo told her that it was Opekete a se'di berebere; who consulted and made Ifa
for her. The next day, Odan went to the Awo to consult Ifa: would she be as
lucky as her friend? She asked.
The Awo assured her
that she too would be blessed with a son of her own. She was advised to offer
the same ebo that her friend offered. She obeyed. The same work of Ifa was
made for her. she also became pregnant and gave birth to a baby boy named
Oorun.
Opekete a se’di
berebere
Dia fun Saasaa
Ti nmenu sunrahun omo
Ebo ni won ni ko waa
se
Translation:
Opekete, the palm tree
jover, with its wide base
It was the Awo who
threw Ifa to Saasaa
When he lamented for
his inability to make a child
She was advised to
offer ebo
Saasaa was confronting
the same problem as her friends Igbo and Odan. She also went to the same
Awo for consultation of Ifa. The same assurance was given to her. the same ebo
was counseled and offered, the same work of Ifa was made for her, and she
became pregnant and gave birth to a drunk male boy name Abe.
The three boys Ina,
Oorun and Abe whom Igbo, Odan and Saasaa made respectively were sent to Opekete
to be trained as priests at infant, they were three years old. By the
time they were twenty years old, they had become very efficient priests of Ifa.
Everyone was looking for them because all their predictions were very accurate.
Igbo n’igbo Ina
Odan l’odan Oorun
Saasaa yoku ni tal’Abe
Dia fun Orunmila
Won ni ko waa s’ebo
Ko ma baa l’esire ojo
meje
Translation:
Ina the son of Igbo
Oorun the son of Odan
And Abe the son of
Saasaa
They threw Ifa to
Orunmila
They told the one who
offered ebo
To avoid getting into
trouble within 7 days
Orunmila was Baba-Ifa
for Opekete to se'di berebere who in return was Baba-Ifa for Ina, Oorun
and Abe. Opekete a se'di berebere was well trained and very intelligent. It was
not surprising that these three students were also brilliant.
One day Orunmila
invited all three Awos for a routine Ifa consultation. During the consultation
Irete Meji was revealed.
The Awo told Orunmila
to offer ebo to avoid problems in seven days. They told Orunmila that the
problem was very close and that only the ebo could avoid it. They emphasize
that there was a need for Orunmila to offer ebo with a mature goat and money.
He was also advised to feed Esu Odara with a large rooster. Orunmila failed to
obey this advice.
Seven days after
Orunmila had consulted Ifa, he left home very early. He instructed his wife,
Agbonrin, to help him wash one of his dresses and prepare a sumptuous dinner
before he returned at night. By the time Orunmila returned home, he was feeling
very hungry, but it was in anticipation of treating himself with a splendid
dinner that night. He knew that Agbonrin was a fantastic cook. However he
forgot about the meal when he realized, to his displeasure, that Agbonrin had
packed all his bags and bundles had left home! What had caused all this? What
was his offense against that woman? Who had told her to do this against
him? Why had not anyone in the entire community tried to stop her and keep her
from leaving? Why had she packed her own properties with hers? what kind of
evil and injustice was this? Would he be able to get her to Come back home, Hé
blame himself for all this?
In the end, Orunmila
decided to do something urgent about this; he look at it bag,and took
Obe Ilase. This was a knife that when used to calibrate a person's
footprint, the person would not be able to move from the place where he was at
the time the knife was used on the footprint of him or her. this was what
Orunmila did. The effect of this action stopped Agbonrin in its trajectory. She
could not move forward or backward. At that moment she was negotiating a hill
between two ravines. Orunmila began to chase his wife. He found her where she
was.He tried to grab it. She tried to push him away. While she did this,
unfortunately, she fell into the right ravine, while Orunmila fell into the one
on the left. She died instantly. Orunmila was in the ravine for seven days,
writhing in pain and sorrow.
Igi kan gbe l’ewe
O tutu l’egbo
Dia fun Paroye
Tii s’omo Oba Ode Ido
Igbati o nf’omi oju
sungbere omo
Ebo ni won ni ko waa
se
Translation:
A tree has dried
leaves
But its roots are
fresh and alive
Ifa released for
Paroye
The daughter of the
oba of the land of Ido
When he regretted his
inability to produce a child
She was advised to
offer ebo
Paroye was the
favorite daughter of the Oba of the land of Ido; she was loved by all in the
palace. The unfortunate part was that she had been invulve in various
relationships with many influential people, but all had failed her regrettably.
She married Alara, Ajero, Owarangun Obaleyo, Olojoombo, Onitagi-Olele and
Olowo, but relations collapsed because of her inability to produce a son for
any of them. In the end, she returned to her parents' palace to heal her
emotional wound.
One day, her mother
called her and told her that it was not appropriate for her to be in the act of
her parents when she was supposed to be at her husband's. The mother said that
she kept having that dream of getting pregnant and was blessed with a baby boy.
She prayed for her daughter so that the spirits of her ancestors made her
dreams come true. She also advised that it is by consultation of Ifa. Thus
Paroye met face-to-face with Igi kan gbe l'ewe or tutu l'egbo to consult Ifa;
would she be blessed with the fruit of her womb? Would her mother's dreams come
to pass?
The Awo told Paroye
that she was suffering from infertility and that soon she would be the proud
mother of her own son. She was advised to pay ebo as previously prescribed. She
was informed that she was an Apetebi and that her husband who would put her on
the family road would meet him on the road and that the man would be a great
Babalawo. Paroye was determined to be a mother. She told the Awo that she would
offer the ebo that same day. She sought out the ebo materials and returned home
to the Awo. The ebo was offered. In the end, ifa did not take the altar of Esu
Odara to place the ebo. Instead; I take a place between two ravines as a place
to place the ebo. Paroye took the ebo to the place.
