Lessons from a Trickster: Eshu's Cap

The archetypal Trickster is a fascinating figure in many mythologies. He is the embodiment of change, paradox, and the tensions in life that keep us moving, growing, vital. Tricksters occupy the middle ground between black and white, and they are divine messengers who move between heaven, earth, and hell (however those realms are imagined).In this program I tell a couple of stories about Eshu, a Trickster from West Africa. This is a Trickster who knows how to lend you a hand or really mess you up, and the lesson that is conveyed in this story is an important one. You might recognize this motif as it’s popular in African mythologies.Eshu also appears under different names, Papa Legba, for example, in diasporan traditions like Vodoun and Santeria.MITM theme music by Travis Rosenberg. Thanks to Radio Free Joshua Tree for providing MITM a home on internet radio-- and thank you for listening!Support the show