Ifa Divination

Author(s): J. D. Clarke
Source: The Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and
Ireland , 1939, Vol. 69, No. 2 (1939), pp. 235-256
Published by: Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland

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 235

IFA DIVINATION

BY J. D. CLARKE
Superintendent of Education, Nigeria

THE following account of the system of divination common to all the Yoruba peoples
is based on notes made at various times between December, 1933 and July, 1935, in
the neighbourhood of Omu-aran, Ilorin Province, Northern Nigeria.
The account will be divided as follows:-

(a) A discussion of the position of Ifa and Elegba in Yoruba theology;

(b) The mythology and history of Ifa;

(c) Details of some consultations or seances;

(d) Related systems of divination;

(e) A description of the Odu system and the greetings and stories belonging to it;

(f) The profession and powers of the Babalawo.

(a) Ifa and Elegba: By the few Europeans who have written on the subject it seems
to be assumed that Ifa is one of the gods, or ori8ha. Dr. Farrow (1926, p. 36) says that
Ifa " is the greatest oracle of the whole Yoruba country and is consulted on all important
occasions " and that he (p. 35) " may be regarded as the most important . . . orisha ".
Col. Ellis (1894, pp. 56-58) calls Ifa the God of Divination, whose origin is unexplained,
and who obtained the power of divination from the phallic god, Elegba, on promising
to give him-the first portion of all offerings. (This connection between Ifa and Elegba will
be referred to again later.) Dennett (1910, p. 87) calls Ifa " the Oracular deity about
whom most is known, and who is most often consulted ".

On the other hand, when one refers to Yoruba writers a somewhat different tale
appears. Johnson (1921, p. 32) merely calls Ifa " the great consulting oracle " and
nowhere mentions it as a deity or orisha. The Rev. E. M. Lijadu (1901, p. 10) says
(translated) that " The words of divination which issue from the mouth of Qr
called Ifa . . . The respect which our fathers paid to the words of Qrunmila was
that they scarcely distinguished between him and his words and were accustomed to
prostrate themselves when the Babalawo recited the words to them ". He is supported by
the Rev. D. Epega (Mystery, p. 12) who says " the received instructions from Qrunmila
are called Ifa . . . Ifas are so many and varied that none can know them all ".

I believe that the last two writers supply the key to the matter. Qrunmila, or
Ql9runmila, is the supreme orisha under Qlorun Olodumare (Hausa Gajimare, the
Supreme Sky God, the first but not the proximate cause of creation). He communicates
with men and they with him through his Ifa words, which may be considered as an

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 236 J. D. CLARKE-Ifa Divination

iinpersonal " force " in contrast to his own personality. " He dwells with Ql9run
and is the witness of the end of man", hence he is called ]Sl9ri-ipin, the witness.of destiny.
I believe that, if the proposed distinction between the impersonality of Ifa and the

peisonality of Qrunmila is borne in mind, the interpretation of maniy stories is sim

as is also the relationship between Ifa and Elegba (or E?u). The following is an
which puzzled me at first: " Etura Qsa repaired the earth " said my informant
Amunimuada (hereinafter 'A.'). When I asked him why the earth needed repairing if
Ifa had made it well (as I had been told) he answered that Etura Qsa is Ifa. "But ",
said I, " Etura Qsa is one of the Odu or 'sons of Ifa ' 2 " He agreed, saying, "Yes, it
is one of the ' sons of Ifa ' and is Ifa himself: Ifa and the ' sons of Ifa ' are the same thing ".
My comment in my notebook was, " Herein lies a mystery equal to that of the Holy
Trinity ". Now, it does not perplex it appears to confirm the statements of Lijadu and
Epega. Qrunmila fashioned the earth; through his oracle Ifa it is repaired: Qrunmila
and his Ifa words are one.
Again in many stories Elegba is referred to as the messenger of Ifa. This is very

puzzling when we know that Ifa itself is the message (or messenger; the wo
in Yoruba stands for both terms) of Qrunmila. If however we remember that, as Lijadu
has mentioned, the names Ifa and Qrunmila are not always clearly distinguished, we
come to a possible solution of the tangle. We know that Qrunmfla is the head of the
401 orisha and that Ifa is his message (or messenger). We are told that Elegba is the
messenger of Ifa: substitute Qrunmila for Ifa in that statement and the meaning is
clear. Qrunmila, chief of the orisha, has two messages (or messengers) Ifa and Elegba,
the messages of light and revelation, the messages of mischief and darkness, respectively.
It must be emphasised that there is probably no term in English which exactly conveys
the idea behind the conceptions of Ifa and Elegba. We may term them impersonal
forces furthering or obstructing the relations between the orisha and men, channels of
the grace or anger of the god, propitious or mischievious messages-but all may be
equally unsatisfactory.
It should be noted that Dr. Farrow says (1926, p. 85) that " There is no orisha,
properly so called, that is commonly worshipped by all Yoruba pagans. A man, or woman,
may worship one " or several " such deities . . . but all, without exception, believe in,
and pay at least some measure of worship, or reverence, to Eshu ". The phrase which I

have italicised seems to suggest that he does not regard E?u as an orisha. He never st
this explicitly, but he does not include E?u in his chapter on the orisha. He calls
orisha, mistakenly in my opinion, but mentions that there is a close connection between
Ifa and Elegba or E?u.
The following passage from D. Epega also implies that E?u is a " messenger "
Qrunmila and the complement of Ifa. " He works mischief against those who will not
sacrifice to the gods regularly. He makes people go mad and is the father of witchcraft,
he also punishes those who will not gather wisdom and be industrious or virtuous. In

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 J. D. CLARKE-Ifa Divination 237

doing so he is carrying out the orders of Qrunmila. He is Qrunimila's bodyguard and

therefore his statue is placed beside that of Qrunmila." 1

(b)-Ifa mythology and history: These three stories were collected in Ilorin Province;
the first of them was also heard by Ellis (1894, p. 64) :-(i) " Sometime after living at Ado
Qrunmila became -tired of living in the world and so went to live in the firmament with
Qbatala. After his departure mankind being deprived of his assistance was unable
properly to interpret the desire of the gods, most of whom became annoyed in consequence.
Qlokun was most angry and in a fit of rage he destroyed nearly all the inhabitants of the
world in a great flood, only a few being saved by Qbatala who drew them up into the sky
by means of a long chain of iron. After this outburst of anger Qlokun retired to his own
domain. The world was nothing but mud and was quite unfit to live in till Qrunmila
came down from the sky and once more made it habitable ".
"In olden days when all the world was water Qrunmila sacrificed a white cloth,
a red cloth and a black cloth. He put the white cloth over the water and the red one
on top of the white one; and the black on top of all. These made three strata of soil.
He then put down some hens which scratched the earth so that things might grow in it.
He lived there. , When everybody saw the place where he lived they asked him to 'make
all the water into land like his own. Qrunmila agreed to do so. if they would provide
the cloth. When he had made earth for them they searched for somneone who would
be able to bring fire for Qrunmila from Qbatala. The dog said that he would do so;
he put fire .on his nose and -carried it through the water to Qrunmila. Because of this
we sacrificed cloths but never dogs to Qrunmila ".
"One'day Orishala begged Ogun to go and pull down Qrunmila's house; he told
Ogun that he should destroy the house which had not got a white cloth on the roof as
his own house had. Qrunmila however secretly took the white cloth from Orishala's
house and put it on his own roof. So Ogun smashed up the house of Orishala and killed
all the people who were in the house. Then Qrunmila danced and sang. That is why
Qrunmila is above Orishala and is chief of the 401 orishas; it is for this reason that the
priests of Ifa wear white cloths ".
" In the early days of the world, when the human race was few in number, the gods
were stinted in sacrifices and so often went hungry and had to forage for themselves.
Ifa took'to fishing, but had no success, and, being hungry, consulted Eshu . . . v who to
him that if he could obtain sixteen palm-nuts from the two palm-trees of Orungan, the
chief man, he would show Ifa how to forecast the future. Ifa could then use his knowledge
to forecast the future and benefit mankind, and so receive abundance of offerings in return;
I It may be thought that the thesis put forward by Mr. Gorer (1935, p. 202) that there is " For the whole
race the great God; for each tribe the Fetish; for each individual his Legba, or devil, and his Fa,-or destiny ",
expresses my conclusions in a nutshell. The contrary is however the case. His Legba is defined as " a
completely personal devil " while his Fa is not defined at all; his fetish is a " force " while I believe that the
fetishes (minor gods or orishas) are personal, being in many eases the deification of heroes about whom many
tales are told; also in the case of the Yoruba there are more than four hundred orisha and attention has been
so concentrated on them that many Yorubn do not even know the name of the great God.

