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You will tread on the lion and the adder; the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth. Your message has been reported and will be reviewed by our staff. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are as essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website.
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This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information. PDF Euts. Search for:. Protect the infantry. Guide the calvary. Eledumare then gave Ogun the capsule of war and peace, which Ogun ea- gerly swallowed.
In addition, he gave Ogun, scores of housepost opo sculptures, all complete with images of equestrian and pedestrian fighters. She prostrated flat on her belly, right in front of Eledumare. Then she got up and genuflected to the left, then to the right, before assuming a kneeling position, before the throne of Eledumare. Where the lagoons meet the seas where the streams turn to deltas, there you must lay your stake; 7. You now become the spirit of strange waters you are the unknown point at sea where merchants meet with luck or loss You become the key to misery or merriment transforming currents that carry travelers from rags to riches when you smile on strangers.
Pick your own benefactors because many will worship you some sincerely, others lie blatantly The canoes of the liars will sink the nets of the sincere will ferry home wealth from the bottom of the deepest seas. Wherever you direct the sail of their ships, there will the winds blow. There will all the small fishes swim to welcome the arrival of the biggest fish. Because it is so when you say so.
Because I say so. Now get up and go freely about your business. The open expanse of the seas lies at your mercy. The ships will travel to and fro, and the winds will blow and the tempests will rise. The fate of the children of the fishes remains in your charge. Eledumare then gave Yemoja the capsule of the wharfs, which she swal- lowed eagerly.
In addition Yemoja received some sculpted female caryatids, a few brass fans and myridas of beads, cowries and precious stones. On the sixth day, Eledumare called Obaluaye, and Obaluaye came forth.
Then he got up and genuflected to the left, then to the right, before returning to the flat prostration posi- tion, before the throne of Eledumare.
You spread from afar to near like the fires of a funny rumor. You are the healer. But you are also the pestilence. You wear two faces, so there are three of you. Those who know the third face say that is the real you. When you move rapidly like a savannah fly like a horse in the harmattan delirium. Because today, I bestow especially upon you 9. You now, as I speak become the divinity of medicine.
Health and wealth will occupy the days of many. Most would rather be healthy than wealthy. Most who are now wealthy seek health. To whomsoever you bestow health to them goes health Now get up and go freely about.
Halt all horrors of epidemics. Remove pestilence. Combat contagious diseases. Quench the fires of wanton death. In addition, he gave Obaluaye a broom, as a symbol of his cleansing power, and a pot containing therapeutic herbs. On the seventh day, Eledumare called Obatala, and Obatala came forth.
Then he got up and genuflected to the left, then to the right, before returning to the flat prostration po- sition, right before the throne of Eledumare.
Only someone with the most spotless reputation may be charged with the office to which you are bow charged. Oh, blameless one, for you especially have I reserved the office of fashioning the human body from the raw, from clay 7. Your muscles are strong your mind is healthy your fingers are steady your eyes are perfect. None is better trusted with the delicate task of making from the fresh the human figure from clay. Today, even as I speak, I grant you the dexterity of fingers so that you can make the most complex human forms; I grant you the art of proportions and balance of textures and light, and of lines and planes, the art of colors and tones, and hues and values that you may perfectly hone the skins to cover the human flesh.
You become the sculptor of the heavens. Perfect is the touch of whatever you touch. All humans created in your studio will reflect and embody your own perfection. On whatever you deliberate will you bring the blemishless purity of your stainless whiteness Because just as you wish for perfection so do I and if you wish anything to be so, say so and so it is Because I say so.
Now get up and go free about your errands. Make strong, hardworking, happy, men. Make beautiful, graceful and talented women. Make people as perfect as possible.
Make them as healthy as possible. Eledumare gave Obatala the capsule of artistry ona which Obatala imme- diately swallowed. In addition, he gave Obatala control over all chalk mines. Then he gave him a few wooden and stone scultures, all painted in white. It is by far worse than burglary, for one to be so richly endowed, and for one one not to be eternally grateful.
He wasted no time. He immediately set up his studio, and began to make people aout of clay. He show them to Eledumare and Eledumare, in approving of them, said that they were good. Thus begun the construction of heaven and the universe by Eledumare and the Orisas, out of sheer nothingness.
Four hundred and one divinities received vari- ous offices, before Eledumare completed the. But at that time, there were no trees in heaven or on earth that remained covered with water. Eledumare and the other orisa wanted trees to grow in heaven, so Eledumare caused Eji, the god of rainfall to wet the entire landscape of heaven. After the ground soaked in the moisture and became soft, Eledumare caused Iju, the god of forests to make trees grow.
