Eshu

Trickster, crossroads guardian, and divine messenger-mediator of sacrifice.

Parentage

• Olodumare

Domains

• trickster chance
• crossroads thresholds
• messages mediation

Powers

• Carries and supervises sacrifices between worlds
• Sows confusion to test and restore order
• Translates between languages of gods and humans

Epithets

• Ẹlẹ́gbára
• Láàróyè
• Èṣù Òdàrà

Relations

• equated with: Trickster-Linguist of the Crossroads
• equated with: Legba
• sibling: Obatala
• sibling: Oduduwa
• sibling: Orunmila
• sibling: Osanyin
• sibling: Oshun
• sibling: Yemoja
• syncretism: Esu

Sources

• Bascom, The Yoruba of Southwestern Nigeria (1969)