While she was praying,
she heard someone moaning at the bottom of the ravine. It was Orunmila. He had
been there for several days. He begged her to take it out. She tied her head
dress with her band and used it as a rope to bring Orunmila to the surface.
They went home together. They fed Ifa together from night until dawn. They fed
them another type of Ifa from late afternoon to early morning. The first Ifa
they gave him to eat would have the doors for their prayer to be accepted by
Olodumare. The other Ifa they fed to get pregnancy.
As soon as she became
pregnant, Orunmila gave Ide, Ifa's beads , so that she would keep them for the
baby. He went to another spiritual mission and never returned for 16 years. The
baby was born in his absence. It was a boy baby. The Ide was put on his face.
The baby was named Olomo as instructed by his father. Six months to the time
Orunmila returned, the people of Alaaye fought a ferocious war against the
people of Ido and most of the inhabitants of Ido were killed or captured, Olomo
was one of those fortunate to be captured. He was sold as a slave to a merchant
in Alaaye.
As soon as this
happened, there was a terrible problem in the land of Alaaye. Ifa was released
to determine the cause of the problem, and at the same time find a solution.
The Awo told them that malevolent spirits had entered their city and for this
reason, there had to be a spiritual cleansing of the earth to remove the
spirits there. After further consultation, it was concluded that a human being
should be used as material for the ebo. Who could they use? In the end, they
decided on Olomo, the son of Orunmila .
On the day that this
ebo had to be realized was the day that Orunmila arrived at the city of Alaaye.
As soon as the inhabitants of Alaaye saw Orunmila, they were filled with joy
that their ebb would be performed by the best of the Awos on earth. They
pleaded with Orunmila to help them perform the ebo and he agreed. The people
tie Olomo to a tree. Orunmila examined the materials of the ebo but did not
recognize him as his own son. After all, it was the first time he saw it. The
boy was already 16 years old.
All other materials of
the ebo were brought out in preparation for the great ebull performed by
Orunmila himself. Olomo knew that he was the main material of ebo. He had cried
and wept but all in vain. Again tears rolled down her young cheeks. He
remembered the stories his mother had told him about the circumstances of his
birth and he began to narrate himself to himself out loud. He said:
Opekete a se’di
berebere
Dia fun Igbo
Ti nmenu sunrahun omo
Ebo ni won ni ko waa
se
O gb’ebo, O ru’bo
Igbo maa bi
Igbo bi Ina
Opekete se’di berebere
Dia fun Odan
Ti nmenu sunrahun omo
Ebo ni won ni ko waa
se
O gb’ebo, O ru’bo
Odan maa bi
O bi oorun
Opekete se’di berebere
Dia fun Saasaa
Ti nmenu sunrahun omo
Ebo ni won ni ko waa
se
Saasaa maa bi
O bi Abe
Igbo n’igbo Ina
Odan l’odan Ooruun
Saasaa yoku ni ti
Al’Abe
Dia fun Orunmila
Won ni ko ru’bo
Ko ma baa l’esire ojo
maje
O ko’ti ogbonyin s’ebo
Igi kan gbe l’ewe
O tutu l’egbo
Dia fun Poroye
Tii s’omo Oba Ode Ido
Ibati o nf’omi oju
sungbere omo
Ebo ni won ni ko waa
se
O gb’ebo, o ru’bo
Won ni ko maa gb’ebo
lo s’eti ofin
Igbati yoo gbe ebo de
ibe nko?
At’eni-m’enii ko to
at’ana-m’anaa
At’ana-m’anaa ko to
atijeta-mo’jeta
At’ijeta-mo’jeta ko to
at’ijerin-moj’erin
Atat’ijerin-mo’jerin
ko to Atij’arun-moj’arun
At’ijarun-mojarun
ko to At’ijefa-mo’jefa
At’ijefa-mo’jefa ko to
At’ijeje-mo’jeje
ErigiAlo o je
Ergi-Alo o mu
Erigi-Alo nbe l’ofin
to n yi gbiri
Paroye lo waa yo
Orunmila ni’nu ofin
Awon mejeeeji wa jo
b’ofa mo’ju
Won tun jo bo’fa mo’ju
Eyin o gbon o
Eyin o m’oran
Eyin o mo wipe Poroye
lo bi Olomo
Lo b’Olomo o he he
eeee
Eyin o mo wipe Poroye
Lo bi Olomo o
Orunmila o o!!!
Eyin o mo’pe Poroye lo
bi Olomo o
Eyin o mo’pe Poroye lo
bi Olomo!!!
Translation:
Opeketea se'di
berebere
The Awo who launched
Ifa for Igbo
When she regretted her
inability to produce a child
She was invited to
offer ebo
She obeyed
When she went to give
birth
She produced Ina
Opeketea se'di
berebere
The Awo who threw Ifa
to Odan
When he regretted his
inability to produce a child
She was advised to
offer ebo
She obeyed
When she was about to
give birth
She produced Oorun
Opeketea se'di
berebere
The Awo who launched
Ifa to Saasaa
When he regretted his
inability to produce a child
She was advised to
offer ebo
She obeyed
When she was about to
give birth
She produced Abe
Igbo nigbo Ina
Odan lodan Oorun
Saasaa yoku ni ti
Al'Abe
They threw Ifa to
Orunmila
They were told to
offer ebo
To avoid having
problems in seven days
Failure to obey
A tree has dried
leaves
But their roots are
sharp and alive.
This was the message
from Ifa to Poroye
The daughter of the
Oba of the land of Ido
When he regretted his inability
to produce a child
She was advised to
offer ebo
She obeyed
She was instructed to
place the ebo creca of a ravine
When she took the ebo
there
What happen after?
