Ebbó: Sacrifices and Offerings
One day Olodumare declared a contest between Ebbó and Ogo to see which one was strongest. Olodumare declared that whoever could go one week without food would be declared the winner and would become his close personal assistant.
Everyone expected Ogo to win because he was strong, fast, and often achieved spectacular results. Ogo always worked alone, feeling he didn’t need to share his fame or his rewards with anyone. Furthermore, Ogo didn’t mind doing all kinds of work no matter how injurious it might be as long as he was well paid.
On the other hand, Ebbó took his time working methodically to ensure everything he did was done correctly so the results would be certain. Ebbó never forgot to give a share to Echu and would often share with the other orichas as well. Ebbó also refused to do any harm to others, an attitude that only furthered the impression that he was weak.
On the first night of the competition Ebbó was already feeling weak when Echu suddenly appeared with food and drink. “You have always shared with me,” declared Echu. “Now it’s time for me to return the favor.”
By the third day Ogo succumbed to his hunger and began to dig through a trash bin in search of scraps to eat. Echu seized Ogo and dragged him before Olodumare, who declared Ebbó the winner of the contest. From that day forward, Echu carries ebbós directly to Olodumare—after Echu takes his share, of course …
“I can do anything; ebbó is great through the will of Olodumare.”
The babalawo sits on the mat, a round hardwood table with sacred symbols engraved on its rim lying between his outstretched legs. This is the Table of Ifá, the babalawos greatest tool, whose inside diameter is covered with the sacred iyefá powder. Set neatly beside him is the rooster and scalpel that will be used in the sacrifice. The babalawo begins to wipe the iyefa dust with a brown paper packet in counter clockwise circles, while tapping the edge of the Table with an irofa (tapper) made from a deer antler. He is performing the ebbó katero, one of the most powerful rituals at the babalawo’s command. Marked on the Table of Ifá are more than forty odduns. Each has its own special power and job within the ritual. The babalawo must now activate each of the odduns by using the correct prayers and songs learned through countless hours of memorization and practice. With the prayer “Oché Turá Echu awatetete (Echu, come quickly)” the Ifá priest begins the seemingly endless litany of prayers and chants.
The spot in front of the Table of Ifá where the client would sit is empty, because this time the client is the babalawo himself. A large tumor had been found in the babalawo’s pelvic region and a life threatening surgery has been scheduled for the following week. Today the babalawo must work hard to save his own life through the power of Orula and Ifá’s odduns. Although wracked with pain the babalawo completes the painstaking rituals that take well over an hour. He concludes the ceremony by taking the package to Echu, entrusting the oricha with the task of delivering the ebbó to Olodumare.
With the part of the ceremony employing the Table of Ifá completed the babalawo then sacrifices the rooster to Echu, letting the blood drip over the concrete face set in a conch shell, which contained and embodied the powerful Messenger of the Gods. The cowrie shell eyes seem to gleam as the oricha devours the offered blood. Finally, the scalpel is put to Ogún while asking the blacksmith oricha to ensure the surgeon’s work is a success.
Ebbós are the sacrifices, offerings, and cleansings used in Ifá to help us rid ourselves of negativity, overcome obstacles, and help us attain more fulfilling lives. While many ebbós are not as complex as the one just described, all ebbós have one thing in common. They express the reciprocal nature of our relationships with the forces of nature and human endeavor. We share with them so that they may share with us. Ebbós are the system of efficient solutions built into Ifá divination, and like the one performed above, they are often specifically prescribed by the particular oddun that appears during an Ifá consultation. For many outside our tradition, the fact that some ebbós involve animal sacrifice makes it the most controversial and misunderstood facet of our tradition.
There are many different kinds of ebbós, and although each has its own purpose and meaning, Ifá prescribes almost all during an osode. An ebbó may be given to the egguns, or an oricha to enlist their aid, or they may be offered to appease forces that might otherwise harm us. The ebbó may also take the form of a limpieza (cleansing), or it could even be a complex ceremony designed to set into motion a series of events described in one of the odduns in Ifá. The ingredients of an ebbó can include fruits, plants, various objects, rituals, or animals depending on the nature of that particular oddun and the particular challenge facing the client. Through these acts we are able to avert disaster, improve our lives, and achieve balance with the forces around and within ourselves.
