Osa Fun

nº 166 of 256

«Obeying my prohibitions will be my victory»: here Obatalá rewarded the worm with butterfly wings — and two ebbós are always made.

19 patakíes 5 eewó 10 ebbós and works 27 proverbs

First time with an Odù? Learn how to read one →

Osa Fun is Odù number 166 of the 256 in Ifá, part of the Osa family. This page brings together its prayer in Yoruba, 19 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 166 of 256
Composition: Osa over Ofun
In the Diloggún: 9-10 · Osá tonti Ofún
Orishas that speak: Orishaoko · Osain · Ogún · Obatalá · Olofin · Orunmila · Ikú

What Ifá says in this sign

Osa Fun closes the Osa family with the motto of obedience: «obeying my prohibitions will be my victory» — disobeying the Santo and your elders can cost you your life. And it gives us the loveliest image in the whole treatise: the worm wanted to fly, and Obatalá rewarded him with butterfly wings.

But the butterfly comes with instructions: because of her bright colors, the boys in the city kill her — live in the country, or at least live quietly: the brightness of this odu is protected by keeping a low profile. And your spiritual emptiness — that living with no wish to live — has a remedy on the mat: make ebbó to take that sorrow off you: it is not weakness, it is a weight, and weights get sent away.

«The worm wanted to fly and Obatalá gave him wings — the obedience of Osa Fun is the price of the butterfly.»The pulse of Osa Fun

Its lesson in humility was given by the dog and the turtle: they got into an argument and each of them showed their own cunning and their own strength — do not look down on or humiliate anyone, because the smallest one can give you the fright of your life. And do not argue yourself: the monkey was sold for selling out Obatalá.

Its ritual is doubled out of mercy: here two ebbós are made — otherwise the enemy dies: like Obatalá, who took pity on his gravely ill enemy and made the second one to save him. This odu wins without wiping anyone out. And when you take your ebbó, you leave the clothes you are wearing beside it — take a change of clothes and shoes: the cleaning here is literal.

The fronts at home: unfaithfulness on both sides — do not let it grow into a disaster —, the report that comes over what you did badly (the ebbó saves you), the mass for the dead one and the move you are marked for. Receive Osain, keep your daily doings in order — so nobody calls you mad —, wear your white shirt with purple stripes, and fly: the obedient worm ended up with wings — the disobedient one, with sticks

The sign in one line

Obey your prohibitions, make both ebbós and live quietly like a country butterfly — the victory of Osa Fun is written in its own motto.

The prayer of Osa Fun · Yoruba

Osa Fun maferefun Awo Guayiri osada fun tayire aguegue Osain oguati buru boshe ekute ague gueneri Awo Olofin ashibi Osain mayigue eku masi fun obayire Awo alguesa abati inle Orishaoko.

Súyere
Osa Fun aquiloda Orishaoko, Osa Fun mefun aquiloda.

