Cowrie Shell Set (Owó Mẹ́rìndínlógún)

What’s Included

(Set of 21) cowrie shells (Size≈.5-1 inch)

Sourced from Nigeria

Curator’s Note

Sustainably sourced handpicked cowrie shells. The back of the shell has been removed by hand.

Ring Top Cowries are species of the sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Cypraeidae, the cowries. The shell of this species is mostly off-white or pale yellowish in color, sometimes with a dark cast on the dorsum, and with two yellow or orange stripes along the upper sides. These stripes nearly touch at the ends, giving the impression of a ring.

Cultural Note

Several forms of cowrie-shell divination are distributed broadly throughout West Africa.

While there are many variants using from eight to 21 cowrie shells, West African-derived forms most commonly use 16 cowrie shells on a prepared table or on a mat on the ground, interpreting the patterns that result which are known as Odu. Ẹẹ́rìndínlógún (from the Yoruba owó mẹ́rìndínlógún "sixteen cowries", literally "four taken from 20") is a cowrie-shell divination method practiced in the Yoruba religion. The number 16 holds important significance in Yoruba cosmology as it was the purported number of original divinities that established life on earth. 

Cowrie-shell divination is found throughout the Americas where it plays an important role in traditions like Lucumi and Candomblé. In Cuba, Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico, it is called “dilogun”. In Brazil, it is called “jogo de búzios” or “merindinlogun”.