Oyekun Ka

Alesesi was the mother of the rains, the dew and all the waters. A war broke out between her and Aiye, the mother of Orunmila's children. Both women belonged to Orunmila and wanted their offspring to be Ifá's favorites, but Alesesi's children were only Orunmila's stepchildren. A sorceress of the Kenect family of Dahomey, Alesesi trained her children with magic so that, on arriving in this world, they would harm Orunmila's children, known in that land of Abariba as Oyekun Biká Lomi.

Aiye's eldest son fell ill and she went to Orunmila for a consultation; the sign Oyekun Biká Lomi came out. Ifá prescribed an ebbó with a large gourd, oyouro water, two candles, two white doves and money. He also ordered that, when the rain began, the gourd be taken, the prayer of the odu be spoken and the gourd be placed on the head while a chant was sung.

They obeyed. The rains, charged with Alesesi's magic, crashed against the gourd without overcoming it, and Alesesi's children turned into drops that benefited the earth. So Orunmila's children escaped the ravage of the rains, and the other waters became a good for the soil and those who live on it.

Ever since, the awó of this sign makes sure that no kind of water falls on his head, and when bathing he wears a large gourd over it.

A certain king had two wives, with children by both. The favorite had a single son, and the other wife hated them both with boundless rage.

The boy asked his mother to gather seeds of every kind; he wanted to go to a calmer place, away from the anger and contempt of that woman. “Where will we go?” she asked. “The jungle will welcome us and the stars will watch over our rest,” he answered. They walked many days until they came to a thicket that cut off the way. They set fire to it to pass, and the blaze consumed an enormous part of the forest. In the cleared space they built a hut and planted the seeds. The plants developed, the fruits ripened, and many animals came, which the young hunter brought down with his miraculous spear.

Once an elephant arrived that almost destroyed the crop. The boy drove his spear into its back, but could not kill it, and the wounded elephant fled carrying off the weapon. The young man was left without defense against the beasts that came for the fruits. He said goodbye to his mother and set out after the elephant, guided by the tracks of its huge feet. He walked day and night without stopping until he reached an unknown place, with soft, shining ground, beside a vast stretch of water whose other bank could not be seen. It was the sea, and the elephant lay dead on the beach.

He picked up the spear and was already heading back to his forest when he saw a house approaching over the water with light skinned men. They paid him many gifts for the elephant's tusks, built him a hut, and begged him to show them the land of the elephants. Seeing himself with so much wealth, he thought of his mother, his father and his brothers, who had never seen the sea, tasted salt or known those generous men.

He went to find them and showed them that new world. A time of joy passed for everyone, until envy slipped into his brothers' hearts and, as a bad adviser, pushed them to want to kill him. One day they threw him into the sea. Afterward they went back to the shore pretending to weep and brought the terrible news that the waves had carried him away.

But the boy was alive. A giant tortoise carried him on its shell and left him on a beach far from the village where his brothers had already begun the funeral. He walked without rest and reached his village the eve of the end of the prayers. His mother and his wife told him what was happening, and he spent that night hidden in his house.

The next morning the rite would be held in which the widow would choose a new husband from among the young man's brothers. At the appointed hour, he appeared before everyone and accused his brothers of their wickedness. He said in a strong voice: “Get out of here. Go back to your village, deep in the forests, to the country where there is no salt. You will never again see this sea where you tried to kill me.” He took back everything he had given them and drove them out.

In the land of Adifa Inlé, Ogún commanded the bandits by order of Olofin. He kept sixteen powerful warriors locked in a cave. They had escaped from jail.

Olofin ruled that land and faced a war: the Arayé and the Osobo had joined forces to overthrow him and seize the kingdom. He visited Orunmila and this Ifá came out for him. It spoke of gathering forces and said that his salvation was among the outlaws. Orunmila marked an ebbó for him of awadó, ewe Ifá, obí and an abó, to carry as an offering to Ogún's cave.

With the abó in hand, Olofin stood before the cave and called Ogún. He explained that Orunmila was sending him with that offering so that Ogún would free the prisoners and he could take them to the war. Ogún resisted, but when he saw the abó he yielded and let him in.

Olofin called them one by one and all came forward: Baba Eyiogbe, Oyekun and the rest down to Oragun. He asked for their help against the Osobo and the Arayé, and promised them that they would no longer live in hiding: besides being warriors they would be kings and magicians. Each one ate, looked for his children, and together they marched to the war, where they won.