OSANYIN

Awo Fategbe Fatunmbi

Iba Osanyin
Praise to the owner of herbal medicine
Iba oni ewe
praise to the owner of leaves
Angberri, ewe gbogbo kiki oogun
The supernatural one, one-who-turns-all-leaves-into-medicine
Agbenigi, oromodie abidi sonso,
One who is versed in the use of roots, one who has a sharp, pointed tail like that of a chick,
Esinsin abedo kinnikinni,
One who has a liver as crystal clear as a fly's
koogo egboro irin,
One who is as powerful as an iron rod,
Aroni ja koto digun moya
Aroni, the custodian of secrets who fastens medicine on his chest
O gbaso okunrin ta giegie
One who forcibly takes the clothes from a sick man and staggers
O l'oso mo olokunrin l'orun
one who forcibly grabs and twists a sick man's clothes
O gbaso okunrin ta giegie
One who forcibly takes the clothes from a sick man and staggers

Abanija ma jebi eni

He who fights without being guilty
O siso arun lara okunrin
He removes the man's clothes
Eegun nla a a yido fun
A big masquerade for whom the mortar is rolled
Ewe lowo
Leaves in the hand
Ewe lenu
Leaves in the mouth
Ko sohun to o lee se
There is nothing you can't do
Gbogbo ara kiki oogun
One whose body is full of medicine
Ko sohun to o lee se
There is nothing you can't do
A le pa le ji
He who can kill and can revive
Oko o mi
My husband
A le ji le pa
He who can revive and can kill
O foogun baku ja

He who uses medicine to fight death

Ekun tii so oogun loya
A leopard that prepares medicine to remove to assaults
O bum u, o bum we
He drinks some water and uses some to anoint his head
Ko lounje meji bi o sataare
He has no other food but ataare
O so igba ewe dokan
He turns 200 leaves into one
Gbogbo ara kiki oogun
One whose body is full of medicine
Okunrin nla ti i figbo le foogun
The mighty man who preserves the forest for medicinal purposes
Okunrin a fewe soun gbogbo to wuu
The man who uses leaves to do all he wants
ase
Osanyin is the Orisa of the forest (some say he is ebora), and the abundant flora found within. He
has a very close relationship with Orunmila. The forest is believed to have great power, and an
incredible amount of knowledge resides within it, in the form of medicines, etc. The plants of the
forest constitute a direct emanation of the supernatural power of the earth fertilized by the rain.
This power can be used in many ways. Each leaf, stem and root in the forest possesses unique
virtues. When combined with other plants, they form medicinal or magical preparations. These
preparations are of great importance to the traditional medicine men and women as well as the
various Orisa cults. The liquids within the leaves, roots, etc., contain powerful transformative
ase. Osanyin possesses a power, that like that of the Iyaami, can be extremely beneficial; and it
can also be equally dangerous. Osanyin deals with the non-surgical healing power of herbs and
powders. Osanyin is the herbal cure and the poisonous mushrooms. Like the Iyaami cult, the
Osanyin cult is secretive and somewhat mysterious. Osanyins pot is usually accompanied by a
gourd (igba Osanyin or seere), similar to the igbadu. This gives us an idea of the power of
Osanyin.

