Elegba
/ɛˈlɛɡ.bə/noun
A common English spelling of Èṣù-Elegba, the Yoruba orisha associated with crossroads, communication, choice, and trickster power.
Did you know?Christian missionaries often equated Èṣù with Satan, but in Yoruba religious thought he is an independent orisha whose role includes enforcing consequences and carrying divine messages—not embodying absolute evil.
Etymological Timeline
Precolonial Yoruba tradition
Yoruba
Èṣù
“An orisha connected with crossroads, communication, uncertainty, choice, and consequence.”
Precolonial Yoruba tradition
Yoruba
Èlégbára
“A name or title associated with Èṣù; its exact internal analysis is debated, so a confident literal translation is not established.”
18th–19th Century
Fon / Ewe
Legba
“A West African deity associated with gateways, communication, and mediation; related in function and diaspora history, but not simply a proven sound-change from Yoruba Èṣù.”
19th Century
English
Elegba
“An English-language spelling used in descriptions of Yoruba religion and West African-derived traditions.”
20th–21st Century
English
Elegba
“A modern alternative spelling for Èṣù-Elegba, especially in religious, academic, literary, and popular discussions of Yoruba and diaspora spirituality.”