Teachings of the Santeria Gods: The Spirit of the Odu »

Author of The Secrets of Afro-Cuban Divination, Ócha'ni Lele has been immersed in the underground culture of Orisha worship since 1989. By 1995 he had received several initiations in both Santeria and the Congo faith Palo Mayombe and in 2000 he made Ocha and was crowned a Santeria priest. He lives in Florida.

At the core of the diloggún are the sacred stories known as the patakís. This book recounts more than one hundred of these sacred parables, including many stories collected from the oral tradition of the African diaspora.

Preface xi

Acknowledgments xv

An Introduction to the Diloggún 1

1 Okana-One Mouth on the Mat 11

Okana Brews a Love Potion 12

Okana's Seduction of Shangó 17

Okana's Curses 20

Okana's Lesson in Love 22

The Story of the Cat and the Rat 25

2 Eji Oko-Two Mouths on the Mat 31

The Birth of Ikú 32

The Marriage of Ikú and Ejioko 37

Ejioko Loses His Friend Iré 42

Ochosi Feeds Olófin 45

3 Ogundá-Three Mouths on the Mat 50

Why the Rooster Was First Sacrificed 51

How the Crocodile Became Powerful 57

King Olushola Makes Ebó 58

4 Irosun-Four Mouths on the Mat 67

How a Man and a Woman Found Love 69

Irosun Discovers His True Friends 71

The Story of the Cat and the Leopard 73

The Pact between Orishaokó and Olófin 78

The Tail (Tale) of the Little Monkey 80

Obatalá Rewards Odé 84

5 Oché- Five Mouths on the Mat 88

The Birth, Death, and Rebirth of Oché 90

How Oshogbo Became Dedicated to Oshún 92

How Oshún Came to the New World 98

A Foolish Merchant's Tragedy 100

I Will Give You a Small Thing 103

6 Obara-Six Mouths on the Mat 108

The Farmer and His Ebó 111

The Best Food: The Worst Food 113

Ochosi Learns to Build a Trap 116

Ochosi's Curse 118

The Story of Elegede 120

7 Odí- Seven Mouths on the Mat 130

The Creation of Copulation 132

Where the Hole Was First Opened 133

He Who Fights Knows about War 143

8 Unle-Eight Mouths on the Mat 145

Unle Is Born 147

Unle's Ebó to Elegguá 150

Unle Builds a Home 152

Unle Becomes a Farmer 158

Obatalá Eats Heads 160

9 Osá- Nine Mouths on the Mat 167

The Death of His Love 169

A Beggar's Story 172

A Son's Loss 173

The Brag of the Boastful Boy 177

Shangós Imprisonment 181

10 Ofún-Ten Mouths on the Mat 186

Life and Death 187

The Story of Iré and Osogbo 188

Ofún, the Godchild of Ikú 191

The Loss of Ofún's Daughter 198

How the Leopard Gained His Strength 202

The Spinning of the Web 202

Obatalá Makes Ebó 204

11 Owani-Eleven Mouths on the Mat 206

Eshu at the Crossroads 209

The Climbing Vine and the Okra 211

The Death of the Egungun Priests 213

Disobedience Becomes the Road to Death 219

Oshún's Ebó 221

How Osain Saved the Ill-Prepared Man 223

12 Ejila Shebora-Twelve Mouths on the Mat 226

Shangós Losses 228

The Marriage of Oshún and Orúnmila 230

Yemayá's Quest 239

Yemayá Learns to Cast Òpèlè 243

Glossary 247

Index 261