Signs of Ifá: the 256 odù and their meaning

The Ifá signs, called odù or oddun, are the 256 configurations through which Orunmila communicates his teachings and guidance. The corpus is divided into 16 main odù and 240 combinations. Each sign includes verses, patakís, proverbs, advice, prohibitions, and ebo related to the different situations a person may experience.

To understand the religious basis of the oracle, you can consult our explanation on What is Ifá?The directory of the 256 signs allows access to the individual treatise of each odu.

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What are the odù or signs of Ifá?

The odù are the expressions through which the word of Ifá is organized. Each sign has a graphic representation, a name, a position within the corpus, and numerous teachings transmitted through verses and stories.

During a consultation, the revealed odu reveals the forces acting upon the person, the causes of a situation, and the necessary actions to resolve it. Its interpretation does not consist of reading a fixed definition: the message depends on how the sign manifests, the witnesses present, and the questions asked of Orunmila.

The odu also possess a divine nature. Ifá recounts that, before returning to heaven, Orunmila announced the arrival of these deities to act in his name and preserve his principles on Earth. This dimension is related to Iwa Odù, the ancestral Mother and custodian of the mysteries of destiny.

When the principal odu arrived on Earth, sixteen thrones were prepared to receive them. Ofun Meji, also called Òràngún Méjì, led the group, but Ejiogbe was the first to cross the threshold separating heaven from Earth. Although he was the youngest, his early arrival caused him to be received as the eldest. This event explains his position at the beginning of the Afro-Cuban Ifá order.

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How are the 256 Ifá signs formed?

The Ifá corpus is organized into two main categories:

Category	Quantity	Training
Ojú Odù	16.	These are the main odù or meyi, formed when a sign combines with itself.
Amulù Odù u omoluos	240.	They arise from combinations between two different main odu.
Total	256.	The result of combining the 16 main odu with each other: 16 × 16.

Each main odù can be combined with itself and with the other fifteen, giving rise to a family of sixteen signs.

When an odu combines with itself, it acquires the connotation MejiThe Yoruba term "Ogbe" means "two" or "double." This is how Oyekun Meji, Iwori Meji, Odi Meji, and the other double odu are formed. In the specific case of Ogbe, the union of Ogbe-Ogbe is called Ejiogbe, which also expresses the duplication of Ogbe.

The other fifteen combinations of his family are formed by joining Ogbe with the other main odù: Ogbe Oyekun —known in Cuba as Ogbe Yekun—, Ogbe Iwori —called Ogbe Weñe—, Ogbe Odi, Ogbe Iroso and so on until reaching Ogbe Ofun.

The same principle is repeated in the sixteen families. When two different odù are joined, one of the 240 Amúlù Odù or omoluos is formed. The order is determining: Ogbe Iwori and Iwori Ogbe contain the same originating odù, but they are distinct signs, occupy different positions within the corpus, and have their own treatises.

The writing of signs

Each odu is represented by two parallel columns of four positions. In each position, a single line or a double line appears. The combination of these eight marks allows one to identify one of the 256 signs.

When using the opelé, the configuration is directly recognized by the position of its eight segments. In the ikin consultation, the lines are drawn on the iyefá spread on the opón Ifá. The babalawo identifies the odù by its markings and begins to investigate its orientation and its message.

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The 16 meyi: main signs of Ifá

The sixteen meyi form the basis of the corpus. Each one represents a great force and, when combined with the others, gives rise to a family composed of sixteen signs.

Baba Ejiogbe

Ejiogbe represents light, creation, birth, and the expansion of life. It revealed how Orí came to occupy a permanent place in the human body and teaches the importance of respecting the head and one's personal destiny.

This odu promotes growth, clarity, and progress, but also warns against impatience, pride, and the desire to obtain results without completing the necessary processes.

Oyekun Meyi (Òyèkú Méjì)

Oyekun represents the night, spiritual depth, death, and the return to the ancestors. She revealed how Orunmila taught human beings to protect themselves from premature death.

