Oyekun Fun

Eshu Larufa was the son of Ikú and Inle. From childhood he observed his father’s enormous powers. Before speaking with Ikú, Inle said a prayer, and she became an invisible shadow who took away all who crossed her path until she reached where Inle was. Ikú sang to him and he also changed form. Then she held a black hen and danced with Inle, convinced that the child was asleep. But Eshu Larufa spied on them, and he lived very upset because he had no power at all to do what they did.

When Ikú was about to lie down, Inle placed a dry coconut under her head as a pillow so that she could rest, because Ikú does not sleep: she only rests, though Inle believed she slept. Eshu Larufa said to himself: “My parents have so many virtues and I not one,” and he filled with bitterness.

He also noticed that, when his mother left, she handed the dry coconut to Inle and asked him to bury it; that way he would see how she changed into various colors, and each of those forms was a different virtue for the world. Ikú had also warned Inle never to tell anyone, not even their son.

One day Eshu Larufa asked his father for permission to take a walk. Inle agreed, and the child came to Belelé, the land where Oyá lived. He was distressed and worried, and he told her everything he knew about his parents. Oyá told him she would wash him with an omiero of herbs, which would serve as a sponge. She bathed him with that omiero while she sang a chant.

Then she gave him a coconut and a black hen with this order: on returning home, without anyone noticing, he was to replace the hen with which Inle danced alongside Ikú and the coconut that served him as a pillow, and bring everything to her right away. Eshu Larufa obeyed and returned to Oyá, who lodged him for three days. After that time, Oyá took the black hen, gave its blood to Eshu Larufa, and ate as well. She took out the secret of the coconut, gave it to him and said: “Come with me.” They went together to where Inle and Ikú were.

At that moment Ikú began to speak to Inle and saw her son turn into two figures: a man and a woman. Terrified, she told Inle to look at what was happening to their son. Oyá jumped and shouted three times, and Inle and Ikú fell to the ground. Then Oyá spoke: “Children must be given virtues so that they live without prejudice and so that respect is kept between parents and children. You, Inle, will have to respect Eshu Larufa.” In this way, with the aid of Oyá, Eshu Larufa became great in the world.

Ikú was looking for someone to take away, since one person's time had come. Olofin had assigned her Ifá Irawo, a man who wore a black cape and who went to the square that day.

Ikú searched for him persistently and also went to the square, where she asked who was named Ifá Irawo. He answered that he was, not knowing the risk, and Ikú threw herself at him. The people fled, shouting, but Eshu, who saw everything, ordered that the man be left in peace so that he could stay alive. Ifá Irawo ran off to a neighboring town. Ikú remarked that it did not matter: even if he fled, she would catch him.

In the town, Ifá Irawo came to a secluded house and knocked. When it opened, he went in and asked for water, saying that he was escaping from death and that his name was Ifá Irawo. The owners, frightened, gave him a drink and decided to take him to Orunmila, who lived very near. Orunmila consulted the oracle for him and the Ifá Oyeku Ofun came out. He performed with him the ceremonies the odu asked for, ordered his head shaved, and gave him another name: Oyeku Bedura. He explained that all this would serve as a disguise to fool death, but that he had to abstain from alcohol, or take it in moderation, and avoid drawing attention wherever he was.

With his new name, Oyeku Bedura went away more at ease. Ikú went on looking for him and returned to the house where he had been; she asked for water because she was thirsty, and on seeing her the residents screamed in horror. Death calmed them: she was only looking for a man in a black cape named Ifá Irawo. Nobody said anything and Ikú left to continue her search.

Meanwhile, Oyeku Bedura, sure of himself thanks to the change of name and clothes, wanted to have a few drinks. That day the town was holding a great party and he went. He drank too much, disobeying Orunmila, and began to dance, staggering and out of rhythm. The guests gathered to watch him.

Ikú, worn out from searching without finding Ifá Irawo, lamented that since she had not fulfilled Olofin's assignment, she would take anyone else so as not to return with nothing. She walked through the town and came to the party, which she entered. There she found the shaved man dancing alone, surrounded by people, and went closer to observe him. She decided to take him, since she could not find Ifá Irawo.

Making her way through the crowd, which was stunned to see her, Ikú went straight to him, spread her cape, and wrapped him in it. The shaved man shouted that he was not Ifá Irawo but Oyeku Bedura, but Ikú replied that he was precisely the one she was looking for. And she took him before Olofin.

Before Olofin, Ikú apologized: she had traveled through many towns to carry out the assignment, she was weary and ashamed, and this was all she brought. She opened the cape and Ifá Irawo came out of it. Olofin answered that she had indeed fulfilled it, since that was Ifá Irawo. And he said that this was how Ifá Irawo was lost, through drinking too much.

There was a wealthy woman, with money, a house and a life of her own, who only lacked a marriage to a babalawo.

One day Oyeku Bedura went out for a walk and left an offering of food for Eshu on a corner. Eshu greeted him and asked what he had brought. Oyeku Bedura handed over what he carried, and Eshu, very pleased, ate it.

Then Eshu took an ade out of his apó, charged it with ashé and gave it to him, saying: “Just as you fed me, you will have dealings with a woman of means.”

Some time later Oyeku Bedura came across that woman, who was looking for an awó to marry. They joined together, and he lived content and became rich.