Ofun Yeku

Also called Ofún Yemiló, Ofún Yen

nº 243 of 256 · Edited by Ricco Ledesma

The farewell of the Obá and the clearing of the plates: Ikú comes for one and takes another. The remedy is in Osain, the ruin is in excesses.

16 patakíes 4 eewó 6 ebbós and works 17 proverbs

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Ofun Yeku is Odù number 243 of the 256 in Ifá, part of the Ofun family. It is also written as Ofún Yemiló or Ofún Yen. This page brings together its prayer in Yoruba, 16 patakíes (3 in full in plain sight, with their teaching, ebbó and chants), its proverbs, 6 ebbós and works and the signs it shows in the consultation — with the full eewó in plain sight; the rest of the iré and osogbo and the full recipes open with The Notebook, in English.

The sign at a glance

Order in Ifá: Odù 243 of 256
Composition: Ofun over Oyekun
In the Diloggún: 10-2 · Ofún tonti Eyioko
Orishas that speak: Shangó · Ozain · Obatalá y Eshu · Orunmila · Egun (Iyá Tobí) · Obá

What Ifá says in this sign

Ofun Yeku, also known as Ofún Yemiló, is the sign of the king's farewell. Here were born the ceremonies performed for the Obá who dies, the lifting of the plates and the journey to the river of the orishas' stones when their owner passes away. Here too Ikú goes out to fetch one person and takes another, and that is why death walks behind you. Its ruling is one of shelter: your mother's blessing, living or departed, opens your luck, and Obá Kolabá, Shangó's guardian, joins you so that you lack nothing.

Listen to your mother: you have made her suffer, and the message she gives you is the path to your prosperity. Always help your brothers and sisters, even if they do not like to work, because the family is going through hardship and they more than anyone; that help brings you your mother's blessing. Without Obá Kolabá no king holds the throne of Alafín, and whoever has this odu must have him and attend to him.

«Ikú comes for one person and takes another; the Awó of Ofún Yemiló performs the ebbó for himself first so as not to change heads.»The pulse of Ofun Yeku

The central warning is about excess. Unbridled intimate life keeps draining your strength until it leaves you weak and impotent, and a woman who drags you into those excesses destroys you little by little. Stop in time. Osain, who in this sign took away the strength of the awó who scorned him, gave it back when he made him his son: receiving him solves your biggest problem. Also have your head checked, because an orisha that was not yours may have been crowned on you, and Shangó and Elegbara are disputing it.

Your head runs hot: dress in white and do not rush to the place you are thinking of, because your enemies are waiting for you there. Do not lie, because whoever lies often loses everyone's trust and then nobody believes him when he asks for help. Distrust anyone who comes with flattery and strangers who promise easy fixes, which may cost you everything. At work, sales go well with the ebbó, and your knowledge of the secrets of Egun brings you fame and respect.

In love, your partner does not give you the support you expect, and that closes off your luck. The woman who suffers from an illness nobody can cure finds health when she accepts Orunmila. In health, take care of your legs and feet, and know that people who limp are often your enemies; you have an ailment that only Orunmila can remove. Have true faith and carry out the work you are given. If death knocks at your door, Orunmila makes it withdraw when an offering is made to him in time.

The sign in one line

Hold back excesses with Osain, listen to your mother's message and receive Obá Kolabá, for the throne of Ofún Yemiló is built with the maternal blessing.

The prayer of Ofun Yeku · Yoruba

Ofun Yemilo Kunuku Abanikunlo Inle Olofin Akalambo Abigui Olorun Ninshawo Inle Olofin Tente Tera Abi Apolo Maferefun Obatala Ati Eshu.

Súyere
Ofun Yekun Iya Madideo, Olorun Iya Madideo.

