Tales of Yoruba Gods and Heroes

Dô.
ûyob C83t IVi

Courlander 1734376
Pales of Yoruba gods and
leroes
SXORiOl
o
PUBLIC LIBRARY
FORT WAYNE AND ALLEN COUNTY, IND.
ouniv wfflS.Vffiiii'iJ
3 1833 00400
4 N
*M>
Digitized by the Internet Archive

in 2012
http://archive.org/details/talesofyorubagodOOcour
TALES
OF
YORUBA
GODS
AND
HEROES
By the same author
NONFICTION
The Fourth World of the Hopis
The Drum and the Hoe Life and Lore
:
of the Haitian People
Negro Folk Music, U.S.A.

Haiti Singing
Vodoun in Haitian Culture
On Recognizing the Human Species
Xegro Songs from Alabama
NOVELS
The African
The Big Old World of Richard Creeks
The Caballero
FOLKTALES
People of the Short Blue Corn : Tales and Legends of the Hopi
Indians
Olode the Hunter and Other Tales from Nigeria
The Hat-Shaking Dance and Other Ashanti Tales from Ghana
Terrapin's Pot of Sense
The King's Drum and Other African Stories
The Tiger's Whisker and Other Tales from Asia and the Pacific
The Piece of Fire and Other Haitian Tales
The Cow-Tail Switch and Other West African Stories (with George
Herzog)
The Fire on the Mountain and Other Ethiopian Stories (with Wolf
Leslau)
Uncle Bouqui of Haiti
Ride with the Sun
Kantchil's Lime Pit and Other Stories from Indonesia
TALES
OF
YORUBA
GODS
AND
HEROES
BY
HAROLD COURLANDER
Decorations by Larry Lurin
CROWN PUBLISHERS, INC., NEW YORK

© 1973 by Harold Courlander
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any
form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, re-
cording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission
in writing from the Publisher. Inquiries should be addressed to Crown Pub-
lishers, Inc., 419 Park Avenue South, New York, N.Y. 10016.
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 72-84307

ISBN: 0-517-500639
Printed in the United States of America
Published simultaneously in Canada by General Publishing Company Limited
Designed by Shari de Miskey

CONTENTS
1734376
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Vll
SKETCH MAP OF THE YORUBA COUNTRY vili-ix
THE YORUBAS 1
THE GODS, HEROES AND OTHER PROTAGONISTS 5
SOME OF THE ORISHAS APPEARING IN THESE STORIES 10
THE YORUBA WEEK 12
The Stories
1 THE DESCENT FROM THE SKY 15
2 the orishas acquire their powers 25
3 why eshu lives in the open 29
4 iron is received from ogun 33
5 sonponno's exile 39
6 the scattering from ife 43
7 moremi and the egunguns 47
8 oranmiyan, the warrior hero of ife 53
9 the friendship of eshu and orunmila 59
10 eshu and death 63
11 oshun learns the art of divination 67
12 orunmila 's visit to owo 71
13 the division of the cowries 75
14 siiango and the medicine of eshu 79
15 obatala's visit to shango 83
16 the quarrel between oya and oshun 87
17 two warrior heroes, and how shango
departed from oyo 91
18 obatala's farm at abeokuta 101
19 the women's war 105
20 the coming of the ora river 109
21 ogbe baba akinyelure, warrior of ibode 115
22 the burning of the elekute grove 119
23 the oba's food 127
24 ogedengbe's drummers 131
25 how twins came among the yorubas 137
26 the stone people of esie 143
27 the deer-woman of owo 147
28 ologun and apasha 153
29 olosun of ikere-ekiti 157
30 erinle, hunter of ijebu 163
31 how ijapa became a sacrifice 167
32 the medicine of olu-igbo 171
notes on the stories 175

appendixes
i some yoruba orishas worshipped in the americas 211
ii yoruba myths and legends in cuba 213
The Distribution of the Orishas' Powers 214

Olofin Punishes Babaluaye 216
Ogun Traps Orumbila 218
Why Obatala Trembles at the River 219
Shango Looks for His Father 220
Obatala's Yams 222
III YORUBA MUSIC IN THE AMERICAS 224

GLOSSARY AND PRONUNCIATION GUIDE 231
SELECTIVE BIBLIOGRAPHY 241
:
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
THE MYTHS, LEGENDS AND TALES IN THIS BOOK WERE GATHERED

over a period of several years from Yoruba storytellers and
informants.
Foremost among all those to whom I owe a debt of
gratitude is Ezekiel Aderogba Adetunji, originally from
Ilesha, now of Lagos, my principal informant and re-
searcher. His enthusiasm and dedication in our pursuit of
Yoruba legends and heroic tales, and his patient checking
and verification of narratives requiring backgrounding or
further explanation, were important elements in the making
of this book. Without his unstinted help and participation
this collection would surely have been much more difficult to
achieve.
Special thanks are also due to these others, whose recol-
lections of Yoruba myths and traditions have contributed
greatly
Mrs. Abigail Adeunmi, of Lagos Mr. Aremu Adetunji,
;
of Ilesha; Miss Yemi Olawuyi, of Ikere-Ekiti; Mr. Canon

Alayande, of Ibadan; Mr. Emmanuel Olawepo, of Esie; and
Mr. Moody Ekun-Dayo Oyelude, originally from Isanlu-
Makutu. If I have forgotten to name any others who con-
tributed substance to this book, I regret it. To all involved, I
am grateful.
I also want to thank Dr. George Eaton Simpson, of
Oberlin, Ohio, and Dr. William Bascom, Director of the
Robert H. Lowie Museum of Anthropology at Berkeley, for
sharing their knowledge about Yoruba myths and legends
already in print, and for their clarifications and explana-
tions of some of the inescapable conflicts and contradictions
in Yoruba traditions.
EARTH AND SKY
Ohmrete!
Earth and Sky
Went hunting.
They killed a bush rat.
Earth claimed to be the elder,
Sky also claimed to be the elder.

Then Sky-owner moved away.
The yam roots stopped growing,
The maize gave no more kernels,
Mothers went searching for water,
Babies became faint and cried.
Lunrete!
Song from a tale explaining why Orun (Sky) and He (Earth)

are far apart. In the beginning Sky and Earth were close
friends. They regarded each other as equals. They went hunting
together, they killed a bush rat. Earth said he was senior to
Sky, and therefore he claimed the bush rat. Sky said he was
senior to Earth, and therefore he claimed the bush rat. They
disputed who was the elder. So Sky departed upward, leaving
the bush rat behind. In this way Sky and Earth were separated.
Because Sky was angry he withheld the rain. Drought and
famine came to humans. The people sent the vulture to the Sky
carrying the bush rat. After that the rain fell again.
THE YORUBAS
THE YORUBA PEOPLE, OF WHOM THERE ARE PROBABLY MORE THAN

ten million, occupy the southwestern corner of Nigeria along
the Dahomey border, and a branch of the Yorubas, the
Anago people, extends into Dahomey itself. To the east and
north the Yoruba culture reaches its approximate limits in
the region of the Niger River, though there are ample
reasons to believe that ancestral cultures directly related to
the Yoruba once nourished well north of the Niger.
Portuguese explorers 'discovered' the Yoruba cities
'
'
and kingdoms in the fifteenth century, but it is believed

that such cities as Ife and Benin, among others, may have
been standing at their present sites at least four or five
TALES OF YORUBA GODS AND HEROES
hundred years before the European arrival. And arche-

ological evidence indicates that a technologically and artis-
tically advanced people —possibly proto-Yorubas were—
living somewhat north of the Niger in the first millennium
b.c. Sophisticated terra-cotta art found at Nok, about three
hundred miles north of Ife, has a stylistic relationship with
later Yoruba art. The Nok terra-cotta was made about 300
b.c, and the Nok people were then already working iron.
Tradition says that Ife was the first of all Yoruba
cities, and that the kingdoms of Benin and Oyo came into
being later. Oyo and Benin probably grew and expanded as
a consequence of their strategic locations at a time when
overland trade became increasingly important in West
Africa. The Benin was accessible by river from the
city of
sea, which gave added importance as a link in the trade
it
routes. Ife, unlike Benin and Oyo, never developed into a

true kingdom. But though it remained a city-state it had
paramount importance to Yorubas as the original sacred
city and the dispenser of basic religious thought.
Until relatively recent times the Yorubas did not con-
sider themselves a single people, but rather as citizens of
Oyo, Benin, Yagba and other cities, regions or kingdoms.
Oyo regarded Lagos and Owo, for example, as foreign
principalities, and the Yoruba kingdoms warred not only
against the Dahomeans but against each other. The name
Yoruba was applied to all these linguistically and culturally
related peoples by their northern neighbors, the Hausas.
The old Yoruba cities typically were urban centers
with surrounding farmlands that extended outward as much
as a dozen miles or more. Some of them had earthworks
around their perimeters for defense, either mound walls or
ditches, or a combination of both. Ijebu-ode, for example, is
described as having had a forty-foot-high earthwork, com-
prised of a ditch and a bank, enclosing an area of some four
hundred square miles.
Both Benin and Oyo are said to have been founded by
—
The Yorubas
Ife rulers or descendants of Ife rulers. Benin derived its

knowledge of brass casting directly from Ife, and the reli-
gious system of divining called Ifa spread from Ife not only
throughout the Yoruba country but to other West African
cultures as well. A common Yoruba belief system dominated
the region from the Niger, where it flows in an easterly
direction, all the way to the Gulf of Guinea in the south.
As an accident of history, Yoruba cultural influence
even spread across the Atlantic to the Americas. Slave
wars launched by the kingdom of Dahomey against some of
the Yoruba kingdoms, and slave wars between the Yorubas
themselves produced untold thousands of captives who
were marched to seaports and sold to European traders.
Yoruba slaves were sent to British, French, Spanish and
Portuguese colonies in the New World, and in a number of
these places Yoruba traditions survived strongly. In Brazil,
Cuba, Haiti and Trinidad, Yoruba religious rites, beliefs,
music and myths are evident even at this late day. In Haiti
the Yorubas were generally called Anagos. Afro-Haitian
religious activities give Yoruba rites and beliefs an honored
place, and the pantheon includes numerous deities of
Yoruba origin. In Brazil, Yoruba religious activities are
called Anago or Shango, and in Cuba they are designated
Lucumi, and in both of these places the pantheon of major
Yoruba deities has survived virtually intact, along with a
complex of rites, beliefs, music, dances and myths of
Yoruba origin.
Today a preponderant number of Nigerian Yorubas
about eighty percent — profess affiliation with Christianity
or Islam. But ancient beliefs and traditions run deep, and
Yorubas widely share and value the oral literature that
contains within
it both the historical experience and reflec-
tions on the human condition.

THE GODS, HEROES
AND OTHER PROTAGONISTS
THE ORISHAS THAT IS TO SAY, THE GODS THE NEARLY ORISHAS
and the heroes of Yoruba tradition are innumerable. There
are literally hundreds of orishas, ranging from the original
and supreme sky deity Olorun to the local protective deities
of regions, towns and villages. Best known and most widely
served where traditional religious life survives are a dozen
or so " greater' orishas who, under the supreme Olorun,
'
were active in earthly affairs after dry land had been created
by Obatala, whose name signifies King of the White Cloth.
Some of the greater orishas played roles in the ordering
of human life on earth, and some are personifications of
natural forces and phenomena.
TALES OF YORUBA GODS AND HEROES
Thus Obatala is the shaper of infants in the wombs of

humans and, by extension, the special protector of all who
are malformed. Ogun is the essence of iron and the patron
of all who depend on iron. Shango is the owner of lightning
and the wielder of the thunderbolt. Sonponno is the force of
smallpox. Olokun is the ruler of the sea and the marshes
where the sea has intruded. Some of the greater orishas
represent more abstract forces and ideas. Orunmila, the
eldest son of Olorun the Sky Deity, is the archdiviner who,
through the reading of palm nuts or cowries, perceives the
meanings and intentions of Olorun. Stated differently, he is
a personification of fate. Counterbalancing Orunmila is
Eshu, the essence of uncertainty and accident. He is the
force of randomness and whim that defies certainty and
turns fate aside. When Eshu appears there is a flaw in the
sequence of events, a disruption of heavenly intention that
causes men to turn into unforeseen trails and trials.
The " lesser" orishas have more limited gifts, some-
times specialized but more often general in character. They
may be invoked for many types of services to humans for—
health, fertility, good crops and protection against enemies.
At some point down the scale some of the minor orishas
may become scarcely distinguishable from a category of
beings who are less than orishas but more than humans.
And this category of beings, in turn, blends into the order of
epic human heroes and other persons who have performed
memorable deeds.
In short, at the top of the hierarchy are those who are
great orishas beyond dispute. At the bottom are humans
who have distinguished themselves in life but who have
remained members of the human family. And in between
are those whose exact nature may be less definite. But all
have power in human affairs because it is considered that
dead ancestors live on, unseen, and continue to be interested
in the fortunes and behavior of those who are physically
alive. Just as the orishas are invoked and placated, so are
—
The Gods, Heroes and Other Protagonists
the ancestral dead and, indirectly, those not yet born. Not
only must these various forces be dealt with by the living,
but also random spirits of many other kinds.
Traditions about the orishas may be argued among
regions and cults. An orisha may have one name in one
place and another elsewhere. There sometimes are differ-
ences as to which orisha performed a particular deed, or
how he first appeared or how he ultimately gave up his
physical form and became an invisible force. An account
given in Oyo may not correspond to one heard in Ife, Benin
or Lagos, all of which have preserved their own interpreta-
tions of ancient events, whether historical or legendary.
The major orishas are generally believed to have ex-
isted at the beginning of things, when dry land was created
below the sky by Obatala (or, in the Ife account, by Odu-
duwa). The creation myth says that after the land was
made by Obatala numerous orishas who had been living in
the sky decided to go down and live among humans. But as
the legends point out, most deities did not originate in the
sky but on the earth. While the creation myth says that
Obatala (or, alternately, Oduduwa) founded Ife, some re-
corded accounts based on oral tradition say that the city
was first settled by people who came from the north or east,
and that it was their leader who turned the ground solid and
who later came to be considered an orisha.
There are ample reasons to believe that the orishas
—
other than Olorun himself were not invented, but were
either rulers of ancient city-kingdoms or persons who per-
formed deeds of distinction and came to be deified after
death. The process of deification becomes clear in stories
depicting the emergence of minor orishas. Moremi became a
sacred personage after she saved the city of Ife from
predatory raiders. (See the story, " Moremi and the Egun-
guns.") A local diviner, Olosun, became sacred and was
treated as an orisha after becoming a benefactor of the
town of Ikere. (See "Olosun of Ikere-Ekiti.") Some of the
8 TALES OF YORUBA GODS AND HEROES
orishas may have been imported, along with the appropri-

ate legends,from neighboring cultures. What the circum-
stances were that made some humans orishas and others
merely heroes, we shall probably never know.
Parallels between various Yoruba myths and those of
the Norse and the Greeks are obvious. Like the Greek gods,
the Yoruba orishas are deeply involved in the affairs of
humans when they are not preoccupied with their own
affairs. They are receptive to pleas for intervention in
human life ; their virtues or vanities are human attributes
raised to godly stature and they can be fallible, arbitrary
;
or whimsical in their attitudes and actions. If a human oba

were to give way to the passion and fury frequently in-
dulged in by Shango (see "Shango and the Medicine of
Eshu"), he would not be thought well of; but because
Shango is more than human his violent outbursts are
judged not so much as flaws of behavior as phenomena in
nature. This of course does not preclude a silent judgment
about acts of injustice. No Yoruba can hear how Shango
plotted against the heroes Gbonka and Timi (see "Two
Warrior Heroes, and How Shango Departed from Oyo")
without recognizing that he is doing reproachful things. But
who can reason with an orisha acting out of base motives'?
The only answer for humans is placation.
There is nowhere in the Yoruba oral literature any
apparent effort to play down the unpardonable side of an
orisha 's character. The orisha does not have to be "good"
to be worshipped. Two of the major orishas in particular
are generally depicted as wise and compassionate. But they
can also be stern, sometimes even obstinate, ridiculous or
erratic. Other less exalted orishas are praised and pleaded
with not only to gain favor, but also to stave off the misfor-
tunes they are capable of laying on humans. Yet the orishas
have amoral characters. A person struck down by one of
Shango 's thunderbolts is not considered to have been pun-
ished because he committed an evil deed, but because he
The Gods, Heroes and Other Protagonists
offended the thunder deity. Like storms, winds and floods,

the orishas are forces that exist and have to be coped with.
But they also have the power, if they have the will, to make
life better for humans.
On the other hand, the orishas themselves are some-
—
times abused by other gods and by humans. That Ogun
has received his share of abuse, and Obatala more than his
share, comes out in a number of stories. Almost inciden-
tally, it seems, some of the stories note that certain indi-
viduals achieve a sacred or deified status only after having
been subjected to maltreatment or suffering. Oshun be-
comes a full-fledged orisha when she enters the river after
having been humiliated by a co-wife. Oya becomes an orisha
beyond doubt after she and Shango have been driven out of
Oyo. The babalawo, or diviner, named O turns into the
Ora River after being killed by the people of Ilesha. The
babalawo Olosun becomes an orisha after an attempt on his
life by the ungrateful people of Ikere. The orisha Obatala is
killed by people living at Abeokuta, after which pieces of
his body are regenerated into a number of lesser orishas.
Akuko, a citizen of Owon, becomes transfigured into a cock
after being executed for a crime he did not commit.
While there is little sentimentality in traditional
Yoruba narrative, all these transmutations and deifications
suggest an unstated, perhaps subconscious, awareness that
some benefaction or recompense is due to those who have
been victimized by cruel or unjust actions.
The stories that follow are fragments out of a rich and
still-living Yoruba oral literature. They contain elements of
a half-remembered past and a still more ancient past that
has become blended and diffused with myth. And most of
them are reflections of religious belief and of the Yoruba
concept of man's relationship to the countless forces among
which humans have had to live since the beginning.
SOME OF THE ORISHAS

APPEARING IN THESE STORIES
olorun (Owner of the Sky) — The supreme orisha, ruler
over the sky and the earth beneath the sky. Called
variously Oba-Orun (King of the Sky), Olodurnare
(Owner of Endless Space), Eleda (Creator), Oluwa
(Lord) sm&Orisha-Oke (Sky God).
orunmila (The Sky Knows Who Will Prosper) The —
eldest son of Olorun, and the deity of divination. He is
widely known by the name If a, the word that desig-
nates divining and the paraphernalia of divining. Be-
cause he has the knowledge of this art, which in a sense
reveals the intentions of Olorun, he has the authority
to speak to humans for the Sky God.
—
obatala (King of the White Cloth) Said by some to be
Olorun 's second son, by others to be merely one of
Olorun 's favorite orishas. He is the one authorized by
Olorun to create land over the water beneath the sky,
and it is he who founds the first Yoruba city, Ife.
Obatala is Olorun 's representative on earth and the
shaper of human beings. He is known to some Yorubas
as Orisha-Nla or Olufon.
ogun — The deity of iron, and consequently the patron
orisha of all humans for whom iron has particular sig-
nificance, such as smiths, hunters and warriors. Also
known as Ogun Onire (Ogun, Owner of the Town of
Ire).
eshu — The orisha of chance, accident and unpredictability.
Because he is Olorun 's linguist and the master of lan-
guages Eshu is responsible for carrying messages and
sacrifices from humans to the Sky God. Also known for
his phallic powers and exploits. Eshu is said to lurk at
gateways, on the highways and at the crossroads,
where he introduces chance and accident into the lives
The Gods, Heroes and Other Protagonists 11
of humans. Known by a variety of names, including

Elegbara,
shango — The orisha of the thunderbolt, said to have ruled
in ancient times over the kingdom of Oyo. Also known
as Jakuta (Stone Thrower) and as Oba Koso (The
King Does Not Hang).
—
oya One of Shango 's wives, orisha of the Niger River.
—
oshun One of Shango 's wives, orisha of the Oshun River.
—
olokun (Owner of the Sea) Female deity of the sea and
marshes. Some Yorubas believe Olokan to be male
rather than female.
sonpoxxo —Deity
of smallpox and related diseases. Also
called Olode (Owner of the Public), Ile-Gbigbona (Hot
Ground) and Ile-Titu (Cold Ground).
—
orisha-oko The orisha of agriculture, patron of farmers.
olu-igbo (Owner of the Bush) —
Orisha of the bush and
jungle.
osanyix —An orisha of curative medicine and divining.
oduduwa —According to Ife tradition, that city's firstruler.
Called the Father of Ife and, by many, of all Yorubas.
Regarded in Ife as the orisha who created dry land and
performed feats elsewhere attributed to Obatala.
—
oraxmiyax A son of Oduduwa who ruled over Benin and
later, on his father's death, over Ife. Considered, like
his father, an orisha, Oranmiyan also is sometimes
called Father of Ife. Sometimes he is referred to as
Oranyan.
—
yemoja Deity of the Ogun River, and in some accounts
identified as a wife of Ogun.
—
agemo The chameleon. Not an orisha, but he appears in
the creation myth as the Sky God's messenger.
(Names of minor orishas, heroes, heroines and others

appear in the glossary.)
THE YORUBA WEEK

Ojo-Aje, Day of Aje, orisha of money
Ojo-Awo, Day of the Secret, sacred to Orunmila, the di-
viner orisha
Oj o-O gun, Day of Ogun, orisha of iron
Ojo-Shango, Day of Shango, orisha of the thunderbolt
Ojo-Obatala, Day of Obatala, the orisha who shapes human
beings
THE
STORIES
THE DESCENT FROM THE SKY
IN ANCIENT DAYS, AT THE BEGINNING OF TIME, THERE WAS NO

solid land here where people now dwell. There was only
outer space and the sky, and, far below, an endless stretch
of water and wild marshes. Supreme in the domain of the
sky was the orisha, or god, called Olorun, also known as
Olodumare and designated by many praise names. Also
living in that place were numerous other orishas, each
having attributes of his own, but none of whom had knowl-
edge or powers equal to those of Olorun. Among them was
Orunmila, also called Ifa, the eldest son of Olorun. To this
orisha Olorun had given the power to read the future, to
understand the secret of existence and to divine the proc-
15
' '
esses of fate. There was the orisha Obatala, King of the

White Cloth, whom
Olorun trusted as though he also were
a son. There was the orisha Eshu, whose character was
neither good nor bad. He was compounded out of the
elements of chance and accident, and his nature was un-
predictability. He understood the principles of speech and
language, and because of this gift he was Olorun 's linguist.
These and the other orishas living in the domain of the sky
acknowledged Olorun as the owner of everything and as the
highest authority in all matters. Also living there was
Agemo, the chameleon, who served Olorun as a trusted
servant.
Down below, it was the female deity Olokun who ruled
over the vast expanses of water and wild marshes, a grey
region with no living things in it, either creatures of the
bush or vegetation. This is the way it was, Olorun 's living
sky above and Olokun 's domain of water below. Neither
kingdom troubled the other. They were separate and apart.
The orishas of the sky lived on, hardly noticing what lay
below them.
All except Obatala, King of the White Cloth. He alone
looked down on the domain of Olokun and pondered on it,
saying to himself, "Everything down there is a great wet
monotony. does not have the mark of any inspiration or
It
living thing." And at last he went to Olorun and said, "The
place ruled by Olokun is nothing but sea, marsh and mist. If
there were solid land in that domain, fields and forests, hills
and valleys, surely it could be populated by orishas and
'
other living things.
Olorun answered, "Yes, it would be a good thing to
cover the water with land. But it is an ambitious enterprise.
Who is to do the work? And how should it be done?"
Obatala said, "I will undertake it. I will do whatever is
'
required.
He left Olorun and went to the house of Orunmila, who
understood the secrets of existence, and said to him, "Your
' ' ' ' '
The Descent from the Shy 17
father has instructed me to go down below and make land

where now there nothing but marsh and sea, so that
is
living beings will have a place to build their towns and grow
their crops. You, Orunmila, who can divine the meanings of
all things, instruct me further. How may this work be
begun?"
Orunmila brought out his divining tray und cast six-
teen palm nuts on it. He read their meanings by the way
they fell. He gathered them up and cast again, again read-
ing their meanings. And when he had cast many times he
added meanings to meanings, and said, " These are the
things you must do Descend to the watery wastes on a
:
chain of gold, taking with you a snail shell full of sand, a

white hen to disperse the sand, a black cat to be your
companion, and a palm nut. That is what the divining fig-
ures tell us."
Obatala went next to the goldsmith and asked for a

chain of gold long enough to reach from the sky to the
surface of the water.
The goldsmith asked, "Is there enough gold in the sky
to make such a chain f '
Obatala answered, "Yes, begin your work. I will

gather the gold." Departing from the forge of the gold-
smith, Obatala went then to Orunmila, Eshu and the other
orishas, asking each of them for gold. They gave him what-
ever they had. Some gave gold dust, some gave rings,
bracelets or pendants. Obatala collected gold from every-
where and took it to the goldsmith.
The goldsmith said, "More gold is needed."
So Obatala continued seeking gold, and after that he
again returned to the goldsmith, saying, "Here is more
metal for your chain. '
The goldsmith said, Still more is needed.

'
'
'
Obatala said, There is no more gold in the sky.

'
'
'
The goldsmith said, "The chain will not reach to the

'
water.
' '
Obatala answered, "Nevertheless, make the chain. We

shall see."
The goldsmith went to work. When the chain was fin-
ished he took it to Obatala. Obatala said, "It must have a
hook at the end."
'
'
There is no gold remaining, the goldsmith said.
' '
Obatala replied, "Take some of the links and melt

them down. '
The goldsmith removed some of the links, and out of

them he fashioned a hook for the chain. It was finished. He
took the chain to Obatala.
Obatala said, "Now I am ready." He fastened the hook
on the edge of the sky and lowered the chain. Orunmila gave
—
him the things that were needed a snail shell of sand, a
white hen, a black cat, and a palm nut. Then Obatala
gripped the chain with his hands and feet and began the
descent. The chain was very long. When he had descended
only half its length Obatala saw that he was leaving the
realm of light and entering the region of greyness. A time
came when he heard the wash of waves and felt the damp
mists rising from Olokun's domain. He reached the end of
the golden chain, but he was not yet at the bottom, and he
clung there, thinking, " If I let go I will fall into the sea. '
While he remained at the chain's end thinking such

things, he heard Orunmila 's voice from above, saying,
"The sand."
So Obatala took the snail shell from the knapsack at
his side and poured out the sand.
Again he heard Orunmila call to him, saying this time,
"The hen."
Obatala dropped the hen where he had poured the sand.
The hen began at once to scratch at the sand and scatter it
in all directions. Wherever the sand was scattered it became
dry land. Because it was scattered unevenly the sand
formed hills and valleys. When this was accomplished, Oba-
tala let go of the chain and came down and walked on the
' '
The Descent from the Shy 19
solid earth that had been created. The land extended in all
directions, but still it was barren of life.
Obatala named the place where he had come down Ife.
He built a house there. He planted his palm nut and a
palm tree sprang out of the earth. It matured and dropped
its palm seeds. More palm trees came into being. Thus
there was vegetation at Ife. Obatala lived on, with only his
black cat as a companion.
After some time had passed, Olorun the Sky God
wanted to know how Obatala 's expedition was progressing.
He instructed Agemo the chameleon to descend the golden
chain. Agemo went down. He found Obatala living in his
house at Ife. He said, "Olorun instructed me this way: He
said, 'Go down, discover for me how things are with Oba-
tala. '
Thatwhy I am here.
is
'
Obatala answered, "As you can see, the land has been
created, and palm groves are plentiful. But there is too
much greyness. The land should be illuminated. '
Agemo returned to the sky and reported to Olorun

what he had seen and heard. Olorun agreed that there
should be light down below. So he made the sun and set it
moving. After that there was warmth and light in what had
once been Olokun's exclusive domain.
Obatala lived on, with only his black cat for a compan-
ion. He thought, Surely it would be better if many people
i i
were living here." He decided to create people. He dug clay

from the ground, and out of the clay he shaped human
figures which he then laid out to dry in the sun. He worked
without resting. He became tired and thirsty. He said to
himself, There should be palm wine in this place to help a
'
'
person go on working." So he put aside the making of

humans and went to the palm trees to draw their inner fluid,
out of which he made palm wine. When it was fermented he
drank. He drank for a long while. When he felt everything
around him softening he put aside his gourd cup and went
back to modeling human figures. But because Obatala had
drunk so much wine his fingers grew clumsy, and some of

the figures were misshapen. Some had crooked backs or
crooked legs, or arms that were too short. Some did not
have enough fingers, some were bent instead of being
straight. Because of the palm wine inside him, Obatala did
not notice these things. And when he had made enough
figures to begin the populating of Ife he called out to
Olorun the Sky God, saying, I have made human beings to
'
'
live with me here in Ife, but only you can give them the
breath of life." Olorun heard Obatala 's request, and he put
breath in the clay figures. They were no longer clay, but
people of blood, sinews and flesh. They arose and began to
do the things that humans do. They built houses for them-
selves near Obatala 's house, and in this way the place
Obatala named Ife became the city of Ife.
But when the effects of the palm wine had worn off
Obatala saw that some of the humans he had made were
misshapen, and remorse filled his heart. He said, " Never
again will I drink palm wine. From this time on I will be the
special protector of all humans who have deformed limbs or
who have otherwise been created imperfectly." Because of
Obatala 's pledge, humans who later came to serve him also
avoided palm wine, and the lame, the blind and those who
had no pigment in their skin invoked his help when they
were in need.
Now that humans were living on the earth, Obatala
gave people the tools they needed to perform their work. As
yet there was no iron in the world, and so each man received
a wooden hoe and a copper bush knife. The people planted
and began the growing of millet and yams, and, like the
palm tree, they procreated. Ife became a growing city and
Obatala ruled as its Oba or Paramount Chief. But a time
came when Obatala grew lonesome for the sky. He as-
cended by the golden chain, and there was a festival on the
occasion of his return. The orishas heard him describe the
land that had been created below, and many of them decided
'
The Descent from the Sky 21
to go down andlive among the newly created human beings.

Thus many orishas departed from the sky, but not before
Olorun instructed them on their obligations. "When you
settle on the earth," he said, "never forget your duties to
humans. Whenever you are supplicated for help, listen to
what is being asked of you. You are the protectors of the
human race. Obatala, who first descended the chain and
dried up the waters, he is my deputy in earthly affairs. But
each of you will have a special responsibility to fulfill down
below." As for Obatala, he rested in the sky for some time.
After that, whenever he wanted to know how things were
going at Ife, he returned for a visit. The city of If e lived on.
But Olokun, the orisha of the sea on whose domain land
had been created, was angry and humiliated. And so one
time when Obatala was resting in the sky Olokun decided to
destroy the land and replace it again with water. She sent
great waves rushing against the shores and flooded the low
ground everywhere, causing marshes to reappear on every
side. She inundated the fields where humans were growing
their crops and drowned many of the people of Ife. All that
Obatala had created was disappearing, and mankind was
suffering. The people called for help from Obatala, but he
did not hear them. So they went to the orisha Eshu, who
now lived on earth, and begged him to carry to Obatala
word of the disaster that was overwhelming them.
Eshu said to them, "W'here is the sacrifice that should
*
accompany the message f '
They brought a goat and sacrificed it, saying, This is

'
'
the food for Obatala."

But Eshu did not move. He said, "Where is the rest?"
The people said, "We do not understand you. Have we
not brought a sacrifice for Obatala f '
Eshu answered, "You ask me to make a great journey.

You ask me to be your linguist. Does not a person make a
gift to the lowliest of messengers? Give me my part, then I
will go."
So the people gave a sacrifice to Eshu, after which he

left them and went up to the sky to tell Obatala what was
happening to the land and the people over which he ruled.
Obatala was troubled. He was not certain how to deal
with Olokun. He went to the orisha Orunmila to ask for
advice. Orunmila consulted his divining nuts, and at last
he said to Obatala, "Wait here in the sky. Rest yourself. I
will go down back the water and make
this time. I will turn
the land rise again. " So it was Orunmila instead of Obatala
who went down to Ife. As Orunmila was the oldest son of
Olorun, he had the knowledge of medicine, and he had many
other powers as well. He used his powers in Ife, causing
Olokun 's waves to weaken and the marshes to dry up. The
waters of the sea were turned back, and at last Olokun's
attempt to reclaim her territory came to an end.
Having accomplished all this, Orunmila prepared to
return to the sky. But the people came to him and asked him
to stay because of his knowledge. Orunmila did not wish to
stay in Ife forever. So he taught certain orishas and men
the arts of controlling unseen forces, and he also taught
others the art of divining the future, which is to say the
knowledge of how to ascertain the wishes and intentions of
the Sky God, Olorun. Some men he taught to divine through
the casting of palm nuts. Others he taught to foretell the
future by the casting of cowry shells or sand or chains.
Afterwards, Orunmila went back to the sky and, like Oba-
tala, he frequently made visits to the earth to see how
things were going among human beings. What Orunmila
taught men about divining was never lost. It Was passedon
by one generation of babalawos, or diviners, to another.
—
Earthly order the understanding of relationships be-
tween people and the physical world, and between people
—
and the orishas was beginning to take shape. But all was
not yet settled between Olokun, the orisha of the sea, and the
supreme orisha Olorun. Olokun considered ways in which
she might humiliate or outwit the Sky God. The powers of
'
The Descent from the Sky 23
the sky deities had proved to be greater than her own. But
Olokun had the knowledge of weaving and dying cloth, and
she had clothes of delicate textures and brilliant colors. She
believed that in this respect she excelled all other orishas,
including Olorun himself. So one day she sent a message to
Olorun, challenging him to a contest to show which had the
greater knowledge of clothmaking.
Olorun received the challenge. He thought, "Olokun
seeks to humiliate me. Nevertheless, she has unequaled
knowledge about the making of cloth. Yet, how can I ignore
the challenge f
'
He thought about the matter. Then he sent
'
for Agemo, the chameleon. He instructed Agemo to carry a

message to Olokun. Agemo went down from the sky to the
place where Olokun lived. Agemo said to Olokun, "The
Owner of the Sky, Olorun, greets you. He
says that if your
cloth is as magnificent as you claim, he will enter the con-
test. Therefore he asks that you show me some of your most
radiant weaving so that I may report to him on the matter.'
Because Olokun was vain she could not refrain from
showing her cloths to Agemo. She put on a skirt cloth of
brilliant green and displayed it to the chameleon. As Agemo
looked at it his skin turned the exact color of the skirt.
Olokun then put on an orange-hued cloth, and Agemo 's skin
turned orange. When Olokun brought out a red skirt cloth,
Agemo 's skin turned red. Olokun was perturbed. She tried
a cloth of several colors and saw the chameleon's skin re-
produce it perfectly. Olokun thought, "This person is only
a messenger, nothing more. Yet in an instant he can dupli-
cate the exact color of my finest cloth. What, then, can the
great Olorun do ?"
Seeing the futility of competing with Olorun, the
Agemo, Give my greetings to the
orisha of the sea said to '
'
Owner of the Sky. Tell him that Olokun acknowledges his

greatness."
Thus Olokun withdrew her challenge to the Sky God,
and Olorun remained supreme in all things.
THE ORISHAS
ACQUIRE THEIR POWERS
not yet have all now known.

the powers for which they are
When knowledge was needed to accomplish an important
thing, the orishas, like ordinary men, appealed to Olorun or
to Orunmila for help. But one day the orisha called Oko
thought, "Here I am, living among humans. But what dis-
tinguishes me? If the people need something they go to
Orunmila for it. If I need something I also must go to
Orunmila. Why should this be? If I had the knowledge of a
certain thing people could call on me for help, and they
would not have to importune Orunmila." Orisha-Oko went
to where Orunmila was living on earth. He said, "I have
no powers that distinguish me from the humans created by
Obatala. You, Orunmila, who are spokesman for Olorun on
25
' ' ' '
earth, endow me with some special attribute. If this is done

people can appeal to me for help in many things. '
Orunmila pondered on what Orisha-Oko was asking.

