Exus in Umbanda: spirits, not the devil, and different from Exu Orixá

Line of working spirits described in the literature as guardians connected with crossroads and the "left" of Umbanda, distinguished by tradition from the Orixá Exu.

LineExus

DistinctionExu Orixá (Yoruba) ≠ Exus of Umbanda, in many houses

Common mistakeAssociating them with the Christian devil

What the sources say

Teaching of a house or traditionAccording to Barros, many Umbanda practitioners see Exus as Umbanda's "riot police", responsible for "collecting what must be collected", with no connection to the devil. They are also understood as spirits of people who have already endured the same suffering as ordinary people, bringing them closer to those people.

Documented historyThe same study observes that, in popular imagery, Exus have been associated with marginality and danger, which says as much about social prejudice as about the religion. In another line of research, Reginaldo Prandi shows how the Orixá Exu was demonized through syncretism with the Christian devil.

Teaching of a house or traditionHouses organize themselves in different ways: some separate "right" and "left", others do not use this division; some call Exu an Orixá, others only a spirit. This site describes the difference without choosing a position.

Respect and care

Accounts of spiritual work and guardianship

Teaching of a house or traditionThe publication states that the house does not perform spiritual work to harm people or impose romantic relationships. In studying this passage, the focus is the ethics declared by the source, not recipes for spiritual work, promises of results or guaranteed powers.

Belief / interpretationTobacco and alcohol mentioned in accounts do not make excess mandatory or safe. The work itself records reduced use of these materials because of their risks. This site makes no recommendation to consume them.

Name, line and individual account

Teaching of a house or traditionA study proposal presents the organization of lines and phalanges as a study topic. This site does not adopt its classification as a universal hierarchy: comparison must preserve each house's interpretation.

Belief / interpretationA name used by a spirit is not enough to assign it a single biography or the same activity as in another account. The catalog therefore distinguishes a line of spiritual work from a documented individual entry. The Exu Orixá page addresses another context and should be read separately.

Frequently asked questions

Is an Exu of Umbanda evil?

The sources consulted reject this idea: these are spirits that tradition sees as guardians, connected with working through what is difficult. Interpreting them as "evil" comes from historical prejudice.

Bibliographic references

BARROS, Sulivan Charles. As entidades "brasileiras" da Umbanda e as faces inconfessas do Brasil. Anais do XXVII Simpósio Nacional de História (ANPUH), 2013.
PRANDI, Reginaldo. Exu, de mensageiro a diabo: sincretismo católico e demonização do orixá Exu. Revista USP, n. 50, 2001.

Continue exploring

ExuThe Orixá of movement, communication and paths. Must not be confused with the spirits called Exus in Umbanda, or with the PombagirasFemale spirits connected with crossroads, whose name originates in Kimbundu, with different interpretations among houses.Malandros and malandrasLine connected with the Brazilian malandro of the early XX century, often headed, according to the literature, by Zé Pelintra.Pretos-velhos and pretas-velhasLine of spirits who present themselves as elders of African origin, connected with the memory of slavery and charity.