In this article we talk about what is Odu Ifa and the meaning of the information contained within each Odu. We explain the structure of Odu and the names and symbols used to describe the Odu. We also go into what is ese Ifa, the verses contained within the Odu as well as provide an example of an ese (verse) from one of the Odu.
It represent structure. 4 squared is 16 which represents the first 16 major odus. 16 squared is 256 which represents the full Odu Ifa corpus, the 256 Odu Ifa. This is where it gets more interesting. In the realm of sound frequency and vibration, 256 represents the middle note C which vibrates on the 256 Hz frequency. 256 hz is the basis of. Aug 25, 2010 These 256 combinations are called the odus of Ifa divination. These are the possibilities that can be drawn on the Ifa tray by the diviner by either manipulating the palm nuts or casting the divining chain. The Ifa diviner or priest is called a babalawo, father of ancient wisdom. The babalawo has memorized verses for each of the 256 odus. Dec 20, 2015 (Odu, which are the foundation of the binary data, can only be marked with either one or two palm nuts, remaining in the diviner’s original hand. As this process goes on, the diviner marks single or double marks in wood powder spread on his divination tray until he or she has created one of the 256 odus that are available.
The 256 Odu Ifa, volume 1, Oju Odu, Apola and Paponda Ogbe, translated Yoruba to english, spanish and portuguese.
What is Odu Ifá?
Ifá is an ancient religion and a complexsystem of divination conceptualized many centuries ago by the Yoruba people ofWest Africa. Ifá Yoruba religion is based on oral literature scriptures knownas OduIfá or the Ifa corpus.
It is a collection of Ifá spiritualtraditions, timeless wisdom, cultural and historical information. Thisinformation has been gathered for centuries through divination, communicationwith the universe, real life situations and experiences. It is this well ofinfinite and timeless wisdom from which a Babalawo continues to learn in hislife long journey of Ifa practice.
256 odu contain the secrets of Ifa
Odu Ifá is the blueprint of life used toguide humanity towards the manifestation of their destiny in a positive way. Itprovides guidance on how to proceed through uncertain times. Through properinterpretation of Odu Ifá, questions with unknown outcomes can be answered.
The Yoruba people have preserved the oral scriptures of Odu Ifá throughout time. This information has been passed down orally from generation to generation. Although, you can find literary works and websites like this one containing an abundance of information about Ifá.
You can learn more about other topics related to Ifáhere
The literary corpus or oral scripturesof Odu Ifá and the Ifá divination system were made part of the Masterpieces ofthe oral and intangible heritage of humanity in 2005. This collection oftimeless wisdom was classified as such in an effort to preserve and protect it.
16 Odu Ifá Meaning
According to oral tradition, the 16 odu ifa were 16 heavenly prophets that came down to Earth and revealed themselves to Orunmila, the prophet of Ifa religion. Orunmila is also known as the deity of wisdom that was present during the creation and allocation of destiny for all human beings.
Another oral tradition tells the story of Orula having 16 children with Odu or Oduduwa. These children being considered the representation of the 16 major odu. In either case, the 16 principle odu represent the first 16 major odu ifa signs that creates the foundation for Ifa religion. This is where the remaining 240 minor odu ifa signs also come from.
16 Principle Odu Ifa – The pillars of Ifa Corpus
As previously mentioned, each odurepresents centuries of philosophy, wisdom, and knowledge gathered by Ifapriests. They include information related to moral teachings, spiritualguidance, life experiences, ethics, rituals, sacrifices, and much more. Thisinformation is provided and integrated within in each odu in the form of ese orverses.
Each odu contains information associatedwith the good and the bad. It provides guidance on how to manifest the good andhow to keep negative disruptive forces known as Ajogun at bay.
It is through the divinatory processesthat the odu currently shaping our lives is revealed to us. This sacred act ofdivination (performed by an experienced Babalawo or Iyanifa) is what provides theopportunity that allows us to know ourselves better. Furthermore, it allows usthe opportunity to know how we can live and maintain a positive life for all.