Gradually, myriads of plants began to emerge from the soft bare soil. All types of plants, including the sweet and the bitter, the smooth and the thorny, the poisons and the therapeutic herbs, germinated and grew. Some plants had fruits, others only bore flowers; many stood upon huge roots, others had no roots at all. Eledumare inspected the plants and approved of every one of them, because each one had a different purpose and constitution 5.
That way we can separate human beings from the orisas. When we know who is who, the orisas will better be able to protect people. Lo and behold, the face of the earth was flooded, and within the flood was the grand palace wherein lived the goddess of the deep seas, Olokun.
She heard of the plan to establish the human population earth but did not like that plan. Since she began to live in the depths of the sea, Olokun had begun to separate her life and existence from others. At some point, she lost direct contact with Eledumare, and lived a totally independent life. She exceedingly enjoyed her life under the sea. At some point, howver, she became too absorbed in her solitude, because she was shielded by the huge body of sea from the others.
She became engrossed in herself, in her sense of importance and in her power and dominion over the entire earth, which was under the sea. She was not there when the plan to establish people on earth was made.
The plan therefore caught her by total surprise. She was angry and many questions quickly crossed her mind: Why did they not consult her before making a decision that affected her own domain? Was it because they thought she was powerless, therefore they could just do anything they wanted without involving her? Her mind was agitated. She therefore decided to prevent Eledumare and the other divinities from establishing human life on earth.
She decided that she was going to flood heaven with her waters, to demonstrate her powers to the others, who seemed to have for- gotten that she the goddess of large salt waters. She decided that after flooding Eledumare and the other orisas from heav- en, she would later allow them back, if and only if they promised to abandon the project to establish human beings on earth.
Olokun personally did not like the few human beings that she had seen. And Olokun knew that, just as the other orisas, Obatala was far from per- fect. The human beings that he created therefore had all the flaws of the gods. In addition, they had other profound physical and emotional weaknesses and illnesses, and totally relied on the orisas for everything.
Their ranks included liars, thieves, murderers, adulterers, debtors and lay- abouts. The few honest ones are not enough to redeem the warped ones. Yet the orisas insisted on populating the earth with people.
Heaven will still remain their home. Heaven is our home. Olokun grew even more furious when she learnt that people would turn the earth into a market place. But Olokun also needed the earth for her studio, for Olokun was an amazing bead maker. She spent her time in solitude, making beads, combining dyes and pigments to make amazing beads of dazzling hues.
She knew that she would lose her entire bead business once humans came to live on earth with her. She knew that some will steal her beads.
Some will vandalize her studio. Some might even begin to steal her bead making idea, and start to make beads themselves. Because she had no faith in humans, and because she was not consulted before the decision was made, Olokun refused to accommodate hu- mans on earth. Now Eledumare could sense that Olokun was not happy about the plan to establish the human settlement on earth.
All the orisas decided that a special messenger should be sent to Olokun to convey the decision to establish the human abode on earth to Olokun. Eledumare then called forth Orunmila, the orisa of divination. Tell us what will hap- pen after we send an emissary to Olokun.
Will she agree to our plan, or will she remain adamantly against it? And who should we send to convey the message to Olokun.
Because the message is as good as the messenger. Orunmila asked them to allow him to consult his Ifa divination system. He then brought out the entire Ifa paraphernalia, including the opele, iroke, opon and agere ifa. He placed his divination tray on the floor and cast his opele string on it. The Ifa divination signature that the opele forms is oyeku meji. Orunmila recited the at- tached odu verse as follows: 7. Was crying due to barrenness Won ni ki i se ti igbin It is unlike the sanil Ko dubule lai ni ikarahun To sleep outside of its shell Won ni ki i se ti oka It is unlike the viper 9 Ko dubule lai loro inu To sleep without its poison Won ni ki i se ti ire It is unlike the cricket Ko dubule lai han gaaraga.
To sleep without making grating noises Won ni iran oga Not a single chameleon Ki i rin lai ni igba aso. He listened to call to offer sacrifices and offered sacrifices O gbo titu atukesu, o tu He paid attention to the needs of Esu O gbo ikarara He heard ikarara, the sound of good fortune Ebo ha fun un. His sacrifices worked for him 12 Bi iyawo ti n ti owo ala bo osun As his younger wife bathes her newly born baby Ni iyale n bi were So does the senior wife deliver her own baby Ijo ni n jo He began to dance Ayo ni n yo He began to celebrate Ese to na He stretched a leg 13 Ijo fa a.