Reciprocity
Offerings and other ebbós should never be seen as a bribe to the egguns or orichas, but instead as part of a mutual relationship we learn to maintain with the powers that make up the world around us. The idea that we should have a direct relationship with nature based on a continual give-and-take is a fundamental principle of Ifá. In fact, reciprocity is the central principle behind many of Ifá’s ebbós and is the basis of our daily dealings with egguns and the orichas as well—it is very simple really. We take care of the forces and beings of the world around us, and they take care of us. It is the same give-and-take that marks any relationship, whether it is with a friend, spouse, or the orichas and other Powers themselves. After all, what would you think of a person who constantly asked for things but never showed any real gratitude and did nothing for you? Even the most altruistic and giving person would quickly tire of such treatment and come to the conclusion that they are being used. It is no different with the dead or the orichas. With time this constant give-and-take helps us to build incredibly strong and lasting relationships with our egguns and the orichas. Remember that we don’t act as if the orichas are real living beings. They are living beings. Anyone who has spent time in our tradition has no doubt of that because we have experienced far too many things to come to any other conclusion.
Ebbó as Resolution
In a world built up of numerous conflicting forces the ebbó is our foremost weapon for attaining or regaining balance. When a client comes to us in osogbo, or with something impeding their iré in their lives it is up to the babalawo, through the wisdom of Ifá, to come up with the proper ebbó to put that client’s life in order. It should be mentioned that a person doesn’t necessarily need to have done something wrong in order to be out of balance. We are in constant interaction with the forces and people around us, and therefore can come into contact with any number of things that can bring harm to us. A person may come into our lives bringing with them some form of negativity that can affect us. Someone may wish us harm out of envy, dislike, or even just because, or we may stumble on something through no fault of our own that could have an ill effect on us. There is any number of reasons why our lives might get thrown out of balance, and because balance is such a tenuous thing, we often need to act in order to regain balance in our lives.
Christians believe that the crucifixion was a sacrifice that cleansed the world of sin for all time. Of course for santeros such a sacrifice would be impossible because we see ourselves as being part of a world that is constantly changing to maintain a delicate balance. So for us there is no conceivable way to make a single ebbó that would cover all situations for all time. For all of us sacrifice is a necessary and desirable part of life, and just as we make sacrifices for the happiness and well-being of our human loved ones, we must also make the appropriate sacrifices to the forces around us to ensure our own well-being.
Types of Ebbós
As mentioned above, there are a number of different kinds of ebbós each serving different purposes and having different meanings. The most common ones are used for cleansing, strength, and protection. The most common types of ebbós can be found below.
Sarayeye
Also known as a limpieza, Sarayeye is one of the most common ceremonies performed to cleanse a person of negativity. In this ritual fruits, plants, animals, or sometimes cigar smoke or cologne are passed over the person’s body to absorb any negativity on the person before they are offered to the dead or an oricha. The ingredients and what is done with them is prescribed by Ifá during the consultation to ensure the ceremony is as effective as possible because it is precisely what the orichas themselves ask for.
In most cases animals that have been sacrificed are cooked and eaten by everyone attending the ceremony so all may partake of the aché, but the sarayeye is an exception. The reason for this is that after the cleansing ceremony the bird has become saturated with the person’s negativity, and anyone eating the bird would also be affected by that negativity. Therefore, in the case of a Sarayeye the animal’s remains must be disposed of at a location the oricha or eggun chooses and never eaten.
Unfortunately, improper disposal of animal remains has brought our tradition a lot of negative and unwanted publicity. It is not uncommon in some areas to see a segment on the six o’clock news reporting that the carcass of an animal has been found in the middle of a public area, such as a park, and that it is likely to have been part of a Santería ritual. Of course the media often makes the situation worse than it really is by making additions like showing a photo of a kitten or puppy during the segment, while adding utterly inaccurate and negative descriptions of our religion. The fact that we don’t sacrifice kittens and puppies doesn’t seem to matter. The fact is that, besides small birds such as chickens, guinea hens, and pigeons, the only animals we sacrifice are goats, sheep, bush rats, and turtles.