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 238 J. D. CLARKE-Ifa Divination

but he stipulated that the first choice of all offer

to Orungan to ask for the nuts, telling him for what purpose he required them. Orungan,
delighted at the prospect, took his wife with him and hastened to get the nuts; but,
finding the trees too high, drove the monkeys to them, who ate the pulp of the fruit and
threw down the ' nuts,' .... . Orungan's wife, Orishabi by name, tied these in her
waist-cloth, as a child is carried, and so bore them to Ifa. Elegba (Eshu) then taught
Ifa, who, in turn, taught Orungan, and so made him the first babalawo. Therefore,
. * . . . the babalawo, before beginning the divining process, utters the invocation,
Orungan, a juba o ! Orishabi, a juba o 1, i.e. ' Orungan, we respect thee ! Orishabi, we
regard thee! '" (Farrow, 1926, p. 37.)
(ii) "Ifa was born at Ife, the cradle of the Yoruba people. He was a skilful medical
man . and was an eminently successful diviner. After he had become famous
he founded a town called Ipetu, (20 miles S.E. of Ilesha) and became king of the place
and was styled Alapetu. He was very popular, and was regarded .... .. as a true
prophet. People from every part of the Yoruba country flocked to him ... . . . His
fame was so great that hundreds of persons .... . begged him to admit them as
disciples and apprentices under him. Out of these .... . he chose only sixteen
men .The names of these apprentices are said to be identical with the
names of the sixteen divinatory signs called Odus, and the order of precedence among
them, . . . . . is said to be still preserved in the present order of the Odus ". (Mr. F. S.,
Nigerian Chronicle, 12 March, 1909; quoted by Dennett, 1910, p. 89.)
(iii) Ifa divination was introduced into the Yoruba country by Setilu, a Nupe, who
lived at the court of Odudua, the first of the legendary kings of Yoruba land and grand-
father of Qranyan who built the old capital, Qy9. Setilu was born blind and at first
his parents were doubtful whether they should kill the child, to prevent it becoming a
burden on the family, but decided to spare it. It grew up to be a peculiar child and
with extraordinary powers of divination. As he advanced in age he began to practise
sorcery and medicine. He used sixteen small pebbles and imposed successfully on the
credulity of those who flocked to him with their troubles. From this source he earned
a comfortable living. Finding that these people were fast becoming,Setilu's followers
and that even respectable mallams were being led astray, the Muhammadans drove him
from the country. fte went to Benin and stayed at a place called Qw9, from which he
went on to Ado and later migrated to IfV, where he soon became famous, and impressed
the people so much that he was able to persuade them to abolish the tribal marks on
their faces, such marks not being used among the Nupe. Setilu initiated several of his
followers in the mysteries of Ifa worship. Few adherents were won until the reign of
Onigbogi, the eighth successor to Qranyan. Even then great opposition was experienced
and his attempt to make it thi official cult was said to have cost him his throne. His
son, Ofiran, was more successful, however, and it gradually became the consulting oracle
of all Yoruba people. This account (iii) is based on Johnson, 1921, pp. 32-3, and on a
story related to G. G. Grimwood by Mallam Karanga, Ilorin.

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 J. D. CLARKE-Ifa Divination 239

My informant A. told me that " Ifa originally lived at Oke Eketi, which is midway
between heaven and earth, but later came down and lived at Ile If9 ". I am told that
one of the names by which Ifa is greeted is that of Qba Sakete, a place in Dahomey
near the Nigerian boundary.
(c) Some Ifa Consultations: The first time I saw any divination was in a house
at Iloffa, at 7.30 a.m; one day at the end of 1933. There were present the Qba Im9de,
the Od9fin lm9de (who is also the Oluawo or senior Babalawo), a junior Babalawo
named Amunimuada, who is my chief informant, a medical Babalawo, a schoolboy who
had accompanied me, and myself. We sat on an open verandah facing a courtyard
full of broken pots, livestock and naked babies. The proceedings were opened by the
ceremonial washing of some of the kola nuts which I had provided. Two of these were

placed on the 9pplp, or instrument of divination, which lay in a heap on the groun
us, and the Oluawo then knelt down and with his head close to the ground, prayed in a
low voice to Ifa:
Mo juba awgn afaju nitoriti a wa lsti bere Ifa lw9 mi; nitorina ki Ifa ki o s9 otit9 fu
o ma s8 gbogbo awgn ti o joko ti Ifa.-" I greet the departed because we have come to consu
hand; therefore let Ifa speak truly to us, may he not refuse those who sit before him ".

At the beginning of this prayer all present doffed their hats and bowed their heads
slightly. I was very much impressed by their reverence.
The Qp9l9 is a chain, having eight half-pods of a rare tree called Qp9l9 (Schrebera
qolungensis) inserted at regular intervals and having at each end a tassel or bunch of
odds and ends, such as a few glass beads, a piece of twisted white metal, some lantana
beads, a small coin, etc., and at one end two cowries. The best Qple, are of brass chain,
but leather thongs or even string are also used.
At the end of the little prayer, the kola nuts were remQved, and broken into sections
which were distributed among all present, little pieces of one section being sprinkled
over the Qp,l~. Then the Oluawo motioned to Amunimuada (A.), who picked upthe Qp9l9
in a bunch, and held it in both hands to his mouth, while he muttered a request to Ifa.
Then holding it by the middle, so that the seed-cases hung down, four by four, he moved
it a little to the right, and allowed the tassels to touch the ground; moving it to the
left, he again touched the ground with it. This first right-then-left movement was
repeated three times while he recited in a low voice:
Awa juba Ak9da, awa juba Apa; "We reverence Ak,da, we reverence Aqeda;
Akpda ti kg gbogbo aiye ni Ifa, Ak9da who taught Ifa to the whole world,
Ap* ti kp gbogbo agba ni impran." Aqda who gives advice to the elders."
Then he flung the Qp9l9 down before him, as in my sketch:

>8.O

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240 J. D. CLARKE-Ifa Divination

Now each of the pods can lie either with its outer (convex) or inner (concave) surface
uppermost and thus as the Qp9l9 falls it produces a pattern, as in the sketch on p. 239,
in which (D is a concave and 0 is a convex surface.

He threw the Qp<?l several times. I think that it was a kind of' trial run' to demon-
strate his powers to me-possibly an enquiry as to my fitness for these mysteries. Then,
leaving the Qp9l9 stretched out before him, he produced a couple of objects, a pair of
cowries lashed together (ibo) and a sma'll smooth pebble (okuta). These he handed to
my boy, who shook them together in his hands, and then extended his closed fist. In
short, this was to be a game of Hunt the Cowries. After gazing at the QpvL1 as it lav
stretched before him, the Babalawo selected one hand and obtained the cowries. This
demonstrated that the answer of Ifa was favourable to whatever had been the subject
of his enquiry. This is called igbibo or Obtaining the Ibo; it is one of the minor ways
of consulting Ifa.

