THE ORISHA ' ESU'
THE ORISHA ‘ESU’
Esu is an essential Orisha in Yoruba philosophy and of great importance to their belief. Esu emerges as a challenger ,divine trickster, a sharp –shifter ,and an enforcer deity .Esu is the natural force who controls both the benevolent and the malevolent supernatural powers. He is the guardian of Orunmila’s Oracular utterances. Esu is the keeper of divine Ase with which Olodunmare created the universe .Esu opens the portals to the past and the future. Esu is a neutral force ,he straddles all realms and acts as an essential factor in any attempt to resolve the conflicts between contrasting but coterminous forces in the world.He supports prescribed sacrifices and act in conformity with the moral laws of the universe as laid down by Eledunmare. Esu is the deity of choice and free will.He is an important minister of God. He is primary a special relation officer between Orun(Heaven) and Aye(Earth).He is the ‘inspector –general’ or the confidential secretary of Olodunmare,which makes the final recommendation to Olodunmare for the latter approval. He also reports on regular basis to Olodunmare on the deeds of men and divinities ,and sacrifices. Esu is the right hand divinity of Orunmila .Esu is the approval and bearer of sacrifices in Orun(the spirit world).Esu is the revered deity of the Yoruba people .Esu is a god that does things in a frightening way---a prankster. Esu is the link between man and heaven to the Yoruba. He does not allow trouble or evil to be done to us.He is a protector ,guidan, warrior of the Yoruba. Esu is so nice and good that Yoruba add his name to the prefix of their children at birth .e.g,Eshu-wale,Eshu-yemi,Esu-biyi,Eshu-tara,Eshu-gbolahan,Eshu-niyi,Eshu-tunde,Eshu-yeni,Eshu-gbayi,Eshu-gbola,Eshu-shola,etc. Esu is a fierce god,he has to be constantly sacrifice to in Yoruba belief because he is the one between us and other gods. Esu has the power to decree any god not to harm a mortal and can also look away if the offending mortal refuse to perform sacrifice to ward off evil .Esu does not cast evil ,he ensures that no man is unjustly attacked by evil such as Death ,Pestilence ,Loss ,Paralysis ,Trouble ,Curse ,Bondage and Iniquity. All these are under the supervision of Esu according to God(Olodunmare) who placed Esu in that role to monitor their activities .Esu has nothing to do with curses or turning man against God .He serves the mediator between us and the heavens .There is no record in Ifa that Esu rebel against Olodunmare.
ORIKI ESU
O san sokoto penpe,oni bode orun(one who wears short pants and serves as intermediary between man and heaven)
Onibode (the gateman)
Osetura (The door opener)
Papawara (the quickest and fastest one)
Lagemo Orun (the sacred child of heaven)
Alaakalu (one whose greatness is manifested all everywhere)
Esu odara (one who can do and undo)
Ogiri oko (one who is as strong as a rock)
Akeregbayi (one who is small but mighty)
Elegbara (the mighty and powerful one)
Esu is also seen as the warrior of African race,and is different from Satan or Lucifer
Satan/Devil/Lucifer is a rebel who seeks total devotion to himself and his ways and creates rather than resolves conflicts .Satan according to the belief of his followers gives or takes soul and resides in hell .satanist perform a lot of human sacrifice and mortification .
The concept of relating Esu to the devil/lucifer/satan was compounded by a little boy(Samuel Ajayi Crowder) who was kidnapped by muslim Fulani during the war and from his village in Osogun ,in Iseyin,Oyo state ,Nigeria;with his toddler brother and mother, sold to Portuguese slave merchants. However, British Royal Navy intercepted the ship and they were taken to Sierra Leone. Thus, the Anglican Church Missionary Society took over the free Africans and educated them in a different language other than their indigenous language. Ajayi crowder so young at that time translated the Bible from a foreign language to his indigenous language which is Yoruba. This is the medium through which the first concept of Esu is represented false fully with satan /devil/Lucifer.
If Esu were the Devil,Ifa would have been upturn totally into evil and Yoruba would have been submerged in the Devil’s evil.The Yoruba today is one of the most enlighten and innovative race in Africa.One would have thought Ajayi Crowder could have found a near equivalent Yoruba deity for Jesus,instead of Jesu Kristi?.If Satan translate into Esu because of percieved incidental similarities between the two,how come Jesus does not translate into Orunmila,given the fact that Orunmila is a proverbial,kind,nice,calm,peaceful and forbearing as Jesus.How come he does not translate to Ela,the divinity of regeneration.Samuel Ajayi Crowder and his ilk acting as priests,interpreters,translators,policemen,postmasters,and school teachers,were key players in the process of the religious,psychological and mental enslavement of African people.
In submission,Africans in their relationship with the Europeans,were too trusting and accommodating.They ought to have been more cynical and suspicious.
