Qu'est-ce qu'un egbere ?

Un petit être surnaturel du folklore yoruba, comparable à un lutin ou un farfadet, qui habite les forêts et les lieux sombres et n'est actif que la nuit.

Pourquoi cherche-t-on à lui prendre sa natte ?

Parce que la tradition affirme que la natte de l'egbere apporte une richesse extraordinaire à qui s'en empare. Mais la créature poursuit alors le voleur en gémissant, lui infligeant cauchemars et tourments pendant plusieurs jours.

L'egbere est-il dangereux ?

Il est réputé malfaisant. Il sort la nuit, pleure continuellement, s'en prend aux moutons qu'il rend malades, et son cadeau de richesse s'accompagne d'un châtiment psychologique qui peut confiner à la folie.

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EGBERE

neutral

Spirit

🌍 EarthYoruba →Yoruba — YorubaElder

Gender: Masculine/FeminineSign: forêt

In the Yoruba folklore of West Africa, the egbere is a small supernatural creature of the forests and wild places. The word is glossed, in Yoruba language dictionaries, by the terms goblin or elf. It is described as a small being, often stooped, that goes out at night and withdraws at dawn, haunting the woods, the graves or the dark corners. The egbere weeps without cease and carries with it a small mat. According to the narratives, it likes to ride sheep and pass diseases to them. Its mat is its most famous element, for it is said that whoever manages to snatch it away obtains extraordinary wealth. But the price is heavy: the creature then follows the thief, moaning for several days, causing nightmares, hallucinations and torments close to madness. The figure thus wavers between the promise of fortune and a warning against greed.

Powers & Attributes

forest

Role in the ROHO universe

Voice of the forest. EGBERE watches the spirits of the woods and negotiates with the hunters the respect of the places. Bound to the Yoruba pantheon. Its alignment depends on the invoker's protocol.

Sacred Mask

An ancient ritual mask of fired clay, bronze and fossilised roots, engraved with symbols of forest, embodiment of the power of Egbere

Era

Ancient cycle

Frequently asked questions

What is an egbere?

A small supernatural being of Yoruba folklore, comparable to a goblin or an elf, which dwells in the forests and dark places and is active only at night.

Why do people try to take its mat?

Because tradition affirms that the egbere's mat brings extraordinary wealth to whoever seizes it. But the creature then pursues the thief, moaning, inflicting nightmares and torments upon them for several days.

Is the egbere dangerous?

It is reputed malevolent. It goes out at night, weeps continually, attacks the sheep it sickens, and its gift of wealth comes with a psychological punishment that can border on madness.

Related spirits

ORISHA OKO ORISHAKO AJA ILE

Sources and references

Oxford, A Dictionary of the Yoruba Language (entrée egbere, glosé par lutin ou farfadet)
Samuel Crowther et Owen Emeric Vidal, A Vocabulary of the Yoruba Language (entree egbere) (1852)
Ade Dopamu, The Yoruba Religious System, Africa Update, vol. 6, n° 3, p. 2-17 (1999)