In a time long ago, Ikú, death, was only bones. She lived in the land of Abanikú, where she had a son identical to her. Ashamed, she kept him hidden. She wanted the child’s bones to stick together and for him to learn to swallow and to sweat, so she gave him to drink ewé of mastuerzo, mazorquilla, white mallow, platanillo de Cuba and corn silk, and she used the same thing to cover him.
One day, desperate, Ikú set out walking and announced that she was heading to the land of Oduduwa, called Ñañarikú, where Osain and Egun also lived. She carried a black rooster and two quails. During the journey she sang and cried.
When she arrived, she walked back and forth without Oduduwa noticing her. Furious, she took the black cloth he wrapped himself in, returned to her land and covered her son with it.
Oduduwa came back with Osain, and Egun told him that Ikú had stolen his cloth. Ikú, however, forgot her birds there: the rooster and the two quails. A great rage took hold of Osain, but Oduduwa, seeing the birds, remarked that she had forgotten them and that they were hungry, so they could eat them. Osain, Egun and Oduduwa ate the rooster and the quail.
Then Oduduwa called Osain and Egun and they set out. As they drew near the land of Abanikú, they sang a chant. Egun began to run and turned into Afefé, the wind. Oduduwa sounded a cowbell, and Osain held a quail. When Egun reached Ikú, she was terrified on recognizing what it was and burst into tears. She was fleeing from Afefé, who was none other than Egun surrounding her, when Oduduwa and Osain came out to receive her.
In tears, Ikú explained to Oduduwa what was happening. He pointed out that she had taken his sheet for warmth. She replied that she wanted it to hide her son from everyone’s sight. Then Oduduwa decided to grant her the power of Egun, while Osain would give the boy the power of flesh, for the day he became Egun.
Ikú was very glad. Oduduwa added that from that moment that sheet would serve only to draw the signs of Egun when someone died and was fed so that he would have power.
The three set out for the land of Ikú, sounding the bell (agogó) and singing. Once there, Osain dug a hole; they had brought a tortoise. Oduduwa drew the sign Irete Trupon; then the Egun laid Ikú’s son in the hole and wrapped him in the sheet. Afterward Osain and Oduduwa began to sing.
The work lasted seven days. At the end, Oduduwa informed Ikú that the child’s bones were now covered with well attached flesh. Osain added that he also had hair, eyes and his male nature, and that they had to feed him so that he could walk.
Ikú wanted to know what she had to bring, and Oduduwa sent her to ask Osain. He asked for 9 black doves to give to Egun together with the child; in this way they would give him the iwín ni odara, which is the vital spirit, that is, the self that takes a body. For himself, Osain asked for a young speckled chicken, a quail and a tortoise.
Ikú went off happily to look for all that. While she was on the road, Oduduwa and Osain removed the top layer of earth and found that Ikú’s son already had flesh, eyes and hair. They covered him again with the black cloth, wrote Irete Trupon once more and, before Ikú’s return, called Egun so that he would enter the boy’s body.
When Ikú came back, she saw that something was moving, was frightened and cried; Oduduwa asked her to be calm. Osain started eating what she had brought. Oduduwa told him he had to enter a hole to perform the ceremony. Osain took the dove and, together with Oduduwa, began the rite, accompanied by a chant. At that very moment, Ikú’s son set out to walk the world.
Since then, humanity is born as spirit and it is Ikú who takes each person when she needs him. Whoever carries this sign must feed Orún from time to time with 3 doves, together with Egun. Seeing her son this way, death lived first with Orún, and to him she gave 3 black doves.
Shame over a child is not solved by hiding him. Whoever turns to the greater powers discovers that what was only bone can receive body and life. The spirit goes with a person from birth and returns when death claims it.
Black cloth, 2 hen’s eggs, sugarcane root, corn silk, platanillo de Cuba, a black rooster, ayakuá, palm oil (manteca de corojo), every kind of meat, ewé toborquikan, gungun erán malú, jobo, every kind of wood, many creatures of the earth and a lot of money.
The rooster is given to Ikú; its eggs go into the ebbó.
Orún must be fed with 3 doves, together with Egun, from time to time.
Abanibiku Seku Eran Omo Yenio Obagua Yekun Osain Omo Ni Joro Joro Obayebi Oduduwa Omo Eran Shishe Awa Ni Orunmila Iku Ñañariku Iku Baba Yere Omo Iku Obaribo Osain Omo Iku Joro Joro Obana Ishe Shishe Eran Gungun Omo Iku Ibashe Osain Ibashe Oduduwa.
Ñañariku Iku Loñare Oduduwa Agua Loyare Omo Abanibikun Omo Iku Ñañariku Loro Omo Loyare.
Egun Niyore Niyore Guan Gua Egun Iku Maguao Lode Ni Olona Umbo Agua Llore Iku
Afefe Lokun Egun Kuilodo Afefe Lekun Egun Omo Yare Egun Kuilodo
Eran Nile Iku Eran Gbogbo Eran Nile Iku Egun Obani Lokun Gbogbo Eran Egun Iku
Egun Dide Egun Oni Gualode Lona Yeye Iku Lorun Agua Iku Bagua Lode Lona Egun Iku Lorun Nare Oni Lokun