He said, "Yes, perhaps there is reason in it. Let me con-
sider the matter." Orisha-Oko departed.
Now, the orisha called Ogun was thinking similar
thoughts. "Am I not an orisha? I should have special
powers greater than those of humans." He also went to
where Orunmila was living. He said, "Whenever some
important thing is required by the people they come to you.
Their demands are heavy. It is Orunmila this and Orun-
mila that. Give me special knowledge of some kind so that I
can do something to keep the world going. '
Orunmila answered, "Yes, I have been thinking about

it. I will see what can be done.
'
The minds of the other orishas turned the same way.

Eshu, who already had the knowledge of language, went to
Orunmila seeking more knowledge. Shango went to Orun-
mila, Sonponno went to Orunmila, Olu-Igbo went to Orun-
mila, Osanyin went to Orunmila. And after them still more
orishas went, all asking for a special gift of some part of
Orunmila 's understanding of the world and its forces.
Orunmila was distressed. He thought, "I hold all the
orishas equal in my affection. If I give anything to one of
them the others will surely complain that I denied some-
thing to them and they will hold it against me. There are
many powers to be shared. To whom should I give one
power or another!" Because the matter weighed heavily on
him, Orunmila hardly touched his food. He could not sleep
at night. His wives and servants worried about him. Orun-
mila took to walking by himself in the open country and
pondering the question of how he might divide the powers
among the orishas. He was walking in the fields this way
one time when he met Agemo, the chameleon.
Agemo said to him, "You, Orunmila, spokesman for
Olorun on earth, why are you so heavy with care ? '
Orunmila answered, "One by one the orishas come to

'
The Orishas Acquire Their Powers 27
me, saying, 'Give me a special power so that I can relieve

you of some of your burdens/ But there are so many
powers, some great, some small. If I give something small it
will be held against me. If I give something large to one, the
others will resent it. I want to treat all the orishas equally.
How can I do it so there will be harmony instead of dis-
sension?"
Agemo "Perhaps it would be best to leave the
said,
distribution to chance.Return to the sky. Then send mes-
sengers to announce that on such and such a day you will
pour the powers down on the earth. Let each orisha catch
what he can or retrieve it from the place where it falls.
Whatever powers an orisha collects in this way will be his.
By sending your messengers you will have given everyone
equal notice, and no one can say, 'Orunmila has neglected
me.' "
On hearing Agemo 's advice, Orunmila's mind rested,
for now he saw how it could be done. He said, "Agemo,
though you are small your name will be great. I will share
out the powers and the knowledge by raining them on the
earth."
Orunmila returned to the sky and prepared things.
Then he sent messengers down to the places where the
orishas lived. The messengers went from the house of one
orisha to another. They said, "Orunmila has instructed us
to announce that he will dispense the powers from the sky.
On the fifth day following this one you are to go out into the
open fields and wait. Orunmila will scatter the things you
want. They will fall here, there and anywhere. Grasp what
you can as it falls or retrieve it from the ground. One of you
will acquire one thing, others will acquire others. In this
way the special knowledge will be distributed, and no one
can say Orunmila prefers one orisha over another."
The orishas said, "Orunmila does a good thing. Thank
him for us. We will receive what he rains down on us. '
On the fifth day they went into the open fields and
waited. Then the powers began to fall from the sky. The
orishas ran here and there with their hands outstretched.

One orisha caught one thing, another caught another. Some
of the powers eluded their hands and fell in the tall grass or
among the trees. The orishas went searching in all direc-
tions. Now, some orishas were fleet while some were not.
Some were more agile or stronger than others. Those who
were swifter, or stronger or more persistent were able to
get larger or more desirable portions of what Orunmila was
bestowing. But everyone received something.
Because Eshu was one of the strongest, and because he
did not hesitate to push anyone aside, he gathered a very
large share of the powers, one of which was the capability
of destroying anyone who offended him. He acquired the
power of phallic strength and the power to deprive his
enemies of their virility. He received the power of turning
men back from their purposes and of turning order into
disorder. And all these things were in addition to the power
of language that he already possessed. Because of all these
attributes possessed by Eshu, orishas and humans there-
after treated him with special respect and sought to avoid
his enmity.
The orisha Shango, through what he picked up in the
became the owner of the lightning bolt, and therefore
fields,
he acquired the name Jakuta, the Stone Thrower. Later,
when he became the ruler of the city of Oyo, he was called
Oba Jakuta.
Orisha-Oko received the power to make crops flourish,
and human beings supplicated him to make their yams and
grain grow.
Sonponno became the owner of smallpox, and both
orishas and humans dreaded his power.
Osanyin acquired special knowledge of curing and di-
vining, and Olu-Igbo became the orisha of the bush country
and the forest.
Each orisha received something.
This is how the orishas who went to live on earth came
by their special attributes.
WHY ESHU
LIVES IN THE OPEN
SLOWLY THE PROCESSES OF EARTHLY LIVING WERE BEING ORDERED,

but much remained to be done. Whenever Orunmila came
down from the sky to see how things were going, the orishas,
the humans and the animals besieged him with questions
about one thing and another. It still had not been determined
what place each creature should have in the scheme of things
and where he should live, and Orunmila was overwhelmed
with inquiries about these matters.
It was the orisha Eshu who proposed that all such
problems be dealt with in an orderly way. He suggested to
Orunmila that every orisha, human and bush creature be
presented with a simple proposition to which he would give
29
' ' " '
a direct response. The nature of each individual 's reply

would determine his fate and his style of living.
Orunmila accepted Eshu's proposal.
He asked the guinea fowl if it would agree to wear a
cord around its neck. The guinea fowl answered, "No, I do
not want a cord around my neck. '
"Very well," Orunmila said, "the guinea fowl will not

wear a cord."
Many other creatures were asked the same question
and gave the same answer. So they were spared the ordeal
of being tied. But when Orunmila questioned the goat, the
goat answered flippantly, saying, "Do you think you can do
it?"
Instantly the goat had a rope around its neck, and to
this day goats and their relatives, the sheep, continue to
all
suffer this humiliation.
When Orunmila questioned the horse whether it would
agree to carry a load, the horse also replied disrespectfully,
saying, '
' Who can force me to do it ?
Instantly there was a man on the horse 's back and a bit
in its teeth. To this day the horse is a servant to humans
and is always carrying men or heavy loads. Men ride horses
in war or in peace, and there is no escape from it.
According to the answers the creatures gave, they re-
ceived a way of life from Orunmila.
While all this was going on, Eshu, whose character was
compounded of mischief, was considering how he might say
something to confuse Orunmila.
Orunmila spoke to a man, saying, '
' Man, do you choose
'
to live inside or out f
The man answered, "Inside." And so Orunmila de-
creed that henceforth all humans would live in houses.
Then, unexpectedly, Orunmila addressed Eshu. "You,
Eshu, how is it with you I Inside or outside f '
Eshu was startled to be called upon, for he had been

busy thinking how he might outwit Orunmila. He replied
'
Why Eshu Lives in the Open 31
quickly, ""Why, outside of course." Then he corrected him-

'
self, No, on the contrary, inside.
'
'
Orunmila understood that Eshu was thinking of creat-

ing confusion. He said, "It was you, Eshu, who proposed
that a direct response be given to a simple question. But
you gave an answer that left the issue hanging. Therefore I
must act according to the first words that came from your
mouth. Henceforth you will live outside and not in a
house."
This is the way it has been ever since. Eshu lives in the
open, at the gateway, or on the trail, or in the fields. "When-
ever humans make an image of Eshu out of mud or clay it is
kept outside in conformity with Orunmila 's decision,
though the images of all other orishas are kept inside to
protect them from the elements.
'
IRON IS RECEIVED FROM OGUN
THE ORISHAS AND THE PEOPLE WERE LIVING THERE IN THE LAND
created by Obatala. They did the things that are required
in life, orishas and humans alike. They hunted, cleared the
land so that they could plant, and they cultivated the earth.
But the tools they had were of wood, stone or soft metal, and
the heavy work that had to be done was a great burden.
Because there were more people living at Ife than in the
beginning, it was now necessary to clear away trees from
the edge of the forest to make more room for planting.
Seeing what had to be done, the orishas met to discuss
things. It was said, "Let one of us begin the great task by
going out to fell trees and clear the land. When this has
been done we can plant our fields.'
33
' ' ' '
All agreed except for Olokun, who said, "Do what you
want, but it has nothing to do with me, for my domain is the
water. The land and the trees were not my doing.
'
Osanyin, the orisha of medicine, said, "I will clear the

first field.
'
He took his bush knife and went out to the trees
'
and began his work. But his bush knife was made of soft
metal and it would not cut deeply. After a while it became
twisted and bent and it would not cut at all. He returned
and said to the other orishas, "I began the work, but the
wood is too hard. My bush knife is defeated. '
So Orisha-Oko, the orisha of the open fields, spoke,

saying, "My bush knife is strong. I will cut the trees.' He '
went out. He worked. The sharpness went out of his bush

knife. He returned. He said, "Yes, it was the same with me.
My bush knife is dull and twisted. '
Then Eshu with the powerful body took up his bush

knife and went into the bush. He remained there for a while,
and when he returned they saw that his bush knife was
broken and bent. He said, "I cleared brush and dislodged
stones, but the metal of my bush knife is not hard enough, it
lacks spirit."
One by one the other orishas went out and tried, but the
metal of their knives was too soft. They said, "What kind
of a world are we living in? How can we survive in this
place?"
Until now Ogun, who had been given the secret of iron,
said nothing. But when the other orishas had tried and
failed he took up his bush knife and went out. He slashed
through the heavy vines, felled the trees and cleared the
forest from the land. The field grew larger, the edge of the
forest receded. Ogun worked on until the darkness began to
fall. Then he returned. When he arrived he displayed his
bush even in the greyness that precedes
knife. It glittered
the night. It was straight and its edge was sharp.
The orishas said, "What is the wonderful metal lying
within your knife f '
' ' '
Iron Is Received from Ogun 35
1734376
Ogun answered, i i
The secret of this metal was given to
me by Orunmila. It is called iron."
They looked at his knife with envy. They said, "If we
had the knowledge of iron nothing would be difficult. '
Ogun constructed a forge in his house. Because he was

a hunter he forged an iron spear for the killing of game and
a knife to cut away the hides. Because he was a warrior he
also forged weapons of war. As for the other orishas,
neither their hunting weapons nor their battle weapons
were good. They had to rely on traps to catch their game,
and often, when their luck was not good, they had no meat
at all.
The orishas discussed Ogun's secret on and on, saying,

"If we had the knowledge of iron we would be equal with
Ogun." And afterwards they would say to Ogun, "Give us
iron so that we too can be great in hunting and war. '
Ogun always answered, "The secret of iron was en-

trusted to me by Orunmila. He said nothing about giving it
to others/ And so for a long time Ogun remained the sole
'
master of the spear, the bush knife and other weapons.

The orishas did not give up importuning Ogun. At last
they came to his house and said, "You, Ogun, are the father
of iron. Be our father also. We need a chief. Become our
ruler, and in exchange for our loyalty and service give us
the knowledge of making iron. '
Ogun considered everything. One day he announced

that he would accept what they were offering. So they made
him their ruler. He became the Oba of orishas in Ife and all
the surrounding territories. Ogun taught them the making
of iron. He built forges for them and showed them how to
make spears, knives, hoes and swords. Soon every orisha
had iron tools and weapons. Then humans began to come
from distant places asking for the secret of iron. Ogun gave
them the knowledge of forging. A time came when every
hunter and warrior had an iron spear.
But though Ogun had accepted the chieftaincy over the
' '
orishas, he was above all else a hunter. And so when the

knowledge of the forge had been given out, he clothed him-
self in the skins of animals he had killed and returned to the
forest to get game. He was gone many days. Life in the
forest was hard. He slept on the ground or in trees. He
pursued the animals a great distance, arriving at last at a
place called Oke-Umo, near where the city of Ilesha now
stands. There he caught up with his game. He killed many
animals, skinned them and cut up the meat. After that he
returned home. When he came out of the forest he was
dirty, his hair was matted, and the skins he wore were
smeared and spotted with the blood of his game.
The orishas saw him arriving. They said, "Who is this
dirty stranger coming from the forest? Surely it is not
Ogun, whom we selected to be our chief VThey were dis-
pleased with Ogun. They said, "A ruler should appear in
His clothes should be clean. His hair should be oiled
dignity.
and combed. How then can we acknowledge this unclean
person as the one who rules us ?'
The orishas turned away from Ogun. They went to his

house, saying to him, "We expressed faith in you by mak-
ing you our Oba. But now you are indistinguishable from
the lowliest hunter, and the air around you reeks of dead
flesh. What we gave we now take away. You are our Oba no
longer.'
Ogun said, "When you needed the secret of iron you
came begging me to be your chief. Now that you have iron
you say that I smell of the hunt.
'
'
The other orishas went away. Ogun took off his hunt-
ing clothes made of animal skins. He bathed, and when he
was clean he put on clothes made of palm fronds. He
gathered his weapons and departed. At a distant place
called Ire he built a house under an akoko tree, and there he
remained.
The human beings who had received the secret of iron
from Ogun did not forget him. In December of every year
Iron Is Received from Ogun 37
they celebrate, in his honor, the festival of Iwude-Ogun.

Hunters, warriors and blacksmiths, and many others as
well, make sacrifices to Ogun as their special protector.
They offer food at the foot of tree. They call him
an akoko
Ogun meaning Ogun the Owner of the Town of Ire.
Onire,
And they display animal skins and palm fronds in memory
of how Ogun was rejected by the other orishas after he had
given them the knowledge of the forge.
SONPONNO'S EXILE
THE ORISHAS WHO HAD SETTLED IN THE LAND CREATED BY

Obatala worked together in the fields and in this way
demonstrated to humans the benefits of communal labor.
They invented the game of ayo, or wari,* so that they could
amuse themselves in times of leisure. They introduced on
the earth some of the ceremonies that they had performed
when they had been living in the sky. They invented drums
and other musical instruments and perfected singing and
dancing. Life went on. It was good.
One year, at the time of the yam harvest, the orishas
held a festival. They gathered in the center of their town to
* See glossary.
39
feast on game brought from the bush and crops brought in

from A large amount of palm wine was pre-
their fields.
pared and placed in the center of the gathering in an
earthen pot. The orishas ate, drank palm wine and danced.
Only one orisha, Sonponno, to whom had been given
the secret of smallpox, did not dance. Sonponno had a
wooden leg and had to move about with the aid of a walking
stick. So he sat quietly while the festivities went on. But,
he frequently dipped his gourd into the
like all the others,
pot of palm wine and drank. Everyone had much palm wine.
They began to laugh. They began to speak loudly. There
was shouting. When the orishas sang, their voices were not
true. When they danced, their legs became unsteady and
they staggered this way and that.
Someone noticed Sonponno sitting alone near the palm
wine. He was offended. He said, "Why is it that Sonponno
does not dance with us?" Others called out to Sonponno,
urging him to get up and join them. " Join us, join us," they
said, and some of them tugged at him to make him get up.
But Sonponno sat without moving from his place. Because
he was ashamed of his wooden leg he held back.
The others went on dancing and dipping their gourds
in the palm wine. They began to taunt Sonponno. "Get up,
get up," they called. "Do not sit there forever like a dead
antelope."
Sonponno could no longer stand the taunts of the ori-
shas. With the aid of his walking stick he stood up. He
adjusted the flowing garment that he wore so it covered his
wooden leg. Cautiously he joined the dancers. He com-
menced to dance. But he was unsteady from drinking so
much palm wine. The others also were unsteady. They could
not control their movements and they jostled one another
this way and that. One of the orishas bumped into Son-
ponno. Sonponno sprawled on the ground and his wooden
leg was exposed for everyone to see. The orishas laughed.
Someone called out, "Wooden leg! Wooden leg!" Others
' '
Sonponno's Exile 41
joined in the taunting. They made a song out of the words.

Sonponno was overcome with shame. Then anger over-
took him. He struggled to his feet. There was more laugh-
ter. Sonponno struck out with his walking stick. He struck
one person, then another. The orishas were surprised. They
were too befogged with palm wine to move away. Only when
they felt the sting of Sonponno's stick on their backs did
they begin to run. They scattered in all directions. The
dancing came to an end, and Sonponno alone remained in
the dance court.
The orishas went to their houses. Each person who had
been touched by Sonponno's stick fell ill. Their eyes became
red and sores broke out on their skin. News of the affair
was carried to Obatala at a distant place. Obatala was
angered. He said, "The orishas shamed Sonponno for
something he could not help. They should not have done
such a thing. But Sonponno should not have taken matters
into his own hands. He should have come to me for justice.
Those who ridiculed him have been punished by smallpox.
But because Sonponno became the judge of his own affair
he also must be punished. '
Obatala dressed in his white clothes. In his hand he

carried his cow-tail switch ornamented with cowries, and he
went to Sonponno's house to judge him. Sonponno saw
Obatala coming, and he fled into the bush. On discovering
that Sonponno had run away, Obatala proclaimed: "He has
gone to the bush. Very well. There he must remain, for he
cannot be trusted to live in the community. '
From that time on, Sonponno never lived among other

people, but by himself in the bush. Nevertheless, at one time
and another he caused smallpox to come to orishas and
humans. He was much feared, and for this reason people
avoided calling him by his right name, Sonponno. They
alluded to him by indirection, calling him Ile-Gbigbona,
meaning Hot Ground or as Ile-Titu, Cold Ground or as
; ;
Olode, Owner of the Public; or merely as Baba, meaning

: '
Father. Even those who worship him fear him, for still
today he is the one who sends smallpox to torment people
everywhere. And who knows the one he will touch with his
staff? For it is said of Sonponno
"He feasts with the father of the household, but he
strikes down the father 's son in the doorway. '
THE SCATTERING FROM IFE
IN THE BEGINNING, WHEN OBATALA CREATED THE HUMAN RACE,

it was only Ife that was inhabited. Life was good for the
people. Whatever they needed was provided by Oloran the
Sky God or by the orisha Orunmila. Every family had its
fields, and every field produced good crops of yams, manioc
or corn. If there was something lacking, the people sent
messengers to Olorun to ask for it. And whenever Olorun
heard that people needed something to make their lives
better he gave it to them. No person had less than enough,
and no one had more than any other person in Ife. All
shared equally in the things provided to them by Olorun
and the other orishas.
43
' '
But crowded marketplace one day a certain man

in the
of Ife looked around him and said, "Why is it that everyone
looks the same? Everyone speaks the same. Everyone's
color is the same. Every person has the same amount of
everything. No man has more or less than the next one.
There is a sameness among people. There is no variety.'
A discussion began. People in the marketplace argued.
One person said, "Yes, it is true. Why must I have no more
than other people ? Someone else said, There is no deny-
'
'
i i
ing it. The sameness among people is monotonous.' An- '
other said, "The orishas are different from one another.

We too should be different. Some people argued against it,
'
'
saying, "No, there was wisdom in the way all humans were
made alike and given equal portions of things. Let us be
satisfied the way things are. But most of the people of Ife
'
'
became infected with the idea that to be equal with others

was to be deprived of something.
And so they began to make complaints to Olorun. Olo-
run received their complaints, and he sent a messenger to
discuss things with the people of Ife. First one person, then
another, sought out Olorun 's messenger and asked for
something that other people didn't have. One wanted a
larger house. Another asked for more yams. One wanted
more money. Another asked for servants and slaves to do
his work for him. Some objected to the color of their skin
and wanted it darker or lighter.
The messenger returned to the sky and told Olorun
what he had heard down below. Olorun was disturbed. He
sent his messenger again so that he would better under-
stand the people's complaints. The messenger went back to
Ife. Day by day he heard people ask for this or that. Again
and again he reported to Olorun what the people were
saying. In the beginning Olorun listened patiently, but at
last he said, "These humans are becoming unbearable. Tell
them to stop their complaints. They should be satisfied the
way things are. '
'
The Scattering from Ife 45
Again the messenger went to Ife. He said to the people

who were complaining, "I have reported everything to
Olorun. I have told him what you want. He has considered
your requests. He says that humans are ungrateful and
unreasonable. In the beginning he arranged the world so
that you would all be equal in appearance and in the things
you own. This is the way of harmony. What you are asking
for can bring only dissension and conflict."
The people did not like what they heard from Olorun's
messenger. They insisted on having the things they wanted.
So the messenger reported once more to Olorun. And this
time Olorun said impatiently, "Very well. Give them what
'
they want.
The next time the messenger appeared in Ife he began
distributing things among the people. The man who asked
for a lighter skin received it. The one who wanted a darker
skin received it. Some received more land, some received
servants and slaves, some received gold. And after every-
thing had been given out the messenger returned to the sky,
and there he remained.
People began to quarrel about who had received the
better gifts from Olorun. Some complained that they de-
served more. People of different colors became proud. They
looked at one another with suspicion. Those who owned
more looked down on those who owned less, and people who
had less tried to get something from the ones who had more.
To all the things they had demanded, Olorun added
something. He gave them different languages. Whereas in
the beginning everyone had spoken the same language, the
language of Ife, some now began to speak Ibo, or Hausa, or
Fon, or Arabic. The people had difficulty in understanding
one another. They began to separate. Some left Ife, going to
the north. Some went southward, some east or west. They
settled in different places, and built new cities. This is how
different tribes and nations came into being.
Whereas in the beginning all people had been equal in
all things, the demands they made on Olorun caused them to

separate and disperse. Since that time the world has never
been the same.
MOREMI AND THE EGUNGUNS
IN THE DAYS WHEN IFE WAS STILL YOUNG THERE WAS A DISTANT
city called Ile-Igbo. Between the two cities was a forest, and
neither one knew of the other's existence. No person of Ife
had ever passed through that forest, nor had anyone from
Ile-Igbo.
But one day a hunter from Ile-Igbo went out in search
of game. He became lost in the forest and wandered many
days without knowing which way to go. He began to give up
hope, thinking, "The forest has swallowed me. Now I am
coining to the end of my life." Then, when his despair had
nearly killed him, he emerged from among the trees, and
there just a little beyond he saw the city of Ife. He looked in
47
'
wonder, for he had never heard that such a place existed,

but he did not approach the city. After he had rested he
reentered the forest and, in time, he found his way back to
Ile-Igbo.
He told the Oba of his own city what he had seen. The
Oba thought, "As is well known, there is no such city as the
one he describes." Nevertheless he sent messengers to check
on the hunter's story. The messengers entered the forest.
They pressed on. After some days they were saying to one
another, The hunter told our Oba a wild story. There is no
'
'
city out here in the wilderness." Then they came to the edge
of the forest and saw Ife standing there. They saw Ife's
fields on all sides. They saw the fertile gardens and the
granaries filled with food. They watched the people of Ife
come and go, but they did not make their presence known.
The messengers returned to Ile-Igbo and reported to
their Oba. They said, "The hunter's words were true. On
the other side of the forest stands a prosperous city. Its
gardens are full of all kinds of growing things. Its gran-
aries are full of grain. Its market is full of people selling
manioc, corn and yams. '
The Oba of Ile-Igbo reflected on what he heard, for

while Ife was prosperous his own city was not doing well.
The gardens of Ile-Igbo did not grow enough food, and
often there were families that had to eat wild roots because
their crops were poor. The Oba thought, "Why should that
other city prosper while mine suffers?" He called his coun-
selors together. They discussed the matter. And it was
decided to send an expedition to Ife and loot it of food. But
Ife appeared to be strong, with many warriors. So the
Oba's counselors devised a plan.
Instead of arming themselves with spears and other
such weapons the men of Ile-Igbo disguised themselves as
Egunguns, messengers from the land of the dead. Some
were dressed as Ololu, or Beater, Egunguns and carried
clubs. Some were dressed as Alapa-Nsanpa Egunguns and
Moremi and the Egunguns 49
had long arms hanging down at their sides. Some were

dressed as Etiyeri Egunguns, with long protruding ears
affixed to their heads. All the Egunguns wore masks, and
their bodies were covered with raffia. They were fearsome
to see, and even the people of Ile-Igbo were terrified.
The Egunguns went through the forest and arrived at
the edge of Ife. There they rested for a while. At a signal
from their leader they entered the city, dancing, gyrating,
singing and making strange sounds.
The people of Ife were struck with fear and ran away
into the bush. Then the Egunguns pillaged Ife. They took
food from the granaries and the gardens. They took every-
thing that they could carry. After that they disappeared
into the forest and made their way back to Ile-Igbo. The
Oba was happy. The people were happy. Now there was
plenty of food for everyone in Ile-Igbo and there was no
need to worry about the crops in the fields.
But the food stolen from Ife did not last forever. A
time came when it was gone. And so the Oba met again with
his counselors and decided to send another pillaging expedi-
tion to Ife. Once again the men dressed in the costumes of
Egunguns and went through the forest and caused the
people of Ife to flee from their city. Once again they looted
the houses, granaries and gardens and returned home.
The looting of Ife became a way of life for Ile-Igbo,
whose people neglected their own gardens even more than
before. Whenever Ile-Igbo ran short of food another expe-
dition was sent to
Ife. Life in Ife became hard. Though the
people thereworked industriously they no longer had
enough to eat. They planted, gathered their crops, and then
the mysterious Egunguns came out of the forest and took
everything away.
In Ife there was a woman named Moremi. She went to
the Oba of Ife, saying, "
These spirits from the forest,
where do they come from? Where do they go? Why do dead
spirits need to consume the food of the living? If things go
'
on this way, If e itself will die and become a dead spirit. We

should find out about these Egunguns. Therefore when they
come again I will remain in the city and learn why they
'
continue to harass us.
The Oni, or Oba, of Ife objected, saying that it was
taboo for women to watch the Egunguns, that to remain in
the city was too dangerous. Moremi insisted. The Oba
called on some of the elders of Ife to come and discuss what
Moremi proposed. The counselors said, "If things go on
this way Ife will dry up and fall away from the face of the
earth. Something must be done. Let Moremi do as she
wishes." Having heard his counselors, the Oba of Ife
agreed.
Moremi went to the sacred brook called Esinminrin.
She supplicated the brook, asking for help against the
Egunguns. She pledged that if she could save Ife she would
give her young son Olu-Orogbo as a sacrifice.
In time the Egunguns again swarmed into Ife. The
people fled to the bush, all except Moremi. She remained
behind, and when the raiders entered her house they found
her there. Not knowing what else to do with her they took
her back to Ile-Igbo and brought her to the Oba. The Oba of
Ile-Igbo found Moremi beautiful. He made her one of his
wives. Little by little Moremi learned about the way Ile-
Igbo had been deceiving Ife and reducing it to poverty. The
people of Ile-Igbo began to forget that Moremi came from
Ife. She waited for an opportunity to escape.
One night when she was with the Oba, Moremi brought
him a great deal of palm wine and he drank heavily. Sleep
came upon him. Moremi dressed herself in rags so that she
looked like a beggar, and in the darkness she made her way
to the forest and began the long journey back to Ife. Each
night she climbed a tree and slept in the branches to be safe
from wild animals. When the sun rose she resumed her walk-
ing. At last, after many days and nights, she came again to
Ife. There was happiness in the city when she returned.
Moremi and the Egunguns 51
People called out to one another, "Moremi who was carried

away by the Egunguns has returned !" They crowded
around her house. There was singing and dancing.
Moremi disclosed everything she had learned in Ile-
Igbo. Everyone was surprised to hear that the mysterious
beings who came out of the forest were not really messen-
gers from the dead, but raiders dressed in masks and raffia.
They decided on a way to deal with the Egunguns when they
came again.
Life went on. Then one day the Egunguns from Ile-
Igbo again emerged from the forest and entered Ife. This
time the people did not run into the bush. They went to their
fires and lighted torches. As the Egunguns approached the
houses the people ran out with their torches and set fire to
the raffia costumes of the raiders. Soon all the Egunguns
were aflame. They went this way and that in panic, running,
falling, crying out. Some were blinded by the smoke and ran
into the spears of the Ife warriors. Some died in the flames
that enveloped them. Only a few managed to get out of their
raffia costumes and escape to the forest. Those who found
their way backto Ile-Igbo told the Oba what had happened.
It was the last Ile-Igbo pillaging expedition to Ife. The
Egunguns never came again.
There was a festival in Ife. The people praised and
honored Moremi for her courageous act that had saved the
city. But for Moremi it was not yet over. She had pledged
that if she saved Ife from the Egunguns she would sacrifice
her son Olu-Orogbo to the sacred brook Esinminrin. She
carried out her promise. She went to the brook with her son,
all There was a ritual, and there
of Ife walking behind her.
running water Olu-Orogbo was sacrificed.
at the edge of the
The people returned home. Moremi 's heart was filled with
grief.
But when everyone was gone a strange thing happened
at the place of the sacrifice. A golden chain descended
slowly from the sky. Olu-Orogbo stood up. He took hold of
the chain and was raised into the sky, where he lived on
under the protection of the Sky God Olorun.
If e also lived on.
s
ORANMIYAN,
THE WARRIOR HERO OF IFE
In Ife tradition Oduduwa, rather than Obatala, who is

it is
credited with coming down from the sky to create dry land,
found the city of Ife, and become the first ruler of that city.
This story about Oranmiyan, the son of Oduduwa, belongs to
Ife, and it is given here without any attempt to reconcile it
with the tradition that says Obatala was the city's first ruler.
ODUDUWA RULED LONG OVER ORUNMILA, IT IS SAID, WENT TO

IFE.
rule over Benin, where he remained for some time. But after
a while Orunmila tired of his life there and returned to the
sky. Affairs in Benin did not go well after Orunmila de-
parted. The people sent messengers to Oduduwa asking him
to come and take charge of Benin. Oduduwa was reluctant to
53
'
leave Ife.He said, "If I go to Benin to give it a father, then

Ife willhave no father.' The people of Benin continued to
'
implore Oduduwa for help. At last he agreed to go to Benin.

He took his son Oranmiyan with him to that city. He took
charge of Benin's affairs, and he remained there until he
heard he was much needed back in Ife. Oduduwa named
Oranmiyan as ruler of Benin, after which he returned to
govern Ife again. But Oduduwa did not live forever. When
he knew he was going to die he sent for Oranmiyan. Oran-
miyan made his own son ruler over Benin and returned to
Ife, and as Oduduwa w anted him to do he became the Oni,
r
or Oba, of that city.

By this time there were numerous kingdoms scattered
across the earth, and war had come among humans. Because
Ife was the first of all cities and because it was great in the
minds of men it was envied everywhere. For this reason the
Obas of other places sought to vanquish Ife and diminish
its reputation. But just as Ife's name was great, so was the
name of Oranmiyan. For he was fierce and valorous in war.
Whenever the enemy came to attack, Oranmiyan led Ife's
warriors into battle. Wherever the heat of the battle was,
that was where Oranmiyan was to be seen. Warrior heroes
of many other cities came face to face with Oranmiyan in
the fields and were slain. The sunlight flashing from Oran-
miyan's long sword struck terror into the hearts of those
who sought to destroy Ife. Oranmiyan was the first on the
battlefield and the last to leave, and his path could be seen
by the corpses left behind by his weapons. The heroes of
those times were numerous, but Oranmiyan was the great-
est ofthem all, and while he lived Ife could not be subdued.
But Oranmiyan grew older. A time came when he knew
that death would take him. He called the people together.
He said, "Soon I must go. When I am no longer here, con-
tinue to live as heroes. Do not let our enemies make Ife
small in the minds of men. Continue to be courageous so that
Ife will go on living. '
' '
Oranmiyan, the Warrior Hero of Ife 55
The people said to him, "Oranmiyan, you are the

father of Ife. Reject death and remain here with us. '
He answered, "No, it not possible. Nevertheless I

is
comes to the city call me.

will not forget Ife. If great trouble
I will give the old men the words to say, and when these
words are spoken I will come back to help you. '
He called the elders of Ife together and gave them the

words. Then he went to the marketplace, all of the people of
Ife following him. He arrived there. He struck his staff into
the earth. It stood upright in the center of things. Oran-
miyan said, This is my mark. It will stand here forever to
'
'
remind you of the courage of heroes." The staff turned into

a shaft of stone which the people named Opa Oranmiyan,
Oranmiyan 's Staff.
Then the warrior hero Oranmiyan stamped his foot on
the ground. The earth opened. He descended into the earth
and it closed behind him. This was how Oranmiyan de-
parted from his people.
Word reached far-off places that Oranmiyan no longer
lived. The Oba of a distant city said, "Well, now, he is gone
and Ife is defenseless. It is time to bring Ife to its knees."
He gathered a force of warriors and sent them to destroy
Ife. When the people of Ife saw the enemy approaching
they went to the old men to whom Oranmiyan had given the
secret words, saying, "Send for Oranmiyan quickly or Ife
will die.'
The old men went to the marketplace and called
'
Oranmiyan for help. There was a thunderous noise and the

earth shook. The ground opened and Oranmiyan came out,
his weapons in his hands. He led the warriors of Ife into
battle. When the enemy saw Oranmiyan 's weapons flashing
in the sunlight terror overcame them. Those who were not
killed turned and fled. The warriors of Ife pursued them
until at last no living enemy was visible. Then they re-
turned to the city. Oranmiyan stamped his foot on the
ground of the marketplace. The earth opened. He de-
scended. The earth closed over his head.
' ' " '
After that for many years Ife was not molested. People
in other places said, "Ife remains great because although
Oranmiyan is dead he is not truly dead.
There was a festival in Ife. There was drumming, danc-
ing and singing. People feasted and drank much palm wine.
Many of them became drunk. Darkness came. The festival
went on. Someone said, "Oranmiyan should be here to
dance and sing with us." Others said, "Yes, let us bring
him out to lead us in our enjoyment." They went to the
marketplace where Oranmiyan 's staff was standing. They
called on Oranmiyan to come out of the ground and join the
festivities,but he did not appear. Someone said, "He will
not come unless the secret words are spoken, the words that
only the old men know." So they went through the city and
found some of the elders to whom the words had been en-
trusted. They brought the old men to the marketplace and
asked them to do what was necessary to bring Oranmiyan
out of the ground.
The old men
protested saying, "No, it is not a good
thing to molest of a festival. Let him
Oranmiyan because
rest. He should be called on only in times of great need.
Those were his instructions. '
But the people persisted, saying, "Do what is neces-

sary, old men, for we want Oranmiyan to lead us in the
dancing and singing. '
The old men continued to protest. Yet at last they said

the words Come swiftly, Oranmiyan. Ife is in danger.
: '
'
'
The ground thundered and opened. Oranmiyan

emerged, his weapons in his hands, his face fierce with the
courage of a warrior. Because it was dark Oranmiyan could
not distinguish one person from another. He believed that
the men in the marketplace were the enemy who had come to
destroy Ife. He began fighting, thrusting with his spear and
slashing with his sword. He struck at anything that moved,
killing many men of Ife. The city was in turmoil. People ran
in every direction, Oranmiyan pursuing. The killing went on.
'
Oranmiyan, the Warrior Hero of Ife 57
The dawn came. Light fell on the city. Now Oranmiyan

could clearly see the corpses lying on the ground. He saw
the tribal scars on the cheeks of the dead, and he knew then
that he had been slaughtering his own people. Grief over-
came him. He threw his weapons down. He said, "I was
asked to come quickly because Ife was in danger. Therefore
I came, and in the darkness of night I killed many of the
people of Ife. Because of this terrible deed I will not fight
again. I will return to the place from which I came. There I
will remain. I will never again come to Ife.
'
He stamped on the earth. The earth trembled and

opened. Oranmiyan went down, and the earth closed behind
him. Never after that was he seen in Ife.
His staff, in the form of a shaft of stone, still stands at
that place, reminding people of the great warrior hero who
once ruled over Ife, and of the slaughter that occurred
because he was asked to help when the city was not really in
danger.
THE FRIENDSHIP
OF ESHU AND ORUNMILA
HOW CAN IT BE EXPLAINED THAT ORUNMILA, THE ELDEST SON OF
the Sky God, was a warm friend to Eshu, who continually
plagued both orishas and humans with disorder and dis-
ruption? For they were opposite to each other in many
ways. Orunmila brought the knowledge of the Sky God to
humans, while Eshu carried the words of humans to the
Sky God. Orunmila 's character was calm, while Eshu's was
like a hot fire. Through the use of divining shells, Orunmila
conveyed to men the intentions of the supreme god Olorun
and the meanings of fate. But Eshu strove to turn Olorun's
meanings aside, so that events would take an unintended
course. Orunmila smoothed the road for humans, while
Eshu lurked on the highway and made all things uncertain.
Orunmila 's character was destiny, and Eshu's character
59
' '' ' ' '
was accident. Yet these two orishas were in friendship,

and this is how it came to be so.
It is said that Orunmila was on a journey with some
traveling companions. They were still some distance from
home. His companions were carrying nothing, but Orunmila
carried the bag in which he kept his divining tray, his divin-
ing cup and the palm nuts with which he read the future.
Those who traveled with Orunmila envied his knowledge of
divining and wished nothing more than to possess the bag
that contained the knowledge.
One of his companions said, "Orunmila, you must be
tired. Let me carry your divining bag. '
Another said, "On the contrary, it is I who should

carry the bag for Orunmila. '
They argued over who should carry the divining bag.

