Next, we will tell you about this little known Pataki of Orula and Oshun, where the soothsayer discovered the name of the Orisha Oshun to begin their love story.

There are many patakies who comprise our beautiful and extensive Yoruba religion, and all of them offer us a reality in which each one brings us advice and multiple teachings.

In this pataki that we show you today, the story is told of how the great soothsayer Orunmila discovers the name of the beautiful Oshun in order to marry her.

Orula is known to be a great soothsayer and counsellor of enormous power and reputation, while Oshun is a powerful goddess, owner of the world’s fresh waters, rivers, honey and sunflowers.

This pataki of Orula and Oshun is a very beautiful Yoruba legend from beginning to end, below we will tell you its story and how Eleggua plays an important role in it.

Yoruba love story Pataki of Orula and Oshun!  

In a faraway land, the beautiful Oshun lived comfortably with her protective mother, a righteous woman who protected her daughter from harm.

This beautiful young woman was very charming, her sensual smile and laughter were captivating features, all men fell for her charms, they fell in love just by looking at her.

For their part, none of these men were able to discover the name of such a beautiful woman, because they were hypnotised and did not ask, a big mistake!

Many of her suitors arrived daily at Oshun’s house, and each of them asked his mother to offer her in marriage, many of them arriving with beautiful and expensive gifts.

This pataki of Orula and Oshun tells us that the mother always asked the same question to all the suitors of her daughter:

• Do you know what my beloved daughter’s name is?
• They would say no, so the mother would ask them again:
• So how do you intend to marry my daughter if you don’t even know her own name?

And since the same thing happened to each of the men, they each decided to find out the name of the young woman, so that her mother would offer her daughter’s hand in marriage.

It is worth noting that absolutely all the men failed in the attempt, because they could not know it in any way.

The mother, tired of receiving so many suitors every day, decides that she will not receive anyone else in her house until they know her daughter’s name.

The great soothsayer Orunmila was among the long list of suitors and he was very much in love with her; and he could not get the name of such a beautiful lady either, not even through consultations with his powerful board.

Here in this part of Orula and Oshun’s story of love and pataki, is where the owner of the roads Eleggua comes in, as Orula decided to call him to see if he could help him.

How did Eleggua manage to help Orula get Oshún’s sweet love? 

Eleggua is the most skilful of all the orishas, and because his cunning precedes him wherever he goes, he devised a plan to find out the name of the young woman who had everyone stunned.

The great and also powerful Eleggua, who has a great ability to hide, began to dress and act like an old man and at other times like a child playing at the four corners near the young girl’s house.

He also hid behind doors, and so it went for long days, and managed to get the name of the beautiful Oshún by hearing his own mother call her softly.

• At last Eleggua had her name, the beautiful young woman was called: OSHUN.

Eleggua was very happy to fulfil the task that Orula had given him, so he ran to Orula and told him what he had discovered.

Orunmila without wasting any time went running to the house of the mother of the young Oshún, and in a very respectful manner says the following: c

• With your permission and my respects I come for my future wife OSHUN, and thus ask you to marry your daughter.

Oshún’s mother, happy to know that Orula would be her husband, gives her daughter in marriage and they marry.

And so it was that in this pataki of Orula and Oshun, thanks to the intelligence and cunning of the little giant Eleggua, Orunmila manages to marry the beautiful Oshun.

• You must always and without a doubt remember that Eleggua in the Yoruba religion always helps, he is our best companion, Orunmila’s confidant and best friend of the beautiful Oshún.

What do you think of this beautiful pataki of Orula and Oshun? Undoubtedly a true love story between an Orisha, and the greatest soothsayer that ever lived.