Ifá says — what Ofun Yeku tells you

The Awó must perform the ebbó for the woman, then immediately perform his own, and afterwards join with her, to resolve her intimate problem.
You live worried about your weak nature and your sexual excess: you are too sensual and must stop.
The physical destruction of Ofún Yemiló lies in the intimate excesses that this Ifá forbids: you must not practice them, because they will be your ruin.
The obiní of this Ifá has the obó iná (ardent nature) and likes to make men fall in love with her.
The owner of this Ifá had a Santo seated that was swapped.
You suffer from impotence from excessive sexual activity; your spouse does not support you as you expect, and for that reason you lack luck and prosperity.
You have blood brothers who do not like to work, but you must always help them financially.
You may injure your legs or feet; generally, your enemies are people who limp.
You tend to lack faith in the Santo: you go to the Awó's house out of curiosity, enthusiasm or to solve a problem, but afterwards you find it hard to carry out the work.
Your family is going through hardship, and your brothers even more so: help them.
You left a prenda abandoned and must pick it up; you are thinking of going to a place where your enemies are waiting for you.
Your head is very hot: dress in white.
Obá Kolabá speaks, the guardian of Shangó: the cedar doll carved over a calabash from the same block of wood, with the two hens in one hand and the sling in the other.
The table of the nine chairs and the nine plates speaks: Ikú Alashona at one head and Olofin resplendent at the other, with Ashikuelú as doorman.
The filings of Osain speak, which did not fit in the mother's hands and fell into the mud: the prosperity that comes all at once.
It speaks of the coconut of the warriors: whoever receives the warriors also receives a dry obi, which is washed and fed together with them and must always be kept beside them.
The eweses of the Odù are: peanut, pata de gallina, sassafras, sage and mango macho.

Proverbs of Ofun Yeku · Òwe

“As much good as you do, that is how much reward you will get.”
“Do not harm anyone else, because you harm yourself.”
“Take care of yourself before you take care of others.”
“God first, the Santos after.”
“The innocent pay for the guilty.”
“Never try to do what is forbidden to you, because you lose yourself.”
“Harm is a thrown rock that has to fall on the one who threw it.”
“The proud one will be brought low and the humble one honored.”
“Whoever leaves his own crops to tend someone else's will go hungry.”
“The orishas are soldiers of Olodumare.”
“Honey will never be bitter.”
“Whoever is hungry, come and eat; whoever is thirsty, come and drink.”
“Death comes in the dark.”
“Whoever is not clean cannot clean anyone else.”
“Whoever is born dies, whoever dies is born again.”
“Cascarilla also knows how to push death aside.”
“One swallow does not make a summer.”

14 proverb interpretations in this Odù, locked.Every proverb explained: which road it comes from and how it applies.Unlock →

Iré and Osogbo

Three iré and three osogbo of this sign, open to everyone.

Iré · what the sign brings

If they listen to the message of their mother, living or deceased, they receive her blessing and with it luck and prosperity.
Osain adopts them as his child and gives back their strength; receiving him solves their greatest problem.
Obá Kolabá joins them and gives them luck and abundance even if they do not know how to do anything.

Osogbo · what the sign warns

Death follows the person, and when it comes for them it may take someone else instead.
They are worried about their physical weakness and the sexual excess in which they live.
Excesses in intimate life take away their strength and leave them impotent.

28 more iré and osogbo readings in this Odù, locked.The rest of the iré and osogbo of the sign, sorted by subject — health, money, love, death, loss…Unlock →

What is born in Ofun Yeku · Ìbí

The farewell to the Obá and the ceremonies due to him.
From the road in which Ikú, Osain, Olofin and Ofún Yemiló shared the table at the funeral honors of Akambí, son of Oduduwa.
The lifting of the plates, and the reason why, when the owner dies, the otá of the Oshas and of the Orishas are taken to the river.
When the funeral meal was over, each one took a corner of the tablecloth and everything went into the joro joro, sealed with efún.
That Ikú comes for one and takes another.
That is why the Awó makes ebbó before he makes it for the aleyo: so he does not trade heads.
Helping your brothers.
Osain brought prosperity to Ofún Yeku by means of the iron filings, and his brothers clung to him: he must always help them in order to receive his mother's blessing.
That without Obá Kolabá there is no King in the world who can sit on the throne of Alafín.
Oyeku Obá Kolabá joined with Obarí Bashé, the son of Ofún Yeku, and gave him luck and everything else.

