Odù 173 of 256 · Ika family

Ika Bara

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.

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; the detail of iré and osogbo, the eewó and the full recipes open with the Babalawo plan — that locked part is still written in Spanish.

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

12 proverb interpretations in this Odù, locked.Every proverb explained: which road it comes from and how it applies. Written in Spanish for now.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… Written in Spanish for now.Unlock →

What is born in Ika Bara · Ìbí

What is forbidden · Eewó

3 eewó (taboos) in this Odù, locked.What the child of this sign must not eat, do or wear. Written in Spanish for now.Unlock →

Ebbós of Ika Bara · The sacrifices that open the road

Vencer enemigosThe great ebbó of Ikarode🔒 Babalawo
Alejar la muerteEbbó to drive death out of the family🔒 Babalawo
Vencer enemigosThe ebbó of the tongue🔒 Babalawo
DineroThe ebbós of this Odù🔒 Babalawo
4 ebbós in this Odù, locked.Each full recipe: ingredients, preparation and where it goes. Written in Spanish for now.Unlock →

Works of Ika Bara · The workings of the sign

AmorInshé Osain so the opposite sex does not turn against you🔒 Babalawo
Vencer enemigosThe inshé for the arayés🔒 Babalawo
EspiritualThe cleansing for homesickness🔒 Babalawo
3 works in this Odù, locked.Each full recipe: ingredients, preparation and where it goes. Written in Spanish for now.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.

There was an Awó called Yarodi who was at war with an omo Ogún, and this man kept making and sending him a great deal of witchcraft and sent spirits; but since this Awó stood well with the santos, above all with Yemayá — since to go to the omo Ogún's land you had to cross the sea —, he had no trouble of any kind.

One day Yarodi, making osode, saw this sign, which told him to make ebbó with a rooster and wax, and to leave it open at the seashore. And Yarodi did just that.

Meanwhile, the omo Ogún thought it over and told his people to stick wax wings on themselves so they could cross the sea and make war on Yarodi. But since Yarodi had made ebbó with wax, the sun melted the wings of the omo Ogún and of his people while they were crossing the sea, and they all fell into it and drowned.

Note: the ebbó of this sign is not closed; it is left open and it carries wax.

2The man who thought he was enough

Orunmila saw this Ifá for a person and told them to make ebbó to be free of a bad thing that was coming their way. The person did not do the work, because they believed they were enough on their own to get free of the problem when it turned up. When the war came, it caught them even though their eyes were wide open — and however hard they ran, they could not get free of it.

Orunmila saw this Ifá for a person and told them to make ebbó so they would be free of a bad thing that was coming their way. The person did not do the work, because they believed they were enough on their own to get free of the problem when it turned up.

When the war came, it caught them even though their eyes were wide open; and however hard they ran, they could not get free of it.

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 there was an Obá called Ikarode, who had a son, and the two of them lived by the seashore; and on the other side lived an Obá called Omologú (a sorcerer), who envied Ikarode.

One day Omologú, ruled by envy, remembered Ikarode, and knowing that Ikarode respected him, said to himself: «Ikarode is afraid of me, because he knows I am an omo Ogún, and I am going to take from him the land he governs.» Omologú sent a messenger to Ikarode's land with an ultimatum, that he hand over the land, or else he would kill him and his son.

Ikarode, on receiving the message, went full of fear to Orunmila's house, who made osode for him, saw this Ifá and told him: «A very big trouble is coming down on you.» Ikarode said yes, and told Orunmila everything. Orunmila marked him ebbó, and told him afterward to share out the animals from it wherever Ifá ordered, and to take the ebbó to the top of the hill; and to answer Omologú that he was not afraid of him, that he would not hand over his land, and that if he wanted it, he should come and take it.

Ikarode did not want to do it, out of fear of Omologú; but in the end he did it, out of the faith he had in Orunmila.

Omologú, on receiving Ikarode's message, was so astonished that he immediately got his people ready and said: «You will go by sea, and I will go through the open air.»

Omologú, who was a magician, made himself wings and stuck them on with wax, and rose into the air to a great height, so the sound of his wings would not be heard. But Ikarode had already made his ebbó and the rest of the works, and Olofin saw at once what was happening, and heated Omologú's wings; and the wax they were stuck on with melted, and he fell into the sea and drowned. Omologú's people, finding themselves without a chief, scattered.

When Ikarode learned what had happened, he went and told Orunmila, and Orunmila ordered him to go and take possession of Omologú's lands. So Ikarode did, and he put his son at the head of those lands — and that is how he won the war.

Note: it marks war between two people over a possession or a position, where there are sent eguns and other works of harm in a sorcerer's pot. They want to destroy your house so you lose your position and your well-being, and to get it they can even make you ill or kill you with witchcraft.

4The Odun Isalaye🔒 Babalawo
5A favor is paid with a favor🔒 Babalawo
6The mice and the squabs🔒 Babalawo
7The fish of luck🔒 Babalawo
8The wise man and the fool🔒 Babalawo
9Orisha Ori Okuta🔒 Babalawo
10The four fruits of destiny🔒 Babalawo
11Orunmila Agbon Oniregun🔒 Babalawo
12The first steps on the earth🔒 Babalawo
9 more patakíes in this Odù, locked.Read every road in full with the Babalawo plan. Written in Spanish for now.Unlock →
Before you subscribe: everything you read on this page is in English, but the locked part of the treatise — the full text of the other patakíes, the recipes for the ebbós and works, the iré and osogbo readings and the eewó — is still written in Spanish. We are translating it. · 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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