A Functional Stylistic Analysis of Selected Odù in Ifá Corpus

Abstract

The paper seeks to examine the linguistic aesthetics of the language of Ifá as understood in Yorùbá tradition.Ifá, a storehouse or infinite source of knowledge cuts across every aspect of knowledge:science, technology andhumanities including language. In Africa, particularly among the Yorùbá, Ifá is the most potent means of knowing the future. However, modernity, western education and foreign religions have led to its neglect thereby creating a vacuum for its development. But Ifá is a universal language spoken by every Babaláwo- Ifá priests around the world. Therefore, whenever and wherever divination takes place the language of Ifá is spoken.This makes every Babaláwo functional when it comes to disseminating Ifá messages which include proverbs, riddles, jokes, incantations, rituals, Ìyẹ̀rẹ̀ Ifá and so on. It is on this note that we tried to examine language used in Ifá corpus and its importance. The researchhinged essentially on the data collected through rapid research method in some cities in Yorubaland in south western Nigeria through phoneand quick in-depth interview that was held among twenty Babalawo- Ifá priests who are highly experienced in the act of divination. Information gathered was content analysed. The study submits thatif only the Yoruba/African children are educated through the language derived from Ifá and not through western system of education, African continent would have highly moral and philosophical youths capable of taking up any course of study, have a sane society where we can be our brother’s keepers at the same time be a master communicators. African should wake up to the challenge of updating, unify and strengthen its cultural sphere with its Original African intellectual framework across Africa.