Ifá

Ifá is a Yoruba system of divination and knowledge in which trained specialists interpret a corpus of verses through signs, oral expertise, and ritual practice.

Ọ̀pẹ̀lẹ̀: A divination chain whose cast produces a sequence of signs used in Ifá interpretation. Its alternating marks generate signs that guide a consultation.
Yoruba religion: The traditional religious practices and beliefs of Yoruba-speaking peoples of West Africa and their diasporas. Ifá is one major divinatory and knowledge tradition within this religious world.
Ile-Ife: A Yoruba city regarded in Yoruba traditions as a sacred place of origin. Its sacred history is closely associated with accounts of Ifá’s origins.
Yoruba traditional medicine: Healing knowledge and practices developed in Yoruba communities, including herbal and spiritual approaches. Ifá interpretations can inform diagnosis and recommendations for healing.
Cowrie-shell divination: A divination practice that interprets patterns formed by casting cowrie shells. It uses a different casting system from Ifá’s chains and palm nuts.
Ikin: Sacred palm nuts used by Ifá specialists to produce divination signs. Their handling provides a second principal way to generate signs.
Yoruba language: A Niger-Congo language spoken chiefly in southwestern Nigeria and neighboring parts of West Africa. Ifá verses rely on Yoruba phrasing, tonal distinctions, and wordplay.
Ọ̀rúnmìlà: A Yoruba deity associated with wisdom, destiny, and the knowledge of Ifá. Tradition identifies him as the source and divine authority of Ifá knowledge.
Yoruba naming ceremony: A ceremony that welcomes and names a newborn in Yoruba communities. Ifá consultation may guide a child’s name or associated ritual decisions.
Búzios: A cowrie-shell divination practice used in Afro-Brazilian religious traditions. Its shell-based method differs from Ifá’s sign-and-verse framework.

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