Home›Open Questions›Is the shared sixteen figure architecture of Ifa, Fa, Sikidy and Arabic geomancy the result of diffusion, and if so in which direction?Open QuestionsIs the shared sixteen figure architecture of Ifa, Fa, Sikidy and Arabic geomancy the result of diffusion, and if so in which direction?Citation FormatsGeneral ReferenceGeneral Reference Citation TextDivinity Atlas. "Is the shared sixteen figure architecture of Ifa, Fa, Sikidy and Arabic geomancy the result of diffusion, and if so in which direction?." Accessed August 30, 2026. https://www.divinityatlas.com/open-questions-index/is-the-shared-sixteen-figure-architecture-of-ifa-fa-sikidy-and-arabic-geomancy-the-result-of-diffusion-and-if-so-in-which-direction.Copy General ReferenceAPA StyleAPA Style Citation TextDivinity Atlas. (n.d.). Is the shared sixteen figure architecture of Ifa, Fa, Sikidy and Arabic geomancy the result of diffusion, and if so in which direction?. Retrieved August 30, 2026, from https://www.divinityatlas.com/open-questions-index/is-the-shared-sixteen-figure-architecture-of-ifa-fa-sikidy-and-arabic-geomancy-the-result-of-diffusion-and-if-so-in-which-directionCopy APA StyleBibTeXBibTeX Citation Text@misc{divinityatlas-is-the-shared-sixteen-figure-architectur, author = {Divinity Atlas}, title = {Is the shared sixteen figure architecture of Ifa, Fa, Sikidy and Arabic geomancy the result of diffusion, and if so in which direction?}, year = {2026}, url = {https://www.divinityatlas.com/open-questions-index/is-the-shared-sixteen-figure-architecture-of-ifa-fa-sikidy-and-arabic-geomancy-the-result-of-diffusion-and-if-so-in-which-direction}, note = {Accessed August 30, 2026} }Copy BibTeXOpen QuestionCross-Tradition ConnectionsSourcesComments (0)Reader Challenges (0 open reader challenges)Open QuestionThe same structure of sixteen four position figures appears across West Africa, Madagascar, North Africa and medieval Europe. Some scholars read the African systems as local developments of Islamic geomancy carried across the Sahara; others argue for substantially independent development. Neither position rests on datable evidence from the relevant period.What would resolve this Datable material evidence from before the earliest surviving testimony: excavated divining apparatus, or a dated text describing the practice, from either side of the Sahara. Comparative linguistic work on the figure names across the four traditions would also constrain the answer.OpenHistory of religions; archaeology of West and North Africa; historical linguisticsWilliam Bascom, Ifa Divination: Communication between Gods and Men in West AfricaCross-Tradition ConnectionsQuestion OnGeomancy, Disciplines Well-attested The question concerns the shared sixteen-figure architecture across Ifa, Fa, Sikidy and Arabic geomancy; anchored on the discipline that names the shared technique.SourcesIfa Divination: Communication between Gods and Men in West Africatier 1William Bascom, Indiana University Press, 1969View the SourceComments (0)No comments yet. Be the first to share a thought.Sign in to join the discussion.Reader Challenges (0 open reader challenges)No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.View At A Past YearThe atlas records no dated fact of its own for this entry, so there is no other year to choose.Show This Year