Odu

An odu is one of the signs of Ifá divination. There are sixteen principal ones, which combine in pairs to form two hundred and fifty-six odu in all. Each is represented by a double column of single or double marks and gathers a body of stories, proverbs and prescriptions passed down orally. The diviner does not simply identify the sign: from these stories, the diviner selects those that shed light on the person’s situation. The odu also appear, under other names, in the Fa of Benin.