What happened
yesterday was not so much as what took place yesterday
What took place
yesterday was not much like what happened three days ago
What took place three
days before was not much with what happened four days before
The problem of four
days before was not much like that of five days before
What happened five
days earlier was not as serious as what happened six days earlier
What happened six days
ago was not much like what happened seven days ago
ErigiAlo the je
(Orunmila) ate nothing
ErigiAlo had nothing
to eat
ErigiAlo was lying in
the hollow writhing in pain
Poroye rescued
Orunmila from the gap
The two gave Ifa food
from the night until dawn
And they fed Ifa again
from night until dawn
You are not wise
You lack understanding
You failed to know
that Poroye was the woman who produced Olomo
We produced Olomo or
the eeeee
You did not know
Poroye was the one who gave birth to Olomo
Orunmila oh!
You did not know
Poroye was, who gave birth to Olomo !!!
When Orunmila heard
this from Olomo, he began to tremble from the head to the toes. He realized
that Olomo was undoubtedly his own son. He approached Olomo and he saw the Ifa
Ide that was tied around his left grin. 'Who gave you this?' Orunmila asked.
Olomo answered, 'My Mother.' 'And who is your mother?' Olomo replied that
Poroye was his mother!
Orunmila knew it was
taboo to feed Ifa with one of her children. Olomo certainly was a son of Ifa.
What could he do under these circumstances to save the situation? How could he
save Olomo's life? He did a quick consultation of Ifa and he knew exactly what
to do.
He called on the
inhabitants of Alaaye to quickly produce a goat and a sharp knife. They did
it.He use the blunt part of the knife on Olomo's neck and failure to cut the
boy's necks. He use the sharp part of the knife on the neck of the goat
and cut the neck in two. They used the goat to feed Ifa and Olomo was
immediately released.
Orunmila explained to
them that using Olomo comom material of the ebo was unacceptable for Ifa.
That's why the knife failed to cut his neck. Orunmila then declared from that
day forward, that no human being could be used as material for the ebo to feed
the Irunmoles or Orisas, ever! It became a taboo from that day forward to use
humans for the purpose of any ebo or ritual.
Opekete a se’di
berebere
Dia fun Igbo
Ti nmenu sunrahun omo
Ebo ni won ni ko waa
se
O gb’ebo, O ru’bo
Igbo maa bi
Igbo bi Ina
Opekete se’di berebere
Dia fun Odan
Ti nmenu sunrahun omo
Ebo ni won ni ko waa
se
O gb’ebo, O ru’bo
Odan maa bi
O bi oorun
Opekete se’di berebere
Dia fun Saasaa
Ti nmenu sunrahun omo
Ebo ni won ni ko waa
se
Saasaa maa bi
O bi Abe
Igbo n’igbo Ina
Odan l’odan Ooruun
Saasaa yoku ni ti
Al’Abe
Dia fun Orunmila
Won ni ko ru’bo
Ko ma baa l’esire ojo
maje
O ko’ti ogbonyin s’ebo
Igi kan gbe l’ewe
O tutu l’egbo
Dia fun Poroye
Tii s’omo Oba Ode Ido
Ibati o nf’omi oju
sungbere omo
Ebo ni won ni ko waa
se
O gb’ebo, o ru’bo
Won ni ko maa gb’ebo
lo s’eti ofin
Igbati yoo gbe ebo de
ibe nko?
At’eni-m’enii ko to
at’ana-m’anaa
At’ana-m’anaa ko to
atijeta-mo’jeta
At’ijeta-mo’jeta ko to
at’ijerin-moj’erin
Atat’ijerin-mo’jerin
ko to Atij’arun-moj’arun
At’ijarun-mojarun
ko to At’ijefa-mo’jefa
At’ijefa-mo’jefa ko to
At’ijeje-mo’jeje
ErigiAlo o je
Ergi-Alo o mu
Erigi-Alo nbe l’ofin
to n yi gbiri
Paroye lo waa yo
Orunmila ni’nu ofin
Awon mejeeeji wa jo
b’ofa mo’ju
Won tun jo bo’fa mo’ju
Eyin o gbon o
Eyin o m’oran
Eyin o mo wipe Poroye
lo bi Olomo
Lo b’Olomo o he he
eeee
Eyin o mo wipe Poroye
Lo bi Olomo o
Orunmila o o!!!
Eyin o mo’pe Poroye lo
bi Olomo o
Eyin o mo’pe Poroye lo
bi Olomo!!!
Ko pe, ko jinna
E wa ba’ni b’ayo
E waa wo’re o
Translation:
Opekete se'di berebere
The Awo who launched
Ifa for Igbo
When she regretted her
inability to produce a child
She was invited to
offer ebo
She obeyed
When she went to give
birth
She produced Ina
Opeketea se'di berebere
The Awo who threw Ifa
to Odan
When he regretted his
inability to produce a child
She was advised to
offer ebo
She obeyed
When she was about to
give birth
She produced Oorun
Opeketea se'di
berebere
The Awo who launched
Ifa to Saasaa
When he regretted his
inability to produce a child
She was advised to
offer ebo
She obeyed
When she was about to
give birth
She produced Abe
Igbo nigbo Ina
Odan lodan Oorun
Saasaa yoku ni ti
Al'Abe
They threw Ifa to
Orunmila
They were told to
offer ebo
To avoid having
problems in seven days
Failure to obey
A tree has dried
leaves
But their roots are
sharp and alive.
This was the message
from Ifa to Poroye
The daughter of the
Oba of the land of Ido
When he regretted his
inability to produce a child
She was advised to
offer ebo
She obeyed
She was instructed to
place the ebo creca of a ravine
When she took the ebo
there
What happen after?