But at last Orunmila said, "No, let us end it. I am not tired.
It is only proper that I should carry the divining bag.
'
When Orunmila arrived at his home he pondered on

the incident, wondering who among his companions was
truly a friend and who was not. He thought of a plan that
would reveal what he wanted to know. He sent out messen-
gers with the word that he had died. Then he hid behind his
house where he could not be seen. There he waited.
After a while one of his companions came from another
village to express his sorrow. He said to Orunmila 's wife,
"Where is the body of my good friend Orunmila 1 '
Orunmila 's wife answered, as she had been instructed,

" It is already buried. '
The man said, "Yes, his death is painful to me. Orun-

mila and I were the closest of friends. Many times I gave
him money and refused to let him repay me. However, he
said that when he died he would leave me his divining nuts,
his tray and all the secrets of his profession."
"It appears that you were indeed one of his best
friends," Orunmila 's wife said. "But misfortune! His di-
vining bag has disappeared. '
' ' ' '
The Friendship of Eshu and Orunmila 61
The man went away disappointed. Another man came

crying- out, "Orunmila, my best friend, why have you died
like this? Nevertheless, do not worry about your divining
bag and all it contains, for I shall take the greatest care of
it."
Orunmila 's wife said, "It would be good if you could
take care of it. But an unfortunate thing has happened. The
bag cannot be found. It is said that he felt death coming to
him and that he sent his things to Olorun the Sky God from
whom he received the knowledge of divining. '
Another man came, saying that Orunmila had prom-

ised to give him all the paraphernalia for divining the truth
of life. Everyone who came asked for these things.
At lastEshu arrived. He said, "What comfort is there
for one who has lost a friend? I walk on Orunmila 's path, I
sit in his house, but Orunmila is not here and I know I will
not see him again. For you, his wife, the sorrow is surely
greater. Each day you prepared his food you said to your-
self, 'This is the food of Orunmila.' Now what
can you say?
Only, 'Once I cooked the food of Orunmila, but now he is
gone.' "
Orunmila 's wife answered, "Yes, the sorrow is great.
But you were his companion in life. Did he owe you money?
Did he promise to leave you an inheritance ? If he did, I will
pay it for him. '
Eshu said, "No, he owed me nothing and promised me

nothing. On the contrary, it was I who owed money to
Orunmila. After I return to my home I will send it, even
though it is too late for him to receive it in his own hand. It
was not I who was generous with Orunmila, it was he who
was generous with me. '
Orunmila 's wife persisted. She said, "But surely he

must have promised to leave something for you. Perhaps
his divining tray and the sacred palm nuts through which
the purposes of Olorun can be told ? '
"No," Eshu said, "for he was too wise to do such a

' '
thing. The
secret of life is not in the palm nuts, but in the
mind Orunmila himself.
of
'
And now Orunmila left his hiding place behind the

house and entered the room, saying, "You, Eshu, are my
'
true friend.
So it came to be said thereafter, "No friends can be
closer than Orunmila and Eshu."
'
IO
ESHU AND DEATH
THERE WAS ONE BEING WHO DID NOT FEAR ESHU. HE WAS IKU,
or Death.
Iku heard of the things Eshu did to harass people. He
asked, "Why does no one reprimand Eshu? Why is he
allowed to go unpunished V 9
People answered, always in the same way, "Why, who

is brash enough to berate him? It would only bring dis-
9
aster.'
Iku said, Very well. Then it is I, Death, who must deal
'
'
with Eshu.'
Iku sent a message throughout the land of the Yorubas
announcing that he would meet Eshu in battle.
When Eshu heard of the challenge he said, "I am not
63
' :' ' ' ! ! !
afraid of Iku. Let us meet. Let us fight. He went to '

'
Orunmila, his friend, saying, " Death wishes to fight me to

find out which of us is the stronger. '
Orunmila replied, " Who can fight Death !"

Eshu answered angrily. He said, "Who can fight Eshu?
Arrange the matter for me. We shall meet. We shall fight. I
'
will destroy him.
So Orunmila arranged for the combat. The day of the
battle arrived. Iku came with his retinue of singers and
drummers. Eshu came with his retinue of singers and drum-
mers. People came from everywhere to see the battle, and
the crowd stretched from the marketplace to the outer edges
of the town.
Eshu went forward, brandishing his great war club. He
sang out words of contempt for Iku
'
' Iku 's father will have no son
Iku's sons will have no father
Iku 's wife will have no husband
How foolish of Iku ! '
Eshu's singers and drummers took up the song. The

excitement was great. Then Iku advanced, holding his
sword and shield. He sang:
"Where is the family of Eshu

That will bury him?
Who will wash his body
And prepare it for burial?
Who will sit with the body
Until it enters the grave ?
Who will place his drinking cup on top
When the grave has been filled?
Let them gather quickly. '
Eshu and Death 65
Iku's singers and drummers took up the song. The

noise in the marketplace was deafening.
Then the two fighters came together. The struggle be-
gan. The dust stirred up by their feet rose and hung like a
dark cloud in the air. Eshu struck with his club again and
again. But Iku was swift and agile. Not once did Eshu's
club touch him. Eshu struck mighty blows. When his club
hit the earth there was the sound of thunder. His club made
the sound of wind as it went through the air. At last Iku
seized Eshu. He threw him to the ground and wrested the
club from his hand. He raised the club over Eshu to kill
him.
There were cries of alarm in the crowd. Orunmila ran
forward and took the club away from Iku, saving his friend
from destruction. And so it was that although Eshu was
defeated by Iku he did not die but lived on. And so it came
about also that men said,
'
' One cannot take life away from
Death."
OSHUN LEARNS
THE ART OF DIVINATION
OBATALA, KING OF THE WHITE CLOTH, HAD LEARNED THE ART OF
divining with palm nuts and cowries from Orunmila. Many
persons had come to Obatala to ask him for the secret of
divination. But Obatala said he had been given this knowl-
edge in trust, and that he could not lightly pass it on. Now,
among those who wanted to learn how to cast cowries was a
beautiful woman named Oshun who was the wife of Shango,
or perhaps not yet the wife of Shango this the story does
;
not tell us. Oshun came to Obatala many times, saying,

"Teach me how to read the meanings of Olorun through
knowledge of If a." But though he was much attracted to
Oshun because of her beauty, Obatala refrained from teach-
ing her.
67
' ' '
One day Obatala went out from the city to a nearby

river to bathe.He removed his clothes and hung them on the
bushes, and after that he went into the water. While he was
bathing there, the orisha Eshu, who seeks to derange the
order of things, passed near the edge of the river. He saw
the white clothes hanging in the bushes and recognized them
to be Obatala 's. He called out, "Is the King of the White
Cloth still a king when he has no cloth ? He took Obatala 's
'
'
clothes and carried them away with him to the place where
he lived.
Obatala came out of the water. He was naked. Of the
clothes he had left on the bank nothing remained. He
thought, "How can I return to the city? Even for the low-
liest of persons it would be a great indignity. For Obatala it
is even worse."
While he stood wondering what to do next, Oshun came
along the trail. She saw Obatala standing sad and dejected.
She asked him about his trouble. Obatala told her how Eshu
had stolen his clothes. Oshun said, "I will get your clothes
back from Eshu."
Obatala answered, "No one can reason with Eshu. It is
useless."
But Oshun insisted, "Yes, I can do it. But in exchange,
willyou teach me the knowledge of divining ? '
Obatala, who had refused Oshun many times, said,

"Yes. If you bring back my clothes for me I will give you
'
the knowledge.
So Oshun went to the place where Eshu was to be
found. Eshu, when he saw her, became enamored of her
beauty. And because Eshu was Eshu he sought at once to
have intercourse with her.
Oshun said, "No,not for such a reason that I am
it is
here. You have annoyed and humiliated Obatala. Give me

his clothes. I will take them back to him. '
But Eshu could think only of lying with Oshun and he

was not willing to discuss anything else.
Oshun Learns the Art of Divination 69
Oshim was willing to speak only of Obatala and what

Eshu had done against him.
At last they came to an agreement. Oshun lay with
Eshu, and after that Eshu gave her the clothes.
She returned to the riverbank where Obatala was wait-
ing. He received the clothes. He put them on. He returned to
the city.
Remembering his pledge, he taught Oshun how to cast
cowries and palm nuts. In this way Oshun learned how to
discern the mind of Olorun the Sky God.
12
ORUNMILA'S VISIT TO OWO
IN THE PLACE WHERE HE WAS THEN LIVING, ORUNMILA DECIDED

one day to make a journey to Owo. Before beginning the
journey he cast his sixteen divining nuts to reveal the safety
or the hazards of the road, which is to say the intentions of
the Sky God Olorun. The first time Orunmila cast the divin-
ing nuts they said to him, "What is to happen the diviner
will not know.'' He cast again, and the divining nuts said,
"Even the Father of Diviners cannot perceive it." Now,
Orunmila should have pursued the matter, because the
truth had not been made clear, but he was impatient to go
to Owo and so he put his divining nuts away and began his
journey.
71
' ' ''
The distance to Owo wasand Orunmila was five

long,
days on the road. On the first day
met his of his journey he
friend Eshu who was going the other way, returning from
Owo. They greeted one another and parted. On the second
day Orunmila again met Eshu coming from the opposite
direction. Eshu said, "Yes, I am returning from Owo."
Orunmila pondered on this and wondered about it, for it
was strange that two persons going in opposite directions
should meet twice on the road. On the third day, as well, he
met Eshu coming from Owo. Orunmila was troubled about
the meaning of these events. But he did not stop to consult
his divining nuts because he was eager to arrive in Owo as
soon as possible.
On the fourth day Eshu lurked on the outskirts of Owo.
When he saw Orunmila approaching he placed some fresh
kola fruits on the trail and left them there. He went forward
and greeted Orunmila again.
Orunmila said, "Eshu, my friend. Are you just. coming
once more from Owo ? '
Eshu answered, "Need friends doubt one another?

What is, is."
But Orunmila was not satisfied that all was well.
Nevertheless he was almost in sight of Owo. He thought,
"Only a little distance and I am there. There is no need to
'
consult the divining nuts.
He went on. He found the kola fruits left on the road by
Eshu. Because he was tired by his long journey he picked up
the kola fruits and began to eat to refresh himself. At this
moment a farmer of Owo
appeared, carrying his bush knife
in his hand. He said, "You, whoever you are, are eating
kola fruits from my tree. '
Orunmila answered, "No, I found the kolas on the

trail. Isaw no tree. Therefore I took the fruits to refresh
'
myself.
But the farmer was angry and spoke harshly. He at-
tempted to take the kolas away from Orunmila. There was a
' "
Orunmila's Visit to Owo 73
struggle, and in the fighting the farmer's bush knife cut the
palm of Orunmila's hand. Orunmila turned back from Owo
and sat by the side of the road, thinking, "This is an evil
thing. When have I ever taken something that was not
mine? Yet in Owo it will be said that I am a stealer of
kolas."
Night came. Orunmila slept on the ground. But Eshu,
who had seen everything, went into the city when everyone
there was asleep. He went into every house. With his knife
he cut the palm of every sleeping person, even that of the
Oba himself. Then he went out of the city to the place where
the farmer who had fought with Orunmila lived, and cut his
palm also.
On the fifth day Orunmila awoke. He resumed his way
to Owo. At the entrance of the city he met Eshu. Eshu
greeted him, but Orunmila was reproachful. He said,
"Eshu, the matter becomes clear. We are friends, yet you
have made my way hard. '
Eshu said, "Orunmila, we are truly close friends. Do

not hesitate. Enter the city. If there is trouble I will speak
for you. You will not receive injury in Owo. On the con-
trary, good things will come to you.
Orunmila and Eshu entered Owo together. The farmer,
he who had claimed the kola fruits, was there. He saw Orun-
mila coming. He went to the Oba and complained, saying
that the robber of his kola tree was approaching. He de-
manded that Orunmila be punished. So the Oba had Orun-
mila brought before him.
The farmer made his complaint again, and described
the struggle over the kola fruits.
After that Eshu spoke for Orunmila. He said, "A
stranger comes to Owo with trust. He suspects nothing, for
he has no enemies. He asks for nothing, because he already
has everything. Yet Owo accuses him of a crime. Where is
the evidence? And how can a thief of the kolas be iden-
tified ?"
' ' ' ' ' '
The farmer answered, "We struggled on the road. My

bush knife carved a wound in the palm of his hand. There-
fore let the man show his hand, because that is where the
'
evidence is.
The Oba said to Orunmila, "Yes, open your hand so

that everyone may see the truth. '
Eshu, speaking for Orunmila, said, "This stranger

who has not committed any offense has been singled out.
Although many persons could have stolen kola fruits, only
he is accused and questioned. Therefore let every citizen of
Owo also reveal the palm of his hand. '
The Oba said, Yes, let it be done.

'
'
'
So Orunmila opened hand and held it out, and the

his
people of Owo did likewise. And every hand in Owo, includ-
ing that of the Oba and the complaining farmer, had a fresh
red cut.
Eshu said, "If a mere cut is the mark of guilt, then all
of Owo is guilty. '
The Oba agreed, saying, "It is true. This stranger is

innocent. He should be indemnified for the false accusation
against him.'
The people of Owo brought gifts of every kind, includ-
ing chickens, goats, kola fruits, palm wine and cowries, and
gave them to Orunmila.
Why Eshu did what he did to his close friend Orunmila
isnot said. It is said only that Eshu, being what he is, could
not refrain from doing it.
13
THE DIVISION
OF THE COWRIES
OYA AND OSHUN, WHO WERE WIVES OF SHANGO, AND YEMOJA,

who was a wife of Ogun, were together in the market of
Oyo one day. Eshu entered the market leading a goat. He
saw that all was peaceful. And because Eshu is what he is,
he planted dissension to grow. He approached Yemoja, Oya
and Oshun, saying, "I must leave the city on an important
affair. My
friend Orunmila is waiting for me. Therefore
sell my
goat for me and I will give you half of what is
earned. The price is twenty cowries, ten for you and ten
for me."
Yemoja, Oya and Oshun agreed, and Eshu departed.
The goat was sold for twenty cowries. Yemoja, Oya and
75
' ' '
Oshun put ten cowries aside for Eshu and began to divide
the ten cowries which were thei-r share. Yemoja counted
them out. There were three cowries for each of them, but
one cowry remained. She could not make the three shares
equal. So Oya tried to make the division. She made three
and each pile contained three cowries, but one cowry
piles,
was left over. Then Oshun tried, but still there was one
cowry too many. The three of them began to argue about
who should get the largest portion.
Yemoja said, "It is proper that the eldest should get
the largest portion. Therefore I will take the extra cowry.'
Oshun said, "No, where I come from it is said that the
youngest should be treated most generously. So the extra
cowry should be given to me. '
Oya said, The matter is in dispute. It has always been

'
'
said that in case of dispute between the eldest and the

youngest, the major portion should go to one who is be-
tween the two. So the extra cowry should be mine."
They could not resolve the argument, and they called
on a man in the marketplace to divide the cowries equitably
for them. He took the cowries and laid them out in three
equal piles, but the tenth cowry was still in his hand. He
said, "Now, how can ten be divided into three equal parts?
One is left over. Who deserves it? According to all I have
heard the eldest deserves it because she has been longest in
the world and has suffered more than the others. Therefore
let us give the cowry to the eldest among you.
'
But Oya and Oshun, who were the second oldest and
They refused to give
the youngest, rejected his advice.
Yemoja the largest share.
Another person was asked to divide the cowries. He
counted them out, but he could not divide them evenly. He
said, "There is no way to do it. An extra cowry must be
given to one of you. Who shall get it? It has been taught to
us that in situations of this kind the youngest person should
be favored, for the youngest has been in the world the
'
The Division of the Cowries 77
shortest time and has received fewer benefits than the

others. The youngest child is pushed aside in games, the
youngest hunter always walks behind, and the youngest
wife has the hardest life. Therefore when an unequal divi-
sion is necessary the youngest person should receive the
advantage. '
Yemoja and Oya would not agree. They said, "No, we

have never been taught such a thing as this. We cannot
accept it."
So still another man was asked to make the division.
He counted out three piles of three and put the extra cowry
to one side. He said, "Now, it is held by some that the eldest
person should get the extra portion, and it is held by others
that the youngest should receive the extra portion. So who
among you is both elder and younger? It is the one who is
neither eldest nor youngest. Oya is senior to Oshun, and she
is junior to Yemoja. Thus she meets both conditions. Give
her the extra cowry."

But Yemoja and Oshun rejected his advice. They re-
fused to give the extra cowry to Oya. So the division still
was not resolved.
Eshu returned to the market and came to where the
three were arguing. He said, "Where is my portion?" They
gave him his ten cowries, and after that they asked him to
divide their ten among them in an equitable way.
Eshu gave Yemoja three, Oya three and Oshun three.
The tenth cowry he held back. He put it in a hole in the
ground and covered it with earth. He said, "The extra
cowry is for the ancestors. In the sky it was always done
this way. Whenever someone receives something good he
should remember the dead. When crops are brought in from
the fields, a first share should be given to the dead. When
there is must be offered to the dead.
feasting, a portion
When there is some part of it
a sacrifice to the orishas,
should be given to the ancestors. So, also, with money. This
is the way it was done in the sky, and so it must be on
'
earth. When anything comes to someone he should share

with the ancestors. Had yon remembered this there would
have been no dispute over the cowries.'
Yemoja, Oya and Oshun acknowledged that Eshu was
right and they agreed to accept three cowries each.
Because of what transpired in the market of Oyo,
people were scrupulous thereafter in giving a portion to the
dead ancestors whenever they received new crops or good
fortune.
1+
SHANGO AND
THE MEDICINE OF ESHU
THE OEISHA SHANGO KULED FIRMLY OVER ALL OF OYO, THE CITY
and the lands that surrounded it. He was a stern ruler, and
because he owned the thunderbolt the people of Oyo tried
to do nothing to displease or anger him. His symbol of
power was a double-bladed ax which signified, My strength
'
'
cuts both ways," meaning that no one, even the most distant
citizen of Oyo, was beyond reach of his authority or immune
to punishment for misdeeds. The people of Oyo called him
by his praise name, Oba Jakuta, the Stone Thrower Oba.
But even though Shango's presence was felt every-
where in Oyo, and even beyond in other kingdoms, he
wanted something more to instill fear in the hearts of men.
79
' ' '' '
He sent for the great makers of medicine in Oyo and

instructed them to make jujus that would increase his
powers. One by one the medicine makers brought him this
and that, but he was not satisfied with their work. He de-
cided at last to ask the orisha Eshu for help. He sent a
messenger to the distant place where Eshu lived. The mes-
senger said to Eshu, "Oba Jakuta, the great ruler of Oyo,
sends me. He said, 'Go to the place where the renowned
Eshu stays. Tell him I need a powerful medicine that will
cause terror to be born in the hearts of my enemies. Ask
Eshu if he will make such a medicine for me. '
'
Eshu said, "Yes, such a thing is possible. What kind of

power does Shango want?"
The messenger answered, "Oba Jakuta says, 'Many
makers of medicine have tried to give me a power that I
don't already have. But they do not know how to do it. Such
knowledge belongs only to Eshu. If he asks what I need,
tell him it is he alone who knows what must be done. What
he prepares for me I will accept. '
'
Eshu said, "Yes, what the ruler of Oyo needs, I shall

prepare it for him. In return he will send a goat as sacrifice.
The medicine will be ready in seven days. But you, messen-
ger, do not come back for it yourself. Let Shango 's wife
Oya come for it. I will put it in her hand. '
The messenger went back to Oyo. He told Shango what

he had heard from Eshu. Shango said, "Yes, I will send
Oya to receive the medicine.
'
On the seventh day he instructed Oya to go to the place

where Eshu was living. He said, "Greet Eshu for me. Tell
him that the sacrifice will be sent. Receive the medicine he
has prepared and bring it home quickly. '
Oya departed. She arrived at the place where Eshu was

living. She greeted him. She said, Shango of Oyo sends me
'
'
for the medicine. The sacrifice you asked for is on the way."
Eshu said, "Shango asked for a great new power. I
have finished making it." He gave Oya a small packet
' '
Shango and the Medicine of Eshu 81
wrapped in a leaf. He said, "Take care with it. See that

Shango gets it all."
Ova began the return journey, wondering, "What has
Eshu made for Shango? What kind of power can be in so
small a packet ?" She stopped at a resting place. As Eshu
had presumed she would do, Oya unwrapped the packet to
see what was inside. There was nothing there but red
powder. She put a little of the powder in her mouth to taste
it. It was neither good nor bad. It tasted like nothing at all.
She closed the medicine packet and tied it with a string of

grass. She went on. She arrived at Oyo and gave the medi-
cine to Shango.
He said, "What instructions did Eshu give you? How
'
is thismedicine to be used ?
Oya was about to say, "He gave no instructions what-
ever." As she began to speak, fire flashed from her mouth.
Thus Shango saw that Oya had tasted the medicine that
was meant for him alone. His anger was fierce. He raised
his hand to strike her but she fled from the house. Shango
pursued her. Oya came to a place where many sheep were
grazing. She ran among the sheep thinking that Shango
would not find her. But Shango 's anger was hot. He hurled
his thunderstones in all directions. He hurled them among
the sheep, killing them all. Oya lay hidden under the bodies
of the dead sheep and Shango did not see her there.
Shango returned to his house. Many people of Oyo
were gathered there. They pleaded for Oya's life. They
said, "Great Shango, Oba of Oyo, spare Oya. Your com-
passion is greater than her offense. Forgive her. '
Shango 's anger cooled. He sent servants to find Oya

and bring her home. But he still did not know how Eshu
intended for him to use the medicine. So when night came he
took the medicine packet and went to a high place overlook-
ing the city. He stood facing the compound where he lived
with all his wives and servants. He placed some of the
medicine on his tongue. And when he breathed the air out of
his lungs an enormous flame shot from his mouth, extending

over the city and igniting the straw roofs of the palace
buildings. A great fire began to burn in Oyo. It destroyed
Shango 's houses and granaries. The entire city was con-
sumed, and nothing was left but ashes. Thus Oyo was
leveled to the ground and had to be rebuilt. After the city
rose again from its ashes, Shango ruled on. In times of war,
or when his subjects displeased him, Shango hurled his
thunderbolts. Every stone he threw was accompanied by a
bright flash that illuminated the sky and the earth. This, as
all men knew, was the fire shooting from Shango 's mouth.
The sheep that died while protecting Oya from
Shango 's thunderstones were never forgotten. In their
honor, the worshippers of Oya have refused to eat mutton
even to the present day.
'
OBATALA'S VISIT TO SHANGO
THE GREAT ORISHA OBATALA, WHO HAD DRIED UP THE WATERY

wastes and shaped human beings out of clay, decided one
day to visit Shango, who ruled in Oyo. Prepare things for
'
'
me," he said to his wife, "so that I can make a journey. I

want to see my friend Shango, the Stone Thrower.'
His wife prepared food for Obatala to take with him on

the journey. She instructed that Obatala's clothing should
be washed and made spotless. Obatala had no drummers to
go ahead of him and announce his coming. He was known
everywhere by the white clothing he wore, and thus he was
called the King of the White Cloth. But when his wife slept
that night she dreamed that although Obatala's white cloth-
83
' ' ''
84 TALES OF YOKUBA GODS AND HEROES
ing was washed again and again, dark spots appeared on it

whenever it was dry. When she awakened she said, "Oba-
tala, do not go to Oyo. In my dream the white cloth would
not become clean. '
Obatala answered, "But the cloth is indeed clean, what-

ever you dreamed. I will begin my journey to Oyo. '
Nevertheless, before he started the journey Obatala

went to the house of Orunmila, the orisha of divining, and
asked him whether the visit to Oyo would be a good one.
Orunmila brought out his divining tray and cast his palm
nuts. When he had finished he said, "Do not go to Oyo, for
misfortune will meet you there. '
Obatala said, "How can misfortune meet me in Oyo? It

is my friend Shango who rules in that place."He returned
to his house. He put on his white clothes. He began the
walking.
On the road to Oyo he met the orisha Eshu sitting
under a tree. They greeted each other. Obatala said, "Why
do you sit here waiting?"
Eshu said, "I am waiting for someone to place this
bowl of palm oil on my head so that I can carry it. '
Obatala helped Eshu lift the bowl, but as he did so the

oil spilled over and stained his white robe. Seeing this,
Obatala did not continue toward Oyo but returned home
and changed to fresh clothing. After that he began the
journey again.
On the road he met Eshu once more, and again Eshu
asked for help in getting the bowl to his head. Obatala, whose
good deeds were many, could not deny help to Eshu. So he
helped lift the bowl of palm oil. Just as before, the oil
spilled and made spots on Obatala 's robe. For the second
time Obatala turned back and went home for fresh clothing.
Once again he met Eshu waiting at the roadside. This time
the bowl of palm oil was larger than before.
Eshu said, "Obatala, help me raise the bowl to my
head."
" ' '
9
Obatala s Visit to Shango 85
But the soiling of his white clothing had been a bad

omen, and Obatala answered, "No, this time I can not do it.
Twice already my white robe has been stained.
Eshu became angry. He said,
i l
You refuse ? '
Obatala said, Yes, put the bowl up by yourself.

'
'
'
Eshu said no more, but with his hand he splashed oil on

Obatala's clothes. Because Eshu was known to do violent
things when angry, Obatala did not make an argument. He
kept silent and departed. This time, however, he did not
turn back but continued on toward Oyo, thinking now of his
wife's dream and of the warning given to him by Orunmila.
When he had traveled far and was nearing Oyo he saw
a white horse grazing nearby. He thought, "This horse lost
in the bush can only be Shango 's. I will take him along." He
took the horse with him. As he approached Oyo, Shango 's
servants came looking for the horse. When they saw Oba-
tala they seized him and beat him, saying, *
This is the thief
'
for whom we have been looking!" They continued beating

Obatala all the way to Oyo, and there they threw him into a
prison yard without listening to his explanation.
Time passed. Obatala remained a prisoner. Shango
knew nothing of the affair. Many weeks went by, yet no one
came to release Obatala. In the beginning Obatala had
thought, Surely someone will come to undo this evil. But
i
'
'
'
no one came, and at last Obatala was overcome with anger.

He caused a drought to fall upon Oyo. No rain fell. The
fields dried up. The crops did not grow, and the people of
Oyo began to feel hunger. Still no one came to release
Obatala. So he caused sickness to come into the city. It
traveled from one house to another and people began to
die.
Seeing the disaster that was overtaking Oyo, Shango
sent for his diviners.They cast their palm nuts, their cowry
shellsand their divining chains, and when they were finished
they said to Shango, "An exalted personage wearing a
spotted white robe has been imprisoned in Oyo. It is he who
' ' '
has sent us drought and disease. Unless he is released there

will be no rain, no food, and no life remaining in the city."
So Shango began a search of his prison yards, and in
one of them he found Obatala, King of the White Cloth.
Obatala 's whiteness was soiled with dirt, his beard was
unkempt, and his skin was covered with dust. Though he
considered himself the greatest of all rulers, Shango pros-
trated himself before Obatala like an ordinary person, say-
ing, "You, Obatala, who made all things possible, what
terrible fatebrought you here ? '
Obatala replied, "I came only to visit Shango, Ruler of

Oyo. On the way I first met Eshu, who soiled my clothing
and twisted accident into my journey. I found your horse in
the bush and led him to the city. But I was treated as the
lowest of criminals, placed here and forgotten. '
Shango said, "Great Obatala, it was not known to me."

Obatala answered, Can a ruler be said to truly rule if
'
'
he does not know what his servants do with the authority he

has given them?"
Shango said, "A thing like this will not happen in Oyo
again."
Because Obatala was the creator of humans it grieved
him to see them suffering. He caused the rain to come again
and the crops to grow, and the sickness fell away from Oyo.
It was Eshu who caused things to go badly with Oba-
tala. Misfortune came to the King of the White Cloth
because Eshu stained his clothing with oil. And in memory
of this event people who are going on a long journey still
say:
'
' Eshu who splashed oil on the clothes of Obatala,
Please do not soil my white clothing with oil. '
\6
THE QUARREL
BETWEEN OYA AND OSHUN
AT THE TIME WHEN SHANGO RULED OVER THE CITY OF OYO HE
had numerous wives, among whom were Oya and Oshun. In
most respects these two women were equal in Shango's
affections. But whereas Oya had the knowledge of cooking,
the food Oshun prepared did not please Shango at all.
Oshun admired Oya's understanding of the secrets of food,
and she also envied it. Oya admired Oshun 's beauty, and she
also envied it. Though they did not speak of it openly there
was rivalry and jealousy between them.
Now, every year on a certain day there was a festival
in Oyo commemorating the time when Shango became the
ruler of the city and the lands around it. On this day all
87
'
work stopped. There was music and dancing everywhere.

