Born to Die

One beautiful day in spring
A handsome boy was born,
Odunayo – Year of Happiness –
To fill the house of family Obunte.

Ishe Olórun tobi!
God’s work is great!


But Odunayo was a spirit child,
An emissary, a messenger between Heaven and Earth,
Between the Orishas and Olorishas,
Born into the world of humans to teach them
Having more respect towards the gods.

Ishe Olórun tobi!
God’s work is great!


Odunayo kept living on both planes,
Traveler between the worlds,
The Earth and Òrun, the Otherworld, the Heaven.
<Why do humans dislike visitors from Heaven?>
Odunayo was annoyed.

Ishe Olórun tobi!
God’s work is great!


Usually Emeres, spirit children, leave their families
In a moment of total happiness,
Everybody is fulfilled with.
So, when Odunayos brother was to come,
He decided to leave the Earth and his family.

Ishe Olórun tobi!
God’s work is great!


He saw the tears running over his mother’s face,
Felt happiness and joy when seeing her cry.
Her tears were valuable for him and he kept them
In his memory in Heaven
Where he met his playmates.

Ishe Olórun tobi!
God’s work is great!


Next time when Odunayo was born again to the same family
To fill their house with joy and laughter
The same thing happened and it made him happy
To see his family in grief.
Devilish happy he was!

Ishe Olórun tobi!
God’s work is great!


Now the parents became aware that Odunayo was an Emere.
<What to do when he is coming back again?>
“My dear wife”, Obafemi said. “Have you been out late?
Where have you been when you were pregnant?
Have you been at a lonely place? At a river? Near a tree?”

Ishe Olórun tobi!
God’s work is great!


“This time we are going to mark him, so that we will recognize him next time!”
When Odunayo was reborn to the family for the third time,
He decided again to die when joy and feasting was happiest.
The parents cut his nose to mark him for return.
They should remember him.

Ishe Olórun tobi!
God’s work is great!


Fourth time, Odunayo was born to them without a nose,
So they knew that it was him.
The boy decided to stay in the human world.
His heavenly playmates did not accept this.
They sent monsters and beasts to attack him.

Ishe Olórun tobi!
God’s work is great!


Odunayo kept strong and lived on and took a wife.
A boy was born to them,
Mobo – Freedom –
A beautiful boy, so Odunayo thought him to be an Emere like him.
However, Mobo was another kind of spirit child, an Abiku.

Ishe Olórun tobi!
God’s work is great!


Mobo went to Odunayo’s parents and killed them both.
He took the eyes of the mother and the liver of the father.
Then he gave them to Odunayo: “This is extremely good.
Your mother and father sends it.
You shall eat it!”

Ishe Olórun tobi!
God’s work is great!


Odunayo did. Later he found out, that he had eaten
The eyes and liver of his parents.
This was the first time the Emere cried and was full of grief.
Mobo was an Abiku, a changeling, quite mischievous.
“Father, can you throw something down to me to catch it?”
“No, you are still too young”, answered Odunayo.

Ishe Olórun tobi!
God’s work is great!


“Then I will throw something down to you, Father.
So you must catch it!”
Mobo broke a big branch and it fell on his father’s head.
Odunayo was dead immediately, his skull broken.
Then, Mobo took the eyes and liver of Odunayo.

Ishe Olórun tobi!
God’s work is great!


Mobo returned to Heaven to Olórun, the mighty God.
He gave to Him the eyes and the liver.
Olórun knew that Odunayo was lost forever,
Attached to the human world, walking the middle plane,
Never returning to Heaven, always haunting earthly life.

Ishe Olórun tobi!
God’s work is great!