Mojuba: Sacred Lukumí Invocation

[Oju]

Mojuba: Sacred Lukumí Invocation

Excerpt from my book “Didá Obí. . .Adivinación a Traves del Coco.”
Carolina: El Impresor, 1980.

The mojuba outline that follows is an excerpt from a book I published in Puerto Rico in 1980. I designed the structure of this mojuba for the first seminar offered by the Templo Yoruba Omo Orisha de Puerto Rico, in 1980, which I taught. Since then, I have used it in various seminars I have taught in Miami, California, Chicago and Michigan. This is not meant to be the definitive mojuba, but basically a pattern that any devotee, ordained or not, can follow in a meaningful manner.

Every act of worship or devotion in Lukumí religion must start with a libation of fresh water followed by an invocation of praise and prayer known as a mojuba. The word comes from the Yoruba emi— I; and ajuba—salute. “I salute.”

This invocation is divided into various sections. The first of these sections starts with a salutation to Olodumare, calling Him/Her by all His/Her praise names, in an act that acknowledges and pays tribute to the Divine Creator and His/Her Omnipotence. Though often cited as a silent and distant Deity, in Lukumí tradition Olodumaré must be revered in all rituals for without the Supreme Being, nothing would be possible.

After paying homage to Olodumaré, we pay tribute to two ancestors that play a major role in the scheme of Lukumí religion. These are Asedá (Ashedá) and Akodá, two important ancestors believed to be the first two disciples of Olodumaré, entrusted with dispersing the sacred word of Olodumaré and the orishas throughout the world. Babalawos believe them to be the first two disciples of Orúnmilá who helped him disseminate Ifá and its wisdom to all humankind. They were the first religious ambassadors of Yoruba (and by extension Lukumí) religion.


We continue by paying homage to time. We acknowledge the past, the present, and the future, the indispensable witnesses of humankind's minute voyage through the realm of existence. In so doing, we pray for the continued existence of the world and our species.

Next, we pay tribute to our mother and father, iyátobí and babátobí, the two most essential individuals without which we would obviously not exist. A very family oriented people, the Lukumí and their descendents lend great importance and respect to their progenitors whom they adore during their lifetime and continue to adore even after they are dead. In fact, one’s parents are as sacred as any orisha. In the initiation rituals, the Obá Oriaté must pay homage to our parents at important intervals during the ceremony.

We then pay homage to ará—the earth; the physical body or planet—and ilé—the soil we step on as well as the house we live in. As a silent overseer, this planet provides for our existence and is the eventual receptor of all our actions. Ilé gives us life, nurtures us through the length of our existence, and upon our death we must in turn nourish her with the body she sustained during these years. As is well known, the Olorisha cannot be cremated, but must return to the earth that which she provided us.

The second section of a mojuba consists of salutations to our ancestors. In the Lukumí tradition, the ancestors are called Egúngún or Egún. These are not to be confused with Araorún (Araonú)—citizens of heaven; and Iwín*—vagrant souls that roam the earth. Egúngún are solely those spirits that are related to us by blood and through our orisha lineage. All others are Araorún. Iwín are negative entities, usually spirits of people who have died before their due time, either by suicide or through the influence of witchcraft or sorcery. Though it is not orthodox practice, there are Olorishas who pay tribute in their mojubas to spiritual guides. This is an error. These entities are recognized in a particular and generalized segment of the mojubá, and should not be included among our Egún because they simply are not Egún. Araorún, as will be seen, are acknowledged in the final stanza of the second segment when we say: Mojuba gbogbowán olodó araorún, oluwó, iyalosha, babalosha, omó kolagbá Egún mbelése Olodumare

The Lukumí consider the ancestors as important and as sacred as the orisha, and worthy of the same respect. In fact, Egún complements orisha as is clear from the proverb ikú l’obí osha—it is death that gives birth to the orisha. Unfortunately, the reason for this cannot be revealed in a public forum of this nature. At this stage in the mojuba, ones ancestors are called so they may help in the proper execution of the ceremonies to take place and offer their support and wisdom for the benefit of the present. After having saluted the devotee’s Egungún, we then pay trinbute to those ancestors that accompany ones iyalorisha—godmother; babálorisha—godfather; ojigbona—assistant to the iyá or babálorisha for ones ordination, and of all those present within the household.


