This topic has been on that has been brewing for sometime. And has recently , gotten alot of attention. Which is bloodless sacrifices to orishas . Some may have what they believe is legit reasons for such implementation of such practices . But whatever legit reasons one thinks they have. I can tell you a banana can never be as the same vibration or energetically force as a he goat. We cant fool ourselves to think everything is replaceable or you can just substitute things to fit your own beliefs. I will let some few bablawos write ups off the internet about this topic . They all expressed themselves on the importance of blood sacrifice under the IFA and orisha spiritual practices. As has stood for eons in yorubaland and its sister branches/variations across the globe. CUBA, BRAZIL, etc .
In odu Oturupon-tumuye, ( odu ifa ) there is a goat being used by malevolent forces to attack you spiritually and cause a stagnation to your work. Ifá authorizes you to "kill" the goat and put the blood on your Ifá icon. This verse gives a description of the goat. Don't joke with Ifá.
In Ìrẹtẹ̀-Ogbe, Ifá says that you should use a rooster, slaughter it and appease Ifá with it, it is unusual to use a rooster (Àkùkọ) to make Ìwúre ( supplication ) to Ifá, this particular rite is used for securing victory over your enemies.
In Èjìogbe, Ọ̀rúnmìlà instructed humans to use animals for their sacrifices due to the animals' ingratitude towards the favor he showed them.
In Ofun-Okanran, the animals willingly said to Ọ̀rúnmìlà to take any of them and use for propitiation whenever he wanted to make appeasement. In the same verse, when asked what the humans would do in appreciation, he said that the men should become "Akápò",( students of IFA) while the women should marry him.
In Ìrẹtẹ̀-méjì, Ọ̀rúnmìlà showed us that it is important to care for the animals we will use for sacrifice. If we are going to keep them for some days before using, we should ensure that they are fed.
In Ìwòrì-Okanran, Ọ̀rúnmìlà revealed the importance of specific taxonomy of both animals and humans in order to prevent their extinction. These are some verses in our sacred Ifá scripture upon which our practice is anchored. Mind you, the animals being used for sacrifice are being sold by humans and it is a major source of livelihood. The sellers of all these items abound in every town in yorubaland, they have children and make everyday spending. This is a major source of income for them .
The animals being used as sacrifices are never wasted as they serve as food for the Babaláwo and the entire community around. Parts of the meat are placed in strategic road junctions usually specified by Ifa oracle. This could be food for stray animals who are believed to be inhabited by spirits whose gratitude for the provided foods can be the point of the answer to the prayers of the one making the offering.
(Babaláwos practicing in each locality can setup a joint volunteer team to ensure that all Ẹbọ placed at different locations should be removed in the morning to prevent environmental pollution) Furthermore, the amount of rodents and birds being used in the animal sacrifices in Yoruba land can pose agricultural risks to a predominantly agragian society IF they are not being used as sacrifices. This is one of the many display of the intentionality and intelligence of the Yoruba spiritual ancestors. If anyone is therefore concerned about the extinction of some animals within the African space, what such person should advocate for is that each house sets up their personal organic livestock farm as it used to be in most houses in the traditional Yoruba society before the craze for urbanization.
In conclusion, there are several lessons as well benefits to glean from the presence of animal sacrifices in the traditional Yoruba-Òrìṣà religion. Evidently, the practice also has economic, nutritional and environmental importance in the traditional African society.
The above assertion is proof of why and how important it is to use animals for sacrifice when the needs arise and especially in the direction to what the Ò̩rúnmìlà says through "Odù Ifá." Like what "Ò̩rúnmìlà" says in
"Ò̩yè̩kú Pe̩lé̩kàn" that; Abo̩ó̩gún wo̩n ò fo̩hùn ibi Abò̩ò̩sà wo̩n ò fo̩hùn òdì Díá fún Ò̩rúnmìlà Níjó̩ wó̩n ní ó wá gbórí akápò wá ló̩run È̩bo̩ ni wó̩n ní kó se, ó gbé̩bo̩; ó rúbo̩ Ò̩rúnmìlà ní tó bá kànràn kóhun gbórí akápò tòhun wá; Òhun a fi teku-te̩ja gbìràrí akápò tòhun Bóbá kànràn kóhun gbórí akápò tòhun wá Òhun a fi te̩ye̩-te̩ran gbìràrí akápò tòhun...
Sequel to the above "Odù Ifá," Ò̩rúnmìlà explains how he used animals in subdued of his head when the evil one is requesting for life. This clearly states how essential it is to use animals as sacrifice interchangeably of one's life if the needs arise and there's a clear directive from "Odù Ifá."
2.) Replacement for Animal Sacrifices Ọ̀rúnmìlà says:
B'íkú bá lóun ó jà, b'ójú Ifá bẹ̀jẹ̀ á rọ̀, B'árùn bá lóun ó jà, b'ójú Ifá bẹ̀jẹ̀ á rọ̀, B'Ófò bá lóun ó jà, b'ójú Ifá bẹ̀jẹ̀ á rọ̀, B'ọ́ràn bá lóun ó jà, b'ójú Ifá bẹ̀jẹ̀ á rọ̀, B'ẹ́jọ́ bá lóun ó jà, b'ójú Ifá bẹ̀jẹ̀ á rọ̀, Bí gbogbo ajogun ibi bá láwọn ó jà, b'ójú Ifá bẹ̀jẹ̀ á rọ̀.
