Why the Òrìşà ÒGÚN working 24 hours a day? Why ÒSÙN never rests and sleeps on one foot?
Teaching given by Tata G, the Emissary Spirit of Baba Oduduwa: The story tells us that there was a time when Ọbàtálá and Yemoyale (Yemoja/Yemaya) were married, and Ògún was in love with its mother Yemoyale. Then ÈŞÙ, who could see everything, he noticed this situation, and he ran and told Ọbàtálá: "You Know my Lord, you should take great care of Yemoyale, because Ògún is following her, if you don’t want anything to happen the her, you should put a watchman behind her." Ọbàtálá did so and called ÒSÙN (here in the Americas they represent ÒSÙN as a Rooster, and in Africa as a Bird over the top of a metal staff, and he is the Watchman). Ọbàtálá put him in front of his house so that he was watching whoever came in and out of his house and everything that happened, and that he was to informs him of everything. When ÒGÚN realized this (that Òsùn was on duty Watching), Ògún picked up a handful of roasted corn and threw it in front of Ọbàtálá house. When ÒSÙN saw that, he started to eat the roasted corn, and he became distracted and in that moment, Ògún took advantage of it and entered the house of Ọbàtálá and violated his mother Yemoyale. At that moment that this was happening, ÈŞÙ who sees everything, ran to where Ọbàtálá was and told him what was happening, and at that moment Ọbàtálá ran until he reached his house and found Ògún. As he looked at ÒGÚN, and ÒGÚN said to him, Father, forgive me, I know that what I have done is very bad, you do not need to punish me, from now on I will always work 24 hours a day and night, and I also will be watching the health of human beings. This is why the Òrìşà Ògún works 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and never rests. Ọbàtálá saw this, and seeing that Òsùn had failed him, he said to Òsùn; "From this moment I Curse you to always be standing up and never rest." This is why Òsùn always stands and never rests and is always standing on one leg. Based on the same story, he is usually not offered any offering, and sometimes he is only given some roasted corn and only for a few minutes so he will not be distracted and then the corn is removed. If you want to be in good terms with a Òrìşà, that Òrìşà is ÒGÚN.
NOTE: This is a symbolic story using the Òrìşà as the characters of the story.
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