Legba and the Divine Gate (Fon/Dahomey)
Legba is the youngest son of Mawu-Lisa, the trickster god who serves as the gatekeeper between the human world and the spirit world. Unlike the other gods who dwell in distant heavens, Legba walks among humans. He is the master of languages, the interpreter of the gods, and the lord of crossroads. In one tale, Mawu gave each of her children dominion over a realm, but Legba was dissatisfied. He used his cunning to trick his mother into giving him the key to all the realms, making him the indispensable intermediary. Without Legba's permission, no message reaches the gods and no prayer is answere