Osa Kuleya

nº 160 of 256

Where Oyá handed her ram to Shangó to save her children: the moyugbar and the Throne of Ifá were born here, the seat of wisdom.

31 patakíes 9 eewó 14 ebbós and works 18 proverbs

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Osa Kuleya is Odù number 160 of the 256 in Ifá, part of the Osa family. This page brings together its prayer in Yoruba, 31 patakíes (3 with the full text), its proverbs, 14 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 160 of 256
Composition: Osa over Ogunda
In the Diloggún: 9-3 · Osá tonti Ogundá
Orishas that speak: Oyá · Shangó · Ogún · Yemayá Ashabá · Orunmila · Eshu · Egun

What Ifá says in this sign

Osa Kuleya is the sign of a mother's sacrifice: Oyá gave up eating ram forever and handed it to Shangó, to save her children — the great sacrifices are made by mothers. Here her name Iyanzá was born, and the moyugbar said before every ceremony, and the Throne of Ifá: the seat of wisdom — which only holds up whoever studies.

Because the libraries of Ifá were born here too — the Awoses who keep secrets on paper and never study them: whoever thinks they know everything and will not credit anyone else ends up living humiliated. Study what you keep: an archive nobody reads is an empty throne.

«Oyá gave up eating ram to save her children — the great sacrifices of Osa Kuleya are a mother's.»The pulse of Osa Kuleya

Your chain has been identified: this is an Ifá of slavery — you are a slave to your partner, your work, your enemies or a vice: name your master, and start buying your freedom back with work. A hot head and a bad temper call for Ifá received, and Ashabá's runaway boat needed a chain and an anchor: settle down.

The cautions are exact: the Awó of this sign does not go about alone — there is someone in your house watching for you to leave so they can rob you; no going deep into the bush, no letting heavy rain fall on you, no visiting prisoners these days. Your voice is a fragile treasure — it can go from a fright or from something worse: see to it —, vertigo forbids heights, and the fat enemy who cannot stand the sight of you can go on watching.

Your spiritual inheritance needs an inventory: prendas and Orishas from ancestors, an egun capable of destroying the family if it is not attended to — and a spirit who was a doctor speaking to you: put that legacy in order. For the woman, this sign's warnings — the son of Shangó who promises and does not deliver, the pregnancy with ebbó, care about who you go out with —, and for everyone: the mother who sacrifices like Oyá saves them all — and whoever moyugbas first arrives blessed

The sign in one line

Study what you keep, name your master and buy your freedom back with work — the Throne of Ifá belongs to whoever moyugbas and learns.

The prayer of Osa Kuleya · Yoruba

Osa Kuleya wara wara aye wara wara orun adifafun Oshumare akuko lebo, ahun ajapa tiroko afetu afolopo adifafun umbo oun batinlo loko ode gbogbo tenuyen lebo bobayo Oluwo laki Oyubona labere adifafun aretin shomo bani Orunmila oma kure lebo.

Súyere
Olomide tire eguado lerí ayapa Osa Kuleya.

