Odù 228 of 256 · Oshe family

Oshé Yeku

«The Ifá of the flies», foreman of the Obá Egun: he commands 36 just spirits and confirms Kings — you cannot consecrate yourself.

Oshé Yeku is Odù number 228 of the 256 in Ifá, part of the Oshe family. This page brings together its prayer in Yoruba, 25 patakíes (3 with the full text), its proverbs, 13 ebbós and works and the signs it shows in the consultation; the detail of iré and osogbo, the eewó and the full recipes open with the Babalawo plan — that locked part is still written in Spanish.

The sign at a glance

Order in Ifá
Odù 228 of 256
Composition
Oshe over Oyekun
In the Diloggún
5-2 · Oshé tonti Eyioko
Orishas that speak
Obatalá · Yemayá · Azojuano (Oluwó Popó) · Ozain · Elegbá · Aggayú · Shangó · Orishaoko y Olokun · Egun

What Ifá says in this sign

Oshé Yeku is «the Ifá of the flies»: here Oluwó Popó made the fly — and with it cancer — and here Poverty and Need were born, which Obatalá ruled would always exist, giving them the strength to fight. Its comfort is slow justice: the enemies who work witchcraft on you end up stuck to the flypaper, at your feet — like the envious flies on Orunmila's table.

Its rank is funereal and supreme: Oshé Yeku is the foreman of the Obá Egun of ara onú — he commands 36 just spirits, covered with Olofin's black cloth — and he confirms Kings and Chiefs all over the Earth. Hence its law against delusions of greatness: you cannot consecrate yourself — and no man's Ifá is worth anything unless it is confirmed.

«The envious flies died stuck to Orunmila's flypaper — the sorcerers who go after Oshé Yeku end up at his feet.»The pulse of Oshé Yeku

Its thresholds ask for respect: it is the Ifá of catalepsy — the states where Ikú rules: a great shock makes you lose consciousness, and you talk with spirits. Do not go into houses or lodgings without finding out where they really come from: you can be left enslaved to the place — find out first, act afterward. And walk alone: you can die for someone else or pay for what is not yours.

Its blood boils close by: trouble with brothers of blood and of religion — something you do can drive a brother mad, and he is capable of throwing ogú at you out of envy —; for a man, be careful with your lover's husband; your father has cursed you — it is repaired —, and there is a curse of never having a house: it is broken with ebbó — get yourself a house.

Its faithful allies: Yemayá — who handed the water to Lashure, the queen of the rain, so it could rain on the Earth —, the guabina who frightens Ikú off with her whistle, and Aggayú, who rules this Odù. Look after your lungs — by arun, tuberculosis speaks: broth and a fish head to Orunmila —, the flowers for the dead that were born here, and respect everything that is perfume: bad smell is your enemy — and poverty is your teacher of how to fight.

The sign in one line

Do not consecrate yourself, walk alone and get yourself a house with ebbó — Oshé Yeku confirms Kings with 36 just spirits, and poverty gave him the strength to fight.

The prayer of Oshé Yeku · Yoruba

Oshe Yeku Boro Boshe Yeku, Ibai Bororo Ofo, Ibai Bororo Ona, Obaye Be Ifa Oshe Yeku, Bawaye Be Ifa Yoyo Odara Moloni Molorun Elegba, Oshe Boro Boshe, Bari Bari Boshe Yeku, Boro Boro Awayoni Ifa, Wawayeni Elegba, Wawayeni Ifa Osha Obatala, Wawore Oshe Yeku, Bari Boshe Orunmila, Beyeku Mawayoni Ifa, Boro Boro Eni Boye Shango, Eni Boye Iku.

Súyere
Boro Boro Boshe Yebi Lona, Boro Boro Boshe Yebi Lona Awa, Boro Boro Awa Iku.

