a.

i'l
lf Dtd
An Invitation
to lfa
givination
Volume ONE
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f
Preface
Mine
is a story
of gratitude.
For
more
than 11 years,
Darkness
and
arf his agents
were
activefy
at work'
They
saw
no reason
whv
thei;rdil
be fight
in the rife
of
:li::L,
:l?,ilit.li::1
strue
jte4
;H
neo
;
irrey
ni.r,
series
Mine is trufy
a story
of gratitude.
My story
wirf
be
Srrgte$
in prover!. proverb,
they
say, is the horse that
sentence
rides;
in the rr.
vein,
sentene
is the horse
that proverb
rides'
If any sentence
gets
los!
*u ,.. proverb
to search
for t. My proverb
comes
from
the Hory
scripture
in otura
offmu (otura
IretQ).
In this
stanza,
rfa i,
Kf bj+_beje
ma
be j
nf$
K.y."
_Ia
tun ge
Uq t,qitn
--
DlfilnAbgrq
A b fin
Obe
Aw
tor"'lili,"'iil"##*i:?::
Translation
Let the Spoilers
continue
to spoil things
in front
We shaf l continue
to mend
.,b, rrr-dil;
This was lf,s
message
forAbQrS,
t," lji"
And also for
Qbg,
tne fnfe
*n":.!l?
w31e
bgth fishtins
for supremacy
They
were
advised
to oergog
when
Abgrg,
the Needre,
had
not
exhibited
his potentiars,
he was
werf foved
bv ail. one day,
Qb,
te rnire,,..il"Jir
.no assefted
thar Abgrg was too smaff,
ro_o
ry*perienced,
and too rrafto
ltay in the same prace,
or move
in the
same group
wth him.
"what
ir-*,e
m"aning
of this?
we had been
movins
tose[her
*iil.'ri proorem]t;;';;
ume.
why
rhis now?,, Abfr queried'
Qo*
rnr*"ru4Iirt
*r;J;:'row,
r hate your
race.
r
I
1
;
can no longer bear to have
you around me any more. You are worthless
and useless!"
AbQr could not believe his ears. The development made him very sad
indeed. He however made it clear to
Qbg
that Oldmare
gave him his
own talent and
potentiats which were
quite different from those of
Qbq.
This only annoyed
Qbg
the more and he set aside a date that he will exhibit
his
potentials so as to show AbQrQ that they did not belong to the same
class.
On the appointed day, bundles of clothes were rolled out.
Qbq
set out to
cut them into
pieces. Before long, he finished. All the clothes were in bits
and
pieces. After this, those
present demanded to know what use the
rags, bits and
pieces could be
put into.
Qbq
was at a loss on what to do
ner,t" He left the scene in a state of confusion. Those
present packed all
the
pieces and dumped them in the refuse site.
When Abr saw altthese rags, bits and
pieces, he was strongly convinced
that those materials cannot and must not be left to waste. He knew that
they could still be made useful. He looked for thread and began to knit the
rags together. He made Dalki, shifts, trousers, agbd, bb, kerbe,
frla, dandg etc for men. He also made
9l,
head-gear,Ir, wrappel
bb, scarf, blouse, underwear, stockings, etc for women. What had
hithefto been considered a waste was turned into useful commodities.
What was thought to be useless was made to be valuable by Abre. When
people saw this, they concluded unanimously that AbQrQ was by far
superiorto
Qbe.
They saY:
Ab$r$ o w d o'
QgbQn Qbe
B'Qmgd kker b
gbQ'F
Ad'grfgbe
Abereo,QgbQn Obq
Translation
Here comes AbQrE, the Elder brother of
Qbq
If a
Youth
is well versed in Ifa
He will be dreaded and respected by Elders
All hail AbQrQ, the Elder brother of
Qbe
As from that moment hencefofth, the potentials of AbQrQ, the Needle,
became well known to all.
Mine is a story of
gratitude.
The potential exhibited by Abqrq became a big threat to the other Elders.
They felt that he must be stopped at all costs and by all means. He must
not be allowed to exhibit all these
potentials. Darkness must envelop his
life, they concluded. They forgot however that as small and as frail as
AbQrQ was, he could not be swallowed by any fowl. As a matter of fact,
even an elephant could not swallow AbQrQ!
The plans began. AbrQ must be stopped and run aground. He must be
made to suffer untold hardship. The Chief Cutlass summoned an
extraordinary meeting of other Chief Blades. The meeting of the 16 Chief
Blades centered
primarily on how to urgently find something decisive to do
in order to stop Abr. After much deliberations, it was decided that AbQrQ
must be summoned to hear the verdict of the 16 Chief Blades, even though
none of them cared to give him the chance to defend himself or even hear
his own side.
The 16 Chief Blades handed down the following verdicts; one, AbQrQ's
mother, who was a daughter of
$ng
and If, and whose name means
$ang
adds to honour must never be called his mother again, he must
never communicate with her againi two, he must never exhibit his talent
anywhere again; and three, anything he knew or did must be in the name
of the Chief Cutlass or any of the other Chief Blades. After delivering these
verdicts, AbQrQ was summarily dismissed.
Knowing thatAbQrQ was a strong willed person they knewthatthey needed
to do more than that in order to stop him. As soon as AbQrQ left, they sent
telephonic and telepathic missiles to him. They also forgot that uprisings
could affect an innocent person
and make him suffe1 but curses could have
no effect on an innocent person.
Mine is truly a story of
gratitude.
When Abqrq left, he was overwhelmed with grief and
pains. These were
the same Elders he had all along given their due honour and respect
throughout his life. He had worked for, and assisted them in his own little
ways. Why should they be the same
people planning his downfall. He
searched his conscience to see whether he had offended them in any way
before that time. He was totally convinced that he never did anything
against them, or even against anyone else for that matter. He however
remembered this stanza in
Qgqlmulg
(QSeIwrl) where If says:
Qq
nl S lrrjo-ljo
Iwrl nl ngq lojo-lonjo
Dl fin
Qmgknrin
pupa ror OkAp
Eyl tl wqn b ro'jQ ikrl le s'lede
qrun
Fbg
ni wQn nl kw
9e
NjeIfwoni moqe
Tl mo fi gb'odl i wgn o
Emi
pe k'lw ll-Ife m m nl
If wo ni mo
ge
Tl mo fi gb'odl i wgn o
Emi O
p k'laya ll-Ife m m fQ
Ifwoni mose
Tl mo fi gb'odl i wgn o
Emi o p k'boyn ll-Ifq m m bl
If wonimose
Tl mo fi gb'odl i wgn o
Emi O
p k'nfl ll-Ife m m kQ
Ifwoni mose
Tl mofi
gb'odl i wgn o
fnlkanosQrQfiln
mi
Kl n rel lqq wl
If wo ni mo ge
Tl mo fi gb'odl i wgn o
If nl lll nf klnnl-klnnl gmgd
Lll nllrdQgbahgb
FsQ-esE
loun fi ggun eni tl nperf oun o
Fso-esq
Translation
Qgq
dangles
precariously without fa lling
Andlwfl swings sideways without breaking
i
Letter
from the Publisher
A5fn Media LLP wishes
to thank the collaborative
team
of traditional
lf
researchers
and scholars,
for their efforts in compiling
this magnificent
work'
tf Did,furthers
the understanding
of the vast body of knowledge
we call lf'
Until now, nothing
of this magnitude
has ever been written on the subject
of lfa'
vet this work has;ii'i
ei tn(ffi
poetic stanzas)
for the first 16 major
toi"tions
(called Olodu),
which according
to most
-
estimates
contain
ppio"ttef
1,800 Ese Iflo the first 16 major
combinations.
Nonetheless,thisisahistoricmasterpieceandVo|11e''oneofaful|
comprehensive
encyclopedic
seventeen-volume
collection'
with its detailed
explanation
of the full ]f literary corpus,
tf Dd is the first book
of its kind to bring lf's deeper understnding
to tne if
practitioner' the novice'
and to the scholar
of African
pninsoprrs,
pcraged as a multi-volume
collection'
Asfn Media is
pleased to
publish this multi-volume
collection'
and to be an
integral
part of
prototig'n"*
unoistanding
of the coded messages
within the
ancient
lf tradition.
we trust that lf Dd -Volume
one, will become a masterpiecg gnd
cherished
by
lf devotees,
researchers
and interested
persons alike'
If Did is one
great
contribution
toward comprehendng
the nol"t. body of knowledge
we call lf'
Congratulations,
once again for completing-this
V9lyme
One of a
;6ne
colleciion
- a tiue encyclopedia
of Ese- lf'
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u-P
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www.Asefin-Media.com
\
I
l
t
I
Dedication
To Maria-Elena Montiel for standing firm against, and
Darkness and its agents, on that day when ail semed lost.
be grateful.
saying NO to
I shallforever
Contents
Dedication
Contents
Preface
Chapter 1- Eji Ogbe
Chapter 2- Oyeku Meji
Chapter 3- Iwori Meji
Chapter 4- Odi Meji
Chapter 5- Irosun Meji
Chapter 6- Owonrin Meji
Chapter 7- Obara Meji
Chapter 8- Okanran Meji
Chapter 9- Ogunda Meji
Chapter 1O- Osa Meji
Chapter 11- Ika Meji
Chapter L2- Oturupon Meji
Chapter 13- Otura Meji
Chapter t4- Irete Meji
Chapter 15- Ose Meji
Chapter 16- Ofun Meji
Glossary
Index
Page
1
I,23
r97
257
32r
37!
437
507
567
661
739
819
877
947
1025
1087
1185
These were lf's messages to the light-complexioned youth
of 0 ke
-A pa
land
Who was being accused with the intention of eliminating him completely
He was advised to offer gbg
He complied
Alas, If what have I done
To deserue their malice?
f never stopped the wealthy from progressing
If whatwas myoffence
To warrant their enmity?
f neverstopped anyonefrom enjoying hisspouse
Ifwhatsindid Icommit
To deserue their hatred?
I never prevented
a pregnant woman from having a safe delivery
If what ill had I done
To make them hate me so?
f neverstopped anyonefrom completing his propefi
If what was my crime
To deserue this odium?
Nobody had ever kept any secret with me
For meto expose itto others
If whatwas my inadequacy
To bring aboutthis hatred?
If declares that since I harbour no malice against any youth
And shows no hatred againstanyelder
Gradually, should I overcome all those who are against me
Systematically, this shall manifest!
Wth this assurance from If, AbQrQ took his solace. AbQrQ was totally
convinced that the whole world may change, what If says will never
change.
Mine is a story of
gratitude.
Up till today, Darkness and all his agents are stll at work. Somehow, Light
contnues to penetrate
and displace Darkness. For this, I am eternally
grateful to Oldmar, O, InlnmglQ,OFiga, ImglQ, Egrtngtln, Or and true
friends.
But these Elders who had vowed never to stop their nefarious activities,
what can one do about them? Come to think of it, not all Elders are against
this AbSrQ. Some of the Elders are still using AbQrS to knit dresses of all
designs. If the sun insists that we should not look at its face, we might as
well lookatthe moon. Of course!
To those who do evil everyday, what can we do? All we need do is to follow
what If says inlka-Funfun
(Ika
Ofun). In this stanza, If says:
Kl k m pa gni t
jl
T d'n l'r
Tl a bil
K
jgma
rl'raawa
K'Arn m pa gnit jl
Trtgb'erolka
Tlabjl
K
jq
ma rl'raawa
B'rl b
yl nllQ b b p
Y pada w d'orf ire ni ....
Translation
May Death spare those who wake uP
And inflict pain on others
Wheneverwewakewake up
Let us continue to see each other
MayAffliction spare those who wake up
And plan evil againstothers
When we wake up
Letus continueto see each other
If one suffers for long
Such
person willsucceed in the end ....
Many of the Elder Cutlasses are still around when this AbQrQ
picked the b'tts
and
pieces of If clothes and knitted this dress. When If says
Ys,
nobody
c? sd}l ho;
Mine is truly a story of gratitude.
For over 11 years, it was planned that this AbQrQ shall amount to nothing in
life. That was their
plan. It was not suppofted by the Divinities. There is
nowhere in If that it was said that a devotee shall not face tribulation; what
we have is that true devotees shall always overcome. This is why I am
forever grateful.
In Iwofi-Ww (Iwii-QSe),
If says:
IwOrl wow-wow
IwOrl wokn-wokn
IwOrl wokn tn kl o t wo'dg
Dl filn 'Lnlnkn
Tl wqn nl elyll O g'gmg
o
waa d',ylnw
Kl gt m'fdu nl Baba o
d'e,ylnwa
Translation
Iw who perceives money
AndlwO'lwho perceives
okn beads
LetlwOrl lookatokn beads before looking at brass
Ornaments
This was lf's message for
Qlffnkn
Whom people
say shall never amountto anything in life
It is in the end
Thatyou will knowthat
[dr:
(If) is the Fatherof all
It is surely in the end
This AbQrQ, whom they said shall never be anything n life has now been
blessed by If to knit this E)-Ogbe to Ofun-Ue'i together from bits and
pieces. Truly,
Fdu
s the Father of all.
Mine is undoubtedly a story of
gratitude.
Abgru Abgye,
$. $91gbad
PpQl.
Chapter 1
OGBE
\\
EJI
tl
II
tt
ll
Chapter 1
En osb
Alias: Efi OnflQ, Ogb Mji
A. l. lf says that for the person for whom this OdD is revealed during
-lkgsQdy
or-tttd to succeed in life, there is the need'to,
among other thingS serve his/her Oli with a big live catfish. lf
says that if this is done, he/she shall not lack any of the good
things of life. He/she shall succeed where others had failed. A
stanza in E) Ogb in support of this assertion has this to say:
Ojmg mQ, mo r'ire-r'ire
Ktkt ljnf mo rTw-rTw
IX fn Akp
WQn nf k feja ArQ bg'ri
K t foj kan ire
Translation
When the day dawned, I saw lrein abundance
Very early four days ago, my destiny manifested
This was the lf cast forth e Akp
Who was advised to serve his Oli with a cat fish
Before setting his eyes on allthe /re of life
Akp was an lf devotee. He followed the dos and don'ts of lt in all
the things he was doing. He studied lf extensively and was very good
in it.
One day, his Baba /f asked him to prepare for his freedom. The
ceremony was very solemn but eventful. Shortly after this, he went for
ii ,j,ono"
lf consultation in orderto determine his success chances in life. The
Awo advised Akp to use a big live catfish to serve his Ofi so that he
would have peace of mind and comfort in his life. He was assured that
he would really succeed in life, but doing this would also enhance his
success chances. He complied.
Soon after this, Akp dreamt of success, he was having the feelings
that he would surely succeed in life. Four days after having this
dream, he received some clients who paid him a huge amount of
money with the promise that many more money was coming where
that came from. Before long, he became very wealthy. With wealth,
he was able to secure a good spouse of his dream. The wife gave
brth to many children for him, including sets of twins. He also had
several aides who assisted him in his dayto-day activities. He built
several mansions and had many horses in his stable. He was indeed
very comfortable as the Babalwo had predicted. He was full of
joy
and gratitude to Oldmar.
OjmQ mQ, mo rf re-r'ire
Kt kt tjnf mo rTw-rTw
Dt filn Akp
WQn nf k fejaArQ bg'ri
K t fojrl kan ire
Akp feja ArQ bg'ri
Akp fojrt kan're
ri're aj
ri're aya
ri're gmg
ri're gbogbo
ri're alk, balQ grQ
6 arq, arawrQ w n o, rQ o
OjmQ mQ, mo fi're(t're
ArQ,ara w rQ w na o,rQ o
Ktktljnf mo f'w ri'w
ArQ, arawrQ w n o,
lrQ
o
Transtation
When the dawned I saw lretn abundance
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
Very early, four days ago my good destiny manifested
This was the lf cast forAkp
Who was advised to serve his Oliwith a live catfish
Akp has now offered ArQfish to his Oli
And he set his eyes on all /re of life
He gotthe /reof wealth
And thatofa good spouse
And thatof good children
Andthatof good houses
And thatof long life, the king of all /re
NowArQ, we are
quite comfortable, ArQ
The daydawned and I saw /re in abundance
ArQ we are
quite comfortabl ArQ, the catfish
Very early four days ago, good destiny manifested
ArQ, we are quite comfortabl ArQ,the catfish
lf says that the person for whom this OdD is revealed shall be very
comfortable in life. All what he/she need to do is to follow the
instruction of lf atalltimes.
2. lf says that it foresees all round /RE for the person for whom
E)-Ogb is revealed. lf says that it shall replace Death with
Wealth, Sadness with Joy, Grief with Celebration, Loss with
Longevity and Want with Surplus. lf says that he/she shall live
and die a happy person.
In this Od,lf says that Death shall be converted to Financial
Well-being; Affliction to Spouse; Contention to Child-bearing
opportunities; and Loss to Longevity. lf says that there is the
need for this
person
to offer qbg known as 'ARXORE or
AnXAeQru.lA'. Sacrifice materials include, two pigeons,
two cocks, two rats, two fish, four kolanuts, four bitter kola,
four alligator peppers,
and money. On all these, lf say's
Qtqq-tqe-tqq
QrQQ-rge-rQQ
4
il ,'ono"
Qtqqtq
ta kO'
QtqqtOq
l gb'n
u rQ
Qgbln
t e fff kq'l
Kt yi ta fff gb'n
u r$
Dl fif n
Qrnmll
Mq fi Ajogun mgrin k wgn mQ'l l'tu ffq
Ti Baba l wgn, l wgn
T'i won lo
Translation
Qto0-tqq-tQ
QrQQ-rqg-rQQ
Separately do we erect our homes
Separately do we live in the homes
The wisdom with which we erect our homes
ls not as much as that with which we live in those homes
These were the declarations of lf to
Qrrlnm)l
When fourAjogun invaded the cityof ll-lfQ
And he evacuated them without success
Theysimply refused to go
The inhabitants of ll-lfQ were ovenruhelmed with the problems being
caused byAjogun. TheseAjogun were lk(t (Death), ArDn (Affliction),
E"Q (Contention), and fO (Loss). When alltheir efforts to chase these
Ajogun away failed, they approached
Qrnmll
for assistance.
Qrnmll
went to work. He tried all he knew to no avail. Out of
frustration,
Qrnmll
decided to leave ll-lfQ and neverto return there
again. On his way out of ll-lfQ, he met some of his former students.
They were Ams and AmQrQ. They inquired from him what was
wrong.
Qrnm)la
explained to them about his inability to chase away
the fourAjogun causing problems for the inhabitants of ll-lfe.
Both Ams and AmQrQ persuaded
Qrr1nm)la
not to give
up. They
prevailed on him to let them go for lf consultation. He agreed; and
togethe they went to the groups of Awo mentioned above for lf
lfa Dida: An invtation to lfa Consuttation
consultation. These Awo were also
QrrJnmlla's
ex-students. They
consulted lf and Eji-Ogb was revealed.
The group
of Awo assured
Qrrlnm)la
that the four Ajogun would be
chased away, and in their places
would be the tRE of Aj (wealth),
Aya (spouse),
Qmq
(children)
and ogb (Longevity).
Qrnm)r
was
advised to offer gg
as stated above. He complied. After this, he was
asked to take four bitter kolas and four alligator pepper
to the
crossroad where four roads met. He complied. After the sacrifice,
Qrrlnmlla
took the bitter kolas and alligator peppers
to the roadsides
with four paths
together with Ams and AmQrQ. when they reached
the four crossroads, they met lk(t (Death).
Ams and AmQrQ advised
Qrnm)la
to throw one bitter kola and one alligator pepper
at
Death. He did. lmmediately these seeds hit Death, he began to run
away. Ams and AmQr asked
QrrJnmll
to follow him. The three of
them did. Before long, Death fell down. When they reached where he
fell, instead of Death, they met a lot of money. rnmlla was
surprised. Ams and AmQrQ however told Ornmll that Dea th is the
owner of Wealth. They said that anyone looking for money without
any other consideration whatsoever is a sure candldate for death.
untimely death, forthat matter.
They returned to the crossroad with four parts
and they met ArDn
(Affliction).
Qrnmlla
threw the two seeds at him. He began to run
away. They followed him. Before long, Affliction fell down. when
they reached where he fell, they met Spouse. Ams and AmQr told
Qrnmil
that Spouse is the owner of Afftiction. They said that if any
man has no control in his desire for, and enjoyment of
,
women, he is a
sure candidate forAffliction. On the other hand, if a woman has no
control in her desire for and enjoyment of men, she is a sure candidate
forAffliction.
They returned to the crossroads and they met
fiQ
(Contention).
They
threw the two seeds at him. He ran. They followed. EjQ fell. when
they reached the spot where he fell, they met children. Ams and
il ,,ono.
AmQrQ explained to
Qrnmll
that contention is the owner of children.
They said that the moment a person is matured, the person will be
looking for an appropriafe spouse. He or she will 'talk'. The talking is
in itself a form of contention. lf it has been taking too long to secure a
spouse of his/her choice, the 'Contention' will become more
consisfe nt. After getting his/her choice, then there will be 'contention'
on pregnancy and child-birth. lf the wife did not conceive in time, the
'contention'will be more than ever before. The 'contention'will leave
the couple's home and move to other people's homes such as the
homes of experts, advisers, relatives and so on.
When the woman eventually succeeded in becoming
pregnant, there
will be more 'contention'. When the woman has finally delivered of a
baby, the'contention' is increased in folds.
Talking to the baby and teaching the baby how to talk and behave are
senous talking busrness . To go to schodlto complete the schooling, to
travl and to celebrate the child's achievements entail
'contention'.
Not to have a child does not preclude anyone from engaging in this
'contention'.
They returned to the crossroads and met OfO (Loss).
Qrnm'il
threw
the remaining two seeds at him and he took to his heels. They
followed him. Loss fell down. When they arrived at the spot where
loss fell, they saw Longevity. Ams and AmQrQ told
Qrnm)l
that
Loss is the owner of Longevity. They said that if a person is too old
he/she shall be experiencing terrible /osses - /oss of memory, loss of
dear ones, /oss of energy, /oss of vitality and so on. Those who are
suppose d to bury him/herwould be the oneswhom he/she would point
to thei r tom bs to othe rs.
Qrnm)l
returned to ll-lfQ a happy man. He was glad that he had
been able to accomplish hls mission. That was how
Qrrlnm'ila
was
able to chase away the Ajogun of lkrl, Arn,
fiQ
and OfO and replaced
them with the lre ofAj, Aya,
Qmg
and Ogb respectively.
Qtqq+ee+qq
7
Ifa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
ArQQ-ree-rQQ
Qtqqtq
ta kq't
Qtqqtqq
t gb'nrf
u rQ
9gbQn
t a f k'l
K t yi ta fii gb'nrt u rg
tli frf n
Qrnmll
l*q ti Ajogun mgrin k wgn mQ'l l'tu lfq
Tt Baba l wgn, l wgn
fiwgnlg
f;bq
ni wqn nf k w ge
gb'fbg,
r'bg
F
w b ni nl wQwQ ire gbogbo
Translation
Qt0q-tee-tqq
QrQQ-rqq-rQQ
Separately do we erect our homes
Separately do we live in the homes
The wisdom with which we erect our homes
ls not as much as that with which we live in those homes
These were the declarations of lfto
Qrnm)l
When fourAjogun invaded the city of ll-lfe
And he evacuated them without success
Theysimply refused to go
He was advised to offerebo
He complied
Before long, not too far
Join us in the midst of abundant success
lf says that it shall able to replace Death with Wealth, Affliction with
spouse, contention with children and Loss with Longevity. lf
however cautions this person
to be moderate in his/her pursuit
of
wealth, sexual pleassure,
and all opportunities in his/her life so as to
avoid harming himself/herself in the process.
3. lf says that it foresees all lre for the person
for whom this Od is
ii t'onr,
revealed . lf says that he/she is presently experencng some
hardships which could be making him/her to contemplate harming
himself/herself or inflicting other social,
physical or mental pain on
himself/herself.
Because of the way he/she has been behaving recentty, he/she has
given other
people cause to write him/her off and conclude that
nothing
good can ever come from him/her again. lf says that
he/she must have a change of attitude and must never lose hope. lt is
not too late for him/her to succeed in lf he/she will definitely
succeed in his/her lifetime.
There is need to offer
gbg with two white pigeons, two cocks, two
hens, two
guinea-fowls and money. He/she also needs to feed lf
with four rats, four fish, palm-oil, gin and money. On these, lf
says.
f
uttt
j
fy lu'tQ
tf filn YyAlS-tI{e
T fQyIntI m'jrl gkn snrhn ire gbogbo
Fbg
ni wQn nf k w ge
Translation
The dead fall trap fell and hit its chest on the ground
This was the declaration of lf to Yy-Ale-fi-l
When she was weeping in lamentation of her inability
to succeed in life
She was advised to offer gbg
Yy-AlQ-tl-le, (the night of my success has not yet fallen), was a
failure in all aspects of life. She had no money, she had no husband,
she had no child, she had no home, and she had bad health. In fact,
nothing seemed to work for her. To compound the problem, she had
been losing confidence in herself and her ability to succeed in life. As
a result of the way Yy-Ale-fi-lQ was carrying herself, she became a
nuisance to all her neighbours. Also, because of her pessimism,
those around her were equally infected and she was completely
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
written off.
one day, she went to the Babalwo mentioned above
just
for the fun
of it. The Babalwo however diagnosed her problems
correctly and
went further to assure her that she would succeed in her life and that
the night of her success had not yet fallen. She was equally advised
to have a change of attitude and a change of perception
of herself.
She managed to do all and she became hopeful that she could still
make it in life after-all. There ls hope, there is future.
soon after this, her wealth improved, she started plaiting
hair for
others. She was able to make some money. She started a small
business of her own. while going
on her business, she met a man she
loved. Before long, they got
married. A year
after, she gave birth to
her first baby. But surprisingly, the birth was a set of twins. She was
very happy and she lived happily for the rest of her life.
There is hope forthe clientforwhom this Od is revealed. He/she still
has future. He/she shall still reach the very peak or his/her goals
in
life.
f
nma fy tu'tQ
tX filn YyAlg-tl-le
T fQyIntI m'jrl gkrf n snrhn ire gbogbo
f;bg
ni wQn nf k w se
gbg'bg,
r'bg
K p, k
jlnn
lre gbogbo
w ya d ttrf ru
E atE aj klt tAwo
f;yln
w
Knim r'Ed pin
o
f;yln
w
Alg aya klf lAwo
fyln
w
Kgnf m r'f;d pin o
Eyln w
Alg ire gbogbo
klf
bAwo
10
ii ,'ono"
fyln
w
Translation
The deadfall trap fell and hit its chest on the
ground
This was the declaration of lf to Yy-Ab-ti-l
When she was weeping in lamentation of her inability
to succeed in life
She was advised to offergbg
She complied
Before long, nottoofar
All ire came trooping in
The nightof wealth has notyetfallen foranAwo
There is hope, there is future
Let no one lose hope on
fOu
There is hope, there isfuture
The night of all ire has not yet fallen for an Awo
There is hope, there isfuture
Let no one lose hope on
fOu
There is hope, there isfuture
lf says that this person shall be blessed with the lre of wealth,
spouse, children, befitting home and means of transportation.
He/she must never leave the path of lf at any time whatever.
4. If says that this
person needs to offer
gbg because of the four
Ire that are looking for him/her. Howeve; he/she shall be able
to secure three of the four Ire if the necessary ebo is offered. No
matter what was done, only three of the four Ire shall be
his/hers. The four Ire being mentioned by If are wealth,
jewelries,
spouse and Enini. If says that he/she shall be able to
get the first three Ire but will miss Enini, the foufth lre.
If says also that he/she needs to be listening to the advice of a
woman very close to him/her. The woman n
question may be
his/her mother, wife, blood relation or friend, The advice the
woman is offering to him/her will eventually be invaluable to
11
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
him/hen
There is also the need for this person
to offer gbg with two
pigeons,
two hens and money. He/she needs to feed If with four rats and
four fish. And more importantly, he/she needs to feed EEr:
Qdara
with one
[mg,
Brown rat, and 160 cowries. These cowries will be
strung together and woven round the rat and stuck upright in front of
Egu
Qdara.
He/she also needs to take his/her bath four times on the day that this
Od is releaved. He/she will also change dresses four times after
bath on thatday.
This person
must also avoid going
out of his/her house for one full
week. If says that the three Ire being referred to by If will come to
him/her within one week. If everything is not gotten
on the specified
days, at least the foundation of the three Ire shall be laid within the
period.
In this wise, it is not advisable for him/her to
go
out in order
that the spirits responsible for ushering in those Ire shall meet
him/her at home when they come visiting. On these, E) Ogb says:
Injjj
Inrefr tun tq6 pa lqlQlS
Onin-tnrdnrn-nrn
rcnQtQs lq r wQ
frarifngbko,
gbj
gblyindkunlgo
DrfnAj
Qmq
g wgnldeftrrni
AbfnOkun
Qmg
q woIdelrae
|ffinOmidan
Tggmqwgntdeikgpa
NfjQ fr wQn rilq rd wQ s'rl
Qr,nnma
bara d mi
lr!\
AgDoruUregun
12
ii ,'onu"
pbq
ni wSn rr l w{n w
9e
Translation
The fire burns and burns
And goestothe Ocean bankto rest
The sun shines and shines
And goestothe River Bankto set
The breeze sweepsthe plain and forest
And goes to the back ofthe ocean to recess
These were lf's declarations to Aj, Wealth
Their offspring in Ibf rf
And to Okn, beads
Their offspring in Ird
And to Omidan, the beautiful Damsel
Their offspring inlkgpa
When they were going to reside in the home of
Qrunm'll,
my
fatherAgbgnnlrgrln
They were advised to offer
fibg
Aj, wealth; Okn, expensive bead; and Omidan, a beautiful
damsel
grouped together and they were all willing to
go
to
Qrnm'il's
home to stay
permanently throughout their lives.
The three of them learnt that
Qrnm'il
had the
patience,
maturity, mental and emotional capability to take care of them
and make them comfoftable. They therefore went to the Awo
mentioned above for If consultation.
In the home of the Awo, they were assured that they had made the
best choice ever. They were told that they would enjoy their lives and
they would live in comfoft and happiness throughout. They were also
advised to offer
qbg with two pigeons, two hens and money. They
complied. Shottly after, they set out on their
journey
to
0rnm'll's
house.
B o b d'f tn
Kl o d'f
gwq kan de ml
13
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consuftation
Dd fitn Enini
Tll qqmgdianlwarun
Mjq tl lg r wq sl|
Qrunmll,
bara mi
Agbgnnlrgrtn
fibg
ni wqn nl kw ge
Translation
After castng your
own If
Help mecast mine before I return
This was lf's declaration to Enini, the Dew
The offspring of Ajnfwrun
When going
to reside in the home of
Qrrlnmll
My father Agbgnn'lregun
He was advised to offer gbg
Enini, the Dew, on his own also sent somebody to
go
to the home of
the Awo mentioned above to help him find out f it will be
advantageous for him to
go
and take his permanent
residence in the
home of
Qrnm)l.
He was assured that it would be fruitful to him. He
was advised to offer gbg with two pigeons/
two hens, his sash and
money. He simply ignored the advice of the Awo. He went and
joined
Aj, OkUn, and Omidan on their way to
Qrnmll's
home.
Nkan rlbltl tl rrt'ojU Olerun-un be wa
Dl frn
Qrunmlla
Tl ire merin forl k tltll fn
fbg
ni wEn nl k w ge
Translation
Something big and heavythat is coming from the sky
This was If's declaration to Ornmll
Whom four Ire will be waiting endlessly for
He was advised to offer gbg
Business was down for
Qrnmll.
He had no money at that
particular
point
in time. To eat became a serious problem
for him. consequently,
14
il t'onou
he went to the Awo mentoned above for If consultation. He wanted
to know what he needed to do for fortune and
progress to smile at
him.
The Awo assured him that he would succeed in life. He was told that,
as at that
period, four Ire had been looking for him. He was told that
he should not go out of his home for seven days so that these Ire
would meet him at home whenever they came calling. The Awo
assured him that the lre would come within the seven days specified
for him.
Qrnmll
was however warned that if these lre did not meet
him home, they would not stay. He was also instructed to take his
bath four times that day and
put on his very best attires. After this,
Qrrfnm'il
was advised to offer
gbg with two
pigeons, two hens and
money. He was also told to feed
FSU Qdar
with one brown rat and
160 cowries. He was told to bind the cowries together with a string,
tie it round the brown rat and
give it to Eg. The Awo added that Eg
Qdara
would direct the four Ire to his home and that failure to feed Eg
might make Eg to refuse to assist him in his effoft to secure these lre.
Qrunmila
offered the
gbg but failed to feed ESU
Qdara.
Qrnm'll
went back home and was ready to stay at home for seven
days as advised. Ep
Qdara
could not see what
Qrnmll
was
supposed to
give him. He (EpU) went to
QrUnm'il's
house to demand
for it.
Qrnmll
did not give it to him.
Qgnfn1lQyg, Qrnm'il's
wife,
however advised her husband to
give Esu the rat and the 160 cowries.
Qrrlnm'll
did not heed the advice.
The second day, the four Ire who had been asking everyone they met
to direct them to
Qrrf
nm'il's home eventually came across those who
knew the house. They were well directed. A few blocks to
Qrnm'll's
house, they met Eg
Qdara.
They asked Eg
Qdar
if he knew the
shoftest route to
Qrnmll's
house. Eg responded that he was living
in the next house to
Qrnm1la.
He said that
Qrnm'lla
had
just
told
him (ESU) a few moments ago that he (Qrnmll) was going to the
farm and would return the next day. These Ire said that they would go
15
ffa Dda: An invitation to lfa Consultation
and stay somewhere and go
to meet
QrnmIla
the following day as
they could not go
to his home in his absence. That was how
Qrnmll
missed the four Ire the second day that he offered the
AbA.
on the third day, Eg
Qdara
went to
Qrnm)la
to ask for his brown rat
and 160 cowries. He was not given.
QgnfrlnnleyQ
also pleaded
with
her husband to give Eg hislbg to no avail.
The four Ire slept under the shade of a big tree in the outskits of the
town. They woke up very early in the morning, tidied themselves up
in preparation
for their encounter with
Qrnm]la.
when they
estimated that
Qrunmll
ought to have been back from the farm at
that
period,
they set out. On their way, they met Eg
edr.
This
time around, he had taken up another identity. He told them that he
was
Qrnmll's
student and that
Qrnm'lla
had gone
to the house of
one of his clients and would not be back for three days. The four Ire
decided to wait atthe outskift of the town forQrnm)l to return.
On the sixth day, Egu
Odara
wentto
Qrnmll's
house to askfor his rat
and 160 cowries. Again, he was not given.
QpnfrrnrrlQyQ
insisted
that
Qrnmll
must do it unfailingly, or else she would pack
out of his
house. unfortunately, Egu
Qdar
had left
Qrnmll's
house when
Qrnmll
himself decided to give Egu
Qdara
thelbg.
In the middle of the sixth day, Eg
Qdara
went to the town. And again
he changed is identity. He used ashes to rub every paft
of his body
and was weeping. when asked why he was weeping, he said that
Qrnmll
had a terrible accident and died that morning. All of the four
Ire began to weep. The weeping of Eg was more profound
than that
of the others. At a stage, Eg began to shed blood instead of tears.
The five of them wept until late in the evening. Egu left when it was
very dark and
promised
to come and meet the four Ire in the morning
and inform them about how the burial ceremony went. They asked
him to come and that after his briefing, they would like to return to
their respective locations.
16
ii ,'ono"
When the sun was overhead that day, Enini, one of the four lre, went
out and committed suicide with the sach which he failed to offer as
gbg material. That was how it remained only Aje, Okun and Omidan.
Very early the following day, the seventh day,
Qrrlnmll
offered to Eg
Qdara
the rat and 160 cowries as expected. He added a bottle of
gin
for Eg
Qdara
to consume.
Immediately the lbg was offered, Epu
Qdar
returned to the three
remaining lre at outskift of the town. And again, he changed his
appearance. He met the three of them mourning the demise of both
Qrnmll
and Enini. He greeted them and asked them why they were
weeping. They responded that they had come to stay with
QrrlnmIl
only for them to learn that
Qrnm'il
had died. As if that was not bad
enough, one of them also committed suicide. Egu
Qdar
then told
them that the
person who informed them that
Qrnmll
had died had
misinformed them. He assured them that he was
just
coming from
Qrnmll's
house and that
Qrnmll
was hail and hearty. He showed
them the bottle of alcohol that he had
just
been
given by
QrnmTl
and
shared the content with them. He later urged them to follow him to
Qrnm)l's
house as
Qrnmll
had been expecting them in the last
seven days.
They all trooped to
Qrnmll's
house. It was
joy
that had no bound
for them when they met. The three Ire lived in
Qrnmll's
house
forever and ever.
Ina
jojj
In r'etl okun lqq pa lqhqlq
OOrrn-Un rnrn-nrn
r'etl
Q$sa
lg ree wQ
Efuufu gba'ko, gb
5

gbQyln okun lg o
Dl filn Aj
gmgqwgn
Idelblnl
17
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
A b filn Okn
9mg
g wgn lde lrd
Dl fitn omidan
Tff
Sgmq
wgn lqde lkgpa
Mjg tl wqn nlg r wQ sil
Qrunmll
bara mi
Agbgnnlrgn
fbg
ni wqn nl kl wn w ge
B o b d'f tn
Kl o d'f gwq kan d ml
Dl fitn Enini
Tll
99mg
Ajenlwarun
Nljq q r wq sll
Qrrrnmll,
bara a mi
Agbonnlrgrtn
Fbg
ni wqn nl k w
9e
Nkan rlbltl tl tojr
Qlorun-un
bo wa
Dl filn
QrUnmlla
Tl ire mgrin o forl k tltlltl fun
Fbq
ni wOn nl k w ge

gb'gbg
,6rt'bg
Ko p
o,
Qn
o
jln
F
wa b ni b'yQ g w wo're o
Translation
The fire burns and burns
And goestothe
Ocean bankto rest
The sun shines and shines
And goes
to the Lagoon Bank to set
The breeze sweepsthe plain
and forest
And goes
to the back ofthe ocean to recess
These were lf's declarations to Aj, Wealth
Their offspring inlblnl
And to Okn, beads
Their offspring inlrd
And to Omidan, the beautiful Damsel
Their offspring inlkgpa
When they were going
to reside in the home of
QrrJnmll,
my
18
ll ,'ono"
fatherAgbgnnlrgn
They were advised to offer
fibg
After casting your own If
Help me cast mine before I return
This was lf's declaration to Enini, the Dew
The offspring of Ajrfwrun
When
going
to reside in the home of
Qrunm)l
My father
dg
bgn nlrgrf n
He was advised to offer
gbg
Something big and heavythat is coming from the slcy
This was lf's declaration to
QrnmTI
Whom four Ire will be waiting endlessly for
He was advised to offer ebo
He complied
Nottoo long
Comeand
join
us in the midstofjoyand behold all Ire
If says that the
person for whom this Od is revealed shall be blessed
with three major Ire within the next seven days. This Ire shall make
this
person happy for rest of his/her life.
5. If says that the
person fr whom this Od is revealed has been
blessed with a
good spouse. The relationship shall be blessed
with happiness,
progress, children and security. To make this
happen,there is the need for this
person to offer
gbg with one
hen, one
pigeon, four fish, four rats and money. He/she is also
to feed If with four rats, four fish,
palm-oil and money. On
this, If says:
MlmQojt
QlQrun
kO kan gblgb
Fw
OgUpa kO kan t'iwQ
Isanra Og ko kan ti oje
Dl fin
Qrnmil
If lg r gb Orllgw nl'yw
Fbg
ni wqn nl k w
9e
19
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
Translation
The cleanliness of the sky is not as a result of constant
sweeping
The beauty of the moon is not as a result of regular
bathing
The plumpness
of the Og tree is not as a result of
frequent or excessive food consumption
These were the declarations of If to
Qrunmil
When going
to have the hand of Orllgw in marriage
He was advised to offer gbg
'Qrnm)l
was in love with or{lgwa. The love was reciprocated by
Qrnmll
intended to cement this relationship with marriage.
consequently, he went to the Awo mentioned above for If
consultation. Would this relationship be fruitful? Would there be
peace
and harmony? would he not regret ever entering into the
relationship? would they be blessed with children? would they be
prosperous?
Would they both live long and happily?
The Awo put
the fears of
Qrnmll
at rest and told him that while he
had come to consult If on the
possible
outcome of their relationship,
ofilew, his proposed
wife, had equally gone
elsewhere for If
consultation; and she too had also been assured that all would be well
in their relationship. They would be happy. The relationship would
be fruitful. They would have peace
and harmony. They would never
regret entering into the relationship. They would be blessed with
beautiful and useful children. They would be prosperous.
They
would both live long and their love for each other would never wane.
Qrrlnmll
was advised to offer gbg
as stated above. He complied.
Soon after this, they got married.
They lived in peace
and harmony. They were both proud
of each
other. They were equally blessed with children and they never lacked
happiness throughout.
20
t!
ll Ei Ogbe
Mlmqoju
Qlfun
ko kan
9bl9b
Ewa
Oqp ko kan tTwg
Isanra Oq ko kan ti ojg
Dlfitn
Qrunmll
If lg r gb Orlle, w nl'Yw
fbg
ni wqn n| kw
9e
gb'Qborru'bg
jg g sr w, g w wo qmq Orile,w wgrere
Ornmll l gb Orlgwa nl'yw
F
sr w, q w wo gmg Orilqw wgrcre
Translation
The cleanliness of the Sky is not as a result of constant
sweePing
The beauty of the moon is not as a result of regular
bathing
The plumpness of the 09 tree is not as a result of frequent or
excessive eating
These were the declarations of If to
Qrnm)l
When going to have the hand of Oflgw in marriage
He was advised to offer
gbg
He complied
Come and see the beautiful children of Oflewa
OrrJnmll himself is he who had taken OQwa as his wife
Behold the beautiful children of Otllgw'
If says that the relationship shall be blessed with happiness and
beautiful children whom the couple would be
proud of.
6. If says that it forsees the Ire of wealth and
prosperty for whom
'
E:l- Ogb is revealed during If consultation or during Itqntfa,
If initiation. If says that he/she has brought his/her
wealth from heaven. If says that he/she has the
tendenry to
give brth to a set of twins or that there is a set of
twins in his/her family. In one word, he/she is closely affiliated
to the Twins Deity. In the same stanza, If says that the
person
for whom this Od is revealed will have
good luck throughout
i
21
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
his/her life and people will be showering him/her wth gifts
and
other presents.
If also says that he/she will overcome problems
and enemies no matter how many they may be.
If says that he/she will also have peace
of mind and happiness in
his/her life and that he/she will be in full control of his/her life and
the lives of those around him/her. In the same stanza, If says
that he/she is an
H$gbQ
and that his/her heavenly double will be
showering him/her with all the good
things of life that will bring
him/her successes and achievements. If says also that he/she
will be comfoftable under any condition; no matter how tough the
situation may be. He/she will also win the admiration of others
with the way he/she carries himself/herself under tough and
difficult situations. If equally says that five children or five
young
ones, either biological or adopted children, will have great
influence on his/her life. If however advises that he/she needs
to offer gbg for the children so as to prevent
them from dying
young
or during his/her lifetime. On allthese, If says:
If l di enf
Mo l di enl
Eleeff
Dl filn'Lmnl
9mq
at'erun l, gb'gb
Aj ka'rl w'y
Translation
If says"it is now one"
I chorusthat"it is now one"
Eleeeff
He was the Awo who cast If for'Lmff
He who carried the calabash or wealth and success on his head
from heaven to earth
'Lmnf was coming from
Qrun,
Heaven to Ay, Eafth. He went to
Eleen'i, a Babalwo in
Orun
to cast If in order to determine how this
ii ,'ono"
journey
on eafth would be. 'Lml was assured that he would be
very successful on eafth. He was advised to offer the
gbg, sacrfice,
with two
pigeons, honey, bean fritters and money. He was also
advised to feed Aj, the Deity of Wealth, with one
pigeon
and honey.
He complied.
He was therefore
given the calabash of wealth and achievement from
Qrun
to bring to Ay. He did. While on eafth, h became so
successful that his wealth had no comparison. He was always ranked
among kings.
rf l d eil
Mo l d il
Ejeell
Dl fin $e-Eild
T f yln tl m'jrl
gkn srhn t'gmg
Translation
If says"it is now two"
I chorus that"it is now two"
Eeet
He was the Awo who cast If for SiQ-E;ld
Who reclined and wasweeping in lamentation of her inabilityto
bear a child.
SIQ-Elld had been married for 16 years without a child. She wentto
Eieet, a Babalwo, who cast If for her and advised her to offer gbg
with two rats, two fish and money. She was assured that she would
have multiple bifths. She was also asked to feed the Twins Deity. She
complied. During the time of offering that
gbQ, she was in her
menstrual
period. She missed her next
period
and became
pregnant.
She
gave brth to a set of twins.
rf ld
eta
Mo l di ta
Ikorita meta abldl
yakt-yakata
23
lfa Dida: An invtaton to lfa Consultaton
Dla fun TamllQrg
Tff ge gmgknrin
lta
Translation
If says"it is nowthree"
I chorus that"it is now three"
The three crossroads with broad base
He was the Awo who cast If for Tarn'ilQrg (Present me with
gifts)
The son oflta, the main street
TarnflQrg went for If consultation in the home of Ikota MQta-Abldf-
Ykt-Yakata, a Babalwo, to find out about his chance of success in
life. The Awo told him to work hard, study and be
proficient
in a
profession,
and go
out into the streets to display his talent. He was
also advised to offer gbg with two white pigeons,
two guinea-fowls
and
money. He complied. He studied music. He began to play
If music
about. Everybody who met him along the street used to shower him
with presents
and other gifts. Before long, he became a very wealthy
man.
If l di
Qrin
Mo l dl
Qrin
f
rln ni wqn rln fg'n o, tl
Frln
q$Q
ni gbr rln ko odo l'na
D{ fitn
flgrlnmagba
9mg
atako l9l99lg gegun
Translation
If says "it is now four"
I chorus that it now four
It is with laughter people
collect fire for liquor distillation
Wth smiles, the flood
joins
the river
They were the Awo who cast If for
filQiin-magba,
the king
of
pn-Il
He who knots leaves, shrubs and grasses
to overcome
adversary
24
il ,,onu"
Fln-magba,
the king of
frin-Il
was being threatened with attacks
and
problems ranging from internal strive, conspiracy to external
warfare. Tired of all these developments, he summoned the Awo
mentioned above for If consultation in orderto find lasting solution to
his various
problems. The Awo assured
flQdn-magba
that he would
overcome all his problems. He was advised to offer
gbg with two
goats and money. He was advised to feed Egu
Qdara
with one cock.
He complied. After that, they made some
preparations for him with
which he used to knot the leaves, shrubs and
grasses
around his
palace and the whole town. After these have been done, all the
internal strives were overcome while external aggressions became
ineffective. That was how
flQfin-magba
overcame all his problems
and all subsequent
fiQrin
are being
praised as
filQrln-magba Qmg
ata'ko lglgglg
$egun.
"filgflnmagba, the offspring of those who knot
feaves, shrubs and
grasses to overcome adversary"
If l di rn
Mo l di rn
Qrggrn
ni wQn tt k'l
Qrggrttn
ni wQn tf k'kn
Dl fitn
QlQrunjlnml
Qrggrrln
ni wQn rtf ohun ire
jin'raa
wqn
Translation
If says "it is now five"
I chorus that "it is now five
Every five days do we haruest Okra
Every flve days do we haruest garden-eggs
They were the Awo who cast If for
QlQrun)nrn'i
(God has
blessed me with this
gift)
Every five days do they
present gifts to one another
QlQrun)nrnf,
God has blessed me with a gift, went to the two Awo
mentioned above to determine how he would be able to secure the
mercy and blessing of Oldmar. He was advised that to realize his
25
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
heaft's desires, he too must be obseruing his
Qsq-Ifa
every five days.
He was also advised to offer gbg
with two pigeons,
two guinea-fowl,
two ducks, two hens and money. He complied. The more he
observed his
Qsq-If,
the more he was receiving the blessing of
Oldmar.
rf t di
Ffa
Mo l di
efe
Ir gbogbo
l flr
j'etl
Bl wqn b d'nrt igb
Dl ftn
9lqfa-Fl
9mq
ata'ko lglgqlq gegun
Translation
If says"it is now six"
I chorusthat"it is now six"
All animals'tails resemble that of
pt,
the Leopard
When they are in the bush
They were the Awo who cast If for
glQfa-Et
He who knots leaves, shrubs and grasses
to overcome
adversary
Qlqfa-Ft,
the king of
Qfa
was having the same problem
as
filQrin-
magba. He went to another set of Babalwo who gave
him the same
advice as the one given
to
Hgrin-magba.
He complied. The same
preparation
was also made for
QlQfa-Fta.
He got
the same result as
FQrin-magba.
His offsprings were also nicknamed
erQfa-Ft Qmg
atako lglqglg
Fegun
- meaning "QlQf-[t, the offspring of those who
knot leaves, shrubs and grasses
to overcome adversary".
rf t di je
Mo l di je
B'lugbqn b
g'or
A k'lje
B'ArQs b g'oro
A kTje
ii ,,ono"
Dfi fin Oljel aS'qte
T be l'arln oJ
Tt foiooirmg kg'mn ogun
Translation
If says"it is now seven"
I chorus that"it is now seven"
Whenever OhlgbQn
performs his annual ritual
Hewillmarktheseventhdayoftheceremony
-
:
Whenever ArQs
pedoms his anuual ritual
He willalso markthe seventh day of the ceremony
They were the Awo who cast If for Oljele, the conspirator
When he was in the midstof enemies
And was living in constantfearof uprising.
Oljel, the king of Ojele was in the midst of enemies. He had only
few
people whom he could trust. When he realized that his
opponents were gaining the upper hand, he went for If consultation.
He was assured that he would overcome his enemies. He was
however advised to offer
gbg with one matured he-goat and money,
He complied. Shortly after this had been done, his enemies had a
serious disagreement on how best to deal with him. They therefore
descended on each other and destroyed each other. That was how
Oljeb was able to overcome his enemies.
If l d'ejg
Mo l d'ejq
KTwjrl ileigs{ reresf rere
K'ylnknl il iq s{ rere sl rere
Dla fun Abltiiq
Tl wqn bl s'de lgbiq
T'un tl lresl Oro
Iwa
jg
Fvln iq
Mo ti
g'awo
egbiq
g
t'mi
27
Ifa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
Translation
If says"it is now eight"
I chorus that"it is now eight"
Maythe home frontage be calm and peaceful
May the back of the home be calm and peaceful
They were the ones who cast If for Ablrrjg
Who was born inlgbjg town
Together with IrQs'i -Or
The front is calm and
peaceful
The back is calm and peaceful
I had offered my own gbg with 1,600 cowries
Ablrljg was a natve oflgbjg town. His main preoccupation
was how
to secure and maintain peace
and tranquillity in his home. He
therefore went to the group
of Babalwo mentioned above. They
assured him that he would be able to realize his heart's desire. He was
advised to offer gbg with two white pigeons,
two guinea-fowl,
two
male ducks together with 1,600 cowries. He complied. Before long,
his home, his environment, his life became peaceful
and harmonious.
He was full of happiness for the rest of his life. If anyone asked him
how he managed to have such an agreeable life, he used to respond
that he had offered his
gbg
with 1,600 cowries.
If I d'Qsn
Mo l d'sn
Asan-gb I'agg t'wQn
AwQ-gb I'agg t'wa o
Dl fttn AlkQsn-magba
Erlgl magba
Eyl t
j'gba
tn
T sunkn Oun rl Olsln
A w m Alkesn
ie
qbja
Gbogbo gmg gni
E y w, q wa sln
Gbogbo gmg gni
28
il ,,ono"
Translation
If says"it is now nine"
I chorusthat"it is nine"
Their clothes are to be hung until they tear to pieces
Our dresses are to be worn until they fade
They were the Awo who cast If for AlkQsan-magba
Whose praise name includes"Engl magba"
Who after being installed an
Qba
Wasweeping in lamentation of his inabilityto have people
Who would
pay him homage
We have now madeAlkQsn the head of the market
Allourchildren
Step here and
payyour homage
Allourchildren
AlkQsn was installed as the head of AkQsn market. All his effofts to
get
submissive subjects
proved abortive. He consequently
approached the
group of Babalwo mentioned above for If
consultation. He was assured that he would have people who would
be
paying him homage. He was advised to offer gbg with two white
pigeons, two
guinea-fowls, two cocks and money. He did.
'Before
long, he was able to muster enough support which made him relevant
as the head of Akesan market. He was very happy when he saw
everybody,
young and old,
paying him homage. Those who were not
around were informed to come and
pay homage to him. They all did.
If ld'Qw
,
Mo ld'Qw
',
lfrllw-wlw ni wqn w Babalwoo re'l
Babalawo kff w
qnlkan go9 o
Dl filn
Qwa-Qga
9w
Ogllrl
gbQdu
Qmq
okun
yye
Aja fi'b kqQkqq la'lQ
Eyl tO ttsunkn uvlpe ap un O k'y
29
Ifa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consuftation
Translation
If says'tit is now ten"
I chorus that "it is now ten"
Clients are the ones who go
to Babalwo's house
Babalawo is not to frequent a client's house
This was the declaration of If to
Qw Qga
9wa
Ogfrfi gbQdu
Off-spring of those who greet with "Okun yye"
He who fights and uses the handle of his sword to mark the
ground
When weeping in lamentation of his inability to control his
subjects
Qw
Ogfni gbQdu,
the king of ljqgaland, was looking for all the good
things of life. He got
them. He became rich; he was very successful in
his business; he was nominated as an
Qba
and was eventually
installed asthe
Qba.
There was one snag however: he had no control over his domain.
Most of his directives were simply ignored by his subjects.
consequently, he went to the group
of Awo mentioned above for If
consultation. The Awo assured him that he would have control over
his domain and that his subjects would respect him. He was advised
to offer an gbg with two
pigeons,
two guinea
fowls, two ewes, 16 rings
and money. He did. Before long, he became so
popular
among his
subjects that anythlng he said, even
jokingly,
was law. He became one
of the most accomplished
Qba
in the history of his town. In the end,
he died a very happy man.
rf l di
Qkanla
Mo l di
Qkanla
Qkanh
ni wgn d'gr f'lu
Qkanla
ni wgn td'gr flAwg
Qkanla
ni wgn d'gr welewele
jko
Dl ftrn
Qkanhwqn
WQn nl k r'bg
30
ii ,'ono"
K ekejl reg t'qrun Ie d ohun rere le I'QwQ
Translation
If says"it is now eleven"
I chorus"it is now eleven"
When
packing ritual materials for Ol, they are always done in
eleven
When
packing ritual material for AwQ they are always done in
eleven
These were the declarations of If to
QkanlwQn
Who was advised to offer
gbg
So that his second in heaven would shower him with good gifBs
of life
QkanlwQn
was an
Flgb.
He had however forgotten about his
heavenly
peers while on eafth. All what he was doing amounted to
naught. For solution, he wentfor If consultation.
The Awo told him that this
problem was that he had forgotten about
his heavenly
peers and they too had chosen to forget about him.
Consequently, all his effofts on eafth did not receive the backing of his
Fgb
in heaven. He was advised to offer
gbo with two
pigeons, two
cocks and money. He was also asked to feed his
Fgb
with sugarcane,
honey, bananas,
peanuts/ coconut, oranges and other edibles. He
complied. Before long, he became a very successful man.
rf l d lf
Mo l dlil
Qrunmll
nl t'n b
il
l'rru ktkrt
Oun
gbogbo lO ma b un l'raa d
nl tl un b
jl
I'rOOru ktkt
T'n b f agg drldrl bo'ra kq?
WQn nl wQn nl
Qrrtnmll
pgle
Qmgal'dtt-j
9mqonlwgnran
If ltn diljl
31
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultaton
Mo lo tn di ljl
Qrunmll
nl t'n brt l'rooru ktkt
Oun gbogbo
l ma rtb Oun l'raa d
nl tl un b
jl
l'rru ktkt
T'n b flagg pupa
bo'ra kg?
Wgn nl wen nl
Qrrrnmll
peh
9mq
onl'lQ kanrllQ kn
Tl b wgn pqn rlgerlga
If ltn dilil
Mo l tn di ljl
Qrnmll
nl t'n b
il
t'rru ktkt
Oun gbogbo
l ma ttb Oun l'raa d
nl tl Oun b
jl
l'rru ktktr)
T'un b f a9g funfun bo'ra rkq?
WQn nl wgn nl
Qrnmil
peh
9mg
gi
Qpe
kan,
Qpe
kan
Tl rb wgn fn nlngin-nlngin
If ltn diljl
Mo l tn di ljl
Qrnmll
nl t'n b
il
l'rOru ktkt
Oun
gbogbo
l ma b un l'raa d
nl tl un b
jl
l'rru ktkt
T'oun o bo sokoto, t'oun o san bante nko?
Wen nl wQn nl
Qrnmil
peh
Arnmll
lg
Pe$peh gmg
arln'hho g'Qsln
Peb gmg
arlnhh g'Qra
Translation
If says"it is nowtwelve"
I chorus that"it is now twelve"
Orrlnmll says that whenever he wakes up at dawn
Allthings are agreeable to him
He asks that what if he wakes up at dawn
And he wraps himself with a black coverlet?
They respond that people
will say"genily
QrUnmlla
32
il ,,ono"
"The man who shines in his blackness
\rThe
owner of black
jewelleries"
"Ifa says"it is again twelve"
I chorus that"it is again Twelve"
Qrunmlla
saysthatwhenever he wakes up at dawn
All things are agreeable to him
He asks that what if he wakes up at dawn
And he wraps himself with a blackcoverlet?
'
They respond that
people will say"gently
Qrnmlla"
"Ownerof the land space"
"That is as red as clay"
"Ifa says"it is again twelve"
I also respond that"it is again twelve"
Qrnmlla
says that whenever he wakes up at dawn
All things are agreeable to him
He asks that what if he wakes up at dawn
And he wraps himself with white coverlet?
They respond that people will say"gently
Qrnmlla"
"The ownerof that
palm-tree
"Which is white and immaculate"
"If says"it is again twelve"
I chorusthat"it is again twelve"
Qrtlnm'lla
says that whenever he wakes up at dawn
All things are agreeable to him
Qnf
nm'lla asks that what if he wakes up at dawn
And chooses to wear neither trousers nor apron?
They respond that
people will hail him and say "gently
QrnmIla"
"Easy
QrnmIla
"Gently, easy, he who is fresh and lovely in his complete
nakedness"
Gently, the man who is kingly in his nudity"
If says that no matter the condition of the
person for whom this Od is
revealed he/she will still regale and other
people will find something for
which to envy and emulate him/her. Consequently, it is in the interest of
the person for whom E-Ogne is revealed to make the very best use of
33
lfa Dida: An invtation to lfa Consultaton
whatever condition in which he/she finds himself/herself.
Idl ni gb'd-gb'd
t nt'do tire

gbe
o
Idl ni Oj'ayo-nj'ay ti j'ayo tirg l'de Ekltl-ffgn
IOt n aje ti mu gi rQg gn
K t re
Qgenggn
igi
Idl ni Baba mi Agbnljos ti b'blnrin nQ g'er
T b di lgba ejQdrn
Ire gmg nff yg'rf I sl
Dl fitn Egb
Dl fun'Frn
Dl fin
$agara
Dl fn ArQnl-abg-panpa
Dl fitn
Sqnakqkl
Tll g'gmg lke, yln wgn lnje-lnje
WQn nl kl wn r'bg s{ llk ara wgn
Translation
It is from the base that the mortar caruer commences the
carving for a moftar
It is from the base that Ay game player plans
the defeat of his
opponentat Ekl-ffgn
It is from the bottom of a tree that Ajao climbs to the
peak
of
anytree
It is from the bottom that my father, known as AgbOnIjsU
makes loveto his spouse
By the same season the following year
The result is the Ire of a bouncing baby
These were the declarations of If to Egb
And to
frn
And to
gagara
And to ArQnI with the big, thick tuft of hair on his head (after
the
rest had been cleanly shaven)
And to
$Qnakqkl
Who was the youngest
of them all
They were advised to offerthe
ebg
for longevity
ii ,,ono"
The five children mentoned above were the ones who were most
impoftant to
Qrnmll
among all his children at that material
point in
time. These children went to the home of the group of Awo whose
names were mentioned above for Ifa consultation. They were all
informed that they were
Flgb
children. Each of them was advised
to offer
gbg with one cock,
palm
oil and money. They were also told to
cut kolanuts into
pieces
and
place
them on their If. From there they
were to be
picking the kolanuts for consumption. By so doing, they
were assured, they would live long on eafth. They did; and they lived
long. They were all saying that:
B
ge
ogn
gdn l'nff
A ma ba wgn
$'bl
l'rl Ikin
jg
B
ge ggbqn gdn l'nff
A ma b wgn gg'bl l'rl lkin
jg
Aadoa
gdun l'nff
A ma b wgn ge'bl l'rl Ikin
jg
Aw ti di
$Qnqkgkl
Ik kff pa ag'bl l'rf Ikin
jg
At d
$Qnakgkl
Translation
Even in twentyyearsto come
We shall be eating kolanuts placed on top of Ikin our holy
kernel
In thifi
years to come
We shall be eating kolanuts placed on top of our holy kernels
In fifty
years time
We shall be eating kolanuts placed on top of our holy kernels
We have taken up the identity of
$Qnkgki
Death will never kill the person who eats kolanuts
placed on
top of the holy kernel
We are now
pQnkgld
If says that so long as the children
(natural or adopted) of the
person
for whom this Od is revealed can do this, so long will they live on
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
eafth. This can be done daily or at every If days. It is a sure remedy
aganst ailments and evil spirits for those born by this Od or those for
whom this Od is revealed during consultation.
If l di enl
Mo l di enl
Eleenl
Dl ftn'Lmenl
Qmg
at'Qrun la, gb'gb
Aj ka'rf w'y
rf l d i
Mo l d jl
Ejeefi
Dl fn Sq-Ejld
T fyln tl m'oju qkrln
srhn t'gmg
If l d eJa
Mo l di eta
Ikorita mta abldl ykt-yakata
Dl firn TamllQrg
Tll ge gmgknrin
lta
If l di
Qrin
Mo l dl
Qrin
frln
ni wqn rln fo'n gtl
Frln +e+g
ni gbr rln ko od l'n
IX filn Elrlnmagba
Qmq
atako l9l99l9
Sgun
If l di rn
Mo l di run
Orggrn ni wqn k 'l
OrygrUn ni wqn k 'kn
IX filn
QlQrunflnml
Qrggrn
ni wQn fi ohun ire
jin'raa
wgn
rf r di
lfa
Mo l d
efa
Ir gbogbo
l flr
j'e,
t
Bl wqn b d'n igb
Dl fn
Qlqfa-Ftl
li ,,on,,
9mg
ata'ko lglgglg
9 Qgun
If l di eje
Mo l di je
B'lugbqn b
9'oro
A k'lje
B'ArQs b
g'or
A k'lje
Dl firn olje|e ag'qte
Tl be l'rfn J
fi fojoojmg kg'min ogun
f16 d'jg
Mo ld'ejg
K1waj il iq sl rere sl rere
K', ylnknl il
jq
sl rere sf rere
Dla fun Abljq
Tl wQn bl s'de lgbje
T'Oun tl lresl Oro
Iwa
jq
Fvln iq
Mo ti
g'awo
egbjq
g t'mi
If l d'Qsn
Mo l d'sn
Asan-gb I'agg t'wQn
AwQ-gb I'aggt'wa o
Dl fit n Alkesn-magba
Erlgl magba
Eyl tO
j'qba
tn
T sunkn Oun O rl olsln
Aw m AlkQsn
jeQOia
Gbogbo
gmg gni
E y w, g wa sln
Gbogbo
gmg gni
If l d'Qw
Mo ld'Qw
Wlw-wlw ni wqn w Babalwoo re'l
Babalwo kff w
gnlkan gogo
37
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
D,l fin
Qwa-Qga
9wa
Oglrl gbQdu
Qmq
okun yye
Aie f'b kQQkQQ la'lg
Eyl tO sunkn wlpe ap un k'y
rf I di
Qkanh
Mo ldi
Qkanh
Qkanla
ni wgn d'gr fm
Qkanla
ni wgn d'gr fAwg
Qkanh
ni wgn d'qr welewele
jko
Dl fn
Qkanlawqn
WQn nl k r'bg
K ekefl rQgt'Qrun le da ohun rere le I'Owq
rf dril
Mo l dlil
Qrunmll
nl t'n b
il
l'rooru ktrkut
Oun gbogbo l ma b Oun l'raa d
nl tl Oun b
jl
I'orOOru ktkt
T'n b fi agg drtdtt bo'ra kq?
WQn nl wQn nl Orrtnmll peh
9mg
al'drf -j
Qmq
onlwgnran
If ltn diljl
Mo l tn di ljl
Qrrtnmll
nl t'n b
il
l'r0Oru ktkt
Oun gbogbo l ma rtb Oun l'raa d
nl tl Oun b
jl
I'orOOru ktkt
T'n b f'a9g pupa
bo'ra kg?
WQn nl wQn nl
Qrnmll
pgh
Qmq
onl'lQ kan,llQ kn
Tl rrb wqn pqn rlgarlga
If ltn diljl
Mo l tn di ljl
QrUnmll
nl t'n brt l'rOru ktkt
Oun gbogbo
l ma b Oun l'raa d
nl Oun b
jl
I'orOru ktkt
ii ,,ono"
T'n b f a$g funfun bo'ra rtkq?
WQn nl wQn nl
Qrnmll
pele
9mg
gi
Qpe
kan,
QpQ
kan
T b wgn fitn nlngin-nlngin
If Itn diljl
Mo l tn di ljl
Qrrtnmll
nl t'n bil l'rOru ktkt
Oun
gbogbo l ma b Oun l'raa d
nl tl un ba
jl
l'rru ktkt
T'oun o bo sokoto, t'oun o san bante nko?
WQn nl wQn nl
Qrnmll
peh
Qrunmlla
lS
Pqrcpeh
gmg
arln'hh
g'Qsln
PeK qmg arlnhoh
f'Qra
Idl ni gb'd-gb'd ti 'do tirQ
e
gbq o
Idl ni Oj'ayo-rlj'ay ti rj'ayo tirg l'de Ekltl-ffgn
Idl ni aja ti mu gi r$g gn
K t re
qgenggn
igi
Idl ni Baba mi Agbonljos t b'blnrin rQ g'er
T b dilgbe ajQdn
Ire gmg nff yg'r{ | s{
Dl filn Egb
Dfi fin
Frn
Dl fin
$agara
fn ArQnl-abg-pnp
Dl fif n
$Qnakqkl
Tll
$'qmglk-eyln
wgn lnje-lnje
WQn nl kl wqn r'bg sl llkr ara wgn
B
ge
ogn
gdun I'nff
A ma b wgn ge'bl l'rl lkin
jg
B ge ggbqn gdn l'nff
A ma b wgn
s'bl
I'Or{ Ikin
jq
Aadqta
gdun l'nff
A ma b wgn gq'bl l'rl Ikin
jg
Aw ti di
$QnQkgkl
Ikr kff pa
aSe'bl l'rf Ikin
jg
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
At d sonekokl
Translation
If says"it is now one"
I chorus that"it is now one"
Eleeef
He was the Awo who cast If for'Lmff
He who carred the calabash orwealth and success on his head
from heaven to eah
If says"it is nowtwo"
I chorus that"it is now two"
E;eer
He was the Awo who cast If for SIQ-ETd
Who reclined and was weeping in lamentation of her inability
to bear a child
If says"it is nowthree"
I chorusthat"it is nowthree"
Thethree crossroads with broad base
He was the Awo who cast If for TarnflQrg (present me with
gifts)
The son oflta, the main street
If says"it is now four"
I chorus that it now four
It is with laughter people
collectfire for liquor distillation
Wth smiles, the flood
joins
the river
They were the Awo who cast If for
filQiln-magba,
the king of
Enn-lte
He who knots leaves, shrubs and
grasses
to overcome
adversary
If says"it is now five"
I chorus that"it is now five
Every five days do we harvest Okra
Every five days do we haruest garden-eggs
They were the Awo who cast If for
QlQrun;)nrn'i
Every five days do they present good gifts
of life to one
another
If says"it is now six"
40
ll ,,onr"
I chorus that'tit is now six"
All animals'tails resemble that of
[t
When theyare in the bush
They were the Awo who cast If for
QQfa-fta
He who knots leaves, shrubs and
grasses to overcome
adversary
If says"it is now seven"
I chorus that"it is now seven"
Whenever OlgbQn
performs his annual ritual
He will markthe seventh day of the ceremony
Whenever ArQs perfoms his annual ritual
He will markthe seventh day of the ceremony
They were the Awo who cast If for Oljele, the conspirator
When he was in the midst of enemies
And was living in constant fear of uprising
If says"it is now eight"
I chorusthat'tit is now eight"
May the home frontage be calm and
peaceful
Maythe backof the home be calm and
peaceful
They were the ones who cast If for Abf njg
Who was born inlgbjg town
Together with IrQs)-Or
The front is calm and
peaceful
The back is calm and
peaceful
I had offered my own
gbg with 1,600 cowries
If says"it is now nine"
I chorus that"it is nine"
Their clothes are to be hung until they tear to
pieces
Our dresses are to be worn until they fade
They were the Awo who cast If for AlkQsn-magba
Whose
praise name includes"EFlgl magba"
Who after being installed an
Qba
Was weeping in lamentation of his inability to have people
Who would pay him homage
We have now madeAlkQsn the head of the market
All our children
Step here and payyour homage
41
Ifa Dida: An nvtation to lfa Consultato
Eji Ogbe
Allourchildren
If says"it is nowten"
I chorus that"it is now ten"
Clients are the ones who go
to Babalwo's house
Babalwo is not to frequent a client's house
This was the declaration of If to
ew Qga
Qw
OgririigbQdu
Off-spring of thosewho greetwith"Okun yye,'
He who fights and uses the handle of his sword to mark the
ground
When weeping in lamentation of his inability to control his
subjects
If says"it is now eleven"
I chorus"it is now eleven"
When packing
ritual materials for Ol, they are always done in
eleven
When packing
ritual material for Awo they are always done in
eleven
These were the declarations of If to
Qkanhwgn
Who was advised to offer gbg
So that his second in heaven would shower him with good gifts
of life
, If says"it is nowtwelve"
I chorusthat"it is nowtwelve"
Qrnm)l
says that whenever he wakes up at dawn
Allthings are agreeable to him
He asksthatwhat if hewakes up atdawn
And he wraps himself with a blackcoverlet?
They respond that people
will say"gentlyOnfnmll
"The man who shines in his blackness
"The owner of black
jewel
leries"
"If says"it is again twelve"
I chorusthat"it is again Twelve
Qrunm'ila
says that whenever he wakes up at dawn
All things are agreeable to him
He asks that what if he wakes up at dawn
And he wraps himself with a red coverlet?
42
They respond that
people will say"gently
Qrnm'il"
ii
''ono"
"Ownerof the land space"
('
"That is as red as clay"
"If says"it is again twelve"
I also respond that"it is again twelve"
Qrunm)l
says that whenever he wakes up at dawn
All things are agreeable to him
He asks that what if he wakes up at dawn
And he wraps himself with white coverlet?
They respond that
people will say"gently
Qrnmll"
"The owner of that
palm-tree"
"That is white and immaculate"
"If says"it is again twelve"
I chorus that"it is again twelve"
Qrnmll
says that whenever he wakes up at dawn
Allthings are agreeableto him
Qrnm'il
asks that what if he wakes up at dawn
And he chooses to wear neither trousers nor apron?
They respond that
people will hail him and say "gently
Qrnm)f
u
':
Easy 0rnmll
"Gently, easy, he who is fresh and lovely in his complete
nakedness"
"Gently, the man who is kingly in his nudity"
It is from the base that the moftar carver commences the
carving for a moftar
It is from the base that Ay
game player plans the defeat of his
opponentat ENtl-FfQn
i
It is from the bottom of a tree that Ajao climbs to the
peak of
!
anytree
It is from the bottom that my father known as AgbOn'ljOsr1
makes love to his spouse
By the same season the following year
The result is the Ire of a bouncing baby
These were the declarations of If to Egb
And to
frn
And to
$agara
(
43
lfa Dida: An nvitation to lfa Consultation
And to ArQn) with the big, thick tuft of hair on his head
And to SQnkgki
Who was the youngest
of them all
They were advised to offerthe gbg for longevity
Even in twentyyears to come
we shall be eating kolanuts placed
on top of Ikin our holy
kernel
In thirtyyearsto come
we shallbe eating kolanuts placed
on top of our hory kernels
In fiftyyearstime
we shall be eating kolanuts placed
on top of our hory kernels
We have taken up the identity of SQnkgki
Death will never killthe person
who eats kolanuts placed
on top
of the holy kernel
We are now Snkoki
7. If says that the person
for whom this Od is revealed loves to
crave for attention and recognition at all times. He/she shall
always get the attention he/she desires. If already advises that
he/she must never be complacent with whatever achievement
he/she had attained until he/she has reached the zenith of
his/her career in life. He/she .must however be cautious in
his/her pursuit
of recognition at all times. If says that even
though he/she must strive to reach the top, he/she must
however be cautious in his/her pursuit.
If atso says that this
person
must learn the attitudes of elders and i m p
o rt a n t
dignitaries in the community. By so doing, he/she wilt move in
the midst of elders and very important personalities.
on all
these, If says:
Mo s pamQ,
s pamq
Orl mi l'un s pamq
Mo rln nl kQrq, nl kQrQ
Fda
ml l'un o fe kQrQ
Dl fin Il
ll ,,ono"
Nfiq tl t'Qrun bQ wa'ye
WQn nl k r'bg
{
Kl nkankan m ba g'orli rQ
IIQ nl ay t
ye
Oun t byff
Translation
I tried in vain to hide myself
But my Orf says it does not accept my hiding myself
I tried to walk in alleyways
But my
fda
refusesto accept mywalking in alleyways
I
These were lf's declarations to IlQ, the mother-earth
When coming from heaven to eafth
She was advised to offergbg
So that nothing could be
placed on top of her
She responded that her life was right and
proper the way it was
When IlQ, the Mother-earth, was coming from Heaven to Eafth, she
was advised to offer
gbg in order to avoid a situation where everyone
would be
placing things on her. She refused to offer the
gbg, retorting
i
that she was
quite satisfied with the way her life was. It was on that
I
very day that
people spread mat on her. That was when she
understood the importance of the advice of the Awo.
Mo s
PamQ,
s
PamQ
Orl mi l'un s
pamq
Mo rln nl kQrQ, nl kQrQ
Fda
m l'un o f kQrQ
Dl filn
f
nl
i
Nfiq tl t'qrun bQ w'Y
WQn nl k r'bg
Kl nkankan m ba
g'orfi rQ
f
nl nl ay ti
yq oun t bYll
Translation
I tried in vain to hide myself
But my Of says it does not accept my hiding myself
I
45
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
I tried to walk in alleyways
But my
fda
refuses to accept my walking in alleyways
These were lf's declarations to
[n'i,
the mat
When coming from heaven to eath
She was advised to offer gbg
So that nothing could be
placed
on top of her
She responded that her life was right and
proper
the
way it was
when
fnl,
the Mat, was spread over the Ground,
frf
thought that her
poston
was the ultimate in achievement. She was however advised
to offer gbg
with two pigeons
and money. She was also asked to feed
her o with one white pigeon,
honey, liquor, four kolanuts, eight bitter
kola and money. She refused and said that she was quite
satisfied
with her present
achievement. It was on that very day that a rug was
placed
on her.
Mo s pamQ,
s pamq
Orl mi l'un O s pamq
Mo rln nl kQrQ, nl kQrQ
Fda
ml l'un o fQ kerQ
firn ltq
Nfjq t'Qrun be w'y
WQn nl k r'bg
Kl nkankan m ba g'orfi rQ
Ite nl ay ti ye un t byff
Translation
I tried in vain to hide myself
But my Ol says it does not accept my hiding myself
I tried to walk in alley ways
But my
lda
refusesto accept mywalking in alleyways
These were lf's declarations toltq, the Rug
When coming from heaven to eafth
She was advised to offer gbg
So that nothing could be
placed
on top of her
46
li t,ono"
She responded that her life was right and
proper the way it was
By the timeltg, the Rug was placed
on top of
finf
the Mat, the Rug was
jubilation,
thinking that her achievement was the
greatest anyone
could ever make. She was however advised to offer
gbg as stated
above so that no other thing could ever be
placed
over and above hen
She refused to heed this advice. On the same day, Apr, the stool,
was
placed
on top of her.
Mo s
pamQ, s pamQ
Orl mi l'un O s
pamq
Mo rln nl kQrQ, nl kQrQ
Fd
ml l'un o f$ kQrQ
Dl filn Apere
Nljq tl rtt'Qrun bQ wy
WQn nl k rrl'bg
l(l nkankan m ba
g'orli rQ
Apere nl ay ti ye oun t byll
Translation
I tried in vain to hide myself
But my Orisays itdoes notaccept my hiding myself
I tried to walk in alley ways
But my
fda
refuses to accept my walking in alleyways
These were If's declarations to Apr, the stool
When coming from heaven to eafth
She was advised to offer
gbg
So that nothing could be
placed on top of her
She responded that her life was right and
proper the
way it was
When Apr, the stool was placed on top of ItE, the Rug, she was
happy and thought that she had achieved a lot. She was however
advised to offer
gbg so that no other thing could be
placed on top of
her. She refused to heed the advice of the Awo. That same day,
Qba,
the king was
placed
on top of her.
47
lfa Dida: An invitaton to lfa Consultation
Mo s pamg,
s pamq
Orl mi l'un O s pamq
Mo rln nl kQrQ, nl kQrQ
fda
ml l'un o fg kQrQ
fitn
9ba
Mjq tl o rtt'grun bQ wy
Wqn nl k r'bg
Kl nkankan m ba g'orli rQ
Qba
nl ay ti yg
Oun t bytl
Translation
I tried in vain to hide myself
But my Ori says it does not accept my hiding myself
I tried to walk in alley ways
But my
FdArefuses
to accept my walking in alleyways
These were lf's declarations to
Qba,
the king
When coming from heaven to eafth
He was advised to offer
gbg
Sothat nothing could be
placed
on top of him
He responded that her life was right and
proper
the way it was
Qba,
the king, was placed
on the stool, which was placed
on the Rug,
which was placed
on the Mat, which was
placed
on the Mother-Eafth.
He was very elated. Everyone was halling him and chanting "Kbfyeff"
in salutation. He was however advised to offer gbg and feed his Of as
stated above so that nothing coud be on top of him. He said that he
was quite
contented with his present
condition. On that same day,
Ad, the crown, was placed
on top of his head.
Mo s pamQ,
s pamQ
Orl mi l'un s pamQ
Mo rln nl kQrq, nl kQrQ
lda
ml l'un o fg kQrQ
Df fin Ad
Nljq tl nt'qrun bQ wy
li ,,ono"
WQn nl k r'bg
Kl nkankan m ba g'orli r
Ad nl ay t
yg
oun t byff
Translation
I tried in vain to hide myself
But my O says it does not accept my hiding myself
I tried to walk in alleyways
But my
fda
refuses to accept my walking in alleyways
These were lf's declarations to Ad, the crown
When coming from heaven to eafth
She wasadvised to offergbg
So that nothing could be placed
on top of him
He responded that his life was right and proper the way it was
Ad, The Crown, was placed
on the head of
Qba,
the king. The Crown
thought that the achievement was the ultimate. He was full of
joy
and
celebrations. He was however warned to offer
gbg
as
prescribed
above so that nothing could be
placed
over and above him. He simply
ignored the advice. On that very day, 16 peacock plumes were placed
on top of Ad, the Crown.
Mo s pamQ, s pamQ
Orl mi l'un O s
pamq
Mo rln nl kQrO, nl kQrQ
Fda
ml l'un o f kqrq
Dl frtnly
Qkn
mrlndlnlgrtn
fjq tl o nt'grun bQ wy
WQn nl k r'bg
Kl nkankan m ba
g'orli rQ
WQn nl ay ti
ye
wgn t byff
Translation
I tried in vain to hide myself
But my Ori says it does not accept my hiding myself
I tried to walk in alley ways
49
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultaton
But my
lda
refuses to accept my walkng in alleyways
These were lf's declarations tolyq
Ql(n,
the Peacock Feathers
When coming from heaven to eafth
She was advised to offer
gbg
So that nothing could be placed
on top of her
She responded that her life was right and proper
the way it was
When Iyq
Qldn,
the Peacock Plumes, were attached to the top of Ade,
the Crown, they looked everywhere and concluded that there was no
way any other thing could be
placed
on top of them. Based on this
conviction, they simply ignored the advice of the Awo who asked them
to offer gbg
as
prescribed
above. On that very day, Eginsin-tnt, a
tiny Housefly, landed on top of the
plumes.
Mo s pam, s pamQ
Orl mi l'un O s
pamq
Mo rln nl kQrQ, nl kQrQ
fda
ml l'un o fQ kQrQ
Dl frn lyQ Egingin-tnt
Nliq tl ttt'Qrun bQ wy
WQn nl k r'bg
Kl nkankan m ba g'orfirQ
Translation
I tried in vain to hide myself
But my Of says it does not accept my hiding myself
I tried to walk in alley ways
But my
fda
refuses to accept my walking in alleyways
These were lf's declarations to Egingin-tnt, the Tiny
Housefly
When coming from heaven to eafth
She was advised to offer
gbg
So that nothing could be placed
on top of her
Egingin-tnt found himself on top of the IyQ
Qldn,
Peacock Plumes,
who were on top of Ad, the Crown, who was on top of
Qba,
the King,
ii ,'ono"
who was on top of Apr, the Royal Stool, who was on top of ItQ, the
Rug, who was on top of
f
n'i, the Mat who was on top of IlQ, the Ground
and realized that nothing stops any other thing from being placed
on
top of him. In this wise, he heeded the advice of the Awo who asked
him to offer gbg in order to avoid a situation where something else
would be
placed
on top of him. He also fed his Ofi as
prescribed.
He
was also advised to take life easy and that he should learn how to
behave in the midst of
people. He complied. He was then assured that
nothing would be
placed
on top of him. True to prediction, nothing
was placed on top of him.
Anytime he landed on Iyg Ol(n, the Peacock plumes, he would wash
his two hands and two legs thoroughly, he would then wine and dine
with
Qba,
the King and all his Highness Chiefs and other subordinates.
Afterthe feasting, he would then begin to
jubilate
by singing thus:
Mowg'wQrwg'sQ
Mojgun
Qba
o
Mowg'wQrwg'sQ
Mo
jgun
Qba
o
Emi wg'wQ, we'sQ
Miokmq
Emll wg'wQ, wg'se
Mo
jgun
9ba
Translation
I wash both hands and feet
And feastwith
Qba,
the king
I wash both hands and feet
And feastwith
Qba,
the king
I wash both hands and feet
I die no more
I wash both hands and feet
And feastwith
Qba,
the king
If says that the
person for whom this Od is revealed needs to learn
51
Ifa Dida: An nvitation to lfa Consultaton
proper
conduct and decorum so as to live long and be able to mix
freely in the midst of very important personalities.
If says that
he/she shall be found in the midst of, and counted along with,
eba
and
impoftant dignitaries.
Mo s pam,
s pamq
Orf mi l'un O s pam
Mo rln nl kQrQ, nl kQrQ
Fda
ml l'un o fg kQrQ
D,l fn IIQ
Nfjq tl O nt'qrun bQ w'y
WQn nl k r'bg
Kl nkankan m ba g'orfi rQ
Ilg nl ay ti yg
oun t bytl
Oojq n ni wqn t'gnl le l'rl
Mo s pam,,
s pamq
Orl mi l'un s pam
Mo rln nl kQre, nl kQrQ
Fda
ml l'un o fg kQrQ
Dl fn
gnl
Nfjq t'qrun bQ w'y
WQn nl k rrt'bg
Kl nkankan m ba g'orli
rQ
fnl
nl ay t yg
un t byff
oojq n ni wEn tq ltg l'e l'rf
Mo s
FamQ,
s
pamq
Orl mi l'un s
pamg
Mo rln nl kQrQ, nl kQrQ
FAa
m l'un o fg kerQ
Dt fn lte
Nfjq tl rtt'Qrun bQ w'y
Wen nl k r'bg
Kl nkankan m ba g'orli rQ
Itq nt ay ti yg
oun t byff
oojq n ni wqn gb
pr le l'rl
Mo s pam,
s pamq
Orl mi l'un O s
pamq
tl
tl
ll EiiOgbe
Mo rln nl kQrQ, nl kQrQ
Fda
ml l'un o f kQrQ
Dl fn Apr
t{ljq tl t'Qrun bQ wy
WQn nl k r'bg
Kl ntkankan m ba
g'orli rQ
Apr nl ay ti ye oun t bYll
Oojq n ni wqn
gb
Qba
le l'rl
Mo s
pamQ, s
pamq
Orl mi l'un o s
pamq
Mo rln nl kQrq, nl kQrQ
Fda
ml l'un o f kQrQ
Dl filn
Qba
Nljq tl t'Qrun bQ wy
WQn nl k r'bg
KI nkankan m ba
g'orli rQ
Qba
nl ayt
yg un t byll
oojq n ni wqn gb Ad le l'rl
Mo s
pamQ, s
pamq
Orl mi l'un O s pamq
Mo rln nl kQrQ, nl kQrQ
Fda
ml l'un o f$ kQrq
Dl ftn Ad
r.ffiq tl nt'9run bQ wy
WQn nl k rrl'bg
Kl nkankan m ba
g'orli rQ
Ad nl ay ti ye Oun t byff
Ooiq n ni wqn fi lye
Qkln
mQrlndlnlogn Ie l'rl
Mo s
FamQ,
s
pamq
Orl mi l'un s
pamQ
Mo rln nl kQrQ, nl kQnQ
Fda
ml l'un o f$ kQrq
Dl fin lyg
Qkln
mgrlndlnlgun
NljQ tl t'qrun bQ wy
WQn nl k r'bg
Kl nkankan m baa
g'orfi rg
lfa Dida: An nvitation to lfa Consultation
WOn nl ay ti ye
wgn t byll
oojq n ni Eegin Tnt b le I'rl
Mo s pamQ,
s
pamQ
Orl mi l'un O s pamQ
Mo rln nl kQrQ, nl kQrQ
Fda
ml l'un o f$ kQrQ
Dl fun lyg Egingin-tnt
tjq t'Qrun bQ wy
WQn nl k rrl'bg
l(| nkankan m ba g'orli rQ

gb'gbo,
r'bg
wa wg'wE itnl itnl
w'gsQ itnl tnl
ya'nu kt
Orin Awo l ko
nl mowgwQ,wg'se
Mo
jgun
Qba
o
MowqwQrwg'sg
Mo
jgun
Qba
Eml wgwQ, wg'sQ
Miokmq
Eml iwgwqrwe'se
Mo
jqun
Qba
Translation
I tried in vain to hide myself
But my Ol says it does not accept my hiding myself
I tried to walk in alleyways
But my
fda
refusesto accept mywalking in alleyways
These were If's declarations to IIQ the mother-eafth
When coming from heaven to eafth
She was advised to offer gbg
So that nothing could be placed
on top of her
She responded that her life was right and proper the way it was
Thatwasthe daythat
[nf,
the Matwas placed
on it
I tried in vain to hide myself
54
li ,'ono"
But my Ori says it does not accept my hiding myself
I
I tried to walk in alleyways
'
But my
pda
refuses to accept my walking in alleyways
These were lf's declaratons to
fnl,
the mat
When coming from heaven to earth
She was advised to offer
gbg
So that nothing could be placed on top of her
She responded that her life was right and proper the way it was
Thatwas the day thatltg, Rug was placed on it
I tried in vain to hide myself
i
But myOf says itdoes notaccept my hiding myself
I tried to walk in alleyways
But my
fda
refuses to accept my walking in alleyways
These were lf's declarations toltq, the Rug
When coming from heaven to eafth
She was advised to offer
gbg
Sothat nothing could be placed on top of her
She responded that her life was right and
proper the way it was
Thatwasthe daythatApr, the Stoolwas
placed
on it
t
I tried in vain to hide myself
\
But my Or'i says it does not accept my hiding myself
I tried to walk in alleyways
But my
pda
refuses to accept my walking in alleyways
These were lf's declarations to Apr, the stool
When coming from heaven to eafth
She was advised to offer
gbg
So that nothing could be
placed
on top of her
She responded that her life was right and proper the way it was
r
That was the day
Qba
was placed on it
Itried in vain to hide myself
But my Of says it does not accept my hiding myself
I tried to walk in alleyways
But my
fda
refuses to accept my walking in alleyways
These were If's declarations to
Qba,
the king
When coming from heaven to eafth
He was advised to offer
gbg
So that nothing could be
placed on top of him
(
55
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultaton
He responded that her life was rght and properthe
way itwas
Thatwasthe daythatAd, the Crown was placed
on his head
I tried in vain to hide myself
But my Of says it does not accept my hiding myself
I tried to walk in alleyways
But my
fda
refusesto accept mywalking in alleyways
These were lf's declarations to Ad, the crown
When coming from heaven to eafth
She was advised to offer gbg
So that nothing could be
placed
on top of him
He responded that his life was right and properthe way it was
That was the day that 16 peacock plumes
were placed
on it
I tried in vain to hide myself
But my Of says it does not accept my hiding myself
I tried to walk in alleyways
But my
lda
refuses to accept my walking in alleyways
These were lf's declarations to Iyq
Ql(n,
the
peacock
Feathers
When coming from heaven to earth
She was advised to offer gbg
So that nothing could be placed
on top of her
She responded that her life was right and proper
the way it
was
That was the day that Egingin tnt, the tiny Fly landed on the
feathers
I tried in vain to hide myself
But my O says it does not accept my hiding myself
I tried to walk in alleyways
But my
fda
refuses to accept my walking in alleyways
These were lfa's declarations to Egingin-tnt, the Tiny
Housefly
When coming from heaven to earth
She wasadvised to offergbg
So that nothing could be placed
on top of her
She complied
She washed her hands gingerly
And washed her legs gingerly
il t,ono"
She opened her mouth
And Awo songs came out of mouth
Shethen declared:
I wash both hands and feet
And feastwith
Qba,
the king
I wash both hands and feet
And feastwith
Qba,
the king
I wash both hands and feet
I die no more
I wash both hands and feet
And feastwith
Qba,
the king
If saysthat the
person for whom this Od is revealed shall wine and dine
in the midst of the high and mighty in the society. He/she shall be
given the
respect reserued only for royalties.
8. If says that as the child of EI-Ogb, the
person for whom this Od is
revealed has no other source of support except Oldmar, Of and
If, It is through If that his/her wealth, success, health and
popularity are assured. If says that, as
pafts
of his/her perpetual
crave for attention and recognition, he/she endeavours to prove to
others how intelligent he/she really is. If says that all his/her
intellect usually exposes his/her folly. Conversely, if anyone tries to
under-estimate his/her intelligence, such
person will be shocked
when it dawned on him/her how smaft he/she is.
If says in conclusion, that it foresees the Ire of wealth, spouse,
children, house, horse, longevity and good health for the person for
whom this Od is revealed. He/she needs to rely on If at alltimes.
There is need for him/her to offer
gbg
of ArrJkore. He/she is advised
to offer two
pigeons, two hens, two cocks and money. He/she also
needs to feed If with four rats, four fish,
palm-oil and liquor. On
these, If says:
A gbQn bi Ako
A
9Q
bl Ako
57
lfa Dida: An invtation to lfa Consultation
Ako gbQngbqn-qngbQn,
Ako ko w'l
Ako gQgQqgq,
enlkan
ko te gb'Ako
ta
Agbatfi iteresl'h
T kiri ilonl'le kiri
Oun l peAko
K'nll h'w gbQdQ
K'nll
Se
pehpeh
B'nllOb h'w gbqdq
B'nll o b
9e
pelpele
Ako O re'l mffrn dandan
A
Sl'pa
tn, ayanngede
Ayanngede, a st'p
I)| fit n Odnaja-Ag nyt n
Qmqrl
kan b'rl gwj
9mg
orl tl rtsunkn ate
Qmq
beb-ldl tl ilsunkn Oun gunlbaaka
l'gin
na'ja lekfletltl
B$$ ni ko r'er
jgo
WQn nl k lg ma b
Qrunmll
g'OwO pQ
Translation
Thewisdom of Ako
The foolishness of Ako
As wise asAko is, he cannotcome home
As foolish as Ako is, he cannot be sold into slavery
The elder who left his own home
And was moving about other people's
homes
Isthe person
called Ako
Letthe occupantofthe house exercise caution
Letthe occupant ofthe house show meekness
.
If the occupantof the house s notcautious
Ifthe occupant of the house does not show meekness
Ako will surely leave for another house
With arms akimbo, he will match majestically
He will walk majestically, with arms akimbo
These were lf's declarations to Onlnja-Agnfin
Offspring of the Of which is in search of a befitting
cap
And of beaded waistand buttocks in search of a mule
to mountas a horse
He engaged in merchandise in several places
But he had no profit
to show for his efforts
He was advised to enter into partnership
with
58
"
| | eiogn"
Qrunmll
Orfnj-Agnln tried so many enterprses but failed. He tried farming;
he failed. He tried hunting; he failed. He tried fishing; he failed. He trled
trading; he failed. He tried handicraft; he failed. He tried singing; he
failed. Consequently, he approached the
group of Awo mentioned above
for If consultation: would he succeed in his life?
The Awo assured him that he would succeed in his life. They said that he
must never
prove to be more intelligent than others. He must also avoid
being too arrogant or feeling that he understood how to do things better
than others. He was equally advised to offer
gbg as stated above, to be
cool and calm at alltimes, and to enter into paftnership with
Qrnmll.
He
complied with everything hewastold to do.
Before long, all the spirits responsible for financial success and
achievement were attached to his domain by If, He had money; he was
financially solvent enough to have a spouse. Wth his spouse, he was able
to have good children. Wth children, he was able to build a beffiting
house. Wth his home, he was able to purchase horses and keep them in
the manger in his home. With horses, he was able to
go about his business
on horseback. He was happy and contented. He was always equated
among kings.
A gbQn bi Ako
AgQ bl Ako
Ako gbQngbqn-qngbqn, Ako ko w'l
Ako gQgQqgo, gnlkan ko le gb'Ako t
Agba t fi ile rQ sl'lQ
T kiri ilonl'l kiri
Oun l peAko
K'nll h'w gbQdq
K'nll
9e
pelepe
B'nllO b h'wa gbqdq
B'nllo b
9e
pelpQh
Ako o re'l mllrn dandan
ASI'patn, ayanngede
Ayanngede, a sf 'p
D,l filn Onl naja
-Ag
nyl n
59
lfa Dida: An nvitaton to lfa Consultation
qmqrf
kan b'rfgwojq
Qmqorltl
sunkn ate
9mg
bbe-ldl tl sunkrf n Oun O gunlbaaka
l'gin
n'ja leklhtltl
BgQ ni kO r'r
jg
o
won nl k lg maa b
Qnnmll
g'owo pq
gbg'bgrr'bg
A kff b
Qrrtnmll
g'owO
K'Qni m r'raj
Ajnl b ni p'naya
A kll b
Qrnmll
g'OwO
K'gnim r'raya
Aya nl b ni p'n gmg
A kll b
Qrrlnmll
g'OwO
K'Qni m r'r gme
Qmq
ni tb ni p'eena
il
A kff b
Qrunmll
g'w0
K'$ni m r'r l
Il nl b ni p'en ggin
A kff b
Qrrrnmll
g'w
K'ni m r'r esin
fgin
la o ma g0n g'awo
Ayamg bl
$l-Ogbe
kq I'gba nl'l If
fqin
la O maa gn g'awo
Translation
Thewisdom of Ako
The foolishness of Ako
As wise as Ako is, he cannot come home
As foolish as Ako is, he cannot be sold into slavery
The elderwho left his own home
And was moving aboutother people's
homes
Isthe person called Ako
Let the occupant of the house exercise caution
Letthe occupantofthe house show meekness
If the occupant of the house is not cautious
Ifthe occupantofthe house does notshow meekness
Ako will surely leave for another house
With arms akimbo, he will match majestically
He will walk majestically, with arms akimbo
These were If's declarations to Offnj-Agnfin
Offspring of the Ol which is in search of a befitting cap
And of beaded waist and buttocks in search of a mule to mount as a horse
60
9.
ii ,,ono"
He engaged in merchandise is several lands
But he had no profit to show for his effotts
He was advised to enter into
paftnershp with
Qrnmll
He complied and offered the appropriate sacrifice
One cannotenter into
partnership with
Qrrlnmll
For one not to have the
profit of wealth
Wealth is itwhich attractsspouse
One cannot enter into paftnership with
Qrnm'll
For one not to have the
profit of spouse
Spouse is itwhich attracb children
One cannot enter into
partnership with
Qnf
nmll
Forone notto havethe
profitof children
Children are they who attract a befitting home
One cannotenter into partnership with
Qntnm)l
For one not to have a befitting home
Home is it which attract horses
One cannot enter into
partnership with
Qrnmll
Forone notto have horses
Horses shall we mount in our If enterprises
Unless if ET Ogbe is notthe king of allthe Od of If
Horses shall we mount n our If enterprises
If says that it is advisable for the
person for whom this Od is
revealed not to
procrastnate in the offering of gbg and the feeding of
Eg in order to
get all the Ire, which are already looking for him/her,
at the approprate time.
If says that the person for whom EI-OgOe was revealed had los! or
is about to lose, many things in terms of material
possession in life.
If says that he/she needs not to worry as along as he/she still has
possesson of the most invaluable asset in this world his/her life. If
says that as long as he/she still lives, all the things which might have
been lost shall be regained several times over. It may however be
that he/she had missed several
promsng chances in life due to no
fault of his/hers. If says that he/she shall still attain
greater heights
in life as long as as there is life.
If says that nothing lost must ever be allowed to worry the
person
61
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultaton
for whom this Od is revealed. As long as there is life, there is hope;
as long as there is hope, there are several opportinites. On these, If
says:
Afin lfi gbogbo
ara h'ew
Arg ni O na wQ
Kgb'gbOOge l'je
Dla fn
lml
Tff g'gmg
Orlga Gb0wujt
Eyl tl
y je gloje
l'wjg ara
f
bg ni wQn nl k w
9e
Translation
An Albino is he who grows grey hair all over his body
A cripple is he who never stretches his hands
And carry Oga calabash form the attic
These were If's declarations to
fnf ,
Life
Theoffspring of O9 cbwI
Who shall become the most important part of the body
He was advised to offerebo
prn'i
was an offspring of
Qbtl.
He was very popular.
one day, he went to
the Awo mentioned above in order to know his position
among the other
parts
of the body. He was told that he would become the mos[ impoftant
paft of the body and that without him, all the other part
of the body, without
exception, would be useless. He was also told that the body would lose
many things in life but that as long as he still remained as part
of the body,
allthe lost items would be regained. He was advised to offer gbg with three
cocks, three white pigeons
and money. He complied. He was also advised
to feed
Qbatl.
He also complied.
Before long, the Body lost many things - position,
spouse, clothing
materials, prosperity,
money and many other things. But because
Frn'i,
Life, was still retained as he had been forewarned, the Body clung to life.
No room was given
to despair, Life clung to hope. soon after, things began
to change for the better. Money returned, spouse returned with children.
Because there was money, he was able to purchase
all the essential things
in his life. He regained all the lost things in several folds. He was so happy.
He began to preach
to others who were in difficult situations that they only
62
il ,,ono"
needed to ensure that
fnf,
Life, was not lost. When there is life, there is
hope; and when there is hope, there are boundless opportunities.
i
Afin lo fi gbogbo ara h'ewrl
Arg ni O na'wQ
Kgb'gbOoSa l'ia
Dl fin Emf
Tfi
I'gmg
Orlga Gbowrljl
Eyl tl y je
Qlja
l'wjg ara
fbg
ni wQn nl k w
9e
gb'gborr'bg
(
je Orlqa t'!ml l gro o o
Orts,t'fml lgOro
T'fmff O b bQ o
KslounYOn
Orlgt'!ml lgoroo
Translation
An Albino is he who grows grey hair all over his body
Acripple is hewho neverstretches his hands
And carryOflg calabash from the attic
These were If's declaration to
frnl
(
The offspring of Ofl9 Gbwttfl
Who shall become the most impoftant
paft of the body
He was advised to offer gbg
He complied
Lo,Oga,
fnf
isthe mostimportant
Orisa,
frnl
is the most invaluable
If
Enf
is nottaken away
Verily, nothing is lost
Oga,
Ernl
is the most essential
l
If says that with life, all things are possble. Only the dead can lose hope.
As long as there is life, there is the need to continue to strive for the better.
10. If says that the
person for whom EI-Ogb is revealed shall succeed
in life. That is not in contention. He/she however needs to take the
issue of securing a spouse of his/her own very seriously and make it
a
point of
priority to have his/her own children early in life. He/she
{
63
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
should not be too concerned with securng money and all other
material things of life without giving
a serious consideration to
having his/her own children early in life. This is because he/she may
end up spending a considerable part
of the money that he/she had
made in the search for children at later stage in his/her life.
If says that this person needs to offer gbg
with three hens, eight
rats, eight fish and money. He/she is also to feed If with one goat,
eight rats and eight fish. A stanza in EJ)-ogb in suppoft of this
says:
Ifa lod'fpgil,Awo ile kenQ ld
If mo la g'awotlff
d'de ilQyll
Mo la r'wo ge
Qrnmll
nl klni
e
m bq be?
Tl gfi r'wo$e
Mo nl eku mefl olwr
La m bQ ibe
Oun la fi r'wo ge
Translation
If declares that here comes
FpeJi
the Awo in the household of
KQrQ the wealth accumulator
If, I state that we transacted If business extensively and
arrived atthis land
I declared that we were very successful indeed
Qrnm)l
asked whatwe broughtback
Which made us feel that we were successful
I responded that it was two swift rats
Which we brought back
This made us have a successfulenterprise
Some If practitioners
headed bV
Fp-ef
approached
Qrnm'll
and declared
to him thatthey were successful in their If practices.
Qrrlnmll
asked them
to state what they brought back as
gan
in their transactions. They
responded that they brought back two rats each. Orrlnmll declared that
what they made did not amount to success. They had only
gone
on rats-
eating expedition.
Qrunmll
then asked them to go
out again and
pursue
real profit
in their If practices.
If l d'f pejl, Awo il e kerQ l d
64
il ,'ono.
If mo la g'awo tltl d'de ilQ yll
Mo la r'wo se
Qrrlnmll
nl klni
e
m bQ be?
Tl gfi r'woge
Mo nl eja mejl ab'lwe gbada
La m bq bQ
Oun lafi r'woseo
Translation
If declares that here comes
Fp,f,
the Awo in the household of
KQrg the wealth accumulator
If, I say that we transacted If business extensively and
arrived atthis land
I declare that we were very successful indeed
Qnlnm'il
asked what we brought back
Which made us feel that we were successful?
I responded that itwas two fish, graceful in swimming
Which we broughtback
This made us have a successful enterprise
Again,
Qrrlnmll
made it clear to the If practitioners
that acquisition of fish
did not consttute
profit. It only showed them to be fish eaters.
Qrrtnm'il (
ordered them to
go back in pursuit of real profit.
If l d'Fpejl, Awo il e kQrQ l d
If mo la
g'awotltf
d'de ilQyll
Mo la r'wo ge
Qrrlnmll
nl klni
e
m bq be?
Tl gfi r'wo ge
Mo nl eJe mjl abtf0fng
La mr bq be
Oun lafi r'woseo i
Translation
If declares that here comes,
Fpef,
the Awo in the household of
KQrQ the wealth accumulator
If, I say that we transacted lf business extensively and
arrived atthis land
I declare that we were very successful indeed
Qrnmll
asked whatwe broughtback
Which made us feelthatwe were successful?
I responded that itwas two birds, swift in flight
65
lfa Dida: An invtation to lfa Consultation
Which we broughtback
This made us have a successful enterprise.
And again,
Qrnml!
told the If practtoners
that to acquire birds did not
make a person successful, It only showed one as a bird eater.
Qrnmll
then asked them to go
back in search of real profit.
If l d'!pejl, Awo il e kqrg l d
If mo la g'awotltl
d'de ilQyll
Mola r'woge
Qrunmll
nl klni
e
m bq be?
Tl
gfi
r'wo s3
Mo nl gran mjl ab'd gbQk
La m bQ be
Oun lafi r'woseo
Translation
If declares that here comes
FpQf,
the Awo in the household of
KQrQ the wealth accumulator
If, I say that we transacted If business extensively and
arrived atthis land
I declare that we were very successful indeed
Orrf
nmll asked what we brought back
Which made us feel that we were successful?
I responded that itwas two beasts, with large livers
Which we broughtback
This made us have a successfulenterprise.
And yet
agan,
Qrnm)l
declared that having several beasts did not make
anyone successful. It dd not constitute profit in life. It only categorized
one among the
group
of beast eaters.
Qrnm'il
agan ordered them to
go
in search of real profit in life.
Ifa l d'Fpgjl, Awo il e kQe l d
If mo la g'awotlt
d'de ilQyll
Mola r'wo9e
Qrnmll
nl klnie m bq be?
Tl gfi r'woge
Mo nl omidan mil ab'OJen gagera
La mrl bE be
Oun la fi r'wo se o
66
ii ,,ono"
Translation
I
If declares that here come
Fpe,f,
the Awo in the household of KQrQ, the
wealth accumulator
If, I say that we transacted If business extensively, and arrived at this
land
I declare that we were very successful indeed
Qnlnm)l
asked whatwe broughtback
Which made us feel that we were successful
I respond that it was two maids, with pointed breasts
Whom we broughtback
This made us have a successfulenterprise
When
QrnmIl
heard that the Awo had brought two damsels, he declared
that itwas atthattimethatthe Awo could saythatthey had a successful If
enterprse. The Awo were surprsed that only when they brought home
two maids did
Qrnmll
declare that they could really talk of engaging in a
profitable enterprise in life. They asked
Qrnmll
why this was so.
Qnf
nmll responded that it was only through these maids that they could
have children. It was through children that their future was assured. He
stated that only children constitute
people's real profit in life.
i
Consequently, rats, fish, birds or beasts do not constitute
profit in life;
whereas marriage and children do.
Ifa lo d'!pejl, Awo il e kQrQ l d
If mo la g'awo tltl d'de ile yll
Mo la r'wo ge
Qrrlnmll
nf klni
I
m bq be?
'Tlgfir'wo.ge
Mo nl eku mejl olwr
:
La mrl bq be
{
Oun lafi r'wo9eo
Qrrlnmll
nl kO s'Awo nl'bQ nnl
Awo k
j'eku
lsan ni
If l d'Fpgil, Awo il e kQrQ l d
If mo la g'awo tltl d'de ilQ yll
Mo la r'wo ge
Qrnmll
nl klni
e
m bq be?
Tlgfi r'woge
Mo nl eja meil ab'lwQ
gbada
La mrl b b
(
67
lfa Dida: An nvtaton to lfa Consultaton
Oun lafi r'woseo
Orunmila n ko s'Awo nl'b nnl
Awo k
j'eja
lsn ni
If l d'Fpejl, Awo il e kqrq l d
If mo la g'awofftl
d'de ilgyfl
Mo la r'wo ge
Qrrtnmll
nl klnie m bQ ibg?
Tl gfi r'woge
Mo nl eJg mil abTfOfang
La mrt bq be
Oun lafi r'wogeo
Orrlnmll nl kO s'Awo nibe nni
Awo k
j'eyg
lsn ni
If d'Fpejl, Awo il e kQrg l d
If mo la g'awo
ff d'de ilQ yfl
Mo la r'wo ge
Qrnmlt
nl klni
9
m bQ be?
Tlgfi r'woge
Mo nl gran mjl ab'QdQgbgkQ
La mrl bq be
Oun la fi r'wo se o
Qrrlnmll
nl k s'Awo nl'bQ nnl
Awo k
j'gran
lsn ni
If l d'!pejl, Awo il e kerQ l d
If mo la g'awofiff
d'de ilQyll
Mo la r'wo se
Qrunmll
nl klni
I
m bO ibe?
Tl efi r'wose
Mo nl omidan mjl ab'yn gagera
La mrt bq be
Oun lafir'wogeo
Qrunmll
nl nlgbag
g
t r'Awo ge
WQn nl tirl t f
j
nlgba la t r'Awo
9e?
Qrnmll
nl tt wqn b bl Ams ttn
Wen tn bl Amqrg
Qmg
qnf nlgb nt', yln gni
9e
Translation
If declares that here comes
Fpef
the Awo in the househord of
KQrQ the wealth accumulator
If, I state that we transacted If business extensively and
arrived atthis land
I declare that we were very successful indeed
68
il ,,ono"
Qrrlnmll
asked that what we brought back
That made us feel thatwe were successful i
I responded that it was two swift rats
Which we brought back
This made us have a successfulenterprise
Qrrlnm)l
assets that it was not a successful enterprise
Itwas
justa
rateating venture
If declares that here comes
FpQf,
the Awo in the household of
KQrQ the wealth accumulator
If, I say that we transacted If business extensively and arrived
atthis land
I declare that we were very successful ndeed
i
Qrunmll
asked whatwe brought back
That made us feel thatwe were successful?
I responded that it was two fish, graceful in swimming,
Which we broughtback
This made us have a successful enterprise.
Qrrf
nm)l asseftsthat itwas nota successfulenterprise
Itwas
justa
fish eating venture
If declares that here comes
FpJi,
the Awo in the household of
KQrQ the wealth accumulator
If, I say that we transacted If business extensively and arrived
atthis land
I declare that we were very successful indeed
Qrunmll
asked whatwe brought back
That made us feel that we were successful?
I responded that it was two birds, swift in flight
Which we brought back
This made us have a successful enterprise
Qrunmlb
assefts that it was not a successful enterprise
Itwas
justa
bird eating venture
If declares that here comes
Fpe,Ji,
the Awo in the household of
KQrQ the wealth accumulator
t
lf, I say that we transacted If business extensively and arrved
atthis land
I declare that we are very successful indeed
Qrnm)l
asked whatwe broughtback
To make us feel that we were successful?
I responded that it was two
goats with massive liver
Which we brought back
This made us have a successful enterprise
Qrrlnmll
assefts that it was not a successful enterprise
Itwas
justa
beasteating venture
If declares that here come
Fpe,f,
the Awo in the household of (
69
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consuftation
KQrQ, the wealth accumulator
Ifa, I say that we transacted If business extensvely, and
arrived atthis land
I declare that we were very successful indeed
Qrnmll
asked whatwe broughtback
That made us feelthatwe are successful
I responded that it was two maids, with pointed
breasts
Whom we broughtback
This made us have a successful enterprise
Qrnmll
assefts that t is now that you engage in successful
enterorise
AkpO asks why it is so
Qrnmll
responds that when the maids give
bifth to AmsU
They will also give bifth to Amqre
Our children preserve
our name when we are gone
In this If, only one's chld is what one
possesses
that is greater
than the
possessor. Life without children is not worth living. Consequently, it is in
the best interest of ET-Ogb children or whoever this Odu s revealed for, to
struggle and have children early in life in order to avoid a situation where
he/she would be spending his/her resources n search of children.
11. If says that the person
for whom this Odrl is revealed is an
Flggb.
He/she needs to feed his/her
Fgb
regularly. By so doing, he/she
will live long, be prosperous
and will have several followers who will
respect and adore him/her. There is also the need to offer
gbg with
two hens, two rats, two fish and money. He/she also needs to look
for a big cocoyam leal put
a "hand" of If in the leaf and while using
the leaf as a container, slaughter one of the hens offered as
gbg
and
drain its blood on the cocoyam leaf without allowing the blood to
touch the lkin. This is to be left there for at least, six hours or better
stll, until the following day before being returned into the If
container. After this, If will be asked what the
flgbg
will accept as
feeding materials for the
person
for whom this Od is revealed. On
these,If says
Fn'ra igu nff yan'ra rQ nl'yn
Fn'ra gbdo nff yan'ra nQ l'ekq
Fn'ra oblnrin nllyan'ra rQ l'y0
7A
ii ejogn"
Fn'ra gmg blbl Olfe nff yan'ra rQ l'rQmg
Dl firn
Qrnmll
If
se 89be
we wqn
Fbg
ni wqn nl k w
9
e
Translation
It is the
quality of the yam that selects it for pounded-yam
It is the
quality
of the maize that selects it for corn-meal
It is the attitude of a woman that makes her the favourite wife
It is the attitude of a child that makes him the heir apparent
These were the declarations of If to
Orrf
nmll
Who shall befriend alltheseyouths
He was advised to offer
gbg
There are several
groups of
flQgbg
children who were in heaven and they
always
planned to come to the world only to live for a few days to a few
years
and return to heaven. The parents of such children were usually sad
whenever the children depafted the world. When the mothers of such
children became
pregnant again, they would be
gripped with the fear that
they never knew whether these children would live to old age or not.
Wth all these developments, the societies in which these children lived
were never happy. Several parents used to troop into
Qrnmll's
home on
a daily basis. Consequently,
Qrnmll
devised a means of ensuring that
these children found it very difficult, if not totally impossible, to die young.
He gathered all the children together when they were about to leave their
abode in heaven for eafth. He pleaded with them to become his friends.
They agreed. During the shoft
period that they stayed in heaven, they
enjoyed unprecedented
joy,
friendship and improved quality of life. They
were so impressed that they did not want to leave
Qrnmll
for one
moment anymore.
One day,
Qrrlnmll
called these children together and informed them of his
intention to return to earth. They were all very sad to hear this.
Qrunm'll
however told them that there was nothing to make them sad since they too
were due to be born on eafth very soon. He nonetheless told them that if
they wished to continue to be his friends on eafth, they needed to enter
into a covenant with him. They gladly
agreed. He then brought out a
cocoyam leaf; he held an edge and asked the children to hold the edge of
71
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
the leaf. They all dd. He killed a fowl and drained its blood on it. He told
them that while on earth, they must never wish to return to heaven until
they were already old and that if they forgot and harboured this though!
the moment this symbol of their covenant was peformed for them, they
must drop such thought. They all agreed.
QrnmTl
also told them to use the oppoftunity of their closeness to him to
assist each other and make each other great. They also agreed. Since
then, they found it difficult to die
young,
especially if the
gbg
stated above
had been performed
for them. They also have the backing and suppoft of
their heavenlyegbe.
If says that there is the need to make all the
Flgb
children close to If for
adequate protection.
They are all
Qrunmlla's
friends. They had also
entered into an all-abiding covenantwith If -
rightfrom heaven. Afterthis,
the parents
need to feed
egbe
for them regularly in order to ensure the
suppoft and encouragement of their heavenly peers for them to reach the
very peakof
theirchosen careers.
Fn'ra igu nll yan'ra rQ nl'yn
Fn'ra agbado nfl yan'ra rQ l'gkg
Fn'ra oblnrin nll yan'ra rQ l'yO
Fn'ra gmg blbl Olfe nffyan'ra re l'remg
frtn
Qrrtnmll
If $e qgbwewqnyl
fbg
ni wqn nl kw ge
gb'Qbgrrrl'bo
KO pe, kOjlnna
F
w b ni nf wQwq ire
jq
e
m m m
j'Awo
bajQ o
$ebl
ewe e kko la fi s'ml
QpQ
Translation
It is the quality
of the yam that selects it for pounded-yam
It is the quality
of the maize that selects it for corn-meal
It is the attitude of a woman that makes her the favourite wife
It is the attitude of a child that makes him an heir apparent
These were the declaratons of If to OrUnmIl
Who shall befriend alltheseyouths
He was advised to offerebo
72
l', ti,ono"
Hecomplied
Before long, nottoo far
Come and
join
us in the midstof all ire
Lo, please do not breakthis covenant
We have chosen a cocoyam leaf as the symbol (of the covenant)
L2. If says that it foresees the Ire of childbearng for a barren woman.
This woman s between 30 and 45 years old. The woman in
. question is too
proud and too full of herself. Even though she had
never had any child in her life, yet she had been making it difficult for
men to approach her for a long-lasting relationship. This woman
prefers casual relationship to a serious affair.
If says that this woman must think of having a paftner of her own if
she had not had any. She needs to be less arrogant to her paftner
and think more seriously about having her own child in her life.
If also says that throughout the
period that the woman in question
ought to be serious about child-bearing, she was busy pursuing
worldly
possession.
The woman needs to offer
qbQ with 200 brown rats, one bead which
would first be tied round her waist and then used as
part of the
gbg
materials. If she already has a bead tied round her waist, that is the
one she must use. Her paftner also needs to offer one brown rat as
ebg.
These
gbg materials are to be carried to the outskift of the
town and placed by the roadside separately. The couple must not
go together. The husband must go first while the woman goes
later to
place her own
gbQ a few metres away from that of her
husband. If says that if all these are done accordingly to lf's
specifications, the following year will not meet the woman without
carrying her own baby either in her womb, ready to deliver, or on her
back, already a proud mother. A stanza in EJ|-Ogb supporting this
says:
A w'hrokun w'lrokun
Be la o r'lrokun m
73
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultaton
Mo nl nlbo I'OlttrOkun gb lg
WQn nl Olr0kun be nl'l ay
A w'Abgrokun w'AbQrkun
BQQ la r'Abgrkun m
Mo nl nlbo I'Abgrkun gb lo
WQn nl AbgrOkun rtbe l'ladeQrun
DlfilnAy
Tff
S'gmg
Old ma r AgOJn
Qba
atgnl qla leglgQforl sagbeji
TfQylntl m'j gkn snrhOn gmg
lbg
ni wQn nl k w ge
Translation
We searched and searched for OhtrOkun
Yet we did not find Olrkun
I asked where OlrOkun had gone to
Theysaid thatOlrOkun is still in thisworld
We searched and searched forAbQrkun
Yetwe did notfind AbQrOkun
I asked whereAbgrOkun had goneto
Theysaid thatAbrOkun is in heaven
These were lf's declarations to Ay, the world
The offspring of Oldmar
When weeping in lamentation for her inability to have her own
baby
She was advised to offer
qbg
Ay, the world was an offspring of Oldmar. All the secrets of the world
were inside her belly. All the resources inside the world were embedded
inside her. Allthe wisdom in the world was also in her custody. As a result
of this, Ay was full of herself. she was proud
and arrogant. she saw no
reason why she should bow down for any man. Knowing that she had more
resources than any man, she found it difficult to maintain any lasting
relationship with any man.
As a result, she used to snub men. If she had anyone as lover, she had no
emotional consideration for him. At a stage, she made up her mind that no
man would eversee her nakedness.
At a
point,
she realized that she was gettng
older and older, but she had no
74
ll ,,ono"
child. She became worred and consequently, she went to the house of the
,
If priests mentioned above. There, she was assured that she would have
i
her own baby in her life. She was however advised against being too self-
centered. She was also told to her humility to her man. They told her that
any woman whose nakedness cannot be seen by a man can never have a
child. She was advised to offer
gbg
as
prescribed
above, She was also told
that she had a bead tied round her waist and that the bead must be added
to the
gbg. All these were to be taken to the outskit of the town. Hearing
all these, she signified her readiness to offer the
gbg
as
quickly as possible.
The If priests told her to
go
and look for the 200 gmQ (brown rats) she
I
needed to offerthe
gbg.
A w'hlokun w'lrokun
BQ la O r'hrOkun m
Mo nl nlbo I'Oltlr0kun gb lg
WQn nl OlrOkun nbg nl'l ay
A w'Abqrokun w'Abgrokun
Bee la O r'AbQrkun mq
Mo nl nlbo I'AbQrOkun gb lg
WQn nl AbQr0kun rrbg l'lade
Qrun
Dl filn
Qkankanlnlrrln
lrnmgle
'
WQn lg r fQ Ay
Tff
$'gmg
Oldmar AgOJrln
Qba
atg'nl
ql
hgelegq
forl s'agbeji
pbg
ni wqn n| k w
$e
Translation
We searched and searched for Olrkun
Yet we did not find Olrkun
I asked where OlrOkun had gone to I
They said that Olrkun is still in this world
We searched and searched forAbQrkun
Yetwe did notfind AbQrOkun
I asked whereAbQrkun had goneto
They said thatAbQrkun is in heaven
These were lf's declarations to the 401 IrunmglQ
When each of them wished to
proposition and marry
Ay
75
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
The offspring of Oldmar
Each of them was advsed to offer ebo
Knowing that Ay was full of resources and potentials,
all the 401 lrrlnmglQ
were eagerto marry her. When each of them approached her, she snubbed
them. They then went to the home of the If priests mentioned above for
If consultation in order to know what they needed to do in order to have
Ay's hand in marriage.
The Awo assured them that anyone among them who could offer gbg
prescribed
above would be the lucky husband of Ay. They were advised to
offer one brown rat and money. The gbg was to be taken to the outskirt of
the town. When the gbg
was placed
there, whoever carried the gbg
there
was supposed to hide somewhere and watch the gbg throughout the day
and see what would happen before returning home late in the eveining of
that day.
When the 401 lrnmglQ heard of this, they all said that there was no reason
why they should go into all those troubles because of one ageing woman.
Consequently, they refused to offer the
gbg. None of them was able to
marry Ay, the daughter of Oldmar.
A w'lurokun w'lrtrokun
BgQ la r'lUrOkun m
Mo nf nlbo I'Ohtrkun gb lg
WQn nl Olrkun rlbgnl'lay
I w'Abqrokun w'AbQrkun
Bee la O r'AbQrOkun mq
Mo nl nlbo I'Abgr0kun gb lg
WQn nl AbQrkun rtbg l'lde
Qrun
IX filn OrUnmlla
If rrg rfQAy
Ttl g'gme Oldmar Agqttn
Qba
atQ'nl qla lggqlgggforl s'agbeji
f
bg ni wqn nl k w
9e
Translation
We searched and searched forOlrOkun
Yetwe did notfind OhtrOkun
I asked where Olrkun had gone to
They said that Olrkun is still in this world
76
li' ,,ono"
We searched and searched forAbQrkun
Yet we did not find AbQrkun
I asked whereAbQrkun had goneto
Theysaid thatAbQrOkun is in heaven
These were lf's declarationsto
Qrrlnmll
When proposing to marryAy
. The offspring of Oldmar
He was advised to offer gbg
Qrunmll,
seeng that all the 401 lrnmglQ tried and failed in their bid to
marry Ay, the daughter of Oldmar, also approached the same set of
If
priests for If consultation on the same subject. The Awo also assured
him that he would succeed in marrying Ay, butthat he needed to offer gbg
as
prescribed to the other IrnmQlQ.
Qrnm'il
realized that the 401
IrtlnmglQ failed because they did not offer the
gbg as prescribed. He then
made up his mind to
go
and
get the brown rat and'bring it to the Awo so
thatthe
gbg
could be offered for him.
Very early on the following day,
Qrunmll
went to E;)gbomgkn market to
purchase the brown rat and returned to the home of the If priests so that
the
gbg could be offered on time for him to carry to the outskirts of the
town. The If
priests offered the
gbg
and
Qrunmll
set out on his shoft
trip. He placed the
qbg by the roadside at the outskift of the town and
found a hidden but comfoftable
place from where to keep vigil on the gbg
throughout the day as instructed by the If priest.
On that same day, as fate would have it, Ay too chose to
go to
E)gbmgkn market to purchase her own 200 brown rats so as to enable
the If priests to offer her own gbg for her and for her to carry same to the
outskirt of the town.
On the very day in question however, all the rat sellers in ElTgbmgkn
market brought exactly 200 rats to the market.
Qrunmlla
had bought one
of the rats, leaving a remaining 199 rats for sale on that day. This market
opened for commodities transactions once every five days. When Ay
arrived at the market she bought all the 199 rats and searched endlessly for
one more rat, allto no avail. Wth heavy heaft, she leftforthe home of the
If priest.
77
Ifa Dida: An nvtation to lfa Consultation
In the home of the If priests, Aye explained that she could only
get
199
rats to buy and that she was informed that there were only 200 rats in the
market on that day but that one man came to buy one of the rats which
made it impossible for herto getthe 200 rats she needed.
The Awo told her that it would have been perfect if she had been able to
secure the 200 rats needed for the
gbg. This notwithstanding, the Awo
offered the gbg for her and instructed her to carry it to the outskift of the
town.
She left the home of the If priest
and set out on her way to the outskift of
the town. However, she was not fully satisfied that she could not get
the
whole 200 rats needed for her gbg. At the outskift of the town, she
placed
her gbg very close to where
Qnlnmll
was hiding but she did not see him.
She knelt beside her gbq
and was praying fervently to the gods
to please
accept it even though it remained one rat for it to complete the 200 rats she
needed. While she was praying,
Oldmar breathed life into the one rat
offered by
Qrrlnm)l
as his own gbg. The rat ran toward Aye. When Ay
saw this, she was determined to catch and kill the rat in order to add it to
her gbg to complete the 200 rats she needed. She began to pursue the rat
up and down. She ran towards
Qrrlnm'il
three times without knowing that
Qrunmlla
was close by. On her third approach, however, as she was about
to hit the rat with a stick, she slipped, her wrapper loosened and she fell
down completely naked. The bead she tied round her waist was clearly
seen by
Qrnm'il.
The bead had a distinct loop.
Because she was unaware that she was being watched by someone she
stood up still naked, and used her hand to clean the dust
pafticles
from her
body. While doing this,
Qrnm'll
greeted her and expressed how sorry he
was for herwhen she felldown.
On hearing thls, Ay hurridly picked
up her wrapper and tied it round her
body before answering
Qrrfnmll.
She later asked
Qrnmll
if he ever saw
her in her nudity.
Qrnmll
responded that he never did, except that he
saw the loop of the bead she tied round her waist which he could describe
in details.
78
ll ,,ono"
There and then, Ay made up her mind to become
QrnmIl's
wife, since he
was the first man to see her in her complete nakedness. The marriage
i'
ceremony was a
quiet one. Only a handful of
people were invited. The
following
year, Ay became the proud mother of a bouncing baby.
However, tried as
people did, nobody ever knew what lead to the final
decision of Ay to marry Orrlnmll.
While in
Qrnmll's
home, Ay showed her husband the secrets of the
world. This made
Qrnmll
to be even wiser and more appreciative of the
intricacies that abound in the world. Whenever anyone asked how
Qrnm)l
became Ay's husband, it remained a mystery which no one could
fathom. Thus the Awo present especially the students of
Qnlnm)l
began
to singIyQrQ:
Yeeeryeeeo
T'lf ofi fgAyergnlkan o mQo
Yeeeryeeeo
T'Ay fi fel;,gnlkan O mq o
Translation
i
Yeee,yeeeo
Thewaylf becamethe husband of Ay, nobodyknows
Yeeeryeeeo
The way Ay became the wife of If, nobody knows
If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed shall be blessed with
a
good and compatible spouse. Wth appropriate
gbg, nothing shall hinder
the marital bliss of this person.
A w'lrokun w'lrokun
i
Bee la o r'lrokun m
Mo nl nlbo I'Olrokun gb lg
WQn nl Olrokun bq nl'l ay
A w'Abqrokun w'Abgrokun
BQQ la O r'Ab$rkun mq
Mo nl nlbo I'Ab$rOkun
9b
lg
WQn nl AbQrkun rtbg I'lade
Qrun
DfnAy
Tff
$'gmg
Oldmare AgO, tn
79
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
9ba
atnl
ql lglegforl sagbei
Tf'Qylntl m'jtl gkn snrhn
gmg
Fbq
niwQn nl kw
Se
gb'$bg' rrl'bg
A w'lrokun w'lrokun
BQQ la o r'lrokun m
Mo nl nlbo I'Olrtrkun gb lg
WQn nl Olrokun b? nl'lay
A w'Abqrokun w'Abqrokun
Bee la O r'Abqrkun mq
Mo nl nlbo I'AbqrOkun gb lg
WQn nl AbgrOkun bg l'edeQrun
Dl fln
Qkankan|enlrn
IrrlnmglQ
wqn rlg r f$ Ay
Tff g'gmg Oldmar AgoJn
Qba
atg'nl
9l hgelg$
forl s'agbeji
Fbg
niwqn nl k w
Se
WQn kg'tl
Qgbgnyin
s'gbo
A w'lrokun w'lrokun
Beelaor'lurokunmq
Mo nl nlbo I'Oltlrkun
gb lg
WQn nl Olrokun ttbg nl'lay
A w'Abqrokun w'Aberokun
BqQ la O r'AbQrOkun mq
Mo nl nlbo I'AbgrOkun gb lg
WQn nl AbgrOkun rtbe l'hde
Qrun
Dl fin Orrlnmll
If rrlq refAy
Tff
$'gmq
Oldmar AgOJn
Qba
atQ'ff
el
lgQlg$forl s'agbeji
lbg
ni wqn nl k w
$e
gb'Qbgrr'bg
jgyeheery{ r
T'Ayeffe'F
Enlkan O mO o
Yehee, yl r
Tff ffAye
lnlkan
O mQ o
Translation
We searched and searched for OhJrOkun
Yet we did not fi nd OlrOkun
80
ii ,,ono"
I asked where OlrOkun had goneto
They said that Olrkun is still in this world
We searched and searched forAbrOkun
I asked whereAbQrkun had goneto
Theysaid thatAbQr0kun is in heaven
These were If declarations to Ay, the world
The offspring of Oldmar
When weeping in lamentation for her inabilityto have her own baby
She was advised to offerqbg
We searched and searched for OlrOkun
Yetwe did notfind OlrOkun
I asked where OlrOkun had gone to
They said that Olrkun is still in this world
We searched and searched forAbQr0kun
Yetwe did notfind AbrOkun
I asked whereAbQrkun had goneto
They said thatAbQrOkun is in heaven
These were the declarations of If to the 401 Irnmgle
When each of them wished to proposition
and marryAy
The offspring of Oldmar
Each of them was advised to offer
gbg
We searched and searched for OlrOkun
Yetwe did notfind OltlrOkun
I asked where Olrkun had gone to
They said that OlUrOkun is still in this world
We searched and searched forAbQrOkun
Yetwe did notfind AbQrkun
I asked whereAbQrOkun had goneto
Theysaid thatAbgrOkun is in heaven
These were lf's declarationsto
QrUnmll
When proposing to marry Ay
The offspring of Oldmar
He was advised to offer gbg
Hecomplied
Now yehee, this is really wonderful
Until Aye goes with If
Nobody will ever know
Yehee, this is indeed maruelous
Until If becomes Ay's companion
Nobody wil I ever comprehend
If says that both husband and wife shall live happily together for a very
81
lfa Dida: An nvtation to lfa Consuftaton
long time. Nobody shall be ableto come in between them. They shall both
become successful and influential in their community.
13. If says that it foresees the Ire of victory over death, afflictions and
evil forces for the person for whom this Od is revealed. If says that
even though he/she is under the constant threat of death, he/she will
nonetheless live long and happily. If says that the person for whom
this Od is revealed needs to feed If with two rats on the fifth day
that this Od is revealed, and two fish on the ninth day, two fowls on
the 13th day and one goat (If it can be afforded, two) on the 17th day
this Od is cast. Allthe evilforces of death, afflictions, contention and
loss (and most especially death) shall run away in the vicinity of this
person.
Astanza in E)-Ogb suppofting thisasseftion says:
Igi t$$rQ igbrrbQw d'lil
Afua rrbg w d'en
Igi wgrq-wQrQ-wgn igb rtbQ w d'ljl
Df fitn Baba Jagadarw
Tl wqn bl Eil ogb sg lokg
NljQqwQn nl lkrt kn-n
fbg
niwqn nf kw ge
Translation
The slenderforesttree shallsoon become a mightytree
A shoft-cut route shall soon become a major road
The smalltrees shall soon become mightyforest
These were the declarations of If to Baba Jgdrwa
The name given to EI-Ogbe
When they declared that it was his turn to die
He was advised to offergbg.
The evil forces of death, afflictions, contention and loss were on the
rampage in the town of Il-IfQ during the period when allthe 256 Od were
here on eafth, living in the midst of, and as, human beings. They had killed
several people,
leaving in their trail, anxiety, sorrow, pain
and anguish.
Before long, they declared thattheir nextvictim was Baba Jgdrw, also
known as E) Ogbe. When this information reached him, E) Ogbe went to
the Awo mentioned above for If consultation. The Awo assured him that
he would not die at a tender age. (ET ogbe was the youngest
of all the 16
li t'ono.
principal Od). He was advised to offer
gbg
and feed If as stated above.
He complied,
The day Death came to his house, he informed Death to try
QyQkU
M).
The second day, Death went to
QyQkrl
MT and was told to tryIw M).
On the third day, Death wenttolw'l M) and was told to try Odt-Uef . On
the foufth day, Odf-M) was visited and Death was told to tryIrosn Mfl.
Very early on the fifth day, as Death was about to visitlrosn MT, Efl-Ogbe
fed If with two rats. Whenlrosn M) was visited, Death was told to try
QwQnf
n M). The following day, Death was informed to go to
Qbara
M3).
On the eighth day Death tried
Qkanran
MT.
On the ninth day, E3) Ogbe fed If with two fish. That day, Death visited
Ogunda M) and was told to visit
Qs
Me) the following day; andlka MeI
the day after; and OturrlpQn Mfl the next day after.
On the 13th day, EI-Ogbe fed If with two hens. On that same day, Death
visited Otura M) only to be told to tryIr-etQ M) the following day. On the
14th day, Death visitedlrqtQ Me;) and was told to try
Qsq
MeST on the 15th
day. Death visited
Qgq
Mel and was referred to Ofr:n Mfl. On the 16th
day Death visited Ofrln M) and was referred to
QSe-Otura
on the 17th day.
On the 17th day, E)-Ogbe fed If with two
goats. Death got
tired of
pursuing E)-Ogbe about and left him alone. E) Ogb was so happy that he
began to sing while feeding If with the
goats,
saying.
Rn ml ni'krl o ojq kn o
Sqran
Rn ml nl'k o ojQ kn
lgran
Rn ml nlk nryl'wo
Rn ml ni'krl n ryl'yao
Rn ml ni'krl n ry bl'mg o
Rn ml ni'k n rye nl'regbogbo
fgran
Rn ml nfk o ojo kan o
fgran
Translation
Help carry my death away today
83
Ifa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consuftaton
Oh ye beast
Help carry mydeath awaytoday
Help carry my death away for me to be
prosperous
Help carry my death away for me to be secure a
spouse
Help carry my death away for me to have children
Help carry my death away for me to have all Ire
You beast
Help carry mydeath awaytoday
You beast
If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed shall not de young
so
that he/she will be
prosperous,
will get marred, will have children and have
allthe other Ire in life such as having a house of his/her own (a certainty for
E)-Ogbe children) before he/she dies.
Igi tggrg igb tlbQ w dTif
Abj bgw d'Qn
Igi wqrq-were-wer igbo nbQwa d'ljl
Dlfiln Babajagdffw
Tl wgn bl Ejl ogbe sg lkg
MjQqwqn nl Ikrl kn-n
f,bg
ni wQn nf kw s
gb'Qbgrr'bo
Ejl ogbe | ku
QyQkr
Mil
Qyeku
Mil l ku lwrl Mjl
lwrl MI l ku Odl Mjl
Odl Mil l ku lrosn Mjl
Irosn Mil lku
Qwgnrln
Mjl
Qwgnrtn
Mi lo ku
Qbara
Meil
Qbara
Mjl l ku
Qkanran
Mjl
Qkanran
MT l ku ogund Mjl
Ogunda Mjt t ku
Qs
Mjl
Qsa
Mejl lkulk Mjl
Ik Mjl lokuOtunpQn Mjl
oturupqn Mjt l ku otura Mejl
Otrra Mjl l ku lrgtQ Mjl
IrgtQ Mil ku
Qsq
Mejl
Qqq
Mejl b ku Ofn Mjl
Ofun Mjl ku
Qgq-otra
jg ran ml nl'kr o, ojq kn o
Eeran
84
ii ,,ono"
Rn ml nl'k o ojq kn o
fgran
Rn ml nf k nry l'w o
Rn ml ni'krl n ry l'ya o
Rn ml nf k n rY bl'mg o
Rn ml ni'krl n rye nl're gbogbo
fgran
Rnmlnfk oojqkano
fgran
Translation
The slender forest tree shall soon become a mighty tree
A shoft-cut route shall soon become a major road
The smalltrees shall soon become mighty forest
These were the declarations of If to Baba Jgdrw
The name given to E)-Ogb
When they declared that it was his turn to die
He was advised to offergbg
E|-Ogbe asked them to try
Qyek
MI
Qyeku
M) asked them to tryIwri MT
IwOil MI asked them to try Odf M;T
0d uef asked them to tryIrosn M)
Irosun M) asked them totryQwqnrn M)
QwQnrln
M) asked them totryQbara Mefi
QOara
M) asked them totryQknrn M)
Qkanran
MI asked them totryOgunda tlet
gUnda M) asked them totryQsa Mel
Qs
MT asked them totry lka MJ]
'lk
MI asked them totryOtUrr:pQn MI
Otttrupqn M) asked them totry Otura Me)
Otrrra Mfl asked them to try lr-etQ MI
'lreJQ
M) asked them totryQqq Ml
QgQ
Ml asked them to try Ofr:n Me)
'

Ofun uet asked them to try

Qqe-Otrlra
Please help carry mydeath awaytoday
Oh
ye beast
Help carry my death awaytoday
You beast
Help carry my death away for me to be prosperous
Help carry my death away for me to be secure a spouse
Help carry my death away for me to have children
Help carry my death away for me to have all Ire
You beast
85
lfa Dida: An invitaton to lfa Consultaton
Help carry my death awaytoday
You beast
14. If says that the person for whom this Od revealed is about to have
a change of environment
-
a change of home, a chance of work or
workplace, a change of school, a change in vicinity and so on. If
he/she is contemplating this, or even a change of spouse and so on,
he/she is strongly advised aganst such move as t can only lead to
misfortune, pan and disappontment. This is one of the most serious
and most impoftantaspects of Eji-Ogbe. Astanza in this Od says:
QgbgbabTdl
k
Dl filn
glgmg-Agbo-Esl
Nljqt rlt'Qrun bQw s{'lAy
fbg
ni wqn nl kw ge
W$n nl k m lg
Translation
The nailwith its broad base
He wasthe Awo who castlf forQlgmg-AgbO-EsIQ
When coming from heaven intotheworld
He was advised to offer
gbg
Hewasalsotold nottogo
Qlgmq-Agb-Eslg
was a
permanent resident in heaven. One day, he
decided to change his environment by coming to reside on earth on a
permanent
basis. He therefore went to
Qgbgb-AHdl-k,
his Awo in
heaven for If consultation.
His Awo however advised him never to change his environment at that
material point in time as Efl-Ogb was opposed to any change of abode,
work, career, relationship, etc. whenever it was revealed during
consultation.
Qlgmg-AgbO-Esle
had nonetheless made up hs mind to
change his place
of abode. Without minding the warnings of If, he left for
eafth.
While on earth, he was faced with untold hardship. Human beings began to
eat his body. He became lean and haggard. When this suffering became
unbearable, he returned to heaven unceremoniously. The day he reached
heaven was the day he went straight to the home of
Qgbagb-Abldl-ku,
his
86
ii ,'ono"
Babalwo. He narrated his ordeal to the Awo. The Babalwo blamed him
for refusing to heed lf's warning. He was told to offer
gbg with one
matured pig. He complied. After this, he was asked to return to eafth and
that everything would, as from that day, turn right for him. The next day, he
went backto earth.
On eafth, he became very impoftant. All things relied on him for their
survival. Those eating him developed strange illnesses which usually made
their cheeks swell. Nobody dared to eat
Qlqmg-Agbo-Esle
again. He
continued to live happily on eafth ever since. If says that
Qlqmq-Agb-
EsIg is the name given to the
ground, or eafth-dust. It cannot be eaten.
Neither can it be mishandled without impunity.
QgbgbabTdl
k
Dl fil n
glgmq-Ag
b-Esl$
Mjq t t'Qrun bq w sl'l Ay
f
bg ni wqn nl k w
Se
gb'Qborr'bg
KOp,kOjlnn
E w b ni nl wOw ire.
Translation
The nailwith its broad base
He was the Awo who castlf forQlgmg-Agb-EsIQ
When coming from heaven to eafth
He was advised to offer
gbg
He complied
Before long, nottoofar
Join us in the midstof all Ire
If says that with patience, and accurate timing, all things shall come out
fine for the
person for whom E|-Ogb is revealed.
15. If warns that the person for whom this Od is revealed must never
be untruthful or tell lies in order to receive any favour from anyone.
If also warns this
person never to show lack of gratitude whenever
he/she is done a favour
- no matter how little this favour may seem.
87
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consuftation
If says that if he/she engages in lying and/or shows ingratitude, all
what he/she had ever made in this life shall be retrieved from
him/her by OIdmare and If. The end is filled with regrets. On
'
theseaspects, If says:
Iwjrt -iwjrl o,I'Qp
ebt
rsl
DlfilnQrnmll
If g'awo lqsl IfQAgotQ
Fbq
ni wqn n| kl wqn
9e
Translation
It is in front that the staff used to bait a dead fall trap springs to
This was lf's declaration to
Qrunmll
When going on If mission to IfQ, the truthful
They were advised to offer gbg
QrrfnmTl
was gong
to IfQ AgOt, the truthful, together with all 16
principal
Od and
Qg
Tur. On their way they arrived at the city of the
Blind. All the inhabitants of this city were blind. On reaching there,
Qrnmll
expressed the desired to take tobacco snuff because he was
feeling the urge for it. The blind
people
said that if not that they could not
see, the village where they sell tobacco and snuff was very close to them.
Qrnmll
then asked them "what if we help you to regain your
eye sights,
will you get
the snuff for us?" They responded in the affirmative. "I hope
you
are not lying to us". They all responded that they could never lie over
such impoftant issue.
Qrnm)l,
having secured the promise from them, hit the staff of truth on
the
ground.
He asked them allto hold the staff; those who could not hold
the staff of truth were asked to hold the blind persons next to them. When
they all did, the 16 principal Od and
QSe-Trlr
began to sing, saying:
A kll see bhun
Eewo
Akffgeebhun
Eewo
Translation
It is not rightto (lie) do such a thing
It is forbidden
It s not properto lie
88
il ,,ono"
It is a taboo
Suddenly, they all regained their sights. All of them began to go to transact
their respective businesses. At that point,
Qrnm'il
called all of them and
asked, "what about
your promise to us?" They responded with another
question, 'which
promise?'
Qrnmll
responded, "The
promise you made
that you would procure tobacco and snuff for us". "Are you deaf or
something? What soft of restless man is this? If you must take tobacco or
snuff,
go and buy. We have explained to
you where to
get it".
Qrunmll
told the 16
principal
Od and
QggTr,
"let us go, they have lied to us and
insulted us in the process". They leftwith disappointment.
Their next poft of call was the city of Cripples.
Qrunmll
also expressed his
desire to use snuff. They too said that if not for their inability of walk, they
would have gone there to secure
plenty of tobacco and snuff for him. He
asked if they would give the stuff to him if they helped them to regain the
use of their limbs. They promised that they would.
Qrtlnmll
asked them
to hold on to the staff of Truth. They did. The 16 principal Od and
QSg-
TrJr sang for then as they did for the Blind. They immediately regained
the use of their limbs. All of them decided to go
about their respective
businesses. When OnJnmll asked them to fulfil their promise to him, they
told him that if he had not been drinking the herbs prepared for him to bath
with, he would have known that he ought to go and buy his tobacco by
himself. Afterall, they were not his slaves.
Qrnm)l
asked his 17 disciples
to let them
go. He said that they had lied to them and
passed
insults on
them.
They also reached the city of those who had hunch backs. All the citizens of
this town had hunch back. They behaved like their counterpafts when their
ailments were cured.
Qrunm)l
and his disciples left with disappointment
thatthey had been deceived and insulted.
Their next
port
of call was the city of the Albinos. All of the inhabitants
there were Albinos. They also treated Orunmlla and his disciples exactly
the same way that those in the cities of the Blind, Cripple and Hunchback
did.
Qrrinmll
and his disciples leftthistown.
Soon after this,
Qrrtnmll
and his disciples arrived at IfQ Agt. He
expressed his desire to take snuff. The inhabitants of IfQ Atot asked him
to wait a little bit for them. Before long, they returned with two rats, two
89
lfa Dida: An invtation to lfa Consuftation
fish, two hens, two matured goats, two big kolanuts, two big bitterkolas,
two kegs of wine and plant
of tobacco and snuff.
QrUnm)l
was so
impressed that it was still
possible
to find a town where people
were that
hospitable.
Qrunmll
asked
Qge-Otura
to go
back to Oldmar to bring the calabash
of Destiny. He told
Qge-
Tr to pass
through the cities of the Albinos, the
Hunchbacks, the Cripples and the Blind, and ask them to hold the staff of
Truth and make them return to their
previous
conditions. The Albinos who
had hithefto been changed to dark complexion returned to their original
white skin colour; the Hunchbacks whose backs had hithefto been
straightened also developed hunchbacks again; the Cripples who were
walking freely returned to their original lameness; and the blind who had
regained their sights also became blind again. They all lived and died
miserably, fu ll of regrets.
The inhabitants of If, Agt were given
the calabash of Destiny; they
were blessed abundantly for their truthfulness and their sense of
appreciation. Theywere assured and given the full blessings of the Deities.
If says that as long as the
person
for whom this Od is revealed is truthful
and honest, as long as he/she is appreciative of good gestures
done to
him/her, so long shall he/she be receiving the blessings and suppofts of the
Deities.
Iwaj -iwjrl o, I'Qp
Qbl$
r s{
DlfitnQrnmll
If r1g'awo lgsl lfeAgtq
lbg
ni wqn nl kl wgn ge
je k g'offtQo
K s'Ododo
Agba tg'otltq ni'mglQ gbe
Translation
It is in front that the staff used to bait a dead fall trap springs to
This was If's declaration to
Qrnm)l
When going on If mission to IfQ, the truthful
They were advised to offer
gbg
Be truthful
Be righteous
The elders who are truthful are supported and blessed by the
90
ll ,'onr"
Deities
NOTE: If this
pafticular stanza isthe area
picked by If where the
ebg
of Eil Ogb is to be offered, then it is forbidden for the Awo to
imprint Et OgUe on the
9p0n
If, the If tray. Instead' the Awo
neds to imprint on the
QpQn-If, Qq-OtUr
in order to receive
the Aqe and Igb Iw (Calabash of Destiny).That is the time that
the blessings and suppo of the Deities are assured,
16. If says that the
person for whom this Od is revealed needs to be
warned against engagin( in self-deceit. If says that this
person is
working himself/herself up over what has already been spoilt
without having a thought on how to have a new and better one.
He/She is
placing his/her hope on something that could be of no
benefit to him/her anymore; whereas he/she still have the chance to
secure another one that can be very useful.
If says that the
person for whom this Od is revealed needs to cast
his./her mind off what is clearly lost, spoilt or damaged and
concentrate his/her effort instead on how to
get a better
replacement.
The
gbg materials here depend largely on the damaged, spoilt or lost
thing which needed to be replaced. If says that this must be done
asquickly as
possible so that it will not be too late for the
person for
whom this Od is revealed. On this aspect, E!-Ogb says:
If w, l d gl'Jn mi Jn
Mo l di
gl',tn mi
Qtn
Bara Agbgnnlrgrin
Qrnmll
nf kl wQn lo m gni t tan ara rQ
jgw
Translation
If says that it is a matter of deceit
I chorus that it is a matter of deceit,
Qrnmll
the Bara
Agbgnnlrgrf n
Qrnm'il
asked them to go and bring the person who engages
in self-deceit to him
91
lfa Dida: An nvitaton to lfa Consultation
one day,
Qrrfnm'll
called all his followers together. He gave
them an
assignment to go
and bring for him the person
they knew was engaging in
self-deceit. They traveled far and returned with Alara, the king of llara-
Edti. 'This is the person
we saw who was deceiving himelf', they told
Qnfnmll.
"Is it true that you
are engaging in the act of self deceipt?"
Qrnmtl
asked Alr. 'How am I deceiving myself?'Alr countered. 'My
fatherwas a king; I am now a king. Myfatherwas powerful;
I am powe#ul.
I am more powelful
than my father. My father was popular
during his life
time; I am popular
and definitely more popular
than my father. My father
had severalwives and children during his life time; I have several wives and
children and even more than my father. My father had several propefties
during his life time; I have more propefties
my father. so, how am I
deceiving myself?'
Qrrfnm)l
declared that Alr was surely not deceiving
himself.
Qrnmll
again asked his disciples to go
and bring for him the person
engaging in self-deceipt. They again went and brought Ajero,
ewrngrln,
QbalQyQ-Ajf
and so on, one afterthe other.
Qrnm'll
asked each of them
if it was true that they were engaging in self-deceipt. one by one they
denied the allegation and gave
their defences similar to the ones Alr
gave.
one by one,
Qrnmll
declared that they were not engaging in the
actof self-deceit.
once more,
QrnmIl
asked them to
go
and bring the person
engaged in
self-deceit. They confessed that they did not know such person.
Qrnmll
asked them to
go
and bring for him a woman who gave
brth to a set of
twins, but who had lost the babies and had instead carved images
representing the dead babies. Before they made enquiries in 10
compounds, they saw such woman. They brought the woman to
Qrnm'il.
After exchanging greetings,
Qrnmll
asked after her set of twins. "They
were dead', she responded. 'Xnd what happened after?"
QrnmIl
demanded from her. 'They gave
to me two dolls to represent the babies. I
was also told that the babes had turned to 0il9 and they will be assisting
me in all my undeftakings", replied the woman. "what are you
doing to the
babies"
Qrunmlla
asked. The woman replied, "I feed them, I clothe them,
sing for them and dance for them".
Qrunmll
asked her what happened
after singing and dancing forthe dolls? "Nothing happens'i she responded.
92
li
''ono"
"When you talk to them, did they reply you?". No', she sad. "When you
send them on errands, do they answer
yott?" "No, she replied. "When
you feed them, who eats the food, is it the babies or cats, dogs, goats or
rats and lizards?"
Qrnmll
asked. "To speak the truth, all of these
animals except the doll babies eat the food", she responded. That was
when
Qrnm'll
declared; "here is the
person who engaged in the act of
self-deceipt". When the woman asked why
Qrrfnmll
said that she was
deceiving herself,
Qrnmll
responded that, "instead of looking for
means to have other children who will be usefulto
you in future, you are
celebrating the ones which had already died, spoilt and of no benefit to
you anymore. Instead of looking for two rats, two fish, and two hens for
me to offer ebo for you so that
you will become
pregnant and later a
proud mother of a baby,
you are still singing, dancing, feeding and
fending for ordinary dolls! She agreed that truly, she had been engaging
in self deceit. Shevowed to rectifli her mistakesforthwith.
That same day, she brought all the
gbg materials to
Qrrtnm'll
and the
gbg was duly
performed.
Qrrtnm'll
asked her to
go
to his backyard and
pluck the first leaves she found on her right hand and the first ones she
found on her Ieft. She did. The two leaves were ground together to
make herbal soup for her consumption.
Qnfnm)l
told her to
go to her
home, that she had
just
taken
pratical steps against her former act of
self-deceipt.
A month after this ceremony, she became
pregnant. After the
pregnancy, she
gave bifth to a bouncing baby. This time around, the
baby suvived. On the sixth day of bfth,
people gathered together for
the naming ceremony. The woman insisted that only
Qrnmll
could
name the baby since only he knew how the baby came into being in the
first
place
They invited
QrUnmIl
for the naming ceremony. When he arrived, he
asked her that on the day she came for the
gbg, she was asked to
go to
his backyard to
pluck some leaves; did she remember the leaves she
plucked on her right side? She replied that they wereldOr leaves. And
the ones on her left side? She replied that they were Owri leaves.
Qrnm)l
replied that the baby whose mother ate herb soup
prepared
L
93
lfa Dida: An nvitation to lfa Consultation
withldor and 0w leaves had brought its name from heaven. The baby
should be namedldowr. That is,Idor + Owu
=Idowrl
when \dowrl", the baby attaned 30 months of age, the mother brought
to
Qrunmll
another set of two rats, two fish and two hens for another
gbg,
she told
Qrrlnm'll
that she needed another baby.
Qrnmll
told her
that was the period
she no longer engaged in self-deceit. The gbg was
offered for her. And as it happened the first time, she was sent to the
backyard to
pluck
leaves. she did with both hands, and she soon became
pregnant.
After this, she gave
bfth to another bouncing baby. The baby
also sulvived.
During the naming ceremony,
Qrnm)l
was invited. He asked the mother
to name the leaves she plucked
on her right side; she responded thatthey
were
*Lra"
leaves. And the leaves on the left side, she responded that
they were "Arb" leaves. Ornm'll declared that the baby born after the
mother ate the herb soup prepared
with "Lr" and "Arb" leaves should
be called Alab. That is Lr + Arb
=
Alaba.
The woman was full of
joy,
singing and dancing and praising
oldmar,
If and
Qrnmll
saying:
9mg
mern werewerQ fmi nlkan
9mq
mQrin wqQworqf'mi nlkan
Qmg-Ty
omg ni, gmg ni
Qmg-K,
ylnd gmg
ni, gmo
ni
Eyd Aeb gmg ni, gmg ni
9mq
mi n'Idow gl'e$e
okn
Qmg
mern werg wqrQ fmi nlkan
Translation
Four big babies for me alone
Four hefty babies for me alone
Qmg-Ty
sa babytruly
Qmq-Kyrnde
is truly a baby
And Alaba is truly a baby
But my own baby is ldwrr, the owner of selected okn
beads
94
li ,,ono"
Four big babiesfor me alone
If says that there is the need for the person for whom this Od is revealed
to take
practca steps in order to change his/her lot from misery to
joy
from disappointment to fulfillment and from hopelessness to
accomplishment.
If wl, l di
el'tln
mi
Qtn
Mo ldi gl',tiln m e,tln Bara Agbgnnlregn
Orrtnmll nl kl wQn lg mrl gni t tan ara rQ
j9
w
WQn lg mu Alr
WQn nl Alr tl wQn rl t tan'ra rQ
jg
r
Alr nl klnni nkan tn?
Alr lun tan'ra Oun
jg
Orrrnmll
nl ktan'ra r$jq
WQn lg m AjerO
Wn nl Ajer tl wgn rl t ntan'ra rQ
jg
r
AjerO nl klnni tnkan
Qtn?
AjerO lun Otan'ra Oun
jg
Qrunmll
nl AjerO ktan'ra rQ
jg
Wqn lg mrt
Qwarngun-Aga
WQn nl
Qwrngn
tf wgn rl t tan'ra reig r
Qwrangn
lun tan'ra Oun
jq
Qrrnmll
nl
Qwrngrn
kOtan ra rQjg
Wgn lg mu
QbalyQ-Aior{
WQn nl
Qbalyq-AjOr{
tl wgn rl t rttan'ra reie r
gbalyQ
nl klnni nkan Jn?
gbalyQ nl oun tan'ra un
jgo
Qrrlnmll
nl
Qbal$yQ
kOtan'ra nQ
j9
WQn nl wgn O mg gni t tan'ra reiq mq
WQn nl kl wgn lg mulylbeil wa
Eylt qmq re mjejlti sln
Tl wqn w
9b$
relbejl fun
WQn mlylbejt d
Qrnmll
nl gni t tan'ra
Gie
re
pbg
ni wqn nl k w ge
gb'Qbg, r'bg
j qmq mQrin wQrqwqrQ f'mi nlkan
Qmg
Ty gmg ni,
gmg ni
Qmg-K,ylnd
gmg ni, gmg ni
E$ Alab
gmg ni, gmg ni
95
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultaton
gmq
mi n'Idow
el'ga
okn
gmg
mQrin wQr, wQrQ fmi nlkan o
'
Translation
If says it is a matter of deceit
I chorus that it is a matter of deceit
QrUnmll
the Bara Agbgnn)rgr1n
Qrunm)la
asked them to go and bring the
person who engages in self
deceitto him
They broughtAlr
They said thatAlr was engaging in self-deceit
Alara said thatwhatevidence did they have?
Alara claimed that he was not deceiving himself
Qrnm)l
declared thatAlr was notdeceiving himself
They broughtAjerO
They said thatAjerO was engaging in self-deceit
Ajer said that what evidence did they have?
Ajer claimed that he was notdeceiving himself
Qrn
m) l decla red that Ajero was not deceiving hi mself
They brou
g ht
Qw
rng rt n-Aga
They said that
Qwrngrln
was engaging in self-deceit
Qwrangn
demanded fore!'vidence of self deceit
Qwrngn
said that he was not deceiving himself
Qrrrnmila
declared that
Qwrngn
was not deceiving himself
They broug ht
Qba
lyQ-Ajof
They said that
QbalQyQ-AJof
was engaging in self deceit
QbalyO
said that he was not deceiving himself
Qrrlnm)l
agreed that
QbalQyQ
was not deceiving himself
They said that they did not know the
person
deceiving himself
Qrunmlla
asked them to go and bring someone who gave bifth to
a set of twins
And thetwinsdied
And she was given two carued images to represent the twins
They broughtthe woman to
QrUnmIl
Qrnm)l
declared that this was the person who engaged in
self deceit
She was advised to offergbg
She complied
Now four big babies for me alone
Four hefty babies for me alone
Qmg-Ty
is a baby, truly
Qmq-K, $nd
is truly a baby
And Alaba is also a baby
96
ii ,i,ono"
But my own baby isldOwtl, the owner of selected Okn beads
Four big babies for me alone I
L7. Ifa says that the
person whom this Od is revealed should be
seriously warned aganst the act of being ungrateful for what ever
deed that he/she received from Oldmar, If and/or his/her
fellow human beings. If says that this
person has the tendency
of displaying lack of gratitude for whatever was done to him/her.
If says that if this is not stopped fofthwith, this
person may find
himself/herself in a situation where his/her ingratitude will not be
(
tolerated, and he/she may be referred to where his/her cries for
assistance maysimply be ignored or handled with levity.
Ifa also says that this
person for whom E)-ogb is revealed needs
to salute and
praise Oldmar and If every morning, for all the
good deeds he/she has received in life and ask for more good
things. If this is done, he/she will never lack any
good
thing in life.
If this is not done however, he/she will live a sad and worrisome
life. On these, If says:
(
If l di ojumg mQ n klni-klni
Alklni m I'odl o
Attn m I'odl eni o
Dlfiln olrmbl
Til nl ktkt
loun o l'kelpqd oun-n kl
Wn nl nltorl i klnni
nl oun sin'f sin'f
If Oun gbe Oun ni (
Arrlnmll
ji
l'rQ ktkt
nl Ohrmbl
Iilire
Olrmbl nl hun, nl hUnn hun-un
Qrrlnmll
nl ti
jg
tl f kn kn-slnr
olrmbl nl nltorl oun l'j ni
If
j'w
ajfitn olrmbl
olrmbl l'w
I'ow ntn
K dpe I'qdQ k-lpgrl rQ
97
Ifa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
Translation
If says that it is when the day dawns that we greet one
another
Failure to greet
each other amounts to keeping malice
Refusal to greet
one means keeping malice with such person
This was the If cast for Olrmbl
Who wakes up early in the morning
And declared that she would never greet If any more
When asked why
She responded that she followed If for so long
But her If was of no benefit to her
Qrnm)l
woke up early in the morning
He said "Olrmbf good morning to you"
Olrmbf responded with "hn-n hun-un"
Qrnmll
said that "Olurombi why are you murmuring and
grumbling?
Olrmbf responded that it was because she had no money
Qrr:nm'll
prepared
the herb of wealth for Olrmbi
Olrmbl became very wealthy
After securing abundant wealth
She refused to give
thanks to If
Olrmbi was a follower of If for some time. At a stage, she refused to
greet
her If anymore. When
Qrnm'll
realized this, he wentto Ohirmbl
early in the mornng to greet her. She responded with grumbling.
When
QrrJnmll
asked her why she was grumblng,
she responded that after
serving If for so long, she had no wealth to show for it.
Qrnmll
saw this
as a challenge and he prepared
herbs which make people
to be wealthy
for Olrmbl. She became very wealthy, but she still refused to give
thanks or show her gratitude
to If.
Ifldi ojumq m0n klni-klni
Alklni m I'odl o
Alklni m I'odl gni o
Dlfitn olrmbl
Tjl nf ktkt
loun o l'kelpqd oun-n kl
Wn nf nltorl i klnni
nl oun sin'f sin'f
If Oun O gbeun ni
Qrunmll
ji
l'rQ kutkrt
98
il ,,onu"
nl olurombl9
jlire
Olrmbl nl hun, nl hnn hun-un

Qrrlnmll
nl ti
jgtf
f rr kn kn-slnU
!
olrmbl nl nltorl oun I'Qkg ni
If
j'w gkg fn olrmbl
olrnbl I'qkq
l'qkgtan
K drlp$ I'qdQ ok-lpQrl rQ
Translation
If says that it is when the day dawn that we greet one another
Fa il u re to greet each other a mou nts to keeping ma I ice
Refusal to greetone means keeping malice with such
person
{
This was the If cast for Olrmbl
Who woke up early in the morning
And declared that she would never greet the If any more
When asked why
She responded that she followed If for so long
But her If was of no benefitto her
Qn3nmll
woke up early in the morning
He said "Olrmbf good morning to you"
Ohlrmbl responded with "hun-un hun-un"
Qrnmll
said that "Olrmbf why are you murmuring and
grumbling" (
Ohlrmbl responded that it was because she had spouse
If prepared the leaves of spouse for Olrmbl
Olrmtr became successfu lly married woman
After securing a spouse of her choice
She refused to givethanksto If
When
Qrnmll
realized that Ohirmbi refused to show apprecaton
when she became a very prosperous woman, he approached her again
and
greeted her. Ohirmbi responded with complants. When Olrmbi
i
asked her why she was grumblng and complaining, she responded that it
was mpossible for her to have a responsible spouse of her choice. An
appropriate If work was prepared for her to that effect and she became a
successfully married woman. She also became the envy of other married
women and spinsters alke. Yet, Ohfrmbf refused to give thanks or show
appreciation to her If which made these things possble for her.
If 1 di ojmQ mE n klni-klni
Alklni m I'odl o
(
99
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
Alklni m I'odl gn o
Dd fin Olrmbl
Tjl nl ktkt
loun o l'kelporl oun-n kl
Wn nl nftorl i klnni
nl un sin'f sn'f
IfOun OgbeOun ni
Qrunmlla
j
l'anQ ktkt
nl Ohrombl9
jtire
olrmbl nl hunronl hunnhun-un
Qrunmll
nl ti
jgtl
fi kn kn-slnu
Olrmbl nl nltorl un O nl'l ni
If
j'we
ilklkqfin olrrrmbl
Olrmbl di onl'l
nl'l na tn
Ko dp I'qdq ok-lpQrl I rQ
Translation
If says that when the day dawns, we need to salute each
other
Failureto do so amounts to keeping malice
Refusal to greet
each other means keeping malice with each
other
This was the If cast for Olrmbl
Whowoke up early in the morning
And declared that she would never greet her If anymore
Theyasked herwhy
She responded thatafterfollowing If forso long
She had nothing to show for it
Qrrlnm)l
woke up early in the morning, he said, "Ohlrmbf,
good
dayto you"
Olrmbl responded with "hn-n hun-un" Orrlnmll asked
her"why areyou mumuring and grumbling?"
She responded that it was because she had no house of her
own
Qrrlnmll
prepared
leaves which make it possible for one to
have a house forOhf rOmbl
Olrmbl became a
proud
house owner
After securing the house, she refused to show gratitude
to
Ifa
After If had made olrmbf a prosperous
woman and made her happily
100
il ,'ono"
marred, she still refused to
greet If, show apprecation or even thank
If for all that If had done for her. But in order to prove to her that Ifa
(
had no
grudge against her and that If kept no malice,
Qrnmll
still
went to her early in the morning to
greet her. As usual, she responded
with mummur and complaints. Orrlnmll asked her why she was still
complaining. She responded that it was because she had no house of
her own.
QrnmIl
made some herbal preparations for her and before
long, she became a
proud owner of a very big mansion. After erecting
and completing this edifice, she refused to
greet If or show any form of
appreciation.
i
If 1 d ojrmQ mq ni Hni-klni
Alklni m I'odl o
Alklni m I'odl eni o
Dl fin olrmbl
Tfi nl ktkut
loun l'kelpQrl un-rtn kl
Wn nl nltorl i klnni
nl un sin'f sin'f
If Oun O gbe Oun ni
Qrnmll
ji
l'rQ ktkt
(.
nl ohrombl
qilire
olrmbl nl hunr nl hnn hun-un
Qrunmll
nl ti
j$tl
f rr kn kn-slnu
Ohlrmbl nl nltor{ oun o blmo ni
Translation
If declares that when the day dawns, we need to salute
each other
Failure to do so amounts to keeping malice with each other
This was the If cast for Olrmbl
Who declared that she would never greet her If any more
They asked her why
She responded that after seruing Ifa for so long
She had nothing to show for it
QrUnmlla
woke up early in the morning, he said, "Olrmbf,
good day to
you".
Oh1rmbl responded with, "hn-n hun-un"
Olrmbl asked her, "Why are you murmuring and
101
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
grumbling?"
She responded that it was because she had no child of her
own
Qrnm)l
realized that after ensurng that OhJrmbl became a house
owner, she still refused to greet If. He went to greet her early in the
morning. Olrmbl complained that her refusal to greet
If was because
she had no child of her own. This was the time that
Qrnmll
told her that
she had some questions
to answer.
Qrnmll
then asked her the following
questions:
"One, when you
complained that you had no money, I made you
prosperous
beyond your wildest imagination, did you
come back to give
thanks or even show your gratitude?"
Qrnmll
asked. ohirmbf
responded that she never did.
"Two, when you
complained thatyou had no spouse, I made it possible
for
you
to have a spouse of your
dream. You became the envy of all.
Everybody was praying
to have a spouse like yours.
was that not so? "It
was so'i olrmbf responded. "Did you
come back to say thanks or show
any form of appreciation? She was asked. "No, I never did", Olrombl
responded.
"Three, when you
complained that you had no personal
house, If made it
possible
for you
to erect the biggest mansion in your
environment. Was it
not so?" she was asked. "It was so'i she responded.
*Dd
you come back
to say your thanks or even show your gratitude
to Oldmar and If who
made it possible
for you?"
"No, I never dd." Olrmb responded.
QrnmTl
then declared to her that it was clear that she was a
person
who
never knew how to show appreciation for any good
deed done for her. For
this reason,
Qrnm)l
told her that her child was notwith him. "If you
need
a child, go
to beg for one in the home oflrk Ogb Ohtwr".
If told her that she would meet several other people
who had gone
there
for similar requests. The only condition was that they needed to make a
solemn pledge
of what that would give lrk-ogb after they had been
102
li ,' ono"
safely delivered.
She was told that she must mention whatever she knew that she would be
able to redeem as her pledge no mater how small. Ornm'il cautioned her
not to exhibit the type of attitude she had been displaying with him over
there. Wth that, she was dismissed
When Ohirmbt reached the shrine of lrk, she met several women
making their
pledge. \rk, if you give me a child, I shall be here this time
nextyearto give you a big ewe"; \rk, I need a child, if you give me, I will
come here next
year
to
give you a big
goat"; \rkO, my husband's family
had been
planning to send me away because I'cannot bear a child for my
husband, if you give me a child, I shall bring you a big hen this time next
year"; "greatlrkO, a tree on eafth but a Deity in heaven, my home is being
threatened because I cannot
give my husband a male child. His people are
planning to marry another woman for him who will give him a male child.
Make it possible for me to become pregnant this month and
give bifth to a
male child so that I will give bifth to the heir in my husband's lineage before
any other woman. If you
do this for me, I will give you a big ram with
twisted horn this time next year". These were some of the requests and
pledges that OIrtrmbf heard other women making. She however did not
believe thatlrk would be able to do all these. When it was her turn to
make her request and
pledge, she said; \rk, I have come here for you to
give me a beautiful child. If you give me this child, I shall come here next
year to sacrifice the child for you in appreciation." Everybody there looked
at her with shock and surprise. They advised her to make another request
but she refused. Irk told her to think
properly
on her pledge and she told
Irk that she had said what was on her mind. Everybody dispersed.
The following month, she became
pregnant. Ten months after, she
gave
bth to a bouncing baby boy. The baby was the most beautiful child ever
seen around that area for a very long time. The baby was fair-
complexioned, bulky, healthy and happy. ESU
Qdara
himself kept
pampering this baby. The baby became the baby of the whole community,
and was loved by all.
However, when the time came for Olrmb'i to redeem her pledge, she
t
103
lfa Dida: An nvitation to lfa Consultation
could no longer sleep. She was
just
crying everyday and everywhere. She
said that she never knew thatlrkO could do it for her. She thought that she
could not have a baby. Her reason was that it was because
Qrnmll
knew
that she was barren from heaven that he referred her to lrk. Now that
she had given
bfth to the baby, she could not think of losing it. She
summoned up hercourage and wentfor If consultation.
In the home of the Babalwo, ET-Ogb was revealed. The Awo told
Olrmbl that she was in her present
dilemna simply because she never
knew how to show appreciation when anyone did her anything good. They
however advised her to offer ebo with two big he-goats 2,000 cowries and
knife. She complied immediately. The Awo gave her one he-goat and asked
her to head for the shrine oflrk. Egu
Qdra
offered to follow Olrmbf to
Irk shrine because if not, the day would be extremely bitter for her.
At the shrine, Olrmbl saw all the women whom she met the
previous year
redeeming their
pledges.
They came with hens, goats,
ewes, rams, he-
goats, pigeons,
food and lrk was collecting all as they tallied with their
various pledges.
IrkO kept looking at Ohlrmbf with contempt. When it
reached the turn of Ohirmbf, with the deepest sorrow ever heard by
anyone in life, Olrmbi began to plead
and sing, saying:
Olrmbl o, gbeni-gbeni
Iwg lroto, gbeni-gbeni
Oun Olurombl o, gbeni-gbeni
Iwg IrkQ gbeni-gbeni
Awgn oklklukr, wQn iljjee ewrq
Ewr$
9
wqn blj
Awgn olrtklukr wgn jjQQ gntn
Agntiln-an wgn bq|ojQ
Oun Olurombl, un
jeQjeeqmgoun
9mq
roro bl epo
Olrmbl
Q
gbeni-gbeni
Iwg lrk, gbeni-gbeni
o
Translation
Olrmbio, please suppoft me
Ohlrk, please havecompassion on me
Olrmbl, please
support me
104
ii ,,ono"
OhlrkO,
please help and suppoft me
Severalpeople
pledged goats I
Their slender
goats
And severalothers
pledged ewes
Their robustewes
But I Olurombl, I pledged my child
My chiH as fair-complexioned as newly prepared palm-oil
Olrmbf oh! Please give me support
Ohlroko,
please have mercyon me!!!
She rolled herself on the
ground pleading with Irk to
please have mercy
/
on her. She said that she was only living and happy because of that baby.
i
Instead for Irok to show any form of compasson, it was the highest
degree to contempt that was shown. IrkO replied her with her song,
sayng:
Iwg Olurombl
Q
gbgmg-gbgmg
Oun IrkQ gbqmq-gbqmq
Olrmbl gbgmg-gbgmg
Oun lrk gbgmq-gbgmg
O rl wgn olklukrrwQr jjeewr$ /
t
Ewurgg blsi
\-
O rl wgn olklukrlr wQn rrjjee egntn
Agntiln-an wgn bqlojE
lwg olrtrombl,lwg
jjee qmg
Q
rg o
Qmq
roro bl epo
Iwg Ohlrmbl O, gbgmg-gbgmg
Oun IrkQ gbgmg-gbgmg
Translation
You, Olrmbl, are a baby collector
{
And I,IrkO an a baby collector
\'
Yo Olrmbf were her to collect a baby
And IIrkO will also collectthe baby
You saw several others pledging goats
Their slender
goats
And you saw several others
pledging
ewes
Their robustewes
You Olrmbf
pledged yourbaby
Your baby as fair-complexioned as newly prepared palm-oil
You Ol rmr, are a baby collector
(
105
lfa Dida: An invtaton to lfa Consultation
And I,Irok shall collect backthe baby
Irko told her that nobody forced her to make her pledge.
That was what
she
promised
to bring back if the baby could be given to her. A pledge,
Iroko insisted, was a
pledge.
Iroko said that the he-goat she brought was
not acceptable. olrombl cried and cried. Irk did not budge one bit.
At that stage, Egu
Qdara
asked ohlrmbi to bring the baby. she did. He
asked her to bring the he-goat. She also did. Egu
Qdara
promised
Irk
that the head of the baby would be given
tolrk and that the baby would
be slaughtered. Irk respoded that it was acceptable. Egu
Qdara
brought out the knife that she offered as part
of her gbg. He placed
the
baby on the ground
and at the same time placed
the he-goat besides the
baby. Egu
Qdara
cunnyingly smuggled the baby back to the mother from
behind and slaughtered the he-goat. He wrapped the head of the he-goat
in a white cloth and gave it to lrok. Irko accepted the parcel.
when
Irk unwrapped the parcel, it was discovered that it contained the head of
a he-goat. Irk protested.
ES
Qdara
responded that nobody collects
one head two times. "Why did you not look well before you
accepted the
pledge?"
Case closed ! ! !.
Ifldi ojmQ mq n klni-klni
Alklni m I'odl o
Alklni m I'odl gni
o
Dl filn Olrmbt
Tjl nl ktkt
lOun O l'kelpQrl Oun-n H
WQn nl nltorl i klnni
nl Oun sin'f sin'f
If Oun OgbeOun ni
Qru
nmll
ji
l'arq kt kt
nl Ohlrmbl gjlire
OlrOmbl nl hun, nl hnn hun-un
Qrunmll
nl ti
jQtl
fi rr kn kn-s{nu
Olrmbl nl nltor{ Oun O l'j ni
If
j'w
aj filn Ohlrmbl
Olrmbl l'w
I'owntn
K dpe I'qdq oke-lpgrf rQ
If l di ojumg mQ ni klni-klni
106
li ,,ono"
AlHni m I'odl o
Alklni m I'odl gnio
Ddfitnolrmbl
Til ril ktkt
loun o l'kelpqrl oun-n kl
WQn nl nltorl i klnni
nl oun sin'f sin'f
If Oun O gbe Oun ni
Qrrtnmll
ji
l'rQ ktktt
nl Olrmbl9
jlire
olrmbl nl hunr nl hnn hun-un
Qrnmll
nf ti
j$
tl f kn kn-Stn
olrmbf nl nltorl un o I'Qkg ni
If
j'w gkg filn olrmbl
ohrnbf I'qkg
l'gkgtan
K dpe I'qdq ok-lpQ re
If l di ojmQ mq n klni-klni
Alklni m I'odl o
Alklni m I'odl gnio
fn Olrmbl
Til nl ktkt
lOun O l'kelpQrl Oun-n kl
WQn nl nltorl i klnni
nl oun sin'f sin'f
If un O gbe Oun ni
Qrnmll
ji
l'rQ ktkUt
nl Olrmbf
g jlire
Olrmbl nl hunr nl hunn hun-un
Qrnmll
nl ti
jQtl
fi rr kn kn-sln
Olrtrmbt nl nltorl un o nl'l ni
If
i'w
ilklkQ fitn olrmbl
olrmbl di onl'l
nl'lntn
Ko dp I'qdq ok-tpQrf I rQ
If l di ojrmq mq n klni-klni
Alklni m I'odl o
Alklni m I'odl eni o
Dlfnolrmbl
Tjl nl ktkt
loun o l'kelpgr{ oun-n kl
Wn nl nltorl i klnni
107
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consuftation
nl oun sin'f sin'f
If Oun O gbe un ni
Qrrlnmll
j
l'arq kt kutu
nl ohrmbl gjlire
olrmbl nl hun, nf hnn hun-un
Qrunmlla
nl ti
jgtt
fi kn dkn-s{nu
Olrmbl nl nltorl un O bfmo ni
Qrrtnmll
nl kO s'Qmg rg I'QdQ Oun
K ma lg s'qdQ lrko olrrwr
olrmbl d
qdq
lrko oluwere
fqms re
jjee
f
b9 ni wqn nl k w
9e
gb'Qbgr r'bg
Egu
Qdara
ba 19s'QdQlrko
Nje Olrmbl gbeni gbeni
IrkO gbeni gbeni
Awgn Olklukrl wqn jjee ewr
Ewurqewgn bdje
Awgn olrtkl ukrlr wg jjeQ agntln
Agnteln-anwgn bQlojq
olrmbl ljjQgmqrQ
'
Qmg
roro bl epo
Olrmbl gbgmo-gbgmo
Irk gbgmg-gbgmg
Ko p, kjlnn
Fw
b nib'yQ
E
w w're o
Translation
If says that it is when the day dawns that we greet
one
another
Failure to greet
each other amounts to keeping malice
Refusal to greet
one means keeping malice with such a
person
This was the If cast for OlUrOmbf
Whowoke upearly inthe morning
And declared that she would never greet her If anymore
Theyasked herwhy
She responded that she followed If for so long
But her If was of no benefit to her
Qrnm)l
woke up early in the morning
He said, "Olrmbf, good
day to you"
108
ll ei ogt"
Olrmbf responded with, "hn-n hun-un
Qrrlnmll
said that, "Olrmbl, why are you murmmuring and i
grumbling"
Olrmbf responded that itwas because she had no money
If prepared the herbs of wealth of Olrmbi
Olrrnbl became very wealthy
After securing abundant wealth
She refused to give thanks to Ifa
If says that it is when the day dawns that we greet one another
Fail u re to g reet each other amou nts to keepi ng ma I ice
Refusal to greet one means keeping malice with such a person
This was the Ifa cast for Olrmbf
(
Whowoke up early in the morning
And declared that she would never greet her If anymore
Theyasked herwhy
She responded that she followed If for so long
But her If was of no benefit to her
Qrunmll
woke up early in the morning
He said, "Olrmbl,
good day to you"
Ohlrmbi responded with, "hn- n hun-un
Ornmll said that, "Olrmbf, why are you murmuring and
grumbling"
t
Olrmbl responded that itwas because she had no spouse
1.
If
prepared the leaves of spouse for Olurombt
Olrmbi became a successfully married woman
After securing a spouse of her choice
She refused to give thanks to If
If says that it is when the day dawns that we greet one another
Failure to greet each other amounts to keeping malice
Refusalto greet one means keeping malice with such a person
This was the ifa cast for Olrmbl
Who woke up early in the morning
And declared that she would neut gteet her If anymore
t
Theyasked herwhy
She responded that she followed If for so long
But her If was of no benefitto her
Qrr1nm)l
woke up early in the morning
He said, "Olrmbl,
good dayto
you"
Olrmbf responded with, "hn-n hun-un
Ornmll said that,
*OhJrmbf,
why are you murmuring and
grumbling"
Olrmbf responded that it was because she had no house of
108
lfa Dida: An nvtaton to lfa Consultation
herown
Qrnm)l
prepared
leaves which make it possible
for one to
have a house for Olrnbf
Olrmbl became a proud
house owner
Aftersecuring the house
She refused to give thanks to If
If says that it is when the day dawns that we greet one another
Failure to greet
each other amounts to keeping malice
Refusal to greet
one means keeping malice with such a
person
Tlf s was the If cast for Ohlrmbl
Who woke up early in the morning
And declared that she would never greet her If anymore
Theyasked herwhy
She responded that she followed If for so long
But her If was ofno benefitto her
QrUnm)l
woke up early in the morning
He said, "Olrmbf, good
day to you"
Olrmbf responded with, "hn-n hun-un"
Qrrlnm)l
said that, "Olrmbf, why are you murmuring and
grumbling"
Olrmbf responded that it was because she had no child
QrUnmIla
responded that her child was not with him
He asked her to go tolrk0 Oluwer
OhJ rm bl went to IrkO Ohlwere
And pledged
herbaby
She was advised to offer gbg
She complied
fgu Qdara
accompanied hertolrokO
Now, Olrmbl o,
pleasesupportme
Oh!IrkO, please pity my condition and be lenient with me
Several people pledged goats
Their slender goats
And severalothers pledged
ewes
Their robust ewes
But Olrmbf pledged
her baby
Her baby as fa ir-complexioned as newly-prepa red pa I m,oi I
Olrmbf, the baby receiver
Andlrokb the baby receiver
Before long, and nottoo far
Join us in the midstof happiness
Come and see all ire in life.
ra
il ,'ono"
If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed shall have course to
rejoice even though he/she had hiterto shown lack of gratitude. This
happiness shall come only if he/she is ready to turn over a new leaf.
18. If says that whenever this Od is revealed during any ceremony
either for naming, remembrance, marriage, house warming,
funeral,chieftaincy, birthday e.t.c, nothing must be slaughtered for
the occasion. No bird must be killed; no beast must be slaughtered
where this Od is revealed. If the said occasion entails enteftaining
a lot of
people, then, fish may be used. Alternatively, already
slaughtered animals may be bought from a supermarket or abbatoir
and brought home for cooking. A restaurant may be contracted to
prepare all the food to be used for the occasion.
The reason why this is very impoftant is that If says that several evil
spirits are hovering around where this OdrJ is cast. These spirits love
to consume blood. If any animal's blood is sighted in that area,
these spirits will consume the blood. The moment they taste this
blood,they will be demanding for more blood and they will simply be
consuming human blood. This may translate to avoidable accidents
or other disasters where human blood will be spilled unnecessarily.
If this Od s revealed when a ceremony is about to take place, If
recommends that those involved needs to
prepare plenty of mashed
yam mixed with palm-oil and
place it where this Od is revealed and
the venue where the ceremony is to take
place. The mashed yam
and oil will also be sprinkled on If and on the ground of the venue
where the ceremony willtake place. If this is done, these evil spirits
will consume the mashed
yam
and
palm-oil. As soon as these spirits
taste the mashed
yam
and oil, they will be looking for more mashed
yam and oiland will no longer be interested in consuming blood. On
allthese, a stanza in E)-Ogb says:
OjmQ mQ, mo k'p o tmi d$QrQkundQ
Ojmq mq, mo k'pO tmi dQQrQkundQ
111
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
Ojumg mq, mo k'p0 o tmi dln-lnlnrlnkunkn
Dl fitn Orrtnmll
If g'awo lg Ode lgin
Translation
The day dawned I carried my consultation bag with all its
contents
Early in the morning I carried my bag ready to go
At dawn, I carried my bag filled with all my needs for my
journey
These were lf's declarations to
Qrunmll
When going on If expedition to Ipin town
On his arrval at Igin town,
Qrrf
nmll met the citizen of that town holding a
big
goat
on their way to the home of one
prominent Babalwo. "Where
are
you
all
going?"
Qrnm'll
asked. "We were told that we need to serue
If with this goat in order to alleviate all the problems n the town," the
citizens of Igin town responded.
"No!" Ornmll shouted. "You must not do that. If you do it, you will only
aggravate your problems
as the evil spirit which you
are trying to avoid will
only grow wild and consume you all in the process".
Qrnmll
explained
futherthat if they spilled any blood, these evilelementals would consume
the blood and at the same time be searching for more blood to consume.
If they could not get any blood, they would begin to consume their blood.
Qnf
nm)l pleaded with them not to slaughter the
goat.
"That was how we
were asked to do it and nothing would change our mind on that," the
Citizens of Igin town retofted. They went straight to the home of their
Babalwo and the
goat was slaughtered. They were even making
jest
of
Qrnm'il
for trying to mislead them.
As soon as the goat was slaughtered the evil spirits consumed its blood.
They all went berserk searching for more blood to consume. When they
could not get
any blood, they began to consume the blood of the citizens of
Igin town. Things became worse. Creditors became debtor. Those who
were hithefto strong and healthy became invalids, pregnant women lost
their pregnancy. Mostable-bodied men and women became
jobless.
Life
112
ii ,'onr"
became unbearable for them at Isin town.
OjmQ m,, mo k'p o tmi dnkund
Ojumq m,, mo k'pO tmi dQQGkundQ
Ojmq m,, mo k'po otmi dln-lnlnrlnkunkn
Dlfiln
Qrunmll
If r{g'awo lq delkja
Translation
The day dawned, I carried my consultation bag with all its (
contents
Early in the morning, I carried my bag ready to go
At dawn, I carried my bag filled with all my needs for my
journeY
These were lf's declarations to
Qrnm'il
When going on Ifa expedition to lkija land
As in Igin town,
Qrnmll
met the Citizens of Ik'lj town dragging a
goat
to
the home of their Babalwo. He asked what they wanted to do with the
goat, They explained that they cast If for overall well being and the
i
Baba|woaskedthemtobringagoatforgbg.QrrfnmI|alsoadvisedthem
not to kill the goat and told them of its
possible consequences if this was
done. Just like what happened in Igin town, the citizens of Ikija town
slaughtered the
goat and all evil things began to happen to them. Their
own was even worse than those things which happened to the people in
Igin town.
ojumo m,, mo k'po o tmi d$$rQkund$
OjmQ m,, mo k'pO tmi dQQr$kundQ
(
Ojrtmg mr mo k'p o tmi dln-lnlnrlnkunkn
1
I)lfitn Orrnmlla
If rtg'awo lg s'de
QtunmQba
Translation
The day dawned, I carried my consultation bag with all its
contenb
Early in the morning, I carried my bag ready to go
At dawn, I carried my bag filled with all my needs for my
journey
!
113
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultaon
These were If's declarations to
Qrnmlla
When going
on If expedition to
QtUnmgb
land
when
Qrnm'il
arrived at
QtnmQb
town, he saw them with a big goat
which they planned
to slaughter in order for them to acquire alL the
good
things of life.
QrUnm)l
advised them aganst it as he had done in
Igin and Ika towns. He warned them of the possible
consequence of
doing such a thing. "what are we going
to do now?', they asked. He told
them to go
and cook 10 big pots
of yam.
when the yam
was sufficiently
done, he asked them to mash it and add palm
oil to it. The pottage
was
mixed together. He advised them to sprinkle it to all the roads leading to
the town and attheir respective doorsteps. They ail compried.
when the evil spirits saw what they had prepared,
they settled down to
consume it. After the consumption, they all lost their appetite for blood
consumption. It was only mashed yam
and oil they were interested in
eating. Unable find more, they left the scene.
As soon as the evil spirits depafted, those responsible for all the good
things of life took over in the town. The inhabitants of
QtUnmQb
became
wealthy. They were blessed with good
spouses and children. Their
businesses grew well. They were very happy.
The following year,
QrnmIl
came to
QtunmQb
town on a visit. when
they saw him they were all hailing him. He asked them; "how was the
situation in your
town since last year? "Everything had been very well
with us; our lives had been veryeventful.
our business had grown
well. we
are all healthy and happy", they responded. They then promised
that they
would never do anything in that town without first preparing
mashed yam
and palm-oil
to appease the spirits. That is what they do in
Qtunmqba
town from that time to date. They began to sing and dance, saying:
Qtrtnmgbe
gmg
aIwo sanra
QlJn
o d o
QtUnmgba
gmg
ajlw sanra
Translation
QtUnmqb
citizen offsprings of those who consume yam
114
il t,ono"
pottage to put on weight
Here comes
QlQtn.
Qtunmgba
inhabitants, the offsprings of those who consume
yam pottage to gain weight
That was how the inhabitants of
QtnmQb
town did themselves a world of
good by listening to the simple advice of
Qrrlnmll
Ojmq mq, mo k'po o tmi dnkund
OjmQ m0, mo k'po temi dQQrQkundQ
ojrmQ mq, mo k'po otmi dln-lnlnrlnkunkn
D6filn
Ornmll
If g'awolgOdelgin
Sbg
ni wQn nl kl wQn
9
e
WQn fetl
Qtn
gb'ebg
WQnfit'Osld n
ojmq mQ, mo k'po otmi dQ$rQkundQ
OjrlmQ mQ, mo k'p tmi dQQnQkunds
Ojumq m,, mo k'po o tmi dln-lnlnrlnkunkn
Dl firn
Qrrtnmll
If g'awo lgOdelkiia
Fbq
ni wqn n| kl wQn ge
WQn fetl ,ttn
gb'ebg
Wn fi t'Osl da n
ojmq m,, mo k'p o tmi drkund
Ojumq m, mo k'p tmi dQQrQkundQ
Ojrtmg m,, mo k'po o tmi dln-lnlnrlnkunkn
Dl filn orrlnmll
Baba g'awo Ig s'ode
Qtnmqba
Fbg
ni wQn nl kl wqn ge
WQn gb'gbgwQn r'bg
Ko p kjlnn
Ire gbogbo w ya d ttru
jq
QtunmQba
gmg ajlwo sanra o
Iw la
jg y
o
Qtrnmqb
gmg ajlw sanra
Translation
The day dawned I carried my consultation bag with all its
contents
Early in the morning I carried my bag ready to go
At dawn, I carried my bag filled with all my needs for my
115
ffa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
journey
These were lf's declarations to
Ortjnmll
When going on If expedition to Igin town
He asked them to offier appropriate gbg
The heard the advice with their left right ears
And threw it away with their left (ears)
The day dawned, I carried my consultation bag with all its
contents
Early in the morning, I carried my bag ready to go
At dawn, I carried my bag filled with all my needs for my
journey
These were lf's declarations to
Qnlnmll
When going on If expedition to Ikij land
They heard the advice with their right ears
And threw it away with their left
The day dawned, I carried my consultation bag with all ib
contents
Early in the morning, I carried my bag ready to go
At dawn, I carried my bag filled with all my needs for my
journey
These were If's declarations to OrUnmll
When going on If expedition to
QtnmQb
land
He advised them to offer appropriate
gbg
They complied according to the advice given to them by Ifa
Before long not too far
All the good thing of life became theirs
Now,
QtUnmgb
citizens, offsprings of those who consume yam pottage
to
gain weight.
If says that all the
good
things of life shall surely come the way of the
person for whom this Od is revealed as long as he/she can listen to simple
advice and observe the taboo never to slaughter any anmal during any
occason where he/she is involved.
19. If says that the
person for whom this Od is revealed must try
his/her best possble to avoid being involved in a serious scandal
which may tarnish his/her image and reputation for the rest of
his/her life.
116
ll
''ono'
If says also that there is a very beautiful
young lady where this Od
{
is revealed with whom someone, a relation, is having an incestuous
\
relationship. There is equally this male relation who had been trying
to
protect this
young lady who needed to be advised as well so that
both of them may notend up disgracing themselves.
However, if this had alreadytaken
place, each of those involved must
first of all confess their misdeeds in the
presence of those who ought
to know about it. Each of them also needed to offer
gbg with one he-
goat and money. Each of them also needed to feed If with one
goat
(
and at least six litres of
palm
oil. If this is not done, they are not likely
to succeed in anything they lay their hands upon for the rest of their
lives. This is because the wrath of the Deities shall continue to live
with them throughout their lives. That is why it is very impoftant to
ensure that they propitiate If in order for them to be forgiven. On
these,If says:
Igelgekrtge
Iwalhokuhr
l{ff mUwgn-qnfeountlwgn kOlesg
(
Igelgekuge
Iwalhukuhr
Nll m wqn-qn sg oun tl wgn kO le ge
Dl firn
Qtooq
En[n
Tlyo bl'mqoblnrin kan naa
Tlyslfi g'oblnrin
fbg
ni wQn nl k w
9e
Translation
Untoward conducts and actions
\.
Irreg u lar cha racters a nd attitudes
Were what make them to do whatthey cannotsay
Untoward conducts and actions
Irreg u lar characters and attitudes
Were what make them to say what they cannot do
These were lf's declarations to OJQoJQ En)yn
Who after
giving bifth to only one woman
Shall in turn make her his woman
He was advised to offer ebo
117
t
lfa Dida: An nvtation to lfa Consultation
OjqOtq Enlyn was a very popular man in his communty. He was a great
merchant. He had travelled far and wide in the course of his business
transactions. For this reason, he was well known far and wide. He was
also very wealthy.
He gave
bifth to an extremely beautiful girl who soon became the center of
attraction everywhere she went to. She was the dream wife of all eligible
bachelors. Because of this girl's
striking beauty,
QtQoJQ
En)yn was never
comfotable whenever his lovely daughter was not around her. He then
decided to be taking her everywhere he went to. Instead of solving any
problem, this move only compounded the existing one. Everywhere they
went, people were making passes
at her, even at her tender age. All these,
QtOqtq
EnIyn rubuffed.
When this
young lady became matured and ripe for marriage, all known
influential people in the communities sent emissaries to
QTQOJQ
EnIyn,
that they were interested in marrying her daughter. For example, kings
like
QlQfin
of Il-IfQ,
Qw
of ljqgaland, Alr of llara-EkIti, Ajer of )jer-
Eldtl,
Qwrngrn
oflla town, OltlgbQn of ll-Igbqn, Ewiof Ado-Ekl and so
on showed their interest in marrying the daughter of
Qtggtg
Enlyn. All of
these people, heturned down.
One day however, people
suddenly realised that
Qtgog
Enlyn's daughter
had become
pregnant. All the Kings, chiefs and very important
personalities in the various communities became curious. They wanted to
know who that person whom
QtqoJE
EnIyn considered more wofthy of his
daughter's hand in marriage was. They sent emissaries to him to let them
know the husband-to-be. He only told them that they shall know the lucky
man in due course of time.
Soon after,
QtEqtQ
En'lyn's daughter gave
bfth to a bouncing baby boy.
The naming ceremony was fixed for the sixth day of bfth. Unable to know
what to do,
Qtqqtq
EnIyn went to the Awo mentioned above for If
consultation. He did not want anyone to know that he was the person
responsible for putting his own daughter in the family way. He wanted to
know what he needed to do in order for him to be able to cover up this
118
ii t,onu"
scandal.
The Awo told
Qtqqt0
EnTyn that he had done a grave
thing.
Consequently, the wrath of the Deities was on him and the person with
whom this outrageous act was perpetrated. The Awo declared that he
must confess his misdeeds and ofter an
gbg with one he-goat. Afterthis,
he must feed Ifa with one she-goat. He must also pray
to the Deities for
forgiveness. He must never repeat the action again. All these,
Qt00t0
En'iyn felt was impossible for him to do, especially the aspecb'which the
Awo said that he must confess his misdeeds. The Awo declared that the
steps enumerated above were the only condition under which he could
ever see the forgiveness and favour of the Deities in his life. Failure to
comply would only mean that he would live with the wrath of the Deities
forthe remaining paftof his life.
QtQOtq
Enlyn thought over his problem and decided to offer his gbg
as
prescribed
by his Awo. He therefore invited allthose who had ever made
passes
at his daughter before, to the naming ceremony of the new-born-
baby. He promised
them that they would all know the lucky father of the
new-born-baby.
All the Kings sent representatives to the ceremony with the instruction for
them to identiff the husband of
Qtqqtq
Enlyn's daughter who was more
presentable
or more impoftant than them. Other Very Impoftant
Personalities were physically present. The guests were lavishly
entetained. Curious
guests
asked
QtqOtq
Enlyn when the husband
would appear to them, but he only asked them to be patient
and that they
would soon know the husband. When all the guests had beed fed to their
satisfaction, the host announced that he wanted to announce the
presence
of the husband in due course. He then disappeared inside his
house.
When he appeared again, he had changed his dress. He was wearing his
best dress, looking very attractive and
justifiably presentable. He told the
gathering that he would announce the father of the new-born-baby with a
song. He said:
119
lfa Dida: An nvtation to lfa Consultaton
f
wlfnAlr
$fipe mo sJge
!wlfnAjerO
VUlpemosJgeo
f
wlfitn
Qrngrtn
IlIl
lillpmosJgeo
!wlfiln Qbal'fyQAjorl
tillpmosJgeo
KO ma m sl eni tl slse ko l b o
Translation
TellAbra, the King ofllara
ThatI have made a terrible mistake
TellAjer0, the King ofljer
That I have committed a grave blunder
Tell
Qrngr1n,
the King oflla
ThatI havecommitted a big error
Tell
Qbal-yQ,
the King of
QyQtown
That I have terribly misbehaved
There is no-oneabove mistake
When he said this, everyone present
understood
song. They all went home to report their findings.
the implicaton of the
lgelgekrtge
IwaIhrkuhr
Ml m wgn-qn geountl wgn kO lesq
Igelgekrtge
Iwalhrkuhr
Nll mu wqn-qn sg oun tl wgn kO |ee
$e
Dl firn
QtOoO
Enlyn
Tl yo bl'mg oblnrin kan naa
Tl y sl fi g'oblnrin
fbg
ni wQn nl kO w ge
gb'gbo, r'bg
je
e
wl fin Alr
tMpe mo sJge
fiwlfirnAjerO
Urflpe mo sJge o
Iwlfiln Qrangn
IlIl
fMpe mo sJge o
f
wlfilnQbat'fyQAjorl
120
ll ,'ono.
Wlpe mo sJge o
KO m m slgni tl e$Se k l ba o
Translation
Untoward conducts and actions
Irreg u lar characters a nd attitudes
Were what makethem to dowhatthey cannotsay
Untoward conducts and actions
Irregu la r characters and attitudes
Were what makethem to saywhattheycannotdo
These were lf's declarations to
QtQQtQ
Enlyn
Who after giving birth to only one woman
Shall in turn make her his woman
He was advised to offer gbg
He complied
Now, tellAlara
That I have made a terrible mistake
TellAjerO
That I have committed a grave blunder
TellQrangun oflla
ThatI have committed a big error
Tellthe King of
Qyg
That I have terribly misbehaved
There is no-one above mistake
20. If says that the
person for whom this Od is revealed is fond of
fighting a no-wn battle. He/she loves to fight a hopeless battle in
which he/she would be
justifoing
his/her acton without success.
If says that if the person for whom this Od is revealed has
sympathy for someone or for a cause, he/she will begin to fight for
{
the cause or
person even if it is obvious that such fight is hopeless.
Consequently, If says that it is advisable for this person to accept
whatever he/she cannot change
gracefully. He/she should desist
from fighting wrongly.
If also says that the person for whom this Od is revealed needs to
offer gbg so as to live his/her Iife honourably. He/she cannot hope
to live forever, but he/she can offer
gbg for him/her to attain
great
121
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
height in life, have honour and respect, peace
of mind and dignity
before he/she dies.
On these, he/she needs to offer gbg with two white pigeons,
two
guinea
fowls two ducks and money. He/she also needs to feed If
with four rats, four fish and money. A stanza supporting these
asseftions says:
Agbak mogbelsl
Dl fif n
Qrrnmlla
Babay b lkja
Ysl
jeb
rk
fbg
ni wqn ff kge
Translation
Agbak mogbelsle
He wastheAwo castlf forrunmlb
Who shall fight against Ikti (Death)
And shall be found guilty
He was advised to offer gbg
when
Qrnm'll
was here on eafth, he had only a few friends whom he
chose with extreme care. He made sure that all his friends were law-
abiding, decent, God-fearing, honest, dedicated, humble, trustwofthy and
reliable. For this reason, he valued these friends. Once in a while, he used
to
give
them assignments on ways to improve the communities in which
they lived. These friends would carry out the assignments to his
satisfaction. For these,
Qnfnmll
was extremely proud
of these friends.
Theirfriendship lasted fora very long time.
At a stage however, Iktl began to pick
these friends one after the other.
This infuriated
Qrnm'll
to the extent that the decided to wage a serious
war against Iktl. He claimed that all those who had been assisting him to
carry out the missions which Oldmar set out for him were being
systematica lly el i minati ng by Iktl.
All his loved ones were being deliberately removed by lku. In order to
fashion out the best way to deal with lkr1,
Qrnm)l
went for If
consultation in the house of Agbkr1-Mogbe-Isele. He was however told
122
li ,,ono"
notto engage in this fight because he would eventually be found guilty.
On hearing this, he got more infuriated and decided to
9o
and lodge his
complaint against Ik n the
presence of Oldmar. When he arrived
there, he reported to Oldmar how callous Ikrt had been. He explained
in details how Ikri had been taking away all the
good and selfless
people
who had been assisting him in his work. Oldmar, after bearing allwhat
Qrnmll
had to say, sent for Ikrt to come and explain his own side of the
matter.
When Ikrl arrived, Oldmar asked
Qrnm'll
to repeat all the allegations
he had levelled against Ikr1.
Qnfnmll
did. Oldmare then demanded for
Ikrl's representations on the matter. Ik responded that all of
Qrrlnm'il's
allegations were misplaced and one-sided.. Ik explained that the
assignment
given to him by Oldmar was that of taking away all living
beings whenever their time was up. This assignment required being
carried out without discrimination, fear or favour. Anyone whose time was
up;
young or old, ugly or beautiful, shoft or tall, benevolent or wicked,
honest or dishonest, hail or sickly, brilliant or dull, God fearing or heaftless,
dark skinned or fair complexioned, would be taken away. He stated fufther
that
Qrnmll
was angry that he (Ik'l) took away those assisting him in
carrying out his assignments, but he convieniently forgot about those
spoiling his good works whom he (Iku) had equally taken away. Ik said
that
Qrnmll
was complaining against him for killing good people but he
did not say anything aboutthe bad
people whom he had equally killed. Ik
rested his submission.
After this, Oldmar asked
Qrnm'il
if that was his first time of coming
into the world on assignment.
Qrnmll
responded that it was not.
Oldmar then asked him if he had ever met again those who assisted him
on his
previous assignments on eafth.
Qrnm)l
said that he had not.
When asked what had become of them,
Qrrlnm)l
responded that they
were all dead. Then Oldmar declared that all the people who were
assisting him at that
point in time would also die. Without death, there can
be no rebifth. Without death, there can be no
judgement. It is only during
judgement
by Oldmar thatthose who were bad can be commensurately
rewarded. Human
judgement
can be faulty; but the
judgement
of the
Deities can never be wrong. Oldmar then ordered Orrlnmll to
123
lfa Dda: An invitation to lfa Consultation
apologse to Ikti for accusing Ikrl wrongly.
Qrnm)l
did. The matter was
thus settled. This was noted.
Iktl however told Oldmar that it was clear that the assgnment given
to
him by Oldmar would make all human beings to hate him since they
would not appreciate his work, no matter the explanation. He sought relief
from oldmar. As from that day, oldmar declared that nobody
would trace anyone's death directly to Ikrt (Death)
anymore. whenever
anyone died, if people
asked forthe cause of death, nobodywould mention
Ik; instead, they would mention other causes such as old age, illness,
accident, ignorance, recklessness, excessive alcoholism, assassination,
suicide, accidental missile shot, stabbing, malnutrition, poisoning, hunger,
staruation and so on. Ikrl thus got
his much-needed relief.
Agbak mogbelsl
Dlfitn Orunmlla
Baba y
b lkt
ja
Y d
jeb
lkr
f
bg ni wQn nl k
9e
Njgarafubhundo
Arbbahun d
Iba ge wlp wgn kll kr l'y o
Arlgbhun d o
Translation
Agbakrt mogbelsle
He was the Awo cast If for
QrUnmIl
Who shall fight against Ik (Death)
And shall be found guilty
He was advised to offer
gbg
Where are the elders of old
Where are the elders of yesteryears
Had it being that people
do not experience death on eafth
Where are the elders of old
It is the gbg
to live a fulfilled life we ought to offer
If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed must not level
allegation against those doing their normal
jobs.
124
ll ,,ono"
B. SIGNIFICANCE OF EJI.OGBE FOR THOSE BORN BY THE
oD DURTNG TTELODU ORIK9SEOAVE
Eil-Ogbe is the most important and the most extensive of all the 256 Od.
It is the King among all the other Od. Those born by the Od are equated
among kings. It is not advisable for Efi-Ogb children to prostrate to
Kings as such
gesture is likely to have an adverse effect on such King.
By nature, Ejl-Ogb children love to crave to attention. They love to be
pampered. They see themselves as someone whom others owe a duty to
make comfoftable.
The success of Ejl-Ogb children is guaranteed. They will have a home of
their own; they will be able to have all those things which make people
comfoftable. They are however advised to pursue marriage and
childbearing business early in life as it is essential to do so. If this is not
taken seriously, there is a high likelihood that they may have problem of
child-bearing and may invest a huge resource on this in order to ensure
thatthey havetheir own children in their lives.
Ejl-Ogb children are
flQgbQ
children, they have the suppott of
fgbQ
and
If n this regard. They are born leaders even though they sometimes lack
the capability to manage huge resources and many followers. This
notwithstanding however, they will have a lot of respect and honour from
far and wide. They will not die
young, they usually leave the stage of life
when their ovation is atthe loudest,
These children also have an unbelievable capacity to overcome
advdersary. To them, no person who conspires against them shall strive or
succeed. To them also, it is never late for them to achieve success and
recognition in life. When there is life, there is hope. When there is hope,
there are boundless oppoftunities to succeed.
In order to succeed however, they must never rest on their oars or be
complacent untilthey reach the zenith of their chosen careers in life. They
have the tendency to be easily carried away by little achievements. This is
why it is good for all Ejl-Ogb children to be constantly reminded not to
125
lfa Dida: An nvitaton to lfa Consuftation
rest until they achieve their ultimate success in life. Indeed, Ejl-ogb
children can become very lazy if they are not urged on to success.
Ejl-Ogb children have the tendency to assume that they are wiser than
others, only to be proven
to be bloody fools. Conversely, those who feel
that Ejl-Ogb children are fools, who can easity be taken for a ride, will
only live to regret such assumption.
There is the tendency that Ejl-Ogb children may experience terrible
losses in their lives. They nonetheless have the luck and capability to
bounce back and,regain all what they have lost several times over. To
them, when there is life, there is hope. When there is hope, there are
greater
oppoftunities.
Ejl-Ogb children have the luckof getting
hooked to the paftners
of their
dream. Their spouses are usually loving and understanding. They also
take care of their spouses, even though there is the tendenry for them to
engage in extra- ma rita I activities.
These children must always be warned against engaging in scandalous
activities, which may end up disgracing and humiliating them. This
advice is very impoftant because one hardly finds one Ejl-ogb child
who can live above board in this area. wth much determination,
however, they may be able to caution themselves.
On the whole, Ejl-Ogb children have the potentials
to live well fulfilled
lives and leave their marks on the sand of history.
when it come to movements, if an Ejl-ogb child plans
to travel to
another place for a shoft time, it is good.
But if he/she plans
to
go
and
live there on a
permannent
basis, it is not advisable. Fufthermore, f Eil-
ogbe children plan
a change of worlg change of school, change of home,
change of environment, change of spouse, adequate Ifa consultations
must be made and all the necessary gbg
must be performed
before this
can be done.
For the children whom Efl-ogb was revealed for during lkgsQdy, no
animal must be slaughtered in the home of the parents for the naming
126
ii ,'ono"
ceremony of the chld
-
no bird, no beast, in fact, no blood must be spilled
t
for the namng ceremony. The parents may however
go to the market to
i'
purchase all the meat in the market and use it for the naming ceremony.
There is nothing wrong in this. Futhermore, the child must not be taken
into the market until he/she is old enough to enter the market on his/her
own volition.
In general, the heaven is the beginning of all opportunities for Eil-Ogbe
children. They must however be advised against being too emotional or
fighting a wrong cause.
{
C. AFFILIATED IRNMgLF AND ORIFA OF EJI-OGBE
ET-Ogbe is affiliated to all lrnmglQ and Oga. However, the more
prominent ones include the following:
1. If
- For overall Ire and especially for protection against
untimely death.
,
2. Or
- For suppoft, achievement and success. It is also for
I
victory over adversary
3. q
-
For overatl Ire and to facilitate the
good things of life
coming towards the children of ElT-Ogbe
4.
gbetld-
For
progress, longevity, comfortand
peaceof mind
5.
$ngo
-
Forchildren,
good spouse and success
6. Ogrtn
-
For victory and direction
7. Aj (wealth deity)
- For financial success,
progress and self-
fulfilment
I
8.
Fgb
For leadership,
progress and
god support. Also for long
life,
9. Oke
- For
progress and long life and victory over adversary
10. Ibejl
- For double success, double victory and multiple Bifth
D. TABOOS OF EJI-OGBE
The taboos of E)-Ogbe are so many that it is not likely that anyone can
avoid all of them. Consequently, most Babalwo or Iyarff use to consul,
i
127
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consuftation
If on which ones to drop among these taboos. Prominent among them
are:
1. Must not eat
goat
to avoid depression and lack of progress
2. Must not eat fowl to avoid being turned against by peers and
colleagues
3. Must noteat peanuts toavoid children moftality
4. Must noteat mushrooms same as in (3)
5. Must noteatlmumu (0fr0) same as in (3)
6. Must not brush his body against early-morning dew (i.e must not go
outtoo early in the morning) to avoid unfulfilled dreams
7. Must never be envious of other people's
achievements
-
to avoid
calamity and disaster to avoid unwanted repercussions
8. Must never be involved in sexual scandal to avoid disgrace and
humiliation
9. Must never thin(
plan
or do evil to others to avoid negative
repercussion
10. Must never tell lies to avoid the wrath of the Deities and public
condemnation
11. Must never eat snakes to avoid being castigated among peers
72. Must never sleep in total darkness to avoid disappointments and to
be able to fulfil his/her destiny
13. Must never settrap for animals to avoid unfulfilled ambitions
t4. Must never be a tailor or use needles to avoid being condemned by
peers. And to avoid lackof suppoft from colleagues
15. Must never pursue wealth at the expense of children to avoid
childlessness
E. POSSIBLE NAMES FOR EI-OGBE CHILDREN
Males
1. TQmllj - Ones Life is most important
2. Ablnjg - The unique bifth
3.
Qlmenl
- Honour is given to one's
present position
4.
QlQrunjlnml
- God blessed me
5.
Qkanhwgn
-
This one is special and different
128
ll
''
ono"
6. Orlmidra
- My Orl is good
7. Ikrtggbgb - Death has forgotten (about me)
8. Ifllay - If owns the world
9. Ifygrl
-
If excels
10. Iftqba
-
If is great
Females
1. Ifgbay
- If s universal
2.
Qmglagg
-
Children are one's coverlet
3.
Qmgniyl
- Chld is one's
prestige
4. Eird
5. Orlmidra
- My O is good
6. Okemuyiwa
-
Oke (deity) has brought this
7.
qhffitn - In-exhaustible honour
AB9RABgYE
129
Chapter 2
OVEr(I MEI
tl
ll lr
llil
illt
lril
Chapter 2
QvFK
MEi
Alias: EfI-QVf
A.
1. If says that it foresees all the Ire in life for the person
for whom this
odu,
QyQkrl-Ml
is revealed. If says that this person
shail be
blessed with abundant wealth, good
and loving spouse, healthy and
.well-behaved
children and all other essential things of life.
If also says that the most appropriate time for this person
to pray
to
his/her oldmar and other Deities is early in the mornings. By so
doing, If says that all his/her prayers
shall be answered.
If advises this client to offer gbg with ttno hens, two pigeons,
hro
rats, two fish, two guinea-fowls,
hro cocks and money so that all
these good things of life shall be his/hers forever. On this aspect,
QyQku-
M) says:
QpelelytErn
Lda'knd'le
Dffn Peregede
Tfl9eyyeOjmq mq
f
bg ni wgn nl kO waa s. e
Translation
QpQIQ
divnation seeds are they which after being filled up with food
Turned their stomach to the ground
This was lf's declaration to Peregede
The mother of Ojmg-mQ, the day has dawned
She was advised to offer ebg
It was Peregede who was complaining about her inability to succeed in life. She
had no money, no hope of succeeding in future. Consequently, she went to the
Awo mentioned above for If consultation. She was assured that she would
ceftainly attain success in her life. She was told that she was destined to succeed
in life. She was however advised to be communicating to her Oldmar and the
131
lfa Dida: An invitaon to lfa Consultation
Deities very early in the mornings as that was the time that the heavenly beings
were most disposed to answering her
prayers. She was also advised to offer gbg
as stated above.
She complied with all the advices
given by the Awo and noted the obseruations
of the Awo to her. Before long, she succeeded in her trade. Shoftly after this,
she had a
good spouse. Together with her spouse, she was able to take care of
her health. Soon after, she became
pregnant and had a bouncing baby. After
this, she had many more babies. With her husband and children, they built a big
house. They soon bought a horse. Wth all her achievements she knew that she
had hope for a brighter future. She was full of
joy
for what the Deities had done
for her.
Qpeelytn
Lda'kn d'le
Dlfiln Peregede
TfigeycyOimqmq
Fbq
niwqn nl kw
$e
gb'Qbgr'bg
ojmqlremEmil'nff
ttol'Ajelqwq
Peregede
Iwgni YyOjmq-mq
ojmqlremq milnll
Mo I'QkQnll
Percgede
IwgniYyOimq-mq
OjUmqlremQ mi lnfl
Mobl'mgl'mg
Peregede
IwgniYyOimq-mq
ojumqlremqm lnllo
MokQ'lmQ'l
Peregede
.
IwgniYyOjmQ-mq
OjumqlremQmi lnff
Mo I'Qgin l'ekan
Peregede
Iwg ni Yy Ojumq-mq
ojmqlre mQ mi lnll
Mo nl'rcgbogbo
Peregede
IwgniYyOimq-mq
Translation
Qpele
seed are they which after being filled up with food
(
132
ilt
iiii over<u n're
Turned their stomach to the ground
This was If's declaration to Peregede
The mother of Ojm-mQ, the day has dawned
Shewas advised to offer
gbg
Shecomplied
Good day has dawned for me today
I am blessed with wealth
Peregede
You are the motherof OjmQ-mQ
Good day has dawned for me today
I am blessed with a good spouse
Peregede
You arethe mother of Ojmq-mQ
Good day has dawned for me today
I am blessed with lovely children
Peregede
You arethe motherof OjmQ'mQ
Good day hasdawned for metoday
I am blessed with comfortable home
Peregede
You are the mother of OjmQ-mo
Good day has dawned for me today
I am blessed with horses in the manger
Peregede
You are the mother of OjmQ-mQ
God day has dawned for me today
I am blessed with allthe good things in lfe
Peregede
You are the mother of OjmQ-mQ
If says that as long as the person for whom this Od is revealed knows how to
pray every mornng, work hard and is hopeful in life, there is no limit to what
he/she acheves. He/she shall be blessed with all the good things of life.
2. If says that the
person for whom this Od is revealed shall definitely
succeed in life. If says that it has been
pat of his/her destiny to succeed
in life. Consequently, his/her success is coming from heaven and not as a
result of any assstance from human bengs. He/she may be grateful to
some people for being instrumental to his/her success, but the ultimate
gratitude goes to Oldmar for counting him/her among the successful
ones in life. On this, If says:-
Subrlad o r'Qmg okn, kQriri-kQriri
royunkun ryungba
r yngb 16 gbngbnd
133
lfa Dida: An invtation to lfa Consultaon
Ojo ba'h m'le rin gblndlngblndln
Dlfrtn Eil-Qve

Tlyt'Qrun lw'yblQba
Frekq
\
Sbgniwqn
nlk9e
Translation
Subad saw the Okn beads and showed her happiness
'She
who dresses fashionably
She who dresses flamboyantly
The rain falls, and made the ground wet and soft
These were lf's declarations to El-QyQ
Who shall bring his unprecedented success from heaven to the world
He was advised to offer gbg
(
When E:l-QyQ was about to come into this world, he chose as
paft
of his destiny
all the good things of life wealth, good spouse, lovely children, good
health,
respect, honour, comfoftable home, long life, peace
of mind, victory over
adversary and so on, while on earth, he went to the Awo mentioned above to
determine how best to achieve all what had been destined for him while in
heaven. He was advised to offer gbg with three
pigeons,
and money. He was
also advised to feed If with plenty
of
Qm)nI,
banana and palm-oil.
He
complied. He was equally told to feed his Of with plenty
of
QmInI
bananas and
palm-oil. Before long, E:t-QVe became the most successful among his peers.
(
When asked how he was able to make it that big, he simply responded that he
\
had brought his success from heaven.
Subrlad O r'Qmg okn, kQriri-kQriri
royunkun rcyngb
rO yUngbe r gbngbnd
Ojo ba'h m'lQ rin gblndlngblndln
Dlfln El-Qyg
Tl y t'Qrun l w'y bl
Qba Frekq
f;bg
ni wQn nl k geO gb'ebo,
O ru'bo
,
Qrun
lmiti mrt idldQqtemibQw'ye
'.,
qgedeqmlnlod
Qlgmgat'Qrun
gblw bQ
Translation
Subrfad saw Okn beads and showed her happiness
She who dresses fashionably
She who dresses fl amboyantly
The rain falls, and made the ground wet and soft
These were If's declarationsto Elt-QVe
Who shall bring his unprecedented success from heaven to the world
He was advised to offer
ebQ
(
134
i!li or"*u t"'
Hecomplied
It is from heaven I brought my O of comfort and success
Here comes an
QmInI
banana
Which brought its destinyfrom heaven
If says that the success of
QyQktl-Mjt
children and those for whom this
Od is revealed during consultation is guaranteed.
It is
just
a matter of
when it will come and how it will come.
3. If says that the person
for whom this Od is revealed shall be blessed
with many children. If says that his/her home shall be like a market
with children. All the children shall be healthy, lovely, obedient and
successful. He/she need to offer gbg with eight rats, eight fishrhruo
hens and money. He/she also needs to feed If with four rats and
fourfish with palm
oil. On this aspect, a stanza in
QyEkrl-MI
says:
Igbotq'lQ kl'lg ml
IgbOtq'lQ kl'lQ rin dQndQn
Q+qq+q-Fge
on|rro
IX filn
Qlbamlnle
Tfi
S'gmg fgb
nl'lAk
Ey to fgylntl m'jr qkrin
snrhn gmg
Fbq
ni wQn nl k
9e.
Translation
Letlgb0 birds walk on the ground for the ground to shake
LetIgbO birds walk on the ground for the ground
to wet profusely
Thechirping of
f9,
the palm-birds
These were declarations of If to
Qlbanf
nlQ
Theofbpring of
fgb
inthe homeof Ak
When weeping in lamentation of his inability to give
bifth to a child
He was advised to offer gbg
Qlbarnfnl
was married for a very long time. Unfoftunately, the marriage was
not blessed with any chld. He tried everything he knew, to no avail. one day, he
summoned courage and went to the Awo mentioned above for If consultation;
would he be blessed with children in his life? Would he have children who would
assist him in his old age? The Awo assured
QlbarnfnlQ
that he would be blessed
with several children and grand children in his life. He was told that his home
shall turn to a market with children. He was however advised to offer ebo as
prescribed
above. He complied.
Before long, hiswife became pregnant.
She gave
bifth to a baby boy. Soon.after,
135
Ifa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
she
gave bith to several other children in quick successon. Before long, these
children began to
give birth to several children of their own. The home of (.
glbarffnlQ
was so fullof children that people began to compare his home with a
market. This comparison
gave
QlbanfnlQ
the greatest
joy
of his life.
QlbanfnlQ
lived and died a very happy man, when he was asked how he got all
the children, he used to respond that it was If who promised him that his home
shall be asfilled with children asa market.
Igbotg'l$ kl'19 ml
Igbotg'lQ kl'lQ rin dQndQn
Q+qqqe-Fga
onlrro
Dl filn
QlbmlnlQ
/
Tff g'gme
Fgb
nl'lAk
\
Eyltf,ylntl m'jtl
ekun
s0nrhn
gmg
fbg
ni wQn nl k
9e.