Ifá says — what Osa Kuleya tells you

The Ifá of a mother's sacrifice: Oyá gave up eating ram forever in order to save her children. An Ifá of slavery: you are a slave to your partner, to your work, to your family, to your enemies or to a vice. The Ifá of the libraries: the Awoses store papers full of secrets and never study them — people who believe they know everything and will not credit anyone else come to live humiliated. An Ifá of spiritual inheritance: you carry something of your ancestors' prendas and of inherited prendas or Orishas, and there is an egun who will destroy the whole family if it is not properly attended to. The Ifá of the doctor spirit: a spirit who was a doctor speaks with you. An Ifá where the woman does workings to bring the man down: like the female turtle who shook herself and turned the male over on his back — it speaks of being deceived by a spouse. The Ifá of losing your voice: temporarily from a fright or a chill in the bronchi, or permanently from a malignant illness.
You suffer from vertigo: you cannot climb to any height, and you die alone at the table.
It marks loss of the voice: temporary from a fright or a chill in the bronchi, or permanent from a malignant illness.
You can be bound; you are also unsettled — you have to settle down, like Ashabá's boat that needed a chain and an anchor.
For the Awó: no one's head is prayed over with a fish that has a small tongue — it has to be with a fish with a large tongue.
A turtle has to be given at the front door of the house.
You have to move house; it forbids going out to the country and deep into the bush, and do not let any heavy rain fall on you, in case you come back ill.
Your enemy is fat and cannot stand the sight of you: he wants to destroy you.
You have a hot head and a bad temper, and you want to be the tough one — you will have to receive Ifá.
If the person being read is a woman: let her watch out for a son of Shangó, in case he deceives her and then does not keep his word to her. If she is pregnant, she must do ebbó so the child is not lost. Let her look closely at who she goes out with: they can knock her unconscious, abuse her and get her pregnant. She goes about crying over a husband. And if she has a younger child, let her watch him so he does not get sick: give him an Awofakan, because only Orunmila can save him.
When it comes out in Atefá: a pigeon is given to the rainbow; by osobo it is painted white, red, blue, yellow, green, orange and purple, and the rainbow is greeted.
Keep out of every kind of quarrel, and if you go out to the country, do not go deep into the bush or let heavy rain fall on you.
You have to receive Orunmila and you have a hot head.
In the next few days someone who has never been there will come to your house: it is the law.
Ogún is asking you for something, and you dreamed of Ogún and Shangó: they want something.
Give thanks to the aleyo, to Shangó and to Obatalá, and to three women who speak of you.
Tell your brother that if he wants to come out of his affairs well, he should make ebbó and respect you.
Be careful of a theft: there is someone in your house watching for you to leave so they can rob you — the Awó of this sign does not go about alone.
Be careful of a loss: of health, of employment or of business.
Do not visit prisoners these days.
You like birds: if you are invited to hunt or fish, do not go, because something bad can happen to you.
Be careful of something pricking you these days.
Be careful of a document you are going to sign: there is a trap in it.
Do not stand surety for anyone, because trouble comes to you that way; money is coming to you — do not give credit.
You have a child who is going to be lost or arrested.
You and your family had been given up for lost, and you are called to seat Santo.
You are somewhat cowardly and you should not despair over anything.
They are defending you in a matter and they will make you look bad.

Proverbs of Osa Kuleya · Òwe

“War with the living is bad; with the dead it is worse.”
“If you have a great fish, you should feed the stream.”
“Tie up the boat, so it does not go down on you.”
“When I make sacrifice, I have good fortune.”
“If I do not put my life in order, I will end up like the crow.”
“Wisdom, intelligence and understanding stand for Elá.”
“The great sacrifices are made by mothers for their children.”
“The turtle likes dancing, but she has no waist.”
“The air is our salvation; the air is our death.”
“Whoever shouts a great deal weeps a great deal.”
“The ram, when he charges, lowers his head, shuts his eyes and spills his own blood.”
“What you get by blackmail you lose by blackmail.”
“There is no magic at all in a bribe.”
“The drunk has only one price: alcohol.”
“Discord destroys the home.”
“Whoever gives in to a whim loses.”
“Cruelty breeds cruelty.”
“Whoever lives a slave to desire dies by desire.”

15 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 Kuleya · Ìbí

Oyá's other name: Iyanzá or Yanzán.
She became the whirlwind when she gave up the ram to save her children.
That to begin any ceremony or work of Ifá you have to moyugbar.
First the gourd of fresh water is presented to Olofin — from Ogún's oath: water to the right, to the left, to the head and to the earth, which is the first that must always be greeted.
The ceremony of going to bring Ogún out of the bush when one of his children is crowned.
Only the Babalawo leads it: the child of Obatalá carries the stone, the daughter of Oyá sets it in the bush and hands over the machete, Oshún pours honey on the way out and Yemayá gives the water to drink.
Oyá's power — but she lost her strength.
Shangó, with the ebbó and the song, left her senseless in the bush, ofikale trupon, and took from her the two horns (ogué) and the red and white necklace.
The secret of the herbs for washing Ogún.
Agbón, Imo and Oye — wisdom, knowledge and understanding —, who became Hoo-ró (Oro), and on earth is Elá.
Olordumare created them, swallowed them for lack of a dwelling, and on freeing them they came down with the sound «Hoo» among lightning and thunder: Oro fell to earth like an egg and broke, and in his new state he is identified with Elá.
The Throne of Ifá: the seat of wisdom.
In Benin, Shangó kept the throne and the crown for Orunmila's children against the usurpers.
The libraries of Ifá.
The secrets of the turtle and the fish.
From the road of Awó Ejá and Awó Aún: Shangó took their voices — the fish only grunts, and the turtle's voice is kept by Osain in a gourd, for calling Egun.
That the secret of the crow was made known, and that Otrupon Ogbe was given the secret for finishing the making of the Ilú Batá.
Osa Kuleya was the one who told him the secret of the crow and the ewe.

