Ofún Fundá

There was a man living in poverty who went to Orunla's house. This Ifá came out for him; Orunla did ebbó for him and sent him to the river to bathe, warning him to take care not to lose something, because in that lay his luck or his misfortune.

He went to bathe and, so as not to lose it, he carried half a peso inside his mouth. One slip was enough: it fell out, and he went after it all the way to the mouth of the sea. Night caught him there and he asked Olokun for permission to sleep; Olokun gave it to him, telling him to sleep on the reefs.

The next morning Olokun wanted to know how he had spent the night, and the man answered that well. Olokun then showed him some gourd trees: the ones on the right did not speak, the ones on the left did; and he told him to take that road, because when he got to his house he would find it changed.

From one day to the next that man prospered. A neighbor began to ask him questions, and by insisting so much got the secret out of him, and claimed that he could do it too. Without first going by Orunla's house for a reading, he went into the river to bathe, let the half peso go and chased it. Once he got to the place, when night fell he asked Olokun for permission to sleep, and Olokun granted it.

In the morning Olokun asked him how he had slept, and he answered that badly: on the reefs there was no way to rest. Olokun then told him: "Do you see those gourd trees? Well, the ones on the right do not speak, but the ones on the left do. You take three from the right and throw one right away, another halfway down the road and the other when you reach your house".

He obeyed, but he was not satisfied; when he took those gourds and threw the first one, everything went dark, and with the second one out came snakes and other fierce animals that finished him off, for being greedy.

Work: a 50 cent piece is put to Elegbará. The person must not look at himself in the water, since there he sees death, nor sleep naked, since an Egun lives with him.

This road speaks of two inseparable friends, in laughter as much as in tears: together at the parties and together in the bitter drinks that come to a man in life.

Barakoyí was practical and somewhat strict in his dealings, and he never got into what was not his business. Envy and pride disgusted him equally; modesty defined him. Eyiguei, on the other hand, was his opposite in everything: bad-tempered, quarrelsome, selfish, never satisfied and without a scrap of modesty.

One day they were talking about how badly things were going for them and, as fate would have it, each one had ten cents in his pocket, not a peso more. Barakoyí then told his friend that he would go to Orunmila's house to have a look taken at him, in case his luck changed. The answer was: "Well, you go spend your money on those things, and with mine I am going to buy something to eat".

Once at Orunmila's house, Orunmila looked at him and this Ifá came out: he had to do rogación and then leave the town, walking with no fixed direction, because his happiness was wherever he arrived. Orunmila did the ebbó for him and, since he knew about his poverty, gave him back the five cents he had charged with these words: "Take this, so you have something for the trip". When Barakoyí set off, Orunmila saw him off with this blessing: Omá Iré Ki Olodumare Agueó Ki Bogué Ochá Agueó.

He walked all day and much of the night, until he came upon a very fine spot, surrounded by water on both sides: on one side ran a river and on the other was the sea. He was thirsty and tired, so he used his hat to drink; as he leaned over, the coin Orunmila had given him fell off him.

When the water was done, he gave thanks to Olofin and to the Oshas for having taken him to such a divine place, where he could drink and rest. He fell asleep right there, on the reefs, and in his sleep he felt that they pulled him by the feet and threw him into the sea, among endless bothers that would not leave him in peace.

He woke at first light, happy with the rest, and just then he saw an old woman coming, ugly, in rags and with her hair a mess, who stopped at his side and asked him: "Son, did you sleep well and did nobody bother you in this lonely place?". He answered no. The old woman went on: "Well, son, I am going to help you. Do you see that gourd tree by the road? You take three gourds from the right: the biggest one you throw when you leave here, the second one when you are going into the town you find, and the last one, the smallest, you throw in the place where you spend the night".

He followed the instructions, and the last gourd he threw held a great fortune inside; he picked it up full of amazement and admiration. In a short time he became one of the men of greatest name and wealth in that town.

Some time later he went back on a visit to his old town to greet Orunmila and Eyiguei. First he visited Orunmila and left him valuable gifts; then he went for his friend, hugged him, also gave him several gifts and they ate together. Eyiguei confessed to him that he was the same, or worse. Barakoyí told him his ordeal and explained that his prosperity came from the work Orunmila had done for him; he offered him money, and the other refused it out of pride and envy.

Wanting to copy him, he borrowed ten cents and showed up at Orunmila's house expecting an ebbó to be done for him for five cents. Orunmila made it clear to him that with that amount no ebbó was possible, that the price was four pesos and twenty cents, and he answered: "If I had $4.20 I would not have taken the trouble to come all the way here". He left without saying goodbye and at once took the road his friend had shown him.

When he got to the spot between the sea and the river he found the old woman and the gourd trees, and with that he confirmed that his friend had not lied to him. He bent down to drink water, the five cent coin fell out and he let out curses. Then he lay down to sleep saying: "Let's see when the old witch gets here". He fell asleep, but the strange things in that place would not let him rest.

With the first light he saw the old woman coming. She greeted him when she arrived and he answered under his breath; the old woman noticed it at once, though she made no comment and only asked: "My son, what brings you here?". He blurted out: "And what business is that of yours?". She insisted: "Son, I want to help you". And he finished: "Then help me and do not give me so much talk".

The old woman then told him: "Do you see that gourd tree? When you leave here, take the ones on the right: the biggest one you throw when you go, without looking back; the middle one you throw in the town you will find shortly, and the smallest one you throw in the place where you spend the night".

On his way out, Eyiguei went for the gourds and noticed that the ones on the left were bigger; he said: "This woman thinks I am a fool", and he took those because they were the biggest. Then he reversed the order completely: he left the smallest one right there, he left the middle one at the entrance to the town and, when he got to the place where he was going to spend the night, he threw the biggest one; out of it came a snake that went for his neck and strangled him.

Note: in this Odù the dead also speak. Ibeyis and Olokun are received; food is given to the sea and to the river; to the Ibeyis, food and a party; and Ozain is received to secure luck in this life. Maferefún Ibeyis, Maferefún Olokun.

Prayer: Aboké Koró Kukuté Kukú, Adifafún Oggún, Adifafún Orishaoko, Laró Lebó Ifaradá.

Ebbó: one akukó, etú meyi and eyelé meyi, plowed earth, ashó ará and ashó timbelara, with ekú, eyá, awadó, otí and opolopo owó.

There was a time when Orishaoko was fed up with so much work, because the harder he tried, the fewer results he saw. He asked Olofin for help without Olofin giving it to him.

Already sick of that life, and seeing that nothing worked out for him, he left the plowing and decided to leave the place where he lived. But one day, going out for a walk, he came to the house of his compadre Oggún and told him the troubles he was carrying: his plow was made of wood and the ground was hard and dry from lack of rain, so he could not open the furrow to the depth needed.

Oggún begged Olofin to send rain, and promised Orishaoko to make him an iron plow. With that plow in his hands, Orishaoko could work as he liked and got his joy back.

Orishaoko needed Oggún's help to reach what he wanted.