[TRADITIONAL AFRICAN LITERATURE, General Editor: Ko8 Awooaor Chairmen, Compre Litatare Progra Sate Univesisy of Seo Fork, Stony Bro “cvanDlans oF x ances womD: Ewe Poetry ‘Thc Calabash of Wisdom and Other Igbo Stores 1 Divination Poetry IFA DIVINATION POETRY Translated, edited and with an introduction by WANDE ABIMBOLA NOK Publishers Ltd NEW YORK - LONDON - LAGOSwep ~ke BE nH T4 135 Foc plied by NOK Plas, Li Tet Avenue Rew Yor 1 © Gopi by Warde Aine 377 ALL RICHITS RESERVED. No pat of his Seon or ect, inl poopy ‘lng ay natn we rary of Congr Catal Cad Noer gration Sundar Hook Numer Ap ney PREFACE 1k is an important system of divination found in many cultures of | ‘Watt Ain, In Yorubaland where Il is a major divinity, this fascinating stem of divination has been clos identfed with ‘Yoruba hisory, mythology, religion and fll-meicine. The Vorubs regard If asthe repository of thee belie and moral value. The Ik divination sytem and the extensive poetic chants aocited with it ae ued by the Yoruba to validate important sapecta of thie ‘alse It divination therefore performed by the Yoruba during Al this important ster of panage such as naming and marrage Ceremonies, feral ite and the istallation of kings. In traditional Yoruba society, dhe authority of It permeated every aspect of Ue becuute the Yoruba regard Ifa the voice of the divinities andthe wiadom of the ancestors "This work preensuixty-four poco of I fom the major stem (0 (ategria) of I iterary corp. The work i in wo pare The fmt part the introduction which covers dhe mythology of fy his inntraments of divination, the wining of 1 pres, the proces af ia divination and an evaluation ofthe poston of this divinity and bis elaborate system of divination among the Yoruba people. The Introduction also dels withthe sgnifcanc ofthe Od a5 the mort important point oftfereace within the whole corp. The last section cf the inoduction presents a sractral,syisie and thematic ‘analysis of 1 divination poetry. “The cond part ofthe work sa presentation of wextual material. A total of tty-four poem of are presented bod isthe Yoruba ‘rginal version ad in English ranslaon. Four poems are presente fiom each ofthe major sixteen Oa, Hach poet in the English ver~ sion is provided with ate which sis up ie aubjctmater. The Englth lation it alo accompanied with adequate notes designedto elucidate calseal and linginie details not covered by the tant Inte text. "This book is designed to meet the needs of the general reader at well sche specialist who wants inform himbelf bout the schnes Of Afian oral poetry. ‘The reader wall ye fom the introduction how the Yoruba have atemptd to use poetic gente a8 a vehicle {ar the preservation and development oftheir eultur. The Ii pystem ‘of divinason and it fantastic corpus of poedc chan show clearly the ingensity of aon-lterate peoples to develop, preserve and de sesinate the ingredient of ther own cltre ven without Knowing the art of wring. Nuk DuVERSTY BLOOMINGTON anes 1973 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS: All the sityfour poems presente in this work were clot fm (yedele yea, of Bein Compound, PaSkiyt,Oy6, Western Nigeria, "The poems were collected a varios times betwen 19g and 1970, Some ofthe taperecordings of Oyedel’schants are deposited in the University of Lagos Library, Lagos, Nigeria, but the balk of the extensive material collected fom this enowned 16 priest age in ny keeping. Oyedele is widely known in Qyo area for bis wonderfal remory and isch chanting vie, He also practns a a phyla, Tam grateful to Oyedle for all [have learnt fom him during the Tas ten years "am alo gratlil to the following I prients who have helped ‘wih the interpretation apart of the material collected rom Oyedele tnd from whom I have abo made recordings of Ik materials not Eovered by this work: (3) Awétinde Awérindé, He Qld, Grogho,(b) Addire Kékeré.awo le Bysin, PAAR, Oy ad (c) hiet Fadayites, Olawo of Akettin, Oye. Tam highly indebted o my ate fther, Chief Abia Tok, the late Asia (Chie of Hunter) of Oyo fom whom asm child Test learat about Hf divination and who was my pillar of support and fountain of inspiration throughout the years of my eeeare into TS divination. Chi Abimbelé Irskd, 2 renowned 118 priest, hunter, herbalist and veteran of the Fest Woeld War, died in November, toy Tam also gratefl to the Isat of Afcan Studies, Univenty of Tada, where T started my research into TH between 1963 and 1965, 1 am equally grateful o the School of Afcan and Asian Studies, Univesity of hago and the West Aftican Linguistic Society fr the provision af funds which have been vs to collet part of the material covered by this work.