Elegua, God of the Crossroads
by ire aye
copyright 2010 ire aye
Elegua is the orisha who opens and closes all paths to mankind. He is the divider of heaven and earth. He travels between heaven and earth letting Olofi and Olodumare know what goes on in this realm. Elegua is a child orisha in some aspects that loves to play tricks and tests the faith of man. He walks between night and day searching for mankind to test their faith for the great Olofi and the orishas. There is said to be 121 paths of Elegua. He ranges from a young child to an old man with lots of knowledge. There is also a path of Elegua where the essence is of a woman. In more than half of Elegua's paths, he is a young child that sits on corners, mountain tops, seashores, hospital entrances, cemetery gates and so on. He has many names as he has been called Elegba, Elegbara, Legba, Eshu or Exu. Elegua is seen all around the world. From continent to continent Elegua's presence is felt, praised and heard. Inseparable friend of Ogun and Ochosi who the trio makes up the "The Warriors" first set of orishas to receive in Santeria. Elegua is any and everywhere.
Elegua is the guardian of the dead also as through him he unlocks the door for the deceased to walk through to reach Olofi where they will rest. In this path he is called Eshu Alagwana. In other religions or beliefs you can associate him with the Egyptian god of the dead Osiris, who leads the dead through the underworld.
Elegua is the one that makes you play at your own risk. In that
I mean, he is the one that if your stuck at a crossroad and you
don't know which way to go, its him that testes you and watches
you make your decision. If you make the wrong decision, Elegua
will open the door with his garavato (hook stick made from the
guava tree) to make you pay your consequence. While you are
paying for your mistakes, he testes you again to see if you will
continue to do wrong or take the right path. If you succeed and
take the right path he will unlock the door to happiness and
fortune. If you've heard of a maze then you can associate it
with Elegua. Our lives are shaped into mazes to see which path
we go. Elegua is the guardian that sits at every corner and turn
of the maze. If you make the wrong move, he will open the path
to the wrong outcome. If you take the correct path, he will open
the path that you are seeking.
Elegua knows and
sees all. There is nothing that Elegua doesn't know. He is the
messenger of Olodumare and Olofi, alongside with the orishas.
Which means, he is the one that takes the messages from
humankind to the orishas and the messages from the orishas to
Olofi. This is why he is the first and last orisha to be praised
to in every ceremony done in Santeria.
Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/3744317
From the New Orleans Voodoo
Tradition -- Papa Legba
(source http://wytchymystique.com/2010/01/10/enchanted-jewelry-papa-legba-protection-spell/)
Papa Legba is the famous, and infamous,
spirit of the crossroads, often appearing as an old black man.
He’s a spirit from the West African Voodoo tradtion, and you
will find him under the guise of many other names, including:
Elegba, Exu, and Papa La Bas– his New Orleans incarnation.
Papa Legba is a trickster who delights in practical jokes and
word games, but he is also a spirit of amazing generosity and
protective care. He protects infertile women, removing obstacles
to motherhood; and he assists the poor, often opening up paths
and removing obstacles that hinder their growth towards
prosperity. It is said that Papa Legba stands at the crossroads
with his shepherd’s crook, where he opens and closes access to
life’s path.
Papa Legba’s days are Monday & every third day of the month, his
colors are red, black and white, his numbers 3 and 23.
In Christianity, one would pray to St Peter, as the gatekeeper and holder of the keys to the kingdom of heaven.
To Invoke Papa Legba, recite at the beginning of your ritual:
Papa Legba, Open the gate for me
Atibon Legba, Open the gate for me
Open the gate for me Papa that I may pass
When I return I will thank the Lwa
FURTHER READING
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papa_Legba
http://altreligion.about.com/od/symbols/ig/Vodoun-Veves/Legba.htm