Dance tugged at it O ni be ni awon awo oun He says that that is exactly how his diviners Ti n fi enu rere pe ifa. Give thanks and praise to Ifa divination Iwo yeku, emi yeku I dodged death, you dodged death 14 Oyeku di meji Two oyeku verses combine Gbogbo aye lo tu ni lara. And the entire world is happy Orunmila said everything will be fine. The outcome of the message, Orun- mila said, will depend on the presentation of the messenger.
Directly in front of him was Ega, the chameleon. Orunmila pointed at the chameleon, who was surprised by the choice. Everybody was also surprised. Obatata expressed disappointment by the choice of Chameleon. Olokun will simply drown the poor fellow. It stands no chance. At least send someone who is a little more handsome to do the job. She might fall for the looks and charm. It walks slowly like a tired and senile fellow. You should find someone who looks more healthy than the chameleon, who walks more smartly and thinks more quickly.
Not a slovenly fellow like the chameleon. But Eledumare insisted that they must listen to the voice of Orunmila. So they all agreed to send the chameleon to Olokun to convey the news to her. Most surprised was the chameleon itself. Slowly, in its ponderous manner, the chameleon crawled forward, one foot at a time.
It flickered its tongues seven times as a sign of greeting to Eledumare and the dinities and said: After all, the oracle is simply the voice of one divinity, and only one divinity, that is Orunmila. How can the wisdom of just one divinity be more important than the wis- dom of the entire group? Everybody here is saying that you need to choose someone much stronger, faster, quicker and more appealing than my poor self, for this most important as- signment.
Yet you insist on listening to the voice of only one divinity. Is the Ifa divinity infallible? Why must the voice of one divinity take precedence over the voice of the others? Two heads are better than one. And when you listen carefully to what everybody is saying, you will un- derstand that nobody is being malicious towards me. I am kind of slow of move- ment. It takes me a long time to get from one point to another. The distance between heaven and earth is enormous.
Even for the fastest of fellows, it will take some time to get from here to earth. Now imagine someone like me. It would take for ever. Secondly, it is no lie that I am not handsome. There are many fair gents here. There is Ogun, most ruggedly hand- some, whose look has never failed to charmed female divinities. Olokun would not be able to resist his masculine charm. I strongly feel myself that you must not send someone as ugly as myself to a vain character such as Olokun.
She would be utterly disappointed by my looks and would not grant me any serious audience. Finally, is the issue of my slow thinking. It simply takes some time before things sink into my head. It is not my fault. This is simply my nature. Some people think fast on their feet. It simply takes a moment and a while before the profundity or meaning of things before apparent to me, even though others understand immediately. Now everyone knows that Olokun is a sophisticated divinity.
It would be a disaster for the entire human project if Olokun were to ask me an intellectual or philosophical question.
I would not even know where to begin to answer her question about any- thing. Please, Eledumare, this choice of me is not reasonable. Choose some- one else who could get the job done, and stop listening to the voice of one divinity, and denying the opinion of the others.
You have presented a convincing and moving argument. I am inclined to simply accept your argument to appoint someone else to replace you. But I will not do so for one reason.
You asked whether the Ifa oracle is infallible? The answer is simple. Yes the Ifa oracle is infallible. You cannot hear a lie uttered from the mouth of Ifa divination. Whatever the divination says is the truth and entirely the truth. The divination knows no lie, cannot lie and will not lie, because it is found- ed upon veracity 9.
The oracle is the epitome of the truth. No one must call the oracle a liar. To call the oracle a liar, is to be spreading lies and to have no care for the truth.
The Ifa divination is therefore not the voice of one fellow, but the fact of all life. To deny the truth of Ifa is to deny the essence of life itself. Because only the Ifa divination has the record of the very beginning, and has kept the record intact since then.
Ifa divination knows the present most clearly because it is the embodi- ment of all knowledge. Ifa divination tells the future without fail because the divination exists in the future, even though it caters to the past and the present. Because it exists in the future, it will always live, and doubtlessly con- tinue to bring the future and the past to the present.
That is why the voice of the Ifa divination must be heard and obeyed beyond and above the voice of any other, or any group, large or small. If we ask the oracle for guidance in whatever we do, it will surely guide us, based on what will be to our benefit in the future. Because whatever we do or fail to do now will affect what will happen or fail to happen in the future.
