as sísí öpëlë já

The first stage is the ceremony marking what is known as as as sísí öpëlë já (ceremony marking the mastery of the Odù by using the divining chain). This is a very important ceremony involving the offering of sacrifice to Òrúnmìlà and the giving of a feast for all Ifá priests in the community concerned.

This ceremony lasts only one day and it involves the use of the following food for both the sacrifice and the feast:

(1) Ëko (solid maize gruel),
(2) Abo Adìe (hen)
(3) Eku (rat)
(4) Eja (fish)
(5) Iyán (pounded yam)
(6) Okà (solid food made from yam flour), and
(7) Otí (drinks)

gígún Èsù

The second stage of the initiation rituals involves the propitiation of Èsù. This ceremony is referred to as gígún Èsù (the making of the paraphernalia of Èsù for the would-be priest). During this ceremony the image and the other paraphernalia of Èsù are presented to the would-be priest. Sacrifices are also made to Èsù and to Òrúnmìlà.

fífojú Kan Odù

The third stage is known as fífojú Kan Odù (initiation into the secrets of Odù). During the ceremony, the would-be priest feasts many Ifá priests from far and near, after which the sacred pot believed to be the abode of Odù, the mythical wife of Ifá, is ceremoniously opened for him to see. In turns the Ifá priests present look inside the sacred pot. The actual contents of this pot are not revealed to the un-initiated, information about them is treated as a major secret of the Ifá cult.

There is a lot of drumming, dancing and chanting at appropriate intervals during the Odù initiation ceremony. Two of the ese Ifá usually chanted during the ceremony are given below.

Æmædé ò f’ojú b’Odù lásán;
Àgbà ò f’ojú b’Odù ní öfê;
¿ni t’ó bá f’ojú b’Odù yóó sì d’awo.
A díá fún Öràngún, Ilé Ilà,
Tí ó gbàlejò láti òde Ìdan.
Wôn ní b’ó bá f’ojú b’àlejò,
Orin ni kí ó máa kæ.
A f’ojú b’Odù
A ríre.
Àwá mà mà kuku f’ojú b’Odù
A ò kú mô.
A f’ojú b’Odù
A rìre.

Little children do not see Odù free of charge;
Old people do not see odù without paying a fee;
He who sees Odù will become an Ifá priest.
Ifá divination was performed for Öràngún of Ilé Ilà,
Who would receive a visitor from the city of ìdan.
He was told that when he saw the visitor,
He should start singing.
We have seen Odù,
We have found good fortune.
We have seen Odù,
We have found good fortune.
We have certainly seen Odù,
We shall not die.
We have seen Odù,
We have found good fortune.

B’ôjà bá tù tán,
A ku olóríì pàt÷pàt÷,
A ku àgbààgbà «àõkò «àõkò lôjà;
B’Ifá bá p÷dí tán
Ìwönwö a dìde.
A díá fún Örúnmílà,
Ifá nlæ lè é f’ojú b’odù
L’óké ìkëfun.
A f’ojú b’Odù,
A ríre ò,
A f’ojú b’odù
A ríre.
Àwá mà mà kuku f’ojú b’odú
A ò kú mö.
A f’ojú b’odù
A ríre.

When the market session ends,
The chief of market women remains;
Some important elders also remain;
When Ifá becomes difficult,
The less qualified priests rise up and leave.
Ifá divination was performed for Örúnmìlà
When He was going to see Odù
On the hill of ìk÷fun.
We have seen Odù,
We have found good fortune.
We have seen Odù,
We have found good fortune.
We have certainly seen Odù,
We shall not die.
We have seen Odù,
We have found good fortune.

wíwæ igbó Ifá

The fourth and last stage of the initiation is known as wíwæ igbó Ifá (entering the sacred grove of Ifá). This is the most elaborate of all the principal stages of Ifá initiation ceremony. More than two hundred different items including food, drinks, clothes, beads and many other materials are required for the ceremony.

