Òwe on Èṣù in Proverb
Eight Yorùbá proverbs featuring Èṣù, the unpredictable gatekeeper-messenger god, showing how ordinary speech treats him as a figure of hazard, mischief, and the crossroads rather than as a moral abstraction.
Èṣù na di gatekeeper for front of shrine-dem and di messenger between human being-dem, di òrìṣà, and di Creator, and pipo dey fear am well well because of how e fit do mischief [S1, note 34]. Di footnote-dem wey Owomoyela write by imself point out one particular historical mistake wey concern dis file: Christian missionary-dem mistakenly take Èṣù do equal with Devil, and folklorist-dem wey follow dat comparison carry di mistake go further [S1, note 34]. Di full account wey dis corpus get about Èṣù as im own separate figure, wey no be trickster-villain or devil, dey for 06-orisa/08-esu.md [S2]. Dis file gather eight proverb-dem wey Èṣù imself na di subject, no be wetin missionary talk about am, and e present dem as everyday talk inside di tradition: proverb-dem about how pesin no fit predict wetin go happen, boundary, and di danger to provoke power wey nobody fit fully measure, no be demonology.
Di proverb-dem
1. Aláṣejù ní ń gbé ẹbọ kọjá ìdí èṣù; a-gbé-sàráà-kọjá-a-mọṣáláṣí.
Literal: Aláṣejù the-immoderate-person ní ń gbé ẹbọ kọjá ìdí èṣù is-who carries an-offering past the-base of-Èṣù's-shrine; a-gbé-sàráà-kọjá-a-mọṣáláṣí the-one-who-carries-alms past-the-mosque.
Idiomatic: "It is an immoderate person who carries his offering past Èṣù's shrine; one-who-carries-his-alms-past-the-mosque." [S1]
Meaning: If pesin fail to show respect for place wey clear and expected along im road, na sign say e dey do pass imself or e dey careless, no be say e get liver.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Na big mistake if pesin no observe proper boundary" [S1]
Notes: Di footnote wey Owomoyela put for dis proverb na di main documentary statement wey dis corpus get about Èṣù: e be "gatekeeper for front of shrine-dem and messenger to di Creator and to Ifá," role wey make am "pipo dey fear am well well because of im capacity for mischief," and di footnote add say Christian-dem mistakenly equate am with Devil, interpretation wey folklorist-dem come add join later [S1, note 34]. Di proverb itself use normal landmark, shrine wey pesin go pass normally and pay respect to, and e join am with di same kind normal Islamic obligation say pesin no suppose pass mosque without giving alms; di two clause-dem treat di offence like say pesin break normal respect wey suppose dey for place along road, no be say e jam evil.
Source: [S1] Owomoyela 178, with note 34.
2. Ọmọdé ní ẹ̀ẹ́ ta lọ́wọ́, ó ní kí Èṣù wá ká ṣeré owó; ẹ̀ẹ́ ta-á ha tó Èṣùú ra epo lá?
Literal: Ọmọdé ní ẹ̀ẹ́ ta lọ́wọ́ a-child has three-cowries in-hand, ó ní kí Èṣù wá ká ṣeré owó he-says let-Èṣù come and-play a-money-game; ẹ̀ẹ́ ta-á ha tó Èṣùú ra epo lá? will three-cowries suffice for-Èṣù to-buy palm-oil to-lick?
Idiomatic: "A child has 3 cowries in hand and challenges Èṣù to a game played for money; will 3 solitary cowries suffice for Èṣù to purchase palm oil to lick?" [S1]
Meaning: Pesin wey just get small money dey over-calculate wetin dat money fit make am do.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Pipo wey just get money for di first time dey always over-estimate their value wey just show" [S1]
Notes: Owomoyela im footnote record di particular detail say palm oil na Èṣù's favourite food [S1, note 87], detail wey match di wider account about di kind sacrifice wey e prefer for 06-orisa/08-esu.md. Di comedy wey dey inside di proverb rely on di difference in scale between small pikin im three cowries and wetin dey at stake when pesin invite god wey pipo know say wise well well into gambling game for money.
