Patakín contains 240 stories from the Cuban Lucumí Ifá corpus. Expertly translated to English by David H. Brown, Ph.D., Egüín Koladé.
700 Lukumi Oloshas, Babalawos, and other serious readers have purchased Patakín.
The Orisha pantheon organizes the book, following a scholarly introduction on Ifá from Africa to Cuba. An odu and its key themes frame each story. Brown demonstrates for the first time the derivation of “patakín” from the Yorùbá for an “important matter” of oracular rvelation by the Babalawo, who represents Orunmila, the orisha of divination.
Read what they're saying:
“A treasure trove of a book, containing translated texts, commentary and analysis of a large body of Lukumi Ifá divination narratives. It provides a fresh perspective on the cultural transmission of Orisha Religion in Cuba. With an especially valuable introduction, it overflows with detailed information and insight on the interaction of written and oral sources of the tradition on both sides of the Black Atlantic. The book itself is a link in the chain of the religious transmission it describes. A valuable and enlightening resource for serious students, scholars, and practitioners of this global African religious tradition.”
– George Brandon, Professor Emeritus, CUNY/City College of New York; author of Santería from Africa to the New World: The Dead Sell Memories.
Table of Contents
Why Elegba Is the Doorman of All Houses
Elegba and the Son of Olofin
Here Eshu Laboni Was Born
Elegba, Who Controls the Will, Was Born Here
When Eshu Taught Orunmila to Use the Ifá Divination Oracle
When Elegba and Ogún Ate Male Goat for the First Time
Where the Two Faces Speak
The Transformation of the Earth: Eshú Larufa
The Town of Greed
2. Ogún
When Ogún Wanted to Be an Awó of Orunmila
The Union of Ogún and Oshosi
The Ram and the Dog
The Lesson of Ogún
The Secret of the War Between Shangó and Ogún
When Shangó Lived with Oyá
3. Oshosi
Oshosi and the Deer
When They Made Oshosi a King
The Birth of Thunder
When Ogún and Oshosi Tried to Take the Wife of Shangó
Oshosi’s Curse on the Town of Ketú and the Three Arrows
4. Oddé
The Path in Which Oddé Was Born
Oddé’s Farm
The Curiosity of Oddé’s Wife
How Oddé Captured the Iñaguí with the Nine Tails
When Ayanakún Destroyed All the Crops
Oboun, the Son of Oshún and Obatalá
Oddé and the Agbaní
The Hunter and the Buffalo
The Secret of the Heads, the Blood, and the Earth
5. Osun
Osun Is the Staff of Orunmila
Osun and Orunmila
Here the Plate of Osun Staff Was Born
Where Osun Was Pursued by His Enemies
Ogún and Osun
Osun Governs a Town
6. Orí – Eledá – Orisha – Ashé
The Head without a Body
When the Body Tired of Carrying the Head
Where the Orioló Defeated the Head
The Secret of the River Ceremony of the Omó Orishas
Eledá and the Ashé of the Orishas
7. Olofin
Olofin Took Ashé Away from the Orishas
The Representation of Olofin in the World
The Responsibility of Olofin
Where Olofin Distributed Powers among the Santos
When Olofin Had No Place to Stay
The Secret of Shangó and Olofin
The Path of Divine Justice
The Path Where the Secret of Olofin Was Born
8. Osain and Aroní
Why Osain Speaks in a Twangy Nasal Voice
The Pact between Osain and Orunmila
The Reason Osain Lives with Shangó Is Born Here
The Charcoal Ember of Osain (Aroní)
Don’t Show Everything You Know
Sekue and the Pact with Osain
Here Was Born the Itá of Santo and the Coup d’État
Omotien, the Son of Osain
9. Asojuano / Babalú Ayé, and Naná Burukú, Dan Jueró, Aida Jueró
