Universally, the Crossroads is a place of spiritual power, but also danger, where ghosts, malevolent fairies, the old gods and goddesses of Europe and Africa, as well as devils are thought to lurk. The Crossroads, that place where two roads intersect, now exist everywhere, of course, but forks in the road weren’t as commonplace in the ancient world.
The Indian god Bhairva was said to guard the Crossroads at the edge of each town which were often littered with stone phalluses and statues to represent him as the watcher of boundaries between worlds and to honor opening doorways to new information from other places. In Germany, the Crossroads are called Geisterwege or “Ghost Roads.”
The Goddess of the underworld and sorcery Hecate (also the “Queen of Ghosts”) held dominion over the Crossroads in Ancient Greece. This probably originated from her older role as Goddess over the wilderness and unclaimed areas. The Greeks often placed offerings of “Hecate cakes” at the Crossroads to the Goddess, sometimes marked by a single candle so Hecate could find her way in the dark and evolved into candles on birthday cakes.
In Africa, the Crossroads gods are varied and they go by many names such as Eshu, Legba, Ellegua, Ndumba, Pomba Gira and Nzila as those who open the way to the powers and teach wisdom. Hoodoo practices of the Mississippi Delta rely heavily upon the mystical and sometimes maligned powers of the Crossroads. Hoodoo associates the Crossroads with the Devil. However, the Hoodoo Devil is not exactly the same as the traditional Christian Devil. Instead, the Hoodoo Devil is more of a trickster spirit, wise and crafty but not really evil, more like a friend who has also gone down the wrong path.
Populations who are brought up on Hoodoo believe the Devil hangs out at the Crossroads, waiting for the right person to come along, to strike the right bargain, so he can steal the person’s immortal soul in exchange for a favor.
In the Crossroads ritual the bargain that is usually made is to learn a skill such as to play a musical instrument superbly, throw dice, sing, public speaking or preaching, and most popular to win in any kind of gambling. During the ritual, whatever object is wished to be mastered, the guitar, banjo, deck of cards or dice are brought to the Crossroads at midnight, or just before dawn for three to nine nights in a row. Certain animals should appear, such as a bear, a black dog or cat, to let the person know his spell is beginning to work. On the last visit a large black man should materialize. The black man (not dark-skinned, but completely coal black) will ask to borrow the object brought to the Crossroads. He will then demonstrate how to properly use the item. When it is returned, the bearer will then be gifted with almost supernatural powers when it comes to the object, winning all games or becoming the greatest musician in the town and beyond. But often the person who sells his soul to the Devil at the Crossroads for sudden wins will often die tragically, or will have his winnings quickly taken away.
Because the Crossroads is land that belongs to no one it is an area that invites ghosts and other creatures that might not belong in the natural world such as vampires and demons. In Eastern Europe it is thought that vampires carry their shrouds to the Crossroads looking for fresh victims. Malefic fairies are also believed to haunt the Crossroads looking for lost souls to lure into the half-lit world of the Fairyland.
In England, gallows were built at the Crossroads where the condemned were later hung. This was done to confuse their ghosts, in case they decided to return and revisit those who took their lives. Suicide victims were also sometimes buried at the Crossroads so their spirits would not search for those who had wronged them in life. It was thought the four directions of the forked path would confuse them, to keep such restless souls from “walking.” Certain routes were used for funerals and called “corpse way” and sometimes “corpse cross.” Part of the funeral ritual was to rest the coffin at the Crossroads before heading on to the graveyard.
Some have suggested this is because the Crossroads form a Christian cross. But belief in the powers of the Crossroads predates Christianity by at least 1,000 years and occurs in cultures that are not Christian. India may be a source behind the European tales of the Crossroads when the Sanskrit-speaking Rom people, otherwise known as Gypsies, spread their legend and lore about the Crossroad’s occult powers. These European and African beliefs later informed Hoodoo practices and Voodoo rites in the United States. Ritual sweeping was also done at the Crossroads and become associated with witches. A few hundred years ago, the Irish thought witches met at the Crossroads to celebrate their sabbats.
The Roman god Mercury (or the Greek god Hermes) known for his slippery wit, deft intelligence and fertility also lorded over the Crossroads. The Greeks erected phallic statues at the Crossroads to honor Hermes (or Mercury), the god of travelers and to note the place were information was exchanged.
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