Acrobats and wrestlers gathered and displayed their skills.
Processions of many kinds went through the city to the
sounds of horns and drums. People sang songs of praise for
Shango, and poets recited Shango's great deeds and de-
claimed on Oyo's fame. Obas and regional chiefs came to
Oyo from faraway places to participate in the festivities.
For these rulers and honored personages Shango always
gave a feast, and he also gave out gifts to the people of the
city.
The time of this festival was approaching. The city
was preparing things. Shango called on his wives to carry
out their responsibilities so perfectly that no criticism of
any kind would fall on him or his household. Oya and Oshun
were given charge of preparing the food for the feast.
Shango admonished them to put aside their frictions and
think only of the importance of the occasion.
The day of the celebration arrived. Remembering
Shango's admonitions and wishing to please him, Oshun
put away her pride and went to Oya for advice. She said,
"It is true that in all things having to do with the knowl-
edge of food you surpass me. Whatever you prepare pleases
Shango, and whatever I prepare distresses him. But I want
to do nothing today that will make him unhappy or bring
ridicule on his household. Therefore, Oya, instruct me. Give
me the secret of making food good to the taste. '
At first Oya thought, "Yes, we must not do anything to

chagrin Shango on this occasion. " Then she thought, "Why
should I do anything to enhance this woman in Shango's
affection? " And so at last she said, "Have you never
noticed that I always wear my headdress low to cover my
ears? Beneath the headdress is the answer to your
question."
Oshun said, "What can this have to do with the cook-
ing of food?"
Oya said, "Long ago I cut off my ears so that I could
'
The Quarrel Between Oya and Oshun 89
use them as a special ingredient in the food. To everything I

prepare for Shango to eat I add a small amount of this
ingredient. Now very little of it is left. But the proof that
my story is true is that Shango finds my cooking good. A
small portion of my ear makes poor food good and good
food delectable. This is my secret. I have now told you
everything I know about cooking. But never speak of this to
'
anyone.
Oshun answered gratefully, "No, I will never speak of
it." She returned to her own quarters and began to prepare
soup. She was determined to do anything that would please
Shango. She severed her ears and dropped them in the
soup. After that she covered her wounds with her headdress
and suffered her pain silently. She thought, " Today, at
least, Shango no fault with me. His guests will not
will find
be able to say, Shango 's wife knows nothing about food.' "
'
The day progressed. It was a great festival. The im-

portant personages who were guests in the city gathered at
Shango 's house. They sat with Shango on the skins of
leopards and lions. Shango called for Oya to bring food.
She brought it in a large bowl, from which a share was
given to everyone. The food was sweet. The guests said to
one another, "Only at Shango 's house is such incomparable
food served."
Then Shango called on Oshun to bring what she had
prepared. She brought the soup, giving a share to each
person. They ate. They did not enjoy it. Shango complained
about it. The guests turned to one another, saying, "Is this
the kind of food that ought to be served at the house of the
great Oba?"
Suddenly one of the guests discovered two human ears
floating in his bowl. In horror he dropped his food on the
floor and fled from the house. Everyone saw the ears lying
there, and they put their own bowls aside and departed
quickly.
Shango was filled with disgust at what he saw. Shame
and anger overtook him. He sent for Oya and Oshun. He

demanded to know how the ears got into the food. The
women looked at one another silently. Oshnn did not wish to
reveal Oya's secret. But at last Oya said, "The ears are
Oshun 's. She put them into the soup thinking to make it
more palatable." Still Oshun did not speak. Oya said to
Shango, "Remove her headdress. See for yourself."
Shango took off Oshun 's head cloth. He saw the
wounds where her ears had been. Oshun said, "I only
wanted to please you. I learned the secret from Oya. She
also removed her ears to use in preparing food." Shango
took off Oya's head cloth. Oya's ears were there, unmuti-
lated.
Seeing that she had been tricked by Oya and disgraced
in Shango 's eyes, Oshun said nothing more. She left
Shango 's house and departed from Oyo. She traveled on,
never looking back, until she came to a large river. She
entered the water. She disappeared. Oshun became an ori-
sha, the spirit of the river. This is how the Oshun Eiver got
its name.
Oshun was never forgotten in Oyo, nor did she forget
the people of that city. As an
orisha she helped them
whenever she could. She gave the gift of fertility. From
that day until the present, barren women have gone to the
banks of the Oshun River and given sacrifices there, suppli-
cating Oshun to give them children. Without Oshun 's help,
many persons who were born and lived on in Oyo would not
have lived at all. But Oshun never forgave Oya for causing
her to cut off her ears and become ridiculous in Shango's
sight.
\7
TWO WARRIOR HEROES,

AND HOW SHANGO
DEPARTED FROM OYO
SHANGO LIVED ON IN OYO. IT WAS A TIME OF WARS AMONG THE
Yoruba cities, and little by little Oyo's influence spread, un-
til Shango was master of the whole country. His armies had
subdued everyone who opposed him, and all the other Obas
acknowledged Oyo as supreme. Only after this was there
peace. As he had in war, Shango now governed with a strong
hand, though some say he ruled with a force that was no
longer required.
Among the warriors who had fought in Shango 's
armies there were many heroes, but the greatest of them all
91
were Timi and Gbonka. Because of their valorous deeds

they were known everywhere. People remembered this
battle and that battle in which the two heroes had fought,
and recalled their accomplishments.
Shango could not escape hearing these recollections.
He thought, "I am the Alarm of Oyo, the Oba of Obas. My
armies have conquered everything. Other Obas recognize
the supremacy of Oyo. Yet it is not me that people praise.
People everywhere are saying 'Timi-this' or 'Gbonka-
that.' " Shango brooded. He began to consider how he
might rid Oyo of the two heroes.
One day he sent a messenger to instruct Timi to come
to the royal house. When Timi arrived he was accompanied
by a drummer who beat out sayings of praise for the hero.
A crowd of people followed, some of them dancing. This
was the way things were done when a great hero went from
one place to another. Now, Shango felt gratitude for the
loyalty of Timi in the wars, and his jealousy and his grati-
tude wrestled within him. But the sight of so many people
celebrating Timi's great deeds made Shango 's heart hard.
He decided to send Timi away.
He said, "In the city of Ede things are not good. The
people there do not show the proper respect for Oyo. They
forget that they are the servants and I am the master. Go
and rule over Ede. Grind down those who seek trouble.
Bring order out of disorder. Remain there, be Ede's
father."
Timi said, "Great Shango, I will do what you ask.
When have I ever failed to strike a blow for the honor of
Oyo? Do not doubt it, Ede will praise you and be your
servant."
He went house and prepared for his journey. He
to his
hung his medicine bundles and his talismans around his
neck and his arms. He took the bow and the naming arrows
he used in war. He mounted his horse and with only a few
warrior companions he rode away to Ede.
' ' '
Two Warrior Heroes, How Shan go Departed from Oyo 93
Shango thought, "Now

I have disposed of one of the
heroes. He meet his end trying to take Ede." But
will surely
then news began to come back to Oyo that Timi and his
companions had fought the finest warriors of Ede and de-
feated them. When that was done, Timi became the ruler of
the city and all the lands around it. Timi's name had
become greater than before. And, as time went on, Ede grew
in strength and reknown. Shango was eaten by anger. He
devised a new plan to be rid of Timi.
He sent for the second hero, Gbonka, and instructed
him in this manner: "Go to Ede for me, where Timi has
taken the seat of the Oba. When he departed he promised to
make Ede the servant of Oyo. Instead of that he has made
Ede proud and vain, as though Oyo were merely a village of
no consequence. When you reach Ede challenge Timi, defeat
him and bring him back. Because you have powerful medi-
'
cine you cannot fail in this matter.
Gbonka listened. He felt no anger for Timi, only close
comradeship. He said, "Great ruler of Oyo, I hear what
you want me to do. But Timi and I fought side by side
through the bloodiest of Oyo's wars. When one of us bled,
both bled. When one struck down an enemy, so did the other.
We have relieved our thirst from the same cup. How can I
now fight with Timi ? For one of us will surely die. '
Shango answered, "Yes, I have thought of it. But your

medicine is powerful. It will prevail over Timi without
causing anyone to die. Yet in his mind Shango was think-
'
'
ing, "When two heroes like Timi and Gbonka meet in battle
one must die. If it is Timi I will have only Gbonka to deal
with. If it is Gbonka I will have only Timi to dispose of. '
Gbonka said to Shango, "I will go to Ede. I will talk to

Timi as to my companion of many wars. I will persuade him
to return." He went to his house. He placed his medicine
bundles and his talismans on his arms and around his neck.
He took his antelope horn in which was kept the most
powerful of his jujus. Then he rode away to Ede, his
' ' ' '
drummer walking in front. The drummer beat out Gbonka 's

praise names and the great deeds he had performed in
battle.
The people of Ede, in time, heard the drumming. They
went to the edge of the city to see who was coming. They
were overcome with awe at the sight of Gbonka. He was
strong and fierce, and his body was nearly covered with
leather medicine bundles. So many talismans hung from his
head that his face was nearly obscured, but behind them his
eyes shone like sparks in the darkness. He carried a long
spear, and on his shield were the marks that all men knew to
be the sign of Gbonka of Oyo.
The Ede people ran to Timi's house, calling out that
Gbonka was coming dressed for battle. When Gbonka ar-
rived there Timi was standing at his door waiting. Gbonka
dismounted. He said, Timi, my companion in war, Shango
'
'
has sent me to bring you back to Oyo. Let us prepare for

the journey."
Timi said, "You, Gbonka, who rode by my side to do
great deeds, you are welcome to Ede. But I can not go back
to Oyo with you, for I am the Oba in Ede now.
'
They spoke this way, two friends one to another, and

gave their arguments.
Timi said, "Gbonka, you must return to Oyo alone.
Time has changed many things. Shango sent me here to
control Ede. Here I must stay. '
Gbonka said, Shango did not send me merely to ride

'
'
here and ride there. He said, Bring Timi back to Oyo.' He

'
said, 'If Timi does not choose to come, bring him by

force.'
"
Timi said, "Likewise, when Shango sent me here he did
not say 'Go to that place and return.' Therefore I do not
return."
Gbonka said, "If I cannot persuade you by words, then
we must fight to decide the matter. '
Timi said, "Gbonka, can you use your weapons against

me 1 I am your friend and your companion of many wars. '
' ' : '
Two Warrior Heroes, How Shango Departed from Oyo 95
Gbonka answered, though his heart was sick, "Yes, it is

'
that way. Therefore prepare yourself to fight.
Timi entered his house. When he came out his arms and
chest were covered with medicine bundles and talismans. In
hands he held his bow and his flaming arrows.
his
The people of Ede pleaded with the heroes, saying,
"You men are closer than brothers. What you are doing is
'
not right.
But Timi said to the people, "Stand back and do not
come between us." So they backed aw ay. Timi's drummer
T
began to play Timi's praise names. Gbonka 's drummer

began to play Gbonka 's praise names. Timi placed a flam-
ing arrow in his bow. But Gbonka did not raise either his
spear or his shield. He held only his medicine horn in his
hand. He sang a song that ended with the words
"When a child sleeps he drops whatever he holds in his

hands.
Sleep now, Timi, and let go your bow and flaming
arrows."
Instantly Timi fell into a deep sleep. His weapons

dropped from his hands and he fell to the ground. Gbonka
approached him with his spear poised. But when he looked
on Timi's still face, Gbonka put his spear down. He ordered
the people to put Timi on his horse. Gbonka mounted his
own horse and rode away, taking Timi with him to Oyo.
When he arrived he went directly to Shango 's house and
put Timi on the ground. He said to Shango, "We fought,
but before he could release his arrow I put him to sleep. As
you wanted me to do, I have brought him back to Oyo. '
The people who had gathered in Shango 's courtyard

demanded that Timi be awakened. Gbonka awakened him.
Timi stood up. The people ridiculed him with phrases and
laughter. Gbonka turned away silently and went to his own
house and entered.
' ' ' :
Shango was deeply troubled, for once again he had the

two heroes in Oyo. He thought about the matter for some
days. Then he sent for Timi and said to him, "Things did
not go well. I foresaw that you would defeat Gbonka. In-
stead, he put you to sleep with his power of medicine. Now
the people of Oyo ridicule you. Of all heroes you are the
greatest, and your medicine is more powerful than
Gbonka 's. Therefore injustice has been done. AVill you leave
the matter there ? You cannot live from day to day hearing
people say, 'There goes Timi, once great, but now humili-
ated by Gbonka of Oyo.' In Ede even now you can hear it
said, Timi who made himself Oba of Ede, he fell asleep in
'
the face of a single warrior. If you choose to fight Gbonka

'
again I will announce it to the city. '
"When they had faced each other in Ede, even with their
weapons in their hands, Timi had felt like a brother to
Gbonka. But now his shame choked him and he longed to
fight. He said, "Yes, I will meet Gbonka once more, and
may death come to one of us. '
Shango sent criers out through the city. They called,

"Atoto-o! Atoto-o! Two warrior heroes meet! Gbonka and
Timi are going to fight! '
The next morning the two men appeared before

Shango 's compound prepared to fight. Everyone in Oyo
was there. The heroes faced each other calling out taunts
back and forth. Their drummers beat out their praise
names. There was great excitement. Timi released a flaming
arrow from his bow. As the arrow began its flight, Gbonka
pointed to the east with his medicine horn. The arrow
turned and went to the east. Timi released another flaming
arrow from his bow. Gbonka pointed his medicine horn
westward. The arrow turned to the west. Timi sent arrow
after arrow at Gbonka, but Gbonka 's medicine horn turned
them all aside. And when Timi's arrows were nearly gone,
Gbonka sang the same song he had sung in Ede. The final
words of the song came from his mouth
' '
Two Warrior Heroes, How Shango Departed from Oyo 97
"When a child sleeps he drops whatever he holds in his

hands.
Sleep now, Timi, and let go yonr how and flaming
arrows."
By the time Gbonka had finished singing, Timi lay

sleeping on the ground. The people praised Gbonka. He
awakened Timi and left the place of the combat.
Shango was not satisfied, because both heroes still
lived. One day he sent for Gbonka. He said to him, "The
tree has been bent, but still it continues to grow. You have
bent Timi, but still he lives. The contest was never finished.
Therefore you must fight again. '
Anger seized Gbonka. He said to Shango, "Twice I

fought with Timi to please you. Twice I defeated him, but
you will not let the matter rest. What can it mean except
that you will not be satisfied while the two of us remain
alive? Very well. I will fight a last fight with Timi. When
that is done the contest will be between you and me. Either
you or I will have to leave Oyo forever. '
And so the two heroes met again in combat. A great

crowd gathered from all the countryside around Oyo. Musi-
cians beat out the praise names of Gbonka and Timi on
their drums. Shango sat on a chair placed on a leopard skin.
There was much excitement. The fighting began. Just as he
had done before, Gbonka felled Timi to the ground with
sleep. But this time Gbonka took his sword from his scab-
bard and cut off Timi's head. He turned and threw the head
in Shango 's lap, saying, "Here is the head you wanted so
much." People cried out in dismay that Gbonka behaved
with such contempt for Shango. Shango stood up, his eyes
red with anger, letting the head fall to the ground. He
ordered his guards to seize Gbonka and put him to death.
They built a large fire there where the fight had taken
place. They tied Gbonka with heavy cords and threw him
' ' '
into the flames. The people gathered around to watch

Gbonka But instead they saw him standing in the fire,
die.
his eyes fixed on Shango. When the cords that bound him
had burned away, Gbonka walked from the flames un-
harmed. The people of Oyo fled in terror. Only Shango and
his wife Oya remained. Gbonka approached Shango and
struck him with his medicine horn, saying, "Now, Shango,
you are finished in Oyo. You must leave within five days.
Never will you return. '
Shango opened his mouth and a great flame shot out

and enveloped Gbonka. But Gbonka withstood the flame and
was unharmed in any way. And then Shango knew that
Gbonka could not be conquered.
Four days went by. The people turned away from
Shango and sang praise songs for Gbonka. In the evening
of the fourth day Shango made ready to leave Oyo, and in
the darkness of night he and his wife Oya went out of the
city, traveling toward Nupe.
Thus it was that Shango abandoned the kingdom over
which he had ruled. He never reached Nupe, however. As he
and his wife went through the bush country, Oya became
more and more disheartened about the exile from Oyo.
Shango hardly spoke. He was afflicted with shame that he
had been driven out by Gbonka. They stopped after a while
to rest.
Oya said in despair, "I can not go any farther. Oyo is
my home. In Nupe I will be a stranger without friends. '
Shango answered, "I have been deserted by all of Oyo.

The people are like leaves that move with the wind. I,
Shango, ruler of everything, have been abandoned. Only
Oya accompanies me on the road. But now Oya wants to go
back to Oyo. '
Shango left Oya sitting there and went into the forest.
He prepared a rope, tying it to the limb of an ayan tree, and
he hanged himself.
Oya waited for him to return. When she was rested she
went to look for him. She found Shango 's double-bladed ax
'
Tivo Warrior Heroes, How Shango Departed from Oyo 99
lying on the ground. She went farther, and she saw

Shango 's body hanging from the ayan tree. She fled back to
Oyo, crying out that Shango had hanged himself in the
forest. People were sent to get Shango 's body so that it
could be properly buried. They found the double-bladed ax
where Shango had left it. Farther on they found the ayan
tree and saw the rope hanging from it, but Shango 's body
was not there.
They returned and reported what they had seen. The
subchiefs of Oyo met in council to discuss the mystery.
Some said that since Shango 's body could not be found he
probably was not dead. Others argued that he must have
killed himself, because Oya had seen him hanging from the
ayan tree. The weight of opinion was that Oya had reported
the truth. "Oba so," people said, meaning, "The Oba
hangs. But suddenly the sky darkened and the wind began
'
'
to blow. A storm enveloped Oyo, and a great bolt of light-

ning cleaved the air. The lightning struck again and again.
Thunderstones rained down on the city and many houses
burst into flames.
Then a loud voice proclaimed: "I, Shango, do not
hang I have merely returned to my place in the sky
!
! '
The people prostrated themselves on the ground. They

cried out to one another, "Oba koso! Oba koso!" meaning,
"The Oba does not hang! The Oba does not hang!' After ,
this thethunderstones stopped falling on the city of Oyo.

From his place in the sky Shango kept watch over the
goings-on in Oyo and punished those who spoke evil against
him. Anyone struck by lightning was adjudged to be one of
Shango 's enemies, and he was not buried near other graves
but in a separate and isolated place. The ayan tree, from
which Shango departed the earth, became sacred, and from
that time on people have made sacrifices to Shango at its
foot. And whereas formerly he had been known as Shango
or as Jakuta, the Stone Thrower, he now was also called
Oba Koso, The Oba Does Not Hang.
As for his wife Oya, she did not remain in Oyo. She
once again departed from there and traveled northward

toward Nupe. After many days she arrived at the great
river that separated the land of the Yorubas from the coun-
try of the Nupe people. She looked across the water. She
said, "In that place I will be an exile. People will forever
say to each other, 'See, there stands Oya of Oyo. Once she
was the wife of the great Shango, but now she is the most
miserable of women.' Can a person go on living this way?"
Oya did not try to cross the river. Instead, she went
into the water and disappeared. She became the spirit of
that river, which thereafter was called by her name. Thus
two wives of Shango lived on as river orishas, Oshun as the
spirit of the Oshun River and Oya as the spirit of the Oya
River, which is also called the Niger. But the enmity be-
tween Oshun and Oya never came to an end. They avoided
each other. And this is why the Oshun River and the Oya
River never meet.
iS
OBATALA'S FARM
AT ABEOKUTA
OBATALA OWNED A FARM AT A PLACE NAMED ABEOKUTA, WHERE
the city by that name still stands. When Obatala appor-
tioned land in the beginning, after creating humans, he kept
the most barren and stony share for himself. His farm at
Abeokuta was more rock than soil, and everyone asked,
"How can crops be grown at such a place!" But because
Obatala was a great orisha the crops he planted grew
abundantly among the stones. People observed that while
they had to work hard from morning until night to grow
enough to eat, Obatala 's farm was always green even
though he worked only a little. Whether there was much
rain or none, whether he tended his fields often or rarely,
there was never a lack of grain or yams.
101
People began to speak of it. They were resentful. They

said,"What kind of a person can Obatala be! He gives us
portions of land that begrudge us our food, while he keeps
for himself a portion that grows more than he can eat."
After a while they were saying, "How long are we to suffer
with such a tyrant 1 In time they spoke such words as, If
'
'
'
'
we had Obatala 's land we would be fortunate. How can we

obtain it?"
They forgot that Obatala had created land over the
watery wastes and that he had made the first human beings.
They said, "It is time to be rid of Obatala. Let us destroy
him." But they did not know how to do it. They discussed
the matter for many days, until one man proposed that
Obatala be killed by stones. They agreed that stones should
be rolled down on Obatala from a hill near his farm.
They went to the top of the hill where some enormous
stones were resting. When Obatala passed by on the way to
his fields they dislodged the stones and sent them rolling
downward. Obatala was battered by the stones. His body
was broken into many pieces and scattered across the land.
The word went from one place to another that Obatala
had been destroyed by envious men. The orisha Eshu re-
ceived the news. He was saddened. He went to Abeokuta to
verify the story. When he found it was true he went up to
the sky and reported the tragedy to Olorun. Olorun sent
Orunmila to find Obatala's body and bring it back. Orun-
mila went to Abeokuta. He searched for a long time, gather-
ing all the pieces of Obatala's body, and he carried them
back to the sky so that Olorun could give life to Obatala
again.
Olorun gave Obatala 's parts life, but each part became
a separate orisha. Instead of one Obatala there were nu-
merous gods created out of his fragments. These orishas
came to be called Orisha-Nla. Each one was less than Oba-
tala,but all together they were the sum of Obatala, so that
Obatala lived on in another form. This truth came to be
Obatala's Farm at Abeokuta 103
understood by humans. Even now many men call Obatala

by the name Orisha-Nla, and this name recalls the evil deed
carried out at Abeokuta.
19
THE WOMEN'S WAR
IN ANCIENT TIMES IN THE CITY OF ILESHA, BEFORE THE COMING

of wars between kingdoms, there were women rulers as well
as men. One generation followed another in peace. Some-
times a woman ruled, sometimes a man. At last there came
to be a woman ruler named Aderemi. She governed over
Ilesha well.
Then one day it was reported that an army of warriors
from another kingdom was on its way to attack the Ilesha
people. This was the first time that Ilesha had had to fight
for its life. There were no precedents to follow in protecting
the city, no way of saying, "Oba So-and-so fought this
105
' ''
way," or "Oba So-and-so fought that way." Aderemi

brought her counselors together. Some were men, some
were women. They discussed things. They argued about the
best way to drive the enemy away. The men counselors said
that the Ilesha warriors should carry spears and shields
into battle, and also war clubs, bows and arrows. But the
women counselors argued otherwise, saying that the proper
weapons for defense were wooden staves like the long
pestles with which people pounded their grain into meal.
They also contended that eggs contained the power to neu-
tralize the jujus of the enemy, and that, therefore, eggs also
should be used. The argument among the counselors was
heated, but at last Aderemi declared that her female ad-
visors had prevailed.
The men counselors said, "What man is going to the
battlefield armed only with a pestle and an eggV
'
Aderemi replied angrily, "Very well, let the men stay

in the city and do the tasks that have to be done here. The
women will defend Ilesha. '
She ordered the women to arm themselves and prepare

for the fighting. They took their long pestles from their
mortars. They made their clothes tight and put war paint
on their cheeks. Each woman took an egg and held it in her
left hand. Then they gathered before Aderemi 's house.
Aderemi exhorted them to have courage. She said, "Go
out and find the enemy. Throw eggs before them to counter-
act their medicine. Attack and drive them back like dogs to
the place from which they came, so that they will never
again molest the city of Ilesha. '
However, the men continued to protest, saying, "This

is not the way it has to be done.
'
Aderemi answered sharply. She said, "Put away your

advice."
The women warriors went out with their pestles in
their righthands and their eggs in their left. They found
the enemy. The enemy warriors laughed when they saw the
women coming with pestles and eggs to defend Ilesha. They
'
The Women's War 107
called out, "Are there no men in the city? Go back. We did

not come for wives, we have wives of our own.
'
The women of Ilesha heard the insults. They threw

their eggs at the invaders, saying, "Just as your jujus have
now been made sterile, so will you also be helpless." They
went forward and attacked the enemy with their pestles.
But the enemy warriors fended off the pestles with their
shields, and they fought back with clubs, spears, bows and
arrows. Many Ilesha women fell on the battlefield. The
others turned back. Now the enemy attacked, and the Ilesha
women fled to the city. Arriving there, they went into their
houses and threw down their pestles.
The men of Ilesha saw how things were. They went to
Aderemi and said to her, This thing is too big for you. In
'
'
time of peace you ruled well. But now that war has come
you try to grind the enemy as though they were merely
corn. This is the nature of women. Therefore we cannot
have a woman ruler in Ilesha anymore. From now on Ilesha
must have a warrior chief as its ruler." They went into
council and they selected a man to be Oba over the city and
all the lands around it.
Under the orders of the new Oba the men armed them-
selves with spears, shields, knives, clubs, and bows and
arrows. They wênt out of the city shouting battle cries.
They attacked the enemy. They turned the enemy back.
They drove the enemy from their fields. The enemy were in
confusion and disarray. The battle went on until the only
enemy in sight were those lying dead on the ground. After
that the men of Ilesha went home. They said, "It is done."
They reaffirmed that henceforth Ilesha would only have
men as rulers. They said, "Obatala made all humans and he
loves them equally. Yet each person excels in a particular
thing. Women are authorities on pestles and eggs. That is
their nature. Men excel in the defense of their homes. Let us
respect the differences with which we are endowed."
Since that time only men have ruled over Ilesha, and
only men have gone out to fight the enemy.
20
THE COMING
OF THE ORA RIVER
ONCE THERE WAS A PROLONGED DROUGHT AND FAMINE IN ILESHA.

The rain did not come and the crops withered in the fields.
People planted again and again, but nothing grew. They
dug deep wells in search of water, but there was nothing but
dryness down below. Animals began to die of thirst and
hunger. The people of Ilesha also suffered. Every family
had its dead and its dying.
The Oba of Ilesha sent messengers around the country
calling for all the babalawos, diviners and medicine men, to
convene in the city. The babalawos came. The Oba in-
structed them to do what was necessary to make the rain
fall. The babalawos discussed how they might end the ter-
109
'' ' '
rible drought. They made jujus of one kind and another, but
nothing happened. Every day there were more deaths in
Ilesha from thirst and hunger. The Oba sent out more
messengers. They traveled to distant cities and sought out
other babalawos. More babalawos arrived. They consulted
their palm nuts and made medicine. But the water remained
in the sky and the earth turned to dust. Those who died
were as numerous as the living. People said, "Surely this is
the end of Ilesha and all the people who live here.
,,
Many
departed from the city seeking homes elsewhere and were
never heard of again.
Then one day a stranger arrived in Ilesha. By the
shells and medicine packets he wore all over his body people
knew him to be a babalawo. They said to him, "You,
stranger, don't you know that Ilesha is a dying place! Why
do you come here ? '
He answered, I have come to see the Oba.

'
'
'
They took him to the Oba's house. When the Oba

showed himself the stranger prostrated himself on the
earth. He said, "I heard of the misery in Ilesha. I have
come to make medicine so that the rain will fall again. '
The Oba answered, "You come now when more than

half the city is dead. Why did you wait so long? What is
your name, so that Ilesha will remember the babalawo who
walked so slowly ? '
The babalawo Great ruler of Ilesha, my name is

said,
'
'
0. It not that I walked slowly. I live in a very distant

is
place and the news of Ilesha 's misfortune took long to

arrive there. When I heard the way things are going with
Ilesha I began the journey at once. Now I have arrived. I
will do what I can.
'
The Oba said, "You, 0, what can you do for us? Other
babalawos have come and failed."
sat on the ground before the Oba and his counselors.
He opened his bag and took out a chain of divining shells.
He dropped the shells on the earth and read them. This he
' ' ' '
The Coming of the Ora River 111
did again and again. At last he said, "The orishas who

provide water are annoyed with the people of Ilesha. This
is what the shells reveal. They say the people here have
neglected the rituals and forgotten to make sacrifices to the

orishas. Because the orishas are offended they withhold the
rain. This is the cause of the drought and the famine.
'
The Oba became impatient. He "Yes, we know

said,
that something like this is responsible. But what we need to
know is what we can do now to please the orishas. Other
babalawos have said, "Do this," or "Do that," but the
orishas are not satisfied. Ask your shells what is required of
us so the orishas will be appeased."
Over and over again the babalawo cast his chain of
shells on the ground and read their meanings. At last he
said, "What is required is a sacrifice made of seven cola
nuts, seven alligator peppers, seven fish, seven bush rats
and seven of every other edible thing. They are to be mixed
with the blood of a stranger and placed at a crossroad. '
The Oba sent for all the things that were named. When
his servants returned they had everything except one the —
blood of a stranger. Secretly they told the Oba that 0, the
babalawo, was the only stranger in Ilesha. The Oba con-
sulted his counselors. They said, "If is the only stranger
to be found in Ilesha, then it is clear that it is his blood that
must be used. Otherwise the orishas will not be appeased.
Let us go ahead, one thing at a time, and when the proper
moment arrives we will kill and add his blood to the
sacrifice." So this was what they decided. They brought
everything that had been gathered and put it down be-
fore 0.
asked, '
' Where is the stranger 's blood 1 '
They answered, "Begin preparing things. We shall add

the blood when everything else is done. '
O saw the way things were going. He understood what

was in their minds, but he did not speak of it. He proceeded
with the preparation of the sacrifice. He thought, "If they
'
intend to use my blood, there is no escape from it. Yet if

they are conspiring against me, at least I can see to it that
they do not benefit from their treachery. And so while he
'
'
was putting the ingredients together he withheld seven cola

nuts, which he buried in the ground. He worked on. He
finished his work. He said, "Well, now, all is ready, except
for the one thing you left to the last.'
Hearing this, the Oba gave a signal to his guards, who

seized and bound him. They cut off his head and added his
blood to the sacrifice, which they then carried to the cross-
road. Even before they reached that place, clouds formed in
the sky over Ilesha. By was set down
the time the sacrifice
at the crossroad, heavy rain was The people of the
falling.
city were happy. They caught rainwater in bowls and cups
and stored it away in their houses.
The Oba ordered his servants to take O's body away
and throw it into the bush. This they did, leaving the body
lying on the ground. The Oba of Ilesha was not comfortable
about what he had done. He thought, "This man must
have had powerful medicine to make the rain fall. Perhaps
he will try to take revenge. " So the next morning the Oba
sent some of his servants to check on O's body. They found
it just as it had been left. They returned and reported, "0
ra," meaning, "O's body has not decomposed." What the

Oba heard worried him, for a body was supposed to decom-
pose. The following morning he again sent his servants to
check on the body. Again they returned and said, "0 ra,"
signifying that the body had not decomposed. The third day
the servants reported in the same way. For seven days they
reported the same thing. By that time everyone in Ilesha
was saying, "0 ra," and the Oba was deeply disturbed.
On the seventh day O's body transformed itself into a
river. The river grew large and turbulent. It flowed in a
great torrent into the city of Ilesha. The streets became
flooded. The water rose and entered the houses, drowning
the people who lived in them. It flowed on until it reached
The Coming of the Ora River 113
the house of the Oba. Many of the Oba's family and ser-
vants were caught in the flood and washed away. The Oba
and some of his wives and children escaped into the hills
where the water could not reach them. But the city of Ilesha
was devastated by the flowing river.
Once again the Oba called for babalawos to come and
find out what could be done to cause the river to retreat.
The babalawos assembled. They cast their shells and their
palm nuts on the ground and studied them. At last they told
the Oba, "0 understood that you intended to use his blood in
the sacrifice. Therefore he withheld seven cola nuts. This
caused the orishas to become angry with Ilesha. They
turned O's body into a rushing river to punish us. This is
the cause of the misfortune. Let the cola nuts now be added
to the sacrifice."
So the Oba ordered seven cola nuts to be carried to the
crossroad and added to the sacrifice. The river began to
subside. The water drained out of the destroyed buildings.
Flooded fields came into view. The river became small and
changed its course. It continued to flow, but its water was
contained between banks. People returned to the city and
rebuilt their houses. Time went on. But the saying, "0 ra,"
meaning "0 has not decomposed," was never forgotten.
From this saying the river took its name, ra, or Ora, and
by this name it has been known ever since.
21
OGBE BABA AKINYELURE,

WARRIOR OF IBODE
THERE WAS A TIME WHEN WAR WAS EVERYWHERE IN THE LAND,
and in those days there were many warrior heroes. Among
all the heroes whose names were heard in the months of
men, none was more famous than Ogbe, a man who lived in
the town of Ibode in the west. When Ogbe went into battle
only the great champions of other cities came forward to
fight and test his weapons. And all those who challenged
Ogbe in war, who remembers them now? For they felt the
weight of Ogbe's sword, the blood of their lives ran out on
the battlefield, and their names faded away and were for-
gotten.
In the times in which Ogbe lived it was said that a
115
'
warrior should not drink palm wine when his country was
at war, for drinking made a man's arms heavy and slowed
his spear. It was said, "If one drinks, let him drink. If he
fights, let him But the two "cannot live together in the
fight.
same house." Yet Ogbe was swift and he was strong. More
than once he went out fighting with the warmth of palm
wine inside. It did not make his arms heavy or slow his
weapons.
Ogbe had many wives, as befitted a great champion,
and he had many children in Ibode. Of all his sons he loved
Akinyelure best. Perhaps this was because of all his wives
it was Akinyelure 's mother who was dearest to him. And
the sign of his affection was that he called himself Ogbe

Baba Akinyelure, Ogbe Father of Akinyelure. By this name
he was known in far-off places.
Now, one day Ogbe returned from fighting at a distant
frontier. In Ibode there was a festival celebrating his vic-
tories. Drumming, dancing and singing went on all day and
into the night. The people sang of Ogbe's prowess and the
war horns signaled Ogbe's praise names. When the first
celebration ended another began. Day after day the war-
riors of Ibode celebrated, and many cups of wine were
drunk. During these festivals Ogbe drank mightily. Because
he was a great hero no one said the words, "If one drinks,
let him drink. If one fights, let him fight.
'
While the town was just beginning to stir one morning

a messenger came with word that an enemy force was
approaching Ibode. Ogbe and the other warriors of the
town prepared for battle. Seeing his father taking up his
weapons, the young Akinyelure said to him, "This time I
too will go out to repel the enemy. '
Ogbe looked at his son.
'
He saw that Akinyelure was now a man. He answered,

"Yes, prepare yourself Take your spear. Take your
also.
battle-ax. We shall stand and fight together, side by side,
and rain death on those who want to conquer Ibode."
The warriors went out to meet the enemy. The fighting
" ! ! '
Ogbe Baba Akinyelure, Warrior of Ibode 117
was great. The feet of the fighting men stirred up the dust
and made a dark cloud hang over the battle. Ogbe and
Akinyelure moved together. Where one fought the other
fought. The sun moved across the sky and still the battle
went on. Ogbe 's battle-ax glistened, and the enemy in front
of him melted away. They turned their backs and fled into
the bush. The men of Ibode called out, "The enemy flees !"
If was only then that Ogbe saw that Akinyelure was not at
his side. He searched across the fields and found Akinyelure
lying dead among the dead. A great grief descended upon
Ogbe. The exhilaration of battle ebbed from his body. He
dropped his weapons on the ground.
When the other warriors of Ibode gathered their dead
and prepared to return to the town, Ogbe merely stood
looking at the corpse of his son. They said, "Ogbe, let us
return.
But he answered, "No. You return to Ibode. I will stay
here. Howcan I go back now! How can I face the wife
whose son I allowed to die on the battlefield?"
His friends said, This is not the way it is with a hero.
' l
Men fight, men die, but one must go on living. '
Ogbe refused to return to Ibode. He stood on the battle-

field. He sang:
"I, Ogbe, Father of Akinyelure,

Possessor of many wives,
Father of many children,
Champion ofmany wars,
Slayer of many enemies
In all my days until now
No shame has fallen on me
How could I know Akinyelure
Could not strike before and behind,
To one side and the other?
' '
I brought him to the battle

And I gave him no shelter under my spear.
How can I now speak to his mother
Who is dear to me, saying merely,
'
One must go on living 9
V
His friends urged him again, pleading with him,
'
Ogbe, take up your weapons and return with us.
'
'
He said, "No, leave me here. I would go to another

country, but I would only hunger for the love of my wife
whose son I allowed to die. No, here I will stay and take
root, for I have nowhere else to go.
'
AVhen Ogbe said these words he took root where he

stood and became an iroko tree.
Although he never returned to Ibode he was never for-
gotten. From that time on the people of Ibode offered
sacrifices at the foot of the iroko tree once each year in
memory of Ogbe Baba Akinyelure.
22
THE BURNING
OF THE ELEKUTE GROVE
NEAR THE TOWN OF OWON IN EARLY TIMES THERE WAS A SACRED

grove called Elekute. In this grove, filled with trees and
wild brush, ceremonies and sacrifices took place, and it was
here that ritual dancers came to put on their masks and
costumes. Because the grove was so sacred to the people of
Owon, the elders of the town took special measures to pre-
serve it from destruction. It was the custom for farmers to
burn their fields before planting them, and there was con-
cern that Elekute might be destroyed by spreading flames.
The council of elders in Owon discussed at length what the
penalty should be for burning the grove, and they agreed
at last that the punishment should be death.
119
'
Among men who sat in council and deliberated on

the
the question was a person named Akuko. His family was
well known and greatly respected in Owon for its generos-
ity and the many good deeds it had done in behalf of the
town. Akuko himself was industrious. His fields were well
kept. He often gave corn to those who were in need. He
shared the responsibilities of defending the town. And
whenever men gathered to discuss important matters he
was listened to.
This respected man Akuko was walking one day on a
trail outside the town. He saw two small boys huddled
together crying, and he stopped to ask them about their
trouble. At first they were unwilling to speak, but he urged
them, quoting the proverb, "Even a large tree is felled by
the woodcutter, " meaning that no difficulty is too large to
be overcome.
At last the older of the boys said, "We were going
from Owon to our father's farm. We were carrying embers
so that our father could have fire out there. We walked
along this trail as we have always done in the past. And a
wind came up and blew sparks from our embers into the
Elekute Grove and set it afire. Now we will be punished. As
everyone knows, we will be hanged.'
Akuko was troubled. He thought, Surely the town will
'
'
not demand punishment for these boys, who meant no harm

to the sacred grove.'' But again he thought, "Yet it was
definitely agreed that the penalty would be the same for any
guilty person, whether man or woman, adult or child. He '
'
thought, "I am a man. I am capable of defending myself.

