Oríkì includes both single praise names [1] and long strings of “attributive epithets” that may be chanted in poetic form.
[4] For example, ìjálá is acoustically open and intense, while ewì is spoken in a high-falsetto, wailing voice quality.
[5] According to Waterman, “The words that placate gods and drive kings to suicide [are] made more potent by the patterning of timbre, texture, pitch, and rhythm.” [6] According to Vidal, Yorùbás have oríkì for “almost everything .
[7] The oríkì varies in length depending on whether it is the name given to a child to describe the future portents of the life or a recital of the accomplishments of a person's clan.
It is invoked to praise a child for bringing pride to the parents or to attempt to evoke virtuous character traits of bravery, fortitude and perseverance that are believed to be innate in a person by pedigree.