Odù 49 of 256 · Iwori family

Iwori Wode

Skill beats strength: the weak one wins over the strong with intelligence — a sign of the sea, where Olokun ruled that someone will always drown.

Iwori Wode is Odù number 49 of the 256 in Ifá, part of the Iwori family. This page brings together its prayer in Yoruba, 15 patakíes (3 with the full text), its proverbs, 7 ebbós and works and the signs it shows in the consultation; the detail of iré and osogbo, the eewó and the full recipes open with the Babalawo plan — that locked part is still written in Spanish.

The sign at a glance

Order in Ifá
Odù 49 of 256
Composition
Iwori over Odi
Orishas that speak
Olokun · Obatalá (Oshanla) · Osain (Osanyin) · Orisha-Oko · Yemayá · Shangó / Oggún · Orunmila

What Ifá says in this sign

Iwori Wode is the Ifá where black does not turn white: things are what they are, and whoever lives on daydreams loses. But its other ruling hands you the weapon: skill beats strength — here the little bird broke the bull's neck.

Its war is one of prendas: great fights with paleros who hold powerful foundations — even a woman palero who means to get you by bad arts. Obatalá taught the defense: with Osain's cornfield he beat Olokun. Put a white flag in your house to win the war, receive Osain and Olokun, and feed the Warriors and Oshún.

«Black does not turn white — but the skill of Iwori Wode brings down the biggest bull.»The pulse of Iwori Wode

The sea carries a ruling in this odu: Olokun decreed that someone will always drown — do not bathe in the sea or swim out of your depth, and remember the relative the water already took. On land, the same caution: if you bump into someone, do not argue — however big the other looks, they may be weaker, and you may end up in jail over one blow.

Do not live with your eyes shut: your enemies offer you friendship and work against you behind your back, and there is a man setting a trap for you in a deal — do not sign or start anything without looking twice. This is an Ifá of losses for the careless: you work hard without seeing the return — the ebbó changes that account.

And the moral rule that orders the whole sign: do not abuse the weak or look down on anyone, however small they seem — the little one's skill brings the big one down, and you may be on either side of that. Walk on your own, without pride, with your mother praying from above: that is how the weak one of this odu ends up beating the strong.

The sign in one line

Put out a white flag, stay out of the sea and look down on no one — the war of Iwori Wode is won with skill, Osain and your eyes open.

The prayer of Iwori Wode · Yoruba

Iwori Wode Iwori Ifá Iwori Omo Yebe Gongo Layegbe Oshanla, Abere Ni Ifá Olokun Nore Bore Ifá Wolode Fi Alaguema Beyere Ifá Oshanla Lorugbo.

Súyere
Iwori Wode Ifá Leyele · Iwori Wode Ifá Leyele · Iwori Wode Belokun.

Ifá says — what Iwori Wode tells you

Proverbs of Iwori Wode · Òwe

13 proverb interpretations in this Odù, locked.Every proverb explained: which road it comes from and how it applies. Written in Spanish for now.Unlock →

Iré and Osogbo

6 iré and osogbo readings in this Odù, locked.The iré and osogbo of the sign, sorted by subject — health, money, love, death, loss… Written in Spanish for now.Unlock →

What is born in Iwori Wode · Ìbí

What is forbidden · Eewó

5 eewó (taboos) in this Odù, locked.What the child of this sign must not eat, do or wear. Written in Spanish for now.Unlock →

Ebbós of Iwori Wode · The sacrifices that open the road

Beating enemiesEbbó of the cornfield (against the palero)🔒 Babalawo
YemayáEbbó of the sea🔒 Babalawo
EggunEbbó with Oparaldo🔒 Babalawo
HealthEbbó of the trap and the cane husk🔒 Babalawo
4 ebbós in this Odù, locked.Each full recipe: ingredients, preparation and where it goes. Written in Spanish for now.Unlock →

Works of Iwori Wode · The workings of the sign

ProtectionInshé Osanyin of the sign🔒 Babalawo
ProtectionPocket Inshé Osanyin🔒 Babalawo
Orisha-OkoWorship of Orisha-Oko🔒 Babalawo
3 works in this Odù, locked.Each full recipe: ingredients, preparation and where it goes. Written in Spanish for now.Unlock →

Patakíes of Iwori Wode · The roads of the Odù

1The war of Olokun and Obatalá

Olokun threatened to finish off all Obatalá's children, the aguemas. Obatalá, with Osain's herbs and Orunmila's ebbó, scattered corn that sprouted at once; Olokun took it for a great army and asked for peace.