Can these small boys stand before the people and plead
their case? All they will be able to say is, 'A wind blew
sparks from our embers into the Elekute Grove. " '
After some thought he said to the boys, "When you

return to the town say nothing about the burning. I will
speak of it my own way. Give me the embers and go on to
your father's farm." He took the embers and went back
' ' ' '
The Burning of the Elekute Grove 121
into the town. Already word was going from mouth to ear,
"The Elekute Grove has been burned! The Elekute Grove
has been burned !" Akuko went to the house of the chief. He
said, "An unfortunate thing happened. I was carrying
embers to my fields and a wind came up and blew sparks
into the Elekute Grove. I came directly to you so that you
would hear the story exactly as it occurred. I meant no
harm to the town. '
The chief answered, "This is an important matter. It

belongs to the entire town. It was my family of counselors
who decreed the burning of the grove to be a serious
crime. '
The chief sent messengers through the town to call
'
his counselors together. He addressed them, saying,

"Akuko comes to me. He says, 'It was I who burned the
Elekute Grove, but I had no evil intent. I was walking along
the trail carrying embers. A wind came up and blew sparks
into the bush. This was how it happened. '
'
The counselors said, "Let Akuko himself speak about

it."
Akukosaid, "All the people of Owon know my family.
We have never done any mischief in the community. We
carry no shame for anything, for we have never injured
anyone. I, Akuko, was going out to my fields carrying
embers. The wind came up and blew sparks. Am I a master
of the wind? I did not leave the trail. I did not approach the
grove. The wind took sparks and carried them there. Have I
ever done anything against Owon's welfare? Let us forget
this matter and go on living.
'
But an elder replied, "Slowly, slowly. Let us consider

things. The counselors met and discussed this question.
They agreed it would be a serious crime to burn the Elekute
Grove. It was decreed that whoever should commit this
crime would die by hanging. You, Akuko, were you not there
among us? Did you not concur in what was decided? You
said, 'Yes, I agree with everything. Now you say, 'Let us
'
forget the matter and go on living. '

'
' '
Another man spoke. He said, "Akukous this and

tells
that. He says, 'My family is respected.' An
elephant is
large but he can walk gently. An important family also
should walk gently. Akuko was carrying embers, but it was
his responsibility to see that no sparks escaped. When we
agreed on the penalty was it said by anyone that the punish-
ment would be for one kind of person and not for another?
Did Akuko himself say, 'If the wind comes up we will forget
the matter'?"
Many persons spoke in this fashion. Then one of the
counselors said, "Yes, the council agreed on everything,
and Akuko has acknowledged what he did. There is no dis-
pute on these things. However, Akuko has been generous in
Owon. Many persons have accepted seed from Akuko 's
granaries to plant in their fields. And who here has not sat
drinking palm wine with Akuko? Has not Akuko given out
gifts at one festival and another? When the enemy comes
does he not take up his weapons like the rest of us? What is
there to say against Akuko except that sparks rode the wind
from his hand to the Elekute Grove? Let us consider this
question in moderation. '
They talked back and forth. At last there was a deci-

sion. Because of his good name Akuko would be allowed to
pay a fine of 2,400,000 cowries. If he did not present this
many cowries to the town by the fifth day of the week, Ojo-
Obatala, he would be hanged instead.
Akuko's spirits were heavy. He said, "Never has my
family owned such wealth. Where will I ever obtain so
many cowries ? Could even an Oba pay a fine like this ? '
He went to his relatives for help. They gave him all the
cowries they had, but it was not even a beginning. He went
to other people in Owon asking for loans, promising to
repay with interest. Some people had no cowries to give
him. Others refused, saying, "No, Akuko, you could never
repay such a large sum of money. Where would you find
it?" Still others answered in a hostile manner. They said,
"Because you come from a good family, that does not
' ' '' ' ' '
excuse your crime. If someone else in Owon caused the

Elekute Grove to be burned would it be said of him, 'He
never did anything like this before. Let us excuse him'! No,
it would be said, Hang him quickly.
'
' '
Ojo-Obatala, the fifth day, came. Akuko went to the

chief and said, "My family has given all its wealth. My
friends have given everything they can. But it is not even a
beginning. "Where could anyone find 2,400,000 cowries?"
The chief answered, "In that case the sentence must be
carried out."
People seized Akuko, tied his arms behind him and
began marching him toward the place of execution, which
was on the far side of the river.
Akuko said, "Have all you people forgotten the gen-
erosities of my father and my grandfather I
'
They answered, "Do not plead for your life, Akuko Be !
courageous in the face of death ! '
Akuko saw that the people wanted him to die. He said,

"I see that you really intend to hang me. But now listen to
what I have to say. I always wanted good things for the
town of Owon, yet Owon wishes me evil in return. If you
execute me it will bring great misfortunes on Owon. The
crops in the fields will sicken, and never again will food be
plentiful. Never again will a native of Owon prosper, no
matter how hard he works. '
People said, "Akuko, you are talking too much! Pre-

pare to hang ! '
Akuko went on, " If I am hanged the men of Owon will

grow impotent before their time and be unable to procreate.
The town will wither away. '
People called back, taunting Akuko, "Hang, Akuko,

hang!"
While they marched Akuko toward the place of execu-
tion in a procession, Oge, the chief drummer of the town,
walked ahead, making his drum say, "Akuko hangs! Akuko
hangs Akuko hangs
!
! '
Akuko addressed the drummer, saying, "You, Oge,

' ' ' '
whose drum speaks these vengeful words, if I am hanged

you will be among the first to die in the next battle with
Owon's enemies.'
People shouted, "Akuko, your curses are meaningless!
Bring your talking to an end ! '
Akuko called out, May the river run uphill and return
'
'
to the place from which it came

! '
People laughed. They said, "Rivers never run uphill!

Rivers never run uphill ! '
The procession reached the ford in the river. The

people looked in awe. "Look!" they said to one another.
'
The water flows the wrong way It is running from the low
' !
ground to the high ground What they saw increased their

! '
'
hostility toward Akuko. They tied a cloth around his mouth

so that he could not speak any more words. They began to
ford the river. In the middle of the crossing, Akuko stopped
for a moment and washed his legs. People wondered about
this, but they kept pushing and tugging Akuko until they
reached the other side.
And there, at the execution place, Akuko was hanged to
a tree.
People said, "Well, the matter is finished. He who
burned the Elekute Grove is dead," and they returned to
their homes.
But the matter was not yet really finished, for Akuko 's
curses on the town of Owon were alive. The next time the
warriors of Owon went out to fight the enemy, Oge the
drummer whose drum had said, Akuko hangs Akuko '
' !
hangs!" was among the first to die. As time went on the

town's fields dried up and the crops diminished. The men of
Owon became impotent at an early age and were unable to
have offspring. For this reason the population of Owon
decreased. Owon was once a thriving place but it was
withering now. After a while all the families of Owon be-
came poor. They had nothing and they no longer hoped for
anything.
Owon's river continued to flow the wrong way. People

gave sacrifices at its banks, imploring it to reverse its
course, but their supplications were never answered. To
this day the river flows the wrong way, a reminder of
Akuko's execution.
As for Akuko, he was reincarnated as a cock. And even
now, after so many generations have lived and died, great
care is taken to wash the legs of a cock before it is killed.
This is in memory of Akuko's stopping in the river to wash
his legs before he was hanged.
'
23
THE OBA'S FOOD
THAT AN OBA OF 0Y0 ONCE INSTRUCTED A SERVANT TO

IT IS SAID
go through the city and find the best of all foods, to be served
at a certain feast.
The servant went to a place in the city where they were
slaughtering cows. He examined all the parts of the
slaughtered animals and finally selected a beef tongue. He
returned.
The Oba saw what his servant brought back. He was
surprised. He asked, "Why did you bring a tongue of beef
when there were so many things to choose from? I in-
structed you to bring the best of all foods.
'
His servant said, "Great Oba, the tongue is the finest
127
' ' ' ' '
thing to be found. Is it not true that with a tongue a man
can speak? With his tongue he can instruct his servants and
advise his sons how to live. "With his tongue an Oba com-
mands his city and calls his warriors together for battle.
With their tongues two friends can commune with one
another. The diviner communicates with his tongue what he
reads in his Ifa. With a tongue the bard recites the history
of heroes, and with a tongue an exalted personage com-
mends the bard. And does not a counselor influence the ruler
of a kingdom with his tongue? Of all distinguished foods a
tongue is surely the most remarkable.'
The Oba of Oyo thought, "This servant is very dis-

cerning. What he says is true. But he disturbs me. He
speaks down to me. I will test his understanding further.'
He said to the man, "Indeed, the tongue is the finest thing
there is. But now I need something else. Go back and secure
for me the worst of all foods.'
The servant departed. He went where he had been
before. Again he bought a beef tongue and brought it to the
Oba.
The Oba looked at the tongue. He said, "Why do you
bring a beef tongue? You testified that a tongue is the best
of all foods. But I sent you to get the worst, not the best.
f
The man replied, "Great Oba of Oyo, the tongue is the

worst as well as the best.
'
The Oba said, "Now, how can it be the worst if it is

also the best?"
His servant answered, "The tongue is a bad thing.
With his tongue a malicious man speaks harmful words,
starts evil rumors, and brings misfortune to the community.
With his tongue a servant may deny the authority of his
master. And does not a master use his tongue to speak
harsh words to his servants and slaves? With their tongues
a man's wives stir up dissension and disrupt the household.
A counselor uses his tongue to give bad advice to the Oba,
and the Oba, with his tongue, orders his warriors to go out
'
The Oba's Food 129
and meet their death. And does not the executioner use his
tongue to order a man to bend down and be beheaded? Yes,
great ruler, Owner of Oyo, the tongue surely is surely the
worst of all foods to be found.'
The Oba, it is on the observations of his
said, reflected
servant and could find no fault with them. He thereupon
dispatched the man to a small town near Oyo and made him
a chief over the people of that place.
2+
OGEDENGBE'S DRUMMERS
IN THE DAYS OF CONSTANT WARS AMONG THE KINGDOMS OF THE

Yorubas, a warrior hero called Ogedengbe lived in the city
of Ilesha. Ogedengbe ruled firmly in Ilesha, and in other
kingdoms he was feared and respected, for it was said that
once he had undertaken war against an enemy he would not
relent or turn back until his work was finished. He attacked
enemy cities and sacked them, taking gold and slaves as
his prize. He pursued his enemies to the most distant places
to cut them down. Wherever the fighting was most fierce,
there Ogedengbe would be. His name was heard with atten-
tion in far-off villages, and, at the rumor that Ogedengbe
was approaching, people went away into the bush with their
cattle and hid themselves.
131
' ' :
In other kingdoms people asked each other, "How can

Ogedengbe be disposed of? He is like a plague of ants. He
comes out of the bush to eat everything that lies in his path.
If Ogedengbe were not loose in the land we could go on
living, each man in his fields and each city in its place. But
now every city is in danger. '
The Ibadan was then ruled by another warrior

city of
chief calledOgunmola. Ogunmola decided one time that he
would attack Ilesha and destroy Ogedengbe. He assembled
his army. He prepared for the expedition. And when every-
thing was ready Ogunmola 's forces set out. They reached
the outskirts of Ilesha.
A great battle began. Ogedengbe 's warriors met the
army from Ibadan in the fields. When night came they
rested, but when the sun rose again the battle resumed. The
two armies moved from one place to another. They drifted
across the land. Other cities became involved. The war
spread, leaving suffering and death in wake. Finally
its
Ogedengbe defeated Ogunmola, who returned with his
shattered forces to Ibadan.
But Ogedengbe 's anger was not yet stilled. It was said
that the city of Benin had conspired with Ibadan in the
attack against Ilesha. So Ogedengbe decided to punish
Benin. He began the expedition. As he rode his white horse
his drummers went on ahead. Their drums spoke like this
"Ogedengbe is coming.
Ogunmola is finished,
Now it is Benin's turn.
Benin, prepare yourself,
Prepare to bury your corpses.'
The sound of the drums was heard far away. Whenever

Ogedengbe 's army passed through a village there was no
sign of human beings and the fields were empty. For every-
' ' "
Ogedengbe's Drummers 133
where itwas said that Ogedengbe's drums and war horns

spoke only the truth. When the drums said that Ogunmola
had been defeated, everyone agreed that it must be so.
Word of Ogedengbe's approach came to Benin. The
ruler of that city met with his counselors to discuss the
situation. They sent a messenger to Ogedengbe. He said,
"Our people say there is no need to make war on Benin.
Benin has done nothing hostile to you. The people know of
your courage and achievements, and they praise you.
Ogedengbe, turn back and leave Benin as it stands. This is
'
the message I have brought you.
Ogedengbe spoke harshly. He said, "It is just as I
thought it would be. The city of Benin whimpers like a
child. Hear my drums, for they speak only what is true. The
drums say, 'Now it is Benin's turn.' Return to the city and
tell your Oba what I have said.
'
The messenger returned to Benin. He reported

Ogedengbe's words. Once again the people of Benin sent a
messenger to plead with Ogedengbe not to make war on the
city. Again Ogedengbe rebuffed the messenger. His army
arrived at Benin, surrounded the city and dug a moat
around it to prevent the inhabitants from escaping. Benin
was besieged. The Oba of Benin, the subchiefs and the
counselors discussed their situation. They foresaw that the
city would be destroyed and their army defeated. While
some said, "Let us go out and fight," others said, "No.
Listen to Ogedengbe's drums. They recall his great vic-
tories over other cities. They speak only what is true.
After the argument had been going on this way for a
long time, one of the elders of Benin said, "Can Ogedeng-
be's drums say only one thing? What are drums, after all?
They are objects made of wood and hide. They say only
what drummers make them say. Ogedengbe 's drums can say
other things. They can speak of Benin's greatness also."
People answered, "Now, Ogedengbe's drummers are
dear to his heart, for the words their drums speak remind
:' '
him to be courageous, and his warriors also take courage

from the sound. Why, then, would the drummers make their
drums tell of Benin's greatness?''
The elder answered, "I will tell you about this thing.
The drummers play what pleases Ogedengbe because he
pays them well. Does a musician live who does not play
what he is paid for? Very well. Let us be patrons to the
drummers. '
The people saw merit in it. They collected cowries from

whoever had cowries, and the Oba and the subchiefs gave
the greatest share. They appointed a messenger. In the
dark of night the messenger took the cowries and went out
of the city to the place where the drummers were resting.
The messenger said to them, "Your drumming has been
heard. In the city the people have praised it. They say you
are truly great musicians and poets. The tones of your
drums are so perfect that no one can mistake their mean-
ings. The people of Benin would like you to drum something
for them before the battle begins tomorrow. For this small
deed they will give you ten thousand cowries."
The drummers talked among themselves. They agreed.
They asked, "What do you want our drums to say ? '
"Why," the messenger said, "just a small phrase.

Have your drums say, 'When has Benin ever been de-
feated?' Have them say, 'Never has Benin been walked on
by its enemies. " He gave the drummers the ten thousand
1
cowries and went back to the city.

The light of the morning sun began to be visible.
Ogedengbe ordered his warriors to prepare for battle. They
made themselves ready for the attack. Ogedengbe mounted
his horse. The drums began to play. But instead of reciting
Ogedengbe 's praise names and recalling his great deeds the
drums said
1
'
When has Benin ever been defeated ?
Never has Benin been walked on by its enemies."
: '
Ogedengbe's Drummers 135
All in Ogedengbe's camp heard the drums and were

surprised. Anger filled Ogedengbe as he heard the drums
say over and over
1
'
When has Benin ever been defeated ?
Never has Benin been walked on by its enemies."
Doubt came to Ogedengbe. He thought, "It is true. Benin

has never fallen in war." His fury for battle softened. His
warriors with their weapons in their hands, they too were
thinking, "Have Ogedengbe's drums ever spoken a false-
hood? What they say now is so. Benin has never been
beaten to the ground. Although it has many enemies, Benin
has only survived and grown greater. '
Ogedengbe's eagerness to attack Benin diminished,

until at last he ordered his fighting men to withdraw to the
outskirts of the city. There he had his drummers executed
for making their drums say at the very moment of attack,
"When has Benin ever been defeated?" After that
Ogedengbe and his army returned to Ilesha.
HOW TWINS CAME
AMONG THE YORUBAS
Fine-looking twins, natives of Ishokun,
Descendants of treetop monkeys.
Twins saw the houses of the rich but did not go there.
Twins saw the houses of great personages but did not go
there.
Instead they entered the houses of the poor.
They made the poor rich, they clothed those who were naked.
—A Yoruba song in praise of twins
IN ANCIENT TIMES IN THE TOWN OF ISHOKUN, WHICH LATER
became a part of Oyo, there was a farmer who was known
137
everywhere as a hunter of monkeys. Because his fields

produced good crops, monkeys came from the bush and fed
there. The monkeys became a pestilence to the farmer. He
tried to drive them away. But they came, they went, they
returned again to feed. The farmer could not leave his fields
unguarded. He and his sons took turns watching over the
fields. Still the monkeys came and had to be driven away
with stones and arrows.
Because of his desperation and anger the farmer went
everywhere to kill monkeys. He hunted them in the fields, he
hunted them in the bush, he hunted them in the forest,
hoping to end the depredations on his farm. But the
monkeys refused to depart from the region, and they con-
tinued their forays on the farmer's crops. They even de-
vised ways of distracting the farmer and his sons. A few of
them would appear at a certain place to attract attention.
While the farmer and his sons attempted to drive them off,
other monkeys went into the fields to feed on corn. The
monkeys also resorted to juju. They made the rain fall so
that whoever was guarding the fields would go home, think-
ing, "Surely the crops will be safe in such weather.' But
'
the monkeys fed while the rain fell. When the farmer dis-
covered this he built a shelter in the fields, and there he or
one of his sons stood guard even when water poured from
the sky. In this contest many monkeys were killed, yet those
that survived persisted.
The farmer had several wives. After one of them be-
came pregnant an adahunse, or seer, of the town of Ishokun
came to the farmer to warn him. He said, There is danger
'
'
and misfortune ahead because of your continual killing of

the monkeys. They are wise in many things. They have
great powers. They can cause an abiku child to enter your
wife 's womb. He will be born, stay a while, then die. He will
be born again and die again. Each time your wife becomes
pregnant he will be there in her womb, and each time he is
born he will stay a while and then depart. This way you will
' '
How Twins Came Among the Yorubas 139
be tormented to the end. The monkeys are capable of send-

ing you an abiku. Therefore do not drive them away any-
more. Cease hunting them in the bush. Let them come and
feed."
The farmer listened, but he was not persuaded by what
the adahunse had told him. He went on guarding his fields
and hunting monkeys in the bush.
The monkeys discussed ways of retaliating for their
sufferings. They decided that they would send two abikus
to the farmer. Two monkeys transformed themselves into
abikus and entered the womb of the farmer's pregnant wife.
There they waited until the proper time. They emerged,
first one then the other. They were the original twins to
come among the Yorubas. They attracted much attention.
Some people said, "What good fortune.' ' Others said, "It
isa bad omen. Only monkeys give birth to twins. '
Because the twins were abikus they did not remain long
among the living. They died and returned to reside among
those not yet born. Time passed. Again the woman became
pregnant. Again two children were born instead of one.
They lived on briefly and again they departed. This is the
way it went on. Each time the woman bore children they
were ibejis, that is to say, twins. And they were also abikus
who lived on a while and died.
The farmer became desperate over his succession of
misfortunes. He went to consult a diviner at a distant place
to discover the reason for his children's constantly dying.
The diviner cast his palm nuts and read them. He said,
"Your troubles come from the monkeys whom you have
been harassing in your fields and in the bush. It is they who
sent twin abikus into your wife's womb in retaliation for
their suffering. Bring your killing of the monkeys to an end.
Let them eat in your fields. Perhaps they will relent. '
The farmer returned to Ishokun. He no longer drove

the monkeys from his fields, but allowed them to come and
go as they pleased. He no longer hunted them in the bush. In
time his wife again gave birth to twins. They did not die.
They lived on. But still the farmer did not know for certain
whether things had changed, and he went again to the
diviner for knowledge. The diviner cast his palm nuts and
extracted their meaning. He said, '
This time the twins are
'
not abikus. The monkeys have relented. The children will

not die and return, die and return. But twins are not ordi-
nary people. They have great power to reward or punish
other humans. Their protector is the orisha Ibeji. If a per-
son abuses or neglects a twin, the orisha Ibeji will strike
such a person with disease or poverty. He who treats the
twins well will be rewarded with good fortune.' The di-
'
viner again threw the palm nuts and read them. He said,
"If the twins are pleased with life, good luck and pros-
perity will come to their parents. Therefore, do everything
to make them happy in this world. Whatever they want,
give it to them. Whatever they say to do, do it. Make
sacrifices to the orisha Ibeji. Because twins were sent into
the world by the monkeys, monkeys are sacred to them.
Neither twins nor their families may eat the flesh of
monkeys. This is what the palm nuts tell us."
When the farmer returned to Ishokun after consulting
the diviner he told his wife what he had learned. Whatever
the twins asked for, the parents gave it. If they said they
wanted sweets they were given sweets. If they said to their
mother, "Go into the marketplace and beg alms for us," the
mother carried them to the marketplace and begged alms. If
they said, "Dance with us," she carried them in her arms
and danced.
They all lived on. The farmer's other wives also gave
birth to twins. Prosperity came to the farmer of Ishokun
and his family. He was fortunate in every way.
Because of their origin twins are often called edun,
meaning monkey. Likewise they are referred to as adanju-
kale, meaning "with-glittering-eyes-in-the-house." The first
of a set of twins to be born is considered the younger of the
How Ttvins Came Among the Yorubas 141
two. He is named Taiyewo, meaning "Come-to-Taste-Life."

The second to be born is named Kehinde, meaning "Come-
Last." He is the older of the two. It is said that Kehinde
always sends Taiyewo ahead to find out if life is worth
living.
It was the ancient confrontation with the monkeys at
Ishokun that first brought twins into the world.
2tf
THE STONE PEOPLE OF ESIE
IN ANCIENT TIMES THERE WAS A PROSPEROUS CITY WHERE THE

modern town of Esie now stands. The ancient city also was
called Esie, and it was ruled by an Oba whose name has
now been forgotten. It is said that the Esie of those days
was a place of great renown which traders and emissaries
to
came from far-off lands. Itsmarkets were crowded and
noisy with life, its fields were on all sides, and the food
grown in the fields was abundant. Ancient Esie was like this.
It was a thriving center where cloth was woven, iron was
forged, and brass was cast. And then one day Esie's voices
became stilled. No farmer tilled his fields, no iron was
forged, and no cloth was woven. There was no movement at
143
' ' '
all in that place.The city that had been alive was dead. So
the old people say, and this is how it came about.
In a far-off country there were white people with great
powers of medicine. They decided to visit Esie, and they
sent messengers ahead to let the Oba know that they would
arrive on a certain day. The message received by the Oba
was that the day of arrival was sacred to the visitors.
Therefore, it is said, the people of Esie should do no work
on that day. But it was a time of the year when the crops in
Esie's fields could not be neglected. People worried about it.
They said, " Whatever was agreed to in haste, we cannot let
our okra They discussed things.
spoil.
'
'
Now, among the Yorubas the day was considered to

begin with the rising of the sun. The citizens of Esie there-
fore decided that they would do their work in the darkness
before the dawn.
So during the night preceding the arrival of the power-
ful strangers the farmers went to their fields by torchlight
to take care of their okra. Goldsmiths hammered gold and
ironworkers forged iron by torchlight. But the Oba re-
mained in his house preparing to greet the strangers. His
wife saw the farmers going to their fields, and she said to
him, "You too should be tending your crops. If the okra is
'
not cared for it will spoil.
The Oba said, "Yes, I would do it, but who knows when
'
the visitors will arrive ?
His wife said, "It is dark. The day of their arrival has
not come. You can return before the sun rises. '
The Oba was persuaded. He went out to his fields. He

worked. He watched for the sun. And when he saw the sky
becoming light he hurried home. Other farmers also re-
turned from their fields. But even as the Oba entered the
city, the visitors were already there, waiting at his house.
How the knowledge came to them is not clear, but they
understood that the men of Esie, including the Oba, had
been tending their okra.
' ' '
The Stone People of Esie 145
The Oba greeted them, welcoming them to Esie. But

they were angry. They said, "Was it not understood that no
work was to be done on this day, which is sacred ? '
The Oba answered, "Yes, no work is being done today.

As you can see for yourselves, everything is quiet."
They answered, "We heard the sounds of the iron
forger as we entered the city. And we saw many men return-
ing from the fields.
'
The Oba said, "Why, yes, the sounds of work you

heard were yesterday, while the sky was still dark. Since the
sun has risen the citizens of Esie have done no work at
all."
The white strangers were indignant. They said, "When
we sent our message did we say anything about the sun ris-
ing or the sun not rising? We said that on this day no work
should be done because it is sacred to us. Can the darkness
hide things from us? No. We said there would be no work,
but all of Esie was hard at work, just as though this were
any day of the week. '
The Oba was perplexed. He said, "Today is Ojo-

Shango, begining with the rising of the sun. Yesterday was
Ojo-Ogun, which ended with the rising of the sun. How can
it be said that we worked on Ojo-Shango, which is today?"
The strangers said, "Days do not begin and end with

the coming of the dawn. When the sun rises the day is
already many hours old. Therefore the people of Esie have
been doing what they should not have been on this sacred
day."
The strangers were angry that their instructions had
been violated. They called on their jujus and turned the Oba
to stone. They turned his wife to stone also. After that they
turned every inhabitant of Esie to stone. When that was
done they departed and returned to the place from which
they had come.
There was no sound or movement in the city. Time
passed. The houses fell down, and brush and trees grew in
the streets. The ancient city of Esie became indistinguish-

able from the bush, and it disappeared from the minds of
men.
In time other people came to the place where ancient
Esie had stood. There they settled and began building a new
town. They discovered a grove in which were hundreds of
stone figures. The figures were of men and women doing all
kinds of work, or dancing, or playing musical instruments.
There were chiefs and other public officials sitting on their
stools. There were persons being tried for crimes. And
there were guards holding swords. They were the citizens
of ancient Esie who had been turned to stone by the white
strangers.
The grove where the figures were found is considered
sacred, and sacrifices are given there to this day.
Z7
THE DEER -WOMAN OF OWO
IN THE TOWN OF OWO THERE AN ANNUAL FESTIVAL CALLED

IS
Igogo, meaning bells. During this festival no drums are

heard in the town, only the sound of handbells played by
people as they dance through the streets. Bands of dancers
and bell players go from house to house throughout the day
asking for gifts. All the citizens of Owo participate in the
festivities,even the Paramount Oba of the town. The Oba,
like the ordinary people, goes from place to place and re-
ceives presents. The activities of the Igogo celebration are
led by priests called Aghoros, who represent a search party
that many years ago conducted an expedition to look for
Orunsen, a missing wife of the Oba who then ruled over
Owo.
147
The Oba in those days was a man named Renrengenjen.

It is said that he went hunting, and that when he was deep
in the bush he discovered a deerskin hanging in the
branches of a tree. The Oba recognized the skin as belong-
ing to a deer-woman who had transformed herself into a
human. It was widely known that animals of the bush some-
times removed their skins and took on human form so they
could enter the town on market day. When they had finished
their affairs in Owo they returned to the bush, put on their
skins and again became bush creatures. Whenever
strangers appeared in Owo's marketplace people examined
them closely for signs that they were antelopes, foxes or
leopards in human disguise. If a hunting dog paid particu-
lar attention to a stranger people were likely to say, "Let
us be careful. That person smells of the bush."
So when the Oba Renrengenjen found the deerskin he
forgot about hunting. He wanted to see the deer-person who
would come to reclaim the skin. He took the skin and rolled
it up. He hung it on his back and climbed into a nearby tree
from where he could see everything below. There he waited

patiently. The sun moved in the sky. The shadows became
long. At last he saw a woman coming from the town. As she
approached, the Oba saw that she was beautiful. She
arrived at the place where she had left the skin, but it was
not there. She searched for it on the ground. She looked
everywhere. Then she sat on the ground and began to cry.
Oba Kenrengenjen descended from his tree carrying
the deerskin. He went to where the woman was sitting, full
of admiration for her beauty. She saw the skin he carried on
his back and pleaded for it. The Oba spoke soft words to
her, but she went on pleading. The Oba said, "Why do you
want to return to the form of a deer? The human world is
better. Our life is good. No one hunts us, because we are the
hunters. Our fields provide plentifully for us, and we do not
have to wander from place to place as the bush creatures
must do. We have iron weapons, and therefore the leopards
' ' ' ' ' '
The Deer-Woman of Owo 149
avoid us. Human beings have superiority over the animal

world. Come back with me and live as my wife in Owo. I am
the Oba of the town. Just as humans are supreme over
animals, I am supreme over Owo. Just as I have everything
'
I need, you also will have everything you need in life.
The Oba went on talking this way. And finally the deer-
woman saw that he was determined. She said, "If the
people of Owo learn that I am a deer-person they will ridi-
cule me and make my life unbearable. No one must ever
know that I came from the bush. '
The Oba answered, "I will keep the secret. I will say
that you are from a distant city. But what shall I call you?"
The deer-woman said, My name is Orunsen.
'
'
'
The Oba brought her back to Owo. He hid the deerskin

in the rafters of his house. He took Orunsen as his wife. She
was first of all his wives in his affections.
His other wives kept asking the question, "Where does
Orunsen come from ? Her ways are strange to us. '
And the Oba always answered, "She comes from a far-

'
off place in the south.
Sometimes they asked Orunsen herself, and Orunsen
also replied, '
' From the south. '
Time went There was jealousy in the household.

on.
The Oba's other wives resented Orunsen. They made her
life hard. But the Oba's affection for her was strong and he
made her life worth living.
One day Oba Renrengenjen went on a long hunting
expedition. His wives had much time on their hands. They
prowled here and there looking for clues to Orunsen 's ori-
gin. At last they found the deerskin that the Oba had hidden
in the rafters. They brought it to Orunsen and taunted her.
They cried, "Deer-woman!" and "Bush creature!" They
no longer mentioned her name. They said, "Let the animal-
with-the-skin-in-the-rafters do this," or, "Let Two Skins do
that." They abused her endlessly. They spread the word in
Owo that the Oba had taken a deer for his wife.
' '
Orunsen said nothing in answer to the taunts she

heard. She gathered her belongings and left Owo. She went
into the bush. She disappeared.
When the Oba returned from his hunting expedition he
looked at once for Orunsen, but she was not there. He asked
his servants where she was. They said, "She went away
into the bush." He asked his wives and they answered, "Oh,
you mean the deer-woman whose skin was hidden in the
rafters! Yes, she went away to be with her own kind in the
bush." They berated Renrengenjen for bringing an animal

into the house to live with him.
The Oba was grieved. Without Orunsen his house
seemed empty. He ordered that a search be made for
Orunsen. His guards, his servants and his slaves went into
the bush looking for her. They searched everywhere. And
after many days of searching they returned to Owo, saying,
"No. We went everywhere. We questioned everyone. We
combed the bush. But Orunsen was not there. '
The Oba said, "Return to the bush. Continue the

searching. Do not come back to Owo without Orunsen."
But at this moment a voice was heard in the sky. It
said "Renrengenjen, abandon the search. Where I am now,
:
you cannot find me. I have gone into the sky to live under
the protection of Olorun. Here no one says, There goes the
'
animal-woman. " '
The Oba's guards, his servants and his slaves, and his
wives as well prostrated themselves on the ground.
The voice went on: "In my husband's absence his other
wives took my skin from the rafters and ridiculed me before
the whole town. For this reason I had to leave Owo. But
Renrengenjen was good to me, and because of that I will be
a benefactor of the town. Conduct annual sacrifices in my
name. In exchange, Owo will nourish, no one will suffer
poverty, and no woman will be barren.'
Renrengenjen ordered the search ended. He went into

his house and remained there many days without seeing
The Deer-Woman of Owo 151
anyone. He hardly ate. He lay on his bed silently, and his

servants did not know whether he was asleep or awake. But
in time the Oba came out into the world again and resumed
his life.
He ordered the town to prepare a food offering for
Orunsen. Cows, goats, bush cows and chickens were
slaughtered for the sacrifice. Fish, kola nuts and palm oil
were offered. Everyone in Owo participated. There were
rituals and festivities. Songs were sung in praise of
Orunsen. Bells were played in Orunsen's honor. In return,
Orunsen gave prosperity and fertility to Owo.
This is how the Igogo festival began. It continues to
the present day. When the priests go about playing their
bells they are reenacting the long search for Orunsen in the
bush. It is said that because Owo never forgets the annual
ceremonies for Orunsen the people of the town continue to
prosper.
'
xfiv
28
OLOGUN AND APASHA
LIVING AT IYAGBA, WHICH IS IN THE NORTH, THERE WAS A

hunter named Ologun whose prowess was known far away,
even in Nupe. It was said that when Ologun went hunting he
was as fast as the antelope he pursued, and no game in the
bush could elude him. Now, Ologun had a younger brother
who was called Apasha. Apasha heard men praise Ologun,
and he also yearned to be a hunter. Many times he said to
Ologun, "I will go with you to find game," but Ologun
always answered, "No, I am a hunter who hunts alone. Let
it be this way.
'
Yet Apasha persisted. Hearing men praise Ologun he

was afflicted with jealousy. He began to taunt Ologun with
such words as, "Need the older brother be afraid of the
153
' '
younger? Is there not game enough in the bush for two? I

will not kill your antelope. If I see him I will say, There *
goes the antelope of Ologun,' and I will let him pass

unharmed."
Ologun did not become angry with Apasha. He said,
11
Younger brother, your time will come. You also will be-
come a great hunter. Then you will understand why I hunt
alone. I kill a deer, I run on. I kill an antelope, I do not stop.
I pursue a leopard, make my kill, and go on pursuing, one
creature of the bush after another. The running is great,
there is no end to it until the sun begins to fall in the sky.
Then I return, take the leopard's skin, return and cut up my
antelope, return and get my deer. One man hunting alone
knows the way, two men hunting together argue which way
to turn, or whether to follow the monkey or the bush rat.
'
There was a soreness in Apasha 's heart because of

Ologun 's great hunting deeds. He importuned Ologun again
and again, saying sometimes, "I am your younger brother,
teach me the art of hunting," and other times saying in
anger, The elder is afraid of the younger.
' '
'
At last Ologun said to Apasha, "Very well, then, let us

go hunting together. Prepare yourself. Prepare your spear
and your bow. Tomorrow we will go into the bush. We will
pursue the bush animals. Whatever game you see first, it is
yours. If there are two together I will take one, you will
take the other. But let us not go side by side like twins.
Where your game goes, pursue it. Where mine goes, I will
pursue it. When the sun falls in the sky we will return and
gather our meat."
So Apasha prepared. He set out his arrows and
tightened his bow. He sharpened his spear and his knife.
He slept. Ologun slept. They arose when the sky showed a
faint light. They went into the bush, and when the sun
appeared they were already far from the village. At first
they saw no game or the tracks of game. Then Ologun
sighted a deer and he followed it swiftly, Apasha running
Ologun and Apasha 155
behind him. Ologun caught the deer and killed it. Apasha
was not yet When Apasha arrived, Ologun was al-
there.
ready in pursuit of an antelope. When Ologun had killed his
antelope Apasha had not yet reached that place. He arrived.
He saw Ologun running after a leopard in the distance.
Never had Apasha run like this. A great thirst overcame
him.
Now the orisha Eshu was in the bush. He saw the
hunters going here and there. He saw Ologun stop at a
certain water hole and drink, and far behind he saw Apasha
coming. Eshu went to the water hole. He stirred up the
water, making it muddy and unfit to drink. When Apasha
arrived at that place his thirst tormented him. But he could
not drink the water because it was spoiled. In anger he said
to himself, "My elder brother has done this in spite. " He
went on.
Ologun He
ran on, pursuing a bush
killed his leopard.
hog. He came to a water hole. There he quickly quenched his
thirst and continued his hunting. Eshu came to the water
hole and stirred it up, making it foul. When Apasha arrived
he sought a little clear water to drink, but nothing was
drinkable. His anger against Ologun swelled within him. He
said,
'
' Ologun wants my life to be unlivable. He drinks, he
deprives me He went on.
of water. '
'
Ologun killed his bush hog. He killed a monkey. He

killed a bush cow. Again he came to a water hole and drank.
And after he departed, Eshu came and stirred up the water
and made it undrinkable. When Apasha arrived he saw the
water had been freshly muddied. Though his thirst was
even greater than before, he could not drink. Bitter anger
filled him. He turned back, saying, "My elder brother wants
me to die in the bush." He returned to the place where

Ologun had killed the deer. There he waited.
When Ologun finished with his killing of game he also
turned back. Wherever he had left the body of an animal, he
stopped and cut up the meat. He cut up his bush cow, and
' ' ' '
hung the skin in a tree. He cut up his bush rat, his leopard,
his monkey and his antelope, leaving their skins in the
trees. He arrived at the place where he had caught the deer,
and he put down his weapons. He saw Apasha sitting there.
He said, "Apasha, my younger brother. Out there I looked
back for a sight of you, but you were not visible.
'
Apasha stood up. He said nothing. He threw his spear

at Ologun and killed him. He took the deer and began
to return to his village. On the way he met Eshu sitting by
the trail holding his staff in his hand. Eshu's staff was wet
and fouled with mud. Eshu said, "If you are thirsty,
drink, and he offered Apasha a gourd of muddy water.
'
'
Apasha said, "Do you have no clear water V 9
And Eshu replied, "Is this worse than the water you
had during your hunting? '
Apasha could not speak. He saw now that it was not

Ologun who had dirtied the water holes, but Eshu, he who
twisted the meanings of Ologun. Apasha went on a little
farther. He stopped. He said, "How can I return to
Iyagba? My elder brother intended nothing but good for
me, yet I killed him. He was a great hunter of game. What
men said of him was true. Only I, the younger brother, saw
Ologun 's greatness. No other man has been a witness to his
hunting deeds but me. Yet I cannot go back to speak of it.
Can I say, 'Yes, Ologun was faster than the antelope and
more fierce than the leopard'? Can I say, 'Ologun who was
the champion of all hunters, he is dead, for I killed him with
my own spear'? My shame and my grief are too much for
me. I prefer to remain in the bush. '
Apasha threw his deer on the ground. He went back to

where Ologun 's body was lying. He sat down. He said,
'
Ologun, my elder brother, here I will stay forever.
'
'
This Apasha did. He never moved from this place. He

turned into a mound of earth. And when this happened,
Ologun turned into a spring, from which clear water flowed
so that Apasha could drink.
29
OLOSUN OF IKERE-EKITI
IN THE TOWN OF IKEKE-EKITI THERE WERE ONCE NUMEROUS

diviners, but the most celebrated of them was Alawe. Not
only did ordinary citizens come to consult Alawe, but other
babalawos came as well to learn what their own divining
nuts were unable to divulge. Things went on without change
in Ikere-Ekiti until a new diviner arrived there from a
distant place. This man's name was Olosun. He settled in
the outskirts of the town, and at first he was not much
noticed. But after a while people who had been accustomed
to go to the old babalawos began to consult with Olosun.
Before planting their fields, or before going on journeys, or
before hunting, or before engaging in commerce they had
Olosun divine for them to determine whether their pros-
157
:
pects were good, or what kind of sacrifices they should

make. If women were barren, or if some kind of misfortune
had fallen on them, they went to Olosun for help.
Alawe, the senior diviner in Ikere-Ekiti, became envi-
ous of Olosun 's popularity. He said to other babalawos,
"This man Olosun brings disharmony. Things went well
here before he arrived. Now everything is in confusion.
People travel the path to his door as if he were Orunmila
himself.' When Alawe could not withstand his envy any
'
longer he decided to ruin Olosun 's reputation. He took

sixteen nuts from a palm tree, carefully choosing those that
had less than the proper number of eye marks. He made a
ceremony over these nuts and removed from them the
power to reveal the truth. Then one night when Olosun was
away, Alawe went to Olosun 's house. He entered. He substi-
tuted the prepared nuts for the ones in Olosun's divining
bag.
For some time after that Olosun 's divining was
spoiled. He examined the nuts closely and discovered that
they did not have the right number of eye marks. So he used
cowries instead, and the cowries revealed to him what
Alawe had done. He said nothing to Alawe about the
matter. However, when persons came to him for help
Olosun gave them a song to sing to bring good fortune to
their households. These people went about singing the song
—in their fields, or in the marketplace, or on the road.
Other people heard the song and sang it also. The words of
the song were
"He who was firstborn has lost respect.

