260:. It represents the rising and setting of the sun, and the human life cycle of death and rebirth. The center of the crossroads is where the communication with spirits take place. During the transatlantic slave trade, the Kongo cosmogram was brought to the United States by African slaves. Archeologists unearthed representations of the Kongo cosmogram on slave plantations in South Carolina on clay pots made by enslaved Africans. The Kongo cosmogram is also called the Bakongo cosmogram and the "Yowa" cross. The Yowa cross (Kongo cosmogram) "Is a fork in the road (or even a forked branch) can allude to this crucially important symbol of passage and communication between worlds. The 'turn' in the path,' i.e., the crossroads, remains an indelible concept in the Kongo-Atlantic world, as the point of intersection between the ancestors and the living." "It is at the crossroads where many Africans believe one will witness the powers of God and emerge from the waters spiritually renewed."
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Folklorist
Newbell Niles Puckett, recorded a number of crossroads rituals in Hoodoo practiced among African-Americans in the South and explained its meaning. Puckett wrote..."Possibly this custom of sacrificing at the crossroads is due to the idea that spirits, like men, travel the highways and would be more likely to hit upon the offering at the crossroads than elsewhere." African crossroads spirits were brought to the United States during the
336:. In the oral history of hoodoo it is said that Robert Johnson became a skilled Blues musician after he sold his soul to the devil at the crossroads, and because of this, people began going to a crossroads at midnight to sell their soul to a devil to acquire a skill or to become better at a skill. The family of Robert Johnson have come forward and said this is not true. How Johnson became a skilled Blues musician was through training under
344:
it reads... "In the case of Robert
Johnson, many family members have come forward to dispel these rumors and have advocated that the truth be told about Robert Johnson. During the time that he was missing, Johnson returned home, where he ran into Ike Zimmerman. Zimmerman took Johnson under his wing,
90:
pillar associated with Hermes frequently marked these places due to the god's association with travelers and role as a guide. Though less central to Greek mythology than Hermes, Hecate's connection to crossroads was more cemented in ritual. 'Suppers of Hecate' were left for her at crossroads at each
275:
resides at the crossroads, and the Yoruba people leave offerings for Eshu-Elegba at the crossroads. In Hoodoo, there is a spirit that resides at the crossroads to give offering for; however, the word Eshu-Elegba does not exist in Hoodoo because the names of
African deities were lost during slavery.
167:
at the crossroads. This may have been due to the crossroads marking the boundaries of the settlement coupled with a desire to bury those outside of the law outside the settlement, or that the many roads would confuse the dead. Crossroads were also commonly used as a place of criminal punishment and
144:
The modern
English text gives: "There once lived a man named Mercury, who was very deceitful, and, though quite wise in speech, was treacherous in actions and lies. The pagans, in their account, also made him their great god and often and frequently offered him sacrifices at crossroads, through the
106:
society, rituals of protection were done at crossroads and purification ritual remains were left at the crossroads. The Greeks and Romans believed doors, gates, rivers, frontiers and crossroads held spiritual meanings regarding transitioning, leaving one area and going somewhere else, a change in
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and from years of practicing, Johnson became the legendary Blues musician that we know today." Therefore, the idea one can sell their soul to the devil at the crossroads and acquire a skill may not be traditional in Hoodoo.
219:
describes how crossroads were often avoided as a matter of course, and describes a
Romanian belief that a demon could be summoned at a crossroad by drawing a magic circle, offering copper coin as payment, and reciting an
307:
In Hoodoo, there has been a practice that is believed to be hoodoo in origin such as selling your soul to the devil at the crossroads in order to acquire facility at various manual and body skills, such as playing a
385:). Eshu and Legba derive from the same African deity, although they are viewed in markedly different manners among traditions. For example, Papa Legba is considered by Haitian Vodou practitioners to be closest to
970:
91:
new moon, and one of her most common titles was 'goddess of the crossroads.' In her later three-fold depictions, each of the three heads or bodies is often associated with one of three crossing roads.
436:; the sense of foreboding has been interpreted as the singer's apprehension of finding himself, a young black man in the 1920s deep south, alone after dark and at the mercy of passing motorists.
