Odi Meji (Odi Meyi · Idi Meji)

Odi Meyi was one of the strongest Olodu in the family of Ifá — aggressive and belligerent. In heaven, he was better known for his belligerence than for his priesthood. Nevertheless, he was a skilled Awo of Ifá. Because of the various outdoor activities he carried out in heaven, he did not dedicate much time to the practice of Ifá. Instead, that part of his work was done mainly by his subordinates. For example, when Ode (the Hunter) came to him in search of divination — when his fortunes were languishing — it was one of Odi Meyi's assistants who helped him.

The subordinate was named Ewure Abori Kpeteki Loon Difa Fun Nijotiuwa Ode Sun. Ode's three wives had left him when he had become so poor he could no longer satisfy them materially. The names of the three wives were: Ire — game/play (Iku in Bini); Oyin — pleasure (Oyenmwen in Bini); Oju — dance (Iku Owe or Ugbemwen in Bini).

It was the active support and cooperation of his three wives that gave Ode his identity. When they left him, he became very dull. It needs no saying that the outdoors is only attractive and interesting when there are games, pleasures, music, and dances. People go outside to play and to dance. Pleasure manifests itself principally through people's expressions when they go out of their houses.

For him to recover his wives, the priest of Ifá advised Ode to make sacrifice with a goat, and to sacrifice a second goat for a meal in his house. He was to cook yams over the fire, and was assured that while the yams were cooking over the fire his wives would return to him one after the other. He performed the sacrifice exactly as he had been advised.

After making the sacrifice, he prepared a pot of yams and put it over the fire. Guests were drinking and eating from the meat when Eshu went out to meet the wives of Ode. When Eshu met Ire, he told her it had been a mistake to leave the husband simply because his fortunes had suffered a temporary eclipse. He pointed out that since eclipses are transient and ephemeral, Ode was already enjoying prosperity again — so much so that people were eating in his house daily. Eshu added that at that very moment one of these elaborate meals was being held. He visited the other two women and told both the same story.

The wives then decided to go and verify the tale, and they found the yam cooking on the fire and joined hands to prepare the meal. After this, they agreed to stay with Ode forever. With the return of the wives, Ode's prosperity flourished once more.

When Odi Meyi appears in divination for a person whose fortune is weakening, the priest of Ifá will tell them to prepare a meal with two goats — one through Ifá to feed the elders of the night, the other to make a meal for the people who surround them — and their prosperity will surely return.