Crossroads (culture)
Encyclopedia
In folk magic and mythology, crossroads may represent a location "between the worlds" and, as such, a site where supernatural
spirits can be contacted and paranormal
events can take place. Symbolically, it can mean a locality where two realms touch and therefore represents liminality
, a place literally "neither here nor there", "betwixt and between".
magical spirituality, in order to acquire facility at various manual and body skills, such as playing a musical instrument
, throwing dice
, or dancing, one may attend upon a crossroads a certain number of times, either at midnight
or just before dawn
, and one will meet a "black man," whom some call the Devil
, who will bestow upon one the desired skills. In the Vodou tradition, Papa Legba
is the lwa
of crossroads.
songs, such as Sold It to the Devil by Black Spider Dumpling (John D. Twitty), may be about making a deal with the devil at the crossroads. Although many modern listeners believe that the premier song about soul-selling at a crossroads is Cross Road Blues
by Robert Johnson, the song may be a description of standing at a cross roads and trying to "flag a ride" or hitch-hike; the sense of foreboding coming from 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. Others believe Robert Johnson sang this song in regards to the deal that was made with Legba in which Johnson exchanged his soul for his extraordinary guitar skills that seemed to appear suddenly. The idea of selling one's soul for instrumental skills pre-dates the American South as several virtuoso classical musicians such as Paganini had stories told about selling their soul for music prowess (and that story may reference back to medieval troubadour doing something similar). The motif of selling one's soul for guitar power has become a staple of both rock and metal guitarists.
(related to the headless mule
, the devil
, the Besta Fera
and the Brazilian version of the werewolf
) and religions (as the favourite place for the manifestation of "left-hand" entities such as Exu
s and where to place offerings to the Orisha
s). 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 Saint Peter
, although in Brazilian Quimbanda
it is not uncommon to see Exu closely associated with demonic entities such as Lucifer
, clad in Mephistophelean attire and bearing a trident.
s. 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.
and medicine wheels as the Christian cross
for example are metonymic of crossroads and share in their lore.
Supernatural
The supernatural or is that which is not subject to the laws of nature, or more figuratively, that which is said to exist above and beyond nature...
spirits can be contacted and paranormal
Paranormal
Paranormal is a general term that designates experiences that lie outside "the range of normal experience or scientific explanation" or that indicates phenomena understood to be outside of science's current ability to explain or measure...
events can take place. Symbolically, it can mean a locality where two realms touch and therefore represents liminality
Liminality
Liminality is a psychological, neurological, or metaphysical subjective state, conscious or unconscious, of being on the "threshold" of or between two different existential planes, as defined in neurological psychology and in the anthropological theories of ritual by such writers as Arnold van...
, a place literally "neither here nor there", "betwixt and between".
Hoodoo
In conjure, rootwork, and hoodoo, a form of African AmericanAfrican American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
magical spirituality, in order to acquire facility at various manual and body skills, such as playing a musical instrument
Musical instrument
A musical instrument is a device created or adapted for the purpose of making musical sounds. In principle, any object that produces sound can serve as a musical instrument—it is through purpose that the object becomes a musical instrument. The history of musical instruments dates back to the...
, throwing dice
Dice
A die is a small throwable object with multiple resting positions, used for generating random numbers...
, or dancing, one may attend upon a crossroads a certain number of times, either at midnight
Midnight
Midnight is the transition time period from one day to the next: the moment when the date changes. In the Roman time system, midnight was halfway between sunset and sunrise, varying according to the seasons....
or just before dawn
Dawn
Dawn is the time that marks the beginning of the twilight before sunrise. It is recognized by the presence of weak sunlight, while the sun itself is still below the horizon...
, and one will meet a "black man," whom some call the Devil
Devil
The Devil is believed in many religions and cultures to be a powerful, supernatural entity that is the personification of evil and the enemy of God and humankind. The nature of the role varies greatly...
, who will bestow upon one the desired skills. In the Vodou tradition, Papa Legba
Papa Legba
In Haitian Vodou, Papa Legba is the intermediary between the loa and humanity. He stands at a spiritual crossroads and gives permission to speak with the spirits of Guinee, and is believed to speak all human languages...
is the lwa
Loa
The Loa are the spirits of the voodoo religion practiced in Louisiana, Haiti, Benin, and other parts of the world. They are also referred to as Mystères and the Invisibles, in which are intermediaries between Bondye —the Creator, who is distant from the world—and humanity...
of crossroads.