What happened
yesterday was not so much as what took place yesterday
What took place
yesterday was not much like what happened three days ago
What took place three
days before was not much with what happened four days before
The problem of four
days before was not much like that of five days before
What happened five
days earlier was not as serious as what happened six days earlier
What happened six days
ago was not much like what happened seven days ago
ErigiAlo the je
(Orunmila) ate nothing
ErigiAlo had nothing
to eat
ErigiAlo was lying in
the hollow writhing in pain
Poroye rescued
Orunmila from the gap
The two gave Ifa food
from the night until dawn
And they fed Ifa again
from night until dawn
You are not wise
You lack understanding
You failed to know
that Poroye was the woman who produced Olomo
We produced Olomo or
the eeeee
You did not know
Poroye was the one who gave birth to Olomo
Orunmila oh!
You did not know
Poroye was, who gave birth to Olomo !!!
Before long, not too
far
Come and join us in
the midst of joy
Come and look! I will
go
Ifa says that the
person for whom this Odu is revealed will be the receiver of all Ire in life.
Ifa says that for this person, he or she must express himself in any serious
situation in which he or she would meet. By doing this he or she could find the
help needed to get him out of trouble.
Commentaries
It is clear from
the Ifa verse above that human sacrifice is not acceptable in Ifa and Orisa
tradition.It is expressly stated in this odu by Orunmila that no devotee of ifa
should engage in human sacrifice.
XIV.
Ifa says there is a
group project underway where this Odu is revealed. Ifa says that this project
is going to be successful but a person from the group will not be able to do it
successfully. There is a need for all those who are involve in the project to
participate fully so that it can be successful. If this is not done, nothing in
this world will make it successful.
Ifa says that even
beyond the fact that all hands must be on deck, each group or individual must
have a specific function and this must be done in such a way that there should
be no duplication of the duties of each one or the assignments are not clearly
defined. In other word, there is a need to have a clear definition of the
division of responsibilities with each one or group assigned to specific duties
to ensure the success of the assignment or project.
Ifa advises those who
are involve in the project to offer ebo with 4 pigeons, 4 guineas, 4 hens, 4
roosters and money. There is also the need to feed Ifa with a mature goat. On
this, Irete mejio says:
A fi lakalaka ma jaa
lakalaka
Dia fun Orunmila
Ifa n t’orun bo wa’le
Aye
Baba yoo ma loo tun’le
Aye se
Ebo ni won ni ko waa
se
Translation:
That which hangs
sinfully without breaking or falling
This was the message
of Ifa to Orunmila
When hé came from
Heaven to Earth
When he came to repair
the world
He was advised to
offer ebo
There were several
problems in the land which called to be attended with urgent attention. There
were problems at home and outside the home. Without urgent attention, these
problems could multiply and become a crisis. That is why Orunmila decided to
come to the world to address these problems and provide solutions. He went to
the aforementioned Awo for consulting Ifa: would he succeed?
The Awo assured him that
he would succeed. He was advised to offer ebo as mentioned above. He obeyed. As
soon as he did this, he came into the world.
The day that the
arrival in the world was the day he began his work. He faced the problems in
the house with the understanding that if the problems in the home were
solved, finding solutions to those outside the house would be easy. Before he
went anywhere, the problems outside had become overwhelming and could not wait
any longer or be ignored or delayed. He hurried out to come up with solutions
only to realize that the problems he had left behind in the house were getting
worse.
Instead of praises,
people began to fill him with abuses against him. They blamed himm for not
helping them enough. Some of them said that when he knew that he was not
competent enough to find solutions to their problems, so that he started the
whole process? They blamed him for giving them false hope and he was persuaded
to raise and end his hopes.
When Orunmila
reflected on what was happening on earth, he concluded that the situation was
actually getting worse. He concluded that the best thing for him was to report
his failure to Olodumare.
A fi lakalaka ma jaa
lakalaka
Dia fun Orunmila
Ifa n t’orun bo wa’le
Aye
Baba yoo ma loo tun’le
Aye se
Ebo ni won ni ko waa
se
O gb’ebo, o ru’bo
Ifa de’le Aye tan
Bo ti nse ti ile
Ni t’ode n yo s’ile
A fi lakalaka maa ja
lakalaka
Dia fun Esu Odara
Ti nt’orun bo wa’le
Aye
Ti yoo maa loo tun’le
Aye se
Ebo ni won ni ko waa
se
O gb’ebo, o ru’bo
Ko pe, ko jinna
E wa ba ni l’atole Ire
Atole Ire laa ba’ni
l’ese Ope
Nje e je ka lo mu
t’Esu ba l’orita
Ko ma t’oju bo odede
Translation:
That which hangs
sinfully without breaking or falling
This was the message
of Ifa to Orunmila
When he came
from Heaven to Earth
When he came to repair
the world
He was advised to
offer ebo
He obeyed
When he came to earth
Since he was taking
care of problems in the house
Those outside the
house were getting their attention.
A fi lakalaka ma jaa
lakalaka
This was the message
of Ifa for Esu Odara
When He came from
heaven to earth
To fix the world
He was advised to
offer ebo
He obeyed
Before long, not too
far
Let's join in the
middle of all the Ire of life
This is what Ifa
guarantees for all its followers
Please give all that
belongs to Esu in the union of three ways
So that he does not
have reason to look across the room
Ifa says that the
person or group of person for whom this Odu is revealed will triumph if they
can specialize.
Commentaries
The act of division of
labour is essential to success and spécialisation. Those people in position of
authority should inculcate thé spirit of delegating power and duty.
XV.
Ifa also says that if
the person for whom this Odu is revealed plans to embark on a business venture,
he or she will be more successful if he or she enters into essential
partnership with another. The roles of each partner should nevertheless be
specifically stated always before starting that business. Doing this success is
assured. Crises will be eliminated before they ever start.
