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MythsofIfe
MythsofIfe
N O T E
Smith of Ogun .
A worker in bras s .
Wife of Ob al ufon .
lO
P E R S O N S
Peregd n Gbo
’
A Forest God who caused the Fores t to
bring forth wild an imal s and wa tched
over the birth of Orfin mil a .
Omimml a
'
Ofi un Kdnmn
’
A m essenger of ffa .
0 m! Odd m l a ’
The ancestor of the Ornis of ife .
A priest .
11
A whi te ma n visits ife the sacred city of the
,
Ifa to contin ue
, .
I2
M Y T H S O F I F E
T H E B E G I N N I N G .
The Om ! of I fe spea ks
Oibo yo u have asked to hear our lore
, ,
crea tion of But fair thi n g s which I made for you before ,
that gave
Me birth I laboured and the grim years passed
along their sunn y beds ; I set
The m e a nd the hill s about
,
14
M Y T H S o r I F E
my young
Fair hill s and all seem ed los t Yet—I preva iled
,
. .
‘
Neath floods which som e m al ign unre a son hea ves .
( 1) S ee N o te I on t he Cr e a ti on of the E ar th .
15
T H E B E G I N N I N G
(I ) S ee N o te I! on t h e Cr e a ti on of Ma n .
M Y T H S o r I F E
( 2) Th e G o dd e ss o f t h e S ea .
17
T H E B E G I N N I N G
Odd m l a
’
when from the sight of men the Great Gods
spea ks for passed ,
(1) S ee N t II
o e o n Od i i m l a
’
t h e fi rs
’
tO rn i o f I fe
iv hi h p t t hi W l d f t
.
,
(2) Th e R e r w c se a ra e s s or ro m the n ex
N t X III
.
S ee o e
N o t e X II
.
(3) Th e M e sse n g e r o f t h e G o s S ee d . on
his d iv ma t io n .
18
M Y T H S '
O F I F E
.
T H E D E S C E N T
A raba pea ks
s
day
Across unwatered plains the Great Ones j o urneyed ,
Orisha what di d we
,
And what fault was ours !
Outcas ts to d a y ; to morrow we must seek
- -
20
T H E D E S C E N T
(I ) S ee N o t e I on th e Cr ea ti on of th e E a rt h .
(2 ) Th e G o dd ess o f t h e S ea .
( 3) Th e G o ddess of th e L a goo n s .
22
M Y T H S O F I F E
The m onths
Of Hea ven passed by while in the moonless night
,
The com ers of the World were ste a df ast And then .
roamed .
Of Heaven farewell
, So came the Gods to I fé .
24
M Y T H S o r I F E
who s poke
To u s with her s trange sounds in the stil l hours
Of He a ven is here ; yet sh e can but bewail
Her restless task And where is Evenin g !
.
Oh ! where
I s Dawn ! He ceased and Oduduwa sent
,
, ,
25
T H E D E S C E N T
And all
The Ag e Was changed for when the terror of bright Day
Had lifted from the unu sed eyes of m en ,
(1) S ee N te
o ! on Ob al u fo n
i i tiv i t i t
.
26
M Y T H S O F I F E
I II THE WAR OF T H E GO D S
of E a rth,
How God in the Beginn ing s ent three sons
Wa ter a nd I nto the World—Earth Water and the Forest
,
F or est With one and twenty gifts for Earth and men
That ar e the sons of Earth ; and all save one
The Forest and the Rivers stole ; and how
God promised to his first born Earth that men
-
, ,
27
T H E W A R O F T H E G O D S
!
c ru s e eo ar ou e e s en
(C mm i t d b y d m b t I t hi k )
, .
o u n ca e ru -
ea s , n
Y b yi g Th p k i p b bly p p d
.
( 2) oru a sa n e s ea er s ro a re ar e
t vl
.
t o ra e .
28
T H E W A R O F T H E G O D S
so ul
O u tm atch you or possess yo ur hearts to come
,
irnp io us war .
30
‘
M Y T H S O F I F E
But when
An e n d wa s come t o the ill d a ys forek n own
c alm
and twixt ’
dawn
Ogun the warrior with his comrades stood
, ,
(1) Y oru b a sa yi n g .
32
M Y T H S o r I F E
.
,
33
T H E W A R O F T H E G O D S
undone ,
And th us ,
(l) Y o ru b a sa yi n g .
M Y T H S o r I r is
I V T HE SA C R I F I CE OF M ORIMI (1 )
A raba continues
(1) S ee N o t e ! I on Morimi
’
s sa cr ifi ce .
35
TH E SACRIFICE o r MORIMI
ape
That bore the leo pard ! And did not Peregim ’
Fai r life did not the wat chful God send down
,
hung
The ch a rm s th e wise man se t to guard hi s home
'
(1 ) S ee N o te X I o n Per eg in G bo
i
‘
.
( 2) S ee N o te X II o n t h e divin a tio n o f I fa .
36
TH E SACRIFI CE OF MORIMI
Yet hope
S he Went not with M o rim i to the dark court
con sul ts Of l fa s pri est ; an d when a torch dis closed
’
38
M Y T H S O F rE E
thrice ( l)
,
es e o re .
39
T H E U B O W A R S “)
’
Mid struggles with the Forest the town grew
While dull remembrance of unnatural wrongs
(I ) S ee N o t e ! I I o n U bo a nd t h e E di F es tiv l
a
No te X o n O gu n
.
( 2) S ee .
