The Ibeyis They are minor Orishas of the Yoruba pantheon. They are twins, male and female, children of Monkey the king of thunder and ochun the river goddess, though raised by Yemaya the mistress of the seas.
They are the darlings of all the Orishas, two children who enjoy the paternal love of each of the deities. They are considered patrons of all infants and their faithful protectors.
Furthermore, they are exceptionally powerful and can play fortune at will. That is why many devotees pray to him in faith for his blessings.
Pataki: The blessing comes with The Jimaguas
This Pataki says that in the town of Isokun, there lived a very prosperous farmer who was known everywhere as a monkey hunter, since his crops were very prolific and the monkeys came to eat the fruits of his crops.
So the farmer made a name for himself by trying to drive out the monkeys, but they kept eating his fruits. However, the farmer continued to kill those annoying animals, although they always returned to their fields.
The farmer managed to keep the monkeys out of his crops, but they caused the rain to fall and while it rained, they ate the crops. When he discovered them, he had roofs built for the guards so he could have a chance to catch them.
One day a soothsayer visited the farmer and told him that if he continued to kill monkeys, his wives would not be able to have children, as these animals are wise and powerful, and they would send abikus (born to die prematurely) to their wives' wombs.
But the farmer did not believe the fortune teller and continued to kill the monkeys, so they decided to send him two abikus as predicted by the fortune teller.
The farmer consult Orula
Then the first of the farmer's wives gave birth to the first twins in that town. But since the twins were abikus, they soon died.
Over time, another of the farmer's wives became pregnant, and when she gave birth, other twins were born, but like the first, they died shortly after life. So it happened with all the wives, just as the prediction had marked.
The farmer then decided to consult orunmila, the orisha who owns the Ifá oracle, who told him that the monkeys were sending abikus to the bellies of their wives.
- “Allow them to eat your crops, maybe that way they will calm down.”, said Orunmila, the soothsayer.
The farmer then stopped hunting monkeys and they were able to eat peacefully.
Fortune comes with ehe birth of the Ibeyis
After a few months another of the farmer's wives gave him twins. But the man decided just in case, consult Ifá.
Orunmila told him that these children were not abikus, because the monkeys had calmed down.
- "But these twins are not ordinary children either, because they will be able to reward or punish human beings"the soothsayer told him.
Orunmila further explained that if someone mistreated these twins, the Ibeji spirit will punish that person with illness, loss and poverty. And whoever treated the twins well would be rewarded with children and good fortune.
The farmer then told his wife what happened and told her that whatever the twins wanted, they had to be given, so they were the most spoiled children in the world, bringing good fortune to the man.
From this day, the twins are called: “Adanjunkale”: The first is Taiwo (To—aiye—wo) "The one who comes to taste life" and the second is Kehinde (Ko-ehin-de) "The one who comes after another." Thus the Ibeyis were born.
Prayers to the very powerful Orishas translated from Lucumí into Spanish
Beautiful Prayer for the Jimaguas Ibeyis: The Saviors of the Malevolent