Esu is an essential Orisha in Yoruba philosophy and of great importance to their belief. Esu emerges as a challenger ,divine trickster, a sharp –shifter ,and an enforcer deity .Esu is the natural force who controls both the benevolent and the malevolent supernatural powers. He is the guardian of Orunmila’s Oracular utterances. Esu is the keeper of divine Ase with which Olodunmare created the universe .Esu opens the portals to the past and the future. Esu is a neutral force ,he straddles all realms and acts as an essential factor in any attempt to resolve the conflicts between contrasting but coterminous forces in the world.He supports prescribed sacrifices and act in conformity with the moral laws of the universe as laid down by Eledunmare. Esu is the deity of choice and free will.He is an important minister of God. He is primary a special relation officer between Orun(Heaven) and Aye(Earth).He is the ‘inspector –general’ or the confidential secretary of Olodunmare,which makes the final recommendation to Olodunmare for the latter approval. He also reports on regular basis to Olodunmare on the deeds of men and divinities ,and sacrifices. Esu is the right hand divinity of Orunmila .Esu is the approval and bearer of sacrifices in Orun(the spirit world).Esu is the revered deity of the Yoruba people .Esu is a god that does things in a frightening way---a prankster. Esu is the link between man and heaven to the Yoruba. He does not allow trouble or evil to be done to us.He is a protector ,guidan, warrior of the Yoruba. Esu is so nice and good that Yoruba add his name to the prefix of their children at birth .e.g,Eshu-wale,Eshu-yemi,Esu-biyi,Eshu-tara,Eshu-gbolahan,Eshu-niyi,Eshu-tunde,Eshu-yeni,Eshu-gbayi,Eshu-gbola,Eshu-shola,etc. Esu is a fierce god,he has to be constantly sacrifice to in Yoruba belief because he is the one between us and other gods. Esu has the power to decree any god not to harm a mortal and can also look away if the offending mortal refuse to perform sacrifice to ward off evil .Esu does not cast evil ,he ensures that no man is unjustly attacked by evil such as Death ,Pestilence ,Loss ,Paralysis ,Trouble ,Curse ,Bondage and Iniquity. All these are under the supervision of Esu according to God(Olodunmare) who placed Esu in that role to monitor their activities .Esu has nothing to do with curses or turning man against God .He serves the mediator between us and the heavens .There is no record in Ifa that Esu rebel against Olodunmare.
ORIKI ESU
O san sokoto penpe,oni bode orun(one who wears short pants and serves as intermediary between man and heaven)
Onibode (the gateman)
Osetura (The door opener)
Papawara (the quickest and fastest one)
Lagemo Orun (the sacred child of heaven)
Alaakalu (one whose greatness is manifested all everywhere)
Esu odara (one who can do and undo)
Ogiri oko (one who is as strong as a rock)
Akeregbayi (one who is small but mighty)
Elegbara (the mighty and powerful one)
Esu is also seen as the warrior of African race,and is different from Satan or Lucifer
Satan/Devil/Lucifer is a rebel who seeks total devotion to himself and his ways and creates rather than resolves conflicts .Satan according to the belief of his followers gives or takes soul and resides in hell .satanist perform a lot of human sacrifice and mortification .
The concept of relating Esu to the devil/lucifer/satan was compounded by a little boy(Samuel Ajayi Crowder) who was kidnapped by muslim Fulani during the war and from his village in Osogun ,in Iseyin,Oyo state ,Nigeria;with his toddler brother and mother, sold to Portuguese slave merchants. However, British Royal Navy intercepted the ship and they were taken to Sierra Leone. Thus, the Anglican Church Missionary Society took over the free Africans and educated them in a different language other than their indigenous language. Ajayi crowder so young at that time translated the Bible from a foreign language to his indigenous language which is Yoruba. This is the medium through which the first concept of Esu is represented false fully with satan /devil/Lucifer.
If Esu were the Devil,Ifa would have been upturn totally into evil and Yoruba would have been submerged in the Devil’s evil.The Yoruba today is one of the most enlighten and innovative race in Africa.One would have thought Ajayi Crowder could have found a near equivalent Yoruba deity for Jesus,instead of Jesu Kristi?.If Satan translate into Esu because of percieved incidental similarities between the two,how come Jesus does not translate into Orunmila,given the fact that Orunmila is a proverbial,kind,nice,calm,peaceful and forbearing as Jesus.How come he does not translate to Ela,the divinity of regeneration.Samuel Ajayi Crowder and his ilk acting as priests,interpreters,translators,policemen,postmasters,and school teachers,were key players in the process of the religious,psychological and mental enslavement of African people.
In submission,Africans in their relationship with the Europeans,were too trusting and accommodating.They ought to have been more cynical and suspicious.
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