What do Eshu and Hermes have in common?

They share no domain in this atlas: Eshu holds crossroads, communication, trickster, fate, beginnings, while Hermes holds messengers, commerce, thieves, travelers, boundaries.

Which traditions do they belong to?

Eshu belongs to the African Traditions; Hermes belongs to the Greek Pantheon.

Side by side

Eshu vs Hermes

Both are divine messengers and tricksters associated with crossroads

At a glance

African Traditions

tradition

Greek Pantheon

crossroads, communication, trickster, fate, beginnings

domains

messengers, commerce, thieves, travelers, boundaries

crossroads, cowrie shells, red and black colors, walking stick, keys

symbols

caduceus, winged sandals, petasos, tortoise, rooster

Elegua, Elegba, Exu, Legba

also called

Mercury

Where they meet

The atlas records no shared domain or symbol between them. What connects them is elsewhere: Both are divine messengers and tricksters associated with crossroads

Where they part

Eshu alone

crossroads, communication, trickster, fate, beginnings

Hermes alone

messengers, commerce, thieves, travelers, boundaries

How each was worshipped

Eshu

Cult sites: The crossroads; the first stone of any compound.

First mouthful of any offering. Without Eshu the message does not go. Trickster in story, postman in cult. Palm oil, not a morality play.

Hermes

Cult sites: Hermo on roads and at doorways more than a single great temple, Sanctuary of Hermes at Pheneos in Arcadia.

Festivals: Hermaia.

The herm, a bearded head on a pillar, is the cult you actually meet: boundaries, luck, and theft. Athletic Hermaia marked boys. He leads souls and goats with the same staff. A marketplace god before he is a cute messenger.

Eshu

African Traditions

The Orisha of crossroads, communication, and unpredictability. Eshu is the divine messenger who carries prayers to Olodumare and the Orishas.

Eshu was one of the first Orishas created by Olodumare, given the crucial task of mediating between heaven and earth. He was positioned at the crossroads of existence, where all decisions are made and all prayers must pass.

Eshu is one of the most important yet most misunderstood Orishas. As the guardian of the crossroads, he stands at every point of decision. Nothing reaches the Orishas without passing through Eshu first, and no ritual can begin without his blessing.

Read the full Eshu entry

Hermes

Greek Pantheon

God of messengers, commerce, thieves, and travelers. Son of Zeus and the nymph Maia, known for his cunning and speed.

Hermes is the swift messenger of the gods, wearing winged sandals and carrying the caduceus. He is the patron of boundaries and travelers, and the only god (besides Hades and Persephone) who can freely travel to the Underworld.

Read the full Hermes entry

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At a glance

African Traditions

tradition

Greek Pantheon

crossroads, communication, trickster, fate, beginnings

domains

messengers, commerce, thieves, travelers, boundaries

crossroads, cowrie shells, red and black colors, walking stick, keys

symbols

caduceus, winged sandals, petasos, tortoise, rooster

Elegua, Elegba, Exu, Legba

also called

Mercury

How each was worshipped

Eshu

Cult sites: The crossroads; the first stone of any compound.

First mouthful of any offering. Without Eshu the message does not go. Trickster in story, postman in cult. Palm oil, not a morality play.

Hermes

Cult sites: Hermo on roads and at doorways more than a single great temple, Sanctuary of Hermes at Pheneos in Arcadia.

Festivals: Hermaia.