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Ifa
Vocabulary
• Babalawo or Awo Ifa. Male Ifa Priest, literally
means Father of secrets
• Awo Alatese. This group of Awo have their own
specialization within Ifa, mastering the aspects of
Ifa preparations
• Akapo. Contrary to common diasporan belief, this
is NOT another name for a Babalawo. Rather, it
refers to a Babalawo's apprentice who carries the
bag (apo in yoruba) containing the Babalawo's
divining instruments and related materials.
(contradicting view, Apako, does actually refer to
babalawos, not just an apprentice, as all babalawos
and Orunmila himself, carry their own Ifa in a
specially designed bag).
• Iyanifa. Female Ifa Priest, can also be a title
within an Ifa community or temple, thus Iya ni Ifa,
mother who has the knowledge of Ifa, she may also
know how to recite Ifa even as a child video seen
here. There is some controversy even in Nigeria, not
all areas accept Iyanifa. There are several youtube
videos of interviews of chief priests in Ode Remo.
• Dida Obi. Divination with kola nuts of 4 or more
pieces.
• Ifa dida. Divination of Ifa, using any Ifa
divination items (Opele or Ikin etc)
•
Erindinlogun. Divination with cowrie shells.
• Ifa Dida . (meaning Ifa Divination), casting of
Ifa on Opon Ifa
• Opon Ifa. Divining tray of Ifa, used by a Babalawo
• Orunmila. Prophet that dveloped and spread Ifa
divination system. Orunmila is second only to
Olodumare/Olorun (God, Supreme Being), and is
without earthly lineage. He embodies the principles
of Ifa.
• Orisa. Primordial energies from which all living
things emanate; The Deities that represent various
manifestations of God, Olodumare. There 600 Orisa.
• Irunmole. The Primordial deities, first sent to
earth to make the world habitable for humankind,
also the full spectrum of deities (Orisa) created by
Olodumare (the Creator) for worship and veneration
numbering 400+1 as an infinite number of natures
manifestation and recreation, also differs from
Orisa yet some Irunmole are Orisa.
• Ifa dida / Dafa. Dida is to perform divination &
dafa means act of casting Ikin Ifa (sacred holy palm
kernel) for divination purpose and divine direction
in life
• Apetebii. is the wife of a Babalawo, she is one of
the few titled positions within the Yoruba tradition
and holds an important position within the tradition
and culture, she will assist her husband in the
worship and appeasement of his Ifa, and help to
teach children the fundaments of worshipping Ifa as
a philosophy. This is not simply a title, but has
accompanying initiations that must be performed to
hold this title. Can also be referred to as Iyanifa
interchangeably.
• Ayafa. this wife is often "married" to the Ifa
of a Babalawo.
• Ifá. Is the voice of Olodumare encompassing all
knowledge of things past, present and future. It is
sometimes used interchangeably as the name for the
orisa (deity) Orunmila. Orunmila is the orisa of
wisdom and knowledge, the Orisa who created the
system and method for accessing the knowledge of Ifa,
and so during the ritual of divination a 'client' is
said to 'consult Ifà'. 'D'afa or more appropriately
Ifa dida is the name of the divination ritual itself
where once accesses the specific verses in the Odu
Ifá (the sacred texts in the Yoruba literary corpus)
given to the priest by the sacred palm nuts in
divination.
• Iwa (Character) is one of or perhaps the most
important human endeavor taught within Ifa literary
corpus and every Ifa stanza (ancient poetic verse)
has one portion dedicated to the issue of teaching
the Iwa (Character/Behaviour) that Ifa supports.
This Iwa, which Ifa teaches transcend religious
doctrine is central to every human being, and
imparts communal, social & civic responsibility that
the Creator (Olodumare) supports. Central to this is
the theme of righteousness and practicing good
moral behaviour, not seeking for it in the community
but becoming the Ambassador of Iwa (Character).
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