A Semiotic Study of Totemistic, Panegyrics and Prorairesis Codes Relations between Ifa and Ibeji

Abstract

Differences in cultural pattern account for the differences among human societies generally. The understanding of cultural dynamics of a society is an important way of understanding the value system. Essentially, Ifa is believed to be the springboard of Yoruba culture because virtually every aspect of Yoruba religious and cultural life has on link or the other with Ifa. Previous works on Yoruba religion and culture have neither related Ifa semiotic symbols nor elements with Ibeji-nor established any connection between the two. However, till date, the association of the Yoruba people with the highest number of twin birth especially, dizygotic twins (a male and a female) throughout the world, has been subject of research for long. This gap is filled by this study. The study examines the totemistic, panegyrics and prorairesis codes of If~ with Ibeji. This work relies substantially on Yoruba oral literary texts, especially If~ literary corpus, panegyrics and proverbs. Semiotics, which is the science of signs, is adopted for the analysis of the data, because, symbolism underlies Ifa divination system. It is found out that, there are links in totemistic, panegyrics and prorairesis codes of Ifa with Ibeji. The work concludes that, influence and values of Ifa are felt on lbeji in totemistic, panegyrics and prorairesis codes, which is believed in this work to be one of the reasons for the associations of the Yoruba people with the highest number of twin birth around the globe.