What is forbidden · Eewó

The full eewó of this Odù, open to everyone — with the road each ban came out of.

It forbids the excesses and the extreme intimate practices that this treatise points out.
They will be your ruin: that is how Obá destroyed Agbadire, and that is how your nature is lost.
It is forbidden to make clothing out of burlap sacks to wear.
Rule of this Ifá.
Never try to do what is forbidden to you.
Because you lose yourself: sentence of Orula to Agbadire when he gave him back his health.
Do not harm anyone.
Because it hurts you: the just pay for the sinners.

Ebbós of Ofun Yeku · The sacrifices that open the road

SpiritualEbbó of Obá Kolabá🔒 The Notebook HealthEbbó for impotence (Ozain)🔒 The Notebook Keeping death awayEbbó of the honors of the Obá🔒 The Notebook MoneyEbbó of the three adié (the mother and Ozain)🔒 The Notebook

4 ebbós in this Odù, locked.Each full recipe: ingredients, preparation and where it goes.Unlock →

Works of Ofun Yeku · The workings of the sign

SpiritualObá Kolabá: how he is built and consecrated🔒 The Notebook SpiritualEshu Jákima🔒 The Notebook

2 works in this Odù, locked.Each full recipe: ingredients, preparation and where it goes.Unlock →

Patakíes of Ofun Yeku · The roads of the Odù

1Obá Kolabá Accompanies the Son Who Did Not Listen

Ofún Yeku fathered a son, Obarí Bashé, and sent him down to Earth to live with his mother. She lived in misery. The young man, also called Ofún, longed to escape that situation and had no peace; he partnered with one person and another hoping to be lifted up, but none of those partnerships prospered. He came home dejected, and his mother suffered to see him.

At midday she used to sit down and end up asleep. In one of those dreams she began to sing a chant, and noticed that something brushed against her. A voice introduced itself: it was Oyeku, by the name of Obá Kolabá, and it charged her to tell her son that, when it got dark, he should go to the river with a candle and plenty of ekó for him.

The woman woke up startled, sent for the young man, stroked his head and told him the dream and the request. The young man ignored her. Since nothing was done, the next day the mother herself performed the offering that belonged to her son. Obá Kolabá appeared to her and announced that he would unite with Ofún; thus the young man would be called Obarí Bashé Ofún Yeku and would have luck and abundance even without knowing how to do anything. Mori Yeyé, the mother, performed moforibale before Oyeku Obá Kolabá, and from that moment a song of praise arose.

When Ofún learned of it, he ran there, performed moforibale to his mother and bound himself to Oyeku Obá Kolabá, promising that he would never move away from him.

Note: in the palace of the Alafín of Oyó, Obá Kolabá is the guardian of Shangó, with the title of Ilarí of Shangó, and the secrets belong to him. No King on Earth takes the throne of the Alafín unless Obá Kolabá is present.

What it teaches

When a son does not heed his mother's warning, she does what was his to do. Recognizing that help and committing to it forever opens the way to good luck.

What Obá Kolabá asked for

At dusk, by the river, a candle and plenty of ekó are offered to Obá Kolabá.

The prayer that opens the path of Obarí Bashé

OFUN YEKU BAGDEREFA ONI BABALAWO LERI OBAYE LAYO LORIDEO IKU BELERIFA OFUN YEKU OBARI BASHE OMO NI SHANGO OMO NI ADELE ALELE EYE NIBARI OWO AWO LORDEO MORI YEYE AFEWE OMO NI YEYE OMO NI OBA KOLABA ASHEBO ASHETO AGNE LOWO AIKU BABAWA ASHETAN ASHIRNE MINE AGBA LERI NI ALA KOLABA.