gb'$bg' nt'bg
Nje
Qqqqqq-Fga
onlrro
If r'p il ib kn
A d'oia Onlrro
Q+qe$-Fga
onlrrc
Translation
Letlgb birds walkon the ground forthe ground to shake
(
Letlgbo birds walk on the ground for the ground to wet profusely
The chirping of
Pg,
the
Palm-birds
These were declarations of If to
Qlbarnf
nlQ
Theoffspring of
pgb
inthe homeof Ak
When weeping in lamentation of his inability to give bifth to a child
He was advised to offer ebo
He complied
Now, the chirping of
Fg
birds
It is If which promised that this home shall be filled with
Children (
And shall be comPared to a market
QSqOpq-Fg
onf rro, the chirping of the
fga
birds we praise!
4. If says that it foresees the lre of a chieftaincy title for the
person for
whom this Od is revealed. If says that he/she shall become a title-
holder before he/she died.
If says also that he/she shall be blessed with a fitting spouse and
also with beautiful and well-behaved children.
136
||t!
ll il Oyeku Meji
If equally says that the persons for whom this Od is revealed shall
live long. He/she shall never die
young. He/she shall never be
involved in group death, such as multiple accidents or any other
mishap which may cause several
people to die at the same time.
When the
person for whom this Od is revealed is outside, there is
the need for him/her to be careful with what he/she will be eating.
This is because eating outside may cause serious disagreement between
him/her and his/her loved ones.
If says that there is need for people to have respect for elders where
this Od is revealed. This is in order to avoid terrible calamity here.
There is also the need to offer the following gbg here, for chieftaincy:
two pigeons, two cow:t?ils, one male duck and money. For a
good spouse: hro hens for males, cocks for females, and
money; for children: four rats, four fish, one guinea fowl and
money: for longevity: hro cocks and money: for avoidance of
calamity: two cocks and money. There is also the need to feed If
with ether a hen or a she goat, and to feed Eg with either a cock or a
he-goat. On allthese, a stanza in
QyQkrl-M)
says:
Igbklnnl
Wqn
4
pa kbQ-kbQ-krlbwo'lAro
Mo nl Owo lQ rlpa krbq-kbe-kbq wg'le Aro s{?
WQn nl Oyl'wgn
jq
Mo nl Oly y gb ogb Ohyqyetuy
Y gb ogb Olyeeyeetuye
Y gb ogb OlgbO oun epr
Ara gbogbo l'qt fil h'ew gburugburu
YgbogbOl-Ago
Qgbqqgbq
lywo,
Q9'qryw
g'akin
Eyl togbogbgb
Td fgmg ow rn olde s'qrn
Qmsowu
jejeeje
kr bl abr

gbe irinwgdrln l'ye baba rq
btqqegbjesmq
Translation
Theveryfirsttime
They were congregating in the home of Ar
I enquired why they were congregating in the home of Ar
137
lfa da: An invitation to lfa Consultation
They responded thatthey were taking a chieftainry title
I prayed that the title holder shall grow old and feeble
The title holder shall live very long on earth
The title holder shall grow grey hair and become bald-headed
.
Just like the guinea fowl grows grey hair all over its body
The title holder shall be as old as OhJ-ASo
The newly betrothed wife, who is both beautifuland brave
Whogrewsoold
And used the blacksmith's hammer as her neck pendant
The hammer ate away steadily with age
And reduced to
just
a mere needle
She spent 400 years on the throne of her ancestors
She gave
birth to 1,300 children
If says that while
Qrrlnmll
was wanderng about, he met people preparng
to
take chieftainry title in the home of Ar. He went there to enquire what they
were doing. They told him and he blessed them. After this, they asked him to
return home as his wanderng was enough. He responded that it was not yet
time for him to return home.
IsbaQQkejl
WQn n pa kubg-kUbe-kb$wg'lAr
Mo nlemi niwqn p kbe-kbQ-krtbQwg'lArsl?
WQn nilyw l'wQn gb
Mo nl lyew y gb ogb OlyeJeqtuyq
Y gb ogb olrryQeyeetuye
Y gb ogb Olgb oun aprl
Ara gbogbo l'gt fl hiew gburugburu
Y gb ogb Ol-ASo
ggbQQg
bQ lyw,
Qq'qrqw 9'akin
Ey{togbogbgbo
Tfgmg ow rn old s'orn
Qmsowu
jejeeje
k bt abere
gb irinwgdrtn l'ye baba
rc
blqdqgbejegmg
Translation
The second time
They were congregating in the home of Ar
I enquired why they were congregating in the home of Ar
They responded thatthey were taking a new wife
I prayed thatthe newwife shall grow old and feeble
The new wife shall live very long on earth
The wife shall grow grey hair and become bald-headed
Just like guinea-fowl grows grey hair all over its body
138
(
i!iior*""'
The new wife shall be as old as Ohf -Agg
The newly betrothed wife who is both beautiful and brave
Whogrewsoold
And used the blacksmiths hammer as her neck pendant
The hammer ate away steadily with age
And reduced to
justa
mere needle
She spent 400 years
on the throne of her forefathers
She gave
birth to 1,300 children
Qrnmll
also narrated how he wandered about and returned to Ar's home the
second time. He saw
people
celebrating during a marriage ceremony. When he
was told this,
Qrrlnm'll
blessed them. After this, they asked
Qrnmll
to come
and celebrate with them in Ar's home and stop wanderng about.
Qrrlnmll
declined theirofferand told them that itwas notyettimefor him to return home.
lgbaQQkta
Wqn pa kbg-kbQ-kbQwg'leAro
Mo nleminiwQn p kbe-kbe-kbqwg'lArs{?
WQn nl gmg l'wQn tk
Mo nl
Qmg
yoo
9b
ogb Olyeeye*uye
Y gb ogb olyeeyeetuye
Y gb ogb Olgb oun prl
Ara gbogbo l'gt fil h'ew gburugburu
YgbogbOl-A$o
ggbQQgbQ
lyiwO,
Q+'qre,
w
S'akin
Eyltogbogbgb
T fgmg ow rn od s'Qrn
qmgowr jqjeejq
ku blabqrq
gb irinw gdrin l'ye baba rq
ueeqgbjesms
Translation
On thethird occasion
Theywere congregating in the home of Ar
I enqured what they were congregating in the home of Ar for
They responded thattheywere doing a naming ceremony
I prayed thatthe new born babyshallgrow old and feeble
The new born baby shall live very long on earth
The baby sha | | grow g rey hair and become bald-headed
Just like guinea-fowl grows grey hairall over its body
The baby shall be as old as Ohl-ASQ
The newly betrothed wife, who is both beautiful and brave
Who lived and became so old
And used the blacksmith's hammer as her neck pendant
The hammer ate away steadily with age
139
lfa Dida: An nvitation to lfa Consultation
And reduced to
just
a mere needle
She spent 400 years on the throne of her ancestors
She gave bifth to 1,300 children
Again,
Qrrtnmll
narrated how he came to Ar's house the third time. He met
them celebrating the arrivalof a new born baby. He blessed the baby. Again, he
was invited to enter the house of Ar and celebrate with them. This time around
he did.
Qrnm'il
said that when he glanced
at his right hand side, he saw people eating
mashed
yam with palm oil. They invited him to come and eat but he declined.
He said that when he glanced at his left hand side, he saw another group of
people eating mashed water-yam with palm-oil. They too invited him to come
and eat; and again, he declined. He said that when he glanced straight ahead,
he found yet another group of
people eating mashed coco-yam with palm-oil.
And again, he was invited to come and eat; and this time around, he ate a little
and returned to his own home.
When he got home,
Qrnmll
said that his adopted
parents asked him to tell
them what he ate outside; and he responded that he did not know what he ate.
Hearing this, his adopted parents said that they were going to beat him up for
that. There and then,
Qrnmll
said that he declared that it was a forbidden act
for anyone to ever lay his/her hand against him. He said that nobody raises
his/her hand to beat a cobra, or a boa conscriptor, or a leopard, if not a proficient
hunter. That was the time
QrrlnmIl's
adopted parents suspected that he was
not an ordinary human being after all.
In their state of confusion, they asked Orrlnmll to tellthem where he learnt all
what he was saying. In order to confuse them the more,
Qrnm'll
said that he
told them another story to shield himself from answering their question. He said
thatthe event in the storywentthus:
Two devilish beings named AwrirrJk-Madgb and 0jO-perk-m-wQ wentto
E)gb-mgkn market and gave the mother of Ikrl (Death) a beating of her life.
When Ik heard of what had happened, he used a cobra as his protection
charm
and used a scorpion as his charm for finding his ways in the dark.
Armed with these charms,
Qrnmll
said that Ik landed onlgb tree and felled
t. Next it was
Fde
tree and it was felled. Next it was Irk tree and this was
felled. Next it was Ooro tree and again it was felled. In his blind fury and desire
(
144
ililor"*"",'
to destroy anything and everything that he came across on hs way, he landed on
AynrQ tree in order to fell it. AynrQ tree dodged to the right side and Ik fell
down and broke his fore limbs. Ikrl pursued it again, and AynrQ tree dodged to
the leftside and Ik broke his hind-limbs. Ikrt made a third attemptand broke his
waist. Having narrated this story
Qrrlnmll
then demanded from his adopted
parents that like the Ayunre tree, we should be seeking If's special
protection
against Ikri whenever it is coming to land on, and fell a follower of If. When he
said this, his adopted parents forgot about every other thing and prayed for
protection and longevityfrom
Qrrtnmll
and
QyQkrl-M1T.
Igbklnnl
Wqn
4
pa kubg-kbQ-kbgwg'lAr
Mo nl wO lQ rtpa kbg-kbe-kbe wg'b Aro sl?
WQn nl Oyl'wgn n
jq
Mo nl Olye y gb ogb Ohyyetuyq
Y
9b
ogb ohryQQyQetuye
Y gb ogb Olgb un prl
Ara gbogbo I'qt fil h'ewr gburugburu
Y gb ogb Ol-Aqo
QgbQQgbQ
lyiwo,
Qg'qrgw 9'akin
Eyltogbogbgb
T fgmg ow rn od s'orn
emgowrt
jejeeje
k blabre
gb irinwgdrln l'ye baba rg
btgqdegbejegmg
WQn nl fre mitf
Kl nyal
MolmitnyalmQ
lsbaeekejl
Wqn pa kbQ-kbQ-krlbgwg'lAr
Mo nl emi ni wqn p kbq-kbQ-kbg wg'l Ar sf?
WQn ni lyawO l'wQn rtgb
Mo nl lyw y
9b
ogb Oyeeyuye
Y<l gb ogb OlrlyQeyeetuye
Y gb
ogb Olgb oun prl
Ara gbogbo l'gt fil h'ew gburugburu
Y gb
ogb Olu-Aqo
9g
bQQgbQ lywo, Os'qrqwa g'akin
Eyltgbgbgb
T fgmg owrl rn od s'Qrn
Qmgowrl
jejeeje
k bl abere
gbe irinw gdrln l'ye baba rg
btgqoqgbjesms
141
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultaon
WQn nl ire mitfe
Kf nya'l
Mol'mitnya'lmQ
lgbeQQk$ta
Wqn pa kbe-kbQ-krtbwq'lAr
Monlemi niwqn p kbe-kbe-kbqwg'lArsl?
WQn nl gmg l'wQn tk
Mo nl
Qmg
y gb ogb Oluyeeytuy
Y gb ogb Olyeeyeetuye
Y gb ogb Olgb Oun parl
Ara gbogbo I'qt fil h'ew gburugburu
Y gb ogb Ol-Aqo
ggbQQgbQ
lywo,
Qg'qrqw 9'akin
Eyttogbogbgb
T fgmQ ow rn ode s'qrun
Qmgowrt
jejeeje
ku tabere
gb rnw gdrn l'ye baba rq
bledgbjegms
WQn nl iremitf
Kl nyal
lgby,l ni mowaayal
Mo#jrwoapmiQtn
Mo b wgn nlbi wQn gb nfepo
jTwO
igukg
WQnnlnwjq
Mol'miojq
Moqljwoap miOsl
Mo b wgn nlbi wQn gb nfepo
j'lw
ewra
WQn nl w
jq
Mol'mijq
Mo#5rwoarln mi pQngb blojq
Mo bwgn nlbi wgn gb nfepo
j'lw
kok l'gbl
WQn nl nw
jg
miwaa
jgdlQnlbQ
Mgbatlmod'n il
Iya mi nl klnnimo
je
Molmo mgountl mojq
Bb mi nl klnni mo
jq
Molmlomgountlmojg
Iya mi l'un n ml
Bb mi l'un n ml
MonlwqOrlga
f;nlkan
kff gi'wQ lu gk
Fnlkan
kll ql'wQ lu er
Snlkan
kllgl'wQ lu qkn
Bl9egdq
142
tr[
trtl
ll ll Oyeku Mej
WQn nlwgnta lkQ mi lyff
Mo nl awgn Awtrkt-madgb
Awgn Ojo-peruk-m-we
Awgn niwQn nlyIk I'qja ETgbo-mgkn
Ik m ok
fi se'Kb
muer
fidelHnna
mrakeke
fi serrka
Iktorlgb
Igb gblre n1h
Iktort
ede
FdQegHra
n1h
Ikrl t orllrk0
IrkOgblre n'lle
Ik t orl ooro
Oorogblr n'llQ
Ikrl t orl ayUnrq
Aynrgyeges'qtn-n
Iku fap d
Aynrqyeges'sl
Ikrfesed
Ikrl wfagbede-mejl d rne
l(nni yoo yg'krt n l'rf Awo
Qba
leil-Qyg
If nyye'k nu l'rlAwo
If nyfEyeye'k
IkU to
jde
n'lle
T rl wAwo bQw
If niy fQyqyg'ku
Translation
Theveryfirsttime
They were congregating in the home of Ar
I enqured whatthey were congregating forin the home of Ar
They responded that they were taking a chieftaincy title
I prayed that the title holder shall grow
old and feeble
The ttle holder shall live very long on eafth
The title holder shall grow grey hair and become bald-headed
Just like guinea-fowl grows grey hair all over its body
The ttle holder shall be as old as Oh1-agg
The newly betrothed wife, who is both beautiful and brave
Whogrewsoold
And used the blacksmiths hammer as her neck pendant
The hammer ate away steadily with age
And reduced to
just
a mere needle
143
lfa Dida: An invitaon to lfa Consultation
She spent 400 years on the throne of her ancestors
She gave bifth to 1,300 children
They said my prayers were enough
They asked me to come in
I responded that I was not coming in
The second time
They were congregating in the home of Ar
I enquired what they were congregrating for in the home of Aro
They responded that they were taking a new wife
I prayed thatthe new wife shall grow old and feeble
The newwife shall livevery long on eafth
The wife shall grow grey hair and become bald-headed
Just like guinea-fowl grows grey har all over its body
The new bride shall be as old as Ol-ago
The newly betrothed wife, who is both beautifuland brave
Whogrewsoold
And used the blacksmiths hammer as her neck pendant
The hammer ate away steadily with age
And reduced to
justa
mere needle
She spent 400 years on the throne of her ancestors
She gave bifth to 1,300 children
They said my prayers were enough
They asked me to come in
I responded that I was not coming in
On the third occasion
They were congregating in the home of Ar
I enquired whattheywere congregating for in the home of Ar
They responded thattheywere doing a naming ceremony
I prayed thatthe new born baby shall grow old and feeble
The new born baby shall live very long on eath
The baby shall grow grey har and become bald-headed
Just like guinea-fowl grows grey hair all over its body
The baby shall be as old as Ol-agg
The newly betrothed wfe, who is both beautifuland brave
Whowassoold
And used the blacksmiths hammeras her neck pendant
The hammer ate away steadily with age
And reduced to
just
a mere needle
She spent 400 years on the throne of her ancestors
She
gave bifth to 1,300 children
They said my prayers were enough
They asked me to come in
That was the time I entered the house
I glanced at my right hand side
I saw them where they were using palm-oil to eat mashed yam
They invited meto paftake in eating
I declined theiroffer
I glanced at my left hand side
144
iiii or"*,
"",,
I sawthem usng palm-oilto
eat mashed wateryam
They invited me to come and partake
I declined there offer
I glanced straightahead of me
I sawthem using palm-oilto
eatcocoyam in the courtyard
They invited me to come and paftake
Then I ate
just
a little
When I returned home
My mother asked me what I had eaten
I responded that I did not know what I had eaten
Myfather asked me what I had eaten
I responded that I did not know what I had eaten
My mothersaid thatshewould beat me up
My frther said that he would beat me up
I declared that it is an abomination
Nobody dare raises his bare hand to beat a cobra
Nobody dare raises his bare hand to beat a boa conscrictor
Nobody dare raises his bare hand to beat a leopard
Except a proficient
hunter
They asked me who had taught me all these
Instead I responded that it was AwrJnJkrl-madgb and OjO-
perk-m-wQ
They were the ones who beat up Ik (Death)'s mother at
EIgb0mgkn market
Ik (Death) took a cobra
And made it his protection
charm
He took the boa
And used itas path finding charm
He tookthe scorpion
And made ithisfighting ring
Ikrl landed onlgb tree
Down wentthelgb tree
IkrJ landed on
fdE
tree
And down went Edetree
Ik landed on Oorotree
And down wentOorotree
Ik landed on Aynretree
But Aynrg tree dodged to the right side
Ik fell down and broke his forelimbs
And Aynrg dodged to the left
And lkri felldown and broke his hind limbs
Iku then broke the mid-section of his body
Now, what is itthatwillward off Ik (Death) from the head of an Awo
It is El-QyQ (QyQku-Mel) the king
It is If who wll ward off lkr: from the head of Awo
It is lfa who shall use Oye divination powderto
ward off IkrJ
When Ik leaves his home
145
lfa Dida: An invitaon to lla Consultation
And is looking for an Awo to kill
It is If who shall use
Qye
dvination
powder to ward off Ik
If says that O3gkrf-MI shall ward off death and other forms of calamity that is
about to befall the
person for whom this Od is revealed. The protection of If
forthis person is guaranteed.
5. If says that it foresees the Ire of longevity for the person for whom
this Od is revealed. If says that lkrl, Death, will show compassion for
him/hen If says that he/she will live to his/her old age.
In the same vein, If says that the home where this Od is revealed shall
be spared the
pain of death, affliction and other misfoftunes.
If it is duringlkgsgdy, If says thatthe life of the new born baby shall be
spared and the baby shall live long on earth. The appropriate name of the
new born baby is lkrlgn as given by If. There is the need to offer qbg
with one he-goat and money. There is also the need to feed If with
four rats, fourfish and money. On these, If says:
Em
Qye
rwe
Qve
Qyepe+g
le lt'ok bq
9mq
arywon
Se
bl ojmq l rtmq w
oimqo mEo
BabaqyQ|o|a
E fn lk9en
Tl rtt'Qrun bqwy
fbg
niwgn nl k9e
Translation
I am
QyQ,
the twilight
You are
QyQ,
the twilight
The twilight was
just
showing appearance in the sky
People thought it was the day which had dawned
It was not yet dawn
It was only the twilight appearing in the sky
These were If's declaratons to lkrlgnr1 (Ik had shown me compassion)
When coming from heaven to eafth
He was advised to offer
ebQ
It was lkrlSnri who was coming from heaven to eafth. He decided to go for If
consultation so as to determine how successful his sojourn on eafth would be:
146
ilii or"*"",'
Would he be successful? Would he be able to live tong enough to get married,
bear children, build his own house, have his own horse and be able to achieve all
those things which made people successful on eafth?
IkFan was assured that If had guaranteed that he would live long on earth.
If he did not die young, he would be able to achieve all his heaft's desires. He
was then advised to offer qbg as
prescribed
above. He complied and set out on
his
journey
to eafth. While on eafth, he was guided and protected
by the deities.
He was able to live long and happily. He achieved all his eafth's desires. Ikrl
showed him pity
by leaving him alone to Iive his life in peace. By the time
Ikrlgnu died, he was an extremely old man:
Em
QyQ
lwqQve
Oreqeeeta tt'okbq
Qmgaraywqn
ge bl ojmQ mqw
Ojmq o mq o
Babaqyglo|a
fn lksan
Tl t'Qrun bQwy
fbgniwqn
nl kge
gb'gborni'bg
je Ik b
9anrt
omoAwo
ArngngmoAwo
Kl o re'l mlrn
Translation
I am
Qyg,
the twilight
You are
QyQ,
the twilight
The twilight was
just
showing appearance in the sky
Peoplethought itwasthe daywhich had dawned
Itwas notyetdawn
It was only the twilight appearing in the sky
These were lf's declarations to lkrlgn (Ik had shown me compassion)
When coming from heaven to eafth
He was advsed to offer
ebQ
Hecomplied
Ikrl, please have merry on Awo
Arn, Afflictions, please have mercy on Awo
And goto other lands
If says that the person for whom
QyqkU-mJ'i
is revealed shall be spared
the pain
of death, afflictions and other evil forces while on eafth.
147
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
6. If says that the person for whom
QyQkrl-M)
is revealed shall not be
allowed to die a group death. He/she shall be spared when there is
natural or human-caused disaster such as earthquake, fire, road
accident,
plane
crash, sea mishap and other similar occurrence.
If says that there is the need for this person to offer
qbg with one
he-goat, money and a piece of red clothe. If this can be done,
his/her ability to live long and to avoid group disaster is assured. On
this, a stanza is
QyQkrl-M)
says:
Qpagbongb
nfl
Stwj
agbQn'nini
Fse
mieil nll
jljdrt qna gborcgn-gborogn
Dl fn
SrunlQjQ
aqq
Mjq tl wqn t'Qrun bq w'y
Fbg
ni wQn nl kl wQn ge
Translation
Ashotstaff is used to brush awaythe early-morning dew
The two feet fight for supremacy in their bid to lay claim to the foot-path
These were If's declarations to the 165 clothes
When coming from heaven to eafth
Theywere advised to offer gbq
One hundred and sixty five clothes with variety of textures, colours and makes
were about to leave heaven for eafth. They decided to go for If consultation in
order to know how their sojourn on eafth would be. The Awo told them that they
would all be successful on eafth. They were assured that
people would love
them when they reached the eafth and that
people would want them to be their
companions.
They were however advised that there was the need for them to offer gbQ with
one he-goat each in order to avoid a situation where they, the clothes, would
be dying
group deaths or where they would be made to accompany corpses to
heaven.
The 165 clothes deliberated on the information given to them by the Awo and
concluded that even though these Awo were competent, they were nonetheless
greedy. The clothes claimed that the Awo were actually demanding for 165 he-
goats. They concluded that only thieves could ask for such things and therefore
the Awo were thieves. All of them refused to offer the
ebQ
except kQlQ-the red
clothes or calico. KQIQ said that he could not afford the consequence of doubting
theAwo.
148
t
!il1
ll !l oyeku Meji
Consequently, he went and offered his own
ebq.
Soon after this, whenever
anyone died, allthe clothes, with the exception of Keh, were used to accompany
such corpse to heaven. That was how all the remaining clothes began to die pre-
mature deaths while only KQIQ, was spared. KQIQ began to sing and dance and
give praises
to his Awo. From that time hencefofth, it was an abomination and
taboo to use calico or red cloth to bury a corpse.
Qpa
gbOngb nfl gfwajrl agbQn'nini
Fse
mjejl nll
jljdrl
Qne
gborogn-gborogn
Dl fif n
QrunlQjQagg
Mjq tl wQn t'Qrun bg w'aye
fbgniwqn
nl klwQnge
KQIQ nlkan n nbe I'eyln t g'ebg
Kgle l ru o
Ken |t
Aggt b m'qbg
Kll b wgn yn mOrlg
Translation
A shoft staff is used to brush away the early-morning dew
The two feet fight for supremacy in their bid to lay claim to the foot-path
These were lf's declarations to the 165 clothes
When coming from heaven to eafth
Theywere advised to offergbg
Only KQIQ, the red cloth, complied
It is KQIQ which complied with If's advice
The clothe which recognized the need to offer ebo
Will neverexperience group death
If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed will never be involved in
group death or be involved in mass disaster.
7. If says that there is a female where this Od is revealed or that if the
person for whom this Od is revealed is a female, she needs to be advised
that it is in her best interest to marry an Awo or for her man to be fully
initiated into If. This is because the female in question
has a
problem that
only those who are consulting If and offering gbg regularly will be able to
solve for her. In other words, it is to the advantage of such a woman to do
so as she stands to gain tremendously from such relationship.
At the same time, if this Od is revealed during lkgsqdaye for a female
149
lfa Dida: An invitaton to lfa Consuftation
chld, the name of such a baby is AtrQ and she ought to be
given
out to
.
an Awo or someone initiated into If when she is matured enough to get
I
married.
In the interim, the female is question needs to tie the Id beads round her
waist wrist or neck as a sign of her being lf's wife or ApQtQbl. She also
needs to offer gbg with two cocks, two guinea-fowls and money. She
needs to feed If with four rats, four fish and money. On these If
says:
Emlrln kO
j
k'Qni sn n'll
(
Itahgodogbo koj k'gni sn I'qdede
Irl d
Irl so
Irl bal ta lb-|be-|b
Dlfiln
Qrrlnmll
If lqg'gkgAtrO
fibgniwQn
nl kge
Translation
The tiny mosquitoes do not allow one to sleep in the
I
room
\
The big biting bugs do not allow one to sleep in the verandah
The dew stopped
The dew settled
The dew dropped and scattered on the ground
These were If's declarations to
Qntnm)l
When going to marryAtOrQ
He was advised to offergbg
AtOrQ was a very sick woman. She was suffering from all softs of ailments
-
i
ranging from physical, mental, emotional to psychological problem. She had a
\.
weak heaft and her womb was blocked, making it impossible for her to become
pregnant. When the information on her problems leaked out to people,
every
prospective
suitor ran away from her. She became lonely, sad and sicker. At a
stage, she lost all hopes.
When
Qrnmll
saw this, he took pity on AtrQ and decided to marry her in order
to take care of her and help solve all her problems for her. He went to consult If,
and If gave him the go-ahead. In no time,
Qrnm'il
made all the necessary
moves and AtrQ became his wife. The parents
of AtrQ were simply too happy
to give her hands away in marriage to
Qrr1nmll.
Immediately AtrQ moved in,
t
\..
150
iiil or"*u t"i'
Qrrlnm)l
began intensive treatment for her. Before long, she was cured of all her
ailments. Soon after, she became pregnant
and gave bifth to a baby. She had
several children soon after. She became happy, contented and a proud wife and
mother for the rest of her life.
Emf r{n kO
je
k'Qni sn n'll
Italg godogbo ko
j
k'n sn I'qd+dQ
lrl d
Irl so
Irl bal ta lb-lb-lb
Dlfiln
Qrnmll
If lg g'gkgAto
f
b9 niwQn nl k s, e
gb'Qborru'bg
jelrldo'
Irl so
Emlr{n kO
j
k'n O sUn n'll
Italg godogbo ko
jQ
k'Qni sn I'qdede
Irl d
Irl so
Irl balQ ta lb-lbe-lb
Dl frln
Qrnmll
If lgg'gkgAtrO
f;bg
ni wqn nl k
9e
Emlr{n kO
j
k'Qni sn n'll
Itale godogbo ko
jQ
k'ni sn I'qdQde
lrl d
Irl so
Irl balQ ta lb-lebe-Eb
DlfilnQrnmll
If rlgs'okoAtrO
[b9
ni wqn ff k
9e
Qrunmll
dr
If kow s'okoAtOlO
Translation
The tiny mosquitoes do not allow one to sleep in the room
The big biting bugs do not allow one to sleep in the verandah
The dew stopped
The dewsettled
The dew dropped and scattered on the ground
These were If's declarations to OrrJnmll
151
Ifa Dida: An invtaton to lfa Consultation
When going to marryAtOr
He was advised to offer gbg
Hecomplied
Nowthe dew stopped
Thedewsettled
Please Ornm'il
Do come and take AtOrg aswife
If says that the woman for whom this Od is cast is an ApQtQbi. She needs
to marry If and she willdefinitely have causeto rejoice in the end.
Ifa says that the person for whom this Odrl is revealed shall succeed in life.
He/she had been having problems because he/she had been using the
wrong materials to feed his/her Ofi. If says that it is a taboo forthis client
to use water as paft of the material to feed his/her O. As long as this is
being done, so long shall he/she be experiencing hardship. The moment
water is replaced with palm-oil and used to feed his/her O, his/her
problems shall be replaced with prospects; despair shall be replaced with
hope; disappointments shall be replaced with fulfillment; agony shall be
replaced with
pleasure
and sadness shall be replaced with
joy.
If says that this client need to offer
gbg with one he-goat and money in
order to neutralize all the negativity caused by his/her initial usage of water
as
paft
of the materials for feeding his/her Of . When next he/she wishes to
feed his/her O, he/she must first put some drops of palm-oil
on the
ground before any other thing is done. On these, If says:
fnit
rtfg'gb
F
kl Se
Fnitl
rlfgawo
F
k ee
Dl firn
lni
t
jl
nl Ktkt
T 'fomi b'Qrl i rQ
f;bg
ni wqn nl k
9e
Translation
Those washing calabashes
I say"well-done"
And those washing plates
I say"well-done"
152
iiii ov"r" u"l
These were If's declarations to "he who wakes up early in the
Morning
And uses waterto feed his Of "
He was advised to offer gbg
The person
in question was a very successful farmer in his time. One day, he
discovered that his yields were dwindling gndually. He therefore went for If
consultation. During this consultation
QyQkrl-M'i
was revealed. The Awo
advised him to offer gbg
and feed his Of . He did. When he was aboutto feed his
O, he used water as part
of the feeding materials. Instead of improving, his
farm yields
became worse than ever before. He changed the materials with which
he fed his of from kolanuts, to coconuts, from pigeon
to guinea-fowl,
hen, cock, duck, ewe, ram, and so on, but still included water. There was
no improvement. He changed his profession
several times. He tried hunting,
weaving, trading, singing and so on. still, there was no improvement. His
situation was getting worse bythe day.
One day, he decided to consult another set of Babalwo for If consultation. He
approached the Awo mentioned above. when If was cast for him,
QyQkrl,M)
was once more revealed. The Awo assured him that his lot would change forthe
better. He was informed that he was in his present
state because he had been
using the wrong materials for feeding his Of . He was also advised to offer one
he goat
and money. After this he was to feed his O with palm-oil
and any
other materials of his choice. When feeding his Of, some palm-oil needed to be
dropped on the ground
before any otherthing could be done. He complied.
When all these had been done, all the spirits responsible for his anguish and
disappointments disappeared and were replaced with those which brought
happiness, achievements and progress.
He was a very happy man aftenruards.
fni
t rtfg'gb
I
krl i96
fnitt
fgawo
F
k ise
Dl fin
fnitfl
nl Ktkot
T'fomi b'Qrl i rQ
fbg
ni wQn nl k
9e
WQn nl epo ni k maa fi bqrt
gb'gbgr r'bg
jqlwa mi y lg sok nlgbyt o
Bllpgnrf in b gb'epo
153
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Cansuftaton
Iw a nQ a sl
goke
Translation
Those washing calabashes
I say"well-done"
And those washing
plates
I say"well-done"
These were lf's declarations to"he who wakes up early in the morning
..And
uses waterto feed his Ofi "
He was advised to offer
ebQ
He was also told to be using
palm-oil instead
Hecomplied
My destiny shall certainly rise this time
When the fire is fed with
Palm
oil
Its destiny shall surelY
go uP
If says that the luck of this client shall certainly shine through. He/she shall
surely become a successful man or woman. His/her tribulations shall become
things of the past in a shoft time to come.
9. If says that it foresees limitless success and achievement for the person for
;
whom this Od is revealed. If says that this
person shall be very
\
successful in the areas of If
practices, herbal medicine, conventional
medicine, nursing, midwivery occultism,
pharmacy, otthopaedic medicine
or nursing, and other
para-medical fields.
If says that in any field that he/she chooses, his/her popularity shall
extend far beyond the community, country or region where he/she resides.
He/she shall be sought after by the highly placed and influential people in
his/hercommunity.
I
If however warns that in all what he/she he/she must never allows his
/her
achievements to enter his
/her
head. He must never show
pride. The
more his/her success, the more humble he/she must be. The more the
humility, the morethe success.
The
person for whom this Od is revealed needs to offer
gbg with hro
white
pigeons, two
guinea fowls and money. He/she also needs to
serve lfa with four rats, four fish, one hen and money. On this, If
says:
(
154
I tl
Itl
ll ll Oyeku Meji
f
ni a nl k hu'p le hu'p
Fnia
nl k hu'yele O le hu'yQl
Qqtun
t nlgba gwqt nlgba qsQ
sltrn bwgn-Qn hwa pQlQ
Dl fn Ogo-Imle
QmgafrQ
jqun
olunjg
fbgniwQn
nl k$e
Translation
Those whom we thought would raise their arms in pride could not do so at
all
Those whom we thought would raise their legs in arrogance also
failed to do so
The millipede which has 200 hands, and 200 legs
He was howevershowing unbelievable meekness
These were If's declarations to Ogo-Imglg, the lazy one
Who, early in the mornng, eats other people'sfood
He was advised to offer gbg
Ogo Imqlq, the lazy one, was an If practitoner.
He could not farm. Neither
could he hunt. He had no experience n trading. His only interest was n the area
of If. He was very versatile in this field. The only snag n this was that his
peopfe
consdered him a lazy man, who would only live through the mercy of
others. They considered that he was living a mendcant life, unfit for any member
of their family. They abused him daily. Tired of their incessant harassment, he
went to the Awo mentioned above for If consultation; would he become a
successful man through his chosen career? Would he be accorded respect and
honour in his profession? As a Babalwo, would he be able to acquire all the
good things of life which people
considered as yardsticks for fulfillment in his life?
In response to his questions,
the Awo assured him that he would become a very
successful If practitioner in his life, that he would be highly respected and
honoured in his profession,
that he would be able to acquire all the good things of
life, That he would be popular
and well respected from far and near. The lazy
one was told that it was from his laziness that he would be able to achieve allthe
good things of life. He was however warned against being proud
and arrogant.
He was told that if he lowered himself through humility, the Deities shall raise him
up by making him prosperous.
Conversely, if he showed pomposity, the Deities
shall lower him. He was also advised to offer gbg with two white pigeons,
two guinea fowls, two hens, two cocks and money, He complied.
He did not only comply, he was treating each and every client of his with genuine
humility, care and Iove. This attitude surprised a lot of
people
and it endeared
155
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
him to his various clients because they always felt welcomed whenever they went
to the house of the lazy one. For this reason, his clients made it a
point of duty to (
introduce more clients to him. Because he was competent in his chosen career,
he used to retain these new clients.
Soon after this, the lazy one began to accumulate wealth. He felt he was ready to
get married. All his people who had hitheto been castigating him rose in his
suppoft and he was able to get a good and loving woman as wife. The woman
gave birth to several children for him. With his wife and children, he was able to
erect a house befitting his status, and in due course he bought several horses. All
these he did without being carried away by his achievements and without being
/
pompous. All his people reluctantly admitted that his chosen
profession and his
I
"laziness" really benefitted him. When asked how he was able to achieve so
much in his lifetime; he responded that If, labeled as the lazy man's profession
was indeed an interesting career. He concluded that all
gratitude was to If who
made it possible for him to accomplish all what he did. He was made a
community leader and his opinions and suggestions carried a lot of weight in his
community.
Fni
a nl k hu'p O le hu'P
fni
a nl k hu'yQlQ o le hu'y$lQ
i
QgtuntnlgbagwQtnlgbagsQ
\
sl tn lrb wgn-qn hwaa
pQ
Dl filn Ogo-Im$lq
QmgafrQ
jgun
olnjq
fbg
ni wQn nl k
9e
gb'$bgrrrl'bg
Imlg mi ni mo ge
fi mofi l'w
OwolmqlQdn l'dnj
f
b midpel'qwqlf
t
F
n'lf geun, geun
\-
Imele ni mo ge
Tl mofi l'ya
Owolmql dn l'dnj
!
b mi dp I'o, wq lfa
!
n'ffa
Feun,
geun
Imqlq ni mo qe
Tl mofi bl'mq
Tl mofi kQl o
Owolmgl dn l'dnj
|
156
iiii ov"r,, n"
F
b mi dpe l'qwq If
I
n'lfa geun, geun
lmqlq ni mo ge
Tl mo nlregbogbo
Owlmgldn l'dnj
F
b mi drp I'qwq If
;
n'ffa geun,
Seun
Translation
Those whom we thought would raise their arms in pride could not
do so at all
Those whom we thought would raise their legs in arrogance also failed to
do so
The millipede which has 200 hands, and 200 legs
He was however showing unbelievable meekness
These were If's declarations to Ogo-Imelq, the lazy one
Who, early in the morning, eats other
people's food
He was advised to offergbo
He complied
It is my laziness that brought me wealth
The profession
of the lazy one is very rewarding
Help give my thanks to If
ThatI am verygrateful
It is my laziness that brought me spouse
The profession
of the lazy one is very rewarding
Help give mythanks to If
That I am very grateful
It is my laziness that brought me children
The profession
of the lazy one is very rewarding
Help give my thanks to If
ThatI am verygrateful
It is my laziness that brought me house
The profession
of the lazy one is very rewarding
Help give my thanks to If
That I am very grateful
It is my laziness that brought me all the good things of life
The profession
of the lazy one is very rewarding
Help give my thanks to If
That I am very grateful
If says that the
person for whom this Od is revealed shall have cause to be
grateful to If. As long as he/she shows humility, there is no limit to his/her
success in life.
157
lfa Dida: An invitation to tfa Consuttation
10' If says that it foresees
the lre of materiafs
success,
several
children,
and generalwellbeing
forthe person
forwhom
this Od is revealed.
Ifa
says that whenever
he/she
rends
other peopre
money,
he/she
needs not lord it over those who are ni/ner
debtors.
This is because
those for whom
this Od is revealed
hve the tendency
to make life
unbearable
for their debtors.
on the other hands, If says that if those
for
whom this od is reveared
are the one o*ng
othe,
ir,"v have
the
tendency
not to wish to pay
ba.ck U'r" ron.v'wen
aske'd ioiir,"
money
they are owing,
they do not believe in ."i.ing
their inability
to pay
in a
gentte
manner,
instead
they wourd ask thbsethy
ur.o*
i
",
bst as
they cannot commit
suicide
because
tnev ie owing
somebody;
and that
neither can they be killed
simply becaus
ilrev rarc
to r"rrn*nrt
tt,.y
are owing' If says that there is nothing
.nyon.
can do about this because
the attitude cannot
be changed.
If says arso that no matter
.whgt
the person
for whom
this
od is
revealed
has acquired
in life, he/she
wli stll oe looking
foi-more.
tra
says that he/she
shall be getting
more and more
oi uit the good
things of life,
even when
h/sne-o"r
noi
.need.
such things
in any
way.The
craze
to acquire
more and more things in rife s wat
keeps
him/her going
at art times. In extreme
cases however,
it may
be
his/her undoing.
If says that there is the
red
for him/her
to offer qbg
with four
pigeons,
four cocks,
a coupre
of his trousers
i ,oney,
on these,
a
stanza in
QyQkrl-M) says:
Olw nfl gb,|
rnn$e,
omiAk
'
otwojgbi,omiltoro
KO s| odO a pa
Ot0sl sl, omi tbar,
OmiAsta
txfin
Koltmitan
rfi geyeye
Ojomtntgtg
It
tre tko t9e
bbnray
Eyltf
elgrun oslwaa t"nna Iw fn
Sbg
niwqn nl kowaa
$e
Translation
A creditor is he who sits at home and sends (debtors)
onerrand,
the name
of
Ak River
158
iill
ov"tu r,"ii
A creditor cannot be found guilty for lending money to a debtor, the name of
Itori River
There is no river where a debtor can be executed
(for failure to
refund the amount he owes) the names of Ibar and Ala rivers.
These were If's declarations to KItmitn (It is not yet enough for me)
Who was the mother of Ojomlnleke
When she was in desperate want of all the good things of life
They said that Oldmar would lighten up her destiny that very year
She was advised to offer ebo
K'ltmitn was a very poor woman. She had no money. She had no husband.
She had no child. In short, she lacked all the essental needs of life. One day, she
went to the Awo mentioned above: would she be able to change her present
condition for the better? Would luck smile on her? Would she secure her own
spouse and children?
She was advised to offer
ebg
as
prescrbed above. She did. She was assured
that she would be able to secure all the
good things of life within one
year as it
was n her destiny that her life would change for the better in that very year. She
was also
given a special soap made with in lnb leaves. These leaves were
grinded and mixed with soap for bathing.
When she
got back home, she got a friendly loan from an acquaintance. She lent
another
person this money at a very high interest rate; from there she began to
make huge profit. Anyone who could not pay back the money was usually made
to work for her. She was making so much money. At the same time, she was
borrowing money from others at a very low rate of interest and lending out the
money at a high interest rate. The Irony here however was that she was never
ready to pay backthe money she borrowed from others unless she had seen that
it might lead her into serious trouble if she failed to refund the loan, but nobody
would do this to her as she would
go to any length to get her money back from
any of her debtors. Before long, she became very rich. Soon after, she had her
own husband, and she became
pregnant shoftly after. Ten months after, she was
already a
proud mother. She was accumulating money and other material things
of life, even beyond her needs. The older she became, the more her urge for
material acquisition. She was always hoping to acquire more things than
everybody else. That was the urge which drove her into
pursuing her business,
life, and other activities to success.
Olw nll gb'l rnngQ' omi Ak
Olw o
jeb,
omi ltori OdO
159
lfa Dida: An invitaon to lfa Consuftation
Ko sl odotf a pa otosl slromi lbar,
Omi Asta
D,lfin Koltmittn
Tfi
9e
yey Ojomlnhke
fi belkol9$lgbnray
Ey{ tl
QlQrun
oslwtannIwfn
fbg
ni wQn nl kw
Se
gb'Qborr'bo
,T
b
jet'ow
ni
l(l n nljwQn lglf
Ig'ojuOlko
NilnbOfi n bo'lQ
Ig'oj Olko
Tb
jetaggni
Kl n nl
j
won lg If
Ig'oj Olko
Nilnbfi n bo'l
fg'ojrlOlko
B b
jQt'il
ni
Kl n nl
j
wqn
b
If
Ig'oj Olko
NilnabOfi n bo'l
Ig'ojrtOlko
B b
jt'ggin
ni
Kl n nf
jwqn
lglf
Ig'ojrl Olko
NilnbOfi na bo'le
fg'oj Olko
B b
jtregbogbo
ni
Kl n nl
j
wQn lg If
Ig'ojrl Oko
NiInbOfi n bo'lQ
Ig'oj Olko
Translation
A creditor is he who sits at home and sends (debtors) on errand, the name
of Ak River
A creditor cannot be found guilty for lending money to a debtor, the name
ofltoriRiver
There is no river where a debtor can be executed (for failure to refund the
amount he owes) the names oflbar and Asfa rivers.
Thesewere lf's declarationsto KOltmitn (It is notyetenough for me)
160
i!ll ov"r'u r,"i
Who was the mother of Oj0minhke
When she was in desperate want of all the good things of life
They said that Oldmar would lighten up her destny that very year
She was advised to offer
ebQ
Shecomplied
If it is money
Let me have morethan allothers, Oh If
It is in the presence
of the farmer
That'lnbO leaves cover the whole farmland
Right in the farmer's presence
If it is dressing materials
Let me have more than all others, oh If
It is in the
presence
of the farmer
Thatlnb leaves coverthe whole farmland
Right in the farmer's presence
If it is housing propefties
Let me have morethan allothers, oh If
It is in the presence
of the farmer
Thatlnab leaves cover the whole farmland
Right in the farmer's presence
If it is horses
Let me have morethan allothers, oh If
It is in the presence of the farmer
Thatlnb leaves cover the whole farmland
Right in the farmer's presence
If it is allthe good things of life
Let me have morethan allothers, oh If
It is in the presence
of the farmer
That'lnabO leaves cover the whole farmland
Right in the farmer's presence
If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed shall be'blessed with
all the good
things of life. Ifa says that the older he/she becomes, the
better his/her chances of becoming wealthy. In fact, the riches of
QyQkrl-
MT children usually come during the later pafts of their lives.
11. If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed has several
enemies. These include those who hate him/her
justifiable,
those
who are envious of his/her achievements and those whose toes
he/she had stepped upon deliberately and/or inadveftently. If
warns that he/she however needs to watch his/her utterances and
behaviours in order to avoid accumulating too many enemes in
161
lfa Dida: An invitaton to lfa Consuftation
his/her lifetime.
If says that there is the need for him/her to offer qbq with 20
blades, three matured cocks and feed Eqt
Qdara
with one
cock. If these are done, he/she will ceftainly overcome. On these, If
says:
Paker
pk
A t'wg
gkn
st
jlnnjlnn
DlfnAj
T'wgnt'Ogldn
jg
$',t ara a wgn
lbg
ni wQn nl kl wQn w
fe
Translation
Paker Pk (Name of an Awo)
The leopard's skin shall be spread at a far distance
This was lf's declaration to Aj, the dog
When he and Og'ldn, the leopard, were after each other in animosity
He was advised to offer gbq
Aj, the dog was an enemy of Ogldn for a very long time. The Dog had many
colleagues with whom he planned to killthe Leopard.
One day, the Dog went to the Awo mentioned above in order to know how best to
overcome the Leopard. The Awo told him to offer
gbq with three cocks,
bventy blades and money. He was also advised to feed Eg with one cock.
The Dog felt that with more than 400 colleagues of his who were prepared to fight
the Leopard with him, there would not be much problem in overcoming his
enemy. Consequently, the Dog considered the gbg he was asked to offer as a
waste of money and therefore unnecessary. He felt that the Awo was a liar and a
cheat. He simply ignored his advice to offer
gbg.
Pkr
pak
A t'wg
gkn
sl
jlnnjlnn
DlfitnOgldn
Tl Oun atAj
jq
S'qt ara awgn
fbgniwqnn|ks,e
Translation
Paker Pk (Name of an Awo)
The leopard's skin shall be spread at a far distance
This was lf's declaration to OgIdn, the Leopard
162
iiil ov"t' r'"
When he and Aj, the Dog were after each other in animosity
He was advised to offer gbg
Og)dn, the Leopard was aware that Aj had gathered
all his colleagues and
were all planning to eliminate him. Og'ldn felt helpless and powerless.
Consequently, he approached the Awo mentioned above for If consultation and
solution to his problem. The Awo told him that he would overcome. He was
advised to offer gbg as prescribed for Aj. He was also advised to feed Es. He
complied.
The moment the Leopard offered the qbg and fed Eg as prescribed,
Eg in turn
removed the 20 nails in the hands and legs of the Leopard and replaces them
with the 20 blades which he offered as
part
of his qbg.
He returned home with
the Leopard. He advised the Leopard never to be afraid of any animal in the
forest, no matter how big or how many. Allthese, the Dog was notaware of.
One day, the Dog gathered
all his colleagues for a show-down with the Leopard.
As they approached the Leopard's den, they rushed in. The Leopard was fast
asleep. Their noise woke him up. Esu
Qdara
simply whispered into his ears
never to be afraid of any animal. He rose up. About five dogs confronted him.
He used his new nails given
to him by EgU to split them into several parts.
Seeing
this, the other Dogs dispersed in utterconfusion.
From that day onwards, any time the Dogs confronted the Leopard, they were
usually doing so at their own peril. When their losses became unbearable, they
learnt to maintain a good
distance from the leopard. Even the carcass of a
leopard created fear in the mind of the Dogs.
Pkrpk
A t'wg et n sl
jlnnjl
nn
DlfirnAj
T'wgn t'Ogldn
jg
S'Qt ara awqn
fbg
ni wqn nl kl wQn w
$e
Pakerpk
At'wg gkn sl
jlnnjlnn
Dlfiln Ogldan
Tl Oun ati Aj
jq
g'qt ara a wgn
Fbg
ni wqn nl k q
e
Ogldn nlkn nl nbgl'ylntng'gbg
Irg! ti ba g'k
elya
IrinwoAj O l l'pa
Fkn
163
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
Irg!
Translation
Pkr Pk (Name of an Awo)
The leopard's skin shall be spread at a far distance
This was lf's declaration to Aj, the dog
When he and Ogldan, the leopard were aftereach other in animosity
He was advised to offer gbg.
Pkr Pke
The leopard's skin shall be spread at a far distance
This was lf's declaration to Ogldn
When he and Aj were after each other in animosity
He was advised to offer ebo
Only Ogldn complied with the advice of the Awo,
It is all les, it is simply a bid to engage in unrealistic
gossip
Four hundred dogs cannot overcome the leopard
It is all lies!
If says that the
person for whom this Od is revealed shall overcome
his/her enemes no matter their number.
{
12. If says that the
person for whom this Od is revealed shall
overcome all his/her enemes. If says that the enemy is more
powerful; nonetheless, he/she shall triumph. He/she needs not
despair. All that is required of him/her is to offer
gbg with one he-
goat and money. He/she needs to procure at least one
gong
and
place it besides If. There is also the need to serue Eg with one
cock and serue
Qbtl
with 16 snails' shea butter' natve
chalk and money, If says that if all these were done, the enemy
,.
would use his/her mschef to huft himself/herself. On this If says:
\
Em
Qye
rwq
Qve
Qye
qeqe la ht'ok bq
Qmq
ary wqn ge bl ojmQ l nmq w
DlfnAgogoSkt
Mjqtl oun ti
Qpa
je
lrS'Qt ara wgn
Fbq
ni wgn nl k
9e
164
ntl
tr tl
!l !l Oyeku Meji
Translation
I am
QyQ,
the twilight
You are
QyQ,
the twilight
Thetwilightwas
justshowing
appearance in the sky
Peoplethought itwasthe daywhich had dawned
These were If's declarations to Agogo-$kt the little
Gong
The offspring ORga-GbowuT (Qbatl)
When he and
Qpa,
the staffwere enemies
He was advised to offer gbg
Agogo-$kt, the little Gong, was always living in fear of
Qp,
the staff. He was
afraid that one day,
Qpa
would kill him because
Qpa
had been threatening that
there was nothing Agogo could doto prevent himself from being eliminated. As a
result of this Agogo went to the Awo mentioned above for If consultation; would
he be able to overcome
Qpa
who had been
planning to kill him? Would he be able
to live long and enjoy his life?
The Awo assured Agogo that he would live long and that he would overcome
Qp
his arch-enemy. He was informed that whatever
Qp
planned
against him shall
be the lot of
Qpa.
He was advised to offer gbg
and feed Egu
Qdara
and
Qbtl
as
explained above. He complied.
Soon after this,
Qpa
started to hit Agogo repeatedly in a bid to kill him.
Miraculously, Agogo was able to withstand all of
Qpa's
blows against him. Before
long,
Qp
split into pieces and died. Several other
Qpa
were brought to hit
Agogo. They all died without being able to harm Agogo in any way whatsoever.
Agogo was full of
joy.
He was thus singing and dancing everyday.
Em
Qye
I*q
Qve
O,
VeqgqQ
la It'oke bq
9mq
ary wqn ge bl ojmQ l nmQ w
I)l filn Agogo
Fkt
Mjqtl Oun ti
Qpa
jq
g'Qt ara wqn
fbg
ni wQn nl k
9e
gb'Qbgrr'bg
Qpa
to l'un pa Agogo
KO lee pa Agogo mq o
Qpa
lo ku o
Agogoa sl gb'lQ
165
Ifa Dida: An invitaton to lfa Consultaton
Translation
I am
QyQ,
the twilight
You are
QyQ,
the twilight
Thetwilightwas
justshowing
appearance in the sky
People thought it was the day which had dawned
These were lf's declarations to Agogo-$kt the little Gong
The offspring Oga-Gb0wr1) (Qbatl)
When he and
Qpa,
the staffwere enemies
He was advised to offer gbg
He complied
Qp
who said he shall kill Agogo
He was unableto killAgogo
It is
0p
who died
And Agogowas spared
If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed shall be spared the agony
of facing the wrath of his/her enemies. Those who plan
evil against him/her shall
instead be visited by their evil designs.
13. If says that it foresees victory over enemies for the
person for whom
(
QyQkr:-Ml
is revealed. If also says that the person will live long. In
the same vein, If warns that those
planning
evil against him/her are
most likely to meet with untimely death if they do not desist.
If says that he/she needs to bath If with AynrQ leaves and feed If
with a matured ram, If this could be done, all his/her enemies will meet
with calamities before long. This is why it is not wise to paln
evil against
Olekrl-MI children. On this, Ett-QVe says:
Orrlnmll w|lba
i
MIbA
Mlba Orlge I'Orl9a f djl
Qrrlnmll
l'un w'Orr ay
nltal rtygAkapogmgt'oun lQnu?
WQn nl igba gmg eku l nyg AkpO gmg tlrg lgnu
nl igba gmgeku let'jQ
Tbl wqn o let'jq?
WQn nl igba gmg eku wqn o le t'jQ
Gbogbo
gmg
eku t b
ebltl
yan odl
(
166
iiii or"*'",,
fbltl
niy reyln wgntn porogodo
Qrnmll
wllb
MIbA
Mlba Orlga I'Orl9f dil
Qrnmll
l'un w'Orr ay
nf talO ygAkpOomgt'Oun lQnu?
WQn nl igba gmq
eja
l nyg Akp gmg
tlrg lgnu
nl igba gmg eja le t'jQ
Tabl wgn O let'qjq?
WQn nl igba gmg eja wgn O leet'jg
Gbogbo gmg eja t n b lgere yan odl
Igere niy r'yln wgn tn porcgodo
Qrnmll
lbe
MIbA
Mlba Orlga I'Orl9 f djl
Qrnmll
l'un w'Orr ay
nl tal rlyg AkpO gmg
t'un lnu?
WQn nl igba gmg eJe l nyoAkpo gmg
tlry lQnu
nl igba qmq eJe le'tjQ
Tbl wgn O lee t'jq?
WQn nl igba gmg eJe wgn O lee t'qjq
Gbogbo gmg eJe t n ba At yan odl
Ate ny rJln wgn tn porogodo
Qrnmll
w| lbe
Mitba
Mlba Orlg I'Orl9 f djl
Qrnmll
l'un w'Orr ay
nltal nygAkpOomgt'Oun lQnu?
WQn nl igba gmg gran l nyg AkpO gmg tlre lenu
nl igba gmg
eran
le t'jQ
Tbl wgn O le t'jQ?
WQn nl igba qmq gran wgn O le t'jQ
Gbogbogmgeran t bllasa yan odl
Ilasa ni y rJln wgn titn porogodo
D,lfiln
Orrtnmll
Baba be larln
Qtr
nfojoojrmQ kominrl ogun
fbg
ni wqn n| kw ge
Translation
QrUnmIl
declares that it is time to pay homage
I respond that it is time to pay homage
167
lfa Dida: An invitaon to lfa Consultation
It is homage pad to Oga which gives them authority
Qrrlnm'll
says that he looked at the long vista of the world
He inquired about those making trouble with his children, the AkpO
They respond that 200 rab are the ones troubling your children, the
Akp0?
They asked if the 200 rats could live long or if they could not
live long?
He responded that the 200 rats could not live long
All rats keeping malice with the deadfall
It is the deadfall that will see their demse
Qrrtnm'll
declares that it is time to
pay homage
I respond that it is time to pay homage
It is the homage paid to Onga which gives them authority
Qrnm'll
says that he looked at the long vista of the world
He inquired about those making trouble with his children,the Akp0
They respond that 200 fishes are the ones troubling your children, the
Akp
They asked if the 200 fishes could live long or if they could not live
long?
He responded that the 200 fishes could not live long
All fishes keeping malice with the fish net
It is the fish net that will see their demise
Qrunm)l
declares that it is time to
pay homage
I respond that it is time to pay homage
It is the homage paid to Origa which give them authority
Qrrlnmll
says that he looked at the long vista of the world
He inquired about those making trouble with his children, the Akp0
They respond that 200 birds are the ones troubling
your children, the
Akpo
They asked itthe 200 birds could live long or if they could not live long?
He responded that the 200 brds could not live long
All birds keeping malice with the bird-lime
It is the bird-lime that will see their demise
Qrunmll
declares that it is time to pay homage
I respond that it is tme to pay homage
It is the homage paid to Oga which give them authority
Qrunm'll
says that he looked at the long vista of the world
He inquired about those making trouble with his children, the Akp
They respond that 200 beasts are the ones troubling your children, the
Akp0
They asked itthe 200 beasts could live long or if they could not live long?
He responded thatthe 200 beasts could not live long
All beasts keepng malice with cannon
The cannon shall see their demise
168
iiii or"nu *"'
These were lf's declarations to
Qrrf
nm)l
When he was in constant fear of uprising against his person
He was advised to offer ebo
Qrnm'il
discovered that many of his AkpO were discrlminated against by other
non-If practitioners.
There were some of these Akp whom their enemies
were planning
to eliminate outright. Some of them had already been
incapacitated one way or the othen Some others had been banished from their
various places
of abode all because of their faith. Having succeeded in doing all
these, the enemies decided to deal ruthlessly with
Qrnm'll
himself.
unknown to them however,
Qrnmll
had been extremely worried and
uncomfoftable with the problems
being faced by the Akp, his spiritual children.
Consequent upon this, he went for If consultation. He was assured that all
those planning
evil against him and his children shall meet with disaster. He was
advised to feed his If as explained above. He complied. Anyone trying to harm
his Akp would
just
see in his/her dream that he/she was being pursued
and hit
by dangerous rams. when they woke up, they became very ill. Many of them
died and those who did not die fled their vicinities out of fear. All his Akpo were
singing, dancing and praising
Qrnm'll
who made it possible
for them to
overcome their adversa ries.
If says that anyone who is the enemy of the person for whom
QyQkrl-M)
is
revealed oran
QyQkrl-Ml
child had
Qrrlnmll
himsetf to contend with.
Qrnmllwllb
MTb
Ml lba Orlga I'Orlga fi daT
Qrnmll
l'un w'Orr ay
nl tatO yg AkpO gmg t'Oun lnu?
WQn nl igba gmg eku l nyg AkpO gmg ttrg tgnu
nl igba gmg
eku let'QjQ
Tbl wgn O le t'jQ?
Wgn nl igbagmgekuwgn let'jQ
Gbogbo gmg
eku t b
Qbltl
i yan
odl
fbltl
niyOo rylnwgntetn porogodo
Orrinmllwllb
MIbE
Mllb Orlg I'Orlgafi djl
Qrrrnmlla
l'un w'rr ay
nl tal yg AkpO gmg t'un lgnu?
WQn nl igba gmg
eja l nyg Akpo gmo
tlrq tenu
nl igba gmg eja let'jQ
169
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
Eji Ogbe
Tbl wqn o let'jq?
WQn nl igba gmg gja wgn o le t'qiq
Gbogbo
gmq qia t n b lgrYan odl
Igere n y r'$yln wgn titn porcgodo
Qrrrnmlla
wllba
MIbE
Mlba Or{9a I'Orl9 f dil
Qrnmll
l'un w'rr aY
nt talo yg AkPo gmg t'un lQnu?
Wqn nl igba gmg
eyq
l nyg Akpo gmg tlrq
hnu
nl igba gmqqyq le'tjQ
Tabl wqn let'jQ?
WQn nl igba gmg eyq wgn o le t'iq
Gbogbo
gmg qyq t n ba Ate
Yan
odl
Ate ni yoo neyln wgn titn porogodo
Qrrrnmll
lbe
MIbE
ffilba Orlga I'Or{gafi dail
Qrnmll
l'un w'orr ay
nl tal rryg AkP gmg t'un l$nu?
WQn nl igba gmg qran l nyg Akpo gmg tlrg l$nu
nl igba gmg
eran
le t'jQ
Tabf wgnolet'jQ?
WQn nl igba gmgqranwqn o et'qiq
Gbogbogmgqrant bllasa yan odl
llsa ni y r, yln wgn titn porogodo
DlafnOffnmll
Baba rbe ledn
qtr
nfojoojrlmQ kominri ogun
Fbqni
wqn nl kw
Fe
gb'Qbgr'bg
j b mi kn
qt pa
Agboglrlga
If w baa mi kan
Qt
pa o
Translation
Qrrinm'il
declares that it is time to pay homage
I respond that it is time to pay homage
It is homage paid to Origa which gives them authority
Qrrnm'ila
says that he looked at the long vista of the world
He inquired about those making trouble with his children, the Akp0
They respond that 200 rats are the ones troubling your children, the
Akp?
They asked if the 200 rats could live long or if they could not live long?
He responded that the 200 rats could not live long
All rats keeping malice with the deadfall
174
iiii
or"*'
""'
It is the deadfall that will see their demise
Qrnm'll
declares that it is time to pay homage
I respond that it is time to pay homage
It is the homage paid to Oga which gives them authority
Qrnmll
says that he looked at the long vista of the world
He nquired about those makng trouble with his chldren, the AkpO
They respond that 200 fishes are the ones troubling your children, the AkpO
They asked if the 200 fishes could live long or if they could not live long?
He responded that the 200 fishes could not live long
All fishes keeping malice with the fish net
It is the fish net that will see their demise
Qnlnm)l
declares that it is time to pay homage
I respond that it is time to pay homage
It is the homage paid to Ortga which give them authority
Qrrlnmll
says that he looked at the long vista of the world
He inquired about those making trouble with his children, the Akp
They respond that 200 birds are the ones troubling your children, the Akp0
They asked it the 200 birds could live long or if they could not live long?
He responded that the 200 birds could not live long
All birds keeping malice with the bird-lime
It is the bird-lime that will see their demise
Qrnm'll
declares that it is time to pay homage
I respond that it is time to pay homage
It is the homage paid to Og which give them authority
Qntnmll
says that he looked at the long vista of the world
He inquired about those making trouble with his children, the Akp
They respond that 200 beasts are the ones troubling your children, the Akpo
They asked it the 200 beasts could live long or if they could not live
long?
He responded that the 200 beasts could not live long
All beasts keeping malice with cannon
The cannon shall see their demise
These were If's declarations to
Qrnmlla
When he was in constant fear of uprising against his person
He was advised to offer ebo
He complied
Please help butt my enemies to death
Help me butt my opponents to death
The mighty ram
If, please help me butt my enemies to death
If says that the person for whom
QyQkrl-MI
is revealed shall overcome all
his/her enemes and adversary. Not only this, his/her enemes shall meet with
serous calamities at the time they least expected. To fight aganst the person for
whom this Od is revealed istotake
Qrnmll
as personalenemy. The person for
whom this Od is revealed is assured of
Qrr:nmll's
protection
at all times.
171
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
However, it must be noted that this does not give the person for whom this Od is
(
revealed or even
QyQku-Meji
children the license to be looking for more enemies
through behaviours unbecoming of a responsible and responsive member of any
society. They too must not plan
evil against other
people
as they too will end up
being atthe receiving end of lf's butt.
In If, the maxim has always been "If you
abhor evil to come
your way, do not
throw evil in other
people's ways". Or better
put
"whatever will pain you if done to
you,
do not unto others".
i
14. If says that if foresees the Ire of longevity for the person for whom
Qyekrl-
M) is revealed. If says that he/she shall live long, grow old and reside in
the midstof theelders.
If says also that as he/she grows old, he/she shall be blessed with more
and more wealth, honour, prestige, respect and success. If says that
he/she shall never be counted among those who shall die young. He/she
shall not be found in their midsteither.
t
If says that there is need for him/her to offer gbg with traro
pigeons,
two
hens, two cocks, four rats, four fish and money. There is need to
feed If with two rats, two fish and one hen. On these, If says:
If l d i onlwl rlwlrl-nda kQ
Mo l di onlwlrlwlrl-ndakOIf
K'jt kil
K'j kg'orl im
KO t-tee-t
Kdegbog kllsan-n
(
Qrunmlla
nl oun ti lkql
Srun
bQ w s{ IkQl Ay
Oun mr lreAj
Oun m lreAya
Oun mr lre
Qmg
Oun mu k ln, kfta pel
Oun w pad wgn glrlp lQn
wqn rwQn-wQn-wQn
Qrunmll
nl nlbo lg
9b
rrlg bwQnyl o?
WQn nl wgn lg sja a TOkrttOkr
Orrlnmll nl kl wgn t d ttko?
.
172
ilii or"*u t"'
wqn l di ojQ
elkq
rQ b t'Ogn bQQ
L'won ma t d
Translation
If saysr "Hastily do we manouvre a canoe"
I respond that"hastily do we manouvre a canoe"
Lettheeyewake up
And let the eye mount on top of the nose
And staytheregingerly
Letthe full moon appear in the daytime
Qrrtnm'il
says that while he was coming from heaven to earth
He brought with him the Ire of wealth
He broughtthe Ire ofspouse
He broughtthe Ire of children
He also brought the accomplishment of one's goals
He met some able-bodied youths
along the way
Theywere allfullof life and vitality
Qrnm)l
asked, "Where are you
all
going?"
They responded that they were all going to the TOktkrJ market (where
corpses were being sold)
QrUnm)l
asked them when they planned
to return to heaven
They responded as soon as the early-morning corn- meal seller dips her
mixing staff into the porridge
Theyshall return to heaven
Qrnm'il
narrated how he was coming from heaven to eafth and he
brought along all the good things of life with him. On his way he met some
able-bodied youths
who were full of strength and vigour. When he asked
them where they were gong,
they responded that they were going
to
Tktkti market. Unfoftunately, this was where those destined to die
young while on eafth were gong.
Qrnm'il
declared that he could not be
in their midst because they were destined to die prematurely
deaths. After
this, he moved and continued his
journeyto
eafth
If l d i onlwl rlwlrl -ndakQ
Mo ldi onfwlrlwlrl-ndak If
K'j kil
K'jrl kg'orf im
K lt-tee-t
Kdgb og k l lsn-n
Qrnmll
nloun tlkqlQrun bQwsf lkqlenye
173
lfa Dda: An invtaton to lfa Consultaton
Oun mu lreAj
Oun m IreAya
Oun mu lre
Qmg
Oun m k ln, kfta pQltl
Oun w pd wgn Mjsln I'qna
Won s'r
grlrjo-glrtjo
WQn s'r glrljo-gl rljo
Qrnmll
nf nlbo 19 gb lg bwQny{ o?
WQn nl wgn nlg soja a Tokttoktl
Qrnmll
nl kl wQn t d kq?
WQn l di ojq
elqkq
anQ b t'ogn bQq
L'wgn ma t d
Translation
If saysr "hastily do we manouvre a canoe"
I respond that"hastilydowe mano-uvera canoe"
Lettheeyewake up
And letthe eye mount on top of the nose
And staythere
gingerly
Letthe full moon appear in the daytime
Cornmeal says that while he was coming from heaven to earth
He broughtwith him the lre of wealth
He broughtthe Ire ofspouse
He broughtthe Ire of children
He also brought the accomplishment of one's goals
He metsome children along the way
They were running from one place to the other
They were moving without a specifi c drection
Cornmea| asked,"Where areyou aIIgoing now?"
They responded thattheywere all going totheTOktJtOk market
Qnf
nmll asked them when they planned to return to heaven
They responded that as soon as the early-morning corn-meal seller deep
her mixing staff intothe porridge
They shall return to heaven
Corn-meat continued with the narration of his story and stated that when
he left the able-bodied
youths, he met children who were wanderng about
without specfic direction.
He asked them where they were going to and the children responded
exactly as the able-bodied
youths did. Knowing that those
going to
Tokritok marketwere destined to die young, he declared that he could not
174
iiii ov"r., "
and would not be in their midst.
If l d onlwlrlwlrl-ndakQ
Mo l di onlwlrlwlrl-ndak If
K'j kil
K'j kg'orl im
KOIt-tee-t
Kdgb og k l lsan-n
Qrunmll
nl oun rt ti lkql
Qrun
bQ wa st lkq|e nye
Oun m IreAj
Oun m lreAya
Oun m lre
Qmg
Oun mr k ln, kfta pQhl
Oun w pad wgn arugb I'en
wqn tep o$ooro-ogooro
wqn rttep
q$ara-Qgr
WQn tQp isQgQ-isQgQ
Qrnmll
nf nlbo 19 gb lg bwQnyl o ?
WQn nl t'wgn-tTre
egbe
dan ?
Qrnmll
nl ti ggbg kq la wl
nl kl wqn d oun l'n klkl
W{n nl wgn rrlg s{ Oja EflgbO-mgkn
Qrunmll
nl klwQntd kq?
WQn l di ojQ t p tltlltl
WQn ldi ojQt
pg knrin-kse
Translation
Qrnm)l
says 'hastily do we manoeuvre a canoe'
I responded that'hastily do we manoeuvre a canoe'
Letthe eye wake up
And letthe eye mount on top of the nose
And staythere gingerly
Letthe full moon appear in the day time
Qrrlnmll
says that while he was coming from heaven to the eath
He brought with him the Ire of wealth
He broughtthe Ire ofspouse
He broughtthe Ire of children
He also brought the accomplishment of one's goals
He met some aged people
along the way
They were all using walking sticks to aid their movements
They were all using walking sticks cautiously to give them support
They were all using walking sticks to suppofttheir feeble frames
Qrnm'll
asked, "Where are you all going now?"
175
Ife Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultaon
They countered thatr "are we your age-mate?"
Qrunmll
responded that he was not contesting age superiority with them
He ordered them to respond to his queston immediately
Theythen responded thattheywere going to ElgbOmgkn market
Qrnmll
asked them to tell him when they
planned to return to heaven
They responded that they would return at a very distant date
They said that it would take a long, long time before they returned
Qrunmll
said that when he dismissed the able-bodied
youths and the
children, he met the old ones on his way from heaven to eath. OrrJnmll
asked them wheretheywere
gong.
They initially refused to answer his question
but
Qrnmll
ordered them to
answer immediately. They did. They told
Qrnmll
that they were going to
Elgbo-mgkn market.
QrnmIl
wanted to know when they
planned to return to
heaven. They responded that it would take them a very long time before they
returned to heaven. E)gbO-mgkn market was the first market in recorded
history of mankind. Remember, the world is a market, while heaven is our home.
Efigbo-mgkn is the "market" where those who planned to live long on eafth
usually head for. When
Qrnm'il
asked them how long the time would be, they
responded that the time would be indefinite. When
QrrlnmIl
pretended that he
did not know what they meant by saying that their period on eafth would be
indefinite, they declared that they would return to heaven only when pebbles
begin to spouse leaves, when
potsherd
begins to bleed, when a toftoise begins to
complain of head-ache, when a snail beginsto sufferfrom afflictions, when a crab
begins to experience cold in the river and when Akannmagb plant begins to
bow in supplication to other farm trees.
QrnmIl,
knowing that it was
impossible for all these to happen, was ceftain thatthese old folks would live long
on eafth. Of
paramount concern to If was ensuring that human begins enjoyed
longevity on eafth. If declared that he would follow the old folks to eafth, and
notthe able-bodied
youths
orthe children who were destined to die young.
If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed will not die
young. He/she
will live to his/her old age. Those expecting him/her to die
young will have a very
long time to wait indeed.
If l d onlwlrlwl rl-ndakO
Mo ldi onlwlrlwlrl-ndakQ If
K'j kil
K'j kg'orl im
Klt-tee-t
176
iiii or"*,
"",
Kdagb o$ k l lsan-n
Qrrtnmll
nl Oun t lkQl
Qrun
bQ w sl IkQl Ay
Oun mIrcAj
Oun mIrcAya
OunmrlreQmg
Oun m k lana, kfta pel
Oun wa pd
wgn glrlp
Qna
Won rwqn-wQn-wQn
Qrrtnmlla
nl nlbo lq gb rrlg bwQnyl o?
WQn nl awgn lq sqia a TOkrttk
Qrrtnmll
nl klwQntd kq?
wQn l di ojQ
elkq
anQ b t'Ogn bQo
L'wgnmatd
Qrnmtl
nl Oun O b wqn rln
nl orlsekrt ni wqn
If l d onlwlrlwlrl-ndak0
Mo l di onlwlrlwlrl-ndakQ If
K'j kf
K'j kg'orl imu
K lt-tee-t
Kdagb oS k l lsn-an
Qrrrnmll
nl un t IkqE
Srun
bQ w sl lkeAy
Oun mIrcAj
Oun mt IreAya
Oun m IrcQmg
Oun m k ln, k fta pel
Oun w pdwgn Mjsln I'Qn
WQn s'r glrljo-grlrljo
WQn s'r glrljo-glrljo
Qrrrnmlb
nl nlbolqgb lq bwqnylo?
WQn nl ewgn lq sqja a T0krttOkrl
Qrrrnmlla
nl kl wqn t d kq?
WQn l di qjQ glQkq enQ b t'ogn bQq
L'wgnmatd
Qrrlnmll
nl Oun O b wgn rln
nl Em ni wQn
If l d onlwlrlwlrl-ndakQ
Mo ldi onlwlrlwfu{-ndakO If
K',j kil
K'jl kog'orl im
K lt-tee-t
Kdgb oF k l lsan-n
Qrrrnmll
nl oun t lkql
orun
bQ wa st lkel Ay
Oun m lreAj
Oun m lreAya
Oun m lreQmg
177
Ifa Dda: An invitation to lfa Consuftation
Oun mr k ln, kfta pel
Oun w pad awgn arugb I'qna
wqn ftep osooro-ofoono
wqn tQp
qsaare-qgaara
wqn tep isqge-isege
Qrrtnmll
nl nlbo lq gb lg bwQnf o ?
WQn nf t'wgn-tTrqegbe dan ?
Qrrrnmll
nl ti qgb4 kq la wl
nl kl wqn d oun l'n klkl
WQn nf wgn lqsl
Qje
Efigb-mqkn
Orrlnmll
nl klwqntd kq?
WQn l di
qjqt pqtltlltl
Wqn l di ojq t p$ knrin-kse
Qff
nmll nl un o mg qjq t pe titlltl
nl oun O mggiqt pQ knrin-kse
WQn l di qjq o, ta in omi b rt p'ew
di gjQ apadl-lQno b n
S'Qie
d qjq orl ba nfQ albahun
d qjq ojojo b gelgbln
di
9q
ttu b n m gmg akn ldo
di qjq Akannamagbo b n forl balQ
L'wjg igi oko
Qrrrnml
la nl he,h! ! !
nl oun o gbq ibi gta inrl omi gb np'ew
Oun
gbQ ibi epedhrqgb ng'QjQ
oun ogbq ibi orl gb fQ albahun
Oun o gbg ibi jojo
9b
n9 e lgbln
un o gbq b ott gb rlm gmg akn l'd
Oun o ma gbq ibiAkannamagbogb forl bah
L'wjg igi oko
jq arugbo ni m b lg
Argb ni mo b lg
Emi O b Emr rln
Translation
Qrrlnm'll
says 'hastily do we manoeuvre a canoe'
I promise that'hastily do we manoeuvre a canoe'
Let the eye wake up
And let the eye mount on top of the nose
And stay there gingerly
Let the full moon appear in the day time
Qrrfnmll
says that while he was coming from heaven to eafth
He brought with him the Ire of wealth
He brought the Ire of spouse
He brought the Ire of children
He also brought the accomplshment of ones' goals
178
illi or"*, t",
He met some able bodied youths
and some children
I
along the way
They were running from one place to the other
They were movng without a specific direction
Qrrlnmll
asked, "Where are you all going now?"
They responded that they were all going to the T0kt0kt1 market
Qrnmll
asked them when they planed to return to
heaven
They responded that as soon as the early-morning corn-meal
seller dips her mxing staff into the porridge
They shall return to heaven
Ornm'il declared that he cannot be in their mdst
Because they were all Emr (children destined to die young)
If says, "hastily do we manoeuver a canoe"
I respond that "hastily do we manoeuver a canoe"
Let the eye wake up
And let the eye mount on top of the nose
And stay there gingerly
Let the full moon appear in the daytime
Cornmeal says that while he was coming from heaven to earth
He brought with him the Ire of wealth
He brought the Ire of spouse
He brought the Ire of children
He also brought the accomplishment of one's goals
He met some children along the way
They were running from one
place
to the other
They were moving without a specific direction
Cornmeal asked, "Where are you all going now?"
They responded that they were all going to the Tktk market
Qrnmll
asked them when they planned
to return to heaven
They responded that as soon as the early-morning corn-meal seller deep her
mixing staff into the porridge
They shall return to heaven
Qrrtnmll
declared that he cannot be in their midst
Because they were all Or{gqkrl (children destined to de young)
If says, "Hastily do we manouver a cannoe"
Iresponded that "hastily do we manouver a cannoe"
Let the eye wake up
Let the eye mount on top of the nose
And stay there gingerly
Let the full moon appear in the daytime
Qrrtnmll
said that he was coming from heaven to the world
He brought with him the Ire of wealth
He brought the Ire of spouse
He brought the Ire of children
He brought also the accomplishment of one's goals
He met some aged people
along the way
They were all using walking sticks to aid their movement
179
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
They were all using walking sticks cautiously to give them suppott
They were all using walking sticks to suppoft their feeble frames
i
Qntnmll
asked "where are you all
going now?
They countered that "are we your age-mate?"
Qrrlnmll
responded that he was not contesting age superiority with them
He asked them to respond to his question immediately
They then responded that they were going to EIgb-mqkn market
Qrnmll
asked them when they planned to return to heaven
They responded that they would return at a very distant date
They said that it would take a long, long time before they returned
Orrlnmll said that he did not know what was meant by a long, long tme
(before they returned to heaven)
They responded that they would not return until the day river pebbles begin
i
to sprout leaves
Until the day potsherd begns to bleed
Until the day a tortoise begins to complain of headache
Until the day a snail begins to suffer from afflictions
Until the day a crab begins to experience cold in the river
Until the day AkannamgbO plant begins to bow in supplication among the
farm trees
Qrnmll
exclaimed in wonder!
He declared that he had never heard of where river pebbles ever sprout
leaves
He had never heard of where potsherd ever bleeds
He had never heard of where a tortoise complains of headache i
He had never heard of where a snail suffers from afflictions
He had never heard of where a crab experiences cold in the river
He had never heard of where Aknnmgb plant bows in supplication
among the farm trees
Now, the aged ones will I follow
Certainly, I shall follow old ones
I shall never follow Emr
If says that for a
person for whom this Od is revealed long life and
success is guaranteed. This person shall have the Ire of Health, Wealth,
i
and Prosperity and be able to accomplish all his/her heaft's desires.
'
15. If says that it is in the best interest of the person for whom this Od
is revealed never to marry more than one wfe at a time. If says that
to marry more than one wfe at a time is to cause trouble, problem,
tribu lation and disaster.
If says also that it is not wse for a woman for whom this Od is
180
llii
or"*""'
revealed to marry an already marred man. If she got married to a
married man, she will never have peace
of mind in her life. She will
make sorrow and uncertainty her daily companion. On these, If
says:
Olko+ I'awo aflkn
flkntltl
19 bl odelgbgnna
ArQrQ I'awo am'emq
m'emr tltl
le bf ode Dbl
Tlnhf n-tlnhln m'rw
jlngln
m'Qrg, m'Qpa
Tltl lgdlgboho-MQrg
Qrnmll 9e
peQ
o
9mq
gl'qgin gdgb ntQy
Qrrlnmll
ge pQle
9mq
O-ta-ou n-d d -ra-ou n-d d rt
PQIQ qmg -ta-oun-pupa-ra-oun-pupa
If ta s, r'hl
If ta OdOdO, ra Frllnl
Qrunmlla
nf kflj d'ggbgra
Aflje d'ggbQra
O kl mi nokl
Mojgnqkl
Baba nQkl-ngki nre
Qrunmll
nl kg'erkq
Ag'arkq
Qrnmll
nl k hnnpapa
Ahnnpapa
If lwg ni baba papah
Iwg ni baba mrg
Baba Blrlyanbf l bl baba Blrlyanbl
Baba Blrlyanbl l bl baba Blrlyanbl
Baba Blrlyanbl l bf baba
Fl'ewa-pasn
Baba
f
I', w psin l nl un O mg ibi ogun gb pa
Arnkrtnn st
nl oun o b mg ibQ
Oun O b b mu
Oun o b b
je
Oun b b ta
Oun o b b wg
Oun O b b s{ lgolgoldl
181
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consuftation
Ounb bU lgfilnQrQOun nll
9dn
na reaj nj'oori
Osun jQsede
Aj krl
Ogrtn sl gb'h
Erin nb'g
ffQn
nb'jn
QgbQQgbQ
agbQnrln nl'mi pata
Irlnwo eJOn, ggbQrin lwo
Ogun Flni, Ofi beta
OgUn omidan, Ojl oyn
Balgun a$ ogbedQ ba l'j
QgQrun
wodl o
pa ga gb'yin nlkn adle
Agt pa l' gk nrin talambl rlya
Tfi ta'mi l'jrl
QlQrun
talamb-talamb
Hd a
'd
Gblrlgldl-gbirigidi la y'd lkoko
Iyltl ayl'd
K'Qni m m yllkoko bqe
Bl ayllkoko bee
InAl'mqa baje
In ol'd ma k'gfun
Nltort od n'igi
Ikoko I'amo
ojopatapata l paTp l'ba d'bata
funtapa
gba bate
L'deAjanbel
N'lbi wgn gbrtg'eer bt
If ni
Qkan
gogo poro I'oblnrin dn mg I'qwq gkg
B b di mejl
WQn a diljQngbQn
. B b d mta
wOn de,ta-nt'l
B bdi mrin
Wgn nl dgbati o rln mi ni m rin g
B b dimarn-rn
WQn a nl klnni ikin gkg wgn tilQfg're aya ge?
B b dimefa
WQnafaaggaraawgnya
B b di meje
WQn a d'j$
B b dimejg
182
ilii o,"*"q
WQn di gl'jQ-k'jQ
B b di mQsn-n
wqn nl lyl il wgn ko n'lgq kan
Bee n ko l'bo
B'jmQ ba mg
Aqgqkgwgn longn-an kiri il
B b di mewaa
WQn nl kl wqn lg r pe
Onlaja wa
Qlanja
qmgd w Onlfg
Ela
wooro waa
Dlfn Elejl-Qyq
Tl lg re tn ay OnlfQ sg
Nljqtfq bl igb
T fya g baragada-g ba ragade bl agg
qg
bear ka n' lQ
!b9
ni wgn nl k
9e
Translation
Olkog, the sparrow, is a crooked-legged bird
With its crooked legs, it went as far aslgbQnn town
ArQrQ, is a divng bird
It dived and travelled as far as Dubai city
The smallTinhin-tinhin bird is not easily recognizable in the shrub
While flying inside the shrub
He went as far aslgbOho-MQrg
Gently,
Qrnm)l
The owner of the big horse which he pays
stipends to
Gently,
Qrnm)l
He who sold a dark complexioned material to buy a dark complexioned material
Gently, he who sold a light complexioned material to buy a light complexioned
material
If sold tobacco leavesto buy indigo
If sold flowers to buy a Flnl man
Qrrlnm'll
asked usto have a fighting competition
We did have a fighting competition
You greeted mewith disdain
I answered you with disdain
Qrrlnm'il
the dark complexioned man who responds to dsdain with equal
measure of disdain
Ornmll asked usto lookfora hoe-handle
We looked forthe hoe-handle
QrUnmlla
asked us to go the smithery to learn
We went for training in the smithery
If, you are the head of the smithery
183
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
You are ceftainly the father of smithery
Baba Bffyanbf wasthe fatherof Bilyanbf
Baba Blflyanb'i was the father of Bifiyanb)
Baba Blfyanbl was the father of
flQw-psin
Baba
flgw-pasin
was he who lamented that he did not know the site where
Arunkrlnn was killed during the war
Had he known the site, he said
He would have collected some for drinking
And some foreating
And someforselling
And some for bathing
And some for decorating his waist-band
And some for his friend at home
That was the year that dogs were eating the wild pigeons
And Ogn waseating banana
The dogs died
But Ogn was spared of any
problem
The elephants were being killed with
javelins
And the buffaloes were killed with long spears
And antelopes were wading through rocky streams
Four hundred buffaloes, 800 horns
Twenty Fulani,40 pieces of sandals
Twenty da msels, 40 breasts
A brave hawk cannot catch a dog as
prey
A warrior eagle cannot be so fast as to snatch eggs in the stomach of a fowl
Alpa, isthe strong medicine-man
Who causes heavy rain to fall from heaven
With force do we roll a moftar
But gently do we roll a pot
The waywe roll a moftar
Let no-one in like manner roll a
pot
If we rolla pot in like manner
The potters shall become sad
The moftar roller who rolls the
pot
shall have his face painted with dust (from the
broken
pot)
This is because a mortar is made of wood
Whilea potis madeof clay
The heavy rain which fell on a Tp-man from the village to the marshy place
And dealt with the Tp-man as if he was beating a bt drum
Rightatthe frontage of Ajanbaffi
Wheretheywere
playing btt drum
If declares that a wife is enjoyable in a man's house only when she is the only
one he married
184
liii or"*,'"t,
When they become two
Marriage becomes a troublesome ventu re
When they becomethree
It is a home-scattering undertaking
When they become four
The wives would be saying to each other that it was when you made
jest
of me
thatl madejestof you in return
When they become five
They would complain that'why is it that If s stll foreseeing the Ire of another
spouse for our husband?'
When they become six
They would be tearing each other's dresses (when quarrel
or fight occurs)
When they become seven
They become witches
When they become eight
They become incessant naggers and tale-bearers
When they become nine
They gossip that 'the most senior wife of our husband has no work whatsoever'
'She has no mission'
'When shewakes up'
'She would wrap our husband's dress round her body'
When they become ten
They will ask people
to go and call on mediators
Let mediators come into Offf's house
fla
woorowaa
He was theAwo who castlf for El-QyQ
When EI-Qye was invited to come and mend the life of Onff
When it broke like a calabash
And tore apaft completely like a disused clothe
He was advised to offer ebo
Olko$e I'awo aflkn
mtun ttt
tq Ut odelgbqnn
Arqrg I'awo am'QmQ
m'qmu tltl
le bl ode Dbl
Tl n hl n-tlnhln m'rw
jlngrl
n
m'Qro, m'Qpa
Tltl lo d lgboho-Mgry
Orunmll ge peleo
9mg
gl'Qgin gdgb ntoy
185
Ifa Dida: An invitaon to lfa Consultaton
QrrrnmllgePqle
9mq
O-ta-oun-drldrl-ra'oun-ddtt
Pel
qmq O-ta-oun-pupa-ra-oun-pupa
Ifta sr r'ltl
If ta OdOd' ra Flnl
Qrrtnmlla
nl k flj d'qgbQra
Afiia d'qgbQra
O kl mi nQkl
Moi
I
nQkl
Baba nOkl-ngkinre
Orrlnmll nl k
I'dr
kQ
A$'erkq
Qrrlnmll
nl k hnnPaPa
Ahnnpapa
If lwg ni baba
PPla
lwg ni baba marg
Baba Blrlyanbf lobl baba Blrlyanbl
Baba Blrlyanbl lbl baba Blrlyanbl
Baba Blr{yanbf lobl baba
fl'Qw-psin
Baba
Sl',
w psin l nl oun o mq ibi ogun
gb pa
Arnkrlnn sl
nl un O b mg ibQ
Oun o b b mu
Ounob biq
OunObbt
Oun b b wq
Oun o b b sl lgolgoldl
Oun O b b lq fitn
Qre
Oun nll
Odrln na reaj nj'oori
Ogrtn iqgede
Aj k
Ogun sl gb'h
Erin nb'g
ffQn
nb'jn
QgbQQgbQ
agbQnrln nl'mi Pata
Irlnw
9
fQn'
ggbQrin lwo
Ogrn Frtlni' oil bate
Ogrtn omidan' oil oYn
Balgun ag o gbqdQ ba l'i
QgQrun
awodl o
pa
9a
gb'$yin nlkn adlg
Aqlpa I'gk nrin talambl rlYau
Tfi ta'mi l'jrl
QlQrun
talamb-talamb
Blrl lyl'd
186
Itl
Ill
ll ll Oyeku Meji
Gblrlgldl-gbirigidi l y'd lkoko
Iyl t a yl'd
K'$ni m m yllkoko
be
Bl a yllkoko bgQ
InrrAl'mQa baje
In ol'd ma k'efun
Mtorl od n'igi
Ikoko I'amo
OjO patapata | pa Tp 'ba d'bate
funtap gba bkt
L'deAjenbata
Nlbi wQn gb rg'eer bt
If ni
Qkan $ogo
poro I'oblnrin dn mg I'qwq gkg
Bbdi mejl
WQn a di ljQngbQn
B b di mta
WQn di Ja-t'
Bbdi mgrin
Wqn nl nlgbti o rln mi ni m rin q
B b di mrn-n
WQn a nl klnni ikin gkg wgn tilQfg're aya ge?
B b di mfa
WQnafaaggaraawgnya
B b di mje
WQnad'jg
B b di mjo
WQn di gl'jQ-k'jQ
Bbdi mqsn-an
WQn nl lyl il wgn kO n19Q kan
BgQ ni k l'bq
B'jmQ b mq
A+q
ekq
won l ngn-an kiri il
B b di mgw
wqn nl kl wqn lg r pe
onlaa wa
Qlanja
gmgdw
OnlfQ
f
la wooro wa
D,|filn Eljl-Qyg
Tl lg r trtn ay Onlfe sg
Mjqtf0 bl igb
T fya gbaragada-gbrgde
bl agg
Qgbaar
kan'lQ
fbgniwgn
nl k9e
gb'$bgrr'bg
187
Ifa Dda: An invitation to lfa Consultation
jq tani y b wa tn Amqrl ge o?
FE
If niy b wa tnAmQrl geo
E|a
Translation
Olkop, the sparrow, is a crooked-legged bird
With its crooked legs, it went as far aslgbQnn town
ArQrQ, isa diving bird
It dived and travelled as far as Dubai cty
The small Tinhin-tinhin bird is not easily recognizable in the shrub
While flying inside the shrub
He went as far aslgbOho-MQrg
Gently,
QnJnmll
The owner of the big horse which he pays stipends to
Gently,
QrnmIl
He who sold a dark complexioned material to buy a dark complexioned material
Gently, he who sold a light complexioned material to buy a light complexioned
material
If sold tobacco leaves to buy indigo
If sold flowersto buya Flff man
Qrrlnm'll
asked us to have a fighting competition
We did have a fighting competition
You greeted mewith disdain
I answered
you with disdain
QrUnm'll
the dark complexioned man who responds to disdain with equal
measure of disdain
Qrunm)l
asked us to look for a hoe-handle
We looked forthe hoe-handle
Qrnmll
asked usto
gothe smitheryto learn
We went for training in the smithery
If, you arethe head of the smithery
'
Youareceftainlythefatherofsmithery
Baba Bliyanbf was the father of Bf yanbf
Baba Biflyanb'l was the father of Blflyanbl
Baba Bf yanbf was the father of
f
lQwa-pasin
Baba
flfw-pasin
was he who lamented that he did not know the site where
Arunknn was killed during the war
Had he known the site, he said
He would have collected some for drinking
And some foreating
And some for selling
And some for bathing
188
iiii ov"x" n"i
And some for decorating his waist-band
And some for his friend at home
That was the year
that dogs were eating the wild pigeons
And OgUn was eating banana
The dogs died
But Ogn was spared of any problem
Theelephantswere being killed with
javelins
And the buffaloes were killed with long spears
And antelopes were wading through rocky streams
Four hundred buffaloes, 800 horns
Twenty Fulani,40 pieces
of sandals
Twenty da msels, 40 breasts
A brave hawkcannotcatch a dog as
prey
A warrior eagle cannot be so fast as to snatch eggs in the stomach of a fowl
A$pa, is the strong medicine-man
Who causes heavy rain to fall from heaven
With force do we roll a mortar
But gently do we roll a
pot
The waywe roll a moftar
Let no-one in like manner roll a pot
If we roll a
pot in like manner
The potters
shall become sad
The moftar roller who rolls the pot
shall have his face painted with dust (from the
broken pot)
This is because a moftar is made of wood
While a pot is made of clay
The heavy rain which fell on a Tp-man from the village to the marshy place
And dealt with the Tp-man as if he was beating a bt drum
Right at the frontage of Ajanbat
Wheretheywere playing
bt drum
If declares that a wife is enjoyable in a man's house only when she is the only
one he married
When they become two
Marriage becomes a troublesome venture
When they become three
It is a home-scattering undertaking
When they become four
The wives would be saying to each other that it was when you made
jest
of me
thatl made
jestof you in return
When they become five
They would complain that'why is it that If is still foreseeing the Ire of another
spouse for our husband?'
When they become six
They would be tearing each other's dresses (when quarrel
or fight occurs)
189
Ifa Dda: An invitation to lfa Consultation
When they become seven
They become witches
i
When they become eight
They become incessant naggers and tale-bearers
When they become nine
They
gossip that 'the most senior wife of our husband has no work whatsoever'
'She has no mission'
'When she wakes up'
'She would wrap our husband's dress round her body'
When theybecometen
They will ask
people to go and call on mediators
Let mediators come nto OnffQ's house
fl
wooro w
He was the Awo who cast If for El-QyQ
When EI-Ofe was invited to come and mend the life of OfffQ
When it broke like a calabash
And tore apartcompletely like a disused clothe
He was advised to offer gbg
He complied
Now, who will help us mend our destiny?
Ela
(Qrunmlla)
If is he, whowillhelp us me mend ourdestiny
I
Eta
If says that the destiny of the person for whom this Od is revealed shall be
mended for the better. He/she needs to change certan aspects of his/her
character as discussed above. If these could be done, his/her life will surely
changeforthe better.
16. If says that there is the need for the
person for whom this Od is revealed
to take adequate care of his/her health and overall well-being, and at the
same time, offer appropriate gbg in order to forestall a situation where he
!
would fall ill and then spend all his/her life savings before he/she could
i
suruive the illness. Ifa says that even if he/she does sulive, he/she may
not be able to appear in public anymore. He/she may be forced to stay
outside his/her community due to the fact that his/her skin had been
ruined as a consequence of the illness or he/she may be forced to stay
permanently indoors due to loss of sight, loss of limb or loss of hearing.
Such illness may preclude the person for whom this Od is revealed from
mixing freely among his/her peers. If says that the more successful this
person is, the more he/she is prone to being involved in this
problem.
190
iiiior"*"",'
If says that there is the need to offer
ebg
with one matured he-goat, a
black dress and money. If this is done, the chances of getting this
illness may be drastically reduced if not totally eliminated. On these, If
says:
Eefin ni iyl in
Imqnqmqnq ni iyt ojo
A$q l ni iyl Egn
Dl firn
ofafa
Tllg'gmg
glQl
kan etjq
f
bq ojojo ni wqn nl ko waa ge
Translation
Smoke is the honour of the flame
Lightening is the honour of rainfall
Big costume is the honour of the EgUngUn masquerade
These were lf's declarations to Ofafa, the tree bear
The offspring of the noble man of the olden days
He was advised to offer gbg against illness
Qfafa,
the tree bear, wentto the Awo mentioned above in orderto determine his
chance of becoming a successful man in life. He was informed that he would
ceftainly succeed but there is the need for him to offer gbg
against ailments
which might drain all his life savings before he would be able to regain his health.
He was advised to offer one matured he-goat, a black dress and plenty
of
money. He simply ignored the advice of the Awo, calling them thieves and
tricksters.
Before long,
Sfafa
became a very successful man. He was very walthy and he
had a lot of workers under him. One day, he fell ill. He nearly died. He spent all
his life savings on the illness, allto no avail. He then remembered the advice of
the Awo. He was taken to the Awo. The Awo in turn asked him to offer ebo with
two matured he-goat, two black dresses and
plenty
of money instead of
one each. He complied. Soon after, he became well. Unfortunately for him, the
illness had taken its own toll on him. His skin and body had been damaged
terribly. He could no longer live in the midst of his colleagues. He went to live on
trees in order to avoid meeting or seeing most of his friends and well-wishers.
Because he had been destined to succeed in his life however, there was no tree
that he could not climb to the very top. He however lived to regret his initial
refusal to offer
gbg
as prescribed forthe rest of his life. Since that time, he lived
191
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
aone on trees, and died alone on a tree. Only his immediate family members
were around him during the very end of his life.
Eefin niiyl ina
Imgnqmqnq n iyl ojo
ASq rtl ni iyl Eegun
DlfinQfafa
Tff
I'gmgglql
kan atijg
Fbq
ojojo ni wQn nl k waa ge
kg'tl
Qgbgnyin
s'bg
Qff
o btt mQ
Iba wa fow s'rfin
gbg
ErolpoeroQfa
fni
gb'Qbg nTbQ k
9'9bg
o
Translation
Smoke is the honour of the flame
Lightning isthe honourof rainfall
Big costume is the honour of the Egngn masquerade
.
These were If's declarations to
Qfafa,
the tree bear
The offspring of the noble man of the olden days
He was advised to offer gbg against illness
He ignored the advice
Had
Qfafa,
theTree bear, known
He would have spent his money to offer gbg
Now travelers tolpo and
Qfa
towns
Let those who were advised to offer
gbg
do so
For those whom this Od is revealed and those who were born by this Od, let
them take care of their health, and at the same time, offer the appropriate gbg as
prescribed. Refusal to heed this advice will lead to
grave consequences for those
concerned
Abgrr Abqy.
192
trtl
iltr
ll ll Oyeku Meji
B. SIGNIFICANCE OF OYEKU-MEJI FORTHOSE BORN
BYTHE ODU DURING ITELODU ORIKOSEDAYE
QyQkr-Mjl
children have a very high chance of living to their old age even
though they are frequently threatened by death. No matter how much they are
threatened, they usually come out victorious. As a matter of fact, it is in the best
interest of their enemies to tender unreserved apology to them, desist from
planning
or doing evil against them and advise others never to have evil plans
against them. As an adjunct to this, the olderthey are, the more successful they
will become. By this time that they grow very old, they would have been able to
achieve all their heafts' desires.
Qyeku-Mjl
children believe so much in confrontation. They do not see any
reason why they should allow any chance for a
good fight to
pass
them by. They
also believe in trading any of their
properties
for another. They also love to have
free things brought for them by others. In fact, they believe that it is the
responsi bi I ity of others to ma ke them comforta ble.
For
QyQkrl-MT
children, the best period
to pray
to the Deities is very early in
the morning. If they pray
every morning, all whatthey lack shall come their way
easily. They shall be blessed with abundant wealth, more than average number of
children and happy homes. They shallalso be blessed with titles in recognition of
their achievements, contributions and worth in the community.
Qyqku-Mjl
children easily pick up enemies either due to !y,
jealousy
or
misunderstanding of their actions. Sometimes, it may be due to the bad attitude
of
Qyqku-M)
children. Instead of recognizing their inadequacies and amend
their ways accordingly, they usually blame everything on the fact that it is in their
destiny to have many enemies. This is an aspect which they need to examine
properly
and review accordingly.
The best
professions
of
QyQk-Mil
children are in Medical fields-either as
Doctors, pharmacists, physiotherapists,
nurses, midwives, medical occultists,
Babalwo, herbalists, and so on. They are also good in trading and banking but
never as farmers.
Qyeku-Mfl
male children must never marrytwo women atthe same time but in
193
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
circumstances of death, divorce, incompatibilty, he may marry another woman
but must never have two wives at the same time. For
QyQkr-Mjl
female
children, they must never marry an already married man. They must also marry
someone who has If as they may not have a successful home if they marry
someone who never underwentlteldu ceremony.
As regards money and material acquisitions,
QyQkr-Mjl
children, males and
females have an insatiable urge for wealth accumulation. The more they
acquire, the more they wish to acquire. If they lend people money, they try to
exploit their debtors to the maximum. On the other hand, if they are the ones
owing other
people, they hold onto the money until they are forced to pay
up. If
they have no money to pay, they do not see any reason why they should speak
softly to those they owe. In shoft, when it comes to money they love to enjoy
the better of two worlds
-
exploiting those who owe them money and holding
ontothe moneytheyowe foras long as possible.
There is however the need for
QyQkrl-MT
children to offer all appropriate qbg
and take care of their health in order to avoid physical, mental and or emotional
incapacitation which may lead to blindness, deafness, amputation of limbs,
lameness'due to stroke or outright paralysis. This will ceftainly
preclude
them
from socializing with theircolleagues or moving in their midst.
On the whole however,
QyQkr-Mfl
children, males and females, shall inherit
the world. They have the capability to overcome their opponents and achieve
more than all their contemporaries. They will succeed in terms of wealth,
spouse, children and
general well-being.
C. AFFILIATED IRUNMOLE AND ORISA OF OYEKU-
MEJI
If - For protection
against enemies, financial success, and over-all
wellbeing
Orl
- Forfinancialsuccess and general protection
EgU
Qdar
- For general well-being and suppoft
Qbat
- For child bearing and
protection
of the children
Qsun
- For child bearing and good spouse
Ogn - For protection
and direction
$ngO
-
For protection against opposition
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
194
iiii overu veji
8. ke - For overall success
9.
FgbQ
-
For suppoft and leadership
10. Egngn - For support of the ancestors.
D. TABOOS OF OYEKU.MEJI CHILDREN
1. Must never walk in the rain -
to avoid missing his chances of success
2. Must never use
fg,
the Palm Bird, for anything -
to avoid his/her home
from scattering
3. Must never use water as
paft
of feeding materials for his o -
to
avoid failure in life which may come from his/her prayers
not being
answered.
4. Must not use millipede for anything -
to avoid failure in his/her
bsiness
5. Must not use sand paper
leaves for anything - to avoid fairure in
his/her business undertaking.
6. Must not use AynrS leaves for anything -
to avoid reduction in the
protection from the Deities
7. Must never marry more than one wife at a time: A woman must
never marry an already married man -
to avoid unending
matrimonial crises
B. Must never farm -
to avoid business failure
9. Must never eat fish
-
to avoid problem
of giving
birth to abfk
children
10. Must never use leopard for anything -
to avoid being ovefwhelmed by
adversary.
E. POSSIBLE NAMES FOR OYEKU.MEJI CHILDREN
Males
1.
QlbardnlQ
-
Honour is at hand
2. Fde -
If holds unto this
3. Ikrlgn - Ik, Death, please
be compassionate
4. Ojmq-Ql - Thedawn of honour
5. Ifgggun -
Ifa ensures victory
6. Fdr - Ifa performs
wonders
195
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
Females
1. Fdr
-
If peformswonders
2. AtOro - She who brings her success from heaven
3. Ftyln
- If is praise wofthy
4. Odlre
-
Od is profitable
5. Subad
-Thedepth
ofthe crown
6. Ikmpyl May Death sparesthis
Abgrrt Aboy.
196
Chapter 3
IWORT- MEI
II
I
I
ll
II
I
I
il
Chapter 3
IWORI- MEI
A.1 If says that the
person for whom Iwo-M) is revealed during
IkqsQdy orlteld shall succeed in his/her life. If says that he/she
shall perform wonders in life. In fact, all his/her achievements in life
shall be unbelievable to his/her colleagues. Many people
shall
consider the feat, achievements and/or success of the person for
whom this Od is revealed as miraculous.
If says that without any tangible means of livelihood, he/she shall be
financially successful; without any tangible means of keeping a
matrimonial home, he/she shall make a very successful home;
without enough means of training his/her children, he/she shall
maintain a highly successful family; without the means to take
adequate care of himself/herself, he/she shall be healthy, cheerful
and happy.
If says that there is the need for him/her to offer ebg with three
white pigeons, three hens, three guinea fowls, three fish
and money. On theselw-M) says:-
OgOdO Owrt gb'k odO
L payln kekeeke s'olko
Dl fitn Altakn
Tl yO maa
Se
oun gbogbo
bl idn bl idn
fbg
ni wqn rd k q
Translation
The cotton wool stayed across the stream
And bloomed invitingly at the farmer
This was If's declaration to Altakn, the Spider
Who shall be doing everything as if by magic
198
lI wo ue
Altakn, the Spider, had no money. He had no wife. He had no chld.
He had no home. As a matter of fact, he had absolutely nothing to
show for his existence in life. Tired of this, he went to the Awo
mentioned above for If consultation: Would he ever succeed in his life?
Would he have money? Would he have a spouse? Would he beget
children in life? Would he have his own home? Would he live long?
Would all his wants in life be gotten? Above all, would all his sadness
give way to
joy?
The Awo assured him that he would be able to achieve all his heart desires
in life. The Awo then advised Altakn, the Spider, to offer
gbg as stated
above. He complied. Thereafter the Awo prepared a special medicine for
him to use. He used it. Before long, Altakn was able to produce very
strong strings from cotton which he knitted together in form of net. This
net serued as his home. He was using the net to trap insects and even small
birds. His daily food was thus guaranteed. The surplus, he used to sell and
by so doing, he was able to get money to do some other things he wished to
do, Before long he was able to accumulate enough money with which to
marry a wife of his choice. Soon after this, his wife gave brth to several
children for him. Within a shoft
period, the spider was able to achieve all his
heart's desires without having any tangible means of livelihood. All what
people knew was that the cotton which he knitted into strong strings with
which he constructed his net, which serued as his home, his trap and means
of livelihood came from his abdomen. How it came there was not known.
What supplied it there in an inexhaustible way was not known. Everyone
considered how the spider made it in life as miraculous. The Spider was full
of happiness. He was dancing and singing saying:
,
OgOdO Owrl
gb'k odO
ro payln kekeeke s'olko
Dl filn AItakn
Tl yO maa ge oun gbogbo bl idn bl idn
fbg
ni wqn nl k
s
gb'Qbg, rrlbg
Bl idn ni mo ge
Tl mo fi 'j
Awo I'ogdo Ow
gb'k od
Pa'yln kekeeke s'olko
199
lfa Dida: An nvtation to lfa Consultation
OwO bl idan I'fdrt ltge
Bl idan ni mo
ge
Tf mo fi l'ya
.
Awo I'ogOdO Ow gb'ke OdO
P'ayln kekeeke s'olko
Ow bl idan l'fdU rrge
Bl idn ni mo
ge
Tl mo fi k'l
Awo lOgodO wrt gb'k Od
P'ayln kekeeke s'lko
Owo bi idan l'fdu nge
Bl idn ni mo
$e
Tl mo fi ntre gbogbo
Awo I'OgOdO Owrt gb'k
OdO
P'ayln kekeeke s'lko
Ow bl idan I'Edr nse
Translation
The cotton wool stayed across the stream
And bloomed invitingly at the farmer
This was lf's declaration to Altakn, the spider
Who shall be doing everything as if by magic
He was advised to offer gbg
He complied
I got my wealth as if by magic
'The cotton wool stayed across the stream
And bloomed invitingly at the farmer'
If does his things miraculously
I got my spouse as if by magic
'The cotton wool stayed across the stream
And bloomed invitingly at the farmer'
If does his things miraculously
I got my children as if by magic
'The cotton wool stayed across the stream
And bloomed invitingly at the farmer'
If does his things miraculously
I got my home as if by magic
'The cotton wool stayed across the stream
And bloomed invitingly at the farmer'
If does his things miraculously
I got my Ire as if by magic
'The cotton wool stayed across the stream
And bloomed invitingly at the farmer'
200
lllt
t*o ue
If does his things miraculously
If says that the
person for whomlw-Me) is revealed shall get all the Ire
in life in a miraculous manner.
2. If says that the
person for whom this Od is revealed needs to
dedicate his/her mind and attention to If. If says that the more
he/she does this, the more Ire he/she will acquire. If says that if
he/she is dedicated to If, If in turn will never lose interest in all
his/her matter.
If says that there is the need for him/her to offer
gbg with four
rats, four fish, two hens and money. He/she also needs to feed
If with one matured
goat. On this issue, If says:-
Eni a b w'de l b re'l
f;ni
aj b w I'aj b 19
Dda fin Elejl-Iwl
Tl yo te'j ire mq Akpo o rQ glrlglrt
fbg
ni wQn nl k
9e
Translation
The person whom we follow out is he whom we ought to
return home with
The person whom a dog accompanied out is he whom the dog returns
home with
These were If's declarations to El)-Iwrl (Iwo-M))
Who shall take an intense but benevolent look at his Akp
He was advised to offer
gbg
El)-Iw was a delegate of the Divinities. He was gven the authority to
disburse all Ire of life to those who are dedicated to If. His main
problem
however was how to know the best way to disburse the lre. For this
reason, he went to the Awo mentioned above to determine how best it
would be for him to Identify those who deserve the Ire so as to avoid a
situation where those who were not worthy of those Ire were those who
received them.
201
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultaon
The Awo assured him that only those who deserved the compasson and
benevolence of If shall receve them. He was advised to offer
gbg
as
stated above and to feed If with one
goat.
He did. Thereafter, he was
advised to use the following criteria to
judge
those who deserve all these
Ire from If:
Dedication: Those who shall be
given
the Ire shall be totally
devoted to If. He/she shall not mix his/her loyalty to If and
Oldmar with other beliefs.
Honesty: He/she must be honest in thought, speech and action
at all times
Hopefulness: He/she must be hopeful and rely on If for all
things at all times. He/she must also be
patient
at all times.
iv. Humility: He/she must be humble to If and Oldmar, his/her
superior, his/her colleagues and even his/her subordinates at all
times.
El)-IwOri began to use these criteria for alt If practitioners.
The more
these criteria were followed and adhered to, the more the success and
achievement of the If devotees. Those who followed all the laid-down
criteria of E)-IwOfl began to sing and dance. They began to rejoice in If,
saying:
pni
a b w'de l b re'l
fni
aj b w I'aj b lg
Dl filn Elejl-Iwof
Tl y te'j ire mq Akpo o rQ glrlglrl
fbg
ni wqn nl k
9e
gb$bg, rrtbg
If tq'j mQ mi, o w ml ire
Ejl koko lworl
Bl o b te5 mq n
A ma l'w I'Qwq
Eji koko lworl
Qmq Q
rg l?mi 9e
Ejl koko lwrl
.
i.
242
li two e
Bl o b tej mq n
A ma ni're gbogbo i
Ejl koko lworl
9mg Q
rg l'mi ge o
Ejl koko lworl
If te5t mQ mi, o w ml ire
$l
koko lwrl
9mq Q
rg l'mi 9e
Ejl koko lworl
Translation
The person whom we follow out is he we ought to return home with
i
The person whom a dog accompanies out is he whom the dog ought
to return home with
These were If's declarations to Elfi-IwOr1
Who shall take an intense but benevolent look at his Akp
He was advised to offer
gbg
He complied
lf, please take an intense glance at me with your eyes of benevolence
All haillwori-MT, the mighty
I am indeed your child
All haillwO-M), the strong
If you
take an intense look at one
One will surely be wealthy
All haillwO-MJI, the mighty
I am indeed your child
All haillwfi-M), the strong
If you take an intense look at one
One will surely be blessed with a good spouse
All hailIwOrl-MI, the mighty
I am indeed your child
All haillwOfl-M), the strong
If you take an intense look at one !
One will surely be blessed with lovely children
All haillwO-M), the mighty
I am indeed your offspring
All haillwO-M), the strong
If you take an intense look at one
One will surely be blessed with propefties
All haillwofi-MT, the mighty
I am indeed your offspring
All haillw0il-MT, the strong
If you take an intensive look at one
i
243
lfa Dida: An invtation to lfa Consultaon
One will surely be blessed with all lre in life
All haillwor't-M), the mighty
I am indeed your
offspring
All haillwfl-M), the strong
I am indeed your
child
All haillwOil-M), the mighty
If says that the more dedicated, humble, honest, patent
and hopeful the
person for whomlwr1-M) is revealed, the more benevolence he/she wll
acqure.
If says that with dedication, humility, hopefulness and honesty, all the Ire
in life, without exception, is guaranteed
for the person
for whom this Od is
revealed.
3. If says that the person
for whom Iwfl-M), is revealed shall be
blessed and assisted by not only If, but also Oi and Ay. The
person for whom this Od is revealed shall be supported by If,
Ol and Ay. He/she shall be blessed and pampered
by all these
deities.
If says that it is advisable for the person
for whom this Od is
revealed to procure 16 fresh fowl egg-four to be offered fresh
as gbg. The remaining L2 areto be boiled; four to be used to feed
rf, four to feed Aye and the remaining four to feed the orl of
the person for whom the Od is revealed. On these, If says:
Kknk I'awo kQkgnkQ
GQgQngg I'awo Gegenge
Dl filn OrlmgnlkQq
Qmq
at'Qrun kg'rl kgkq w'l ay
fbg
ni wqn nl k qe
Translation
To take care of the person who deserves being taken care of
To pamper
the person who ought to be pampered
This was If's message for Or{mqffkQQ
Who brought his own lovable Of from heaven
He was advised to offer qbg
204
tf
li lwor Meji
OmgffkQg wenttotheAwostated above forlf consultation. Hewanted
i
to know if he would have the suppoft of If in his life in accomplishing all his
heaft's desires. He was sure that he could not achieve everything all alone.
That was why he wanted to know if he would be blessed with the support of
If and other Deities.
The Awo assured him that for him, the backing of If was guaranteed. Not
only this, he was also assured that his Ori was equally in his suppoft right
from heaven. To crown it all, Ay was also in his suppott.
He was advised to offer gbg and feed the Deities as stated above. He
complied. Before long, allthe
good things of life came his way. If, his O
and Ay came to his aid and he succeeded where all others failed. After
achieving so much, he was still being assured of the continuous assistance
and support of the Deities. He was thus full of gratitude, saying:
KQkgnkQ I'awo kQkQnk$
GQgQngQ I'awo GQgQngQ
Dl fin OrlmgnlkQ$
i
Qmq
at'Qrun kS'rl kgkg w'l ay
Fbg
ni wqn nl k
9e
gb'Qbo, r'bg
If ma kQ mi nlg
Orl maa k mi nlgo
Enlyn ma ke mi nlgo
Gege l k'Qyin adlg o
Translation
.Totakecareofthepersonwhodeservesbeingtakencareof
To pamper the person who ought to be
pampered
This was If's message for Ofmgn'ik
Who brought his own lovable Of from heaven
He was advised to offer
gbg
He complied
Now, let If continue to
pamper me
Let O continue to assist me
And let Ay continue to assist me
Gingerly does one collect and handle fowl eggs
205
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
If says that the person
for whom this Od is revealed shall be loved
and treated with care by Tf, Ort and Ay.
4. If says that it foresees all Ire for whom lw-Mji is revealed. If
says that he/she shall not lack any Ire in his/her life. He/She shall be
blessed with wealth, good
spouse, health, beautiful and responsible
children, a home of his/her own, long life and prosperity.
If however advises him/her to show hospitality to visitors and
strangers at all times. By so doing, all the good
things of life shall be
his/hers. There is also the need for him/her to offer gbg with three
pigeons,
three hens and money. on this, a stanza in this od
says:
Qffnmll
lo di sll
Mo nl kl ooro yeb
Qrrtnmll
nl H d'omid'omi fese d'omi
K m ba d'om s'lojo l'ra
Translation
Qrnm)l
declares that it is time to rest peacefully
I respond that all evil principalities
must disperse
Qrnmll
cautions all water throwers to throw away water with care
and consideration
Lest they wet an impoftant visitor
Qrnm'il
called on all his disciples and gave
them lecture on the need to
treatvisitors and strangers with respect, and on the virtue of showing them
hospitality. This, he said was impoftant because a good
Awo must learn
never to maltreat anyone because one can never tell who would be of use
and impoftance to him/her in future. He warned them especially on those
visitorswhom they had never met before in their lives. He emphasized that
the more respect and humility they show towards them, the more blessing
theywill receive from Oldmar and If.
Qrunm)l
also enjoined all his disciples to go home and offer
gbq
with
three pigeons
and three hens each. The disciples wanted to know why
they should offer such gbg
and what profitthey
were expected to gain
by so
doing.
Qrnm)l
then told them that all the good
things of life were
strangers to us.
206
l!f,
wori uei
The way we treat them would determine how their responses to us
would be. A spouse that we would marry in future was once a stranger
to us. We needed to study all aspects of each other's characters for a
long, long time to come before we could declare that we really knew
each other very well. The riches we would get in our lives were
strangers to us until we began to acquire them and know how best to
utilize them, since how we acquired our wealth were more of
speculations, accurate and guesswork, in a conducive business
environment and more especially shear luck. Our children were
strangers to us until we begot them. Even after giving bfth to them, we
could not fully understand their characters. All the other Ire we got in
our lives were strangers to us because we simply could never
understand the format they would take before and after their
acquisition.
They all complied with the advice of
Qrnmll.
They all offered the
gbg as
advised. Before long, all the Ire in life came to their homes to stay
permanently because they (the lre) were well treated. The Awo became
wealthy, they had good spouses, they gave birth to
good children, they
were honoured with chieftaincy titles, and they lived purposeful lives in
relative comfot and
peace of mind. They were very happy, They were
singing and dancing, saying:
Qnrnmll
lo di sll
Mo nl kl ooro yeb
Qrrtnmll
nl kl d'omid'omi fQsQ d'omi
K m ba d'omi s'lojO l'ra
Mo nl abjO wo ni o ?
nl alejo aj ni o
Mo nl alej wo ni?
nt aleo aya ni
Mo nf alejO wo ni?
nf alejO omg ni o
Mo nf alejO wo ni?
nl alejo ogb ni
Mo ni alejO wo ni?
nl alejO ire gbogbo ni
K p, ko
jlnna
F
w b ni nl wQwq ire gbogbo
207
lfa Dida: An nvitation to lfa Consultation
Translation
Qrnm'll
declares that it is time to rest peacefully
I respond that all evil principalities must disperse
Qrnm)l
cautions all water throwers to throw away water with care
and consideration
Lest they wet an impoftant visitor
I ask that what type of visitor (is
Qnlnm'll
referring to)
He responds that it is visiting Aj (Wealth)
I asked that what other type of visitor
He responds that it is visiting Aya (Spouse)
I asked that what other type of visitor.
He responds that it is visiting
Qmg
(Children)
I asked that what other type of visitor
'
He responds that it is visiting Oye (Chieftaincy)
I ask that what other type of visitor
He responds that it is visiting Ogb (Longevity)
I ask what other type of visitor
He responds that it is visiting Ire
Before long, not too far
Join us in the midst of all Ire
If says that the
person for whom this Od is revealed shall be blessed with
all Ire in life as long as he/she takes care of vsitors and strangers. If says
that he/she shall be conferred with a title in recognition of his/her good
deeds.
5. If says that there is the need for the
person for whom this Od ls
revealed to be properly initiated into If. If says that he/she shall
not be Ieft alone he/she shall be taken proper
care of by If. With the
initiation, all problems
shall be solved for him/her. His/her sorrow
shall be convefted to happiness; his/her worries shall be changed to
assurances; poverty to riches; and failures to successes. A stanza in
Iwri-M) suppoftng this says:
In nilta gangan j'ko
OOrn nil ta sangan kn'run
ota o ta
Oran O ran fnrn'kn kan Owrl
IX fitn Orunmlla
If y maa tn il qni tl kO sunwQn
$e
208
f,I two ue
f;bg
ni wqn nl k
9e
i
Translation
The fire is it which lights the farm completely
The sun shines and illuminates the heavens
The spinner does not spin
And the roller does not roll only one strand of cotton string
These were lf's declarations for Ornmll
When he wished to improve the lot of those whose home were in
shambles
He was advised to offer
qbg,
i
Very many people were in trouble. All what they were doing had no head;
they were living their lives in sheer frustration. They did not know what to
do to improve their lot. For this reason, they approached
Qrrlnmll
for
possible solutions to their problems.
QrrlnmlI
in turn approached the Awo
mentoned above for If consultation: Would he be able to improve the lives
of thosewho had approached him on theirvarious
problems?
Qrnm)l
was assured that he would be able to solve all their
problems for
them. He was advised that all those having these
problems needed the
i
adequate and all-encompassing
protecton of If. Consequently, they
needed to be properly initiated in order to ensure that all their
problems
were solved.
Qrnm'll
returned home and began to initiate all those having problems
and all their
problems began to disappear. Their lives began to change for
the better. They were all full of
joy
for the
good things If had done for
them.
i
In nif ta
gangan j'ko
Oorn nil ta gangan kn'run
Onta o ta
Oran O ran fQnrn'kn kan w
Dia fun
Qrrlnmll
If y maa tn il gni tl kO sunwQn
9e
Fbg
ni wQn nl k
9e
gb'Qbo, nl'bg
Njq or{ Awo wQ
Awggbo m ni o
{
249
lfa Dda: An nvitation to lfa Consultation
Ipln Awo wq
Translation
The fire is it whch lights the farm completely
The sun shines and illuminates the heavens
The spinner does not spn
And the roller does not roll only one strand of cotton string
These were If's declarations to
Qn:nmll
When he wished to improve the lot of those whose home were in
shambles
He was advised to offer
gbg.
He complied
The O which Awo washes through initiation
Such O shall succeed and enjoy longevity
The Of which Awo washes through initiation
If says that it shall not allow the person for whom this Od is revealed
to face problems in his/her life.
6. If says thatthe person
for whom this Od is revealed shall succeed n
life. He/she shall be able to attain all his/her heart's desires
-
be it
wealth, spouse, children, longevity or even peace
of mind.
If however advises that the person
for whom this Od is revealed
must never attempt to become number one or number two in
anything he/she does. He/she must never aim to become the
president
or charperson of any association or society. He/she must
never aim beyond being the number Three. There lies his/her
success. There lies peace
of mind for him/her. Aiming beyond
Number Three poston
in his/her life is like sending an open invitation
to trouble and restlessness.
There is the need forthe person
forwhom this Od is revealed to offer
his/her gbg
as Anlkore: three guinea-fowls,
three cocks and
money. He/she also needs to feed If with one matured goat.
On
these, If says:
Irqke idl abTdl grlgel-gangele
Dlfiln EleJl-IwOrl
214
ilt twori t,tei
Tl y
$e
lkgta Od w'l Ay
pbg
ni wqn nl k ge
Translation
The If tapper carued with Idf wood with ts broad but uneven base
This was the If cast forlwfi-M)
Who shall occupy the number three position among the Od when
coming into this Eafth
He was advised to offer gbg
The 16 principal Od were comng from heaven into the world. They
were taking varous postons of seniority which they expected to
mantan while on eafth. Consequent upon this, EJi-Iwfi went to the
Awo mentioned above for If consultation in order to determine which
position would be most advantageous to him while on eafth.
The Awo first assured him that his
journey
to eafth would be very fruitful.
He was also informed that he would have peace of mind and would be
highly respected on eafth. He was asked to offer his qbg
asArkore and for
him to use three things in each category of materials he was asked to offer
-
three rats, three fish, three
pigeons, three hens, three guinea
fowls, three cocks and so on. He was also asked to feed If with a
matured
goat. He complied. Thereafter, he was advised to go for the
Numberthree position asthere laid success, achievement, victory peace of
mind, fulfillment and harmony for him. Iwo-M) agreed and went to the
remaining principal Od that he was contented with the Number Three
position. The 16 principal Od left heaven in the following order of
seniority- Ofttn-tvtelt, Number One;
Qgg-Mefl,
Number Two, IwOfl-Mf,
Number Three; Odf
-Me, Number Four; Irosn-M), Number Five;
QwQnrin-M),
Number Six;
Qbar-M),
Number Seven;
Qkanran-M;),
Number Eight; Ogunda-tvtT, Number Nine;
Qs-M),
Number Ten; Ika-
MT, Number Eleven; 0turrrpgn-M3), Number t2 tara-MJ|, Number 13;
IrQtQ-ML Number la;
QyQktl-M),
Number 15; and E)-Ogb, Number
16.
While on eafth, Ofun-VteI, the most senior Od, began to misbehave and
his misconduct was affecting the whole 16 Od. They tried to settle the
problem amicably without success. Before long, the misconduct of Ofun-
M) began to rub on
Q9Q-MI
which occupied the second position. This
211
lfa Dida: An nvitation to lfa Consultation
crss soon came to a head and Ofln-Mfl was dsplaced from the Number
one position
to Number 16.
Qgg-Mel
was moved from Number two
position
to Number 15.
conversely, E)-ogb the most
junior
among the 16 principal
od was
moved from Number 16 to Number one position,
while
QyQkrl-Mji
was
moved from Number 15 to Number Two Position. All these movements and
crises did not affectlwo-Mj in any way. He still maintained his Number
Three position.
Any time he remembered the advice of his Awo to him, he
was always grateful
to Oldmar that he heeded the advice. Since the
time that he had been occupying this position,
he never had any cause to
regret.
IrQkg idl abTdl ggt-gangete
Dl fin EteJt-Iworl
Tl y
9e
lkeJa Od wa'E Aye
fbg
ni wqn nl k
9e
gb'gbg,
r'bo
'
Mo k'ta Od mo sinmi o
fyin
o r'Heji-Iworl
B t k'gta Od w'y
Mo k',ta Od mo sinmi o
Translation
The If tapper carved with Idf wood with its broad but uneven base
This was the If cast for lwil-M;)
Who shall occupy the Number Three position
among the Od when
coming into this Earth
He was advised to offer gbg
He complied
I occupied Number Three position;
I have peace
of mind
Behold Iw0r1-M) who came into this world, occupying the Third
position
I occupied the third position
And I have peace
of mind and satisfaction.
7. If says that it foresees the ire of
pregnancy
and child-bearing for a
couple who are in search of a baby. If says that they will not wait for
too long before their prayers
are answered. If says that if the
212
f,I mo ue
approprate
gbg is offered at the right time, the woman n question
will surety miss her menstrual
period and become
pregnant that very
i
month.
If says that there is the need for them to offer
gbg with three hens,
three rats, three fish, three round white chalksr three big
camwood and money. If says that they need not overdo things in
terms of copulation and they should be hopeful and
prayetful. On
These,If says:
Qgn
nff m'rf
iq
ad
m'sQ mieefl
ig YeYe
Orubu
gfun l ba'l$ k rm'rumu
Ata ba'h fq
pee
D,la fun Atq
hlqqlq
Tll
g'gmgknrin IsahYe
A brl fitn Aqq
Tff
S'gmqblnrin Qrun
Igbatl wqn lrmenu snrhn
gmg
fbg
ni wgn nl kl wgn w
9e
Translation
The tip of an ant-hill resembles a crown
The legs were rooted firmly to the ground
The round shaped native chalk fell down, and scattered white dust
about
Ata, the ridge at the top of a house, fell down and broke into pieces
These were If's declarations to Atg lQlQQlq, the slimy Sperm
Their offsPring here on Eafth
And also to AgE, the Menstrual egg
Their offspring in Heaven
When they wre both lamenting their inability to beget a child
They were advised to offer
gbq
Both AtQ lQlQQlQ, the slimy Sperm and Agg, the Menstrual egg had been
married for sometime without being able to beget a child. Consequently,
they wentto the
group of Awo mentioned above for If consultation; would
they be able to beget a baby of their own? If yes, would it happen that
month?
213
lfa Dida: An nvitation to lfa Consultation
The Awo assured the two of them that they would certainly be blessed with
a child of their own. They were advised not to be in a hurry and not to
overdo things. They were also advised to offer gbg
as prescribed
above.
They complied.
That same month, when it was time for Agg to
pass
her time, she discovered
that the menstrual flow had ceased to come. They began to pray.
They
were advised not to copulate for the next three to four months. They
complied.
After 10 months, Ag delivered a bouncing baby. She was full of
gratitude
to oldmar. Both Agq and Atg lglgglQ, were giving praises
to their Awo saying:
Qgan
nff m'rl
jq
ad
m'QsQ mejejl
jg yeye
Orubu eJun l ba'lQ k rm-rumu
Ata ba'tg fq pe
Df fun Atq tQtqqto
Tll g'gmgknrin
lslay
A b fn A9g
Tll g'gmgblnrin
Qrun
Igbetl wqn menu snrhn gmg
fbg
ni wqn nl kl wqn w se
WQn gb'Qbo, wQn r'bo
At'Ag, at'Atq
TlafgktqOwmq
f,
b I'awg-l'asQ kgg d'gmg tuntun
Translation
The tip of an ant-hill resembles a crown
The legs were rooted firmly to the ground
The round shaped native chalk fell down, and scattered white dust
about
Ata, the ridge at the top of a house, fell down and broke into pieces
These were lf's declarations to Atg lQlqQlg the slimy Sperm
Their offspring here on earth
And also to A9g
Their offspring in Heaven
When they were both lamenting their inability to beget a child
They were advised to offer gbg
They complied
214
lll t*o ue
Now, both egg and sperm
Which we have missed for now
Please undergo transformation
processes and turn into a bouncing
babY
If says the couple for whom this Od is revealed shall be blessed with a
bouncing baby. They are however cautoned that immediately after they
noticed that the woman had missed her period, they should avoid having
sexual intercourse with each other for at least three months in order to give
the
pregnancy time to develop without interruption.
8. If says that it foresees the lre of child-bearing for the woman for
whom this Od is revealed. If says that all the children that this
woman shall be blessed with shall be very influential. They shall
all occupy the
position of kings and
queens and shall be treated as
first among their colleagues.
At the same time, If says that it foresees the Ire of a
good wife for a
man who is in search of a compatible spouse. The person in question
is currently facing financial hardship but If says the hardship shall
give way to financial success. All the children whom the woman will
give bifth to shall be
great and influential. The man himself comes
from a very highly placed and deeply traditional home. He needs not
worry since all his children shall be
great, even
greater than him and
anyone who had ever come out of that lineage before. On all these, a
stanza inlw-mT says :
Qrnmll
l rtge rnl rre
Emi n wl, mo l ttge ml rre
Qrunmila
Koto
qna
nff
g'awo lmojln gbungbungbun
Olwo igi mje nil bq l'de Islay
Agbagba igi m,fa nl bg l'de lsahye
Agbegbe igi mgfa l d awo s'llQ l'kltl
lfgn
Ap tan'n og
Irko a
ya gblr nl'h
Ako rr d'd orl
Orr w', w j$
Olgnge9e l fi gbogbo ara s{n gmgokn ka'lQ bggrqbq
lgungun
tr awo il Onlr-Snb
215
lfa Dida: An invtation to lfa Consultation
Dl fitn onlre-snb
T f'e,yln tl m'jtfgkn snrhn gmg
lbg
ni wgn nl k w
Fe
Translation
Qrnmll
declares that 'it s giving me a feeling of accomplishment'
I respond that 'it is giving me a sensation of success'
The hollow paft of a foot-path makes one to appreciate how long the
path
had been in use
There are seven superior trees on eafth
There are also six elderly trees on eafth
The six elderly trees stafted Awo practices
at ld
FfQn
Ap tree sprouts the flowers of financial success
IrkO tree breaks and loses one of its major branches
Ako tree adorns its head with a crown
OlOgnnggge tree covers ibelf with okun beads
The slender Egngtln, the resident Awo of On'ire-Snb
He was the Awo who cast If for Offre-Snb
When weeping in lamentation of his inability to have a child
He was advised to offer
gbg
Offre-Snb was the
Qba
oflr. In spite of this however, he was living in
abject poveflry. He had no money, no wife, no chld, and no good cloth and
if not for the fact that he was living in the palace
of his ancestors, he had
nothing which could be rightly called his personal
belonging. He struggled
and
got
a wfe. Unfoftunately for him, the wife was with him for several
years without becoming pregnant. Tired of all these problems, he went for
If consultation in the home of the Awo mentioned above: Would he ever be
able to have an heir in his life? Would his problem give way to success?
Would he too be called the proud
father of at least one chld in his life?
The Awo assured him that he would be able to have not only a child, but
several children. He was informed that his children would even be greater
than him. He was also informed that through the children he would beget,
his influence would spread throughout the length and breadth of
Yorbland. He was however advised to offer
ebg
with six rats, six fish,
three hens and one matured goat. The reproductive organ of the goat,
(including the womb) was to be cooked with
Qt'inblsowo
leaves for his wife
to eat in orderto assist herto become pregnant.
216
'1f,
mo vre
Hearing this, Orfre-Snbe was ready to offer the
gbg, but there was a
snag. He had no money with which to
purchase all the gbg materials. He
{
therefore solicited the assistance of his relatives and all the
9bq
materials
were procured. Before long, the wife of Offre-Snb became
pregnant;
she
gave bfth to a baby boy. The baby was named "QmoJr" meaning the
child whom relatives assisted in procuring the
gbg materials. When the
child
grew up, they made him
Qba-Alr
in llara-Eldtl, a town named after
him.
Qrrnmll
lo nge ml rre
,
Emi naa wl, mo l 9e ml rre
Qrnmil
KOIO
Qna
nff g'awo lmOjln gbungbungbun
Olrtwo igi meje nil bg l'de Isalaye
Agbaagba gi mJa nf bg l'de lslay
Agbaagba 9 mJa l d awo s'llQ t'tt
frqn
Ap tan'n og
Iro<o a
ya gblr nl'h
Ako t d'd orl
Orrlr rrw'ewu ei$
Olgunttggge l f gbogbo ara sln
gmgokn k'lQ bggrqbq
lgungun
tne Awo il Onlr-Snb i
D,l filn odree-senb
T fyln tl m'ojtfgkn snrhn
gmg
fbg
ni wqn nl k w
9e
Translation
OrUnmil declares that'it is giving me a feeling of accomplishment'
I respond that'it is giving me a sensation of success'
The hollow
paft of a foot-path makes one to appreciate how long the path
had been in use
'
There are seven superiortrees on eafth
i
There are also six elderlytrees on eath
The six elderly trees started Awo practices at hti
ffgn
Apa ffee sprouts the flowers of financial success
lrkO tree breaks and loses one of its major branches
Ako tree adorns its head with a crown
Orrlr wears the dress of blood
OlgnngggQ tree covers itself with okn beads
The slender
fgungun,
the residentAwo of Orfre-Snb
He was the Awo who cast If for Offre-Snb
217
lfa Dida: An invitaton to lfa Consultation
When weepng in lamentation of his inabilityto have a chld
He was advised to offer gbg
Offre-Snb, still in penury
wanted another child. His wife was unable to
become pregnant.
He went back to his Awo. He was again advised to offer
gbg. There was no money. He again summoned his people for
deliberation on his matten His people
deliberated and assisted him again in
procuring
all the
gbg
materials. The gbg
was offered and his wife became
pregnant
and delivered another baby boy. The child was named
QrQ-Qmg-
t-Ajgr - meaning, the matter of having a child is worth deliberating upon.
when this child grew
up, he was made the
Qba
of a town. The town was
named Ijero-Eldtl after h i m. Th us he beca me the Ajer ofljer.
Again they wanted to have another child. His wife was unable to become
pregnant.
He went back to his Awo for solution. He was advised to offer
the same gbg
as before. Again, there was no money. This time around, he
was too ashamed to summon his relations to his assistance. He therefore
decided to go into the forest to cut firewood for sale. He did this until he
was able to gather
enough money with which to procure
all the gbg
materials. He then went to offer the gbg. His wife became pregnant
and
another baby boy was delivered. He named the boy Orftagi-QlQlQ the child
born while we were hewing firewood for sale. when he grew
up, he was
madethe
Qba
ofltagi Ekiti, a town named after him.
Soon after, Onf re-Snb wanted to have another chitd. His wife was again
unable to become pregnant.
He again wentto his Awo for If consultation.
He was again advised to offer the same gbg.
There was no money. He
went to gather indigo leaves for sale until he was able to gather
enough
money to procure
all the gbg materials. He offered the
qbo.
This time
around, he was advised to feed the Eg-Qdr with one white pigeon.
He did. His wife became pregnant
and gave
bfth to yet another bouncing
baby boy. The boy took it as a duty to feed E9 with pigeons
on a regular
basis. The boy was named
fljQltl
the child born after the
parents
were
selling indigo. When he grew
up, hewas madethe
fljQhl.
Yet again, offre-snbe wished to have another child, and again, his wife
was unable to take in. He again went to his Awo. They advised him again
218
lI twori uei
to offer the same
gbg. Again there was no money to offer the same
gbg.
He went and
procured palm fronds for making enough brooms for sale. He
i
sold the brooms until he was able to
gather
enough money to
procure
the
gbg materials. He offered the
gbg and his wife became
pregnant. She
gave bh to
yet
another baby boy. The baby was named
QIQwQ
the baby
born after selling brooms. When the baby
grew up, he was made the
Qba
of
QwQ,
a town named after him.
After allthese had been done, foftune smiled at Offre-Snb. He became
very wealthy. He was highly respected in his community. He was enjoying
,
his life to the fullest. He wanted to continue to enjoy his life. He saw no
reason why he should die when he was at the
peak of his mission in life.
Consequent upon this, he went to Ad Eldtl to meet
Qrnmll
himself for If
consultation.
Qpe
teere orke Ad
Erlgl abggb
Erlgl abgtQ
Erlgl abgl
Erlgl boy
Dl filn Onlle-Snb
WQn nf k rrl'bg sl lalkr araa rg
i
Translation
The slender
palm-tree of Ad hill
That which is fed for one to live long
That which is fed for one to
grow old
That which is fed for one to become successful
That which is fed for one to sulive
He was the one who cast If for Onfre-Snbe
Who was advised to offer gbQ for him to live long
r
Qrrlnm'il
advised Onfre-Snb to offer one matured he goat as gbg. He
did. He lived long and was able to enjoy his life to the fullest.
Qrunmll
l ge ml rre
Emi na wl, mo l 9e ml rre
Qrunmila
KOtO
Qna
nff g'awo lmOjln gbungbungbun
Ohiwo igi mje nil rtbq l'de Isahye
Agbiigb igi m,fa nl bq l'de lsahye
Agbaegba igi m-fa l d awo s'llQ l'kltl
lfqn
I
219
lfa Dida: An invitaton to lfa Consultation
Ap tan'n o$
IrOkO a ya gblr d'ha
Ako rt d'd orl
Orr w'e,w eje
Olgngege l fi gbogbo ara s{n gmgokn k'le bggrgbg
lgungun
tr awo il Onlr-Snb
Dl fn Onlre-Snb
T f'Qyln tl m'jrf gkrln snrhn gmg
f,bg
ni wqn nl k w ge
Awgn ar ba rrl'bg
9mg
tl ar b'ni rrl'bg tl a fi bl
K ma p nl
QmoJr
WQn fi
j'oy
Alr
Qrnmll
l Se ml rre
Emi na wf, mo $e ml rre
Qrnmil
KOIO
Qn
nff g'awo lmOjln gbungbungbun
Olrtwo igi meje nil rtbq I'de Isalaye
Agbgbi igi me,fa nl bg l'de tsalaye
Agbaagba igi mqfa l d awo sllQ t'm
ffqn
Ap rttan'n o9
IrOkO a ya gblr nl'h
Ako r d'd orl
orr w'ew jQ
Olgongele | fi gbogbo ara sln gmgokn
k'le beercbq
$gungun
teere awo il Onlr-Snb
fitn onfree-sanbe
T f,yln tl m'Ojrf gkn
snrhn gmg
lbg
ni wqn nl k w
Se
Awgn ar ba rrl'bg
9mg
tl ar b'ni rrl'bg tl a fi bl
K ma p nl
QrQ-qmq-t-ajgro
QrQ-gmg-t-ajgro
d'gb ln
WQn fi
j'oye
AjerO
Qmq
gblrt kQrQ lje kanlQ
QrUnmlla
l ge ml rre
Emi naa wl, mo l tt$e ml rre
QrUnmil
KOtO
Qna
nff g'awo lmjln gbungbungbun
Olrtwo igi mje nil bq l'de lsalaye
Agbgb igi mJa nl bg l'de lslaye
Agbagba igi mgfa l d awo sllQ l'kltl
Ffqn
Ap tan'n o$O
IrotO a ya gblr fi'ha
220
llll
two ue
Ako n d'd orl
Orr w'ew eje
OlgngegQ l fi gbogbo ara sln
gmgokn k'le bggrgbg
lgungun
tr awo il Onlr-Snb
Dl fitn onlre-snb
T fyln tl m'ojrf gkn snrhn
gmg
lbq
ni w$n nl k w
fe
ba rl lg r ge'g ta
Qmq
tl a bl
Tians'gta
K ma
p nl Onltag-Qlel
Onltagi d'gb tn
WQn fi
joye
Odtagi-Qlglq
9mq
g bgn- nml-j rj rj -nlj
Qrunmll
l Se ml rre
Emi n wl, mo l ge ml rre
Qrrlnmil
KOIO
Qna
nff g'awo lmOjln gbungbungbun
Olrtwo igi mje nff rrbg l'de Islay
Agbgbi igi mqfa nl rrbe l'de balaye
Agbaagba igi m,fa l d awo s'llQ t'kltl
ffgn
Ap tan'n og
IrkO a ya gblr nl'h
Ako n d'd orl
OrUr w', w jQ
Olgngege Io fi gbogbo ara sin omookun ka'le beerebe
lgungun
tqsr awo il Onlr-Snb
Dl fin onlree-sanbe
T f,ylntl m'jrl
gkn
snrhn t'emg
fibq
ni wQn tn nl k
9e
nlg r f
el
ta
Qmq
tl a bl
Tlafelta
K ma p nl
Fljeh
Ejelr
d'gb tn
WQn fi
j'oye
Fljeh
9mq
arl
Qrukk
k'Eg
Qrrfnmll
l rrge ml rre
Emi n wl, mo l ge ml rre
Qrrtnmil
KOtO
Qn
nfl g'awo lmOjln gbungbungbun
Olrtwo igi mje nff rrbg l'de Isalaye
Agbgb igi mEfa nl rrbg l'de lsahye
Agbaagba ig mefa l d awo sllQ l'kltl
lfgn
221
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultaon
Ap tttan'n og
IrkO a ya gblra d'ha
Ako n d'd orl
Orur w'Qw jQ
OlgnSege l fi gbogbo ara s{n gmgokn
k'le bggrgbe
Egngn tr awo il Onlr-Snb
Dl fitn onlre-senb
TO f',yln tl m'jekn snrhn gmg
fbg
ni wqn n| k w ge
w lg r f gwq tl
Qmq
tl a bl
Tl a f
9wQ
ta
K maa p
nl
QlqwQ
qlqwq
d'gb tn
Wen fi
j'oy
Ql,wq
9mg
arere gejggejQ
OpQ ter orke Ad
Erlgl abqgb
Erlgl boJe
Erlgl abgle
Erlgl boy
Dt fitn onfree-sanb
Eyl tO ri're tn
WQn nl k r'bg sl I'alk araa re
gb'Qbo,
n'bg
Ko pe k
jlnn
F
wa b ni nl wQwQ ire gbogbo
Translation
Qrnmil
declares that'it is givng me a feeling of
accomplishment'
I respond that'it is giving me a sensation of success'
The hollow part
of a foot-path makes one to appreciate how long the path
had been in use
There are seven superiortrees on eafth
There are also six elderly trees on eafth
The six elderly trees stfted Awo practices
at kl
ffgn
Ap tree sprouts the flowers of financialsuccess
IrkO tree breaks and loses one of its major branches
Akotree adorns its head with a crown
OlgngggQ tree covers itself with okun beads
The slender
pgungun,
the residentAwo of Offre-Snb
He was theAwo who castlf for Orf re-Snb
222
!\ two ue
When weeping in lamentation of his inabilityto have a child
He was advised to offer
ebg
His relations assisted him in offering the gbg
A child who was born after one's relations assisted
When
QmoJr
grew uP
He was conferred with
Qbaship
title of Alr
Qrrf
nmll declares that'it is giving me a feeling of accomplishmenf
I respond that'it is giving me a sensation of success'
The hollow
paft of a foot-path makes one to appreciate how long the path
had been in use
There are seven superior trees on earth
There are also six elderly trees on eafth
The six elderly trees stafted Awo practices at kiti
lfgn
Apa tree sprouts the flowers of financial success
IrkO tree breaks and loses one of its major branches
Ako tree adorns its head with a crown
Olgnggge Fee covers itself with okun beads
The slender
fgungun,
the residentAwo of Orfre-Snb
He was the Awo who cast If for Of re-Snb
When weeping in lamentation of his inabilityto have a child
He was advised to offer another
gbg
His relations once again came to his aid
A child who was born after one's relations assisted in offering the gbg
Let him be known as
QrQ-9mg-t-ajgr0
He was made the AjerO of Ijer.
QrrJnmtl
declares that 'it is giving me a feeling of accomplishmenf
I respond that'it is giving me a sensation of success'
The hollow
part of a foot-path makes one to appreciate how long the
path
had been in use
There are seven superior trees on eafth
There are also six elderly trees on eafth
The six elderly trees stafted Awo practices at klti
pfqn
Ap tree sprouts the flowers of financial success
IrkO tree breaK and loses one of its major branches
Akotree adorns its head with a crown
OlgnngggQ tree covers itself with okun beads
The slender
fgungun,
the residentAwo of On'iree-Sanb
He was the Awo who cast If for Onlre-Snb
When weeping in lamentation of his inability to have a child
Hewas advised to offer another
qbg
He went to cut firewood for sale
The child who was born
While cutting firewood for sale
223
lfa Dida: An nvitaton to lfa Consultaon
Let him be known as'On'itagi-Qlele'
When Onltagi-QlglQ grew
up
He was conferred with the title of Onftagi-QleQ
The king of Itagi
Qrrf
nmil declares that 'it is giving me a feeling of accomplishment'
I respond that'it is giving me a sensation of success'
The hollow part of a foot-path makes one to appreciate how long the path
had been in use
There are seven superior trees on eafth
There are also six elderlytrees on eafth
The six elderly trees started Awo practices at ki
ffqn
Ap tree sprouts the flowers of financial success
Irk tree breaks and loses one of its major branches
Ako tree adorns its head with a crown
OlgnggFe tree covers tself with okun beads
The slender
fgungun,
the residentAwo of Offre-Snb
He wastheAwo who castlf for Offre-Snb
When weeping in lamentation of his inabilityto have a child
He was advised to offer gbg
He began to fetch indigo leaves for sale
The child born after selling indigo
Let him be known as'fljQhf'
He was made the
fljQltl
He who uses pigeons to feed Egu-Qdara
Orrlnmll declares that'it is giving me a feeling of accomplishment'
I respond that'it is giving me a sensation of success'
The hollow paft
of a foot-path makes one to appreciate how long the path
had been in use
There are seven superiortrees on earth
There are also six elderlytrees on eafth
The six elderly trees stafted Awo practices at kltl
lfgn
Ap tree sprouts the flowers of financial success
Irok tree breaks and loses one of its major branches
Ako tree adorns its head with a crown
OlognngggQ tree covers itself with okun beads
The slender
fgungun,
the residentAwo of Onfre-Snb
He was the Awo who cast If for Onlre-Snb
When weeping in lamentation of his inabilityto have a child
He was advised to offer
gbg
He went and fetched brooms for sale
.
The child born after selling brooms
Let the child be called
QIQwQ
When
QIQwQ
grew up
224
i! wori uei
He was made the
QIQwQ
of
Qwg
The sender
palm-tree
of Ado hill
That which is fed for one to live long
That which is fed for one to grow old
That which is fed for one to become successful
That which is fed for one to suruive
He was the Awo who cast If for Offree-Sanb
Who after being successful
He was advised to offer
ebg
for him to live long
He complied
Before long, not too far
Meet us in the midst of all Ire
If says that the
person for whom this Od is revealed shall be blessed with
all the Ire in life. He/she should however note that no matter how
successful he/she becomes, his/her children shall be more successful. The
accomplshments of his/her children shall enhance his/her own success n
life. All he/she needs to do is to pray hard and offer
gbg to live long.
9. If says that there is a child who is ill where this Od is revealed; or
that a child is about to fall ill where this Od is revealed; or the
I
purpose for consulting If where this Od is revealed is to determine
the fate of a child who is very ill. It is in the best interest of the
parents of this child to offer four guinea fowls, three as qbg and
the remaining one to feed
qbetl
in order to prevent
a situation
where the child in question will die an untimely death.
If says that with appropriate gbg and the feeding of
Qbtl,
the
child shall be
protected
by this Deity and will not allow him/her to die
{
suddenly. On this, a stanza inlwrl-M) says:
Onpa
jeged
Awo won nfl e
Fede
FwQn-gbal, Awo Ajuwqn lrsl
fyg
kan ablfO
gqrg-Sqrq-Sgr9r Awo wgn nl keeku lyere
Dla fUn Ayra
Tff
9'9mg
Orlga-lgbo dil
Eyl to rtgEgbqgbQ rn
Tl ltara kk ti dlde
Fbq
ni wqn n| k
ge
i
225
lfa Dida: An invtation to lfa Consultation
Translation
The slender Orpa tree, their Awo in ElQdg's household
FwQn-gbalQ, the Awo of AjUwQn Irs'i
The bird which hops hither and thither, their Awo in Keku
Iyere
They were the Awo who cast If for Ayra
The offspring of Oga-Igbo ndfl (Qbatla)
When he was down with serious illness
And was lamenting his inability to rise and walk
He was advised to offer
gbg
Ayra, the world is in ruins, was he who was very ll. All medications proved
ineffective. One day, he was taken to the group of Awo mentioned above
for If consultation; Would he overcome this illness? Would he be able to
rise up and
peform
effectively again? What types of medication would
they use to overcome his problem?
The Awo assured them that Ayra would soon be well. They were told that
they needed to use one guinea-fowl
to appease
Qbath
and to offer gbg
with three
guinea-fowls.
Ayra's relations did all the gbg he was
expected to offer for him. After this, they took a guinea-fowl
to
Qbath
to
appeal to him to please
spare the life of their son, Ayra. Ayra soon
became well. He began to shower praises on If and
Qbtla
for a
job
well
done.
Orpa
jgd
Awo won ni'l e
Flede
FwQn -gbalQ, Awo AjrtwQn lrsl
Pyq
kan ablfO
$gr?-gqrq-gero,r
Awo wgn nl keeku lyere
Dl filn Ayra
Tll g'gmg Orlga-Igbo djl
Eyl t $qgbQgbQ rn
Tl tara kk ati dlde
fbg
ni wqn nl k
9e
gb'Qbg,
r'bg
jq Orl+a-Igbo gb'eJ
Ko m baa pa Ayra
226
!! two ue
Translation
The slender Orupa tree, their Awo in
[lQdg's
household
FwQn
-gbalQ, the Awo of Ajuwgn Ires'l
The bird which hops hither and thither, their Awo in Keku Iyere
They were the Awo who cast If for Ayra
The offspring of OEa-Igbo ndl (Qbatla)
When he was down with serious illness
And was lamenting his inability to rise and walk
He was advised to offer
gbg
He complied
Please Ofi5a-Igb0, take a
guinea fowl
So as to spare Ayra from death and
prevent the world from going into
ruins
If says that the
person for whom this Od is revealed is a child of
gbaHla.
He/she needs to feed
Qbatla
on a regular basis so as to
prevent illness and
other mischief from happening to him/her.
10. If says that it foresees the ire of victory for the
person for whom
IwrT-MT is revealed. If says that this
person had been pursuing a
course of action for a very long time to no avail. If says that this
person had also been frustrated and is about to
give up altogether.
If says that he/she will surely accomplsh his/her mission. If
recommend
perseverance and with time, there will be victory.
If says also that there had been oppositon to a project, course of
" action, the activities, and the personality of the person for whom
this Od is revealed. If says that the
person should continue to
persevere as he/she is aboutto overcome all his/her adversaries.
If urges the
person never to
give way to despair as victory is at
hand. If says that in the end, he/she will have course to thank
his/her stars. He/she shall overcome and shall be blessed with ire
of accomplishment.
If recommends that there is the need for this
person to procure
at least 16 fresh fowl eggsr three cocks,
palm oil and
227
lfa Dida: An nvtation to lfa Consultation
money and offer these items as
ebg.
This will aid his vctory
chances. On this aspect,Iwii-MT says:
gqan j, gffn
d'Qp
Okn
jojg
I'egb o,wQ
Ly{nk, Awo wgn l'de Or
Ko lhun-n-ta-hja, Awo Obara-mojg
Aganna Awo wgn l'de l$n
Okn-ok, ok-okn
fitn
gwa-Qga,
9w
Ogrlrli-gbQdu
9mq
oko grtrtg lgyln m
Ey{ t ti jagun
BgQ ni o lee
$gun
pbg
ni wgn nl k
9e
Translation
When the string breaks, the bow becomes
just
a mere staff
Tying the broom with adequate string suppolG the broom
L/ink, their Awo in or town
He-who- has-nothing-to-buy-i n-the-market, the Awo of Oba ra- MOjq
town
Agnn, their Awo in I$in town
Okn-ok, ok-okn (Ijgsa greeting format)
They were the Awo who cast If for
Qwa-Qga,
the
Qba
of Ijgsa-land
Whose praise-name
is the offspring of the thick shrub behind the
water pot
He who had been waging wars
Without any victory
Qw-Qg,
was the Oba (king) of Ijgshaland. He was facing the threat of
both internal uprsing and external aggressons. Much as he tried, he was
unable to overcome his problems.
one day, he summoned all the Awo
mentioned above for If consultation in order to know if he would ever
overcome all the problems
he was having.
The Awo assured
Qwa-Qg,
that he would not only overcome his problems,
but that these problems would never rear up their ugly heads again. He
was informed that unknown to him, the spirits responsible for victory had
always been very close to him; but unfortunately for him, he did not know
what to use which would put them into action in his support. He was told
228
ll two ue
that these sprts need fresh fowl eggs from him in order to ensure
victory. They also needed three matured cocks for him to offer as
gbg.
Thatsame day, he complied.
Soon after, he was able to overcome all the internal uprisings. With a
united home front, he was able to stamp out all external aggressions. He
was fullofjoy. He invited everybodyto come and celebrate with hinr.
When asked how he managed to overcome all his almost insurmountable
problems, he responded that he used fresh eggs as his weapons of victory.
He was then singing and dancing and saying:
I
Qgn
jrqrnd'qp
Okn
jojo
l'gb gwQ
Lylnk, Awo wgn l'de Or
Ko lh u n- n-tl-bja, Awo obara- MojQ
Aganna Awo wgn l'de lgin
Okrln-ok, ok-okn
Dl filn
gwa-Qg,
Qw
Ogrlrli-gbQdu
Qmg
oko
g9 l$yln m
Eyltti jagun i
B$Q ni O le99un
[b9
ni wqn nl k
Se
gb'gborr'bg
Qrrlnmll
l di OpOrOpOrO
Mo ldi oporoporo
Oporoporo,
e
w wo
Qwa-Qg
B t f eyin adlg
Segun
Translation
When the string breaks, the bow becomes
justa
mere staff
(
Tying the broom with adequate string supports the broom
. Lfink, theirAwo in Ortown
He-who-has-noth i ng-to-buy- in-the- ma rket, the Awo of Oba ra- MjQ town
Agnn, theirAwo inlgin town
Okn-ok, ok-okn
They were the Awg who cast If for
Qw-Qg,
the
Qba
of Ijgsa- land
Whose praise-name is the offspring of the thick shrub behind the water
pot
He who had been waging wars
Withoutanyvictory
|
229
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consuftation
He was advised to offer ebo
He complied
Ortlnm'll declares that'it is in torrents'
I respond that'it is really in torrents'
In torrents behold
gwa-Qga
as he uses fresh fowl eggs to
overcome adversary
If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed shall overcome
his/her problems.
He/she needs to offer as many eggs as he/she can
afford. The more eggs he/she offers the higher the chances of overcoming
his/her problems.
11. If says that it foresees the Ire of victory for the
person for whom
Iwfi-M) is revealed. If says that this person had taken up
resdence among two
poweful
but mischievious people.
If says
that he/she should watch his/her utterances at all times because the
two devilish people
have already concluded terribly dangerous
designs against him/her. If says that they plan
to put the person for
whom this Od is revealed in the middle so as to be able to harm
him/her.
If says that the reason why these people
are planning
to do him/her
evil is simply because of his/her truthfulness. He/she also loves to
repeat the same statement over and over against the person. If
says that he/she needs to learn the virtue of being reticent at all
times. He/she should also be informed that it is not everything one
sees that one must says to others.
If says also that this
person
needs to offer fresh beef and money
as gbg. By so doing, he/she will be able to overcome allthe devilish
around him/her. A stanza in this Od says:
Borlowt
Alwl l'g9g
Bl o b wlr fitn wgn lwflglwq
A dabf qni pe lwg lo
$e
wqn
Dlfitnobrko
Tll g'gmg wgn l'de IgOd
f;bg
ni wqn nl k
9e
230
lt!
wo ue
Translation
To see isto say
Refusal to speak out amounts to iniquity
If you continue to speak out without relenting at all
It will appear that
you
are the one behind their
misfoftune
These were If's declarations to Obukg, the He-goat
Their offspring inlgd town
He was advised to offer gbg
Obukg, the He-goat was known to be a very truthful
person. Whenever
there was any development, he would be invited to speak out on how he felt
about the matter.
He would say it the way it was, no matter how highly-placed the person
involved might be.
If the matter happened in his presence, he would continue to speak the
truth. One aspect of his character was that he would contnue to repeat
what he considered the truth even if those who were guilty were highly-
placed personalities in the community. To make matters worse, he would
be saying his own anywhere he was, without consideration for the feelings
of the affected
party.
One day, OOrtkq went to the Awo mentioned above to consult If on his
general well-being. There the Awo told him that it was good and advisable
to speak the truth at all times as refusal to speak the truth was a sin in the
presence of Oldmar. He was however cautioned that there was a limit
to the number of times he needed to repeat what he had said on a matter
before he was considered a nuisance. He was cautioned that anytime there
was any matter, he should say it the way it was and keep his mouth shut
afterwards. It was not his duty to begin to broadcast the matter about and
it was not his duty to wish to force his opinions on others, lest the others
hate him over his effoft.
He was told that as at
present, there were two
poweful people living close
to his house. These were mischievous
people whom he must try
everything he knew to avoid, he was warned. The Awo explained fufther
that these
people planned to harm him because of his truth- fullness
231
lfa Dida: An invtation to lfa Consultaton
because these were evl people. And as a result of his telling the truth at all
times, they were finding their lives too difficult to cope with and they felt, in
their devilish way of reasonng, that Obrl<o was the person responsible for
their misfoftunes.
They felt that because Obrlkg was speaking the truth and criticizing their
adequacies, and by extension, exposing them to misfoftune and danger.
He was then cautioned to be moderate in evefihing he did or said as
excess of everything, even good thing, was bad. He was also advised to
offer gbg with fresh raw beef or raw pork
or raw mutton and money.
He was advised to place the gbg very close to his home. He agreed.
B o rl owl
Aiwl I'g9g
Bl o b wl'rn fitn wqn l'wflslw
AdaH gni pelwg l gewQn
Dlfitn
SkUn
Tl lg r d'ko l'jdelgd
Dlfitnlkooko
T rtg red'ko l'jtdelgd
fbg
ni wQn nl kl wgn ge
Translation
To see is to say
Notto say is a sin
If you
continue to speak out without relenting
It will appear that you
are the one behind their misfoftunes
These were lf's declarationsto
[kn,
the Leopard
When going
to farm atlgOd
And tolkookO, the Hyena
When going
to farm at)godo besidelkook's farm
They were advised to offer gbg
Both
fkn,
Leopard, and fkook, Hyena were wicked people. There was
nothing bad they had not done -
they had killed, stolen, blackmailed, lied,
fornicated, instigated people
against each other, inflicted pain on others
and so on. All these actions were usually roundly condemned by Obrtkg.
when Obkq continued to condemn them relentlessly, the two of them
232
planned to put Obukq in the middle in order to eliminate him. tr*ffi,;
Igodo, the home town of Obukg.
fikn
began farming on the left side of
Obukg's home whilelkook began his own farming on the right side. In
order to protect their
plan to eliminate Obr:kg, the two of them went to the
same
group of Awo mentioned above for If consultation; Would they
succeed in their
plan? Would they be able to eliminate the nuisance giving
them trouble in their lives?
The Awo told them that there was the need for them to be truthful and
honest all times. They were also told never to think evil, say evil or do evil.
They were told that those who do these things would never have rest of
mind and that they would only be accusing those who had been correcting
their bad ways wrongly. They were also advised never to do things
excessively even if what they were doing was good. They were
encouraged to think
good,
say
good things and do
good
at all times, lest
they end up harming themelves. They were advised as Obrlkq was
advised.
The two of them left the home of these Awo in anger. They then intensified
their evil
plan. They said that they would approach the home of Obukg in
the dead of the night, lure him out and then kill him. They said that this
plan must be carried outthat night.
Meanwhile, when Obukg arrived home in the evening of that day, he went
and
procured a big chunk of fresh raw beef. He placed it in a clay plate
and
put it besides his home. He returned home to sleep. At night whilelkookO
was coming to Obukg's house, he saw the meat. He thanked his stars for
coming through that route and settled down to eat before
going
to finish up
Obkq. While he was eating,
Fkn
had become impatient where he was
waiting. He decided to tracelkook and found his co-conspirator where he
was eating. In his mad fury he thought that Ikook had already lured
ObUtg out and had killed him and began eating him alone. Beforefkook
could explain,
fkn
had pounced on him. Both of them fought and tore at
each other. Before long,
fikn
killedlkook. The wound which]kookO had
inflicted on
Fkn
incapacitated him. A few days after,
germs entered the
wound and it became a festering sore. Seven days after the fight,
fikn
too
died of infections.
233
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
That was how Obrlkg was able to get rid of his two antagonsts. If says
that the
person for whom this Od is revealed is surely
gong
to
get rid of
his/her enemies as long as the appropriate gbg is offered and he/she heeds
the warnings of the Awo.
Obukg was full of
joy
and was
jubilating
that he had overcome his powerful
enemies, saying:
Borlowl
Ar-wl I'Q9Q
Bl o b wl'rn filn wgn I'awflg{wq
A dabl gni pe lwg l rt ge wonu
Dlfitnobrko
Tl ;gmg wgn l'jrlde lgd
Dlfiln Ekn
Tl ttlq r d'ko l'jdelgdo
D,|filnlkooko
Tl rrq r d'ko l'jde lgd
fbg
ni wqn n| kl wgn ge
Obrtkgnlkan nl bgl'gylntl tubg
QrUnmil
wl d Omlrln ajgran
j'p
Emi naawl moldiOmlrlnajgran
jpO
F
m'eranf'f;kun kje
Translation
To see is to say
Refusal to speak out amounts to iniquity
If you
continue to speak out incessantly
It will appear that you
are the one behind their misfoftunes
These were lf's declarations to ObUkg
Their offspring in Igd town
And to Ekn
When going to farm atlgodo beside Obukg's farm
And tolkook
When going to farm atlgod beside Obkg's farm
They were all advised to offer
qbg
OnlyObrtkg complied
Qrrlnmil
says it istimeto consume fresh meat
Give meatto Ekn to eat
If says that this person must continue to speak the truth but must not be
234
f,ll** r",
repeatng the same topic over and over agan. Conversely, If says that
the
person for whom this Od is revealed must be ready to accept his/her
fault whenever he/she had done something wrong which others had
pointed
out to him/her. He/she must not consider those telling him/her the
truth as his/her enemies. He/she must not plan against them, lest he/she
meets with serious disaster.
L2, If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed must know
how to divide his/her time between being fashion-conscious and
doing real business. If says that the business of this client entails
some elements of appearing dirty attimes. If saysthat it should not
bother him/her as there is time for him/her to look neat after the
completion of his/her duty. If says that if he/she is too conscious of
his/her looks while at work and if he/she is pre-occupied with
appearing neat and spotless all the time while at work, he/she may
find out that the business would suffer. For this reason, he/she must
never mind how he/she looks while at work. It will be
understandable to those who will see him/her, and in fact, it will be
quite appreciated. Instead of people thinking that he/she is dirty,
they will ceftainly see him/her as busy at his/her work since it is the
nature of the
job
that made him/her drty. Whenever the assignment
is completed for the day, he/she can then clean up and appear as
neat as
possible.
If says it foresees the ire of success and accomplishment for the
person for whom this Od is revealed. If says that he/she will be
well known in his/her chosen line or
profession. His/her reputation
will extend beyond his or her community. There is the need for the
person to offer
gbg with three
pigeons,
three guineafowls,
three cocks and money. He/she also needs to feed Ogun of the
Blacksmiths with one cock. On all these, If says:
Iworl kan nlhln-ln
lw0rl kan lQhn-rf n
Iwrl dimejl a d'Ododo
Dl firn Algb$dg Imogun
Tly maa firin
jn
235
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
Mtorl oge
lbg
ni wqn nl k w
$e
Translation
One leg oflw hereon the right
One leg oflw there on the left
When the legs oflwOri become two, it isIwO-M)
This was the If cast for the Blacksmith oflmgn
Who will be firing iron until it becomes ashes
Because of his fashion consciousness
He was advised to offer
gbg
The Blacksmith was always complaining that his business was not doing
fine. All the iron that he bought in to fashion into hoes, cutlass, and knives
and as on used to burn into ashes. Whenever he put
the iron into the fire,
he would examine his hands and f he spotted any dift, he would go and
wash his hands thoroughly. Before he returned, he would discover that the
iron had burnt into ashes.
Tired of this business misfoftune, he went to the home oflwil
-Mfl
for If
consultation; Would he be able to turn his loss into profit? Would he know
what was responsible for his business misfoftune in the first place?
The Awo informed AlgbQdg Imgrf n that his problem
emanated from his
being too neatness conscious. He was told that it was not advisable for him
to be cleaning his hands whenever he putthe ron into fire.
If his hands were drty, he was to use his hands to rub his face so that he
would be able to face his work and the iron would be removed inside the fire
before it burnt into ashes. He was also advised to offer
gbg with three
pigeons for economic success, three guineafowls for peace
of mind and
prestige
and three cocks for victory over his misfortune. He was also
advised to feed the Ogun of the Blacksmiths to enable him get
the suppoft
of his Deity. He complied with the advice oflwOil
-Mfl.
Soon after this, whenever he was working in his smithery he used to rub his
hands on his face whenever his hands were drty. This action used to
blacken his face but his irons were never burnt again. He fashioned
cutlasses, hoes, knives, spoons, nails, iron doors, lock and so on. He sold
236
lI wo ue
them regularly. This gave him a lot of money which enabled him to buy
dresses,shoes,bang|es,jewe|riesandsoon,whichhewasusngafterthe
day's work.
That was when he realized that it was reasonable for him to ignore his
appearance while he was working. Afterthe day's work, he would bath,
put
on beautiful dresses and stroll out majestically. He was full of
gratitude
to
hisAwo,Iwr'l-MT. He was singing, dancing and saying:
Iworl kan nlhln-ln
IwOrl kan lohn-rln
Iworl di mjl a d'Ododo
Dla fin AlgbQdq ImOgrtn
Tl y maa firin
jn
Nltor{ oge
fbg
ni wqn nl kw ge

gb'$bo, r'bq
je ut o b slt lworl-Mil
T nl kl n d ljtl
Kl n d l$nu
Kl n
9e
gbQn lslQ worl-worl
Gbogbo irin ni lb ti
jn
tn
Erolpo, ero
Qfa
F
wa ba ni nl wQwQ lre
WQwQ ire lr
Qpq
n'lfg
Translation
One leg ofIwO here on the right
One leg oflw there on the left
When the legs oflwOil become two, it islwO
-M)
This was the If cast for the Blacksmith oflmogrln
r
Who will be firing iron until itturns into ashes
Because of his fashion consciousness
He was advised to offer gbg
He complied
If notforlwo-M17
Who advised me to blacken my face
And blacken my mouth (while rubbing my hands on my face)
And blacken my lower
jaw
as charcoal
Allthe iron would have burnt into ashes
Travellers tolpo and
Qfa
i
237
lfa Dida: An invitaton to lfa Consultaton
Join us in midstof abundantlre
Abundant Ire is the proft of If followers at Ife
If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed shall make profit
n
his/her Iife. He/she needs to work hard and ignore how he/she looks while
atwork.
13. If says that it forsees the ire of wealth, prestige,
honour, peace
of
mind and happiness for the person for whom this Od is revealed.
If says that his/her O will assist him/her in getting his/her
heart's desires. His/her life ambitions shall be fulfilled.
If says that he/she shall be called upon to come and occupy a
position
of responsibility. This position
shall make him/her great.
If
says that there is the need for this person to offer
gbg
so as to be
placed in the aforementioned position
of honour. At the same time,
he/she needs to offer gbQ
against slanderers so that he/she would
not be removed unceremoniously from that position. The gbg
materials he/she needs to offer so as to be placed in a
position
of
honour are: three rats, three fish, three hens, three
horsetails, and money. The gbg
against slanders are: big
morsels of meat, cooked or raw, and money. On these
two impoftant aspects, If says:
Qkn
yg gingin,
Qkn
wg'n igb
Qgen
yq lQlQQlQj'n
Ati grtnke g'gmg nldfr blrlp-blrlpe
Dl f n Ahr-gQko-m-m'l
Orrlkg tl a pe lkook
Tll sigmg Onlsr Awo Akinja
WQn nl gdn gdn nll I'g! a ree p
f;bg
oy ni wqn nl k w s-e
Ko sl ff'bg elnlnl
Translation
Qkn
sprouts thcK and strong and enters the forest
Qgan
sprouts slender and long and reaches the road
To climb a hilly road, a child's waists move sideways
238
lll
tworiuei
These were the declaations of If to "the farm-hut-watches-the farm-
but-cannot-catch-a-th ief"
The name given tothe Hyena
The offspring of Onfstlr
,
the patient
one, the Awo of Akinja, the Heroic
fish
He was told that that year was his year of success
He was advised to offer gbg for him to be honoured with a chieftaincy title.
And also told him to offer gbg against slanders
Ahr-gQko-m-m'l, the-farm-hut-watches-the-farm-but-cannot-catch-
a-thief, otherwise known aslkooko, the Hyena, went to the Awo mentioned
above to know how his chances of success that year would be. The Awo
assured him that he would be successful that very year. He was informed
that he would be made the
Qba
of his town that very year. He was advised
to offer
ebQ
so as to be made the
Qba
of lgodo, his town, that year. The
ebg
materials were three rats, three fish, three hens, three
horsetails and money. He was also advised to offer gbg against
slanders with three cocks, six morcels of meat and money. He also
needed to wear the If beads at all times. Ikook reasoned that if he
could be made the
Qba
of his town, it would be very easy for him to crush
any slanderer. Consequently,Ikook offered the
gbg for him to become
the
Qba
of his town and ignored the one he was expected to offer against
slanderers. He also agreed to wear id.
Soon after this, the reigning
9ba
of Igodo died. The king-makers
deliberated and decided to
put
a fish inside a covered calabash as a test for
the
person who would be
picked to be the next
Qba
of lgodo. They said
that anyone who was able to know what was inside the calabash or who
mentioned the word'fish' would be made the next
Qba
of)godo.
All the Awo were invited to come and tell them what was inside the
calabash. All of them recited several If stanzas without success. They
asked them to tryagain. They did, without success.
While they were doing this,Ikook was passing
along the road. The king
makers saw the Id which he tied round his wrist and invited him to come
and recite for them any Od which he knew. He told them that he was not a
Babalwo and that he only knew of one stanza in)wri-MT. He was asked
239
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
to recite it. He began by saying.
Qkn
yggingin,
Qkn
wo'nrl igb
Sgen
yq lQlQQlQ
j'n
Ati gunke g'gmg nldl btrtpe-blrlp
Dl fil n Ahr-g0ko-m-m'l
Orrlkgtl pelkook
Tff sfgmg Onlsr Awo Akinja
" Translation
Qkn
sprouts thicks and strong and enters the forest
Qgan
sprouts slender and long and reaches the road
To climb a hilly road, a child's waists move sideways
These were the declarations of If to 'the-farm-hut-watches-the farm-
b ut-ca n not-catch -a-th
ief '
The name given to the Hyena
The offspring of On'isr, the patient
one, the Awo of Akinja, the Heroic
fish.
They did not allow him to go
beyond this stage before they declared that he
had mentioned 'fish' which was what they placed inside the covered
calabash. That was howfkook was made the
Qba
oflgodo. He became a
very influental
Qba
soon after this. He was really enjoying his reign as the
Qba
oflgodo.
Seven years
after this, all the goats,
rams, ewes, he goats, pgs,
chicken
etc. began to get missing in the town. unknown to anyone, it was Eg
Qdara
who had been keeping these domestic animals. After a while,
people
began to point
accusing fingers at the
Qba.
Before long, they
confronted the
Qba
that he was the one killing and eating their animals.
Before he could explain himself properly,
he was dethroned and chased out
of the town.
In sadness he went back to his Awo for another round of If consultation.
That was when he was reminded that he had earlier been warned against
slanderers and he had refused to heed the advice of the Awo to offer
gbg.
He told the Awo that he was prepared
to offer the gbg
as
prescribed.
They
responded that it had taken him seven years
to offer the gbg,
therefore all
the gbg materials were to be purchased in the multiple of seven. He was
244
lltt
twori uei
asked to
procure 2L cocks and 42 morsels of meat as gbQ aganst
slanderers. He quickly complied. The 42 morsel of meat were placed
inside a clay
plate and taken to the bank of the stream very early the
following morning. Those who went to fetch water in the stream did not
notice that Eg
Qdara
had been dropping one morsel of meat into each of
theirwater
jars.
These morsels of meat turned to fore limbs and hind limbs of ewes, goats,
rams, pigs and so on, while the water turned to blood. At home, everyone
who saw this happening exclaimed that they had never seen anything like
that before in their lives. EgU Odara again turned into human being and
explained to them that instead of accusing lkookO of killing their domestic
animals they should know as from that time that Ikook knew nothing
about the missing animals since they had all found the pafts
of these
animals in their own
possession. They should therefore
go
and find a way
of begging Ikook to return to the throne. The elders reasoned that with
the latest development, it was clear that the exhibits were found with the
elders in the town afterlkookO had been driven out. They selected some
representatives to
go and appeal to, and bringlkook backto the throne.
Qkn
yg gingin,
Qkn
wg'n igb
Qgan
yg lQlQQlQ
j'n
Ati grtnke g'qmq nldh blrlpe-blrlpe
Dl fitn Ahr-gqko-m-m'l
Orrkqtl
pelkookO
Tll slgmg Onls r Awo Akinja
WQn nlgdn gdn nll I'g! a ree p
f
bg oye ni wqn nl k w ge
Ksl r'boelnlnl
gb'Qbgrr'bg
Ko p kjlnn
fi
w b'ni nl wQwQ ire gbogbo
Translation
Qkn
sprouts thicks and strong and enters the forest
Qgan
sprouts slender and long and reaches the road
To climb a hilly road, a child's waists move sideways
These were the declarations of Ifa to "the farm-hut-watches-the farm-
but-can not-catch-a-th ief"
The name given to the Hyena
241
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
The offspring of Orfsr
,
the patient
one, the Awo of Akinja, the Heroic
fish
He was told that that year was his year
of success
He was advised to offer gbg for him to be honoured with a chieftaincy title.
And also told him to offer gbg against slanderers
Hecomplied
Before long, nottoofar
loin us in the midstof alllre
If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed shall be honoured
with a deseruing title and he/she shallovercome slanderers.
t4. If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed will be
successful in life. Therefore, he/she must never be in a hurry to
succeed. He/she needs to be patient
and be prayerful. If also says
that there is someone who had been trying hard to improve the lot of
the
person for whom this Od is revealed. However, it is not yet
time
for him/her to succeed. If says that he/she needs to wait for a little
more period for him/her to succeed. If says that he/she needs to
wait, and the remaining period for him/her to wait is less than one
year. He/she must persevere for the remanng period.
If also says that even though the person for whom this Od is
revealed is very truthful, he/she however runs the risk of being
tagged a wicked person
because he/she easily
jumps
into
conclusions on any matter. He/she also lacks the
patience
and
maturity to listen to the two sides of any matter before
jumping
into
conclusion. He/she could easily pass judgment
on any person
or
issue without waiting to hear the other side of the case. If says that
he/she needs to change this attitude and cultivate the viftue of being
patient for him/her not to be blamed where he/she is supposed to be
praised.
If says that if the person for whom this Od is revealed is a Babalwo or
\yrrtf, he/she must never use any animal that had hithefto been used as
gbg for any client to feed his/her If. If says that if there is the need for
him/her to serue If, he/she must go
to the market to purchase
the items
he/she intends to use. Failure to do this will amount to his/her prayer
not
242
TT
being answered in time.
tt twori Meii
If says that there is the need for the
person for whom this Od is revealed
to offer
gbg with three pigeons,
three
guinea
fowls, three ducks and
money. He/she also needs to feed If with one goat and be very patient
at all times. On theselwrl-M) says:
9wq
we kO t pepg
T'wgn gblagb kO wg krgb
Igeewebeagba
K m
9e
kq
nl i96tl baba gefQmg o
IXfinAkpo
Mjqtl lg re pe
Qrunmlla
l'j$ I'qdq Oldmar
Fbq
ni wQn nl k
9e
Translation
The hands ofyouths cannot reach the shelf
Those of elders cannot enter the neck of the bottle gourd
The errand that a youth sends an elder
Lettheelderrefuse not
There are assignments a father is expected to carry out for hs child
This was the If cast for AkpO
When he went to complain against
Qrunm'll
in the presence
of Oldmar
He was advised to offer ebg
Akp had been serving
Qrnmll
with all his capacity. He promoted
Qrnm)l's
interest at all times. He did all things that
Qrrlnm)l
approved of
and abstained from all those things his master did not support. He
defended
Qrnmll
at any given
oppoftunity. He carried out assignments
for
Qrrlnm)l,
come rain and shine. Even if he had nothing to eat, he was
always doing what
Qrnm)l
his master wanted him to do.
AkpO was doing all these with the understanding that
Qrnmll
in turn
would promote his, Akp's, interest.
QrUnmIla
would protect
him, shower
him with blessings and supply him with all his needs in life. Unfoftunately
for the Akp, his situation did not improve. He was not rich; he had no
wife, no child, no house of his own/ no horse, and no good
dresses to show
for his unalloyed loyalty to
Qrnmll.
To make the matter worse, he saw
many people who had not served If as much as he had done, who had
243
lfa Dda: An invitation to lfa Consuftation
been more successfulthan him.
In his mind, he concluded that
Qrnm)l
had done nothing to protect him or
shower him with blessings. He went and' repofted
Qrnmll
to many
people
that in spite of all what he had done to serve
QrnmIl
with
dedication and loyalty,
Qrnmll
had left him uncared forand he wastaking
care of other people who had not in any way done a fraction of what he had
done to serve
Qrunmll.
All the people he told condemned
Qrrlnmll
in
strong terms and urged him to
go
and repoft
Qrnm)l
to oldmar. He
therefore went to oldmar to lodge a strong complaint against
Qrunmll.
When he finished his narration, Oldmar asked him if he was sure of the
allegation he had leveled against
Qrrlnmll.
He responded that he was
very sure and that all the people
had condemned
Qrnmll
for his
(Qrnmll) insensitivity towards the plight
of the AkpO. When Akpo
finished his story Oldmar sent for
QnJnm'il
to hear his own side of the
story.
There and then, Akp knew that something was wrong with the step he
took when he came to repoft
Qrrtnmll
to oldmar. He knew that
nobody had ever bothered to ask
Qrnm)l
to tell him/her his (Qrnmlla)
side of the story. Allthe same he waited to hear what
Qrrfnmll
had to say
on the weighty allegation he had leveled against him.
AgbQt'gnu gnlkan
d'jq
ArQmgsJka
Dlfitn
Qrunmlla
Nljotl baba lg rj'jqAkpo I'qdootdmar
fbg
ni wQn nl k
9e
Translation
He who
judges
by listening to only one side
He is the prince
of the wicked-ones
This was lf's declaration to
QrnmIl
When going to defend himself on the allegations levelled against him by
Akp in the presence
of Oldmar
He was advised to offergbg
When
Qrnm)l
was given the message of Oldmar, he went to the
244
!! wo ue
group
of Awo mentoned above to find out why Oldmar had invited him
to His presence. The Awo told
Qrrtnm'il
that his Akpo had gone to
Oldmar to lodge a serious complaint against him. They told
Qrunmll
to
go to Oldmar and explain his own side of the story. They also told him
to offer
gbg
as
prescribed above. He did, and left for the
presence
of
Oldmar
In the presence of OIdmar, Akp was asked to repeat the entire
allegation he had leveled against
Qrunm)l.
He did.
grunm'ila
too was
asked to explain his own side of the story and
Qrnmll
explained that he
had tried all his best for the AkpO. He explained that he had offered
several
qbg and etutu on behalf of Akp but alas, the destiny of Akp had
decreed that it was not yet time for Akp to succeed in life.
Qrrtnmll
explained fufther that whenever he carried the offerings of AkpO
to lwrun where gbg were being accepted by the Deities, it was the faces
and destinies of other
people which used to appear to him. That was when
it was discovered that it was the original clients who used the materials
which Akp used to feed If as their gbg whose faces were appearing at
Iwrun. There and then Akapo was advised never to use any material
which he had hithefto used to offer
gbg for his clients to feed If. He was
advised to endeavour to purchase his own materials independently.
Qrnm'il
explained fufther that it remained less than one
year for AkpO to
succeed.
Oldmar told
Qrnmll
to show his Akp all the evidences that Akp
would need to convince him (Akpo) that a lot had been done on his
(Akp) behalf.
Qrrf
nmll did. Oldmar then asked the two of them to
go
backto eafth and return in one year's time. They all went.
Before one year, AkpO had succeeded. He had become wealthy. He now
had a wife, and his wife was already
pregnant. Both Akap and
Qrnmll
returned to Oldmar.
Ever before any of them could say anything, Akp prostrated for
Qrnmll,
begging for forgiveness that he had not heard
Qrunm)l's
side of the story
before he went to repoft him to people and then to Oldmar. He
245
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
admitted that he had acted without properly investigating the matters.
That was when Oldmar declared that nobody should
judge
any matter
without hearing all sides of the story.
Qwq
we k t pgpe
T'wgn agbalagb k wg krgb
IFeewebgagba
K m ge kq
nl i96tl baba gefQmg o
D,lfitnAkpO
riq tl rtlg r pe
Qrunmlh
l'jq l'qdq oldmar
fibg
niwQn nl k9e
gb'Qborr'bg
Njea gbqt'qnu gnlkan d'jqoOseun o
A gbQ t'gnu gnlkan dTq g'nlyn
Mgbatl o o gbq t'e4u gnlkejl
Emi lod'jqs{?
Translation
The hands of
youths cannot reach the shelf
Those ofelders cannotenterthe neck ofthe gourd
The errand that a
youth sends an elder
Letthe elder refuse not
There are assignments a father is expected to carry out for his child
This was the If cast for AkpO
When he went to complain against
Qrrlnmll
in the
presence
of
Oldmar
He was advised to offer gbg
He complied
He who listens to, and
judges,
one side; you do not do well
He who listens to, and
judges,
one side;
you
are wicked
When you have not heard from the other side
Why passing judgment?
If says that there is the need for the
person for whom this Od is revealed
to desist from passng judgments
without listening to all sides of the story.
If warns also that he/she must never
jump
into conclusion without
thorough investigation on any matter before upholding what is the truth of
the matter at all times.
246
lll
twori mei
If says also that whenever he/she was wrongly accused of any wrong-
doing, he/she must explain patiently for those involved to see the real truth
of the matter at all times. He/she must never be angry. He/she must
display maturity at all times. There lies honour, there lies glory.
There lies
happiness. There lies greatness.
15. If says that a thief or group
of thieves is stealing the things of the
person for whom this Od is revealed or someone or
group
of people
very close to him/her. lf says that those responsible for
dispossessing other people
of their legitimately acquired possessions
shall meet with disgrace and humiliation. If says that those
responsible for this dastardly act are highly placed people in the
community. In this wise, they are warned to desist from this
behaviour.
If also warns the victims of this theft action never to make any
deliberate attempt to broadcast and expose those involved because
their expose will surely lead to a chain of reaction which will
eventually tear the community apart, because of the caliber of those
involved. If says that those who will catch them only need to make
them agree to an undeftaking that such a thing will never repeat itself
again, and then find a way of ensuring that it is binding on them. This
is in no way a method of condoning a wrong deed but rather, a way of
preserving the future of the community.
If says that there is need to offer qbg
with three cocks and
money. There is also the need to feed Egu
Qdara
with one cock. On
this, a stanza inIwOfi-mT says:-
Agba t g'Ofin yQnmQtl
Kl wQn m gek
Qkan
mg p o rQ lllal
Dia fun
Qrunmll
Baba rtlo re d'ko etf 'l
f;bg
niwqn nl k
Se
Translation
The elder who had placed
a ban on benniseed
247
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
One seed of it must never be found in his pocket
That was If's declaration to Orr:nmlla
When going to cultivate farm on the outskiritof the village
He was advised to offergbg
Qrrlnmll
went tolgodo as a Babalwo. While inlgd, he discovered that
the inhabitants of this town knew nothing about benniseed and its
medicinal values. He therefore approached the
Qba
of town to encourage
his people
to grow the seed. They all showed lack of interest in the venture.
He explained again that oil could be extracted from the seed and that the
seed had great medicinal values. Yetthey showed no interest.
Qrunm'll,
in order to prove
to the inhabitants oflgod that they were about
to throw away a golden chance, decided to cultivate the benniseed farm by
himself. He therefore approached the
Qba
once again to seek a parcel
of
land in the outskift of the town. The land was granted
to him.
Qrunm)la
asked for paid labourers who helped him to clear the farm and plant
the
seeds. He also had workers who were wetting the farm as at when
required.
Soon afteq the seeds began to germinate.
When it was about time to begin
to harvest the seeds, he discovered that others had been harvesting same
behind his back. He wentto repoft his finding to the
Qba.
The
Qba
advised
him to be vigilant and to be on the look-out for those who might want to sell
the seeds in the market. When this measure did not solve the problem,
Qrrfnm)l
approached the
Qba
again for a better solution to the problem.
The
Qba
then informed the town criers to announce that allthe inhabitants
should assemble in front of the
Qba's
palace
the following morning. When
they had all assembled, the
Qba
informed them of what had been
happening to
Qnf
nmll. He then decreed that nobody should be found with
a single seed of bennlseed since nobody was cultivating its plantation
except
Qrunmll.
Everybody dispersed.
The following day,
Qrnm)l
went to his farm only to discover that more of
the seeds had been removed by these unknown hoodlums. Consequent
upon this,
Qrnmll
went to the home of the Awo mentioned above for If
consultation: Would he be able to catch the thieves stealing his farm
product?
Would he be able to make any profit from this experiment of his
248
llf,
two e
with the benniseed
plantation?
The Awo assured him that thieves who were stealing his things would be
exposed. He was however warned that he should not raise an alarm
whenever they were caught. Instead, he should make sure that an all-
abiding oath was sworn to so that the culprit or culprits would desist from
their nefarious acts.
Qrrlnmll
was warned that exposing the culprits might
tear the town apart because of the fear and distrust that it would bring. He
was told to offer
gbg with three cocK and money. He was also advised to
feed E9
Qdara
with one cock,
Qrnmll
did allthesethings immediately.
About three days later,
QrUnm'll
was first asleep at night when he suddenly
woke up with the feeling that some
people were in his farm and that he
needed to
go there urgently. He set out for the farm. Right inside the farm,
he caught the Oba and many of his highly
placed chiefs with benniseeds in
their
pockets, hands, and filled inside several bags that they had brought to
caft the
product away as they were about to leave the farm with their loot.
Immediately they saw
QrUnm)l,
they discovered that it would be fruitless
to bolt away. They also knew that they could not harm or kill him in order to
hide their misdeed. They all took the next available option open to them;
they all
prostrated to him and began to beg him. When he saw this, he first
had the urge to raise an alarm in order to attract
people to the scene. He
however remembered the warning of his Awo. He therefore made them to
swear to an oath that they would never steal or
get themselves involved in
any act unbecoming of highly placed individuals of their caliber again.
They did.
Qrrlnm'll
then swore on them that any of them who went
against the oath they had sworn to would die a shameful and
unceremonious death. They allsaid Ase, may it be so.
Qrnmll
leftthem
to
go, but took back his belonging from them. As from that time, nobody
stole anything from his farm again, The community too did not repoft any
serious incident of stolen items any more.
Agba t
$'Ofin
yQnmQtl
Kl wQn m ge k
Qkan
mq epo o rg |llal
DiafunQrnmll
Baba lg r d'ko etf'l
Fbq
niwQn nl k9e
249
lfa Dida: An invtaon to lfa Consultation
gb'gborr'bg
Njg mo r'j ol l'ko mi o
Emi m m r'jrt ol
Emiojgvo
Mo r'jrt ol l'ko mi o
Translation
The elderwho had placed
a ban on benniseed
One seed of it must never be found in his pocket
That was If's declaration to
QrrlnmIl
When going to cultivate farm on the outskift of the village
He was advised to offer qbg.
He complied
I have found thethieves stealing in myfarm
I have been able to identiff the thieves
But I dare not say
I have found the thieves stealing in my farm
If says that those stealing the things of this person
shall be exposed and
put to shame. Conversely, the person for whom this Od is revealed must
never steal, cheat or deceive others, lest he/she is exposed and put
to
shame. If says that he/she must never alter the law that he/she had made
himself/herself or whom he/she was a party
to its promulgation.
This may
lead to his/her being humiliated and putto public
odium.
16. If says that there is a pregnant woman where this Od is cast, the
woman needs to offer gbg so as to avoid a situation where the coming
child will become a notorious thief when he/she grows
up. If says
that the chances of the chld becoming a bandit it is too high and only
gbg
can avert it.
If also warns that there is a woman who had
just
finished her
menstruation and who is willing and ready to become pregnant
at
that pafticular point
in time but If advised the woman and her man
to exercise patience
for at least a couple of months lest she becomes
pregnant
and
gives
brth to a bandit.
If says that such a child, when born, will give his/her parents,
254
!! worue
especally the mother, sleepless nights and a lot of troubles. The
parents shall be blamed for all the misdeeds of their child. The child
will be so notorious that everybody in the community will not have
rest for one day because of his/her activities. If therefore
recommends for the pregnant woman, one matured he-goat'
bones of any kind and money. On this,IwOr'i-Mfl says:-
oguna bl ljl wg'lu
OrlgA-Oko l rln lhOho wg'ja
Dl filn Ywand
Tly I'oyn
Qlgqa
s'ln
Fbq
ni wqn nl k w ge
Translation
Like hurricane, Ogn rushed into the city
And OriSa-Oko walked nakedly into the market place
These were lf's declarations to Ywnd
Who shall be carrying the pregnancy of a thief about
She was advised to offer
qbg
Ywnd was she who had
just
missed her menstrual period. She went to
her Awo to find out what manner of child she would eventually
give bifth to,
and at the same time, find out about the incoming child's chances of
success in life.
The Awo informed her that she would deliver the baby safely and in good
health. She was however advised to offer
gbg
against
giving bifth to a child
who would eventually become a bandit later in life. She was warned that
the child would be her greatest
source of sorrow in life. In order to avoid
this therefore, there was the need for her to offer qbg with one matured
he-goat, assofted bones of any kind and money.
Ywnd thought that this warning was
just
a device by the Awo to make
her waste her money over nothing, She simply refused to offer the
qbg.
Soon after, she
gave
bifth to a bouncing baby boy. The boy grew rapidly.
The boy was also full of health and vitality. By the time he was 10 years
however, he had been stealing things at home and in the neighbourhood.
By the time he was 15 years he had been waylaying people to dispossess
251
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
them of their belongings. By the time he was 20, he had become a
notorous bandit. The whole community knew no peace
because of
Ywnd's child. Everybody kept shouting the name of Ywnd as the
mother of a terrible terrorist. They were all blaming her for not being able
to take adequate and proper
care of her child from youth. That was when
she remembered the warnings of the Awo when she was carrying the
pregnancy
of the boy. But alas, it was rather too late for her to make any
amendment. She lived and died with her regrets.
Ogun
ja
bnjtwQ't
Ortgq-Oko l rln lhOho wg'ja
Dl filn Ywnd
Tl y l'yn
QIqqa
s1nr
fibg
ni wqn nl k w
Se
kg'tl
Qgbgnhin
s'ebg
Ywndlwg lo ge'ni
Ywndlwg lo o g'nlyn
Iwg lo w l'yn sl'n
Tl o sl bl ol I'Qmg
Translation
Like hurricane, Ogn rushed nto the city
And OilSa-Oko walked nakedly into the market place
These were lf's declarations to Ywnd
Who shall be carrying the pregnanry
of a thief about
She was advised to offer gbg
She refused to heed the advice
Now, Ywnd you
are a bad
person
Ywnd, you are an irresponsible woman
You were the one who got pregnant
And gave
bifth to a bandit
If says that it is in the best interest of the person for whom this Od is
revealed to heed If's warning. If Ywnd had known, she would have
been willing to spend her money to secure a more rewarding future for
herself and her child.
Abgrrt Aboy.
252
lI mo ua
B. SIGNIFICANCE OF IWONI-MEI TON THOSE BORN
BYTHE OD DURING ITFLD ORIK9SFDAYE
Iwrl-Mjl children will achieve alltheir
goals in life. Their achievements
are not usually easy as it will always be a lucky break at the very last
minutes. That is one major reason why their achievements are miraculous.
The other reason is that it is usually difficult to match their business and
other means of livelihood with their achievements. This may surprise other
people, but should not surprise those who understand the workings of If
aslwil-Mll chldren are beloved children of If. The more they dedicate
their livesto If the morethe suppoftand protectlon theywillget.
Apart from If, Iworl-Mjl children also have the suppoft of Ol and Ay.
Their Ori are always behind them and since no Deity is greater than Ol
(except Oldmar), nothing can stop their achievements in life. Many
people complain of being in trouble with Ay, the witches, but in the case of
IwOrl-Mjl children, Ay gives them suppoft and they achieve success
where hordes of other
people failwoefully.
tworl-Mjl children usually succeed through the assistance of strangers
and visitors. That is, visitors of all types. There lies the success secret of all
lwOrl-Mjl children. That is why, they succeed where other fails. That is
how they receive assistance from unexpected sources.
For lwOrl-Mjl children, the most comfoftable
position they could ever
attain in their lives is the Number Three position. This is because of peace
of mind, achievement, success and glory. Aiming to attain the NumberOne
orTwo
positions is simplythe means of courting trouble.
Iwrl-Mil children are blessed with the fact that no matter how great
they may be, their children, if properly cared for, will be richeq
greater, more
influential and more respected than them. The influence and
position
of
their children will enhance their success chances.
For any lwrl-Mjl child, victory over adversary is assured. He/she shall
overcome all his/her adversary. He/she shall overcome
povedry, ill-health,
misfortune, backbiters, conspirators and so on. He/she shall also live long
253
lfa Dida: An nvitaton to lfa Consuftation
to his/her old age.
By nature, fwrl-Mil chldren are honest and they uphold the truth at all
times, even though they do not have the patience
or presence
of mind to
investigate all sides of any matter before taking sides. This is an aspect of
their lives they need to amend in order to avoid a situation where they will
be taking decisions or passing judgment
based on incomplete information.
In the same vein, as a result of their insistence on the truth, and on
forcefully repeatng their castigation of wrong deeds and wrong doers at all
times, they end up incurring the wrath of powerful people who are usually
after their downfall. But no matter what these people
do, Iwrl-Mil
children are usual ly victorious.
IwOrl-Mjl chldren must also be advised on how to divide their time
between the period of play
and work. They must know when to go
after
fashion and good looks and when to go after their work, how to go
about
the two separately, and with what manner to do so. They appear to lack
the capacty to make a clear cut division between work and play. This may
adversely affect their business and other means of livelihood.
That lwOrl-Mjl children will succeed in life is not contestable, but they
need to offer gbg against, and beware of, slanderers so that their white
clothes will not be stained with oil. Iwrl-Mjl children must be patient
at
all times. They must learn how to wait for their turn at all times. They will
succeed but they must never move ahead of their destiny. They must
never be avaricious; they must never wish to reap where they had not sown
in order to avoid being disgraced. All their children must also be properly
taken care of, so as to avoid any of them becoming notorious bandit.
On the whole, lwrl-Mfl children live fulfilled and satisfactory lives.
They live long, grow
old, and enjoy the fruits of their labour.
C. AFFILIATED IRUNMOLE AND ORISA OF IWONI-PIEI
If For assistance,
progress,
security and
protection
Orl
-
For progress,
assistance and security
1.
2.
254
ltf,
wori uei
3.
gbatE (Orlga-l) - For protection against death
4. E;u
Qdara
-
For overall well-being and suppoft
5. Ogrtn
-
For financial success and business achievement.
6.
$ng
For security and protection.
7.
Fgb
For general love and leadership
8. Yemoja For child-bearing and followership
9. Od For success and security
10. Orlfa-Oko For abundance and contentment
D. TABOOS OFIWONI-MEJI CHILDREN
1. Must never use any
paft
of Idf tree to avoid being displaced in his/her
place
of comfoft
2. Must avoid using cotton or do any work relating to the cotton
industry cannot be a tailor, fashion designer, wool spinner, or work
in a cloth-making factory. This is in order to avoid failed ambition
and inability to actualize self.
3. Must never use Orpa tree to avoid incessant illness which may

claim his/her life in the end

4. Must never use
Qkn
and/or
Qgan
leaves to avoid childlessness
5. Must never use ap,Irk, ko, rpa, olgnses, and/or rb
trees or any
part thereof - to avoid childlessness and inability to
achieve one's desire.
6. Must never
judge
without hearing all sides of the story to avoid
disgrace and humiliation
7. Must never use other
people's gbg materials for himself/herself
-
to avoid unfulfilled dreams and unanswered
prayers
i
8. Must never be too fashion conscious to avoid economic failure
E. POSSIBLE NAMES OF IWONI MEJI CHILDREN
DURING IK9SFDAYE
i. Male
1. Orllonlkg O ensures love and adoration
255
Ifa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultaton
2. Ifdr If performs wonders
3. Ifosn If does not renege on ts promse
4. Ifggmg If gives
us the child
5. Iftlmll,yln If gives me suppoft
i. Female
1. IfkQmi If pampers me
2. Ifdnmlnln If makes me happy
3. Ifadara If performs wonders
4. Iffnmikg If gives me someone to pamper
Abgrrt Abgye.
256
CHAPTER FOUR
ODl MEI
ll
illl
ll ll
ll
Chapter Four
Ool
r
t{EI
A.
1. If says that the
person for whom this Od is revealed is
guaranteed the
protection
of If. If says that he/she is sure of
the protection of four major Od. These Od are E)-Ogb,
QyQk-m),Iwil-MT
and Odf
-me). He/she will not die young.
He/she will not be deserted bythese principal Od.
If says that there is the need for the person for whom this Od is
revealed to uphold tenets at all times. He/she must act, and must be
seen, as a sincere, dedicated and loyal If follower at all times.
He/she needs to offer one matured he-goat as
gbg for longevity.
He/she also needs to feed If with a mature goat. If these can be
done, no matter what, he/she will not die young.
On these Odt-welf
says:-
Agblnklngblnkln InU erin
Nkan
jQbojqbq
lQrn e,fgn
Alamq-ede, bl ko b bq klfe
Dl fn Myml
Tff sgmgod mqrqQrln
Igba tQrun bq wl ay
f
bg ni wqn nl k w
9e
Translation
The massive belly of an
elephant
And the thick fleshy paft
of the bush cow's neck
A guess-work, if not understood fully, is not satisfactory
These were lf's declarations to Myrnf (Do not deseft Me)
Who was the child of the four principal
Od
When coming from Heaven to eafth
258
ii oo,r",
He was advised to offer ebo
Mymi was about to leave Heaven for eafth, in order to know if he would
live long and happily on eafth, he went for If consultation. Would he live
long? Would he be prosperous on eafth? Would he be able to achieve his
heaft's desires while on earth? Would he be happy on eafth?
The Awo assured him that he would surely be happy on earth. He was also
assured that he would live long. He was told thatthe four
principal Od were
in his suppoft. As a matter of fact, he was told that he actually derived the
source of his very existence and
protection from the spring of EJi-Ogb,
QyQkrt-m3),Iwfl-M;T
and Od-meji. He was assured thatthese Od would
never abandon him while on eath. He was advised to uphold allthe tenets
of If and be of good behaviour at all times. He was advised to offer
ebg
with one matured he goat. He complied.
While on eafth, Myrnl enjoyed the protection of the four principalOd. He
lived long. He was blessed with all the
good things of life. He was a very
happy man indeed. He used to announce to
people that he was a child of the
four principal Od and he was very proud of this.
Agblnklngblnkln Inu erin
Nkan
jQbojQbq
Qrn
gfgn
AlmQ-ede, bl ko b bq klife
D,l fn Myml
Tll sgmg od mereerln
Igbatl tQrun bq wl ay
Fbq
ni wqn nl k w
Se
gb'gbo, nl'bg
Eil-ogb
o nff fi Myml tlrQfiln Ik pa
QyQkrt-mji
o nflfi MymltlrQfitn lktt pa
Iw0rl-Mji O nll fi Myml tlrQfitn Ik pa
Odl-meji o nff fi Myml ttrQfiln Ik pa
Gbogbolworo-Sqpe
Myml If lmi ge o
Gbogbolwro-9qpe
Translation
The massive belly of an elephant
259
lfa Dida: An invitaon to lfa Consultation
And the thick fleshy paft
of the bush cow's neck
Aguess-work, if not understood fully, is notsatisfactory
These were lf's declarations to Myrnl (Do not desert me)
Who was the child of the four principal
Od
When coming from Heaven to Eafth
He was advised to offer gbg
He complied
Ef-Ogb will never deset Myarff for Death to kill
QygkU-mejiwill
neverdeseft Myrfffor Death to kill
Iwfi-Mji will never deseft Myrn1 for Death to kill
Od-mejiwill neverdesert Mynf for Death to kill
Allfollowersof If
I am indeed Mynf of If
All followers of
Qpg,
the only kernel
If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed shall never be
abandoned and allowed to die a
premature
death.
2. If says that the
person
for whom this Od is revealed shall be blessed
with allthe ire of life. In fact, these ire will be coming to him/her in
fours. He/she shall not lack any of the good
things of life. He/she
shall be blessed with all of these things. All he/she needs to do is to
offer appropriate gbg
and be contented with what Oldmar had
donefor him/her.
If says that the
person
for whom this Od is revealed needs to offer
gbg
with four rats, four fish, four pigeons,
four hens, four
cocks, four guinea
fowls and money. He/she also needs to feed
If with one hen. On these,If says:
0qqtqoqq
QrqqrggrQQ
Oglrl toJqg hnhn
Dl fn
Qrnmlla
Babay nlregbogbo
Nlgbe tgbgrin gbQrin
fibg
ni wqn nl wQn nl k
9e
260
*i oo,r",
Translation
Qtqqtqqtqq
(
QrqqrQQrQq
Oglritgtqg hnhn
They were the Awo who cast If for
Qrnrnf
la
Who shall acquire allthe Ire of life
At the time that they would come in fours
He was advised to offer ebo.
Qrnrn'ila
went to the three Awo mentioned above to know how he would
i
be able to get all the good things of life. What would he do to
get
them?
I
How much of them would he be able to get? When would he get
them?
Through what means would he be able to get them?
The Awo assured him that he would be able to get
all the IRE in life. He was
also assured that he would get them with relative ease. He was told that
through consistency, handwork, dedication to his duty and
patience,
his
success was assured. To crown it all, the Awo affirmed that all the IRE
would come to him in fours.- four wives, four children, within a
year, four
houses of his own, for horses, four of everything he desired. He was i
advised to offer
gbg
as
prescribed
above. He complied.
Truly, before long, he was able to acquire allthe Ire he wanted as
promised
by If. He was full of
joy.
He was also full of
gratitude to Oldmar. He
was singing and dancing saying:-
StqqtqoJq0
QrQQrggrQQ
OglrltoJqqhonhn
(
Dl fn
Qrrtnmlla
Baba y nlre gbogbo
Mgba t gbQrin gbQrin
fbg
ni wQn nl wgn nl k
9e
gb'Qbg,r'bg
Nig bati o gberi n-gberin
Tepele, laa bewe eleyo-oka lodo
Ayaje nni o
lgba t gbQrin gbQrin
TepelQ l bw glyg-ok ldo
i
261
lfa Dida: An nvitation to lfa Consultaton
Qmejnnlq
Mgba tgbQrin gbQrin
Tpl, l bw qlyg-gka ldo
Iljg nnl9
Nlgba t gbQrin gbgrin
Tepl, la bw glgyg-gka |do
IregbogbojQnnf g
l,flgba t gbQrin gbQrin
Tpl, le bw glyg-gka ldo
KopS, kojlnn
f
w b ni nl wQwq ire gbogbo
Translation
OJQqtqoJqQ
QrQQrggrgg
0gI t9t9g hnhn
TheyweretheAwo who cast If forQrnrnlla
Who shall acquire all the IRE of life
Atthe time thattheywould come in fours
He was advised to offerebq
He complied
Aj riches let me have you
When you will come in fours
In heaps do we meet
flQyg-gk
leaves in the river
Spouse, let me haveyou
When you willcome in fours
In heaps do we meet
flgyg-gka
leaves in the river
Children let me haveyou
When you will come in fours
In heapsdowe meetflQyq-gka leaves inthe river?
All Ire let me haveyou
When you willcome in fours
In heaps do we meet
flQyg-gk
leaves in the rver
If says that the
person
for whom this Od is revealed shall acqure all the
Ire of life. They will be rushng to him/her. It may not be a surprise to see
that he/she has more than one house, more than one car, many children
etc. it is merely the fulfillment of lf's promise
to him/her. He/she shall be
verysuccessful in life.
262
*l oo,r",
3. If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed needs not to
travel outside the shores of his/her fatherland before he/she will
succeed. If says that it is in one spot that he/she stays that he/she
will be
getting allthe Ire required in life.
If says that the
person for whom this Od is revealed has already
travelled outside his/her community, he/she needs to be advised to
return to his/her home-land as all the Ire in life are already waiting for
him/her at home.
If says thatthere is need for him or her to offer
qbq with four pigeons,
salt and money. There is also the need to feed If and Oke wth
kolanuts, palmoiland money. On these If says:
Ilni mojkOst
Ni gbogbo ire wQ turutu w b ml
Mojkoalner
Mo rire grQ t wq tqml w
DlfnOdl
fibg
ni wQn nl k w s, e
Translation
I sat in my home
When all lre came trooping towards my direction
I sat down without attempting to stand up
I saw prosperty moving towards me
These were lf's declarations to Od'i
When going on spirtual mission to OkO
He was advised to offer ebo
lu
was the original home of Od'i. He feltthat business was not moving fine
for him in his home-town. He therefore wanted to go to Oko where he felt
that there were better business oppoftunities for him. Consequent upon
this, he went to the Awo mentioned above for If consultation; Would he
succeed in his proposed abode? Would he be able to make more money at
OfoZ Would he have peace
of mind, prestige and honour there?
The Awo told him thatthere was no need for him to leave his home-town for
any other
place. He was assured things of life would soon come his way. He
263
lfa Dida: An nvitation to lfa Consuftation
was advised to offer gbg with four pigeons,
salt and money. He was also
advised to feed If and Oke with kolanuts and
palmoil.
He was also
advised to exercise patience.
Odf felt that the Awo did not know what they were talking about, more also,
when all those who had gone
to Oko returned with plenty
of all the good
things of life. Odl did not see any reason why his own case would be of any
different. For this reason, he simply ignored the advice of the Awo. Two days
later, he headed for Oko town.
At 0k, his situation
grew from bad to worse. Things simply refused to work
for him. Much as he tried, things did not improve instead they were
just
deteriorating. By the time he began to patch his dresses when he could not
afford new one's he decided to
pack
his bags and baggages and return to
Eiu.
Immediately he reached
fiU,
ne headed for the home of his Awo. He
informed them that he was ready to offer his gbg
as prescribed. The Awo
offered the gbg for him fed If and Oke for him and advised him to go home
and exercise
patience.
He was also warned never to
gauge
his success or
failure chances with other people's yardsticks
again. He took to their advice
and went home to await what the Deities had in store for him.
A few days after, he returned, people
began to come to his home to seek
spiritual seruices. At first, they came in trickles. Later, they trooped to his
house. Soon after, his house became a beehive of activities. He was well
remunerated by his clients. When he could notcope allalone, he gotseveral
.
apprentices to assist him. He was being sought for from far and near. Befqre
long, his name was synonymous with his home town. People used to say
that they were going
to Eju, the home of Odf . He became a very rich, highly
respected, honourable and prestigious
man. Because he had learnt to be
contented with whatever If had given him, he had relative peace
of mind.
He was a very happy man indeed. It was a
joyful
Odf who began to praise his
Awo, saying:-
Il ni mojksl
Ni gbogbo ire wQ turutu w b ml
Mojk0alnar
264
ii oo,r",,
Mo rire
grq
t wq tqml w
Dla fn Odl
Fbq
ni wQn nf k w ge
WQn sl nl k m lg
gb'$borr'bg
,
Ojotoo-teyt n-tig i - koko
IreAj d w o
Glrlglrl
Nire gbogbo maa d wa b mi
Gtrlglrl
Ire aya maa d wa o
Glrlglrl
Nire gbogbo maa d wa b mi
Girigiri
Ire
gmg maa d wa o
Glrlglrl
Nire gbogbo maa d wa b mi
Glrlglrl
Ire il maa d w o
Glrlglrl
Nire gbogbo maa d w b mi
Glrlglrl
Ibi a fi yq sl
IbQ n nlyq ngomil sl
Glrlglrl
Nire gbogbo maa d wa b mi
Glrlglrl
Ote ffi
ye
Tfl filgb'QbgtirQ
Glrlglrl
Nire gbogbo maa d w b mi
Glrlglrl
Translation
In home I sat
When all Ire came trooping towards my direction
I sat down without attempting to stand up
I saw prosperity moving towards me
These were If's declaration to 0d1
When going on spiritual mission to Oko
He was advised to offer
qbg
And for him notto go
(.
265
lfa Dida: An nvitaton to lfa Consultation
Hecomplied
He-sits-and-rest-h is-back-aga i nst'the-Ak ko-tree
And wealth came rushing to me
LikeSwarm
AllIre rushestoward me
Just likeswarm
The Ire of a spouse rushed towards me
Like swarm
All Ire rushes toward me
The Ire of children rushes towards me
Like swarm
All Ire of
good home rushestoward me
Likeswarm
All Ire rushes towards me
Just like swarm
The sport where salt is kept
Is where it turns to water
Likeswarm
All Ire rushes towards me
Just like swarm
'
The illdoes notmove
Before it is given its own gbg
Like swarm
All Ire rushes towards me
Just like swarm
If says that for Odt-Uef children and all those for whom this Od is cast,
they do not need to travel about before all the good things of life becomes
theirs. Their chances of success are more enhanced in their home base
than outside their place
of bfth.
4. If says that it foresees the Ire of a good spouse, good
children,
honour, prestige,
achievement and Ire from outside the domain of the
person for whom this Od is revealed.
If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed or someone
very close to him/her is seriously looking for a baby. If says thatwith
appropriate
gbg
and feeding of Od, they will get
the baby. The child
will be a female. When she grows
uF, she must be given out to If
because she is If's wife from heaven. If this is done, when this
266
trl oo,r.,
female child
grows
up, she will give
bfth to a male chld as her first
born.
,
There is yet another person here who needs to offer
gbg
and feed
If, for him/her to be able to live very long on eath. If says that the
person
concerned shall live to become very old on earth. On these, a
stanza ln Odf-Mefl says:
Bl b dun'ni
K mQ p ldun'ni
OrQ dunni-dunni lrankn gni
QrqtOdun
Babalwo I
l{fl dun If
QrQt
dun Onlggun
lrffl dun
Qsanyin
OhuntrrdunAj
lffdunOmusuldfl re
DlfnQrunmll
If gawo rel
lljrl
[bg
niwqn ff k w ge
Translation
l
If it hurts one
I
We must recognize that it huts one
A matter which hufts one is it that one ionsiders as one's malignity
A matterwhich huts a Babalwo
Is the one that hurts If (QrUnrnlla)
A matter which hurts an Orfggrln, the herbaliset
Is the one that hufts
Qsanyin
That which hufts an Aje, the witch
Is the one that hufts her Oms
These were If's declarations to
Qrnrnll
t
When going on spiritual mission to the home of
f
lj the king of Eju
\
He was advised to offer ebo
Qrnnfla
was living in Ad-Eldtl. He had established himself as an
accomplshed If priest. His reputation had gone far and wide. One day,
Flej,
the king of Ej was having the
problem
of childlessness. He and his
councl of Awo in EjU tried everythng they could, all without success.
Flj
was then told about the capabilities of
Qrnnfl.
Consequently, he
summoned
Qrnrnf
l to come and help him solve his problems.
(
267
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consuftation
The moment
Qrnnfl
received the message of
Flej,
he approached the
group of Awo mentoned aboved for If consultation; Whatwas the reason
behind Elj's problem? Would he receive honour while there? Would
Flej
be a
grateful person
after his problems
had been solved?
The Awo told
Qrnrn'il
that
Flj
was only suffering from childlessness. He
was told that
flj
needed to offer gbg
and feed Od in order for his wife to
become pregnant.
Qrnrnfla
was told that if this problem was eventually
solved,
Flj
would show his gratitude
to
Qrnrnfla. Qrnnfla
was then
advised to offer
gbg
with four hens, four fish, four rats'and money. He
was also asked to feed If with four rats, four fish and money. He did
everything and headed for
flj's
palace
to answer his call.
Qrnmlla
Awo
f;lgj
Dlfn
Flj
To nsunkrtn Oun Oblmo
f;bg
ni wQn nl k w
9e
Translation
Qrnrnf
la, theAwo of
fl-j
He was the one who cast If for
llj
When weeping in lamentation of his inabilityto beget a child
He was advised tooffergbg
At the
Flj
palace,
Qrnrntla
cast If for
flQj
and said that the reason why
he summoned him was on how to beget many children in his life.
Qrnnfla
advised
FljU
to offer gbg with 16 hens and money. He was also advised
to feed Od with 16 snails. He complied immediately. After this,
Qrnnf
la assured
Flj
that his first child was going
to be a female and that
the child needed to be given to If as wife when she grew up.
FljU
then asked
Qrnntila
to be his resident Babalwo in order to ensure
that
Qrnnfla
was around when his prediction
came to pass.
Ornnfla
agreed.
Soon after this,
f
lQj's wife became pregnant.
She gave bfth to a baby girl.
The baby was named Oknt. When the girl grew up,
pQj
handed her over
268
ii oo,r",
as wife to
Qrnnfla.
On that day, when all the wedding ceremones were
completed,
Qrnrnfla
fed Od again with 16 snails. Soon after this,
Oknt became
pregnant for
Qrnrnila,
she gave birth to a baby boy. The
baby was named Apr--dgb a name given to him after Od. The boy
was trained as a Babalawo. He soon became a
prominent If priest.
Qrnrn'ila
had however returned to Ado-Ekiti as soon as his wife was handed
overto him.
One day,
Flj
summoned
Qrnrn'ila
again to come and cast If for him.
Instead of
going
by himself,
Qrnrnf
la sent his son Apr--dagba who was
flj's-grandson
to
go
and cast If for his grand-father. When Apr--
dgba was going, he wentto meet
Igbln
pile ar nl dld
AfebOjO pe rn nl wlw
T nff gbj u fifo |ideagada
K s'gni ttl gbj u
ylyan l algqmg
D,l fn Apr-O-dagba
Tl gawo 19 l
Flj
fbg
ni wqn nl k qe
Translation
The snail does not originate the aft of dye-making
AfeebOj ratdoes notoriginatethe artof hole digging
Who dares to rely on a tied-hen for flying?
Nobody can ever rely on a chameleon to make a quick match' past
These were lf's declarations to Apr--dgba
When going on a spiritual mission to
flj's
palace
He was advised to offer
ebe
The main reason why Apr--dgb went for If consultation was for him
not to assume that since
flj
was his maternal grand-father he (Flj)
must have summoned him for matrimonial matters. In this wise, he wanted
to be very sure of the reason behind his being summoned. He also wanted to
know if he would succeed in his sojourn.
The awo mentioned above, whom he went to for If consultation, told him
that
flj,
having acquired all the good things of life was pre-occupied with
how he would be able to live long and enjoy the fruit of his labour. Apr-O-
269
lfa Dida: An nvitation to lfa Consuftation
dgb was also assured that he would accomplsh his msson and would
succeed in his sojourn. He was advised to offer
gbg with four
pigeons,
four hens and money. He complied. Soon after, he
headed for
flj's
palace.
Apr-O-d g b, Awo
f,
lj
Dlfn
Fhj
Tl sunkn ogb gbuurugbu
Sbg
ni wQn nl k w
9e
Translation
Apr-O-dgb, theAwo of
flj
He was the one who cast If for
f;lQjU
When worried overthe issueof longevity
He was advised to offerqbg
when Apr--dgba arrived at
flQj's
house, he cast If for
Flj.
He told
Fli
that after he had been blessed with all the Ire in life, he was praying
for long life in order for him to enjoythe fruit of his labour.
Flj
was assured
that he would live long on eafth. He was advlsed to offer
gbg with one
matured he-goat and money. He was also advised to feed If with one
matured she-goat. He complied. After this, he lived very long on eafth.
He died a very contented man.
Bl b dun'ni
K mQ p rtdun'ni
OrQ dunni-dunni lrankn gni
QrQtrtdun
Babalwo
Ml dun If
OrQt dun Onlggrln
l{ff dun
Qsanyin
OhuntdunAjg
Nll dun OmsUldff re
DlfnQrUnmll
If rt$awo rel
flj
fbg
ni wqn nl k w ge
gbgbgrorubg
Qrnmll
awo ile
Fhj
Dlfn
Flj
Eyl tl sunkn all blmg
270
*i oo,r",,
Fbq
ni wqn nl k w ge
gb$borrrlbg
lgbatlybll
bl okunto
Okunto fqsn degba
nforu dlde
WQn fe l
Qrunmll
lw
WQn ni kl wQn lo bdOd
WQn gb'$bo, wQn r'bg
OkrntO na finu soyun
Ofoyn rg bl
qknrin
Qmg
ti a bg Od k t bl
Ka ma p nl Aperc--degba
Awgn lgbln o pilQ ar nl dld
Afebojo
pilQ rn nl wlw
Ta nff gbjr u fif l'dle egd
KO s'Qnitll
gbj u ylyan l algemQ
DlfnApr-O-dgb
Tl saworelfljrt
Tff
Se
babalya a rQ
Fbq
niwqn nl k w
9e
gbbq rrlbg
Apr-O-d gb, Awon l
Fj
Dlfn
Heju
Tl sunkn ogb gbuurugbu
Fbq
niwqn nl k w
9e
gbebq rrlbg
Ko
p ko
jlnna
Ire gbogbo wa ya d ttru
Nje
Flju-nl-pee
Qmgow
knl, owya doko
Nb r'gb b r
ba ma m r'gb
Flj
ma r
Eyin o mQ wlp
Alk If dn,
j'oyin
19o?
Translation
If it hurts one
We must recognize that it hurts one
A matter which hurts one is it that one considers as one's malignity
A matterwhich hufts a Babalwo
Is the one that hufts If
271
{
lfa Dida: An invitaon to lfa Consultaton
A matter which hurts an Orf9egn
Is the one that hutts
QsanYin
That which hufts an Aj(witches)
Isthe onethat hufts her OmUsU
These were lf's declarations to
Qrnmll
When
going on spiritual mission to the home of
Fl-j
Hewas advised to offerqbg
HecomPlied
Orrlnmlldthe
residentAwo of
[lj
He was the one who castlf for
SljU
when weeping in lamentation of his inabilityto beget a child
He was advised to offerqbq
He comPlied
When hewould have a babY
His wife
gave bifth to a female child
The female child was named Oknt
Oknt was growing bY the daY
And develoPing
raPidlY bY night
She was handed overto
Qnlnmlla
(as wife)
TheY were advised to feed Od
TheYcomPlied
She became
pregnant and
gave bifth to a baby boy
The baby born afterfeeding Od
That baby shall be named Apere-O-dagba
Now, the snail does not originate the art of dye-making
And Afeeboi rat does not originate the art of hole-digging
Who dares to rely on a tied-hen for flying?
Nobody can evei rely on a chameleon to do a
quick match-pass
These were If's declarations to Apr-0-dgb
When
going on a spiritual mission to
flj's
palace
His maternal
grand-father
He was advised to offer
gbg
He comPlied
Apere-o-dagb,
the residentAwo of
f
lQj
He wasthe onewho castlf for
[lQj
When
preoccupied with the issue of longevity
He was advised to offer
gbq
He comPlied
Before long, nottoofar
Alllre came in abundance
Now
flej-rf-Pee
He wh anei RIting his home to the brim with money, the spill-over
reached thefarm
272
li oo,r",
If I could be as old as
FIJU,
I am prepared to pay for t
If I could be this old, I am readyto pay
Don'tyou knowthat
The longevity as
guaranteed
by lfa is sweeter than honey?
If says that the
person for whom this Od is cast will have all the good
things of life in his/her
possesson.
Not only this, the Ire of longevlty shall be
added to him/heras bonus.
5. If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed shall be
blessed with responsible people who shall surround him. If says
that he/she shall get
all the necessary suppofts from people.
If
says that he/she shall never be abandoned by people. If says that
there is the need for him/her to feed his/her O regularly. By so
doing, all the ire in life shall be his/hers and all the responsible people
shall surround him/her and shall be
giving him useful advice that will
make him/her great,
so says If. On these If says:
Ylmlylml abQyin pl|
Dl frn Orl
. Tll bg lgbr Oun nlkan goso glrogro
Fbg
ni wqn n| k w ge
Translation
Vrnlyirnf
,
the beetle, with its hard back
He was the Awo who cast If for Of
When he was alone without companion
He was advised to offer gbg
When O was coming from heaven to Earth, he was saddled with the
responsiblities of feeling, hearing, thinking, seeing, speaking, breathing,
eating, tasting and smelling. He discovered that the nine functions he was
expected to perform would be too much for him alone if he did not have
those who would assist him. In this wise, he decided to
go
to the Awo
mentioned above for If consultation.
The Awo told him that he would not only
get those who would assist him in
anyway. He would be able to share his responsibilities with those who shall
273
lfa Dida: An nvitation to lfa Consultation
come to be his companon. He was advised to offer
gbg with four pigeons,
four hens, four guinea-fowl,
four ducks and money. The client will
also be asked to feed his Ol with kolanuts, bitter-kola, palm
oil and
alcohol. He complied.
Before long,
fiti
(Ears) came to attach himself to Ol.
fti
took over the
functions of hearing. Soon after, Ojrl (Eyes) came to attach himself to Of .
rl toot< over the duty of seeing. Then came
[nu
(Mouth).
fnu
took over
the functions of eating and speaking. Then AhQn (tongue) came to
join
Enu. Ahon was saddled with the duty of tasting. And then came Imu (Nose).
Im took over the duty of breathing and smelling. Soon, Of himself was left
with the duties of thinking and feeling. Ori was also asked to coordinate
other activities going
on in the whole body. He gladly
did. He was
just
singing and dancing and giving praisesto hisAwo and saying:-
Ylmlylml abQyin pll
DlfnOrl
Tff rrbe bgbre un nlkan
$o9o
glroglro
fbg
ni wqn nl k w
$e
gb'gbgrr'bo
KQTQkQnQ
Orl ml kgl d'glgni
KQTQkQTQ
Im w,Im bd d
Or{ mi kagl d'glQnl
Kerekene
Ojrl w, ojrt brl d
KQTQkQTQ
Orl ml kgl d'glQni
KQTQkQnQ
nnuw, fnu
brld
KerekeG
Orl ml kagald'glgni
KQTQkQTQ
AhQn w, AhQn brl d
Kerekene
Orl ml kgal d'glgni
KQTQkQTQ
Gbogbor w Gbogboara brl d
KQTQkQTQ
274
ii oo, *",
Orl ml kSal d'91$ni
KQTQkQTQ
Translation
Ynrt\ftr(t,the beetle, with ib hard back
He was the Awo who cast Ifa for Oi
When he was alone without companion
He was advised to offergbg
He complied
pti,
the Ear, and keptOtf 's company
GraduallY
MyOtl shall be blessed with companions
GraduallY
Im, the Nose, came and keptO's company
GraduallY
My Ol shall be blessed with companions
GraduallY
Ojr1, the Eyes, came and kept O's company
GraduallY
My Otl shall be blessed with companions
GraduallY
fnu,
the mouth, came and kept Otf 's company
GraduallY
My O shall be blessed with companions
GraduallY
AhQn, the Tongue came and kept Of's company
GraduallY
My Orl shall be blessed with companions
GraduallY
Thewhole bodyand kePtOf company
GraduallY
MyOtl shallbe blessed with companion
GraduallY
If says that the
person for whom this Od is revealed shall be blessed with
responsble companions. He/she shall never be abandoned. He/she shall
gain the support of friends and loved ones
6. If says that it foresees success for two
people who are engaged n a
joint
venture. If says that both of them need to be sincere to each
275
lfa Dida: An nvitaton to lfa Consultation
other, failure to do so mght make the
joint
venture experence
serous setback.
'
In the same ven, If says that it foresees the blessing of a baby for a
couple in need of children. There is also the need for the couple to
cooperate with, and be sincere to each other. If this is not done, it
may not be possible
for them to bear children.
If says that there is need for them to offer
gbg with four rats, four
fish, two hens and two
guinea
fowls each. If this can be done,
happiness would be theirs. On these If says:-
KkagggUrUkan
Ogdgedenlged
fytn-ytn
ta
ffj
Ortga sl
Dl fn wqn nl ldl-knrin
A b fin wqn n| Idl-blnrin
Awgn mejeejl mmojrl sngbr gmg
fibg
ni wqn nl kl wqn w ge
Translation
Kk agg grUkan
Ogdgede n'iged
Backwards do one take Osa dancing steps
These were If's declarations to them at Idl-knrin (male
genitalorgans)
And to them atldl-blnrin
Both are lamenting their inabilityto bearchildren
They were advised to offergbg
The couple was newly married. They were eager to bear children. They
tried everything that they knew without success. They used several
medicines without any postive result. Tired of their childlessness, they
both wentfor If consultation.
The Awo whom they went to meet informed them that they were worried
and sad because they had no children. They assured them that they would
bear many children in their lives. They were however told that the two of
them were not sincere to each other, and that was why they were having
276
li oo,r",
problems. They were warned that without cooperaton with each other, the
desire to look for pregnancy and any chld was hopeless. After this warning,
I
they were advised to offer
gbg with four rats, four fish, two hens and two
guinea fowleach.
The couple offered this
gbg
but they did not heed the warning of the
Awo which asked them to be sincere and cooperate with each other.
Much as they tried, it was impossible for the woman to become
pregnant.
One day, the couple sat down and decided to give the advice of the Awo a
trial. They began to cooperate with each other. They were sincere to each
other. The couple stopped all forms of extra-marital activities. There was
nothing one did outside the knowledge of the other. Two months after, the
woman became
pregnant. The couple could not believe that it was truly a
viable pregnancy. They went to their Babalwo for test and confirmation.
There it was confirmed that the woman was indeed pregnant.
Soon after,
she
gave bfth to a bouncing baby. The couple was full of
joy.
They then
realized their mistakes. They vowed never to repeat such mistakes. From
then onwards,
getting pregnant or
giving bfth to children was no longer
paft of their worries. They were both singing and dancing and
giving
t
praises
to If.
Kkagggrkan
Ogedegedenlged
Fgn-eyln
aj Orlga sl
Dl fn won nl ldl-knrin
Ab fitnwqn nl ldl-blnrin
Awgn mjejl mmi oj sngbr
gmg
fbg
ni wqn nl kl wQn w
$e
r
WQn gb'$bo, wQn rrl'bg ''.
lgba ffi ti
jg
Qkan
la o r'Qmg bl
Igba l dI mejl la t bl'mo o
Translation
Kkagggnlkan
Ogedegede n'lged
Backwards do one take ORsa dancing steps
These were lf's declarations to them atld'i-knrin
And to them atldf
-blnrin
And to them at both lamenting their inability to bear children
(
277
Ifa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
They were advised to offer gbq
He complied
When the genital was singular, there was no child
But when the
genital became a couple, we were blessed
with children
If says that the couple for whom this Od is revealed shall be blessed with
children. They should however be honest and sincere with each other. With
these child bearing is assured.
Those engaged in
joint
ventures are also advised to cooperate with each
other and be honest and truthful. If they do, success is guaranteed.
If says that it foresees success for a couple who had come for If
consultation. If says that the two of them shall succeed together
in their various fields.
If says that the woman would realise her potentials to the
optimum if she takes to trading. The man has the
potential
to
become a big time industrialist. The man shall have either a street
or an establishment of Iike nature named after him. If says that
the two of them shall be very popular
and their popularity shall out
live them.
If says that there is need for them to offer
gbg with four white
pigeons each. A stanza in Od-Uef laying emphasis on these
asseftions says:
$kt
l p'il
awqn
B b d'k tn
A gb'od
A gb'olo
A gb'Od keke baba lgasun
fn Akesn
Tl lg re
je
bale oje
A br fun aya rg
Tl lg rQQ d'ja
Fbq
ni wqn nl kl wgn w
$e
278
itr oo,r",
Translation
With a narrow base do we knit a net
When it reaches the top
It will be wide enough to contain a moftar
And contain a grind stone
And a cauldron, the father of the soup-pot.
These were lf's declarations to AkQsn
When going to become the market chief
And to his wife
When going to establish her merchandise
They were advised to offer gbg.
AkQsn and his wife wanted to know which of the business fields available,
that would bring them the highest success in their lives. Consequent upon
this, they went to the group
of Babalwo mentoned above for Ifa
consultation.
The Awo assured the couple that they would not only be successful in
life, but that their success and popularity would out live them. They
were advised to cooperate with each other at all times and that one
must never hide anything from the other. They advised the husband to
i
endeavour to establish a huge business concern where people would be
I
coming to transact various types of business. The wife was also advised
to engage in trading and other types of merchandise. If they could do
this, they were assured that they would be exceedingly successful. In
order to ensure the success of these ventures, they were advised to
offer gbg with four white pigeons
each.
First, the couple offered the
gbg,
second, AkQsn went to look for a
large piece of land close to
QyQ
town. He cleared the land and created
I
several stalls. Many market- women came to rent the stalls from AkQsn.
The place soon became known as AkQsn Market. His wife divided the
stalls into several segments for yam
sellers,
pepper
sellers, cloth sellers,
meat sellers, goat sellers, foods stuff sellers and so on. Soon she too
became the leader of the market women, Both of them became very
successful and wealthy. When they died, the market was still known as
AkQsan market up till today.
The couple were full of
praises
to their Awo for giving
them advice which
i
279
lfa Dida: An invitaton to lfa Consultation
later enabled them to realize their full potentials
in life which in turn
made then accomplish what their destines had sent them into the world
to do.
$kt
l p'il
wQn
B b d'k tn
A gb'od
A gb'glg
A gb'Od keke baba Igasn
Dl fn AkQsn
f i 19 ree
je
balQ oj
A bu frln aya rg
I'i nlg rQQ d'ja
Fbq
ni wQn ff ki wQn w ge
WQn gb'bg, wQn r'bg
AkQsn d'd
Aya rQ d'ja
Ero lpo ero
Qf
F
wa wo ol-ire l re d'j
Translation
Wth a narrow base do we knita net
When it reaches the top
It will be wide enough to contain a mortar
And contain a
grindstone
And a cautdron, the father of the soup-pot
These were lf's declarations to Akgsan
When going to becomethe market-chief
And to his wife
When going
to establish her merchandise
Theywere advised to offerebq
They complied
Akgsan was adorning a crown
And his wife was establishing merchandise
Travellerto lpo and
Qfa
towns
Come and behold a lucky woman who was establishing
merchandise
280
4* oo,r",
If says that for the couple who was prepared to follow this line of business
and endeavour and at the same time, follow the advice of the Awo there is
(
no limit to their capability to succeed in life.
8. If says that it foresees victory for the person for whom this Od is
revealed. If says that this
person will overcome his/her enemies.
There is need for the
person for whom this OdO is revealed to use
his/her mouth to deliver himself/herself. He/she must be talking
boldly at all times. By so doing, his/her adversary shall be scared
away. There is also the need for him/her to sfhr oneFgoat, one
cutlass or sword and money as ebo, He/she also needs to serve
t
Ogr:n with one cock,
palm-wine, roasted
yam, roasted maize,
palm oil and so on. If all these can be done, then victory is assured.
On these,Od-Me says:
Qdldl
nll fgnu ara rQ dlgun
Qwawa
nff fohn ara re bu
yQrl
fni
gbhn olbr lkr
A nl bl trin

pq ju
eJQn lg o
Ib kl olbr ba sl
i
Ko m t adle o
1
D,l fn lrin-wQnwQn
Tll
g'gmgknrin Ogun
Igbatl be larn
Qtr
fbg
ni wQn nl k
9e
Translation
A cork uses its mouth as seal against uprising
Qwwa,The
Tiee hyrax uses its voice as weapon against its enemies
He who hears the voice of Olobro bird from afar
t
He would think that if the bird is not as big as an elephant
\'
It will certainly be bigger than a buffalo
Where Olbr couches, it is not as big as a hen
These were lf's declarations to lrin-wQnwqn
The son of Ogrtn
When he was in the midst of enemies
He was advised to offer
gbg
Irin-wQnnwQ, the
gun, was the son of OgUn. He was living and sleeping
in the midst of enemies. He was being threatened with death, injury and
persecution. Unable to withstand all these threats anymore, he went for
i
!
281
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
If consultation; Would he be able to overcome all his enemies? Would
he out-live them? Would he be able to change his position
as the
persecuted
to that of an aggression? Would he be able to have full
control of his destiny? Would he be able to make all his enemies shake
and tremble whenever they encounter him? These questions
and many
more were what pre-occupied
the mind of Irin-wonnwon when he
approached the group
of Awo mentioned above for solution to his
problem.
The Awo assured him that he would surely overcome his enemies. He was
told that all his enemies would not only tremble when they got in contact
with him, but would always maintain a
good
distance from him. All these
enemies,Irin-wQnwQn was told, would create chance for him to operate. He
was assured that he would always have his way. He was however advised
to offer gbg with one he-goat, one cutlass, one sword (or improvised
cutlass and sword if original ones cannot be found. A wooden cutlass and
sword may even be used) and substantial amount of money. He was
also advised to feed OgUn with one cock, palmwine, roasted y?ffir
roasted maize, palm oil, a bottle of
gin
and so on. He complied. After
this; he was instructed to use his mouth to talk at all times when his enemies
are around. He promised
the Awo that he would give
their advice a trial.
Shottly after this, his enemies came to him with the purpose
of inflicting on
him a deadly blow. As these enemies moved closer to lrin-wnwQn, fear
enveloped him. Suddenly, he remembered the advice of the Awo. Not sure
of what to expect, he let out a big shout. One of his teeth shot out and hit
one of his enemies in front of him in the throat. The enemy dropped dead.
He let out two more shouts and two more enemies dropped dead. This
action emboldened him and he kept on shouting and his enemies kept
dropping. Several were confirmed dead, several more fatally wounded
while all the others scattered in fear and confusion.
Ever since that time all the enemies offrin-wQnwqn learned how to avoid
him so as not to cause themselves bodily harm or even lose their lives
altogether. That was howlrin-wQnwQn, The Gun, was able to use his mouth
to overcome his enemies. He was thus dancing, singing and
giving praises
to If and Ogn his father for turning him from the persecuted
to the
282
ii oo,r",
persecutor. Merely seeng him makes his enemies shiver and apprehensive.
Qdldl
nfffgnu ara redlgun
Qww
nfffohn ara rQbuyQrl
Fn
gbhn olbr lkr
Anl blotrin

pQ ju
eJQn lg o
Ib k olbr ba sl
KO m t adle o
Dl fn lrin-wqnwqn
Ttl q'gmgknrin Ogrtn
Igbatl bg lrin
Qftl
lbg
niwqn nl kge

gb'Qbo,
nl'bg
Ibgn l'ptl
Ibgn k I'apati
Enlkan o le
j
kl wqn d'ojrl lbgn kg oun
Translation
A cork uses its mouth as seal against uprising
Qww,
The Tree hyrax uses its voice as weapon against ts
enemies
He who hears the voice of Olbr, the bird from afar
He would think that if the bird is not as big as an elephant
Itwill ceftainly be biggerthan a buffalo
Where Olbr couches, it is not as big as a hen
These were If's declarations to lrin-wgnwQn
Theson of Ogun
When he was in the midstof enemies
He was advised to offer
gbg
He complied
Whether a gun is loaded or is without bullets
Nobody will allow anyone to point it in his/her direction
If says that the person for whom Odt-wef is revealed will make his/her
enemies tremble in his/her
presence. If says that all his/her enemies
will fear to confront him/her or look at him/her in the face.
9. If says that it foresees victory over all adversares for the
person
for whom this Od is revealed. If says that all his/her enemies shall
shiver anytime he/she talks or shouts at them. If says here also that
283
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
he/she need to use his/her mouth to talk and defend
himself/herself. By so doing, victory is certain.
If says also that there is the need for the person
for whom this Od
is revealed to offer gbg with one ram and monetary equivalent of
2or0oo cowries. There is also the need to feed
gng
with one
cock' 200 pebbles
and money. If these are done, all adversaries
shall be forced to fear and respect the person
for whom this Od is
revealed. On these, Od'i-Mel says:
Qdldl
nfl fgnu ara rQ dlgun
Qww
nff f'ohn ara rQ bu yQrl
fni
gb'hn
olbr lkr
A nl bl o trin
pQ ju gfQn 19 o
Ib kl olbr ba sl
KO m t adlg o
Dl fn Arlra-gaga
Tfl g'gmgknrin
Qrun
Igbatl be lrin o,t
fbg
ni wqn nl k
9e
Translation
A cork uses its mouth as seal against uprising
Qww,
The Tree hyrax, uses its voice as weapon against its
enemies
He who hears the voice of OlbrO bird from afar
He will think that if the bird is not as big as an elephant
It will ceftainly be bigger than a buffalo
Where Olbro couches, it is not as big as a hen
These were If's declarations to Ara-gga
The son of the Sky in Heaven
When he was in the midst of enemies
He was advised to offer gbg
Anra-gag, the Thunder, was the son of the SW in Heaven. He has
several enemies who thought of nothing but evil aganst him. They
never wished him well in anything whatsoever. Consequent upon this,
Arir-gg went to the group
of Babalwo mentioned above for Ifa
consultation. There he laid bare his problems,
how he had helped
284
ii oo,r.,
facilitate rainfall which sustaned human beings here on eafth and how
human beings thought of nothing but evil against him. He pleaded with
the Awo to help him overcome all these enemies.
The group of Awo consulted If and Odt-welf was revealed. They informed
Anra-gag that even though he was right in the midst of enemies, he
needed not enteftain any fear. He was assured that he would certainly
overcome all these enemies. He was advised to offer
gbg with one ram
and 2O'OO0 cowries monetary-value
(The client also needs to feed
$ang
with one cock 200 pebbles and money). He complied. He was also
advised to open his mouth always to defend himself. He was told that by
shouting at his enemies, they would be able to recognize the force in his
body and they would be forced to respect and fear him. He also agreed to
give this advice a trial.
Soon after, his enemies
gathered together to
plot against him, out of
annoyance, AFlr-gg roared at them. As he did this, fire gushed out of his
mouth and one of the stones with which he offered his
gbg landed in the
midst of his enemies. They all scattered for cover in awe of his newly found
energy.
Ever since that time, nobody dared to
plan any evil against Ar-gg for
fear of being wrecked with untold havoc. The
pebbles with which he
offered
gbg that day soon came to be known as Thunder stone. That was
how Ailra-gaga the son of the Sky in Heaven became victorious. Since that
time, Ar-gg depended on nothing and no other
person except
$ng,
the Deltyfrom whose kingdom his powerwas derived.
Qdldl
nll fgnu ara rQ dlgun
Qwawa
nfi fohn ara rq bu
yQrl
nni
gb'hn olbr lkr
A nl bl trin