That is why we need to ask the oracle before we do anything, because we must not do regrettable things. Now that the oracle has chosen you to go on this journey, you have to go, because you are the choice of the oracle. Ordinary wisdom says you are the wrong choice. But the wisdom of the oracle is not ordinary, but based on a vision of the present, past and future. It is the difference between sleep and death. We must be careful not to doubt the wisdom of the oracle. But in the wisdom of the oracle is the key to the future.
It is like asking the snail to do a one-hundred meter sprint. Eledumare then said. Now that the oracle has chosen the chameleon to go on this important assignment, it is best for us to respect the wish of the oracle. Not respecting the wish of the oracle is deadly. What we need to do, rather than doubt the oracle, is begin to prepare the chameleon for this most important journey. It will take the chameleon forever to move from heaven to earth.. To solve the problem of speed, we will endow the chameleon with the power of Egbe, the divinity of speed.
What do you say Egbe? Egbe will deliver the chameleon to and fro heaven, a zillion-trillion times faster than the speed light. To solve the problem of sluggishness, we will endow the chameleon with the spirit of brother and sister divinities, Gaga and Sasa. Gaga the brother will provide an agility of body befitting of a professional wrestler. What do you two say, Gaga and Sasa? Olokun, on the other hand is a beautiful woman, even though she is the vain type. But it all makes it the more difficult to send someone as ugly as the chameleon to Olokun.
To solve the problem of ugliness, we will endow the chameleon with the beauty of Egbin, the embodiment of beauty itself. Here, tell me, Egbin, what do you think? Now, you need a companion on this journey.
You may choose anyone you like as your companion, so you may not feel lonely. To the utter surprise of everybody, the chameleon pointed to the snail. They all remarked that the snail was even slower than the chameleon, more timid, perhaps even a lot less intelligent. But they were relieved because of the special endowment that the chameleon now had, thanks to the divinities. These endowments, naturally, would reflect upon the snail too, and the mission might be saved.
But it was a totally transformed chameleon that set out on the journey Its entire body was transformed by the powers of the various divinities who endowed the chameleon with their special attributes.
Olokun, the goddess of the sea, the owner of all the riches under the oceans, the greatest bead maker, the most powerful orisa whose mantles are the roll- ing waves of sea water, is a most beautiful divinity to behold. Her long, braided hair flows with the waves of the undulating waters, her ebony dark skin glistening like priceless pearls under the motion of ceaseless seas. Olokun heard about the plan to establish human abodes on earth, and became angry.
She pretended that she did not hear anything while she waited for the news to be formally brought to her. She was fully prepared to turn down the request to use earth for the human project mainly because she was already using the space for her bead-making studio. She made beads of all colors and shapes, but her favorite bead was the in- digo colored, tubular shaped segi bead, so luminously dark that it seems to capture light within its luxurious entrails.
It was her love for bead making that caused her to move her seat to the depth of the ocean, which nobody wanted at that time. She found the human project totally unacceptable if it would be at the ex- pense of her own studio work of bead making. It was totally unacceptable for the divinities to take her sanctuary away from her, and populate it with strangers. She sat down in a reflective mood in the midst of her vast collection of beads. She calmly picked up some of the most colorful and exquisite beads ever made, and slowly rubs the warm gems against her dark brown skin.
She would not give up her craft, she resolved. She would fight for every cup of water in the vast ocean of the earth. Why did the divinities not pick any other spot in the universe? They could have picked Mercury, or Mars, or Jupiter, or any other planet or star to locate their project on? It was clear to Olokun that they chose earth because she had developed it so artistically that nobody could take their eyes away from it.
But they also thought that she had no fighting power. It was only if the power of the others overwhelmed her that she was going to surrender. But she was certain that only a few of them could come from the other world to earth, because of journey hazards in those days.
She could take on any small number that came at any one time, and she was determined to do so. Her secret contact in heaven informed her that they were sending the chameleon to her. She considered that to be a sign of their contempt for her, because they could not be sending a more inferior fellow as an emissary.
She knew that every act is a sign of another thing. They were telling her that she was ugly, slow and contemptible, and the chameleon would be a clear deliverer of the message.
They were telling her that she was beholding her own reflection in the mirror when she saw the chameleon. That message totally made her even more angry, and she resolved to teach them a lesson, emissary by emissary.
She prepared for a war. She was not going to be fooled. They were using the chameleon as a metaphor for a real army of warriors and diplomats that would arrive with the chameleon. It was clearly going to be an invasion, and she was ready for it. But to her utter bewilderment, just as she was speaking, she saw the cha- meleon right in front of her.
