The Shell of the Slug Is Preserved After Eating the Meat

Philosophical Summary

The Igbin (snail) is among the most sacred creatures of Eji Ogbe and Obatala. Its shell — white, spiral, ancient — outlasts the living creature that built it. The proverb teaches that the structures we build (family, community, tradition, character) outlast our individual lives. The Eji Ogbe initiate is encouraged to build something worth preserving.