Trinity of Divinities - How other Orisa plan to dethrone OBATALA
Another myth tell us that all divinities, including ILE –the mother earth, joined forces to dethrone OBATALA OSEMARAGBO (the ancient of days) and take for them his creative powers.
Bitter rivalry emerged amongst the divinities and deities who wanted to share the glory of OBATALA.
ORUNMILA was invited to join in the conspiracy but refused.
ESU was invited into the evil plot against the ancient of the days OBATALA, but ESU refused.
In the end the divinities lost the fight to take the glory of OBATALA.
Consequently a universal glory was conceded to him forever according to the IFA stanza below.
However, the refusal of ORUNMILA BABA AGBONNIREGUN and ESU LALU OGIRI OKO, to join in the conspiracy against, the illuminated one –OBATALA –was with great benefit and enormous advantages.
ORUNMILA and ESU were both promoted to co –exist as equals with OBATALA in the trinity of divinities
Irete Meji says the following:
Igangan IFE
Orunmila wo suu , o ko won
E e ri i
Awon ojise aye
Awon igangan ife
Awon ni Orunmila maa
Nranse si ELEDUA
Translation:
Envoy from earth
Town –crier of IFE
Were suddenly seized and slashed by Orunmila
You see
The messenger
The town crier
Are the emissary
Orunmila always send to GOD the omnipotent
The emissary from the earth and the town crier of IFE were ORUNMILA`S regular messengers to ELEDUMARE, the omnipotent.
The message to the omnipotent was: “such being the state of things in IFE today, what sacrifice should I appoint as remedy?”
The reply would come ‘’offer a bush rat’’.
Acting on this recommendation ORUNMILA would receive good auspices for the city and all would turn out well, but as time went on things changed.
When the Omnipotent indicated the sacrifice of a goat, these messengers reported to ORUNMILA that a Lamb should be offered.
The sacrifice would result in failure.
What could be responsible for this turn of events wondered Orunmila.
Eventually the truth came out but ORUNMILA said nothing, he merely stopped the messengers from bearing further request to the OMNIPOTENT.
One day ORUNMILA seized the messengers and killed them.
The people of IFE wondered how ORUNMILA could do such an evil thing, killing his messengers who were always bringing good tidings to the people of IFE.
The answer given to them by ORUNMILA was not satisfying, and the people decided to attack ORUNMILA, and without mincing words ORUNMILA hid himself from the anger of the people.
They beat one of the disciples of ORUNMILA called IMULEGBE and AKALE – ORUNMILA`s guest was not spared.
ORUNMILA could not hide his emotions and he came out from his hiding and challenged the people.
Orunmila left the city in annoyance, IMULEGBE and AKALE went with him.
ORUNMILA warned the entire council of IFA priests to stop divining for the people of IFE, so that they may know the implication of their habit and actions.
Orunmila later travelled to the forest with his friends until they got to a place called ‘’THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE’’ and here they built three hut’s, one for AKALE – ESU, one for IMULEGBE – OBATALA, and one for ORUNMILA.
Soon, there was a report from IFE that the city was under heavy plague and many problems. Fishes were dying in the river, sickness and illness became the order of the day.
The pregnant women would no longer find it easy to have their children, men became infertile and the barren could not conceive.
There was total chaos and pandemonium and nobody in the city was able to find a solution to the problem. The chiefs of IFE went out of their domain to seek solution but all to no avail.
One day they met a diviner named CRAB THAT CRAWLS IN HOLES IN THE MARSH AWAY FROM WATER HABITANTS, but he declined to divine for them because of what ORUNMILA the chief diviner had said.
He then instructed the people of IFE to look for ORUNMILA so that they might find solutions to their problems.
They replied that ORUNMILA could not be found, and he said they should look for an antelope and bring him the animal so that he would help them look for another diviner.
They brought the animal and were led to another diviner called GOLDEN –HUED LIKE FRESH PALM OIL who was expected to take them to where ORUNMILA resided.
The diviner then asked the people of IFE to look for an antelope for sacrifice like was given to the first diviner.
