Oyekun Bika

Alesesi — mother of the rains, the dew and all the waters, a sorceress of Dahomey — declared war on Aiye, the mother of Orunmila's children, because she wanted her own children to be Ifá's favorites, though they were only stepchildren. She prepared her children by magic to harm Orunmila's children, who in the land of Abariba were called Oyeku Biká Lomi.

When the eldest fell ill, Aye went to Orunmila, who saw this Ifá for her and marked her an ebbó with an iba koto (a large gourd), omí oyouro, two itaná and two eyele funfun: when it rained, she was to take the gourd, pray the Odù and set it on her lerí, singing. So they did, and when the rains, with Alesesi's magic, could do nothing against the gourd, her children were turned into drops that did the earth good. That is how Orunmila's children were saved; that is why the Awó of this sign must not let water fall on his head, and puts a gourd on when bathing.

A king had two wives; the one he loved best had a single son, and both were hated by the other wife. The young man talked his mother into leaving for the forest; burning a thicket, they opened a clearing, planted seed and prospered, and he killed the animals that came with his wonder-working spear. One day an elephant ran off wounded with the spear in him; the young man chased him for days as far as the sea, where he found the elephant dead and some light-skinned men who gave him rich gifts for the tusks and asked him to show them the land of the elephants.

The young man went to fetch his family, who had never seen the sea or tasted salt, and showed them that world. But envy drove his brothers to kill him: they threw him into the sea and wept over his death for show. A huge turtle carried him on its shell to the beach, and he reached his town the night before his funeral rites ended, when the widow was about to choose a new husband from among his brothers. He stood before them all, denounced the outrage, took back everything he had given them and sent them into exile, back to the land where they eat no salt. With this Ifá Ozain saves: give him ayapá and a frizzled chicken.

In the land of Adifa Inlé, by Olofin's order, Oggún was chief of the bandits and held in a cave 16 very powerful warriors who had escaped from jail. Olofin, king of that land, was at war with the Arayé and the Osobo, who had joined together to unseat him. He went to Orunmila, who saw this Ifá for him and told him his salvation was among the outlaws, marking him an ebbó with awadó, ewe Ifá, obí and an abó to take to the cave.

Olofin came to the cave with the abó, called Oggún and asked him to hand over the prisoners so they could go to war. Oggún, seeing the abó, agreed. Olofin called each one — Baba Eyiogbe, Oyekun, on to Oragun — and told them he needed them to win, and that from then on they would no longer live in hiding, but would be Kings and magicians. Each one, after eating his food, went for his children, and all together they went to war and won.