We were speaking on the telephone. Chief Adelekan was in London, England.
It was less than a year since I had left Nigeria to return to the U.S.
Baba had recently returned to London from Nigeria and extended greetings
and blessing to me from the High Priests of The House of Obatala, other
members of the Council, and from his family. He inquired about my anticipated
return to Ile-Ife and said that the Council had decided that upon my
return, I was to be initiated as the only non-native born Chief in the
House of Oluorogbo. I was humbled though I had not come across this
name before. He explained.
Oluorogbo is one of the 401 Irunmole. He is the Owner
of the Mysteries of Writing and the Arts. He is one of the three
beings to whom each individual owes their form and their life. It
is Oluorogbo who designs the blueprint of each creatures body. Oluorogbo
then passes the blueprint for the human forms to Orisa Obatala who
fashions them from the Ase. Orisa Obatala then takes each form to
Oludumare and it is He who breathes the breath of life into it, and
it becomes a living thing.
Iba se Oludumare
Iba se Orisa Obatala
Iba se Irunmole Oluorogbo