To be fair, we must shoulder some of the blame for these incidents due to some practitioners’ insensitivity to the feelings and rights of others. Too many times animal remains have been unceremoniously dumped where they can be found by some poor soul who will react in shock, disgust, and fear. This type of situation is easily avoided by taking a little extra care and time disposing the remains of the animal. For instance, if a bird must be taken to the manigua (the wilderness), it is usually not too difficult to find an area where people aren’t likely to go, and put the remains in thick brush where it can’t be easily found. And many times we can bury the animal, making it unlikely that some hapless mom with her children in tow will stumble upon it. Thus, a few extra steps can drastically reduce the number of incidents and negative publicity that follows such grisly discoveries. We need not be apologetic for our traditions, but neither should we flaunt them in the face of those who are least likely to understand them. This is an area where our customary secrecy, carried over from when we were even more actively persecuted, serves a very useful purpose.
Keborí Eledá or Rogación
The keborí eledá or rogación de la cabeza is a ceremony designed to cleanse, strengthen, refresh, and protect our Orí Eledá. Our orí is the destiny or path in life that we chose before coming to this world and is the most direct connection we have to the divine. Our orí also determines our luck and such resources as intelligence, our particular talents, strengths, and weaknesses.
Our heads are not just a home for our brains, but contain our destinies as well as being our most important resource. If our orí is in poor condition, it can affect every aspect of our lives and everything can go sour, including our luck and our health. A weakened or overheated head can also have a tendency to be confused and “off.” On the other hand, a strong and refreshed head will have much more clarity, calm, and alignment. During a rogación certain ingredients are ritually applied to the head while the appropriate ceremonies are being performed. There are various types of rogación, some of which can only be performed by a babalawo. Even though the rogación is a relatively simple ceremony, it’s importance and strength cannot be underestimated. This ceremony is performed as part of virtually every initiation as well, so your orí will be in accord with the ceremony and to achieve the maximum possible alignment during initiation.
Rompimiento
The rompimiento or breaking ceremony is used to forcibly separate a person from a negative force or being. It can be performed by a santera, a palero, or a babalawo. It is performed by breaking or tearing the clothes of the client before being given a cleansing with herbs or other materials and/or a cleansing bath. The rompimiento must be performed by a priestess or priest who is of the same gender as the client as it involves nudity.
Ebbó Misí (Baths)
Ebbó Misí are baths either prepared ceremonially using fresh herbs belonging to the orichas, or using ingredients such as flowers, efún (a type of white chalk commonly called by its Spanish name cascarilla), cologne, or any number of other ingredients. Many times the person is able to perform the prepared baths themselves at home. A priestess or priest, however, must perform some baths and in those cases the same rules apply as with the rompimiento to prevent any sort of impropriety from occurring.
Paraldo
The paraldo is the most effective ceremony performed to separate malevolent forces such as obsessive or negative spirits that may have become attached to a person or sent to attack them by another person. In fact, a paraldo could be best described as an extremely powerful type of exorcism. The paraldo is a ceremony that can only be performed by a trained babalawo because it involves the forces of multiple tremendously powerful odduns to tear the negative eggun from the person and entrap them. Once entrapped the exorcized spirit is dispatched where it can do no more harm to the person. This is an exceedingly sensitive ceremony and can be dangerous if done incorrectly.
Initiation
For some people it is their destiny to become a practitioner of our tradition and may require multiple initiations in order to achieve balance and alignment and to move forward. On occasion, a person will be called to be fully initiated in either the oricha and/or Ifá priesthood. Initiation into the priesthood is an extremely serious step because it is a life-changing event and should be considered a lifetime commitment. Initiation as a priest also requires a huge commitment from the initiate and can be considerably difficult. For instance, when a person is initiated as a santero, or oricha priest, they are expected to wear only white clothing, cannot touch other people, or take anything from their hands for an entire year. For three months they must eat while seated on a mat using only a spoon and cannot look into a mirror, in addition to other challenges. Full initiation as an oloricha or babalawo is definitely not something to be taken lightly.
