295
See also: San creation myth 284 ■ En-kai and the cattle 285 ■ Ananse the spider 286–87 ■ The Dogon cosmos 288–93Christianity, and Eshu has been
likened to the devil. However,
scholars have concluded that the
“devil” featured in these religions
owes his character more to
traditional conceptions of Eshu the
trickster than the Christian model
of Satan. Eshu is a being of chaos,
but is also essential to meting out
justice, keeping the universe in
balance, and ensuring that no
individual becomes too powerful.The selfish king
Eshu often acts to punish others,
especially those who have not
shown him sufficient respect.
There was a king who, despite his
wealth and the large tracts of land
he owned, never sacrificed
anything to Eshu, not even a
chicken or some kola nuts. Eshu
decided to teach him a lesson.
The king had many wives, but
he was negligent toward them—ANCIENT EGYPT AND AFRICA
Spread of religion
The Yorùbá community in
southwest Nigeria and parts
of Benin number more than
40 million people, but its
influence has been far wider
as a consequence of the
Atlantic slave trade from the
16th to 19th centuries. Large
numbers of men, women, and
children suffered appalling
conditions on a journey to an
often short and brutish life in
the New World. Yorùbá
religious thought and practice
traveled with the slaves, and
their influence can be seen in
religions such as Candomblé
in Brazil, Vodou (often
misnamed “voodoo”) in Haiti,
and Santería in Cuba.Eshu is depicted with a headdress
of gourds in this wooden figure from
Nigeria (ca. 1880–1920). While Eshu is
usually considered to be male, the
trickster is portrayed here as a woman
with protruding breasts.Eshu’s
punishments
could be harsh,
with consquences
extending beyond
those who had
done wrong.Eshu decides to teach
the selfish king a lesson.His wife cuts his
beard to make
a love charm.His son brings an army
to the palace, with
disastrous results.Eshu tells the king that his
wife and son will steal
the throne.The king and his family are killed in
punishment for their lack of respect.one in particular felt aggrieved by
her husband’s lack of attention.
Eshu visited her in the form of a
wizard and said that if she could
cut off a few whiskers from the
king’s beard, he would use them
to make an amulet with magical
power that would reignite the
king’s affection for her.
Next, Eshu visited the king’s
eldest son and heir. The king feared
the young man wanted to usurp
his authority and seize power.
Taking the form of one of the king’s
servants, Eshu told the son to
prepare his warriors and meet at
the royal palace that very night,
because the king was intent on
going to war.
Finally, Eshu took the form of
a trusted page and visited the
king himself. “Your Majesty,” the
trickster whispered, “one of your
wives is jealous of your power and
she plans to kill you this night ❯❯US_294-297_Eshu-the-Trickster.indd 295 05/12/17 4:16 pm