What is forbidden · Eewó

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

The Babalawo does not walk alone.
They want to rob him.
The head is not prayed with a fish that has a small tongue.
It has to be with a fish with a big tongue — because of the curse of Awó Aún on Awó Ejá.
Do not go to the countryside or into the bush, and do not let a downpour fall on you.
You can come back sick.
Do not be anyone's guarantor, and do not give credit.
A problem comes to you there.
Do not visit prisoners in these days.
Do not go hunting or fishing, even if you are invited.
Something bad can happen to you — like the king's son who hunted the dove and fell into the river.
Do not look down on the one who comes to your house.
Do not be disobedient.
So that you do not find yourself in great danger and, to save yourself, become the slave of a greedy man — like the king's son with the turtle.
Do not mock.
By mocking you are going to lose — like Shangó challenging the ram.

Ebbós of Osa Kuleya · The sacrifices that open the road

LoveThe pregnant woman's ebbó🔒 The Notebook Beating enemiesThe ebbó of the drum and the machete🔒 The Notebook Law troubleShangó's turtle🔒 The Notebook SpiritualThe four ebbós of the Throne of Ifá🔒 The Notebook SpiritualThe ebbó of Ogún holding up the world🔒 The Notebook SpiritualThe ebbó of Eyá and Aún🔒 The Notebook MoneyThe ebbó of the boy with the drum🔒 The Notebook MoneyThe ebbó of the luck that left🔒 The Notebook Beating enemiesThe ebbó of the great turtle🔒 The Notebook

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

Works of Osa Kuleya · The workings of the sign

Beating enemiesOyá's lamp🔒 The Notebook LoveThe nine loaves of glory🔒 The Notebook HealthThe inshé Osain of the turtle🔒 The Notebook LoveOyá's hen with Shangó🔒 The Notebook SpiritualOgún's omiero🔒 The Notebook

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

Patakíes of Osa Kuleya · The roads of the Odù

1The toad and the boa

The toad went to Orunmila: the boa was saying that wherever he saw him, he would swallow him. Orunmila marked him ebbó with a rooster and two pigeons, and told him to play humble so he could win. The toad met the boa again, and although the boa swallowed him, the toad — with his ebbó already made — did him harm inside his belly: the boa had to vomit him up, and died.

The toad came before Orunmila to tell him about a threat: the majá was going around saying that the moment he ran into him, he would swallow him. Orunmila sent him to do ebbó — a rooster, two doves and the other ingredients — so that Ikú, death, would not catch him, and he also told him to behave with humility, because that was where the victory lay.

The two of them met again, and the majá swallowed him; but the ebbó was already done, and from inside the toad began to hurt his belly, until he had to vomit him up — and the majá died.

2The king's son who did not listen to Orunmila's advice

Orunmila warned the king not to let his son hunt, and the king set servants to watch him. Behind their backs, the boy made a sling, killed a pigeon that fell into the river, and trying to get it he fell in too. A turtle offered to save him in exchange for his becoming her slave: she put him inside a drum and went about saying she owned a drum that played by itself. The king, desperate, called Orunmila: a great feast, summoning every musician in the city. When the turtle's turn came, the boy sang from inside and everyone heard him: they sent the musicians away leaving the instruments behind, took the boy out of the drum — and put a crow in his place.

