Oggunda Kete

nº 149 of 256

The Ifá of public shame, where the moral laws and the power of Orí speak: here the Fifeto ceremony is born, and your morals are your only armor.

25 patakíes 8 eewó 11 ebbós and works 16 proverbs

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Oggunda Kete is Odù number 149 of the 256 in Ifá, part of the Ogunda family. This page brings together its prayer in Yoruba, 25 patakíes (3 with the full text), its proverbs, 11 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 149 of 256
Composition
Ogunda over Irete

What Ifá says in this sign

Oggunda Kete is the Ifá of public shame and of the moral laws: here the Fifeto ceremony was born — which closes the killing in Osha in honor of Toshe, Olokun's daughter — and here the power of Orí was written down: even Ogún was found having his head prayed over. Its compass is an ethical one: look after how you behave day to day with the people around you — the moral laws of this odu do not forgive.

Its great split is a religious one: Ogún, Olofin's barber, left him for the quimbisa of the bush — and was cursed: do not drift away from Orunmila to go with the palero, because the sorcerer holds you back; here even the church split in two. And the three stubborn Babalawos who do not respect their elders can lose their heads: humility is part of the liturgy in this sign.

«Even Ogún was found having his head prayed over — the power of Orí governs Oggunda Kete.»The pulse of Oggunda Kete

Your mother is your kaferefún: you dreamed of her and she is weeping for you — if she is alive, attend to her, because she is ill; if she has died, a mass at church. Look after your hair — it is your pride: no lending hats or clothes —, your fine skin (here Obatalá took the hare's skin for giving away secrets) and your front door, a favorite target for witchcraft.

The night visitor comes with a protocol: if the witch moth — the one that goes to the light at night — comes in, do not kill it and do not throw it out: through it come the mayomberos' workings, and it is neutralized with work, not with a slipper. Your strongest enemies are women — wear white caps — and bindings circle marriages here: watch without paranoia, work without hatred.

The list of your blood is a long one: ten siblings — seven by one father, three by another, all children of Obatalá. Live honestly and decently to steer clear of trouble over jealousy, do not raise your hand to anyone, eat without salt, and feed your head: the power of Orí, which even Ogún acknowledged, is the one throne public shame cannot reach

The sign in one line

Do not trade Orunmila for the bush, attend to your mother who is weeping and have your head prayed over — the morals of Kete are your only armor.

The prayer of Oggunda Kete · Yoruba

Ogunda Kete kunigui Awo ori era akanarigbo Awo ora ashi tentere Awo oun metata ni shona Iku Ifá Orunmila.

Súyere
Alado funi oni leni apuepue. Temishe leri, temishe kuishara.

Ifá says — what Oggunda Kete tells you

Proverbs of Oggunda Kete · Òwe

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

Iré and Osogbo

6 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 Kete · 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 Kete · The sacrifices that open the road

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

Works of Oggunda Kete · The workings of the sign

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

Patakíes of Oggunda Kete · The roads of the Odù

1Where the godfather of Oggunda Kete can end up with nothing

In the land of Awa Eri — the land of Iroko and ewe ayo — lived Awó Oribaye, who had made a pact with Iroko and ewe ayo to look after him as long as he lived; Oluwere Orun, Agayú's shadow, also lived there at the foot of Iroko. People said Awó Oribaye was very odd, because he worked where nobody could see; and he, annoyed at being watched, began cursing — everyone started falling ill, Obatalá's children began losing their luck, Oluwere Orun withdrew from his side, and he grew poor along with the whole land. Elegba, worried about Obatalá's children, went for Oshagriñán: he made osode for Oribaye — Oggunda Botete —: «Oluwere Orun's shadow has left your side». He made him ebbó and at midnight they went to the foot of Iroko: Oshagriñán put Iroko leaves on Elegba's head with a colored cap, took the roots from east and west, called Oluwere Orun and all the Egun with the rooster — and the shadow came down again. He prayed over Oribaye's head with Iroko's secret, made him the inshé for the pillow so he could always be in touch with the shadow, and since there was so much shepé (cursing) in that land, Elegba gave him ewe ayo to bathe with and Oshagriñán calmed himself with tete herb and a white pigeon on his head. «Wrap your Ifá in Iroko leaves, and when they dry, cook them with ewereyeye and give it to everyone to drink so they are cured». Everyone got better and valued him again. Before leaving, Elegba and Oshagriñán cleaned themselves naked before Ifá with pigeons they gave to Mother Earth: the arayés died, and the land of Awa Eri was left free, covered by Oluwere Orun's shadow.

