Age: 60
Date: 20th of March, 2011
Healthcare Provider: Awo Ifás san
Patient ‗V‘ was a businesswoman who was said to have been doing very well in her market. She suddenly started to behave strangely, frequently complained of fever. No test found anything wrong with her. She was also not coordinated in her speech. The hospitals recommended psychiatric treatments. This was tried for some time before the children suspected affliction and so invited Awo Ifás san to help out with the diagnosis and treatment.
Diagnosis: Ògúndá atún orí șe (Owú jíj - jealousy) Bóronyín, awo òde Ìdó,
Ògòrò nde, awo òde Ìjẹșà,
Eru-dúdú ní ń șe awo ìlú Sàkurumọ.
Àwọn mẹ ta ni wọ n à ní‟di ọ rọ lọ fin.
5 A d‟ifá fún lọ fin
ọ
jẹ mbẹ lúNí ọjọ tí ń bá‟bi ùn, tí ń bá‟bi jí.
Wọ n ní lọ fin, ibi ni ó yí ọ ká, Wọ n ní kí ó leè baà dáwọ ibi dúró, Kí ó lọ bá àwọn babaláwo,
UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY
10 Àwọn babaláwo d‟ífá fún un pé, Àwọn kan ni ó wà ní ìdí ọ rọ rẹ . Àwọn wọ nyí, kò dẹ tún șí ọwọ , Wọ n fẹ ba nkan lọ fin jẹ pátápátá.
lọ fin wá béèrè pé kí ni òun yíò șe, 15 Tí wọn kò fi ní rí ti òun bàjẹ ?
Wọ n ní kí lọ fin, lọ tọ jú
Àwọn ewé-ifá: ewé ọlọ wọ ràn sísán, ewée gbégi, ewée ọ dúndún, Ewée tẹ tẹ , ewée eririn, ọ pọ lọpọ ìgbín, eboto òrí.
Kí wọ n fi șe Ifá fun lọ fin.
Bóronyín, the diviner of Ìdó town, Ògòrò nde, the diviner of Ìjẹșà town, Eru-dúdú is the diviner of Sàkurumọ town.
These three were responsible for lọ fin‟ afflictions.
5 Divination was performed for lọ fin
ọ
jẹ mbẹ lúWhen he slept and woke up with evil around him, They observed that lọ fin was surrounded by evil, They said for lọ fin to be able to stop this evil, He should seek diviners,
10 The diviners divined and said
That some people are responsible for his afflictions.
These people, without money,
Wanted to completely destroy lọ fin property.
lọ fin then asked what he was supposed to do 15 To prevent them from destroying his property?
lọ fin was instructed to prepare Ifá leaves
This was to be used to divine for lọ fin.
(Source: author‘s compilation from fieldwork).
Interpretation:
Ifá ní kí ẹni tí ó dá Ifá yìí ó rúbọ, nítorí àwọn ọ tá mẹ ta, wọ n ń jẹ owú rẹ , nítorí pé, bíi ti lọ fin, ó rí ọwọ mú ju àwọn ọ ta rẹ lọ.
Ifá directed that the patient should offer sacrifice, because of three enemies. These enemies are jealous of her, because, like lọ fin, she was more successful and this made them jealous.
Prescription: ìgbín àti ewé Ifá (snails and Ifá/ritual leaves).
Method of Administration: After the sacrifice, some of the snails and herbs were buried and the remaining eaten by the patient. This symbolised the burying of the spell that was cast on the patient.
Rate of Recovery: The patient recovered within a week of commencing treatment.
UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY
Patient W Sex: Female Age: 22
Date: 4th of August, 2010
Healthcare Provider: Awo Ifás san
Patient ‗W‘ was said to have been very intelligent in school. She was always coming first in her class. Then she suddenly started reading in her sleep; was talking to herself and frequently complained of fever. Once, while in the hospital, she threw her food away.
Before going to Awo Ifás san, the family members had taken her to different hospitals. All the tests that were carried out did not indicate any of the queried illness. Her condition was getting worse; she only got better after sedatives. It was concluded that she was having a mental problem and psychiatric care was recommended. When she was not getting any better, the parents were advised to take her to some of their relations in Ibadan to reduce the shame they were facing. It was during this process that a member of their family brought them to Awo Ifás san.
Diagnosis: Odu Òtúá orí-ire (Owú jíje- jealousy) Èrùdébà awo Alárá,
Ó d‟ifá fún Alárá Èșìșà,
mọ Òsù tí ń lé kerekere lé‟gbé ọ run Òdíbà.
Awo Àlùkò ló d‟ífá fún È í Àgbájọọmọ, 5 A mú rere sọ run ara rẹ .
Wọ n ní ẹbọ ni ó ma rú, Wọ n ní kí ó șe ètùtù,
Àwọn tí wọ n ń bẹ ní ìdí ọ rọ yìí, Àwọn méjì ni,
10 Àwọn méjèèjì wá gbé ogun ti ẹni ẹ kẹta tí ń șe Èwí.
Èwí ń bá wọn șe, ó rò pé ọ rẹ ni wọ n.
