Chapter Two Okonron-Oyeku Okonron-Aronmo Divination Before Leaving Heaven: i is ake sacrifice because he was ‘Odi when he was leaving heaven. He was advised to make s going to have several enemies on earth, He was told to serve Est with a he-goat and roasted yam and he did the sacrifice. [ Jin mi lawo ligonrin, Oroke mi lawo Ie'turuye were the two Awos who made divination for As soon as he got to the world, a mark was put on his forchead by the Cult of Witchcraft to enable witches to identify him wherever he went, as a victim marked out for destruction. One night, while he was sleeping, he had a dream in which his guardian angel told him to wash his head with a he-goat on Esi shrine. When he got up in the morning, he made divination and Iff told him that the sacrifice was to enable Esii to remove the mark inserted on his forehead by Awon lyami Osoronga. Before then, he had been experiencing all kinds of difficulties. Everything he touched always went wrong. He however proceeded to make the sacrifice after which the witches began to confess to what they had been doing against him. Before then, he had developed a chronic stomach ache which refused to yield to any form of treat- ment. One morning, a woman having one eye came to give him leaves and materials to cook and eat to cure his stomach trouble. After eating the preparation, he vomited a scorpion which ended his stomach trouble. __. When this Odi appears at divination, the person should be told to get If priests to wash his head on Esi shrine with a he-goat to minimize his problems from witchcraft. He also probably has a stomach Problem which was caused by the Elders of the Night. The Ifd priests should also serve the Night for him. He Made Divination for Odogbonikere: Agbon losoo sibi hari hari. Okpe elujulo gase logarun. AAdifa fun Odogbonikere ti yio je ola edu ti ti §i, Mora eku lo ja, emi ko san wo, Odogbonikere. Ola edu laanje, Odogbonikere. Mo ra cja ati eran Ioja, mio san wo, Odogbonikere. Ola Ifé laanje. Mora'ya loja, mio san wo, Odogbonikere, Ola Iff laanje, Odogbonikere. ‘The coconut tree bears fruits at a height the hand cannot reach, unaided. The and long neck. These were the benefits of If throughout the span of his life. He goat and a wife from the market without paying for any of them, because Odogbo: to enjoy the fortunes and providence of Oranmila. palm tree has long legs ‘was able to buy rat, fish, nikere came to the world He made sacrifice with a goat and he enjoyed a prosperous life throughout. When this Odi appea™™ 4 90Ugbodu, the person will be advised to serve Ifi well so that he will never be in want throughout his life, At divination, the person should be told to have his own If, in order to enjoy a prosperous life, ‘The Special Features of Okonron-Oyeku: Although Okonron-Oyeku was not a witch, he was nonetheless able to attend meetings held by the club of witchcraft. He was able to know how witches send out messages. He had a brother called Osogeregere. One night, his brother's matter was brought to the meeting of witches where they decided that Osogeregere should be given a basket to fetch water from the river. He was not to return until he succeeded in fetching water with the basket. Osogeregere was a rascally young man. After hearing the impossible task earmarked for his brother by the Night, he could not reveal the information directly to him. He however called on him to go at once for divination about his own life. Osozeregere responded by refusing to go for divination because he had no problems whatsoever. He was however successfully persuaded to go and also to serve a secondary divinity called Olugbodo (Akobie in Bini), with seven yam tubers. He was told that whenever he was to make the sacrifice to Olugbodo, one herren woman would come to meet him at the shrine. He was told to advise the woman to buy a mother- goat to serve Olugbode in order to have a child. He performed the sacrifices. Ashe was actually offering sacrifice to Olugbodo, woman came and he advised her to serve Olugbodo with a goat in order to have a child. The woman was herself a witch and she ‘eas the one who was appointed by the Night to carry out the sentence passed on Osogeregere. The woman however served Olugbodo and she became pregnant. She subsequently gave birth to a male child. The woman, who herself was to determine his fate in the witch world, refused to give him the basket to fetch water from the river. When this Ifa appears at Ugbodu, the person will be told that there is a barren woman in his family, and there isa divinity in his family of which he is to be the priest. He should not refuse to serve as apriest ofthe divinity. He should serve Ogiin three times before completing the If ceremonies. He should