Ifa says that the
Elders of the Night (witches) are fomenting problems and causing havoc where
this Odu is revealed. Unfortunately, several innocent people are being falsely
accused of something they know nothing about.
Ifa says there is a
need to investigate properly before accusing someone. Those who are falsely
accused must be excused and the appropriate ebo must be performed.
Ifa says that if the
person for whom this Odu is revealed is one of those who are falsely accusing
others, he or she must apologize to their victims and offer ebo. On the
contrary, if he or she is one of the people who are being falsely accused of
mischief; he or she must take all things in good faith. If he or she is asked,
there is a need for him or her to accept the apology manically without bad
feelings. Ifa advises the person for whom this Odu is revealed to offer ebo
with a mature goat and money, either the one who is accusing or the person to
whom they accuse. On this, a stanza in Irete Meji says:
Eyele pooyi ranyin
l’ojude Apon
Dia fun Orunmila
Iya mi n ba won ja
Won ni Iyewa ni
Ebo ni won ni ko waa
se
Translation:
Eyele pooyi ranyin
l'ojude apon
It was the Awo who
threw Ifa for Orunmila
When Iyami (witches)
were fighting against him
And they were accusing
Iyewa (Osun)
He was advised to
offer ebo
There was no room in
Ile-Ife that was free of problems. In some enclosures, their crops failed. In
some, they were afflicted with pestilence. Even in some others, there were
domestic crises. Some people lost their children. The rich people had become
chronic debtors as a result of the explainable recession in the economy.
In this same city,
Osun had been very vocal in the defense of the rights and dignity of women.
This had led to the confrontation and contention with several influential men
and women in the city. All this is not discouragement in their struggle for the
emancipation of women in the community. Those who had been in contention with
her began to accuse her of being responsible for all their problems. Before
long, the whole city believed that Osun was the one who was inflicting pain,
pain and tears on the people of the community. They accused her of being
responsible for their failed crops, ailments, loss of children's lives
and recession of their economic fortune.
One day, the citizens
accused Osun in his face. She declared her innocence but no one believed her.
They planned to banish her from their community; but before that, they
decided to report her to her husband, Orunmila. When they told Orunmila
that his wife had been fomenting problems in the community, Orunmila told them
to exercise patience and moderation and to make an exhaustive investigation
before jumping into conclusions, to avoid a situation in which innocent people
were wrongly accused . The people concluded that Orunmila was only supporting
his wife in her badly done things. They said the two Osun and her husband would
be exiled together.
That night, Orunmila
and Osun had a long deliberation. What baffled them was that even if everyone
accused Osun of something wrong, they should know that Osun would never fight
with someone to the point of hurting his own children. Even so, Osun was
accused of taking the lives of these children. Being a mother herself, they
should expect that there was no Irunmole or Orisa who loved the children and
young people more than Osun. However, it was said that Osun was responsible for
the death of the children she loved more. After much deliberation, they
concluded that Ifa was to be consulted.
This is how Orunmila
went to Eyele pooyi ranyin l'ojude Apon. One of his former students, for
consultation of Ifa: would they be able to see the light to these problems?
That the people responsible for the problems in Ile-Ife would be exposed and
brought to the front? Would Osun's innocence be established without
a doubt?
The Awo assured
Orunmila that the innocence of his wife would not only be established beyond
doubts, but that the guilty would be exposed and put to a good and deserved
purnishment . He was advised to offer ebo. He obeyed.
As soon as this ebo
was offered, Esu Odara went into action. He came to the head of the witches of
Ile-Ife and told them that he would like to join them in making life more
difficult for Osun and her husband Orunmila. The woman was very happy to hear
ths.they invited Esu Odara to their meeting to allow him to give the good
news to all the Elders of the Night by himself.
At the meeting, Esu
Odara told them that he hated Osun with all his heart. He therefore wanted to
join forces with them to inflict more pain on her. The witches told Esu Odara
that they could not forgive Osun because she had been disturbing them in
carrying out their plans. Whenever they tied up someone, especially
youngsters and children, Osun would come and loose them. They
explained to Esu Odara
that they were not interested in the children of Osun, so they could not
understand why she had to be the one to stop them from sucking their blood and
eating the flesh of theIr victims who were not from familiar way of it.
Esu Odara explained
that he hated the way Osun treated him. He said she was very arrogant for his
taste. In the end, they concluded that since the children's blood was purer
than that of adults, and since their meats were more delicious, Osun had no
right to prevent them from enjoying this delight. For having the gall to
confront them in the first place, she had to be punished and that all the
faults should be charged to her. After this they dispersed.
The next day, Esu
Odara returned to the head of the Elders of the Night and asked how they shared
the flesh and blood of their victims. She told him that as the head, its part
was a tenth of the blood and the inner organs, especially the heart, liver and
kidneys for its consumption. She replied that her deputies were accustomed to
share those parts between them. 'That's cheating'! retort Esu Odara, 'did not
you know that these parts, together with the intestines, were the real
delicacies that should be reserved for you as the head of the
undisputably as their leader . 'Why should you allow yourself to be robbed like
that? You must confront those deputies and claim your rights! There must be an
emergency meeting today where all these anomalies must be straightened out. You
should accept nothing less than the head and all internal organs of all
victims. Everyone willing to consume those delicacies must wait for their own
turn to be the leader! I will support you all the way.
As soon as she heard
Esu Odara's words, she raced. All things and anything infuriated her. Two of
his daughters were among the Elders of the Night. She hated them for keeping
quiet when she was being ripped off. She convened this emergency meeting. By
the time the meeting began, it was clear that the head was irritated. She abuse
all of them. 'You are all scam artists! After all the help I've given you all
you're still standing and conspiring against me! All of you are ungrateful
stupid naked! Thieves! Liar! I will punish you all! she shouted.
