Our Egun (ancestors)

In the Lukumi tradition, our egun (ancestors), be they of blood lineage, spiritual
lineage, they are of the utmost importance. We acknowledge these because of
them are the reason we are walking the earth today. It is because of egun that
we have knowledge of the old ways and the ability to adapt to new ones.
The egun are the closest type of spirits to us because they themselves were
once like us. They did what we do today and have the ability to bless or impede
any of our endeavors. Egun are not in some far, unreachable place where they
cannot hear us when we call to them. On the contrary, they are just as much a
part of our lives as when they walked the Earth. They reside in a place called
"Ara onu" (Realm of the Ancestors).
It is necessary that one continuously interact with one's egun. We call on them to
bless our daily activities, to bless marriage, to bless children, our families, our
homes, as well as our spiritual work. But, as we ask for these things, it is also
important to understand that we must make offerings to them as well.

DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF EGUN VENERATION

There is a wide spectrum of ways veneration to egun can be performed. They
range from simple to very complex and elaborate:
"We eat...they eat. We drink...they drink"
It is customary to offer the first serving of any meal to egun. If there is a shrine in
the home, a plate of food will be placed to it before the people are served on
certain religious occasions. In cases where there is no shrine, you can still make
offerings. Placing a small portion of ones meal to the side of ones plate and
dedicating that food to the ancestors will receive it received by them. Drink is also
very important; usually it is water and liquor. Water is a necessary component to
all forms of prayer in Lukumi tradition. We usually sprinkle a few drops in front of
the egun shrine before beginning our prayers. We can also pour or spray
(through ones lips) liquor onto the shrine. In the absence of a shrine, a prayer
can be said and the liquor be poured on the ground. This can be done even in
casual settings for it is traditional that our ancestors partake in drink even before
us.

The Shrine
A shrine to the ancestors is a very simple looking one. It has two main
components:

The first one is a bundle of 9 sticks that are tied together by red cloth. These
cannot be just any sticks; priests knowledgeable in the rites of Egun must take
them from the proper tree identifiable. Only after these sticks have been ritually
prepared are they considered a valid shrine. It is to this bundle of sticks that all
offerings are given to, be them food, drink or animal. There is a story (pataki) on
how this came to be:
One day a man died and it was his sons responsibility to organize his funeral.
The son did not care much for tradition and did not want to spend the money to
have the funerary rites done for his father. He took his father to the bush and left
him at the base of a tree (people were not buried in the ground in the beginning,
they were left at the foot of the sacred Iroko tree). Afterwards, everything in his
life began to go sour. The son could not prosper or find happiness.
This went on for years until he could not take the despair any longer. He decided
to get a reading with a diviner. The diviner told the man that his problems stem
from his father, that he was unhappy with him (the son). He was advised to find
the remains of his father and perform the necessary rites. When he went to the
place where he had left his father, all he found were bones and some of his
clothes. He gathered the bones and put them in a bundle and tied them with
strips of his fathers tattered clothes, which were red. It was to this bundle that
the son performed the necessary ceremonies for his father. Ever since then we
use sticks from a certain tree to represent our ancestors. This story also goes to
show how much influence our ancestors have over our lives.
The other component is the "Opasiku" or "Opakuku". This is usually a walking
stick or a regular straight branch that is both thick and tall. The "Opasiku" is used
during the invocation. A person, always a male, taps the floor with the staff as he
or another person is invoking the ancestors. The slow tapping serves to get the
attention of the ancestors so that they will hear the prayers of their children
clearly. "Opasiku" is tapped on the floor because that is where are ancestors are
buried (in the ground)
.
There is praise for "Opasiku" in which we sing:
Opasiku oba cheleo Ilelele
Opasiku oba cheleo Ilelele
Opasiku, King that sifts the earth, earth, earth
Opasiku, King that sifts the earth, earth, earth
A basic offering to the shrine when doing prayer is as such:

9 small pieces of coconut with palm oil and a guinea pepper on each one
is placed on a small plate in a circular fashion. In the center is placed
toasted corn, dry fish and bush rat. Honey is then poured over the whole
plate.

