Who is Elenini ?

Following my last post on “who is Elenini”, here is my own submission.  My senior sister, Olayinka Moussa described Elenini as antagonist. The President of International Council for Ifa Religion, Oloye(Prof). Idowu Odeyemi said, “not all critics are enemies, not all genuflectors are friends”. This can be supported with the quotation of Adebanjo Sade,”don’t fear the enemy that attacks you but the fake friend that hugs you“.
I remember one of Bob Marley’s songs, “some will hate you, pretending love you now, they are behind it, try to eliminate you, but for Jah blessing…….“.
Elenini can be found everywhere as Ifakayode Esubiyi pointed out. They can be found in offices, even in families, blood relations who derive joy in creating obstacles to one’s progress.
They can be ‘a necessary evil’ as pointed out by Guiherme Guilherme Carucio, to act as checks and balances. Without Elenini, humans will not move closer to Olodumare ( God ). Life is not all that rosy. Its the survival of the fittest.
Elenini can be spiritually and physically powerful. Even, our father, the delegate of Olodumare, Orunmila never joked with Elenini. Listen to what Ifa says in Irete Rosun as follows;
Ate nu rosun yo bubu ninu eeran
Adifa fun Okanlenirinwo Irunmole
Won ntorun bo wa’ye
Adifa fun Elenini o ntorun bo wa’ye
Orunmila gbami lowo Elenini dakun.
Translation
Ate nu rosun yo bubu ninu eeran
Cast divination for 401 divinities
Coming from heaven to the earth
Also divine message revealed for Elenini (Detractor)coming from heaven to the earth
Orunmila, please save me from the captive of Detractor.
Story
All the Deities underestimated the power of Elenini. They refused to do Ebo. They relied on magic and medicine. Ogun, Sango, Obatala, Obaluwaye (Sonponna) and others were swallowed by Elenini.
But only Orunmila complied with the directive to offer sacrifice. Even despite this, he was instructed not to be confrontational. He welcomed Elenini with delicious food, singing and dancing. He succeeded in subduing Elenini and rescued all the other divinities.
Finally Elenini can also be described as “Agbehin bebo je”(He/She who will not let your sacrifice be accepted).
This is the reason why we always chant, “Enu to ba ni kebo mada ko ma bebo lo” meaning he/she who does not want our sacrifice to be accepted, let that person follow the sacrifice to heaven.
Stay blessed
N.B:- This was posted on 8th March 2014. It was copied for the benefit of those who did not see it. For those interested, you can go to my timeline to assess the comments of the various contributors to the topic, “who is Elenini”?
From Araba of Oworonsoki land, Lagos Nigeria.