Ofún Yemiló

Ofún Yeku had a son named Obarí Bashé and sent him down to Earth, where his mother was. She lived in great poverty, and Ofún wanted to get ahead: he was very restless and kept looking to join with someone who would help him in life, but every time he joined with someone it went badly for him. Every time he came home he felt weighed down, and his mother, seeing him, grew sad.

She would sit down at midday and fall asleep, and in her dreams she began to sing: «Ofun Mowa Defun, Oyekun Mowa Defun». She felt something touch her and say: «I am Oyeku and my name is Obá Kolabá. Tell your son to go to the riverbank at dusk and to bring me a candle and plenty of ekó».

She woke up frightened, called her son, passed her hand over his head and told him the dream and what he had to do; and he paid no attention. Seeing that he had done nothing, the next day she went out and did the work herself, the one that was her son's to do. Obá Kolabá appeared to her and said: «Well then, I am going to join with your son Ofún, so that he will be called Obarí Bashé Ofún Yeku and will have luck and everything else, without knowing how to do anything». The mother, Mori Yeyé, gave moforibale to Oyeku Obá Kolabá, and they began to sing: «Omo Digdeo Obba Igbaye Ala Kolaba».

Ofún, who heard that song, came running out, gave moforibale to his mother and joined with Oyeku Obá Kolabá, telling him: «I will never leave your side again».

Note: Obá Kolabá is the guardian of Shangó in the court of the Alafín of Oyó, the Ilarí of Shangó, keeper of the secrets. In this world, without Obá Kolabá the King cannot be raised onto the throne of Alafín.

This is the road where Ofún Yeku was named Awó Obidade, and he lived in great worry over the problem of his weak nature, since he had several women and went too far with that.

Ofún Yeku fell in love with Obá. She loved him back, and they were in love: Obá spoke beautifully to him and sang to him. Ozain, who was listening to Awó Obidade, came with an akukó and let it loose in his house so the rooster would crow. Awó Ofún Yeku Obidade, who was asleep, woke up annoyed and let the rooster loose on an empty lot beside his house.

Ozain was displeased by this. He went off to the woods and began to work bad and to sing: «Morile Akara Ina Olueko Adasile». And seven days later, Awó Obidade lost his strength while he was with Obá. She got angry and began to throw curses. Awó Obidade, seeing how things stood, went out walking to cool off his head, which was weighed down.

Ozain came across him looking very beaten down and took pity on him, and told him: «I am going to help you get your strength back. Give me an akukó. But this is a secret, and to be able to give it to you I have to make you my son (swear you in). What I take off you of the bad will fall on one of your brothers, because they do not believe much in me».

Ozain cleaned Awó Obidade with ewé; the rooster was given to Ozain himself to eat, and he told him: «Take this omiero, so you will have the same strength I have. And if your brothers do not come to where I am, I am not answerable for them».

Ebbó: a red rooster, a frizzled chick, ewé tomodé, a hen's egg, cinnamon, smoked fish and jutía, epó, toasted corn, a fish head, otí, oñí, a turtle (for Ozain) and opolopo owó. The tea for impotence: the eggs and the blood of the red rooster, turtle blood, sassafras, sage, mango leaves, conch, cinnamon, ekú, eyá, awadó and a hen's egg.

Prayer: Erita Merin Imale Adifafun Yemilo Otoya Ashere Iku… Ori Efun Akambi Obanile.

Ebbó: abó, akukó, etú, nine plates with nine adimuses for Egun, every kind of food.

In the land of Kumakú there lived an Awó named Ofún Yemiló, on the bank of the river, learned in the deep secrets of Egungun. He was sought out to prepare the funeral honors every time a great person of that land died, whether iworo, Babalawo or prince of a tribe. His fame grew through all the yoruba land, so much so that one day, when Akambí died — the son of Odduduwa who was Obá in that land — they came looking for him for the great ceremony. Before going, he did his Osode and saw his sign: he did paraldo and took a turtle, giving it to Ozain and inviting him to come along to the funeral rite.

When they got to Akambí's palace, everything was covered in black cloth, and there was a great table with nine seats and nine plates. At one end sat a figure dressed in black with a great crown, named Ikú Alashona; at the other end, another figure in shining clothes, with a great Oloyó diadem on his head: it was Olofin.

When he saw them come in, the doorkeeper — a dark figure named Ashikuelú — rang a great bell and, striking the floor with his staff, sang: «Ofun Yemilo Eni Oluo Ozain Omofije Ate Alufa Eggun Koshe Iku Koshe Olofin». At this, Olofin and Ikú rose from the table as a sign of respect, and after greeting each other they all sat down, and the great ceremonies for Akambí Egungun began.

When everyone had finished eating, each one took a corner of the asholá (the tablecloth) of the table and they went with all the plates to the joro joro, singing: «Asheye Egun Oba Ade Mi Basheye». When they got there, they threw everything inside and sang: «Peremi Ewa Dide Lawemi Oba Dide Iku Unlo», throwing efún over the joro joro and closing it. Then Olofin left, together with Ikú Alashona, and Ofún Yemiló and Ozain made ready the carriage with Akambí's body and took it to the foot of the ceiba (Aragba) beside the river, with 16 eyelé, and sent him on to Odé, so that there could be a new Obá in the land of Kumakú.