Orunmila warned the king that he had a son and that he must not let that boy go hunting. Since the boy loved hunting, the king put servants in charge of watching him at all hours. One day the boy made himself a sling without them knowing and, while the guards were busy talking, he saw a dove go by: he took a stone, set it in the sling and aimed so well that he killed it. The bird came down spinning in the air and fell into a river that ran very close by. Seeing the current carry off his dove, the boy tried to reach it, slipped and fell into the river too.

When he already saw himself lost, a turtle appeared and offered to pull him out of the water in exchange for staying on as her slave; the boy agreed. The turtle saved him and hid him inside a drum of hers. Every so often the boy would start singing his songs, and the turtle went around announcing that she owned a drum that played by itself.

Anguished over the fate of that beloved son, the king sent for Orunmila. He looked at him and gave him the way out: that he should throw a big party and invite all the musicians in the city, because the boy would show up there. So the king did. The musicians arrived one after another and played their instruments before the king and before Orunmila. When the turtle's turn came, she came forward with a drum, and from inside it the boy broke into song: everyone there heard him.

Orunmila then told the king to send the musicians away, leaving the instruments there, since the next day they would come back to collect their prizes. Once they had all gone, they took the boy out of the drum and put a cao in his place.

3The power of Oyá, Shangó and the ewe

Oyá — Aguadai Iyá — received a great secret from Olofin, and from Obatalá a red and white necklace, two horns and a stone, with the warning not to go near where ceremonies were being made with a ram. She prided herself on being wise, and her land lived in terror of her; she looked down on Orunmila, and Shangó swore before Olofin to avenge him. With the ebbó and the ewe, Shangó drew her into the bush with a song: Oyá cleaned her head with the ewe, gave it to the earth and was left senseless — the moment Shangó used for ofikale trupon, leaving her pregnant, and he took her two ogué and the necklace. Obatalá ruled: «you failed in your respect for me: when your son is 7, take him to Orunmila to have Ifá made, or you will not get your luck back». So it was done, and on the seventh day Shangó, eating the male turtle Orunmila handed him, forgave her: «you are now forgiven for the wrong you did Orunmila, and here is the secret of your defense».

On this road Oyá bore the name Aguadai Iyá. Olofin had entrusted her with a great secret so that everyone would respect her and life would be good in her land, called Iwade Inle. Obatalá used to visit her with advice, and one time he brought her a necklace painted red and white: "With this necklace, these two horns and this stone you will have a great defense and everyone will respect you." Oyá's joy was great: she gave moforibale to Obatalá and broke into song: "Baba ashe bo ashe iña ashe bo ashe". Obatalá blessed her, charged her to keep that secret with respect, and warned her to stay away from anywhere someone was doing a ceremony with a ram.

Oyá prided herself on being wise, and in Iwade Inle no one escaped her terror. One day Orunmila came to that land and noticed the contempt with which she treated him, so he left there worried. Already on his way, entering the land of Obá Ishe, he ran into Shangó, who gave him moforibale and wanted to know what was troubling him; Orunmila told him about Oyá. Shangó carried a chain in one hand; in the other, a coconut painted white with the Odù of Osa Kuleya drawn on it in osun. This is how he answered Orunmila: "The problem with Oyá I will settle right now." He went to Ilé Oke to look for Olofin and there he began to sing: "Baba Olofin omo siwayú, Olofin moyara Ifá omoyare". Olofin appeared and asked what he wanted. Shangó told him everything Oyá had done to Orunmila, and added: "I am going to take revenge." Olofin was not convinced: "You have never told me a lie, but I do not believe that about Oyá." Annoyed, Shangó said he was going to prove it to him.

Shangó looked for Orunmila with a request: "I want you to do ebbó for me with these things I bring you, and you will see what happens." While the ebbó was being done, Obatalá, who was around Orunmila's house, stepped in front of him: "I want you to know that Oyá is my daughter, she is a maiden, and you are to respect her." Shangó kept quiet. He set out for the land of Iwade Inle and, deep in the bush, he opened a hole and put the ebbó in it; with a coconut in his hand, he ran his hand over the female sheep and sang: "Oyá siweire omo laoyo umbo, Oyá siweire omo anya Shangó".

