Crossroads Myth

Perhaps the most pervasive and powerful myth in blues lore is that of Robert Johnson selling his
soul to the devil at the crossroads in exchange for guitar prowess. Aside from the fact that it was
singer Tommy Johnson and not Robert Johnson who actually made this claim, the crossroads
myth is nevertheless a belief that cuts to the heart of Yoruban religion.

In Africa, the god of the crossroads is known variously as Legba, Eshu, and many others.
Although Christianity regards any trickster god as being synonymous with Satan or his lesser
demons, the beliefs of the Yoruba hold that it is only through this trickster God that you can gain
access to the higher Gods. Thus, a crossroads is the best place to gain access to spiritual forces
that will allow the believer to gain one of many different skills, be it gambling luck, dancing
ability, various work skills or the ability to play music better than one's rivals.

The good/evil duality of Christianity has no allowance for a more complex polytheistic system
like those found in Africa, so Legba becomes Satan and a rather benign ritual is equated with
eternal damnation. Robbed of the original context for what was a partially remembered ritual,
many African Americans came to accept the equating of Legba with Satan, further exiling the
bluesman, or anyone else beyond the Christian mainstream, from respectable society.

from Hoodoo Blues

(From Fall 2003)
by Bill Steber

available at http://www.organicanews.com/news/article.cfm?story_id=231