Awa Eri was the land of the Iroko and of the ewe ayo. Awó Oribaye lived there, omo Oggunda Obetete, who had a pact with both — the tree and the herb — that they would guard him and turn away any harm that came at him for as long as he lived. At the foot of the Iroko, away from people, there also lived Oluwere Orun, shadow of Agayú. Among the neighbors it was said that Awó Oribaye was a strange man, because he did his things far from every eye; nobody knew how he worked and everybody wanted to find out, since they figured something hidden guided him, because he did not do it like the other Awoses. Feeling watched made him angry, and from the anger he went on to curse those people: "Odogun ofofo iña shekue buruku omo ile Owa Eri". From then on sickness got into everyone, the children of Obatalá kept losing their luck, Oluwere Orun moved away from Awó Oribaye and poverty caught up with him: that land fell into misery and there was nobody left who did not get sick.

Elegba felt bad about what he saw, above all for the children of Obatalá, and he took the road to Oshagriñán's house to tell him everything that was going on in the land Awa Eri. When he arrived with Elegba, they found Awó Oribaye not knowing what to do in that land, and all the children of Obatalá sick. Oshagriñán made osode for Awó Oribaye, Oggunda Botete came out, and he explained that the cause of it all was that the shadow of Oluwere Orun had moved away from his side. He made ebbó for him and proposed: "Let us go to the foot of Iroko, where Oluwere Orun lives, and we will call him so he is always with you." They set out and got there at twelve at night. Oshagriñán took Iroko leaves and set them on Elegba's head, gave him coconut and fresh water, put a very pretty colored cap on him and warned him: "This is so you can help me lift up this land." Then he took the rooster and with it he called Oluwere Orun, praying like this: "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 put the root of the west and the root of the east together with everything the ebbó carried, and he called Oluwere Orun and all the Egun, handing them the rooster while he sang: "Ero omi Iroko onifa Iroko masofun ele igi Orun igboye Iroko Egun mayawa".

The shadow of Oluwere Orun came down again. With the secret of Iroko, Oshagriñán made rogación on Awó Oribaye's head, and the Awó got better right away. With the rooster's head, what was left over from the rogación, all the ashé and 16 ataré, Oshagriñán made an inshé and handed it to him: "Put this inside your pillow, so you always speak with Oluwere Orun." The shepé in that land was so strong that Oshagriñán got angry; Elegba brought him ewe ayo to bathe with, put tete herb on his head, gave himself a white dove and with that he calmed down. Then he took Iroko leaves and gave the Awó this instruction: "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 get cured." Awó Oribaye did it, and the people were healing and held him in esteem again, because through the work of Elegba and of Oshagriñán the shadow of Oluwere Orun had come back to his side. Before saying goodbye, Oshagriñán turned to Elegba and warned him: "Before we go we have to make ourselves a great secret, so that none of these arayés of the land follow us." They stripped naked before Ifá, took doves, made sarayeye and gave them to Inle Oguere with this song: "Eye eyele inle asheo, ire Awo ire, eye eyele inle asheo". They buried the dove together with jutía, fish, corn, all the grains, aguardiente, honey, corojo and cascarilla, and with that all the arayés died. Clean now, Elegba and Oshagriñán left, and Awa Eri was free of arayés and covered by the shadow of Oluwere Orun. Note: for the godfather this Ifá is trouble, and it can ruin him or sink him into misery. When it shows up in an atefá, the godfather cleans himself naked in front of his Ifá with a dove that is given to the earth; two white doves with plenty of tete herb are given to his head, and at the hour when Orunmila eats, two hens from the head are given straight onto his Ifá, with the súyere "Adie manya ori teun, adele nifa manya ileo".