All further requests on that occasion were treated on somewhat similar lines. The
Qpvli is raised by the enquirer to his lips and his request is whispered to it. Then the
Babalawo throws it down and, after tapping the Ibo on it, pronounces the reply of the
oracle.

On the next occasion the proceedings again started with a prayer over two kola nuts
which, however, on this occasion were placed on the floor. The Qba lm,de prayed, instead
of the Oluawo, as follows :.

Mo juba awrn 9ba ti o ti kW; ki o mut 1ri*-oye yi pp, ki awpn gmp mi ki o ma fai.san ati ki nkan
Be gbogbo awpn ti nwpn joko lati gbp prp Ifa.-" I reverence the chiefs who have died; may this official
switch live long, may my children flourish, and may no ill happen to those who are sitting here to hear
the words of Ifa ".

As before, the kola were divided between us all. I noticed that the others carefully picked
out the embryos (ij"j) from the nuts and tossed them on to the floor as an offering to
their ancestors in the world below; the Qba placed it for a second on his cow-tail switch
(rir kere. his sacred badge of office), before he threw it away.

ThenA. took a divination tray(cf. P1. XIII) and sprinkled upon it some powder obtained
from a tree called Irosun (Baphia nitida). Then, after throwing sixteen palm-kernels from
the right to the left hand, he had two kernels remaining in his right hand, so with the
second finger of his right hand he pressed one mark in the powder on the right-hand side
of the tray. Then he again threw the nuts from the right to the left hand and, having
one nut remaining, he made a double mark with his first and second fingers on the left-hand
side of the tray. This he repeated eight times in all, always making the marks first on the
right and then on the left of the tray. In this way he obtained a pattern on the tray
which corresponded to the patterns made by the QpVl9-two rows of four t
this case double or single marks instead of concave or convex pods. Having produced
the pattern on the tray, A. began a long prayer-cum-sermon, which began with requests

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 J. D. CI.&RRKE-Ifa Divination 241

to Ifa to watch over me, my children, all present, and others, in a singsong voice and
went on to say:
O difa fun Oke Ibadan, me8i 9yp: nun ni ki o rti b 8i Oke Ibadan ' o gb,, o rzi; o de Ibadan,
o duro nigbati o to akoko kan, o ri nl : lati pjp na ni nwon ti n8p wipe, Okee Ibadan.-He cast Ifa f
Oke Ibadan (the sacred rock of Ibadan), meOi Oyo (meaning ?); they said that he should sacrifice to
Oke Ibadan; he heard, he sacrificed, he waited for a while, he saw something great. From that time
on they have cried, Oke Iba&cn ".
Then they al joined in singing a somewhat pleasing little hymn:
A gbe jd, a gbe y ; ori jp ki nli pmp; agbe jc
"We carry a child dancing, we carry it rejoicing;
We were permitted to have a child; we carry it dancing."
Next they sacrificed a hen, very quickly and, I should say, painlessly, for it did not give
one squawk. Its head was flicked off and the blood and some feathers placed in an
inverted tortoise shell, with some of the powder from the Ifa tray. Then the shell was

taken outside to be placed before the E?u altar at the door of the compound.
It should be noted that it requires eight throws of the palm nuts before one complete
Odu arrangement can be pressed in the dust of the Ifa tray, while one throw of the
QpglV is sufficient to obtain an Odu. Hence the Ifa tray is reserved for very impor
matters, and the fees and sacrifices connected with its use are correspondingly higher.
In this district it is so expensive that a chief may resort to it only once in a year, relying
on the Qp4l4 for all ordinary matters.
Dr. Farrow (1926, p. 42), states that the Ifa tray must be consulted by a Babalawo
every fourth day; but that does not seem to be the case here.
On another occasion, when A. was sitting in front of my house, my steward was
prevailed upon to consult Ifa. Although he is a Muhammadan, he whispered to the
Qp9l9 as if it were an everyday occurrence. The Babalawo threw the Qp9l9 to
whether he would be able to answer or not, and obtained the Odu called Ogbe'sa, which
is an affirmative. He threw again to find out what the fee would be, and obtained Qsa
9w9nrin, which he said required one shilling and a cock. As the applicant was not prepared
to put down the cash, the Babalawo did not go on to discover, first, what the applicant's
enquiry was and, second, the answer.
It would seem from this that four throws constitute a set, but in the folloNing
account more than four were used. A. tells me that "when a throw does not give a clear
answer it may be necessary to throw sever-al times ". What he means precisely by 'a
clear answer ' I do not yet understand. This consultation took place outside the house
of the Head Mallam of Tlorin Middle School. The applicant placed his fingers to his

lips for a moment, and then touched the Qp9l9, which lay in a heap between him
Babalawo. The latter threw the Qp9l9 eight times (as I did not know him, I
interrupt him) muttering to himself between each throw. Then he looked up and said,
" There will be a death in your family ". The enquirer looked rather glum and, on being
asked what his enquiry had been about, he said that he had a shilling on a sweepstake
and wished to know whether he would win anything. Turning to the Mallam, an educated

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942 J. I). CLARKE-Ifa Divination

Muhammadan, I said that the connection between the enquiry and the response of the
oracle was rather remote; but he said: " On the contrary; if we interpret death as a
loss, the connection is close ".
The next seance occurred in Iloffa, the Oluawo ImJde being the officiating Babalawo.
I sat on the verandah of his little courtyard, outside the door of his Yara-Ifa or special
room where the Ifa palin-kernels are kept. Little bundles of medicinal leaves-dangled
from the thatched roof, where there were also little pieces of paper inscribed with Arabic
characters, (for the pagan is catholic in his range of charms), and on the ground near
at hand were some knives daubed with some white substance. I thought at first
they were something connected with the Smallpox Cult, but I was told thlat they were
butchers' knives which were being subjected to some sort of magic tempering. The
"local colour " was certainly conducive to faith.
The Babalawo picked up his, Qp9lp, and, having whispered to it, touched the ground
with the hanging ends, first to the right and then to the left of his outstretched legs,
murmuring an invocation at the same time. Then he threw it three times, obtaining:
Ogbe 'gnda affirmative
Etura 'gunda negative
08e eka affirmative

This was said to' show that the Qp9l9 was ready to talk; if not, he would have chosen
another. I then whispered to the Qp9l9, asking it whether it was a fact that my wife
would sail in September, and replaced it on the ground with a shilling. Throwing the
Qp9l9 the Babalawo .obtained:
98a meji affirmative; signifying " general prosperity"
which caused the Babalawo to say " Good news! " The second throw produced:
Ogbe iwori affirmative; signifying " a stranger is coming"
The third throw produced:
Qbara 9fun affirmative; signifying "something good"
Then the Babalawo said that the thing I had asked about will end well; that there will
be no death; that I should greet a stranger soon; tha-t there is a good thing coming
for me; somebody is coming down from a hill land to meet me, a good stranger. I
asked to be allowed to question the oracle further, and whispered to it: " Is the stranger
nmy wife?" The Babalawo threw the Qp4lV three times obtaining:
Ogbe ogunda affirmative
Ogbe etura affirmative
Ogbe meji affirmative
than which, out of 768 possible throws, there are only 19 sets of three throws which could
be more strongly affirmative. On obtaining the last and most strongly affirmative of
all the Odu, the Babalawo said:
A da fun 9)runmila nigba atijp, npl gba. af 1'pwp Olodumare; 0 rubp. Olodumare si wa f
Nigbati gbogbo aiye gbp pe o ti gba af lpwv Olodumare nwpn si nfwv p to. Oboybo eyiti o w
igba na wa ni a nwipe, A se !-" Ifa was consulted for Qrunmila once upon a time when h
to receive his instructions from the Almighty; Qrunmila made the necessary sacrifice and the Almighty
gave him authority. When all the world heard that he had received authority from the Almighty they
came to him. Everything which he prophesied came to pass. Ever since then we say A se! (Amen,
so be it!) "

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 J. D. CLARKE-Ifa Divination 243

In my case the cost of this assurance was two cocks, twenty pence, and a smoked rat.
The Babalawo however slightly diminished the effect of such strong affirmation by-
announcing, "You have been trying to get something, but your hand has not reached it.
You are on the point of attaining it. A good stranger is coming ". Then he went on to
give me advice about making offerings of kola nuts to my 9bora, the good spirit who
had accompanied me' thither and who is helping me much in lifo.

