The Eggun Tile and How To Care For It
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ScribdTranslationsThe Eggun Tile and How To Care For It
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ScribdTranslationsThe eggun tile and how to attend to it
The word eggunoegun (eggungun in Yoruba) is used to refer to the
spirits of the deceased ancestors. The eggun tile is also known as
the corner of the dead and everyone who practices Santeria should have their tile
consecrated. The eggun tile is a clay tile on which the babalawo writes.
different Ifa oddus related to the dead while singing and praying
in Yoruba invoking them and feeding them. Next to her, the staff should be kept.
the dead opagugu in eggunque must be prepared and loaded by a babalawo
and that only those initiated in the Osha-Ifa cult should use.
The eggun tile must be placed outside the house, in the yard, as it
the tile cannot live indoors. The tile must be properly cared for to
to be in harmony with the egguns and to allow us to carry out our
activities appropriately with their support. The tile is the place where
Worship is rendered and the dead are venerated systematically.
When a person has received some type of initiation, like the orishas.
warriors and even more so if he has received the hand of Orula, he must have this corner
dedicated to the dead, which has nothing to do with the spiritual vault, for
to be able to properly attend to their dead.
The practitioners of the Osha rule say 'Iku lobi Osha' which translates to: 'The
dead gave birth to the saint." This expression means that one should attend to the...
the dead and then to the orishas since according to Afro-Cuban tradition, the orishas
they were human beings who maintained an irreproachable conduct and that
after dying and ascending spiritually, they became orishas. Hence the
aforementioned expression, since without the dead, the orisha would not exist.
How to handle the eggun tile
The egguns eat before Eleggúa and separate from the Orishas.
The eggun tile will be placed in a corner on the ground, outside the house already.
be in a yard or near a drain. It can also be placed in the lower yard
a leafy tree, as a reference to the resting place or burial where they are
resting their bodies.
If there is no patio where you live, it can be placed under a sink or on a balcony.
A semicircle is drawn around the tile with shell on the line of
In the semicircle, nine equidistant crosses are drawn, also with shell.
It makes to delimit the area where eggun must live.
The people who attend these ceremonies with the eggun must be marked.
with a cross of chalk on the forehead that acts as protection.
The ceremony to feed the egguns begins with the corresponding
we gather and explain the reasons why the offering is made.
While it is being grated, small pieces of coconut can be broken off.
let fall inside the figure drawn with chalk on the ground.
When offerings are prepared to the tile, they must always be in the number of nine and
the husk (efun) cannot be missing, the Guinea pepper (atare), the butter of
corojo (epo) and obi (coco). Here are some examples of assistance food
egg that is placed in front of the tile:
A glass or cup of water (omi tuto)
A glass of water with brown sugar
A cup of coffee (omi bona)
A cup of coffee with milk
A glass of aguardiente (oti)
A glass of beer
A glass of dry wine
A glass with fruit juice
A dish with bread (akara)
9 ekrus
9 cups,
9 olelé
9 balls of gofio
9 yam balls
A candle
A bouquet of flowers
A plate of homemade food that does not contain salt. If the offering is directed to a deceased person.
known, one can place the deceased's favorite food.
A white plate or clay pot that is broken at one corner, in which there is
They put nine pieces of coconut (obi) since the number nine is the mark of the dead.
and each piece will carry a Guinea pepper on top (I will tie) and a dot of
corojo lard (epo). This is to feed eggun, and not as food.
assistance, although if it is of this type, better. If it is about assistance, it is disregarded.
to put the obi with epo, well with this what is done is to call the letter that
It came out in the consultation that food should be given to Eggun.
The offerings are changed every seven days or on the days determined by the babalawo.
the tile was delivered. Candles must be lit to illuminate the corner.
At the end of the offering, one should ask the egguns with the coconuts if they have received.
the offering, if they agree with it and to know where it should be left
ofrendas: en la basura (ikun), en el rio (ile Oshun), en el cementerio (ile Oya), en
the jungle or forest (nigue), on a hill (ilé Oke), etc. To give coconut to eggun,
four pieces of fresh coconut are used and one is left as a witness in case it breaks
someone. When the coconut is thrown to eggun, those present must turn their backs and
they should not see how the coconuts fall.
The eggun tile should not be confused with the spiritual vault. The tile is the place
where the ancestors are invoked and attended to, and in the vault they are cared for
only the dead of the family line. It should not be confused with the
cauldrons or ngangas used in Palo, since in this case they are dedicated to a
specific egun with which the initiated in Palo (palero) maintains a
special communication.
