The Power of the Coconut and the Yoruba Religion

Book excerpt: HISTORY OF THE COCONUT Olodumare saw in Obi (coconut), a just and humble person, therefore he placed him high in a coconut tree, and made him white inside, and out. He also gave him an immortal soul. Elegba who was always a true and trusted servant of Olodumare is also at the service of Obi. That is why Elegba knows all the friends of Obi, and Obi knows all the friends for Elegba, the poor, the rich, the clean, the dirty, the straight and the crooked. One day, Obi had feast for his birthday, and entrusted Elegba to invite all his friends. Elegba seeing how pretentious and arrogant Obi had become invited all the beggars, and dirty people of the town. When Obi arrived and saw in his house all the beggars and dirty people in his house, he became very angry, and asked the beggars who had invited them there. They replied Elegba who had invited them. At that Obi shouted, "Ah, so it was Elegba who invited you was it, but dirty, and with those rags for clothes! Get out of here! He shouted, and with that all the embarrassed guest left, and with them went Elegba, Obi soon realized his error, and called Elegba, but Elegba did not listen, and kept walking. One day Olodumare asked Elegba to go to the house of Obi. However, Elegba refused and told him to send him anywhere else, and we would go right away beside the house of Obi he would not, and should not go. Olodumare pretending that he knew nothing of what had transpired, asked Elegba what he had against Obi. After hearing Elegba the details of the incident at Obi's house, Olodumare transformed himself into the disguise of a beggar, and went calling at the door of Obi. When Obi saw that who was calling was a beggar, he indignantly said, "Take a bath and get dressed before calling at my door, can you not see that you are dirty, do you want to dirty my furniture too?" and with that, he slammed the door in the face of Olodumare. Olodumare took a few steps from Obi's house, and then with a strong voice called Obi; "Obi Meye Emi Ofe which means, Obi see who I am." When Obi was seen aware that it was Olodumare who had come calling at his door, he tried to excuse himself, and beg forgiveness but Oloduma said to him "Obi it is too late, I thought you were natural and unpretentious, that is why I placed you high in the coconut tree, making you white inside and out. But having placed so high, you have to become vain, and have thrown the beggar from your house. Obi, those are my children too. I am going to leave you in the coconut tree, so that you may realize that no matter how high you are placed, you can never be higher than myself, Oloduma the creator God, or my divine laws. Therefore for as long as the earth exists, you will roll on the ground, and be transformed to green and black on the outside, but to remain white on the inside for your immortal soul. The black to remind you of the offense you made to the beggars and the green for the hope that someday you will be forgiven when you come to understand that all persons are my children. Meanwhile, you will predict the good and bad, and the death that will occur on earth. And with that began the tradition of reading the Obi at the feet of Elegba, and the other Orishas.