The third and final stage consists of a prayer to Olodumaré and all the other entities we called before so they may ensure the well being of the devotee, of his/her loved ones, and of all those who may be present. Prayers are said so that no harm will come to any of the present, and so that no misfortune afflicts them that are not within their chosen destiny.


The Invocation

Mojuba Olofín, Mojuba Olorún, Mojuba Olodumare

Olorún Alabosudayé, Alabosunifé

Olorún Alayé, Olorún Elemí

Mojuba Ashedá, Mojuba Akodá

Mojuba ayaí odún, oní odún, odún olá

Mojuba babá, Mojuba yeyé

Mojuba ará, Mojuba ilé



Mojuba gbogbowán olodó araorún, oluwó, iyalosha, babalosha, omó kolagbá Egún

mbelése Olodumare


Araorún, ibá é layén t’orún "so[ch8209]and[ch8209]so," (to which the present respond) ibá é



Names of all the Egún ibá é

Known by the Olosha ibá é

_________________ ibá é, etc...



After saluting all the ancestors known or reverenced according to the tradition or the Olorisha’s lineage, the priest/ess says:



Ibá é layén t’orún gbogbó Egún araorún orí emí naní ___________ ______

(One’s own name is mentioned in reverence to one's ancestors)


Ibá é layén t’orún gbogbó Egún araorún orí iyalorisha emí _______________

(those that accompany ones iyalorisha or babálorisha)



Ibá é layén t’orún gbogbó Egún araorún orí Ojigbona emí_______ _______

(The priest or priestess who served as your Ojigbona)



Ibá é layén t’orún gbogbó Egún araorún orí ni gbogbó igboro kalé ilé

(Of all those who are present)



Ibá é layén t’orún gbogbó Egún, gbogbowán olodó, lagbá lagbá, Araorún, otokú timbelayé, mbelése Olorún, Olodumare.


Kinkamashé __________________ (Iyálorisha or Babálorisha)

Kinkamashé __________________ (Ojigbona)

Kinkamashé __________________ (Oriaté)

Kinkamashé __________________ (Babalawó if applicable)

Kinkamashé __________________ (Whatever living Olorishas from your lineage you may want to salute of pray for)

Kinkamashé Orí[ch8209]Eledá emí naní ____________________ (You)

Kinkamashé gbogbó kalenú, igboró, aburó, ashíre, Oluwó, Iyalosha, Babalosha, kale ilé.


Meaning of the words used in this Mojuba


Mojuba I salute or I pay homage to

Olofín Owner of the palace

Olorún Owner of the sky

Olodumare Owner of the vast expanse of the universe

Alabosudayé All-embracing protector of the earth

Alabosunifé All-embracing protector of the town of Ifé

Alayé The living one (God)

Elemí Owner of the breath

Ashedá & Akodá Holy messengers

Ayaí odún The days that were; the past

Oní odún The days that are; the present

Odún olá The days that will be; the future

Babá Father

Iyá Mother

Yeyé Mommy

Ará Body; the planet

Ilé The soil we thread upon; the house we're in

Gbogbowán olo Those who have departed from our path and
are living at the river’s edge (deceased Olorishas)

Araorún (Araonú) Citizen of heaven

Oluwó Ifá priest

Iyalosha Mother in orisha; priestess

Babalosha Father in orisha; priest

Omó kolagbá High priest, endowed and knowledgeable in
all aspects of the religion

Mbelesé At the foot of



Ibá é layén t’orún (t’orún) Those that have departed to the
land in heaven (orún reré)

Alagbá lagbá All elders, present and not. (lit. An elder among elders)