Ifá says — what Oshé Yeku tells you

Proverbs of Oshé Yeku · Òwe

18 proverb interpretations in this Odù, locked.Every proverb explained: which road it comes from and how it applies. Written in Spanish for now.Unlock →

Iré and Osogbo

8 iré and osogbo readings in this Odù, locked.The iré and osogbo of the sign, sorted by subject — health, money, love, death, loss… Written in Spanish for now.Unlock →

What is born in Oshé Yeku · Ìbí

What is forbidden · Eewó

10 eewó (taboos) in this Odù, locked.What the child of this sign must not eat, do or wear. Written in Spanish for now.Unlock →

Ebbós of Oshé Yeku · The sacrifices that open the road

La pérdidaEbbó of Poverty and Need🔒 Babalawo
Vencer enemigosWork of the egg to beat the enemy🔒 Babalawo
Vencer enemigosTo win a war🔒 Babalawo
SaludEbbó against death from going about in a group🔒 Babalawo
Alejar la muerteEbbó of the visit to the world of the dead🔒 Babalawo
EspiritualEbbó for the asieré (whoever is unsettled in mind)🔒 Babalawo
La pérdidaEbbó against being enslaved to the place🔒 Babalawo
7 ebbós in this Odù, locked.Each full recipe: ingredients, preparation and where it goes. Written in Spanish for now.Unlock →

Works of Oshé Yeku · The workings of the sign

EspiritualJar of Oshé Yeku (egun ore ore)🔒 Babalawo
EspiritualPrenda of Oshé Yeku🔒 Babalawo
SaludWork to avoid disaster and epidemic🔒 Babalawo
EspiritualEshu Kakeno🔒 Babalawo
EspiritualEshu Yeku Yelede🔒 Babalawo
SaludCalling Ikú and the prayer of Egun for the ebbó🔒 Babalawo
6 works in this Odù, locked.Each full recipe: ingredients, preparation and where it goes. Written in Spanish for now.Unlock →

Patakíes of Oshé Yeku · The roads of the Odù

1The meeting of Poverty and Need

Ikú led Poverty to Need; Obatalá helped them little by little and sent them to Orunmila, Shangó made the ebbó for them, and Elegbá gave them his clothing and his money: that is why they will always exist in the world, but with the strength to fight.

Ebbó: osiadié, bogbo jujú, bogbo eré, bogbo teunyen, bogbo ashó, bogbo ewé, bogbo iguí, bogbo inle, bogbo erán, bogbo eshishí, needles, an arrow, obi, ekú, epó, awadó, oñí, otí, bogbo inso, bogbo aboreo, owó tete boru. This ebbó is thrown far away from where you live.

In the land of Boro Boshe lived Poverty, who struggled hard and could barely keep herself, and her suffering was great. One day she set to thinking that she had to do something to get out of that state, and in her thinking she heard a voice far off calling her: «Boro Boshe Yebi Olona, Agba Boro Boro Agba Ikú.» And Ikú appeared in the distance. Poverty took fright, but Ikú told her: «Follow me!» And she followed her to the land of Moloni Molorun, where Need lived.

Once together, Poverty and Need began talking about the suffering they both went through, which they could not bear. They spent their lives calling on Obatalá; they wept, they struggled and they went on calling, and time passed.

They were worn out with so much suffering when Obatalá decided to go out and travel the world to see what was going on. The last land he came to was Moloni Molorun, and there he saw Poverty and Need of Oshé Yeku, almost worn out. He passed his hand over them both. He carried an apó with yam, eyelé and ewefá: he made them ebomisí and oborí. Afterward he spoke with them: «I am going to give you a little of everything, but I will give it all to you little by little, because you always have to exist in the world.» To Poverty he gave otí, and Need he set to eating yam, giving her the strength to fight. And he told them: «Go to the land of Obaye Be Ifa, where Orunmila lives; take him all this so he can make ebbó for you. Tell him I sent you.»

So they did. When they reached Orunmila's house, Shangó was there cooking every kind of unyén. Orunmila told Shangó to serve them food, because they were hungry and full of longing, and that afterward he himself should make the ebbó for them. When Shangó finished, he handed them the ashé saying: «Oshé Yekú Boro Boshe Benireo, Oshé Baba, Oshé Nile Agba Yore Ifa Odara.» And he told them: «You have to take this ebbó through all the lands, and with this bell you will go along sounding it and singing: Agogo Nile Wawao Agogo…»

In the lands they passed through, Egun, Oshas and Orishas came out and followed behind Poverty and Need, singing and begging Obatalá and Olofin for them. So they went on, until Elegbá heard them, gave them his clothing and the money he had, and they both prospered. Then Poverty, Need and Elegbá went to thank Shangó and Orunmila, and to give moforibale to Obatalá, who had an agborán obiní ready for them to worship.

