Humility will make you wise, a Pataki from Eleguá and Orula

Eleggua It is hubbub, justice and struggle. Orisha, who is always the first to be called in every religious act or holiday, is also the last to say goodbye.

He hides among the roads to do his mischief and save us from death and misfortune. It is the deity of the beginning and the end of all paths and of destiny, it is also birth and death, good and evil.

He is revered for being the absolute owner of the mountains, where he cheats and mocks fate, hunts for happiness and the good opportunities in life. He can be the decider of the happiness or unhappiness of human beings.

Meanwhile, orunmila he is the one to whom one turns for advice. He is wisdom and reason, good decisions, the great benefactor of humanity and its main adviser. Orula is the wise guide who guides his children on the right path, the fortune teller who alerts you and saves you with advice.

It is the Orisha of divination, the supreme oracle and reveals the future through the secret of Ifá. It has all the accumulated knowledge about the history of mankind.

Eleguá and Orula, the pataki

We present the pataki of how Orula and Eleguá give a lesson to the pride and arrogance of the babalawos.

The story goes that the sage Orunmila had returned to earth to see how all the Babalawos he had trained in the arts of divination were doing.

Thus, he traveled from town to town to greet his former students.

• "Orunmila, how good to see you," said one. "I don't have time to talk to you right now, I have an appointment."
• "Orunmila, how are you? If he comes back on Wednesday, I'll be able to take care of him, ”said another.

At the lack of attention from his priests, Orunmila was furious. All his former students ignored him, as they were more concerned with getting rich and having a great reputation in honor of their old teacher.

The sage Orunmila then decided to teach them a lesson and said that he was going to challenge all the Babalawos to a contest to see who uses the oracles the best. Whoever loses should pay.

He thought that after embarrassing them, all the Babalawos would respect him again.

So he went to the nearest town and challenged the Babalawos and turned out to be the best reader of oracles, of course.

However, the Babalawos refused to pay Orunmila the agreed amount.

At that Elegguá appeared, and approached Orunmila and a Babalawo.

• "Hello, Orunmila, how are you today?" Elegua said.
• "I am angry, Eleguá" Orula replied.

When Elegguá asked what had happened, Orunmila explained the situation to him.

Elegua looked the Babalawos up and down nervously.

• "That's right? Are they trying to engañaOrunmila?
• "Well, Lord Eleguá ..." stammered the Babalawo.

Before he could say another word, Eleguá reached out and put his mighty warrior's hand around the Babalawo's neck and raised his scribble stick above the Babalawo's head.

• "What are you going to do?" Elegua said, hitting the Babalawo on the nose with his squiggle.
•  “I am going to pay Orunmila. I'm going to pay Orunmila, ”stuttered the Babalawo and took his bag of money from his clothes and gave everything to Orunmila.
•  "One more thing," Eleguá said to the Babalawo.
• "Yes?" The Babalawo responded in fear.

"As you have forgotten that the oracles are to communicate with the Orishas and not to increase the wealth of the Babalawo, I am going to forbid you to use the Dilogún forever."

And so the two Orishas left leaving the Babalawo in tears.

Thus, it is shown that humility makes us wise, because in this life no one was born great. We must never forget our roots or think that looking back is going back, because remembering where we come from is also part of our greatness.

Those who do not have a good memory to remember and a good heart to thank will not go too far.  

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