Ika Bara

nº 173 of 256

Where the wings of birds and the airplane were born: war between brothers and witchcraft — but the sun melts the wings of the enemy who crosses the sea.

12 patakíes 3 eewó 7 ebbós and works 12 proverbs

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Ika Bara is Odù number 173 of the 256 in Ifá, part of the Ika family. This page brings together its prayer in Yoruba, 12 patakíes (3 with the full text), its proverbs, 7 ebbós and works and the signs it shows in the consultation — with the full eewó in plain sight; the detail of iré and osogbo and the full recipes open with The Notebook, in English.

The sign at a glance

Order in Ifá
Odù 173 of 256
Composition
Ika over Obara
Orishas that speak
Obatalá · Olokun · Eshu · Orunmila · Yemayá · Osain · Egun

What Ifá says in this sign

Ika Bara is the sign where the wings of birds were born — and the airplane. Its war is over blood and property: brothers fighting over a possession, and an enemy with a prenda who is feared. But this odu already told you the ending: the sun melted the enemy's wings as he was crossing the sea — whoever flies on borrowed power falls on his own.

Your treasure has already been identified: the stone you found at the seashore, the one you fell in love with, was Elegba of Olokun — you have to receive it: that meeting was no accident, it was a summons. Kaferefun Obatalá and your mother: the two white pillars of this sign.

«The sun melted the enemy's wings over the sea — the wings of Ika Bara are his own, and they do not fall off.»The pulse of Ika Bara

Your portrait comes with a joke in it: you are like the little mouse, who bites and then blows on the wound — you wound and comfort in the same gesture. Look hard at that double move, because it confuses the people who love you. Do not break up your house without asking Orunmila first — misfortune in the family is circling that decision. To the woman thinking of leaving a good man for another: do not do it, you will regret it. And to the jealous one in the house who wants to go: do not go, or a woman from the country will come and enjoy what you planted.

The social tests: they will tell you something so they can watch you struggle — pay it no mind. The person with money will come pretending to be poor to test you: do the favor, but tell them you know they have money — that is how you pass the exam with a good grade and your dignity intact. And the envy that wants to get you in trouble with the law brings, of all things, a piece of luck right behind it.

The works for the house: the squabs from the sitting doves — their blood to the four corners, the meat cooked for Babá and the ekrú scattered in the corners —, the head given rogation with ekrú, the woman's insides looked after, and faith: you do not want to believe what you are told, and you will find yourself in a tight spot — believe before the tight spot comes: the wings of Ika Bara are his own — that is why the sun does not melt them.

The sign in one line

Receive the Elegba the sea gave you, stop biting and blowing, and believe before the trouble comes — the war of Ika Bara is won by the one with his own wings.

The prayer of Ika Bara · Yoruba

Ika Bara Moshowe Yile Shiope Adifafun Orobe Orobe Ekure Eyere Lebo Ika Awo Eye Obara Ile Awo Yo Adie Lebo Eshu Eyele Akuko Lebo. Ika Bara Oñi Bara Losorde Orunmila Adifafun Orunmila Ati Obatala.

Ifá says — what Ika Bara tells you

Proverbs of Ika Bara · Òwe

9 proverb interpretations in this Odù, locked.Every proverb explained: which road it comes from and how it applies.Unlock →

Iré and Osogbo

4 iré and osogbo readings in this Odù, locked.The iré and osogbo of the sign, sorted by subject — health, money, love, death, loss…Unlock →

What is born in Ika Bara · Ìbí

What is forbidden · Eewó

The full eewó of this Odù, open to everyone — with the road each ban came out of.

Ebbós of Ika Bara · The sacrifices that open the road

4 ebbós in this Odù, locked.Each full recipe: ingredients, preparation and where it goes.Unlock →

Works of Ika Bara · The workings of the sign

3 works in this Odù, locked.Each full recipe: ingredients, preparation and where it goes.Unlock →

Patakíes of Ika Bara · The roads of the Odù

1The wax wings

Awó Yarodi was at war with an omo Ogún who kept sending him witchcraft and spirits; but since Yarodi stood well with the santos — above all with Yemayá, because to reach that land you had to cross the sea — he had no trouble. One day, making osode, this sign came up and told him to make ebbó with a rooster and wax, and to leave it open at the seashore. So he did. The omo Ogún ordered his people to stick wax wings on themselves to cross the sea and make war on him — but since Yarodi had made ebbó with wax, the sun melted the wings, and they all fell into the sea and drowned. The ebbó of this sign is not closed: it is left open and it carries wax.

An Awó named Yarodi was at war with an omo Ogún, who never stopped working witchcraft on him and sending him spirits. Since Yarodi was in good standing with the santos — and above all with Yemayá, because to get to the omo Ogún's land you had to cross the sea — none of that hurt him.

One day he read himself and this sign came out, which called for ebbó with a rooster and wax and told him to leave it open at the seashore. Yarodi did exactly that.

