Oyeku Irete (Oyekun Birete)

Rezo: Oyekun Irete molola awo molola ineri arun molola abe eyulele eyu lerun tinshore Ifá moyare be Ifá oranla melala ni yabe otoroni Ifá moyare nilaye molola ni Changó yorobo fun bori bekun intobi awo molola. Intori arun gin gun:

Ebó: A rooster with beads, Oluo Popó's full complement of herbs, every kind of vulture, a young rooster, chickens, herbs bundled with malaguidi ewefa, wood, more chickens, corn flour, malaguidi eweka, fresh wood, vulture upon vulture in a vulture's nest, all the clothing worn on the body, smoked jutía, palm oil, and abundant money.

Beri Bokún was an Awó, himself the son of another Awó named Molola Awo, who lived in pride of his son for how strong he was and for the intelligence he carried. Every day Awo Molola spoke with his son and gave him counsel, which Beri Bokún obeyed faithfully — for Awo Molola carried a secret dispute with Awo Tinshere Ifá, who was Oluo Popó — (the source's own grammar is ambiguous here and elsewhere about whether "who was Oluo Popó" names an identity or a filial relationship; later in the same patakín Tinshere Ifá is told "por no respetar a tu padre Oluo Popó" ["for not respecting your father Oluo Popó"], suggesting Tinshere Ifá is Oluo Popó's son rather than Oluo Popó himself — left as the source states it, without resolving the ambiguity by invention.)

Tinshere Ifá lived in the land of Moyabe Nilaye, and spent a great deal of time away without ever going to see his own father. He was forever cursing and complaining as he sang:

"Shebi leleo intori bawashebi loleo intori bawa."

Obatalá also lived in that land, and was never pleased nor satisfied with Awo Tinshere Ifá, who in turn did not believe even in his own father Oluo Popó. Faced with this, Obatalá went out along the road and met Changó, who was coming from the land of Lalebe Oyu Laye, where he had just been to see Orunmila and had cast Ifá for himself, bringing back a gift for Obatalá that Ifá had sent him.

When Obatalá received the gift from Orunmila, he grew very glad, and Changó said to him: "Baba, I am going to resolve every problem of yours and of Molola Awo, so that the pride Awo Tinshere Ifá carries may be taken from him."

Obatalá asked Changó what he intended to do, and at that moment he began to pray:

"Molola awo molola awo, awo Tinshere Ifá moyabe intori beye bi ika arun meyi bokeyu intori arun moyu breyu."

Oluo Popó, who was nearby on his way to visit Obatalá, but who came accompanied by Arún (Sickness), heard Changó and said to her: "Arún, do you hear what Changó is saying?" Arún answered that she did. Arún went out toward where Changó was, and he told her what Tinshere Ifá had been saying. "He must be given his due — but first I must reach him myself, to take from him the secret he carries at his neck." So Arún and Changó did just this, though Obatalá pleaded with Changó not to let it come to death — to which Changó answered: "He knows well enough what it is that Arún must do."

Changó reached the place where Awo Tinshere Ifá was and took from him the ñale (necklace) in which his secret was kept, and carried it to Awo Molola so that he might place it upon his own son, Beri Bokún. Obatalá and Arún had followed close behind Changó; he also took from Awo Tinshere Ifá the Iroso that Oluo Popó had given him, and carried it to where Obatalá was — and at once Arún took possession of him. Awo Tinshere Ifá said: "Always you will have luck, but never again will I separate myself from you." At once Awo Tinshere Ifá began to feel ill in his very bones, and he said to Arún: "This you will suffer for not respecting your father Oluo Popó — and Changó has taken from your neck your great secret, which you will never again recover."

That secret is now held by the son of Molola Awo, Beri Bokún, who upon receiving it felt himself well and prospering in all his affairs, for which he gave unyen juju (a feathered offering of food) to Obatalá, to Changó, and to Ifá.

Nota: By this path one must take the ikoko of Oluo Popó.

Ebó: A speckled rooster, a small burlap sack, a burnt ear of corn, smoked jutía, smoked fish, palm oil, corn flour, cocoa butter, cascarilla, seventeen cents, abundant money, and an axepupa.

Distribución: The rooster goes to Oluo Popó, and inside the little sack is placed the burnt ear of corn wrapped in the axepupa, with everything else placed at the head of the bed.

Obra: Take smoked jutía, smoked fish, and corn flour. Put them inside a burlap sack and carry it to the marketplace. One must wear sackcloth.

Nota: This odu speaks of coldness in the bones, rheumatism, and arthritis, where one may not abuse one's own nature (virility), lest one become impotent. One does not eat obi (kola nut), for it serves to save him.

Along this path there was a married couple in which the husband was a great believer, and the wife was incredulous. She spent her days denying and protesting against the saints.

They passed through much misery and hardship, and the wife brought the man to the very edge of madness and despair; when they did not lack one thing, they lacked another. She would say: "Look at the state we are living through, and we never manage to get ahead." These things she said to him every single day, for all that he begged her to have calm and faith, that matters would resolve themselves.

Time went by and things remained the same, until one day Babalú Ayé, seeing that this woman went on denying the saints, wished to give the man an alms — but did not wish the woman to enjoy any part of it.

Babalú Ayé appeared to the man and told him he had an alms for him, that he would bring it so that the man alone might enjoy it, and that he intended to teach his wife a lesson; that the man was to say nothing of this to her — but that this matter would come to touch him very closely as well, and that he too would suffer from it.

This couple had a daughter, and at only forty-one days of age she fell gravely ill and broke out entirely in sores, for she had come to fulfill the time remaining from another reincarnation — that is, she had come to see the light of this world. San Lázaro appeared to the mother in a dream and said to her: "It is I who have covered you with sores and left you as you are." Then the mother said: whatever was to happen to the child, let it happen to her instead — that all she wished was to save her, for she herself was the one to blame for everything.

Then San Lázaro told her that she must wear one of his insignias for five years. The woman kept her promise, and in this way her daughter was saved; good fortune came, and they were happy.

Kaferefun Oluo Popó.

Nota: One must receive San Lázaro.