Eshu
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Eshu (other names include Exú, Elegua and Elegba) is an Orisha, and one of the most important deities of the Yoruba mythology and related New World traditions.
He has a wide range of responsibilities: the protector of travelers, god of roads, particularly crossroads, the deity with the power over fortune and misfortune, and the personification of death, a psychopomp. Every religious ceremony or ritual begins with an offering to Eshu; failure to do so guarantees failure in the intent of the ceremony[1]. Eshu is revered within the Orisa-Ifá system of the Yoruba as well as in African diasporic faiths like Santeria/Lukumi and Candomble developed by the descendants of enslaved West Africans in the Americas, where Eshu was sometimes identified with Saint Anthony or Saint Michael[2], depending on the situation. Exu is similar in archetype to the greco-roman Hermes/Mercury, in that he is the messenger, businessman, trickster, keeper of roads, keeper of keys, etc. He is identified by the number three, and the colors red & black or white & black, and his caminos or paths (compare: avatar) are often represented carrying a cane, shepherd's crook, as well as a pipe.
Eshu is a trickster-god, and plays frequently tempting choices for the purpose of causing maturation. He is a difficult teacher, but a good one[3]. As an example[4], Eshu was walking down the road one day, wearing a hat that was red on one side and black on the other. Sometime after he departed, the villagers who had seen him began arguing about whether the stranger's hat was black or red. The villagers on one side of the road had only been capable of seeing the black side, and the villagers on the other side had only been capable of seeing the red half. They nearly fought over the argument, until Eshu came back and cleared the mystery, teaching the villagers about how one's perspective can alter a person's perception of reality, and that one can be easily fooled. In other versions of this tale, the two tribes were not stopped short of violence; they actually annihilated each other, and Eshu laughed at the result, saying "Bringing strife is my greatest joy".
In Brazil, the female counterpart of the Exus are called Pomba Gira.
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[edit] Eshu in different cultures
The cult of Eshu is widespread in the New World, as well as in Africa, and he is worshiped under many different names and attributes[5]:
- Exu: Although connected with the Orisha Eshu or Elegba of the Yoruba-based traditions of Candomble and Santeria, the exus and exuas of Umbanda and Quimbanda are in fact spirits of the dead[6].
- Exu de Quimbanda: The Exu who is the messenger of the Gods in Candomble is not Exu de Quimbanda. Exu de Quimbanda has a few similarities in how he is worshiped, such as in the colors he likes, but he is an entirely different entity, originating among the people of Angola, not the Yoruba of Nigeria. While the Exu de Candomble is an Orisha, the Exu of Quimbanda is like a Lordly or Kingly Spirit, and unlike the Candomble Orishas, he can be "bought" or "controlled" by the Quimbanda practitioner to go and do many sorts of deeds, while the Candomble Exu must only be petitioned. Exu de Quimbanda is a Nkuru, a spirit of the forest, while Exu of Candomble is a universal elemental spirit, the spirit of the crossroads and the divine messenger. The similarities between the two are that they both respond to red and black, they both are fed on the road, and they both are very tricky. Beyond that the similarities cease.
- Eleggua: Ellegua is another name used among Lukumi for Eshu.
- Legba: In Vodou, Papa Legba is the intermediary between the divine and humanity, while Kalfu is his Petro manifestation. Eshu also resembles the Voudon loa Simbi who is both the god of magic and the intermediate between humanity and Papa Legba.
- Lucero: In Palo Mayombe, Lucero (also Nkuyo\Mañunga\Lubaniba) is the deity of balance and guidance through paths.
- Esu: In Yorubaland, this is an energy that rose out of the Yangi (sacred red rock) and allows people to communicate with the Irunmole, Orisa, Orunmila, and so on. Is the oldest Esu. Also important in the African diaspora. All Esu live in consecrated sacred rocks.
[edit] Best Known Exus in the Brazilian traditions
Exu Tranca Rua
Exu Tranca Rua das Almas
Exu Sete Encruzilhadas
Exu Sete Capas
Exu Tiriri
Exu Veludo
Exu de Marabos
Exu Zé Pelintra
Exu Mirim
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Attributes and Music of Eshu
- Cleansings and Ewe Orisa Esu (Sacred Herbs of the Orisa Esu)
- Two webcomics depicting Eleggua as a superhero
- (Eleggua-Eshu)
- Alawoye.com Baba'Awo Ifaloju, showcasing Ifa using web media 2.0 (blogs, podcasting, video & photocasting)
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