Is Ifa 256 Òrìṣà the Origin Of Programming langauges?
Exploring the Ancient Tech Behind Ifa Divination and Computer Science
Ifa is a traditional system of divination that originates from the Yoruba people, one of the largest ethnic groups in West Africa, primarily in modern-day Nigeria. This ancient spiritual practice, believed to be over 12,000 years old, is deeply embedded in Yoruba culture and has spread to other regions through the African diaspora, including Brazil, Cuba, and parts of the Caribbean.
The Yoruba people themselves trace their origins to the ancient city of Ile-Ife, regarded as the spiritual homeland. According to Yoruba mythology, Ile-Ife is the cradle of human civilization, where the gods first descended to create the earth. The cultural influence of the Yoruba extends beyond West Africa, making Ifa not just a religious system but a symbol of African cultural resilience and wisdom across the globe.
Ifa divination
It involves a set of practices used to interpret divine messages from Orunmila, the deity of wisdom, through symbolic patterns. These patterns are produced by throwing objects like sacred palm nuts or a chain of beads (opele), generating binary-like sequences. The Ifa system is based on 256 sacred Odus (chapters), each containing verses that provide guidance.
The striking similarity comes in the form of binary coding. Each Odu is represented by a unique combination of symbols that can be likened to binary code used in computer science, where sequences of 1s and 0s are combined to generate information. This concept of Ifa as a "divine coding system" suggests that Ifa divination anticipated many of the principles of computer algorithms by thousands of years.
Key Evidence and Examples
Binary Structures: The Ifa divination system is organized into 256 Odus, which are formed by binary combinations of symbols. This is very similar to the 8-bit system of modern computers, which can represent 256 unique values (2^8 =256). Each Odu can be broken down into a pattern of lines, where one side represents ‘1’ and the other ‘0’ which is also similar to the binary code foundation of how information is processed and stored. It uses sequences of two possible values represented as 1s and 0s, to encode information.
Expert Systems and Algorithms: In Ifa divination, the Babalawo (priest) interprets the patterns of symbols cast during a session. This is akin to how computers process inputs, run them through an algorithm (or code), and produce an output (a solution). The Babalawo uses a system rules and knowledge, encoded in the 256 Odus and their thousands of verses, to provide advice or solutions to problems, these patterns are more than random occurrences. The comparison extends to expert systems, a branch of artificial intelligence where computers mimic human decision-making based on a predefined set of rules. For example; in an expert system for medical diagnosis, the sysem takes symptoms as input, processes them using algorithms that reply on a database of medical knowledge and then produces a diagnosis as output.
The Argument
Programming languages, which are built on the binary code of 0s and 1s, share an uncanny similarity with the spiritual organization of the Òrìṣà. The Yoruba cosmology recognizes 256 Òrìṣà, which aligns with the fact that 256 is a significant number in binary systems (2^8), forming the foundation for many computing systems such as ASCII and Unicode.
This coincidence could be interpreted as evidence of an ancient, esoteric understanding of the universe that has somehow found its way into modern computational logic. In Yoruba cosmology, the 256 Òrìṣà are not just deities but represent pathways, energies, and elements that guide and influence the material and spiritual worlds. This dynamic system of creation mirrors how 256 different states can be encoded using 8 bits in programming languages, each combination representing a different “path” of information or outcome.
Conclusion: Ancient Wisdom Meets Modern Innovation
While there is no direct historical connection between the creation of programming languages and Yoruba mythology, the similarities between the 256 Òrìṣà and binary code, the role of dualities, and the importance of symbolic interpretation in both systems suggest a deeper, almost archetypal resonance between the two. The mathematical precision found in Yoruba divination and modern computation reflects a shared understanding of how complex systems can arise from simple, binary foundations. This convergence of ancient knowledge and modern technology invites further exploration into how cultural systems of logic have shaped and mirrored one another across time and space.
For tech enthusiasts, this serves as a reminder that modern innovations often have ancient roots. The connections drawn between Ifa and computer science present a compelling argument that ancient wisdom and modern technology are more closely linked than we might think.
By Christopher Shittu