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Eshu
EntityQ1367665· pop 16· linked from 169 articles

Also known as Exu, Èṣù, Echú, Exú

Èṣù is the oriṣa of trickery, crossroads, duality and languages in the Yoruba religion. Eṣu is a prominent primordial divinity (a delegated Irúnmọlẹ̀ sent by the Olodumare) who descended from Ìkọ̀lé Ọ̀run, and the chief enforcer of natural and divine laws. He is in charge of law enforcement and orderliness. As the Yoruba religion spread around the world, the name of this Orisha has varied in different locations, but the beliefs remain similar.

Key facts

Deity.type
Yoruba
Deity.name
Èṣù
Deity.other_names
Eshu, Echú, Exú, Ẹlẹgba, Ẹlẹgbara, Ọdara, Láàlú, Láàróyè
Deity.member_of
Irunmole
Deity.venerated_in
Yoruba religion, Santería, Candomblé, Umbanda
Deity.image
Wooden figure representing the god Eshu, Nigeria, 1880-1920 Wellcome L0057651.jpg
Deity.caption
A wooden figure of Eshu
Deity.deity_of
Travelers, Messenger, Crossroads
Deity.region
Yorubaland, Latin America
Deity.ethnic_group
Yoruba people
Deity.equivalent1_type
Vodún
Deity.equivalent1
Papa Legba
Deity.greek_equivalent
Hermes

via Wikipedia infobox

Wikidata facts

Image
Carybè, rilievi degli orixas, 1968, axù.JPG
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Commons category
Eshu
Sources (4)

via Wikidata · CC0

~9 min read

Article

10 sections
Contents
  • Beliefs
  • Name and roles
  • Brazil
  • Candomblé
  • Umbanda
  • Mistranslation
  • Modern influence
  • See also
  • Notes
  • References

Èṣù is the oriṣa of trickery, crossroads, duality and languages in the Yoruba religion. Eṣu is a prominent primordial divinity (a delegated Irúnmọlẹ̀ sent by the Olodumare) who descended from Ìkọ̀lé Ọ̀run, and the chief enforcer of natural and divine laws. He is in charge of law enforcement and orderliness. As the Yoruba religion spread around the world, the name of this Orisha has varied in different locations, but the beliefs remain similar.

== Beliefs == thumb|Eṣu in a carving by Carybé Eṣu is the messenger and intermediary between the Ajogun (malevolent spirits), the Oriṣa (benevolent spirits) and ẹ̀dá èniyàn (human beings); he distributes and supervises the distribution of sacrifices (ẹbọ) made by humans to the Oriṣa and Ajogun. Amulets in the form of Eshu covered with divination boards are used in some Yoruba traditions.

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