**for those who wish to learn**
INTRODUCTION
The popular impression among the faithful of ‘Ifa’ and ‘Orisa’ tradition and scholars alike is that Odu means womb, among other meanings postulated at different time without putting the other usage of the term into consideration. To an ordinary Yoruba person, womb to literarily means apo ile omo i.e bag that contains foetus. Hence, one will be tempted to ask how ‘Odu’ becomes a bag that contains foetus. Is it the same bag that contain foetus that Yoruba’s associate with the name of God i.e Olodumare and their progenitor?
This essay tends to unravel the reason behind various usages of the term ‘Odu’, and its mystical interpretation, for the purposes of putting it straight that ‘Odu’ means mystery, and womb will not be enough to encapsulate it.