pq ju
e,fQn 19 o
Ib kl olbr ba sl
KO m t adle o
Dl fn Arlra-gaga
Tff g'gmgknrin Oun
Igbtt bg lrin ott
Fbq
ni wQn nl k
9e
285
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
gb'Qbo,
r'bg
Bl n o I'ebq
Bl n O l'Ogn
Arlr-gg tl mo gb'Qkn l t t'mi o
Translation
A cork uses ts mouth as seal aganst uprsng
Qww,
The Tree hyrax, uses ts voice as weapon aganst
its enemies
He who hears the voice of Olbr bird from afar
He would think that if the bird is not as big as an elephant
It is ceftainly bigger than a buffalo
Where OlbrO couches, it is not as big as a hen
There were lf's declarations to ArTr-gg
The sn of the Sky in Heaven
When he was in the midst of enemies
He was advised to offer gbg
He complied
Even if I am not sure of the efficacy of offering
ebQ
.
Or even the power of strong charms
$ago
whom I rely upon is enough for me
If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed shall use his/her
voice as defense against enemies. In his/her mouth lays power and victory.
10. If says that, for a man for whom this Od is revealed, the question
of mate selection has been a course for concern for him. He has been
preoccupied with howto get
his own befitting spouse.
If says that he will meet two women; one is very beautiful, while the
other is from a very influential home. Either of them is suitable for
him to marry as both women have the potential
of being very
rewarding to him. If says that he may marry either or both of them
depending upon the values of his society, especially on polygyny. If
polygyny
is allowed in his society, then, both of them have the
potentialof being of benefitto him.
There is the need for him to offer gbg with one goat, two hens,
286
*i oo,*",
four rats and four fish and money, He also needs to feed Ifa
with four rats, fourfish and one hen. On these, If says:
QrQ
t b rr dun Babalwo
Oun n nl dun If
QrQ
t b dun Onlggn
Oun n nl dun
gsanyln
Qrq
t b n dun Ajg
Oun n nl dun Oms ldl i rQ
Dd fn
Qrnnril
Baba sunkn all l'blnrln o
Fbg
ni wqn nl k ge
TransJation
Whatever is causing a Babalwo grief
It is also causing If grief
Whatever is causing
grief to an herbalist
It is equally of
grief to
Qsanyin,
the Deity of Herbs and
medicine
Whatever is bringing sorrowto a witch
It is at the same time causing sorrow to the tail-feather of her
witch bird
These were If's declarations to
Qrnmila
When he was lamenting his inability to secure a suitable wife
for himself
He was advised to offer
gbg
Qrunmila
was always complaining that he had no wife. He was always
lamenting his inabiliff to secure a befitting wife of his own. Whenever any
of his friends advised him on any other essential thing in life, he would
respond that what was most important was for him to secure a suitable wife
and all other
good
things of life would follow it. Before long, all his friends
and acquaintance came to realize that his primary pre-occupation was for
him to
geta wife.
One day,
Qrunmila
decided to do morethan complaining bytaking practical
steps on how to get his prayers answered. He therefore went to the group
of Awo mentioned above, who were his former students; would he be able
287
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
to have his own wife in life? Would the wife and the children be his true
companions? These and many more were the
questions he asked during
If consultation.
The Awo assured
Qrunmila
that his worries would soon be over. They told
him that he would not get
only one wife, but that there were two women
coming his way. He was advised to be hopeful and to offer
gbg with one
goat, 2 hen, four rats, four fish and money (The client for whom this
Od is revealed also needs to feed If as stated above). He complied.
When he was about to leave the home of the Awo, he was told that one of
the women that would come his way would be extremely
pretty while the
other would hail from highly respected home.
Qrnmil
thanked the Awo
and leftfor home.
Not too long after,
Qrnmil
met a very beautiful damsel. Both of them
showed interest in each other. Soon after, all marriage rites were
formalized and she became
Qrnmil's
wife.
A shoft while after the first marriage, cC met another woman who was a
princess
and he
propositioned her. She agreed. The parents were
contacted and allthe marriage rites were also formalized.
That was how
Qrnmila
who was a bachelor barely 12 months back became
the
proud husband of two women within a
year.
Ornmila was thus singing
and dancing and
praising the competence of If and his ex-students.
QrQt
b dun Babalwo
Oun naa nl dun If
QrQt
b dun Onlgegun
Oun nae nl tdunQsanyln
QrQt
ba n dunAjq
Oun naa nl dun OmUsrldl i re
Df fn OrUnnrila
Baba sunkn all l'blnrln o
gbg
ni wqn nl k sp
gb'Qbo, rrl'bg
Igba tl yfQ
fefl$w l'blnrln
288
itr oo,r",
O si fiAprtll s'gmggba
g'aya
Erolpo, ero
Qfe
Fw
b ni nf w,wQlre
Translation
Whatever is causing grief to a Babalwo
It is also causing grief to If
Whatever hufts a herbalist
It is surely hufting
Qsanyin,
the Deity of Herbs and medicine
Whatever is brnging sorrow to a witch
It is at the same time causing sorrow to the tail-feather of her witchcraft
bird
These were lf's declarationsto
Qrnmil
When he was lamenting his inability to secure a suitable wife for himself
He was advised to offer gbg
He complied
When hewasto marry
He got married to a beautiful lady
And when hewasto marryagain
He took Apr, a princess as wife
Travellers tolpo and
Qfa
towns
Join us in the midst of abundant Ire
If says that the main cause of concern of the
person for whom this Od is
revealed shall soon be over.
If also says that the
person for whom this Od ls revealed shall soon be
blessed with two
prospective women. Both are good and rewarding. The
women will prove to be
good companons, caring lovers and mothers of hs
children.
11. If says thatthere is need for a
young unmarried woman to offer gbg
in order for her to be able to stay in one man's house and give bifth to
all her children there. This is in order to
prevent her from moving
into one man's house today, only for her to be driven out of the
matrimonial home after the birth of one child. If this is not
addressed, it may lead to a situation where she would give birth to
four or five children for four or five different men.
289
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consuftation
In the same ven, If says that there was a woman who had already given
bfth to four children where this Od is revealed. This woman needed to be
advised to gather her children together in order for her to enjoy her children
and for her to have peace
of mind over her children.
If all these children are together under one roo[, If says that this woman
still needed to be advised not to instigate them against one another. The
woman must be advised that if the children failed to cooperate with each
other, the woman is responsible for this as she is the one dividing her
children. If she did not desist from this attitude, she may know peace
again
in her life.
There is the need for this woman with four children or the unmarried
woman to offer
gbg
with one he-goat, four cocks and money. There is
also the need for her to feed If with four rats, four fish, one hen and
money. On allthese,If says:-
FQnrnkn kan w lo so il ay r
DlfnOnlkl-Qla
Tl w'QkglmQrn-n yn kiri
Sbo
ni wQn nl k
9e
Translation
Only one strand of string was what was used to suspend the
eafth
This was lf's declaration to Onfld-Qla
When looking foran ideal husband
She wasadvised to offergbg
When she was young,
Onfki-Qh had one ambition in life. She ws
determined to make a
good home and be a perfect
housewife and caring
mother to her children. One day, she wentto the Awo mentioned above for
If consultation. would her dream of being a perfect
home maker come
true? Would she be able to live happily with her paftner?
Would she be
comfoftable in her matrimonial home? Would she bear great
children?
Offld-Qla was assured that all her children would be very influential in life.
They would be very popular
and highly respected in their various
undertakings in life. She was however advised to ensure that she gave
bifth to all these children in one home by rnaking sure that she avoided any
294
ii oo,r",
form of conflict or msunderstanding which may lead to her packng
out of
her matrimonial home unceremoniously. The Awo warned her that this
might lead her into a situation where she would be changing husbands as if
she was changing her wrappers.
In order to avoid this unpleasant situation, she was advised to offer gbg
with one he-goat four cocks and money. She was also advised to feed
If with four rats, fourfish one hen and money.
Instead of heeding the advice of the Awo, Otfld-Qla felt that she was
capable of avoiding anything which might lead to misunderstanding or
quarrel
between her and her future husband. In this wise, she felt that it"
was unnecessary to waste scarce resource on the procurement
of all the
gbg materials. She also felt that the Awo must be cheats for demanding for
all those items simply because they wanted to offer
gbg for her against
broken home. She therefore resolved not to offer the ebo. All entreaties to
herto have a change of mind fellon deaf ears.
A shoft while after her encounter with the Babalwo and her refusal to offer
gbQ,
Offld-Ql travelled to
Qtun
town. There, she met one man whom she
loved. Before long, they became husband and wife. They were living very
happily. She was known to be a very good
cook. She was neat and she
made sure that all her environment was clean at all times. She washed her
husband's clothes regularly; she was respectful to her husband and allthe
members of his family. In return all her neighbours loved her and respected
her. They were all very proud
of her and they referred to her as a
perfect
example of how a housewife oughtto be.
A few months after she got married, she became
pregnant. Her husband
was very happy and his entire neighbours were congratulating him on his
good luck. She soon
gave
bfth to a bouncing baby boy. The baby was
named Efl-Ogbe. The
joy
in her matrimonial home was increased several
times over. The citizens of
Qtun
did not consider this child as the personal
gift of Orfld-Qla and her husband; In fact, they saw the baby as E)-Ogb,
gmQ wqn ld Jn meaning, Ejl-Ogb their child in
Qtrtn
town". That
was how the situation was for a long time in
Qtun
town.
291
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
One day however, Onll{-Qla's husband went outto work. Before his return,
his wife had prepared his favorite food ready. On arrival, she
placed his food
on the mat for his consumption. When the husband tasted the food, he felt
that the salt was not enough and demanded for more salt. His wife was at
the backyard. He asked one of his female relations to bring him a pinch of
salt in order to bring the soup to his taste. The relation went and brought the
salt. As he was about to put the salt into the food, his wife entered his room
and saw him and his relation together. She demanded to know why her
husband was adding salt to the food and she was told that the salt was not
enough. Something told Orfld-Qla that it must be the female relation who
had been instigating her husband against her since her husband had never
complained against her cooking before. Before she could realize what she
was doing, something snapped inside her brain and she gave the relation a
big slap. This drew the attention of all those present in the house to her
husband's room. As they were trying to calm her down she was
just
kicking,
slapping, bitting and abusing everyone. When they
got
tired of her action,
theythrew her out of the house. Out of anger, she
packed
all her belongings
and left the town altogether.
When she returned to Ile-IfQ, her parents' hometown, all appeals to her to
let there be a peaceful settlement was rebuffed. She kept saying that the
people in
Qtun
town had conspired against her. When the citizens of
Qtun
town sent delegates to come and appeal to her to let bygone be bygone, she
refused to listen. They begged herto consider herson whom she left behind
at
Qtun.
She refused.
When she discovered that those coming from Oun town to plead for a
settlement were getting too much, she decided to leave Il-Ifg, and
travelled to Ap town where she made up her mind to settle down to a new
life. When she reached this town, everybody welcomed her. She soon
became the toast of every home. Later, she got married to another person
in Ap town. She soon became
pregnant.
She delivered another bouncing
baby boy. The baby was named
QyekU-M).
And as in Otun town, the citizens of Ap town considered Offld-Q|'s baby
as the child of the whole town. They therefore named him O3Qkrl-M),
gmg
wqn ld Ap meaning
Qygk-Mjl
their child in Ap town, And also as
292
,tl
ll Qdi Meji
in
Qtun
town, everybody loved herand adored her.
One day however, her husband had some friends who came to visit him.
She was introduced to these friends. After the introduction, she left for the
kitchen to prepare food for her husband's visitors. The visitors and her
husband remembered some old
jokes
of theirs and they all burst into
laughter. Hearing this, something snapped inside Onlld-Qh's head. She
saw their laughter as making
jest
of her. She grew so annoyed that her
husband could subject her to ridicule in the midst of his friends whom she
just
knew for the very first time. She went into the kitchen and carried the
water she had been boiling and stamped out the fire and began to pack her
belongings. Before she left the house, she went to confront her husband.
She poured all her venom on her husband to the chagrin of everyone
present. When these friends tried to appeal to her, she
pounced
on them
too and left the house, leaving her son behind. Again, all effofts to
reconcile them failed. She returned to ll-Ifg to live.
Many people
came to beg her to return to Apa she refused. But when she
was ready to
go
back to her matrimonial home, her husband was no longer
ready to accept her as wife. She too began to send
people
to
plead
with her
husband on her behalf butthe husband refused to listen.
Soon aftenrard, she left Il-IfQ again forlgodo town. And again, she was
well received in this new town. She soon
got
attached to a man and before
long she became
pregnant.
She
gave
bfth to yet
another baby boy. The
baby was named lw'i-M). And again, the baby was known as \wOrl-
M3), gme wn lde fgd," meaning lwrl-Mjl, their child in IgOd
town. She was enjoying the cooperation and suppots of everyone in this
town.
Offld-Qla had been living happily in Igod town until one day when she
went to the market in another town to help her husband sell his farm
products. On her way back to the house, a heavy rain fell and the stream
which she would have to cross before she could reach home became
impassable due to heavy flood rushing into the stream. She had to wait
until the rushing of water in the stream abated. It was dark before she
reached home.
293
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
To her surprse however, there was no rainfall in IgOd. When she
explained to her husband that she was held up by heavy rainfall her
husband shouted her down, that she was a liar. He concluded that she had
cheated on him. She knelt down, begging her husband to
please investigate
what she had said before taking futher action. Her husband refused to
listen. Then she remembered that one of her husband's bossom friends
also went to the market to transact business on that day. She asked her
husband to go
and inquire from his friend in order to asceftain the verity of
her statement. This only worsened the matter as her husband concluded
that his friend must have been her secret lover. While she was still pleading
with him, something snapped in his head and he began to throw all her
belongings out of his home. All entreaties failed to
yield
any fruitful result.
She therefore returned to ll-Ife, a very sad woman indeed. She also left
herson behind.
After sometime, she again made up her mind to travel out of Il-Ife to try
her luck elsewhere. This time around, she went to Eju town. As usual, she
was well loved in her new abode. Everyone respected her. She soon got
another man who showed interest in her. She later became pregnant
and
gave
b'th to a bouncing baby boy again. This child was named Odf-wle).
And yet
again, the citizens of EjU considered the baby the
gift
to the whole
town. They therefore named him "Odf-M), gmg wqn ld Eju" meaning
OOt t"te their child in Ejrt town. This was done in order to
give her
honour and in appreciation of her exemplary character and
good qualities.
She was living quiet happily in Eju town. She was convinced that she had
learnt her lessons and that she had to put behind her the bitter experiences
of
Qtun,
Apa and Igodo towns. She assured herself that E town was
where she would live the rest of her life.
Then one day, one of her husband's relatives who had been envious of
Onlld-Qh's rising profile in the town went to gather people
together and told
them that she had a dream that confirmed to her that Offld-Ql was a
wicked witch who had been using her apparent good
characters and
cheerfulness to cover up her wickedness. She claimed that Offld-Qla had
been using the destinies of other women in the town to enhance her good
294
trtr oo,r",
foftunes. She claimed that it was this evil power that On'ild-Qla had been
using which did not allow her husband to see anything bad that she Offld-
Ql
had done. The relative wentto the e*ent of saying that Onfld-Ql was
the
person directing and controlling the mind of her husband and other
relatives.
In the end, everybody agreed thatthere was sense in whatthis relative had
said. They reasoned that nobody could know Offl{-Qh better than her
husband's relative. They therefore concluded that Onlld-Qh must leave
their town for them. They recruited other women and agreed to converge
at the frontage of Offkl-Ql's home at dawn the next day.
Most of them did not sleep. At the first cock-crow, all the women began to
assemble at their
predetermined place. Their shouting woke everyone up
in Offld-Ql's house. They demanded forcefully that Onll{-gla must be
handed over to them for punishment as she was the brain behind all the
woes of the town. Offld-Qh could not believe her ears; she thought that
she was in a dream. To make matter worse, all her friends and close
acquaintances were among those demanding for her to be
punished. Her
husband refused to hand her over to them. In the end, a compromise was
reached; she would not be
punished again but she must leave their town
immediately. That was how Offld-Qh left EjU leaving behind Odl-M1T and
all her other belongings. She returned to ll-Ifq a shattered woman.
A few days after her arrival, her relatives called her and asked her to tell
them what went wrong again. She narrated all her ordeals to them,
starting from her experience in
QtUn
town, to what she encountered in Ap
town, and then that oflgd town and to the humiliations she received at
Eu town. Even though the relatives sympathized with her, they however
concluded that she was the one who could not make a
good home. They
therefore advised her to forget about traveling out of ll-Ifg again and
concentrate on how to make the best use of what remained of her life. She
agreed with her relatives.
One day, as she was ruminating over her life, she remembered the warning
of the Awo and wept bitterly. I[ dawned on her that had she offered the ebo
as
prescribed, she would not have experienced all what she had gone
295
lfa Dida: An nvitation to lfa Consuftation
through. Alas, itwas simplytoo Iate to make amends.
Her four children
grew
up differently. They did not have much in common
except that they were all born by the same mother. They had different
experiences, different outlook towards life and different approach to
things. However, the four children grew
up to become
great men in their
various fields of endeavour in life. Offld-Qh regretted that she could not
pafticipate in their upbringing. She also regretted that they were not in the
same
place,
born to the same person and trained under the same roof. She
felt that if she had offered one he-goat and four cocks as
gbg
and had
fed If with four rats, four fish and one hen the story would have
been different. And again it was too late to make amends. She lived with
the regrets for the rest of her life.
FqnrnkUn kan Ow lo so i| aye rO
Dl fn Onlkl-Qle
Tl w'Qkg lmQrn-n yn kiri
lboniwqn
nl kqe
kg'tl
Qgbgnyin 9'ebg
bl Ejl Ogbfn wgn l'deOrrn
bl
Qyqku-Mjl
fn wQn l'deAp
bl lworl-mil fn wqn l'de lgd
bl odl Mjl fn wqn l'de Ej
Rfr gbg nll gbe'ni
Er tkg d hdaj
Onlkl-Ql b tet mq
I ba waa fow s'rfi n ebo o
Translation
Only one strand of string was what was used to suspend the
eafth
This was lf's declaration to Offld-Qb
When looking foran idealhusband
She was advised to offer
gbg
She refused to comply
She then gave bifth to ET Ogb for them at OJUn town
And
QyQktl-Mfl
forthem atAptown
AndlwOfi-mI for them atlgOd town
And Odl M) forthem at Eju town
Offering of gbg isverysupportive
296
i4 oo,r",,
To give r to E9 in very rewarding
Had Offki-Qla known this before it was too late
She would have spent her money to offer gbg for her life to be more
fruitful
If says that it will not allow the person for whom this Od is revealed to
regret. She however needs to offer gbg
as prescribed
here so that she too
can have a say in the up-bringing and eventual success of her children in
future. This is because whether the woman participated
in the upbringing
of her children or not, they would all succeed and she would not be able to
beat her chest in future that she had any meaningful contribution to the
success of her children.
L2. If says that it foresees the Ire of a new baby for the person
for whom
this Od is revealed.
If says that this child shall be very influential in life. The child shall
be known the world over. They should take proper
care of this child
when it comes because the child would be extremely successful in
Iife.
If says that there is the need to offer qbg with one ewe
|
2OO
big needles, and 1O yards
of white cloths and money. On
this, If says:
Fse
rug nfi f'ojrt tan'n
QlqbQn-nbgn-n
nff fapa mejefl lu gbedu
Ajlja gogoro, Awo il Ajlgunwa
Dl fun Ajlgnw
lgba rr t'Ikqle
Qrun
bQ w'y
Fbq
niwQn nl k
9e
Translation
The broken surface of a brass shines like ember
The large beetle uses its two wings to buzz like one beating
the gbQdu drum
The tall, slender ATj staff, the resident Awo of Afigunw (He
who sits in royal Splendors early in the morning, another
297
lfa Dda: An invitation fo lfa Consultation
name of the sun).
He was the Awo who cast If for AJigrtnwa
When comng from
Qrun
to Aye
He was advised to offer qbg
AJigunwa was coming into this world from heaven. He wanted to know what
his chances of success would be. He therefore went to the Awo mentioned
above for If consultation.
The two Awo assured him that he would be highly respected and honoured.
He was told that he would have a very rewarding stay on Aye (Earth). He
was advised to offer gbg with one ewe, 200 big needles 10 yards
(meters) of white cloth, and money. He complied.
When he set out on his
journey,
the white cloth with which he offered the
gbg was spread over the sky, 200 needles was shattered around him and
they became the sun rays while the ewe with which he offered qbg
ensured
honour and prestige for him. He discovered that no force or energy was as
great
as his. He therefore decided that there was no need for him to be
physically present
on eafth, rather, he chose to be sending his rays and the
energy was felt everywhere.
If says that the chlld in question
would be greater
than all his colleagues.
He would also be greater
than his two parents. His reputation would be felt
the world over. The force of the Sun is felt in every nook and corner of this
world.
Fs
lde nfl fojrr tan'n
QlQbQn-nbgn-n
nll fap mejefi lu gbQdu
Ajlje gogoro,
Awo il AilgUnwa
tX fn Ajlgnw
T tl IkQl
Qrun
bQ w'y
fbo
ni wqn nl k
9e
gb'gbo,
r'bg
Ko p ko
jlnn
F
wa b ni nl wO,wQ ire
WO, wq ire l'r
QpQ
n'tfg
298
ii oo,*",,
Translation
The broken suface of brassshines like ember
The large beetle uses its two wings to buzz like one beating the gbQdu
drum
The tall, slenderA)ja stafl the residentAwo of Aj'ignw
He wastheAwo who castlf forAignw
When coming from
Qrun
toAy
He was advised to offergbg
Hecomplied
Nottoo long, and nottoo far
Jon us n the midstof all Ire
If says that the
person for whom this Od is revealed needs not travel
outside the shores of his or her fatherland before he/she will succeed. If
says that it is in one spot that he/she stays that he/she will be
getting all the
Ire required in life.
13. If says that the
person for whom this Od is revealed shall be
victorious in serious dispute with others. This dispute may or may
not involve litigation. If says that the case in question will be very
tough but with appropriate
gbg, he/she or the
group who had come
for If consultation will be victorious in the end. If says that he/she
was on the right path, but there is the need to offer
gbg in order to
prevent any unforeseen event or miscarriage of
justice
which may
make him/her lose the case. There is need to offer
gbg with one he-
goat, yams bean, maze grains and money. There is also the
need to feed Egu with one cock and money. The moment all these
are done, victory is assured. On this, If says:
Igbln o pTlQar nl dld
AfbOjOO
pll$Aran nl wlw
A kff gb'oj u fifo l'dle agd
Tani I gb'jtl u ylyan l'lggmg?
DlfnAfebojo
Tl lgsllknlQejQ
fbg
niwqn nl k
$e
299
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultaon
Translation
The snail did not originate the aft of dye-making
And Afb0j rat did not originate that of burrow-making
. We cannot rely on a tied hen to fly
Who dare count on a chameleon to match briskly?
These were the declarations of If to AfbOj0
When going
to appear in a litigious matter
He was advised to offer gbg
Afeebj was a rat of royal descent. He was very handsome and very
hardworking. His hole where he lived was always magnficently
constructed. One day, out of W, some other members of the rat
family went to report him to King Leopard that Afeebj had no respect
for constituted authorities. They said that he was more of a problem
than asset to the anmal kingdom. They impressed it on King Leopard
that Afbj must, as a matter of urgency, appear before his majestic
presence
to come and defend himself. Hearing this, King Leopard
promptly
summoned AfeebOj to come and defend himself.
When he got the message, he decided to go
to consult If on the
possible
outcome of his being summoned. The Awo told him that some
of his colleagues had gone
to level some allegations against hm. He
was assured that the
judgment
would be delivered in his favour. He was
however advised to offer
gbg
as prescribed
above. He complied and set
out for King Leopard's palace.
Two main allegations were levelled aganst him: One, that Afeebj
resembled a squirrel and squirrels were living inside nests. Therefore,
he too ought to be living inside a nest and not in a hole as his practice;
and two, that he was the one who originated the bad attitude of digging
holes and burrows to live in, thereby encouraging other animals to
follow his bad example. His accusers concluded that he would either
stop living inside a hole and begin to live in nests or leave the animals'
kingdom entirely.
Responding to the first allegation, AfeebOj explained that living inside
a hole was eintirely a matter of choice for him. He explained fuher that
it was more convienient for him to live inside a hole on the ground
than
300
ii oo,r",
inside a nest, on a tree, in a rock, cranny, or n any other envronment.
He said that as long as he did not impinge on any other animal's
freedom or convenience, he saw no reason why he should stop living
inside the hole. He gave the example of several animals such as the
cat and the leopard; they belonged to the same family. One was living
with human beings while the other was the king of the forest.
Some birds choose to live in the forest, some in the savannah while
others live in the house with human beings. Some rats of the same
family were not living in the same environment. Some live in the
house, with human beings while others live in the forest. These were
not made subjects of litigation. Why then should he be singled out ?
On the second allegation, he explained that his was not an exception.
He said that among the rats, the big rat, and grass cutter and so on
were also living in holes ever before he was born. Among the birds, the
woodpecker was living inside a hole on a tree, Among beasts, the king
leopard, lion and so on were living in holes. He contended that it would
be unwise to assert that it was his bad habit that the King Leopard was
immitating when the latter chose to be living inside a hole. He
explained fufther that if a snail was broken, one would discover that
there was blue dye liquid in its body. This cannot be constructed to
mean that the snail was the originator of dye-making. He said that
because he was living in a hole did not make him the originator of hole
digging.
After this, Afbj rested his submission. King leopard adjourned his
verdict till later in the day. Many Afebj antagonists went to King
Leopard to influence him to find Afeebj guilty. When the verdict came
however, the
judgement
was in the favour of Afbj . King Leopard said
that he found no substance in the two allegations levelled against AfeebOj
. Consequently, King Leopard declared that Afeebj was free to construct
his dwelling
place as he pleased
and in any
place
of his choice. He was thus
singing and dancing and giving praisesto hisAwo saying:
Igbln 0
pTlQaro nl dld
AfbOjO pllg Arn nl wfw
301
lfa Dida: An invitaon to lfa Consultation
A kff gb'oj
u fifO I'adlg agada
Tanif gb'jrt u ylyan l'lggmg?
DdfnAfebojo
Tl r1gsllknlQeje
fbg
ni wgn nl k
9e
gb'gborr'bg
Bl igu btattn
Agb're rg l'r{
Afebojo
Awo nl y
maa
j're
wgn
B'r b y'gmg
tn
Agb'arerQ l'rf
Afebojo
Awo ni y maa
j're
wgn
B'gbdo b y'gmg
tn
Agb'are rQ l'rl
Afebojo
Awo ni y maa
j're
wgn
Translation
The snail did not originate the aft of dye-making
And Afbjo rat did not originate that of burrow-making
We cannot rely on a ted hen to fly
Who dare counton a chameleon to match briskly?
These were the declarations of If to AfbOjo
When going
to appear in a litigious matter
He was advised to offer ebg
He complied
When theyam germinates
Itcarriesalong its rightto live
,
Afbjo
An Awo shall always be given judgement
over them
When the bean germinates
Itcarriesalong its rightto live
Afebjo
An Awo shall always be given
When the maize germinates
It carries along its rightto live
All hailAfeebOjo
3A2
li oo,r",
An Awo shall always be
given judgement
overthem
If says that the
person for whom this Od is revealed shall come out
victorious on the issue of any impending matter.
t4. If says that the
person for whom this Od is revealed is'a great
person or a
ptentially great person. The situation at
present is such
that thing are very tight for him/her. He/she is presently under
someone whom he/she is higher or
greater than. If says that with
appropriate
gbg the situation will change and he/she shall be able to
regain his/her independence.
On the other hand, If says that the
person for whom this Od is
revealed has under him/her someone
greater or higher than
him/her. If says that this subordinate ought to be set free so that
the
person keeping him/her will not experience hardship, confusion
or dilemma.
If says that there is the need for the
person for whom this Od is
revealed to offer
gbg with one he-goat (16 palm coconuts one
load of firewood and money. Paft of the he-goat shall be used to
feed the Elders of the Night (the witches) while a cock shall be used
to feed Epu
Qdara.
If all these can be done, he or she will regain his
former status or independence. This is because he/she is not
supposed to experience such hardship in the first place. On these,
If says:
Odl lwo l
glqfn
Dl fn
Ql,fi
n
Tll y p'rko rnrrge d Ajata
Igbatl won ar ll-Ife bg nlgb ry osko
Fbq
ni wqn nf kl wgn w ge
Translation
Od'i, the residentAwo of
QlQfin
He was the one who cast If for
QlQfin
Who wanted to send a coded message to Ajak the
Qba
of
QyQ
town
303
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
When the citizens of lle'Ife were n pawnage
to the
QyQ
people
He was advised to offer gbg
Il-Ife was the origin of human civilization. That was where human beings
first lived on eafth. All human beings migrated from this city. 0y citizens
also migrated from ll-Ife to their location. It could therefore rightly be said
that Il-IfQ city is the mother of all communities on earth. All
Qba
were
considered to be children of
QlQfin
the
Qba
of Il-IfQ.
It however reached a certain stage in the history of
Qyq
town that it
attained military and political
superiority over all the communities around
her. She subjugated them alland formed an
QyQ
Empire with her influence
reaching far and wide. She also subjugated Il-Ife and forced her to be
paying yearly IsaklQ (an annualtax paid in for by a vanquished community
to a victorious community in recognition of the might of the latter by the
former and in exchange for protection)
during the reign of Ajaka as the
Qba
(Alaafin) of
OyQ
empire, the might and influence of 0,
yQ
Empire was at its
peak. Aata ensured that all communities paid
homage to
QyQ
on a yearly
basis and they also brought their IsaklQ without fail. Whenever there was
going
to be any military expedition, Aaka made it compulsory for all
communities'able-bodied and welltrained men to enrolas soldiers. Failure
to do these was viewed seriously and the punishmentwas
severe.
when the time to pay the annual homage was at hand,
QlQfin
and his high
chiefs felt that it was abnormal and in fact an abomination for
QlQfin
to be
paying homage to one of his children. They there and then made up their
minds never to pay homage or tax to A;aka as from that year
onwards.
There was a snag in this their resolution however; they had the political
and
military might of Ajaka and
QyQ
Empire to contend with. As a way out of
this problem
therefore, they summoned Odt-vte;t, the resident Awo of
QlQfin
for If consultation: how would they regain their independence from
QyQ
Empire without having to confront her militarily? Was it even possible
for Il-IfQ to retain her old glory in view of her present
subseruient position?
The Awo made it clear to
QlQfin
that Il-IfQ would surely regain her old glory
and independence without engaging in any military confrontation with
anyone. He also told
QlQfin
that the respect as the father of all other kings
ii oo,r",
on earth woud be regained and nobody would dare wage war against his
kingdom or subordinates his kingdom again. He advised
9l,fin
to offer
gbg
with one he-goat and money.
Qlqfin
complied. Paft of the he-goat was
used as Ipese for the witches. One cock was also used to feed Egu
Qdara.
When allthese had been done, Odf-MT advised them to
go
and secure 16
palmnuts,
16 coconuts a bundle of firewood. These were then sent
to Ajak n
QyQ
with a message that he should use the coconuts in place
of
Ikin, to cast his If that year. He should also give the bundle of firewood to
his daughter who had
just put
to bed to make fire with which to warm
herself. All these items were delivered to Aaka in his palace.
When Ajak took delivery of these materials, he became confused. He
found it difficult to understand what they were supposed to mean. He
summoned the
QyQm$,
his high chiefs, for deliberation. They too could
not make any sense of the materials. In the end they summoned the
residentAwo of Ajaka for If consultation:
Qsa
Awo il Ajak
Dl fn
9balyQ
Ajorl
Oba aj'olu
gmggbrale
Eyl tf y j'ese yg'kn l'JQ
Igbatl gba rokoOl,fin tn
Fbq
niwgn nl k
9e
Translation
Qs
the residentAwo of Ajaka's household
He was the Awo who cast If for the
Qba
of
Qyg,
the shea butter eater
The
Qba
who eats the fruit of shea-butter tree for energy
And eats his foods to develop
pot-belly n
Qyq
When he received a coded messagefrom
QlQfin
But did not understand what to make of the message
He was advised to offergbg
Qsa
informed Ajaka and his high chiefs that they were in a state of confusion
over recent development. He explained that they subjected a group more
elderely and more honourable than them under their command. The group
had however sent them a big warning that it was an abomination for
children to order their elders around. He cautioned that it would be in their
best interest to stop whatever they were doing as it would never pay
them
305
lfa Dda: An invitation to lfa Consuftation
to continue.
When Ajak and his high chiefs explained that they had
just
been sent a
present of 16 coconuts to be used to cast If that
year
and a bundle of
firewood to give Aaka's daughter who had
just put
to bed,
Qsa
told them
that no matter how big the hands of the Babalwo who would cast the If
may be, they could never contain 16 coconuts at the same time. What that
meant essentially was that they were using their hands to handle what was
beyond their capability. He also told them that it was not the duty of a
father to send firewood to his daughter who had
just
been delievered of a
baby, but that of the husband's household. It stood to reason that it was
not the duty of II-Ife to send IsaklQ to
Qyg
which was one of the "children"
of ll-lfQ. He advised them again that they should stop demanding IsaklQ
from Il-Ife henceforth. They complied. As from that time ll-Ife stopped
paying homage to
QyQ.
The citizens of Il Ife were full of happiness that they were truly
independent at last. They were thus singing and dancing and full of praises
for Odf their Babalwo.
Od lwo il
glqfin
Dlfnql,fin
Tll y p'rko ranngg st Ajata
Igbatl awon ar ll-Ife be rdgbe ryosko
fbq
niwqn nl kl wgn w
Se
gb'$borr'bg
Qsa
Awo il Ajak
Dl fn
9baleyQAjor{
Oba aj'olrt gmggbrale
Eyl tl y j's yg'kn l'JQ
Igbatl gba erokO Ohfin ttn
Ebg
niwQn nl kge
gb'Qborr'bg
Odl odeo,Agblagba lfe
Igbafi l'gbgwa da
Translation
Od'i, the residentAwo of
QlQfin
He was the one who cast If for
QlQfin
Who wanted to send a coded message to Ajk the
Qba
of
QyQ
town
306
ii oo,r.,
When the citizens of lle-Ife were in pawnage to the
Qyq
people
He was advised to offer
qbg
He complied
Qsa
the residentAwo of Ajaka's household
He was the Awo who cast If for the
Qba
of
QyQ,
the shea
buttereater
The
Qba
who eats the fruit of shea-butter tree for energy
And eats his foods to develop pot-belly
in
QyQ
When he received a coded message from
QlQfin
But did not understand what to make of the message
He was advised to offer gbg
Hecomplied
Here comes Odl, the elderlyAwo of Il-IfQ
It is now that our
gbg is accepted
If says that all what had been agtatng the mind of the person for whom
this Od is revealed shall soon become a thing of the past. He or she is
bound to overcome all his or her problems.
15. If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed is to offer
gbg
against restlessness. There is the need for him/her to offer gbg
as to
enjoy the frult of his/her labour. If says that even though he/she is
quite competent in his/her chosen field of endeavour, none the less,
there is the need to offer gbg in order to avoid being pushed
around
and in the end for others to make profit
where he or she had
laboured. In one word, there is need for him/her to offer gbg
so as
notto labour in vain for others to make profit.
If says that there is the need for the person for whom this Od is
revealed to stay where he/she is and avoid gong
about other
people's
areas of operation as this can only lead to his/her being
pushed
around and being sent on errands by those who are not as
competent or capable as he/she is. To make the matter worse, these
other
people will only use his/her expeftise and in the end, dump
him/her without seeing anything to show for the effort he/she has
put into the venture. The person for whom this Od is revealed
should not serue other
people's
heads at the expense of his or her
own.
307
lfa Dida: An nvitation to lfa Consultation
If says that there is the need for the person
for whom this Od is
revealed to offer gbg with four pigeons,
four hens, four cocks
and money. He should also stay where he/she is and not move
about. On these, If says:
duro n'ipQkun opp
Oere n'ipQkunpp
Okltl bababe nff pQkunopp
Dlfn
Qsnwgn
Tl rtlg sl lfe Akel-bb
fbg
niwQn nl kge
Translation
He stands atthe end of the main road
And bends down atthe end of the main road
The mound is itthatterminates a publicthrough
fare
These were the declarations of If to
QsUnwqn,
the measuring calabash
When going
on a business mission to Il-IfQ
He was advised to offer gbg
Qsunwqn,
the measuring calabash, was an expeft in the determination of
the exact worth of commodities. All market-women selling salt, beans,
guinea-corn,
maize grain,
rice, garri (cassava meal) yam-flower
and so on
relied on him whenever they wished to know the accurate measurement of
their merchandise. Because of his apparent impoftance,
QsnwQn
felt that
it would be very profitable
for him to go
to Il-IfQ to exhibit his expertise at
Elgbomgkn market. He then went to the Awo mentioned above for If
consultation on his success chances. Would he be acceptable at ll-Ife?
Would he have recognition in the market? Would people
continue to rely on
his expeftise as they were doing? Would he be able to turn his expertise
into a profit-making
business?
The Awo told
QsnwOn
that he would be accepted at lle-Ife. Theytold him
that he would have recognition in the market. That people
would continue
to rely on his expeftise. But that it was better for him to stay where he was
living at that particular point
in time for people
to be looking for him in his
domain, instead of
going
about in search of work. The Awo concluded that
seruing others would never fetch him profit.
He was also advised to offer
308
i* oo,*",
gbg with four
pigeons, four cocks and money. He was also told to
stay in his house.
QsUnwgn
felt that if he was accepted, and loved, and recognized, and
relied upon in the market, there was no way he would not use his expertise
to make foftune for him. Consequently, he refused to offer the
gbg as
prescribed by the Babalawo. A few days after this, he set out on his way to
Il-Ife in defiance of the Awo's advice.
When he reached Elgbmgkn market in Il-IfQ, the salt seller was already
searching for
QsnwQn.
She used
Qsnwgn
to measure her salt for her
customer. She simply did not bother to
pay. Soon after, a beans seller was
looking for
QsnwQn.
She went to collect him for the salt seller.
Discovering that he had
just
been used to measure salt, she cleaned the
salt
particles which could have been the profit of
QsnwQn
before using
him to measure her beans. Soon after, the rice seller used
Qsunwgn,
also
without
paying. And then the
garri seller. And the
yam-flour seller And
then the rice seller. And so on and on, all without paying anything. That
was how
QsUnwgn
continued to work without
getting paid.
One day,
Qsnwgn
spit into two and was newed. A short while after this,
he spit into two again and was dumped. Those using him went in search of
anotherQsnwqn.
Qsunwgn
died a wretched man.
duro n'ipQkun opp
bere n'ipQkunopp
Okltl babaaba nff pQkunopp
Dl fn
QsnwQn
fi lgsl lfeAkel-bebe
fbgniwqn
nl k9e
ko,tlQgbqyinsebg
OsUnwqn O b tt mQ
I bwfowsrfin eboo
Translation
He stands atthe end of the main road
And bends down atthe end of the main road
The mound is itthatterminates a
publicthrough fare
309
lfa Dida: An invtaton to lfa Consultaton
These were the declarations of If to
QsUnwqn
When going
on a busness mission to Il-IfQ
He was advised to offer gbg
He refused to comply
Had
QsnwQn
known before itwastoo late
He would have spent his money to offer all the appropriate gbg.
If says that it would not let the person for whom this Od is revealed regret
in life.
16. If says that there is a woman where this Od is revealed who needs
to be seriously warned against any attempt to subject her husband to
ridicule, lest she meets with disaster. If warns that if she refuses to
mend her ways she is most likely going to weep and gnatch her teeth
forthe restof her life.
If says also that the entire household (or even community) where
this Od is revealed needs to offer gbg
against epidemic disease,
especially airborne or waterborne epidemy.
If advises the woman in question
to offer gbg with one he-goat
and one of her dresses. She is to feed EgU witfr one Cock and feed
If with one goat. The household or community need to feed
Qbalway
wth one cock, roasted yam, roasted beans, palm-
oil and
palm-wine.
On these If says:-
rflwqn gdn mo nl pa
AlwQn gdn mo nl pa
Ero llqtq l dl'r kalQ
L fi
9g
abg gun lrl
Dl fn
Qrunmll
Babajl nl ktkt
Baba O Iw kan yqQ n
fbg
ni wqn nl k
9e
Translation
A sharp axe has its impact
A dull axe has its impact
The traveller tollgkg was the one who after
packing
his load
Stuck the tips of a knife into the load
310
ii oo,r,,,
These were If's declarations to Ornm'il
When he woke up early in the morning
Without any money to spend
He was advised to offer gbg
Qrrlnmll
was facng a real hard time atthis particular pont in time. He had
no money to settle most of his debts. He owed those who were supplying
him
Qko,
the corn meal, with which he offered gbg for his clients and which
he and his wife and students ate regularly. He owed other people too.
Unfortunately, he had no immediately means off-setting allthese debts.
One day, the woman supplying him
Qkg
came to his home and insisted on
collecting all her money that day, claiming that she had no money with
which to purchase maize to make
Qkg
and that the amount
Qrnmll
was
owing her had already made herfinancially insolvent as she too had several
people to pay. She reminded Ornmll that he already owed her up to
10,000 cowries.
As
Qrnm)l
was thinking of a way out of this problem, he suddenly
remembered that
Flj
the
Qba
of Eju who was the father of his wife
Yngb, used to consult If and offer
gbg
every If day. The day in question
was an If day meaning that
f;lj
would consult If and offer
gbg
that very
day.
QrUnm'il
pleaded with the woman to exercise
patience until evening
when he would be able to pay her all the money he was owing her. When
asked how he would be able to do this,
Qnlnm)l
explained that
flgj
was
his father in-law and that he was going
to cast If for
FljU
that very day.
He said that he would add as
paft
of the gbg materials 10, 000 cowries with
which he would be able to pay her. The woman was very elated knowing
that
Qrunmll
had never made any
promise that he did not keep, with this,
she left, promising to return in the evening.
Unknown to
Qrnm'il,
all the discussion with the eko seller was overheard
by Yngb. She was infuriated when she learnt that
Qrunm'ila
relied on her
father to pay his debt. She had been looking for ways and means of
humiliating
Qrrlnm'll
for a long time but without success. She was aware
of all the debts her husband was owing but simply refused to assist him.
She was however, elated that she overheard this discussion. She then
vowed that
Qrunm'll
would never be able to get that money from her
311
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
father. She planned
to rush to her father and tell him that
Qrrlnmll
had
planned
to rip him off by adding 10,000 cowres to the qbg materials. She
vowed that she would dissuade her father from consulting If from
Qrnmll
anymore as he was a fraudulent and untrustwofthy person.
Wth all her plans in place,
she went to
QrnmTl,
asking for permission
to
visit her father that morning for an impoftant matter, she was asked to wait
since
Qrnm)l
too would be going
there the same day, in order for them to
go together. She refused, claiming that her discussion with her father could
not wait as she was going for an urgent matter
Qrunm'll
asked her to go.
lMwQn qdn mo nl pa
AlwQn gdn mo nl pa
Ero llgt<q bdt'r katg
L fi gg
abq
gun
lrl
I)lfnYngb
Tff sgmq
flj-nl-pQrg
Eyt tO lun fAwo geedn
Fbq
niwQn nl kge
Translation
A sharp axe has its impact
A dull axe has its impact
The traveller tolQkg was the one who after packing
his load
Stuck the tips of a knife into the load
These were If's declaration to Yngb
The daughter of Elju, the
Qba
of Eju
Who planned
to humiliate an Awo
She was advised to offer
qbg
Knowing that
Qrnm'ila
was not exactly an easy person
to plan
against,
Yngb went to the Awo mentioned above to enquire about how best to
tackle the matter so that she would be able to ridicule
Qrrtnmlla
in a way
that he would notforget in a hurry.
The Babalwo however told her to be very careful and not to embark on
what she had in mind to do, lest she regretted her action. She was also told
to offer gbg
against pestilence in her father's household. She was then
advised to offer one he-goat and the dress she wearing on that day.
She was asked to return home immediately, remove the dress and bring
312
i\ ou"i
same to the Awo for immediate
gbg.
She was asked to offer one
goat to
appeal to If for forgiveness; to feed Eg with one cock and feed
Qbalwaye
with one cock,
palmwine, roasted yam, roasted beans,
palm-oil and so on. She was also advised to add lOrOO0 cowries to the
gbg materials so that she would not witness calamity in her father's
household and her father's household would not witness same over her.
The Awo urged that the
gbg must be offered on that very day as delay was
dangerous.
The mere mention of the 10,000 cowries made her fully determined never
to have anything to do with the gbg or the advice of the Awo. She concluded
in her mind that her husband must have been to the Awo to influence them.
For this reason, she
quickened her pace and rushed to her father's palace to
narrate her story. She convinced her father never to
patronize
Qrnmlla
again as he was a cheat and unworthy of trust. Her father told her to be
patient and waitfor
Qrnmlla's
arrival so as to hearwhat he had to say.
By the time
Qrnm)la
arrived at
[lj's
palace
Flej
had fully made up his
mind never to offer
gbg, no matter what
Qrrlnmlla
had to say. When
Qnlnmlla
knocked at the door of the palace,
FliU
asked Yngb to go and
hide herself within earshot but away from where
Qrnmlla
could see her.
Flj
asked
Qrtlnmlla
to cast If'for him.
Qrrlnm'ila
did, and 0df-M3) was
revealed.
Qrrlnm'lla
asked
FIj
to offer
gbg immediately in order to guide
against
pestilence in his household and community.
Qrnmlla
told him that
this cannot wait as
Qbalway,
the Deity in charge of
pestilence was
already on his way to the community. He asked
Fli
to offer
gbg with one
he-goat and 10,000 cowries. He asked
Fli
to feed Egu
Qdara
with one
cock and feed
Qbalway
with one cock, roasted
Y?ffi,
roasted beans,
palm-oil, and
palm-wine.
Flej
asked
Qrnmlla
to
go home. He promised to call on
Qrnmlla
to come
and offer the
qbg for him whenever he was ready.
Qrnmlla,
who knew
that danger was close at hand due to the revelation of If' pleaded with
Flj
to offer the
gbg immediately as was his(flQj) usual
practise.
Flej
refused, thinking that the main concern of
QrnmIla
was to collect the
10,000 cowries with which to offset his indebtedness to the woman
313
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
supplyng
ekg
to him
Qrunmlla
left with heavy heafi.
Meanwhile, Obalwaye, the Deity in charge of pestilence
had already set
out on his
journey
to EjU town to go
and inflict the community with air--
borne and waterborne diseases. On his way, he met Eg
Qdara.
Had it
been that
flj
offered the gbg, EgU Odara would have been the one to
plead,
on behalf of the community, with Obalway not to inflict pestilence
on them. But it was the same EgU Odara urging Obalway to go
and
peform his duty since they had refused to offer gbg.
A few moments after Orrlnm'lla left
flj's
palace,
Obalway struck. The
first victim and casualty was Yngb. She was struck with, and died of
small pox
and convulsion. Several others in the community and
flj's
palace
were struck with small pox,
chicken pox, polio,
and measles and so
on. All of them trooped to
flj's
palace
because the suddenness and
severity of the afflictions were unprecedented. There were wailing,
weeping and gnashng
of teeth.
Flj
was sad and confused.
After sometimes,
flj
asked his subordinates to go
and fetch
Qnlnmlla
for
him, wherever
Qrnmlla
might be at that time. They did. On arrival,
Qrnmlla
met several corpses in front of
flj's
compound, (which was in
itself an abomination, as an
Qba
must not see a corpse). when he learnt
that Yngb, his wife was among the dead, he broke down. But EgU
Qdara
came and said that instead of weeping, Orrinmlla ought to listen to what
Flej
had to say.
Flj
asked
Qrrlnmlla
to help offer the gbg
as he
Flej,
was ready to do so.
Qrnm)la
did. After this, Eg
Qdara
went to fetch all the
agogo (If'gongs)
of
Qrunmlla
and his students in his house. They began to
singlyQrQ songs saying :
Kln la sun o?
!
kn Yngb la sun
g
I
kn Yngb la sun
Translation
What shall we weep over?
It is the misfoftune which had befallen Yngb
314
ii oo,r",,
We shall weep over Yngb's demise.
They then began to sing and dance since it was, and still is, a taboo for a
Babalwo to weep over the death of anyone, fufther, it was possible for
Qrrlnm'ila
to offset his debt in the end and as he had promised.
tltllwQngdn monl pa
Alwgn gdn mo nl pa
Ero ltgtq l dl'ro kalg
tf ggabggun lrt
. DlfnOrnmll
Babajl nl ktkt
Baba o lw kan ygq n
Fbg
niwQn nl k9e
gb'Qbo,
rrl'bo
DlfnYngb
Tll sgmg
Flj-nl-
pqr
Tll gaya
Qrrtnmll
T lun fAwo
gedn
fibg
ni wqn nl k
s,e
ko,tl
Qgbgnhin
sbg
loun fAwo
gesln
fira r fitn lkrt
pa
Yngba, ara rq lo
'
flse
Yngb
Kin la sun o
fkn
Yngb la
sun o
fkn
Yngb la
sun
Translation
A sharp axe has its
impact
A dull axe has its impact
315
lfa Dida: An invtation to lfa Consultation
The traveller to'llQkQ was the one who after
packing his load
Stuck the tip of a knife into the load
These were lf's declarations to
Qrnmll
When he woke up early in the morning
Without any money to spend
He was advised to offer
gbg
He compled
The same was declared to Yngb
The daughter of
Flj,
the
Qba
of EjU
The wife of
Qrnmll
When she planned to humiliate an Awo
She was advised to offer gbg
She refused to comply
Yngb who planned to humiliate an Awo
Handed herself over to Death
Yngb, you had
just
harmed yourself
Yngb
What shall we weep over?
It is the misfoftune which had befallen Yngb
We shall weep over Yngb's demise
If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed shall never
be humiliated by anyone. Those who plan
to humiliate him shall live
to regret such plan.
If says that he must never rely on anyone for help or think that anyone
would pull
him out of any
problem.
Only Oldmar and If can do that
for him.
A woman planning to humilitate her husband needs to stop it as she
may meet with terrible repercussion. The person for whom this Od is
revealed needs to offer gbg
against
pestilence
and other related illness
and afflictions.
Aboru Aboye.
316
il oo,r",
B. THE SIGNIFICANCE OF ODT-MEJI FOR THOSE BORN
BY THE OD DURING ITELD OR IKOSEOAYE
Odl-meT children are assured of the protection of If through four major
Od
-
EJi-Ogb,
Qyekr:-M;T,
IwO-M) and Odf-mJl. They have the
tendency to Iive to their old age. As long as they uphold If tenets and
codes of conduct, so long will their chances of living long be enhanced.
OCt-t"tel children will not only live to their old age, they also have the
potential
of being blessed with all the good things of life
- good home,
wealth, good children and other essentials of life. They however need to
show
gratitude to Oldmar and be contented with their achievements in
life; the unique thing about the success of Odl-Mil children is that they
have the tendency to acquire all the good things of life in fours
-
four
children (at least), four houses, four cars, four business concerns and so
on. Consequently, they will never lack any Ire in life.
These children thrive best in their Iocal environment and not when they
travel outside their home base. OCt-t"tei male children thrive best as
Babalwo, medical or
para-medical practitioners and related fields. They
will surely have a street, foundation, institution or establishment named
after them in recognition of their worth. And their female counterpafts will
succeed best in the area of merchandising. They too will have recognition
and honour in this field. No matter how successful they may be, male or
female, they should be in their local environment.
Odl-Mji children are usually very amiable and God-fearing. They usually
show appreciation when someone did anything good for them. They also
pay back good with good. If they are doing anything bad and they are
corrected, the tendency is that they will change their bad deeds for good.
This is one of the major reasons why Odl-Mj children have the tendency
to be suppofted and surrounded by responsible people who will never
abandon them in their
period
of need.
Odl-Mii children who engage in
jointventureswith
others need to exhibit
transparency at all times in order for the undertaking to succeed. In the
317
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultaon
same ven, Odl-Mji couples need to cooperate with one another, eschew
extra-marital activities in order to succeed and make a stable home and
have children. Honesty and sincerity are their keys to success and
achievement.
These children will succeed where others had f-ailed. They will also
overcome their enemies. They need to be using their mouths boldly to
ward off oppositions. As long as they do not allow anyone to cow or
intimidate them, so long will their victory over adversary be guaranteed.
They need to be using their mouth to save themselves by talking and even
bragging themselves out of trouble. By so doing, their enemies will also
fearto confrontthem.
In the area of mate selection, Odl-Mjl, male children are most likely going
to meet two prospective paftners
at the same time, one a beautiful lady,
and the other from a
prosperous
home. Both of them are good
and if the
culture of their area permts t, they can marry both of them. It will lead to
huge success and achievement. For the female Children, they are
great
home makers. They have the tendency of satisffing their paftners
but
must be advised against anything that will make them leave their
matrimonial home at the slightest excuse. They also have the
problem
of
setting their children against each other or
planning
to disgnce their men.
These attitudes need to be guarded
against as they may prove
to be their
eventual undoing. Outside these shoftcomings, they are interesting, loving,
caring and lovable partners.
Odl-Mil children also have the
potential
to see through conspincy and
smash same with their afticulate ways of
presenting
their cases. If they
have any case, the tendency is high that they will come out victorious since
they are surrounded by spirits which make it possible
for people
to win
cases. It is therefore not advisable to engage in legaltussle with Odl-Mjl
children as such as
person
or group is not likely to win their cases in that
they usually ensure that they are not wrong in the first place.
In case of any
litigation, it is usually notdifficultto explain themselves outof trouble.
When Odl-Mii children are in trouble they do not need to rely on anyone
for assistance. This is because their assistance will come from Oldmar,
318
ii oo,r",,
their Ori and If. Wth all these; they do not need to rely on anyone for
help. The assistance of Oldmare is greater than that of one million
t,
people puttogether.
c. AFFTLTATED TRUNM9LF AND ORISA OF oD-MEJI
CHILDREN
1. If - for overall prosperity and long life
2. Egu-Qdara - for overall lre, prosperity and long life
3. Orl
- for protection, assistance and for ensuring that they are
surrounded by responsible
people and overcome loneliness
4. OgUn
-
for victory and
protection against adversary
5.
$agO
- for victory and
protection
against adversary
6. Od - for childbearing
7. Oke
- for
prosperity and achievement
8. Egngn
- for childbearing.
9.
Fgbg
- for leadership and accomplishment
D. TABOOS OF ODT-MEJI CHILDREN
1. Must never use Olbr bird
-
to avoid difficulty in getting victory
over adversary.
2. Must not leave his/her Iocality for other
places in search of fortune
-
to avoid disappointment and hardship
3. The couple must avoid insincerity
-
for there to be
peace
and I
harmony; for there to be success and children
4. Must avoid the use of beetles for anything
-to
avoid
people
desefting or going against him/her.
5. Female children must desist from humiliating or disgracing their
men- to avoid being visited with calamity
6. Must never eat snails- to avoid losing cases or being implicated in
litigious matters.
7. Must not eat tree hyrax or use same for anything- to avoid
difficulty in getting victory over adversary.
i
319
lfa Dida: An nvitation to lfa Consuftation
8. Women to desist from setting their children aganst each other- to
avoid lackof peaceof
mind.
9. Must not eat or use any paft
of an elephant - to avoid untimely
death.
10. Must not eat or use any part
of a buffalo- to avoid untimely death.
11. Must not use
palm-kernel
oil
-to
avoid pestilence
12. Must not eat or use crab- to avoid loss of intelligence.
E. POSSIBLE NAMES OF OD-MEJI CHILDREN
DURING IKOSEOAVE
. Males
1. Ajlgunw - He who wakes up in majestic splendor
2. IfakQya -
If rejects suffering for me
3. Ifdre -
If exornerates me
4. Odblyl -
Od begets this
5. Myaff -
Do not depart from me
. Female
1. Oknt - Energy and vitality
2. Awojre -
Awo is vindicated
3. Myed -
Do not depart from me
ABQR(I ABQYF
324
Chapter 5
InOSN-MEI
I
I
II
ll
I
I
ll
lt
t
A.
1.
Chapter Four
Inoslrl-MEI
If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed shall be very
successful in life. If says that the chosen career of this person is If.
If he/she cannot study If as a profession, however, there is the need
for him/her to be feeding If regularly on his/her chosen career.
He/she is advised never to abandon If as it is the Deity in which
his/her success resides. If also says that the person for whom this
Od is revealed needs to offer ?b? with three white pigeons
and
money. He/she needs to feed If with one matured goat.
On
these,If says:-
Ahr o ktl,lwo nlkan soso nln oko
fr
o ba ab nfj
ai5q ojo b rQ
Kl ahr t di glQni
o
Dl fn Egbe-Qpg
Tff
S'gmg
blbl inu AgbgnnlregUn
fbg
ni wqn nl k
9e
Translation
Gently, Ahr, the farmhouse, you
are the only one in the farm.
Ab, the Barn, exercises no fear in the wilderness
It is the day when rainfall is experienced
That the farm-house will have companions
These were lfa's declarations to Egbe-QpQ
When coming from
Qrun
to Aye
He was advised to offer ebo
Egbe-Qpe, the backing of the Holy palm
tree, was coming into the world, He
was going
to become Ornmll's son. Before his depafture in heaven, he
went to the Awo mentioned above for If consultation to determine how his
322
tl
success chances would be while on eafth: Would he live long? *Jfi:;:
able to acquire all the
good things of life? These questions and others were
what preoccupied the mind of Egbe-Qpe.
The Awo assured him that he would live to his old age on eafth. He was told
that he would be very wealthy and influential. He was also assured that he
would be able to acquire all the good things of life. He was however
informed that his chosen career from Oldmar was for him to become a
Babalwo. If he could do this, he was told that he would be extremely
successful on earth. He was advised to offer
gbg with three white
pigeons and money. He was also told to feed If with one matured
goat, He complied and set out on his
journey
into the world.
Egbe-QpQ began to learn If as a toddler. By the time he was 20 years, he
was well versed in the Aft. When he was asked by
Qrnmll
his father, to
stand on his own, he was already an accomplished Babalwo. He was
known and respected from far and near. He was very successful and was
able to acquire all the
good things of life
-
all through his reputation as a
competent Babalwo.
Ahr o krl,lwg nlkan sogo nln oko
Fr
O ba ab ni'j
d'jq jo b rQ
Kl ahre to di
elni
o
D,l firn Egb-Qp
Tll g'gmg blbl inu Agbgnnlrgun
Fbq
niwQn nl k
9e
gb'Qbg, r'bg
jq owo tl n
9e
l n'If
B'ff b hu mjlrma tg
Qkan
Owo tl n o se la n'lf
B'lf b hu
Qkan,
ma tg jl
Owo tl n o se l n'If
Translation
Gently, Ahr, the farmhouse,
you are the only one in the
farm
Ab, the Barn, exercises no fear in the wilderness
It is the day when rainfall is experienced
That the farm-house will have companions
323
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
These were lf's declarations to Egbe-QpQ
The child of Agbgnn)regn
When coming from Orun to Aye
He was advised to offer gbg
He complied
The business I will do to succeed is If
If If remains two, I will imprint one
The business I will do to succeed is If
If If remains one, I will imprint two
The business I will do to succeed is I
If says that the person
for whom this Od is revealed shall succeed in life in
his/her chosen career. He/she is advised to adhereto, and embrace If.
2. If says that all the good
things of life shall be handed over to the
person
for whom this Od is revealed. If says that he/she shail not
lack any Ire in life. If advises him/her to offer gbg
with hro
pigeons,
two hens, hro guinea
fowls, turo cocks, four rats,
fourfish and money. On these,If says:-
Akercse
Qwlnnl
Owlnnf n Akerese
fitn orfwr
9mg
OjO OwrO tf nb'lwO n'ln
Igbatl sunkrtn Oun r1re gbogbo
fbg
ni wQn nf k
9e
Translation
Akerese is Owlnnl
Qn)innt
is Akerese
These were the Awo who cast Ifa for Onfwr
The offspring of the early morning rainfall which infuriates the rich
When he was weeping because of his inability to secure all the ire in
life
.
He was advised to offer gbq
on'iwr, the
Qba
oflwr town was a very poor
Qba.
Apart from the fact
that he was the
Qba
of his town, he had nothing else to show in terms of
achievement -
no money, no wife, no child, no authority, and no good
324
l tosun uei
health. In fact, he was the laughing stock of his subjects. He was never
taken serious in anything he said. His directives were simply ignored.
Tired of this, he went to the two Babalwo mentioned above for Ifa
consultation: Would he be able to command the respect of his subjects?
Would he be
prosperous in life? Would he have wives of his own? Would
the wives give him children for him to leave an heir behind when he died?
Would he havegood health? Would he live long?
The two Awo assured Offwr that he would be blessed withallthe good
things of life. He was told that his success would be beyond his wildest
dreams. He was advised to offer
gbg
as stated above. Onlwr struggled
to gather all the materials together and the Awo offered the gbg for him.
He was advised to
go home and see what If had in store for him. He
complied.
Soon after this, he discovered that all his chiefs who had hithefto
abandoned his palace were coming to
pay their daily homage. Later, allthe
villages adjoining his town were coming to pay their tributes to him. He
soon became rich. Some of his chiefs arranged for wives for him. He got
married to these women and later the wives gave bfth to several children
for him. His palace was renovated by his subjects. His health improved.
He was given a horse for his personal usage. He lived very long on the
throne of his ancestors. By the time that he died, he was a contented
Qba
indeed.
Akerese
Qwlnnl
Qwlnnl
n Akerese
Dl fitn onlwere
Qmg
ojo owro tl b'lw n'ln
Igbatl sunkn oun o r'lre gbogbo
fbg
ni wQn nl k
9e
je Aj wg'l mi w o
Akerese
Qwlnnl
Owlnnl n Akerese
Aya wg'l mi w o
Akerese
Qwlnnl
Qwlnnl
n Akerese
Qmq
wg'l mi w o
Akerese Owlnnl
325
lfa Dida: An invitaon to lfa Consultation
Owlnnl na Akerese
Alk wo'l mi w o
Akerese Owlnnl
Qwlnnl
n Akerese
Ire gbogbo wg'l mi w o
Akerese Owlnnl
Qwlnnl
n Akerese
Translation
Akerese is
Qwlnn'l
Qwt-nnl
is Akerese
These were the Awo who cast If for Offwr
The offspring of the early morning rainfrll which infuriates the rich
When he was weeping for his inability to secure all the ire in life
He was advised to offer ebo.
.
He complied
Now, wealth enters my home
Akerese is Owlnnl
And Owlnnl is Akerese
Spouse enters my home
Akerese is
Qwlnnl
And
Qwlnnl
is Akerese
Children enter my home
Akerese is
Qwlnnl
And
QWlnnI
is Akerese
Longevity enters my home
Akerese is Owlnnl
And
Qwlnnl
is Akerese
All Ire in life enter my home
Akerese is
Qwlnnl
And
QWlnnI
is Akerese
If says that all the
good things of life shall be gven
to the
person for
whom this Od is revealed. He/she was not destined to lack any Ire in
life.
3. If says that the
person for whom this Od is revealed ought to be
taking care of other people's matter than his/her own. If says
that if he/she could do this, then If itself would be looking after
his/her own affars for him/her. If says that the
person for whom
326
lI ,.*, r",
this Od is revealed shall be
properlytaken
care of by If. But he/she i s
also expected to take care of other people. The more this is done, the
better the chances of him/her being
protected
a nd pa mpered by If.
People like this are very good in the hospitality fields such as medicine,
public relations, and welfare establishments like motherless babies home,
old
people
home, mentally retarded people's
home and so on.
There is however the need to offer gbg with two pigeons,
two
guinea
fowls and money. He/she also needs to feed If with one hen and
palm
oil. On these, If says:-
Akrtkg fogbe lQbQlgbQ ge'yl
Dl fin Opflllkl
Tl y f tne dle
Ti y maa gbQ ti gni glgni kiri ay
fbg
ni wgn nl k
9e
Translation
The cock uses its comb to add to its honour
This was the Ifa cast for OpT'llfl(l
Who left his own affairs
And was taking care of other people's matters the world over
He was advised to offer gbg
Opllllld was always ensuring that other
people were comfoftable. He used
to settle quarrels
and misunderstandings, feed the
poor/
assist the
handicapped and give
to the needy. He could
go
hungry for days
just
to
asslst others. As he was doing these things, some people began to abuse
him as someone who would never mind his business. Some saw him as a
person who loved to poke his nose into what was none of his business. Yet
others saw him as a busybody. Soon his relations began to warn him to
leave other
people
alone with their affairs and face his own
problems.
In order to know what steps to take in his life without making mistakes, he
went to the Awo mentioned above for If consultation: Was he doing the
right thing? Was there any hope in it for him? Did he need to change and
face his own business? What was the position
of If on what he was doing?
327
lfa Dida: An nvtaon to lfa Consultation
The Awo told him that he should contnue to help other people
and
Aagunml himself would repay him all his good
deeds. He was
advised against listening to slanderers and backbiters as they could only
lead him astray. He was advised to offer gbg
as prescribed
above. He
dd.
Before long, he was blessed with all the good
things of life. He had wealth,
stable home, peace
of mind, happiness, good
health and long life. He was
thus singing, dancing and giving praisesto
Ifa and Oldmar:
Akokg f'ogbe
nbelebe
ge'yl
Dl fitn Opflllkl
Tl y fi tirQ sllQ
Tt yo ma gbQ ti gni qlQni kiri aye
Eyl tl Ajagunmab y
maa wo'l d
Sbg
ni wqn nl k
9e
gb'gbo,
r'bg
jg tani y
b mi tn'wa a tmi ge
o
QrUnmll,
Bara a m EHgl-AlQ
Ni y
b mi tn'w tmi
se o
Translation
The cock uses its comb to add to its honour
This was the Ifa cast for Oplllfld
Who left his own affairs
And was taking care of other people's
matter the world over
And whom Aagunmal would be taking care of his own home in his
absence
He was advised to offer gbg
He complied
Nory who will help me repair and improve my destiny?
Qrunm)la,
my father, also known as Ertgt-Alo, was the one who will help
me repair and improve my destiny
If says that
Qrrlnmll
himself shall help the person for whom this Od is
revealed to shape his/her destiny for the better. If says also that
Ajagunml, the ohiwo in heaven will be looking after his/her home in
his/her absence. He/she needs to continue to do good
as the reward for that
is guaranteed. He/she will never regret his/her actions in life. The Deities
are on his/her side.
328
*h uosun uei
4. If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed shall have
his/her own
period of recognition and success in life. People
will be able to identify his/her good
deeds and reward him/her
accordingly. He/she will never be forgotten.
If says that he/she is about to go to somewhere on business or to go
and assist other people. If says that he/she should
go
as the
place
will be very rewarding to him/her. If says that he/she may
experience initial setback or hardship, that should not deter him/her
as the reward will surely come and he/she would be honoured.
If says that there is the need for the person for whom this Od is
revealed to offer
gbg with two
pigeons, okro and
garden eggs
and money. On these, a stanza inlrosn-MJi says:-
Itarukr l'awo ltarukrt
Itarrkr I'awo ltarrkr
Rkrk tataata
Dl firn lgba
TI g'awo r'ode
QyQ
fbg
ni wqn nl k ge
Translation
Itark is the Awo of Itark
And lterk is the Awo of Itaruku
Rkrk ttaata
They were the Awo who cast If forlgba
When going to
QyQ
on Ifa business
He was advised to offer ebo
Igba was a very prominent Babalwo. He was known for his competence
and his ability to diagnose
problems and
provide
solutions. So, when the
inhabitants of
QyQ
town were experiencing series of problems ranging from
childlessness, economic decay and stagnation, failed harvest, emotional
instability to internal strive, they summonedlgb for If consultation. They
asked him to come to their town with the intention of making it his
permanentabode.
Whenlgb received their message however, he went to the Awo mentioned
329
lfa Dida: An invtation to lfa Consuftation
above for If consultaton. How would his stay in
Qyg
turn out to be?
would he be able to realize his full potentials
in
QyQ?
would he be
respected there? would history give
him a space in
QyQ?
would the
inhabitants of
Qyo
town appreciate all the good
things that he would do for
them? These questions
and many more were what pre-occupied
the mind
oflgb when he wentfor If consultation.
The Awo informedlgba that he would be very successful in
QyQ
town: that
he would be able to realize his full potentials
there; that he would be highly
honoured and respected; that the inhabitants of OyQ would appreciate all
his good
deeds for them; and that his name would be written in gold
by
history. His position
of honour among the inhabitants of
QyQ
was assured,
Igba was told. He was however warned that he would initially experience
hardship in his proposed
abode, but after someiimes, t would be
enjoymentwithoutend.
Igba was advised to offer gbg with plenty
of okro, garden-e99sr
two
pigeons and money. He complied. shortly after, he set out on his
journeyto
QyQ
town.
While in
OyQ,
he met the inhabitants of this town with series of problems.
They were poor
due to unsuccessfulcrop-yield, they were sick due to failed
expectation and they were unhappy.Igba went into action immediately; as
he was consulting If forthem on individual basis, so was he doing on group
basis and even doing same for the whole town in general.
As he was
offering
gbg,
so was he doing ett and offering Ips for the Elders of the
night. After all these had been done, everyone waited to see the outcome
his efforts.
Meanwhile,Igb himself was faced with the problem
of what to eat, drink
and wean He was quite
aware of the problems
of the inhabitants of
QyO.
In
order not to add to their burden therefore, he moved to a small village. He
cultivated a small farm and was living there. He maintained a low profile in
this village. He was fully determined to endure all the hardship he was
already experiencing in the village because he had already been told by If
that such would be his lot initially before his situation would change for the
better.
330
'hh
msrn u"
In
QyQ
however, the situation began to change for the better, there was
abundant rainfall. Farm
products
and crops improved, the inhabitants had
surplus havest that year, which brought about improved economy. Wth
improved economy, there was better and stronger bargaining
power. The
people concentrated on their farm work and other businesses such as
craftsmanship, trading and so on, therefore reducing
joblessness.
These
gave
them less time to
plot against their leaders, thereby reducing internal
strives. Before long, there were smiles on everybody's face.
One day, the inhabitants of
QyQ
gathered in front of the
Qba's
market. They
were so happy and they began to
jubilate.
They sang, danced and
gave
praises to Oldmar. They then decided that they must send
people to go
and bring Igba who had made it possible for them to experience the
progress in their community. So they sent
people with If gongs to
go
and
bring backlgba to
QyQ,
The emissary went along with a new dress, new
cap, and new sandals for )gba to wear when coming to the town. The
delegates leftfor the village wherelgb was living.
Igba was however on his farm working. On sighting him, they began to
beatthe agogo (If gongs) and were singing that:-
Itarrkr ta
Itarrku ta
RknkU tataata
,
QVq
nil o
Igb, emi lo w d'ko o?
Translation
Itarr:ktl ta
Itaruku ta
Rkrk tataata
QyQ
is your home
Igb, what are you looking for in the village?
They were all dancing and singing. )gb, on hearing whatthey were saying
threw down his hoe and
joined
them. They told him that the town asked
them to
go and bring him. They explained to him that everything had
changed for the better as he had predicted. They asked him to
go and take
331
lfa Dida: An invtaton
to tfa Consuttation
his bath
so that
they
woufd
be abfe
to return
to
Qy
the
same
day.
when
he tofd
them
that.ie
had
;;
d d,.I,;'il;},
on, they
alf burst
into
faughrer
and gave
him
the ir!
thar
thev
hrd!;oyghr
for
him
from
Qvq,
It was
one
of the materals
us
onry
ov'tlgh
;i"f,
and
other
successfuf businessmen
in
Qvq.
Igb
surprised
Jnd
erated.
They
returned
to Qyg
that night.
In
Qyq,
Igba
was
made
the resident
Babafwo
of the
Qba
of
Qyq. He was
ili:ffi"ff
:':fl 'ildol-T,:[TiX;1ffi;?"wha'reoioiorrhem
Itaruku
|,awo
ltark
Itark
t,awo
ttarJLJ
Rkrrfk
tataata
Df firn lgb
Tl g'awo
r,ode
Oy
fbq
ni wqn
nf to
je
gb'gbo,,
r,b-
Igba
r,1
o
lgba
rrl'kn
Bf a b w,y gni
A a ngla
ni
Itark
ta
Itarukr
ta
RkrUk
tataata
gyq
nt
o
lgb,
emi lo w d,ko
o?
Transfation
Itarrku
is the Awo
of ltaruku
And ltaruku
is the nwo
ofle
ltark
RkrUk
tataata
They
were
the Awo
who
cast Ifa forlgb
When going
to
Oyq
on td busness
He was
advised
to offer
eb
-He
complied
i-
Igb
offered
Okro
And
offered garden-eggs
When
we come
into
t world
We surefy.will
have
orir".ron
(of
success)
Now,ItarUkr:
ta
332
'htr
rc*nu"'
And ltark
ta
And Rkrk
tataata
O,
YQ
is
Your
home
What utt
yo' looking
for in the village?
If says that the
person for whom
this od
is reveared
shail surery
have
his/her
own season
of success
and achievement.
Initiar setback
should
not deter
nm/neifrm
putting in more effort
to succeed'
5.
Ifa s says that the
person for whom
this od is revealed
shall
make
profit in niir,"i
i
-n./she
shall surely
succeed
in life' If however
warns that this
person ,, ,n1.
habit oi denying
all the
go:9 things
which
If had done
for himer.
No matter
how successful
he/she
had been,
he/she
would
rtili chim!ry
that no improvement
had
occurred
in his/her
life.
rr savs
thatthis
is not
good enough'
The
person for whm
this Od
is rvealed
needs to imbibe
the value of
showing
upr"ition
to those
who had
given assistance
one way or
the other.
If says that this
person needs
to offer
gbg with three
pigeons and
money.He/shea|soneedstobemoreappreciative.onthese,If
says:
Ad kq?
Ad r'oko
Ad k?
Ada r'odo
Ada wa m forojngn
Dl fin
Flqkq
ldere
TI
Y
I'QrQ k'le t le
Fbg
ni wqn nl k
9e
Translation
How is Ada, the cutlass?
Ada has
gone to the farm
And how is Ada
Ada has
gone to the Stream
Ada is now very sharP-edged
333
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
This was the If cast for the
fkg
seller of ldere town
Who shall become wealthy before evening time
She was advised to offer gbg
Idere was a very popular
town in the olden days. This town was the
centre of many activities in Yorb land. The population
of this town
was also reasonable, compared to other towns at that
particular
time.
There was however this woman n the town who was selling eko, corn
meal. She was very popular in the town, but she was always
complaining that her sales were not moving as t ought to be.
Consequent upon this, she went to the group
of Awo mentioned above
for If consultation.
The Awo told her that her sales would improve. She was advised to offer
gbg as prescribed
above. She complied. After this, she was advised to
cultivate the habit of exercising patience
at all times. She was told not to
expect that her
Qkg
would be sold immediately it was prepared
because it
would still be very hot at that time, rather, for her to be
patient for it to be
cold so that it would be hard and agreeable for people
to buy and eat. She
was also cautioned that when she began to make profit,
she should not
deny or hide the blessings of If, After this, she went home.
A few days after she offered the gbg,
her sales picked up, she used to
prepared
one basked full of
Qkg
and sell them for three days. After the gbg,
she was selling five baskets of
Qkg
daily. It later increased to L2, and thn to
16 baskets full. Before long, she began to wear new dresses. At a stage
she would wear a black wrapper, a red bb (blouse), she would wear a
white head-gear and use a green loin to tie the dress
-
all new dresses. Her
shoes and bag were usuallythe latest. However, when anyone approached
her, she would be complaining that her sales had not improved
One day, her complaints were so much that the Awo who assisted her in
offering the gbg decided to pay her a visit. When they did, they discovered
that she had really changed and that the manifestation of wealth was all
over her, and yet
she complained bitterly that what they did for her had not
worked. The Awo left with the determination to teach her a little lesson.
The following day, the Awo in company of their students went to her
stall with agogo and drum and began to sing thus:
334
trI rosu, u"i
Fl'ekg
ldere
$ebl
o lO
j'ere
El'kg
ldere
$ebl
o l
jr
O r'gg dd
o r'99 pupa
A faffga w'r{
O l kenk
O l kenk
O firln
p'eeke
Fl'kg
ldere
Sebl
o lO
j'er
Translation
The
Qkg
seller of Idere
I thought
you
sad
you made no profit
The
Qkq
seller of Idere
You complained
you made no profit
Your wear a black dress
And tie a red wrapper
You use a green dress as head-gear
You sit majestically
And you wear a broad smile
The
gkg
seller of ldere
Yet you complain of making no profit
When she saw what the Awo had done, she simply stood up and
joined
them in singing and dancing forgetting her initial complaints,
Ad kq?
Ad r'oko
Ad k?
Ad r'odo
Ada wa mu forojangn
Dl firn
Flekq
ldere
Tl y I'QrQ k'lQ t le
fbq
ni wqn n| k qe

gb'Qbo, r'bg
Nje
HQkg
ldere
335
lfa Dida: An nvitaton to lfa Consultation
Sebf
o lO
j'r
O r'gg ddr
O r'gg pupa
o fafiga w'rl
O l kenk
O l kenk
O fedn p'eeke
Flkq
ldere
$ebf
o lO
j'r
Translation
How is Ada, the cutlass?
Ad has gone to the farm
And how ]s Ada?
Ada has gone to the Stream
Ada is now very sharp-edged
This was the If cast for the
lkg
seller of Idere town
Who shall become wealthy before evening time
She was advised to offer gbq
She complied
Now, the
fkg
seller of Idere
I thought you
said
you made no profit
The
Ekq
seller of Idere
You complained you made no profit
Your wear a black dress
And tie a red wrapper
You use a green dress as head-gear
You sit rnajestically
And you wear a broad smile
The
!k9
seller of Idere
Yet you complain of making no profit
If says thatthe person for whom this Od is revealed shall make profit
and
become very successful in his/her business. He/she is however warned
aganst hiding or denying the blessings of If in his/her life.
6. Ifa says that the Of of the person for whom this Od is revealed will
support him/her. The person is in a state of confusion. He/she needs
guidance,
support and
protection.
Of will provide
all these for the
person
for whom this Od is revealed. No Ofiga, Egrlngrln (ancestor)
336
or Irnmgle can do this but his/her Of. Consequerr,, ,nJjJ;il:
need for this client to offer gbg with two
pigeons,
hffo ducks, two
guinea fowls and money. He/she also needs to serve his/her Ol
with one white pigeon, one guinea fowl, one duck and money.
If all these can be done, the life of this client will change for the better.
On these If says:
Enl poroporo l g'd
Ejl poroporo l g'sn
Dd frf n Baba bo-ljQ-o-b-Ipln-re-wl
Tl rrbq nlgb rye osko
f;bg
ni wQn nl k
9e
translation
One at a time do we pound
a motar
And in twos do we pound
cam-wood
These were lf's declarations to he whose name was lf-you-have-
prob lem-consu lt-you r- Desti ny
When he was in utter dilemma and confusion
He was advised to offer
gbg
Baba-bo-ljQ-o-b-Ipin-rg-, was in a state of utter confusion. He did not
know what work to do in order to succeed in his life; the type of wife to
marry to be a happy man; the type of children he would beget in his life;
how long he would live on eafth; the positions he would occupy in life; and
so on. He had gone to feed several Deities and Egrfngn but his confusion
was still there. One day, he decided to carry his matter to the Babalawo
stated above for If consultation.
The Awo told him that he was a confused man. They said that what was
causing his confusion could not be addressed by any Ofiga, Irrlnmgl or
Egngn. Rather, itwas his Of which would help him solve his problems
and
throw light into his life. The Awo stated fufther that what he wanted to
know was what his destiny had chosen from heaven and how to ensure that
he followed the
path
of his destiny. He was advised to offer
gbg
with two
white pigeons, two guinea fowls, two ducks and money. He was
also asked to serve his Of with one white pigeon,
one
guinea fowl, one
duck and money. He complied.
337
lfa Dida: An invitaton to lfa Consultation
The Awo then explained to him that he was destined to be a prosperous
person, he would have peace
of mind and he would be honoured. He was
told that his Ori would guide
him to where he would be able to realize his
destiny.
When he returned home, he went into trading and he was successful. He
got married and he was blessed with many children. His wives took
good
care of him. Together with his family, they built several houses. He bought
a horsefor his usage. He Iived long and lived and died a happy man.
Enl poroporo l g'd
Ejl poroporo l g'sUn
Dl fir n Baba bo-ljQ-o-b-Ipln-rg-vu{
Tl be nlgb ry osko
lbg
ni wqn nl k
9e
gb'gbo,
r'bg
KO p, kO
jlnna
Ire gbogbo w ya
dttru
QrQ
O kan Egrtngrln o
K kan Orls
Fleda
gni I'Qrn kn
Translation
One at a time do we pound a moftar
And in twos do we pound
cam-wood
These were lf's declarations to he whose name was "if-
you-have-problem-consu lt-you r- Desti ny"
When he was in utter dilemma and confusion
He was advised to offer gbg
He complied
Before long, not too far
All Ire came to him in abundance
This matter does not concern Egngn (ancestor)
Neither does it concern the Origa
It is one's Destiny the matter concerns
If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed shall be
guided
to
where he/she would be able to realize his/her destiny. He/she needs to
continue to serue his/her Of regularly. There lies the secret to his/her
success. His/her O shall show him/her the way out of dilemma and
338
ti
ilfr lrosun Meii
confuson.
If says that it shall not allow the person for whom this Od is revealed to go
astray. All he/she needs to do is follow the advice of If especally on how to
serve his/herO.
7. If says thatthe
person for whom this Od is revealed shall acquire all
the Ire of life which he/she lacked. If says that he/she shall not
suffer for long before there is relative comfort in his/her life.
If says thatthe way he/she carries himself/herself, people thinkthat
he/she is a wicked person. For that reason, people find it difficult to
move close to him/her for discussion or to give assistance. If says
that the mind of this person is pure and he/she harbours no evil
against anyone. If says that with appropriate gbg, the situation will
change and the client will experience comfort in his/her life and live a
happy life.
If says that this person needs to offer ebg with a
pg
and serue If
with shear butter and
palm-oil. If these can be done, before long,
the
person
shall have cause to celebrate. On these, a stanza inlrosn
Mfl says:
Lasnlsan ni Olsn-Mjl g'oj lsanlsn
Bl eni t l'r nln
Be nlrosn-Mjl O nl 'k nln
Dl firn osun-Mil
T f'e,yln tl m'mi ojrl snrhn ire gbogbo
fbg
ni wgn nl k ge
Translation
The face of Olsn-M) was merely uninviting
Like someone who has wickedness within
Butlrosn-MjT harbours no malice against anyone
This was lf's verdict to Irosn-MI
When lamenting his inability to acquire any ire in life
He was advised to offer ebo
339
lfa Dida: An nvitaton to lfa Consultation
As a Babalwo, OlosUn-M;T (Irosn-MT) was well trained. He underwent
all the rudimentary and highly esoteric aspects of the training from
Qrnmll
himself. Atthe end of this training, he came out as one of the best
16 disciples of
Qrrlnm)l.
In spite of this however,Irosn-M) had nothing
to show for it
-
no money, no wife, no child, no house of his own, no peace of
mind, no comfoft, no respect in the community, no friends etc. He was
indeed a very sad man. Many people ran away from him because they
considered him a wicked man. They believed that he could harm them if
they moved close to him because his face was tough and uninviting.
One day, as Olsn-M| was ruminating over his life, he came to the
conclusion that if the situation continued to go the way it was going, he
would surely die as a sad and unfulfilled man. Determined to change all
these, he went to the group of Awo mentioned above for If consultation;
why was his life the way it was? Was he destined to live and die a poor man?
Was he doing something wrong that made people run away from him?
What could he do to change his life for the better and turn his destiny
around?
The Awo told him that he was destined to be
great in life. He was also told
that his chosen career was the greatest and most rewarding of all
professions.
He was told that his main problems are two fold: one, people
were afraid to move close to him because they considered him a wicked
man who could inflict on them serious harm if they moved too close to him;
two, he did not have peace of mind and comfort. He was told that his looks
made people feel that he was wicked but that If said that he harboured no
illfeeling toward anyone. He was also told that he needed to offer
gbQ and
serve If n order that people's attitude toward him would change for the
better and for him to have comfort and
peace
of mind. If said that if these
could be done, he would live a fulfilled life. He would stop complaining and
would be highly respected for his wofth.
He was advised to offer gbg with one big pig and money. He was also
advised to feed If with palm-oil and shear butter mixed together and used
to serve If. To get
the money with which to purchase all the materials
became a serious
problem.
Eventually, he did. He invited the Awo to come
and help him offer the gbg and serue his If. All these were done, he began
340
tri ,.*, r",
to wait for what If would do for him.
i
Immediately after offering the gbg, Esu
Qdara
went out in the form of man
asking people
to
go
and try frosn-M) that he was a very competent
Babalwo. He convinced all those who had reseruations against lrosn-
M;T and told them that only lrosn-M) could solve their
problems
for
them. Then, one by one they began to go
to his (Irosun-MT
)
house, and
one by one he was solving their problems. Those who felt thatlrosn-M3T
was a wicked man soon changed their opinions towards him. Before long,
his house became a beehive of activities. He got
several students who were
I
assisting him. Soon after this, he got
a wife of his choice and after
sometime, the wife gave
bfth to children for him. He became a worthy
member of Idere where he was living. He was indeed a very happy and
comfoftable man. He was thus singing and dancing and giving praises
to
Oldmar and his Awo.
lsnlsn ni Olosn-Mjl g'ojr lsanlsan
Bl
gni
t l'r nln
Bee ni Irosn-MJT o nl 'k nlnrt
Dl frn olsn-Mjl
(
T fQyln tl m'mi ojrt snrahn ire gbogbo
fibg
ni wgn nl k
9e
gb'gbo, ff'bg
Ald w fglQdQ rubg
GbedQ, I'ara maa dQ ml lg
cbQdQgbqdq nll rg'gb epo
GbQdQ, I'ara maa dQ ml lg
GbQdQgbedg nff rg'gb Or{
Gbede, I'ara ma dQ ml lg o
Enit b f'glede r'bg o (
Gbeder I'ara maa dQ wqn o
Gbede
Translation
The face of Olsn-M) was merely uninviting
Like someone who has wickedness withn
Butlrosn-Mjl harbours no malice against anyone
This was lf's verdict to frosUn-Me)
When lamenting his inability to acquire any ire in life
He was advised to offer ebo
341
lfa Dida: An nvitation to lfa Consultation
He complied
Nory Ald had offered a pg
as
ebg
With ease, shall we acqure comfort and convenience
A calabash of
palm-oil is known for its convenience
Wth ease, shall we acquire comfoft and convenience
A calabash of shea-butter we acquire comfoft and convenience
Whoever offered a pig
as
ebg
With ease shall he acquire comfort and convenience
If says that the person for whom this od is revealed shall acqure
peace
and comfoft in his/her life.
8. If says that it foresees the gift
of a child for the person
for whom
this Od is revealed. If says that it is essential to know what to
use as gbg materials here and at the same time, know the number
to use in order to achieve the required result. If says that if these
can be done, the woman for whom this Od is revealed shall be
blessed wlth a bouncing baby.
If says that this woman needs to offer gbg for child-bearing with
six bats and money. The moment this is done, Ifa will bless her
with a baby. A stanza in this od laying emphasis on this aspect
says:
Ada fgwq fg'jrt erwqn
Dl fitn onldr
Qmq
afdn g'gbg gmg
Igb t fyln tI m'jrr gkrrn
sngbr qmq
fbg
ni wqn nl k w
9e
Translation
Ada f'gwg fg'jrl gwQn
He was the Awo who cast If for Onfdr
Ofilspring of those who uses bats to offer qbg
for child-bearing
When he was lamenting her inability to bear a child
He was advised to offer gbg
on'idr was the
Qba
ofldr town. He had many wives, he was strong and
popular,
but he had no child. None of his wives ever conceived at any time.
342
\l r** u"
He therefore called the Awo mentoned above for If consultation in order
to determine what he needed to do in order for his wives to become
I
pregnant.
When the Awo came to Offdr's palace, If was consulted. The Awo told
him that his wives would become
pregnant and they would give bifth to
many children. He was advised to offer
gbo with six bats and money.
When Onfdr heard this, he was very angry because he had been told
several times to offer gbg with a bat and he had done so several times
without any success. The Awo however explained to him that his various
i
gbg had not been accepted because the correct number of materials had
not been used. He advised Offdr to buy six bats at the same time, and
wait for the outcome. Offdr did. The ebo was offered. He did it for each
of the wives.
Three months after, Offdr's wives became
pregnant and they all had safe
deliveries. Offdr became a
proud father of several children in one year.
He was thus praising his Awo for a
job
well done.
Ada fgwq fe5 e,wqn
(
Dla fUn Onldr
9mq
afdn g'ebg gmg
Igb t f,yln tl m'jr gkn sngbr
gmg
fbg
ni wqn nl k w
Se
gb'gbo, ru'bg
Igb dn ti je
Qkan
La O r'Qmg bl
Igba oJqqtq dn di me,fa
Ni're omo d
(
Translation
Ada f'gwg fg'jt1 gwgn
He was the Awo who cast If for Onldr
Offspring of those who uses bats to offer ebo for child-bearing
When he was lamenting her inability to bear a child
He was advised to offer
gbg
He complied
When we used only one bat
There was no child
But when the bats became six in number
t
lfa Dida: An nvitation to lfa Consultation
We got
the Ire of children
If says that the person
for whom this If is cast shall be blessed with a
child. The person
shall never leave this world without his/her own chld.
9. If says that it foresees victory over Death, Affliction, Litigation and
Loss for the person
for whom this Od is revealed. Ifsays that this
person
needs to feed the O'i of his/her child because it is the Of of
this child that will help overcome this adversary. If the person
for
whom this If is revealed has more than one child, then there is the
need for the Awo to find out whom among the children If is referring
to,
If says that even though all these four Ajogun had already
surrounded this person,
they will have no power
to harm him/her
because the Ori of his/her child being referred to by If s simply too
powedul.
If says also that the person
for whom this Od is revealed needs to
be taking proper
care of all his/her children, biological or otherwise,
to love them and act in a way that these children will love and adore
him/her back. This will bring happiness and progress
and when
trouble comes, the O of the children will naturally rise up in his/her
defense.
If says that there is need for the person
for whom this od is
revealed to ofter gbg
with four cocks and money. There is also
the need to serve the Ol of his/her child with whatever If prescribes.
The Awo needs to confirm from If the specific item to use in order to
ensure this victory and protection.
On these, If says:
Agilltl nll gb'ko
nilp'rl
KOkO nll gb'dO
ta plpltl
Altakn nff gb'ko
nfl rn,w Oglnnlrtglnnl
Dd firn ojtjl
Tl y
bl E| I'Qmg
Nfjq Ajogun ka mQ't pttipttl
344
hh rc*, u"i
lbg
ni wqn nl k
9e
Translation
Agfllfrltl, the monitor reptile, lives in the farm and develops bald-
head
And KgkQ, the Bull-frog, lives in the brook and hops about
While Altakn, the Spider, lives in the farm and spins threads fit for
Qg'lnn'lg)nnl
clothes
These were lf's declarations to O)jf, the Shadow
Who gave birth to
fh
And who was living in the midst of Ajogun
She was advised to offer
gbg
When OJifl was very young, she had been told to love everyone as she
would love herself. She had also been advised that whatever she knew that
when done to her would
pain
her, she must never do to anyone. Ever since
her youth, she had been abiding by these advices. She loved all. She cared
forall. In turn, all loved her.
When she
grew up and was getting married, it was a very big ceremony.
Several
people turned up to felicitate with her and to congratulate the
familyof her husband on their luckfor marrying such a well-trained lady.
Soon after, her wedding ceremony, she became
pregnant. When it was
getting to the time of her delivery she went to the
group
of Awo mentioned
above for If consultation: Would she deliver safely? What soft of baby
would she have? What would be the baby's do's and don'ts, especially the
taboos?
O)fi was assured that she would be delivered of her baby safely and that
the baby would be
greater than the two
parents when the baby
grew
up.
When the baby was delivered, it was a male and was named
fla.
O)jf was
again advised to ensure that this baby was properly trained and shown the
ways of Oldmar and the lrnmglQ. She was advised to show love to the
baby without compromising discipline. All these, OJ dd.
When ths child was growing up, he had been showing the traits of being
great. Then one day, Oj[i had a terrible dream. Worried over this dream,
she went for If consultation and the samefrosn-M) was revealed. That
345
lfa Dida: An nvitation to lfa Consultaton
day, the group of Awo told her that four Ajogun were crowding ove her:
Death to kill her; Affliction to tie her down for Death to kill; Litigation to give
her emotional trauma for Affliction to tie down; and Loss to ensure that all
she had laboured for in her life were in vain. She was however assured that
the four Ajogun would fail in their effofts. She was told that because she
had
given
fla
her child all the love a
good parent
ought to
give, the Ori of
her child was ready to
protect her as the O felt that the child still needed
her Iove and affection and cannot afford to miss such things atthe moment.
She offered the
gbg and at the same time seved the Of of her child.
As soon as all these
processes were completed, her child's Of rose stoutly
in her defense. The O warded off Ikrl, Arn,
$Q
and Ofo whch had
already stationed in her home. She thus became free of all the Ajogun
which had hitherto been pestering her life. She was therefore singing and
dancing and
giving praisesto herAwo,If and Oldmar.
Agiflrrtl nll gb'ko nif
p'rf
KOkO nll gb'd ta pltlpltl
Altakn nff gb'ko nll rn'wrl Oglnnlglnnl
Dl fin ojljl
Tl y bl Ela I'Qmg
Nfjq Ajogun kaa m{'le pltipltl
Fbq
ni wqn nl k
9e
gb'gbo, r'bg
Ikl t l'un o pa Ojlil
Ko lee pa mq o
fla
gmg rQ ni
j
o,
Fla
Arn t l'un O
9e
OiH
KOleFem0o
Fla
gmq re ni o
je
o,
Fla
Fjq
t l'un o qe Oilil
Koleegemqo
fla
gmg r ni o
je
o,
Fla
Ofo to l'un o qe Ojlil
KOlegemqo
Fla
gmq re ni o
je
o,
Fla
Translation
Aginn, the monitor reptile, lives in the farm and develops bald-
346
ii trosun Mej
head
And KQnkQ, the Bull-frog, lives in the brook and hops about
i
While Altakn, the Spider, lives in the farm and spins threads fit for
Ag)nnlginn)
clothes
These were lfa's declarations to Olj, the Shadow
Who gave brth to
pb
And who was living in the midst of Ajogun
She was advised to offer
gbg
She complied
Ik, Death, which plans to kill 01fi
Cannot do so again
It is
lla
her child who made it impossible
Arn, Affliction, which plans to strike Oljf
Cannot do so again
It is
pa
her child who made it impossible
EjQ, Litigaton, which plans to run Oll down
Cannot do so again
It is
Fla
her child who made it impossible
OfO, Loss, which plans to strip OIjl naked
Cannot do so again
It is
fla
her child who made it impossible
If says that it will be impossible for lkrl, Arn,
Fjq
and 0f to affect the
(
person for whom this Od is revealed. If says that he/she is luc$ to have
been blessed with a
powerful child who guards
and
protects the parents.
10. If says that it shall not allow the
person for whom this Od is
revealed to fall into the ditch of death and misery. If says that many
people had fallen into this ditch to meet their untimely death but that
this client shall not fall into it and if he/she eventually fell into the
,
ditch, it shall be padded and he/she would be able to survive the fal!.
i
So says If. If says that because of the
person for whom this Od is
revealed, the ditch of death and misery shall be filled and nobody will
be harmed again.
Ifa advises the person for whom this Od is revealed to offer one
matured he-goat, plenty of cotton wool and money as gbg. If
this can be done the problem shall be overcome. A stanza in this Od
in support of this asseftion says:
i
347
tfa Dida: An nvitaton to lfa Consuftation
Ara sObf nll
pgn'mi filn wgn nl yangl fg'Sq
Oio o rQ m,
Yangl
di aPata
Dl fn
QlQgbun'Aylk
fbg
ni wqn nl k
9e
Translation
The thunder fetches water for those on the rocky areas
When ie rain stopped
falling, the mud-stone turns to solid rock
This was the Ifa cast for
gqbun-Afk, owner of the ditch where
PeoPle
fall and die
He was advised to offer
gbg
several
people had lost their lives inside the
QlQgbun-Ayiktl,
the ditch
into
which
peopte fall and die, One day,
glQgbul-Allrrwentto his Babalwo
for
If consultation:
How could he stop
people from falling and dying inside the
ditch? what were the materials
needed to do so? would he succeed in this
bid? He was assured that the ditch into which
people fall and die would
become the ditch into which
people fall and survive.
He was advised to
offer sacrifice
with a matured
he-goat,
plenty of cotton wool and money' He
complied.
unknown to him, he was to be the next victim of this ditch. As he was
passing close to ii is ditch, he slipped and fell into the ditch. The cotton wool
*ni.n e had offered as
gbg was used by Egu
Qdara
to
pad the ditch and he
was not wounded in any way when he landed inside the ditch.
That was
how he was able to survve
te fall. Those who fell into the ditch after him
no longer died in the ditch. That was how the ditch became
harmless and
people survive the fall.
Ara sobl nll
pgn'mi filn wgn nl yangl fg'99
Oio o rQ mQ,
Yangl
di aPata
Dl fitn
QlQgbun-Ay'kt
Tll y
Pad
w di
QQgbun-AYlYe
fbg
ni wqn nl k
$e
gb'gbg, nl'bg
Ko
P'
Ko
flna
E w b ni llkl kangiri
Translation
The thunder fetches water for those on the rocky areas
348
tri msu, uei
When the rain stopped falling, the mud-stone turns to solid rock
This was the If cast for
QlQgbun-Ayrk,
owner of the ditch where
people fall and die
Who will later become the owner of the ditch into which people
fall and
suruive
He was advised to offer gbg
He complied
Not too late, not too far
loin us where we enjoy victory over death
If says that the person
for whom this Od is revealed shall be
protected
aganst violent and/or untimely death. The client shall live long and in
relative peace
and comfoft.
11. If advises some members of the same family or generation
to offer
gbQ
against misunderstandng. There is the need for them to identifu
something which they use in common and which has turned to a
subject of debate and controversy. When they identfy t, they need to
stop using it at least for some period
of time as it could tear the whole
family apaft. This may be a family land, family house, family business
or any other item of
joint
inheritance. All of them, without any
exception need to stop using whatever it is, so that peace
and
harmony could be restored in the family.
There is also the need for the whole family to offer qbg
with a matured
he-goat, feed Esu with a cock and feed their common progenitor
with
matured goat.
offering this gbg
is impoftant, but not as impoftant as
heeding the advice of If as contained in this stanza. On these, If
says:
Bggre l yq Il
Atgrlsua b ye
Qdede
AkOdl kan gbrgd-gbaragada
l yg mi
Oun n l ye
lran-n mi o
Dl fn wgn L'Epe Jlg
Nll a l t wg'nrt
Qya
Afe qkq
tele fg mqgqnmQ
Ede awgn I y'ra
wgn ni wQn d'f st
!b9
ni wEn nl kl wQn ge
349
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consuftation
Translation
Bggre, the roof thatching grass, is what befits a house
Ater'igb, the linted, is what befits a balcony
And AkOdi, a big, spacious room is what befits me
And befits my generations
These were If's declarations to them at Erlpe-Jlga
In the home of those who float gingerly on
Qya
River
And use the spear to strike the ground while speaking forcefully in
strange tongues
When looking for ways of ending their misunderstanding
They were advised to offer
gbg
The progenitor of the people of Epe-Jlg was a very hard-working and
successful man. He had severalwves and children. When he died, he left
behind a lot of propefty
and other businesses. None of his wives and
children was n want as a result of the death of the bread-winner. When the
time came to share the man's propertes, it was done without any rancour.
Some of the elders however counselled that it was advisable to leave some
landed property for their common usage. They saw reason and left these
lands for communal use.
Before long however, some of the family members began to have different
dreams on how to make the best use of the lands; some felt they would be
good for farm cultivation; some said they would serve better as recreaton
land; some felt that turning some of them to market place would be more
profitable; while yet
another group consdered that erecting houses on
them would serve everyone better. Before long, controversy erupted.
Wth this controversy came bitter struggle for supremacy which nearly tore
the whole family apaft. In the end, the head of the family went to the group
of Awo stated above for If consultation: What would the family do to end
the raging misunderstanding and controversy? What would he personally
do to ensure that the family did not break up during his own time? Would
peace and tranquility return to his family during his tenure as the head of
the family and soonest too?.
The Awo inform him that there was controversy in his family and that the
misunderstanding emanated from land issue. The Awo stated fufther that
the land problem had led the distrust and bad-blood among his kith and kin.
350
hi ,.*, r"j,
For this reason therefore, it was in the best interest of all concerned to
identifywhich pafticular land was involved and then stop using italtogether.
This must be done in the interest of peace and harmony. The Awo also
informed him that there was also the need to offer ebo with one matured
he-goat and money. After this, the family needed to feed Egu with one
cock and feed their common progenitor with a matured goat.
The
Awo however, emphasized that even f 10 goats were used to feed their
ancestor or 10 goats were offered as,
gbg,
they were not as effective as
heeding the warning of If.
The head of the family summoned the whole extended family and informed
them of what If had said. They all offered the gbg, feed Eg and their
common progenitor. After this, they held several meetings and concluded
never to use the land in question
until fufther notice. Before long, all
warning pafties embraced peace and everything returned to normal. There
was progress in the family and everyone experienced relative comfoft and
harmony. They were all singing and dancing and praising If. When asked
how they were able to restore peace into the family, they responded that If
settled the problem for them by speaking to them in the language they
understood.
Bqqre ly9Il
Atqrtgba |oyeQdgde
Akodl kan gbragd-gbaragada l yg mi
Oun na lyglran-n mi o
Dlfinwgn L'EnpeJlga
Ni'l a l t wg'nu
Qya
Afedl
qkq
telQ fq mqgqnmQ
Ede awgn ly'ra wgn niwqn d'f sf
fbg
niwQn nl kl wQn ge
WQn gb'gbo, wQn r'bg
Kp, Kjln
Ire gbogbo w ya d ttru
QpenfgTpa
f
ogbQ ni o
Qpe
rfsrp
f
gbQnio
351
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
Translation
Bggrg, the roof thatching grass, is what befits a house
Atgfgba, the linted, is what befits a balcony
And Akodl
,
a big, spacious room is what befits me
And befits my generations
These were If's declarations to them at Enpe-Jlga
In the home of those who float gingerly on
Qya
River
And use the spear to strike the ground while speaking forcefully in
strange tongues
When looking for ways of ending their misunderstanding
They were advised to offer gbg
They complied
Before long, not too far
loin us in the midst of all Ire
QpQ,
the Holy palm tree speaks Tp language
Only
you
do not hear
Truly,
QpQ
speaks Tapa language
But you never comprehend
If says happiness, peace
and harmony shall be restored into the home
of the person for whom this Od is revealed. There is a strong need for
those involved to heed the advice of If.
L2. If says that there is a lady where ths If is revealed who is too
fashion-conscous. She believed so much in her beauty to the
extent that she feels that any man can be manipulated to abide by
whatever she wants at any time. She feels that good looks are
evefihing that matters in this life. Forthis reason therefore, she i s
always found in front of any mirror trying to determine how
good looking she is at any pont in time. If says that what she
consders her major preoccupation
is how nice she looks, smells
and feels. Anything which could enhance her good looks is
pursued with unbelievable vigour. If warns however that this
will never bring her any reward as there is no future in it.
If says that this lady needs to settle down, look for a suitable
partner
and get married in order to have her own children. If says that her
wealth, good looks, nice smells and general well-being are her future
children. If says that without children, she will live a poor
and
352
ii t.*n u.
miserable life in future. In this wise, If says that she needs to offer
gbg with four rats, four fish, hro hens and money. She also
needs to seve Egu witlr one cock and money. After this, all her
cosmetics, mirror, lipsticks, eye lashes, powder, perfume
etc needed
to be dumped at Eg shrine. This is very essential here. On these, a
stanza in Irosn-MT says:
Awo qT ko ge gbQrQggd,
Ka fi ri'ran mQdn
Dl firn
9lqmg
Awo-ilgl
T fQylntl m'Jrt gkn snrhn
gmg
Fbq
ni wqn nl k
9e
Translation
No matter how big a mirror may be
It cannot be used to foresees the future
This was If's declaration to
Qlgmg
Awofgfl, the mirror looker
When lameting her inability to bear a child
She was advised to offer
gbg
The lady If referred to as Awojgfi, the mirror-looker in this Od was a
strikingly beautiful
person she was well-propoftioned and with right bodily
assets in the right places. Her smiles were tempting; her looks, inviting; her
movements, seductive; and her gesticulations, suggestive. As a matter of
fact, her whole body was captivating. She was very conscious of her looks.
For this reason, she used to spend
quite a considerable
period
of time in
front of the mirror to ensure that she continued to look good
and smell nice.
No cosmetic was too expensive for her to use.
Instead of using this
gift of Oldmar for the common good, she saw her
asset as a means of enslaving men. She used to flift around and seduce
men, high and low to her side, whenever she needed anything, she would
begin to plan how to twist the arm of her various lovers to get what she
wanted. When it was suggested to her to
get married she considered the
idea as a major disadvantage. She reasoned that if she
got
married she
would be arm-strong in the home of one man and she would not be able to
flaunt her beauty to the admiration of other people. She turned down the
suggestion; she considered her friends and colleagues who got married as
fools. She used to advise them not to marry at all, what of staying
353
lfa Dida: An invtation to lfa Consultaon
permanently in one man's house, cooking, sweepng, washng, obeying
stupid laws of one man, straining oneself and spoiling one's hands, nails and
figure with household chores. After advice notwithstanding, her friends got
married. They begari'to bear children, males and females. Awofgf
remained single and unattached. By the time her contemporaries became
proud mothers of four, five children, she had none. By this time, Awoj'igfi was
approaching 40 years.
As a result of the attitude of AwoJigfi toward life in general
and men in
pafticular, people began to give her socialdistance. If any man approached
her for any serious relationship, others would call the man and warn him
seriously against such move. They would show the man some men whom
Awojigi had ruined over the
years.
Such a man would quickly beat a retreat.
By the time she was 40 years,
she had become a lonely woman.
One day, AwoJigf stood in front of the mirror as her usual practice. She took
an intense look at herself and discovered to chagrin that she was getting
old, she was so afraid for herself and herfuture. She was realistic enough to
know that with her lifestyle, without her beauty, she had no future. She
began to think seriously. She began to develop head-aches and wrinkles.
She was getting older and older by the day. She became a very sad woman
indeed.
Soon after this encounter with reality, some of her childhood friends whom
she had hithefto considered to be fools began to invite her to the wedding
party of their own children. Some were inviting her to the graduation
ceremony of their children. It suddenly dawned on her that those friends of
hers had managed to build relatively stable homes for themselves. They
were happy and contented. This made her realized that her friends had not
been foolish after all, she was the big fool.
One day, a friend of hers who gave bfth to a set of twins as her first delivery
and wanted to marry out the children, both females to another set of twins
born by another contemporary of theirs, invited her to the ceremony. All
the friends were there with their husbands and children. Awofgfi came
alone. Those who had seen her for a long time were asking for her husband
and children. She was ashamed to reply them that she had none. While
354
'\tr
r**u"
the ceremony was going
on, Awoflgf went to a corner and wept bitterly.
There and then, she made up her mind to
get married and have children,
she was however aware of the fact that men were running away from her as
a result of her attitude towards them and that she was no longer as
attractive as she used to be.
In order to find solution to her problem, she went to the Babalwo
mentioned above for If consultation: Would she be able to get married
now? Would she be able to have her own children? Would she beas happy
as her friends? Would she have respect and honour as her friends? The
Awo told her that she had almost ruined her life as a result of her pursuance
of trivial things at the expense of her future security. She was told that it
was not yet too late for her to mend her ways however. She was advised to
take the issue of securing a home seriously so as to have her own children.
She was also asked to offer ebo with four rats, four fish, two hens and
money, She was also advised to serve Egu wittr one cock and money.
The Awo told her to go and bring all her cosmetics and other things she was
using to enhance her beauty. She did. All the gbg was offered and the
cosmeticswere
placed in Eg shrine. Shethen leftfor home.
Before long, she met a man who was interested in her. Soon after, they
got
married. She became
pregnant and gave b'th to a baby girl. The baby was
in her true likeness. She began to admire the work of Oldmar in her
baby. She was so
proud of the baby. She then realized that no mirror was
as
good
as one's own child. The baby was even more beautiful and more
attractive that her. She was thus singing and dancing and praising
Old ma r for everyth ing.
Awo
9i'ji
ko ge gbQrQgQdQ
Ka fi ri'ran amdn
Dl filn
Qlqmq
Awo-jlgl
T f,ylntl m'Jrt gkn snrhn gmg
[bg
ni wQn nl k
9e
gbg'bg, d r'bg
r|gl kan ko sl
Qmg
ni
jlgl gni
o
355
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
Translation
No matter how big a mirror may be
It cannot be used to foresees the future
This was lf's declaration to
elgmq
AwoJig, the mirror looker
When lamenting her inability to bear a child
She was advised to offer gbg
She complied
There is no mirror anywhere
One's child is one's true mirror
If says thatthe person
for whom this Od is revealed shall be blessed with
her own true mirror in life.
13. If says that all the Ajogun giving problems
in the home of the person
for whom this Od is revealed shall go.
If says that these problems
could have gone
for a long time but for the fact that either due to lack
of competence on the part
of the Awo who had been handling the
case or due to outright mischief and wickedness, the problems
still
persist.
If says that it was the materials that they had been using to
serve If which had not.made the problems
to abate. If says that
they ought notto feed If with any life animal or bird which will entail
dropping the blood on If, but rather a dried big rat ought to be used
to feed If. By so doing, If says thatthe Ajogun wilr go. Irosn-M)
is an Od which abhors blood.
Care must therefore be taken to ensure that as much as possible,
blood is avoided on this If. One stanza in this Od in suppoft of this
asseftion says:
Aj dd mg okg alro
Agbo dd mg ookg ldoko
Aasq irin gbgd-gbagada
Ni wn fi ge llQkn Olkun
K'y Olkun m baa lu
Dl fitn wgn lgbaa lgbo Oun If Kiriblti
Mjq Ajogun k wgn mQ't pitipiti
fbg
ni wQn nl kl wgn ge
3s6
tl
l,h rc",, uri
Translation
A black dog knows the name of a clothe dyer

And a black ram knows that of a

painter
A strong big iron door
Is what was used to bolt the door of Olkun
For the life of Olkun not to be in
jeopardy
These were lf's declarations to them at Agb Igbo and ll-Ife
When Ajogun invaded their home
They were advised to offer
qbg
The inhabitants of Agb Igbo and ll-Ife were experencing series of
unfortunate mishaps rangng from untimely deaths, incurable illnesses,
pestilence, failed crop yields losses, natural disasters, witches problem
and so on. They went for If consultations several times. They had
offered several
ebQ
and feed If with rams, goats, he-goats, pigs,
cows, guinea-fowls, hens and so on, all to no avail. At a stage, they
got fed up.
One day however, they were advised to go
and meet the group
of Awo
stated above for If consultation. They went. The Awo consulted If for
them. They were however assured that alltheir
problems would disappear. i
They were told that the wrong prescription had hithefto been
recommended for them, and that was why the problems persisted. They
were told never to kill any life animal on their If again. They were advised
to offer gbg with three cocks. They were also advised to serve If with
one dried big rat and
palm-oil. They complied. Before long, they
discovered that all the bad things happening in the community had abated
to a manageable level. They were thus full of praises for theirAwo.
Aj drd mg oOkg alr
I
Agbo ddr mg ookg ldoko
Aasq irin gbgd-gbagada
Ni wqn fi ge llQkn olkun
K'y Olkun m baa lu
Dl filn wgn lgba lgbo oun IfQ Kiriblti
MjQ Ajogun k wgn mqrl
ptpt
fibg
ni wqn nl kl wqn ge
WQn
9b'bg,
w{n r'bg
lyin
agba, Agb Igbo un IfQ Kiribltl
Okete n'rf gb
|
357
lfa Dida: An nvitaton to lfa Consultation
E se'p If gb'eran o?
Translation
A black dog knows the name of a clothe dyer
And a black ram knows that of a painter
A strong big iron door
Is what was used to bolt the door of Olkun
For the life of Olkun not to be in
jeopardy
These were lf's declarations to them at Agb lgbO and ll-Ife
When Ajogun invaded their home
They were advised to offer gbg
They complied
Now, you
elders of Agb IgbO and ll-Ife
If demanded for a (dried) big rat
Why did you
say that If demanded for a goat?
If warns the Awo here not to cause avoidable problem
or
perpetuate
one
due to his own greedness
and lack of consderation for the feeling and
suffering of others. If warns the Awo to desist from this act lest he meet
with the wrath of the Deities.
t4. If also says that all Ajogun will leave the home of the
person for
whom this Od is revealed.
If says that no blood must be spilled on If and that as long as they
continue to do this, so long will the problem persist. If says that all
the blood on the Ifa must be cleaned off and in its place; palm-oil
must be poured
on t. After this, kola-nut must be split for If. That
is all If needs to drive away all Ajogun in the home and life of this
client. On this, If says:
Ara klwq nfl pgn'mi fitn wgn lrli yangrl
Ojo O rq mq yangl
d'pta o
Dl filn Ywqpa
Tll
9'9mg Qljeq
Okogo
Eyl tl b b | sn
Tr b bi I
il
Fbq
ni wqn nl k
9e
o
'Il
m"rn u"i
Translation
The thunder fetches wgter for those on the rocky areas
When the rain stops falling, the mudstone turns to rock
This was the If cast for Ywqpa
The offspring of
Qbjee
0ko9o
Who was sleeping in the midst of evil
And waking in the midst of evil
He was advised to offer
gbg
Ywqpa was a descendant of sculptors whose family business was to
carue woods in various shapes designs. They specalzed in caruing the
image of masquerades, house and palace piilars, household furniture,
images of all Deities and so on. For these works of Aft, the family was
highly respected and honoured.
One day however, YwQpa woke up only to discover that most of the carued
images in his home were making funny sounds. Some were even upturnng
the items
placed on them. Some had fallen down while yet
others had
broken into two. He too had been having series of nightmares. He had
gone to several Babalwo for solution to his problems. The Awo told him
that he was sleeping and waking up in the midst of Ajogun. However, the
Awo felt that truly If needed kola-nuts in order to solve his problems for
him, but the Awo felt that there was nothing in that for him to eat. Instead,
the Awo recommended a goat. Ywpa bought the
goat
but the problems
persisted. He killed several animals withut any solution to his problems.
This had been
going on before YwQpa was introduced to the Awo stated
above. The Awo analyzed his problems for him. They also asked him to
offer
gbg with one cock and money. He was then asked to go home and
split two kolanuts for his If. He did. Surprisingly, all the Ajogun left his
house. His life returned to normal. He lived the rest of his Iife a happy man.
Ara krllwq nff pgn'mi filn wgn lr{i yangl
Ojo o rQ mq yangl d'aph o
Dl filn YwQpa
Tff q'gmq gtjqe
Okoqo
Eyl tl b ib | sn
Tl b b r
il
lbg
ni wQn nl k
9e
o
gb'Qbg, r'bg
359
lfa Dida: An invtaon to lfa Consultation
Igba tl a nl g Y'wQ pa'bi
f
ge y'wQ p'gran
o?
Translation
The thunder fetches water for those on the rocky areas
When the rain stops falling, the mudstone turns to rock
This was the If cast for YwQpa
The offspring of
Qbjee
Okogo
Who was sleeping in the midst of evil
And waking in the midst of evil
He was advised to offer gbg
He complied
Now that we asked you
to quickly split a kolanut
Why did you quickly
split (the throat of) a
goat
If says that the p.roblems
of the client here persst
because of the
greedness
and dishonesty of those he/she relied upon for solution to
his/her problems.
If says that he/she shall meet those who would be of
assstance and the problems
shall disappear. If however warns those
dishonest people thattheir day of reckonng is at hand.
15. If warns the person for whom this Od is revealed to desist from his
plan to snatch another man's wife and if he had already done so, he
needs to return the wife to the owner lest he meets with terrible
consequence. If says that the husband of the woman he intends to
snatch is more powerful
and ruthless than him. If he loves his life, he
needs to desist from his plan. If he refuses to heed this warning. If
says that he will live to regret this action for the rest of his life.
If says that the person in question is light in complexion while the
husband of the woman he intend to snatch is dark-complexion. If
also warn a woman who intends to elope from her husband's home
to another man's house not to do so in her own interest. If says
that the person
she plans
to elope with may end up losing his life and
she will be blamed forthis disaster bythe relation of the deceased.
If says that the person who intend to snatch another man's wife
need to, in addition to desisting from this act, offer gbg with one
360
lh msun u"i
matured he-goat and money. On this, If says:
Egin nll sr ktpa klp wQ'hl
Eeyan mi mg lrtn knkn nl rlrln
Dla fun Ina
Tl lg re f IOjOI, gmg Oldmar
lbg
ni wQn nl k
9e
Translation
fgin,
the Horse, is he who gallops into the town
My relation does not know how to traverse in the dark
This was lf's declaration to In, the Fire
When going to snatch JOjOI, the daughter of Olodumare
He was advised to offer ebo
The lady in question here was an extremely beautiful woman. She had a
soft tender skn. Her skin was so smooth and so delicate that one could
easly mistaken it for that of a new born baby. Her face had the
innocent look of an infant. She was looking far younger
than her age.
As a result of these attributes, those who knew her believed that she
must be a mermaid of some sot. To crown it all, she hailed from a
highly influential family. For these reasons, people who were close to
her named her 'J0j0l
9mg
Oldmar' meaning 'JOjl, the new-bon,
the daughter of Oldmar' she was well loved and respected by
everybody in her community.
When she was old enough to
get married many suitors wanted her as their
wife. In the end, she
got married to Ojo, Rainfall. 0o was a dark-
complexioned man.
He was generous and he did not discriminate when he wished to give
out
water to a community. He used to
give it out to both friends and foes alike.
His influence extended to all corners of the world. He was also very
powerful and was reknowned to be ruthless and destructive whenever he
chose to, His ruthlessness was equally recognised by all.
When ljl
got married to Ojo, everyone in the community was happy.
They thought that it would be a perfect match. Unknown to most people
howeve; J0j0l was never a faithful woman. Since the time she got married
361
lfa Dida: An nvitaton to lfa Consultation
to Ojo, she had been dating In, the Fire, steadily. At a stage, In and
J0j0l planned
to run away together and staft a new life elsewhere. When
they concluded this plan,
they went to the group
of Awo mentioned above
for If cosultation.
The Awo warned In never to do what he had in mind to do. They told him
that he could never do anything secretly for others not to notice. They said
that even in the dar( there was nowhere that Ina would pass
that others
would not see him. In this wise therefore, eloping with JjOl would be an
exercise in futility. He was also warned thatthe husband of Jjl, Ojo, was
more powerful
than him and that if he should carry out his plan, he risked
losing his life in the process.
In was also advised to offer
gbg
with one
matured he-goat as gbg
against calamity for ever contemplating such an
immoralact.
when In heard all these, he grew
annoyed. He told Awo that he would
never offer the gbg
as they prescribed.
Not only that, he boasted that he
would snatch J0j0l away from her husband. He said that he was not afraid
of her husband since he, In, was a very powerful person too. He claimed
that he was more ruthless and more destructive than Ojo. He said that
nothing and nobody should dare stand in his way. Having said these, he
stormed out of the house of the Awo. He asked JOjl to go
and pack
all her
essential needs as they would be moving atthe shortest notice. JOjOI dd.
on the day of their depafture, what they would thought that they were
doing secretly was exposed to all as wherever they passed
through, In,
the Fire, was sending out enough illumination for all to see them.
When people realised that In was running away with Jjl, the wife of
Ojo, they went and alefted Ojo. Oo was so furious that anyone could dare
do that to him. He went out in fury in search of Ina. when he saw In, he
engaged him in a fierce battle. Before long, it was clear to all that the battle
was one-sided as In was no match to OjO. Within a few minutes, In was a
dead man. Before his death, he remembered the warnings of the Awo, but
alas, it was too late to make an amendment.
fgin
nll sr ktpa ktitp wQ'hl
362
itr r** u"
Eeyan mi O mg lrln knkn nl rtrln
Dl fn In
Tl lg r f JOiOI' gmg Oldmar
Fbg
ni wQn nl ko ge
kg'tl
Qgbgnhin
s'qbg
In puPa beli
oio dd bqloiq
Kaka kl n fQ In
Ma lg ree fjo
Oi gldlsldl
In gb g nf'yw lg
Ojo
gttgt
Eyin
gbQn o
lyin
O tilq mg'ran
fyin
o mQ wlp oio niy r'yln In n
Oio
sldlsldl
Translation
fgin,
the Horse, is he who gallops intq the town
My relation does not know how to traverse in the dark
This was lf's declaration to In, the Fire
When
going to snatch J0j0l, the daughter of Olodumare
He was advised to offer gbg
He bluntly refused
In, the light-complexioned man
And Ojo, the dark-complexioned man
Instead of
getting married to In
I would rather prefer Ojo
The strong Ojo
In is eloping with
Your
wife
The ruthless O'o
Don't you know?
Can't
you realise?
Can't
you see that Oj is the one to eliminate In
The rnighty 0j0
If warns a woman not to cause the death of her lover as a result of her
infidelity. If also warns everyone concerned in this Od to be faithful
and sncere to their loved ones.
363
lfa Dida: An nvtation to lfa Consuftation
16. If warns a person
or group to be careful with whatever they intends
to do lest they regret their action for the remaining paft
of their lives.
If says that there was an action they were about to take which
could lead toweeping and gnashing
of teeth. If alsowarnsthatthe
person for whom this Od is revealed should not do any favour for
those who will harm them in the end. The person
or
persons
for
whom this Od is revealed is being advised against this action but
had bluntly refused to listen to wise counselng. Ifa says that only
regrets will be the outcome of this action.
If advises that there is the need to offer
qbq with one matured he-
goat
and money where this Od is revealed. There is also the need
to serve Egu
Qdar
with one cock here. On these, If has this to
say:
Abamq,aoge
A ge'k tttn
Ikrt d'ariwo
Dl fiin Ekt Il
Tl lg r fi Olgbo
j'oy
f;bg
ni wQn nl kl wgn ge
Translation
Had we known, we would not have embarked on this
After coufting death
Death became a commotion
These were lf's declarations to Ekrlte-Il, the Mice
When going to honour Olgb, the Cat, with a chieftaincy titile
They were advised to offer gbg
Ekrte-tle, the Mice, were living in the house with human beings. In fact,
they far out-numbered human beings. But they had a problem,
Olgb,
the Cat usually came from the forest to attack and kill some of the mice
in the house. The incursions of Olgb soon became a major head-ache
of the whole mice community. They therefore assembled together to find
a lasting solution to their common problem.
During their deliberations they came up with the ingenious plan
to invite
Olgb into the house to live with them. They also planned
to give him a
364
lnl
rc"rn u"
chieftaincy title as the leader and
protector of all rats and other rodents.
Their reasoning was that if they did this, the Catwould no longer be morally
be
justified
to kill them as they would be under his care and
protection, All
of them hailed this decision and they were so
proud to have come up with
this
plan.
After this, there was yet another
problem how to convince human beings,
the owner of the houses they were living to accept OIgbO into their homes.
They summoned courage and laid their
plan to invite the Cat to their hosts.
When they did, human being told them that their ancestors recognized Cats
as their enemies and they never coufted their friendship. They warned that
inviting Olgb into their midst amounted to nothing but an open invitation
to calamity. All the rats refused to listen. In the end, they had their way.
They went to invite the Cat to come and live in the house with them. They
conferred on him the chieftaincy title as
promised. It was with pomp and
pageantry thatthe Cat was ushered into the house to Iive with Mice.
The very day that the cat came into the home, he went on rampage. He
went on killing spree. He killed, and killed, and killed. It was like the cat
could not stop killing rats when he sighted them. Before the year ran to an
end, the cat had reduced the rats population drastically. The Cat went and
brought his colleagues from the forest into the house. From that day
onwards, the rats had known no peace.
One day, the Mice, went to the human beings to plead with them to please
send the Cataway. The human beings howeversaid thattheir requestcould
not be
granted for two reason; one, ever since the advent of the Cats into
their homes, wanton destruction of clothes, food, furniture and so on being
perpetrated by the mice had reduced drastically and two, the Mice had
hitherto been warned against their action but they refused. In this wise,
they were advised to learn how to live with their misfoftune. And since that
day till today, the Rat had never been able to learn how to live with the cat
without the Rat suffering for it.
Abamgraoge
A ge'k tn
Ik d'ariwo
Dl firn Ekt rl
fi rrg r fi Olgb0
j'oy
365
lla Dida: An invitaon to lfa Consultation
!b9
ni wQn nl kl wgn ge
WQn kg'tf
Qgboyln
s'ebq
Ekt-rI b tet mo
I b t w garfin
ebg
KO b tt mo
Translation
Had we known, we would not have embarked on this
After cou.ting death
Death became a commotion
These were lf's declarations to Ekr:te-Il, the Mice
When going to honour Ol9b0, the Cat, with a chieftaincy title
They were advised to offer gbg
They bluntly refused to comply
Had Ekute-Ib known on time
They would have rushed to offer their prescribed gbg
Had they but known in time
If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed shall not be
allowed to do somethng he/she would regret for the rest of his/her (or
their) lives.
If advises that to heed advice is more rewarding than thinking that one
is the wisest person
on earth.
Abgru AUgye
366
Itr ro"u, u.i
B. SIGNIFICANCE OF IROSUN.MEJI TO THOSE BORN
BY THIS ODU DURING ITELODU OR ITOSEOAYE
Irosn-Mfl children have the capacity to rise from grass
to grace
and
remain at the very top of their chosen careers for the rest of their lives. If
is always
giving its backing to thern because they are children of
Qrnmll
right from heaven. When Irosn-M;) children succeeds, their success is
always beyond anybody's imagination. In fact true lrosn-Mjl children
are not known as failures in life. They also live long and happily.
Irosn-Mjl children are however known to be selfish and self-centered.
But If says that if they can discard this attitude and embrace taking care of
others by looking after their welfare, If itself will take charge of their lives
and reward them
plentifully. Irosn-Mjl children excel in hospitality
fields such as being Babalwo or )ynff, medical doctor, nurse,
physiotherapist, public relations officel social
psychologist, welfare officer,
attending to motherless babies, old
people, mentally retarded people,
working in disaster zones and so on. By so doing, they will have wealth,
recognition, honour, prestige,
stable homes, peace of mind, sound physical
and mental health and long life. They should also do good to others as they
will never
go
unrecognized and unrewarded.
In business, no matter how successful lrosn-Mil chldren may be, or
how much profit they make, they are in the habit of complaining that the
situation is not good for them. Even though
people
show them
appreciation for whatever they do, they in turn find it difficult to show
appreciation to others who had done good deeds for them. This attitude is
in-born and difficult to change. lrosn-M) children are however advisd
to show appreciation for Iittle favours done to them by Oldmar, the
Deities and their fellow human beings. If they do this, their lives will
continue to improve and their happiness, progress and success will know
no bound.
It is very easy for people
to confuse the fothrightness, boldness and
truthfulness of lrosn-Mjl children as wickedness. People maytherefore
be running away from them. This may affect their financial and business
367
lfa Dida: An nvitation to lfa Consultaon
chances but with time things will surely change for the better and they will
be able to realize their destinies.
Irosn-Mjl children are usually blessed with children. These children are
usually successful and impoftant in their societies. There is however usually
one of these children whose destiny is so strong and overbearing that the
parents (that is,Irosn-Mil children) need to serue his/her Ori in order to
acquire resounding victory over any form of adversary be it death, affliction,
litigation, loss, envious individuals, enemies, backbiters or witches/wizards.
These children, when identified needed to be treated specially and with
caution. This is however not to suggest that they should be over-pampered
at the expense of other children in the family. It is worthy of note however
that his child's destiny (or) will protect
every member of lrosn-Mjl
,children's
familles.
frosn-Mjl children have the ability to survive where other
people
had
died, to succeed where others had failed and to gain where others had lost
out woefully. They also have the capacity to help other people
overcome the
miseries of their lives.
Those who are born by this Od need not fight or quarell
over any legacy as
this is not in line with their destiny. Instead, they should always look for
amicable settlement of all matters pertaining
to inheritance materials,
especially landed properties.
If amicable settlement ftils, then lrosn-
Mil children are advised to hand off the matter.
Irosn-Mjl female children are usually fashion conscious. They find it
difficult to settle down and get married and when they do they are not that
loyal to their husbands. They needed to be advised against this as this
attitude may affect them and make it difficult for them to get children when
they want to have them. At the same time ti may lead to trauma for them as
their secret lovers may end up losing their lives over this illicit attitude.
Irosun-ttejl male children are also warned against snatching other
people's wives as this may lead to their untimely and violent death.
Irosn-Mil chldren, males and females are very stubborn. They find it
difficult to listen to wise counseling. When they have made up their minds
368
Itr ,.*, r.,
on something,
good or bad, it is difficultto change their minds. This is not a
good attitude as some of their decisions may lead to regrets and calamity.
(
Again, IrosUn-Mjl children must never use any animalto serue their If.
They must not put blood on their If as this may Iead to more
problems for
them. If they must do so, they need to ask If over and over again before
this is done. When in problem, it is advisable to feed If with dried big rat
and kolanuts and the
problems will disappear.
In all, Irosrn-Mjl children are born achieves. They get results where
I
others fail. They have the capacty to keep on
going and struggling where
others retreated. It is this
quality in them that
guarantees success and
accomplishmentforthem. True lrosn-Mjl children are not known to die
a violent deaths. True lrosn-Mil children live and die
peacefully.
C. Affiliated Irnmqle and Orlqa of lrosn-Mjl
1. If
-
for
progress, comfoft,
projection
and success
2. Orl
- for direction,
protection against all Ajogun, for fulfilment of
i
destiny
3. Equ
Qdar
for overall achievement and
protection against all evil
4.
Q+un
- for child bearing
5
QbaHl
-
for child bearing and
protection
6.
Fgb
- for success and achievement, for suppott
7. Egngun
- forancestralsuppoft
8.
$ngo-forsupportandachievement
9. Orlg Oko
- forfinancial success and progress
{
D. Taboos Of lrosn Mjl Children
1. Must never eat dog
-
to avoid being plagued by Ajogun
2. Must never eat ram
-
to avoid being
plagued by Ajogun
3. Must never show ingratitude
-
to avoid anger of the Deities
4. Must never be deceitful
-
to avoid anger of the Deities
369
lfa Dida: An nvtaton to lfa Consultation
5. Must never be in a hurry
-
to avoid missing his/her chances
6. Must never eat monitor -
to avoid missing the protection
of his/her
child's Oi
7. Must never eat bull-frog - to avoid missing the protection
of his/her
child's Ol
8. Must never use a spider -
to avoid missing the protection
of his/her
child's Of
9. Must never be too fashion-conscious -
to avoid problem
of
childlessness
10. Must never eat cock
-
to avold missing the protection
of the Deities
11. Must not fight over landed property
or other legacy - to avoid family
confl ict and misunderstanding
12. Must not put
blood in his/her If
-
to avoid incessant problem
in
his/her life
E. Possible names of lrosn-Mjl children during
Ikesedy
Males
1.
Qlnlgba
Honour has its period
of manifestation
2, Ifgbuyl If is prestigious
3. Dqpgm I hold unto the Holy palm
tree
4. EgbQpQ The outcome of If's support
5. Iftrlsln If deserues beig propitiated
Females
1. Aynlgba Events in the world have their periods
of occurrence
2. Oynlran Titles have heredity
3.
Qlbmid
Honour came into the world with me
4.
fkndayQ
Lacrimation turns to felicity
5.
9menrilgl
My child is my mirror
Abor Aboye
37A
Chapter 6
OWNRTN
MEI
t
illl
lr ll
ll
ll
A.
Chapter Six
OwNRIN MEJI
1. If says that it foreseen the ire of success and achievement for the
person for whom this Od is revealed. If says that life will be
profitable to him/her and there is no aspect of his/her life that will not
bring fruitful reward. If says that apaft from the person for whom
this Od is revealed, several other people will also benefit from
him/her.
If enjoins the person from whom this Od is revealed to rely
absolutely on If. By so doing, all the good
things of life shall be
his/hers. He/she shall lack nothing in life. He/she shall be wealthy,
honourable, noble and highly respected in the society.
If advises the person for whom this Od is revealed to offer
gbg
with
three pigeons, three guinea fowls and money, there is also the
need to serue If. There is need to ask If what it will like to take and
then use same to serue If.
On allthese,
QwQnn
MJisays:
Eku snyln
Fja
sanyln
DrfitnQpe
Fuju
Tl y maa rln t'aj t'aje
fbg
ni wqn nf k
9e
Translation
The strong rat
And the strong fish
372
l,l,
o*onnn *",,
They were the Awo who cast If for the Palmtree
of the wilderness
Who shall be filled with wealth
He was advised to offer
gbg
Qpg fluju,
the Palm tree of the wilderness, was comng from heaven
into the world, he planned
to reside in the wilderness. He went to the
two Awo mentioned above to determine his success chances on
eafth; would he succeed here on eafth? Would he command respect
and honour in life? Would he be able to influence and benefit other
people? Would he live a comfoftable and contented life?
The Awo assured him that he would be very successful in life. He was
told that he would be extremely wealthy and that no paft of his body
shall be without fetching money. He was also told that everything in
his body shall be of benefit to mankind. He was advised to offer gbg
and feed If as stated above. He complied. Soon after this,
Qpg
Flj
came into the world. His palm-fronds were cut and turned into
brooms. Money was realized. His Palm kernels were used to make
Palm-oil. Money was realized. The palm-nuts were broken and the
shells were used as fuel. Money was realized. The nuts were grinded
and palm-kernel oil was extracted. Money was realized. Other chose
to extract palm-wine from the palm-tree instead of palm-kernel.
Money was realized. The trunk was used to make rafters and small
bridges, money was made. The palm-nut was also used to make
Lgfdfgba beads which women used to adorn their waists. Money
was realized, the newly-spronted palm-fronds were used to decorate
several shrines. Ikin was also extracted from some
palm
trees which
Babalwo use for If consultation. A lot of money was realized. The
Ikin was also used to guide, protect, advise, direct and mould people's
characters. In shoft, there is no
paft
of the
palm
tree which is of no
benefit to the human race. The palm tree became the most useful
tree on eafth.
Eku sanyln
Fja
sanyln
Dlfiln
Qpg llujrt
Tl y maa rln t'aje t'aj
fbgniwgn
nl k9e
373
lfa Dida: An invtation to lfa Consultaon
gb'gbgr'bg
Qpe
lo I'epo
QpQll'adln,
. Ape
l I'emu
QpQ
lofun mi nlllQkQ b'qdl
Qpg
lo fitn mi I'gwq gb,lQ
If lfiln mi l'po tl mo m
j'qgu
Ohun
QpQ
qefitn mi m mQ nl gbgb
Ohun ll n'If rlgefiln mi o
Translation
The strong rat
And the strong fish
They were the Awo who cast If for
Qpe FIUjU
Who shall be filled with wealth
He was advised to offer
gbg
Hecomplied
It is
QpQ
who owns palm-oil
And owns palm-kernel
oil
And owns palm-wine
Qpe
was itwhich gave me beadsto adorn mywast
And palm-oil which I used to eatyam
All what Opg had done for me, I cannotforget
Greatthings, If had done for me
If says that it had done great
things in the life of the person for whom this
Od is revealed. If says that he/she shall never be disappointed by the
people
around him/her if he/she places
hope and asprations on If. Life
shall be fruitful and beneficialto him/her, so says If.
2. If says that the business of the
person
for whom this Od is revealed
shall prosper.
He/She shall become very wealthy because he/she
shall make more proft
than others. If says that the person for whom
this Od is revealed needs to make his/her goods
and servces more
expensive than those of his competitors even if they are of the same
qualty.
If says that the business lines most suitable for this client are sales of
Afticle of Ostentation such as Jewelries, perfumes,
specially designed
374
l,l,
o**r, *",,
materials, designer shoes and bags, wrstwatches and the latest
electronics and automobiles. He/she may also establish an exquisite
salon and restaurant where tasty and expensve dishes which give
the
people the impression thatthe more expensive the materials, the
better its
quality. If advises the
person for whom this Od is
revealed to offer
gbg with three white
pigeons and money. On
this, If says:
Qwon
ow a n'w mini
QwQn
omi la m'Qsun
Qpqhpq
qwqn
onj9la
p nl'yn
Dl fitn Oun-yO-wQn
Tll q'gmg
Qba
l'f;yQ-Aiorl
Fbg
gla ni wqn nl k
9e
Transactions
Scarcity of money makes one to find atternative
Scarcity of water makes one to fetch water-drips
Too much waterscarcity is known asfamine
These were lf's declarations to Oun'yO-wQn
That-Which-Is-Scarce-And- Expensive
A Princess in
Qyg
city
She was advised to offer
gbg of
prosperity
Ou n-y-wQn, That-Wh ich
-Is-Sca rce-And
-
Expensive was a
pri ncess i n
QyQ
cty. She was also a trader. Her business was not moving well. She
therefore, went to the group of Awo mentioned above for If consultation
on what to do to make her business succeed. She wanted to know what
she needs to do for her to make huge profit. The Awo advised her to be
selling afticles which are not very common and/or rare to
get. She was also
advised to make her goods very expensive- and in fact, more expensive
than all her competitors. She was then asked to offer ebo with three white
pigeons and money. She complied. Soon after, customers,
young and
old, were trooping to her stallto
purchase things from her
-
even when they
knew that her wares were more expensive than those of her colleagues.
The customers were of the opinion that her wares were of the best
quality
money could buy and that was why they were more expensive than the
ones being sold by others, that was how Oun-y-wQn became richer and
more successful than all her colleagues. She was thus singing and dancing
375
lfa Dida: An invitaton to lfa Consultation
and
giving prases to herAwo and If:
Qwqn
ow la n'w mini
Qwqn
omi l m'Qsun
Qpqhpq
qwQn
orlnjg la
p nl'yn
filn oun-yo-wQn
Tll ggmg
Qba
I'fyq-Ajorf
Fbq
q| ni wqn nl k
9e
gb'gborr'bg
!
srw, gw ra'j gmg'ba
At'we, t'gb nfl ra'j Oun- yO- wQn
F
sr w, g wa ra',j omgba o
Translation
Scarcity of money makes one to find alternative
Scarcity of water makes one to fetch water-drips
Too much water scarcity is known as famine
These were lf's declarations to Oun-y-wQn
That-Wh ich -Is-Sca rce-And - Expensive
A Princess in
QyQ
city
She was advised to offer
gbg
of
prosperity
Shecomplied.
Rush here to buy the wares of a
princess
Both old and young buy goods that are scarce and
Expensive from Oun-yO-wQn
Rush here to buy the wares of a princess
If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed shall make huge
proft in his/her business. If says that even after making his/her goods
and/or sevices very expensive, people
both young
and old will still find
reasons for patronizing him/her.
3. If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed shall be
blessed with money, a good spouse, good
children and long live. At
the same time, If says that death, affrications, litigation and loss
shall be warded off from him/her.
If says that he/she needs to offer gbg with three white pigeons
for financial success, three hens for a good
spouse, three rats
and three fish for good
children and three cocks and idi leaves
376
!|, **rn r",,
for victory over death, afflictions, litigation and loss. There is also the
need forthis clientto feed If with one matured goat.
On these,If
.i
.
says:
Qrnmll
l rl drln
yunmuyunmu
n kun yunmuyunmu
L'rl apta egbrnsel
Qrrlnmll
nl kln l rl drlnyunmuyunmu?
T kn yunmuyunmu?
WQn nl Aj t'Awo yo nll n
Qrunmll
nl kl wQn gllQkn f'loj rere
i
KwolAwow
Translation
Qrrlnmll
declared that itwas rumbling
And itwas humming consistently
On top of the rockof Agbrsah
Qrnm'il
queried that what was rumbl ing?
And humming on rockof Agbrsl ?
They responded that it was the wealth that
The disciple of If would acquire
QnJnm'il
asked them to open the door for a good visito
i
To enterthe house ofan Awo
Qrnmll
heard persstent rumbling and humming and wondered along
about what was making such on the rock of Agbrsl, on the way from
heaven was wealth going to the home of his disciple that was making such
sound.
QrUnm'il
asked them to open the door for the good visitor to enter
the home of his disciple.
His disciple thus became a wealthy person.
{
Qrr:nmtla
l drln yunmuyunmu
n kun yunmuyunmu
Lf pta gbrsl
Qrrtnm)l
nl kin l dtln
yunmuyuninu?
T kn yunmuyunmu?
WQn rf aya t'Awoy lff ni
Qrunm'll
nl l( wgn gllQkn f'lojO rere
KwelAwow
Translation
Qrnmll
declared that it was rumbling
i
377
lfa Dida: An invtaton to lfa Consultation
And itwas humming consistently
On top of the rockof Agbrsl
Qrtl
nml l quered
that what was rumbl ing?
And humming on rockofAgbrnsal ?
They responded that if was the spouse thatthe
Disciple of If will marry
Qrrf
nm)l asked them to open the doorfor a good
visitor
To enterthe home of an Awo
Again,
Qrnm)l
contnued to hear the rumbling and persstent humming
on top of the rock of Agbrsl. Again he asked about what was making
such sound; he was informed that it was the spouse that his disciple would
marry that was making the sound. Again,
Qrnmll
asked them to open
the door for the good visitor to enter the home of his disciple. His disciple
thus because proud husband of a good wife.
Qrnmll
l rt drln yunmuyunmu
r krn yunmuyunmu
L'r{ apta gbrsl
Qrrlnmll
nl kln l drln yunmuyunmu?
T kn yunmuyunmu?
WQn nl gmgt'Awoy
bl n
Qrunmll
nl kl wQn qllQkn flojO ner
KwolAwow
Translation
Qn:nm'll
declared that itwas rumbling
And itwas hummng consistently
On top of the rock of Agbrnsal
Qnlnmll
queried
that what was rumbling?
And humming on rockofAgbrnsl ?
They responded that it was the child that the disciple
of If willbeget
Qrrlnm'll
asked then to open the doorfor a good visitor
To enterthe home of an Awo
And again
Qrnm)l
noticed that the sound that was coming from the top
of Agbrsl rock had not abated. He again enquired about what was
makng the sound. He was informed that it was the child that his disciple
would beget. Orrinmll quickly
ordered that the door be opened for the
378
ii o**,n u"
good visitor to enter the home of his disciple. His disciple thus becamse a
proud parent.
(
Qrrnmll
l rf drf n yunmuyunmu
n kun yunmuyunmu
L'il apta agbrsel
Qrrnmll
nl kln l drtn
yunmuyunmu?
T kn
yunmuyunmu?
WQn nl ire gbogbo t'Awo y nl n
Qrrlnmll
nl kl wqn gilQkn flojO rere
KwolAwow
Translation
Qrrlnmlla
declared that itwas rumbling
And itwas humming consistently
On top of the rockof Agbrsl
Qrunmll
queried that what was rumbling?
And humming on rockof Agbrsal ?
They responded that it was all the ire in life that
The disciple of If would acquire
Qrrf
nmll asked them to open the door for a good visitor
To enterthe home of an Awo
i
Yet again,
Qrrlnmll
heard the rumbling and humming of sound
being made on top of the rock of Agbrsl and
yet
agan, he
demanded to know what was making such sound. He was informed
that there were all the ire in life which his disciple would get
that were
making such sound.
Qrnmll
ordered them to open door for them
to enter the home of his disciple. That was how the disciple of
Qrnm'il
lacked nothing in his life. He had money, a
good
spouse,
'
good
children, stable home, peace of mind, happiness, comfoft ad
t
long life.
QrUnmll
l drln
yunmuyunmu
n <un yunmuyunmu
L'd epta agbrsal
Qrrtnmll
nl kln l dn yunmuyunmu?
T kn yunmuyunmu?
L'rl Apta Agbrsl?
Wn nl lkr t rt w Awo bO ni
{
379
lfa Dda: An invtation to lfa Consultation
Qrnmll
nl dl ni
Y
dlktl Awo
Tl ko nlie k lewgl
Translation
Qrrl
nmll declared that it was ru mbling
And itwas humming consistentlY
On top of the rockof Agbrsl
Qrnml
l
queried that what was rumbling?
And humming on rockofAgbrsl ?
They responded that it was the death which
Had come in search of the disciple of If
Qrrlnmlla
declared thatldf would block death outfor an Awo
And will not allow it to enter his home
After all the
good things of life had entered the home of
Qrrlnmll
's
disciple,
Qrrlnmll
obserued thatthe sound had not abated. He then
asked If to know what was making the sound again. He was
informed that it was the death which was about to kill his disciple.
Qrunmll
quickly looked for Idf leaves, pounded the leaves together
and mixed same with soap. He gave the soap to his disciple to bath
with. He then declared that Idf would block out death from the home
of his disciple. That was how his disciple escaped untimely death.
Qrunmll
l dn
Yunmuyunmu
t krn yunmuyunmu
L'd apta agbrsal
Qrrtnmll
nl kln lO n drnyunmuyunmu?
T kn yunmuyunmu?
L'orl Apata Agbrsl?
WOn nl rn t w Awo bQ ni
Qrnmll
nl ldl ni yo d'rn Awo
Tl ko nfl
j
k le wgl
Translation
Orunm'lla declared that it was ru mbling
And itwas humming consistentlY
On top of the rockof Agbrsl
Qrnmll
queried that what was rumbling?
And humming consistentlY
On top of the rock of Agbrsab ?
They responded that it was the affliction of If
380
l,l,
o*onn ue
Ornmlla declared that Idf would block affliction out for an Awo
(
After death had been
prevented from entering the home of
Qrrfnm)l
's
disciple,
Qrnm)l
again heard the rumbling and humming sound
emanatng from the top of the rock of Agbrsl.
Qrnm)l
agan asked
what sound was that. He was informed that it was the affliction coming to
infirm his disciple. Orrlnmll again decreed it out of the life of his disciple
afflicted with infirmty.
Qrunmlla
l drtn
yunmuyunmu
n kun yunmuyunmu i
L',r| apta agbrseH
Qrunmll
nl kln l dn
yunmuyunmu?
T kn yunmuyunmu?
L'rl Apta Agbrsl?
WQn nl qjQ t w Awo bQ ni
Qrrrnmll
nl Idl ni y d'jQ Awo tl ko nl
jq
k lee wg|
Translation
Qrnmll
declared that itwas rumbling
And itwas humming consistently
r
On top of the rock of Agbrsl
Qrnmll
queried that what was rumbling?
And humming on rockof Agbrsl ?
They responded that it was the disciple of If
Orrtnmll declared thatldl would block litigation
outofan Awo
And would not allow it to enter his home
When death and affliction had been successfully taken care of litigation
reared its head up on the rock of Agbrr1sl, when
Qrunmll
made
{
enquiry on what was still rumbling and humming on top of the Agbarasl
rock, he was informed that it was litigation which planned to find its way
into the home of Akp.
Qrnmll
decreed that it must never find aces
into the home of his disciple. That was how
Qrnmll
was able to protect
his disciple against all forms of litigation.
Qrunmlla
l rt drln
yunmuyunmu
n kon yunmuyunmu
L'd apta gbrsl
|
381
lfa Dida: An nvitation to lfa Consuftation
QrUnmll
nl kln l drlnyunmuyunmu?
T kn yunmuyunmu?
L'rl Apta Agbrsal?
WQn nl Ofot w Awo bQ ni
Qrnmll
nl ldl ni y
dl OfAwo
Tl ko nl
jQ
k le wgl
Translation
Qrnmll
declared that itwas rumbling
And itwas humming consistently
On top of the rock of Agbrnsab
Qrnm)l
queried that what was rumbling?
And humming on rockofAgbrnsal ?
They responded that it was the loss which had
come in search of the disciple of If
Qrnmll
declared that Idl would block loss out for an Awo
And would not allow it to enter his home
Qnfnmll
said that he again head rumblng and humming on top of
Agbrsl rock. And again he asked to know what was making such
sound. He was informed that it was the loss which was searchng for the
home of his disciple.
Qrunm)l's
disciple. And so with approprate
gbg
as
prescribed
above,
Qrr:nmll
was able to give to his disciples all the good
thingsfrom enterng Akp's home.
Qrrf
nmll l drln yunmuyunmu
n krn yunmuyunmu
L'rl apta gbrsl
Qrrtnmll
nl kln l drln yunmuyunmu?
T kn yunmuyunmu?
L'rl Apta Agbarsl?
WQn nl Ajt'Awoy nfl n
Qrrlnmll
nl kl wgn qllgkrln flojO rere
KwglAwow
Qrnmll
l drln yunmuyunmu
n kun yunmuyunmu
L'd apta gbrsl
QrUnmlla
nl kln l drln yunmuyunmu?
T kn yunmuyunmu?
L'r Apta Ag bara sala?
wgn nl aya t'Awo y nff n
382
IT
tl
ll Owonrin Meji
Qrnmll
nl kl wQn qllQknflojo rere
KwglAwow
QrUnmll
l rt drtn
yunmuyunmu
r kun yunmuyunmu
L'd epta gbrsl
Qrunmll
nl kln l dn
yunmuyunmu?
T kn yunmuyunmu?
L'Orl Apata Ag b rsl?
WQn nl gmgt'Awoy bll ni
Qrunmlla
nl kl wQn g{l$kun flojO rere
KwglAwow
Qrunmll
l drtn
yunmuyunmu
r krn yunmuyunmu
L'rt apta agbrsal
Qrnmll
nl kln l drtn
yunmuyunmu?
T kn yunmuyunmu?
L'orl Apata Ag ba ra sala ?
WOn nl ire gbogbo t'Awo yoo nl ni
Qrnmll
nl kl wQn gllQkn flojo rere
KwolAwow
Qrrlnmll
l drln yunmuyunmu
n kun yunmuyunmu
L'rl apta gbrsl
Qrnmll
nl kln l rl drlnyunmuyunmu?
T kn yunmuyunmu?
L'rl Apta Agbaransah?
WQn nl ik t w Awo bQ ni
Qrrtnmll
nl idl ni y dlkrl Awo
Tl ko nl
jQ
k lewgl
Qrrtnmll
l l dn yunmuyunmu
n krn yunmuyunmu
L'r{ apta gbrsl
Qrnmll
nl Hn l rt drln
yunmuyunmu?
T kn yunmuyunmu?
L'rt Apta Ag brs la?
WQn nl rn t rt w Awo bQ ni
Qrrtnmll
l rl dn yunmuyunmu
n krn yunmuyunmu
L'rf pta gbrsl
Qrrrnmll
nl kln l drn yunmuyunmu?
T kn yunmuyunmu?
L'or{ Apata Agbransala?
383
lfa Dda: An nvtaton to lfa Consultaton
WQn nl
eiq
t w Awo bQ ni
Ornmll nl idl niyod'jeAwo
Tl ko nl
jQ
k lewgl
Qrnmll
l drlnyunmuyunmu
n krnyunmuyunmu
L'rl epta agbrsal
Qrunmll
nl kln l dn yunmuyunmu?
T knyunmuyunmu?
L'rl Apta Agbrasl?
Wn nl OfO t w Awo b ni
Qrrtnmlla
ni ldl ni y dl OfOAwo
Tl ko nl
jQ
k lewgl
Nje dt dt mi tsty oko
Qna
ibi ni kl o b mi dl
Kl of'n If sfle
Idl dl mileslya oko
Translation
Qrrlnmlla
declared that itwas rumbling
And it was humming consistently
On top of the rock of Agbrsl
OrrlnmIl queried
that what was rumbling?
And humming on rock of Agbrr1sl ?
They responded that it was the wealth
Thatthe disciple of If would acquire
Orrlnmll asked them to open the door for a good visitor
To enter the house of an Awo
Qrnm'il
declared that it was rumbling
And it was humming consistently
On top of the rockof Agbrnsal
QrUnmlla
queried that what was rumbling?
And humming on rock of Agbrsl ?
They responded that it was the spouse that
The disciple of If would marry
Orrinmll asked them to open the door for a good visitor
To enterthe home of an Awo
Orrlnm'il declared that it was rumbling
And it was humming consistently
On top of the rock of Agbrsl
Qrrtnm)la
queried
that what was rumbling?
And humming on rockof Agbrnsal ?
They responded that it was the child that
384
tl
II
ll Owonrin Meji
The disciple of If would beget
Qrunm'll
asked them to open the door for a god visitor
To enterthe home of an Awo
Qrunm)la
declared that itwas rumbling
And itwas humming consistently
On top of the rock of Agbrhsl
Qrnm)l
queried that what was rumbling?
And humming on rockof Agbrsl ?
They responded that it was all the Ire in life
Thatthe disciple of If would acquire
a,
Qrunmlh
asked tham to open the door for a good visitor
To enter home of an Awo
Qrunmlla
declared that itwas rumbling
And itwas humming consistently
On top of the rock of Agbrnsah
Qnlnmll
queried that what was rumbl ing?
And humming on rockof Agbrnsal ?
They responded that it was the death which had come in search of the
disciple of If
Qrnm)l
declared that Idl would block death out for an Awo
And would notallow itto enter his home
Qrrlnmll
declared that itwas rumbling
And itwas humming consistently
On top of the rock of Agbrsl
Qrnm)l
queried that what was rumbling?
And humming on rockof Agbrsl ?
They responded that it was the affliction
Which had come in search of the disciple of If
Qrrf
nmll declared that Idf would blockaffliction Outof Awo
And would notallow itto enter his house
QrUnmll
declared that itwas rumbling
And itwas humming consistently
On top of the rock of Agbrnsal
Qrunm)l
queried that what was rumbling?
And humming on rockof Agbrsl ?
They responded that it was the litigation
Which had come search of the disciple of If
Qrunmll
declared that Idl would block
Litigation out for an Awo
And would not allow itto enter his home
Qrrlnm)l
declared that itwas rumbling
And itwas humming consistently
On top of the rock of Agbrsab
385
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consuftation
Qnf
nmll quered
thatwhatwas rumblng?
And humming on rockof Agbrsl ?
They responded that it was the loss which
Had come in search of an Awo
Qrunrnlla
declared that Id1 would block loss out for an Awo
And would not allow it to enter his home.
Idl please block and send my misfortune to the farmland.
It's my evil
path I beg of you to block and leave the path of luck untouched
Idf please
block and send my misfoftune to the farmland
If says thatthe person for whom this Od is revealed shall be blessed with
all the good things of Iife and shall block all the evils of life such as death,
affliction, litigation or loss. For the
person for whom this Od is revealed,
there is the need to
pound Idf leaves into water for her to bath with in
order to ensure that all Ajogun are permanently
at bay.
4. If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed shall
get
assstant on what he/she is doing, even if he has no money. If says
that help will come from people who will raise him/her up and ensure
his/her success in life. To the
person
for whom this Od is revealed,
money is not everything. He/she will succeed more if the right
approach to
people is cultivated on this, If says;
Ad-ohl-kQ $awoo r'Ode Ailke-olr
Adtut $awo r'Ode AilfQnQ-rere-lQ
DlfilnOrunmll
-
n rtgawo lg sqna t
jln gbungbungbun
WQn nl k r'bg
Kl
Qn
ajo rQ ledra
Translation
Ad-oh1-kQ was going
on If mission toAjfkg-olu town
And Adtut was going
on If mission to Aflfgrg-rere-lQ town
They were the Awo who cast If for
Qrnmll
When going
on If mission to a far distant destination
He was advised to offer
gbg
Forthe
journeyto
be fruitful
QrUnmIl
was planning to go
on If mission to a far distant place; Where
he was going, he had never been to for a long, long time. He therefore went
386
il oro*in u'i
to the two Awo mentioned above for If consultation in order to determine
how his success chances would be in that place. The Awo assured him that
he would definitely succeed in his new abode and that without money, he
would be able to achieve a
great deal, even
greater than what those who
had money could achieve. He was however advised to be accommodating,
respectful, truthful, honest, and humble at all times. He was also advised
to make himself available to
people at all times. He was told to be ready to
assist people who are in need and that in like name; people would be ready
to assist him too. He was assured that by so doing, he would be able to
attain a
great height and be highly respected and in his new abode, he was
also advised to offer
gbg with one
goat and money, this
goat was to be
killed and its flesh shared raw among
people. He was also to sen/e If with
one goat. He was to feed his Ori with whatever If prescribed
during
consultation.
Qnfnm)l
complied with all the recommendations of the
Awo. Soon after wards he set out on the
journey.
In his abode,
Qrnmll
quickly
adapted himself to the customs of the people he met there he was
respectful, loyal, dedicated to the course of the
people and he was always
willing to assist them. Before long, his qualities were recognized by the
citizens because he had no house of his own he was easily accommodated
bythe
people he met in thistown.
These people fed and clothed him without much money of his own, he was
eating the best food and was wearing the latest dresses. In order to tie him
down to this town, some
people advised him to look for a suitable woman to
marry. And without money, without relations, without anyone who could
easily trace where he came from, some of the citizen of this town gave
to
him a baby.
The citizens of this town
gave him a
piece
of land on which to build his own
house they all assisted him and he became a proud house owner, he lived
very happily in this town.
One day,
QrUnmIl
sat down and was ruminating over his progress in this
town. He discovered that he stafted from grass and rose up to grace. He
came into this town with nothing and ended up having everything he
needed. He was the only person who came into this town and he ended up
be coming a family man with children, in-laws, friends, and acquaintances.
387
lfa Dida: An invitaton to lfa Consultation
When he thought about how all these were made possble
to him. He then
concluded that truly, wealth and other good
things of life resides with
people
and good things of life reside with people
and not in a
person's
pocket,
banks, save house vault or any other place. He was thus singing and
dancing and
giving praisesto
Oldmar and histwoAwo saying:
Ad-oh-k gawoo r'Ode Ajlkg-ol
AdtutU rt9awo o r'Ode AjlfQrQ-rere-le
Dl firn
Qrrtnmll
Tl gawo lg sqna t
jln gbungbungbun
WQn nl k r'bg
KI
Qn
ajO rQ le dra
gb'Qborrrt'bg
Njq nlbo I'ow wa?
Lra nlyn I'ow w
Mbo l'gmgw?
lranlyn I'gmgw
l{lboni'lw?
Lranlyn ni'lwa
Mbo ni're gbogbo
we
Lra nlyn ni're gbogbo w
Translation
Ad-oh1-kQ was going
on If mission to Akg-oltt town
And Adtut was going
on If mission to Affqrg-rere-lQ town
They were the Awo who cast If for
QrUnm'il
When going on If mission toa fardistantdestination
He was advised to offer gbg
, For the
journey
to be fruitful
He complied
Now, where is money?
Money resides with people
And where isspouse?
Spouse resides with people
And where is child
Children resides with people
And where is house?
House resides with people
And where are all ire in life
All ire in life resideswith people
If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed shall be blessed with
388
,1,
o*onrin u.i
all the
good
things of life. He/she only needs to remember that all the good
things of life resdes with people. He/she therefore needs to strive hard to
be in the
good
books of
people. By so doing, wealth is assured, a
good
spouse is assured, all the
good things of life are assured.
5. If says thatthere is need for person for whom this Od is revealed to
offer gbg and feed many people so that human beings will not use
their mouths to destroy his orden There is need to ensure that
people speak well of him in oder to ensure an uninterrupted
progress
and achievement in life.
If says that the
person for whom this Od is revealed need to offer a
he-goat and money as
gbg. After this, he/she needs to throw a
feast where their will be
plenty of food to eat. The soup ought to be
prepared with
[grrg
ltoo. After eating and drinking, the invited
guests are to
pray for him/her. The prayer so offered will be upheld
by deities. If these steps are taken, the sky is the limit for the
progress of the person for whom this Od is revealed. A stanza in
this Od in Support of these asseftions says:
AgbQngbn, Awo wgn l'de llor
Agba yngldl, Awo ode lieg
9knrin
yngldl-yangidi tt wQn d| latlpa
I,| fitn Lwsl
Qkqml
Qmg
am lto ge'win bg
lgbatl bq nlgbanrye osko
fbg
niwQn nl kge
Translation
Agbngbn, the Awo ofllor town
'
Agb
yng'ldi, the clumsy elder, the Awo ofljEga land
The clumsy man who was tied with tip
They were the Awo who cast If for Lws'l
QkQrni
Offspring of those who propitiate all divinities with)t0, melon as
people
Propitiate the Deities
When he was in pawn age without hope of freedom
He was advised to offer ebo
Lwsl
Qkqrnt
borrowed money from a
pawnbroker he was thus serving his
389
lfa Dida: An nvtaton to lfa Consultation
master until the day he would be lucky enough to refund the money he
owed and regan his freedom. unfortunately, this day never came, he had
been in pawn
age for upward of 16 Years and he was
just
dreaming of
freedom without its coming to reality. Those who had known him knew that
he could never regain his freedom. Because people
had been saying this,
his guardian
spirits upheld their opinions and there was nothing he did that
worked for him. He was however, determined not to die in his present
condition. in pursuance
of his problem.
He was assured that he would regain his freedom. Some of the Awo he
approached advised him to serve Egrlngn Il, the masquerade of the
house. He did, there was no improvement in his life. Some advised him to
serve onga oj, the market onga. He did. There was no improvement in
this life. some advised him to serve his of. He did. There was no
improvement. Yet other advised him to continue to serue his Of . He did,
until his Ol became completely bald. There was no improvement in his life.
Another group
advised him to serve Il, the mother of earth. He served IIQ
repeatedly until the spot had a mark like a small hole. Yet there was no
improvement in his life. when he was complaining to people that he had
gone to several places for solution to no avail. He went to the three
Babalwo mentioned above fortrialand possible
solution.
The Awo assured Lws'l
QkQnf
that his problems
would disappear in time.
They said that he had not offered the correct gbg
all the time he had been
moving from one Babalwo to another, He was told that he would need to
setve olbqbOJiribQ, the father of all gbg. when he heard this, he became
confused. He told the Awo that he recognized ol as of, and IIQ as Il; he
recognized that one's father was Egngrln Il; and one's mother was Oflga
Oj, but that he did not know what was called OhlbQbQtiribQ, the father of
all
[bg.
He was then informed that the mouth of human beings was known
as the olbQbQtiribQ, the father of allebo, he was told that the
gbg
he was
about to offer was the one that would change public
opinion towards him for
the better. It was meant for those who had hithefto concluded that he
could never regain his freedom to change their mind and use their mouth to
effect his freedom. They told him that if people pray for and says it in
unison, his guardlan
spirits would uphold what they had said and his luck
would shine and he would be able to pay what he was owing his
390
ll, ***r",,
pawnbroker. He was therefore advised to throw a big feast where there
would be
plenty to drink. He was told to cook the soup with Itoo melon,
which was the sacred melon of his forefathers. He was told that at the end
of feasting, he should ensure that those who were present prayed for him
and that they should direct their
prayers towards his regaining his freedom
from his
pawn
broker.
Lwsl
QkQrnl
returned home, determined to do exactly as the Babalwo
had advised. He however had no money. He wentto borrow more money
for this
purpose. He prepared assofted food items, together with different
types of drinks. He invited several
people
to come and feast with him. He
used Itoo melon to cook the soup. Several
people turned up for the
ceremony. They all ate and drank to their satisfaction. At the end of it all,
everybody
prayed for him and his guardian spirits upheld their
prayers.
Before they departed, EF
Qdara
entered into the minds of the guest and
suggested to them to contribute money for their host as a sign of
appreciation of his hospitality. Everyone present saw this as a wise action
to take. They contributed money. The amount they contributed was more
than enough to offset the money he borrowed for the feast. That same
day, he went to
pay off his debt.
Soon after this
period, luck smiled on him. Everything he did proved
positive towards his determination to offset the money he borrowed from
the
pawnbroker, he was being recommended well bythe high and mighty in
the society. All those he came in contact with spoke well of him. He made
additional money. He began to keep the amount he made untilthe money
was adequate for him to buy his freedom. He did and became a free man.
He was a very happy man. He then realized that human mouth, public.
opinion, and recommendation of human beings were truly the father of all
ebg.
Feeding multitude of
people in order for them to have a positive
opinion towards one was simply the greatest of all the offerings anyone
could make. It was a happy LwsI
QkQrnf
who began
praising his Awo
and
giving
thanks to Oldmar:
AgbQngbQn, Awo wgn l'de llor
Agba yngldl, Awo ode ljqga
Qknrin
yangldl-yangidi wQn dl latlpa
Dl filn Lwsl
Qkqml
qmq
am ltO
ge'win
bg
391
lfa Dida: An invtation to lfa Consultaon
Igbatl bg nlgbnry osko
Fbg
ni wQn nl k qe
won nl k'bg Egn l
bg Egn l
Fbq
rQ kfin
WOn nl k'bg Oofa Oja
b booo$a
9ja
Fbq
rQ koda
Wn nl k'boOrl
bg Ort, Orl
pa
WQn nl k'bg IIQ
bg lle, rhe Iu
WQn nl k'bgOhbQbqtiribQ baba
lbg
nl oun mg Orf, nl Orl
Oun mg Il, nl IIQ
Oun mg'p baba
gni I'Eegun Il
Iy
fni
l'Oog oj
nl qgbn
Oun mgoun jOlrtbQbQtiribo, baba
Fbq
WQn nl gnu u wgn
fnu
u wgn nl je OlbqboliribQ, baba
ebq
g tthta bq n'lfe
fnu
wgn
f;nuwgn
la bgn'ffg
Enu wgn
Mofitn Ign
Mofiln lja
fnu
wgn
lnu
wgn ko me l rl mi b
ja
fnu
wgn
Mofilnar il
Mofilnt'ode
fnu
wgn
lnu
wgn la rrbg n'ffg
Enu won
Translation:
Agbngbn, the Awo oflloree town
Agba yng'idl, the clumsy elder, the Awo ofljgga land
The clumsy man who wastied with Apa
They were the Awo who cast lfa for Lwsl
QkQnf
Offspring of those who propitiate all divinities with'lt0, melon as people
propitiate the Deities
392
lrl,
owonn ue
When he was in pawnage without hope of freedom
He was advised to offergbg
They advised hm to feed Egn Il
He fed Egn Il
His offerings were not accepted
They advised him to feed OOFa
Qja
Hefed OoFa OJa
His Offerings were not accepted
He was asked to feed his O
He fed his O until he became a bald man
They asked him to feed IIQ
He fed IlQ, untilthe ground caved-in
They advised him to feed OhlbQbOJiribQ, the father of all gbg
He responded that he recognized O as Of
And IlQ, as the mother earth
He know that one's father was Egn Il
And one's motherwas OOga Oa
But he did not know what is known as OhlbQbOjiribQ
the father of all gbg
They told him that it was their mouth
Their mouth was OhlbQbQtiribQ baba
[b9
And what do we propitiate in IfQ?
Their mouth
Their mouth is what we propitiate in IfQ
I gave to the vulture
And to the spirits
Their mouth
Their mouth cannot affect me adversely
I gave to my relations
And to outsiders
Their mouth
Their mouth is what we propitiate in IfQ
Their mouth
If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed shall not be weighed
down by negative public
opnion. If says that he/she will be spoken well
of, and by so doing, he/she shall remove the bondage n his/her life. If
says that this person needs to be mindful of what people
say about him/her
always as what people can use their mouth to make or break in his/her Iife is
higher than what any ORga can do in'his/her life. If public
opinion is in
his/her favor, the sky is the beginning of his/her success in life.
393
lfa Dida: An invtation to lfa Consultation
6. If says that there is the need for the person for whom this Od is
revealed to offer gbg
against slanderers. He/she is presently
suffering, but yet
those who have a lot to gain from his/her suffering
will ensure that he/she is kept in perpetual
bondage. If says that if
such a
person
is an apprentice, there is need for him/her to offer ebo
so that the head of the training establishment will consent to his/her
graduation.
If he/she is seruing under someone, it may be very
difficult for him/her to gain independence because the person
under
whom he/she is seruing has a lot to
gain
by keeping him/her in
perpetual
seruitude.
If says that, for a person
occupying a
position
of influence and
authority, he/she needs to offer gbg
and be careful not to add to
the suffering of anyone under his/her command. If says that
he/she needs to be objective and considerate, lest he/she is
disgraced.
If says that the person
for whom
Qwnln-Mjl
is revealed needs
to place his/her hope on If at all times. All the sufferings shall
give way to
joy
in due course. If says that miracle shall happen
in his/her life. If there is the chance, such a person
can go into
poultry
business or can be rearing a hen in his/her compound.
If advises the person for whom this Od is revealed to offer gbg
with three cocks, three pigeons
and money. He/she also need
to feed EgU wittr one cock and feed Ol with one white
pigeon.
After these had been done, he/she needs to be patient
and expect the miracle of If in hi6/her life. On these, a stanza in
QwQnfn-
M) says:
Atgle,wq ni hu'run hQrIhQ
Dl fin Mofenl
T rr be harn Os,llrl
Tl b9 lrin lpqnju
T w lg r k'w lQdQq Kllfenl
pbg
ni wqn nl k
9e
394
fl
| | ouronrin Meii
Translation
The
palm
of the hand does not grow hair
This was the If cast for MofQQff, I wish to succeed
Who was in the midst of povefi
And in the midst of suffering
Who went to borrow money on
pawn, in the house of
Kfffeff, he who never wishes other to succeed
He was advised to offer
gbg.
MofQQnf was suffering. Nothing he did seemed to work, he tried all things
and failed, he had no money, no good cloth, no wife. In fact, he was living in
abject
povey. Ironically however, Mofff was a very strong, able-bodied
man. He was very ambitious. He had big dreams about his future. He
prayed to become a very Successful, honourable and noble man in his
community. Unfoftunately for him, all his dreams remained what they
were; mere dreams.
One day, his mother died. As a first son of his mother, culture demanded
ceftain responsbilities from him, he had no money to meet these
responsibilities. He was therefore left with no alternative but to
go
and
borrow money from a
pawnbroker. Consequently upon this, he went to
Kfifeff to borrow money. He was given the money with the understanding
that he would move to Kllfgff's house immediately after the burial
ceremony and begin to work in the
pawnbrokers farm until the day he would
be able to refund this money.
Before he went to borrow this money however, he had gone to the Awo
mentioned above. He had been told that his pawnbroker would like to keep
him in perpetual servitude. He had been advised to offer
gbg with three
cocks, three
pigeons and money. He had been advised to serue E9
Qdara
with one cock and he had been advised to serve his Ol with one
pigeon. All
these he complied with. The Awo also advised him to be rearing hen. He
therefore bought one for that
purpose. When going to KIffQrf
's
house,
MofQQrf wentwith his hen. He was feeding the hen daily. Atthe same time
he was working on the farm of KIffQnf, tilling the soil, making heaps for
YOffi,
CaSSaVa and maize.
MofQQff soon
proved to be a very hard working
pawn. He used to work
395
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
from sunrise to sunset nonstop, before long, he had cleared all the farm,
planted
maize, cassava and yam. He was attending to the farm daily.
When he got home in the evening, he would wash the dresses of Klffeni,
his wife and children. He would do this until late in the night. Very early in
the morning of the following day, he would sweep the ground, wash dirty
plates
and calabashes before heading forthe farm.
Meanwhile, Mofqqn'i's hen began to lay eggs. The first time, it laid 12 eggs
and hatched 10. All the 10 chicks survived. Soon after this, the hen began
to lay another set of eggs. This time around, it laid 11 eggs and hatched
10.Again, all the 10 chicks sulvived. The third time, the hen laid 11 eggs
and again it hatched 10. And yet
again, the 10 chicks sutvived. Mofggnl
who came into the house of KlffQrf with one fowl now had 31 fowls.
one day, ffifeff saw MofQQrf feeding his fowls and asked him what he
(MofQQtf) intended to do with all the fowls. MofgQnf responded that he
intended to sell off the fowls in three days time. That time was the market
day of their town. Mofggff explained further that he intended to pay
off his
debt that day since he was sure to realize more money from the sale than
the amount he was owing KIffQrf. When he finished feeding the fowls,
MofQQtf wentto the farm.
Throughout that day, Klffgff was not a normal person.
He was
just
preoccupied
with one thing: how to prevent
MofQQrf from leavlng his
house. He knew that truly. The amount he would realize from the sale of
the fowls would be more than enough to pay
for his freedom. This was
what Klffeff was determined to ensure that MofQQnl was not able to do.
He was bent on keeping MofQQnl worked; it would be a great loss to him if
he should open his eyes and allow MofQQrf to buy his freedom.
Consequently, KlffQrf came up with an ingenious plan
of eliminating the
entire fowls at one fell swoop, and at the same time escape detection.
That day, he pefected
his evil plan.
He waited for night to fall. He watched
where the fowls wentto sleep and noted the placed well.
In the dead of the night, Kiiferf sneaked out of the house. He went to
where the fowls laid asleep. He simply fell the fence on them and the 31
fowls died instantly, withoutsparing one for MofQQn'i. In the morning of the
396
l,l,
**nn r",,
following day, MofgQrf went to feed his fowls, only to discover that they
were all dead. He burst into tears. He wept and wept.
While he was weeping, everyone
passing by took
pity on him. They prayed
for him to be able to overcome his problem. Egu
Qdara
also came in the
form of man. He asked MofQff to explain to him exactly what had
happened. Mofnl narrated everything to him amid sobs. EpU
Qdara
however told him that his
present predicament might in fact turn out to be a
blessing in disguise. EEU
Qdara
then advised MofQSrf to
pick up the dead
fowls, roast them and
preserued them. Mofqqnf, in his state of confusion,
began to
pick up the dead fowls. Those who were present helped him to
remove the rubbles on top of the dead fowls. He roasted the 31 fowls and
keptthem in a safe place.
Soon after this incident, the heir apparent to the Alr stool became
seriously ill. All known medications
proved ineffective. A Babalwo was
subsequently invited. The Awo assured them thatAlr's first son would be
well. He advised them to
go
and look for 10 dead fowls hatched on the
same day by the same mother-hen and which died on the same day, He
stressed that those fowls were the materials to use to
prepare the remedy
for Alr's son's ailment. Failure to procure the dead fowls that night could
lead to the death of Alr's son. Alr quickly dispatched every able bodied
youth in his
palace to go in search of the dead fowls.
While they were in search of these materials, Eg
Qdara
approached them
and directed them to the home of Kiifeani. He told them that MofQQn'i,
Klfeff's pawn had what they were looking for. At the same time, Eg
Qdara
approached MofQQnf, and told him that some
people were searching
for 10 dead fowls hatched on the same day by the same mother-hen and
which died on the same day. He said that those coming were sent by Alr
of llara-Ekltl. ESU
Qdara
stressed that they were very rich people. He
asked MofQfnf to charge them four million cowries for each dead fowl. He
assured MofQQrf that they could afford the amount and that they would be
willing to pay.
When the delegates of Alr arrived at KIffQrf
's
home, they asked for
Mofff. Kfifeff wanted to know what they were looking for his pawn for.
397
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
They responded that they learnt that he had some fowls in the house.
Before they finished their statement, Klffeff responded that he had no
more fowls to sell as they all died the same day. The delegates stated that
they had come to buy the dead fowls which died the same day and not live
ones. They went to Mofggnl. He insisted that each dead fowl would cost
them four million cowries. They gladly paid. Kffeff, who knew that
MofQQff owed him only fifty thousand cowries, was indeed a very sad man.
He was full of envy when he saw the delegates paying money to his pawn.
He wentto a corner and wept bitterly.
That same day, the first son of Ajer took ill. A Babalwo was invited. The
same recommendation was made. They rushed to KIffQn'i's house. ESU
Qdara
toH MofQQn'i to insist on six million cowries for each dead fowl. The
delegates paid.
In the afternoon, the first son of
Qwrngrln-Aga
took ill.
They consulted lfa, the same recommendations were made. They came in
search of KffQff's house. ESU
Qdara
toH MofQQn'i to insist on eight million
cowries for each of the dead fowls because
Qwrngrtn-Aga
was richer
than both Alr and Ajer. The delegates gladly paid. In the evening, of
the same day, the
QQni
of IfQ himself took ill. They went for If
consultatlon. The Awo told them to go
and look for a mother-hen which
had given
birth to 10 chicks three consecutive times before and had died
together with all the 30 chicks in one day. Egu
Qdara
directed them to
MofQQnf . The same Egu
Qdara
advised MofQQff to insist on One hundred
million cowries for the dead mother-hen. The delegates gladly paid.
MofQQtf, who was without a single cowry in the morning of that day became
a proud
ownerof two hundred and eighty million cowries in the evening.
On the other hand, Kfffenf who woke up in the morning of that day feeling
that he had successfully aborted the plan
of MofQQn'i to buy his freedom
ended up realizing that Oldmar had peformed
a
great miracle in the life
of his pawn. Kfffeff was a disgraced, humiliated and subdued man in the
evening of that same day.
In the end, KfifQff became one of those working in the farm of MofQQnf .
MofQQnl became richer, happier, more influential and more honourable than
every body living in his community. He was thus singing, dancing and
giving praisesto
oldmar and If for making him such a happy man in his
398
ll o**r,n *",,
life. Many people benefitted from his wealth and influence. He was richer
than his wildestdreams.
(
Atelewq ni o hu'run hQhQ
Dl filn Mofnl
Tl be lrin Os,firl
Tl be lrin lpqnj
T w lg r k'w QdQq Kllf$nl
[b9
niwqn nl k
Se
gb'Qbg, r'bg
K
f,
kO
jlnne
Ire gbogbo w ya d ttru
Njg aronipin o m'Qla o
Bl a o k,lge kO tln
Aronipin kO m'Qla o
Translation
The palm of the hand does not grow hair
This was the If cast for MofQfff
Who was in the midst of
povefi
And in the midst of suffering
Who went to borrow money in the house of KlffQnl
t
He was advised to offer ebo
He complied
Before long, not too late
All good things of life came in abundance
Those who write others off, you know not tomorrow
When there is life, there is hope
Those who write others off,
you know not tomorrow.
If says thatthose who write others off shall end up being surprised. Those
who under-estimate others shall be humiliated. Those who are at a
(
disadvantage today will rise to poston of authority and command
tomorrow. When there is life, boundless hope still exists. Opportunities are
still available for those who still lives, no mater the condition.
7. If says that it foresees the ire of honour and recognton for the
person for whom this Od is revealed. If says that this person shall
be given prestge and authority in the community. He/she shall be
recommended for this positon, not because of the money which
t
399
lfa Dida: An nvitation to lfa Consuftation
he/she has, but because of his/her wisdom, experence and
understanding.
If also says that there s a vacant position where this Od is
revealed. If enjoins the community, establishment, organization or
society where the vacant position
exists, not to consider money,
wealth, or influence as paft of the criteria for filling the
position,
but
rather, they need to consider wisdom, organizational capability,
experience, honesty, dedication, understanding and human
consideration as paft
of their criteria. If says that by so doing, life
will be more rewarding and interesting when the position is filled.
Anything outside this is not good
enough.
If advises the
person
for whom this Od is revealed to offer
ebq
with
two ducks, haro guinea fowls, two
pigeons,
two horse-tails
and money. He/She also needs to feed If with one hen and
money. On these
QwQnf
n-M) says:
Qwqn
irin nff mrl abgrQ wg'n
Qwqn
omi nff mt akergb sgn
QwQn
gmg nll m gmq wqn
j'a|e
Tl wgn fi rrp ebi l pa l'de Id
fti
r pq tl ko gbQn
K krtk fi wqn w ynyun nfn oko
Dl fiin
QwQn
Tl wgn fi
j'oy
ile baba
ry
f;bg
ni wqn nl k
9e
Translation
Scarcity of iron makes one to melt needles
Deafth of water makes the bottle-calabash to get lost
Inability to get another child makes the child to steal
For them to say the child was feeling hungry and only
looking for food inldo town
Thosewhoare in multitude butwho lacked wisdom
Let us liken them to ynyun grass of the farmland
These were lf's declarations to
QwQn
Who shall be installed to the vacant stool of his ancestors
He was advised to offier ebo
400
il, o**n, *",,
QwQn
(QwQnln) was the son of the
Qba
of his community.
QwQn
was not
known for his wealth because he only had enough for his bare suruival. He
was however known for his wisdom, humility, understanding, hard-work,
sympathy and consideration for others. When his father died, many people
wanted him to ascend the throne of his forefathers, this
group felt that with
his wisdom and other
qualities, he would be able to steer the ship of their
community to
peace, progress and
prosperity. There was another
group
however who felt that without money,
QwQn
was not fit to ascend the
throne. Among this
group were the kingmakers and the other
person they
had in mind. This person knew that he was not entitled to the stool but
because he had money, he and his suppofters believed that money could do
anything and everything. In the case of
QwQn,
he told the people not to
agitate for him to become the
Qba
because he did not have the money
expected of him to spend before he assumed the throne. His suppofters
said that he was being
proposed because of his sterling
qualities. The king-
makers demanded for and
got money from the other
group and made the
other man the
Qba.
Before long, the whole town was engulfed in chaos. There were internal
strives and external aggression, the economy of the town was in shambles.
Where they were expected to use diplomacy, they would employ
confrontation. Where they were to use dialogue, they would
prefer military
expedition, where they were to be magnanimous; they would twistthe arm
of the citizenry. It reached a stage where everybody was fed up with the
Qba
and his council of chiefs. The community was waging war on several
fronts. Other communities feared and loathed the king. When the matter
reached a head, the citizens of this community
grouped together and
banished the
Qba
and his chiefs.
Once again, they went to beg
QwQn
to assume the throne. He again
comptained of lack of money. This time around, the whole community told
QwQn
that the community was not looking for his wealth but his wisdom
and sense of organization. Soon after this encounter, they made him their
Qba.
Immediately after ascending the throne, he went into action. Al
military campaigns were stopped and in their stead, they opted for
dialogue. They resolved all external
problems with dialogue and refined
diplomary. They resolved internal strives with honesty of
purpose,
401
lfa Dida: An nvitation to lfa Consultation
magnanmity and benevolence. Before long, economy began to improve.
The community then realized that it was not possble for economy to
improve where there was war, strive and conflict. Everybody had more
than enough to eat, drink and wear. They were all praising
QwQn.
They
were equally condemning those who hithefto felt money could buy
progress
and happiness forthe community.
Qwqn
irin nll m abr wg'n
Qwqn
omi nll m akregbe sgn
Qwqn
gmg nff m gmgwqn j'ale
Tl wqn fi rrpeb l rr pa l'deId
fnil
pQtl kogbQn
K kk fi wqn wynyun nlnr oko
tx firn
owQn
Tl wgn fi
j'oy
ile baba rg
fibg
niwQn nl k9e
gb'gborr'bg
Amr
QwQnrln
j'oy,
ired
A ma m m
Qwqnrtn
j'oyg
ar t w
A mrl
Qwqnrln'oy
l rqw
Eni t bl'mg bl
Y
l r'Qmg bl
Eeyan t bl'mg t gq l pdn gmg
Am
Qwqnrln
j'oye,
iregbogbo knlewa o
Translation
Scarcity of iron makes one to melt needles
Deafth of water makes the bottle-calabash to get lost
Inability to get
another child makes the only child to steal
For one to say that the child was feeling hungry and was
looking for food inldo town
Those who'are in multitude but who lacked wisdom
Let us liken them to
yrlnyun grass
of the farmland
These were If's declarationsto
QwQnfn
Who shall be installed to the vacant stool of his ancestors
He was advised to offer gbq
He complied
We installed
Qwgnn,
and all ire arrived
We installed
Qwqnn,
and there was peace
and harmony
We installed
Qwgnln
and we have convenience
442
l,i
o*onrn uej
He whose chld is wise is he who has a chld
And he whose chld is a fool has lostthe child
We installed
QwQnf
n, all ire filled our homes.
If says thatthere will be peace, progress and
prosperity in the home of the
person for whom this Od is revealed. If says that the whole community
where he/she lives will benefitfrom allthe ire thatthe
person for whom this
Od is revealed will bring into the community,
8. If says that four Ajogun were being experienced where this Od is
revealed. In the light of this, If advises the
person for whom this
Od is revealed to offer appropriate ebo so as to drive away all these
Ajogun.
If says there is need to offer
ebe
with two chewing-sticks and
money by each
person in the household of the
person for whom this
Od is revealed. Where chewing sticks are not readily available, each
person needs to offer
gbg with hvo tooth-brush and tooth
pastes. The momentthis is done, all evils will abate where this Od
is revealed. On this, If says:
K ma lg byff
K ma bQ byll
Dlfifnwgn n'llgwQn
Mbi gdn gbe n
jg
wqn w
jl
ljoojumq kg'minu Ajogun
fbg
ni wqn nl kl wgn ge
Translation
Let us be
going this way
And then return thisway
This was the If cast for them atllgwQn
Wherethe annualfestival was at hand
And wheretheywoke up in anticipation of Ajogun
Theywere advised to offergbg
The inhabitants ofllgwqn were once a happy people. There were progress,
443
lfa Dida: An invtation to lfa Consultation
peace,
harmony and cooperaton in their town. In order to show their
apprecation to their Origa, they set a day aside in a year when they
celebrate the annual festival of their town. This day was known asllowon
day. Wheneverllgwgn day was to be celebrated, allllgwgn citizens from
far and near would return home. The celebration was always very grand.
There came a time however that the inhabitants of Ilgwgn began to
experience mysterious death, strange afflictions, inexplicable losses and
litigations. For this reasons, many of them who were outside the town
decided not to return home for fear of being attacked by this Ajogun.
This had made the elders gathered
together for deliberation and to fashion
out a course of action. They invited the Awo mentioned above for If
consultation. The Awo informed them that there were Ajogun in the
community who were responsible for all their problems,
They were
however assured that the Ajogun would leave their midst if they could offer
appropriates gbg.
They were asked to inform all true sons and daughters
ofllgwgn both at home and outside the town and the resident in the town
who were not citizens of the town that each of them needed to offer trro
chewing sticks and money in order to ensure that the Ajogun left their
community.
The elders sent messages to everywhere and there was huge response
within three days. The Awo offered the gbg for them and true to prediction
all the Ajogun left their town when they saw the chewing sticks. Egu
Qdara
turned the chewing sticks to whips and used them to chase the Ajogun
away from all the homes of all those who offered the gbg.
That was how the
problem
of Ajogun was solved in )lowQn. when the next )lgwgn Day
festival was celebrated, it was with pomp
and pageantry.
There returned
happiness, peace, progress,
harmony, and cooperation tollgwqn.
K ma lgbyll
K ma bQbyll
Ildfitnwgn n'llowqn
Nlbigdn gb
j9
Wn w tt
jl
ljoojmQ kg'minu Ajogun
fbg
niwgn nl kl wQn
9e
WQn gb'Qbg wqn r'bg
Awa o ma rf Ajogun n'llgwgn mO o
404
l,l,
*-nr r.,,
Gbogbo wgn l ti lg o
GbogboQwQn lt r mil-mil {
L'Ajogun b lgo
Translation
Let us be going this way
And then return this way
This was the If cast for them atllgwQn
Where the annual festival was at hand
And whereThey woke up in anticipation of Ajogun
Theywere advised to offergbg
Theycomplied i
Wedo notexperienceAjogun inllgwQn any more
Allof them had left
All inhabitants of
QwQn
had offered two chewing-sticks each as gbg
And theAjogun simply left
If says that Ajogun wll leave the home and environment of the person for
whom this Od is cast. If says that in its place will be happiness and
progress. The person for whom this Od is revealed shall be happy and
shallsucceed in Iife.
{
9. If says that for the
person for whom this Od is revealed to enjoy
his/her potentials in life, there is the need for him/her to change
his/her name and be bearing an alias or pet-name of his/her choice.
If this can be done, he/she will live an interesting life. He/she will be
happy and successful. He/she shall also have peace of mind in life.
If says that there is the need for the person for whom this Od is
revealed to offer
gbg with three white pigeons, three guinea
(
fowls, three cocks, three hens and money, On this aspect,
QwQnln
M) says:
KkrO
jogbo
ni o
j'rt
i kooko gb
Dla fn Wgngan
Ttl
$'gmg
gknrin lbb
Wn nl k r'bo
K l ba
j'fif
kg ire l'y
405
lfa Dida: An invitaon to lfa Consultation
Translation
The insect which eats hard woods are the ones preventing
Kooko tied around the neck to last long
This was the If cast for Wgngan
The son of the chidden places
He was advised to offer gbg
So as to be able to answer a good name in life
Wgngan was full of potentials.
He was resourceful, brilliant, energetc,
hardworking, unassumng and intelligent. Yet he had nothing to show for
all his assets. One day, he was advised to go for If consultation. He did.
He approached the Awo mentoned above for solution to his problems;
would he be a successful person in his life? Would he be able to realize his
full potentials in life? Was there anything he needed to do to make his life
very rewarding? The Awo told him that he had a lot of potentials in his life.
He was told that as much as he tried to harness all his potentials
and other
resources together, he had little to show for it in terms of achievement. He
was told that he needed to change his name and assume an alias before he
could realize his full potentials
in llfe. He was assured that his guardian
spirits in charge of success and achievement were not favourably disposed
towards his answering his real name. That was why he had not achieved
much in his life. He was also advised to offer three white pigeons, three
guinea
fowls, three cocks, three hens and money. He complied.
That same day, he changed his name to
QwQn.
Soon after he did this, his business picked
up he began to make profit. wth
money, he got
married to a good wife. Together with his wife, he got
many
children. Together with his wife and children they erected their own house.
Wth a
good house, he bought a horse and tied it to a stable in his house.
He had all the good
things of life. He was very happy and very grateful
to
Olodumarefor making him a successful person
in life.
KOkOTO
jogbo
ni O
j'rf
i kooko gb
Dl fin wgngan
Tll g'gmq gknrin lbb
WQn nl k r'bg
K l baa
j'fkg
ire l'y
gb'Qbg, rrl'bg
E b ni l'tOl ire
406
[
Irl
owonrin Mei
Translation
The insects which eat hard wood are the ones
preventing kooko tied round the reck of dog to last
This was the Ifa cast for Wgngan
The son of the hidden
Places
He was advised to offer gbg
So as to be able to answer a good name in life
Hecomplied
Before long, nottoo late
Join us in the midstof all ire in life
If says thatthe
person for whom this Od is revealed shall be blessed with
all the good things of life. If says that he/she has potentials and knows
how to harness allthese
potentials together.
What he/she needs is for If to make it possible for mother-luckto smile on
him/her. To make this happen quickly, there is the need to offer
gbg as
prescribed above and to change his/her name progress. There lies success.
There lies accomplishment. And there lies victory over wants,
disappointment and disillusionment.
10. If says that it foresees ire for a couple who were planning to get
married. If says that both of them had been destined to be husband
and wife from heaven. If says that both of them shall live together
until their old age. If says that they must never contemplate
separation or divorce as the consequences would be very grave for
them and more especially for the woman. If says that there may be
series of oppositions from several
quarters against their relationship,
as long as they choose to stay together, there is nothing any one can
do to separate them.
If says that there is the need for this couple to offer
gbg with two
cocks each, two hens each and two
guinea fowls each. If this
is done they will live happily. They must also never dream of
separating or divorcing each other. On this aspect a stanza in
QwQnr'in-M)
says:
Eroltoo
407
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
Eroltaa
DlfilnAkrgbe
Tl trlg r gb
lmu
nlyw
lbq
ni wqn nl k qe
Translation
Travelerstolto
And travellers toltaa
hey were the Awo who cast If for Akeregb, the bottle-calabash (gourd)
When going to have the hand of
fmu,
the palmwine,
as wife
He was advised to offer ebo.
Akrgb was planning
to
get
married. He wanted to marry his sweet-
heaft from youth.
He therefore went to the Awo mentioned above for If
consultation: would they live happily together? would they last long? would
they be able to give
bfth to many children? Would they make people
happy? would they leave a good legary? All these the Awo answered in the
affirmative. They also advised Akrgb to offer gbg with two cocks, two
hens, two guinea fowls and money. He complied.
Eroltoo
Eroltaa
Df frln
fmu
l1 rllq sll gkg wrQ
'11
nla r g'aya Akrgb
[b9
niwqn nf k
Se
Translation
Travellers tolto
And travellerstoltaa
They were the Awo who cast If for
f,mu,
the palm wine
When planning to becgme the wife of Akrgb, the gourd
She was advised to offergbg
Fmu,
the palm wine, wanted to know how her relationship with Akrgb
would be. She went to the same group
of Awo whom Akrgb consulted.
She asked the same questions.
She was given
the same answers, she was
also advised to offer the same gbg,
she also complied. She was warned
never to leave her husband as the consequence was too grave for her. She
heeded the admonition of the Awo. She and her husband Akrgb lived
408
l,l
o*on, u.
happily for a long, long time. after. Nobody was to separate them.
Eroltoo
Erolua
DlfinAkrgb
Tl lg re gb
lmu
nlYw
Fbg
niwqn nl k
9e
gb'Qborr'bg.
Eroltoo
Erclua
Dlfn
fmu
Tl rtlqsllegkowrQ
Tl nlg r g'aya Akrgbe
fibg
niwQn nl k9e
Kopekoflnn
F
w b ni b'w,I w wo're o
fyinogbQno
fyin
o mQ'rn
fyin
mg wlp Akrgb ni y
$'gkg f
mu dal$dalq?
Translation
Travelers toltoo
And travellers toltaa
They were the Awo who cast If for Akeregbe, the bottle-calabash
(gourd)
When going to have the hand of
f
mu, the palmwine, as wife
He was advised to offer gbg
Hecomplied
Travellers toltO
And travellers toIffia
Theywerethe Awo who castlf for
f
mu, the palm wine
When planning to become the wife of Akrgb, the gourd
She was advised to offer
qbg
She complied
Before long, and nottoo late
Join us in the midst of beauty and ire
You are notwise
Surely,
you are not knowledgeable
Don't you know that it is Akrgb that will be
f
mu's
husband till death dothem
Paft?
If says that
person for whom this Od is revealed and his/her paftner shall
409
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
live happily until their Old age. Both of them are compatible. They will
share many things in common and they shall compliment each other in
many respects. They must however not contemplate separation or divorce
as this step is not in their best interest. Such step can only bring sorrow and
regrets.
11. If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed must never
snatch another man's wife. If warns that if he does, his life will be
destroyed; he will live in shame and anguish for the rest of his life: For
this reason therefore, he must never think of having any love affair
with a married woman -
talk less of getting married to one.
If says that if he had been doing this, he needs to offer gbo with one
matured he-goat and money. He must also sever the
relationship fotth with. Failure to do so will only lead to sadness and
regrets. On these,If says:
Oj or kO r'j n
fka
lqwu grn
Dl firn Owlwl
Tl rrlq re
9b
oblnrin OgblgbO
rl
9e Qbja 9y9
lbg
ni wQn ni k
9e
Translation
A wicked face cannottransact good
business
One's garments needs enumeration
This was the If cast for Owlwl, the Owl
When going to snatch the wife of Ogb'igb, the hoopoe
Who was the chief mercantile superuisor within the birds kingdom
He was advised to offer gbg
Owiw the Owl, was a very proud, pompous, prosperous
and adulterous
man. He had the money to
pursue
his lascivious date for illicit love affair.
There was no young
unmarried woman he was not ready to sleep with.
One day, he saw the wife of Ogblgb and took immediate fancy of her.
They soon established a secret love pact. They used to meet at a
rendezvous known to only the two love-birds. At a stage, they could not
414
l,l'
*onnr r.,,
hide emotions for each other any onger. They began to make love passes
at each other openly. If's wise counselng to Owlwi to desist fell on deaf
ears. Those who know Ogb'lgb to be a very influential person in the
community called Owlwi and warned him seriously to desist. He bluntly
refused. Soon afterthis, thetwo love-birds planned to get married. Owlwi
asked OgblgbO's wife to pack out of her husband's house and come to live
with him. The wife
packed and moved into Owiwi's house. Immediately
this was done,
pandemonium set in. Every where was made inhabitable
for Owwi by other birds. They reasoned that itwas bad enough for Owlwi
to be having illicit love affair with the wife of their leader, he had the
effrontery to snatch the wife altogether. Anywhere the other birds saw
Owlwi, they would stone him. He ran away from that community. When he
reached another
place, the birds there began to stone him too. He was
given several slaps on the face. He developed eyes
problems. At a stage,
he could no longer walk in the day light for fear of being mobbed and as a
result of his bad eyes. Owlwi then resolved to be moving about only at
night. Even at that, he was always fearful that he might be spotted and
beaten up. His lover soon deserted him.
One day, OWlwwas ruminating over his life where he had stafted from and
where he now ended his career in life. He regretted ever refusing to listen
to wise counseling. He regretted ever
going after married woman when
there were several single ladies at his beck and call. He realized to his
shame that he was the architect of his misfortune. He wished that the
hand of the clock of time could be rewound so that he would make amends.
But alas, it was impossible and too late to make any amendment. He soon
learned to live with his regrets and share for the rest of his wofthless life,
Oju oro ko r'oja na
!t<a
tgwu grn
Dl fn Owlwl
Tl lq r
9boblnrin
Ogblgbo
Tl
Se Qlja
eyg
fbg
niwn ni koqe
kg'tl
Qgbgnhln
s'bg
Njq Owlwl o d O, eJe ajoru
Tl a b rl g lQsn-n
O d'eyg algba
411
lfa Dida: An intaton to lfa Consultation
Owlwl o d O,
eyg
aioru o
Translation
A wicked face cannot transact good
business
One's
garment
needs enumeration
These was the If cast for Owlwi
When going
to snatch the wife of OgDgb
Who was the chief mercantile superuisor within the birds
kingdom
He was advised to offer gbg
He refused to comply
Here comes Owlwi, the night bird
If we seeyou during day-time
You shall become a bird of
prey
Here comes Owlwi, the night bird.
If says that the spirit.of the
person
for whom this Od is revealed is against
adultery. He must never snatch another man's wife. If says that he
should be contented with his own wife if he does not bargain for disgrace,
humiliation and restlessness in his life. If says that it shall not allow this
person
to live a sad life. He is created by Oldmar to live a
pious
life.
There lies his happiness.
L2. If says that it foresees the ire of multiple children for the couple for
whom this Od is revealed. If says that the chances of
giving
bfth
to twins and/or triplets are very high, If says that apaft irom multiple
bitths, the couple also have a high propensity
to have several children
in life. If says that all the children they beget will be useful children.
If also warns the woman for whom this Od is revealed not to push
her husband too much for him to do what does not come from his
mind or do what is not normal for the man to do. If says that the
woman for whom this Od is revealed is fond of ensuring that she has
her way, either good
or bad. She also love to
pester
her husband to
do what she wants at all times. She may cry beg, threaten or shout
at her husband in order to have her way. There is no trick she cannot
412
ll, a,norri, uei
employto ensure thatwhat she wants was done by her husband. If
however, advises the husband to always be on his guard, weigh
anything his wife says carefully and consent to only do the reasonable
ones. It is by so doing that he will save himself from embarrassment.
If says that the couple needs to offer
gbg with four rats, four fish,
two hens, hro cocks and money. They also need to seve If
with four ratsfourfish and hen. On these, If says:
fl$rgrq
k$rgrg
ElrrO krOr
D,|filnOblQpe
AbfnAkg
Awgn mjejl mmi ojrl sngbre
gmg
fbg
niwqn nl kl wQn ge
Translation
flQrgrg
kQrgrg
And ElrrO kr0r0
They weretheAwo who castlf forthe female palm tree
And also forthe male palm tree
When theywere weeping in lamentation of theirfailure to begetchildren
They were advised to offergbg
Both male and female
palm
tree were married for a long time. They loved
each other. But they were not blessed with children. This was a constant
cause for worry and crying for the couple. One day, they decided to go to
the house of the two Babalwo mentioned above for If consultation.
Would they be able to beget their own children as other trees in the forest
do? Would they be able to live a family life? Would luck smile on them soon?
Would their children be useful to them?
The Awo assured them that they would soon give bifth to their own
children. They were advised to offer
gbg and feed If as stated above.
They complied. After this, the Awo prepared a herbal soup for the wife to
eat immediately she reached home. The couple was assured that the soup
would open the womb of the wife and she would become
pregnant in no
time. The couple left the home of the Awo, believing that their
problem
would soon be over.
413
lfa Dida: An nvtation to lfa Consultation
When they reached home, the female palm
tree opened the soup contaner
to eat. She complained that the soup must be very bitter because of the
way it looked. The male palm
tree advised her to over-look that aspect and
eat the soup. She asked her husband to taste the soup and confirm what
she had observed. The husband refused, claiming that the soup was
meant for a woman. The wife simply burst into tears. She accused her
husband of not bothering about her welfare. She said that they offered the
gbg together, they were looking for the baby together and they had been
worried about their childlessness together; but now that it was time to eat a
bitter soup, she was left to suffer alone. She claimed that when the child
comes, they would at-least claim it together, she concluded that her
husband's love for her had reduced considerably and that what had
just
happened simply confirmed her suspicjons without doubt. The male palm
tree tried to explain himself but his wife shouted him down. She soon
began to pack her loads, claiming that she could not continue to live in the
same house with someone who does not have her love and welfare in mind.
In a state of confusion, and
just
to convince his wife that he cared for her,
the male palm
tree reluctantly agreed to taste the soup. Wth more tric(
persuasion
and threat, they both ate the soup and finished ittogether.
Three months after, both the male and female palm
tree became pregnant.
Both of them delivered at the same time. Since that time, both male and
female palm
trees used to become pregnant
and deliver several young
ones atthe sametime.
flQrgrg
krg
ElrOrO krOr0
Dl filn Obl
Qpe
AbfinAko
Awgn mejejl mmi oj sngbr gmq
lbg
ni wqn nl kl wqn
fe
WQn gb'Qbo, wQn r'bq
Aj$ takq-tabo t'QpQ blmg o
A kll rl 9n nlnu
gpg
Tako-tabo I'Qpe blmgo
Translation
flQrgrg
kQrgrg
. And Elr0r krOr
414
il, o*orn, *",,
They were the Awo who cast If for the female palm tree
And also forthe male
Palm
tree
When they were weeping in lamentation of their failure to beget children
.
Theywere advised to offer
ebQ
They complied
Both male and female palm trees beget children
There was no barren anruhere
Both male and female palm tree beget children.
If says that the couple for whom this Od is revealed shallhaeth*.own
children. They need to offer
gbg' feed lfa
and feed the Deity of Twins.
13. If says that if foresees the ire of a child for the
person for whom this
Od is revealed. If says that there is need for him/her to offer
gbg
with four rats, four fish, two hens and money. After this, the
couple needs to rub every
part of their bodies with a life chameleon
for 16 days. After this, they shall be blessed with a baby.
If also says that there is a
person where this Od is revealed who is
experiencing serious hardship. If says that the hardship is as a
result of his/her destiny from heaven. If says that only
gbq
can
change the destiny if the
person in question to
good. He/she needs
to consult If and offer
gbq regularly. By so doing, his/her destiny
shall improve and change for better. If says that this
person needs
to ofter
gbg with three white
pigeons for prosperity' three hens
for a
good spouse, three
guinea fowls for peace of mind, prestige
and honour, three rats, three fish for children, three cocks for
victory long life and sound health and money for all the the
good
things of life. On all these, a stanza in
Qwgnn-M)
says:
Agbgn ml
jla$
m
j
Dl fitn Bayew
T fe, ylntl m'jrl gkn snrhun
gmo
Fbg
niwQn nl kge
Translation
Agbgn, the coconut, shook violently without
Droopping from the tree
415
lfa Dida: An invtation to lfa Consultation
This wasthe If castfor BaywU
When weepng in lamentation of his inabilityto begeta child
He was advised to offer gbg
Bayew had most things a man wanted in life; a good work, good health,
good family background, but no child. He and his wife tried everythng they
knew without success. Then one day, they approached Agbgn mI
Tfl
m
j
a prominent
Babalwo in their community for If consultation and
possible
solution to their problem
of childlessness.
The Awo consulted If and told the couple that there was nothing wrong
with them physiologically.
He claimed that there was a spiritual problem
which was inhibiting them from having a baby. He however assured them
that the problem would abate. He advised them to offer
gbg
with four
rats. four fish, two hens and money. They complied. when they were
about to return to their home, he gave
them one life chameleon and ask
them to use it to rub their bodies for 16 days. He asked them to pray
while
doing it. He asseted that ' ab alggmQ b d, ni Onga-Oke gb,'
meaning, "the wishes of the chameleon are always upheld and accepted by
the divinity'l He told them that they would be blessed with a baby boy
soon.
The couple did exactly as they were instructed. Soon afte6 true to whatthe
Babalwo said, Bayw's wife became pregnant
that same month. Ten
months after consulting If, on their problem
of childlessness; they were
blessed with a bouncing baby boy. Three days after, duringlkgsqdayd, the
Awo proposed
that the name of the child ought to be "Qgrara"-*a baby
born after the parents
used
Qga,
chameleon to rub their bodies". The
parents
accepted the name and the baby was known and called
Qgrara
byall.
Qganrara
lo wa t IkqE
Qrun
be w'y
N kOm irekankandnl
de'le aye fttn
Il ay rQg w le kokooko bl qta
w tg wgn In Awo Il lq
tg awgn Oorun Awo Ode lg
In Awo Il, k maa q0 je,
k maa gq jeo
Oorrn Awo Ode, k ma gg je,
k maa gq je
o
416
ll' o*onn ue
KI wqn m baa fi ibi mrr-m kan m-m
Fbq
ni wqn nl k
9e
Translation
Qgrara
was coming from heaven to eafth
He did not bring along any ire with him
When he reached the earth, his life was extremely difficult to cope with
He them approached In fire, the Awo of the house
And approached 00rn, sun, the Awo of the main street.
Let In, the Awo of the house be selective in where he looks for food
And 00rn the Awo of the main street be careful with
where he associates with others
Lest they allow two hot substances to get in contact with each other
They advised him to offer gbg
When
Qgrara
came into the world, as a youth, he had been showing the
sign of someone who had forgotten all the
good things of life in heaven. He
was very ugly; he had no good health; he irritated people except hs
parents and he was despised by others. When he grew up and became a
matured man, the situation became worse. Nobody wanted him around
them. He had no friends except his other
junior
siblings. He had no
confidant out side his
parent's home. He was the subject of ridicule by
everybody. He could not mix with people. He therefore had no reasonable
work he was doing. He had no money; he had no strength, no good health,
and no sense of direction in life. When all his age mates were getting
married and becoming
proud parents, he dare not entertain such desire.
Soon after, his
junior
brother and sister got married and left him in the
family house,
yet, he could not think of
propositioning any woman. He
soon became lonely man. Tired of these, he approached the two
Babalwo mentioned above. They cast If for him and advised him to offer
gbq. He did. He was asked to go and continue to pray
because his was not
a
problem that would disappear in one swoop. He agreed and continued to
pray. When he learnt that the problem that he had was that he had not
brought any ire from heaven, he was realistic enough to know that the
problem would not disappear in one day. Since he had also been told that
he needed constant If consultation and offering of ebo to solve his
problem, he was fully determined to do
just
that. Because his parents
were rich, he was ready to spend. Waiting for some time, he went in
search of otherAwo.
417
lfa Dida: An invtaton to lfa Consultaon
tg lwgnr{nwQn Awo oko lg
tg Aaam Awo
eb
ogri lg
AwQrlnwn Awo oko, k ma g'je, k ma gjg
Alem Awo
$b
ogiri, k ma gje, k ma
fje
Kl wqn m b fi bi hlhl kan htht
fbg
ni wgn nl kge
Translation
He wenttoAwQnr{nwqn, the Iguana, the Awo of the farm
And went to Alam, the Lizard, the Awo of the Wall-side
Let AwqnnwQn, the Awo of the farm be selective in where
he looks for food
And Alaamu, the Awo of the wall-side be careful with
Where he associates with others
Lest they allow two scaly substances to get n contact
With each other
He was advised to offer ebq
After waiting patiently for results to come out and he could not easily
perceive any, he approached the two Awo mentoned above. They too
advised him to contnue to offer gbg
as that was the only solution to his
problems.
They perseverance,
there would be solution to his problem.
He
offered the prescribed gbg
and contnued to
pray
to Oldmar. He was
totally convinced that one day, his problems
would be solved.
tqOgeeyeaylq
tg rowe e,
yg
Qrun
lg
Ogeeygay,kma
Sqje,
kma gq je
Kow eyg Orun, k ma gq jg,
kO maa gq je
K'JeQbarlga mejl ma baafoju kan'raawgn
fbgni
wQn nl k9e
Translation
He wentto 0g, the bird of the world
And wentto Kow, the bird of the high heavens
Let Oge the bird of the world be selective in where
he looks for food
And Kowee, the bird of the high heavens, be careful
with where he associates with others
Lest two birds of
Qbr'lg,
get in contact with each other
418
i.l'
o**, ue
He was advised to offer ebo
I
After waiting for sometime, he approached the two Babalwo mentioned
above. They also advised him to continue to consult If and offer gbg as
frequently as
possible. They asked him to offer ceftain
9b9.
He did. He
was asked to
go home and continue
praying and went for the benevolence
of Oldmar. He continued to
pray. He was more determined, than ever
before, to solve his problems.
tg tkun nff fagbrl ge'l lg
Kelenrbe nllfQn ojun
g'odo {
Ete oke, tlslQ |a fl k ha, ho
Qpoju
ikn nll bo ob mqh
Dl fun
Qgrlrara
Tll g'gmq Bayew
Tti jaylekkk
Ttijayele kokooko bl o,ta
fbg
niwqn nl kge
Translation
He went to "the Mucus makes the skull its home"
{
And went to "Phlegm makes the throat its abode"
And went to "the upper and lower lips are used to shout haa-hoo"
And to overgrown belly is it that covers a woman'vagina"
They were the Awo who castlf for
Qgrara
The son of Bayw
Whowas living a life of hardshiP
And living a life as difficult as a
pebble-stone
He was advised to offer
gbg
Qgarara
went to the four Awo mentoned above for If consultation in
i
continuation of his search for solution to his problems. The Awo also
advised him to continue to cast If regularly and offer all the appropriate
ebq.
He also compled. When they were discussing and analyzing his
journey
through life, he mentioned to the four Awo that he had once been
to six other Babalwo for solution to his problem. The four Awo then
contacted the other six Awo whom
Qgrara
mentioned and together the
10 of them deliberated on the best solution to his problem. While they were
discussing, they asked him about the circumstances of his birth. He
explained to them. There and then the Awo consulted If and
QwQnfn-
(
\
419
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consuftation
M) was revealed agan. They then explained to
Qgrlrara
that he was a
direct son of Oldmar himself. And that since a chameleon was used
before he was born, the
power which Oldmar gave
chameleon to
attract any colour to itself resided in him. He was asked to go home and
wish for anything in life and Oldmar would surely uphold it. There was
nothing that he would fervently wish for that would not be given to him by
Oldmar. He was told to always put it in mind that, " ab alggmg
bd, ni Orig Oke n gba" meaning; the wishes of the chameleon are
always upheld and accepted by the divinity".
Qgarara
was asked to go
home and continue to wish for all the ire in life in a realistic manner.
Reaching home,
Qgrlrara
placed
all his needs on a scale of
priority.
He
concluded that his immediate priority is for him to be loved by all and for
him to love all in return. He continued to wish for this earnestly. Soon,
other
people who had hitheto hated him began to see some good qualities
in him. He began to have friends. He could move freely among his peers,
soon after this he wished for a regular means of livelihood. He went into
farming. His newly cultivated friends assisted him, he made a huge success
of it. He began to wish for money and he made money. Soon after this, he
began to wish for a spouse and before long, he had his own wife. Later, he
began to wish for children and he soon had severalchildren. As a matter of
fact, his wife's first delivery was a set of twins. Afterthis, he began to wish
for his house and together with his wife and children they were able to erect
a big mansion, furnish to his taste. In short, there was nothing he asked for
that he did not get. If says there is nothings that the person whom this
Od is revealed wish for that will not come his/her way. If says that the
present hardship which he/she going
through is but a transient experience.
After sun comes rainfall.
Agbgn ml
jlajla
m
j
Dl filn Bayew
Tfylntl m'jrt gkn snrhun gmg
lbg
ni wQn nl k
9e
g'b$borr'bg
WQn nl k mafqga r'ara
Kopekoilne
L b fi qmq na bl
gknrin
Omo a bl
424
I,l,
o*orn u.
TlanfiQgar'ara
K ma pe nl
Qgrara
Qgrara
l w t IkQl
Qrun
bq w'y
N kO mrl ire kankan dnl
de'leaytn
Il ay rQg w le kokooko bl o, ta
wa tg wen In Awo Il lg
tg awgn Oorun Awo Ode 19
In Awo Il, k ma qQ jg,
k ma
fq
je
o
orun AwoOde, k ma
SQ
je,
k ma
Fqjeo
Kl wn m ba fi ibi m-m kan m-mrlrl
fbg
niwqn nl k
9e
gbg'borr'bg
tq lwqnrlnwqn Awo oko lg
tq Aaam Awo
Qb
Ogiri lg
Awqrfnwqn Awo oko, k ma
S'je,
k ma s:qje
Alam Awo
Qb
Ogiri, k maa g'je, k ma s:ie
Kl wQn m ba f b hlhl kan hlhf
f
bg ni wqn nl k
9e
gb'bgrr'bg
tq oge eyg ay lg
tg xowe e, yq
Qrun
lq
Ogeeyqay, k ma
Sq
jer
k maSqiQ
KoweyqQrun, k ma
fQje,
k ma
SE
je
K'yqQbrlg mjl m baafoit kan'raawgn
Fbg
niwqn nl kge
Ogb'Qborr'bg
tg tkun nll fagbrf ge'l lg
KqlQnrbQ nll f'Qn
Qfun
s,'do
Ete ote, etelsale l fil k ha, ho
Qpojr
ikn nll bo obo mqle
Dlfun
Qganrara
Tll g'gmg Bayewu
T ti jay le kkk
Tti jay ele kokooko bl gta
fibg
niwqn nl k
9e
gb'$bgrr'bg
jelfE w mfl nl o
Qgrara
o, Olgngnml
Oww mff nl o
Oldmar fitn mi o
Qgarara
o, Olgngnml
421
lfa Dida: An nvitation to lfa Consultation
Aya w mff feo
Oldmar fitn mi o
Qgrara
o, Olgngnmab
Qmow
mll bl o
Oldmar fn mi o
Qgrara
o, Olgngnmdl
Il w mff kS o
Oldmar fitn mi o
Qganrara
o, Olgngnml
Iregbogbow mtl nl o
Oldmarfiln mi o
Qgrtrara
o, Olgngnml
Gbogboab tl alggmg b d
Ni Ortga-ok gba
Qgrara
o, Olgngnml
Translation
Agbqn, the coconut, shook violently without
Droopping from the tree
This was the If cast for Bayw
When weeping in lamentation of his inabilityto beget a child
He was advised to offer
ebO
He complied
Afterthegbg
He was told to use chameleon to rub his body
(together with his wife)
They did as they were told
Before long, and nottoofar
They gave birth to a baby boy
The baby born after rubbing the body with a live chameleon
Letthe baby be known as
Qgrlrara
Qganrara
was coming from heaven to eath
He did not bring along any ire with him
When he reached the eafth
He approached In, the Awo ofthe House
And approached Oorun, theAwo of the main street
Let In, the Awo of the House, be selective in when he look for food
And Oorun, the Awo of the main street be careful with where he
associateswith others
Lest they allow two hot substances to get in contact with ecah other
Theyadvised him to offergbg
He complied
He went to Awgnnwgn, the Guiana, the Awo of the farm
422
l,l,
o*on, u"j
And went to Alam, the Lizard, the Awo of the Wall-side
LetAwQnf nwqn, the Awo of the farm be selectve in where
he looksforfood
And Alaamu, the Awo of the wall-side be careful with
Where he associates with others
Lestthey allow two scaly substances to get in contact
With each other
Hewas advised to offergbg
Hecomplied
He wentto Og, the bird of the world
And wentto Kow, the bird of the high heavens
Let Oge the brd of the world be selective in where
he looks for food
And Kow, the bird of the high heavens, be careful
with where he associates with others
Lesttwo birds of
Qbflg,
get in contact with each other
He was advsed to offer gbo
He complied
He also wentto"the mucus makers the skull its home"
And to "the phlegm makes the throat its abode"
And to"the upper and lower lips are used to shout haa-hoo"
And to "overgrown belly is it that covers a woman's vagna"
They werethe Awo who castlf for
Qgarara
The son ofBayew
Who was lining a life as tough as a pebble-stone
He was advised to offer
gbg
He complied
Now, I wish to love and be loved
Oldmar,
please let it be so for me
Qgrara
o, Olgngnml
I wish to have my own wife
Oldmar,
please let it be so for me
Qgrara,
Olg0ngnml
I wish to have my own children
Oldmar,
please let it be so for me
Qgrara,
Olgngnmale
I wish to have my own house
Oldmar,
please let it be so for me
Qgrara,
Olgngnml
I wish to have all the ire in life
Oldmar,
please let it be so for me
Qgrara,
olgngnml
The wishes of the chameleon
423
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
Are always upheld and accepted by the Divinity
Qgrara,
Olgngnml
If says that all the wishes of the
person
for whom this Od is revealed shall
be upheld and accepted by oldmar. All he/she needs to do is to pray
feruently for his/her needs, be realistic with such wishes and wait patiently
forthe bounty of Oldmar. The promises
of the world may go
unfulfilled
but what If promises
will never pass
unfulfilled,
L4. If says that the person
for whom this Od is revealed shall gain
the
profit
of a
parent
over his/her children. If says that all the children
wiil be wofthy children without exception. If says that there is the
need for him/her to give the children proper
training and good
moral
upbringing. He/she also needs to walk in the path
of Oldmar so
as to enable the children to emulate his/her good
ways. If says that
with proper
moral and education upbringing, her/she will have peace
of mind over his/her children; he/she wi nver regret ever begetting
any of the children. The children will however emulate their parent
in
most of their attitudes and outlook towards life. That is why it is very
imperative for him/her to behave well and have the fear of
Oldmar at heartatalltimes. On this aspect,
Qwgnr1n-Mfl
says:
Okuta a l ma g'eje
Dl filn
Qwq
Qmga
bl marn-n
jrnln
fibg
ni wQn nl k
9e
Translation
The pebble
which was broken but did not bleed
That was the If cast for
QWQ,
the hand
Who shall give
bifth to five children and made profitfrom
the five
She was advised to offer
gbg
QwQ,
the hand went to Babalwo for If consultation. She was advised to
offer gbg with two guinea
fowls so that she would be able to benefit from
all the children she would beget. She complied. She was also told to give
her children the best moral upbringing when they arrived. She was
informed that her children would not listen to what she said only but would
424
l,l
o*onrn r",,
copy more from what she did. Eventually, she
gave
bfth to five fingers and
they were all usefulto her. She
gave them the best upbringing and she had
I
peace of mind over them. None of the children died in his/her youth. She
was a very happy mother.
okta a la m g'eie
Ef fn gsg
Qmg
abl mrun-n
jr
rn
pbg
ni wQn nf k
9e
Translation ;
The pebble which was broken but did not bleed
Thatwasthe If castfor
FsQ,
the Leg
Who shall
gve birth to five children and made profit from the five
He was advised to offer
gbg
[sQ,
the Leg, also went to the same Babalwo. He was gven the same
advice as
gwQ.
He too did as he was told by the Awo. He too
gave bifth to
five toes. The children were also very useful to him. None of the children
died in his/her
youth. Ese was also a very happy father. They realized that
they succeeded because they offered
gbg and they behaved according to
i
the dictates of Oldmar and theirAwo:
Okrttaa la m g'ie
Dl filn
QwQ
Qmqa
bl mrn-n
jrrrln
fbgniwqn
nl kge

gb'bq. r'bg
Okrtaa|mg'eie
Dlfiln
gsg
;
Qmqabl
mrn-n
jrrrln
I
Sbg
ni wQn nl k
9e
gb'Qborrrl'bg
Qmg QwQ
kll k l'jtl
Qw
, Qmg FsQ
kll t'ojrl
Fse
r'Qrun
Iw klit'ojtt onlw baie
Translation
The pebble was broken, but it did not bleed
That was the If cast for
QwQ
t
425
lfa Dida: An nvitaon to lfa Consultation
Who shallgive birth to five chidren and made
profitfrom
the five
He was advised to offer
gbq
Hecomplied
The chidren of
QwQ
(fingers) will not die while
QwQ
is still alive
And the children of
fsQ
(toes) will not die before the toes.
One's character cannot be spoilt in the presence
of the owner of the character
If says that the children of the person for whom this Od is revealed shall
not die while he/she is still alive. If says that he/she shall enjoy all his/her
chidren.
15. If warns the person for whom this Od is revealed to show respect
to elders, consttuted authorities, his/her fore-fathers, the ancestors,
ORga, Irtlnmol and Oldmar at all times. Doing this, is the course
of action that will ensure success. Failure to do this will never augur
wellfor him/her.
If says that the person in question
has already achieved some
degree of success. If says that the person for whom this Od is
revealed have the tendency to show off and be rude to those above
him/her, his/her parents,
constituted authorities and/or ancestors.
If says that there had hithefto been relative peace
and harmony
where this Od is revealed, and that changes came for the worse as a
result of the rudeness and insubordination of the person for whom
this Od is revealed. In order to correct this anomaly therefore,
there is need to offer gbg with three cocks three hens, three
guinea fowls, three white pigeons
and money. After doing
this, he/she needs to respect his/her ancestors and those in positions
of authority over him/her. On this, If says:
IdklsJ
Qn
ntl rejo l'yln
Dl filn
sgin
AbfinAgbo
Wqn g'awo lg sll
QQni
Aln-kn-Esur
fbg
ni wqn nl H wQn ge
426
TI
ll o*o*in u"i
Translation
The hollow paft of a well-trekked path is t which breaks the
backofa snake
Thiswasthe If castfor
pgin,
the horse
When going on If mission to the
palace
of
QQni
of IfQ
Theywere advised to offergbg
Fgin,
the Horse and Agb, the Ram, were prominent Babalwo.' Their
reputaton had reached far beyond the communty they lived in and
everybody sighted them at alltimes. Then one day,
QQniAlana-kn-Es,
the
9ba
of Il-IfQ summoned them to his palace for If consulation. Before
they went to answer the
Qba's
call, they contacted the Awo mentioned
above for If consulatation. They wished to know how their trip to the
Qba's
palace would be: would it be successful? Would they achive what
they went there for? Would they be able to satisff the
QQni?
The Awo told them that the
QQn
invited them because things had gone
from good to bad and from bad to worse in his domain. The Awo told them
that the
QQni
was the architect of his misfoftune. He said that he had once
been
paying homage to his ancestors, the Origa and IrnmglQ of Il-Ife
witnessed
peace, progress, harmony, economic,
political and spiritual
stability. But the
QQn
allowed the success he had recorded to enter into
his head. He began to equate himself with the ancestors, OFlga, IntnmglQ
and Oldmar himself. He saw no reason why he should pay any respect
to traditionalism. Since that time, the foftune of that town had turned
upside down. There was the need for them to lay emphasis on respect to
the constituted authorities if the
9Qn
wanted the situation to change for
the better. He asked the Awo to offer
gbg with two
pigeons each. They
complied. He also asked them to serve their If with one hen each. They
also complied.After this, they set out on their
journey
to the
QQni's
palace.
As soon as they reached ll-Ife, tall-tail signs of confussion and uncertainty
were everywhere. People were looking sad, sacred and unsure of
themselves. They were suspicious of everything and everyone. They
looked and felt hungry and unkept. Even the
palace was not exempted.
The palace which was usually a beehive of activities was silent. By the time
the Awo were ushered in to the presence of the
QQni
Alna-kan-Es, it
was clear that everything was wrong with the
Qba
and his subjects.
At'qgin, t'AgbO Awo Il
QQni
Aln-kn-Esr
427
lfa Dida: An invtation to lfa Consultation
Dl firn
gQni
Alana-kn-Esur
L'jqtl krlba ilebaba rqm0
lbg
ni wEn nl k9e
Translation
Both
[gin
and AgbOthe residentAwo of
QQniAln-kn-Esr]
They were the ones who cast Ifa for
Qgni
Alan-kn-Esrl
When he did not pay homage to his ancestors anymore
He was advised to offergbg
When
gQni
Aln-kn-Esurl consulted If, the two Awo told him in their
terms that he was the architect of the hardships being experienced by the
citizenry. He was informed that he had stopped paying homage and
respect to his ancestors because he had equated himself to the Divinities
and his ancestors. Theytold him that not until he changed this attitude and
paid his homage and obeisance to elders, his ancestors, the Oga,
IrnmglQ and Oldmar, the problem
would not abate. They also told him
to offer gbg
with three pigeons,
three cocks, three hens, three
guinea fowls and money. After this, he was to feed his ancestorc as
If dictated.
The
QQni
agreed to do as the two Awo prescribed.
The
Qba
changed his
attitude to life, to his elders, to his ancestors, to OFig, to lntnmglQ, to treat
everybody, high and low, with consideration and respect. He cultivated the
habit of treating everyone with the fear of oldmar at heaft; he also
serued his ancestors, Oga, and lrrtnmglQ regularly.
Soon after this situation, Il-IfQ began to change for the better, the citizens
began to feed well, shottly after, they regained their self confidence.
Happiness retuned. Prosperity returned. Peace returned.
QQn
Aln-
kn-EsrJ made the two Awo his resident Babalwo. Every citizen of Il-IfQ
and non-citizens who resided there gavethe
Qba
more honour and respect.
For all the residents of ll-Ife, life was wofth living.
Idklsj
Qn
nll r ejo I'Qyln
IXfiln
figin
AbfilnAgbo
Wqn rr g'awo lg sll
QQniAln-kn-Es
!b9
ni wqn nl kl wQn ge
428
1,1,
o*onnr r",,
WQn gb'QbgwQn n'bq
At'ggin, t'AgboAwo Il
QQni
Aln-kn-Esu
Dl filn
gQni
Aln-kn-Es
L'jq korlba ilebaba remq
fbg
niwQn nl kge
gb'qborrrl'bg
Ibaa Bbo
IbaaYeyeo
Iba Ohwo o
Iba Araba l'le lfe
IbaAkd
IbaAged
Mo
jba
Ojgbqna
Af'eyl mo d ge o
Translation
The hollow
paft
of a well-trekked path is it which breaks the
backofa snake
This was the If cast for
fgin,
the horse
When going on If mission to the palace of
QQni
of IfQ
They were advised to offer gbg
Theycomplied
Both
fgin
and AgbOthe residentAwo of
QQniAln-kn-Esr
Theywerethe ones who castIft for
QQniAln-kn-Es
When he did not pay homage to his ancestors anymore
He was advised to offer gbg
Hecomplied
I pay homage to my father
Homageto my mother
Homageto myOhlwo
Homageto myArb of IfQ
HomagetoAkQd
HomagetoAsQd
I pay homageto OjgbQna
Unless I act without recognition and homage to elders and spiritual forces
May I succeed in all I do.
If says that the situation of the person for whom this Od is revealed shall
improve for the better. All he/she needs to do is to accord due recogniton
and respect to elders and constituted authorities. By so doing,
joy
and
success shall follow him/her for the rest of his/her life.
429
ffa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
16. If warns a
person
who is erecting a
property,
or who had
just
acquired one, or who had
just
completed one to offer ebg so that
something serious in form of disaster may not drive him/her away
from this
propefi.
The person
involved where this Od is revealed is
either the person
for whom this Od is cast or someone very close to
him/her. If says that the disaster may be in form of fire outbreak,
flood, earthquake, landslide, riot, spillage of hazardous substance,
collapsed building and so on.
If says that there is the need for the person
involved to offer gbg
with
two matured he-goats and money. He/she also needs to feed
the Elders of the night (witches). The Awo needs to ask If what
the Elders of the night want to take and give it to them as soon as the
gbg is offered. This is very serious here. On this, If says:
Etlpgn l f gbgrq-g
bQre-g bgrg
Dl firn ldlndi
Tl y mg'l
Tl konl lgbe
fbg
ni wQn nl k
9e
Translation
Epgnl creeps and crawls about
This was the If castforldindi, the cricket
Who shall erect his house
Butwould not be ableto live in it
He was advised to offer qbg
Idlndi, the cricket, was hardworking, energetic and averagely wealthy. He
had enough money with which to erect his own house and he set about
doing
just
that. He was building it in an open field. When he was about to
complete that house, he went for If consultation to find out how peaceful
he and his family would be able to live in the house, the Awo however told
him to offer gbg
so that something serious would not drive him out of the
house after completion. He was advised to offer gbg with two matured he-
goats and money. He was also asked to serve the night people.
This
infuriated him and he simply ignored the advice of the Awo. He was
convinced that the Awo was a cheat who was looking for he-goat to eat. He
was fully determined to demonstrate to the Awo that he, the Awo, was a
430
il, **rr r",,
thief and a dishonest man. Soon after this encounter with the Babalwo,
Idlndi, the cricket moved into his house, together with his family. During
the dry season, the farmers wanted to clear their farms. The farmer on
whose farm the Cricket built his house sent his son to go and clear the farm
in preparation for the new planning season. The son simply set fire on the
farm. This forced the Cricket to abandon the farm temporarily. Soon after
this, the farmer cleared the remaining shrubs on his farm and began to
cultivate the land. While the farmer was tilling the soil, the house of the
Cricket was completely demolished. This made him to abandon the house
completely. That was when the Cricket remembered the warnings of the
Awo, but alas, it was too late to make any amendment.
Etl pgnla f
9
bgrg-g bQrQ-gbgrg
Dla fin ldlndi
Tl y mg'l
Tl kO nl legbe
Fbq
ni wqn nl k
9e
ko,tl
Qgbgnhln
s'ebq
Ipln alaltubQ,
Qgb
ltr
IrQ l mg'ltl ko d'be mQ llgbo
Translation
Etlpgnla creeps and crawls about
This was the If cast forldlndi, the cricket
Who shall erect his house
But would not be able to live n it
He was advised to offer gbg
He refused to comply
Refusalto offergbg
The cricket built his house but could not go there again.
If says that it shall not allow the
person for whom this Od is revealed to
build or acquire a property he/she will not be able to live in. He/she is
advised to offer
qbg as prescribed.
AB9RABOJE
431
lfa Dida: An invtaton to lfa Consultation
B. SIGNIFICANCE OF
QWONRIN-MEJI
FORTHOSE BORN
BYTHIS ODU DURING IKOSEDAYE ORITELODU
Qwqnrln-Mil
children succeed in life through sheer-gut, determinaton,
hardwork, dedication and
perseverance.
They rise more often than not,
from grass to grace, from want to surplus, from nothing to abundance and
from obscurity to
prominence. To them, success does not come easily.
They sweat and toil for it. Once at the top however, they
quickly forget their
road to success and allow their achievement to enter their heads. They
sometimes misbehave and are rude to elders and constituted authorities.
This is why it is in the best interest of
Qwqnrfn-Mi
children to imbibe
humility and respect for elders right from their youths.
Once this is done,
the sky is the beginning of their success.
These children are very good in the fields of agriculture, arable and pastoral
politics, trading in expensive materials such as
jewelries,
state of the art
afticles, designer dresses, shoes and bags,
perfumes, wrist watches, high-
class supermarkets, salons and so on. They make more profit
than others
in the same business line simply by giving
the impression that their own
goods
and services are of better quality
and taste than those of others.
When they make their money,
QwQnrln-Mi
children are known for their
kind-heaftedness and
generousity.
Several people
around them will surely
benefit from their wealth. This attitude makes people to give them regard,
honour and respect.
For
Qwqnrln-Mjl
children, what easily makes or breaks them is human
mouth, other people's
opinion about them. What people
wish for them or
say about them really matters a lot. If they wish them well, success shall be
theirs in no time. But if people
speak badly of them or wish them bad, then
failure will not be too far from them. This is why
Qwqnrln-Mjl
children
should be very careful in their dealings with people
and should be wary of
doing things which will bring them into the bad books of others. They
should in fact be looking for the favour and approval of people in their close
vicinity. By so doing, success is assured.
It is difficult to give what rightly belongs to
QwQnln-M)
children to
others. If this is done, even without agitation, the person(s) who
432
il, o*ora, uti
fraudulently took what belonged to
Qwqnrln-Mjl
children shatl never
know peace. Nobody will teach these people
before they hand over what
they had fraudulently taken. In the case of a
position
or title, those who
usurped it will either abdicate the throne or
position
or be chased out. In
the end,
Qwqnrfn-Mil
children, whom the position rightly belonged tq
will be invited to come and occupy the position. If they do, peace
and
harmony will reign. This is because
Qwqnrfn-Mjl
children are highly
intelligent and are
good
organizers of people
and events. They have human
consideration, hu mi I ity wisdom a nd u ndersta nd ing.
QwQnrln-Mil
children strive best when they have, in addition to their
real names, aliases or pet-names. They should try to ensure that everybody
addresses them by their pet names. By so doing, success will be
accelerated. They will make more progress
than if they use only their real
names. Their guardian
spirits are more favourably disposed towards their
usage of aliases andlor
pet names than that of real names.
Qwqnrln-Mjl,
males and females make good spouses and they live
happily in their matrimonial homes. Male
Qwqnr{n-Mjl
children
however need to ensure that their spouses do not push
them to do what
they will live to regret for the rest of their lives. This is because they are
usually blessed with wives who shall be demanding for too much from
them. Their wives want to be pet, cajoled, pampered
and spoiled. In the
process, the wives employ series of tactics such as crying, bullying,
pleading, threatening, cursing and intimidation to twist the arms of their
husbands to do their bids.
QwQnrln-Mjl
children need to look out for
such tricks and comply with only those which may not cause regrets later.
At the same time,
QwQnrln-Mil
male children must never snatch
another man's wife as nothing good will come out of it. Only regrets, pain
and anguish will be the result. For
Qwqnrln-Mjl
female children, they
should be faithful and loyal to their husbands at all times. There may be
misunderstanding they should find a means of resolving them. They stand
to lose everything if they are not loyal or if they allow separation to take
place between them and their husband. The day palmwine leaves the
bottle-gourd, it is either consumed or it spilled away and is of no benefit to
anyone. This is why
Qwqnrfn-Mil
female children need to stickto their
433
lfa Dida: An invitaton to ffa Consuftation
husbands, o mater the hardship experenced there.
OwQnrin-MJl
children, males and females had been created by oldmare to enjoy
marital lives. They must be contented with their spouse and no-one else.
That is the secret of their matrimonial happiness.
Qwqnrln-MT
children are also blessed with good
children. All
Qwgnrln-Mit
children have the potentials
to be useful parents.
That is
why
QwQnrln-Mjl
children need to teach their kids in the way of the
Deities and oldmar before they grow
up to maturity. They also have
the luck of not experiencing the death of their young
ones, especialty their
biological children. They can be sure that all of their children wilt still be
alive when they grow
old and die.
Qwgnr{n-Mjl
children too have a
great propensity
to live long and grow
old before they die.
Qwqnrln-Mil
children need to be careful when it comes to the issue of
accommodation or acquisition of propefties.
Appropriate gbg needs to be
offered so as to ensure that they are able to live in the property
they
acquire.
In all,
Qwqnrln-Mjl
childrn will live long and enjoy relatively peaceful
lives. No matter the hardship they face, it is
just
a temporary situation.
They will be happy and they will enjoy the fruit of their labour.
C. Affiliated Orlga And lrnmgQ Of
Qwgnr{n-Mjl
If for progress, prosperity, protection,
victory love, children and
longevity and protection
aga inst Ajog u n
orl
-
for protection
against slanderers, and for progress,
success, and
freedom from bondage, for honour and recognition.
Egu
Qdara
-
for success and victory for prosperity
and protection
against slanderers.
Ibejl (Diety of Twins) -
for children and especially for multiple
births.
OgUn - for victory against adversary.
Fleyg
(witches) for favourable public
opinion
Od -
for protection
against ailments
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
i,?'
owonrn u"
8,
gbatl - for child-bearing and success.
9.
Fgb
-
for leadership, success and accomplishment
D. Taboos Of
Qwqnrfn-Mjl
1. Mustnoteatcoconut
-
toavoidchild-bearingproblems
2. Must not be envious of other
people's achievements
-
to avoid being
humi Iiated and disgraced.
3. Must never snatch other
people's spouses
-
to avoid humiliation and
i
disgrace.
4. Must not maltreat strangers
-
to avoid missing help from strangers
5. Must not use tipgnl for anything
-
to avoid disaster which willl
drive him/her from home.
6. Must not eat rats
-
to avoid reduction in progress
7. Must not eat catfish
- to avoid reduction in progress
8. Must not be rude to elders and constituted authority
- to avoid
collapse in his/her progress and to avoid everlasting regrets.
9. Must not allow himself to be pushed by his spouse
-
to avoid
everlasting regrets
10. Must never underestimate others
-
to avoid being disgraced.
E. Possible Names Of
QwQnrln-Mjl
Children During
Ikqsgdy
Male
I. FkyQd If bringsjoy
(
i Fdllsl
- If sparesthis child
i Fqeyltn If does me a
greatfavour
iv Orlgl
- The Ori of honour
v
QpQlr
- If is profitable
Female
I. Fgbuyl
-
If is prestigious
. Fdre - If vindicates me
I
435
lfa Dida: An invitation to tfa Consuttation
i. Fbnm -
If gves
me this
iv. odgbfibl -
od assists me n giving
bfth to this
v. Adtut -
The crown is coor and comfortabre
AB9R AB9YE
436
Chapter 7
OBARA
I
MEI
tl
ilil
ll ll
ll ll
Chapter 7
OgARA
I
MEJI
A.
1. If says that it foresees the ire of
prosperity
for the person for whom
this Od is revealed. If says that he/she brought his/her destiny of
being a
prosperous person
from heaven. If says that he/she shall
prosper
and the whole world will know
If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed needs to offer
gbg with three white pigeons
and feed If with one hen. On
this
Qbara-M|
hasthisto say.
Eyl wesewese n dffa
Eyl wesewese rt dTbO
OrOrqwgn l'gb nlnrt
Gbogbo wgn ni wqn nd wsewse nlbi awo qlge
Gbogbowgn ni wQn rl dradra
Dlfn Ejl-Qbara
Tlyoot'ojrl
QlQrun
l w'ybl gba
erekg
fbg
ni wqn nl k
9e
Translation
The tiny ones are casting If
And the small ones are holding thelbO determinants
Or00rg birds have no elders among them
They are all tiny and of the same size while performing
If rituals
They are all beautiful to look at
These were lf's declarations to E)-Qbara
Who shall come to eafth with prosperity
from heaven
Asthe
Qba
of riches
He was advised to offergbg
When the entire sixteen principal
Od were coming into the world from
heaven, they all went to AjalamQpln to choose their various destinies. EI-
438
*l ooara u"
Qbara
chose as paft of his own destiny boundless
prosperty. After this, he
went to the Awo mentioned above to determine his capability to manage
and control the
prosperity he had chosen. The Awo assured him that he
would be successful in managing his success. He would also be so
prosperous that he would be compared to the
Qba
of Riches. He was
therefore advised to offer
gbg with three white pigeons. Because he was a
disciple of If and because his prosperity would manifest most as a
Babalawo, he was advised to serve If with one hen. He complied and set
out on his
journey
into the world,
While on eafth, he took to If practice as his profession in accordance with
his destiny. Before long, he was so successful and
prosperous that
everyone was looking for him. When asked how he made it so rich like
that, he responded that his prosperitywas not by accident. He had been a
prosperous person from heaven because he was destined to be so. When
he responded thus, those close to him had no option but to make a
comparison between him and
Qba Frke,
the
Qba
of riches. They
concluded that Efl-Qbara and
Qba Frke
were equal in wealth and
prosperity.
Eyl wsewese n d'lfa
Ey{ wsewsert dTbO
Orrqwgn l'gb nf nu
Gbogbo wgn ni wQn rtd wsewse nlbi awo
gfge
Gbogbowgn niwQn rl dradra
Dlfiln Ejl-Qbara
Tl yt'ojrl
QlQrun
l w'y bl gba
ereke
Sbgniwqn
nl k9e
gb'gborr'bg
Kopekojlnn
f
wa b ninl
jQbrlt
ire
Translation
The tiny ones are casting If
And the small ones are holding thelb determinants
Or0r birds have no elders among them
They are alltiny and of the same size while performing If rituals
They are all beautiful to look at
These were lf's declarations to E)-Qbr
439
lfa Dida: An invitaton to lfa Consultation
Who shal I come to earth wth prosperity from heaven
As the
Qba
of riches
He was advised to offer gbg
He complied
Nottoo late, and nottoo far
Join us in the midst of all ire
If says that it is the part
of the destiny of the person for whom this Od is
revealed to be very prosperous.
Even if there were initial financial
hardship, he/she will still triump. He/she will use money to perform
wonders in life. He/she only needs to offer gbg
so as to enable him/her
manage the prosperity when it comes.
2. If says that it foresees prosperity for the person for whom this Od is
revealed. If says that for this prosperity
to come, he/she needs to
take his/her personal matter more seriously than that of a group. If
says that the person for whom this Od is revealed is too group
conscious and that he/she is doing that atthe expence of his/her own
personal
safety, comfort and/or success chances. If says that even
though there are benefits in doing group job
or taking the interest of
a
group
at heart, there is the need for the
person
for whom this Od is
revealed to always take time off to attend to his/her own welfare. If
says that if this person wentto consult If with a
group
on a
project
or
any undeftaking affecting the group,
there is the need for him to
consult If again on the same subject but this time around on an
individual basis. If says that there is the chance that he/she will
excel as an individual where the group has failed. If says that there
is the need for the person
for whom this Od is revealed to offer ebo
with three white pigeons,
three guinea fowls and money.
He/she also needs to serue If with four rats, four fish, one hen
and money. He/she then needs to be more individualistic in
approach and reduce his/her involvement in group
activities. There
lies his/her success and prosperity.
On these If says:
A O m'orf afjrt l'gb
A O m'gsg o$ka l'na
A m'orf oly l'wjg
444
* oura ue
Dl filn Ejl-Erlndlnlgn Ord
wqn lg rge'bgr nll91,fn
Fbq
niwqn ff kl wqn qe
Translation
We know notthe head of the blind in a guild
And we know notthe leg of the wicked on the road
And we know notthe head of a title-holder in an assembly
These were the If cast for the 16 principal Od
When going on If mission to
QlQfin's
palace
They were advised to offer
qbg
The
QlQfin
of Ife was experencng some undisclosed
problems.
Consequent upon this, he summoned the 16 princlpals Od to his palace for
If consultation. As a resultof
QlQfin's
invitation, the 16 principalOd went
to the
group
of Awo mentioned above for If consultation; Would they
succeed where they were going? Would they be able to satisff
Qlqfin?
Would they be able to solve his problems? Would
QlQfin
accord them their
due respect and recognition? Would luck smile on them at the end of their
mission?
The Awo assured them that they would succeed in their mission; that they
would be able to satisfy
QlQfin;
that they would be able to solve his
problems;
that would surely accord them their due respect and recognition
and that Iuck would smile on them all at the end of their mission in Olfin's
palace. They were all advised to offer
gbg with three
pigeons, three guinea
fowls, and money. They were equally advised to feed If with four rats, four
fish, one hen and money. They all complied. When they left the house of
the Babalwo they fixed a time to assemble for their depafture to
QlQfin's
palace,
On his way back home,
Qbara-Uet
had an urge to cast an individual If on
their trip to OlQfin's
palace. He therefore went to consu lt the following Awo :
Awgn t'ara eni l t0
T'ara gni l
j
Awon bl onltirt
Qla
kll'r{ b9
Nff m Babalwo d'lf ojooj mQ
441
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
Awgn
Qn
gl ko
jlnn
K'rl
gb'ni d'be l gro
fitn Ejl-Qbara
Tl rrlq r g'bgru nll
QlJn
fbg
ni wqn nl kge
Translation
That which concerns one is right (to give priority)
Thatwhich concernsone is more impoftant
And as we find today
Tomorrow will not be
That is what prompts Babalwo to cast If on a daily basis
And "the road to success is notfar"
"What is important is for our destiny to lead us there"
TheyweretheAwo who castlf for E'l-Qbara
When going on If mission toQlQfin's palace
He was advised to offer ebo
The three Awo mentioned above told
Qbara-M|
that he would succeed
where he was
going
and that he would be the one to save his other
colleagues from disgrace and humiliation. He was informed that where he
was going to, there were three main problems;
one, the first chd and the
heir apparent of
QlQfin
was very ill and he was in the verge of death. He
told him of the appropriate ebo to offer in order to ensure a
quick recovery
of the sick son; two, one of
QlQfin's
wives was pregnant
and was about to
deliver, he recommended what to do to ensure a safe delivery; and three,
QlQfin
wished to know what to do to live long on the throne of his ancestors.
He also recommended appropriate ebo to ensure that
QlQfin
lived long on
thethrone.
In order to make it
possible for EI-Qbr to succeed in Olfin's palace,
the
Awo advised him to offer
gbg with three white pigeons,
three guinea fowls,
white clothe, red clothe, black clothe and money. He was also advised to
serue If with four rats, four fish, one hen and money. He complied. After
this, he was advised not to go
on the trip to
QlQfin's
palace with the group.
He was told to go alone after all the other 15 principal
Od had set out on
the trip.
While at home, E)-Qbara decided to feed If as
prescribed
by the Awo. In
442
l,i
the period that he was doing this, all the remaining 15 principd
Oiloi*:
waiting for him at the agreed meetng point. When they did not see him,
they decided to go and call him so that all of them could leave together at
the sametime.
They met E)-Qbara seruing If with four rats, four fish and one hen. He told
the others that he was busy and there was no need for them to wait for him
to finish what he was doing. He asked them to
proceed
to
QlQfin's
palace
and that he would
join
them there as soon as he finished serving If. The
others left for
QlQfin's
palace
and Efl-Qbr continued to feed If.
At the
QlQfin's
palace, the remaining 15 princlpal
Od consulted If for
QlQRn.
They predicted
the ire of wealth, good
spouse, brighter success
chances and many more children for
QlQfin.
They advised him to offer
gbg
with rat, fish, ewes, goats and pigeons. Olqfin agreed to do so but he was
not completely satisfied as those were not the reasons why he summoned
the Awo for If consultaion.
QlQfin
ordered his aides to procure allthe ebo
materials for the Babalawo. The materials were procured. As soon as this
was done, the Babalwo wanted to offer the
gbg. As they were preparing
to do this, ET-Qbr entered
QlQfin's
palace. When the other principal
Od
informed him that they had consulted If for
Qlqfin
and
Qbara-M)
was
revealed, E)-Qbara toH
QlQfin
that he had summoned allthe principalOd
because of three major developments in his life; one, his first son was ill;
two, one of his wives was on the verge of giving bfth and he was nursing
the fear that all might not be well with her; and three, he wanted to know
what he needed to do in order for him to live long and happily on the throne
of his ancestors. He advised
QlQfin
to offer gbg with a he-goat for his first
son to get well; another he-goat for his wife to deliver safely; and yet,
another he-goat for him to have victory over untimely death.
Qlqfin
ordered his aides to go
and
procure
the three he-goats immediately. He
then declared that those were truly the three reasons why he had
summoned the 16 principal
Od for If consultation. He showered his
praises
on
Qbara-M)
for his competence. He insisted that he would want
Qbara-lVel
and no one else, to offer the
gbg for him. Efl-Qbara offered the
qbg
as requested by
QlQfin.
All those
present
agreed that the 16 principal
Od succeeded in diagnosing all the problems
being faced by
QlQfin,
but
that if not for Efl-Qbara, they would not have succeeded.
443
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consuftation
Qlqfin
feasted the 16 principal
Od to a lavish dinner. They ate and drankto
their satisfaction. At the end of it all, he gave
them dresses, several
expensive ornaments, beads, money and drinks. He also made a
personal
gift
of three horses to
Qbara-MT,
one white, one red and one black. That
was how all the 16 principal
Od succeeded in their mission to
QlQfin's
palace, but E:l-Qbr excelled and became more recognized and more
prosperousthan allthe other 15 principal
Od.
A O m'orf afjrt l'gb
A O m'ese O$k I'Qn
A O m'orl oly l'wjg
Dl fitn Ejl-Erlndlnlgrln Ord
wqn rrlg r g'bgr nll
gl.f
n
fbg
ni wgn nl kl wqn ge
WQn gb'Qbg, wgn rrt'bg
Awgn t'ara gni ltQ
T'ara gni lj
Awon blOnltirl
Qla
kll d be
l{ff mu Babalwo d1f ojoojmQ
Awgn
qna gle ko
jlnn
K'rl gb'ni
d'bQ l goto
filn Ejl-Qbara
Tl lg r g'bgnl nll
9l,
fn
Fbg
niwgn nl k
9e
gb'Qbgr'bg
Qbara
nlkan lo ru'bgapesln
Njg
Qbara
gb'qgin drtdrl gn
fgin
ddrl
Qbara
gb'ggin pupa gn
fgin
pupa
Njg
Qbara
gb'99in funfun gn
f;ginfunfun
QlQbara
l re'l
qlQfn
lqq le w'l
Er lpo, ero
Qfa
f
w b ni nl tl ire o
Translation
We know notthe head of the blind in a guild
And we know notthe leg of the wicked on the road
And we know notthe head of a title-holder in an assembly
444
i oo"r" ue
These were the If cast forthe 16 principal
Od
When going on If mssion to
Qlqfin's
palace
Theywere advised to offergbg
Theycomplied
That which concerns one s right (to give priority)
Thatwhich concerns one is more impoftant
And aswefind today
Tomorrow will not be
That is what prompts Babalwo to cast Ifa on a daily basis
And "the road to success is notfar"
"What is impoftant is for our destiny to lead us there"
They were the Awo who cast If for E-Qbara i
When going
on If mission to
QlQfin's
palace
He was advised to offer gbg
Hecomplied
Only Ej'l-Qbara offered the
ebq
of being served by the
multitude of
people
Now
Qbara
ride on this black horse
Averyblackhorse
And ride on this red (brown) horse
Avery red (brown) horse
And on this white horse
Averywhite horse i
Qbara
is he who went to
QlQfin's
palace
and became very
prosperous
Travellers tolpo and
Qfa
Join us in the midstof all ire in life
If says that allthe good things of life shall come the way of the person for
whom this Od is revealed. Please note the relationshp between the
white, red and black clothes which EI-Qbara added as paft of his gbg
materials and the gift
of white, red (brown) and black horses by
i
Qqfn.
This shows that there is always a relationship between the gbg
materials offered and the reward of If to those who offered the gbg. If
says that the person for whom this Od is revealed will excel more as an
individual than is being paft
of a group. He/she shall be adequately
rewarded and showered with gifts
as an individual.
3. If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed shall not
experience hardship for long in his/her life. If says that if he/she is
{
445
Ifa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultaon
suffering
presently, the suffering will soon disappear. If says that if
the
person for whom this Od is revealed is a man, he needs to be
listening to his wife regulady because it is through his wife that his
prosperity will come. And for a woman, she needs to encourage and
urge her husband onto success. If she continues to do this, before
long, success shall cometheirway in a big way.
If says that the work that both husband and wife were doing
presently is not their dream work. They however need to persevere
as luck will soon come their way and they will be able to do any work
of their fancy. If says that the success being referred to is coming
from three different ways. The success, when it comes, will be big
enough to
put an end to their suffering for the rest of their lives.
If advises the
person for whom this Od is revealed is to offer
gbg
with three white pigeons
and money. After this, there is the
need to feed If with one hen. On all these, a stanza in
Qbara-Me)
says:
Iggl'omiarnl plpgn
Iy l'gl nl lllQ
K I'Qgl-l'Qgl
K re'nlgbglQQfQ'w
K f'gbe bgnu bl agegi
Obl I'gmg eyen ta
D{ fil n
Q9u
nfil nu nlJQ
Tll g'aya Agbgnnlgn
Tl oun ti
Qrnmll
9awo re'bi jt
jln gbggrg bf ojq
Fbq
ni wQn nl kl wQn ge
Translation
Tribulation accounts for fetching blue-dye water
And suffering accounts for grinding soaked corn
After grinding the soaked corn without end
For one to go to the forest to fetch leaves
And then break into a howl like a wood-hewer
Kolanuts are what responsible people
sell
These were the If cast for
Qgunfnnl,
yO
Thewifeof
Qrrfnmll
When she and
Qrnmll
were going on If Business
446
l! ooara ue
to a far, far place like the day itself
Theywere advised to offergbg
Qrnm'il,
in spite of his effectiveness and efficiency, was not successful.
He was suffering. He had no money. He had very few customers. If he
attended to one customer one day, it would take several days before
another one would be attended to. If he had some amount one day, he
would spend all and suffer for some more days before he got another
money. Much as he tried, there was no improvement. He however knew
that the situation would surely change for the better. He was sure that luck
would soon smile on him, but how soon, he was not sure. He continued to
persevere. He however had the dream of becoming a great man and an
accomplished If priest in his life. He knew that he was the most
knowledgeable Babalwo on eafth since he was the one who brought the
Aft into the world, but he had few to show for his expeftise and in depth
knowledge of the Aft. Hq was however ready to wait until that time when
his wofth in the community would be commensurate with his knowledge of
hiswork.
The poverty of
Qrnmll
had rubbed in on his wife,
QgunfUnnlyQ.
She
was equally suffering. She had no money, she used to fetch blue-dye
water and sell at an unbelievably cheap rate before she could eat. This was
even not in great demand. She might find a customer today it would take
several days before she found another. When the blue-dye water was not
needed by her customers, she would go in search of those who had soaked
corn to
grind. If she found one, she would grind it for them at a token.
This work was very demanding on her energy and her health. She had no
option but to do it, except if she
planned
to starue. Sometimes after
grinding
the corn, she would go into the forest to fetch wrapping leaves for
the owners of the soaked leaves for them to use to wrap their corn mealfor
sale. All of these chores would be done at a ridiculous price.
Sometimes, it
may be wood she would go into the forest to hew for others. This too used
to attract small money for her. She could not change her cloths as the
money she was making was not enough for such luxury. She however had
her ambition of becoming a kola-nut seller. This ambition remained a mere
dream since she had no money to translate her dream into reality.
One day,
Qrnm'll
got tired of life in his locality. He decided to travel far
447
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
and try his luck elsewhere. He called his wife and informed her of his
decision. On hearing this,
QgunfrlnnlQyQ
approached the group
of Awo
mentioned above for If consultation. This group was trained by
Qrunm)l.
She wanted to know how their intended new place
of abode
would be for them. She also wanted to know if it was wise or not for them
to move outof their present location.
This Awo assured her that success was at hand; that it was so close that
they could almost touch it; that it was wise for them to move out of their
present location because the success was already waiting for them in their
new location; that the success being referred to was coming to them from
three different directions; and that such success would spell the end of
their suffering and want in life. They however advised that
Qrnmll
needed to heed the advice and warnings of his wife as the success being
referred to was coming to the couple through the wife. They also advised
QgunfnnlQyQ
to always guide her husband aright and be objective in all
the advices she would be offering to her husband. They were equally
informed that there was the need for them to offer gbg with three white
pigeons
and money. The Awo also told them to serve If with one hen. It
took the couple four long days before they could gather
enough resources
to buy the gbg materials. They offered the gbg, fed If and they set out on
theirjourney.
Since they could not afford a horse, they trekked, and trekked. They really
had no specific destination in mind. They continued to go and go. After
many days of travelling, they decided to settle down in a community they
arrived at.
Qrrfnm'il
resumed work as a Babalwo.
QgunfrtnnlQyQ
his wife
resumed her work as a blue-dye water fetcher, soaked corn
grinder,
wrapper leaves fetcher, and wood hewer. Their situation did not change
much from what they were experiencing where they came from. Both
husband and wife were however determined to persevere
until Oldmar
answered their
prayers.
In this community however, the
Qba
wanted to determine who the
greatest
seer of his generation
was. He therefore organized a test for all
Babalawo, Herbalist, Clairuoyants and the occultists in his community and
its environments. Several others from far and near were invited. They all
448
il* ooara uei
came with various nstruments of divination.
Qrunmlla
was one of the
compettors. The
Qba
ordered his aides to construct three huts in a nearby
farm. The first hut was filled with money and sealed up; the second was
filled with expensive beads and sealed up; and the third was filled with
expensive and latest dresses for both men and women and sealed up. The
three huts were constructed in an identical manner. The purpose of this
competition was for the seers to come forward and identify the contents
inside the three huts.
A date was set for the competition
proper. That day
Qrnmll
woke up
early in the morning and set out for the
Qba's
palace while
QgunfnnlQyQ
his wife went to the forest in search of wrapping leaves. Unknown to her
however, very close to where she was fetching the leaves was where the
council of chiefs were making the last deliberations on how to set about the
competition in an organized way and at the same time for them to be able to
know when any of the competitors
gave the correct information on what
was inside the three identical huts. After much deliberation, they decided
to mark the hut filled with money with chalk; that filled with expensive
beads with cam-wood; and that filled with the lasted dressing materials
with charcoal. While they were taking these decisions,
QgunftlnnlyQ
overheard everything. She
quickly left the forest and headed for the
Qba's
palace. There, she looked for a way of
passing her information to
QrnmIl
since she was not allowed to enter the competition venue. She sought and
got permission to talk to her husband from where she was. She then chose
to use IyQrQ to speak to him. She then shouted at the top of her voice,
saying:-
Mo ltn o kun o,
Qrnmll
bara Agbgnnlregtn
I9Q I'omi ar nl dld.....hgn
Olw mir ly I'Ogl nl lllQ o...,..hgn
K I'Qgl-l'Qgl tn
K re'n lgb$ IQQ f$'w.... hgn
K f'gbe bgnu bl agqgi ....hen
Qrrtnmll
obl I'gmg yn t o.....hgn
Dl fitn un
QgunfitnnlyQ
TI ng'aya lwg Agbgnnlrgrln.....hgn
Tl rlblwg
Qrrnmll
g'awo re'bit
jln gbqqrg bl ojQ o.....hqn
f;bg
ni wqn nl k'wgn
ge....hgn
Rntl wlpe a gb'gbg, a rrl'bg o,....hll
449
lfa Dida: An invitaton to lfa Consuftation
K w m'fun k f tq'laj.,...hqn
olw mi, k m'sn k f tq'llQkQ o.,...hgn
Ka m'du k fi tq'le agg.....hen
.
Ar m lsowo qpe
Ohun tl trbe nlbQ ni mo wl fitn g
o .....hen
Translation
Listen attentively
Qrr:nm'il
the Baba Agbgnlregn
Remembr'tribu lation accounts for fetching blue-dye water'
My beloved, and 'suffering accounts for grinding
soaked corn'
And 'after grinding the soaked corn without end....yes
For one to go to the forest to fetch leaves'....yes
And 'to break into a howl like a wood hewer' ...yes
And kola-nuts are what responsible people
sell'
Remember that these were the If cast for me
Q$unfnnlyQ
your wife....yes
When I was to follow you
on If business to a far, far place
as far as
the distance between the sun and eafth....yes
They advised us to offer gbg....yes
Remember that we did comply....yes
And now they marked the hut filled with money with chalk....yes
Remember, my love, they marked that of expensive beads with
camwood...yes
And that of latest clothing materials with charcoal ....yes
My comrade in If practice
I have
just
told you
the contents there-in ....yes
Because
QgunfrlnnlQy
was communcatng to
QrnmTl
with If special
songs, only Onf nmll understood all what she had
just
said. Wth herlyQrQ,
she reminded
Qrnmll
about the Awo who cast If for them; her
sufferings in his home; her dream of becoming kola-nut seller; the advice of
the Awo; how they had complied with the advice; and the
promise
of If to
them that their sufferings were about to come to an end. All these,
OnJnml l understood perfectly. .
He waited patiently for his turn to tell the crowd what was inside the three
huts.
All the other seers tried but failed. When it was the turn of
Qrnm'ila,
he
first made and elaborate show of it. He ensured that the attention of
everyone there was attracted to himself. He then announced that the first
hut marked with chalk was filled with money, the second ntarked with cam-
450
il* oo"r" u"i
wood was filled with expensve beads; while the third one marked with
charcoal was filled with dresses. In the end,
Qrnmll
was declared the
winner of the competition. The
Qba
then ordered that everything inside the
three huts be
given to
Qrrlnmll
for his personal use. The
Qba
also made
Qrrlnmll
his personal Babalwo. That was how the sufferings and
tribulations of
Qrnm)l
and
QgunfrlnnlQyQ
his wife came to an end.
Qrrlnmll
became an accomplished Babalwo while his wife became a
successfu I kola-n ut magnate.
Igq I'omi ar nl plpgn
Iy I'Ogl nl lllQ
i
K I'Qgl-l'Qgl
K re'nrllgbg IQQfQ'w
K fi'gbe bgnu bl a999i
Obl I'gmg eeyan te
Ill filn
Qgunfununl,
yQ
Tll g'ayaAgbgnnlrgun
Tl oun ti
Qrnml|
iawo re'bi jt
jln gbggrg bl oie
fbg
ni wqn ff kl wqn
9e
WQn gb'bq wgn r'bg
K w m'rfun k fi tQ'l aj
olw mi, k m'sn k fi tq'llleke
Ka m'ed kfit'QIagg
Ar mlSowo
qpe
Gbogbo nkan tl bg nl yr t'Awo ni o
Translation
Tribulation accounts for fetching blue dye water
And suffering is grinding soaked corn
After grinding the soaked corn without end
Foronetogototheforesttofetch leaves
I
And then howl like a wood-hewer
Kola-nuts are what responsible
people sell
These were the If cast for
Qgunfrf
nnlQyQ
The wife of
Qrunm)l
When she and
Qrunmll
weregoing on If business
to a far, far place like the distance between the sun and the earth
Theywere advised to offergbg
Theycomplied
They marked the hut filled with money with chalk
They marked the one filled with beads with cam-wood
i
451
lfa Dida: An invitaon to lfa Consuftaon
They marked the one filled with material with charcoal
My comrades in If practice
All the contents of the three huts belongs to Awo
If says that the tribulation and sufferings of the person for whom this Od
is revealed and his/her spouse shall come to an end soon. If says that
they will be able to actualize their potentials in life and that their dreams will
come true. In fact, they will succeed more than they ever think possible in
their wildest imaginations.
4. If says that it foresees the ire of
prosperity for the person for whom
this Od is revealed. If says that he/she needs not to be in a hurry
as his/her prosperity
shall come at the right time. If says that the
work of the
person
for whom this Od is revealed shall make him/her
great. If says that what he/she needs to do is to offer
gbg
for
prosperity
and wait patiently for his/her time to come.
If says that there is the need for the person for whom this Od is
revealed to offer gbg with three white pigeons
and money. After
this, he/she needs to serve If with pumpkin
cooked with
melon. If says that with this gbg, truthfulness, perseverance
and
patience,
the success of the
person
for whom this Od is revealed
shall surely come. An aspect of
Qbara-MJ|
in suppot of this
asseftion says:
K m'_fun k fi tQ'l aj
K m'sn k f tq'lileke
K m'd k f tQ'l agg
Akqd orl wgn kll rre l'l oj
Dlfiln Ejl-Qbara
Tl y
9e
lkeje Od wl ay
Tl rl b wgn re'l
Ql,fi
n lg ree g'bg
fbg
ni wQn nl k
9e
Translation
Let us markthe room filled with money with chalk
And the room filled with beadswith cam-wood
And the room filled with cloths with charcoal
452
fril ooara ue
The first corn meal can never linger for too long in the market
These were the If cast for El-Qbara
Who shall come into the world as the seventh Od
.
And who shall accompany others to
QlQfin's
palace
on If
mission
He was advised to offer
gbQ
When the 16 principal Od were comng into the world from heaven,
Qbara-Uef
occuped the seventh
position. He was advised to ensure that
he maintained that
postion at all times. He was advised never to aspire to
be in any higher position
than that as that position would bring boundless
opportunities to him. He was also advised to await his turn after the senior
principalOd, viz
-
E)-Ogb,
Qykr1-M),Iwfl-M),Odf-me;l,Irosn-M;T
and
QwQnfn-M)
had taken their turn in anything the group wished to do
before he could come forward and take his own turn. He was advised
never to be in a hurry in anything he planned to do. He took to these
advises and lived by them.
While on eafth, he always ensured that his number seven
position was
maintained. He never demanded for a higher position. He used to take his
turn in anything he did. He was never in haste for anything in life. So,
when
QlQfin
invited the 16 principal
Od again for If consultation he went
to the group of Awo mentioned above for If consultation o his own. He
wanted to know what his success chances would be like in
QlQfin's
palace.
The Awo informed him that he would once again be more successful than
all his colleagues
put together. He was advised to go alone, uphold the
truth, take his turn and maintain decorum. He was also advised to offer
gbg with three white
pigeons
and money. He was told that he also needed
to serve If with
pumpkin. The Awo informed him that
Qlqfin
needed to
serve If with pumpkin as well so that there would be comfort, peace,
progress and development in his community.
In the
palace of
QlQfin,
the 16 principal Od cast If for
QlQfin.
One by one,
stafting from Eji-Ogb, they narrated the revelation of the oracle to
QlQfin.
They all
predicted peace, progress,
comfoft, development and
general
well-being for
QlQfin
and his subjects. They demanded for rams, goats,
cows, sheep, pi9s, jewelries
and expensive clothing materials from
QlQfin.
When it was the turn of El-Qbr, he too predicted progress, peace,
453
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultaton
comfort and development for
QlQfin
and hs subjects. He told olqfin to
offer gbg with three white pigeons
and to serve If with pumpkins.
After
this, he rested his submissions. The remaining Awo continued with their
predictions
and they advised
Qlgfin
to offer gbg
with big animal as the other
dd.
In the end,
QlQfin
was impressed with the level of humility and transparent
honesty displayed by El-Qbr and decided to reward him accordingly. He
gave
all what the remaining principal
Od advised him to offer as gbg
such
as ram, goat,
sheep, he-goat pi9s,
cows and so on to those who demanded
for them and the number demanded for. He gave
three big pumpkins
to E)-
Qbara
for his personal
consumption and another three to help him feed If
with as E)-Qbara has demanded. All of them left
elgfin's
palace
and
dispersed to their individual homes. All of them were making
jest
of E)-
Qbara
for demanding for and receiving
justthree pumpkins
for all his effot.
But surprisingly, E)-Qbara was very happy and satisfied with what he
received in OlQfin's
palace.
Reaching home, E|-Qbara showed his wife what he got from olQfin, and
explained to her what all other principals
Od were given. The wife
suppressed her anger towards her husband for demanding for only
pumpkins.
when E)-Qbara asked her to go
and peel
the three
pumpkins
meant for feeding If on behalf of
QlQfin
she bluntly refused, asking her
husband who brought the pumpkins
to peel
and prepare
them and use
them to serve If all by himself. The wife said that she would not be a
party
to such display of folly. Hearing this from his wife, E)-Qbara decided to do it
alone. He got
hold of one of the pumpkins;
he took his knife and sliced it
into two. Surprisingly however, pure gold of Inestimable value spilled out.
He tookthe second pumpkin
and sliced it, expensive beads of various types
spilled out, the third pumpkin produced
various high quality
stones and
other ornaments. His wife did not allow him to cut the foufth pumpkin
before she took over from him. The six pumpkins fetched them the
prosperity
that a whole community would use for a life time. It was a big
surprise to them. The wife began to sing the praises
of her husband for his
foresight, wisdom, truthfulness, uprightness and honesty. E-Qbara and
his wife lived happilyfor long, long time.
unknown to the couple, however,
QlQfin
in appreciation of the honesty
l onara u.i
displayed by E:l-Qbr dug holes in the
pumpkns and filled the holes up
with all the
jewelries
and ornaments found in them. All the 15 remaining
principal Od came to felicitate with El-Qbr and his wife on their
good
Iuck and success, E;)-Qbara bought three other
pumpkins to feed If for
Qlqfn
as requested by If. After this, he went to express his gratitude to
the Monarch.
K m'qfun k fi tQ'l aj
K m'sn k f tq'bllQke
K m'd k fi tQ'l agg
Akqd orl wgn kll rre l'l oj
i
I)lfirn Ejl-Qbara
Tl y
Se
lkeje Od wl ay
Tl rr b wgn re'l91,fn lg rg'bg
fbq
niwqn nl k
9e
gb'bqrrrl'bg
,
j kl l t to fi l'j
Elgdmereni mottl mof l'i
Translation
Letus markthe room filled with moneywith chalk