The most important of these things are:

(i) Yanrìn òkun (sand taken from sea shore),
(ii) Yanrìn ösà (sand taken from shore of lagoon),
(iii) Èèbà epo (small gourd of palm oil),
(iv) Öpölæpö iyæ (plenty of salt),
(v) Àgò adie (coop full of fowls),
(vi) Igi ænà (a wooden sculpture),
(vii) A«æ funfun öpá márºn (five yards of white cloth), and
(viii) òpòlòpò owó-aye (plenty of cowries).

The ceremony involves feasting, dancing and chanting of ese Ifá for several days. Sacrifices are made to several gods including Òrúnmìlà and Èsù. Four or five chief priests of the cult lead the would-be priest into the sacred grove where they thoroughly examine him on different aspects of the Ifá literary corpus.

Throughout his sojourn in the forest, the would-be priest ties a piece of white cloth round his neck and waist. He emerges from the sacred grove at the head of a long procession of  members of the extended family dancing and singing. Here is one of the chants of the occasion.

Àwá të ô nífá o,
K’ó o túnra ÷ të;
Títë la t’Èjì Ogbè
T’ó fi m’órí wæ’gbó.
Àwá të ö nífá o,
K’ó o túnra ÷ të
B’ó o d’órí öpë,
Má «e jæwô sí.

We have initiated you into the secrets of Ifá.
You should re-initiate yourself.
This was how Èjì Ogbè was initiated
But he plunged himself into the forest.
We have initiated you into the secrets of Ifá.
You should re-initiate yourself.
If you get to the top of the palm tree
Do not let your hands loose.

It must be noted that the training of Ifá priests does not end with the initiation ceremonies. A good Ifá priest regards his training as a continuing, life-long process and realizes that the post-initiation part of his training is very crucial.

No Ifá priest can excel in his work without undertaking post-initiation training.

During his training, it has been strongly impressed on him that it is his duty to help all clients with all problems, and where he fails to know the immediate answers to any problem, he should be able to know where and how to get useful and appropriate information to help his clients.

Therefore, when a client comes up with a problem the solution to which a particular Ifá priest does not know, he asks his client to come back later. Before the client returns, the Ifá priest goes round to his colleagues for information. It is quite common for Ifá priests to go “lamp in hand”, to see their fellow priests especially when they are faced with an apparently intractable problem. In this way, the successful Ifá priest learns more and more day by day and improves himself steadily as he continues in practice.

The training of Ifá priest up to the time of initiation is essentially broad and general, but after initiation the training becomes specialized. Among the most important areas in which a priest of Ifá may specialize, the most important are healing, chanting of Ifá texts, and knowledge of rare texts in the literary corpus.

Specialization in a particular field sometimes takes the priest of Ifá to distant places. It may happen, for example, that the only Ifá priest who is a renowned specialist in healing is, at a certain time, in a particular part of Yoruba land.

In such a case, all Ifá priests who want to specialize in healing will have to go to that particular specialist for training. In this way, all successful Ifá priests usually travel a great deal throughout Yoruba land acquiring more knowledge and broadening their outlook on life as they mix with different kinds of people.

Specialist training is usually very short and intensive. In the humorous words of one Ifá priest who is a specialist in healing ‘no Ifá priest desirous of becoming a renowned specialist in healing will ever feel contented with his ability until he can cure the lame, the dwarf and the hunchback’.

Tags: initiation, ifa, igbodu, odu, Orunmila, Eshu

Initiation And Post-Initiation Training Of A Babalawo is a post from:

Related posts:

1. How Does One Become A Babalawo?
2. Rites of Passage In Order To Grow Within Ifa
3. Ifa Priesthood

At any point in time, no practicing Babalawo divines without using either the  opele (the divining chain) or the ikin (the sacred palmnut). The use of these instruments would enable him, to know, the nature of his client’s problem. The diviner relies on the dictate of the gods. The diviner therefore serves as a link between two worlds: the ephemeral and eternal, the material and the spiritual. Just as a medical doctor always takes with him a stethoscope, a technician has a screwdriver and pliers ready with him for an emergency work, a Babalawo pockets his portable opele when he is invited to a nearby town or village for divine consultation.

