Palm nuts with blue cloth bag, Nigeria, 1880-1920 The 16 palm
nuts in this bag are used by Yoruba diviners to cast and ask
questions about a person’s illness. The nuts are passed from
hand to hand eight times. Each time, one or two are kept in one
hand and this is marked on a board. The diviner reads the
pattern of these marks and matches it to one of 256 odu (signs
or messages). The 16 palm nuts represent the children of Ifa,
the Yoruba god of healing and divination. The Yoruba people
traditionally live in south-west Nigeria. Related Themes and
Topics There are 367 related objects. View all related objects
Techniques and Technologies: Glossary: divination sets The
practice of seeking knowledge of the future through the
interpretation of omens or other supernatural means.