Blues songs
Some 20th century bluesBlues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
songs, such as Sold It to the Devil by Black Spider Dumpling (John D. Twitty), may be about making a deal with the devil at the crossroads. Although many modern listeners believe that the premier song about soul-selling at a crossroads is Cross Road Blues
Cross Road Blues
"Cross Road Blues" is a song by Delta Blues singer Robert Johnson; released on a 78 rpm record in 1936 by Vocalion Records, catalogue 3519. The original version remained out of print after its initial release until the appearance of The Complete Recordings in 1990...
by Robert Johnson, the song may be a description of standing at a cross roads and trying to "flag a ride" or hitch-hike; the sense of foreboding coming from 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. Others believe Robert Johnson sang this song in regards to the deal that was made with Legba in which Johnson exchanged his soul for his extraordinary guitar skills that seemed to appear suddenly. The idea of selling one's soul for instrumental skills pre-dates the American South as several virtuoso classical musicians such as Paganini had stories told about selling their soul for music prowess (and that story may reference back to medieval troubadour doing something similar). The motif of selling one's soul for guitar power has become a staple of both rock and metal guitarists.
Brazilian mythology
Crossroads are very important both in Brazilian mythologyBrazilian mythology
The term Brazilian mythology is used to describe a series of cultural elements of diverse origin that are found in Brazil, comprising folk tales, traditions, characters and beliefs regarding places, peoples and entities. It is a subset of the Brazilian folklore...
(related to the headless mule
Headless Mule
The Headless Mule is a character in Brazilian folklore. In most tales, it is the ghost of a woman that has been cursed by God for her sins and condemned to turn into a fire-spewing headless mule, galloping through the countryside from Thursday's sundown to Friday's sunrise...
, the devil
Devil
The Devil is believed in many religions and cultures to be a powerful, supernatural entity that is the personification of evil and the enemy of God and humankind. The nature of the role varies greatly...
, the Besta Fera
Bestial beast
The bestial beast is a Brazilian version of a centaur. The name can be translated either as bestial beast or ferocious beast and is often employed in a figured sense to refer to anyone that is exceedingly angered....
and the Brazilian version of the werewolf
Werewolf
A werewolf, also known as a lycanthrope , is a mythological or folkloric human with the ability to shapeshift into a wolf or an anthropomorphic wolf-like creature, either purposely or after being placed under a curse...
) and religions (as the favourite place for the manifestation of "left-hand" entities such as Exu
Eshu
Èṣù is both an orisha and one of the most well-known deities of the Yoruba mythology and its related New World traditions.He has a wide range of responsibilities: the protector of travelers, deity of roads, particularly...
s and where to place offerings to the Orisha
Orisha
An Orisha is a spirit or deity that reflects one of the manifestations of Olodumare in the Yoruba spiritual or religious system....
s). 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 Saint Peter
Saint Peter
Saint Peter or Simon Peter was an early Christian leader, who is featured prominently in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. The son of John or of Jonah and from the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee, his brother Andrew was also an apostle...
, although in Brazilian Quimbanda
Quimbanda
Quimbanda is an Afro-Brazilian religion practiced primarily in the urban city centers of Brazil. Quimbanda practices are typically associated with magic, rituals involving animal sacrifice and marginal locations, orishas, exus, and pomba gira spirits. Quimbanda was originally contained under the...
it is not uncommon to see Exu closely associated with demonic entities such as Lucifer
Lucifer
Traditionally, Lucifer is a name that in English generally refers to the devil or Satan before being cast from Heaven, although this is not the original meaning of the term. In Latin, from which the English word is derived, Lucifer means "light-bearer"...
, clad in Mephistophelean attire and bearing a trident.
Burial
In the UK there was a tradition of burying at crossroads criminals and suicideSuicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
s. 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.
Christian
MandalaMandala
Maṇḍala is a Sanskrit word that means "circle". In the Buddhist and Hindu religious traditions their sacred art often takes a mandala form. The basic form of most Hindu and Buddhist mandalas is a square with four gates containing a circle with a center point...
and medicine wheels as the Christian cross
Christian cross
The Christian cross, seen as a representation of the instrument of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, is the best-known religious symbol of Christianity...
for example are metonymic of crossroads and share in their lore.
See also
- Crossroads (disambiguation) (for other meanings of Crossroads)
- Crossroads villageCrossroads villageCrossroads village is a term that refers to a settlement, primarily in U.S. American history, that was situated where two or more roads would intersect...