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[KyraB]

Mythosphere comments - ORUNMILA

[konamouse]

[dmax]

Orville

[Guest]

Sorry if i'm going way too far into this, but found this info VERY interesting especially the part about the sixteen palm nuts and the other bolded sentences... (I did somewhat alter this text from the original found at http://www.metmuseum.org/explore/oracle/figures12.html)

The threshold between aye, the visible, tangible world of the living, and orun, the invisible spiritual realm of the ancestors, gods, and spirits, represented as the line that bisects and joins the two spherical units of the calabash, is presided over by Orunmila, the deity responsible for the Yoruba system of divination known as Ifa, and Esu (also called Elegba), the divine messenger and mediator. According to Yoruba oral tradition, Orunmila's presence at creation endowed him with knowledge of every human being's destiny. At one time Orunmila (also called Ifa) moved easily
between the realms aye and orun. However, the boundary between those two realms became a nearly impassable chasm after he retired to the world of the gods. While on earth, Orunmila had had eight children. Orunmila's omniscience made him uniquely qualified to serve as a wise counsel to his children, and, in return, he expected to be honored by them. Olowo, his youngest son, rebelled against doing so, precipitating Orunmila's departure for orun. After he abandoned his children, they petitioned him to return. Instead, Orunmila provided each one of them with sixteen palm nuts (ikin Ifa) as a means of addressing questions to him.

Since that time, the ikin have facilitated dialogues between Orunmila and individuals seeking to clarify their destiny. Ifa is consulted at each important phase of one's life, as well as in times of crisis, through the intermediation of professional specialists (babalawo). During Ifa rituals, babalawo repeatedly cast the ikin so that they reveal odu—signs that correlate with ancient verses of poetry that expand on their significance.
The diviner recites these and interprets their significance to suggest influences that are affecting one's life and actions that one might consider taking. Although one's personal destiny (ori inu) is defined before coming into the world, a significant degree of self-determination allows one to make decisions that enable one to fulfill that destiny.

[konamouse]

Post by "sinyx" @collectivedetective
Other: Re: Mythosphere comments - Orunmila


Awesome find. I did some more searching:

"Orunmila/ Orula is the Orisha of divination and wisdom. Priests of
Orunmila are called Babalawo's and are priests of Ifa."

"Orisha are guardian spirits. The Lucumi Yoruba believe in one Higher
Power. They call him Olodumare. They believe that each person has a
Guardian Spirit called an "Orisha". Orisha are aspects of the Supreme
Being that are manifested as forces of nature. When Yoruba slaves were
brought to the New World they brought their beliefs with them. This belief
system is known as Lucumi in Cuba, and Puerto Rico, though it is often
referred to as "Santeria". These beliefs are known as Candomble in
Brazil, and Shango Baptist in Trinidad."

(Info found here: http://www.wemba-music.org/orisha.htm)

Another good site with tons of info:
http://www.cultural-expressions.com/ifa/orisha/orunmila.htm

"Orunmila sojourned to earth on various occasions to assist man at the
crossroads. The crossroads I speak of are the moments we come to in
life that require major decisions or points we get to in life that will
affect the rest of our lives."

"Orunmila the Deity represents the power of wisdom to overcome
misfortune.
Orunmila the Deity represents the power of Divination to analyze our
past, reveal our present and forecast our future. Orunmila the Deity
represents the power of sacrifice to achieve what would other wise be
impossible."

So according to this, he is one of the Orisha, who are guardian
spirits. If you read through the page, you find there is a way for man to
communicate with him to reveal one's fate called Ifa.Only priests of
Orunmila can do this. they are called Babalawo. Here is the Ifa to be used:

Orunmila!
Witness of fate
Second to Oludumare (GOD)
Thou are far more efficacious than medicine,
Thou are the Immense Orbit that averts the day of Death.
My Lord, Almighty to save,
Mysterious Spirit that fought death.
To Thee salutation is first due in the morning,
Thou Equilibrium that adjusts World Forces,
Thou art the One whose exertion it is to reconstruct the creature of
bad lot,
Repairer of ill-luck,
He who knows thee becomes immortal.
Lord, the undeposable king,
Perfect in the House of Wisdom!
My Lord! Infinite in knowledge!
For not knowing thee in full, we are futile,
Oh, if we could but know thee in full,
all would be well with us!

Ase O!


I'm interested in the phrse "Thou are the Immense Orbit that averts the
day of Death." Think Dale could have researched this to try to contact
this diety to change his fate? Know anyone who could be a Babalawo?
Could the being running mythosphere be such? Maybe we should ask Wes about
this. He was obviuosly talking to Dale about something we don't know
yet and the image of the mask he used to have on his website is similar
to a voodoo type mask. Were African slaves ever living in the Pine
Barrens? This may be filled with trout... sorry but just throwing a bunch
of stuff out there.

[mopi]

maybe Digitalis is a Babalawo

[oc2000]

ikin

[oc200]

response same