OYA'S MARKETPLACE - Oya N'Soro

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OYA'S MARKETPLACE PAGE 6 WHO IS ESU ELEGBARA ? ORDER ORDER OF OF ODU ODU He is the gate opener of opportunities (opening whatever door is closed to us) and the one that closes the doors to us. There is no other ORISA like ESU ELEGBARA. He is second to OLO- DUMARE, not even ORUNMILA has his powers. In Yoruba theology, ESU ELEGBARA is respected as so versatile a character that one must be wary of what one says about him. He has often been called either the Devil of the New Testament or Satan. He is certainly not the Devil, who is an outright evil power in opposition to the plan of God’s salvation of man. On the whole, it would be nearer truth to parallel him with Satan in the Book of Job 2, where Satan was one of the ministers of God and had the power of trying men’s sincerity and putting their religion to proof. What I have gathered from many years of research, reference and sources is that ESU ELEGBARA is primarily a “special relations officer” between heaven and earth -- the Inspector General who reports regularly to OLO- DUMARE on the deeds of the divinities and men, checking and making reports on the correctness of worship in general and sacrifices in particular. Some BABALAWO hold the idea that ESU ELEGBARA is the right hand to ORUNMILA. His duty is not to run errands for ORUNMILA; nor to always be in attendance upon him and act under his orders. ORUNMILA is assigned the duty of hearing the voices of OLODUMARE and declaring His will to the world. Whenever ORUNMILA’s declaration is not heeded, it is the duty of ESU ELEG- BARA to bring some calamity by way of punishment upon the recalcitrant. In BY BY OBA OBA ECUN ECUN return for the service which ESU ELEGBARA gives, ORUNMILA feeds him. Whenever he is not satisfied with the feeding, he takes it upon himself to spoil the works of ORUNMILA. ESU is unique because he must always be about his business of inspection. His duty includes, among other things, the inspection of worship and sacrifice. ORUNMILA also belongs everywhere and is the great “consultant.” His functions include the prescriptions of sacrifice and ritual acts. It is also believed that there is a pact between ORUN- MILA and Death brought about because of ESU ELEGBARA. ESU once overcame Death in combat and deprived him of his powers. It was ORUN- MILA who interfered with ESU to give IKU (Death) back his powers. ESU ELEGBARA and ORUNMILA often work in collaboration. Once, all the other ORISA conspired against ORUNMILA and took him in accusation before OLODUMARE. It was ESU ELEGBARA who defended him and whose argument OLODUMARE accepted. Whenever he works with ORUNMILA it is ESU that approves and bears the sacrifices to heaven. It is through him that the works of ORUN- MILA and the other ORISA will be successful or not. Without the interference of ESU ELEGBARA nothing will work. Sacrifice has to first be made to him in order to be successful. Those who know about this divinity hold a healthy respect for him as do the other divinities. This is because he holds the power of life and death as prosperity or calamity depending on what reports he carries to OLODUMARE. Therefore everyone seeks to be on good terms with him. We hear many times of a warning, BI A BA RUBO, KI A MU T’ESU KURU (when sacrifices are of- fered, the portion which belongs to ESU ELEGBARA should be set aside for him). He is a mischief-maker, quite capable of causing confusion, creating complicated situations or promoting malice among people. By his guile, he would make enemies of very close friends, cause husbands and wives to quarrel and make antagonisms among the family nucleus. Some say there is an unmistakable element of evil in ESU ELEGBARA and for that reason he has been associated with the Devil. They say his primary function in this world is to spoil things. Even so, we cannot call him the Devil -- not in the Judeo-Christian sense of that name. Whatever elements of “evil” there are in ESU ELEGBARA can also be found to some degree in most of the other divinities. He is not the personal embodiment of evil standing in opposition to goodness. “ESU ELEGBARA is how he is,” created by OLODUMARE with dual personalities, that of good and that of bad. These dual personalities were precisely what OLODUMARE wanted in him because there would be no one better to judge the human character. When all of this has been admitted, though, it is quite clear still that we of the Yoruba descent in this new world place almost every evil tendency and practice in man down to ESU ELEGBARA’s agency. Whenever a person commits any deed which results in unpleasantness or harm to himself or his neighbors, we immediately say, “ESU L’O TI I,” (It is ESU ELEG- BARA who is making him do it). There is also a strong belief that we can use him against an enemy. There are many rituals that can be done in regards to this situation, but if you are not familiar and do not have the savvy to do these rituals, I would suggest not to get