She was startled. Was she dreaming? What was going on? To make things even more bewildering, the chameleon was riding the snail as a horse. To her astonishment, the skin of the chameleon glistered with a lustrous light that radiated around it. Olokun, to her surprise, wanted to touch it, but she quickly checked her impulsive spirit.
The chameleon falls flat on its face in prostration before her. I simply wish it and it happens. It is now the way of Orun. Olokun became even more puzzled. Overcame by her vanity, Olokun decided to retire into her chambers.
She went into her chambers and began to attire herself in her gorgeous garments, woven in multicolored patterns, using different yarns and textures. She then looked for various combinations of beads, both brilliant and dull beads, large and slim, round and angular shaped gems, and she wore them. She then reappeared before the chameleon, to show off herself, and display how beautiful she looked.
The only exception is that the mirror even looked more splendid than the original, which puzzled Olokun, who excused herself and went back into her chambers to re-attire herself. But she be- came even more amazed, as the skin of the chameleon changed again, and mirrored the colors of her new dress, with the mirror image looking even more beautiful than the original.
So she returned inside to re-dress. These are my own robes. I brought a lagre wardrobe, before I reckoned that I might be staying long.
Olokun thought about these things and decided that thy were too bizzare for her to deal with. Certainly, things have changed in Orun, and they were no lon- ger as they used to be, if the ugly chameleon could look so beautiful, and the snail could be as swift as a horse.. She decided that she had underestimated thepower of the forces of Orun.
But you cannot take all of my space. Tell those who sent you that you can have some of the planet, which you may turn into solid ground for human habitation. But I will still continue to reign over the larger portion covered by the waters. I believe they will be pleased. Bye- bye now and remain well. They left Olokun wondering whether everything was just a mere dream , or whether it actually happened..
And her word remained that she consented to the establishment a human colony here on earth. So she has to honor and keep her word, for that is the nature of her own graceful iwa, or character. That same day, Eledumare gathered the entourage of orisa to move to aye or earth, to colonize and domesticate it for human habitation. Eledumare called each one of them one by one, and each one stepped forward, as he or she is called. Ele- dumare first called Obatala forth, from the magnificence of his throne.
White and black threads do not argue with each other. They collaborate. Do you hear the sound of my voice, Obatala, you always clad in your creative garbs of white, upon your dark- blue ebon skin? You will all descend down the metal chain of wisdom. You will take charge of earth, control it, create it to your own specifications and beautify it.
Then create human beings to inhabit it and control it before returning here to orun. It will contain its own beginning within its end, therefore it will become a dose of eternity, whose capsule is contained in a perfect gourd.
They will need you far more than we do need you here now. Orunmila agreed. Ogun, do you hear the sound of my calling voice? Are you able to make this journey? Will you go with the divini- ties to establish the earth? Specifically what will be my role? You will let the right hand know what the left is doing, so that they are not duplicating or counteracting each other. Eledumare called out the names of four hundred and one divinities, and gave them the charge of moving from orun to aye.
The last to be called was Esu. Eledumare hailed Esu. For you nothing is sacred, nothing profane, nothing is dangerous, nothing safe. You are the embodiment of power itself, from whom all others must generate energy.
You are the heart of the fire, forever warm. You shall keep the others ignited. You are the bearer of ase, the supreme veto. Whatever you wish done must be done. Whatever you ignore must stay shunned. To you must come anyone who desires or aspires, for without your consent is nothing done. You, the center, are also the margin. The light, you are also the shadow.
The master, you are also servant of all and sundry who beseech you for favors and quests. From gods and goddesses to mere paupers will seek you out on a constant basis, and you will attend to each according to the goodness of his or her person.
The wicked you will treat without mercy, and the good person will receive your favor. To each you will cast his or her lot, without fear, without favor or fervor.
Eledumare then asked Ogun, the smith, to forge a chain long and strong enough to support the four hundred and one divinities, who would swing down to the earth from orun. Ogun called Sokoti, the most skilled blacksmith in the whole of orun, and both of them retired into the forge to cast a steel chain without a begin- ning or an end.
Between the two of them, the work did not take long, and soon, the chain was ready to support the divinities. Eledumare himself took hold of the chain and let it down until it touched the surface of the water in aye.
Then one by one, the divinities descended down the chain, with Eledumare holding it. The first to climb unto the chain was Obatala, the leader of the delegation, fol- lowed by Oduduwa, the chief administrator. Obatala took with him a snail shell containing some sand from orun, with which Obatala would build solid ground from the salty body of the ocean, for divinities and people to walk on and dwell in. He called the spot on which he landed Ile Ife, meaning the house from which we will spread to rest of the world.
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