This good spirit, on enquiry, proved to be the spirit of the Ogboni who is with all
members when they are absent from the Ogboni house; an invisible spirit who helps
and protects the members. This applies to any society, company or grade; the spirit
of any particular society accompanies all its -members wherever they. may happen to be.

Finally, as all the responses of the oracle had been so favourable, I decided to ask
a question which would demand a negative answer, and suggested that it should be
settled with the Ibo (or dice). This was produced, and I whispered to the bound cowries
and then placed them on the ground; then I whispered to the round stone in the contrary
sense, for it is a sort of devil's advocate. Both dice were then touched upon the Qpg
and handed to a small girl, about eight years old, who clutasily shook them up in
little hands, and then held out her closed fists. I am almost certain that the Oluawo
watched her very intently and knew which hand held the cowries (I did !). I therefore
expected that, to flatter, he would choose the hand which held them, as they are the

favourable sign. He threw the Qpglg twice, obtaining:

Ede Etura affirmative
Irvt4 Qsa negative
and chose the left hand, which contained the stone, and thus gave a negative, and there-
fore correct, answer to my question.

The left was chosen because Ede preceded lr9t9; if the reverse had been the case,
the right hand would have been selected. As I was told, " If a child of Ifa (one of the
earlier Odus in the series) precedes an elder Ifa-choose left; if an elder Ifa precedes a
child of Ifa-choose right ".

This seemed to indicate that he was at least playmg the game fairly.

(d) Related Systems of Divination: Mallam Maiyaki of Abuja described to me a system

of divination among the Gwari pagans of the Niger Province in which a string of sixteen
half-nuts of the dinya (Vitex cienkowskii) is used. He did not profess to Inow much
about it, but stated that each arrangement of the sixteen nuts had a nante, and I think
that he implied -that odd throws denote the subject, and even throws the answer.

At Isapa, in this province, near the border of the Pategi-Nupe area, I came across
a system of divination called Egbigba. Instead of the Qpgl, the Babalawo has two strin
each having (only) four strips of wood, flat on one side, convex on the other. Lifting one
string in the centre, so that the laths hang down two by two, he dangles them right-left
three times and then throws them forward, as in Ifa divination. Then he repeats the

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 244 J. D. CLARKE-lfa Divination

process with the second string throwing it down to the left of the first. It is then read

and interpreted like the QpVl9, though the Odu order is quite different-and I. be
wrong, as will be seen later. My informant A. tells me that " anyone who throws to
Ifa must not throw to Egbigba. Ifa is for adults; Egbigba for children ". That is
certainlv not the case; Egbigba is, I believe, a Yagba form.
Incidentally it would seem that divination with the Ifa nuts is open to manipulation
by the Babalawo who, by retaining the necessary sequence of either one or two nuts in
his left hand after each throw, could produce any Odu he wished. On the other hand, it
is unlikely that, by any flick of his wrists, he could control the fall of the eight pods of
the QpVl,.
Dr. C. K. Meek (1931, pp. 326-7) describes a system of divination among the Jukun
of the Bauchi Plateau (Benue Basin), in which two strings called noko, to each of which
are attached four pieces of calabash, are used. The string connecting one piece of calabash
with another passes through a series of sixteen pieces of fish bone. The two strings are
held, one in the' right and one in the left hand, and then cast on the ground in front of
the diviner, who considers first the significance of the right-hand combination. The topic
suggested may be a wonian. He then turns to the second string and, from the disposition
of the pieces of calabash, selects one of a number of possible interpretations which will
give a meaning to the topic suggested by the first string, e.g. that the woman is leaning
her head on her hand and is unhappy. The diviner then takes both strings and throws
them down behind his back; again the right and left strings are examined in turn, and
from among the recognised interpretations those which are applicable to the case of a
woman who is unhappy are used. For example, the right string might say that the
husband (or man concerned) was well, and the left that the occurrence, whatever it was,
had taken place in the evening. It is possible that Yoruba Babalawo interpret the
Qp9l9 in a similar serial manner, but I have seen no evidence of it.
(e) The Odu Systemr: The patterns which are marked on the dust of the Ifa tray
and the patterns which are obtained when the Qp,l, is thrown belong to the same Odu
system and are given the same names. Just as the Odu of Qp,l,, however, are obtained
by a less protracted method than are the Odu of the Ifa tray, so also it will be easier to
explain the Odu system in terms of the Qp9l9.
When the Qp9lI is thrown, its eight half-pods may fall showing either their inner
or outer surfaces; that is, concavelv or convexly. Now the right- and left-hand sides
of the Qp9IV are considered separately. Therefore on each side we have pods each of
which can fall in two positions; that is, there are four alternatives (A, A1; B, B1;
C, C'; D, D1) to be arranged in sets of four, which gives sixteen possible combinations.
These combinations are arranged in what is supposed to be a definite order. This,
however, varies slightly in different places. In Appendix A, I have given my reasons for
believing that the following, in which (D represents the concave and 0 the convex side
of the pod, is the logically (or aesthetically) correct sequence

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 J. D. CLARKE-Ifa Divination 245

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
(D 0 0 (D (D) 0 (D 0
6) 0 6) 0 0 0 (D 0
(D 0 6) 0 0 0 0 (
(D 0 0 (D 0 6)0(1
Qgbe Qy9ku Iwori Edi Qbara Qkanran Irosun Qw9nrin

9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
6) ~0 66)0 0 6)0
6) 6) 6) 0 (D 0 0 6)
(D (D 0 6)0 (D (D 0
o (D 6 0 0 0 (D

Qgunda Osa Iritv Etura Ika Etura pgn OIr Ofun

When it is remembered that each Qp9l9 has a right- an

be seen that the possible arrangements or Odu are 16 x 1
Strictly an arrangement is only an Odu when -both ri
are identical. That is, there are 16 Odu : the rest are Qin9-Odu, or Children of Odu.
Thus 0 0 (D 0
( (D 0
o o a) 0
o o a) 0
9ypku'i m
It will be n
always the
In divinatio
have the sam
system corresponding to a single mark on the tray, and a convex pod to a double mark.

o
o 0
0 (1
0 0
a)

Ogbe 9yiku O Ofun

(i) The Odu of Obi (Kola nut) Divinat
A kola is split into its four segme
which fall with the rounded outer s
those which fall with the segmenta
are not strung together, place-value c
arrangements, instead of sixteen as in
1. All having the segmental angle uppermost; Ogbe =general luck
2. All having the rounded side uppermost Oyfuu Opposition
3. Three rounded surfaces andione angle Qanran health, triumph
4. Two rounded surfaces and two angles tnyan (Qwgnrin) wealth
5. One rounded surface and three angles Inta-iewa (Ogunda)
Are gathered together in a heap denotes intensification of the sign, whatever it is.
H

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246 J. D. CLARKE-Ifa Divinzation

I was told that in Obi divination Qnyan signifies affirmation or approval and that
the Obi are thrown repeatedly until it is obtained (which seems rather like cheating ?).