The leaves are categorized in four groups, corresponding to the four elements, water, air, earth
and fire. So we have; ewe afeefe (leaves of air-wind); ewe inon (leaves of fire); ewe omi (leaves
of the water); and ewe ile or ewe igbo (leaves of the earth and of the forest). Other classifications
that we have related to the leaves are; masculine and feminine; cooling (ero) or heating (gun);
and positive or negative. In Yoruba cosmology, it is believed there are feminine and masculine,
or positive and negative forces in nature. Both are believed to co-exist in all things and are
necesary to existence. People, plants, animals and everything else can be either positive or
negative. Men are regarded as negative and women as positive. This point is lost on many who
have been taught the opposite.
Osanyin is the repository of vast information on herbal medicines used to cure illness as well as
influence supernatural powers. Herbal preparations go hand in hand with powerful incantations,
called ofo ase. Women are regarded as delicate physically, but spiritually powerful. In fact,
women of child bearing age are called Ebora, which is also what we call certain powerful deities
like Osoosi, ogun, etc. Ebora lso is the word for what we call in the diaspora "the warriors."
Women, then, are seen as powerful spiritual beings. This is why for many ritual tasks, women
cannot be present, especially if menstruating. Their power will render the ritual ineffective.
masculine medicines are mostly negative. they are volatile in preparation and use. Some of these
are called abilu - to push negativity to someone; apeta - to spiritually shoot an arrow at someone
(send them sickness, loss, etc);aasan - negative curse; ajatuka - to cause two people to fight.
These masculine incantations cannot be said by women or even when they are within hearing
distance. feminine medicine is principally used for healing. The herbs used to make ifa's ewe are
feminine. the gender of herbs is very important when preparing medicine for a client. One plant
might have both masculine and feminine parts. Usually leaves are feminine and roots and bark
are masculine. Another determiner of masculinity is if the plant stings our skin.
Many plants are linked to Orisa; that is, every Orisa has certain plants associated with it, with the
attributes of that Orisa. These plants, like ofo ase (the power of the word), add power and
efficacy to our communication with Orisa (Odetumbi). Osanyan is the forest and controls the
power within. Osanyin protects against witchcraft. Osanyin protects against nightmares. Osanyin
is the cool rational thinking one can attain in the quiet of the forest. He is the power of mind
altering drugs. Like all Orisa, Osanyin has a right hand and left hand path; right is healing
and knowledge ; left is protection. Osanyin is that aspect of energy that encompasses the
medicinal and protective (charms) powers of vegetation.
Osanyin baawe
Osanyin tii soko Oriseje
Mogbo iraye
O gbopa lowo olokunrin somi
O sa kerekere gbeje
Aluwee lagbo

Aroni ja si koto digba oogun moya

ase

Osanyin baawe
Osanyin, the husband of Oriseje
The one that is very intelligent
He seized and threw away the walking stick from the sick one
With his steady pace he collected all the vows made to him
You are the one who swims in herbal mixture
Aroni fell into a ditch clutching charms to his chest
ase

Osanyin is also the patron of beads. He came into this world covered in dazzling beads. The
multi-colored beads of his ileke are representative of all the leaves in the forest. In addition, he
also has an ileke which is shared with Orunmila, which are yellow and green. In a relevant Itan it
is said that: At the beginning, divination priests and herbalists (they work together) went to Ifa,
the oracle. Ifa gave them strands of alternating green and yellow beads, saying, "This is your
sign." These beads stand for Ewe Ifa, the leaf of divination.

Orunmila and Osanyin work together in traditional Yoruba healing technology. Orunmila has a
vast knowledge of plants and their healing properties along with Osanyin. People go to the
babalawo for divination and healing, but must pay homage to Olubikin Osanyin-bikin, the orisa
of the forest and all plants. he was the first to harvest medicinal leaves and roots. Odu Okanran
Ogunda has a story that relates osanyin as the Orisa of Yoruba medicine:
Okanrandin logun l'oun yoo p'eji ale
Bee ni won o le e peji ale
O mu ataare, o fi fo Osanyin lori iporo, iporo
Okanrandin logun lohun o p'eji owuro

O mu ataareo fi fo Osanyin lori iporo, iporo

Alagabagebe lo fojoro ti
A dia fun Temileke ti n somo Ajalorun
ase
The number 19 boasted that he was going to stop the night rain
But they can't stop the night rain
He took alligator pepper and used it to break Osanyin's head
The number 19 said he was going to stop the morning dew
But he can't stop the morning dew
He used alligator pepper to break Osanyin's head
The craft man used craftiness to block it
Performed divination for Temileke, the son of Ajalorun
ase
In the accompanying story, Osanyin is Orunmila's younger brother. Orunmila was always busy
with clients, so he sent people who needed herbal work to Osanyin, while he focused on
divination and ebo. We always invoke osanyin's name to enhance the potency of herbal
medicines before we begin the process of making the medicine and speaking the incantation.
It is said that Osanyins mission on earth is to help Orunmila in his work as a healer. Orunmila is
in charge of divination and ebo, osanyin of medicine. All divination is a synthesis of these three
elements, which is a synthesis of Orunmila and Osanyin. The Yoruba beleive that all things,
whether organic or inorganic, contain a dynamic force, called ase (ahshay). This belief is backed
up by modern physics which finds that all things at the cellular as well as atomic level, are
endowed with an instinct for survival. Ritual and medicine complement eachother, and
incantations, ofo ase, is used to provide that aspect of the power of sound and intention. Usually,
when divination is done, their is the offering to be made, ebo, and ise Ifa or akose, the herbal
preparations.
Ogunda Meji:
Oro o won soore
Oro won o lewe

