The King who Forgot his Roots
Philosophical Summary
A narrative where a prosperous king stopped offering at the graves of his fathers. His wealth began to 'sink' into the earth until he performed the Irosun sacrifice, sounding the bells of remembrance to call the blessings back up.
Summary
Ancestral neglect causes a King's prosperity to disintegrate until he honors the blood that built his throne.
Interpretation
Irosun Meji is the Odu of the 'Ancestral Blood' and the 'Ground.' It teaches that we are only the surface of a deep ocean of ancestors. Remembrance is the anchor that keeps our current success from drifting away or sinking into the soil of apathy.
Sacred Verses
English
King Ajalaye became the wealthiest in the region and soon felt he was the sole author of his success. He stopped visiting the ancestral shrines. Slowly, his treasures began to literally sink into the floor of his palace. His gold turned to dust and his wine turned to water. Orunmila cast Irosun Meji and told him: 'The tree that forgets the ground will eventually fall into it.' The King sacrificed red camwood and sounded the sacred bells at the tombs. His wealth instantly returned, solidified by the strength of his roots.