2The shadow of hunger

Orunmila taught men how sad a morning is with no sound of the mortar pounding yam, and how black the shade is when he himself lies down under the shade of hunger.

Orunmila said to men: «What a sad morning it is when the air is not full of the sound of the mortar pounding yam. What a sad night it is when you listen in vain for the sound of men sifting amalá. What a painful day it is when the frying pans do not bubble with the stew of tejoró (rabbit) and of adié. What a black shade it is when Orunmila lies down under the shade of hunger.»

Note: chequeté is set before Elegbá to change the temper.

3The Ifá of the flies

The flies, envious spiritists, worked witchcraft on Orunmila and filled his house with the bad smell of what they sent; with the flypaper on the table his enemies were left stuck to it and Orunmila got his health back.

The flies were spiritists and they envied Orunmila for his great wisdom and for how surely he settled the affairs of the people who came to his house.

Because of that they began working witchcraft on him. One day Orunmila passed near them a little sad and ill, and one of them, out of turn, landed on his shoulder and told him mockingly: «Orunmila, you are ill and death is after you.» Orunmila answered nothing and went on his way home.

The flies went on working stronger and stronger witchcraft on him, sending things against him to finish him off. Orunmila was careless and noticed nothing, until he saw how his house filled with flies because of the bad smell of the witchcraft they sent him. They never stopped following him, by day and by night.

Orunmila made Osode, saw this Ifá and marked himself ebbó. But before the ebbó he had to set liria (flypaper) on his table, in order to make the ebbó with his enemies. The next day he went to the market, bought the flypaper and set it on the table. After a while, on picking it up, he saw that his enemies were stuck to it. That is how he found out the enemies who had been making him ill, made the ebbó and began to get his health back.

Note: the enemies come to your feet.

4The fly dies from going about in a group🔒 Babalawo
5The fly recommends ebbó to Orunmila🔒 Babalawo
6The man and the castle spider🔒 Babalawo
7The man who turned into a fly🔒 Babalawo
8The pact between San Lázaro and Ozain🔒 Babalawo
9San Lázaro made people ill and Ozain cured them by common pact🔒 Babalawo
10The flies follow Ikú because of the stench🔒 Babalawo
11The first bunch of flowers set before death🔒 Babalawo
12Lafi Akú drives his brother Erin Layé mad🔒 Babalawo
13The visit to the world of the dead (Bokofio)🔒 Babalawo
14Oshé Yeku confirms Kings and Chiefs🔒 Babalawo
15Oshé Yeku commands 36 spirits🔒 Babalawo
16Oshé Yeku, foreman of the Obá Egun of ara onú🔒 Babalawo
17The coconut shell, the gourd bowl and Baba Oshé Reigbo🔒 Babalawo
18The woman bewitched by the palero🔒 Babalawo
19Orunla cures the King of tuberculosis🔒 Babalawo
20The twofold path of Ifá🔒 Babalawo
21Moving on through the astral planes🔒 Babalawo
22The flies and the bees🔒 Babalawo
23The old man and the dog🔒 Babalawo
24The night-blooming jasmine🔒 Babalawo
25How the oponfá drives the osobos away🔒 Babalawo
22 more patakíes in this Odù, locked.Read every road in full with the Babalawo plan. Written in Spanish for now.Unlock →
Before you subscribe: everything you read on this page is in English, but the locked part of the treatise — the full text of the other patakíes, the recipes for the ebbós and works, the iré and osogbo readings and the eewó — is still written in Spanish. We are translating it. · This page is also available in Spanish: See Oshé Yeku in Spanish →

Frequently asked questions about Oshé Yeku

What does the Odù Oshé Yeku mean in Ifá?

«The Ifá of the flies», foreman of the Obá Egun: he commands 36 just spirits and confirms Kings — you cannot consecrate yourself.

What number is Oshé Yeku among the 256 Odù of Ifá?

Oshé Yeku is Odù number 228 of the 256 in Ifá, part of the Oshe family.

Which orishas speak in Oshé Yeku?

In the Odù Oshé Yeku these orishas speak: Obatalá, Yemayá, Azojuano (Oluwó Popó), Ozain, Elegbá, Aggayú, Shangó, Orishaoko y Olokun, Egun.

What is a proverb of the Odù Oshé Yeku?

One of the proverbs of Oshé Yeku says: «Do not leave the certain for the doubtful.».

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