Long ago, when we still worshipped orisas among the trees, and orisas and heroes still walked among us, a major part of ljebu was suddenly covered with water from a lagoon.
It was in serious flood and it threatened to inundate the whole of ljebu Land and other parts of Yoruba land.
The ljebu elders decided to consult the great IFA priest Onisemu Leguru.
Leguru brought out his “opele” and after a long panegyric rite, he cast it.
The odu Ifa that came spoke of a mixture of both bad and good fortune.
The good news was that the water would recede. The bad news was the nature of the sacrifice to be performed.
Leguru had to pay with his life. As he was a wise and true priest, he did not try to twist the message of IFA or avoid his fate.
The brave priest told the elders of ifa message and agreed to die in exchange for the life of the town and its people.
He agreed to do so on the following conditions: that no one from his lineage should ever pay tax again in Ijebu and that yearly his act should be remembered and his spirit venerated.
He set out and placed his mat on the lagoon. As he started his divination incantation, the water body began to recede, carrying him afloat on his mat like a raft, until far in the distance, in the middle of the lagoon, he vanished. The lagoon eventually receded to Epe.
It is said that to this very day, one can still hear Onisemu Leguru performing divination at the lagoon in Epe.
Story credit: yorubaness