Ifá says — what Osa Fun tells you

The Ifá of obeying prohibitions: disobedience, both toward the Santo and toward your elders, can cost you your life. The Ifá of transformation: the worm wanted to fly and became a butterfly — but because of her bright colors the boys kill her; you should live in the country. The Ifá of cunning and strength: the dog and the turtle got into an argument — do not look down on or humiliate anyone, because each of us has our own cunning and our own strength and can give you a fright. The Ifá of spiritual emptiness: you have a great spiritual emptiness that makes you go through life with no wish to live — make ebbó to take that sorrow off you. An Ifá of unfaithfulness: your wife is unfaithful to you — and if you are a woman, your husband is deceiving you too; if the woman goes off with another man, there will be one upset after another, disaster will come and everything will be lost. The Ifá of the two ebbós: two ebbós are made, otherwise the enemy dies — like Obatalá, who took pity on his gravely ill enemy and made the second ebbó to save him.
You have a great spiritual emptiness that makes you live with no wish to live: make ebbó to take that sorrow off you.
You have to be careful of quarrels or situations, because you can be beaten to death — like the butterflies in the city.
The young will not respect their elders.
You should live in the country or you do live in the country: the butterfly does not go to the city because the boys kill her.
Even though you make ebbó, you will have to be careful of the law.
A white shirt with purple stripes is worn.
When ebbó is made under this Ifá, on taking it to where it goes, the clothes you are wearing are left beside the ebbó — you have to take another change of clothes and a pair of shoes, so you shed everything bad.
You can die of an upset.
You came because of someone else who is ill — but you are more ill than the person you came for, and you want to know whether the illness is by God's hand or from some harm done.
You are going to be reported over something bad you did: if you make ebbó, you can be saved.
Your husband is unfaithful to you — and if you are a man, your wife is deceiving you too.
Move away from where you live.
Have a mass said for a dead one.
You are caught up in gossip: do what you mean to do, do not speak to anyone and keep your mouth shut — you are like the butterfly, looking for somewhere to land so you can do what you are meant to.
Be careful of someone who is going to go somewhere to fetch something to harm you with.
Do not argue, so you do not lose and so what happened to the monkey does not happen to you — he was sold for selling out Obatalá.
Your wife is fair and thin, a daughter of Obatalá: she has to make ebbó.
You promised something and did not keep it.
You did something, and they are going to want you to undo it.
There is someone in your house who is drinking: tell them to put a little palm oil before Obatalá.
Set sará-ekó for Obatalá, so your money does not go.
Wear a shirt with purple stripes.
Feed death, and have an inshé Osain to get free of your enemies.

Proverbs of Osa Fun · Òwe

“The danger lies in trusting.”
“He leaps the road away from death and buries himself in the sword's sheath.”
“Obeying my prohibitions will be my victory.”
“If I do not keep my daily doings in order, they will call me mad.”
“Those who sacrifice will have long life on the earth.”
“Nobody is more exposed to risk than the naive.”
“True friends are known in the hours of distress.”
“A man's guarantor is answerable for his debts.”
“In the land of monkeys you do not sow corn at the riverbank.”
“From so much copying others, the monkey one day cut his own throat.”
“The renegade carries misfortune with him.”
“Too many cooks spoil the food.”
“In the dark, all cats are gray.”
“Neglecting an illness benefits the undertaker.”
“Whoever leaves it undone is as guilty as whoever does it.”
“The braggart's offense soon sets the hoe to work.”
“Traitors will inherit nothing but disloyalty.”
“It is a useless thing for a butterfly to fly out to sea.”
“Arguing is punished with enmity.”
“Man's justice punishes on earth; Olorun's, in heaven.”
“Faith creates hope and hope achievement.”
“Steadiness in suffering makes us grow.”
“A gossiping man is a man in the pit.”
“Whoever hates the honest witness is guilty of the sin.”
“Death came into the world through a fault, but obedience delays it.”
“The other face of the crime is the sentence.”
“The gift is the declaration of honor.”

24 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 Osa Fun · Ìbí

The worm's transformation.
The worm wanted to fly: Orunmila made him ebbó, Obatalá rubbed him with cocoa butter, and in three days beautiful colored wings came out — but the boys began killing the butterflies: «you wanted to fly, and I made you ebbó so you would fly; about the rest I know nothing».
That Ogún dressed in purple.
He fell in love with the king's shirt and they swapped clothes: Ogún's was purple.
That each of us has our own cunning and our own strength.
The turtle beat the dog with the ebbó of the trap, the bone and the tangle of threads.
That two ebbós are made.
Otherwise, the enemy dies.
That the iyefá of this Odù carries butterfly powder.
That Awó Osa Fun answers from inside the room at the calling at the Igbodun door.
That is his part if he is among those present — this is born in Baba Ejiogbe.