He tried to corrupt the words of Olosun.
He who was born last became the older brother.''
Although the people who sang the song did not know its
meaning, Alawe understood it. It meant that Alawe, who
' '
Olosun of Ikere-Ekiti 159
had once been the paramount babalawo of Ikere-Ekiti, had

lost his integrity through his improper act. It meant that
Olosun, who had been the most junior diviner in the town,
now stood tallest in honor. Hearing this song of ridicule,
Alawe decided that he must be rid of Olosun altogether.
But Olosun 's divining told him of Alawe's intentions.
So he gathered his possessions and left his house. He went
to a remote cave in the bush, and there he lived. People
from Ikere-Ekiti continued to come to him for advice and
knowledge, but he refused to divine for them. He said, "I
made my home in Ikere-Ekiti thinking that I would be wel-
come. Now an eminent personage of the town wants to
destroy me. Therefore my palm nuts will not speak to you.
Take your case to Alawe. Let him tell you what is good and
what is bad. '
The people did not like being turned away. They be-
came resentful, and their resentment was fanned by Alawe.
He encouraged their hostility by speaking derogatory and
false words about Olosun. He injured Olosun 's name. If
someone came complaining about sickness, bad crops or bad
hunting, Alawe said to him, The divining nuts tell us that
' *
the source of your misfortune is he who was present but is

not now present, he who resides in a cave instead of a
house, he who The divining
divines but refuses to divine.
nuts say that a man who lives alone and does not mix with
the people has something to hide. It is Olosun, who arrived
in the town and departed from the town, who makes your
affairs go wrong. '
People began to say, "How can Ikere-Ekiti be rid of

Olosun?"
And when he saw that their resentments had grown,
Alawe told them, "Only by fire can Olosun 's influence be
burned away. When it is certain that he is inside, fill the
opening of the cave with dry brush and set it afire. In this
way Olosun 's power to bring misfortune will die."
What Alawe suggested, people did. They saw Olosun
' "
enter his cave. They quickly filled the opening with dry
brush and set it alight. A fierce fire burned, and they fed it
with more brush. When the burning was over they returned
to the town, saying, "Now Olosun has surely perished and
we will not feel his evil again.
'
But the next morning Olosun appeared in the market-

place of Ikere-Ekiti, neither his body nor his clothes
marked by fire. People were astonished. They were also
afraid. The buying and the selling stopped. A silence fell
over the town.
Olosun said, "At first there was only one person who
wanted to destroy me. Then things went from bad to worse,
and many people said, Olosun is a blight on the town, let us
i
dispose of him. You came to burn me to death in my cave.

'
Did you think I would really perish? This is a town without

grace. You people ask for good and repay with evil. You
deserve nothing. Now Ikere-Ekiti will suffer. Your springs
will dry up. Eain will not Your crops will be stunted in
fall.
the fields. Women Hunger and misery will

will be barren.
live with you in your houses from this time on.
Olosun finished speaking. He returned to his cave in
the bush. There he stayed. Never again did he enter the
town. His words in the marketplace were fulfilled. Drought,
famine and barrenness came to Ikere-Ekiti. People
suffered. Again and again they went to the cave where
Olosun lived and begged him to make their lives bearable.
But Olosun turned them away.
Yet a time came when Olosun saw that Ikere-Ekiti
would soon vanish from the earth. Compassion entered his
heart. He asked for a sacrifice of cocks, hens, yams, goats
and kola nuts. The people brought what was required. After
that the rain began to fall, the springs began to flow, and
crops grew again. So Ikere-Ekiti did not die but lived on.
As for the babalawo Alawe, people turned away from
him. He was neglected and avoided. Now, no man, no matter
how great he may have been, can live where he has been
Olosun of Ikere-Ekiti 161
disgraced. SoAlawe departed from Ikere-Ekiti and jour-

neyed toward Nupe. Whether he ever reached that place is
not known.
Olosun lived on in his cave, but when at last the town
was restored to health he became invisible. He was called by
many praise names, including Olokuta, Owner of the Rocky
Place, and from those days until now he has remained the
guardian protector of Ikere-Ekiti.
3o
ERINLE, HUNTER OF IJEBU
IN IJEBU THERE LIVED A HUNTER CALLED ERINLE. HE WAS

unexcelled in the killing of game. Never did he go into the
bush without returning with meat, and for this he was much
admired by most of the people of Ijebu. But there were
some who resented Erinle. They envied his successful
hunting, and they also envied his popularity. These persons
conspired to ruin Erinle 's reputation.
How they went about it was this they went out in the
:
night and stole goats and sheep belonging to the Oba. The
next night they stole more of the Oba's sheep and goats. At
last it became evident to the Oba that thieves were at work.
He sent out word that anyone who could give information
about the thefts should come and tell what he knew about
163
'
the matter. The men who were conspiring against Erinle

went to theOba's house. They declared they had something
the Oba wanted. A messenger carried their words inside,
and after a while the Oba appeared. The men said, "It is
Erinle, who is reputed to be so great a hunter, who has been
taking sheep and goats from your herds. This man hunts no
better than anyone else. Nor does he hunt as well as other
men. He is really no hunter at all. He goes into the bush. He
goes from there to where the sheep and goats are grazing.
Now he takes a sheep. Now he takes a goat. What he has
taken, he kills it and skins it. The skins he leaves behind.
The meat, he returns with it, saying, 'I have killed an ante-
lope' or 'I have killed a deer.' It is this man Erinle who has
caused your goats and sheep to be depleted."
The Oba sent for Erinle. There was a trial. Those who
wanted to disgrace Erinle testified against him. They called
him the famous hunter of sheep. The Oba asked what Erinle
could say in his own defense. Erinle said, "When have I
ever brought home the meat of a sheep or a goat and called
it an antelope? Often I have shared my kill with others.
Never did anyone come to me saying, Erinle, this meat has

'
the smell of goat.' Even a child can tell the difference.

These people accuse me. They say, Erinle does not eat
*
game from the bush. He eats from the Oba's flocks and
herds.' If this is true, why, then let my name wither away
and be forgotten. But who has been heard from except those
who accuse me ? Is there no one here who will speak for me ?
I have said everything. I am finished.'
Now some men came forward to testify for Erinle.

They said they had been with Erinle in the bush and seen
him bring down deer and antelopes with his spear. Truly,
they said, Erinle is a hunter of wild game.
The testimony was ended. The Oba pondered. He said,
"Erinle, you have the look of a hunter. But you have heard
people say this and that. Some say you kill wild game. Some
say you steal goats and sheep. The scales hang even. What
"
Erinle, Hunter of Ijebu 165
one person says another contradicts. So how can I say you

are innocent?"
Erinle answered, "Well, then, the animals I have killed
in the bush must speak for me." He went to his house. He
gathered the skins of the wild animals he had killed in the
hunting. He brought them back and put them on the ground
before the Oba. There were skins of deer, skins of bush
cows, skins of antelopes, skins of monkeys, skins of
leopards, and many more.
The Oba said, "Erinle, the bush animals have spoken
for you. Return to your house. We will say no more about
it."
He brooded on how people had tried
Erinle went home.
to disgrace him. He no
longer desired to hunt. He did not sit
with his friends to eat and drink. He thought, "The Oba
said, 'We will say no more about it.' But if someone again
steals his sheep or goats the Oba will surely say, 'That
person Erinle, I should not have let him off.' Other people
will say, 'Is Erinle really eating antelope, or is it goat
meat?'
At last Erinle left his house. He went to a nearby river.
He entered the water, and the water received him. Thus
Erinle departed from Ijebu, where he was never seen again.
He became the orisha of the river.
The people of Ijebu came to regard Erinle as sacred.
Men and women who wanted children went to the river to
supplicate Erinle, and he gave them children. And
even
today an annual sacrifice is given to Erinle on the banks of
the river in which he lives.
31
HOW IJAPA
BECAME A SACRIFICE
AMONG ALL THE CREATURES OF THE BUSH, IJAPA, THE TORTOISE,

is the most clever, and for this he honored and praised.
is
Of Ijapa it is said again and again, "Though he has no

legs on the ground he has wisdom in his head." But what is
wisdom? It is like one side of an embroidered cloth: on one
side is one thing; on the other, something else again. The
other part of Ijapa 's character is gluttony and greed. And
so Ijapa is looked up to and down upon. His shrewdness
pierces like a sharp blade, while his avarice cannot restrain
itself.
It is said that Ijapa used to wander from farm to farm
seeking the most abundant crops on which to feed. Now,
167
' :
surely Ajapa could not eat everything he found on the

poorest of farms, yet his gluttony drove him to the richest
of farms. He believed that where the crops were most
luxuriant he would nourish himself better. And so it hap-
pened one time that he came to a farm near Oyo that was
green with yams, beans, and okra, and he decided that he
would stay in that vicinity until he had consumed every-
thing.
He went among the yams and began digging them from
the ground. He made a pile here and a pile there. He made
bundles of the yams and put them on his back. His load was
heavy, but still he put more yams on his back, not wanting
to leave behind anything that he had dug from the ground.
At last he was finished and he tried to depart from the field.
But the load was so heavy he could not move. He struggled
with his legs. His feet scraped at the earth and raised a
cloud of dust, but his body remained where it was. Ijapa
could have removed some of the yams, but he was unwilling
to relinquish any of them. He became angry at the yams for
pressing him to the ground. He scolded them. He threatened
them. Still he could not move.
Darkness came. Then the sun rose again. Ijapa had
been struggling all night and he had dug himself into a hole.
The man who owned the farm came to take care of his
crops. He saw a pile of yams on the ground. He said,
"Someone has been trying to steal my yams." He picked
them up and put them in a bag. On the very bottom he
found Ijapa. He said, "So you are the thief!" and he put
Ijapa in the bag with the yams and carried it home. When
he arrived there he took the tortoise and was about to kill it.
He raised his bush knife to sever the tortoise's head, but
Ijapa pulled his head into his shell. Then the man took a
stone in his hand, but from inside the shell Ijapa sang
"Not with a stone is Ijapa killed.

Bury him instead under a pile of grain. '
' '
How Ijapa Became a Sacrifice 169
So the farmer poured a basketful of millet over Ijapa and

covered him with a large earthen pot. He placed a heavy
stone on the pot and went away to let Ijapa die.
The next morning the farmer returned to see what had
happened to Ijapa. He removed the pot. Ijapa was not dead.
He had eaten all the millet, and he was, for the moment, very
contented. The farmer said, "Surely there is some way to
'
be rid of this predator.
At that moment Ijapa saw a priest of the Osanyin cult
approaching. So he sang:
"A passing stranger will take him away.

In this way Ijapa will be disposed of."
The Osanyin priest arrived. The farmer greeted him.

He said,"It was told to me that I should give this tortoise
to a passing stranger. Therefore I give it to you.'' The
Osanyin priest accepted it. He went on after putting the
tortoise in his knapsack. Ijapa was satisfied the way things
were. Each step the priest took carried Ijapa farther from
the farmer who wanted to kill him.
But the Osanyin priest was out gathering things to
sacrifice to the orisha Osanyin at a special festival. He said
to himself, "The
orisha Osanyin has never asked for tor-
toise meat. Yet it must mean something that this tortoise
was put in my hands while I was on the way to the shrine. It
cannot be seen any other way. Osanyin desires that a tor-
toise be sacrificed."
He arrived at the shrine. He prepared the sacrifice. He
killed Ijapa and offered his meat to Osanyin. Osanyin was
pleased. He accepted the offering, and in return he brought
good fortune to the priest and his shrine. For this reason
tortoises have been sacrificed to the orisha Osanyin ever
since.
And so, though Ijapa is wise, it is also said of him,
"When Ijapa is doing something he will not stop until
disaster falls upon him. '
32-
THE MEDICINE OF OLU-IGBO
THE ANIMALS THAT LIVED WILD IN THE BUSH AND THOSE

that lived with man were equally discontented with their
position in the world. Goats were kept captive for their
milk and their meat. Sheep were captive for their wool
and their skins. Horses were ridden with cruel bits in
their mouths. Leopards, antelopes, lions, monkeys and
other creatures of the bush were in perpetual fear of the
men who came hunting with spears and arrows. In the
fields and forests wild animals had to move with great
caution to avoid the snares and the pits of the hunters.
They said to one another, "What is the reason for all
this? Why have we been set apart from humans in this
way? They pursue us, capture us and kill us. Was this the
intention of Olorun?" Again they said, "Why were living
171
things made in different forms'? If we walked on two legs

like men and had the appearance of men our life would be
different. For what is a human being except one who looks
human and comports himself as a human !"
The animals discussed ways to make their lot better,
but they found no answers. At last they decided to bring
their case to Olu-Igbo, thesupreme spirit of the bush. They
sent messengers everywhere telling the animals to assemble
at the place where the orisha Olu-Igbo lived. Only the
monkey was not informed, because they considered him an
unpredictable troublemaker, and they did not wish to have
him present on so serious an occasion.
On a certain day the animals began to gather in Olu-
Igbo 's compound. Because many of them had to travel a
great distance they did not all arrive at the same time. First
some came, then others. The monkey observed that some-
thing momentous was happening. He asked one creature
and then another to inform him. But they evaded an answer,
saying merely, "We are merely going from one place to
another as is our custom." After receiving many answers
of this kind and seeing that all the travelers were going in
the same direction, the monkey concluded that they were
going to see Olu-Igbo. So, traveling in the treetops, the
monkey went on ahead and arrived there before the last
stragglers appeared. He sat silently in the upper branches
of a tall tree that grew in Olu-Igbo 's yard, watching and
hearing everything that went on.
The animals spoke to Olu-Igbo. They entreated him to
prepare a juju that would make them human. They said,
"Our lives are a misery. We are hunted for our meat and
our skins. We are shot by arrows, pierced by spears and
caught in snares. Those of us who live with humans are
abused in every way. Our lives are unbearable. Therefore
we are asking you to make a medicine that will transform
us. When we look like men and live like men we will no
longer be harassed."
: '
The Medicine of Olu-lgbo 173
Olu-Igbo listened. Finally he said, "Very well. Wait

here. I will prepare a juju." He entered his house. He re-
mained there a long while. When he came out he carried the
juju in a bowl. He set it down and the animals gathered
around it. Olu-Igbo instructed them what to do. Each crea-
ture was to come to the bowl in turn and rub some of the
juju all over his body.
At this point the monkey hurled a broken branch at the
gathering, at the same time making a call like that of a
human hunter. The branch struck Olu-Igbo 's bowl and
shattered it. In terror the other animals fled from the place,
crying out to one another, "Run for your life! Man, the
hunter, pursues us!" All of them departed. The monkey
came down from the tree and examined the fragments of the
broken bowl. Finding that a small amount of the juju re-
mained, he rubbed it on his hands, his face and his buttocks.
Immediately those parts of his body took on a human
appearance. By this time no more of the juju was left, so
the monkey abandoned the broken pot and returned to his
home. By his transformed hands, face and buttocks, the
bush creatures understood that the monkey had been at the
gathering and obtained some of the juju. But except for the
monkey all animals retained their original forms, just as
they had been created, and human hunters continued to
pursue them and abuse them. So it has been to the present
time. In memory of the monkey's malicious act there is a
saying
"The monkey is helpless to do a constructive thing,

But as a destroyer he is to be reckoned with.
'
NOTES
ON
THE
STORIES
SOME GENERALIZED COMMENTS ON THE MYTHS APPEAR IN THE
introductory section, "The Gods, Heroes and Other Pro-
tagonists." Comments on specific myths and legends are
included in the pages to come. But it seems worthwhile
to halt a moment at this place to take note of some of the
themes that appear repeatedly in the oral literature dealing
with the orishas, their adventures and their mishaps.
As is readily noted from a reading of the stories, divin-
ing was an enormously important aspect of traditional
Yoruba life. Some accounts stress not only the value and
importance of divining, but the inescapable necessity of
consulting diviners if a person is to be able to cope with the
living but unseen forces that surround him. The diviner
customarily does not foretell the future in the manner of a
177
fortune teller. In reading his divining nuts the babalawo (as

well as other classes of diviners) does not say, "Such and
such isgoing to happen to you tomorrow." Rather, he im-
plies that if a certain thing is going to be done, cautions
should be observed or a particular kind of sacrifice should
be made. He reassures a person about a course of action or
discourages him, warns him, instructs him to do something
or another to avoid an impending misfortune, restrains him
from an action or guides him in carrying it out.
Ifa is the key to discreet and wise conduct in a world in
which the facts are not all known, except of course to
Olorun himself. Ifa is the medium through which the Sky
God's knowledge is tapped so that humans will be able to
handle situations whose meanings are seen as extremely
complex. Almost always the advice derived through the Ifa
nuts requires sacrifices to appease or placate spirits or
orishas. Not only are humans constantly seeking out di-
viners, so are the orishas. Even before his original descent
from the sky, Obatala consults the arch-diviner Orunmila
to find out how to proceed. Men and orishas alike seek to get
the knowledge of divining from those who have it. (See
"The Friendship of Eshu and Orunmila' and "Oshun '
Learns the Art of Divination.") Orunmila 's false arrest

(" Orunmila 's Visit to Owo") is a consequence of his
failure to consult his divining nuts, which could have given
him advance warning. In the story about the babalawo
named ("The Coming of the Ora River"), divining is the
crux of the events. And in the account of how twins first
made their appearance, it is a diviner who explains the role
of the monkeys in the affair. In other versions of some
stories in this collection, divining plays an even more con-
spicuous part than it does here.
Like divining, sacrifices are a continuing and unending
necessity. In almost all of the stories involving relations
between humans and orishas, sacrifices are mentioned or
implied, and Eshu's ubiquitous presence on earth is a con-
Notes 179
tinuing reminder that sacrifices must be given to the gods in

the sky. Earthbound orishas also must be constantly
thanked or placated through sacrifices, as must the dead
ancestors. In virtually all of the about humans
stories
transformed into orishas, the original narrations say what
sacrifices are preferred by these deities. Annual festivals
for the orishas are, above all, sacrifice days.
If pleased with the supplications and sacrifices, the
orishas, even the less-loved and more fearsome ones, can
bring good fortune, or neutralize bad fortune. Women who
have not been able to conceive children supplicate the
deities with whom they associate themselves, and almost
any of the river gods or land gods, if well disposed toward
the supplicant, may provide the wanted children.
It is noteworthy that throughout the legends there are
numerous allusions to drought, famine or flood (not to
mention storm and lightning), all of which are regarded as
punishment from the various orishas meted out to indi-
viduals, towns or kingdoms. Story upon story tells how
drought was caused by an orisha or some powerful person-
ality, sometimes to the total destruction of a community. In
numerous instances the orisha eventually relents and allows
the rain to fall again and the crops to grow. Droughts and
famines, the wrath of deities, sacrifices, and Ifa divining
are all intermixed elements in the Yoruba myth-legends.
1. THE DESCENT FROM THE SKY
This is the most widely known version of the descent

from the sky and the founding of the city of Ife, sometimes
heard in the regions of Benin and
called Ile-Ife. In variants
Ife, the orisha who performs the great feat of covering the
water with land is called Oduduwa. Other variants refer to
him as Obatala or, alternately, Orisha-Nla (though some
traditions say Orisha-Nla is a term designating a group of
lesser orishas). Longer and more detailed versions are

known, particularly by the priesthood, but most versions
generally agree on the sequence of events depicted here. As
for Orunmila, or Ifa, while he appears to play a secondary
role in the descent and the creation of land, Yorubas recog-
nize his importance to the outcome. Through his knowledge
of divining he is able to tell Obatala how to proceed with
the expedition and how to use the snail shell of sand, the
chicken and the palm nut. Later he personally intervenes to
cope with Olokun. In some variants Obatala descends not
on a golden chain but on a spider's thread. A version of this
myth as heard in Ife (William Bascom, The Yoruba of
Southwestern Nigeria, New York, 1969) has Oduduwa per-
form the miraculous tasks. In that Ife account, as Obatala is
about to descend from the sky, he stops to socialize with
friends. He drinks too much palm wine and falls asleep.
— —
Oduduwa described as his younger brother takes the
snail shell of earth and the chicken and descends the chain,
after which he creates dry land in the same fashion as, in
other accounts, Obatala does. The exact spot where Odu-
duwa stepped on the land is called Idio, today a sacred
grove in Ife.
In the Ife version Obatala 's contriteness over having
drunk too much palm wine with his friends, as a conse-
quence of which he loses the opportunity to be the one to
carry out the expedition, is given as the reason why he
thenceforth abjures palm wine. In other versions the reason
given is his drunkenness while shaping humans.
2. THE ORISHAS ACQUIRE THEIR POWERS
This story attempts to explain, almost as an after-

thought, how each of the orishas came to have his special
attributes. But it obviously does not explain everything, for
the origin myth states that some of the orishas already had
'
Notes 181
special powers. At the time dry land was created, Orunmila

already had the knowledge of divination, Eshu was a gifted
linguist, Obatala had the gift of shaping human beings, and
Olokun controlled the sea. The attributes of a good many
other orishas, however, are not defined. In fact, distinctions
between some of the orishas and the humans created by
Obatala are not quite clear in the beginning.
The manner in which Orunmila here distributes the
powers has clear connections with folktales known in
Nigeria and other parts of West Africa that explain how
wisdom came to be shared by so many people. A Yoruba
tale says that Ijapa, the tortoise, monopolized all the wis-
dom in the world and stored it in a large jar. Attempting to
hide the jar in a tall tree, the story goes, Ijapa falls and the
jar shatters. People run about picking up bits of the scat-
tered wisdom, and thus everyone gets a little of it. An
Ashanti version of the tale has as its chief character
Anansi, the spider trickster hero.
According to an explanation heard by William Bascom
(Ifa Divination, Communication Between Gods and Men in
West Africa, Bloomington, 1969) "When the deities first
:
came to earth, they had no special powers or duties, and

they asked Olodumare to assign them work for which they
were gifted. Olodumare said that Ogun did not know his
work, and he gave him war. He said that Orisala
. . .
[Obatala] did not know his work, and he gave him art. . . .
He said that Olokun should be a trader and that Aje, the

Goddess of Money, should become a middleman . buy-
. . ,
ing from Olokun and selling at a profit. All the deities were
assigned their specific duties.'
3. WHY ESHU LIVES IN THE OPEN
The explanation of Eshu's outdoor living given here is

oversimplified and evades the more plausible and widely
accepted reason for his exile from people's houses, and for
his shrines being separated from human habitations. Be-
cause of his character Eshu cannot be trusted. His propen-
sity for sexual exploits, for creating chaos, and for
generally offending social sensibilities makes him, in a
sense, an exile from home living. Although he is worshipped
as sacred, his shrine is at the gateway of the home, or at the
entrance to the village, or at some other outdoor place such
as a crossroad. Significantly it is at such places that acci-
dent most readily intrudes on humans. A person begins a
journey by passing through the village gateway, pursues it
by going along the highway frequented by Eshu, and can be
deflected from his destination at a fork in the road. Eshu's
" homes," therefore, are at these various outdoor sites. The
story "Obatala's Visit to Shango" is a classical example of
how Eshu, with no purpose, only impulse or whim,
threatens the well-being of travelers.
This tale also provides a simplistic explanation of why
domestic animals are committed to live forever the way
they now do. It is their fate, as interpreted by Orunmila the
diviner.
4. IRON IS RECEIVED FROM OGUN
We think of iron as having come gradually into the

lives of people, and perhaps, in most cases, it did. But in
this myth there is something of the wonder of discovery.
Like the fire stolen from the Olympian gods by Prometheus,
iron, when it first appeared, must have been considered an
element and a mystery worthy of godly ownership. Whether
the people who later became known as Yorubas had the
knowledge of iron when they arrived at If e, Benin and Oyo,
or whether they acquired it after they settled in those
places, is not fully known. The ironmaking process in this
part of Africa goes back about twenty-three-hundred years,
:
Notes 183
possibly more. Perhaps began with a single forge. This

it
Ogim myth indicates that people already had a softer

metal, though it is probable that stone tools were the rule.
In either case the arrival of iron must have made a con-
siderable difference in the lives of the hunters, farmers and
warriors. And it is not hard to understand how the first
smith came to be designated an orisha. It is not beyond
possibility that Ogun is in fact a representation of a real
person who brought the knowledge of the forge and of
smelting, from another place. The legend has the feel of a
human life story, a somewhat idealized but truly historic
happening: a man brings the knowledge of iron, and be-
cause he has this great knowledge he is made a celebrated
person; but after his secret is learned by others he is no
longer needed.
Palm fronds and the skins of wild animals are the
insignia of Ogun in festivities and rites still held by the
Yorubas. But explanations vary as to how skins and fronds
came to be associated with this orisha. The following story
provides an alternative explanation
Ogun went hunting in the bush, and he returned with

game. Because his hunt was successful he invited his friends
to come and share the food with him. He provided a feast of
antelope meat, yams and palm wine. Many people gathered
at Ogun's house. They ate well, they drank well. Ogun had a
large bowl of palm wine brought out. The guests dipped
their gourds into it frequently. When the bowl was emptied,
Ogun had more palm wine served. Everyone except a cer-
tain man, who restrained himself, drank heavily. The night
went on. First one person and then another succumbed to
the drinking. They Finally Ogun also fell asleep.
fell asleep.
All were unconscious but the man who had drunk
now
lightly. He took some of the clothes that Ogun was wearing.
He went into Ogun's house and took all the clothes he could
find there. After that he departed.
'
Morning arrived. The guests began to awaken. They

arose and went to their homes. At last only Ogun remained.
In time he also awoke. He discovered that all his guests had
gone. Most of the clothes he had been wearing were gone.
He entered his house and saw that his other clothes had
been taken. He had nothing left but his haversack and the
waistcloth on his body.
He went to see his friend, the orisha Osanyin, who
lived nearby. He said, "I went hunting. I wanted to share
the game with people. I gave a feast. We ate and drank.
And when I slept someone stole all the clothes I owned.
What is to be done!"
Osanyin scolded Ogun. He said, "Too much drinking
brought you to this. In your delight with your friends you
lost your discretion. Thus you have become a person with
no more clothes than the poorest beggar. You have been
brought down by drunkenness. '
But Osanyin had compassion for his friend. He gave

Ogun clothes made palm fronds. Ogun wore
entirely out of
them. He returned to his house and took his weapons. He
went into the bush and hunted. He killed wild animals and
skinned them. He tied the skins around his body with palm
fronds. From that time onward Ogun clothed himself in
skins and fronds. When people saw him dressed this way it
reminded them of the wrong done to Ogun when he invited
friends to share his food.
5. SONPONNO'S EXILE
Sonponno (also Shopona, Shonpona, and a

spelled
variety of other ways) one of the most feared of orishas
is
in Yoruba tradition. Before the advent of medical inocula-
tion, an incidence of smallpox could devastate a whole
village and spread contagion throughout the countryside.
Worship of Sonponno was thought by many to offer the
—
Notes 185
best chance of immunity against smallpox, accounting for

the existence of the Sonponno cult. So dreaded was this
orisha that people only spoke of him by indirection, calling
him Baba (Father), Ile-Titu (Cold Ground), Ile-Gbigbona
(Hot Ground) or Olode (Owner of the Public). A person
killed by smallpox was not mourned or given the usual
death rites. His family was called on to show no sign of
grief, to create a festival atmosphere, to feast, to make
sacrifices to —
Sonponno all as evidences of gratitude. The
corpse of someone who died of smallpox was not buried but
taken into the bush and thrown away, or turned over to the
Sonponno priests to dispose of. Only by euphemism were
smallpox deaths referred to by the community. It was said
that "Hot Ground (or Cold Ground) has taken So-and-so."
Worshippers of Sonponno commonly set out calabashes of
palm wine for him to drink, so that he would continue hap-
pily on his way without stopping to enter a house.
Just as Eshu's character prevents him from living in-
side, so Sonponno 's character —
as seen in this story pre- —
vents him from living within the town.
Sonponno 's wooden-legged dance is depicted in some
Yoruba rituals, and the allusion apparently survives in a
ritual dance still to be seen in Haitian religious services
derived out of Yoruba and Fon tradition. For some unex-
plained reason, however, in Haitian practice it is Legba
—
that is to say, Eshu who dances with the wooden leg.
6. THE SCATTERING FROM IFE
While this tale does not specifically account for the

founding of other Yoruba towns and kingdoms, it provides
a bridge from the age when only Ife existed to the period
when there were many centers of Yoruba life, and non-
Yoruba life as well. Virtually all of the legends agree that
Ife was the first Yoruba community (if not the first in the
world). Some fragments of the oral tradition suggest to

scholars that Ife was originally settled, or taken over from
earlier inhabitants, by a culturally accomplished people
who came from the north or east. Ife clearly had a great
influence on surrounding kingdoms and tribes. From Ife the
Ifa divining cult spread to all The Fon people
the Yorubas.
of Dahomey acknowledge that their art of divining came
from Ife. And it is widely accepted that Ife was a center of
bronze casting. The bronze work of Benin is derivative of Ife
casting, and Benin's early art style reflects Ife influence.
Just how old Ife is has not been established, but it may go
back at least a thousand or fifteen hundred years, or even
approach the iron and art producing Nok culture that ex-
isted in Nigeria around 300 b.c. The explanation given here
for the scattering from Ife can hardly fail to recall the
Biblical Tower of Babel.
7. MOREMI AND THE EGUNGUNS

