The literary form of the system is realized from the fact that each of the two hundred and fifty six Odu represents the organizational centre for a corpus of texts, either lyrical or narrative, of an unknown number. Abimbola gives some insight into the character of the organisational structure represented by the Odu in describing them as chapters. That conception of the Odu in terms of the forms assumed by written texts demonstrates some validity on account of the fact that since the Odu operate as a means of organizing the literary texts that constitute the Ifa corpus in terms of distinctive but related units, they could be equated to chapters, particularly since the texts that constitute the entire corpus demonstrate fundamental similarities of form and content.

The continuity of content they demonstrate is similar to that of a collection of poetry by a single poet or to a work like the Koran, which is ahistorical, [IS THIS TRUE OF THE KORAN?]unlike the Bible which contains myth, in historical form, as well as narratives that could be described as efforts at representing historical narrative. The narratives and lyrics of the Ifa system are essentially ahistorical and mythic, although Abimbola has argued for their significance, as sources of history and the work of Alagoa and Dike could be relevant in exploring their historical significance. We would expect, however, that any historical value they may demonstrate have to be sifted through careful and discriminating scholarship.[SEE THE RELEVANT SOURCES,INCLUDING ABAIMBOLA ON THIS]