| Apataki:
Olodumare,
even though he was king of the other gods, had
a mortal fear of mice. The other gods thought
that a king, especially their king, should not
be afraid of anything as unimportant and weak
as a mouse.
"Olodumare
has turned into a weak old woman," they said,
for they believed it shameful to fear mice. "It's
time that we took away his power and named another
king." Besides, they wanted total dominion
of the world.
Things
continued as they were until the principal Orishas
got together again.
"We
must take away Olodumare's power," they said.
"He is getting old and weak."
Everyone
agreed, again. There was a problem, though. Olodumare
was old, but he certainly was not weak. He was
fierce and terrible and not one of the other Orishas
would dare to challenge him in combat.
The
Orishas thought and talked and thought some more
until one, no one knows who came up with an idea.
"Let's
scare Olodumare to death," said the unknown
Orisha.
"How
do you propose to do that?" asked the other
Orishas, since they themselves were deathly afraid
of Olodumare.
"Olodumare
is afraid of mice," said the Orisha.
"Everyone
knows that," exclaimed the disappointed Orishas.
"We thought that you had an idea."
"If
he is afraid of one mouse," continued the
Orisha, "what would happen if we invite him
over to our house and fill it with mice?"
"Tell
us," said the other Orishas.
"If
Olodumare finds himself in a house full of mice,
he will be so afraid that he will run away from
here or die. We'll take over his house and we
will be the masters of the world."
"That's
a wonderful plan," they all exclaimed. Putting
their heads together, the Orishas began to plot
how they were going to lure Olodumare to their
house and scare him to death with mice.
They
forgot that Elegua was by the door. He lived by
the door, since he is the Orisha that rules roads,
routes and entrances. They had forgotten all about
him. He heard all their plans.
What
did Elegua do? What did the trickster Orisha do?
He knew the day that Olodumare was coming. He
had listened to the other Orishas' plans. He waited
and hid behind the door.
Olodumare
arrived, happy to have been invited to a party.
He knew that he was not as popular among the Orishas
as he used to be. Little did he know that the
other Orishas were hidden, waiting to release
hundreds of mice. The moment he stepped inside,
the door was slammed shut at Olodumare's back.
The mice were released.
Olodumare
was terrified and ran around the house screaming,
"The mice are attacking. The mice are attacking!"
He
tried to find a place to hide, but every box he
opened and every closet he ran into just had more
and more mice.
Olodumare
ran head first at the door, ready to demolish
it, just so that he could escape the tormenting
rodents. Just as head and door were going to meet,
Elegua stepped out and stopped his panicked rush.
"Stop,
Olodumare," said Elegua, putting his arms
around the terrified old Orisha. "No mouse
will harm you."
"Yes
they will. Yes they will," cried Olodumare.
"Watch,"
said Elegua. He started eating the mice.
Elegua
ate and ate and ate until he had eaten all the
mice.
Olodumare,
whose fear had turned to fury, demanded, "Who
dared do this to me?"
Elegua
said nothing. Smiling like a happy cat, he pointed
out the hiding places of all the plotting Orishas.
Olodumare
immediately punished them in a very terrible and
painful manner. After he grew tired of watching
them hop and scream, he turned to Elegua and said,
"Now, what can I do for you?"
Elegua
scuffed the floor and shook his head. "Oh,
nothing," he said.
"Nothing!"
roared Olodumare. "You saved me and you saved
my crown and you want nothing?"
"Well,"
said Elegua, "maybe just a little thing."
"You
can have whatever you want," said Olodumare
firmly.
"I
want the right to do what I want," said Elegua.
He went on with more conviction, ignoring Olodumare's
raised eyebrows. "I want the right to do
what I will. I want the right to do what I want,
whatever that may be."
Olodumare
wished it so, and so it was. From that moment
on, Elegua is the only god that does as he wills
without restraints or limits.
Notes:
Olodumare
is unique within the Yoruba pantheon. He never
comes down to earth. Few Santeros speak of Olodumare
because there are no Babalawos "asentados"
in him. No one is "asentado" in Olodumare.
He never possesses anyone at a "bembe"
or a "golpe de Santo".
He
is the ruler of all the other gods, except Elegua,
as the Apataki shows. More than the Orishas'
ruler, he was their creator as well as the source
and origin of men, animals, plants, rivers, oceans
and the heavens. He also created the earth, the
sun, the moon and the stars.
Before
going to bed, a Santero will ask Olodumare to
give him the strength to get up the following
day by chanting, "olofin ewa wo", "May
Olofin help us get up". At dawn, when he
awakens and ascertains that he is still among
the living, he says, "olodumare e egbeo",
"May Olodumare grant us a good day".
Olodumare
is old. He is very tired and has been working
long and hard on the universe, which is a very
large job. He should not be bothered with small
things. Santeros ask favors of the Orishas that
can directly solve their problems and do not bother
Olodumare.
A
series of commandments are attributed to Olodumare:
 |
You
will not steal. |
|
You
will not kill except in self defense or to
survive. |
|
You
will not eat human flesh. |
|
You
will live in peace with your neighbor.
|
|
You
will not covet your neighbor's possessions.
|
|
You
will not use my name in vain. |
|
You
will honor your mother and your father.
|
|
You
will not ask for more than I am able to give
you and you will be satisfied with your destiny.
|
|
You
will not fear death or take your own life.
|
|
You
will respect and obey my laws. |
|
You
will teach these commandments to your son.
|
Santeria,
A Practical Guide to Afro-Caribbean Magic.
By Luis M. Nuñez
Copyright (c) 1989 by Luis M. Nunez
All Rights Reserved
Copyright (c) 1992 by Spring Publications, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
ISBN 0-88214-349-2(pb)
Luis M. Nunez
P.O. Box 750228
New Orleans, LA 70175
e-mail: lmn02@gnofn.org
|
