Exu, or Eshu, is one of the important spiritual entities in the African Yoruba religion. He then found his way into Brazilian Candomble as one of the Orixas. His domain is that of the divine intermediary and acts as a messenger between mortals and the other Orixas. This made him a guardian of the crossroads between realms, including the realms of the living and the dead.
Learn more about Candomblé and its beliefs here.
| Greeting | Laroyê Exu! (often followed by Exu é Mojubá!) |
| Day of the Week | Monday (the day of beginnings and clearing paths) |
| Colors | Black and Red (representing the balance of the unknown and life force) |
| Symbol/Tool | The Ogó (a phallic-shaped wooden club adorned with cowries) |
| Spheres of Influence | Communication, crossroads, movement, sexuality, and trade |
| Element | Fire and Earth (representing transformation and grounding) |
| Preferred Offerings | Palm oil (dendê), cachaça, cigars, padê (manioc flour with oil), and goats |
| Sacred Plant | Aroeira, Pinhão-roxo, and stinging nettle |
| Nature Location | The Crossroads (Encruzilhada) and the entrance to any space |
A Note of Exu’s Dark History
In the 1700s, there are records that Exu was considered a “great god” and protector of the kings of ancient Dahomey, a kingdom near modern Benin, East Africa. The earliest written reference to him in Brazil dates to 1741, where he is mentioned in the “Obra Nova de Lingua Geral de Mina” (New Work on the Language of Minas Gerais), by Antonio da Costa Peixoto, in which he was referred to as a demon.
For centuries, Exu was synchronized with the Christian devil or satan, but this is based principally on his appearance, and not the character of the Orixa. This association with the devil has obscured his true history and meaning over the decades, but the Orixa is being reclaimed, and more accurate stories about his importance are emerging.
Spheres of Influence: Divine Messenger
Like all the Orixas, Exu was a lesser deity created by the great god Olorun. He participated in the creation of the world and mankind. While Olorun remains aloof and is beyond human understanding, Exu and the other Orixas are active in the mortal realm.
Exu acts as a messenger of the great god and also of all the other Orixas. He also mediates communication with the Ajoguns, which are evil spirits. In some cases, spirits of the dead believed to torment people are also called Exus. When afflicted, these Exus must be vanquished through rituals of spiritual cleansing.
As an extension of his intermediary role, Exu also oversees the delivery of sacrifices to their intended recipient, ensuring the Axé (energy) is properly directed. In any ritual, Exu must be the first to receive an offering (the Padê). If he is not “fed” first, he may confuse (maningância) or block the ceremony entirely.
He can also punish those who break divine laws or fail to honor the Orixas. This makes him the overseer of divine order.
As an extension of his role as messenger, Exu is seen as the patron of travelers and is known to excel at communication, including in multiple languages. He is also linked with trade and commerce, and governs aspects of sex and fertility, magic, union, power, and change.
Chthonic Guardian of the Crossroads
Exu is also a guardian of the crossroads, which is seen as a portal between realms. He sometimes used the epithet “he who has his abode at the crossroads.” In this way, he was also a chthonic deity, as he oversaw the gateway between life and death. He is invoked in necromancy rituals. As a god of the crossroads, Exu is closely associated with the Voodoo god of the crossroads, Papa Legba, and is sometimes called Legba.
As the mediator of universes, Exu is sometimes seen as a dual being, containing two opposites. There are images of Exu with two heads, one male and one female, or one black and one native Brazilian. The two heads also allow Exu to look both ahead and behind. He can easily move between the different realms of existence.
Exu’s borad outook associationes him with divination. In this context, he is often called the Ruler of the Shells, used in divination rituals. While Ifá (the Orixa of wisdom) owns the system of divination, it is Exu who “operates” the cowrie shells (Jogo de Búzios). He interprets the will of the gods for the priest who works with the shells.
Bringer of Fortune and Misfortune
Exu sometimes used the cognomen “he who creates problems for the innocent,” reflecting the fact that he was associated with unexpected turns of fortune. He is seen as a trickster, but his tricks always have the purpose of teaching an important lesson.
