Who are Exu & Pomba Gira?
The Exus and Pomba Giras of Quimbanda are spirits of agency and power, each a proverbial Devil at the Crossroads. Intrinsically bound to the world of the Dead, these messengers and emissaries of ancestry and place are alternatively known as catiços, seres, and even diabos and demônios. They provoke and tempt, empower and teach, and under their tutelage the Quimbandeiro develops and grows in força–power and strength.
Exu and Pomba Gira are themselves legion. Each person has an intrinsic relationship with an individual Exu and Pomba Gira. It is these individual relationships the Quimbandeiro nourishes through their practice. The name Exu comes from the Yoruba orixa of the crossroads, the name Pombagira from the Kongo-Angola nkisi of the crossroads. While Exu and Pomba Gira of Quimbanda are not the same as these deities, they inhabit the same world, and are served in similar ways. Salve o bom povo da rua! Salve Exu e Pomba Gira! Laroyé!
Èṣù & Mpambu Njila
O Povo da Rua
The Devil & His Wife
Tata Nkulu, Mama Nkulu
Meu Exu & Minha Pomba Gira
Text written by Tata Apokan, Jesse Hathaway Diaz
Image: Shrine for Pomba Gira set up at the Witch House in Salem, MA by members of the Cabula for the @salemwitchfest. Photo taken by @sarahjezebel
