Odi Ka

In the land of Dahomey there ruled a king named Agaya, who was at the same time an Egun. When someone died, Bokoso Omologu was called, a palero who served as interpreter of the dead. His prenda allowed him to communicate with the Egun of those who died and with the Egun who protect those who are born.

Agaya was uneasy. In the house of Bokoso Omologu lived Baba Sibe, a very clever monkey who went about with Oluo Popo and told him that Ifá existed in other places. The king sent for Baba Sibe and instructed him to bring the man able to divine everything.

Baba Sibe set out on the journey and returned with a diviner, Awó Mokobi. He consulted the oracle for the king, this odu came out, and he marked an ebbó with one rooster and two hens. Agaya did it at once, and as a result osobo disappeared completely from that place and prosperity arrived.

Some time later Mokobi told the king and Bokoso Omologu that children older than three months had to be presented before Ifá. There their Guardian Angel would be brought out and they would receive an odu announcing their future, so that they would grow up on a good path. In that land people spoke only with the spirits, while before Ifá they would learn what is coming. Mokobi explained that there are 16 Odu Meyi, each with 15 children who travel the world and know everything, since they have 101 paths. Each one that comes out speaks with its own voice. That is why Ifá knows the stories of the world, of heaven and of earth.

Those present were amazed. Mokobi added that Osi lives beside Ifá and opens the doors of heaven for him so that he always tells the truth. He added that everything good and bad that happens on earth has a double in heaven that explains it. Thanks to this, Ifá can warn people about what happens to them on earth, because from the heights he sees the situation of each person.

When Mokobi finished, Bokoso Omologu, the palero and interpreter of the Egun, asked him to consecrate him, since he had understood that nothing in the world was greater or wider than Ifá. That is how the first palero was consecrated in the secrets of Ifá, and from then on nobody in that land did anything without consulting Ifá.

Adán, the bat, was born to Abita and Tente Orun. He did not agree with the way the land of Obaye Beye was governed. He stayed hidden in the house, attentive to everything. At night he called on Orun with a song and, when Afefe, the wind, blew, he went off with it behind his parents' backs, to witness the wars (iñas) taking place in the world. Before dawn he came back and hid again.

His parents were angry with him, convinced that he never went out. Once he begged them to let him go out by day and they gave him permission, but when he went out he hit something and was hurt. He came home and told them he would never go out again.

That same day Oduduwa and Eshu came to visit and asked about the son of the house. The parents pointed him out. Oduduwa announced that he and Eshu had to baptize Adán, with his mother, Tente Orun, as godmother. Abita, very pleased, answered that they could do it whenever they wished.

The visitors spent seven days in the house. Each time Abita went out, Tente Orun looked after them, and Oduduwa took the chance to insist that it was her place, as his mother, to give Adán a secret of hers that would protect him from stumbling upon enemies (arayé). She thought it over, and in the end she accepted.

One day, with Abita away from home, they took Adán after the prayer to Inle Laye, beside the beach (Onika). There they baptized him and consecrated him with sea water. At once Afefe arrived and Adán took flight. Abita saw him, was frightened and ran home. There Abita met with Oduduwa, Eshu and Tente Orun and described Adán's condition and his strength, equal to the wind's. Oduduwa and Eshu told him that one more secret was still missing, and that it was up to him to give it.

When Adán came back, Abita took blood from a fish in front of everyone and put it in his eyes. He told him that with this he would overcome all his arayé (enemies), would always live looking forward without bumping into anyone, and would have a gift that no one else could have; but he warned that he would never separate from Eshu or from Oduduwa, because they had also given him their secrets.

Then Oduduwa took two feathers of his own and placed them on Adán so that he could guide himself without stumbling. He told him that he would live respecting others, that he would go out at night without anyone seeing him or knowing his virtues, and that Eshu would be his guide. So Adán got ahead and Abita respected him; Tente Orun never left her son's side.

Obatalá Orishaye had sixteen small children on a hill, and a large rat was the one who fed them. The rat grew sick of that labor, went to Orunmila, made the ebbó indicated and freed himself from slavery. From that day, the children of Obatalá began to suffer hunger.

Orun seized the opportunity and offered Obatalá a pact: “If you do not go out at night, I will take charge of bringing you everything you need.” Obatalá agreed. Eshu, however, was following Orun's steps, attracted him with seven ears of corn and led him to Orunmila. Orunmila performed a cleansing of the head for him and ordered him to stay eight days without going out by day. Thanks to this, Orun, who was passing himself off as Obatalá wearing his suit, understood that he had been deceived.

Then Orun summoned Ikú and left with Afefe Ikú. In revenge they tried to bring down Obatalá's house; when they could not, they killed 15 of the children in the street. The only survivor was gravely ill.

Obatalá appeared again before Orunmila, who told him to place the cowrie and the trap on the beach to catch Orun. Orun tried to flee, but Eshu was waiting for him in the sea and seized him. Orunmila forced him to obey and with that the agreement of Orun with Orunmila became firm. By the virtue of Odi Ka, that pact makes it possible to take the oath for the children and also for the orishas.

The rat was the one who started all this in the world.