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*    tion sacrifices, ese [ ˩ ˩ ]. After

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*    the fortnight, the pupil, having

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*    learnt his craft, takes it out and

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*    is an ɔb-akpɛlɛ. The ɔb-ɔɽ̃ɔ̃mila

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*    must be a “priest” of Ɔɽ̃ɔ̃mila

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*    [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˩ ], i.e. Ifa (Yoruba). (But

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*    there are no public shrines or

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*    priests of Ɔɽ̃ɔ̃mila.) Ɔɽ̃ɔ̃mila is

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*    the Yoruba god of palm kernels

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*    (and divination), and people

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*    from Akurɛ e.g. are more expert

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*    in this method than Bini people.

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*    A full babalawo [ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˥ ] (Yoruba

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*    name for the Ɔɽ̃ɔ̃mila priest)

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*    gathers the kernels from the

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*    base of ivĩ‿ɔ̃ɽ̃ɔ̃mila [ ˥ ˥ ˥ ˦ ˩ ˩ ], “Ɔɽ̃.

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*    kernels”, a special sort of oil

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*    palm, and gives them to the

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*    pupil. The pupil and his family

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*    smoothe the kernels by means

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*    of a grindstone, wash them with

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*    a charm and keep them for three

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*    months in a pot of oil. This is

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*    called ɔvi-ɔɽ̃ɔ̃mila [ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˦ ˩ ˩ ] “he

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*    has taken the Ɔɽ̃ɔ̃mila” (pl.

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*    verb). During this time small

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*    sacrifices are made to them until

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*    the pupil is (financially) able to

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*    “take” them. If he has no means

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*    he must possibly leave them in

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*    the pot for a year. At last, big

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*    sacrifices are made over a period

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*    of a fortnight during which

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*    time the pupil must procure an

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*    axwɛxwɛ [ ˥ ˩ ˥ ], i.e. oracle in-

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*    strument, of his own. Then the

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*    Ɔɽ̃ɔ̃mila are taken out and are

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*    afterwards put on an ukpo [ ˥ ˩ ]

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*    (mud bed) on which many cloths

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*    have been spread, forming a

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*    heap with a shallow cavity at

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*    the top. Parrot-tail-feathers are,

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*    among other things, added as

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*    adornments. The babalawo asks

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*    the kernels whether the pupil

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*    will live long and be prosperous

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