The son of the creator god Oduduwa and father of the powerful Shango, god of thunder and lightning, Oranmiyan was the great warrior-hero of Ile-Ife. The following story depicts the dangers of recalling such a powerful ancestor from the dead for trivial reasons.

Oduduwa ruled long over Ife. Orunmila, it is said, went to rule over Benin, where he remained for some time. But after a while Orunmila tired of his life there and returned to the sky. Affairs in Benin did not go well after Orunmila departed. The people sent messengers to Oduduwa asking him to come and take charge of Benin. Oduduwa was reluctant to leave Ife. He said, "If I go to Benin to give it a father, then Ife will have no father." The people of Benin continued to implore Oduduwa for help. At last he agreed to go to...