Erindinlogun: A System of Ifa Divination

Erindinlogun divination is known to be one of the aspects of Ifa divination tools. People who engage in it are called Babalawo or Iyanifa and it is commonly used by the female diviners. Men that engage in it must have gotten it from their mother or grandmother. Apart from followers of Ifa that use Erindinlogun, it is used principally by the worshippers of Sango. The diviners who employ it to this extent, refer to it as Iranse Sango (Sango Servant).

In the Erindinlogun system of Ifa divination, a set of sixteen cowry shells are used for the divination. As a matter of fact, a cowry shell has two faces: the male and the female. (up and down). During divination these cowry shells are shaken and thrown on the ground, falling either on the male or female face.

The female face stands for the identification of each odu. Thus, the dowry shell is different from the divination chain in which the two asides dictate one odu at a time. When only the famale face (the concave side) is up out of the sixteen cowry shells, the odu that we have is called Okanran. If it is two females faces, we have Ejioko. The position of seniority among the odu in the Erindinlogun system will be explained for interested students:

Okanran = when the face of 1 female is up Eji oko = when the faces of 2 females are up Ogunda = when the faces of the females are up Irosun = when the faces of 4 females are up Ose = when the face of 5 females are up Obara = when the faces of 6 females are up Odi = when the faces of 7 females are up Eji Ogbe = when the faces of 8 females are up Osa = when the faces of 9 females are up Ofun = when the faces of 10 females are up Owonrin = when the faces of 11 females are up Ejilasuebora = when the faces 12 females are up

Etala = when the faces of 13 females are up Erinla or Oosaoko = when the faces of 14 females are up Marunla or Irete = when the faces of 15 females are up Medinlogun or Ayepe = when the faces of 16 females are up

After an Erindinlogun diviner has divined for his/her client, some of the following are as sacrifice which may fall under the thanks giving, votive, propitiatory, preventive, substitutionary and foundation sacrifice.

Okaran (Esu): the client sacrifices all kinds of edible items to his eleda. If he/she does this the future will be brighter. The client should hold on to his profession (job). If his or her parents are still alive, the client should sacrifice 1 white bed sheet or a complete white agbada (large gown for male) or aso ibora (sleeping cloth), 1 cock for the father and 1 cock for the mother, a bottle of gin, honey, kolanut, some money and other things that the parents like. The parents, in turn will offer prayer and blessing for the child or children with the honey, gin, alligator pepper and kolanut will be used to ask if the sacrifice is accepted.

Eji oko (Oyeku in Opele): the client should work hard. The client will live long. The client should dip his or her hand into his or her mouth three times and say as follows:

"The pull, pull my success to me Success is ours at the root of Orisa"

Ogunda (Ogun): the client should beg his wife or her husband. The client shouldn't quarrel with any body and he/she should co-operate with others. The client should sacrifice roasted yam, fried corn, palm wine, little palm oil and salt on the roasted yam and gin to Ogun, rub his/her navel with shea-butter and feel relaxed.

Irosun: The client should not curse any person. He/she should abstain from uttering bad words. He/she should sacrifice 9 ikode (red parrot feather) 9 eyele (pigeon), 9 abodie (hen), 9 akuku (cock) and some money. The client should keep a dog or any other pet in his house. There is a wealth in sight of the client. The client, if he is a male, would set a woman who is called in trouble free and from there, they could get married.

Ose (Osun): The client needs to endure. Sacrifice has to be made to the witches. There are success and riches in sight for him or her. The client should work hard and he/she shouldn't eat any food given to him/her by a friend and he/she should propitiate to Osun in order for him/her to get his/her needs.

Obara (Sango): The client is advised to go out of his or parents domain if he/she is to succeed. He/she should appease the Iyami (witches). With this, the client uses any medicine or charm, it will work well through the help of Iyami. The client needs to keep the Obara seed in his her shrine. The client may be called a liar despite his/her telling the truth all the time. The client should not worry as he/she will have abundant blessing after various disappointment and sufferings.

Odi: the client should change his job if possible. He/she should be diligent in his/her profession. Sacrifice should be made to Iyami and Esu. He/she should also sacrifice to his/her companions in the "life beyond" in order not to trouble with Abiku (a child born -to- die). If the client is an elderly person with children, he/she should offer sacrifice on behalf of the children around him/her

Eji Ogbe (Ori): the client should not rely on friends, He/she should strongly hold to his/her Ori. He should sacrifice a big cock, fish, rat, kolanut, water (Omi tutu) and plenty of food to his/her Ori. If it is both the husband and wife who comes for divination, they should sacrifice a hen, two coconuts, six naira in eleven places (6 x 11 = 66 naira) but now 60 naira in eleven places, so that people will not cause some trouble in their marriage. They should also sacrifice four good kolanut to their Ori.

Osa (Aje): the client will meet a woman from somewhere who will be a good wife to him. He should try to marry her. If the client should not tell lies to the woman, the woman will bring riches and wealth to his house. The client shouldn't be tired of rendering. Useful service to her because the reward will come unexpectedly although, he should be very careful when showing sympathy to others. He should keep a secret, a secret.

Ofun: the client is worried that he could be betrayed. The client is warned not to eat an animal which has spots on its body. The client is also warned to obey the wish of the Orisa. He/she should sacrifice 10 pigeons, 10 fowls, 10 kolanuts and some other items each of which should be 10. The client should worship Olokun, the god of the ocean.

Owonrin (Orisaala): if there is misunderstanding between the client with his/her friend, the client is advised to find a way of setting the dispute.

The remaining Odu are reserved as a turning point for the priest. The priest only appease the Orisa which governs the set of Odu for their client.

Note: Not all the messages of the Odus are stated; determination of the senior Odu and the junior Odu are not stated in the above lesson. There are some missing parts in the requirements of the Ebo.

The Erindinlogun users must be very true to his/her worship. He/she should worship the Erindinlogun regularly. With this, he/she will be highly influenced by various rituals, sacrifices and spiritual invocation. The diviner should be very close to his/her cowry shells system in order to attain a special relationship with the spirits and the Orisa.

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