Here is a little history or one story on Opele: ( divination chain) . According to odu Ogbe Meji; Opele also known as ireree . Which was a slave to Orunmila who bought him from the market to serve as a house helper.
His main duty then was to clear high grasses, clean Orunmila house, sweep Orunmila compound, get rid of Ebo (sacrifice) waste and servant to Orunmila during ifa divination.
Opele was not a very good farmer because he had a problem with his leg which prevented him to be useful in farm work but he was very useful in other areas of life especially in the area of divination.
Opele was very talented in divination; he could foresee future events of clients who visited Orunmila for Ifa divination and spiritual help.
Orunmila who was a great diviner discovered divination potentials in Opele and permitted Opèle to divine for His clients whenever He was away but unfortunately Opele became a bit to arrogant and filled with pride.
He forgot his place as a slave and started acting like a small god. When reputable people came for divination, he would talk rudely to them.
One day, the king and his chiefs visited Orunmila for ikin Ifa divination but Orunmila was away and they met Opele who was arrogant and spoke rudely to them. These dignitaries left angrily and vowed never to visit Orunmila again.
When Orunmila came back, he heard of the bad news, he visited the king and chiefs and apologized for what Opele did at his absence. He consulted ikin Ifa for them and carried out the necessary ebo (sacrifice) which was prescribe by IFA.
Orunmila got home, he was expecting Opele to be remorse and apologize for what he did to the king and chiefs at his absence but rather Opele was not remorse and refused to apologize for his wrong doing.
Orunmila was angry and use his Ifa mystical wand to strike Opele who immediately scattered into several pieces .
Instead of Orunmila gathered the pieces that Opele turned into. And Orunmila kept them, he tied those pieces in a chain like fashion and started using it to cast odu ifa for clients since then .