Otura Bara

Obatalá courted Oshún, who returned his love, and from that love a son was born, who was Eshu Laboni. One day Obatalá went out, and when he came back, his son said: «Father, you know that my mother poured aguardiente and corojo butter into your jug.» Obatalá grew angry and kept quiet.

Another day, Oshún went out, and when she came back, her son said: «Mother, you know that my father poured aguardiente and millet into your jar.» Oshún began to quarrel. Then people came, learned of it, and told them to throw that child into the river. Obatalá took his son to throw him out, and it happened that halfway along the road the boy said: «Father, you know you are stepping on a snake, and that this year your luck is going to be long.»

Obatalá, hearing this, said: «Go on, be quiet, wicked child», and walked on. When they reached the river, the boy said: «Father, you are stepping on an eel.» Obatalá lifted his foot, saw that it was true, and the boy said: «This year all your affairs will be long and at a standstill.» At these words, Obatalá lost his temper and threw the boy into the river.

When he fell in, he turned into a palm of four-eyed ikines. Then Olofin, who had been looking for those adelé, when he came to the riverbank and found them, gave the boy a blessing, telling him: «You will always be present at all my consecrations.»

Ever since then, everyone goes looking for four-eyed ikines, which were the ashé of Obatalá and Oshún.

Note: Ifá says you have a child; be careful what you say, because he has a great deal of ashé in his mouth. Give to Eshu quickly so Olofin goes with him. Also: the man who looks for a woman in a hurry runs into the Devil, because he takes whatever is wandering about for the wrong reasons.

In the land of Gualona, where Obatalá lived, Santo (yoko-Osha) had never been made; many Santos lived there, but no consecrations had been done for anyone. Obatalá had a son called Alaboni, and Oshún had raised him. He was always up to mischief and pretended to be ill.

Oshún always went to where her mother Oyá was and told her what her son Alaboni was doing. One day, she told Oshún to take him to the land of Bakerioyo, where Awó Otura Bara lived.

They went through great hardship to reach that land, because it was very far and they had to pass through the land where Odudúwa and Azojuano lived, but along the road she went singing: AGO NILEO AWO IFA AGO NILEO AWO LALAROSHA.

Awó Otura Bara, who was at the door of his house, saw Oyá and Oshún coming with Alaboni, went in and cast the ekuele, and Otura Bara came up. When they arrived, he began cleaning Alaboni with smoked jutía and fish and corojo butter, and sang: ELEGBA NITA LAROYE NISIKO ELEGBA NITALAROYE NISEKU.

Laboni began to dance. Orunmila gave him corojo butter, coconut, smoked jutía and fish to eat, and told Oshún and Oyá that Alaboni had to be consecrated in Osha. Awó Otura Bara handed her a dove and told her to give it to Obatalá and to tell him to call all the Oshas, so that for the first time Osha would be consecrated in the land of Gualola.

So Oshún did, and afterward Awó Otura Bara kept her and Alaboni three days in his house, cleaning them with different things. He handed her the herbs Alaboni was to be consecrated with and told her to go to the land of Gualola. On the road she met Shangó, who had ero, obí, kolá and osun naború to consecrate Laboni. She set out with him and went along saying the prayer the Awó had given her: ASHE ESHU ALABONI ASHE ESHU BA ALABONI OBATALA LAGUEDE ASHE ESHU BA ALABONI.

When Shangó heard these words he was very pleased and went on with her, and the two of them went singing to the land where Obatalá was. When they were heard, everyone was very pleased and at once all the Oshas came and took them to the door where Obatalá was, who was already prepared. Alaboni knocked on the door and they prayed: SHINILEPO EYA OSHUN SHINILEPO OBATALA HOGUERA OMO LEYE NI LORUN OLORDUMARE NIRE OSHA.

Obatalá took a dove and gave it at his feet at the door, and sang: EDUN SHINILEPO EDUN SHINILEPO ARIKU BABAWA.

Then Alaboni went in with Oyá. When they were going to bathe him, to put him into the basin, she said: ATOBO (with the left foot) ATIGUO OSHA ATOBO ORI NI OSHA ARENI TIAGUE. And they put Alaboni into the basin and bathed him. Afterward Shangó set the ashé on his head. Olofin was very pleased, and so were the Oshas.

And that is how Santo was made for the first time on Earth.

In the land of Yerekun lived Awó Mokayere, and it was ruled by Oluopopo. That land was one of slavery, illness and poverty. The food was grass, and it was made ill by Oluopopo's doing, so that nobody could leave that land. The other thing eaten there was corn flour and bread.

There was a slave there, the strongest and the most punished, called Oluo Tenire, son of Osanyin, who for a disrespect toward his father had been sent as a punishment to the land of Yerekun.

Oluo Tenire spent his time at the foot of a ceiba and a jobo tree, wrapped himself in ivy and abrecamino, and with a chick he sang: OSANYIN BABA MAYERE AWO OSANYIN BABA KUELE OSAIN MAYERE.

One day when Osanyin went out walking and, without realizing it, came near the land of Yerekun, he heard his son's voice and quickened his step, coming in at daybreak. He arrived singing: OLUOPOPO AYE AGBA OMONI ERUN.

Oluopopo, who heard this song, was annoyed and went straight at Osanyin and told him: «Everyone here is a slave of mine and of my son Mosaraye.» Osanyin, annoyed, let the snake (eyó) loose. It ran and bit Mosaraye, poisoned his blood and rotted him. Osanyin withdrew and the snake hid, and began biting into the corn Oluopopo ate, and Oluopopo fell ill. Three days later, the snake went to where Osanyin was and told him everything he had done. During the three days he was in the land of Yerekun, he whistled at Oluopopo and told him he knew nothing about any of it.

Osanyin said to the snake: «You have to find your brother in the land of Obara Koso; he is the one with the power to save all of Oluopopo's slaves.»

Shangó, who lived in the land of Obara Koso, with the power of hearing everything around him, on hearing what Osanyin had said, dressed himself as a tiger, put eyó's brother into a little bag of tiger skin and headed for where Osanyin and the snake were. When he arrived, he asked them what was going on. They told him everything and set out for the land of Yerekun, where Oluopopo was.

Shangó, from the moment he set out, went along singing: OLUOPOPO EYE ORIELE OLUOPOPO EKUN NILE ODARA.

Oluopopo heard the song, got up and greeted Shangó, who came with Osanyin, and Osanyin put the eyó into the gourd so Oluopopo would not see it. Shangó said to Oluopopo: «Here I bring you the secret you are missing so that slavery and illness disappear from the land of Yerekun.»

Oluopopo, who had a ram, took hold of it and gave it to him, and knelt before Shangó, swearing to keep everything Shangó laid down. Shangó handed him the secret Osanyin had brought, and they began curing the whole population of the land of Yerekun; they took away the herbs and the food that carried the illness, and quiet and health came to the land of Yerekun. And to Otura Bara.

Note: when Otura Bara comes up, Obara Koso is set beside it, and if it is Obara Koso, Otura Bara is set beside it. Shangó gave the secret of Ekun (the tiger) and Osanyin that of the snake (eyó). Before receiving Oluopopo, a ram is given to Shangó.