Odu Ifa

Not to be confused with Ifá, Odu (album), or Oduduwa.
Odu Ifa
Odù Ifá
A pictorial sphere illustrating the Oju Odu, the 16 major Odus of the Odu Ifa, written in Yoruba script.
Information
ReligionIṣẹṣe
LanguageYoruba
PeriodUnknown, probably around 6000 BCE[1]
Chapters256 Odus[2]
Verses204,800 (approx., at least)

The Odu Ifá (Yoruba alphabet: Odù Ifá),[3] also called the Ifa Literary Corpus is a large collection of proverbs (òwe), poetic verses (ẹsẹ) and stories (Àlọ́/patakí) that serves as the central religious scripture of Iṣẹṣe. The Odu Ifa is an oral corpus (a collection of texts) passed down originally in Yoruba language through generations, believed by the Yoruba to have been revealed by the deity of wisdom, Ọrunmila, to humanity.[4]

The Odu Ifá is made up of 256 chapters called Odus, each consisting of around 800 verses called ẹsẹ.[5] The exact number of ẹsẹ is continuously increasing. Each Odu is represented with a unique binary signature. The 16 major odus are called Oju Odu, and the others Ọmọ Odu. It is closely associated with Ifá and it is used during divination.[6][7][8][9] While the Odù Ifá is still majorly recited in its oral form, many written versions have also been published.[3]

Etymology

"Odu" is derived from the Yoruba word òdù which means "source of creation" or "womb".[10] The word "Ifá" refers to the complex Yoruba divination system.[11][12]

The Odus

In the Ifá corpus, there are 256 Odus in total. Of these, 16 are regarded as the principal or most important by babalawos. They are known as the Oju Odu:[13][14][15]

  1. Eji-Ogbe - The Supporter
  2. Oyeku - The Mother of Death (Iku)
  3. Iwori - The Deep Seer
  4. Odi - The Seal (Aṣẹ)
  5. Irosun - The Resounding Oṣun
  6. Owonrin - The Reversed Head
  7. Obara - The Resting and Hovering One
  8. Okanran - The Beater of Sticks and Mats
  9. Ogunda - The Creator
  10. Osa - The Spirit of Sa (Ọya)
  11. Ika - The Controller
  12. Oturupọn - The Bearer
  13. Otura - The Comforter
  14. Irete - The Crusher
  15. Ose - The Conqueror
  16. Ofun - The Giver

Eji-Ogbe

Ori ni Ejiogbe (Verse of Ori):

A loud sound is heard when an object falls to the ground.
We divined for the blacksmith of the ocean we call Ori;
Ori was who created Ọya in the land of Ira;
Ori was who created Ṣango in Koso;
Ori was who created Ọbatala in the land of Iranje;
Ori was who created Ogun in the land of Ire;
Ori was who created Eṣu in the town of Ketu;
Ori was who created Ọṣun in Ijumu;
Ori was who created Ọrunmila in Oke Igeti
To all devotees of Ifá I say, where Ori has placed me in is good.

—Eji-Ogbe[16]

Eji-Ogbe (also called Ogbe, Ejiogbe or Baba Ejiogbe) is the first, most important and most extensive Odu. It is known as "the Supporter" and is described as the manifestation of pure light and the King of the Odu.[17][18] Children who are given the signature of Ejiogbe at birth are seen as comparable to kings and are advised not to bow before them. The major theme of the verses in this Odu is emphasis on the benefits of following instructions given during Ifá divination and the repercussions of choosing to disobey. It also consists of tales about the Oriṣa (especially Ọrunmila) and the Ajogun.[19]

See also

References

  1. ^ Silva, Mari (2022). Ifá: The Ultimate Guide to a System of Divination and Religion of the Yoruba People. United States: Amazon Digital Services LLC. ISBN 9798367862003.
  2. ^ Landry, Timothy R. (2019). Vodún: Secrecy and the Search for Divine Power. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press. ISBN 978-0812250749.
  3. ^ a b https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Odu_Ifa
  4. ^ Awo, Ifagbemi (2024). The Yoruba Spiritual Training Manual (First ed.). United States: Michael Perez. pp. 112–117. ISBN 979-8-9909018-1-0.
  5. ^ "The Significance of the Digitalization of Ifa in the Committee of Knowledge" (PDF).
  6. ^ "Ifa divination system-UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage".
  7. ^ Dennett, Richard (1906). At the Back of the Black Man's Mind: Notes on the Kingly Office in West Africa (First ed.). Macmillan. ISBN 9780524033654. {{cite book}}: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)
  8. ^ "Ifá Divination - History Today".
  9. ^ "Guardian News: Odu Ifa - Things to know about the Yoruba divination system".
  10. ^ https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/odu
  11. ^ https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Ifa#Yoruba
  12. ^ https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Odu_Ifa
  13. ^ "Chapter 9: The Holy Odus: 256 Sacred Parables, Proverbs and Prescriptions".
  14. ^ "Odu Ifa".
  15. ^ "The 16 Odus of Ifa".
  16. ^ "Ori From Ejiogbe".
  17. ^ A. Epega, Afolabi; Neimark, Philip (1995). The Sacred Ifa Oracle (in English and Yoruba). HarperSanFrancisco. ISBN 9780062512307.
  18. ^ Alagoa, Ebiegberi (1990). Oral Tradition and Oral History in Africa and the Diaspora. Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilization, Lagos for Nigerian Association for Oral History and Tradition.
  19. ^ Dominguez, Raul (2020). Baba Ejiogbe - El Rey de los Olodus (in Spanish). Raul Dominguez. ISBN 9798637025558.
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