Publisher's Synopsis
In traditional Yoruba culture, If is a system of divination consisting of verses performed by a babalawo', or initiated priest. Often reified as a static, absolute series of repetitions, If is, however, intrinsically connected to the people who recite it. Amherd's study therefore focuses on the often ignored context of If performance and the crucial role of the individual babalawo priest, challenging the uncritical perception of If as a facile, static repetition of itself and emphasising it as a philosophical heritage that privileges heterogeneity.'