Learnmore details about the process of Ifá divination here
256 Odu Ifá
256 odu Ifa refers to the complete collection of the Ifa corpus. There are a total of 256 odu that make up the foundation of the Ifa religion. The previously mentioned 16 principle or major odu ifa are considered the pillars of the Ifa corpus. The remaining 240 minor odu ifa are derived from these 16 major odu.
In the following sections of thisarticle we go into more details of how the 256 odu ifa are structured alongwith an explanation of what is contained within the odu.
Ese Ifa
Each of the 256 odus of ifa contain eseor verses of information, similar to the Bible in the Christian religion. Thereare many verses or ese within each Odu. Some may have hundreds of ese or versus.This is not counting the ones that may have been lost in time due to the lackof documentation.
The number of verses per Odu may increasethroughout time. Adding knowledge and wisdom to the ever-expanding foundationof the ifa Yoruba religion. In recent history, Ifa priests have taken on theresponsibility of documenting the sacred ese in an effort to conserve theinformation for future generations.
The ese or Ifá prayers are recited by aBabalawo or Iyanifa for many reasons. This is done during Ifá divination andother Yoruba religion rituals.
These ese ifa or verses contain theadvice and messages that is to be interpreted by the Babalawo or Iyanifa duringthe divinatory process. They are what holds the solutions and answers to issuesand questions being asked by the person seeking advice and guidance from Ifa.
Example of an Odu ese Ifa
Here is one example of an ese out ofmany verses within the Odu Ejiogbe-Odi or Ogbe Odi in Yoruba language;interpretation will follow:
Ogbe di kaka
Ogbe di kunkun
Ogbe di ganmun ganmun
Ki irun imun re o mon ba yo sile
A d’ifa’ fu’n Esu Odara
Igba ti nlo re de igbere lodo
A d’ifa fun gbogbo okanle irunmole
Nijo ti won n lo ree ji eja
Esu Odara ko
Ebo ni won ni ko se
O gbebeo nibe o rubo
Nke mo moyin o
Eyin aseni
Emi moyin
Eyin odale
Interpretation of ese Ifa:
At a high level, this ese is aboutadvising the person or community for which this Odu was marked, to be carefulwith individuals surrounding them. Individuals they may have trust in might havethe intentions of betrayal. They may act like friends but in actuality are traitors.
On the other hand, this Odu also advisesnot to jump to conclusions in situations as it may have ramifications in their life.This person is advised to take the time to understand any situations and orscenarios they may currently be in. There may be more than meets the eye.
Other verses in this odu talk about theimportance of making sacrifice to maintain a positive position. There arereferences to Esu in this Odu, the orisha considered to be the messengerbetween Ifa and Olodumare. Properly appeasing Esu and having trust in hisability to defend the person this Odu was marked for is advised.
As previously mentioned there are manyverses for each of the 256 odu. In this site we attempt to provide thisinformation along with appropriate interpretations for each odu. We willcontinue to share the information we learn about as time goes on, Ase!
How Odu is revealed to us
An integral part of the Odu Ifáinterpretation is the process of consulting with Ifá and the oral scriptures usingthe Ifádivination system. It is the most complex and accurate divinationsystem known by many for its reliability. This system is the channel thatcommunicates with the universe to obtain information and answers that help usto make better informed decisions in our lives.
A Babalawo or Iyanifa will have theproper training and ability to perform this process correctly. The process ofIfá divination allows the information of Odu Ifá to be revealed during thedivination sessions to the person or community seeking advice and guidance.
Read more about Babalawo powers here and Iyanifa Ifa priestess here
Ifa divination is a system that aids inbetter understanding of oneself and purpose. Through years of study andpractice of Ifá, a Babalawo or Iyanifa will obtain deeper understanding of themysteries, the evolution, and the secrets held by the natural forces of theuniverse and of this world.
There are multiple methods used tocommunicate with Ifá. The process of using the Ifá divination system also involvesthe use of various tools. The Babalawo or Iyanifa will choose the toolsnecessary based on the method of communication to be used.
A descriptionof Ifádivinationtools and how they are used during Ifá divination canbe found here.
Odu Ifá is the map that allows humans tonavigate life itself. A way for all humans to live in harmony with each otherand the Earth. The common message delivered across each Odu is that of makinglife for yourself and those around you a more positive experience.