Whenever death threatens to strike, present animal blood offerings to Ifá, and the powerful death will become powerless. When sickness, viruses, and diseases rise against you, do not hesitate to offer animal blood to Ifá, these forces shall lose their grip over you. What of when the spiritual forces of loss or destruction threaten your home or well-being? My dear, once blood of animal is offered to Ifá, such forces will be rendered ineffective.
When trouble looms; be it spiritual or physical, Ifá's gaze upon your animal blood offering will neutralize its negative impact. Even in the face of litigation or other complex spiritual challenges, they become powerless when Ifá accepts your animal blood sacrifice. The reality is that Ọ̀rúnmìlà and other Òrìṣàs recognize the potency of animal blood as a vital instrument to subdue and regulate attacks from negative forces.
For this reason, blood offerings are highly recommended to neutralize such forces. You can choose to be a proud vegetarian, but let me tell you, the evil forces aren’t on a plant-based diet. The moment you try to offer them fruits, veggies, or some tofu as a substitute for blood, that’s when you’ll find out the hard way that they’re hardcore carnivores. Trust me, they won’t hesitate to "rearrange your incorrect head" for disrespecting their menu preferences. Pàtàki julọ, blood offerings hold profound spiritual significance. They are a means of shielding yourself from harm and securing divine intervention in times of need.
3.) Substitutes for Animal Sacrifices Using animals for sacrifices, as we all know, is a very essential aspect of Ifá and its traditions. The animal sacrifices are done following the instructions given in a certain Odù,IFA . This practice has been in existence for a very long time.
The suitable animals are not just prescribed by the diviner but are guided by Ifá. Can the Animals Be Substituted by Others, Like Plants, Foods, or Something Else? Before answering this question, it's important to remind ourselves that each item used in Ifá has its own significance.
Take, for instance, salt and honey, which represent sweetness; water, which represents coolness; palm oil, which represents success and breakthroughs; shea butter, which represents comfort; gin, which represents celebrations; bananas, which are used to seek convenience; and so on. Similarly, the animals used have specific purposes: roosters, male goats, and rams are used to seek various blessings, especially longevity and victory over challenges.
Snails are used to seek peace and comfort, guinea fowls are used in seeking wealth and comfort, pigeons represent riches and honor, while ducks are used for honor, and so on. Again, the animals are selected according to the instructions given in the divination. Can the animals be substituted with non-living things? The answer is no, as everything has its own significance. Moreover, the situation of the person receiving the divination determines what should be used as Ẹbọ.
Taking the Odù Ifá of Ògúndá-Ọ̀yẹ̀kú as an example: Ifá says,
"Àrúfín awo agbe ló dífá f'ágbe Àrúdà awo Àlùkò ló dífá fún Àlùkò Àdàkan-Àdàkàn lẹbọ onípapà-ń-dà. Adífá fún Ọ̀rúnmìlà, Níjọ́ tí ń bẹ láàárín ọ̀tá..
." Ọ̀rúnmìlà was the one surrounded by war and challenges. These challenges were so intense that he could not, even for a moment, enjoy peace of mind. To resolve these problems, Ọ̀rúnmìlà sought divination. According to the divination, a ram was needed to help Ọ̀rúnmìlà fight off the evils. Ọ̀rúnmìlà followed the instructions, and while offering the ram, he affirmed: "The battles in my front, left, right, and center should be taken away by the ram. The ram should stand firm and fight the battle!" Here, the ram was steadfast and fought the battle for Ọ̀rúnmìlà. In this sense, can plants give Ọ̀rúnmìlà the victory the ram gave him? The answer is no, because his situation required a ram, not anything else. The same applies to many other Odùs where Ifá prescribes a specific animal as a remedy.
However, blood usage is not always the only recommendation by Ifá. Sometimes, Ifá recommends plants, foods, and even fruits, depending on the person's situation. Are the Babaláwos Emotionless Toward Animals? The truth is, we, Babaláwos, have feelings for animals too which is one of one of the reasons why we chant "Ifá ló pa ọ́, èmi ò mẹsẹ̀ ikú ẹyẹ, ẹran..." Ifá k!lls the sacrificed animal, not me. However, another the key point to understand is that using animals for sacrifices is a way of helping them fulfill their destiny. Ifá made it clear that the calling of the animals is to be sacrificed, so when they are used, they are assisted in fulfilling their purpose.
In the Odù of Ìwòrìwẹrẹ̀, Ifá says: "Adìẹ sìpín yàn ó mórí ẹbọ wáyé...:" meaning that chickens chose the wrong destiny of being sacrificial items. Hence, using them for sacrifice is never a crime. Conclusively, I am not against bringing new ideas to Ifá, but before doing so, ensure that whatever you're introducing aligns with the given instructions of Ifá. If you believe you can manipulate the rules of Ifá by replacing animal sacrifices with something else, you're only deceiving yourself. Our dear father, Chief Ifayemi Ayinde Elebuibon, once sang, "Ẹ jẹ́ kí á ṣeé bí wọn ṣe ń ṣeé, kó lè baà rí bò ṣe yẹ kí ó rí," meaning, "Let’s do it in accordance with the laid-down guidelines so as to get the expected results." Doing it otherwise brings nothing but failure.
