Oggunda Dio

nº 140 of 256

Lost hopes: what you get does not last long — and here Elegba, who opens the roads, could not find his own and went weeping to Orunmila.

22 patakíes 6 eewó 10 ebbós and works 15 proverbs

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Oggunda Dio is Odù number 140 of the 256 in Ifá, part of the Ogunda family. This page brings together its prayer in Yoruba, 22 patakíes (3 with the full text), its proverbs, 10 ebbós and works and the signs it shows in the consultation — with the full eewó in plain sight; the detail of iré and osogbo and the full recipes open with The Notebook, in English.

The sign at a glance

Order in Ifá
Odù 140 of 256
Composition
Ogunda over Odi
In the Diloggún
3-7 · Ogundá tonti Odí
Orishas that speak
Elegba · Obatalá · Ogún · Shangó y Ogué · Yemayá · Oshún (Yalorde)

What Ifá says in this sign

Oggunda Dio is the Ifá of lost hopes: what you get does not last long, because you lose it — here deceit, lies and the fear of the dark were born. But its great secret is a sentry with feathers: the rooster crowed «Oggunda Dio» and Orunmila caught the people he trusted completely — that is why every ebbó in this odu carries a rooster's head.

Raise your own: a chick until it becomes a rooster, so it uncovers the enemy inside the house. And put the light on when it gets dark — the wicked eguns torment whoever lives in the dark. The house of this odu has a ritual architecture: two ways in, white curtains with mariwó at the door, white sheets, and food at the door so happiness comes in.

«The rooster crowed and the betrayal was uncovered — that is why every ebbó of Oggunda Dio carries a rooster's head.»The pulse of Oggunda Dio

Its flight is an eagle's: the Awó of this sign lives high up and apart — he only comes down for his prey: that is how he reaches his greatest power. A house of your own is your written goal: the lottery is played and won — to build or to remodel; the money is close by, you asked Oshún for it at the riverbank and she granted it: when it comes, keep what you promised and do not look at anyone with indifference — or it will work for your ruin.

Love here calls for open eyes: this is an Odù of being deceived by a woman — choose carefully who you marry — and of unfaithfulness inside your own house: whoever does it should know it will come out. The man looks after his virility, and the three who arrive asking for hospitality: give it — they bring what you want.

The loose rules that save you: no chair with no seat, no doing the harm someone asks you to do (that person knows more than you and will make trouble for you), no selfishness — what you cannot eat, let someone else eat — and do not teach everything you know. You will lose something that will make you cry: do the work first. The hopes of Oggunda Dio stop getting lost the day the rooster crows in time

The sign in one line

Raise your rooster, live high up with the light on and keep what you promise — the house of your own that Oggunda Dio promises is on its way, lottery included.

The prayer of Oggunda Dio · Yoruba

Ogunda Dio Ogunda abatamba dadi adalara adifafun aiye nabí eyelé iba ere ewefá akukó elebó Ogunda Dio iba nire gundi kaferefun Obatalá ati Yemayá adifafun Elegba.

Súyere
Elegba Bara ni lala, Awó ira lele Ikú; Elegba Bara ni lala, Awó agboran egun Ikú.

Ifá says — what Oggunda Dio tells you

Proverbs of Oggunda Dio · Òwe

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

Iré and Osogbo

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

What is born in Oggunda Dio · Ìbí

What is forbidden · Eewó

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

Ebbós of Oggunda Dio · The sacrifices that open the road

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

Works of Oggunda Dio · The workings of the sign

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

Patakíes of Oggunda Dio · The roads of the Odù

1When Elegba could not find the road

Unable to see his road, Elegba came crying before Orunmila. The reading gave Oggunda Dio, and with it this warning: "How is this possible, if you are the one who opens and closes the roads? This is because of customs you no longer do". Then the memory came: in another time he greeted Yemayá every day, brought her food and went into the sea. He did the ebbó with a rooster, went to see Yemayá, fed her from the bird and went into her waters — the road was cleared at once. From that comes the practice of taking your Elegba down to the sea shore and giving it a rooster there, together with the sea; you bathe, and you take water home to repeat the bath there.

Elegba came before Orunmila: his road had closed and he could not see it. Out of the osode came this Ifá, Oggunda Dio, and with it this answer: "How is this possible, if you are the one who opens and closes the roads? That is because of customs you no longer do". Then Elegba brought to mind a practice he had dropped: every morning he greeted Yemayá, brought her food and went to bathe in the sea.

The ebbó that Orunmila marked for him took a rooster and all kinds of food, and with it he sent him to visit Yemayá. Elegba did it: he called her, fed her from the bird and went right into her waters — at that very moment his road was clear again. Note: whoever gets this road has to take his Elegba to the sea shore and give it a rooster there, together with the sea; he bathes right there and picks up a little of that water to repeat the bath at home.