Afomo soore
Afomo won o le gbo
Ojo mi i ojo rere
K'eni ma tun soore mo
Ero pese opee
A dia fun Orunmila
Baba nsawo lo si igbo Oni-korogbojo (igbo adete)
Ori obinrin adete
O gbe wa si ile
Wo ni ko ma o rubo
Won ni adete to mu wa le yi o
Igba to o rubo
Ise di se Ifa
ase
Their oro (strophantis hisidus) was kind
And it has no leaves
The afomo (tapinanthus dodoneilolius) was kind
And it has no root
Next time
Let no one be kind
Ero pese opee
Performed Ifa divination for Orunmila
When he went to Onikorogbojo's forest (where lepers are kept)

he met a woman with leprosy

He brought her home
He said ebo must be done
Ifa said the leper he brought home would be cured
After the ebo was done,
Ifa medicine was prepared
ase
In Odu Ogbe Odi is an itan regarding Orunmila and Osanyin. In this itan they travel together to
see Olodumare and receive further instruction on healing. They spent sixteen years in Orun
receiving instruction in all facets of healing.
A kii bo Eegun lai loti
Eeyan e e boosa lai lobi
Enikan kii bo Sango lai lorogbo
ko seni tii bofa lai lopo eku ateja
Awon lo sefa fun Orunmila
Nijo oun ati Osanyin baawe
Ti won n wadii aye ati orun lo
Won n wadii aye lo odo Ede
Ede tii sojise Olodumare l'orun
ase

One cannot make offerings to Egungun without gin

One cannot give offerings to Oosa without kola
No one can make an offering to Sango without bitter kola

Nobody makes an offering to Ifa without plenty of rats and fish

They are the ones that cast Ifa for Orunmila
On the day he and Osanyin reflected
They were looking for the secrets of earth and heaven
They were going to meet Ede
Ede, the messenger of Olodumare in heaven
ase

At that point, Osanyin decided to return to earth. However, Osanyin didnt go back to the same
place they had come from but settled in a new place. Osanyin was very successful with his new
vast knowledge. Orunmila stayed in Orun another sixteen years. During the first sixteen years,
Orunmila and Osanyin had learned all about charms and medicinal uses of leaves, but during the
following years Orunmila learned much more, including the use of Ifa verses and iyerosun which
were permanent solutions superior to charms and leaves alone. When Orunmila got back to earth,
he was amazed at all that Osanyin had done in his new settlement. He asked Osanyin to come
with him back to Ile Ife. When they got there, they greeted the king, Oduduwa, and explained
why they had been gone so long. Oduduwa asked them to show some of what they had learned.
They were shown two giant trees and asked to remove them. Osanyin was able to uproot the tree
with his incantations and with a big show, sent it flying some distance. Everyone was amazed at
his power. Orunmila simply marked odu, chanted a short verse, closed the odu and blew some of
the iyerosun on the tree. Nothing happened and they asked him what happened. Orunmila said
the tree would be gone in 28 days. Everyone laughed. His adept is better than him! after 28
days, some of the people went to see if the tree had been removed. They noticed that the tree
Osanyin had removed was already starting to sprout anew. The tree Orunmila had blown the
iyerosun on had dried up. It was perfect for use as firewood; the people were very happy. It was
from that day on that people say, Ebo je ju oogun lo Ifa is more potent than charms (Ayo
Salami).