And the room filled with beadswith cam-wood

And the room filled with cloths with charcoal
The first prepared corn meal can never linger for too long in the market
These were the If cast for E)-Qbara
Who shall come into the world as the seventh Od
And who shall accompany others to
QlQfin's
palace on If mission
He was advised to offer gbg
He complied
Now what did you sell to become this wealthy
It is pumpkins I sold to get my riches.
If says that the
person for whom this Od is revealed shall succeed in a
miraculous way there is need for cooperation between huchand,and wife
where this Od is revealed. The greater the cooperaton, the better for the
couple.
5. If advised the person for whom this Od is cast to offer ebo so that
those who are in love with him/her will not abandon or turn against
455
lfa Dida: An nvitation to lfa Consultaton
him/her. In the same ven, If advises the
person
for whom this Od
is revealed to offer gbQ so that his/her spouse or people will not
deseft him/her when they are most needed. If however assured
the person for whom this Od is revealed that all those who had
abandoned him/her are coming backto embrace him/her.
If says that there is the need to offer qbg with three cocks, 1O
lakosin or ago rats and money. He/she also needs to serve If
with 10 lkQs'in or g rats, palm
oil, alcohol and money.
After this, there is the need to serve EgU witn one coclg palm oil,
alcohol and money, The moment all these are done, victory and
success are assured. On these, If says:
Eefin gorl
ja rrt gQbrrgqb
Eefin-i paakun nii rin Kgro,yl-kQr,yl
DlfirnOkenrbl
Tl wqn fi l'd oy
Tl wgn o pln l'gn
Sbg
ni wqn nl k
9e
Translation
The smoke enters the ceiling and rises skywards
The smoke of the attic rises in a winding manner
This was the If cast for
QtanmUt
Who after being nominated forthe stool
Was notshared any inheritance
He was advised to offer
gbg
Qfanrnbi
was one of the children of
QlQfin.
He was the heir apparent to the
throne of his father. When
QQfin
his father was alive,
QlQfin
was an
Qba
with vast resources.
Qlqfin
was the regent of Oldmar on eafth. He
owned evefihing on eath. When
glqfln joined
his ancestors,
QtanrnUt
had travelled out of Il-IfQ during that time. Before he returned however,
his brothers and sisters conspired against him and shared everything
belonging to their father behind his back without leaving anything for him.
When he returned, many people
expected a show-down. They aligned
with his other siblings against him. They thought that with nothing in his
name, it would weaken him considerably when he finally assumed the
throne of his father. His brothers became Oba in all the other towns and
456
fril ooara uei
villages surrounding Ile-Ife.
Instead of
putting
up a fight, he chose to approach the two Awo mentloned
above for If consultation: What would he do to gain respect as the neK
QlQfin
without anything to his name except the title? Would he be able to
overcome the conspirary of the
people? Would life be interesting to him as
it was to his father? Would he be
greater than his entire brothers who were
Qba
in all the surrounding areas? Would he be able to keep them all under
his control? These and other
questions were what agitated his mind before
he went for If consultation. He wanted to be sure that the throne was
worth ascending at all when he had been stripped naked by his siblings.
The Awo assured him that he would succeed in life. He was told to go
ahead and
put all the processes of being installed as the
Qlqnn
in motion.
He was told that he would be the one to inherit the world. He was also
assured that he would be
greater
that all his siblings
put
together. He was
advised to offer
gbg, feed If and Egu
Qdara
as stated above. He complied.
Soon afterthis
period; hewas installed asthe nextQlqfin.
Soon after the installation, he summoned all his brothers and demanded
for his own share of their father's belongings. He was informed that there
was nothing left. Egu
Qdara
howeverturned to human being and reminded
them that they had not given
out the land to anyone. The other brothers
thought that there was not much anyone could do on the land except to
farm on it. All of them decided to
give
the land to
QlQfin.
Epu
Qdara
pleaded with
QlQfin
to accept the land in good faith.
QlQfin
did. All the
brothers were happy and they all dispersed to their various destinations.
As soon as they left, Egu
Qdara
told
Ql,fin
that he was the one who had
been
given the most invaluable asset: He told
QlQfin
that the implication of
this was that all his brothers were mere tenants on his (QIqfin) land. EgU
Qdara
asked
Qbfin
to startto demand for rent immediately.
About a week after their meeting
Qkanrnbt
sent his messengers out to all
his brothers to bring to their notice that they were tenants on his land and
that they needed to bring him rent-age on a
yearly basis. That was when it
dawned on them that they had inadvertently made
Qkanrnff
the inheritor
of the whole world. They realized that anything they
put up on the land
457
lfa Dida: An nvtaton to lfa Consultation
belonged to the owner of the land. Since that day, they all began to pay
rent-age on
Qkanrnbf's
land. Those who could not afford the payment
released part
of the assets he inherited. These included crowns,
jewelries,
buildings, farm products,
clothing materials, and other essential things of
life. That was how Okanmbi became the greatest
Qba
of all generations.
It
was grateful
Qkanrbl
who was showering praises
on his Awo, If and
Oldmar; saying:
Eefin gort aja r gqbrgqb
Eefin-i pkn
nll rln Kqrgy{-kQro,yl
fitn Okertrbl
Tl wQn fi I'edU oy
Tl wqn opln l'gn
lbg
ni wQn nl kge
gb'Qborr'bo
Nje
e
ya w o,
g
w sln
Gbogbo gmg gni
fywewsln
Gbogbo gmg gni
Translation
The smoke enters the ceiling and rises skywards
The smoke of the attic rises in a winding manner
This was the If cast for
Qkanrnbf
Whoafter being nominated forthe stool
Was notshared any inheritance
He was advised to offer
ebq
He complied
Come here and payyour
homage
All our children
Come and pay your
adoration
All our children
If says that allthose who had abandoned the person for whom this Od is
revealed shall eventually come and serue under him/her. If advises this
person not to show anger, impatience or vengeance. He/she shall inherit
the world.
6. If says that it foresees two good
things for the person
for whom this
Od is revealed. If says that it foresees the ire of a baby and that
458
iii
ooara uei
of
prosperity for this person. If says that something is coming the
way of this person. If advises him/her to acquire two of those things
and not to think that he/she cannot handle two things at the same
time. If it is business materials he/she needs to
purchase two and if
it is household material for which If is consulted, two ought to be
purchased. By so doing, comfort is assured. If also says that if the
person is in need of a baby, the baby shall come and
prosperity shall
accompany it.
If advises the person for whom this Od is revealed to offer
gbg with two
pigeons and money. On these If says:
OnUa r nit'gmg aj
lmlt
b sanwo re ni y gbe lo
DlfilnQba
Tl y ra mejl lojq
Fbq
niwQn nl k
9e
o
Translation
Intention to purchase is notenough to buy a puppy
Whoever
pays first is the one who wll take it away
This was the If cast for Oba
Who shall
purchase two things in a day
He was advised to offer
qbg
Qba
was poor and childless. He had been married for several
years without
an issue. All what he and his spouse did to have a baby
proved aboftive.
Their effofts towards making ends meet financially was also a failure. One
day however, some
people came to show him some
puppies of rare but
beautiful breed for him to buy. He did not have any money to put on a
project that might fail eventually. Consequent upon this,
Qba
went to the
Awo mentioned above for If consultation in order to determine whether or
not it would be wofth his while to purchase the
puppy, rear it to adulthood
and later begin to sell its puppies to others.
The Awo told
Qba
that he was about to purchase something which he
hoped to use as an investment. He was told not to only
purchase it but
ensure that he bought two of the items at the same time. The Awo assured
him that his success is assured if he could do this. The Awo also told him
459
lfa Dda: An invitation to lfa Consultation
that if he bought two of these items, his wife who had hithefto been
childless would become pregnant
and would deliver a bouncing baby.
When
Qba
told the Awo that he was about to purchase
a
puppy, rear it and
later sell the puppies
to others in future; and that he had no money to buy at
the same time.
Qba
said that he would go
and buy one and tell the puppies'
seller that he would come back later to buy another. The Awo however
urge him to go and borrow money to ensure that he purchase
two at the
same time and that promise
to purchase
a puppy amounted to nothing as
the person who brought his/her own cash or purchase it was the rightful
owner who would go away with the puppy. He also advised
Qba
to offer
gbg with two pigeons and money. All of these
Qba
did. He then went to
borrow money and bought two bitches. He began to feed and take care of
the dogs.
About one year later, the two became pregnant.
Surprisingly, his wife
became pregnant
too. The two dogs gave
bfth to 16 puppies
between
them. Within two years,
they gave
brth three times.
Qba's
wife also gave
birth twice.
Qba
sold the puppies
at exorbitant prices
and used the profit
realized to begin his own farm. He employed several able bodied men to
help him till the land, cultivate and plant crops. Within three years
of
offering the
gbg,
Qba
was already a rich man. He was very happy and fullof
gratitudeto
Oldmar and hisAwo.
OnUar nit'gmgaj
lml
to b sanw o re niyogbelo
DlfilnOba
Tlyo ra mejl lojq
lbg
ni wQn nl k
9e
o
gb'Qborr'bg
Igba
Qba
ra mil lojq
La di olwO
La di glQmg
Igba
Qba
ra mejl
lara t rq'ni o
Translation
Intention to purchase is not enough to buy a
puppy
Whoever pays first is the one who will take it away
This was the If cast for Oba
460
ttr ooara uei
Who would purchasetwothings in a day
He was advised to offerebo
Hecomplied
It was when
9ba
bought two in a day
Thatwe were blessed with wealth
And also blessed with children
It was when
Qba
boughttwo
Thatwe had peaceof mind
If says that this person shall have peace of mind. He/she shall be blessed
with wealth and children. Even if this
person is experiencng financial
hardship now there is success, happiness, chldren and contentment n
future.
If says that if a man for whom this Od is revealed is matured
enough to have his own wife and children, his priority at that time
must be for him to
get married and settle down. He should be
impressed upon that living a single life is not in his best interest. If
says that the
person being referred to believe in accumulation of
wealth and other expensive materials to show his class or position.
This person also likes to show ofi, to smell nice and appear elegant at
all times. If says that all these are all vanity. Such attitude will not
bring him any
profit. He needs to think about building his own family
that will ensure that his future is guaranteed. If shall continue to
provide wealth and security for him. He needs to think less about
money, accumulation of wealth and/orfashion but rather plan to build
a home for himself.
If says that this
person needs to offer
gbg with pat of his wears'
his
jewelries,
shoes, bags, wrist watches,
petfumes and
other fashion related items. He also needs to feed If with four
rats, fourfish, two hens and money. On allthese, a stanza in this
Od says:
Amrkn I'Qyn-n
Amsn l'ko
Dlfiln
Orunmll
If sawokonlAdlbo
461
lfa Dida: An invitaon to lfa Consultation
fbg
ni wqn nl k
9e
Translation
Amkn atQyan town
And Amosun atOnkotown
Theywerethe Awo who castlf forQrnmll
When hewas practicing
without his own Adlb
He was advised to offer qbg
Qrrlnm'il
was very successful. He had all what a person
could wish for, a
good
and spacious house, many horses, several dresses, assofted beads,
shoes and sandals made of leather and beads and so many of other things
such as expensive walking stick, elephanttusks and so on.
In splte of all these, he knew that something was missing in his life. He was
however too busy with his work to have the time to attend to his personal
life.
One day, he sent messages to Amkn and Amsn in
Qyn
and Ok
respectively to come and cast If for him. These two were his ex-students
whom he trusts sincerely. After If consultation they declared that even
though
Qrnmll
was an accomplished Babalwo, something was still
lacking in his life because he did not have his own Adibo. They made it clear
to him that even though he had a house, he still lacked a home. He did not
have those who would accompany him in seruing If.
They said that one's wife and children are one's Adibo. He was urged to
begin to think seriously about having his own Adlb as there lied the future
continuity in his life. He was advised to offer paft
of the wealth he had
accumulated as qbg. This included his wears, walking sticks, beads,
sandals, shoes,'irQkQ beads and otherjewelries.
Qrunmlla
dd.
Soon afterthis, he got married and his wife gave brth to severalchildren for
him. Anyday he planned
to serve If, his wife would come with the tray
containing kola-nuts and bitter-kola while his children would bring along
the tray containing alligator pepper.
He was thus an accomplished
Babalwo in the true sense of it. His future was also guaranteed
as he had
those who would continue in his name after he might have departed.
ir
llfr Obara Meii
Amkn l'Qyn-n
Amsn l'ko
Dlfn
Qrrtnmll
If sawoknlAdlbo
Fbq
ni wqn nl k
9e
gb'bqr r'bg
If t gege kl n I'Adlbotmi
Ayagni I'AdIbOgni
If t9e9 kl n I'Adlbotmi
Qmq
qni I'Adlbo
eni
rf tgegqkl n I'Adlbotmi
B b dlwoy{ ajQdn
Byati gb'gb obl
Qmq
a ma gb'gb ata
Translation
Amrlkn atQyan town
And Amosun atOnkotown
TheyweretheAwo who cast If for
Qrrlnmll
When he was practicing without his own AdlbO
He was advised to offer
gbg
He complied
If it is high time I have my own Adlb
One's wife is one's AdlbO
If it is high time I have my own Adlb
One's child is one's Adlb0
Bythistime of nextyear
As my wife carries the kolanuttraY
So also my child will carry the tray containing alligator
peppers
If says that the
person for whom this Od is revealed shall have his own
Adlbo . That is when he needs to give gettng marred and having his own
chi ld ren priority attention.
This
person needs to settle down to family life and downplay search for and
accumulation of materialwealth for now.
8. If says that it foresees the ire of a baby for the
person for whom this
Od is revealed. If says that the baby will bring
joy
and happiness
for the couple involved. The name of this baby, when it arrives is
463
lfa Dida: An invtation to lfa Consultation
FkyQd -
If brings
joy.
If advises that the
person for whom this
Od is revealed needs to offer gbg with four rats, four fish and
one hen. He also needs to serve If with four rats, four fish and
one hen. On this If says:
KOkOTO gldlgba nfi rln bl gni rrfor{
j
Kkrogtdlgbe nff rln bl gnit nfldl
j
Dl fn FkyQdr gmg
QUara-t'tejl
Mgbatl rlt'Orun bQ w'l ay
fbg
ni wqn nl k
9e
Translation
A big insectwalk as if dancing with its head
And a small insectwalks as if dancing with its abdomen
This was the declaration of If to FkyQd, the child of
Qbr
Mfl
When coming from heaven to eafth
He was advised to offer gbg
The couples involved here were looking for a baby for a long time without
success. It was during their efforts to get one that they approached the two
Awo mentioned above for If consultation. During the consultation,
Qbara-Uel
was revealed. The Awo assured the couple that they would get
what they were looking for and that the baby would bring
joy
into their lives
and home. The Awo stated fufther that the baby they would get
was the
child of
Qbara-Mfl
from heaven. In this wise, there was the need to seve
If along with the gbg
they were to offer and then name the child FkyQd
when it arrived. The Awo advised the couple to offer gbg with four rats,
four fish, and one hen. They also asked the couple to feed If with four
ratsrfourfish, and one hen. They complied.
Three months after they offered the gbg, the wife became pregnant.
She
later gave bifth to a baby boy. The baby was named as the Awo had
advised. True to
prediction,
the baby brought boundless
joy
into their lives
and home. They were so happy and gratefulto Oldmar for giving
them
their own child and for putting joy
into their lives.
KkOrO gldlgba nff rln bl qni tl f'orl
j
Kokoro gldlgba nff rln bl gni t nfldl
j
Dl filn FkyQd, gmg
Qbara-Mjl
464
til ooara uei
Mgba t'Qrun bQ wa'| aye
Fbg
niwqn nl k9e
WOn gb'gbo, wQn rrl'bg
Njq klnniygb FkyQdfitn mi o
obr-Mjl
ni y gb FkyQd fn mi o
Translation
A big insect walks as if dancing with its head
And a small insect walks as if dancing with its abdomen
This was the declaration of Ifa to FkyQd,
the
child of
Qbr-M;T
When coming from heaven to earth
The couple was advised to offer
gbg
Theycomplied
Now, whatis itthatwillbring FkyQd,If brings
joyto
me
It is
Qbara-M|
that will bring
joy
to me
If says that If will bring
joy
into the life and home of the
person for whom
this Od is revealed. If willalso give him/her blessing of a baby.
9. If says that the
person for whom this Od is revealed needs to serve
Eriwo with kolanuts. By so doing, long life is guaranteed for
i
him/her. If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed will
live long, grow old and enjoy the fruit of his/her labour. If says
that he/she needs to be breaking kolanuts to serue Eriwo on a
regular basis so that his/her chances of living to old age can be
strengthened. On this a stanza in
Qbara-M)
says:
EerlAwoara
Dlfin Ejl-Qbara
Tlypa'blfr{wojg
t
f;bg
niwQn nl kge
Translation
Filth, the Awo of the body
This was the If castfor Et-Qbara
Who shall break kola-nutfor Ewo to consume
He was advice to offer ebo
Efl-Qbara was one of the 16 principal Od. He occupied the seventh
(
465
lfa Dida: An invitation to tfa Consultation
positon. He was a
prominent
If
practitoner. He was blessed with wealth,
a
good
spouse, lovely children, immeasurable assets and
potential
to
acquire more and more of allthe good things in life.
One day, E)-Qbara approached the Awo mentioned above to know what he
needed to do in order to live long and comfoftable on earth. The Awo
advised him to make it a
point
of dutyto be breaking the kola-nuts for Ewo
to eat on a regular basis. He agreed. He began to do it as from that day.
He was breaking kola-nuts for Elwo every seventeen days. He did this for
a long, long time. He lived in comfoft and peace of mind for a long, long
time.
ErlAwoara
Dlfirn Ejl-Qbara
Tl y pa'bl f'Erlwo
jg
fibg
ni wQn nl k
9e
gb'gborrrl'bg
Njtal pa'bl frlwojg?
Ejl-Qbara lo n pa'bl f Erlwo
jq
Translation
Filth, theAwo of the body
This was the If cast for E)-Qbara
Who shall break kola-nut for Ewo to consume
He was advised to offer
gbg
He complied
Now, who was breaking kolanuts for Elwo to eat?
E)-Qbara was the one breaking kolanuts for Efwo to eat.
If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed shall not be allowed
to die young. He/she will not only live long, but will also be in relative peace
and comfort.
10. If urges the person for whom this Od is revealed to offer
gbg
so that
he/she may not witness or experience evil. If says that the
person
bringing this trouble is a big harbinger of undeserued
punishment
to
others. The person in question who will bring this misfortune is
described by If as someone with a big head, big mouth, and thick
466
il* oaara uei
lips. If advises that the person for whom this Od is revealed will do
himself/herself a lot of good if appropriate
gbg
as prescribed here is
offered. A he-goat and money is to be offered as
gbg here. There is also
the need to feed If with a
goat. By so doing, this harbinger of misfortune
will use his/her head to carrythe trouble. On this,
Qbara-Mfl
says:
ldesun niO mu krgbd'Qrn
Df fit n Agblg bonlwQnr n
Tl y
9e
gbgnegbgn Barapetu
fibg
ni wQn nl k w ge
Translation
Adrip of watercannotsubmerge a gourd to its neck
This was lf's declaration to Agb)gbnlwQnrn, the Hoopoe
Who shall be
Qrnmll's
coffin designer
He was advised to offer qbg
By the time Agblgbnlwonran carried his coffin to the house of
Qnf
nmll, he
had already carried the same coffin to the houses of Alr, Ajer,
Qwrngn
and
QlQyQq
and had destroyed their homes. He had carried
the coffin to the homes of several
prominent people and had destroyed and
scattered their hornes. Anyone he carried the coffin to his/her home, the
head of that household would die and the entire household would be totally
destroyed. Those who did not die would abandon the house altogether.
This made the name of AgblgbOn'iwQnrn to signify terror, when people
hear of his name; they would begin to
panic
and would be running helter-
skelter. One day, Agb'igbn'lwQnrn planned to fashion the same coffin for
Qrnm'll.
He was aware that
QrUnmIl
was a powerful person. He
therefore went to the Babalwo mentioned above for If consultation. The
Babalwo warned him seriously not to attempt what he had the intention of
doing, lest his evil designs turn back to bounce on him. He was advised to
offer gbg with matured he-goat and money. He simply ignored the Awo
thinking that harming
Qrrlnmll
should not entail such elaborate
precautions. He intensifies his preparation.
Meanwhile,
Qrnmlla
had a dream. In the dream, he sensed that danger
was lurking somewhere. Consequently, he went to the same Awo for If
consultation. The Awo informed him that even though a
person
claiming to
lfa Dida: An invtation to lfa Consultation
be his friend was brnging misfoftune to his (Qrnmll) doorstep he would
nonetheless overcome the evil design.
Qrnmll
was assured that the evil
plans
of this
person would bounce back on the person. This person was
described as having a big head, big mouth and thick lips. The Awo advised
Qrunm)l
to offer
gbg with a matured he-goat and feed If with a goat.
Qrn
mI l com pl ied insta ntly.
A few days after
Qrnm'll
offered the gbg, he saw Agblgbn)wQnrn
coming along the road with his coffin on his head;
Qrunmll
was well
prepared for him. As he reached
Qrnmll's
house frontage, he attempted
to place
the coffin down on the ground.
Qnf
nmll immediately ordered him
to carry his coffin away as he (Qrnmll) was not interested in him and his
luggage. AgblgbnlwQnrn wanted to forcefully place
the coffin down but
to his chargrin, the coffin
got stuck to his head. That was how he had been
carrying the coffin about until this day. When AgblgbOn)wQnrn
remembered the warnings of the Babalwo, he was full of regrets for not
heeding the advice. But alas, it was too late to make amends. On the other
hand, when
Qrrfnm'll
remembered the advice of the Awo, he was full of
gratitude for heeding their advice. He was singing, dancing and giving
praisesto
Oldmar.
Idesun ni O mu krgb d'Qrn
Dl firn Agblg bonlwQn rn
Tl yo
9e
gbgnagbgn Barapetu
fbg
ni wqn nl k w ge
kqtl
Qgbgnhln
s'bg
gbefinAlr
IlAlrt
gbefitn Ajero
IlAjerOt
gbefirn
Qwarngrrn
Aga
Il
Qwrngn-Aga
trl
gbefirn
Qba
lja-|je
IlQba lja-ljet
gbefrtn
Qba
ld-ld
IlQba ld-ldt
w nl oun
y gbe filn
Qrrlnmll
naa
f;bg
niwgn nl kl
Qrunmlla 9e
QrUnmll
gb'bg, r'bg
468
fril ooan uei
Nje Ag blgbOnlwQnrn gb'gr rg o
fl$r
ma gbe lgo
Translation
A drip of water cannot submerge a gourd to its neck
This was lf's declaration to AgblgbnlwQnrn, the Hoopoe
Who shall be
Qrunm'll's
coffin designer
He was advised to offer ebo
He ignored the advice
He designed the coffin forAlr
Alr's household scattered
And designed it for AjerO
Ajer's household scattered
He designed for
Qwarangn-aga
QwarngUn-ga's
household scattered
He designed for market heads
Their households scattered
And forcrowned
Qbas
Their household scattered
Then he planned to design one for
QrUnmll
Qrnmll
was advised to offergbg
Hecomplied
Now, Agb'lgb0n)wQnrn, carry
your load
Loads are carried by their owners
If says that the planner of evil will carry his/her evil plans. In the same
ven, If warns the person for whom this Od is revealed not to
contemplate any evil against anyone as the evil may end up in his/her own
doorstep. As it is true that those who plan evil aganst him/her shall carry
their evil, so it is true that any evil he/she plans
against others shall equally
be carried by him/her. It is betterfor him/hertothink no ev|, speaks no evil
and do no evil for fear of repercursion.
11. If says that the
person for whom this Od is revealed shall not be
consumed by any uprsing, war or upheaval. If says that this
. person
and his/her entire household and communty shall be
protected.
If says that even though there are uprsings or threat of these
lfa Dida: An nvtaon to lfa Consultation
comng from three directions, nonetheless, all these shall be
overcome and this person,
his/her household, community or entire
environment shall be left unaffected. If assured the person
for
whom this Od is revealed that he/she and allthose close to him/her
shall not be consumed by the fire of uprising, war or upheavat.
He/she needs to
put
his/her mind at rest and the minds of those close
to him/her. If says that instead of reduction, the community from
where the person
for whom this OdO is cast comes shall experience
an unprecedented increase in population.
There will be
peace,
harmony, good
health and progress
even though there is presently
a
threatto stability.
If advises this person
to offer gbg with one matured he-goat and
at least 16 bottles of dry gin,
schnapps and/or good quality
wine. On these a stanza in
Qbara-M)
says:
Ogeregere lr
Agba drOml Awo Dore-aba
Lnll la O l'j odO o, Yba nkuku-nkuku
Qla
la I'aja odo o, Yaba nkuku-nkuku
f;ginginemi
l9eyln
Tl g rt sare lemlje-lmlje?
Egingin emi l geyln
Tl
e
n sare lemlje-lmtje
WQn nl wgn glJrt wo ap awgn OJrtn
Ogun gba g per-epgrq
bl ar o
Awgn gl'j wo ap awgn Osl
Ogun gba g pqrgpere
bl aro
Awgn qf'j woaarln-nrln wgn kooropQngb
Ogun gba
9
pergpgre
bl ar o
WQn nl kl wqn skal, qbg
ni qlge
Translation
The aftof swift running
And the sluggish elder, theAwo of DOre-ba
Today shall we settle the quarrel
caused by the stubborn Yba river
And tomorrow shall we settle the quarrel
caused by the stubborn Yba
river
Houseflies what is the matter with you
That makesyou to run helter-skelter?
470
ll ooara uei
Housefleswhat iswrong with
You
That makes you run in confusion?
They said thatwhen they glanced attheir right hand side
Qba's
army was tightly concentrated as indigo-dye
And when they glanced attheir left hand side
Qba's
armywas as imminentas indigo-dye
And when they looked stnight ahead of them
Qba's
army was as ceftain as blue-dye
They were advised to offer qbg
Agrlnragba the
FmQSq
of the world and Amlragba the
Fmegq
of the
smithery were apprehensive of war and uprisng from three different
directions. The crises were so imminent that everyone in their
communities believed that uprsng would break out at any given time. Yet
Agrlnragba and Amlragba did not want any war to catch the communities
they represent off-guard. At the same time, they wanted to ward off this
war before any serious damage could be caused.
For these reasons, they went to meet the
group of Awo mentioned above.
The Awo advised them to offer
gbg with one matured he-goat and several
kegs of alcohol. They complied. After this, the Awo advised them to go
and call Agbe-ddrl, the offspring of dye-makers, Alko-dodood, the
offspring of cam-wood
pounders and OdfdgrQ-Mf, the offspring of
OnlwOO-Atg, the King of Iw town. They went and called these three
warriors. They explained the situation of eafth and heaven to them. These
warriors divided their soldiers into three. Each group was headed by Agbe-
dd, Al k0-d0d00d0 a nd odf dgre-Mof.
Agbe-dtld attacked the army on the right hand side, drove them into the
wilderness and they never returned for a re-match. AlkO-dOddO
engaged the army on the left hand side, chased the army into the forest
and overpowered it completely. OdfdgrQ-Mf confronted the army
stationed in front, defeated the army and chased it into the woods. Victory
was thus assured. After these feats, they threw a big feast where
everybody ate and drank to his/her satisfaction.
While this celebration was
going on, they made a headcount and found out
that the
people whom Agnragba and Am)ragba represented were all
471
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
complete without losing any soul in the war. They also discovered that they
were all bubbling with health and vitality. They realized also that there was
more solidarity and cooperation among the inhabitants than ever before.
Everybody was thus, dancing, singing and drinking. When they emptied
some kegs of alcohol, they went to bring more. They began to praise
both
Agnragba and Amlragba that no war, uprising, pandemonium
or crisis
could ever overcome them. Since no war could overcome them, it followed
that no war could overcome those whom they represented.
Ogeregere lr
Agb dorOml Awo DOre-ba
Lnll la I'aja od0 o, Yaba nkuku-nkuku
Qla
la I'aja odo o, Yba nkuku-nkuku
fgingin
emi l n geyln
Tl g n sare lemlje-lmlje?
fginginemi
lngeyln
Tl
e
n sr lmlje-lmlje
WQn nl wgnql'jrt woap awgn
Qtn
Ogun gba g perepere bl ar o
Awgn qlj wo ap awgn Osl
Ogun gba gu perepgrq
bl ar o
Awgn ql'j
rt wo rfn-rtrtn wgn kooropQngba
Ogun gba gu pgrgpgre
bl aro
WQn nl H wQn skale,
lbg
ni qfge
WQn gb'Qbo, wQn r'bg
WQn nl kl wqn rnge sl Agbe-ddrl
Tfi g'gmqOlyar
Kl wgn rn$ sl Alko-dodoodo
Tiis'omo Olgsn
Kl wgn rangQsl Odldgrg-Mof
Tfi g'gmg Onlwoo-Atg
Agbe-dd gmq
Olyar d

999un
ap
qtn
tigb-tigb
lee w'oj lg knrin-kse
Alko-dodoodo l g'gmg
otgsun d

99gun
ap osl tii-tfr
leewg'j lg knrin-kse
Odldgrq-Mof omo Onlw-Ate d
gQgun rln-rln
en
kooropQngb
leewg'j lg Knrin-kse
472
fri oo"r" u",
If nl a
p
Abl a op?
Mola p prpr
Bl igbalpre
If nl a le
Tbl a le?
Mo la le kokooko
Bl qta inu omi
If nl a
gbyglygl
Tbl a o9b
VgVgl?
Mo nl a gb yglygl
BlOgOdO-lr
i
Ijl kll
ja
k
9b
iye od
Ffurru-lele
ffi
ja
k gb iye glg
Dl fitn Agunragba
Tff
Se emesq
Ay
AbfinAmlragba
Tll9e
emQqqAgbede
Fbq
ni wQn nl kl won
Se
WQn
9b'bg,
wQn r'bg
Emi o ma d ogun tl ia
Tll gbAgnragba o
jgAgunragba o
'
Amlragba o
Otl If m tn o
Qtl
If k l'gb
Agnragbao
Amlragba o
Translation
The aftof swift running
And the sluggish elder, the Awo of DOre-ba
(
Today shall we settle the
quarrel caused by the stubborn Yba river
i
And tomorrow shall we settle the
quarrel caused by the stubborn Yba
river
Houseflies what isthe matterwith you
That makesyou to run helter-skelter?
Houseflies what is wrong with you
That makesyou run in confusion?
They said that when they glanced at their right hand side
Qba's
army was tightly concentrated as indigo-dye
And when they glanced attheir left hand side
Qba's
army was as imminent as indigo-dye
(
473
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
And when they looked straightahead of them
Qba's
army was as ceftain as blue-dye
Theywere advised to offergbg
Theycomplied
They asked them to send a message to Agbe-ddr1
The offspring of the dye-makers
And send a messagetoAlk0-d0d00d0
The offspring of cam-wood pounders
And send a message to OdldgrQ-Mf
The offspring of the
Qba
oflwo-Ate
Agbe-ddu, the offtpring of dye-makers arrived
And defeated the army on the right hand side
And pursued them right into the wilderness
Alk0-ddoOdo, the offspring of the cam-wood pounders
arrived
And defeated the army on the left hand side
And chase them into the forest completely
OdfdgrE-Mof the offspring of OnlwOO-Atg arrived
And defeated the army right in front of them
And chased them intothewoods
If asked, 'aie you
complete
Or are you not complete?'
We responded that we are complete
Even as 200 small snails
If asked again! Are you healthy
Or are you not healthy?'
We responded thatwe are healthy
Even as the river pebbles
If asked, 'are
you really energetic
Or are you not energetic?'
We responded thatwe are energetic
Even as a matured horse
No storm will blow and carry a moftar
And no breeze will blow and then carry a grinding
stone
These were If's declarations to Agrf nragba
The
fmQgQ
of theworld
And toAm)ragba
The EmQggof thesmithery
I do not see any war that would be waged
That wou ld ovenryhel m Agnragba
Now, Agnragba, we hailthee
And Amlragba, we praisethee
The alcohol of If is notyetexhausted
Drinks stll remain inside the keg
474
iil ooara u'i
All hailAgnragba
AndAm'lragba
If says that no uprsng, upheaval, war, crsis or conspiracy will ever
overwhelm the
person for whom this Od is revealed or his/her loved ones.
If says that this
person shall be spared the bitter experience of facing
defeat or being at the receiving end of any evil as long as he/she had not
taken conscous steps to cause trouble.
L2. If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed must not go
into agriculture as his/her
profession. If says that it is not good for
this
person. He/she may however go into dairy or grocery business
where he/she will be selling mil( fruits and other farm
products
but
never going into the farm to plant, till the soil or cultivate the land.
If says this
person must not be brushing his body against the early
morning dew. He/she is also
good as Babalwo or lyrff. It will
lead to success but never as a farmer.
If says that the
person for whom this Od is revealed needs to offer
gbg with two hens and
plenty of palm-oil. One of the hens will be
spilt open from the ches$ a lot of
palm-oil will be
poured into it and
placed by Eg shrine. The second hen will be
given to him/herto use
to serve If. If he/she has no personal If, then the Babalwo or
Iyfff will assist in seruing the If in his/her house. On this, If
says:
Ogberinl kll sQrQ
F
wo e,
yg jlngblnnl I'Qrn
99in
D,l filn lblleP
Tll g'gmg blbl inr Agbgnnlregrrn
Igbatl t'Qrun bqw'Y
Fbgniwqn
nl kge
Translation
A big bull makes no noise
See the splendid decoration round a horse's neck
These were If's declarations tolbilgpq
The true child of Ornmll
475
lfa Dida: An invitaon to lfa Consuftation
When coming from heaven to the world
He was advised to offer qbg
When Ibllqpg was comng nto the world he had been told that he was an
offspring of
Qnlnmll.
He was also informed that he was not expected to
be a farmer as nothing good would ever come out of t. He was equally
warned against leaving his house very early in the morning as he was not
expected to be brushing his legs against the early morning dew. The Awo
advised him that part of what he could do to succeed in life was to become a
Babalwo. The Awo offered the
gbg for him as prescribed
above.
While on eafth,Ibf lqpq took to If as his profession.
He never Ieft his house
very early. He complied with all the advice of the Awo. He was so great
that several people came from far and near for If consultation from him.
He also became very wealthy and influential in his society. He lived a
fulfilled life and died a happy and accomplished man.
Ogberinl kff sQrQ
!
wo eyg
jlngblnnl
l'qrn
egn
Dffirn lbllqpe
Tll g'gmg blbl inr Agbgnnlrgrln
Igba t'Qrun bQwa'ye
fbg
ni wqn nl k s, e
B b rrl'bgtn
WQn nl kO gbedQ lo s'ko
Ko gbqdQfgsEgbgngnini
gb'$bg r'bg
Ko pe ko
jlnn
F
b ni nl wQwQ ire gbogbo
Translation
A big bull makes no noise
See the splendid decoration round a horse's neck
These were If's declarations tolMlqpQ
Thetrue offspring of
QrUnmIl
When coming from heaven to the world
He was advised to offergbg
Afteroffering the gbg
He was warned not to go to the farm
Or brush his legs againstthe early morning dew
476
il ooara uei
He complied
And nottoo late, nottoo far
loin us in the midst of all ire
Ifa says that the
person for whom this Od is revealed shall succeed n
his/her chosen career. He/she will live an accomplished life. He/she will be
very happy and satisfied.
13. If says that some
youths had gone to take their hands to bring
trouble into their lives. If says that through their speeches,
conducts and countenance,
problems had stated and these
problems are beyond their capacity. If says that due to stubbornness
and tightfistedness, they had invited misfoftune into their lives and
these are already affecting others who knew nothing about the
problem. If says that a lot of gbg and Etut ought to be peormed in
orderthatthese
problems will abate if not disappear altogether.
If says that the youths involved ought to be warned to purge
themselves of their stubbornness and recalcitrance as these will do
them no good. They also need to do the following: offer gbg with
one matured he-goat, feed Ogun with one dog, feed Ogu with
one cock, feed
QSun
with two snails, feed Od with two
pigeons,
feed the night people (witches) with hro big rats, two hedgehogs
kolanuts and palm-oil, feed If with two matured goats,
buy at
least 16 bottles of assoed alcohol and wine for Awo present
to drink to their satisfaction. If says that it is by so doing that
darkness will leave the environment of those for whom this Od is
revealed. On these, a stanza in
Qbara-MJi
says:
san p9, sn
pe
ygtrr, ygtrr
Flkanfikan gba'lAy
Drlgb$dgbQ gb'ode
Qrun
kan
Akrinl'p nll g'gmg
Ogrn
Ogrn ljl nl ktkto
Lo na'wQlja a re lahala
Llj9
Ll mu
477
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consuftation
Ll mOkn
Ll
fe
l krO l'wjg
K'lrtje o rtbi
jg'unjg
rq o
Awgn ktktbl
Atar
pOnn
ni ti dr
Igbl niroya
Mo b wgn gb'hnAljogun
Yly ni moya
Mo b wgn pln
eran
elk
Eyl wegewegwqn d'f
Eyl wsewsewqn d'lbo
Arlra
Qrun
Osn
Awo il
QlQyg-moyin
Awre ml
jg
mu in I'QwQ
Awre ml
j
moorn I'ese
Awreml bl perere
bl pqqpqg
bl Aga-Drtdrl
WQnfi
j'oyOl-Igb
bl
Qlqpapairage
WQn fi
j'oye
Olu-Qdan
blAklnbgkn
WQnfi
j'gba
nl
Saww-l
Qrunmlla
lo di gbggbqqgbg
If mo ldi gbggbqqgbg
lla
Sara e mi Agbgnnlrgrtn
Gbggbgggbg 19wq rryg
q j'orl
Gbggbgggbg l'gsQ yg
Q
j'Qn
Gbggbgggbg I'Qgungun Okre yg
ju
lhl
Awgn l dlf filn gmgd krkrkr Il-IfQ
wqn Sawo lg sl lfe Akelrbebebe
wQn nl kl wQn gba
apa aja
K wqn fi filn ogun
Kl wqn gba kkgQtan gahja
Kl wQn fifiln Og
Kl wgn gba lgbin mjl ajlra
KlwQnfi fin
Qgun-$Qngef
Oloye lyn
Afiderg'mg
Kl wQn gba qygl mjl sJsJworrg-sJslwgws
Kl wqn fifitn Odu-lgbo-Oj
478
ill ooara ue
Elynj eg
Kl wQn gba
apata Okt
!91
aaka
Okoro-koroobl
Algblagb epo
Kl wqn fi fitn Iya a mi
Qknrn
nl'yQg
Tl jQapa'ni m gbagn
Kl wgn gba lg gtl ml gnrnhn-garanhun
Kl wQn fi filn omg-Awo
Kl gmg-Awo rlhun
jg
Kl gmg-Awo
rlhun mu
Kl wQn gba
ewUrq mjl ab'im rgdgrgdq l'bg
Klwn fi filn
Qrunmll,
bara a mi Agbgnnlrgn
Translation
It cracked suddenly
And appeared fantly
Crisis enveloped the whole world
And pandemonium engulfed the skies
He who carried iron about was the offspring of Ogun
Ogun was he whowoke up early in the morning
And raised his hands (for war) threateningly
Withouteating
And withoutdrinking
And without hiding anywhere
And without giving way in the assembly
Forthose who wished to eatto do so
The shoft
person called ktkt nbl
And the big-headed man
It was a big forest I branched into on my way
And I heard the voice of Aljogun
And because I branched
I paftook in consuming the flesh of immoftality
The tiny ones were casting If
And the lttle ones were holding thelbo
The thunder did not strike
The residentAwo of
Q|QyQ-moyin
Mygood luckcharm was so effective
Itcarried fire in its hands
Mygood luckcharm was so effective
It carried sunshine in its legs
Mygood luckcharm gave birth to several children
Itgave bifth to Aga-ddr1
479
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
And itwas madethe head of theforest
And gave birth to
QlqpapanrAga
And itwas madethe head of the savannah
And gave bifth toAl(nbQkn
He was made the
Qba
of
$ww-Il
Qrr:nmll
declared that'up it went in its tallness'
I responded that'up it went in its tallness'
f
la, my father known as Agbonnlregn
Clearly do the hands appear taller than the head
And clearly do the legs appear longer that the foot path
Clearly do the Arb trees from a far appear taller than the buildings in a
town
These were the declarations of If to the youth
of IfQ
When going
on spiritual mission to Il-IfQ
Theyweretold totakean arm of a dog
And givetoOgrtn
And a big matured cock
And givetoOg
And two bg snails
To give to
Qgun-gQgege,
the owners of the comb made of coral beads
She who uses brass to placate a baby
And two healthy pigeons
To give to OdU lgbO-j
Ownerof the delicate eye balls
And then two big rats
And two hedgehogs
Strong kola-nuts
And plentyof palm-oil
To give to my mothers, owners of strong plumes
Also known as those who kill without confiscating
the victims' belongings (witches)
And then take several bottles of alcohol
And givetotheAwo
For Awo to see something to eat
And to drink
And take two goats with massive breasts
To give to
Qrunmll,
Agbgnn)regn my father
When the youths
of ll-Ife were gong
on spiritual mission, the elders gave
to them the followings; an arm of a dog to give to Ogn, a big cock to give
to
Ot, two snails to give
to
Qgun,
two pigeons
to
give
to Od, two big rats,
two hedgehogs, kola-nuts and palm-oil
to give
to the witches, several
480
fr ooara uei
bottles of alcohol to give to the councl of Awo present,
and two matured
goats
to
give to
Qrnmll.
The youths
convefted all to their own
personal
usg.
When EgU-Qdara heard this, he considered the action of the youths
to be
greedy, indolent, disrespectful, dishonest and unbecoming of those
aspiring to be leaders of the future. Egu-Qdara then ordered the darkness
of misfortune to cover their lives in front and the cloud of disaster to cover
their lives from behind. By so doing, crises enveloped the world and
pandemonium engulfed the skies. Series of accidents master minded by
Ogun began to occur in the community. There was chaos; there was
upheaval; there was restlessness; there was unceftainty and there was
untimely death everywhere. As a result of these, nobody was sure of what
to expect next. There was panic
everywhere.
When these misfotunes continued to occur without abating, the youths
knew that they were in serious trouble. In order to
get
out of these
problems, they now approached the following Babalwo for If
consultation.
fkn
I'awoojrl
fwQ I'awo ara
Qta
rd-rOdO-rd in omi
Wgn mQ wlp OOrn pa lyl de
Awgn ni wQn d'lf fin gmg krkrkre ll-Ifq l'ekejl
Wqn f 'awo lg sl lfe AkQlubqbebe
Translation
Tear istheAwo of the eyes
And bathing is the Awo of the body
The small
pebbles in the river
They are not aware that sunshine affects those outside
They were the anes who cast If for the youths
of Il-IfQ the second time
When gong again on spiritual mission to Il-IfQ.
This time around they were given
all materials they gave
them before and
they ensured that everything was done as they were told to do. Noticing
that the youths had repented, Egu-Qdara ordered the darkness of
misfo*une which had hithefto covered their lives in front to shift base and
481
lfa Dda: An nvtation to lfa Consuftaton
go to cover the trees in the forest. He also ordered the cloud of disaster
which covered their lives from behind to go and engulf hills in the grassland.
That was how normalcy returned and the youths were able to enjoy their
lives.
sn
per
sn
pee
yqtororo, yqtrr
Flkanfikan gba'lAy
DgbQdgbQ gb'ode
Qrun
kan
Akrinl'p nll g'gmg Ogrtn
Ogn lil nl ktkt
Lo na'wglja a re lalaala
ll
je
Ll mu
Ll mOOkn
Ll ge l krO l'wjg
K'ljq r{b
jg'njg
rg o
Awon ktktbl
Atafi pQnn ni
ti
dr
Igb l ni ntoya
Mo b wgn gb'hnAljogun
Yly ni moy
Mo b wgn pln gran lkrl
Eyl wgwgwqn d'f
Eyl wsewse wQn rf dTbO
Arlr run Osn
Awo ilQlgyg-moyin
Awrlre e ml
jQ
mr ina I'gwQ
Awrf re ml
jQ
morn l'gsQ
Awrtreml bl perere
bl pgqpqq
bl Aga-Dudrt
WQnfi
j'oyeOl-Igb
blglqpaparega
Wqn fi
j'oye
Olu-Qdan
u nmnukn
WQn fi
j'gba
nl
$ww-l
Qrnmll
l d gbggbqggbq
If mo lodi gbggbgqgbq
lla
Bara e mi Agbgnnlrgrtn
482
t* ooao u"
Gbggbgggbg lo, wq yg
Q
j'orf
Gbggbgggbg l'gsQ yg q j'qna
Gbggbgggbg I'Qgungun kr nyg
jull
Awgn l dlf filn gmgd kkrkr Il-IfQ
WQn $awo lg s{ IfQAkelbebeebe
WQn nl kl wQn gba ap aj
Kl wqn fifitn Ogun
Kl wEn gba kkgJn galaja
KlwqnfifitnOgrl
KlwQn gbalgbln mjl ajlra
Kl wQn fi filn
Qgun-$Qnge9e
Oloy lyn
Afidgre'mg
Kl wQn gba eygl mjl sJsJwgwg-sJsJwo,wg
Kl wQn fi fin Odu-lgbo-oj
llgyinj
gsg
Kl wqn gba apata Okt
lgt
aaka
Okoro-koroobl
Algblagb epo
Kl wQn fi firn Iy a mi
Qknrn
nl'yqq
Tl rljapa'ni m gbagn
Kl wQn gba lg gtl ml ganrenhn-garanhun
KI wQn fi filn qmo-Awo
Kl gmg-Awo rlhun
jg
Kl gmg-Awo rlhun mu
l(| wQn gba ewUre mjl ab'mrl rqdgrgdg l'be
Kl wn fi filn
Qrnmll,
bara a mi Agbgnnlrgn
wqn w gba ap aj
Wqn fitn gun
WQn gba kkg Jn gahja
Wgn ofg
WQn gbalgbln mjl ajlra
Wgn O filn
Qgun-$Q9esq,
OlOy-Iyn
Afidg re'mg
WQn gba eyglg mjl sjsJwgwg-sJsJwo,wg
Wqn ofiln Od lgbO-Oj
filyinj 99Q
WQn gba apata Okt
!91
aaka
Okoro-koroobl
Algblagb epo
Wgn ofi filnlya a mi
Qknrn
nl-yQQ
483
lfa Dida: An invitaon to lfa Consultation
Tr je apa'ni m gbagn
WQn gba lg o, tl ml gnrnhn-ganranhun
Wen fitn omo-Awo
Kl gmgAwo rlhun
jq
Kl gmg Awo rlhun mu
WQn gba ewr mejl abam rgd9r9d9lbQ
Wen O fn
Qrnmll
bara miAgbgnnlrgn
Egu
Qdara
nt kl bb
j
K bo'le nlwjrl
Bbaaj
bo'lQ nlwaj
Egu
Qdara
nt kt bbaa
ja
K bo'le l,yln
Baabaaj
bo'lQ lgyln
Qngotrrnkn
bgQnio
QrQOknkon
I'Egf 'bOwqn lj birikiti
Awgn
fkn
I'awo oj
e
ma geun o
Fkn
I'awoojrt
Iw I'awo ara
Ota rd-rod0-rd intl omi
Wgn O mgwlpeOOrn palyl Ode
Awgn ni wqn trn d'lf fn
Qmgd
kre-kr-kr ll-Ife
WQn tn g'awo lg sl Ife Akelbeb,
ebe
WOn w gba ap aj
WQn fi fin Ogun
WQn w gba ekkg
Qten
gelaj
WQn fi firn OgrI
WQn w gba gbln mejl ajlra
WQn fi fitn
Qgun Sg99,
Oloy iyn
Afide rg'mq
WQn gba
eygl mjl sJsJwo,wg-sJglwgwg
WQn w fi fin Od logboo-Oje
fleyinj
ggQ
Wenw gba apata Okt
lgl
aaka
Okorokoroobl
Alagbahgb epo
WQn w fi fn Iy a mi
Qkanrn-nlyQQ
Tl jgapa'ni mgbgn
wQn w gba lgo o, tl mal gnrnhn-ganranhun
WQn fi fin omo-Awo
484
i* odara uei
K'QmgAwo rf hun
jg
K'QmgAwo rlhun mu
WOn w gba ewrq mjl abm rgdgredq lb$
WOnfifn
Qrrrnmlla
bara miAgbgnnlr91n
Egu
Qdara
nl bbtj
T bo'le nlwjtl
nf ks{
Klg rbo'gioko
Babaat
j
T bo'le lQyln
nl kql
K lq r bo Ok mQlQo
Qroooya
bqenio
QrQ
ooye I'Eg fi rr y wqn li peregede
Awa kilg'awolkQkQ
Awa kff s'awolbb
Yml l'j nrlno
Orly
Yml l'ju nrln
Orlya
Translation
Itcracked suddenly
And appeared faintly
Crises enveloped the whole world
And
pandemonium engulfed the skies
He who carried iron about was the offspring of Ogun
Ogun was he who woke up early in the morning
And raised his hands (for war) threateningly
Withouteating
And withoutdrinkng
And without hiding anywhere
And without giving way in the assembly
-
Forthose who wished to eatto do so
The shoft
person called Ktkt nbl
And the big-headed man
It was a big forest I branched to on my way
And I heard the voice of Aljogun
And because I branched
I partook in the consumption of the flesh of immotality
The tiny ones were casting If
And the little ones were holding theIbO
The thunder did not strike
485
lfa Dida: An invtaton to lfa Consultation
The resident Awo of
Slqye-moyin
My good-luck
charm was so effective
Itcarried fire in its hands
My good-luckcharm
was so effective
Itcarried sunshne in its legs
My good-luck charm gave bifth to several children
It gave
bifth to Aga-dd'J
And itwas made the head of the forest
And gave bifth to
QlQpaparaga
And itwas madethe head of the savannah
And gave
bifth toAl(nbQkn
He was made the
Qba
of
Sww-Il
Qrrf
nmth declared that up itwent in itstallness
I responded that up it went in its tallness
f
la, my father known as Agbgnn)regn
Clearly do the hands appear taller than the head
And clearly do the legs appear longer thatthe foot path
Clearly do the Arb trees from a far appear taller than the buildings in a
town
These were the declarations of If to the youths
of Ile-IfQ
When going
on spiritual mission to Ifg Akel'f-bebeebe
They were told to take an arm of a dog
And give to OgUn
And a big matured cock
And givetoOg
And two big snails
To give to
Qgun $Qngege,
the owners of the comb made of corel beads
She who uses brass to placate
a baby
And two healthypigeons
To give to Od lgbO-Oj
Owner of the delicate eye balls
And then two big rats
And two hedgehogs
Strong kola-nuts
And plentyof palm-oil
To give to my mothers, owners of strong plumes
Also known as those who kill without confiscating
the victims' belongings (witches)
And then take several bottles of alcohol
And givetotheAwo
ForAwo to see something to eat
And to drnk
And take two goats with massive breasts
486
{|il o0"," u"
To give to
QrrJnmll,
Agbgnn)rgr1n my father
They collected the arm of a dog
They did not give it to Ogun
And collected a big matured cock
But did not give t to OSU
And collected two big snails
But did not give them to
Qpun $Qgs,
the owner of comb made of
coral beads
She whom uses brass to placate a baby
They collected two pigeons
But did not give them to Od lgbO-j
Owner of the delicate eye-balls
They collected two big rats
Two hedgehogs
And strong kola-nuts
Plenty of
palm-oil
But did not give them to my mothers, owners of the strong plumes
Also known as those who kill without confiscating the victims'
belongings
They collected several bottles of alcohol
But they did not give them to the Awo
For the Awo to see something to eat
And to drink
They collected two goats with massive breasts
But they refused to give to
Qrnmll,
Agbgnnlrgrln my father
Egu
Qdara
ordered that darkness of misfoftune should cover their lives
in front
Darkness 0f misfortune covered their lives in front
He ordered the cloud of disaster to cover their lives from behind
And cloud of disaster covered their lives from behind
Egu
Qdara
declared that it was matter of darkness
It was darkness that Eg
Qdara
used to cover their lives
We are however grateful to 'Tear is the Awo of the eyes'
And 'Bathing is the Awo of the body'
'The small
pebbles in the river bed
They are not aware that sunshine affecB the pebbles outside the river'
They were the ones who cast If for the youths
of lle-Ife the second
time
When going again on spiritual mission to IfQ Akel-bebeebe
They now collected an arm of a dog
And gave to Ogun
They collected a big matured cock
And gave to Og
487
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
They collected two big snails
And gave to
Qgun Sengege
the owner of the comb
made of coral beads
She who uses brass to placate a baby
They collected two healthy pigeons
And gave to Od lgbO-j
Owner of the delicate eye-balls
They collected two big rats
And two hedgehogs
Big strong kola-nuts
And plenty
of
palm-oil
And gave to my mothers, the owners of the strong plumes
Those who kill without confiscating the victims' belongings
They collected several bottles of alcohol
And gave to the Awo
For Awo to see something eat
And to drink
They collected two matured goats with massive breasts
And gave to
Qrrlnm)l,
Agbgnn)regn my father
Eg ordered that the darkness of misfoftune which covered their lives
in front
The darkness should move
To go and cover the hills in the forest
He ordered the cloud of disaster which covers their lives from behind
They cloud should move
To go and cover the hills in the savannah
Epu
Qdara
declared that it was a matter of brightness
It was brightness that Eg
Qdara
used to open their eyes
We never practice If in the dark
Neither do we practice If n a secret
place
Open my eyes for me to see
Brightness
. Please open my eyes for me to see
Brightness
If promises
that all the misfortunes and disaster in the lives of those for
whom this Od is revealed shall soon give way to brightness, peace,
progress and prosperty. If warns however, that these people should not
go
and invite problem through greediness, lackof consideraton, dishonesty
,
and self-centeredness.
488
i otara uei
t4. If warns the person
for whom this Od is revealed to desist from
being too boastful unnecessarily. If says thatthis person
brags a lot;
he/she complaints too much, he/she promises people,
especially
his/her opponents, fire and brimstone when he/she had no power
whatsoever to effect the th reats.
If says that because of his/her bragging, those who would have
helped him/her thought that he/she was self-sufficient capable of
fending for himself/herself. As a result of his/her incessant
complaints, those who could have taken a sympathetic view on his
matter considered him/her an habitual complainant, and they did not
have anything to do with him
lher,
because of the fact that he/she
boasts that he/she had the capacity to wreck havoc on his/her
opponents. Those against him/her always over-estimated his/her
capabilities and whenever they plan
against him/her it was always an
over-kill. They always end up wrecking more havoc on him/her than
they originally intended.
If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed will do
himself/herself a lot of
good if he/she can stop being boastful, or
reduce his/her incessant complaints. If also advises this
person
to
offer
gbq with three pigeons, three cocks, three guinea-fowls,
three hens and money, After this, he/she needs to stop going
about looking for trouble. On these, If says;
OjO
pa
abahun t',w t'aSg
Dl fifn Baba Ajl-han-bl-agogo
Igbe rrge oun gbogbo
Qkan
kO yg'rl
f;bg
niwQn nl k qe
Translation
The rain soaks the tortoise with its shell
This was the If cast for Baba A!-han-b1-agogo, he who forms the habit
of screaming like a gong
When doing all things without succeeding in any
He was advised to offer
gbg
Baba AJi-han-bi-agogo was in serious dilemma. There was nothing he set
his hands upon that came out well. He was loathed by several
people. He
489
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultaton
was beng avoded by many more. He was a very poor person. He had no
friends. He had no wife. As a matter of fact, no woman wanted to be seen
by his side. Of course, he had no child; even his family members avoid him
like a leech.
Everyone knew why he was loathed by others -
except Baba Ajf-han-bi-
agogo himself. If anyone did a little thing to him, without proper
investigation he would conclude that it was done deliberately and in order
to scream to slight him. He would scream at the person.
He would begin to
complain against the
person.
He would report the person
to whoever
cared to listen. He would take the person
before the highest authority. He
would do it until his complaints began to irritate people
around him. If
those people
did not blame or punish the person
he complained against, he
would accuse them of taking sides with his opponent. In shoft, there was
nothing any one could say or do, that would satisfli him. If they blame his
opponent, he would accuse them of making
jest
of him. That was why
people
tried everything to avoid him.
Anyone he considered as his enemy was in trouble. He would pester
the
life of that person;
he would tell everyone who cared to listen that he would
deal with this opponent. He would let them know that he had procured
some deadly charms, knives, cudgels and arrows with which to finish his
opponent. He would boast that he was coming to attack his opponent at
night. In orderto pre-empt
him, the perceived
enemy could go
and waylay
him and beat him to a
pulp.
He would then start another round of
complaints. Several times, he had used his mouth to put himself into
trouble.
One day, he met a young girl
and
propositioned
her. The girl
told him to go
and meet her parents
if he was serious. He flew into an unbelievable anger.
He accused the girl
of intimidating him with her parents.
He promised
to
teach her and her parents
some lessons they would never forget in a hurry.
In the end, his matter was taken before the
Qba.
He was fined and warned
to be of good
behavioul While he was contemplating whether to leave his
community and travel elsewhere or remain where he was, he decided to go
to the Awo mentioned above for If consultation on his situation.
490
i ooara uei
The Awo assured him that he came with success from heaven but that he
had used his mouth to spoil his success chances. He was informed that his
refusalto behave decently caused all his problems for him. He was advised
to be tolerant, accommodating, and less boastful and be more considerate
at all times. He was asked to stop complaining against any little thing that
happened to him and to always
give others the benefit of the doubt. He
was asked not to think that every step taken by others was designed to
intimidate him. He was advised to always see the
positive side of everything
first and de-emphasize the negative. He was also advised to offer gbg with
three
pigeons, three cocks, three hens, three
guinea fowls and
money. After this, he was asked never to forget to caution himself in his
thoughts, speeches and deeds at all times. He complied. He was also
determined to turn a new leaf and make a success of his life.
A few days after his encounter with this Babalwo, he overhead his
neighbours discussing about cooperative labour which they were about to
embark upon. He approached them and begged to be included. Knowing
his antecedents they refused bluntly. He however pleaded with them to
please include him. He assured them that he had changed for the better.
He appealed to them to help him to change. After much pleading, they
decided to give him a chance. He proved to be very humble and
cooperative. He was able to see genuine smile on people's faces. He too
began to smile
genuinely. He saw real love and he too gave real love back
to people. He began to accumulate wealth. Afterthis, many people began
to enjoy his company. He no longer complained about anything or
everything, anybody or everybody. His face glowed all the time. He soon
met a woman of his choice and
propositioned her. People who saw this
change in him encouraged him to go ahead. They also stood suretyfor him
'in
the
proposed wife's house. They soon
got married. Soon after, the wife
gave b'th. He built his own house. He bought his own horse. He lived
happily. He died happily.
OjO
pa
abahun t'Qw t'agg
Dl fitn Baba Ajl-han-bl-agogo
lgba tl rtge oun gbogbo tl
Qkan
kO yg'r{
lbg
ni wqn nl k
ge
gb'Qbg rrt'bg
Igba tl qnu rq ml
491
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consuftaon
Ni mo l'j
OjO
pa abahun t'Qw-t'agg
Igba tl gnu rQ ml
Ni mo l'ya
Ojo
pa abahun t'w-t'agg
Igba tl gnu rQ ml
Ni mo bl'mg o
OjO pa abahun t',w-t'agg
Igba
gnu rQ ml
Ni mo kq'l
Ojo pa abahun t'Qw-t'agg
Igba tl gnu rQ ml
Ni mo I'Q9in
Ojo pa abahun t'rw-t'agg
Igba
gnu 'Q ml
Ni mo nl're gbogbo
OjO
pa abahun t',w-t'agg
Translation
The rain soaked the totoise with its shell
This was the If cast for Baba Ajl-han-bl-agogo
When doing all things without succeeding in any
He was advised to offer gbg
He complied
Not until I cautioned my self
Did I have wealth
All praises to OjO
pa
abahun t'Qw t'agg
Not until I cautioned my self
Didlhaveaspouse
All praises to Oo pa abahun t'Qw t'agg
Not until I cautioned myself
Ddlbecomeafather
All praises to OjO pa abahun t'Qw t'agg
Not until I cautioned myself
Did I build my own house
All praises to OjO
pa abahun t'Qw fagg
Not until I cautioned myself
Did I acquire my own horse
All praises to OjO pa abahun t'Qw fagg
Not until I cautioned myself
Did I acquire all the good things of life
All praises to OjO
pa
abahun t'ew fago
il* obara Meji
If says that with cauton, humility, cooperation, consideration for
others, accommodation and love, all the
good
things of life shall be for
the
person for whom this Od is revealed
just
for the taking. If
assured that he/she had brought the destiny of success right from
heaven. That is why it is not in his/her own interest to allow trivial
things which he/she can help to
preclude him/her from attaining his/her
highest potentials.
15. If says that person for whom this Od is revealed needs to offer
qbQ
against unforeseen events which spoils what he/she had spent most
of his/her life
planning
towards.
If also says that this person or group for whom this Od is revealed
also needs to offer
gbg so that he/she or even the
group would be
able to achieve his/her/their hea's desires.
If says that the chances of making a success of their
plans are high.
At the same time, the chances of these plans to be spoilt by
unforeseen mishaps are equally high.
If says that there is the need to offer three white pigeons' one
matured
goat and money as gbg and at the same time feed Egu
Qdara
with one cock, for him/her or the group to be able to achieve
their set
goals. They also need to offer
gbg with one matured he-
goat and money, and at the same time feed Eg
Qdara
with one
cock for their
plans not to be spoilt by unforeseen misfoftune. On
these two situations, If says:
Mo
jl,
mo b erin nlnu igb
Mo nl erin
pQlg
o, alwg
g mQduru mQduru
Moil mo b e,fQn I'Qdn
Mo nl
efQn
pgl o, alawg
9
pasjpasJ
Mo
jl
mo b gbQnrln nln igb
Mo nf egbQnrf pQl o, alwQ
g medrtrb
Mo
jl
mo b er l'bt
Mo nl er pele o, alwQ klnnlklnnl
Il so ogn, l g s'de rr
493
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consuftation
Ikn so g9bQn, iken won a re lbaylgbO
Dl fn
Qrlnljg
gmg
eranko
Fbg eb-e,
yln n wqn nl kl wgn w
9e
Translation
Waking up, I met the elephant in the forest
I said my greetings to the elephant, owner of mud-like skin
Waking up, I met the buffalo in the grass land
I sald my greetings to the buffalo, owner of the skin, the colour of
tree-back
Waking up, I met the deer, in the forest
I said my greetings to the deer owner of the stripped skin
Waking up, I met the boa conscriptor in the swampy riverside
I said my greeting to the boa conscriptor, owner of the spotted skin
The okro bore 20 fruits, and went to Orere
And the egg- plant
bore 30 fruits, and went to lbayigbo
These were lf's declarations to the 164 animals
When they were advised to offer gbg against unforeseen disaster
The entire anmal kingdom had become sck and tired of the activities of
the hunters. The hunters hunted, chased animal and killed the animal
without any
justifiable
reason. They used their skins to decorate their
homes, to make their bags and shoes and even to make straps. They ate
their flesh. Any time the wife of a hunter gave
bfth to a new baby, one of
the animals or more would be sentenced to death. Sometimes it might be
the celebraton of chieftaincy title, conferment, it might be an ordnary
birthday or thanksgiving, the hunter would make sure that at least one
animal was murdered for each celebration. In short, any time human
beings wished to express their
joy
or celebrate any event, they would
wreck havoc and sorrow on the animals. In order to find solution to the
hunters' menace, they chose one hundred and sixty-four (164)
representatives among them to see to their welfare. The representatives
deliberated, and part
of the outcome of their deliberation was for them to
move away totally from the vicinity of the hunters and to establish their
own market. They suggested that it would be wise to be living close to the
market so that they would effectively severe all relationship with the
hunters in pafticular
and human beings in general.
The entire animal
kingdom up held these suggestions. They moved away from the towns and
villages. They established their own market. Before long the market grew
very big. One day, the representatives of the animals went to the of Awo
494
ili ooara uei
mentoned for If consultation in order to deter mine what they needed to
do their market to expand the more and business to flourish better for them
and their future generations.
The Awo told them that their business would flourish and their market
would expand. They were advised to offer
gbg with three white pigeons,
one goat and money. They were also advised to feed Ep
Qdara
with one
cock. After this, they were advised to offer
gbg
against any unforeseen
disaster which may cost them their lives. They were advised to use one he-
goat
and money for the
gbg
and feed Eg
Qdara
with one cock.
The representatives felt that an unforeseen disaster could ever befall them
as they had already taken care of such eventualities. They had moved far
away from human population
and therefore no harm could befall them
from any other
quafter. They offered the first qbg for progress and ignored
the second.
Awgn wyerye Awo il
Qrnmll
Dl fifn awo
Qdg
ltar6
WQn g'gdg-$'qdq wgn r'gran pa
fbg
ni wQn nl kl wQn ge
Translation
The careful observers and analysts, the resident Awo of
Qrnmll
They were the Awo who cast If for the hunter of Ikarq
Where they hunted without killing any game
They were advised to offer gbg
The hunters of Ikare were frustrated lots. For good
six to seven months,
they had not been able to kill a single animal. Many of them were
contemplating a change of
profession. Some had already taken to farming
as a means of keeping body and soul together. Others had taken to fishing.
A few had taken to trading, while yet
another
group had begun handicraft
work. The few ones left were hungry sad, restless and frustrated. They
put heads together and concluded that as a last resolt, they needed to see
the Babalwo mentioned above for If consultation: Would they witness an
improvement in their business? Would they be able to kill
games
as they
used to do before? Was it wise for them to change their profession if they
495
lfa Dida: An nvitation to lfa Consultation
had no hope of killing animals anymore? What types of business lines could
they follow that would be rewarding?
The Awo however asked them to puttheir minds at rest. They were assured
that they would be able to kill animals more than ever before. They were
asked to offer gbg with one matured he-goat and money. They were also
asked to feed If with one cock. Theycomplied.
A few days after, the hunters organized a hunting expedition. ESU
Qdara
joined
them in the form of man. He asked them to go far into the forest.
The hunters agreed. unknown to them; Eg
Qdara
was leading them to the
animals' market. Three days later, they arrived at the market. But it was
already late in the night. ESU
Odara
showed the hunters the footprints of
the animals and advised them to hide somewhere until the next morning.
They agreed. The next morning, the animals came to transact business in
their market. The hunters waited until the market was filled with animals.
They then began to kill them. Some of the hunters used arrows, some used
spears, some used
javelins,
some used clubs, some used knives, and others
used traps. At the end of the day, several animals laid dead. Since that day,
the solidarity among the animals got
broken. They remembered the
warnings of their Awo that they needed to offer gbg
against unforeseen
disaster, but it was already too late to do anything about it. The animals
learntto live with their regrets up till today.
Mo
jl,
mo b erin nln igbo
Mo nl erin pQlg
o, alwQ g mQduru mQduru
Mo
jl
mo b gfQn I'Qdn
Mo nl gfQn pQlQ
o, alwQ
9
pasJpasJ
Mo
jl
mo b gbQnrfn nlnu igbo
Mo nl agbQnrl pQl
o, alwQ g
medrfbtt
Mo
jl
mo b er l'bl
Mo nl ere
pele
o, alwQ klnnlklnnl
Il so ogn, l trg s'de orr
Ikn so ggbQn, ikan won a re lbaylgbO
Dl fitn
Qrlnljg
gmg granko
WQn nl kl wqn rbg
eb-Jln
WQn l'wgn O I'ebg
q
r
Awgn w0yerye Awo il
Qrrtnmll
Dl firn awo
Qdg
Ikarq
WQn g'gdg-g'qdg wgn r'gran pa
496
il ooara uei
fbg
ni wqn nl kl wqn ge
WQn gb'bg, wn r'bo
Ko pe ko
jlnn
lwa
b ni nl
jQbrlt
ire gbogbo
Translation
Waking up, I met the elephant in the forest
I said my greetings to the elephant, owner of the mud-like skin
Waking up, I met the buffalo in the grassland
I said my greetings to the buffalo, owner of the skin, the colour of tree
bark
Waking up I met the deer in the forest
I said my greetings to the deer, owner of the stripped skin
Waking up, I met the boa conscriptor in the swampy river-side
I said my greetings to the boa conscriptor owner of the sothed skin
The okro bore 20 fruits, and went to Orere
And egg-plant bore 30, and went to lbayigb0
These were lf's declarations to the 164 animals
When they were advised to offer
gbg against unforeseen disaster
They refused to comply
The careful obseruers and analyst, the resident Awo of
Qrunmll
They were the ones who cast If for the hunters of Ikarq
When they hunted without klling any game
They were advised to offer
gbg
They compiled
And not too late, not too far
Join us in the midst of prosperity
If says that it shall not allow the person for whom this Od is revealed
to suffer from unforeseen calamity. If also says that what this person
had been struggling for, without success, for a long time, shall be
realzed in due course of time.
16. If says that there is a
person where this Od is revealed who had
been given a responsiblty to perform but this person is using the
privileges attached to this responsbility to perpetrate atrocities. If
says that this person has been
pursuing his/her own personal
designs to the detriment of the responsibility given to him/her. If
however warns this
person to desist before he/she is humiliated and
disgraced.
497
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultaton
If warns aganst someone either embezzling public fund; or usng
his/her poston
to intimidate others; or to take advantage of the
inadequacies of others. If says that if he/she did not desist, he/she
is a sure candidate for disgrace and public ridicule.
This person is advised to offer
gbg with three cocks and money.
He was also advised to desist from doing anything that would put
him/her to shame. A stanza in this Od giving
credence to this
asseftion says:
Ksekse l rr r{
A O tfl r{ ksks
Ksks rt bQ l,yln
Baba ksekse
Dl filn Agblgb0nlwQnrn
Tl rrh re da'dg nll
Ql,fin
fbg
ni wqn nl k ge
Translation
Success is what we are seeing
We have not seen disgrace
Disgrace is coming along the way
The father of success (i.e, the effect of disgrace is more profound
than
that of success)
This was the declaration of If to AgblgbnlwQnrn (hoopoe)
When going to perfume
QSun
ritual in
QlQfin's
palace.
He was advised to offer
gbg
AgblgbnIwnrn was very good in the aft and rituals of
Qgun
worshipping
and healing. For these reasons many people
sought his assistance
whenever they wanted to serve
Qpun.
They would either come to his
house or he would go to theirs. Unknown to many people however, there
was nowhere he would go that he would not make sure that he made love
to their wives. He always took advantage of his positon
as a veteran
Qgun
follower to
perpetrate his disgraceful act. Whenever a child was ill, he
would recommend
Qgun
feeding for the mother in his house. When the
mother brought the baby, he would insist on making love to the mother
before treating the child and seving
Qgun
for her child. If someone else
prescribed serving
QSun
for people, he would ensure that all the women
498
*il oura uei
involved were made love to before he would be satisfied. After making love
to them, he would threaten them with terrible consequences if they should
tell anyone. If a woman was sick, he would make love to her before
treating her. He used to do this even in the women's matrimonial homes.
He had no respect for anybody when it comes to this. Because people got
the required result and because of the fear of being ruthlessly dealt with,
none of his victims ever confessed to anybody what AgblgbnlwQnrn had
done to her.
One day, one of
QlQfin's
wives was seriously ill. All the medicines they
administered on her proved ineffective. She looked emaciated. She could
not eat or drink. As a last resoft, AgHgbOn)wQnrn was invited.
In orderto succeed in his assignment, he wentto theAwo mentioned above
for If consultation: what did he need to do to be able to heal
QlQfin's
wife
of her ailment? Would he be recognized and
praised by
QlQfin?
Would
Qlqfin
compensate him adequately for a
job
well done if he succeeded in healing
his wife? The Awo assured Agblgbn)wQnrn that healing
QlQfin's
wife was
not a
problem
but that he needed to offer
gbq
so that he would not be
humiliated. The Awo told him that even though he was a competent healer
and
Qgun
practitioner but he was nonetheless acting in violation of social
morality. He was warned to desist from this act if he did not want to be
humiliated and disgraced. He was advised to offer
gbg with three cock and
money.
When AgblgbnlwQnrn heard this, he was angry. He told the Awo that the
gbg he prescribed for him was not necessary as he knew his ways. He
accused the Awo of being envious of his achievements in life. He
challenged the Awo to wait and see how he would maneuver his ways in
QlQfin's
palace. He stormed outof theAwo's house after.
When he
got
to
9lQfin's
palace, he was taken to the room of the sick
woman. He tested her and assured
QIQRn
that she would soon be well. He
told
QlQfin
that there was an urgent need for him to
peform ceftain rituals
for her. He told every body
present to excuse him. They all
got out of the
room and Agb)gbnlwQnrn locked the door. He began to make love to
QlQfin's
wife even on her sick bed in her matrimonial home. He began to do
499
lfa Dida: An nvitation to lfa Consuftaton
this twice a day, on a daily basis.
Meanwhile,
QlQfin
made sure that Agb)gbnlwQnrn lacked nothing
whatsoever. He was well-fed, well clothed and given the best
quafter,
reserved for
QlQfin's
most impoftant guests. After eating in the morning,
he would go
and make love to
QlQfin's
wife. After supper, he would also
go
and do the same all under the pretext that he was going there to
administer medicines on her. He was so used to this illicit act that he began
to think that if he administered the correct drugs on her with right dosages,
the woman would soon recover and that might mean the end of his
"enjoyment" in OlQfin's
palace, he therefore devised a means of ensuring
that he delayed medication for as long as
possible.
One day, Olfin's wife complained to Agb'igbnlwQnrn that she had not
notice much improvement in are
physical
condition. She said that she
would not want him to continue to make love to her any more as she
considered it against the ethics of his profession
and a taboo on
QlQfin's
house. Agb)gbnlwQnrn became angry that she had the effrontery to
preach morality to him. He told her that she had lost her right to complain
as he was the only person who knew what was good for her and nobody
else. The woman said that if he did not desist she would explain
everything that had been happening to her husband. This made
AgblgbnlwQnrn to panic. He threatened that if she should ever
contemplate telling anyone, she would die a violent death instantly, even
before she narrated her experience to whoever she
planned
to tell it to. He
also threatened that if she should ever resist him, she would become
paralyzed instantly. With these threats, he had his way and left her totally
confused. That same day, she summoned courage and told her husband
everything going on.
When
QlQfin
heard this, he became very furious and disappointed. He
decided to catch Agb'igbn'lwQnrn in the act.
QlQfin
asked his wife when
next Agb'igbn1wQnrn would return, and he was informed that he used to
come to her room twice a day. So they expected and planned for him
against evening when he would come for his illicit act.
QlQfin
organized for
four able-bodied in his palace to be on standby. When AgblgbnlwQnrn
returned in the evening, he suspected nothing. He removed his clothes.
500
frtr oo"o u"i
Before he could do anything the four men forced open the door and bundled
AgblgbnIwQnrn out of the room completely naked. He was paraded
(
naked throughout the four comers of Il-Ife. Many women who had fallen
victim of his illicit act were emboldened by what they saw. They came out
openly and narrated their ordeals in his hands.
It was when everybody began to boo him and throw stones at him that he
remembered the warnings of the Awo to him. He never contemplated in his
wildest imagination that he could experience such a disgrace in his life.
After being paraded throughout the length and breadth of ll-Ife,
QQfin
i
released AgdgbnlwQnrn to go
and live with his shame. When the shame
i
became unbearable for him, AgblgbnlwQnrn committed suicide. And
that broughtto an end the inglorious life of Agb'lgbnlwQnrn.
Ksekse le rf
A O tfl rl ksks
Kasakesa bQ lQyln
Baba ksekse
Dl fitn AgblgbOnlwonrn
fi rrlg r da'dg nll
QlO,fin
lbg
ni wgn nl k
9e
{
kg'
Qgbgnhin
s'ebq
AgblgbonlwQnrn k d mi sllQ mQ
Flfg nl fQ mi o
Translation
Success is what we are seeing
We have not seen disgrace
Disgrace is coming along the way
The father of success (i.e, the effect of disgrace is more profound
i
than that of success) '
This was the declaration of If to AgblgbOnlwQnrn (hoopoe)
When going to perfume
Qgun
ritual in
QlQfin's
palace.
He was advised to offer gbg
He refused bluntly
Agblgb0nIwOnrn is no longer applying remedy on me
But he was instead making love to me
If says that disgrace is around the corner for someone who has
perpetrated
evil but who felt that all loopholes had been plugged.
If
i
t.
501
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultaton
says that such a person
should change his/her ways if he/she did not
want to face public odium.
If also says that someone or group who had hithefto been cheated by
others would see through the evil designs of those cheating them and
their person
or
persons
cheating them will soon be disgraced.
Abgrrf, Abgye.
502
til ooara uei
B. STGNTFTCANCE OF
qBAnA-FlEI
rOn rHosE BoRN
BY THIS OD DURING IKOSEDAYE OR ITELD
Qbara
Mil children will be verywealthy in life because they broughttheir
luck and success chances from heaven. No mater the initial tribulations,
these people willtriumph in the end. Their success usually comes in a very
miraculous manner. They however needed to be well groomed in the aft of
success management. This is because success easily enters into their
heads and it may lead them to misbehave or be rude to elders or
constituted authorities. Because success for
Obara-Mil
children is
assured, education on success management and control is a must.
Even though success is guarateed for
Qbara-Mjl
children, they succeed
more as an individual than in a group. They therefore need to take to such
professions as the ones individuals can excel in. These professions
includes If practice, Medicines, Pharmacy, Sculpture work, fine aft,
accountancy, or establish a one-man business enterprise. They can sell
groceries and include
pumpkins in their sales but can never succeed as a
farmer.
For EjIQbara children, humility, truthfulness, wisdom, foresight,
uprightness, honesty and
purity are
paft of the
qualities which enhances
their success chances in life.
Qbara-Mfl
male children also need to listen
to the
good advices of their wives as the advices will surely
pave the
path to
greatness to them. They also need to treat their wives with all
considerations at all times and accord them due respects. Apaft from
these,
Qbara-uil
children succeed more when they choose to handle
.
two things at a time than when they feel that they cannot handle two things
at a
go. Some measures of risk-taking are paft of the things that keep
Qbara-Mjl
children
going. Further more, the more the number of
children they have, the greater their
prosperity and success,
Qbara-Mjl
children have the unbelievable ability to survive calamities,
wars, uprisings, or upheavals, they will not only survive these they would
also be responsible for the survival of their families and loved ones. This
ability is inborn. This is why it is very rare to find
Qbar-Mjt
children
dying violent deaths. It is however very useful for
Qbara-Mil
children to
503
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultaon
make it a
point
of duty to be breaking kola-nuts for Elwo to consume
regularly. By so doing, long life is enhanced. They will live relatively long
and n comfoft and peace
of mind. That
Qbara-Mjl
children will survive
disasters and upheavals is not a license to take undue risks or be reckless in
their day-to-day activities. If does not protect
anyone who behaves
stupidly or recklessly.
These children, in spite of their qualities,
are born stubborn and
recalcitrant. They hardly wish to spend money unless it is compulsory for
them to do so, These are palts
of their attitudes which must be tamed to a
manageable limit, if it cannot be totally eliminated.
Quite
a number of
Qbara-Mjl
children are also in the habit of daring elders and other
constituted authorities. They love to deny elders what rightly belongs to
them. This attitude should also be discouraged as it will never augur well
for them. They also tend to forget their sufferings and their difficult roads
to success once they reach the top. They brag, complain and intimidate
people. By so doing, they end up accumulating oppositions and enemies.
If these can also be stopped,
Qbara-M)
children will be loved, respected
and exalted in the community.
Some of them also love to go
after other people's wives; this can only bring
disgrace and humiliation.
On the whole
Qbara-Ui
chldren will reach the zenith of their chosen
careers but they are always threatened by unforeseen setback which may
reduce all their achievements in life to naught.
Qbara-Mil
chldren are
fashion-conscious and they pursued
wealth and recognition to the
exclusion of a settled family life. Once they settled down however, they
make good husbands and wives, good fathers and mothers and good
companion to their families and friends. For
Qbara-Mjl
children, the
world willtremble and bow.
If for success longevity, protection, progress
and victory.
EgU
Qdara
for victory over adversary financial success and
rescue from danger.
c,
1.
2.
frl oaara uej
3. Orf for support, longevity, financial success, vctory and over all
well-being.
4.
Q;un
for achievement
5. Ogrtn for victory and achievement
6. Od for victory and achievement
7.
Q+un
for child-bearing, victory and achievement.
D. Taboos of
Qbara-Mjl
. Must never be rude to elders or constituted authority
-
to avoid
blockade of his/her success chances.
. Must never go
after other
people's wives to avoid being
humiliated and disgraced.
ii. Must never appear drty or neglect personal hygiene
-
to avoid
untimely death.
iv. Must never take advantage of other
people's misfoftune or
inadequacies to avoid humiliation and disgrace
v. Must never eat iguana to avoid difficulty in child- bearing.
vi. Must never ignore useful advice of his wife to avoid missing his
success chances.
vii. Must not use orore birds for anything to avoid missing his/her
success chances.
Vi. Must not eat ewe to avoid missing his/her success chances
ix. Must not use toftoise for anything to avoid living a loveless life.
x. Must never use Agbe, Aluko and OdldgrQ birds
-
to avoid difficulty
in overcoming adversary and
getting victory over enemies.
xi. Must never be a farmer to avoid
poverlry
and failure.
E. Possible names for
Qbare-Mjl
Chitdren During
Ikgsgdy
1. Males
. Fkyqd
- If brings
joy
i. IbllqpE
-
Consanguinity deserves gratitude
. Fdr If pedorms wonders
iv. Odql The Od of honour
505
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultaon
v.
Qladimejl
Honour has become two
2. Females
.
Qmgladn
-
Chld is sweet
I. Ibllqpg
-
Consanguinity is my source of gratitude
. Olhundldn
-
Owner of sweet things
iv. AyQbmi
-
Joy has come to me
V. Aygdjl
-
Joy has become two
Aboru Aboye.
506
Chapter 8
OKANRAN MEI
I
ll
ll
il
I
lt
lt
ll
I
Chapter 8
QKANRAN
MEJI
1. If says that it foresees the Ire of comfoft and acceptability
for the
person for whom Oknrn M;T is revealed. If says that the
person
for whom this Od is revealed shall be loved and adored and sought
after by all and sundry. If says also that this
person shall be
given
the chance to exeft his/her
potentials to the maximum in life. The
person for whom this Od is revealed shall have honour and respect
and shall be held in a high exteem in the society. He/she cannot be
ignored or resisted in the community. This is very sure. If advises
the
person for whom this Od is revealed to offer
gbQ with three
white
pigeons, three ducks and money. On this aspect,
Qknrn-M)
says:
Qkan
belabaH
AwoQmu ldlfQmrl
9m
'tQrun bg walAYe
nraygbj
fbg
ni wqn nl k w
9e
Translation
Thatwhich swings and is adored
That was the If cast for
Qm,
the Breast
When coming forQrun, HeaventoAy, Eafth
And was coming to enjoy the life of being caressed
She was advised to offerqbg
When a new-born baby was coming into the world, she was accompanied
by Blood and Weeping. About forty days later, Laughter came into the
world to meet the new-born baby. The baby thus knew how to laugh, smile
and
giggle. About five months after the bifth of the baby, Patience came to
join
ef She was thus being taught the viftues of being
patient at all times.
508
14 ox"ron u"i
When the child grew up and was around 11 years old,
Qm
the Breast,
decided to go and live with the child on eafth. She therefore went to the Awo
mentioned above for If consultation: Would her stay on eafth be fruitful?
Would she be given honour and respect? Would she be adored by all while
on eafth? Would she be
placed in a conspicuous
place in the body? Would
it be better for her to stay with a male or a female? Allthese questions and
more were the things which pre-occupied
the mind of
Qmu
before she went
for If consultation.
The Awo assured
Qmu
that her stay on eafth would not only be fruitful, but
would equally be exciting and challenging. She was assured that she would
be accorded her due honour and respect. She was also told that her
significance would be elevated over and above other parts of the body and
she would occupy a most conspicuous
place in the human body. She was
advised to stay with a female gender. By so doing, she was assured that she
would be the easiest
paft of the female's body which would be used to
identifu a woman.
Qm
was told that she would be able to enhance the
feminity, attractiveness and desirablty of a woman. Without her; she was
assured, a woman would be incomplete. In addition to these,
Qm
was told
that she would be the one who would be relied upon to nurse human babies
exclusively in the first few months in life. She was also told that even when
she grew old and feeble she would always be given honourable roles to
play.
Qmu
was however advised to offer
gbg with three white pigeon
three
ducks and money. She complied. Shortly afte'this,
Qm
set out on her
journey
into the world.
When she came into the world,
9m
settled on the chest of a young girl
of
between 11 and 12 years. Atfirst, she came as a smalldot. She later began
to develop little by little. By the time the young girl attained 16 years
of age,
Qmu
the Breast, had been given a conspicuous
place
on the chest. Those
who saw the breast concluded that the young girl was getting physically
matured and readyforthe marriage market.
Members of the opposite sex also saw
Qm
as something to hold, caress
and fondle. They all began to look at the young girl invitingly as a result of
her breast. Several ideas on how to cajole the young girl closer to them
509
lfa Dida: An invtaton to lfa Consultation
were developed.
Qmu
arouses the lasciviousness in all males. She also
enhances the sexuality of the female with whom she was residing. Even
though
Qm,
like Oj (Eyes), Eti(Nose), Im (Nostrils), Ap (Arms) and
fsg
(Legs) came in pairs,
each half complemented the other and one was not
more importantthan the other.
By the time the owner of the
Qm
was being considered ready for the
marriage market, the majoryardstick used forthe consideration, apaftfrom
other social factors like education, character, moral and so on, was that
when she became
pregnant
and was delivered of her own baby, she would
be able to feed the new baby with her breast. And truly,
9mt1
was used to
feed the new baby exclusively in the first few months of the baby on eath.
Everything the new baby needed to survive on eafth and to continue living a
healthy life afterwards had been supplied by Oldmar and stored in the
milk which
Qmu
produces. No other part of the body could be used to
substitute
Qmu
in this noble role.
If says also that like If, as the fount of knowledge and origin of all things,
living, non-living, visible, non-visible, those which has essence and those
which has not, perceivable and non-perceivable, contains a pair of sixteen
Od each which could be combined according to the will of Oldmar on
any subject concerned; so also did
Qmu
has a
pair
of sixteen holes in her
nipple which served as the "founts' from where all the essential ingredients
for the existence of a new baby were supplied. The "founts" in each breast
were opened and closed for use according to the need, destiny, character
and their desirability. Essentially, anyone who could study which part of the
sixteen holes in each
Qm
of any woman which supplied the milk for feeding
a new baby while on eafth, such a
person could easily chaft the
distinguishing characteristics of such baby and by extension
predict what
roles the baby had come into the world to play. Thus, only If and
Qmu
could
play these roles successfully
-
to nurture and sustain atthe same time.
When
Qmr
had performed these roles and had grown old and feeble, she
was highly respected as that paft of the body which had brought up all
members of the human race-kings and slaves, noblemen and commoners,
high and lory highly sought after and the ignored.
510
ll or"ror r",
This was how
Qm
lived a fulfilled life on eafth. She was adored, caressed,
fondled, sought-after, respected and
given her due honour and recognition.
She was thus singing and dancing and giving praises
to Oldmar for
giving her such a noble role to
play in the lives of all the members of the
human race.
Okan balabale
AwoQmrt ldlfOmr
9m
'tQrun bgwlAy
nrayeagbj
fbg
ni wqn ff k w
9e
gb'$bg, r'bg
Kop,rkoflnna
!
w b'ni b', w
E w wo're o
Translation
Thatwhich swings and is adored
That was the If cast for
Qm,
the Breast
When coming for
Qrun
to Ay
And was coming to enjoythe life of being caressed
She was advised to offer ebo
Shecomplied
Before long, nottoo far
Join us in the midstof beauty
Come and behold all the Ire in life
If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed shall be respected,
honoured and sought after by all. This person
shall live a very conspicuous
and fulfilled life on eafth. If says that the person for whom this Od is
revealed should however not flaunt his/her prominence
too much lest
he/she is accused of being too fliftatious and solicitous in his/her activities.
2. If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed shall be so
successful on eafth that his/her success shallvibrate to high heavens.
If says that this person is closely related to
$ng.
He/she shall be
made a leader. He shall be held in high exteem and
people
shall fear
and respect him/her. This person is advised to offer
gbg with three
511
Ita Dida: An invitaon to lfa Consultation
cocks and three white pgeons.
He/she is also advised to feed
$ang
with one cock. On this aspect, If says:
Ayn nff r'gg ptfp
Altakn nll gba'j
OdOOdo
Dlfiln
$ang
Tlyj'gba l'y
'
Tl y d'Orlg l'lde
Qrun
lbgniwqn
nl kge
Translation
Ayn, the cockroach, is itthatwraps itself in a miniature dress
And Altakn, the Spider, is it that suspends itself with its sash
This was the If castfor
$ngo
Who shall become a king on Eafth
And an ORSa n Heaven
He was advised to offer gbg
When Abifin was coming from Heaven into the world, he chose, as part of
his destiny, to become a very poweffilland influential person
on eafth. He
also prayed
to have a very strong personality. And when he was about to
move into the world, he went for If consultation; would he be able to
achieve his destiny without hinderance? Would he be respected and feared
by all-both friends and foes? Would he live a fulfilled life while on eafth?
The two Awo he approached assured him that he would surely achieve his
destiny. He would be feared and respected by his subjects. He would also
live a fulfilled life. He was told that to achieve all these, he would be born
into a royal home and he would become a king while on eafth. Abffin was
also assured that his personality would be so strong while on eafth that
even after his death, his spirit would be turned into an OSa and would be
worshipped byall.
Abffin was advised to offer
gbg with three white pigeons and a lot of
money. He was also informed that his destiny was closely associated to
$ngo.
He was therefore advised to feed Sango with one cock and all
other accompanying ritual materials. He complied and left for the world.
Afffin was born on Jkta day and into the family of the reigning Alfin
Aganjrl n
QyQ.
During his IkgsQdy, his parents were informed that he
512
fil ox"rran u"i
was closely associated to
$ng
and that was paftly responsible for the
reason why he was born on Jakta day
-
the day when
$ng
was being
worshipped. Ever since he grew up to his adolescent ages, he would never
initiate anything unless it was during Jktlta day. His personality was so
strong, he was so stubborn and rascally that everybody who knew him and
his ways of life concluded that he must be a
$ng
reincarnate. He was
soon nicknamed Sng. When AIfin Aganj, his father died, he was
chosen asthe nextAlfin of
Qyq.
During his reign as the Alfin, nobody remembered his name anymore.
Everyone chose to address him as Alfin
$ng.
He was held in a very high
esteem
partly due to fear and
paftly due to respect. He was regarded as
both a temporal and spiritual leader. He had several followers during his
reign. When he died, he was deified. It reached a stage that several
people
could not differentiate between AMfin who was nicknamed
$ngO
and the
original
$ngO
who was an IrnmglQ.
That was how Abffin, otherwise known as
$ng
was able to achieve his
destiny of becoming a king on eafth and an Ortg in heaven.
If says that the
person for whom this Od is revealed is a born leader.
He/she shall achieve his/her ambition in life. He/she needs to serve
Sang
at all times. There lies his/her success,
progress
and accomplishment.
Ayn nff r'gg pp
Altakn nff gba'j OdOdo
Dlfirn
$ang
Tlyj'gba l'y
Tl y d'Orlg l'lde
Qrun
f
bg ni wqn nl k
Se
gb'gbo, rrt'bg
$angw
j'gba
l'y
sld'Orlg I'grun
Gbogbotgowo
QpQ
I
w b ni b'yQ
!
w wo're o
c
513
lfa Dida: An nvitaon to lfa Consultation
Translation
Ayn, the cockroach, is itthatwraps itself in a miniature dress
And Altakn, the Spider, is itthatsuspends ibelf with its sash
This was the If cast for
$ng
Whoshallbecomea king on Eafth
And an Onga in Heaven
He was advised to offergbg
He complied
$ng
became a king on Eafth
And an Orlga in Heaven
Allfollowersof the Holy Palm-tree
Come and meet us in the midst of happiness
Come and behold Ire
If says Ire shall follow the person fof whom this Od is revealed for the rest
of his/her life. He/she shallsurely live a fulfilled life.
3. If says that it foresees the Ire of prosperity for the person for whom
Qknrn-M)
is revealed during consultation. If says that this
person
shall succeed in trading or any other related business. If
says that his/her chances are brighter at that
particular point in time
than at any other moment. If says that the door of financial success
shall be opened for him/her if he/she endeavours to offer the
appropriate gbg in this Od.
If advises this person to offer gbg with three white pigeons and
money as prescribed
by the Awo. On this aspect;If says:
Eni t rn ni nl'ge
NlafabQQfiln
Dl filn Ejl-Qkanran
Tl yO fi frinw g'OwO
Tl y j're ggbQrin
Qkg
Sbgniwqn
nl kge
Translation
Whoever sends one on an errand
Is the person
one reports backto
This was lf's declaration to E)-Qknrn
514
Fi ox"no, u"i
Who shall trade wth 400 cowries
And make a
proft
of 800 bags of cowries
He was advised to offer
gbg
E:l-Qkanran
(otherwise known as
Skanran-MT)
was planning
to start off
in life. He deliberated on what to do for a living for a long time, sought the
advice of others and consulted If before settling for trading as his means
of livelihood. Having decided thus, he began to
gather money that would
be enough for him to staft the business. Much as he tried he was only able
to gather 400 pieces of cowries. He knew that such an amount was too
meagre to carry him far, but nonetheless he was determined to face the
odds head-on. Consequent upon this, he went to the Awo mentioned
above for If consultation: would he be able to attain the zenith of his
chosen career with the little amount he was stafting with? Would he be in a
position to attain his full potentials in life? Would luck smile on him in his
chosen business? Would he be able to overcome his initial setback and
forge ahead to become a
greattrader in future? Would he not become the
laughing stock of others? Would his business succeed where those of
others failed? These and many more questions especially those arising as
a result of the fear of unceftainties of life were at the back of El-Qkanrn's
mind before
going for If consultation. During If consultation,
Qkanran-
MT was revealed.
The Awo assured him that he had nothing to fear at all. He was told that
the door of success had been opened wide for him at that time. The Awo
urged him to take the risk at that time as he would have nothing to regret
whatsoever. In order to optimize his chance, he was advised to offer gbg
with three white
pigeons and money. He was also advised to serue If
with one white pigeon. All these he complied with before setting out on
his first business venturd.
E)-Qknrn choseto be travelling from one location to the other as his own
trading method. His first venture was to travel from ll-Ife to Ado-Ekltl. He
bought many wearing apparels from their manufacturers in Il-IfQ which
were far in excess of the 400 pieces of cowries that he had on him.
However, with his
good-will, he deposited the amount he had and
promised
to come and
pay the balance immediately he returned from his business
trip. The manufacturers agreed. The following day, he set out on his
journey, placing his hope absolutely on the prediction of If that he would
515
lfa Dida: An invitaton to lfa Consultation
succeed.
By the time ElT-Qknran arrved at Ad-Eldti it was during the period they
were preparing for their New Yam festival. Most inhabitants of Ad-Eldtl
and its environment realized a bumper haruest that ydar. They were
therefore
planning
to celebrate it is in a
grand
style. The actual day of the
festival was merely about six weeks away. Eji-Qkanran showed them his
wares and was able to convince the inhabitants of Ad-Eldti that they were
the most appropriate apparels with which to celebrate the New Yam
Festival. Everybody planned to buy. Sensing their mood, E)-Qkanran
jerked
up the price. They gladly agreed. Within a few moments, all his
wares had been sold out. Those who could not get were disappointed. E)-
Qkanran
however struck a deal with them that he would quickly go
and
order for their own stuff. With that assurance, they were all happy, many
people gave him advance payment
before he left. Realizing that it would
be difficult for ET-Qkanran to carry everything they would need all by
himselfi, they quickly
arranged for 20 additional hands of able-bodied men
to assist him. That same day, the convoy set out for Il-IfQ. The
manufacturers began to produce the wearing apparels immediately.
Shortly after, they returned to Ad-Eld. On
getting
there, E)-Qknrn
doubled the price of his wares. Because of the increase in price many more
people became interested because they interpreted it to mean superiorty
in quality. That same day, everything was bought up. Many more people
ordered for their own wares and paid the advance fees. E)-Qknran asked
for 50 hands to assist him. Because he paid
the 20 people who followed
him to lle-Ife the first time generously, he found it very easy to
get
volunteers to follow him. By the time he returned to Ad-Eldtl, he not only
made more profit
but the news of this great trader had spread to other
areas such as Ikgle-Ehti, Ikgrg-Eki, fytn-Eldti, sl-Ekt,
ffon-Alaaye,
Armgkg-Eklti, Akrlrq, Itaognolu, Ikarg-Akk, okl-Pupa and so on.
Everybody began to order for his/her own. Those outside these areas sent
delegatesto E)-Qkanran to negotiate with him. He gladly obliged them.
Before long, anybody in the Ekitl, Akoko,Ilajg, Ond and AkurQ areas who
did not have any of the appreals of ET-Qkanran in his/her collections was
considered as not moving with the trend of time and therefore
unappreciative of modern fashion. By the time EI-Qkanran settled down to
516
Il ox"ron u"i
do the account of his business, he had made a profit
of 800 bags of cowries
which was 16 million cowries. This was a business he stafted with only 400
cowries and all within one year. E|-Qknrn was ovenryhelmed with
joy.
He
was dancing and singing and giving praises
to his Awo, If and Oldmar
that through him, his community became successful in business and he
became the richest man in his community. He had a large family and a big
household.
However, any time he returned from any trip he would go
to his Awo and
explain his encounters to If, saying that whoever sends one on an errands
is the one to repoft back to. He said that it was If who sent him to go into
trading and gave him all the backing. In this wise, it was If he needed to
report all his progress
to.
fnit
rn ninl'g
N|a fabq
Qfiln
filn Ejl-Qkanran
Tl yf lrinwg'wO
Tl y j're ggbQrin
QkQ
Sbg
ni wgn nl k
9e
gb'gbo, rrt'bg
Ko p,Qnaojln
f
w b'ni b'yQ
f
w wo're o
Translation
Whoeversends one on an errand
Isthe person
one repofts backto
This was If's declaration to E)-Qkanran
Who shalltrade with 400 cowries
And make a profitof
800 bags of cowries
He was advised to offer
gbg
He complied
Before long and nottoofar
Come and
join
us in the midstofjoy
And come and behold Ire
If says that the
person for whom this Od is reveated shall be fabulously
rich as a trader. If says that he/she has the suppoft of If in this venture.
His/her chances are very bright at that time and it is advisable for this
517
lfa Dida: An invtation to lfa Consultation
person to grab this advantage with both hands. Barring any self-nflicted
pain
or problem this client had no reason to regret.
4. If says that the person for whom this OdO is revealed shall succeed
in life. There is no argument about that. But it must be noted that
he/she will not realize this success where he/she was born. He/she
would succeed outside his/her place of bifth. This success would be
so
great
that it is advisable to offer
ebQ
for this
person now so that
he/she would remember his/her place of bifth when the success
arrives.
If says also that it foresees success for the
person going
on a
business trip outside his/her domain. If says that before long,
he/she shall be the one controlling the business life of the
place
he/she was traveling to. He/she would be well known and more
popular
outside than in his/her native place
of bifth. If advises that
the person for whom this Od is revealed needs to offer
gbg
with
three pigeons,
three
guinea fowls and money, There is also
the need to offer
gbg with three cocks and money for this
person
to remember his/her home when the success comes. This is very
important too in order to avoid a situation where this client will be
developing other areas at the expense of his/her own
place of birth.
On these aspect, If says:
B'lbgO pe'ni
Alw Oyg'ni o
9r0tl
O kan'ni
Kankan-ankan l ran'j
Dl firn Eil-Qkanran
Tt tg it Ie
Tl rllg re gba'l lttlg tant<an-ankan I'QwQ q wqn
pbg
ni wqn nl k w ge
Translation
If a client does not invite one to come and offer
ebg
(for him/her)
Going to demand for it is unethical
Any matter that does not concern one
One may be accused of prying one's eyes (if one is too inquisitive about it)
518
li on"nor r,,,
This was the If cast for EI-Qknrn
When gong
to)lQ land
And who shall completelytake overltilg land from the original lnhabitants
He was advised to offergbg
ET-Qknrn was a very brilliant Babalwo. He studied extensively and
mastered all the various aspects and intricacies of If. Yet, he had nothing
to show for it, he had no money, no wife, no child, no house of his own as he
was living in his family compound inside the house built by his own father in
Il-Ife, no cultivated farmland, no good dresses and infact, nothing to show
forthe vast knowledge he possessed.
Instead of
praises, he was being
jeered
at by other Babalwo whom he was
looking up to for moral suppoft. The other Awo saw no reason why anyone
should endeavour to study as hard and as extensively as E)-Qkanran.
They claimed that with all his knowledge, he remained a
poor
and an
unaccomplished Babalwo. Other people in Il-IfQ saw no reason whythey
should
patronize him, claiming that f he was that competent and
knowledgeable, he ought to have found a solution to at least one of his
many problems. El-Qknrn thus became the laughing stock of his
professionalcolleagues
and the general public in Il-IfQ, his home town.
Tired of this kind of living, EI-Qkanran went for If consultation in the
home of the Awo mentioned above; would he ever succeed in his life?
Would he beget his own children to whom he would pass
on the vast
knowledge which he possessed? Would he be able to stand on his own and
raise his head high in public? Allthese were his immediate sources of worry
before he wentfor consultation.
The Awo informed Ejt-Qtanran that he would surely succeed in life
-
even
beyond his wildest dream. He was assured that he would be one of the
greatest Awo who had ever lived. He was however advised that he would
never succeed where he was born. He was told that he had been
contemplating a change of environment. He was advised to do so as the
move would be to his advantage. He was also told that when he reached
his new destination, he must never go
to the extent of putting pressure
on
any client to come and offer gbg which he had hithefto prescribed for them.
He was advised to ensure that his self-dignity was maintained at all times as
519
lfa Dida: An nvtaton to lfa Consultaton
that was the only honourable course of action to take.
Truly, E)-Qkanran had been contemplating moving from ll-Ife his home
town toltilQ to live. He was not sure if such move would be in his favour.
Hearing the message of If as explained by the Awo, he made up his mind
to take the risk. And truly too, he was in the habit of going
to the homes of
the few clients he had whenever they failed to come and offer the gbg he
recommended for them. Whenever he cast If for his clients, he would not
be sure that they would come and offer the
qbg,
if he did not see them at
the time they promised
to come, he would go and visit them at home and
mount pressure
on them. By so doing, the clients would not only lose
confidence in his so called competence but would also get
angry over such
display of lack of professional
etiquette. More often than not, he would end
up being chased out of their homes. From the day he consulted If, he
made up his mind never to do this anymore. The Awo told him that it was
better to die with one's dignity intact than to live without dignity. E:l-
Qknrn
chose to die with his dignity intact, if the need arose.
The Awo advised EI-Qknrn to offer gbg with three pigeons, three
guinea fowls, three cocks and money. He was also advised to serue
If with food and drink, He searched forthe moneyto purchase
allthese
materials and complied with the advice of If. Shoftly after this, he set out
on his
journey
otltilQ, armed with his instruments of consultation and a lot
of hope in If.
On his arrival atltilq land, Efl-Qkanran lodged temporarily in the home of a
Babalwo. It dd not take long before it became clear to all that he was not
only a first-class Awo, but an extremely dedicated one atthat. He followed
all the aspects of If to thelr minute details. By the time he decided to stay
on his own, his reputation had been established. Clients were coming from
far and near to consult If n his house. He would wake up as early as the
first cock crow at dawn everyday and would not have the chance to go
to
bed untilvery late at night. All these he enjoyed. He soon discovered that
'clients' patronage
did not allow me to rest was far better than the world
had totally forgotten about me'. Besides this, money and respect were
coming to him on a daily basis. People soon gave him apprentices to learn
If from him. In spite of his wealth and reputation, feeding well still
520
ll ox"rr", uri
remaned his problem. He had no tme to
prepare
any food for himself. His
friends however arranged for a wife for him. The wife took care of him and
his feeding. He began to feed well and regularlytoo. His wife soon became
pregnant. She gave bfth to many children for him, one after the other.
Together with his children they built their own house atltilq-land. Before
long after this all high and mighty inlttlg land became his clients. He soon
became the Awo of the
Qba.
He was soon made the Arb of llb-land.
Before long nobody dared take any decision in that town without consulting
him. His respect and
popularity were
just
next to that of the
Qba
of the
Land, E)-Qkanran became a fabulously successful man in lttq-unA. He
completely forgot Il-Ife his home land and made)tllQ his native land. As a
matter of fact, nobody in ltllQ-land remembered that he was not born in
their land and they never treated him as a non-indigene. All the people
from far and near used to refer to him as 'E)-Qknrn, the inhabitant and
owner ofltllQ-Land'. This title stuck until this day.
B'glgbgOpe'ni
Alw Oyg'nio
QrQtl
O kan'ni
Kankan-ankan I ran'j
Dlfin Ejl-Qkanran
Tr rq lltlh
fi rf lg re gba'l ltllq kankan-ankan I'QwQ q wgn
lbg
ni wqn nl k w ge
gb'bg, r'bg
Emi diEjl-Qkanran
If
je
n gba'l ltllg kankan-ankan I'QwQ g wqn o
Translation
If a client does not invite one to come and offer gbQ (for him/her)
Going to demand for it is unethical
Any matterthatdoes notconcern one
One may be accused of prying one's eyes (if one is too inquisitive about it)
This was the If cast for EI-Qkanran
When going toltilq land
And who shall completely take overltilE land from the original inhabitants
He was advised to offer ebo
He complied
I now become E)-Qknran
May If let me completely take overltllQ-Land from them.
521
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consuftation
If says that the
person
for whom this OdrJ is revealed shall succeed in life.
This success shal however come outsde his/her place
of bifth, All he/she
needs to do is to maintain his/her dignity and self-respect. He/she must
also stick to the ethics of his/her professional business or trade. There lies
success; there lies respect; there lies honoun
5. If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed shall have
many followers in life. He/she shall be highly honoured and
respected in the community. He/she shallalso become a role model.
If warns this person
against eating the flesh of ewe (mutton) but
recommends one ewe as the gbg material in this pafticular stanza.
He/she also needs to offer a basket full of ss beans as
ebq.
On this
aspect, If says:
Bat l, abTdl dqqgl
Dl filn O, ya Omlrin
Tl sunkn gmg r'de Ajgbg
f;bg
ni wqn nl k w
9e
Translation
The big Bt drum, with its large base
This was the name of the Awo who cast If for O.ya Om)rin
When weeping as a result of childlessness and travelling to the land of
Aiqbq
She was advised to offer gbg
Qya
OmIrin was the wife of
$ng.
They had married each other for several
years but unfoftunately, their marriage was not blessed with any child.
This was a source of concern to the couple and especially to
Qya
who saw
this as her own problem
and not that of
$ng,
her husband.
One day, she decided to go
to
Nqbq
town in order to
go
and meet a
Babalwo who specialized in solving the problem
of bareness in women.
Before going,
she went to consult If in the home of another Babalwo
whose pet-name
was mentioned above.
522
\l ox"nr"n u"i
The Awo assured her that she would have many followers in life who would
later become her children. She was advised to use her vast potentials
and
capabilities for the improvement on her community. She was also advised
to offer
qbg
as
prescribed above. This she did before setting out on her
journey.
On
getting
to Ajqbg, she quickly
established herself as a powerful
and
influential woman. She used her resources to organize
people together in
order to work towards the progress of the community. Before long, her
followers were so many that it was difficult to know their exact number.
Her admirers were even
greater in number than that of her followers.
All of these people benefitted in one way or the other from the influence
and energy of
Qya
Omlrin. They all considered themselves not only as her
followers but also as her children. Thus,
Qya
Om'irin who came to Ajgbg
land, a sad barren woman, later became a contented mother of the whole
community. She was therefore singing, dancing and
giving praises
to
Oldmar for allowing her to live a fulfilled life on eafth.
Baftt flrabTdl dqqgl
Dl filn
9ya
Omlrin
Tl sunkrln gmq r'odeAjgbg
$bg
ni wQn nl k w ge

gb'Qbo, r'bg
Mo r m, fa ni mo ya lg o
Igbatl mo r aguntan
Tl mo r agbQn-qn ses
Mo rti mgfa ni mo ya lq o
Erolpo, EroQfq
F
w b ni b'yQ
E w wo're o
Translation
The big Bt drum, with its large base
This was the name of the Awo who cast If for
Qya
Omlrin
When weeping as a result of childlessness and traveling to the
land ofAjgbg
She was advised to offergbg
Shecomplied
I offered my
ebg
before going
523
lfa Dida: An nvitation to lfa Consultaton
When I offered gbQwith
one ewe
And offered a basketfullof sse beans
I offered my
ebg
before going
Travellers tolpo and
Qfa
Join us in the midst of happiness
And behold allthe Ire of life
If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed shall have reason to
thank Oldmar, She must never lose hope. If she intends to travel
outside her community in search of improved conditions n her life, she is
advised to go,
as happiness awats him/her at her destination.
6. If says that it foresees the Ire of a
good wife for the man for whom
this Od is revealed. If says that the woman in question shall be
working for the progress
and
protection
of her man at all times. The
relationship shall also be blessed with many beautiful children. The
woman shall however be very
jealous
and shall not like to see any
otherwoman near her husband.
If advises the
person for whom this Od is revealed to offer
gbg with
two hens, four rats, four fish, eight snails and money. He is
also advised to find out from If what Od and If will take from him
and serve them accordingly. On this, Oknrn M) says:
Olko mg ibi igu gbta
OrlgbO nl npa I'Qrleb
Dl firn Ejl-Qkanran
Tl trlg r gb'do nl'yw
[bg
ni wqn nl kw ge
Translation
An experienced farmer knows exactly where a
yam germinates
But was only wandering round the cultivated farm-heap
This was the If cast for E)-Qkanran
When going to take the hand of Od as his wife
He was advised to offer gbg
E)-Qkanran was an accomplished If priest. He was well respected in his
ll ox"rr"n uei
community. One day, he met Od and fell in love with her. Their
relationship soon became very serious. He intended to have her as his
wife. Consequent upon this, E;T-Qkanran went to the house of the
Babalawo mentioned above for If consulation. Would Od be suitable for
him as a wife? Would it be beneficialto him to have her as his paftner
for
the rest of his life? Would they be compatible? Would she respect his
family? Would she
give
bfth to children for him? Would she know how to
cook his meals and those of his several Deities properly and at the right
period? Would she be ready to support and complement his work at all
times? Would she be a good mother and manage his home well? In shoft,
would he find happiness in her? These were the
questions which pre-
occupied the mind of E:l-Qkanrn before he wentfor If consultation.
The Awo assured E)-Qknrn that Od would be suitable for him; that it
would be rewarding for him to have her as his wife; that they would be
compatible that Od would respect all his family; that she would give
bifth
to several children for him; that she already knew how to cook good food
and how to
prepare all Oga meals; that she would not only support him all
the way, but would equally live her life for his progress;
that she would be a
good mother; that she would manage his home well and take care of him.
The Awo told El-Qknrn that Od would make him happy and proud. He
was however warned that Od would be an extremely
jealous
woman and
must be respected forthat.
The Awo also advised E|-Qknrn to offer gbg with two hens, four rats,
four fish, eight snails and money. (The client equally needs to serue
If and Od. The Awo will find out from If what If and Od will take from
the client) El-Qkanrn complied.
Soon after this, they
got married. Tiue to the predictions of If, Od
became an asset of inestimable value to EI-Qknrn. She also
gave
bfth
to several children. Her
jealousy
was put under check since she was
respected and this weakness in her was never made a subject of argument
or controversy. They lived happily for a very long time after.
Oko mg ibi igu gbta
OrlgbO nl rtpa I'Qrleb
525
lfa Dida: An nvitation to lfa Consuftaton
Dl filn Ejl-Qkanran
T trlq r gb'd nl'yw
fibg
ni wQn nl k w ge
gb'gbgrr'bg
f
w w'gmg Od wercre
f
w w'gmo Od wgrgrg
Ejl-Qkanran l ti gbiodu nl'yw
f,
w w'gmg Od wgrgre
Translation
An experienced farmer knows exactly where a yam germinates
Butwas onlywandering round the cultivated farm-heap
This was the If cast for E)-Qknrn
When going totakethe hand of Od as hiswife
He was advised to offer ebo
He complied
Behold the children of Od
Come and see the children of Od
E)-Qkanran was he who tookthe hand of Od as his wife
Behold the children of Od
If says that it foresees a
good wife for the client for whom this Od is
revealed. If says that their relationship shall be blessed with several
children. The couple will also be happy and
proud
of each other. The man
in question is going to be lucky with his choice of spouse, even though the
woman will be very
jealous.
This is not-withstanding however, with love,
this weakness can be tamed. Love conquers all.
7. If says that it foresees the Ire of happiness n marriage for a woman
for whom this Od is revealed. If says that she will surely meet
happiness and contentment n her husband's home. If says that the
couple will compliment each other and that as she makes her husband
and his family members happy so also willthe husband and his family
make her have a sense of belonging. She will be loved, pampered
and protected. If also says that she will give
bifth to several children
in her husbands' house. All these children will be very successful in
life.
If advises this woman to offer
gbg with one matured pig (a sow)
526
ll ox"nr"n u"i
and money. If says that as
pigs
usually give bifth to several
children, so also will she give
bifth to many children. On these, a
stanza in Efl-Qkanrn says:
Fmq
nll
je'ko
w$l,w$l$ ap
qtn
Afebojo nff
jq'ko
ralral ap osl
afin NapQnpqn
Tfi g'gmg oblnrin lpool
Eyltl rr9lqkgOwro
Tl y
sl fesq kan t'ilQ
Tl y bl'mg kkiri gbogbo ay
fbg
ni wqn nl k
9e
Translation
fmg,
the Brown Rat, is it which eats grass quietly on the right hand side
And Afeebjo, the king rat, is it which eats grass voraciously on the left
hand side
These werethe declarations of If to NnpQnpQn
Their daughter in Ipool-land
Who was going to her husband's house forthe firsttime
Who shall support herself with one leg
And shall give bifth to children the world over
She was advised to offer
ebg
NnpQnpQn was an indigene of lpool-land. She was very popular
in
Ipool. She was properly
trained by her parents
and she carred herself in a
respectable manner always. When she
grew
up and was matured enough
for the marriage market, many people
desired to have her as wife. In the
end, she was given out to someone outside her home town.
Before the wedding day however, NanpQnpn went out for If consultation.
She approached the If priests mentioned above in order to know
beforehand how her chances would be in the home of her husband-to-be.
Would she be accepted? Would she be loved? Would she make a good
housewife? Would she be lucky in her new home? Would she be blessed
with children? Would her arrival and stay in her husband's home bring
foftune and happiness? Would her children be obedient, loving, God-
fearing, gentle-headed,
easy
going
and agreeable children?
All these
questions
and many more were answered in the affirmative, she
was told that she would not only be happy but would also have oppoftunity
527
lfa Dida: An nvitation to lfa Consultation
to show and receive love, care and understanding. She was also assured
that she would be highly respected and adored. She was assured that she
would be blessed with many children whose popularity shall extend to
every corner of the world. She was advised to put her mind at rest and
discard all worries she might be enteftaining. The Awo informed her that
happiness, love, care, honourand adoration would surely be hers. Shewas
advised to offer
gbg with a matured pig
and money. Nanponpon
complied. She was then cautioned never to engage in anything, be it
thought, speech or action which might reduce or even inhibit her chances
of attaining her goals and destiny in life. Armed with this advice, she left for
her husband's home on the day of the wedding.
True to lf's predictions,
she was loved, adored and respected in her new
home. Because she had been
properly trained in her parent's home. She
had no problems
adjusting herself properly in her husband's home. She
showed care and respect for her husband's relations and they in turn
reciprocated in like manner. Before long, nothing could be done in that
household without her prior knowledge and contribution. She also
became very popular
in the community. She soon
gave brth to many
children and later settled down to the business of tralning the children in
the proper way as she had prior been trained.
When these children
grew up, many of them left for strange lands far away
from home. And again, because these children had been well trained, it
was not difficult for them to adjust and settle down to normal life in their
new environments. They soon became very successful there. Their
popularity and success soon filtered back home to Nanponpon. Everybody
was happy for her. They soon began to refer to her as'NrlpQnpQn their
child in)pool-land, who shall suppoft herself with one leg, and give birth
to children the world over'. She never allowed her luck and
accomplishmentsto enter into her head and made her misbehave. Forthis
reason, she lived happily and died a contented and fulfilled woman.
Fmq
nll
je'kow$lQwele
ap oJn
Afebojo nll
jg'ko
rlrl ap sl
Dl firn Napqnpqn
Tff g'gmg oblnrin Ipool
Eyltl rrlglgkgowro
528
\fi oxanra, ue
Tl ysl f'qsg kan t'ilQ
Tly bf'mg kkiri gbogboay
[b9
niwQn nl k$e
gb'gbg, r'bg
ErIpo, EroOJa
F
w b'ni b'gwa
E w wo're o
Translation
f;mQ,
the Brown Rat, is it which eats gnss quietly
on the right hand side
And AfeebOjO, the king rat, is it which eats grass voraciously on the left
hand side
These were the declarations of If to NpQnpQn
Their daughter in Ipool-land
Who was going to her husband's house for the firsttime
Who shallsupport herself with one leg
And shall give
birth to children the world over
She was advised to offer ebo
Shecomplied
Travellers tolpo and
Qfa
Join us in the midstof beauty
Comeand behold alllre in lfe
If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed shall be blessed with
allthe
good
things of life in her new abode. Her good
name shall outlive her.
She is advised never to do anything that will tarnish her good name.
8. If says that it foresees the Ire of a set of twins for the person for
whom this Od is revealed. If says that this woman needs to
put
her
mind at rest as she will be blessed with a set of twins very soon. If the
woman is having the problem
of child-bearing, the problem will soon
be over as she will soon became pregnant
and will deliver a set of
twins.
There is the need for this
person
to go
and serve the Deity of Twins
with black beans, bananas,
groundnuts, pineapples,
oranges
and all other edible fruits. She is also to offer
gbg with hnro rats,
two fish, two hens and money. It is advisable for the person
for
whom this Od is revealed to always endeavour to buy ebg materials
529
lfa Dda: An invitation to lfa Consultaton
in twos as she will be giving bifth to twins as from that time. On this,
Qkanran-M)
says:
Qkanran
kan nlhln-in
Qkanran
kan lqhn-n
B'Qknrn b di mjlra d'Ododo
Dl fin
Sdun,
gl'yinj ggg
feytntt m'jrl gkn snrhun omo
fibg
ni wqn nl kge
Translation
One leg of
Qkanran
here
And one leg of
Qkanrn
there
When
Qknrn
becomestwo, its predictions
become reality
This was If's declaration to
fdun,
the Ape, owner of the delicate eyeballs
When weeping in lamentation of her own inability to give birth to any child
She was advised to offergbg
fdun,
the Ape was a very beautiful woman. She was well-propoftioned.
She had very white set of teeth. But her beauty was more pronounced in
her eye-balls. Her eyeballs was a little big and when seen from far, they
appeared as if they were about to fall off their sockets. That was why
people
used to call her, 'fdun, the Ape, owner of the delicate eyeballs'.
fdun
was married for about eight years
but she had no child to show for it.
She was always weeping in lamentation of her inability to beget a child for
her husband. Tired of weeping everyday, she decided to
go for If
consultation in order to find solution to her problem.
Consequently, she
approached the Awo mentioned above. Would she be blessed with her own
child in life? Would her womb be open to bear fruit? Would she have
children who would take care of her when she grew old and bury her when
she died? Had she been doomed to be a barren woman in her life? What
solution Iied for her to make her a
proud
and happy mother of her own
children?
The Awo assured her that she would beget her own children in life. She was
informed that Ifa foresees the Ire of children for her. The Awo also
informed her that she would give bifth to a set of twins in life. She was
advised to offer
gbg
with two rats, two fish, two hens and two guinea
fowls. She was also advised to feed the Deity of Twins with black beans,
530
\l ox"nr"n u"j
banana and all fruits available which she could afford. She
complied.
Before long,
fidun
became pregnant. Ten months after, she
gave
bifth to a
setof twins. Afterthis, she
gave
bfth to many more children alltwins. She
wasfullof
gratitudeto
Oldmar and herAwo.
Qkanran
kan nlhln-in
Qknrn
kan lQhn-rtn
B'Qknrn b di mejl, a d'Ododo
Dl filn
pdun,
el'yinj eg
fgylntt m'jrl gkn snrhun gmg
FbqniwQn
nl kge
gb'Qbo, r'bg
jg
ebq
g kln'la r?
Ebo Ejlgbd la ru
9mq
g kln'la bl?
9mg
Ejlgbd la bl
Translation
One leg of
Qknrn
here
And one leg of
Qkanrn
there
When
Qkanrn
becomestwo, its predictions become reality
This was lf's declaration to
fdun,
the Ape, owner of the delicate eyeballs
When weeping in lamentation of her own inability to give birth to any child
She was advised to offer gbg
Shecomplied
Whattype of gbg did we offer?
It was the gbg whose materials are in twos
And whattype of children did we give bifth to?
They are all sets of twins
If foresees the Ire of sets of twins for the
person for whom this Od is
revealed. He/she shall be blessed with several children most of whom shall
be sets of twins. He/she therefore needs to serve the Twins Deity on a
regular basis.
9. If says that it foresees the Ire of a safe delivery for a pregnant
531
lfa Dida: An invitaon to lfa Consultation
woman for whom this Od is revealed. If says that this woman shall
give birth to a bouncing baby boy. This child shalldo well in life. This
baby when born needs to follow the directives of If in everything he
does at alltimes. There must be regular If consultation for him ever
before any step can be taken for the child and when he grows
up, he
must nevertake any major step without prior If consultation.
On the other hand, if
Qknrn-MI
is revealed during thelkgsgdy
ceremony of a baby-boy, that boy had been ordained as a Babalwo
from heaven. He will be very successfulas a Babalwo. He had also
brought his name from heaven. That baby's name is AdgQkn from
heaven.
Whichever one it is out of the two conditions, the baby in question
shall
grow up to be a popular and very successful If priest if he
chooses this line of profession. He shall be well respected and his
name shall be known from far and near.
There is the need to offer
Qbg
with two pigeons, two
guineafowls, two hens and money. There is also the need to
serve If with a matured
goat. On these,If says:
Kllwg kn
Kl mi kn
DlfitnAdqQkn
Tl t'Qrun bgw'lay
Fbq
ni wqn nl k w
fe
Translation
Letyou show interest by touching
And let me show interest by touching
This was lf's declaration to AdgQkn
When coming from
Qrun,
Heaven toAy, Eafth
He was advised to offer gbg
AdgQkan was about to be born into a royal home when coming from
Heaven to Earth. However, he went to the Awo mentioned above for If
consultation in orderto determine how his sojourn on earth would be.
532
ll ox.non uei
The Awo assured him that he would live a very successful life while on
eafth. He was also told that he would be very wealthy; he would live long
and have many children on eafth; he would also have many properties
which would make him proud. He was also assured that he would have a
strong health and would be highly respected in hiscommunity.
The Awo advised him to take to If as his profession
because that line
would surely facilitate and enhance his chances of realizing his potentials
and destiny to the fullest. He was advised to offer gbg with hro pigeons,
two
guinea fowls, two hens and money. He was also advised to serue
If with one matured goat. All these he did before coming into the world.
On the third day of his bifth, his parents invited some Awo to perform
the
IkgsQdy rites on him. The Awo assured them that he would be a
successful man on eafth. They said that he would not lack anything while
on eafth
-
money, spouse, children,
good health, happiness, success,
prestige, honour, properties, long life, contentment, popularity
and so on.
His parents were told that he had already brought his name from heaven
and ought to be named AdgQkn, the child of
Qknrn-M).
They were
also advised to encourage the child to take the path
of If as his profession,
as that was where his destiny would manifest in the best way.
The parents were asked to offer gbg for the new-born baby with two
hens, two guinea fowls, two
pigeons
and money. They were
equally asked to serue If with a matured goat. They complied with
everything.
By the time AdgQkn attained the age of four, he was already studying If
in the home of one of the best Ifa priests in the land. By the time he was 25,
he himself had become one of the most versatile If practitioners
around.
He was very dedicated and honest with his work. Everybody respected him
and looked for him for If consultation.
By the time he was on his own, his name had already been established as a
very competent Babalwo. He had several clients. Most of his father's
friends and chiefs became his clients. He was making good
money. He
soon became rich. Wth money came spouse; with spouse came children;
533
lfa Dida: An invitaton to lfa Consultation
with children came his own personal house; with house came horses; with
all these came prestige,
honour and recognition; with these came
happiness and contentment. He lived well. He died a happy and fulfilled
Babalwo.
Kllwo kn
Kl mi kn
DlfinAdqQkan
Tl rtt'Qrun bgw'laye
$bg
ni wQn nl k w ge
gb'gbo, rU'bg
jgOwO nSel n'If
Tl'f b hu mejl, mtQ'kan
OwO tl n o ge l n'If
Tl'f b h'kan, ma t'jl
Owotl nsel n'If
Translation
Letyou show interest bytouching
And let me show interest bytouching
This was If's declaration to AdgQkan
When coming from
Qrun,
Heaven toAy, Earth
He was advised to offer ebo
He complied
The business I shall do to succeed is If
When If seeds remain two (in my palm), I shall imprintone (on
OpQn If)
The business I shall do to succeed is lfa
When If seeds remain one (in my palm), I shall imprinttwo (on If tray)
The business I shall do to succeed is If
If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed shall succeed as a
Babalwo. He shall lack nothing in his life. He will be highly respected and
honoured. He will be happy and contented. His life shall be full of glory.
As long as he is honest and straightfonruard in his work, the sky is the
beginning of his success and accomplishment. He shall live and die a
happy man.
10. If says that it foresees the Ire of victory over adversary for the
534
ll o*"nru, ,",
person for whom this Od is revealed. If says that those who are
close to him/her had been
plotting
against him/her. If says that
he/she shall survive the
plot
and all those who are involved in the
scheme shall blame themselves for it.
If advises the
person for whom
Qkanran
M) is revealed to offer
gbg
with one matured he-goat and money. He/she also needs to
serve Eg with another he-goat. Wth these, victory is assured. A
stanza in this Od suppofting this asseftion says:
Kl lwo kn
KI mi kn
Dl frln Araba kan ptko
'Tl
be l'arn
qtl
Fbg
ni wqn nl k9e
Translation
Letyou show interest bytouching
And let me show interest by touching
This was If's declaration for the big but clumsy Arb tree
When in the midstof enemies
He was advised to offer gbq
The Arb tree was full of life even though he considered himself as a poor
tree. He was big and fat alright, but he felt that he was not as strong and
able-bodied as othertrees in the forest. This not-withstanding however, he
was quite contented with hls condition. He was very happy. He enjoyed
life. He was never seen to be sad or downcast at any time.
Unknown to the Big Arba however, he was the subject of envy of other
trees in the forest. They could not understand why the big Arba, who Was
not as agile, strong and/or rich as them could be happier than them. They
were not comfortable with the fact that he was not coming to them cap in
hand to beg for his daily food. They concluded that the Big Arb was a
very proud and disrespectful
peson. They therefore began to plot against
him.
One day, all the trees who wanted the downfall of the Big Araba went for a
meeting. They made Irk their Chairman. In this meeting, they
535
lfa Dida: An nvitation to lfa Consultation
concluded that nothing would satisff them better than to see that the Big
Arb was elminated. They however planned to execute their plan in such
a way that the death of the Big Arb would not be traceable to them.
Consequently, they sent Irk to the sawyers to come and fell the Big
Arb. They convinced the sawyers that The Big Arb would be very good
for roofing houses and for making bridges. They concluded that the earlier
the sawyers came, the better. To crown it all, the sawyers were to cast
away the Big Arb free of charge. The sawyers told them that they would
come and do the
job
in hro days'time. All the conspirators went back in
anticipation of the arrivalof the sawyers.
On the night of the same day, The Big Arb slept and had a terrible dream.
In the dream he saw himself being sliced into pieces
amidst cries of pain
and anguish. He also saw several other trees clapping and dancing around
him,
jeering
at him and making
jest
of him. He immediately woke his wife
up and narrated the dream to her. The wife told him that she sensed
danger. She insisted that he must go
to his Awo and explain everything to
him. He was not the type of
person who used to take such things serious,
claiming that he had done no evil against anyone but his wife would have
none of that. She insisted that he did not need to offend or do evil against
anyone before others could
perpetrate
evil against him.
Very early in the morning of the nextday, his wife woke him up and ensured
that he wentto the house of the Awo mentioned above for If consultation:
what was responsible for the type of dream he had
just
had? Dd t potend
any negative consequence for him? If yes, what would he do to ne.utralize
such negative effect? In the end, would he overcome?
The Awo told the Big Arb that he was right in the midst of enemies and
that those who were close to him were the ones
plotting
against him. He
was told that the plot had been concluded and had reached the execution
stage. Consequently, he had no time to waste. He was however assured
that he had nothing to fear as those involved in the plot would all have
themselves to blame for it. He was told that the Deities were on his side.
The Awo advised him to offer gbg with one matured he-goat and
money. He was also asked to serve Eg with another he-goat, palm-oil
and kolanut. He quickly
complied that same day. Wth these done, the
536
l\ ox*on u"i
Awo assured him of victory over adversary. The Big Arb returned home
and narrated all what the Awo had told him to his wife. He thanked her
profusely for her advice and action.
The next day, the savvyers arrived with their axes, cutlasses and saws.
They went straight for the Big Arb. While they were making preparations
to staft their work, EgU
Qdara
arrived. He asked them what they wanted to
do. Theyexplained to him. Hetold them that itwould be betterforthem to
test the trees first before felling the good
and strong ones which would be
useful to them.
The sawyers agreed. They used their axe to test Arb tree. The tree was
very soft. E$
Qdara
told them that it was clear that the Big Arb tree
could not and would not be useful for purpose
they wanted to use him for.
The sawyers were extremely disappointed. They decided to return home.
While they were deliberating on this, Eg
Qdara
charged them that to go
home empty handed would amount to sheer waste of time, energy and
resources. He advised the sawyers to try other trees whethr they would
see the ones that would serve their specific purposes. He led them to the
location wherelrk was and asked them that why can't they try their axe
on lrk? They agreed. When they struck lrokO with their axe, he was
very strong. EpU
Qdara
told them that Irok tree would meet their
specification more than any other tree.
The sawyers brought out their axes, cutlasses and saws. Among protests
from lrk and all the surrounding trees who planned
the conspiracy
againstthe Big Arb tree,)rk was felled. The sawyers were very happy.
EgU
Qdara,
noticing that the Big Arb would never know peace
as long as
the other conspirators were still around, advised the sawyers to try other
trees and check the ones they could use for roofing, windows, doors,
frames, tables, chairs, benches and so on. The sawyers saw reason in the
counselling of Eg
Qdara.
They tested all the other trees and marked other
conspirators for felling. Egu
Qdara
urged them to fell them all that very day
and then go home to plan how to come and carry them one by one at their
convenient periods. The sawyers agreed. That was how Ap, Orr,
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lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
Abora, Kanran, Opepe, and Appe were felled together with Irk on the
same day. Thus, the Big Arb who was consdered weak was left
untouched while the strong conspirators lost their Iives. They went to
invite those who would kll the Big Arb only for them to meet their own
death through their own
plot.
The Big Arba was thus singing, dancing and giving praises to Oldmar
for sparing his life from the evil
plotters.
Kllwo kn
Kl mi kn
Dl filn Arb kan pftlk
Tl rrbe l'arin
Qt
fibg
ni wQn nl k ge
gb'gbg, rrl'bg
KwQ kw
Arbe Ow mq
Ojr ti lrk
Kw, kw
K kr, k kl
OtosJ o k mq
ojr t
9lQrQ
K k, k k
YO k sin Awo
Ksal k sin Awo
Eeyan l b'wo l'dl
Y k sin Awo
Translation
Let you
show interest by touching
And let me show interest bytouching
This was lf's declaration for the big but clumsy Arb tree
When in the midstof enemies
He was advised to offer ebo
He complied
May he fall, let him fall
Arb has failed to fall
It is shame onlrk tree
May he die, let him die
The Poor has failed to die
It is shame on the Rich
538
ll ox"rr"n u"j
He willdie before theAwo
He will not fail to die before the Awo
Whoever makes an Awo his enemy
He will surely die before the Awo
If says that those conspring against the person
for whom this Od is
revealed shall surely meet calamity in the process
of executing their evil
designs. Conversely,lf warns the person
for whom this Od is rvealed
never to plan
evil against anyone lest he/she will have the evil recoil on
him/her. Whoever plans
evil against another person
will live to regret
his/her plan. That is what
Qknrn-M|
says in this stanza. The person
for
whom this Od is revealed must never plan
to victimize anyone on account
of his/her strength, position, influence, economic or educational advantage
over others lest he/she meets with calamity. The person for whom this Od
is revealed must never think, plan,
say or do evil or conspire with others to
do so. If anyone plans it against him/her, such person
is in for a rude shock
of his/her life. The evil planner
shall experience disaster. It is as sure as day
light after darkness.
11. If says thatthe person forwhom this Od is revealed is facing cetain
problems
whose source he/she had not yet
been able to identify. If
says that he/she would not only be able to identiff the source of this
problem
but would also be able to surmount it. If also says that the
person
close to him/her is the cause of the problems.
If says that
the person responsible for his/her problems
shall be disgraced and
humiliated.
The person responsible for all the problems
of the
person
for whom
this Od is revealed is one of the people
frantically finding solutions to
the problems. If says that the culprit shall be exposed.
If advises this client to offer gbg with three cocks, plenty
of
palm-oil
and money. If says that two gbg will be prepared;
one
will be placed
at the Eg shrine while the second one will be placed
at
the site where the problem is happening. After this, the person for
whom this od is revealed is expected to be extra vigilant. By so
doing, the culprit shall be caught in the act and thoroughly
539
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultaton
humiliated. On these, If says:
Qyq
ni sn r
Krukru ni od mQQmQQ
ojo l d ni lkooko pa kQrQ-kQkQ-kqro
IXfilnAgbo
Tl oun
$ang
jq
$'qrara wqn
Fbq
ni wQn nl k w
9e
Translation
The harmattan wind does notstrike thunder
Thefog does notflash lightening
The arrival of rainfall is it which makes the hyena to hide in nooks and
crannies
These were lf's declarations to Agb, the Ram
Who was the friend of
$ng
He was advised to offer ebo
Apart from
$ng,
Agb, the Ram, had no other friend and confidant.
There was nothing he would like to do that
$ng
would not be aware of.
Even when he planned to marry Agntn, the Ewe,
$ng
was the first
person to know. Both of them were practically inseparable.
One day, Agb called
$ng
and informed him that he would like to engage
in large-scale farming. Both of them went outto lookfor suitable farmland.
They took the soil sample and went for If consultation together. If
responded that the farmland was good and that the land would yield profit
for Agb. AgbO was very happy and he consdered this a step in the
direction of success for the two of them. He began to
plan how he and his
friend would maximize their
profit
and improve their standard of living
together. A few days after If consultation, Agb embarked on bush
clearing. He engaged several hands to do the clearing. After this, he
began land cultivation. Wth the first rainfall, he began to plant maize.
After this, he planted cassava, yaffi,
beans, bananas and
pepper
and
tomatoes. The soil was indeed feftile. All the things,he
planted yielded
beautiful fruits. He was thus eagerly awaiting the time they would be ripe
enough for harvesting.
To his chargrin however, by the time his farm products were ripe, he
540
li ox"non u"i
discovered that some
people
had gone
to harvest more than half. He
rushed to
$ng's
house to inform him of what he saw.
gng,
in utter
disbelief, asked him to let them go
and verifli together. They went, when
$ang
saw the extent of the damage, he consoled his friend and advised
him to let them go for If consultation in order to unravel the mystery. They
both wenttothe home of theAwo mentioned above.
There, the Awo informed them that they came because of a serious
problem. They said that the problem was being caused by someone very
close to them. They were assured that they would overcome their problem
and that the culprit would be exposed. The Awo advised them to offer gbg
with three cocks plenty
of
palm-oil
and money. They complied.
The Awo asked them to place
one
gbg
by Egu shrine and the other at the
farm site where the stealing was taking place. They complied. The Awo
however told Agb to watch over the gbg
on his farm site for sometime
before returning home. He was also determined to do so.
Unknown to anyone the loss of the farm products
was not considered as a
personal loss by Agb, but rathe; as a terrible disappointment. His friend
and confidant,
$ng,
was in a serious financial difficulty and he had
determined to pull his friend out of the mess. The loss would hinder him
from performing
as much as he had determined. For this reason, he was
ready to comply with anything that the Awo had told him to do and at the
same time conceal his disappointment from
gng.
He went to the farm
together with Sng and placed
the
gbg
there. They watched over the gbg
for about five hours and returned to their respective houses. Agb ate
some food and returned to the farm late at night to continue his vigil alone.
When he reached the farm, what he saw was beyond allcomprehension.
In utter disbelief, he saw his bosom friend and confidant,
gng,
as the
leader of the bandits carting away his farm produce!
Agb shouted in
agony. When
$ng
heard this, he charged at Agb who in turn gave him
the fight of his life. They fought till daybreak and
gang
ran away.
Before long, the incident became the hottest news item in their town and
environment. Those who were not as close to Agb as
$ng
went to
541
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
gang
to ask him what would have led him to act in such a disgraceful
manner.
$ngo
had no response whatsoever. When
$ang
could notcope
with this shame and enquiries anymore, he ran away from the town and
went to another town. Even in the next town, the news had spread to
them. Anywhere
$ng
went, people would be looking at him with
disdain. If he was passing on the road, he would feel that
people were
pryng at him. Sometimes, he would hear them hissing openly. He thus
made up his mind to return to heaven to stay.
$ng
then went to the sky
and made the
place his
permanent abode up till today. The deed had
already been done and it was
just
too late to express any regret over it.
Qye
nosn ara
Krukru ni Od mQqmqq
ojo l d nilkooko pa kqrq-kQkQ-kqrq
DlfilnAgbo
Tt Oun
gang jq
g'Qr$ara wgn
fbg
ni wQn nl k w
se
gb'Qbo, r'bg
Njqerukutrr
Eruku trr
Ija Agbo t l
gang
r'Qrun o
Translation
The harmattan wind does notstrikethunder
The fog does notflash lightening
The arrival of rainfall is it which makes the hyena to hide in nook
and crannies
These were lf's declarations to AgbO, the Ram
Who was the friend of
png
He was advised to offerebg
He complied
The small dust raised during a quarrel
And the big dust raised during a fight
The consequence ofthe fight with Agb0 had chased
Sang
to heaven
If says that the person for whom this Od is cast will surely overcome a
serious
problem being caused by someone close to him/her. And
conversely, the
person for whom this Od is revealed is advised against
perpetrating any atrocity against anyone close to him/her as this may leed
to disgrace and humiliation for him/her. It will also subject him/her to
public odium. Wherever he/she was expected to be respected, he/she
542
14 oxanran uei
would be disgraced; where he/she was expected to be loved and adored,
he/she would be hated and scorned; where he/she was expected to be
honoured, he/she would be disdained. In a nutshell, the person
for whom
this Od is revealed is advised against abusing the trust reposed in him/her.
t2. If says thatthe
person
forwhom this Od is revealed is experiencing
the problem
of unconsummated fortune. Ifa says that there is the
need forthis clientto offer gbg,
serue rf and Equ
Qdar
and then
do)pesefor the Elders of the Nightforthis problem
to abate. Ifa
says that EgU
Qdara
and the Witches are responsible for his/her
problems.
If the
Fbg,Ibq
and Ipese could be done, If assures that
the person for whom this Od is revealed will have peace
of mind and
will be able to conveft want to surplus, ill-luck to fortune, and sadness
to
joy.
On this aspect, a stanza in
Qkanran-M|
says:
QrUnmll
wl Otlrlp na'sQdln
Ifwl Egu
Qdara
na'sdln
Fbq
niwqn nl kge
Translation
Qnfnmll
declares that Oilp, the misfoftune had blocked the path
of
achievement with his legs
If says E9u
Qdara
had blocked the path with his legs
The victim, Akp was advised to offer gbg
Akpo had a lot of potentials.
He was also very intelligent. To conveft his
vast potentials
and oppoftunities to success was not difficult for him. But
this notwithstanding, he had nothing to show for his talents and personal
qualities. He had no wife. He had no child. He had no house of his own. He
was a sad man.
one day, he went to
Qrunmlla
to find out about himself: would he ever
succeed in his life?
QrUnm)l
consulted If for him and
Qkanran-M)
was
revealed.
QrnmIl
declared to him that Misfoftune had blocked his path
to
greatness.
He was advised to offer gbg
with two white pigeons
for
financial success, two guinea fowls for peace
of mind, two hens for
good
spouse, two rats and huo fish for children and two cocks for
543
lfa Dida: An nvitation to lfa Consultation
victory. He was also advised to seve If with one hen, two rats and two
fish. He was also to serve Egu
Qdar
who was responsble for his
misfortune with one cock,
palm-oil
and alcohol. He complied.
Qrunmlla
wl Otlrlp narsQ dl'n
If ml awgnly mi OgOrOnga, na'sQdl'n
Fbq
ni wqn nl k
9e
Translation
Qrunm)l
declares that Otlpa had blocked the
path with his legs
If says that Iy mi Ogr0g, the Witches had blocked the path with
their legs
TheAkpO was advised tooffergbg
While they were analyzng the problems of the AkpO in order to
proffer
solutions to them, it was also discovered that there was the need for the
AkpO to appease the Witches because they too had been contributing in
no small measure in ensuring that his foftunes were not consummated.
Consequently,
Qnf
nm'il advised the Akp to dolpes for the Elders of the
Night (witches) with palm
oil and one hen. He complied.
When all these were done, his luck began to shine. He had many clients
which soon translated into money. Wth money he was able to secure a
spouse of his choice. The spouse gave
bifth to many children. Together
with the children, they erected their own building. He had peace
of mind
and happiness in life. He lived and died happily.
Qrrlnmll
wl Otlrlpa na'sQ dln
If wl E9u
Qdara
na'sQ dln
Qrrlnmll
wl Otlrlpa na'sQdl'n
If ml wgnIy mi OgOrOnga, rd'sQdl'n
fbgniwqn
nl klAkpOs,e
Igba a tu'bg Otlrlpaa na'sQ dl'n
L'araw ro'nio
Translation
Qntnm'll
declares that Otlpa had blocked the path with his legs
If says that Eg
Qdara
is the Otinpa who had blocked the
path with his
legs
If declares that Opa had blocked the path with their legs
14 ox"ron u"i
If says thatly mi Og0rr1g, the Witches had blocked the path with their
legs
The Akp was advised to offer gbg
He complied
It was after we offer gbg for the
Qtlripa
Who had blocked the path with their legs
Beforewe had peace
of mind and comfoft
If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed shall have peace
of
mind, comfoft, success and happiness. It had been EgU
Qdara
and the
witches who had hitherto been responsble for his unconsummated
fortunes. If however warns that the person for whom this Od is revealed
that he/she should not do anything that will provoke
Egu
Qdara,
If and the
witches to turn against him/her and cause for him/her the problem
of
unconsu mmated foftunes.
13. If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed had been
cursed by his/her superiors. If says that he/she was the architect of
his/her present
state of misfoftune. The person
for whom this Od is
revealed is too forward in the midst of elders, even to the extent of
being impeftinent. His/her actions are being viewed as deliberately
designed to expose elders and/or those in positions
of authority to
ridicule and shame.
If however assures that person for whom this Od is revealed that
with all appropriate
gbg
and a change of attitude, all negativities shall
give way to
positivities.
Sadness shall turn to
joy.
Disappointments
shall be replaced with accomplishments. A stanza supporting these
asseftions in
Qkanrn-M)
advises the
person
for whom this Od is
revealed to offer gbg with a matured he-goat and money. After
this, the client is to purchase
a big cock and give to the Babalawo.
The Awo in turn needs to pull all the tail feathers of the cock, grind
the feathers until they turn into fine powder. After this, the Awo
needs to spread the powder
on
QpQn
If (If tray), use it to
print
the
Od
Qbar-M)
and recite the wording of the Od stated below.
While reciting this Od, the If tray is to be rotated until it turned
upside-down while the imprinted
Qbara-we
becomes
Qkanran-
545
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultaton
M). By so doing, it is sure that the curses being cast on the client
wll turn to blessings when
Qbara-me)
turns to
Qkanran
MT,
negative forces usually give way to
positive,
benevolent forces. On
these,If says:
$ekt
mojlw
Dl ftln Aku kg dlg O, te nge ta je
Tl g'awo r'Ode
Qw
Fbg
ni wQn nl k w
Se
Translation
Sakt
mjlw
He was the Awo who cast If for Akkg'dig
Qtanngalj,
the Big
cock
When going on If mission tothe land of
Qw
He was advised to offer gbg
Akukg'dlg
QtanngalaRja,
the Big cock, was a very versatile and intelligent
Babalwo. He stafted learning If from his infancy. By the time he was 22
years old, he had gathered
the reputation of being a competent If priest.
He was being sought from far and near. His major weakness however, was
that he lacked respect for elders; especially those elderly Babalwo whom
he felt were not as brilliant as himself. He considered this as laziness on
their paft. He used to look down on them and viewed their activities with
contempt. Several wise counseling for him to change his attitude towards
the elders fell on deaf ears.
One day, the
Qw,
king ofljgg land, invited AkUkg'dlg
Qtanngalanja,
along
with several elderly Babalwo to his Palace for If consultation. He
considered his going
to the
Qw's
palace
as a soft of competition between
him and all the other Babalwo who were invited along with him. He
therefore wanted to know what he needed to do for him to steal the show
from the hands of all the invited Babalwo on that day. Consequent upon
this, he went to the house of
gkt
Mjalw, one of the few elderly
Babalwo whom he respected for If consultation: would he be the Awo
whose star would shine brightest in the
Qw's
palace? Would he be able to
beat allthe other Babalwo hands down? Would he return home with more
honours and financial success?
Sakd
MOjlw assured Akukg'dig
Fl on",,"r r",,
Qtanngalrlj
that he would return home with more honours and riches
only on the condition that he compofted himself properly and accorded due
respect to elders. He was advised not to be too fonryard where he was
going
and to always wait for those in positions of authority to invite him to
take any step before he volunteered himself. He was assured that if he
could keep to this simple rule, he would return with success and greater
reputation. He was advised to offer gbq with one matured he-goat and
plenty of
palm oil.
When he heard the warning of
$akt
Mjlw, Akkg'dle
Qtanngahja
considered it to mean that
$akt
Mjalaw had
joined
the league of those
elderly Babalwo who found it difficult to allow up-and-coming If priests
to display their potentials due to enw. There and then, he lost respect for
$akt
MOjlw. He made up his mind that he would go
and offerthe
gbq
but would never step his house again. He purchased the he-goat and
palm oil, returned to the house of
$kt
mjlw who offered the
gbg
for him. He left with the resolve that that day was the last time the elderly
Babalwo would see him.
On the appointed
period, he left for the
Qw's
palace with the
determination to show those elderly Babalwo that their time was up and
that they ought to give way to younger generations of Babalwo to exhibit
theirtalents.
At the home of
Qw
there were several Babalwo. Akukg'dlg
Qtanngalanja
was one of the youngest invited Babalwo. He was very excited and eager
to display his vast knowledge in If. As soon as they stafted, he practically
took over
proceedings in utter disregard for the laid-down rules in the
conducts of If practice. He held the elders in unbelievable disdain. The
elders felt insulted and highly humiliated. He was
just jumping
at any
opportunity to display his talents. The elders left him to satisfy himself. At
the end of the consultation, some of the Babalwo who were present
gathered together and swore on him. They also invoked the rain to fall on
him, thereby spoiling his things and drawing negative elements into his life.
When he reached home, all his things
got spoilt. Where he was hthefto
being
given respect, he was being viewed with scorn; where he was
547
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
hitherto being honoured, he was being humbled. His numerous customers
began to notice that what he had hithefto been doing for them with good
results were now being trailed by failure and disappointments, All his
customers began to run away from him. His very few friends began to steer
clear of him for fear of being afflicted with his bad-luck. In sheer
desperation, AkUkg'dtg
Qtangalanja
rushed to the house of
gkt
mjlw for help.
tAkt
mOjlw consulted If for him.
Qkanran-M)
was revealed again.
He told him that he was the cause of his problems
and misfortune. He was
informed that he had earlier been warned to no avail. He was told that if he
could turn a new leaf, have respect for elders and constituted authorities
and offer the appropriate gbg, his sadness would give way to
joy:
his
misfoftune would be replaced with foftune and his disappointments would
change to boundless oppotunities.
Knowing fully well that his past
actions and his refusal to heed wise
counselling of the elderly and more experienced If priest
had landed him in
his condition, he made up his mind to follow the advice given to him. He
informed
Sakt
mjlw that he was ready to change his attitudes and
would definitely atone for all his previous
misdeeds.
Fakt
mOjlw then advised him to offer gbg with one matured he-
goat and plenty
of palm-oil
and money. He complied. After this,
Sakt
mjlw pulled
all the tail feathers of AkUkg'dtq
Qtanngalaja,
ground same into fine powder
and spread the powder into
Qpgn-If.
He
used it as fyrosn to imprint
Qbara-M).
He recited this stanza in
Qkanran
MJ|. While reciting the stanza he was steering the
QpQn-If
until
he turned the
Qbara-M)
into the opposite direction to form
Qkanran-M).
After this, he made nine incision marks on AkUkg'dig
QHnnglja's
head
and used the powder
to rub the marks, There and then, all the negative
elements left him. He returned home a renewed and revitalized man.
Soon after this, luck began to shine on him. His things began to take shape.
His self-confidence returned. His clients began to return to him one by one.
His fotunes began to rise together with his profiles
as a highly competent
Babalwo. He saw the need to accord elders their due respect. He was
never too forward. He never did anything to slight elders. He never made
548
ll or"ro, *",,
any move without due consultation and
permission from elders. From the
day he began to do these, he lived happily ever after.
Sakt
mojlw
Dl fin Akkg'dlg
Qtanngalana
Tl $'awo r'Ode9w
Fbg
niwgn nf k w
Se

gbbo, ru'bg
Oo
paArurg lonff
Oreldl doodl
ASubiAwoa sl d'gure
Translation
Sakt
mojlw
He was the Awo who cast If for AkUkg'diq
Qtanngalaja,
the Big
Cock
When going on If mission tothe land of
Qwa
He was advised to offer
ebe
Hecomplied
Rain had fallen on Akkg, the Cock, today
The tail
plume had serued its contrariness
And the misfoftunes of the Awo had turned to oppoftunities
If advises the
person for whom this Od is revealed to avoid being too
forward in anything he/she is doing. He/she must avoid the temptation of
thinking that without him/her ceftain things cannot be do right or correctly
lest he/she is exposed to
physical, emotional and spiritual displeasure of
elders.
If this had already happened and he/she is experiencing hardship
associated with the displeasure of elders, it is advisable for him/her to
atone his when bad behaviours and then use the tail feathers of the cock
and mark nine incisions on his/her head as explained above. If this is done
correctly, misfoftune will surelyturn to foftune and sadness to
joy.
L4. If says that something is about to get lost or had already been lost
by the
person for whom this Od is revealed. If says that he/she
need not search for it too much. If he/she did, f he/she invites the
law enforcement agent, or uses
private investigators, or employed
549
lfa Dida: An nvitaton to lfa Consultation
spiritual means to search for it, the outcome wll not be in his/her
favour. He/she will be worse off than ever before the item being
looked for got lost or missing.
If says however that the most realistic method to use was to
THREATEN to either use the law enforcement agents, or private
investigators or use occult means or any other means available to
him/her to search for the lost item, without carrying out the threat.
If says that by so doing, it will lead to unbelievable financial success,
more respect and honour for him/her.
If says that there is the need for the person for whom this Od is
revealed to offer gbg with three pigeons,
three cocks and
money. He/she also needs to serue
$ng
with one cock, bitter
cola and
palmoil. If these can be done, success awaits this person.
On this,If says:
Afefe nfffQ'gi oko ilglg-ilQlg
lfuutu
lQlQ nfl9e'w agbqnfiajla
MrlwoQpQ ni Owlfn'ra wgntQlQ
Tlwgnfi ygo
Dl filn Aw-Itr-La
T nl itrt Oun t sgn
Ounywa o
lbg
ni wqn nl kge
Translation
The breeze s it which blows the farm tress gently
and
quietly
And the tempest is itwhich blowsthe coconut leaves strongly and violently
The newly-sprout palm
fronds do not inform each other
Beforetheyspring up
These were lfa's declarations to Aw-It-La (He-who-searched-for-his-
he-goat-and-beca me prosperous-i n-the-process)
Who said that his he-goatwhich got lost
He must search for it
He was advised to offer
gbg
$ang
had a very strong, big he-goat. Every morning, he would wake up
only to find this he-goat by his door-step waiting for its food. After feeding,
the he-goat would follow
$ng
around for sometimes before wandering
550
ll ox"non u"i
around in the vicinity. The he-goat would repeat this ritual in the evenng.
That was how this he-goat was doing everyday for a very long period
of
time, It reached a stage that everybody could easily recognize this he-goat
as the property
of
$ngO.
One day however,
$ng
woke up in the morning but could not find his he-
goat, This surprised him because he knew this was unusual. He quickly
dressed up and called people
to help him search for this he-goat, in the
event that it fell into a ditch or was caught by a trap. They searched
everywhere but the he-goat was nowhere to be found. It soon became
clear that the he-goat had been stolen. This infuriated
$ng
that
someone or group of people would have the effontery to steal his he-goat.
He therefore resolved to teach the culprits a lesson which they would not
forget easily. Before he did this, he wanted to identifo whoever stole the
he-goat so as to mete out whatever punishment which would suit his fancy
to him/her orthe
group.
Consequent upon this, he wentto the home of the
Awo mentioned above for If consultation.
The Awo informed
$ng
that he had lost something very dear to him and
he had made up his mind to find it by all means possible. The Awo however
advised him not to look for the lost item too much and never take any
punitive measure against the culprit.
$ng
was warned that looking for it
too much or punishing
the offender would not be in his own interest as the
outcome would never be in his favour. He was advised that he could
threaten to punish the offender(s) without necessarily carrying out this
threat. If this could be done, he was assured that this would lead to
unprecedented foftune for him. He was also advised to offer gbg with
three
pigeons,
three cocks and money. He was also to serve his spirit
( for the client, he/she needs to serve
$ang)
with one cock, bitter kola
and palm-oil.
$ng
complied.
The next day, Eg
Qdara
came to
$ng
and asked him what plan he had to
retrieve his he-goat from those who had stolen it from him.
$ng
responded that If had asked him not to look for the he-goat too much, not
to punish the offenders but to threaten those who had done it. EgU
Qdara
told
$ang
that he (E9
Qdara)
already had a
plan for that. He urged
$ng
to dress up.
Sng
did. They headed for Alr's
palace (the
Qba
of Ilara
551
lfa Dida: An nvitation to lfa Consuftation
Ehti).
$ng
informed Alr that some people had stolen his he-goat and
he planned
to send thunder and brimstone to their homes to destroy them.
Alr pleaded with him notto do so. After much persuasion
$ng
allowed
himself to be
persuaded
and he told Alr that, but for his intervention he
would have destroyed all the culprits and their relations. The next poft
of
call was the Palace of Ajer (Qba
ofljerO El{ti). He repeated his threat and
he also allowed himself to be persuaded. After this, he headed for the
palace
of
Qwrngrln
of rl,
Q|JQQ
of
QyQ,
onrkoyi of lkOyi, AwjalQ of
IgOu iand,
Qlqfin
Adlmula of Il-IfQ, Amngbo of RQmg land, OtrJw offw,
Alktu of Ktu,
QIQwQ
of
QwQ
and so on. He threatened to destroy all his
culprits and their relations. He also allowed himself to be persuaded
against taking such action. Egu
Qdara
then asked him to return home. He
dd.
The next day, EgU
Qdara
wentto the palace
of Alr and asked him what he
wanted to do to compensate
$ngo
for heeding his advice. After much
deliberation they concluded that it would be good
and very befitting for
Alr to send to
$ng
the equivalent amount of 100 he-goats. EgU
Qdara
also went to the palaces
of AjerO,
QwarngrJn
and all the other
Qba
to
whom they had earlier gone to report the matters. Three days after, while
$ng
was
just
ruminating over the fruitless
journey
he made to several
places with Eg
Qdara,
the delegation of Alr arrived. They gave him the
money with the appreciation of the Alr to a wofthy friend who would
listen to the advice of his friend. A few moments after, the delegation of
Ajer arrived with money and appreciation. All the other
Qba
sent in their
own money and appreciation.
$ang
could not believe his luck. He had
more money than anyone in his environment. He had money to buy more
than 6,000 he-goats he was full of praises for his Awo, EgU
Qdara
and
Oldmar. Those who were aware of the turn of event nicknamed him
Aw-Itrl-l, he-who-searched-for-his-he-goat-andbecame-prosperous-in-
the-process.
AfJe n|lfg'gi oko ilQlQ-ilQlQ
ffitufu
lQlQ ntlge'w agbgn
jlajla
Mrlw
Qpe
n O wl fn'ra wgn tglQ
Tlwgnfiygo
DlfilnAw-Itr-La
T nl itrl oun t sgn
552
ll ox"nn, uei
Oun
y wa o
fibg
ni wqn nl k
9e
gb'gbo, rubg
Ko pr K
jlnna
f
wa b ni byQ
f
wwo reo
Translation
The breeze is it which blows the farm tress gently and quietly
And the tempest is it which blows the coconut leaves strongl
and violently
The newly-sprout palm fronds do not inform each other
Beforetheyspring up
These were lf's declarations to Aw-Itrf -L (He-who-searche
-for-his-he-goat-and-beca
me prosperous-in-the-process)
Who said that his he-goatwhich got lost
He must search for it
He was advised to offer
gbg
Hecomplied
Before long, nottoo far away
loin us in the midstofjoy
Come and behold ire
i
If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed needs to be patent
and avoid taking any
puntive measure aganst anyone so as not to block
his/her chances of prosperity and greatness
If says that taking
punitive measure against people by the person for
whom this Od is revealed can only lead to regret disappointments and
disaster for him/her.
15. If says that there is the need to offer gbg for a strikingly beautiful
I
lady where ths Od is revealed so that hers will not be a situation
where she will known for only her beauty but not with children. If
says that this lady's chance oi becoming barren woman for the rest of
her life is very high. There is therefore the need for her to Iay less
emphasis on her beauty which she really possessed but to struggle to
become a mother of children in her life.
If advises this lady to offer
gbg with eight rats, eight fish, three
i
!
553
lfa Dida: An invtation to lfa Consultation
hens, three cocks and plenty
of money. If also advises her to
maintain chastity throughout her life and not to engage in selling her
body and beauty. On this aspect a stanza in
Qkanran-M)
says:
Ojrl mg'nilpo
Almg ni
Qfa
Oir kll rlgni tirQ k ma kti
D,l fn Nlnl gmg Ere L'Apa
Qmg
lngwQ kagn bl igb agogo
Ey tl wqn n| k fi
ew
sllQ
Fbq
qmg
ni wqn nl k
9e
Translation
To have acquaintances atfpo
And to lack one at
Ofa
One cannot see one's acquaintances and refuse to
extend one's greetings
to them
These were lf's declarations to Nlnl the daughter
of the Boa conscriptorof Ap town
The offspring of those who pluck
strong charms as if they were
calabashes used in drumming
She was advised to lay less emphasis on her beauty
And offer qbg
so as to bear children
Ninl was the favourite daughter of the great Boa Conscriptor of Ap town.
She was very beautiful. She was also aware that she was blessed with good
looks. She was therefore determined to explot this natural gift
to the
fullest. There was no extent she could not go in order to enhance her
beauty and by extension, her marketability. There was no man she
believed that she could not seduce. Those she could not do with her body.
she would do with strong charms which her family possessed
in
abundance.
Anytime she seduced a man successfully, she considered it her personal
conquest. She therefore concentrated on seducing the high and mighty in
the community. After she had completely subdued her territory she
e*ended her dragnet to neighbouring communities. It was success after
success. She soon had a reputation of having her ways on any issue and
with anybody in the community.
554
nI
ll Okanran Meji
In order to maintain her status as the most desirable lady in her area, she
went to the Awo mentioned above for If consultation. The Awo however
advised her to lay lass emphasis on her looks and concentrate on how to get
married and build her own family. The Awo advised herto stickto only one
man and drop all her chains of lovers and admirers. She was asked to
get
married before it would be too Iate for her to bear children again. She was
also advised to offer
gbg with eight rats, eightfish, three cocks, three
hens and money.
When Nlnl heard these, she was extremely angry with Babalwo. She
considered the advice as unprecedented insult on her person. As a
princess
of Ap, she feltthatthe Awo had gone beyond his bound by addressing her
the way he did. As someone who hailed from a home where they
specialized in the
preparation of potent charms and medicines she felt that
there was no
problem the charms could not solve. As a beautiful lady, she
felt that there was no man she could not have as husband whenever she
was ready. She therefore concluded that the Awo was out to insult her out
of envy. She also considered the gbg the Awo asked her to offer as a means
of reaping where the Awo did not sow. She simply told the Awo to
get lost.
She stormed out of his house and vowed never to return there. She
continued her way of life without looking back. She also refused to take
caution from anyone.
To become
pregnant was never a
problem for Mnl. The only snag was that
she could not say with ceftainty who was responsible for the
pregnancy
because of her chains of lovers. As a result of this, she never wasted time in
terminating the
pregnancy. The herbs for doing this were well known to
her becaise of her family background as strong herbalists. Whenever she
was infected with veneral diseases, it never took her time to find remedies
to her problems. She did these for a very long time. It brought her
notoriety wealth and influence. At the same time, the strong herbs she had
been using over time destroyed her womb and body.
By the time she
proclaimed her readiness to get married; many prospective
husbands had turned their backs on her. She was however lucky to
get
somebody to marry her. Several
years after marriage, she was not
555
lfa Dida: An nvitation to lfa Consultation
pregnant. Her womb had been destroyed. She tried several herbs without
success. Her father, the
Qba
of Ap invited several herbalists to cure her of
her ailment, all to no avail. She soon realized that she had used her past
actions to destroy her future. By the time she was that ready to go
and
offer the gbg hithefto prescribed for her so as to become pregnant, it was
already too late. She was advised to learn how to live life which barren
women live. It was a sad life she lived. She lived a lonely life, full of regrets
and painfu I reflections.
Ojrl mg'nilpo
Almg ni
Qfa
Ojr kll r{ gni tirQ k ma kli
Dl filn Nlnl gmg Er L'Ap
9mq
lno, wQ kagn bl igb agogo
Eyl tf wqn nl kfi gwa sf$
Fbg
qmg niwqn nl k ge
Oun wa fi etl Jrln gbQ
ebg
f t'osl da n
Nlnlwdra
Nlnlsunwqn ljo
Arn lblmgtl rl9eOl'mg L'Ap yll kQ?
Translation
To have acquaintances atlpo
And to lack one at Ofa
One cannot see one's acquaintances and refuse to
extend one's greetings to them
These were If's declarations to lnl the daughter
of the Boa conscriptorof Ap town
The offspring of those who pluck strong charms as it they
were calabashes used in drummingShe was advised to lay less emphasis
on her beauty
And offergbq in orderto bearchildren
She heard the advice with her right ear
And threw itoutwith her leftear
Lo, NInI istruly beautiful
And Nlnl is lovely as a snake
But what about childlessness disease
Which had afflicted the Chief daughter of Ap town?
If advises the lady for whom this Od is revealed to make the issue of
556
il ox"non u"i
child-bearing her priority
so as not to live a lonely worthless life in her old
age. If says that no wealth, no acquaintance, no influence, no preparation
can insure her aganst sadness and regrets at the twilight of her life on
eafth-except heeding If's advice.
16. If advises that person for whom this Od is revealed to be very
careful in life in whatever he/she does. There are three things he/she
needs to consider seriously. One, he/she needs to offer gbg against a
situation where he/she will not be useful to himself/herself- that is a
situation where he/she could expend all his/her energy for other
people
to success and accomplishment without achieving any
success for himself/herselfi two, he/she needs to offer
gbg
against
being
pushed into doing what will eventually not be benefitial to
him/her, but only those who goaded him/her; and three, he/she
needs to offer
gbg
against being used and dumped by his/her
presumed
suppofters after they feel that he/she has outlived his/her
usefulness to them
-
he/she may be removed from the position
of
authority or influence, he/she may be banned from ceftain areas and
he/she may be eliminated altogether.
There is the need for the person for whom this Od is revealed to offer
gbg with one big ram a red cap or headwear and money.
He/she is also advised to sever Egu
Qdara
with one cock. He/she
must never wear a red cap or headwear again in his/her life. It is
against his/her destiny. He/she may wear any other cap or headwear
as long as it is not reddish in colour. On these,If says:
O-rQ' mi-slwj -fese-tere
Dl filn In
Tl trlgrj'oye MaEte
fibgniwqn
nl k9e
Translation
He-who-wets-the-grou nd-on ly-to later-march-on-muddy
Ground
He was the Awo who cast If for In, the fire
When going to be given the title of Mlt, the positio
-h i mself-i n-a va nta ge-place
557
la Dida: An invtation to lfa Consultation
He was advised to offergbg
In, the fire, was an oftspring of OgUn. He was known to be a very fierce
and over ambitions person.
Unfoftunately, those who were close to him
had come to realize that he was merely full of muscle but with little brain. In
this wise, they decided to take advantage of his big weaknesses and exploit
him to achieve their selfish end. They knew that Ina could help them in
cooking, drying their food and in the preseruation
of other things. He could
also be of help in the provision
of light and so on. They were also aware that
he would do allthese chores to his own detriment but they never bothered
to give
consideration to how to compesate him. They were aware that,
being inordinately ambitious, he himself would never consider his personal
safety as Iong as he was flattered and made to fell impoftant enough.
One day, Afefe-lele, the Gentle Breeze, Atggn the Air,
FfrUfU-leQ,
the
Tempest, Afefe Afqyita, the Whirlwind, II, the Tornado, and so on
approached Ina and intimated him on the fact that the elders in the
community had deliberated for a long time on his activities and importance
in the society. They had come to the realization that his influence in the
society was so great that he was considered to be second to none. The
elders had therefore decided to give him the leadership position of not only
their community but of the whole world. All the elders of the world had
been contacted and they had all agreed to honour him with the chieftaincy
title known as the Malete-he-who-postions-himself-in a-vantage-place.
They said that the elders of the whole world had sent them to come and
convey their decision to him. Upon hearing this, In was completely
overwhelmed. He was so happy and so proud
of himself and his
achievement that without thinking, he pledged
his loyalty to them and
assured them that he would not only meet their expectations, but would
surely surpass them.
When In arrived home, he explalned his good foftune and newly acquired
impoftance to his wife. His wife advised him to go and consult If first
before commiting himself futher. He therefore wentto the Awo mentioned
above for If consultation even though his inordinate ambition had already
blinded his eyes to see reason. He merely wished to satisfy his wife by
going to the Awo because he believed that there was nothing anyone would
say that would dissuade him from becoming the Mlt of the whole world.
558
f;f, or"ron ,",,
In the home of theAwo, If was consulted and
Okanrn-M)
was revealed.
The Awo told Ina that he was about to be
given
a position of influence and
that If advised against taking this position. He was also told that those
who were urging him to take this position were doing so for their own selfish
reasons and that nothing good would ever come out of it for In the holder
of the title himself. In was also told that If advised him against allowing
other
people
to
push him into doing anything as those who were
encouraging him would be the same people who would be instrumental to
his destruction whenever they felt that he had outlived his usefulness. The
Awo then advised In to think seriously before committing himself to
anything and then offer qbg with one big ram, the red cap on his head
and money. He was also advised to serue Egu
Qdara
with one cock.
What angered In more than anything was the mention of his red cap which
the Awo advised him to offer as
gbq. He considered the Awo a thief for
asking him to
paft with his beautiful red cap. He also considered that the
Awo was suffering from greed, propelled by excessive hunger by asking
him to use one ram to offer gbg and one cock to serue E+u. He made up
his mind never to waste his resource on this gbg. As regards the advice of
the Awo that he should not take up the
position, In told the Awo that he did
not vie for the
post
and that those who knew his worth in the community
grouped themselves together from all over the world and honoured him
with the title. He told the Awo that if he, the Awo was envious of his
achievement, then the Awo could go and meet the council of elders for his
own title. He warned the Awo that if he or any other envious individuals or
groups like him should try to stop him from becoming the Mlt of the
world, he would spare no weapon at his disposal to use in their destruction.
On the day fixed for the installation ceremony AfQfQ-lele,
Fff-lQlQ,
I!,
Afefe-Afefik and so on were present. They installed In as the Mlt of
the world with pomp
and
pageantry. In was extremely happy. He
expended a lot of energy on that day to the satisfaction and advantage of
his king-makers.
Since that day, In knows no rest. Neither did he know any day's peace of
mind. He was working day and night. Yet In had nothing to show for it.
Others were enjoying, In was suffering. Others used him for cooking,
559
lfa Dida: An invitaton to lfa Consultation
drying straightening or bending of metals, patching
things, lighting and
burning, etc. Afefe-lele,
ffrfUfU-tele,
IJI and so on, were the ones who
urged him on to do all these. Sometimes, In overdid things by burning
people's farms, houses and other propefties; those affected knew him to be
a notorious being.
It soon reached a stage that In was recognized by all with his red cap.
Anywhere he was, instead of being liked and respected, he was being
feared and scorned. Those whom he was producing light for to see their
ways through treated him with caution. In all these, In could not see
himself.
At a stage, he began to complain loudly. Those who installed him also
began to see him as a big nuisance. Then, after they had used him to their
satisfaction, they decided to dump him when he had outlived his
usefulness. I),
ffuufu-qq,
Afefe-lele, and Ojo, the mighty Rainfall,
combined together to put off the light of In. They produced
a very strong
mind which induced heavy rainfall who descended and removed the red
cap ofln.
That was how In died in the hands of those who installed him. Shortly
before his death, In remembered the warning of the Awo and his advice
for him to use his red cap to offer gbg which he refused to do. He regretted
that the red cap eventually became the reason why people loathed, feared
and scorned him. It was also the thing which was instrumental to his
untimely death. In died, full of regrets when it was
just
too late to make
amends.
O- rq' m -slwj -fesQ-tgrQ
Itl fin In
Tl trlg rj'oye Mlt
fbg
niwQn nl kge
fetf oJn gb'ebg
fit'osld n
ErolporerOQfa
FO
rl'f ij nnl bfltl
Qeo
Intow
j'oyeeMaEt
Eeyan tfi
Q
j'oy
Nn lfggpao
560
n!
fil
okanran Mei
Translation
He-who-wets-the-g round-on ly-to-later-ma rch-on-muddy
Ground
He was the Awo who cast If for In, the fire
When going to be given the title of Malete, the positio
-himself-in-a vantage-place
He was advised to offer
gbg
He heard the advice with is right ear
And threw the advice awaywith his left
Travelerstolpoand
Qfa
Just imagine the consequence of the advice (given by the Awo
and reject by the client)
In, who was given the title of Mebt
Thosewho installed you
Were the same
people who blew you out of existence
If warns the
person for whom this Od is revealed to be realstc at all
times. He/she must never allow anyone to
push him/her into doing
anything and must not allow prase-sngers and flatterers to use sweet
tongues to cajole him/her into doing anything aganst his/her wish or that
which is not in tune with reality. Those who flatter him/her to do this would
be the same
people who would eventually
plan his/her downfall. This is
because the
people have no patriotic reason for urging him/her on except
their own personal agenda. The moment he/she had outlived his/her
usefulness to them, they would find a way to eliminate him/her and look for
someone else to use for their selfish objectives.
AB9R Asgvr
561
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
B. SIGNTFTCANCE OF
SKANRAN-MEJI
FOR THOSE
BORN BY THIS OD DURING ITOSEOAYE OR
ITFLD
Qkanran-Mjl
children are by nature very lkeable people. They are
usually loved and adored by all. They usually reached the peak
of their
achievements in life through their being loved by those around them. They
should however not forget that many people who love them may be for their
own selfish end. In this wise,
Qkanran-Mil
children need to be sensible
at all times and they need to reflect on all events as deeply as possible
before they conclude that the love being shown to them by others are
genuine
love and not out of selfish desires.
The people
born by this Od shall be very popular
they shall succeed in life
and their popularity
shall extend far beyond their places
of abode. They
shall however not be able to reach the peak
of their success where they
were born, but rather, they shall succeed outside their places
of bifth.
Qknran-Mil
children also have the tendency to owe their loyalty and
allegiance to the areas where they succeed more than the areas where they
were born. They are also usually at home anywhere they settle down to
live. For this reason therefore, they do not find it difficult to make friends
and acquaintances in a new environment. They also receive more honour;
respect, care and recognition anywhere they settle than in the areas where
they are born.
Qknran-Mjl
children have leadership qualities
due to to their close
association with
$ng,
they tolerate people
a lot. They are easily carried
away with praises, flattery and sweet words. These notwithstanding
however they can be very stubborn, obstinate and highly unreasonable if
they chose to be.
They are more often than not, unpredictable and highly emotionally
unstable. For this reason they may blow cold one moment and the next
momentthey may be seen blowing hot.
People born by this Od, males and females are
great
traders. They
succeed in trading and merchandise. They are also great
travellers. They
562
Ei or"ron u'i
may go into, and succeed in marketing,
purchasing and supplies, banking,
farming, fishing and manufacturng. They may open stores and
supermarkets. They may have their own warehouses and succeed in them.
They can also succeed as If priests' medical herbalist, occultists and
clairuoyants. They may also
go nto medical or para-medical lines such as
medicine,
pharmacy, nursing, mid-wivery, orthopaedic medicine,
gynecology and neurology. But wh'atever line they choose, they must never
forget that they need to guard jealously
their
professional ethics so as not to
subject themselves to ridicu le a nd pu blic odi u m.
Qknrn-Mjl
male children make good husbands. They know how to pet
their wives. They also respect their wives feelings and emotions. In the
same vein.
Qkanran-M)
female children also make good housewives.
They know how to take care of their husband's children and homes. They
are very homily. They work hard and respect their husbands and their
relatives. They also enjoy the suppoft of their husband's relations due to
their own attitudes towards them. They are however
prone to being very
jealous
but with understanding on the
part of their husbands, this will never
constitute any threat to their home and to the love they have for their
husbands which their husbands also reciprocate. Barring any unforeseen
circumstances,
Qkanran-Mjl
children, males and females are bound to
have a happy and rewarding married life.
They are also to have good and influential children. They also have the
tendenry to
give bifth to twins. These children will be
popular and their
reputations will extend beyond the shores of their communities.
For the children of
Qkanrn-Mjl,
victory over adversary is assured.
Those who conspire against them shall regret ever doing so. Those who
plan to take advantage of their inadequacies shall also regret. In the same
vein, they are not expect to take advantage of or conspire against anyone.
If they do, they are bound to suffer.
Qkanrn-Mjl
children also have the misfoftune of being betrayed or led
astray by their confidants and trusted ones. For this reason therefore, it is
advisable for them to tarry a little before they
place their trust in anyone.
They should also not betray the trust that their confidants have in them.
563
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
Whoever does this shall suffer exposure and humiliation.
They also have the tendency to lose things very dear to their heaft. This
may be stolen or misplaced by their trusted friends. It is advisable for them
not to go
all out in finding the lost item or the person(s)
who had taken it.
The consequence will not be pleasant.
They may however threaten to find
and expose the culprit and limit their effoft at that. This will lead to good
foftune and success for them.
On the whole,
Qkanran-M)
children must never think evil, speak evil, do
evil or be rude to elders. They must never treat elders or their colleagues
with scorn or disdain. They must always show respect, care, love and
understanding to elders and their colleagues. Their lies success and
accomplishment. Their lies happlness and achievement. By so doing, they
can never regret.
c. AFFTLTATED rRNM9LF AND oRISA OF
SIGNRAN-
MEJI CHILDREN
If - For protection,
success, longevity and overall well-being
orf
-
For protection
against adversary and for financial success. Also
for suppoft and longevity
$ng-
For protection, for leadership, victory and for success. Also
for child-bearing
9ya
-
For childbearing, for love and adoration and for leadership
Egu
Qdara'-
For victory over adversary and for support
Ibejl (Twins Deity)
-
Forchildbearing and forgenera|support
pgbe-
For childbearing, for genercl
adortion and for support
Egngn
-
For childbearing and generalsuccess
Od For a good
spouse, for financial success and for love and
adoration.
D. TABOOSOFQTGNRAN-MEJICHTLDREN
1. Must noteat sheep - (both ram and ewe) -
to avoid losing the support
of
$ng
and
Qya
and to avoid childlessness
t.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
\l or"non *",,
2. Must not eat cock
-
to avoid being curse by elders and those in
postons of authority
3. Must not touch cockroaches and spders
-
to avoid being deprived of
leadership positions and other
positions of responsibilities
4. Must never conspire against anyone
-
to avoid being humiliated and
disgraced
5. Must never steal other
people's property -
to avoid being exposed and
disgraced
6. Must never expose self to rainfall, strong wind or tempest
-
to avoid
being led astray and being used to satisff other
people's
selfish
,
designs and manipu lations
7. Must never eat any of the monkey family
-
to avoid the wrath of the
Twins Deity.
8. Must not
play with or kill ants
-
to avoid
problem of childbearing.
9. Must not eat snake
- to avoid the problem of chlldbearing
(especially
women)
lO.Must not use red cap or headgear
-
to avoid being led astray or being
used and dumped. To also avoid doing something that may lead to
self destruction
11. Must not use
paftridge -
to avoid sickness for the whole household at I
the same time
12.Must not use Brown or King Rat - to avoid childlessness
E. POSSIBLE NAMES OF OTANNAN.MEJI CHILDREN
Males
I. Adeggkan
-
The crown is one
. Odublyff
-
Od begotthis
. Ire-ni-n--kO
-
I willcome across ire
iv.
$ngblyff
-
Sang
begotthis
v. Ifgbnj
- If has made me to dance
Females
i. Od9Qkn
-
Od is one
. Odggl
-
OdU has made honour
565
lfa Dda: An nvtaton to lfa Consultaon
ii. Irwgl
- Ire has entered the house
iv.
Qk?l
v. Omolhun
-
The child of the owner
566
Chapter 9
OCNOA MEI
ll
ll
ll
ilil
A.
1.
Chapter Nine
OC(IruDA MEJI
(Alias: Ejl Oko)
If says that it foresees the Ire of accomplishment for the person for
whom OgUnda-U) is revealed. If says that this person
shall be
wealthy; he/she shall be loved and adored; he/she shall be blessed
with good
children, shall have good health, and shall live long and in
happiness.
If says that all the Ire of the person for whom this Od is revealed
are in the hands of If. He/she needs to serue If diligently and If
shall in turn shower blessings on him/her.
There is the need for the
person
for whom this Od is revealed to
offer gbg with four rats, four fish, two hens, two cocks, two
pigeons,
two
guinea-fowl
and money. He/she also needs to
serve If with two rats, two fish, one hen and one guinea
fowl.
On these,If says:
E ma se s
Amawobigtigesl
Dl filn Elrr Ogogo
9mq
abp ire gbogbo wqtl-wgnti l, wQ Oldmar
Igbatl t'run bQ w'l ay
fbg
ni wgn nl k w
$e
Translation
Continue to do what you
are doing
We shall see whatyou shallaccomplish in it
This was If's declaration to Elrer OgOgO
Offspring of hewho hasthe bag fullof alllrefrom Oldmar
When coming form
Qrun
toA
568
l! ogunaa uei
He was advised to offer
gbg
Elrr Og0gO was comng from heaven into the world. He wentto choose
his destiny. He was given all the Ire in life -
a successful career, wealth, a
loving and lovely spouse, good
children, several houses, good health,
victory over adversary long life and happiness. In order to ensure the
security of all these lre, they were placed in the hands of If for safe keep.
While on eafth, Elrr Og0g went to the Awo mentioned above to inquire
about his success chances, would he succeed in life? How would he attain
his success? How great would he be in his life? Would he have someone he
would love sincerely and who would genuinely love him too? Would he be
blessed with loving lovely and loveable children? Would he be blessed with
good health and sound mental aleftness? Would he be wealthy enough to
build his own house in his life? Would he live long?
All these questions the Awo answered in the affirmative. They also told
him that he would not only succeed in life, but other people would be
gauging their own success with his own. Others would also be praying to
Oldmar to make them as successful as Elrr 0gOgO. He was however
advised to move close to If as all these achievements and all other Ire are
in the hands of If. He was also advised to offer
gbg with four rats, four
fish, two hens, two pigeons,
two cocks, two
guinea fowls and
money. He was gqually
advised to serve If with hro rats, two fish, one
hen, and one guinea fowls. Allthese, Elrr 0gOgO complied with. He
also became an ardent If follower. He was even fanatical about his belief
in If. Those who noticed this began to watch him closely in order to see
what would be the outcome of his close association with If.
Elrr 0ggO on his part would never take any step without adequate If
consultation. To his boundless
joy,
there was nothing he asked for, that he
did not accomplish. It reached a stage that Elrr OgOg was nicknamed
'Elrr 0g0g
gmg
abp ire gbogbo wQti-wgnti I'QwQ Oldmar'
'Elrr 0gOgo, offspring of he who has the bag full of all Ire from
Oldmar'. Everybody's belief was that whenever he needed anything he
would simply go and deep his hands into the bag full of all the good things
of life provided for him by Oldmar.
569
lfa Dida: An nvitation to lfa Consultaton
Before long, everybody began to use Elrr 0gOgO as their prayers
reference to the Deites and Oldmar to
give
them as He had given
Elrr 0g0g. Even if they wanted to get married or beget
good
children, or build a house, or even transact any business at all, they
would pray to Oldmar to let these things be as successful as those of
Elrr Og0g. Elrr Og0g in his own case was full of
joy,
and
gratitude
to his Awo, If and Oldmar.
I
maa
Se
g
A ma wo bigOti gees{
Dlfirn Elrrogog
9mg
abpO ire gbogbo wQtl-wgnti I'Qwg Oldmar
Igba rtt'Qrun bqw'lay
Fbq
ni wgn nl k w
9e
gb'Qbgrrrl'bo
MotQ'wg kl gfiln mi nl'reajt'mi o
Elrere Ogogo o d o
Qmq
abpO irewqntl-wgnti I'qwq Oldmar
Mo t'ewq K e filn mi nl're aya t'mi o
Elrr OgOg o d o
Qmq
abapO ire wqntl-wgnti I'gwq Olodmar
Mo tg'wq kl g fn mi nl're gmg t'mi
Elrr OgOg o d o
9mg
abapO ire wqntl-wgnti I'QwQ Oldmarc
Mo te'wQ kl g filn mi nl're lkrl t'mi o
Elrr Ogog o d o
gmg
abpo ire wOtl-wgnti l', wq Oldmare
Mo tg'wq kl g fitn mi nl're gbogbo t'mi o
Elrr OgOgo o d o
gmq
abapo re wqtl-wgnti I'qwq Oldmar
Translation
Continue to do what you are doing
We shall see whatyou shall accomplish in it
This was If's declaration to Elrer OgOgo
Offspring of he who has the bag full of Ire from Oldmar
When coming from
Qrun
toAy
He was advised to offergbg
He complied
I stretch my handsto receive myown wealth
Here comes Elrr OgOgO
574
li osunaa uei
Offspring of hewho hasthe bag fullof irefrom Oldmar
I stretch my hands to receive my own spouse
Here comes Elrr Og0g.
. Offspring of hewho hasthe bag fullof Irefrom Oldmar
I stretch my handsto receive myown children
Here comes Elrr g0g
Offspring of he who has the bag full of Ire from Oldmar
I stretch my hands to receive my own longevity
Here comes Elrr OgOgO
Offspring of hewho hasthe bag fullof Iref:om Oldmar
I stretch my hands to receive all the Ire in life
Here comes Elrr Og0g
Offspring of hewho hasthe bag fullof alllrefrom Oldmar
If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed shall be blessed
with all the Ire in life. He/she only needs to move close to If at all times
as all these Ire are in the hands of If to be gven to him/her whenever and
if ever he/she asks forthem.
2. If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed shall not only
acqure all the Ire in life, but shall get them in a very delicious way
and at the most appropriate time. If says that as If holds all the
Ire in life securely for him/her, so also is it that
Qbatl
ensures that
he/she
get
them at the most appropriate
periods
and in the most
delicious manner.
If saysthatthe life of the person forwhom OgUnda-wj is revealed
shall be sweet and enjoyable. If says that
Qbtl
shall add honey
into his/her life. He/she shall be able to attain his/her heat's
desires at the time that he/she would enjoy them most. He/she
shall never regret in life.
If advises the person for whom this Od is revealed to offer
gbg
with honey, bananas, sugar, alcohol and all sweet fruits and
money. He/she is also advised to serve If and
QbaHl
with 16
snals each and all-sweetfruits. On these aspects If says:
571
lfa Dida: An nvitaon to lfa Consultaton
Pank$rQwEnjqn-wqnjn Awo inu lgb
Dl firn ooganla oseremagbo
Tl yfi aldnfiln lrk
f;bg
ni wqn nl k w
9e
Translation
PankQrQ wQnjqn-wQnjQn, the feeble willow isthe Awo of the forest
He was the Awo who cast If for OOganla OsQQrQmagbO
Who shall give sweetness tolrk, the sugarcane
He was advised to offergbg
Irk, the sugarcane, was specially chosen by ORganla
QSQQTQmgbo
as
his favourite. He therefore planned
to make her the sweetest of all the
canes. For this reason, ORganla
Qgeeremagb
went for If consultation in
the house of theAwo mentioned above.
The Awo advised Onsanla
QpQQrQmgb
to offer gbg with honey and all the
sweet fruits he could lay his hands upon. He did. Soon after this, he was
able to
give Irk the sweetness that no other cane could ever boast of.
Irek had riches, she was sought after, she had her own appropriate
spouse and children atthe most appropriate period,
she made the swampy
and savannah areas her abode, she lived long; she was highly respected
and honoured. Allthose who knewlrk were praying to Oldmar, If,
and Ognl to make their lives as sweet as that oflrk. For these,Irk
had every reason to be
grateful
to Oldmar her creator, If and
Qbatl
her benefactors who had specially chosen her for this rare favour and
privileges. She was therefore singing, dancing and giving praises to them
always.
PankgrQ wQnjQn-wQnjn Awo inu lgbo
Dl firn ooganla
Sgeeremagbo
Tl y fi aldn fn lrek
fibg
niwQn nl k w
ge
gb'gborr'bg
Tl a b l'jgnil'O,wq
$ebl
aldn ara
gni ni o
orlgl
QgQQrQmegbO
l f aldn fin lrk
If
je
n r'drn ara mi
jg
o
Bl a b l'ya gni n1l
$ebl
aldn ara eni ni o
572
il ogunaa uei
Orlgrrl
QggQrQmagbo
lfaldn fn lrk
If
je
n r'dn ara a mi
jq
o
Bl a b l'gmg gni n'll
Sebl aldn ara eni ni o
Orlganla
QgQQrQmagbo
l f atdn filn lrk
If
jq
n r'dn ara mi
jg
o
Bl a b l'gbgni l'y
$ebl
aldn ara
gni
ni o
orlgl
Qqeeremagbo
l f'aldn filn lrk
If
jq
n r'dn ara mi
jg
o
Bl a b nl'regbogbo I'qwq
$ebl
aldn ara
gni
ni o
Orlganla
o+eeremagbo
l f'aldn fitn lrk
If
j
n r'dn ara mi
jg
o
Translation
PankQrQ wqnjQn-wQnjQn, the feeble willow is the Awo of the forest
He was the Awo who cast If for OOganl
QgQQrQmagbO
Who shall give
sweetness tolrk, the sugarcane
He was advised to offer ebo
Hecomplied
If one has one's wealth
It is surelythe sweetness of one's person
qbatl
is he who has given sweetness tolrk
Ifa please let me enjoythe sweetness of my person
If one has one's own spouse
It is surely the sweetness of one's person
QbaHl
is he who has given
sweetness tolrk
If please let me enjoy the sweetness of my person
If one have one's own children in life
It is surely the sweetness of one's person
Qbaffil
is he who has given
sweetness tolrk
If please let me enjoy the sweetness of my person
If one has long life in one's life
It is surely the sweetness of one's person
Qbatl
is he who has given
sweetness tolreke
If please let me enjoythe sweetness of my person
If one has all the good thing of life
It is surely the sweetness of one's person
Qbatl
is he who has given
sweetness tolrk
If please let me enjoythe sweetness of my person
If says thatthe person for whom this Od is revealed shall succeed in life
573
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
because he/she has been specially chosen by If and
QbaHl.
He/she
shall live a very delicious life as his/her life shall be as sweet as sugarcane
juice.
3. If says that it foresees all the Ire in life for the
person for whom this
Od is revealed. If says that he/she is expecting some
great
things
that will change his/her life for the better;
lf
says that all of these
things shall come to the person for whom this Od is revealed. If
says that he/she shall
get
all these things within 30 days.
If says that there is the need for the
person for whom this Od
is revealed to offer gbg with money and to serve If with one
kolanut with four valves per
day for 3O days. If says that
before this ritual is completed, he/she would have achieved all what
he/she had set outto achieve.
On this, If says:
KanranjQngbQn I'gbawgn nfnU igb
Dl fil n Baba-Af , yl ntl-j ggbQn-obl
Igba sunkrln o, wq Oun t're
fbg
ni wqn nl ko ge
Translation
KanranjQngbQn rope is the king (of ropes) in the forest
This was the Awo who cast If for He-who-reclines and -consumes-
thirty-kolanuts
When lamenting his inability to achieve all Ire in life
He was advised to offer
qbg
Ba ba
-AfQt'l
n
-jqg
bQ n
-ob),
he-who- recl i nes-a nd-consu mes-th i rty-kola
nuts had several things on his mind. He was pursuing many things but
none of them had manifested. Much as he tried, all his effofts were to no
avail. This brought frustration to set in. He was however advised to
go
and consult If. He did.
The Awo told him that he would achieve all his heaft's desires within 30
days. He was advised to offer gbg with money and to serve If with one
574
i! osunaa uei
kola nut per day for 30 days. He complied. As he began to serve If with
one kola nut daily, all obstacles broke down and he was able to achieve all
what he had set his mind and hands on. By the time it was 30 days he was
already a very happy person. He was thus singing, dancing and praislng his
Awo and If.
KanranjQngbgn l'gbawgn nlnu igb
Dl filn Baba-Af'$ylntl-jggbQn-obl
Igba sunkn gwq un O tte
Fbgniwgn
nl k9e
gb'gbo, rrl'bg
Ero lpo, ero
Qfa
K t fqyln tl
j'ggbQn
obl tn
Ire gbogbo
a t', wQ Awo
Translation
KanranjQngbQn is the king of ropes in the forest
This was the Awo who cast If for Baba-AfQt'in-jQgbQn-obl
When lamenting his inabilityto achieve all Ire in life
He was advised to offer gbg
He complied
Travellers tolpo and
Qfa
towns
Before he reclined to complete eating the 30 kolanuts
And Ire in life are within the reach of the Awo
If says that all ire in life shall be given to the
person for whom this Od is
revealed. All these Ire shall be achieved within 30 days. However, this is
not to say that the person for whom this Od is revealed needs not pursue
his/her
goals with as much zeal and enthusiasm as before in order to
achieve his/her heaft' desires. This only means that all hindrances or
obstacles shall give way and allow the
person for whom this Od is revealed
to exercise his/her energy and talents to make his/her dream come true.
4. If says that the person from whom this Od is revealed is about to
buy something to add to his/her business or this
person is about to
employ someone to the work force in his/her business. If says that
the person for whom this Od is revealed should not hesitate to do
so. What he/she has in mind shall not only bring success, fame and
575
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consuftation
popularity
to him/her, it shall equally open his/her eyes to new ideas
and new ways of doing things.
If says that there is the need to offer gbg
with three
pgeons,
three hens, three guinea-fowls
and money. After this, he/she
needs to serve
Qsanyln
with one cock and two kola nuts. By so
doing,
Qsanytn
will show him/her the path
of success and
accomplishment. Astanza in Ogunda-M) says:
Gbinrin bl ltl
Bl ltl gbinrin
D,l fitn
Qrunmll
If lqQ ra
Qsanyln
I'Qr
fbg
ni wQn nf k
9e
Translation
Gbinrin bf l
Bf )tl gbinrin
These were the Awo who cast If for
Qrnm)l
When going to purchase
Qsanyin
as his slave
He was advised to offer
gbg
Qrnmll
was a very successful and highly accomplished Babatwo. He
had several clients whom he used to attend to on a daily basis. It soon
reached a stage that he could not cope with the daily chores all by himself.
He therefore decided to
go
and buy a slave which would be assisting him in
his day-to-day activities, Before he went to the slaves market, he
summoned his two students mentioned above for If consultation: would it
be wise for him to buy a slave at that time? Would the slave be of benefit to
him? Would it not be wise for him to continue to cope as much as he could
or to simply look out for apprentices who would be assisting him to run
errands and look out for things for his numerous clients?
The Awo told
Qrrlnmll
that he was about to go
and expend his money on
something he wished to enhance the peformance
of his business activities,
he was urged to go
ahead and do it as it would help him a great
deal and
would open his eyes to other technological aspect of his work. He was
advised to offer gbg with three pigeons,
three hens, three guinea
576
fowls and money.
Qrnmll
complied and set out on
EIgbmgkn market.
Ogunda Meji
way to
In the market, he saw
Qsanyln
in chains. He was brought into the market
to be sold as slave.
Qrnm'll
made up his mind to buy him because they
were related and they were colleagues right from heaven. They haggled
over the
price
and eventually, he bought
Qsanyln
and brought him home.
On their way home, he explained all what he had in mind before he decided
to come to E)gbmgkn market to buy a slave to
Qsnfln. Qsnyin
told
QrUnmIl
that he would be ready to assist
Qrnmll
in his work and that he
would forever be gratefulto
QrrJnm)l
that he was the one who bought him
as a slave and not someone else.
The following day,
Qrunmll
wanted to go out. He instructed
Qsan$n
to
clear the weeds in his backyard so that snakes and other reptiles would not
be creeping into the house. When
Qrnmll
returned home, he met, to his
utter surprise, the whole backyard weeds virtually untouched. He
summoned
Qsanyin
to enquire from him why he failed to carry out his
instruction.
gsanyln
responded that he had not seen any weed to clear
because all the shrubs, weeds and
grasses he found in
Qrnmll's
backyard
were of spiritual, medicinal or occult significance. He was asked to
expatiate on his statements,
Qsnt'in
took
Qrnmll
to his backyard and
began to
point
out, one by one, all the weeds shrubs and roots there-in and
then told
Qrnmll
of their significance.
Qsanyln
said 'this is a leaf of
prosperity, which one will I cut off?'. He would
point to another leaf and say
'this one is for good health, which one will I cut off?' He would
point to yet
another and say. This is for long life, which one will I clear away?". He went
on and on until he moved round the whole backyard. There was no lea[,
root, shrub or weed that was of no significance.
Hitherto,
Qrnmll
had never employed the use of herbs, leaves, roots or
shrubs in his work. He had all along been using lyQrosn and incantations
to do his work. He then reasoned that it would not only be
possible and
practicable
to combine herbs and roots with enabling incantation in his
work, it would equally be useful and more effective. In this wise,
Qrnmll
convefted
Qsn;iin
from a slave to a business
partner.
Qsanyln
then began
to
prepare herbs and roots for various ailments while
Qrnmll
would recite
t
It
tl
t,
his
577
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
the incantations in order to make them more effective than ever before.
The result was unbelievable. It not only enhanced the efficacy of
Qrrlnm)l's
works, it equally lifted him up in the society. This achievement
came about as a result of
Qsany'ln's
introduction of herbs and root to
Qrnm)l.
As from that day until today, it is difficult to separate herbs and
their enabling incantations. Anyone, be he/she, an If priest
or priestess,
herbalist, occultist and so on that combines herbs and roots with
incantation is simply making use of the combine effofts of
esanyln
and
Qrunmll.
Both of them were thus happy, singing and praising
If and
Oldmar.
Gbinrin bl ltl
Bl ltl gbinrid
Dl fn
Qrrtnmll
If rtlQq ra
Qsanyln
I'Qr
fbg
ni wQn nl k
9e
gb'Qbo,
r'bo
Eyl ewe aje
Gbinrin bl ltl
Bl ltl gbinrin
Ewo ni n ro n?
Gbinrin bl ltl
Bl ltl gbinrif
Eyl ewe aya
Gbinrin bf ltl
Bl ltl gbinrin
Ewo ni n ro n?
Gbinrin bl ltl
Bl ltl gbinri{
Ey,l ewe gmg
Gbinrin bl ltl
Bl ltl gbinrin
Ewo ni n ro n?
Gbinrin bl ltl
Bl ltl gbinri{
Eyl ewe lku
Gbinrin bl ltl
Bl ltl gbinrin
Ewo ni n ro n?
Gbinrin bl ltl
578
I! ogunaa uej
Bl ltl gbinri{
Translation
Gbinrin bl ltl
Bl Itl gbinrin
These were the Awo who cast If for
Qrrfnm'il
When going to purchase O5ann as his slave
He was advised to offer gbg
He complied
This one is the leaf of riches
All hail Gbinrin bl ltl
And Bi'l gbinrin
Which one should I clear out
All hail Gbinrin bl ltl
And Bl )tl gbinrin
This one is the leaf to acquire spouse
All hail Gbinrin bl l
And Bf
'l
gbinrin
Which one should I clear out?
All hail Gbinrin bl l
And Bf ltl gbinrin
This one is the leaf of child bearing
All hail Gbinrin bf ltl
And Bf
'ltl
gbinrin
Which one should I clear out?
All hail Gbinrin bl ]tl
And Bf I gbinrin
This one is the leaf of longevitY
All hail Gbinrin bl l
And Bi'ltl gbinrin
Which one should I clear out?
All hail Gbinrin bl ltl
And Bi )ti gbinrin
If says that the
person for whom this Od is revealed shall benefit from a
business
proposal put forward by his/her subordinate. He/she should
avail himself/herself of new ideas and new ways of doing things in order to
reap ths benefit.
5. If says that it foresees
great accomplishment for the
person whom
this Od is revealed. If says that there is going to be huge success
579
lfa Dda: An nvitaton to lfa Consultation
in a
joint
venture in which he/she is involved. If says that for this
venture to succeed, these must be available both technical and
captal resources. The person for whom this Od is revealed has
only one
paft
of the resources while his/her paftner has the other.
Since one complements the othel there is the need for cooperation
and mutual understanding. There should be no room for quarrel
or
disagreement. There is going
to be success and accomplishment for
the two people or groups involved in the venture. In the light of this,
there is no reason why both of them should not be
plain
and honest
in their dealings with each other. There is no reason why they
should not be straight-fonruard when it comes to sharing the profit
which accrue to them in this venture.
If says that there is the need for the person for whom this Od is
revealed to offer
gbg with two pigeons,
two
guinea fowls, two
cocks and money.
There is also the need to serve Ogrln, If and Orl with one
catfish
-
the fish shall be cut into three parts the head shall be used
to serve the Ori of the
person for whom the Od is revealed the
middle shall be used to serue Ogun; while the tail end shall be used
to serve If. A stanza in support of these statements says:
Iy l ab'arafunfun
Dl firn Baba Anlb-ma-lQgbn-n
Eyl t bq lrinlnir kk
Fbq
ni wqn nl k
9e
Translation
The biglya ffee with its whitish bark
He was the Awo who cast If for He-who-has-a-pond-but-did-not-have-
a-drainer
When he was in the midst of trouble and ill health
He was advised to offer gbg
Baba Aff bU-ma-lQgb n- n (He-who-has-a-pond-but-did-not-have-a-
drainer) was very ill. When he was at the verge of death, he went for
If consultation on what to do for him to regain his health and vitality
from Tya nla ab'ara funfun'. The Awo informed him that he would
580
!! ogunaa uei
surely be well agan if he could offer
gbg
and serue his O. The Awo
advised him to offer
gbg with two cocks for victory over ailment, haro
guinea fowls for comfoft and peace of mind and money. He was also
advised to serue his Of with the head of a big catfish.
Baba Anf b-m-lQgbn-n secured allthe
gbg materials that same day and
the
gbg was offered for him. He also sent his flrst son to his farm where he
had a pond containing catfish to
go and secure the fish for him to use to
serve his O. The son left for his farm immediately. The snag however
was that he had nothing on him with which to drain the water in order to
catch the fish in the pond.
Iya l ab'arafunfun
Dlfrn BabaAlQgbn-n m nllbrr
E t fe, ylntl m'jrl gkn snrhn aj gunrugu
fibg
ni wQn nl kge
Translation
The biglya ffee with its whitish bark
He was the Awo who cast If for He-who-has-a-drainer-but-does-not-
have-a-pond
When he was lamenting his inability to have wealth
He was advised to offergbg
In the case of Baba AlQgbn-n-m-nfb (He who-has-a drainer-but-does-
not-have-a-pond) he had tried his hands on several business ventures
without success. He was
just
living from hand to mouth. It reached a
stage that to get the means to feed himself and his large family became a
great problem to him. Tired of this type of living, he went for Ifa
,

consultation in the home of the Awo mentioned above in order to find

t
solution to his problem; would he ever succeed financially in his life?
The Awo assured him that he would succeed in life and that all his problems
shall soon be forgotten if he could endeavour to offer ebo. He was advised
to offer gbg with two
pigeons
and money. There was also the need for
him to serve If with the tail end of a big catfish.
Baba AlQgbn-n-m-nlfb got the pigeons and money that same day
and his Awo offered the ebo for him. He also sent his first son outto secure
581
lla Dida: An nvitation to lfa Consultation
a big catfish for him with which to serve If. The snag here however was
that even though he had a good drainer with which to drain water from a
pond,
there was no pond of his owr'l,
While he was ruminating over his
problem he met the son of Baba Affbtl-
m-lQgbn-n who was also thinking furiously on whatto do to catch a big
catfish for his father's usage. Both of them discussed and before long,
they struck an agreement. Both of them went to the farm of Baba Anlb-
m-lQgbn-n to drain the
pond with the implements of the son of Baba
AlQgbn-n-m-nf brl in order to share the fish that they would catch at the
end of the exercise.
They reckoned thatthey would be able to catch at least 500 fish because it
was a big
pond. Before long, they set to work. They worked non-stop for
several hours. When they completed the work, they found to their utter
dismay, that there was only one big catfish in the pond-even though there
were other types of fish therein. Seeing this development the son of Baba
Affbr1-m-lggbn-r1n declared that it would only be fit and
proper for him
to take away the only catfish since his father owned the pond where the
fish was caught.
The son of Baba AlQgbn-rln-m-nfb retorted that without him, the fish
could never be caught since his partner had nothing with which to drain
pond
and catch the fish. For this reason therefore, he declared that he was
the rightful owner of the only big catfish caught in the pond. Before long,
big fight ensued. They fought and fought and fought. Nobody was
around to settle the matter for them.
They were still on this fight when OgUn was passing through the farm on
his way to somewhere. He met the two of them panting and exhausted.
He asked them to tell him what caused the fight. The son of Baba AffbtJ-
m-lQgbn-n said that his father was very ill at home; If had been
consulted and the appropriate ebo had been offered. The only thing
remaining was for his father to seve his Of with the head of a big catfish,
which they had
just
caught in his own father's pond. Since they could not
catch more that one catfish, he felt that his friend would consider his
father's condition and allow him to take away the catfish in order for his
582
i! ogunaa irei
father to use it to serve his Of and regain his health. But his friend in his
callousness would not want to hear of this. He said his friend's father was
only poor
but not ill. He therefore impressed it on Ogun to prevail
on his
friend to let him take awaythe catfish and save his father's life.
After listening carefully to the explanation of the son of Baba Anlbu-ma-
lQgbn-r]n, 0gr1n ask the son of Baba AlQgbn-n-m-nfbrl to nairate his
own story. In his own case he explained that his father was very poor. He
could not maintain his family. His father therefore consulted If for
solution. His father was assured that he would succeed in life. The Awo
recommended gbg for his father which was promptly
offered. His father
was also asked to serve If with the tail end of a big catfish. This was how
he broughtout his draining implements to use to drain the pond in the farm
of his friend's father. Since only one big catfish was caught, his friend
ought to realize that without his implement, there was no way the fish
could have been caught. He stated fufther that his friend had never
experienced poverlry
and want before in his life. Consequently, there was
no way he could appreciate the fact that no illness was as great
or as
incapacitating as
povefi.
He had been experiencing the effect and agony
of povefi lane fofthwith. But since his friend was heartless, wicked and
unsympathetic, he would not want him and his family to succeed
financially in life. He too mounted pressure
on Ogrtn to order his friend to
let him take away the catfish in order for him and his family to break the
povertyyoke
once and forever.
Ogun considered the two arguments and declared that both of them were
simply blind to reason and they were unrealistic in their arguments. He
said that since they could cooperate to work together, they ought to be
realistic enough to know that they would share the proceeds
of their
joint
venture together. He declared that from their explanations, none of them
needed the whole catfish and that the
paft
needed by one would not affect
the other. Ogun simply brought out his sword and cut the catfish into two.
He gave the head paft
to the son of Baba Anlb-ma-lqgbn-n to take
home for his father to serve his Ori and gave
the tail paft
to the son of Baba
AlQgbn-tin-m-nfb to take to his own father to use to serve If. They
both went their separate ways.
I
583
lfa Dida: An nvitation to lfa Consultation
Before long, Baba Affb-m-lQgbn-n regained his health and Baba
AlQgbn-rin-m-nfb became prosperous. All of them were very happy
and grateful to Ogrfn, If, Ort and their Awo. They were thus singing,
dancing and praising Oldmar.
Iya l ab'arafunfun
Dl fn Baba AnlbU-ma-lQgbn-n
Eydt rtbg lrinlnir kk
f,bg
ni wgn nl k
9e
gb'bqrr'bg
Iy rrl ab'ara funfun
Dlafin BabaAlQgbn-n m nllbr
Eyl tf,ylntl m'jrl gkrtn snrhn ajgunrugu
Fbq
niwgn nl k ge
gb'Qborr'bg
Erlpo, ero
Qfa
Igba Ogun d'ja mjl
Lara b ro'ni o
Translation
The biglya tree with its whitish bark
He was the Awo who cast If for Baba Anlbtl-m-lQgbn-n
When he was in the midst of trouble and illness
He was advised to offergbg
He complied
The biglyaffeewith itswhitish bark
He was the Awo who cast If for Baba AlQgbn-Un-m-nlib
When hewas lamenting is inabilityto have wealth
He was advised to offer gbg
Hecomplied
Now, travellerstolpoand
Qfa
town
Itwaswhen OgUn cutthefish intotwo
That we experience comfort
If says that with cooperation and common sense the person for whom this
Od s revealed shall be able to achieve his/her heaft's desires. While
thinking about himself/hersell he/she needs to thinks about the welfare
and needs of his/her paftner. By so doing, there will be
peace, harmony
and success.
584
il osunaa uei
For the person for whom this Od is revealed after securng the catfish, t
ought to be divided into three pas, the head secton used to
serve his/her Or'i, the middle section used to serue Ogun while the
tail section will be used to serue If. Ogun is usually included here in
recognition of the role he played in solving the
problem
of the sons of Baba
Anf b-ma-lQgbn-r1n and Baba AlQgbn-rin-m-nf b. That was why Ogun
too deserued to be served today bythose for whom this Od is revealed.
6. Ifa says that for the
person for whom this Od is revealed, all Ire in
life are on their way into his/her life. They had made several
attempts to come into his/her life but alas, there is an obstacle which
stands on his/her way to success like a sentry. There is the need for
the person for whom this Od is revealed to offer
gbg
against this
obstacle in order for it to move out of the way for all the Ire to come
into his/her life.
If says that there is the need to offer
gbg with one he-goat and
money. There is also the need to serve Egu
Qdar
with one he-
goat, a lot of alcohol,
palm-oil
and money. After this, a
calabash full of alcohol also needs to be
placed
at Eg
Qdara's
shrine for him to
give to the obstacle so as to
give way for all the Ire in
life to come in for the
person for whom this Od is revealed. On this
aspect, a stanza in Ogr:nd-MT says:
Hnrnhnrn mi ni lhngu
Klrlm-kirimu ni lf gsQ lja tglQ
Ogun Ife'jetn
Lf'mutn
Lfi ib wOOwOlyk na'gi
Dl firn Arg abldl
japp
Til
9e
onlbod
9lQrun
Sbg
ni wqn nl k
9
e
Translation
Tightly do one-packyam tubers (in a barn)
And solidly do one stamp one's legs in a fight
Itwas Ogrtn who after eating to his fill
And drinking to his satisfaction
585
Ifa Dida: An invtaton to lfa Consultation
He hit the remnants aganst a tree
This was the If cast for Arg ab)dljpap,
the Cripple with his feeble buttocks
Who was the sentry in heaven
He was advised to offer gbg
Arg abldf
jr1pp,
the Cripple with his almost lifeless buttocks was the
gateman in heaven. His duty was simply to prevent allthe good things of
life to come into the world. Such good things include Aj, wealth; Aya,
spouse;
Qmg,
children; Alku, longevity and all the other lre in life. Much
as human beings who were on earth tried, they were unable to bring all
these Ire into the world.
Arg abldf
jpp,
on the other hand, went for If consultation in order to
find out what he needed to do to ensure that all these Ire did not find their
way into the world. The Awo mentioned above advised him to desistfrom
this act and allow the Ire to have their ways into the lives of those who
needed them
genuinely. They also advised him to offer
ebg
and have a
change of Attitude.
When he heard of this advice from the Awo, he became very angry and
resolved never to leave the gate of heaven where he sat as a sentry so as
to
prevent
any of the Ire from moving into the world. Allwise counselling
from other IrnmglQ in heaven fell on deaf ears. He told them to mind
their own business.
Hnrnhnrn mi ni lhnsu
Klrlm-kirimu ni lf gsQ lja tglQ
Ogrtn lfQ'jgtn
Lf'mutn
L fi ibi wwO lyOk na'gi
Dl filn
Qrrtnmll
fi rrlg ay kQw
fbg
ni wQn nl k
9e
Translation
Tightly do one-packyam tubers (in a barn)
And solidly do one stamp one's legs in a fight
It was Ogrf n who aftereating to hisfill
586
ii ogunaa uei
And drinking to his satisfaction
He hit the remnants against a tree
This was the If cast for
OnjnmIl
When coming into the world during the dawn of life on eafth
He was advised to offer ebo
When
Qrrlnm)l
discovered that Arg ab'idf
janpp
had bluntly refused to
allow all Ire in life to come into the world, he made up his mind to go and try
and to find a means whereby all those Ire would find their ways into the
world. It was quite obvious that life on eafth without all the Ire present was
quite meaningless. To do this,
Qrnm'll
approached the same group
of
Awo who consulted If for Arg abld1
janpp
for his own consultation:
would he be able to open the way for all Ire to enter the world? If so, what
did he need to do for this to be?
The Awo assured
QrnmIl
that he would be able to accomplish his mission
but that there was the need for him to offer
gbg
and to serve EgU
Qdara.
He
was advised to offer
gbg with a matured he-goat, plenty
of money and
palm-oil. He was also to serve EgU
Qdara
with another mature he-goat,
palm-oil and money. After this, he was advised to place
a calabash full of
alcohol by the Eg Shrine.
Qnf
nm)l complied with the advice of his Awo.
After this, ES
Qdara
carried the container filled with alcohol and headed for
the post where Arg abldf
janpp
was guarding
as a sentry. He approached
Arg ab)df
jnpp
and extended his greetings. The latter reluctantly
returned the greeting. Egu
Qdara
told him that he had come to accompany
him in ensuring that none of the Ire had any chance of reaching the world,
as the inhabitants of the world did not deserue being
given
any of them.
This warmed the heart of Arg abld'i
janpp.
They sat there and were
discussing for a long time before Egu
Qdara
brought out the calabash full of
alcohol. He filled two horns and gave one to Arg ab'idf
japp
to drink. He
took it reluctantly and drank. Egu
Qdara
filled the horn again and Aro abld'i
janpp
drank it all unknown to Arg abld'ijanpp, his newly acquire friend
was
just
sipping his own drink while Arg ab)df
janpp
was gulping his own.
By the time he drank five horns, he was already tipsy. EgU
Qdara
continued
to serve him. Before long, Arg ab)d'ijAnpp was totally drunk. Soon after
this, he fell down and slept. A few moments later, he began to snore.
t
587
lfa Dida: An invtation to lfa Consultation
After sleeping off, Egu
Qdara
simply rolled Arg ab'tdf
japp
off the gate
of
heaven and earth and signaled
Qrunrnll
who had been watching every
development from a save distance. when
Qrnm)l
came, both of them
began to examine Arg abldf
janpp
closely and they discovered to their
surprise that this sentry was
just
a mere cripple! Both Egu
Qdara
and
Qrnm)l
began to call on all Ire to come and cross the gate
that the sentry
had slept off. They were singing thus:
IreAj ma w a o
Idena
Qrun
sn lgo
Aro ni Idena
Ireaya maw a o
Idena
Qrun
sn lgo
Arg ni ldena
fre omo ma w a o
Idena
Qrun
sn tgo
Arg ni ldena
IreAlkr ma w a o
Idena
Qrun
sn 19o
Aro ni ldena
Iregbogbo ma w a o
Idena
Qrun
sn lgo
Arg, arg ni ldena o
Translation
Letthe Ire of wealth come now
The Heavenly sentry had slept off
The sentry is buta cripple
Letthe Ire of spouse come now
The Heavenly sentry had slept off
The sentry is but a cripple
Let the Ire of child-bearing come now
The Heavenly sentry had slept off
The sentry is but a cripple
Let the Ire of longevity come now
The Heavenly sentry had slept off
The sentry is but cripple
And letall Ire in life come now
The Heavenly sentry had slept off
Cripple, the sentry is but a mere ripple
588
li ogunaa uei
That was how
Qrrlnm)l,
wth the assistance of Egu
Qdara
brought allthe
Ire in life to the world. And that was how it was possible for habitants of
the world to live a fulfilled life while on eafth.
Hnrnhnrn mi ni lhnsu
KIrlm0-kirimu ni lf'gsg lja tglQ
Ogun lfg'jgtn
LfQ'mutn
Lfi b wOOwOOlyk na'gi
Dl fitn Arc abldl
jepp
Til9e onlbod
QlQrun
Fbq
ni wqn nl k
9e
Dl fn
Qrnmll
fi rrlq ay akqw
Fbq
ni wqn nl k
9e
gb'Qborr'bg
j reAjma wa o
Idena Orun sn loo
Aro nildena
Ire aya ma w a o
ldena
Qrun
sn lg o
Aro ni ldena
Ire
Qmg
ma w a o
Idena
Qrun
sn lgo
Arq nildena
Ire Alkrt ma w a o
Idena
Qrun
sn lg o
Arg ni ldena
Iregbogbo ma w a o
Idena Orun sun lo o
Aro, arg ni ldena o
Translation
Tightly do one-packyam tubers (in a barn)
And solidly do one stamp one's legs in a fight
It was Ogun who after eating to his fill
And drinking to his satisfaction
He hit the remnants against a tree
This was the If cast for Arg abldf
jpapa
589
lfa Dida: An invtation to lfa Consultation
Who wasthe sentry in heaven
He was advised to offer gbg
They also cast Ifa for
QrUnmlld
When coming into the world during the dawn of life on eafth
Ogunda Meji
He was advised to offer gbg
Hecomplied
Now,letthe Ireof wealth come
The Heavenly Sentry had slept off
The Sentry is buta cripple
Let the Ire of spouse come now
The Heavenly Sentry had slept of
The Sentry is buta cripple
Letthe Ire of child-bearing come now
The HeavenlySentry had sleptoff
The Sentry is buta cripple
Let the lre of longevity come now
The Heavenly senby had slept off
The sentry is buta cripple
And letalllre in lifecome now
The HeavenlySentry had sleptoff
Cripple, the Sentry is but a mere cripple
If says thatthe
person for whom this Od is revealed shall attain
glorious
heights in Iife even in spite of initial obstacles or delays. This person shall
overcome and realize his/her destiny in life.
If says also that the person for whom this Od is revealed must never
constitute himself/herself into a stumbling block on the path of other
people's
success. If he/she did, he/she shall be bulldozed out of the way
and the supposed victim shall be victorious at his/her expense. If he/she
thinks that someone will not be great in life and he/she plans aganst such
person,
the
person shall not only attain
greatness
but shall put him/her to
shame in the end. It is in the best interest of the person for whom this
Od s revealed never to think, plan
or do evil at any time. Whoever does
it against him/her shall regretsuch action in the end.
7. If says that it foresees the Ire of wealth and accomplishment for the
person for whom this Od is revealed. If says that presently, this
person is experiencing some financial hardship butthere is no cause
for concern because this is
just
a transient situation which will soon
590
!!i ogunda uej
gve way to wealth in abundance. If will soon cater for his/her
financialneeds.
If says that some
people had earlier been called upon to find
solution to a
pafticular problem being experienced by an influential
person or group but all of those invited had not been able to solve this
problem. If saysthatthe
person forwhom this Od is revealed shall
be able to solve this
problem. He/she shall also be able to save the
faces and careers of those who had failed in the assignment.
If says that if the
person for whom this Od is revealed is a man, the
Ire of a spouse is foreseen. If says that three women shall be very
important in his life and they shall influence his life to success and
accomplishment.
If also says that it is not advisable for the person for whom this Od
is revealed, male or female to stand surety for anyone or group. If
says that if he/she does this, he/she shall be betrayed and utterly
disappointed. Ifa says that the person or group whom he/she stands
for as
guarantor shall spoil many things which will lead many people
to point accusing fingers at him/her as their guarantor.
For this message to come to pass, If recommends the following gbg:
for financial success, three
pigeons and three guinea fowls; for
victory over his/her present predicament,
three cocks; for success
in his/her assignment which he/she shall be invited to come and do;
three
pigeons, three ducks and three guinea fowls for the
male to be assisted by three women who shall be influential in his life,
three hens
-
one of the three hens shall be slaughtered, one of the
wings, one lap and the breast shall be removed and roasted with
appropriate condiments. He shall also get
three wraps of
Qkg
(corn
meal) and
place them in three separate
places. These shall then be
put wherever If recommends. On allthese, a stanza in this Od has
this to say:
fil$mggnbQQ
Agunbg-nlworoko-sQn
591
lfa Dida: An invitaton to lfa Consultation
llQmg
wQnn-wgnna
pqngo
Ota l ni k sinmi wodl k nl mlml
Dlfitn Orunmll
If rllg r ra awgn Blwo-kQkQ I'qru
LtiQrun kejg
fbgniwqn
nl kge
Translation
flQmQgnbQQ
Agnbg n)wrOkO-sQn
Flmq
wqnn-wgnna
pqngo
The catridge is itthatwill neverceaseto consume a hovering hawk
They were the Awo who cast If for
Qrnmll
When going to buythe
group who grew horns on
their heads (each growing one horn) as slave
From the eighth heaven
He was advised to offer gbg
Qrnmll
was paftcular about bringing this
group into the world to come
and enjoy the world and to ensure that a solution was found to the
problem
of their horns and
plan on how to remove them. He went for If
consultation in the home of the four Awo mentoned above. They were all
hisformerstudents. Hewas advised tooffer
gbg. He did. Hewasalsotold
to
go and seek
permission from Oldmar. They told him that those
people would only spoil his good work on earth. He responded that it
would be
good to give everybody equal chance to come and enjoy on eafth
and contribute his/her own
quota into the development
process there-in.
Qrnmll
went to Oldmar to seek
permsson to bring the group into the
world. OldmarO responded that this
group would only spoil his work on
eafth.
Qrrfnm'll
pleaded with Oldmare to let him bring them into the
world. He promised to stand surety for them. He also said that he would
give them eight commandments. As long as they were given the
commandments, he reasoned, they were bound to behave
properly. Being
a favourite of Oldmar, he was allowed to bring them into the world.
Before leaving for earth,
Qrnm'll
gave them the following
commandments; one, they must not pluck the Okro of Eji; two, they
must not
pluck the Garden-egg of Eji; three, they must not haruest the
592
l! ogunaa ueji
Qsun
vegetable of A'ilgrn; four, they must not pass
excreta by the river-
side; five, they must not urinate by the river-side; six they must not pass
excreta on a rock; seven, they must not introduce any topic concerning
elders behind their backs; and eight, they must not use clandestine means
to enter the home of elders. They all agreed to keep all these
commandments.
Qrnmll
equally argued that if the commandments
were kept, the world would not and could not spoil. He thereafter
instructed them to
proceed into the world. They all left the following day.
On their way to the world however, all the eight commandments had been
abused. They had ensured that they violated all the commandments
before they reached the world. As a result of their violation, chains of
reactions had begun to take
place, all with serious implications. For
example from the dawn of life on eafth, Olkun was given six water-pots to
take care of and report the developments on a daily basis. These water-
pots were placed at six different locations of the world but they were linked
together by natural pipes controlled only by Olkun. As soon as the
group
of Ablwo-kQnkQ arrived on eafth and began to violate the Eight
commandments, four of these pots dried up. This had never happened
before, Olkun raised an alarm and went to report to Oldmar what
happened had never before been witnessed, problems
started to happen
on eafth. Everybody began to point accusing fingers at
Qrnm)l,
everybody began to complain to Oldmar.
Oldmar then summoned
QrUnmIl
to His presence. He told
Qrrlnmll
that he too could see whatthose whom he stood surety for had done. This
greatly disturbed and annoyed
Qrunmll.
In his anger,
Qrnmll
returned
to eafth and went in pursuit of the leader of the AbIwo-KQkQ, known as
Hrt. He took along with him his Adaaga.
Immediately Hau saw
Qrnmll,
he took to his heels. He knew why
Qrrlnmll
would be looking for him and his group. He was also aware of all
the atrocities they had committed on eafth.
QrnmIl
who was wearing
only a coverlet pursued him. When
Qrnm'il
realized that he could not
catch up with H, he threw his Adaag at him. The Adaag caught H in
the head and cut off his horn. He began to bleed
profusely. One lrnmglQ
descended from Heaven and used
Qrrf
nmll's Adaaga to dig a hole on the
593
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consuftation
ground. The IrnmglQ also asked H to move to where the hole was dug
so that the blood from his head would go nto the hole. He told
Qrunm'il
and Hr1 that it was not good
to allow blood to spill on the ground.
when the head did not stop bleeding the IrrtnmglQ tore off a
paft
of the
coverlet which
Qrrlnmll
wore and wrapped t round the head of H, and
the bleeding stopped. The Irnmgle then instructed HrJ to move his
people far away from ll-Ife and settle. They were also instructed to be
wrapping that loin or sash around their head at all times. They moved
away and went towards the nofthern part
of Il-IfQ. After 30 days, they
stopped.
Unfoftunately however, in their haste and confusion, they did not take
along with them the mother of their leader. The mother began to ask
questions
the where about of the group. It took her 30 days to locate
them. She did not eat for those 30 days. When she located her son, she
narrated all her ordeals to him. Soon after this, she died. The IrnmglQ
appeared again and dug another hole in the ground, placed
the corpse of
Ht1's mother into it and covered the hole with sand. He told them that he
had
just
shown them what was known as burial and that never must they
leave any corpse unburied.
Qrnm)l
on his own also left Il-IfQ and went to settle n Onko town. He
was there for a very long time. He was relatively unknown there. His
situation there was very pathetic.
Those who were close to him knew him
as, "Tgla, Awo wgn l'de Onko"- Tela, their Awo in Onto land. Onto was a
very small community and
QrrlnmTl
was the chief If Priest there. He was
very unsuccessful there but he chose to endure and remain there.
In Il-IfQ however, the city was expanding rapidly. The whole community
was developing at an unbelievable rate and speed.
glqfin
the
Qba
of Il-
IfQ was the most poweful
and most influential personality
on eafth.
This was what the situation had been until one day when the following
happened:
Or{slnsln-tasln gdg il
Ql,
fin ni
Or{slnsln-tasln gdq ilQl,fin ni
594
!! ogunaa uei
Ata-m-tas
9de
il
QlQfin
ni
Orl-yi-trl-oyllyi
9d9
il
QlJin
ni o
Awgn ni wQn sg erin l'g
Erin w wO
fi o,woja a rQ l gbgede il
Ql,fin
lgba wQn kun erin
wQn b gpQn ir$ nln erin
WQn b apo agala nln erin
WQn b igb tuntun nlnrl erin
WQn pa igbatuntun
WQn b gmg tuntun OOjE nln igb tuntun
ro trn abaje mjg l',wQQtn
to ttn abaje,, mjg I'QwQ sl
glQfn
w k
nl run hn!
Translation
Oslnsf n-taln was resident hunter in
QlQfin
palace
Orislns'ln-tasln was resident hunter in
QlQfin
palace
Atamtas was resident hunter in
QlQfin's
palace
Orf-yi-taf-Of)yi was resident hunter in
QlQfin's
palace
They were the ones who threw a heavy spear at an elephant
The elephantfell and placed itstrunk bythe balconyof
QlQfin's
house
When they skinned and cut the elephant
Theyfound a tray made with Irq wood in its belly
Theyfound an Agl container (bag) in its belly
Theyfound a brand newcalabash in its belly
When they cut open the new calabash
They found a day-old baby inside the new calabash
The baby held eight lkn-Abaje in its right hand
And anothereightlkin-Abaje in its left hand
Qlqfin
exclaimed
He declared that heaven was aboutto descend!
Those were the things they saw at ll-Ife right in
QlQfin's
palace. Nobody
had ever seen anything near that before. They also never believed that
such a thing could ever happen.
QlQfin
and all the members of his council
deliberated on this incident for a very long time but they could not come up
with any solution. For the first time ever,
QlQfin
panicked. He was totally
confused. His chiefs advised him to letthem invite Babalwo from different
595
lfa Dda: An invtation to lfa Consultation
places
to come and consult If for them in order to find the root cause of
what was happening and at the same time, find solution to the problem.
They sent for the following If priests
and other diviners:
WQn w lg r pe
wgn:
Kogn-kogn Awo ile Alara
KggbQn-kggbqn Awo Ode ljero
Kad, ta-ked, ta Awo
lpa
Tooromof
Qtggkan
l k k t pe lrinw
Awgn Awl-wlnnlwlnnl m-je nlkan-o-gbq
Awgn AfQkn-mq-fq-fi n-l n-fi n-ln
WQn ki'f-k'f nil
QlQfin
WQn klkllkl, wgn O gbQ ohun tl
Ql.f
n wl
WQn ki'f-k'f, bgq ni wgn O
jf
9l.fi
n
Translation
Theythen wentto invite
Kogun-kogn the residentAwo of Alr
KggbQn-kggbQn theAwo ofljero Hill
Kadqta-kad, ta the Awo of
ppa-T00r0m0,
f
Only one remaned for it to complete 400
Those who spoke so
quietlythat none could hear
Those who spoke like they were whistling
They recited and recited If in
QlQfin's
house
They recited and recited without getting what
QlQ
fin was saying
They recited, and recited withouttouching the problem of
QlQfin
When all the Babalwo, diviners and soothsayers had exhausted
themselves, the frustrations of
Qlqfin
increased. In his anger, he said that
all of them did not know why he had called them or what was makng him
so worried and agitated, he ordered that all of them should be locked up.
They were promptly incarcerated.
QlQfin
then asked if there were no other
Babalwo or soothsayer who could help him out of his problem. That was
when one of the chiefs remembered TQla the Awo of OnkO town.
glqfn
ordered that TQI should be invited immediately. Delegates were sent to
Tela.
When he heard the message of
Qlfin,
he wentfor If consultation in order
to know what
QlQfin
had called him for and then what he needed to do in
order to solve OlQfin's problem
for him. TQI was told by his Awo that
596
!! ogunaa uei
QlQfin
truly had an unusual experence but that the true nature of hs
experience would be revealed to him on his way to Olfin's palace,
he was
informed that what
Slqfin
was worried about amounted to nothing as it was
designed by the Deities to test his capability to absorb shock and to stay
cool in the midst of crisis and unceftainty.
TQI was advised to offer gbg with three hens. He was asked to slaughter
one of the hens, remove one lap, one wing and the breast, roast them
properly
and take them along with him on his
journey
to
QlQfin's
palace,
he
was also asked to carry along with him three wraps of
Qkg.
He was told that
he would meet three women who would be instrumental to the success of
his mission at
QlQfin's
house. He was advised to give
the three women one
Qkg
each and
give
each of them the lap, the wing and the breast of the hens
he carried with him. TQI complied with all what they said and set out on his
journey
to
QlQfin
palace
at Il-IfQ.
When he got to Il-IfQ, at the edge of the stream, which he would cross,
before he reached
QlQfin's
palace
he met true to the prediction
of his Awo,
three young women who came to the stream to fetch water. Tl greeted
them and gave them wraps of
Qkg,
the chicken lap, wing and breast. The
three
young women thanked him and asked for his mission in Il-IfQ. He
explained to them.
They told him that he might not be aware of the developments in
QlQfin's
palace
but that there were two major problems
being faced by
QlQfin
at that
pafticular point in time; one, one of his wives had been pregnant
for the
past
three years and she had not been delivered of the baby; two, the
hunters of
QlQfin
struck down an elephant with their heavy spear, when the
elephant fell, it placed its trunk by
QlQfin's
balcony; when the elephant was
skinned and dissected, they found a tray made of IrQ wood, and an Aguah
bag, and a new calabash in the elephant, when the calabash was sliced into
two, they found a day-old baby which had with it eight Ikn
-Abajg
in each of
his hands. The three young women said that was why
QlQfin
had invited
him into his palace. They said that for the pregnant woman to have a safe
delivery a matured goat
must be offered as gbg while another matured
goat must be used to serve If. They said that they did not know the
597
lfa Dida: An nvitation to lfa Consuftaton
importance of the slain elephant and ts mysterous contents. They
however advised TQI not to sit down at all or wait for any moment before
disclosing the information to
QlQfin.
They said that doing so was the only
way that would make
Qlqfin
to take him serious as several others had
hitherto been invited, they did not know why
QlQfin
had invited them and
QlQfin
had thrown them into
jail.
Theyalso informed TQI that in the frontof
OlQfin's palace, he would meet an old woman. The woman was a dye
maker. All her grandparents were also dye makers. She inherited the work
from her own mother. He was advised to ask that old woman to remove her
dye pot from the spot it was and for TeJa to put his OgU there. They
informed him that all the surrounding areas of the palace were solid rock
and that only the spot where the woman put her pot
contained soft sand
where the OgU staff could be
placed.
TQI thanked them profusely
and headed for
QlQfin's
palace. In front of
QlQfin's
palace, he met, as the three
young
women had said, an old woman
busy with her old dye pot. TQI approached her and asked her to remove
her pot for him to place his 0g. The woman refused bluntly.
After much persuasions
and promptings, the old woman reluctantly agreed.
As 1Ql removed the pot, they found
jewelries
of inestimable value, which
the old woman's great grandparent had kept there. Both TQI and the old
woman were flabbergasted. Tl asked the old woman to pack everything
as the
jewelries
rightfully belonged to her. She insisted that Tl must take
out of the
jewelries
since if not for him; she would not have known that such
things were there in the first place. Teh refused and the woman packed
everything, thereby becoming an extremelywealthywoman in herold age.
She then thought of how to compensate TQI in her own way since he would
not take any paft
of the
jewelries,
she asked Teh f he had ever been
married. TQI responded in the negative, she also asked if he saw the three
young women by the stream when he was coming, he responded positively.
She explained to TQI that they were not yet married. Several
people
had
tried to marry them and they had bluntly refused. They said that they
would marry only one person
and that person must know their names
before they would agree to marry him. Everybody had tried and failed.
598
ll osunda Mei
The old woman then told Tl their names. Tl thanked her and entered
QlQfin's
palace.
As soon as TQI entered
QlQfin's
palace
and all the essential greetings were
exchangqd, he was offered a mat to sit on. He refused stating that
Ql,
fin's
summoned him because of the two major developments in his house. He
told
QlQfin
about the pregnant woman and what he (Ql,fin) needed to do.
He also told
Qlqfn
about the elephant incident.
Ql,fin
was totally
dumbfounded.
QIQRn
exclaimed that 1Ql was not an ordinary human
being.
QlQfin
asked Teh to offer gbg for him. He agreed.
As soon as TQI sat down on the mat in preparation
to offer the qbg,
the
three young women entered with the pots
of water on their heads. Tela
greeted
them by their names as he was told by the old woman saying:
'welcome,Ibgrrl,Ibgye andlbegg'. The three women threw away the pots
on their heads and began to accuse
QlQfin
of telling the stranger their
names.
Qqfin
said that he did nottell him their names, but rather, the man
was not an ordinary human being.
QlQfin
claimed that the man could
detect a pregnant snail among its colleague; he could even predict
the sex
of a chick inside the eggshell! The three women said that they had no
option butto marryTQl since he wasthe person
who knewtheir names
-
as
they had promised to marrythe person who could tellthem their names.
After this
rch
told
QlQfin
that he had some
people
whom he had
incarcerated as a result of their failure to know what
QlQfin
had summoned
them for. He asked
QlQfn
to release them fofthwith before he could offer
the gbg,
QlQfin
ordered his domestic seruants to go and effecttheir release.
TQI offered the gbg for
QlQfin
and his pregnant wife was delivered of a
bouncing baby on that very day. TQI sat down and the baby was broughtto
him for his blessing. Ibgrrt,Ibgy andlbggg sat by his sides. While he was
blessing the baby all the Awo who had
just
been released came into the
palace to express their gratitude
to TQI. He asked them not to thank him,
but rather to thanklbgrrl, )bgye and )bggg. They did and all of them left
QlQfin's
palace full of
joy
and happiness.
Flmggnbqq
599
lfa Dida: An nvitation to lfa Consuftation
Ag rt n bg- nlworoko-sqna
f
lgmg wQnn-wgnna pqngo
Qta
l ni k sinmi wOdl Ok nl mlml
DlfnQrunmll
If trlg r ra wgn Blwo-kQkQ I'qrU
tti
Qrun
kqjg
fbg
ni wqn nl k
9e
Awgn Orlslnsln-tasf n qde il
QlQfin
ni
,
Orlslnsln-tasln
gdg il
Ql,
fin ni
Ata-m-tas gde il
Ql,
fi n ni
Or{-yi-tarl-oyflyi gdg ile
Ql,fin
ni o
Awgn ni wqn sg erin l'g
Erin w wO
fi gwoja a rQ lgbgede l9lqfn
Mgba wQn kun erin
WQn b gpQn irg nln erin
wqn b apo agala nlnrt erin
Wqn b gb tuntun nlnrl erin
WQn pa igb tuntun
WQn b gmg tuntun OOjq nlnU igb tuntun
<o ttn abaje mjq l',wq oJrrn
ko Itn bje, mjQ I'QwQ Osl
9l.fi
n w k
nl Orun hn!
WQn w lg r pewgn:
Kogun-kogn Awo il Alr
KggbQn-kgg bqn Awo Ode ljero
KadJa- kadqta Awo Epa Tooromof
Qtqekan
l k kt p rrinw
Awgn Awl-wln nlwln nl m-j99 nlkan-O-g bq
Awgn AfQk n-mq-fg-fi n-ln -fi n-l n
WQn k'f-k'f nil
Ql,
fin
WQn klkflkl, wgn gbQ ohun tl
Qlqfn
rtwl
WQn k'f-k'f, bee ni wgn o
j
f
Ql.fi
n
9l,
fn nl k s'wo nf 'lQ yl mq njq?
WQn l ku TQla Awo wgn l'de Onto
Qlqfn
nl kl wQn lg ree pe w
TQI lwa
j'f
Ql,fin
Fbg
l nl k
9e
QlQfin 9b'bg,
r'bg
Ije
F|a
moyin lbgrrt
F|a
moyin lboye
I! on*a" *r,
Qrnmll
mo yin lbgq9g o
Translation
FlemagnbQQ
Agnbg nlwOrOk0-sQn
flQmgwQnn-wgnna
pqngo
The catridge is it that will never cease to consume a hovering hawk
Theywerethe Awo who castlf for
Qrnm)l
When going to buy the
group who grew horns on
their heads (each growing one horn) as slave
From the eighth heaven
He was advised to offer
gbg
Oflnln-tasfn was resident hunter in
QlQfin
palace
Olslns'ln-tasln was resident hunter in
QlQfin
palace
AtamUs was resident hunter in
Ql,
fin's palace
Orf-yi-taf-flyiwas resident hunter in
QlQfin's
palace
They were the ones who threw a heavy spear at an elephant
The elephantfell and placed its trunk by the balcony of
QlQfin's
house
When they skinned and cutthe elephant
They found a tray made with Ire wood in its belly
They found an Agl container (bag) in its belly
They found a brand new calabash in its belly
When they cut open the new calabash
They found a day-old baby inside the new calabash
The baby held eight lkin-Abaje in its right hand
And another eight lkin-Abaje in its left hand
QlQfin
exclaimed
He declared that heaven was aboutto descend!
Theythen wentto invite
Kogun-kogn the residentAwo of Alr
KqgbQn-kggbQn the Awo ofljero Hill
KadJa-kadqta the Awo of
fpa-TooromoJ
Only one remained for it to complete 400
Those who spoke so
quietlythat none could hear
Those who spoke like they were whistling
They recited and recited If in
QlQfin's
house
They recited and recited without getting what
QlQfin
was saying
They rected, and recited withouttouching the problem of
QlQfin
Ql,
fin asked if there was no more Awo around?
They responded that it still remained TQI, the Awo of OkO town
OlQfin asked them to go and call him
TQI was the one who later got the reason why
QlQfin
cast If
601
lfa Dida: An nvtation to lfa Consuftation
He asked
Qlqfin
to offergbg
He complied
Now,
pla
I praiselbgrrl
fla,I
praiselbqye
Qnf
nm)l,I also
praiselbg$g
If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed shall surely succeed
where others had failed. He/She shall win where others had lost. He/She
shall acheve
greatness where others had been humiliated.
If says also that if a pregnant woman is having delayed bfth where this
Od is revealed, with the appropriate gbg as prescribed above, the woman
shall have a safe delivery the very day the
ebg
is offered.
8. If says that women would be instrumental to the success of the
person for whom this Od is revealed if it's a man. This
notwithstanding however, If advises that he needs to be extremely
careful on all matters concerning women. This is because women,
especially his spouse, would surely be stretching his endurance and
patience to the extreme once in a while. If says that he needs to be
patient
at all times.
If says also that the person or group for whom this Od is revealed
must not promise one thing to two people. If this had already been
done only
gbg
and seruing 0gr1n,
QSqq.sl
and 0ogl can
pull
the
person
or
group
out of trouble and unfavourable repercussion.
If also warns some women where this Od is revealed not to do
something or behave in such a way that will give room for them
being insulted or looked down upon.
If advises a
pregnant woman to offer
gbg
and serve If and Eg
where this Od is revealed so as to have a safe delivery devoid of any
complications.
If advises those involved to ofter
gbg with three hens, three cocks,
three guinea fowls, eight rats, eight fish and money. They are also
to serve Egu
Qdar,I;f,
Ogun,
QqqqsJ
and
Qbttl
as appropriate.
602
i! osunaa uei
On these, a stanza in this Od says:
Baba d l'ko
Baba ba l'k
Baba fQyln t'igi akOko porporo
Bab
j9
kko ok
Qr00
ml
9e
tn tl y ko nl'gbyl
Dl fn
Qrunmll
Baba g'awo lo sl llU Ekun
[b9
ni wQn nl k
9e
Translation
Baba encamped at OkO town
Baba landed at OkO town
Baba rested his back comfoftably against an akOko tree
And he ate 20 tubers of cocoyam
My matter is about to have a head now
These were lf's declarations to
Qrnmll
When going
on lf's mission to
fkun
town
He was advised to offer gbg
When
Qrtlnm'll
wanted to leave Ad-Ekltl, his base of operation for
Fkun
town, he went for If consultation from his former students mentioned
above in orderto determine how successful his sojourn in
fkun
town would
be. The Awo told him that he would accomplish his mission at
fkun
town
but the most rewarding assignment would be that of a pregnant
woman
who would fall into labour and who would be about to lose her life which he
would save. She would be assisted to have a safe delivery. She would
deliver of a baby
girl and the
girl
was an ApQtQbl (Ifa wife) Ornmll was
advised to offer gbg with three hens, three cocks, eight rats, eight
fish and money. He complied. Soon after this, he set out on his
journey
to
fkun
town.
On
getting
to this town, he saw a crowd in front of him. They looked sad.
He approached them and he discovered that a pregnant woman was in
their midst. For four days they had tried everything they knew for her to
deliver when she went into labour and it was simply impossible. She had
become very weak and about to die. The crowd were the members of her
husband's household who were carrying her home to die inside the house.
603
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
When
Qrtlnm'll
saw this, he told them that he would help them and the
woman would have a safe delivery. He said that the woman would gve
bifth to a baby girl
and thatthe girlwas an ApQtQbf . The woman's relations
said that if this woman could have a safe delivery they would give the baby
to
Qrrfnm'il
as wife when she was matured enough to get married.
QrrJnmIl
simply touched the woman's stomach and the baby came out
safely. The crowd was overwhelmed with
joy.
True to
Qrrlnmll's
prediction,
the baby was a girl.
Qrnmll
tied the OttU
Qpqn
(Ifa) bead
round herwristand leg.
Soon after he left, the woman began to complain of stomach
pain
again.
The crowd began to panic
once more. They searched for
Qrnmll
but he
was nowhere to be found.
Baba d l'ko
Baba ba 'ko
Baba f'Qyln t'igi akko pOrOpOrO
Bab
j9
kko ok
QrQO
ml
9e
tn tl y ko nl'gbyl
Dl filn Ego
Qdara
TI g'awo lg st llu
lkun
fbg
ni wqn nl k
9e
Translation
Baba encamped at OkO town
Baba landed at OkO town
And rested his back comfoftably against an akOko tree
And he ate 20 tubers of cocoyam
My matter is about to have a head now
These were lf's declarations to EgU
Qdara
When going
on spiritual mission to
fkun
town
He was advised to offer
gbg
Egu
Qdara
also
planned
to
go
on spiritual mission to
lkun
town. He also
went for If consultation. He was also assured that his mission to this
town would be very rewarding and successful. He was equally advised to
offer gbq with three hens, three cocks, three guineafowls,
eight
rats, eight ftsh and money. He also complied and set out on his
journey.
604
li ogunaa
^rei
On
getting to
fkun
town, he met the same crowd in a state of confusion.
He asked them what the
problem was. They explained the
problem
of the
woman to him and someone had helped them before she could deliverthe
baby, and that she was still complaining of stomach
pains. Taking a look
at this woman, Egu
Qdara
explained to them that even though the baby
had been delivered, the placenta was not yet out of the woman's womb
and therefore, they had no reason to rejoice yet. They pleaded with him
to assist them. EgU
Qdara
declared that to assist them, they would have
to give him the hand of the baby in marriage when she was matured
enough for wedding. They said that if he could assist in saving the life of
the mother, the
girl is his for marriage. Ep
Qdara
simply touched the
woman's stomach and out came the placenta. Egu
Qdara
then put his Og
(three tufts of hair left on the head of Eg adherents after the rest of the
hair had been shaved off) on the baby's head and left.
As soon as he left, the crowd began to celebrate. They danced round the
town and everybody left for home. None of them ever thought of the
future implication of their action atall.
Eighteen years after,
Qrnmll
sent a message to them that in three
weeks time, he would be coming to claim his wife. In the evening of the
same day, Egu
Qdara
sent his own message that in three weeks time, he
too would be coming to take his wife. That was when it dawned on the
people of
fkun
that trouble was at hand. They deliberated for a long time
on how to find solution to their problem butthere was none. They did not
want to face the wrath of any of these two great personalities. When they
discovered that there was virtually no way for them, they decided to seek
the assistance of If in finding a solution to their problem. They then went
to seek help in the house of:
Awgn Ogun I'awo amqqg
Qqqqsj
l'awo amQy
ooganla I'awo amQQ-tgg
Dl fitn wn nl llu
lkun
Nlbi tl wQn gb rtfleku kan rg gmg mejl
Ebo ni wn nl kl wn se
605
lfa Dida: An nvitation to lfa Consultation
Translation
Ogun is the Awo who knows how to cut (trees)
QSqq$
is the Awo who knows how to design
.
And Oosanh is the Awo who knows how to put A$e (power to let
something manifest)
They were the ones who cast If for them at
fkun
town
When they pledged one rat to favour two children
They were advised to offer
gbg
The inhabitants of
fkun
town approached Ogn,
QpQQpl
and Ogal
(QbaHh) for solution to their problem. The three Awo blamed them for
not thinking
properly before they pledge only one chld for both Egu
Qdara
and
Qrnmll.
They said that no matter how any situation might be, they
must never lose their sense of reasoning because f anyone
promises
whatever he/she cannot do to get out of any bad situation, he/she is only
postponing the evi! day. They said that if the inhabitants of
fkun
town
had informed Eg
Qdara
that they had earlier
given out the baby to
Qrnm)l,
Eg would not insist on marrying the
girl
again. At the very
worst, Egu would have asked for something else which they would have
settled a long time ago.
Having said these, Ogn said that if they could
give him what he would
take, he would assist them to cut a
good log of wood in the bid to find
solution to their
problem. They gave Ogun what he wanted and he helped
them to cut the wood.
QSqQEt
said that if they could
give him what he
would take, he would help them to design the wood. They gave him and
he helped them to design the wood in the true Iikeness of the
girl in
question. Ooganla said that if they could
give him what he would like to
take from them, he would help them use his Agg to solve their
problem.
They gave OOganla what he wanted. Oogarrla in turn sliced the wood into
two equal
parts from head downwards. He also sliced the girl into two
from head down. He
joined
the left side of the girl together with the right
side of the wood. He repeated the same thing with the right side of the
girl and the left side of the wood. He used his A9g and the work became
two identical
girls. Nobody could distinguish one from the other.
Everybody went home happily.
606
i! ogunaa uei
on the day of the wedding, they gave
Egu
Qdara
a girl and gave
Qrnmll
the other. None of them could complain. Everything went smoothly. It
was a grand pafty involving the whole town. Everybody went there to
witness the miracle. It was also the talk of the town for a very long time.
At home, the first three months were bliss for
Qrnm)l
and Eg
Odara.
Their two wives exhibited all the qualities
of good housewives. They
were obedient, accommodating, neat, homely and unassuming. They
prepared
the food on time and regularly. They take care of their houses
and the environments. They loved everybody and everybody loved them
in return. Everybody around prayed
for such wives in their lives.
The next three months were something else. These women became very
incorrigible, stubborn, rude, unruly, disobedient, and uncaring and
involving. They insulted their husband and their relations openly. They
disgraced their husbands in the
presence
of their clients. They spoiled
things in the house and would neither accept their faults nor take to
corrections. The three months were simply like 30 years
of agony for
Qrunmll
and Eg
Qdara.
One day, tired of the attitude of his own wife, Ornm)l decided to return
her to her parent's house. He informed the
parents
that he would be
arriving at
fkun
town in three days to hand over their daughter to them.
When the parents heard this, they rushed to the house of Ogn,
Qqqpl
and OOgl to enlisttheir assistance as theirAwo.
The three Awo asked them to go
home and that they would be there
when
Qrrtnmll
arrived. Truly, they were in their house on the third
day when
Qrrlnm'll
arrived together with his wife. As
Qrrlnmll
was
about to speak, the three Awo began to plead with
Qrunmll,
using
IyQrQ (If
song) saying:
Orrnmlla ma bffnr
If ko m sur o o
Fgb
kan yn
Fgb
kan igi I'oblnrin
Baba m bffn o
Baba kOo mr s0rtr
6A7
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
FgbA
kan eyan
Fgb
kan igi I'oblrin
Translation
Qrnm)l,
please
do not be annoyed
If, please be patient
Half human being
And half wood is what a woman is
Baba, please
do not be angry
Baba, please
exercise
patience
Half human being
And half wood, that is what a woman is
When
QrUnmIl
heard this, he simply turned back with his wife and
returned to Ado-Eldti where he came from. Anytime the wife behaved
well, he would know that that was her human side at work. And
anytme she misbehaved, he would equally know that her wood, non-
human side was at work. Nothing his wife did that ever surprised,
frightened or annoyed him anymore. He was only being amused with
his wife's behaviours everyday.
Baba d l'kO
Baba ba l'ko
Baba f,yln t'igi akoko pOrOpOrO
Bab
j9
kko oko
Qrqq
ml
$e
tn tl y ko nf'gbyl
Dl fin
Qrunmll
Baba rlg'awo lg sl llrt
Fkun
pbg
ni wqn nl k
9e
gb'Qbo,
rri'bg
Baba d l'ko
Baba ba l'ko
Baba fe,yln t'igi akOko pOrop
Bab
jq
kkO ok
Qrqq
ml sp tn tl y kO nl'gbyl
Dl filn Eg
Qdara
Tl g'awo lg sl lhl
lkun
fbg
ni wqn nl k
9e