4 glasses or calabashes (jicaras). One containing water, one containing

rum, one holds dry wine, the fourth one- coffee.
4 pieces of coconut suitable for divination and a calabash of water.
In addition, most people will place unlit cigars and cigarettes.

Who Should Have a Shrine?

Egun shrines are not necessary in everyones home. Only initiates of Orisha
usually ever get one. On the third day after initiation, it is usually told to the Iyawo
(new initiate) if he/she needs to have a shrine. The shrine can be received at any
point in a persons life. Orisha priests who do spiritual work and initiations in their
homes will usually have a shrine to the ancestors because they must be prayed
to before doing anything with Orisha. A person who does not have a shrine but is
in need to make an offering to egun can do so at another persons shrine. It
would usually be at the shrine of the person who recommended the offering,
usually a Diviner or Elder.

Oro to Egun
When making offerings to our ancestors involving a fowl or a she-lamb, we
perform what is called "oro". The word "oro" means "ceremony". In this case we
sing many traditional Lukum songs that are directed towards the ancestors.
Some of the songs are praise, some explain theological concepts, and some will
explain what is being done at that moment.

Honras (Honors)
The Honors are performed only for individuals who were orisha initiates in life
and while alive made a significant impact on the society in which they lived. This
ceremony is performed usually long after the individual has passed away (but not
always). In this, the honored ancestors friends, family, acquaintances and
community members come to play homage to the departed. This ceremony takes
several days to complete. The first day consists of a large offering of cooked
foods, drink and animal offerings. There is much singing. The next day a solemn
ceremony is performed in the morning followed by a feast, which include
drummers and singers. Here people dance in honor of the deceased and food is
given to all.

PRAYERS
The proper structure of prayer in any occasion should begin like the following:
Water libation:
Omi tutu, ana tutu, tutu ile, tutu (name of the object of worship in this case,
egun)

Moyuba Olofi
Moyuba Olorun
Moyuba Olodumare
Moyuba Ashe
Moyuba Akoda
Moyuba Aseda
Moyuba Baba
Moyuba Yeye
Moyuba Adasere to Colaba
Then to praise your ancestors you say:
Iba e ["I give praise"] (the name of the ancestors you wish to honor)
As worshippers of orisha, we are not only required to honor our blood lineage,
but also remember the lineages that kept our faith alive through the slave times
up to now. These are the names of some important ones:
Iba e "Fuche", "Atikeke", "Ayai", "Otonolu", "Adufe", "Bamboche", "Tiyako",
"Oshailu", "Obilumi", "Alami", "Olowito".
Ma Monserate, "Obatero", Isabel Serate, "Obatayo". Fermina Gomez, "Ochabi".
Caridad Cuesta. Los Jimaguas de Palenque. Angarica "Obadimeyi". Susana
Cantero, Fernando Cantero. Minga Latuan. Felix Palucha, "Oshun Nike".

SONGS
The first and last song to be sung in an oro is:
Aumba waori, Aumba waori
Awa osun, Awa oma, leri oma iyawo
Ara onu cawe
Other songs:
Call: Confesoro confesoro
Response: Lagba lagba confesoro
Call: Tele mobantele, tele mobantele
Wayeke wayeke, iroso umbo, ara umbo
Wayeke wayeke bi o wayenye
Response: Tele mobantele, tele mobantele
Wayeke wayeke, iroso umbo, ara umbo
Wayeke wayeke bi o wayenye
Call: Baboniboche, baboniboche
Ikuloche nibocheleo
Response: Baboniboche
Call: Mandinga, Yesa nibocheleo
Response: Baboniboche

Call: Lukumi, Takua nibocheleo

Response: Baboniboche
Iba e ba e tonu gbogbo Egun ara onu timbelese Olodumare.
Praise, praise to all the ancestors in Ara onu that rest at the foot of
God/Olodumare