Ose Irete (Ose Irete · Ose Irete)

Rezo: Baba Doma oba ni ilu oma bogbo aleyo leti unso, Baba Doma, Baba Dogun ati Baba Dota intori eyo ni Baba Doma unloni ilu Oshun ati bogbo omode lowa Baba Doma, umbo wa lodo Elegba.

Ebbo: A rooster, a guinea hen, three young roosters (for the Ibeyi), stones from every place, earth gathered there, Oggún's tools, cloth for the body, earth from the riverbank, eku, eyá, epó, otí (rum), orí (cocoa butter), efún, corn — both niña and yeré varieties —, three male wooden dolls (malaguidí), and plenty of money.

Patakín: On this road, the Oba of the Land and the Oba of Resistance grew envious of the Oba of Intelligence.

Baba Doma was a king in the Land of Intelligence, and for that reason the people of that place always sought out his counsel and his wisdom.

But Baba Dogún and Baba Dotá, who also lived in that place, out of envy and because they felt themselves unregarded and never called upon, plotted to wage war on him, in order to drive Baba Doma from that territory.

Nevertheless, because Baba Doma possessed the wisdom and intelligence granted to him by God's own virtue, he foresaw this and left that place to avoid a greater problem.

So it happened that he arrived at a place where Oshún lived. Seeing him troubled and a little sad, she asked him: what is wrong with you? Baba Doma told her the whole story, and Oshún said to him: why have you not made use of your intelligence and the power of your knowledge to resolve this problem?

Baba Doma, guided by the counsel Oshún gave him, made the ebbó (the one indicated above), for Baba Doma was an awo; and even so, Oshún kept him in her house for three days.

After this, Oshún said: let us go to a land where there are many people. However, he did not remain long in that land, because there too he was sought by the same figures we already know; but because there were so many people there, or perhaps because of the working of the ebbó he had made, a confusion arose and he could not be found by his enemies (arayeses).

But in any case, Baba Doma ended up in the Land of the Children and of Elegbá, and there he was finally able to live safely, for it was the children, together with Elegbá, who fenced in and closed the doors against his enemies, thus saving Baba Doma.

Patakín: Once, Olofin, Oduduwa, and Orunmila came down to earth to see how things were going in this world. After walking a long way, they saw a hut, and they went to it to ask for water. They knocked on the door, and the dweller of that hut, who was none other than Oshe Bile, opened it, and they asked him for water.

The man brought them water in a gourd, and the last to drink was Olofin; but by his own powers, when he returned the gourd, it was full of water once again.

Then Olofin said to him: you wish me to grant you a power. But at that moment Orunmila said: to receive that power, you must join yourself to another person. Then Olofin asked him: what is your wish? Oshe Bile answered: I want to have the power to communicate with you, and whatever I ask of you, "to iba Eshu." This wish granted, the three travelers went on their way.

They continued walking and came upon Obí, and Olofin asked him: what troubles you? And Obí said: no one pays me any attention, and I want to be useful. Then Orunmila said to him: but you will lack something. And Olofin said: to iba Eshu, and they went on.

A short time later they came down again to see how things were going. They went to the hut to see whether Oshe Bile and the man remained just as idle as before, and then they went on to see Obí, who remained proud but sad and doing nothing.

Time passed, and Obí decided to go see Orunmila, and told him: Olofin gave me a power, but I do not see it. Orunmila said to him again: it is that you lack something. And Obí answered: how could you know more than Olofin? — and he left, annoyed.

After some time, Obí returned again to where Orunmila was and said to him: Orunmila, Olofin has deceived me, for I remain just as I was before. Orunmila answered him: Olofin did not deceive you — the truth is that you truly lack something. And Obí said: what is it that I lack? And Orunmila answered: that is precisely where you should have begun. Go down that road, and at the end you will find a hut; knock on the door and join yourself to its owner, so that what Olofin granted you may come to pass in this world.

Obí set out for the hut, knocked on the door, and someone asked: who is it? Obí answered: it is I. Come in, the dweller answered him. When he entered, Oshe Bile asked him: what is it you wish? Obí answered: Orunmila sent me to join myself with you, and I have come looking for you because they are waiting for us in the Land of Ifá, so that you may come with me.

Oshe Bile answered him: I cannot walk, but if you carry me, I will go with you.

So Obí lifted him onto his shoulders and set out with him. When they arrived, there was a great epidemic. Then Obí began to divine, and while Obí spoke or explained how to cure the illnesses, Oshe Bile spoke with heaven, where Olofin heard him — and that is how the people were saved.

In gratitude, they held a great feast for Obí, where he ate and drank without concerning himself with the man he had left lying on the ground. And so Obí went on to another land, where Oggún ruled and was waging a great war against his enemies. When he arrived there, Oggún asked him: will I win the battle? Obí answered him: you may go forth with confidence, without any worry, for victory will be yours.

Oggún went to war trusting in Obí's word, and lost the battle. When he returned, the first thing he did was go looking for Obí, and he beat him so severely that he nearly destroyed him. It was at that moment that Obí remembered Oshe Bile and turned back to look for him. When he found him, he said: forgive my forgetfulness, but why did you stay behind? And Oshe Bile answered him: while you were enjoying yourself and filling your belly, I was going hungry.

Then Obí again asked forgiveness, and Oshe Bile said: let us make a pact — before you speak, you must count on me, so that what you say may come to pass, and so that you never forget me again. And Obí answered him: I accept; so it shall be until the end of the world.