Es Eleggua the first of the warrior Orishas and one of the most respected and revered deities of the yoruba pantheon.
He is the one who opens the roads to the devotees and is represented many times in the form of a small, mischievous and funny child, who holds in his hands the keys to good and bad fortune.
For the Yoruba, Elegguá is closely linked to the figure of Echú and that is why it is known as Echú Elegguá, the balance between good and evil.
Echu He is the embodiment of problems and although he is considered malevolent, the couple between him and Elegguá always imposes the relationship between the positive and the negative, the balance of the world.
What costume and elements does Elegguá wear?
Elegguá wears his suit when he comes downstairs and dances. He always dresses in red and black clothes and these have bright tones, signaling his quality as an important bedside Orisha and also giving rise to his facet as a child who loves to show off and shine in the crowd.
His wardrobe includes a jacket, knee-length pants and a red hat, which is large and compares to the one currently used by cooks.
On many occasions, the trouser legs are red and black or it may have alternate lists of both tones in both. Both the jacket and the pants and especially the hat are usually adorned with bells, beads and cowries that represent their adoration for shiny objects and the presence of the secrets of Ifá.
The mighty Squiggle
This wardrobe is accompaniedaña almost always of one of Elegguá's attributes, usually the guava stick or doodle, which is his object of power and with which he makes his way through the undergrowth of the mountain.
For Echú Elegguá, this costume has great symbolism since it also indicates the link between good and evil, since it ranges from dark to brighter. That is why it is very important for devotees to respect the colors of the Orisha and always provide its attributes.
Elegguá and its sacred attributes
We do not see Elegguá only because of the way he dresses, but because of the objects attributed to him and that accompany him.añan his facet as a mischievous boy and a powerful warrior.
For example, he can be seen carrying any object used in children's games such as:
- Kites
- Balls
- Little soldiers
- keys
But he is also considered for his facet as a warrior and can include attributes of the forest and hunting such as:
- machete
- garabato (guava stick)
- guano hat
- hunting and fishing gear
- gold nuggets and silver coins
- bush sticks
- vines
- shotguns
- cananas (belt arranged to carry cartridges or bullets)
- venison jars
- Decorated dried coconuts
- goat jars.
And so goes Eleguá, with his warrior costume and his attributes of power opening paths and deciding destinies for all men on earth.
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