Spirit Osanyin,
forest sprite of the Gods
Dance bell of power
messenger of heaven

bows down for father

evil penis with blade to cut
evil vagina, medicine rubbed
visible and invisible
body of palm tree, bearing
thorns from the beginning
one-legged man running faster
than two-legged men
evil forest, who knows no master,
O, forest who collects the debts
of men.
Ase

Spirit Osanyin,
forest sprite of the Gods
Dance bell of power
Osanyin's name is linked with the sound of the agogo gong (dance bell of power), which is
linked with a leaf, agogo igun (vulture's beak - the vulture is a symbol for the Aje), used to turn
away evil. the sound of the agogo communicates immediate aural pleasure to Aje - the witches,
better referred to as awon iya wa (our mothers), Iyaami (my mother, Spirit Bird) or
eleiye(owners of birds) - calming there destructive powers. In Odu Ogbe'Fun, it is prescribed
for anyone "born" of this sign, to hang chimes by their beds for basically the same reason.
messenger of heaven
(Like Esu, he dances on one leg, and links this world to the other)
evil penis with blade to cut
evil vagina, medicine rubbed

(Osanyin can cure sickness of a sexual nature)

visible and invisible
(like the Aje, he has the power of astral travel)
body of palm tree, bearing
thorns from the beginning
(the palm tree is sacred to Ifa. He is powerful and not to be messed with)
one-legged man running faster
than two-legged men
(redemption)
Here we get into the story of how Osanyin was crippled. There was once a talented diviner who
couldn't find work. Worried about feeding his family, he went to Osanyin, who, because of his
extraordinary talents had gained wide fame. Osanyin was hogging all the work. The diviner
pleaded with Osanyin to share some work, but Osanyin told him to take a hike. On the way
home, diviner ran into Esu, who asked him why the sad face. The diviner told Esu what had
happened, so Esu caused Osanyin's house to collapse on top of him. From then on, Osanyin has
needed a diviner to collect his leaves for him. He further suffered (the loss of voice) when he
arrogantly refused to follow Orunmila's advice. In Osanyin we have a warning against arrogant
behavior.
The moral of the story, is that Osanyin admitted and learned from his mistakes, redeemed
himself (iwa pele), let go of ego and was re-born (the whole point of initiation). So now he is
stronger than before (one-legged man running faster than two-legged men). Some interpret the
Osun (staff) as a symbol for Osanyin who in the above itan (story) becomes arrogant and learns
humility by losing an eye an arm and a leg. The pole represents Osanyin with one eye one arm
and one leg or Osanyin after he has learned the lesson of humility (however, in odu there are
references to Osanyin without the deformities, so perhaps different incarnations).
In this story is the idea of knowledge of herbs coupled with humility leading to altered states
that include astral travel. It is also symbolic of the idea that astral travel is a function of right
brain activity or half the body. Ifa symbolism more often than not contains several layers of
meaning. In addition, the reference to the diviner and Osanyin working together is another
reminder of the symbiotic relationship between Osanyin and Orunmila.

