Ogbe Okana (Ogbe Okana · Ogbè Ọ̀kànràn)

Ikpe Ikpe lenu eja Ogbe Konron male Una ewoboba joni kojoni Bioba nii jon Kodabo yeri bibu --- The powerful incantation of the fish's mouth, Ogbe Okonron, a great mystery. The sacred leaf that protects, whether the king eats it or not, let the sacrifice protect our heads from evil.

These were the Awos who divined for Meeriye when he was going to start a new farm at the beginning of the year. They told him to establish his farm far from his homeland, and that as soon as he arrived he should perform another divination. They told him to give a male goat to Eshu.

He traveled to Okpoti. He went before the king and asked for permission to settle and farm. He was assigned Ugbo Umale --- a forbidden forest of dangerous animals. Upon reaching it, he cleared a portion and divined on the bare earth. Ifá told him to buy a turtle, prepare abundant pounded yam, and sprinkle the iyerosun of this odu in the forest before clearing the rest. He made the sacrifice. His harvest astonished everyone. He sent the king a portion and an entire antelope.

The next year he was given a swampy valley that flooded in the rains. He divined; the same Ogbe Okonron came up. He gave another goat to Eshu. Eshu regulated the heavens and released only small drops of rain. The dry-land farmers' crops failed; Meeriye's swamp planted in normal moisture and prospered. The whole town had to buy from him.

The third year they planted in the swamps and gave Meeriye dry land. He divined; gave another goat. Eshu opened the heavens every five days in torrents. The swamp planters lost their harvests; Meeriye's dry land delivered. The town went hungry again and bought from him again.

They began to call him a sorcerer. They conspired to send him to his death. The fourth year they assigned him Ugbo Olore --- Ogun's own sacred grove. They knew Ogun was due back from a three-year war and would slaughter whoever he found there.

Meeriye consulted Ifá. He was told to give another goat to Eshu, and before planting, to sacrifice a turtle and a rooster to Ogun on the farm itself, and to sacrifice palm oil to Ogun in his hut. He did all of this.

While clearing, he could not fell one tree no matter what he tried. He built his hut at its foot --- not knowing it was where Ogun held his annual festival. Ifá told him: Do not kill the animals until the guests arrive. Invite the elders. He invited them. They all refused; they knew the grove was forbidden.

He consulted again. Ifá said: Raise the animals in the hut. Name the dog Okpe-Ogun. Roast many yams every day and leave them in the hut at night. Keep a fresh bottle of palm wine in the hut every morning, untouched until the next day. Change the names of your children and servants to names that include Ogun: Ogunhimi, Ogunbeja, Ogunfemi, Oguntoye, Ogundarijimi, Ogunbamila, Ogunbushorire, Oguniyi, Ogundamilehin, etc.

He renamed his entire household.

At harvest, Meeriye and his family moved temporarily into the farm hut. That was when Ogun returned from war. Reaching his grove, Ogun found it cleared and a prosperous farm in its place. He charged.

When Meeriye saw the gathering of armed men, he felt relief --- finally, the elders are coming. He gathered the sacrificial materials and positioned himself at the foot of the immovable tree. As the army approached, he called out to his children: Oguniyi, bring the dog! Okpe Ogunshorire, bring water! Ogundarijim, bring the wine! He continued until all were gathered.

Ogun, who had come to kill, heard his own name called repeatedly throughout this stranger's household. The fury cooled. Meeriye, prostrate, said: My lord and master, I thank God for coming to honor my invitation. I have been waiting for you for months. You authorized me to cultivate this land. Day by day I have prepared to receive you, to help you serve Ogun, the most powerful deity in the world.

Ogun stood motionless. Then, without a word, he took the rooster, tore off its head, drank the blood. He took the turtle, the dog, the snail --- drank each one's blood. He ate the middle of the roasted yam, threw the rest to his soldiers. He drank the palm wine, gave the rest to his men. His eyes turned red, and then he calmed.

He asked Meeriye if he knew him. No. He asked who had directed him to plant there. The king and the elders. He cried out that a stranger does not know a sacred grove if no one tells him.

He marched to Okpoti and accused the townsmen of ingratitude. He massacred two hundred to the left and two hundred to the right. When he was about to attack his fourth wife, Eleghalogho, she knelt and reminded him that she had been with him at war. He spared her. She sang the song of Ogun's priests.

Ogun beheaded the king and the corrupt chiefs and crowned Meeriye king of Okpoti, with the name Ajoji Godogbo Obá oun gbile doo --- the foreigner who came to the town, enjoyed the properties of the land with the children of the region, won it, and also their crown.

When this odu appears in divination, the consultant is advised to leave their current home for another town --- there is where their prosperity lies. When it appears in Igbodun, the consultant should be initiated as priest of Ogun together with Ifá.

Uranke, a substitute of Orunmila, divined for the elephant (Erin) and for Orunmila in heaven, when they were both going down to Owan to practice as Awos. Both were warned: one of them could die from greed or from words of the mouth.

Orunmila tried to persuade the elephant to make the sacrifice. The elephant refused. Orunmila made it alone --- a goat to Eshu and a dog to Ogun.

When they reached Owan, Orunmila's art impressed everyone, and they had a wide clientele. The elephant became treasurer of all gifts and rewards --- he stored them in the pouch in his stomach.

After seventeen days, when it was time to return home, Orunmila asked the elephant to bring out the rewards so they could be shared. The elephant refused. Whatever enters my pouch does not come out unless I die. Not even Ogun, the owner of the bush, is capable of doing anything to me.

Orunmila wished him good luck and walked away.

Ogun had heard the conversation. He took up his hunting weapon and shot the elephant. The elephant struggled and died. Ogun called to Orunmila: Take your rewards.

Orunmila thanked Ogun and gave him a fitting payment for the help. He returned home for help to butcher the elephant's meat.

When this odu appears in Igbodun, the new initiate is told that to live long he must avoid speaking ill, greed, and showing off. Greed will earn deadly enemies; loose talk will bring death. In divination, the consultant should be asked whether they are about to set out on a venture far from home. If so, they must avoid greed and showing off --- or risk losing everything, including life.