Iwori Wode

nº 49 of 256

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.

15 patakíes 5 eewó 7 ebbós and works 13 proverbs

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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 — with the full eewó in plain sight; the detail of iré and osogbo and the full recipes open with The Notebook, in English.

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

Lodafun Orunmila and Obatalá. Odù Isalaye of Orisha-Oko.
Great wars with paleros who hold powerful prendas.
The selfishness of children who want to rule their parents.
An Ifá of losses: your body is strong, but the losses will come.
Happenings of the sea: tidal waves, sea storms, heavy swell.
You cannot live with your eyes shut: mistrust everyone.
Your enemies offer you their friendship and work against you behind your back.
A loose life in your youth — and freedom is not licence.
The bullfight: the bull and the bullfighter; and the bull and the little bird, who broke its neck by skill.
There is no complete happiness: trouble with the family always comes up, and cheating in the marriage on both sides.
Someone wants to destroy the Awó or apetebí of this Ifá; they want to take everything you have.
Trouble in the blood, which loses or gains strength all at once, and trouble with the kidneys.
A relative or a friend who drowned in the sea.
Take care against burns, and against stealing hearts, since you will be caught out.
A woman palero who is interested in you and means to get you by bad arts.

Proverbs of Iwori Wode · Òwe

“Black does not turn white.”
“Skill is worth more than strength.”
“Freedom is not licence.”
“Yesterday I was free, today I am a slave.”
“However dark the night, the light always clears it.”
“To give birth to a man is a credit; to give birth to an Awó, a pride.”
“Being able to move the body is the work of the spirit.”
“Slander destroys unions.”
“Children are the worst judges of their parents.”
“The vices of the body never satisfy desire.”
“Unfaithfulness is the worst offense against morals.”
“Integrity is safe; empty talk falls down on its own.”
“There is no better medicine for hatred than love.”

10 proverb interpretations in this Odù, locked.Every proverb explained: which road it comes from and how it applies.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…Unlock →

What is born in Iwori Wode · Ìbí

Olokun's ruling that someone will always drown in the sea.
The proverb «black does not turn white».
That lizards are not killed.
They will be your salvation.

What is forbidden · Eewó

The full eewó of this Odù, open to everyone — with the road each ban came out of.

You cannot bathe in the sea or swim where you cannot touch the bottom.
Olokun ruled that someone will always drown; you could lose your life.
Lizards are not killed.
They will be your salvation.
You do not eat okra.
Do not pick up handkerchiefs you find in the street.
Do not abuse the weak, no matter how powerful you are.
One of them, through his skill, can kill you.

Ebbós of Iwori Wode · The sacrifices that open the road

Beating enemiesEbbó of the cornfield (against the palero)🔒 The Notebook YemayáEbbó of the sea🔒 The Notebook EggunEbbó with Oparaldo🔒 The Notebook HealthEbbó of the trap and the cane husk🔒 The Notebook

4 ebbós in this Odù, locked.Each full recipe: ingredients, preparation and where it goes.Unlock →

Works of Iwori Wode · The workings of the sign

ProtectionInshé Osanyin of the sign🔒 The Notebook ProtectionPocket Inshé Osanyin🔒 The Notebook Orisha-OkoWorship of Orisha-Oko🔒 The Notebook

3 works in this Odù, locked.Each full recipe: ingredients, preparation and where it goes.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.

A very beautiful woman worked in a bar. Everyone who came in wanted her, and she gave none of them an opening. Among them there was one who was different: he ordered a few drinks, paid the bill, left and did not pick up his change, and he never spoke a word to her. That behavior ended up making her curious. One day she waited for him with the change in her hand and put it in front of him; from there came the conversation, and he admitted that he did want her, only his way of getting close was another one. They ended up together. In time, though, she began to feel like a prisoner and missed her freedom.

She went to an Awó, who saw this Ifá for her. He marked her ebbó and a party, on the condition that she tell her husband it was in honor of the Twins; she was to invite her friends and, even though the party was set for 8, move it up to 6. She did exactly as told and even paid for a band. The husband showed up at the hour he expected and found, instead of a children's gathering, the regulars from the bar. "What a fool I have made of myself", he said to himself, and out of shame he left and never came back. Freedom is not license.

4The ox and the little bird🔒 The Notebook 5The bull and the sparrow🔒 The Notebook 6When Orishaoko lived with Yemayá🔒 The Notebook 7Odu Isalaye of Orisha-Oko🔒 The Notebook 8The serpent and the toad🔒 The Notebook 9The widow and the soldier🔒 The Notebook 10The poisoned arrow🔒 The Notebook 11Grown years and childhood🔒 The Notebook 12The egg🔒 The Notebook 13Doing nothing and the solution🔒 The Notebook 14The child who wanted to be a tree🔒 The Notebook 15The triplets of the arará king🔒 The Notebook

12 more patakíes in this Odù, locked.Read every road in full with The Notebook.Unlock →

The full treatise is in English. With The Notebook, the whole sign opens on this page in English: the full text of every patakí, the recipes for the ebbós and works, and the iré and osogbo readings. · 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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