Otokú He/she who has died

Timbelayé Firmly in the other world

Kinkamashé Let nothing (negative) happen to

Ojigbona Assistant to the initiating Iyá or Babálorisha

Oriaté The high priest/ess who performs the
ordination ceremonies

Emí naní I; myself

Gbogbó kalenú All those present in the house

Igboro Visitors

Aburo Brother or sister

Ashiré Children; mount or horse of the Orishas
(person who is possessed by an Orisha)

Kalé ilé All those who are in the house


Renowned ancestors who should be invoked in everyone’s mojuba

This first group are vaguely remembered pioneers who may have been in Cuba in the early nineteenth century. Virtually nothing at all is known about these Olorishas, other than the fact that most of them were associated with the Cabildo San José 80.


Gbangboshé Awapitikó

Malaké la grande

Malaké la Chiquita

Dadá

Kaindé

Adeú

Tawadé

Odé Waro

Ña Inés, Yenyé T’Olokún

Teresita Ariosa, Oñí Osun (though some sources have said say she was named Oshún Funké or Oshún Kayodé)

Omó Delé

Obankolé

Adufé



Though some of the Olorishas in the following group are just as enigmatic as the above, they are better remembered as they were active during the latter nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

Ña Rosalía, Efunshé Warikondó

Egbado progenitor, Omó Oshosi. In the last quarter of the nineteenth century, Efunshé may have introduced the Havana-centric adoshú osha ceremony practiced today that eventually spread to the rest of the island


Ma Monserrate González, Obá Tero

Egbado progenitor, Oní Shangó. Obá Tero is the source of many Egbado orishas in Cuba: Olokún, Oduduwá, Boromú, Yewá, and others. Her lineage is very well rooted in Matanzas.


Fermina Gómez, Oshabí

Ordained by Ma Monserrate González, Oshabí became known as the most reputable source in Cuba of Egbado orishas such as Olokún, Yewá and Oduduwá until her death in 1950. She inherited this knowledge from her iyalorisha Obá Tero.


Arabia Oviedo

Oyó priestess who founded a lineage in the town of Pueblo Nuevo in Matanzas. Her lineage is probably the second

most populous lineage in Matanzas.


Timotea “Latuán” Albear, Ajayí Lewú

Oní Shangó and one of the early Obá Oriatés. She trained Octavio Samá, Obadimejí.


Ña Belén González, Apóto

Founder of the lineage commonly referred to as “la pimienta”—pepper. It is unclear if she was an Oló Oshún or an Oní Yemojá. She was ordained in Cuba by an iyalorisha known as Teresita Oshún Funké, probably the same Teresita Ariosa. One source says she was ordained by La China Silvestre, Oshún Miwá, and another says that Apóto was the one who ordained Oshún Miwá.


Ña Margarita Armenteros, Ainá Yobo

Founder of another important lineage in Havana. Tibursia Sotolongo, Oshún Mewá and Obá Oriaté Abelardo Bequé (Becker), Oñí Osun (Tibursia's ) descend from Ainá Yobo.

Ño Filomeno García, Atandá

Babalawó, onilú—drummer—and abegí—carver, who together with Añabí, carved the first orthodox batá drums built in Cuba. Atandá is also reputed to have carved the Olokún (possibly Geledé) masks used in nineteenth century Cuba in the town of Regla to dance for this orisha


Ño Juan “el cojo,” Añabí

Babalawó, onilú—drummer—and abegí—carver—who together with Atandá, carved the first orthodox batá drums built in Cuba


Ño Remigio Herrera, Adeshiná

Probably one of the earliest Babalawos to arrive to the island, ca. 1830 and may have had some participation in the ceremonies to create Atandá’s and Añabí’s first batá drums in Cuba. Though he entered Cuba through Matanzas, where he lived for a number of years, he was also well known in Regla where he spent his last 35 years on the island and initiated the Cabildo Yemayá that was later inherited by his daughter Josefa “Pepa” Herrera, Eshúbí.


