Delving into ifa's wisdom

Ò! Ìyàmi!
Ò! My Elder Mother!

Ìyàmi Osòròngà is the highest manifestation of Ìyàmi Àjẹ the Most Powerful Mother. She embodies an ancient and overwhelming feminine force, equal in potency to that of Esu. She is a divinity both deeply feared and profoundly revered. Her power is absolute, and her presence commands respect.

The worship of Ìyàmi Osòròngà is intensely matrifocal and exclusively feminine. Men are forbidden from participating in her rituals, for her mysteries belong solely to women. When the true name of an Àjẹ is unknown, she is addressed through familiar and reverent titles: Ìyàmi Osòròngà, my mother the sorceress; Ìyàmi, my mother; Elẹ́yẹ, owner of the bird; or Agà / Ìyá Àgbà, the Elder Mother.

In Yoruba usage, the word Iyámi (“my mother”) follows different orthographic rules depending on context. When referring to ordinary mothers, it is written Ìyámi. However, when referring specifically to the Powerful Mothers the Ìyàmi Osòròngà—the correct form is Iyami, which is used throughout this narrative.

ÌYÀMI’S ARRIVAL IN THE WORLD

Long ago, Ifá was consulted on behalf of two hundred and one women who journeyed from Òrun (the spiritual realm) to Ayé (the earthly realm) to become owners of birds Elẹ́yẹ.

When these women arrived on earth, the babaláwo instructed that a gourd be given to each of them. Their first place of settlement was a land known as Otà. After establishing themselves, the women elected an Iyálódé, a leader among women. Any woman who wished to obtain a bird had to present her gourd to the Iyálódé and formally declare her intention.

Once her wish was accepted, a bird was placed inside her gourd. The gourd was then sealed and returned to its owner. Each woman was required to guard her gourd with utmost secrecy and care. Only another gourd-owner could know its location. The gourd might be hidden on a rooftop, beside a wall, or buried in the earth—but only its owner knew precisely where it rested.

When the time came to send the bird Elẹ́yẹ on a mission, the woman would open her gourd and release it. The bird would fly to carry out its task wherever it was sent: Sapele, Ilorin, Ìbàdàn, Lagos, Abẹ́òkúta, the domain of an Oba, or even to the farthest corners of the world.

The bird obeyed without question.

If commanded to kill, it killed.
If ordered to retrieve a person’s intestines, it did so.

When seeking a victim, the Elẹ́yẹ would lie in ambush. The victim would not know that their body had been marked. If the victim was a pregnant woman, the bird would take what was within her womb. Whatever task was given, the bird fulfilled.

Once its mission was completed, the bird returned to the gourd its shelter and home. The owner would seal the gourd again and place it exactly where it had been before. The bird would then speak to its owner, saying:

“I have completed the work you sent me to do.”

If the intended victim possessed a powerful medicine or protection against Àjẹ, the victim would speak to the bird:

“The one who sent you will not have me.”

In such a case, the bird would return and report to its owner:

“I tried repeatedly, but I could not overcome this person. If you send me against one who has no protection against Àjẹ, I will succeed.”

Recognizing that such work could not be carried alone, the owner of the bird would then take the matter to her society of Àjẹ. She would address them:

“I sent my bird on a mission, but I cannot complete this work alone. I bring it before the assembly.”

The members of the society would divide the work among themselves. She would present the blood of the intended victim, passing it among them so that each might taste it. After drinking, they would disperse.

When night and day passed and the time returned, another bird would be sent. This bird would not allow the victim to sleep. It carried a whip, a knife, and a club in its claws. It could transform into a spirit from another world or take the form of an Òrìṣà, spreading terror and confusion upon the one it was sent to torment.

Such is the nature of the Elẹ́yẹ.
Such is the way of the Ìyàmi.