It doesn't speak only of destruction. It also contains the mystery of gestation, rest, transformation, and the rebirth that begins after a cycle closes.

Iwori Meyi (Ìwòrì Méjì)

Iwori represents that which remains hidden within: thoughts, intentions, and the fire that burns beneath the surface. It teaches us to observe before speaking and to carefully examine our own and others' motivations.

It warns against arrogance, ingratitude, deceit, and decisions made without sufficient reflection.

Odi Meyi (Òdí Méjì)

Odi represents containment, closure, gestation, and the boundaries that protect what is being formed. It recommends concluding exhausted processes to open new stages of life.

It speaks of sexuality, human relationships, regret, and the consequences of impulsive decisions. Its power can protect and preserve, but also imprison that which refuses to evolve.

Iroso Meyi (Ìrosùn Méjì)

Iroso teaches that success requires facing obstacles and making necessary sacrifices. He advised the deities to avoid establishing laws so rigid that they would generate rejection and disobedience.

It relates to tears, memory, the depths of the Earth, and the need to identify the real causes of a problem before attempting to solve it.

Ojuani Meyi (Òwónrín Méjì)

Ojuani represents movement, sudden changes, and the possibility of transforming misfortune. It teaches how to let go of the past and maintain hope in the face of life's setbacks.

Their dynamism can open paths, but it can also produce instability when the person acts without direction, discipline, or the ability to listen to advice.

Obara Meyi (Òbàrà Méjì)

Obara is related to language, family relationships, societies, and public recognition. It represents rest and recovery after going through difficulties.

It also warns of betrayal, disrepute, insecurity, and conflicts caused by speaking imprudently. Obara begins the group of signs whose graphic inversion produces a configuration with a different name.

Okana Meyi (Òkànràn Méjì)

Okana represents drive, fire, transformation, and the justice that compels us to correct excesses. It speaks of agriculture, trade, and the response of peoples to unjust conditions.

Their energy demands mastery of character, because arrogance, obstinacy, and aggressiveness can turn an opportunity for change into conflict.

Ogunda Meyi (Ògúndá Méjì)

Ogunda combines intelligence, work, and strength. It is associated with iron, tools, technological advancements, surgery, and the ability to transform nature.

It also speaks of struggles, aggression, disputes, and survival. It teaches that force should be guided by reason to build rather than destroy.

Osa Meyi (Òsá Méjì)

Osa represents time, change, and the forces of nature that disrupt the established order. It speaks of winds, storms, earthquakes, and other transformative processes.

It also preserves teachings on discrimination, slavery, and conflicts between peoples. It affirms that before Olodumare, there are no differences that justify the superiority of one person over another.

Ika Meyi (Ìká Méjì)

Ika represents conflict, resistance, and forces that move silently. It is associated with reptiles, the deep sea, and that which must be observed with caution.

It speaks of violence and cowardice as the opposite of peace and courage. It teaches how to recognize danger without acting out of fear.

Otrupon Meyi (Òtúrúpòn Méjì)

Otrupon, also called Ologbon Meji, reveals how the faculty of intelligence came into being. It relates to the organization, hierarchy, and place of deities, human beings, animals, and plants.

It teaches that knowledge must be accompanied by order and discipline to produce lasting results.

Otura Meyi (Òtúrá Méjì)

Otura represents clarity, spiritual elevation, justice, and renewal. It strengthens family and community bonds and teaches how to find solutions through knowledge.

It also expresses the succession of day and night and the relationship between past, present, and future. Its light allows us to recognize what was previously unclear.

Irete Meyi (Ìretè Méjì)

Irete teaches that possessions and achievements depend on effort, perseverance, and the ability to fulfill obligations. It relates to recovery, maturity, and the ability to rise after a fall.

It also warns against the use of force to obtain benefits and against debts that must be paid through work and sacrifice.

