The Life of Ose Osa
The continuous biography of this odù's own spiritual evolution — celestial works, then earthly works — told as one unfolding life. Click any title to read it.
Narrative not yet published for this odù.
The Patakín Corpus — 1 to 10
Presented in strict numerical order as in the source Tratado. Click any title to read it.
01The Businessman gets Wrong Directions: Maferefun Shango
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EBBÓ: ayapa, akuko, eyele meyi, awado, omi ile ibu, omi ile Olokun, eku, eya, epo, opolopo owo.
PATAKÍN: There was a man who devoted himself to business and had good and great results, but at a certain time his affairs began to go from bad to worse, so by intuition he decided to go to the house of Orunmila, who was the Awo of the town.
Orunmila looked at him, and this Ifá, Oshe Sa, came out for him, and he sent him to make ebbó (it is found indicated above) and, once it was made, to deposit it in the river.
When the man set out to carry the ebbó, since he did not know the way, he asked a short, plump woman where the river was, and she showed him the way, but the wrong one.
Just then Shango arrived, who asked him: "Son, where are you going?" And he answered him: to the river, that an ebbó had been made for him and he was going to take it there. Shango told him: "But you are mistaken; this road leads you to another place and not to the river. Who was it that showed you?" And the man told him that it had been a short, plump woman whom he had met on the road.
Then Shango showed him the true road. When Shango continued on his way to where he was going, on turning a bend in the road he met the same woman who had deceived his son.
Shango killed her and ate her; this woman was the jicotea.
02Wrong Direction to the River
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[Translator's note: this is the Tratado's own title ("Otra versión del patakín anterior"); it is a second telling of Patakín 1 and is kept as its own numbered entry.]
PATAKÍN: There was a man who was walking through the bush; great thirst came over him, and the ayapa (turtle), instead of showing him where the river was when he asked her, gave him the opposite direction. As the man went along, he met Shango, and it was Shango who guided him correctly.
When the man reached the river, he saw the ayapa, caught her, and in gratitude took her to Shango.
By this path an ayapa is given to Shango, so that they do not divert him from his proper road.
NOTE: Since all ayapas are alike, it is possible that the man believed it was the same one and caught her. Be careful that they do not confuse you with another person and kill you.
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