Ọrunmila

Ọrunmila
Wisdom Knowledge Divination Philosophy Fate Destiny Prophecy Civilization Enlightenment
Member of Irunmọlẹ
Àgéré Ifá (Ifá divination vessel)
Other names	Orunmila Orunmilá Orúnla Orúla Agbonniregun Ifá
Venerated in	Yoruba religion, Umbanda, Candomble, Santeria, Haitian Vodou, Folk Catholicism
World	Yorubaland
Weapon	None
Artifacts	Opon Ifá
Symbol	Cowries Seeds Kolanut Odu Ifá
Adherents	Babalawo Iyalawo
Day	The third day of the Kọjọda week Itadogun
Color	Green, Yellow, White
Gender	Male
Region	Nigeria, Benin, Latin America
Ethnic group	Yoruba
Festivals	World Ifá Festival Ọrunmila Festival
Associated deities	Ọsanyìn
Parents	Alayeru and Oroko (Earthly)

Ọrunmila (Yoruba: Ọ̀rúnmìlà, also Ọrúnla or Orúla in Latin America) is one of the most principal deities in the Yoruba religion, venerated as the Orisha of wisdom, knowledge, fate, prophecy, enlightenment, and divination. He is believed to be the creator of the Ifá system.

Historical and literary sources

Following the categories developed by the Nigerian scholar Peju Yemaje, Orunmila is recognized as a primordial Orisha, an Irunmọlẹ, one that existed before the creation of humanity and resides in Ọrun.

Equivocally, he is praised as "Igbákejì Olódùmarè" (second in command to Olodumare) and "Ẹlẹ́rìí ìpín" (witness of fate). Priests of Ifá are known as babalawos and Priestesses of Ifá are known as iyanifas.

Orunmila is considered a sage, recognizing that Olodumare placed Ori (intuitive knowledge) in him as a prime Orisha. It is Ori who can intercede and affect the reality of a person much more than any other Orisha.

Priesthood and initiation

Awo (babalawos and iyalawos) in every tradition study the 256 Odu; each Odu is traditionally considered to include stories and prayers that have been passed down from the time that Orunmila walked the Earth as a prophet.

Some initiatory lineages have only male priests of Orunmila, while other lineages include female priestesses. The term "Awo", meaning "secret" is a gender-neutral title for an initiated priest of Orunmila. The debate surrounding gender is a result of diversity in the history of Ifá in various locations. In Latin America and some areas of West Africa, only men may become full priests of Orunmila, while in other regions of West Africa the priesthood is open to women. Ifá practitioners believe in duality in life: males exist because of the female essence and females exist because of the male essence, so every major rite or ceremony includes both genders.

Every Ifá stanza has one portion dedicated to the issue of teaching the Iwa that Ifá supports. This Iwa, which Ifá teaches transcends religious doctrine, is central to every human being, and imparts communal, social and civic responsibility that Olodumare supports. Of great importance to this is the theme of righteousness and practicing good moral behavior.

See also

• Ifá
• Iroke Ifá
• Ọbatala
• Ọsanyin

Notes

References

Resources

Look up ọrunmila in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

• Chief S. Solagbade Popoola & Fakunle Oyesanya, Ikunle Abiyamo: The ASE of Motherhood 2007. ISBN 978-0-9810013-0-2
• Chief S. Solagbade Popoola Library, INC Ifa Dida Volume One (EjiOgbe - Orangun Meji) ISBN 978-0-9810013-1-9
• Chief S. Solagbade Popoola Library, INC Ifa Dida Volume Two (OgbeYeku - OgbeFun) ISBN 978-1-926538-12-9
• Chief S. Solagbade Popoola Library, INC Ifa Dida Volume Three (OyekuOgbe - OyekuFun) ISBN 978-1-926538-24-2
• James J. Kulevich, "The Odu of Lucumi: Information on all 256 Odu Ifa"
• Ayele Fa'seguntunde' Kumari, Iyanifa:Women of Wisdom ISBN 978-1500492892