Octavio Samá, Obadimejí

The first male and Cuban-born Obá Oriaté, disciple of Latuán. Obadimejí was ordained twice once to Oshún in his native Sabanillas, and then to Aganjú when he arrived to Havana in the late 1800s. Latuán and Efunshé refused to believe that he was ordained and demanded that he go through the ordination ritual again. In the itá, it was discovered that he truly had been ordained. Hence his name, “king becomes two (or as it is interpreted in Cuba, he who was crowned twice).


José Roche, Oshún Kayodé

Ordained in 1896 by Tranquilina Balmaseda, Omí Saya, a religious descendant of Efunshé. Oshún Kayodé was probably the second male Oriaté, partly trained by Latuán.


Calixta Morales, Odé Deí

Some sources believe that she was Efunshé’s daughter. Others say that they were just good friends. Lydia Cabrera

called her the “last great female apuón.” She was possibly the first Olorisha of Oshosi ordained in Cuba.


Josefa “Pepa” Herrera, Eshúbí

Adeshina’s daughter and possibly the first Olorisha ordained to Elegbá in Cuba. Ña Inés, Yenyé T’Olokún and Ma Monserrate González, Obá Tero were the ones who ordained her in the last quarter of the nineteenth century. She is best remembered for the Cabildo processions that she paraded yearly through the town of Regla in honor of Yemojá and Oshún


Tata Gaytán, Ogundá’fún

He was a famous Babalawó who died in 1945, and probably the first ordained in Cuba. Adeshina made him in the late 1800s. Best known for being the first Babalawó to consecrate Olokún for other Babalawós in the early twentieth century


Aurora Lamar, Obá Tolá

Until the Cuban Revolution, Aurora Lamar was probably the most proliferous Iyalorisha in Cuba, ordaining well over 2000 people. She introduced the religion to Santiago de Cuba in the 1940s. Her lineage is probably the most extensive lineage today.


Tomás Romero, Ewín Letí

Tomás Romero was Obadimejí’s only disciple. He was one of the most popular Oriatés after the death of his mentor.


Nicolás Valentin Angarica, Obá Tolá

Obá Tolá was ordained by Obadimejí in 1941, and apprenticed under him until his godfather’s death in 1944. Though he worked with his godfather a very short period of time, he had brought to Havana knowledge that he had obtained from his family in his native Carlos Rojas in Matanzas. He was a descendant of a long line of Olorishas. He is most remembered for having written the very first book ever in Cuba on Lukumí religion, published in the 1950s: “El Lucumí al Alcance de Todos.”


Lamberto Samá, Ogún Toyé

One of the two most important Oriaté who succeeded Tomás Romero’s generation.


The following are important Egún from the Cuban-Lukumí Diaspora.

Mercedes Noble, Oban Yoko

The first Olorisha to perform a full ordination in New York city in 1964.


Laura Noble, Omí Lefún

The first Olorisha to perform a full ordination in Miami in 1964


Orestes Blanco, Oshún Wé

Together with Viki Gómez, Osha Inle (still alive), Oshún Wé was Oriaté the first ordination that took place in the United States in 1964


Chris Oliana, Obá Ilú Mí

The first African-American to travel to Cuba in the 1950s to seek out Lukumí religion. He was ordained by an Om’orisha of the late Fermina Gómez, Oshabí


Pancho Mora, Ifá Morote

The first Babalawó in the United States and possibly one of the first Olorishas to establish residence in this country in the twentieth century


Apolinar González, Oshaweyé

Oshaweyé was one of the most important Oriatés during the formative years of the religion in the Unisted States. He died in Los Angeles in 1980.

Asunta Serrano, Osá’unkó

Osá’unkó, was probably one of the first Puerto Ricans ordained into Lukumí religion. She was made in Cuba in the late 1950s by Olga Morales, Oshún Funké, a descendant of Aurora Lamar. She was one of the early pioneers in New York city and one of the first Lukumís to visit Yorubaland after 1959.

From the Archives of Miguel "Willie" Ramos, Ilarí Obá, Obá Oriaté