There are two major categories of Babalawo in Yorubaland: the- Awo Olodu and the Awo Elegan.   The Awo Olodu (the devoted Ifa diviners) are the most recognized and the most knowledgeable class of Babalawo in the Yoruba society of Nigeria. They are not only the diviners but also the worshippers of Orunmila, the god of divination and wisdom. The Awo Elegan on the other hand, are those Babalawo who are not fully engaged in Ifa divination. These consist of the Agbamole and Sawosesegun. The Agbamole are the set of Babalawo who either inherited the divining chain or are partially trained in the art of Ifa divination but uninitiated into Ifa cult. When this class of Babalawo feel like doing so, they can divide for themselves or any member of their family, but never an outsider. The area of specialization attached to Ifa literature include the Ifa divination art, healing and chanting of Iyere (the ifa songs). A Babalawo may specialize in one or two of the areas. The Asawosesegun, the second sub-category of Awo Elegan mentioned above, are those Babalawo with combined honor degrees in Ifa literature. They combine divination with healing of serious illnesses such as leprosy, epilepsy and mental disorder. Usually, they are more popular as a healer than a diviner. Chief idowu Obayomi (alias Afinju Babalawo) of Ijagba compound, Sagamu in Ogun State of Nigeria and late Aladokun of Ikirun Oyo State of Nigeria are two examples of Asawosesegun. To whichever category of Babalawo one may belong, the code of conduct which binds them all must be preserved. A Babalawo is always generous, faithful, Knowledgeable, and a good traditional counselor to the members of his community. A Babalawo in discharging his duty, always believes he has an obligation to fulfill in respect of his client (s) and this he does willingly.

The Babalawo are highly respected, not only for their wisdom and intelligence but also for their faithfulness and generosity to the members of the society. Under normal circumstances, no one insults or fights with them.

Mo ru eewo orisa,
I say it is a taboo to the orisa,
Enikan o gbodo na babalawo,
No one beats an Ifa priest,
To ba gbofa yanranyanran lotu Ife
Who is Very Versed in Ifa in the city of Ife.

Generally, every Babalawo knows his rights and also keeps the law of the land. A Babalawo by his training and practice is prepared to advise and guide anybody who consults him. He knows something about the life and teaching of Orunmila and when he divines for his clients, he interprets only the message of Orunmila. Whatever may be the problem or complaint of a client is no secret to Orunmila and any trained and certificated Babalawo should be able to read the language of Orunmila through the Odu signs. But if a Babalawo does not receive a proper training, he may have some problems in interpreting Odu sign and thus deliver wrong message to the client. In such a circumstance, the clients whose faith in Ifa divinity is not strong enough may complain of its inability to foresee all things.

Ope-oseru,
Ope (Orúnmila) is not dishonest,
Oniki ni o gbofa,
It is the chanter who is not versed in Ifa,
Ohun a ba b’Ifa.
Whatever we ask Ifa
Nifa i so.
Is what Ifa reveals.

If this happens, it is the Babalawo who has “misrepresented the divinity. Anyone who has successfully passed through the rigors of Ifa training would be able to identify the problem of his clients. The Babalawo should base his expertise on the training he has acquired. Those who use charms to find out the hidden problems of their clients are not true Babalawo and in fact, they are not fit to be one. This class of Babalawo (if any), are being dishonest, and they pay dearly for it.

It is highly essential that one who’ aspires to be an Ifa priest (Babalawo) receives adequate training from a versed and experienced Babalawo that he may be able to meet the responsibilities of the important positions in which he would later find himself in the community. While in training, the would -be Babalawo would be taught the Odu signs and commit to memory a great number of ese Ifa (stories) associated with the Odu starting with Ejiogbe (the first Odu in the corpus). After the mastery of the required stories in each of the sixteen principal Odu, he proceeds to the stories in the minor Odu. The study of ese Ifa require deep concentration, otherwise the trainee will be wasting time in repeating the stories of an Odu several times.