What is forbidden · Eewó

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

Do not look down on anyone or humiliate anyone.
Each one has his own cunning and his own strength, and they can give you a scare — like the dog with the turtle.
Do not be stubborn in argument.
Do not let happen to you what happened to the monkey, who was banished for accusing without proof.
Do not disobey the Santo or the elders.
It can cost you your life.
Do not talk about what you plan to do.
Hold your mouth: you are caught up in gossip, and for that reason you are like the butterfly, looking for somewhere to land.
Do not go to the city without ebbó, if your place is the countryside.
In the city the boys kill the butterfly.

Ebbós of Osa Fun · The sacrifices that open the road

Keeping death awayThe ebbó for making life longer🔒 The Notebook Beating enemiesThe ebbó for lifting a war (intori iña)🔒 The Notebook SpiritualThe ebbó of the upset🔒 The Notebook LoveThe ebbó for a woman🔒 The Notebook SpiritualThe ebbó of Awó Obayire🔒 The Notebook Keeping death awayThe sacrifice of the children of man🔒 The Notebook Beating enemiesAremon's ebbó🔒 The Notebook

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

Works of Osa Fun · The workings of the sign

Keeping death awayFeeding death🔒 The Notebook MoneyObatalá's sará-ekó🔒 The Notebook SpiritualThe iyefá of the butterfly🔒 The Notebook

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

Patakíes of Osa Fun · The roads of the Odù

1When Osa Fun found work, luck and peace

Awó Obayire, cut off from his brothers by how badly things were going, went out to the country singing to Orishaoko. Osain introduced them, and with a ceremony at the foot of the ceiba — feeding Ikú in a hole — Orishaoko opened his road: on going back to his town he found work, luck and peace.

On this road, Osa Fun was named Awó Obayire. He had five brothers, and each one used his own secret practice to get by, because Osain kept them from Ikú. Awó Obayire, though, was pulled away from them by hard times: he moved to the country, to the land Obatiguele. As soon as he got there, he started to sing: "Osa Fun quilofa Orishaoko, Osa mefun aquiloda".

Hearing him sing, Osain appeared and wanted to know what was wrong. When Obayire finished telling him, Osain answered: "I am going to introduce you to a man named Orishaoko, so he can help you", and he started to call him with this song: "Komo rigue Orishaoko agua dideo afe Awo aye umbo okumbo".

Orishaoko came before the two of them and asked what they wanted. They gave him moforibale and laid out what Obayire was going through. Orishaoko answered: "Do not be afraid, I am going to help you; but Ikú walks with me. I will give you work for a time only, so that when you get to where your brothers are, they will help you." Obayire kissed his hands, and he gave him his blessing.

Once at work, Obayire did not stop, and he sang without rest: "Orishaoko dideo Awo Baba dideo obanire Awo Orishaoko". Orishaoko was glad to hear him and said to himself: "I have to help Awó Obayire." One day he told him: "Tomorrow, before the sun comes up, you have to get me a big gourd; you clean yourself with siempreviva and white bleo, you throw the scraps inside the gourd and you call Olokun; pour in cow's milk, cascarilla, cocoa butter and aguardiente; take osun naború, mark Osa Fun and throw it inside the gourd. You also have to bring me sixteen candles, eight doves and a jio jio — I will put in the rest."

Obayire went out right away to get it all, and at dawn he met Orishaoko by a ceiba tree. At the foot of the tree, Orishaoko had his secret set up, with Osa Fun drawn in cascarilla and sand. He put the coconut in the center of the gourd and set the sixteen candles on a branch of the ceiba. He cleaned Obayire with the young rooster and handed it to Ikú inside a hole; then he cleaned him with the doves, and he killed them one by one while he sang: "Baba Olofin ereliye Baba Ejiogbe ereliye…", and he went on like that until he completed the sixteen Meyis. He gave blood to Awó Obayire's head and warned him: "You have to wait for the candles to burn out to bury everything."

With the ceremony closed, Orishaoko told him: "You can go back to your land: you will find work, peace and progress." Right away he gave him clothes and pointed out the way: "Take this road, it will lead you to your town." He also put in his hands a little bell to ring along the way, a jug of aguardiente and two hens for Orunmila.