Șùgbọ n àwọn méjí tí ó kù; Alárá àti Ajerò, ń gbé ogun ti Èwí, Nítorí wípé ó mọ nkan ń șe ju àwọn tí ó kù lọ.
Alárá àti Ajerò gbé ogun ti Èwí, 15 Èwí ò sì mọ , ó ń bá wọn șe ọ rẹ .
Tí wọ n bá ti dé oko,
Èwí ma ń pa ẹran tí ó tóbi ju ti Alárá àti Ajerò lọ, Wọ n wá gbé ogun ti Èwí nítorí ìdí èyí.
Wọ n rán ikò burúkú sí Èwí.
20 Wọ n șe títí, wọn kò fẹ kí Èwí mọ nkan tí ó ń șe, Èwí wá ké sí àwọn Ògébà,
UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY
Ó ní kí wọ n wá yẹ òun ní oókan ìbò wò.
Àwọn Ògébà sọ wípé,
Àwọn kan ni wọ n ń gbé ogun tì í.
25 Wọ n ní tí ó bá rúbọ,
Gbogbo ogun tí ń jà á, yíò kúrò.
Ó ní kíni ìșe ẹbọ, kíni ìșe èrò?
Wọ n yan ẹbọ fún Èwí.
Wọ n ní kí ó tọ jú ọ pọ lọpọ ìgbín, 30 Wọ n ní kí ó tọ jú ọ pọ lọpọ obì (ogbòn)
Wọ n ní kí ó tọ jú adìyẹ àkùkọ, òkété mẹ ta,
Kí ó fi òkété wọ nyí pèsè lẹ ẹ mẹta ní àárín ọjà fún ọjọ mẹ ta.
Nítorí pé àárín ọjà ni àwọn tí wọ n șe ibi í È í ńlò.
Ni „gbà tí àwọn ajogun ibi tí wọ n wọ n Èwí ní ibi fi ojú kan òkété tí ó pèsè, 35 Wọ n jẹ ẹ ní ọjọ kìíní àti ọjọ kejì,
jọ kẹta ni wọ n mọ pé È í ni ó ń pèsè.
Bẹ ẹ ni, bí wọ n bá ti jẹ nkan ẹni, Wọn ò lè șe oní tibí ní nkan mọ .
Báàyí ni wọ n șe dáwọ ibi tí wọ n șe fún Èwí dúró.
Èrùdébà the diviner of Alárá, Divined for Alárá Èșìșà,
Child of the moon that brightens next to Òdíbà‟ sky, Àlùkò‟ diviner performed divination for Èwí Àgbájọọmọ, 5 One who clads his own heaven with goodness.
He was instructed to offer sacrifices, To offer propitiation,
Those who were responsible for his afflictions, Are two in number,
10 These two rose up in war against the third party called Èwí, Èwí was their partner, he took them to be his friends.
But Alárá and Ajerò were waging war against Èwí Just because Èwí is more gifted,
Alárá and Ajerò were waging war against Èwí
15 Èwí did not know their intent, he was in partnership with them, Once they arrive in the farm,
È í‟ games were usually bigger than those of Alárá and Ajerò, They became jealous and planned against Èwí because of this.
They sent evil arrow to Èwí.
20 They were bent on making Èwí go insane.
Èwí had to send for Ògébà,
He asked that they come and divine for him.
Ògébà said that
There were people responsible for the afflictions, 25 They said that if Èwí offered sacrifice,
All the afflictions would end.
He asked for the kind of sacrifice and preparation.
A sacrifice was prescribed for Èwí.
He was instructed to prepare a lot of snails,
UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY
30 Thirty cola nuts, a cock, three big rats.
He was instructed to prepare meals with these big rats three times and keep at the centre of the market.
This was because the enemies used the middle of the market.
When the malignant spirits that were responsible for È í‟ affliction sighted the prepared meal, 35 They consumed it the first and the second day,
They only found out on the third day that it was Èwí who had been preparing the meals.
And as a rule, once they consumed sacrifices, They became harmless to the bearer of the sacrifice.
This was how they ended the affliction hawled at Èwí.
(Source: author‘s compilation from fieldwork).
Interpretation:
Ifá ní kí ẹni tí ó dá‟fá yìí rúbọ, nítorí àwọn ọ tá méjì, kí ó lè baà șẹ gùn wọn, nítorí pé wọn kò fẹ kí ẹni tí ó dá‟fá yìí ní ìtẹ síwájú.
Ifá prescribes that the patient should offer sacrifice because of two enemies, so that she can overcome the enemies who do not want her to make progress. This shows that she was envied by some of her classmates who are members of a cult.
Prescriptions: ẹ bẹ emèrè – this is an appeal to members of a cult to release the patient. A lot of melon (ẹ gúsí púpọ ); the pods should be removed in the market. Ewée bomubómú, adìyẹ àkùkọ mẹ ta (three cocks), òkété mẹ ta (three big rats), each of the big rats was used to prepare meals and taken to the market for three days. This was ẹbọ ìkọ oun ibi (a sacrifice to reject evil things).
This was done to make her orí (personality soul) reject the spell that was cast upon her.
Rate of recovery: Two months.