Oshé Ká

The governor of a certain town had a slave among his people. One day he found him shut alone in a room, making an offering to his head. He wanted to know what he was doing, and the man did not deny it: he was feeding his head so his luck would change.

That struck him as insolence. He warned him that soon it would be seen how far that head of his would take him, ordered him punished, and had him put into a wooden box and thrown into the sea. For several days the man drifted at the mercy of the current.

In those same days, in a big and far-off land, the King had died, and the wise men held that his successor would come by sea. Soon after, a closed box appeared off the coast; they opened it and inside came a man, whom they took in, cared for, and nursed back to health. The wise men were told, and they confirmed at once that this was the one meant to reign.

For the crowning, the governors of the neighboring lands came, and among them the one who had thrown him into the water, who could not get over seeing his own former slave crowned. He begged him for forgiveness, and the King answered: "I am very grateful, because if you had not done that, I would not be King today."

During the feast, the former master fell dead on 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 and fresh guabina, apontipotica, plenty of honey, yellow cloth, all the ashés, ekú, eyá, awadó, river water and river sand, opolopo owó.

On the bank of the river lay the land of Akarakaniye, where an Obá owned many slaves. One of them stood out above the rest: he was Oluwó Ozain, and his companions treated him with respect; as soon as one of them fell ill they went to him, for he knew more about eweses than anyone. His name was Eru Kayode and he was omó Oshún. When the Obá learned how much that man knew about herbs, he envied him — he, being Obá, knew nothing of such matters — and set about looking for a way to do away with him.

One afternoon, while he was gathering herbs, Eru Kayode sang his Ozain song and took the road to the river. When he got there he saw his Iyá Oshún in the middle of the water. He knelt on the bank and sang. Oshún came to him, put her hands on his head and gave him her blessing: "You have much knowledge of Ozain, which he and I gave you. But envy and betrayal are circling you. To win, go and see Orunmila on my behalf and take him the herbs, this one too, which is ewé awedó: he knows the secret of what has to be done with it."

With the herbs and that message he came before Orunmila. There was Osode, this Ifá came out, and the diviner warned 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 that Oshún gave you, give two etú to your head, and bathe with the blood and the ewé." Then came the ebbó and the baths, and when they were finished Orunmila added: "Go back to the river and call there on Osha Inle Abatá, for they are the ones who will save you."

Back on the bank, Eru Kayode played the agogó and sang. He walked into the current carrying the apontipotica and a guabina; he went down to the bottom, offered the guabina there while he sang, covered it, and came back up. Now in the middle of the river he offered the fresh red snapper, singing as well. When he came out onto land he sacrificed the white rooster, smeared the blood over his whole body, and buried it in the sand. Then he went back to the farm and fell asleep. In his dreams Inle appeared to him, dressed in white and light blue, and gave him a súyere to call him with in case of danger.

Day broke, and the master sent his lackeys to seize him. They whipped him, shut him in a box and threw it into the river so he would drown: he could not get it into his head that a slave of his knew more than he did. As he was sinking, in a moment of clear thinking, he managed to stammer the súyere he had learned from Inle: "Eye Eya Inle Eja Erumale…". The fish of the river, which were guabinas, came in a crowd and pushed the box to the opposite bank: the land of Iyesá Modé.

The King there had just died. Ifá had been consulted, and this Odù had come out with these words: "Luck and the new Obá are coming by the river." So as soon as the box appeared, they pulled it out of the water and opened it: inside came a man about to die, loaded with eweses and with ewé awedó. They healed him, gave him moforibale and crowned him Obá of Iyesá Modé; and everyone bathed with ewé awedó.

The news reached Akarakaniye: the slave was alive and reigning on the other bank. His former master refused to believe it and crossed the river; when he saw that it was true, the shock killed him. His whole people then went over to Iyesá, gave moforibale to Eru Kayode and named him Obá of that land as well. In this way Iyesá Modé (of Oshún) and Akarakaniye (of Inle) were joined, and Eru Kayode ruled both by virtue of Orunmila, with the power of Ozain, of Oshún and of Inle Abatá.

Note: when it comes by arun there is no word of salvation; whoever brings it learns very fast. This is the Ifá of the slave and the Obá's daughter.

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

When Shangó and Shakpaná were still children, Olofin created the Earth. Shangó stepped forward and asked to go down to it, but Olofin answered him: "Since the Earth was created from Heaven, the oldest and the best will go to the Earth." Shakpaná met those conditions, and the choice fell on him. Shangó, bitten by jealousy, held the rain back up above: he counted on men, once they were desperate, going up to beg Olofin to send Shangó in his place. And men began to complain: "We have nothing to eat and nothing to drink. We have nothing!"

Azojuano went to see Orunmila. This Ifá came out for him; it marked ebbó and that Elegbara be fed; and so he did. Some time later, Olofin sent Elegbara down to find out how things were going. Shakpaná complained to him: "Everything is going badly: Shangó is keeping the rain from falling. But look, I have this for you." With those words he handed him what the ebbó held. Elegbara promised him: "I will go back to Heaven and send you a messenger to tell you what you have to do."

To prove to Olofin what Shangó was plotting, Elegbara told him about the lack of water and that everyone was going to die of thirst, since Shangó was keeping it all. He at once sent his messenger down to Earth, the Watutú bird — the river cockerel — charged with telling Shakpaná to light a huge fire, with smoke and flames that could be seen from Heaven. Once this was done, Watutú burst into song.

Then Elegbara explained to Olofin that his little helper Watutú had gone in his place, and that he was reporting the following: since Shangó had taken the water away from Shakpaná, the heat and the drought had grown so great that the Earth was burning, and that fire threatened to finish off Orun. Olofin looked out, saw that it was so, and ordered Shangó to let the rain go, before Watutú burned alive.

The water came down in plenty, the Earth was saved, and Shakpaná settled his power in Aiyé. Olofin, who until that moment had paid no attention to the quarrel, made peace between Shangó and Shakpaná so the war on Earth would end.

That is why the river cockerel serves as messenger to Elegbara and to Azojuano; and when it cries out, what it is asking for is the water of Heaven.