Odu Ifá

At a glance

History, context & interpretation

The text and its story

Ifá divination uses palm nuts or a divining chain to select one of 256 odu, each with many verses of stories and advice. It spread to Cuba, Brazil and the Americas with the African diaspora.

Traditional attribution

Wisdom revealed by Orunmila, the orisha of divination.

Historical scholarship

A vast oral literature memorised and recited by trained priests (babalawo).

Context and curiosity

UNESCO recognised the Ifá divination system as Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2005 (inscribed 2008).

Chronology and transmission

This text belongs to Africa (Yoruba (West Africa)). The catalogue gives its approximate dating as oral tradition, age unknown and original language or script as Yoruba. The dated manuscript witnesses and traditional claims may not refer to the same historical event.

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Sources and further reading

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/If%C3%A1

Historical descriptions are educational summaries. Religious traditions, scholarly interpretations and unverified claims are distinguished where possible; imagery may be illustrative rather than an artifact photograph.