The deputies could not
understand or accept all these insults. Esu Odara had previously gone to these
deputies to embolden them so that they would not take any insult from the
leader. He told them that the leader had been very full of herself. She was too
focused on herself and she had been using too much derogatory language against
them. "Stand up and claim your rights! Demand your respect for you from
her! she is not in any way more qualified than any of you to be the leader! She
even lacked the appropriate administrative capacity. I will support you all the
way!
When the leader began
to curse and abuse them, they responded and the pandemoniun burst! They began
to expose one another: those whose homes were destroyed; those whose crops
failed; those whose children were killed and consumed; those whose family
members were sick in their beds; those who were experiencing a receision in
their economic fortunes were scrounging all that the Elders of the Night were
saying. They were all furious with their own rage.
Esu Odara excused
himself from the meeting, claiming that he was going to do his needs. None of
them noticed it in their fight. Esu went to the people and he declare;
"Why are they all so passive? Why do you all keep quiet when you hear
everything these women are saying? You can not see that their mothers were
responsible for their illnesses? And you, what did your wives hear what they
are saying that they took their manhood? And you do not see that your youngest
wife is responsible for the death of her four children recently remarried by
the elder wife? What are you all waiting for? Go and deal with these people! I
will support you to the end!
The people picked up
machetes, hoes, canes, and clubs and things like that. They surrounded
all the witches. All of them were treated as appropriate.n
Eyele pooyi ranyin l’ojude
Apon
Dia fun Orunmila
Iya mi n ba won ja
Won ni Iyewa ni
Ebo ni won ni ko waa
se
O gb’ebo, o ru’bo
Iyewa Otooro Efon kii
ba’ni i ja de’bi omo o
Translation:
Eyele pooyi ranyin
l'ojude apon
It was the Awo who
threw Ifa for Orunmila
When Iyami (witches)
were fighting against him
And they were accusing
Iyewa (Osun)
He was advised to
offer ebo
He obeyed
Behold! Osun Iyewa
Otooro Efon will never fight against anyone to the extent of hurting his own
children
Ifa says that those
responsible for the problems that are taking place where this Odu is revealed
will be exposed and brought to justice. Ifa also pleads for the patience and
understanding of the person who was wrongly accused as the guilty are exposed.
Ifa says he or she must accept apologies when asked to forgive in goodfaith.
XVI.
Ifa says that
there is a need to offer an exhaustive ebo to the community because there were
many unfortunate events that took place in the city. The cause of this is not
disconnected from the fact that the community has offended the Irunmoles and
the Orisas. These Divinities are angry with the community and must be appeased
in order for the community to return to normal.
Ifa also advises those
who represent others to be faithful and honest in all their assignments. If
they fail to do that, the consequences could be very disastrous and could even
lead to loss of life. In the same vein, Ifa warns that there should not be a
situation in which people are paying well with evil. If they are helped, they
should show appreciation and should not allow those who did good deeds to
repent of having done so. They should not mistreat those who have assisted them
in one way or another.
Ifa advises the person
for whom this Odu is revealed to offer ebo out of necessity with 2 mature
goats, 2 rats, 2 fish, 2 hens and money. They also need to feed Ifa with a
mature goat, Esu Odara with a mature goat and feed Obatala with 16 white doves,
shea butter, 16 natural chalks, 10 meters of white cloth and drinks. On this,
Ifa says:
Ojise Aye
Igangan Ife
Orunmila wo sun, O ko
won
Translation:
Ojise Aye (the
emissary of the world)
Igangan Ife (the
delegate of Ile-Ife)
Orunmila took a deep
meditation and arrested them
Orunmila was the
spiritual administrator of the world. It is set in Ile-Ife during the dawn of
time. He had Imulegbe, also known as Obatala and Aleke, also known as Esu
Odara, and his Ifa students at that time. He also had Ojise Aye and Igangan Ife
as his messengers whom he used to send to Olodumare at regular intervals to
receive instructions on how to manage the world so that it would be a
comfortable place for human beings to live.
At first, Aye and
Igagan Ife were making their assignments diligently and faithfully. At that
point, they became envious of the human race who sinned against Olodumare and
the Irunmoles, yet they were forgiven and given second chances. Why human
beings should be given second chances; to pear again?
They wondered. It get
to the point where Ojise Aye and Igagan Ife decided that they must have been
carrying false messages to Orunmila to punish the evil human beings. They
started doing that and the world began to experience problems. This happened
for a long time. Orunmila, Imulegbe and Aleke Esu Odara consulted Ifa to
determine what was responsible for the problems they were encountering on
Earth. Ifa revealed that Ojise Aye and Igagan Ife were responsible. They had
deliberately given false information to create confusion and chaos. Ifa recommended
for the two of them to be sanctioned accordingly. The two were surrounded and
eliminated.
As soon as this was
done another round of crisis began. The inhabitants of Ile-Ife confronted
Orunmila and demanded to know what right he had to kill his messengers. They
accused Orunmila of being jealous of the prominence of his two servants. All
explanations failed to satisfy them. At that point they beat Imulegbe (Obatala)
and ripped their dresses into pieces. They also slapped Akale (Esu Odara).
Orunmila hid somewhere. When they went, Orunmila, Obatala and Esu Odara packed
their belongings and left Ile-Ife. Orunmila declared that he never knew that he
had no more honor in Ile-Ife.
