An ọpọ́n Ifá is a divination tray used in traditional African and Afro-American religions, notably in the system known as Ifá and in Yoruba tradition more broadly. The etymology of ọpọn, literally meaning "to flatter", explains the artistic and embellished nature of the trays, as they are meant to praise and acknowledge the noble work of the babalawo (diviners). The etymology of the term Ifá, however, has been a subject of debate. Ifá may be considered an oriṣa, a Yoruba deity — specifically, the oriṣa of divination Ọrunmila. Conversely, some scholars have referred to Ifá merely as the "great consulting oracle" as opposed to a god or a deity, without any divine connotations. Opon Ifá are typically made by wood carvers who specialize in the trays, and are made with designs per request of the patron babalawo or by the carver's own accord. The emphasis on the tray's design is not only due to their "flattering" nature, but also because of their functionality during consultation. Different carvers employ various aesthetic styles within West Africa and in the African diaspora, but most carvers are able to trace their influence back to Oyo, in present-day Nigeria. During divination consultations, the opon Ifá is used by a babalawo to communicate with Ifá, who is able to identify the causes and solutions to personal and collective problems, and to restore harmony with the spirits. An intermediary orisha, Eṣu, serves as the messenger between the babalawo and Ifá, as the two spirits are close companions to each other. In conjunction with other divine instruments such as an iroke Ifá (diviner's tapper), ikin Ifá (sacred palm or kola nuts) or opele Ifá (divination chain), and iyẹrosun (divining powder), the opon Ifá is used to determine the Odu verses associated with a patron's particular predicament. Once an odu is revealed by Ifá, the babalawo then elucidates a solution that is embedded in the archetypal story described in the specific odu.
Structure Opon Ifá are wooden, generally between 15 and 46 centimeters (6 and 18 inches) in diameter, and are flat and usually circular; however, rectangular, semi-circular, and approximately square specimens have also been observed. The trays exhibit a raised outer perimeter – often embellished with carved figures, objects, and abstract geometric designs. The artistic intricacy of the peripheral carvings are a status marker among babalawos, and suggest their importance to clients. The top of the tray is called the "head" or the oju opon, and the bottom is conversely called the "feet" or the ese opon. Typically, the head is adorned with a carved depiction of Esu, the messenger of Ifá. Certain trays may have additional representations of Esu, and trays with two, four, eight, and even sixteen faces have been studied. In such cases, the "head" of the tray may be designated by cowries. The cowries are also used to spread the sacred divining powder, iyerosun. The peripheral markings of the opon Ifá are functional as well as ornamental. They serve to divide the perimeter into nine different sections that contribute symbolic significance during consultations. Each section is named after one of nine ancient and influential diviners. In a divination reading, the babalawo sits facing east with the opon Ifá in front of them, such that the "feet" of the tray is closest to them. In this orientation, the oju opon ("face of the tray"), ese opon ("feet of the tray"), ona kanran ("straight path"), and the ona murun ("direct path") are respectively situated on the east, west, south and north sides of the tray's perimeter. On the diagonals from these cardinal directions are four additional sections or diviners: alaselosi ("the one who implements with the left") to the northeast, alabolotun ("the one who proposes with the right") to the southeast, afurukeresayo ("the one who has a diviner's fly-whisk and is happy") to the northwest, and ajiletepowo ("an early riser who sits down and prospers") to the southwest. The final section is the space in the center of the tray, the erilade opon ("the meeting place that crowns all"), for a total of nine sections. These sections come into play during consultations when the babalawo individually evokes the presence of Ifá and the nine ancient diviners before beginning the reading of the tray. The circumference of opon Ifá may also be carved with animals that are significant in Yoruba mythology. Such markings are believed by practitioners to allow the babalawo to harness the powers of the depicted animal, enhancing the general efficacy of the tray, or heightening the effectiveness of certain odu. The abilities of the animals can sometimes be inferred by examining their roles in any of the 256 archetypal stories associated with the odu. For instance, opon Ifá may display carvings of bush rats, or okete, which in Yoruba mythology can take on human form to conduct nighttime mischief. Birds are also depicted, which symbolize witchcraft. Finally, according to diviners from Oyo, Nigeria, snakes may symbolize the efficacy of Ifá divination as a whole, as it is believed that snakes obtained their venomous capacity from Ifá – as outlined in the odu okaran asa. Furthermore, snakes may symbolize Ifá himself, perhaps responsible for their prevalence in opon Ifá and in other Yoruba art. When abstract or crisscross markings are incorporated with zoomorphic imagery, they may offer a kinetic and sentient quality to the depicted animals, further enhancing the tray's divine potency.
Yoruba carvers Historically, Yoruba carvers played an important role in their communities – many were specialists, creating an array of objects from the banal (e.g. stools, walking sticks, etc.) to the divine (e.g. shrine sculptures, headdresses, etc.). Most of the carvers specialized in opon Ifá traced their roots to Are Lagbayi, a master palace wood carver of old Oyo, in present-day Nigeria. His legacy is continued by the opon Ifá carvers who are frequented by babalawo, and create trays with designs of their own discretion or by request of their patron diviners. Some sources of aesthetic inspiration are the fables of storied diviners, the spirits and archetypal everyday experiences described by the odu, and instruments used during Ifá consultations – such as the iroke Ifá.
Variations
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