The Pact of Shangó and Oluó Popó
The Path Where Orunmila Was the Guardian of Asojuano’s Door
Why One Has to Pray to San Lázaro When He Moves from one Place to Another
Why the Yarará is Pushed on the Ground with the Head
The Path of Shakuaná
Naná Burukú Was a Señorita
Orunmila Signed a Pact with Oluó Popó
The Ajonjolí (Sesame Seeds)
The Birth of the Opelé
The Gathering of the Wicked Children of Shakuaná
The Path of the Arco-Iris (Dan Jueró and Aida Jueró)
10. Inle (Erinle)
The Secret of Oyuero
Here the Guabina Was Born
Where Orunmila Made a Head Rogation Thanks to Erinle
The Road of Wealth of the Daughter of Oshún
The Path Where Erinle Saved Olofin from his Enemies
11. Orisha Okó and Korikoto
The Path of the Farmer
When Orisha Okó Married Olokun
When Yemayá Went to See Olofin to Make Ifá to Her Son
Orisha Okó and the Appearance of Shangó in the World
The Heads
The Son of Orisha Okó
Awó Obayire and His Five Brothers
The Birth of the Wheel
The Cultivators of Maní
Orisha Okó, King of Oko and the Korikoto Shells
Orisha Okó and Mother Nature
12. Ibeyi, Twins
The Path of Lucifer
Oshún and Ideu
The Ibeyi Defeated the Devil with a Drum
Shangó Turns Over His Responsibilities
The Two Brothers Who Dressed the Same
The Disobedient Son
Some Are Born and Others Die
13. Shangó and Ogué
Arufin and Arudá
The War between Orunmila and Shangó
The War between Jevioso and Orunmila
Shangó Turns Over His Responsibilities
Shangó Brings Joy Back to OlofinObá Kolabá
When Shangó Hanged Himself
Where Okumambo, the Defense of Shangó Was Born
The Birth of Smoke Signals
The Tusk of the Elephant
The Enemies of Shangó
Shangó Gives the Rule of His Town to Orunmila
Where the Shells Became Inconvenient to Ifá
Obara becomes Rich by the Merits of Olofin
Why Shangó Must Carry the Horns of Ogué
14. Abita
The Argument between Olofin and Abita
Where Abita Eats with Olofin
The Pact with Abita
The Son of the Devil
15. Agayú and Oroiña
Agayú and Odudúwa
How Yayu Orosun Was Able to Triumph
Agayú the King
The Path of Oroiña
Where Oyá Saved Agayú
The Guardian Angels of the Paints and their Lands
16. Odudúwa
When Odudúwa Made Himself the Right-Hand Man of Olofin
The Path of Odudúwa
The Pact of Odudúwa, Orunmila, and Ikú
Here the Communication between Egun and Odudúwa with Olofin Is Born
17. Oraniyán
How Oraniyán Formed the Earth
18. Obatalá
The Secret of the Builder of Heads: Ajala
How Obatalá Made Himself the Owner of Heads
Cotton and the Birds
Siempre Viva
Obara Offers a Tongue to Babá
Olofin’s Distribution of Responsibilities in the World (Ayáguna)
Igbín Robbed the Otí from Obatalá’s House
The Story of the Three Obstacles
19. Yewá
Where the Two Hands of Ifá Were Born: How Yewá Was Canonized in the Cemetery
The Path of Ayé Tolá
The Amazons That Were Priestesses in Africa (Yewá and Olosá)
Where Yewá Hid in a Pile of Pita of Corojo
The Path of the Flowers
The Path of the Dolls of Ash
The Sons of Yewá
The Guacalotes of Asesú and Yewá
20. Obba
The Secret of the War between Oshún and Obba
The Path of the Big Wars
Where Obba Despised Humanity and Went into the Forest
The Sterility of Obba
The Power of the Sorcery of Ogún and Osain (How Obba and Ogundá Leni Got the Anvil)
How Osain Cured Ofún YemilóThe Path of Laziness, Stubborness, and Disobedience
The Path of Oshún and Obba
21. Yemayá
The Kingdom of Yemayá
Addí and Imú, the Children of Yemayá
The Birth of Yemayá Okute
The Goose That Laid the Golden Eggs
The Loss of Memory
Orisha Okó and Mayelewo