Oshe Meyi (Òsé Méjì)

Oshe represents fertility, abundance, sweetness, and victory over difficulties. It holds teachings related to blood, wealth, and the arrival of money on Earth.

Their prosperity must be managed with prudence, for excess, comfort, and conflict can cause a blessing to be lost.

Ofun Meyi (Òfún Méjì)

Ofun represents culmination, wisdom, rest, and the fulfillment of cycles. He was the first to come from the sky, returned, and ended up occupying the last position within the Afro-Cuban order.

It speaks of creation, life, death, and enlightenment. Its final position does not express inferiority: it represents the conclusion that contains the accumulated experience of the journey.

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Treatise on the 256 odu or signs of Ifa

The following directory compiles the sixteen main odu and their 240 combinations. Each entry leads to the individual treatise for the sign, where you will find its meaning, recommendations, prohibitions, proverbs, Ifá sayings, prayers, ebo, patakís, and traditional verses.

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What do the Ifá signs mean?

The signs reflect Orunmila's message through stories, advice, warnings, and taboos. Their purpose is to help recognize imbalances that affect a person's path and to show the actions necessary to live in ire (good fortune).

Each odu has a general meaning, but it doesn't produce the same message in every consultation. The babalawo must determine which of its verses or stories corresponds to the situation presented.

The interpretation considers different elements:

• The main odu revealed.
• The signs that act as witnesses.
• The manifestation in ire, osogbo or other investigated orientation.
• The situation for which the consultation is being made.
• The person's background.
• The verses and patakís related to the case.
• The answers obtained when asking about the ebo.

From the Ifá religious perspective, the physical and spiritual worlds are interconnected. When something disrupts this harmony, the odù reveals how the imbalance began and what must be done to correct it.

The stories explain what each odu experienced in heaven, the sacrifices recommended to them before descending to Earth, and the consequences of fulfilling or rejecting them. In their earthly dimension, they show how these forces manifested among human beings.

When an odu appears in an Igbodun or consecration room, the person becomes linked to the cycle and teachings that that sign initiated in the sky and continued on Earth.

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How are the Ifá signs read?

The two columns that form the odù are traditionally read from right to left. The sign can be obtained through the opelé or through the manipulation of the ikin.

Divination with the opelé

The opelé is a chain made up of eight segments that can land in two positions. When the chain is thrown onto the mat or next to the board, the positions of its eight elements produce the configuration corresponding to one of the 256 signs.

The priest first reads the column on his right and then the one on his left. The resulting combination allows him to immediately identify the odu.

Divination with the ikin

In the ikin consultation, the babalawo places the sacred seeds of Orunmila in one hand and tries to pick them up with the other. When two ikin remain, he draws a single line on the iyefá; when only one remains, he draws a double line.

The process is repeated until all eight positions that form the two columns of the sign are completed. This method of marking the odu on the board is called atefar in the Afro-Cuban tradition.

Obtaining the sign is only the beginning. Afterwards, its orientation, its witnesses, the reason for the consultation, and the corresponding offering must be investigated.

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Table for studying the signs of Ifá

The writing system allows each odu to be recognized by the arrangement of its single and double lines. The current table should be preserved as a visual aid for identifying the sixteen main signs.

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Ifá signs by numbers and their relationship with the Dilogún

In the Afro-Cuban tradition, a correspondence is established between the sixteen principal odu of Ifá and the signs of the Dilogún. This relationship facilitates comparison between the two corpora, but it does not mean that they are the same oracle.

The Dilogún has its own rules, positions, and methods of interpretation. An Ifá odu should not be read automatically as if it were its corresponding cowrie shell divination.

Main Odù of Ifá	Correspondence in Dilogún
Ejiogbe.	Unle (8).
Oyekun.	Eyioko (2).
Iwori.	Manula (15).
I hate.	Odi (7).
Iroso.	Iroso (4).
Ojuani.	Ojuani (11).
Obara.	Obara (6).
Okana.	Okana (1).
Ogunda.	Ogunda (3).
Bear.	Bear (9).
Run away.	Merinlá (14).
Otrupon.	Eyilá Sheborá (12).
Otura.	Merindilogún (16).
Irete.	Metanla (13).
Oshe.	Oshe (5).
Ofun.	Ofun (10).