70:
A herma was a statue associated with Hermes. It was used to mark boundaries and crossroads in ancient Greece, and thought to ward off evil. Museum of
Ancient Messene, Greece.
190:
In
Western folk mythology, a crossroads can be used to summon a demon or devil in order to make a deal. This legend can be seen in many stories. For example, the 1587
809:
102:, offerings also were sent to the crossroads on the sixteenth of the month - i.e., half a month after the new-moon offering, at the time of the full moon." In
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songs may be about making a deal with the devil at the crossroads. Many modern listeners believe that the premier song about soul-selling at a crossroads is "
176:), which may have also been a reason for it being a site of suicidal burial as suicide was considered a crime. This ritual of crossroads burial dates back to
332:, who will bestow upon one the desired skills. This practice is believed to have originated from an African American Blues musician by the name of
107:
directions physically and spiritually; therefore rituals of protection and rituals regarding change (transition) were done at crossroads.
58:
573:
192:
426:, Johnson himself sold his soul at a crossroads in order to learn to play the guitar. This is chronicled in the Netflix documentary
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676:""... All of Cross"—African Potters, Marks, and Meanings in the Folk Pottery of the Edgefield District, South Carolina"
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886:
587:
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The Old
English text is reproduced here from The Cambridge Old English Reader by Richard Marsden, pp. 205–208.
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events can take place. Symbolically, it can mean a locality where two realms touch and therefore represents
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299:
In Hoodoo crossroads are where two roads meet to form an X. The crossroads in Hoodoo originates from the
782:
208:
folktales often similarly involve summoning the devil at a crossroads in order to cast magic bullets.
648:
183:
While they became a place of burial for suicides and others unable to be given proper burial in the
374:
295:
609:
187:, the crossroads were once a burial place second only to the consecrated church for Christians.
971:"Stories of the Crossroads: Blues Myths Did Robert Johnson Really Sell His Soul to the Devil?"
817:
Atlanta
University Center DigitalCommons@Robert W. Woodruff Library, Atlanta University Center
341:
423:
320:. It is believed that one may attend upon a crossroads a certain number of times, either at
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teachings of the devil, and to high hills they often brought various offerings of praise."
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it is not uncommon to see Exu closely associated with demonic entities such as
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377:(as the favourite place for the manifestation of "left-hand" entities such as
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56. gelætum him lac offrodon oft and gelome þurh deofles lare and to heagum
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Relief triplicate Hekate marble - The
Goddess Hekate resides at crossroads.
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55. macedon þa hæðenan be heora getæle eac heom to mæran gode and æt wega
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may represent a location "between the worlds" and, as such, a site where
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574:"Why were people who died by suicide historically buried at crossroads?"
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54. And, ðeah full snotorwyrde, swicol on dædum and on leasbregdum. Ðone
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Flash of the Spirit: African & Afro-American Art & Philosophy
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53. Sum man eac wæs gehaten Mercurius on life, se wæs swyðe facenfull
50:, a place literally "neither here nor there", "betwixt and between".
855:
734:
Park Ethnography Program - African American Heritage and Ethnography
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27:
Location where the physical and spiritual worlds are close or merged
891:. Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press. p. 320.
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in the United States, the crossroads in Hoodoo originates from the
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Other African origins of the crossroads in Hoodoo are found in
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86:, with shrines and ceremonies for both taking place there. The
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810:"The Kongo cosmogram: A theory in African-American literature"
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432:. However, the song's lyrics merely describe a man trying to
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616:. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 210–211.
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Trouble in Mind: Black Southerners in the Age of Jim Crow
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397:, clad in Mephistophelean attire and bearing a trident.
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people. For example, the Yoruba trickster deity called
328:, and one will meet a "black man," whom some call the
248:, a form of African magical spirituality practiced by
637:
http://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/52165/pg52165.txt
736:. Department of Interior - The National Park Service
655:. Department of Interior - The National Park Service
292:of crossroads and a messenger to the spirit world.
180:times and continued until being abolished in 1823.
1004:. New York: Original Publications. pp. 23–24.
340:who was a blues guitarist. In an article from the
204:at a crossroads in order to summon the devil. The
549:"British Archaeology, no 25, June 1997: Features"
1028:
546:
159:In Great Britain, there existed a tradition of
488:The Oxford Classical Dictionary fourth edition
787:. New York: Vintage Books. pp. 108–111.
