Eshu-Elegba

Eshu-Elegba is, to me, one of the most fascinating gods in Yoruba culture. He is depicted usually as a ritual sculpture and he confirms that if any meaning is to be arrived at, one must abandon any search for a straightforward answer as to the symbolic meaning of Yoruba ritual sculpture. Ritual sculpture made for the cult of Eshu-Elegba has iconographic features that can be interpreted by means of ritual of the cult, myth, and praise songs.

Eshu-Elegba is the god of mischief. He is the Yoruba “trickster” who is recognized by all Yoruba (regardless of their association with other cults.) He is blamed for all the troubles of man, and serves as a sort of mediator between the people and the gods. On the one hand, he tricks men into upsetting the gods (or orisha,) and then in turn aids the gods in their vengeance. So he provides sacrifices for the gods. It is said that without Elegba, the orisha would not have any food. Thus, Elegba is responsible for all conflict between people and gods. When men are fighting, Elegba is said to be present; when a man has committed a wrongdoing it is assumed that he was tempted by Elegba. Praise names describe him as, “the one who turns right into wrong and makes the innocent guilty.” What may be confusing to some is that Eshu is not exclusively an evil god (as no Yoruba god is completely good or bad.) Every Yoruba knows that Eshu gave them Ifa, or the divination system. Eshu worshippers say that he gives them children and protects them. Members of some cults see Eshu as a friend. Eshu is described as a nomadic figure. He occupies luminal spaces, like crossroads and thresholds of houses. He is also present when there is change or evolution.

The features of an Elegba ritual statue distinguishes it. The most prominent feature on an Eshu-Elegba is the long downward-curved hair-dress, sometimes it is even carved as a phallus. The statue is typically adorned with long strands of cowrie shells. Just above the forehead is a tiny calabash. Sometimes Eshu holds a bag, which contains fragments of utensils, and broken calash. The figures are worn over the shoulder of the male Elegba worshipper, or a pair over each shoulder. When they are not being worn, it is set up in the worshipper’s shrine. Women worshippers of Elegba wear a different insignia. They wear a pair of male and female figures with a more subdued curve head-dress. They usually hold two long calabashes. Like the male worshippers, when the figures are not being worn they are kept in a shrine. There are also altar figures. These are not worn. Instead, they decorate a shrine. These figures also have the distinguishing feature of those that are worn. A pillar or mound of mud (between 1 and 4 feet high) can be found in a town’s central Elegba shrine, and in the foot of doorways (although these are much smaller.) Daily offerings of palm oil are poured over the pillar.