Among hunters gy,fku is the most propitious and assures them of a kill.
(ii) The Interpretation of the Odu
I had imagined that there would be a definite association between subjects, such
as fertility and faithfulness (marital), success in 'trade or litigation, etc., and particular
Odu. My informant A. definitely states that there is, but if so it is peculiar to each
Babalawo. As will be seen in the comparative subject-Odu lists (in Appendix C) the
subjects are not unambiguously defined, nor are they always mutually exclusive.
On the other hand there is one definite point in the interpretation. It. can be said

that Ogbe 9yfku, Ogbe psa, Iwori pbara, and even Of ofun are favourable or affit
for, in every case, by referring to the list on page 254, it can be seen that the primary or
first part of the name (e.g. Ogbe) appears before the secondary element (e.g. Qyfku).
The converse is also true; a primary name associated with a secondary name which
precedes it on the list is unfavourable or negative. We have also seen in section (c)
that if a " Child of Ifa " precedes an Elder Ifa (i.e. if an earlier precedes one. la
series), the left hand is chosen to find the Ibo or dice; and vice versa.
It will be seen in Appendix A that the order of the Odu differs slightly in different
places. As the interpretation is based in part on the place-value of the Odu, it follows
that an enquiry might receive a favourable answer in one district and an unfavourable
one in the next.
(iii) The Meaning of the Odu names
What was the significance of the Odu names in the distant past, in Yoruba or some
other language, it is impossible to say. Nowadays the names have a Yoruba ring, and
there is a slight attempt to connect some of them with traditional stories. On the other
hand Ellis gives a set of Odu names, analogous to the names of the constellations, each
based on a fancied resemblance to some object. For instance the Odu which is commonly
named Irosun appears in his list as LoBo, " The Squatting One " thus-

His names correspond only slightly with other lists (see Appendix A), and are chiefly
of interest as examples of a tendency which certainly exists also in the district from which
ny data come. Ellis calls this Odu " The Street ", while my informant A. calls it Edi (Idi)
"The Waist ". A list of the alleged meanings of all the Odu appears in Appendix D.

(iv) The Stories and Greetings of the Odu

According to Dr. Farrow, each Odu has 105 traditional stories connected with it.
That figure must not suggest an Ifa canon. No one man knows the whole tradition. I am
told that Babalawo " swop stories ", over their palm wine to demonstrate good fellowship.

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 J. D. CLARKE-Ifa Divination 247

All Babalawo commit a large number of the stories and greetings associated with
the Odu to memory. Then when a particular Odu is obtained they select, from among
those connected with that particular Odu, a story and greeting appropriate to the matter
about which they are being consulted. Sometimes the recitation of these stories in a
sing-song voice seems to send them into a brief trance, during which their eyes become
fixed and the voice loses its natural lively expression. These phases do not last more
than a fraction of a minute, and may be due to the mental effort involved, or possibly
they are simulated to create the impression of being in touch with unseen powers.
Buried in these stories and greetings there is undoubtedly a vast amount of Yoruba
philosophy, mythology and history. Most of it is probably beyond recovery, for the
old Babalawo themselves do not know the meaning of some of the couplets which they
recite, which are also quite unintelligible to the younger generation. Often they are
little more than a mass of disconnected fragments of old stories, full of allusions and
'deep' proverbs which it is now very difficult to interpret.
The following are some examples of archaic and almost meaningless Yoruba:
To Eka meji

Akeke foke9oke awo Ou9oke difa ko Olu9oke

Axe ? mystery of O1u?oke cast Ifa for Olu?oke
Akeke fogiBa, Vnu awo ko iba ni iti
Axe cuts deeply into the tree, the mouth of one versed in mysteries does not make a mistake
Lite ofu pmp ni siringindin
Aile ofu pmp ni siringindin
A child is siringindin when the moon is out
A child is siringindin when the moon is in
The next are examples of a fragmenitary story, and of a glimpse into prellistory
respectively:
To Eji Ogbe

0 da Ifa fun Kukundunkun ni pjp ti o 19 si oko Aloro-pdun.

Nigbana ni o kprin pe " Ogbo di yf o, pmp ypyp lphin mi ".
He cast Ifa for the Sweet Potato on the day he Went to the farm of Aloro-9dun.
Then he saxig, "An old hen has plenty of chickens; there are many children behind me
To Ogbe-sa
The Olokun who was king of the sea brought two hundred and one crowns to the Qni of Ife, who was
the paramount chief of all the world at that time, so that-he might give them to his friends. The
Qni was their chief and the Olokun became the suzerain of the Qni. Therefore the Qni of Ife sac
a goat, a rat, a hen and a fish to Olokun every year. Olokun is the sea orisha.

From among a great mass of such things, translated from Lijadu and Epega aiid
collected locally, I have extracted the following series of what may be called " The
Moral Discourses of Qrunmila"
To Og?tnda
A lie kills a liar; treachery destroys a treacherous man:
Only the eye of Olodumare can see that which is under the ground.
This Odu was cast for a thief who went to steal in the night and who said that the king of the earth
could not see him.
If the king of the earth does not see you, do you not know that the eyes of the King of Heaven are
upon you'?

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248 J. D. CLARKE-Ifa Divination

To 98a Irftf
This Odu was cast for a stranger who, on his journey, rested in a forest; when he had packed his load,
he looked up and down the path but could not see anyone; he said: "This load is God's load
therefore, 0 gentle wind, help me to lift it on to mny head ".
Do we not all know that an orphan must look to God ?

To Eji-ogbe

The might of all rivers in the world is not to be compared with that of the sea; the dignity of rivers
which rise on a hill is not as that of the lagoon.
There is no Ifa that can be compared with Eji-ogbe;
To command is -the privilege of a commander;
Eji-ogbe, you are the king of them all.
I asked for honours from the Lagoon, for he is greater than the River. I received them, but 1 was not
satisfied. I asked them at the hands of Qlokun Jeniade, the god of the sea and father of all rivers,
but still I was not satisfied.
Who does not know that only the gifts of Ql9run, the God of Heaven, are sufficient till the d
death ?

To Qleanran-irftf
The corn in the farm bows before the wind, and a light breeze after rain causes the leaves of the little
trees to droop.
If a boy salutes his father, everything he does will prosper, his behaviour will be quiet and well-ordered;
if a wife honours her husband, she will rejoice.

To Qkanran-turappn
Learning Ifa leads to the knowledge of Ifa.
A way we have never walked before may lead us to wander aimlessly; however missing a path helps
us to know the way.

To Iro8un-Opf
Only the oriqa, only Olodumare (The Supreme Being) can see that which has entered our body
cannot know what is happening under the ground; only when it rains and we see His Messenger
(the Rainbow ?) can we know what is happening before the face of Olodumare.

To Qkanran-8a
Hoes do not till the soil unless there are men behind them; unaided an axe attempts nothing; matchets
do not cut down the bush unless there is a strong arm in the background.
We men carry the yams home, but the mortar will not pound them.
Who then urges us on our course, we men ? Surely, AjalQrun.

To Qbara-kanran
The whole world searches for good things for itself; if mine be good, may yours be good.
It is only another wishes you harm, not yourself.