Advice
Often during the course of an osode consultation Ifá will give advice to the client in addition to or in place of other offerings. This may include taboos such as foods, types of clothing, or places to be avoided or emphasized. For instance, Ifá may tell us to wear white clothes for a certain number of days, not to eat some certain foods such as pork or eggs, or to avoid going to certain places or doing specific activities. Sometimes though Ifá will ask us to make major changes in the way we act in general and toward other people. In my experience I’ve found that many clients have the most difficulty with this one. People are much more willing to go through the most elaborate and expensive cleansings and ceremonies than to put in the work necessary to change aspects of their personality that are causing problems and holding them back. And following advice usually doesn’t cost the client a dime.
Ebbó de Tablero (Ebbó Katero)
The ebbó katero just may be the most powerful weapon in the babalawo’s arsenal. The ritual is extremely complex, sensitive, and time consuming but it is one of the most powerful rites for cleansing and empowering our clients. It involves the direct use of power of various odduns marked, prayed, and sung using the Table of Ifá during the course of that ebbó. The babalawo then breaks these odduns by rubbing a packet containing the ingredients of the ebbó over the odduns marked on the table, infusing this packet with the power contained within these odduns. Each of these odduns serves a particular task in the ebbó. For example, the oddun Oché Tura sets the ebbó in motion, empowering it with the oddun’s aché while the oddun Ocana Yekun is a gatekeeper who is called so the ebbó will be allowed to enter the world of orichas and eggun. All of these odduns are prayed and sung to honor and compel the forces around us to help the client who has come to us for aid, and to lend their forces to the ebbó and for whom the ebbó is performed. From there the client takes the ebbó and places it at the feet of Echu, who is in charge of delivering it to Olodumare. The ingredients and animals of this ebbó are then distributed as designated through Ifá divination. The different items in the ebbó may be claimed by different orichas or may need to be taken to a special spot like a hill or wilderness area. For instance, oranges in an ebbó may need to go to Ochún, while Yemayá might claim a watermelon but it may need to be given to her at the ocean. Only babalawos can perform the ebbó katero because they are the only priesthood empowered to set the forces of the odduns in motion by marking them, reciting their prayers and songs, and performing the rituals associated with them. These abilities are bestowed on the babalawo by being initiated in the presence of Odun, who is the ultimate source for all the powers contained within the odduns.
As mentioned above, an ebbó performed on the Table of Ifá will often contain ingredients used by a client in ancient times to resolve their situation in the stories that accompany an oddun. In this way the events of that oddun are replayed setting into motion the events described in that oddun.
Babalawo performing Ebbó Katero
One day Olodumare decided he wanted to send children to the world, which up until this time was populated by only adults. The problem was the world was separated from heaven by a tremendous chasm. He called upon the orichas for their help in resolving this situation. One by one the orichas would grab some of the children and attempt to leap across the abyss with all their force, but in order to grab the edge on the other side, each oricha found they had to let go of the children, who would then tragically fall to their deaths. Even the most powerful orichas failed as they were inevitably forced to release the children to grip the edge of the abyss, as the chasm was simply too wide for even the most powerful oricha to land on their feet.
Finally, Olodumare went to Orunmila to see if he might be able to resolve the problem. Orunmila told Olodumare that he would need five days with which to see the situation and make the appropriate ebbó. When Orunmila consulted for himself the oddun Ogbe Tumako came, which called for an ebbó that included a rooster for Echu and a white cloth. Orunmila made the ebbó. At the end of the five days Orunmila went before Olodumare carrying the cloth and asked for two of the children to carry across. When Olodumare handed over two of his children, Orunmila used the white cloth to fashion a kind of sling or papoose for himself and put the children on his back inside the folds of cloth. This freed his hands so that he was able to grab the edge of the world once he passed over the abyss. Thus, he was able to bring all of Olodumare’s children in ones and twos to this world. In appreciation for having resolved the situation through wisdom instead of brute force, Olodumare called on Orunmila to stand before him and show his hands.