The word Egungun is generally translated into English
as masquerade. According to some explanations Egunguns
are regarded as representatives of dead ancestors who
come, from time to time, to remind people that the dead
must be respected, feared and placated. They appear in a
variety of costumes, some with wooden masks, some clothed
entirely in raffia and cloth. In modern times not all Egun-
guns are considered fearsome or sacred beings. Some are
members of essentially fraternal groups, and others are
considered as professional public entertainers. However,
the "true" Egunguns have considerable religious signifi-
cance as representatives or agents of the ancestors and are
believed to have authority and power to punish the living.
Traditionally, women are prohibited from looking at them,
and physical contact with them is avoided by everyone. An
individual who purposely or inadvertently approaches
Notes 187
these "true" Egunguns either in the streets or in their

secret meeting places can expect to be punished by develop-
ing a physical infirmity or disease, or even by death. To the
Yoruba, therefore, the panic caused in ancient Ife by the
appearance of the Egunguns from the forest is a readily
understood response. William Bascom (The Yoruba of
Southwestern Nigeria, New York, 1969) says that in pres-
ent-day Ife the Egungun Cult is dedicated to the worship of
Amaiyegun, "the god who taught people how to make and
use the costumes which mask their wearers, and thus saved
the people of Ife when Death and his followers were killing
them."
There are different opinions among Yorubas as to
whether Moremi should be considered an orisha or merely a
sacred figure. The differences have been compounded by the
appearance of an interpretation that likens the story to the
crucifixion of Jesus. Moremi becomes the Yoruba Virgin
Mary in this interpretation, and her son Olu-Orogbo a
representation of Christ. When Olu-Orogbo is sacrificed to
the brook, he is in effect crucified, and his assent into the
sky to live with the Sky God, Olorun, is seen as a statement
of Christ's ascension. Whether this interpretation derives
out of a parallel drawn by teachers of Christian doctrine or
whether it developed as an accidental syncretism is not
clear. However, the theme of giving up a son to achieve a
worthy social purpose is known elsewhere in African tradi-
tion, and it need not have a Christian origin. One Ashanti
story, for example, tells of a woman who gave her son as a
hostage in a distant kingdom so that her people could
acquire the yam plant which previously they had not pos-
sessed. (See "The Coming of the Yams" in Courlander and
Prempeh, The Hat-Shaking Dance and Other Ashanti Tales
from Ghana, New York, 1957.)
Although a town by the name of Ile-Igbo exists in
Yoruba country, the Ile-Igbo referred to in this story is
considered to be a mythological place.
'
8. ORANMIYAN, THE WARRIOR HERO OF IFE
Oranmiyan, also called Oranyan, is considered in If e to

be the eldest son of Oduduwa and is frequently called
Father of the Yorubas even though the title is also given to
Oduduwa himself. According to the Ife myth-legend it was
Oduduwa who came down from the sky to perform the feats
elsewhere attributed to Obatala, and to become the first
Oni, or Oba, of Ife.
Oduduwa is said to have been the progenitor of a long
line of Obas who ruled over numerous Yoruba cities and
kingdoms. Ife tradition says that Oduduwa had sixteen sons
(note the sacred number sixteen, corresponding to the six-
teen divining nuts), each one of whom was sent somewhere
to govern. Until recent times, at least, many Yoruba Obas
traced their lineage back to Oduduwa 's son Oranmiyan and
thus to Oduduwa himself.
According toone informant: " [While Oduduwa ruled
at Ife] his senior brother, Orunmila, went to [rule over]
Benin, from where, after a while, he returned to the sky,
though some say he went to rule over Oyo. After being for
some time without a ruler, the people of Benin sent a mes-
sage to Oduduwa imploring him to come and govern them.
So Oduduwa went to Benin, taking with him his son Oran-
miyan. Arriving in Benin, Oduduwa proved his identity as
the second son of the Sky God Olorun by showing the snail
shell in which he had carried sand from the sky to create dry
land. The people of Benin still like to carve figures of snail
shells in memory of this event. After Oduduwa ruled in
Benin for some time he returned to Ife, but he left his son
Oranmiyan behind to govern Benin. Much later, when Odu-
duwa departed from Ife, Oranmiyan came back to that city,
leaving one of his own sons, Eweka, to rule over Benin.
Oranmiyan 's descendants ruled over Benin for a long time,
and over Ife. Oranmiyan had numerous sons whom he sent
out to become Obas of other cities and kingdoms. '
:
Notes 189
This Ife tradition together the histories of various

ties
Yoruba and Benin.
centers, in particular the histories of Ife
Although there is virtually no contention in Ife over
Oduduwa's role as the original founder and progenitor,
there are differing accounts about the place from which he
came. One tradition gives Oduduwa an earthly rather than
a heavenly beginning. It says that Oduduwa originally lived
in a Moslem community somewhere to the north and east,
but that he rejected Islam and migrated with his followers
until he reached Ife, where he settled. According to this ac-
count, Oduduwa's eldest son was Okanbi, but Okanbi did
not rule in Ife after Oduduwa's death. It was Oduduwa's
seventh son, Oranmiyan, who inherited the chieftaincy, and
he subsequently ruled over the Kingdom of Oyo as well. The
historian C. R. Niven (A Short History of Nigeria, Lon-
don, 1937) says that at some point Oranmiyan decided to
avenge the killing of his grandfather by Moslems in the
place of Oduduwa 's birth
"He and brothers gathered their forces and
his
marched out He Ife, leaving there one Adimu in charge
of
of the treasure and sacred charms. The brothers quarrelled
on the way and dispersed; Oranyan [Oranmiyan] tried to
cross the Niger but Nupe people (or Tapa as the Yorubas
call them) hindered him and he turned away up the river
until he reached Bussa or 'Ibariba.'
"Here he took the advice of the chief. He could not face
going back to He Ife without having accomplished anything
at all. So the Chief of Bussa hit on the happy idea that he
should found a new city and so take his people's minds off
his failure in the warlike sphere."
The story says that Oranmiyan was advised to follow a
snake, and wherever the snake might disappear, there
Oranmiyan should establish his city. At a place then called
Ajaka the snake went into a hole in the ground. At that spot
Oranmiyan founded a city he called Oyo Ajaka, or simply
Oyo, that became the capital of the kingdom by that name.
According to this tradition, Oranmiyan died at Oyo and was

taken to If e to be buried.
It is at this point that we hear something about
Shango, the deified ancestor king of Oyo, the one who was
to become the orisha of the lightning bolt. The story says
that Oranmiyan was succeeded in Oyo by a son named
Ajuan and then by a son named Shango.
As happens in all oral literature, there are transposi-
tions in Yoruba traditions about the orishas. An episode
associated with a particular deity in one account may be
found elsewhere to relate to a different deity. The version
of Shango 's disappearance from the world given in the
story "Two "Warrior Heroes, and How Shango Departed
from Oyo" says that he hanged himself and then went to
live in the sky. But other variants say that he stamped on the
ground and caused it to open, after which he descended into
the earth and was seen no more. This, of course, was the
manner of Oranmiyan's departure according to the version
appearing in the text of this book. Because of this similarity
some scholars consider Oranmiyan and Shango to be vari-
ants of a single personality, and others have suggested that
Oranmiyan was a son of Shango, which reverses the geneal-
ogy put forward by Niven. One lesson easily learned is that
the legends can't be tidied up and made to fit neatly to-
gether in time, place or logic.
The stone shaft called Opa Oranmiyan, Oranmiyan's
Staff, still stands in the If e marketplace.
9. THE FRIENDSHIP OF ESHU AND ORUNMILA
That Eshu and Orunmila are friends appears incon-

gruous, for in many respects they are the antithesis of one
another. As spokesman for Olorun, Orunmila generally
reflects sympathy for human needs and causes. Eshu, al-
though he serves humans by carrying their supplications to
Olorun in the sky, is essentially a disturber and disrupter of
Notes 191
human affairs, a violator of the rules, a flouter of propriety,

untrustworthy, and a force to be lived and reckoned with
rather than loved and admired.
Yet these two orishas, in an abstract sense, are coun-
terparts. Orunmila, the diviner, reveals and clarifies the
truths and meanings of the natural order conceived by
Olorun. In denning the relationships between things, events
and actions he is the spokesman for a reasonable world of
cause and effect. Eshu is the personification of w him, acci- T
dent and miscarriage in nature. He is, in a manner of speak-

ing, the mutation in the gene, the force that moderates what
Olorun intended to be. Thus fate and the warping of fate
hang in the balance over the lives of men. Their relation-
ship is as close as the friendship between Eshu and Orun-
mila.
10. ESHU AND DEATH
Eshu here meets the one natural force he cannot con-

quer or turn aside. Death is ultimately victorious over
everything. This story does not state, and Yoruba infor-
mants could not agree, as to w hether Iku is or is not con-
T
sidered an orisha.
11. OSHUN LEARNS THE ART OF DIVINATION
One of the almost endless accounts of Eshu's perverse

actions, this episode also reveals something of his sexual
side. As noted earlier, one reason Eshu is not allowed to live
inside is that he is sexually excessive and licentious. One
story says that because of some particular sexual offense
Eshu's penis is made by Olorun to stand perpetually erect,
a punishment that only increases Eshu's misconduct. The
sexual aspect of Eshu is portrayed in Yoruba dance rituals,
as well as in ritual dances among the Fon people, where he
—
is called Legba. (Survivals of these performances are still

seen in Haitian vodoun rites.)
The interesting question in this story is who is the vic-
tor. Did Obatala and Oshun win out over Eshu? Or did
Eshu merely get his way? It seems to be Oshun who carries
away the prize.
12. ORUNMILA'S VISIT TO OWO

The significance of Orunmila's meeting four times with
Eshu on the road to Owo is not clear, though it seems to
indicate thatOrunmila should have understood that some-
thing was amiss, and that, perhaps, he should have turned
back. The cryptic readings derived from the palm nuts
"What is to happen the diviner will not know" and "Even
the Father of Diviners cannot perceive it" —
seem to sug-
gest an awareness of Eshu's disruptive intentions. But the
divination cannot foresee the outcome of Eshu's interven-
tion, for the reason that Eshu is the element that distorts or
warps which is denned as Olorun's plan or Olorun's
fate,
truth. ("Truth is Olorun's guidance of the affairs of the
world.")
13. THE DIVISION OF THE COWRIES
The question of seniority is important in a wide vari-

ety of Yoruba relationships and rewards and is reflected in
various crises recounted in the oral literature. The brief
tale telling why the sky and earth are far apart ("Earth
and Sky," preceding the numbered stories) involves a dis-
pute over whether Earth or Sky is senior to the other and
over which of the two is entitled the bush rat killed during
the hunt. The Yoruba tradition would normally assign to
Yemoja the extra portion of the cowries. The arguments
Notes 193
given in this story in favor of the other two ordinarily

would be considered specious.
14. SHANGO AND THE MEDICINE OF ESHU
There are a number of variants of this story, in some

of whichEshu is not involved. But all agree that it was Oya
who carried the medicine back to Oyo and that she tasted it
out of curiosity, causing fire to come from her mouth as well
as Shango's.Of special interest here, apart from Shango's
newly acquired attribute of breathing fire, is Eshu's mis-
chief. He not satisfied with a straightforward fulfillment

is
of Shango's request. In conformity with his character he

cannot refrain from introducing some mischief into the
transaction. It seems clear that he requests Oya to come for
the medicine knowing that she will succumb to curiosity.
Her tasting of the medicine brings about a series of unfore-
seen events.
15. OBATALA'S VISIT TO SHANGO
Obatala's encounter with Eshu on the highway and the

unhappy events that grow out of the encounter are a classi-
cal statement of Eshu's role as the disrupter. Met with by
chance, Eshu personifies, in a sense, accident. Had Obatala
not met Eshu things would have been different. Had he not
had to turn back twice because of the soiling of his white
robe he would have arrived earlier and, presumably, not
found Shango's horse, the possession of which caused him
to be beaten and imprisoned. In the Yoruba mind there is a
direct connection between Eshu and the unfortunate cir-
cumstances that follow. Likewise, the oil on Obatala's cloth-
— —
ing which should be immaculate is perhaps more signifi-
cant than an omen. The soiling actually sets in motion
'
forces that cannot be turned aside, as is suggested tangen-

by the saying with which the story ends. It is not clear
tially
from the context whether Obatala is supposed to be living
at If e.
16. THE QUARREL BETWEEN OYA AND OSHUN

The competition and frictions between co-wives are
numerous West African tales. (See for
crucial elements in
example "The Deer-Woman of Owo" in this collection. In
one Ashanti story a second wife who is dissatisfied with her
status in the household is slow in bringing her husband his
juju: as a consequence he is turned into a hawk.) Even
though in traditional Yoruba life it was normal for an Oba
or an important personage to have more than one wife, the
polygamous household was not necessarily serene.
Both Oya and Oshun are river orishas. The tale that
follows("Two Warrior Heroes, and How Shango Departed
from Oyo") explains how Oya became the deity of the
Niger River.
Oshun 's role in giving barren women children is fre-
quently commented on in the oral literature. Such children
have special attributes and are treated in a particular way.
One informant who himself was a "child of Oshun" stated:
"I was never given medicine when I was sick, and I was
never bathed in warm water. Unlike other boys, my head
was shaved. The name I answered to then was Olomi Tutu,
meaning 'Owner of Cold Water.' This is a usual name for
children given by Oshun. '
17. TWO WARRIOR HEROES, AND HOW SHANGO

DEPARTED FROM OYO
This legend is widely known among the Yorubas, and
has frequently been included in school readers and enacted
Notes 195
as a play. It has a marked epic flavor and a particular

dramatic quality. Shango's plot to destroy the heroes; the
inner conflicts of the heroes, who had been companions in
war; the looming tragedy; the buildup of tension to the
point of crisis ; and, finally, the defeat and inglorious fall of
Shango are elements of excellent theatre. As sheer drama,
the story has something Shakespearean about it.
There are varying accounts of Shango's death. One, as

in the version given here, says that after hehanged himself
the people of Oyo could not find his body. Another says that
they came and retrieved the body and carried it back to the
city. A third says that like Oranmiyan (see "Oranmiyan,
the Warrior Hero of Ife") Shango stamped on the ground
and caused it to open, after which he descended into the
earth and was seen no more.
The death or disappearance of Shango is given here as
the reason for Oya's becoming the deity of the Niger River,
although other stories give other explanations.
18. OBATALA'S FARM AT ABEOKUTA
Obatala is seen here as an innocent victim of rapacious

people. If one considers the various episodes in which Oba-
tala is maltreated, there emerges a picture of a good and
just orisha who is As in the previous
often treated unjustly.
story, which deals with Shango's death, there seems to be
an inner conflict between the concept of an orisha 's immor-
tality and the fact of death. Shango commits suicide but —
—
he does not really die. Obatala is killed but he lives on in
the form of various lesser orishas. One senses what is not
stated quite explicitly that those — now known as orishas
became true orishas only after death. Stated more simply,
they were celebrated personages who, because of their great
deeds, became deified by their descendants.
The theme of parts of a whole person or thing being
reincarnated as many separate individuals is commonly

encountered in West African oral literature an elephant is
:
broken into many pieces and scattered, each piece becoming

a whole elephant, accounting for the fact that elephants are
found in widespread regions. A spider is broken into many
pieces, with each part becoming a whole spider, accounting
for the prevalence of spiders everywhere. Or a drum is
broken and scattered, each piece becoming a drum (or a
drummer), accounting for the fact that drumming can be
heard in any village. In this same fashion Obatala's parts
are reincarnated as Orisha-Nla, a group of minor deities.
(Note that the name Orisha-Nla is sometimes used as an
appellation for Obatala in the singular sense.)
19. THE WOMEN'S WAR
Yoruba women undoubtedly regard this story as apoc-

ryphal or as an expression of male chauvinism. But in the
context of tradition the use of eggs as weapons is not as
ridiculous as it might appear. Charms and jujus were con-
sidered to have an important role in neutralizing forces or
setting forces into motion. Even the orishas and the great
heroes relied on jujus and magic to cope with crucial events.
— —
And eggs at least, eggs given the attributes of jujus need
not be regarded merely as something hastily picked up in
—
the kitchen. In many African tales and European as well
— eggs are used as magical objects for frustrating or over-
coming an enemy. In a certain Ashanti story a young man
who is being pursued by elephants drops an egg behind him
and it becomes a wide river; he drops a second egg and it
becomes a mountain; his third egg creates a forest; and
finally his fourth egg turns him into a bird. (See "The
Elephant's Tail" in Courlander, The Hat-Shaking Dance
and Other Ashanti Tales from Ghana, New York, 1957.) All
this being said, however, it is clear to the Yoruba who hears
Notes 197
this story that the women of Ilesha dealt with their problem
in a foolish way.
20. THE COMING OF THE ORA RIVER
While this story states explicitly that O's body turned

into the Ora River, it does not say whether was there-
after considered a spirit or orisha of the river. Informants
were unable to give an opinion on this question, although
they agreed that sacrifices are made from time to time at
the river's edge to protective spirits residing there.
21. OGBE BABA AKINYELURE,

WARRIOR OF IBODE
The proposition is not stated as explicitly as it might
be, but it seems quite evident that Ogbe's drinking is re-

sponsible for the loss of his son. Because of all the palm wine
he has drunk, Ogbe 's mind is not as clear on the battlefield
as it should have been, as a consequence of which he loses
track of Akinyelure in the heat of the fighting. What hap-
pens, therefore, bears out the saying, "If one drinks, let
him drink. If one fights, let him fight." (A notable exception
to this rule, apparently, is Ogun, the warrior orisha. He
alone can mix drinking with war, though some of his experi-
ences suggest that he, also, can drink too much. One of the
items included in sacrifices to Ogun is palm wine.)
Overdrinking figures in numerous legendary events. In
the creation myth, for example, Obatala creates misshapen
humans because he is under the influence of palm wine.
Smallpox afflicts the orishas in the story "Sonponno's
Exile' because in their drunkenness they ridicule Son-
'
ponno 's wooden leg. A tragedy befalls the city of If e in the

story "Oranmiyan, the Warrior Hero of Ife" because the
)
palm wine, call Oranmiyan to

people, under the influence of
come out by saying the city is in danger. Again,
of the earth
in one explanation of why Ogun wears animal skins and
palm fronds, drunkenness is blamed. (See the backnotes for
the story Iron Is Received from Ogun.
' '
'
'
22. THE BURNING OP THE ELEKUTE GROVE
Although it is described as something that really hap-

pened at Owon, the story's place in time is not established,
and the name of the town's ruler not remembered. Even the
name of the protagonist apparently has faded away. Akuko
literally means cock, the form into which the executed man
was reincarnated. Above all, the story is a commentary on
rigid thinking and injustice.
Hanging seems to have been a commonplace method of
execution among the Yorubas. Beheading was another
method. It is referred to in the saying, "The sword was
drawn from its sheath in his presence and returned to its
sheath in his absence." That is to say, he was alive when
the sword was drawn and dead when the sword was put
back.
23. THE OBA'S FOOD
That this tale is an old one is indicated by its survival

among people of West African origin in the West Indies. In
a Cuban rendition the Oba is none other than Obatala, and
the person sent to
buy the food is Orula (Orunmila), whose
answers to Obatala 's questions display his deep under-
standing of the ways of the world. In modern Nigeria the
storyis told as a parable and has even been dramatized. An
Afro-American variant has been found in the United

States.
:
Notes 199
24. OGEDENGBE'S DRUMMERS
The account of the siege of Benin given here has a

markedly historical flavor, though the reasons given for the
lifting of the siege may have been appended long after the
event actually took place. Like Hannibal when he was
within striking distance of Rome, Ogedengbe may well have
decided that he did not have the strength to subdue the
Kingdom of Benin.
25. HOW TWINS CAME AMONG THE YORUBAS

In Yoruba tradition ibejis —twins— are a category of
children quite apart from others. Ibejis are thought to have
special powers to bring good or bad fortune, and for this
reason they are catered to in a way that other children are
not. Parents do everything possible to please twins, re-
sponding to whims and wants which if expressed by other
children would be ignored. It is felt that if they should fail
to do so the ibejis might be disheartened or angered, in
consequence of which misfortune rather than good fortune
could come to the family. In particular, the Orisha Ibeji, the
protector of twins, might punish the parents by causing
sickness or death to come, or crops to fail, or other dis-
asters to fall upon the household. Yet the arrival of twins is
always welcomed because of their power to better the lot of
the parents. As is stated in the praise song with which this
story begins, ibejis are believed to be special patrons of the
poor. Various other praise songs emphasize the importance
of treating ibejis well. For example
Unimportant objects in the eyes of the mother's rivals [co-

wives],
They are Two-at-a-Time in the eyes of their mother.
:
Generous children who bring good luck to their father.

Generous children who bring good luck to their mother.
Slightme and I will follow [harass] you,

Praise me and I will part from [not molest] you.
Another praise song says
Taiyewo [the first twin to arrive] asked me to greet you, and

I do so.
Kehinde [the second to arrive] asked me to greet you, and

I do so.
The ibejis asked for you to be fortunate.

The ibejis asked for you to be wealthy.
Had I known I would have followed the monkeys [who
created the first twins] to Ishokun [the place where twin-
ning began].
The Orisha Ibeji is worshipped or supplicated only by

parents who have twin children, but he is widely respected
by others because of his readiness to punish anyone who
slights or abuses twins. If a mother takes her twin infants
to the marketplace (sometimes accompanied by a drummer
who sings praise songs) and solicits gifts for them, people
are likely to give something lest the Orisha Ibeji become
offended. The desires of infant ibejis are sometimes learned
through consultations with a babalawo, or diviner. Ibejis
may want their mother to beg in the market, to dance in
public, or to give parties for them. The mother will fulfill
such wishes as a matter of course.
The ibeji cult is widely believed to have begun at
Ishokun, now merged with Oyo. Numerous accounts say it
was home in this town that the monkeys sent the first
to a
twins.Some versions say the mother was the wife of a poor
farmer, while others say she was the wife of the Oba, or
town chief, who ruled Ishokun. But the totemic relationship
—
Notes 201
of twins to monkeys is usually indicated. Some of the praise

names or nicknames of twins are references to monkeys
Edun, for example, meaning monkey, and Adanju-kale,
meaning Glittering-Eyes-in-the-House.
Some variant Yoruba explanations of twins, however,
make no reference to monkeys, and may reflect traditions
and attitudes of cultural groups outside the Yoruba area, or
possibly some regional, perhaps rustic, traditions among
the Yorubas themselves. Among the Iyagba Yorubas, on the
northern fringe of the Yoruba area, it is said that the first
twins came as a result of competition between two wives of
a certain oba. Neither the iyale (the senior wife) nor the
iyawo (the junior wife) had given birth to a male child. Both
recognized that whichever of them could produce a male
heir for the oba would have an enhanced position in the
household. So they went regularly to a certain shrine and
supplicated the orishas for boy children. One day the iyale
would go to the shrine, the following day the iyawo.
Through their supplications the two wives became pregnant
and produced male children at about the same time. But the
orishas were particularly sympathetic to the younger wife
because she was badly treated by the older wife. And so
they gave her male twins, which was understood by the Oba
to be a sign of heavenly favor for her. The iyawo 's status in
the household thereby became enhanced.
While among the Yorubas twins are generally regarded
as good fortune, among some other West African cultures
twins were once considered to be omens of ill fortune. One
Yoruba tale reflects this contrary interpretation. It tells of
a certain orisha-oba who suspects one of his wives of steal-
ing his cowries. He lines them up and forces them to "draw
straws," by which process he discovers the guilty one. This
wife subsequently gives birth to twins as punishment for
her crime.
Though twins began, according to some renditions of
the dominant legend given here, as abikus —children who
die and come back again and again to torment their parents
—the connection seems to have become vague and uncer-

tain. Whether there was a higher mortality rate among
—
twins than among nontwins as would seem likely there is—
no way of knowing. But the existence of an enormous num-
ber of ibeji carvings, some double, some single must mean
something about the infant mortality rate in general. For
the ibeji figures are records of twin children who died at an
early age. These carvings form one of the most prolific
categories ofYoruba wood sculpture.
Each ibeji carving represents a twin child, but it is
more than a record or representation. It is considered a
repository or home of a twin spirit, the object through
which communication with a dead twin is achieved. If a
twin dies in infancy the parents have an ibeji figure carved
to "replace" it. If both twins die a set of two carvings is
made. The carvings are not portraits. Except for sexual
characteristics —and sometimes tribal marks or hairstyling
— all the figures made by a particular carver are quite simi-
lar. If a family has some special distinction or attribute,
some small variant may be indicated in the carvings. With
few exceptions, the dead twins are conceived by the carver
(and therefore by others) as adults, with adult sexual de-
velopment and adult features. Carvings made in a particu-
lar community by various sculptors tend to have a common
style, and by its style the origin of a carving can frequently
be established.
The ibeji carvings are treated asthough they were
living. Ifone of the infant twins is dead the mother carries
its wooden representation wherever she carries the living
survivor. When she feeds the living twin she also puts the
spoon to the mouth of the carving. If both twins are dead
the mother tends both carvings. She may give a party for
dead twins just as she would have if they were living, invit-
ing children to come and enjoy refreshments and play
games. Dead twins are not referred to as having died, but as
having gone to another place, perhaps to a thriving com-
'
Notes 203
mercial center somewhere from which place they will send

money or other good fortune to their parents.
The continuing necessity for pleasing the ibejis,
whether living or dead, and for placating the orisha who is
their guardian can be and usually is costly. But the expendi-
tures of effort and money are weighed against the harm
that displeased ibejis can do and the good luck that satisfied
ibejis can bring. Out of this endless pursuit of the goodwill
of twins comes the Yoruba saying, "Dead ibeji expenses are
'
expenses for the living.
There is a general belief, in Yoruba tradition, in re-
birth. It is thought by many that a person who dies will be
reborn, sometimes in the same family, sometimes in a far-
off place. If a male child born after his father's death
greatly resembles his father he may be named Babajide or
Babatunde, meaning Father Comes Again. If a mother dies
in childbirth a female infant born to her may be named Iyabo,
meaning Mother Returns. It is not certain to what extent
naming a child in this manner may be considered merely a
token of affection for the departed parent. But in the case of
abikus, previously referred to, Yorubas do not doubt that
these children die and come back again at the next preg-
nancy. Parents try in various ways to break the cycle of
death and rebirth of abikus. They try to divert or discour-
age a presumed abiku child from dying. Sometimes they
will disfigure it in some fashion so that its spirit compan-
ions will not want it to return to them. It may be given a
name such as Kokumo (Do Not Die Again), Igbekoyi (The
Bush Rejects This), Kotoyesi (One Who Does Not Deserve
Honor), or Malomo (Don't Go Again).
26. THE STONE PEOPLE OF ESIE
This story is a traditional explanation of the now

famous stone figures found in a grove or patch of bush near
: —
Esie in Kwara According to some interpretations the

State.
many nationalities and tribes
figures represent people of
not only Yorubas but Hausas, Ibos, Asians and Europeans
—giving rise to the speculation that ancientEsie was a
place where numerous foreigners resided, or through which
they passed. The stone figures were found concentrated
together in a way that clearly was intended to depict occu-
pations and activities of a community, both workaday and
ceremonial. Some of the figures show individuals perform-
ing such tasks as preparing food. Some are public officials
carrying out professional duties. An Oba sits with armed
guards nearby, and musicians play stringed instruments or
drums, with some figures in dancing posture.
The stone figures are said to have been discovered
when people from a nearby place called Oko-Ode (Lower
Farm) moved to the site of Esie. According to tradition
these people often heard sounds at night that resembled the
clamor and voices of a marketplace. Upon investigating,
they found the stone carvings.
Today the grove and the figures are regarded by some
as sacred. Those who worship the figures or attach special
religious significance to them call themselves " Children of
the Shining Objects at the Lower Grove."
27. THE DEER-WOMAN OF OWO
Igogo is the local form of agogo, meaning bell, and the

Igogo festival is therefore the Festival of Bells. The infor-
mant's description of the annual event is this
"The sacrificial offerings at the Igogo Festival include
cows, goats, fowls, bush cows, fish, cola nuts and palm oil.
During the festival no drums are beaten. Only bells are
—
played. All the citizens of Owo men, women, boys, girls,
—
subchiefs, and even the Oba himself consider it a duty to
participate, and they do so with great enthusiasm. Igogo
Notes 205
priests called Aghoros lead the dancing and other festiv-

ities. They represent the members of the searching party
that went out looking for Orunsen. The Oba and his sub-
chiefs take this festival to bean opportunity to collect gifts
from prominent members of the public as they dance from
house to house. The Igogo Festival has swallowed up the
yam festival of former times, and in Owo it is said that the
Igogo festival and sacrifices turn away famine and drought.
Orunsen is considered by the people of Owo to be an
orisha."
28. OLOGUN AND APASHA
This is a of a story well known among

Yoruba version
the Idoma who live about a hundred miles east of
people,
the Niger River. The Idoma version is in the form of an
epic song or poem. It features two brothers, Oko and
Onugbo, who hunt together, and includes the muddying of
the drinking water. The mischief-maker in this case is a
spirit horse. Onugbo kills Oko just as Apasha kills Ologun.
In the village, people accept Oko's death as a hunting acci-
dent, but Onugbo is inconsolable and turns into a bird that
endlessly calls out Oko's name. Since the Idoma consider
Onugbo and Oko to be ancestral figures, it may be guessed
that the Yoruba story is a derivative of the Idoma epic. The
Idoma poem, recorded by Robert G. Armstrong, can be
heard on a record of the Asch mankind series, Music of the
Idoma of Nigeria.
Iyagba is a Yoruba site on the Niger River near its
confluence with the Benue River. An account of Iyagba's
origin says that in ancient days a certain regional chief
(whose name is not remembered) had a dispute with his
Oba and was forced into exile. He reached the Niger and
settled there with his family. After he died, his wife made
her living by selling cooked food to people who traveled up
and down the river. She came to be known not by her name
but as Iyagba, the old woman, and the site itself was re-
ferred to as Iyagba. The term also designates a Yoruba
subgroup and the region it occupies in proximity, presum-
ably, to the place where the fleeing chief and his wife set-
tled.
29. OLOSUN OF IKERE-EKITI

The diviner-orisha featured in this story is a local
divinity for whom a festival is held every year in Ikere-
Ekiti. Jola Ogunlusi ("The Olosunta Festival," African
Arts, Autumn 1969) gives the deity's name as Olosunta,
originallyfrom the town Ado-Ekiti. Some minor details in
the version given here were taken from the Ogunlusi ar-
ticle.
30. ERINLE, HUNTER OF IJEBU

Erinle, being a local orisha, is not widely known among
Nigerian Yorubas. Nevertheless, he is remembered in Cuba,
where he is considered an orisha of repute in the Lucumi
cult, and where sacrifices are made and songs sung in his
honor or in placation.
31. HOW IJAPA BECAME A SACRIFICE
Ijapa, the tortoise, is the Yoruba animal trickster hero,

the central figure of innumerable tales, proverbs and say-
ings.His role in the Yoruba oral literature is comparable to
that of the spider and hare in other African cultures. Like
Anansi, the spider trickster hero of the Ashantis, Ijapa is
shrewd, clever, and sometimes even wise but he is also, like
;
Anansi, greedy, lazy, conniving, self-serving, exhibitionis-

'
Notes 207
tic,preposterous and frequently stupid. His outwitting of

others arouses admiration, but his character is seen as one
that should not be emulated.

A somewhat different version of this tale is to be found
in Courlander, Olode the Hunter and Other Tales from
Nigeria, New York, 1968, which contains a number of Ijapa
stories.
32. THE MEDICINE OF OLU-IGBO

This story belongs to the category of "how it began'
tales. Innumerable African stories explain how various
animals acquired their particular features, and many of
them give special attention to the hands and buttocks of
apes and monkeys. In an Ethiopian tale, for example, the
baboon explains that his buttocks are bare like a man's be-
cause he spends so much time riding horses, as is befitting a
courageous warrior.
Olu-Igbo is thought of not only as the orisha of the wild
country, but of all the wild creatures living there. The ani-
mals in this story are in effect petitioning their Oba for
relief from their misery.
APPENDIXES
:
APPENDIX I
SOME YORUBA ORISHAS WORSHIPPED

IN THE AMERICAS
YORUBA RELIGIOUS TRADITIONS, INCLUDING VARIOUS ORISHAS,

survive in a number of regions in the Americas where Afri-
can slaves were numerous. The most noteworthy of these
regions are Brazil, Cuba, Trindad and Haiti. In three of
—
those places Brazil, Cuba and Trinidad the Yoruba —
religious system was preserved in separate cults. In Haiti,
Yoruba traditions were blended with those of the Fon
people of Dahomey and are a part of the Arada or Dahomey
system of worship. Some of the major orishas featured
in the Afro-American religious life of the four areas are
these
Brazil, in the so-called Shango Cult —Olorun, Orishanla
211
(Obatala), Shango, Eshu, Ogun, Yemoja, Sonponno, If a

(Orunmila) and Ibeji.
—
Cuba, in the Lucumi (or Documi) Cult Orunmila,
Erinle, Elegba (Eshu), Ogun, Babaluaye (that is to say,
Obaluaye, or Sonponno), Shango, Yemoja, Oshun, Oya,
Oduduwa, Olodumare (Olorun), Orisha Oko, Obeye (that
is to say, Ibeji), Otchosi (i.e., the hunter orisha Oshosi),
and others probably of local importance in Nigeria.

—
Trinidad, in the Shango Cult Eshu, Ogun, Shakpana
(Sonponno), Oya, Shango, Ibeji, Oshun and Emanja
(Yemoja).
—
Haiti, in the Arada or Dahomey Cult Legba (Eshu),
Ogun, Osanyin (called Osain), Shango and Olode (Son-
ponno). Other Yoruba orishas have been merged with their
Fon counterparts and are known by Arada names. One
example is Marassa (Ibeji). Numerous deities not known by
the same names among Nigerian Yorubas are nevertheless
identified as Yoruba by their surname Anago. For example,
Boulicha 'Nago, Amine 'Nago and Neg' 'Nago. In addition,
there is a long list of Haitian deities considered to be
Yoruba in that they are identified with Ogun. For example,
Ogun Fer (iron), Ogun Mashoquette (blacksmith), Ogun
Shango (warrior), Ogun Bakala, Ogun Baltaza Misho, Ogun
Bachango, Ogun Batagri, Ogun Jekka, Ogun Jebba, Ogun
Kenison, etc.
—
APPENDIX II
YORUBA MYTHS AND LEGENDS IN CUBA
IN THEIR ISOLATION FROM THE MAINSTREAM OF YORUBA TRADI-

tions, the myths and legends surviving in Cuba have taken on
a character of their own, even though remaining faithful
in —
many instances to the spirit and substance of the origi-
nals. How many Yoruba tales about the orishas were
of the
actually created in Cuba in the ongoing process of explain-
ing the gods, their deeds and their personalities,
it is hard to
know. Some of the stories, at least, are not commonly known

among the African Yorubas. Yoruba names sometimes ap-
pear in Cuba in garbled form, though usually they are rec-
ognizable. Personalities of the orishas, their relationships
to one another, and on occasion their sex have been altered.
213
Thus Obatala, Lord of the White Cloth, is a female rather

than a male in the Cuban tradition. Cuban narrations com-
monly refer to the orishas as saints, a result of syncretism
of Yoruba and Christian beliefs. In some of the narrations
Olorun, the supreme Sky God, is referred to as Olofin, which
could be a corruption of Alafin (the name given to the ruler
of Oyo), or possibly some combination of Olorun and Alafin.
These examples of Cuban Yoruba tales are mainly taken, in
free translation, from a study made by Romulo Lachatanere
("El Sistema Keligioso de los Lucumis y Otras Influencias
Africanas en Cuba," E studios Afrocubanos, Havana, 1945-
1946).
THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE ORISHAS' POWERS

In the earliest days only the orishas lived on the earth.
Their paramount ruler was an old man called Olofin [Olo-
run], who lived on the summit of a mountain so steep that
only one person had ever succeeded in reaching him. A
woman by the name of Obatala knew of a twisting but safe
path by which she could get to the Father of Heaven and
Earth. The path was known as the way to Osanquiriyan.
Whenever Obatala felt the desire to do so she went up the
mountain to visit Olofin, who, although he ruled, was never
seen by the other orishas.
It happened one time that things on earth began to go
wrong. There was a drought, and the cattle began to die and
the crops failed. Hunger came among the orishas. They
assembled in a crowd at the foot of the mountain and called
out to Olofin, "Father, we are dying! We have hardly the
strength to meet death!" But from Olofin there was no an-
swer. The orishas grew desperate. Finally they went to
Obatala and entreated her to climb the mountain to make
contact with Olofin. Obatala agreed. She climbed the trail
known as the way to Osanquiriyan. She reached the place
' ' ' ' ' '
Appendixes 215
where Olofin lived, and she found him lying on the ground.
Obatala called his name several times, but Olofin did not
answer. Obatala shook him, whereupon Olofin said, "I am
'
too tired. I can 't go on.
Obatala went down the mountain to the plain. She
called all the orishas together and said, "The old man is too
tired to go on.''
On hearing this the orishas said, "If he can not go on
he should turn over his powers to us. Then we will know
how to deal with things. '
Again Obatala went up the mountain and spoke to

Olofin. She said, "The people are asking you to make a
supreme effort.'
'
Olofin answered, '
' I can 't go on.
Obatala said, "In that case the people want you to
share your powers with them. '
The Father of Heaven and Earth said, "That is fair."

