Ikú, ashamed of her son — who was nothing but bone — stole Odudúwa's black sheet to cover him; Odudúwa gave him the power of Egun and Osain gave him the flesh, the hair and the eyes in the joro joro, and with the nine black doves he received the iwín ni odara, the spirit of life — and Ikú's son walked out into the world.
On this road, death is nothing but bone, which is what Ikú means. She lived in the land of Abanikú and had a son. But since the son was just like Ikú, she was ashamed and kept him hidden. She gave him to drink, so his bones would join and he would begin to swallow and to sweat, ewé platanillo de Cuba, white mallow, mazorquilla, mastuerzo and corn silk, and with that she also covered him.
Ikú, in despair, set out one day on the road and said: «I am going to the land where Odudúwa is.» In that land Osain and Egun also lived; it was called Ñañarikú. As she went along the road, she carried a black rooster and two quail, and she went singing and weeping: ÑAÑARIKU IKU LOÑARE ODUDUWA AGUA LOYARE OMO ABANIBIKUN OMO IKU ÑAÑARIKU LORO OMO LOYARE.
When she reached Odudúwa's land, going round and round, and he did not see her, she grew angry and took from Odudúwa the black cloth he covered himself with, and went off to her land and covered her son with it.
When Odudúwa arrived together with Osain, Egun told him that Ikú had stolen his black cloth. But Ikú had forgotten the rooster and the quail. Osain grew very angry. Odudúwa, seeing the quail and the rooster, said: «Look, she left these behind and we are hungry: let us eat them.» And he gave rooster and quail to Osain and to Egun, together with Odudúwa.
Odudúwa called Egun together with Osain and they set out on the road. When they were near the land of Abanibikú, they began to sing: EGUN NIYORE NIYORE GUAN GUA EGUN IKU MAGUAO LODE NI OLONA UMBO AGUA LLORE IKU.
Egun ran off and turned into Afefé (the wind). Odudúwa sounded the cowbell and Osain had the quail in his hand. When Egun reached where Ikú was, she took fright, because she saw what it was, and began to weep. Odudúwa and Osain took Ikú in, as she came fleeing from Afefé, who was Egun and had her wrapped up.
Ikú, weeping, told Odudúwa everything that was happening. Odudúwa said: «What you took from me is the sheet I cover myself with.» She told him it was to cover her son, so nobody would see him. Odudúwa said: «Very well, I am going to give you the power of Egun, and Osain will give your son the power of the flesh (erán), for when your son becomes Egun.»
Ikú was very glad, but Odudúwa said: «That sheet you stole from me will serve only for painting the signs of Egun when anyone dies and is given food so they have power.»
Odudúwa set out together with Ikú and Osain, and they began sounding the agogó and singing: AFEFE LOKUN EGUN KUILODO AFEFE LEKUN EGUN OMO YARE EGUN KUILODO.
They reached the land of Ikú. Osain opened a hole and they carried a turtle. Odudúwa painted the Odù Irete Trupon, and the Egun put Ikú's son in and covered him with the sheet. Osain began to sing, together with Odudúwa: ERAN NILE IKU ERAN GBOGBO ERAN NILE IKU EGUN OBANI LOKUN GBOGBO ERAN EGUN IKU.
All this they did for seven days. Odudúwa told Ikú that her son now had flesh, joined to the bone. Osain said: «He has hair, eyes and his own nature too, and he has to be given food so he can walk.»
Ikú asked what she had to find, and Odudúwa answered: «Ask Osain.» He told her to find nine black doves, to give them to Egun together with himself, to give him the IWIN NI ODARA, the spirit of life (the self made flesh); and to bring for himself a large frizzled young rooster, a quail and a turtle.
Ikú was very glad and went out to find what was asked. While she was on the road, Odudúwa and Osain scraped away the earth on top and saw that Ikú's son now had flesh, eyes and hair, and they covered him with the black cloth, writing Irete Trupon. They called Egun before Ikú arrived, so Egun would go inside Ikú's son.
When Ikú arrived, she saw that thing moving and took fright, and began to weep. Odudúwa told her to keep calm. Osain began eating what Ikú had brought him. Odudúwa told Osain that he had to get into a hole to do the ceremony. Osain took the dove together with Odudúwa and they began the ceremony and the singing: EGUN DIDE EGUN ONI GUALODE LONA YEYE IKU LORUN AGUA IKU BAGUA LODE LONA EGUN IKU LORUN NARE ONI LOKUN.
And right away Ikú's son walked out into the world.
Note: here it was born that, from birth, humankind is a spirit and, when Ikú needs it, she takes it away. Whoever has this sign has, from time to time, to give three doves to Orún, together with Egun. When death saw her son that way, the first one she lived with was Orún, and she gave him three black doves.