The Gift of the Cowrie Shells
Philosophical Summary
As the absolute undisputed ruler of the massive ocean depths, Yẹmọja constantly explored her vast underwater kingdom. Embedded deeply in the ocean floor, she was the absolute first to discover the unique, pristine beauty and intense, magical spiritual resonance of the cowrie shells (Ẹwọ). Because she was the ultimate maternal provider, she refused to hoard this massive discovery. She physically gathered massive amounts of them and brought them directly upward to the surface. She gifted these beautiful shells to the other Orishas and directly to humanity. More deeply, she explicitly taught them the complex, profound art of using the shells for powerful two-way communication with the divine (the foundation of the Diloggún divination system). Furthermore, because the shells were so pristine and universally valued, they instantly became the absolute first standardized physical currency, permanently cementing her distinct title as the 'Owner of Wealth' and the Mother of Commerce.
Summary
Yemoja bridges the gap between the divine and the mundane through the medium of the cowrie shell.
Interpretation
Establishes Yẹmọja as the source of the Diloggún system. While Ifá (Ikin) belongs to Orunmila, the cowries belong to the Mother. It explains why she is the Orisha of wealth and commerce.
Sacred Verses
English
Before cowries, trade was violent and communication with Orishas was silent. Yẹmọja found the shells vibrating with Àṣẹ in the deep trenches. She brought them up in her skirts, stabilized human trade as money, and sat with the priests to teach the sixteen castes of the Diloggún oracle. She gave humanity a 'telephone' to the heavens.