40
M Y T H S o r I F E
Who lights
His lamp between the leopard s paws ! ( 3! ’
And the God saw the oil and smel led the blood ,
(3) Y o ru b a sa yi g
n .
41
T H E U B O W A R S
Desp air held rule the new wed wives were lone -
42
M Y T H S O F I F E
the Gods ,
(1) S ee N o t m
e i fo r t h e i
n ca n a t ti on .
43
T H E U B O W A R S
tra n sform Scorned him and let him b e—nor bore in m ind
to ston es , The wisdom of the Past A little snake ,
bro ught
(3) Y o ru b a yin g sa
No te ! I II o n Os hun
.
( 4) S ee
N o te I X o n O loku n
.
(5 ) S ee .
44
T H E P A S S I N G OF O G UN .
in pea ce .
priests
Kept warm the al tars of the departed Gods
Old men went softly to the River s lip ( l) ’
Last tranq uil years the mothers bles sed King Ogun
For peaceful da ys and night s security ; ’
46
M Y T H S O F I F E
Thro ugh the dim woods with won drous tales they ,
heard
At crossway markets in far lands of dee ds
( 1)
returns of men
from I n I fe ,
when on a da y u nheralded , ,
dista nt Oran ya n ( 2)
with a host ap peared before
Wa rs to Her peaceful gates None coul d deny his entrance
.
(1) Ma r ke t
s are oft en fo u nd a t cro ssro a ds in t h e fo res t .
( 2) S ee N o t e X o n Ogu n a nd Or an ya u
. .
47
T H E P A S S I N G O F O G U N
, .
h urt
Attend your coming or your restful hours !
Harshly Orany an answered his old father
You S peak of peace Great Ogun and the calm
, ,
W
, ,
48
M Y T H S O F I F E
Th e field
The fath er sowed his son sh a ll re ap !
An d Ogun
M ade answer Th e story of my life has been
As the su cce eding seasons in the course
Where Oshun po urs h er stream First long ago .
, ,
49
T H E P A S S I N G O F O G U N
M Y T H S O F
men desire Of Ogun voiced the fond hop es of the old chi efs
,
51
‘
T H E P A S S I N G
'
O F O G U N
in ti ma ti o n th a t h e ha s rei gn e d lo n g e no u g h
.
a n d t ha t sh o u l d h e di e by his o wn ha n d
tr ouble woul d b e sa ved
, ,
62
N O T E S
I . TH E CRE AT I ON .
I t appears however th a t
, ruled in Heaven
, Aramfe ,
, ,
.
,
but all was dark and cold beca use Aram fe had not ,
.
’
54
M Y TH S O F I F E
, ,
the bag with him His son Ogun the god of iron then
.
, , ,
became king .
II . ODU M ’
LA , TH E F I RST O RNI OF IF E
According to tradition when the gods transformed , ,
for them .
55
N O T E S
III . ODU WA .
told
in Parts I II III
,
.
otherwise the god wo uld inj ure the man who offers the
sacrifice Odl l wa is said to have t a ken the sto n e from
’
at it .
I! . CREAT I ON OF MAN
OR l S H A AN D TH E .
56
‘
M Y T H S O F I F E
, ,
-
and snails .
V OBALU F ON
. .
V I M ORIM I . .
57
N O T E S
, ,
back ; but the next year the y came dres sed in grass ,
58
M Y T H S O F I F E
59
N O T E S
VIII . O SH U N .
Osh un wa
a wom an (or goddess) in high favour
s
eat the fish —al though they a re the children of O shun and
consequen tly our brothers Osh un is more strait .
60
N O T E S
mu ch p al m wine -
t o die .
”
62
M Y T H S O F I F E
! I . THE C U LT OF PE RE G U N
’
GBO .
a god who cau sed the forest to bring forth birds and
beasts He was a son of God and came to eart h with
.
,
are also put in the pots The priest takes the balance .
fgbo
'
l . l dbr tror
The forest bore the sloth .
3 .
63
N O T E S
E kusa l dbi dj u g bo na
’
-
gate .
ehtn éku
'
- -
.
I mdl e
'
’
8 . Per eg rin Gbo n r a bobd .
un
64
M Y T H S O F I F E
Orun mzl a
’ '
Orl rnm il a
’
Orun mtl a
’
13 . n r on ko y un l e orun .
Orl rnmil a
'
65
N O T E S
o u tside showing .
I wo ri .
Ob ér a .
Ok anran .
OwOrin .
9 . E guta n .
10 . Ossa .
ll . Erette .
E t l l rah
’
12 . .
I 3 . Ol Ogbo n .
14 . E kka .
’
15 Osh é .
16 . Offun or Or angun .
66
‘
M Y T H S O F rF E
, ,
The man spl its the dog a n d the fowl pu ts palm oil and -
67
N O T E S
from a Sick m a n .
mens truation .
headache .
away witchcraft .
to get children .
.
, ,
68
N T E S
'
( )
d I f t wo men want the sam e woman an d O g be ,
, .
! I II . A CU RE FOR S UD D E N AND SE R I O U S
I LLNESSES .
A kél ej d
'
A kél q d I
A spiri t who gr i ps a man b y the th roa t an d ma kes
brea thing q uick and uneasy .
A hel ewdssa I
A mulepdshey é I
One wh o causes bad bellyache .
70
OF
‘
M Y T H S I F E
Bi , a péy inda .
th e e .
ta k e nourishment at once .
had to ex p lai n ) .
xrv . AJiJA VI L )
(THE D U ST-
D E .
-
.