against forces of evil. This is why the Ifa divination
recommends not only sacrifices, but also a virtuous
life to the afflicted.
The Ifa divination is practiced by the skilled
priests known asBabalawos, a name that trans-
lates into “the father of secrets.” It is understood
that Ifa divination was given to humanity by the
Supreme God Orunmila in a body of wisdom
gathered in 256 sacred odu or poems. Each odu is
in reality a chapter containing from 600 to 800
poems. Ifa literature is thus an impressive volume
of around 204,800 poems.
At the same time, diviners believe that when
Orunmila departed Earth for Heaven, he left
behind his spirit and wisdom in the form of the
sacred “ikin” or treaded on palm nuts. Among the
divination techniques used by the Babalawo, one
consists of manipulating 16 palm nuts to know
which odu he shall read to diagnose what the client
is facing and to prescribe an appropriate remedy.
The Babalawo also uses the process of elimination
by posing astute questions to his patient.
Underlying EthicsThe diagnosis of the diviner is often followed by a
plan for action that leads to healing and peace of
mind. Divination provides that kind of knowledge
that enables people to take control of their lives.
As such, divination is a potent tool in humans’
quest for harmony and happiness.
It is worth emphasizing the ethical dimension
of divination. Although abused by some rulers to
validate their personal claim to power, divination
messages are often based on a set of moral princi-
ples that foster social harmony, honesty, justice,
and well-being. It is largely understood that sick-
ness and “bad luck” are the result of a moral
imbalance or an ethical disorder. Thus, often
diviners recommend to their clients moral recti-
tude along with sacrifice offerings.
The sacred odu 249 of Ifa divination explicitly
prohibits adultery. All over Africa, diviners pro-
hibit killings, lies, wicked thoughts, poisonous
talks, and various forms of evil deeds and strongly
recommend a virtuous code of conduct. This is
why, in African understanding, divination is a
magnificent gift from the Gods and is celebrated
as a sacred and holy activity, rather than the evil
tool of the devil. In others words, divination is not
merely a healing technique or merely a way of
accessing secret knowledge. It is essentially a body
of wisdom that engages individuals on the spiri-
tual path of holiness and humaneness.Mutombo Nkulu-N’SenghaSeealsoYorubaFurther Readings
Asante, M., & Nwadiora, E. (2006).Spear Masters:An
Introduction to African Religion. Lanham, MD:
University Press of America.
Mazama, A. (Ed.). (2003).The Afrocentric Paradigm.
Trenton, NJ: Africa World Press.DIVINITIES
The root of the worddivinityis the Latindivus,
which is closely related to the Greek worddues; it
means “godlike.” The less common but accept-
able usage of the word refers to the operation of
transcendental powers in the world. In African
cosmology, the belief in divinities—referred to as
orisa (among the Yoruba),abosom (among the
Akans), andvudu(among Ewe-Fon)—presupposes
belief in the existence of supernatural beings or
forces that control the affairs of the world. In the
theocratic government of the universe, the divini-
ties are held to be lower than the Supreme Being,
but higher than ancestral spirits. This entry pro-
vides a basic description, discusses the relation-
ship between the divinities and the Supreme Being,
and offers a categorization.Basic Description
The origin of the divinities is not definite because
of the differing beliefs regarding their coming into
being. Oral traditions from a number of African
societies assert that the divinities are emanations
or offspring of the Supreme Being. The Akans of
Ghana say explicitly that the abosom are the
children of Onyame. Among the Edo, Olokun is
held to be the son of Osanobwa, whereas among
the Yoruba, Orisa-Nla is said to be the offspringDivinities 209