2The trust of Oggunda Dio

Orunmila left his house, leaving people he trusted completely inside it. A few steps on, he stopped to talk with someone he knew — and heard his rooster crowing at home: «Oggunda Dio». He went on talking, and the rooster crowed again: «Oggunda Diooo». It struck him that the rooster was giving him his own sign: he said goodbye, went back unannounced — and caught the people he thought he could trust completely deceiving and betraying him. After the ebbó, iyefá is put in the rooster's mouth and it is handed to the person to keep in their yard.

One day Orunmila left his house in the care of people he trusted completely. He had not gone far when he stopped to talk with an acquaintance, and from the yard came the crowing of the rooster he kept: "Oggunda Dio". The talk went on, and the animal repeated its crow: "Oggunda Diooo". It seemed strange to Orunmila that the rooster crowed to him that way.

He cut the conversation short, said goodbye and came back without warning. That is how he found the people he took to be fully trustworthy: they were deceiving and betraying him. Note: once the ebbó is done, the rooster gets iyefá in its mouth and passes into the hands of the person concerned, who is to keep it in his yard.

3When Obatalá was unhappy with his house

In the land of Guere Guere, Obatalá was not happy with his house and was looking for someone to make him a better one; nobody would take it on, because he was too demanding and tore down whatever he did not like. Elegba, in need of money for his quarry stone business, offered himself: "I will finish it for you" — but first he went by Orunmila's house, and Orunmila marked him ebbó with all the building materials, told him to cover with white cloth everything he raised and to put his children to guard the four cardinal points. Obatalá showed up every day, found the work covered with white cloth and cotton — "this one does know what I like" — and left his white dove. When it was done, Elegba buried the ebbó and spread cascarilla and cocoa butter over the house. Obatalá, very happy, hugged him — "from now on you will have to be counted on to make the house of my children in the world". With that hug he gave him ashé and iré ayé umbo: from then on they called him Awó Oggunda Dio Efifeshe Okuta.

Guere Guere was Obatalá's land, and his house did not satisfy him: there was not there for his children the food he wanted, and he was looking for someone to raise him a better one. He lacked nothing he needed; what did not turn up was someone to take charge. Nobody wanted the job, because Obatalá demanded a lot and got angry over anything: if they started the work and it was not to his liking, he tore it down. Elegba's quarry stone business was not paying, and he needed money. So he offered himself: "I am going to finish Obatalá's house". He knew, of course, the temper of that orisha, so first he went to Orunmila to be looked at. Out of the osode came this Odù, Oggunda Dio, and with it the instruction: "You have to make ebbó with all the materials you plan to use to make Obatalá's house". He also told him that, while he built, he should go covering with white cloth each part already raised, and that his children — the ones working with him — should stand guard at the four cardinal points.

Obatalá came by the work every day. He found everything under white cloth and plenty of cotton, and he said: "This one does know what I like". Elegba always had a white dove ready for him, handed it to him, and Obatalá went away satisfied, without getting in the way of the work. With the house ready, Elegba went back to Orunmila, who gave him the last instruction: "Now, before Obatalá comes, bury everything from the ebbó and throw cascarilla and cocoa butter on the house, so Obatalá will be happy". Obatalá arrived, Elegba took away the white cloth and the house appeared covered with cascarilla and cocoa butter. He was so glad that he hugged him and declared: "From now on you will have to be counted on to make the house of my children in the world". He gave him ashé and iré ayé umbo, so a good life in the world would reach him. From that day Elegba lived well, and he owed it to Orunmila and to Obatalá. Also from then on he carried another name, Awó Oggunda Dio Efifeshe Okuta, and everyone held him in high regard, because before him nobody had done Obatalá's house right.

19 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 Oggunda Dio in Spanish →

Frequently asked questions about Oggunda Dio

What does the Odù Oggunda Dio mean in Ifá?

Lost hopes: what you get does not last long — and here Elegba, who opens the roads, could not find his own and went weeping to Orunmila.

What number is Oggunda Dio among the 256 Odù of Ifá?

Oggunda Dio is Odù number 140 of the 256 in Ifá, part of the Ogunda family.

Which orishas speak in Oggunda Dio?

In the Odù Oggunda Dio these orishas speak: Elegba, Obatalá, Ogún, Shangó y Ogué, Yemayá, Oshún (Yalorde).

What is a proverb of the Odù Oggunda Dio?

One of the proverbs of Oggunda Dio says: «He is getting the rope ready for his own neck.».

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