Introductions
Information is vital to life; it is needed for survival. Yoruba people are curious about what lies ahead. They want to ensure that the present will not distort the future. This inquisitiveness makes them curious and in order to reduce their anxiety, they make inquiries about future through divination.

Awolalu and Dopamu opine that there are numerous system of divination found among the Yoruba people. Amongst are, the casting of cowries, sand markings, kolanut castings, water gazing and Ifa divination (using sixteen nuts). Each of the system has its peculiarities, which in most cases involves some magical manipulations and in some cases involves oral and written text. Out of all these methods of divination employed by the Yoruba people, Bascom and Awolalu consider Ifa divination as more reliable and most popular means of divination.

There has been wealth of academic endeavour in the field of Ifa and its art. Oluwatosin A.K asserts that numerous scholars from African Religion and related field have written extensively on the position of Ifa divination poetry and literature as a source of historical evidence. Interestingly they all agreed that the subject is the highest form of engagement among the Yoruba people of Nigeria.

As such, research into Ifa divination would uncover the fact that the people of traditional African societies were not as ignorant as people have been made to believe. Among them were elite’s classes such as the IFA priest who have preserved all the ingredients of their own traditional religion in an almost completely oral form though, in such a way that knowledge is codified and transmitted orally with care, patience and perseverance. Documenting this historical fact, IFA divination system was added in 2008 by UNESCO to its list of the ‘Master pieces of Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity’

Origin Of Ifa and source of his power
Awolalu and Dopamu state that the word Ifa is restricted to the Ifa divination system and its practice as it exists among the Yoruba people of Nigeria. Worthy to note, similar system of divination exists among the Yoruba speaking people of Togo, Ghana, Dahomey, Cuba and Brazil where Orunmila is worshipped.

The Yoruba god of wisdom is mostly called by either of two names, Ifa and Orunmila, both of which are the centre of discuss. A number of writers hold diverse view that Orunmila refers to the deity himself while the name Ifa refers to his divination system. Rev. E.M Ligadu narrates that “Ifa is the word of divination, which was issued from the mouth of Orunmila.”

Findings reveal that the two subjects Ifa and Orunmila refer to the same deity. But while the name Orunmila refers to the deity himself, the name IFA refers to both the deity and his divination system. This point is supported by Bascom, when he says;
“The word IFA is used to mean both the system of divination and the deity, who controls it; and the deity is known as Orunmila.”

A close examination of the Ifa literacy corpus also shows that the two names, ifa and Orunmila are used to refer to the deity while Ifa is used for the system of divination.

Adegbindin agrees with Abimbola that Ifa and Orunmila can be used interchangeably. In the same vein, Oluwole in the work of Oluwatosin A.K. opines that Ifa is the vast tradition of Yoruba people that is sometimes used as an alternative for Orunmila. However, both the words of Orunmila and divination paraphernalia can still be referred to as the embodiment of Orunmila act and knowledge.
In Yoruba custom, most personal names have meaning. The possible meaning of Ifa has led many writers to much speculations sometimes tending towards folklores.

Some are of the view that the word Ifa comes from the root ‘fa’, which means to “scape” or in an idiomatic sense, to embrace, to contain.

Chief Fagbemi Ajanaku, a high priest of Ifa cult in Lagos writes: ‘Nitori pe ko si oun ti oro oloun ko fa tan, ni won se n pe e ni Ifa’ (it is because there is nothing the word of God (ifa) do not embrace that it is called Ifa.)

There are several myths surrounding the existence of ifa. One of such has it that ifa in the company of other deities were sent to establish order on earth. ifa played a major role in this divine ordering because of his great wisdom. At this time, he lived in a place known as Oke Igeti. This is why one of his praise names is Okunrin kukuru oke Igeti. (A short man of Igbeti hill). Ifa came to earth from heaven and first landed at Ife, (to the cradle of mankind) before moving to a small town in Ado where he was reported to have spent a great part of his life.

Ifa had eight children and a number of disciple, all of whom he thought the secret of divination. Six of the eight children bear personal names similar to the titular names of some Ekiti king, Alara, Ajero, Onitaji, Oloye-moyin, Elejilu-mope and Alakeji. The other two are Olowo and Owanrangun. All the eight children were born while Ifa was at Ife. They all grew up to be important personality and later dispersed to various part of Yorubaland.

According to the myths, there were occasion when there was no physical barrier between heaven and earth. He finally returned to heaven in annoyance due to an insult given to him by one of his children. Shortly after his departure, the earth was thrown in confusion. Evil occurrence such as famine, child mortality, diseases, communal wars and lots became prevalent on earth.

Owing to these occurrences, the people decided to seek remedy by sending all the children of Ifa to heaven to go and beg their father to return to the earth. The children went accordingly, when they reached heaven, they found IFA at the root of a palm tree with sixteen branches. He was persuaded by the children but he refused. Ifa however gave each of his eight children sixteen palm nuts. The nuts were to be used for divination on earth. The sixteen palm nuts known as ‘Ikin’ have been used as an important part of Ifa divination system from that time till date.

Oluwatosin (A.K 2021) opines that Ifa set the divination system bearing his name, so as to facilitate communication between human and the deities because he perceived man in his weakness and ignorance, set down in a sinful and terrifying world would need help and reassurance, so he stands for balance and soundness.
• Oyebola is Chief Curator, Museums Department, National Commision For Museums And Monuments
To be continued