The Three Visitors That Came To Ondo Town

Three awos (occult members) made divination for the Òsemàwé of Ondo when he was going to receive three visitors. He was told to make sacrifice and he did. Ògún, Ùjà and Olókun were coming to visit him. They vowed to stay with any Oba who·would know and pronounce their names. The Òsemàwé entertained them very hospitably and before they retired to sleep; they told the Oba to be prepared to reveal their names the following morning.

After the visitors had retired to their lodgings, the Òsemàwé invited his counselors to deliberate on how to know their names. Èkútélé, meanwhile, volunteered to find out their names if he could be given 201 packets of melon cake (lrú in Yorùbá) Oshetmawe gave Èkútélé 200 packets promising lo give him the last one after disclosing the visitors names

After receiving his melon cakes Èkútélé bored a hole into the room occupied by the visitors and concealed himself near the rack where they hung their clothes. As soon as the rooster crowed Èkútélé entered Ògúns bag and begin to rattle it. When the noise was beginning to disturb the rest of the visitors called on Ògún to listen to the noise coming from his bag.

There after, the rat left Ògún’s bag and entered Ùjà’s own. Ògún then called on Ùjà to listen to the noise coming from her bag. From there the rat mounted on Olókun’s tray and began to tear it up. Ùjà called Olókun to drive away the rat disturbing her tray. That was how the rat knew the names of the three visitors.

On getting to the Oba, the rat disclose that the names of the three visitors are called Ògún, and the other was called Ùjà. At that point Ekutele asked for his remaining packet of melon cake, Òsemàwé told him to get lost. The following morning the visitors came to ask the Oba to disclose their names. He mentioned the names of Ògún and Ùjà but could not mention the third visitor’s name. Olókun was annoyed that their host did not know his name and he decided to leave while the other two stayed with him. When Ògún suggested that Olókun should be given a pigeon (Eyelé), he only conceded that he would pay annual visits to them. Olókun moved next to Ìlàje but subsequently settled down at Igberi-Okun which is the nearest part of Ondo State to the sea.

If Òsemàwé had known the names of all three of them, Ondo and not Lagos would have been the main Nigerian Port on the Atlantic Ocean.

This work was inspired by Bài Dámilólá Oládiméjì.

Source By: Olafisoye John Ibukun