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Ika Fun

nº 181 of 256 · Edited by

Where the mirror speaks: the women let their hair down for seven days and unmasked Ikú, the fleshless queen. Do not look at yourself in stained mirrors.

21 patakíes 6 eewó 7 ebbós and works 12 proverbs

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Ika Fun is Odù number 181 of the 256 in Ifá, part of the Ika family. This page brings together its prayer in Yoruba, 21 patakíes (3 in full in plain sight, with their teaching, ebbó and chants), its proverbs, 7 ebbós and works and the signs it shows in the consultation — with the full eewó in plain sight; the rest of the iré and osogbo and the full recipes open with The Notebook, in English.

The sign at a glance

Order in Ifá
Odù 181 of 256
Composition
Ika over Ofun

What Ifá says in this sign

Ika Fun is the sign of hair, of the mirror and of the head. Here it was born that women wear their hair loose for seven days and that during Holy Week the mirrors of the house are covered. Here Ikú, who hid under hair stolen from young women, was unmasked. Its ruling is read in your head: be careful whom you entrust your head to, because only the right hand brings you peace and a long life.

Your head is troubled because whoever washed it or prayed over it was not the one who should have done it, and whoever presents himself as your godfather is deceiving you. A ceremony done alone is done wrong, like Obatalá's when he invited no one: repeat it with company. In hard times you remember everything and in good times you forget it, and you ignore the advice you receive. Have a rogation done for your head and obey, even if what you must do is not to your liking.

«Ikú covered herself with the hair of the maidens, and the loose hair of seven days unmasked her.»The pulse of Ika Fun

From the back of your house witchcraft is sent at you, and a mulatto santero buried harm against you: it is best for you to move. They want to rob you and there is a danger of trouble with the law. Do not strike anyone, and even less someone who has a santo. Do not tell anyone your secrets or your dreams, because your confidant is precisely the one harming you. Check the stained mirror you have at home. Luck knocked twice at your door and you let it go by; if you climb to the end of the road, as Orunmila did in search of Olofin, fortune will return.

In love, the woman of this sign has a husband who is not right for her, and another woman wants to take him from her; the man is pursued by a woman of reddish skin who means to bind him. Envy of another person's long hair and light skin brings offenses, like those of Yemayá, who had black skin, toward Oshún. No love is forced with witchcraft: whoever tries ends up binding his own life. If your daughter has four suitors and wants none of them, she should marry an awó. At work, a boss or a coworker is doing something irregular: do not copy him, for it will bring you trouble with the law.

In health, you suffer headaches that come and go, and the man should take care of his heart in intimacy. If you receive news of a sudden death, do not go. If at any moment you think of taking your own life to solve your problems, talk to someone you trust, seek help from a doctor or a professional and do not stay alone, because that is not the way out. With your head tended and your guardian angel well fed, what comes through Ika Fun is a letter or good news.

The sign in one line

Clean your mirror, do not tell your dreams and open to the luck that returns for the third time, because Ika Fun unmasks death and crowns its owner.

The prayer of Ika Fun · Yoruba

Iká Fun Loroni Kiyate Adifafun Abiregun Akuko Eyele Lebo Kaferefun Obatala.

Súyere
Arodide odidema, aredide odidema, osha abuaruko oyo didema, dide dide didema.

Ifá says — what Ika Fun tells you

Proverbs of Ika Fun · Òwe

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

Iré and Osogbo

Three iré and three osogbo of this sign, open to everyone.

Iré · what the sign brings

  • They receive a letter or a piece of news.

  • If their wife sleeps seven days with her hair loose and he treats her with compliments, the protecting angel of both accompanies him.

  • If they follow the way to the summit, even though the least capable stay behind halfway, they get to see Olofin and have good fortune.

Osogbo · what the sign warns

  • The husband the woman of this sign has is not right for her.

  • Witchcraft is cast at them from behind their house, and to be free of it they must go and live elsewhere.