What Obarí Bashé's mother sang in her dream

Ofun Mowa Defun, Oyekun Mowa Defun

The song of praise to Obá Kolabá when the mother bowed to him

Omo Digdeo Obba Igbaye Ala Kolaba. Omo Digdeo Obba Igbaye

The suyere sung to Obá Kolabá when he is consecrated at the foot of the ceiba

LAYE MARI OBA KOLABA ATO OBAYE OROYE ALAFIN

This path keeps 3 awó secrets in the complete treatise.🔒 The Notebook

2Osain takes away the awó's strength and gives it back

In this path, Ofún Yeku answered to the name of Awó Obidade. His weak point was excess with women: he had several and took advantage of it without measure.

Obá and he fell in love; at his side, she spoke tender words to him and sang songs. Osain, who had been watching him for some time, came into that house one day with a rooster and let it roam free so that it would crow. The commotion woke the awó, who was asleep; annoyed, he removed the bird and let it go on the neighboring plot of land.

Osain took it as an offense. He withdrew to the bush, prepared a harmful work there against the awó and sang while he did it. A week later, while he was with Obá, Awó Obidade was left with no strength at all. She, annoyed, began to hurl curses at him. Downcast by what was happening to him, he went out for a walk to refresh his mind, which was very heavy.

Osain found him on the road, very low, and felt sorry for him. He proposed: “I can help you recover your strength if you give me a rooster. It is a secret, and to hand it to you I must first make you my son by means of an oath. The bad that I take off you will fall on one of your brothers, since they trust me little.”

Osain cleansed him with herbs and took the rooster as his own food. Then he gave him the remedy with this warning: “Drink this omiero and you will have a strength like mine. If your brothers do not come to where I am, I am not responsible for what happens to them.” In this way Awó Obidade recovered what he had lost.

What it teaches

Abusing pleasure and one's own vigor ends up taking it away, and humility before the one who holds the power opens the way to recover it. But the bad that is removed from a person does not vanish: it can fall on those who do not believe and do not come near.

Ebbó of this path

Opolopo owó, a speckled chick, a red rooster, otí, oñí, epó, cinnamon, ewé tomodé, a hen's egg, toasted corn, smoked fish with its head, smoked jutía and a jicotea. The jicotea is given to Osain.

Tisane of this Ifá

This path also carries a tisane for impotence; its recipe is in the full treatise.

Prayer with which this path opens

OFUN YEKU OBIDADE AWO MOWILODE MOBAYIBIRE AKUKO, MELATAWA OBI OKO MOBADI EWE MOBASUN, OMO TINSHE MOLERI OBE APELEBEKE OZAIN, MOYARUN FUN, OFUN YEKU KAYILODA OFO KOLEI, OMO LERIASIERE AKUKO ADASILE, KAYILODU, KARIKOSHE OBAISHE OZAIN EWE TOMODE OBANI AGBALODE MAFUN ONI BOYIRE UNYEN AKUKO, EWE OZAIN ONI OBIDADE AWO OKODORA.

Súyere of Obá to Awó Obidade

OBANILE KO, OBA OKO MAODA AWO OBIDADE LONA, OKOSI MADEDEWA OKUNI LAGBAO ADASILE.

What Osain sang in the bush while working against the awó

MORILE AKARA INA OLUEKO ADASILE.

This path keeps 1 awó secret in the complete treatise.🔒 The Notebook

3The Table of Nine Plates at the Funeral of Akambí

Ofún Yemiló was an awó who had his house beside a river, in the land of Kumakú. Few matched his command of the deepest secrets of Egungun. When a person of rank died in that region, such as an iworo, a babalawo or a chief's son, he was the one they called to arrange the funeral.

Over the years his name was heard throughout the Yoruba country. So when Akambí died, son of Oduduwa and Obá of the region, they sent for him to preside over the great ceremony.

Before leaving, Ofún Yemiló consulted his sign with the Osode. He also made a paraldo with a turtle, which he gave to Osain, and invited him to go with him to the funeral.

When they arrived, the palace was hung with black cloth. In the hall stood an enormous table with nine chairs and nine plates. At one end presided Ikú Alashona, dressed in black and wearing a large crown. At the other end was Olofin, in shining robes and a diadem of Oloyó.