When Yemayá Went to See Olofin to Make Ifá to Her Son
The Revenge of Yemayá
When Yemayá Cuckholded Ogún
The Black-Eyed Peas and the Corn
The Petition of the Goose
Why the Head Receives a Rogation with Pargo
Mayelé, the Wife of Alere and the Birth of the Fi Fi Okán
22. Oyá
Oyá, the Owner of the Cemetery
Respect between Shangó, Oyá, and Ogún Was Born
The Young Buffalo (Ogodó Makulenkué, Where Oyá Gave Up Eating Ram)
Oyá and Obaniboshé
Here Were Born the Lenses for Glasses
Elegba and Ogún Destroy the Arayé
Yansá and the Enemies of Orunmila
The Son of Oyá and Olokun
Hypocrisy Was Born Here: The Path of the Majá (Serpent)
The Two Mothers of Elegba
23. Oshún
When They Tried to Dishonor Oshún
Oshún, the Apetebí of Orunmila
Orunmila Always Does Something for the Women
Orunmila and the Women
Why Oshún Eats Castrated Male Goat
Why Orunmila and Oshún Eat Adié Together
The Big Osainista
Where Oshún Got Her Hair BackThe Calabaza of Oshún
The Path of the Disguises of Oshún
Oshún and Ideu
When Orunmila Had No Place to Live
Ewé Pierde Rumbo
Why Ogbe Dí Is the One Who Wakes Up Orunmila The Honey of Oshún
The Three Female Spirits That Supported the Society of Iyalode
Oshún, Shangó, and Abeyi
When Ogundá Fun Fell in Love with Oshún, the Daughter of Olofin
24. Orunmila
Where Orunmila Decided to Stay in the World
Ifá Knows Everything in the World
The Word of Orunmila Never Falls on the Ground
The Astuteness of Orunmila
The Intelligence of Orunmila
The Idefá Was Born
Orunmila Saves the Territory of Oshé Fun
Why Oyá Wears Orunmila’s Idefá
The Birth of the Canastillero
The Head of Mud
When the Guardian Angel Was Marked with the Shells
Aborun, the Son of Orunmila
The Sons of Orunmila
When Orunmila Found Himself Pursued
Where Orunmila Danced with the Heads of His Enemies
The Santero Who Did Not Believe in Orunmila
The Assembly of the Opelé
The Consecration of Orunmila in Kuanaldo (Knife)
The Depression of Orunmila
The Apetebí Is Not the Wife of a Babalawo
25. Olokun
The Birth of the Masks of Olokun
The Manatee
Where Efé, the Manatee, Was Born
The Son of Olokun
The Daughters of Olokun
The Secret of Olokun
The Birth of Erubawao, the Slaves of Olokun
When Ogún and Osain Asked Olokun to Forgive Them
26. Ile Oguere
The Path of Mother Earth
The Path Where Everyone Wanted to Be the Sky
When Ile Oguere Set Her Children against Olofin
The Awó of Orunmila and His Fresh Feet (Awó Ese Tuto)
The Transformation of the Earth: Eshu Larufa
The Venereal Disease of Orunmila
So Ile Oguere’s Road Would Always Be Clean
27. Ikú
Ikú Hunted on Behalf of Olofin
The Son of Oshosi and Ikú
The Pact between Ikú and Obatalá
The Pact of the Earth and Death
Death Sometimes Gets Scared and Respects the Living
Where Shangó Sent Ikú to the Town
The Book of Death
The Cape of Ikú
Orunmila Is Imprisoned by Ikú
28. Orun and Oro
The Pact between Orun and Orunmila
Where Oro Came Down to the World and Was Called Orisha Arufín
29. Egun / Egungún
The Secret of the Teja of Egun
The Boss of the Egun
The Reason Women Must Look Away When Obi Is Given to Egun and Why the Iworo Okuní Can Be Sworn in Orun
Where Funeral Honors Were Born
The Four Obá of the Land of the Dead
The Inheritance
The Apparition of Igbowere
The Three Obá Egun
The Egun and His Brother
30. Añá
The Goat That Breaks the Pays with Its Skin
Otrupon Bekonwao Introduction
The Beggar and Añá
Ponla Ponla the Drummer
Bekonwao and His Brothers the Drummers
The Ebó of the Drummer
The Spirit of Obá Alañá Oní Shangó
Shangó, Olofin, and Añá