Sacrifice in Ẹẹ́rìndínlógún System of Divination

Introduction[1]

In Ẹẹ́rìndínlógún system of Ifá divination, a set of sixteen cowry shells are used for divination. As a matter of fact, a set actually contains seventeen cowry shells but out of these, only sixteen are used and the seventeenth is left unused.

A cowry shell has two faces: the male and the female. During divination, these cowry shells are shaken and thrown on the ground and they fall either on the male or female face. The female face stands for the identification of each Odù. Thus, the cowry shell is different from the divination chain in which the two sides dictate an Odù at a time.

When only one female face (the concave side) is up out of the sixteen cowry shells, the Odù that we have is called Ọ̀kànràn. If there are two female faces, we have Èjìòkò. The position of seniority among the Odù in Ẹ̀ẹ́rìndínlógún system is as follows:

Ọ̀kànràn                                  =                      when the face of 1 female is up

Èjìòkò                                      =                      when the faces of 2 females are up

Ògúndá                                   =                      when the faces of 3 females are up

Ìròsùn                                      =                      when the faces of 4 females are up

Ọ̀sẹ́                                          =                      when the faces of 5 females are up

Ọ̀bàrà                                      =                      when the faces of 6 females are up

Òdí                                          =                      when the faces of 7 females are up

Èjìogbè                                    =                      when the faces of 8 females are up

Ọ̀ṣá                                          =                      when the faces of 9 females are up

Òfún                                        =                      when the faces of 10 females are up

Ọ̀wọ̀nràn                                 =                      when the faces of 11 females are up

Èjìláṣuẹbọra                             =                      when the faces of 12 females are up

Ẹ̀tàlá                                        =                      when the faces of 13 females are up

Ẹ̀rìnlá or Òòṣàoko                   =                      when the faces of 14 females are up

Márùnlá or Ìrẹ̀tẹ̀                      =                      when the faces of 15 females are up

Mẹ́ẹ́dínlógún or Ayépé           =                      when the faces of 16 females are up

This divination, according to Awolalu (1979: 123), ‘is used principally by the worshippers of Ṣàngó. The diviners who employ it refer to it as Ìránṣẹ́ Ṣàngó (Ṣàngó’s servant)’.

Some of the Often Prescribed Ẹbọ (Sacrifice)

Ẹbọ (Sacrifice), according to Awolalu (1979: 108),

is a sine qua non in African traditional religion; …. While prayer is a vocal or silent appeal to a divinity, with a view to achieving certain ends, sacrifice is an additional concrete method of serving the same purpose. Nobody comes forward to worship without bringing an offering, however simple, e.g. water for libation, kolanuts or gin. The offering may be given daily, weekly or as occasions demand.

Sacrifice is ‘the “giving up” of a thing for the sake of another that is higher or more urgent; it may also refer to that which is giving up for a cause or for something else’ (Awolalu (1979: 135).

After an Ẹẹ́rìndínlógún diviner has divined for his/her client, some of the following are read as sacrifice which may fall under ‘thanksgiving, votive, propriatory, preventive, substitutionary, and foundation sacrifice’ (Awolalu (179: 143).

Ọ̀kànràn (Èṣù): The client should sacrifice all kinds of edible items to his/her Ẹlẹ́dàá the Creator). If he/she does this, the future will be brighter. The client should hold on to his/her profession (job). If his/her parents are still alive, the client should sacrifice 1 white bed sheet or a complete white agbádá (large gown for male) or aṣọ ìbora (sleeping cloth); 1 cock for the father and 1 cock for the mother; a bottle of gin, honey, kolanut, some money and other things that parents like. The parents, in turn, will offer prayers and blessings for the child or children with honey, gin, alligator pepper and kolanut.. If the parents are dead, an elderly person will lead the prayers at the parents’ graves. Kolanut will be used to ask if the sacrifice is accepted.

