| Name |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
|
| Ogbe |
O |
O |
O |
O |
| Oyeku |
E |
E |
E |
E |
| Iwori |
E |
O |
O |
E |
| Obara |
O |
E |
E |
E |
| Okanran |
E |
E |
E |
O |
| Irosun |
O |
O |
E |
E |
| Owonrin |
E |
E |
O |
O |
| Ogunda |
O |
O |
O |
E |
| Osa |
E |
O |
O |
O |
| Irete |
O |
O |
E |
O |
| Otura |
O |
E |
O |
O |
| Oturupon |
E |
E |
O |
E |
| Ika |
E |
O |
E |
E |
| Ose |
O |
E |
O |
E |
| Ofun |
E |
O |
E |
O |
Ifá is a system of divination that originated in West Africa among the Yoruba people. The system is also practised among believers in Santería, Candomblé, and similar transplanted African traditional religions in the New World.
The oracle consists of a group of palm nuts or cowrie shells, or replicas of these, which are thrown to create binary data, depending on whether they land upright or reversed. The nuts are cast between the diviner's hands, and at last counted, to determine whether an odd or an even number of them has been retained. The shells or their replicas are often strung on a divining chain, four to each side. Four such throws or shells make one of the sixteen basic patterns (an odu in the Yoruba language); two of these combine to create a total set of 256 odus. Each of these odus is associated with a traditional set of verses, often relating to Yoruba mythology, which explain their divinatory meaning. The system is sacred to the gods Orunmila, god of prophecy, and Eshu, who as messenger of the gods lends his authority to the oracle.
Where O is an odd count or a "heads" result, and E is an even count or a "tails" result, the sixteen basic patterns and their Yoruba names are set forth in the sidebar.
The entire system bears a superficial resemblance to Western systems of geomancy. It is suspected by some that Western geomancy was borrowed from a version of the system borrowed by Arabs and carried to North Africa, where it was learned by Europeans during the Crusades. Though the number of symbols is different, the system also bears some resemblance to the Chinese I Ching divination system.
Names
Ifa priests and worshippers among the Yoruba people or those who belive in Ifa bear names related with Ifa, always starting with the word Ifa like Ifadairo, Ifabiyi, Ifadare, etc.
External links
Reference
- William R. Bascom: Ifa Divination: Communication Between Gods and Men in West Africa ISBN 0253206383
- William R. Bascom: Sixteen Cowries: Yoruba Divination from Africa to the New World ISBN 0253208475
Last updated: 05-29-2005 22:11:51