  • Someone buried a harmful work against them, in their house or outside it, and a mulatto santero did it.

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

What is born in Ika Fun · 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 Fun · 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 Fun · The workings of the sign

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

Patakíes of Ika Fun · The roads of the Odù

1Where Obatalá performed the ceremony incorrectly

Obatalá had to seat the orisha Obatalá in an omo. He invited no one and performed the ceremony without company.

When the washing was finished, he consulted Orunmila, who found this Ifá and told him that the washing of that osha had been done wrong. He had to repeat it and invite other oshas and his close ones, so that they would accompany him, help in the consecration, eat and enjoy themselves.

Obatalá did so, and the ceremony turned out right.

What it teaches

A sacred ceremony held without company remains incomplete. Whoever consecrates needs the presence of other oshas and acquaintances who eat and share with him; then everything is in order.

Ebbó of the story

Two white doves.

Prayer of Ika Fun for this road

Iká Fun Adifafun Eshu Lorugbo Ounko Laye Kafurete Vile Adifafun Obbatalá.

2Orunmila and the hair of the market women

In the land of Deidan, where witchcraft abounded, Orunmila began to have difficulties. He consulted the oracle, this Ifá came out, and he undertook the journey with his children toward the mountains of Oke Fun, where Olofin was. Along the way, those who were least prepared were left behind.

On entering a town he went to the market, which was closing; only some women were still selling. He bought a rooster from them and what they still had left, and asked them to let down their hair so that he could collect the hairs that fell. With that he continued toward the hill of Oke Fun.

There he prepared the ebbó with the rooster, what he had bought and the hairs, and gave the rooster to the 16 Meyi. He reached the summit of Oke Fun, saw Olofin and good fortune came to him.

What it teaches

Whoever seeks Olofin must keep going to the summit, even if the least prepared stay behind halfway. With the ebbó, made even with what others leave behind, such as their leftovers and their fallen hair, good fortune is reached.

Ebbó of the story

A rooster, what the women vendors of the market still had left, and the hairs that fell from them. On the hill of Oke Fun the rooster was given to the 16 Meyi.

3Where Oshún had hair again

Oshún had a very long mane and helped her sister Yemayá, who had dark skin. Yemayá felt envy of her for her hair and for her light skin.

One day, taking advantage of Oshún being asleep, Yemayá cut her hair. Oshún had spent the whole day dyeing her sister's clothes blue, in order to bring her good luck.

When she realized the theft, Oshún went to consult Orunmila. He found this Ifá and explained to her that her own sister had taken her hair.

Oshún never managed to recover it and remained at odds with Yemayá. Orunmila, who in this road is Ika Fun, felt compassion. He made an inshé with herbs and other materials, and with that and the hairs she still had left he shaped a bun on top of her head. He also gave her two quails. Thus Oshún had hair again.

What it teaches

A relative's envy can snatch what most distinguishes a person, and what is lost does not come back the same. Even so, Orunmila takes pity and restores its worth in another way, with a work done with care.

Work of the story

Two quails. Also, an inshé to make the bun with the hair that remained; its contents are in the complete treatise.

18 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 Fun in Spanish →

Frequently asked questions about Ika Fun

What does the Odù Ika Fun mean in Ifá?

Where the mirror speaks: the women let their hair down for seven days and unmasked Ikú, the fleshless queen. Do not look at yourself in stained mirrors.

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

Ika Fun is Odù number 181 of the 256 in Ifá, part of the Ika family.

Which orishas speak in Ika Fun?

In the Odù Ika Fun these orishas speak: Obatalá, Elegba (Eshu), Shangó, Ogún, Oshún, Oyá (Yansá), Osain, Olofin, Ibeyis (the twins), Egun.

What is a proverb of the Odù Ika Fun?

One of the proverbs of Ika Fun says: «He who laughs last laughs best.».

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