Eksu

Eksu, also rendered as Esu, Eshu, or Exu, refers to a major deity in Yoruba religion and in the religious expressions of the African diaspora, including Santería (Regla de Ocha) and Candomblé. The term eksu is a variant spelling used in some communities and scholarly writings to denote the same divine messenger and gatekeeper often called Esu Elegba or Eleggua in different traditions.

In Yoruba cosmology, Eksu serves as the divine messenger who mediates between the orishas and humans. He is associated with communication, chance, and the crossing of thresholds—physical doorways, crossroads, and paths in life. As a trickster figure, Eksu can both challenge and protect worshippers, acting as the facilitator who allows offerings and prayers to reach the other gods. He is considered essential for the proper functioning of rituals and divination, ensuring that messages can circulate between worlds.

Ritual practice surrounding Eksu typically includes offerings at shrines or crossroads, with foods, drinks, and symbolic items placed for him. Common offerings may involve kola nuts, palm oil, palm wine, and lit candles, arranged to invite his presence and favor. In the diaspora, Eksu/Elegua is integrated into local religious expressions and may be associated with particular colors, symbols, and ritual objects that reflect regional adaptions.

Overall, Eksu is recognized as a central, multifaceted figure whose role as messenger, guardian of crossroads, and intermediary underpins Yoruba ritual life and its cultural continuities across the Atlantic.