Esu is not satan: A Yoruba campaign against religious discrimination

Yoruba activists reached Mexico, Spain, the United States, and more

Originally published on Global Voices

On December 24, Yoruba traditional religion adherents took to the streets in Nigeria's capital Lagos, Osogbo, and cities across the world to protest against a historical error that has been causing religious discrimination for centuries. The traditionalists were seen on the streets, donning vests and holding placards and banners with inscriptions. For centuries, the adherents of Abrahamic religions have equated a Yoruba deity called Esu (also called Eshu) with Satan, who is a figure regarded as the embodiment of evil and an adversary of God in Islam, Christianity, and Judaism. The Yoruba are a prominent people group in West Africa, with large populations in Nigeria, Benin, and Togo, and a diaspora around the world. Many Yoruba people practice the Yoruba traditional religion.

The traditionalists broadcasted the campaign on radio and TV stations throughout Nigeria and distributed content on social media platforms with the hashtag #EsuIsNotSatan to raise awareness about the walk:

Will you be there? #esuisnotsatan #december24#africashrine pic.twitter.com/ch8JP6gbLl

— BABA AJISEFA (@ILE_AJISEFA) December 1, 2024

Public lectures were held in Osogbo and Lagos, Nigeria. The campaign was also carried out in countries such as Mexico, Spain, the United States and other areas in the African Diaspora where there are large populations of Yoruba traditional religion adherents. 

The root of the historical error

In 1860, Bishop Samuel Ajayi Crowther, the first African bishop in the Anglican church, was commissioned by the Christian Mission Society to translate the holy bible into the Yoruba language so that the Yoruba people could access the gospel in their native tongue.

The task was crucial, as he needed to create a written form of a language that had previously existed primarily in oral form. Bishop Crowther worked throughout his life to standardize the Yoruba language and other African languages such as Nupe and Igbo. He not only succeeded in translating the bible; he also compiled the first Yoruba dictionary and published his Yoruba grammar book in 1843.

While he was translating the bible, Crowther committed an error that has caused religious discrimination for centuries. He localized Satan as Esu. This localization portrays the Yoruba deity as an embodiment of evil, like Satan. Unlike Abrahamic religions, where evil and good are often portrayed as opposing forces, the Yoruba worldview sees them as complementary. Esu is the deity in charge of controlling and regulating world forces. The Yorubas believe nothing is entirely good nor bad; and that good things might come out of bad occurrences and bad things might come out of good occurrences. 

Curbing the misconception

Even 140 years after Crowther's complete translation of the Yoruba bible was published, the misconception about Esu being Satan is still common. Popular culture and media have also promoted this negative narrative. Seeing the negative impact it is having on their religion, a group of traditionalists started a campaign in 2014 to correct the error by designating December 24 as a day for educating the public on the Yoruba religion and culture. 

Responding in a WhatsApp conversation with Global Voices on December 28, 2024, Akanbi Ifadola Afofun, a traditionalist and entrepreneur living in Lagos, Nigeria, shared insights on the misconception about Esu and #EsuIsNotSatan campaign. 

Abdulrosheed Fadipe (AF): How do you feel about the portrayal of Esu in popular culture and media?

Ifadola Afofun (IA): I feel sorry for Yoruba people because of the way Esu is portrayed in the media. Part of what I am doing is actively educating people on the identity and importance of Esu so they can understand Esu is not similar to Satan. Esu is the deity that guides the entrances, exits, crossroads, and markets in Yorubaland. It is described as neither completely good nor evil. Esu punishes those who break cosmic laws. In fact, he is regarded as the messenger of Orunmila, an Orisha that brought the word of Olodumare to the world. We are trying to stop the misrepresentation of Esu in the media.

AF: Could you share your personal experiences with the misconception of Esu as Satan?

IA: Growing up, I faced misconceptions about Esu due to the conflation of Yoruba spirituality with Western religious concepts. Esu was often wrongly equated with Satan, a misunderstanding that negatively impacted my relationship with this revered deity.

AF: What are your core beliefs about Esu's role in Yoruba cosmology? How does Esu differ from the concept of Satan in Abrahamic religions?

IA: I'm not a Bible scholar, but looking at how the bible describes Satan as the one that always fights the Abrahamic God, I believe there is nothing that Esu has in common with Satan of the Abrahamic religion. Esu is not fighting with a higher power for supremacy. Our own Esu is the figure that maintains law and order In the cosmic realm. We call Esu the police. It was the mistake of Bishop Ajayi Crowther, the man who translated the bible into Yoruba that caused the misconception. 

AF: What inspired you to participate in the #EsuIsNotSatan campaign?

IA: What inspired me to participate in the campaign is that I feel that the translation of many Yoruba concepts in English are inaccurate and misleading. Another thing that inspired me is the urgent need for the preservation of Yoruba language and culture. Another thing is I am an Ifa priest from a lineage of Esu devotees. 

AF: How has the campaign impacted the perception of Yoruba religion and culture, both within Nigeria and in the diaspora?

IA: The #EsuIsNotSatan campaign has had a significant impact on Yoruba religion and culture. A good example of the positive impact of the campaign is how Google, the most used search engine, has changed its representation and translation of Esu. I must mention the name of the man who started the campaign ten years ago at this point, Oluwo Solagbade Popoola. Since the beginning of the campaign, there has been a huge increase in the number of people who are converting to the Yoruba traditional religion. The hashtag #EsuIsNotSatan was the most trending on Twitter on December 24. Many people are now seeking to reconnect with their roots. The campaign has also opened the eyes of Yoruba traditional religion adherents to the importance of promoting their faith.

AF: What are the challenges you've faced in raising awareness about this issue?

IA: It has not been easy. One of the challenges is the lack of government support in incorporating accurate information about Yoruba belief systems into the education curriculum. This has allowed misconceptions to be introduced to the younger generation. While social media has been a useful tool, addressing the root of the problem, the curriculum remains a significant challenge. We are working towards changing the educational curriculum to accurately represent Yoruba worldviews.

AF: How do you think the campaign has influenced interfaith dialogue and religious tolerance?

IA: Some of the adherents of Abrahamic religions are becoming more tolerant towards traditionalists. Some of the preachers have stopped representing Satan as Esu. We have seen an increase in how people embrace Yoruba culture in their use of language and mode of dressing. We understand that misconception cannot be changed in a day, but we are gradually getting there.

Here is a video of the traditionalists during the walk in Lagos. 

The traditionalists are hoping this public sensitization will help reduce the misconceptions and influence religious tolerance.

Written by Abdulrosheed Fadipe