'
' Do it, then,
'
' Obatala said.
Olofin said to her, "Summon an assembly under the
ceiba tree."
Obatala descended. She went to the ceiba tree. She
gathered food. She cooked it with cocoa butter, which was
known to soothe impatience. Then she called the assembly.
The orishas came. They ate, argued and waited for Olofin.
Early in the evening they saw him coming down the moun-
tain. When he arrived he said once again, "I am tired. I
can't go on."
"Father," the orishas said, "if you cannot go on give
us something to help us, because we cannot go on either. '
Olofin said, "I will give each person what is due to

him."
"Yes," the orishas said, "but do not keep us waiting
too long."
Whereupon Olofin reached for a thunderbolt and gave
it to Shango. He reached for the lightning and gave it to
Oya, saying, "You are the owner of the light that goes with
' '
the thunder." He picked up the river and placed it in the

hands of Oshun, saying, "You are the mistress of the
river." He embraced the sea and gave it to Yemaja [Ye-
moja], telling her, "You are the owner of the sea." In this
way, one by one, Olofin gave each orisha his power. And at
last he told Obatala,
'
' You are mistress of all the heads.
'
Olofin remained the Supreme Orisha, but Obatala be-

came hisdeputy on earth. She became the one who protects
those who fall under the anger of Ogun. She also possesses
great healing powers. When somebody has been sick for a
long time he goes to the Lucumi priest. The priest takes a
pigeon, plucks from it a few feathers, wraps them in a white
cloth and rubs the sick person with them, while reciting the
following prayer [to Obatala] :
Sara yeye bakuro,

Sara yeye bakuro.
The sick person recovers.
OLOFIN PUNISHES BABALUAYE
When Olofin [Olorun] gave out the powers to the vari-

ous orishas he gave to Babaluaye [i.e., Obaluaye, or Son-
ponno] inordinate sexual strength. Babaluaye was profuse
in the use of the strength given him by Olofin and was con-
stantly lying with women.
Olofin sent his assistant, Orumbila [Orunmila], with a
message for Babaluaye. Orumbila said to Babaluaye, "As
tomorrow is Good Friday, Olofin wants you to keep your
sexual impulses under control. '
But Babaluaye answered, "Olofin gave me the power of

sexual intercourse, therefore I will use it whenever I wish."
"Do what you like," Orumbila said, and he went away.
During the evening of Good Thursday Babaluaye had
' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ''
Appendixes 217
intercourse with Oshun. The next day he awoke with his

body full of sores, and a few days after that he died of
syphilis. This was the punishment that Olofin had sent him.
Oshun felt that the punishment was severe and unjust.
She prayed to Olofin, asking him to restore Babaluaye to
life. But Olofin refused to undo what he had done. So Oshun
went to Olofin 's assistant, Orumbila, and asked him to par-

ticipate in a trick on Olofin. Orumbila agreed. Oshun gave
Orumbila a magic honey she possessed, and instructed him
to sprinkle it all through Olofin 's house. This Orumbila did.
When that was done, Olofin felt himself under a very pleas-
ant power. He called Orumbila and asked him, "Who has
sprinkled my house with such a pleasant thing? '
Orumbila said,
'
' I don 't know. '
Olofin said, "I want you to get some of that tasty

honey for me.'
Orumbila replied, '
'No, I cannot do it.
'
Olofin said, '

'
Who then can do it V
Orumbila answered laconically, A woman. '
'
'
Olofin asked all the women around his house, "Who

has sprinkled my place with this pleasant honey ? '
Each of the women answered, I don 't know. '

'
'
At last Olofin, observing closely who was present,

noted that Oshun was absent. He sent for her, and she was
brought before him. He asked her, as he had the others,
"Who has sprinkled my place with that pleasant honey?"
Oshun answered, "The thing that pleases you so much,
it is mine."
Olofin said, "It is very good. I want you to provide me

with more of it. '
But Oshun replied, "Yes, I have the knowledge of pro-

viding this pleasant honey. You have the power to take life
away from Babaluaye. If you have the power to kill, you also
have the power to restore to life. Bring life back to Baba-
luaye and I will provide you with the honey. '
Olofin agreed. He brought Babaluaye back to life. Oshun

— ' '
gave Olofin the honey that he wanted. And Babaluaye con-

tinued the same pursuits and enjoyments that he had had
before.
OGUN TRAPS ORUMBILA

One day Olofin [Olorun] sent his assistant, Orumbila
[Orunmila], into the woods to get coconuts for him. Orum-
bila took a bag and went out to get the coconuts. Alter
Orumbila had gone into the woods, Ogun learned where he
was and what he was doing. He went at once to the trails
leading from the woods and dug deep holes in them that is —
to say, traps— which he covered over and disguised with
straw.
Orumbila finished gathering coconuts and began to
return to Olofin 's house. Passing along one of the trails he
fell into one of Ogun's traps. He tried to get out, but the
hole was too deep. He was unable to escape, and it seemed
that there was nothing for him to do but stay where he was.
He remained in the trap for several days, and when he felt
his strength leaving his body he accepted the inevitability
of death, and he waited for life to leave him.
—
Meanwhile, three sisters Oshun, Yemaja [Yemoja]
—
and Obatala went to the woods together to find medicinal
herbs. They heard Orumbila making sounds in the place
where he was awaiting death. They went to the trap in
which he was imprisoned. They heard death sounds in
Orumbila 's throat r-r-r-r. r-r-r-r.
. . . . . .
Oshun said, Oh, my sisters, that is Orumbila

'
'
! '
Yemaja said, "Oh my sisters, Orumbila has fallen into

the trap of Ogun Arere ! '
Obatala said, "Let us rescue Orumbila !"

Oshun took off the five kerchiefs that she wore. She
tied them together and made a strong rope. She made a loop
in the rope and let it down into the hole. Orumbila put it
around his body and the three sisters pulled him out. They
'
Appendixes 219
gave him some brandy to revive him, and after that they
took him home to Olofin.
WHY OBATALA TREMBLES AT THE RIVER
It is said that Ogun Arere [Onire] used the women

of
who went where he lived, in a violent and
into the woods,
angry way. He took them roughly, had intercourse with
them, and afterwards drove them out of his domain.
A beautiful woman by the name of Yemaya [Yemoja]
Saramagua, her curiosity excited by the tales told about
Ogun, once went to the woods intending for Ogun to possess
her. Ogun took her and had intercourse with her, and then
ordered her to depart. But Yemaya did not wish to go. She
asked Ogun to give her more pleasure. Ogun ignored her
wish and drove her from the woods. Full of anguish, Ye-
maya went to her sister Oshun and asked for her help, for
she had fallen in love with the brutal Ogun.
Oshun said to her, "Wait in your house for Ogun
tonight." She tied her five kerchiefs around her waist, and
taking a dish of her magic honey she went to the woods.
There she encountered the savage Ogun. Ogun tried to hold
Oshun in his arms, but she broke away from him, her body
slipping through his rough hands. She removed the five ker-
chiefs from around her waist and began to dance. And while
dancing she poured some of the magic honey over her body.
She danced close to Ogun and he tried to catch her but he
was unable to do it, She poured some of the magic honey on
Ogun's body. Overcome by the power of the honey and
enraptured by Oshun, Ogun followed her meekly. She went
to the edge of the woods. There she lay down and let Ogun
have intercourse with her.
Soon Ogun said, Woman, let us do it again.
'
'
'
Oshun answered, "Let us go to my house. It will be

better there."
' ' '
Ogun agreed. He followed her. She led him not to her

own Yemaya. It was now very-
place but to the house of
dark. Oshun put OgunYemaya 's bed and lay down with
in
him. Later she slipped away and Yemaya took her place.
Without suspecting anything, Ogun enjoyed himself with
Yemaya, thinking she was Oshun.
But when day came he discovered the deception and he
was overcome with rage. He beat Yemaya furiously and left
the house. Outside he met Obatala, and in his fury he began
to beat her also. Obatala ran away, with Ogun in pursuit.
She came Seeing no other escape, she threw
to the river.
herself into the water. Shivering with cold and struggling
against the current, Obatala remained in the water until
Ogun went away. Then she came out, her body shaking with
cold. She went looking for a blanket to put around her. In
time she found one. Thus ended the episode.
This story explains why a person possessed by the
orisha Obatala trembles and shakes when he approaches
the river, and searches for a shawl to cover himself.
SHANGO LOOKS FOR HIS FATHER
The orisha Agayu was the father of Shango, and Oba-

tala was Shango 's mother. But Obatala had never told
Shango who his father was. As Shango grew up he was
moved by a desire to know his father. So one day he left his
mother's house and went looking for the father he did not
know. After a long journey he came upon Agayu in the
woods.
Agayu asked him, " Child, what are you looking for?"
Shango answered, " I am looking for my father. '
Agayu said, And who are you ?

'
'
'
Shango replied, "I am the child of Baba," meaning,

i l
the child of my father. '
Agayu 's answer was to pick up a piece of wood and hit

the boy with it.
1 ' ' : ' ' '
Appendixes 221
Shango did not complain. He said, "You are my

father.'
Agayu said, "Don't come to me with such a ridiculous
'
story.
But Shango persisted, saying, "You are my father. '
Agayu gathered some sticks and made a fire. He said,

1 am going to roast you and eat you.
1 '
Shango said nothing. When the fire was going well

Agayu threw the boy into it with the expectation that he
would die in the flames. But the fire lapped at Shango 's body
without doing him any harm.
The orisha Oya happened to be passing through the
woods, and she saw Shango in the flames. She ran to where
Obatala lived, crying out, "Agayu is burning your child!"
Obatala took her thunderbolt and handed it to Oya. She
said, Use my thunderbolt. Set the woods afire.
'
'
'
Oya did as she was told. She returned to the woods and
hurled the thunderbolt, setting the trees aflame. Agayu was
frightened. He fled from the place, and some distance from
there he took shelter under a palm tree.
Oyo took Shango from the fire where Agayu had placed
him. She was surprised to find that Shango had not been
harmed in any way. After that she brought Shango safely
back to his mother Obatala.
Out of these events come the explanation of three facts
that are known
Whereas it was Obatala who originally owned the
thunderbolt, Oya received the power to use it because Oba-
tala gave it to her.
Because Shango was immune to the flames he became
the master and owner of fire.
And because Agayu found refuge under the palm tree,
palm trees ever since have been his sanctuary.
OBATALA'S YAMS
The woman named Obatala owned an extensive planta-

tion of yams. She had the knowledge of making these sacred
yams grow and nourish, but the secret was known to no one
else. Obatala wanted to employ a man to plant and cultivate
her plantation, but she wanted to make sure that such a
person would be discreet and not reveal her secret. Anyone
to whom she divulged the knowledge had to have the capa-
bility of keeping silent about what he knew. Now, it was
Obatala 's opinion that when a man has women in his life he
is inclined not to be reliable in such matters, and so she
sought to find a man who was sexually indifferent. She

heard of a person named Orisha-Oko who, it was said, had
never had or desired sexual relations with a woman. She
sent for him, and after lengthy questioning she appointed
him chief of her plantation and instructed him in the magic
of making the yams grow. He learned quickly. He planted
and he cultivated, and Obatala 's yams continued to grow
well. Many people sought to find out the secret of Obatala 's
yams and what made them nourish, but they were unable to
do so. If they tried to get Orisha-Oko to say something
about it, he kept his silence.
The young man named Shango had on numerous occa-
sions implored Obatala to give
him possession of her ritual
drums, but Obatala 's answer had always been to refuse
him. Shango 's mother Yemaya [Yemoja] wanted very
much to help her son fulfill his desire. And so she plotted as
follows: "If I can get from Orisha-Oko the secret of the
yams, I can give the secret to Shango. If I can ruin Oba-
tala 's plantation, she will have no more yams. Then Shango
can exchange his yams for the drums he wants."
So Yemaya went to Orisha-Oko and tried to make him
divulge the secret of the cultivation of the yams. But Orisha-
Oko 's answer was silence. Yemaya persisted. She came
back day after day, but his answer was always the same,
' ' '
Appendixes 223
silence. Then one day she said to Orisha-Oko, "let us go and

have intercourse." Orisha-Oko said nothing. She went to
him again the next day and proposed that they have inter-
course, but Orisha-Oko ignored her. Day after day she went
to where Orisha-Oko was working and tried to arouse him.
And then, at last, she succeeded in making desire flow in his
body. Together they lay on the ground and had intercourse.
"Ah!" Orisha-Oko said. "This is a very pleasant
thing we have done. We are going to do it every day. '
But Yemaya demanded that he give her, in exchange,

which he did. She gave the secret to
the secret of the yams,
Shango, who began to grow yams. And while he grew yams,
Yemaya continued to meet with Orisha-Oko and have re-
peated intercourse with him. Orisha-Oko was so preoccu-
pied with his new discovery that he neglected Obatala's
plantation. He what he was supposed to do, and
failed to do
a time came when Obatala's yams were withered and ex-
hausted. Her plantation was barren.
Then Shango brought a sack of his own yams to Oba-
tala, saying,
'
' This a present for you.
is
'
Obatala said, '

' How did you acquire these yams ? '
Shango said, "My mother has the secret of growing

them."
When Yemaya was certain that Obatala had no more
yams left she went to visit her. She began to negotiate for
the ritual drums that Shango wanted. And in the end it was
agreed that Obatala would get the yams grown by Shango,
and that Obatala would give him the drums.
Shango acquired the drums, and he was acknowledged
thereafter as their owner and master.
As for Orisha-Oko, he left Obatala's plantation and
disappeared in the wilderness.
APPENDIX III
YORUBA MUSIC IN THE AMERICAS
Haiti: Anago Drumming

J
= 168
J = 168
IRON
PERCUSSION
From The Drum and the Hoe, Life and Lore of the Haitian People, by Harold
Courlander, Berkeley, 1960.
224
i 1
Haiti: Song to Ogun

Original pitch-9 st. J = 152
rrfrr-f
Drums
—— 3- ^3-^ r—J-. ^3- --3- r—3^
simile
rr/tlfCU
^^ $__ tlf
p "
3
X4-S- U « —
O - gun e. oh moin bles - se! O • gun e .
Large Drum
.
*
3-^
1* —
•'
r
3-.
*
— 3^ 3^
tj
-3-^
jtj
3
j r: ; ^ i
-3—.
jt \ n> i n>
A pas m tiles - se Fe - re - i, M'pas we sang moin! M'pas we
J *
n * r 'J ' ' r
J"3 J J J j n J J J ;
sangm Ba • da • gry Mom pas we sang moin U*!
fvwf/i i/jg/ir vwrj
From The Drum and the Eoe, Life and Lore of the Haitian People, by Harold
Courlander, Berkeley, 1960.
225
— |
Cuba: Drum Music for Yemoja
Okonkolo
DRUM
Itotele
DRUM
Iya
DRUM
f-' f-'
~ b» #
gY hm ly lL P u
fr
t>
.rpjî ^V"M -p^*r J^r] r^r] ^y^
#-• #-• #• #-•
f* r*
ru I.. W 4U ~ 9
fo
>
11 ^^ 1i
J * J r
S— j^l L
^1
<
P, fl
in. f |
*
—r— ft« a..
•f-"
*"' #•• #-•
<):
\f t ft* —P
'•*
J^
7
M 1
J j ?
7
3 ^ LI J
7
gJ
_^
Ljl2
n
226
—
L£ .
j
TT
^J>,
-^ L*—
V*
—L*
-j
1
^V 1
Tf-
A_^_ —C-L f
r V^T^T jy,
^r
J] j>,
[ 'r '
j>,
'
ry
j. j. «
fl
From Xa Africania de la Musica Folkiorica de Cuba, by Fernando Ortiz, Havana,

1950.
227
!;
Brazil: Yoruba Songs to the Orisbas
SONGS TO ESHU
Ibarabo-o mojuba great one, I pay obeisance,

Iba koshe omo deko A young child does not confront
Elegbara The powerful one
mojuba 1 pay obeisance
Elegba Eshu lona To Elegba Eshu, who is on the road.
Odara kolori onejo The good one, who has no head for dancing,
Sho-sho-sho abe The stubborn knife
Kolori eni-ijo Has no head for dancing.
Eshu tiriri Eshu the awesome,

Bara abebe powerful knife
Tiriri lona The awesome one, on the road.
SONGS TO OSHOSI
Odire-e odire The family, the family,

Arere bare-o The worthy and friendly,
Bare are-o All the relations,
Arole (g) bar a jo The head of the house gathers them together.
Oke He calls,
Okeke ode He calls like a hunter,
Oke He calls.
Agogo olese The bells on his feet,
Olesa, elese kuta Feet, feet of stone.
228
; ;
Appendixes 229
SONGS TO OSAIN
Pelebe mi tobe-o Flat is my knife,

Pelebe mi tobe-o Flat is my knife,
Obe pelebe The knife is flat
Aku pelebe Dull it is flat,
Ku aku pelebe Dull or not it is flat.
Ere kanbi oje Ere makes a noise like a bullroarer,
Arere ife-i The sound of the whistle
E weti-ayo Will go into his ears beseechingly.
Irere ijeje The kindness of the seventh day,
Bakuroba Never to leave the king,
Ibaribaba The worshiper of the father,
Barisha The worshiper of the god,

Ibari yeye The worshiper of the savior,
Ibaba yeye The father savior

Mama aro Without a hearth,
Afi kawa da she We ourselves make ourselves
Omo 'Batala Children of Obatala.
SONGS TO YEMOJA
Ba uba-a Ifwe do not meet her,

Ba uba-a Ifwe do not meet her,
A woyo Though we look for her long,
Sarele We shall hasten to humble ourselves

Yewashe Before our mother the lawgiver.
Awade We have arrived,

Iyade lode Our mother is outside.
Ba uba Should we not meet her ?

Onibo to He One who nourishes and protects the house

Aya onibo to He The wife of one who protects the house
Onibo iyawa One who nourishes, the queen
Iya nibo He The mother who nourishes the household.
SONGS TO OSHUN
Barewa lele The beautiful one emerges,

TJ male The spirit-god,
Arele umawo One of the family reincarnated.
Alabe Oshun Honor to the knife of Oshun,

Oshun mirere-o My good Oshun.
From the album Afro-Bahian Religious Songs, recorded and edited by Mel-
ville J. Herskovits and Frances S. Herskovits, Music Division, the Library of
Congress, 1947.
GLOSSARY
AND
PRONUNCIATION
GUIDE
:
YORUBA VOWELS HAVE SOUNDS THAT ARE FAMILIAR IN THE

English language. For example
a is pronounced as in father {ah).
e has long and short values, pronounced as in grey
{ay) and met {eh).
i is generally pronounced ee.
o has long and short values, pronounced o as in poke

and like the a in law {aw).
u is generally pronounced as long oo.
The Yoruba consonant combination gb has no exact
equivalent in English. The guttural g is sounded just ahead
of the b.
233
'
In the following pronunciation guide, stressed syllables

are indicated by capital letters. For example, ah-WO indi-
cates stress on the second syllable. Where no capitals are
shown, the stress is even throughout.
The Yoruba language is tonal, with meanings often
dependent on rising or falling inflections. For the sake of
simplicity, inflections are not indicated here.
The symbol ~ over a syllable ending in n signifies
nasalization, with the final n suggested rather than pro-
nounced.
—
abeokuta (ah-BEH-o-koo-TAH) A Yoruba city, formerly
capital of a kingdom. Meaning Under the Rocks.
: '
'
'
—
abiku (ah-bee-koo) A child who dies shortly after birth to
torment its parents. An abiku child is said to be born over
and over again.
—
adahunse (ah-DAH-hoon-shay) A practitioner of the art
of medicine or magic.
adanju-kale (ah-dahn-JOO kah-leh) "With Glittering —
Eyes in the House, " a praise name for twins.
—
aderemi (ah-day-REH-mee) A female ruler of Ilesha.
—
agayu (ah-GAH-yoo) A river deity.
—
agemo (ah-GEH-maw) Chameleon. He appears in the cre-
ation myth as one of Olorun's messengers or advisors.
aje (ah- J AY) —Money, or the orisha of money.
akinyelure (ah-keen-YAY-loo-ray) A man's name. —
—
akuko (ah-koo-KAW) Cock. In this case, the name of a
person.
alafix (ah-LAH-ah-feen) —
Oba of Oyo, a title.
alapa-nsanpa (ah-lah-pah n'SHAHN-pah) Long-armed —
egungun. Literally, the egungun "who swings arms."
ala we (ah-LAH-way) —
The name of a diviner.
amaiyegun (ah-moo-AI-YAY-goon) —An orisha of the
Egungun Cult.
anago (ah-nah-go) —A Yoruba subgroup, also called
Ifonyin.
' '
Glossary and Pronunciation Guide 235
apasha (ah-pah-SHAH) —A man's name.

awo (ah-WO) — Secret secret. cult,
ayan (ahn-YAWN) —A variety of tree.
ayo (AH-yo) — The Yoruba variant of a game played with
beans, stones or other counters on a carvedwooden game-
board with rows of cups or pockets. This move, count and
take game is known throughout Africa by various names.
baba (bah-bah) —Father.

babalawo (bah-bah-LAH-WO) —A divining priest of the
If a Cult.
benin (bee-nee) —A Yoruba city, once capital of the King-
dom of Benin.
ede (eh-DEH)—A town. The place to which Shango sent

the hero TimL
edun (eh-DOON) — Monkey.
egungun (ay-GOON-GOON) —A member of the Egungun
Cult, believed to be a messenger or representative of the
dead ancestors. By extension, any one of several classes of
" masquerades.'
elegba, elegbara (eh-LEH-GBAH, eh-leh-gbah-RAH) Al- —
ternate names for the orisha Eshu.
—
elekute (ay-LAY-koo-TAY) The name of a sacred grove.
Literally, The Owner of the Grove.
'
'
'
—
erinle (EH-reen-leh) The name of a local river orisha.
—
eshu (ay-shoo) The orisha of accident and chance, of the
gateway and the highway, and the one who carries sacri-
fices to the sky.
esie (AY-see-AY) —A village site somewhat south of the
city of Ilorin.
—
esinminrin (ay-seen-mee-reeh) Name of the brook where
Moremi sacrificed her son Olu-Orogbo.
fon (fawn) —A people of Dahomey, neighbors to the Yo-

rubas.
gbonka (GBAWN-kah or GBAHN-kah)— One of the heroes

of Oyo whom the Alafin, Shango, wanted to be rid of.
hausa (HAH-oo-sah) —
A tribal and cultural group occupy-
ing a wide territory of Africa north of Yoruba country.
—
ibadan (ee-bah-dawn) A city, formerly a city-kingdom.
ibeji (ee-BAY-jee) —
Twins. The orisha of twins.
ibo (ee-bo) —A tribal and cultural group in east central
Nigeria.
ibode (ee-bo-day) —
A western city.
idio —
(EE-dee-o) The spot where Oduduwa (or, alter-
nately, Obatala) first touched dry land in his descent
from the sky. Now a sacred grove.
ifa (ee-FAH) —Another name for the orisha of divining,
Orunmila. The term is also used to designate the process
and paraphernalia of divining.
ife (ee-FEH) —
The first, and sacred, city of the Yorubas.
(Pronounced ee-fay, the word means house.)
—
igbekoyi (ee-GBEH-kaw-yee) A personal name.
igogo (ee-GO-GO) —The name of a bell festival, from
agogo, bell.
ijapa (ee-jah-PAH) — The tortoise, the animal trickster
hero of the Yorubas.
ijebu (ee-JEH-boo) — A subgroup, and a region, of the
Yorubas.
ikere-ekiti (ee-K AY-RAY AY-kee-tee). A town. Ekiti is a
region of Nigeria.
iku (ee-koo) —
Death.
ile-gbigbona (ee-leh gbee-GBO-NAH) —''Hot Ground.' ' A
praise name for the orisha Sonponno.
ile-igbo (ee-lay EE-GBO)— " Jungle Place." A mytho-
logical city or town. There is also a real-life town by that
name.
ilesha (ee-LAY-ee-shah) —A Yoruba city. Meaning: "The
House of Orisha (God)."
ile-titu (ee-LEH tee-TOO)— "Cold Ground." A praise

name for the orisha Sonponno.
ire (EE-ray) —A place where the orisha Ogun settled. Ogim
is frequently called Ogun Onire, meaning Ogun, Owner of
Ire.
iroko (ee-ro-ko) —A tree, considered to be a variety of oak.
ishokun (EE-SHO-koon) —A town, now considered to be a
part of the city of Oyo. Said to be the place where twins
first appeared among the Yorubas.
itiyere (ee-tee-YEH-REH) —A type of egungun character-
ized by long ears. Literally, the egungun "who wears
earrings."
iwude-ogun (ee-WOO-DAY O-goon) —A festival for the
orisha Ogun.
—
jakuta (JAH-koo-TAH) "Stone Thrower," a title given
to Shango, owner of the thunderbolt.
kehinde (KO-EEN-day) — The lastborn of twins.

kokumo (KO-KOO-maw)— "He Will Never Die." A per-
sonal name.
kotoyesi (ko-TO-YEH-SEE) —A personal name.
—
malomo (MAH-law-maw) "Don't Go." A personal name.
—
moremi (mo-RAY-mee) A heroine of Ife who became an
orisha.
nupe (noo-pay) —A
region and tribe on the north side of
the Niger River, above Yoruba country.
—
oba (AW-bah) Ruler, king.
oba koso (AW-bah ko-SO)—"The King Does Not Hang."
A praise name for the orisha Shango.
—
obatala (aw-bah-tah-lah) The orisha said by some Yo-
rubas to have created dry land where once there was only
water, and to be the shaper of humans.
—
oduduwa (o-DOO-doo-wah) According to the Ife account,
the orisha who created dry land and became the first ruler
of Ife, hence of all the Yorubas. , .
ogbe baba akinyelure (aw-gbeh bah-bah ah-KEEN-YAY-

loo-ray) —
A warrior hero.
—
ogedengbe (o-GAY-dehn-GBAY) A ruler of Ilesha.
—
ogun (O-goon) Iron. The orisha of iron.
ogunmola (O-goon-maw-LAH) — A ruler of Ibadan.
ojo (aw- jaw) — Day.
oke-umo (o-keh-oo-mo) — Umo Mountain. A near Ilesha site
where Ogun said to have hunted.
is
oko-odo (o-ko o-do) — ''Lower Farm." A near Esie site

where ancient stone carvings were found.
olode (o-lo-day) — "Owner of the Public." One of the
names of the orisha Sonponno.
—
olodumare (o-LO-doo-mah-RAY) Another name for Olo-
run, the Sky God.
—
ologun (O-LO-goon) "Warrior. A personal name.
'
'
— —
olokun (O-LO-koon) Orisha of the sea.
olokuta (O-LO-koo-tah) "Owner of Stone." An alter-
nate name for Olosun, a local orisha.
olorun (aw-LAW-roon) —The supreme deity of the sky.
God.
olosun (O-LO-soon)
^— The name of a babalawo who became
an orisha.
olu-igbo (o-loo EE-GBO) — The orisha of the bush, the for-
est, or the wild country.
olu-orogbo (o-LOO o-ro-gbo) — Moremi'sson, the boy who
was sacrificed at Ife after theegunguns were defeated.
olufon (O-loo-fawn) —A praise name for the orisha Oba-
tala.
oni (AW-nee)— Title of the oba of Ife.
—
onire (o-nee-RAY) "Owner of Ire." A surname of the
orisha Ogun.
opa(aw-KP AH)— Staff.
( —
ora AW-rah) The name of a river.
oranmiyan (aw-RAHN-mee-yahn) — An ancient ruler of

Benin. Said to be —after Oduduwa himself—the ruler first
of that city.Considered be an orisha.
to
orisha (o-ree-shah) — In Yoruba belief a god or demigod. A
deified ancestor.
orisha-nla (o-ree-shah n'LAH) — "Big Orisha. " Another
name for Obatala. Sometimes used to refer to a group of
minor orishas created out of the parts of Obatala 's body.
—
orisha-oke (o-ree-shah o-kay) Another name for Olorun,
the Sky God.
orisha-oko (o-ree-shah O-KO) — The orisha of agriculture.
orun (AW-roon) — Sky.
orunmila (aw-ROON-mee-lah) — The orisha of divining.
Also known as Ifa.
orunsen (aw-roon-SHEHN) —A woman's name. The name
of a local orisha.
osanyin (aw-SAHN-yeen) — An orisha of curative medicine
and divining.
oshosi (aw-shaw-see) — An orisha of hunting.
oshun (AW-shoon) — One of Shango's wives. Orisha of the
Oshun River.
owa (AW-wah) — Title of the oba of Ilesha.
owo (aw-waw) —A once the capital of the Owo King-
city,
dom.
owon (aw-wawn) —A town.
oya (aw-yah) — One of Shango's wives. Orisha of the Niger,
or Oya, River.
oyo (aw- YAW) — A formerly the capital of the King-
city,
dom of Oyo. The original site of the city was some dis-
tance north of where it now stands.
renrengenjen (REH-REHN-geh-jehn) —An oba's name.

shango (shahn-GO) —An ancient oba of Oyo, and the ori-
sha of thunderbolts and lightning.
soxponxo (shawn-pawn-naw) — The orisha of smallpox and

other virulent diseases that produce sores on the body.
taiyewo (TAH-yay-wo) — The firstborn of a set of twins.
wari (WAH-ree)— See AYO.
—
yemoja (yeh-maw-jah) Orisha of the Ogun River. Said by
some to have been a wife of Ogun.
—
yoruba (YO-roo-bah or YO-roo-BAH) (n) A member of
the general Yoruba cultural group or any of its sub-
groups, (adj) Pertaining to the Yoruba people and cul-
ture.
SELECTIVE BIBLIOGRAPHY
The reading list that follows is offered as a source

of basic and supplementary information on the
Yorubas, their history, and their traditions, with
special reference to religious life and the orishas
who are featured in this collection of myths and
legends. Included are books and articles relating to
Yoruba survivals in the Americas.
Awe, Kayode. " Three Nigerian Festivals.' ' African Arts

Summer 1971.
Bascom, William R. The Yoruba of Southwestern Nigeria.
New York Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1969.
:
241
:
-.
If a Divination, Communication Between Gods and
Men in West Africa. Bloomington Indiana University :
Press, 1969.
.
<
' The Yoruba in Cuba. '
' Nigeria 37.
.
< <
If a Divination.
'
' Man 42, 1942.
DrumsYoruba of Nigeria (record album with
of the
notes). New York:
Ethnic Folkways Library, 1953.
Bastide, Roger. Les Religions Africaines au Bresil. Paris
Presses Universitaires de France, 1960.
Courlander, Harold. The Drum and the Hoe, Life and Lore
of the Haitian People. Berkeley: University of California
Press, 1960.
.Olode the Hunter and Other Tales from Nigeria.
New York Harcourt, Brace and World, 1968.
:
The Hat-Shaking Dance and Other Ashanti Tales

.
from Ghana. New York Harcourt, Brace and World, 1957.

:
Cult Music of Cuba (record album with notes). New

.
York Ethnic Folkways Library, 1949.

:
Ellis, A. B. The Yoruba- Speaking Peoples of the Slave Coast
of West Africa. London Chapman and : Hall, 1894.

Forde, Daryll. The Y oruba-S'peaking Peoples of South-
western Nigeria. London: International African Insti-
tute, 1951.
Herskovits, Melville J. Dahomey (2 vols.). New York: J. J.
Augustin, 1938.
Life in a Haitian Valley. New York Knopf, 1937.
. :
and Frances S. Herskovits. Afro-Bahian Religious

Songs (record album with notes). Washington: Library
of Congress, 1947.
Idowu, E. Bolaji. Olodumare: God in Yoruba Belief. New
York Praeger, 1963.
:
Johnson, Samuel. The History of the Yorubas. London:

George Rutledge and Sons, 1921.
Lachatafiere, Romulo. "El Sistema Religioso de los Lucumis
y Otras Influencias en Cuba. Estudios Afrocubanos 5. Ha-
vana Sociedad de Estudios Afrocubanos, 1940^46.
:
Selective Bibliography 243
Leyburn, James G. The Haitian People. New Haven Yale :
University Press, 1945.

Lucas, J. 0. The Religion of the Yorubas. Lagos: C. M. S.
Bookshop, 1948.
Mobolade, Timothy. "Ibeji Custom in Yorubaland. African '
'
Arts Spring 1971.

Niven, C. R. A Short History of Nigeria. London 1937. :
Ogunlusi, Jola. "The Olosunta Festival.' African Arts '
Autumn 1969.
Ortiz, Fernando. La Africania de la Musica Folklorica de
Cuba. Havana Cardenas y Cia, 1950.
:
Los Bailes y el Teatro de los Negros en el Folklore

.
de Cuba. Havana Cardenas y Cia, 1951.:
Los Instrumentos de la Musica Afrocubana (vols. I

.
and II). Havana Ministry of Education, 1952.

:
La Musica Religiosa de los Yoruba entre los Ne-

gros Cubanos." E studios Afrocubanos 5. Havana: Socie-
dad de Estudios Afrocubanos, 1945-46.
Pierson, Donald. Negroes in Brazil. Chicago University of :
Chicago Press, 1942.

Simpson, George E. The Shango Cult in Trinidad. Rio Pie-
dras Institute of Caribbean Studies, University of Puerto
:
Rico, 1965.
. Religious Cults in the Caribbean: Trinidad, Jamaica,
and Haiti. Rio Piedras: Institute of Caribbean Studies,
University of Puerto Rico, 1970.
"The Shango Cult in Nigeria and in Trinidad."
-.
American Anthropologist 64, No. 5.

Smith, T. Lynn. Brazil: People and Institutions. Baton
Rouge Louisiana State University Press, 1946.
:
The Peoples of Southern Nigeria. London Ox-

Talbot, P. A. :
ford University Press, 1926.

Thompson, Robert Farris. "Sons of Thunder." African
Arts Spring 1971.
Willett, Frank. "Ife in Nigerian Art." African Arts Au-
tumn 1967.

Tales of Yoruba Gods and Heroes

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Tales of Yoruba Gods and Heroes

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Tales of Yoruba Gods and Heroes

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

D^o.

^uyob C83t IVi

Digitized by the Internet Archive

Negro Folk Music, U.S.A.

CROWN PUBLISHERS, INC., NEW YORK

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 72-84307

Designed by Shari de Miskey

notes on the stories 175

The Distribution of the Orishas' Powers 214

III YORUBA MUSIC IN THE AMERICAS 224

THE MYTHS, LEGENDS AND TALES IN THIS BOOK WERE GATHERED

of Ilesha; Miss Yemi Olawuyi, of Ikere-Ekiti; Mr. Canon

Sky also claimed to be the elder.

Song from a tale explaining why Orun (Sky) and He (Earth)

THE YORUBA PEOPLE, OF WHOM THERE ARE PROBABLY MORE THAN

and kingdoms in the fifteenth century, but it is believed

hundred years before the European arrival. And arche-

routes. Ife, unlike Benin and Oyo, never developed into a

Ife rulers or descendants of Ife rulers. Benin derived its

tions on the human condition.

Thus Obatala is the shaper of infants in the wombs of

The Gods, Heroes and Other Protagonists

orishas may have been imported, along with the appropri-

or whimsical in their attitudes and actions. If a human oba

offended the thunder deity. Like storms, winds and floods,

SOME OF THE ORISHAS

of humans. Known by a variety of names, including

(Names of minor orishas, heroes, heroines and others

THE YORUBA WEEK

IN ANCIENT DAYS, AT THE BEGINNING OF TIME, THERE WAS NO

16 TALES OF YORUBA GODS AND HEROES

esses of fate. There was the orisha Obatala, King of the

The Descent from the Shy 17

father has instructed me to go down below and make land

chain of gold, taking with you a snail shell full of sand, a

Obatala went next to the goldsmith and asked for a

Obatala answered, "Yes, begin your work. I will

The goldsmith said, Still more is needed.

Obatala said, There is no more gold in the sky.

The goldsmith said, "The chain will not reach to the

18 TALES OF YORUBA GODS AND HEROES

Obatala answered, "Nevertheless, make the chain. We

Obatala replied, "Take some of the links and melt

The goldsmith removed some of the links, and out of

While he remained at the chain's end thinking such

The Descent from the Shy 19

Agemo returned to the sky and reported to Olorun

were living here." He decided to create people. He dug clay

person go on working." So he put aside the making of

drunk so much wine his fingers grew clumsy, and some of

The Descent from the Sky 21

to go down andlive among the newly created human beings.

They brought a goat and sacrificed it, saying, This is

the food for Obatala."

Eshu answered, "You ask me to make a great journey.

So the people gave a sacrifice to Eshu, after which he

The Descent from the Sky 23

for Agemo, the chameleon. He instructed Agemo to carry a

Owner of the Sky. Tell him that Olokun acknowledges his