gb'Qbo,
r'bg
Awgn Ogrtn I'awo amEqg
QqoqsJ
liawo amQy
608
I! ogrna" u"
Ooganta I'awo amQE-tt$g
fitn wgn nl ll
lkun
l{lb wQn gb f'eku kan rq gmg mil
!b9
ni wQn nl kl wqn ge
WQn gb'bg, w4 rrl'bg
jq
Qrunmlla
m bllnr
If ko m sr o o
Fgb
kan yn
Fgb
kan igi I'oblnrin
Baba m blln o
Baba ko m sr
Fgb
kan yn
Fgbe
kan igi I'oblrin o
Translation
Baba encamped at Ok town
Baba landed at Oko town
And rested his back comfortably against an akoko tree
And he ate 20 tubers of cocoyam
My matter is about to have a head now
These were lf's declarations to
Qrtlnm)l
When going
on spiritual mission to
fkun
town
He was advised to offer gbg
He complied
Baba encamped at OkO town
Baba landed at Oko town
Baba reclined in comfoft against an akOko tree
And he ate 20 tubers ofcocoyam
My matter is about to have a head now
These were lf's declarations to Eg
Qdara
When going on spiritual mission to
fkun
town
He was advised to offer
gbg
He complied
Ogun is the Awo who knows how to cut (trees)
Qgqq$
is the Awo who knows how to design
And Ogl is the Awo who knows how to put A9g (power to let
something manifest)
They were the ones who cast If for them at
Fkun
town
When they pledged
one rat to favour two children
They were advised to offer
gbg
They complied
Qrrfnm)b,
please
do not be annoyed
609
lfa Dida: An invitaton to lfa Consultation
If, please be patient
Half human being
And half wood is what a woman is
Baba, please
do not be angry
Baba, please
exercise patience
Half human being
And half wood, that is what a woman is
If says that with understanding and patence, the person for whom this
Od s revealed will live a fruitful and enjoyable life. He/she will enjoy
and will accomplsh all his/her heart's desires.
9. If says that it foresees the Ire of child-bearng for the
person for
whom this Od is revealed; If says this child shall be very great
and
will be known the world over. If says that there is the need to offer
gbg so that the reputation of the child will be good
and favourable.
There is the need to offer
gbg with one matured he-goat, red
cloth, black cloth, white cloth and money. There is also the
need to serve OgUn with one rooster, palm
oil and money. On
this,If says:
oktkl
Ariwo
Dl fin Ogn
Tl y bl'mq kan n
Tl y wrtsl k'y
Fbg
ni wn nl k
9e
Transtation
Reputation
And clamour
They were the Awo who cast If for Ogrtn
Who would beget one child
Whose influence shall be felt the world over
He was advised to offer
gbg
The name of Ogn's child was In (fire). When In was still in the womb,
610
l! ogunaa ueji
Ogrf n went for consultation. He was informed that he would beget a chld
and this child would shake the whole world. He was told that if he offered
ebg,
the child would shake the world; and if he failed to do so, the child
would still shake the world. He was however advised to offer gbg with a
he-goat, a bundle of white clothes, a bundle of red clothe and a
bundle of black clothe in order for the child to be acclaimed for only
good
deeds. OgUn only offered
gbg for the child to arrive safely and of him
to have great reputation on earth but failed to offer the one for good
reputation.
When In was born, his first day on eafth witnessed series of changes and
dramatic events. The midwife who attended to him got her hands burnt
beyond recognition. When they managed to give him the first bath on
eafth, the water was thrown into a nearby bush. The bush was razed
down. Anytime this baby was happy, people
would notice him wearing,
red, black and white clothes which his father had failed to offer as gbg
during If consultation. Anyone who got in contact with him at that time
would have himself/herself to blame. And when he became an
adolescent, it was worse. If he followed his colleagues to any house to
play, the house would be razed to the ground. Anyone inside the house
who was unlucky not to have escaped on time would lose his/her life. All
propefties in the house would be destroyed. The clamour to send In
away from the vicinity would increase several folds as a result of this
destructive reputation, which he had earned for himself.
This is however not all. Nobody could cook without him. No blackmith,
goldsmith,
silversmith and so on could work without him. No house could
be kept warm during cold seasons without him. Nobody could see at night
if he was not around. In spite of his bad reputation, it was also discovered
that no community on eafth could do without him or even ignore or look
down upon him. For this reason therefore, os some
people
were
clamouring for his banishment from the society so also were others
fighting relentlesslyfor his retention in the community.
After much argument back and fofth, an agreement was arrived at on how
to deal with In, the son of Ogrf n. Everybody agreed to deal with him with
caution only when he was needed, not to allow him to play
around their
611
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
homes, farms,
propefties, public arena or business concerns when not
needed, anytme they saw him with his white, red and black clothes on,
everybody around must ensure that they were removed from him
immediately.
By so doing, they soon realized that Ina could be managed. Anyone whose
property or farm or even other belongings were destroyed was considered
careless or the incident considered accidental or the act of the gods.
oklkl
Ariwo
Dl filn Ogrtn
Tl y bl'mg kan n
Tl y wrlsl k'y
fbg
ni wn nl k qe
jg Oklkl o
Ariwo
Oklkf
gmg Ogun kan
Translation
Reputation
And clamour
They were the Awo who cast If for Ogun
Who begot one child
Whose influence was felt the world over
He was advised to offer ebo
Now reputation
And even clamour
The reputation of Ogn's son was felt all over!
If says that the child of the
person for whom this Odu is revealed shall be
known all over the world. There is however the need for him/her to offer
gbg so that his/her child's reputation shall not be
gotten from vices or anti-
social behaviours. There is need to offer
gbg so that the child's vast energy
and
potentials shall be directed towards
positive developments in the
society.
10. If warns the
person for whom this Od is revealed never to make
jest
of others in their
period
of tribulation. He/she must never take
612
i! ogunaa uei
advantage of other people's problems
or situation in order to exploit
them. This may bounce back and recoil on him/her. If says that
this person's children are his/her greatest
source of wealth and
achievement. In this wise, he/she must do everything possible
to
ensure that he/she has these children and equally give
them sound
training for them to be useful to themselves and to him/her in
future.
In the same vein, If warns that the person
for whom this Od is
revealed is too fashion conscious and he/she is doing so at the
expense of his/her children. If says that he/she needs to find
means of begetting his/her own children and give
them proper
training in order to secure his/her future instead of going
after
fashion and materialacquisition in his/her life.
If says that there is the need for this person
to offer gbg with 16
rats, 16 fish, two hens and money. He/she also needs to add
his/her most beautiful dress and all his/her make-up
material to the gbg. These include peumes,
lipsticks, cream
lotions, pomades and hand chains, leg-chains, neck-chains,
ear-rings, bangles, broaches and so on. On these, If says:
Oko bagi s'Qyln w b'olko
Ill firn onlrese lle
A b fitn t'Oko
Fbq
qmq ni wQn nl kl wQn ge
Translation
A thrown stone hit a tree and returned to hit the thrower
This was If's declaration to Offrs-Il
And also to On'irs-Oko
When they were advised to offer gbg in order to beget
children
Offrs-Ile and Onlrs-Oko were both
9ba.
They were very influential in
their various communities. They both claimed the same descent from Il-
Ife. One day, the two of them went to the Awo mentioned above for If
i.
613
Ifa Dida: An nvtation to lfa Consultation
consultaton. They wanted to know how their success would be on their
father's throne. They were both assured that they would be very
successful. They were however advised to pursue the issue of marriage
and child-bearing more than any other thing in their lives. They were
urged to beget many children and ensure that these children were well
trained. They were also cautioned against getting married to many wives
at the same time as many wives would bring many problems for them and
their children. Rather, they were asked to
give
bifth to many children,
males and females who would continue to perpetuate
their lineage and
ensure the continuity of their family tree. They were also advised to offer
gbg with 16 rats, 16 fish and two hens each.
Offrse-Il felt that offering gbg was unnecessary as there was no need
to give btth to any child. To him, the trouble one would undergo to train
any child was simply too much for comfoft. He also reasoned that too
many children would only bring povefi
and want as the resources one
would need to enjoy one's life would be diveted and expended on
children and their training. He therefore resolved notto have any child in
his life but rather, to acquire as many clothes and
jewelries
as he could
afford.
Orf rs-Oko on the other hand, chose to comply with the advice of the
Awo. He offered the gbg
as
prescribed
and he got married and gave birth
to many children. He preoccupied
himself with the training of his
children. This made him very poor
and always in want of one thing or the
other. This notwithstanding, he preserved
and endured all the hardship
involved in the unbringing of his children. He lacked good
clothes and
modern
jewelries
but he never minded.
There was however an annual festival which Offrs-Il and Offrs-
Oko, together with all their subjects must attend. Each year that they
went to this festival, Onlrs-Oko was the subject of ridicule. He would
be
jeered
at and made
jest
of openly by all. His dresses were old and his
children would wear dresses that were only fit for paupers. Everybody
around would say that the many children that Onlrs-Oko gave bifth to
were the source of his povefty. He would however respond that when the
children reached the stage of maturity and they were on their own, his
614
!! osunda Meji
poverty would disappear. In the case of Onfrs-Il, he used to appear at
the annual festival with the latest design of dress
jewelries
and make-
ups. He would be hailed and accorded the honour fit for only a monarch
in his royal majesty. In orderto rubbish his fellow
Qba,
he would begin to
sing the following songs:
Onlrs irc d
OkO lrese , ire d
Onlrs, a9g I'e,w
Oko lrese agg l'gw qni
Onlrs O, aSg
Q
rq d o?
oko lrese, agg lgw qni o
Translation
Orfrs here comes all the good things of life
Oko lrese, here comes Ire
Orfrs, dresses are beauty
Oko Irese, dresses are one's beauty
Offrs, where are
your
own dresses
OkO lrese, dresses are one's beauty
That was how Onfrs-Il used to sing
yearly just
to put his co-Qba to
shame; Onf rs-Oko would never mind allthe insinuations.
Before long, both On'irs-Il and Onfrs-Oko were getting
older and
older. Their strengths were failing them. Their capability to work and
look for money was no longer as before. In this wise Offrs-Ile could
not acquire as many dresses and other ostentatious materials as before.
All his dresses began to fade and tear at the shoulders and knees. In the
case of Offrs-Oko he was getting weaker too but his children were
getting matured. They were all gainfully employed in various disciplines.
They began to take care of their father in appreciation of all his sufferings
over them. Their father was living in comfoft more than ever before. He
was wearing very expensive dresses and
jewelries.
He was looking
fresher, younger and happier than ever before.
When the time to go for the annual festival arrived, the children of
On'irs-Oko
gathered together to deliberate upon what to do to make
the occasion
great for their father. Some of them suggested that it would
615
Ifa Dida: An invitation to tfa Consultation
be befitting to buy a horse for their father to ride to the occason. Others
disagreed and suggested that they would carry their father shoulder-high
to the occasion. They all agreed. They bought for him the most expensive
dresses, shoes and cap to match. when tey appeared at a distance, all
eyes were on them. Everybodywas
hailing them. Those who had hithefto
stayed with Onfres-Il left him alone and
joined
the crowd of Onlrs-
Oko. The tide had completely turned against Offrs-Il. His dresses
were old and wofthless. He looked haggard and unkept. He looked and
felt lonely. It was ceftainly onfrs-oko's
day. The crowd urged offrs-
oko to sing for them on that occasion. He then opened hiJ mouth and
said:
Onlrs ire d
Oko lrese, ire d
Onlrs, gmg
l'gwe
Ok lrese gmo
I'ew
eni
f,nl
I'ay O, gmg I'e,w o
OkO lrese Or gmg
l'gw gni
o
Translation
Onfres here comes all the good
things of life
OkO lrese, here comes Ire
Offrs, children are beauty
OkO lrse, children are one's beauty
Owner's of the world, children are beauty
0k Irese, children are one's beauty
This was
just
the song they sang throughout the occasion. offrs-Il
looked at himself and knew he was a loser. He left the festival a very sad
old man.
Oko bagi s'Qyln w b'olk
D,l filn Onlrs Il
A b filn t'Oko
Fbg
qmq
ni wgn nt kt wqn ge
Onlrs-Oko nlkan nl bq l'Qyln g'qbg
jq Onlres ire d
Oko lrese, ire d
Onlrs, gmg
I'ew
Oko lrese gmg I'e,wa qni
o
616
i! oguna t,tei
lnl
I'ay Or
9mQ
I'e,w o
i
OkO lrese o, gmq I'erw gni o
Translation
A stone hit a tree and returned to hit the thrower
This was lf's declaration to Orfrs-Il
And also to Onlls-Oko
when they were advised to offr gbg in order to beget children
Only Offrs-Oko complied with the advice
Now, Offrs, here comes all Ire in life
OkoIrs, here comes Ire
On'irs, children are beautY
Okolrs, children are one's beauty
Owner's of the world, children are beauty
OkoIrese, children are truly one's beauty
If says that the
person for whom this Od is revealed shall be upgraded
and his/her
prestge enhanced by his/her children if he/she endeavors to
give them adequate training and
good upbringing.
i
11. If says that the
person for whom this Od is revealed must not hide
anything he/she is doing from his/her children. He/she must allow
all his/her things to be known to his/her children as this will one day
save his/her life or career.
If also says that the
person for whom this Od is revealed is most
likely
gong to enter into a serious fight over his wife if a man or the
husband of a woman whom this Od is revealed is
going to fight over
her very soon. There is need to offer
gbg so that the outcome of this {
quarrelwill be in his/herfavour.
There is the need to offer
ebq
with three cocks and
'money.
He/she also needs to serve
Qsanyln
with one cock and
palm-oil.
He also needs to serve If with one hen and money. On these If
says:
9l0bQrnbgn
nll fo
Pata- Pflti
Dl fin
Qrunmll
(
617
lfa Dida: An nvtaton to lfa Consultation
If rrlqq gba Pupayeml
Tll
9e
Oblnrin Ik
fbg
ni wqn nl k
9e
Translation
QIQbQnbgn,
the Beetle, is it which hums in its unsteady flight
This was lf's declaration to
Qrr1nm)l
When going to snatch away Pupaygrnl (palm-oil)
The wife of Iku (Death)
He was advised to offer
gbg
Pupaygnti, redness-befits-me, was palm-oil.
She was the wife of Ik
(Death). Ikrt was very
jealous
of her. Pupaygrnf was very useful to every
household but Iku would hear none of t. Anyone who made use of
Pupaygnf, no matter how little would be attacked and killed by IkrJ. Yet
nobody could do without making use of Pupaygrn'i. Pupaygnf was useful
for medicine, cooking, for soap-making and other household chores. In
fact, without Pupaygrn'i, no good
soup could be made. In spite of these,
Ikri dd not want anyone to touch or move close to Pupaygnf . He wanted
her for himself alone. All entreaties to Iku to allow Pupaygrn'i's usefulness
to spread round fell on deaf ears. Many people were dying or starving
becausethey could not have accessto Pupaygrn'i.
One day
Qrnm)l
made up his mind to snatch Pupaygrn'i away from Ikrl
and make her available to all. Consequently, he went for If consultation
in the house of some of his former students mentioned above: would he
succeed in this mission? Would he be able to ward off or even defeat Ikrl
when he eventually succeeded and Ikri came with his inevitable anger to
launch his (Ikrl's) attack? would he not be disgraced in this assignment?
The Awo informed
Qrnm'll
that he wanted to take up a serious challenge
that would eventually be benevolent to the world. He was assured that he
would succeed in his mission. He was however warned that his opponent
was very strong indeed. Fbr this reason, there was the need for him to
allow his children and every member of his household to know all what he
was planning
and doing as they may be the ones to save his life in the final
analysis. He was told to offer
gbg
with three cocks and money.
Qrrlnmll
complied.
618
i! osunaa uei
As soon as he reached home,
Qrnmll
called every member of his
household together and informed them of his intention. They all
gave him
their support and blessing. From then onwards, they began
preparations
forthe encounter.
A few days after this,
Qrnmll
approached Pupaygrnf and told her of his
intention to take her as his wife in order for her to be of benefit to the whole
world as Oldmar had created her to be, instead of being the property of
Ik alone. Pupaygnf responded that the day
Qrnmll
did thls would be
her happiest day on eafth as she was literally held captive by lkrl. She
however expressed her fear for
Qrunmlla
because of possible reprisals
from her husband. Ornmll assured Pupaygrn'i that Ikrl would be
contained in the event of any confrontation. Pupaygnf was overwhelmed
with
joy.
There and then, she moved into
Qrnmll's
house without
bothering to pack her belongings from Ik's house,
As soon as Ikri discovered that Pupaygnf was late to return home, he
began to wage war against anyone and everyone around. When he
eventually realized that Pupayernf was no longer returning home, he ran
mad. Everybody and everything was his target of attack. By the time he
knew that it was
Qrnmll
who had snatched his wife away from him, he
ran berserk completely. To the surprise of lkr1, he discovered that the
whole world was in support of
QrrJnm)l
for snatching away his wife. He
concluded that there was no more truth in the world if someone who had
snatched another man's wife would be the one who would be showered
with undeserved sympathyand not him thevictim of such dastardlyact.
He therefore resolved not to spare anyone in his attack. That the whole
world had begun to benefit from Pupaygrn'i's separation from him meant
nothing to him. He simply carried all his weapons and headed for
QrrlnmIl's
house.
When
Qrnm'il
saw Ik from a distance, he knew, without doubt, that the
war had stafted. Then they began to fight. This confrontation was so
fierce that such had never been witnessed before. All the charms of both
pafties were freely used without any effect on either
pafty. Many of their
defence devices were destroyed totally. At a stage, Iktl returned home to
619
lfa Dida: An nvitaton to lfa Consultation
go and bring more weapons and charms. At that
pont,
Ikrt was having a
slight edge over
Qrnm'll
who was showing traces of tiredness. When Ik
returned, the fight resumed, t did not take long before it became clear that
Ikrl would defeat Ornm'il.
It was at this stage that the first son of
Qrnmll
reminded his father not to
forget one of his charms known as'Ojr1-k-t'Vn' the eyes do not see what
is happening at one's back. That was when OrrJnmll remembered this
charm. He had hithefto completely forgotten about it.
Qrrlnmll
rushed
inside to
pick this charm, it was a garment of some soft but it was very
powerful. He had explained how it worked to his household before this
encounter with lkr1. It was this
garment
Qrnmll
used to defeat lkrl. Iktl
ran awayand conceded Pupaygrn'ito
Qrrf
nmll.
QrnmIl
was full of gratitude to Oldmar, If and his Awo who had told
him to let his children and every member of his household know all what he
was doing as they would be the ones to safe his life in the end. He realized
that if not that his son reminded him of OjrJ-k-te$n, his defeat in the hands
of IkrJ was inevitable.
glqbqnbgn
nll fo pat- pflti
Dl fn rrrnmll
If lqq gba Pupayeml
Tff
9e
Oblnrin Ik
fbg
ni wqn nl k
9e

gb'Qbg, r'bg
Ko pq k
jlnn
F
w b ni nl ajagQ ogun
Translation
QIQbQnbqn,
the Beetle, is it which hums in its unsteady flight
This was If's declaration to
Qrnm'll
When going to snatch away Pupaygnf (palm-oil)
The wife of Ikri (Death)
He was advised to offer ebo
He complied
Before long, not too far
Join us in the midst of victory
620
!! ogunaa mei
If also warns the person for whom this Od s revealed not to do anything
that will lead to his wife being snatched away from him. He needs to be
accommodating in anything he does so as not to incur the anger of his
com munity aga inst himself.
L2. If warns the person for whom this Od is revealed never to send
people to anywhere to do something on his/her behalf if what was to
be done was very impoftantto his/her life. He/she may send
people
to do some minor assignments on his/her behalf but when it comes
to his/her career, health, business, security and so on, there is the
need for him/her to go and do whatever is required to be done by
himself/herself. If this warning is not heeded, he/she may end up
regretting the outcome for the rest of his/her life. He/she must
never eat lgin, theAkee apple, forever.
If says that the
person for whom this Od is revealed needs to offer
qbg with two big cocks, two big kolanuts, two kegs of guinea-
corn beer and money. If says that if he/she is called upon to
come somewhere for an impoftant assignment, he/she should
endeavor to personally go
there and not to send anyone on his/her
behalf. On these, a stanza in Ogund-M;) says:
Gangan r
Gngn O r
$aaworo
idq nll balg
lff r gngnruru-gngnruru
Dl fn
Skankanl
lrnmgle
WQn lQQ gbaa igb Iw w'l Ay
fbg
ni wqn nl kl wqn w ge
Translation
Ifthe Gngn drum sounds
Or if it fail to sound
And
$aworo
idg, the small brass bell is it that
jingles
when it hits the ground
These were lf's declarations to the 401 IrnmglQ
When going to collect the calabash of Destiny into the world
They were advised to offer
gbg
621
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
The 401 lrnmglQ wanted to go to Oldmare to ask for the calabash of
Destiny so that they could be giving all the good things of life to human
beings who approached them for such. When they reached the presence
of Oldmar, they told him what they came for. Oldmar told them
that he could hand the calabash of Destiny over to only one of them and all
human beings and other IrnmglQ would have to approach such IrnmglQ
who had it in his possession
before they could benefit from it. Oldmar
asked them to come back in seven days'time. He asked them to bring
along with them, one matured coclg one keg of guinea-corn beer,
two kolanuts and six
pieces
of cowries each. Oldmar said that
the first lrnmglQ to arrive would be the one to take custody of the
Calabash of Destiny.
When the 401 IrnmglQ left the presence
of Oldmar, they proceeded
straight to the house of the group
of Awo mentioned above for If
consultation. The Awo told them that they were about to take something
very impotant from someone. They advised each of them to offer
gbg
with one matured cock, one keg of
guinea-corn
beer, two pieces
of kolanuts and six pieces of cowries. All of them considered the Awo
to be cheats. They said that Olodumar asked them to bring along with
them exactly the same materials which the Awo advised them to offer as
ebg.
In this wise, they said that there was no need to offer the
gbg which
they considered to be a device by the Awo to get rich quickly and cheaply.
Ogrfn in pafticular was seriously angered by the advice of the Awo. He
claimed that of all the lrnmglQ, he was the one who used to wake up
earliest. Consequently, he would be the one to arrive at Oldmar's
presence on the seventh day. He vowed never to have anything to do with
the
gbg
even if allthe other IrnmglQ decided to offertheirs.
In the case of
Qrr1nmll
however, he told all the other lrrlnmglQ that he
would offer the
gbg
and he did. Instead of offering the
ebQ,
all the other
Irnmgle
procured
only the materials which OIdmar asked them to
bring, but only
Qrnmll
offered the gbg
and
procured
the materials
required of them to bring by Oldmar.
On the seventh day, OgUn was the first lrnmglQ to wake up. He gathered
622
'!i
ogunaa uei
all the requrements by oldmar together one big cocl<, two
kolanuts' a keg of guinea-corn
beer and six cowries and was about to
set out on his
journey
to Oldmar when he suddenly remembered that
day was the period he had specifically set aside for elephants hunting. He
did not want to fail or disappoint himself on that day. Consequent upon this,
he decided to send his slave called Ida to take all the materials he had
already procured
to Oldmar so that he could concentrate on his hunting
expedition. He wokelOa up and ordered him to go
straight to Oldmar
and deliver the materials to him (oldmar)
on his (Ogun) behalf. Ogun
warned Ida never to waste time or stop at anywhere on his way, with this
warning both Ida and OgUn set out to their various destinations with Ogttn
full of confidence that he would not only receive the Calabash of Destiny
from Oldmar through lda, but would equally kill many elephants in
addition. Ogtln considered that day a
pafticularly
lucky one for him.
Ida was determined to be the first person
to reach the presence
of
Oldmar in compliance with his master's directive. Who knows, if he did
the assignment well, he might even get
his freedom that day! He was
moving very fast. Half way on his
journey,
he saw one big Igin tree. The
tree was full of ripe fruit. Ida suddenly remembered that he was feeling very
hungry. The fruit became very irresistible to him. He checked his time. He
knew that he still had some time ahead of all the other IrnmglQ. He
decided to spare a little time out of his spare time to eat some Igin fruits. He
placed
the coclg keg of guinea-corn
beer, kolanuts and cowries
down at the vast of the tree and climbed the tree to eat the fruits. When he
tasted the fruits, he realized that he had never before tasted any fruit as
sweet as that. The more he ate, the hungrier he became. He began to
jump
.from
one branch to another, Some of the branches broke off but he never
noticed. He continued to eat. Before he could regain his senses, it was
evening already. He quickly jumped
to the ground
and discovered to his
chargrin that the lap of the cock had broken and severed, the keg of beer
had broken, the kolanuts had split and the money had been lost when the
broken branches fell on them. lda decided to go
ahead to Oldmar and
inform him that he had broughtthe materials the way Ogun had given
them
to him.
In the case of
Qrrtnm'll
however, he woke up shortly after Ogun. He set out
623
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultaon
on the
journey
but he had earlier been warned not to eat the fruits (all
Ogunda-mJi children are forbidden from eating Igin fruits) and he
simply moved on. He was the first person to arrive at Oldmar home.
Oldmar handed over the lgb-Iw to him. He blessed him and
instructed him to supply all the needs of other lrnmQle and human
beingstothem. Hewas also advised to usethe lgb-Iw
judiciously.
Soon after this, all the other IrrlnmglQ began to arrive with their
requirements. They were directed to
Qrrlnm)l
for blessing. He blessed
them all. They all congratulated
Qrrlnmll
for his foftune and additional
status as the custodian of Igb-Iw. They were surprised that Ogun
had notshown up.
Late in the evening,Id, Ogn's slave arrived. He was tired, difi and
unrepentant. He brought out the cock half-dead with one lap already
missing, the keg already broken into two, the two kolanuts already split
and the six cowries missing. When asked why this was so, he explained
that he had broughtthe items the way Ogun had given them to him. The
other lrnmglQ concluded that, that must be the reason why OgrJn was
ashamed to appear
personally. They all
prayed
that since Ogn brought
all what was required of him in halves, all his requirements in life would
be realized in halves.
When Ogrtn heard of this, he stormed the midst of the IrrlnmglQ and
protested that he was the first person
to wake up and send his slave
to bring all the required items to Oldmate and he was sure that
Ida hs slave was the first to arrive there, why should he be the one
whose heart's desires would be realized in halves. He was asked to
go and calllda. He did. In his presence,
they asked Ida to tell
everybody the conditions of the items he,Id, brought on behalf of
Ogun. When Ogrln heard this, he was very sad. Ogun then made
his crying the crying of shout and made his IyQrQ, the IyQrQ of
lamentations saying:
KO kan Egngn o
KO kan Orls
Ko kan Oosa
624
i! osunaa uei
B$Q ni kO kan EgUngUn
Ida eru eni l'rn kn o
Translation
This (misfoftune) does not concern Egngn the Ancestors
It does not concern Oflg, the Divinities
It neither concerns Osa
Nor even EgUngUn
It is lda, one's slave, the matter concerns
Everybody present felt sympathetic for Ogn and showed hostility to
Ida;. When Id realized that the hostility was getting
too much, he
told them that it was smply not his fault. He said that there were 401
IrnmglQ involved in the matter. AII of them had their own slaves and
seruants. Only one of them chose to send his slave while all the others
decided to go on their own. He said that if Ogun had taken the
assignment seriously enough, he would have come personally
and the
story would definitely have been different that day. Instead of blaming
him or looking at him with disdain, they ought to blame Ogun for not
taking the most important assignment in his life seriously. When Ogun
and the other 400 lnlnmglQ heard whatlda said, they knew he had a
very valid point. They told OgUn to accept his fault and consider it his
own fate. Ogun again made his crying that of shouting and his IyQrQ
that of lamentation saying:
K kan Egrlngn o
KO kan Orls
K kan oOga
Be n kO kan Egungun
Fleda
gni I'Qran kn o
Translation
This (misfoune) does not concern Egngn the Ancestors
It does not concern Orlg, the Divinities
It neither concerns Orlg
Nor even EgUngUn
It is one's Destiny the matter concerns
All the other lrnmglQ agreed that it was in the Destiny of Ogrln not to be
625
lfa Dda: An invtation to lfa Consultation
the custodian of lgb-Iw (the Calabash of Destiny). If he had taken it
upon himself to go personally he would have been the first person
to
arrive at the home of Oldmar and the story would have been
different.
Gengen r
Gangan O r
$aaworo
idg nff balQ
Nll rO gngnruru-gngnruru
Dl firn Okankanl lrnmqh
Won lQQ gbaa igb Iw w'l Ay
fbg
ni wQn nl kl wqn w
9e
Dl filn Ogrn
ntg gba Igb Iw w'l Ay
Fbg
ni wqn nl k
9e
Dl fitn
Qrnmll
rttg gba Igb lwd w'l Ay
Fbg
niwQn nl k
9e
Qrunmll
nlkan nl bq l',yln to ng'gbg
Qrnmll
nlkan l r'bg apsln
j ko kan Egungn o
KO kan Ortg
K kan oOga
Be n k kan Egungun
Ida grrt gni I'Qrn kan o
K kan Egngn o
K kan Orls
Ko kan oosa
Beq n k kan Egngn
Fleda
gni I'Qrn kn o
Translation
If the Gngn drum sounds
Or if it fail to sound
And Saworo idq, the small brass bell is it that
jingles
when t hits the ground
These were lf's declarations to the 401 lrnmglQ
When going to collect the calabash of Destiny into the world
They were advised to offer
gbg
These were lf's declarations to Ogun
626
ll ogunaa uei
When going
to collect the Igb Iw into the world
He was advised to offer gbg
And also to Ornmll
When going
to collect the Igb Iw into the world
He was also advised to offer the gbg
Only
Qrrfnm'll
offered the
9b9
Only
Qrnmll
became the custodian of Igb Iw
This (misfoftune)
does not concern Egngn the Ancestors
It does not concern ORga, the Divinities
It neither concerns OnSa
Nor even Egngn
It is Id, one's slave, the matter concerns
And this does not concern Egringn
It does not concern any Og
Nor even any Egngn
It is one's Destiny the matter concerns
If warns against sendng others to carry out any assignment that is very
impoftant in the life of the person for whom this Od is revealed lest he/she
meets with disappontment, disillusonment, disgrace and even disaster.
The person for whom this Od is revealed has every reason to be great n
life if only he/she could pursue
this greatness
on his/her own and refuse to
send other people in pursuitof
this greatness for him/her.
13. If saysthatthe person
forwhom this Od is revealed had committed
a very serious offence aganst someone. The person
had vowed
never to forgive him/her. There is the need for him/her to go
and
tender an unreserued apology to the person
he/she had offended. At
the same time he/she needs to offer gbg with three guinea fowls,
three cocks and money. He/she also needs to serue If and
Qbath
with brg vegetable. He/she will also ask If what the
Elders of the Night will take and give
to them accordingly. If the
person for whom this Od is revealed fails to apologize and offer the
appropriate gbg
and feed the Divinities mentioned above, he/she
may find t very difficult, if not totally impossible to see the
compassion of Oldmar, the Deities and mankind. On these, a
stanza in Ogr:nda-mJl says:
627
lfa Dida: An invtation to lfa Consultation
Argb saw ojrt o,tl
IAkUn pqqlq I'Qrn erin
Iukrn t nl krin m g'ok lQ
T'un t'erin ni wqn
jg
lq o
Flkan- fikan ml alr
Fk- flkl I'on ewlrl
K fi'n ye'n
K f'Qyln y'ern
Awo il Onltek
Dl fn Onltetkrl
Qmq
q$e$e-krlnlQ goo-9oo-9oo
Qmq
qbebe
knlQ goo-9oo-goo
Dl fin Abq gkt
Tff ggmg'knrin Ogun
M'jq t lq d oblnrin Origd Gbowrljl
Orlqa kQ, nl Oun O nl b Abq ge mq
Translation
He who has a strainer to filter beer
The thick running plant round the elephant's neck
Any running plant which plans to prevent
the elephant from moving to
its destination
Both ofthem shall be there together
Vigorous hammering of metals characterizes the smithery
And ceaseless fanning characterizes the bellow
To place the face against the heat of the fire
And the back against the heat of the sun
These were the resident Awo of Offtek
They were the ones who cast If for Orftek
He who offended and was cast begging about
He who appealed for forgiveness by begging about
They combined to cast If for Abg-$kt
The son of OgUn
When he went to make love to
Qbtl's
woman
Qbatl
refused, and declared that he would never have any relationship
with Abg again.
Abg-$kt was the son of OgUn. He was very close to
Qbtla
who in
turn was veryfond of Abg. There was nowhere that
Qbatl
would go
that
he would not take Abg along. Many people even thought that Abg was
Qbtl's
biological chld. There was nothing going
on n the life of
ObaHl thatAbe did not know about.
628
i! ogunaa uej
one day however,
Qbatl
marred a young woman. This woman was very
attractive and had a pleasant
attitude. She was very fond of Abg and for
that,
Qbath
was very pleased.
whenever
Qbtl
was not around, he
used to send Abg to his newly married wife to keep her company and take
care of her needs. This Abg would do with enthusiasm. Unknown to
9baHl,
both of them had developed an unholy lustforeach otherand Abg
began to betray
QbaHl
by constantly sleeping with the woman. Even
when this was going
on,
Qbtl
dd not suspect anything. It soon reached
a stage that both of them became reckless and careless. one day,
QbaHb
went out to a meeting. He was expected to arrive late from the meeting
while at the meeting,
QbaHl
realized that he had forgotten something at
home and he took permission
to go
and bring itfrom home. As he reached
home and opened the door, he met Abg and his young wife in the heat of
passion.
He was totally sad and disappointed that Abg could betray him so.
He told Abg there and then never to come to him again and that he had
already severed all relationships with Abg. He picked
what he had come for
and returned to the meeting. Abg was extremely ashamed of himself. He
returned home a worried, sad, scared and lonely man. He began to plan
whatto do to find favour with
QbaHl
once again.
The young
wife simply packed
her belongings and ran away before the
return of
Qbatl
from the meeting and she was never seen again.
Abg-$kt waited for LTdays and began to beg
ebaHl.
gbaHl
refused
to accept him in his (Qbatl) presence
not to mention listening to what
Abg-$kt had to say. He repeated his visit to
Qbktl's
home several
times for several days but he was always being chased away. At last, he
decided to look for influential people
whom he was sure that ObaHh could
not ignore to intercede on his behalf.
Abq lg b9
gakl
nf l Ad
tq ug
frlnmt
t'de
Qwo
tq be Antete t'de lkoyl
Orls kO
nl oun o nfl b'Abe ge
mq
Translation
Abq went to beg
gaki
at Ad Ektti
629
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
And went to beg
[dnm)
of
QwQ-land
And went to beg Antete of lkoyi-land
Yet
Qbtl
refused
. He declared that he would never have anything to do with Abg again
when Abg tried everythng he knew to ensure that
Qbatl
soften his
mind and failed, he travelled to Ad Eldtl to beg
Saki,
one of
ebtl's
close confidants to help him appeal to
Qbatl.
gal(
came and
pleaded
for several days but
Qbtla
refused to listen.
Next he travelled to
QwQ
land to plead with the
firinmI
of
QwQ,
a highly
respected Chief in
QwQ
and a close friend of
Qbatl
to help him beg
QbaHl.
Elinml of
QwQ
and
Qbt
held each other in high esteem. They
never wished to offend each other on any issue in life. Etlnml of
Qwg
travelled allthe wayto)rnj-Il where
QbaHh
lived and begged his friend
for several days, yet
Qbtl
refused bluntly to change his mind towards
Abg-$kt.
Abg-$kt again went to IkOl town to go
and beg Antete to help him
appeal to
Qbtl
to forgive him his offence. Antete was a highly
influential personality
in the community. His reputation travelled far and
wide and reached every part
of Yorb land and beyond. He was a bosom
friend of
Qbtl.
Antete ffavelled to lrnj-Il and begged
Qbtl
for
several days and
Qbtl
refused to change his mind.
When all these people failed to change
Qbatl's
mind, Abg-gkt
thanked them and decided to try other means to appeal to
Qbtl.
He felt
that
Qbatl
refused to listen to his appeal because he had betrayed him
terribly and
Qbtl
felt it to his bone marrow. Abg reasoned that the
greater
the love, the greater
the enmity when it turned sour. He decided to
send other people.
Abg lg b9 Agbe-ddrt
Tff
I'gme
Olkun SQnfad
lq b9 Ah<o-odoodo
Tff g'qmg
Qlqsa
OdO
Orlga a kq
l'un O nff b Abe se m
630
i)i osunaa uei
Translation
Abg went to beg the dark-complexioned Agbe
The child of Olkun SQnfad, god of Oceans
And went to beg the red-coloured Alko
The child of
QlQs,
the goddess
of the Lagoons
Yet
Qbtl
refused
He vowed never to have anything to do with Abg again.
In his bid to be reconciled with
QbaHl,
Abg travelled to the ocean-side to
go and plead with Olkun to send his son, Agbe-ddr1 to help him beg
Qbatl
to forgive him his offence. Olkun sent Agbe-ddrl who travelled
tolrnj-Il with Abe. Agbe-ddr1 begged
QbaHI
for several days, both
on behalf of Abg, Olkun- SQffad himself butQbtl refused to listen.
Next Abg went to
Qs,
the Lagoon to meet
QlQs,
the
goddess
of the
Lagoon to plead with her to send Alk-ddod, her son to
go
and help
him beg
gbath
to please forgive him, she agreed. Auko-dodd
begged
QbaHl
for several days but he refused to listen.
gbaHI
vowed
that he would never forgive Abg for what he (Abg) did.
When Abg saw that all of these highly rated, respected and influential
people could not change the mind of
QbaHl,
Abg decided to
go
and solicit
the help of
Qrunm'il.
He now travelled to Il-IfQ to beg
Qrnmll
for
assistance. Ornmll consulted If for Abg and OgUnda-mel was
revealed. Abg was advised to offer gbg with three cocks, three guinea
fowls and money. He complied immediately. After this,
Qrnmll
went
to procure
a bunch of EbUrg vegetable and headed for
Qbtl's
home at
Irnj-Il.
Abq wa
$qp-gese
lq dlpo
Qrunmlla
mu
Nigbati
Qrrtnmll
19
q ltl brq I'QwO
AwOye rye I'Orlga be q
fdun-BQljq
tff
Se
gmg'y Oh- Igb
lff
$e
wgl-wQde Orlga
ru dle kl
Qrunmlla
de'le Orlsa
Orlsa ttl t sn lo o
631
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consuftaton
Qrunmll
nl Orlg l ag ooo!
fdun
Belje tll
9e emq'ye
Ol-Igb
Nl Orlg kl yt jl
Qrnmll
nl k
jl
WQn nl nltorl i klnni?
nl nltorl
$akl
ti
jl
nl'le Ad
frlnml
ti
jl
l'de
QwQ
Antete til l'de lkoyl
Agbe-ddrl ti
jl
l'kun
Alko-do-d0o-do ti
jl
I'Qsa
Translation
Abg then gathered himself together
And went to seek the help of
Qrunm)l
When
Qrrfnm'il
was going
He took along with him a bunch of EbUrE vegetable
But
9btl
was known for his careful observation and accurate
deduction of happenings
Edun-Bl_j,
the slender monkey, who was the son of the forest
deity, was acting as the chief companion of
Qbatl
When Ornmll was about to reach the home of Obtl
Qbatl
had slept off
QrUnm)l
shouted his salutations
Fdun-blJQ,
the son of Ol-Igb replied that
Qbtl
was not yet
awake
Qrunm)l
asked him to wake up
They said why?
Qrnm)l
declared that
pal(
had already woken up at Ad-Ekltl
And
[nm)
had woken up at
QwQ-land
And Att had woken up atlkOfl-land
And Agbe-dd had woken up at Ocean side
While Alk0-d0-d00-d0 had woken up at the Lagoon side
When
Qrrlnmll
was about to reach Irnj-Il, the home of
Qbatl,
SbaHl
who was reputed to be highly gifted in the area of making careful
obseruations and deducting what was about to happen n the future had
already sensed that someone greater
than all the people whom Abg had
sent to him was approaching his house. He therefore nduced himself to
sleep and left a message wth
[dun-BQlj
to inform anyone who came to
see him that he was already asleep. When
Qrnm)l
arrived,
fdun-BQlQjQ
632
tr! ogunaa uei
told him that
Qbatl
had not yet woken.
Qrnm)l
said that
QbaHh
should wake up mmediately. When asked why,
Qrnm'll
responded that
$al(
of Ad,
ffinm)
of
QwQ,
Antete oflkofl, Agbe -ddrl
the son of olkun
and AlUko-dodo the son of
QlQs
had all woken up. There was no reason
therefore why
Qbatl
should notwake up atthattime.
Orlgal b
jl
nl Oun ti
jl
na
nl ggbQn
Oun O nl gf'lQkn
Qrnmll
nl w ql'lQkn ni o
nl nltorl wlpe lpperjrt nll ql'lQkn fjrt
Omira nll sl'lkn fmo
Translation
Onganla (Qbaul) thus woke-up
He declared that he had woken up
But he would not open the door (for
Qrrlnm)l
to enter)
Qrnm'il said
Qbatal
would open the door
Because IpeperejU, the eyelid is it that opens the door for the eyes
(to see)
And the discharge signaling labour is it that opens the door for the
bifth of a new born baby.
When
Qrunmll
heard that
Qbal
was asleep, that told him that at least
the person he had come to meet was at home. He ordered that
Qbath
should wake up from sleep. When asked why and he gave
the reasons
why
Qbtl
should wake up.
QbaHl
woke up but insisted that he would
not open the door for
Qrrlnm)l
to enter the house.
QrUnm'il
ordered
Qbatl
to open the door for him, when asked why, he
said that it is the eyelid that opens the door for the eyes; it is the labour
discharge that opens the door for the bfth of a new born baby. He said
that unless these statements were not so, then
QbaHh
might not open the
door; but if they were statements of fact, he ought to, and should, open
the door immediately.
Orlgl w gt'lQkn
nl Oun ti
$'lqkn
na
$gbQn
un O nl kg'j sl
Qrrfnmll
Qrnmll
nf yo kqjr s{ oun ni o
WQn nl nltorl i Hnni
633
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultaon
nl nltorl atelese kff d'gytn kg
gna
Eknn gwq kff d',yln kg'wq
Eknn
ese
kll d'yln k'esg
A$urgb kll d'yln kg'gb
Translation
Qbabl
then opened the door
He said that even though he had opened the door
He would never turn his face to
Qrnm)l
Qrrfnm)l
said that he (Qbatal) should face him
When asked why?
He declared that the flat of the foot does not turn its back on the
footpath
The finger nail does not turn its back on the finger
The toe nail does not turn its back on the toe
He who evacuates the bowel in the bush does not turn his back on
the bush
when
QbaHl
heard all what
Qrnmll
sad to him when he arrived, he
knew they were all statements of fact. He therefore opened the door
reluctantly. When he opened the door, he insisted that he would not turn
towards
QrrJnm'il
to look at his face for any discusson on the matter.
Qrnm)l
ordered him to look at him. when asked why,
Qrnmll
stated
that the foot does not turn its back on the footpath, the finger nail does not
turn its back on the finger and the toe nail does notturn its backon the toe
while at the same time, the person who empties his bowel in the bush
does not, and cannot turn his back on the bush.
Qrnm'il
declared that if
all these statements were false, then Obatala was free to turn his back on
him; but if they were all statements of fact, then
Qbatb
ought to, and
should turn and face him for and on behalf of Abg-gkt which he had
come for.
Qbath
wa kg'j sl
Qrunmila
nl un ti kq'jr stl na
nl ggbqn
Oun O nl rqrln-ln s'QrO n
Qrrlnmll
nf y rgrln-ln sli ni o
WQn nl nltor{ i klnni?
nl nltorl rln sbsob ni t'op
frfn
gQwQlQ-qe,wglg
ni t'QdQkg
Dqkqdqkq abQrf n
Fewele-fewele
I'Qnu
634
l! ogunda Meji
Frln
ni wqn fi r fgn'n gtl
Frln
qQqS l'gbr rin ko'do I'qna
B'w b so l'ko
Olko a f'rln k
Translation
gbaHl
then turned and faced
Qrunmlla
He said that even though he had faced him
He would never smile over the matter
Qrrlnmll
ordered that
QbaEl
should smile over the matter
When asked why
He stated that a widow is noted for her consolatory smiles 1
While a lewd woman is noted for her stupid but temptations smiles
Stupidly temptations smiles are the trademark of a
prostitute
It is with smiles that people light the fire with which alcohol are
brewed
And it is with smiles that the flood
joins
the stream
When the cotton-tree produces its cotton wool
It is with smiles the farmer haruests it
When
Qbaffi
eventually turned towards
Qrnm)l
for a face-to-face
discussion on the matter of Abg-$kt,
QbaHh
declared that no matter
i
what
Qrnmll
sad, he would never be
pleased
to the extent of smiling over
the matter.
Qrunmlla
ordered him to smle. When asked why?
Qrnmll
responded that a woman whose husband recently died would only smile to
console herself and to console others that was not the very end of life; a
prostitute used her stupid but tempting smiles to invite her customers and
any other passerby; alcohol brewers smile to light the fire for brewing the
alcohol; the flood smiles when
joining
the stream; and when the wool
germinate
and splits, the farmer harvests it with smles.
Qrunmll
stated
that if all these were not true, then
QbaHh
was free not to smile over the
i
matter; but on the other hand, if they were statements of fact, then
QbaHl
had no option left but to smile over the matter of Abe-Skt.
Orlgl w rQrln-ln
nl oun ti rerln-ln na
$UgbQn QrQ
na k nll tn nln Oun
Qrrlnmll
nl y tn-n nlnU r$ ni o
WOn nl nltorl i klnni
nl ktanktn I'aj l'mi
I
635
lfa Dida: An invitaon to lfa Consuftation
B's$ b mu'mi, tn nlnt ase
BlgQrq b mu'mi tn nln lgQrQ
B'blnrin ba na'j etn
Tlttn nll tn
Translation
Obabb then smiled
He declared that even though he had smiled
The matter would not completely leave his mind
Qrrlnm)l
ordered that the matter must be completely removed from
his mind
When asked why?
He said that completely does a dog attempt to lick water
He said that, when liquid strainer drinks water the water will drain
completely from the strainer when removed from the water
And when fish-trap s immersed in water, the water will drain
completely from the fish-trap when removed from the water
And if a woman engages in the business of unripe palm-fruit
It is completely exhausted
When
Qbatl
smiled and insisted that it would be impossible for him to
completely
get
the matter out of his mind.
Qrnm)l
however ordered
him to
get it out of his mind completely. When asked why this should
be so,
QrUnm)la
declared that a liquid strainer, when immersed in water
will be filled with water, it will be completely drained of the water. The
same thing applies with fish-trap. He also said that no woman engages
in the business of unripe
palm-fruit for any to remain. He declared that
if these were not true, then
QbaHb
was free to harbour grudges
against Abg-$kt. But if on the other hand, if these were statements
of fact, then
QbaHl
ought to, and must, completely clear his mind of
the matten
Orlgrll nl titn nlnrt Oun byll
nl ggbqn inu Oun o dn sl
Erq
na mQ llll
nl inr Oun
egn Qwqn
lyln
Oun
egn
esUsu
Agbedemjl oun
Qgun
gidi
Orrnmll nl t b ti tn nln re
KI inu re yra di
Qdndn
Kl yln
rc
yra
d te,te
KI agbede-mejl rq yra
di rinrin
636
il osunaa uej
Translation
Qbath
then declared that even though everything was settled from
his mind
But nonetheless, he could never be happy over it
He said that his mind had turned to a prickle
And his back had turned to needles
While his mid-section had turned to thorn
Qrnmll
countered that if truly everything was settled from his mind
His mind should turn to Odundun leaves
And his back should turn to TQIQ leaves
While his mid-section should turn to Rinrin leaves
When
Qbatl
told
Qrunm'll
thatthe matter had been removed completely
from his mind, he however stated that he would never reman happy with
Abg-$kt again.
Qrnm'il
then countered that if truly the matter had
been completely removed from his mind, then there was no reason why he
should not be happy with Abg-tkt. He said that if he was not happy
with Abg-$kt then he was harbouring anmosity against him which was
in complete contradiction with his statementthat he had totally forgiven his
erstwhile favourite follower. That was when
Qbtl
cleared his mind
completely from the matter and forgave Abg-$kt from the depth of his
mind.
That was when
Qrrfnmll
invited Abg-$kt and reconciled him with
gbatb.
Qrrlnm)l
then handed over the EbUrg leaves to Abg-$kt who
in turn handed it over to
QbaHh
as a symbol of forgiveness and
reconciliation.
Argb sawu ojrl otl
ItakUn pqilQ I'Qrn erin
Itakun t nl krin m g'ok alQ
T'Oun t'erin ni wQn
jg
nlg o
Flkan- fikan mUle alaro
Fake- fikl I'on ewlrl
K fi'nrl ye'n
K f',yln yg'Qrn
Awo il Onftek
Dl filn onftenk
9mq o$e$e-knlQ
goo-goo-9oo
Qmq
qbebe
kunlQ
9oo-goo-9oo
637
lfa Dida: An nvitation to lfa Consultation
Dl filn Abe
gkt
TII
gqmg'knrin
Ogrn
Nl'jO t lg d oblnrin Orlg Gb0wrtjl
Orlga kQ, nl oun o nl b Abq ge mQ
Abe lg b9
$aH
nfl Ad
lg be
frlnml
l'de
Qwq
lq be Antete l'de lkoyl
Orlqa kQ
nf oun o nff b'Abe ge mq
Abg lg bg Agbe-dd
Tfl g'qmg Olkun SQnlad
lq b9 Alko-dodoodo
Tff
$'gmq Qlqsa
OdO
Orlga kQ
l'un o nll b Abg
9e
mQ
Abq wa gep-qese
lq atpo
Qrnmll
m
Nigbati
Qnnmlla
lg

$e
ltl ebre I'qwq
Awoye rye I'Orl$ be lQ
Fdun-Blj
tll
Fe
gmgle Ol- Igb
Nff
Se
wgl-wQde Orlga
ku dl kl orrrnmll de'l orls
Orlg rrl ti sn lg o
Qrrfnmll
nl Orlg l agO ooo!
Fdun
Be|je tff
Qe
gmg'y Olt-Igb
M Orlg kl yl
il
Qrrtnmll
nf k
jl
WQn nf nltorl i klnni?
nl nltorl
gakl
ti
il
nl'le Ad
Frlnml
t
il
l'de
Qwq
Antetefif l'delkoyl
Agbe-dd til l'kun
Alko-do-doo-do ti
il
I'Qsa
Orlqanh ba
jl
nl Oun ti
il
na
nl
+gbqn
un O nl qf'lQkn
Ornmll nl w gl'lQkn ni o
nf nltorl wlpe lpeper nfl gl'lQkn f'jtt
Omira nll g{'lQkn fQmo
Ofiganla w gf'lQkn
nl un ti gl'lQkn n
$gbQn
Oun O nl kg'jrl sl
Qrnmll
638
ii on*a" r",
Qrnmll
nf y kqjr sf Oun ni o
Wn nl nltorl i klnni
nl nltorl athsQ kfl d'yln kg
Qna
Eknn qwq kft d',yln kg'wq
Eknn
ese
kll d'yln k'qse
Agurgb kll d'yln kg'gb
ooganla w kg'jrr sl
Qrnmll
nl oun ti kg'j sll na
nl ggbqn oun o nl rqrln-ln s'Qr n
Qrunmll
nl y ngrln-ln sli ni o '
.:
' .,
Wn nl nltor{ i klnni?
nl nltorl
edn
sbsb ni t'op
Frln
qe,welQ-9e,w9lg ni t'QdQkg
Dqkgdqkq abedn ge,wQlQ-9gwglg l'$nu
lrln
ni wQn fi fgn'n qtl
Frln Seqe
l'gbr rtrin ko'dO I'Qna
B'w0rt b so l'ko
Olko a f'Qrln k
Orlgl w rerln-fn
nl oun t rrln-ln n
$gbQn
Or0 na kO nll tn nln Oun
Qrrtnmlla
nl yoo tn-n nln nQ ni o
Wn nl nltorl i klnni
nl ktnktn I'aj l'mi
B'se b mu'mi, tn nln as$
B'lgQrg b mu'mi tn nln lgQnQ
B'blnrin b nja etn
Tltan nll tn
Orlgl r t tn nlnrl Oun byll
nl ggbqn n oun O dn sl orO n mq llll
nl inrl Oun
Qgn QwQn
fyln
Oun
egn
ssu
Agbedemjl oun
ggun gidi
Qrnmll
nl t b ti tn nln rg
Kl in re yra di
Qdndn
Kl
Qyln
re yra d tete
Kl agbede-mjl rg yra di rinrin
Ooganla nl o ti di
Qdndn
fyln
oun t d tee
Agbedemjl un ti di rinrin
Njq Eburq o d o, awo OljgbQ
Bl a b r'ni rere
639
lfa Dida: An nvtation to lfa Consultation
9e la
j'gbQ
ni
o
j'ebe
I'Ake
O
j'ebe
l'ko o
Bl a b r'ni rere
9e l
j'bQ
o
Translation
He who has a strain to filter beer
The thick running plant round the elephant's neck
Any running plant which plans to prevent the elephant from reaching
its destination
Both of them shall be there together
Vigorous hammering of metals characterizes the smithery
And ceaseless fanning characterizes the bellow
To place the face against the heat of the fire
And the back against the heat of the sun
These were the resident Awo of Offtek
They were the ones who cast If for Onltek
He who offended and was cast begging about
He who appealed for forgiveness by begging about
They combined to cast If for Abg-$kt
The son of Ogun
When he went to make love to Obtl's woman
Qbatl
refused, and declared that he would never have any
relationship with Abg again
Abg went to beg
Sal(
at Ad Ekiti
And went to beg
fr'lnml
of
QwO-land
And went to beg Antete of lkofl-land
Yet Obtl retused
He declared that he would never have anything to do with Abg again
Abq went to beg the dark-complexoned Agbe
The child of Olkun Senfad, god of Oceans
And went to beg the red-coloured Alk
The child of
Qlqsa,
the goddess
of the Lagoons
Yet
Qbatl
refused
He vowed never to have anything to do with Abg again
Abg then gathered himself together
And went to seek the help of
Qrr:nmll
When
Qrr1nm'll
was going
He took along with him a bunch of EbUrg vegetable
But Obtl was reknown for his careful obseruation and accurate
deduction of happenings
fidun-BQlj,
the slender monkey, who was the son of the forest deity,
640
!! ogunaa uei
was actng as the chief companon of
Qbatl
When Orrlnmlla was about to reach the home of
Qbatl
Qbatl
had slept off
Orrinmll shouted his salutations
Fdun-bljg,
the son of Ol-Igb replied that
Qbtl
was not yet
awake
Qrunmll
asked him to wake up
They said why?
Qrrlnmll
declared that
$aki
had already woken up at Ad-Eldtl
And
frinml
had woken up at
QwQ-land
And Antt had woken up atIkOy-land
And Agbe-dd had woken up at Ocean side
While Aluk0-d0-d0o-d0 had woken up at the Lagoon side
Oiignl (Qbath) thus woke-up
He declared that he had woken up
But he would not open the door (for
Qrnm1l
to enter)
Qrnmll
said
Qbtll
would open the door
Because lpprjr1, the eyelid is it that opens the door for the eyes (to
see)
And the discharge signaling labour is t that opens the door for the
bith of a new born baby
Qbatl
then opened the door
He said that even though he had opened the door
He would never turn his face to
Qrrrnm)l
Qrnmll
said that he (Qbatl) should face him
When asked why?
He declared that the foot does not turn its back on the footpath
The finger nal does not turn its back on the finger
The toe nail does not turn its back on the toe
He who evacuates the bowel in the bush does not turn its back on the
bush
Qbatl
then turned and faced
Qrnm)l
He said that even though he had faced him
He would never smile over the matter
QrUnm)l
ordered him to smile over the matter
When asked why?
He stated that a widow is noted for her consolatory smiles
While a lewd woman is noted for her stupid but temptatious smiles
Stupidly temptatious smiles are the trade mark of a prostitute
It is with smiles that people light the fire with which alcohols are
brewed
And it is with smiles that the flood
joins
the stream
When the cotton tree produces its cotton-wool
641
lfa Dida: An invtation to lfa Consultaon
It is with smiles the farmer harvests it
Qbatl
then smiled
He declared that even though he had smiled
The matter would not completely leave his mind
Qrunm'il
ordered that the matter must be completely removed from
his mind
When asked why?
He said that completely did a dog attempt to lick water
When liquid strainer drinks w,ater, the water will drain completely from
it when removed from the water
When fish-trap is immersed n water, the water will drain completely
from it when removed from the water
And if a woman engages in the business of unripe
palm-fruit
It is completely exhausted
QbaHl
then declared that even though eveffiing was settled from
his mind
He would nonetheless never be happy over the matter
He said that his mind had turned to
prickle
And his back had turned to needles
And his mid-section, thorn
Orunmll countered that if truly everything was settled from his mind
His mind should turn to
Qdndn
leaves
And his bac( to tJQ leaves
While his mid-section should turn to rinrin leaves
Qbatl
then said that everything had been completely removed from
his mind
That his mind has turned to
Qdndn
And his back to t,tQ
And his mid-section to rinrin
Here come Eburq leaves, the symbol of forgiveness
If we see an impoftant personality
One will accept his intercession
You have accepted the apology at Ak
And even at Oko
When we see an important personality
We shall surely accept the apology
If says that it would be tough for the offence commtted by the person
for whom this Od is revealed to be forgiven, but in the end, the
apology would be accepted.
On the other hand, if the
person
for whom this Od is revealed is the
642
ii ogunaa uei
victim of other person(s)' mischie{, he/she needs to accept the culprit(s)'
apology if impoftant people intercede on behalf of the culprit.
14. If says that somebody had been done a
good
deed which had given
the person influence or authority where this Od is revealed, If
warns that this person must never misuse this power
by
paying
this
good
deed with evil. If says that the person in question
is about to
pay good with evil, and if this is done, no amount of
gbg
will prevent
the culprit from reaping the fruit of the evil he/she had sown. If
advises that the victim needs to be
patient
as If is solidly behind
him/her and will avenge. He/she needs not show pain
or
disappointment because when the vengeance of If comes on the
culprit, even the victim will be forced to sympathize.
If says that if the culprit has not yet carried out the evil but was
just
planning it, he/she must offer gbg with one matured he-goat and
money. Helshe must also pray to Oldmar for forgiveness and
must never contemplate such again in life. On these,If says:
Gnnug n
Soore
mplr{-ma plrl
Akala mag b goore mayQgege-meyqgege
OjQ mfl
jQQml,
bli k'gni m tiQ goore mQ
Or goore
foore,
grq O l'w l'rl
AfOmqgoore kO l'gbo
Dlfirn Okete
rrlg reteQk n'lf
fbg
ni wqn nl k
9e
Translation
Gnnugn, the Vulture, did good deeds but he became bald-headed in
the process
Rnd Akalamgb, did good deeds only to be inflicted with
goiter
Even some days, one will feel like not doing good deeds
anymore
QrQ,
the Cactus, did good
deeds but did not have any leaves to show
for the good deeds
And AfOmq, the Parasitic Plant, did good deeds only to be left without
root
643
lfa Dida: An nvitaon to lfa Consultation
These were lf's declarations to Okt, the Big Rat
When going
to initiate
Qk,
the Cobra, into If
He was advised to offer gbg
Qk,
the Cobra, was in deep trouble. He had no respectfrom allthe anmals
in the forest. He was being
jeered
at every time he appeared in the midst of
other animals. To add pepper
to injury he was being used as rope to tie
firewood, broom, leaves and other things by human beings. Tired of these
tribulations, he approached Okete, the Big Rat, for If consultation.
Okete consulted If for
Qk
and Ogunda-wI was revealed. Okete assured
Qk
that he would become great in life.
Qk
was also told that everybody
would become great in life.
Qk
was also told that everybody would fear
and respect him.
Qk
was advised to endeavour to undergo If initiation.
Qk
agreed. There and then, a date was fixed for the initiation
fltqloOul
Three days to the day of initiation, Okete went to the group
of Awo
mentioned above in order to find out how the initiation rites he intended to
undertake for
Qk
would turn out to be. The Awo assured Okete that the
rites would be successful. Not only this, the lot of
Qk
would change from
that of contempt to fear and respect. It would change from utter
helplessness to tremendous power
and authority. Okete was assured that
nobody would be able to look down upon
Qk
or use him as rope anymore.
Okete was however warned that when
Qk
became powerful he would have
the tendency to use his power
against everybody including Okete his
Ohlwo. Otete was advised to warn
Qk
seriously against doing this or in
the alternative, for Okete to abandon theltgld altogether. Since he had
,
promised
Qk
that he would help him conduct the initiation rites, O<ete felt
he was bound by this promise. For this reason, Okete called
Qk
and they
entered into a covenant.
Qk
swore that he would never do anything
against Okete and any member of his household which might huft them in
any way. Wth this assurance,
Qk
was initiated.
Before long,
Qk
became very poweful
and highly influential. Nobody
could look down upon him anymore. He now said this as an opportunity to
avenge the humiliation he had hitherto being subjected to, He used his
newly acquired
power
to exeft his authority and
punish
all those who had
644
il osunaa uei
offended him one time or the other. While doing all this however, he
avoided doing anything aganst Okete and all members of his household.
He soon became so
power
drunk that he began to think that he could not be
considered an all-powerful
person if he did not deal with Okete too in his bid
to exeft total control over anything and anyone around him. He felt that
people
would soon be teasing him that his influence and scope of authority
did not extend to where Okete was. For this reason therefore,
Qk
resolved
to kill Okete once and for all and show the whole world his supremacy over
everybody. That same day, he went out in search of Okete when he saw
Okete later in the day, before the latter could express necessary
pleasantries,
Qk
struck him down, totally forgetting his covenant. In pain,
Okete reminded him of his household.
Qk
responded that, that was a
forgotten and expired covenant. There and then, Okete swore on
Qk
and
died.
Qk
simply swallowed Okete. Shortly after this, a hunter saw
Qk
and killed him too.
As from that day, any day
Qk
killed Okete, that
Qk
would also be killed on
that very day. That was how
Qk
ended up digging his own grave with his
ungrateful attitude to his benefactor.
Gnnugn goore mplrl-meplrl
Akahmagbo goore mayggege-mayggegq
ojq mll
jqQml,
bli k'qni m te goore mq
QrQ
goore goore, grq O l'w l'rl
AfOmq goore k l'gbo
Dl filn Okt
Tl lg re te
Qk
n'lf
Fbq
ni wQn nl k
Se
gb'Qbo, r'bg
Qk
bo gb'wo ml
Ibi l
se
o
Erlgl-Alo,
Qk
bo b pa Ews
Obak
9k
bo gb'wo ml
Ibi lo se
Translation
Gnnugn, the Vulture, did good deeds but he became bald-headed in
the process
And Akalamagbo, did good deeds only to be inflicted with goiter
645
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
Even some days, one will feel like not dong good deeds anymore
Or, the Cactus, did good deeds but did not have any leaves to show
for the good deeds
And AfOmg, the Parasitic Plant, did good
deeds only to be left without
root
These were lf's declarations to Okete, the Big Rat
When going to initiate
Qk,
the Cobra, into If
He was advised to offer gbg
He complied
Now,
Qk
if you
swallow Okete
You have done a terribly evil deed
ERgt-Alg,
Qk
if you
kill Ewrts, the Big Rat
You will surely did with it as the aftermath
gk,
if you swallow Okete
You have done a terrible despicable deed
If says that anyone who did an evil thing where this Od is revealed
will face the repercusson of his/her evil action sooner than later.
15. If warns the person forwhom this Od is revealed to be very careful
with the type of help he/she renders to others. If says that a person
will come to him/her for assistance but he/she must not render this
assistance. This is because this person had something grave, which
has led to a serious problem
for him/her. He/she is now looking for
other people who will share from this problem. If says that it is in
the best interest of the person for whom this Od is revealed never to
have anything to do with the person
or group seekng assistance at
this pafticular pont in time. If says that this
person is not looking
for assistance: rather, he/she/they are looking for someone to
implicate and drag intothe mud likethem.
If says that there is no gbg material to offer in this Od. The only
gbg
to offer here is for the person for whom this Od is revealed to
heed warning. As a matter of fact, before a person
born by this Od
offers any assistance to anybody, there is the need for him/her to
check and crosscheck properly whether this person
deserves to be
assisted or not. On these,If says:
646
ii ogunaa hrei
Gnnug n goore maplrf -maplrl
Aka lamag bo goore mayggege-mayqgegq
QjQ
mfi
jQqml,
bl k'gni m tiQ goore mQ
Orqooregoorergrq O l'w l'rl
AfOmggoore k l'gbo
Dl fitn Adeknnrblr gmg palkl pejo
9mqagek'ores
nlge
Mgba rlg oko alro I'gdrln
fbg
niwqn w ge
Translation
Gnnugn, the Vulture, did good deeds but he became bald-headed in the
process
Rnd AkahmgbO, did good deeds only to be inflicted with goter Even
some days, one will feel like not doing good deeds anymore
QrQ,
the Cactus, did good deeds but did not have any leaves to show for
the good deeds
And Afomg, the Parasitic Plant, did good deeds only to be left without root
These were lf's declarations to Adknnlbf, offsprings of those who kill
Akah and killed the snake
He who behave in such a way that one's feel tired of doing good
When he was going to the farm for annual planting
He was advised offer gbg
Adekanntbl was an accomplished farmer. He was also a very successful
man. He was highly respected in the communty because everyone knew
him as a God fearing philanthropst. He holds many chieftaincy titles in the
community and whatever he said was final on many issues,
One day, Adknntbf planned to
go
and staft the annual cultivation. For this
reason, he decided to go for If consultation in the home of the Awo
mentioned above: would he succeed that year
as he had always
succeeded?
The Awo assured Adknrnb'i that he would succeed as he had always done.
The Awo said that success was not his problem. Adknmbi was however
warned that someone would be coming to him for assstance within the five
days. Such a person must never be assisted. The Awo laid emphasis on the
fact that the person who was coming for such assistance did not need it:
rather, he was comng to create untold problem
and hardship into
647
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
Adknrfibl's life. The Awo concluded by telling Adknn1bl that there was
no gbg that he could offer on this issue except for him to heed warnngs of
If.
Adekanrnff left the home of the Awo with the full determination of not
assisting anyone. When Adeknntbi got home, he explained everything to
his wife and asked his wife to remind him at all times not to assist any one in
the next seventeen days. Wth this, Adknmbl was convinced that he
would be able to avoid the problem which If foresaw by asking him not to
assist anyone for five days.
On the fourth day howevel
Qk
the Cobra, rushed to Adknnlbf's farm
pleading
and crying that he was being
pursue
by his enemies. He told
Adekanmff that if these enemies caught him on that day he would definitely
be slaughtered.
He pleaded with Adeknmbf to please
open his mouth and allow him to hide
in his stomach for a few moments so that these enemies would not be able
to see him. As Adeknntbl was aboutto open his mouth, his wife called him
and reminded him of the warnings of If. 'Keep
quite woman', thundered
Adeknnlbl, 'even if I will not assist anyone is it going to be
Qk
my friend?'
As soon as he said these he open his mouth and his friend
Qk
entered into
his mouth. And went straight to his stomach.
When
Qk
the Cobra settled in Adknn1bl's stomach, the first instruction
he gave to Adknn1bi was: my friend go
and beat
your wife to death.
Adeknrnbf protested, 'how could I do this to my wife of several
years?'
Qk
the Cobra simply place his teeth on Adknrlbl's liver and bit the liver
mercilessly, nobody told Adknnlbl again before he picked his hoe and use
it to beat his wife of 27 years
to death.
Qk
told Adkannlbf to let them go
to the market. When they arrived there,
he told Adkanntbi to ensure that 16 people were beaten to death in the
market. Adeknntbl protested, 'why should I do this in a community where
I owned several titles?'
Qk
the Cobra
places his teeth on Adknn1bi's
pancreas
and bit it mercilessly. Nobody told Adkannlbt before he uses his
axe to cut down 16 innocent people
in the market.
648
!! ogunaa uej
Next
9k
the Cobra told Adknn1bl to let them go
to the palace. When
they got there
Qk
told AdknnlM to kill the three wives of the
Qba
and add
the
Qba
as his foufth victim in the palace. Adeknrnbt protested.
The
Cobra
placed his teeth on Adknn1bl's lungs and bite it mercilessly.
Nobody told Adknn1bf before he used his club to hit the four of them to
death, As this was going
on the whole town went into pandemonium.
The
fear of Adknmff became the beginning of wisdom for everyone.
There are however, some elders in the community who are totally
convinced that violent is not in Adknn1bl's characters. These elders knew
something urgent and drastic must be done. Consequently, they went to
the home of the group of Awo mentioned above for If consultation: would
it be possible to find solution to the
problem
in the community? Was it
possible for them to know how to assistAdknrbi himself?
The Awo told the elders thatthey would surely find solution to the
problems
in the community. He told them that only the Elders of the Night can help
them. Consequently, there was the need for them to feed the Elders of the
Night with one she-goat and
plenty
of palm oil. The Elders of the Night
accepted thelpes and sentAklmgb to go
and help Adknntbi.
Meanwhile, Adknnlbi had become totally berserk man. He had voices
from his stomach and he must obey whatever instruction that he was given.
For this reason, Adkanmb'i was a totally unpredictable man. When
AkalamagbO arrived in his house, he went straight to Adknrflbf and
instructed him to Akalamagbo open his mouth. Adekanmbf did.
Akalamagb called on
Qk
the Cobra and told him that he had come to
join
him to inflict more pains on Adknn1bi.
Qk
was very happy when he had
this. Akalmgb told
Qk
to show up his face so that their discussions can
go
on smoothly.
Qk
moved fonntard and showed up his face. As soon as
he did this, Akahmagbo grabbed his neck and
pulled him out forcefully.
Akahmagb struck
Qk
on the head with his beak. He struck him
repeatedly. When Adeknntbi saw this, he got hold of his hoe with the
intention of breaking the head of
Qk
into pieces.
Unfoftunately however,
the blow landed on the head of Akalamagbo. So Adknn1bi ended up
killing both Cobra and Akalamagbo.
649
lfa Dda: An invtation to lfa Consultaon
Gnnugn
Foore
maplrt-meplr{
Akalamag b goore mayggege- mayqgege
ojQ mff
jqQml,
bli k'$ni m tiQ goore mQ
Qrq
goore goore, grq O l'w l'rf
Afomqgoorek l'gbo
Dl fin Adeknntbl, omg
palkla pejO
9mg
a9e k'ore s n f ge
Mgba rrlg oko alro I'gdn
Fbq
ni wQn i w ge
kg'tf
QgbQnyln
s'ebq
Eyin o rt Adknnlbl t pa ejo
T sl pa eyg
Translation
Grlnnugn, the Vulture, dd good deeds but he became bald-
headed in the
process
Rnd Akalamagbo, did
good deeds onlyto be inflicted with goter
Even some days, one will feel like not doing good deeds anymore
QrQ,
the Cactus, did good deeds but did not have any leaves to show for
the good deeds
And Afomg, the Parasitic Plant, did good deeds only to be left
without root
These were lf's declarations to Adeknntbf, offsprings of those
who killAkah and killed thesnake
He who behave in such a way that one's feel tired of doing good
When he was going to the farm for annual
planting
He was advised offer qbg
He refused to comply
Can'tyou seeAdknn1bl who killed the snake
And killed the bird
If warns the
person for whom this Od revealed not to
give any
assstance he/she will come to regret for the rest of his/her life. It is in
the best interest of this person to heed the warnings of If.
16. If warns the
person for whom this Od is revealed aganst
unnecessary stubbornness of heaft and disobedience of If
instruction in order for him or her to avod unspeakable calamity.
This person is warned aganst relying on
position, influence,
power,
650
Itr ogunaa Mei
connections or any other at the last minute.
If says that if the
person for whom this Od is cast plans
to go
somewhere and If does not foresee lre, then this person needs to
shelve the
plan in order to avoid unpleasant consequence to
himself/herself and to those who are close to him\hen
If also warns the
person for whom this Od is revealed to be very
careful in everything that he/she is doing at that pafticular point
during If consultation. Obduracy can never bring any good resultto
him/heratthis
period.
If advises this client t offer gbg, as a matter of urgency, with one
matured he-goat and money. He/she also needs to heed advice
as this is even more impoftant than the money he/she might have to
spend on the
gbg materials. On these, If says:
Abalg,abd
A ba ro
QrQ
onl,lja ni I b dl
D,| firn Akk MOjlwa
Tff g'awo il Onlkoyl
NlSq t g'awo
Qba
llade org
fbg
ni wQn nl k w
se
Translation
Had we gone, we would not have returned
Had we considered the pain involved in this matter, it could have led to
a
quarrel
This was lf's declaration to Akk Mjlw, the woodpecker
The resident Awo of OnlkOl
When going on If mission to the palace
of
QlyQ
of
Qyq
He was advised to offer
gbg
KUhlwg was an accomplished If priest. He was the personal Babalwo of
the
QlQyQQ,
the
Qba
of
QyQ
town. He was so powerful
and highly gifted
that anything he said would surely come to pass. He also had several
powerful charms and knew many incantations which he usually used to the
amaze and fear of his numerous followers.
One day, KhlwQ planned to
go
tolkOyito see the On'ik1, the
Qba
oflkOl
651
lfa Dida: An invtaon to lfa Consultation
town. He consulted If and If asked him not to
go, that the omen was not
in favour of his going. If foresaw death for him in his
journey.
When he
heard this, he said that even if there was death at lkoy, his numerous
charms and incantations would surely
give him escape routes which would
protect his life against death or any other calamity. No amount of
persuasion
could change his mind. When asked to offer
gbg, he refused.
He had absolute confidence in his charms and other
powerful devices. His
Awo went to report him to
QlQyQQ
who also
persuaded him not to go. All
these persuasions simply fell on deaf ears.
QlQyQq
told Ktlh1w that he
should remember that they had been together for a very long time and that
there was nothing Kh1we had told him not to do which he had ever done.
He had relied on whatever If said which KrlltlwQ had told him and he,
QlqyQq
had never regretted it. Kuluwe responded that what
QIQyQQ
said
was true but that
QlQyQQ
could not compare himself with an Awo like him
(Krtlwq) who knew all the workings of If and charms. When nobody
could change KhlwQ's mind, he was allowed to
go.
Atlkyi, KrlhlwQ was respected and given the honour due to the
personal
Awo of
QlQyQQ.
He cast If for Orfkyf and the latter marveled at his
expeftise. KhJwe was given a large room inside the palace for his
personal
use. All the important personalities in Ikoyi were trooping his
house. Everybody in Ikoyt was soon aware that the great KrllwQ the
personal Babalwo of
QIQyQ
was in theirtown.
One week after KrlhlwQ's arrival inlkol however, disaster of unimaginable
proportion struck. On the night of that day, a mysterious fire gutted
the
palace
and raze down only the room given to Kr1hlwQ. Before any
assistance could be rendered, Kh1wQ had been burnt to ashes. It took
several able-bodied men and women around the
palace several hours to
rescue the other wings of the palace from burning.
As soon as it was discovered that KhlwQ the great personal Babalawo of
QlQyQq
was dead, fear gripped the whole palace
and in factthe entiretown
of Ikol: How would they convey this terrible message to
QlQy
without
provoking his anger and wrath? When they did not know what to do, they
invited A<ofo Mjlawa, the resident Awo of Onf kyl to prepare himself for
the
journey
to
QIQyQQ's
palace in order to go and break the news of the
652
ii osunaa uei
death of KrJhJwg, his fellow Babalwo to
QIQyQQ
and the entire people
of
Oyo.
Knowing that the assignment given
to him was an extremely delicate one,
Akoko Mojlw went for If consultation in the home of the Awo
mentioned above. Atoko was assured that even though the assignment
was grave, he would however succeed in carrying it out. He was advised to
be extremely tactful and very careful too. He was advised to offer
gbg
with
a matured he-goat and money. He complied. Immediately after this, he set
outon his
journeyto
QIQyQQ's
palace.
As soon as he arrived at
QyQ,
he hired some drummers and included
SQkgrQ,
the favourite drum of
Qlgygg.
At the entrance of
QlyQQ's
palace,
the
$gkQrQ
drummers stafted to beat their drums. Akk sent a palace
aide to
inform
QlqyQQ
that he had a special message from Ofkyi. He was soon
ushered in. He went into the palace with the drummers. Atthe presence
of
QlQyQQ,
he made his cry the cry of shouting and made hislyQrQ, thelyQrQ of
lamentations, saying in his unbelievably sonorous voice:
Krrhrw$ ti
jona
sll o o
Kw ti
jona
sll
Arqnl I
jona
sll onlkoyl o
Klwe ti
jona
slle
Translation
Klwe had suffered fire burn inside the house
KrthlwQ had been burnt inside the house
The ArQnl, master of medicines, had been burnt to death inside
Onlk0yl's
palace
KrlhlwQ had suffered fire burn inside the house
Before the full implication of the message could sink in,
QlqyQq
and his
chiefs were dancing to the
Sekere
drums. By the time it became clear that it
was a message on the death of his personal Awo, it was too late to change
his countenance.
QIQyQQ
asked Atofo to stop the song and music. He did.
QIQVQQ
thought over the message for a long time and concluded that
KUltlwg was the architect of his misfutune. He stated that KlrtwQ had
earlier been warned but he refused to heed warning.
qQyqq
asked AtO<o
to inform Onfkl that he had nothing against him as KhtwQ came tolkol
653
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consuftation
at the very height of his obstinary.
QlQyQq
assured Onlkl that he
harboured no ill-feeling towards him on the matter.
That was how KtlltlwQ lost his life as a result of his stubbornness and his
over-reliance on his power
and refused to heed If warning which he too
used to
give
others and which he expected others to heed. Refusalto heed
If warning is the shoftest way to disaster.
Abalgrabd
A ba ro
QrQ
onl, tja ni I b dl
Dl fifn Akk Mojlw
Tll g'awo il onlkoy|
MTq t rl9'awo
Qba
llade
Q
yq
fbg
ni wgn nl k w
9e
gb'gbo, r'bg
j6 rulrrwQ ti
jna
sll o
Klwq t
jn
s{
ArQnl I
jn
sll Onlkoy,l o
Krrhrw$ t
jn
sll
Translation
Had we gone, we would not have returned
Had we considered the pain involved in this matter, it could have led to
a
quarrel
This was If's declaration to Akk Mjlw, the woodpecker
The resident Awo of OffkOf
When going
on If mission to the palace of
QlQyQq
of
QyQ
He was advised to offer gbg
He complied
Alas, Krlhlwe had suffered fire burn inside the house
Krlhlw had been burnt inside the house
The Argnl, master of medicines, had been burnt to death inside
Onfkfi's palace
KrlhlwQ had suffered fire burn inside the house
If warns the person for whom this Od is revealed to heed warnings
and advices at all times. There lies salvation. There lies long life and
prosperity. That is the only way he/she will not regret or suffer
hardships.
AB9R ABQYE
654
i! ogunaa Mei
B. SIGNIFICANCE OF OGNDA MEJI FOR THOSE
BORN BY THIS OD DURING ITELD OR
IKgSFDAYE
For those born by this Od either during ltgloau orlkgsgdy, barring any
self- inflicted
pain
or disappointmen$ nothing stops them from being great
in life. They will not only be
great,
but they will equally be happy. They will
achieve all their hearts' desires at the most appropriate
periods in their
lives. They shall not lack in any sphere of life. They shall live a very
rewarding life. They shall live comfoftably and pursue their goals
confidently. They shall even die when they are ripe and in relative
satisfaction a nd contentment.
Ogunda-mjl children are specially chosen and favoured by
Qbatl
and
If and they are blessed with all the good things of life. As long as honey
remains sweet, nothing can
prevent
these people from enjoying their lives
to the fullest except they themselves through their own handiworks. They
are specially chosen to infect others with their happiness so that the world
would be happier and more habitable for everybody.
OgUnda-mjl children also strive well in
joint paftnership
business. They
easily combine other
people's
expertise, experience, resources or even
contacts to their own to forge ahead in any business they set out to do. By
so doing, they end up
gaining more popularity, respect, wealth and honour.
Even though they have the ability to succeed on their own, they however
succeed better and faster in
joint
ventures. That is the reason why it is not
advisable for Ogrtnda-mejl children to insist on going
alone in any project
if they have feasible alternative in
joint partnership
on the
project. Because
they combine well with others to achieve success, they coveftly bring
joy
and success into other
people's lives. They push
others fonryard with their
own talents and other specialgifts from Oldmar and the Deities.
For anyone to succeed in any
joint
business he/she must be straight-
forward, honest and accommodating. All those involved must be
understanding and must not give room to unnecessary quarrels,
arguments or misunderstanding. Ogunda-mjl children must therefore
bear all these in mind at all times. They must avoid the urge to cheat their
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
paftners
either at the time of contributing their resources into the business
or when it comes to profit- sharing stage.
Ogunda-mjl children must not think, plan
or do anything, no matter
how minute, to hinder the progress
of others. If they do, they will be put
to
shame. Conversely, anyone who thinks, plans or does anything to
constitute a stumbling block on the path of greatness of Ogund-mfl
children shall be rubbished and ridiculed. It is in the destiny of Ogund-
mjl children to succeed in spite of obstacles. That was why they too
must never think, plan,
or do evil against others. They must not assist
others in doing it against other people.
Apart from the fact that the success of Ogunda-mejl children is
guaranteed,
also sure is their
protection
against evil and disaster. In spite
of the fact that iniquities, problems, troubles and vagaries of life abound
where they are, they shall never experience any. If shall
protect
them
and their families. They shall not die any untimely death. They shall also
live to enjoy the fruit of their labour.
For Ognd-mjli children, it is not advisable to stand surety for anyone.
If they do, they stand to regret their action. Those for whom they stand
surety shall disappoint them and may even put them in serious trouble
which maytakethem long to recoverfrom.
Ogunda-mjl male children will also find out that women will be very
instrumental to their achievements and success in life. They however
need to learn to cope with the complexities in women especially their
sudden changes in attitude. They need to know that women may blow
hot now and in the next moment blow cold. Nothing of this nature needs
to surprise or worry them at all. For the female children of Ogund-mejl,
they make good homes and try everything at their disposal to raise their
spouses from grass to grace. They are understanding and make good
mothers of their children.
Also for Ogunaa-mjl, male and female children, their children are their
biggest assets and their most invaluable possessions. They need to take
care of their children and these children will in turn take care of them when
656
ll osunaa uei
they grow old. They have no busness sayng that they do not want to bear
children as they will remaln Incomplete in their own lives as long as they fail
to have their own children. They also need to inform their children on
everything about them. They cannot afford to hide anything from their
children as these children will be instrumental to their victory in the various
battle-fields of life. They also need to
give
the children adequate training
and good upbringing, ds the children will enhance their reputation and
worth in the community if well trained.
OgUnda-mjl children have the
propensity
to send people to carry out
assignments for them, no matter how serious the assignment may be to
their life, career or well-being. This is not in their best interest. They are to
go
and handle any assignment which is very impoftant to their lives
personally
as there is the
possibility for this assignment to be bungled by
whoever they send to carry it out for them. This they may come to regret for
the rest of their lives. One of the reasons why Ogunda-mejl children leave
their issues unattended to and
pursue
other matters is their bid to satisfi
everybody. This willingness usually makes them to promise one thing to
several people at the same time and also to go in pursuit
of other people's
issue at the expense of their own. This is an area where they need to think
seriously over as it will never be favourable to them in the long run. They
will end up shoft-changing themselves and receiving abuses from the very
people they intend to satisff.
Whenever Ogund-mil children offend others, it is their duty to show
remorse and tender unreserued apology to whomsoever they offended. If
on the other hand, somebody or group offends them, no matter how
grievous
the offence may be, it is bound on them to forgive the culprit(s)
whenever the latter seeks for forgiveness. If this is done, they will always
remain relevant in life.
OgUnda-mjl children must never repay good with evil or even evil with
evil. They must never show ingratitude to their benefactors. They must
never be
power-drunk
or allow their influence, position, power,
connection
or reputation to enter into their heads and lead them into obduracy. They
must be listening to wise counseling at all times. Failure to do so can only
lead to regrets.
657
lfa Dida: An nvitation to lfa Consultation
C. AFFILIATED ORISA AND IRNMOLE OF OG('NDA.
MEJI
1. Orl for overall Ire and success.
2. If for overall Ire and special
protection
and enhancement of
success chances.
3.
QbaHl
for enhancement of success and favour of the Deities.
4.
Qsanyln
for success, elfcacy of work and healing capacities, for
effectiveness of business ideas and for protection.
5. Ogrtn for suppoft and for realistic assessment situations and
events
6. Egu
Qdara
for general support and removal of obstacles.
7.
QqqqsJ
for suppoft in times of
problem
and dilemma.
8. IIQ (mother Eafth) for general suppoft.
D. TABOOS OF oeruOA-t.tI
1. Must not eat igin, the Akee apple
-
to avoid unconsummate
fortune.
2. Must not send others on errands on missions which affects
him/her seriously and is of great impoftance to his/her life
-
to
avoid unconsummated foftune.
3. Must not use
QIQbQnbgn,
the beetle, for anything
-
to avoid ill-
luck and misfoftune.
4. Must not stand surety for others to avoid being implicated on
other people's matter- to avoid being blamed over issues he/she
knows little or nothing about.
5. Must not be playing games to avoid being tied down
unnecessarily and whiling away precious time when good
things
await him/her elsewhere.
6. Must not use KanranjngbQn plant to avoid unconsummated
foftune or missed chances.
7. Must not use Iy leaves, bark, root etc for medicine
-
to avoid
delay in finding solution to problems.
8. Must not kill or eat Okete (big rat) -
to avoid untimely death or
disappointments leading to calamity.
9. Must never repay good with evil or even evil with evil
-
to avoid
658
ii on*'" r",
unconsum mated foftune and disappointments
10. Must never show ingratitude to their benefactors
-
to avod failed
i
ambitions.
10. Must never be power
drunk or allow their influence, position, power,
connection or reputation to enter into their heads and lead them to
obduracy.
E. POSSIBLE NAMES OF OG('NDA.VTEI CHILDREN
Males
1. FgayQ If breeds
joy
2. Orlgagadrtn Onga provides
sweetness
3. Oklklgla The reputation of honour
4. Ajlgql One who wakes into honour
5. Ifqlj If provides
cover
Females
1. Adngl The sweetness of honour
2. Ogunaja Ogun mediates in conflict
3.
Qmglgw
My child is my beauty
4.
Ql-Fd
lf's honour
5. Oklklgl The reputation of honour
Aagn AB9YE.
659
lfa Dida: An nvtaton to lfa Consultaon
iT o"" M"/i
Chapter 10
OSA MEr
ll ll
tt
tl
ll
A.
1.
Chapter 1O
QsA
MErI
If says that for the person for whom
Qsa-Mef
is revealed during
consultation,IkgsQdy orltglodU, If foresees the Ire of abundant
wealth and success. If says that he/she had brought his/her
financial success from heaven. This person
shall not be in want of
money in life.
If says that for this to manifest in the life of the
person for whom this
Od is revealed, there is the need for him/her to offer
gbg with four
rats, four fishes, a bottle of gin, four kolanuts and money. On
this, If says:
On'll etl oj nll wolrwq
Segaa
l'ke
Dlfin Kk
Tl t'Qrun bQw'y
TI y
sl fi gbogbo
ara K'j w'l
Sbg
ni wQn nl k w
Se
Translation
The residents of the house near the market are those who gaze at
the brightly shinning stars
This was lf's declaration to KUk, the Pigeon
When coming from
Qrun,
Heaven to Ay, the Earth
Who will bring wealth with all
pafts
of her body
She was advised to offer gbg
Kk, the Pigeon was coming into this world from heaven. When she was
about to move, she went for If's consultation in the home of the Awo
whose pet name was mentioned above: Would she be a successful
person
on eafth? Would she be able to command financial wealth and respect
while on earth? Would people love and adore her? She also wanted to
662
Il o""
"",
know the degree of her success and achievements in life.
The Awo assured her that she would not only be successfulthat every paft
of her body would be associated with wealth -
her feather, skin, flesh, blood,
bone, head and body. She was equally informed that she would be
given
honour and would be allowed to live among human beings. She was told
that while her colleagues such as partridge
and dove were being stoned and
killed, she would be accorded respect and offered befitting
accommodation.
She was however advised to offer gbg with four rats, four fish, four
kolanuts, one bottle of gin and money. She complied. Soon after this,
she set out on her
journey
to eafth.
While on eafth, Kk, the Pigeon, became the toast of everyone. She was
adored. She was given
appropriate respect and honour. She was
associated with wealth and prosperity.
She was also given chance to live
with human beings. The home she set her feet into was used to attracting
wealth.
For these reasons, people
always looked for the pigeons
to
put inside their
homes so that wealth would reside with them. This made Kk a bird that
everybody looks for and takes proper care of. She was very happy and
contented forthis.
On'll etl oja nff wo lrwo gaagaa
l'k
firn Kk
Tl t'Orun bEw'y
Tl yo sl fi gbogbo ara K'j w'lFbq ni wgn nl k w ge
gb'Qborrrl'bg
KO p,, kjlnn
!w
b'ni nf Jbrlt ire
WQn nl qse ire ni ErrtkUk f te'l
Translation
The residents of the house near the market are those who gaze
atthe brightly shinning stars
This was lf's declaration to Kk, the Pigeon
When coming from
Qrun,
Heaven, toAy, the Eafth
663
lfa Dida: An nvtation to lfa Consuftation
Who will bring wealth with all
parts of her body
She was advised to offer
gbg
She complied
Before long, and nottoofar
Join us in the midst of abundant Ire
It is with the feet of Ire that the Pigeon matches on the ground
If says that riches, prosperty and well being shall sure
accompany the
person for whom this Od is revealed.
2. If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed is going to be
the most successful member of his/her family. He/she will be blessed
with more money, spouse, children, and propefties than all his/her
siblings and/or colleagues.
If says that this person shall however have more success chances
outside where he/she was born than within his/her place of birth.
He/she shall become a great person from outside his/her place of
bfth. He/she shall also be
greater than all others close to him/her.
There is however the need to offer
gbg (Arkore) with two pigeons,
two hens, two
guinea fowls, two cocks and money. On these,
Qsa-Me)
says:
KrjeQwlnnl
Qwlnnl
krje
Dl filn
QpgYgkgtg
Tl s'awolos'delwer
[b9
k l la
ju gbogbo qgbe rQ lg ni wgn nl k w qe
Translation
Krje
Qwinn'i
Qwlnnl
Krje
They were the ones who cast If for
Qpg
Yekete, the Slender
Palm tree
When going on spiritual mission tolwre land
He was advised to offer ebo so that he would be more successful
than allothers
Qpe
YeketQ, the slender
palm tree was very hardworking. He was always
eager to work and he was never showing any sgn of fatigue at any time.
664
Il o""
""t
one day, he went to the home of the Awo mentioned above for If
consultation in orderto determine his success chances in life.
The Awo assured him that he would surely be successful in his life. Not only
this, he was told that he was going
to become the most successful person
among his contemporaries. The Awo also told him that his luck would shine
better outside his place
of bifth. Consequent upon this, he was advised to
move out of his place
of bifth and settle elsewhere.
Qpe
yekete
was also
advised to offer gbg
as prescribed
above. All these he did. After the gbg
he
moved outof his domain and wenttolwr land to settle.
Within three years
of settling atlwr town, he has established himself. His
palm fronds were used for sweeping, his palm kernels were used for
cooking, his cap was extracted as palm wine, his stem was used for
construction purposes, his root was used for medicine and food, his bark
was used for medicine. In fact, there was no part
of his body that was not of
commercial value. Before long, he became the most successful and most
sought after among all his contemporaries. All his colleagues soon began to
use his success asyardsticks for measuring their own level of achievements.
They were also praying
to oldmar to make them as successful as
Qpg
Yek.re.
KrjeQwlnnl
Qwlnnl
krje
Dl filn
QpQYgkQt
Tl g'awo lgs'delwr
f
bg k le la
ju gbogbo qgbe re lg ni wqn nl k w ge
gb'-borr'bg
je a l'j-l'j
Blarodelwere
KrjeQwlnnl
Qwlnnl
krje
A l'ya-l'ya
Bl ara odelwr
KrjeQwlnni
Qwlnnl
Krje
A bl'mg-bl'mg
$ ara odelwr
Krje
Qwlnnl
665
lfa Dida: An invtation to lfa Consultation
Qwlnnl
Krje
A nl ire gbogbo
Bl ara de lwere
Krje
Qwlnnl
Qwlnnl
Krje
Translation
Krje
Qwlnn'l
Qwlnn'lKrje
They were the ones who cast If for
Qpg
YQk, tQ
the Slender Palm tree
When going
on spiritualmission tolwr land
He was advised to offer
ebg
so that he would be more
successful than all others
He complied
We shall be as wealthy
Asthatof the inhabitants oflwr land
All hail Krje
Qwlnn)
And
QWInn)
Krje
We shall be blessed with several children
As those of the inhabitnts of Iwere land
All hail Krje
Qwlnn)
And
QWlnn)
Krje
We shall be blessed with alllre in life
As those of the inhabitants oflwre land
All hail Krje
Qwlnnl
And
QWlnn)
Krje
If says that all Ire in life shall come the way of the person for whom this
od is revealed. All he/she needs to do are to offer the appropriate gbg
as
prescribed
above and also move out of his/her place
of bfth. By so doing,
his/her luck shall shine brightly.
3. If says that it foresees the lre of wealth, spouse, offspring, sound
health, victory over adversary and long life for the person for whom
this Od is revealed. In fact, If foresees all Ire in life for this person.
If enjoins the person for whom this Od is revealed to ensure that
he/she follows If injunctions in all the things he/she is doing. If
he/she holds onto If, then If will never let him/her down in any way
666
iti ou u"ii
whatsoever.
In this
particular stanza, If recommends the following ebo: for long
life and good health; 2OO pebbles, three cocks and money; for
fertility for both males and females, plenty of sodium
bicarbonate,
plenty
of dry stalk of
guinea-corn, plenty
of
alligator pepper grains, four hens, four clothing materials
and money; for victory over witches and other adversaries, six
bottles of
palm oil, six big rats and money; for general well
being and overall success, all edibles;. For abundant wealth, 16
white pigeons and money; while he/she needs to serve If with a
big keg of raffia-palm wine, four big kolanuts with four
valves and money every year. If all these can be done, the
general well-being, long life and overall success of the
person for
whom this Od is revealed is assured. On all these, a stanza in this
Od says:
If nt kl w{n kl Oun nl m'Oj-m'Oj
If nl kl wQn kl Oun nl m'eji-m'eji o
If pQlm'oj-m'ojo
If pglgm'eji-m'eji
If o b
peleo
9mq
gl'Qn t y rere Ado-lwl
Translation
If declares that he should be greeted in association with rain-fall
If says that he should also be saluted in association with rcin shower
If we halyou, in association with rainfall
And we salute you in association with rain shower
If we greetyou with respect
Owner of that road which branched to Ad-fwi town (Ad-Eldtl)
Qrnmll
asked
people to greet him and compare his achievements in life
with the blessing and abundance of rainfall. He was thus
greeted. He was
also
praised as the owner of the straight road which led to Ad-fwi. He
however corrected them that he was never a citizen of Ad-Fwi. He said
that when he traveled to Ad-Fwi, he realised that the town was very
populous and he enquired from them about which Origa creed they
followed or worshiped. They however responded that they had no Origa
667
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
which they worshped. That was when
Qrrlnmll
asked them to close their
eyes and they did. He threw 200 Ikin on the right and another 200 on the
left. He asked them to open their eyes and ordered them to
pick
the lkin.
They struggled forthem and they picked
them all.
Qrunmlla
told them that
those were the If symbols which they would be worshipplng and be
following for guidance, wealth, security, spouses, long-life and allthe
good
things of life. They were all doing this in Ad-Fwand all the good
things of
life came to them like rain shower.
If nl kl wQn kl Oun nl m'OjO-m'OjO
If nl kl wQn kl Oun nl m'eji-m'eji o
If pQlgm'Oj0-m'ojo
If pelq m'eji-m'eji
If o b peo
9mq
glQgbagbr
e ode
Qfa
Translation
If declares that he should be greeted in association with rain-fall
If says that he should also be saluted in association with rain shower
If we hailyou, in association with rainfall
And we salute you in association with rain shower
If we greetyou with respect
Owner of the giant nail bythe boundary of
Qfa
land
Again, If asked
people
to greet him and compare his achievements in life
with the blessing and abundance of rainfall, and he was greeted. When he
was greeted in connection with
Qfa
town, he responded that he was not a
citizen of
Qfa.
He said that he travelled to
Qfa
town and metthem afflicted
with variety of ailments, ranging from fever, yaws, tuberculosis, leprosy to
paralysis. They came to him to consult If on how alltheir ailments would
disappear. He assured them that the illness would go but they needed to
offer gbg with 200 pebbles, three cocks and money. They did. He
then put )yQrOsn on the 200 pebbles and asked them to struggle for
possession
of these
pebbles.
They all rushed to get
at least one each from
the 200 pebbles.
In the process
of doing this, four to five people were
struggling for one pebble. Sometimes more than 20 people would be
struggling for only one pebble. Before they knew it, all their ailments
disappeared and they all became hail and heafty. That was why people
were saying Tjakadl I'qrg
Qf'
meaning 'Wrestling is the custom of
Qfa
land'
668
IT o"" u"i
Ifa nl kl wqn kl un nl m'Oj-m'OjO
If nl kl wgn kl Oun nl m'eji-m'eji o
If pQlg m'jO-m'ojo
If pQlg m'eji-m'eji
If o b pel
o
Qmg
ogbuuru
9mgQgbaara
E$ to gan t t'il ljero-QlqmoJg lg o
Translation
If declares that he should be greeted in association with rain-fall
If says that he should also be saluted in association with rain shower
If we hailyou, n association with rainfall
And we salute you in association with rain shower
If we greet you with respect
Ownerof thefast moving stream
And the swifttraveling stream
Which passed
acrossthe land ofljerO-glQmqfe
And again when
Qrnmll
was greeted in connecton wth rain shower and
he was prased in connection withljer-QlQmgfg town. He declared that he
was not a citizen of ljer-QIQmgfg town. He explained that when he
arrived at ljer-Eld, he met them suffering from the problem
of
childlessness, both males and females. That was why he asked them to
brig to him four loads of sodium bicarbonate, four loads of dried stalk of
guinea
corn, four loads of alligator
pepper grans, four hens and four
clothing materials as gbg materials. They complied. After these, he
pounded
the sodium bicarbonate, guinea
corn stalk and alligator pepper
grains together into powder
and asked them, both males and females, to
use itwith corn
porridge. When they did this, they all began to give
birth to
children. The blessing of children cametothem like rainfall.
If nl kl wqn kl Oun nl m'OjO-m'Oj
If nl kl wgn kl un nl m'eji-m'eji o
If pQlf m'j-m'Oj
If p9lm'eji-m'eji
If o b pQlo
Qmg
al'klmagbO ttl gb'p gmg tuntun fO rrr l'de lkql
669
lfa Dida: An invitaton to lfa Consuftation
Translation
lf declares that he should be greeted in association with rain-fall
If says that he should also be saluted in association with rain shower
If we hailyou, in assocaton with rainfall
And we saluteyou in association with rain shower
If we greetyou with respect
Owner of the great klmgbO bird which flies off with the
forelimb of a new-born baby atlkfle town
And yet
agan, If asked people to
greet him in reference to rainfall and they
dd. When those
praisng him made reference to IkQI-Eldti, he made it
clear to them that he was not a citizen of that town. He explained that he
came tolkgb Eltltl only to discover that things were not moving well for the
inhabitants of that town. He consulted If for them when they approached
him. He told them that the causes of their problems were the handiwork of
Elders of the Night and other
principalities. He advised them to feed the
Elders of the Night (witches) with six medium-size kegs of palm-oil,
six
Okt, big rats, and money. They complied. Before long after
peforming
the ritual, all their
problems
disappeared. All the good
things which they
had hithefto lacked came rushing to them in torrents.
If nl kl wgn kl Oun nl m'jO-m'Oj
If nl kl wqn kl Oun nl m'eji-m'eji o
If pQlm'OjO-m'OjO
If pQlQ m'eji-m'eji
If o b pele
o
Qmg ftrtu-rotogbo
NTbi wqn gb ge gw-gOw
Translation
If declares that he should be greeted in association with rain-fall
If says that he should also be saluted in association with rain shower
If we hailyou, in association with rainfall
And we saluteyou in association with rain shower
If we greetyou with respect
Owner of
Fl
j-ffogb town
Where the inhabitants were chattering like birds
In continuation of his narration, If asked
people
to greet him in connection
with the rainfall and he was greeted. But when he was praised
and linked
wth
Flj-ffogb
town, he explained that he was not a citizen of that town.
670
!T o""
""i,
He explained fufther that when he went to
fluju-ffogbo
he met the
inhabitants of that town suffering from hunger and famine. He stated that
when he saw this, he went to take a large piece
of farmland, he taught the
inhabitants of
fluu-fofogb
how to till the land, make heaps, plant yoffi,
maize, beans, peas, groundnuts
and so on. After about three years
or so,
he found 2000 people
on his right, another 2000 on the left, 2000 in front of
him and yet another 2000 on his back. He asked them what they had come
for. They responded that they had come to live with him. They made him
their
Qba.
All their sufferings and wants became things of the past.
That
was how they made
fluu-fofogb
his home. The inhabitants of
fluju-
ffogb then began to count their blessings whlch came to them like
rainfall.
If nl kl wqn o kl un nl m'OjO-m'jO
If nl kl wqn kl un nl m'eji-m'eji o
If pelem'Ojo-m'Oj
If pelem'eji-m'ej
If o b pQlo
Qmq
onlblkan lblkn
Tl wQn gb d'jrr u mglQ t-too-t l'de ljega
Translation
If declares that he should be greeted in association with
rainfall
If saysthat he should also be saluted in association with rain shower
If we hailyou, in association with rainfall
And we salute you in association with ran shower
If we greetyou with respect
Owner of that parcel
of land
Where shrines of seve:al Deities were consecrated inljggaland
When
Qrnmll
was greeted
in connection to rainfall as he requested and
when he was praised
with reference being made toljEgahnd, he retofted
that he was not a citizen of ljggabnd. He explained that he went to
Iqgahnd and he met them suffering from povefi.
They approached him
for If consultation. He assured them that their poverty would disappear
while want would give
way to abundance. He advised them to offer gbg
with 200 white pigeons.
They all complied. Before long, they all became
rich and influential.
671
lfa Dida: An nvtation to lfa Consultaton
When they discovered that their lives had improved for the better, the
citizens of ljesaland begged
Qrnm'il
to stay with them.
Qrunm'il
responded that he could not do that as there were several others who
needed his assistance elsewhere. He however advised them to bring a
keg of raffia
palm wine and four big kolanuts to serve their If ndvdually
every year and his presence would be felt. Anything they needed shall be
given
unto them If they
passionately
and realistically prayed for it.
If nl kf wqn kl oun nl m'ojo-m'ojo
If nl kl wQn H un nl m'eji-m'eji o
If pQlgm'OjO-m'jO
If pQlgm'eji-m'eji
If o b
pele
o,lftrl,
pQlpQl
Qmg
gl'Qn t y rr Ad-fwl
Qrunmll
I'un kll
9e
ara Ad-Fwl
nl oun b wqn
WQn pq bl ewe nmQ I'Ado-lwl
Oun nl Ooga wo I'Qyin nsln
Tl
e
pqbyll
WQn l'wgn O l'Oga kankan t'wgn lsln
Qrnil
w nl kl wgn dTr
nl Oun fQn igba gmg ikin s'Owq
Qtrln
Oun fQn igba gmg ikin s', wq osl
Oun nl klwQn la'j
Kl wQn ma lq ga
Oun nl OOSa tl wQn ma sln nlygn
Tt wn ma l'w
Tl wqn ma l'ya
Tl wQn ma bl'mg
Tl wQn ma kq'l
Tl wQn ma.nl're gbogbo
nl oun l'won ar Ad-Ewl b br sll se b
Oun I'ayewqn bfidra
WQn w sg wlpe If pQl$
o
Ar Ad-lwl
l'un b wgn tan nl'bQ
Oun
g'awo d'bQ ni
QrUnmll
nl kl wQn kl un nl m'j-m'Ojo
If nl kl wgn kl Oun nl m'eji-m'eji o
If pQlm'jO-m'OjO
If pel m'eji-m'eji
672
l o""
"",
If o b
rQl
o, If l,, pQlepele
Qmq
gl'Qg
bg ba ra etl ode OJe
Qrrrnmll
l'un kll ge ar Ode
Qfa
nl un deOdeOfa
Ojojo l gewen
Ajlnde le
jQfiln
wgn ni wQn ftd'f sl
lbg
ni un nl kl wqn
Se
WQn gb'Sbe, wQn r'bg
Oun ba gba lyq sl Okta fitn wgn
Oun nlwqn ma lgrj'ljgd u re
NiwQn b jTja du okrlta
Mbiyn m'rin t ja du Okrlta kan
l{lbi yn m'rn-un ti j du Okta kan
Ni gbogbo ohun tl rr ge wqn l'de
Qfa
ba san
Wqn w n sg wlpeljakadl I'orO
Qfa
Okuta ni wen rljTja d I'ara wqn f y
WQn w p
Qrnmlle
pQE
AraOdeOfa
nl Oun O b wontan
ArUn nf 9 e wqn I'Oun ge'f filn wgn
If nl kl wQn kl Oun nl m'OjO-m'jO
If nl kl wQn kl Oun nl m'eji-m'eji o
If pQlQ m'Oj-m'OjO
If pQl m'eji-m'eji
If o b
fQlo,If
l,, pelepeh
Qmq
Ogbn
9mqQgbar
Eyl t gan t t'il ljero-Qlqmgfq lg o
nl oun kll9e ar ljero-Qlqmoje
Oun g'awo de ljerO-OlQmgfg ni
Oj gmg nf pQn wgn
f;bgniOun
nl klwQnge
WQn gb'$bo, wQn r'bg
WQn b bQrQ s{l bl'mg nl ljero-QlQmgfe
l'un kll gear ljero-QlQmoJgo
If nl kl wqn kl Oun nl m'jo-m'jO
If nl kl wqn kl Oun nl m'eji-m'eji o
If p$lg m'jO-m'ojo
If pQle m'eji-m'eji
If o b pQl
o, If l,, pqhpele
9meal'kalamagb0tll
gb'p gmgtuntun
fO rrer lde lkQl
Qrrtnmlla
l'un kff geara
odelkql
673
lfa Dida: An invtation to lfa Consultation
Nkan wgn O lg dd l'de lkql
L'un b d'f fin won
Oun nlaylbwgn
j
fbg
ni kl wQn ge
WQn gb'$bg, wQn r'bg
Ni ay O b b wgn
j
mQ
WQn w sg wlp If pQlQ o
Qmg
al'klmagbo tfl gb'p gmg tuntun fo rrer lde IkEl
nl Oun b wgn tan nl'bQ
If nl kl wQn kl Oun nl m'jO-m'OjO
If nl kl wQn kl oun nl m'eji-m'eji o
If pQlgm'j0-m'j
If pQlg m'eji-m'eji
If o b pel$o,If l$, pQlQpQle
Flju-fofoguo
M'b ero Ogel
gb ge gOw-gw
Qrunml|a
l'un kff ge
ar
Flj-ffogb
l'j l pqn wgn
L'Oungb'qkq
L'un sl gb'd
L'un b lg r m'lQ
L'un b gbin igu
L'Oungbinlgbado
L'Oun gbin ata
L'un sl
gbin gbogbo ohun tl gnu njg
L'gyln gdn blimgta
Oun rl ggba eeyan l'p
Qtrln
Oun rl qgba eeyan l'p osl
Oun rl ggb
eeyan nTwjrl
Oun ri ggba eeyan l'yln
Oun nl kln lo wa de?
WQn nl wgn w b Oun gb ni
WQn b sg Oun diQba nf'bQ
Nilpqnjtl uwon bde'nQ
nl ojQtf wqn sg
Fluj-ffogbo
di'loun nlygn
nl Oun k b wgn tan nl'bQ
If nf H wqn kl oun nl m'j-m'j
If nl kl wQn kl Oun nl m'eji-m'eji o
If pQlQ m'jO-m'ojO
If pele m'eji-m'eji
If o b pe$ o,lf l, pQl$pQlQ
Omo onl'blkan lblkn
674
Ii o"a
^,r"/i
Tl wQn gb d5r u mgle t-too-t l'de IjQ$a
Qrrtnmll
l'un kff g'ar odeljQsa
nl oun d ode lj*a
Ojr l rr pqn wgn nl'bQ
Ige t mu wqn duduudu ni wgn d'f sl
fbg
ni wgn nl kl wQn
Se
Wgn gb'gbg, wQn sl r'bg
Ajbsnwqn bq
WQn w l'j wgre, were l'de ljege
WQn w nl kf Oun dUrO tl wQn nl'bQ
Ornmll nl Oun nl le dr
Oun o ma lg r b wgn
glOmlrn geti wgn
Oun ba k lkin l wgn I'QwQ
Oun nl to b ti d 'qdggdrtn
Kl wgn ma gb agb OgrQ kQQkan
Obl obgbo w fi bg oun
Kl wgn sl ma tqgrq gbogbo oun tl wQn b f$
Oun o sl ma ge filn wgn
nl nlgbatl oun b'ojrlwo b'ojurl l'deljega
pgba
akrgb grQ
Ati ob olgb I'oun rl
WQn w b$rQ sll bg Oun
Ni wQn b j ni wgn nyQ
jerf
peleo
Qmq
onf 'lQ kanllgk
lbi wqn gb d'j 'mglQt-too-t l'de Ijeqa
Olonguo
If pQl$o
Qmq
qnll rg
Olonguo
If r'res{ mi
Ologbo
If pQlgo
Qmq Qnli
rg
Olongbo
If l r'res{ mi
Olo9bo
If pqle
Qmq Ql'Qn
t y rere I'Ado-lwl
Ologbo
If l r'resl mi
Olo9bo
If pele
675
lfa Dida: An invtation to lfa Consultation
Qmg
ol'Qgbgbr etl Ode
Qfa
Olo9bo
If l r're sl mi
Ologbo
If pQlQ
Qmqogbuuru
9mqQgbaare
T b t'ile ljero-QlSmoJg 19 o
Olongbo
If l r're sl mi
Olongbo
If pelq
9mq
al'klmagbo tff gb'p gmg tuntun fo rrer ode IkQl
Olongbo
If l r'resl mi
Olongbo
If pQlg
Qmg
pl'glj-ffogbo
Nl'bi rO ogele gb rrs, e
gOw-gOw
Olonguo
If l r'resl mi
Olongbo
If p9l
Qmq
onl'blkan-iblkn
Tl wQn gb d'jru 'mglQt-tO-t
L'deljeqa
Olongbo
If l r're sl mi
Olonguo
If pQlQ
Kf nl r'resl mi o
Olo9bo
If l r'resl mi
Olongbo
Transltion
If declares that he should be greeted in association with
rainfall
If saysthat he should also be saluted in association with rain
shower
If we hailyou, in association with rainfall
And we salute you in association with rain shower
676
lT o""
"r,
If wegreetyou with respect
Owner of that road which branched to Ad-fwi town (Ad-Edti)
QrUnm'il
says that he was nota citizen of AdO-Fwitown
He saysthat he metthem
They were very many in AdO-lwi to
He asked them thatwhich Ofiga did theyfollow its creed
When they were as populous
as they were
And they responded thatthey had no Oga which they worship
QrnmTl
asked them to close their eyes
He says that he then threw 200 Ikin on his right hand side
And another200 on his lefthand side
He then asked them to open their eyes
And begin to collectthe holyseeds
He told them that was the 0n9a which they would be following
Which will bring them wealth
And good spouses
And good children
And good houses
And allthe Ire in life
He says the inhabitants of Ad-lwi did so
And their lives improved forthe better
They were then saying greetings to
Qrrlnmlla
The inhabitant of Ad-lwi
He says that he was not related to them in Ad-FWi
He only wentthere on spiritual mission
QrnmIl
declares that he should be greeted in association with rainfall
And should also be saluted in association with rain-shower
If we halyou, in association with rainfall
And we salute
you in association with rain shower
If we greetyou with respect
Owner of the giant nail by the boundary of
Qfa
land
Qrnm)l
says that he was not a citizen of
Qfa
town
Theywere afflcted with ailments
How to get over their ailments was what they consulted If for
Theywere advised to offergbg
Theycomplied
He then sprinkled lyQrsn on
pebble
for them
And he asked them to struggle for possession
of the pebbles
They then began to struggle for the pebbles
Where four people
struggled for possession
of only one pebble
And five people
struggled for possession
of onlyone pebble
That was where all their ailments disappeared at
Qfa
town
They then began to say that wrestling is the custom of
Qfa
land
677
lfa Dida: An nvtaon to lfa Consultation
Pebble was what they were struggling over that made them hail and
hearty
They were then saying all hail
Qrrrnmll
The inhabitantof OJa town
He says that he was not related to them
They were ill and he did If forthem
If declares that he should be greeted in connection with rainfall
If says that he should also be saluted in association with rain
shower
If we hailyou in association with rainfall
And we salute you in association with rain shower
If wg greetyou with respect
Owner of the fast-moving stream
And the swift-travelling stream
Which passed acrossthe land ofljer-Qlgmgfg
He says that he is not a citizen ofljerO-QlQmgfg
He wenton spiritual mission to)jerO-Qlgmgfg
They were experiencing the problem
of child-bearing
They were advised to offer
gbg
And theycomplied
And they began to gve birth to children inljer-Qlqmgfg
They were then saying all hail
QrUnmIl
The i nha bita nts ofljerO-QlQmgfe
He says that he was not a citizen ofljerO-QlQmgfg
If declares that he should be greeted in reference to rainfall
If says that he should be greeted in connection with rain
shower
And we salute
you in reference to rain shower
If we greetyou with respect
Owner of the great klmgbO bird which flies off with the
forelimb of a new-born babyatlkgletown
If says he was not a citizen ofIkQE town
Things were not moving well inlkqle land
And he consulted If forthem
And he said thattheywere being troubled bythe negative
forcesofthe world
He advised them to offergbq
And theydid
And the forces troubled them no more
They were then saying all hail
Qntnm)l
Owner of the great klmgb bird which flies off with the
forelimb of a new-born baby atlkgle town
He says that he was not related to them there
678
ii osa uei
If says he should be greeted in connection with rainfall
And be greeted in association with rain shower
If we hailyou in connection with rainfall
And we saluteyou in association with rain shower
If we greetyou with respect
Owner of
f
l j -ffogb town
Where they were chanting like birds
Qrnmll
says he was nota citizen of
Fluju-ffogbo
He says thatthey were experiencing hardship
And he carried hoes
And cutlasses
And he wentto cultivate a large piece of farmland
He planted yams
And maize
And pepper
And he planted
all edibles, crops and fruits
After aboutthree years
He discovered about 2000 people
on his right
And 2000 on his left
And another 2000 in front of him
And yetanother
2000 on his back
He enquired from them what the matter was
They responded thatthey had come to stay with him
They made him their king
And their hardship disappeared
He says that was the day they turned the wilderness of Ffogb to his
home
He says he was not related to them there
He declared that he should be greeted in association with rainfall
And also in reference to rain shower
If we hailyou in association with rainfall
And we salute you in reference to rain shower
If we greetyou
with respect
Owner of that parcel
of land
Where shrines of several Deities were put in place inljQga land
Qrnm)l
says he was nota citizen ofljqga land
He says that when he arrived atljqga land
They were suffering inljEga land
Povefi and want was their bane before they consulted If
They were advised to offergbg
They complied with the advice
After these, wealth came to them
They became rich inljqga land
679
lfa Dida: An invitaton to lfa Consultation
They pleaded with hm to stay with them
Qrnmtl
responded that he could not
He needed to go and help others to solve their problems
.
He then gave them lkin, the holy seeds
He said thateveryyear
Theyshould carryone keg of raffia palm wine each of them
And big kolanuts
To propitiate him with these items
And pray for all their needs
And he would be giving them unto them
And before he knew itatljesa hnd
Itwas 2000 kegs of raffia palm wine
And several big kola nuts that he saw
And they began to
propitiate him
They were dancing and expressing theirjoy
Noq allhaillf
Owner of that parcel of land
Where shrines of several Deities were put in place inljgsa land
Olongbo, the big kola nuts
If is he who gave me all Ire
Olongbo
All haillf
Offspring of
pnii're
0tongbo
If is he who gave me all Ire
Otogbo
Allhaillf
Owner of that road which branched to Ado-fwi town
Olongbo
If is he who gave me all lre
Otngbo
Allhaillf
Owner of the giant nail by the boundary of
Qfa
land
Olongb
If is he who gave me all Ire
Olongbo
Allhaillf
Owner of the fast-moving stream
And the swift-travelling stream
Which passed acrossthe land ofljero-QlQmgfe
Otongbo
If is he who gave me all Ire
680
Tl o""
"",
Olongbo
Allhaillf
Ownerof the greatklmgbO bird
Which fles off with the forelimb of a new-born baby at
Ikgle town
Obngbo
If is he who gave me all Ire
Olongbo
Allhaillf
Ownerof wilderness of fufogb
Where Ogel people
were chanttering like birds
Obnsbo
If is he who gave me all Ire
Otongbo
Allhaillf
Owner of the fast-moving stream
Owner of that parcel
of land
WhereshrinesofseveralDeitieswereputin placeinljgga land
Ologbo
If is he who gave me all Ire
Obngbo
What and who gave me all Ire in life
Obnsb
If is he who gave me all Ire
.
Olongbo
If says all Ire in life shall come the way of the
person
for whom this Od is
revealed. He/she only needs to be steadfast and follow all the advices and
directives of If always.
4. If says that the person for whom this Od is reveated shall be
I
extremely successful in life. Others will be
praying
to Oldmar to
make them as successful as the person for whom this Od is revealed.
Not only that, many other people
shall be looking upon him as the
person in whose hand the key to their success is. He/she shall be
emulated in all his/her actions and utterances.
If advises this person
to offer gbg with four white pigeons.
He/she also needs to shave his/her head clean. The hair shall be
I
681
Ita Dida: An invitation to lfa Consuftaton
added to the gbg
and be taken to the riverside or stream. He/she
willalso wash his/her head in the stream before returning home. At
home, he/she will serue his/her Ori, head, with one whte pgeon,
two kolanuts, a bottle of alcohol and money. By so doing,
his/her capability to acquire wealth shall have no limit. On all
these,Qsa-Me:l says:
OorotQ$reoj
eb
Dlfiln Ejt-Qsa
Tl y Iqqfrl gl I'Qs
fbgniwqn
nl kge
Translation
The slender Ooro tree by the pottery
side
He was the one who cast If for E)-Qsa
When going to have a share of wealth bythe riverside
He wasadvised to offergbg
ET-Qsa was a very promising If priest. He was one of the 16 principal
Od. In order to determine how successful he would be in life, one day, he
approached the Awo mentioned above for If consultation: would he be
as great as his other colleagues? Would he have the kind of recognition
he dreamt for himself? Would he live a fulfilled life?
The Awo assured him that he would be very successful in life. He was also
assured that his name would never be forgotten in life. He was advised to
offer
gbg
and serve his Ol as prescribed
abovd He was also told that his
destiny did not support his keeping his hair busy. He must always be
shaving the hair of his head clean. He was advised to shave his head
clean, the hair collected together and added to the
ebq
materials. He
complied. The qbg was taken to the riverside.
Before long, E3l-Qsa had become a very successful Babalawo. He was
always sought after in all occasions. Many people,
especially women rose
up to assist him in all the things he laid his hands upon. Everything he
attempted to do became successful at the first attempt. He promised
those who had assisted him one way or the other that he would help them
to succeed and he fulfilled his promise. When people
began to notice that
682
!l o""
""i,
he was always shaving his head clean, many people
began to emulate him,
sayng that they wanted to be as successful as Ej-Qsa. Those who
emulated him genuinely
also became successful like him. He and his
followers enjoyed fulfilled lives. They were all full of happiness and
gratitudeto
Oldmar
Oorot$eroju
Qbrlrl
Dlfirn Ejl-Qsa
Tlyo lqqf'rl gl I'Qs
fbg
niwgn nl kge
gb'gbgr rrl'bg
Ejl-Qsa tl o b l
Ko l ml o
Emi ti f'rl oh kodoro
Translation
The slender Ooro tree bythe pottery
side
He was the one who cast Ifa for E)-Qs
When going to have a shave of wealth bythe riverside
He was advised to offer gbg
He complied
El-Qsa if you becomesuccessful
Make me successfultoo
I have shaven my head clean in orderto bewealthy
If says the
person for whom this Od is revealed shall succeed if he/she
can follow the If njunctions as explained above and continue to be
hardworking and dedicated. He/she needs to believe in If and move close
to it.
5. If says thatthe person for whom this Od is revealed shall be dealing
with and/or working for highly placed people in the socety. They shall
rely on him/her for most things that they plan
or do. His/her opinions
shall be highly valued and people will consider him/her vital when very
impoftant decision are about to be taken, when a serious conflict is
about to be resolved, when an important business deal is about to be
iniated, negotiated, followed up or concluded, when arrangement,
solemnization of marriages are about to be done, even when final
683
Ifa Dida: An nvitaton to lfa Consultation
burial arrangements are to be organized. Many highly placed
personalities will appreciate him/her being by their side in order to
make th ings work to everybody's satisfaction.
If says that by so doing, he/she shall excel in life, especially in the
area of conflict resolution, public relations, hospitality business and all
other related fields. His/her value shall never be under-estimated in
the community where he/she finds himself/herself.
If advises the
person for whom this Od is revealed to offer
gbg with
two
pigeons, two hens, two cocks, two guninea fowls and
money. If also advises that there is the need to feed If with one
hen for everything to work out fine for this
person.
On all these, If
says:
Ita gbangba ni O ge kan sQsl
Dlfin FerU
Tl g'awo
Qba
l'lQde
Qyq
lbg
niwqn nl k
9e
Translation
A door is not fit for an open space
Thiswasthe declaration of If for Fer
When going to become the Awo of the
Qba
of
Qyq
He was advised to offer
gbg
Fer began to study If from his youth. He was very brilliant and before
long, he became very versatile in the
profession,
soon after this, he began
to
practice If on his own. Many people who went to him for solutions to
their various problems returned to their homes with smiles.
Before long, his reputation as a competent If priest spread Iike wild fire.
People came from far and near to find solution to their problems and they
were notdisappointed. The poor
became rich; the blind regain theirsight;
the barren became proud parents, the invalid became strong and healthy;
those bound by witches and those experiencing evil spells were set free.
Allthe people began to sing the
praise
of Fer to high heaven.
684
'tl
ou r",
within a shoft perod
of time, Fer's reputation became well known to
some highly placed
chiefs n
QyQ
town. They too approached him for
solution to their own problems
and once more, they too were not
disappointed. These Chiefs went to the
Qba
and explained to him that
there was a competent If priest
in his domain which they would like the
Qba
to try. The
Qba
invited Fer for If consultation and again, the
eba
was highly impressed, seeing this, the
Qba
invited Fer to come and
become his (Qba) personallf
consultant.
When this message was delivered to Fer he went to the house of the Awo
mentioned above for If consultation; would he succeed as the
Qba's
personal
Awo? would his reputation remain as popular
as it had been
before? Would his becoming the personalAwo
of
Qba
enhance his success
chances in life? would he be happy in his new role? All these and many
more questions occupied his mind when he wentfor If consultation.
when If was consulted,
Qsa-Me)
was revealed. The Awo assured Fer
not to enteftain any fear whatsoever. He was advised to be humble and
honest at all times and by so doing, heaven is the beginning of his success.
He was told thatvery soon, he would not only become the
Qba's
trusted If
priest, but equally his close confidant and an important member of his
kitchen cabinet. He was assured that there would be a time that the
Qba
would not be able to take any step or do anything without consulting with
him beforehand. He was advised to offer gbg with two white pigeons,
two
guinea fowls, two hens, two cocks and money. He was also advised to
serue If with one big hen, kolanuts, bitterkola, palmoilgin
and money. All
these he did. Soon after this, he moved to the
Qba's
palace and became
his personalAwo.
The first thing the
Qba
noticed was that there was relative peace
in his
domain as soon as Fer became his Awo. There were more business
prospects
in the community. The inhabitants became happier. The
Qba
became more popular. These drew the
Qba
closer to Feru. The
Qba
did
not want to take any wrong step whatsoever. For this reason, he consulted
Fer every morning. It got to a stage that all the
Qba's
domestic matters
were left in the hand of Fer. Not only this, if the
Qba
wanted to go to the
meeting of the council of
Qbas,
he would first consult with Fer and all the
i
685
lfa Dda: An nvtaon to lfa Consultation
advices that Fer gave him would be taken and followed to the end. These
yielded huge positive results for the
Qba.
Soon, all the meetings were
being attended by
Qba
and his personalAwo, Fer. Allthe other chiefs also
consulted with Fer and they were not disappointed. They too
placed their
lives in the able hands of Fer and they were happier for it. Fer was
moving, wining and dining in the midst of those who hitherto were higher
than him. He was always seen in the midst of allthe movers and shakers in
the community.
The most impoftant aspect of Fer's life however was that he was very
honest with all his highly placed clients and he never allowed his success
and reputation to enter into his head or make him misbehaved in any way.
Ita gbangba ni o
Se
kan aasg sl
D,lfiln Fer
Tl s'awo
Qba
l'lQde
Qyq
Fbgniwqn
nl kge
gb'Qbo, r'bg
j9
Qba
o rf Fer
QbaOg'ay
Age b O rl Fer, Awo
Qba
Translation
A door is notfitfor an open space
This was the declaration of If for Fer
When going to become the Awo of the
Qba
of
QyQ
He was advised to offergbg
He complied
Now, if
Qba
did notsee Fer
Qba
willtake no decision
If wedid notsee Fer,theAwoof
Qba
If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed shall be
great in life.
He/she shall move in the midst of powerful people in the society. His/her
opinion shall be sought from far and near and people shall respect whatever
he/she says.
6. If says that the
person for whom this Od is revealed shall succeed
where others had failed. He/she shall be elevated and honoured
686
Ti o""
""i,
where others had been dumped and humiliated. If says that the
person for whom this Od is revealed have the talent to right all
wrongs, to settle seemingly impossible problems,
to bring forth smiles
where there had hithefto been sorrow; and to shine the rays of hope
and assurance wherethere had been
gloom
and despair.
If says that many people had already been called upon to solve a
pafticular problem
but they had all failed. If says that the
person
for
whom this Od is revealed need to offer gbg with three cocks, three
guinea fowls and money. He/she also needs to feed the Elders of
the Night (witches) with palm
oil. He/she equally needs to serue If
with one hen. By so doing, he/she shall surely succeed.
The person for whom this Od is revealed is advised to guard
against
excessive reliance on his/her competence in handling any assignment
given
unto him/her. Rather he/she needs to offer gbg
as
prescribed
above and feed If and the Elders of the Night so that his/her success
chances can be enhanced and assured. The more gbg he/she offers,
the better his/her success chances. On all these, a stanza in
Qs
MT
says:
n wewgn I'Qwg iwr-iwr
f wewgn I'QsQ iwr-iwr
IX fitn Egngn
nlqq t'alg rfQ
9e
Fbq
ni won nf k w ge
Translation
Ittwists round their hands firmly
And itcurls round their legs strongly
These were lf's declarations to Egrlngrf n
When going to reform IfQ land
He was advised to offer ebo
There was a serious problem in Il-If. It was so serious that nothing
appeared to workwell in the town. The rich had become debtors, pregnant
women could not give birth successfully, barren women abound in the town,
the strong had become invalid, and happiness no longer existed in Il-IfQ.
687
Ifa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
Consequent upon these happenings, the inhabitants of ll-Ife invited
Egungn, the spirit of the ancestors, to help them mend their town.
Egngn in turn went for lf's consultation in the home of the Awo
mentioned above. He wanted to know the following. What were the
causes of all their problems? Were these
problems within the scope of
reformation? Would he in particular
be able to reform the town and
banish the problems facing the inhabitants of ll-Ife? After doing these
successfully, would he be credited with the honour or would the
inhabitants turn out to be ingrates?
The Awo informed Egngun that the problems being faced by the
inhabitants of ll-Ife were solely caused by the Elders of the Night. They
said that Egngn was capable of righting all the wrongs. They also
assured Egngn that he would be credited with the glory if and when
successfully done to completion. He was however advised to offer gbg,
feed If and the Elders of the Night as stated above so as to enhance his
success chances. Egngn retofted that since he was quite capable of
solving all the problems why must he waste his resources on gbg and
rituals. He felt that all the Awo were
just
trying to rip him off since they
knew that he would do the assignment successful. He therefore refused
to offer the gbg.
While in Il-IfQ however, Egngn began his work. Allthe witches of the
world teamed up against him, and before long, he was totally
ovenryhelmed. They hit him against the floor and drove him to the
ground. Before long, only his face appeared on the ground while all other
pafts of his body were completely buried. That was how Egrlngrln failed
woefully to accomplish his mission in Il-IfQ.
n wewgn I'qwq iwr-iwr
n wewgn l'gsQ iwr-iwr
Dlfin Ogun
nqq t'tQ rfQ
9e
fbg
ni wQn nl kw
fe
Translation
Ittwists round their handsfirmly
688
ii ou r",
And itcurls round their legs strongly
These were lf's declarations to OgUn
When going to reform IfQ land
He was advised to offer gbg
When it became clear that Egungn had failed woefully to reform
Il-Ife, the elders of the town approached Ogun for assistance.
Before leaving for Il-IfQ, he went for If consultation in the home
of the same Awo whom Egngrf n consulted. In the home of the
Awo, Ogun asked questions
similar to the ones Egrlngtln asked.
The Awo gave
Ogun the same assurances and advices they gave
to Egrlngrln. They also advised Ogun to offer gbg,
feed If and the
Elders of the Night as they told Egr:ngn. And again, gn
refused to comply with the advices of the Awo, relying entirely on
his competence, prowess
and sheer force. Soon after this, he
wentto ll{fe to carry out his reformation assignment.
As soon as he started this assignment, the Elders of the night pounced
on
him as they did to Egngrln. They twisted, curled and rolled round his
hands and legs. They threw him hard on the ground. Before long, he too
was completely ovenryhelmed. They did not stop there; they continued to
hit him against the ground
until every part
of his body was completely
buried, leaving only his buttocks showing on the ground.
Again, Ogrfn was disgraced and incapacitated. He could not perform
the
assignment he was given,
He became a complete failure.
r we won I'Qwe iwre-iwer
n we wgn I'QsQ iwr-iwr
Dlfitn
Qrunmlla
rqgt'atgrfQge
Fbq
ni wQn nl k w ge
Translation
Ittwists round their hands firmly
And it curls round their legs strongly
These were If's declarations to OrUnm)l
When going
to reform IfQ land
689
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
He was advised to offer qbg
When Egungrln and gn failed in their mission to reform ll-Ife,
QrrlnmIl
was approached and begged to help them reform the land. Just as in the
cases of Egrtngrln and OgUn before him,
Qrrlnmll
went to the home of the
same Awo for If consultation. The Awo also told him the same things they
told both Egngr1n and Ogrln. They gave him the same assurances which
they gave his predecessors. They also gave him the same advices and
asked him to offer gbg, feed the Elders of the Night and If as his
predecessors had been told. However, in the case of
Qrunmll,
all the gbg
and rituals were peformed
before he set out on the
journey
to Il-Ife.
While in Il-IfQ, the Elders of the Night, knowing fully well that
Qrnm)l
had given
to them what they demanded for, began to assist him in the
accomplishment of his mission.
All those whom they tied with sickness, litigation, loss, restlessness,
povefty
and emotional crises were untied and released; pregnant women
delivered safely; debtors became wealthy men and women, barren women
became
pregnant, invalids regained their strength, failed crops became
bountiful. Before long, there was happiness and peace in ll-Ife.
Everybody became contented. All the credits were given to
Qrnmll.
Thatwas how Ornmll succeeded where Egrlngn and OgUn failed.
rr wewgn I'QwQ iwr-iwr
rt we wgn I'QsQ iwr-iwere
IXfitn Egungun
ntqqt'alQ rfQge
!b9
ni wqn nl k w
Se
n wewgn I'o,wq iwr-iwr
n wewgn I'qsg iwr-iwr
Dlfn Ogun
ntgg t'atQ rfQ
9e
fbg
niwqn nl kw
Fe
rt wewgn l',wQ iwr-iwr
rf wewgn l'gsQ iwr-iwr
Dlfirn
Qrunmll
ntggt'atQ rfQ qe
fbqniwQn
nl kw9e
690
i', oo r"j,
Qrnmll
nlkan nf ttbe l'gyln tO rg'gbg
Nje
Qrunmlla
pQlQ
o
I
Egngn Ol-If+rtll san mrlwOo pako
Qrnmll
l b wgn t'lQ IfQ
9e
L'ayewQnfign rekete
Translation
It twisb round their hands firmly
And itcurls round their legs strongly
These were lf's declarations to EgrlngUn
When going
to reform Ife land
He was advised to offer gbg i
Ittwists round their hands firmly
And itcurls round their legs strongly
These were If's declarations to OgUn
When going to reform IfQ land
He was advised to offergbg
Ittwists round their hands firmly
And it curls round their legs strongly
These were lf's declarations to
Qrnm)l
When going to reform IfQ land
He was advised to offergbg
{
OnlyQrrlnmlla complied and offered theebq
Now, gentlyQrrtnm)la
The Egngn of the
Qba
of Il-IfQ, who adorns himself with bamboo
leaves
Qrrlnmll
is he who helped them to reform Il-Ife
Ths made their lives to improve for the better
If says that the
person
for whom this Od is revealed shall succeed where
others had failed. Conversely, If says that the problems
being
encountered by the community for whom this Od is revealed shall (
disappear. What they need to do is to offer gbg, feed If and the Elders of
the Night. By so doing, their lives will improve for the better.
7. If says that success and prosperity
of the person for whom this Od
is revealed is due before the end of the year which If is cast. If says
that on that year,
this person
shall succeed and accomplish his/her
heafts desires. If however warns that this person is full of
himself/herself. He/she is very proud
and arrogant. He/she
t
691
lfa Dida: An invtation to lfa Consultation
therefore needs to change this attitude in order for him/her to aveft
untimely death, humiliation and misfoftune. He/she must show
humility at all times. When people come to visit him/her, there is the
need to see them off when they departed. He/she must not show
them that they are less important than his/her next Iine of action.
He/she must not be too class-conscious. So as not to lose his/her
chances or miss valuable oppoftunities.
If says that there is the need for the
person for whom this Od is
revealed to offer
gbg of prosperity and victory with three pigeons,
three cocks and money. He/she also needs to serve If with one
hen and money. On these, If says:
Mogb'lmofojrl sln
q
Ntlgeik pa Babalwo
Anlyn ni mofi sln
g
Nll9e kq pa
wgn gb$egun
Mgd kkrkre ko
jg
n r'y gbQ tlrq
L m mil gealra st
q
DlfilnQrnmll
WQn nl ojrl gdn nll I'gl a Baba t
Fbg
ni wqn nl k w
Fe
Translation
I stayed at home but saw
you
off with my eyes (even if I cannot see you
off physically)
That is what causes the death of
prominent Babalwo
With ntention, I see you
off (even if I am not by your side physically)
That is what causes the death of accomplished Herbalist
These kids do not allow me to pay attention to
you (when you
came on
visit)
That is what causes my non-challant behaviours to you
These were lf's declaration to
Qrunm)l
Who was told that his success was due this year
He was advised to offergbg
QrrJnmIl
was complaining that he had not yet
succeeded in life. He
became so worried that he went to his students for If consultation. The
students told him that he would surely succeed in life. They stated fufther
that his success was due that same
year. He was advised to show humility
692
ll o",
""i,
at all times. He was urged never to allow anything to disturb him from
giving people the type of adequate hospitality they deserue, irrespective of
their socio-economic status. He was also urged to ensure that he saw his
visitors off whenever they came calling in order for them not to see him as a
proud and arrogant
person. He was also advised to offer
gbg
and serve If
as
prescribed
above. He complied.
When
Qrnm)l
began his practice, he never discriminated against anyone
no matter the person's socio-economic class or status. He listened
attentively to all the complaints of all his clients, friends and acquaintances.
He ensured that he made everyone feel at home and welcomed.
Qrnm'il's
high sense of humour, dedication, commitment and
unbelievable level of humility endeared him to everyone, His clients always
wished to come back again and again. Most of these clients also
introduced other clients to him. Gradually, his wealth and reputation were
building up. True to the
prediction
of If, he became very wealthy before
the end of that
particular year. He was full of
joy
and
gratitude to If,
knowing that If assisted him that much because he heeded the advice of
If to be humble, hospitable, dedicated and unassuming atalltimes.
Mogb'l mofojr sln
Q
Ml9e ik pa Babalwo
Anlyn ni mofi sln
q
Nff
9e
ik pa wgn egbalgegn
Mgd krkrkre kO
jQ
n r'ygbQtlrg
L m mil gealra a st g
Dl fitn
Qrnmll
WQn nl ojrt
qdn nff I'gl a Babat
Fbg
ni wqn nl k w
9e
gb'gborrrt'bg
Ifwlnlnlnltmio
$aworo
epo, osggesege
Ojr kll pQn isin almla
Translation
I stayed at home but saw
you off with my eyes
That is what causes the death of prominent Babalwo
With ntention, I see
you off
That is what causes the death of accomplished Herbalists
These kids do not allow me to
pay
attention to
you
693
lfa Dida: An nvtation to lfa Consultation
That is what causes my non-chalant behaviourto you
These were lf's declarations to Ornmll
Who was told that his success was due this year
He was advised to offergbg
He complied
If says that, as for me, I shall surely succeed
No hardship shall preclude ISin seeds from breaking open
when it becomes fully ripe
If says that the
person for whom this Od is revealed shall succeed f
he/she follows the advices of If as stated above.
In order to accelerate this success the person for whom this Od is revealed
needs to look for Igin seeds, grind them into fine paste,
add
palm
oil and
mix the two with soap for bathing. If he/she can use the soap regularly,
success shall surely come very quickly.
8. If says that the
person for whom this Od is revealed shall surely
become a leader or move in the midst of movers and shakers of the
community in which he/she belongs. His/her opinion shall be sought
at all times. That this will happen is not in doubt. If however warns
the
person for whom this Od is revealed against being self-
opinionated. He/she needs to avoid pride as it could lead to his/her
downfall. If says that if he/she is given recognition and respect
he/she must neverthinkthatthere were no other
people who are ever
more qualified than himself/herself. If warns that
pride may lead to
a situation where people will gang
up against him/her and remove
him/her from whatever position he/she is occupying. Not only this,
he/she may also be rubbished and putto ridicule whose stain shall be
with him/herforever.
If says that the
person for whom this Od is revealed needs to show
humility at all times and offer gbg with two white he-goats, glue
and money. He/she also needs to serve the EIders of the Night with
kuru, bean fritters mixed with honey and
glue;
this is to be
placed where If has directed that it should be placed.
On this, a
stanza in
Qs-M)
says:
694
"l
ou r",
Be l y
K o ma b I at
fn gbogboqyg
. Tl be l'arnlgbQ
fbg
ni wqn nl kl wen ge
Ba iy
Ko m b leat
DlfilnQslngaga
Tl bel'arinlgbe
Eyl tl wqn m
j'gba
eJe
lbg
niwQn nl k w ge
Translation
Land on Iy tree
Do not land on glue
This was the If cast for all the birds
Who were living in the forest
Theywere advised to offer gbg
Land on Iy tree
Do not land on glue
This was the If cast for
Qs)n
Who was living in the forest
1
And who shall be made the king of birds
He was advised to offergbg
One day, all the birds in the forest gathered together to select a leader
among themselves. Among the qualities
they consdered were; pose,
elegance, intelligence, bravery and compassion. After a long deliberation,
they concluded that
Qs)n
was emnently qualified to be their leader. For
this reason, Os'in was invited and was made the king of allthe Birds.
After sometimes,
Qs'in
saw himself as the most intelligent, the most
(
elegant, the wittiest, the bravest and the most qualified bird to be the King
of all birds, The first law he made was that he would be landing on the
tallest tree in the forest and that no other bird must ever land on the tree
with him. The next law was that wherever he sat, no other bird must sit
there. After this, he promulgated
the law that whatever he said must never
be contested, because none of the other birds was as intelligent as he was
and therefore they could ofter no good
advice to him on any
process
of
decision-making. At a stage, he made the law that any food he ate, the
dress he wore, and what he drank must never be eaten, worn or drunk on
(
695
lfa Dida: An invtation to lfa Consultaon
that day.
His pride
and high-handedness soon reached a stage that all the other
birds got fed up with him. They initiated a high level conspracy against
him. The tree where
QsIn
used to land was covered with glue
so that
whenever he landed on the tree he would be stuck to the tree. When this
had been done, the birds
quietly
dispersed to their respective homes and
began to await further developments.
In the night on that very day,
Qsln
slept and dreamt that he was tied to a
stake and was being stoned by the other birds. In the dream he was
dragged through the forest naked and later burnt to ashes. This
frightened him when he woke up. He rushed to the home of the Awo
mentioned above for If consultation. He was informed that he had
already offended his colleagues through his pride, high-handedness, lack
of consideration for other
people
and his self opinionated tendencies. He
was advised to change all his attitudes and show humility, have respect for
other people's opinions and show consideration for other people's plight.
He was also advised to offer
qbg
and feed the Elders of the night as stated
above. Hecomplied.
The next morning,
Q$n
gathered
all the birds to the main field. He
apologized to them for all what he had done which they considered
offensive. He promised that he was determined to right all the wrongs. He
appealed to them to give him the chance. All the laws which the other
birds considered to be obnoxious were abrogated with immediate effect.
When the other elders noticed that
QsIn
appeared to be
genuinely
sorry for
all what he had done wrong and was ready to turn a new leaf, they decided
to forgive him and give him another chance. For this reason, he was told
thatthey had already planned to remove him and they had put glue on the
tree he used to land on. He was advised never to land on that tree again
but to use the glue-free Iy tree hencefofth. He agreed from that time, he
changed for the better. Fle listened to his people's
advice and
put
them
into consideration before taking any decision. He enjoyed his life and his
colleagues accorded him all his deserved respect.
Ba |e y
696
il osa uei
Kom be lete
Dl fn gbogbo gyg
i
Tl rr bql'erinlgb
Ebg
ni wqn nl kl wQn ge
B l iya
Ko ma b le t
Dlfitn
Qsln 9a9a
Tt bel'rinlgbg
Eyl tl wqn m
j'qba
eye
fbg
ni wqn nl k w
Fe
.
gb'Qborr'bg
Njq be t'y o
t
Ko m ba l'te
Afinj eyg kll K't
Translation
Land on Iy tree
Do not land on glue
fhis was the If cast for all the birds
Who were living in the forest
fhey were advised to offer
gbg
Landonlytree
t
Do not land on glue
-
l-his was the If cast for OsIn
Who was living in the forest
And who shall be made the king of birds
He was advised to offer ebo
Hecomplied
Please, land on lya tree
And noton glue
An elegant bird does notgetstuckto glue.
'
If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed shall not be tied
(
down with the
glue
of this world. He/she needs to show humility, respect,
consderation for other people's
opnions at all time and be on the side of
the majority in order to achieve his/her heaft's desires and attain his/her
goals in life.
9. If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed is experiencing
a lot of difficulties in his/her life presently. If says that everything
697
lfa Dda: An invitaton to lfa Consuftation
'
shall soon relax and his/her life shall soon pick up for the better. If
promises to put
a smile on the face of the person for whom this Od is
revealed very soon.
If advises the person to offer
gbg with plenty
of bananas, feed If
with same and eat plenty of bananas too. On this aspect, If says:
Qsa
yoo, AwoAy
DlfilnAy
rjqAy le kokoko bl qta
f
bg ni wqn nl k w ge
Translation
Qs
y, theAwo of Ay, the Mother-Eafth
He was the Awo who cast If for Ay
When Aye was as hard as granite
She was advised to offer gbg
Ay, the Mother-Eafth was experiencing hardship. Nothing seemed to
work out right for her. Nothing grew on her. She had nothing to show for
her existence. Crop failed. There was no rainfall. The suface of Ay
cracked all over. She was dusty and filthy. Living creatures residing on her
were dying in their thousands. All creatures lost interest in life and living.
With sorrow in her heaft, she approached her Awo for If consultaion;
would she be able to overcome all her problems? Would her situation
improve for the better? Would she still continue to sustain Iife?
The Awo assured her that difficult situation would soon be over and in its
place,
comfoft and abundance would come. Ay would again be able to
sustain life and living. Rain would soon fall and the surface of Ay would
become soft, cool and habitable. Ay was advised to offer gbg with plenty
of bananas. She was advised to feed If with plenty
of bananas and for her
to eat plenty of bananas too. She was assured that before long an unripe
green and hard banana would soon become ripe and soft. Ay complied
with all the advice of her Awo.
True to the assurance of her Awo, rain soon began to fall. Ay's lot changed
698
!l o""
"",
forthe better. She soon sprouts forth green vegetables. She became soft
and habitable for all living beings. All living beings soon began to multiply
in several folds. Ay was full of praises and gratitude
to her Awo for
changing her life from desperation and helplessness to comfort and
hopefulness.
Qsa
yoorlwoAy
DlfirnAy
MjQAyle kokokobl o,ta
Ebo ni wn nl k w se
g'b'6borr'bg
Ayw
jQ'gQdQttn
Ay tut rl bQ
Je'gede,
je'gede
Translation
Qsa
yoo
the Awo of Ay, the Mother-Eafth
He was the Awo who cast If for Aye
When Ay was as hard as granite
She was advised to offer
ebq
She complied
Aftereating bananas
Ay became cool and comfoftable
Jg'ggde,
jQ'gQdQ.
Eat your
own bananas
If says that no matter how tough the situation might be, comfoft and
contentment will soon come. What the
person for whom this Odtl is
revealed needs to do is to be
patent. He/she also needs to be
perseverance
too. He/she will then be in a
position
to overcome all the
problems
confronti ng h i m/her.
10. If says that t foresees comfort, long life, prosperity,
accomplishment, success and all the good things of life for the
person for whom this Od is revealed. If says that this person
shall
become
great in life. He/she shall lack nothing that is very essential
to him/her in life.
If however warns this person
aganst skipping food for whatever
699
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultaton
reasons. He/she must be taking his/her meals at regular interval no
matter how little the time may be. If also warns the
person for
whom this OdO is revealed against the consumption of alcoholic
drinks on an empty stomach. If says that if this person is in the
habit of either skipping meals or consuming alcoholic drinks on
empty stomach, the habit will not stop him/her from being
great and
successful in life, nonetheless, he/she will spend his/her wealth,
energy, time and happiness on finding solutions to his/her health
problems, especiall stomach related problems
such as stomach
ache, liver problems, kidney problems, gall
bladder
problems,
intestinal
problems
and so on.
If says that there is no gbg or rituals that this person can peform to
prevent him/her from developing stomach
problems,
save for
him/her to heed this warning of If. However, in order for the
success and accomplishment to arrive
quickly, Ifa recommends as
gbg materials, three
pigeons,
three
guinea fowls and money.
There is also the need to serve If with one hen. On all these, a
stanza in
Qsa-M)
says:
In mi
jlnkn
ni mo fi mu'
el'q
tl
Erlgl mi rr
j'obl
Erlgl
j'obl
kl ot mu'tl
In fofo I'QdlnAwo
t)| filn Orrnmlla
If sun'kn pOun
Or{'re
fbg
ni wQn nf k w ge
Translation
With my empty stomach I consume other people's alcoholic drink
With mygums I consume kolanuts
Letthe gum eat kolanut before drinking alcohol
Staying on empty stomach is the bane of an Awo
These were If's declarations to
QrrlnmIl
When crying that he had no Ire in life
He was advised to offergbg
In spite of the fact that
Qrnmll
was the best in his field, in spite of the
fact that
QrUnmIl
was the most gifted
being ever created by Oldmar,
at this pafticular point in time, he had nothing to show for all his wisdom,
700
il on r",
talent and gifts. He had no wife, no chld, and no money. He was living in
abject pove'1ry.
In frustration, he used to move from one house to the other, looking for
alcohol to douse his sorrow. He was always drinking. It reached a stage
that he lost appetite for food. He was always consuming alcohol and
kolanuts. This soon began to take its toll on his health. He grew leaner and
leaner. Sometimes, he would be rolling on the ground
due to stomach
problems.
Some othertimes, he would vomiton the floor and roll in it.
Unknown to him, it was usually at the period when he was in these state of
stupor that his clients used to visit him for If consultation. When they saw
his condition they would simply go elsewhere. All what would have been
his would be
given
to others. On some other occasions, he would be sober
enough to cast If for the client and they would be overwhelmed by the
depth of his understanding and knowledge. By the time they would return
with all the gbg materials, he would have over-drunk and would be in
stupor. When he had not drunk, he would be nursing a mighty stomach
problem. These clients would be forced to find solutions to their problems
elsewhere.
It came to a stage that nobody came to him again. He lost all his friends.
Anytime he went to their homes, they treated him like a nuisance. They
quickly gave him alcohol in order for him not to fowl up their homes for
them. Wives and children desefted him. He was viftually on his own.
One day however, he woke up to access his life. What he discovered was
that he had nothing in this world to
justify
his existence. He had nothing to
show for all his talents. Instead of succumbing to panic
or despair he
decided to approach his former students for If consultation; would he be
able to pick
up the
pieces
of his life again? Would he be able to know what
went wrong with his Iife in the first place? Would he still become somebody
in his life? Would he be recognized, honoured and respected again as
before?
The Awo assured OrrJnmll that he had limitless success chances ahead of
him in life. He told Ornmll that he was the cause of all his problems.
He
701
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
told
Qrrlnmll
that If warned him against his habit of not eating food and
his sole reliance on alcohol and kolanuts at all times.
Qrnm)l
was
advised to eat regularly, limit his alcoholic consumption and never to drink
before eating. He was also advised to offer
gbg
and serve his If as
prescribed above. Allthese he did.
When he returned home, he tidied up the whole environment which he
had hithefto left unattended to. He stopped drinking altogether. When
people noticed this change in him, they were pleasantly surprised. They
soon began to move closer to him. All his friends returned and his family
came back. All his clients returned and they in turn brought their friends
and loved onesto him.
Before long, the reputation of
Qrnmll
began to grow. He was known
everywhere. He was equally respected and honoured. It reached a stage
that there was nothing which the community could do outside his
knowledge. People came from far and near to seek his advice on diverse
issues. Within three
years he had become the richest, most respected
and honoured person in his community. All his ailments had dissappeared
completely. He was able to enjoy his family, friends, loved ones, wealth,
reputation and life. Throughout, he lived and worked as a very happy and
accomplished man.
In mi
jlnkn
ni mofi rl mu'tlgl'qtl
Erlgl mi
j'obl
Erlgl
j'obl
kl ot mu'tl
Inu fOOfo I'QdlnAwo
Dlfitn Ornmll
If rtsun'krln pOun
O rl're
Ebg ni wQn nl k w
9e
O gb'ebo, o ru'bo
jgar'lgrtn a rl'f
Ati r'oylndg o goro
Translation
With my empty stomach I consume other people's alcoholic
drink
With my gums I consume kolanuts
Letthe gum eat kolanut before drinking alcohol
702
il ou rr,
Staying on empty stomach is the bane of an Awo
These were Ifa's declarations to
Qrnmll
When crying thathe had no ire in life
He wasadvised to offer gbg
Hecomplied
We have witnessed success and accomplishments
To experience other
good
things of life is no longer difficult
If says that it is no longer a dffcult thing for the person for whom this Od
is revealed to realize his/her dreams in life. If says that it is
just
a matter
of time for him to become great
and famous in life. He/she must however
heed lf's warnings in order to avoid a situation where he/she would be
countng his/her losses in the midst of
plenty. He/she has potentials
for
greatness
and must not fall into the temptation of becoming an alcoholic
and turn himself/herself into a social nuisance where he/she is supposed to
be honoured.
11. If says that there is a person where this Od is revealed, he/she is
known to be a very lazy person. The assumption of the person
living
close to this person is correct. This person will do everything to avoid
anywork or assignment given to him/her. He/she hates any work
and he/she has unbelievable and inexhaustible trick at his/her
disposalto use in orderto avoid working.
This notwithstanding, this
person is the one who will bring greatness,
success and accomplishment into his/her family, community and
loved ones. The financial success that this person
will attract into
his/her environment will be unprecedented and will become the talk
of the whole community.
If says however that there is the need for those very close to this
person to offer
gbg for him/her with one big ewe. There is also the
need to feed Equ
Qdar
for him/her on a regular basls. If these can
be done, the transformation from grass
to grace, from want to
financial abundance and from failure to success shall be sudden and
miraculous. In this Od, If says:
703
lfa Dida: An nvitation to lfa Consultation
Agbado O
y'olw
k r'Qmg I'Qyln ees
Dl firn ooganla oseergmagbo
Tl y bff 'Lnry I'qmg
[b9
ni wqn nl k w
9e
Translation
Agbdo yolw k rQmg leyln ees
This was theAwowho cast If forObtll
Whoshallhave'Lnry (Eg
Qdara)
as hisson
He was advised to offergbg
'Lnry (ESu
Qdar)
was the adopted son of
Qbatl
in the stanza of this
Od. When the Irnmol were comng fromlkq
Qrun
(Heaven) tolkgle-
Ay (Eafth), Eg
Qdara
othenryise, known as'Lnrye, approached
gbatl
and requested to be
Qbtl's
adopted son while on eath.
Qbatl
agreed.
When they arrived on earth, EgU
Qdara
('Lnry) moved into
Qbtl's
home as his (Qbatl's) son. They were living together as one family.
Anytime
QbaH
sent
Qlnry
on an errand, 'Lnry would find one
excuse or the other not to do what he was sent. If this assignment was to
be
peformed in the house, he would feign headache or pretend that he did
not understand how to accomplish the task. Sometimes, he would simply
run out of the house early in the morning and return when all the
household chores had been finished. Yem,
Qbtl's
wife used to
complain at the initial stage, but she too soon got
used to
QlnrOy's
pranks. It was worse whenever he was sentto the farm, He would either
throw away the basket, hoe or cutlass or deliberately cause the rain to fall
and ensure that the river or stream was too full to cross. Sometimes,
'Lnry would be more mischievous, especially if
Qbath
chose to take
him to the farm with force. He would cause the raft used as bridge to
collapse or even use his AdO-Aqg, command instrumen! to cause head-
ache, stomach upset or dizziness for
Qbatl.
This would force them back
home. 'Lnry would return home triumphantly!
Qbatl
and Yem
eventually considered 'Lnry as the problem
child in the family.
One day however, 'Lnry decided to pay
back allthe good gestures
of his
704
ll o"" rr,
adopted
parents. He reasoned that he had done them a lot of misdeeds
and inflicted so much pains that the only reasonable thing to do was to
compensate them in a way that they would never forget. When he had
made up his mind to do this, the next thing that was at the back of his mind
was: how would he compensate his parents when he had no work of his
own? How would he show gratitude when he had no savings of his own?
How would he show appreciation to all their
good gestures when he was a
lazy man, unwilling to do any work? Before long, he hit on the idea of how
he would do this successfully. He dug into his bags of tricks and fished out
an ingenious idea that would turn his parents into successful persons
overnight without necessarily hufting other people
or
putting
anyone into
pain.
Very early in the morning one day,
QbaHl
woke 'Lnry up and
instructed him to
get prepared to follow him to the farm. To the surprise of
QbaHl,
'Lnry
quickly made himself available! He went to
Qbtl
and
packed
the cutlasses and hoes, put them in the basket and told
QbaHb
that he was ready even without breakfast. Unable to decide whether this
attitude of 'Lnry was real or fake,
Qbath
suggested that there was
need to eat first before heading for the farm, but'Lnry responded that
they would eat when they
got to the farm as there was much work to do on
the farm that day! In order not to dampen his new-found enthusiasm,
Qbatl
agreed with his son and both of them headed for the farm very
early in the morning of that day.
Half way to the farm, 'Lnry told his father that there was the need for
him to very quickly empty his bowel in the bush nearby. He told his father
to continue on his way to the farm as he would soon
join
him.
Qbath
continued on his way and told his son notto be late to
join
him.
As soon as
Qbtl
was out of sight, 'Lnry left the basket on the
footpath, took a cutlass and headed into the bush. He looked for a baton
full of spikes, cut it and went straight to the way to the market. He looked
for a strategic position and stood there. As soon as he saw some people
coming on their way to the market, 'Lnry began to sing, waving his
spiked baton sideways in a menacing mannerand saying:
705
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
E
jQ'Bara
wg'l
BO bl
j'Bara
wg'l
Eyin rt knmQ tl 'Lnry
gb I'QwQ
Fni
g'qbg l'ore o, EgrI gb
Al'owqa bl'mgo
Egrr ogbee
A9'OwOa
j'r
E9 gb
Ltqpa, Ltgpa E9 ggngg!
Ltqpa, Ltgpa o, Eg ggngg!
Translation
Please allow Bara to enter (the house)
If you refuse to allow Bara to enter
Don'tyou see the baton carried by'Lnry
Anyone who offered good gbg, Eg will support such person
He/she shall be blessed with wealth and children
EgU will support the person
He/she shall trade and succeed
ESU will support the person
Ltgpa, Ltgpa E9 ggngg!
Ltgpa, Ltgpa o, Eg ggngQ!
When the travellers who were comng to the market heard the music of
"Lnry and saw the spiked baton In his hand, they knew that they had
two options: To refuse to offer
gbg
as EgU had said and incur his wrath; or
to offer the gbg
and receive his blessings (wealth, children, business
success etc.). All of them chose the latter. Before long, everywhere was
filled with beads, clothes, food, gold, silver, ivory or nameless enamels
and so on. Allthe people were dividing whateverthey broughtfor sale in
the market into two and giving one half to 'Lnry. They were all being
blessed by'Lnry and immediately, they were becoming successful in
their undeftakings in life.
'Lnrye instructed them to carry all these items into his parents' house.
They all complied. Before midday, the whole compound was filled up;
there was no space to pack more things into. Some of them chose to go
and sell all these goods in the market and bring the money. Even with
this, by the time it was mid-afternoon, there was nowhere to
pack
the
706
ll ou rr,
money in
Qbtl's
compound! Yem who was at home when all these
were happening could not utter a word. She did not know what to say or
do.
By this time, 'Lnrye was already going from doorstep to doorstep,
waiving his baton and singing his song. All the
people
were dividing all
their belongings into two equal pafts and sending one half to Obtl's
home those selling them were there to sell and brought the money back
home.
By this same time (mid- afternoon),
Qbatl
was beside himself with anger.
He decided that enough was enough with this recalcltrant child of his, He
decided to give 'Lnry a lesson of his life that he ('Lnry) would never
forget in a hurry. By the time it was sunset,
Qbatl
had worked himself up
into fury. He was returning, ranting and raging! When he was returning
home, he found a lot of
people looking at him with strange eyes. This
annoyed him the more. He promised himself that he was going to extract
all his fury from 'Lnry. That same day, when he got home, he saw a lot
of people
buying and selling in front of his home. He temporarily forgot his
anger in his confusion. He saw many people greeting and congratulating
him in his new-found success.
Qbatl
demanded to see his wife immediately because there was no
chance for him to
get
to his house. When he saw Yem, she explained to
him that everything he saw there was the handwork of his son 'Lnry.
All the farmers had successfully sold all their farm producb;
the traders
had successfully sold all their merchandize; hunters had successfully sold
all the
games
they killed in the forest; travellers had succeeded in their
journey
and half of all these profits
belonged to
Qbtl's
family simply
because 'Lnry had made it possible for it to happen so! Instead of
anger,
QbaHb
was searching for'Lnry, for him to be blessed from the
bottom of his heaft. In a single day, life-changing miracle happened:
Qbtl's
family and neighbourhood woke up with nothing and slept with
abundance, because 'Lnry, their erstwhile recalcitrant boy had made it
so forthem.
Agbado O y'olw k r'qmg I'Qyln est
707
lfa Dida: An invtation to lfa Consultation
Dl firn ooganla
ogqeremagbo
Tl y bff 'Lnry I'Qmg
fibg
ni wgn nl kO w ge
gb'gbo, r'bg
E
jQ'Bara
wg'l
BeO bl
j'Bara
wg'l
Eyin O rf knmQ tl 'Lnry
gb l', wq
fni
g'gbg l'ore o, Egu gb
A l'w, a bl'mg o
Egu ogb
Ag'wOa
j'ere
E9 gb
Ltgpa, Ltgpa Eg gongo!
ltgpa, Ltgpa o, Eg gongo!
ErOlpo,erOQfa
Fw
b'ni b'yO,
I
w wo're o
Translation
Agbado0yolw k rQmg
hyln
es
This wastheAwo who castlf forQbtl
Who shall have'Lnrye (Eg
Qdara)
as his son
He was advised to offer ebo
He complied
Now, let Bara enterthe house
If you refuse to allow Bara to enter
Don'tyou see the baton carried by'Lnry
Anyone who offered good
ebg,
Egu will support such
person
He/she shall be blessed with wealth and children
ES will support the person
He/she shalltrade and succeed
EpU will support the person
Ltgpa, Ltqpa E9 ggngo!
Ltgpa, Ltgpa o,
h
ggngQ!
Travellerstolpo and
Qfa
towns
Come and
join
us in the midst of happiness
Come and witness all the lre of life.
If says that a lazy and troublesome child who is where this Od is revealed
need counseling rather than condemnation as this
person
can turn out to be
of benefit to all in the family, neighborhood and/or communty
708
ll o",
"q,
t2. If says that there is the need for the person for whom this Od is
revealed to offer gbg in order not to witness or experience the wrath
of the Elders of the Night (witches). If says that these witches are
not too far away from him/her.
If says that if this person is planning
to acquire something which
originally belonged to someone else before, there is the need to
investigate properly before doing so. If this person is planning
to
enter into any form of love relationship with a woman who had
already been married, even if this woman is divorced already, there is
the need for fufther investigations and extreme caution before taking
this step as this will only Iead to problems, pains and anguish. If
says that if this person has already done so, there is the need to offer
gbg, feed If and be extremely careful. However, if he is
just
on the
verge of doing so, it would be wise for him to put a stop to it and let
everyone
go his or her separate ways. This is because to snatch the
woman frorn her man is not the
problem;
the main issue is the
consequence of doing so. This person
shall not know peace
anymore
in his life
If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed needs to offer
gbg with one she-goat,
plenty
of adhesive
jelly,
palm-oil
and
money. After offering this gbg, the adhesive shall be poured round
the edge of the gbg container before the
gbg is placed
where If ask
them to
put it. A stanza in
Qsa-M)
says:
-tg-jeeje-t-ka-w
Dl firn ooganl
ogeeremgbo
Tlyoogba Oblnrin
Qpghq
Tll
g'gmg
Olrl-Fleyg l'rin lgbQ
fbg
ni wqn nl k w
9e
Translation
-tg-jeeje-ti-ka-w
He was the Awo who cast If for Obtl
When going to snatch the woman of
Qpehe
The son of the head of the Birds (witches) in the forest
He wasadvised to offer ebo
709
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
Qpehe
was the favourite son of the head of the witches in Il-IfQ. His
mother was highly influential among the witches. She commanded the
respect of all witches because she was known to be ruthless when dealing
with actual or
perceived
enemies. She was also seen as fearless and
uncompromising in all her activities in life. Not only this, whenever there
was misunderstanding among her fellow witches, she would handle it to the
satisfaction of all the
pafties involved in the dispute. And if there was
quarrel between her members and other
people anywhere on eafth, her
focus was to inflict maximum pain
of the witches on the person who had the
temerity to confront any of her members. Any man who had a taste of her
member and ran away would be rewarded with impotence; any husband
who beat his wife who was a member would simply have the offending
hands crippled; any woman who abused any of her members would either
turn deaf, or have all her teeth removed; or suffer from palsy; or even
go
berserk altogether, depending on the weight of the abuse. Whenever there
was farm boundary dispute between two or more families, she would
support the family where she had members. The other families would
suffer failed harvest, or mysterious fire on their farms. In one word, she
had unlimited
punishment she could inflict on anyone at anytime she felt
like,
just
to protect or support her fellow members to fear and respect her.
She
gave
bifth to seven children. She donated six of them for the feasts of
the witches. It was usually in her presence that these children would be
slaughtered and their flesh distributed to all the members present at the
meetings
just
to show her deep sense of commitment to the fraternity. The
only child remaining for herwas
QpghQ,
a male child. He lacked nothing on
earth. When he got married, it was to the most beautiful
girl in the land.
When the couple moved into their own home, it soon became clear that
Qpehe
was tied to the cloth of her mother. He could do nothing in his home
without first seeking clearance from his mother. He spent all day with his
mother and only went home to sleep. This happened everyday. When the
wife complained, it fell on deaf ears. She went to complain to her parents.
Her
parents intevened without any
positive changes. She soon because
lonely and frustrated.
One day, as she was lamenting her situation in life, a friend of hers came to
710
'r',
ou *",
invite her to the market. She was very happy that she would have
someone to talk to. On their way to the market, she explained all her
problems to her friend stating that she could not continue to live her life the
way it was at that time. Her friend consoled her and told her that the
situation might soon change. She however advised her not to be staying
indoors any more because there was the need for her to move out regularly
and share her feelings with others. She was assured that by so doing, her
problems would be reduced by half at least. She was full of gratitude to her
friend. When she returned home, she felt lighter and a little happier.
From that day onward, she went out regularly, She used to visit friends
and relatives. She experienced that her pains and frustrations truly
reduced. It was during one of these regular outings that she met
Qbtl.
It was love at first sight. Both of them fell in love with each other instantly.
QbaHb
was also having his own problem with Yem at that period. They
began to share their problems together. At first, it was not more than that.
It soon developed to a stage that both of them could neither eat nor sleep if
they did not see each other in one day. They both threw caution into the
wind.
One day, both of them discussed about the possiblty
of living together
permanently. The woman was all ready for this because for the very first
time in her life, she was showered with true and selfless love and affection.
QbaHl
on the other hand could not wait for this to happen. He however
made up his mind to
go for If consultation. He approached the Awo
known as -tg-eje--k-w meaning 'He who quietly comes out from
his room'for If consultation. During this
process,
Qs-Mfl
was revealed.
The Awo told
Qbtl
that he came because he wanted to take a step that
would involve taking another
person's
belonging. He was told that to take
the belonging was not a
problem
as it would be very easy to take, but to
retain it was the big issue. He was advised not to do so because the
problem
and anxietythatwould accompanythis action would betoo much.
QbaHI
was love-blind, love-deaf and love-thirsty. He could not imagine
his staying for two days without seeing his heart-throb. He demanded for
the
gbg
to be offered in order for him to overcome the
problem. The Awo
told him as stated above but warned that allthe gbg in the world would not
stop the
problem from coming. The gbg would only help him not to be
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lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consuftation
consumed by the problem.
Qbatl
assured the Awo that there was
nothing on earth too much to be sacrificed for his love. All the
gbg
materials were provided
and the ebo was peformed. Before long,
Qpehe's
wife eloped from home and settled with
Qbtla.
Three days after she left
home,
Qpehg
went to repoft to his mother, they searched everywhere
without success. However, Yem knew that she had no place in the heaft
of
Qbtl
any more. Out of
jealousy,
she went to leak out the hiding place
of this woman to
QpqhE's
relatives. The relatives went to
QpQhg's
mother
that
Qbtl
was the one who snatched away her son's wife. Before long, it
became the ta lk of the town that
QpQhQ's
wife was living in
Qbtl's
home.
Everybody was convinced that
Qbath
was in big trouble. They all knew
that
QpqhQ's
mother would tear
Qbtl's
home apart. They were all
waiting anxiously for this to happen! She did not lift a finger! What went
wrong? Nobody knew. The witches summoned an emergency meeting
and tabled the issue; yet
QpQhQ's
mother did not utter a word! Something
was amiss! Yes! Butwhat?
There was confusion in the community of witches. Why must the head of
the witches remain silent in the face of this confrontation? Why did she fail
to utter a word when she was the one slapped on the face? Why should she
keep quiet
and refuse to take an action when all the witches were waiting
eagerly for a directive from her? Had she lost control? No! They were all
sure she was still acting on behalf of others in her usual deadly manner.
Was she not interested in the affairs of her only child any longer? No! She
feltthe pain to her bone marrow. Then whatwentwrong?
Something was really amiss. They were all sure of that. But what was it?
Nobody among them knew. In their confusion, they summoned another
meeting, but this time, without the head of the witches. They deliberated
at length. Eventually, they came to the conclusion that
QpQhe's
mother
refused to take an action because she wanted to see how the other witches
would handle the problem.
She had taken action on behalf of others, so
she wanted to see how others would act on her behalf too. All the witches
present
at that meeting agreed that it was the most sensible assumption.
There and then, they concluded that they must tear
Qbtl's
home to
pieces.
All his children must be killed and consumed. His relations must be
712
ll o"" rrt
killed and consumed. All those who tried to lift a finger to assist him must
be killed and consumed.
QbaHl
himself must be
put
to a slow but painful
death. All these must be done in order to send a note of warning to others
who might like to do the same thing; they concluded that the whole
community where this insult took place must be shaken to its very
foundation. They concluded that all witches must prepare for war and in
three days' time. They must gather at the market square very early in the
morning to head straightforQbtl's home.
As
planned,
all the witches gathered in the market square before sunrise.
They headed for
Qbtl's
home. As they approached his home, they
began to sing thus:
B'QwO b teSalekq
Ahejerheje,, hemll !
B'OwQ bteTalabl
Aheje, aheje,, hemll !!
B'w b teAlhd
Ahejq, a heje,, hemll! ! !
Translation
If we get hold of SlkQ
Weshall killand consume him!
And if we capture Tlabi
We shall kill and devour him!!
And evenAllad
We shall kill and swallow him !! !
When
QbaHl
heard these statements, he peeped
outside to take a look.
The sheer number of the witches was totally ovenryhelming and
intimidating. Together with all his relatives, they tookto their heels. He took
his cutlass; known as Ada-Orig or simply as Adaag with him.
gbaHb
remembered the warning of his Awo but it was too late to ruminate over
that. As a matter of fact, that was not the appropriate period. All what was
at the back of his mind was how to escape together with his new woman
and all his relatives. He ran into
$ng's
home for protection.
Before
$ng
could ask him what the problem was, the witches were
already at
$ng's
doorstep. When they reached there, before knocking at
713
lfa Dida: An nvitation to ffa Consultation
all, they began to sing thus:
B'QwQ bte$angoblyll
Ahejg, aheje, hemfl !
B'owq btgBmgbg
Ahejg, ahejg, hemll !!
B'0w4 b te
$ng
filnraarQ
Aheje, aheje,, hemll !! !
Translation
If we get hold of
$ngbffrf
We shall kill and consume him!
And if wecapture BmgbS
We shall kill and devour him!!
And even
Sang
himself
We shall kill and swallow him !! !
When
$ang
heard this, he also took to his heels, together with
pbtl
and his entire household. All the witches pursued them. They ran into
Qgun's
house. The witches chased them out, together with
$ng
and his
household, and
Qqun
with her household. They all ran into Ogn's house.
The witches chased out Ogn, all the members of his household;
$ng,
all his household members,
Qgun,
all her household and
QbaHI,
together, the same treatments were mented out to Ongaoko, Erinlg,
MojQQQl, Nn-Bkrl, Egrlngn, Or,
Qya,
Olkun,
Qbalway,
KFi,
AlfQrQ,
QramfQ
and so on. All of them blamed
QbaHl
for carrying his
problemstothem in their homes.
gbatl
had nothing to sayatall.
Meanwhile,
Qrnmll
slept
quietly in his home on that fateful day. He had
nasty dream. As usual with him, he went for Ifa consultation. He was
advised to offer
qbg
against the
problem of Iymi (Elders of the night) as
explained above. He complied. They also
poured the adhesive on the
ipese and
placed same in strategic
places around his home. Soon after
this,
Qrnmll
went backto sleep.
Before long, all the Onga together with their household members arrived
at
Qrnm)l's
house. Allthe Onga ran into his house. The witches began
to sing as they had done in the house of allOrisa thus:
714
!Toor",
B'Qwq b te DOsm
Ahejerahejer hemfi !
B'QwQ bte FnlkQQ
Aheje, ahejg hemll !!
B',qwo b teAwolgl
Aheje, aheje,, hemll !!!
B'QwQ b te Odblytl
Aheje, aheje, hemll !!!!
Translation
If we get hold of Dsmrl
We shall kill and consume him!
And if we capture Fffkee
We shall kill and devour her!!
If we apprehend Awolgl
We shall eliminate and swallow him!!!
And even OdUbfFf
We shall not spare him atall! M
Qrnm'il
knew instantly that what had come to his home was the
war of the witches which If had predicted
earler.
Qrnmll
told all
the IrtinmglQ to stay in his home and that nothing bad would happen
to them. Wth his assurance and confidence, they stayed.
Egu
Qdara
suddenly appeared on the scene and also assured all the
Onga. Afterthis, hewenttothewitches. After greetings,
he advised
them to ensure that they fill their stomach with food before the
commencement of hostilities. He pointed
at the food for them. He
encouraged them to eat the food before fighting
Qrnm'il,
Eg said
that it would be a sweet irony that
Qrnmll
fed his enemies to their
satisfaction before he was overpowered and consumed. This really
satisfied them that it would be told to their grand
children from one
generation to the other. They all landed on the'food'to eat. They all
got
stuck to the plate
because of the adhesive. In their struggle to
free themselves, they were completely stuck and trapped.
Seeing this, Eg went back to call
Qrrf
nmll that he had overcome the
witches.
Qrrrnm'lla
went out and saw that they were all stuck to the
715
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
plates
of the'ips. He returned home to look for a cutlass, he could
not find any
QbaHl
however gave
OrrJnm'il the cutlass he
(Qbatl) had taken from his house. OrrJnmll used it to cut off the
heads of all the witches. He went back to announce that the witches
had been defeated. All the Ofiga were happy.
Qrrfnm'il
then
returned the cutlass to
Qbatl.
However, in appreciation to what
Qrnmll
did to save his life,
Qbatl
gave the cutlass back to
Qrnm)l
as
gift.
Since that time till today, Adaaga, which hitherto
belonged to
Qbtl
became the exclusive
property
of
Qrnm)l
and
Babalawo,
-t+-jeeje-ti-k-wa
D,l fil n ooga rta
Qggqrgmag
bo
Tl ygba
Oblnrin
QpQh
Tfi g'qmq
Olr{-fleyg l'rinlgbQ
sbg
ni wQn nl k w
$e
gb'Qbo,
rrt'bg
KOpr kOjlnn
f
wa b ni laruugQogun
Aja+ogun la b nil'qsQQbarlga
jq ad gwQ mi
Ada Orlsa ni o.
Translation
Otejejetkaw
He was theAwowho castlf for
Qbtl
When going to snatch the wife of
Qpehe
The son of the head of the witches in the forest
He was advised to offer
gbg
Hecomplied
Before long, nottoo far
loin us in victorydance
The cutlass in my hand
Belongsto Onga.
If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed needs not to go
and
invite problem
to himself/herself if it can be avoided. He/she also need to
show appreciation to all favour done to him/her.
716
ii ou r",
13. If advises the couple where this Od is revealed must try to avoid
incessant conflict in their day-to-day activities. If says that there is
no need for the couple to abuse each other whenever there is
disagreement, especially over money. If warns that doing so will
only lead to a situation where both of them will live the rest of their
lives in penury. If assures the couple that they will succeed in life if
they can exercise
perseverance
and that they do not know what
destiny has in stock for them.
If advised them to offer gbg with two rats, two fish, two
pigeons, two hens, two roosters and money, they are also
advised to avoid quarrel
and be
prayerful.
By so doing, success is
guaranteed. In this Od,
Qsa-MeI
says:
Or{ bunlk niOwutl
Aktl d gsgagiwr mQ l'na
A kll m'orl oly l'wjg
Dl fitn MQbwrf
Tfl spoblnrin Ogrtn
lgbe tl wqn ge ohun gbogbo tl'kan O yg'rf
FbqniwQn
nl k9e
Translation
A head afflicted with ill luck dose not protrude
disproportionately
The footprint of an insane person is not distinguishable on road
It is impossible to know the head of someone who shall be bestowed with
a title in future among the crowd
These were If's declarations to Mbwrl
Thewifeof OgUn
When they did evefihing without success in any
They were advised to offer qbq
MQbwrt was the wife of Ogun. Before they got married, both of them had
not been financially buoyant. When they got married, the situation was
worse.
Ogun was experiencing series of losses in his work. Ogrtn was a hunter,
black smith, singer and aftist. Whenever he went to the forest for hunting,
717
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultaton
he would shoot at elephants, buffalos, deers, antelopes, lions, leopards etc
and being a fast markets man, he would hit the target. The irony of the
situation was that he would not be able to trace where these games fell
ntil about the third day when the animal would the infected with flies and
maggots! When he sat one day, he was ruminating over his misfoftune and
a thought came into his mind; could it be that Mbwrl, his woman, was the
root of his misfoftune? Was it not possible
that her spirit was working at
tandem with his? Maybe,
just
maybe, her legs are s piritually infected with
misfoftune? The more he thought aboutthis, the more he began to believe
this idea. Ogrtn reasoned thus: "it was quite possible that this was the only
explanation; no!" From that time, Ogn perceived his wife was his enemy
who was a stumbling block against his progress. What name can you
call a
woman whose presence in your life broughtso much misfortune?
Conversely, MQbw was a trader, even though she could not be called a
successful trader before she
got married to Ogrfn, she could nonetheless
fend for herself. When she moved into Ogn's home, her trading business
collapsed completely. She had no more money to continue her business.
She could not ask for assistance from her husband because she knew that
there was no money with him. She went to her parents' home to ask for
money. Before she was given
this money, they made her cry non-stop for
many days. In the end, the money was given
to her; she decided to start
the business of corn meal and bean fritter. She bought all the materials for
this business, announced to all her neighbors certain day and all of them
promised
herof good patronage.
On the day that she stafted the business she saw nobody to buy her
product.
She went round her neighbours' homes but she was told that
they had
just
taken their meals and would patronize her the next day, some
of them said that they did not know that she would staft on that day. Some
said that they forgot the date she
gave then. In the end, she was forced to
distribute part
of the food as gift to children and others. Before one full
moon, she had exhausted all the money given to her by her parents.
She
cried and cried. The more she cried, the more she hated her husband. She
remembered that there were other suitors who came for her, but her
parents turned them down,
preferring
Ogr:n to all of them. To make
matters worse, all these former suitors were getting
on very well, had she
718
i', ou *",
been lucky to marry any of them, she would not be in the problem
she
found herself. The more she reflected on this, the more she hated Og,ln
her husband. It reached a stage that there was nothing Ogun did that
even impressed her. She picked
on him ateveryoppoftunity.
One day however, MQbwt1 asked her husband to bring money for some
household utensils. Ogrtn responded, infuriated her to the extent that she
began to rain abuses on her husband. There was no expletive she did not
use to qualiff him. She made him realize that he was the architect of all her
misfoftunes. If not for him, she said, she would have been enjoying her Iife
to the fullest elsewhere. She cursed, abused and humiliated him for over
five hours. Ogn simply kept quiet. This annoyed him the more. She
screamed at the top of her voice. Yet, Ogun said nothing. She held Ogn's
dress, she kicked and slapped him repeatedly, "you are a lazy good for
nothing husband", she yelled
at him, "you are mad!" OgUn suddenly
thundered "you are mad too!" countered, she used her nails to tear the
face of Ogun, This made OgUn to beat her up. There and then, she made
up her mind to divorce him and put
an end to all her sufferings. She
decided to
go for If consultation in order to find the easiest and earliest
way for her to call the marriage to Ogun quits.
She went to the group
of
Awo mentioned above.
During If consultatio,
Qs
M) was revealed. The Awo informed her
that she was about to take a step and she had come to find out the
outcome. She was warned never to take the step as she bound to regret
taking such step for the rest of her life. She was informed that all her
consideration was based on money and financial well-being only. She was
assured that there were so many other things that were more crucial in a
marriage than money. She was told that she was blessed with children,
sound wealth, security and good
social position in the community, allthese,
she ignored because her husband was not rich at that time. They asked
her, what made her think that the tide would not change for her and her
husband in the nearest future? They cautioned her not to use abusive
language against her husband again and to give her husband the chance to
improve on the well-being of the family; they said that both husband and
wife had worked themselves up unnecessarily. That was why the two of
them failed to see anything good
or benevolent in each other.
719
lfa Dida: An invtation to lfa Consultation
In the end, MQbw was advised to offer
qbg
as explaned above. She was
also advised to return home and give peace a chance. She complied with all
the advices of the Awo. She returned home, fully determined to
give
her
husband a chance. She also made up her mind to change her attitude
towards her husband.
When she returned home, she began to do all the household chores which
she had hitherto abandoned. Before Ogrfn returned home, his food was
ready. She served his food with respect. At first, Ogrln was surprised.
Before long, Ogun realized that his wife had truly changed for good. Both
of them began to see the viftues in each other while they were blind to
before their love grew. They became very fond of each other. They soon
realized that money was not very important in their lives. They concluded
that love, understanding and mutual respect for each other were
everything.
Orl burrlkrl ni Owu tUrl
Akll d gseagwer mQ I'gna
A kll m'orl oly l'wjg
firn MQbwrl
Tll geoblnrin
Ogun
Igba tl wqn nge ohun gbogbo tl'kan
yg'r{
fbg
ni wqn nl kl wgn ge
WQn gb'Qbg wQn r'bg
je orl tl y jqba
I'qla
fnlkan
o mQ
Kl tgkgtaya m peraa wgn nl wer m0
Orl tl y jgba
I'Qla
fnlkanomqqo
Translation
A head afflicted with ill-luck does not protrude
disproportional
The foot print
of an insane person is not distinguishable on the road
It is impossible to know the head of someone who shall become a title-
holder in a crowd
These were lf's declaration to Mbw
The wife of Ogun
When they did everythng without any success
Theywere advised to offer
gbg
Theycomplied
720
'rl
ou *",
He who shall become a kng in future
Nobody can say for ceftain
Let a couple stop calling each other bad names
He who shallthe crowned as a king tomorrow
Nobody knows
If says that with love and understanding the life of this couple shall be
enjoyable. The door of their success is wide open.
L4. If says that it foresees the ire of victory and accomplishment for the
person for whom this Od is revealed. If says that he/she has an
envious friend, relative or colleague who is trying evefihing
possible
to deny him/her and that with appropriate gbg
he/she shall
be able to attain the position. The position,
title or honour in
question shall give him/her prominence
and respect. He/she needs
to beware of those who harbour evil plans
against him/her and
pretend to love him/her.
If advises this person
to offer gbg
with either three roosters or
three he-goats. One of the roosters/he-goat shall be used to feed
If for victory. The head of the birds or beast shall be placed
on
If for at least five days before it is removed. If this can be done
victory is assured, honour is ceftain and success is no more in doubt.
Qsa-MeI,
says:
Bab gbr
erin
Baba kegQm e,fQn
Qgbgnrangandan
nldhn gmgrl
od
gmqrl
od nldahn lja kanlQ
tXfirn
Flepe
Dlfiln
Fjemu
WQnjq qqre ogeykn golk
fbg
ni wqn nl kl wQn ge
Translation
The giantsize
of the elephant
And the sturdiness of the buffalo
721
lfa Dida: An invitaton to lfa Consultation
The pounded-yam pestlefellwith a loud clang
The pestle is a greatduel weapon
. These were If's message to
Flepe
And alsoto
Fjqmu
Both of them were friends like siblings
They were advised to offergbg
Ejgmu and
Flepe
were friend from their
youths days .They did everything in
common, at a stage, many people did not know that they were not related
by blood. They were both happily married; they have great
children; they
lived in mansions; they were both
popular and they both travelled
extensively. They spoke many languages and several dialets. They also
made several great friends at home and outside their communities. To
crown itall, both of them were made community leaders in differenttowns.
They made
Fjgmu
the community leader in Orf lr1t and
FEpe
was made a
leader n
FpQ
land.
One day, Offlrttri community had an extra-ordinary meeting in order to
review the progress chances of the town. At the end of the meeting in
order to review the
progress
chances of the town. At the end of the
meeting, it was concluded to make
Fjgmu
the
Qba
of the town because of
his outstanding qualities and credentials. This was communicated to him.
He was so over whelmed with
joy.
He rushed to go and share this good
news with his bossom friend
Frcpe.
They both celebrated the news with a
big keg of
palm wine.
Unknown to Ejgmu, his friend had been harbouring grudges
against him
for a long time.
Flepe
was not amused at all that they both had the same
honour, recognition and
popularity in the community. He had been
contemplating what to do to change all that for a long time. But to now
crown
Fjgmu
as
Qba
over and above him was too much for him to accept.
In fact, it was cqnsidered the last insult against him which must be
recanted at all costs. After much consideration, he decided to eliminate his
friend. He reasoned thatthis must be done quickly before Ejgmu was ever
crowned. He was of the opinion that he was not crowned at all, even if he
died after that, it would still be on record that he was an ex-Qba. He could
not acceptthat at all!
722
II o"" rrt
The next day, he went to a
great medicine man that specalized in killing
people. He explained what he wanted from the medicine man.
Surprisingly; the medicine man advised
flgpq
against what he planned
to do, saying that there was no
justification
for it.
Flepe
could not take
that. He left the man and went elsewhere, He paid
three times the
amount he was charged. A potent herb tea was prepared for him in a
giant pot. He was instructed to call the name of Ejgmu in the dead of the
night. By so doing, he was assured, the head of
ffgmu
would appear. As
soon as this happened, this head would be hit with a big club and Ejgmu
would die instantly. There was no anti-dote.
Meanwhile, Ejemu slept and had a bad dream. He went for If
consultation and he was advised to offer gbg as stated above against
those who were his enemies but who were pretending to be his friends.
He offered the gbg
as advised. He assured himself that he would send
an emissary to his friend
FlepQ
to also be careful of envious frlends since
whatapplied to him would surelyapplyto his bossom friend.
In the dead of the night,
Flepe
carried out the medicine pot, he had one
strong young man beside him. He instructed the young man to hit the
head which would appear in the
pot with the club made with a
pestle
with
all his strength. He recited the incantations he was taught three times.
He shouted the names of
ffgmu
three times. A head appeared. Instead
of
ffgmu's
head to appear, it was
FlpQ's
head which appeared the young
man hit the head with the club with all his strength.
Flepe
died on the
spot.
Bab gbru
erin
Baba kqsqm ejqn
Qgbgnrangandan
nldhn gmgrl od
Qmqrl
od nldhnlje kanlQ
Dlfiln
Flpe
Dlfiln
Fjemu
WQn
jq
$Qre ogeyekan golk
fbg
niwQn nl kl wqn ge
Fjemu
nlkan nl bg lgyln tl tt999b9
j trtr ttr
QS99rQ9
bo ljenl
La ti r'rl
Fhpe
l'rl Ejgmu
I
723
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
Translation
The giant size of the elephant
And the sturdiness of the buffalo
The pestlefellwith a loud clang
The pestle is a great duel weapon
These were lf's messagesto
Flepe
And alsoto.Ejqmu
Both of them were friends lke siblings
Theywere advised to offergbg
Only Ejgmu complied with the advice
Very early four days ago
We found thatthe head of
flgpQ
had replaced
Thatof
Fjemu
If says that person for whom this Od is revealed shall not be allowed to
be shamed, or destroyed by enemies or envious friends. Conversely, this
person must never contemplate doing evil to other's, friends or foes lest
he/she faces terrible consequences.
15. If says that during lkgsQdy of a new born baby, if
Qsa-M)
is
revealed, everything must be done to ensure that this baby feeds
from the breast milk of his/her mother. if the baby cannot feed
directly from the breast of the mother due to one reason or the other,
the milk must be collected in a contaner and feed the baby with,
unless the mother died immediately after the child's birth, this must
be done. Failure to do so may potend
disaster for the
person.
He/she may find it extremely difficult, if not altogether impossible, to
succeed in life.
If also says that there had been some disagreements between two
elders or two
powerful
and influential people where this Od is
revealed if the disagreement had not occurred, it is on the verge of
taking place.
fbg
must be offered in order to
prevent
the whole
community from experiencing hardship and want as a result of this
disagreement. If this is not done
quickly,
the resultant consequence
will affect both
guilty
and innocent, visitors and indigenes, young
and old alike.
724
l', ou *.,
If notces that the
person for whom this Od is revealed loves to
contribute his/her own quota to the development of the community,
sometimes at the expense of his/her health and
personal
comfoft.
He/she however needs to offer
gbg
against those who reward good
with evil. He/she needs to be careful with those who convienently
forget all the good things that he/she had done and who will not
hesitate to inflict pain
on him/her at the slightest excuse. If advises
this
person to offer
gbg
and serue the Orl of his/her mother if
alive, or
propitiate his/her mother's spirit, if dead. A stanza
in this Od states thus:
Oke
9e
rlbltlr ge rlbltl gorl konko
Dlfirn
Qba
Ajalaye
Abfn
QbaAjalqrun
Tl wQn
jg

$'qde
r'gbQgdg
wQnwa jlja agb nltor{ gmQ kan
fbg
ni wQn nl kl wgn ge
Translation
The massive hill with its broad base and narrow apex
He wastheAwo who cast If forQba Aalaye
And also forQba Ajalgrun
When theywere going on hunting expedition
And they were quarelling
on supremacy over one gmQ,
brown rat
Theywere advised to offergbg
gba
Aalay and
Qba
AjalQrun were both Irrlnmele. They were both
hunters.
Qba
Ajalay was the lord of hunting on eafth while
Qba
Ajalgrun
was the lord of hunting in heaven. The former was belived to be OgUn
while the latter, Onga oko.
One day, both of them decided to go on hunting expedition on earth.
They fixed a date for the exercise. On the appointed day, both of them met
half-way from heaven and eafth. They both came to eafth together. They
roamed the earth's forests and wilderness for seven days without killing
any game. Tired as they did all the games simply disappeared. On the
eight day, they decided to set fire on the bush in order to chase out the
animals from their hiding places. They did. At the end of this exercise,
theywere ableto killonly one
emg,
brown rat.
t
725
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
After this, they roamed the forest and wllderness for another twenty-two
days without seeing any other animal, not to mentioned killing it. After 30
days of hunting, they decided to call it quit.
Qba
Ajalay picked
the brown
rat and told
Qba
Aalgrun to
go
back home.
Qba
Ajalqrun would have none
of it. He insisted that he was the one who had the right to take the brown
rat away since he had travelled far to come to eafth, the eafth was his (Qba
Ajaly) territory he is therefore the rightful owner of the rat since it was
killed in his territory.
Qba
Ajabrun picked
the rat with the intention to share
it into two. But
Qba
Aalaye snatched it away from him and told
Qba
Aalqrun to go and do his worst.
Qba
Ajalgrun was full of anger and he left
for his abode in heaven with annoyance.
As soon as
Qba
Ajalqrun reached heaven, he ceased all forms of rain from
falling on eafth. Before long, all the land dried up. Vegetations failed.
Streams and well drled up. Hunger set in. There was pestilence in the
land. All forms of ailments were being encountered on regular bases.
There was massive protest agains
Qba
Aalay on eafth. Corpses were
littering the roads, foot path, market places, farm land etc. these brought
about more illnesses and deaths.
When the inhabitants of the eafth realized that
protests
could not solve the
problem,
they decided to
go for If consultation. They approached the Awo
mentioned above in order to know whatthey would do to bring the calamity
that befellthem to an end.
The Awo informed them that
Qba
Aalaye had wronged
Qba
Aalgrun. That
was why all the evil events they experienced were happening. They
needed to
go
and appeal to
9ba
Ajahrun to show compassion. The Awo
assured them that if the step could be taken,
Qba
A;aQrun would put
an
end to his anger. He advised them to go and look for one gmQ,
brown rat,
use it to dolps and
give it to
Qba
AaQrun. He said that the disagreement
betweent
Qba
Ajalay and
Qba
Ajalgrun was over one brown rat which
Qba
Ajaly appropriated to himself. In order to even the score there, there is
the need to give to
Qba
Ajalgrun another brown rat.
The inhabitants of eafth agreed with everything that the Awo said and
726
il ou u"
recommended. They set out to look for the brown rat as advised by the
Awo. Because there was famne n the land, it took them severa! days
before they eventually found one. When they killed lt they dried it well in
order to
preserue it and returned to the Awo in order for him to help them do
thelpes.
The Awo did thelpese and told them to take it to
Qba
Aatgrun in heaven.
To take it to heaven posed another great problem
because nobody was
prepared to volunteer to go. The Awo told them that there was nothing he
could do for them if they were not ready to
go. In the end Aga, the falcon
agreed to take the lps to heaven. Before he reached one-tenth of the
journey,
he became very tired. He returned to earth with thelpese. Next,
Awdi, the hawk, volunteered to take thelps to heaven. He did not fare
better than Aga and he returned with the)pes. After that time, there was
no more volunteer.
One week after, Ign, the Vulture, felt that he owed his community the
obligation of ensuring that he assisted or at least pafticipated in ensuring
that the
problem of the community is solved. Consequent upon this, he
went for If consultation would he be able to carry the lps to
Qba
Ajalgrun in heaven? Would he be relevant to his community? Would the
problems
of his community be solved through him?
The Awo assured Igrln that he would be able to solve the
problems
of his
community. He was told that through him, all the calamities of his
community would come to an end. He was advised to offer gbg
and feed
the Ori of his mother. He was however warned that inspite of all his good
deeds to his community he would be
persecuted, victimized, harassed and
maltreated by the same people whom he risked his life, energy and health
to rescue. On this aspect, Ign did not believe his Awo. He felt that the
community would not pay back all his good
deeds with ingratitude,
especially if he succeeded in bringing backthe community to normalcy. He
assured the Awo that he trusted his community, that they would never do
such a thing. Wth this assurance, Ign set a day for his
journey.
On the appointed day, Ign together with all the members of his family
(
727
lfa Dida: An nvitation to lfa Consultation
assembled at the centers of the three crossroads. The whole communty
was there with him. The Babalwo prepared
the lps which he would
carry to
Qba
Aaqrun. The whole community prayed for his success. Igrln
told the elders in the community to help him take care of his family in his
absence. He made it clear to them that the
journey
would take him there
years
to and fro. All of them assured him that no member of his family
would ever suffer or lack anything in his absence. They told him that they
were aware that the
journey
was being undeftaken on behalf of the whole
community, and therefore all his family members must be taken care of by
the whole community. Wth this assurance, Ign set out on his
journey.
It took IgUn 18 moon appearances to reach heaven. He went to the domain
of
Qba
Aalgrun, pleaded with him (Qba Aalgrun) to please
take a
compassionate look at the planet
earth and ensure that the sufferings come
to an end. He presented
the'ips to
Qba
AjaQrun and told him that nearly
half the populations of rats, fish, birds, beasts and human beings were
dead; the suruivors were either hungry or seriously ill.
Qba
Aalgrun looked
at the eafth through his mirror and what he saw was a sorry sight. He felt
pity for the inhabitants of the eafth. There and then, he realized the
urgency involved in ensuring that everything was brought backto normal.
He told Ign that to allow him (Ign) to travel back to the eafth and spend
another 18 moon appearances on the
journey
was no longer realistic if
living beings on earth were to survive. He told Ign that he would show him
a shoftcut to eafth and he would arrive on eafth in three days. He opened
his backyard door and Ign found himself at the boundary door of the
heaven.
Qba
Aalgrun gave him three small gourds. Igun was advised to
strike one on the ground at the boundary of heaven, strike the second on
half-way between heaven and eafth and strike the third one at the
junction
of the three crossroads of the eafth. Igrfn threw the first gourd
on the
ground
at the boundary of heaven. As soon as he did this, cloud covered the
surface of eafth, heavy with rain. This happened for one day. The second
day, IgUn arrived at the half-way between heaven and earth, he threw
down the second gourd. Immediately he did this, there was thunder and
lightening the world over. Everyone on eafth was fullof expectations. This
happened for one full day. Bythe third day, Igrln arrived atthe center of the
three crossroads of eafth. He threw down the third gourd. The cloud
728
il o""
"",
opened and rain began to fall. It rained non-stop for one whole day. Igun
was however at the center of the three crossroads. He had nowhere to
hide as there was no shelter there. He ran quickly
to the main town. He
saw a house nearby. He rushed there and knocked atthe door. When the
door was opened, he introduced himself and as he was about to enter, the
door was slammed against his face. He began to move from house to
house, from door to door and he was being treated the same way until
nighttime.
When Ign realized that nobody was ready to welcome him into their
home, he made up his mind to go home to his family. Wth hunge6 thirst
and exhaustion, he headed for his home. On his way, he met a corpse on
the road and decided to eat
paft
of its flesh since nobody was to feed him.
He ate to his satisfaction and moved on to his house when he reached
home, he found that his chagrin and his house had been desefted. His
family had dispersed and his house had collapsed due to neglect. Igrtn
wept bitterlythat day. He stayed in the rain until the following morning.
Very early the next day, Ign headed for the main town in order to go
to
the palace
of the
Qba
and see the elders who promised
to take care of his
family in his absence. On his way, he passed through the same place
where he had consumed
paft
of what remained of a corpse the previous
night. On getting to that sport, he saw to his eternal honour and regret
that the corpse whose flesh he had consumed was actually that of his
mother! So, Ign thought bitterly, he had actually eaten his own mother!
So, he reflected, his mother had been allowed to die and her corpse left on
the main road! So, whatthe Awo had told him that he was aboutto risk his
life for ingrated ones was true. He felt like having the means to command
the ground to open up and consume him there and then. He was
ovenryhelmed with grief. He wept and wept. Unfoftunately, nobody took
notice of him. Everyone was going
about his/her business as if nothing
had ever happened.
After sometime, Ign put himself together and buried what remained of
his mother. He raised his eyes to heaven and cried aloud to Almighty
Oldmar. He prayed
that may Oldmar make it in such a waythatfor
human beings to succeed in life, they who failed to eat his/her mother
shall never succeed in life. Oldmar granted his request. But instead of
t
729
lfa Dida: An invitaon to lfa Consuftation
human beings cutting the flesh of their mothers for consumpton as Ign
dd, Oldmar made it in such a way that human bengs consume their
mothers through the sucking of their mothers' breast milk. Since thattime,
anyone who fails to suck his/her mother's breast milk where the mother did
not have any physiological problem or died during child bfth, such a child
will find it extremely difficult if not totally impossible to have the type of
spiritual elevation comparable to those of his/her colleagues who had the
benefit of sucking their mothers' breast milk.
Oke
qe rlbltlr ge rlbltl gorl konko
Dl fitn
Qba
Ajahye
Ab fitn
QbaAjalqrun
Tl wqn
jg
g'qde re'gbegdg
wQn w fija gb nltor{ gmg kan
Fbg
ni wQn nf kl wqn ge
Dl fitn lgun
Tl gb'Qbg lg sldeQrun
Wqn nl kr'bg$eygrf
K sl nlbg afibi-grt-olorc
fibgageyorl
nlkan l r
Igun o btt mQ
I ba waa f'owg'rrifin gbg
Translation
The massive hillwith its broad base and narrowapex
He wasthe Awo who cast If forQba A.ataye
And also for
Qba
Aalgrun
When theywere going on hunting expedition
And they were quarelling on supremacy over one gmQ, brown rat
They were advised to offer gbg
The Awo also cast If for Ign
When carrying ebo from eafth to heaven
He was advised to offer
ebg
to enable him accomplish his
mission
And also to offer
gbg against ingrates
He offered onlythe gbg to enable him accomplish his mission
Had Ign known on time
He would have offered altthe prescribed gbg
If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed loves to assist
his/her community. He/she loves to contribute his/her own
quota towards
734
ll ou r.,
the development of his/her community, but unfoftunately he/she will
discover at the end of the day, to his/her disappointment that his
community will not appreciate all his/her effofts.
16. There is a woman where this Od is revealed. If says that care
must be taken before engaging too deep with her. If this Od is
revealed during engagement or marriage ceremony, a lot of
gbg
is
required for this woman in order to avoid a situation where the man
planning
to marry her will not meet his untimely death soon after
the wedding. Without extensive gbg and tt, If says that it is not
advisable to havethis woman even as lover.
If says that if on the other hand, the woman in question had been
losing her men prematurely;
there is the need for her to offer
gbg
in
order to
put
an end to these unfoftunate developments. After the
gbg,
a special If preparation needed to be made for her and
probably her partner
which would put
a permanent
stop to the
misfoftune.
If advises the woman in question,
or her relation, or even the
paftner
to assist in offering gbA with one matured he-goat and
money. After this, fresh akggg leaves will be
grinded
into
fine paste while incision will marked on the head of this
woman (and her man). The grinded
akggg leaves will be
used to rub the incision mark on their heads. That is the time,
If assures, that the problem
of untimely death for her men will
stop. On this
Qs
Mefl says:
Qkg
krl kl wgn I'Qkg
Ale tu kl wgn
yn'mll
Dlfifn
lrlnljgAran
WQn lg r gb Eb nlyw
fbg
ni wqn nl kl wqn ge
Translation
Let one husband die for them to marry another
And let one lover die for them to get along with another lover
t
731
lfa Dida: An invtaton to lfa Consultation
These were lf's declarations to the 164 crops
When gong to have the hand of Eb, the cultivated farm- heap as wife
They were advised to offer
qbg
Eb, the farm-heap, was a very beautifulwoman. She was also attracted to
allthe crops in the farm. Any of the crops who saw her usually felt secured
and save with her. Eb on the other hand normally showed all the crops
that she was caring, loving, kind and dedicated. All the crops dreamt of
being her husband.
One day, Il, the Okro, approached Eb for marriage. She consented.
They got married. Il got himself planted inside Eb. Five day after this,
Il began to sprout beautifully. Il was very happy. All the other farm-crops
became envious of ll's achievement. In three months, Il had several
seeds. That was the time the farmer came, removed all the seeds and
uproot Il away from Ebe. Il met his untimely death.
Next was the turn of Er, the Beans. He married Eb. He sprouts
beautifully initially. One hundred days later, he had several seeds. The
farmer came and removed Er stems. That was the sad end of Er.
Igu, the yam was able to live for 10 months before his death. Agbdo, the
corn, lived for about three months and died. Kk, the Cocoyam lived for
about eight months and died. That was how all crops which got married to
Eb met their deaths
prematurely.
One day, Akqge, the cotton wool was determined to have Eb as his wife.
He went for If consultation; he was advised to offer gbg as prescribed
above. He complied. After this, he got
married to Eb.
Before long, Akgqg sprouted cotton wool. When the farmer arrived; he
plucked
allthe cotton wool. He was aboutto uprootAkegg, as he had been
doing to allthe other crops, when Eg told him thatthere was no need to do
so. Eg assured him to leave Akggg alone as the crop would still give
the
farmer more cotton the next year and several
years
to come. The farmer
saw this as making good
business sense. He decided against uprooting
AkgSg. AkgSg and Eb lived together for several years. That was how
732
'rl
ou r",
Akgpg was spared from experiencing untimely death as experienced by
/
other crops.
\
qkg
krl kl wgn I'qkg
AI kl kl wgn yn'mfl
Dlfif n
frlnljgArn
WQn lg r gb Eb nlyw
fbg
niwqn nl kl wqn ge
Akeqe nlkan nl bq lgyln trggbg
Nj Il ger'Ebe
k, Akggq
Ikn ger'Eb k, Akeqe