also give a second he-goat to Es. At divination, the person should serve; Esa with he-goat, and Ogin with a cock, to negate trouble from a relation. Made Divination for the Statesman to Have Authority: Teekeshe Awo omode. Teekasha Awo agbalagba. Okuu kan kan ko de eji. Eeledaoye. Adifa fun Baba gbobe korun, omo shan shan shan. Ebodofin ru lane ofin shin shin shin. ‘Walk gently is the Awo of the youths. ‘Walk sharply is the Awo of the elders. It remains one finger marking to become Oyeku-Meji. ‘These were the three Awos who made divination for the elder-statesman who accepted good advice to make sacrifice. After making the sacrifice his voice began to carry the weight of authority. “The sacrifice which the king made the previous day had already manifested. hat he has recently made one sacrifice, chen it appears as Ure at divination, the person will be told . . he should be told that he has not which has been accepted by the higher powers. If it appears as Ayeo, 1made the sacrifice recently prescribed for him at divination. He should make it without any further delay. He Reveals How Ordnmila Left the World for Heaven: Tee Keshe Keshe Awo omode. Tee Kasha Kasha Awo agbalagba. Okuu ka kan ko do oye. Eleda oye Awo Hare. Adifa fun Oranmila, baba baa lo si ekpa Okun ati ilaju osa. Onlo koni wamo. Woni tani won oma kpeni baba. Eni ba tiri Ki eckpe ni baba. Orinmila losi igbehin Okun, koo ni wa mo. The same Awos as in the preceding section also revealed how Orinmila left this world to join his fellow divinities in heaven, When he was leaving the world, Orinmila told his children and followers that he was leaving for the home beyond the sea for good, never to return. They came through the sea and he was going to return through the sea. His children and followers asked him who they were thenceforth going to refer to as their father. In reply, he told them to refer to anyone they saw as their father, because he was already set to return to heaven never to return anymore. ‘This was how Oriinmila authorized his followers to reveal the names of their Ifa to anyone professing to be an Ifa priest for translation. If you meet any If4 priest, tell him the name of your If because he might be able to tell you about it, what you have n usly heard from anyone else. It is not possible for one person to know all there is to know about Orinmila, lest the person will go mad. Ifanyone therefore advises you not to disclose the name of your Ifa to any Babalawo, it is your signal that the adviser isa cheat. Avoid him. Ono-Ifi for a Peaceful and Prosperous Life: Oninmila ni Aronmo, Moni Aronmo Oni ki a mu nkan ebo re wa. Orinmila said Embrace. Talso said embrace, He asked for the necessary sacrifice. ____ He declared the necessary materials for the sacrifice to be; shea butter (Ori-oyo) palm kemel oil (Adin in Yoribé and Uden in Bini) palm oil, 16 snails, and the relevant Iff leaves (Ewe-Orowo), He went onto inet that the palm oil seller embraces her wares. As soon as the sheer butter sets its eyes on fire, it must melt. : The snail never suffers a hot life, its life is ever cool and peaceful. When all the fore; f tH "going materials are used for a special sacrifice, the person will obtain instant relief from al the difficulties previously besetting him. He will enjoy a heat-free life thereafter, 92Divined for the people of Igbehin and Itori: Itekiti Awo Omode. Itekara Awo agba. O wa ku nkan kio defi oye. Kole deji oye. ‘These ‘Were the Awos who made divination for the people of Igbehin and Itori. They were told to make sacrifice to abate the threat from death. They were required to make the sacrifice with a he-goat to Esd and a ram to Ifé, The people of Igbehin made the sacrifice but those of Itori refused. to make any sacrifice. After being told by Ighoroko that the people of Itori refused to make sacrifice, Esi rose up in the small hours of one night and danced from Igbehin to Itori with a drum in hand, to the accompaniment of the following incantational song: Tku tii ba pa ara Igbehin, O lo pa won ni ode Itori, (twice) Aro pele igi eni ju, If ba ro ibi leri ota. The death that would have ravaged the people of Igbehin, Proceeded to plunder the people of Itori. Peace be unto those who make sacrifice, by Enabling Orinmila to save his people, From the machinations of their enemies. The following day, there was an epidemic of cholera in Itori which killed forty people in one fell swoop. Those who heard the song of Esi in the night trooped to the Oloja of Itori to report the incident. Rather belatedly, the people of Irori made the sacrifice and there were no more deaths. When this If appears at divination, the person will be told to make sacrifice to checkmate the enemy who is contriving to kill him. 93