1The two hundred divinities and Elenini
After the creation, the divinities ran to heaven to ask for the tools of prosperity. The reading marked them a sacrifice of ordinary things — corn cake, sugarcane, bean pudding and a whisk — and they judged it unnecessary; only Orunmila sacrificed, adding a goat to Eshu, whose hide was made into a drum for him. Elenini, the guardian of the treasury, turned into a furious cripple, took the load off every one of them on the road home. Orunmila, the last, gave him the honey, the cane, the corn bread and the pudding: while the cripple ate, Eshu played the drum, the cripple danced with the whisk and turned back toward heaven — and Orunmila came down as the only divinity who enriched the earth.
After God created the earth, the divinities found that they were naked and that they needed the good things of life to make it a livable world. They all ran to heaven to ask God for the tools for a happy life on earth. Before setting out they went for a reading — «life burns wood, drinks water through its mouth until its thirst is quenched; it is a strong porcupine that cries out like a man from inside the ant hill» — and they were warned to sacrifice a corn cake, sugarcane, bean pudding (moyin moyin) and a whisk (oroke). On leaving the diviners' house they conferred among themselves, wondering what force deserved a sacrifice after God had gladly agreed to give them the gifts: they decided the sacrifice was unnecessary, without considering that the materials were plain and ordinary ones. Orunmila, however, said he would make it, since God had shown them not long before that destructive forces could rob them of their fortunes if they were not calmed. They mocked him as «the father of sacrifice». Orunmila gathered the materials and sacrificed, adding a goat for Eshu, since he knew he needed his support; the Awoses gave him the corn cake, the cane, the honey and the pudding to carry in his bag, warning him to give them to Elenini, and from the goat's hide they made him a small drum for the journey.
God made clear to them that they could take from the treasury whatever they could carry down to the base. Elenini, the guardian of the treasury, had turned himself into a furious cripple to confront each divinity on the journey home: one after another, he took all their materials and returned them to the base. Orunmila was the last to set out for home, as he had been warned. When he met the cripple, he stopped at the gate and told the frightful creature that he had some gifts for him: first the honey, then the sugarcane, the corn bread and the bean pudding. While the cripple ate, Eshu appeared and told Orunmila to start playing the drum with the song «Aro oludena gburu, ki ejo aro oludena» — that he was going down to earth with the good things needed for a happy life. While he sang and played, the cripple picked up the whisk for Orunmila and began to dance; Eshu took the drum from him and played louder, and the cripple turned back in the direction of heaven, while Orunmila went on with his journey. That is how Orunmila ended up being the only divinity who succeeded in enriching the earth with the tools of prosperity. In Igbodu: if you do not sacrifice, obstacles will block your destiny and the wishes you spoke of in heaven. In an ordinary reading: the man should make Ifá; the woman should marry a Babalawo or persuade her husband to make it.
2The flirting and the two friends
Okonron-ro-Ode sacrificed the goat to Eshu before coming down, warned about flirting. In Egbe, a woman who came to him for a reading fell in love with him; not knowing she was married, he returned it — and the husband arranged his murder. His friend Sasagele-Ule learned of the plot and sent Sasagele-Oko with the message that his father was dying: he packed and left. At the last crossroads, the two friends told him the truth: the story was to save him from that night's plot. Be careful of flirting — a friend will save you from the trouble you will have because of a woman.
«Eni to gbofa ko i ruude; eni to rude ko gbofa» were the two Awoses who made the reading for Okonron-ro-Ode when he was about to leave heaven: a goat for Eshu, and care with flirting on earth. He made the sacrifice, and on reaching the earth he became a priest of Ifá. He had two friends: Sasagele-Ule and Sasagele-Oko. On one occasion he traveled to a place called Egbe for the practice of Ifá; a woman who came to him for a reading fell in love with him, and not knowing she was married, he returned her love. Some informers told the husband, who reacted by arranging his murder.
When his friend Sasagele-Ule heard of the plot, he went to Sasagele-Oko to have him take Okonron-Sode the message that he had to come home because his father was about to die. On receiving the message, he packed his bags at once and set out. His two friends planned to meet him again at the last crossroads on the road to Egbe, where they told him nothing was wrong with his father: they had used that story to persuade him to leave the town, since there was a plot to murder him that night for having seduced someone's wife. He left quickly for home. In Igbodu: be careful of flirting — a friend will save you from trouble you will have anyway because of a woman; a widow will offer to marry you, but you will have to refuse her. In an ordinary reading: serve Eshu with a goat to avoid trouble brought on by a woman.
3How he solved the problem of having children
Three Awoses made the reading for Okonron-So-Ode when he had no children in his youth: a hen for Ifá and a goat for Eshu, and the medicines prepared for his wife. Not long after she was pregnant. They also told him his wife should sweep and clean the house regularly, because Ifá was angry with her. She gave birth to a boy, and afterwards had more.
«Odide ogbo omu ori ke fun; agbo gbogbe jojore guale; eje omode ra ga ga ga»: these were the three Awoses who made the reading for Okonron-So-Ode when he had no children in his youth. He was told to serve Ifá with a hen and Eshu with a goat.
He made the sacrifice, and the priest of Ifá prepared the medicines for his wife: not long after she was pregnant. They also told him his wife should sweep and clean the house regularly, because Ifá was angry with her. She gave birth to a boy, and afterwards had more.
4Elekole's lost dog🔒 Babalawo
5Eda Lausa, the woodcutter with the bracelet🔒 Babalawo
6Ololo, king of the sprites and the fairies🔒 Babalawo
7The Idefá, protector for every purpose🔒 Babalawo
8The 180 puddings of the son of the king of Ado🔒 Babalawo
9The king's spokesman🔒 Babalawo
10When Eshu threw Elegba to the ground🔒 Babalawo
11Eshu Elufe and the 101 cowries🔒 Babalawo
12Arrosiyen and the lying friend🔒 Babalawo
13The farmer and the king's treasure🔒 Babalawo
14The road of Egun🔒 Babalawo
15The man who would not listen to advice🔒 Babalawo
16The king of the road is Ogún🔒 Babalawo
17The land Olofin gave to Egun and to Eshu🔒 Babalawo
18Where the dog beats the tiger🔒 Babalawo
19Orunmila advises Obatalá🔒 Babalawo
20Elegba, barber to the big-eared Obá🔒 Babalawo
21Orunmila and the dog with the claws🔒 Babalawo
22The tiger, the deer and the turtle🔒 Babalawo
23No Oshún without Oyá, and no Oyá without Oshún🔒 Babalawo
24Obatalá crowned Dada🔒 Babalawo
25The lightning🔒 Babalawo
26Shangó loses the virtue of Orisha🔒 Babalawo
27Ifá's policeman🔒 Babalawo
28Awó Ború Obayioshé and the great secret of Obani Olukan🔒 Babalawo
29When Oshún found the dilogún🔒 Babalawo
30The gift and the greed🔒 Babalawo
31The man with no soul🔒 Babalawo
32The man with a dog's face🔒 Babalawo
33The crab and the ground dove🔒 Babalawo
34The house dog and the wild dog🔒 Babalawo
35The fisherman and the hunter🔒 Babalawo
36The woodcutter and the palm wine🔒 Babalawo
37Esu collected the vulture's debt from the ground dove🔒 Babalawo
38Awo Dide and Awo Ijoko🔒 Babalawo