Benin City. A compass of escape and meeting which rests on two main pillars: the spectacular character of the places, often classified with the UNESCO world heritage, and the charisma of the main characters who are transmitters of their respective traditions.Subscribe to see more full documentaries every week:https://bit.ly/2lneXNyTRACKS publishes unique, unexpected and untold stories from across the world every week. Across the Atlantic, Fon, Yoruba, and other African systems of belief mixed with colonially imposed Catholicism, particularly by combining Roman Catholic saints and Fon vodun/Yoruba orisha, thereby enabling enslaved people to covertly continue their religious practices. Fa divination retains its popularity because many believe it really works, and a consultation is not usually viewed as conflicting with other religious views, such as Christianity. The palace, which is centrally situated at the heart of the city, was erected by . Contact Details. However, they also took great pride in their city. Keeping with tradition, the palace is situated in the center of the city. His son Esigie controlled Benin City, while another son, Arhuaran, was based in the equally important city of Udo about twenty miles away. Rituals, related to the Benin cosmic view form an intrinsic part of life. The practice of human sacrifice was stamped out only after the burning of Benin City in 1897 by the British, after which the depopulated and debilitated kingdom was incorporated into British Nigeria. The city also manufactures furniture and produces beer and soft drinks. We passed coachloads of white-robed Christians fresh from celebrating the apparition of the Virgin Mary at Dassa-Zoume. That compound is now occupied by Edo State Hospitals Management Board. Generations of Dahomian Kings fought internecine wars, maintained female Amazon warriors with a penchant for decapitation, and sold slaves to the Europeans to equip themselves militarily. Those for whom materialistic ways of thinking have precluded belief in a life after death have been given a new hope of immortality. In 1843, English Methodists began in Benin spreading among the Gun people from the coastal region. Brian McCormack and his friend Tajudeen Busari arrived in Benin City on Sunday, 7th March and visited the grave the next day. Brian, Sr. was born in 1917 into a family of 9 boys and 5 girls. As reported by National Geographic, Benin was also known for its unique architecture, bronze sculptures, and practical infrastructure. For more information about spiritual healing in Benin, please feel free to contact our friendly team of experts today! Megan Grabill is a research intern at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival and an anthropology and comparative studies major at Oberlin College. The smaller side streets were also built in mathematical patterns. Vodun is a traditional religion that connects not only West Africans in Togo, Nigeria, Benin, and Ghana, but is spread throughout the diaspora. Google Arts and Culture reports Queen Iden was, and is, considered a hero for the sacrifice she made for the betterment of Benin city. 1504; the son of Ewuare) and Esigie (early to mid-16th century; the son of Ozolua), who enjoyed good relations with the Portuguese and sent ambassadors to their king. The Non-Catholic Christians in Benin include Jehovah's Witness, Rosicrucians, Methodists, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Unification Church, Assemblies of God, Seventh-day Adventist, Celestial Christians, and Baptists. In October 1953 Brian McCormack, a native of Castlebar, Co. Mayo, entered the Colonial Service and took up employment as an agricultural engineer in Mid-West Nigeria. Also basic to spiritualist practice is spirit healing. Among the precursors of spiritualism was the Magnetist movement, which had grown out of the magnetic healing theories of Franz Anton Mesmer. Filbert knew of an important Voodoo ceremony occurring in Cotonou. We know our history and tell it to our children.. n. 1. a. The artwork was displayed in galleries and used to decorate homes and public buildings. According to Koffi Thomas Akossi, a diviner in Ouidah, Benin, a diviner is like a guide. Benin's Catholic hierarchy includes the Archdiocese of Cotonou which consists of the Dassa-Zoume, Lokossa, Abomey, Porto Novo Dioceses and the Parakou composed of the Natitingou, Djougou, N'dali and Kandi Dioceses. Her second husband, Frank Sweeney, died in 1987. Islam in Benin accounts for 24% of the population. In addition to being notably straight, the roads were built with ditches and outlets that carried stormwater away from the city. Spiritualists sought to make contact with the dead, commonly through the assistance of a medium, which is a person believed to have the ability to contact spirits directly. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/place/Benin-historical-kingdom-West-Africa, Art and Life in Africa - University of Iowa Museum of Art - Benin Kingdom, World History Encyclopedia - Kingdom of Benin, The British Museum - Benin: an African kingdom, Humanities LibreTexts - Kingdom of Benin (1180 CE 1897 CE), kingdom of Benin - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). Benin City has a renowned teaching hospital and a number of factories. Benin City is situated on a branch of the Benin River and lies along the main highways from Lagos to the eastern states. They are practiced in Haiti, Cuba, Brazil, and the United States as an aspect of religions such as Santeria, Voodoo, and Candombl. Although the specific age of the home is unknown, the architectural style suggests it was built in the mid to late 1800s. Fa diviner Koffi Akossa uses chains of kola nut pieces and other materials to gain insight into clients situations. As reported by BBC, their newly formed kingdom, Igodomigodo, was ruled by kings who were called Ogisos, or "rulers of the sky.". largely similar to how they were in the material world, although without any physical Religion and the spiritual realm Art and politics Rites of passage Masquerade basics Art and the individual . Many of them exported their Voodoo culture to colonies such as Brazil and Haiti, and the longer I spent in Ouidah, the more the still thriving undercurrent of spirit-worship began to reveal itself. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. I sensed the Voodoo floodgates were opening. Mr Yaseen, a spiritualist with the highest level of Knowledge. Christianity is the largest religion in Benin, with substantial populations of Muslims and adherents of traditional faiths. Nor does he take advantage of the royal bathhouse where two new queens were once prepared for the reigning monarch every 21 days, or the mysterious chambre noire where successive rulers consulted the spirits about their destiny. Across Africa, the practice of divination is a way of knowing that is widely used and widely varied. Privileged regalia. His son Eweka is regarded as the first oba, or king, of Benin, though authority would remain for many years with a hereditary order of local chiefs. Yovo, yovo, bonjour. As reported by Black Past, little, if anything, remains of the legendary Kingdom of Benin. 2023 BBC. Every morning the irresistible aroma of freshly baked baguette drove me mad with hunger pangs and after a few days Voodoo was the last thing on my mind. Company's registered office address is NO. The sign is determined by the diviner and named aloud, solidifying the results. Living Faith Means Living Justly Programme, Jos: Causes of violence are not religious. The figure disappeared into the night. I was fleetingly disappointed to discover it was going to be another a Mami Wata ceremony - but not for long. It remains an important source of palm kernels, palm oil, and lumber. Communion with the spiritual world is both possible and desirable, and spiritual healing is the natural result of such communication. Spiritual healing is not concerned with religion or belief but instead focuses on compatibility. The number of those who practiced yoga jumped from 9.5% to 14.3% . Other times, sacrifices are distributed to the neighborhood or to nearby children, and this can be referred to as sara, deriving from Arabic for charity or alms. In a general sense, the term "juju" can be used to refer to magical properties dealing with good luck. On a side street in Mgomilite district, crowds assembled by an abandoned petroleum tanker. Female leadership and business management has been essential in the history of these churches. Although it was built after the Punitive Expedition of 1897, Benin's Royal Palace of the Oba is officially listed as one of Nigeria's heritage sites. Blood is a nourishing force, one that builds community as it is shared between and among humans and spirits. Lit by pretty candlelight, the market by night is usually more palatable. His two sons, Paul, born in December . Many divination practices are connected to religious traditions, but they are also used to glean insight into all aspects of daily life. Here, members of the Bah' community are working together with their . Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The spiritualists understand God as infinite intelligence. Amid pandemonium, the lady serving my meal screamed, ducked under my table and grabbed my legs. The oba became the supreme political, judicial, economic, and spiritual leader of his people, and he and his ancestors eventually became the object of state cults that utilized human sacrifice in their religious observances. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. It was a defining and joyous moment. It predates the use of modern earth-moving equipment or technology in these. Fr McCawille visited all three searching for any information about the whereabouts of the grave of the late Brian McCormack Snr. However, in recent years Brian Jr., who lives near Ennis, Co. Clare became friendly with Mr. Tajudeen Busari, a native of Nigeria, who has been living in Ireland for the past twelve years. Approaching the coast, sea breezes rustled coconut groves while crabs gnashed their claws amid mangroves. Vodun is the center of the religious life and has female priesthood which can be hereditary being passed down from mother to daughter. His Dahomian lineage was restored in 1995 after Marxist government rule ended and although his powers are limited these days, he's a charming man. Brianssudden death was a huge blow to his wife, Patricia, who is still hale and hearty and living in her native Dublin, and the other members of his family. If they fail to work in unison, any one of these can place stress on the other parts so the healer, client and spirit all work in harmony to restore the proper flow of energy. Top 10 Alcohol Consuming Countries In The World, Protestantism and Other Forms of Non-Catholic Christianity, West African Folk Religions and Traditional Beliefs other than Vodun, Eckankar, Baha'i Faith, and Other Beliefs. And despite myHammer House of Horrorexpectations, not a drop of sacrificial blood was spilled, nor did any eye-bulging zombies grace the affair. Spiritualists sought to make contact with the dead, commonly through the assistance of a medium, which is a person believed to have the ability to contact spirits directly. Remi, a local guide, showed me the marketplace where slavers bartered 15 male Africans for one cannon. The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Spiritual healing aims to give a person total healing. - Spirit beings are little changed from their earlier selves as those in the spirit-world are Christianity entered Benin during the late 16th century. The chain consists of eight linked seed halves and is shaped like a U. The diviner, called bokonon in Fongbe and babalawo in Yoruba, throws the chains to the ground, where they turn up in one of the 256 possible formations. Averting my eyes, it brushed its horsehair flywhisk across my face. The population of Benin is approximately 10.8 million people with their official dialect being French. This is one of Beninese Voodoo's most explosive events, where departed ancestral spirits take the form of humans in order to impart wisdom and justice to the living. Although spiritualist practices have been motivated by mere curiosity and fascination with the supernatural, they have also been driven by more serious concerns about the fate of the human soul.
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