Èjìòkò (Ọ̀yẹ̀kú in Ifá):The client should work hard. The client will live long. The client should dip his/her had into his/her mouth three times and say as follows:

The pull, pull my success to me

Success is ours at the root of Òrìṣà (Deity).

Ògúndá Méjì (Ògún): The client should beg his wife or her husband. The client should not quarrel with anybody and he/she should cooperate with others. The client should sacrifice roasted yam, fried corn, palm wine and gin to Ògún and rub his/her navel with shea-butters and feel relaxed.

Ìròsùn: the client should not curse any person. He/she should abstain from uttering bad words. He/she should sacrifice 9 ìkódẹ (red parrot feather), 9 ẹyẹlé (pigeon), 9 abodìẹ (hen), 9 àkùkọ (cock) and some money. The client should keep a dog or any other pet in his house. There is wealth in sight for the client. The client, if he is a male, would set a woman who is in trouble free and from there, they could get married.

Ọ̀bàrà (Ṣàngó): the client is advised to go out of his/her parents’ domain if he/she is to succeed. He/she should appease the Ìyàmi (witches). With this, if the client uses any medicine or charm, it will work well through the help of Ìyàmi. The client needs to keep the Ọ̀bàrà seed in his/her shrine. The client may be called a liar despite his/her telling the truth all the time. The client should not worry as he/she will have abundant blessings after various disappointments and sufferings.

Òdí: The client should change his job if possible. He/she should be diligent in his/her profession. Sacrifice should be made to Ìyàmi (witches) and Èṣù. He/she should sacrifice to his/her ‘companions in the life beyond’ in order not to be troubled with àbíkú (a child born-to-die). If the client is an elderly person with children, he/she should offer sacrifice on behalf of the children around him/her.

Èjìogbè (Orí): The client should not rely on friends. He/she should strongly hold to his/her Orí. He should sacrifice a big cock, fish, rat, kolanut, water and plenty of food to his/her Orí. If both the husband and wife come for this divination, they should sacrifice a hen, two coconuts, 6 naira in 11 places (N6 x 11 = N66) so that people will not cause some trouble in their marriage. They should also sacrifice 4 good kolanuts to their Orí.

Ọ̀ṣá (Àjẹ́): The client will meet a woman. The woman will be a good wife to him if he is able to marry her. He should not tell lies to her as she will bring riches and wealth to his house. The client should not be tired of rendering useful services to others because the reward will come unexpectedly. He should be very careful when showing sympathy to others. He should be able to keep a secret.

Òfún: The client is worried that he could be betrayed. The client is warned not to eat an animal which has spots on its body. The client is also warned to obey the wish of the Òrìṣà. He/she should sacrifice 10 pigeons, 10 fowls, 10 kolanuts and some other items each of which should be 10. The client should worship Olókun, the Deity of the Ocean.

Ọ̀wọ́nrín (Òràṣààlà): If there is a misunderstanding between the client and his/her friend, the client is advised to find a way to settle the dispute.

The remaining Odù are reserved as a turning point for the priest. The priest only appeases the Òrìṣà which govern the set of the Odù for their clients.

Note

The Ẹẹ́rìndínlógún users should worship it regularly. He/she should remain true to it. With this, he/she will be highly influenced positively by various rituals, sacrifices and spiritual invocations.

The diviner should be very close to his/her cowry shells in order to attain a special relationship with the spirits and be able to work with the Òrìṣà.

References

Abraham, R.C. (1958), Dictionary of Modern Yoruba. London: Hodder and Stoughton.

Awolalu, J.O. (1979), Yoruba Beliefs and Sacrificial Rites. London: Longman Group Limited.

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[1] This paper was published as L.O. Adewọle (1996), ‘Sacrifice in Ẹẹ́rìndínlógún System of Divination’, Essays in Honour of Professor Wande Abimbọla: Research in Yorùbá Language and Literature 8:97-99. The data for the paper was collected from a diviner.