To Irf t-di
We do not help a man unless his load is too heavy for him.
All trouble has been imposed on women; it would be a bad day if men were to bind themselves with
a child's carrying cloth.
Men do not carry children on their backs, nor do they have to soothe them. Theirs is a light and
untroubled body.
If we employed a carrier to carry a load, and he carried it as far as our door, would we not help him to
put it down?
If we were thoughtless, he would be carrying it to and fro.

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 J. D. CLARKFE-Ifa Diviiwtion 249

To Ika-di
This Odu was cast for disobedient boys who say that no one can catch them.
Why! Do you not know that a boy who beats a learned Babalawo will not live long; that the days
of a boy who whips an aged medicine man are numbered; that it is shameful to strike an old
mallam while he is praying ?
Sudden is the death of a maggot, suddenly!

lTo Edi-kanran

A severe illness attacked QlQfin. It was decided that if we did not want QlQfin to die, we must sacrifice
his oldest slave to Iroko-Olojudo. When we returned home we told OlQfin that he would have to
sacrifice his first-born son. OlQfin agreed, saying that he would not die out of consideration for
one who was only a child.

To Etura
God forgot to split the feet of a duck, and a crane uses its leg as a tail; but no one can recognise the
footprints of a cruel man.

To Ogunda
If we want to tell a lie, our eyes will be insistent and shifty;
If we want to tell the truth, our body will be quiet and at peace.
A lie cannot be told face to face.

Ogbe tu
Does a Muhammadan tell a lie, does a Muhammadan break his word ?
The mother of a Muhammadan died and it is said that they do not weep; a father of a Muhammadan
dies and it is said that they do not fast.
They believe that the fire of God will be poured out on the corpse if they should weep for it; they
believe that if they fast for a dead man his spirit will be restless in heaven.
In the long run the lies of the Muhammadans come to an end.
They say that they may not eat, that they are fasting; we asked why. They answered that they were
fasting for God!
So the Muhammadans are fasting, 0 ! Nobody ever heard that God had died, 0!
The Muhammadans are fasting; God is not dead.
Edumare is not ill; nobody ever heard that God had died, 0!
The Muhammadans are fasting!
Which Babalawo is it that they say is not kindly ? He who plucks the Ifa leaves is much more than
an old doctor.
The Muhammadans say that they do not sacrifice to ward off evil, but at the end of the annual fast they
bring rams to God.

(f) The Profession and Powers of the Babclawo: The Babalawo (Baba-li-awo,
the father or old man, has, the mystery) or priests of Ifa, are at least as interesting as
the oracle itself.
They learn their craft by apprenticeship to an established Babalawo, sitting at his
feet every market day as he deals with the various people who come to enquire about
their affairs. It is said that about three years are spent in learning the Odu names, and
that at least another seven years are required before the novice has memorised a sufficient
number of the stories and greetings of the Odu to be able to set up in practice on his
own. Both Farrow and Ellis assert that the fees for the initiation of a Babalawo are
very heavy, and the former mentions the sum of ?150. My informant however states
that in his district there is no such large payment. According to him, a young man

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 250 J. D. CLARKE-Ifa Divination

who wishes to enter the profession approaches a Babalawo on the matter and if he is
accepted he makes presents to his tutor (Baba-awo) and works on his farm periodically.
Later when he has qualified as a Babalawo he carries all his earnings (the sacrifices to
Ifa) to his Baba-awo who retains a part of them. In this way the cost of becoming a
Babalawo may well be high but it is not prohibitive. Meek states that this is also the
case among the Jukun.
There is said to be an initiation ceremony called Pinodu in which the candidate
has to pick the palm kernels out of a pot of flaming oil without sustaining any harm,
but it seems to be unknown in the district from which my data came.
The Babalawo in any one quarter of a town or village are associated together under
the principal Babalawo, who is called the Oluawo or Olori-awo (the head of the mystePy).
The hierarchy in these societies is as follows:
In Yoruba proper In EkJfiti
(1) Oluawo Oluawo
(2) Ak9da Ibikeji
(3) A?da Ibik9ta
(4) Araba Adak9
(5) Ordinary Babalawo Ordinary Babalawo
It is worthy of note that both the priests of Ifa, the diviners, and the priests of
Qs4nyin, the one-legged god of medicine, should be called Babalawo, although their
functions are quite distinct. When there is risk of confusion, the latter is called Babalawo-
oiiegun or Qsanyin. These are the native doctors and are not diviners. I enquired
the reason for the identity of name. The answer was " Because both make medicine,
but of different kinds. The Babalawo-Ifa makes a medicine for his clients after they
have sacrificed whatever is prescribed in order that their sacrifice may be acceptable.
The Babalawo-Qsanyin on the other hand makes medicine to cure illness and heal the
body. The Babalawo-Ifa and the Babalawo-Qsanyin.do not know each other's medicines".
It would appear however that originally the two offices were performed by one and
the same person, but that as time went on the store of medical knowledge and traditional
mysteries increased and it became impossible for one man to remember all; hence the two
aspects of the profession became divided into specialised branches. My reason for believing
this is that I am informed that every Babalawo-Ifa has an Qsanyin symbol in his
compound and that every Babalawo-Qsanyin has an Qp9l9; but "just as the Babalaw
Qsanyin has forgotten the Odu Ifa, so also the Babalawo-Ifa does not look after his
Qsanyin symbol as carefully as the medical man does ".
Some of these Babalawo are undoubtedly men whose intelligence appears to be
distinctly sharper than that of most of their fellows, and they take a keen delight in the
recitation of their proverbs and deep sayings. Their influence is very great, for it is they
who, three days after a birth, name the orisha which the child will worship, and it is they
who are consulted in all the major affairs of life.

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 J. D. CLARKE-Ifa Divination 251

Their attitude to the future is that it can be foretold, but that man is not in the
grip of an inexorable destiny. Warned by the Ifa message of what is before him he can
influence events either negatively by refraining from a particular course of action (by
staying at home instead of setting out on a journey) or positively by making the necessary
sacrifice to avert an impending danger.
What then are we to believe about them ?
Are they just the cleverest members of the comtnunity, battening on the ignorance
and credulity of their fellows ? Are they conscious cheats, and is their system of divination
with all its mass of tradition a deliberate fraud? It is difficult to say but it seems
incredible not only that such a widespread system should exist on such foundationrs, but
that it should inspire the universal respect which it does. For however much the
Christian and the Muhammadan may despise other aspects of the pagan cults, both
have a deep respect for the ability of the Babalawp.
If they are honest men, sincerely believing that they are the instruments of the
Power which knows the future, what are we to say of their system of divination ? If
they are honest, we must exclude the hypothesis that, through their associates,.they
inquire into the affairs of their clients and thus know the.probable subject of an
enquiry and are enabled to prescribe the measures which should be taken. Perhaps, either
bymeans of telepathy or, as has been suggested, by means of some hyperaesthesia,
the Babalawo may know consciously or unconsciously what the enquirer has whispered
to the Qp9l9.
Then, of the deep sayings appropriate to whatever Odu turns up, he. seems to be led
to choose the most suitable to the case in hand. I am inclined to favour telepathy,
for it is presumably thoughts, as distinct from the words in which thoughts are clothed,
which are transmitted; however sensitive the hearing of the Babalawo might be,
the whispered words of a non-Yoruba would be unintelligible. Among the Jukun
(according to Dennett) initiates " have their eyes treated with a lotion of certain leaves
in order to confer on them the necessary second sight. Diviners also eat red peppers
immediately before practising their craft as red peppers are believed to clarify the
spiritual vision ".