Structure of the oral scriptures Odu Ifá
The sacred oral scriptures of Odu Ifá corpus are structured into a total of 256 signs. These 256 signs are derived from the 16 major Odu Ifá or 16 principle signs of Ifá. In other words, a combination of the 16 principle odu (16×16) or 16 squared will result in the 256 Odus of Ifa.
To elaborate further, the seventeenth minor odu ifa sign is a combination of the first major odu Ejiogbe and the second major odu Oyekun which results in the minor odu Ejiogbe – Oyekun. The eighteenth minor odu ifa sign is a combination of the first major odu Ejiogbe and third major odu Iwori which results in the minor odu Ejiogbe – Iwori.
This occurs up through ifa odu sign #31. Then ifa odu #32 starts with the second major odu Oyekun combined with the first major odu Ejiogbe which results in the minor odu Oyekun – Ejiogbe. This continues throughout the rest of the 16 major odu Ifa.
These combinations of odu ifa signs createdat #17 through #256 are known as the 240 minor odu Ifa or omo odu.
The following sections will demonstratea few of the actual symbols and names of the odu ifa signs which may provide moreclarity to how the signs are derived from the 16 major odu.
Odu ifa – Names & Symbols
Each odu has a name and a symbol associatedwith it. There are two sets of symbols used to denote each odu. One setinvolves the use of single and double vertical lines. The single linesrepresent the light, or an open position and the double lines represent thedark or a closed position.
Here is an example of the first 4 of the16 major odu expressed in vertical lines. From right to left: Ejiogbe, Oyekun,Iwori, Odi
Odu Ifa signs expressed in vertical lines
The second set of symbols involves theuse of 0’s and 1’s. Similar to the vertical lines, each 0 represents the darkor a closed or off position and the 1 represents the light or an open or on position.These symbols are grouped together into two sets of 4 symbols side by side.This structure symbolizes one Odu.
Ofun Meji Odu Ifa sign expressed in 0’s and 1’s
The reason for the two types of symbolsused to identify an odu is associated with the method of divination used by thediviner. For example, if the Babalawo or Iyanifa chooses to divine using theOpele Ifa (ifa divination chain), the odu revealed during divination is presentedin the form of 0’s and 1’s as seen in the previous image above.
Youcan read more about how to use the Opele Ifa here
If the Babalawo chooses to divine withikin ifa (sacred palm nuts), the way the odu revealed during divination is presentedin the form of the vertical line symbols as seen in the previous image with thefirst 4 major odu expressed in vertical lines above.
How Odu Ifa is read
Traditionally the odu ifa signs are readfrom right to left. Every odu has 4 sets of 2 markings or digits side by side. Whenan odu ifa is marked in iyerosun powder, the Awo will engrave the sign startingfrom the top set of digits.
For example, first digit marked is inthe right column and first row then continues to the left column first row. Thesecond set of digits in second row go next. Right column second row then leftcolumn second row. This continues until the fourth set of digits.
An Odu that has identical symbols on theright and left side signifies it is one of the 16 major odu. When the odu has oneset of symbols on the right side and a different set of symbols on the leftside, this signifies the odu is one of the 240 minor odu.
Ejiogbe (right side) Ejiogbe (left side) – Eji Ogbe Meji – One of the 16 principle odu
Ejiogbe(right side) Oyekun (left side) or Ogbe Oyeku – One of the 240 minor odu
Take note of the 16 major odu ifa or 16 meyiin the following table. Starting with the 1st odu top right Baba Ejiogbe,2nd Oyekun, 3rd Iwori, 4th Odi, 5thIroso and so on through the table below. Vertical lines are used to express theIfa signs here:
All 16 major odu ifa signs
As mentioned earlier, the 17th minor odu ifa is a combination of the 1st principle odu and the 2nd principle odu expressed as follows in vertical lines and in 0’s and 1’s below:
Ejiogbe – Oyekun or Ogeb Oyeku – 17th odu ifa sign; one of the 240 minor odu
The 18th minor odu ifa signis a combination of the first major odu sign and third major odu sign expressedin vertical lines and in 0’s and 1’s below:
Ejiogbe – Iwori – 18th odu ifa sign; one of the 240 minor odu
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Ifa works with the unseen forces of the universe through the inter-play of the forces of expansion and the forces of contraction. The forces of expansion are symbolised by a single vertical line (I).The forces of contraction are symbolised by a double set of vertical lines (II). These forces are seen as existing in eight dimensions which form two spheres, one inside the other. This sphere is symbolised through the use of two vertical columns. Each column is made up of four sets of either single or double vertical lines.