Source: [S1] Owomoyela 533, with note 87.
3. Ṣàngó ní òun ní ń kó ọkùnrin sùúrù bá jà; Èṣù ní bí-i tòun? Ṣàngó ní kí tÈṣù kúrò.
Literal: Ṣàngó ní òun ní ń kó ọkùnrin sùúrù bá jà Ṣàngó says he gathers patient men to-fight-together; Èṣù ní bí-i tòun? Èṣù asks, including me? Ṣàngó ní kí tÈṣù kúrò Ṣàngó says Èṣù's is-excepted.
Idiomatic: "Ṣango says he gathers people around him to fight together; Èṣù asks if Ṣango includes people like him, and Ṣango says Èṣù is the exception." [S1]
Meaning: Nobody want troublemaker wey pesin no fit predict make e be partner, even god wey powerful reach Ṣàngó.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Nobody want enter any business or venture with troublemaker wey pesin no fit predict" [S1]
Notes: Dis proverb present small dialogue between two god-dem wey get name, Ṣàngó and Èṣù, and di whole point dey on top Èṣù's reputation say pesin no fit predict am, wey be wetin everybody know sotey even another òrìṣà go prefer to remove am from agreement. See 06-orisa/05-sango.md for Ṣàngó's own profile; dem no arrange di two god-dem by hierarchy here, na just clear, funny refusal.
Source: [S1] Owomoyela 1248.
4. Sùtà ò nílé; ìkóríta lÈṣù ń gbé.
Literal: Sùtà perfidy/treachery ò nílé has-no home; ìkóríta lÈṣù ń gbé the-crossroads is-where-Èṣù lives.
Idiomatic: "Perfidy has no home; the home of Èṣù is the crossroads." [S1]
Meaning: Wayo and betrayal, just like Èṣù, no get any settled place wey e belong; na only for junction where road split and decision no clear e dey feel at home.
Used when: Owomoyela im indirect explanation: nobody dey give abomination space for inside im house [S1].
Notes: Na dis be di clearest statement for inside di collection about Èṣù's specific domain, di crossroads (ìkóríta), place wey dey appear regular across Yorùbá religious geography as place for sacrifice and for choices wey never settle. Di way dem join sùtà, perfidy, with Èṣù's dwelling place link am with wetin no settle and wetin dey boundary rather than any moral category of "evil" on its own.
Source: [S1] Owomoyela 1252.
5. Èṣù ò ṣèjò; ẹni tó tẹ ejò mọ́lẹ̀ lóbá ń bá.
Literal: Èṣù ò ṣèjò Èṣù does-no-wrong-to-the-snake; ẹni tó tẹ ejò mọ́lẹ̀ whoever steps-on a-snake lóbá ń bá is-who is-in-trouble.
Idiomatic: "There is no disaster stalking the snake; it is whoever steps on a snake that is in trouble." [S1]
Meaning: Wahala dey follow provocation, no be just because di thing wey fit cause harm dey exist; na di pesin wey act carelessly get blame.
Wen dem dey use am: Wetin Owomoyela write for note: "No bi di snake wey person match by mistake dey inside danger; na di person wey match di snake by mistake" [S1]
Note dem: Èṣù's name for here dey work almost like adverb, as word wey dem dey use talk about wahala or wen dem catch person, pass as active character inside di matter; wetin di proverb mean dey remove blame from di snake just as e go remove blame from Èṣù himself from di blame wey suppose follow human being careless behavior, and dis one agree with di broader defense of Èṣù's character wey dey inside 06-orisa/08-esu.md against di caricature say na "trickster wey dey cause harm wey nobody provoke".
Source: [S1] Owomoyela 1474.
6. Èṣù ò níwà, a kọ́lé-e rẹ̀ síta.