Summary and Conclusion

I have suggested that Ifa and Elegba represent the elements of revelation and of
evil, respectively, in the Yoruba religion.
From the few accounts of Yoruba divination given it is evident that consultations
are not strictly formal and that even the interpretation of the Odu is' liable to vary
from one Babalawo and another. At the same time it appears that the Babalawo
are sincere, and possibly know by telepathy or hyperaethesia the object of an enquirer's
visit, consciously or unconsciously adapting the interpretation of the Odu that turns
up to the case in hand.

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 252 J. D. CLARKE -Ifa Divination

The Odu system has been described at some length. It is possible that it may throw
some light on the relationship of the Yoruba to other African peoples. As we have seen,
there is a clear connection between the Yoruba and Jukun systems; it would be interesting
to know whether there are similar systems among other tribes which are believed to have
been associated with the Yoruba immigration: e.g., among the Nupe, Borgawa, and
even among the Ashantis.
References
Dennett, R. E. .. 1910 Nigerian Stuidies, or the Religiouis and Political System of the Yorvba. London:
Macmillan.
1921
Ellis, A. B. . .. 1894 The Yoruba-speaking Peoples of the Slave Coast of IVest Africa. London:
Chapman and Hall.
Epega, D. .. .. - Ifa, the Guide of our Fathers.
- The Mystery of the Yoruba Gods.
Farrow, Stephen S. .. 1926 Faith, Fancies and Fetich, or Yoruba Paganism. London : Society for
Promoting Christian Knowledge.
Frobenius, L. .. 1913 The Voice of Africa. London: Hutchinson. 2 vols.
Gorer, Geoffrey .. 1935 Aftica Dances: A Book about West African Negroes. London: Faber and
Faber.
Grandin, L6once .. 1895 A l'Assatut du Pays des Noirs: Le Dahomey. Pais: Haton. 2 vols.
Johnson, Samuel . 1921 The History of the Yorubas: From the Earliest Times to the Beginning of
the British Protectorate (edited by 0. Johnson). London: Routledge.
Lijadu, E. Moses .. 1901 Ifa : implp r' ti i4e ipilp isin ni ilp Yoruba. London: Religious Tract
Society.
Meek, C. K. .. .. 1931 A Sudanese Kingdom : An Ethnographical Study of the Jukun-speaking
Peoples of Nigeria. London : Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner.
Sadler, Sir Michael .. 1935 The Arts of West Africa. (excluding Musit.) Oxford University Press (for
Int. Inst. African Languages and Cultures.)

ISAPA DAHOMEY OMU ILOFFA CORRECTED

ELwIs (Ilorin) 1 2 DENNETT (Ilorin Province) LiST

(1) Buru QyVku Eyogbe Gbe Ogbe Ogbe Ogbe Ogbe

(2) Yekuro Osika Qy9tin YVku QyVku OyVku Qyeku QyVku

(3) Di Qkanran Woli Iwori Iwori Iwori Iwori

(4) Ode Qga - Edi Odi Edi Edi Edi

(5) Orun Irosun Strosin Loso Irosun Qbara Qbara Qbara

(6) Lo?o Qbara Okoni Wel , Qwonrin Qkanran Qkanran Qkanran
(7) Sa Ogunta Qbara Qbara Qbara Irosun Irosun Irosun
(8) Kuda Qsa Qkouro Qkala Okouron Qw,nrin Qw,nrin Qw,nrin

(9) Akala Ogi Ogude Gudla. Ogunda Ogunda Ogunda Ogunda

(10) Abila Otaxu Osu Sa Qsa Qsa Qsa Qsa

(11) Ture Turu Iku Ka Ika Irvtp Irvtp Ir9t9

(12) Leti Okin Turapo OturapQn Etura Etura Etura

(13) Ka Ogori Otura Tuba Otura Eturap,n EturapQnl Eka?

(14) Durapin Ir9t- L9t9 Irvt9 Eka Ow, Eturap,n
(15) Fo Oyinkan O?V O?? Ow Ow Ofunt Ow
(16) Si Ofun Ofon Fu Ofun Ofun Eka? Of-unt

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 J. D. CTLARE-Ifa Divination 253

APPENDIX A.-THE ORDER OF THE ODU

On p. 252 I have tabulated the lists of the Odu as given by Ellis and Dennett (1921,
p. 149), together with two lists from Dahomey, three local lists collected by myself,
and a list which I have reconstructed to represent what is, I believe, the original and
correct order. I am indebted to Monsieur B. Maupoil, Eleve-Administrateur, Dahomey,
for the lists ' Dahomey 1 and 2'; the latter is extracted from Grandin (1895, p. 173).
The last list is based on the collected lists, the position of each Odu being decided by its
place in the majority of the lists, and by the demands of a logical or aesthetically satis-
factory order.

If r is substituted for 1 in the names of the list ' Dahomey 2 ' it corresponds with
that of Dennett. I consider however that the Omu-Iloffa lists are more correct than
those obtained near the coast, such as Dennett's list. This will be clear if the diagrammatic
list of Odu figures (in corrected order) on page 245 is examined. It will be seen that the
figures can be grouped in an ordered set of pairs which could be named as follows

Descriptive names of the Odufigures (in correoted order)

(1) All concave (9) Top three concave

(2) None concave (10) Bottom three concave
(3) Middle two concave (11) Top two, bottom one concave
(4) Outer two concave (12) Top one, bottom two concave
(5) Top one concave (13) Upper middle concave
(6) Bottom one concave (14) Lower middle concave
(7) Top two concave (15) Top and lower middle concave
(8) Bottom two concave (16) Upper middle and bottom concave

Note-In every pair, concave (and, generally, an upper concave) precedes a convex.
Now, comparing the Omu-Iloffa lists with that of Dennett, we can see that places
nos. 1-4 coincide, but that the lists part company at no. 5. Referring to the list of
descriptive names of the Odu figure, immediately above, it is obvious that nos. 5, 7, 9
(top one, top two, top three, concave) is a proper sequence. The Omu-Iloffa lists
recognise this sequence, whereas Dennett's list upsets it X by placing 7 before 5. Therefore
the Omu-Iloffa lists have been accepted as correct as regards the placing of nos. 5-8.

In the case of nos. 11 'and 12 (Irvtq and Etura, in the corrected list) I have a
followed Omu-Iloffa because they were right in the case above, and also because Dennett's
order (Otura before Irqt9) is certainly wrong (see note above). Furthermore it will be se
that if Dennett's 13 and 14 are transposed X to their correct position at 11 and 12, his last
four figures will correspond with the corrected list,

The Iloffa list goes astray as to the last four names, as shown by the symbols
appended to them in the corrected list.

