Iroso Ka

Olofin was troubled because there was nothing on earth but war; he had sent some of the saints to bring it under control and everything went on the same. One day Oshún came, saw him deep in thought and asked what was the matter. «Will you let me, my father, put an end to that war for you?», she said, and Olofin agreed to send her.

Oshún reached the earth, took off her clothes, and with a white flag walked in front of the soldiers. Seeing that beauty of a woman rise up in their midst calling for a truce, they broke off; and she, taking her chance, was with one of the two sides and afterward with the other. So the two sides were reconciled and the war was declared over. Out of breath, Oshún threw herself down on the grass at the riverbank. Orunmila, who had seen it all, was coming along the river with a she-goat and two hens; when she thought he had come to take advantage of her, he told her he came with good intentions, and as proof of his word he took off his ring and gave it to her. He gave her everything he was carrying, and they ate together. By this Ifá, the woman has been repaid badly and deceived: she is promised marriage and then left — which is why the engagement ring is worked.

There was a time when everything began to run short: women did not thrive, animals did not bear young, plants dried up, the rivers had no beds, and hunger was everywhere. The children of the earth went to Orunmila, and this Odù came out: «The only one who can put this right is Oshún, since Olofin is angry with his children and she is the one who can draw out his pardon». Oshún made her ebbó — the basket of cakes, the eggs, the white rooster, the honey, the arrow, the guinea fowl and the doves — set the basket on her head and took to the road.

Five leagues on she met Eshú, worn out from guarding the road: she gave him water, aguardiente and honey, and he let her by and gave her advice. Then, to the lady with white hair she gave two eggs and mended her clothes, and the lady gave her the ashé and word of Shangó. Oshosi, the hunter in torn clothes, she mended for while he ate guinea fowl and doves, and he made her a gift of the arrow of justice: «If the tiger comes at you, defend yourself with this». To Shangó she gave the rooster, the plantains and the honey, and he went with her as far as the boys who guarded Olofin's door. Oshún handed out the cakes, and when they ran out she took out her jar of honey and poured it into the boys' mouths singing «Oñí abe yeyeo». Olofin looked out of the window, drawn by the shouting and the singing, and seeing her he said: «To Iban Eshu. For as long as the world is the world, there will be plenty of water from the sky to water its foundations. You will be the mistress of binding and unbinding, the one who turns the sour sweet and the sweet sour; your laughter will be weeping and your weeping laughter — sweet and kind to everyone who loves you and your children».

In the land of Inkan Osun all the children died young: Omoye Ni Saraen, who held great power over Osanyin and Ikú, did not want the children to live, and his prenda Morala rotted the earth; the children fell ill in the blood and their flesh rotted. Every year he gave him a goat and called Ikú, who came and killed them all, and the stench of that land was beyond bearing. Oshún wanted to reach it and save it, but every time she fell ill with cramps, shivering and fever, and gave it up and stayed in the river.

Eshú went to Osun's house; they ate a rooster cooked with eweriyeye, licorice root, moruro, pepper and ginger at the foot of Osun's great secret, and a voice ordered two hens to be taken to Oshún at the river. Oshún came out gladly, and they all gathered with the Awoses Ñañaré Ifá and Bebenifa: «First we have to steal Omoye Ni Saraen's secret». Osun went with four small stones, four ikines, his agogó and a staff, and Oshún with him, with four figures. Hearing the singing, Death took fright; Omoye Ni Saraen tried to flee with his secret, but Oshún sang and the rain came down in sheets, and he had to let it go. Osun knocked him senseless with a blow of the agogó; Oshún shook Ikú with the hen, and Ikú knelt and swore to respect all the children of the earth unless she received orders from Olofin. The rain washed the rot away; Oshún cursed Omoye Ni Saraen and he was turned to stone and buried. Osun planted his moruro staff and his four figures: «These will be the four columns of the world: Eshú, Ogún, Shangó and Osanyin».