That song was so beautiful that it reached Oyá's ears, and she wondered who could be calling her and went out to the bush to find out. There was Shangó, who let the female sheep go; Oyá held it, ran her hand over it and handed it to him. He set the coconut in the hole and told her: "Clean your head well with the female sheep." Oyá obeyed, and right away she gave the female sheep to the earth, throwing it into the hole as well; that left her senseless, and Shangó used that moment to ofikale trupon, leaving her pregnant. He also took from her the two ogué, which ended up together with the red and white necklace; then he passed the two hens of the ebbó over her body and gave them to the earth. Oyá came to and went away without noticing anything.

Three months later she began to feel unwell and went to Obatalá to tell him what had happened. The sentence was this: "You failed to respect me, and now you will wait until you give birth and that child is 7 years old; you will take him to Orunmila so you make Ifá for him, because if not, you will not get your luck back." Oyá looked for Shangó everywhere, and no one could tell her anything about him. She gave birth, and when the 7 years were up she took the boy to Orunmila, who saw this Ifá for her, Osa Kuleya: "For you to get back all your strength and your luck, you have to make Ifá for your son."

Seven days later Shangó arrived, sent for by Orunmila; he did not want to go, but he went on Olofin's word. He entered at the foot of Igbodun and Orunmila put a male turtle (ayapa tiroko) in his hands. Shangó ate it and turned to Oyá: "You are now forgiven for the offense you committed against Orunmila, and here is the secret of your defense."

Note: Oyá is given a hen; Shangó is placed at her side, with six lit wicks and plenty of honey on top, and there the request is made. When this Ifá comes out, the mother of the person making Ifá decides the fate of a guinea: if she is alive, the guinea goes to Ogún; if she is dead, to the egun of the mother. The person is told to take a bath of rainwater, or of water from Yemayá's tureen.

4Tie up the boat so it does not drift🔒 The Notebook 5Where Oyá gave up eating ram🔒 The Notebook 6The boy and the drum🔒 The Notebook 7When the luck left🔒 The Notebook 8The drum🔒 The Notebook 9The great turtle🔒 The Notebook 10Shangó and the ram🔒 The Notebook 11When Ogún held up the world🔒 The Notebook 12Where they tried to kill Orunmila🔒 The Notebook 13The Throne of Ifá🔒 The Notebook 14Eyá and Aún — the secrets of the turtle and the fish🔒 The Notebook 15The seizing of the Alawó to make Ifá🔒 The Notebook 16The descent of Hoo at the moment of creation🔒 The Notebook 17What goes away comes back🔒 The Notebook 18Ogún and the war🔒 The Notebook 19If war with the living is bad, with the dead it is worse🔒 The Notebook 20The birds' feast🔒 The Notebook 21Osa Kuleya uncovered the deceit🔒 The Notebook 22The woman does a working on the man🔒 The Notebook 23Osa Ogunda can fight🔒 The Notebook 24The reading made for Aikujegunre🔒 The Notebook 25The reading made for the hunter🔒 The Notebook 26The green medicine🔒 The Notebook 27From strutting to death🔒 The Notebook 28The power of the birds and the tortoise🔒 The Notebook 29The antelope woman🔒 The Notebook 30The white elephant and the envious tortoise🔒 The Notebook 31The donkey and the flute🔒 The Notebook

28 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 Kuleya in Spanish →

Frequently asked questions about Osa Kuleya

What does the Odù Osa Kuleya mean in Ifá?

Where Oyá handed her ram to Shangó to save her children: the moyugbar and the Throne of Ifá were born here, the seat of wisdom.

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

Osa Kuleya is Odù number 160 of the 256 in Ifá, part of the Osa family.

Which orishas speak in Osa Kuleya?

In the Odù Osa Kuleya these orishas speak: Oyá, Shangó, Ogún, Yemayá Ashabá, Orunmila, Eshu, Egun.

What is a proverb of the Odù Osa Kuleya?

One of the proverbs of Osa Kuleya says: «War with the living is bad; with the dead it is worse.».

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