As soon as they left
Ile-Ife, all spiritual consultants around the world refused to consult for
Ile-Ife. Those who were babalawos, those who were seers with water and crystal,
those who were Adaasa (those who use snails to consult) those who use three,
four, eight, and 16 cowries stated that no one should consult more for
them in Ile-Ife . The people of Ile-Ife said that they could live their lives
without spiritualism. Orunmila his two students (Obatala and Esu Odara)
wandered through the forest for several days before they arrived at a place
called Eluju-u-ko-s'eke-ko-s'okun, the desert where there are no rafts or
ropes. They raised three huts made with imu leaves one for Orunmila, one for
Obatala and one for Esu Odara.
Meanwhile, in Ile-Ife,
there was a serious crisis. Rain failed to fall; pregnant women could not give
birth; the strong people became weak and sick; crops failed; the rich became
poor; the pestilence enveloped the whole city; the torrents and wells were
completely dried in Ile-Ife; the breasts of the nursing mothers dried and fell
flat on her breasts; the domestic animals began to die one after another; humans
began to segregate them; many of them died of hunger and thirst; trees and
shrubs turned yellow and died one behind the other.
There was panic and
confusion; those who boasted that they could live their lives without the help
of spirituality realized that they needed them more than ever. Unfortunately
for them, everyone they went to for assistance, they rejected them. They
pleaded for mercy, but were ignored. Just as they were rejected. As they went
from one place to another, they came across a Babalawo who was sorry and was
ready to help them based on compassion:
Alakan nii rin ni
Ikoko
Nii rin ni Ibaba
Dia fun won l’otu-Ife
Nijo Ajogun ka won
mo’le pitipiti
Translation:
The crab is the one
who walks in hidden places
And walks in the dark
That was the message
for the inhabitants of Otu-Ife
When the Ajogun
completely filled them
The Awo told them that
they had offended those who had done them many favors. These people had shown
their anger to them and that is why they were in the situation in which they
had placed themselves. He advised them to approach another Awo called Iponpon
isepo seresere for help. He assured them that if there was anyone on earth at
that time who could assist them, that person was Oponpon isepo seresere. They
thanked him and went in search of Iponpon isepo seresere. Before long, they
found them.
Iponpon isepo seresere
Dia fun won l’otu Ife
Nijo ajogun ka won
mo’le pitipiti
Ebo ni won ni ko waa
se
Translation:
Iponpon isepo seresere
He was the Awo who
threw Ifa for them in Otu-Ife
When the Ajoguns
completely overwhelmed them
They were advised to
offer ebo
The Awo told them that
they were suffering from agony and self-inflicted pain. They were advised that
if they wanted all their sufferings to go away, they should offer a living
anteloope for the ebo.
All of them dispersed
in search of the living antelope. They searched everywhere but did not find
any. One day, they found a live antilope. They began the persecution. The
antilope felt that he was being pursued and began to run deeper and deeper into
the forest. Soon he reached Eluju-u-ko-s'eke-ko-s'okun, they chased them into
the woods. As soon as they arrived there, the antilope could not be found. It
had simply disappeared! They searched everywhere, but could not find the
antilope. Instead they found the three huts built by Orunmila, Obatala, and Esu
Odara. Who could be living in this forest in the middle of nowhere? They
wondered. One of them threw a stone at the hut and left Obatala. When they saw
Obatala, they all fell on the ground and began to beg. Before long Orunmila and
Esu Odara also wake . They begged the three of them for forgiveness. Obatala
refused listening to them. They prayed and begged. All his implorations failed
to impress Obatala. At that point, he told them that he was the one who had
stopped the rain and had opened the sky to allow the intense sun. When they
were asked why he had done this, he replied that he was trying to get all the
rats, fish, birds and beasts to die of hunger and thirst. He also wanted the
human race to die too!
That is when Orunmila
and Esu Odara joined in the plea with Obatala. Orunmila explain that they
all consumed and used rats, fish, birds and beasts for other purposes. It was
human beings who would go and procure all these items for them.
They pleaded with him
not to let all the living beings on earth die because that would be against the
desire of Olodumare. After much deliberation, Obatala agreed to take a
compassionate look at them. He told them to go and procure 2 rats, 2 fish, 2
birds and 2 beasts as a fine for throwing stones at their huts of Imu. They
returned home and brought the materials, singing like this:
Ki iru eku ko ma ra
Ki iru eja ko ma ra
Ki iru eye ko ma ra
Ki iru eran ko ma ra
Ki iru eniyan ko ma ra
Eji Elemere gba wa o
Translation:
Do not die rats
That the fish do not
cease to exist
Do not fade the birds
on the earth
That the beasts will
not be extinguished
Let humans not
disappear from above the earth
Eji Elemere (Irete
Meji) please come to our rescue
When they arrived
where the three Irunmoles were, they took all these materials from them and
asked them to go back to their homes. Obatala released the rain and the world
returned to normal.