Literal: Èṣù ò níwà Èṣù has-no [good] character, a kọ́lé-e rẹ̀ síta his-house is-built outdoors.
Idiomatic: "Èṣù lacks good character; therefore, his house is built outdoors." [S1]
Meaning: Person wey no get social manners, dem dey push am go outside, far from di shared house space wey other people dey stay.
Wen dem dey use am: Owomoyela: "Person wey no get social manners deserve make dem push am outside" [S1]
Note dem: Owomoyela footnote explain di real practical thing direct: dem traditionally dey build Èṣù image dem for outside, instead of keeping dem inside shrine building di way dem dey usually keep other òrìṣà image dem [S1, note 2]. Di proverb take dis architectural fact, instead of any bad tin wey dem talk say e do, as di proof for wetin dem talk about in character, and make person read am as commentary about how dem remove am from ordinary house arrangement, wey match in connection with junction for entry 4, instead of moral judgment wey di tradition dey tell people make dem just accept without thinking.
Source: [S1] Owomoyela 2729, with note 2.
7. Èṣù ìbá ti là, akówó-ẹbọ ni ò jẹ́.
Literal: Èṣù ìbá ti là Èṣù would-have already prospered, akówó-ẹbọ ni ò jẹ́ it-is-the-takers-of-sacrifice-money that have-prevented-it.
Idiomatic: "Èṣù would have prospered, but the people who remove the money from sacrifices have thwarted him." [S1]
Meaning: Other people fit block hard work wey person dey do for success wen dem collect di reward before e reach di person wey work for am.
Wen dem dey use am: Owomoyela: "Even if person work hard reach anywhere, other people fit block di road of in success" [S1]
Note dem: Owomoyela footnote give di practical background: Èṣù na god wey dey receive sacrifice for himself or as middleman for other god dem, and dem dey often drop dis kind sacrifice for junction wey get palm oil and money, but people wey dey in need sometimes dey pack dem wen dem see dem before e reach Èṣù hand [S1, note 22]. Dis proverb different from others inside dis file because e show say na Èṣù dem do wrong to, instead of to show am as source of danger, wey come make am hard to just view am simply as ordinary trickster or threat.
Source: [S1] Owomoyela 3731, with note 22.
8. Ìkóríta mẹ́ta ọ̀nà Èṣù.
Literal: Ìkóríta mẹ́ta the-point-where-three-roads-meet ọ̀nà Èṣù is-Èṣù's-pathway.
Idiomatic: "The point where three roads meet: Èṣù's pathway." [S1]
Meaning: Evil, or danger in general, dey settle for place dem wey structurally fit am.
Wen dem dey use am: Wetin Owomoyela write for note: "Evil dey occupy place wey welcome am" [S1]
Note dem: Dis entry repeat entry 4 connection with junction by itself instead of as part of long sentence about betrayal, wey show say di connection of Èṣù with junction dey clear across at least two separate proverb dem inside Owomoyela collection, no bi just one-off image.
Source: [S1] Owomoyela 5054.
How to understand dis set
None of dis eight proverb dem talk say Èṣù do wrong tin wey nobody provoke. For where e appear as danger (entry 3, 5, 6, 8), di danger na either say person no fit predict am as person wey fit help, or na normal consequence wen person fail to give am di respect wey dem suppose give any powerful figure for dangerous place, exactly as person go give respect to mosque or another òrìṣà shrine (entry 1). For where e appear as actor wey get in own interest, na him bi di person wey dem do wrong, no bi di wrongdoer (entry 7). Wen person read dem together, and join am with Owomoyela own footnote wey correct di way missionary time mix Èṣù join Devil [S1, note 34], di proverb evidence support di explanation wey dey inside 06-orisa/08-esu.md: god of di junction and of communication between different level of existence, wey dangerous to cross carelessly, but no bi di source of unprovoked evil wey popular English caricature dey paint am to bi.