In his work, Abimbola (1976:18-24) describes the system of training and initiation of a would-be Babalawo. Nevertheless there are some other facts worth knowing for, understanding fully the process of training of a would-be Babalawo. Before a trainee lays his hand on anything, divination has to be performed for him in order for him to know the Odu which is destined for him. The Babalawo usual terms for this notion is ‘Odu to bi enikan’ which literally means the Odu which gives birth to someone (the trainee in this case). It is this Odu which will guide the master Babalawo the way to treat the person in training. The trainee begins his education with the identification of the signature of each of the sixteen principal Odu and essentially the Opele is the major instructional materials for the purpose. The Opele used for the training is made from pieces of calabash (paaakara) which looks inferior to the usual Opele the Babalawo use for divination. The process of studying the signs of Odu is referred to as Sisi Opele (the opening of Opele). This term derives from the fact that the master-Babalawo uses his hand to form the pattern of each Odu when teaching his students. It must be noted that it is only the principal Odu that are learned this way. After a trainee has mastered the signs of the sixteen Odu, he would be examined by his master and perhaps in the company of a few fellow Babalawo. The performance of the trainee would determine whether or not he would proceed to the minor Odu.

Assuming that the trainee has displayed mastery over the principal Odu he starts learning the minor Odu (beginning from the first minor Odu-Ogbeyeku). His master now uses the method casting the Opele to teach him. With the Opele, any Odu can emerge and in this case the trainee does not only learns the minor Odu but also revises the principal Odu. A trainee learns better by understanding his master as he (the master) divines for various clients. The trainee learns the correct stories to each Odu and the correct tone which distinguishes ese Ifa from all other poetic arts as esa and Ijala among the Yoruba.

In addition, to his knowledge of Ifa, and the process of divination, an aspiring Babalawo must know the appropriate sacrifice for each Odu. He must also acquire a vast amount of herbal and pharmaceutical lore with its accompanying repertoire of charms and incantation. It therefore follows that those who ultimately qualify as full practicing Babalawo are men of some intellectual strength and judgment. Above all, the Babalawo is not only an artist but the custodian of Yoruba cultural heritage.

One has to learn and commit to memory the 256 Odu with the endless stories connected with them and the practical application of the stories. He should also learn to prescribe appropriate sacrifice and medicinal preparation. All these are the skills which take much time, patience and energy. Furthermore, a would-be Babalawo or diviner does not stop studying once his apprenticeship is complete and he has begun to practice on his own. He continues to learn new verses and medicine from his teacher and other Babalawo or diviners. In effect, the period of studying ese Ifa never ends. A diviner keeps on learning until he dies.

There is no doubt, the Babalawo are very intelligent but they do not claim to know everything. Bascom (1969) describes the Babalawo as the best, organized and most knowledgeable, magico-religious sect of the country. When a Babalawo is in search of knowledge, he could consult any other Babalawo, old or young. Even when Orunmila was alive, he once sought knowledge from one of his children.

Agba to moyi ko.moyi,
The elder who knows one thing may not know the other,
A diafun Qnmmila,
Performed Ifa divination for Orunmila
Ti yoo  si tun kdfa lodo
Who would still learn Ifa from Amosun, one of his
Amosun re.
followers.

The excerpt above shows how humble and ambitious the Babalawo are. No true Babalawo pretends to know everything. He is always prepared to learn more anywhere and from anybody. It is a common attitude of the Babalawo that they are always prepared to teach Ifa to anyone at any time.

When one wants to acquire some knowledge on Ifa corpus, he approaches a Babalawo and tells him. The Babalawo will readily impart the knowledge.

If a group of Babalawo assembles for a meeting, a festival or certain ceremony where there is a need to chant ese lfa, each member (beginning from the youngest Babalawo) chants, recites or sings ese Ifa which is appropriate to the situation or an Odu which emerged. But if a Babalawo who is called upon does not know certain portion of Ifa he would state frankly that he has forgotten or that he has no idea of that particular aspect (for Ifa mythology stories are so numerous that no single person can claim to know all). This is why the Babalawo say ‘aboruboye, o ya ju iro lo’ (confession of one’s ignorance is better and more honorable than pretence).

Tags:  orunmila, odu, babalawo, ifa priest, ikin, opele, ese ifa, opon ifa, awo elegan

How Does One Become A Babalawo? is a post from:

Related posts:

1. Initiation And Post-Initiation Training Of A Babalawo

1. Oluwo:

This is a man who has studied and practiced Ifa as a priest for many many years and has not only seen Orisa Odu but owns Orisa Odu (Olodu: owner of Odu) and works with this deity. The Oluwo is the only person who can initiate men into Ifa (Itelodu style). Itelodu is a male Ifa initiation where the men see Orisa Odu as part of their Ifa initiation. And of course, he is the only one can give someone Orisa Odu.