OYA'S MARKETPLACE PAGE 7 started in something that can turn against you. You must keep in mind that the enemy against whom you are doing the enchantment may have more knowledge than you do and can perhaps work with ESU ELEGBARA better than you. Keep this in mind at all times. Another thing to always keep in mind is that when he becomes angry, ESU ELEGBARA’s fury is not easily restrained. Whenever he is to be used for anything, make sure you know how to control his anger, otherwise he can be destructive. ESU ELEGBARA, nevertheless, is to be used and paid homage to at all times and by everyone -- this is a must. I will recommend to all of you to only use him for good deeds. When he is so put to work he can be benevolent. Whenever he is to be called upon for help, be sure to address him by BABAMI (my father). When you are walking along and see a rock that calls your attention, be careful -- that rock could be ESU ELEGBARA calling you mentally --to pick him up and take him home. We want ESU ELEGBARA at our right side at all times. He is worshipped all over the YORUBA land and in the new world. Without a doubt, he is the first divinity in the ORISA pantheon -- there is no place where he is not called upon for help. In order to be everywhere at once he manifests himself as follows: he is the highest and the lowest, prince, garbage collector, adolescent, elder, etc. He adopts any identity in order to make his presence, powers and will felt. Everywhere there is ritual to any ORISA he is the intermediary among man and the ORISA, but he is also first; trouble will come if this is not so. He works in close contact with ORUN- MILA, OSUN, SANGO, YEMONJA and ODUDUWA, but he is number one and a servant to no one, including ORUNMILA-IFA. Because of all I have said in reference to ESU ELEGBARA and also because he happens to be my favorite ORISA, I will say to you and the four WINGS: NG BA R’OGBO NG BA GBO; NG BA R’ATO, NG BA TO; NG BA R’AGBA BI ESU ELEGBARA MA YO SESE If I possess the means of old age, I will be old; If I possess the means of long life, I will live long; If I can be as old as ESU; I will rejoice exceedingly. DUPUE, DUPUE ESU ELEGBARA BABAMI ASE OO. Thank, thank ESU ELEGBARA my father the grace be with you. Note: The prayers written here may be used to salute ESU ELEGBARA and also to do work with him, or make an offering or sacrifice. SALUTE TO ELEGBA AND PRAYER TO ELEGBARA BI S BA WA NRE LEE EMU ELEGBA MI BI A BA WA NRE ‘LE ESU ELEG- BARA MI. ONIJA, OO EJEMU OLUWONRAN A-DI-GIRI-GIRI-RE ‘BI-IJA LABALABA KAN ‘MI ETA O FO RAKINRAKIN. ESU ELEGBARA, MA BA M’JA. MA BA M’SIRE. EGBE NI O SE FUN MI O NO OMB’OMODE SIRE. MO R’EJE L’OJU-ITO OMOBIN- RING YELEYELE. ESU ELEGBARA M’JA. MA BA M’SIRE O NI O MB’OKUNRIN SIRE. MO R’EJE L’OJU-ITO RE YE- LEYELE. ESU ELEGBARA, MA BA M’JA. MA BA MISIRE. O MB’AKIKO SIRE. OWON FA A L’ORUN TU. ESU ELEGBARA MA BA M’JA MA B M’SIRE. O MB’AUNKO SIRE NWON MA DUMBU RE O. ESU ELEGBARA, MA BA M’JA. MABA M’SIRE O MB’AKOJA SIRE NWON BE AKOJA NI ORI. ESU ELEGBARA, MA BA M’JA MA BA M’SIRE. ONIJA, O LE. A-DI-GIRI-GIRI-RE’BI-IJA. MODUPUE ELEGBARA BABAMI. Now I will chant a salute to my ELEGUA OBELLIGEREN One, you are not cruel. The EJEMU foremost chief of IWONRAN Town. He will prepare himself and go to fight. A butterfly chances upon a civet-cat’s excrement and flies high. ELEGBA, don’t fight against me. Don’t play with me. Just be to me a giver of good luck. You said you were playing with a child. I saw much blood flowing from the girl’s private parts. ELEGBA, don’t fight against me. Don’t play with me. You said you were playing with a boy. I saw much blood flowing from the boy’s private parts. ELEGBA don’t play with me. You were playing with a rooster. The rooster head was torn from the neck. ELEGBA don’t fight against me. Don’t play with me. You were playing with a goat. The sheep was slaughtered with a knife. ELEGBA don’t fight against me. Don’t play with me. You were playing with a male dog The male dog was beheaded. ELEGBA don’t fight against me. Don’t play with me cont. on page 21.
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