Erger'Eb k, Akeqq
Igbado ger'Ebe k, Akeqe
Igba mi ger'Eb moy, Akggq!
Translation
Let one husband die for them to marry another
And let one lover die for them to get along with another lover
These were lf's declarations to the 164 farm- crops
When going to have the hand of Eb, the cultivated farm-heap as wife
Theywere advised to offergbg
t
OnlyAkggg complied
I
Now, Il the Okro mounted Eb and died, Akggg
And Ikn, the garden-egg mounted Eb and met his untimely death,
Akese
Er the Beans, mounted Eb and lost his life, Akggg
Igbdo, the corn, mounted Eb and failed to survive it, Akese
When I mounted Ebe,I suruived, Akggg!
If says that it will not allow the man who planned
to marry a woman whose
previous men had met with the same fate. With gbg
and If preparaton
as
i
explained above, nothing is impossible.
\
ABQR, AA9VE.
(.
733
lfa Dida: An invitaton to lfa Consultation
B. STGNTFTCANCE OF
qSA-MEJI
FOR THOSE BORN By
rHrs oD DURTNG IrFLD ORIK9SFDAvE
For
Qsa-Mjl
children, especally those who were fed with their mothers
breast mil( they have a high tendency to succeed. Those who did not
taste their mother's breast milk due to one form of
problem
or the other
also have very high propensity to succeed. For those who were not not fed
with their mother's milk but which was found possible
to do so, the
chances for them to succeed had been drastically reduced.
Qsa-Mejl
children have the tendency to be loved, respected, honoured
and
pampered. They are usually found among decision makers in the
community. They are endowed with wisdom and understanding which
make them to be in high demand and make it possible
to be in the midst of
the high and mighty.
For these children, they usually end up as the most successful in their
families. They are usually blessed with more financial wealth, spouses,
children,
propefties e.t.c. than all their other sibblings. This success will
however become more manifest outside the area where they were born
than inside.
This is why it is usually beneficial for
Qsa-Mil
children to travel out of
their places of bifth in order to enhance their chances of success.
For these children, males and females having child-bearing problems,
there is the need for them to abstain totally from consuming all fish and al!
birds. This is because they have a high spiritual affinity to these two
groups of living things, especially in the area of child-bearing. Failure to
abode by this injunction may make it very difficult, if not totally impossible
for them to bear children or to have their own kids who will survive them
when theyare gone.
It is an established fact that
Qsa-Mji
children succeed where others
failed, they receive elevation where others were given humiliation. The
reason for this is that they are endowed with fantastic conflict resolution
capabilities. They possess the talent to right all wrongs, to change sorrow
734
il o""
"rt
to
joy,
to turn disappointments to boundless oppotunities while doing
these, they are always honest, humble and selfless. This is the reason
why those who are desperate, sad and disillusioned always have faith in
Qsa-Meji
children that they can change their lives for the better and
put
smiles on their faces.
Conversely, pride and arrogance must be avoided by all
Qsa-Uejl
children because they can lead to their downfall. They must also not rely
on their competence or skill. They must always rely on Oldmar and
If. It is true that these children are usually well trained and very
competent. They usually boast about their abilities and capabilities. They
need to stop this fofthwith because the outcome for them will never be
favourable. They must also show consideration for other people's feelings
and views all the time in order for them to attain their goals without delay.
For
Qsa-Mil
children, males and females, skipping meals, fasting and
drinking on empty stomach is not advisable. It can only lead to
unconsummated fortune for them. It can also lead to internal organs
ailments. Allthese will have telling effects on them in the end.
In the lives of
Qsa-Mejl
children, they tend to give
brth to at least one
child, among their children, who will be known to be lazy, trickish and
responsibility skipper. This child will do anything to avoid working as
others do. This child will however be greater and more successfulthan all
the other children bythese
people.
An average
Qsa-Mil
child male or female have the tendency to engage
in extra-marital affair. This only leads to trouble and restlessness. It is
therefore in the best interest of these people
to maintain chastity in their
maritalaffairs.
One other major weakness of
Qsa-Mjl
children is that with little
disagreement, they love to swear and curse. They enjoy doling out
expletives to others, especially their spouses. This can never favour them
as all the curses have the capacity to inhibit their progress
and their ability
to attain their goals.
735
lfa Dida: An nvitation to lla Consultation
On the whole,
Qsa-Mejl
children are created and born to be
great in life.
They will be happy and will be able to enjoy their lives to the fullest.
C. AFFILIATEDIRNMQLF/ORI$A
1. If forgeneralwell-being, success, victory
2. Od for overall success
3. Orl for suppoft and success
4.
Fgb
for Leadership and accomplishments
5.
Qbatl
for success and victory
6.
$ng
for victory over adversary
7. Oge/Mlamal for child-bearing
8. Ogun for victory
9. Elders of the Night for victory
10. Oke for child-bearing
11. Esu Odara for financial success
D. TABOOS
1. Must not eat peanuts to avoid internal organ and stomach
problems
2. Must not eat all birds to avoid contention with Elders of the Night
3. Must not snatch another person's spouse to avoid contention
with EIders of the Night
4. Must not curse or swear at others to avoid unconsummated
foftunes
5. Must not skip food or engage in fasting to avoid unconsummated
foftune.
6. Must not drink alcohol on empty stomach to avoid internal organ
ailments
7. Must not be proud or arrogant to avoid unconsummated foftune
736
Il o",
""t
1.
2.
3.
E. POSSIBLE NAMES
Males
1. Jjgl Meekness brings honour
2. Ifgqgun If s victorious
3. AyerOjU The world is peacful
4. Ifkred If brings all Ire
Females
Jjggl Meekness is honourable
AydQrQ The world is comfoftable
Iftyge If mends the world
AB9R AB9YE
(
737
Chapter 11
IKA MEI
ll ll
tl
illl
ll tl
L
CHAPTER ELEVEN
IKA MEJI
A.1 If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed during
Ikgsgdaye or ltqlod shall be blessed with longevity. He/She shall
outlive a ll his/her contempora ries.
If advises this person to offer gbg with one matured he-goat and
money. After this, he/she needs to
procure one broom made of
raffia-palm fronds. The tips of this broom will be cut and
grinded
into powder. This Od will be imprinted on it by the Awo who handles
this ceremony for him/her and this stanza shall be recited into it. The
person for whom this Od is revealed will be asked to pray for long
life and
good health. After this, the Awo will make incisions on the
head of the
person forwhom this Od is revealed. (This incision may
be2L,101 or 201. It is preferable for the incision to be 201 in order
to
guarantee a real long life for him/her). The grinded substance will
be rubbed on the incision. The
person who has the incision will
ensure that water does not touch his/her head for at least three days.
This incision can also be made for anyone who made a routine
consultation and this Od is revealed. On this, If says:
Akrakr ojtlu kangara k ge e gb m
Qkanjua
l w'k rdrd
Tl I w ro$orogo
Ejo ni o k'gmg rQ l'ln
yqqyQqyqq
K ma
je
k'ko
Dl filn Kerensl
Tl y gbgbgb
Tl y gb ggbQdgun gdn l'y
Fbg
ni wqn nl k w ge
744
ii tx" u"j
Translation
The sharp edge of a metal spike cannot be grasped in
one's hands
An avaricious person is he who looks sideways in an expectant
manner
His mind and eyes are never settled in one place
A snake does not take its young
ones with it to move leisurely
round the farmland
These were If's declarations to Kerensl
Who shall grow old and feeble
And live up to 3,000 years
on eafth
He was advised to offer
gbg
Kerensl was in love with himself and his life right from his youth.
He
cherished his life to the extent that he did everything he knew to avoid
taking any risk, hufting hlmself or engaging in any form of contention with
others in the fear that such a person might hurt him out of anger. He
refused to drag anything with anyone or engage in any form of
competition with others, so as to avoid being huft out of envy or
jealousy.
In spite of all these precautionary
moves, Kerensl still felt that he
needed to do more than what he had already done in order to ensure a real
long life on eafth. One day, Kerensl went to the home of the group
of
Awo mentioned above for If consultation: Would he enjoy real long life on
eath? Would he be alive to witness the brth and growth
of his children to
the seventh generation? Would he equally be blessed with good health in
his old age? All these and more were the questions
which occupied the
mind of Kerens) during If consultation.
The Awo assured Kerensl that he would live long, grow
old and feeble
and would be able to witness the bifth, growth and death of his great
grand children up to several generations.
He was advised to offer gbg
as
prescribed
above. He complied. He was also advised to mark the
incisions on his head. He marked 201 incisions.
Ever since the time he did the
gbg he was always looking youngerthan
his
age. He continued to live cautiously and avoided any form of controversy.
741
lfa Dida: An nvitaton to lfa Consuftaton
He did all things with moderaton. He ate and drank good food and water.
He lived a healthy life and was full of happiness. He outlived all his
contemporaries, his children,
grand children and
great grand
children. He
lived up to 3,000
years
on earth. When he died, he was so feeble that he
could not do or recognize anything anymore. His only regret however was
that he was the one who pointed the burial sites of all those who were
supposed to be the undeftakers at his own burial.
Akrkr ojrtu kangara kO ge e gb m
Qkanjua
l w'oke rdrd
Tl w rOgorgo
EjO ni k'Qmg rQ l'yln ygoJgoJgg
K ma
je
k'ko
Dl fn Kerensl
Tl y gbgbgb
Tl y gb
egbQdgn
gdn l'y
f
bg ni wqn nl k w qe
gb'gbg, r'bg
K pe K
jlnn
F
wa b ni l'lkt kangiri
Alk If dn
j'oyin
l9
Nje kll k'krr grqwq
$agara
o
KII krl'krt grqwE
$agara
o
Translation
The sharp edge of a metal spike cannot be
grasped in
one's hands
An avaricious person is he who looks sideways in an
expectant manner
His mind and eyes are never settled in one
place
A snake does not take its young ones with it to move
leisurely round the farmland
These were If's declarations to Kerennasi
Who shall grow old and feeble
And live up to 3,000
years
on eafth
742
il ,* *",
He was advised to offer gbg
He complied
Before long, nottoo far
Come and
join
us where we enjoy long life
Longevity guaranteed
by If is sweeter than honey
It never dies like other brooms
$agara,
the raffia-palm frond
Itwill never die like other brooms
If saysthatthe person forwhom this Od is revealed shallenjoy long life
spiced with sound health. He/she shall live longer than all his/her
contemporaries. Even though his/her contemporaries shall grow old too,
he/she will nonetheless outlive them all.
2. If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed shall not lack
any of the essentialthings of life. These include wealth, spouse, a
comfoftable accommodation, children, sound health and long life.
If advises this person to offer gbg
so that he/she shall be blessed
with Agg to accomplish all his/her heart's desires in life. They also
need to be answering decent names.
If advises this
person
to offer gbg with hro rats, two fish (for
children), two
pigeons (for prosperity),
two hens, if a man
(for good spouse), two roosters, if a woman (for good
spouse too) two guinea
fowls (for peace
of mind and
comfort), one he-goat (for long life) and money. He/she is
also to feed If with a matured she goat (for him/her to be
blessed with Agq). On allthese, If says:
Flmq
nl'K
Okoko mQ'K,
Ara oJa imQ'K
AIka'a gb'k' w
O ti ge p ml?
O nl'k nl'n
M o
qTka
rt
743
Ifa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
K'wQ mi
K'sQ mi
Ika Owu ntl pa'y
kn
Iya I'akaa'gbQn
Baba I'aka'gba
Qlgtan
lka-k gbas,
Qyln
gbas
Qrunmll
nl 9e tl
e
fi rrjQ orkg
Kmi-kml-kmi I'de lkar
WQn nl bQQ ni wgn t je
Kl
Orrtnmlla
t d
Qrunmll
nl abjg tl aye wgn ge rl kmi-kml-
kmi
Bl gni I k'gg
WQn nl kl wEn lg r kO wgn fin Onlkamgn
9mq
a-k-wrk-orf-eja m bg'nu
WQn d ka klnnl
Wgn O b OnlkamOgn
Qmq
a-k-wrk-orl-eja mrl bg'nu
wgn d k kejl
Ke keja tltl d k kgrlndlnlgn
Wgn O b Onlkamgn
9mq
a-k-wrk-orl-eja m bg'nu
WQn w d ke ketldlnlgn
WQn b OnlkamOgn
9mg
a-k-wrk-orl-eja mrl bg'nu

jokoo
$ ka
fi agg k kan bo'ra
Paek kan
jko
tll nl k
ko aaka, f b'grl
WQn nl kl Lke lg r pa'ko fggin
lifldll ek
Ibaaka ta Lk I'jlk
Lka gubrt lu'lQ kr
Ika n ku
Ikangbg'lQgrg
9k
sunkn-un rQ
744
li ,* r,'
lgbln kakaaka
FUttt
kakaaka
(
Fbltl
tl o b gb'jrl
Ko le p'gbln llll
Ptk
efQn
kakaaka nff ta'j l'gnu
Dl fitn wgn nl lkamOgUn
9mg
a-ka-wOrk-orl-eja m bg'nu
Mjq tl wn
$OwOSOwo
Tl wgn l'wgn O l'w I'QwQ
Fbq
ni wqn nl kl wqn w ge
{
Translation
Flmq
atlka land
Okoko alsotravelsto, and knows,Ik land
Indigenes of
Qfa
do not knowlka land
Letthe kr, bean-cake, seller bring it
Why do
you
call me?
You harbour wicked motives
I had never done any wickedness in my life
,
Remove my hands
l
And remove my legs
Spin n ing cotton-wool th read confuses the wool-spiner
The mother went in circles 30 times
And the father did same 200 times
Their relations could not do the spinning behind gbas
tree
Qrunm)la
asked them; "why are you all answering these
confusing names"inlka Land
i
They responded that that was how they had been
i.
answering their names
Before the arrival of
Qrnmll
into their land
Qrunm)l
responded that no wonderwhytheir liveswere
in such a state of confussion
Like that of someone folding clothes
They said that they should be handed over to
On'ikamOg, the
Qba
oflka town
Hewho consumesthe head of a fish whole
{
745
lfa Dida: An invtation to lfa Consultation
They wentto the first room
They could not find Off kamgn
In the second room
Theycould notfind Onf kamgn
In the third to the sixteenth rooms
They could not find OffkamOgn
He who consumes the head of a fish whole
In the seventeenth room however
Theyfound Onfkamgtln
He who consumes the head of a fish whole
He sat in a room
Hewrapped himself with k clothe
One paaka masquerade satwith him in the room
He was serving his Of with akika,
pangolin
They asked Lka to go
and cut grass for the horse by the
make-shift hut
A pony ht Lka on his shoulder
Lka felldown, and died
The wicked died
The wicked was digging his grave
And a cobra was weeping and mourning him
Igbln, the snail, is strong
Fbl,
the deadfall, is equally strong
Any deadfall that is not strong and heavy cannot crack
the shellof a big snail
The hoof of a buffalo will breakthe
jaw
of any dog
These were the messages of If to the citizen of
Ikamogun
Those who consume the head of a fish at one go
When, after engaging in several businesses,
They complained that they did not have the financial
bouyanryto showfor it
Theywere advised to offer gbg
The citizens oflkamgun were very enterprising. They were very good in
farming. Each year, they used to have surplus farm products. However,
when they tried to sell their surplus farm products, they were always done
746
Ii ,* r",
at huge losses. The amounts they realized on their products were not
wofth the effots that they put into them. Some of them changed into
trading business. There was no reasonable improvement. They were
trading at huge losses. The hunters among them did not fare any better.
Most of the games
they killed got rotten as a result of lack of patronage.
The clothe weavers worked and worked withoutseeing anything to show
for their efforts. The blacksmiths among them forged several hoes,
cutlasses, arrows, spears, knives, sword and axes without seeing anyone
to buyfrom them.
There was nobody inlkamOgn land who did not have one tale of woe or
the other to tell. They called their Awo and several
gbg were offered but
there was no positive change. Convinced that the root cause of their
problems had not yet
been identified, they sent for
Qrnmll
to come.
As soon as
Qrnm)l
got
the message of the inhabitants of Ikamgn
land, he went for If consultation. He approached
Aklke-gg'g i-g, Awo l Orr n mlla
IX fitn
Qrunmlla
f.fiiq tl Baba g'awo re'l Onlkamogn
9mq
a-ka-wrk-orf-eja m bg'nu
Fbg
ni wqn nl k w ge
Translation
Akik-gg'g-ga The Axe penetrates
the tree with force, the
resident Awo of
Qnf
nm)l
He was the Awo who cast lfa for
Qrnmll
When going
on spiritual mission tothe land of Onf kamgun
He who consumesthe head of a fish at one go
He was advised to offer gbg.
During consultation, Al(k-gq'g-ga explained to
Qrnm'il
that even
though the inhabitants of lkamgun land were very hardworking, they
could find nothing to show for their effofts because of two major
reasons. One, they were answering awkulard names which were
affecting their destinies in negative ways. They needed to be advised to
747
lfa Dida: An nvitaton to lfa Consultation
change their names to decent ones in order for them to be able to enjoy
the fruits of their labour. TWo, these people harboured evil thoughts
against each other and they used to perpetrate wickedness whenever
they felt that nobody was around to see them. Evil begets evil. Because
they were doing evil to others, they too were reaping evil in all the things
they were doing. Al(k-gg'gi-p explained to
Qrrtnmll
that there was
the need to warn them against wickedness and to advise them to staft to
wish each otherwell in alltheir undeftakings.
The Awo also told
Qrrlnmll
that he needed to offer gbg
so that he would
be blessed with Agg that would help him to accomplish his goals in
Ikamogun land. He advised
Qrrfnmll
to offer gbQ with one matured
she-goat and for him to serve his If with another she-goat before
setting outon his
journey.
Qrnmll
complied.
When
QrnmIl
got to lkamOgUn land, he asked for the
palace
of
OnlkamOgn, the
Qba
of lkamgr1n. What he discovered was that the
people he asked were bearing the names which were derived as
puns
on
the name of their town \k", Name such as
flQmgffka,
Okokomgk,
Ara-Qfa-ImQk, Alkaa gb'k w, offk-nln, n-o-gIk-f, k'wQ-mi,
k'sQ-m i, Iya- l'a ka gbQn, Ba ba- I'q kagba etc.
Qru
n ml l asked them why
they were bearing such awkward names. They responded that, that was
what they loved to answer and they had been answering these names
ever before
Qrnmll
arrived in their town.
Qrnmll
responded that
these names were paft
of the reasons whytheir problems had persisted.
He asked them to take him to the palace
of OffkamOgn. When they got
there, they met the
Qba
in the seventeenth room where he was using
akika, pangolin, to serue his (Otfkamgn's) Orf. While doing it, acts of
wickedness were being perpetrated.
Ofkamgn asked
Qrnm)l
to
consultlf for him, Itwas done. Ika MT was revealed.
All the messages of Akik-$Q'g-$ were relayed to them. They were
also advised to offer
gbg
as stated above. They complied. They also
changed their names and eschewed bitterness and wickedness. When
Qrnmll
realized that all his recommendations had been complied with,
he began to bless them. Since he already had the Agg. All what he told
748
lfr ,n r",
them came to pass. The citizens oflkamgn then came to give thanks
and praises to
Qrnm)l.
He however told them that instead of
praising {
him, it was Al(ke-tg'g-ga that they needed to praise because he was the
one who gave him the accurate analysis of the problems
of lkamgn
land and recommended the solutions to their problems. The inhabitants
oflkamgn then began to praise Akik-gg'g-ga and paid their homage
to
Qrnmll.
Flmq
nl'K
okoko mQ'K,
Ara
Qfa
imQ'K
i
Alke'a gb'k' w
O ti ge pe ml?
O nl'k nl'n
M O
g'lk rl
K'wg mi
K'sQ mi
Ika Owr nff pa'y
kn
Iy I'aka'gbQn
t
Baba I'aka'gba
Qlgtan
O lka-ke egbas, ,
yln
gbas
Qrunmlla
nl eSe tl
e
fi rjQ orukg
Kmi-kml-kmi l'de Ik?
WQn nl bQ ni wgn ti rrj
KI
Qrunmlla
t d
Qrrtnmll
nl abjg tl aye wgn ge rl kmi-kml-
kami
Bl gni k'gg
i
WQn nl kl wqn lg ree k wgn fun Onlkamgrtn
Qmg
a-k-wrk-orf-eja mu bg'nu
WQn d ke klnnl
Wgn O b Onlkamgn
9mg
a-k-wrk-orl-eja m bg'nu
WQn d k kejl
K keJa tltl d k kgrlndlnlgn
Wgn O b Onlkamgn
i
749
lfa Dida: An nvtaton to lfa Consultation
Qmg
a-k-wrk-orf-eja mU bg'nu
WQn w d ka ketedlnlgtln
WQn b Onlkamgn
9mg
a-k-wrk-orf-eja mU bg'nu

jokoo
st ka
fi agq k kan bo'ra
Paak kan
jk
tff rf ka
to aaka, fi b'grf
WQn nl kl Lka lg r pa'ko fggin
Nldll ak
Ibaaka ta Lk l'jlk
Lka gubtl lu'lQ kr
Ika n ku
IkangbQ'lQgrQ
9k
sunkn-un rQ
Igbln kakaaka
Fbltl
kakaaka
Fbltl
tl o b gb'jrt
K le p'gbln llll
Ptk
efQn
kakaaka nff ta'j l'gnu
Dl filn wgn nl lkamOgun
Qmq
a-k-wrk-orf-eja m bg'nu
Mjq wn gwogw
Tl wQn I'wgn o l'w I'qwq
Fbg
ni wqn nl kl wEn w ge
gb'gbg, r'bg
QrUnmlle
l nl a l'w
Ni gbogbowa pe l'w
Aklke-*'gi-ga
Enu Awo n'Ib hun A9 q w
Qrunmll
l nl a6lyal lqkg
Ni gbogbo wa ge l'ya/l'Qko
Aklk-sg'g-g e
Enu Awo n'Iba ohun Agg wa
Qrrtnmll
l nl a bl'mg
Ni gbogbo wa ge bl'mg
750
ii tx" u"i
Aklke-sg'g-ga
Enu Awo n'Iba ohun Apgwa
QrUnmll
l nl a nlre gbogbo
Ni gbogbo wa
$e
rlnlre gbogbo
Aklk-sg'g-ge
Enu Awo n'Ibe hun Agg wa
Mo p'gq ow l'nfl
If
jg
kl nl'w I'qwq
Aklke-sg'gi-g
Enu Awo n'Iba hun Aggwa
Mo p'gg aya/qkq lnff
If
j
kl rl l'ya/l'qkg
Aklk-sg'gi-g
Enu Awo n'Iba ohun Aggwa
Mo p'gg gmq l'nff
If
je
kl n bl'mg
Aklke-sg'g-ga
Enu Awo n'Iba hun AOgwa
Mo p'gg ire gbogbo l'nff
If
je
kl n nl're gbogbo
Aklk sggi
9a
Enu Awo n'Iba hun Aggwa
Translation
Flmq
atlka Iand
Okoko also travels to, and knows,Ika land
But
Qfa
indigenes do not knowlka land
Letthe kr seller bring it here
Why do
you call me?
You harbour wicked motives
I had never done any wickedness in my life
Remove my hands
And remove my legs
Spinning cotton-wool thread confuses the spinner
The mother went in circles 30 times
And the father did same 200 times
(
751
lfa Dida: An invrtation to lfa Consuftation
Their relatons could not do the spinning behind gbas tree
Qrnmll
asked them, "why are you all answering these
confusing names inlka land?
They responded that that was how they had been answering
these names
Before the arrival of
Qrnm)l
into their land
Qrnm)l
responded that no wonder why their lives were in a
state of confusion
Like that of someone folding clothes for packing
They said that they should be handed over to Offkamgn,
the
Qba
oflka town
He who consumes the head of a fish at one go
They went to the first room
They could not find Orf kamgn
In the second room
They could not fi nd Ortikamgn
In the third to sixteenth room
They could not find Off kamOgrln
He who consumes the head of a fish at one
go
In the seventeenth room however
Theyfound On'ikamOgn
He who consumes the head of a fish at one
go
He sat in a room
He wrapped himself with k clothe
One Pk masquerade satwith him in the room
He was serving his Oriwith a
pangolin,
akika
They asked Lka to
go
and cut grasses for the horse by the
makeshift hut
A
pony
ht LkA on his shoulder
Lka felldown and died
The wicked died
The wicked was digging his grave
And a cobra was weeping and mourning him
Igbf n, the snail, is strong
Fblti,
the deadfall, is equally strong
Any deadfall that is not really strong and heavy cannot crack
the shellof a big snail
752
li *" r.,,
The hoof of a buffalo will breakthe
jaw
of any dog
These were the messages of If for the citizens oflkamgrf n
{
Those who consume the head of a fish at one
go
When afterengaging in several businesses
They complained that they have no financial buoyancy to show
for it
They were advised to offer
gbg
Al(k sg'gig, the residentAwo of
Qrnmll
He cast If for OrrJnm'il
When going
on spiritual mission tothe land of Onlkamgn
,
He was advised to offer ebo
I
He complied
Qrnmll
was he who decreed that we be blessed with
abundantwealth
And we were so blessed
All hail Akik-sg'g-ga
It is in the mouth of an Awo that lba, reference and Agq,
authority reside
Qrnmll
was he who decreed that we be blessed with good
{
spouses
And we were so blessed
All hail Akike-sg'gi-p
It is in the mouth of Awothatlb and Agg reside
Qntnmll
was he who decreed that we be blessed with children
And we were so blessed
All hail Al(k-sg'g-ga
It is in the mouth of Awo thatlba and Agg reside
Qrnmll
was he who decreed thatwe receive the blessing of all
t
irein life
\'
All praise Akik sg'gi
ga
It is in the mouth of Awo thatlba and Agg reside
I decree for me to be blessed with abundant wealth
If, please let it come to
pass
I give praisesto Al(k sg'gig
It is in the mouth of Awo thatlba and Agg reside
I decree for me to be blessed with spouses
If,
please
let it come to pass
(
753
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultaon
I give prase to Akik-sg'g-ga
It is in the mouth of Awo thatlba and Agg reside
I decree for me to be blessed with good
children
If, please let it come to pass
I give praise to Al(k-sg'g-$a
It is in the mouth of Awo thatlba and Agg reside
I decree for me to be blessed with ire of good life
If, please let it come to pass
I give praise to Akike-sQ'g-Sa
It is in the mouth of Awothatlba and Agg reside
If saysthatthe person forwhom this Od is revealed shall be blessed with
all the good
things of life. All he/she needs do is to do away with evil (in
thought, speech and action), do away with awkward names and seek the
Agg which only If gives to its devoted disciples.
3. If says that it foresees the ire of a good spouse for whom this Od is
revealed. If says fufther that their relationship will be blessed with
good
children.
If however warns that once married, the couple must never
contemplate separation or divorce. It is not in tune with their
destinies. If there had been separation or divorce where this Odls
revealed, If urges those involved to reconcile and settle their
differences. If this is not done, series of
problems
and mishaps will
occur which will not be
good for either of those involved.
If also says that if anyone or group plans to travel to a far distance
where this Od is revealed, the person(s) will go and return safely.
He/She/Theyshall be blessed with
journey
mercies.
If advises those for whom this Od is revealed to offer gbg with two
rats, two fish, two hens, two guineafowls,
two roosters and
money. On allthese, a stanza in this Od says:
Aagba hun wgn nf jq
Q
ge'gb
754
il ,* *",
Iotun ohun wgn ff ja
q ge
Qdn
Keek tfibwgn-Qn p'Qy Aaka
Df fn Olwgf
Eyi tiwgn f
QkQ
fn nl lr1je-lje
Fbp
ni wQn ff k w ge
Translation
Aagba stays and manages the forest with other forest
members
I:kn, stays and manages the plain with other plain
members
Keek is he who stays and manages
Qyg
Aaka with other
Qyg
citizens
These were If's declarationsto Ohlwgri, the water-body
Whom they shall betroth
QkQ,
the Boat, to from heryouth
He was advised to offer
gbg
Ever since the conception of
QkQ,
the Boat, If was consulted and If
advised the parentsto hand
QkQ
overto Ohlwgri in marriage. If stressed
that it was in the water that Ok would strive and nowhere else. TfA
warned that the
parents
must never give
out her hand to anybody else
and they must ensure that she never contemplated separation or divorce.
As soon as
QkQ
was born, the parents handed her over to Ohlwgri. When
this was done, evefihing went well. When OkQ became ripe for child
bearing, it was with ease she
gave
b'th to her children. Her business,
together with that of her husband, Ohlwgri flourished very well. They
lived in peace
and relative comfoft.
One day, a Iittle misunderstanding occurred between Olwgri and
QkQ.
The friends of Ohlwgri told him that
QkQ
was full of herself, she was too
arrogant and she felt that without her, Ohfwgri could not suruive. They
advised Oklwgri to call her bluff and let her go
to blazes if she so desired.
They concluded that OkQ must be put in her proper place
before there
could be
peace in Olwgri's home. On the other hand, the friends and
sympathizers of
QkQ
blamed her for accommodating all the insults which
I
755
lfa Dida: An invtation to lfa Consultation
Olwgri had been giving her for a long time. They said that the whole
communty was aware that Ohiwgri was usng her star to survive. They
said that Ohlwgri had been using her as his personal propefty
and not as his
spouse who must be pampered, honoured and respected. They told
QkQ
that it was evident that Ohlwgri would never give her due respect; but
nonetheless, she needed to take a dramatic step that would force Olwgri
to give her full honour. She must claim her rights, they urged
QkQ.
How?
She demanded. They concluded that she must leave Ohfwqri that very
day. They assured her that Okfwgri could not do without her for three days
before coming to beg her. They convinced
QkQ
that it was the best option
open to her if she did not want to continue to live in humiliation and
suffering. Before
QkQ
had the chance to digest all the information fully,
these friends and sympathizers stafted to pack her things away from the
home of Ohlwgri.
The friends of Ohlwgri told him not to interuene. They urged Olrtwgri to
allow her to
go because she was too proud
and arrogant. On the other
hand, the friends of
QkQ
helped her to pack her things and they even
ensured that she was pushed to the shore of Ohlwgri.
As soon as
QkQ
and Ohlwgri were separated, everything changed for both
of them. Trouble stafted. Their businesses collapsed.
QkQ
became lean
and dry. Oltlwgri felt empty and isolated. Life had no more meaning for
both of them. Theywere both crying.
To make matters worse, the friends of Ohlweri came to console him. When
they discovered that all their counseling did not have any effect on him,
.
they began to blame and abuse him that he lacked maturity and
patience
to
manage his home properly. They queried him that when he knew that his
wife was angry why couldnt he exercise patience
and talk things over with
her? They advised him to find a means of
going
to reconcile with her. They
all refused bluntly to follow him to go for such reconciliation.
On the other hand, the action of
QkQ
was a veritable oppoftunity for
juicy
gossip
among her friends. They claimed that
QkQ
had no respect for her
husband. She was cocky and mean. Some of them said that if their
husbands had given them one-quafter of the oppoftunities that
QkQ
had,
756
il ,* r",
they would be one of the happiest women on eafth. Wth all the
oppoftunities that
QkQ
had, they leered, she was never satisfied. They
concluded that it was her burden and she must carry it by herself. Before
long,
QkQ
fellterribly sick.
When the
parents
of
QkQ
saw what was happening to their daughter, they
knew exactly what went wrong. They knew that all the misfoftunes
occurred because their daughter failed to abide by the advice of If. They
called her and told her that there was the need for them to go
and appeal
to Ohfwgri for reconciliation.
QkQ
agreed. The parents
of
QkQ
invited the
relatives of Olrtwgri for talks. They set a date and the two parties
converged. The two pafties
agreed that there must be settlement. On
that same day, the groups of Awo mentioned above were invited for If
consultation.
When theAwo arrived, theyconsulted Ifa andlka-MI was revealed. They
declared that the pains suffered by the couple were self-inflicted. They
had nobody to blame but themselves. They told the couple that they
allowed outsiders to
put
bile and bitter leaf into the honey of their lives.
They were assured that it was the 401 IrnmglQ themselves who made
them husband and wife from heaven. Oldmar Himself endorsed the
relationship. Why should they therefore allow outsiders who were never
happy that they were doing well to dictate their lives to them?
The Awo said that Aagba lived in the forest perpetually not because t dd
not experience hardship and insults, but simply because that was where it
belonged and it was more secured there. Similarly,IjO<un stayed in the
plain
because that was where it belonged. Of course, there were
tribulations and moments of anxiety in the
plain,
but in the end,IofUn
knew that she would be better off there. The same thing applied to
Keek n
QyQ
Ajafa. He too had his trying moments there, but he knew
he was to lose if he, because of that, leave
Qyg
town. They urged the
couple to embrace each other and move back together as they were
meant for each other. That was how the misunderstanding was settled.
They invited Aagba and IjOkUn to help them pull
Qk
back into Ohfwgri's
home. This was done. Life returned to normal for the couple. Life
757
lfa Dida: An invtaton to lfa Consultation
reganed its meaning forthem. Their businesses picked up once more. All
their diabolical friends came backto apologise to them. They had all learnt
their lessons.
Aagba hun wgn nl jg
Q
ge'gbo
ljOkun hun wgn nl j9
Q 9e Qdn
Keek nff b wgn-qn q'QyAaka
a fun Olwqrl
Eyl tl wgn f
Qkq
fn nl lje-lje
f
bg ni wqn nl k w
Se

gb'bg
r'bg
At'aagba, t'ljokn
E w b wa w'Qkq fluwgri o
Translation
Aagba stays and manages the forest with other forest
members
Ijokun stays and manages the plain with other
plain members
Keek is he who stays and manages
Qyg
Aaka with other
Oyg indigenes
These were lf's declarationsto Ohlwgri
Whom they shall betroth
QkQ
to from youth
He was advised to offer
qbg
He latercomplied
Please invite Aagba and IjOkUn to help pull
Qk
back to the
domain of Ohlwgri.
If says that it foresees happiness for a couple for whom this Od is
revealed. If there is any misunderstanding, let it be resolved amicably.
They need not listen to those who will only complicate their matter for
them.
If also says that for a traveller, he/she shall go and return safely. There
may be delay, but he/she shall surely return safely.
4. If assures the
person for whom this Od is revealed that he/she
758
ll *" r",
shall be recognized and honoured. If says that his/her children shall
make him/her proud in his/her Iifetime and even after he/she had
passed on. His/her legacies shall be passed on to his/her children. All
what he/she had laboured for shall not go to ruins or be inherited by
strangers. His/her own children shall be the ones to inheritthem. If
advises this person to give all his/her children
proper training so as to
be the fit and proper persons to inherit and take over all his/her
legacies.
If also advises the person for whom this Od is revealed to offer gbg
with four rats, four fish, two hens, hro roostens and money.
On these, If has this to say.
Arl'dg wrqwerg p'qk, Awo il Onlkamgn
Onl nTj akn fgwg agada gb'gri
Iia te-tte-tl ni wen f rrg'gun Atloro
D,l fn 'Ljfl
Tff ggmg Aro
Fbq
qmq ni wQn nl k w
9e
Translation
He who uses slender brass ornaments as rafters, the residents
Awo of Onf kamgn
Today, the crab is set for a fight, and it uses its fingers to scratch
the soil
Feeble fights is what make other birds to defeat Atioro in all
encounters
These were If's messages to'Lfi)
The child of Ar
He was advised to offer
gbq for his children
Qlf)'s
father was a very impoftant and highly respected personality in his
community. He was considered to be very responsible, responsive and
intelligent. He was also known to be level-headed. He used to listen to
both sides of any matter before uttering a
pronouncement or taking a
decision. For these reasons, people loved to ask for his advice or help in any
matter.
759
lfa Dida: An invitaon to lfa Consultation
One day, the communty
gathered together and honoured him with the title
of Ar of Ikamgn land. This made 'LfiT's father one of thelwrQf in
Ikamogun land. IwrQf are the six highest ranking chiefs and decision
makers in the land.
'Lfi)'s father gave his child all the necessary training to make him great in
future. He listened to his father and followed in all his footsteps. At a
stage, if people wanted any assistance from Aro and found only his son
'Lfq), they used to assume that he was as good as his fathef and they
would discuss with him. The people were never disappointed. When Ar
was getting older, the general opinion was that'Ljifr was then even more
intelligent than his father. Those who held that opinion were also never
disappointed. 'Ljfr compofted himself very well in the community.
One day, 'Ljifl's father died. The whole community
gathered
together that
they could not allow the Ar stool to be vacant for too long. They
concluded that'Lajifi should be installed as the new Ar oflkamOgn Iand
since he had been acting in that capacity when his father was getting older
and feeble. 'Ljfr was thus installed the next Ar of lkamgrln land after
his father.
During 'Ljifi's
period as the Ar of lkamogrln land, his reputation
surpassed that of his father. He became more successful than his father.
At a stage, his home was busier than the palace of OrfkamOgn. Yet, he
did not disappoint anyone.
It was allthese achievements and reputations that were giving
'Ljifr cause
for concern: who will inherit all of them? Will all these
go into ruins and
oblivion in future? What would become of all his achievements when he
died? All these and more were his major concerns which made him to
approach the group of Awo mentioned above for If consultation. During
consu ltation, Ik-M) was revea led.
The Awo assured him that his assets, both materials and intellectual, would
not go into ruins, or be inherited by other people who did not know how he
tookthe
pains to accumulate them. He was told that his children would be
the ones to inherit them. He was however told to
give
all his children the
760
il ,* r",
type of rgorous training which his father gave him in order to guarantee
that his children would have both the intellectual and administrative
capabilities to continue wherever he had stopped. He was also advised to
offer gbg
as
prescribed
above. He complied.
'Ljfi gave his children the best training ever. During his lifetime, all his
children made him proud. They were the subject of envy everywhere.
'Ljfr was very happy and was proud
of these children. When he died, he
died a happy, contented and accomplished man.
When the community
gathered
to choose the next Ar however, some
other people
showed up to contest the position with 'Ljifi's children.
Those who came out were the people who were traditionally holders of
Fjgmu
title.
Fjgmu
was lower than Ar in order of seniority. The
community however instructed the children of 'Ljifi to present
a candidate
among themselves for installation as the next Ar oflkamgun land. They
told those contesting the title to wait for the time that the stool of
ggmu
would be vacant.
Arf'dg werwrg p'gk, Awo l Onlkamgn
Onl n'lj akn fgwq agada gb'Qri
Ija tle-tle-tfe ni wQn fi rrgS'gun Atloro
D,la fUn 'Ljifl
Tff ggmg Aro
Fbq
qmg ni wQn nl k w qe

gb'gbg,
rrt'bg
9mq
Ar Ia m
j'Ar
Qmq Fjemu
ni wQn mrt
j'Fjemu
Qmq
gni I'Orlg fi fip'dlwQn gni
Translation
He who uses slender brass ornaments as rafters, the resident
Awo of Onf kamgn
Today, the crab is set for a fight, and it uses its fingers to
scratch the soil
Feeble fight is what make other birds to defeat Atioro in all
encounters
{.
761
lfa Dda: An nvitation to lfa Consultaton
These were lf's messages to'Lfi;)
The child of Ar
He was advised to offer
gbg for his children
He complied
The child of Aro shall be installed as the next Ar
And the child of Ejgmu shall be installed as the next Ejgmu
It is the compoftment and achievement of one's children that the
Origa measure to
judge
one's level of success in life.
If says that the children of the person for whom this Od is revealed shall
make him/her proud in life. He/she however needs to strive to
give the
children the very besttraining
possible.
5. If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed shall be
recognized. If says that he/she shall move from the
position
of
obscurity to that of prominence. If says that he/she had been
having difficulty in holding any achievement for long, If says that
this will change and he/she shall be able to achieve a lot of his/her
heafts desires.
If also foresees the Ire of childbearing for a pregnant woman where
this Od is revealed. She will be blessed with two bouncing babies, a
set of twins, very soon. The babies, when born, shall be one male
and one female. A barren woman shall also be blessed with the fruit
of the womb. If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed
shall be
promoted in life. He/she shall move up in all his/her
undeftakings in life.
If also says that this
person ls surrounded by a lot of enemies who
are envious of his/her achievements and who, for that reason, hate
his/her guts. If however assures this person that these enemies
shall not be ableto do him/her harm. On these,If says
f
ba rere, Awo In
D{ ftln In
In sunkun lwa hun O
yolrl
fbg
ni wqn nl kw se
762
fri ,* r",
Translation
fba
rere, to be recognzed from afar, the Awo of In, fire
He was the Awo who cast If for In
When weeping and lamenting that he had no recognition
He was advised to offer gbg
In, fire, was full of sorrow. Nobody recognized him. Even if he burnt
down a whole town, nobody seemed to notice. This did not make In
happyatall. He lamented this misfoftune on a daily basis.
Tired of lamentation, he summoned courage to approach the Awo
mentioned above,
fba
rre, for If consultation: would he be recognized in
life? Would he be feared and respected?
The Awo assured In that he would be recognized, feared and respected.
He was assured that he would also be usefulto others in his life. The Awo
advised In to offer
gbg with plenty
of
palm-oil,
two roosters and
money. In complied.
Ever since that time, whenever there was fire, as soon as a little palm-oil
or
any other fuel was added, the flame would go up and In would be
recognized. In was also used to cook food, and to clear the bush in
readiness for annual farm plantation.
Even though In is used for all these,
itwas with caution and extreme care. Those in contactwith fire did so with
fear and respect. That was how In got his recognition. He was full of
joy
that he was able to achieve his heaft's desires in his life.
lba
sllgsllQ Awo olg boilgqlq
firn OlgboilgqlQ
Tl nm're gbogbo lmbQ lmbe
fbg
ni wqn nl k w
9e
Translation
fibq
sIlQsIlQ, to act stilthily, the Awo of OlgbJigQlO, the Cat
He cast If for OlgboJigQlQ
When all his achievements were dropping from his hands
He was advised to offer ebo
763
lla Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
OlgbJigl, the cat had completely lost his respect among the rats. Any
rat captured by Olgb0fgQlQ would eventually escape from his grasp. He
amounted to nothing in the estimation of the rats. Instead of the rats
running away from OlgbJigQlQ, he was the one avoiding them. To make
matters worse, the rats began to bite OlgbfgQlQ'stailfor consumption!
OlgbjfgQlQ considered this the peak of all insults to his person. He
therefore went for If consultation in the home of
pba
slbsllQ his Babalwo;
would he be able to regain his respect? Would he be able to regain his
respect? Would he be able to keep for himself all the rats that he captured?
Would he be feared bythese rats who were getting bolder and more daring
every
passing day?
The Awo assured OlgbOJigQlQ that he would be able to hold onto whatever
he had achieved. He was also told that he would be feared and respected.
All what he needed to do, he was advised, was to offer
qbg with hruo
pigeons, two roosterc and 2O blades. He complied.
As soon as he offered the
gbg, Eg stuck one blade in each of Olgb0JigQlQ's
fingers and toes. Unknown to the rats, they came in group to
pester
OlgbJigQlQ as they used to do. The leader among them was grabbed and
simplified into two by OlgbfgQlQ. The rest of them could not believe
their eyes. In their confusion, OlgbjfgQlQ was able to
grab two more. He
tore them to
pieces with the help of the blades which he had stuck to his
fingers and toes. The remaining rats ran helter-skelter. Ever since that
time, the rats knew OlgbfgQlQ as their master, and any rat who was
unfortunate enough to be
grabbed
by OlgbfgQlQ had no way to escape.
Such unfoftunate ratwould be partof OlgbJigQlq's mealforthatday.
f
ba rgre, Awo Adan
Dl filn Adan, onlfll qt
Fkn
gmg l rl sun
f
bg ni wqn nl kw ge
Translation
fba
rgrg, to havethem in abundance, theAwo of Adn, the Bat
He cast If for Adn, the owner of the cap made with
[t,
764
frl ,* r.,
brown, clothing material
When weepng in lamentation of her inabilty to beget her own
children
She was advised to offer
gbg.
Adn, the Bat, loved children a lot. She dreamt of having several children
in her life. Unfoftunately however, she was not able to have even only one.
She cried everyday because of this. How could she come into this world
without begetting her own children? Somebody gave
bfth to her; why
should she find it impossible to give
birth to her own children? As much as
she loved children would she continue to shower her love and affection on
the children of others without begetting her own child to love, pamper
and
take care of? Anytime she
pondered
on these points,
she was always sad
and dejected. She used to dream that she was in the midst of her children
playing and
joking
with them.
She made up her mind to do something about it. One day, she wentto
fba
Rgrg her Babalwo for If consultation. During consultation,Ik-M;I was
revealed.
The Awo assured her that she would be blessed with the fruit of the womb.
She was also assured that she would give
bfth to several children in her
life. She was advised to offer
gbg with 2O rats, 20 fish and two
roosterc for good
childre and sound health.
When she went to the market, she bought all the rats and fish in the market
and she bought the two roosters as well. After the
gbg,
she began to give
brth to children. She was blessed with severalchildren and she had sound
health to continue to
give
bfth to the children. If anyone tried to persuade
her to stop
giving
birth to children, she would respond that she loved
children and she suffered before her womb opened for child-bearing. That
was how Adn, the Bat became a
proud mother of several children in her
life.
lba
gbogbo Awo ok
Dl fin Oke
Oke l'hun f yg'rl ju
egb
hun yk lg
765
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consuftation
Fbg
niwqn n| kw ge
Translation
fiba
gbongb,
Big and Mighty, theAwo of Ok, the Hill
He cast If for 0k, the Hill
Oke wanted to be higherthan all hercolleagues
He was advised to offer gbg
Oke, the Hill, was very ambitions. she wanted to be higher than all her
contemporaries. She planned
allthe things he needed to do to ensure that
she was higher than every one of them
-
lake, sea, lagoon, and so on. She
then went to
f
ba gbngb
for If consultation. Again, during consultation,
)ka-vtet was revea led.
The Awo assured her that she would be higher than all her contemporaries.
She was advised to offer gbg with one matured he-goat, hro pigeons
and money. She complied. Before long, she grew higher than all her
colleagues. She was full of
joy
that she was able to achieve her heaft's
desires
Magi-magi, Awo Aps
D,l fin Aps
Tll
$'gkg
Agg
fbg
ni wqn nl k w ge
Translation
Magi-magi, the Awo of Aps, the clothe-weaving instrument
He cast If for Aps
The husband of Aqg, the cloth
He was advised to offer gbg.
Aps, the cloth-weaving instrument, was the husband of A9g, the cloth.
Apas was in love with his wife. He wanted to know if he would continue to
be Agg's husband for the rest of his life. For this reason, he went to Magi-
Magi, his Awo for If consultation.
The Awo assures Aps that he would be the husband of ASa for the rest of
766
iI *" r",
his life. He however told Apas that he needed to offer
gbg because at a
stage, Agg would be taken away from him to dress other
people.
Aps
was advised to offer
gbg with two hens for him to be the husband of Agg
for life, and to offer
gbg with hruo roosters for people not to snatch Agg
away from him for their own selfish usage in future. Aps offered gbg with
two hens and refused to offer gbg for people not to snatch Agg away from
him. He believed that nobody could do that since he would remain the
husband of Agg for life.
As soon as Aps completed his work on Agg, Aps was cleaned and kept
in a box while Asg was sewn and
given to others to wear for their outings.
Apasa was full of regrets for the rest of his life. His only consolation was
that those who took Agg away did not consider her their wife. They all
knew that she was initially the wife of Aps.
Magi-maagi
Dl filn
FlqmQQq
Qmg
a-b-raka-rktl
Eyl qmq
eye
kan ,
yQ kn tl g'orl og
Tl srlre ogun tantantan
Fbel+gun
ni wqn nl kw
Se
Translation
MaSi-magi, the Awo of
FlemQFQ
He was the Awo who cast If for
FlemQ$
He who shouts atthe top of his voice
Offspring of that bird which perched on Og baobab tree
And
pray incessantly for war
He was advised to offerthe
gbg
of victory
FlemQgq
was a
great warrior. His happiest periods were during
contentions, confrontations and wars. He was always
praying for them.
For this reason, he went to Magi-Magi, his Babalwo, for If consultation:
would he be able to see wars and uprisings to confront? Would he be
victorious during these confrontations? During consultation, Ika-M) was
revealed.
I
767
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
The Awo told
flQmQpQ
that the people of the world were too restless for
there not to be wars and contentions. Nothing satisfied the world, the Awo
told
flqmggg.
Nothing was enough for them except suffering. The Awo
assured
FlemQgQ
that there would always be contentions, confrontations
and wars for him to engage in. What he needed to do was to offer gbg for
him to be victorious in all his campaigns. The Awo advised him to offer
gbg
with three matured he-goats and money. He complied.
FlemQgq
fought several battles after; and he was victorious in all. He had
several spoils of war which made him successful beyond his wildest
imagination.
FlemQgQ's
reputation as a warlord travelled far and wide.
When he died, the whole world paid tributes to him.
Kgkgg n ab'oj rl Legn-Leg n
Dl filn wgn l'gb lgb IfQ Kiriblti
Awgn l gb'y ni wQn d'f st
lbg
ni wqn nl kl wqn w ge
Translation
Kgkggn, the slender iron rod, with its pointed tip
This was the If cast for them at IfQ land
When
planning to take full control of their environment
They were advised to offer
gbg
Ib-Ife was where human life began. The indigenes of this town were aware
of this. Consequent upon this, they saw no reason why they should not be
the ones to control every
paft of their environment. That was what they
had in mind when they approached Kgkggn- ab'ojtl-legn-legn for If
consultation. During consu ltation, Ik M) was revealed.
The Awo told them that they would be able to exercise full control on their
environment. They were advised to offer gbg with 16 pigeons, two he-
goats and money. They were to add the sand from a well-trekked
footpath to the
gbg. They were assured that the feet normally took full
control of the footpath while the rope of the palmwine tapper took full
control of the palm-tree. They were also advised to feed If with one
matured she-goat. All these they did without delay.
768
ifr ,* r.,
Soon afterwards, all the towns and villages around ll-Ife came to pay
homage and pledge their allegiance to the leaders of Il-IfQ. They
pafticipated in the developmentand defence of II-IQ.
Qpgqrg
abs lgnlg
IX fitn Erw gg
Tl be l'rinlgbq
[bq
alk ni wn nl k w pe
Translation
QpeQre,
bird with thicktuftof plumes
on its head
The Awo who cast If for Erw, the fresh grass
Who was living in the forest
Erw was advised to offer gbg to live long
Erw was in constant fear of her life. She Iived in the forest. Every now
and then, the bush was burnt by game hunters, farmers or thunder-strike.
Will these activities not shoften her life? Would she be able to sulvive this
assault? When there was no fire outbreak, deers, antelopes, rodents,
grasscutters, locusts and so on, fed on her. Would they not finish her
completely? The fear of sudden death had caused her sleeplessness.
There was no peace of mind for Erw s$. This was what made her to
approach
Qpeere-abs-lgnlg
for If consultation. When If was
consu lted, Ika-Mel was revea led.
The Awo assured Erw gg
that even though this threat existed, she
would never die young. Several attempts would be made on her life but she
would suruive them all. She was advised to offer
gbg with two roosters.
She complied.
Every time, the farmers burnt the farm in preparation for new plantation;
the game hunters put fire on the forest in order to kill animals; thunder
strike set the bush on fire; and herbivorous animals consumed Erw gUg
with reckless abandon. Yet, Erwa
Sg
surived all the attempts to kill
her. She was full of thanks and
praises for her Awo,
Qpeere-abOs-lgnQ.
When asked how she survived, she responded that she used to sleep
t
769
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
quietly
and she used to find herself waking up
quetly
too! All in the
power
of Oldmar and If, she would add.
Ofe o
j'eree
A rff l'po
Qje
kfl
jTkesl
A rff nTyQ
Trtl-ol ni wqn ge'f filn
Omg ag
Eyl tl rr b wgn gb'l Owerenjje
Eyl to ti rln nl lkQQkQ
Eyl to ti rln nl lbb
WQn nl I'qdn nff ni y
d'gni atehde
gbangba
Fbq
ni wqn nl k w ge
Translation
Ofe, bird does notconsume beans
But it mixes itwith palm-oil
A successful merchant does not eat meals prepared the
previous
day
The food will be
preserved with salt
These were If's declarations to Tl-oh1
Offspring of that canon edge
Which lives where Owerenjje, is planted
Hewho had been going about in totalobscurity
He who had been living a life of a non-entitiy
He was told that that year was his year of prominence
He was advised to offer
gbg
Tl-ohl was a very unsuccessful man. He had no money, no spouse, no
child, no sound health, no house of his own, not to mention a means of
transpoftation of his own. Except for members of his family, nobody knew
him. Nobody cared to know him either. As far as many
people in his
community were concerned, he never existed
physically
or in their minds.
For how long would he continue to live the life of a Nobody in his
community, he asked himself? That was what prompted Tl-ohi to
approach the
group
of Awo mentioned above for If consultation: would he
774
frl ,* r,,
succeed in life, he asked lfa? During If consultation, Ika-MeT was
revealed.
The Awo told Tl-Oltt that he was living a life of obscurity. He however
assured him that that very year,
something would happen to his life that
would bring him into the limelight and prominence. He was advised to offer
gbg with hro pigeons
and money. Tl-Ohf had no money. He had
onlytwo dresses. He sold one and boughtthe two pigeons with the money
he realized from the sale. The Awo performed gbq for hirnd blesse.him.
Tl-Ol waited for three months and no change occurred in his life. In
the foufth month, he made up his mind to
go into the forest to hang himself.
Eg continued to encourage him to do so. When in the forest, Eg gave
him
the direction of where to go. If he stopped somewhere, Eg would urge
him to move further into the forest. When he reached a point, the odour of
dead animals was too offensive for him to bear. EgU urged him to continue
going. When he reached the spot where the odour was coming from, he
realized that the odour was that of two elephants. They had earlier battled
each other to death. Egu told him not to waste time by removing the ivories
of the dead elephants. When he removed them, ESU told him that all he
needed to do were to forget about his suicide attempt and look for buyers
for his newly-found treasure.
When he returned home, he sold the ivories at exhorbitant
prices.
He
became very rich. People began to take notice of him. The attitude of all
his family members toward him changed completely. They were always at
his beck and call. They were ready to cooperate with him in all things. That
was the time his family members realized that it was not proper for him not
to have a spouse of his own. They arranged one for him. People noticed
him even more. Soon after this, the wife became pregnant. The whole
community knew that the pregnant woman was TlOl4is wife," He
arranged with his peer group
and a befitting house was erected for him.
His business flourished and he bought a fine horse as a means of
transpoftation. All these took place in
just
one year! Tl-Ol became the
talkof thetown.
w kan wgn
$rksrtkrt
nl lQ'kuru
771
I
lfa Dda: An invtation to lfa Consultaton
WQnyln-wgnyn l lQ'gl
Ogl tl k knn l'ghde b'gn
Gnnugn w'omi agbada tlgn-rre
Om ni'f oblnrin
Qnagfu
n ni'f aknyngb
fin Elbt
Tl fre'l
QlQfi
n IQQ gb'awo
Fbq
ni wEn nl k w ge
A b fin Odt-Keke
re'l
glqfn
IQQ gb'awo
Fbq
ni wqn nl k w ge
Translation
Finely do one grind the beans for making kuru, the bean
fritter
And into fine paste do one grind the corn for making 0g), the
corn meal
The poorly grinded
corn paste is normally given to
pigs for
consumption
Grlnnugrf n, the Vulture glanced
at the water in the water-basin
unendingly without drinking
Qm,
the Breast is an invaluable asset of a woman
And a melodious voice is an invaluable asset of an lyQrQ
chanter/musician
These were If's declarationsto Elbrit
When going
on If's mission tothe home of
QlQfin
He was also advised to offer
gbg
The same was declared to Odu-fgq
When going on lf's mission tothe home of
QlQfin
He was also advised to offer ebo
Ana-Qg)n, the wife of
QlQfin
was pregnant. This brought anxiety to the
mind of
QlQfin:
what would he do for his favourite wife to deliver safely?
He was also curious about the sex of the baby so that he could know what
preparation
he needed to make for its eventual arrival: what types of
dresses he should procure for the baby's usage, its circumcision, and so
772
ii tx. u"i
on. wth all these on
QlQfin's
mind, he summoned Elbt to come and
consult If for him in his palace.
As soon as Elbtlt received the call of
QlQfin,
he went to the home of the
Awo mentioned above for If consultation? What exactly dd
qlqfn
want
from him? would he succeed where he was going?
would he be able to
satisfy
QlQfin
when he got there? During If consultation,Ika-MeI was
revealed.
The Awo told Elbut that the wife of
QlQfin
was pregnant
and that
glqfin
was preoccupied with the safe delivery of his wife. They also told him that
QlQfn
wished to know the sex of the baby ahead of the delivery time. The
Awo assured Elbt1t that OlQfin's wife will have a safe delivery and that
she was going
to
give
brth to a male baby. They also told Elbrit that
there was the need for
QlQfin
to offer gbg with two rats, two fish, hruo
roosters and money because the wife was going
to
give
bifth to a male
baby. When Elbt got
to Olfin's palace,
he was asked to consult If.
He did.
Again,Ika-tvteSt was revealed. He assured
QlQfin
that his wife would have
a safe delivery and that she would give bfth to a male baby. He advised
QlQfin
to offer
qbg
as prescribed
above.
Qlqfn
complied.
Three days after,
glqfn
summoned Odu Keke to his palace
for If
consultation on the same issue. Od-keke also went to his group
of Awo
for his own If consultation in order for him to determine exactly what
Qlqfn
wanted from him.
When his Awo consulted If for him,Ika-M) was equally revealed. OdU-
keke was informed that
QIqfn
summoned him because of his pregnant
wife. OAU-fqq was told that
QlQfin's
wife would have a safe delivery. He
was told to advise
Qlqfin
to offer qbg with two rats, two fish, hruo hens
and money because
QlQfin's
wife would deliver a female baby.
In OlQfin's palace,
OOu-t<qtq consulted If and again, Ika-Me;t was
revealed. He assured
QlQfin
that his wife would have a safe delivery and
that she was going
to have a female baby. Female? OOo-fete assured
773
lfa Dida: An nvtation to lfa Consultaton
QlQfin
that he had given him the exact message of If. He advised
QlQfin
to
offergbg as prescribed by hisAwo,
Qlqfn
complied.
Elbrtt and Od-keKe were the very best Awo during their time.
Anything they said was taken seriously because it usually came to pass.
Now that the two of them were giving
conflicting messages, what could
one make of it? Elbt said that If foresaw a male baby for
QlQfin
while
Od-keke assured
Qlqfin
that what If foresaw for him,
Qlqfin,
was a
female baby. Wth these conflicting messages,
QlQfin's
curiosity and
anxiety mounted by the day. He could not wait for the day of his wife's
delivery in order to know who was correct among these
great Babalwo.
One day, Olfin's wife went into labour. As expected,
QlQfin
quickly
summoned Elbt and OdU-Keke to his palace so that they could see to
her safe delivery as they had predicted. Elbt arrived first. He assured
QlQfin
that his wife had no problem and that she would deliver a male baby.
Od-Keke came a few moments after and told
glQfn
that his wife would
have a safe delivery and the baby would be female.
When
QlQfin's
wife was to deliver, it was a male child. Elbrit was full of
jubilation.
He told
Qlqfin
that If had never failed him. OdU-keke could not
believe what he had seen. He excused himself and told
QlQfin
that he was
going home in order to go and ask If what he had done wrong in his
seruice to If which brought this disgrace and humiliation to him.
QlQfin
excused him.
As soon as he left,
QlQfin's
wife gave
bfth to another baby; this time, a
female.
Qlqfin
quickly
asked one of the palace members to go and call
Od-keke back, that his prediction had also come to
pass. When the
messenger got to OdU-kgkQ's home, he began to sing thus:
If Elbrtt
99
n o
T'Od-kekg sl gg o
Awo rere I'Odu-kEt<g
If Elbrlt gq n o
T'Od-kqkQ sl
gg
o
774
ll ,* r",,
Awo rere I'Od-kke o
(
Translation
The prediction of Elbtit had come to pass
And thatof Odu-kqke had also manifested
Od-keke is a
great Awo
The prediction
of Elbt had cometo pass
And that of Odu-kqke had also manifested
Ou-fete is truly a great Awo
I
That was the song the palace messenger, Od-keke and all the members of
I
his household sang to the palace in
jubiliation
with Od-keke and
QlQfin,
who became the
proud father of a set of twins.
Fba
rere, Awo rn
Dl fif n In
In tsunkn lw hun O yojrl
Fbq
ni wqn nl kw se
gbg'bg,
r'bg
(
lba
sllgsll Awo olgboilgQq
Dl filn Olgboilgqlq
Tl f m're gbogbo lmbq lmbQ
Fbq
ni wqn nl k w ge
gbg'bg r'bg
f
ba rqre, Awo Adan
Dl filn Adan, onlfll
gt
f;kn
gmg l sun
f
bg ni wqn nl k w ge
(

gbg'bg,
rrl'bg
Eba
gbogbo
Awo k
Dl filn Oke
Oke l'hun f yg'rf
ju
egb
ohun
yok
lq
f
bg ni wqn nl k w ge
gbQ'bg, r'bg
Magi-magi, Awo Aps
Dl fif n Apas
L
775
lfa Dida: An invtation to lfa Consuftation
Tff q'qkg Agg
Fbq
kl wEn m gba oblnrin rQ I'QwQ rQ ni wqn nl ko w
9e
Ebq
kl hun l g'gkg
agg d'alE nlkan l ge
Magi-magi
Dl| frrn
Fhmqsg
9mq
a-b-raka-rk
Eyl
emq
e, yg kan
QyQ
kan g'orf og
Tl nsre ogun tantantan
Fbqlqgun
ni wqn nl kw ge
gb'bq, r'bg
Kgkgg u n a b'oj tl Legn-Leg n
Dl frrn wgn l'gb lgbo IfQ Kiriblti
Awgn l gb'y ni wQn d'f sl
Fbg
ni wqn nl kl wqn w ge
WQn gb'bg, wqn r'bg
j agbak l'gsQ gb'Qn
Agbek n'igb rlgb'qpg
Qpqere
abs lgrrlg
I)l filn Erw gg
Tl rrbe l'arin lgb
$bg
alku ni wQn nl k w ge

gb'Qbg,
r'bg
nlblepaml
Emi nff k
Ihgrgpg ni mo sn
Ihqrgpg ni mo dlde o
Kko ejba kagal parad
of o
j'er
A rff l'po
Qlja
kff
j'lksl
A rll nTyQ
Tl-ol niwqn ge'f ftln
Qmg
ag
Eyl tl b wqn gb'l Owerenjje
Eyl t ti rln nl lkQQkQ
776
li ka Mej
Eyl to ti rln nl lbb
WQn nl I'Qdn nff ni y d'gn etelede gbangba
Ebg
ni wqn nl k w ge

gb'Qbo,
rrl'bg
Bl a b l'w gni I'Qwg
f
ni gbangba |a
jg
If e mi d, gnii gbangba
Bl a b l'ya gni l'y
Sni
gbangba la
jg
If e mi O,
gnii gbangba
Bl a b b1mg gni I'aye
$ni
gbangba la
jQ
If a mi r
gnii gbangba
Bl a b nl ire gbogbo l'y
f
ni
gbangba
l
j
If a mi O, gnii gbangba
w kan wgn
grlkrlgk
nl lQ'kuru
WQnyln-wgnyin l lQ'gl
Ogl tl k krlnn l'glgdQ b'gn
Gnnugn w'omi agbada tlgn-rre
QmU
ni'f oblnrin
QnQfu
n ni'f aknyngb
IX filn Elbrt
Tl re'l
Qlqfin
IQQ gb'awo
Fbg
ni wqn nl k w ge
A b fun odo-Keke
nre'l
Qlqfn
IQQ gb'awo
fbg
niwqn nl k w ge
WQn gb'bg, wqn r'bg
g rra Elbrt
te
n o
T'Od-kQkg sl99 o
Awo rere I'Od-keke
If Ebrrlt gg n o
T'Od-kQkQ sl
99
o
Awo rere I'Od-kek o
777
lfa Dda: An invitation to lfa Consuftation
Translation
fba
rer, theAwo of In, Fire
He cast If for In
When weeping and lamenting that he had no recognition
He was advised to offer
gbg
He complied
Eba
stlQsllQ, the Awo of Olgbofgl, the Cat
He cast If for OlgbgQlQ
When all his achievements were dropping from his hands
He was advised to offer ebo
He complied
fba
rgrg, the Awo of Adn, the Bat
He cast If for Adn, the owner of the cap made with
[t
clothing material
When weeping in lamentation of her inability to beget her own
children
She was advised to offer
gbg
She complied
fba
gbongb, the Awo of Ok, the Hill
He cast Ifa for Ok
Ok wanted to be higher than all her colleagues
She was advised to offer ebo
She complied
Magi-magi, the Awo of Aps, the cloth weaving instrument
He cast If for Aps
The husband of Agg, the cloth
He was advised to offer
ebq
so that Agg would not be taken
awayfrom him
He offer only the
gbg for him to continue to be the husband of
Asg
Magi-magi the Awo of
FlemQgQ
He cast If for
EImQSQ
He who shouts at the top of his voice
Offspring of that bird which perched on Og tree
And pray incessantly for war
Hewas advised to offerebo
He complied
778
ii r*" u"i
Qpeere,
the bird with thicktuft of plumes
on its head
He cast If for Erw, the fresh grass
Who was living in the forest
She was advised to offer
gbg in order to live long
She complied
She declared that if you plan for me to die
I shall not die
Quietly
did I sleep
And quietlydid I wake up
Ofe does notconsume beans
But it soaks them in palm-oil
A successful merchant does not eat stale meals
The food will instead be
preserued
with salt
These were If's declarations to Tl-Ohl
Offspring of that eagle
Which lives where Owerenjje is planted
He who had been going
about in total obscurity
He who had been living a life of a non-entity
He was told that that year was his year of prominence
He was advised to offer
gbg
He complied
If one is blessed with wealth
One will be exposed to
prominence
I pay reverence to my If, the prominent Divinity
If one is blessed with a good
spouse
One will be exposed to
prominence
I pay reverence to my If, the prominent
Divinity
If one is blessed with good children
One would be exposed to
prominence
I pay homage to my If, the prominent Divinity
If one is blessed with all the good
things of life
One will be exposed to
prominence
I salute my If, the prominent Divinity
Finely do one grind the kuru beans
And into fine past
do one
grind
Og'i Corn
The poorly grinded
corn is given
to pigs for consumption
Gnnugn glanced
at the water in the water basin unendingly
779
Ifa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
withoutdrinking
Qmu
isan invaluableassetof awoman
And a melodious voce is an invaluable asset of an lyQrQ
chanter/musician
These were lf's declarations to Elbtit
When going tothe
palace of
QlQfin
on If mission
And also to Od-Keke
When going to the
palace of
QlQfin
on If mission
They were advised to offer
gbg
They complied
The prediction of Elbttt had cometo
pass
And thatof Odu-feke had also manifested
OOU-fgfg is a
great Awo
Behold, the
prediction of Ebt had cometo
pass
And thatof Odu-kgke had equally manifested
Od-keke is truly a
great Awo
If says that the
person for whom this Odis revealed shall be blessed with
all his/her heart's desires in life. If says that the reason for consulting If
shall come out in favour of the
person for whom this Od is revealed.
6. If says that it foresses success and
great accomplishment for the
person for whom this Od is revealed, where he/she is going to, in
order to stay and establish himself/herself. If says that his/her luck
will shine where he/she is going. He/she will be able to establish
himself/herself there. If says that he/she shall be blessed with
bou nd less opportunities.
If advises this person to offer
gbg with three
pigeons' three
guineafowls, three cocks and money. On this, If says:
J n fldl he
Dl filn Aagba
Tl lq r gba igb I'QwQ on5gb
Fbq
ni wqn nl k w
9e
780
ii ,0" *",
Translation
Let me manage here
This was lf's message to Aagba
When going
to take over the forest from the owners of the
forest
He was advised to offer gbg
Aagba was a creeping plant. He planned
to go
to the forest and establish
himself there. All his intention was not beyond the fact that he wants to
stay and live a quiet life in the forest: would he succeed? That was why he
wentto the home of J$n-fidl-he, a
prominent
Babalwo for If consultation.
Jgn-fidf-hg assured Aagba that he would be able to establish himself in the
forest. Not only that, he would also take over the whole forest from the
owners of the forest at a stage in his life. Aagba could not see how feasible
this would be. He however believed in the words of If. The Awo advised
him to offer gbg
as stated above. He complied.
Soon after this, Aagba set out on his
journey
to the forest. When he got
to
the forest, he saw a place near the river and decided to manage there for
some time, before looking for a better
place
to settle. Before long, he
realized that the place was good for him. In two years,
he had taken over
the whole vicinity. Nobody questioned
his action. In ten years
he had
become a force to reckon with in the forest. Anyone planning
to cultivate
there would be told notto do it because Aagba was too much there.
JQ n fldl h9
Dd fn ljokrtn
Tl lg r gb'Qdn
l'gw gl'Qdn
fbg
ni wqn ni kw qe
Translation
Let me manage here
This was lf's message toIOkUn
When going
to take over the plain from the owners of the plain
land
He was advised to offer ebo
781
Ifa Dida: An invitaton to lfa Consultaton
The case of ljkn was smlar to that of Aagba. He too went to the plain
land
just
to manage before moving on. He too succeeded there, and in ten
years, he took over the
plain-land from the original owners of the land.
)okun was also advised to offer gbg before proceeding on that
journey
however. He also complied and succeeded. Nobody did anything where
Iokun was.
J$ n fldl hg
Dl filn Kker sl
Tl nlg r gba
QVq
I'QwQ
glqyqq
fbg
ni wqn nl kw ge
Translation
Let me manage here
This was If's message to Kkere-Nsl
When going
to take over
QyQ
town from the owners of the town
He was advised to offer
gbg
The story of Kker-Nsele was similar to those of Aagba andljOkUn. When
going to
QyQ
town, he went for If consultation. He was assured that he
would be
paft
of the owners of the land he planned to go to. He was also
advised to offer
gbg. He complied
When he got to
QyQ
town, he was accepted. Before long, he became one of
the decision makers in the land. He also had his own area where he
controlled.
, J n fldl hq
firn
fpa
Tl lg r gba poro l'QwQ ol'ko
fbg
ni wqn nl k w ge
Translation
Let me manage here
This was If's message to
[p,
the Peanut
When going to take over the farm ridges from the owner of the
farm
782
l
'u
r",
She was advised to offer ebo
The case of
Fpa
was also similar to those of Aagba, IOkUn and Kker-
Nsl. When
Epa
was going
to the farm to stay. She never bargained for
more than a temporary stay before she could find somewhere more
conducive for her. She however went for If consultation. The Awo told
her that she would succeed where she was going
and that she would be
able to take over both the heap and ridges from the owners of the farm.
She was advised to offer gbg as prescribed
above. She complied. A few
days after, she moved into the farm.
As soon as she got into the farm, she began to multiply herself. All her
children spread quickly.
They spread round the farm heaps and ridges.
The farmer could no longer pass
through the ridges of
[p.
That was how
[p
completelytookoverthe farm from the farmer.
Jg n fldl h9
Dl fitn Aagba
Tl lg r gba igb I'QwQ onTgb
fbg
niwn nl k w ge
Jg n fldl h9
Dt fitn ljokun
Tl lg r gb'Qdn I'fwq gl'qdan
Fbq
niwqn ni k w ge
JQ n fldl h9
D,l fin Kker Nsl
Tl rl9 r gba
QVq
l'gwQ
glqyqq
fbg
niwqn nl k w ge
Jg n fldl h9
Dla fun
fipa
Tl lg r gba poro l'qwq ol'ko
fbg
niwqn nl k w ge
WQn gb'gbg,
wqn r'bg
Aagba w ge
bl ere
gba igb lQwQ onlgb
Ijokun se bl er

gba
Qdn
lQwq gledn
783
lfa Dida: An invtaton to lfa Consultation
Kker-sele ge
bl er

gba
Qvq
lqwq
glqyQq
Fpa
qe bl er
gba poro lqwq olko
Klnni
Fpa
fi to eb k o
gmgygoJg,
I'Ep fi teb k
9mqygoJeo
Translation
JQ n fidf hg (Let me manage here)
This was If's message to Aagba
When going
to take over the forest from the owner of the forest
He was advised to offer
gbg
JQ n fid'i hg(Let me manage here)
This was If's messge toljokUn
When going to take overthe plain from the owner of the plain
He was advised to offer gbg
JQ n frdl h9
This was lf's message to Kker-Nsl
When going to take over
Qyq
town from the owners of the town
He was advised to offer gbg
J9 n frdf he
This was lf's message for
fpa
the Peanut
When going
to take over the farm ridges from the owner of the
farm
She was advised to offer gbg
They complied
Gradually, Aagba took over the forest from the owner
And gradually,Ijok
tookoverthe plain from the owner
Gradually, Kker-Nsl took over
Qyg
town from the owners of
.
thetown
And gradually,
fpa
took over the farm form the farmer
What did
fpa
use to surround itself?
Itwas plenty
of children
7. If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed is doing
something secretly at
present. If this secret is exposed, what he/she
784
ii ,* r.,
is doing will be in
jeopardy.
He/she needs to offer
gbg so that his/her
secret will not leak out. He/she also needs to feed the Ori of his/her
parents. If either or both of them are dead, he/she needs to feed
their spirits. He/she also needs to feed
QbaHl
and If. If says
that there is also the need for the person for whom this Od is
revealed to maintain reticence throughout the
period
that he/she is
doing this thing until it is finally completed.
If advises this person to offer
gbg with hro pigeons,
two
guinea-fowls, hro cocks and money. After this, he/she needs
to feed the Ori (orthe spirit) of his/her parents, If and
Qbatl.
On
these,If says:
Qpelep
eilk ni o
j'gw
bq
9pelqpg
wlpe o rl iye ire t bl
g filn baba ire
Dl fttn Ooganh
QggQrgmagbo
Tl sunkUn oj Awr Ohun ba're o
Fbq
ni wqn nl k w ge
Translation
Let us thank the shoulders which do not allow the dress to fall
offour body
Let us thank the fact that a
good mother gave
brth to you to a
good father
These were lf's messages to
Qbtl
When lamenting that his disciples did notsucceed
He was advised to offer
gbg
gbaHl
slept with sadness. He woke up still feeling sad. This had been
going
on for sometimes now. Why? His beloved Awr Or'lg, disciples
could not make ends meet.
All his effofts amounted to naught. This was what was giving
QbaHl
sleeplessness. What would other
people
say if his own AwOr was
experiencing acute wants?
Qbat
was aware that people would not
make
jest
of his Awr but it would be him,
Qbatl
that would become
everybody's subject of ridicule. What must he do? After much
("
785
lfa Dida: An nvtation to lfa Consultation
deliberation, he decided to
go for If consultation. He went to the home of
the
group
of Awo mentioned above for If consultaion on behalf of his
AwOr.
The Awo told
Qbtl
that even though his Awr was experiencing serious
problem at that time, the
problems would nonetheless disappear in due
course of time. They told
Qbatl
that his Awr0 was well born and
properly trained by hls parents. He needed to feed the Of of his parents
so
that they would give him support. They also said that since he enjoyed the
suppoft of
QbaHl
there was an assistance that
gbakl
must render to his
AwrO. This was that the AwOr had no secret. All his secret
plans were
being exposed to his opponents and these opponents ensured that such
plans failed to work. There was therefore the need to ensure that the secret
plans
of his AwrO did not leak out to anyone. The Awo also advised
QbaHl
to inform his AwrO to offer
gbg
as
prescribed
above and at the
same time, help his Awr to keep his secrets secret. All the advices of the
Awo were complied with.
As from that moment,
Qbtl
made it his own
personal responsibility to
guard the secret
plans of his AwOr against exposure. When the plans did
not leak out, AwOr Oilg was able to implement his heaft's desires. AwrO
became happy and self-sufficient in all the basic things of life.
QbaHl
became happy and
proud of the achievements of his AwrO.
Qpelepe
ilk ni o
j',
w bq
Qpelqp
wlpe o rl iye ire t bl
g fn baba ire
Dl frrn ooganla
Qqeeremagbo
Tl sunkrln ojrt Aw hun O ba're o
Ebq
ni wqn nl k w ge

gb'Qbg, r'bg
Ko p k
jlnn
E
w b 'ni byQ, e w wo're o
je a5{rf tl Oo+a
pamq
N'lkOkO lw
Translation
Let us thank the shoulders which do not allow the dress to fall
786
if, ,* *",
offour body
Let us thank the fact that a
good mother gave
bifth to you to a
good father
These were lf's messagesto
Qbtl
When lamenting that his disciples did not succeed
He was advised to offer
gbg
He complied
Before long, nottoo far
Join us in the midst of all ire of life
Behold, the secret kept by
Qbatl
It remains a secret!
If says that the
person for whom this Od is revealed shall enjoy the
suppoft of the Divinities. He/she shallachieve his/her heart's desires in life.
He/she however needs to keep his/her secrets secret. He/She needs to be
reticent in all his/her secret
plans.
8. If says that it foresees the ire of victory for the
person for whom this
Od is revealed. If says thatthe enemies are many but he/she shall
overcome them all. If says that the
plans
of his/her enemies shall
turn to success for him/her as their evil designs shall in the end turn to
advantage for him/her. If assures him/her that his/her enemies
shall be putto shame.
If advises the person for whom this Od is revealed to offer
ebq
with
one matured he-goat and money.
The Awo also needs to look for one
palm-kernel
by the roadside
(not the one from the farm, it must be the one picked
on the road),
grind it into fine powder imprintlka-we) on it, and recite this stanza
into it. After this, make incisions on the head of the person
for whom
this Od is revealed from his/her forehead to the back of the head and
rub the
powder
on it. If this is done, If says, victory is assured. The
stanza in this Od on this issue states thus:
Gbgb
qna j'elqse
rln
Gbogbo ay kll ge r'w r'ggin
787
lfa Dida: An invitaton to lfa Consultation
D,l filn Aylnrl
Tff g'gmg glQrQ
n'ffq
Ebq
alku ni wQn nl k w
9e
Translation
Let the root offshoot
give way to those who trek
Noteveryone can afford to buya horse
This was lf's declaration to A/inrf n, the maroon colour
The son of the influential man in IfQ
He was advised to offer
ghq
of longevity
AyinFin, the maroon colour was the son of an influential citizen of Il-IfQ.
Many people hated him for no
just
reason. Ayinfn was aware of this fact
but everything he did to make his enemies have a change of attitude toward
him failed. Consequently, he went to the Awo mentioned above for If
consultation. During If consideration,Ik-M) was revealed.
The Awo told A/inn that even though his enemies were planning to
eliminate him, they would all fail. He was advised to offer the gbg
of victory
and longevity as stated above. He complied. A special
preparation was
also made for him with the palm kernel.
After this, he was asked to go about his normal day-to-day activities
because no evil shall befall him.
Meanwhile, the enemies of Aylnn had designed an ingenious plan to
eliminate him. They went to
prepare
dye with the hope of dipping him into
it until he died. One day, they captured At'lnr1n and dipped him inside the
pot of dye. He was inside the pot for three days. All of them were sure that
nobody could sulive such deal. When they removed Ayinrfn, he was still
alive! Notonlythis, he was looking more handsome, more radiant, stronger
and healthier. Everything the enemies tried to harm Ayinrin, he usually
emerged better off for it. They soon forgot about Aylnr'in.
If says thatthe enemies of the person for whom this Od is revealed would
soon
give
up on their evil
plans
against him/her.
788
i n u u"j
Gbgbo
Qne
j'lsQ
rln
Gbogbo ay kff ge r'w r'ggin
i
Dl fitn Aylnrlrt
Tff g'gmg
Qlqrq
n'lfq
fbg
alku ni wqn nl k w
9e
gb'Qbo, r'bg
Ko p-, ko
jlnna
E
w b ni llk kangiri
Alk If dn
j'oyin
19
Onl la pa Aylnrln
{
Qla
la
p'Aylnrln
1
fnu
gnu I'esQ fi pa
krQ oj
Qn
B'r b l'hun
p'Aylnrfn
At'Aylrtrln
Se
o
Aylnrln o d
9mg 9l9rQ
n'ffg
Translation
Let the root offshoot give way to those who trek
(
Noteveryone can afford to buya horse
This was lf's declaration to Aflnn
The son of the influential man in IfQ
He was advised to offer ebo
He complied
Before long, nottoo far
Come and meet us where we enjoy long life
Longevity guaranteed
by Ifa is sweeter than honey
Today, we shall killA/inln
(
Tomorrow, we shall eliminate Ayinrtn
\
It is mere words that the feet pronounce
That they will kill a
palm-kernel
by the road-side
If Ar, the dye
plansto
killAytnr'in
Itwillonly add to its beauty and vitality
Here comesA/inrf n
The son of the influential man in Il-If
If says that the more people plan to harm this person,
the healthier,
i
789
lfa Dida: An nvitation to lfa Consultation
happier, smafter and lovelier he/she becomes. On the other hand, he/she
too must never plan or conspire against other people
as this will only lead to
frustration and failure for him/her.
9. If says that it foresees the ire of a bouncing baby for a man who had
been finding it difficult to father a child. If says that some evil forces
are responsible for the man's inability to become a father. Wth
appropriate
gbg, If assumes thatthese evil forces will disappean
If advises this man to offer
qbg with one matured akika,
pangolin and money. He also needs to feed ESU
Qdara
with one
big cock. On these, If says:
Qtqu
tgu tQrt
QnqU
rgu rQrI
Qtqqtq
I
j'Qp
Qtqqtq
l
jQ'mumu
LJq lqtq la s'ohl esunsun s'$nu
filn Onlkamgn
Qmg
elegun kakaaka
Tff forf akika
g'arqmg
Fbg
ni wqn nl kw ge
Translation
QtqU
tgu tQrl
)
Names
QrQri
rgu rQrl
)
of
Qtqqtq
l
j'Qp
)
Awo
Qtqqtq
l
jQ'mumu
)
LqtQ lqtQ l s'ohi esunsun s'Qnu)
They were the Awo who cast If for OffkamOgn
He who was blessed with strong bones
And who uses the head of akika, pangolin
as medicine for
fertility
He was advised to offer ebo
Offkamgn had many wives but none of them had any baby for him. They
could not become
pregnant. All tests suggested that there was nothing
790
Ii ,* r",
wrong with the women. One day, all the women confronted Offkamgr1n
and pleaded with him to go for If consultation in order to know exactly
why none of them could become
pregnant in his home. After much
deliberation, Offkamgn agreed to go for Ifa consultation. He therefore
summoned the group
of Awo mentioned above to the palace for If
consultation. During consultationlka-MJi was revealed.
The Awo told Offkamgrln that physiologically there was nothing wrong
with him or his numerous women. What had been precluding
him,from
being a father was that there were some evil spirits which surrounded him
that must be cast out of his life in order for him to begin to have children.
He was advised to offer
gbg
with one big pangolin
and money. He was
also advised to feed Egu
Qdr
with one matured rooster. He complied.
The head of the Akika was cooked with grinded
Qf
n-olobe leaves for him to
eat. Offkamgn ate this preparation. After this, the Awo assured
On'ikamgn that there would be no more delay in impregnating his
women.
On that night, E9u
Qdara
chased away all the evil spirits blocking the
chances of OffkamOgn. His wives began to be blessed with the fruits of
the womb. Within one
year,
OffkamOgn had many babies in his palace.
He was full of
joy.
He gave
thanks and praises
to his Awo who in turn
praised
Qrnm)l
at Oke-IgQti.
Qrunmll
in turn gave
thanks and praises
to
Oldmar:
Qtqu
tgu tQrl
Irqu
rgu n0
Qtqqtq
ta
j'epe
qtqoJQ
l
jQ'mumu
tQtQ lqtO le s'ohf esunsun s'Qnu
Dla fifn onlkamgn
Qmg
elegun kakaaka
Tff f'orl akika
g'argmg
Sbg
ni wqn nl k w ge
gbQ'bg, rtl'bg
Ko pe ko
jlnna
E
b wa nl
jebtr gmq
791
lfa Dida: An invitaon to lfa Consultation
Jebtr
gmg |a b 'ni l'$sQ
Qpe
Nj k'b kro k bi'mg o
Akika wQrQkQ
Kbi kro k bl'mo o
Translation
0t0
tgu tQtl
QrQrl
rgu rQrf
Qtqoq
l
j'Qp
QtOoJq
l
jQ'mumu
)
Names
)of
)
Awo
)
LQIQ lQtQ l s'ohl esunsun s'Qnu)
They were the Awo who cast If for Offkamgn
He who was blessed with strong bones
And who uses the head of akika,
pangolin as medicine for
feftility
He was advised to offer
gbg
He complied
Before long, and not too far
Join us in the midst of several children by the foot of the Holy
Palmtree
Please remove all evil forces for us have children
Akika the pangolin
Remove evilforces and usher in children
If says that the
person for whom this Od is revealed shall be blessed with
many children. All he needs to do is to offer
ebQ
to ward off all the evil
forces precluding him from having children.
10. If says that there is a lady where this Od is revealed who is in dire
need of a baby, but she is finding it very difficult to become
pregnant.
If says that there is need for everyone close to her, both males and
females, young and old to help her offer
gbg so that she would be
blessed with the fruit of the womb. If says that she must not be left
alone as she will be
grateful
to those who assist her one way or the
other. If says that she is not thinking of any other thing in her life
than to become
pregnant
and have her own baby. Her condition is
792
l ,o *,,,
pathetic
enough to warrant everyone to come to her aid.
t
If advises that the
ebg
should be offered with two akika
(pangolin), and money. There is also the need to feed If with
one matured she-goat. The reproductive organs of the she-goat
and one whole pangolin will be cooked with grinded
Qfn-olobe
leaves
for the woman to eat. If this is done, If assures, the woman is
bound to become pregnant
before long. On these, If says:
Baba gbgdg il
Baba gbede
ikn
(
Agbdo tinU ly rQ g'gmg
titun w'l ay
Dia fun FgknwQ
Tll
99mg
lwargwere lfe mefeefa
T fl, ylntl m'j gkn
snrhn gmg
T r sunkn all rl bl
T gb'wQ
all rl pqn
T fgwq osn n'giri gblgbe
r'qmq l'yln adlq l tu prlrrt s'Qkn
I
I'eyg oko
ge
tn bl'mg
ju'ni
lg
i
fbg
ni wqn nl k w ge
Translation
Baba gbede il (the
soft okra,abelmoschus esculentus seed)
Baba gbede ikn (and succulentgarden egg)
Agbdo tinrf iy re g'gmQ titun w,| ay
They were the Awo who cast If for FgknwQ (she who bath in
her own tears)
i
The daughter of the six elder Awo of Il-IfQ
When lamenting her inabilityto begeta child
She was weeping for not having a baby
She was mourning her not having her own baby to strap on her
back
She was rubbing camwood (which was supposed to be rubbed
on her baby) on dry wall
When she saw chicks following a hen, she burst into tears
Why should a bird be blessed with babies when she was not?
i
793
lfa Dida: An invitaon to lfa Consultaon
She
queried
She was advised to offer gbg
FgknwQ was the daughter of one of the six major decision-makers in Il-
Ife. As a result of her amiable attitude towards everyone, the six
IwrQwrQ of IfQ considered her their daughter. When she got married,
the six of them were present and they
performed
their roles as
parents.
Five years after wedding however, FgknwQ was yet to have her own baby.
She cried everyday but nobody took notice of her state of mind or
condition. On the sixth
year
of marriage without the fruit of the womb,
FgknwQ had become thin and harggard-looking. She fell ill severaltimes.
She was being carried from one healing centre to the other. It soon
became clear that if nothing was done urgently, FgknwQ might soon lose
her life. That was when people put their heads together, pafticularly
the
sixlwrQwrQ of IfQ and went for If consultation.
The Awo told them that the
problem
of FgkunwQ was her inability to have
her own baby. That was the problem
they ought to find its solution for the
sake of FeknwQ. That was the only thing they could do for Fgknwg for
her to regain her radiance, happiness and health. The Awo blamed all the
relations and well-wishers for waiting for that long before taking any
positive steps for FgknwQ.
The Awo advised them to offer
qbQ for her as stated above. All those
present on that day contributed money and materials and the
qbg was
offered accordingly. After this, the special
preparation was made for her to
consume.
Two months after this, FgknwQ became pregnant. Her life changed
immediately. Apaft from the tell tale signs of early pregnancy in women,
FgknwQ regained her health. She became happy and she was gratefulto
everyone who assisted her.
Baba gbgdg il
Baba gbgde ikn
Agbado tin lya rq g'gmg
titun w'l ay
Dia fun Feknw
794
frl ,o *",,
Tll ggmg lwrQwane lfg mJeQfA
T fQylntl m'OjU gkn
snrhn
qmg
{
T tt sunkn all rl bl
T tr gb'wQ all rl pQn
T rr f'gwq osn n'giri gblgbg
r'qmq l'gyln adlg l tu
prtr
s'gkn
l'ye oko
ge
tn f bl'mg
ju'ni
lg
Fbg
ni wqn nl k w ge

gb'bg,
r'bg
i
KO pg k
jlnn

F
w b ni nl
jQbrttrt gmg
i
Nje
Qtun
IfQ
e
o
g'en
OslIfQgg'nlyn
Fyin
kff
9e
b Fgkrlnwe
I'ebq
gmg
Translation
Baba gbede il (the soft okra,abelmoschus esculentus seed)
Baba gbede ikn (and succulentgarden egg)
Agbdo tinrl)y re gQmQ titun w 1 ay
{
They were the Awo who cast If for FgknwQ (she who bath in
her own tears)
The daughter of the six elder Awo of Il-IfQ
When lamenting her inabilityto begeta child
She was weeping for not having a baby
She was mourning her not having her own baby to strap on her
back
She was rubbing camwood (which was supposed to be rubbed
on her baby) on dry wall
(
When she saw chicks following a hen, she burst into tears
1
Why should a bird be blessed with babies when she was not?
She queried
She was advised to offer
gbg
She complied
Before long, nottoofar
Join us in the midst of bountiful children
The
Qtun
(second in command) of lfg, you are notgood
The Osl (third in command) of IfQ, you
are bad
i
795
lfa Dida: An invitaton to lfa Consultaton
Why can'tyou all help
ftkrtnwQ
to offer gbg
to have babies?
If says that the woman for whom this Od is revealed shall need to help her
offer the
gbg
as she will show appreciation to them for all their effofts.
11. If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed needs to offer
gbg for strong health at all times. This will enable him/her enjoy
his/her life to the fullest. If advises this
person
to offer
gbg with
three cocks and money. On this, If says:
K
gba nTbr
K
gba l'r
Dl firn Aasg
Tl nlg ogun llurin
Fbq
ni wqn nl kw
Se
Translation
Let us wedge it fi rmly veftically
And wedge itfirmly horizontally
This was lf's massage to Aasq the door
When going to engage in confrontation with iron
She was advised to offer ebo
Aase, the door was weak and feeble. She was not well. She was suffering
from several known and unknown ailments. As a result of this, she went for
If consultation; would she be able to regain her health?
The Awo told her that even though she was very ill as at that time, she
nonetheless needed the help of iron nails to make her well. She was
advised to offer
gbg with three roosters and money. She complied. She
was then referred to iron nails for treatment. When she got
there, the nails
gripped
allthe
planks
together both vertically and horizontally.
The door became strong once more. Any time that she felt weak, she would
send for iron nails which would in turn grip her together again.
796
li ,n" *",,
K gba n'lbr
K gba l'Or
Dl fif n Aase
Tl lg ogun llUrin
Fbg
ni wqn nl kw ge

gbQ'bg, rrl'bg
K p, kO
jlnna
F
wa b ni byQ, g w wo're o
T'sQ b lu'rin tn
Ara r a si le kokooko
Translation
. Let uswedge itfirmlyveftically
And wedge itfirmly horizontally
This was If's message to AasE
When going to engage in confrontation with Iron
She was advised to offer ebo
She complied
Before long
Join us in the midstof allwell-being
After the door confronts the iron nails
Its body became very strong
If says that the peson for whom this Od is revealed shall enjoy strong
health. He/she needs to offer qbg for strong health and vitality.
,L2.
If says that there is the need for the person
to whom this Od.is
(
revealed to
prepare
one hand of If (21 Ikin) for a child which he/she
\
is going to beget. If says that the baby is not yet
conceived but it is
coming on the way. The would-be parents in this Od are well-to-do.
The reason why they need to do this is that the coming baby, when
he/she grows up will be either an extremely good
or extremely bad
person. If the one hand of If is prepared
before the arrival of the
baby, it will be cast regularly and all
gbg
will be
performed.
This will
make the baby to be extremely good
to himself/herself, his/her
parents and his/her community. Good or bad, this coming child will
t
797
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
be very populan A stanza in this Od says:
Eni kffnl lk
Fni
kejllk
Igb lk d mil d ododo
Dl fitn
Qba
Tl yo bl
QrE
l'qmg
Fbq
ni wqn nl k w ge
Translation
The first one islka
The second one isalsolka
Whenlka stands in a
pair,
then we have a true Ika-meji
This is the message to the
Qba
Who will give brth to
Qrg
He was advised to offer gbg
Qba
had everything
going for him. He was very happy and contented. One
day he called his Awo for routine consultation. Ika M| was revealed. The
Awo told him that a child was coming into his household. When this child
arrived he/she would be very popular for either
good
or bad. Consequently,
there was the need for him to prepare a hand of If for the coming child so
that he/she would be popular in the positive way. The
Qba
instructed the
Awoto preparethe one hand of If immediately.
True to prediction, the baby came two years later. A male. When he grew
up, he became a powerful warrior. He waged and conquered many wars.
He extended the territory where his father governed. His father was very
proud of him. They made him the generalisimo inlkamogrrn land. People
fondly referred to him as the
Qba
of the people. Both father and son were
grateful to the Awo who dd If for them.
fni
kffnllk
fni
keillka
Igba lk d mjl d ododo
ftn
Qba
Tl yo bl
QrQ
I'Qmg
798
ll ,n r",
Fbq
ni wqn nl k w ge
gb'Sbg,
r'bg
Ko pe k
jlnn
F
w b ni nl wQwQ ire
Klnl w s'efik di mejl
Awo rere
Lo s'ejlka di mjl
Translation
The first one islka
The second one is alsolka
Whenlka stands in a
pair,
then we have a true lka-meji
This isthe messagetothe
Qba
Who will give
bfth to
QrQ
He was advised to offer
gbg
He complied
Before long
Join us in the midst of all Ire
whatturnslka intotwo (tka
wet)
A good Awo
Was responsible for us to getlka-MT
A truly good Awo
If says that the life of the person
shall be good. He/she will be popular
and his/her children shall also be very popular.
13. If says that there are two people
where this Od is revealed; they
{
may be friends, brethren, sisters, business paftners
and so on. The
!
two of them need to offer gbg
so that one will not become the seruant
of the other. As at present,
the situation of one is far better than that
of the other, there is the need to offer gbQ
so that their situations will
improve together and both of them will succeed together.
If advises that each of them need to offer qbq
with three guinea
fowls, three cocks, three pigeons
and money. By so doing, Ifa
will mend their lives forthem. On this, If says:
I
799
Ifa Dda: An nvitaon to lfa Consuftation
'Kgb n pa gbr w'em
Dl fin odi
A b filn Yr
Fbg
ni wqn nl kl wgn w ge
Translation
The keg cannot forcefully rush itself into the water pot
That was lfa's message to Odi, the Boundary wall
And to Yr, the Moat
Theywere both advised tooffergbg
Odi, the Boundary wall, and Yr, the Moat had been friends for a long, long
time. They were both used to defend the city in the olden days. One day,
they went for If consultation in order to know what they needed to do so
thatthey could continue to be relevant in their community.
The Awo told them to offer
gbg
because a time would come that one may
depend on the other for survival. They were advised to offer
gbg as stated
above. OnlyYr offered the
gbg.
One day, the wall of Odi gave way. The whole city became vulnerable. Od
too became irrelevant in the defence of the city. The shame that this
brought to Odi made him rush to the home of the Awo for gbg which he had
hitherto refused to offer.
The Awo took
pity for his condition. They offered the gbg for him. As soon
as the
gbg was offered, people
decided to go and assist Odi. They took
jiggers,
hoes, cutlasses, basins and went to repair Odi. When they finished,
Odi regained his previous position
and he was giving
thanks and praises to
his Awo and those who repaired him.
Kegbe ni
pa gbr
w'm
D,l fin Odi
A b fUn Yara
fbg
ni wqn nl kl wqn w ge
Yr l kqkq gb'ebg nlbQ t rrl'bg
Iw Odi n qq
800
il ,* *",,
Iwa odi bej
Atwe, tgb
F
k'qkq e k'da
E
w lg reetrln'w Odi
9e
o
Translation
The keg cannot forcefully rush itself into the water pot
That was lf's message to Odi, the Boundary wall
And to Yr, the Moat
They were both advised to offer
ebe
Only Yr complied first
Odi is in a state of disrepair
Behold! Odi is disintegrating
Please elders and youths
Bring your hoes and cutlasses
Come and repair Odi
If says that the life of the person for whom this Od is revealed shall
be mended and he/she shall be able to exhibit his/her full potentials
in
life.
t4. If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed has the
potential to suffer from split personality.
He/she needs to offer ebo
regularly forthis to disappear. If says that instead of one Orf
,
he/she
has brought three Of from heaven to eafth. This had been giving
him/her a lot of confussion as he/she will be finding it difficult to take
any definite decision or step in his/her life. One Ori is on his/her neck,
the second on his/her right shoulder and the third on his/her left
shoulder. In order that they stop disturbing the real Of and
personality
that he/she had brought from heaven. There is also the
need to feed the real Ori so as to assist in driving away the other two
Ol on his/her shoulders.
If advisesthatthis person needs to offer gbg with one matured he-
goat and money. He/she also needs to procure
hro Irgkq (2
tappers) and two IrkQrQ (2 cow tails). The Awo will retain one
801
lfa Dida: An nvitaton to lfa Consultaon
each and the remainng ones will be
given to him/her for his/her
usage.
The right shoulder will be repeatedly but gently hit withlrgkQ and the
left shoulder will be hit with irukere so that the two Of will leave
his/her shoulders and allow the real Orito function properly. He/she
also needs to serve his/her Ol with a big live catfish. On these, If
says:
QplQpg
jlk ni
j'$w
bq
gpelqpe p
o rl iye ire t bl g fn baba ire
fin wgn nl lka-Freja
Ibi wqn gb hu'rl mta-meta
Fbg
ni wqn nl kl wqn w ge
Translation
Let us thankthe shoulders which
preventthe dress from failing
offour body
Let us thank the fact that a
good mother gave bfth to you to a
good father
These were the lf's messages to them atlka-freja
When they came into the world with three Ori each
Theywere advised to offer
gbg
The
people
of lka-frj, were living in a state of utter confusion. Nothing
worked for them. They found it difficult to take any firm decision in their
lives. As soon as they set out to do something worthwhile, other thoughts
would come into their mind that would not make the earlier decision
feasible. Some of them might be complete
gentle human beings in the day,
but they would be monsters during the night time, Others would see
themselves as beautiful ladies in the daytime but at night, they would
dream that they were ugly men and vice versa. Those of them who
managed to do something worthwhile in the daytime would have them
destroyed during the night. Would they continue to live in this rudderless
manner? They queried: would there be any solution to their lives? They
wanted to know.
802
ll ,* r",
The situation was what broughtthem to the group
of Awo mentioned above
for If consultation. When If was consulted,Ika-Met was revealed. The
(
Awo informed them that they were all in various states of confusion and
indecision. Theyweretold thatthiswas so because instead of one Of, they
all brought into the world three Orl each and the three Of were working at
cross-purposes in their lives. There was therefore the need to remove and
drive away the remaining two Ol in order to
give room for the real Of on
their necks to function properly.
The group
of Awo advised the citizen oflka-frQj to offer
gbg
as
prescribed
above. They all complied. All the special If works were peformed for
them. As from that moment henceforth, their lives changed for the better.
They no longer lived in the state of indecision and confussion. They were
able to make progress in their lives. They lived happily ever after giving
praises to their Awo, If and OIdmar.
9pelqpe
ejlk ni o
j'gw
bq
Qpglepg
p o rl iye ire t bl g ftln baba ire
Dl firn wgn nf lka-frje
i
Ibi wQn gb hu'rl mgta-mQta
\
fbg
ni wqn nl kl wqn w
9e
WQn gb'bg, wqn r'bg
Irgkq ni wQn f k t'Jn
IrkQrQ ni wgn f rt k t'sl
K pe k
jlnn
F
wa b'ni nl
jQbrlt
ire gbogbo
Ero lpo ero
Qfa
f;ni
orl san n'ffE nll
jgba
o
i
!
Translation
Let us thank the shoulders which prevent the dress from failing
off our body
Let us thank the fact that a good mother gave brth to
you
to a
good father
These were the If's messages to them atlk-Freja
When they came into the world with three O each
Theywere advised to offer
qbg
i
803
Ifa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
They compled
IrQkf was used to remove the O on the right shoulder
AndlrkQreto removethe one on the Ieft
Before long
Join us in the midst of all Ire in life
Travellers tolpo and
Qfa
towns
Those whom their Of support are the ones who are installed as
Qba
If says that the
people/person for whom this Od is revealed shall enjoy
the suppoft of their/his/her O. All they need do is to ensure that the two
Ol working in conflict with their/his/her real Of are removed and chased
away.
15. If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed needs to avoid
self-deceipt. He/she must be realistic at all times. Whatever he/she
knows that he/she cannot attain, he/she must never aspire for it.
He/she must also not allow anybody to deceive him/her that he/she
could reach there.
If says that there is an uphill task that must be done before
peace
and prosperity could reign where this Od is revealed. If says that
the person who will assist them to accomplish the task will be
someone that everyone will discountenance. It is also
possible
that
the
person for whom this Od is revealed is the one whom everyone
has looked down upon. He/she will be able to accomplish the task to
the astonishment and
joy
of everyone. All he/she needs to do is to
offer appropriate
gbg.
If advises that the
gbg should be offered with one matured he-
goat, three pigeons, three guinea fowls, three ducks, money
and all foods available that
point in time. On all these, If says:
Opp mJa lIl
Opopo mqta
Qna
Ojm odo
Meta d'l, mQta O d'l
Qpe
kker l lrojo, abimg rojorojo
Dl fitn wn nl llabesan
804
il *" r",
M'jq
Qba
wqn wq llj
WQn nl kl wqn w m'rin fi g'ebq
Translation
The three main roads oflla town
And the three routes on the wayto OjmU-Od
Three lead home, three do not
The young palmtree in lrojo-land with its splendid palm fronds
These were Ifa's messages to the inhabitants oflhbqsan land
When their
Qba
joined
his ancestors (died)
They were asked to offer gbg with a life elephant
When the
Qba
ofllabqsan land died, there was chaos and pandemonium in
the land. Everything turned upside down. It was crises upon crises.
Everybody then gathered
one day for If consultation in order to determine
the way out of the
problems.
They went to the home of the
group
of Awo
mentioned above for the consultation: Would there be peace in this land
again? Would they be able to regain their enviable position
which they
occupied before the death of their
Qba?
Would they be able to bring back
all the people who had fled the town as a result of the crises? These
questions and many more were at the back of their minds when they went
for If consultation. During consultation,Ik-M) was revealed.
The Awo old them that what they had come for was an uphill task and that
they had waited for too long before they made the move to ask for lf's
assistance. Nonetheless, they were assured, it was not too late to find
solution.
The Awo advised them to go and find a live elephant as that was the only
material to use to return the town to its former glory. If they could find the
elephant to use as gbg,
they were assured that peace
and progress,
prosperity
and love would return to the land. The Awo insisted however
that the elephant must be brought to the town alive before being
slaughtered for gbg.
Could they use any other animal as substitute? they
asked. No, it must be the elephant; the Awo responded.
When they left the home of the Awo, they knew that they were in a state of
805
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
dilemma. Where would they get
a life elephant? If it was a dead one, of
course their hunters could kill one. To get
a live one was hard! To refuse
to do the ebo was worse. The situation in the land was getting
desperate.
Something urgent must be done. How would it be done? Nobody could
come forward to answer this queston. This prompted
them to call the
whole town together in order to find solution to how to bring a live
elephant into town. They deliberated for a whole day but there was no
solution. Any volunteer? Nobody came fonryard. They postponed
the
meeting tothe nextday.
On the next day, before they sta fted any del iberation at a I l, Alba hu n Ija pa
(the Toftoise) came fonryard and declared that he was ready to go into the
forest and bring a live elephant back to the town for use as gbg. All those
present
at the meeting could not believe their ears. Who was this one?
Where did he come from? Did he think that we gather here for
jokes?
Some of them shouted him down and he insisted that he could and would
bring a live elephant into the town.
When there was no other volunteer, and when Albahun I;apa continued
to insist that he could do it, the elders concluded that he could be given
a
trial since they had nothing to lose if he failed. They took Albahun Iapa
to the home of the Awo who consulted If for them in order to inform them
thatljapa was the only person who had volunteered to go
and bring the
elephantto the town.
The Awo told them that they needed not under-estimate anybody in a
situation such as they found themselves. They were told to offer gbg as
stated above. They complied. The next day, Albahun )japa, the
Tortoise, set out on his
journey
to the forest.
Before leaving for the forest,Ijapa prepared
several balls of kr, bean
cakes, and soaked them in honey. He took them along with him on his
journey.
When he got into the deep forest, he began his search for the elephant.
This took him nine days before he could find the elephant and his family.
806
frl ,o r",
As soon as he saw the elephant, he shouted at the top of his voice 'oh
Mighty one. I come to you on behalf of the whole inhabitants of llabQsan
town. They send their greetings
and utmost respectto you the mighty one!
Our
Qba
had
joined
his ancestors some three
years back. This had led to
crises and
pandemonium in our land. The whole community had therefore
resolved to send me to humbly invite you to please come and become our
Qba
so as to restore sanity into own town'.
'Why should I go with you
to become
your
Qba?
Don't you have other
people who could do that?' the elephant asked. Albahun Ijapa
responded; 'oh mighty one; men had completely lost the capacity for self
governance. All what they could do was to wage war against each other.
The results were pestilence, restlessness, chaos,
povefi
and famine. As a
result of their selfishness, they had almost destroyed the whole world. That
was why you need to act urgently by assuming the leadership of the human
race, they had failed. Please do not let them ruin the world'. As he was
pleading with the Elephant, he was opening his bag. He took out the kr
soaked in honey. He presented it to Elephant and told him, 'oh mighty one!
That is a
present that I was asked to
give you. Many more are available
where these ones come from!' The elephant ate it and he commented that
he had never tasted anything so sweet in his life. There and then, he made
up his mind to follow Albahun)japa.
The family of the elephant called him and warned him that never in their
history did they hear that an elephant had gone to the community of human
beings to become an
Qba.
They told him never to go. 'Oh mighty one!
There is always a first time for everything! You will go into record as the first
elephant to become an
Qba!
Please do not miss this oppoftunity.' In spite
of several warnings, Erin, the Elephant went with Albahun)japa.
On their way tollabQsan town, Albahun)japa told Erin that it would not be
nice if they did not practice the songs that would be rendered to usher their
new
Qba
into the palace. Erin was so happy that Ijp had planned
everything befitting an
Qba
like him in advance.
Suddenly, Erin said, Tiapa as from today,
you have been
promoted to my
chief adviser!'Ijapa responded, 'oh mighty one; this is an honour I will
807
lfa Dida: An nvitation to lfa Consultation
humbly reject because I am not wofthy of such honour!' Erin insisted that it
is already an order that cannot be changed. So, right from the forest, Erin
began to make laws that could not be changed for the human beings of
Ilabqsan land. 'Sing me my song', Erin thundered. )japa said thus:
A m'rin
j'gba
lwQkrt
e,wflg
A m'rin
jgba
fwQk ewele
Translation
We shall install Erin, the elephant as our
Qba
lwQkrl
gwglg,
come and rejoice with us
We shall install Erin, the elephant as our
Qba
fwQk ewelg,
come and rejoice with us
Erin was so happy with this song that he began to dance. They sang and
sang. At a stage,Iapa said, 'oh mighty one, as you
are aware, I have short
legs and cannot walk rapidly. Wth your own mighty strides, we shall arrive
atllabqsan land by tomorrow if you
could
please
let me stay on
your royal
back so that we will move more quickly'. Erin thought about this request and
considered it reasonable. Why not? he said. He used his tusk to lift)jpa on
his back and they began to move even more quickly
than Iapa thought
possible. As soon as they began to move fast,Ijap changed the song:
Erin k re'l o w
j'gba
Erin yEgy,
erin
ye, ye
Iwoyl
qla
a re o
Erin yg, y,
erin
yQe, yQ
Fje
a ma ge bl
Erin ygqyr
ern yeeJe
Egingin ma
$eyngba
Erin yggy,
erin
yeeye
Iml a ma ge renyln
Erin yy,
erin
ye, ye
808
il ,* r",
Translation
Erin come home to become our
Qba
Erin yQQyQ, erin yeeye
By this time tomorrow
Erin ygQyQ,
erin
yeeye
Blood will be flowing everywhere
Erin yQQyQ, erin yQQyQ
Flies will be buzzing everywhere
Erin yQQyQ, erin yeeye
Offals will be deposited everywhere
Ern yeeye, erin yeeye
The momentljapa sang this song, Erin became suspicious of everything.
'Chief adviser'. He said. 'Yes my lord',Ijap responded. 'Whattype of song
is this? Do you have evil plans for me when you said that blood would flow
and flies would be buzzing everywhere?' 'Oh mighty one',Iap cried, 'How
can you
say a thing like this? You should know that you are going to be
installed tomorrow and there is bound to be merry making and funfare. All
the domestic animals such as goats, rams, pigs and so on had been
gathered
together to be slaughtered for your installation.' Erin thought
about this and declared that Ijapa's explanation was accepted. Erin said
that he could not say sorry forljapa because an
Qba
could not say sorry for
his subjects.
The following day, they arrived at)labgsan town. The whole town rushed
out to greet them. Ijapa shouted at the top of his voice; 'all hail our new
Qba'!
Everybody prostrated
and chorused'Kblysf o'! Erin was so happy.
. The people told Erin to move to the market place where the installation
would take
place. When they
got
there, they showed Erin his throne and
he was highly impressed.
Unknown to Erin, as soon as Ijapa left the town in search of Erin, the
inhabitants ofllabgsan had dug a very deep
pit. They carefully covered the
pit with mat and placed the throne on it by suppofting the throne with
bamboos from beneath. It was so carefully done that it was not possible
for anyone to know that it was done that way.
809
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultaton
Suddenly,Ijapa declared; 'oh mighty one! You are hereby invited to please
take
your royal seat on the throne!' Everybody present shouted 'Kbfyl
o!' and they all
prostrated for Erin. Erin took his heavy step to sit on the
throne. But alas! He fell into the
pit. Before he knew what happened to
him, the hunters, who had hithefto hidden themselves, sprang out of their
hiding places and shot Erin to death with their spears and arrows. At the
very last moment of his life, Erin suspected that he saw ljapa, smiling a
sinister smile at him with the corners of his mouth. Before he could react,
it was good night for Erin.
They went to call the Awo to come and perform the
gbg for them. As soon
as the elephant was killed when the
group of Awo arrived, they told all the
inhabitants of Ilabqsan that there was no more gbg to
perform. They
made it clear to them that the crises in their land were caused by lack of
cooperation. They were told that they loved to under-estimate one
another. Who among them ever thought that it would be Albahun Iapa
who would bring the Elephant to the land alive. They advised them to
allow all citizens to use their talents and assist those who need help. As
long as they cooperate with one anothel there would be
peace
and
progress in the land.
Opopo mta il Il
Opopo mgta
Qn
Ojm odo
M, ta d'l, meta O d'l
Qpe
kker il lrojo, abimQ rojorOjo
Dfr filn wqn nl llabgsan
NlSq
Qba
wqn wg llji
WQn nl kl wqn w m'rin fi g'gbo
AIbahun ljapa nlkan nl rrbg l$yln t q'ebg
j a mrin
jgba
o
fwQkrt ewelq
Erin k re'l o w
j'gba
Erin yy, erin yeeye
IwOylQla a re o
Erin yqgy, erin ye, yg
Fje
a ma s, e bl
Erin yqgyg, erin yeJe
810
tl ,o r",,
Egingin ma ge yngba
Erin yy,
erin yqeye
Iml ma ge rnyln
Erin ygqy,
erin ye, ye
A w mrin
jgba
tn
Ara w t w nini
gplqpe
Alba hu n-Atapa-nlm l
Translation
The three main roads oflla town
And thethree routes on the wayto Ojm-Od
Three lead home, three do not
The young palmtree in lrojo-land with its splendid palm fronds
These were lfa's messages to the inhabitants ofllabEsan land
When their
Qba
joined
his ancestors (died)
They were asked to offer gbg with a life elephant
Onf)jap offered the
gbg
Now, we shall install Erin as our
Qba
fwQkrl
qwelg
Erin come home to become our
Qba
Erin yyQ,
erin yeeye
By this time tomorrow
Erin yqEyq,
erin
yeeye
Blood will be flowing evennryhere
Erin ypgyQ,
erin yQQyQ
Flies will be buzzing everywhere
Erin ygyQ,
erin
yeeye
Offals will be deposited everywhere
Erin yqqyq,
erin yeeye
After installing Erin as Oba
There was peace
and comfoft everywhere
Thanks to Albahun Atapa-Nml who made it possible
If says that with cooperation and genuine love, there is nothing that
people
cannot achieve. There is the need to give
everyone the oppoftunity
to express themselves and exhibit their talents.
811
lfa Dida: An invtaton to lfa Consultation
16 If warns that the person for whom this Od is revealed needs to
offer gbg as soon as he/she cast the If. He/she must not be
procrastinating
on the issue of offering
ebg.
If he/she is in the habit
of unnecessarily postponing
the offering of his/her
Qbg,
it would be
considered that he/she had refused to offer the gbg.
If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed is presently
being threatened by Ikrl, Death (especially if the'ibO, determinant
reveals that it foresees the ayqwO of Ik for him/her). This death is
most likely going to meet him/her on the road. There is the need
therefore to offer gbg quickly in order to aveft this death.
If advises the person for whom this Od is revealed to offer
gbg with
one matured he goat and money. There is also the need for him
to feed Egrt witn one cock and feed
Qbahlway
with another
cock with a lot of
palm-oil.
On these, If says:
Eeyan wrewre a ta iyere
Eeyan rdirdi a sl ma t'adl
Eeyan bli were ffl b aslnwln
pd
Dl filn Onlwr
WQn nl kw q'ebq
K m ba
ge
dd ikrl oj
Qn
Translation
It is an awkward
person
that sells iyere, locust beans
And a
queer person sells df, the palm-kerneloil
A person like a mad one meets a lunatic
These were If's declarations to Onfwr
Who was advised to offer
gbg
So that he would not encounter death on the road
Oniwr was the
Qba
of Iwr land. He was a very rich and successful
Qba.
His only
problem was that he did not consider it necessary to offer
gbg
as at when due; even though he would eventually offer the
gbg, he would
nonetheless bid his time and offer it when everyone had almost forgotten
about it.
812
ll uru u"
One day, Offwr summoned the group of Awo mentioned above for
routine If consultaion. When the Awo cast ther If, Ika-MeT was
i
revealed. It was Ayw of lkrl, death on the head of On'iwr himself,
The Awo informed Offwr thatthere was an urgent need for him to offer
gbg
against death which was most likely going
to meet him on the road.
They told Offwr that he needed to use one matured he-goat as the
gbg and give Eg and
Qbahlway
one cock each.
Onfwr thanked the Awo and told them that he would call for them
whenever he was ready. Two months after, Offwr was notyet ready.
(
One day, Orfwr went out to transact some business. When he was
coming back, he encountered death which held his heaft firmly. It was a
heaft attack. Orfwr fell down. They rushed him to the house of the
Babalwo. They quickly
brought the
gbg materials. As the Babalwo
stafted to offer the
gbg,
Offwr
joined
his ancestors.
Eeyan wrewre a ta iyere
Eeyan rdirdi a sl ma t'adl
r
.
Eeyan bli wr nff b aslnwln pad
Dl filn Onlwr
WQn nl kw g'ebe
K m baa ge
dd ikrl oj
Qn
Onlwrfebg g'elg
Age kO sllyatQ nln u wqn
fni
t fi etl
Qttln
gb'bg,
t f t'Osl de n
Ati gni
tl ko ba tete ru
KO sl|yetQ nln u wqn
(
Onlwr w ge bg, b'krt lg
Ero lpo, Ero
Qfa
Sni
gb'gbg nTbQ k r'bg o
Translation
It is an awkward
person
that sells iyere, locust beans
And a
queer person
sells df, the
palm-kernel oil
A person like a mad one meets a lunatic
{.
813
lfa Dda: An nvitaton to lfa Consultaon
These were If's declarations to Otfwr
Who was advised to offer
gbg
So that he would not encounter death on the road
He postponed the gbg indefinitely
Can't you see thatthere is no difference between the two
Those who refused to offergbg
And those who failto do so as atwhen appropriate
There is no difference between thetwo
That was how Onlwr met his untimely death
Travellerstolpo and
Qfa
towns
Let those who were advised to offer
gbg
comply accordingly
If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed shall not be allowed
to meet his/her untimely death on the road. He/she however needs to
offer
gbg in time to prevent this calamity from happening to him/her.
AB9R ABqYE
814
Il ,o r",
F. SIGNIFICANCE OF IKA-MEJI FOR THOSE BORN BY
THIS OD DURING ITEIO ONIKOSEDAYE
Ika-Uet children are naturally endowed to live longer than all their
contemporaries. This blessing from Oldmar normally makes them
family historians. They tell the history of all happenings in the family,
community and even in the whole town in general. People also rely on them
to correct any wrong impression on the actual sequence of any event which
had taken place a long time back.
These children are also blessed with the ability to attain their goals with
relative ease. If there is any
problem in this area, the first area to check is in
the area of the type of names they answer. They are not expected to answer
queer
aliases. These names more often than not hinder the progress
of
Ika-Ue't children. This is the reason why they are expected to answer
decent names and if this has not been done, it must be done fofthwith so as
to enhance their success chances.
For Ika-M) children, success is surer outside where they are born. It is
therefore advisable for them to move outside their places of bifth for them
to consummate their foftune as quickly
as
practicable.
Once married, Ika-mef children are not expected to separate or divorce.
This is the reason why they need to deliberate properly before going into
the marriage market. If there is any separation or divorce, appropriate
steps must be taken to ensure that the crisls is amicably resolved and the
couple reunited. Separation or divorce can only complicate their success
chances in life.
Ika-Vtet children are very intelligent, hardworking and dedicated. For this
reason they will be honoured, respected and admired. Their children will
also inherit what they had laboured for when they are
gone. Their success
and achievements will give promotion
and prominence
to their offsprings.
For them however, they have the propensity
to move from grass
to grace;
from obscurity to
prominence;
and from the bottom of the ladder to the
apex. That is why nobody can under estimate them.
815
lfa Dida: An invtation to lfa Consultaton
These children have the tendency to
give bifth to a set of twins a male and
a female. It is one of the reasons why they need to feed lbejl, the Deity of
Twins on a regular basis.
The success chances of Ika-MJi children manifest more when they keep
their plans and movements secret. As long as they keep their
plans within
and they abstain from using funny aliases, they have better chances of
attaining their
goals in life.
Even though lka-Uelt children have a lot of enemies, they always
overcome the enemies. They must however desist from paying evil with
evil. If enjoins them never to thin( speak or do evil under any
circumstance. If they abide by this rules, they are
guaranteed Divine
blessing.
Little things confuselk-M) children. This is because instead of only one
Ori they
probably have three Ori. These Ori are thinking and working at
cross-purpose. Appropriate If works needs to be done in order to correct
this anomaly
Ita-we female children love having their own babies more than any other
thing in life. This is the reason why everyone around them needs to assist
them to have their own babies before it was too late for them to do so.
On the overall,Ik-M) children have come to the world to enjoy their live
to the fullest. They are blessed with long live to maximize this enjoyments.
All they need to avoid are those who will come to deceive them and
give
them an over-estimated value of themselves. As long as they refuse to
follow such
people, they will have their lives under control.
c. AFFTLTATED rRNM9LF/ORIS
1. If for success, victory long life and
prosperity
2. Ori for stability, achievement, and accomplishment
3. ESU-Qdara for victory success and accomplishment
4. Ohfwgri for marital stability
816
ili rx" u"i
5.
Qbatl
for sound health, good
children and achievement
6.
$ngo
for victory and success
7. OgUn for victory and success
8. Ibe) for twins delivery and success
9. Od for stability and achievement
10.
Qsanyin
for long life and prosperity
11.
Qpun
for success
L2. Oke for victory over enemies
H. TABOOS
1. Must not eat okro To avoid difficulty in bearing children
2. Must not eat garden
egg 1rc avoid difficulty in bearing children
3. Must never eat any of the monkey family to avoid marital
problems
4. Must never use gb and Ijokun to avoid marital problems
5. Must never answer funny alias to avoid unconsumated
achievement
,
6. Must never engage in self-deceipt to avoid avoidable disaster
I
7. Must never eat ram, dog and he-goat to avoid incessant trouble
I. POSSIBLE NAMES
MALES
1. Tr1t-Oh1 Theemergenceof a leader
2. IfgbilQ If takes over the land
3. OnSatalaU Onga spread white cloths to give
brth to this one
4.
Qlbrinjg
honour is like an elephant
5. Ifjgrnflj't If surprises me
FEMALES
1. IfrQrnf lSkn If gives me succour
2. OrigHlbl Onga spreads white cloth to give
bfth to this one
817
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
3.
Qlbrinjo
Honour resembles an elephant
4. Ifgett Ifa brings coolness
Abgru Abgy
818
Chapter L2
OrnpOru MEI
ilil
ilil
ll
ll ll
(
Chapter L2
OTRPON MEJI
Alias -
QLQGBQN
vrfi
fBri-rnl
A.
1. If says that it foresees all the
good
things of life for the
person for
whom this Od is revealed. If says that this person shall be blessed
with wealth,
good
spouse, fine children and long life. He/she needs
to avoid
quarrell
or misunderstanding with anyone. If says that
he/she is very close to
Qgun
and he/she shall receive the blessing of
this Divinity. He/she shall also occupy impoftant position in his/her
life.
If advises this
person to offer gbq with two pigeons,
two guineafowls, two cocks, two rats, two fish and
money. He/she also needs to feed
Qgun
with one hen. On
this,If says:
Blmobpnwll
If gbogboa ma ksl m l'gnu lpororo-Iprr
Bl mo b
p n fQ
Ikin gbogbo a m bQ sl mi l'tg lpororo-Ipororo
Ikin migblr
Ikin ndr lkin Oj
AgbQn
j,olkotk
Aprkft| ni baba ynmQ
Eyl kr-ker-kr ni wQn p l'gbjg
Ojo
p'alam gkat yggbeyggbg
DlfitnGnnugn
Tff g'gmg wqn l'de IEre
A b fin Akalamagbo
Tfl
g'gmg wgn l'de llayq
Dl firn TQtQnrQn
II oturupon uej
Tfl g'gmg wqn l'de lrqmg
Fbq
ni wgn nl H wQn w ge
Translation
Whenever I intend to talk
All Ifa stanzas will be flowing into the
Mouth
Wheneverl plan to speak
All Od If will beflowing into my lips
My powerful Ikin
The Ikin thatwere made of lead
When the hornets attack, the farmers scatter
{
everywhere
TheAparakaH, the basin calabash, isthe
fatherof AynmQthe Keg
The smallest type is known as Agbejg
Rainfall makes the gu inea-corn grow
Bountifully
These were lfa's messages to Gnnugrln,
the Vulture
Theiroffspring atllr (the land of merriment)
And alsotoAkalamagbo
i
Theiroffspring atllayQ (the land ofjoy)
And to TQtQnrQn
Theiroffspring atlrQmg (a quafter in Il- IfQ)
Theywere advised to offer
gbg
The three of them, Grlnnugn, Akalamgb and Tentenren were friends.
Their major concern is life was to be relevant in their lives. They wanted
to occupy important positions
and be able to perform
up to the
expectations of those who put them in those positions.
One day, thqy
t
went to the home of the Babalwo mentioned above for If consultation.
i
Du ri ng consu ltation, Otrt r pQ n
-
M) wa s revea led.
The Awo told them that they surely would occupy relevant positions in their
lives. They were advised to be hardworking and to offer gbg with one
matured she-goat each. They compled. Before long, Igrln was put in
charge of ensuring that all gbg offered on eafth were accepted in heaven,
Akalamagb was put in charge of ensuring that all Or, Traditionalism
performed
on eafth were accepted in heaven, while TQntQnrQn was to
(
\
821
lfa Dida: An invtation to lfa Consultaton
ensure that the reasons why people offer
gbg
and
perform rituals were
achieved by those who did them. Ever since that time lgunnugun,
Akalamagbo and lQntQnrQn were always in high demand. Not only this,
everyone respected them highly, because withoutthem, all
gbg,
tt, Or
and so on would not be accepted and the positive results would not
manifest in the lives of those who performed them.
llbl wu AlpdQde n|l b wg't Iy rQ lk6r-Ikrr
Nlbi wu baba
gmg nff b wg'l gmg o
Er0w
SrgU$,
Awo il AlkQl-MQstn
DlfitnAlkQl-MQsln
gmgar'pakq
bb
ja'gun
ermi
fbg
niwqn ff kw ge
Translation
Wherever
pleases AlpndedQ
,
the Bat, is where it will take to enter its
mother's house
Wherever pleases the father is where he will choose to enter the home of
his child
Erw ggg, the Andropogon Gayanns, the resident Awo of AlkQl-
MQln, the
Qba
oflkQl-Eldti
He cast If forAlkQl-MQln
He who uses a
paddle to row his boat to safety
He was advised to offer
gbg
AlkQl-MQsin was a
great
traveller before he was installed the
Qba
of
IkQl-Eldti. He went for If consultation in order to determine how he
would be having
journey
mercies anytime he went on travel. The Awo
advised him to offer
gbg with two guinea fowls, hro pigeons, two
cocks and money. He complied. Since that time until he died, he was
always
going and returning safely. He sometimes went with all his family
and nothing happened to any of them.
Agbgn;n ml abTrln kQrQkQrQ
Awo il
QlQbaramojQ
Drl fin
QlQbaramoiQ
Tlytorl qmg re
Tl yo k'lj nl'n lbtt
fbg
niwQn nf k w ge
822
li oturupon ueji
Translation
The coconut with its awkward movements
The residentAwo of
QlQbrmjQ
He cast If for
Qlgb
ra mOjQ
Who shall because of his child
Stay for seven days in the water
He was advised to offerqbg
QlQbrmjQ
had a very beautiful daughter. The daughter was loved by
everyone close to
QlQbarmjQ.
She was very gentle,
level headed,
straight fonruard and easy-gong. She was also very humble. She respects
everyone. When she was ripe for the marriage market, the ceremony was
wellattended.
As soon as she entered her husband's home. She took ill. It was thought
to be a simple ailment at first. Soon, it became severe.
'They
began to take
her everywhere. There was no solution. In the process
of taking her from
place
to place they discovered that she also had fertility problem.
All
remedies failed. one day,
QlQbrmjQ
asked the husband of her daughter
to bring her back to him. His son-in-law did.
QlQbramjQ
summoned his
resident Awo to come and cast If for his daughter in order to determine
exactly what was wrong with her, and the steps to take to solve the
problems.
The Awo informed
QlQbrmjQ
that the ailments which afflicted her
daughter would soon disappear. He advised him to ra'ri
Qgun,
initiate her
into
Qgun
because she was a daughter of
Qsun.
He assured
QlQbaramje
that as soon as she was initiated, all her problems
would vanish.
QlQbrmj
instructed his household workers to go
and
procure
all the
initiation materials. The next day, the initiation process was stafted. For
seven days,
QlQbrmj
was by the river with his daughter. None of her
husband's relations was there. The husband was also absent. This made
QlQbrmjQ
to decide that f in the end his daughter got well, he would
never allow her to return to her husband's house again.
On the seventh day,
Qgun
declared that there must not be any quarrell
or
disagreement.
Qgun
sald that she had come to rejoice with
QlQbrm0jQ
823
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
and his family and not to fight.
When they concluded the ra'ri, initiation rites and returned home,
QlQbramjQ's
daughter became well. All the ailments disappeared as
predicted. She returned to her husband's home and in that same month,
she became
pregnant. Everyone involved was happy.
QlQbrmjQ
and
his daughter
gave thanks and praises to their resident Awo who in turn
praised
Qrnmll,
If and Oldmare. If says that all shall end well for
the
person forwhom this Od is revealed.
Bl mo ba
pe n wll
If gbogboa ma ksl m I'qnu lpororo-Iprr
BlmobpnofQ
Ikin gbogbo a rn bq d mi l'tQ lpororo-Ipororo
Ikin mi gblr
Ikin n,Ikin Oj
AgbQn
jrolkotlk
Aparkat ni baba ayanmQ
Ey{ kr-kre-kr ni wqn p l'gbjg
Ojo p'alam gketrl yggbeyqgbg
DlfilnGnnugn
Tff g'qmq wqn l'de llare
D,l fitn Akalamagbo
Tll g'gmg wgn l'de llayq
Dl fitn TetenrQn
Tff
g'gmgwgn l'delrqmg
fbg
ni wgn nl kl wqn w ge
WQn gb'be, WQn ru'bg
B O b rt IgUn
Aoleeg'gbg
B O rlAkale
AO ees'orO
B o rl TQtQnrqn
AyO leete'j
WQn ses l ohun or s{'l I'AkQl Il
Ign d, Igrtn gb gggrg
I'ebg
Tl gn-n Ore
Aslngba I'Qn Om
ltlbl wu Alpdede nff b wg'l Iy ne lkrr-Ikrr
Mbi wu baba gmg nff b wg'l gmg o
Erw gqUg, Awo il AlkQl-MQsln
824
Xi oturupon uei
Dl firn Alkql-Medn
9mg
ar'pakQ bb
ja'gun
ermi
fbg
ni wqn nl kw
9e
gb'Qbgrrrt'bg
Nibi wqn gb geamrlrr
Tlw{n geamrr
wQn g'tQlewq gmg blje-blje
WQn ns'tQlese gmq blje-bebje
N'fbsl Oro
Ni t'flqmgnQArlgbjg
LbOknkn kQo
tbAgbgn l wl
Agbgn-gn mi abfrin kQrQkQrQ
Awo il
QIgbarmoje
Ild fn
QlQbrmoje
Tlytorl gmq re
Tlyok'ije nlnu
ibrt
fibg
niwQn kl w
Se
gb'bgr r'bg
NjeIy
Qqun Fwujl
al'rd
Erniyyw9e
Kmjo
Translation
Whenever I intend to talk
All Ifa stanzas will be flowing into the mouth
Whenever I plan to speak
All OdU If will be flowing into my lips
My powelful Ikin
The Ikin that were made of lead
When the hornets attack, the farmers scatter everywhere
The Aprkt, the basin calabash, is the father of AynmO the
Keg
Thesmallesttype is known asAgbejg
Rainfall makes the guinea-corn grow
bountifully
These were If's messages to Gnnugn, the Vulture
Theiroffspring atllr (the land of merriment)
And alsotoAkalamagbo
Their offspring at IlayQ (the land of
joy)
And toTQtQnrQn
Theiroffspring atlrQmg (a quarter
in Il-IfQ)
They were advised to offer gbg
825
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
Whenever I intend to talk
All If stanzas will be flowing into the mouth
Theycomplied
If we do not see Ignnugn
No successful gbg can be pedormed
And withoutAkalamagbo
We cannot perform
anysuccessful ritual
In the absence of TQrltQnrQn
There will be little of comfoft on eafth
As they gather
all gbg materials together
Ign moved close to the
ebg
IgrJn of Gn-n Ore
And AsIngb on the way to Om land
Wherever pleases AlpndQd is where it takes to enter it
mother's house
And wherever pleases the father is where he chooses to enter the home
of his child
Erw ggg, the residentAwo of Alakole-Mesin
He cast If forAlkQl-MQln
He who uses a
paddle
to row his boat into safety
He was advised to offer gbq
And he complied
This is where they row with their two hands
And also with their two feet
In'Ilesl OrO
Thatof
flQmQrQAflgbjg
We are not referring to the Date-palm
We are actually referring to the Coconut
The coconut with its awkward movements
The resident Awo of Olbr mOje
He cast If for
QlQbrmje
Who shall because of his child
Stay for seven days in the water
He was advised to offer gbg
He complied
Here comesly
Qgun,
the mother ofjoy and merriment
Our mother has come to play
Not to quarrell or flght
If says that all things will work out in favour of the person for whom this
Od is revealed. If advises gbg
as stated above. As long as all these gbg
are offered, nothing will stop the
person
for whom this Od is revealed from
826
li o,u*ror r"j,
realizing his/her dreams.
2. If says that the world will be compassonate with the person for
whom this Od is revealed. If advises this person
to always seek
the favour of Olodmar, If and fellow human beings at all times.
If says that he/she must never think that he/she is smater or wiser
or more competent that the rest of the world. He/she needs to be
humble and respectful at all times. By so doing, If says, he/she will
achieve all his/her heaft's desires. There is nothing that he/she
desires that will not be realized.
If advises this person to offer
gbg with two rats, two fish, two
hen, two guinea fowls, two cocks and money. He/she also
needs to feed If with one hen. He/she will also need to feed the
Mothers of the Night in form of Ipse with one female duck. On
this,If says:
QlQgbQn
O ta Kk omi s'tf agg
Mornmorn mg'ye iyQpQ ilQ
Arlnnk O d'b ilQ gb pekun
Gun'gi-gun'gi kgun'gi r koja ew
IXfirnOrunmll
Baba $awolgIlUAanr
fbg
ni wSn nl k w
9e
Translation
The wise cannot tie water into a knot with cloth
The knowledgeable cannot know the number of sand grans
o
the ground
The traveller cannot reach where the road ends
The tree climber cannot climb the tree beyond its leaves
These were If's declarationsto
Qrnm)l
When travelling on lf's assignmentto the land of AanrJ
Compassion
He was advised to offer
gbg
Qrrfnmll
was asked to come and help mend the lives of the inhabitants of
Aanu land. Atthistime in the life of
Qrnmll,
he had no money, no spouse,
no child and no help from anywhere. In spite of the fact that he had the
827
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
knowledge and competence, everything stood still for him. Nobody was
prepared to assist him. None wished to lend him a hand and ensure that his
life improved.
When
Qrnm)l
got
this message, he went for If consultation in the home
of his students. During consultation, If made the declarations above. As a
result of these declarations,
Qrnmll
was told that he needed the
gbg
to
make people
take a compassionate look at his condition. He was advised to
offer
gbg
as stated above before
going to the land of Aanrl. He was also
advised to feed If and perform Ipese for the Mothers of the Night.
Qrnm)l
sold some of his dresses and tools to buy the gbg materials. He
also learnt never to show that he was wise or knowledgeable. He was
determined to show more humility than ever before. After this, he left for
Aanu land.
When he got there, he began to work for the inhabitants of this land to
ensure that their lives will improved. In the end, he succeeded. Life
improved. There was improvement and development in the land. There
was happiness and contentment. It got
to a stage that the inhabitants
planned to show their deep appreciations for
Qrrlnm)l
over all his effofts
on them.
Qrnmll
however made it look to them that he needed all their
compassion and without it, he could achieve nothing in life. When they
realised this, they began to
plan how to assist him. All of them decided to
pay him generouslyfor his seruices.
Before long,
Qrrtnmll
became a rich person. He soon had his own spouse
and together with the wife, they had many children. They also had their
personal home. As he was acquiring all these things, he was making the
inhabitants of Aanr: land feel that if not for them, he would have amounted
to nothing in life. This was why the inhabitants of this land also determined
to assist him the more.
QlQgbQn
ota Kk omi s'tf agg
MQrnmQrn O mg'ye yepe le
Arlnnk Od'b ilggb pgkun
Gun'gi-gun'gi kgun'gi rkoj ew
Dl filn Orrlnmll
Baba rtgawo lg llrt AanUpbg ni wQn nl k w
9e
828
il oturupon uei
gb'bq, r'bg
KO p, K
jlnn
Ire gbogbo w ya d ttru
Aj lw ml
I
s'n mi o
lyln
enlyan
gg'n mi o
Aya lw ml
Es'nrl mi o
fyln
enlyan g g'n mi o
9mq
IO w ml
f
s'n mi o
lylnnfiangs'nrl
mio
Il lw ml
I
s'nrt mi o
fyln
nlyan g g'n mio
Ire gbogbo lo wu mi
Es'aanu mio
Eyin eniyan es'aanu mi o
Translation
The wise cannot tie water into a knot with cloth
The knowledgeable cannot knowthe number of the sand grain
on the ground
The traveller cannot reach where the road ends
The tree climber cannot climb the tree beyond its leaves
These were lf's declaration to Ornmll
When travelling on lf's assignmentto the land of Anrl
Compassion
He was advised to offer ebo
He complied
Before long
All Ire in life came in abundance
It is moneythat I need but lacked
Please have compassion for me
Fellow human beings,
please have compassion for me
I also need a spouse
Please have compassion for me
Fellow human beings, please have compassion for me
I also lacked children
Please have compassion for me
Fellow human beings, please have compassion for me
I equally need a home of my own
Please have compassion for me
829
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
Fellow human beings, please have compasson for me
I need allthe Ire in life
Please have compasson for me
Fellow human beings, please have compassion for me
If says that the world shall take a compassonate look at the person for
whom this Od is revealed. This person also have a duty to be humble and
not to prove
that he/she is more intelligent or knowledgeable than all
others.
3. If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed is right in the
midst of enemies. If says that he/she will overcome all these
enemies. If says that there is no point in running away from these
enemies as this action will not bring any useful relief to him/her.
There is also no point in refusing to associate with the enemies either.
All what he/she needs to do is to learn how to live with these enemies.
It is paftof his/her destinyto be, and stay, in the midstof enemies.
While in their midst, If says that he/she will be able to achieve
g reatness, happiness and longevity.
If advises this person to offer gbg with one matured he-goat and
money. He/she also needs to feed
Qbatl
with 16 snails, shea
butter and
pounded yam. On this, If says:
Atl yln kln-yl nkln-ylnkl n Awo
f
pQn
Dlfiln
FpQn
FpQn
tQrun bqwy
w nb lern O,t
lbg
ni wqn n| k w
fe
Translation
To be kicked left and right, the Awo of
fpQn,
the Scrotum
That was the If cast for
FpQn,
the Scrotum
When coming from heaven to eafth
And he was is the midst of enemies
He was advised to offer gbg
During the creation of human beings,
Qbatl,
gun and
QgQQg)
were the
830
ii orr*ron r"j,
architects and designers of human specie.
Qbatl
however had the final
say on all creation and design matters. After designing all human parts,
they decided that males would have scrotums which would be
manufacturing semen for human reproduction. This scrotum was to be
placed in between the thighs. When the scrotum heard this, he became
very apprehensive. He felt that he was too delicate to be placed in the
midst of the two thighs. He was convinced that he would be crushed to
death in no time. When he realised that
QbaHl
was determined to
place
him between these
potentials enemies, he wentfor If consultation: would
he ever survive where
Qbatl
planned
to
place him? Would he be able to
perform his assignment if he is in the midst of these enemies?
The Awo told him that even though he was located in a place that made him
very apprehensive, nonetheless, that place was the best for him. The Awo
assured him that he was placed there because he could not survive where
there was too much heat or cold. He therefore needed to be located in a
place where either the heat or cold would not be too much and unbearable
for him. He was told that this was the major reason why he was placed in
between the thighs as an attachement. He was also told that he was
attached there in order for him to have his own individual identity. This will
not make anyone or anything to consider him as
paft
of the thighs. He was
told to accept where he was put although the thighs will try to crush him out
of envy but they would never succeed. He was advised to offer
ebq
and
feed
Qbtl
as stated above. He complied.
That was how
FpQn,
the Scrotum was placed in the midst of his enemies
right from heaven. He stayed there. The thighs were not happy that
FpQn
was given the impoftant duty of
producing
the semen for reproduction.
They conspired to eliminate, or at least crush him. They kicked him left and
right everytime. All their effofts had no effect on
f
pQn. Instead, EpQn was
waxing stronger everytime.
FpQn
stayed in the midst of these enemies and
peformed the roles assigned to him from heaven successfully.
AJl ylnkln-ylnkln-ylnkln Awo
f
pQn
Dl filn
FpQn
Fpqn
tQrun bQwy
wa nblrinQt
Ebo ni wn nl k w se
831
lla Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
gb'Qborr'bg
KOp, Kjlnn
!w
b n lr0seogun
E wu y ma wu gpqn ni
FpQn
k nllf
Translation
To be kicked left and right, the Awo of
[pgn,
the Scrotum
Thatwasthe If castfor
FpQn,
the Scrotum
When coming from heaven to eath
He was isthe midstof enemies
He was advised to offer
gbg
He complied
Before long, nottoofar
Join us where we achieve victory
fpOn
can onlyface threat
He can never be crushed
If says that the
person for whom this Od is revealed shall be threatened
on a regular basis by his/her enemes. That is where it will end. They will
never be able to overcome or inflict any harm on him/her.
4. If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed shall not fall
into the trap set for him/her by the world. Many people are conspiring
aganst him/her and they are watchng him/her looking for the
slightest opportunity for him/her to fall into the trap they had set for
him/her. Some of his/her own blood are
paft
of these conspirators.
His/her offence is that he/she is peforming
the assignments
given
to
him/her very well and with dedication. They are not happy with
him/her that he/she is succeeding in his/her assignments.
If advises the person for whom this Od is revealed to avoid
going
to
visit anyone who is sick at this
period. For those born by this Od,
they must enquire from If and offer all appropriate gbg before ever
venturing to visit any sick person. He/she must also avoid
going to
where someone has
just
died. If warns that he/she needs to be very
watchful in all his/her deeds. He/she must always have it at the back
of his/her mind that
people
are watching his/her movements in order
to look for opportunity to catch him/her.
832
II oturupon uei
If advises this person
to offer gbg with 1O cocks, one long staff,
1O neddles, 1O nails and money. The needles and nails would
be driven into the staff half-way and the staff is to be placed
besides
Ep after the qbg had been offered. On these, a stanza in this Od
says:
Asln nllf'gnu gb'sa
lgngin r0n fgnu fOyg
Ejo lfqnu pQkun atarl
Dl firn lfa-ogqrq
Tff g'glgtan Ol-Igb
fbg
niwQn nl k w
ie
Translation
Aln, the Smelly Rat, uses its mouth to dig holes
Andlgngn rn, the Black Ants, use their mouths to search for food
The snake has its mouth atthetip of its head
These were lf's messages tolfa-Dggre
The child of Ohl-Igb
r
He was advised to offergbg
Ifa-OqEre was the first son of Ohl-Igb. He was very close to his father.
Ohl-Igbo was the spiritual undeftaker for all the animals in the forest.
When he died, his son, Ifa-Deere took over. He was doing allthe works as
effectively and efficiently as his late father. For this reason, many people
were not happy with him. This included some of his own brothers who felt
that why must it be only him who must be receiving all the honours that
were due to the whole family. His brothers
joined
other people
outside and
conspired together to eliminate lfa-Dgqre. They went and planned
with
fkn,
The Leopard, to eliminatelfa-OEqre.
One day, the animals came to announce the death of
fkn
to him. He was
told to come and
perform allthe rites on the remains of
fikn
before he was
given a befitting burial. While they were saying this, something kept
telling lfa-Oqqr that all was not right. As a result of this feeling, he went
for If consultation in the home of the group
of Awo mentioned above.
The Awo told him to beware of conspiracy. He was informed that there
was a
grand plan
to eliminate him. He was warned to be very careful. He
was also told that his own blood relations were among the conspirators.
833
lfa Dida: An invtation to lfa Consultation
The Awo told him to offer gbg as stated above. He complied. After this,
they handed over the staff to him and they told him to use the staff to prick
any dead animal with all his might three times before moving close to the
corpse. He thanked the
group
of Awo and leftforthe home of
Fkn.
When he got there, he saw all the conspirators in front of the home of
f
kn.
They urged him to move in quickly
and begin the rite. He went in with the
staff. But instead of moving close to
fkn,
the Leopard, he began to chant
IyQrQ songs thus:
nl9kno
Aslnrln nnll fgnu gbg's yin ni mO 1 perl.....hgn!
Ir mir lgngn erun nll fgnu fQ'ye........hqn!
EjO nll fgnu pQkun
atar|.......... Hgn!
Dl firn em Ifa-DQQr
Tll g'glgtan OIU-Igb...,...,., Hen!
Erin kr lfa-Oggre t .......hgn!
Ir mi, EfQn krl, Ifa-Oqqre trl.....hgn!
WQn nl kl lfe-Deerwa g'oro
fkn
o.....hgn!
fyln-yln
l g'oro il e wa....hgn!
fyln-,yln
B'j gb'akq
o
p'eylnda
o
Olbllrl po!
Translation
Alnn nlff f'gnu gbS's, lcallon you.....hen!
Igangan erun rftif'gnu fQ'ye, lsummon you......hen!
EjO lf f'gnu pQkun
t, I callon you.....hen!
You were the Awo who cast If for melf-DQQr
The son of Ol-Igb..... hen !
When Erin, the Elephant died, Ifa-Deer pedormed the funeral
ritess,..,hen!
And when EfQn, the Buffalo died, I performed the funeral
Rites.....henl
Now they call me to come and
perform the funeral rites for
[kn,
the Leopard....hen!
This rites is complicated
This rites must be performed by stepping backwards in form of retreat
olbff
When dogs make love, theyturn their backtoeach other
834
i! otu*pon u"j
olbf
As soon as he said this, he pricked
fkn
with the staff with all his might; first
time, second time, and before he did the third one,
fikn
shook his body!
When lfa-Oqqre saw this, he withdrew tactically and ran to
Qrtlnm)l's
home. He narrated what he experienced to
Qrrfnm)l.
Ifa-DEgre was
advised not to go home directly. He was told that his enemies would surely
be waiting for him at home. He was also told that before he entered hls
home, he must "greet" his home. If anyone was lurking anywhere in his
home the person would answer him. If anyone answered, he must not
enter the house; but if nobody answered, then he could enter.
When he got to the house, everything looked very quiet.
He nonetheless
did as
QnlnmIl
had advised him. He chantedlyQrQ thus:
As{nrf n nnll f'gnu gbg's
yin ni mO perl.....hqn!
Ir mir lgngn erun nll fgnu fQ'yg ........hgn!
EjO nll fgnu pQkun td........,. Hgn!
Dl firn em Ifa-DQer
Tll
9'glgtan
Ol-Igb........,. Hgn!
Erin kr lfa tru ..,..,.hen!
Ir mi,
lfQn
krr,Ift.....h9n!
WQn nl kl lfa-Dqerwa g'or
fkn
o.....hgn!
Onll mi, bl mo b re'bi ogrtn gdn....hgn!
Bl mo b r'jO og m.f o ...,...hqn!
Bl mob ksl'la ma
jemio...,...hgn!
Bl' O b d mi l'hun tn nma lo o
tan nma lg o hh
Bl'l 0 b d mi l'hn tn nma lg o
Ornmll oh!
Bl'l O b d mi lhn tn nma lo o
Translation
Alnfn nlff f'gnu gbQ's, lcallon you.....hen!
Myfellowlgangan erun fii f'gnu fQ'ye, ......hen!
EjO rff f'gnu pQkun tr{, lsummon you.....hen!
You cast If for melfa-OEgre
When Erin died, I peformed
the rites....hen!
And when Efon died, I peformed
thefuneral rites.....hen!
Now they ask me to perform the funeral rites for
fkn,
the Leopard....hen!
If I travel for 20 years....hen!
835
lfa Dida: An invitaon to lfa Consultation
Even if I wend forsix months.....hen!
If I call on my house itwill reply me.......hen
If the house fails to answer me, then let me go back......hen
If the home refusesto answer me, then I will return to where I am coming
from......hen!
When the Leopard,
fkn,
heard this, he became confused. If he did not
answer Ifa-Oqqre, then )fa-Oqgre would not enter the house. If lfa-
DQQr refused to enter,
fkn
would not be able to lay his hands on him.
For this reason,
Fkn
answered from the house "Ooooh"! ! !
As soon as Ifa-OgQr heard this, instead of entering the house, he chanted
anotherfyere song thus:
Astnrln nnll fgnu gb'sa yin ni m perl....,hgn!
Ir mir lgangan erun nff fqnu fQ'ye ........hgn!
EjO nfl fgnu pQkun trf ...,...... Hgn!
Dl filn emi Ifa-OQQretll g'gloJan Ol-Igb...,..hen!
Tll
9'glo,
tan Ol-Igb.......... Hgn!
Erin kr If tr .......hgn!
ffQn
krt, If trt.....hgn!
WQn nl K lfe-Deerwa g'orO
fkn
o.....hgn!
Onll mi, bl mo b re'biogn gdn....hgn!
Bl mo b r'joog mefa o.......hgn!
T'mi b k sl'l a ma
je
mi o.......hgn!
Bl'l O b d mi l'hn tn nma lo o
tn nma lg o hh
Bl'l O b d mi l'hn tn nma lo o
Orunmll oh!
Bl'lO b d mi lhn ttn nma lg o
Il ma ti d mi l'hun, ttn mo lg o.....hgn
tan molooh
Il m ti d mi l'hun, tn mo lg o.....hqn
gnnmla
hoo
Il ma ti d mi l'hun, tln mo lg o...,.hgn
Translation
Alnf n ntflif'gnu gbg'sa, lcall on
you.....hen!
Myfellowlgangan erun rff f'gnu fQ'ye, I summon
you here ......hen!
EjO lff f'gnu pQkun atari,lcallyou.....hen!
You cast If for me If-DQQr the son of Olu-Igbo.....hen!
836
ll otr*pon u"i
When Erin died,I
peformed
the rites....hen!
When Efon died, I performed
the funeral rites
fkn.....hen!
Nowthey ask me to peform the funeral rites for
fkn,
the Leopard....hen!
If I travel for 20 years....hen!
And if I went for six months.....hen!
If I call on my house it had never answered me before.......hen
If the house fails to answer me, then let me go
back......hen
If the home refuses to answer me, then I will return to where
am coming from......hen!
Nowthe house has given me an answer, I am going away!
Oh Orunmila I praiseyou
The house has given me an answer, I am running away!
Oh Orunmila I praise you
The house has given me an answer, I am running away!
That was how If-DQQre used Ijasa (Iygre)
to explain what was happenng
in his house and to tell
[kn,
the Leopard that he would not enter the house
because he had detected that
Fkn
was hiding there.
If says that the enemies of the person for whom this Od is revealed shall
be overcome. He/she shall be able to see through their conspracy and evil
design and shall come off triumphant.
Asln nfl f'gnu gb'sa
Igangan rn f'gnu fyg
Ej lf'gnu pQkun
atarl
IX firn lfa-oeere
Tff g'glgtan Ol-Igb
$bg
ni wgn nl k w ge
gb'6bo, r'bg
K p, K
jlnna
F
wa b ni l'rgQ ogun
Translation
Aln, the Smelly Rat, uses its mouth to dig holes
AndIgngn rn, the Black Ants, use their mouths to searc
forfood
The snake has its mouth at the tip of its head
These were lf's messages tolfa-DgQrg
The child of Ol-Igb
He was advised to offer gbg
He complied
837
t
lfa Dida: An invitaton to lfa Consultation
Before long, nottoofar
Join us where we acheve victory over adversaries
If promises vctory over adversaries for the
person for whom this Od is
revealed. All the conspracy and evil designs of all his/her enemes shall
amountto naught.
5. If says that there is the need for two
people
to offer the gbg
of
prosperity. They may be friends, husband and wife, brothers, sisters,
parent
and child or
just
colleagues at work. They must show love and
understanding for each other. They must also eschew any form of
bitterness against one another.
If advises the two of them to offer qbg with hruo pigeons each, two
cocks each and money. They also need to feed each others O with
one guinea fowl each. On this, If says:
Ipep idi lfara
joakika
Be n o leSe bl akika
Dlfitn Laktsa
Tun Ldogo
jg
$'Qr
fbg
ni wQn nl kwgn w ge
Translation
The barkof Iditree (Terminalia glaucescens) looks like akika
Pangolin
But it can never act like akika,
pangolin
This was lf's message to Lkrf s
Who was a bossom friend of Ldogo
They were advised to offer
gbg
Lakusa and Ldogo were intimate friends. They loved each other
genuinely. They do everything together. They ate, drank and went out
everywhere together. They wore the same dresses. They were like twins.
They were also
poor
together. For this reason, they went together to the
home of the Awo mentioned above for If consultation: would they ever
succeed in life? Would they be able to break the chain of
povefty in their
lives? Would they be able to achieve alltheir heafts'desires in life?
The Awo told them that even though they were both suffering at that time,
838
li oturupon uej
they would soon smle. They were told that they would be blessed with
i
fortune and financial success even beyond their wildest dreams. They
I
were however warned never to envy each other or harbour any ill-feeling
against one another. They were also advised to offer gbg
and feed each
other's Of as prescribed above. Only Lkrls complied with the advice of
the Babalwo. Ldogo said that he had no time for the silly advice of any
Babalawo. Consequently he refused to offerthe
gbg.
Three months after Laksa offered the
gbg, people
stafted to. notice that
foftune had begun to smile on him. He was having more financial gain
,
than ever before. When Ldogo noticed this, he stafted to
give his friend
both social and
physical
distance. He began to hate everything that his
friend represented. He did not want anyone to mention his friend's name
in his presence.
Before two
years, Lkr1s had become very successful. Ldogo began to
plan against his friend. One day, Ldogo went to inflict pain
on his friend
'Laksa.
Hewascaught intheactand was putto
shame.
{
lpgpq d l f'ara
jg
akika
BQ$ ni le ge bl akika
Df firn Lkrls
Tun Ldogo
jg
g'qre
Fbg
ni wqn nl k wqn w
$e
Lakse nlkn nl nbg lyin to nggbg
K p, K
jlnn
f
w bni nl
jQbrlto
Iregbogbo
Erolpo, EroQfa
t
Sni
eni trtn ge
e l
!
Tlinu fil bl'ni o?
Translation
The bark of Idi tree (Terminalia glaucescens) looks like akika,
Pangolin
But itcan neveract like akika, pangolin
This was If's message to Lkrts
Who was a bosom friend of Ldogo
Theywere advised to offerebo
t
839
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultaon
Only Lkrlsa complied by offering the gbg
Before long, nottoo far
Join us in the midst of all Ire in life
Travellers tolpo and
Qf
When one's colleagues succeeded
How come one is angry over it?
If says that this
person will succeed whether or not his/her colleagues love
t. Nobody can stop his/her succeess as long as he/she comples with allthe
instructions of If.
6. If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed needs to have a
change of attitude so as to have people close to him/her. His/her
attitude is driving
people who could be of assstance to him/her away
from him/her. On the other hand, the person for whom this Od is
revealed needs to advise his/her relative to change his/her attitude in
order to have people around him/her. This relative may be his/her
brother, sister, cousn,
parent, child, friend or even neighbour.
If advises this person to offer
gbg with three cocks and money.
He/she also needs to feed Egu witn one cock. No matter what
he/she uses as
gbg material or even materials for feeding
Fs,
he/she
must change his/her attitude for better. He/she must behave in
accordance with the socially accepted norms. If this is not done, all
the money and effot spent on
gbg will amount to a waste. On this,
If says:
QgbQn
nfi pektOran'ni
Wr kff gbe ran gmqnlyn
Dlfirn
Qtgnporo
Tll ggmglya Ere
Fbq
ni wQn nl k w
Fe
Translation
It takes long for one to be impacted with wisdom
It is easy and quickerto imbibe foolishness
This was lfa's message to
QtgnpOro
The blood brother of Ere
He was advised to offer ebo
840
iI oturupo, u"j
Qtgnporo
and Ere were born by the same mother. They were known
everywhere n town as brothers. People knew Ere as very amiable, easy-
going, likeable and level-headed. Conversely,
Qtgnpr
was known as a
wicked, selfish, callous and a hot-headed person.
One day
QtgnpOrO
went for If consultation because he was unhappy that
nobody seemed to love him in his community. The Awo told him that his
problem was that of his attitude. All he needed to do was to understudy his
younger
brother Ere and behave the way he was doing. He was also to offer
gbg as stated above and feed Egu witn one cock.
Qtgnpor
could see no
reason why he should emulate anyone - least of all his own younger
brother.
During the Egungun festival of the village, all the people in the community
rallied round Ere and he was the centre of attraction. All the villagers were
running away from
Qtgnporo
because of his wicked character.
QtQnporo
burst into tears when he saw the crowd following his brother. He had
nobody behind him. The elders in the village told
QtgnpOrO
to have a
change of attitude so that he too could have followers like Ere his younger
brother. Alas! It was too late for
Qtqnporo.
He lived miserably for the rest
of his life.
qgbQn
nll pq kt ran'ni
Wr kff gbe ran gmq nryan
Dtfin Otgnporo
Tll ggmgIy Ere
fbg
ni wqn nl k w ge
fe oJrln gbebq,
fi tosl daa n
Qtgnporo
p'w
d
Koll'ni l',yln bf Ere
Qtqnporo
Translation
Ittakes long foroneto be impacted with wisdom
It is easy and quicker to imbibe foolishness
This was If's message to
Qtgnporo
The blood brotherof Ere
He was advised to offier gbg
He turned deaf earto the advice
OtgnpOrO
please have a change of character
Foryou to have followers like Ere
{,,
841
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
Please change
your charccter for good
If says that he will not allow this
person to live a miserable life. He/she
however needs to have a change of character so that
people will move
close to him/her and he/she will not live a lonely or isolated life.
7. If says that there is the need for a group of people to offer
gbq
against being misled by someone who claims that he/she has the
understanding, exposure and/or experience to
give them advice. If
says that the advices which this
person has been
giving this
group are
responsible for the
problems and/or crises which the group are
having presently. There is the need for this
group to identify this
person and review its relationship with him/her. If he/she gives the
group any further advice, it must be ignored. As a matter of fact, this
person must be
given reasonable distance from the
group.
If advises this group to offer
gbg with three matured he-goats
and money. They also need to feed Eg with one he-goat or
cock. On these, If says:
Ad bldl
Fasa
Dl fin
Qrnljqlgbln
wgn nl kl wQn rbg
Qml
iwgn
Translation
The cutlass with its broad base
Thatwasthe If castfor 165 snails
When they were advised to offer gbg for them to live long
The 165 snails were living miserable lives. They used to die violently. They
tried to find solution to their
problems all to no avail. They therefore went
for If consultation in the home of the Awo mentioned above. The Awo
told them that all their
problems would soon become things of the past. He
informed them that they were being misled and that was why they were
havlng those
problems. He advised them to identiff the
person who was
misleading them and run away from such
person. He also advised them to
offer
qbg
as stated above. They complied. They promised themselves that
842
Il oturupon uej
they would identiff the person
misleading them and run away from
him/her.
PQ tep, te
Ene
nfi m'qna ge gb
Nff m'Qn ge gbrl
Dlfiln If-dQQrQ
Ttl geQrglgbln
f
bo nl wQn nl k w
Se
Translation
The wet mud on the road makes the path very slippery and dangerous to
trek
That was lf's message to If-dQQrQ
Who was the friend of the 165 snails
He was advised to offer gbq
If-dQQrQ was the friend of the 165 snails. The snails saw him as a big
brother and great
adviser. They relied on his counselling. Any advice he
gave
them was what they would follow. Unknown to the snails, he was the
one who was misleading them because he had a deep-seated hatred for
the snails.
(
One day, If-dQQrQ went for If consultation in order to determine if he
would succeed in eliminating allthe 165 snails.
The Awo told him that he was like the wet mud on the road which made the
path
of other people
slippery and dangerous. The Awo advised him to stop
his bad attitude so as to avoid being exposed and disgraced. He refused to
comply, telling the Awo that the reason why he came was to be able to
eliminate all the snails and not for any Awo to advise him on to how to have
{
a change of character. He Ieftthe home of the Awo with anger.
1
Meanwhile, If-dQQrQ had two hands, two legs, mouth and allother pafts
of
his body complete. The snails had no hand, no leg, except their mouth.
They use their mouth to eat, talk, climb and walk.
Anytime that If-dQQrQ saw any snail climbing a tree, he would wait
patiently for the snailto reach the top of the tree before calling the snail. If
the snailtried to answer his call, the snail would falldown from the tree and
(
843
lfa Dida: An nvitaton to lfa Consultaton
die violently, If a snail was eatng, If-deQrQ would wait until the snail
attempted to swallow the food, he would then call the sna|. If the snal
attempted to answer, the food would enter the wrong passage and the snail
would die a violent death.
Al! the remaining snails
gathered together in order to deliberate on the
cause of the
problems. Eventually, they realised that it was their big
brother If-dQQrQ who had all along been responsible for their violent
deaths. There and then, they concluded that any time that any of them was
called by If-dQQrQ, he/she must never answer. They must do it in such a
way that If-dQQrQ must know that they deliberately refused to answer him.
They also concluded that nobody among the snails must listen to, or follow
his advice again.
Anytime If-dQQrQ called on any snail, he would simply be ignored. If he
asked the snail why he/she had refused to answer his call, the snail would
take his/her time, finish whatever he/she was doing before telling If-dQQrQ
never to call him/her again. It did not take long for If-dQQrQ to realise that
he was no longer needed by the snails. He quietly left their midst in shame.
Ad bldli$aqe
Dl filn
Qrunlojglgbln
won nl kl wQn rbg
Qml
i wgn
WQn gb'Qbo, wQn r'bg
PeJepqteQn nll m'qna gegb
Nll m'Qnagegbtt
IXfiln If-DQQTQ
Tll
geQrQlgbln
Ebo nl wOn nl k w
9e
kg'tl ggboyin s'qbg
jq lf-Deerq m e
p ml mq
fnu
tl mofi rt fQ'hn
Nimofi ttjqun o
If-D$QrQ m e
p ml mQ
Fnu
tl mofi fghun
Nl mofi ttgun'gi o
Translation
The cutlass with its broad base
Ii oturupon uei
Thatwasthe If castfor 165 snails
When they were advised to offer gbg for them to live long
Theycomplied
The wet mud on the road makes the path
very slippery and
dangerous to trek
That was lf's message to If-DQQTQ
Who was the friend of the 165 snails
He was advised to offer ebo
He refused
If-DQQre, don't call me anymore
It is the same mouth that I use in talking
Which I also use in eating
If-DQQre, don't call me again
It is the same mouth I use in talking
Which Ialso use in climbing
If says that the person
responsble for the problem
of a group
shall be
exposed and putto
shame.
Conversely,If says that if the person
for whom this Od is revealed is the
one responsible for misleading a group
through his/her bad counselling,
i
he/she needs to stop, lest he/she s exposed and disgraced.
8. If says that even though the person
for whom this Od is revealed
has the tendency to be misled through bad advice, nonetheless,
he/she cannot live alone. He/she still needs other people
around
him/her to associate with and take useful advices from. All what
he/she needs to do is to find out the type of friends he/she needs to
associate with before he/she relies on them. He/she also needs to
i
find out regularly about all his/her friends and Ioved ones In order to
ensure thatthey had not changed and become unreliable.
If says that his/her destiny does not allow him/her to live a lonely
life. He/she needs to be in the midst of people.
He/she must also be
sociable. As he/she has a lot to gain
from others, so also do others
have much to gain
from him/her.
845
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
If advises this
person
to offer
gbg with two rats, hro fish, two
hens, two cocks, two
guineafowls, hro pigeons
and money.
He/she also needs to feed
Fgb
with all fruits available at that
period in his/her environment. On this, a stanza in
QlqgbQn-M|
says:
Igbgnwo nll tl kkeryg kk
Ojo
p'abahun t'Qw t'asg
Ojo
Qsn
nff m'de yq tqrJereter
Dl filn Baba-A-gb-l'gnu-bl-Akika
Igbati O rtgeohun gbogbot'Qkan Oyg'rl
f;bg
nl wqn nl k w ge
Translation
The elbow had its knot since the time it was small and young
'
The rain falls on the toftoise together with its shell
The rain thatfalls in the day makesthe ground veryslippery
These were lf's declarations to he-whose-mouth-is-as-strong
As-akika-tree
When he did manythings without succeeding in any
He was advised to offerebo
Baba-A-gb-l'Qnu-bi-Akika, the man whose mouth is as strong as akika tree
had made up his mind never to socialize with anyone any longer. He had
once done so but he was betrayed. For that reason, he vowed never to
have anything to do with anyone agan. He chose to live alone. He had no
wife, no child, and no friend. He moved away from even his own blood
relations.
When he began to live alone, his situation, instead of improving, was
getting worse by the day. He would work from morning till night and yet
there would be a lot of work left behind undone. He would sweep the
ground of his room and his surrounding; he would wash the plates, his
dress and his room; he would prepare his food and before he finished, he
was already late to
go to his farm. In the farm, he would clear the grass,
make heaps for planting, wet the crops, dress the heaps and tend the farm
all alone. Before he finished the day's work, it was already time to return
home. At home, he needed to wash the cooking
pot
that he used in the
morning and before finishing, it was really dark! Many nights, he would
846
II oturupon uej
sleep without food. Many days, he would not be able to do half of the work
he needed to do in the farm. His farm became the home of rodents which
ate up his crops. Year in, year
out, he could not harvest up to half of the
crops he planted
on his farm. His situation was detriorating. His health
was also deteriorating. Tired of this, he went for If consultation: what
was really responsible for all his problems?
The Awo assured him that he was the architect of his problems.
He was
told that he had refused to socialize with others. He was advised to offer
gbg
as
prescribed
above. He was also enjoined to socialize with others.
He complied.
The next day, he woke up early in the morning and greeted
everyone
around him. The people were surprised. When he began to sweep the
ground,
a neighbour told his daughter to take the broom from him and help
him sweep the surrounding. When he wanted to coolf another neighbour
told his wife to go and assist him. He did everything more quickly
than
ever before. Soon he got
a wife. They divided the work in the house and
farm between them. when they had their children, the work became
simpler still. Most household chores were left for the children to do and
they concentrated on the workon thefarm.
Before long, foftune smiled on him. He was able to have a clear-cut
direction in his life. He saw the benefits of socializing with other people.
He became wealthy, he had his own spouse, he was blessed with children
and he had a
good
comfoftable home. Above all, his toiling and tension
reduced drastically. He then realized that those who had others around to
share in their works and burdens needed not to have strong mouths and
strong handsto do and carrythem alone.
IgbQnwo nll tl kkeryg kk
Ojo p'abahun
t'Qw t'asg
ojo
qsn
nll m'de yQ
tQr$tQre, tere
Dl fitn Baba-A-gb-l'qnu-bl-Akika
Igbati rt$e ohun gbogbot'qkan Oyg'rl
lbg
nl wqn nl k w
9e
gb'gbg, ru'bg
Ero lpo, Ero
Qfa
847
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
A kff m ma rQ'ni wl'rn
Ktn gb l'nu o
Translation
The elbow had its knot since the time it was small and
young
The rain falls on the toftoise together with its shell
The rain that falls in the day makes the ground very slippery
These were lf's decla rations to he-whose-mouth-is-a
-Strong-as-akika-tree
When he did manythings withoutsucceeding in any
He was advised to offer gbg
He complied
Travellers tolpo and
Qfa
lands
We cannot have those who will share in our thoughts, works
and burden
And yet have strong mouth and hands
If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed shall be blessed with
people who shall assist him/her and share in his/her thoughts, works and
burdens.
9. If says that a man is either dating a lady here with the intention of
marrying her or that they had moved to the stage of introduction or
even marriage. If says the lady in question is very
jovial
and
generally loved by all. Ifa warns aganst marrying this lady because
as
jovial
as she is, she is not the type whose mind can easly be
known. She will use her genial
attitude to deceive everybody and
when she is ready to pack up the affair, nobody will suspect her.
When she eventually leaves, it will be a
grave
disaster for the
husband and his relatives. This lady will do the husband-to-be no
good
at all.
If advises this man to offer
gbg
with two guinea fowls, two cocks
and two hens and money. On this, If says:
K$e'g nl'gb
K r nl'dbrtwo'hl
fitn Ejl-Otrtrrt
Baba lqq q'gkg
lrfn
fbq
nl wqn nl k w ge
848
f
ii oturupon tvtei
Translation
To cutwood in the forest
And carry it sideways to the town
This was lf's message to E)-OtUrrf
When going to marry
fn,
Laughter, as wife
He wasadvised to offerebo
E)-Oturu was very hardworking. He was also an accomplshed Babalwo.
When it was time for him to get marred, all the members of his family were
on the look out for a suitable wife for him. Before long, they saw
fr'in,
Laughter. She was very beautiful, very
jovial,
she was always smiling.
Everybody was in love with her. When ET-Otr:rU saw her, he was
overwhelmed with love. When it was time for marriage, they went for If
consultation, not to enquire about the attitude of the woman, but to know
what they needed to do in order to make the wedding day successful.
During consultation however, the Awo warned that nothing good will ever
come out of that relationship. He warned them not to continue with the
affair. He even urged them to call everything quit
as all he could see was
pain
and sorrow atthe end of the day. Those who went for If consultation
were convinced that the Awo had either
gone mad or envious; and must be
looking for ways of spoiling Et-Oturu's
joy.
They simply ignored him and
theywentahead with the wedding preparations.
The wedding day was grand.
All the movers and shakers of the society
were present. They all blessed the couple.
The first three months was bliss for the couple. Everything went smoothly.
After the third month, trouble stafted for ET-Oturu.
fn
was no longer
cooperating with him. She no longer obeyed him. Anytime he talked, she
would simply smile and ignore him. If he shouted at her, all his relations
would be angry with him that he was not treating his genial wife with the
respect and love she deserved.
In the home of E)-Otur's relatives,
ff
n was always at her best. She would
smile,
joke
and
greet
all the relatives with respect and love. They were all
in love with her. At home however, there was nothlng that E)-Oturu did
that ever satisfied her. If she asked for anything, it would be what E)-
849
lfa Dda: An invtaton to lfa Consultation
Oturrr could not afford. If he told her that he could not afford it, she would
simply smile. If he looked for money elsewhere to buy those things and
give to her, she would simply smile. At a stage, it was not easy for EJi-
Oturu to know whether or not his wife was happy. His wife was never
helping at home. She had no time to cook or wash his clothes. If he
complained, she would simply smile. Nothing would change her mind to
do it.
One day, Elt-Otrlrrl woke up to find that
ffn
had left the house. All his
relatives pounced on him, accusing him of frustrating the woman. Nobody
was ready to listen to him. He cried and cried. He lost his happiness, his
home and his credibility. By the time his relations realised the true position
of things, itwas alreadytoo late.
K g'gnl'gb
K r nl'dbrlwg'ltt
Dlfn Ejl-Oturu
Baba lQqg'gkg
lrln
Fbq
nl wqn nl k w
fe
kg'tl
Qgbghin F'ebg
Eg lru, Ego eft
F
o rlf ijghun ni bl tl r99 o
Translation
To cut wood in the forest
And carry it sideways to the town
This was lf's message to E)-Oturr:
When going to marry
ffn
as wife
He was advised to offer gbg
He refused to comply
Refusal to offer
gbg
and heed advice
See the terrible consequence.for those who had refused !
If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed shall not suffer self-
inflicted pain if he listens to the advice of If.
Conversely, If advises a woman about to get married to have a change of
attitude so that she will not cause
pain
to her would-be husband and all his
relatives and loved ones.
850
X orr*ron r",
10. If says that there s a woman where this Od is revealed who had
once been marred into that home but who had left the home due to
one form of disagreement or the other. This woman is planning
to
return to that home. If says that if this woman returns, there is no
problem.
On the other hand, if she is not allowed to return, there is no
problem. If says that this woman had learnt nothing and had
forgotten nothing on the reasons that sent her out of that home. If
she returns, If says, she will continue to behave exactly how she had
been doing before she left that home. Her attitude will not change
one bit. If this is acceptabletothem where this Od is revealed, then
all is well. If not, there is the need to have a sober reconsideration
and deep reflection before the woman is allowed to return into that
home.
On the other hand, If advises a woman who had once married into
a home but who had left the home to have a change of attitude
before venturing to return into that home. This is because she had
not learnt the real reasons that sent her packing from her
matrimonial home in the first place.
If this lesson is not learnt, she
will more likely than not encounter the same problem
and she will
have no suppoft where she is going. This will chase her out of that
homethe second time.
There is the need to offer gbg with one he-goat, cosmetics of
various kinds, camwood, cream, lotion and so on and
money. There is also the need to feed the lbeji, the Twins
Divinity. On this,If says:
Otr
pgn mjl g,rt
Dl fitn
Fyel QwQwQ
Tl pad lg sl'l gkg OwUrQ
pbg
nl wqn nl k w ge
o
Translation
Otr straps two babies firmly on her back
If's message to
fygl QwQwQ,
the Beautiful Pigeon
When returning to herfirst husband's home
She was advised to offer gbg
851
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
Fygl Qwewe,
the Beautiful, Pigeon was an epitome of beauty. She was
the center of attraction everywhere she went. She was also very conscious
of her beauty. Anywhere she went, she was always with a cosmetics bag
containing cam-wood, coconut oil, Laali (Lawsonia inermis) etc. Her hair
was always
plaited. Her dresses neat and elegant with sandals to match.
When she was ready for the marriage market, there were many suitors
contesting for her hand in marriage. When she eventually
picked one
suitor as her husband, the wedding was wellattended.
As soon as she
got married however, trouble stafted. She made it
abundantly clear to all, that she had come to marry her husband alone, and
that she was not interested in any member of her husband's family. As a
matter of fact, she saw them as
people who interfere in their matrimonial
affairs. She treated her husband's relatives shabbily and she had no
respect for any of them.
One day, there was a little misunderstanding between
fiygl QwQwQ
and
her husband. The relatives came for settlement.
Fygl QwQwQ
was very
furious with them. She spit on her mother-in-law's face. She tore the
dresses of her father-in-law. She slapped her Elder-brother-in-law. It was
a big fight. She accused everyone of fomenting trouble for her and her
husband. She said that her husband's relatives were fond of
poking
their
noses into what did not concern them. At a stage, she yelled at everyone
present and stormed out of the house. She
promised herself never to
return to that home again.
When her parents heard of what had happened they were very ashamed
and furious with
Fygl QwQwQ.
They sent many emissaries to
go
and
apologise to
fyglQ's
husband's relatives. It took two
years for normalry to
return. Eventually, a day was set aside for formal reconciliation.
On the appointed day, all the relatives of
fiygl's
husband were seated,
awaiting the arrival of
[ygl.
All of them agreed that
Fygl
must have
learnt her lessons and that she would turn a new leaf hencefofth.
When
Fygl
arrived, she came with her friend. She did not wait for her own
relatives to accompany her to her husbands home. When she entered the
II otrrupo, uej
house, they noticed that she was all made up. she was smelling of
fragrance and she painted her legs and face with osun, cam-wood. she
saw her husband's relatives and simply ignored them. She proceeded
straight into her husband's room and slammed the door close with all her
might. Her husband's relatives looked at each other and shook their
heads. One of them stafted to sing thus:
S
k le mg p
Fyele
g'oge
S
k le mq wlp
$yQl
g'oge
Fygl
K'osn wg'| t'gkg
9
k le mg pe
Fyele
g'oge
Translation
Is it for us to realise that
Fygl
is trendy
Is it to establish that
fyql
is fashion-conscious
Fygl
rubbed her bodywith Osun, cam-wood and wentstraight
to her husband's room
Just for us to know that
fygl
is fashionable
They all concluded that
Fygl
had learnt and forgotten nothing.
Oht r pgn- Mjl gl rgl rl
Dl fln
Fyel QwQwe
Tl pad lg sl'l gkg OwrQ
f
bg nl wQn nl k w ge
o
kg'tf
Qgbgnhln
s'bg
F
k le mg p
fygl
rt g'oge
Fygl
K'osun wg'l t'gkg
F
k le mg p
fygl
g'oge
Translation
Otr strapps two babies firmly on her back
If's message to
fiygl QwQw
When returning to her first husband's home
She was advised to offer
gbg
She refused to heed the advice
Is it for us to know that
fygl
is fashionable
Fygl
rubbed her body with Osun and went straightto he
husband's room
Just for us to know that
fiygl
is fashionable
853
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultaon
11. If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed should not
think that he/she is wiser than everybody. If says that even
though it is true that he/she is wise, he/she needs to recognize the
fact that other people are also wise and some of them are
probably
more knowledgeable and/or wiser than him/her.
If says that this person had done something or is doing something
presently and is congratulating himself/herself because of the
wisdom which he/she had applyto it.
If says that even with what he/she had done or is doing, he/she still
needs other people's wise counselling in order for him/her to
succeed. If recommends the gbg
of humility for the person for
whom this Od is revealed. In this stanza, no material gbg is
required. He/she only needs to consult others and seek wise
counselling before concluding on what he/she had done or is doing.
On this, If says:
9lQgbQn
wQn O ta kk omi s'tl aqg
Omgrn kan O mo'ye pQ ilQ
Arlnnk ko de'bi ona
gb pgkun
Dl fitn Albahun Ajap
Nljq tl k'gbQn r'or{ opg r kq sl
Translation
The wise cannot tie water into a knot with a cloth,
The knowledgeable cannot know the number of sand grains o
the
ground
The traveller cannot reach where the road ends
These were lf's declarations to Albahun Ijp
When he gathered allthe wisdom on eafth and was going to
hide it on top of a palm tree
Albahun Ajpa, the Tortoise, was a very wise person. At a
point, he
believed he was the wisest person that Olodumare had ever created. One
day, Albahun Ajap thought that he could become the richest person
on
earth if he gathered all the wisdom on earth and bottled it in a calabash.
He planned that after this had been done, he would go
and hide the bottled
calabash (full of wisdom) on top of a
palmtree. He ruminated that nobody
854
frl oturupon u.j
would be able to do anything wse without consultng him. He planned
to
charge heavily for any wisdom that he would volunteer for anyone. He
envisaged that people would be looking for him far and wide begging and
pleading,
cap in hand, money in pocket for him to give them paft of the
hidden wisdom. He was convinced that within six months, that he would
not only become the richest man that Olodumare had ever created, but the
most influential person
on eafth.
After concluding this plan,
he decided to go for If consultation. When the
If was cast, OtrpQn M;T was revealed. The Awo then informed
Albahun Ajap that he had a plan in mind: the plan would only work if he
soughtthe advice and wisdom of others.
Consequent upon this revelation, Albahun Ajap was livid with anger. He
thought he needed nobody's advice since he was the wisest person
on
eafth. He then rushed out of the babalwo's house and
promised
himself
that this babalwo must be
punished
when he became rich. He concluded
that he would never extend his wisdom to the babalwo since he saw
himself as the custodian of wisdom in the world.
He then decided to go and hide the bottled calabash (full of wisdom) on top
of a
palm tree and then announce to the world to come and consult him if
they needed any advice or wisdom. Whoever failed to approach him was
considered the most stupid man on eafth. On getting
to the palm
tree, he
tied a rope round the bottled calabash and hung it round his neck with the
calabash in front of his belly. He then tried to climb the palm tree to the top,
but unfoftunately for him he was always failing down anytime he attempted
to climb the tree. He tried several times from morning till evening but all to
no avail.
Incidentally, Igbfn, snail was passing by and she saw Albahun Ajap
attempting to climb the tree and falling down several times. Immediately
she saw this, she realized that the positioning
of the calabash in front of
Ijap was responsible for his failure to climb the tree. She took pity
on
Ajap and decided to assist him by offering the advice on what to do in
order to climb the tree successfully. She approached him and said: 'My
friend, if you want to climb the palm
tree with ease, change the position
of
855
Ifa Dida: An invtation to lfa Consultation
that bottled calabash. Put it on your back and then climb the tree'.
Uapa
attempted what)gbln, had said, and discovered that, to his chagrin,
the palm tree was climbed withoutany difficulty. When he was on top of the
palm tree, EgU Odara told him that'Ijp, can'tyou see that)gbln, the snail,
is wiser than
you? With all the wisdom you
have forced into this calabash,
yet you were not able to climb the tree. It only took the superior wisdom of
Igbin to tell you how to climb the tree with the calabash without any
difficulty. Wth all your wisdom, you will always bow to and follow the
superior wisdom of)gbln, the snail'.
When Ijap heard this, he realised to his disappointment that with all the
wisdom he had bottled in the calabash, he had failed woefully. Outof anger,
disappointment and frustration, he smashed, with all his might, the bottled
calabash on the
ground
and it broke into pieces.
QlQgbQn
wQn Ota kkomi s'tl agg
Omgrn kan O mo'ye eepQ ilQ
Arlnnka ko de'bi ona gb pgkun
D,l fin Albahun Ajapa
Nljq k'gbQn r'orf opg r kQ sl
Fbp
nl wgn nl w ge
Njq qgbqn ti Ahun gbqn
lyln
niifi ntg lgbln
9gbQnotn
l'y
9gbQn
k l'yin
Translation
The wise cannottie water into a knotwith a piece
of cloth,
The knowledgeable cannot knowthe numberof sand grains
on the ground
The traveller cannot reach where the road ends
These were lf's declarations to Albahun Ajp
When he gathered allthe wsdom in the world and was going t o
hide it on top of a
palm tree
He was advised to offergbg
He refused to comply
With all the wisdom of Ahun, the toftoise
He will always bow to and follow the superior oflgbf n, the snail
Wsdom is notexhausted on eafth
856
Il oturupon uej
Wisdom abounds everywhere
If says that those who are wse should not think that others are not as wse
as them or that they are fools. Nobody is a sole repostory of wisdom.
L2. If says that youths
should not think that they are wiser than their
elders where this Od is revealed. There is the need for youths to
follow the advice of elders in order to avoid a situation where they
could get lost. If says that there are some youths where this Od is
revealed who consider the wise counselling of elders as either
obsolete or irrelevant in the modern scheme of things. If says that
these youths need to change such perception
if they do not wish to
regretforthe restof their lives.
If advises the youths in question
to offer
gbg
with two matured
she-goats and borrow from the experience and advice of the elders.
They will use one she-goat to feed the Elders of the Night and use the
other one to feed If. On this, If says:
Aslnwln nll pe'f kOr
Koyeeko nll w'wu sesee
j'na
DlfnQsqOrqkun
Dl fn
QsQOrde
fibg
nl wqn nl kl wgn w
qe
Translation
Only a fool gives If message without prior
deliberation
Koyko rff w'wu
Feegee
j'n (alias)
These were the Awo who cast If for
QsQ-OrQkn
And also cast same for
QsQ-Orde
They were advised to offer
gbg
QsQ-Orqkn
was a wise youth while
Qsg-Orode
was the experienced
elder.
QsQ-Orqkn
was someone who believed he was so wise that he
did not need the advice of anybody before doing anything.
Whenever he wanted to embark on something,
Qsg-Orde,
the
experienced elders, would always advise him on the best strategy or
approach but according to him, allthese pieces
of advice given
to him
857
lfa Dida: An invitaton to lfa Consultation
by
QsQ-Orde
were considered obsolete or irrelevant especially in
the modern scheme of things.
For instance, in the olden days, people
usually cook soup and other
things on a fire made with three stones (tripod) for perfect balance.
QsQ-Orqkn
decided that with his wisdom, he would cook his soup on
fire made with two stones. He was advised against this act by
QsQ-
Orde, but he refused to heed the advice. He made his fire and put
his soup on it. Unfoftunately for him, the soup overturned and
spilled over on the fire. Therefore he could not eat any food that
night.
He then decided to
go
and fetch water in the well sunk in the family
compound to at least drink some water before going
to bed. Prior to
this time, he had been warned to tread softly especially at night. As
he was walking furiously towards the well, he stumbled on a stone
and before he could regained his balance, he fell into the well.
Suddenly he made a loud noise that attracted the neighbours to the
scene. On getting there, they met
QsQ-Orqkn
in the well crying for
help. They immediately looked for a rope, threw it down the well and
rescued
QsQ-OrQkn.
After he was rescued and taken care ol he decided to take a stroll
within the vicinity of his compound. While doing this against all wise
gounsselling,
he met lya-Afin on the way. Iya-Afin used to be the
eligible spinster in the palace who had remained unmarried as a
result of her arrogance. Everybody in the town had been warned not
to be rude, confront or show any disrespect for lya-Afin. Anyone
who failed to heed this warning would be ruthlessly dealt with.
Qsq-
OrQkn was also aware of this warning but he was totally convinced
that he could manipulate his way out of trouble if there was any
trouble between him and lya-Afin. For this reason, he had little
regard for her. On this day,
Qsq-OrQkn
stumbled on Iya-Afin; but
instead of him to apologise, he became arrogant and saw no reason
why he should apologise to her. Iya-Afin immediately ordered the
palace guards to deal with him. He was subsequently thoroughly
beaten. When he was eventually released, he fumbled and
got into
Il otu*pon u"j
the manger where pones were kept. As he was about to ride one of
the
ponies, he was warned never to ride but still, he refused to heed
i
the warning. He rode on one of the ponies and unfotunately for him,
the
pony threw him off and he landed with a heavy thud on the
ground. He sustained injuries and was immediately rushed to a
health care centre.
While on the way to the health centre,
QsQ-Orode
kept wondering
why on eafth
QsQ-Orqkn
refused to heed the elders' advice as he
believed that the advice was obsolete, irrelevant and unnecessary in
the mordern times. To him he believed that he was the wisest.
Qsq-
i
OrQkn was then full of regrets that he had not listened to
Qsq-Orde
and other advices of the elders.
Aslnwln nll pe'f kOr
Koyeeko nll w'wu
$eeseq
j'na
D{ filn
QsQOrqkrn
Dlfirn
QsQ
orde
Qsq
Orqkn oo rqra o ma d'gbQ sl'n
nl mo ri, mo ri ogbo
t
QsO
Orqkn rora ma
jin
si knga
\
nl mo ri, mo ri ogbo
Qsq
Orqkn rgra ma kg lu lya-Afin
nl mo ri, mo riogbo
Qsq
Onqkn rgra o ma wg'Eto lbaaka
nl mo ri, mo ri ogbo
Mo ri, mo ri ogbo
Qsg
Orqkn da'bgst'n
Mo ri, mo ri ogbo
Qsq
Orqkun
jln
sin knga
Mo ri, mo riogbo (
Qsq
Orqkn kg lu ly-Afin
Mo ri, mo ri ogbo
Qsq
Orqkn wg'l to lbaaka
fyin
ewelwoyl
Age kQcyln I'Qrn
TlegegbQn
ju'ni
lg?l
Translation
Only a fool gives If message without prior deliberation
Koyeeko rff w'wu
geegee j'na
(
859
lfa Dida: An nvtaton to lfa Consultation
These were the Awo who cast If for
Qsg-Orqkn
And also cast same for
QsQ-Orde
Theywere both advsed to offerqbg
QsQ-OrQkn,
beware so that you don't spill soup in the fire
He responded that he had already seen what they are saying
QsQ-OrQkUn,
beware so that you don't fall in the well
He responded that he had already known whatthey are saying
Qsg-OrQkn,
beware so that you
don't confrontlya-Afin
He responded that he had already known whatthey are saying
Qsg-OrqkUn,
beware so that you don't ride on
ponies
He responded that he had already known whatthey are saying
Qsg-OrQkUn
then spilled soup on fire
Despite that he had known what they said
Qsg-OrgkUn
indaveftentlyfell inside a well
Despite that he had known what they said
QsQ-OrQkU
n, a lso confronted lya-Afi n
Despite what he had already known
Qsg-OrQkn
entered and rode on
ponies
Despite what he claimed to have known
Oh
ye! Youths of nowadays
How come you are taught a lesson
Butclaim to know morethan the elders
13. If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed shall give birth
to a babywho shall becomevery great in life. This baby, a male, shall
fight for his parents
and punsh all those who might have cheated or
maltreated his parents. He wil also save his parents for persecutions.
If says that the chld in question is a child of If. There is the need to
initiate the child into If as soon as possble.
If advises the person for whom this Od is revealed to offer gbg
with four rats, four fish, hruo hens and money. There is also
the need to feed If with two rats, hro fish and one hen. On
these, If says:
"
IbbAwoEgngn
IkokonwoOr
Gbangba I'Ogedengb gawo I'awo Il
Qrnmla
Dl fn Ejl-Otrtru
Tl nt'Qrun bQw'lAy
f;i oturupon uej
fibg
ni wQn nl k w ge
Translation
Secrecy is the way of EgUngun
Closely guarded in darkness is the practice of Or
Openness is the way of
Qrunmll
These were If's messages to E)-OtUrU
When coming from Heaven to Eafth
He was advised to offergbg
EI-Oturu (OturupQn MJi) had made all his preparatons n heaven in order
to come into the world. He went for If consultation. The Awo told him that
he would succeed where he was going. He was advised that in order to
make his emergence on eafth more dramatic, it would be better if he was
born as a baby with all his faculties fully developed and functioning. He
agreed.
A very poor woman was chosen as the one to be E)-Otr:ru's mother. The
woman became
pregnant.
She carried the pregnancyfor nine months. She
gave
bifth to her bundle of
joy
on the tenth lunar month. The baby was a
male. When this woman gave bfth to her baby, there was nothing at home
for hefto use; no money to buy soap, sponge food or any other thing to use
for herself or the baby. As soon as she
gave brth to this baby, the baby
began to speak; 'mother', said the baby 'I know that you have nothing to use
at home now. Don't worry. Everything shall be well'. The mother could not
believe her ears. She moved closer to the baby to be absolutely certain that
it was truly the baby that was talking. The baby told her again, 'mother, do
not be surprised or afraid. I am E)-Otn1. I have come to help you and my
father, Please go outside into the nearby forest. You shall find two okete
big-rats there. Take them and put them in a cage. Go and sell them at
E)gbmgkn market'. She then proceeded to buy soap, sponge and some
other things that
you need urgently now'. The mother was totally
flabergasted. Whom would she tell that her day-old baby was speaking?
She nonetheless went to the forest as instructed by her baby. She saw the
two big rats, caught them and
put them in a cage. She headed for
E)gb0mgkn market in orderto sellthe rats.
As soon as she reached E)gbmgkn market she was arrested for bringing
861
live okete big rats into the market in broad day light even with their tails on
their body! (In Yorubaland, it is a big taboo to see a live big-rat in broad
daylight. It is believed that this will bring disaster and untold hardship into
that community. Those who arrested her matched her to the presence
of
the PrkOls. The PrkOls were the market adminstratiors.
The Prkyls at Elgbmekn market were Or0 and Egngr1n. Anytime
she tried to explain herself and her condition, she would be slapped into
silence. In the end, the Prkls confiscated the two live big-rats and
ordered that she should be given
a thorough beating. She was promptly
beaten until she fainted.
When she regained her consciousness, she wept back home. His baby
asked her what went wrong and she explained to him. She also explained
that she was not given
the opportunity to explain herself. E)-Oturrt
instructed her to bath him with the sponge that she had at home which she
had been using a long time ago. She went to beg for soap and she used
them to bath Et-Oturu.
After this, E)-Otr ordered Altakn the Spider to line a thread from his
mother's home to E)gbmgkn market. He held onto the rope and the
Spider flew him to the market. He went straight to the Prkffs. He
demanded to know why his mother was punished without her being given
the chance to narrate her own side of the story.
The Parakoyis could not understand the impeftinence of a day-old babywho
was asking them
pointed questions. Being Egrlngun and Or0, coupled with
the fact that this day-old baby was actually speaking, they had the feeling
that they were dealing with an extra-ordinanry baby. They responded that
they had no question
to ask her mother since her mother deliberately
planned to invite disaster into the land by bringing two live big-rats into the
market. 'The beating she was given was merely a mild way of telling her
never to do so again?'
'Do
you know the condition under which she did it?', E;)-Otrrl demanded.
'We do not know and we are not interested in knowing it', the PrkOls
responded. Are you now saying thatthere is no circumstance underwhich
862
li oturupon uej
a
person may do somethng that the society viewed strongly but which the
person who did it might be
judged
with compassion?' E3)-Oturu asked.
'There is no such circumstance, as far as we are concerned', The Prkls
responded.
When El-Otrlrtt heard this, he ordered for three barrels of alcohol. He gave
one to Egngn, one to Or and the third one for himself. He asked them to
begin to drink so that they would know who would first get drunk and tired.
The three of them commenced drinking. Before Egngn and Or could
take one cup, E)-OtrrJ had finished two cups. Egngn and Or feltthat it
would be a shame if the baby finished his own barrel of alcohol ahead of
them. They therefore stafted to rush their own drinks.
Unknown to Egtlngrln and Or, as soon as they stafted drinking, EI-OIUrU
had summoned the 401 lrnmglQ who used to move from heaven to eafth
and the 200 lrnmglQ on the right, together with the 200 lrnmglQ on the
Ieft to come and
join
him in drinking the alcohol. In the actual sense,
Egngn and Or were competing with 801 IrnmglQ in drinking and not
EJ|-Otr:rrt. Before long, both Egrlngn and Or
got
drunk, they vomitted
everywhere in the market. In their unsteady steps, they broke many things
and they fell on the 0r'i9a of the market which they were the custodians. A
few moments later, both of them slept off in the open market. They woke
up the next day.
When they woke up, E|-Otrtrrl said that they deficated the market and the
Origa of the market. They would therefore be punished for that. They
responded that it was due to the effect of alcohol that they consumed. EJI-
Oturu said that nobody was interested in whatever they took since they did
not give his own mother the opportunity to explain her own conditions too.
He placed
a curse on Egngn, saying that as from that day, he would no
longer be and administrator of the market, but instead, he would be doing
his things in secret and not in open
place Iike a market. He also cursed Or0
that nobody would be seeing her in broad daylight again but in the dead of
the night and he would never be
part
of the market administrator anymore.
As soon as E)-Otrtrrl said these, his curse were accepted and upheld by all
the 801 IrUnmglQ present.
863
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consuftation
If says that care must be taken before the person for whom this Od is
revealed passes
any
judgement.
He/she must consider the
circumstances under which such an event took place before
passing
his/her
judgement.
This is necessary so that he/she would avoid a
situation where he/she would invoke the wrath of the lrnmelQ on his/her
head.
IbbAwo Egngn
lkokoAwo Oro
Gbangba I'Ogedengb il'pawo I'awo Il
Qrunmll
Dlfiln Ejl-Oturu
Tl nt'Qrun bQw'lAy
Sbg
ni wqn nl k w
9e
gb'$bo, o rq'bg
KOp, Konna
Sw
b ni l'rggogun
Translation
Secrery isthe wayof Egngn
Closelyguarded in darkness isthe practice of Or
Openness is the way of
Qrn
mll
These were lf's messages to E)-Oturu
When coming from heaven to eath
He was advised to offer
qbg
He complied
Before long and nottoofar
Join us where we are blessed with victory
If says that the
person for whom this Od is revealed shall be victorious.
His/her child shall fight for him/her and all those who had either cheated
him/her or are creatng problems for him/her shall be stopped and
sanctioned.
14. If says that there are some
people who are trying to frighten the
person for whom this Od is revealed. They were also telling him/her
that he/she should not go
out at a ceftain period
because some
people will accost him/her on the way and cause him/her bodily harm
or dispossess him/her of his/her things. If says that nobody could
do him/her any evil. He/she has the full protection of If. He/she
864
Ii ot rupon u"j
needs to talk boldly and let everyone know that If is his/her pillar
of
suppoft. He/she needs to let the world know that he/she relies
absolutely on If. By so doing, If says nobody would be able to cause
him/her a ny ha rm whatsoever.
If advises this person
to offer
gbg with three matured he-goats
and money. There is also the need for him to feed If with one
matured she-goat. On this,If says:
Ew igb nlf se onTyQ l'f0
Ewe
gmi
nfl se olore fttde
Dl fn Orrtnmll
WQn nl kl Baba m rln'de Oru m
Fbq
nl wQn nl k w
Se
Translation
The efferuescent nature of Igb leaves makes it impossible fo
itto be used to wrap salt
The nature of
gmi leaves confuses those who want to give
th
leaves out to others to use in wrapping salt
These were If's messagesto
QrUnm)l
When he was being frightened never to go out at night again
He was advised to offer gbg
In Ado-Eldtl,
Qrnmll
was very successful. He had established-a thriving
If practice. Apart from the fact that he was in high demand everywhere
else, and because of the love he had for the people in this town, he had
never contemplated moving to other lands to stay. He used to visit other
places to help them but he would return to AdO-Ekiti. He was financially
successful. Anytime he travelled to other lands, he used to return tdAd-
Eldti very late at night. Before long, some
people were not happy with his
success. They began to hatch diabolical
plans
to dispossess him of his
hard-earned wealth.
As this plan was going on,
QrnmIl
began to recieve information that he
must be very careful because people were planning
evil against him. After
this, people
began to warn him never to move at night because robbers
planned
to inflicton him bodily harm and dispossess him of his belongings.
When these information was becoming too incessant, Orrtnmll became
865
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consuftation
very apprehensive. He tried to investigate who were behind it all. He
learnt that the names that those robbers were usng were
Qk,
Cobra;
Sb, Black Snake; Er, Boa conscriptor; Paramqe, Rattle snake; and so
on. When
Qrrfnm)l
could not fathom all these, he went for If
consultation: Would he be able to overcome all these problems?
During consultation, OtrpQn MT was revealed. If assured
Qrnmll
that he would surely overcome. He was advised never to enteftain any
fear as all evil doers rely on fear of their victims as a weapon against these
victims. He was advised to be bold and to talk in a manly manner.
Qrunm)la
was assured that If was solidly behind him.
Qrtlnm)l
was told never to
forget that If is Leopard and Ikin, the Holy palm-kernel is Hyena.
Leopards and hyenas had no fear for Cobras and Pythons.
After this,
Qrnmll
was advised to offer gbg as stated above. He
complied. After this, he was full of determination never to
give in to evil
people. He spoke boldly and with full conviction that all evil doers were
bound to fail. This newly-found boldness created fear in the minds of all
those planning
evil against
Qrnm)l
and most of them ran away. Those
who chose to confront him lived to regret their folly for the rest of their lives.
Ew igb nllseon'lyQ l'f0
Ewegmi nffseoloretde
DlfilnOrnmll
WQn nl kl Baba m rln'de Oru mg
If na nl rt'torl iklnni
WQn nl nftorl
Qmg
Ol l'ru ni o
WQn nl
Qk
9mq
Ol l'ru ni o
Agbdrl,9mq Ol l'ru ni o
Ere,
9mg
Ol l'ru ni o
ParamQl,
Qmg
O| l'ru ni
WQn nl H Baba gakaler gbg ni qlge
gbQ'bgr rrt'bg
OrUnmll nl t b
$e'p
bl lge tOun b ni
AyamQ'pe bllgetO'un b nio
nl If ni Omlrn
Ikin ni lkook
pnlkan
O le p kl Olrf
gmg
Ole m rln
866
i'l oturupon uei
Translation
The efferuescent nature of Igb leaves makes it impossible
for it to be used to wrap salt
. The nature of emi leaves confuses those who wantto give th
leaves outto othersto use in wrapping salt
These were lf's messages to
Qrrlnm)l
When he was frightened never to go out at night again
If asked, 'because of what?'
They responded that it was because of robbers at night
They said that
Qk,
the Cobra
He is a robber at night
And theAgbdrl, the Blacksnake
He is a robberat night
And Er, the Boa Conscriptor
He is a robber at night
And even ParamQlQ, the Rattle snake
He is a robber at night
Qrunmll
was advised to offergbg
He complied
Qrnm)l
declared that leftto him
If is Omlran, the Leoparo
Ikin, the Holy Palm-kernel, islkookO, the Hyena
Nobody dares to stop the head of robbers from going
ou
anytime he likes
If says that nobody can stop the person for whom this Od is revealed
from gong anywhere he/she likes. If people
tried to stop him/her, they will
failwoefully.
15. If says that there is the urgent need for two people to offer gbg
aganst the death of one of their male children each. Each of them
t.
needs to offer the gbg with one matured he-goat and money.
They will also add six bottles of
palm-oil
and 50 kolanuts each.
On this,If says:
Ijan bl ljan
Ijan willkl
D,l firn Ijl
Ttl ggmg
Qdg
Fbqaik
nlwQn nl kSe
(
867
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consuftation
Translation
Ijan blljan
)
Ijan wlllh
)
names of Babalawo
They cast If forljl
The offspring of
Qdg,
the Hunter
He was advised to offer
gbg against untimely death
Ijl went for If consultation in order to determine his success chances in
life. He was told that he would succeed in life but he needs to urgently
offer
gbg against untimely death. Ijl saw no reason why he should offer
that
gbg. He refused to do it and also failed to inform his father,
Qdg.
ljan bl ljan
Ijanwillkl
Dl filn lygre
Tff ggmg
Qrnmll
fbq
aik nl wgn nl k ge
Translation
Ijan UIjan
Ijan wlllld
HewastheAwo who cast If forlygre
The offspring of
Qrnm)l
He was advised to offer gbg against untimely death
Iygrg also went for If consultation. He met a
young girl
and it was love at
first sight. He wanted to know whether their relationship would be
successful before he informed his
parents
so that formal steps could be
taken towards marriage. That was the reason why he went for If
consultation.
The Awo assured him that the relationship would be very successful and
would be blessed with children. He was told that he however needed to
offer
ebg
against untimely death. He was very angry with the Babalwo
who told him this. He refused to offer the
gbg. He saw himself as very
healthy and
young. He also failed to inform his father,
Qrnm'll.
A few days after ths,ljl went to the forest for hunting. His arrow hit a
buffalo. The buffallo fell. Unknown to l;ala
,
the Buffallo was not
868
lX otu*pon u"j
completely dead by the time he came close to the animal. The buffallo
sprang up and hit Ijl to death. At the last minutes of his life, he
(
remembered the advice of the Babalwo. He died, full fo regrets.
On the next day,Iygrq went to the riverside to look for some herbs. As he
approached the river a hungry crocodile attacked him, and broke his neck.
The crocodile was consuming his corpse when people
came to fetch water in
the river. They chased away the crocodile and brought the remaining part
of
his corpse back to the village.
When
Qdg
saw the corpse of his son Iala
,
he wept and wept. He was
i
warned not to weep again but rather to apply
Qdg
dirge to lament the demise
of his son. From that day, the dirge of
Qdg
and all other hunters was called
Ijl . So instead of weeping when someone dear to them passed on,
hunters would uselala to lament such member's death.
In the case of
Qrrfnm)l,
when he saw the remains of his son, he burst into
tears. He was also warned never to weep when anyone died. Instead, he
should use Ifa dirge to lament the
passing
away of any one close to him.

From that day, all Awos use Iygrg to lament the death of anyone dear to
I
them.
Ijan bl ljan
Ijanwillkl
Dl fitn ljl
Tll
+qmgQde
A b fitn lyere
Ttl qqmq
Qrnmll
.
Fbg
alk ni wQn nl kl wqn w
9e

WQn kgtf
Qgbgnyin
sgbg
\
Ijl
Qdqw
krt
Qde
rt sun ljala
IyQrQ kr
L'Awottsn'yere
IyQrQqkrln OlfQ L'Awo sun o
Translation
Ijan blljan
Ijan wllild
(
869
lfa Dda: An invtation to lfa Consultaton
They cast If forljl
The offspring of
Qdg
And also forlygrg
The offspring of
Qrnm'll
They were advised to offer gbg against untimely deaths
They refused to heed the advice
I;ala, the offspring of
Qde
died
Qde
used dirgeto lamentljah
Andlygrg, the offspring of
Qrnmll
died
All Awos present used dirge to lament the passing
away of
Iyere
Iygre, the lamentation of OhlfQ was what all Awos were chanting
If says that if a male child died where this Od is reveaed, the
parents
are
not supposed to cry. Instead, they need to use Iata or Iygre or both to
lamentthe passing
awayof their beloved.
It is a taboo for a Babalwo to cry when anyone died. Instead of crying, the
Awo is expected to be chantinglygrg.
16. If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed must give
all
those older or higher than him/her their due respect. This not-
withstanding, he/she must never bow his/her head for anyone.
If also warns that the person must be far away from where he/she
was born and must also maintain social distance from his/her blood
relations.
If says that he/she must never rely on any legary. He/she must
never fight for it, he/she must never argue over it or be in contention
over any legary left behind by his/her parents. If he/she is
voluntarily given, he/she can accept it, but he/she must not go and
fightfor or claim his/her own poftion of the legacy. This is in orderto
prevent
him/herfrom being killed oversuch legacy.
If advises this person to offer gbg with one matured he-goat
and money. On this, If says:
870
ii oturupon uej
Oku k, ar
Qrun
sunkn
OkUnrn gldlgbe nl b lrn tantan r'Qrun
Dl fin If
Tll ggmg olhun gbogbolgb lwasE
fibq
alk ni wgn nl kw
9e
Translation
When someone died, the inhabitants of heaven saw no reason
to cry
The infirm was going to heaven full of regrets
These were lf's messages to!1, the Tempest
The offspring of the owner of all things of the olden days.
He was advised to offer
gbg
against untimely death
I, the Tempest, was a child of Ay. His parents were the owners of all the
things on eafth, without exception. I naO many brothers and sisters. All
of them did not likelf because of his great potentials. All of them wanted
him dead even when their
parent were alive. They could not do him
anything because they knew thattheir parents would never accept it.
When their
parents died however, they began to plan how to kill him. I too
was not making matters easy for himself. He kept pestering his brothers
and sisters to divide the belongings of their
parents
and hand his own share
over to him. All his brothers and sisters did not want to
give him any paft
of the legacy. That was the more reason why they were planning his death.
Convinced that his siblings were planning to cheat him, he went for If
consultation.
The Awo toldIfi never to bow down to anyone or for any reason. He was
also advised to move away from all his siblings because they were planning
evil against him. The Awo told him never to rely on any legacy and must
never fight over or for it. He was advised to offer gbg
as stated above.
WhenIf, heard what the Awo said, he was totally convinced that his siblings
were the ones using the Awo against him. He could not understand the
reason why an Awo would advise him against pursuing what rightly
belonged to him. He wondered why the Awo would be telling him to run
away from his legary and allow those who did not love him to enjoy it. He
871
lfa Dida: An invtation to lfa Consultaton
resolved within himself that he would fight for his own share of the legacy
to the very end. He reasoned that he was not asking for more than his own
share, then why should he run away?
He resolved that he would be
giving all his siblings trouble everyday until
they share the legary. That was exactly what he was doing. He reported
his siblings to anyone who cared to listen. Before long, the matter of the
legacy became a major embarrassement to all his siblings. They then
decided to look for an ingenious way of killing IJi without anyone
suspecting anyform of fowlplay.
During one of their conspiracy deliberations, they discovered thatIfi must
never bow his head for anyone or touch the
ground with his head. If he
did, they realised that he would die. That was when they resolved that
part of his share of the legary would be
placed
on the
ground for him to
collect. They were convinced that if he attempted to pick them up on the
ground, he would meet his death. All the conspirators were very happy
that they discovered this way. In order to ensure that he died, they
designated a
place wherelfl would pick his own share, and they spread the
place with lethal poison. As soon as they did this, they invited Ifl to come
and
pick his own share. Theyalso invited several eye witnesses. When he
got there, they told him that his share had been set aside for him. They
showed him where it was. As soon as he saw all the belongings his siblings
gave him, he remembered the warning of the Babalwo that he should not
bow his head down for anyone or anything under any circumstances. How
would he collect his belongings if he did not bow down his head.
Something told him that the warning of the Awo was part
of the design to
cheat him out of his share of the legacy. He moved close to his share. He
bowed to pick one of them. In the
presence
of all the eye witnesses, he
slumped and died. Like all those who failed to heed warning, he
remembered shoftly before his death, that he had been warned.
When he died, all the
people were asking each other what went wrong,
that was when they were told thatlf had earlier been warned that the day
he touched the
ground with his head was the day he would die. When they
heard this, nobody had pity for him. They saw him as someone who had
chosen to trek the path of death; an untimely death for that matter.
872
Xi oturupon uei
Okr k, ar
qrun
O sunkrn
OkrnrUn gldlgba nl blrn tantan r'qrun
filnljl
Tff
$gmg
olhun gbogbolgbe lwse
f;bg
alku ni wen nl k w
9e
kg'tlQgbgnyn s'bg
Ero lpo, Ero
Qfa
Enyin O mq w|p ojq lil b f'orf ba'lQ
ojq na nfi k ni?
Translation
When someone died, the inhabitants of heaven saw no reason
tocry
The infirm was going to heaven full of regrets
These were Ifa's messagestol!, theTempest
The offspring of the owner of all things of the olden days
He was advised to offer gbg agains untimely death
He refused to comply
Travellers oflpo and
Qfa
lands
Don'tyou knowthatthe daylfi touches his head on the ground
Thatwas the day he would die?
If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed shall not be allowed
to die prematurely. He/she however needs to heed If's warning.
Abgru Aboy
873
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultaton
B. SrcNrFrcANCE OF oTRpQN MEJI FOR THOSE BORN By
rHE OD DURTNG lrf lo OnlrgSf oAvE
It is an established fact that things normally work out for those born by this
Od in a very easy way. The way they achieve greatness is almost
miraculous. Their movement from the base to the apex of life is slow and
steady simple but sure. The main reason why their movement is simple is
that the whole world usually takes a compassionate look at them. Their
looks suggest the look of someone who is helpless, dull, unintelligent and
sometimes foolish. They always give others the impression that they need
help and if they are not helped, it is not good. Those who refuse to assist
them will have it at the back of their minds that they lacked conscience.
That is why everyone usually fall over one another to ensure that
Oturupgn Mfl children are assisted and
pushed
to the very top. This is
also the major reason why these children must never prove
to be more
intelligent or smafter than others. They must be humble, levelheaded,
amiable and loveable at all times.
It is also
paft
of this reason why
QlggbQn
Meji children succeed in the
midst of their enemies. The enemies usually underestimate their
capabilities and intelligence. Because they looked vulnerable to all, they
are usually looked down upon and undervalued as
potentialenemies.
Oturupqn Mjl children have that uncanny ability to escape any trap set
by others with which to catch them. Unfoftunately, for OtUrUpgn Mfl
children, their own blood relations cannot be excluded from those who had
vowed and are planning
to ensure that they see their downfull. They are
unhappythatthey are succeeding where they are expected to failwoefully.
In spit of this however,
QlggbQn
Mil children must show love to all.
They must never harbour any ill-feeling toward anyone. They must have
that understanding and love which are lacking in their enemies. They
must also eschew bitterness against anyone. The unfoftunate paft for
their enemies is that whether they love it not, Otrpqn Mil children will
surely succeed.
As a result of the nature of Otrtrpqn Mejl children,
people
usually think
that they can easily be misled. This cannot be fafther from the truth. It is
874
Ii oturupon uej
very dffcult for people
to mislead Oturupon Meji children. Conversely, it
is not advisable for them to mislead others. If they plan to do so, they will
be disgraced. Anyone who plans
to mislead them will equally be disgraced.
They do not need to run away from those who plan
to lead them astray,
they only need to ignore them whenever they come with their dubious
advices.
With the problem
of bad advisers and those who lead others astray,
Oturupgn Mil children do not thrive well living alone or working on their
own. They are naturally group people. They need to, and must be in the
midst of people and participate fully in the activities of the group.
Oturupqn Mjl however do not need to share their minds with those they
do not trust. In one word, OturUpqn Mjl children's way of living alone is
by living in one room with several people
and sharing their minds with none
of them. This however does not suggest that they cannot seek assistance
from others if they need their help.
Ejl Oturpqn male children are not always so lucky in their choice of
spouse. Their women are pleasure
to relatives and friend, but pain to their
husbands. This is the reason why comprehensive investigations must be
made before finally settling down for any woman,
In all, the children born by Oturupqn child shall grow
up to become
assets to them. They shall help them to remove their pains
and sufferings
in life. Theyshallalso punish
thosewho had made life miserable.
AFFILIATED IRNM9LF/ORIS OF OTRPQru MEJI
If foroverallsuccess,guidance,victoryand accomplishment
Orl for support and accomplishment
EgU
Qdar
for support, guidance
and victory
Qqun
for child-bearing and upbringing
Or for family stability and ancestral harmony
Egrlngttn for family stability and ancestral harmony
9ya
for child-bearing and upbringing
Ogn for victory
Qsanyin
for accomplishment consummation
875
lfa Dida: An nvitation to lfa Consultation
10. Ibeji for childbearng and upbringing
D. TABOOS OF oTRPQN MEJI
1. Must know show that he/she is never than others-to avoid self inflicted
pains and sufferings
2. Must not eat snails to avoid unconsummated fortunes
3. Must not bowing his/her head to anyone to avoid sudden death
4. Must never struggle for legacy or inheritance propefties
to avoid
conspirary and untimely death
5. Must not use Alapadede bat to avoid trouble with ancestors
6. Must not kill or eat any of the monkey family to avoid still-birth or
infeftile moftality
7. Must never be envious of other people's
achievements avoid disgrace
and humiliation
8. Must never pay back evil with evil to avoid breeding evil for
himself/herself
E. POSSIBLE NAMES OF OTRPOIU MEJI CHILDREN
Males
1. Ifpgrg If brings comfoft
2. Ifkred If brings Iretoour home
3. Awgbeyln Awo outlives them all
4. Ikumapayl May death spare this
5. Gbogbolohun Allthingshavetheirsignlficance
Females
1.
QydolU Qya
becomes the head
2. TiflggbQn If belongs wisdom
3.
Qmggbyr
One's child enhances one's title and honour
4. Gbogbolohun All things have their significance
5. Morgnike I have someone to
pamper
Abgru Abgy.
876
Chapter 13
OTRA MEI
ll
llil
tt
tl
I
A.
1.
ChapterThifteen
OIRAT{EI
If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed shall succeed beyond
his/her wildest dream. If says that he/she shall be blessed with all the good
things of life.
If says that when the
person for whom this Od is revealed was coming from
heaven, he/she asked for, and was given, all the Ire in life. Not only this, as
he/she was asking for each of the Ire, he/she was being prayed for and blessed
by all the divinities
present at that time. For this reason, If says that he/she
shall lack nothing in life.
If also says that as a result of the blessing of the divinities, his/her sojourn in life
shall be rewarding and interesting, while his/her return to heaven shall be great
and fulfilled.
If advises the
person for whom this Od is revealed to offer gbg with hnro
pigeons, two hens, two roosters, hnro guinea fowls, two ducks and
money. He/She is also advised to serye If with hro rats, two fish, one hen
and one matured she-goat. On these, Otr-M'isays:
Ogblgbo Babawo nfl
jl,
nll fgwqt'gpqn If
Ogblgbo Onlfegn nll
jl,
nff fgwq tg sJgldt l'y
ogblgbo oloog nff
jl,
nff fgwq b'le sl'hlln
Ml fgwq b'ala s'Qhn-n
Alumg krbte, Awo il Agbonnlgn
Dl fitn Ornmll
Baba rlt'Qrun bq w'l Ay
Fbg
niwqn n| k w ge
Translation
A versatile Babalwo is he who wakes up and imprints on
QpQn
If, If
tray
A veteran, Offggn, herbalist is he who wakes up and presses
$digl,
878

ll ura Meii
moulded image (of medicines) in the chest
A great
Origa
-worshiper
is he who wakes up and adorned himself with
white dresses
AlmQ krbte, the residentAwo of Agbgnnlregrln
He was the Awo who cast If for
QrUnmIl
When coming from
Qrun,
Heaven to Ay, Earth
He wasadvised to offer gbg
Qrrlnmll
had made sveral trips to ea.th before this particular trip. He had been
present when the world was to be designed in order for it to be a conducive place for the
habitation of living beings.
Qrtlnm'll
was present
and he participated in the design.
When living bengs were to be created and settled on eafth,
Qrrlnmll
was part
of the
InlnmglQ whom Oldmar gave the assignmentto. When En)yn (principalities) were
to be created and settled on eafth,
Qrnmll
was present
and he participated
in the
creation and settlement. When Enlyn were removed on planet earth to be replaced
with En'lyn, Human beings,
QrUnm)la
was also part of the lrnmglQ that Oldmar
assigned to
perform
the task. When the earth began to flourish,
Qrnm)f
was also
assigned to oversee the
program. Part of his duties was to come to eafth on a regular
basis in order to make a first-hand assessment of the progress therein.
Qrnmll
had
performed excellently in all these assignments and Oldmar was highly impressed
with him. When
Qrnm)l
planned to visit Ay, eafth on this occasion he went to the
group of Awo mentioned above in orderto determine how his sojourn on eafth would be
on thatoccasion.
The Awo assured him that he would succeed in his assignment because he had been
excellent in the peformance
of all the previous assignments given to him by
Oldmar. All he needed to do was to offer gbg as prescrbed above.
QrUnmlla
complied. After this, he moved to the home of Ajal-Mgpf n, the custodian of destiny, in
orderto choose his destiny. While there, he stated thus:
Emi y
l'w l', wQ nl'l ay
Kl n t wa
Translation
I will be very wealthy on eafth
Before I return to heaven
As soon as he mentioned this, all the Divinities present replied;
Alrtmgkrbte
Alqq rgydra
Abq q rqysunwQn
AlrmOkrbte
879
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
Translation
AlUmg krbte, please record t
Your going (into the world) shall be successful
And your return (to heaven) shall be rewarding
Alumg krbte, please record it
Alumg krbtewasthe name of the residentAwo of
Qrnm)l
who performed the gbg
for him in heaven. The Divinities were calling him as witness so that all these blessings
could be recorded forQrunmll. Afterthis,
Qrr:nm'll
declared again:
Emi y l'ya-m'ya nl'l ay
Kl ntw
Translation
I will have a good spouse in the world
Before I return to heaven
Divin ties responded thus:
Alrtmgkrebte
Alq q rey dra
AbqqrgyosunwQn
Alumgkrbte
Translation
Alumg krbte, please record thistoo
Your going shall be successful
And your return shall be rewarding
Alumg krbte, please record thistoo
This was how
Qrnmll
asked for, and received, allthe Ire in life. He was also blessed by
the Divinities. When he arrived on eafth, he was blessed with financial wealth, good
spouse, well-behaved children, comfortable home, houses, peace
of mind, sound
health, victory over all seen and unseen adversities, long life and boundless happiness
and contentment.
If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed shall not only be blessed with all
the Ire of life; he/she shall also be blessed by the Divinities. All these are not by
accident. It is because he/she had worked forthese blessings in his/herformer life.
Ogblgb Babalwo nff
jl,
nff f'gwQ t'opqn If
Ogblgbo Onl$grtn nff
jl,
nfl f o, wQ t9 sJgldl l'y
Ogblgbo OlOOg nll
jl,
ntlfgwq b'ela sl'hffn
Ml fowO b'ala s'hn-rln
880
ll, aur" u"
AlumQ krbte, Awo ile Agbonnlrgn
DlfilnOrunmll
Baba t'Qrun bQ w'l Aye
Fbq
ni wqn nl k w
Fe
Ogbeboro rubo
Emi y l'w I'QwQ nl'l ay
KI n t w
AhmOkrbte
Alqq reydra
AbQ q rgysunwQn
Alumokrbte
Emi y l'ya-m'ya nl'l ay
Kl n tO w
Alrtmgkrbte
Alqq reydra
Abqq rgyosunwqn
Ahmqkrbte
Emi y kole mole nl'l ay
Kl n t w
Alumqkrbte
Alqqreydra
AbqqrgyosunwQn
Alumqkrbte
Emi y gbo gbo gbo nl'l ay
Kl n t w
Alumg krbte
Alqqrgydra
Abqq rgyosunwEn
Alumokrbte
Emi yo nire gbogbo nl'l ay
Kl ntw
Alumgkrebte
Alqercydra
AbqqrcyosunwQn
Ahmqkrebte
Translation
A versatile Babalwo is he who wakes up and imprints on
Qpgn
If, If tray
A veteran, Orfgegun, herbalist is he who wakes up and presses
$digl,
moulded image (of medicines) in the chest
A great Origa
-worshiper is he who wakes up and adorned himself with
white dresses
881
Ifa Dida: An invtation to lfa Consultaon
AlUmg krbte, the residentAwo of Agbgnn)rgrfn
Alumq krbte, the residentAwo of AgbQnnlregn
He was theAwowho cast If for Ornmll
When coming from
Qrun,
Heaven to Ay, Earth
He was advised to offer
ebq
He complied
I will be very wealthy on eafth
Before I return to heaven
AlUmg krbte, please record this
Your going into the world shall be successful
And your return to heaven shall be rewarding
Alumq krbte, please record it
I will have a
good
spouse on eafth
Before I return
Alumg krbte
Your going shall be successful
And yourreturn
shall be rewarding
Alumg krbte
I shall build many houses on eafth
Before I return
Alr:mg krbte
Your going shall be successful
And yourreturn shall be rewarding
Alumg krbte
I shall become old and feeble on earth
Before I return
Alumg krbte
Yourgoing shall be successful
And your return shall be rewarding
Alumg krbte
I shall have all Ire on earth
Before I return
AlUmg krbte, please record this
Yourgoing shall be successful
And your return shall be rewarding
Alumg krebte
If this Od is revealed during ItEtoOu or Ikgsgday, it means that the person has the
potentialto be great in life. He/She had already received the blessings of the Divinities
together with the splendid destiny he/she had chosen in heaven. With appropriate
gbg
as stated above, he/she will be able to fulfill his/her dreams in life. He/She needs to be
reminded that he/she has all these Ire in life, because he/she had done very well in
hs/her previous life, and for that reason he/she has been commensurately
882
T
ll Otura Meii
compensated.
If this Od is revealed during routne consultation, it means that the
person for whom
this Od is revealed has done very well and the Divinities had sent their blessings.
He/She needs to continue doing well so that he/she wll realize is destiny and enjoy
his/her life to the fullest.
On the other hand, if this Od is revealed when someone died and If was cast for the
dead
person, If says that the dead
person is already in
Qgba
lter, the Garden of
Halcyon, where he/she is being blessed and praised for doing well whib on earth.
He/She has received a high grade from the Divinities. He/She had done well on eafth
and he/she is being rewarded with comfoftand blessing in heaven.
2. If says that it foresees all Ire of life for the person for whom this Od is
revealed. If says that the Ire that this person will be blessed with will be so
astoundng that all others around him/her will be using his/her success as
reference point.
Others will be
praying
to Oldmar, IrnmglQ, Oilg,
Egngn, Or0 and other Divinities to bless them with the type of the Ire he/she
has been blessed with. If adds that the person for whom this Od is revealed
will be the center of all eyes and attention; consequent upon this he/she cannot
afford to misbehave or engage in any form of anti-social behaviour. If advises
this person to offergbg with 16 pigeons and money. On this,If says:
Akala lpapo nll fgse mjeejl gb-kolo-ml gb-kolo-ml
Dl fn wgn ar Odelhehrljg
fibg
lre gbogbo ni wgn nl kl wqn w ge
Translation
Akab, the Hoopoe, oflppo land is it that uses its two legs to pick food for
consumption
This was lf's message to the inhabitants oflhehjg
When they were advised to offer gbg for all Ire to be theirs
The inhabitants of Ihehjq land were very hardworking and enterprising. They took
their business seriously and they trained their children to do the same. The elders
made it clear to all inhabitants of this land that without hardwork, there could not be
success. Before long, all the inhabitants of Ihehrljg accepted this fact and they all
worked toward it.
One day, they decided to go to Akah Ipapo, a prominent Babalwo of their time in
order to determine their success chances n life. Some of them were looking for
financial success; some were looking for compatible spouses; some, good
and lovely
children; some were looking for honour that would be commensurate with their
883
lfa Dida: An nvitation to lfa Consultation
contrbuton to the community's progress; some of them were praying for sound health
because they knew that they had toiled and over-stressed themselves in their pursuit
of
peace, progress and happiness for their society; many of them also prayed for long life
in order to enjoy the fruits of their labour. Would they all be able to achieve all what
were in their minds which broughtthem to the home of the Babalwo?
During consultation, Otrlr-M) was revealed. The Awo assured them that they would
achieve all their heaft's desires. Not only this, all the other Ire which they did not ask for
shall be added onto whatthey demanded for both individually and collectively.
The Awo advised the inhabitants of Ihehje land to offer
gbg for all Ire in life. They
were advised to offer 16 pigeon and money as
ebe.
They complied.
Before long, those looking for financial success were able to get it, and in addition, they
got good spouses, lovely children, good homes, and long life in addition. Those looking
for good spouses got them and wealth, lovely childrcn, good and comfoftable homes
and long life were added onto them as bonuses. Those craving for honour got honour
while recognition and financial success, good
spouses, lovely children, long life,
joy
and
sound health were added for them, this was the way all the inhabitants of lhehje
became blessed will all Ire in life. When all the neighbouring communities saw the
progress made by the inhabitants of Ihehrljg land, they began to pray to Oldmar,
Egtlngrln, Oga, Or,
[gbQ
and all other Divinities to please give them the type of
blessi n g s w h ieh I hehj g i nhabita nts were enjoyr ng.
Akela lpap nll fgs mjefi gb-kolo-ml gb-kolo-ml
Dlfiln wgn ar Odelhehrtjg
f;bg
lre gbogbo ni wqn nl kl wqn w ge
WQn gb'bg, wQn r'bg
N l'w l'QwQ
Bl ara Odelhehrtjq
Akalalpapode
Ar Odelhehrtjq
N l'ya rere
Bl ara Odelhehujg
Akehlpapd
Ar Odelhehrljq
N bl'mo rere
Bl ara Ode Ihehrljq
Akalelpapd
Ara Odelhehrtjg
N kq'l mQ'l
Bl ara Odelhehjg
Akalalpapode
884

ii ura Meji
Ar Odelhehrlje
N j'ogb-j'atQ
Bl ar Odelhehrljg
Akalalpapod
Ar Odelhehrljg
N n'lregbogbol'y
Bl ar Odelhehrljq
Akalalpapode
AraOdelhehrtjg
Translation
Akalalpap s itwho uses itstwo legsto pickfood forconsumption
This was If's message for the inhabitants oflhehrljg land
When they were advised to offer gbg for all Ire in life to be theirs
Theycomplied
I will be blessed with financialsuccess
Like the inhabitants oflhehrrjg land
Here comes Atalalpap the great
The inhabitant oflhehje land
I shallbe blessed with good spouse
Like the inhabitants oflhehrljg land
Here comes Akalalpap the great
The inhabitant oflhehrrjg hnd
I shall be blessed with lovely children
Like the inhabitants oflhehrljg land
Here comesAkahlpap the great
The inhabitant oflhehjg land
I shallbe blessed with comfoftable home
Like the inhabitants oflhehrljg land
Here comes Aklalpap the great
The inhabitant oflhehjg land
I shall be blessed will longevity
Like the inhabitants oflhehrrjg land
Here comes Akalalpap the great
The inhabitant oflhehrljg land
I shall be blessed willall Ire in life
Like the inhabitants oflhehjg land
Here comes Akablpap the great
The inhabitant oflhehrfjg land
If assures the person for whom this Od is revealed that he/she will lack nothing in life.
He/She however needs to remember that to which much is given much is expected.
He/She must be of exemplary character at all times. He/She must be a shining example
885
lfa Dida: An invitaon to lfa Consultaon
to all others he/she must be hardworking, straight fonnrard, fonruard-looking,
progressive
and accommodating, he/she must have the fear of Oldmar, IrnmolQ,
Or'ig, Egrlngrln, Or0,
pgbg
and all other Divinities at the back of his/her mind at all
times. He/she must think no evil; speak no evil and do no evil at all times. Doing this,
all the Ire in life which he
/she
never asked for shall be given onto him/her as bonus.
Remember, the bonus of Oldmar and all other Divinities is sweeter, cooler and more
rewarding than all other benefits of life. Consequently, it is the responsibility of all
OtUraMeT children to seek and work for the bonus of Oldmar and the Divinities.
3. If says that it foresees the Ire of financial success for the person for whom this
Od is revealed. If says that he/she shall be very wealthy in lfe, Not only ths,
his/her wealth shall make him/her very popular
and his/her popularity
shall
spread farand wide.
If advises this person
to offer gbg with two totoises and money. By so
doing, If assures him/her that his/her financial success shall have no bound.
On this, If says:
Pre ni Ot'nilse
t,| fn Ot
fbg
gle ni wn nl k w ge
Translation
Pre ni0t'n'fs
He wastheAwo whocastlf forOtU
Who was advised to offer
fbg
of
prosperity
Otrl was an inhabitant oflpapo town. He was very hardworking. He was also dedicated
to his duties.
One day, Otu went to the home of Pre ff to ffi s, a prominent
Babalwo in Ippo land
at that time. He wanted to know how prosperous
he would be in life. Would he be very
rich? Would people respect him as a result of his prosperity?
Would he be given
honour
and recognition? These and many more were the questions
Otrl asked when he went
for If consultation in the home of the Babalwo.
The Babalwo assured him that he would not only be prosperous
but he would have
respect, recognition and honour. People would also love him if he was humble with his
wealth, he was assured. He was advised to offer gbg with two toftoise and money. He
complied.
Before long, his business boomed. He was having more sales in his cloth-selling
business. People were looking for him from far and near to come and sell for them.
886
ll awa ue
Because he was very
jovial
with all the
people, he was loved and respected; people
were surprised that with all his wealth, he was never proud or arrogant to anyone. His
(
reputation and
popularity spread like wild fire. Many who had never set their eyes on
him knew so much about him. Those who did not know would ask those who knew;
'who is this Otrl that everyone was talking about'? And they would be told that; it was
the Otrl who offered two toftoises as
gbq who became very wealthy' before long,
everyone knew him as'trJ to r'hun mT'. This became a pun on the word'Otr-
M)'.
Pre ni t'nils
Dl fn ot
Tlyr'hun mji
I
Tly lyqbeygbq bl oba
grk$
fbg
nl wqn nl kw ge
O gb'gbo, o rrt'bg
Otu wo le per
Otr to rahun mjl
T lyebe,yebg bl gba
Qreke
Erolpo, EroQfa
Fw
b nl nf
jQbtlt
ajsunrusu
Jebtt aj sunrusu lr
QPQ
nl fQ
Translation
i
Pre ni t'nifs
He wastheAwo who cast If forOtu
Who shall offertwo tortoises as gbg
And who shall be as successful as the
Qba
of prosperity himself
Which Otu areyou referring to?
The same Otrt who offered two toftoises as gbg
Who became as successful as the
Qba
of
prosperity himself?
Travelers tolpo and
Qfa
towns
Join us in the midstof
prosperitY
Prosperity is the gain given to If adherent by If.
(
If says that the
person for whom this Od is revealed shall be very wealthy. He/she
shall be honoured and recognized. He/she shall be loved by all, f he/she is humble and
respectful to others.
4. If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed is a favourite of
Oldmar. He/She had done well before and he/she shall be compensated
with financial success. He/She shall not toil too hard before attaining financial
success. If says that as long as he/she shows humility, love for self and others,
I
887
lfa Dida: An nvitation to lfa Consultation
hard work, respect for and fear of Oldmar and other Divinities, his/her
success is guaranteed.
If advises him/her to offer
qbg with two sheep and money. On this If says:
QlQbQnhn-bgnhn
nll fapa mjjl d gb$du qrun
Dl fin Alk, gmg Oldmar
f
bg aj nl wQn nl k w
9e
Translation
QlQbQnhn-bgnhn,
the beetle is it that uses its two arms to
produce
sound likegbQdu drums
This was the lf's message for Auke bird, the child of Oldmar
She was advised to offergbg
Alk bird was considered the child of Oldmar because of the love that Oldmar
had for the bird. Alk on the other hand had the fear and respect for Olodmar and
other Divinities on her mind. She worked hard without ever complaining. She
struggled to succeed atalltimes.
One day, she went to the home of the Babalwo mentioned above for If consultation:
Would she be blessed wth financial success in her life? That was the major question
occupying her mind.
The Awo assured her that she would succeed in her life. She was told that she would be
blessed with financial success beyond her dreams. She was told to continue to work
hard and have the fear of Oldmar in her mind.
She was also told to respect and love others as she would wish to be loved and
respected. The Awo then advised her to offer gbg as
prescribed above. With allthese
recommendations, Alk complied. Before long, Aluke aftained financialsuccess. She
was hailed by everyone. She was very happy. She lived the rest of her life in opulence
and splendour.
QlQbQnhn-bgnhn
ntl fapa mjeefl d gbedu
Qrun
Dl filn Alk, gmg
olodmar
FbqAje
nl wQn nl kw ge
gb'$bo, rbg
Alote m m d o,
Qmq
Oldmar
lyin
o mq p ar Aj l s kiri?
Translation
QlQbQnhn-bgnhn
is it that uses its two arms to produce sound like
gbQdu drums
888
li aura uei
This was the lf's message forAlke, the child of Oldmar
She was advised to offer
gbg
{
Shecomplied,
Here comesf;luke, the child of Oldmar
Don't you know that all our struggles are for us to attain financial success?
If says thatthe
person forwhom this Od is revealed shall attain financial success even
beyond his/her dreams, This success will make him/her happy and contented.
5. If says that this person would be blessed with many fitowers. He/She shall be
made a leader and all his/her followers shall honour and respect him/her. Those
i
following him/hershall even speakwellof him/her behind his/her back.
\'
In the home of the person for whom this Od is revealed, there must be food and
drinK at all times. Anytime people visit hs/her home, there must be food to eat
and drinks to consume. By so doing, he/she will be loved and respected by all
his/her supporters. The action will also bring him/her more followers. He/she
also needs to be generous with other gifts. He/she must assist these followers
financially, spritually, socially and even administratively. Anytime they approach
him/her for their genuine need, he/she also needs to help within his/her
capability.
{
If advises the
person for whom this Od is revealed to offer
fibg
with two
pigeons, two guinea fowls, two hens, two roosters, two ducks and
money, There must also be food and drinks for consumption. On all these, a
stanza n Otura M) says:
Tl99in b
jl
$gin
a m'woQn kt-kt-kt
fin O$ruo, gmg Tahg
Ebeqpqnlyn
niwqn nl kwge
i
Translation
When the horse wakes up
Its hooves will make imprints on the ground everywher itgoes
This was lf's message for Ogubdo the child of Tahg
He was advised to offer
qbg for him to be blessed with many
Followers
Ogubdo was one of the children of TahQ. On the other hand, Tahg was a
prominent
personality in Ipp town. He was very popular everywhere in Ipapo and its
environment, OqubUdo took after his father. He was also
popular. He was
jovial
and
very lively. He loved all, irrespective of the person's social or economic status. He was
t
889
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
alsovery humble.
One day Ogubud went for If consultation: Would he have as many followers as his
father? Would he command the type of influence and respect that his father had?
Would he be loved and adored as his father was? All these and many more were the
questions which Ogr:bUdo tried to seek answers to. During consultation, Otr MJ| was
revealed.
The Awo assured him that his influence, love, respect, followership and adoration would
be greater than those of his father. He was advised to be generous to all. He was also
told never to allow his home to be without food and drink for people to consume. The
Awo encouraged him to ensure that everywhere he went; he tried to leave a mark for
people to remember. He told him that anytime a horse woke up, it hooves would leave
its imprints on the ground for people who were very obseruant to see that the horse had
passed
through that path recently.
The Awo also encouraged OgrtbUdo to offer
fibg
as
prescribed
above. After the
pbg,
he
was advised to feast everyone around him with food and drink. He complied with allthe
advices of theAwo.
Soon after this, all the inhabitants of Ipp knew that there was no time anyone would
visit Ogbd without getting
something to eat and drink. They began to praise him for
this. They said that if you went to Ogubdo the son of Tahg in tears, he would wipe off
yourtears
and replacethem with smiles.
As he was doing this, Oldmar and the Inlnmgl were blessngs him with more. He
regained all what he gave out in several folds. The people's love, respect, adoration,
and acceptance, for him also increase in several folds. He soon became the man of the
people,
the personality
of the moment. Ogubdo lived and died a happy, contented
man.
TI99in b
jl
Esin a m'wo
Qn
kt-ktO-kt
Dl fitn grtbUdO, gmg Tahg
Ebq
qpq
enlyan ni wqn nl k w
9e
Ko a maa toju alejo daadaa
gt'qbo,
r'bg
je o, tl | tn nl'le Ogubde
Qmq
Tahg
Ogbrldo o d o, gmg Tahg
Translation
When the horse wakes up
His hooves will make imprints on the ground
everywhere it goes
890
This was lf's message to Ogrtbdo, the son of rahg
l'l'
o'o
"'
He was advised to offer
ebq
for him to be blessed with many followers
And for him totreatvisitors and strangers well and with couftesy
He complied
Behold, there can never be scarcity of drink in the home of OgUbUdo, the
child of Taho
Here comes Ogubudo, the influential child of Tahg
If says that the influence, honour, adoration, love and respect which people
have for
the person for whom this Od is revealed shall never diminish. He/She only needs to be
humble, respectful,
jovial, generous, hardworking and God-fearing. He/She also
needs to wipe off the tears of those who genuinely cry to him/her. If he/she gives out
one thing to those who genuinely need it, Oldmare wll replace it wth 10. If he/she
assists those who genuinely need his/her assistance, Oldmar will stabilize his/her
life and home. If he/she makes people happy, Oldmar will make him/her contented
and happy. That is the message of lf's for the person for whom Otura-Met is revealed.
6. If says that it foresees the Ire for a good loving and lovely spouse forthe person
for whom this Od is revealed. If a man, he will be blessed with a good, and
loving and lovelywoman. If a woman, she willbe blessed with a good, loving and
responsible man. Ifa advises the man to offer gbg with two hens, two rats,
two fish and money, for a woman, If advises her to offer gbg
with two
roosters, two rats, two fish and money. On this If says:
Sn kgrq
Gb kere
Dl filn slbate
Tl rr lqqgbgsQnTyw
Ebg
ni wqn nl k w ge
Translation
To drag the legs gently
And movethe legs majestically
This was lf's message to Sklbt, the Sandal
When going to take
fisg
the foot as his wife
He was advised to offer
gbg
Slbata, the Sandal, was convinced that something was missing in his life. He knew
that he could not exhibit his full potential in life without a
paftner. He therefore wanted
a paftner very badly. One day, he met
psg
the Foot and nobody told him before he
knew that they were both meant for each other. The more he thought about it, the
more he was convinced that
fsq
was meant for him and him for
Fsg.
He made up his
891
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
mind to tell her that he was in love with her. Before doing so however, he decided to
consult If,in orderto find outwhatthe future had in stockforthem.
On the other hand,
fsg,
the Foot knew that she could not continue living alone all her
life. She wanted someone who would treat her well and take proper care of her. The
day that she met Slbata, she was convinced that she had found her future paftner.
She dreamt of Shlbt all night and she
prayed
for him to come and talk to her about
marriage. She knew she could not call him by herself as it would be very indecorous for
herto do so.
She
prayed
everyday for Sltlbt to come into her life.
One day, Slbata went to the Babalwo mentioned above for If consultation: Would
he be the right person for
fsg?
Would he be able to take good care of her? Would the
two of them be together for the rest of their lives? As he was in love with her, was she
also in love with him? Would she reciprocate all his love, care and attention? Above all,
were they really meant for each other
physically,
socially, and even spiritually? These
were the
question
occupying his mind when he went for If consultation. During
consu ltation, Ot r-M) was revea led.
The Awo assured Slbah that the answers to his entire
question were in the
affirmative. He was urged to go ahead with the process as he would be happy and
fulfilled in the end. He was also advised to offer gbg as stated above. He complied.
When he got home, he informed his people
that he had found a woman of his dream. The family employed the seruices of Alarena
and it was found out that
fsg
came from a good lineage. They made formal proposition
for the hand of
Fse
in marriage. Her family responded favourably and the wedding date
was flxed. It was a grand occasion.
Ever since the day of marriage one cannot find
fsg
without Slbata and vice versa.
They stayed together all the time. ShJbt protected his woman to the end of his life.
Theirs was a happy, fruitful and rewarding relationship.
Sn kgre
Gba kgrg
Dlfitn Slbata
Tl lg r9b
fsQ
nTyw
Sbg
ni wQn nl k w qe
gb'$bg r'bg
Kopkjlnn
I
w b ni b'yQ,
e
w wo're o
892
il **" r",
Translation
To drag the legs gently
And movethe legs majestically
This was lf's message to Sh1bta
When going to take
fsQ
as his wife
He was advised to offer
fibg
He complied
Before long not too far
Come and
join
us in the midstof marital bliss.
If's says that the couple who are about to get married are compatible and they will live
happily for the rest of their lives. If encourage the couple to think beyond casual
i
relationship as they are meant for each other.
7. If says that a lot of goodness is awaiting the person for whom this Od is
revealed outside his/her community. If assures this
person
that this Ire will be
greater than anything he/she had ever seen or had before throughout his/her
lifetime.
If however warn him/her not to adveftise himself/herself when this Ire arrives.
t
If says that if he/she announces him/herself too much on this all his/her
adversaries will gang up to run him/her down and bring him/her to the ground
level.
If says that the Ire is coming from the very business that this person is doing
presently. He/She must not change his/her line of business because that is
where the Ire that If refers to is coming from.
If advises the
person for whom this Od is revealed to offer gbg with ilro
pigeons,
two roosterc and money, On this If says
t
Qpeerea
ble0l'y
Awo Gbl l dl fin Gbh
Gbl lg s'oko lerO I'Qdn
lbg
ni wgn nl k w ge
Translation
Qpgere
a bilQ l'y
He was theAwo who cast If forGbhJ
When going forthe annual planting
season
He was advised to offer ebg
(,
893
lfa Dda: An invitaton to lfa Consultaon
Gbhl was a farmer. His crops the
previous year was a total failure. He could not
explain why, but all the crops he planted
the
previous year did not do well. He lost
heavily. Out of frustration and disappointment he was contemplating going into other
lines of business.
As a result of bad harvest the previous year, he owed many
people
a lot of money. This
was why he went to his Awo to find out if he needed to continue farming or to change
into other line of business. He felt that farmng was a very risky business. He had
concluded within himself that he was going to follow whatever If asked him to do.
When If was consulted, Otura-tUe'twas revealed.
If assured Gbl that he would succeed on a ground scale that year. He was told not
to change his business and that the success was comng from the business he was
doing. The Awo told him that farming would benefit him that
year. He was advised to
concentrate on yam planting. He was also told not to sell his yam
at all. He was asked
to turn everything into Elbq, Yam-flour and keep it. The Awo told him that it was
through the sale of the yam flour that his success would come. GbhJ was however
warned neverto adveftise himself when this success comes.
Gbl was advised to offer gbg with hro pigeons, two cocks and money. He was
also told to feed EgU Odara with one big cockand palm-oil. GbhJ complied with all
the recommendations of the Babalwo.
That
year,
Gbhl had a very bountiful haruest. He refused to sell his yams. He and his
family were busy drying the yams and converting them into yam flour, Elb, when all
other farmers were selling theirs. Soon after this, rain stopped to fall. There was
famine. The farms went dry; the remaining crops in the farms were destroyed. There
was shoftage of food. People rushed to GblJ to sell Elb to them. Gbl was not in a
hurry to do so. The people came back begging, Gbhl was not ready, and they
multiplied the price
on their own,
just
for them to have food in their homes. Gbl was
not read. By the time he agreed to sell, the price
of his ElUb had been increased in
several folds. Gbl became an instant successful man. People envied his foresight.
There was nothing he wanted that he could notget.
One day, Gbh1 looked at his environment and realized that there was nobody in the
community whose success was near his own. He decided to sing in appreciation of
what Oldmar had done for him. He concluded that this miracle in his life must be
appreciated and the only way to do this was to let the world know that he was not an
ungrateful person. He therefore began to sing thus:
Baba ad'Qd, If gba w o O
Baba ad'd o
894
l,l,
otura uei
Aganwew, Awo a l'tlro
Baba ad'ede,If gba w o!
Translation
Father of miracles, If please come to my aid
Father of miracles
Aganwewe, who adds beautiful
plumes
to the body of Atiro bird
Father of miracles, please come to my aid!
Gbhi was singing and dancing about in true appreciation of what Oldmar had done
for him. He said that AtiOro, bird had four different colours in the plumes
of its body.
But for these
gifts from Oldmar, this bird would have been
just
like any other
ordinary bird. He compared himself with this bird because itwas Oldmar who gave
him good harvest and foresight and that if not so, he too would have been struggling for
food like all other citizens.
When allthose who envied his success heard this however, they considered Gbl to be
proud and arrogant. They said that he was making
jest
of them because of their
misfortune. Allofthemgangedupandvowedtoteachhimalessonhewouldnotforget
in a hurry. Part of the plan was to set his home ablaze, to ruin his farm and beat him and
his family up severely. If any or all of them died in the process,
they concluded, it would
serue them right. They fixed the time to execute their plan for five days time.
As soon as these conspirators concluded their plan, E9
Qdara
approached Gbh1 and
rebuked him for failing to listen to the advice given him by his Awo. He informed Gbl
that his song had put him in danger because all his enemies were planning
to ruin him.
E9 advised him to change the song forthwith. Eg taught him another song that he
should begin to sing immediately. Eg made it clear to Gbhl that because Gbhl gave
him a cock when he offered gbg, he Eg could not allow Gbh1's enemies to ruin him
because the gesture of Gbhi had made Gbl hisfriend. Eg promised to be by Gblrr
to the end. GbltJ thanked him and began tosing the new song thus:
Qmg-snda,If
gb w oO
9mq
sande
B'lk b rtg'ke
T'rn ho'kn l'de
9mq
snd, If gba w o
Translation
The protector, If please
comes to our rescue
The protector
If death plans to eliminate us
895
lfa Dida: An nvtation to lfa Consultaton
And Ailmentvows to inflict us
The protector, If please
comes to our rescue
He sang and danced to all the corners of the community. The conspirators heard him
loud and clear. None of them could make any sense of this new song. Egu
Qdara
went
to meet the conspirators where they were deliberating on their next line of action. He
told them that Gbl had been informed of their plan
by one of them and that Gbl had
gone to repoft them at the appropriate
quarters. If they should do anything bad to
Gbl, Es warned them, all of them would be apprehended because all their names
had been mentioned by the traitor. When they heard this, mutual suspicions crept in.
They could no longer trust each other. They scattered in utter confusion.
Gbh1 and his family lived to enjoy their wealth and new status for the rest of their lives.
Qpeera
bi lQ l'y
Awo Gbh l dl firn Gbh
Gbl lg s'ko ler l'qdn
fbq
ni wqn nl k w ge
gb'$borr'bg
Nje Baba ad'Qdr If gba w o O
Baba ad'd o
Aganwew, Awo a l'tlOro
Baba ad'Qd,If gbaw o!
Qmg-snda,If
gba w oo
gmg
sanda
B'lk big'k
T'rn n hg'kn l'de
gmgsnd,If gbe w o
Translation
Qpeere
a bi lQ l'y
The Awo who cast If for Gbhj
When going forthe annual planting season
He was advised to offer
ebq
Hecompfied
Now, father of miracles, If please come to my aid
Father of miracles
Aga nwewe, who adds bea utifu I pl u mes to the body of Atioro bird
Father of miracles, please come to my aid
The protector,If please cometo our rescue
The protector
If Death plans
to elimnate us
And Ailmentvowsto inflict us
896
l,l,
o*o r",
The protector, please
come to our rescue
If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed shall enjoy the fruit of his/her
labour. Even though he/she is being trailed by conspirators, he/she will nonetheless be
able to overcome them. There is the need for him/her to be reticent however.
8. If says that one of the major weaknesses of the person for whom this Od is
revealed is that he/she is too flippant. If says that he/she usually find it difficult
to keep his/her mouth shut on many issues. If however advises this person
to
cultivate the habit of being reticent as failure to do so will bring terrible misfoftune
to him/her.
If says that if this person
achieved anything in life, there is the need for him/her
to keep quiet
and enjoy his/her achievement quietly
so that envious
people will
not plan against him/her and destroy all what he/she had achieved.
If advises the person for whom this Od is revealed to offer gbg with one he-
goat and money. He/she also needs to feed the Elders of the Night with all the
internal organ of that he-goat. On this, a stanza in Otrlra-M) says:
AyQQrQgnu
AyqQroenu
$bltl
gnu n Ot'se
Dlfitn Orof
Tl yoo bf 'mg mejl
Tt y nl'l ohun ti kn go$q
$bg
ni wQn nl k w
ge
Translation
Flippanttalks
Unguarded speeches
There is nobody that the trap set by the mouth cannot catch
These were lf's declarations to Orof
Who gave
bith to two children
And declared that her home was filled to the brim
She was advised to offergbg
Orofwasverysad woman. Allhercontemporaries had become proud mothers. Orof
had no child of her own. She wept everyday. Did it mean that she would live and die a
barren woman? What would she do to have her own children? That was the reason
why she went for If consultation. During this session, OtUra-Me) was revealed.
897
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultaton
The Awo assured Orofo that she would beget her own children whether or not she
offered gbg. She was however advised to offer gbg against broadcasting the babies to
the world in order to avoid a situation where these babies would be exposed to danger
as a result of her flippant talks.
When Orof heard this, she was very angry with the Babalwo. She believed that the
Awo was
just
looking for ways of taking her materials and money. She was convinced
that if she was able to have babies she would surely know how to take proper care of
them. So, of what use would the
gbg
be? She
queried,
consequently, Orof refused to
offer
gbg
as
prescribed,
Soon afterthis, Orof laid two eggs and hatch the two. She became a
proud mother of
two babes. She was very happy. Anytime she was invited to any event, she would
make sure that she arrived there late. If she was asked why she was late, she would
respond that she was taking care of the two babies. She would make it clear to them
how difficult it was to nurse a baby, talk less of two at the same time. She would
conclude her explanation by saying that her home was filled up to the brim as a result of
the arrival of these babies. At a stage, Orof formed a mautra for herself. All day long,
she would be chanting 'Il kun sgsg' (my home is filled to the brim) repeatedly.
One day, people called each other together. They said that there was the need for them
to go to Orof house and capture her and all her children who filled her home to the brim
for food. They sad that how could they be feeling hungry when Orofo's home was over
populated. They set a date to go and do this work. On the appointed day, they wentto
rof'shomeveryearlyinthemornng. TheykilledOrofandhertwochildrenforfood.
When they discovered that only three of them were in the home, they said that, had
they known that they were only three living together, they would not have bothered
themselves coming for 0r0f and her children in the first place. That was how Orf
used her mouth to settrap for herself and she fell into the trap by herself.
Ayqorqenu
AyQQrQgnq
lbltl
gnu niOt'sQ
Dlfitn OrofO
Tl y bl'mg mejl
Tl y nl'l Ohun ti kn gqgq
Sbq
ni wqn nl k w
Qe
kg'tl
Qgbgnyin
se'bg
fnu
Orf nff porf
lnu
OrOfO nff pOrOfO
Translation
Flippanttalks
898