Genealogical order of the Ifá signs

The names and positions of the odu can vary between territories and lineages. The following comparison shows an order transmitted for Oyo, Benin, and the Afro-Cuban Osha-Ifá tradition.

Oyo	Benin	Cuba, Osha-Ifá
Eji Ogbe.	Eji Ogbe.	Eyiogbe.
Oyeku Meji.	Oyekun Meji.	Oyekun Meyi.
Iwori Meji.	Iwori Meji.	Iwori Meyi.
Idi Meji.	Odi Meji.	Odi Meyi.
Obara Meji.	Obara Meji.	Iroso Meyi.
Okanran Meji.	Okonron Meji.	Ojuani Meyi.
Irosun Meji.	Irosun Meji.	Obarameyi.
Owonrin Meji.	Owonrin Meji.	Okana Meyi.
Ogunda Meji.	Ogunda Meji.	Ogunda Meyi.
Osa Meji.	Osa Meji.	Osa Meyi.
Etura Meji.	Irete Meji.	Otura Meyi.
Irete Meji.	Etura Meji.	Irete Meyi.
Eka Meji.	Oturupon Meji.	Ika Meyi.
Eturukpon Meji.	Osé Meji.	Otrupon Meyi.
Osé Meji.	Oragun.	Oshe Meyi.
Ofun Meji.	Eka Meji.	Ofun Meyi.

The differences mainly affect the order and certain regional forms of the names. They do not modify the existence of the odù nor the fundamental structure of the corpus.

Why do different orders exist?

An Ifá story recounts that the inhabitants of Oyo went to Ogbe Alara, a disciple of Orunmila, to learn the signs and their order. Ogbe Alara drew the sixteen odu on the board, and they began their return journey carrying the tray.

During their journey, they were caught in a storm. The wind stirred the iyefá and scattered the markings. The travelers remembered the names and the script of the symbols, but they could not reconstruct the exact order in which they had been placed.

When they tried to return, Ogbe Alara had already departed for heaven. They then established the order they had managed to remember, which was later passed down in Oyo.

This account religiously explains the regional differences and reminds us that the corpus was preserved for centuries through memory and oral transmission.

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What does “Dice Ifá” mean?

“Dice Ifá” is an expression used to introduce the advice and warnings that Orunmila communicates through an odù. It can also refer to the interpretive summary that the priests prepare from the verses, proverbs, and patakís of each sign.

The Ifá divination system is not an independent oracle nor a judgment that should be applied identically to everyone. Its content must be interpreted according to the position of the odu and its manifestation in ire, osogbo, or ayewo.

For this reason, two people can receive the same sign and need different guidance. The odu is the same, but the problem being investigated, the witnesses, and the conditions of each consultation change.

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What is an Oddun Toyale?

In Afro-Cuban divination, the Oddun Toyale is the main sign revealed during the consultation. It represents the present situation of the person consulting and guides the investigation into their problems, recommendations, and offerings.

The babalawo extracts from the Toyale the verses, proverbs, and patakís related to the case. However, he does not interpret them in isolation: he uses other signs as witnesses to expand upon and confirm his message.

Oddun Okuta Kula

Okuta Kula is the first witness. He allows us to delve deeper into the reason why the Toyale was revealed and the circumstances that led the person to the consultation.

Odu Tomala Belashe

Tomala Belashe acts as a second witness. She helps determine the development of the problem and participates in the investigation of the necessary ritual to correct it.

The secret Oddun or Amotorun Iwa

The combination used between the Toyale and the second witness allows for the formation of a fourth sign known as the secret Oddun or Amotorun Iwa. This expands the message and can indicate a complementary guidance or offering.

