Nigerian Gods 2: Trickster Gods

Nothing is better than getting a good laugh at pranks. It’s great for both the tricked and the trickster (though at the moment, they might get furious, looking back at it, they’ll surely laugh). In Marvel Universe, fans have fallen in love with Loki, Thor’s adopted brother who never ceases to try to manipulate everyone. Trickster Gods are amazing for their sense of liveliness. Both Trickster gods in this article have been translated to mean Satan. However, long before Christianity came to this country, we have had our gods. And we should not let modern-day religion change our view of our gods (though it already has😞).

The Trickster Gods

Ekwensu: Ekwensu is the Trickster god in Igbo mythology. He is the God of bargain. He is often associated with the tortoise (his symbol). Known to be witty at trade and negotiations, he is often invoked for guidance in difficult trading situations. He is believed to be the Spirit of Violence.
Despite current interpretations, Ekwensu was not originally called the devil. As Christianity grew in Nigeria, Ekwensu was regarded only as Satan and not a god (by missionaries at first, soon it spread all over the nation. A lot of people don’t know about Ekwensu’s Godhood).

Ekwensu, in Igbo mythology, assisted Chukwu (the Supreme God), Ani (the Earth Goddess), and Igwe (the Sky God) to raise humanity and other gods — to help humanity survive.

Esu (also Eshu): Esu, the Yoruba trickster god is fond of playing pranks (both harmless and harmful) on both Gods and man. Eshu can speak every language spoken on earth and can shapeshift to any form. He is in charge of transporting sacrifices to Orun (Heaven) the Gods' home.

He became the transporter to heaven after pranking Olodumare — the High God. He stole yams from Olodumare’s garden, and then wore the High God’s slippers to make footprints. When Olodumare noticed, Esu said Olodumare had stolen the yams himself. Angered, Olodumare tasked him to report to Orun every day.

Esu loves confusion. He had caused countless quarrels between people and Gods, manipulating both parties. In a myth, he tricked the sun and the moon into exchanging positions. This violated the natural order of the universe; causing chaos across the universe.

Esu, also the God of chance/uncertainty/change, is the other and vital half of Ifa, the God of Order. Although, they supposedly disliked each other, Esu and Ifa have to coexist for the universe to remain balanced. Esu once threatened to destroy Ifa, laughing, Ifa replied, "If you transform, I’ll transform too. And if I die, you will die too". It has been inferred that Esu and Ifa — chaos and order — have been paired to live together for eternity. And neither can survive without the other.

It’s no surprise that both of them are charged with maintaining balance in the universe. Therefore they ensure that people get what they deserve (a type of karma gods).

Although in 2015, Satan was officially changed to mean "Satani" and devil to mean "Bilisi", the damage on the history of the god had been done. Till now, a lot of people still refer to Esu as Satan.

Trickster gods are the highlight of any myth. They never fail to amuse us. As said in the first article in this series, the series will continue with more gods and amazing stories.

Thanks for reading! Please feel free to express your thoughts in the reply section.