li Otun Meii
Unguarded speeches
There is nobody that the trap set by the mouth cannot catch
These were If's declarationsto OrOfO
Who gave
bidh to two children
And declared that her home was filled to the brim
She was advised to offer
ebe
She refused to comply
The Flippanttalker had killed herself
Unguarded talker had dug grave for herself
If says that he will not allow the flippant talk of the woman for whom this Od s
revealed to kill herself. All she needs to do is offer gbg and guard her speeches.
9. If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed is presently facing the
opposition of those who are his/her blood relations. If says that there are three
of them who are
planning
evil against him/her. They are doing this as a result of
envy and frustration. They never knew that he/she could succeed to the level
that he/she presently is. They could not match his/her level of success and this
made them envious and it also frustrates them,
If says that this person must take immediate steps to stop the plan
of these
envious relatives. Their plans would ruin everything that he/she had achieved
throughout his/her life if he/she allows them to be carried out. He/she must not
claim his/her rights. He/she must pretend to be a fool even if he/she knows all
the evil intentions of these relatives. If says that the person for whom this Od is
revealed still needs to assist these relatives in all ways within his/her capability.
He/she must not avoid them or give them social distance. If says that they will
still be of assistanceto him/her in future.
If advises this person to offer gbg with three cocks, three bottles of palm-
oil and money. After this, he/she needs to give the Elders of the Night one
kt, giant rat, feed Eg with one giant rat and appease
Qbalrtway
with one
giant rat. It is after doing all these that the evil
plans
of these relatives can be
stopped and neutralized. On these, If says:
Ar iwjrt, wgn b
Er,yln, wgn odrtrd
B O b b ar iwjrt
Er
Qyln
le dr de
I)l filn
Qbalway
t'grun bQw'y
fbg
ni wn nl k w
9e
t
899
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
Translation
The travellers n front, you
could not catch up with
Those behind, you refused to waitfor
If one cannot catch up with those in front
One needs to wait for those behind
These were lf's declarations to
Qbalway
When comng from heaven to eafth
He was advised to offer ebo
When
Qbalway
was coming into the world in one of his numerous trips to eath,
Oldmar summoned him to His presence. Oldmar told
Qbalway
that He
wanted to put
Qbaluway
in charge of financial success, Aj, for human beings. If
anyone was looking for money, he/she needed to approach
Qbalway
who would then
give the person.
Qbalway
responded that he was not interested in being the custodian of wealth;
rather, he would prefer
to be given the power to drain the wealth of those who had it if
and when the need to do so arose. The requestof
Qbalway
was granted.
Ar iwjrl, wgn o b
ErO yln, wgn O drlr d
B o b b ar iwjrt
EroQyln ledd
Dl fitn Egu
Qdara
T rtt'Qrun bqw'y
fibg
ni wqn nl k w ge
Translation
The travellers in front, you could not catch up with
Those behind, you refused to waitfor
If one cannotcatch up with those in front
One needs to wait for those behind
These were lf's declarationsto EgU
Qdara
When coming from heaven to earth
He was advised to offer gbg
In the case of Egu
Qdara,
the original intention of Oldmar was to make him
responsible for giving people compatible spouses. If anyone needed a spouse, the
person would simplyapproach EgU
Qdara
and he/shewould begiven.
When Oldmar told him this, E9
Qdara
responded that he was not interested in being
saddled with the responsibility of giving people spouses. He said that he would rather
prefer to separate the couples who must be separated if and when the need arose. He
900
ll, o*o r",
begged Oldmar to give him the powerto put
a wedge between couples if such need
arose and not to bring couples together. His wish was granted.
i
Ara iwajurwon b
ErO eyn, wgn O dr d
B O b b ar iwjrl
ErO e, yln e drr de
Dlfirn Iy mi Ogorog
Tt'Qrun bQw'aye
Ebq
ni wqn nl k w
$e
Translation
(
The travellers in front you could not catch up with
Those behind,
you refused to waitfor
If one cannot catch up with those n front
One needsto waitforthose behind
These were If's decla rations to Iy-m i-OgOrOg
When coming from heaven to eafth
She was advised to offer gbg
As for lya-mi-OgOr0g, the Witch, Oldmar planned to put her in charge of blessing
people with babies, If anyone was looking for the blessing of the fruit of the womb, the
person only needed to approach ly-mi-OgorOnga and it would be
given to the person. I
When Oldmar told her that she would be in charge of giving people children, she
responded that she was not interested in doing this. She said that she would rather
prefer
to snatch away the children from those who already had them if and when the
need arose to do so, She begged Oldmar to give her the power to be able to do so.
Her request was granted.
Ara iwjrl, won O b
ErO
gyln,
wgn drlr d
B O b ba ar iwjrt
i
ErOQyln l drtrd
Dl filn
Qrrtnmll
T rtt'Qrun bQw'y
Ebq
ni wQn nl k w
Se
Translation
The travellers in front, you could not catch up with
Those behind, you refused to waitfor
If one cannot catch up with those in front
One needs to wait for those behind
I
901
lfa Dida: An nvitation to lfa Consultation
These were If's declarations to
Qrunm'll
When coming from heaven to eadh
He was advised to offerebo
The original intention of Oldmar was to put
Qrrlnm'll
in charge of blessing
people
with longevity. If anyone wished to live long, the person needed to approach
Qrrf
nm'll
and he would ensure thatthe person lived long.
When Oldmar told him that he would be put in charge of making people live long,
Qrunmll
responded that the wealth which
Qbalway
rejected; and the spouse which
Egu
Qdara
refused to accept; and the children which Iya-mi-OgOrOg did not want;
should be given to him in addition to the longevity that Oldmar originally
planned to
give him, His requestwas granted by Oldmar.
Moments afterthis, the four of them left heaven to eah. The four oitl'r"r were living
close to each other.
When
Qbaltlway,
Egu Odara and ly-mi-Ogorog rejected the offer made to them by
Oldmar, they had no idea about how life on eafth would be. When they arrived on
eafth, feeding became a
problem for them. They had no paftners and they were not
blessed with children. On the other hand,
Qnfnmll
was blessed with wealth, many
wives and children. Before long, envy crept in. The three others became envious of all
the achievements of
Qrr:nmll.
They were also frustrated that these offers were earlier
made to them but they were the ones who rejected them.
One day, the three of them gathered together to lament their ordeal on eafth. They
concluded that they must summon
Qrrlnmll
to their presence
and accuse him of
insensitivity to their plight. They were convinced that
QrUnm)h
had no right to enjoy
when they were suffering; he had no rightto have several spouses when they had none;
and he had no businessto give bifth to many chldren when they had none.
When they sent for
QrUnmIl,
the day was an Ojg-Awo when no serious Awo was
expected to leave home for anywhere. They told him to come and see them on that day.
Qrnmll
sent back to them that, as they were aware, that there was an OjQ-Awo and
the next day was AdabQ. It was not advisable for hm to leave his home on that day. He
promised to come and see them after Adabq.
As soon as
Qrunmll's
message was relayed tothem, theyconcluded thatQrnm)l was
too full of himself. They accused him of being arrogant
proud
and inconsiderate. For all
these, he must be taught a bitter lesson.
Qbalway
vowed that he would drain all the
wealth that
QrUnmlla
had acquired which was making him arrogant to them. ESU
Qdara
said that he would ensure that all his wives left him in no time and he would stop being
902
ll oro r",
proud
to them. Iya-mi-Ogoronga vowed that she would kill and consume all the children
that he had who were making him inconsiderate. They all planned to begin these tasks
in three days'time.
Meanwhile, on the same night,
Qrunmll
had a terrible dream. He summoned his Awo
for If consultation. During this session, Otr-M'l was revealed.
The Awo told
Qrrtnm)l
that there existed the quarrel
and conspiracy of those of the same
blood with him. The Awo explained to him that his three siblings were angry with him for
all his achievements on earth.
Qbalway
was not happy that
QrUnm'll
was blessed
with financial success and not he; Egu
Qdara
was sad that
Qrunmll
was blessed with
many spouses and not he; while lya-mi-OgOrOg was unhappy that
QrUnmIl
was
blessed with many children and not her. The Awo stated further that the three of them
planned
to ensure that he lost everything that he had ever aquired in his life and that they
were going to commence their evil plans in
justtwo
days'time.
The Awo advised
Qn:nm'lla
to offer gbg with three roosters immediately.
Qrunm'll
complied. After this, the Awo told him to fill a basket with money and head for
Qbalway's
house to present it to him as gift. He was not to behave like he knew that
Qbaltlway
was planning
any evil against him. He was only to mention that he sensed
that
Qbalway
was not happy with him. After this, he was to fill another basket with
money, add one of his wives to it and
present it to Egu-Qdr as gift. He was to fill a third
basket with money, add one of his children to it and present it to ly-mi-Ogoronga as his
gift to her. He must never let any of them know that he was already aware of their evil
plans
against him.
The next day, very early in the morning,
QrUnmIl
carried a basket filled with money and
went to
Qbalway's
home. When he got there, he saw
Qbalwaye
on a tattered mat
looking very dejected, As soon as
QbalUwaye
saw him,
Qnlnm'll
shouted anIyQrQ song,
saying:
Gbogbo ow tl mo nl o, tlrg ni g
Gbogbo ow tl mo nl o, tlrg ni
Bb o!
Abl owotl mo nl o l t blnu sl?
Gbogbo ow mo nl o, tlre ni o
Translation
Allthe moneyl have belong toyou
Allthe money belong toyou
Bb Olode o! (Another name of
Qbalway)
Is it because of my wealth that you
are angry
All the money belong to you
t
903
lfa Dida: An nvtation to lfa Consultation
When
Qrrlnm)l
entered the house, he prostrated to
Qbalway.
He told him that when
he thought about the economic situation in the land, he felt that there was the need for
him to assst
Qbahlway
so as to avoid a situation where
Qbalway
would be stressing
himselftoohardbeforehecouldfeed. Thatwaswhyhehadbroughtthemoneyforhim
to spend in feeding himself. The money was the biggest
Qbalway
had ever set his
eyes upon throughout his stay on eafth.
QrrJnm'll
assured him that the money was for
him alone and that many more would be coming on a regular basis as from that time
hencefoth.
When
gbahlway
saw what
Qrrlnmll
had done, he became confused. How could he
drain the money from a brother who had promised to extend
paft of his wealth to him
regularly without prompting him to do so? There and then,
Qbalway
vowed never to
have a hand in the destruction of
Qrnmll.
He told
Qrrlnmll
that as from that day
hencefofth, nobody could spoil his things again.
Qbalway
vowed that anyone who
planned to ruin
Qrnm)l
had him (Qbahlway) to contend with.
Qrrlnmll
thanked him
profusely
and returned to his home.
Next, he filled another basket with money. He called Agbr his wife. He explained to
Agbr that as from that day, she was going to become the wife of Eg
Qdara.
He
explained that Egu
Qdara
needed a paftner who would take care of him and bear
children for him. Since Agbr had
just
arrived in
Qrr:nmll's
home, she had never slept
with
Qrunmll,
she had no child for
Qnfnmll,
she would be better off as EgU
Qdara's
wife.
Qrnm)l
promised her that she would be well taken care of by EgU
Qdara.
After
long discussions, Agbr agreed to become the wife of EgU
Qdara.
Her parents were
informed accordingly.
Qrrrnm'ila
then carried the basket filled with money and he
proceeded to E9
Qdara's
hometogetherwith Agbr.
When they gotthere,
Qrnm'll
shouted thelyrQ song, saying
Gbogbo aya tl mo nl ortlrq nio
Gbogbo ayatl mo nlortlrq ni
Lah o!
Abl ayatl mo nl o lo n blnu s{?
Gbogbo aya tf mo nl o, tlrg ni o
Translation
All the spouses that I have belong to you
All the spouses belong to
you
Lal O ! (that is a
praise name for EgU)
Is it because of my spouses that you are angry
All the spouses belong to you
904
ll, **" r",
QrUnm)l
explained to EgU that it would not be a nice thing for people
to see E9 going
to
the market, cooking for himself, washing his clothes, sweeping the house all by himself
when all these could be done for him if he had a wife of his own. For this reason, he,
Qrrfnmll
had brought Agbr to be Eg's wife. He could send her to the market; she
would cook food for him; she would sweep and tidy up the house; she would wash his
dirty dresses; and take
proper
care of him. Not only this, he had also brought money to
Egu
Qdara
so thatfeeding and spending would not be a problem. When Egu
Qdara
saw
the basketfilled with money, hewasdelighted. Heasked
Qrrfnmll
totell him how many
people
the money was meant for. He was told that the money belong to him (Eg
Qdara)
alone.
When
Qrnmll
said this, EgU
Qdara
began to think: how could someone do this and yet
be destroyed? Eg thought that it would be unfair for him to pafticipate
in the
destruction of
Qrnmll.
He therefore declared to
Qrnm)l
that as from that day,
nobody would be able to ruin his things in this world. Anybody who planned to do so
would have him, EgU
Qdara
to contend with.
Qrunm'il
thanked him and returned home.
Finally,
Qrunmll
went tolymis home. He filled the third basket with money and took
one of his children with him. When he gotthere, he shouted hislyQrQ as before saying:
Gbogbogmgtl mo nlortlrg ni o
Gbogbo gmg tl mo nl o, tlrg ni
Iy o!
Abl qmgtl
mo nl o lo rl bln sl?
Gbogboqmqtl mo nl ortlrg ni o
Translation
All the children I have belong to you
Allthe children belong toyou
Iya ol
Is it because of my children that you are angry
All the children belong to
you
Qrnmll
told lymi that the situation in the land prompted him to brng one of his
daughters to her to help her in her daily chores. He said that it would not be proper for
her to be doing everything all by herself when he had daughters who could be of help to
her. He said that he had brought her money for her to spend on feeding and other
necessarythings,
When Iya-mi-OgrOr1g heard that the money belonged to her alone, she was very
happy. She then told
QrUnmIl
that they had earlier planned to discipline him but now
that he had remembered her, she would not participate in his downfall.
Qrnmll
thanked herand leftfor his home.
t
905
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
As soon as he left, Iya-mi-gorOga began to think. She was convinced that either
Eg or
Qbahlway
had leaked their secretto
Qrnmll.
She said that as a woman, she
was the one
people would be suspecting of leaking their secret and now it was a man
who did it. After much deliberation, she concluded that it must be Obahlwaye who
revealed their secretto Ornmll.
Meanwhile,
Qbahtway
was totally convinced that it must be Egu-Qdara who told
Qntnm'll
their
plans whle Egu-Qdara suspected lya-mi-OgOrOg of revealing their
secrets to Orrinmll.
For this reason, Iya-mi-Ogrg summoned an urgent meeting. When the three of
them arrived at the meeting venue, they accused each other of revealing their secrets
to
Qrrfnmll.
After much arguments however, they realized that lfa must have told
Qrnmll
all their plans against him. They then concluded that it would be wise for
them to formally forgive
Qrrlnmll.
They then sent a message to
Qntnm)l
to come and
seethem.
When
Qrnm'll
arrived, they told him that they had called him in order for them to
formally declare to him that they held no grudge against him anymore. For this, he
thanked them. They told him to go and
procure three Okete, giant rats, one for each of
them. They asked him to put each one in a separate container for each of them and for
him to present it to them that day.
Qrtlnm)l
left to go and look for the rats.
When he got the rats, he prepared them as he had been instructed. He returned to
meet them where they were. When he got there, he faced
Qbalway
first and he
chantedlyQr, sayng:
9qnpQnn
gb'Okt e
Kl o m p'yn oO
Gbogbo ow tl mo nl o, tllg ni
Bb Olde gb'Okt o
Kl o m p'yn
Gbogbo ow tl mo nl o, tlrg ni o
Translation
$QnpQnn ,
please take okete
,
the big rat
Do nottake human beings
All my money belong to you
Bab Olde,
please take Okete
Do nottake human life
All my money belong toyou
As soon as he said this,
Qbalway
accepted the offering and everything was settled.
906
ll, o*o r",
Next,
Qrrlnmll
faced EgU
Qdara,
and chanted the samelyQr, saying:
Egrt gb'Okete e
Kl o m p'yn
o o
Gbogbo aya tl mo nl o, tlrg ni
Lalgb'Okto
Kl o m p'yn
Gbogbo aya tl mo nl o, tlrg ni o
Translation
Eg, please take Okete
Do nottake human life
All mywives belong toyou
'Lal,
please
take Okete
Do nottake human life
All mywives belong toyou
Eg accepted the offering from
Qrunmll
and all the problems with EgU was formally
resolved.
Lastly,
Qrrlnm'lla
faced Iya-mi-OgOrOg and chanted the samelyQrg, saying
Iya migb'okte
l(I o m p'yn o
Gbogbo gmg tt mo nl o, tlrg ni
OgdrOg gb'kto
Kl o m p'yn
Gbogbo qmg tf mo nl o, tlrq ni o
Translation
Iya-mi, please take Okete
Do nottake human life
All my children belong to you
Ogrg, please take Okete
Do nottake human life
All my children belong to you
Iya-mi-OgOrg also accepted the Okete from
Qrunmll
and all her grudges
against
Qrun
m'il were formal ly resolved.
Ara iwju, wgn O b
ErO ,yln, wgn O dr d
B O b b ara iwjrt
907
lfa Dida: An invitaon to lfa Consultation
Ero,yln la drde
Dl filn
Qbalwaye
n t'qrun bqw'y
$bg
ni wqn nl k w
9e
Ar iwj, wgn b
ErO ,ylnrwgn odrlrod
B O b b ar iwjrl
ErOQyln l durod
D,l filn EgU
Qdara
Tt'Orun bQw'y
lbg
ni wqn nl k w
Se
Ar iwjrl, wgn O b
ErO,ylnrwgn Odrde
B ob b ar iwju
ErQyln | drde
Dl filn ly mi OgOrOrrga
Trtt'Qrun bQw'y
lbg
ni wQn nl k w ge
Ar iwjrl, wgn O b
ErO,ylnrwgn drrod
B O b b ar iwj
Eroyln l drtrd
Dlfitn
Qrnmll
Trtt'Qrun bQw'y
Fbq
ni wqn nl kw
Se
Qrnmll
nlkan nl bg l, yln tO nqebq
WQn dl aytn
Qrnmll
nlkan ldgni apsln
Awgn mqta t k w pete-pro
Wqn nl wgn y batirq
jq
lbg
ni wqn nf k w
$e
WQn nllja gmgly
d
gbbg, rbg
Njg gbogbo ow tl mo nl o, tlrg ni g
Gbogbo ow tl mo nl o, tlrg ni
Bab Olode!
Abl ow tl mo nl o lo blnu sl?
Gbogbo
9mq
tl mo nl o, tlrg ni o
Gbogbo aya tl mo nl o, tlrg ni o
Gbogbo aya tl mo nl o, tlrg ni
Lel o!
Abl aya tf mo nl o lO blnrf sf?
Gbogbo aya tl mo nl o, tlrg ni o
908
ll, aur" u.i
Gbogbo gme tl mo nl o, tlrg ni o
Gbogbo qmg
t{ mo nl o, tlre, ni
Iya o!
Abl gmg
tl mo nf o lo rt blnu sl?
Gbogbogmgtl mo nl ortlrg ni o
$QnpQnn
gb'Okte
Kf o m p'yn
o O
Gbogbo owtl mo nl o, tlrg ni
Bab Olde gb'Okt
o
Klom p'yn
Gbogboowtl mo nl o, tlrq nio
Egu gb'okte
Kl o m p'yn
o O
Gbogbo aya tl mo nl o, tlrg ni
Ll gb'kto
Kl o m p'yn
Gbogboaya tl mo nl ortirq nio
lya migb'Okte
Kf om p'ynoO
Gbogbo
emg
tl mo nl o, tlrg ni
OggrOnga gb'Okt
o
Klom p'yn
Gbogbo gmq tl mo nl o, tlrg ni o
Translation
The travellers in front, you could not catch up with
Those behind, you refused to waitfor
If one cannot catch up with those in front
One needs to wait for those behind
These were If's declarations to
Qbalwaye
When coming from heaven to eafth
He was advised to offer gbg
Thetravellers in front, you could notcatch upwith
Those behind, you refused to waitfor
If one cannot catch up with those in front
One needs to wait for those behind
These were lf's declarations to Eg
Qdara
When coming from heaven to eafth
He was advised to offerqbg
The travellers in front, you could not catch up with
Those behind, you refused to waitfor
If one cannot catch up with those in front
One needs to wait for those behind
909
lfa Dida: An invitaton to lfa Consultation
These were lf's declarations to ly-mi-Ogrng
When coming from heaven to eafth
She was advised to offer
ebe
The travellers in front, you
could not catch up with
Those behind, you refused to waitfor
If one cannot catch up with those in front
One needs to wait for those behind
These were If's declarations to
Qrnmll
When coming from heaven to eath
He was advised to offer gbg
Only
Qnlnm)l
complied with the advice of the Babalawo
When theygotto eafth
OnlyQrnmll was living in comfort
The other three conspired
And planned to ruin all he had in life
He was advised to offer gbg
He was told that it was the evil
plan
of hs siblings
He complied by offering the gbg
Now, all the money I have belong to you
All my money belong to you
Bb Oldeo !
Is it because I am rich thatyou are angry?
All my money belong to you
All the wives I have belong to you
All my wives belong to you
'Lal 0!!
Is itfor mywivesthatyou are angry?
All mywives belong toyou
All the children I beget belong to you
All mychildren belong toyou
Iy!
Is it for my children that you
are angry?
All my children belong to you
Now,
SQnpQnna
takeOfete
Do nottake human life
All my moneybelong toyou
Bab Olde,
please take Okete
Do nottake human life
All my moneybelong toyou
Es,
please
take Okete
Do nottake human life
All mywives belong toyou
Lal
please take Okete
910
*,1
o*o r",
And spare human life
All my wives belong to you
{
Iy-m, please
take Okete
Do nottake human life
Allthe children I have belong toyou
0gOrOrlg please take kete
And spare human life
All my children belong to you
It is clear from this Od why and how
Qrnm)l
became the mouth piece
of Divinities.
As a matter of fact,
Qrnm'll
was and still is the mouth piece
for IrnmglQ, Og,
Egrfngrln, Or0 and so on.
Qrunmll
is he who looks for food for them. During If
{
consultation, the Awo will ask first what the gbg materials would be. After this,
enquiries would be made on what any or all of these IrrlnmolQ, Ofig, Egngrf n, Or,
Egb,
Iya-Mi-OgorOnga and so on would take. It is
Qrunmlla,
through
BabalwoAyrrtf who announces what all these Divnities would take for them to get
food.
10. If warns that the person for whom this Od is revealed must never go into
joint
business with anyone. He/she must never
join
any thrift establishment or
engage in
joint
financial contribution. It is not in his/her interest and the

outcome will never be favourable to him/her. This person

can save his/her
l
money in the bank or any other financial institution but not with any
cooperatives society. He/she will only be duped.
If advises this
person
to offer
ebg
with one matured he-goat and money.
After this, he/she needs to feed If with a hen or she-goat, two rats and hro
fish. On this, a stanza in OtUra-M) says:
di gqwglq
diqekun
Ill firn Orrnmll
i
Nljqtl Ohun ati
Qknknlnlrn
lrrnmgle
jq
djq
fbg
ni wQn nl k w
9e
Translation
di99w9l9
dsekrln
They were the Awo who cast If for
QrUnmIl
When he and the remaining 400 lrnmQle $arted a
joint
monetary
contribution
He was advised to offer ebg
i
911
Ifa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
In their periodic meetings, the 401 lrnmglQ came up wth an idea thatthey could start a
cooperatve socety where they would be contributing money, either in cash or in kind. If
the money was contributed at this meeting, it would be handed over to one of them to
staft a business with. Atthe next meeting, the money would be contributed and handed
over to another IrnmglQ to staft busness. This was the way they would rotate it round
the whole of them and they would all have enough money to embark on viable business
ventures. All the lrnmglQ present
at the meeting welcomed the idea. They decided
that they would commence the contribution with 2,500 cowries
per lrr1nmglQ, per
meeting. This translated to one million cowries even if the recipient of the money did not
put his own money into it. This meeting took place
every five days. This meant that it
would take about 57 lunar months for it to go round all the lrnmglQ.
They concluded that
Qgun
would take first, followed by ESU
Qdara,
gbatl,
Ogr:n,
$ng,
while
Qrrlnmll
would take last. They all agreed, and allof them considered the
deliberation as one of the most fruitful they had ever had in recent years. After this, all
the lrnmglQ wentto theirvarious homes.
When
Qrnmll
got home, he summoned his group of Awo who were actually his former
students for If consultation: Would this decision of the lrnmglQ be as rewarding as it
appeared? Would it benefit the lrunmglQ as
planned? During consultation, Otur-M)
wasrevealed.
The Awo told
Qrunmll
that the move would benefit all the IrnmglQ except
Qrnm)l
himself. They told him that his destiny did not support going into
joint
venture or
joint
financial contribution with others. He was advised to offer ebo as stated above. After
this, he was urged to withdraw from the contribution.
Qrnmll
complied with the advice and offered the gbg. He however found it impossible
to withdraw because he did not want to be seen as the one who spoilt the
plan
of all the
Irnmgle. He was convinced that should he withdraw, his action would have a
bandwagon effect, and the contribution would collapse, He continued with them allthe
same.
When they commenced, the first contribution was handed over to
Q$un.
When she got
home, she stafted her business venture. She took paft of the money to procure a big
pig
and hen to propitiate her Oke-Ipf . The next meeting day, the moneywas given to
Qbatl.
He stafted his own business, and he took paft of the money to buy 16 snails
and shea butter to feed his Oke-Ipof . Ogun fed his own Oke-Ipof with a male dog
and commenced his business.
Sang
fed his Oke-IpOf with a ram and started his
business. Onga-Oto fed his Oke-Ipo with a ram cooked in
Fgrll,
melon soup and
added pounded yam to it before starting his business.
Qbahlway
fed his Oke-IpOf with
yam pottage and fried shrimps and washed everything down with freshly tapped
palm-wine. That was how all the Irnmgle were doing whenever they received their
912
l,l,
uura uei
contributons. Their busnesses flourished.
At last it was the turn of
Qntnmll
to collect his own contributio. That day, none of the
IrnmglQ came for the meeting. He waited and waited. When he did not see them he
went home. He sent his children to the lrnmglQ to bring him his own contribution.
They only sent him excuses. That was hoW
QrUnmll
lost one millio cowries which he
contributed for over 57 lunar months. When he remembered the message of Tf, he was
not totally surprised. He was only praising his group
of Awo that they had earlier warned
him against it.
di
99w919
diqekun
DlfnQrrlnmlld
T'Ohun ti
Qkanknlnfrn
IntnmglQ
jq
rtdjq
lbg
ni wqn nl k w
$e
jqQgun
j'glgdQtn
pada s',yln
di g-ewglg
digQkrln
gbath je'gblntn

pad
s',yln
di
qewele
dsetrn
Ogrtn
j'aa
tan
pada s',yln
di
99w9lq
ai ggt<rtn
$ngj'gbOtn

pada s'gyln
di
99wgl9
digQkrtn
Qbalway
j'fl
kln

pada s'yln
di
99w919
digqkun
ErolporroQfa
lni
gb'Qbg nlbQ kwaa
9'gbgo
Translation
di99w9l9
d
sekun
They were the Awo who castlf forQrUnmll
When he and the remaining 400 IrnmglQ started a
joint
monetary
913
lfa Dda: An invitation to lfa Consultaon
contribution
He was advised to offer ebo
AfterQgun consumed a big pig
She retreated
Allhailgewqle
And praise gQkn
After the consumption of snails by
Qbatl
He retreated
Allhail$ewele
And praise gQkn
Aftertheconsumption of a dog
Ogrln also retreated
All hailSewele
And praise
9Qkn
$ngconsumed
a big ram
And retreated
Allhail$ewele
And praise gekn
Qbalwaye
consumed yam pottage
And retreated
Allhail$ewele
And praise gQkn
Travellerstolpo and Ofa towns
Please advise those who were told to offer ebo to do so
If says that it is not in the interest of the
person for whom this Od is revealed to
participate in any
joint
contribution. If he/she had already
joined,
he/she needs to
withdrawforthwith.
11. If says that it foresees the Ire of long life for the person for whom this Od is
revealed. If says that he/she had chosen all the Ire in life when he/she was
coming from heaven. However, he/she is a
prominent member of the
Fgb,
in
heaven.
As he/she is impoftant and popular here on eafth, so also he/she is impoftant
and popular in heaven. If says that his/her
$gb
in heaven are already
impatient and they are calling him/her to come and
join
them over there. For
this reason, If says that there is the urgent need for him/her to send an ArokO,
symbolic message, to heaven to tell his/her
Fgb
that he/she had not finished
all his/her assignments here on earth and that the
Sgb
need to exercise more
patience
for him/her to finish what he/she had come into the world to do before
914
il o*o r",
they ask him/her to return to them. This is very impoftant in order to prevent
him/her from sudden death. The sudden death being referred to here is not as a
result of the evil plans
of enemies or complications of the Elders of the Night.
If says that there is the need for this
person
to offer
ebg
with one matured he-
goat and money. After this, he/she needs to
procure
all fruits available at that
time, two rats, two fish, one pigeon,
one guinea fowl, one rooster/hen.
(Depending on the sexof the percon forwhom this Od is revealed) hryo
of his/her dresses that he/she had used very well, and another he-
goat. The heads of the rats, fish, birds and beasts will be put in a sack together
with the fruits and dresses; they would be tied and taken to the forest or riverside.
This person will then be saying that he/she needed to receive his/her blessings of
prosperity, spouse, children, means of transpoftation, propefties
and so on,
before he/she could return to heaven. He/she will then place the sack down and
turn back. He/she must not look back until he/she arrives at his/her home or the
home of the Babalwo orlynlf who peformed
this ritual for him/her, On all
these, a stanza in Otura-vfl says:
Ajenje nl'rgrln,
egbgrg
nl'd
f)|afUnOrnmll
If t'Qrun bQw'y
fbg
ni wqn nl k w ge
Translation
Ajenje nl'rgn, ggbgrg nf 'd
He wastheAwo who cast If for
Qrnmll
When coming from heaven to eafth
He was advised to offer gbg
When he was in heaven,
Qrnmll
was a prominent leader among his
fgb
. He was
respected and adored. While he was among his
fgb
in heaven, there was no crisis
because he was always applying his wisdom and understanding to administer their
affairs. When it was time for him to come to eafth, the
figb
accepted this fact
reluctantly. They made it clear to him that they could not afford his staying too long on
earth. They urged him to make his sojourn on eafth very short and snappy. Because of
this,
Qrnmll
went to Ajenje-nl'rgn-ggborg-ff'd, one of his numerous students in
heaven for If consultation. During this session, OtUra-Me) was revealed.
Ajenje-n1'regUn-ggbgrg-nf'd, told
Qrnm'il
that he had already been blessed with all
Ire in life and he is duty bound to achieve all of them before he should contemplate
returning to heaven. He was told to offer gbg as prescribed
above. The Awo however
told him thata time would comewhen his
fgbg
would be asking him to return to heaven
urgently. He was however not to do so until he accomplished all his assignments on
eafth. Instead, he was to send Arok to his
[gbQ
so that he would have ample time to
915
lfa Dida: An nvtation to lfa Consultation
finish his assignments on earth.
Qrnmll
was taught how to prepare the ArokO.
Shorthly after this, he left heaven for eafth.
While on earth, his
f;gbQ
in heaven found it difficult to administer their affairs as
effectively as
Qrnmll
used to do when he was with them. The situation was not going
as smoothly as they would have loved. Much as they tried, they could not find any
meaningful solution to many of their problems. They were all convinced and concerned
thatthe situation was notthat bad when
QrUnm'll
was with them in heaven. Tired of all
these problems, they met and concluded that
Qnfnmll
should be summoned back to
heaven to come and take overthe administration of the affairs of his
Fgb.
This time, it
was not yet
up to 10 years that
QrUnm'll
left heaven for eafth. They began to summon
him repeatedly. They appeared to him in his dreams, he saw them in the corners of his
room in flashes, he knew about them in all the If that he cast for himself and others.
That was when he knew that there was the need for him to send the Arok0 to his
Fgb
so
that he could accomplish his mission on eafth.
He procured
all the materials he needed for gbg
and the
preparation
of the Arok and
called another student of his here on eafth to help him prepare it. He offered the gbg
and instructed the Awo on whatto do aboutthe preparation of the ArokO.
While they were doing these, his
[gbQ
in heaven sent delegates to him in order to bring
him to heaven on that day. In heaven however, a big reception was prepared for his
arrival. That was the only topic for discussion among all members of the
Fgb
in heaven
atthattime. They were allfull of expectations.
As soon as
Qrrlnm)l
and his Awo completed the ArokO, the delegates arrived. The
delegates asked
Qn:nmlla
to follow them to heaven. They explained to him that all his
[gbQ
were anxiously awaiting his arrival because they all missed his unequalled
administrative capability. Instead of following the delegates,
Qrrlnmll
handed the
ArokO to them and was singing thus:
N l'w l'w nll Ay kl n t w O
Egbqrq
nl'd
Ajenje nl'rgn
egbgre
nl'd
N l'ya-m'ya nl'lAy kl n t w O
Egbqrq
nl'd
Ajenje nl'rgn
egbgrg
nl'd
N bl'mg-l'mg nl'lAy kl n t w
Egberq
nl'd
Ajenje nl'rgn
egbgrg
nf 'd
N kq'rc-mq'l nl'l Ay kl n t w O
Egbgrq
nf'd
Ajenje nl'rgn ggbgrg nf 'd
916
il, otuo u"i
N l'$gin-m'e$n nl'l Ay kl n t w o
Fgbqrqnl'do
i
Ajenje nl'rgn
egbqrq
nl'd
N
j'ogb-j'atQ
nf'lAy kl ntw O
Egbgrg
nl'd
Ajenje nl'rgrln
egbgrg
nl'd
N nlregbogbo nl'lAy kl ntOw O
Egbgrq
nl'd
Ajenje nl'rgn ggbqrq nl'd
Translation
I will receive my blessing of wealth before I return
,
Egbgrg
ff'd, I praise you
Ajenje nf'rgn ggbgrg nf'd
I will claim my blessing of a good spouse before I return
Fgbqrg
ff'de,
Ajenje ff'rgn ggbgrg nl'd
I will receive my blessing of good children before I return
Egbqrq
nf'de,
Ajenje n1'rgiln ggbgrg ff'd
I will accept my blessing of strong horses before I return
Fgbqrg
ff'de,
i
Ajenje ff'rgn ggbgrg rf'd
\
I will claim my blessing of comfoftable home before I return
Egbqrg
ff'de,
Ajenje ff'rgt1n ggbgrg ff'd
I will receive my blessing of long life before I return
Fgbqrq
rf'd,
Ajenje ff'rgn ggbgrg ff'd
The delegates could make no meaning of the contents of the Arok0 and the song he was
singing. They begged him to explain the meaning to them.
Qrrlnmll
removed the
head of the pigeon
and told them that it represented financial success. He said that he
(
needed to succeed before he could return to heaven. He showed them the head of a
hen and said that it represented a good spouse. He explained that he must be blessed
with a good spouse before he could return to heaven. He brought out the heads of the
rat and fish; he explained that they represented children. He made it abundantly clear
that he could not come to heaven until he had children who would carry on for him when
he decided to return to heaven. He brought out the head of a
guinea fowl and told them
that it represented peace
and comfoft. He explained that he would not return to heaven
until he is comfortable. He brought out all the fruits and told them that they represented
sweetness and happiness. He said that without these, he could not return to heaven.
He showed them all the contents in the bag of ArokO and explained what they all
i
917
lfa Dida: An invtation to lfa Consultation
represented. He promised
that as soon as he acquired all the good thngs of life, he
would return to heaven.
When the delegates heard these statements, they were very sad and disappointed that
it was obvious that
Qrunmll
was not prepared
or ready to return to heaven at that point
in time but they recognized the fact that he needed to accomplish his mission on eafth
before returning to heaven. They accepted the ArokO from him and asked him how soon
he would return to heaven; instead of giving a definite response, he only said, 'very
soon', They could not understand that. They again asked him to tellthem how long it
would take him to return to heaven. His response again was, 'very long'. After much
deliberation, the delegates returned to heaven together with the Arok, minus
Qrrfnm)l.
After this incident,
Qrrlnmll
lived on eath for several
years
and achieved all the Ire that
he had chosen in heaven before he finally returned to heaven to meet his
[gbg.
He was
given a rousing welcomewhen hefinallyarrived in heaven.
Ajenje nl'rgn,
egbgre
nl'd
firnOrgnmlla
Bab t'Qrun bQw'y
pbg
ni wqn nl k w ge
gb'gbgrr'bg
N l'w l'w nllAy kl n tw o
Fgberq
nl'd
Ajenje nl'rgn
egbgrq
nf 'd
N l'ya-m'ya nl'l Ay kl n t w O
Fgbqrqnl'd
Ajenje nl'rgn ggbqrq nl'd
N bl'mg-l'mg nl'lAy kl n tw O
Fgbgrqnl'd
Ajenje nl'rgrln ggbgrg nl'd
N kq'l-mQ'l nl'l Ay kl n t w O
Fgbqrqnl'd
Ajenje nl'rgn
egbqry
nl'd
N I'Qgin-m'qgin nl'l Ay kl n t w o
Fgbgrq
nl'do
Ajenje nl'rgn ggbgrg nl'd
N
j'ogb-j'atQ
nl'lAy kl ntOw O
Egbqrq
nf 'd
Ajenje nl'rgn ggbqrg nl'd
N nlre gbogbo nl'l Ay kl n t w O
Egbqrq
nl'd
918
l,l'
**" r",
Ajenje nl'rgrln ggbgrg nf 'de
Kp,KOjnna
!w
b ni l'tllregbogbo
Atole Ire gbogbo l b ni I'QsQ
Qbarlga
Translation
Ajenje nl'rgn ggbgrg rf'd
He wasthe Awowho castlf for
QrUnmll
When coming from heaven to earth
He was advised to offer qbg
He complied
I will receive my blessing of wealth before I return
Fgbqrq
ff'de, I praise you
Ajenje nf'rgn ggbgrg nl'd
I willclaim my blessing of good spouse before I return
Fgbqrg
n1'd,
Ajenje nl'rgn ggbgrg nf'd
I will receive my blessing of
good
children before I return
Fgbgrq
nl'd,
Ajenje ff'rgn ggbgrg rf'd
I willaccept my blessing of strong horses before I return
Egboro nide,
Ajenje niregun egboro nide
I will claim my blessing of comfoftable home before I return
Egbqrq
rf 'de,
Ajenje n'i'rgrln egbQrg rf'd
I will receive my blessing of long life before I return
Fgbqrg
rf'de,
Ajenje n'i'rgn ggbgrg ff'd
Before long, and nottoofar
Come and
join
us in the midstof alllre in life
That is the guarantee we get if we follow If, the
Qba
of all Oga
If says that this person shall be blessed with all Ire in life before he/she returns to
heaven.
L2. If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed has been trying his/her
best to help others as much as he/she could. If says that the people he/she is
helping will plan against him/her in such a way that he/she can never believe. If
says that these conspirators will be exposed and the shame of their actions will
live with them for the rest of their lives. If however warns that the person
for
whom this Od is revealed must never plan
any revenge or pay
back evil with evil.
{
919
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consuftation
This person must have a large heaft and must be able to forgive and forget all the
evilthat
people
doto him/her.
Ifa advises ths
person to offer gbg with four rats, four fish, traro he-goats
and money, He/she also needs to feed If with a matured she-goat. On
this, If says:
rf lfo
Mo lfO
If l be
Emi na l b
Wn nl nl'bo l ba sl
Orunmlla l b s{'lAlr
Translation
If declared that it had flown away
I responded that it had flown away
If declared that it had landed
I responded that it had landed
Theyasked thatwhere had it landed?
Orunmll responded that it had landed in Alr's palace
QrUnmIl
was staying inlpap bnd at this point in time. During his stay in this town, he
had taken good care of all the people in the land. He had healed all those who were ill,
he had turned barren women to proud mothers; he turned debtors to rich people; he
settled several rifts inhibiting progress
and development in the land. Ipapo town
witnessed u nprecedented growth.
One day, Alr sent emissary to
Qrr1nm'll
to see him urgently.
Qrnmll
went
immediately, Alr asked
Qrtlnmll
to consult If for him. He did and Otrlra MI was
revealed,
QrrJnmll
told Alr thatthe reason why he had asked for If consultation was
that his favourte wife was pregnant and had been in labour for five days but she had not
yet been able to deliver the baby. He assured Alr that his wife would have a safe
delivery. He advised Alr to offer gbg with one matured she-goat and money.
Alr complied. A few moments after, Alr's wife gave bifth to a bouncing baby grl.
Alr wasvery happy.
As soon as the baby was delivered,
QrUnm)l
asked Alr to permit him to return to
)pp, but Alr would have none of it. Alr insisted that
QrUnm)l
must do the
IkgsQdy,Imgf and the naming ceremonies before he could be permitted to leave. In
short,
Qrrlnm'il
was reluntactly allowed to return to Ippo after he had spent two
months with Alr.
920
ll, oru r",
rf lfo
Mo l fO
If l be
Emi n lba
WQn nl nl'bo | ba sl
Qrrtnmll
l ba sl'lAjerO
Translation
If declared that it had flown away
I responded that it had flown away
OrUnmll declared that it had landed
I responded that it had landed
They asked that where had it landed?
Qrrlnmll
responded that it had landed in AjerO's Palace
Not up to two ltadOgr:ns (17 days) that
Qrrlnm'll
returned from Alra's palace, the
emissary of Ajer arrived. AjerO asked
Qrnm'll
to follow his emissary immediately
because there was an emergency. When he got to AjerO's palace, If was consulted.
During consultation, he discovered that Ajer's wife was also in labour and she was also
having difficulties with the delivery.
Qrrlnmll
asked AjerO to offer gbg with a matured
she-goat and money and he did. Soon after, the wife gave bifth to a bouncing baby
girl. As soon as this happened,
Qrrlnm'll
asked for permission to leave and he was
granted.
A few moments after this, the baby began to weep uncontrollably. All efforts to stop her
from weeping failed. AjerO became confused. He sent emissary to go and bring
Qrnm'll
back. He gave them three horses. He asked them to run quickly
to meet
Qrnm'll
before he got to lppo and bring him back. He instructed the emissary to
release one to the horses to
Qrrtnmll
to ride back to his palace. The emissary met
Qntnm)l
at the boundary of Ippo town. He told him to return to Ijero Ekitt
immediately. He mounted one of the horses and they rushed back.
When he arrived at Ajer's palace,
he met total chaos. Everyone was running helter
skelter without knowing what to do.
Qrunm)l
consulted If and it was revealed that as
soon as he,
Qrnm'if
had leftthey had been calling the new baby different names which
her Ol had rejected.
Qrnmll
made it clear to AjerO that the baby brought a special
namefrom heaven.
When
Qrunmll
gave the baby this special name she stopped crying immediately. After
this, Alr refused to
permit
Qrrlnm'll
to return tolpp until after two months.
Before
Qnfnmll
returned tolpapO, many people in the land had began to grumble that
Qrnm)l
was no longer interested in taking proper care of them. They complained that
921
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
Qrunmlla
preferred to go and work for other people at their expense. When they
confronted
Qrunm)l
with this allegation he responded that an Awo must never refuse to
attend to the call of anyone who needed hs/her service and assistance. He also
pointed
out to them that there was no major crisis unattended to when he left them and that he
had always endeavoured to return tolpp atthe earliest oppoftunity.
If lfO
Mo lf
If lba
Emi na l ba
Wn nl nl'bo l ba sl
Qrnmll
l ba d'l
Qwrngrtn-Aga
Translation
If declared that it had flown away
I responded that it had flown away
Orrlnmll declared that it had landed
I responded that it had landed
Theyasked thatwhere had it landed?
Qrunm'll
responded that it had landed in
Qwrngun-Aga
Palace
Qwrngr1n-Aga
also summoned
Qrnmll
to come and help him solve his problem. He
went. He consulted If for
Qwrngrtn-Aga.
He recommended gbg and
Qwrngrln-
Aga compled.
Qrunm'll
performed the gbg and all other rituals necessary to solve the
problem. He was only allowed to return home after three months. When he returned
home, he did not meet his wife at home.
When he asked all his neighbours where his wife had gone, they told him that his wife
died not up to three weeks that he left. They assured him that a proper and befitting
burialwas gven to her. They showed
QrrJnmll
where her remains were buried. When
he saw the grave,
Qrnmll
burst into tears. He wept uncontrollably. The people
blamed him for leaving the town for too long. In the evening of that day, all the elders in
the land came to commiserate with him. He thanked them for their good gestures. He
was even very
proud
of them for all the steps they took in his absence.
When the elders left,
Qrnm)l
did not know whatto do. He was totally devastated. He
did not know where to staft without his beloved wife. He was unable to sleep. He wept
again and again. He kept reminding himself that it was a taboo for an Awo to weep over
the death of anyone. Yet the tears kept coming. He could not help it.
Very early in the morning,
Qrunmll
summoned up courage to consult If. Why had If
abandoned him by allowing his wife to die without giving him any
pror warning? He
922
l,l,
o*o r",
had gone to do the assgnment of If, why had If paid
him in this rnanner for all his
efforts? When he cast If Otr M3) was revealed. If told
Qrrlnm'll
that his wife was
alive. He was told to offer gbg with two he-goats and money against conspirators.
If explained to him that the people
of Ipap were the ones who captured his wife and
sold her out to the people
of lbariba town. If said that he must urgently offer the gbg
and move to Ibaf ba immediately. If warned that those in Ibalba were also planning
to sell her out because as soon as she was brought into that land, series of misfoftunes
had been happening to them there. They had consulted If and they had been advised
to move out his wife from their land if they wanted peace
and harmony to return to the
land. If said that they planned
to take her to the market the next day, because that was
the day If asked them to sell her out in the market.
When
Qrunm'lla
heard this, he quickly
offered the prescribed gbg and mounted the
horse which Ajer0 gave him and headed forlbaba town. He arrived there at dawn the
next day. He headed straight for the market. When he got
to the market, there was
nobody there. He waited impatiently for the market to open.
As soon as the market was opened by the Prkyis, the market officials,
Qrrtnmll
began to move from one stall to the other. Soon after, he saw his wife being brought to
the market. When they saw each other, they threw caution into the wind and hugged
each other.
Qrnm'il
told the man who brought his wife to the market that he was
interested in buying her back. The man simply told
Qrunmll
to take her away free of
charge! The man was so happy that he had been relieved of
problems.
Qrnm)l
and
Qsrnfunrnf
lyg his wife headed back home.
On their way,
Qsunfunrnllyo
explained how she was captured very early in the morning,
beaten into pulp and dragged out of the house naked. She told
Qrrlnm)l
that they
wanted to kill her there and then but some of them said that she could be sold in the
market to make money instead of
just
wasting her for nothing, That was how they
decided to sell her off.
What did the people
say that she had done?
Qsunfunrnllyo
responded that the
conspirators said that
Qrrrnm'lla
had abandoned them. One of their children twisted his
ankle and they complained that
Qrnmll
was not around to help them straighten the
leg. Thatwas the only complaintthey made against her and her husband.
Qrnmll
told
Qsunfrlnnf
lyo that it would not be wise for them to run away from Ipp
at that time. At the same time, it would not be wise to arrive in broad daylight. They
waited untilthe dead of the nightand both of them sneaked home.
The next morning,
Qrunmlla
ordered for several kegs of
$eket,
maize beer and Emu,
palmwine. He also ordered for several kolanuts. When he secured all these items, he
sent for all the people
oflppo land, both young and old, to come and have a feast in his
I
923
lfa Dida: An invitaon to lfa Consultation
home so that he would show his appreciation to them for the befitting burial they gave to
his beloved wife.
In the evning, all the inhabitants of the land congregated in
Qrnm)l's
house. He
thanked them for all what they had done for him in his absence. He prayed to
Oldmar to please pay them back in the same manner that they had done to him.
Noneofthemcouldsay'Asg'. Hethenaskedthepafitobedeclaredopened. Itwasthe
ring leader who declared it opened. That was when
QsunfUnlgyg
brought
palm wine,
Sekete
beer and kolanuts for the ring leader to use in declaring the pafi open. All the
inhabitants of lpapo land could not believe their eyes. They were all serued with
kolanuts,
Seke,te
and
palmwine. None of them could either eatthe kolanuts or drinkthe
beerand
palmwine.
QrrJnm)l
insisted that they must drink and eat. They
just
could not. Then
Qrnm)l
asked them; 'what wrong did I do against
you, for you to treat me the way you did'?
None of them could answer the
question.
One by one, they quetly left in shame. None
of them was able to fathom what went wrong. How did
Qrunm)l
know where his wife
was? Who told him? How did he manage to see through their plan and conspracy?
After much deliberation, they went for If consultation. They went to the home of this
Babalwo for If consultation:
9tl
l'o,tl ejQ
Obl I'obl ImOrn
fmu
I'qmu r-jojo
IX filn Kkerlpep
Abfgba ibQ
lbg
ni wQn nl kl wqn ge
Translation
The beer is an alcohol of contention
The kolanut is that of trouble
And the
palmwine is that of amazement
These were lf-'s declarations to the youths of Ipap
And same was declared to the elders of Ipap
They were advised to offer gbg
The Awo castigated them for conspiring and
planning evil against the Ambassador of
Oldmar on earth. He said that they had done something that might spell doom for
everybodyintheland. Hemadeitcleartothemthatwhattheyhaddonewassomethng
that they too could never accept. They therefore needed to go and tender ther
unreserved apology to
Qrnmll.
Instead of listening to the advice of the Babalwo, they began to argue that they did
924
ii oro r",
what they did because
Qrrlnmll
had chosen to abandon them. They claimed that
QrUnm'il
had no right to leave their town for any other place when they were not yet
readyfor him to leave.
The Awo responded that
Qrrlnm)l
was not anybody's
propefi
or
possession. He said
that
QrrJnmll
was free to go to anywhere he likes and at anytime he desired. The Awo
got angry with them when they continued to argue. He told them that he had originally
intended to follow them to go and appeal to
Qrunmll
to please forgive them but the way
they were arguing, he would not follow them anymore. He chased them out of his home
and told them to go and face the consequence of their actions. That was when the
elders and
youths of Ipp realized that they had hithefto been arguing blindly. They
appealed to the Awo to follow them to beg
Qrnmll,
the Awo agreed after much
persuasion.
When they got to
Qrunm'll's
home, they began to beg. The Awo led the elders and
representatives of the youths to
Qrrlnm)l's
house. They began to beg him. All of them
prostrated. The Awo did not give
QrrJnmll
the chance to say anything. He assured
Qrnm)l
that they had narrated everything that took place to him and they had been
found guilty. After much appeal,
Qrr:nm)l
forgavethem.
It did not end there. All what they did to
Qrnmll,
the
Qba
of the land was not
informed. When he heard what had happened, he summoned everybody to his palace;
including
Qnlnm)l.
He asked them to narrate their stories. They did. The elders and
youths oflpapO began their blind arguments once more. They were again found guilty.
The
Qba
was pafticularly angry with the elders whom he accused of misleading the
youths. The
Qba
said that the elders did not give proper leadership in the land. He
ordered for them to be severely
punished.
Qrrf
nm'll however pleaded for them and the
matter was settled a micably.
If lfO
Mo lfO
If l ba
Eminaa lba
WQn nl nl'bo l ba sl
Orrlnmll l b sl'lAlr
If lfo
Molf
If l ba
Emi naa lba
WQn nl nl'bo l ba s{
Qrnmll
l be sl'l Ajero
rf lfo
Mo lfO
925
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consuftaton
If t be
Emi na l ba
Wqn nl nl'bo l be sl
.
Affnmll
l ba sl'|e
Qwarngrtn-Aga
lbg
ni wqn nl kl wqn
9e
WQn gb'Qbo, WQn r'bg
Nje Awgn
Qtl
I'o, tl ejQ
Obl I'obIlmQrn
$mu
I'erhu r-jortjo
Dlfiln Kkerlpap
Abf'gbe bQ
KkerIppwgn klltl ejg
\
If mo b wgq t, mo
9 egun
wgn
Agba lpp wgn kll tl ejQ
If mo b wgn rO mo ggun wgn
Translation
If declared that it had flown away
I responded that it had flown away
Orrlnmll declared that it had landed
I responded that it had landed?
They demanded to know where it had landed.
QrUnmll
responded that itwas in Alr's palace
If declared that it had flown away
I responded that it had flown away
QrrJnmIl
declared that it had landed
I responded that it had landed
They demanded to know where it landed in
Qn:nmll
responded that it had landed in AjerO's Palace
If declared that it had flown away
I responded that it had flown away
Qntnm)l
declared that it had landed
I responded that it had landed
They demanded to know where it landed in
Qrnmll
responded that it had landed in
Qwarngn-Aga's
Palace
They were advised to offer gbg
Theycomplied
Now, the beer is an alcohol of contention
The kolanut is that of trouble
And the palmwine
isthatof amazement
These were If's declarations to the youths
oflpp
Same was declared to the elders there
926
+,+,
a*" u"i
Theywere advised to offergbg
The youths of)ppo were nevertired of contention
If, I challenged them and I won
The elders oflpapo were nevertired of contention
If, I challenged them and I defeated them.
If says the
person for whom this Od is revealed needs to have the mind to forgive.
He/she has been absolved by Oldmar. He/she only needs to forgive those who erred
against him/her.
13, If says that the percon for whom this Od is revealed must always do good and
I
must eschew bitterness, wickedness and hatred in all his/her thoughts, speeches
and actions. If says that if this person does well, he/she does so for
himself/herself. On the other hand, if he/she is wicked, he/she does so for
himself/herself. If says that whatever he/she does, he/she will be the first to
reap the fruit of his/her character.
If advses this
person to understand that whatever s it that if done to him/her
will pain him/her, he/she must never do it to others. As long as he/she keeps
this in mind and follows it in all his/her ways of life, then
joy
shall be his/her
poftion all the days of his/her life.
If advises this
person
to offer
gbq with one matured he-goat and money. On
(
this, If says:
Bl os ire
O se filn ara re
Bl o sl s'lk
O ge e fun ara rq
DlfilnAfju
Tl 9agbe lg ilQ Has
Ebq
ni wqn nl k w
$e
i
Translation
Ifyou do good
You do so for yourself
And if you
arewicked
You do so foryourself
This was the message of If forthe Blind Man
When going to beg foralms in Hausa land
He was advised to offer gbg
The Blind Man was popular for his style of begging for alms. He would never beg anyone
i
927
lfa Dida: An invtation to lfa Consultaton
to give him alms. He would simply tell anyone he me! 'If
you do good, you do so for
yourself; and if you are wicked, you do so for yourself'. He used to trek from one village
to the other, from one town to another and from one house to the next, begging for
alms. Many people used to render their assistance to the Blind Man because they
considered his style of begging as a great challenge to their individual and collective
character.
Unknown to the Blind Man however, was the fact that the
Qba
of Hasa land considered
the blind's man style of begging as irritating and
preposterous. The reason being
nursed by the
Qba
was that what the blind man was saying was highly
philosophical and
that such wise saying had no business coming out from the mouth of a beggar and a
blind man for that matter! The
Qba
felt that i[ was only him, his royal home and his
Council of Chiefs who had the right and the privilege to make philosophical statements.
He therefore concluded that the blind man would be taught a bitter lesson that other
people would learn from.
One day, the
Qba
summoned his best hunter to get a live cobra for him. Within two
days, this item was procured. The live cobra that the hunter got was very big and wild.
The
Qba
ordered him to putthe cobra in a bag. This was done. In the afternoon of that
day, the blind man came as usual and the
Qba
presented this'giff to the bling man.
When the blind man touched the bag, he thought it was a
pangolin. He was very happy
and in orderto show his appreciation, the blind man declared;
Bl oge ire
O sefiln ara re
Bl osl g'lk
O
ge
e fin ara re
Translation
Ifyou do
good
You dosoforyourself
And if you are wicked
You do so for your self
The blind man putthe 'gift' on his shoulder and continued to beg for alms. While he was
going from home to home begging, he metthe ArQmg, heir apparent. The ArQmg was
angry that the blind had been
given a gift by his father. Because evil begets evil, the
wickedness of the father was also in the son. The ArQmg could see no reason why the
blind man should retain this gift. Out of anger, he moved to the blind man, gave him
three heavy slaps on the face and snatched the'gift'away from him. In his reaction, the
blind mandeclared: 'Blog ere,Ogefrtn ra rg, Bi osl ge'k,OFefnara rg',and
he left.
928
l,l,
aura uei
As soon as the blind man was out of sighf the ArQmg decided to examine the gift
that
the blind man was carrying about. He dipped his hand inside the bags and behold! the
(.
cobra struck him and poured
all the venom that it had accumulated for three days
during the time it had been held captive into the hand of the Arqmg. The ArQmg
screamed uncontrollably, passers-by rushed to the site, they saw the cobra and killed it.
But before assistance could be given to Arqmg, he had died. His lifeless body was then
taken tothe
palace,
When the
Qba
heard of what had happened he remembered the saying of the blind
man. Guilty conscience could notallow him to raise his hand againstthe blind man.
Bl og ire
O sp fun ara rg
r
Bl osl
gTka
O
se
e fin ara e
DlfifnAfj
Tl gagbe lq ilQ Has
lbg
ni wqn nl k w ge

g6bor rubg
KO p,,
Qna
Ojln
Sw
b ni lrgegun
Arg$gun la b ni lsg
QpQ
Translation
(
If you dogood
You do soforyourself
And if you
arewicked
You do so for your self
This was the message of If forthe Blind Man
When going to beg for alms in Hausa land
He was advised to offer
ebg
He complied
Nottoo long, soon after
Come and meet us where we celebrate victory
|
If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed must never thin( say or do evil to
anyone. If he/she does, the evil will definitely recoil on him/her. On the other hand, if
anybody is planning
evil against the person for whom this Od is revealed, If says that
the evil will boomerang and the person
shall live to regret for the rest of his/her life.
L4. If advises the person for whom this Od is revealed to apply wisdom, patience
and understanding in all his/her activities in life. If says that this person lacks
the
patience to look at events from all sides before taking action. If says that
{
\
929
lfa Dida: An nvtaton to lfa Consultation
he/she also needs to view things passionately
before commttng himself/herself.
If advises this
person
to offer qbg with nine'bags'of money (each bag contains
20,000 units of cowries). On this, If says:
Kg nfl r ganhngahn .
Iogmu glrlglrl I'Qyln agbr
Owtff rn mi nl'gsmotl
j
O fn mi l'jo motl re
AjO kan, jO kn tl O rn mi I ryl kq
Ajoayg'ni-lgnu ni
Dtfiln
Qrunmll
Tl baba re'lQrun lqq kq kt
!b9
ni wqn nl k w ge
Translation
Kg musical instrument is tthatsounds like gong
The sound of bQnlbQ drum is louder atthe backof drummer
You have sent me on an errand and I went
You have also sent me on a
journey
and I went
This particular journey you are sending me is filled with travails
These were the messages of If to
Qrnmll
When going to heaven to learn wisdom
He was advised to offergbg
QrUnmIl
was living peacefully with his wife
QgunfrlnnlQyQ
in Il-IfQ. His wife was
carrying a seven-mouth old pregnancy when
Qn:nmlla
decided to go to heaven to go
and learn the wisdom of elders. He went to the Awo mentioned above for If
consultation in order to determine how his
journey
to heaven would be. The Awo
advised
Qrrlnm)l
to go and that his
journey
would be very successful and fruitful.
Three days afterthis,
Qrttnmlld
setouton his
journey.
It took him three years
to reach the gate of heaven. When he got there, he went
straight to the committee of wise elders in heaven. When asked what he came for, he
responded that he had come to learn the wisdom of the elders. They demanded for and
received nine bags of cowries from
Qrnmll.
The following day,
Qrrtnmll
began his
studies. This first lesson he was taught was'EIf afQfg b r1fQ, m dtlr l'bQ igi' meaning
'when the wind is strong, don't stay under a tree'. He was instructed to repeat this one
thousand times a day. He was also asked to look for one thousand meanings of this
statement. He was directed to get one meaning per day for one thousand days to
complete the one thousand different meanings he was asked to look for.
QrUnm)l
complied and did as he was instructed. This research took him three years to
complete. Hethen wentbacktothecommitteeof thewise men in heaven.
930
on getting there, he told them that he had completed the assign*qf
congratulated him and asked him to procure a rooster to feast the wise elders to
celebrate his success.
Qrunm)l
complied and told them that he wanted to learn more.
They taught him "B'dO b kn, m wQQ." Meaning "If the river is full to the brim, do not
swim in it". He was then instructed to repeatthis a thousand times a day and to find one
thousand meanings as instructed above for one thousand days. This research also took
him another three years to complete. After completion,
Qrrlnm'il
went to the committee
to repoft back to them. They congratulated him and asked him to procure
a ram tofeast
the wise elders in order to celebrate the success. He complied and told them that he
wanted to learn more.
Atthis stage, theytaught him 'M blnu Ojg kan'. Meaning 'Never
getangry overany issue
without prop er deliberation or in a haste'.
The wise elders also instructed him as they have done earlier.
Qrrlnmll
complied and
this also took him another three years to complete. Thereafter, he went backto them to
give repoft of his research. Seeing his repoft, the wise elders congratulated him on his
success and asked him to kill a cow to make a feast for the elders. He complied. They
told him that his studies had completed and asked him to go
back home.
On his way back to the world the
joumey
was supposed to take him three years. He was
however returning in company of two great personalities
and their entourage. These
personalities are 'Mdrlrlgrf olowo ay, The rich man on eafth' and 'Mdgfi olowo grun,
the rich man in heaven'. Each of them was accompanied by 200 entourage carrying the
belongings the rich men were going to use on eafth.
One afternoon, they suddenly found out that there was a turbulent wind to contend with.
The entourage therefore decided to stay somewhere to allow the wnd to blow itself out.
They all looked for a safe place to hide themselves from the effect of the wind. Mdtlr1gu
olowo ay however chose to stay under a big banyan tree.
Qrnm)l
remembered
immediately that one of the teachings he had come to learn in heaven was "Bl afQfQ b
fe, m dr l'be igi'
,
meaning 'if the wind is blowing turbulently, don't stay under the
tree'. He then came to Mdrlrlgrl olowo ay and advised him to leave where he was
because it could be very dangerous to stay there. MdgrJ olowo ay however
assumed him that it was perfect to stay there, and that was not his first time to stay
under a tree where there was a strong wind. All efforts to dissuade MdJg olowo aye
to stay under the tree fell on deaf ears. Eventually, he was left alone to stay there.
A few moments after this, the wind became stronger, so strong that it tore off one of the
branches of the tree. When the tree branch fell, it ht Medgr1 olowo ay on the head,
broke his head into pieces
and killed him on the spot.
Immediately after this, pandemonium
broke out
Qrnmll
managed to bring back
931
Ifa Dda: An nvtaton to lfa Consuftation
normalcy and also arranged for the burial. He even gave out one of his dresses for
burial. Mdt1t1grJ Olowo ay was gven a befitting burial under the superuision of
Orrlnm'll.
A few days after, they proceeded with their
journey
together with the entouraged of
Medg olowo ay. They reached the river at the boundary of heaven that they
needed to cross. There had been a heavy rainfall and which made the river to be filled to
the brim. The seasonal
pattern in heaven was three months of rainfall non-stop and
three monthsof dryseason non-stop.
Qnlnmll
remembered the second lesson he had learnt that 'B'dO b ktln, m wQ,.'
meaning that 'when a river is full to the brim, do not cross'.
Qrunmlla
therefore
instructed all the people (402) including himself going to the eafth not to cross the river
because of the strong current. He advised them to wait for three months before the
current could subside. He concluded that it would be very dangerous to cross the river
at that time. Mdgr1 Olowo Orun however would accept none of that, He was in a
hurry to reach the eafth. He knew that it would take them three years to move from
heaven to ea.th. He therefore could not see any reason why he should wait for three
long months before he could embark on his
journey.
He then decided to cross the river.
All appeals for him notto do so fell on deaf ears.
When he got to the middle of the river, he missed his step and the river current swept
him off and he fell inside the river. The river then swept him away out of sight. Other
entourage then waited for three months for the water level to go down before crossing
the river. After three months, they saw the decomposed body of Mdlg Olowo
Qrun
n between the roots of some river plants.
QrUnmIl
took one of his caps, plucked some
leaves and
put in the cap for the burial rites of Medg Olowo
Qrun.
He was then given
a befitting burial beside the river. As from that day, henceforth, if anybody died inside
the river, they are buried beside the river and given the same rites as
Qrunmll
did
above.
Thereaftel they moved on, all the entourage that came with Mdrlr1gt1 Olowo Ay and
MdgrJ Olowo
Qrun
said that they do not know anywhere or anybody on earth.
Therefore, they decided to go with
QrnmIl
who had shown love to their masters to his
house on eafth and delivered allthe riches in his house.
Eventually, they got to the eafth and headed for
Qrunm'll's
house. By the time
Qrrlnm)l
got home, it was already late in the night. He entered his house and to his
surprise, he mettwo people sleeping and was wondering who could be sleeping with his
wife. 'Could this woman be sleeping around with men in his absence?'
Qrnm)l
thought and became so infuriated to the extent that he decided to behead the two of
them now that he had caught her red-handed. Suddenly, he remembered the third
lesson he learnt for three
years during his course of study while in heaven that 'M bln
932
ll uwa uei
OjQ kan" meaning: never get
angry without proper deliberation and investigation of any
matter, As a result, he decided to calm down and wait till the following morning before
he could take anyaction.
In the morning, when the wife saw
Qrrfnmll,
she became happy to see her husband
and immediately called her child Awogoro come and greet your father; he has arrived'.
There and then,
QrUnm'il
realized that the person he saw last night who slept together
in the same room with his wife was actually his son. What would have happened if he
had killed him in the midnight? The thought pre-occupied
Qrnm'll's
mind, and said to
himself that it would have been a tragedy for him if he had done so. He then ordered the
400 entourage to bring into the house all the riches and possession he inherited from
Meqg Olowo Ay and Medrig Olowo
Qrun. Qrnm'il
became successful and
prosperous
and was singing thus:
NjgAwo$oro$eo 2ce
K pajbe kaQ
K m l d'bQ mQ
Awo$orogeo
Translation
Indeed, it is difficultto be an If practitioner
For someone to prepare land for cultivation
Without going back to plant
anything on the land
Yes, If is difficultto practice
If says that if there is a
pregnant woman where this Od is revealed, the child when
born is to be named 'Awogoro', As long as the
person for whom this Od is revealed
follows all the directives of If as stated above, he/she shall never live to regret the
action.
Kg nll rganhngahn
Ibemb gtrlglrl l', yln agbr
O w tff rn mi nl'99 mo tl
je
o tl fn mi l'j mo tl re
Ajo kn, ajo kan tl rn mi I r yl kQ
Ajoayg'ni-lgnu ni
Dl fitn
Qrrlnmll
Tl baba lre'l
qrun
lQq kq k
Ebg
niwqn nl k w ge
Ogb'gbgrrrt'bg
jelwogorogeo 2ce
K pajba kalQ
933
lfa Dida: An nvitation to lfa Consultaton
K m l d'be mq
Awo3oroseo
Translation
KF, musical instrument is it that sounds like gong
The sound of bQrbQ, drum is louder at the back of the drummer
You have sent me on an errand and I have gone
You have also sent me on a
journey
and I went
This pafticular journeyyou
are sending me is filled with travails
These were the messages of If to
Qrrf
nm'll
When going to heaven to learn wisdom
He was advised to offer gbg
He complied
Indeed, it is difficultto be an If practitioner
For someone to
prepare land for cultivation
Without going backto
plant
anymore
Yes, If is difficultto
practise
15. If warns the person for whom this Od is revealed to have the fear of OlOdmare at
the back of his/her mind all the time. He/she must recognize the fact that no
matter how powetful he/she may be, Oldmar is the source of all
powers
and
He can take away any
power that is being abused or misused from the owner of
such
power.
If says that if the person for whom this Od is revealed is put in a position
of
authority, he/she needs to exercise his/her authority with the fear of Olodmar
at heaft. He/she must never maltreat others. He/she must not see such power
as a vehicle for vengeance or for showing his/her superiority over others.
Conversely, If assures the person for whom this Od is revealed that he/she will
have victory over a more poweful opponent who had been using his/her power,
position
and/or influence to oppress, intimidate and/or inflict pain.
If advises the person for whom this Od is revealed to offer gbg with one
matured he-goatand money. He/she is also expected to feed Egu
Qdara
with
one roaster. After this, he/she needs to put his/her faith and fear in Oldmare
in all his/her thoughts, speeches and actions. On this, a stanza in Otura M)
says:
Igbgnwg mjjl ni o ge gb'gbQn s'j
txfinAlkdl
Tll g'gru Old mar AgOJn
Qba
atgnl ql l9gg forl g'apeji omi
934
l'1,
otura uei
Igba rtt'Qrun bQ w'l ay
Sbg
niwQn nf k w ge
Translation
The two elbows cannot be used to place a basket onto the ceiling
This was If's messageforAlukdf
The messenger of Oldmar
When coming from
Qrun(heaven)
to Ay(earth)
He was advised to offer
gbg
Alkrldl was one of the very many messengers of Oldmar. He was usuati'i sent by
Him to deliver special messages to the human race at regular intervals. All these
messages he had delivered without any fault and also without questioning the rationale
behind them. The attitude of Alukardf had endeared him to many lrnmglQ in Heaven.
Whenever there was any message to be delivered, the IrnmglQ would quickly
suggest
the name of Alukndf to Oldmar. He would then be sent, and the message would be
delivered as
quickly as possible,
During the course of delivering Divine messages to human beings, Alknd came to
realize that there was great love and affection for human beings who live on earth by
both Oldmar and the lrrlnmglQ. Alukdf could not understand why this should be
so; was it not the same human beings who kill, maim, hut and destroy each other at the
slightest opportunity? Why should Oldmar be in love with those who destroy the
environment;
pollute the air and water; kill insects, rats, fish, birds and beasts at will;
wage war on each other for no other
justifiable
reason than to show supremacy over
one another? Why should Oldmar be in love with those who were not in love with
Him; who disrespect Him and His IrnmqlQ; and who had not shown any remorse?
Initially, all these baffled Alkr1d'i. They later turned to confusion for him. In his
confused state of mind, he was determined to punish them for all what he perceived to
be msbehaviour of the human race.
When the time came for AlUkandl to come down to earth to deliver Oldmar's
message, he saw this as the opportunity he needed to take advantage of to deal a
deadly blow on all the ungrateful human beings. When he was coming on his
assignment,heaskedforspecialpoWersandhisrequestwasgranted.
On his way, he decided that he would show no mersy to anyone; why should he show
compassion to those who destroy Mother Nature at will? He concluded within himself
that they did not deserve his
pity
or mercy.
The day he arrived on earth was a market day. As soon as he set his feet on eafth, he
declared:
t
935
lfa Dida: An invitaon to lfa Consultation
'
IgbQnwqmjjl niOgegb'gbqns'ja
DlfrtnAlkdl
Tlf
9'gr
Oldmar AgOJn
Qba
atgnl
ql leglgforf g'apeji
omi
Igba t'Qrun bQ w'l ay
emi Ahkattdf, Alkrrdl
Eyltbwmlninpa
Alkrrdl !
Translation
Thetwo elbows cannot be used to
place
a
Basket onto the ceiling
This was If' s message for me Alukarrdf
The messenger of Oldmar AgQttln
When coming from
Qrun
to Aye
Behold, here comes Alukandt
,
Alknd'i
Whoever I like will I kll
Alknd !
Before anyone could realized whatwas happening, Alkndf released the special
power
given to him in heaven and began to kill anybody and everybody in the market.
Pandemonium everywhere! Everyone ran for dear life! Nobody could really explain
what went wrong. The next day,
people
came to pick the corpses of their loved ones for
burial. Unceftainty enveloped the world. They all gathered n small groups to make
meaning of what had
just
taken place. They could not. At last, they approached the
Qba
who in turn fixed a general meeting to take place in the market on the neK market
day.
On the appointed day, the whole market place was filled to the brim. Those who lost
their loved ones were first given the oppoftunity to speak. While they were expressing
theirordeal and agony, Alkndf arrived and declared:
emiAhkadf, Alkdl
Ey,t to ba wu ml ni n pa
Akrrdl !
Translation
Behold, here I come Alukdl
Whoever I like will I kill
Alukr1d1!
The whole market scattered instantly. Everybody ran helter-skelter. Many were killed
by AlUkndl himselfi, many more were trampled to death. In all, more than a quafter
of
936

ll Otura Meji
the population died.
From that time, it became a regular occurrence every market day. Nobody dared to go
to the market anymore. Chaos and anarchy took over completely. Nobody wished to go
out in the day time, talk less of night time. Anyone who wished to live long needed to
fearAlukandt.
One day, some elders gathered themselves together and went for If consultation in
order to determine exactly what was going on and at the same time, find a permanent
solution to it.
The Awo told the elders that what was gong
on was misuse of power and opportunity.
They were told that Alkd' thought that he could fight for Oldmar and the
Irnmgle. The Awo assured the elders that nobody could fight for them but rather,
Oldmar and InlnmglQ do their fightings when the time was right and appropriate. He
assured them futher that Alkdf would surely fail because he was not sent on the
assignment he was carrying out. He advised the elders to offer gbg with one matured
he-goat and money. After this, he told them to feed Egu
Qdara
with one big rooster. The
elders complied immediately.
As soon as the gbg was offered, EgU
Qdara
petitioned heaven and complained that
Alknd had been misusing the special
powers given unto him. He said that he had
wrecked untold havoc on eafth. He insisted that only the withdrawal of that power
would do. Oldmar sent other lrnmgle to go
and investigate what Egu
Qdara
had
said. They confirmed all his repolt and the special power given to AlUkandl was
withdrawn.
Unknown to Alkr1dl that he has lost his special power, he was busy planning his
adventure on the next ma,rket day. EgU
Qdara
was equally busy gathering people
together to confront Alkr1dl on the next market day. EgU
Qdara
assured the people
that their arch enemy had no more power to wreck any havoc on them. He told them to
stand firm.
On the market day, Alkrldl came as expected. As soon as he came he declared:
Em Alkdf Alkdl
Eyltbwmlninpa
Alkdl !
Translation
Here I comeAlukand'i
Whoever I like I will kill
Alkdr!
937
lfa Dida: An nvitaton to lfa Consultation
Instead of panic, Alkndf met resolute determination. Instead of fear, he met courage.
They all responded in unison, saying:
IwqAlukadf, Alkdl
Iwg kll bQQr OlQrun
Alkrrdl !
Translation
Behold,
you Alukandt
You have no fearofGod at heaft
Alknd !
Alkdl was shocked and surprised. He made to rush them but instead, he realized
that he had no power to do anything. The next thing he saw was the people tying his
hands and legs together. He was unceremoniously sent back to where he came from
heaven. When he arrived, he was not allowed to return to eafth again, ever.
IgbQnwq mjeil ni o ge gb'gbQn s'j
DlfinAlkdl
Tll
9'9r
Oldmar AgQtn
Qba
atQnl ql legelqgQfort g'apeji omi
Igba tl nt'qrun bQwa'lay
Ebq
nl wQn nl k wa se
O ko'ti ogbonhins'ebo
emi Alukatrdf, Alktrdl
Eyltbwmlninpa
Alkdl ! Iwo
Iwq Alukarrdf, Alkdl
Iwg ktl bQQr OlQrun
Alkdl !
Translation
The two elbows cannot be used to
place
a Basket onto the ceiling
This was If' s message for me Alukandt
The messenger of Old ma r AgOJn
When coming from
Qrun
toAy
He was advised to offer ebo
He refused to comply
Behold, here comesAlukandt
,
Alukndf
Whoever I like will I kill
Aluk1d'i!
Behold,
you Alukandt
You have no fear ofGod at heaft
938
+,1,
aura uei
Alukdl!
If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed shall overcome his/her enemy
who appears to be stronger and more resourceful than him/her atthe moment.
Conversely, If warns all those connected to this Od never to think of revenging for or
on behalf of Oldmar and/or lrnmglQ. They fight for themselves when the time is
ripe and appropriate.
16.
'
If says that majority of the problems
being faced by the person for wfiom this
Od is revealed was caused by his/her inability to avoid using or doing what were
i
his/her taboos. The person, for whom this Od is revealed, especially during
Iteld or IkggQdy, must avoid all the things that are forbidden for him/her.
Failure to do so can only lead to pains and sorrow.
If advises this person
to offer gbg with a matured he-goat and money.
He/she must also avoid all things which were forbidden for him/her. On this,
Otrlra-Me't says:
Eye
sunkn eji, Awo Eshl Mogbe
Dlfiln Esl-Mogbe
t
Tl sunkn
qrq
Ohun Oyq'rf
I
Opo gle'ble o d'erinmi, awo ljado
filnQbaljd
Tl sunkn oj Oun O ba're
Qkan
gogogmq'kn,
O bQslnU okn mQ rr
Dlfiln Esltt-Mogbe
Eyl tl eewq maa b nf 'wJg
fbg
ni wqn nl k w
9e
Translation
The bird longs for rainfall, the Awo of Eslt1-Mogbe
I
Cast If for Eseltl-Mogbe
When he was lamenting that he lacked success in all his undertakings
The Pillar lies prostrate
and becomes unremovable, theAwo ofTjd
Cast If forthe Awo of Ijd
When lamenting that he lacked success in his life
Only one Okn bead enters the midst of other beads and adds value to
the lot
If cast for Eshl-Mog be
He whom wQ (taboos), were destroying his destiny
He was advised to offer ebg
I
939
lfa Dda: An invtation to lfa Consuftation
Esh1-Mogbe was initiated into If. During hislteld, Otr-MJl was revealed as his
Odu. On the other hand,
qba
Ijd had Otrrra-MJi as his own Od during his
IkgsQdy. Wth allthe
promises
of this Od, they both had very little to show in terms
of achievement. Conversely, they had long stories of woe to tell. Their lives had no
meaning to them anymore.
When
qbaljd
wanted to staft a business venture, he organized a group of his friends
together. They began to contribute money, and the money was handed over.to one of
them to staft business, The friend became successful instantly. The next month, the
same amount was contributed and given to another friend and this friend was also
successful. There were twenty of them in this monthly venture. As the organizer,
Qba
Ijao was expected to collect his own money last.
Twenty months after, when it was his own turn, all his friends disappeared. He was left
in the cold. He prayed and fasted, all to no avail. Beside this unfoftunate experience, he
lost three of his daughters in quick succession. These daughters were his favorite
children and they took after their mother in all ways. They even chose to do the same
work that their mother was doing. This made
Qba
Ijado to be very proud of them.
'Why
must these lovely and obedient children died
just
like that?'he queried, He
concluded that it must be the handiwork of his enemies or the Elders of the Night.
In the case of Esl-Mogbe, he had changed his work several times and yet, he did not
succeed. He was convinced that he was better than most of his friends in all
depaftments of life. He used to tell his friends so. Most of his friends were more
successful than him. This led him into excessive drunkenness to 'drink off' his sorrows.
His wife and children abandoned him when he became an alcoholic. He told lies freely in
the hope that he could use such lies to cover up some of his weaknesses. This only
brought him shame and odium. He concluded that his imaginary enemies were at work
and vowed to revenge. He tried to destroy the achievements of his imaginary enemies
and he was caught. He was given the beaten of his life.
One day, both Esel-Mogbe and
Qbaljd
met. They quickly realized thatthel) had a lot
in common; they both had stories of woe and calamities to tell; they were both
unsuccessful; they were both moving from grace to grass; they were both subjects of
ridicule in their various communities; life had became wofthless to both of them. They
were then attached to the common bond of sorrow. When
Qba
Ijado told Eselu-Mogbe
that his parents told him that OtUra-M) was revealed during his IkgsQdy, Esh1-
Mogbe responded that the same Od was revealed during his own ItgtoOU . That was
when they both knew that their misfo.tune was not a mere coincidence.
Very early in the morning one day, Esh1-Mogbe went to the home of 'Fye sunkn eji'
for If consultation. The Awo told him that his misfoftune had nothing to do with the
handiwork of wicked people
or witches. He rushed out of the home of the Babalwo out
940
of angen He was totally convinced that his enemies were actually at work .nr,.Jiiffil.
He called
qba
ljd his friend and explained this to him. They both reflected on it and
they both decided to go to other Babalwos separately and return home to compare the
information they had gathered.
Qbaljad
wentto'0p gb'ble
deflml'and EshJ-
Mogbewentto'Qkan gogogmg'kQn
bQs|n okn mQ roro'forIf consultation: What
were the causes of their misfotune in life? Could they overcome all these problems?
Did they still have the chance to succeed in life?
The two Awo told them that they had been engaging themselves in those things
that their destinies had forbidden. Consequent upon this, all their misfoftunes and
pains
had been self-inflicted. The Awo assured them separately that if they could
avoid all the taboos in their Od, they stood the chance of stopping all the
misfortunes, erasing them from their lives and moving foruard. In the case of
Esl-Mogbe, he was asked if he remembered all the taboos that were enumerated
for him to avoid. He responded that he could not remember any, When 'OpO
gb'brlle
o derinmi' asked
Qba
Ijado if he could remember his own taboos. He
responded that his parents never told him that he had any.
'Qkan
,sogo Qmg'kn
bQ Sinrl okn O mQ roro' gave Eshl-Mogbe sixteen (16) taboos
and the consequences of breaking them. The same taboos were given to
Qbaljado
by
'0p gbe'ble
delml' These taboos are:
I No OtUra-Me) child must engage in any form of financial contribution,
thriftor Cooperative this isto avoid being duped orswindled.
ii. Must avoid eating squirrel to avoid exposing oneself to enemies and conspirators.
ili. Must never brag or show off to avoid being run down by enemies.
Iv. Must never engage in excessive alcoholic drink to avoid working against
is/her destiny.
V. Must never engage in arguments to avoid attracting negative aura and
spirituality to him/her self.
Vi. His daughters must never engage in the same work as their mother to avoid
losing them in quick
succession.
vii. Must not be changing work at will to avoid running ahead of his/her
destiny.
viii. Must never revenge to avoid inflicting more pains
on himself/herself.
ix. Must never show wickedness to avoid being turned against in his/her
community,
x. Must never tell lies to avoid being ridiculed publicly.
xi. Must never fast or skp meals to avoid working against his destiny. (Otrlra-
M) children who engage in fasting will never be able to achieve their goals
in life)
xii. Must never be envious of other people's
success to avoid
public
odium.
xiii. Must not lay too much emphasis on his/her rights to avoid confrontations
I
941
lfa Dida: An invtation to lfa Consultation
with the Elders of the Night.
xiv. Must never be selfish to avoid losing all he had gained in life.
xv. Must avoid using
QpgerQ
bird to avoid missing great opportunities in life.
xvi. Must never use any paft of rb tree to avoid being disqualified from
assuming leadership positions.
When both of them returned home, they compared the information they had received.
Nobody needed to tellthem before they realized what had caused their downfall. They
also realized that to pick up their lives and start afresh was entirely left in their hands.
Eye
sunkUn ejirAwo Esel Mogbe
D{filn Eshl-Mogbe
Tl sunkn
QrQOhun
Oyg'rl
fibg
ni wqn nl k w qe
Opo gUe'buh d'erlnml, Awo ljado
Dlfirn
gba
ljdo
Tl sunkn oj Oun O ba're
f
bg ni wqn nl k w ge
Qkan
gosoqmq'kn,
bqsln okn mq roro
ffiln Eslrt-Mogbe
Eyl tl ewQ ma b nl'wJg
fbg
ni wQn nl k w
9e
Erolpo,eroQfa
Sni
gbg'bg nlb, kwa gg'bg o
Translation
The bird longs for rainfall, the Awo of Eshl-Mogbe
He castlf for Eshf
-Mogbe
When he was lamenting that he lacked success in all his
undertakings
He was advised to offer gbg
The Pillar lies postrate
and become unmovable, the Awo ofljd
He cast If for
Qbaljado
When he was lamenting that he lacked success in his life
He was advised to offer gbo
Only one Okn bead enters the midst of other beads and adds
value to the lot
If cast for Esh1-Mogbe
He whom eewQ (taboos) were destroying his destiny
He was advised to offer gbg
Now, travellers tolpo and
Qfa
towns
Letthose advised to offer ebo do so
942
il a*a uei
The most impoftant thing to do, according to the stanza above is to first examine
ourselves before pointing accusing fingers at others. It is better to determine first
whether the cause of our misfortune can or cannot be traced back to our doorsteps
before we begin to accuse witches, wizards, enemies and conspirators. More often
than not, these imaginary 'enemies' may even not be aware of our
presence
not to
talk of thinking about how to create problems for us.
{
943
lfa Dida: An invtaton to lfa Consultation
B. SIGNIFICANCE OF OTNA MEI TON THOSE BORN
BY THE OD DURING ITELD OR IKOSEDAVE
For Otra Mjl children they had been blessed from heaven that they would come
into this world and succeed. This is because in their last incarnation, they peformed
so marvelously well that the Divinities in heaven consider it imperative to bless them
and ensure that they return to the world to live a contented, fulfilled and satisfactory
life. This is one of the reasons why it is difficult to imitate Otrra Mi chldren in
anything that they do or achieve. Not everybody has Divine blessing for what they
do or achieve here on eafth.
Otura Mjl children males and females are usually blessed with wealth, good and
understanding spouses, children, sound health and so on. For allthese, they have a lot
of enemies, particular from their immediate families who could not see any ones so
blessed in the family. It is not possible to stop them from achieving all these great
things, but these Ire can be scattered about for them. This is the reason why OtUra
Mjl children need to work hard and offer regular gbg against a situation where all what
they achieved in life are scattered in their lifetime.
Otura Mjl children are born leaders. Their leadership qualities make them loved and
respected by their followers, They will also be blessed with children who will also be
born leaders. Theirchildren will also be loved and respected bytheirfollowers.
Otura Mjl children are kind-heafted. They love to wipe out sorrow from the lives of
those who have them. As they are doing this, Oldmar is adding more to their purse.
***
Conversely, anytime they add sorrow to their lives. This is the reason why any good
orevildone byOtura Mjl children are multiplied and
giventothem as bonus.
The marital life of Otura Mjl children is blissful; but like all other things that they
achieve in life, the tendency is for enemies to drive away their spouses from them. The
enemies usually make diabolical
plans
to separate these couples. In the end, they will
neversucceed.
'Otrra
Mjl children see no reason whatsoever to maintain reticence on any issue.
They talk where they are supposed to keep their mouths shut. They go to seek advice
from and narrate their stories to those whom they are supposed to keep their secrets
from. This attitude only leads them into trouble. It is however difficult for them to keep
their months shut. Those who love Otura Mil children need to learn how to cope with
this weakness in them,
In all, Otrra Mil children enjoy their blessings on eath. They act as mouthpiece for
944
other people and when they die, they leave indelible marks on the sand of tim
"'1.'
o"'"'"t'
c. AFFTLTATED rR('NM9LF/ORISA OF Or(lnA MEJI
1. If For protection,
success and suppoft
2. Orl For foftune consummation
3. Od For success and spiritual upliftment
4. Egu
Qdara
For victory over adversary success and accomplishment
5.
Egb
For financial success and leadership
6.
QbalUway
For protection
against pestilence and untimely death
7. Iya-Mi-O$OrOga For protection
against childlessness
D. TABOOSOFOTIJRAMEJI
i. No Otura M) child must engage in any form of financial contribution, thrift
or Cooperative this is to avoid being duped or swindled.
ii. Must avoid eating squirrel to avoid exposing oneself to enemies and
conspirators.
I. Must never brag or show off to avoid being run down by enemies.
iv. Must never engage in excessive alcoholic drink to avoid working against
a
his/her destiny.
v. Must never engage in arguments to avoid attracting negative aura and
spirituality to him/her self.
vi. His daughters must never engage in the same work as their mother to avoid
losing them in quick succession.
vii. Must not be changing work at will to avoid running ahead of his/her destiny.
viii. Must never revenge to avoid inflicting more pains
on himself/herself.
ix. Must never show wickedness to avoid being turned against in his/her
community.
x. Must never tell lies to avoid being ridiculed publicly.
'xi.
Must never fast or skip meals to avoid working against his destiny. (Otura
(
Mfl children who engage in fasting will never be able to achieve their goals
in life)
xii. Must never be envious of other
people's
success to avoid public
odium.
xiii. Must not lay too much emphasis on his/her rights to avoid confrontations
with the Elders of the Night.
xiv. Must never be selfish to avoid losing all he had gained in life.
xv. Must avoid using
Qpeere
bird to avoid missing great
opportunities in life.
xvi. Must never use any
part
of Araba tree to avoid being disqualified from
assuming leadership positions.
945
Ifa Dida: An nvitation to lfa Consuftation
E. POSSIBLE NAMES OF OTRA METT CHILDREN
Males
1. Ifdhnsi If responds to this
2. Ifkred If brings all Ire home
3. Awgro If is difficult as a
practice
4. Osubdo 0s settles him
5. Olrunggo God manifest His Majesty
Females
1. AdrQmkn The crown affiliates with Okn beads
2. Mkej Do not be in a hurry
3. Iflyin If has honey
Aeon(f AsovE.
946
Chapter L4
IRETE MEJI
lt
tt
llil
tl
A.
1.
Chapterfoufteen
IRETE MEJI
Alias: Ejl- Elemere)
If assures the
person for whom this Od is revealed during
Ikgsdye orltqlod that his/her life shall be blessed wlth profitability.
He/she will never die
young. He/she shall be happy and very
comfortable. He/she shall also be blessed with the suppoft of IlQ, the
mother-earth.
If advises him/her to offer
gbg with one big he-goat and money.
He/ she also needs to find out what IIQ will take from him/her and
feed her accordingly. On this,Irgt-M) says:
Iyn Bmbm lkn inu igba
QrQ
bembem ko kn ikn gblagb
Dlfiln l|mjeyl
Tlyoo k'reay
je
Sbg
ni wn nl kO waa
9e
Translation
A big morsel of
pounded yam may fill a calabash container to the brim
But a big issue cannot fill the stomach of an elder
This was lf's declaration forllQmjQl
Who shall be blessed with all Ire in life
He was advised to offerebo
When llQmjQli was coming to eafth from heaven, he chose, and was
blessed with, all the good things of life wealth,
good spouse, nice and
lovely chi ldren, peacefu I fa mi ly of orientation, comfoftable neighbourhood,
sound mind,
good health etc.. When he arrived on7 eafth he had allthat it
tookto be successful in life.
948
One day, IlQmajgyi went for If consultation in order to determine what his
success chances in life would be; would he succeed? Would he be able to
attain his goals in life? Would he be blessed with wealth, spouse, children,
propefties
and all other good
things of life? would he live a happy and
fruitful life on eafth? These and many more were the questions
at the back
of his mind when he approached the Awo mentioned above for If
consultation. The Awo assured him that he had the chance to succeed in
life because he had chosen all the lre in life as part
of his destiny. The Awo
advised him to pray for three things in his life: one, a trouble-free life; two,
sound health; and three, long life. IlQmje{was advised neverto go
outof
his way to court trouble so that his prayer
for a trouble free life will be
accepted by Oldmar. He was also advised never to misuse, abuse or
overuse himself physically, psychologically,
emotionally or spiritually in
order for his prayer for sound health to be accepted. He was also cautioned
against being a "hero", he must also find means of saving his life when
death threatened, especiallywhere itwas possibleto
do so. Thatwaswhen
his prayer
for long life would be accepted. The Awo then advised him to
offer qbg with a matured he-goat and money. He was also advised to feed
Il, the mother eafth, because he had a very strong connection to her. The
gbg recommended for llQmjqf, he was reminded, was not for wealth or
success; but rather, it was for victory against trouble, ill-health and untimely
death. IlQmajQl complied and offered the gbg
as prescribed.
He also took
the advices of the Awo serious. He started off as a farmer. His harvests
were beautiful. Before long he was a huge success. He soon took a
spouse. Together they made bigger cultivation and reaped better harvest.
His wife proved
to be a simple, unassuming, gentle headed easy going
and
honest woman. They were blessed with many children whom she trained
to fear Oldmar and have respectfor elders.
when the children grew
up, the family erected a magnificent propefi
in the
family compound. They managed to stay out of trouble at all times. They
did all things with moderation and were blessed with good health. They
consulted their If and performed
all prescribed gbo regularly. They were
very happy with life and life was very happy with them. They lived long and
fulfilled lives. They became a model of some sort in the community. All
envious people were kept at bay by the community. The whole community
regarded llQmajQl and his family as ambassadors of the community, and as
949
sucn, mey were protected
and detended.
Iyn Bmtbm l kn in igb
QrQ
bmbm ko krrn ikn gblagb
Dl fn llmajeyd
Tl yO k'r ay
jg
lbg
ni wn nl k w ge
gb'Qborr'bg
KO p,, kOjlnn
I
w b ni nl
jQbrtt
lregbogbo
Jebt iregbogbo l b ni lSsQQbarlga.
Translation
A bg morsel of pounded yam may fill a calabash container to the brim
Buta big issue cannotfillthe stomach of an elder
This was lf's declaration for llQmjgf
Whoshall be blessed with alllre in life
He was advised to offergbg
He complied
Before long, nottoo far
Join us in the midstof all Ire in life
It is that which If has guaranteed for us.
All that reman for the person for whom this Od is revealed are trouble free
life, sound health, and long life in order to enjoy all these divine blessings.
If assures the person for whom this Od is revealed that he/she will never
live a chaotic life. If assures him/her that if he/she can dedicate all his/her
life to If, he/she shall be made an ambassador of Oldmar. He/she shall
also be blessed with allthe Ire in life.
2. If advises this person
to have the sign of If on his/her person
at all
times. He/she needs to have the Id of If round his/her wrist and
neck at all times. If possible, he/she can also have it round his/her
waist. Wth this, all negative principalities
will maintain their distanc
from him/her because they will know that he/she has the sign and
protection
of If on his/her person. If recommends for this
person
to
offer gbg with two rats, two fish, two hens and money. He/she is
also advised to feed If with one matured she-goat. On this,Irgtg-
950
meJr says:
lqrunyan
nfodokt
D,lfnAtka
Tff sellarl Oldmar
fbg
niwQn nl k w ge
Translation
During dry season, it is possible to
jump
over a stream
This was lf's message forAtQka, the lapwing
The ambassador of Old mar
He was advised to offer gbq
AtQka, the Lapwing, was born into the family of great If priests
and
priestesses. He however took to farming as hs own means of livelihood.
He was quite
successful as a farmer, but he was not a very happy man. He
knew that something was missing in his life but he could not put his fingers
into what was amss. Much as he tried, he could not figure it out. All he
knew was that the peace of mind and contentment that he feruently
prayed for in his life were not there. Yes, he was financially alright. Yes,
he had a
good family. But yes, he was not satisfied with his life. He was
howeverdetermined to do something about it.
One day he went to the home of the Awo mentioned above for If
consultation: would he be blessed with peace
of mind in his life? Would he
be contented with his life? Would he live long and be protected against
the vagaries of life?
The Awo advised Atqka to go
and
put his mind at rest. He was assured
that he would not only be
protected, he would also be elevated. He would
be blessed with peace
of mind and contentment. Atqka was told that he
had been chosen as an fla, ambassador, of Oldmar. Consequent
upon this, there was the need for him to devote all his life to If. He must
study If as his religion, profession and his complete way of life. He was
told that he had no need to go to the farm for farming or to the river to fish
or fetch water. He was to stay in his home to serve If and Oldmar.
He was told that anytime he went out, it must be in the service of
Oldmar.
951
ftqka was also advised to offer
gbg
and feed If as
prescribed
above. He
complied. As soon as he leftthe home of the Babalwo, he summoned all
the members of his family and announced to them that hencefofth, he was
going
to devote his entire life to the service of Oldmar through If. At
first, his family found it difficult to understand how he could do this when,
according to them, he had everything going for him. He made it clear to
them that what he needed most in his life was not monetary gain
but
rather internal peace
and contentment. He told them that he had not been
at
peace with himself all his life. The family had no option but to respect
his view; after all, what he planned to do was not strange to the family.
He began his studies in earnest. The initial stage was tough and rough.
Surprisingly, instead of feeling bad about the downward trend of his
finances, he was in fact happy, he found out that bringing
joy
into the lives
of others was more rewarding than all the wealth in the world. Before he
finished his studies, he was already at peace with himself. His life had
meaning to him. He saw life from a different perspective entirely. His
family noticed this and they were all very happy for him. Most of his
friends and business partners did not easily accept the fact that Atoka had
finally abandoned farming and trading in farm produce. They would go
and
persuade him to farm and trade, even if on paft-time basis. Atqka
would however respond that as an Ilaf of Oldmar, he did not need to
farm, fish or trade anymore. Eventually, all of them gave up and left AtQka
alone to chaft the path of his life as it pleased him.
When he finished his studies, he became an instant success. He was
known far and near. He was in very high demand. This pleased him more
than any other thing in his life. He was very happy assisting
people.
These people also showed him their appreciation. They were always by
him to help him. He was loved and happy; he had internal peace; he was
loved and respected. In addition, he gained more financial success than
what he had when he was a farmer. AtQka lived and died a very contented
man.
lgrunyn
fodo kt
t)l firn Atka
Tfi sellar{ Oldmar
952
Ebg
ni wgn nl kw
9e
gb'Qbo, rrt'bg
Mo di llerl Iknf mi o r'oko
Atqka d IIad obdmar
Modi llarl lkin, mi o r'odo
Atqka d llir{ oldmar
Ko pe, kOjlnn
Ew b'ni b'yQ
f
w wo're o
Translation
During dry season, it is possible to
jump
over a stream
This was lf's message forAtQka, the lapwing
The ambassador of Old mar
He was advised to offer ebo
Hecomplied
I have become thellaf of Ikn, I have no need to farm
Atka has become the Ilal of oldmar
I have become the llaf of Ikn, I have no need to fish
Atka has become thellari of old mar
Before long, nottoo far
Join us in the midstof happness
Come and
perceive
all lre of Life
If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed shall live a happy
life. He/she shall be contented with his/her life. He shall gain respect and
honour, and in addition, he/she shallnot live in povefiand want.
3. If says thatall the blessings in the family of the person for whom this
Od is revealed shall be divided into two; one part shall be given
to
him/her while the other part shall be shared by all the other members
I
of his/her family. If's says that this is so because the woman who
gave bifth to this person had offered a lot of
gbg
on his/her behalf
even
before he/she was born, and when he/she was young, the prayers
of
his/her mother had been
given favourable consderation and
accepted
by Oldmar ever before he/she was born. For this reason, he/she
isi
953
Entitled to allthe Ire in life.
In order to open the door of all these Ire in life, If advises the person
for whom this Od is revealed to offer gbg with four guinea-fowls
and money. On this, If says:
Poro byll
Aala uaytt
Dl filn tdeb
Tfl
$
e Yy
Qke
gbq
ni wqn nl k w
Se
Translation
Poro b$'r (the crops cultivated heap this way)
Aata Uayrt (and the farm boundary that way)
They were the Awo who cast If for Ldb
Who was the mother of
Qke
She was advised to offer
gbg
When Ldeb was newly married, her major pre-occupation
was to be
blessed with a child that she would be very proud
of, and who would be the
center of attraction in the whole community. Ever before she became
pregnant,
she made several visits to the home of the
groups
of Awo
mentioned above for If consultation. All what she was begging for was for
her to give
bifth to the most important child in the whole community. She
wanted to be seen and known as the mother of the
gem
child of her
community. She believed that if Oldmar gave her this child, then her
life was wofth living. All the gbg that were prescribed
for her by these Awo
were performed
by LdQb.
When she became pregnant,
she continued to go to these Awo every
seventeen days and she continued to perform
all her gbg
as prescribed.
She never stopped this practice
after the child had been born. (The child
was named
Qkg
because he was cocooned in amniotic sac when he was
born).
Qke
grew
up to become a very intelligent boy. He was well-behaved and
very obedient. When he grew
up, he went to the home of the same Awo
whom his mother used to take him to when he was young, for If
954
consultation; would he succeed in life? During consultation,IrgtQ MT was
revealed.
TheAwo assured
8kthatallshall
bewellwith him. Theytold him thatever
before he was born, his mother had offered allthe necessary gbg for him to
be a successful man on eafth. He was assured that his mother's prayers
had been fonrrarded to Oldmar for consideration and approval by EgU
Qdara.
After due consideration, OkE was informed, Oldmar had
approved his mother's prayers.
Qkg
was told to go home and do his best in
all the things he was doing and ensure that he stayed out of trouble. In
order to ensure that all these Ire in life manifested, Okq was advised to offer
gbg with four guinea fowls and money. He promptly complied. As soon as
Qke
dd this, anything he touched became instantly successful. He was
blessed with so much money that people believed that half of the wealth in
his family actually belonged to him, while the remaining half belonged to all
other members of his family. It was the same story with spouses, children,
horses, propefties and all other
good things of life.
Poro byll
Aala baytt
Dl firn Ldeb
Tff
geYy
Qke
Fbg
ni wgn nl k w
9e
gb'gbo, r'bg
Aj ilyll kQo?
T'Qkq ni o
T'Qkqt'qk I'e! rrk
Aya ilyll kQo?
T'Qkq ni o
T'qkqt'okql'eJu trk
I
!9in
ilyfl rtkQ o?
T'Qkg ni o
T'qket'okql'eJ k
Ire gbogbo il yll kQ o?
T'Qkg nio
T'qkt'qkq I'eJU rtke
Translation
Poro byli
(the crops cultivated heap this way)
955
Aata ay(and the farm boundary that way)
They were the Awo who cast If for Ldb
Whowasthe motherof
Qkg
She was advised to offer
qbo
She complied
Who owns all the wealth in this home?
They belong to
Qke
'T'QkQ t'Qke' is the sound a guinea-fowl
makes when itsquawks
And the women in this house?
The belong to Oke
'T'QkQ t'Qke' is the sound a guinea-fowl
makes when itsquawks
And allthe blessings in this house?
Theyall belong to
Qke
'T'Qke t'Qke' is the sound a guinea-fowl makes when it squawks
If promises
the person
for whom this Od is revealed that he/she shall be
looked up to for guidance
and assstance in all aspects of life by his/her
family and communty. If says that because much has been
given
to
him/her, he/she is strongly advised not to disappoint himself/hersell
his/her family and his/her community.
4. If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed shall not only be
blessed with all the
good
things of life outside where he/she was born,
he/she would also have a lot to show for all these blessings. If says
that there are three of them who are moving together but who are not
born in the same town. If assures the three of them that they will all
succeed in their new place
of abode and they will be able to take the
evidence of their success backto their home lands.
If advises each of these three people
to offer gbg with three white
pigeons,
three ducks, three roosters, three guinea-fowls
and
money. On this aspect, If says:
Aro-gbgede-gb
filn
Qlbrinjg
Qmg
wgn l'de Isanh
fbgageygrf
niwgn nl kwaage
956
Translation
Aro-gbagede-gb
He was the Awo who cast If for
Qlbrinjg
The indigene oflsanlu Land
He was advised to offer gbg forsuccess and accomplishment
Qlbrinjg
was an indigene of lsanlU town. He left his home town and
travelled to Ad-Eld to settle. When he arrived in his new home, he knew
only one
person in the town. This person
used to visit fsanhl as a trader
who sold clothing materials to
Qlbrinjg's
relatives. It was through this
trader that
Qlbrinjg
moved to Ad-Eld.
Soon after he got to this new town, he realized that it was not easy as a non-
indigene to succeed. His host had little time to introduce him to other
people because of his travelling and other busy schedules.
Qlbrinjo
was in a state of dilemma when he met Jgu. Jgu was an
indigene of
QtunmQba
land. He also came to Ado-Ekltl to settle when he
heard that business thrived in Ad-Eldti. He did not have much business
links in his new place of abode but he decided to try his luck anyway. When
he first arrived, it was difficult for him even to eat. He was determined to
stay on in spite of this temporary setback. He began to fetch water and cut
firewood for people in order to survive. It was during one of his trips to the
stream to fetch water that he met Olbrinjo. His dialect betrayed him as a
stranger in Ad-Eldtl. They talked. They became instant friends. They
decided to stay and worktogether.
Three weeks after this, the two friends met
Qkanlawgn. Qkanlawqn
was
'
from Altamgde Akoko. He also came to Ad-Eki to begin a new life. He
had tried his hands on two business ventures in his home land and had failed
woefully in both. Something kept telling him that he would succeed
elsewhere. He made some enquiries and decided to move to Ad-Ekt.
The third day he arrived in his new abode was the day he met
Qlbrinjg
and
Jeg. The three of them became inseparable. They did everything
together. Where you found one, be sure that the other two were close by.
Before Iong, the whole town of Ad-Eld began to notice them as close
friends.
\,rlI(: uoy, LllE LlllEEt ! Ltgt|| JoL LtJgELttEl rvr )gttrJuJ Lt)LuJJtvr vt| |r|!,vy LrtEy
would progress
in life. During their discussion, they realized that there was
the need for them to begin the ventures they knew how to do best.
Qlbrinjg
stated that his family specialized in hunting and he had also
participated
in several hunting expeditions. He was convinced that he
would become a successful hunter in Ado-Eld. Jgu was a farmer all his
life. He knew how to use manure to
produce
bountiful harvest. Not only
this, he knew the tricK to use to keep pests, rodents and birds away from
his farm. He concluded that with the fertile land of AdEkltl, coupled with
good
business climate, he was bound to succeed.
Qkanlawqn
said that he
had all along been a trader all his life. Even though he had tried selling
cloths and wood carvings and had failed, he knew that he would succeed
because the business environment in Ad-Eld was right for trading.
That day, the three of them concluded that they would procure
three types
of locally made guns
and
gun powder for
Qlbrinjg
from their collective
saving so that he could staft his hunting in earnest. They did. The
remaining money was spent on buying cutlasses, hoes, cudgels, knives and
other farming implements for Jgu. They approached the community
head of their area for farming land and Jgu was given land. They told
Qkanhwgn
to be in charge of selling all the
games killed by
Qlbrinjg
and
all the farm products
of Jgu. The three of them were in the businesses
they were acquainted with which they understood very well once again,
The first day, that
Qlbrinjo
went to the forest for hunting, he came back
home with two big antelopes and one grassscutter. They cooked the grass
cutter for food and sold the two antelopes. The sale convinced the other
two friends that
Qkanlawgn
was a fantastic trader and a hard bargainer.
With this initial progress,
Qlbrinjg
was still not totally satisfied. He
decided to approach Ar-gbagede-gb, the best Babalwo n Ad-Ekt at
that
period for If consultation.
The Awo told
Qlbrinjo
to offer gbg
as stated above. The Awo explained
that to have bountiful harvest or to kill several
games were not enough for
success. What was more impoftant was for these
produce
to meet the
market atthe most appropriate time and for them to strike the right chord in
the minds of the consumers. This was even more impoftant when
958
r-vrrrrLsrllrg Lrs lqLL LlrcrL L!ru)E lJrilrglllg LilE >clllg
PluuuLLs
LU Lf le llldf KeL
were many. There was therefore the need to offer gbg
so that his own
products would be the most attractive to those who would consume them
anytimethey reached the market.
Qlbrinjg
was impressed with the explanation and he offered the gbg
as
prescribed by the Awo accordingly.
Soon after this
gbg was offered, things began to change for the better for
Qlbrinjg.
People
preferred his animals to those of others.
Qkanlawgn
used to have hard times
placating
aggrieved customers who could not see
any animal to buy anytime he carried
Qlbrinjg's
games to the market.
Qlbrinjg
began to show signs of success more than his two other friends.
One day,
Qlbrinjg
called a meeting for the three of them to have another
round of serious deliberation. He made it clear to his two friends that the
gap of success between him and his two friends was beginning to widen.
He declared that he was convinced that if the gap
continued to widen as it
was going, there was bound to be envy and that was very dangerous for
their friendship. He said that such development was unacceptable to him
because he cherished their mutual love and respect more that all the
wealth in the world. Solution? He urged his two friends to go for If
consultation in the home of Aro-gbgede-gb and ensure that they offered
all the gbg
that he prescribed for them. After much deliberation, Jgu
agreed to
give
Qlbrinjg's
advice a trial.
Aro-gbagede-gb
DlfnJgu
Qmq
Ode
Qtunmgb
Ebq
a*ygrt ni wQn nl k w
9e
Translation
Aro-gbagede-gb
He was the Awo who cast If for Jgu
The indigene of
QtnmQb
town
He was advised to offer qbg for success and accomplishment
When Jgu went to Ar-gbgede-gb, he was also assured of success.
He was also advised to offer the same
ebg
that
Qlbrinjg
offered for the
same reason as mat or
v|aDennJg.
ne arso compileo as aovrseo.
Soon after this, Jgu had not only a bountiful harvest, his produce also met
the market at the most appropriate
period. Again,
QkanlawQn
had hard
times explaining to those who did not see anything to buy why this was so
and to exercise
patience.
Jgu also became very successful.
In all these,
Qkanbwgn
was finding it very difficult to make much profit for
himself. He had not changed much from his old poor self. One day,
Qlbrinjg
and Jgu insisted that
Qkanlwgn
must go for If consultation to
find out why he had not succeeded like them. He was also advised to offer
all the
gbg
that Ar-gbgede-gb would recommend for him. They made it
clear to
QkanlawQn
that anyone who knew the three of them when they
stafted to move together would have the impression that he was not being
fairlytreated.
In the end,
QkanlwQn
agreed to
go for If consultation in the home of Ar-
gbgede-gb, to find out the way forward:
Ar-gbagede-gb
Dlfiln
Qkanlawgn
Tll g'gmg wgn nl Altamgdg-Akoko
Ebgeqeyqrl
niwQn nl kw9e
Translation
Aro-gbagede-gbd
He was the Awo who cast If for
Qkanhwgn
The indigene of Altamgde-Akoko land
He was advised to offer gbg for success and accomplishment
Ar-gbgede-gb blamed
QkanlawQn
for waiting for too long before coming
for If consultation. He was however assured that it was not too late. He
recommended the same
gbg
for
Qkanlawgn
and he assured him that he
would succeed as his two other friends. Okanlawon offered the ebo as
prescribed.
As soon as he did this, his situation changed for the better. He began to
960
maKe nuge proflts from nts sales. I he more proft he made, the more hs
customers loved his goods. They considered the goods to be expensive
because they were of superior qualities. He soon added clothing materiats
and wood carving products
to his sales. Surprisingly, he began to make
more profits in these than in the sales of animals and farm produce.
That
was when he knew that it was not the witches and wizards in
AltamgdeAkoko who prevented him from succeeding when he was there.
To convince himself, he took his goods
to his home town and he sold
everything. Including the sack he used to load the goodsthere!
The three friends got married in Ad-Eldti. They were blessed with several
children; they acquired many propefties
and they were highly respected in
the land. When it was time for them to return to their respective home
lands, the people
of Ad-Ekltlthrew a lavish farewell party for them. They
all depafted from Ad-Eldti with tears of
joy
rolling down the cheeks of both
indigenes and visitors.
Aro-gbagede-gb
Dlfn
Qlbrinjg
Tll g'gmg won l'de IsanlU
lbgageygrl
niwqn nl kOwaage
gb'gbg,
rU'bg
Aro-9bagede-gb
DlfnJgu
Qms
Ode
Qtmqb
gb'Qbg,
rrt'bg
Aro-gbagede-gb
D fn
Qkanhwqn
Tff g'gmg wgn nl Altamqde-AkokO
Ebg
a$eyqrl ni wqn nl k w
9e
gb'gbg, rrt'bgK pe, kO
jinn
f
wa ba ni nl wQwO ire gbogbo
jq Isanlrr n'il
etbrnjq
Qlbrinjg
le
re Isanlu
Isanh n'il
Qlbrnjo
Qtunmqb
nitiJgu
Jgu l
r'odeQtmQb
Qtunmgb
nilJgu
961
vngrlrgttt tr I lrttrl, uYtl
Qkanlawqn
la
r'eleAkoko
Akk n'ile
Qkanlwen
o
Translation
Aro-gbgede-gb
He was the Awo who cast If for
Qlberinjg
The indigene oflsanhf
He was advised to offer gbg for success and accomplishment
He complied
Ar-gbgede-gb
He was theAwo who cast If forJegue
The indigene of
QtUnmQb
town
He was advised to offer gbg for success and accomplishment
Aro-gbagede-gb
He was the Awo who cast If for
QknlwQn
The indigene of Altamgde-Akoko land
He was advised to offer gbg for success and accomplishment
He complied
Before long, nottoofar
Join us in the midst of all blessings of life
IsanlU wasthe home of
Qlbrinjg
Qlbrinjg
succeeded
And returned tolsnhj
Isanht wasthe home of
Qlbrinjg
Jgu was an indigene of Omgb
After the success of Jgu
He returned to
QtmQba
his homeland
Jgu was an indigene of
Qtmgba
Altamgde-Akoto was the home of
Qkanlawgn
Qkanbwgn
succeeded
And returned toAkoko land
Akkwasthe home of
Qkanlawgn
If advises three friends who are from different lands to offer qbg
so thatthe
three of them will succeed together. It is also impoftant for the three of
them to offer gbg
so as to prevent
a situation where one or two of them
succeed and the others do not.
5. If says that it foresees the blessing of all ire in life for the
person
for
962
whom this ocl is revealed. lf says mat mts
person snall De Dlesseo
with honour and followership. He/she shall be respected and
adored.
If says that right now this
person is in hot pursuit of wealth at the
expense of his/her spiritual elevation. If warns him/her that whether
he/she scrambles for wealth or not, he/she will be blessed with wealth;
but if he/she loses his spiritual essence, then he/she has lost all.
If advises him/her to offer
qbQ with two
pigeons' two
guinea-
fowls, four rats, fourfish, plenty of shrimps and money. He/she
needs to be eating shrimps regularly in order for his/her wealth to
reach his/her hands as
quicklyas possible. On these, If says:
ApOaj ba'lQ, r
jlnnginni
ApO gmg'kn ba'le r
jogbojogbo
Mtorl kl n l nl lsinmi
Ni mo
9e
n gal sinmi
lyinogbt'Ogi
mQ
AreAj le s kir i
Algbigba l Kanrankanran r'Okun
Algbigba l Kanrankanran r'Qs
Alagbigba l Karankanran r'de Oylnb
Dfi filn YemqsQ lldo
Tl sunkn Oun ri're
Sbg
ni wn nf k w
Fe
Translation
A bag full of cowries landed and made a ricocheting sound
And a bag full of
Qmq'krln
beads landed and made a dull sound
I
In orderfor me to have rest in future
\
That is why I have refused to give myself rest now
You no longer listen tothe instructions of the Ofiga
You areallin hotpursuitof wealth
The Agbigba diviner chants repeatedly to the seas
And chants repeatedly to the lagoons
And even chants repeatedlyto Oyinbo man's land
These werethe messages of If forYemgsQ IldO
Who was weeping in lamentation of her inability to secure all ire
963
iltiltt
She was advised to offer gbg
Yemese Iledo was a very hard-working woman. She had been trained to
appreciate the value of hard work. She was told by her mother that if she
wanted to rest when her hair turned grey,
she must work hard when her
hair was black. This lesson she tookvery seriously. In her bid to succeed in
life, she had no time for any other thing. She totally abandoned all her
ancestral Onga and she did not remember the days for venerating any of
the Og. However, there was no market day she did not know around her
community. Anyone who wanted to go to any marketwould go and ask her
what to expect in that market and she would supply them with the
information in an accurate manner. She was a wondeful market analyst.
Surprisingly however, she did not have much to show for her versatility.
Much as she tried, her condition did not improve. Tired of this, she summed
up courage one day and decided to go
to the home of the group
of Awo
mentioned above for If consultation. Would she succeed in life? She
asked.
The group
of Awo assured her that she would surely succeed in life. They
told her that even though it was a
good
thing to be hard-working, it was
actually the blessing of the 0g and approval of Oldmar which really
make one to succeed. She was told that since she had abandoned the
Onga they too had closed their ears to her cries and had chosen not to
assist her in her quest for success. She was advised to continue to be hard-
working but at the same time, find enough time to venerate the Orig and
oldmar regularly. It was by so doing, she was assured, that success
would come her way. After this, the Awo advised her to offer
gbg
as stated
above. She was also advised to eat shrimps regularly and use same to feed
all her OrIg. She complied. She also planned
her life in such a way that
nothing was allowed to disturb her from worshipping her Onga on a regular
basis.
Soon after this, her life began to change for the better. She was able to see
that it was not only hardwork that made life wofth living. She realized that
organizing one's life in an orderly manner was even more important than
hardwork alone. There oughtto be time for work, time for leisure, time for
worship, time for rest and time for all other things of life. when she
964
reatrzeo tnar tr was me ume Tor a cnange oI $atus, sne Degan to plan for
marrage. She was successfully married. She had splendid children. She
trained her children well. She was blessed with the wealth she had been
yearning for, and her wealth had meaning to her because she had people to
share her wealth with. She was able to live a contented life.
ApO aj ba'l$, r
jlnnginni
Apo gmg'kn ba'l r
jogbojogbo
Mtorl kl n l nl lsinmi
Ni mo ge gal sinmi
lyinogbt'Ogi
mq
ArAj l s kr
Alagbigba l Kanrankanran r'kun
Algbigba n l Kanrankanran r'Qs
Algbigba l Karankanran r'deOylnb
DlfilnYemqsQIIdo
T1 sunkn un O rf re
Ebq
ni wn nf k w ge
gbbg, rrtbg
Ko pe ko
jlnna
Ire gbogbow ya dttru
Ire ajtf Od
Edlnl kd
Owlnnlwlnnl, ed l nl k d
Iregkgtl d
Edlnl kd
Q
wlnnlwlnnl ed l nl kd
Iregmgtl d
Edlnl kd
Qwlnnlwlnnl
ed l nl kd
Ire iltl kOd
Edlnl kd
Qwinnlwlnnl
ed l nl k d
Iregbogbotl kd
Edlnl kd
Owinnlwlnnl ed l nl k d
Translation
A bag fullof cowries landed and made a ricocheting sound
965
/ar ru d ucrg I ull or
Vm9'Kun
Deads landed
and made a dUll SOund
In orderfor
me to have rest in future
That is why I have refused
to give
myserf rest now
you
no ronger risten to the instructions
of the onga
you
are all in hot pursuit
of wealth
The Agbigba diviner chants repeatedry
to the seas
And chants repeatedlyto
the lagoons
And even chants repeatedryto
Qyinb
man's rand
These were the messages
of Ifa foryemgse
Ibdo
Who was weeping
and lamenting
of her inability
to secure all
ire in life
She was advised to offer gbg
She complied
Before long, nottoo far
Allthe ire in life came in abundance
The ire of wealth that had failed to come
It was ed, the shrimps, which ordered it to come
QWinnlwlnn'i, ed had ordered it to come
The ire of spouse that had failed to come
It was ed which ordered itto come
QwfnnlWinrTi
ed had directed itto come
The ire of children that had failed to come
It was ed which ordered itto come
Qwlnnlwlnff ede had directed it to come
The ire of properties
that had failed to come
It was ed which ordered it to come
'Qwinn)wlnrf
ed had directed it to come
The ire of ail bressings that had faired to come
It was ed which ordered itto come
Qwlnnlwind ed had summoned
it to come
If says thatthe person
forwhom
this od is revealed
shallbe
blessed with
all ire in life. All he/she needs
to do is to organize his/life in an orderly
manner and try to identiff
his/her priorities.
He/stre must also be close to
the Oga and Oldmar.
6' If says that the person
for whom this Od is revealed
has all it takes
966
to succeed in life, especially if he/she plans to leave his/her place
of
birth in search of
greener pastures elsewhere. If says that at
the initial stage, it may not be easy because he/she may have to
contend with four obstacles in his/her quest for success. If advises this
person not to confront these obstacles, but rather to use
his/her wisdom and understanding to
get round them to
succeed. Ifthiscan be done, this
person will surely succeed.where
others had failed. He/she will have course to celebrate.
If recommends for this
person to offer
gbg with animal bones (any
animal),
yam peeling, corn, tf, corn mealofal, and money. On this,
a stanza inlrgtQ M) says:
Okltl bebeeba nif
pQkun opp
D,lfirn LlgboQgege
T1 le r gun'gi gla n'lfQ
lbg
ni wqn nl k w
9e
Translation
okl babaab n'ipQkun opp
He wastheAwowho castlf for Ligb0
Qggge
When going to climb the tree of
prosperity in IfQ
He was advised to offerebo
Llgb
Qgege
had made several attempts to climb the tree of prosperity in
Ib-Ie and he did not succeed. Why? At the foot of this tree (Fge tree)
were four wild-looking animals which prevented anyone from climbing the
tree. These animals were agb-mQmQ, ram; btlkg, he-goat; aj, dog;
and kkg-Qtan-galfija, cock. Allthe people who had attempted to climb
the tree were chased away. Those who tried to brave it were bitten
mercilessly by the dog, hit forcefully by the ram and he-goat, and
scratched with nails bythe cock.
In spite of this, Ligb
Qgege
was fully determined to climb the tree. He
knew that anyone who climbed the tree would become
prosperous,
even
beyond his/her wildest dreams. When he got to the foot of the tree, he
saw the four animals sleeping. He quickly but stilthily stepped forward to
climb the tree, only to receive a nasty bite from the dog guarding the tree.
967
There must be a way of climbing this tree, he reasoned. When he could
not think of any other trick to climb the tree of prosperity, he decided to
approach the Awo mentioned above for If consultation: would he
succeed in climbing
Fg,
the tree of prosperity?
The Awo assured Llgb
Qggge
that he would be able to climb
[gg,
the
tree of
prosperity. He was told that success did not come cheap or easy.
That was why he needed to expect obstacles at the foot of the tree. Llgb
Qgege
was counselled thatwheneverthere appeared to be obstacle on the
way to one's success, it could not be removed with force; rather the
obstacle must be overcome with wisdom and understanding. The Awo
told LigbO
Qggge
that he had not succeeded in climbing
Fge,
the tree of
prosperity
because he had failed to apply wisdom and understanding.
Paft of the wisdom to apply in overcoming the four obstacles was
approaching If for solution.
The Awo explained fufther that the four animals were wild because there
was nobody there to feed them. It was therefore the duty of Llgb
Qggge
to go and feed the animals in order to make them positively
disposed
towards him. The Awo also advised Llgb
Qgegg
to offer
gbg with animal
bones, yam peelings, corn, corn meal offaland money. He was also asked
to
go
to the foot of
EgQ,
the tree of
prosperity,
and feed the animals with
the same items. He complied.
As soon as the offered the
gbg, he went to look for more of the items and
proceeded
straight to the foot of the tree. As soon as the animals sighted
him, they were all ready for a big fight. Instead, he placed the bones for
the dog; he gave the yam peelings
to the ram; he gave
the cock the corn;
and gave the , corn meal offal to the he-goat. At first, the animals were
looking at him with suspicion. It dd not take long before their hunger
decided for them. They began to eat what Llgb
Qgege
brought for
them. He repeated his visit and feeding on the second, third and fourth
day.
On the fifth day, the animals were already waiting for him. The dog was
wagging its tail when it saw him. The ram and he-goat moved close to him
and they were all playing with him. He gave them the food. The animals
968
were busy eating when Llgb
Qgege
wentto the foot of
fgq
tree to climb
the tree. The animals took no notice of him. He climbed the tree to the
very top and the animals could not be bothered. On top of the tree, he
was blessed with all the
prosperity
anyone could ever acquire in life.
ligb
Qggge
became the most successful
person throughout his own
world atthat
point in time. He was full of
joy
for his accomplishment. He
returned to the Awo who made If for him that he would Iike to offer that
pafticular gbg
once more. The Awo however told him that it was not the
practice
to offer one
gbg twice. He only needed to praise his Awo who did
the
gbg for him; the Awo needed to praise If for making the
predictions
come to pass; while If needed to give thanks to Oldmar for putting
Agg to the
gbg
Okltl bebaaba nif pgkunopp
Dlfirn LlgboQgegq
Tf g r gun'gi qla nffQ
[b9
ni wQn nl k w
Qe

gb'gbo, r'bg
AjldtQg kll
j
kl wgn g'egE
Agb-mQmQ ldl
qge
kff
je
kl wgn g'egq
i
Akkq-o, tln-galje ld|
ege
kll
je
K wgn g'eg
Obkqld
ege
ffi
je
kl wgn g'ege
Llgbo
0ge9e
l w fi ggbqn inrt m'ta
filmOrn m'bl
w 19 r gun qge
igi
Q|
'Ife
jq
Qgqge
d o, g agnla
fnit
b g'QgQgQ
Igi gla l gun
Translation
{
okl babaab rf pQkun oppo
He was the Awo who cast If for Llgb
Qgege
When going to climb the tree of
prosperity in IfQ
He was advised to offer gbg
He complied
The dog at the foot of
[gQ
did not allow anyone to climb
[gQ
tree
The ram atthe footof
figq
did notallow anyoneto climb
fgg
Tree
The cock did not allow anyone to climb
fgg
tree
And the he-goat did not allow anyone to climb the tree
i
969
Llgb0 decided to
procure alligator
pepperwith wisdom
And procured ob'i, kolanut, with understanding
And he wentto climb
Fge,
the tree of
prosperity in Il-IfQ
Behold
QgQg,
the tree of success
Anyone who climbs
Qgege
The person has climbed the tree of prosperity
If assures the
person for whom this Od is revealed that in order to
succeed n life, instead of using confrontation to remove obstacles;
he/she needs to be using wisdom and understanding. By so doing,
prosperity is assured. Success is guaranteed.
7. Ifa says that the
person for whom this Od is revealed may be
suffering from chest and head pain. He/she may be having some
dizziness or lightness in his/her head, while at the same time,
he/she may be experiencing some heaviness in his/her chest or be
feeling some ache therein. Ifa says that these are normal because
Qrunmll
and
$ng
are
protecting his/her head and chestfrom the
attack of lkrl, Death and that is why he/she is having the sensations
in his/her head and chest. If says that as soon as he/she offers
appropriate
gbg for this, the sensation will disappear. If advises
the person for whom this Od is revealed to offer
ebQ
with one
matured he-goat and money. After this, he/she needs to feed
If and
Sang.
On this,If says
KekbTdl mergb
D,l filn okk
Tl lgg f gwE ti'ku
fbg
ni wqn nf k w
$e
Translation
Keke bldr mrgb
He cast If for
Qkk
Who was going to stretch his hands to push death away
He was advised to offer
gbg
Akpo had paid his dues. He had served all the 401 Irunmole diligently.
He had the fear Oldmar at the back of his mind. He spoke the truth at
970
all times. He was humble and easily going. In spite of all these however,
Ik, Death was in his hot pursuit. Akp was notaware of this development
atall.
$ng,
also known as
Qkak,
felt that it was his responsibility to protect
AkpO because Akp had serued him well.
$ng
was well pleased
with
Akp and he,
$ng,
was determined that AkpO must live to his old age.
consequent upon this,
$ng
went to KQkQ bldl mrgbe to find out what
he needed to do in order to protect Akp from the threat posed
by lkrl.
The Awo informed
$ng
that Akp must be
put
at arms length to lkti.
This,
$ng
was determined to do. Anytime Ikrf approached Akp,
gang
would place his hand on Akp's chest and push
him away from Ikrt. when
this was being done repeatedly, Akp began to develop some feelings of
discomfoft in his chest. All herbs to relieve him of this discomfort applied by
Akp proved non-effective.
Kekb'ldl mrgb
Dl filn Orr
Tl rt lgedu'rlllemre
lbg
ni wQn nl k w
9e
Translation
Keke bldl mrgbe
He cast If for Odd
Who was going to protectthe
Of of he who is destined to die
Young.
He was advised to offer ebo
Ik was becoming increasingly frustrated. He could not understand why
$ng
was standing in his way. He decided to use another strategy to kill
Akp at the slightest oppoftunity. When
Qrunmll
realized that, he
approached KQkq b\df mrgb for If consultation on behalf of his AkpO.
He was advised to try all that he knew to protect
the head of his Akp from
being chopped off by Iktl. As a result of this revelation, Ornmll never left
his Akapo alone. Anytime that Iku approached, Orunmila would cover the
head of his Akapo with his two hands and body. This action precluded
Ikrl
from gaining
access to Akp.
971
While
$ang
was busy
pushing Ik and AkpO away from each other,
Qrrfnm)l
was protecting
the head of Akp from any form of danger.
Akap soon began to feel some sensations in his head. Again, no herb
could cure it.
One day, Akp himself approached the Awo mentioned above for If
consultation. He was informed that the head and chest discomfoft he was
feeling was not as a result of any physical problem.
It was rather the
manifestation of the efforts of
$ang
and
Qrnmll
to protect him from
untimely death. He was advised to offer
gbg with one matured he-goat
and money. He was also advised to feed If and
$ng
as appropriate.
Akp did, as soon as he did this, the
pain in hls head and chest
disappeared.
Keke b'ldl mrgb
fitn
Qkk
Tl tr lgg
fo,
wg t'ikrt
fibg
ni wqn nl k w
9e
gb'(tbo, r'bg
Keke bTdl meregbe
D,lfitnOrO
fi rr
Qg
du'r{ Ilmer
fbg
ni wqn nl k w
$e

gb'Qbg, rrt'bg
jg tani y du'rll ml filn mi?
oddrIf niydu'rll mlfitn mi
$ng
ni
Qkaka
tfffgwgt'ikrr
Odd Ifa niyodu'rfl mlfun mi
Qrrrnmll
ni Odudr tff du'dl llemere
oddur If niydu'rfl mlfitn mio
Odrr
Translation
Keke bldl meregb
He cast If for
qkk
Who was going to stretch his hands to push death away
He was advised to offer ebo
He complied
Keke bldr meregbe
972
He cast If for dUdU
When going to protectthe O of he who was destined to die
Young
He was advised to offer gbg
Hecomplied
Now, who will protect my O for me
Odd, If isthe oneto protect myOf for me
Sango is Okaka who pushes death away
Odd, If will surely protect my Orl for me
QrrJnmll
is Odd, who protects the O of he who is destined to
die young
Odd, If will surely protect my Of for me
Oddu, If will surely do it for me.
If says that
Qrrlnmll
and
$ng
will not allow the person for whom this
Od is revealed to die
young. As long as he/she continues to think, say
and do all those things which please
Oldmare and the InJnmglQ at all
times, even if he/she had been destined to die young,
the two lrnmglQ
and OIdmar will extend his/her life and make him/her live to witness
his/her old age.
8. If says that the person for whom this Od is reveled shall be placed
among Kings and
Queens
of this world. He/she shall be in the midst
of shakers and movers of his/her community. Whatever he/she says
will matterand will betaken seriously byall.
If also says that there is no condition or situation that this person
will not be able to adapt himself/herself to. This is his/her own talent
and it is a special blessing from Oldmar.
If advises this person to put on all the dresses that he/she has
in his/her life in one day - even if these dresses are more than five
hundred! All he/she needs to do is to put on these dresses one after
the other. He/she however needs to undress one before wearing
another. By so doing, he/she will receive honour and glory from
Oldmar. On this aspect,Irgt MJi says:
Edelhln ojgt'Qhrrn
973
ur ue dPPrsilsilsrve, vuclrdrd wd5 cruvrsgu tu suilililuil
'trcrgeilqr
LU f ils
presence
and brief him properly on what he was going
to do when he got
to
the abode of Oldmar. The Awo told
QbAtl
that many fine and
competent people failed in life, not because they could not perform,
but
rather because they were not properly briefed on what they were expected
to do. The Awo said that after the briefing,
Qbtl
needed to put
on his
entire dresses one after the other. During this process,
Qbtl
needed to
see how Alggmg would share the same dresses so that he would be able to
judge
whether or not Alggmg would be able to
perform
up to
Qbtl's
expectation. The Awo said that any dance that one planned to dance
outside in the midst of the multitude must first be
practiced
and danced
inside the home. That would give the onlooker the oppoftunity to determine
how the dance would Iook like when danced outside. This would also give
them the oppoftunity to make corrections and amendments if and where
necessary.
Qbatb
thanked the Awo and left. He complied with all the
advices given to him bythe Awo. After much practices,
he felt satisfied that
Algqmg would peform
satisfactorily when he got
to heaven to pafticipate
in the ceremony of Oldmar.
When Alggmg got to heaven, he went straight to Oldmar and
announced that he was the representative of
Qbtl.
When the ceremony
stafted, Oldmar adorned himself with an immaculate white dress. The
whole heaven was in white. Those on eafth who were not aware of what
was happening in heaven looked at heaven and concluded that the sky was
very clear. In heaven however, all the Irnmol were dancing in procession
past
Oldmar. When it got
to the turn of
Qbatl,
Alggmg came fonruard
and adorned himself in the very same dress worn by Oldmar with the cap
and shoes to match! All the other lrnmglQ stood still in amazement.
OIdmar was highly impressed. Oldmar went to change His dress to
Agg
[t,
the dark dress with Fll abetiaj, the dog-ear cap, and a covered
shoe to match. The whole heaven turned dark and those on eafth believed
that it was about to rain. As soon as Oldmar stepped out, behold,
Alggmg had adorned himself in the same dress, the same colour, the same
frl and the same shoes! There was tumultuous applause and those on
eafth believed that thunder had struck in readiness for rainfall in heaven.
Oldmar
put
on sn-nyn, Alaa, rn, dandg, apere d0d, and so
on, with crowns, fila; GQbl, kgtQ etc. to match, and Algemg replicated
975
EOegnun oJgt'lnln
Dl firn ooganta
QgQQrQmagbo
oldmar nl kow b oun
g'gdrn
nlAlggmg I'ounyo rn lg
fibg
ni wqn nl k w ge
Translation
The language in this
place is different from that of the other
place
And the dalect of the other
place in different from that of this
place
This was lfa's message for Ooganb
Qseeremgbo
Whom Oldmar invited to come and celebrate with Him
He said he would send Alggmg, Chameleon, to go
and
represent him
He was advised to offergbg
When OIdmare created the unverse, He gave OOgarrta
QpQQrQmagbO
(QbaHl) an impoftant role to play. Afterthe creation,
Qbtl
was given
the free hand to add to, or subtract from, the
qualities
of some creatures.
For example,
Qbtla
was he who made sugarcane sweeter than
bamboo, even though they looked alike.
QbaHla
also made the banana
sweeter than many fruits which looked like it,
Qbatl
made birds faster
than buttedlies and
gave the parrot more intelligence than other birds.
In the case of Alggmg, Chameleon,
Qbath
gave him the capacity to
adopt the colour, design,
pattern and even complexion of whoever and
whatever he got in contact with.
Qbatl
was so proud
of Alggmo that
he made him one of his right hand persons.
One day, Oldmar summoned
QbaHl
to come and
join
him in
celebration in heaven.
QbaHla
felt that it was time for him to showcase
Alggmg to Oldmar. He wanted Oldmar to see his wondeful
design. Consequently, he decided to send Alggmg to represent him at
the ceremony. Before he did this, he went to the Awo mentioned above
for If consultation: would he not be disgraced in his bid to send Algqmg
as his representative?
The Awo assured
Qbath
that Algemg would perform marvelously
where he was being sent. For this reason,
Qbatl
had no reason to fear
974
tfa Dda: An invitaon to lfa Consultation
them alll Itwas a mostwonderfuloccasion
in heaven.
At the end of the ceremony, Oldmar called Algqmg. He told Algqmq
that it was one thing for anyone to be
given the tools to perform; it was
another thing for that
person to know how to use the tools
provided for him
and
perform excellently. Oldmar declared thatAlggmq had
peformed
well. He blessed Alggmg that he would lack nothing on eath. Oldmar
said that there would be no dress on eafth that Algemq would not be able
to replicate. Allthe lrrtnmglQ
present chorused a resounding Agg!!!
Edlhln igt'Qhn
Edeqhun o
jgtThln
Dl fitn ooganla
qgeer+magbo
Oldmarnl kw b un
g'gdrtn
nl Alaggmg I'OunYO rn 19
fbg
ni wQn nl k w
9e
gb'$bo, r'bg
Ko p4' kQilnna
E
wa ba ni b'YQ,
I
w wo're o
i onlruru a99 kll w{n I'QdQAlgqmg
Eyl t bwu
Qga
niiYolo
Translation
The language in this
place is different from that of the other
place
And the dialect of the other
place in different from that of this
place
This was lf's message forOogal
Q9eeremgbO
Whom Oldmar invited to come and celebrate with him
He said he would send Alggmg, chameleon, to go and represent him
He was advised to offerebq
HecomPlied
Before long, nottoo far
come and
join
us in the midst of
joy
and celebration of all Ire
Alggmg will never lack anY dress
Whichever
Pleases
him will he wear
If also says that this
person needs to work hard if being sent anywhere to
represent others. The potential to succeed is there alright, but he/se must
put more effolG to excel.
If says that if someone
plans to send another
person to represent him/her
in anyevent, assgnment or occasion, that
person needs to
put his/her mind
at rest because n/stre will be well represented. He/she shall be
praised for
976
I

lii
I
ii trete Meii
/
his/her choice of representative and the representative too shall be praised
and blessed for a
job
well done
O
9. If says that there is a contentious matter facing the person
for whom
this Od is revealed. If says that with the appropriate
gbg, he/she will
overcome that
problem. There may also be the
problem involving love
or matrimonial issue that this
person is facing presently. If says that
he/she needs to offer
gbg so that he/she will be able bcorne out of the
problem unhuft.
If advises this
person to offer
gbg with six big kolanuts, one
plate and
plenty of money. If says that if this can be done
as
quickly as possible, this person shall not be humiliated or
blamed for his/her actions.
On this aspect, If says:
9kg
r
Aya rq
Ddaftn
Qkgrg
jggbg
Tl y fg oblnrin Ik tn
TlyOfobl me,fa kg
fbg
ni wqn nl k w
9e
Translation
Let
peace
be with the husband
And with the wife too
This was lf's message to
QkgrJQgbQ,
the squirrel
Whoshallsnatch the wife of Ikrf
,
Death
And use six kolanutforappeasement
Hewas advised to offerebo
Ikrl got married to a very beautiful woman. The woman was very obedient
to him. Yet Ikrl treated her badly. He threatened her and her family all the
time. At a stage, Ikrl locked her up in a small room and never allowed her to
go
out again. This woman lived in constant fear. She lost interest in life and
all its meanings. She
prayed every time to Oldmar to
pull her out of her
problem.
977
\,rlIg LClyt
Yf\YlY
YYCit VVC|lv{.llllV CIJ\JLL llr Ltrrv l\rlvJ! rrt Jvuvr vr rvvvr I rv
soon heard the sob of a woman. The sound was so faint that he initially
thought that his ears were playing
trick on him. He listened carefully and
he heard the unmistakable voice of a woman moaning and weeping quietly.
He moved quietly
to the direction where he was hearing the voice, When
he gotthere, he realized thatwhere the woman was crying had been sealed
up completely. Who could have done this to a human being? He queried.
'Who is there?'
Qkere
asked softly. The woman said, 'it is me. Please help
me'. The deep melancholy and desperation in her voice were too much for
Qkere
to ignore. He tried to break down the door but he could not. 'Do not
worry. I have tried to break the door but it was firmly locked. I am coming
backtomorrow to help you
out of this place. I promise you',
Qkere
said and
left.
Throughout that day
Qkere
was not his normal self. At night, he could not
sleep. Who could do this to a human being? He continued to ask himself.
The next day, he moved into the forest with a crow bar with which to break
the door open. When he got there, much as he tried, he could not break
down the door, He had to dig a hole on the ground where he passed Ikrl's
wife from bondage to freedom. The woman thanked him profoundly
but
there was nowhere the woman could go. She told
Qkere
that she would
prefer to follow him backto his house. She vowed that instead of returning
to Ikr1, she would rather preferto lose her life.
On their way to
Qkgrg's
home, the woman narrated the story of her life. It
was a
pathetic
story indeed. She told
Qkere
the story of constant
intimidation, outright aggression and unbelievable cruelty, which
sometimes bothered on sadism. She had nobody to complain to, because
'her
entire family was also under the threat of Ikrl. Now that she ha'd
escaped, nothing could make her return to her enslavement.
In the evening of that day, both
Qkere
and lkrl's wife slept on the same mat.
One thing led to the other and they became man and wife. From that day
however,
Qkere
had no peace
of mind anymore. He was always in constant
fear and apprehension. He knew that Ikrt would not keep quiet
and allow
anyone to snatch his wife without a violent reaction from him.
978
trveryoay,
vKgrg
oecame more ano more oesperate to flno soluuon to tnrs
problem. Unknown to anyone, Ikrl was actually in love with his wife. He
thought that the only way to secure this woman for himself permanently
was to scare and intimidate every one from her. He thought that if he
frightened her hard enough, he would be able to secure her total
commitment. He was totally unaware of the damage he had caused this
woman socially,
physically, psychologically, mentally and spiritually. As far
as he was concerned, feeding and clothing her were more than enough
requirements. He was playing his role as a husband hehelieved. Why then
should she run away from home? He queried. After much deliberation, he
concluded that a misguided person had seduced his wife. He vowed to
teach that
person, together with the entire members of his family, a lesson
they will never forget in a hurry. He began to hunt his wife's seducer
everywhere.
As Ikrl was hunting for his wife's alleged seducer,
Qkere
was been haunted
by the fear of Ik and all the
possible
consequences of what Ikrt would do to
him when caught, In his desperation, he went to
Qkg
rQ and Aya rg for If
consultation: would he suruive this contention? He asked. The Awo told
Qkere
that he was living in constant fear of the repression of his action. He
was told that he was involved in a contentious issue, which he was not sure
whether it will end up in his favour or not. The Awo assured him that it will
end up in his favour. He was then advised to offer
gbg with six kolanuts and
plenty of money. He complied immediately. The gbg was placed
by the
road side. As soon as the
gbg was performed, Eg
Qdara
took control of
everything. He went straight to Ikri and asked him what his troubles were.
Ikrl responded that his wife who was his personal property was snatched
away from him by an unknown
person. He said that it was totally
unacceptable to him and that the culprit would be severely dealt with. ESU
Qdara
said that Ikrl must teach the culprit a bitter lesson, and he promised
to follow Ik to find this illusive culprit. Egu
Qdara
led IkrJ to the way where
the
qbg with six kolanuts was placed. He showed lkri the kolanuts and told
him to consume it as lktl was fond of eating kolanuts. IkrJ could not resist
the kolanuts because they were big and enticing. After eating three
kolanuts, ESU
Qdara
declared that there was nothing Ikrl could do against
the person who had snatched his wife anymore. Iku asked why this should
be so, and Eg
Qdara
stated that the person who snatched his wife was the
979
same
person who placed the kolanuts where Ik had picked them. He
added that it was a taboo and totally unethical for Ik to consume a
person's gifts
and then go ahead and kill such person. He consoled Ikti to
take heaft and accept the loss of his wife in good faith. There and then Ik
knew that he had lost out.
9kgrq
Aya r
Dl firn
Qkerg
jegbg
Tl yO fg oblnrin Ik tn
Tlyofobl mqfa kg
lbg
ni wSn nl k w
Fe
gb'Qbo, rrr'bg
Ko p ko
jlnn
f
w b ni lrqOgun
If d al99
Qpqab'qewr
Translation
Let peace
be with the husband
And with the wife too
This was lf's message to
Qkgrg
jQgbQ,
the squirrel
Who shall snatch the wife of lkrl, Death
And used six kolanuts for appeasement
He was advised to offer gbg
He complied
Nottoo long, soon after
Come and meet us where we celebrate victory
Here comes If
The holy palm tree that manifests with efficacy
10. If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed or someone
close to him/her is presently erecting a building. There is the need for
him/her to offer gbg immediately in order to aveft an impending
disaster. This is because as this person is erecting a propefi
on eafth,
his/her
Fgb
in heaven are also erecting another property for him/her
in heaven in anticipation of his/her arrival. This is why it is necessary
to offer gbg
so that the house in heaven will be demolished while the
one on eafth will be completed. If says that if this is not done in time,
980
as soon as he/she completes the construction of the propefi
on eafth,
he/she runs the risk of losing his/her life under mysterious
circumstances.
If advises this
person
to offer
gbg with one matured ram and money. A
make-shift tent will be erected with sticks and palm fronds to represent the
house in heaven. The ram will betied tothe make-shifttent. Then the ram
will be chased helter skelter in such a way that it will eventually pull
down
the make-shift tent. The demolished tent represents the
propefi
being
erected forthis person
by his/her
Fgb
in heaven. Afterthis, the ram will be
slaughtered and its head buried where he/she is erecting his/her house.
i
This is why it is advisable to do this ritual atthe site where the house is being
erected. It is also advisable that this ritual is done before the completion of
the house. On this,If says:
Pa gnnugn bq'f Awowgn nllAlr
P'klmgbO b'Og Awo Oke ljer
P'tlOro b'Ognral'y bl
qbQeeb
Fa - nae n - k-sl -tr - pee
gdq
a gbQn'mi nll wO'le
-eja
Ap'ajb nlw'laparo
OlrtgbOngbtlrrh ni wqn fi ggun gltu
Akg gsin nll s'r bgranyln-bQrnyln
B'Qgin bil
Sgin
a k gbinrin-gbinrin h'nu
Dlfiln LlgboQgeg
Tl mg'le re l'y
Tl wqn p'ilQg t'Qrun p k w
fbg
niwgn nl kO w
9e
Translation
t
He-who slaughters-a-vulture to feed If, the Awo of Alr's
Household
He-who-slau g hters- k la magbO to feed Og, the resident Awo
in the mountofljerb
He-who-slaughters-ti0ro to feed Ogn, he who is as bold as
impofted knife
He-who-stresses-something forcefully until it breaks and scatter
Everywhere
Those who drain the stream destroythe home of fishes
Those who clear farmlands destroy the home of bush fowls
i
981
A bg cluD ts rt mat ls used to scaEer a cloo
A stallion is it that gallivants while running
When a horse wakes up
It is gagged in the mouth with reins
These were lf's declarations to LIgb
Qggge
When constructing his house on eafth
While another is beng constructed in heaven for him to come
and reside in it
He was adviceto offerebo
Ligb
Qgegg
was very successful in his chosen career; he made good
money in his business. As a result of this, he planned to erect his own
building in his family compound. He was given
all the necessary approval
and suppoft by the elders of his family.
When the construction of the building began, Llgb
Qggge
was having
strange dreams and his instinct kept sounding him a note of warning that
somethng was amiss. Much as he tried, he could not fathom what was
wrong at the time. He therefore decided to approach the group
of
Babalwo mentioned above for If consultation; what was responsible for
these strange dreams? Would he be able to overcome all the negative
feelings he was having? Would his dreams return to normal? These and
many more questions were what were at the back of the mind of Ligb
Qgege
when he consulted If. He was eager to get to the root of all his
problems.
The Awo told Ligb
Sgege
that he had been having series of strange
feelings and that was why he came for If consultation. The Awo assured
him that he would overcome the
problems. The Awo however explained to
him that while he was assuming leadership positions in life, he was equally a
leader among his
Fgb
in heaven. When he left heaven for this world, his
Fgb
were expecting him to return very soon in order to assume his
leadership position once again, As soon as his
Fgb
saw him erecting a
house on eafth, theytoo were busy erecting another one for him in heaven.
They were full of expectation that he would soon
join
them in heaven. The
Awo concluded that if LlgbO
Qgegg
was not ready to die and
go
back to
heaven to
join
his
[gbQ,
there was the need to offer
gbg
as
prescribed
above. LigbO
Qgegg
weighed the Awo's options; dying to go and assume
his leadership position in heaven, or straying behind to continue to play his
982
teaoersnrp rore on earun. He rureo In favour of me latter. consequently, he
complied and offered the gbg
as advised.
The day the
gbg was offered was the same day the building being erected
for Llgb
Qgege
in heaven collapsed. This sent a strong signal to the
Egb
in heaven that LlgbO
Qggge
was not in a hurry to
join
them. As a result of
this, his
Fgbg
left him to complete histasks on eafth before returning to
join
them in heaven.
Pa gnnugrln
bg'f Awowgn nllAlr
P'klmgbo b'Oge Awo Oke ljer
P'tlOro b'Ogn, al'y bl
Qbeb
F-n n-k-sl-trt-pQ
9de
a gbQn'mi nll wO'le eja
Ap'jb nlw'lpar
olgbgbtlla ni wgn fi rggun ogltu
Akg gsin nll s'r bgranyln-bQrnyln
B'Qgin b
jl
Egin a k gbinrin-gbinrin h'nu
Dlfiln tlgboQgege
Tl nmg'l e r l'y
Tl wqn ttp'lQgt'qrun p kwa
lbg
ni wqn nl k w ge
gb'gbg, rrt'bg
E bwaw'lOrun n
!wtnt'aymgo
IjOgun
Qrun
ab'ew orl
Sk
Il Awo m w l'run
Qggrgre,
ilAwo m w I'Qrun
Translation
He-who slaughters-a-vulture to feed If, the Awo of Alr's
Household
He-who-slaughters-akalamgb to feed O$, the resdent
Awo
in the mountofljer
He-who-slaughters-tiro to feed Ogn, he who is as bold as
impofted knife
He-who-stresses-something forcefully until it breaks and
scatter
Everywhere
983
I nose wno oraln tne Stream oe$roy me nome or ilsnes
Those who clear farmlands destroy the home of bush fowls
A big club is it that is used to scatter a clod
A stallion is it that gallivants while running
When a horsewakes up
It is gagged in the mouth with reins
These were lf's declarations to LdgbO
Qggge
When constructing his house on eafth
While another is being constructed in heaven for him to come
and reside in it
He was adviceto offergbg
Hecomplied
Please, come and assistto demolish the house being erected
in heaven
And come and consolidatethe one on eafth
Ye! The heavenly forces with grey feeble hair
The home erected forAwo in heaven is collapsing
To the ground, the home erected forAwo in heaven in
collapsing
If says that this person shall not be allowed to die
young. He/she will live
long to his/her old age. That is the message of If.
11. If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed is blessed with
good
Of. He/she had chosen all the good things of life without
excepton and everything had been well recorded in his/her Of.
There is howeverthe
problem
of the factthat his/her
fsQ,
legs, do not
complement his/her Ori. In other words, his/her legs are working
aganst the realization of the
promises
and
potentials of his/her
destiny. There is the urgent need to correct this anomaly. In order to
correct this, there is the need to offer
qbg with three white
pigeons,
three
gunea fowls and money. After this, the Awo will
prepare a special soap with hlpaldde leaves. These leaves will be
pounded
and mxed with the soap.
The person needs to dig three holes, wash his/her head in the hole at
the center; and wash the left leg in the hole on the left while the right
leg will be washed in the right hole in that order. If this can be done,
If assures this person that his/her
frsg,
legs will stop working
984
aganst his/her O'1. A stanza inlret-MT on this issue If says:
Iwg
QtQ
Emi
QtQ
ote
a mi d'dodo gbko-gbko
D,l fil n Al'rl-ire-m-l'Qs-ire
Ebq
ni wqn nl k w ge
Translation
You imprintone leg oflrgti
I also imprintone leg oflrgti
When the imprint becomestwo
Then the truelr-etQ MI is formed
This was the message of If to he-who-has-favourable-Ol but
lacks good legs
He was advised to offer ebo
When Alri-ire-m-lgsQ-ire was comng from heaven, he had chosen allthe
good things of life for himself. On getting to the eafth, he started with
farming
job
in anticipation that all will be well for him. He was very good
at
the
job;
whatever he planted it always came out fine and with good quality.
The people within his community had also recognized him for his great
potential and dexterity in crop production. During the market days,
people
always waited for his farm produce.
Unfoftunately for him, before getting
his farm produce
to the market, one thing always led to the other and the
result would be his inability to make good sales. Some of the people waiting
for him would have left as a result of impatience, some would have decided
to
purchase from another seller, and others might feel that the prices of his
products were too expensive.
Al-ire-m-lQsQ-ire did this for a long time, but unfoftunately, he could not
make any headway. One day, he decided to change from furming to
trading. That he could
go into buying and selling of goods perhaps,
this
time around, he would succeed financially. In this business, he showed
good business acumen that made him stand out among othertraders in the
market. Unfoftunately again, whenever he decided to go and finalize his
trading deals with people,
he would become disappointed as
people who
had initially showed intention to buy from him would suddenly lose interest.
985
This also went on for several
years
without stop.
The thought of how to make ends meet and possibly
succeed financially
pre-occupied his mind. One day, he decided to go for If consultation:
would he become prosperous in life in whatever profession
he chose; would
he also measure up in the society like his colleagues; what could have been
responsible for his failure? All these and many more were the
questions
he
posed
during If consultation.
The Awo assured him that he would succeed as he had every potentialto
be
great in life. He was also told that he had chosen all the good
things of life
as entrenched in his Akrrnleyan right from heaven, but his major set back is
the fact that he had not chosen good legs along with his good
destiny. As a
matter of fact, it was his legs that were working against the realization of his
good gifts
and
potentials.
He was then advised to offer gbg
as mentioned
above, after which a special If soap would be prepared
for him to cleanse
hls head and legs legs in order to make his legs compliment the potentials
of his Ol.
Alri-ire-m-lgsQ-ire complied. After a while, his trading began to
flourish, and soon after, he became successful; even more than others who
engaged in the same profession with him. Wth his resounding success, he
was able to marry a good wife, have children and build a house of his own.
In the end, he was happy, rejoicing and thanking the Awo.
Iwg
QtQ
Emi t
Qte
mejl d'ododo gbko-gbko
Dl fit n Al'rl-ire-m-l'ese-ire
fbg
ni wQn nl k w
Se
gb'bo,
ru'bg
Ikin mi ErlglAlq
If
je
kl n l'rl ire
Kl n sl I'gsQ ire
Translation
You imprintone leg oflrgt
I also imprintone leg oflrgtQ
When the imprint becomes two, then the truelrgtQ-M) is
986
Formed
This was the message of If to he-who-has-favourable-O-but
Lacks-good-legs
He was advised to offer gbg
He complied
Mylkin,
frig-Alg
If please let me have good Otl
And good Legs to complement it
If says that this
person will be blessed with good Of and
good Legs to
complement it. He/she shall become prosperous in all his undeftakings.
L2. If advises the person for whom this Od is revealed to offer gbg
so as
to avoid
getting into serious trouble within seven days. If advises
this
person
to offer
gbg with one matured he-goat and money.
He/she is also to feed Egu
Qdara
with one big cock.
Also, If says it foresees the Ire of children for those suffering from
childlessness where this Od is revealed. If assures them that they
shall be blessed with the fruit of the womb.
For this to happen, If advises each of the women to offer
gbQ with
four rats, four fish, two hens and money. There is also the
need to feed If with one matured she-goat. On these two
aspects,If says:
QpgkJg
a
q'dl bQrbQr
Dl firn Igb
Tl m$nu snrhn
gmg
lbg
ni wqn nl k w
9e
Translation
QpktQ,
the young palm tree, with its broad base
The Awowho cast If forlgb
When lamenting herinabilityto begeta child
She was advised to offerqbg
Igb had been married for many years but she had no child to show for it.
Much as she tried, all her effofts
proved
abortive. She applied several
herbs and roots but it had no effect on her. In the end, she went to
987
QpqkQtQa
g'df bQrEbQrQ for If consultation; would she be blessed with the
fruit of the womb? She asked.
The Awo assured her that she would be able to have her own children if
necessary gbg was offered. She was advised to offer
gbe
as stated above,
she complied.
Within three months, she became pregnant.
She later gave
birth to a
bouncing baby boy named In
Q
pqkJQa s!'dl bQrgbQr
DlfilnOdan
Tl mgnusnrhngmg
lbg
ni wqn nl k w
$e
Translation
Qpgkete
the young palm
tree, with its broad base
The Awo who cast Ifa forQdan
When lamenting her inabilityto begeta child
She was advised to offer gbg
Qdan
was also married for severalyears. She too was not blessed with any
baby. She also tried all she knew and she equally failed.
One day she went to her friend Igb to find out what she did before she
became
pregnant. Igb told her that it was
Qpgke,tQ
a g'df bQrgbQrg; who
consulted and did IfQ work for her. The next day,
Qdan
went to the same
Awo for If consultation: would she too be as lucky as her friend? She
asked.
The Awo assured her too that she would be blessed wlth children of her
own. She was advised to offer the same gbg which her friend Igb offered.
She complied. The same If work was also done for her. She too became
pregnantand gave birth to a bouncing baby boy named OOrn.
QpgkQtQ
a g'dl bQrqbQre
Dlfirn
9aa9a
Tl mQnu snrhn
gmg
Sbg
ni wQn nl k w
ge
988
Translation
Qpeke,tQ
the young palm tree, with its broad base
TheAwo who castlf for
$g
When lamenting her inabilityto begeta child
She was advised to offer gbg
$aa$a
was facng the same problem
as her friends Igb and
Qdan.
She
too went to the same Awo for If consultation. The same assurance was
given
to her. The same gbg was advised and offered, the..same Ifwork
was done for her, and she became
pregnant
and gave bifth to a bouncing
baby boy named Abg.
The three children In, OrUn and Abg whom Igb,
Qdan
and
$g
begot respectively were sent to
QpktQ
a g'df bQrQbQre for training as If
priests
before they were up to three years
old. By the time they were 20
years
old, they had become very proficient. Everyone was searching for
them because of their accurate predictions.
Igb n'igb In
QdAn
I'Qdn Oorrn
$agayok
nital'Abg
Dl filn Orrnmila
Wgn n! k waa g'qbg
K m ba l'slr ojq mje
Translation
Ina the child of Igb
Oorun the child of
Qdan
And Abg the child of
SaaFa
They castlf for
QrUnmlla
Theytold him to offergbg
To avoid getting intotrouble within seven days
Qrnm'll
was the Bab-If of
QpqkqtQ
a g'di bQrQbQrQ who in turn was
the Bb-If of In, Orn and Abq.
Qpekete
a
g'dl
bQrbQr was well
trained and he was very intelligent. No wonder then that his three
students were also brilliant.
One day
Qrunmlla
invited the three Awo for routine If consultation.
989
Du ri n g consu ltation, IrgtQ- M) wa s revea I ed .
The Awo told
Qrunmll
to offer
gbg
in order to avoid trouble within seven
days. They told
Qrrlnmll
thatthe trouble was very close and that only gbg
could avert it. They stressed thatthere was the need for
Qrrlnm)l
to offer
gbg
with one matured he-goat and money, He was also advised to
feed Egu
Qdara
with a big rooster.
Qrunmll
failed to comply with this
advice.
Seven days after
QrUnmlla
consulted If, he left home very early in the
morning. He instructed his wife, AgbQnn, to help him wash some of his
dresses and
prepare
a sumptuous meal for him before he returned in the
evening. By the time
Qrunmll
returned home, he was feeling very
hungry but was in anticipation of treating himself to a lavish meal that
evening. He knew that AgbQnfn was a fantastic cook. He however
forgot about food when he realized, to his chagrin, that Agbonln had
packed
all her bags and baggages and had left the house! What could
have caused this? What was his oftence against this woman? Who had
taught her to do this against him? Why was it that nobody in the whole
community stopped her from going
away? Why did she
pack his own
belongings along with hers? What kind of wickedness and injustice were
these? Would he be able to get her back into his home? Who was to
blame for allthese?
In the end,
Qrrlnmll
decided to do something about it urgently; he
brought out his
Qbg
llasq. This was a knife that when used to stab
someone's footprint, the
person
would not be able to move from the spot
he/she was at the time the knife was used on his/her footprint. This was
what
Qrnm)l
did. The effect of this action stopped AgbQnln in her track.
She could neither move forward nor backward. At this time, she was
negotiating a hill between two deep gorges.
QrnmTl
began to pursue his
wife. He met her where she was. He tried to grab her. She tried to shake
him off. As she did this, unfoftunately, she fell into the gorge
on the right,
while Ornmll fell into the one on the left. She died instantly.
Qrrlnmll
was in the gorge for seven days, writhing in pain and hunger.
990
Igi kan gbq I'ew
tutr l'gbo
Dlfirn Pory
Ttl
S'gmg Qba
Ode ldo
Igbatl fomi ojrl sngbregmg
[b9
ni wgn nl kw ge
Translation
Atree has dry leaves
But its roots are fresh and alive
If castfor Pory
The daughter of the
Qba
ofldo-land
When weeping in lamentation of her inability to beget a baby
She was advised to offer gbg
Pory was a favourite daughter of the
Qba
ofld-land; she was loved by all
in the palace.
The unfoftunate paft was that she had been involved in
several relationships with many influential people, but all had failed
woefully. She married Alr, AjerO,
Qwrngn QbalyQ,
Oljombo,
Offtagi-O1l and
QlwQ
but the relationships collapsed because of her
inability to have a baby for any of them. In the end, she returned to her
parents' palace
to nurse her emotional wound.
One day, her mother called her and told her that it was not proper for her to
stay in her parents' house when she was supposed to be in her husband's
home. The mother said that she kept having this dream that she became
pregnant
and was blessed with a bouncing baby boy. She prayed for her
daughter that the spirits of her ancestors would make the dream come true.
She also advised her to go for If consultation. That was how Pory found
herself face to face with Igi kan gbg l'w tut l'gb for If consultation;
would she be blessed with the fruit of the womb? Would her mother's
dreams cometo
pass?
The Awo told Pory that she was suffering from childlessness and assured
her that she would soon be a
proud mother of her own child. She was
advised to offer
gbg
as
prescribed
above. She was however informed that
she was an ApQtQbl and that her husband who would put her in the family
way would be met along the road and the man would be a
great Babalwo.
991
Porye was determtneo to De a momer. Sne toto me Awo mat sne wouto
offer that gbg
on that very day. She procured
all the gbg materials and
returned to the home of the Awo. The gbg was offered. In the end, If did
not take the shrine of EgU
Qdara
for placing
the gbg. Instead; it took a spot
between two gorges
as the site to place the gbq. Pory took the gbg
to the
spot.
As she was praying,
she heard someone moaning at the bottom of the
gorge. Itwas
Qrnmll.
He had been there for seven days. He begged her
to pull him out. She tied her head-gear together with her sash and used it as
rope to pull
QrUnm)l
up to the surface. They went home together. They
fed If together from evening of that day till daybreak. They fed another
type of If from evening till daybreak. The first If they fed opened the door
for their prayers to be accepted by Oldmar. The other If they fed led to
pregnancy.
As soon as she became pregnant,
Qnf
nmll gave her Id, Ifa beads, to keep
for the coming baby, He left on another spiritual assignment and never
returned for 16 years. The baby was born in his absence. It was a baby boy.
The Id was worn round his wrist. The boy was named
Qlgmg
as instructed
by his father. Six months to the time of
QrnmIl's
return, the people
of
Alay waged a fierce war against the people
of Ido and most of the
inhabitants of Ido were either killed or captured,
Qlgmq
was one of those
who were lucky to be captured. They sold him into slavery to one merchant
in Alay.
As soon as this was done, there was a terrible problem in Alay land. If
.was cast in order to determine the cause of the
problem
and at the same
time, find solution to it. The Awo told them that malevolent spirits had
entered their town and for this reason, there must be spiritual cleansing of
the land in order to chase away this spirit. After fufther consultation, it was
concluded that a human being should be used as
gbg
material. Whom could
they use? In the end, they settled for
Qlgmg,
the child of
Qrnm)l.
On the day that this gbg was to be
performed was the day
Qrnm)l
arrived
in Alaaye town. As soon as the inhabitants of Alay sighted
Qrnmll,
they were full of
joy
thattheir
gbg would be performed
by the very bestAwo
992
on eafth. They pleaded with
Qrtlnmll
to help them
pedorm the gbg
and
he agreed. The people tied
Qlgmq
to a tree.
Qrnmll
examined the
gbg
material but did not recognize him as his own son
-
after all, that would be
his first time of seeing him. The boy was already 16
years old.
All the other materials for the
gbg were brought out in readiness for the
great gbg
to be
performed by
Qrnm'll
himself.
glgmg
knew that he was
the main material for the
gbg. He had earlier cried and cried but to no
avail. Again, tears began to roll down his young cheeks. He stafted to cry
loudly in lamentation of his ordeal. He remembered the stories his mother
had narrated to him about the circumstances of his bifth and he began to
narrate it loudlyto himself. He said:
Qpkqte
a
9'dl
bQr$bQrQ
Dl firn Igb
Tl mQnu snrhn
gmg
fbg
niwqn n| kw
9e
gb'borr'bg
Igb ma bl
Igb bf Ina
Spekqtea S'dl
b$r$bQr$
DlfilnQdan
Tl mQnu snrhn
gmo
Fbq
ni wQn nl kw ge
gb'bo, r{'bq
Qdan
maa bl
b Oorun
Qpk,
te a
S'dl
bQrqb$rQ
Dlfirn
$aa$a
Tl mnu snrhn gmo
i
Sbg
ni wqn nl k w
$e
I

gb'Qbo, r'bg
saaga
ma bl
bl Abe
Igb n'igb In
Odan l'dn Oorrn
$aaqayk
nitiAl'Abg
DlfirnQrunmll
WQn nl k r'bg
K m ba l'slrojq meje
ko'tl
Qgbgnyin
s'bg
r.
993
Igi kan gbg
l'w
tutu I'egb
fx fitn Poroy
Ttf g,gmggba
Odeldo
Igbtf fomi oj sngbregmg
fbg
ni wqn nl k w se
gb'gborr'bo
WQn nl k ma gb'gbg
tg s,e
Qffn
Igbaff yo gb
ebq
d ib k?
At'nl-m,enff
k to t,n-m,na
At'ene-m'n
ko t ajgta-mo jgta
fttgta-m!9t"
kq t aiijern_m,jgrin
AtTj gri
n - m
Q'j 9
ri n ko t AiU,
"
ru rr
_
rro5 i rr rr
At'tja rrt - m oja ru n t<o to Attera
_
mojelJ''
t'jefa
-m_q'jgfe
ko t ltrjeje_mo,jej;
lrfstAtgoje
frtgt-Ato o mu
lrtgf-AtQ
rrbg I'qfin t yt gbiri
pory
lw yg
Qrrtnmll nf
,nrt
Qfln
Awgn mejejt wjg b'gf mq,j
WQnhlnjgbg'f
mq'jr
EyingbQno
Eyinm,Qran
lyin
o_mqwfpe
poroy
to bt
etgmg
L b'Olgmeo
h h
lyin
o mg wlpe
poroy
t bf
et9m9
o
QrUnmll oo!!t
lVin
o mQ'p
pory
t bf
etgmg o
fyin
o mQ,p
pory
t bf
elgmg!!!
Translation
Speketea
g'df
bQrgbgrg
The Awo who cast If for Igb
When lamenting
her inabilityto geta
child
She was advised to offer ebo
She complied
When she was to give
birth
She begot In
QpketQa
g'df
bQrQbQrg
The Awo who cast If for
Qdan
When lamenting
her inability
to beget a child
994
I I
'TY'C
MUJ'
She was advised to offer
gbg
Shecomplied
When she was to give bifth
She begotObrn
Qpekeea Se'dl
bQrbQr
The Awo who castlf for
$g
When lamenting her inabilityto beget a child
She was advised to offergbg
She complied
When she was to give bifth
She begotAbQ
Igb nigb In
Qdan
lQdan Oorun
Saaga
yk ni ti Al Abq
They cast If for
Qrunm'il
They told him to offer
gbg
To avoid
getting into trouble within seven days
He failed to comply
Atree has dry leaves
But its roots are fresh and alive
Ifa's message for PorOy
The daughter of the
Qba
ofldo-land
When weeping in lamentation of her inabilityto begeta baby
She was advised to offer
gbg
Shecomplied
She was directed to
place the gbg near a
gorge
When she took the gbq there
What happened after?
What happened today was not as much as what took
place yesterday
What took
place yesterday was not as much as what happened three
days ago
What took
place three days ago was not as much as what happened four
days ago
The problem four days ago was not as much as that of five days ago
What happened five days ago was not as serious as what took place six
days ago
What took
place six days ago was not as much as what happened seven
days ago
EglAlo
0
j9 (Qrr:nm)la) ate nothing
FgrAh
had nothing to drink
fr'lg'lAlg
was lying in the ditch writhing in pain
PorOy rescued
Qrrtnmtla
from the ditch
Both of them fed If from nighttillday break
995
And they fed If again from night till day break
You are notwise
You lack understanding
You fail to know that
pory
was the woman who begot
glqmq
Who begot
elgmg
o he he eeeee
Don't you know that
pory
it was, that gave
birth to
glgmq
Qrnm)l
o oh!t!
Don't you
know that
porye
it was, that gave
bifth to
ergmg!r!
when
Qrunm)la
heard this from
elgmg,
he began to shake from head to
toes. He realized that
elgmg
was undoubtedly
his own child. He moved
closer to
Qlgmg
and he saw the Ide If that was tied round his left wrist,
'who gave you
this'?
Qrnmll
asked.
elgmg
responded,
'My mother'.
And who was your
mother?'
elgmg
responded
that
pory
was his
mother!
Qrnmll
knew that it was a taboo for any child of If to be used to feed If.
Qlqmg
was ceftainly a child of If. what could he do under this
circumstance to save the situation? How would he be able to save the life
of
Qlgmg?
He did a quick
If consultation
and he knew exactly what to do.
He called the inhabitants of Aly to quickly procure
a she-goat and a very
sharp knife. They did. He used the dull edge of the knife on the neck of
Qlgmq
and it failed to cut the boy's neck. He used the sharp edge on the
neck of the goat
and it sliced the goat's
throat into two. They used the goat
to feed If and
Qlgmg
was released immediately.
Qrnmll
explained to them that using
elqmg
as gbg
material was
unacceptable to If. That was why the knife failed to cut his throat.
Qrunmlla
then decreed that as from that day henceforth, no human being
must ever be used as gbo
materialto be used to feed Irnmgl or ORga. It
became a taboo from that day to use human being for any gbg
or ritual
purpose.
QpqkgtQ
a ge'dl
bQngbQrg
Dlfiln lgb
Tl mqnusnrhngmg
lbg
ni wqn nl k w se
gb'borr'bg
_ 996
Igb ma bl
Igb bl Ina
QpqkQtQa Se'dl
bQrQbQrq
Dlfiln Odan
Tl mQnu snrhn gmq
[bg
ni wqn nl k w
$e
gb'bo, r{'bg
Qdan
ma bl
bl Orn
QpqkgtQ
a
f'dl
bQrqbQrg
Dl filn
$aa$a
Tl mgnu snrhn qmg
lbg
ni wQn nl k w s. e
gb'Qbo, r'bg
$a9
maa bl
bl Abg
Igb n'igb In
Qdan
I'Qdn Oorun
$a9ayko
nitiAl'Abg
Dlfiln
Qrrtnmll
WQn nl k r'bg
K m ba l'slrojQ mje
ko'tl
Qgbgnyin
s'ebg
Igi kan gbg l'w
tutr l'gbo
IX filn PorOye
Tfi
I'gmg Qba
Ode ldo
Igbatl fomi ojrl sungbr gmg
fbg
ni wQn nl k w
9e
gb'Qbg, r'bg
WQn nl k maa gb'Qbg lg s'etl O, fln
Igba y gb
9b9
d ib kq?
At'nl-m'entl ko t t'n-m'na
At'an-m'n ko t tlje, ta-m5eta
At'ljgta-m'jeta kq t t'ljqrin-mQ'jqrin
At'ljgrin- mQ'j gri n ko t Atlj'a r -mj'ar
At'lja r - moj a r rt ko t AtFtj qfa - mQ'j gfa
At'lj gfa-mo5e, fa ko t At'ljeje-mQ'jeje
lrlslAlqojg
frlgl-Alg
o mu
[rl9l-Alg
rtbg I'Qfln t yl gbiri
Pory lw ygOrunmll
nl'n
Qfln
Awgn mjejl w
jq
b'gfa mqj
-
997
!
WQn hln
jg
bg'f mq'j
lyinogbeno
lyinm'Oran
lyin
o mQ wtpe
poroy
t bt
etgmo
L b'dlgmg o h he ee
lyin
o mQ wlp
pory
to bl
Qlgmg
o
OrUnmll o o!t!
fyin
o mQ'p
poroye
l bl
elgmg
o
Eyin o mQ'p
poroy
l bt
el9m9!!!
KO p,,
kO
jlnne
f
w b'ni b'ye
E w wo're o
Translation
QpgkgtQa Se'df
berebere
The Awo who cast If for Igb
When lamenting her inabilityto get
a child
She was advised to offergbg
She complied
When she was to give
birth
She begotln
QpgkJea
g'dt
bQrqbgrq
The Awo who cast If for
Qdn
When lamenting her inability to beget a child
She was advised to offer gbg
She complied
When she was to give
bifth
She begotOrn
QpktQa 9e'd1
bQrQbQrQ
The Awo who castlf for g9
When lamenting her inability to beget a child
She was advised to offergbg
Shecomplied
When she was to give
birth
She begotAbq
Igb nigb In
Qoan
tQdan orun
$aa9a
yk
nitiAtbe
They cast lfa for
Qnrnmll
They told hm to offer gbg
To avoid getting
into trouble within seven days
He failed to comply
998
Atree has dry leaves
But its roots are fresh and alive
Ifa's message for PorY
The daughter of the
Qba
ofldo-land
When weeping in lamentation of her inabilityto begeta baby
She was advised to offer
gbq
She complied
She was directed to place the gbg near a
gorge
When she took the
qbQ there
What happened after?
What happened today was not as much as what took
place yesterday
Whattook
place yesterday was not as much as what happened three days

490
What took place three days ago was not as much as what happened four
days ago
The problem four days ago was not as much as that of five days ago
What happened five days ago was not as serious as what took place six
days ago
What took place six days ago was not as much as what happened seven
days ago
FglAlQ
o
je (Qrrlnmll) ate nothing
fg]Alg
had nothing to drnk
FnlAq
was lying in the ditch writhing in pain
Pory rescued
Qrnmll
from the ditch
Both of them fed If from nighttillday break
And they fed If again from night till day break
You are notwise
You lack understanding
You fail to know that Poroy was the woman who begot
Qlqmq
Who begot
Qlqmq
o h h e
Don't
you know that Porye it was, that gave bifth to
Qlqmq
Onlnmll o oh!!!
Don't
you know that Pory it was, that gave bifth to
Ql9m9!!
I
I
Before long, nottoo far
Come and
join
us in the midst of
joY
Come and behold Ire
If says that the person for whom this Odtl is revealed shall be a recipient of
the blessing of all Ire in life. If also says that for this
person, he/she needs
to express himself/herself whenever he/she found himself/herself in any
serious trouble. By so doing, he/she may find help which will bail him/her
out of that trouble.
i
999
13. Ifa says that there is a group project going on where this Od is
revealed. If says that this project will succeed but one
person
or
group
cannot do it successfully. There is the need for all those involved in the
project
or assignment to
pafticipate fully in order for it to succeed. If this is
notdone, nothing on eafth will make itsucceed.
If states fufther that apaft from the fact that all hands must be on
deck, each individual or group must have a specific function and this
should be done in such a way that there should not be duplication of
duties and each duty or assignment must be clearly defined. In one
word, there is the need to have a clearly defined division of
responsibility with everyone or group
assigned to specific duties in
orderto ensure the success of the assignment or
project.
If advises those involved to offer gbg with four pigeons, four
guinea fowls, four hens, four cocks and money. There is
also the need to feed If with one matured she-goat and to feed
EgU
Qdara
with one matured he-goat. On these, Ir-etQ M)
says:
Afllakalaka m
ja
lakalaka
Ddfitn Ornmll
If t'Qrun bQw'lAy
Baba yO ma lgg t{n'l Ay
$e
$bg
ni wqn nf k w ge
Translation
That which dangles
precariously without breaking and falling
This was lf's message to
QrUnm)l
When coming from Heaven to Eafth
When coming to mend the world
He was advised to offer
gbg
There were several
problems
on eafth which called for urgent attention.
There were problems in the home and even outside the home. Without
urgent attention, these problems would multiply and become crisis. That
was why
Qrnmll
chose to come to the world to attend to these
problems
and profer solutions. He went to the Awo mentioned above for If
consultation: would he succeed?
1 000
The Awo assured him that he would succeed. He was advised to offer gbg
as mentioned above. He complied. As soon as he did this, he came into
the world.
The day he arrived on earth was the day he began his work. He faced the
problems
in the home with the understanding that if the problems
in the
home were solved, finding solutions to those outside would be easier.
Before he got anywhere, the problems
outside became overwhelming and
could no longer be ignored or delayed. He rushed outside to profer
solution only for him to realize that the
problems
he had left behind in the
home were getting worse.
Instead of
praises, people
began to heap abuses on him. They blamed him
for not assisting them enough. Some of them even said that when he knew
that he was not competent enough to find solutions to their problems,
why
did he staft the process
at all? They blamed him for giving
them false hope
and accused him of raising and dashing their hopes.
when Orrinmll reflected on what was happening on eafth, he concluded
that the situation was actually getting worse. He concluded that the best
thing was for him to go
and report his failure to Oldmar.
A fllakalaka ma
j
lakalaka
Dlfifn
QrUnmlla
If rt t'qrun bQ w'l Aye
Baba yO ma lgg trf n'l Ay ge
fbg
ni wqn nl k w
Fe
Translation
That which dangles precariously without breaking and fall ing
This was If's message to
Qrnm)l
When coming from Heaven to Eafth
When coming to mend the world
He was advised to offer gbg
Qrnmll
gotto
Oldmar and narrated all his experience on earth to Him.
He told Oldmar that he had failed to find any solution to the problems
plaguing
the world. Oldmar responded that he failed to solve the
1 001
problem
because he was trying to do it alone. He was told that he needed
another person
to assist him in this assignment. Oldmar chose Eg
Qdara
to be his paftner.
Qrunm)la
was told to concentrate on finding
solutions to all the problems
in the home while Egu
Qdara
was to be in
charge of proffering
solutions to all the problems
outside the home.
oldmar summoned Ep
Qdara
and instructed him to go.
for If
consultation on the assignment that he was to be
given.
He went to the
same Awo who consulted for
QrrJnmll.
He was assured that he would
succeed and was advised to offer gbg.
He complied.
on the day they were to return to eafth, oldmar summoned both of
them to His presence.
He told them that each of them should concentrate
on his own paft
of the assignment. He told
Qrunmlla
never to dabble into
finding solutions to problems
from the outside. That should be left to Eg
Qdara.
He also told Egu
Qdara
not to venture into finding solutions to
problems
in the home' He needed to leave those to
Qrnm'il.
They were
advised to concentrate on their own assignments.
Qrrjnmll
was to
become a specialist In finding solutions to domestic problems
while Eg
Qdara
should becomethe expeft in proffering
solutionsto problemsoutside
the home. Oldmar also instructed
Qrnmll
to ensure that all what
would need were supplied to him at the
junction
of the three crossroads so
that he would have no reason to come inside the home. Wth all these
instructions, both of them leftforeafth.
It became very easy for them to concentrate on their assignments. Es
Odara
was able to find solutions to the crises taking place
outsde the home
while
Qrnm)l
succeeded in finding solutions to those problems
inside. All
the needs of Eg
Qdara
were supplied to him at the
junction
of the three
cross-roads and he had no need to come inside the home to find out what
was happening there,
Afllakalaka m
j
lakalaka
D,|filn
Qrunmlla
If t'qrun bQw'lAy
Baba yO ma lgg t{n'l Ay ge
Sbg
ni wgn nf k w
9e
gb'Qbo,
r'bo
1002
If d'lAytn
Bfi qeti il
Nt'odeygs'llQ
Afllakalaka m
j
lakalaka
Dlfiln Egu
Qdara
T1t'Qrun bqw'lAy
Tf yO ma lOtn'lAyge
Ebg
ni wgn nl k w ge
gb'$bor ru'bg
KOp, kojlnn
Ew b ni l'tOllre
Atol lre l b'ni I'ese
QpQ
Nje
e
je
k Ig m t'Eg ba l'rlta
Kmt'ojrl bgQdQdQ.
Translation
Afrlakalaka m
ja
lakalaka
This was lf's message to
Qrnmll
When coming from Heaven to eafth
When coming to mend the world
He was advised to offerebo
He complied
When he got to eafth
As he was attending to problems in the home
Those from outside were calling for attention
Afrlakalaka m
ja
lakalaka
'This
was If's message to Eg
Qdara
When coming from Heaven to eafth
When coming to mend the world
He was advised to offer ebo
He complied
Before long, not too far
Join us in the midst of all Ire in life
That is what If guarantees for all its followers
Please
give
af I what belong to E9 to him at the
junction
of the three
crossroads
So that he will have no cause to
peep into the parlour
If says that the
persons
or
groups for whom this Od is revealed shall
succeed if they could specalze.
1003
14. If says also that if the person for whom this Od is revealed plans
to
go into any business venture, he/she will succeed more if he/she
goes into paftnership
with other. The roles of each
partner
must
however be specifically spelt out ever before the commencement of
such business venture. By so doing success is assured. Crises are
also eliminated ever before they stafted.
If says that the Elders of the Night (witches)
are fomenting trouble
and wrecking havoc where this Od is revealed. Unfortunately,
several innocent people
are being wrongfully accused over what they
know nothing about.
If says that there is the need for proper investigation before
accusing anyone. Those falsely accused must be apologized to and
appropriate gbg
needs to be
performed.
If says that if the person for whom this Od is revealed is one of the
people
accusing others wrongfully, he/she needs to apologize to
his/her victim(s) and offer gbg.
Conversely, of he/she ls one of the
people
being falsely accused of wrongdoing; he/she needs to take
everything in good faith. If he/she is begged, there is the need for
him/her to accept the apology graciously
without any ill-feeling. If
advises the person
for whom this Od is revealed to offer
gbg with
one matured he-goat and money, whether he/she is the one
accusing others or he/she is the person
being accused of wrong-
doing. On this, a stanza inlrgt| M) says:
Eyet
pooyl ryln l'jde ApOn
Dl fin
QrUnmlla
Iy mi rr b wgn
j
WQn nl lyewa nl
Ebq
ni wqn nl k w
9e
Translation
Fyel
pooy rt'in l'jde Apqn
He wastheAwo who castlf for
Qrnm'll
When Iy m i (Witches) were fi g hting aga inst them
1004
And theywereaccusing lyewa (QSun)
He was advised to offer
gbg
There
was no compound in Il-IfQ that was free of problems. In some
compounds, their crops failed, In some, they were afflicted with
pestilence. Yet in some others, there were domestic crises. Some
people
lost their children. Wealthy people had turned to chronic debtors as a
result of inexplicable downturn in their economic foftune.
In this same town,
Qpun
had been very vocal in her defense and advocate
for the rights and dignity of women. This had brought her face to face into
contention and confrontation with several influential men and women in
the town. All these did not deter her in her struggle for the emancipation of
women in the community. Those who had been in contention with her
began to accuse her of being responsible for all their woes. Before long,
the whole town believed that
Qgun
was the one inflicting pains,
sorrow and
tears on the
people of the community. They accused her of being
responsible for their failed haruests, ailments, loss of the lives of their
children and the downturn of their economic fortunes.
One day, the citizens accused
Qpun
to her face. She pleaded her innocence
but nobody believed her. They planned to banish herfrom the community;
but before that, they decided to report her to her husband,
Qrrfnmll.
When they told
Qrnmll
what her wife had been doing to foment trouble in
the community,
Qrnm'll
pleaded with them to exercise restraint and do a
thorough investigation before
jumping
into conclusion, so as to avoid a
situation where innocent
people were wrongfully accused. The people
concluded that
Qrnmll
was merely supporting his wife in her wrong
doings. They said that both
Qgun
and her husband would be banished
together.
That evening,
Qrnmll
and
Qgun
had a lengthy deliberation. What baffled
them was that even if anyone accused
Qpun
of any form of wrong-doing,
they were supposed to know that
Qgun
would never fight against anyone to
the extent of hufting his/her child. Yet,
Qgun
was accused of taking the
lives of these children. Being a mother herself, they were expected to
realize that there was no InlnmglQ or Oflg who loved children and young
1 005
ones more than
Q$un.
This notwithstanding,
Qgun
was sqid to be
responsible for the death of the children she loved most. After much
deliberation, they concluded that If must be consulted. That was how
Qrnm)l
went to
fygl
p00yr r/in l'jde ApQn. one of his former
students, for If consultation: would they be able to see the light of this
problem? Would what or those responsible for the
problems in ll-Ife be
exposed and brought to the fore? Would the innocence of
Qgun
be
established without doubt?
The Awo assured
Qrrf
nmll that the innocence of his wife would not only be
established beyond any doubts, but the culprits would be exposed and put
to well-deserved shame. He advised Orrlnmll to offer ebo as stated
above. He complied.
As soon as this gbg was offered, ESU
Qdara
went into action. He
approached the head of the witches of Il-IfQ and told her that he would like
to
join
them in making life difficult for
QSun
and her husband
Qrnmll.
The woman was very happy to hear this. She invited Eg
Qdara
to their
meeting to allow him break the good news to all the Elders of the Night by
himself.
At the meeting, EgU
Qdara
told them that he hated
Qpun
with all his heaft.
He would therefore love to
join
hands with them to inflict more pains on her.
The witches told Egu
Qdara
that they could never forgive
QSun
because she
had been disturbing them from carrying out their plans. Anytime they tied
anyone down, especiallychildren and
young
adults,
QSun
would gothereto
untie them. They explained to EgU
Qdara
that they were not interested in
Qgun's
children, they could therefore fathom no reason why she would be
the one stopping them from sucking the blood and eating the flesh of their
victims who were in no way related to her.
Egu
Qdara
explained that he hated the manner in which
QSun
carried
herself. He said that she was too arrogant for his liking. In the end, they
concluded that since the blood of children was purer than that of adults,
and since their flesh was more delicious,
Qgun
had no right to
prevent
them
from enjoying this delicacy. For having the effrontery to confront them in
the first place,
she must be
punished
and allthe blames must be heaped on
1 006
her. After this, they dispersed.
The following day, Egu
Qdara
went back to the head of the Elders of the
Night and asked her how they shared the blood and flesh of their victims.
She told him that as the head, her share was one-tenth of the blood and the
head of the victim. ESU
Qdara
asked her whom she was sharing all the
internal organs, especially the heaft, liver and kidneys to for consumption.
She responded that her deputies used to share those pafts
among each
other. 'That was cheating'lEg
Qdara
thundered, 'don't you
know that
those
pafts, together with the intestines are the real delicacies that must be
reserued for her as the head and indisputed leader?' He queried.
'Why
must you allow yourself to be cheated like this? You must confront these
deputies and claim
your right! There must be an emergency meeting
today where allthese anomalies must be straightened out. You must never
accept anything less than the head and all the internal organs of all the
victims. Anyone willing to consume these delicacies must wait for her own
turn to become the leader! I will support
you
all the way!'
As soon as she heard these words from Egu
Qdara,
she went into a rage.
Everything and anything enraged her. Two of her daughters were among
the Elders of the Night. She hated them for keeping quiet when she was
being cheated. She summoned this emergency meeting. By the time the
meeting commenced, itwas clearthatthe head was annoyed. She abused
all of them. 'You are all cheats! After all the help I had rendered to you, all
of you
still cheated and conspired against me! You are all ungrateful fools!
Ingrates! Thieves! Liars! I will punish you all!', she cried.
The deputies could neither understand nor stand all these insults. ESU
Qdara
had earlier
gone
to these deputies to embolden them not to take any
insult from the head. He told them that the head had been too full of
herself. She was too self-centered and she had been using too much
derogatory language againstthem. 'Rise up and claim your right! Demand
for your respect from her! She is not in any way more qualified than any of
you
to be the head! She even lacked proper
administrative capacity. I will
support
you
all the way!'
As the head began to curse and abuse them, they responded and
1AA7
panclemonum
broke out! They began to expose each other: those whose
homes were destroys; those whose crops failed; those whose children
were killed and consumed; those whose relations were on their sick beds;
those who were experiencing downturn in their economic fortunes were all
listening and hearing what the elders of the night were saying. They were
all livid with theirown rage.
Epu
Qdara
excused himself from the meeting, claiming that he was going
to
ease himself. None of them took notice of him in their fight, Eg went to
the people
and declared; 'why are
you
all passive?
why do you
all keep
quiet
when you heard all what these women were saying?
you,
can't you
see that it was your mother who has been responsible for your illness? And
you,
did you hear your
wife saying that she took away your
manhood? And
you,
can't you
see that your younger
wife was responsible for the death of
your four children born for you
by your
senior wfe? What are you
all waiting
for? Go and dealwith these people!
I willsupportyou
allthe way!'
The people
carried cutlasses, hoes, sticks, batons, and clubs and so on.
They rounded up all these witches. They were all dealt with as
appropriate.
Eyel
poyl ryln l'jdeApqn
I)lfiln
Qrrtnmll
Iy mi bwgnj
WQn nl lyewa nl
fbg
ni wqn nl k w
Fe
gb'Qbo,
ru'bg
Iyewa Otooro
lfon
tctt b'nil
j
d'bi
emg
o.
Translation
Eyel
p00yi
rf n I'oude Apgn
He was the Awo who cast If for Ornm'll
Whenlymi were fighting against them
And theywere accusing Iyewa
He was advised to offier
gbg
He complied
Behold,
QSun
Iyewa OtOoro
Efqn
will never fight against
anyone to the extent of harming his/her child
If says that those responsible for the problems
taking place
where this
Od is revealed shall be exposed and broughtto book.
1008
If also advocates
patience
and understanding for the
person who was
accused wrongfully as the culprits shall be exposed. If says that he/she
needs to accept their apologies when begged for forgiveness in good faith.
15. If says that there is the need to offer comprehensive
gbg for the
community because there were many unfoftunate events taking
place in the town. The cause of this is not unconnected to thefact
that the community had offended the lrnmolQ and Onga. These
divinities are angry with the community and they must be appeased
to bring back normalry into the community.
If also warns those who represent others to be truthful and honest
in alltheir assignments. If they fail to do so, the consequence may be
very disastrous and may even lead to loss of lives. In the same vein,
lf cautions that there must not be a situation where
people will be
paying back
good with evil. If they are helped, they must show
appreciation and must not let those who do them
good regret their
actions. They must not maltreat those who had assisted them one
way or the other.
If advises that the person for whom this Od is revealed needs to
offer
gbg with two matured he-goats, 2 rats, hvo fish, two
hens and money. They also need to feed If with one matured
she-goat, feed Egu
Qdara
with one matured he-goat and feed
Qbatl
with 16 snails, shea butter, tr 6 chalks, 10 metres of
white cloth and drinks. On allthese, If says:
OjleqAye
Igngan IfQ
Qrunmll
wosun, kowqn
Translation
OffeAye (the emissaryof theworld)
Igangan IfQ (the delegate of Ile-IfQ)
Qrnmll
had a deep meditation and arrested them
1009
Qrnm)l
was the spiritual administrator of the world. He was based in Il-
Ifg during the dawn of time. He hadlmrf lgb, also known as
ebtal
and
Akle, also known as Eg
Qdara,
as his If students at that time. He also
had Oflgg Aye andlgangan IfQ as his messengers whom he used to send to
Oldmar at regular interuals to receive instructions on how to administer
the world for it to be a comfoftable place
to live for human beings.
At first, OfSe Ay and)gngn If were pelform.ing
their assignments with
dilligence and truthfulness. At a stage, they became envious of human
beings. They realized that it was only human beings who sinned against
oldmar and lrrlnmglQ, yet
they were forgiven and given
another
chance. why should human beings be given
another chance; to sin again?
They wondered. It reached a stage that OJigq Ay andlgangan If decided
that they would be delivering false messages to
Qrunmll
in order to
punish
these wicked human beings. They began to do so and the world
began to experience problems.
This went on for a long time.
Qrrlnmll,
Imulgb (QbaHl)
and Akle (E9
Qdara)
consulted If to determine
what was responsible for the problems
they were encounting on earth. If
revealed to them that Ofse Ay and Igngn Ifg were the ones
responsible. They had deliberately been delivering false information in
order to create confusion and chaos. If recommended for both of them to
be sanctioned accordingly. Theywere both rounded up and eliminated.
As soon as this was done, another round of crisis began. The inhabitants
of Il-IfQ confronted
Qrnm1l
and demanded to know what right he had
for killing his messengers. They accused
Qrrfnmll
of being
jealous
of the
prominence
of his two seruants. All explanations failed to satisfy them. At
a stage, they beat up)mrllgb (Qbatl)
and tore up his dress to shreds.
They also slapped Akle (Egu
Qdara). Qrnm]l
lfd himself somewhere.
when they left,Ornmll,
QbaHh
and Eg
Qdara
packed
their belongings
and left ll-Ife.
Qrrlnmll
declared that he never knew that he no longer
had honour in Il-IfQ.
As soon as they left Il-IfQ, all spiritual consultants in the whole world
refused to consult for Il-IfQ. Those who were Babalwo, those who were
water and crystal gazers,
those who were Adg, (those who used
cowries for consultation) those who used three, four, eight and 16 cowries
1010
decreed that nobody should consult for them in Il-IfQ anymore. Il-Ife
people
said they could live their lives without the spiritualists.
lQrunm)l
and his two students (Qbtl and EgU
Qdara)
wandered in the forest for
several days before they arrived at a place known as
[lju-u-ko-s'Ekg-ko-
s'kn, the wilderness where there is no rafter or ropes. They erected
three huts made with im leaves one for
Qrrtnm)l,
one for
Qbtla
and the
third one for ESU
Qdara.
Meanwhile, in ll-Ife, there was serious crisis. Rain failed to fall; pregnant
women could not deliver their babies; strong people became sick and
feeble; crops failed; the rich ones became
poor; pestilence
enveloped the
whole town; streams and wells in Il-IfQ dried up completely; the breasts of
nursing mothers ran dry of milk and dropped down flat on their chests;
domestic animals began to die one after the other; human beings began to
follow; many of them died of hunger and thirst; trees and shrubs turned
brown and died one after the other. There was panic and confusion; those
who had litherto boasted that they could live their lives without the help of
all the spiritualists realized that they needed them more than ever before.
Unfoftunately for them, everyone they went to for assisstance, they were
turned down. They pleaded for mercy buttheywere ignored. Astheywere
moving from one
place
to the other, they came across a Babalwo who took
pity on them and was readyto assist on compassionate
grounds:
Alkn nfl rln nl lkgkg
Nll rln nl lbb
Dlfnwgn l'tu-IfQ
NljQ Ajogun ka wgn m'l pitipiti
Translation
The crab is itthatwalks in hidden places
And walks in the dark
If's message forthe inhabitants of Otu-IfQ
When Ajogun overwhelmed them completely
The Awo told them that they had offended those who had done them a lot
of favours. These people had shown them their anger and that was why
they were in the situation they found themselves. He advised them to
go
and approach another Awo called IpQpQn )sepo pQrQpQrQ for assistant.
He assured them that if there was anyone on earth at that time who could
1011
assist them, that person was uponpon lsepo seresere. I ney manKeo nlm
and left in search oflpgnpgn)sepo
Feregere
. Before long, theyfound him.
IpQrrpQn lsepo geregere
Dl filn wgn l'tu IfQ
NljqAjogun k wgn mq'l pitipiti
Ebg
niwqn nl kl wgn w
9e
Translation
IpQnpQnIsepo
Feresere
He was the Awo who cast If for them at Otu Ife
When Ajogun overwhelmed them completely
Theywere advised to offergbg
The Awo told them that they were suffering from self-inflicted
pain and
agony. They were advised that if they wanted all their sufferings to
go,
they needed to procure a life antelope for gbg.
All of them dispersed in search of a live antelope. They searched
everywhere but could not find any. One day, they found a live antelope.
They began to pursue it. The antelope sensed that it was being pursued
and it began to run deeper and deeper into the forest. It soon reached
[lju-u-ko-s'QkQ-k-s'kun,
They pursued it to the forest. As soon as they
got there, the antelope could no longer be found. It had simply
disappeared! They searched everywhere but could no longer find the
antelope. Instead, they found the three huts built by
Qrrfnmlla, Qbatl
and Eg
Qdara.
Who could be living in this deep forest in the middle of
nowhere? They wondered. One of them threw a stone at the hut and
Qbatl
came out. When they saw him, they allthrew themselves on the
ground and began to beg him. Before long,
Qrnm'll
and Eg
Qdara
also
came out, They begged the three of them for forgiveness.
Qbatl
refused to listen to them. They begged and begged. All their
pleadings
failed to impress
Qbatl.
At a stage, he told them that he was the one
who had withheld the rain and had opened the sky to let in intense
sunshine. When asked why he did so, he responded that he intended for
all the rats, fish, birds and beasts to die of drought and starvation. He also
wanted the human raceto dietoo!
That was when
QrrJnmll
and Egu
Qdara
joined
in pleading with
Qbat.
1012
vtuilililct
trxptcilileu ru rrril LilcrL Liley dil
gufrsufne
ain[ uSe rafs, flsn, olrqs
and beasts for other
purpose. It is human beings who will go
and
procure
all these items for them. They pleaded with him not to let all the living
things on eafth die because that would be against the wish of Oldmar.
After much deliberation,
Qbtl
agreed to take a compassionate look at
them. He told them to
go
and
procure
two rats, two fish, two birds and
two beasts as fine for throwing stones at theirlmu huts. They went back
home and broughtthe items, singing thus:
Kl ir eku k m ra
Kl irueja km ra
Kl iru eyq k m ra
Kl ir eran k m ra
Kl ir nlyen k m ma ra o
Ejl
ElqmerQ
gba w o
Translation
Maythe rats not die off
May the fishes not cease to exist
Maythe birds notvanish on earth
Maythe beasts notgo into extinction
May human beings notdisappearon eafth
Ef
Fhmere firgtQ-Meji)
please comes to our rescue
When they
got
to where the three lrnmglQ were, they took all these items
from them and asked them to return home. Obatb released the rain and
the world returned to normalcy.
Ojlqe Ay
Igngn IfQ
Qrunmlla
w sun, kowgn
AwqIfQgbQ
WQn han blAganlloye
WQn p'ariwo bl Agte
WQn blnrfr wQn lg r b
Qr{nmll
nl'l
Won O b Baba nl'l
AkalegmgQdQ
Qrrnmlh
WQngba ltl
Imlgb qmq qdq
Qrnmll
WQn fa
Qdn
ldl re ya peere-peere
1013
9runmfl
nl
9
Oun O tilQ I'QwQ nf 'tQ yt
mg
Qrunmfl w bl'nrt
Oun ti gmg
lkgfa rg mjejl
WAn
kg'rl sl
!ljrr-u-ko-s'eke-ko-s'kn
Awgn lfedamu
tfttl
Okod pgan
obodtaba
Aboyun l k bltibi-tire
Agan ot'gwql
b'osn
lsin Qba
koje'ko
Olw di onlgbs
Oknrnr-bti
ko dtde
Albtly
di atbffkr
IlAyw
d'qta
WQn bQrQsff dmrr kiri
Ian
d
Qdq El'ta, Flern' ft'qjo,
ati
frQQrrndrnrgrrn
WQn nf wgn ti fi yan
ekq
je
WQn hn kiri-kiri
WQn dqdqAtkn
nlt rln nt ltOto
Nfl rln nt lbaba
Bf gni
tl kO b'dge
Awo Od Ohlweri
nf kl wn ma te
Ipgnpgn
fsepo
serqgerQ
tg
IpQpen tsepo ggrgggrq
b
Dlfitnwgn
l'tu lfg
NfjQAjogun
k wgn mQ't pitipiti
Ebg lo nl kl wn w ge
O nl kf wqn ma wa Agbenrtn
oyQ 19
Iqn
yl
!
A9 bQn rtn de
f
t ju-u -ko-s'ke_ko-s,k
n
WQn d ib l mu m-ta
gbath nl kl wQn tg r m eku mjl
Eja mejl,
eye
mf ati gran
mjl a sOkolm wa
WQn bg O9 tftl
oganta nf un o nff gbe
Oo+a nt Oun o nff gbt
Qrunmfl
w fg'hn sl Oog4 r,vfpe
Qrnmll
wt egbed nffortjl
If nl onlkolo trln kolo
gln
L'jqtiQba
ti rr
j9
AojeiruQbayff
rt
Afi
gbatta
ebatrtsa
1014
Qba
patapata tff b wgn gb'de lrnj
Oun lfa okn eji so
w da
qseeercoorn
stlQ
Wn nl nltorl klnni
nl kl irrl gmg
eku l ba ra nii
nl kl r gmeeja | ba ra nii
nl kl irrl gmgqyg le ba ra nii
nl kl iru gmg gran | baa ra nii
nl kl rrt gmgenlyan E baa ra nii
Qrrrnmll
nl a jQekur loeku
A rjeeja,aloeja
An
jegyera
tr loe,yg
A tr
jg
eran,
rt lo gran
qmg
nlyn ni yO sl w wgn w fin wa
Kl int eku k m ra
Kl iru eja k m ra
Kl ir eyg ko m ra
Kl irU gran k m ra
Kl iru nlyn k m m ra o
Efi
glgmgrQ gba w o
Kopkojlnn
Ewa
bani b'yQ
$wwoireo
Translation
OfreAye
Igngan IfQ
QrrJnmll
had a deep meditation and arrested them
When the inhabitantof Il-IfQ heard thatthesetwo had been
Eliminated
They screamed likethe masquerade oflloye land
And shouted like the Elders of the Night
In their rage, they rushed to confront
Qrrtnm)l
at home
They did not meet him at home
Akle was a student of Ornmll
They slapped him in the face
Imlgb was another student of
Qrunmll
They tore his Odn dress to shreds
Qrnm)l
declared that he never knewthat he had no honour in
Il-Ife anymore
Qrnm)l
gotangry
He left Il-Ife together with his two students
They headed for
flu-u-kO-s'eke-ko-q'kn
in the deep forest
1015
The inhabitants
of Ir-IfQ began to rive in miseryand
confusion
Penis
became switch
Female genital
became lb, leather
Pregnant
women
were unable to deliver safely
Barren women
could not become pregnant
pba's
horses had no grass
to eat
The rich became
chronic debtors
The invalid
could not regain their health
Those who had hill..f:.
p.en giving
bith to bouncing
babies
began to deliver still-bifths
Theywere
running from pillarto post
Theywentto
allAwos
And those doing consultation
with cowries
The Awo said they had used their cowries to buy corn meal
They went from piace
to place
They got
to the crab walks in hidden places
And walk in the dark
As f it has nothing
to do with the stream
TheAwoof
Oluwri
If's message forthe inhabtants
of Otu-If
When Ajogun
overwhelmed
them completefy
He asked them to go
tolpQnpQntsepo
gQre9ere
IpQnpgnlsepo
Fere$ere
He wastheAwo
who castlf forthem
atOtu_lf
When Ajogun
overwhelmed
them completely
'
They were advised to offerebo
The Awo told them to took for a rive anterope as gbg
materiars
They pursued
an antelope to
[tgu_u_ko*?tg-_i,;
They saw the three huts made with lmo leaves
Theythrew
a stone atthe hut
QbaHl asked them to go
and bring two rats, two fish, two birds
31d
two beasts as penalty
for throwing
stones at ImU hut
They begged OOga fora long time
Ogl refused
to accept their apology
QrUnmIl declared
to Obtl thus
If declared
'orrikolo trJn kolo sin,
Since the period
that
ebas
were being installed
None had ever been like this one
The exception
is
ebtl Obatfsa
Qba
patapata
who lived inlranje
iand
He was the one who held onto [he rope of rainfall
And released
that of intense sunshinb
They asked him why he did so
1016
He declared that he wanted all rats to die off
He wanted all fish to cease to exist
i
He wanted all birds to vanish on eafth
He wanted all beasts to go into extinction
He even wanted all human being disappearfrom the eafth's
Surface
Ornmll said thatwe eat and use rats
We eat and use fish
We eat and use birds
We eatand use beasts
And human beings are the ones who procured all these items for
Us
May the rats not die off
May the fish not cease to exist
Maythe birds notvanish on eafth
May the beasts not go into extinction
May human being not disappear from the eafth's surface
E
Etqmqrg,
please come to our rescue
Before long nottoo far
Join us in the midstof haPPiness
Comeand behold alllre in life
If says that the tribulation of the
person or
group for whom this Od is
I
revealed shallsoon come to an end. There is the need for him/her/them to
bury his/her/their
pride and tender apoogy where and f necessary.
16. If warns the
person for whom this Od is revealed that there is the
need for him/her to do Ipese for the Elders of the Night so that the
problems that he/she is encountering
presently, caused by the
witches, can be eliminated. If says that the life of a
youth is being
threatened by the Elders of the Night where this Od is revealed.
i
That is why If recommends this
gbg in order to
prevent this
youth
from experiencing untimely death.
If advises that there is the need to offer
gbq with a matured he-
goat and money. After this, there is the need to dolps with one
matured she-goat. This she-goat will be slaughtered from the
back of its neck as against its throat. The flesh of this
goat shall also
be distributed raw. It must not be cooked in the house where this
Qbq
t
1417
ts oTTereo or In me nouse or E aDatawo. un tnts, lra says:
Eran t kker p'e,tq
Owlwl drln ldrtn n
DlfitnOrunmlla
Tlyofi ewregb'gmg rQ I'ewf
Eleye
lbg
ni wgn nl k w
9e
Translation
Eran, Digitaria debilis, is it that grows branches from its
inception
The owldoes not make the same sound that it made yesterday
This was the If cast for
Qrr:nmll
The one who will rescue his child from the hands of the witches w i t h a
she-goat
He was advised to offer gbg
In this Od, Akp was successfully married with children. The family had
been living happily until Akp inadveftently found himself in contentious
circumstances wth the Elders of the Night. How dd t happen? Some
people
came to him for If consultation when their children were
experiencing inexplicable ailments. After consultation, AkpO declared to
the client that the
problems
were caused by the Elders of the Night. He
thereafter recommended appropriate gbg
and'ips. The client complied.
The ailments disappeared.
Before long, Akp had been known as an expert of some soft of matters
relating to children and their welfare. This was where AkpO had
inadveftently offended the witches. Unknown to him, most of the children
that he had saved from untimely death had lithefto been targeted by the
Elders of the Nightfor consumption. They were the ones who had marked
the children before they began their sickness. In fact, these ailments were
actually the signs the Elders had put in their body in order to have an
excuse as to what caused the death of these children when eventually they
died. They viewed Akp as an enemy who had been removing their
potential
meals from their mouths. They therefore concluded that AkpO
must be
punished
for this. They decided to take his best child to replace all
the children he had denied them of consuming.
1018
efore tong, rne [avounte cnilo or AKapo Decame lll, all meolcaons ne nao
successfully administered on other children failed to have any effect on his
own child. The child became leaner, paler and weaker by the day. AkpO's
family was thrown into confusion and sorrow. That was when
Qrrfnmll
decided to come to Akp's aid.
One day, Akpo had a dream and
Qrnmlla
told him that his problem was
caused by the Elders of the Night; therefore he needed to consult If.
During consultation, If told Akp to offer
gbg with a matured he-goat for
victory for the child and the family. After this, he was to use one matured
she-goat as a substitute for his child because the child's flesh had already
been shared by the Elders of the Night. They were only waiting for the
death of the child before the
physical possession of his body
parts is taken,
He was instructed to slaughter the animal from the back of the neck, which
was an unconventional way of slaughtering animals, because the Elders of
the Night planned to eliminate his child in an unconventionalway. He was
also told to share the flesh of this animal raw as no part must be cooked in
his house. Akp complied with the
gbg and shared the flesh of the she-
goat among those living around his house. Within one week, the child
became alright and fully recuperated. Happiness then returned to Akp0's
family.
Eran ti kker p'Qtq
Owlwl dun ldn ana
DlfinOrunmll
Tl yOfiewtre gb'gmg rQ I'QwQ
Eleye
lbg
ni wEn nl k w
qe
gb'Qbg, r'bg
$ni
tl gb'ap,
$
w gb'ap
Odtod n wqn p'gran aj
je
o
odl-odl
$ni
tl rtgb'gs, q w gb'ese
Odl-odl ni wQn p'gran eje
je
o
odl-odl
$ni
tl rtgb'yln, q w gb', yln
Odl-odl ni wQn p'gran aj
je
o
odt-odl
fni
tf gb'orf,
e
w gb'orf
Odl-odl niwqn p'gran jS
je
o
odr-odl
1019
fni
tl gba'fun,
e
w gba'fun
Odt-ot ni wQn p'gran aj
je
o
odt-odl
lni
tl gb'grn, g w gb'grn
Od-oO ni wQn p'gran aj
je
o
odl-odl
sni
tl gb'edg, g w gb'Qdg
Od-oO ni wQn p'gran ej
je
o
odr-odl
fni
tl ]tgba gaK, gw gba gakl
Od-ot niwQn p'gran jgjeo
odl-odl
Eni tl gba fkr, gw gba fk
Od-odl niwqn p'gran aj
jeo
odr-odl
Eni tl rtgba'gQ, g w gba'ge
Odl-odl ni wgn p'gran ej
jeo
odl-odl
Translation
Eran, Digitaria debilis is itthatgrows branchesfrom its
Inception
The owl does not make the same sound as it made yesterday
This was the If cast for
Qrrf
nnlll
The one who will use a she-goatto rescue his child from the
hands of the witches
He was advised to offer
gbg
Hecomplied
Those who are entitled to the limbs, do come and take your
Share
In unconventional means, the animal of the witches is
Slaughtered
Truly, it is unconventional
Those who are entitled to the head, do come and take
your
Share
In unconventional means, the animal of the witches is
Slaughtered
Truly, it is unconventional
Those who are entitled to the neck, do come and take
possession
of
your
share
In unconventional means, the animal of the witches is
Slaughtered
It is unconventional indeed
1024
Those who are entitlecl to the intestines, clo come and take
your
Share
In unconventional means, the animal of the witches is
Slaughtered
Truly, it is unconventional
Those who are entitled to the bowel, do come and take your
Share
In unconventional means, the animal of the witches is
Slaughtered
It is unconventional indeed
Those who are entitled to the lungs, do come and take
possession of your share
In unconventional means, the animal of the witches is
Slaughtered
Truly, it is unconventional
Those who are entitled to the chest do come and take your
Share
In unconventional means, the animal of the witches is
Slaughtered
Truly, it is unconventional
If says that the
person for whom this Od is revealed shall be rescued from
the hands of the witches.
1021
B. SIGNIFICANCE
(J)F
rKE I
E
MEJI rr.rK I nrr)tr l'Lrli(|I n r
THE OD DURING ITFLD ORIKqSFDAVE
IreJQ Mil children normally live happy and comfoftable lives. They have
the support of the mother-earth, which ensures that they are blessed with
profitability. They are equally the beloved of Oldmar. They regarded
as the ambassadors of Oldmar here on eafth. This is a major function
thatlretb M] children
pefform splendidly. It is also
part of the reason why
they do not need to
go into any
job
where they would be sweating
profusely
before making theirdailY bread.
lrgtQ Mil children succeed more outside the shores of where they are
born than for them to stay in their
places of bifth. Anruhere they
go, they
turn into their abode. They do not believe that anybody is discriminating
against them wherever they are. They also cooperate with those whom
they met wherever they
go. For all these, they take their chances and take
advantage of whatever opportunity that comes their way.
It is always advisable for lre.tQ Mil children to ensure that special
preparation were made for them in order to demolish the homes being
erected for them by their
Fgb
in heaven so as to be able to live the ones
they are erecting hbre on e,th. This is very impoftant in order to avoid a
situation where they will lose their Iives as soon as they complete
acquisition of any
property on eafth.
Manytimes,IrqtQ Mil children are accused of
perpetrating the evil, which
they know nothing about. The organizers of these falsehood will make
everyone to believe that it is truly the handiwork of IreJQ-Mil children,
the truth will
prevail in the end: unfoftunately
for these falsehood
perpetrators lrgtQ Mil children do not easily forget orforgive anyone who
did any evil against them.
gng
and
Qrnmll
are the two major IrrlnmglQ who protect alllrgtQ MI
children against untimely death.
$ng
protects their chest while
Qrnm)l
protects their head. Wth these two InJnmgl behind them, longevity is
sure.
To succeed most in life, it is best for lrqt Mi children to enter into
joint
1022
parunersnrp w|tn orners. rr rs nor aovlsaDre Tor tnem ro go Into any Du$ness
alone, as this will not bring maximum profit for them. If they go into
joint i
paftnership
business, they will be able to maximize their profits,
especially
if all
paftners involved in the business specialize in different fields and
categories of the business segments. They however need to spell out the
involvements of each partners in the business ever before the
commencement of such venture. They also need to spell out the profit/loss
sharing formula beforehand. By so doing, friction and misunderstanding
are nipped in the bud.
Ire,tQ Mjl children also sufFer from the problem
of contention with the
(
Elders of the Night. They try to stop them from achieving their goals in life.
However, with appropriate gbg
andlps, this problem will become a thing
ofthe past.
C. AFF'ILIATED IRUNMOI,DONISA OTINNTE Mfi
1. If For success, victory long life
2. Egu
Qdara
For protection,
success and stability
3. Orl Forfortune consummation
4.
Egb
Forfinancialenhancement
5.
QbAtl
Forsuccess and happiness
6.
$ngo
For protection
and long life
7.
Qqun
For protection
against slanderers
8. Od For protection and success
9. Ile For long life and prosperity
D. TABOOS OFIRFTF MEJI
1. Must not eat squirrel To avoid untimely death
2. Must never pay
evil with evil To avoid the multiplication of
eviland disaster
3. Must not use eran grass for anything To avoid contention
Wth Elders of the Night
4. Must not use owlfor anything
-
To avoid contention with Elders
1023
of the Night
5. Must not engage in sole proprietorship business To avoid
unconsummated foftune
6. Must not use any of the monkey family for anything To avoid
untimely death.
7. Must not implicate others in whatthey know nothing about
To avoid humiliation and disgrace
8. Must noteatcrab To avoid
protracted problems
E. POSSIBLE NAMES OF]RET NN.fr CHILDREN DURING
Irgspnv
Males
1. IlQmaje,yl May mother-eafth sparethisfrom consumption
2.
Qtant
A child of special bfth
3.
Qlberinjg
Honourwas greatas
an elephant
4. Arundu A small-statured child
5. Ifadurl If protects my head
6. Ifgbmll If saves me
Females
1. IlemajQyl May mother-earth spare this for consumption
2.
Qlbrinjg
Honour is as
great
as an elephant
3. Iyewajare
Qgun
isvindicated
4.
gldqb
Honour is wofth sharing
Aboru Aboye.
1024
Chapter 15
OSE MEI
l
tt
lt tl
ll
ll ll
Chapter 15
OS MJI
Os Or-UBADAN
A.
1. If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed has been
destined to become the most important person in his/her family from
heaven. This is not all; he/she shall also be blessed with a child who
shall become the king/queen of his/her family.
If advises the person for whom this Od is revealed to offer
gbg
so
as to be able to realize the
potentials
of his/her destiny to the fullest.
At the same time, he/she also needs to offer another gbg for his/her
child to becomethe most important person in his/herfamily.
lf advises this person
to offer
ebq
with two pigeons for
him/herself and another two for the child, two hens for
him/herself and another two for the child, and money. It
does not matter whether the child had already been born or not.
The impoftant thing is to offer this gbg in order to.usher in the
promised greatness
and accomplishment. On this,
QSg
Mfl says:
Idanndan natpa ile
D,l fitn wn l'de lh-la
Ibi wgn gb rbi Oltl I'Qmg
fibq
nf wQn ni kl wqn w
$e
Translation
Idan nda n reflects as the la m p of the mother ea rth
This was the If castforthe inhabitants of the Big City
Where they give birth to prominent people
1026
if ose rrzeli
They were advised to offer gbp
The inhabitants of Il-11 planned to make their new found land,Ibadan
the largest and most prosperous cty in Yorb land. For this reason, they
went for If consultation: Would they be able to realize their dream?
Would their town grow to be the biggest in Yorb land? Would commerce
and politics flourish in this new town? These questions
and many more
were what were in their minds when they went for If consultation.
The Awo assured them that their new town would grow to be the largest
town ever. For this to happen however, there was the need to offer qbg
in
order to beget
great sons and daughters who were full of energy and
dreams which would help in propelling the town into greatness.
The Awo
told them that
just
as Idanndan reflects to show the greatness
of the
mother eafth, so also will their sons and daughters
grow
to ensure that
their dreams become reality. The Awo concluded that the wonders that a
horse could not perform while on eafth, its tail would perform more than
thatafterthe horse had passed
on.
The Awo advised them to offer
gbg
as
prescribed
above. They complied.
As a result, their sons and daughters stafted building the town in terms of
engaging in commerce,
politics, administration, etc. and thus, the town
grew to become the Iargest city in Yorb land up till today as it was
foretold by the Awo. Seeing the
potentials
abound in the town, other
inhabitants from other lands came to settle their-in. As a result, the
inhabitants of llu-nl became successful and prosperous
as the town also
continued to progress and expand and
grow
stronger even in terms of
military strength and weaponry.
Idanndan ntpa le
Dl fin wQn l'deltr-la
Ibiwgn
9b
bi Ohl I'Qmg
fbg
nl wQn nl kl wQn w
Se
WQn gb'Qbg, wqn r'bg
Eiolpo, EroQfa
F
w gb'qmg ohl g'eSin gog
1027
lfa Dda: An invitation to lfa Consultation
Translation
Idanndan reflects as the lamp of the mother eafth
Ths was the If cast for the inhabitants of the big city
Wheretheygive birth to prominent people
They were advised to offer gbg
Theycomplied
Travellers tolpo and
Qfa
towns
Come and
place the prominent people
on deserued horses.
If says that the community where
Qgq-Mel'is
revealed either during
IkqSQdy orltenff will benefitfrom the blessings of this Od.
2. If says that it foresees prosperity for the
person for whom this Od is
revealed. If this
person is a man, If foresees the Ire of a loving
woman who will assist him to succeed in life. The woman in
question has the tendency to bring financial accomplishment to her
husband. On the other hand, if the person for whom this Od is
revealed is a woman, she will be blessed with an understanding
husband who will make her a proud mother of many children in life.
For the man, If advises him to offer gbg with two pigeons, two
hens, two guinea fowls and money. He is also to feed If with
one matured she-goat and feed Aj with one white
pigeon.
For the woman, she is to offer gbg with two pigeons, two cocks,
two
guinea fowls and money. She is also to feed If with hro
ratsrtwofish and a matured she-goat. On these,If says:
Ewe ila ba'le, ofara
jgewAd
EweAde ba'lQrofara
jgew
Il
Ew ogngun l ba'l, r gbamldo-gbmldo
ro gbaalukgkg-gbalkgkq
D{filnAj
nw'gkg ImQrn-n yn klri
f
bq nl wqn nl k w
9e
Translation
When okra leaf drops, it resembles Ad leaf
When Ad leaf drops, it resembles okra leaf
When OgUngun (araba) baf, adansonia digitata, dropped, it made
1028
f !, oo u.
crackng sound
These were If's declarations to Aj (wealth divinity)
When in search of a compatible husband
She was advised to offer ebo
Aj was a very pretty lady; she was full of life and vitality. Oldmar put
her in charge of financial wealth. When she came into the world, she had
several relationships with men who mismanaged her, and treated her with
disrespect. In the end she would leave them; and as soon as she left them,
those men would become wretched. Tired of this kind of life, she went for
If consultation: Would she be able to have a compatible husband? Would
she be able to have an understanding husband who will treat her with care
and respect?
The Awo assured her that she would realize all her heaft's desires. She was
then advised to offer
ebg
as stated above. Aj complied.
Ewe ila ba'lg, o f ara
jg
ew Ad
EweAde ba'l, ofara
jgewIl |
Ew Ogngun l ba'l, r gbemldo-gbamldo
ro gbaahrkgkg-gbelkgkg
Dl fitn
Qrrlnmlli
If rtfomi oju sngbrAjeguurugu
Fbq
nl wqn nl k w ge
Translation
When okra leaf drops it resemblesAd leaf
i
When Ad leaf drops, it resembles okra leaf
When OgUngun (araba) leaf, it made cracking sound
These were If's declarations to Orunmll
When lamenting his lackof wealth
He was advised to offergbg
0rnmll was very hardworking, efficient and proficient in his chosen field
but he had nothing to show for it. Most of his clients did not see any reason
why he should be adequately compensated for all his effofts to improve the
qualityof theirlives. Asa resultof hispovefty, hefound itdifficulttosecure
I
1029
I
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultaton
a wife and
give brth to children because he could not see how he would be
able to provide adequate mantenance for the wife and the children.
Tired of living from hand to mouth,
Qrnm'il
decided to consult the Awo
mentioned above who was incidentally one of his former students, for If
consultation: Would he be blessed with financial success in life? Would he
be commensurately remunerated for his effolts? Would his clients
give him
recognition in consonant with his effoft to improve their lot? All these and
many more were the questions
Qrnm'll
asked If. During If
consultation,
Qgq-M)
was revealed. The Awo assured him that he would
succeed but that the success would come through a woman. Ornmll
was advised to offer qbg
as stated above.
On the day that
Qrnm)la
went for the gbg
was the same day that Aj also
came to offer her gbg.
Seeing
Qrnmlla,
Aj asked If secretly whether
this was the man that If had promised
she would meet. She consulted If
and it was in the affirmative. Similarly,
Qrrlnmll
also asked If whether
this was the woman that If had assured him. If said yes. The two of
them met, discussed and made arrangements as to how they would
become husband and wife.
The two families were consulted and consequently, the marriage was
contracted. From there,
Qrnm)l
prospered
in his profession,
took proper
care of Aj and thus became wealthy. Aj, on the other hand was of great
benefit and assistance to
Qrnm'il
because of his understanding and care.
As a result, she decided to stay permanently
with Ornmll and both of
them prospered
together. Aj became happy and also begot
proud
children for
Qrnm)l.
They were both rejoicing with all the good things
that had come out of their relationship.
QrnmII
stafted to
praise Aj for
assisting him to become prosperous
while Aj also was praising
Qrrlnmll
for making her a proud mother that nobody had ever done for her. Both of
them had causeto praise each otherfora long time.
Ew il ba'lg, of'ara
jg
ewend
EwAd ba'l, ofara
jgew
Il
Ew ogngun l ba'lg, r gbamldo-gbmldo
ro glaal kgkg-gbalkgkg
DlfitnAj
1030
f f ose nreTi
rw'qkg ImQrn-n yen klr
Dlafun Orunmila
If rrfom oju sngbreAj guurusu
Fbq
nf wQn nl k w ge
WQn gb'gbo, wQn r'bg
If l'mi kg'b0oslAj
Ajlsgmld'gba
N k'boslAj
Aj nl If m k'bOosl i mi mo
Iwg lo sg mi d'glQmo
If m k'boosl i mi m
Translation
When okra leaf drops, it resembles Ad leaf
When the leaf of Ad drops, it resembles okra leaf
When gngun (araba) leaf dropped, it made a cracking sound
These were If's declarations to Aj (wealth Divinity)
When in search of a compatible husband
If also declared to
0rnmll
When lamenting his lackof wealth
They were advised to offergbg
Theycomplied
If says I should praise Aj
Aj has made meto be
prosperous
I willsurely praiseAj
Aj asked
Qrnmll
notto praise her
Because he had made her a proud mother
Qrnmll,
do not praise me anymore
All those
praises
belong to Ia
If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed shall be blessed with
a
good
spouse. Both husband and wife shall complement each other and
both of them shall acheve their heas'desires in life.
3. If says that the
person for whom this Od is revealed shall be blessed
with financial success. If says that he/she needs to work hard but
not n work that is too rigorous. If says that
Qgq
MT children excel
in professions that are consdered to be for lazy people.
1031
lfa Dida: An nvitation to lfa Consultation
If advises the person for whom this Od is revealed to change
his/her style of working if he/she had been doing any strenuous
work. If says that it is more advisable to use his/her brains. It is by
so doing that unqualified success can be guaranteed.
If says that if the person for whom this Od is revealed is being
looked down upon or cheated by those who are more poweful than
him/her, he/she needs not despair at all. These people will sooner or
later come back to him/her with cap in hand to seek his/her favour.
He/she too must never look down or cheat anyone as this may have
adverse effect on his/her success.
If recommends for this
person
to offer
gbg with four rats, four
fish, two
pigeons,
two hens, two she-goats and money. Two
of the rats and fish, one
pigeon,
one hen and one
goat
shall be
used to feed If. On this, If says:
Ssolongo
Plrl parc
DlfilnQrunmll
Baba yo ma s'OwO
fiakadl
k'aye
f
bg nl wgn nl k w qe
Translation
The smaftness of Olongo bird
And the agility of parO,
paftridge
These were the messages of If for
QrUnmIl
When going to take wrestling as a
profession
He was advised to offer gbg
Qrunmll
believed in trying his hand on any and all professions as long as
they were within the ambit of socially accepted norms in the society. It was
this reason that made
Qrnmll
to choose wrestling as his profession. In
order to succeed in throwing all his opponents down,
Qrnm)l
went to
prepare many special devices. These devices were so effective that if an
elephant confronted him in a wrestling duel, the elephant will be thrown
down several times and no sweat would come out of
Qrnmll's
body for all
his effot. The efficacy of this devices impressed
Qrnmll
so much so that
1032
il o"e rueTi
he congratulated himself in advance.
One day, a wrestlng competition was announced and a date was fixed for
the duel. All the great wrestlers across the Yoruba land were present.
These included Alr, Ajer,
Qwa-Qrngr1n
Aga, OljorRb, and even
Qlqfa,
the greatestof
allwrestlers of thattime.
On the day of the competition, all the wrestlers came out and one by one
they were thrown down and eliminated by
Qrrlnm)l.
It took him no time
to throw down Alr, he did not even sweat before he threw down Ajer.
His breathing pattern did not increase before he threw down
Qw'rngrf
n
Aga. He was still looking fresh after he threw down Oljmb. By the
time he engaged
QlQf,
the greatest wrestler as at that time in the duel,
QlQfa
was no longer sure of his ability. In the end,
Qrrlnmll
defeated
Qlqfa,
the greatest wrestler hands down. Orrlnmll was consequently
declared the
greatest wrestler of all
generations.
For his effort, Orrlnmll
was given
a live cat and a leopard skin to signiff that his back never
touched the ground in defeat.
When he got
back home however, he met his family expecting him to bring
home money because they were already feeling hungry. Orrfnmll had
nothing to give his family for food. He was thoroughly abused by his wives.
They called him a never-do-well who was good for nothing in the home.
They screamed at him that even though he had to defeat everybody in the
duel, he did not have the capacity to peform his marital and domestic
obligations. As he tried to explain to his wives and children, they shouted
him down and called him severalterrible names,
For two years,
Qrunmll
remained the undisputed wrestling champion; but
he had nothing to show for it. At this stage, even his friends and relatives
had
joined
the wives and children in casting aspersion on him. He had
neither respect nor honour among the community members because his
wrestling championship dd not translate into any meaningful
developments in the community.
Tired of this development,
Qrnm'il
approached the two Awo mentioned
above for If consultation. They were his former students and were well
1 033
lfa Dda: An invitation to lfa Consultation
trained by
Qrnm)l.
During consultation,
Qgg
Mfl was revealed that he
had hithefto been acting like someone endowed with lots of brawn, but
with little brain. He was told that hencefofth, there was the need for him to
use more of his brain/intellectual
prowess
than his physical clout. They told
Qrnmll
that most of the people he defeated during the wrestling contest
would have
paid
anything,
just
anything, to have the oppoftunity of
throwing
(casting) him (If). This was the oppoftunity that
Qrrtnm'll
had
all along been denying these people. They told him that he must allow
himself to be thrown down by anybody interested in engaging in a duel
(consultation) with him. They summarized it all by asking him to announce
it that he no longer had the physical strength of throwing anybody down
but can now be thrown down by anyone interested in engaging him in a
duel. They also advised
Qrunmlla
to offer gbg as prescribed above.
As soon as people heard that
Qrrlnmll
could no longer throw
people
down
but can allow himself to be thrown down in consultation, Alr was the first
person to arrive at
Qrnm)l's
house.
Qrnm'il
gave him the
Qpglg.
Alr
threw down the
Qpglg
in consultation and
Qpe
MT was revealed.
Qrnmll
declared that Alr threw down the
Qpglg
in consultation
because he needed more financial success in life. He was assured that he
would get all he wanted. He was advised to offer
gbq four white
pigeons, one sheep and 16 bags of cowries. Alr delivered all these
items to
Qrnm'll's
house that same day.
The next person was Ajer. AjerO threw the
Qpglg
(If) down in
consultation.
Qrnmll
told Ajer that the reason why he threw the
Qpgle
was because he needed peace of mind in his life. He assured Ajer that he
would
get his heat desires. He advised Ajer0 to offer
gbg with 16
guinea
fowls and eight bags of money. Ajer complied.
Next,
Qw-Qrngr1n
Aga came for consultation. He also threw down the
Qpgle
and
Qrr1nmlla
told him that he needed more wives and children.
Qw-Qrangn
Aga was told that he would get what he desired. He was
then advised to offer
gbg with 1O rats, 1O fish, four matured she-
goats
and six bags of money. He complied.
As soon as
Qwa-Qrngrln
Aga left, Oljornb came into
Qrunm'il's
house
1034
t os" nzeTi
for consultation. He also threw
gpglg
down;
Qrunm'il
told him that he had
come in order to have victory over his numerous enemies. He was assured
that he would be able to achieve his heaft desires. He was advised to offer
gbg with three matured he-goats and 17 bags of cowries. He
complied.
After this, came
QlQfa;
he threw
Qpglg
in consultation and was told that he
needed
peace and tranquility in his domain. He was assured that he would
realize his heart desires. Orrinmll advised him to offer
gbg with 17 yam
tubers, two matured
pgs and 17 bags of money, He complied.
All the movers and shakers of the society began to
queue in order to throw
Qpgle
in consultation in Orrlnmll's house.
Qrrlnmll
told them what they
came for and
prescribed gbq for them. Most of them complied with the
recommendations as
pronounced by
Qrrrnmll.
Within three months, the life of
Qrrlnmlla
had completely changed for the
better. The first thing he noticed was that his wives who had hithefto being
raining curses and abuses on him began to smile and
praise him. They were
always at his beck and call. And why not?
Qrnmll
was able to fulfill his
marital and domestic obligations even in excess of their expectations. His
family and friends spoke well of him. His community respected and
honoured him as well. Ornmll became happy and lived happily with
everyone.
Ssolongo
Plrl par
Dl fitn
Qrrtnmll
Baba yo ma s'wolJakadl k'y
fbg
nl wgn nl k w
Qe
gb'Qbo, rrl'bg
SqsOlongo
Olongogggq
Edr o l
j
SsOIongo
OlongoSeFe
Bod'f o l'ku
SqsOlongo
Olongogggg
1 035
lfa Dida: An nvitation to lfa Consultaon
ldu
o |ea
SeseOlongo
Olongo s.999
Bod'fol'ja
SESOlongo
Olongogggg
Fr
o le
ja
$qsgOlongo
Olongoggs,g
Bod'fol'yq
FesqOlongo
Olongogggq
Fdu
o leja
SesqOlongo
Bod'fol'ran
SSOlongo
OlongogqqE
Fd
te
je
FeqeOlongo
Translation
The smatness of Olongo bird
And the agility of par, partridge
These were the messages of If for
Qrnmll
When going to take wrestling as a
profession
He was advised to offer gbq
He complied
The smaftness of Olongo
Olongo is reallysmaft
Fd
(If) needs notengage in any physical combat
$QgQ
Olongo
If you throw (consult), If you
shall offer rat
SS
Olongo
Olongo
9Q9g
ldrt
needs notengage in any
physicalcombat
$QgQ
Olongo
If you consult If, you
shall offerfish
$QgQOlongo
OlongogEgg
pdu
needs notengage in anyfight
$Q9Q
Olongo
If you consult If, you shall offer birds
1 036
f o"",v"7i
$Qgq
Olongo
Olongo
gggg
!dr:
needs not engage in any fight
$QgQ
Olongo
If you consult If, you shall offer beast
$qgQ
Olongo
Olongogggg
Edrl
needs notengage in a physicalcombat
$SgQ
Olongo
If says that the
person for whom this Od is revealed should use more of
his mental capacity than his physical prowess. This is more impoftant
especally when he is faced with difficulties wth regard to achieving his/her
heart's desires.
4. If says that it foresees the Ire of a good wife for the man for whom
this Od is revealed. If says that the woman will play a significant
role in the life of this man. If also advises this
person
to serue
Qbatl
and to observe the
Qsg
rituals every
Qsg
day.
On the other hand, If assures a woman in search of a spouse that
she will be blessed with a good one. If assures thatthe man she will
meet will ceftainly know her value and treat her with the honour and
respect she deserues. She needs to continue to be well behaved and
act as a shining example for other women.
If advises this
person, if a man to offer
gbg with two hens and
money. If a woman, she is advised to offer
gbq with two cocks
and money. There is also the need to feed
Qbatl
with eight
snails, eight native chalks and shea butter. On this, If says:
qewoo
rrln wO
A kl i ta ogqmq gblgbe l'sn
Dl firn oosarla
QseQrQmag
bo
Ti nlo re gbe OJos n'iyawo
f
bg nl wqn nl k w
9e
1037
Ifa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consuftation
Translation

gE woo, it breaks into pieces
rrn w, it cracks into tiny fragment
It is not the practice to paint dry palm-fronds with camwood
These were If's messages for oosanla
QsqQrQmagbo
(Qbatl)
When going to have the hand of OjQse (qse day) as wife
He was advised to offer ebo
OOsanla
Qsggrgmgb
was n dire need of a spouse who would assst hm
to achieve the mandate which Oldmare set for him on earth. He had
earlier had several women in his life but none of them could complement
his effoft. This was frustrating but
QbaHh
was fully determined not to rest
until he was able to
get
a woman of his choice.
On the other hand, Ojqse was in search of a man who would understand
her and treat her right. She was ready to assist her man to achieve his life
ambition and realize his destiny if well treated. Unfortunately for her
howeve6 she was always meeting men who did not appreciate her value
and
give her well deserved respect. She was however convinced that for
every woman, there was a man. The only thing was for her to meet her
man at the right time. Consequently, she was prepared
to continue to try
her luck until she
gotthe
right man in her life.
One day,
QbaHl
met OjQsQ and they discussed. Both of them immediately
developed interest in each other, especially when they realized that they
were both suffering from the same problem.
Qbatl
went for If
consultation this time in order to ensure that the mistakes of the
past were
not repeated.
The
questions
at the back of his mind were: Was
QjQsE
good for him?
Would she complement his effort in life? Would he be happy with her?
Would she also live happily with him? The Awo assured him that Ojqse
was his dream choice. He was told that he would live happily with her and
she would also be happy with him. He was assured that OjQsQ would
complement all his efforts in llfe as long as she was treated with respect and
honour.
Qbatl
was advised to choose one out of the four religious days in
honour of OjQsQ. He was instructed to break kolanuts for OjQsQ on these
1038
il ose r,eti
days on a regular basis. The Awo told
Qbatl
that
Qjqse
did not demand
for more than this, and that if it was done regularly, Ojqse would assist
QbaHb
in every aspect of his Iife.
QbaHl
was advised to offer
ebg
as
prescribed
above. He complied accordingly.
As soon as this was done, appropriate steps were taken to formalize the
relationship between
Qbtl
and OjQsQ. Every OjQse (QSe day),
Qbath
used to break two kolanuts in honour of his wife. In turn, OjQsQ would
summon all Ire of wealth,
joy,
satisfaction, accomplishment, success,
victory peace of mind, sound health and so on to the home of
Qbtl.
Wth all these,
Qbatl
had the time and presence
of mind to assist others
and to achieve his mission on eath.
Qbath
lived with OjQsQ happily and
successfully ever after.

