Mojuba: Sacred Lukumí Invocation—English

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‑and‑so] *to which the present respond* ibá é
[Names of all the Egún] ibá é
[Known by the Olosha] 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‑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 olodó: 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.