O, forest who collects the debts of men

This last line refers to the fact that we must ask permission and pay tribute when we enter the
forest to collect foliage. "Evil forest" simply reminds us that the forest can be a dangerous place.
The iron beak of the bird (igun-vulture) and agogo bells of the Opa Osun have deep meaning.
The iron beak represents the herb "vulture's beak," which drives away the Ajoogun and the Aje,
the conquering by Orunmila of the Aje. The bells and the bell like cones of the Opa Osun
represent leaves; a magically healing leaf of iron, which brings us to another story of how bells
protect (in addition to their sound pleasing the mothers). All the Orisa were afraid of the power
of the mothers. They begged Orunmila to protect them since it is remembered that Esu found out
the mother's secrets and told Orunmila. So, Orunmila consulted Ifa and made the prescribed
offering (this is the medicine inserted in the cones or inverted agogo bells of the opa osun): the
leaves of ojushaju, oyoyo, aanu, and agogo igun, some honey, a parrot feather, ofun and
camwood.
the oyoyo leaf certifies that the witches are pleased (yonu); ojushaju that they respect (shaju)
him; aanu that they will take pity (shaanu) on him; and agogo igun so that everything he asks for
by means of a bell (agogo) shall be obtained. If you are familiar with Pierre Verger's book on
herbs (available at www.blackmadonnaenterprises.com), you will recognize the structure of how
the names of the herbs have meanings that also relate to their purpose, and the playful play on
words. If you know the Odu that incarnates the Opa Osun, then you (awo) can activate the ase of
the herbs by simply putting it together. For example, after you summon Osanyin and state your
intent, you would start with an herb, say, oyoyo, pray over it saying, "ewe oyoyo, oyoyo'nu may
you please the Aje" or whatever. In Lucumi, obi kola, eru, tushe and osun (camwood) are placed
within the Opa Osun. There is a deep connection between the Opa Osun and the mind or Ori of
the initiate. Some have these materials rubbed into small incisions in the top of the head at
initiation.
Regarding Awo Fatunmbi Vergers book, the plants are all from West Africa. So, many cannot
be obtained. It is always better to use local herbs. How do we know which herbs and plants to
use as replacements? Well, when Africans traveled to the New World, they were confronted with
the same problem. The solution is, first they consulted the Indigenous inhabitants, or through
Osoosi, the indigenous spirits. In addition, they consulted Osanyin. Awo can too. If you mark
Okanran Oturupon on your opon (or on a tree, at the base of a tree in the dirt, etc.) and then chant
the oriki Osanyin, you can connect with the ase to communicate with plants. They will tell you
what they are used for and the plants in your neighborhood will identify themselves. Before
picking we say, "Osanyin eboda." It is custom to leave some sort of payment.
Besides his powers of healing and clairvoyance, Osanyin has the power, through his staff (opa),
to neutralize the ajoogun and the Aje. There are different types of staffs. Opa Osun are Osanyin
staffs and are big staffs with 16 small birds encircling one larger bird. Ifa staffs usually have one
bird and of course the inverted agogo bells. However, they are in effect the same thing. The
sixteen birds surrounding the one bird is obviously a reference to the itan of when Orunmila
entered the town of the aje. As mentioned earlier, there is a strong connection between Osanyin
and Orunmila and also to Ogun, for the Opa Osun is made out of iron. Ogun lives in the forest,
hence his connection to Osanyin. Again, Osanyin's herbs have the power to neutralize the
Ajogun (negative forces), but it was Orunmila, with the help of Esu, who actually confronted the

Eleiye. Both staffs represent the triumph of consciousness (Ori) over the forces of illness and
destruction.
Osun is the male aspect of Oshun, the spirit of the river. The Osun is a staff that is traditionally
only given to awo who have Odu pot. The staff represents "oso" - the ability to astral travel. The
bird on the Osun is not a chicken it is a vulture, representing the ase of Oshun. It is not given
with warriors in traditional Ifa. Odu Ifa says that oso comes to women via their menstrual cycle
as a birth right passed from mother to daughter. Ifa says that men can develop the ability of oso
as a consequence of receiving Ifa initiation. Men are presented to Odu during Tefa. Being
presented to Odu during Tefa gives men the ability to be mediums for female Orisa (among other
things). Being possessed by a female Orisa gives a man the ability to astral travel. When a man is
in the astral realm he is in the land of the Mothers, and to go to the land of the Mothers is
challenging as a man, so Ifa teaches that a male awo goes to the land of the Mothers disguised as
a female bird. That is the reason why when a male awo enters igbodu he wears a mariwo ede and
beads dangling from his knee. This is the disguise of being a bird. After that, the Ifa iyawo places
his left foot on the osun staff. The left foot is our connection to our ancestors. This process
guides the male into the land of the Mothers through the ase in the staff, and has the function of
maintaining the male awo's state of possession as a female. This state of possession protects the
Ori of the man who is experiencing the land of the Mothers. Experiencing possession by female
ase balances the Ori of the male awo transforming that awo into a man of wisdom. In addition, in
order to effectively divine for others you have to experience empathy with your client. Awo do
this for female clients by going into possession with female ase. This is an often overlooked
symbiosis of Orunmila and Osanyin.
In Odu Irete Owonran (Irete Olota) is the itan (story) of Orunmila walking into the village of
Iyaami (astral realm) protected because he also had a bird (on his staff). The Iyaami are also
known as owners of birds eleiye. The symbolism of the bird is of the ability to astral travel, a
power given to women by Olodumare.
Orunmila goes to look for the secret of Iyami in Ota (Iyami town). He makes ebo of a white
canvas sack, a white pigeon and a calabash, which signify, I have a bird too, dont fight me.
He arrives at the market on Ota. The mothers say, "Ha! the soup is here" the one they want to
eat has arrived. But Esu, who resides in light and dark, and thus knows everything, has given up
their secrets to Orunmila. He tells them, Orunmila is more powerful than all of you combined; he
has his bird, bring him yours (submit to his power). They bring their birds, but they are very
angry that Orunmila is about to reveal their secret. Orunmila makes ebo of ekujebu, a large and
very hard grain (which birds cant eat) and a chicken opipi, which is a chicken that cant fly.
The Iyami wish to attack Orunmila but they cant because of the ebo which is a secret message
that says,
The brutal Aje cannot eat ekujebu,
you cant hunt me down;
disheveled chicken with clipped wings