2Olofin's barber

In the land of Ikoke lived Oggunda Kete, a barber by trade, in charge of the work at every initiation in that land; but he was much envied, and all the others worked furiously against him, so much so that he decided to leave. Olofin did not want anyone else to cut his hair, because he had a secret mark in the middle of his head and did not want it seen: only Oggunda Kete had seen it, and had never spoken of it. After he left, no more consecrations were held, and the land began falling ill: 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 — the position of trust Olofin had set up. And so it has been ever since at every consecration of Ifá.

On this road, the land Ikoke had as its barber a man named Oggunda Kete, and it fell to him to officiate at every initiation done there. The other figures of that place envied him a lot, and from being worked on so hard the barber decided to leave.

Olofin, when he found out, refused to have his head shaved: he kept in agogorí — the center of the head — a secret mole that he did not want to show anyone, and Oggunda Kete was the only one who had seen it, and had never told it. Without him there were no more consecrations and sickness settled in that land, so there was a meeting with Olofin and there was no way out but to send for Oggunda Kete and install him forever in the barbershop of Ifá, a post of trust that Olofin had set up. From then until now, that is how it is done in every consecration of Ifá. Note: nothing gives a man more worth than discretion — the one who kept the secret of Olofin's mole became necessary to everyone.

3The jeweled dagger

In the land Takua a king ruled who had only one son, and he was preparing him so that in time he would take command of all his lands. Once the prince was a grown man, his father gave him, as a sign of love, a dagger with the handle and the sheath covered in precious stones — a tribute of rank and a work of art — and handed him half of his lands so he could start governing them. But seeing himself with so much power woke up the ambition he was born with: he planned to get rid of his father and be left as lord and master of it all, gathered his army and went to visit him. The king got on his horse with his retinue to receive him with honors; once the usual greetings were over they rode out together, and as the king went ahead, with his back turned, the ambitious prince took the chance to sink the dagger into his father's back, and so he carried out his excessive hunger for greatness and power. To Iban Eshu. You have to watch the instincts of greatness in your children, and the same in the children of the religion.

On this road, the land Takua was under the government of a king who had only one son. He wanted to prepare the boy so that, in time, he would take charge of all the land under his reign and government.

With the years the prince became a man, and his father gave him, as a sign of love, a dagger whose handle and sheath were completely covered in precious stones: it was at once a tribute of rank and a true work of art of jewelry. He also handed him half of his lands, so he could practice governing them.

But seeing himself with so much power woke up what the prince carried from birth, which was ambition: he planned how to get rid of his father and be left as lord and master of those vast lands. With that in mind he gathered his army and went out to visit him. When he arrived, they told the father that his son the prince was coming closer, and the king got on his horse with his retinue to go out and receive him and give him the proper honors. Once the usual greetings were done, they rode out together; and since the king was going ahead, with his back to him, the ambitious prince took that moment to sink the dagger into the back of his father, the king. That is how he carried out the plans he had worked out in his mind, pushed by his excessive hunger for greatness and power. To Iban Eshu. Note: Ifá of betrayal, of ingratitude, of spilled blood and of ambition with no brake; it forces you to keep an eye on the instincts of greatness in your children, and the same in the children of the religion.

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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 Kete in Spanish →

Frequently asked questions about Oggunda Kete

What does the Odù Oggunda Kete mean in Ifá?

The Ifá of public shame, where the moral laws and the power of Orí speak: here the Fifeto ceremony is born, and your morals are your only armor.

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

Oggunda Kete is Odù number 149 of the 256 in Ifá, part of the Ogunda family.

Which orishas speak in Oggunda Kete?

In the Odù Oggunda Kete these orishas speak: Obatalá, Ogún, Orunmila, Oshún, Elegba, Egun, Yemayá y Olokun, Babalú Ayé (Azowano), Iroko y Agayú.

What is a proverb of the Odù Oggunda Kete?

One of the proverbs of Oggunda Kete says: «Whoever imitates fails.».

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