One afternoon while Baba Adelekan and I sat and talked, I asked him
to look at some of my books to see to what extent I could rely on their
information. Wande Abimbola's writings are considered authoritative.
He is acclaimed to be one of the authorities on Yoruba traditional life
and beliefs in the old city of Oyo, in the heartland of the Yoruba-speaking
people of Nigeria. While I was in Ile-Ife, and privileged to witness
various initiation ceremonies, there was the occasion to hear some of
the young brothers chanting Odu Ifa; and I thought, the challenge of
becoming a Babalawo is great. There is so much to know and so much that
MUST BE TAUGHT to the seeker.
Upon my return to the U.S., I began reading Professor Wande Abimbola's
book, Ifa: An Exposition of Ifa Literary Corpus. As I
read, the task of becoming a Fully Initiated Babalawo seemed even more
daunting. My respect for the effort and time that must go into studying
to earn the right to be initiated as a Babalawo has grown immensely.
It is out of that respect that I offer this particular commentary. Let
me quote from Professor Abimbola. (I encourage you to read his book.
I believe you will also come away understanding the respect that is
due to the training and the perseverance of the ones we call Babalawo.)
There are five classes of Ifa priests.The first
and most important class is made up of priests known as Babalawo Olodu.
These are full Ifa priests who have been initiated into the secrets
of Odu, the mythical wife of Ifa. They are the most qualified Ifa
priests being at once both diviners and healers. The second
class of Ifa priests consists of priests who have been initiated into
the secrets of Odu and who have all the paraphernalia of Ifa divination
and are fully authorized to practise the art of divination. The third
class of Ifa priests is made up of people who have all the paraphernalia
of Ifa divination but who are forbidden to use them to divine for
people outside their own households. To the fourth class are
consigned those Ifa priests who are healers; they are full Ifa priests
but they divine solely for healing purposes. The fifth class
is made up of trained Ifa priests who are neither diviners nor healers
but who have been trained as Ifa priests. They have all the paraphernalia
of Ifa but they do not use them. (emphasis is mine.)
So we encourage you to ask questions as you make your way to Ifa. Ask
those who represent themselves to you as Babalawos or Priestesses the
same kinds of questions we should be asking of our doctors and teachers
when we seek their counsel and instruction. What is your level of initiation?
Where were you initiated? Who initiated you? What Orisa is over your
head? Have you been to Ile-Ife? Were you initiated there? Are you known
among the High Priests or Priestesses of the Orisa you represent? What
is your area(s) of specialty? These are reasonable questions to ask
of someone whom you are intending to trust with being your Babalawo
or Priestess and guiding you into the wisdom of Ifa. And they are questions
that no Babalawo or Priestess should have any difficulty answering and
verifying.