This request was more laborious than that of the first diviner, but since they did not have alternatives, they prepared to go into the deep bush and look for an antelope.
They found an antelope which they pursued up hill and chased the animal into the forest until the people of IFE found themselves in the MIDDLE OF NOWHERE.
Here, suddenly the antelope disappeared and they continued searching for the disappeared antelope until they found the three huts built for ORUNMILA, AKALE and IMULEGBE (ORUNMILA, ESU AND OBATALA).
The people of IFE could not believe that a sane man could live in this remote area, but to confirm their doubt and curiosity, they threw a stone at one of the huts and immediately ESU – AKALE, came out in annoyance asking them who threw the stone.
They actually saw that it was ESU, and ESU asked them what was the problem with them and why they needed to find them here in the deep forest.
They pleaded with ESU and told him the predicaments that were currently haunting them at IFE.
ESU listened to them and asked them to go and look for some sacrificial materials if they wanted any solution to their problems.
The materials they needed to get was
2 BUSH –RATS,
2 DRIED FISH,
2 OBI,
2 OROGBO,
2 ATARE and several other things in pairs.
They returned to IFE in order to secure the materials.
They told about their experiences to the king and the king advised them to take all the materials and that they should try to find ORUNMILA himself.
Immediately after they left ESU reported how the citizen of IFE came and stoned his hut to ORUNMILA and how he came out to question them and how he instructed them to look for some sacrificial materials so that their predicaments could be solved.
Then ESU asked ORUNMILA how he could help them if they returned.
ORUNMILA told ESU to go to the hut of OBATALA to report the case to him exactly as he had told to ORUNMILA.
ORUNMILA pleaded to OBATALA – IMULEGBE that OBAORISA would listen to ESU – AKALE and the story of the disasters in IFE.
If nothing was done there could be even more severe situations unfolding.
OBATALA, in the first instance did not comply with ORUNMILA`s plea and despite numerous attempts, OBATALA did not give in to their plea.
Then ORUNMILA chose and used stronger, wise and mystic language before ORISAALA heeded to the plea, and what was this language?
Obatala, you must return to your work
The blacksmith moulds iron over and over again
Until, it is straight and perfect
The barber has not finished his work
Until backs and sides are well trimmed
You must return to your unfinished work
Generations of kings have reigned on earth
Yet have I not seen one to rival this one
To rival Obatala, king of all divinities
Royal artificer of perfection
Who came from above but place
His earthly home in the city of IRANJE
He alone has power to lock the rain –gates
He alone created the white dome of the sky
He created the species of RAT to last for ever
He created the species of the FISH to last for ever
He created the species of the bird to last for ever
He created the species of the beast to last forever
And ordained that the species of man be never destroyed
With these mystical words, OBATALA replied “you are blessed, you ORUNMILA have the unique wisdom to recollect all these mysteries, I will heed to your plea.”
When the people of IFE returned with the sacrificial materials, ORUNMILA forgave them, ORISAALA forgave them and ESU also forgave them.
With the materials a sacrifice of atonement was performed and the three divinities and the people of IFE returned to the city of IFE with dance and song, rejoicing that their city and the people had been saved from calamity.
From that time on the city of IFE spread in all directions until it touched every corner of the world.
The story shows this trinity in the primordial order.
ESU represents the junior divinity in this hierarchy and his role is to receive and forward sacrificial offerings, he is morally neutral, he represents chance, the unpredictable component of life,.
The rating between ORUNMILA and OBATALA is extremely difficult to analyze, but since the junior should first seek the favor of the senior and in the beginning of the myth we see that OBATALA was the senior, being sought after by ORUNMILA.
But if we go by the power of words, and the significance of what words and its beauty could do, one would wonder that a good word could give us a leadership role.
The power of forgiveness too should not be seen as an ordinary power - it is one of the strongest vibratory power in the universe and if we go by the last phrase of the concluding part of ORUNMILA`S pleading statement, it shows that ORUNMILA forgave them, OBATALA forgave them and ESU forgave them.
The above story shows the position of Obatala as a leading figure in the primordial order, and those searching for blessings in any form must not hesitate to pray to OBATALA
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