Orunmila, in order to make access to the retrieval of the Divine Message (Ifa) easy, devised the computer compatible binary coding system, thousands of years before the emergence of computer consciousness in so-called modern man! So, Ifa is preserved in binary coded format and is output Parable - Format. Ifa is coded within 256 Odus or Corpus, each Odu representing an esoteric pigeon-hole, itself divisible into 256 sub-holes. Within each of the 256 Odus, there are1,680 Sacred Verses all presented in Parable - Format.Thus, the body of Ifa consists of 430,080 messages for mankind Prof. Olu Longe in His December 22, 1983 Inaugural lecture titled Ifa Divination And Computer Science asserted that Orunmila is one of the deities of the Yoruba while Ifa divination is a device for forecasting the future.
What has those two got to do with the high-tech world of computer science?
Ifa is actually an ancient binary computer system which, in some inexplicable way, has successfully linked the probability of numbers with the complexities of the human condition and the ever complex flux of events. Ifa, Longe said, is based on the 8-bit pattern with its eight–piece divination chain, 16 major odu (chapters) and 256 odu in all. Bade Ajayi in his paper titled A New Model of Ifa Binary System stated that Orunmila, the Yoruba God of Wisdom and divination uses a geomantic system of divination to arrive at appropriate signs and employs Ifa verses to interpret the signs.
Bade Ajayi emphasised in his paper that communication with the Odu is achieved by means of a calculated mathematical framework based on the prescribed course of conduct required from each Odu. In fact, digital computer uses the binary system. anthropomancy is based on binary system and it is therefore a computer oriented science which can be used in mathematical education.
Like the computer, Yoruba
At a divination session, several Ibo (instruments for casting lot), may be used to find detail information about a client's problem. The commonest and simplest form of Ibo of Cowry Shells tied together representing types (1) and piece of animal bone representing “Iho” (0) This relates to computer language today, we need prediction (which is scientific and reliable) more than divination (which is religious and uncertain).
Considering the locio in the arms of the opele, the pairs should be punched (d) and there ‘bi’ pairs not punched (0) using this code paper model of Ifa -6-A-Bits computer model N has been developed. The 1st of the 3 images is the computer model worked out by Ifa's Opele. Ifa is also known as Voodoo in Haiti, Lucumi in Cuba, Obeah in the West Indies, Chamdole in the Caribbean and Sateria in Brazil. Including Sango Baptist.
Computer Science is the systematic study of the feasibility, structure, expression and mechanisation of the methodical processes (or algorithms).
It underlies the acquisition, representation, processing, storage, communication of and access to information, whether such information is encoded in bits and bytes in a computer memory or transcribed in genes and protein structures in a human cell.
The ikin (sacred kolanuts), the opele andother instruments are like the interfaces used to send inputs for processing. The opele is a divining chain consisting of two armsmade of 8 beads on both the left side and the right side.
Now, just like bits are arranged in different patterns of zeros and ones to form a particular binary number or digit. The binary number formed from the arrangement or combination of zeros and ones in Computer Science can be likened to an odu ifa in ifa divination.
The image at bottom left shows the opele nut combination. The concave or smooth side of a nut is represented as band the convex side is represented as f. The concave side is two strokes, 1 in binary and the convex side is a stroke, 0 in binary.
The right side is called the male, and the left is calledthe female. In Computer Science, a byte consists of eight bits and a nibble represents four bits. Thus the four beads on one side of an opele can be likened to a nibble and all eight nuts, is a byte in Computer Science.
256 Odus Of Ifa
Books: Prof. Olu Longe, Ifa Divination And Computer Science, Bade Ajayi, A New Model of Ifa Binary Systems