gqwoo
rrtn wO
A kl ta ogomQ gblgbe l'sn
Dl filn Oosarrla
QseQrQmgbo
Tl rlo r gb OJQse n'iyawo
Fbq
nl wQn nl k w
9e

gb'gbg, r'bg
Qba
l, obl
qsg g
te'mi r o
Onl I'ojQQsQ
Translation

9q
woo, it breaks into pieces
rrln wO, it cracks into tiny fragments
It is not the practice to paint
dry
palm-fronds
with camwood
These were If's messages for OOsar la
QsgQrQma
g b0 (QbaH l
)
When going to have the hand of OjQse (Qse day) as wife
He was advised to offer ebo
He complied
Qbanla,
the great
Qba,
I hereby offer my
QsQ
kolanuts
Today is the
QsQ
day
If assures the person for whom this Od is revealed of great things in life
as long as
QsQ
days are observed regularly. If also advises the man for
whom this Od is revealed to treat his wife with honour and respect. The
woman is equally advised to complement all the effofts of her man at all
times, and to assist him all in all ways in order for him to achieve his goals in
1 039
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
life.
5. If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed is presently
facing problems
from two different angles. These
problems
are
agitating his/her mind and is weighing him/her down. If assures
this person
that he/she will overcome these problems. If stresses
further that the two problems
shall be overcome in one day.
If also warns a woman where this Od is revealed against loving
more than one man at a time. If says that the sacredness which
Oldmr put
on the chest of a woman is so delicate that it cannot
accommodate more than one man at a period. If says that if this
woman is in the habit of sleeping with more than one man at a
period,
she would lose the
gift
of sacredness that Oldmre had
given her and she would never be able to overcome most things
agitating her mind.
If advises the person for whom this Od is revealed to offer gbg with
hro matured he-goats in order to overcome the two
problems in
one day. He/she is also advised to feed If with one cock or he-
goat. If this can be done as advised, victory is assured. On this, If
says:
Ss omr obinrin O
grln'nl I'ojrl
Akaya oblnrin nl o gb'eljl
DdafnQsg
Tlysegun mejl l'ojQ
fbg
nl wQn nl k w
9e
Translation
The pointed nipple of a woman's breast cannot pierce the eye
The chest of a woman does not accommodate two men in intimate love
making atthe same period
These were lf's declarations to
QsQ
Who shall overcome two
problems in the same day
He was advised to offer
ebo
Qsq
was an accomplished Babalwo. He was proficient in the areas of
1040
l os" ue.i
midwifery and finding solutions to health problems. He had solved several
complcated
pregnancy problems
and the women involved had delivered
safely. He had also been able to cure several ailments which people had
believed to be incurable.
Qse
had peformed
several miracles in these two
fields that every one considered him to be the best expeft that had lived on
eafth.
Wth all these achievements however,
Qs
to threaten him that
they would abandon the home because there was no peace at home.
They were always accusing him of solving other
people's problems
but
lacking the ability to resolve the problems in his own home. They used to
compare him to a great swimmer who swam the oceans and seas
successfully, who swam in the lagoon with ease and swam in the rivers and
streams without problems only to be washed away by the little flood in his
own backyard.
Tired of these types of problems,
QsQ
approached the
group
of Awo
mentioned above: Would he overcome these problems? Would he be able
to solve his own problems as he had been solving for other
people? Would
he be able to bring back peace
and harmony in his home?
The Awo told
Qsq
that he was actually being faced with two major
problems -
one on eafth and the other in heaven. The Awo explained to
him that most of the problems he had been able to solve for other people
were actually created by some evil doers on eafth. These people
enjoyed
seeing others suffer. They took pleasure in inflicting pain
and agony on
other
people, That was why they saw
Qse
as their arch enemy who had
been a hindrance in the achievement of their sadistic
aoal.
The Awo
explained fufther that these evil doers were the ones who had combined
with negative principalities in heaven to create hardship for
QsE.
The Awo
said that there was the need to overcome the evil principalities in heaven.
Qsq
was however assured that he would be able to overcome the problems
from these two angles in one day. He was advised to offer
ebe
as
prescribed
above.
Qsq
complied.
As soon as he did so, all the evil machinations of these evil people were
1041
lfa Dda: An nvtaton to lfa Consultation
exposed and
people
saw them for what they were.
fg Qdr
also
confronted the negative principalities in heaven and overcame them for
Qse.
All of these happened in
just
one day. Since thattime,
QSe
had peace
of mind and comfoft in his home.
Ssom obinrin Ogrln'nl l'jrt
Akaya oblnrin nl gb'eljl
a fun
Qsq
Tlysqgun mejl l'ojQ
fbg
nl wqn n| k w ge
gb'$borr'bg
Njg mo sggun t'ay tiln
N o lg r sg t'Qrun o
Ejl
Qse
rQ gmg
ab'iggun waarawa
Erlpotit'Qfa
Igba
QS
se'gun mejl I'ara to rq'ni
Translation
The pointed nipple of a woman does not piercethe eye
The chest of a woman does not accommodate two men in intimate love
making atthe same
period
These were If's declarations to
Qge
Who shall overcome two
problems in the same day
He was advised to offer gbg
He complied
Behold! I have conquered the battle on eafth
I shall definitely conquerthe one in heaven too
l-.lere comes
Qge-MI
the decsive conqueror
Travellerstolpo and
Qfa
towns
It was after
Qge
overcame two adversities that the mind was at
peace
If says that this person shall be victorious and shall gain peace
of mind and
joy
in his/her life.
6. If says that it foresees the ire of long life and prosperity for the person
for whom this Od is revealed. If assures him/her that he/she shall
not die
young. If says that he/she shall live to witness all his/her
hair turn
gray
and he/she shall become old and feeble before he/she
passes
on.
1442
if o"" r".,,
If says that there are sx elders where this Od is revealed who need
to urgently offer gbg
for them not to die in quick
successions. If says
that the six elders are decision makers of some soft and they need to
offer
ebg
in order to prolong
their lives. If however warns these
elders to be careful with the types of decision that they take so that
they would not be deciding issues against themselves.
If advises these people
to offer gbg with one ewe and two big
rats. After the gbg,
the big rats will be powdered with IyQrosun,
divination powder,
and tied in the entrance of the house so thatthose
coming in and out of the house will have the )yQrosun covering the
1
hair on their heads. This will make their heads look gray like the
heads of old people. By so doing, long life is assured; old age is
guaranteed.
On this, If says:
Irun-n pq l'Orl
Irun-rln d'ew
EgbO pe l'se
Asl ma djaktq
Akg aroro
pq
I'Orl Okka
t
Ohun l f'ara
jg
akg alaggmg
Dffiln Agbaagba mgf
Tl wqn s'Ofin
QrQ
kan
qrq
kan
Tl wqn nl wgn O gbodQ h'ewu
fbg
nl wqn nl kl wqn w se
Translation
If the hair stays too long on the head
It will turn grey with old age
When a sore stays too long in the leg
It will turn to elephantiasis
If a male lizardstaystoo long on Okik tree
Itwill resemble a male chameleon
These were If's messages to the six elders
When it was decreed that nobody must grow grey hair
Theywere advised to offer gbo
1043
lfa Dida: An invtation to lfa Consultation
A brand new socety must be built, the lawmakers in ll-Ifg of old declared.
In order to realize this ambition, new decrees were promulgated. Part of
these decrees was that those who
grew grey hair on their heads could no
longer be
productive. They could not be useful for the new Il-IfQ of their
dreams. The decision makers were convinced that old
people
could only
consume without reciprocating with any meaningful contribution to the
progress
of the new Il-IfQ. They decreed that such
people had no place in
the scheme of things. Consequently, the law-makers decreed that as soon
as it was noticed that anyone had
grown grey hair, such a person must be
sentenced to death. These law-makers were OhJwo, Lls, Ar,
Qdgfin,Iya
Abfye and Llk. The first four were men while the remaining two were
women. Several
people were putto death and the new decree was used.
One fine morning,
Qtrtn,
another high-ranking Chief in the town woke up
and noticed, to his dismay, some
grey hair on his head. His attention was
drawn to this development by his wife.
Qtun
could not believe what his
wife told him. In order to
prove
to him that she had seen correctly, the wife
pulled
out some of the gray hair on his head and showed it to him.
Qtr:n
broke down in tears. He knew that what he had seen was his death
sentence. He cried and cried. The whole family cried with him. He was a
kind-hearted man. He had assisted several
peopleto
succeed in life. Would
this be the end? He had all the
good
things of life going for him at that
particular point in time. Would this be the end? He had the
prospect
of
reaching greater heights in his life. Would this be the end? His influence
extended beyond the shores of his land. Would this be the end? His family
and other relations depended on him for guidance
and upkeep. Would this
be the end? He loved his family and relations deeply and they gave him
great joy
and satisfaction. Would this be the end? He was blessed with
sound health and sharp intellect. Would this be the end?
He summoned all his family members for a discussion. They deliberated at
length on the issue. They cried and cried when they realized that the
situation was hopeless. Hopeless? Had they consulted If on it to find out
what If had to say? They had not. The family concluded that If must be
consulted right away. That was how they approached the Awo mentioned
above for If consultation: what could be done to ward off this impending
painful death? The Awo told
Qtun
and his family that they had approached
1044
lf ose vel
If because they had a heavy load on their minds. He told them that the
threat of death and disaster had enveloped them. He however assured
them that with appropriate gbg,
their despair would give way to hope and
boundless
joy.
He advised them to offer
gbg
as stated above. They
complied. The Awo made sure that the two big-rats powdered with
IyQrsn was personallytied
abovethe main entrance of
Qtun's
home.
On the very day the ebg was offered, the six decision makers summoned
an extra-ordinary meeting to deliberate on the fate of
Qtrfn.
They had
noticed that
Qtrfn
had grown grey hair on his head. He must be
put
to
death fofthwith. The fact that
Qtun
was a high-ranking chief in the
community meant nothing to them. He must be arrested immediately and
be executed forthwith. At the end of their deliberations, they headed for
Qtunt
home.
When they passed
through the main entrance of Otun's home, the
IyQrsn that had been powdered
on the big rats sprinkled on their heads
and Es
Qdara
stuck the powder
there permanently
and turned the hair on
their heads grey. They did not notice this at first. When they approached
Qtrln,
they made him realize that they had noticed that he had developed
grey hair on his head and according to their law; he must be put to death.
They told him that they were aware of his high position in the community
but that he must realize that the position
notwithstanding, the law is no
respecter of anyone. Consequent upon this, they concluded that they
would have to take him away to be summarily executed immediately.
As they were speaking, Ego
Qdara
had whispered into the ears of
Qtun
what to say. So
Qtun
thanked the six law makers for their concern over
him. He then asked them the number of executioners they had available
and also asked them to explain to him why they had come to arrest him
when it was clear that the seven of them were guilty
of the same 'offence'?
He pointedly
accused them of paftiality
and one-sidedness. Why should
they come to arrest him for the same offence that they too had committed?
whv?
At first, they could not understand what
Qtun
was saying. As a matter of
fact, they thought that the knowledge of his death had turned him mad.
1045
lfa Dida: An nvtation to lfa Consultaon
,what
is this one talking
about?'
they asked.each
other'
'Look at
your
,
heads and tell me if
you too did not ha.
gt"y ha.ir', he screamed'
The six
rawmakers
rooked
ai each oreris
head a-nd'realzed
to their chagrin
that
grey hair had completely
.*r.d
their
heads tool
what
went wrong?
They
queried
".t
other,
'I ;;
prepared to die today but
you must
remember
that the law is no respecter
of anyone,
all of
you must equally
die
today
because
we have commtteJthe
same
offence!' Qtun
screamed'
when
he realizeJ
tn., state of confusion
and
panic,
Qtun
retorted!
'Are
you not
pr"p.r.J to die today?
why did
you promulgate a decree
you are
not
prepareo to reai
t:
F#aker
qu'rckly and desperately
made a
decision
tfrat tne-eiecution
of
Qtrln
must be
postponed as a result of the
new development. Otun
wou
have
none of that'
They must all be
executed
tnat oa'pr
he must be unconditionaily
pardoned. They agreed
to
pardon
Qtun
und .u.ry
otner
peiion wno had
grown
grey hair on his/her
head.
rhs ncrulili"
six of'tem
who had come to effect
the execution
of
Qtrrn.
From that day,
people lived to their old age
without
the fear of being
executed.
T ld'on",
in the community
were
given the assignments
which
wourd ,..*
inur.
oi*aor
an'd
"*p"r'rence
whire the
youths
continued
to usetheir
brains
and energy'
rrun-n
pq I'oi
Irun-n
d'ewrl
EgbOPel'sQ
Asl maadiiaktq
Akg aroro
Pg
l'rl Okika
Ohun l fara
jg
akg al99m9
DlfilnAgbaagba
m.fa
Tf wn s'fin
QrQ
kan
QrQ
kn
Tf wgn nl wgn o
gbodq h'ew
Fbq
nl wQn nl kl wgn w
9
e
Dlfiln Qtun
ll-Ife
Tl wQn nf ko
gbqdq h'ewrl
fbg
nl wQn nl kl wEn w
9e
gb'Qbg'r'bg
Nja r'ewr l'rlQtn
ihl
gbaY{ o
Ati d'r{ ew
jin'raawa
GbogbolwrQw
IfQ
1046
ilf ose rureli
Atl d'r{ ew
jin'raa
wa
Translation
If the hairstays too long on the head
Itwillturn greywith
old age
When a sore stays too long in the leg
It will turn to elephantiasis
If a male lizard stays too long on okika tree
Itwill resemble a male chameleon
These were If's messages to the six elders
When they decreed that nobody must grow grey hair on his/her head
They were advised to offer qbg
The same message was gven
to
Qtun
Who was asked notto grow grey hair
He was equally advised to offer gbg
Hecomplied
We have noticed grey hairon the head of
QtUn
We have forgiven each other
Allthe law-makers of Il-IfQ
We have forgiven each other on the issue of growing grey hair.
If assures the. person
for whom this Od is revealed that he/she shall
i
overcome the threat of death and impending doom that is presently
agitating his/her mind.
7. If advises this person
to offer gbg for prestge
and honour. If says
that he/she needs not struggle to attain a very high position
or be
bestowed with a high title before he/she is accorded respect, honour
and
prestige
in the community. If assures this person
that he/she
would be the center of attention and attraction anywhere he/she
(
goes
as he/she will be highly rated among his/her peers
and
contemporaries.
If advises this person
to offer gbg with a matured she-goat, 16
yards
of white clothe, 16 yards
of red clothe, 16 yards
of
chocolate brown clothe and money. The gbg is to be placed
by
E9 shrine. By so doing, prestige
and honour are assured. on this,
If says:
i
104
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
Ogq+ereogbgdQ rln bl Ogorigo
Bl wQn b
p
awqn rln bl ogogo
psQ q wgn nff m
9$
Dlfitn
FygOlongo
To l'huny b OgongO lqaio
fbg
nl wqn nl kw
9e
Translation
OSeSere is a bird that cannot walk like Og0g0 the Ostrich
trf it attempts to walk like Ogng
Itwillend up breaking its legs
This wasthe message of If for Olongo
Who intends to accompany Ogr1g on a
journey
She was advised to offer gbg
0gr1g, the Ostrich was the biggestof all birds. She had majestic
gait, she
walks like a
queen among the birds. She was truly the
queen of the birds.
She could not fly like all other birds. She did not need to fly but could run at
speeds as fast as 65km/hr
(a0mph). The way she used to run about the
fields more than compensated for her inability to fly. She was highly
respected in the birds' kingdom. She was accorded her due respect and
honour. Nothing happened in the birds' kingdom outside her knowledge
and without her consent. On the other hand, Olongo was one of the
smallest birds on eafth. She could fly but she Iacked the inability to walk
and run like gng. She could only hop a short distance before taking off
in a flight. She however kept dreaming of a daythat she will be in a
position
to walk and run like OgOngO. She believed that walking and running like
Ogong was the ultimate achievement in her life. She was also convinced
that itwasthe onlyway she could be respected and honoured. To Olongo,
fulfilling her destiny was the most important thing she could do in her life.
And she feltthat walking and running side by side with 0gg was the way
her destiny could be fulfilled.
One day, 0gOgO
planned to
go on a long
journey.
She announced her
intention to all the other birds. Olongo saw this as the oppoftunity she had
been waiting for. That was why she approached the Awo mentioned above
for If consultation: Would she be able to walk and run like 0g0ng0? Would
she
grow big to the size, or almost the size, of OgOngO in order to
strengthen her inability to trek and walk like 0gOgO? Would she be
1048
il* os" rueli
respected and honoured like Ogng?
The Awo told Olongo that she was not created by Oldmar to be as big as
OgOngO. Not only that, she was not destined to be as honourable as
OgongO. Instead, Oldmar had destined her to be the most beautiful
and the most prestigious birds on eafth. The Awo advised Olongo to
concentrate her effofts on enhancing the talents and
potentials which
Oldmar had given
her. Consequent upon this, the Awo advised her to
offer gbg with one matured she goat, red clothe, white clothe,
chocolate brown clothe and money. Olongo complied reluctantly.
As soon as Olongo offered this ebg, Egu
Qdar
went to work. He changed
the plumes in the body of Olongo to red, white and chocolate brown. The
colour combinations were beautifully put together and aftistically designed
in such a way that it changed the life and look of Olongo completely. All the
other birds, animals, rats and fish that saw Olongo after the
gbg was
offered gazed at her in wonder and amazement. They could not believe
their eyes.
On the day that Olongo and Ogong travelled on their
journey,
Olongo
mounted the back of 0gog and stayed there until they reached their
destination. All those who saw Ogongo gave her honour and respect. It
dd not end there; they gave
Olongo her deseved prestige and
complemented her for being the most beautiful bird that Oldmar
created on eafth.
Oqeqre o gbqdQ rln bl Ogongo
Bl wQn b
P
wgn rln bl ogOngO
FsQ e
wgn nll m
Se
I filn
lyq
Olongo
To l'hun y b ogorrgo lg ajo
lbg
nl wQn nl kw ge
gb'Qbo, r'bo
Ko pgo, gna o
jin
E w ba nl b'ayg, q wa wo're
Ko pgo, gna o
jin
Translation
Osefere is a bird that cannot walk like 0gOrlg the Ostrich
1049
lfa Dida: An nvitation to lfa Consultaton
If it attempts to walk like 09090
Itwillend up breaking its legs
This was the message of If for Olongo
Who intends to accompany Og090 on a
journey
She was advised to offer gbg
She complied
Nottoo long, and in due course
Come and meet us in a happy and
joyful
celebration
8. If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed shall overcome
his/her enemes. If says that this person's genital shall play
a
significant role in the way he/she will gain victory. If advises this
person to offer
gbg with a big neede, three cocks and money.
He/she is also to feed his/her gental
with one cock. On this, If
says:
sekrluogbaokooo
na gUaja o gb'ogoil
Emi kff se klu-klu t'mi i sere
D,l fin Ojogan (Akek)
Tly mafiru gq'gun qta
rq
FbqnlwQn
nl kge
Translation
It curyes and accommodates twenty
It stretches and accom modates fofi
I do notcurue and stretch forjoke
These were lf's declarations to OjOgan, the scorpion
The one who shall use his genital to conquer his enemies
He was advised to offer gbg
Oiogan, the scorpion was in the midst of enemies. His enemies included
the brown rats, big rats, rodent antelopes, deers and so on. They marched
on him and kicked him at will. They made it a point to pester his life, but
unfoftunately for OOgan, he was powerless
to do anything about it. Tired
of this type of existence, OjOgan went to the Awo mentioned above for If
consultation: Would he be able to overcome his enemies? Would he be
able to stop all his enemies from pesterng and intimidating him? Would he
be feared and respected among his friends and enemies? These and many
1050
f ose l,leti
more were what pre-occupied his mind when he went for consultation.
The Awo told him that all his enemies had no respect for him. He was
(
however assured that his enemies would be forced to respect and regard
him. He was however advised to offer
ebe.
He complied immediately.
As soon as the gbg was offered, E9
Qdara
went to work. He removed the
needle from the ebo and fixed it to his tail. Es also laded the needle with
poison.
The same day that Egu
Qdara
completed his assignment, the big rat
approached Ojogan in order to pester his life as usual. Egu-Qdar told
Oogan to sting the enemy with the needle attached to his tail. He did. A
few moments after, the big rat was dead. The rabbit, grasscutter, rodent
and lizard met the same fate when they tried to intimidate OjOgan. That
was how OjOgan used his genitalto conquer his enemies.
se krlu Ogba okOo
na gUaa o gb'ogojl
Emi kll sg krllu-klu t'mi i sere
Dl filn Ojogan (Akeke)
Tl y ma f iru
$e'gun
gta rg
fbgnf
wQn nl kge
gb'Qbg, r'bg
KO pgo, ona Ojin
!wa
ba'ni l'jggogun
Ajaseogun I'awa wa I'gsgObarlsi
Translation
It curues and accommodatestwenty
Itstretches and accommodates fofi
I do not curue and stretch for
joke
These were If's declarations to OjOgan, the scorpion
The one who shall use his genitalto conquer his enemies
He was advised to offer ebo
He complied
Soon after
Join us where we enjoy victories over enemies
1 051
lfa Dda: An nvitation to lfa Consultation
9. If says that the
person for whom this Od is revealed shall
overcome his/her enemies. He/she shall be able to ward off all
external uprisings and shall be able to beat his/her foes hands
down. He
/she
however needs to be careful with his/her friends
and loved ones. The person for whom this Od is revealed must
beware of internal uprising and conspiracy from those whom
he/she loves.
'
The biggest disadvantage of a leader is that he/she can only know
those whom he/she Ioves sincerely but he/she cannot know those
who sincerely love him/her. For this reason, he/she must not
place
absolute trust in anyone.
Conversely, this
person must not think that he/she can do
anything with impunity. He/she must be aware that uprising can
emerge at anytime, giving any flimsy excuse.
If advises this person to put it at the back of his/her mind at all
times that human beings are the most difficult creatures to
administer. He/she should therefore place all his/her hopes on
If for assistance. He/she also needs to offer gbg with one
matured he-goat and money, after this, there is the need to
feed If with one she-goat and feed Eg
Qdara
with one cock.
On all these, If says:
Omi
9q
Gbolgbo ge
omi fqsq
9
nl gbogbo
Kl o ma f'gsg gq o
Dl filn Ajgnn
Tl ge Olr Il lbeden
fbg
nl wQn nl k w ge
Translation
Let the water spill out and flow away
And let the roots break
Let the water gently
cross over the roots
So that passers-by will not break their legs
These were If's declarations to Ajgnn
1052
f i ose rvr"7i
The leader of Ibadan hnd
He was advised to offer gbo
When Ibadan was founded, it was designed as a military base. Most of the
inhabitants of this town were soldiers and members of their families.
Ajgnn, a Military General, later became the leader of the town.
During his period,
there was no war or external aggression that he did not
contain. Sometimes, he would be engaged in battle from severalfronts at
the same time. In the end, he would come out of the battle triumphant.
He never lost any battle. He was regarded as a great tactician and
strategist.
In the home front however, the story was totally different. On several
occasions, he was almost consumed by the conspiracies of his own people.
There was hardly any step that he took which did not attract opposition
from his own people. Many times, his own wives and children were
involved! Ajgnn could not understand why this should be so. He
decided to involve everyone in the decision-making process.
During
deliberations, they would all agree on a line of action to be taken. As soon
as thls step was being
put into action, the same set of people would begin
to criticize Ajgnn. They accused him of being high-handed, callous,
wicked and inconsiderate. There was nothing he did that satisfied
everyone inlbadan.
Tired of all these developments, he decided to approach the Awo stated
above for If consultation; would he be able to overcome the internal
crises he was facing?
The Awo explained to him that winning battles that he engaged in with
enemies outside was nothing compared to the ability to contain crisis
internally generated
by conspirators. The Awo made it clear to him that
enemies usually stayed outside the home while conspirators lived inside
with their intended victims. The Awo said that internal war against the
conspirators was a war he could not win and at the same time, it was a
war he must not lose. He was advised to offer ebo at alltimes to be able
to contain alltheir conspiracies.
1 053
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultaton
Ajgnn said that what baffled him most was that even his own blood
relatons were also involved in all the
plans
aganst hm. The Awo
responded that it was not a surprising phenomenon. That was only to
show him how difficult human beings were. He was advised to offer
gbg
and feed If and Egu
Qdara
as prescribed above. He complied. The Awo
told him to remember at all times that he was paying
the price of being a
leader. He was told that this price could be very heavy as he had seen.
Ajgnn returned home with the fulldetermination to succeed in life. He
had no full confidence in anyone. He decided to move himself away from
all traitors and betrayers. He cleared a bush far away from his home and
cut down anlrk tree he found there. He decided to erect his new home
there. When some people saw him doing this, they called his attention to
the fact that the site he had chosen was where the Elders of the Night
used to have their meetings and that thelrk tree he had
just
cut down
wasthe spotwhere people used to placethelps meantforthese Elders.
They concluded that his choice was not appropriate for a residential
home. Why should he believe these people? Ajgnn queried. He had
been betrayed over and over. What assurance had he that this was not
another plot against him? He felt that he had no reason why he should
trust anyone again. He concluded that his instinct should guide him in all
things he planned
to do. He announced to these people
that he had
decided to live in the new site whether they like it or not.
Before long, he completed the building and moved in together with the
members of his family. The Elders of the Night considered this the
greatest insult and affront that anyone could perpetrate
against them.
They summoned an emergency meeting in order to decide the fate of
Ajgnn. In this meeting, it was unanimously decided that Ajgnn
must be made to suffer a slow and painful death in order to serve as
deterrent to others. Not only this, his family members must also be made
to suffer the same fate. If the remainlng relations refused to Ieave their
site for them, they would be made to suffer from generation
to
generation.
As soon as these decisions were taken, Ajgnn fell ill. They carried him
from one health center to the other without avail. One day, he
remembered that he had earlier been warned against erecting his home on
1054
loo't"/t
that site. He realized to his regretthat he could only be sure of those whom
he loved; he had no way of knowing those who really loved him. Before he
could inform others in his household, IkrJ, Death arrived. He prayed
to be
given
another chance to return to eafth at a later date. He promised
that if
his request was granted, he would rely on nobody except If and Eg
Qdara.
He would no longer be disappointed whenever anyone
misbehaved. He would be ready for any surprise at any time. He had
accepted the fact that human beings could never be satisfied, no matter
how hard one tried.
Omi ge
Gbogbo
9$
Omi fgsg s, nl gbongbo
Kl o m fgsg gg o
Dla fin Ajgnn
Tl ge Olrl Il lbadan
Fbq
nl wqn nl k w
$e
gb'qbo, r'bo
,
jg Ajagunna gb ml o
Orl Ihl sro
If
9b
ml
9mg
nlyen
9Or
o
Translation
Let the water spill out and flow
And let the roots break
Let the water gently cross over the roots
So that passersby will not break their legs
These were lf's declarations to Ajgnn
,
The leader oflbadan Land
He was advised to offer
gbg
He complied
Ajgnn please come to my rescue
Leadership had its high price and is very difficult
If, please come to my rescue
Human beings are very difficult
If assures this person that he/she shall be assisted to contain internal
crises and conspiracies aganst him/her at all times.
1055
Ita Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultaon
10. If says that there s no profession that the person for whom this
Od s revealed during Ikqsedy or
\eqd
cannot engage in,
except all those which are against the law of the land, especially
stealing. It is therefore a taboo for the person for whom this Od is
revealed to engage in robbery fraud, prostitution, smuggling, drug
trafficking, blackmailing, kidnapping, and
gambling and soon.
If says that there is the need for this
person to offer
gbg for his/her
business to
progress. He/she shall receive the blessing of If and
Oldmar at all times if he/she stays within the limits of the law.
On the other hand, if this
person engages in any vice, he/she shal!
incurthe wrath of If and Oldmar.
If advises this
person to offer
gbq with two
pigeons' two
guinea-fowls and money. He/she is also to feed If with one
duck. On this, If says:
Agaluwew, Awo wgn n'Ibdn Mesl'QgQ
filn wgn n'Ibdn Mesl-QgQ
N'll OklyQl,
gmg Egb di'ra ogun
Fbq
seygrl nl wQn nl kl wQn w
9e
Translation
A,Saluwewe, their Awo in Ibadan land
He cast If for the inhabitants of Ibadn land
In the home of OltlyQl, ofprings of Egb
who needs not make any special
preparation before
going to war
They were advised to offer gbg for accomplishment
The inhabitants of Ibadan wanted to know the types of
professions that they could engage in that would bring them
success. That was why they went to the home of the Babalwo
mentioned above, Aglww, for If consultation. During the
consultation,
Qse-MI
was revealed.
The Awo told them that there was no work they engaged in which
would not bring them success. They however needed to steer clear
1 056
llf ose rureTi
of all illegal things such as stealing and other related
jobs.
They
were told that any
job
they did would accord them recognition and
honour as long as the
job
was legal. They were all warned to avoid
doing anything which would drag the good name of If into the mud,
lestthey incurthe wrath of the Divinities.
They were also advised to offer gbg
as stated above. They all
complied. As soon as they did this, they allwent about various
jobs
farming, hunting, trading, fishing, knitting,"tooking, traveffing lfa
practice and so on. They were all recognized and blessed by If.
Those who engaged in stealing/ smuggling, fraud, prostitution,
blackmailing, drug trafficking, kidnapping, gambling
and so on were
cast outand sanctioned by If.
AgalUwew, Awo wgn n'fbdn Mesl-Qgg
Dl filn wgn n'Ibdn Mesl-Qgg
N'll OlrtyQl, qmg Egb O di'ra ogun
lbg
seygrl nl wqn nl kl wgn w ge
Wgn gbq'bo, won r'bg
Awo tl rtta lla, Awo na n
Awo tf ttta'ef, Awo n ni
Awo tl ta lyQ, Awo n ni
Awo rlta isu, Awo n ni
Awo tl ta agg, Awo n ni
Awo se ode, Awo n ni
Awo tl nmg llg Awo n ni
Awo tl ta gja, Awo na ni
Awo tl rlge ounje, Awo n ni
Awo tl se
Qne,
Awo n ni
Awo to nkg orin, Awo n ni
Agaluwew o d o, Awo Od lbadan
Aye lfa dn
j'oyln
lg
Awo t ba
ja'le,
l ba If
je
Translation
Aglww, their Awo in Ibadan land
He cast If for the inhabitane of Ibadn land
In the home of Oluygl, offsprings of Egb
Who needs not make any special preparation
before going
to war
1457
lfa Dida: An invtaon to lfa Consuftation
They were advised to offer gbg for accomplishment
They complied
The Awo who sells okra, is still an Awo
The Awo who sells vegetable, is still an Awo
The Awo who sells salt, is still an Awo
The Awo who sells
yam, is still an Awo
The Awo who sells clothes, is still an Awo
The Awo who engages n hunting, is still an Awo
The Awo who engages in construction, is still an Awo
The Awo who engages in fishing, is still an Awo
The Awo who sells food, is still an Awo
The Awo who engages in traveling, is still an Awo
The Awo who sings, is still an Awo
Here comes Agaluwew, the Awo of lbdn land
The Life of lf is sweeter than honey
Any Awo who engages in stealing and vices has spoilt the name of
If and has automatically cast him/herself out of Awo community
If says that this person needs to endeavour to ensure that he/she is not
cast out of the communty of responsble people, He/she needs to live and
act within the confines of the law at all times.
11. If says that for this person
to succeed in life, his/her surest bet is
hard-work. For him/her there is no shoftcut to financial success and
accomplshment. He/she needs to use his/her brain and plan for
his/her success and future. Outside this, there is no other way for
him/herto achieve success in life.
If advises this
person
or
group
of persons
to offer gbg with
three pigeons and money. Each individual is expected to offer
this gbg. After the gbg, he/she is also expected to concentrate
on his/her chosen career. On this, If says:
$qkbg,
Awo od lbadan
Dl fitn won l'de lbadan
Wgn nfomi oju sngbr ire gbogbo
fibg
ni wgn nl kl wgn w ge
Translation
ggkubg,
the Awo of Ibadan land
1 058
ii* o""
"",
He was the Awo who cast If for the inhabitant of Ibadan land
When they were lamenting their inability to succeed in life
They were advised to offer gbg
The inhabitants oflbadan were very ambitious right from the inception of
the town. They had big dreams and they also think big. They planned for
Ibadan to become the biggest and most popular town on eafth. They also
wished the town and the inhabitants thereof to be blessed with financial
success.
One day, they went to
$qkbe,
the Awo mentioned above for If
consultation: Would this town expand to become the biggest and most
populous town on earth? Would the inhabitants become the richest and
most influential? Would they be blessed with thriving business
enterprises? Would this town become a major trading
post? Would the
individual inhabitants of thistown be blessed and respected?
If said yes to all their
questions. If said that it was clear that the
inhabitants of Ibadn land were ambitious. They talked of big things and
concieved great ideas. The Awo however told them that thinking and
speaking their intention to become great were not enough; there was the
need to match these with pragmatic
action to succeed. They were told to
concentrate on their work in order to translate their dreams and speeches
to reality. The Awo assured them that there was no profession that would
not bring them success. He therefore advised them to diversify their work
and avoid a situation where all of them would be doing one profession.
Some of them needed to farm; some to hawk; some to be traders; some to
be blacksmith; some to be wood carvers; some to be singers; some to
engage in cooking; some to be herbalist; some to be If priests; some to
be Osa devotees, etc. There was no
job
they concentrated upon that
they would not succeed. They were advised against smuggling, acting as
hired assassins, kidnapping, fraudulent practices and so fofth. The Awo
also advised each of them to offer
gbg with three
pigeons and money.
They all complied and went to their various homes. They were all
expecting the success which the Awo assured them that they would be
blessed with.
Unfortunately however, no success was fofthcoming. They waited for
1059
lla Dida: An invitaton to lfa Consuftaon
one year
but instead of progress,
there was chronic retrogresson. The
citizens suffered.
One day, they all decided to go to
ggkbe's
home to accuse him of lying to
them and cheating them. They wanted him to know that he was the one
who told them never to cheat or lie but he was the same
person
found
guilty
of the same offense. When they got to his home, he could see from
their countenance that they were not happy with him. He then told them
to narrate what was amiss to him. They did. The Awo told the inhabitants
of Ibadan that even though the inhabitants of Ibadan offered the
gbg
of
three pigeons each, they had failed to offer the greater
ebq
which was
heeding the advice given
by him for them to embrace hard work. The Awo
explained to them that procuring gbg materials is the minor paft
of
gbg
while heeding the advice given
is the main vital aspect of
gbg. The Awo
advised them to
go
back home and embrace hard work as he had earlier
advised. They returned home and decided to give the advice of
Sekbe
a
trial.
Within three months, everything began to change for the better. Their
various businesses thrive. They became successful and they began to
plan great
things for themselves and the community. They returned to
$gktlbe
to give him thanks and praises.
Sgkrtbe
told them to remember
thisastheir motto:
$gkbe,
Awo od lbadan
Dl fitn won l'de lbadan
Wgn nfomi oju sungbr ire gbogbo
fbg
ni wgn nl kl wgn w ge
Wgn gbQ'bo, wgn r'bg
Sgkbe ma ma de o
Awo ode lbadan
Aqe b'qni ko ba s'isg
gni
kfl la
Translation
$gkrtbe,
the Awo of lbadan land
He was the Awo who cast If for the inhabitants of Ibadn land
When they were lamenting their inability to succeed in life
They were advised to offer
gbg
They complied
Here comes Sekbe
1 060
f ose t"ri
The Awo of Ibadan land
Can't
you see that without hard-work there can never be success?
If says that the
person
or group for whom this Od is revealed is assured
of success as long as he/she or they are hard-working and focused.
Conversely, the financial problems that the person
or
group for whom this
Od is revealed is presently facing is due to lack of hard-working. There is
therefore, the need for the person or group to embrace hard-work and
offer
gbg
as
prescribed
above.
t2. If says that there are two friends who need to offer ebo where this
Od is revealed. These two friends are doing illegal things in the
Community and as if that is not bad enough, one of them is planning
to cheat the other with trick. Ifa advises both of them to desist from
their clandestine act. At the same time, If advises the one planning
to outwit the other to stop because it will never work. If they refuse
to put an end to their anti-social activities, they shall be put to
everlasting shame. If says that there is the
Need for each of them to offer gbg with one he-goat and money
and to turn a new leaf. On this,
0s
MeI says:
Blatllek
A fojrl kan'ra gni
filn onlkor
A b filn Olbdn
Awgn mejeefi
jg
ng'odg oru
f;bg
ni wgn nl kl wgn ge
Translation
Even if we shall die
There is the need to set eye on each other for the last time
These were If's declarations to Offkoo
And also declared to Ohf bdn
They were both engaged in hunting in the dead of night
They were advised to offer
gbg
1 061
lfa Dida: An invitaon to lfa Consultaon
OnfkOr and OltJbdn were accomplshed robbers, there was no where
that they had not gone
to steal. Anywhere they went, they were always
successful. For this reason, they believed that anywhere they went to
raid; theywill hurl homea lotof booties,
One day, they went for If consultation in the home of the Awo mentioned
above in order to determine whether or not they would continue to
succeed in their act. The Awo told them that both of them were engaged
in illegal business and thatthey needed to desist from it. He also told them
that one of them was planning to outwit the other. Such person
should
stop fofthwith; otherwise, he would be put to everlasting shame. They
were also advised to offer gbg as prescribed
above. It was only the thief
from Ikoro land known as Offkr complied. The thief fromlbadan land
bluntly refused to offerthe gbg.
One day, the two friends went to steal, their loot was the biggest they
had ever made in their lives. They packed
everything and stored it in
the home of the thief from lbadan. They decided that they needed to
wait for about five market weeks for all the uproar to subside. (One
market week is five days). As soon as their loots were packed into the
home of the thief from Ibadan, he started having ideas. He saw no
reason why the other person should share part of the loot. He began to
see the loot as exclusively his. After all, he reasoned, the whole thing
was packed into his house. He began to plan with his wife on how to
take over everything. They soon came up with an ingenious plan. The
thief from Ibadan said that he would pretend that he had died and the
wife would be weeping, wailing and gnashing her teeth.
True to plan, the day that On'ikr came to the home of the thief from
Ibadan, he metthe wife and children of the latter crying thattheir husband
and father had died last night. Offkr could not believe his ears
because he had planned not to engage in any stealing anymore. He only
wanted his share of the loot and use it to settle down and
plan his future,
But hearing that his friend had died was a blow to him that he might not be
able to realize his dream. When he saw the wife and children weeping, he
felt pity for them. However, something kept telling him that something
was amiss. He then told them that he would like to set his eyes on the
1062
lf o"" rurq
corpse of his friend at least for the last tme before he was buried.
He was then taken into the room where the 'corpse' of his friend laid.
When he got into the room, he pulled out the cutlass that he had kept
under his garment and declared that even though he had lost his own
share of the loot, he would however,
give his friend a mark that he would
take to heaven to show them in heaven that he, the thief from lkoro, was
frustrated on eafth. He hit the friend with the sharp edge of the cutlass on
the head. His friend
jumped
up in pain! Onfkr was surprised that his
friend was not dead after all. He then told them to
quickly give him his
own share of the loot. The thief from Ibadan gave Onlkr his own
share, though in shame. And he began to nurse his wound. The news of
the incident soon filtered into the town. Anytime they saw someone with a
mark on his forehead, they would know that it was the thief of lbadan. It
soon became the talk of the town and
people stafted making a
joke
of it.
Anytime they saw someone with a mark on the head, they would
jokingly
say that 'your mark looked like that of the thief from lbadan'. He couldn't
bear this anymore; and since that time, he lived his life in full shame and
ignominy.
Blatllekt
A fort kan'ra eni
Dl fn OnlkOr
A b filn Olbdn
Awgn meieejl
jg
ng'odg Oru
fibg
ni wgn nl kl wgn ge
Ero lpo atl tOfa'
fni
gb'$bg nibQ ko waa
99'bg
Translation
Even if we shall die
There is the need to set eyes on each other for the last time
These were lf's declarations to Onfkoro
And also to Oltfbdn
They both engaged in hunting in the dead of the night
They were advised to offer
gbg
Only OnlkOr complied
Travellers to Ip and
Qfa
towns
Let those advised to offer
ebg
comply
1063
lfa Dida: An invtation to lfa Consuftation
If says that this person will not be
put
to shame. For this reason, he/she
must not plan
anything that will bring him/her shame and odium.
13. If says that the person
that
people
are searching for where this Od
is revealed is neither dead nor lost. This person is alive and well
where he/she is. He/she is even well established and contented
where he/she is staying presently.
This person is however, not
prepared to return home. They should therefore, not waste money
in offering gbg for him/her to return home. All what they can do is to
send
people
to
go
and visit him/her where he/she is living now, so
that he/she will nottotallyforget home.
On the other hand, if someone is planning
to travel on a long
journey
and this Od0 is revealed, there is the need to offer gbq and feed Eg
Qdara
before embarking on the trip. If advises this person
to offer
ebq
with two hens, two pigeons,
two
guinea fowls and
money. He/she also needs to feed Egu
Qdara
with one cock. On
this,If says:
Tlabd
Il Ohlwo la kQq d
Tlaobay
A y'QdQdQ
OjgbQna
Qdede
ojgbQna ni mo kQkQ ye
M ko
j
kl n raye d'l ohlwo
filn Op
Tl sjawo r'Ode lbadan
f;bg
ni wgn nl k w
Se
Translation
If we arrive in a strange town
We need to go to the home of the OhJwo
If we must make a temporary stop
It must be in the home of the OjgbQna
It was the home of the OjgbQna which I stopped temporarily
This precluded
me from geing to the home of the Ohlwo
These were lf's messages to Op
When going
on spiritual expedition to Ibadan
1 064
!,I ose uej
He was advised to offer
gbg
Opo was a citizen of
QyQ
town. He was a very competent Babalwo. One
day, he
planned to travel on a long
journey
in search of success and
financial accomplishment. He had no specific
place in mind. He therefore
went for If consultation in order to determine whether or not his
journey
would be successful.
The Awo assured him that he would not only be successful, but that he
would make his final destination his
permanent home. He was advised to
offer
gbg as stated above. He did.
When he set out on his
journey,
he met another Awo, Atg-t<a
(Irgtq-Ika)
on
the way,Irgtg-Ika had
just
founded Ibadan land. He asked Opo to go to
his newly found land to help him see to the welfare and well-being of the
inhabitants. 0p went tolbadan. When he got there, he was generally
accepted. Everyone in the land loved and respected him. He soon
became a household name inlbadan land.
Meanwhile, the relatives of Opo became worried that they had heard
nothing about him. He had spent five years on his
journey
and he had not
sent any message home. They began to search for him. One day, they
went to the Awo mentioned above for If consultation: Would they be able
to see him again? Was he still alive or already dead? Was Opo lost in his
journey
and was not able to trace his way back home?
The Awo assured Op's relatives that he was neither lost nor dead. He
told them that Opo was already a successful Babalwo where he was. He
told them that as a successful Babalawo, he may not want to come back
home. Allthey needed to do was to keep in constant communication with
him so that he would always remember home. With this advice from the
Awo, the relatives of Opo felt a bit relieved.
On
getting home, they decided to find out his location and to send a
message to him. They chose somebody to do this, and on getting to
Ibadan land, he discovered that the person he was looking for actually
lived in that town. On
getting to 0p, he was so happy seeing him in his
1 065
lfa Dida: An nvitation to lfa Consultaton
magnficent condition. He then narrated the ordeal they had encountered
in an effoft to search for his whereabouts. Op too was happy to see the
representative. He then gave him a lot of
gifts
to be given to the family
and relatives back home, stating that he may not be coming back home to
settle, but from time to time, he would be sending messages to them.
When the relatives of po saw the
gifts
and messages sent to them, they
became happy that OpO was not lost after-all; he only went tolbadan for
spiritual expedition. Opo was then hailed and praised
as a
great Awo.
Tlaobd
Il Olrtwo la kqq d
TlaObay
A y'QdQdg OjgbQne
Qdede
ojgbQna ni mo kqkE ye
Nl ko
j
kl n raye d'l Ohtwo
Dla fun Opo
Tl rt sjawo r'de lbadan
Fbq
ni wgn nl k w
Se
gbQ'bg r'bg
Opo tl a rt w
A
9e
lbadn l r
Awo rere re lbadan
Translation
If we arrive in a strange town
We need to go to the home of the Oltiwo
If we are to make a temporary stop
It must be in the home of OjgbQna
It was the home of the OjgbQna which I stopped by
That precluded me from getting to the home of the Olwo
These were If messages to OpO
When going on spiritual expedition to Ibadan
He was advised to offer qbg
He complied
The Op that we have been searching for
He had actually gone to Ibadan
OpO, the vftuous Awo had gone to)badan
If promises
to make the person
for whom this Od is revealed a
1066
fl o"" r,,r"7i
promnent personality outside the
place where he/she was born. He/she
will however not be willing to return to where he/she was born.
L4. If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed is being
pursued by Ikrl, Death, and there is therefore the need for
him/her to offer
gbg in order to overcome the threat of Death
and at the same time to be respected by all the evil forces of life.
If advises this person to offer gbg with one matured he-goat
and money. There is also the need for him/her to feed If with
a big she-goat. On this If says:
A kll f lpQnj b Babalwo gb'l
A kff fi lpqnj l Babalwo bQ s'de
Fni
t ba fi lpgnj b Babalwo gb'l
fni
t b fi lpnjg l Babalwo bQ s'de
olwaarQ
y t'gsQ bg glyn rn
Dl fifn Lpd, gmg
OrOrO
ewa
Eyl t rrfi ggbQn In pa'w
Tl Ik fi ggbQn inu wa kiri
fbg
ni wgn nf k w
$e
Translation
One does not live with a Babalwo with malice
One does not chase out a Babalwo with malice
If one lives with a Babalwo with malice
And if one chases out a Babalwo with malice
Such a
person will fall into a pit full of emmets
These were If's declarations to Lpd, the Beautiful
She, who was using her wisdom to acquire wealth
And whom Death was using his own wisdom to pursue about
She was advised to offer gbg
Lpde was a
paragon of beauty. Every part
of her body was well
proportioned. She was also blessed with humility and a deep sense of
humour. She was highly intelligent and deeply respectful. She was well
trained by her parents. To crown it all, she was very enterprising. She was
unbelievably good in business.
1067
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
When she was ready for the marrage market, she settled for a Babalwo. She
devoted all her life for her husband, her children and her business. She
equally had the love, respect and fear of Oldmar and the Irnmgl at
heaft. She was a role modelfor allyoung women in the community.
In her business, she was very successful. She was making good money in
her business. She was using the money she made to help her family. Her
husband was very fond of her. All the relatives of her husband adored her
and held her in high esteem.
There was however, one snag. As happy as she was, she was always
fearful of her future and her well-being. She was always having terrible
dreams which portended evil and disaster. Unable to bear it any longer,
she discussed her fears with her husband. After much deliberation, it was
concluded that If would be consulted for guidance
and appropriate action
on the issue.
One day, she went to another Babalwo for If consultation: Would she
overcome this problem? Would she live long and be the mother of her
children for long? Would she continue to make profits in her business?
Would she be blessed with happiness in her home?
The Awo told 'Lpde that as she was busy making profits in her business,
so also was Ikrl, Death, busy making plans
on how to eliminate her. She
was however assured that Oldmar Himself and the Irnmgl would
ward off the impending disaster. This was because of the fact that she was
the wife of If and a daughter of Irnmgl, who was doing all things that
pleased the IrnmglQ at all times. She was also informed that there was
no need for her to fear Death as what was wofth fearing was Fear itself.
She was advised to have confidence in If and Oldmar. She was also
advised to offer gbg as stated above. She complied.
As soon as this was done, Eg
Qdara
himself sent
fqru ,
Fear, to constantly
accompany'Lpde even/where she went in order to intimidate and scare
Death away from her. That was what happened and Lpde was able to
live and go
about her business confidently. She lived long and happily. She
also died happily at her old age.
1 068
f f ose r,"ri
A kll f lpQnj b Babalwo gb'l
A ktl f lpqnj l Babalwo bQ s'de
Fni
t b fi lpqnj b Babalwo gb'le
Eni t b fi lpQnjq l Babalawo bQ s'de
OlwaarQ
y t'ese bg glyan rn
Dl fitn Lpad, gmg OrOrO e,w
Eyl t rrfi ggbQn In pa'w
Tl lkr fi ggbQn inu wa kiri
fbg
ni wgn nl k w
Se
gbg'bo, r'bg
KO pe kO
jlnna
F
wa ba ni lalk kangiri
Alkrl kangiri l b ni lo+q
Qpe
Ik bl o b wg'l
Kl o br Awo
Bl in b
j
korlko il
A beer aja
Translation
One does not live with a Babalwo with malice
One does not chase out a Babalwo with malice
If one lives with a Babalwo with malice
And if one chases out a Babalwo with malice
Such a
person will fall into a pit
full of emmets
These were lf's declarations to 'Lpd, the beautiful
She who was using her wisdom to acquire wealth
And whom Death was using his own wisdom to pursue about
She was advised to offer ebo
She complied
Before long, not too far
Join us where we receive the blessing of longevity
That is what If guarantees for its followers
Ik, Death, if you enter a home
Be fearful of an Awo
If fire guts the grass of a home
It will have fear for the roof
If guarantees the person for whom this Od is revealed that he/she
will live long in spte of the incessant death threats in his/her life. If
says that Death will fear this person and move away from hislher life.
1 069
lfa Dida: An invtation to lfa Consultation
15. If warns that there is a woman where this Od is revealed who
must be
given to a practicing If Priest as a wife. This woman
cannot marry any other person who is not an If Prest. If this Od
is revealed to a woman during lkgsQdy orIelgOu, the woman
must be married to an If Priest. If Priest here, means a
person
who has undergone Ielgdu and who is also working as a Babalwo.
A person who has
just
undergone IelqOU wlthout being a practicing
Babalwo cannot marry the woman in question. This is
just
in order
to
protect her Iife.
There is also the need to offer
gbg for this woman so that her
children will grow old enough to a stage of maturity before she dies.
If says also that there are many women looking for children
where this Od is revealed,lf assures that these women will be
blessed with children.
If advises each of those concerned to offer
gbg with one
matured she-goat and money. On these, If has this to say:
Imgnmq d o, oblnrin ge'dl ynkl
Dl fn In
Tl fomi ojrl sngbr
gmg
fbg
ni wgn nl k w ge
Translation
The lightning exposes the buttocks of a woman
This was the If cast for In
When weeping in lamentation of her inability to beget a baby
She was advised to offer
gbg
In was sick and tired of living a life of childlessness. Anytime she saw her
colleagues with their children, she used to feel sad and depressed. She
used to weep daily because of this, and she continuously
prays to
Oldmar to open her own womb so as to have her own baby who would
make her proud and happy in life. One day, she went to the home of the
Awo mentioned above for If consultation: Would she be able to have her
own baby? Would miracle happen in her life which would remove her from
1074
f f ose rre;
the league of barren women to the group
of
proud
and happy mothers?
The Awo assured her that she would be blessed with her own baby. She
was advised to offer
gbg with one matured she-goat and money. She
dd. The following month, she became pregnant.
She later gave
bifth to a
bouncing baby boy.
During the lkgsQdye of the baby, the Awo told Ina that her baby was a
Babalwo from heaven. She was advised to put him in the care of an If
Priest who would train him as a Babalwo. The baby was named Inki,
after his mother.
Inki was handed over to the Awo who cast If for his mother when he was
just
two
years
old. He specialized in finding solutions to the
problems
of
childlessness and related ailments. He soon became more proficient
than
his trainers. There was no woman who would approach him for assistance
who will not smile at the end of the day. Soon, everyone knew him aslnki,
the Awo of Oldmar because of the belief that, it was only those whose
prayers were about to be answered by Oldmar who would go to Inki
for assistance on the
problem
of childlessness.
Inkl, Awo il Oldmar
firn onljm-Nkl

jl, gkrn gmg l sun
fbg
ni wgn nl k w ge
Translation
fnkl, the resident Awo of Oldmar
He was the Awo who cast If for Otfrjm-Nki
Who wpke up and wept in lamentation of his inability to beget a child
He was advised to offer ebo
Ofijumu-Nl( was in love with children, but he had no child of his own.
That was why he went to)naki for If consultation: Would his wife beget a
child for him? Inaki assured On.ijmrf-Nkithat he would be blessed with a
child of his own. He told him to offer
gbg with one matured she-goat
1071
lfa Dida: An nvitation to lfa Consultation
and money. He did. As soon as Orftjm-Nl('s wife finished her
menstruation, she went to Inl( in order for him to give her asejg, herbal
soup, to eat so as to be blessed with pregnancy.
On the very day that Ofrjm-Nl('s wife went tolnl('s home, he was not
prepared for her because he was not expecting her that day. All the herbs
and roots which he needed forthe sjg had not been procured.
Consequently, )nki decided to
give her a temporary asejg so that her trip
to his home would not be in vain. He scraped some alloyoff a brass moftar
in his home, imprinted
Qsg-Me)
into it and recited incantations into it. He
gave itto Orfijm-Nki's wife to take. She did. The following month, she
became
pregnant. She later gave bifth to a baby boy. The boy was named
'Orfijm-Naki,
Qmg
ar'd idg gnyn jg'
meaning 'Otftjm-Naki,
offspring of those who use brass moftar to prepare pounded yam for
consumption'.
Inkl Awo OlrO
Dl filn OlrO
Tl fomi oj sngbr tgmg
fbg
ni wqn nl k w ge
Translation
Inl(, the Awo of Olr
He cast If for Olr
When weeping in lamentation of his failure to have his own child
He was advised to offer
qbg
The reputation of Inki as the best If Priest who specialized in
gynecological problems had spread far and wide. When Olr failed to
put his wife in the family way, he was advised to approach Inki for
solution. Consequently,Inki was invited: Would it be
possible for him
(Olr0) to impregnate his wife and become a
proud father in his life?
Would he be able to
produce an heir to the throne of his forefathers? He
asked.
Inkiassured Olr that he would be able to impregnate his wife. He was
advised to offer
gbg with one matured goat and money. He did. He
was also advised to send his wife tolnld the very day that the wife finished
1072
ili ose uei
her monthly period. He took note of this instruction.
On the very daythatthe wife finished her period,
she wenttolnki's home.
Again,Inki was not prepared for her because he had not procured allthe
herbs and roots necessary for the asejg. He did not want her to return
home empty-handed, he went out to get some kn leaves (a kind of
grass
used in the olden days to thatch the roof of a house). He grinded the grass
and imprinted
QsQ-MT
into it. He recited the incantation and handed it
overto hertotake. Shedid. She became pregnantthatsame month. She
gave
brth to a bouncing baby boy. The boy was named Olr-fkan.
Inakl Awo'Lbld
Dd fn
Qlblda
Tl fomi ojrl sUngbr tgmg
fbg
ni wgn nl k w ge
Translation
Inl(, the Awo of
Qlffda
He cast If for Olffda
When lamenting his inability to beget a child
He was advised to offer gbg
It was the reputation of Inaki which
Qlbfda
heard of that led him to go
and consult If in his home. He too had been suffering from
childlessness. When he got
to lnki's home, he wanted to know if he
too would be as lucky as others who were by then proud parents.
Inakiassured
'
Lbida that he too would soon become a father. He advised
him to offer
gbg with one matured he-goat. He complied. Inki also
told him to send his wife to him
Clnak)
on the very day that the woman
finished her menstruation. He did.
On that day,Inki had nothing to give the woman at home. He therefore
scraped the wooden pillar in his house, grinded it into a fine powder,
imprinted
Qse-melf
into it, recited the incantation and handed it overto the
woman for usage. That same month, the woman became pregnant. She
soon
gave
bfth to a baby boy. The baby was named Op,.the Pillar.
1073
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
During the lkgsQdy of this baby, If instructed that the baby must be
initiated into If as soon as possible
and that he must take to If practice
as
his profession.
This was exactly what was done. Opo grew up in the home
of Inaki. He too specialized in finding solution to gynaecology problems.
Before long, his own reputation also spread like wild fire.
Opo Awo Olwu
Dl filn Olwu, AmiwO Aja
Igbati rtm'gnu snrhun gmo
fbg
ni wgn nl k w
Se
Translation
OpO, the Awo of Olwu
He cast If for Olwu, AmiwO Aja
When lamenting his inability to beget a child
He was advised to offer gbg
olwu had no child. He had grown
old. He desperately needed an heir.
All efforts to get
one had failed. IRaki, the most outstanding Babalwo at
that time had grown
old and feeble. He could no longer move about as he
used to do before. Olwu had no alternative but to invite OpO, Inl('s
student for If consu ltation.
When Opo arrived, he assured Olwu that he would surely beget a child.
He advised Olwu to offer
gbg
with one matured she-goat and money.
He complied, He did If preparation,
sjg, for Olwu's old wife. She
became pregnant
and gave bifth to a baby boy. The boy was named Atie a
child born by an old couple.
Opq Awo Otrbdn
Dl filn Ohbdn Ojlgbln
Qmq
ajQgbln
jQkarahun
lgbatl rtmml ojrl sngbre gmq
fbg
nl wgn nl k w ge
Translation
OpO, the Awo of Ohlbdn
He cast If for Olbdn, the snail eater
He who eats snails together with its shell
When he was lamenting hs inability to beget a baby
He was advised to offer ebo
1074
iloorun"rt
Ohibdn was also suffering from the same
problem
of childlessness. He
heard that there was one Babalwo living with Olwu who had helped
Olwu to have a baby. Oklbdn was a bossom friend of Olwu. He asked
Olwu to release Opo for him in order to help him get
a baby. Olwu
obliged him. 0p went to lbadan. He cast If for Olbdn.
Qsg-MJi
was revealed. He assured Olbadan that he would be blessed with a child.
He advised Oltlbdn to offer
qbg with a matured she-goat and
money. He complled. As soon as his aging wife finished her period, Opo
prepared a5eje for her. She became
pregnant
that same month. She
gave
birth to a baby boy. The boy was named Atie a child born by another old
couple.
Three years after, Ohlbdan invited Opo again. He told Opo that one child
was not enough for him. He said that he needed another baby. OpO
assured him that he would be able to have another baby. He advised
Oltibdn to offer
gbg with one ram and money. He complied. When
his wife finished her monthly period, he prepared an asejg for her. She
consumed it. She became
pregnant that same month. She later gave
brthtoa babygirl.
When Olbdn heard that his wife had delivered safely, he retorted thus;
'Nkan m lQrQ wgn Babalwo
fif'
meaning, 'these Babalwo are
something in their declarations'. This was because OpO had said that it
would be a female babyand itwas so.
During thelkgsgdy of this baby, If said that the first word spoken by the
father would be the name of the baby. She was therefore named
'Nkanlgl' meaning 'There is something in honour' or 'Nkan'
'Something', for shoft. Opo explained to Ohlbdn that Nkanlol was
If's wife from heaven. She must therefore be handed over to a practicing
If Priest in marriage not
just
anyone who had done ltefffa, but to
someone who was a Babalwo.
When Nnkanlgl grew up, Opo had Ieft Ibadan for other
places. The
intention of Ohlbdn was to hand her over to OpO to marry. When they
could not find Opo, Ohibdn gave her out to Olwu, Op's friend. Olwu
1075
lfa Dida: An nvitation to lfa Consultaon
was not a practicng Babalwo but had undergone the process oflten'f.
Nkanlgl became the wife of Olwu. She soon gave brth to a baby
named Ire for Olwu.
Olwu was a very powerful warrior. He had fought and won many battles.
He went on another military campaign. This time, he took Nkanlql along
with him. As a matter of fact, all the campaigns he went as from the time
that he got married to Nnkanlgl, he used to take her along with him.
Whenever he returned from any campaign, Ohlbdn used to send his first
child, Atie, to go and enquire after the welfare of his younger sister. Olwu
would then in turn send his own son, Atie to go
and inform Olbdn that
all was well. This was the routine between these two great leaders and
warriors for about seven years
before everything changed for the worse.
One day, Olwu went on a military campaign. As usual, he took Nnkanlgl
along with him. When they got to
Qsun
River, the river was full and
uncross-able. They gave
Qsun
many things to flow away and allow them
to
pass. The river remained full. Olwu approached the riverand declared
'Qsun,
please allow us to pass. When we return, I will give you something'.
As soon as he said this, the river flowed away and the soldiers moved to
their destination. They had a very successful campaign.
On their return however, when they
got back to
Qgun
River, it was full
again. Olwu remembered his pledge to
Qgun.
He threw
jewelries
into
the river. They were all returned to him. He threw goats and sheep to the
river. They were all returned, He threw household utensils to the river.
They were all returned. He threw dresses and other clothing materials to
the river. They were all rejected. All what Olwu gave
Qpun
River were
rejected.
The soldiers who followeO Olwu to war were all impatient to
get
back
home and reunite with their families. That was when Basorun, the war
generalismo, told Olwu that he was the one causing their delay. How?
Olwu promised to give
Qgun
River'Nkan', 'Something', but he had not
done so. If he wanted them to
go, he must hand over his wife Nkanlgl to
QSun
River! Olwu could not believe his ears. He was so sure that
Qgun
River would never accept his wife. He threw Nkan to the river and she
1076
f i ose rvrei
was promptly accepted!!! Olwu had given
Qsun
River 'Something' as
pledged!
There and then, Olwu knew that there was bound to be serious crisis
between him and his friend/in-lary Oltibadn. When Olbdn heard that
Olwu was on his way home, he sent Atie to
go
and enquire after the
welfare of Nkanlgl. At the same time, Olwu sent Atie to go and break
the bad news to OhJbdn. Both Ati and Ati met at Ogbr River. When
Ati told Atl what had happened, a big fight ensued. That was what
Ohibdn heard of, when he raised his own soldiers to go
and confront
Olwu. On the other hand, Olwu raised his own soldiers to counter-
attack. Several lives were lost. Ogbr River turned red with blood from
both sides. The very foundation of YOrba Nation shook violently as a
result. In the end, Ire, the child of Nkanlgl was raised by foster parents.
The hatred and enmity between Olbdn and Olwu lasted throughout
the lives of the two warriors.
ImQmQ d o, oblnrin
g'dl ynrlkl
D,l fifn In
Tl fomi ojrt sngbre gmg
fbg
ni wgn nl k w
se
gb'gbo, rrt'bg
Igbat y bll, o bl Inakl
Awo ni wn nl k m se
Inekl, Awo il Oldmar
Dl firn onljmu-Nkl

i, ekun
gmg l sun
Fbg
nl wgn nl k w
Se
gb'Qbo, r'bo
Inkl Awo Olr
Dl fitn OlrO
Tf fomi ojt sUngbre tgmg
fibq
ni wgn nl k w
se

gb'Qbo,
rrt'bg
Inkl Awo'Lbld
Dl fitn
Qlblda
Tl fomi ojrl sngbr tgmg
fbg
ni wgn nl k w ge
gb'Qbo, r'bo
Opo, Awo Olwu
1477
lfa Dida: An invtation to lfa Consultation
Dl fitn Olwu, AmiwO Aja
Igbati rtm'$nu snrhun
gmg
fbg
ni wEn nl k w
Se
gb'gbo, r'bg
Igbatf
ybl,
bl Atl
OpO, Awo Olbdn
filn Olbdn Ojlgbln
9mq
ajQgbln
jQkarahun

jl, gkrtn gmg l sun
Fbq
nl wgn nl k w
ge
gb'gbo, rrl'bg
Igbat y bl, bl Atl
Olrtbdn ni gmg kan kO t oUn
Fbq
ni wQn nl k w ge
O tun gb'bg, r'bg
Igbe y tn bll, bl Nnkanlgl
wn w fi firn Olwu, Amlwo Aja
Nnkanlgl m bi, bl lre
je

ohlbdn ohn olwu o nll tn lllf
Ire, Kil gbQnj mo Iy rQ
Olwu o O b mi w ly ml
O ma rlbi yan-an-an-an-an
Ir+ kll gbQnj mo ly rQ!
Translation
The lightning exposes the buttocks of a woman
This was If's declaration forln
When weeping in lamentation of her inablity to beget a child
She was advised to offer
gbg
She complied
And she gave birth to Inal(
InaK was instructed to
practice If as his profession
Inki, the resident Awo of Oldmar
He was the awo who cast If for Ofijmu-Nl(
Who woke up and wept in lamentation of his inability to beget a child
He was advised to offer gbg
He complied
Inl(, the Awo of Olr0
He cast If for Olr0
When weeping in lamentation of his failure to have his own child
He was advised to offer ebo
He complied
1 078
f i ose uei
fnaK, the Awo of
'Lffda
He cast If for
Qlbfda
When lamenting his inability to beget a child
.
He was advised to offer
ebe
He complied
OpO, the Awo of Olwu
He cast If for Olwu, Am)wO j
When lamenting his inability to beget a child
He was advised to offer gbg
He complied
And he gave bifth to AtiQ
Opo, the Awo of OhJbdn
He cast If for Olbdn, the snail eater
He who eats snail together with its shell
When he was lamenting his inablity to beget a baby
He was advised to offer gbg
He compled
And he gave
bifth to AtiQ
OhJbdn declared that a child was not enough for him
He was asked to offer
gbg
He complied
And he gave
birth to Nkanlgl
She was given to Olwu in marriage
Nnkanlgl gave birth to Ir
The enmity between Olbdn and Olwu can never end forever
He (Ire) could not grow to maturity before his mother will passed
on
Olwu, please help me search for my mother to make me proud
Ir will never know his mother!
If cautions the
people for whom this Od is revealed to
please
heed
warning and follow the advices of If strictly.
16. If says that there is someone where this Od is revealed who is
aspirng for a leadership poston.
If says that this person has the
physical,
financial and charismatic capabilty to assume this position.
In spite of all these qualifications
however, If warns that this person
should not be given the position.
This is because if given,
this person
will be so high-handed that he/she will scare everyone away from the
group,
communty, cty, state or naton.
1479
lfa Dida: An invtation to lfa Consultation
Conversely, If says that if this Od is revealed to the person who has
come for If consultation on his/her chances of being picked
to
assume a
poston
of authority, this person must be seriously warned
against being too high-handed, lest he/she is eventually removed
from
position with ignominy. If says that to assume the
position is
nota problem;
the issue however, is howto maintain the position.
If advises this person to offer gbg with one matured he-goat and
money. He/she also needs to change his/her attitude for good
so as
to avoid a situation where he/she will be conspired against and be
removed from that position. On these If says:
In u wgn ni dra
lw a won nl sunwn
If a wgn ni sunwqn
N o
je
kl wQn p wgn lg il
Kl wgn lg r
j'r
w
I)l firn Yrp
Tfi g'gmg nlka merlndlnlgn
Eyl t loun o
j'y
larln lgb$
f;bg
nl wqn nl k w ge
Translation
Their heafts are impure
And their characters are nasty
Even their If is unacceptable
That is why they are not invited to people's homes
For them to cast If and
pedorm
ebQ
for others
These were Ifa's declarations to Yrp, the Nettle
Offspring of the owner of the sixteen rooms with big backyards
When planning to assume the position of authority in the forest
He was advised to offer gbg
Yrp, the nettle, was like beans or tamarind. He looked so ordinary. He
appeared simple and straight-fonrard. He talked with humility at all times.
Anytime he opened his mouth to speak,
people saw wisdom in his
speeches. Hewasconsidered a man ofvision and wisdom. Bythetime he
had grown up to maturity, all the inhabitants of the forest were already
considering him for leadership position. One day, Yrp was summoned
1 080
ii ose uei
to the midst of elders of the forest and was informed that it had been
decided to place him in a position of Authority. He was told to give it
consideration before taking a final decision.
Yrp was so happy with this development that he rushed to the home of
the Awo mentioned above in order to determine how grand
the installation
ceremony would be. He was not really concerned with whether or not he
would succeed in his new position.
Unknown to those who proposed
Yrp forthe new position, he had been harboring great malice againstall
those in the forest. He had therefore been waiting for the oppoftunity to
revenge against what he considered to be injustice that the people
perpetrated
against him. He promised himself to inflict pains
and
embarrassments which the people would not forget in a hurry on them.
So, his questions during If consultation were -
one, to know how befitting
the installation ceremonywould be, and two, to knowthe bestwayto make
those who cheated him before suffer.
The Awo told him that he would surely be installed. He was however
warned against being too high-handed, wicked, uncompromising and
inconsiderate. He was advised to be accommodating lest he was
dethroned with ignominy. The Awo also advised him to offer
qbg
as
prescribed
above.
When he heard all what the Awo said, he became livid with rage. He
considered the warning and advice of the Awo as insultive and impetinent.
He promised himself that he would surely teach the Awo a lesson on how to
respect those in pcsitions of authority as soon as he was installed. He
stormed outof theAwo's home.
Soon after this, Yrp was installed as the head of the trees in the forest.
It was a memorable occasion. As soon as he was given
the staff of
authority, he sprang into action. He stafted with those who installed him.
He simply sprinkled some of his nettle dust on them. The Kingmakers
stafted to scratch every paft of their bodies. This was not enough to stop
the nettle dust from itching them. They soon removed all their dresses,
including their undergarments. It was not enough. They were completely
naked! Yet, they continued to scratch their bodies. Not until they rubbed
1081
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
every paft of their bodies with palm-oil
did they feel any form of relief. The
whole area was thrown into pandemonium. The crowd dispersed in
confusion. The Kingmakers were thoroughly disgraced!
After this, anyone who moved close to Yrp was in trouble. They ended
up suffering the same humiliation like the Kingmakers. The whole forest
began to fear Yrp. At a stage, he was known as a leader who would
never robe his subjects, but rather preferred
to strip them naked in broad
daylight. Everybody ran away from him. He had no friend. Nobody was
exempted in his vengeance.
One day, the people gathered
together to find a lasting solution to the
threat of Yrp. All the members of the forest were sick and tired of his
style of
governance. They wanted him removed by all means. They
planned
to do this without moving close to him. In the end, they came up
with the plan to set fire on all the areas that Yrp could be found. This
was exactly what they did. Yrp died in the fire, full of regrets.
In u won ni o dara
lw a wgn nl O sunwqn
If a wgn ni sunwqn
N o
je
kl wQn p wgn lg il
Kl won lg re
j'r
wa
Dl filn Yrp
Tll g'gmg
nlk msrlndlnlgn
Ey t lun
j'oye
lan lgbg
fbg
nl wgn nl k w
Se
ko,tl
Qgbonyin
s'ebg
Yrepe lwg lo O g'eni
Yrp lwg lo g'yn
Igbatl wQn fi
q
l'd oy
Lo sg gbogbo il d'ahoro
Translation
Their healG are impure
And their characters are nasty
Even their If is unacceptable
That is why they are not invited to people's homes
For them to cast If and
perform
ebQ
for others
These were lf's declarations to Yrp
1082
lf
9""
u"/i
Offspring of the owner of the sixteen rooms with big backlards
When planning to assume the position of authority in the forest (
He was advised to offer gbg
He refused to comply
Now Yrp, you lacked manners
Yrp you are not a decent being
When
you
were installed into a
position
of authority
You turned the whole community into a desefted area
If warns that any leader who is too harsh or wicked will find
himself/herself to blame in the end.
(
Abgnt Aboy.
(
(
1 083
lfa Dida: An nvitaton to lfa Consultation
A. SIGNIFICANCE OF OSE MEJI FOR THOSE BORN BY
THE ODU DURING ITOSEOAYE ONITIODU
Those born by
Q+e
Mjl during lkgsQdy or lelqOu are destined to
become the most impoftant persons in their families. They are also
endowed with children who become leaders in their community. It is
therefore in the best interest of this persons to ensure that they are offering
ebo for themselves, they also need to do the same for their children.
These children are also blessed with good
and understanding spouses
who help them to getto the top in life. There are bound to be oppositions to
the relationship at the initial stage; but in the end, they will live happily
together for the rest of their lives. For
Q9
q
Mjl male children, their wives
will be instrumental to the consummation of their foftunes. For
Qgq
Mil
female children, their husbandswill makethem proud
and happy.
In the lives of
Qqg
Meil children, the only panacea
to financial success is
hard work, and more hard work. In their lives, without hardworkthere can
never be financial success. On the other hand,
Qqe
Mejl children need to
use their brains more than their brawn. They need to stop in order to
conquer. They also need to use their brains in order to make their clients,
customers and
partners feel important and needed.
It is in the best interest of
Qge
Mil children to observe If and Obatala
Qse
days on a regular basis. This will certainly assist them to achieve their
goals in life.
The lives of
Qge
Mjl female children are such that they must never be
promiscuous and must never sleep with more than one man at the same
period. If they do this, they will destroy their chances of consummating
their founes. They will also not be able to make ends meet. For peace
of
mind, these women need to maintain their chastity and dignity.
The leadership qualities
of
0g
Mjl children are in question.
They lack
proper administration. They are known to be very high-handed,
uncompromising and wicked. For this reason, they have the tendency to
drive people away from themselves even though they are
generally
loved
1 084
ff ose tel
by all. Sometimes
0g
Mjl children take decisions aganst themselves
and to carry out such decisions end up becoming problematic. This is why
'
it is in the best interest of
Qge
Mil children to be careful with the types of
decisions theytake.
For
QgE
Mjl children, males and females, what they need to struggle for,
more than any other thing on eafth, is respect and dignity. They do not
need to struggle to become the highest person in rank. They only need to
ensure that they maintain their respect and dignity at all times.
c, AFFTLTATED rRNMQLF/ORTSA OF
qSF
MEJI
1. If
-For progress, success, victory and love
2. Od
-For
comfoft and happiness
3. Egu
Qdara
-For victory success and accomplishment
4. Opo
-For good
children and stability
5.
fdan
Ogb
-For longevity.
6. Aje -For financial success and marital bliss
7.
Qbetl
-For
marital bliss and success
8.
Qqun
-For foftune consumation
9. Orl
-For
foftune consumation
10.
FgbS
-For
leadership and success
11. Oke
-For
childbearing and upbringing
D. TABOOS OF OSE MEJI
1. Must never eat
fki,
bush
goat for anything
- To avoid
unconsummated foftune
2. Must not use Olongo and Apar, partridge
birds for anything
-
To
avoid unconsummated foftune
3. Must never use scorpion for anything - To avoid being exposed to
enemies
4. Must never be
promiscuous -
To avoid unconsummated foftune
5. Must never engage in anti-social activities
-
To avoid public
disgrace and humiliation
1085
lfa Dida: An nvitation to lfa Consultation
6. Must never show laziness
- To avoid unconsummated foftune
7. Must never eat Okro
-
To avod financial hardship
E. POSSIBLE NAMES OF OSE MEJI CHILDREN
Males
1. Ol-Qmg - Leader among children
2. Ifagtlfo
- Ifa is truthful
3.
Qlbld
-
Honour is dazzling
Females
1. oketyt - oke gave bifth to this
2. Amylwe - A child that brings prestige to the family
3.
thped
-
Honour coverage in the family
Abgru Abgy.
1 086
Chapter 16
OFN MEIT
ll lr
tl
ll ll
ll
A.
1.
Chapter 16
Or(1ru MEJI
(SRANGN
MEI)
If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed during
Ikqsdy or ltQld, unlimited success is guaranteed. If says that
he/she shall become a great leader in life. He/she shall be very
valuable and influential in the community, the way the eye is to the
whole body. If says that this person
will attain leadership position
from youth and his/her influence will spread farand wide.
If advises this person
to offer gbg with hro fresh fowl eggs, two
pigeons, shea butter and money. After this, he/she will also
procure
one
pigeon,
one fresh fowl egg, shear butter and
jpnjk
leaves (let me live), the leaves will be grinded into fine
paste,
the egg will be broken and mixed with the grinded leaves, the
pigeon will be slaughtered and the blood drained into the mixture
with oil, shea butter will be added to the mixture and mixed
properly
into fine paste. The paste will be used by the person for whom this
Od s revealed to rub his/her body regularly. In this Od, If says:
As'ra k'sdn
A rln'rln gbQrg a k'san
Akfl l'ni nl Mqsan
K mu lpqn
Dla fun Oj
Tl rtlg r
jg glja
l'wjg ara
fibg
nl wQn nl k w
9e
1088
Il orun uei
Translation
We rushed to pluckoranges
And walked leisurely to pluck oranges
If we have contacts where oranges are
grown
We surely cannot suck unripe ones
These were lf's messages to Ojr1, the Eyes
When going to become the leader among allthe pafts of the body
He was advised to offer gbg
Ojrl, the Eye, was relatively smaller than most pafts
of the body such as the
arms, legs, hands, feet, neck, chest, abdomen and so on. Oj was
however ambitious. He wanted to occupy a very influential position in the
body. For this reason, he went to the home of the Awo mentioned above to
determine how he would do itto attain his life ambition.
The Awo assured him that he would be able to accomplish his Iife ambition.
He was advised to offer
gbg as prescribed above. He complied.
When Oj was comlng into the world, Oldmar instructed
Qbtl
to
make them in pair and
place
them in two identical sockets in front of the
head for them to be
part
of the face. Oldmar also instructed that they
must be the
pathfinders for the whole body. That was why it was Ojrl that
was saddled with the responsibility of making living things created by
Oldmar to see things and find their ways from place
to
place.
Without
Oj, eyes, living beings would have been in permanent darkness. For this
reason, Oj was
jealously guarded
and protected bythose who have it.
If says that the
person for whom this Od is revealed shall occupy the
position that Oj has in the body in his/her community, group,
society
and/or country.
As'ra k'sn
A rln'rln gbQre a k'sn
Akll I'Qninl Mgsan
K mu alpqn
Dl filn Oj
Tl lg r
jg
Qlja
l'wjo ara
lbq
nl wQn nl k w ge
gb'Qbg, rrl'bg
1 089
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
'
Ojrl w
j'Olja
nlgba y{ o
F
j
n ma rln
F
j
n ma yan
Translation
We rushed to pluckoranges
We walked leisurely to pluck oranges
If we have contacts where oranges are grown
We surely cannot suck unripe ones
These were lf's messages to Oj
When going to become the leader among the other
pafts of the body
He was advised to offer
ebg
He complied
Ojrl has now become the leader among all the other
pafts of the body
Let mewalk leisurely
And march majestically
If says that this
person shall have a say in the affairs of his/her
group,
socety, communty or country.
2. If says that most of the achievements of the person for whom this
Od is revealed had gone
down. These achievements shall however
be regained while many more shall be added unto them for him/her.
If advises the
person not to despair or
panic. All that he/she needs
to do are to work hard and be hopeful.
If however advises this person or group to offer
qbg with 1O white
pigeons, 10 rats, 10 fish, 1O hens and money. After this, the
person for whom this Od is revealed also needs to procure 20O
wrpl (palm tree maggots). These maggots will be cooked for
this
person
together with ewe aj (wealth leaves), t will be
consumed by the person for whom this Od is revealed after offering
the
gbg
and the recitation of this Od. A stanza in this Od on this
aspect says:
Ajylmk, Awo wgn n'il Alr
Ero towq glrlglrl wg'ja
Frja Fjj
1 090
'i!t
orun uej
firn wgn nl ltokrt-Agbgn
T'lslQgj
Eyl tl won
jl,
ff wgn o r'aj tuntun n mQ
Fbg
niwQn nl k w
Qe
Translation
Ajyimk, the residence Awo in Alr's household
And the crowd who rushed intothe marketsquare
Fja Fjrlj
They werethe Awo who castlf forthem atltku-Agbgn
Atthe southern
paft of the market
Those who woke up and could not find new sources of generating
revenue
They were advised to offer
ebg
The inhabitants of ltoku-Agben town, especally those living at the
Southern side of the market square found themselves n an inexplicable
financial mess. They could not understand why, in spite of their enterprse
and hard work all their avenues of making progress
blocked totally. They
paddled left and right, front and backward, yet, their canoe stood still. As
the last resoft, they went to the
group
of Awo mentioned above for If
consultation; would foftune ever smile on them again? Would they succeed
where they had now failed? Would they be able to attain their desired
goals in life? Would accomplishment return to their town once more? And
above all, would they have course to smile at the end of these travails?
The group
of Awo assured them that even though there appeared to be a
huge clog in the wheelof their
progress, nonetheless, failure willgive room
for success; disappointment will give room for oppoftunities; desperation
will give room for contentment; while sorrow will give room for boundless
joy.
The group of Awo advised them to offer
gbg
as
prescribed
above.
They all complied. They also looked for wrpl, palm tree maggots, to
prepare their Individual herb soup for consumption. After the gbg, they all
went back to their various responsibilities.
Before long, after the offering of the
gbg,
the doors of oppoftunities began
to open, happiness returned to the community, Those who were sick
regained their health; chronic debtors were able to repay their debt. As a
result of the boundless opportunities which had returned to,ItOk-AgbQn
1 091
lfa Dda:
An nvtaton
to tfa Consultation
town,
t was
ea:y
to
work
and procure
wealth.-
Chronic
bachelors
and
spinsters
took
advand;;
;f ,il
conduciv
economc
environment
to get
married'
Ma'ied
to'pt
i'n'*"'"
not
sure
oi the
future
had
their
fears
3lfaved
and
thev
b"gil;."
crriuien]
FJi,.rr,
morhers
and
chirdren
,otned
their
tt:^o^Y.t::t
lo"i".
an
on
io
"."a
n"*
un
ber*tins
nornes
for
themsefves'
e"1-ur".y,"r"
r"?l'il[*
economc
and
financial
oppottunities
inthe:?rt'
I|s
"noiry:r:
happier.
rhese
tuo
combined'
made
for
beer
rt": ;ii#"."\,J,rn
g"Tti-qrari
or lre,
peopte
were
"br:_!o
,y;,il+I1,
i
.n.
in
rtoko_Agbon.
when
'i"j"lH,Tfl
,il$;::tlkt*:t;t*:xi:tJ:::.f uAsbsn,,hev
Ajyfmk,
Awo
wQn
n,ife
Afr
Erto
ror.
r*YlrlTslrl
ws'ja
Df
filnwqn
m ltok_Agbo
T'isalgoja
Ey
u
y-olT
jt
F_.qn
o r,aj
tuntun
n
m
fbe nf wq
n ro
*.
"l
_wqn
sf
.eoo,,
*qi
'Jb;
_Ireajetiewa ko d
freajtitun.f,ieae
I
ti je,sba
"*oro,rf,ria
o
t."
"r. T, ::_1_*q
i I il
ir"ure
_freayat.awaOrf
_Ire
aya
tun
*g;fe
de
Iti
je'gu.
a*oronpaia
o
Ire
aya
t
*.'.lTl"
de
ssrsrs
:rl
gmq ti trn
wo,t
d
I
ti
j"'g
"
"*o.orrp-JJ
o
Iregmgt
I,"
goog|iieffi
lT
serere
y.9 gooSbo
ti tun
wo,t
d
I
ti jg'gba
a*oro,rp;;=
rre
sbosbo
t tui
J,il
.
n*n*r.
Translation
Ajyf
mka
th.e
residence
Awo
n
Afr,s
household And
the
crowd
,ho ,rr]Giinto
tne
marketsquare
1092
'i\
otun uei
Fja
Fjnj
rnev
wi
ne Awo who cast If for them atltokr-Agbqn
Atthe
southern Partof
the
market
Thosewhowokeupu.couldnotfindnewsourcesof
generating
revenue
TheY wer advised
to offerqbg
TheY comPlied
re orwtln
*ntrl
hitheto
we lacked
It has now returned
to us
We nave
consumed
200 AwroPl
'
ii. oi*"alth
has returned
in torrents
The ire of sPouse
has returned
We have
eaten
200 AwrOPl
And
ire of spouse
has returned
in droves
The ir of citldren
thatwe
lacked
The ire of children
has returned
We have
eaten
200 AwOrOnPl
The i f tnitOttn
has returned
like locusts
All ire that we were looking
for
.:i
All ire has now returned
-
We nrve
consumed
200 AwOrPl
At rqhve
returned
to us asexpected
Ifassuresthepersonorgroupforwhomthisodisrevea|edthat
he/she/they
shallirave
course
to Jmile
and be
grateful to Oldmar
atthe
end ofthe
daY.
3.
If says
that
this
person.shat
be honoured
with a very high title
in life'
The
title
shall
make
nim/trei
popular
and
shall
enhance
his/her
Prestige
in the communitY'
Ifsaysthatthispersonsha|lgivebirthto.ama|echi|dwhoshal|take
over
that
position
from
nir"iniiLu"n
while
he/she
is still alive'
If
says
tnat
?iis
happens,
ti'r'.i
t the need
for this
person for whom
this od
is revealed
to vact
tne
position
peacefully
and
move
away
from
that
communitY'
If it is in a working
environment
or association,
one
of the sub-
ordinates
of the
person fo;;*
this Od
is revealed
shalltake
over
1 093
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
the position he/she occuped. Also, if this happens, it is in the best
interest of this person
to leave the work or association and move
elsewhere peacefully.
If it is during Ikgsgdaye for a male baby, the name of this baby is
either Ariwogla or Awolgl. This child shall live to take over the
position
of his father.
If recommends for the person for whom this Od is revealed either
during IkgsQdye or Itld, to always go
about with'irkQrQ, cow or
horse tail. By so doing, his/her prestige
and honour will shine
through and he/she will be given space and acceptability in the
community.
If advises this
person
to offer gbg with 3 pigeons,
3 cocks, 3
guinea fowls, 2 )rkQrQ and money. After the
gbg,
one of the
IrkQrQ will be handed over to him/her for use. On this,
Qrngn
M)
says:
Afitnyinyin
Aknyinyin
Qyinyina
kn biah
Dl fi n
Qrngrtn,
Elgbje lrkQrQ
Igbatl rt m'mi ojrl sngbr gmg
fibg
nl wgn nl kw ge
Translation
That which is white and dazzling
Thatwhich spreads and glows
That which shines and is immaculately white
These were If's declarations to
Qrangttn
Owner of 1,400'irkr, cow or horse tail
When weeping in lamentation of his inabilityto begeta child
He was advised to offer qbo
Qrngrtn
was made the
Qba
of Ila land amidst
pomp
and
pageantry.
His
reputation spread like wild fire. He was known, honoured and respected
throughoutthe length and breadth of Yoruba land.
1494
ltii
orun uei
In spite of all these achevements however,
Qrngn
had no heir to the
throne. As a matter of fact, he had no child at all, even though he had
several wives. This situation made him sad. This was the reason why he
went for If consultation; would he be a
proud father in his Iife? Would he
have a child who will inherit the throne of his forefathers when he
depafted? Would his sorrowturn to
joy?
The Awo assured him that he would give
bifth to a baby boy who will
eventually take over his position. He was advised to offer
gbg
as stated
above. He complied. Before long, one of his women became pregnant
and gave, bfth to a baby boy. During Ikgsgdy, the baby was named
Ariwogl. This baby had very rapid growth.
Because
Qrngn
had earlier been informed by his Awo thatthis child shall
take over his position, even while he was still alive, he (Qrangn) decided
to send this child out of Ila land to go and live elsewhere in order to avoid
any situation that might lead to friction and competition between father
and child. That was why Ariwogl was raised up outside the domain of his
father.
Where Ariwogl was raised up, everybody knew him as a
prince.
The royal
blood flowing in his veins made people
to honour and respect him. He was
treated as heir apparent. Before long, he began to gather followers and
suppofters. Allthese supporters treated him like a royalty.
One day, Ariwogl made up his mind to visit his father in lla land. All his
suppofters and followers decided to follow him tolla land on this royalvisit.
He rode on an immaculate white horse. He put
on immaculate white dress.
His beads were immaculate white. The crown on his head was made of
immaculately white beads. His sandals were made of
$ege
efun beads.
His irkQrQ was also
pure white. The saddle on his horse was made of pure
white leather.
When he got to the boundary of lla land, the news quickly spread to the
town that an
Qba
higher than
Qrngrln
himself was coming to town.
Qrngrfn
was the only one who knew that this
Qba
was actually his son
because of the way he was told that the
Qba
dressed. When he realized
1 095
lfa Dida: An invtaon to lfa Consultation
that his subjects rolled out drums,
guns
and other muscal instruments to
welcome the
Qba
that they consdered to be higher than him intoll land,
Qrngn
knew without being told that it was time for him to vacate the
throne and give way for his son to ascend the throne. This was exactly
what
Qrangun
did. He leftIla and never returned until he died. Ariwogl
assumed the
Qbaship
position and reigned until he was old and
joined
his
ancestors as one of the
greatest
Qba
that Yorb land had ever
produced.
Afitnyinyin
Aknyinyin
Oinyin a kn b a|
Dl filn
Qrangn,
Elgbje lrkQrQ
Igbatl m'm ojrl sngbr gmg
Fbg
nl wqn nl k w
9e
Ogb'gboror'bg
Igbatl yWt, bl Ariwogl
Srangn
wa ti r'Qyln
Qk
Ariwo w gba'le lla kankan
Translation
That which is white and dazzling
Thatwhich spreads and
glows
Thatwhich shines and is immaculatelywhite
These were lf's declarations to
QrangUn
Owner of 1,400IrkQrg (cow or horse tail)
When weeping in lamentation of his inabilityto begeta chld
He was advised to offer gbg
He compled
He eventuallygave bifth to a baby boy named Ariwogl
When
Qrangun
lefttown
Merriment engulfed the whole oflla land
NOTE: This stanza is not a license for sub-ordinates to hatch up any evil
design or conspiracy against their superiors. It is not an oppoftunity for a
child to
plan
to ovefthrow his/her parents or for
junior
ones to plan illegally
to take over from their superiors. If the take-over is not allowed to come
naturally like what happened between
Qrngrln
and Ariwogl, the usurpers
will suffer for the rest of their lives.
1096
I'l **r",
4. If says that it foresees long life for the
person
for whom Ofun M3) is
revealed. If says that he/she will live long to witness the birth and
growth of his/her grandchildren.
If advises this person to procure
one hen. This hen is to be used to
rub every
paft
of his/her body and then slaughtered for If. If says
that if this is done, long life is assured. All evil forces that could lead
to untimely death for this person
shall be chased away. On this, If
says:
Onllrld
Onllrlso
K
jl
nl owrQ kutkt
K m'bl kan lQg fdluyo nf nu igb
D,l filn
Qntnmll
Tl g'aworell'adlg
Fbq
nl wqn nl k w
Se
Translation
Todaythe dewstops
And again the dew drops
Let us wake up early in the morning
And offer one kola nutto lUyo in the forest
This wasthe If castforQrtlnmll
When going to ll'dig (where hen is used to ward off untimely death)
He was advised to offer ebo
Qrnm)l
was always confronted with the problems
of people losing their
loved ones in their
prime. Many promising people
died in mysterious
circumstances. That was why Ortlnmll went to consult If. During
consultation, If instructed him to use a matured hen as stated above in
orderto ward off untimely death.
Qrrf
nm)h did.
As soon as
Qrnmlla
began to do this, all those who came to him were
protected from untimely death. For this reason, Ornmlla was regularly
supplied with hens, because they knew that he needed them for the
protection
of
people
threatened with mysterious deaths of youths
and
1497
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
young ones.
Onllrld
Onllrl so
K
jl
nl owrq ktkt
K m'bl kan IQQ fdlyo nln igb
D,l filn Ornmlla
Tl g'aworell'adlg
Sbg
nl wqn nl k w ge
gb'gborr'bg
Ygbgn'k lg
Ygb'rn lg
Ogb'dlg o, g'ara yeeyQQ
Kogbgn'k Igo
Translation
Todaythe dewstops
And again the dew drops
Let us wake up in the morning
And offer one kola nut to Ohlyo in the forest
This wasthe If castforOrrJnmll
When going toll'adlg
He was advised to offerebq
He complied
It will chase away death
And chaseawayailments
Matured hen, shakeyour body
And chaseawaydeath
If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed shall live to his/her
old age.
5, If says that the
person for whom Ofrfn MJi is revealed is pure-
heafted, kind and consderate. He/she believes in
justice,
decorum
and fair-play. In spite of these qualities however, he is not liked.
People are
panning
evil aganst him/her. If assures him/her that
he/she will overcome all these adversities. If advises him/her to
continue to do good and put his/her faith in If and Oldmar,
If also advises this person to offer gbg with 16 pigeons
and
1098
'il
orun uei
money. After the gbg,
there is the need to make an If preparaton
with tfl leaves mixed with black soap for bathing regularly. If
these could be done, then he/she would overcome all the enemies
and at the same time make tremendous progress in his/her life. On
this, If says:
Ode nl d'r
Sdedenl
ran'kn
Qdedetl
wgn gb ran okn
Ni wQn ti rg agg o
Dl fitn Olrl-ire
Tl wen f ejq
I
re v kiri o
Fbq
nl wqn nl k w
9e
Translation
Outside is for preparing
dye
The passage
is for spinning rope
The passage where rope is spinned
Is also where clothes are dyed
These were If's declaratons to Olf -ire, the Lucky one
Who was being reported about in a malicious manner
He was advised to offer ebo
Olf-ire, the Lucky one, was always finding himself face-to-face wth good
things of life. He was always foftunate. When good
things happened, he
was always present
to share in them; conversely, when misfortunes
occurred, he was never involved. Five major events took place in his life
which convinced others that he was indeed a lucky person.
One, when he was a small chld, he fell into the well in their neighbour's
house and was there for three days before people
noticed that someone
was there when they returned from their
journey.
He was half-dead when
he was rescued. Everyone knew that if he had spent even two more hours,
he would have died of cold. He did not drown in the well because there
was a root offshoot which was in the well that supported his weight.
Two, when he was about five years
old, there was a severe pestilence in
1 099
lfa Dida: An nvitation to lfa Consultation
his village which killed several infants and
young
ones. He was the only
survivor in his family compound among 17 children.
Three, when he was in his early teens, he went out on a hunting
expedition with his elders. There was a fire outbreak in the forest. All the
hunters died but he miraculously survived with minor burns and bruises.
Four, when he grew up to become a young man/ he was very strong and
brave. One day, there was a rift between his village and the neighbouring
village. This rift later degenerated into a full scale war. He was one of the
soldiers who were drafted to defend his village. His village was defeated.
Allthe able-bodied men and women were marched to a
plain ground in the
village square and executed. He was however given
two vicious slaps by
the head of the enemy soldiers and ordered to
get
out of sight. He ran for
cover and he was the onlyyouth left to tell the story.
Five, as soon as the war was over, the remaining people in the village
gathered together in order to fashion out a way of moving their lives
fonryard. They invited allthe remaining youths who were not in the village
when the war stafted to return to the village in order to restructure it, both
physically and economically. They made Olf-ire the head of the work-
force. While they were doing this, Olf-ire came across a large sum of
cowries and expensive
jewels
which was estimated to be more than what
15 generations could exhaust. He invited the whole village. After much
deliberation, it was decided that the
jewels
should be sold while the
proceeds
should be used in reconstructing the village. Oll-ire was
handsomely rewarded.
He shared the reward among the youths who worked with him in the
village reconstruction. That was how his troubles stafted. Some
people
felt that they ought to be given bigger shares than what they were given.
Some felt that they were the ones who ought to share the money and not
Ol-ire. Others felt that it was becoming too much of Oll-ire as he was
seen as a survivor in all disasters he had ever been involved in. They
concluded that he was the one whose spirit was bringing trouble into the
village.
1100
ll orun uei
Initially, it stafted as a mnor resentment aganst Olr'i-ire. Later, it gained
currency. Anywhere he went, he realized that people were casting scornful
glance
at him. It later became an open hostility against him. He could not
understand the basis of their hostility. Before long, the people gathered
together to take a firm action against him. After much deliberations, they
came up with three alternatives; one, to banish him from the land; two, to
incarcerate him; orthree, to eliminate him outright.
On the night of the day when this
plan was hatched, Olf-ire had a dream;
in fact, it was more of a nightmare. In this dream, he saw himself stripped
naked and tied to a horse with a strong rope and was being dragged
through the major streets in the village. As soon as he woke up, he went
straight to the group of Awo mentioned above for If consultation; was
this dream a sign of something disastrous about to happen to him? If yes,
what could he do to aveft the disaster? During If consultation, Oftln met
was revealed.
The Awo told Oll-ire that people were narrating his story about. He was
told that his problem
originated from the fact that he had always been
lucky in his life. They told Olfi-ire that most of the people had a lot against
him because he had survived when mostof their relatives had perished;
he
had been blessed where most of them were still gnashing their teeth in
pain
and agony; and he had been elevated where others were being
frustrated. He was however assured that he would overcome all the evil
fashioned against him.
The Awo advised him to offer
gbg
as prescribed
above. He complied; he
was also advised to
prepare
the Ifa soap for use. He gave
the moneyto the
Awo to prepare the soap for him.
As soon as these were done, public opinion against Olf-ire began to
change. His antagonists began to see him as someone who ought to be
praised instead of being despised. They saw him as someone who was
very lucky but who had been confronted with several near-death
experiences. Before long, people
began to seek his advice and sometimes
ask him to tell them the story of his life. Nobody ever thought of planning
evil against him anymore.
1101
lfa Dida: An nvitation to lfa Consultaon
Ode nl d'r
Qdede
nl ran'kn
Qdedg
tl wQn gb ran okn
Ni wQn ti rg agg o
Dlfin Olrl-ire
Tl wqn r fi ejq q re v kiri o
fbg
nl wen nl k w
9e
gb'gborr'bg
jq enl ff n
Qjq
q
m wl kr
Atorl
If niytot'ml sl rereo
Atorl
Translation
Outside is for preparing
dye
The passage is for spinning rope
The passage where rope is spanned
Is also where clothes are dyed
These were If's declarations to Oli-ire
Who was being repofted about in a malicious manner
He was advised to offer ebo
He complied
Now, those who repofts me about in a malicious manner
Atofi, the switch
If will switch public opinion in myfiavour
AtoR
If says that for the
person
for whom this Od is revealed, If will change
public opnon from bad to good for him/her. If says that he/she will gain
respect and honour among his/her communty.
6. If advises the
person
for whom this Od is revealed to be humble at
all times. He/she needs to have respect and conslderation for those
who are lower than him/her. If says that in order to succeed in life,
it is the duty of the person for whom this Od is revealed to put it at
the back of his/her mind that it is a favour rendered to him/her if
anyone agreed to be assisted. In other words, if the person for
whom this Od is revealed assists anyone, he/she needs to consider
1102
lI orur r"'
himself lucky that the
person who needed the favour had assisted
him/her to be assisted if he/she does not show pride
or arrogance
then success and accomplishment are assured.
If advises this person
to offer gbg with two white pigeons,
two
guinea fowls and money. After this, he/she needs to feed If
with one hen. On this aspect,If says:
OgUn abg ni O t'orl op ra
Okan gogo
Ogn'n l ba'lQ
LsgQIj d'oro
Dl filn Ornmll
Tl Babaysgara redi grU
fbg
ni wqn n| k w
ge
Translation
Twenty blades cannot shave a
pillar
clean
Only one live ember of charcoal turns a forestto dry land
These were lfa's messages to
QrUnmIla
When he was to turn himself into a slave
He was advised to offer ebo
When
Qrnm)l
was coming from heaven to eafth, he planned
to be doing
good
deeds in the most profitable
manner. He was onvinced that doing so
was the best way to secure the highest spiritual
points.
Consequent upon
this, he went to the home of the two Awo whose wise sayings were
mentioned above for If consultation: would he be able.to positively
influence the world and at the same time score very high spiritual points?
The Awo assured Orrlnmll that he would surely be able to assist whoever
came for assistance. He would also be able to gather very high divine
rewards for himself in the process. He was first advised to offer
qbg
as
mention above. Not only that, he was advised to ensure that while
assisting those who needed his help, he must learn how to render this
assistance in such a way that it would appear that those who received his
assistance were in fact the ones who were doing him a favour. In other
words,
Qrunmll
was to consider it an honour that the
people
agreed with
1103
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
Qrtlnm)l
for him to help them. This was because if the
people refused to
be helped, then
Qrnm'll
would not be able to
gather any spirtual reward
from Oldmar.
Qrnmll
agreed with the Awo and offered the
gbg
as
prescribed.
While on eafth,
Qrnmll
actuallycondescended very low in orderto render
help to anyone. He would go
all out of his way to help. He did not only
consider it as an honour that he was allowed to help, he even made it clear
that the honour was highly cherished. Those who received his help were all
pleasantly shocked and surprised that they were the ones who were doing
Qrunmll
a favour by allowing him to assist them. Many people trouped to
his house, they ordered him around and he gladly did his best for them. By
so doing, he was highly favoured by human being and Oldmar.
Ogun abg ni t'orf op ra
Okan
$ogo
gn'n l ba'le
Lsgelj d'oro
Dlfin
Qrnmll
Tl Baba y
sg ara re di
grU
fbg
ni wqn ff kw
Se
gb'Qbg, r'bg
KO p, KO
jlnn
f
w b'ni b'yQ
E w wo're o
Translation
Twenty blades cannot shave a
pillar
clean
Only one live ember of charcoal turns a forest to dry land
These were lf's messages to
QrUnm'lla
When hewastoturn himself into a slave
He was advised to offergbg
Hecomplied
Travellers tolpo and
Qfa
town
Come and
join
us in the midst of happiness
Come and behold all Ire in live
If says that as long as the
person for whom this Od is revealed is ready to
show high degree of humility and level-headedness, then he will be blessed
and favoured by Oldmar.
1104
Ii orun uei
If says that something of very high propoftion is creating fear and
apprehension into the mind of the person for whom this Od is
revealed. If says that this
person
is already seeing the signs
warning him/her that all is not well at all. There is the need for
him/her to offer
gbg
and feed the Elders of the Night as
quickly
as
possible.
If warns that this person
must never sell or eat kr, bean cake in
his/her life. It is a serious taboo for him/her so as to avoid a situation
where he/she will constantly be in contention with the Elders of the
Night. He/she must also avoid being miserly in all things he/she
does. He/she must be open-handed atalltimes.
If advises this person to offer gbg with 201 pieces
of bean cakes
(akara) and money. He/she also needs to feed the Elders of the
Night with another 201 kr. On this aspect, If says:
Aga ke, kOdke
Qgblngbln
rin bQQ ni o dbQ
Allsen bgnl'h ibQnjgun?
D{firn
lruubamt
Tl y
d'gun lya awgn
Fle,
ye
f
bg ni wqn nl k w
Fe
Translation
The hawk contnued to shout unendingly
And the hoopoe hummed ceaselessly
Is there someone suffering from ailment around there?
These were If's declarations for Errlbdrnf
Who would incurthe wrath of the witches
She was advised to offerebo
frrlbrn'i,
Dread-bvercomes me, was an expeft in making kr, bean
cakes. People used to
patronize
her from far and near. Before long, she
was known as the best kr seller in the land. She used to make huge
1105
lfa Dda: An invitation to lfa Consultaon
profit. She was highly rated in the land. The communty leaders gave her
honour and recognition.
In spite of these achievements however,
Frbarff
was very stingy. She
saw no reason why she should
give out to anyone. She could not give her
kr out as sample. If anyone wanted to taste it, she reasoned, let such a
person
buy. She believed that by so doing, she would be able to maximize
her profit.
One day, the head of the witches came to the market where
frrf
bnf was
selling her kr. She greeted everyone in the market. When she reached
Frrlbanf's
stall, she
greeted her. After the pleasantries,
she begged
frr1bmito
give her one kr to taste. She refused bluntly, asking her to
pay if she wanted to taste her kr. The head of the witches begged and
begged.
frrlbmi
was not impressed; she told her frankly that she did not
come to fry kr in the market because of her or for charity. She ordered
the head of the witches out of her sight. The woman left quietly.
In the evening of that day, the head of the Elders of the Night summoned an
emergency meeting of all her members. They all assembled at night. The
head of the Night Elders wasted no time before addressing the witches;
'Greetings to all Elders of the Night! Since I was born, notto mention when I
became the mother of the Elders of the Night, I had never been humiliated
and dragged in the mud as I experienced today.
prr1bmi
disgraced me
today because of one cake of kr! It is an insult I cannot live with. I must
revenge!
frrlbmi
must be ruthlessly dealt with! I am
prepared
to hear
yourviews on theWpe of punishmentthatwill be meted outto her. I do not
wantto hearthat
frr1bmi
must be forgiven! She stands condemned!' As
soon as she said this, she satdown angrily.
One of the high-ranking EIders stood to speak. She said, 'Greetings to our
Mother and all Elders in attendance. I was at the market when our mother
was humiliated by
frbmi.
It is totally unacceptable to me. It must be
addressed and
frbmi's
case must be used to sound a warning to
others'.
That was how all those who addressed the Elders spoke on that day. In
conclusion, they decided that
frrlbmi
must not know peace
of mind
anymore. She must be harassed and terrorized day and night.
1106
i:\
o*, r",
On that same night, the Elders of the Night picked
11 birds and five animals
to
put fear
into the mind of
frbami.
These birds were, Aga, the Duskey
Thrush; Akalamagbo, the vulture; Owiwi, the owl; Elutn, the lark-heeled
cuckoo; Parapad, the pennant-winged N ig ht-jar; AgblgbOn)wQnrn, th
Hoopoe; KQlQbQ, the white-spotted black bird; Altagb, the Grey-backed
hawk; Klikli, the Plantain-eater; and
[yg-)9b0,
the eggs eater.
fiyg-'igb
was chosen as their head. The animals were Olgb, the CaU Aj, the Dog;
Agntn, the Ewe; Aln, the smelly-rat; and Oket, the
giant rat. The
animals were headed by Olgb.
The birds landed on
frbrnf's
roof top and began to howl and chirp.
They made terrible and terrifliing noises. As if that was not feaful enough,
the animals went into
frrfbmi's
home, Aln and Olgb went into her
room, Okete was at the backyard of her house, Aj was by the doorstep
while Agntn was moving round the house. They too were making
terrible and terrifying noises! Nobody could sleep in Erribmi's house on
that day.
The birds and animals made Erbmi's home their abode. Within three
days, she was lean. Her eyeballs bulged out as a result of Iack of sleep or
rest. She began to cry incessantly. She dreaded the time she would return
home because she knew that the birds and animals would frighten her out
of her skin. Seven days after,
frr1bmi
was no longer a normal person.
She could neither eat nor drink. She was too weakto go
out; yet she dared
not stay at home. When she could no longer withstand the situation, she
ran to the home of Ofun-Meji for solution of her problem.
First, she wanted to know what caused the problem for her. Second, she
wanted to know what she could do to solve the problem.
Ofun-Meji told her that she was the one who stepped on the tail of a live
cobra with her stinginess. She was told that the Elders of the Night were
angry with her and in order to make peace with them, she must use all the
kr she used to fry in a day to feed the Witches. She would have to do
this for three days before her life could return to normal.
frbami
was
ready to do anything for normalcy to return to her life. She did as the Awo
advised.
1107
lfa Dida: An nvtaon to lfa Consultaon
As soon as ths was done, the birds and anmals left her home and never
returned.
frrlbmi
also stopped frying kr altogether.
frr1bmi
later
realized that when her troubles began,
people went elsewhere to buy
kr. It dawned on her that if people failed to see one person, they would
quickly make do with another
person. Her assumption that because she
was the best kr seller around,
people would feel her absence
quickly
disappeared.
Asa ke, kOdke
Ogblngbln rin bQQ niodbQ
Allsan bg nl'h ibQ njgun?
Dlfiln Erbml
Tl y d'gun Iy wgn
Fleye
[bg
ni wqn nl k w ge
gb'Qbgrrrt'bg
Kopr kOjlnna
f
w b ni l'r9Qogun
Aja+eogun la b ni I'QsQQberlga
Translation
The hawkcontinued to shout unendingly
And the hoopoe hummed ceaselessly
Is there someone suffering from ailment around there?
These were Ifa's declarations for Eruubami
Who would incurthe wrath of the witches
She was advised to offer ebo
She complied
Before long, nottoo far
Join us where we enjoy victory over adversities
Ifa says that the person for whom this Odu is revealed shall overcome all
his/her troubles in life. He/she only needs to learn how to be
generous
to
people.
8. If says that it foresees the Ire of a child for a barren couple where
this Od is revealed. If says that this baby, when born shall have at
least one
quality which will make the baby different from other
babies. This baby may either be deformed in one way or the other, or
1108
l orun uei
have some unique occult endowment that separates him/her from
others.
If says that in spite of this, the baby will grow
up to become the most
successful person
in his/her community. The parents
too will become
very influential and highly respected.
If advises the person for whom this Od is revealed to offer gbg with
16 she-goats, 16 snails, 16 rats, 16 fish, 16 bottles of
palm-
oil, 16 bottles of alcohol, 16 bundles of white clothes and
money, If this can be done, nobody in that community will be as
successful as the person for whom this Od is revealed. A stanza of
Ofr:n-lvteI on this aspect says:
Ojgun nl nl'yn s'ln
Tl nf ikn s'fyln danylndanyln
Dlfirn Oosa
Tl foml ojrl sngbregmg
fibg
ni wgn nl kw ge
Translation
The frontof the leg is itthatwhen pregnant
Turns its belly backwards
This was If's message to OOga (Oga)
When weeping in lamentation of her inabilityto begeta child
She was advised to offer ebo
OoEa (Origa) realized that all other Origa, Egngrtn, Or, IrnmglQ and
human beings were proud parents.
She was the only one left without a
child. She cried and cried; yet, there was no child. She was however fully
determined to beget her own child. That was what took her to the home of
Awo above. Would she be blessed with the fruit of the womb?
The Awo told 0g that for her; the path to begetting a child was too far and
very demanding. Instead of being discouraged, she insisted that the Awo
should tell her what
ebe
she needed to offer in order to make her beget a
child.
1109
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consuftation
The Awo
gave her the
gbg materials as stated above. She
procured all the
gbg materials. The Awo offered the
gbg for her and asked her to go to the
home of Oldmar to demand for her child by herself. She was assured
that her gbg was already in the home of Oldmar.
When OoSa
got to the home of Oldmar, she
pleaded
that she had come
for her baby because she wanted to have her own child in life. Oldmar
told her that there was no baby for her because no child was available that
would complement her destiny. She pleaded that her gbg was heavy and
that she
peformed the
gbg solely because she really wanted her own baby.
Oldmar told her that He had seen her gbg and it was truly heavy. She
was however informed that the only baby available was known as
Qrq,
Igek ge ( Profou nd Esoteric speech, I rreg u la r Act).
OoSa begged Oldmar to
give it to her; after all, a baby was a baby.
Oldmar
gave the baby to OOga. She was however blessed that as soon
as this baby was born, the whole world would bow for the baby and would
be looking for the baby. Oldmar said that all what she had used to
perform this gbg would be the same items that the whole world would be
procuring to Iook for the baby's favour and protection anywhere the baby
might be.
OIdmar asked Ooga to
go
back to her home. She did. Soon after, she
became
pregnant. Nine months later, she
gave
birth to this baby. The baby
had the right eye, it had no left eye; it had the upper
jaw
without the lower
jaw;
it had the left arm without the right arm; it had the right thigh without
the leftthigh.
After the birth, the baby was named OrQ, Igekge. Others called her Od.
Oopa was told that the baby could not live in the midst of people. The baby
was taken to the forest. The forest where this baby was taken to was
known as lgb-Od or Igbd (If grove).
Anyone who was to be initiated into If would have to procure rats, fish,
birds, goats, kolanuts, bitter kolas and so on, and move to lgb-Od in
order to see Od or OrQ, Igekrlge. OrQ was then collecting all these items in
several folds every
year. At the end of the Igbd exercise,
people will ask,
1110
'iil
onn r",
'Which Od
gave
bfth to this person'or'what
was his/her Od'. The whole
world was now paying
back all what Od's mother used as
gbg
material to
i
her. The properties
of Od became endless and inexhaustible. While in
Igbd, we would be the ones begging Od to please
accept all what we
have broughtfor)tqlod from us, thus:
Ojgun nl l'yn s'lnr
Tl nf ikn s'9yln danylndanyln
Dl firn Ooga
Tl f'oml oj sngbrgmg
fbg
niwqn nl kw
9e
gb'Qbgrrrt'bg
Igba y bll, bl lgekge
Qrq
nl wgn pe
QrQ
w 19
QrQw
jeo
QrQJe, QrQ
mu o
QrQ
plrQrq-plrqrq
orq
pnQrq-plrQrq
QrQ
pa'sQt'Oun
tTdln l'nu o
Agar-magsa
Agr-magga
QrQ
w lq o,
QrQ
w lg o
QrQw
re'j
Qrg
nllrrt u klnni Oun maa ge?
Wqn nl
Qfq
w ne'ju
w lqq d'eku
nl b'hun b rc'j
w lgEd'eku
Awgn gdg ad'Qbltl rrbg nl'j
Tl y'eku
jQo
Qrg
plrgrq-plrrq
QrQ
pirQrQ-plrQrQ
Qrg
pa'sq
t'un tTdln I'qnu o
Agr-magga
Agr-magesa
Org waa lq o,
QrQ
w lg o
Qrqwaa
re'j
Or nllru u klnni Oun maa se?
WQn nl
QfQw
re'j
1111
lfa Dida: An nvitation to lfa Consultation
W lqq d'eja
nl b'hun b re'j
B'hun b
Qqd'eja
Awgn gdg aflwq be l'do
fi p'qjajqo
QrQ
plrQrQ-plrqrg
QrQ
pirQrQ-plrQrQ
Qrq
pa'set'OuntTdln l'$nu o
Agr-magFa
Agr-magga
OrQ w lq o,
QnQ
w lg o
OrQw re'j
QrQ
nl lr u klnni Oun maa ge?
WQn nl
QQw
re'j
W lqq d'eJe
nl b'hun b re'j
B'hun b lQqd'e,yg
Awgn gdgad't bg nl'j
Tl np'gygjgro
Qrq
plrqnq-plrQrQ
QrQ
pirQrQ-plnQrQ
Qrg
pa'sQt'Ount'ldln l'gnu o
Agr-magga
Agr-magesa
QrQ
w lq o,
Qrg
w 19 o
OrQw re'j
OrO nllrrl u klnni Oun maa
ge?
WQn nlQfOw re'j
nl b'hun b re'j
B'hun b lqq d'eran
Awgn gdg ayln'lag bq nlJ
Tl p'granjgo
QrE
prrqrq-plrQrQ
QrQ
pirQnQ-plrQrQ
Qrq
pa'se t'Oun tTdln l'nu o
Agar-magga
Agere-magaga
ro w lq o,
QrQ
w lq o
Orqwaa re'j
QrQ
nllrrt u klnni Oun maa s,e?
WQn nl
QfQw
re'j
W qq d'Iwin
1112
'l'i
orun uej
KO ma m sl'un nl'j
Tl pa'win
jgo
jgQgbQrl9d'oj d
QrQ
nlq
Egba
h
Ege nQ
OgbQrl9d'ojrl d
OrQ rlreJ
Nlblttlw
OrO lgo
Egba
lg o
Qgberl 9d'ojrl
do
Translation
The front of the leg is it that when pregnant
Turns its belly backwards
This was lf's message to Ooga
When weeping in lamentation of her inabilityto begeta child
She was advised to offer
gbg
Shecomplied
When shewould deliver
She
gave bifth to lgek9e
Also known to all as
QrQ
QrQ
come and travel
QrQ
comeand eat
QrQ
comeand drink
QrQ
pirQrQ-plrQrQ
QrQ
pirQrQ-p)rQrQ
QrQ
pa'sQ t'un tldln I'gnu o
Agr-magga
Agr-magga
QrQ
come and travel
QrQ
gotothewilderness
QrO
says that"whatwill I do there?
They say"QrQ go to the wilderness
And become a rat"
QrQ
replied that if he goes to the wilderness
And turns himself into a rat
There are several deadfall setters in the wilderness
Who specialize in killing rats for consumption
QrQ
pfrgrg-rQrQ
QrQ
pirQrQ-pIrQrQ
QrQ
pa'sQ t'Oun tldln l'gnu o
1113
lfa Dida: An invitaon to lfa Consultation
Agr-magga
Agr-magga
Qrg
come and travel
Orq
gotothewilderness
QrO
saythat"what will i do there?"
The say; "QrQ
go to the river
And becomea fish
Qrg
replied that if he goes to the river
And turns himself into a fish
There are severalfishermen who use hooks
Who specialize in killing fish for consumption
QrQ
pirgrQ-rQrQ
QrQ
pirQrQ-pIrQrQ
OrQ pa'sQ t'un tTdln I'Enu o
Agr-magga
Agara-maga$a
Qrq
come and travel
QrQ
gotothewilderness
QrQ
says tha$ "what will I do there?
They says; "QrQ go to the wilderness
And become a bird"
QrQ
replied that if he goes to the wilderness
And turns himself into a bird
There are several hunters with bird-lime
Who specialize in kill ing birds for consumption
QrQ
pfrgrg-rQrQ
QrQ
pirQrQ-p'lrQrQ
QrQ
pa'sQt'oun t\dln I'Qnu o
Agara-mag9a
Agr-magga
QrQ
come and travel
QrQ
gotothe wilderness
OrQ says that; "what will I do there?
They says; "QrQ
go to the wilderness
And become a beast"
QrQ
replied that if he goes to the wilderness
And turn himself into a beast
There are several hunters with canon
Who specialize in killing beast for consumption
QrQ
plrQrQ-plrQrQ
QrQ
pirQrQ-pIrQrQ
Qrg
pa'sQ t'un tTdln I'Qnu o
Agr-mag$a
1114
Vt orr r"j,
Agara-maga$a
orQ
come and travel
QrQ
gotothewilderness
QrQ
says that; "what will I do there?
They says; "QrQ go to the wilderness
And become Iwin, Ghost
There is nothing in the wilderness
Capable of killing a Ghostforconsumption
Now, let all uninitiated people close their eye
QrQ
isgoing
Egb,
paralysis is going (awayfrom our lives)
Epe, injury is going (awayfrom our lives)
QgbQfl,
all uninitiated ones, cover
your eye!
QrQ
is returning to the wilderness
Where he had come from
QrQ
isgoing away
Fgba
s going away
QgbQfi,
close you eyes! ! !
If says that apaft from the fact that the
person for whom this Od is
revealed shall succeed more than any member of his/her family; he/she
i
shall also be able to ward off all evil
principalities through the help of If.
NOTE: This pafticular
stanza holds a lot of secrets and meanings about
how If initiation is peformed.
It therefore cannot be explained beyond
this in black and white. Fufther explanation or education on this requires
face-to-face studies with a highly competent If priest/priestess who will
demonstrate the full meaning of this Od to the student together with all
the warnings and taboos. It is an aspect of If that cannot be trivialized or
taken for granted, All readers are cautioned and advised to seek expeft's
I
guidance
on this.
9. If says that the
person for whom this Od is revealed is facing some
problems as at the time this If is cast. If says that those responsible
for his/her problems are the same
people wining and dining with
him/her. They are the ones giving him/her restlessness.
1115
lfa Dida: An invtation to lfa Consultation
If however assures this person that he/she shall overcome all these
problems. Besides that If promises to expose all the treacherous
friends and relatives behind the
problems.
If advises this
person to drill a spy hole in the front door of his/her
home. As a matter of fact, all those born by
Qrngr1n-M)
during
)kgsQday or Itglodu need to drill this spy hole in the front door of
their homes.
By so doing, victory will be assured; all evil perpetrators will be
exposed and
putto shame.
If also advises this
person to offer
gbg with one matured she-
goat, 10 snails and money. He/she also needs to feed If with
one big she-goat. On this,If says:
Ayyff, ayeyll o s,q o
Aynl fgn'ner
Ayyff, ayyff o geo
Aynl ro'k l'epe
Ayyff, ayyff oggo
Ay n nfr sg'gb d'Qgbun
Ayyff, ayyll Se o
Ayna nfl fgn'n ogrtltu
TlwQnfi j'raawgn
Dl filn gbogbo
Qknknln
Innmgle
wQn p jg
lqq
I'ajg
Ebq
ni wQn nl kl wqn w ge
Translation
. This world, this world is full of wickedness
The world is it that collects ordinary ashes as fire for others to cook with
This world, this world is full of atrocities
The world is it that prepares food with sand for others to consume
This world, this world is full of intrigues
This world is it that turns mere calabash into mighty ditch
This world, this world is full of vagaries
The world is it that fetches red-hot clay stone to press
on their bodies, and
burn each other
These were Ifa's declarations to the 401 Irunmole
When going to form a business association
1116
l'l otun uej
They were advised to offer gbg
One day, all the 401 IrnmglQ gathered
together. They decided to form a
business assocaton which would be bringing extra funds to them. To
them, it was the best way for them to be in touch with each other at all
times and at the same time, uplift each other financially.
Paft of their plan was also to deliberate on any venture before embarking
on it. The person whose suggestion was
judged
the best would be given
higher dividend at the end of the business transaction. When they stafted
this business, it was an instant success. The first four times they embarked
on the business, Ornmll's suggestions carrled the day, on the fifth, sixth
and seventh occasions, all the other IrrfnmglQ strived to give
better
suggestions than those of
Qrnmll,
and they all failed. This was how envy
crept into the affair. Why was it that only
Qrnmll
would be carrying the
day all the time? Dd it mean that they would be subservient to him
perpetually?
Would this not give
Orrfnmll the impression that he was
more intelligent than all the others? That was how they began to conspire
against
QrrlnmIl,
One day, the remaining IrnmglQ gathered together to fashion out a plan to
deal with
Qrnm)l.
After much deliberation, they concluded that they
would not allow him to have peace of mind. They planned
to create fear
into his mind. That same night, they delegated
$ngo,
Ogun and
$npQnn
to go and terrify him.
When they got to his house, it was in the middle of the night. They began
to knock on his doors. They knoc d and knocked, When they heard his
footstep, they disappeared. They did this all night.
QrUnm)la
could not
sleep. This went on for five days.
Qrrlnm'll
told the others what he was
going
through. They gave him series of advices which they knew could and
would never solve his problem. Behind him, they congratulated each other
for a
job
well done.
When
Qrnm)l
realized thatthe situation was getting
out of hand, he went
for If consultation: would he overcome this problem? Would those
responsible be exposed?
1117
lfa Dida: An nvitation to lfa Consultaton
The Awo assured him that he would not only overcome his problem,
he
would also
putthose responsble to shame. He was advised to offer
gbg
as
prescribed
above. A spy hole was also drilled in his front door. He was
advised to tiptoe to his door any time he heard the knocking and peep
through the hole in the door before opening the door.
Qrr:nm'il
complied
with allthe advices and returned home.
When it was night time,
$ngO,
OgUn and
$npQnn
arrived in OrrJnmll's
home as usual. They began to knock incessantly. They were waiting to
hear the footsteps of
Qrnmll
before they disappeared. Unknown to
them,
Qrrfnm'll
tiptoed to the door, peeped
through the spy hole; saw
Ogn,
$ng
and
$npQnn.
Instead of opening the dool he began to
sing, saying:
Ahl Age bgQ I'gmg ar'y tts o
S
bQ I'gmgar'y ge
Olbnbl geblljgQ rg ni
laiq tt
je
Lajqmu
'LkaySeblljqQ rgni
laiqtt
je
la
jql
mu
Qbahlway +ebl
ljg g rg ni
La
jq j9
ta
jq
mu
Enlyn ge'ni b'ni d'r o
BgQ l'gmg ar'y rtge o
Translation
So, this is the waythe world behaves
This is how people do
Olbmbf ($ango) is it notyou and I
We eattogether
And drinktogether
Lkay (Ogun), is it notyou and I
Weeattogether
And drinktogether
Qbalway
($npQnn), is it notyou and I
We eattogether
And drinktogether
1118
i'i orun uei
People perpetrate
evl aganst others and later sympathize with them
That is howthe world behaves!!!
As soon as they heard this, the three of them ran away in utter confusion;
how did he see us when he did not open his door? They wondered. They
went and woke up allthe other conspirators. 'He had seen and known us',
they declared. 'Why did you wait for him to open his door before you hid
yourself?' They queried
the three of them. 'No, he dld not open his door
before he mentioned our names', they responded.
The conspirators said that they would send three other IrnmglQ to
QrnmIl's
home the following night. They nominated
Qbatl, Qgun
and
Yemoja to
go
and
put fear into his mind. In the dead of the night, the three
of them arrived at
Qrnm'll's
home and began to knock on his door with
full force and repeatedly.
Qrunm)l
was ready for them. He tip-toed to the
door and
peeped
at those knocking through the spy hole. He saw the three
of them and began to sing saying:
Ah! Aqe bee I'gmq ar'y seo
F
bee I'gmq ar'y ge
Orlganla geblljg
Q
rq ni
ta
jq je
Lajq
mu
'Qgun-OnHigebf
ljgQ rg ni
La
jqrr je
Lajqmu
Yemgja-Awoy qeblljgg re ni
La
jgrt je
La
jg
mu
Enlyn ge'ni b'nid'rO o
Bee I'gmgar'y geo
Translation
So, this is the waythe world behaves
This is how people do
Onganta is it notyou and I
We eattogether
And drinktogether
Qgun-Onf
kl'i, is it not you and I
We eattogether
1119
lfa Dida: An invtaon to lfa Consultation
And drinktogether
Yemoja-Aw0y, is it notyou and I
We eattogether
And drinktogether
People perpetrate evil against others and later sympathize with them
That is how the world behaves! ! !
The three of them also went back to the other consprators to inform them
that even without openng the door,
Qrunm)l
was able to see and know
them. Not willing to accept defeat easly, the conspirators sent three
others to go to
Qrnmll's
home the following night. They were OrO,
Egtlngn and
[gbQ.
As soon as they
got to
Qrrtirmll's
home they began to knock on the door
forcefully and incessantly.
Qrrlnmll
peeped
and sawthe three of them. He
began to sing thus:
Ah! Age bQQ l'gmg ar'y ge o
9
bee I'gmg ar'y ge
Oro trttg gebl ljg
Q
r9 ni
La
jqtie
La
jq
1mu
EgttngrtnAbal geblljgg rg ni
La
jq je
La
jq
mu
Alr lgb geblljg q re ni
La
j9
tt
j9
Lajqmu
Enlyn ge'ni b'ni d'ro o
B$Q I'gmgar'y geo
Translation
So, this is the waythe world behaves
This is how peopledo
Oro-Ottq is it not you and I
Weeattogether
And drinktogether
Egr:ngr:n-Abal, is itnotyou and I
We eattogether
And drinktogether
11zo
Wt orun uei
These were Ifa'sdeclarationsto 401 Irnmgle
When going
to form a business association
They were advised to offer gbg
Only
Qrnmll
complied with the advice
So, this is the way the world behaves
This is how people
do
Olbrrrbf (9ango) is it notyou and I
We eattogether
And drinktogether
Lkay (Ogun), is it notyou and I
We eattogether
And drinktogether
Qbaluwaye
($anpQnn), is it notyou and I
Weeattogether
And drinktogether
People perpetrate
evil againstothers and latersympathize with them
That is exactly how the world behaves
Again, so this is the waythe world behaves
This is how people
do
Onganta is it notyou and I
Wedinetogether
And winetogether
Qgun-Offklf,
is itnotyou and I
Wedinetogether
And winetogether
Yemoja-Awy, is it notyou and I
Wedinetogether
And wine together
People perpetrate
evil against others and turn around to sympathize with
them
That is exactly how the world behaves
And agan, so this is the was the world behaves
This is how people
do
Oro-Ottg, is it not you
and I
We eat together
And drinktogether
Egungr:n-Abl is it notyou and I
Weeattogether
And drinktogether
People perpetrate
evil against others and then turn round to sympathize
withthem
That is exactly how the world behaves
Before long, nottoo far
Join us where we enjoyvictory over consprators
1123
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultaon
If'assures the
person for whom this Od is revealed that he/she shall
surely overcome all his/her enemes who had ganged
up and conspired
against him/her. If says that there is nowhere that If states that a
righteous person
shall not face tribulations, but the assurance is that they
willovercome.
10. If says that Eemq, Unusual Occurrence, is already residing with the
person for whom this Od is revealed. If says that it is not in the
best interest of this person to allow Eemg to take permanent
residence in his/her home. If however promises to assist this
person to chase outthis EemQ in his/her home and life.
If advises this
person
to offer
gbg with three matured roosters and
money. On this, If says:
Adlg Oplpl nll fgsQ mejejl b kF sTl
Adlg Oplpl nll fgsQ mejejl be k$e s'de
fin Eemo
Tfl ggmg wgn lde ljn-nn
fbg
ni wQn nl k w
Se
Translation
A fowl with clipped wings is it that
jumps
with its two feet into the house
And
jumps
with its two feet outside of the house
This was the message of If for Eemg, Unusual Occurrence
Their child inljan-nn land
She was advised to offer ebo
Eemg, Unusual Occurrence,
planned many evil things against the
inhabitants of ljan-anna land. Her plans were very
grave
and
uncompromising. She did not want to know whether her victims had ever
offended her before or not. She simply enjoyed inflicting pain and sorrow
on
people.
If she saw
people
enjoying marital bliss, she would create strife among the
1124
'iI
o*r r",
couple. She organized accidents for people even right inside their homes.
There were incurable illnesses that she inflicted on others. She turned
people's financial success into disaster for them. She made others to weep
where they were expected to be happy. Parents lose their loved ones
under unusual circumstances. Children turned to orphans and there were
nobody to assist them'. People lose their houses and homes to fire, storm,
flood, e.t.c without any alternative accommodation. When all these
happened, Eemg usually felt happy and would declare that such disaster
serued her victims right.
One day, Eemg went to the home of the Awo mentioned above for If
consultation. Would she be able to inflict more pains
on
people?
The Awo warned her to desist from her attitude, lest she
put herself into
ridicule. She was told that she needed to confess and repent.
,
She was also
asked to offer gbg as stated above.
Hearing these from the Awo, she felt highly insulted. She was very
annoyed with the Awo. She warned them to take their time if they did not
want her to bring chaos and conflict in to their doorsteps and homes. Why
must she be the one to offer
gbg;
she
queried? She was the one inflicting
pains
on others, why should she be the same one offering
gbg?
She
concluded that the Awo were pack of cheats and thieves who were looking
for means of extofting things from her. She spit into their faces and
stormed outof their home.
As soon as she left, the Awo realized that Eemg had made a valid point
when she said that she could not offer an gbg. True, it was those who did
not want Eemg in their homes, land, communities, lives and ventures who
were duty bound to offer
gbg. This reality opened their eyes to what was
happening to others around them. They were fully determined to help
people solve the
problems created forthem by Eemq,
Any time that people approached them for solutions to their problems, they
would be informed that the problems were caused by Eemg. They would
also be advised to offer
qbg with three mature cocks in order to chase
out Eemg in their homes and lives, As soon as they complied, Eemg and the
1125
lfa Dida: An invitaon to lfa Consultaton
problems
she had created would move out of their lives and homes.
One day, the inhabitants of )jan-ann realzed that most of the problems
which they encountered n their homes, communty and lives were created
by Eemg. Consequent upon this, they approached the Awo to help them
offer a mighty gbg in order for them to chase out EemQ from their
community altogether.
,The
Awo advised them to
procure
the
gbg
materials. They did. The gbg was offered. After the
gbg, Eemg was forced
out of Ijan- nn u nceremoniously.
Adlg Oplpl nll fgsq mjeejl b keS s1l
Adlg Oplpl nll fqsg mejejl b kqqe s'de
Dl fitn Eemq
Tff ggmg wgn lde ljan-anna
Fbq
ni wgn nl k w
Se
kg'tt
Qgbgnyin
s'bq
jelwq Eemq
AofegnTlQyffmQ
Malgo!
Translation'
A fowl with clipped wings is it that
jumps
with its two feet into the house
And
jumps
with its two feet outside of the house
This was the message of If for Eemq, Unusual-Occurrence
Their child inljn-nn land
She was advised to offer ebo
She refused to comply
You Eemo
We do not wantyou in this land anymore
Go away!
If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed shall be assisted to
chase out Eemq from his/her life.
If also says that as much as we try to convince evil doers to change for
good we must also be
prepared
to contain their evil activities in case they
refused to have a change of heaft.
11. If advises the person for whom this Od is revealed to take personal
1126
i:i orun Meji
and envronmental hygiene very serous. He/she needs to take
proper
care of his/her envronment, ensure that everywhere is neat
!
and tidy at all times. He/she also needs to bath regularly, wash
his/her dresses, brush his/her teeth, cut his/her nails and take care
of his/her hair regularly. Failure to do this may cost him/her his/her
marriage, loved ones and happiness.
If also advises this person to offer
gbg with one matured she-goat
and money, He/she is also to feed If with another matured she-
goat. Before feeding the If, however, t (If) must be thoroughly
washed with all available If leaves. The person who is to feed the
i
If must be clean and tidy.
The person for whom the If is to be fed must equally be neat and
tidy. On this aspect, E)-Qrngrln says:
Flf tl a fg'ni la fi l ba nil ge
l,llmQtl a mg'ni la fi b nil l
B'gni OtilQfq'nimq
B'$ni Oth m'Qnlyn mQ
Kl klukr ma d s, e i9
g
araa re
Dl filn Orrlnmll
Baba lg rfg ljo
Tff g'gmg Alr
n t9 refgAyQ
Tllg'gmgAje
rr tg refeAdun
Qmq Qwrngrrn-Aga
fbg
ni wqn n| kw
9e
Translation
The love we have for each other makes us associate with one another
The recognition we give each other makes us to get used to one another
If there is no more love
And if there is no more recognition
Let everyone
go his/her separate way
These were If's messages for
Qrnmll
When gong to marry Ij, Dance
The daughter of Alr
And AyQ, Joy
1127
lfa Dida: An invitaon to lfa Consultation
The daughter ofAjerO
And also Adn, Sweetness
The daughter of
Qwarngn-Aga
He was advised to offergbg
Qrnm)l
was an extremely busy man; he had so many clients that he had
lost count of their exact number. His clients spread from far and near to
several towns and villages. As soon as he woke up early in the morning,
there were several clientsto attend to.
Besides this, he was blessed with three lovely and interestng wives. The
names of these wives were Ij, Dance, the daughter of Alr, the
Qba
of
Ilara MQKn town. The second wife was known as AyQ, Joy, the daughter of
Ajer, the
Qba
ofljero Ekiti town, while the third was Adn, Sweetness, the
daughterof
Qwrngn-Aga,
the
Qba
oflla
Qrangn
town.
These women tried their best for
Qrnmll
in order to ensure that he
succeeded in all his endeavours. They made him happy and they ensured
that the home was comfoftable and crisis free. There was a snag however.
Consequent upon the multitude of clients who trooped into
Qrnmll's
home, morning, afternoon and night, he had no time to take care of his
personal hygiene. In his bid to satisfy all the
people who came for
assistance in his home, he had neglected his own looks and health. For
example, he had no time to clean his teeth with his chewing stick because
before he woke up, there were too many clients to attend to. He had no
time to take his bath because there were many clients who sought his
personal attention. He could not change his dresses because there was no
time for him to engage in such luxury. The result of these was that
0rnmll
stank.
At the initial stage, the three wives used to
persuade him to take care of his
personal hygiene, but he simply ignored them. It however reached a stage
that the odour coming out of his body made his wives to vomit. He began
to lose his clients
gradually
because they could not stand the way he stank.
One day, the three wives decided to take a more drastic measure to ensure
that Orunmila desisted from this bad attitude. They were convinced that
there was mutual love between them and Orunmila; for this reason, they
packed all their belongings and went to announce to
Qrrfnm'il
that they
1128
'li
orn r",
were gong to their respectve homes. They made it clear to him that they
would never return to his home. OrrJnmll begged and begged for them to
stay but they refused. When he asked them to tell him why they were
going, they said that it was because of his refusal to take care of his
personal hygiene. They declared that they could no longer cope with his
bad attitude. Orrlnm'il begged them to stay. They responded that they
would stay only on the condition that Ornm'il agreed to clean his teeth,
take his bath, shave clean his hair, cut and trim his nails and change to a
new dress. Not only these, they said he must be taking his bath and
cleaning his teeth twice daily.
Qrrlnmll
agreed that he would do as his
wives had said. He said that he would make a big ceremony of his personal
cleaning event.
On that same day, he instructed his students to
go
and fetch for hinl all If
leaves, especially
Q{ndn,
teJe, rinrin and 198 other If leaves. In all, 201
different If leaves were collected. The students squeezed allthese leaves
in water and
Qrnmll
was taken to bathroom with sponge and soap. He
was thoroughly scrubbed. At the end of the exercise,
Qrnmll
came out
of the water cleaner, fresher and healthier (Ever since that time, the
cleaning of If and Ikin is always a big ceremony involving several If
leaves).
After these had been done, the women continued to stay with
Qrrlnm)l.
He became richer and more successful. He even had more clients.
Flfe tl a fQ'ni la fi b nil
9e
Mlmg tl a mg'ni la fi b nil l
B'Qni Otlefg'ni mq
B'Qni Otle m'Qnlyn mQ
Kl klukr ma d se is araa r
fifn Orrf nmll
Baba r lg rfQ Ij
Tll g'gmgAlr
n lg refQAyQ
Tll g'gmgAjer
n lgrfeAdn
9mq Qwarngun-Aga
lbgniwn
nl kOwa se
BabafQwgn d'ltn
1129
lfa Dida: An nvtation to lfa Consultation
Baba owQ
Baba kn
Ati Ij,gmgAlr
Ati nyq, gmg Ajero
Ati ldrn tff g'gmg gwrangrtn-Aga
WQn d'qr wQn l'won lg o
Qrrtnmll
nl getl yin nlg o
wqn nl eg lwg
Es lkn
L ge w wa nlg o
Qrrtnmll
nl da kl wQn pad w'l
Kl wQn lg wa ew If w
WQn lgwa gbogbo rQw
NjAld ma weo
FFr
o
Ald me w o
S$o
Ejl-OgbQba If
5q
o
Ald m wo
Sguo
Qtun
rr n rqo
$$uo
Ald ma wQo
Sf
o
Bl o d'bQ o gb w
9So
Ald ma we o
s$uo
Kogbe'lgb'Qn
Ko gb'Ohlw
SSo
Ald m wQ o
9qu
o
Ko gb'Ap, tQbl, ko gb'Akp
9rg
o
Ald m wQ o
$9
o
Ko gbe Kugb gmg
QsJn
SF
o
Ald ma we o
5q
o
1130
lli or, r"'
Ko gbe Kegb gmg gra
Su+
o
Ald ma wg o
9So
K'Erlwo OsJn ma ynkrl o
9q
o
Ald ma we o
FSo
QyQkrt-Mjl
I'Olrtwo
SS
o
Ald ma we o
9fo
Apa rere n'il rg o
$gtt
o
Ald ma rtw o
9gr
o
Bl o d'bQ o gbe w
$9
o
Ald m wQ o
$9o
Kogbe'lgb'Qn
Ko gb'Ohlw
SSo
Ald me wQ o
$9
o
Ko gb'ApJQbl, ko gb'AkpO
SUQ
o
Ald m wQ o
S$uo
Ko gbe Kugb gmg
QsJn
$q
o
Ald ma wg o
$rq
o
Ko gbe Kregbe gmg
Qr
Fq
o
Ald m w$ o
9+
o
K'Erlwo OsJn ma ynkrl o
9$r
o
Ald m wQ o
5qo
Iworl-Mjl
Qba
If
1131
lfa Dida: An nvitation to lfa Consultaon
-Sq
o
AId ma weo
99u
o
Igodo rr ni'l rgo
9+
o
Ald ma rtwe o
S$
o
Bl o d'bQ o gb w
99
o
Ald ma we o
9Su
o
Kogbe'lgb'Qn
Ko gb'Ohlwo
9q
o
Ald ma w o
9q
o
Ko g b'ApQtQbl, ko gb'AkpO
9$u
o
Ald ma we o
Sq
o
Ko gbe Kugb gmg
QsJn
$9t
o
Ald ma weo
$Su
o
Ko gbe Kgb gmg
Qr
$9
o
Ald m rtweo
$q
o
K'Erlwo
QsJn
m ynk o
9f
o
Ald ma we o
9q
o
Odl-Mjl I'Olrtwo
$9
o
Ald ma wgo
SSu
o
ffu
rere n'il rg o
$9
o
Ald ma ttwe o
$9rI
o
Bl o d'bQ o
gb w
Ssu o
1132
'll
orun ue
Ald m rtwe o
$Su
o
Kogbe'lgb'Qn
Ko gb'Oluwo
9uq
o
Ald m wQ o
$9
o
Ko gb'ApQtebl, ko gb'Akp
9Suo
Ald ma we o
9q
o
Ko gbe Kugb gmg
QsJn
$9o
Ald ma wq o
Ssu o
Kogbe Kegbegmg
Qr
9+
o
Ald me weo
9F
o
K'Erlwo
QsJn
ma yank
o
Srgo
Ald m wQ o
9q
o
lrosn-Mjl
eba
rf
$9o
Ald ma w o
99o
Idere rr nil re o
SUS
o
Ald ma ttw o
$rl9
o
Bl o d'bQ o gb w
sU$U
o
Ald ma we o
9S
o
Kogbe'lgb'Qn
Ko gb'Olrtwo
Sus o
Ald m w o
Sg
o
Ko gb'Ap, tQbl, ko gb'Akp
Sus o
1133
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultaon
Ald me we o
9+
o
$q
o
Ald ma weo
S9
o
Ko gbe Kegbe gmQ
Q;in
$Su
o
Ald m rtwo
S$
o
Ko gbe Kegb
gmg
Qr
SSr
o
Ald m weo
FQ
o
K'Erlwo
gsJn
m ynkrl o
$fu
o
Ald m wQo
$9
o
Qwqnrln-Mejl
I'Olttwo
9q
o
Ald ma wo
S9
o
Ikol rr ni'l rg o
F$
o
Ald me weo
Fqo
Bl o d'bQ o
gbe w
SF
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Ald m wQ o
Fgo
Kogbe'lgb'Qn
Ko gb'Oltlwo
Fq
o
Ald me w o
9Su
o
Ko gb'ApJQbl' ko gb'AkPo
s9
o
Ald m wQo
9g
o
Ko gbe Kugb
gmg
QsJn
9F
o
Ald m rtw o
9+u
o
1134
!:it
orun uei
Ko gbe Kegbe qmg
Qre
9S
o
Ald ma wo
$rl9
o
K'Erlwo
QsJn
ma ynk
o
Susu o
Ad m rtwo
9qo
Qbara-Mjl Qba
If
$rI9
o
Ald me we o
9$
o
fiu
rere ni'l rqo
$09o
Ald m w$ o
9S
o
Blod'bQogbw
9$
o
Ald ma we o
9q
o
Kogbe'legb'Qn
Ko gb'Oluwo
SSo
Ald ma we o
9+
o
Ko gb'Ap, tQbl, ko gb'AkpO
$fl
o
Ad ma we o
9go
Ko gbe Kugb gmg
Qgln
Sgu o
Ald ma rtw o
Sq o
Ko gbe Kregbe gmg
Qr
9S
o
Ald ma we o
9S
o
K'Erlwo OsJn ma ynkrt
o
5+
o
Ald ma rtwe o
$9
o
Qkenran-Mjl
l'Ohlwo
1135
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
StSo
Ald ma weo
SS
o
Itlle rere ni'l reo
5$
o
Ald ma wQ o
$9
o
Bl o d'bQ o
gb w
$9
o
Ald m wQo
$9
o
Kogbe'lgb'Qn
Ko gb'Olttwo
S$u
o
Ad ma wq o
9$
o
Ko gb'ApQtebl, ko gb'AkpO
s9
o
Ald ma we o
sus
o
Ko gbe Kugb
Qmg QsJn
Sq
o
Ald m wo
$9
o
Ko gbe Kegb gmg
Qr
Sq
o
Ald ma we o
Sso
K'Erlwo
QsJn
m yenk o
9rgr
o
Ald m we o
9f
o
Ogrtnd-Mjl
Qba
rf
$q
o
Ald m wo
9+
o
Onto rr ni'l rg g
Ss o
Ald me we o
99
o
Bl o d'bQ o gb w
9+
o
Ald ma we o
1136
'll
or, r,,,
5S
o
Kogbe'lgb'Qn
Kogb'Ohlwo
$ufu
o
Ald ma weo
SSu
o
Ko gb'ApQtQbl, ko gb'Akpo
$9
o
Ald m w o
9$
o
Ko gbe Kugb gmg
QsJn
$uq
o
Ald ma weo
9q
o
Ko gbe Kegb gmg
Qr
SS
o
Ald m we o
9F
o
K'Erlwo OsJn m ynkrt o
$9
o
Ald ma weo
9f
o
Qs-Mjl
I'Ohlwo
SS
o
Ald m wQ o
Sf
o
Qta
rereniErgo
5q
o
Ald m w o
$9
o
Bl o d'bQ o gb w
$9
o
Ad m rlwo
F9
o
Kogbe'lgb'Qn
Ko gb'Ohlwo
SS
o
Ald m two
Ss o
Ko gb'ApQtQbl, ko gb'Akpo
Sf
o
Ald ma rtwe o
$s,u
o
1137
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
Ko gbe Kugb gmg
9sJn
9+o
Ald ma we o
9q
o
Ko gbe Kegbe gme
Qre
$9o
Ald m rtw o
5S
o
K'Erlwo OsJn m yank o
9$
o
Ald ma we o
$q
o
Ik-Mi
Qba
rf
9So
Ald ma we o
9qo
Asl rr nil rg o
9$o
Ald ma we o
9Sro
Bl o d'bQ o gb w
$9
o
Ald ma we o
Sq
o
Kogbe'lgb'Qn
Kogb'Ohlwo
Sq
o
Ald ma we o
Sq
o
Ko gb'ApQtebl, ko gb'Akp
SrSuo
Ald ma we o
9q
o
Ald ma ttwe o
Sq
o
Ko gbe Kgb gmg
Qr
FUF
o
Ald ma rtwe o
SS
o
K'Erlwo
QsJn
m ynkrl
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Sq
o
Ald m w o
1138
F, o*r r",
SS
o
QlggbQn-MjlQba
If
9q
o
Ald ma weo
S$o
Ojgrerenlrgo
Sq
o
Ad me rtwe o
9g
o
Bl o d'bQ o
gb w
$q
o
Ald m wQ o
9+
o
Kogbe'lgb'Qn
Kogb'Ohlwo
SSo
o
Ald m w,o
9$
o
Ko gb'ApgtQH,
Ko gb'AkpO
9g
o
Ald ma we o
5u$o
Ald ma rtw o
9uqo
Ko gbe Kegbe gmg
QsJn
$rI9
o
Ald m wQo
Sf
o
Ko gbe Kegbe gmg
Qr
9q
o
Ald me we o
$9o
K'Erlwo OsJn ma ynkrl o
$rI9
o
Ald ma ttwe o
SSo
Otr-Mjl
Qba
If
S9u
o
Ald m wo
$9
o
Ipapo rr nl e re o
1139
lfa Dida: An invtaton to lfa Consultation
$q
o
Ad ma we o
9So
Bl o d'b$ o
gbe w
9g
o
Ald ma we o
Sug
o
Kogbe'lgb'Qn
Ko gb'Ohlwo
SS
o
Ald ma ttwQ o
S9 o
Kogb'Apgteblf
Ko gb'Akp0
5Sr
o
Ald m wQ o
9So
Ko gbe Kegb gmg
QsJn
S$
o
Ald ma we o
S$ o
Ko gbe Kgb gmg
Qr
SUS
o
Ald m w o
9f
o
K'Erlwo
Q$n
ma yank o
SF
o
Ald m wQ o
9F
o
IrgtQ-Mjl I'Olrtwo
SFt
o
AId m wo
$rI9
o
EmQrQ
rr nil re o
9S
o
Ald m rtw o
$9
o
Bl o d'bQ o gb w
5F0
o
Ald m wo
9f
o
Kogbe'lgb'Qn
Kogb'Ohlwo
1140
Y,I
orun *",
9q
o
Ald ma weo
9+t
o
Kogb'ApgtQbl,
Kogb'Akp0
9gr
o
Ald m wgo
Sgr
o
Ko gbe Kgb gmg
QsJn
$qo
Ald m w o
9go
Ko gbe Kegbe gmg
Qr
9+
o
Ald ma we o
9$o
K'Erlwo
QsJn
m ynkrt o
$q
o
Ald m wo
9g
o
Qgq-Mejl Qba
If
$9rl
o
Ald m rtw o
S$
o
lbadan rr nil re o
$9o
Ad ma ttwe o
9q
o
Bl od'bQogbw
Sq
o
Ald m wQ o
9S
o
Kogbe'lgb'Qn
Kogb'Ohlwo
S9
o
Ald m w o
$tgr
o
Ko gb'ApQteH,
Kogb'Akpo
9g
o
Ald m w o
$9
o
1141
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
Ko gbe Kegb gmg
QsJn
Sq
o
Ad ma weo
$9rI
o
Ko gbe Klgb gmg
Qr
9q
o
Ald ma w o
9q
o
K'Erlwo
QsJn
ma
ynk
o
9g
o
Ald m wQ o
SF
o
Otrtn-Uejl I'Ohlwo
9qo
Ald m w o
9$u
o
Il
orangrtn
n'il rgo
S9
o
Ald ma wQ o
9q
o
Bl o d'bQ o gb w
9+
o
Ald me weo
9uS
o
Kogbe'lgb'Qn
Kogb'Ohlwo
9S
o
Ald ma ttwo
9f
o
Kogb'Apgtebl,
Kogb'Akp
$uq
o
Ald ma we o
SUS
o
Ko gbe Kgb gmg
QsJn
Sgu o
Ald ma weo
9f
o
Ko gbe Kgb gmg
Qr
SSu
o
Ald m wQ o
Srs o
1142
llt onn u"
K'Erlwo
gsJn
ma yank o
$9
o
Ald ma we o
9S
o
Translation
The love we have for each other makes us associate with one another
The recognition we give each other makes us to get used to one another
If there is no more love
And if there is no more recognition
Let everyone
go his/her separate way
These were lf's messages for
Qrrlnm)l
When going to marryIj, Dance
The daughter of Alr
And AyQ, Joy
The daughter of Ajero
And also Adn, Sweetness
The daughter of
Qwarngrln-Aga
He was advised to offer
gbg
He complied
After marrying these women
Orunmll failed to take his bath
And failed to apply any cream
Then Ij the daughter of Alara
And AyQ, the daughter ofAjer
And Adn the daughterof
Qwrngun-Aga
They packed their luggage and decided to divorce him
Qrrf
nm'il asked them whythey wanted to leave him?
They responded that his failure to bath
And applycream
Wasthe reason whytheydecided to leave
Qrnm'll
asked them to return
He asked his students to go and
procure If herbs for him
They procured allthe herbs
NowQrunmlla, Ald, istaking his bath
SuSu
o
Alade is taking his bath
SS
o
E-ogbe, the
Qba
of If
9S
o
Ald is taking his bath
SuSu
o
1143
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultation
Qtr:n
is your home
SF
o
Ald istaking his bath
SS
o
When
you getthere, please give us your suppott
SEu
o
Ald istaking his bath
SE
O
Support both nuclear and extended families
And suppoftthe Olwo
Stu
o
Ald istaking hs bath
5S
o
Please, supPottAPQtQbf and AkPO
SP
o
Ald istaking his bath
SS
o
Give supportto Ktlgb, the child of
QgIn
99u
o
Ald istaking his bath
$9
o
And suppoft Kegbe, the child of
Qr
$9
o
Ald istaking his bath
SS
o
Do not allow Elwo
QgIn,
If adherents, to die
young
9;
o
Ald istaking his bath
S$u
o
Oyeku-Meji is the Oluwo of Ifa
5S
o
Alade istaking his bath
$9
o
Apa is your home
SF
o
Alade is taking his bath
s$u
o
When
you get there,
please give us
your
suppoft
SS
o
Alade istaking his bath
99
o
Suppoft both nuclear and extended families
And suppoftthe Oluwo
1144
Il, ** r",
Sp
o
Alade istaking his bath
SE
o
Please, supportApetebi and Akapo
$9
o
Alade istaking his bath
SS
o
Give supportto Kuegbe, the child of Osin
5p
o
Alade is taking his bath
$9
o
And support Kuegbe, the child of Ora
9S
o
Alade istaking his bath
Sg
o
Do not allow Eriwo Osin, Ifa adherents, to die young
9Su
o
Alade is taking hs bath
9ug
o
Iwori-Meji, the Oba of Ifa
5S
o
Alade istaking his bath
SS
o
Igodo is your home
SFu
o
Alade s taking his bath
Susu o
When you getthere, please give
us your support
Susu o
Alade istaking his bath
Susu o
Support both nuclearand extended families
And supporttheOluwo
Susu o
Alade istaking his bath
$9
o
Please, suppoft Apetebi and Akapo
SS
o
Alade is taking hs bath
$u9
o
Give support to Kuegbe, the child of Osin
$9
o
Alade istaking his bath
1145
lfa Dida: An nvtation to lfa Consultation
SPu
o
And suppoft Kuegbe, the child of Ora
t9
o
Alade istaking his bath
S9u
o
Do not allow Eriwo Osin, Ifa adherents, to die young
SFu
o
Alade istaking his bath
SUS
o
Odi-Meji, is the Oluwo of lfa
SS
o
Alade istaking his bath
.g9o
,/
Eju is your
home
'
SSuo
Alade istaking his bath
5$u
o
When you getthere, please give
us your
suppoft
g9
o
Alade istaking his bath
S$
o
Suppoft both nuclear and extended families
And suppofttheOluwo
.^,,..
SS
o
Alade is taking his bath
S9u
o
Please, support Apetebi and Akapo
SF
o
Alade is taking his bath
SS
o
Gve supportto Kuegbe, the child of Osin
Ss
o
Alade is taking his bath
SS
o
And suppoft Kuegbe, the child of Ora
SS
o
Alade istaking his bath
9S
o
Do not allow Eriwo Osin, Ifa adherents, to die young
$9
o
Alade istaking his bath
SS
o
Irosun-Meji, the Oba of Ifa
1146
\I oru, uej
$9u
o
Alade istaking his bath
$ugu
o
Idere isyour home
$9u
o
Alade istaking his bath
$9
o
When you getthere, please give us yoursupport
$ug
o
Alade istaking his bath
$uS
o
Suppoft both nuclear and extended families
And suppoftthe Oluwo
$u9u
o
Alade is taking his bath
SS
o
Please, suppoft Apetebi and Akapo
$9u
o
Alade is taking his bath
SSu
o
Give supportto Kuegbe, the child of Osin
$9u
o
Alade istaking his bath
$9
o
And support Kuegbe, the child of Ora
SE
o
Alade istaking his bath
SS
o
Do not allow Eriwo Osin, Ifa adherents, to die young
$ug
o
Alade istaking his bath
$u9
o
Owonrin-Meji, the Oluwo of Ifa
SS0
o
Alade istaking his bath
SSu
o
Ikolo is your home
$u9
o
Alade is taking his bath
$ugu
o
When you get there, please give us
your
support
$9
o
Alade istaking his bath
1147
9S
o
Support both nuclearand extended families
And suppottheOluwo
SS
o
Alade is taking hs bath
SSu
o
Please, supportApetebi and Akapo
9S
o
Alade is taking his bath
SUS
o
Give supportto Kuegbe, the child of Osin
tE
o
Alade istaking his bath
9up
o
And support Kuegbe, the chiH of Ora
SSu
o
Alade istaking his bath
$9
o
Do not allow Eriwo Osin, Ifa adherents, to die
young
$9
o
Alade istaking his bath
$9u
o
Obara-Meji, the Oba of Ifa
SS
o
Alade istaking his bath
SS
o
Eju isyourhome
9S
o
Alade istaking his bath
$9
o
When you get there,
please give us your suppoft
SUS
o
Alade istaking his bath
9S
o
Suppoft both nuclear and extended families
And supportthe Oluwo
$9u
o
Alade istaking his bath
SS
o
Please, support Apetebi and Akapo
Sg
o
Alade is taking his bath
SS
o
1148
\ vtun Mett
Give supportto Kuegbe, the child of Osin
sSu
o
Alade istaking his bath
SS
o
And support Kuegbe, the child of Ora
Sugu
o
Alade is taking his bath
$9
o
Do not allow Eriwo Osin, Ifa adherents, to die young
SS
o
Alade istaking his bath
SS
o
Okanran-Meji, the Oluwo of Ifa
Sugu
o
Alade istaking his bath
Su$
o
Itile isyourhome
SuEu
o
Alade istaking his bath
SSu
o
When you get there, please give us your
support
$$u
o
Alade istaking his bath
$9u
o
Support both nuclear and extended families
And suppoftthe Oluwo
$9u
o
Alade is taking his bath
$9
o
Please, suppoft Apetebi and Akapo
$ugu
o
Alade is taking his bath
SS
o
Give supportto Kuegbe, the child of Osin
tt
o
Alade istaking his bath
SSu
o
And support Kuegbe, the child of Ora
9g
o
Alade is taking his bath
Sp
o
Do not af low Eriwo Osin, Ifa adherents, to die young
9S
o
1149
Alade istaking his bath
9E
o
Ogunda-Meji, the Oba of Ifa
SF
o
Alade istaking his bath
9S
o
Onko isyourhome
SUS
o
Alade istaking his bath
SSu
o
When
you getthere, please give us your support
FuSu
o
Alade istaking his bath
$9u
o
Suppoft both nuclear and extended families
And supporttheOluwo
SF
o
Alade is taking his bath
SuSu
o
Please, suppoft Apetebi and Akapo
SS
o
Alade istaking his bath
$9
o
Give supportto Kuegbe, the child of Osin
9S
o
Alade istaking his bath
$ug
o
And suppoft Kuegbe, the child of Ora
$9
o
Alade istaking his bath
9S
o
Do not allow Eriwo Osin, Ifa adherents, to die
young
SuSu
o
Alade istaking his bath
5S
o
Osa-Meji, the Oluwo of Ifa
tF
o
Alade istaking his bath
SS
o
Ota is your home
SSu
o
Alade istaking his bath
$9
o
11 50
ll uun MeI
When you getthere, please give usyoursuppoft
$9
o
Alade istaking his bath
5S
o
Suppoft both nuclear and extended families
And suppoftthe Oluwo
SS
o
Alade istaking his bath
$u9
o
Please, support Apetebi and Akapo
SuSu
o
Alade is taking his bath
S$
o
Give supportto Kuegbe, the child of Osin
9S
o
Alade istaking his bath
$9u
o
And support Kuegbe, the child of Ora
SS
o
Alade istaking his bath
SS
o
Do not allow Eriwo Osin, Ifa adherents, to die young
$9
o
Alade istaking his bath
SS
o
Ika-Meji, the Oba of Ifa
SS
o
Alade istaking his bath
SS
o
Asia isyourhome
SSu
o
Alade istaking his bath
$9
o
When you get there, please give us
your
support
SS
o
Alade staking his bath
SS
o
Support both nuclear and extended families
And supportthe Oluwo
SS
o
Alade is taking his bath
Sgu
o
Please, suppoft Apetebi and Akapo
1151
$9
o
Alade istaking his bath
SS
o
Give supportto Kuegbe, the child of Osn
$9
o
Alade istaking his bath
$u9u
o
And support Kuegbe, the child of Ora
SS
o
Alade istaking his bath
Spu
o
Do not allow Eriwo Osin, Ifa adherents, to die young
$9
o
Alade istaking his bath
SS
o
Ologbon-Meji, the Oluwo of Ifa
SS
o
Alade istaking his bath
$9
o
Oje isyourhome
SS
o
Alade istaking his bath
$9
o
When you getthere, please give us your suppoft
SS
o
Alade istaking his bath
SF
o
Support both nuclear and extended families
And supporttheOluwo
SS
o
Alade istakng his bath
$u9
o
Please, supportApetebi and Akapo
$9
o
Alade istaking his bath
SS
o
Give supportto Kuegbe, the child of Osin
SUS
o
Alade istaking his bath
SS
o
And support Kuegbe, the child of Ora
SF
o
Alade istaking his bath
1152
\I Ofun Meji
$9
o
Do not allow Eriwo Osin, Ifa adherents, to die
young
9S
o
Alade istaking his bath
$9
o
Otura-Meji, the Oba of lfa
S9
o
Alade istaking his bath
$9
o
Ipapo is your home
SS
o
Alade istaking his bath
Sut
o
When you get there, please give us your support
Susu o
Alade is taking his bath
$u9
o
Support both nuclear and extended families
And supportthe Oluwo
9p
o
Alade istaking his bath
9$
o
Please, suppoft Apetebi and Akapo
SS
o
Alade istaking his bath
$9
o
Give suppoftto Kuegbe, the child of Osin
S9
o
Alade istaking his bath
SF
o
And support Kuegbe, the child of Ora
$ug
o
Alade is taking his bath
SS
o
Do not allow Eriwo Osin, Ifa adherents, to die
young
5S
o
Alade istaking his bath
Susu o
Irete-Meji, the Oluwo of Ifa
Susu o
Alade is taking his bath
Susu o
Emere is your home
1153
Susu o
Alade istaking his bath
Susu o
When you get there,
please give us your suppoft
Susu o
Alade istaking his bath
Susu o
Support both nuclear and extended families
And suppoftthe Oluwo
Susu o
Alade istaking his bath
Susu o
Please, suppoftApetebi and Akapo
Susu o
Alade istaking his bath
Susu o
Give suppoftto Kuegbe, the child of Osin
Susu o
Alade istaking his bath
Susu o
And suppoft Kuegbe, the child of Ora
Susu o
Alade istaking his bath
Susu o
Do not allow Eriwo Osin, Ifa adherents, to die
young
Susu o
Alade istaking his bath
Susu o
Ose-Meji, the Oba of Ifa
Susu o
Alade istaking his bath
Susu o
Ibadan is your home
Susu o
Alade istaking his bath
Susu o
When you get there, please give us your support
Susu o
Alade istaking his bath
Susu o
Suppoft both nuclearand extended families
And suppotthe Oluwo
Susu o
Alade istaking his bath
1154
1I Ofun Meji
Susu o
Please, suppoftApetebi and Akapo
Susu o
Alade istaking his bath
Susu o
Give supportto Kuegbe, the child of Osin
Susu o
Alade is taking his bath
Susu o
And support Kuegbe, the child of Ora
Susu o
Alade istaking his bath
Susu o
Do not allow Eriwo Osin, Ifa adherents, to die young
Susu o
Alade istaking his bath
Susu o
Ofun-Meji, the Oluwo of Ifa
Susu o
Alade istaking his bath
Susu o
Ila Orangun is your home
Susu o
Alade is taking his bath
Susu o
When you get there, please give
us
your
support
Susu o
Alade istaking his bath
Susu o
Support both nuclear and extended families
And suppoftthe Oluwo
Susu o
Alade istaking his bath
Susu o
Please, support Apetebi and Akapo
Susu o
Alade istaking his bath
Susu o
Give supportto Kuegbe, the child of Osin
Susu o
Alade istaking his bath
Susu o
And support Kuegbe, the child of Ora
Susu o
1155
Alade istaking his bath
Susu o
Do not allow Eriwo Osin, Ifa adherents, to die
young
Susu o
Alade istaking his bath
Susu o
If says that it shall be well with the
person for whom this Od is revealed.
L2. If warns a
person for whom this Od is revealed who enjoys
great
respect in the socety not to engage in any act that will
put him to
shame and ridicule. If says that the
person may think that what
he/she is doing or about to do will never leak out, but this is not true
because no matter what he does to conceal it, the matter will surely
come to
public notice one day.
If says that this man is not only respected but equally trusted. This
action of his will erode the trust and confidence that
people reposed
in him. This is why it is his dutyto live above board at all times.
If does not recommend any
gbg material here. It is only for this
person to desist from this shameful act. A stanza in Ofun-Mll whch
addresses this issue has this to say:
Oru
ge b'ojt
fgru
qsan
la ba
Dl filn Ejl-Qrangn
Baba lqqg'gkgAbuk
fibg
ni wgn nl k w ge
Translation
The night can be used as cover
It is the broad daylight we are mindful and afraid of
This was the message of If for EI-Qrngn
Who shall become the husband of Abuk, a lady with hunchback
He was advised tooffergbg
Abuk, the lady with hunchbac( was
Qbtl's
daughter.
qbatl
loved
1156
and
pampered
this girl, partly
because of her physicat
condton rJ;il
because of the fact that her mother died as soon as she was born. As a
result,
Qbatl
was both father and mother to her. However, Abuk was a
very recalcitrant girl.
She never listened to simple counseling from
Qbath.
She had a mind of her own. She believed that she must always
have her way. This was not surprising to anyone since she had been spoilt
byQbatl.
On the other hand, ET-Qrangun (Ofun M) or
Qrangun
M)) was
Qbtl's
friend and confidant. There was nothing
Qbtl
would do without first
discussing same with his friend, E)-Qrngr1n. They were so close that
people
thought that they both slept in the same house. As a matter of fact,
the two regularly slept in each others homes.
When the behaviour of Abuk was getting
out of hand,
QbaHl
sought the
assistance of his friend in finding a way to contain her excesses. EI-
QrangUn
promised
to assist. Anytime Abuk misbehaved,
Qbatl
would
send her to E)-Qrngrtn. She was
just
11 years
of age but her attitudes
were more than those of 2l-year old girls. By the time she was 13 years
old, practically
everyone in the community believed that Efl-Qrngn was
more of Abuk's father than
Qbatb.
Abuk was also very fond of E)-
Qrangrtn.
She
preferred
to stay with E)-Qrangn at any time. For all
these,
Qbatb
was very grateful. He welcomed any practical step which
could tame Abuk. By the time she was 15 years,
she had been seen as
someone who was ready to change for good.
At this time, E)-Qrngn began to notice that the breasts, buttocks waist
and face of Abuk began to develop into those of a fully grown woman.
While other
people
saw her as deformed because of her hunchback, Abuk
looked very beautiful to E)
Qrangrrn.
That was when ideas began to enter
into his head. Befole long, he began to seduce her. Shoftly after this, he
stafted to make love to her. This was a girl practically
everyone considered
to be his daughter! It got to a stage that they made love almost everyday.
One day, E)-Qrangn went for If consultation in the home of the Awo
mentioned above. He wanted to know what his success chances would be
at that point in time. The Awo assured him that he would succeed and that
1157
nothing or nobody could stop him from accomplishing his goals. The Awo
however warned him to desist from the shameful act that he was doing as
failure to desist would put him to public odium. He was told that everyone
respected and trusted him in the society but that act alone would tarnish
his image beyond redemption. He was told that no matter how perfectly he
tried to conceal this shameful and disgraceful act, it would certainly come
to
public
attention and knowledge.
When EI-Qrngn heard this, he knew exactly what the Awo was saying.
'He
asked what gbg material he would need to
procure
so as to offer
gbg
for
him not to be a subject of ridicule. The Awo told him that there was no gbg
material for that. He only needed to desist from such act. The father
making love to his own daughter would surely lose respect and dignity no
matter how greatthe gbg offered.
There and then, ET-Qrngn made up his mind never to have anything to
do with Abuk again, except of course, for him to continue to act as her
father. He returned home with the resolution atthat back of his mind.
The next day, Abuk came to his house. He was still with the mind of not
having anything to do with her any more in the illicit affair. By the time the
unsuspecting wives of E)-Qrangn'directed her to his room, he was still
determined to resist her. When Abuk entered the room, closed the door
and sat on his laps however, allthe resolve and resistance dissolved. In no
time, they were engaging in fierce love-making. They resumed on a daily
basis.
Before long, people
began to notice changes in Abuk. At first,
Qbatl
was confused: Was it sickness? Was it disease? Was itfatness? Her body
began to develop. Her face became
paler than before. She vomited every
morning. She complained of weakness every morning. She lost her
appetite. She slept longer hours. By the time
QbaHh
came to believe his
senses, his daughter, Abuk was already three months pregnant! He called
on and asked Abuk to tell him who was responsible for her pregnancy.
She refused to utter a word. What was this supposed to mean?
Qbatl
threatened her that if she refused to confess the owner of the
pregnancy,
he would not hesitate to report her to Efi-Qrangn whom he,
Qbtl,
1158
fondly referred to as her father! Yet, she refused to utter u *orJl
-+ffi;
confused and annoyed
QbaHl
the more. He shouted on herthat if she had
no regard for him, she must at least show respect for E)-Qrngn her
father! What
Qbatl
said did not change anything.
Early in the morning of the next day,
gbatl
went straight to E:l-Qrangrln
and narrated evefihing to him. ET-QrangUn told
QbaHl
to
put his mind
at rest and that he would handle it. Wth this assurance,
Qbtl
returned
home. When he got home, he told Abuk to go and meet E)-Qrangrln at
home.
When Abuk got to E)-Qrangn's home, they simply resumed another
round of love-making. It was after this that E)-Qrangn asked Abuk if
truly she was pregnant. Abuk told him that she was indeed pregnant.
Both of them knew that Efl-Qrngr1n was responsible for the
pregnancy.
E)-Qrangn however impressed it on her that nobody should know that he
was the one who put her in the family way. This was because it would lead
to scandal and ridicule for him. She was told that even
Qbatl,
her father,
would be disappointed. Abuk promised him that she would resist all
pressures on her to identiff the person who impregnated her. But for how
long? That was the
question whose answer hung in the air and was left
unanswered.
True to her promise, she refused to tell anyone about who was responsible
for her pregnancy.
QbaHl
however relied absolutely on E)-QrangrJn to
help him unravel the mystery. Anytime he asked E)-Qrangn how far he
had gone, he would only tell
Qbatl
that he was still on it. He would advise
Qbatb
to be
patient. This was the situation until Abuk put
to bed. It was
a bouncing baby boy. The naming ceremony was to take place on the sixth
day.
The confusion of
QbaHl
turned to worry. His worry turned to
panic.
Qbath
called Abuk and begged her to tell him who was responsible for
her pregnancy. Abuk promised
to tell her father but on the day of the
naming ceremony. She asked her father to invite all the
Qba
and IrnmglQ
to the naming ceremony. She told him to prepare a huge feast where every
1159
guest would wne and dine to his/her satisfaction. She told her father to
get
herthe mostexpensive dress befitting of such occasion.
QbaHh
did as she
requested of him.
On the day of the ceremony, all the IrnmglQ were there. All the
Qba
of
Yorbland were present. Allthe movers and shakers of the world were in
attendance. All of them came for only one thing
-
to know who was
responsible for the pregnancy and the baby.
All the guests, including E)-Qrangrln ate and drank to their satisfaction.
E)-Qrangrtn was confident that Abuk would find a means to avoid
mentioning his name because he had convinced her that it was not in the
interest of both of them for the whole world to know at that time. When it
was time for Abuk to come out and dance, the whole gathering became
very silent. She was gorgeously dressed. She told the musicians to listen
to her and
play music to her songs; she began her song with praises to her
fathen She concluded her song in this way:
gbatl,gbataga
E
pQlgo
Qba
t ta'l t le l'ala
TI wgn pe l'obatl
[
lQo
Ni mo l'yn filn o
Ni mol'ynfiln
Qrngrtn
di mejl mol'ynfitn
Translation
I greet
Qbtl, Qbt$a
Greetingstoyou
The
Qba
who sold Okra to prosper bythe boundary of the farm
I greetyou
The person who put me in the family way
The person who impregnated me
Qrangn
becomes two (E}-Qrangrln) is responsible for my pregnancy
When the world heard this, all eyes turned onto E)-Qrangr:n. He
simply covered his eyes in shame. He wished for the ground to
Open and swallow him up alive, but no way. Case closed!
1160
Yl Ofun Meji
Oru
ge
b'ojrt
f;Eruqsan|abe
D,l filn Ejl-Qrangn
Baba lQQg'gkgAbuk
fbq
ni wqn nl k w
9e
kqftl
qgbgnyn
s'ebg
Nje ni mo l'yrlnfitn o
Ni mol'ynfitn
Qrngrln
di mejl mo l'yn fitn
Translation
The night can be used as cover
It is the broad daylight we are mindful and afraid of
This was the message of If for E)-Qrangun
Who shall become the husband of Abuk
He was advised to offergbO
He refused to complywith the advice
The person who put me in the family way
The person who impregnated me
Qrangn-di-M)
(El-Qrangr:n) is the one responsible for my pregnancy
If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed shall not be made
a subject of public
disgrace. This person s enjoined not to Disgrace
Himself. He mustdesistfrom doing anything illicit.
13. If says that it recognizes the fact that the person for whom this Od is
revealed loves to do good all time. If says that he/she is very kind
and compassionate. If says that this
person loves to touch the lives
of all the people close to him/her in positive ways. In spite of this
however, If warns this person to ensure that he/she does all the
good deeds completely for anyone that he/she wishes to assist. It is
not his/her best interest to do anything in half-measure for anyone.
The significance of this message is that if the
person for whom this
Od is revealed wishes to help anyone, he/she must ensure that the
help is rendered completely. If this is not done, it is most likely that
the help that he/she rendered may turn out to become subject of
controversy and contention which may be used to find him/her gulty
1161
in the end.
If advises this
person
for whom this Od is revealed to offer
gbq
with one matured he-goat and money. He/she also needs to
feed Eg with onecock. On this aspect,If says:
Agoorelgetn ntl
jg
ml0rlyln
Dl firn Nad onlwet-Mt
Mjqtf lg rd'koeb
qne
Ebg
ni wQn nl k w
9e
Translation
Doing good in half measure usually leads to failure to receive gratitude
from those whom one assists
This was If's message forAlad Otfwat-Mt
When he was going to cultivate a farm bythe road-side
He was advised to offergbg
Alae Orfwt-Met was a kind-heafted man. All the days of his life, he
planned to assist
people and
give outto the needy. He was known to be a
benevolent man. As a result of his benevolence, many
people used to
troop to his home to seek for one favour or the other.
They were never disappointed. The only time AIad could say 'no' to
anyone was when he did not have what the
person came for. He
sometimes borrowed money from others in order to give out to those who
needed the money. He was in the habit of giving out his own dresses to
others if he felt that those who approached him for assistance needed the
dresses more than him. This was the lifestyle of Alade On'iwt-Met.
One day, Alad planned to staft the cultivation of another farm by the
roadside. By so doing, he felt that those who needed his assistance would
have easier access to him and he would be able to be of help to many more
people. For this reason, he approached the Awo mentioned above for If
consultation: would he have bountiful haruest on the farm that he planned
to cultivate? Would he be able to assist more people in the new location?
These were the two
questions at the back of Alade's mind when he
approached the Awo for If consultation. He knew that with bountiful
harvest, hewould have more capabilityto reach outto many more people.
1162
'l'l
Ofun Meji
The Awo assured Alad Onlwt-Met that he would certainly have
bountiful haruest. The Awo however warned him that even though he
loved to assist people, he however needed to ensure that whoever he
wished to assist must be given complete help. He was told that
giving help
in half could only lead him into trouble. For example, if he planned to give
someone dress, it would be good for him to give the person
complete dress
-
trousers, undenruear, and shift and cap to match. It was not good for him
to give the person a trouser and ask the person
to
go
and look for where to
get
the shirt underwear and cap. If he planned to feed someone, he must
be ready to give the person food, drink, snuff and so on in order to
completely satisff the person. If this could not be done, Alade was
warned, it was better not to offer the assitance at all.
After ths, Alad was advised to offer gbg
and feed Eg as stated above.
Hearing these statements from the Babalwo, AlaOe was Iivid with rage.
He considered the statements of the Awo as affront to his personality. He
told the Awo that nobody needed to tell him how to assist others. He
accused the Awo of planning
to twist his arms in order to render more help
to the Awo afterall, the Awo was one of the recipients of his good gestures.
He told the Awo to
go
and drop into the lagoon if he (Awo) was not satified
with the help he had received so far. Alade told him thatthe
gbg would not
be offered and that if the Awo was not pleased, then he could
go
and do
whatever pleased him. Alad stood up to
go. The Awo however told him
that there was no compulsion in If. He, Alade, was free to accept or reject
the advice of theAwo. With ths, Alad left.
When Ahd stafted the farm cultivation, he realised that many more
people had access to him. For this, he was very happy. He also had good
harvestseason. That made him happier.
He soon realised that with many more passers-by
coming to his farm, he
needed to do more to assist them and easen the burden and fatigue of
their trips. For this reason/ AIade used to roast yams and fetch water for all
to take on their ways to and from their various destinations. When many
people knew thatAlad was doing this, they were very grateful to him.
It however reached a stage that no matter the number of yams roasted or
1163
the volume of water fetched, everything would be exhausted in no time at
all. For this reason, Aad designed a means of ensuring that everyone
was helped. He decreed that whoever came to his farm had to choose
between drinking coolwater and eating roasted yam.
Nobody was allowed to take both together any longer. It soon became a
popular slogan among the people that'gnlkan l{f
jg
m) l'b Alade; bl o b
jg'gu
o 0 nlf mu'mi, bf o s'l mu'mi o tfii
jg'gu'
meaning; nobody can enjoy
two things in Alade's farm shed; if you
eat yams, you cannot drink water,
and if you drinkwater, you cannoteatyams.
Before long, every traveller knew that if they
got
to Alade's farm, they
would have something to take, but that they could never enjoy two things
at the same time. This had become an unwritten law in this farm.
One day however, a man came to Alade for help. This man got lost in the
forest. He had been wandering for five days without food and water. As
soon as he got to Alade's farm, he began to
plead
to be
given food and
drink because he was very hungry and thirsty. He pleaded with Alade to
have pity for him. Alad told him that he needed to choose one between
eating
yams to his satisfaction and drinking water to
quell his thirst. The
man pleaded that he would need both. Abd said that such was not
allowed in this farm. After much pleading and refusal, the man chose to
eat
yams. Ahd gave him two medium size tubers of
yam to eat. The man
had not eaten one yam when his throat became dry and the yam got
hooked to his throat. He begged and begged for water. Abd refused,
claiming that he had told the man that he could not enjoy two things
.together
in his farm. The man fell down; the
yam
began to suffocate him.
Alad felt that it was unmanly for him to change his decree. He refused to
yield ground. Afew moments latet the man died.
As soon as the man breathed his last, people
began to troop into Alad's
farm. How they came to know about the incident was very strange to him.
The story on the lips of all the
people was that Aad lured a stranger into
his farm with yams
and strangulated him to death. AlaOe pleaded and
explained his own side of this story. Nobody was prepared to believe him.
1164
Ahd was slapped and kicked. He was yelled at and abused. ii."fi;3'
ordered to carry the corpse of the dead man to the
Qba's
palace.
On his
way to the
palace, he fell down four times. As soon as he fell, he would be
slapped and kicked more viciously and ordered to carrythe corpse again.
To his chargrin, he realised that all those kicking and slapping him were
regular visitors to his farm who used to eat or drink there. He saw all of
them thanking Oldmar that they did not fall into Alade's trap and
become one of his victims as the dead man had become.
In the
Qba's
palace the question Alade was repeatedly asked after he had
finished his story was that when the man had been
pleading for water, why
was he not given? When AlaOe told them that it was his policy that nobody
could enjoy two things in his farmshed, Alade was abused and declared a
callous man and a murderer. Ahd was arraigned for murder. When he
was about to be sentenced Alad Onfwt-Met remembered the advice
and warning of his Awo but it was too late to make any amendment.
Agoore lgetn nll
j
mlOrlyl n
Dl fin Aad onlwt-Met
Mjq rrle re d'ko
eb
qna
f
bg ni won nl k w
9e
kg'tl
qgbqnyn
s'bg
Aladl bttmo
Iba wa fow s'irrlfin ebo
Translation
Doing good in half measure usually leads to failure to reCeive gratitude
from those whom one assists
This was If's message forAlad Orfwt-Mtrl
When he was gong to cultivate a farm by the road-side
He was advsed to offer gbg
He refused to comply
Had Nad known
He would have ensured that all the
qbg
and advice of the Awo were
complied with
If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed needs not to be too
rigid on any issue. For any rule, law or
policy, there must be an exception.
Refusal to bend the rules when it was imperative to do so was part of what
1165
ild utua.
put Alade off wt-Met
into trouble'
t4. If warns the
person for whom this od is revealed
notto be
greedy in
anything
tnai ne/she
does.
If says that this
person is
presently
occupyingupo'itonofauthority.He/shemustbecarefu|notto
allow avaricious
attitude
,"*oe
him/her
and
make him/her
a
worthles
tin.
In this
position, the
person for whom this Od is
revealed
i! expected
to
iossess
leadership
qualities; he/she
is
expected
to be
generous, iiberal,
patient,.truthful,
honest'
focused
and forgJi.
"H"/rh"
ir irppoied
to
.be
very accommodating'
He/she
tuiti"
able and willini'to
lead others
alright'
He/she
must
be selfless
and intelligent.
ne/ne
must have the fear of Olodmare
at the back of his/her
mind at all times'
If advises
this
person to offer
gbg with three
pigeons, three
guinea.fowts,threecocksandmoney'He/shea|soneedsto
feed Eg
Oi
*th one big cock.
On this aspect,
gfun-MeI
says:
OnPa'bl
nlli'jl
Agba
Qknirlw'
a
j',b
Tb
j'rtaftrn
Agb'Qr
u rQ, a mgya
lg
Dlfilneni
iwaiu
Tl
Yd'qnilkQYln
Ebq
ni wqn nl k w
9e
Translation
The kola-nut breaker
is expected
to consl lme two lobes of the kola-nut
nnivricous
elder will consume
three of the four lobes
After consuming
thre iur, he willcarY
his load by himself
and move
away
(without anyone offering
to assist)
This was the message
of If forthe Leader
Who shall eventually
become
the Follower
He was advised
to offer
gbq
when coming
from
Qrun
to Ay, the 16
Tajg
od occupied
the following
positions of Authority
and senirty
- orul:ryrJi,
Number
one;
Qgq-MeI'
N umber
Two; Iwri M), ruu rnnet
ihree; Od'i-Met,
Number
foyt;
Irosn-
MI, Number
Five;
o*qn'rn-
MT, Number
six;
Qbara-Uefl,
Number
1166
seven;
Qknrn-M),
Number Eight; Ogunda-vl), Number Nine;
Osa-
M), Number 10;Ika-M), Number 11;Otrtrupgn M), Number 12; Otrrra-
MT, Number 13; )rgtQ-M), Number 14;
Qs
Mj, Number 15; and ET-
Ogb, Number 16. When they arrived on eafth, they maintained these
positions.
Ofun-ue and
Qgg-Mel
were accorded full respect and
recognition as the leaders. None of the remaining principal
Od dare
questioned
their authority. They did all things together. Whenever they
went for If consultation for anyone, Ofun-Ue) would preside
over the
event. Whatever he said was final. Whenever they were to break Kolanut
for their client, Ofrln M) would be the one to break it. They normally
broke kolanuts with four lobes. After breaklng the kolanut, ofn-MJi
would consume three lobes, leaving onry one 6ue ror the remaining 13
principal
Od!
QgQ
Ml would take the remaining lobe leaving noting
behind for the remaining 14 od !
yet,
nobody was expected to quey
them
for whatever they did! If their clients offered a goat
as gbg,
Ofon tvte'i
would share for himself the two thighs and one arm of the goat;
Qgq
N4elr
would take the remaining
arm, intestines,
organs and the chest, leaving
whatever remained for the remaining 14 oj-od to share.
While this was going
on, it was telling badly on the 14 remaining Ojrl-Od.
To feed became a serious problem
for them. Before long, they began to
grumble
against ofun-uet and
Qse-M).
They complained against their
style of leadership. They accused them of avariciousness.
In order to placate
the frustrated ojrl-od however, E)-ogb, the last in
the order of seniority used to invite them to his home and enteftain them
with the little that he had. He would appeal to them to maintain peace
and
be patient.
He said that Ofun-M) would soon see the reason why he
needed to have a change of attitude and approach. while doing this,
9YeLu
M3), the second to the last in the order oi seniority, would also assist
ET-Ogbe in enteftaining the other OjrJ-Od, just
to ensure that peace
was
maintained.
This went on for severalyears but Ofun-M) saw no reason why he should
change.his style of administration
and leadership.
Qpe
Me:l was also
urging ofrln-Met on, telling the others to go
and drop nio the lagoon if
they were not satisfied.
1167
Tired of all what was happening, L2 of the remaining 14 Oj'1-Od (they
excluded E)-Ogbe and
QyQktl-M3T)
met secretly and decided that they
could no longer accept Ofrtn-Me) and
Qgq-M)
as their leaders. On that
same day, they decided to make E)-Ogb, the least in seniority, the leader
and
QyQkrt-M;T
the deputy. On that same day, they moved Ofun-Me) to
the 16'n position and moved
QgQ-Mel
to the 15h position.
Before summoning E)-Ogb,
QyQkrl
Mfi, Ofrln-Vtet and
QgQ-M),
they
invited EEU
Qdara
to come and sanction all their deliberation with Agg.
When Egu
Qdara
arrived, he asked them to tell him exactly what had
happened, They narrated the story to him. Eg invited the remaining four
Ojri-Od0 (principal Od) to explain their own side of the story. They did.
Ofun-mefl was found guilty of avariciousness and conducts unbecoming of
good teader. He was therefore moved from the first to the 16'n position as
the other Oj Od wanted.
Q9Q-MT
was found guilty of aiding and
abetting what was wrong and unacceptable. He was moved from the
second to the 15*
position. On the other hand, E)-Ogbe was
praised for
exhibiting exceptional leadership qualities and was moved from the 16'n to
the first position.
QyQktt-MT
was also commended for suppofting what
was righteous and was moved from the 15'n to the second
position.
That was the way it had been from that day up till today. It had been
sanctioned by Egu-Qdara and had been accepted by Oldmar.
Onpa'bl nll
j'jl
Agbe
Qknjrlw,
a
j'Qta
T b
j'9tatn
Agb'Qr u rQra mqya g
Dl fin gni iwjrl
Tl y d'gnilk,
yln
fbg
ni wEn nl k w ge
kg'tl
Qgbgnyin
s'ebg
Njealmq'w h u wgn ni o
Alm'd
p
e wgn ni
Ar iwjrl o, lo d'gni lkgyln
AlmO'w h u won ni o
1168
tf utun Meil
Translation
The kola-nut breaker is expected to consume two lobes
An avaricious elder will consume three
After consuming three lobes, he will carry his load by himself and move
away
This was the message of Ifa forthe Leader
Who shall eventually become the Follower
He was advised to offer
gbg
He refused to comply
Now, it was their inability to act properly
And their refusal to speak the right words at the appropriate tme
These were whatturned a Leaderto a Follower
It was their inability to act properly
If warns that refusal to act properly
or failure to know how to utter the
right words when appropriate to do so can turn a leader to a follower; it can
turn a respected person
to a scorned and condemned person. It can also
turn someone loved by all to the person hated and despised by the same
people
who hithefto loved him/her.
15. If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed is kind-
hearted. He/she loves to assist others as much as he/she can. If
however warns this person not to exclude or ignore his/her
immediate relatives while rendering help to outsiders.
If says that the immediate family and relatives of the person
for
whom this Od is revealed are pointing
accusing fingers at him/her
that he/she is assisting other people while he/she had abandoned
his/her own blood.
If warns this person not to do so and if he/she had been doing it,
there ought to be a change of attitude. Failure to accommodate
his/her own blood relations and assst them may not augur well for
him/her in the end. This may turn him/her to subject of ridicule and
scorn.
1169
"o
uua
; ;.oviseril;rson for whom this od is revealed to offer
gbg with
three
pigeons, three hens, three
guinea fowls, three cocks
and money. A stanza in Ofun-M) on this aspect says:
Ayl'kun
Enlyn I'Qs
A kff mg
Q
wQ k f k'l ayj
DlfinAbe
T l'hun
j'oyeOlore
lbg
ni wqn nl k w
9
e
Translation
The sea represents the world
And the Lagoon represents human beingsthere-in
No expeft swimmer can swim the length and breadth of the sea, which
represents the world
This was If's message to Abe
Who wanted to take the title of The Benefactor
He was advised to offerqbg
Abe was highly successful. He was also generous
and kind-heafted. Many
people rose up and succeeded through him. He fed the hungry; he
provided medication for the invalid; he provided
shelter for the homeless;
he stood surety for others; he ensured that the weak were not cheated or
intimidated; he ensured that necessary suppofts were rendered to those
who needed them. He even sponsored many community-based
projects,
He had a marvelous reputation everywhere. He was highly respected from
far and nean Several communities owed their advancement to him.
As he was doing all these however, no relation of his benefited from hls
generousity. Much as they tried to convince Abe to cast a sympathetic
glance inwards and assist his relations, he simply could not be bothered.
One day, all Abe's relatives gathered together to discuss about the
situation. They complained that Abe assisted everyone who came to him
for help, except his own blood. They did not understand why this should
be so. After much deliberation, they concluded thatthere was the need to
summon Abe to their midst so as to let him know the way they felt about
him. Adelegate was sentto him. Adate was fixed forthe meeting.
1170
yt
ofun Mei
On the day of the meeting, they made it clear to Abe that most of their
friends and acquaintance owed their success and elevation to him. Those
whom they never knew at all also benefited from him. As kind and
benevolent as he was, he had not helped anyone in the family. They
pleaded with him to
please
have a change of heaft towards the family.
Many of those present at the meeting stated the areas where they
expected him to help them. These areas ranged from financial, emotional,
social, psychological, to occult. They told him that the assistance that they
required from him was not beyond him. This was because they had
witnessed him doing more than those things for others.
In his reponse, Abe made it clear to them that this world was like an ocean
while human beings there-in were like lagoons. He stated further that no
matter how good one was, the person could never satis7 the world,
because no swimmer could ever swim the length and breadth of the ocean.
He told them that nobody could stop him from helping those whom he
wanted to help and nobody could blame him for not helping them. He
urged them to wait for their turn. He promised that it would soon come to
theirturn and he would be ableto helpthem all.
The elders showed him howtheir living conditions had degenerated. They
showed him that many of his relatives were going about in rags; the roofs
of houses where they lived were leaking; the walls had cracked; some
pafts of their houses had collapsed altogether. They stated further that
they could not eat up to two times a day. They showed him many of them
whose wives had not been able to become
pregnant. They showed him
many relatives who were in emotional turmoil. Some of his relatives were
about to be incarcerated over what they knew nothing about. They
believed that with his influence, these people
could easily be
pulled
out of
trouble. All what Abe said in form of response was for them to wait for
their turn. He told them that he would not appreciate being rushed into
taking any action. The meeting ended without any concrete conclusion.
The relatives of Abe continued to wait for their turn. Outsiders continued
to benefit from the generosity
and benevolence of Abe. For 18 years,
Abe's relatives continued to wait for their turn. For 18 years, it was not yet
their turn to benefit from Abe's generosity
and benevolence.
1171
Soon afterthis, Abe fell ill. Before help could be rendered to him, he died.
The news of Abe's death spread like wild fire. All those who had benefitted
from his generosity were
prepared to
give him a befitting final burial. As a
matter of fact, they made it a
point of duty to do so in order to show their
appreciation. They
planned a special
prayer sessions for him. They also
planned an all night
party for him. They set up a seven-man
panel to
organise the ceremony. It was a well-arranged and befittingly organised
party.
On the day of the final burial ceremony, several
people came from far and
near. Their orchestra
played from town to town. They danced from
quafterto quarter. Their song was:
Abee ku
Abe Olore
Abemmakoo
Abe Olore
K m m s'$ni t'Abe o
9e
filn o
Translation
Abe is dead
Abethe Benevolent
Abe istrulydead
Abethe Benevolent
There is nobodythatAbe did not help
Those who benefitted from Abe's generosity
joined
the band-wagon. That
was how they did until they
got to Abe's family compound. To their
surprise, there was no activity
going on in the compound. No member of
Abe's extended family organized anything for him. Abe was buried on the
very day he died by his relatives. The burial was done not because of their
love for him; but rather to
prevent his corpse from stinking and causing bad
odour in the community. As soon as he was buried, all his relatives forgot
about him.
When they heard outsiders singing and dancing that there was nobody that
Abe did not assist, they knew that such false impression must be
quickly
1172
ll Otun Meji
corrected. They gathered
together and began to sing thus:
Lot I'Abee Ku
Abe Olore
Abe m ma kt oO
Abe Olore
Abeges1ta ni
K9esTlo
Translation
It is true that Abe is dead
Abe the Benevolent
Abe istrulydead
Abe the Benevolent
Abe is benevolentto outsiders
And neverto his blood relations
When people heard this, they were totally disappointed. They concluded
that in spite Abe's benevolence, he remained an irresponsible man, since
he was only good outside. Anyone whose relatives could not benefit from
his/her generosity, influence or benevolence remains an irresponsible
person. Thatwastheend of the paftyforAbe.
Ay I'Okun
Enlyn I'Qs
A kll mg
4
wQ k fi k'l ay
j
Dl fin Abe
T l'hun j'oyOlore
Sbg
ni wqn nl k w ge
kg'tl ggbgnyin s'ebg
jgAbe krt
Abe Olore
Abe m m k oo
Abe Olore
KO ma me s'n t'Abe o ge filn o
Lot I'Abee Ku
Abe Olore
Abe ma me k oo
Abe Olore
Abeges1ta ni
Kses'llo
1173
Translation
The sea representsthe world
And the lagoon represents human beingsthere-in
No expert swimmer can swim the length and breadth of the sea, which
representsthe world
This was lf's message to Abe
Who wanted to take the title of Benefactor
He was advised to offergbg
He refused to comply
Behold Abe is dead
Abe the Benevolent
Abe is truly dead
Abethe Benevolent
There is nobody that Abe did not help
It is true that Abe is dead
Abethe Benevolent
Abe istrulydead
Abe the Benevolent
Abe is benevolentto outsiders
And neverto his blood relations
If advises the person for whom this Od is revealed to be fair to all,
including his/her blood relations.
16. If says that there is the need for the
person for whom Ofun-fUelT is
revealed to offer
gbg
and feed Od in order to bring
peace and
tranquility into the home of this peson.
If says that if the person for whom this Od is revealed is a woman, it
is not advisable for her husband or husband-to-be to marry any other
woman beside her. If the husband-to-be is already married, it is not
in the man's interest to add this woman to his wives. Doing so can
only spell doom and disaster forthe man and the other women in his
household.
Howevel if the
person for whom this Od is revealed has already
married more than one wife at the same time and this had brought
1174
l\ Ofun Meji
problems, there is the need to offer gbg and feed Od in order to
return the life of this person to normal.
If recommends one matured he-goat as
ebq.
There is also the
need to feed Od with one ram and eight snails. On these, Ofrln-
MT says:
Qdrtndun
ab'ew phrrbe-plenrbe
TetQreg n ablyg gbrldorlgl-gbodorlgl
!baw'etfAdete
I
wo
Qdrtndrln

Ddggbgggba niwQnge
Dl fitn
Qrrlnmll
Baba lq rfgQrQ-MQdlmQdl
Tll
Fgmg
OIwu
$koorogble
lbg
ni wqn n| kw
9e
Translation
Odr:ndrln leaves are thick to touch
TQtQrQgR are long and big in apperance

If you lookatAdQtQ Cactus leaves '

And look at
Qdundun
leaves
They look exactly the same
These were lf's declarations to
Qrrtnmlla
When going to marry
QrQ-MQdlmQdi
The offspring of Olwu-$koorogble
He was advised to offer gbg
QrQ-MQdlmQd,
othenruise known as Od, was a daughter of Olwu
$koorogble.
From the time her mother was carrying her in her wombs it
was clear that
QrQ-MQdimQdi
was not an ordinary creature. When she was '
born, the events which happened around her and the world over
confirmed that she was not an ordinary human being. During her
lkgsQdy ceremony, the Awo who were there to perform
the rites laid
emphasis on the fact that the baby was specially endowed with unique
qualities
and
powers from heaven. She could not, and must not be
married to an ordinary
person when she grew up to maturity. They named
her
QrQ-MQdlmgdi,
Esoteric words, otherwise known as Od.
1175
Od was below average in beauty and
physical appearance. She was very
jealous
of other women. At a stage, Od could only be found in the midst
of men as a result of her
jealousy
for her fellow women.
All those around her were convinced that
QrQ-MQdimgdi
was endowed with
extremely high spiritual and occult
powers.
She applied these
powers to
assist her father Olwu
$koorogble
to succeed and become great in life.
Some other men who approached her for assistance were equally assisted.
When she was matured enough for the marriage market however, many
men dreaded her. They knew that they could not withstand her spiritual
and occult
prowess. That was why her father Olwu
$koorogble
approached
Qrnmll
to marry her in accordance with the directive of If
during her)kgsgdy that no ordinary man could marry her.
Qrnmll
consulted If and If gave him the go-ahead to marry her. If
however warned him that he must call this woman and ask her to tell him
her likes and dislikes before she ever entered his home.
As a result of this warning from If, Od was invited by
Qrunmll
for a one-
on-one discussion. She asked
Qrunm)l
to meet her in her father's home
at a specified date. When they met, she
promised
Qrnmll
that she
would assist him to success and
greatness.
She said that nobody would be
able to overcome him. She said that none of his fellow lrnmglQ would be
as
great
as him. She said that she loved being
pampered, adored and
respected by her husband-to-be. She concluded that she disliked to be
seen by other women
-
as a matter of fact, she would never tolerate being
'seen
by any woman on eafth. She laid emphasis on the fact that any
woman who dared to see her would meet with terrible consequence.
When she said this,
Qnf
nmll told her that he was already married to many
women. Consequent upon this, he would need to discuss this with his other
wives before he could give her any reply on her likes and dislikes.
QrQ-
MQdimQdl agreed with him. Another date was fixed for another round of
discussion before OrrJnmll leftfor his home.
1176
+fi ofun Mej
At home,
Qnlnmll
summoned all his wives and explained to them what
had
just
transpired between him and Od. He told them that Od was
uncompromising on the aspect of the fact that no woman must see her. He
asked them to tell him their minds if they felt that they could abide by the
unusual request of Od; and if not, he would be
prepared
to call it quit with
her. All the women told
QrUnm'il
that there was nothing spectacular with
that. They said that since the woman was not prepared
to see them or be
seen by them, they too were not ready to see her at all. They asked
Qrnmll
to go ahead and marry
QrQ-MQdimQdi.
When
Qnlnm'll
and Od metagain, he told herthatthere was no problem.
Od told
Qrnm'il
to go back home and find out very well. Three times
Qnfnmll
called his wives to ask them if they were very sure that they
would be able to cope with
QrQ-MQdimQdi
and three times they all said that
there was no problem. Forthis reason, the marriage was contracted.
When
QrQ-MQdlmQdi
moved into
QrrJnmll's
home, she was given
the room
at the extreme end of the house. She loved the arrangement and all the
other women loved it too. For six months, they lived together without
problem.
One day however, one of the women in the household of
Qrunmll
called
the other women and said that it was the height of insult for a woman, the
most
junior
wife for that matte; to order them not to see her and for them
to abide by such rule. She said that it was clear that this woman was using
a trick on them in order for her to avoid pafticipating in the household
chores. To add pepper to injury they were the ones cooking for her,
fetching her water, sweeping the compound and washing clothes for her!
She claimed that O;unm)l had tricked them into accepting the woman's
rules. She accused
Qrunmll
of dancing to the tunes of the most
junior
wife. How could
Qrnm'll
allow this un-see-able woman to be dictating to
her seniors in the house? The situation must be addressed and adjusted
accordingly.
Some of the other wives conceded that there was a marked improvement in
their lives in the little period
that Od entered into the home. They felt that
such could be considered before taking any decision against the woman.
1177
And so what?, the other woman screamed. Was that enough for her to be
the one calling the shots in the house? She must be put in her proper
place, she declared.
One of them suggested that they must confront
Qrrlnm)l
and ask him to
find solution to the issue. Three other women said that
Qrnm'il
could do
nothing because his head was permanently in the woman's armpit. The
woman, Od was the one controlling even
Qrnmll
himself! If there was
going to be any solution, it must be found by the women. That was how
they all concluded that they would all
go and meet the woman, drag her
out of her room and make her to participate in the household chores. If
she was dreaded by her husband, they had no fear for her whatsoever,
they all concluded.
Because
QrQ-MQdlmqdl
was living in the room at the extreme end of the
house, the place was always dark. They went to look for lamps which they
would light to see her in her room since she was living in the dark ever
since she arrived in that house. The eldest wife told all the other women to
bring out their lamps in their rooms. They did. She declared that they
must drag
QrQ-MQdlmQdi
out that very day to expose her. Yes! they all
chorused, dnd, off they went.
They burst into her room with their lamps on; they focused the lamps on
her face. What they saw was unspeakable and indescribable. At that very
instant, they all collapsed, fell and dropped dead!
When
Qrnmll
arrived home, he sensed something terrible had
happened, he could not find any of his wives, He called on them and there
was nobody to answer.
QrQ-MQdlmQdl
did not leave her room. OrrJnmll
moved inside only to find the corpses of the women piled upon one
another bythe door of
QrQ-MQdimQdl.
When he realised thatthey were all
dead,
grief overwhelmed him. He shouted and accused
QrQ-MQdimdi
of
introducing agony into his home, saying:
QrQ
n O b g pln'hn frn'k
SrqnObg
pln'hnfrn
QrQ
n o b g pfn'hun filn kllgbona
janjan
1178
1\ Vrun Melt
2. Od
-
fr overall success and victory
3. Orl
-
for consummated foftune
4. Egu Odar- for general well being and victory
5.
Qbatl
-
for success, children and
prosperity
6. Obalaye
($nponna) for general well being
7. Olkun
-
for financial success
8. Ogun
-
for
joy
and victory
9.
Fgb
-
for comradeship and leadership
D. TABOOS OF OFN MEJI
Must not be avaricious
-
to avoid humiliation disgrace and
unconsummated foftune
Must never eat or sell kra to avoid contention with elders of
the Night
Must never be arrogant to avoid disgrace and unconsummated
foftune
Must never use IrkQ made with brass to avoid lack of respect
within the household
Must never use wall-gecko and chameleon for anything
-
unconsummated fortune
Must never marry two wives into the same house to avoid
matrimonial disaster
Must never appear dirty and unkempt to avoid unconsummated
foftune
Must never think, speak or do evil to avoid loss of respect and
unconsummated foftune.
E. POSSIBLE NAMES OF OTru MEJI CHTLDffiN
Males
1. Ajylmk- Wealth surrounds me
2. Awolql - Honour belongs to an Awo
3. Adyqrl
- The crown befits the head
4. Adtut
-
The crown is comfoftable
1183
(.
I
5. Olsind
-
Honour is well established
Females
1, Adtut -
The crown is comfoftable
2. Olslnd
-
Honour is well established
3. Odyeml -
Od befits me
4. Odbiytl
-
Od begets this
5. Ifdrere
-
If brings all goodness
6. Ayrj -
The world is settled
7. Odsgl
-
Od makes honour possible
Abgru Abgye
1184
Sq
o
Support both nuclear and extended families
And supportthe Oluwo
SS
o
Alade istaking his bath
$9
o
Please, support Apetebi and Akapo
Sp
o
Alade istaking his bath
Sp
o
Give suppoftto Kuegbe, the child of Osin
$9
o
Alade is taking his bath
SS
o
And support Kuegbe, the child of Ora
$9
o
Alade istaking his bath
Sp
o
Do not allow Eriwo Osin, Ifa adherents, to die young
5E
o
Alade istaking his bath
$9u
o
Obara-Meji, the Oba of Ifa
SSu
o
Alade istaking his bath
pugu
o
Eju isyourhome
9S
o
Alade is taking his bath
S9
o
When
you get there, please give us
your suppoft
SS
o
Alade istaking his bath
Sg
o
Support both nuclear and extended families
And supportthe Oluwo
ttu
o
Alade is taking his bath
5S
o
Please, suppoft Apetebi and Akapo
SUS
o
Alade is taking his bath
SSu
o
1148
1r vun Melt
Give supportto Kuegbe, the child of Osin
Sug
o
Alade istaking his bath
9S
o
And support Kuegbe, the child of Ora
59
o
Alade is taking his bath
$ug
o
Do not allow Eriwo Osin, Ifa adherenb, to die
young
SS
o
Alade istaking his bath
SS
o
Okanran-Meji, the Oluwo of Ifa
SS
o
Alade istaking his bath
99u
o
Itile is your home
SS
o
Alade istaking his bath
$9u
o
When you get there,
please give us your
support
$9
o
Alade is taking his bath
SuFu
o
Support both nuclear and extended families
And suppoftthe Oluwo
Spu
o
Alade is taking his bath
Spu
o
Please, support Apetebi and Akapo
9S
o
Alade is taking his bath
99u
o
Give supportto Kuegbe, the child of Osin
$9
o
Alade istaking his bath
$9
o
And suppoft Kuegbe, the child of Ora
$9
o
Alade istaking his bath
SS
o
Do notallow Eriwo Osin, Ifa adherents, to die young
$9
o
1149
Alade istaking his bath
SS
o
Ogunda-Meji, the Oba of lfa
t9
o
Alade istaking his bath
SS
o
Onko isyourhome
SFu
o
Alade istaking his bath
S9u
o
When you get there,
please give us
your
support
FS
o
Alade istaking his bath
5S
o
Support both nuclear and extended families
And suppofttheOluwo
s9
o
Alade istaking his bath
$9
o
Please, suppoft Apetebi and Akapo
Sup
o
Alade istaking his bath
SS
o
Give suppoftto Kuegbe, the child of Osin
$uSu
o
Alade istaking his bath
SE
o
And support Kuegbe, the child of Ora
9S
o
Alade istaking his bath
SEu
o
Do not allow Eriwo Osin, Ifa adherents, to die young
9S
o
Alade istaking his bath
5S
o
Osa-Meji, the Oluwo of Ifa
s9
o
Alade istaking his bath
Fq
o
Ota is your home
SS
o
Alade istaking his bath
$9
o
11 50
1l vtun Me!
When you getthere, please give
us your suppoft
tS
o
Alade is taking his bath
SS
o
Support both nuclear and extended families
And suppoftthe Oluwo
SS
o
Alade istaking his bath
$9
o
Please, suppoft Apetebi and Akapo
9S
o
Alade is taking his bath
$9
o
Give supportto Kuegbe, the child of Osin
SS
o
Alade istaking his bath
p9
o
And support Kuegbe, the child of Ora
$9
o
Alade istaking his bath
SS
o
Do notallow Eriwo Osin, Ifa adherents, to die young
$ug
o
Alade istaking his bath
$u9
o
Ika-Meji, the Oba of Ifa
SS
o
Alade istaking his bath
SS
o
Asia isyourhome
$9
o
Alade istaking his bath
5g
o
When you get
there,
please give us your support
5g
o
Alade istaking his bath
SS
o
Support both nuclear and extended families
And suppoftthe Oluwo
$9
o
Alade is taking his bath
SuSu
o
Please, supportApetebi and Akapo
1151
$9
o
Alade istaking his bath
SS
o
Give supportto Kuegbe, the child of Osin
SS
o
Alade istaking his bath
$u9
o
And support Kuegbe, the child of Ora
SSu
o
Alade istaking his bath
SS
o
Do not allow Eriwo Osin, Ifa adherents, to die
young
SS
o
Alade istaking his bath
SS
o
Ologbon-Meji, the Oluwo of Ifa
SE
o
Alade istaking his bath
5E
o
Oje is your home
SF
o
Alade istaking his bath
S9
o
When you get there,
please give us
your suppott
sFu
o
Alade istaking his bath
SF
o
Support both nuclear and extended families
And supportthe Oluwo
SF
o
Alade istaking his bath
$ug
o
Please, supportApetebi and Akapo
$ugu
o
Alade is taking his bath
SS
o
Give supportto Kuegbe, the child of Osin
$9
o
Alade istaking his bath
S9
o
And support Kuegbe, the child of Ora
SSu
o
Alade istaking his bath
1152
ll Ofun Meji
$9u
o
Do not allow Eriwo Osin, Ifa adherents, to die
young
$9
o
Alade istaking his bath
$u9
o
Otura-Meji, the Oba of Ifa
FS
o
Alade istaking his bath
$9
o
Ipapo is your home
$9
o
Alade istaking his bath
$9u
o
When you getthere, please give
us
your
suppoft
Susu o
Alade is taking his bath
9S
o
Support both nuclear and extended families
And suppotthe Oluwo
SS
o
Alade is taking his bath
SS
o
Please, support Apetebi and Akapo
9F
o
Alade is taking his bath
$9
o
Give supportto Kuegbe, the child of Osin
9S
o
Alade istaking his bath
SS
o
And suppoft Kuegbe, the child of Ora
$9u
o
Alade is taking his bath
sFu
o
Do not allow Eriwo Osin, Ifa adherents, to die
young
9p
o
Alade istaking his bath
Susu o
Irete-Meji, the Oluwo of lfa
Susu o
Alade is taking his bath
Susu o
Emere isyour home
1153
Susu o
Alade istaking his bath
Susu o
When you get there, please give us your support
Susu o
Alade istaking his bath
Susu o
Support both nuclearand extended families
And suppoftthe Oluwo
Susu o
Alade istaking his bath
Susu o
Please, supportApetebi and Akapo
Susu o
Alade istaking his bath
Susu o
Give supportto Kuegbe, the child of Osin
Susu o
Alade istaking his bath
Susu o
And suppoft Kuegbe, the child of Ora
Susu o
Alade istaking his bath
Susu o
Do not allow Eriwo Osin, Ifa adherents, to die young
Susu o
Alade istaking his bath
Susu o
Ose-Meji, the Oba of Ifa
Susu o
Alade istaking his bath
Susu o
Ibadan is your home
Susu o
Alade istaking his bath
Susu o
When you get there, please give us your suppott
Susu o
Alade istaking his bath
Susu o
Suppoft both nuclear and extended families
And suppoftthe Oluwo
Susu o
Alade istaking his bath
1154
t Ofun Meji
Susu o
Please, suppoftApetebi and Akapo
Susu o
Alade istaking his bath
Susu o
Give supportto Kuegbe, the child of Osin
Susu o
Alade is taking his bath
Susu o
And suppoft Kuegbe, the child of Ora
Susu o
Alade istaking his bath
Susu o
Do not allow Eriwo Osin,Ifa adherents, to die young
Susu o
Alade istaking his bath
Susu o
Ofun-Meji, the Oluwo of Ifa
Susu o
Alade istaking his bath
Susu o
Ila Orangun is your home
Susu o
Alade is taking his bath
.
Susu o
When you get there, please give
us your support
Susu o
Alade istaking his bath
Susu o
Suppoft both nuclear and extended families
And suppoftthe Oluwo
Susu o
Alade istaking his bath
Susu o
Please, support Apetebi and Akapo
Susu o
Alade istaking his bath
Susu o
Give supportto Kuegbe, the child of Osin
Susu o
Alade istaking his bath
Susu o
And support Kuegbe, the child of Ora
Susu o
1155
Alade istaking his bath
Susu o
Do not allow Eriwo Osin, Ifa adherents, to die young
Susu o
Alade istaking his bath
Susu o
If says that it shall be well with the
person for whom this Od is revealed.
L2. If warns a
person for whom this Od is revealed who enjoys great
respect in the socety not to engage in any act that will
put him to
shame and ridicule. If says that the
person may think that what
he/she is doing or about to do will never leak out, but this is not true
because no matter what he does to conceal it, the matter will surely
come to public notice one day.
If says that this man is not only respected but equally trusted. This
action of his will erode the trust and confidence that
people reposed
in him. This ls why it is his duty to live above board at all times.
If does not recommend any
gbg material here. It is only for this
person to desist from this shameful act. A stanza in Ofun-M) which
addresses this issue has this to say:
Oru ge b'oj
fgru
gsan
le rr ba
afin Ejl-Qrangun
Baba lQQg'gkgAbuk
Fbq
ni wqn nl k w ge
Translation
The night can be used as cover
It is the broad daylightwe are mindful and afraid of
This was the message of If for E)-Qrangrln
Who shall become the husband of Abuk, a lady with hunchback
He was advised to offerebo
Abuk, the lady with hunchback, was
Qbtl's
daughter.
qbatl
loved
1156
and
pampered
ths girl, paftly
because of her physical
condtnn rJ;il
because of the fact that her mother died as soon as she was born. As a
result,
Qbatl
was both father and mother to her. However, Abuk was a
very recalcitrant girl.
She never listened to simple counseling from
Qbath.
She had a mind of her own. She believed that she must always
have her way. This was not surprising to anyone since she had been spoilt
by
9batl.
On the other hand, E|-Qrangn (Ofun MT or
Qrngrln
M;'l) was
Qbtl's
friend and confidant. There was nothing
QbaHI
would do without first
discussing same with his friend, E)-Qrngr1n. They were so close that
people
thought that they both slept in the same house. As a matter of fact,
the two regularly slept in each others homes.
When the behaviour of Abuk was getting
out of hand,
gbaHl
sought the
assistance of his friend in finding a way to contain her excesses. EI-
Qrngrfn
promised to assist. Anytime Abuk misbehaved,
QbaHl
would
send her to EJ|-Qrngrln. She was
just
11 years
of age but her attitudes
were more than those of 2l-year old girls. By the time she was 13 years
old, practically everyone in the community believed that ET-Qrangn was
more of Abuk's father than
QbaHl.
Abuk was also very fond of E)-
Qrngn.
She preferred to stay with E)-QrngrJn at any time. For all
these,
Qbatl
was very grateful. He welcomed any
practical
step which
could tame Abuk. By the time she was 15 years,
she had been seen as
someone who was ready to change for good,
At this time, E)-Qrngrfn began to notice that the breasts, buttocks waist
and face of Abuk began to develop into those of a fully grown woman.
While other people
saw her as deformed because of her hunchback, Abuk
looked very beautiful to E)
Qrangun.
That was when ideas began to enter
into his head. Before long, he began to seduce her. Shortly after this, he
stated to make love to her. This was a girl practically
everyone considered
to be his daughter! It got to a stage that they made love almost everyday.
One day, E)-Qrangn went for If consultation in the home of the Awo
mentioned above. He wanted to know what his success chances would be
atthat
point in time. The Awo assured him that he would succeed and that
1157
nothing or nobody could stop him from accomplishing his goals. The Awo
however warned him to desist from the shameful act that he was doing as
failure to desist would put him to
public
odium. He was told that everyone
respected and trusted him in the society but that act alone would tarnish
his image beyond redemption. He was told that no matter how pefectly he
tried to conceal this shameful and disgraceful act, it would ceftainly come
to
public attention and knowledge.
When ET-QrngrJn heard this, he knew exactly what the Awo was saying.
'He
asked what
ebg
material he would need to procure so as to offer gbg for
him not to be a subject of ridicule. The Awo told him that there was no gbg
material for that. He only needed to desist from such act. The father
making love to his own daughter would surely lose respect and dignity no
matter how greatthe gbg offered.
There and then, E)-Qrngtln made up his mind never to have anything to
do with Abuk again, except of course, for him to continue to act as her
father. He returned home with the resolution at that back of his mind.
The next day, Abuk came to his house. He was still with the mind of not
having anything to do with her any more in the illicit affair. By the time the
unsuspecting wives of E)-Qrangn'directed her to his room, he was still
determined to resist her. When Abuk entered the room, closed the door
and sat on his laps however, all the resolve and resistance dissolved. In no
time, they were engaging in fierce love-making. They resumed on a daily
basis.
Before long, people
began to notice changes in Abuk. At first,
Qbabh
was confused: Was it sickness? Was it disease? Was it fatness? Her body
began to develop. Her face became
paler than before. She vomited every
morning. She complained of weakness every morning. She lost her
appetite. She slept longer hours. By the time
QbaHl
came to believe his
senses, his daughter, Abuk was alreadythree months pregnant! He called
on and asked Abuk to tell him who was responsible for her pregnancy.
She refused to utter a word. What was this supposed to mean?
Qbatl
threatened her that if she refused to confess the owner of the pregnancy,
he would not hesitate to repoft her to E)-Qrangn whom he,
Qbtl,
1158
l.l Ofun Meji
fondly referred to as her father! Yet, she refused to utter a word. This
confused and annoyed
Qbatl
the more. He shouted on herthat if she had
no regard for him, she must at least show respect for ElT-Qrngrln her
father! What
Qbatl
said did not change anything.
Early in the morning of the next day,
QbaHb
went straight to E)-Qrangn
and narrated everything to him. E)-Qrangun told
gbatl
to
put his mind
at rest and that he would handle it. Wth this assurance,
Qbtl
returned
home. When he got home, he told Abuk to go and meet E}-Qrangrin at
home.
When Abuk got to E)-Qrangn's home, they simply resumed another
round of love-making. It was after this that E)-QrngrJn asked Abuk if
truly she was pregnant. Abuk told him that she was indeed pregnant.
Both of them knew that EJi-Qrngrln was responsible for the pregnancy.
E)-Qrangn however impressed it on her that nobody should know that he
was the one who put her in the family way. This was because it would lead
to scandal and ridicule for him. She was told that even
Qbatl,
her father,
would be disappointed. Abuk promised him that she would resist all
pressures on her to identifu the
person who impregnated her. But for how
long? That was the
question whose answer hung in the air and was left
unanswered.
True to her promise, she refused to tell anyone about who was responsible
for her pregnancy.
gbatl
however relied absolutely on E)-Qrngn to
help him unravel the mystery. Anytime he asked E)-Qrangn how far he
had gone, he would only tellQbatl that he was stillon it. He would advise
QbAtb
to be patient. This was the situation until Abuk putto bed. It was
a bouncing baby boy. The naming ceremony was to take place on the sixth
day.
The confusion of
Qbatl
turned to worry. His worry turned to panic.
QbaHl
called Abuk and begged her to tell him who was responsible for
her pregnancy. Abuk promised
to tell her father but on the day of the
naming ceremony. She asked her father to invite all the
Qba
and lrnmglQ
to the naming ceremony. She told him to
prepare
a huge feast where every
1159
guest would wne and dine to his/her satisfaction. She told her father to get
herthe most expensive dress befitting of such occasion.
QbaHI
did as she
requested of him.
On the day of the ceremony, all the lrnmglQ were there. All the
Qba
of
Yorbland were present. Allthe movers and shakers of the world were in
attendance. All of them came for only one thing
-
to know who was
responsible for the
pregnancy
and the baby.
All the
guests, including E)-Qrngn ate and drank to their satisfaction.
E)-Qrngrln was confident that Abuk would find a means to avoid
mentioning his name because he had convinced her that it was not in the
interest of both of them for the whole world to know at that time. When it
was time for Abuk to come out and dance, the whole gathering became
very silent. She was gorgeously dressed. She told the musicians to listen
to her and play music to her songs; she began her song with praises to her
father. She concluded her song in this way:
gbatl,9bata$a
E
pQlo
Qba
t ta'l t la l'ala
Tl wqn p l'Qbatl
I
trlQo
Ni mol'ynfilno
Ni mol'ynfitn
Qrngrtndi
mejl mol'ynfitn
Translation
I greet
Qbtl, Qbtg
Greetings to you
The
Qba
who sold Okra to prosper by the boundary of the farm
I greetyou
The person who put me in the familyway
The person who impregnated me
Qrangun
becomes two (EI-Qrangn) is responsible for my pregnancy
When the world heard this, all eyes turned onto EI-Qrngun. He
simply covered his eyes in shame. He wished for the ground to
Open and swallow him up alive, but no way. Case closed!
1160
'l'l
Ofun Meji
Oru ge b'oj
fEru
gsan
la ba
Dl filn Ejl-Qrangun
Baba lQQg'gkgAbuk
fbg
niwqn nl k w ge
kqitl
Qgbgnyin
s'ebg
Nje ni mo l'yn filn o
Ni mo l'yn fitn
Qrngrtn
di mejl ti mo l'yn fitn
Translation
The nightcan be used as cover
It is the broad daylight we are mindful and afraid of
This was the message of If for E)-Qrangrln
Who shall become the husband of Abuk
He was advised to offer gbg
He refused to complywith the advice
The person who put me in the familyway
The person who impregnated me
Qrangun-di-M)
(Efl-Qrangn) is the one responsible for my pregnancy
If says that the
person for whom this Od is revealed shall not be made
a subject of
public disgrace. This person s enjoined not to Disgrace
Himself. He mustdesistfrom doing anything illicit.
13. If says that it recognizes the factthatthe person for whom this Od is
revealed loves to do good all time. If says that he/she is very kind
and compassionate. If says that this
person loves to touch the lives
of all the
people
close to him/her in positive ways. In spite of this
however, If warns this person to ensure that he/she does all the
good deeds completely for anyone that he/she wishes to assist. It is
not r1his/her best interestto do anything In half-measure for anyone.
The significance of this message is that if the person for whom this
OdU is revealed wishes to help anyone, he/she must ensure that the
help is rendered completely. If this is not done, it is most likely that
the help that he/she rendered may turn out to become subject of
controversy and contention which may be used to find him/her guilty
1161
in the end.
If advises this
person for whom this Od is revealed to offer
gbq
with one matured he-goat and money. He/she also needs to
'
feed Eg with onecock. On this aspect,If says:
Agoore lgetn nfl
jq
mlOrlYl n
Dl fitn Ald onfwaH-Mett
Nljq tl lg r d'ko
eb
qna
lbq
ni wqn nl k w
9e
Translation
Doing good in half measure usually leads to failure to receive
gratitude
from those whom one assists
This was lf's message forAlad Offwt-Mttj
When he was going to cultivate a farm bythe road-side
He was advised to offer
gbg
Alade Offwt-Met was a kind-hearted man. All the days of his life, he
planned to assist
people and
gve out to the needy. He was known to be a
benevolent man. As a result of his benevolence, many
people used to
troop to his home to seekfor one favour orthe other.
They were never disappointed. The only time AIad could say 'no' to
anyone was when he did not have what the
person came for. He
sometimes borrowed money from others in order to
give out to those who
needed the money. He was in the habit of
giving out his own dresses to
others if he felt that those who approached him for assistance needed the
dresses more than him. This was the lifestyle of Alade Onfwt-Met.
One day, AnOe planned to staft the cultivation of another farm by the
roadside. By so doing, he felt that those who needed his assistance would
have easier access to him and he would be able to be of help to many more
people. For this reason, he approached the Awo mentioned above for If
consultation: would he have bountiful haruest on the farm that he planned
to cultivate? Would he be able to assist more
people in the new location?
These were the two
questions at the back of Alade's mind when he
approached the Awo for If consultation. He knew that with bountiful
harvest, he would have more capabilityto reach outto many more
people.
1162
ll Olun Meji
The Awo assured Alad Offwt-Mt that he would certainly have
bountiful haruest. The Awo however warned him that even though he
loved to assist people, he however needed to ensure that whoever he
wished to assist must be given complete help. He was told that
giving help
in half could only lead him into trouble. For example, if he planned to give
someone dress, it would be good for him to give
the person
complete dress
-
trousers, underwear, and shift and cap to match. It was not good for him
to give
the person a trouser and ask the person
to
go
and look for where to
get the shift underwear and cap. If he planned
to feed someone, he must
be ready to give the person food, drink, snuff and so on in order to
completely satisfy the person. If this could not be done, Alade was
warned, itwas better notto offerthe assitance at all.
After this, Alad was advised to offer qbg
and feed Egu as stated above.
Hearing these statements from the Babalwo, Alad was Iivid with rage.
He considered the statements of the Awo as affront to his personality. He
told the Awo that nobody needed to tell him how to assist others. He
accused the Awo of
planning
to twist his arms in order to render more help
to the Awo afterall, the Awo was one of the recipients of his good gestures.
He told the Awo to go
and drop into the lagoon if he (Awo) was not satified
with the help he had received so far. Alade told him that the
gbg would not
be offered and that if the Awo was not pleased,
then he could go
and do
whatever pleased him. Ahd stood up to
go. The Awo however told him
thatthere was no compulsion in If. He, Alade, was free to accept or reject
the advice of theAwo. Wth ths, Alad left.
When AlaOe stafted the farm cultivation, he realised that many more
people had access to him. For this, he was very happy. He also had good
haruestseason. That made him happier.
He soon realised that with many more passers-by
coming to his farm, he
needed to do more to assist them and easen the burden and fatigue of
their trips. For this reason, Alae used to roast yams
and fetch water for all
to take on their ways to and from their various destinations. When many
people knew thatAlad was doing this, they were very grateful to him.
It however reached a stage that no matter the number of
yams roasted or
1163
the volume of water fetched, everything would be exhausted in no time at
all. For this reason, AlaOe designed a means of ensuring that everyone
was helped. He decreed that whoever came to his farm had to choose
between drinking coolwaterand eating roasted yam.
Nobody was allowed to take both together any longer. It soon became a
popular
slogan among the people that'gnlkan klf
jq
meT l'ba Ahde; bf o b
jg'gu
o Iff mu'mi, bi o sl mu'mi o tff
jg'gu'
meaning; nobody can enjoy
two things in Alade's farm shed; if you
eat
yams, you
cannot drink water,
and if you
drinkwater,
you cannoteatyams.
Before long, every traveller knew that if they
got
to Alad's farm, they
would have something to take, but that they could never enjoy two things
atthe sametime. This had become an unwritten law in thisfarm.
One day however, a man came to Alade for help. This man got lost in the
forest. He had been wandering for five days without food and water. As
soon as he got to Alade's farm, he began to
plead
to be
given food and
drink because he was very hungry and thirsty. He pleaded with Alade to
have pity for him. Alade told him that he needed to choose one between
eating yams to his satisfaction and drinking water to
quell his thirst. The
man pleaded that he would need both. Alad said that such was not
allowed in this farm. After much pleading and refusal, the man chose to
eat
yams. AaOe gave him two medium size tubers of yam to eat. The man
had not eaten one
yam when his throat became dry and the yam got
hooked to his throat. He begged and begged for water. AlaOe refused,
claiming that he had told the man that he could not enjoy two things
together in his farm. The man fell down; the yam began to suffocate him.
Alad felt that it was unmanly for him to change his decree. He refused to
yield ground. Afew moments later, the man died.
As soon as the man breathed his last, people began to troop into Alade's
farm. How they came to know about the incident was very strange to him.
The story on the lips of all the
people was that Alae lured a stranger into
his farm with yams
and strangulated him to death. Alad pleaded
and
explained his own side of this story. Nobody was prepared to believe him.
1164
Alad was slapped and kicked. He was yelled at and abused. ,j""'il:3
ordered to carry the corpse of the dead man to the
Qba's
palace.
On his
way to the
palace, he fell down four times. As soon as he fell, he would be
slapped and kicked more viciously and ordered to carrythe corpse again.
To his chargrin, he realised that all those kicking and slapping him were
regular visitors to his farm who used to eat or drink there. He saw all of
them thanking Oldmar that they did not fall into Aade's trap and
become one of his victims as the dead man had become.
In the
Qba's
palace the question Alade was repeatedly asked after he had
finished his story was that when the man had been
pleading for water, why
was he not given? When Alae told them that it was his policy that nobody
could enjoy two things in his farmshed, Alad was abused and declared a
callous man and a murderer. AlaAe was arraigned for murder. When he
was about to be sentenced Alad Onfwt-Mt remembered the advice
and warning of his Awo but it was too Iate to make any amendment.
Agoorelgetn nll
jq
mlOrlyln
Dl firn Alad onfwt-Mt
Mjqff rtle red'koeb
qna
[bg
ni wQn nl k w qe
kg'tf
Qgbgnyin
s'ebg
Nedl b tt mo
Iba wafows'rfin ebo
Translation
Doing good in half measure usually leads to failure to reCeive gratitude
from those whom one assists
This was lf's message for Alad On'iwt-Mtrl
When he was going to cultivate a farm by the road-side
He was advised to offer ebo
He refused to comply
nad Alade known
He would have ensured that all the
ebQ
and advice of the Awo were
complied with
If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed needs not to be too
rigid on any issue. For any rule, law or
policy, there must be an exception.
Refusal to bend the rules when it was imperative to do so was paft
of what
1165
pw Alad Orf wat- Met into trouble'
1,4. If warnsthe
person forwhom
this Od is revealed
notto be
greedy in
anything
tt'rul n"/rhe
does.
If says that this
person is
presently
occupying"upo'itonofauthority.He/shemustbecarefu|notto
allow avaricious
attitude
,e*o"
him/her
and
make
him/her
a
worthless
ption In this
position, the
person for whom
this Od is
revealed
is expected
to
iossess
leadership
qualities; he/she
is
expected
to be
generous, liberal,
patient,.truthful,
honest'
focused
and forg"".
-He/she
it irppoied
to
.be
very accommodating'
He/she,rit1.
able and willini'to
lead others
alright'
He/she
must
be selfless
and intelligent.
Hehe
must have the fear of Oldmar
atthe backof
his/her
mind at all times'
If advises
this
person to offer
gbg with three
pigeons, three
guinea-fowls,
ihree cocks
and money'
He/she
also needs to
feed Eg o#;iih
one big cock.
on this aspect,6frln-Mfl
says:
OrtPa'bl
nff
j'jl
Agba
Qknirlw'
ai',h
T bi'Ja
tn
Agb'Qr
u rQ, a mqYa
lg
Dlfinqni
iwaj
Tl
y d'qni lk'yln
lbg
ni wgn nl k w
9e
Translation
Theko|a.nutbreakerisexpectedtocons.umetwolobesofthekola.nut
nn u"rtors
elder will cosume
three of the four lobes
After consuming
tnre ior, he willcau
his load by himself
and move
away
(without anyone
offering
to assist)
This was the message
of If for the Leader
Who shall eventually
become
the Follower
He was advised
to offer
gbg
when coming
from
Qrun
to Ay, the 16 majgf od occupied
the following
positions of Authority
and S"nititY
- Oful:ry-r!,
Number
One;
Q$e-MI'
Number
Two; lwri MJ|,
nurnnerihree;
od-l/le,
Number
lo.Ytt
lrosn-
Mfl, ruumnei
rve;
e*qn,1n
M),
Number
six;
Qbara-uer,
Number
1166
seven;
Qkanran-M),
Number Eight; ognd-M), Number Nine; o*
M), Number 10;I.ka-M), Number 11; Otuntpgn M), Number tz; btura-
M), Number 13; IrgtQ-M), Number 14;
Qp
Mj, Number 15; and E)-
Ogb, Number 16. When they arrived on earth, they maintained theie
positions.
Ofun-we'i and
Qgs-Ml
were accorded full respect and
recognition
as the leaders. None of the remaining principal
Od dare
questioned
their authority. They did all things together. Whenever they
went for If consultation for anyone, Ofun-Ue'i would preside
over the
event' Whatever he said was final. Whenever they were to break Kolanut
for their client, Ofun MT wourd be the one to break it. They normally
broke kolanuts with four lobes. After breaking the kolanut, ofn-MJi
would consume three lobes, leaving only one lobe for the remaining 1-5
principal
Od!
Qgg
Mel would take the remaining lobe leaving nothing
behind forthe remaining 14 od!
yef
nobodywasexpected
to querythem
for whatever they did! If their clients oftered a goat
as gbg,
Ofon tvtet
would share for himself the two thighs and one arm of the goU
Qpg
mejl
would take the remaining
arm, intestines, organs and the chest, leaving
whatever remained forthe remaining 14 oj-od to share
While this was going
on, it was telling badly on the 14 remaining
OjrJ-Od.
To feed became a serious problem
for them. Before long, they b-egan to
grumble
against Ofun-Mefi and
Ope-M).
They complaied against their
style of leadership. They accused them of avariciousness.
In order to placate
the frustrated ojrl-od however, E)-ogb, the last in
the order of seniority used to invite them to his home and ntertain them
with the little that he had. He would appeal to them to maintain peace
and
be patient.
He said that Ofun-M) would soon see the reason why he
needed to have a change of attitude and approach. while doing this,
9Ygtu
M), the second to the last in the order oiseniority, would also assist
E)-ogb in enteftaining the other oj-od, just
to ensure that peace
was
maintained.
This went on for severalyears but Ofiln-M) saw no reason why he should
change.his style of administration and leadership.
Qgq
Ml was also
urging ofun-we) on, telling the others to go
and drop nio the lagoon if
they were not satisfied.
1167
Tired of all what was happening, L2 of the remaining 14 Oj'1-Od (they
excluded E)-Ogbe and
QyQktl-M))
met secretly and decided that they
could no longer accept OfUn-tvte) and
Q#-MT
as their leaders. On that
same day, they decided to make E)-Ogb, the least in seniority, the leader
and
QyQkrl-M;)
the deputy. On that same day, they moved Ofun-tvte) to
the 16'n position and moved
Qgg-Mel
to the 15" position.
Before summoning ET-Ogbe,
QyQk
Mfi, Ofr:n-Vtelt and
Qgg-M),
they
invited ESU
Qdara
to come and sanction all their dellberation with Agg.
When EpU
Qdara
arrived, he asked them to tell him exactly what had
happened. They narrated the storyto him. Eg invited the remaining four
Ojrl-Od
(principal Od) to explain their own side of the story. They did.
Ofun-lttle) was found guilty of avariciousness and conducts unbecoming of
good leader. He was therefore moved from the first to the 16'n position as
the other Ojrt Od wanted.
QgQ-Mel
was found guilty of aiding and
abetting what was wrong and unacceptable. He was moved from the
second to the 15h position. On the other hand, E)-Ogbe was praised for
exhibiting exceptional leadership
qualities and was moved from the 16'n to
the first position.
QyQktt-MT
was also commended for supporting what
was righteous and was moved from the 15'n to the second
position.
That was the way it had been from that day up till today. It had been
sanctioned by Egu-Qdara and had been accepted by Oldmar.
Onpa'bl nll
j'ejl
Agbe
Qknjrrw,
a
j'$ta
T b
j'Qta
tiln
Agb'$r u rQ, a mqya lg
Dlfilneni iwjrt
Tlyd'gnilk,yln
Ebg
ni wqn nl k w
9e
kg'tf
Qgbgnyin
s'ebg
jg almo'w h u wgn ni o
Alm'ed
pe
e wgn n
Ar iwjtt o, lo d'gni lke, yln
Alm'w h u won ni o
1168
Translation
The kola-nut breaker is expected to consume two lobes
An avaricious elder will consume three
After consuming three lobes, he will carry his load by himself and move
away
This was the message of Ifa forthe Leader
Who shall eventually becomethe Follower
He was advised to offergbg
He refused to comply
Now, it was their inability to act properly
And their refusal to speak the right words at the appropriate time
These were whatturned a Leaderto a Follower
It was their inability to act properly
If warns that refusal to act properly
or failure to know how to utter the
right words when approprate to do so can turn a leader to a follower; it can
turn a respected person to a scorned and condemned person. It can also
turn someone loved by all to the person hated and despised by the same
people
who hithefto loved him/her.
15. If says that the person for whom this Od is revealed is kind-
heafted. He/she loves to assist others as much as he/she can. lf
however warns this person
not to exclude or ignore his/her
immediate relatives while rendering help to outsiders.
If says that the immediate family and relatives of the person
for
whom this Od is revealed are pointing
accusng fingers at him/her
that he/she is assstng other people while he/she had abandoned
his/her own blood.
If warns this
person
not to do so and if he/she had been doing it,
there ought to be a change of attitude. Failure to accommodate
his/her own blood relations and assist them may not augur well for
him/her in the end. This may turn him/her to subject of ridicule and
scorn.
1169
If advises the person for whom this Od is revealed to offer
gbg with
three
pigeons, three hens, three guinea fowls, three cocks
and money. A stanza in Ofun-M) on this aspect says:
Ayl'Okun
Enlyn I'Qs
A kff mQ
q
wQ k f k'l ay
j
D,lfilnAbe
T l'hun
j'oy
Olore
lbg
ni wqn nl k w
9
e
Translation
The sea represents the world
And the Lagoon represents human beingsthere-in
No expeft swimmer can swim the length and breadth of the sea, which
represents the world
This was If's message to Abe
Who wanted totakethetitle of The Benefactor
He was advised to offergbg
Abe was highly successful, He was also
generous
and kind-heafted. Many
people rose up and succeeded through him. He fed the l4ungry; he
provided medication for the invalid; he provided
shelter for the homeless;
he stood surety for others; he ensured that the weak were not cheated or
intimidated; he ensured that necessary supports were rendered to those
who needed them. He even sponsored many community-based
projects.
He had a marvelous reputation everywhere. He was highly respected from
far and near. Several communities owed their advancementto him.
As he was doing all these however, no relation of his benefited from his
generousity. Much as they tried to convince Abe to cast a sympathetic
glance inwards and assist his relations, he simply could not be bothered.
One day, all Abe's relatives gathered together to discuss about the
situation. They complained that Abe assisted everyone who came to him
for help, except his own blood. They did not understand why this should
be so. After much deliberation, they concluded that there was the need to
summon Abe to their midst so as to Iet him know the way they felt about
him. A delegate was sentto him. A date was fixed forthe meeting.
17a
'l'l
Ofun Meji
On the day of the meeting, they made it clear to Abe that most of their
friends and acquaintance owed their success and elevation to him. Those
whom they never knew at all also benefited from him. As kind and
benevolent as he was, he had not helped anyone in the family. They
pleaded with him to
please
have a change of heat towards the family.
Many of those present
at the meeting stated the areas where they
expected him to help them. These areas ranged from financial, emotional,
social, psychological, to occult. Theytold him thatthe assistance thatthey
required from him was not beyond him. This was because they had
witnessed him doing more than those things for others.
In his reponse, Abe made it clear to them that this world was like an ocean
while human beings there-in were like lagoons. He stated fufther that no
matter how good
one was, the person could never satisff the world,
because no swimmer could ever swim the length and breadth of the ocean.
He told them that nobody could stop him from helping those whom he
wanted to help and nobody could blame him for not helping them. He
urged them to wait for their turn. He promised that it would soon come to
their turn and he would be able to help them all.
The elders showed him howtheir living conditions had degenerated. They
showed him that many of his relatives were going
about in rags; the roofs
of houses where they lived were leaking; the walls had cracked; some
pafts of their houses had collapsed altogether. They stated further that
they could not eat up to two times a day. They showed him many of them
whose wives had not been able to become pregnant. They showed him
many relatives who were in emotionalturmoil. Some of his relatives were
about to be incarcerated over what they knew nothing about. They
believed that with his influence, these people
could easily be
pulled
out of
trouble. All what Abe said in form of response was for them to wait for
their turn. He told them that he would not appreciate being rushed into
taking any action. The meeting ended without any concrete conclusion.
The relatives of Abe continued to wait for their turn. Outsiders continued
to benefit from the generosity
and benevolence of Abe. For 18 years,
Abe's relatives continued to wait for their turn. For 18 years, it was not yet
theirturn to benefitfrom Abe's generosity and benevolence.
1171
Soon after this, Abe fell ill. Before help could be rendered to him, he died.
The news of Abe's death spread like wild fire. All those who had benefitted
from his
generosity were prepared to
give him a befitting final burial. As a
matter of fact, they made it a point of duty to do so in order to show their
appreciation. They
planned a special
prayer sessions for him. They also
ptanned an all night pafty for him. They set up a seven-man
panel to
organise the ceremony. It was a well-arranged and befittingly organised
party.
On the day of the final burial ceremony, several
people came from far and
near. Their orchestra
played from town to town. They danced from
quafter to quafter. Their song was:
Abeek
AbeOlore
Abemamkoo
AbeOlore
Ko m m s'Qnit'AbeOgefitn o
Translation
Abe is dead
Abe the Benevolent
Abe is truly dead
Abe the Benevolent
There is nobody that Abe did not help
Those who benefitted from Abe's generosity
joined
the band-wagon. That
was how they did until they
got to Abe's family compound. To their
surprise, there was no activity
going on in the compound. No member of
Abe's extended family organized anything for him. Abe was buried on the
very day he died by his relatives. The burialwas done not because of their
love for him; but ratherto
prevent his corpse from stinking and causing bad
odour in the community. As soon as he was bured, all his relatives forgot
about him.
When they heard outsiders singing and dancing that there was nobody that
Abe did not assist, they knew that such false impression must be
quickly
1172
+ti ofun Mej
corrected. They gathered
together and began to sing thus:
LOt I'Abee Krl
AbeOlore
Abemmekoo
Abe Olore
Abeses1ta ni
KOgesllo
Translation
It is true thatAbe is dead
Abe the Benevolent
Abe istrulydead
Abe the Benevolent
Abe is benevolent to outsiders
And neverto his blood relations
When people heard this, they were totally disappointed. They concluded
that in spte Abe's benevolence, he remaned an irresponsible man, snce
he was only good outside. Anyone whose relatives could not benefit from
his/her generosity, influence or benevolence remains an irresponsible
person. Thatwasthe end of the
paftyforAbe.
Ay I'Okun
Enlyn I'Qs
A kll mg
q
we k fi k'l ay
j
DlfinAbe
T l'hun j'oy OIore
lbg
ni wQn nl k w ge
kg'tl ggbgnyin s'bq
lljgAbekrt
Abe Olore
Abe ma m k oO
Abe Olore
KO m ma s'n t'Abe O se filn o
Lotq l'Abee Ku
Abe Oloore
Abe m m k oO
Abe Oloore
Abeges'lta ni
KOses'llo
1173
Translation
The sea represents the world
And the lagoon represents human beings there-in
No expert swimmer can swim the length and breadth of the sea, which
represents the world
This was lf's message to Abe
Who wanted to take the title of Benefactor
He was advised to offer
gbg
He refusedtocomply
Behold Abe is dead
Abethe Benevolent
Abe istrulydead
Abethe Benevolent
There is nobodythatAbe did not help
It is true thatAbe is dead
Abe the Benevolent
Abe is truly dead
Abethe Benevolent
Abe is benevolentto outsiders
And neverto his blood relations
If advises the
person for whom this Od is revealed to be fair to all,
including his/her blood relatons.
16. If says that there is the need for the person for whom Ofun-we) is
revealed to offer
gbg
and feed Od in order to bring
peace and
tranquility into the home of this peson.
If says that if the
person for whom this Od is revealed is a woman, t
is not advisable for her husband or husband-to-be to marry any other
woman beside her. If the husband-to-be is already married, it is not
in the man's interest to add this woman to his wives. Doing so can
only spell doom and disaster forthe man and the other women in his
household.
However, if the
person for whom this Od is revealed has already
married more than one wife at the same time and this had brought
1174
ll Olun Meji
problems, there is the need to offer
gbg
and feed Od in order to
return the life of this person to normal.
:
If recommends one matured he-goat as
gbg. There is also the
need to feed Od with one ram and eight snails. On these, Ofrln-
M3) says:
Qdundun
ab'ew pglgntbQ-pelenrbg
TetQreg n ablyg gbortdorlgl-gbdorlgl
I
ba w'etf AdJe
I
wo
Qdndn
I
Ddggbgggba niwqn$e
DlafinOrunmll
Baba lg rfQQrQ-MQdlmqd
Tll ggmg Olwu Skoorogble
lbg
ni wQn nl k w
fe
Translation
QdrtndUn
leaves are thick to touch
Teteregn are long and big in apperance
i
If you lookatAd.tQ Cactus leaves
I
And look at
Qdrndrn
leaves
They look exactly the same
These were If's declarations to
QrrlnmIl
When going to marryQrQ-MQdlmQdl
The offspring of Olwu-$koorogble
He was advised to offergbq
QrQ-MQdlmQdi,
othenryise known as Od, was a daughter of Olwu
$koorogble.
From the time her mother was carrying her in her wombs it
i
was clear that
QrQ-MQdimQdi
was not an ordnary creature. When she was
born, the events which happened around her and the world over
confirmed that she was not an ordinary human being. During her
IkgsQdy ceremony, the Awo who were there to
perform
the rites laid
emphasis on the fact that the baby was specially endowed with unique
qualities
and
powers from heaven. She could not, and must not be
married to an ordinary person when she grew
up to maturity. They named
her
QrQ-MQdlmgdi,
Esoteric words, otherwise known as Od.
1175
Od was below average in beauty and
physical
appearance. She was very
jealous
of other women. At a stage, Od could only be found in the midst
of men as a result of her
jealousy
for her fellow women.
All those around her were convinced that
QrQ-MQdlmQdl
was endowed with
extremely high spiritual and occult powers.
She applied these powers to
assist her father Olwu Skoorogble to succeed and become great in life.
Some other men who approached her for assistance were equally assisted.
When she was matured enough for the marriage market however, many
men dreaded her. They knew that they could not withstand her spiritual
and occult prowess. That was why her father Olwu
$koorogble
approached
Qrnmll
to marry her in accordance with the directive of If
during herlkgsQdy that no ordinary man could marry her.
Qrnmll
consulted If and If gave him the go-ahead to marry her. If
however warned him that he must call this woman and ask her to tell him
her likes and dislikes before she ever entered his home.
As a result of this warning from If, Od was invited by
Qrnmll
for a one-
on-one discussion. She asked
Qrrfnm'il
to meet her in her father's home
at a specified date. When they met, she promised
Qrnmll
that she
would assist him to success and
greatness.
She said that nobody would be
able to overcome him. She said that none of his fellow lrnmglQ would be
as great
as him. She said that she loved being
pampered,
adored and
respected by her husband-to-be. She concluded that she disliked to be
seen by other women
-
as a matter of fact, she would never tolerate being
'seen
by any woman on eafth. She laid emphasis on the fact that any
woman who dared to see her would meet with terrible consequence.
When she said this,
Qrrlnmll
told her that he was already married to many
women. Consequent upon this, he would need to discuss this with his other
wives before he could give her any reply on her likes and dislikes.
QrQ-
MQdimQdl agreed with him. Another date was fixed for another round of
discussion before
Ornmll
leftfor his home.
1176
Il Orun uei
At home,
Qrnmll
summoned all his wves and explained to them what
had
just
transpired between him and Od. He told them that Od was
uncompromising on the aspect of the fact that no woman must see her. He
asked them to tell him their minds if they felt that they could abide by the
unusual request of Od; and if not, he would be prepared to call it quit with
her. All the women told
QrUnmll
that there was nothing spectacular with
that. They said that since the woman was not prepared
to see them or be
seen by them, they too were not ready to see her at all. They asked
Qrnm)l
to
go
ahead and marry
QrQ-MQdimQdi.
When
Qnf
nmll and Od metagain, he told herthatthere was no problem.
Odu told Ornmll to go back home and find out very well. Three times
Qrnm'll
called his wives to ask them if they were very sure that they
would be able to cope with
QrQ-MQdimQdl
and three times they all said that
there was no problem. For this reason, the marriage was contracted.
When
QrQ-MQdimQqi
moved into Ornmll's home, she was given
the room
at the extreme end of the house. She loved the arrangement and all the
other women loved it too. For six months, they lived together without
problem.
One day however, one of the women in the household of
Qrnm)l
called
the other women and said that it was the height of insult for a woman, the
most
junior
wife for that matte; to order them not to see her and for them
to abide by such rule. She said that it was clear that this woman was using
a trick on them in order for her to avoid
pafticipating in the household
chores. To add
pepper
to injury they were the ones cooking for her,
fetching her water, sweeping the compound and washing clothes for her!
She claimed that O;nmll had tricked them into accepting the woman's
rules. She accused
Qrtlnmll
of dancing to the tunes of the most
junior
wife. How could
Qrnmll
allow this un-see-able woman to be dictating to
her seniors in the house? The situation must be addressed and adjusted
accordingly.
Some of the other wives conceded that there was a marked improvement in
their lives in the little period
that Od entered into the home. They felt that
such could be considered before taking any decision against the woman.
1177
lfa Dida: An invitation to lfa Consultaton
And so what?, the other woman screamed. Was that enough for her to be
the one calling the shots in the house? She must be
put in her proper
place, she declared.
One of them suggested that they must confront Orrlnmll and ask him to
find solution to the issue. Three other women said that
Qrnmll
could do
nothing because his head was permanently in the woman's armpit. The
woman, Od was the one controlling even
Qrnmll
himself! If there was
going
to be any solution, it must be found by the women. That was how
they all concluded that they would all go and meet the woman, drag her
out of her room and make her to participate in the household chores. If
she was dreaded by her husband, they had no fear for her whatsoever,
they all concluded.
Because
QrQ-MQdlmQdi
was living in the room at the extreme end of the
house, the place was always dark. They went to look for lamps which they
would light to see her in her room since she was living in the dark ever
since she arrived in that house. The eldest wife told all the other women to
bring out their lamps in their rooms. They did. She declared that they
must drag
QrQ-MQdimQdi
out that very day to expose her. Yes! they all
chorused, on4 off they went.
They burst into her room with their lamps on; they focused the lamps on
her face. What they saw was unspeakable and indescribable. At that very
instant, they all collapsed, fell and dropped dead!
When
Qrnm'il
arrived home, he sensed something terrible had
happened, he could not find any of his wives. He called on them and there
was nobody to answer.
QrQ-MQdimQdl
did not leave her room.
Qrrrnm)la
moved inside only to find the corpses of the women piled
upon one
another by the door of
QrQ-MQdlmQdl.
When he realised that they were all
dead, grief overwhelmed him. He shouted and accused
QrQ-MQdlmOdi
of
introducing agony into his home, saying:
QrQ
n o b g pln'hn fin'k
Qrqnobg
pln'hnfrn
QrQ
n O b g pln'hn firn kll gbn janjan
1178
Il oru, u"
Translation
Qrq,I
did notenter nto covenantwith
you fordeath
Neitherdid I bargain foraffliction
And I did not agree for my home to be set on fire
When
QrQ-MQdlmQdlheard
this, she simply responded thus:
L'Otq lo O b mi
Pln'hn
fn'k
Ootq loo b mi pf n'hn f'rn
AmQ g o O b mi pln'hn fitn k gb'n wo ni o!
Translation
It is true that
you did not enter into covenant with me for death
And you did not bargain for affliction
But you also did not tell me that light would be brought to look at my face!
This was how Onlnmll knew that the women in his household were the ones
who brought lamps to Od's room to look at her face in defiance. This was what
provoked herto strike them down.
Qdrndun
ab'ew
plntb-plenrbq
TQtQregn ablyg gbodorlgl-gbdorlgl
!
ba w'etl AdJe
$woQdndn
Ddggbgggba niwn ge
Dl filn Orrnmlla
Baba lg rfQrg-MQdlmQdl
Tll ggmg Olwu
$koorogble
Ebq
ni wqn nl k w ge
je
Qrq
n b g pln'hn fn'kr
'
ArQnObg
pln'hrnf'rn
QrQ
n O b g pln'hn fitn kll gbn janjan
QrQ
nl l'oto Io o b mi pln'hn fin'k
Ootq Io o b mi pln'hn frn
AmQ
S
o o b mi pln'hn fn k gb'n wo ni o!
Translation
Odrlndrln leaves are thick to touch
TQtQrQgfl are long and big in appearance
If you lookatAdgtQ. Cactus leaves
1179
lfa Dida: An invitaon to lfa Consultation
And look at
Qdndn
leaves
They look exactlythe same
These were If's declarations to Orrlnmll
When going to marry
QrQ-MQdlmQdl
The offspring of Olwu-$koorogble
He was advised to offer ebo
Qrnmll
began to sing and his song became a song of lamentation,
He said,
QrQ,
I did notenter into covenantwith
you fordeath
Neither, did I bargain forafflictions
And I did not agree for my home to be set on fire
QrQ
responded that truly,
you
did not enter into covenant with me for
death
And you
did not bargain for afflictions
But you
also did not told me that light would be brought to look at my face
!
If says that no matter what happens no woman must be allowed to see or
possess Od. It was Od herself, a fellow woman, who decreed against
being seen by any woman.
Abgru Aboy
1180
ill
o,un r",
B. SIGNIFICANCE OF OF('N MEJI FOR THOSE BORN BY
THE OD DURING IKOSEOAVE ORTTELO
Ofun Mil children are born leaders. They attain leadership positions from
their
youth. Their influence spread far and wide. Wth this influence, they
become great as leaders and they acquire unlimited success and influence.
Their influence stems from the fact that they act as pathfinders for their
colleagues, families and communities in general. The position
they
normally occupy in the community can only be compared to the position
that the eyes occupy in the body. Without the eyes, vision is inhibited.
With hope and hard work, there is nothing that Ofun Mjl children lost
which cannot be regained in several folds. Their nature is such that as one
oppoftunity closes, several others leading to the same goal will open. They
will therefore be able to regain what they lost from several angles. To Ofun
Mil, as long as there is life, there is hope; as long as there is hope, there
are boundless oppounities to succeed and become great.
Even though
Qrangun
Mil children do occupyvery high positions in their
lives, it is however
possible that their own children will take over that same
position from them even when they are still alive. It is in the best interest to
vacate the
position peacefully in good faith instead of creating unnecessary
bad blood. These children will however be greater than their parents
who
are Ofun Mjl children. The children's
greatness
shall surpass that of their
father's in everydepaftmentof life.
For Ofun Mil children, long life is possibility. They have the grace
to live
long enough to witness the birth and
growth
of their grand
children. They
are not destined to die
young.
It is an established fact that Ofun Mjl children are pure hearted, kind and
considerate. They believe in
justice,
fair play
and decorum. In spite of
these sterling
qualities,
they are hated and despised. Three major reasons
are usually responsible for this: one, as kind heafted as they are, they
always do
good to outsiders at expense of their own blood relations who
1181
Ifa Dida: An invtation to lfa Consultation
normally do not have impact of kind-heaftednessi two, when they do
good
for others, it is almost always done in half without completing the
assstance for the
persons who need their help; three, as a result of his
good fortune and the prominent positions they occupy in life, there are
bound to the envious
people who wish to bring them down at all costs. If
these three
points are
properly addressed and welltaken care of, then most
of the
problems facing'OfUn Mjl children can be solved. Wth
appropriate ebo, If will switch
public opinion from negative to
positive for
them.
QrangUn
Mjl children increase their blessings and favour which
emanates from Oldmar Himself if they display a high degree of humility
and level-headedness. These are the two
qualities, which they have, in
very short supply. They however need to cultivate this habit and ensure
that they show
genuine love and respect for people, no matter how low
their status may be in the society. They also need to show
greater love for
those who had approached them for help.
Ofin Mjl male children have the weakness of toying with their
personal
hygiene. They do not care much about the way they appear or how neat
their environment is. This they need to put into consideration. Thy also
need to appear neat, smell nice and lookgorgeousatalltimes. If this is not
done, Ofun MT male children lose their clients, wives, respect,
prestige
and home. At the same time, there is the need for these children to avoid
doing anything that will put their morality into question. They must avoid
disgracing themselves where they are highly respected especially on
moralissues.
For
Qrngn
Mjl female children, it is in their best interest never to
marry or have any love relationship with any man who is already
married. They must never agree to be a second wife. If this is not
taken seriously, the consequence will be bad both for them and their
love ones who are emotionally attached to them.
AFFTLTATED TRUNMOLE/ORTSA OF or(ln MEJI
If
- for all ire in life and longevity
c.
1.
1182
ltl
orun uej
2. Od
- for overall success and victory
3. Orl
- for consummated foftune
4. EgU Odar- for general well being and victory
5.
Qbtl
-
for success, children and prosperity
6. Obalaye ($Onpnna) for general well being
7. Olkun
- for financial success
8. Ogun
-
for
joy
and victory
9.
Fgb
-
for comradeship and leadership
D. TABOOS OF OFN MEJI
Must not be avaricious
-
to avoid humiliation disgrace and
unconsummated foftune
Must never eat or sell kra to avoid contention with elders of
the Night
Must never be arrogant to avoid disgrace and unconsummated
foftune
Must never use IrkQ made with brass to avoid lack of respect
within the household
Must never use wall-gecko and chameleon for anything -
unconsummated foftune
Must never marry two wives into the same house to avoid
matrimonial disaster
Must never appear drty and unkempt to avoid unconsummated
foftune
Must never think, speak or do evil to avoid loss of respect and
unconsummated foftune.
E. POSSIBLE NAMES OF OTN ME'I CHILDREN
Males
1. Ajylmk- Wealth surrounds me
2. Awolgl
-
Honour belongs to an Awo
3. Adygrl
-
The crown befits the head
4. Adtut
-
The crown is comfoftable
1183