By Adeyinka Olaiya/Brazil
Esu, the Yoruba messenger god was betrayed and demonized by a Nigerian , a Yoruba translator who could not find a holy name to qualify Orunmila , he could not even characterize the works of Esu Alaaje , he ignored the positivities and practical functions of Esu L’anroye , he rubbished the image of the Yoruba messenger god , he condemned the divine mediator in his writings and translations .
It was him , Samuel Ajayi Crowder , the Yoruba translator who denied the positive characteristics of Esu , he demonized Esu Ona, Esu Abilu, Esu Ebo(elebo), Esu Elegbara, Esu Awure, Esu Ogo, Esu Oja, Esu Ita, Esu Alaje, Esu Odara , he tagged all in one word ( Satan )
In Ajayi’s translation of the English Bible to Yoruba , hardly would one believe that the same Esu , whom he demonized was a messenger god , the mediator between man and heaven, a strong deity , a pacificator .
Saamu did not even mention the Esu who protects , he did not mention the Esu who gives prosperity , he did not mention the Esu of the barrens . He demonized the true messenger of Olodumare, he likened Esu to all that was evil, he named him Satan
If really Èṣú was Satan , would the Yorubas add his name to the prefix of their children at birth ? Esu -Biyi,Esu-Tunde,Esu-gbayi, Esu-Bunmi, Esu-Wande e.t.c
The Yorubas have a shrine of upside-down earthenware bowl with a hole in the bottom, to venerate this god, they worship and appease the messenger deity at wills .
The question is , does the Yorubas worship the same Lucifer/Devil that rebelled against God in the Abramovic religious concept ? This seems to be the definition of what Samuel Ajayi Crowder translated .
Today , the shrines of Esu ( Ojubo Esu) inscribed in some traditional worship centers in Nigeria are deserted in the day time , devotees avoid been bullied by some who believes Esu is Satan , a semblance of evil . This is practically not the same in the Americas where the African traditional religion is fast growing, the devotees of the real messenger god invokes Esu in the broad daylights , they worship the Orishas with pride
In Brazil, millions of Yoruba traditionalists have the statue and the functions of Esu in their domains , Esu Elebo mediates their offerings daily .
Esu , one of the principal deities of the Yoruba traditional religion emerged from the Yoruba ethnic group in South-West , Nígeria, it spread through the slave trade era to Brazil , Venezuela, Cuba, Costa Rica , Trindade and Tobago, United States of America.
Esu is wrongfully preached and confused for the Devil since the 19th century , interchangeably with the devil amongst Yoruba Christians. It’s a calamity that struck the Yorubas and their beliefs , it has increasingly sparked the Yoruba society .
It is important to know that Esu in the Aborisa faith , is the mediator , the intercessor. Esu is the only god that the devotees of all the other Orisas must pay homage to , he conveys messages , Esu settles scores, he mediates for all .
In Nigeria, the real native country of this Yoruba religion , Esu is still misunderstood as the devil, he does just evil, he pushes people to do evil.
Though christians were at a time confused if Esu was devil , the Yorubas were calm in their worships , peace reigned until the bible landed in their hands, the truth became lies , the lies became the truth .The Nigerian, Saamu , the black-white boy , the demonizer , the Yoruba of white ancestors , the one who actually demonized the messenger god infiltrated the European version of Esu .
In 1821, Ajayi , a young boy was kidnapped from a Yoruba town, Osogun , a place located in the present day Oyo State, Nigeria, he was kidnapped along with his parents , the mother, sister, uncle and his little brother
Ajayi’s story was different, as the situation suddenly changed , the journey got a twist, the slave ship taking Ajayi and other kidnapped West Africans across the Atlantic Ocean was boarded by British troops who later rescued Ajayi,. The lad was baptized as Samuel Ajayi Crowder and became one of the leading missionaries promoting the Christian religion in West Africa.
Ajayi assumed the importance , he became one of the leading figures translating the Bible scriptures into many ethnic languages at that time including the Yoruba language.
Ajayi could not at all reserve the Yoruba religion , he helped the Colonizers to demonize the Yoruba god , he related Esu as Satan , Devil , all that was bad . .
Samuel Ajayi Crowder and his wrong translation of the English Bible to yoruba language marked the beginning of the demonization of the Yoruba god , Esu.
The 12 year old boy who was kidnapped and sold as a slave to the Portuguese got it wrong , he was manipulated, he got it wrong , he betrayed his race , he demonized Esu, he named Esu Satan in English.
Èṣù láàlú does not have an English name just the way Ṣàngó, Ògún, Ọbàtálá, Ọ̀ṣun and others don’t have an English name. Èṣù is Èṣù!
Èṣù láàlú does not have all the bad features that the Biblical Satan has, Esu is Esu.
Èṣù is a deity in Yorùbá land, an Òrìṣà of crossroads, duality, beginnings, travelers, fertility and death.
Èṣù serves as an intermediary between humans and other deities in Yorùbá land. He is like a messenger that humans can send to other deities.
Èṣù is neutral, he is friends with every other deity, this is why it is easy for him to access every other deity.
Èṣù is a friendly prankster. He has good rapport with every other deity and he knows how to whine them if need be. He is the Orisa, the one every Aborisa must appease .