1019:. New York: Vintage Books. pp. 410–411.
589:Dictionary of Mythology Folklore and Symbols
140:57. beorgum him brohton oft mistlice loflac.
649:"NKISI SARABANDA - Signature of the Spirit"
598:
94:"According to the fourth-century historian
506:Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik
490:. Oxford University Press. p.688, 649-651]
1002:Santeria and the Orisha of the Crossroads
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762:. African Burial Ground National Monument
903:"Who is Papa Legba? History and Legends"
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840:"Eshu-Elegba: The Yoruba Trickster God"
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486:Hornblower, Spawforth, Eidinow. (2012)
78:, crossroads were associated with both
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353:Crossroads are very important both in
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381:and where to place offerings to the
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429:ReMastered: Devil at the Crossroads
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888:Folk Beliefs of the Southern Negro
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977:. 31 October 2020. Archived from
756:"YOWA - Continuity of Human Life"
595:. The Scarecrow Press, Inc. p.388
369:and the Brazilian version of the
781:Thompson, Robert Farris (1984).
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193:Historia von D. Johann Fausten
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1000:Canizares, Baba Raul (2000).
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461:Boundary marker § Greece
246:conjure, rootwork, and hoodoo
211:In the 1885 historical essay
42:spirits can be contacted and
124:were honored on crossroads.
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213:Transylvanian Superstitions
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196:, describes the character
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918:"Kongo across the Waters"
760:The National Park Service
278:transatlantic slave trade
227:
1015:Litwack, Leon F (1998).
838:Pemberton, John (1975).
586:Jobes, Gertrude. (1961)
547:Robert Halliday (2008).
500:Johnston, S. I. (1991).
389:, although in Brazilian
916:Cooksey, Susan (2013).
808:Stayton, Corey (1997).
680:Historical Archaeology
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975:National Blues Museum
674:Joseph, J.W. (2011).
653:African Burial Ground
342:National Blues Museum
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1037:Crossroads mythology
934:10.1162/AFAR_a_00109
614:Carl Maria von Weber
18:Crossroads (culture)
355:Brazilian mythology
349:Brazilian mythology
238:The Kongo cosmogram
168:execution (e.g. by
981:on 7 February 2022
692:10.1007/BF03376836
446:Crossroads village
410:Some 20th-century
310:musical instrument
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303:in Central Africa.
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401:In modern fiction
250:African Americans
149:Medieval folklore
54:Ancient religions
16:(Redirected from
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922:African Arts
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850:(1): 20–92.
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558:10 September
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406:Blues songs
387:Saint Peter
312:, throwing
284:tradition,
273:Eshu-Elegba
265:West Africa
222:incantation
200:inscribing
185:Middle Ages
178:Anglo-Saxon
96:Philochorus
955:22 January
740:22 January
728:Ferguson.
713:23 January
659:22 January
623:0521213541
474:References
367:Besta Fera
286:Papa Legba
267:among the
206:Freischütz
155:Felo de se
153:See also:
48:liminality
44:paranormal
36:crossroads
872:194054440
823:9 October
708:160445944
608:(1976) .
434:hitchhike
391:Quimbanda
375:religions
280:. In the
174:dule tree
1031:Category
950:57565417
942:43306192
766:18 March
700:23070092
518:20187554
440:See also
424:a legend
371:werewolf
322:midnight
165:suicides
98:,... at
32:folklore
864:3334976
395:Lucifer
383:Orishas
318:dancing
288:is the
161:burying
118:Mercury
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456:Hecate
373:) and
365:, the
361:, the
269:Yoruba
228:Hoodoo
170:gibbet
100:Athens
84:Hermes
80:Hecate
946:S2CID
938:JSTOR
868:S2CID
860:JSTOR
813:(PDF)
704:S2CID
696:JSTOR
514:JSTOR
466:Herma
418:" by
412:blues
363:devil
330:Devil
316:, or
282:Vodou
198:Faust
987:2021
957:2021
825:2021
819:: 11
789:ISBN
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715:2021
661:2021
618:ISBN
560:2011
525:2022
379:Exus
326:dawn
314:dice
122:Odin
88:herm
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