2. Babalawo:

This is a man who has been initiated into Ifa and has completed a minimum of 5 years of apprenticeship with an Elder Awo, and eventually earns the title of Babalawo. They may or may not have seen Orisa Odu. During the period of apprenticeship, all Ifa apprentices are known as Omo Awo.

a. If a male has gone through Ifa initiation in which they saw Orisa Odu, this type of Ifa Initiation is called Itelodu. These Ifa Initiates if they decide to be practicing priests (Babalawo) can participate in any type of ceremony where Orisa Odu is being used.
b. If a male has gone through Ifa initiation in which they didn’t see Orisa Odu, this type of Ifa Initiation is called Itefa. These Ifa Initiates if they decide to be practicing priests (Babalawo) cannot participate directly in any ceremony where Orisa Odu is being used. They are not allowed in the room if Orisa Odu is being propitiated and worked with but they can do other things that do not pertain to Orisa Odu during a ceremony. These are the Babalawos known as Awo Elegan.

Note: Depending on the region, everyone does things a bit different. Some regions make all male Ifa Initiates see Orisa Odu while some regions select only a few chosen men. The reason behind allowing only certain men to see Orisa Odu is something I haven’t investigated yet but these regional differences are real.

3. Iyanifa:

This is a woman who has been initiated into Ifa and has completed a minimum of 5 years of apprenticeship with an Elder Awo, and eventually earns the title of Iyanifa. During the period of apprenticeship, all Ifa apprentices are known as Omo Awo.

Note: By default, all women Ifa initiates who are practicing Ifa priests (Iyanifa) also fall into this category of Awo Elegan because women under no circumstance can see, work with, or possess Orisa Odu. The reason for this is beyond the scope of this website.

Note: There are many regional differences in existence around women being Ifa Initiates and/or Ifa Priests:

a. Some areas do not allow women to be fully initiated into Ifa at all and the women only go through a ceremony called Isefa which is the ceremony of Owofakan (One hand of Ifa) or another ceremony called Isode (Where the woman receives the Ide of Orunmila and must marry a Babalawo and then becomes an Apetebi)
b. Other areas allow women to be initiated into Ifa (Itefa) and allow them to become Iyanifa one day but they only allow them to cast Ifa with Opele.
c. Then you have other areas which women are initiated into IFA (Itefa) and they cast Ifa with both ikin and opele.

However; after research conducted around Yoruba land and surrounding areas I have found that there is no odu in existence that prohibits women casting Ifa with ikin.

4. Awo Atemaki:

Are men initiated into Ifa (Itelodu or Itefa) and women initiated into Ifa (Itefa) who after Ifa Initiation decide that they do not want to take on an apprenticeship and be Ifa Priests (Babalawo or Iyanifa). These are the people who initiate into Ifa to simply receive their full destinies.

These people can go on to practice as Olorisa priests, Egungun priests, Oro priests, etc… if they so desire or some can decide not to be priests at all but just worshipers.

Olorisa:

1. They must learn all the taboos and praise names of the Orisa they are initiated into.
2. They must know how to feed (Akunlebo) and take care of their Orisa.
3. They must know how to prepare and give their Orisa to others.
4. They must know how to initiate others into their Orisa.
5. They must know how to greet their Orisa.
6. They must know how to solve peoples problems effectively through their Orisa, help people in their community, and be role models of character to others.

Non Priests:

1. They should perform the 5/5 day Ose Ifa ritual.
2. They should be initiated into Ifa to at least have their full Destiny. These are the Awo Atemaki.
3. They must pray every morning before starting their day to Olodumare, Ori, the Irunmole, the Orisa, and the Egungun.
4. They must act with good character and teach their children the same.

Code of Conduct for Priests and Non-Priests

I – Honesty:

II – Patience:

III – Humility:

IV – Hopefullness:

Ifa Priesthood is a post from:

Related posts:

1. Rites of Passage In Order To Grow Within Ifa
2. Initiation And Post-Initiation Training Of A Babalawo