ni
Ojise Aye
Igangan Ife
Orunmila wo sun, O ko
won
Awo Ife gbo
Won han bi Agan Iloye
Won p’ariwo bi Agate
Won binu, won lo ree
ba Orunmila ni’le
Won ba Baba ni’le
Akale omo odo Orunmila
Won baa leti
Imulegbe omo odo
Orunmila
Won fa odun ide re ya
peere-peere
Orunmila ni a se Oun
tile l’owo ni’le yi mo
Orunmila waa bi’nu
Oun ati omo Ikofa re
mejeeeji
Won ko’ri si
Eluju-u-ko-s’eke-ko-s’okun
Awon Ife daamu titiiti
Oko di pasan
Odo di laba
Aboyun ile ko bi
tibi-tire
Agan o t’owo ala
b’osun
Esin Oba ko je’ko
Olowo di onigbese
Okunrun ibule ko dide
Alabiiye di alabiiku
Ile Aye waa d’ota
Won bere sii daamu
kiri
Won de odo El’eeta,
Eleerin, El’eejo, ati El’eerindinlogun
Won ni awon ti fi yan
eko je
Won tun kiri-kiri
Won de odo Alaka nii
tin ni Ikoko
Nii rin ni Ibaba
Bi eni ti ko b’odo se
Awo Odo Oluweri
O ni ko won maa to
Iponpon isepo seresere
lo
Iponpon isepo seresere
lo
Dia fun won l’Otu Ife
Nijo Ajogun ka won
mo’le pitipiti
Ebo lo ni ki won waa
se
O ki ni won maa wa
Agbonrin ooye lo
Won waa le Agbonrin de
Eluju-u-ko-s’eke-ko-s’okun
won de ibi ile imu
meta
Obatala ni ki won lo
ree mu eku meji
Eja meji, eye meji ati
eran meji a sokolomu wa
Won be Oosa titi
Oosanla ni Oun o nii
gbo
Oosa ni Oun o nii gba
Orunmila wa fo’hun si
Oosa wipe
Orunmila wi agbede
niforiji
Ifa ni onikolo o tun
kolo sin
L’ojo ti Oba ti n je
A o je iru Oba yii ri
Afi Obatala Obatarisa
Oba patapata tii ba
won gb’ode Iranje
Oun lo fa okun eji so
O wa da oseeere oorun
si’le
Wan ni nitori kinni
O ni ki iru omo eku o
le baa ra nii
O ni ki iru omo eja o
le baa ra nii
O ni ki iru omo eye o
le baa ra nii
O ni ki iru omo eran o
le baa ra nii
O ni ki iru omo eniyan
o le baa ra nii
Orunmila ni a nje eku,
a n lo eku
A n je eja, a n lo eja
A n je eye, a n lo eye
A n je eran, a n lo
eran
Omo eniyan ni yoo si
wa won wa fun wa
Ki iru eku ko ma ra
Ki iru eja ko ma ra
Ki iru eye ko ma ra
Ki iru eran ko ma ra
Ki iru eniyan ko ma ma
ra o
Eji Elemere gba wa o
Ko pe ko jinna
E wa bani b’ayo
E wa wo ire o
Translation:
Ojise Aye (the
emissary of the world)
Igangan Ife (the
delegate of Ile-Ife)
Orunmila took a deep
meditation and arrested them
When the inhabitants
of Ile-Ife heard that these two had been eliminated
They were shouting
like the masks of the land of Iloye
And they squealed like
the Elders of the Night
In their anger, they
took pains to confront Orunnmila in his house
They did not find him
at home.
Akale was a student of
Orunmila
They slapped him in
the face
Imulegbe was another
student of Orunmila
They smashed her Odun
dress to pieces
Orunmila declared that
he did not know that he had no honor in Ile-Ife anymore
Orunmila gets angry
He left Ile-Ife with
his two students
They went to
Eliju-u-ko-s'eke-ko-s'okun in the depths of the forest
The inhabitants of
Ile-Ife began to live in the misery and confusion
The penises became
muted
The genitalia of the
females became like leather labas
Pregnant women were
unable to give birth in safety
The steriles could not
get pregnant
The Obas horses had no
grass to eat
The rich became
chronic debtors
The invalids could not
regain their health
Those who until now
had been able to give birth to baby bullies started to give birth to stillbirth
babies
They were running from
pillar to posts
They went to all the
Awos
And to those doing
consultation with snails
The Awo told them that
they had used their snails to buy corn flour
They went from place
to place
They arrived where the
crabs walk in the hidden places
And walked in the dark
As if they had nothing
to do with the torrents
The Awo of Oluweri
The message of Ifa for
the inhabitants of Otu-Ife
When the Ajodun
completely overwhelmed them
He asked them to go to
Iponpon isepo seresere
Iponpon isepo seresere
He was the Awo who
threw Ifa for them in Otu-Ife
When the Ajoguns had
completely overwhelmed them
They were advised to
offer ebo
The Awo told them to
look for a live antilope as ebo material
They chased an
antilope to Eliju-u-ko-s'eke-ko-s'okun
They saw the three huts
made with palm leaves
They threw a stone at
the huts
Obatala asked them to
bring two rats, two fish, two birds and two beasts as a penalty for throwing
stones at their hut of palm leaves
They begged Oosa for a
long time
Orisanla reuse accept
his apologies
Then Orunmila declared
Obatala
Ifa will declare
'onikolo o tun kolo sin'
From the period in
which the Obas were installed
No one had been like
this
The exception is
Obatala Obatarisa
Oba patapata who lived
in the land of Iranje
He was the one who got
the rope of the torrential rain
And who released the
intense sun
They asked why he did
that
He stated that he
wanted all the rats to die
He wanted all the fish
to cease to exist
He wanted all the
birds of the world to vanish from the earth.
He wanted all the
beasts to be extinguished
He even wanted all
human beings to take advantage of the Terrestrial Surface
Orunmila said that
they ate and used rats
We eat and use fish
We eat and use birds
We eat and use beasts
And human beings are
the ones who procure these things for us
Let it be possible for
the rats to not die
That it is possible
for fish to cease to exist
May it be possible
that the birds do not fade from the earth
That it is possible
that the beasts will not be extinguished
Let it be possible for
human beings not to disappear from the face of the earth
Eji Elemere, please
come and rescue us
Before long, not too
far
Let's get together in
the middle of happiness
Come and look! All of
Ire of life
Ifa says that the
tribulation of the paersona or group for whom this Odu is revealed will soon
come to a term. There is a need for him or her to bury their pride and tender
tender apologies if necessary.
Copyright :Babalawo Pele
Obasa Obanifa, phone and whatsapp contact :+2348166343145, location Ile Ife
osun state Nigeria.
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Babalawo Obanifa, doing so is considered unlawful and will attract legal
consequences
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