Ilè Ase Oba Jagun

Characteristics

DAY: Friday.

COLORS: white.

SYMBOLS: Atori.

ELEMENTS: Air and Atmosphere.

DOMAINS: Innovations, the search for improvement, nonconformity.

GREETING: Epí ìmolé; Epí Epí Baba!!!

Osógìyan (Oxoguian) in Yoruba mythology is a young warrior, son of Oxalufan, identified in the game of merindilogun by the odu ejionile and represented materially and immaterial by the candomblé, through the sacred settlement denominated Igba oxaguian. Its main temple is in Ejigbo, state of sun, where it bears the title of Eléèjìgbó, or King of èjìgbo.

In African Legends of the Orixás, Pierre Fatumbi Verger tells one of the legends that Oxoguian would have been born in Ifé, long before his father became king of Ifan. Oxoguian, brave warrior, wished, in turn, to conquer a kingdom. He left, accompanied by his friend Awoledjê. Oxoguian did not yet have this name. He arrived at a place called Ejigbô and there he became Elejigbô (King of Ejigbô). Oxoguian had a great passion for pounded yams, food that the Yoruba call iyan. Elejigbô ate from this iyan at all times; he ate in the morning, at noon, and after the siesta; ate at dinner and even at night, if he felt empty in his stomach! He refused any other food, he was always to be served.

He went so far as to invent the pestle to prepare his favorite dish. Impressed by his craze, the other orixás gave him a codnome: Oxoguian, which means "Orixá-eater-de-yarn-pilado", and so it was called.

Awoledje, his companion, was babalawo, a great diviner, who advised him on what to do or not to do. On one occasion, Awoledjê advised Oxoguiã to offer: two medium-sized rats; two fish, swimming majestically; two chickens whose liver was very large; two goats whose milk was plentiful; two baskets of snails and many white cloths. He also told him that if he followed his advice, Ejigob, which was then a small village in the forest, would soon become a large and powerful city, populated by many inhabitants.

After that Awoledjê went on a trip to other places. Ejigbô became a great city, as Awoledjê had predicted. It was surrounded by walls with deep pits, fortified gates and armed guards guarded its entrances and exits.

There was a large market in front of the palace, which attracted buyers and sellers of goods and slaves from afar. Elejigbô lived with pomp among his wives and servants. Musicians sang their praises. When he was spoken of, his name was never used, for it would be disrespectful. It was the expression Kabiyesi, that is, His Majesty, which should be employed.

After a few years, Awoledjê returned. He did not yet know the new splendor of his friend. Arriving in front of the guards, at the entrance to the palace, Awoledjê asked, familiarly, for news of the "yam-pounded Eater." Shocked by the stranger's insolence, the guards shouted, "What an outrage to speak in this way of Kabiyesi! What impertinence! What a lack of respect!" And they fell on him and beat him and cruelly threw him in jail.

Awoledjê, mortified by the ill-treatment, decided to avenge himself, using his magic. For seven years the rain did not fall on Ejigbô, the women had no more children and the king's horses had no pasture. Elejigbô, desperate, consulted a babalao to remedy this sad situation. "Kabiyesi, all this unhappiness is a consequence of the unjust imprisonment of one of my confreres! It is necessary to release him, Kabiyesi, you must obtain his pardon!"

Awoledjê was released and, full of resentment, went to hide in the bottom of the forest. Elejigbô, though such an important king, had to go and plead with him to forget his ill-treatment and to forgive him.

"Well," he replied, "I allow the rain to fall again, Oxoguian, but there is a condition: Every year, on the occasion of your feast, it will be necessary for you to send many people into the forest, to cut three hundred tons. of Ejigbô, divided into two camps, shall strike one another until these rods are worn or broken. "

Since then, every year, at the end of the drought, the inhabitants of two districts of Ejigbô, those of Ixalê Oxolô, and those of Okê Mapô, beat each other, as a sign of contrition and in the hope of seeing, again, the rain fall

The memory of this custom has been preserved throughout the ages and remains alive, too, in Bahia.

On the occasion of the ceremonies in praise of Oxoguian, people beat each other with light strokes of the stick ... and then receive a portion of pestle yam, while Oxoguian comes dancing with energy, bringing a pestle hand , symbol of the gastronomic preferences of the Orixá "Eater-de-yam-pilado."