Back in his town, Obayire found everything Orishaoko had announced: work, luck and peace.

2The reading made for the children of man

The children of man lived running — from the snake, from the elephant, from fire, from their creditors — without knowing what they were running from. Ifá marked them a sacrifice so they would know: that is called eewó. Those who sacrificed gained long life on the Earth.

Osa Fun, said Orunmila; Osa Fun, said I.

"We are running from the bite of the snake. We are running so the elephant does not crush us. We are running so the buffalo (efún) does not crush us. We are running so the fire does not burn us. We are running from the people we owe, so the people of the earth do not laugh at us. We are running from other people's property, so they do not think we are thieves, and so people cannot suddenly insult us and shout at us some day. We are running from the talisman, so its bad word does not affect us. There is no pleasure for those who say they run on the earth for nothing: they cannot live long on the earth."

This was the divination made for the sons of man. They were told to sacrifice so they would understand what they were running from; that is called eewó, the act that is forbidden.

Sacrifice: 16 snails, omo leaves, corojo butter, salt and 30,200 cowries. A few of them did it.

They said: "Those of you who sacrificed will have a long life on the Earth, and the Earth will be good to you."

3When Ogún married Olofin's daughter

Six men failed to marry Olofin's daughter. Ogún arrived in rags, with his gourd rattle loaded with fruit, and she chose him. «I will marry in the time it takes this fruit to grow»: he sowed Olofin's seeds, the harvest was good and he married her.

A daughter of Olofin was going to marry, and six suitors came without any of them getting the wedding. Then Ogún showed up, with torn clothes and looking very bad, carrying in his hand a guín with potatoes, yams, sweet potatoes and fruit hanging from it.

He knocked at the door of Olofin's house, and Olofin took him for a beggar and asked what he came for. Ogún answered that he came to ask for his daughter's hand. Olofin could not get over it, but the girl looked out and said: "That is the man for me." Then Olofin wanted to know how much time he needed for the wedding; Ogún rang the guín several times and answered: "As long as it takes for this fruit to grow."

Olofin put several seeds in his hands, cotton seeds among them. Ogún planted them, the harvest came out very good, and that is how he took Olofin's daughter as his wife.

Note: when it is time to do ebbó, you ask which one wins — seeds, root vegetables or fruit.

4When the worm wanted to fly🔒 The Notebook 5When the reading was made for the monkey (Alalekun)🔒 The Notebook 6Respect for elders🔒 The Notebook 7Obatalá's enemy🔒 The Notebook 8The butterflies🔒 The Notebook 9The dog and the turtle got into an argument🔒 The Notebook 10The spiritual emptiness🔒 The Notebook 11How Aremon beat the eguns🔒 The Notebook 12Evil breeds evil🔒 The Notebook 13The Babalawo's prosperity🔒 The Notebook 14The omo Ifá and the omo Iku🔒 The Notebook 15Poverty and old age🔒 The Notebook 16The kick in the forehead🔒 The Notebook 17The loss of rebirth🔒 The Notebook 18The conversation of the ceibas🔒 The Notebook 19The dog and the tortoise🔒 The Notebook

16 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 Osa Fun in Spanish →

Frequently asked questions about Osa Fun

What does the Odù Osa Fun mean in Ifá?

«Obeying my prohibitions will be my victory»: here Obatalá rewarded the worm with butterfly wings — and two ebbós are always made.

What number is Osa Fun among the 256 Odù of Ifá?

Osa Fun is Odù number 166 of the 256 in Ifá, part of the Osa family.

Which orishas speak in Osa Fun?

In the Odù Osa Fun these orishas speak: Orishaoko, Osain, Ogún, Obatalá, Olofin, Orunmila, Ikú.

What is a proverb of the Odù Osa Fun?

One of the proverbs of Osa Fun says: «The danger lies in trusting.».

Unlock the 256 Odù See all the Odù See something to correct? Write to us with your source

← Osa She Index Ika Bemi →