Archive | September, 2011

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The Story of Orisa Obarese: The God of Rain

Posted on 07 September 2011 by Babalawo Owolabi

                                                                                                                     Orisa Ijugbe

The history behind the Orisa Obarese includes the story of a very powerful man that lived an extraordinary life.  Here in Ile – Ife all the orisa have there own special power.  Obarese is the deity in charge of rain. According to Ile-Ife tradition, Oranfe and Obarese descended from heaven at the same time.  They descended to lloya with chain like the other Orisa.  Obarese was a powerful man during his time on Earth and had many magical elements at his disposal.  Oranfe is Obarese’s  older brother.  Because of his power, Oranfe wanted Obarese to leave his domain.  Oranfe has thunder (Ara) and is first god that had the power where fire could come out from his mouth.  Obarese can cause rain to fall whenever he wants.   Ifa was consulted , and Oranfe told Obarese that he is to have a wife.  Oranfe then slapped the rib of Obarese and changed the rib into a woman.  The name of the woman is Osere.

Osere and Obasrese proceeded on their journey to leave the domain of Oranfe.  They stopped at three locations.  The first land was Igbodo and they relaxed well there and they want to stay.  Oranfe then appeared to his brother and told him that he and his wife must proceed on with their journey.  Obarese carried out his Ifa and Odu, he then perform ritual and he prayed to Olodumare. There was a tree where he and his wife were sitting and he directed his magic to the tree and the tree turned to a hill.  This hill remains in Ife to today and is still the site of great magic and ritual.

Obarese continued on his journey.  He stopped next in Gidi Ogbo.  He met people that were joyful, they were celebrating an Ifa festival.  They welcome him with pounded yam and melon soup and he want to start eating.  Oranfe appeared to Obarese again and told him that he couldn’t eat the soup and had to continue on the journey.  Obarese again took out his Opon Ifa and Odu and performed a ritual, he turned the soup into a great stone.  This stone is still in Gidi Ogbo and is worshiped today.

Oranfe said that he had to move beyond river bank.  Obares went to a place Igbo Ogbe.  Obarese was afraid to cross the river.  Oranfe said he should not fear and once he gets to the other side he will tell him what to do.  After he crossed the river to the other side, Oranfe said that from that moment on, Obarese should never again come into his domain except for Oranfe’s festival.

Obarese  never went again into his brother’s domain and he continued his life.  He performed one wonder where he prayed to Olodumare to have yam grow during the Harmattan when nothing can grow.  He reached a new home during the Harmattan and his family needed food but was unable to plant yam.  He prayed and performed a ritual for the yam to grow in three days.  The yam grew plentiful at the end of three days:

oko su lojo oko

oko ko isu awure legbe

He was also the first man to plant and grow the palm wine tree in one day and to take the palm wine out that very day.  He had access to many powers.

During the reign of one Olofin, the people of the Ife communities were dying of hunger.  The herbalists were unable to take care of them.  During that time rain did not fall.  The Olofin called a priest to come and find the solution but they could solve the problem.  The people of the town told the Olofin that Obarese had the power to call for rain.  Olofin called  Obarese to come and solve this problem and he told Olofin that he will solve but he will  need 6 pounded yam, rat fish and other material to perform the ritual.  With this he had a power pot called Ikoko Elemeji, which he used to make the sacrifice and perform the ritual.  During the ritual he was sang this song:

tojo nika losoro tojo nika losoro

iran je tan iran mu

tan tojo losoro

They called the (ojo ) rain.  From that night the rain came.  The Olofin said that he was a real powerful man and gave him his own respect.  The other dieties became jealous and said he must leave their domain.  He went to his friend Oluorogbo he give him his ikoko elemeji.  Oluorogbo told Obarese that he wouldn’t betray him. Whenever the festival for Obarese was performed the rain would fall, they had to just call him and he will bring the ase.  With that Obarese left that place.  At the end of the day the Olofin began to beg to call the Obarese back.  Obarese accepted and agreed to come back to his home.  He went to see Oluorogbo and asked for his ikoko elemeji and he gave it back.

Another wonder that was performed by Obarese was when he was in the town of Ijugbe.  Obarese one day was looking for an olo (grinding stone).  He was in the process of making a powerful medicine.  There was a tortoise that lived near his home.  He saw the tortoise and turned him into a grinding stone to complete the medicine.  This grinding stone is still in the Ijugbe shrine today.  It is still used to make very powerful medicine.

Abon is a young woman that became an old woman.  She stopped by the house of Obarese and asked Obarese if she could stay the night.  At dinner time,  Obarese wanted to eat pounded yam for dinner and he asked the older woman if she would like to eat pounded yam, she didn’t want pounded yam but wanted only egg.  She wanted 16 eggs.  Obarese’s wife became angry because of the inconvenience of fixing 16 eggs.  Obarese told his wife to be calm, and gave the old woman 16 eggs making them one at a time.  She ate the eggs and they showed her the room for her to sleep in that night.  When the morning came, Obarese went to the farm.  When he returned his wife was very upset because the old woman had not come out of the room.  Obarese knocked on the door, then began to pull the door and it was stuck.  He pulled very hard and the door opened.  The room was filled with money and ileke , akun iyun and all other assorted ileke .  The wife became scared and forced the door shut.  Obarese opened it again and the old woman walked out and become the beautiful lady.  Obarese was very angry with his wife Osere, and when very powerful men get angry some curses will fly out.  Because of this, Osere was stricken with pox on her face and couldn’t leave the house again because she was embarrassed.  From that time on, Obarese was a very wealthy man and never wanted for anything.

Orisa Obarese is the first to use ileke, akun iyun and other things to make beautiful clothing and also to wear it around his neck and he has his own special beads.

omo akun po nijugbe

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