Olokun's children complained about the aguemas, Obatalá's children, who kept them uneasy. Olokun, proud of a monster in his service, went to Obatalá's land singing. Obatalá, who was fishing, heard his bluster and feared for his children; the aguemas prayed and he answered them with Iré Ashegun Otá. Olokun threatened him: «I will finish off not only your children in this land, but all of them, and you will be left alone». Obatalá, knowing he had no strength against the monster, began to weep.

With his agogó he went to Osain's house, and Osain gave him herbs and sent him to Orunmila; Orunmila saw Iwori Wode for him and marked him an ebbó, telling him to scatter its contents — corn — at Enifa. By the virtue of Osain, the corn sprouted and put out ears at once; the aguemas knocked about inside the cornfield making a great noise. Olokun, with his monster ready, looked out from Onika, saw everything covered in corn and took it for a great armed army. Frightened, he said to his monster: «we cannot fight against that; we must make peace with Obatalá». So this Ifá turned into Iré Ashegun Otá.

2Orunmila's advice

A married woman, worn down by a husband who kept a mistress, wanted to drag him out of there and feared he was sending witchcraft against her. Before leaving she went to Orunmila, who marked her an ebbó and gave her advice, and the situation was settled.

A woman who had lived her own way had two grown sons already with partners. She married a man and had two more children, but he took a mistress near the house, and she grew so worn down that she wanted nothing to do with him. She took a lover, but feared her violent husband would kill her, and came to think he was sending witchcraft against her. She wanted to drag him out of the mistress's house and strike them both, but for the children's sake she did nothing. She made up her mind to leave, but first went to Orunmila, who marked her an ebbó and gave her some advice, and so the situation was settled.

3Freedom of life

A bar woman took up with the only man who did not court her, but felt shut in. The Awó told her to hold a party and tell her husband it was for the Jimaguas; he saw it was full of men from the bar and, shamed, left.

There was a most beautiful woman who worked in a bar; everyone courted her, but she would have none of them. One man would come in, drink, pay and leave the change without saying a word to her, which intrigued her. One day she gave him back his change, they talked, and he explained that he was in love but went about it differently. They took up together, but in time she felt shut in and wanted her freedom.

She went to an Awó, who saw this Ifá for her and told her to make ebbó and hold a party, but to tell her husband it was for the Jimaguas; to invite her friends, and though the party was set for 8, to hold it at 6. She did it and hired a band. When the husband arrived and saw that it was not a children's party but one full of men from the bar, he said to himself «what a fool I have been», and left in shame, never to come back. Freedom is not licence.

4The ox and the little bird🔒 Babalawo
5The bull and the sparrow🔒 Babalawo
6When Orishaoko lived with Yemayá🔒 Babalawo
7Odu Isalaye of Orisha-Oko🔒 Babalawo
8The serpent and the toad🔒 Babalawo
9The widow and the soldier🔒 Babalawo
10The poisoned arrow🔒 Babalawo
11Grown years and childhood🔒 Babalawo
12The egg🔒 Babalawo
13Doing nothing and the solution🔒 Babalawo
14The child who wanted to be a tree🔒 Babalawo
15The triplets of the arará king🔒 Babalawo
12 more patakíes in this Odù, locked.Read every road in full with the Babalawo plan. Written in Spanish for now.Unlock →
Before you subscribe: everything you read on this page is in English, but the locked part of the treatise — the full text of the other patakíes, the recipes for the ebbós and works, the iré and osogbo readings and the eewó — is still written in Spanish. We are translating it. · This page is also available in Spanish: See Iwori Wode in Spanish →

Frequently asked questions about Iwori Wode

What does the Odù Iwori Wode mean in Ifá?

Skill beats strength: the weak one wins over the strong with intelligence — a sign of the sea, where Olokun ruled that someone will always drown.

What number is Iwori Wode among the 256 Odù of Ifá?

Iwori Wode is Odù number 49 of the 256 in Ifá, part of the Iwori family.

Which orishas speak in Iwori Wode?

In the Odù Iwori Wode these orishas speak: Olokun, Obatalá (Oshanla), Osain (Osanyin), Orisha-Oko, Yemayá, Shangó / Oggún, Orunmila.

What is a proverb of the Odù Iwori Wode?

One of the proverbs of Iwori Wode says: «Black does not turn white.».

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