Hi! I’m Antwone and I am here to tell you about my favorite deity, Papa Legba. He’s the most powerful spirit in all of the voodoo religion and very easy to summon. First I’ll tell you some background and history, then how you can summon him, and finally how he can help you. The Loa of Communication, the Loa of Crossroads, and the guardian of the threshold. Loa is spelled L-O-A in Creole. Legba is pronounced lebba or Le Gba in Yoruba and Fon. Papa Legba was associated with Saint Peter. For example, in Ouida’s book ‘In The Clock Room’, she speaks of Legba as a “Saint Peter gone black.” The Loa Legba is one of the major deities in Voodoo. As he is the Loa of communication, and the crossroads, it is believed that he can see and hear everything that goes on everywhere. In Haitian folklore, Loa Legba gives people the power to communicate with the spirit of those who have passed on. It is said that the spirit always answer his call.
There are many stories of Papa Legba’s powers. The most popular has him deciding who can pass through the crossroads at night, making it a hot spot for African Americans on their way out of town. When the slaves needed to escape, they would pray to him while they waited in the bushes. He was known to aid runaway slaves traveling the Underground Railroad by appearing before them in many different forms at crossroads so they could find their way out of danger. He even freed President Lincoln from three days of terrible nightmares, as he was called when Mary Todd Lincoln called for help after her husband cursed himself with a spell. Papa Legba is a character in the Vodou religion. Listed as one of the seven Major spirits, Papa Legba is often called upon before any other spirit. Often seen with a cane and a large hat, and typically dressed in white, his domain of influence lies with crossroads and doors. As a Vodou spirit, Papa Legba is an intermediary between humans and other powerful spirits.
Ogrun Legba, you who hear my voice and know my heart, I come to you with a request. It may be difficult for me, but with your help, this wish will come to pass. It is in my best interest, as well as those I desire it for. Those who hate me and wish me harm see only their own needs, but you see my heart and the needs of others. My enemies blind themselves to your love, but I seek it always. They fight against you through their own ignorance. OPEN THEIR EYES! Let them see what they are doing to themselves and others around them! Ogrunin Legba, fill my enemy’s hearts with love instead of malice. Help them to change their ways and turn to you when they need help. Ogrunin Papa Legba, fill me with your peace and prosperity. Let nothing that happens now or in the future shake the strength of my beliefs or bring me death. Let those I love understand why I did what I did as well as forgive me of any wrongdoings that may have occurred in the past on either side and openly accept my apologies if necessary. May we become a family once again full of love and understanding instead of ignorant hatred! Thank
Prayer To Papa Legba
Legba has evolved in numerous ways from his origins in Africa, where he is sometimes viewed as a fertility god or a trickster; he many be depicted as both male and female, sometimes with a large erect phallus. In other areas, he is a protector of children or a healer, and can grant forgiveness for crimes against others. Variants of Legba exist in many places including Brazil, Trinidad, and Cuba.
Papa Legba appears in many forms in New Orleans Voodoo and Haitian Vodou. He is typically depicted as an older man, sometimes wearing a straw hat or old tattered clothing, walking with a cane, and accompanied by a dog. He’s associated with the colors black and red.
Legba is strongly associated with crossroads magic, and is referenced in a number of early twentieth-century blues tunes from the area of the Mississippi Delta. Famed bluesman Robert Johnson is said to have met a spirit at the crossroads, and offered him his soul in exchange for musical success. Although eventually the story was twisted to say Johnson met the Devil, musical folklorists believe that tale is rooted in racist ideology; instead, Johnson met Legba at the crossroads, where he had gone seeking guidance and wisdom.
Papa Legba is a master communicator, who is said to speak the languages of all human beings; he then translates petitions and delivers them to the loa. He is a teacher and warrior, but also a trickster deity. Legba is a remover of obstacles, and can be consulted to help find new, positive opportunities, thanks to his ability to open doors and new roads.
Magical Connections
If you have problems moving forward with your life — you’re stuck at the crossroads — Legba is the one to reach out to. He does expect payment, however, in exchange for his assistance. Typical offerings might include candy, such as chocolate and other candy, alcohol — particularly dark rum, and pipe tobacco or cigars.
Legba, like the other loa, is represented by a veve, a symbol that includes a number of interlocked keys and a cane. He can be summoned with proper offerings and a chant; one of the most popular is:
Papa Legba, open the gate for me,
Papa Legba open the gate for me,
Open the gate for me, Papa Legba,
that I may pass,
When I return I will thank the loa.
Most people who work with Legba are those who have been initiated into New Orleans Voodoo, Haitian Vodou, Santeria, or one of the many other African diasporic traditional religions. There are very specific ways of contacting Legba, many of which are initiatory traditions with protocol that must be followed. By working under the tutelage of a houngan or mambo, a devotee participates in ceremonies and rituals to form a relationship with Legba and the loa. Some practitioners of Hoodoo and other African traditional religions develop these connections via personal devotion with dedicated altars and appropriate offerings to the spirits.
Papa Legba has made many appearances in pop culture. He shows up briefly in Neil Gaiman’s American Gods, and plays a part in Terry Pratchett’s Witches Abroad. He is a recurring character in the television series American Horror Story, where he is inaccurately portrayed as demanding the sacrifice of a human infant.
