Abomey
17 FEBRUARY 2023
This was another day I’ll always remember, packed with visits and knew knowledge. Sylvian was brilliant. From 09:00 to 17:00 we were on the go visiting different places around the town.
His explanations were clear, connected and in detail. I found the a day fascinating.
We started by visiting the Voodoo village on the outskirts of the town and met the village voodoo priest, Salano Akponkinto. He performed a welcoming ritual and then a gratitude ceremony to the gods. Outside, he performed a ritual for the rains and harvest at the outdoor temple and ended with a showing of his medicine objects, items and animal parts. He performed a short ritual to protect me on my travels and offered me a token to wear around my neck as a protector.
We then went to the village voodoo shrine where anyone can go perform a ritual or a sacrifice.
The Torhosu temple was our next step. Here we saw where families come to celebrate their children and make offerings.
Our tour included a number of palaces – all of similar design and constructed for a particular king. We spent time at the Palais of Agonglo where he promoted the work of the artisans and made workshops for the weavers. Still present today, we met the weavers working on their traditional looms to weave belts and bands in the colours of the country and tribes.
Palais Hwomu is embellished with the visual symbols of the king – the fish over the calabash pot.
In the centre of town we spent time viewing the symbols used for each of the kings who reigned in this Kingdom of Dahomey before thee arrival of the French colonials. The symbols are such a good way of clearly communicating the priorities for the king at the time ie. defending the realm, fighting and expanding the realm, developing the craftmanship of the realm etc. All are very easy to identify and remember:
King Gannihesso 1600 – 1620 Goose and drum
King Houegbadja 1645 - 1685
King Agaja 1718 - 1740
King Tegbessou 1740 - 1774
King Kplinga 1774 - 1789 Goose and the gun
King Agonglo 1789 – 1798 Pineapple, coconut trees
King Adandozan 1818
King Guezo 1818 – 1858 Buffalo and dagger
King Glele 1858 – 1889 Lion and machete
King Behanzin 1889 - 1894 Character and held egg
King Agoli-Agbo 1894 – 1900 Leg, arm, brush and stones
In the town centre, there is a large park and monument funded by Korea. The monument commemorates the striving for independence and the intention to push the French colonial rule back to Europe. We met other visitors - the monument is a must see for Benin visitors to the town.
Our day concluded with a visit to the area of protected park land taken over by bats. These are sacred animals often used as fetish items or for sacrifices to the gods.
The finally, a ride across the open fields at the outskirts of the town to see the openings leading to the secret underground labyrinth of tunnels. Across the fields were numerous holes dropping to the bottom of tunnels which are all connected. There are 1600 holes still in place and the interconnected tunnels are still in place of Abomey ever needed to evacuate its people underground, for safety reasons.
I spent the evening at the guest house. The food here is simple; omelette, rice and tomato sauce all served in the covered outdoor spaces surrounded by the extensive sculpture garden. Beautiful.