For example, if the Toyale is Iroso Obara and the second witness belongs to Ogbe Ka, the complementary sign used in this scheme would be Iroso Ka.

The terminology and distribution of witnesses may vary between Ifá houses. The above explanation corresponds to a scheme widely transmitted within Afro-Cuban practice.

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Esé and patakís: the stories of the odù

The ẹsẹ Ifá are verses through which the teachings of each odù are transmitted. They contain narratives, dialogues, invocations, proverbs, and formulas related to the consultation.

In Afro-Cuban tradition, the word patakí is widely used to refer to the religious stories preserved within Ifá and Dilogún. Although both terms are related, an ẹsẹ can contain more elements than the narrative later summarized as a patakí.

These stories recount events involving Orunmila, the orishas, ​​human beings, animals, plants, and other elements of creation. Each one allows us to understand how a situation unfolded and what the consequences were of accepting or rejecting a sacrifice.

New things and old things in Ejiogbe

A story from Ejiogbe tells that Orunmila was worried because no one seemed to understand the beginning and the end of things. Ogun claimed to know the answer, and Orunmila decided to test him.

First, he showed him some brand-new iron tools and promised to give them to him. When Ogun returned to get them, he found old and worn-out tools instead.

Later, Obatalá saw a beautiful young woman in the enclosure. Upon re-entering, he found an old woman. Orunmila explained that both images illustrated the same principle: the new ages, and from that which ages, a new continuity arises.

Time allows us to grow, evolve, and thrive, but it also transforms the new into the old. Continuity arises when one stage passes on its experience to the next.

The story demonstrates why a patakí should not be read merely as an ancient tale. Its teachings can be applied to the body, family, objects, relationships, and the cycles of life.

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How Ejiogbe became the first of the odu

After the sixteen odu arrived on Earth, the need arose to choose a leader. Oyekun claimed seniority, and Ejiogbe was considered one of the lesser ones. The odu went before Orishanla to make the decision.

During a meal, the elders divided the animals' limbs among themselves and gave the heads to Ejiogbe. Unwittingly, they were granting him the part that represents direction, authority, and destiny.

Before the final meeting, Ejiogbe consulted Ifá and performed an offering to Eshu. Following his advice, he helped an old woman on her way, carried her firewood, and shared food and water with her. The woman turned out to be Orishanlá's mother.

As a reward, he dressed him in regalia and led him to the meeting place. The other odu did not recognize him and, following Orishanla's command, bowed before him.

Orishanlá explained that they themselves had designated Ejiogbe as leader by repeatedly giving him the animal heads. Later, Eshu helped him overcome the trials imposed by the other odu.

Finally, Ejiogbe was recognized as the first within the Afro-Cuban order and received the title of Akoko Olokun. The story teaches that hierarchy does not depend solely on age: it is also achieved through intelligence, sacrifice, respect, and good character.

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Frequently asked questions about the Ifá signs

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Sources and editorial criteria

This directory presents the odu from the Ifá tradition and pays special attention to the corpus preserved in Cuba. The names, orders, verses, and procedures may vary between regions and lineages.

• UNESCO, The Ifá divination system.
• Wande Abimbola, Ifá: An Exposition of Ifá Literary Corpus.
• William Bascom, Ifa Divination: Communication Between Gods and Men in West Africa.
• Jacob K. Olupona and Rowland O. Abiodun, Ifá Divination, Knowledge, Power, and Performance.
• The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Art and Oracle: African Art and Rituals of Divination.
• Treatises on the odù and knowledge transmitted within African and Afro-Cuban Ifá lineages.

When an interpretation specifically belongs to Afro-Cuban practice, its context is identified. The ceremonies and confidential procedures must be learned directly from consecrated elders and not solely through public texts.

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Fundamentals for understanding the signs of Ifá

The study of the odu is part of a much broader religious knowledge. Learn the fundamentals of Ifá, the work of the babalawo, the importance of good character, and the role of Iwa Odù and Esu within this tradition.