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 APPENDIX B.-THE ODU AND QMQ-ODU (CHILDREN OF THE ODU)

6)6)D 06f) 0a)6a) 6)6) 6) 0 6) (1)6) 0 6) (D)6 06 (DQ 6)6 06

6) 6) 0 a) (1)6) 0 6) 0 ( 06 6)6) 06 ) 6)6C) 6) 6) 06 6)6( ),
6)6)D 0 6) 6) 6) 0 6) 06 06 06 CD6 6)) 6) 0 6) a)6) 0 6) 6
a)(16) 06 0D 6)6) 0 ) 6)6 06 6) 6) 0 6) $D6) 6) 6) (1) 6) 0 6)
Eji Ogbe Ogbe Ogbe Ogbe Ogbe Ogbe Ogbe Ogbe Ogbe Ogbe Ogbe Ogbe
Ogbe. Qyaku lwori edi Qbara Qkanran Irosun Qwonrin
6) 0 0 0 0(} 0 6) 0 6) 0 0 0 6) 0 0 0 6) 0 0 0 6) 0 6) 0 0
q) 0 0 0 6) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 $ 0 0 0 6) 0 6) 0 (D 0 0 0 6)0
(I 0 0 0 6) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6) 0 6) 0 6) 0 0 0 6) 0 QO
6)0 00 00 6)0 0 6)0 0 6) 0 0 0 6)0 6)0 6) o : 0 0
yiyku Oygku 0ygu Oygka Oygku Oygku Oygku Oygku Oygku Oygku Oygku Oygku Oygk
Ogbe . yji Irowi edi Qbara Qkanran Irosun Qwonrin Ogunda Qsa Ir9tV et
6)0 0 0 0 0 6)0 6)0 0 0 (D0 0 0 M(b.O 0 06)0 6)0 0 0
6)6 Q6 6)6)0 06) 00 0 I 6 0) (1)' 06) (D6 6)6)6)6) 00 0 06
6)6) 0 00 00 0 06) 66 0) 0) 6 6 6)6 6)6 6)6) 06) (1)6) 0
0 00 0 0 0 0 00 06)0 0 06) 0 00 ) 6)O06) 0 0
Iwoi lwori lwori lwori lwori lwori lwori Iwori Iwori Iwori Iwori Iwori Iwor
Ogbe Qy|ku meji edi Qbara Qkanran Irosun Qwonrin Ogunda Qsa IrVt I etura ,ka
6)6) 06) 06 6)6 6)6) 06 6)6) 00 06) 66 06) 6)( 6)6) 06
6) 00 0 06)0 0 00 0 00 0 06) 0 0 06) 6)0 6)0 0 0 (D
)0 00 6 ) O 0 00 00 00 0 0 )0 06 0 6 )0 0 060
6 ) 6) 06 0 6) 9 6 (D 6O 0 6)6) 06) (1)6 O ()6D 6)6) 06
Edi Edi Edi Edi Edi Edi Edi Edi Edi Edi Edi Edi Edi
Ogbe Qy,ku lwori meji Qbara Qkanran Irosun Qwonrin Ogunda Qsa |r9te etura J
-- I 1 _ --I I. - - _I

6)0 0 0
6)0 0 0
0 0 ~~~~~~0 0 6) represents the concave or internal side of th
Qbara Qbara
Ogbe meji 0 is the convex or external side of the half

$ 0 0 0 The Odu, to distinguish them from the Qm

6)0 0 0 underlined.
6)0 0 0
60 6 O O
Qkanran Qkanran Note the relation between names on top an
Ogbe meji lines, reading from left to right and from
etc. _ etc. -wards.

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 APPENDIX C.-THE INTERPRETATION OF THE ODU: SOME SUBJECT-ODU LIST

Fee * ILOFFA (3.12.33) AWTUN (24.12.34) ILORIW (3.35) OMu

Ogbe meji Salt, 2 fish, 2s. A stranger is coming An important stran- Health and long life General prosperi
ger is coming, avoid Good stranger
quarrelling _ l l_
OyVku 1 hen, ls. 6d. Enquirer will not die Many people will be Good journey; Many wives
in his compound promise of doubled
possessions

Iwori- 2 hens, 2s. Many children Many children Remain at home Children Luck
Edi meji 2 cocks, 2s. A stranger is coming Prosperity at home; Remain at home Clothes,
who will do good avoid travel possessions
Obara 2 hens, 2s. Something good will You will become chief Trust Ifa WNTell-filled
happen; themeeting at the meeting compound
will be favourable
Okanran 1 cock, Is. 6d. Trading success, no Protection on jour- Trouble, but Ifa will A great honour
accident ney; no death protect
Irosun 2 doves, 2s. Much money No poverty Much money Whatever you ask
Gwonrin 2 doves, Very much money Promise of old age Ill is being spoken Your enemy will b
2 hens, 2s. - about you power
Ogunda Doubled prosperity Sudden trouble ; take You will not fail
(two wives, etc.) care receive recognit
for your
Osa meji 2 young rats, General prosperity All requests will be Take care that your |tou are in tr
ls. Id. granted work does not fail

Ir9tV 2 young rats, Money and children Much money Somebody is making You will get w
2 hens, ls. trouble you are working fo
Etura 2 cocks, Is. 6d. General prosperity Success in court No quarrel will come Peace
Eka meji No ill health Your wish will be What you are pro- You
fulfilled posing will prosper _
Eturapon 2peppers,2kola, Accept advice You will have wis- You are: behav
2 hens, 2s. dom foolishly
O?e *[The fee is Go abroad and Good luck ; good wife There is a oonspira
nominaUy prosper against you
Ofun a sacrifice Share honours with Speak good words You expect some b
to Ifa.] your friend thing

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 256 J. D. CLARKE-Ifa Divination

APPENDIX D.-THE MEANING OF THE ODU NAMES'

Ogbe meji

9ypku meji The pair which are removed from death (yekure, to repair away from)
Iuwori meji The pair which looks for and sees (wo, to look at; ri, to see)

Edi or Idi meji The waist; or The closed or tied pair (di, to tie)

pbara meji The pair which wished to do something, but were prevented (a ti bas ara wpn ka, we
hindered them)

9lcanran meji The pair who were concerned in a matter (pran kan wpn, the matter touched them)

Iro8un meji The pair which worked so hard to get money that they could not sleep. The squatting
pair

pwpnrin neji The pair which laughed, although both money and water were scarce (9wpn, scarcity;
prin, laughter)

Ogunda meji Ogun, the god of iron, divided a fih and a rat between two boys who were quarrelling
about them (o da wrn, he divided them)
98a meji The ffight to two places, or The aiming pair (Ellis)

Ir tf meji The pair which press their foot on the sacrifice

Etura meji The scattering pair; Olodumare drove out the 33 Muhammadans (o tu ara wpn ka)
after he had made them fast for 30 days. The Tattoo pair (Ellis)

Eka meji The folded pair (Ellis), or The two sides of the body (llka-iha, side)

Eturappn meji ?

Of meji The pair which

Ofun meji The twins whom we give to all the world. (Note.-Anyone who gives birth to twins
in the market takes them to the Babalawo, who calls them Ofun meji)

I very much doubt whether any of these " meanings " have more than local significance.

Description of Plate XIII

Plate XIII. An elaborate Ifa tray (Qpon Ifa) on which the Ifa signs used in divination are traced in powdered
wood. Such trays are more usually rectangular and unmounted. This example of Africall
carving is in the possession of Mr. J. D. Clarke, The Education Department, Nigeria ; it was
carved for him by Bamgboye, one of the best of the surviving Ekiti Yoruba carvers.
Other examples of such trays are described and figured in (1) Frobenius, L., Thte Voice of
Africa, Vol. 1, p. 248 (general description); p. 249 (drawings of circular, semi-circular, square and
rectangular trays); p. 251-4 (ritual use); p. 255 (drawing, circular tray); Vol. II, ' Mesi Art,
Plate I ', facing p. 624 (circular); ' Mesi Art, Plate II ', facing p. 634 (rectangular). (2) in The
Arts of West Africa, edited by Sir Michael Sadler.

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J.R.A.I., Vol. LXIX, Part II, 1939 Plate XIII
Clarlke, Irfa Divination

... .$W .1 ....... ....

-.. . . .. . ...
~~~~~~~~~~~.....

... ... FA DIVINATIO TA O WOOD

... . ....
. 1 ... ..

..... n th o of .r J D C
_ ...........
.~~~~~~~~~ * '* *r 1t li
i..... ......................... .. .. ................

IFA DIVINATION TRAY OF WOOD

.,n the possessionw of Mr. J. D. Clarke

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