4. Mr Oluwatoyin Vincent Adepoju asked a Question this morning. He said; why is animal sacrifice indispensable in IFA? As you know,He reasons logically but he may not understand that PROF. is wrong by condemning us traditional people for offering animals as sacrifices as someone who claimed to know IFÁ. I shared this for others to Learn, because knowledge is not limited. Read my response below; I will break it down for you. Every tradition has its principles and very unique. Every human eat daily too but we all have different diets.
In IFÁ, animal sacrifice is indispensable because different problems ORUNMILA and other IRUNMOLE encountered,they use both animals and herbs depending on the situations of things. Once they eat meat,he disvovered the animals can be used in the spiritual aspect too. He discovered that such animals would be more honourable instead of just being killed and eaten because either being used for sacrifice or eaten both are sacrifices. Eating is sacrifice for the mouth and human body but pouring the blood to ÒRÌṢÀ is valuable than pouring it away without having any significant or value.
Logically,animals offered as sacrificed to IFÁ are more honourable and loved unlike how the butchers just kill them and turn them to meat without anything honour. We eat and enjoy the meat of the animal with love and unity. This bring us together when we have festivals. IFÁ is our origin and the knowledge is wide. In addition, not all sacrifices require animals but so far we eat. Whatever we eat we can sacrifice to IFÁ and ÒRÌṢÀ. This is why Animal sacrifice is indispensable. Àbọrú Àbọyè
5.) Ìṣẹ̀ṣe people are more about sustainable growth and development that others or at least they could be if not presently marginalized by the greater society. However, to do away with animal sacrifice would mean complete annihilation of all of the òrìṣà worship groups, festivals, initiations, verses of the odù - everything! The use of animals is deeply embedded in the tradition and it is an important part that connects the spirit realm with humans and nature. The life-force is given to the deities and the meat is cooked and eaten by devotees, family, friends, and neighbors.
You would, literally, have to reword each and every verse of all of the odù and remove the admonition to sacrifice - that is thousands upon thousands of verses essentially changing the nature of the entirety of the practice. Cultural genocide is what I call that. The strategic use of foreign elements to incorporate them into indigenous ritual is something that happens all over the world in native cultures. The Yorùbá are no exception and have been doing so for a long time in remarkable ways. Its especially enjoyable to appreciate when it doesn't compromise Yorùbá crafts and aesthetics and only "enhances." Perhaps that is the point that should be stressed; the need for Yorùbá people to value one's own and not compromise it by completely adopting that of others to replace that which is at the core of Yorùbá culture.
6.) Adopting point of view of this Professor and his supporters is nothing but a total nullification of essence and significance of several Ifá verses. It is not limited to only that, but also tampering the wisdom in which Ọ̀rúnmìlà has put in place, programming Ifá has laid down to avert misfortunes, and to embrace divine favors. For instance, rites such as; Èyí o wí ṣẹ, Ọ̀rúnmìlà! O wọnú ẹ̀jẹ̀ Èyí o wí ṣẹ o! O wọnú ẹ̀jẹ̀.. How is it going to be substituted? Is it going to be like; Èyí o wí ṣẹ, Ọ̀rúnmìlà! O wọnú red wine Èyí o wí ṣẹ o? As much and as well we all know that varieties of animals can be offered to Òrìṣàs, we should note that there are situations that certain instruction comes with what to do with the required animal.
For example, if you offer a goat in Ogbè Ìwòrì, you are to use the animal skin for drum. If now we are offering crafted wood, how are we going to get skin from crafted wood to produce a drum? Come to realization of a verse in Ìrosùn méjì. Ọ̀rúnmìlà was strictly stating it that "if I ask for obì, do not offer Ìgbín; (snail) if it is an òkété ( bush rat) that I requested for, why would you tell the consulter that I ask for ẹran?"(meat)
Ará kúlúwẹ́ ní fọṣọ wọn lórí yangí Bí òjò ò rọ̀ mọ́ Ará ọ̀run ò fọṣọ A dífá fún wọn ní Ìmẹ̀sì-Orò A bù fún wọn ní Yáwọ́pa.. A ní ẹ pa obì Ẹ ṣe le lọ pa Ìgbín? Òkété ni Ifá gbà Ẹ ṣe le sọ pé Ifá gba ẹran?..
This is reinforcing it that a renowned devotee cannot do things anyhow he likes. There are guides to follow. If those guides are abandoned, then it is entirely a different practice, not Ifá's. When sacrifices are made in reference and alignment with Ọ̀rúnmìlà's instructions, it's Ìwà pẹ̀lẹ́ ( good character) and faith the devotees apply while waiting for the prayed tunes. If the said sacrifices are not made in accordance with the instructions laid, anymore, it's a wait in vain.
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