1The four deadly enemies of Orunmila
The Sun, the Moon, Water and Fire were plotting to kill Orunmila. Because of his sacrifice, they stopped at the crossroads to eat the ebbó; Water, who got no soup, flew into a rage and wiped out the other three with rain.
Orunmila had four deadly enemies: Fire, the Sun, the Moon and Water, who were plotting to kill him. Through divination, he made sacrifice with soup in three pots and a fourth one empty, and four plates of yam, and he left it at the last crossroads before his house.
The next day, the four of them set out to fight him, but they saw the sacrifice and stopped to eat. Fire, the Sun and the Moon each took a plate with their soup; for Water, the youngest, there was only yam left, with no soup. He asked the others to share, and they all refused.
Enraged, Water accused the three of looking down on him for being the youngest, and with his stake — which was raindrops — he put out Fire and wiped out the Sun and the Moon. So Orunmila's enemies destroyed each other, and he was left in peace. This person has four enemies looking for them to kill them; they must sacrifice to get them off their back.
2Epikpayemi and her four suitors
The Sun, the Moon, Fire and Rain were courting Epikpayemi. Because of her sacrifice, she prepared food for the four of them; Rain got the empty pot and, furious, beat the other three and was left as her true husband.
The Sun, the Moon, Fire and Rain were all courting Epikpayemi without knowing about each other. She went to Orunmila to find out which was the right husband, and he told her to prepare three plates of yam and three pots of soup, leaving a fourth one empty, and warned her to be careful of flirting.
She left the food ready and went off to braid her hair. Fire, the Sun and the Moon arrived and each ate his share; Rain, the last one, found only the empty pot. When he complained, she told him she had prepared for all four and asked who had eaten his portion.
Furious, Rain gathered himself into clouds, drove the Sun and the Moon up into the sky, and Fire ran off to hide inside stone. With his rivals beaten, Epikpayemi ran to embrace Rain, her true husband. That is why the Sun and the Moon take shelter in the sky when rain threatens, and fire is struck out of stone.
3The faithful wife (Ekolo, the earthworm)
Epikpayemi, married to Rain, went on flirting in secret with the Sun. He punished her by setting the bush on fire; she chose death rather than betray her husband. Rain saved her, but she lost her limbs and was renamed Ekolo, «the Faithful».
Though married to Rain, Epikpayemi was still secretly in love with the unbeatable Sun. Seeing that he would not win her, he took his rod of fire and talked her into going with him to a patch of dry grass, where he gave her the choice between death and running away with him. She stood firm.
The Sun set the bush alight and vanished, leaving her burning. She called out to her husband Rain, swearing she had not betrayed him. Rain gathered himself into clouds and a storm put out the fire; but on her way home she stepped on a root that the fire had burned hollow, fell into the hole and lost her hands and legs.
She had to drag herself home on her belly. Her husband, recognizing her, embraced her and thanked her for her loyalty, and renamed her Ekolo, «the Faithful», which is the earthworm: out of loyalty it only comes to the surface when it rains, and buries itself away from fire and sun. A wife must be faithful, or she will die or be left deformed.
4The ram's betrayal of the monkey🔒 Babalawo
5Iwa, the woman of good conduct🔒 Babalawo
6The test of the Ota-kugbin stone🔒 Babalawo
7The war of the women won with peace🔒 Babalawo
8The plot of Ogbologbo🔒 Babalawo
9Ogbe Sa beats Ogongo Hiyo🔒 Babalawo
10Ezomo and the dog that saved his life🔒 Babalawo
11The two brothers: Oliha and Oruoni🔒 Babalawo
12Alaakpa and the explorers of the sea🔒 Babalawo
13The soapberry (the birds that talked)🔒 Babalawo
14The ram's trap (and Oshosi appeared)🔒 Babalawo
15The man who raced the horse🔒 Babalawo
16Doing things completely (the hunter and the deer)🔒 Babalawo
17The three friends who deal falsely with each other🔒 Babalawo
18The wake of the wild beasts🔒 Babalawo
19The atemoletas (the two balls of mud)🔒 Babalawo
20The shadow of the dark Eggun (the drinking habit)🔒 Babalawo
21Awo Nanio and the giant crabs (the Atemoleta is born)🔒 Babalawo
22The throne of Ikú (Awo Abana)🔒 Babalawo
23The three Eggun kings (Adebi and the three doors)🔒 Babalawo
24The house of Ikú was born (Ilé Eggun)🔒 Babalawo
25Omo Alara (Shangó makes Ogbe Sa equal to Eyiogbe)🔒 Babalawo
26Ozain ate monkey🔒 Babalawo
27Olofin's three hens🔒 Babalawo
28The trader (the fruit of the market)🔒 Babalawo
29Mafishe, the hunter who made ebbó🔒 Babalawo
30The king's envy (Yemayá's little horse)🔒 Babalawo
31The crow (the trusted thief)🔒 Babalawo
32The road to hell (the two false brothers)🔒 Babalawo
33The genip tree and the gourd🔒 Babalawo