The Crossroads Symbol in Art

From Hope to Eternal Damnation, It is a Potent Creative Symbol

The Many Messages of the Crossroads

Imagine yourself standing at a crossroads- two or so possible directions, each leading to an unknown future. As a figure of speech, “To be at a crossroads” is to face a major decision in one’s life. Nature leads you to this place as part of your development. Despite the direction you choose, you'll benefit by either elevating to the next level or learning lessons that will aid your development down the road.

“You’ve always had the power my dear, you just had to learn it for yourself.” Glinda, The Good Witch, The Wizard of Oz

But in many artistic works, the Crossroads is not a welcoming place for entities like Glinda. It is a liminal space — an open, disturbing space of beginnings, transitions, and the spiritually unknown. If you bring yourself to the Crossroads, you know you don’t possess the talent you wish for, nor the work ethic to gain the skills you desire. You have come to willingly exchange your eternal peace for immediate attainment of knowledge, power, or status — despite the heavy cost. In liminal spaces, there is no protection or reliable guidance for you, the human; just your irrevocable deal and an unpredictable unfolding of a damned future.

Through folklore and mythology, the Crossroads symbol has developed a connection with the unknown. It has collected stories of musicians, scientists, and erudite men who naively sought its offering and lived to regret it.

As a creative symbol, the Crossroads can be a starting point of a hopeful, coming-of-age tale, or signify a person's desperate need for approval and success, no matter how detrimental it is to one’s well-being.

Below are some of my favorite examples of how the Crossroads is represented in art, music, and literature.

The Crossroads and Its Spiritual History

Hecate: The Guardian of the Crossroads in Greek Mythology

Around the 5th Century BCE, the Greek Goddess Hecate gained relevance as The Guardian of Crossroads. Travelers often left offerings at the heart of the crossroads to ask for guidance and safety during their journies. Hecate was known to guard boundaries, entryways, and thresholds. She eventually became associated with witchcraft, death, ghosts, and the underworld. In many representations of her, she holds keys and torches and is accompanied by two hellhounds.

Central and West African Religions

The United States may have been introduced to the spiritual aspect of the Crossroads as a result of the transatlantic slave trade. To oversimplify a complex topic, Voodoo is a religion originating from and practiced by some in West and Central Africa. Hoodoo, sort of an American version of the practice, eventually developed amongst some of the enslaved people in the southern states. Legba, the West African and Caribbean Voodoo god, is the Guardian of the Crossroads. Hence, the Crossroads is a part of the history of the African American diaspora in the US.

The Crossroads and Musicians

Some of the most famous stories of the Crossroads include real individuals who are believed to have offered up their souls for a quick, secure rise to fame, and ultimately met tragic endings. Even if the stories are not true, they are certainly entertaining.

Robert Johnson- Guitarist, Song Writer

American Blues Musician and songwriter Robert Johnson (1911–1938) is known in jazz and blues circles as a master of his craft. He has inspired generations with his guitar skills and songwriting ability. Unfortunately, entangled with his legacy is the story of how he disappeared from his troubled existence for a short period of time and emerged as a musical genius. The rumor mill has maintained that Johnson sold his soul in exchange for mastery of the guitar. Lyrics to one of his most popular songs, Cross Road Blues, seemed to confirm this rumor, as do the tragic events that took place following his success.

However, knowing what we know now about the southern United States during and after slavery (Jim Crow laws, sundown laws, etc.), modern-day listeners can safely assume that Johnson's expressions of fear and uncertainty had more to do with his daily life as a Black man in the south than a deal with an unseen devil.

Robert Johnson’s story is chronicled in the Netflix documentary entitled ReMastered: Devil at the Crossroads.

Niccolò Paganini- Violinist

Italian violinist Niccolò Paganini (1782–1840) was the most celebrated violinist of his day. His techniques and compositions have inspired many prominent composers and musicians.

Paganini’s genius, however, wasn’t limited to performance and traditional violinist skills. He also helped popularize certain techniques common today, including bouncing the bow on the strings as well as plucking the strings with his left hand. He even purposely sometimes mis-tuned the strings when it made a particular piece easier to play. He also heavily experimented with using harmonics in his music as heard here. Excerpt from A Violinist and a Devil; Website: Today I Found Out; June 9, 2015.

He was so talented, that some believed his skill could have only been acquired through a deal with the devil himself. Members of the general public reported seeing him practicing with supernatural beings. Paganini’s thin, flexible body, elongated fingers, flaming red eyes, and black attire added fuel to these theories. He was a sickly man who suffered from many health issues throughout his life. Similar to Johnson, his tragic ending seemed to confirm what some were determined to believe about how he attained his musical genius.

The Crossroads and Literature

Literature: The Crossroads and the Faustian Bargain

The tragic tale of the fictional character Johann Georg Faust (c. 1480–1540) has its origins in German legend. It is about a successful, erudite man who is unsatisfied with his life and makes a deal with the devil at the Crossroads. He freely exchanges his eternal soul for unlimited knowledge and full access to worldly pleasures. English playwright Christopher Marlowe popularized this tale in his play The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus. German writer and playwright Johann Wolfgang von Goethe later wrote the successful play entitled Faust. Goethe’s Faust is one of my favorite books.

The story of Faust was initially used to warn Christians about the dangers of dabbling in the supernatural. This rich story has influenced different versions, from religious to secular. In the religious versions, Faust pays an eternal price for his involvement with the devil. The overall message is inline with “For the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23); death, in this case, means total separation for God. The moral of the secular versions focus on the value of hard work to attain what you want.

The English language has gained such terms as “Faustian bargain” and “to make a deal with the devil” from the story of Faust.

A Creative Example of the Crossroads in Literature

Here is a powerful excerpt from Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar, in which the main character tells of her struggle at a Crossroads.

The Crossroads and Liminal Spaces

What is liminal space?

The word liminal comes from the Latin word ‘limen’, meaning threshold — any point or place of entering or beginning. A liminal space is the time between the ‘what was’ and the ‘next.’ It is a place of transition, a season of waiting, and not knowing. Excerpt from the website https://inaliminalspace.org

In 1996, hip-hop group Bone Thugs-in-Harmony released a spiritual rap song, "Tha Crossroads”. Dedicated to their mentor, the late rapper Eazy-E (and other family members they’ve lost), this Grammy-winning song opens powerfully with a gospel performance of Mary Don’t You Weep by the female group Tre’. The lyrics and the video touch on various topics concerning the uncertainty of life, such as appreciating loved ones, fear of death, and the afterlife. Ultimately, the song expresses hope that we will meet our loved ones in the liminal space of the Crossroads and continue on to what is next.

The Layers of the Crossroads and Creativity

If you are looking for creative ways to color ideas into your writing, consider using rich symbols such as the Crossroads. From a simple coming-of-age story to a complex tale of progressing through fear and murky motivations, the Crossroads is a potent symbol to use to bring life and richness to your work.