Oshé Ká

In a town, the governor had a slave who was once hidden in a room feeding his head, and was caught by his master, who asked what he was doing and was told that he was feeding his head to better his luck.

The master answered that he would soon see what his head would bring him. He punished him and ordered him thrown into the sea inside a wooden crate. The slave was carried by the current for several days.

Meanwhile, a King who governed a great land had died, and the wise men said that whoever came to replace him would arrive by sea. A few days later they made out the closed box and, on opening it, found the man inside, whom they looked after and healed. They told the wise men at once, and they said that this man was the one meant to be King.

On the day he took possession, all the governors of the lands nearby came, including the one who had thrown him into the sea, who was astonished that his slave should be proclaimed King. He begged his pardon, and the King answered: «I am very grateful, because if you had not done that, I would not be King today.»

At the banquet, the old master died at the table. (Do not sit down to eat at the table.)

Prayer: Oshe Karaka Adifafun Eru Orunmila Umbati Ese Ibulosa Omo Eru Oshun Kayode… Ladofun Inle Bata.

Ebbó: two white roosters, fresh red snapper, fresh guabina, apontipotica, plenty of honey, yellow cloth, all the ashés, ekú, eyá, awadó, river water, river sand, opolopo owó.

In the land of Akarakaniye, which was on the riverbank, there was an Obá with many slaves, and among them one who stood out because he was Oluwó Ozain: all the rest respected him, and when they fell ill they went to him to be cured, given his knowledge of the eweses. One day the Obá learned of that slave's command over the herbs and felt envy, since being Obá he knew nothing of them, and he looked for a way to destroy him. The slave was called Eru Kayode and was omó Oshún.

One day, gathering herbs, he sang his song of Ozain and set out for the river, where he saw his Iyá Oshún in the middle of the water. He knelt on the bank and sang, and Oshún came out of the river, set her hands on his head and blessed him: «You have a great deal of knowledge of Ozain, which he and I have handed you. But envy and betrayal circle you. To win, go and see Orunmila on my behalf and take him the herbs, this one along with them, which is ewé awedó: he knows the secret of what has to be done with it.»

Orunmila made Osode for him, saw this Ifá and told him: «Your luck is on the other side of the river and a woman will give it to you. But there is a great betrayal on your road. To beat it, bathe with the ewé awedó Oshún gave you, give yourself two etú on your head and bathe with the blood and the ewé.» He made him ebbó and baths, and told him: «Go back to the river and call there on Osha Inle Abatá, who are the ones who will save you.»

Eru Kayode reached the bank, sounded the agogó and sang; he went into the river with the apontipotica and a guabina, went down to the bottom, gave the guabina singing, covered it and came up to the surface; in the middle of the river he gave the fresh red snapper singing; and on coming up to the bank he gave the white rooster, rubbing the blood over his whole body and burying it in the sand. Afterward he went back to the estate and lay down to sleep; he dreamed of Inle dressed in white and pale blue, who gave him a suyere to call him with when he was in danger.

The next day, the master sent his men to arrest him. They whipped him, put him inside a box and threw it into the river so he would drown, because the master could not accept that any slave should know more than he did. On falling into the water, in a moment of clarity, the slave stammered out the suyere Inle had taught him: «Eye Eya Inle Eja Erumale…» Then the fish of the river, which were guabinas, gathered and dragged the box toward the far shore, which was the land of Iyesá Modé.

There the King had died, and on consulting Ifá this Odù had come up, which said: «The luck and the new Obá come by the river.» When they saw that crate arrive, they took it out of the water, opened it and found a man almost dying, with many eweses and a great deal of ewé awedó. They cured him, gave him moforibale and crowned him Obá of Iyesá Modé; and they all bathed with ewé awedó.

When the Obá of Akarakaniye learned that his former slave had been saved and was Obá of the other land, he would not believe it and crossed the river; on seeing that it was true, he died of the shock. Then all the people of Akarakaniye went to Iyesá and gave moforibale to Eru Kayode, naming him Obá of their land as well. So the two lands were joined, Iyesá Modé (of Oshún) and Akarakaniye (of Inle), and Eru Kayode governed them by the virtue of Orunmila and the power of Ozain, Oshún and Inle Abatá.

Note: by arun no word of salvation is given; the person learns very quickly. It is the Ifá of the slave and the Obá's daughter.

Ebbó: akukó, awadó, ounko, ekú, eyá, epó, ewé la meyo.

When Shangó and Shakpaná were children, Olofin made the Earth. Shangó was the first to offer to go down, but Olofin told him: «Since the Earth was made from Heaven, to the Earth will go the eldest and the best.» Shakpaná was the one who met those terms and was chosen. Shangó grew jealous and held back the rain in Heaven, hoping that men, in despair, would go to Olofin and ask that it be Shangó who came down. Men began to say: «We have nothing to eat and nothing to drink. We have nothing!»

Azojuano went to be read by Orunmila and this Ifá came up, marking him ebbó and that it should be given to Elegbara. So he did. One day, Olofin sent Elegbara to Earth to see how things were going. Shakpaná told him: «Everything is going badly: Shangó is keeping the rain from falling. But look, I have this for you», and gave him the contents of the ebbó. Elegbara told him: «I will go back to Heaven and send you a messenger to tell you what you have to do.»

Elegbara, to show Olofin what Shangó was doing, told him that there was a shortage of water, that they would all die of thirst because Shangó had it stored up. He sent his messenger to Earth, the bird Watutú (the little river cock), with a message for Shakpaná: to light a very great fire, whose smoke and flames would be seen in Heaven. As soon as it was done, Watutú began to sing.

Elegbara told Olofin that he had sent his small helper Watutú, who reported that, because Shangó had withheld the water from Shakpaná, the heat and the drought were so great that there was fire on the Earth, and the flames threatened to destroy Orun. Olofin looked, saw that it was true, and told Shangó to make it rain, so Watutú would not burn to death.

The rain fell heavily, the Earth was saved and Shakpaná settled his power in Aiyé. Olofin, who had taken no notice of the quarrel, made Shangó and Shakpaná make peace, so the war on Earth would end.

That is why the little river cock is the messenger of Elegbara and of Azojuano; and when he cries out, he is asking for the water of Heaven.