Merindinlogun

A throw of merindinlogun, resulting in four "open" shells (odù irosun).

Merindinlogun (from the Yoruba mẹrindínlógún "sixteen", literally "four taken from twenty") is a cowrie-shell divination method practiced in the Yoruba religion, and of several Afro-American religions derived from it, that uses sixteen cowrie shells.

The number sixteen holds important significance in Yoruba mythology as it was the purported number of original divinities that established life on earth. In merindinlogun divination, the shells are thrown and the number of shells that fall with the opening facing up is associated with a certain odu (for example, five shells up represent Oshe, while eight shells up represent Ogbe). This system of divination is used when consulting the Orishas, as opposed to the ikin or opele which are only used to consult Ifá.

References

• Fatunmbi, Awo Fálòkun (2011). Mérìndínlógún: Òrìsà Divination Using 16 Cowries - Revised and Extended Edition. Ile Osomi'na Books. ISBN 1463667507. 

• Fatunmbi, Awo Fálòkun (1992). Awo: Ifa & the Theology of Orisha Divination. New York: Original Publications. ISBN 0942272242. 

• Abraham, Roy Clive (1958). Dictionary of Modern Yoruba. London: University of London Press. 

• Bascom, William (1993). Sixteen Cowries : Yoruba Divination from Africa to the New World. Indiana University Press. ISBN 0253208475.