28/6/2017 Diloggun divination | Ile-Ife

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Religion and culture

Diloggun divination

Diloggun (also known as sixteen cowries, merindiloggun or los caracoles) is a divination system
associated to Yoruba divinities (orishas) and other superhuman entities. It is employed by Yoruba people
and their descendants in diaspora.

The diviners, who may be men and women, are initiated and trained for many years to become
knowledgeable diviners. They must memorise extensive verses, and learn the use of leaves and herbs.
Learning continues throughout the whole life of the diviner.

In Diloggun divination, the 16 cowries are cast on a basketry tray and the number of shells facing mouth up
are counted.A single throw will result in one of the 16 major Od.

More speci c information may be obtained by making a second casts of cowries, which will generate one of
the 256 Od.

The possible results or gures (od) have speci c names, and each of them is associated with a set of
verses (ese). The diviner has to select, among such verses, those referred to the situation confronted by the

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person requesting his/her assistance.

Following the identi cation of the Od, some yes/not questions may be asked to get further re ned
information. This will be done by using a pair of eight possible objects, one of them hidden in each hand of
the person consulted, and casting the sixteen cowries to select the right or the left hand.The answers will
reveal whether the Od is coming with blessings (ire) or obstacles (osogbo), as well as the reason and
nature of such blessing or osobgo.

The results of a single through are as follows:

Okana (one mouth up);Eji Oko (two mouths up); Ogunda (three mouths up); Irosun (four mouths up), Ose
( ve mouths up), Obara (six mouths up), Odi (seven mouths up ); Eji Ogbe (eight mouths up), Osa (nine
mouths up), Ofun (10 mouths up); Owonrin (11 mouths up); Ejila Sebora (12 mouths up); Metanla (13
mouths up); Merinla (14 mouths up); Marunla (15 mouths up);Merindilogun (16 mouths up). Opira, the
situation according to which none of the cowries are facing up, is interpreted as the existence of signi cant
problems with the reading, either by the diviner or the person who is requesting his/her assistance.

According to Yoruba mythology, the diloggun was introduced by Oshun, the divinity of rivers, who learned it
from Orunmila when they were living together. In one version recalled by William Bascom (1969B:90;
1993:18) while she was still learning Ifa, Oshun began divining for Orunmilas clients when he was not at
home, and when he learned of this he drove her away, this is why Oshun did not fully learn Ifa divination).

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