He can bring both fortune and misfortune, and his choice is often seen as necessary for maintaining the divine order. In his manifestation as Exu Odara, he is considered the Lord of Luck.
Symbols & Sacrifices
Exu is represented by a three or seven-pointed star, an ogo, which is a staff with gourds symbolizing male genitalia, and an erect phallus. Exu himself often has animal horns and sometimes a tail.
His colors are black and red. His stones are ruby and garnet.
He is associated with both the elements of earth and fire.
His greeting is Láaròye Èsù!, which his sons will say to one another when they meet.
He accepts blood sacrifices of goats, black cocks, dogs, and pigs, and libations of alcohol and palm oil.
When possible, his altars are set up at crossroads of the thresholds of buildings, where boundaries get crossed. He also has altars at marketplaces, such as a famous example set up in Porto Alegre in 1869.
Exu is particularly popular in São Paulo because it is considered a city of walls and crossroads. There, they often say “Sem Exu, não se faz nada” (Without Exu, nothing is done).
At “terreiros” of Candomblé in Brazil, Exu is worshipped at the entrance to the space at a collective shrine on the ground and in the open air, on which offerings are made. All rituals start with singing praise of Exu, and he receives offerings before all others as the Orixa that opens the gates.
In some cases, his altar is a ritually prepared mound of earth that grows in size in accordance with the volume of offerings. In the 1930s, ethnographers described his image as being made from clay kneaded with the blood of birds, dendê oil, and plant infusions.
As part of 20th-century decolonization and decatholicization of Candomblé, previously rare initiations to Exu are now more common in Brazil. Initiates wear a traditional conical hat with strips of red and black cloth and cowries around their waist while holding Exu’s characteristic staff.
Exu Caveira
Exu Caveira is a separate class of entity from Exu the Orixa. In Umbanda, a local variation of Candomblé, Exus are considered the spirits of once living men who evolved into guardians, often associated with cemeteries and protecting against the negative influence of the dead. Many followers appear to him for protection. Often represented by a red skull, Exu is not considered a dark entity. Rather, the skull represents equality, as no matter what you have in life, we are all the same in death.
FAQs
Is Exu the Devil?
No, Exu is an Orixa who is considered the primary intermediary between the human and the divine. However, Exu has historically been misinterpreted as a devil figure due to colonial narratives that vilified African religions. This is also because his colors are red and black, and he is often represented with a trident, representing choices made at a crossroads, leading to an assimilation with Satan. There is no devil figure in Candomble.
Why must Exu be “fed” before the other Orixás?
Exu is the Lord of the Mouth and is considered the messenger between the world of humans (Ayê) and the world of the gods (Orum). He makes sure that sacrifices and messages get to the right god, but if he is not “fed” with offerings first in rituals, he can misdirect energies with negative, or at least unpredictable, results.
What does “Laroyê” mean?
“Laroyê” is the traditional greeting for Exu. It is a salutation that acknowledges his presence and asks for his favor. It is often followed by “Exu é Mojubá,” which means “Exu, I present my respects” or “Exu is great.” When you say this, you are acknowledging that he is the one who opens the doors of your life.
Why is Exu associated with the crossroads?
The crossroads (encruzilhada) represent the moment of choice. Exu lives where two paths meet because that is where human life happens—at the point of decision-making. He is the master of “The Way.” If your life feels “stuck,” you go to the crossroads to ask Exu to move the energies and give you a direction.
Is Exu “tricky” or “dangerous”?
Exu is often called a trickster, but a more accurate term would be provocateur. He uses “divine irony” to teach lessons. If someone asks Exu for something with a dishonest heart, Exu might give them exactly what they asked for in a way that reveals their own folly.
- Exu – Intermediary & Guardian of the Crossroads
- Iansa – Warrior Goddess of Wind and Storms
- Iemanja – Oceans and Seas
- Ogum – Battle and Iron
- Oxala – Great Creator
- Oxossi – Hunting and the Forest
- Oxum – Love and Beauty
- Oxumare – Rainbow Serpent
- Xango – Justice and Conquest
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