Ashikuelú, the doorkeeper, a man of gloomy look, rang an enormous bell when he saw them enter, struck the floor with his staff and sang to announce them. Olofin and Ikú stood up as a sign of respect. After the greetings, everyone sat down and the great rite in memory of Akambí Egungun began.

When the meal was over, each guest took hold of one edge of the asholá, the tablecloth, and the company carried the plates to the joro joro with a song. There they emptied everything, sang again, scattered efún over what had been deposited and covered it. Olofin left together with Ikú Alashona. Then Ofún Yemiló and Osain lifted Akambí's body onto the carriage and brought it to the ceiba tree that grows beside the river, carrying 16 eyelé. In that place they sent him off to Odé, and so Kumakú could have a new Obá.

What it teaches

Whoever masters the secrets of Egungun earns the respect even of Ikú and Olofin. Taking leave of a chief requires every step of the rite to be fulfilled, and only then is the town ready to receive his successor.

Ebbó of the path

An abó, an akukó and an etú; nine plates with nine adimuses for Egun, and also every kind of food.

Paraldo before the journey

A turtle for Osain.

The prayer that opens the path

ERITA MERIN IMALE ADIFAFUN YEMILO OTOYA ASHERE IKU EYIÑA MINSHE ORUNMILA OMA OMA ORUNMILA LEYO ODEBAN KUMAKU AYAULE OZAIN ENI BABIO EGUNGUN ABIRIWA INSHE AGUGU ILE EFUN AKALAMABO OBI GONGO OLORUN NINSHAGUE ILE OLOFIN TENTELE ALAURO SIPE ADIFAFUN OBINI AWO INSHE ABO LEBO ORI EFUN AKAMBI OBANILE.

What the doorkeeper Ashikuelú sang when he saw them enter

OFUN YEMILO ENI OLUO OZAIN OMOFIJE ATE ALUFA EGGUN KOSHE IKU KOSHE OLOFIN

What the company sang as they carried the plates to the joro joro

ASHEYE EGUN OBA ADE MI BASHEYE

What they sang when they threw everything into the joro joro

PEREMI EWA DIDE LAWEMI OBA DIDE IKU UNLO

4Osain fills the hands of Ofún Yeku's mother with filings🔒 The Notebook 5Orunmila cures the woman who finally agrees to be his wife🔒 The Notebook 6The secret of Obá that destroyed Agbadire🔒 The Notebook 7The coconut seller who did not want to do ebbó🔒 The Notebook 8Orunmila bids farewell to Ikú with a black hen🔒 The Notebook 9Ofún Yemiló became Obá🔒 The Notebook 10The lying shepherd🔒 The Notebook 11The war over the water🔒 The Notebook 12The flatterer and the turkey on the fishhook🔒 The Notebook 13The stone elephant🔒 The Notebook 14The cheated merchant🔒 The Notebook 15The curse of the vulture🔒 The Notebook 16The lost diamond🔒 The Notebook

13 more patakíes in this Odù, locked.Read every road in full with The Notebook.Unlock →

The full treatise is in English. With The Notebook, the whole sign opens on this page in English: the full text of every patakí, the recipes for the ebbós and works, and the iré and osogbo readings. · This page is also available in Spanish: See Ofun Yeku in Spanish →

Frequently asked questions about Ofun Yeku

What does the Odù Ofun Yeku mean in Ifá?

The farewell of the Obá and the clearing of the plates: Ikú comes for one and takes another. The remedy is in Osain, the ruin is in excesses.

What number is Ofun Yeku among the 256 Odù of Ifá?

Ofun Yeku is Odù number 243 of the 256 in Ifá, part of the Ofun family.

Which orishas speak in Ofun Yeku?

In the Odù Ofun Yeku these orishas speak: Shangó, Ozain, Obatalá y Eshu, Orunmila, Egun (Iyá Tobí), Obá.

What is a proverb of the Odù Ofun Yeku?

One of the proverbs of Ofun Yeku says: «As much good as you do, that is how much reward you will get.».

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