Papa Legba is one of the Lwa in the religions of Haitian Vodou and Louisiana Voodoo. He is one of the divine spirits or lesser gods under the creator god Bondye. While Bondye is unknowable, these lesser gods can be called upon to help Voodoo practitioners effect change in the world around them.
Papa Legba is arguably the most important of the Lwa. He is the gatekeeper that allows humanity to communicate with the divine and the dead.
Papa Legba should be called upon at the start of every ceremony to open the doors between the mundane world and the supernatural and be called on at the end of every ceremony to close the gates and prevent anything unwanted from slipping through.
He is also known to make deals with mankind, opening up opportunities and possibilities, for a price.
Gatekeeper of the Crossroads
In many religions, crossroads are seen as liminal places where the spiritual world and physical world can meet. Folk religion and magical practices often include rituals conducted in liminal spaces where the veil between worlds is weakest.
In Voodoo, Papa Legba stands as the guardian of the crossroads. His permission must be sought to gain access to the spirits on the other side. This includes both the other Loa (or Lwa) and the Spirits in the Guinee (the afterlife).
For this reason, Papa Legba is usually invoked at the start and conclusion of all Voodoo ceremonies. He can speak all human languages and enables communication between men and what exists beyond the veil.
Janus was considered the god of the crossroads and liminal spaces in Roman religion.
Invocation of Papa Legba
While there are many methods for involving Papa Legba, the chant below is popular:
Papa Legba, open the gate for me, Papa Legba open the gate for me, Open the gate for me, Papa Legba, that I may pass, When I return I will thank the loa.
But experienced practitioners of Voodoo will have regular contact with the Lwa and will have developed personal rituals to call on them when needed.
Closing the Gateway
Papa Legba should also be called upon at the end of all rituals to close the gateway. Otherwise, there is no telling what could slip through. As an extension of this, Papa Legba can prevent spirits from occupying a human body, which should not be able to enter without his permission. He is often called on in spirit exorcisms.
Like most Voodoo Lwa, Papa Legba has been syncretized with a number of Catholic saints, specifically Saint Peter, Saint Lazarus, and Saint Anthony.
Papa Legba and Kalfu
While Papa Legba is the guardian of the crossroads, the embodiment of the crossroads is his brother Kalfu. He is sometimes considered an aspect of Papa Legba, but is depicted as a red-colored demon. He is often blamed for bad luck, and when negative forces are allowed to cross from the other worlds into this one.
Note on the Vodoo Lwa
In Voodoo, the various Lwa are divided into various “nations”, and there are believed to be 17 different nations. While these may initially have been related to the origins of the spirit in Africa, these nations are now more about their areas of domain and the characteristics of their powers.
The most well-known spirit nations are the Wangol, Ginen, Kongo, Nago, Ibol, Rada, and Petwo. As an example of the differences between these groups, the Rada are considered sweet-tempered and benevolent, while the Petwo are considered more violent and unpredictable. Kalfou is often considered the Petwo embodiment of Papa Legba. The Lwa himself is considered one of the Rada.
Deal Maker
Papa Legba offers access to other spirits and the opportunity to speak to the dead. He can also be called on for help. Since he is the controller of crossroads and gateways, he is often called on to open up a new path when all the ways forward seem blocked or a person feels stuck.
While he is depicted as a Lwa who can offer advice, he is also a trickster, and he is the type to offer guidance that can be interpreted in a number of different ways. It is just as easy to misunderstand him as to follow the right path forward.
He requires payment for all his services, but usually just small things. He enjoys candy, especially chocolate, alcohol, especially dark rum, cigars, and tobacco, and even sparkling water (these are all common offerings in Haitian vodou).
But the bigger the ask, the higher the cost. Many believe that the blues musician Robert Johnson made a deal with Papa Legba for incredible musical talent and success, but that he sold his soul to the spirit as the price. In 1938, at the age of 27, his payment came due, and he died in mysterious and violent circumstances.
Many people note the number of talented musicians who have died at the age of 27, including Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Kurt Cobain, and Amy Winehouse. They suggest a connection between this type of gift from the Lwa and when the payment will come due.
Symbology of Papa Legba
In Voodoo, Papa Legba is usually portrayed as an older man supported by a cane. He wears a wide-brimmed straw hat and old and tattered clothing. This is not unlike the way the Norse god Odin presents himself when wandering the world. This is probably part of his trickster profile.
Those who call on Papa Legba without sufficient knowledge or respect could be fooled by his humble appearance and treat him with disrespect. He is a reminder to treat all people with respect, no matter how humble they may seem.
The god can also appear as a young and virile man. He is a shapeshifter who can appear in any form he chooses.
He is usually accompanied by a dog, and the bark of a dog that cannot be seen can be a sign of Papa Legba. Dogs are sacred to him, and practitioners of Voodoo know to respect dogs, even in the street, and feed them.
He is associated with the colours red and black, and his veve is often drawn in these colors. In Voodoo religions, a veve is a geometric drawing to represent the Lwa that a practitioner will draw, usually in an ephemeral substance such as sand or chalk, as part of their process of calling the attention of the Lwa. The veve of Papa Legba combines his distinctive cane with a number of interlocking keys, recognizing him as a gatekeeper.
It is worth noting that Voodoo practitioners would not describe their interaction with the Lwa as worship. Rather, they try to capture the attention of the spirits and coax them through offerings and exchange.
African Fertility God
Before being translated to the Americas in Haitian Vodou, Papa Legba seems to have been a fertility deity. In Benin (the Kingdom of Dahomey), Nigeria (the Yoruba people), and Toto, he is depicted with an erect phallus. Nevertheless, he is still associated with crossroads, with his shrines usually located at the entrance to the village.
He is also believed to be related to the Orixa Esu, who is an enforcer of natural and divine laws and is responsible for maintaining orderliness.
These connections may suggest that Papa Legba is also a protector deity, ensuring the prosperity and fertility of the community. This could also explain why he is often called on specifically to protect children.
In Haitian vodou, it is common to light a candle for Papa Legba to call on him to protect a space and open gateways to happiness and prosperity. Some Voodoo practitioners include symbols of Papa Legba at the entrance to their home as a form of protection.
Papa Legba in Pop Culture
Just as a fun fact, Papa Legba has most recently been represented in popular culture on American Horror Story. He makes a deal with Marie Laveu to give her immortality. In return, she must sacrifice an innocent soul to him each year. There is no basis for this kind of human sacrifice in Haitian Vodou.
Papa Legba also inspired the Crossroad Blues episode in season two of Supernatural. In the episode, a spirit or demon of the crossroads makes a deal with a blues singer for fame and talent. While the demon that shows up in the show is female, the use of “hell hounds” to retrieve the souls given in payment is a clear reference to Papa Legba.
Quite interesting reading. I recalled a 2 am visitation at the age of 19 when I was a drummer. However, I refused the offer.