Oggunda Kete

In the land of Awa Eri, which was the land of Iroko and of ewe ayo, lived Awó Oribaye, omo Oggunda Obetete, who had made a pact with Iroko and ewe ayo for them to look after him and take off him every harm that came his way as long as he lived. Oluwere Orun lived there, who was Agayú's shadow, and lived at the foot of Iroko, apart from people. The people of that land said Awó Oribaye was very odd, because he did things where nobody could see them, and everyone wanted to know how he worked, since they said it had to be something hidden that guided him, because he did not work like the other Awoses. Awó Oribaye, seeing that he was being watched, got annoyed and began cursing the people of that land: «Odogun ofofo iña shekue buruku omo ile Owa Eri». Everyone began falling ill and Obatalá's children began losing their luck; then Oluwere Orun withdrew from Awó Oribaye's side, and he began to grow poor: that land began to suffer want and everyone fell ill.

Elegba, seeing that, was very worried about Obatalá's children, and set out for Oshagriñán's house to tell him everything happening in the land of Awa Eri. When he arrived with Elegba, they found Awó Oribaye not knowing what to do in that land, and all of Obatalá's children ill. Oshagriñán made osode for Awó Oribaye and saw Oggunda Botete, and told him that what was happening was that Oluwere Orun's shadow had left his side, and that was why all this was happening to him. He made him ebbó and told him: «Let us go to the foot of Iroko, where Oluwere Orun lives, and we will call him so he always goes with you». They set out, and when they arrived it was midnight. Oshagriñán took Iroko leaves and put them on Elegba's head, gave him coconut and fresh water, put a very fine colored cap on him and told him: «This is so you can help me lift this land up». He took the rooster and began calling Oluwere Orun with this prayer: «Iroko Ouwere Oshagriñan igi ogadifan Agayu Ifa eku mayele ogba leri oma oshe igbo Iroko umbo ori ire Awo Oribaye ebonike ori botete ori ire». He took the root from the west and from the east and put it with everything in the ebbó, and began calling Oluwere Orun and all the Egun, giving him the rooster and singing: «Ero omi Iroko onifa Iroko masofun ele igi Orun igboye Iroko Egun mayawa».

Oluwere Orun's shadow came down again, and Oshagriñán prayed over Awó Oribaye's head with Iroko's secret, and he got well at once. Oshagriñán took the rooster's head and, with what was left of the prayer, all the ashé and 16 ataré, made him an inshé and told him: «Put this inside your pillow, so you are always in touch with Oluwere Orun». Then, since there was so much shepé in that land, Oshagriñán got very annoyed and angry; Elegba gave him ewe ayo to bathe with, took tete herb and put it on Oshagriñán's head, and gave himself a white pigeon, and he calmed down. Then he took Iroko leaves and told Awó Oribaye: «Wrap your Ifá in this, and when it is dry cook it with ewereyeye and give it to everyone in your land to drink so they are cured». So Awó Oribaye did, and everyone began to get better and to value him, because thanks to Elegba and Oshagriñán, Oluwere Orun's shadow had come back to his side. Oshagriñán told Elegba: «Before we go we have to make ourselves a great secret, so none of these arayés of this land follows us». They stripped before Ifá, took pigeons, did sarayeye, and gave them to Inle Oguere singing: «Eye eyele inle asheo, ire Awo ire, eye eyele inle asheo». They buried the pigeon with jutía, fish, corn, every kind of grain, aguardiente, honey, palm oil and cascarilla — and all the arayés died. So Elegba and Oshagriñán came out clean, and the land of Awa Eri was left free of every arayé and covered by Oluwere Orun's shadow. Note: this Ifá is trouble for the godfather, and can ruin him or leave him with nothing: when it comes out in atefá, the godfather cleans himself naked before his Ifá with a pigeon that is given to the earth; two white pigeons with plenty of tete herb are given to the head, and when Orunmila eats, two hens from the head are given straight over his Ifá, with the súyere «Adie manya ori teun, adele nifa manya ileo».

On this road, in the land of Ikoke, there lived a man called Oggunda Kete, a barber by trade, and he was in charge of the work at every initiation in that land; but he was much envied, and because of that all the other people of that land worked furiously against him, so much so that he decided to leave.

Olofin, hearing of it, did not want his hair cut, because he had a secret mark in agogorí — in the middle of his head — and did not want anyone to see it; only Oggunda Kete had seen it, and had never spoken of it. After Oggunda Kete left, no more consecrations were held, and the land began falling ill; and they had to meet with Olofin, and there was nothing for it but to call Oggunda Kete back and install him forever in the barbershop of Ifá, which was the position of trust Olofin had set up. And so it has been ever since at every consecration of Ifá. Note: discretion is what makes a man worth the most — the one who kept the secret of Olofin's mark made himself indispensable.

On this road, in the land of Takua there was a king who governed those lands, and he had an only son, whom he wanted to train so that in time he could take charge of all the territories under his reign and government. Time passed and the prince grew until he was a man; the king gave him, as a token of affection, a dagger with its handle and sheath covered in precious stones, which was not only a tribute of rank but a true work of the jeweler's art, and he also handed him half his lands to govern.

But the prince, seeing himself with so much power, and being an ambitious man by nature, thought up a way to be rid of his father and be sole master of all those great territories; and for this he raised his army and went to visit his father. When he arrived, the father was told that his son the prince was approaching. He mounted his horse with his retinue to receive him and do him the honors due; but after the usual greetings they rode out together, and since the king was ahead, with his back turned, the ambitious prince took that moment to sink the dagger into the king his father's back, thus carrying out the plans he had worked out in his mind, out of his boundless hunger for greatness and power. To Iban Eshu. Note: this is an Ifá of betrayal, ingratitude, blood spilled and boundless ambition; you have to watch very carefully for the instincts for greatness in your descendants, and in your children in the religion as well.