Meanwhile, the omo Ogún came up with an idea and ordered his people to stick wax wings on themselves to cross the water and fall on Yarodi. But the wax ebbó was already in place: out at sea the sun melted the wings of the omo Ogún and his people, who fell in the water and all drowned.

Note: in this sign the ebbó is not closed: it is thrown away open and it carries wax.

2The man who thought he was enough

Orunmila saw this Ifá for a person and marked ebbó against a harm that was on its way. That person did not do the work: they thought they were enough to get out of the trouble alone when it came. And it came. The war fell on them even with their eyes wide open, and no matter how much they ran, they could not get free.

Orunmila saw this Ifá for a person and marked ebbó, because a harm was on its way and the person had to be saved from it. That person did not do the work: they thought they were enough to get out of the trouble alone when the moment came.

And it came. The war fell on them even with their eyes wide open, and no matter how much they ran, they could not get free.

3Ikarode and the wax wings

The Obá Ikarode lived with his son by the seashore, and on the other side lived Omologú, a sorcerer Obá who envied him. Knowing that Ikarode respected him for being an omo Ogún, he sent him an ultimatum: hand over the land or he would kill him and his son. Ikarode, full of fear, went to Orunmila: «A very big trouble is coming down on you.» He was marked the great ebbó, the sharing out of the animals, taking the ebbó to Oke, and answering Omologú that he was not afraid of him and that if he wanted the land he should come and take it. He did not want to do it out of fear, but he did it out of the faith he had in Orunmila. Omologú, astonished, got his people ready: «You will go by sea, and I will go by air.» Being a magician, he made himself wings stuck on with wax and rose to a great height — but Ikarode had already made his ebbó, and Olofin, seeing what was happening, heated the wings: the wax melted, he fell into the sea and drowned. His people, left without a chief, scattered. Orunmila ordered Ikarode to take possession of Omologú's lands, and he put his son at the head of them: that is how he won the war.

On this road an Obá named Ikarode ruled, and he had a son; the two lived by the seashore. On the other side lived another Obá, Omologú (a witch), who was jealous of Ikarode.

One day the jealousy took him over completely and Omologú remembered his neighbor. He knew that Ikarode respected him, and he said to himself: "Ikarode is afraid of me, because he knows I am omo Ogún, and I am going to take away the land he rules." He then sent a messenger to Ikarode's land with an ultimatum: either he handed over the land, or he would kill him and his son.

The message left Ikarode full of fear, and he set out for Orunmila's house. Orunmila did osode for him, saw this Ifá and told him: "A very big mess is coming at you." Ikarode agreed and told him what had happened. Orunmila marked ebbó for him; afterward the animals would have to be shared out where Ifá ordered, and the ebbó had to go up to the top of the hill. He also told him to answer Omologú that he was not afraid of him, that he was not handing over the land, and that if he wanted it, he should come and get it.

Ikarode held back, because of the fear Omologú put in him; he ended up doing it out of the faith he had in Orunmila.

When he got the answer, Omologú was so shocked that he lined up his people on the spot and announced: "You will go by sea, and I will go through the open air."

Since he was a magician, he made himself some wings and fixed them with wax, and he went up very high so that the noise of his flight would not be heard. But Ikarode had already done the ebbó and the other works, and Olofin noticed right away what was going on and heated up the wings: the wax holding them melted, and Omologú fell into the sea and drowned. His people, left without a leader, scattered.

When Ikarode found out what had happened, he went to tell Orunmila, and Orunmila ordered him to go and take possession of Omologú's lands. He did so, left his son in charge of them, and that is how he won the war.

Note: here there is war between two people over a possession or a position, with sendings of egun and other works of harm in a witch's pot. They want to break up his house so that he loses position and well-being; to get it, they are willing to make him sick or kill him with witchcraft.

9 more patakíes in this Odù, locked.Read every road in full with The Notebook.Unlock →
The full treatise is in English. With The Notebook, the whole sign opens on this page in English: the full text of every patakí, the recipes for the ebbós and works, and the iré and osogbo readings. · This page is also available in Spanish: See Ika Bara in Spanish →

Frequently asked questions about Ika Bara

What does the Odù Ika Bara mean in Ifá?

Where the wings of birds and the airplane were born: war between brothers and witchcraft — but the sun melts the wings of the enemy who crosses the sea.

What number is Ika Bara among the 256 Odù of Ifá?

Ika Bara is Odù number 173 of the 256 in Ifá, part of the Ika family.

Which orishas speak in Ika Bara?

In the Odù Ika Bara these orishas speak: Obatalá, Olokun, Eshu, Orunmila, Yemayá, Osain, Egun.

What is a proverb of the Odù Ika Bara?

One of the proverbs of Ika Bara says: «They made you king and you prospered; now you want witchcraft to make you a god.».

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