cant fly up to the roof,

you are unable to bring me death
Ase
This is how Orunmila obtained the secret of the Iyaami. The Osun staff is fortified in a couple of
ways, one is with the elements of the ebo in the above verse.

Odu Irosun Meji starts, "Irosun, Irosun, Irosun, it is translated as: The Sounding Osun, The
Sounding Osun, The Sounding Osun..."
The sounding Osun from Odu Irosun Meji. the word irosun meaning menstrual blood. Menstrual
blood is the source of the genetic inheritance which gives everyone the spirit of Osun meaning
the spirit that protects the head. Irosun from the elision i ro osun meaning I come with
protection, or "protection descends." The sounding osun means protection is needed. The odu
irosun speaks of the need for protection because irosun brings a blessing from the ancestors and
every increase in ire or good fortune requires an equal amount of protection because every force
for good in the universe has an equal and opposite reaction. This idea of positive and negative
balance is referred to in Ifa as the right and left hand path of Ifa. The right hand omo otun
meaning hand of good fortune and left hand omo osi meaning hand of protection. The opa Osun
then, is an instrument for maintaining a balance of power between men and women (Awo
Falokun).
There is another story that explains why, when a babalawo receives an opa Osun, a cock is
offered. First, some of the tail feathers are plucked to get the cock to sound out, then it is quickly
killed and offered to the staff. Once, three warrior deities, Ogun, Osoosi and Ija went to Iku
(death) and told him to kill Orunmila because they suspected he wanted to steal their wives.
Orunmila, in fear, went to another diviner who told him to offer a cock to iku. Orunmila, whose
ebo skills at the time were not so good, plucked some feathers off the cock's tail. The cock cried,
"koo, kooo, kooo!" When death heard the suffering cries, he was pleased and went away. So, if
one offers a cock to the Osun, death will be sent away. The Awo touches the head of the cock to
the heads of all present and then mounts it or smashes it atop the head of the bird on the staff.
This can be done during the Itefa ceremony or afterward. The Osun staff represents the power of
the Awo to conquer death. It is placed in front of his house. The bird at the top of an Ifa Osun is
referred to as the "bird of Ifa." and is said by some to invoke the power of the hawk (asa),
symbolizing the diviner's ability to address problems expediently and effectively. In this way, we
see that, as with the yellow and green beaded ileke, Orunmila and Osanyin are united.
The following chant comes from Okanran Oturupon, the Odu that invokes or incarnates
Osanyin.
Igbe kakaka

Irele kakaka
Parakun awusa ni nt' aja l'enu
ewe omo ajija
oogun omo ajisa
ewe o
gentle, easy lift
cool-headedness
walnut shell cuts the dog's mouth
herb that must be cut early morning
oogun (charm, medicine) that must be cast early mornings
I hail you, herbs (Osanyin)
Now you proceed with whatever it is that you summoned Osanyin for. Additionally, or another
way, is to mark Osanyin's Odu - Okanran Oturupon on your tray in irosun powder, and chant
the verses from said Odu.
Osanyin food:
Ataare (alligator pepper)
Oti (gin)
obi abata (kola nuts)
ekuru (bean cakes)
oyin (honey)
eyin (egg)
Rooster and he-goat
Ataare seeds (7 or 9)) and obi abata should be chewed and sprayed on Osanyin.
Rub the contents of an egg on Osanyin.

Honey may also be rubbed on Osanyin.

You can throw obi abata for status of feeding.