Olodumare then spat on each of his hands, giving Orunmila his aché and with it the power to act as his second in command. “And from this day forward, any oricha who wishes to do something must ask your permission and will have to depend on you.”
When a client who is having problems getting pregnant comes to be seen with Ifá and the oddun Ogbe Tumako appears, the client will likely be asked to make the same ebbó as Orunmila did, including the white cloth. With these ingredients, the babalawo will then call that oddun into action, along with the use of the correct prayers and songs. In this way the events described in the oddun can be re-enacted so that they will play out in the life of the client and help to conceive. At this point I should make it clear that this is not simply imitative magic where ingredients symbolizing the desired result are used to accomplish the desired end. The patakís are stories with great power, and through the use of these ebbós the events illustrated in the patakís are re-enacted as the oddun in question is marked and the prayers and songs used to greet and empower that oddun are performed.
Animal Sacrifice
Probably the single most misunderstood aspect of Santería pertains to animal sacrifice. Often those outside of the religion see the act of animal sacrifice as cruel, barbaric, and needless. The hypocrisy behind this becomes evident when you consider the fact that every time we eat a steak or enjoy a chicken sandwich living beings have been killed for that meal, and in the eyes of Olodumare life is life and the life of a plant is of equal importance as the life of an animal or human. The fact is, all of us feed on the death of others. There is no way of avoiding it. We must also keep in mind that one day each of us too will give up our lives for the benefit of other beings on this planet. In modern society the actual slaughter of these living beings is kept carefully hidden so we don’t have to face the act of killing behind every meal we eat.
Sacrifice in some form is part of almost every religion in the world. Judaism has a ceremony known as kapparot performed just before Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement, where a chicken is used to cleanse the practitioner before being slaughtered making it virtually identical to our Sarayeye rite. Even Christianity is based on sacrifice. In this case Jesus is the sacrifice who died to cleanse the world of sins. In Islam believers going on Haji or pilgrimage are directed to sacrifice a lamb or goat. And farther east Hindus perform animal sacrifice during the Yatral Jatra (festival) for Kandhen Budhi and during the Bali Jatra.
The orichas need the blood and the plants that make up the omiero in order to thrive and to aid us in our endeavors. These things are so crucial to our traditions that blood, stones, and herbs have been described as the core of our way of life. Animals slaughtered en masse by the meat industry are dispatched with much less care than we show the animals we sacrifice. The sheer number of songs, prayers, and rites that accompany every step of the animal sacrifice attest to the respect and regard given to the animals that are giving their lives so that ours may be bettered.
Remember the babalawo at the beginning of the chapter whose life was saved through performing the ebbó? That babalawo was me. I had gone to the doctor three times due to ongoing pain in my lower abdomen, where I was told to simply eat more fiber. I had pretty much given up on the doctors and was hoping that whatever was causing the pain would sort itself out over time. But one day when I saw myself with Ifá while on a trip to Northern California, an oddun appeared ordering me back to the doctor, as my life was at stake. This time I put a lot more pressure on the doctor to have me thoroughly checked out. Still unconvinced anything was seriously wrong with me, she prescribed some pain pills and ordered a CAT scan to “rule out anything crazy.” That’s when they found a grapefruit-sized tumor in my pelvic region.
A suitable specialist was found, surgery was quickly scheduled, and I consulted Ifá and found I needed to do the ebbó katero to ensure the operation would be a success. The surgery proved to be a long and difficult one. When I awoke from the anesthesia, the surgeon’s first words to me were that I was a tough little guy and that I had lost forty percent of my blood during the surgery. I shouldn’t have survived the surgery at all and will be eternally grateful to Orunmila, Obatalá, and Ogún—and to that little bird. I owe them my life.