Original Work: Yoruba Oral Tradition — attributed to Orúnmìlà
Original Form: Ancient oral tradition
Compiled & translated by Wande Abímbọ́lá
Description
Sixteen Great Poems of Ifá draws from the Yorùbá Ifá oral tradition, a sacred corpus of divination poetry attributed to Orúnmìlà and preserved by generations of Babaláwo (Ifá priests). These poems belong to the wider Odu Ifá system, which encompasses teachings on cosmology, ethics, philosophy, and social conduct within Yorùbá culture.
This written edition was compiled and translated by Wande Abímbọ́lá, who selected sixteen long poems considered central within the Ifá literary corpus. Presented in a bilingual Yorùbá–English format, the work includes annotations and contextual explanations that reflect interpretations provided by practising Ifá priests. The edition offers insight into the symbolic structure of Odu Ifá, the ritual context of divination, and the philosophical themes embedded within the verses.
Through its careful presentation of these sixteen poems, the edition provides a clear and accessible introduction to the literary and cultural heritage of Ifá.
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Sixteen Great Poems of Ifá
Compiled & translated by Wande Abímbọ́lá
Summary:
A collection of sacred Yoruba poetic texts from the Ifá divination tradition. Compiled and translated by Wande Abimbola, the volume preserves important verses, teachings, myths, and philosophical insights associated with the sixteen principal Odù of Ifá.
Published: 1975
Sixteen Great Poems of Ifá
Compiled & translated by Wande Abímbọ́lá
Summary:
A collection of sacred Yoruba poetic texts from the Ifá divination tradition. Compiled and translated by Wande Abimbola, the volume preserves important verses, teachings, myths, and philosophical insights associated with the sixteen principal Odù of Ifá.
Published: 1975
