Dahomey mythology
Encyclopedia
The Dahomey
(or Fon
) are a nation located in Benin
, Africa
. The mythology of the Dahomey includes an entire pantheon of thunder gods; for example,
It is also in Dahomey where the Mami Wata
religious tradition is widely established.
(female), married twin siblings of Nana Buluku
, are the creator deities, occasionally combined as Mawu-Lisa, an androgynous deity. Lisa (or Mawu-Lisa) is the father of Dan.
Mawu-Lisa (or either separately), created the world and made it orderly, then made plant
s, animal
s and human
s. The entire process supposedly took four day's time.
of Lisa-Mawu (or both separately).
When the myths were transferred to the Haiti, due to the African Diaspora, Dan became Damballah. Lots of Dahomean and other Western African culture art have a vertical snake motif; this is thought to represent the power of "God" (Mawu-Lisa or some other) being transferred to humanity.
Dahomey
Dahomey was a country in west Africa in what is now the Republic of Benin. The Kingdom of Dahomey was a powerful west African state that was founded in the seventeenth century and survived until 1894. From 1894 until 1960 Dahomey was a part of French West Africa. The independent Republic of Dahomey...
(or Fon
Fon people
The Fon people, or Fon nu, are a major West African ethnic and linguistic group in the country of Benin, and southwest Nigeria, made up of more than 3,500,000 people. The Fon language is the main language spoken in Southern Benin, and is a member of the Gbe language group...
) are a nation located in Benin
Benin
Benin , officially the Republic of Benin, is a country in West Africa. It borders Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east and Burkina Faso and Niger to the north. Its small southern coastline on the Bight of Benin is where a majority of the population is located...
, Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
. The mythology of the Dahomey includes an entire pantheon of thunder gods; for example,
- XeviosoXeviosoIn Dahomey mythology, Xevioso is a god of thunder in the So region. He is the twin brother of Gun, and is one of the children of Mawu and Lisa....
(also Xewioso) is the god of thunder in the SoSOSO may refer to:* So , the romanisation of the Japanese kana そ and ソ* Superintending Officer in Construction* Somalia ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 country code** .so, the top-level Internet domain of Somalia* Somali language,...
region. - The head of the thunder pantheon is named Sogbo, which is also used to describe devotees of the thunder gods.
It is also in Dahomey where the Mami Wata
Mami Wata
Mami Wata is venerated in West, Central, Southern Africa, and in the African diaspora in the Caribbean and parts of North and South America. Mami Wata spirits are usually female, but are sometimes male.-Appearance:...
religious tradition is widely established.
Mawu and Lisa deities
Lisa (male) and MawuMawu
In Dahomey mythology, Mawu is a creator goddess, associated with the sun and moon. In some myths, she is the twin sister-wife of the male god Lisa; in others, both deities are aspects of the same androgynous or hermaphroditic deity, Mawu-Lisa...
(female), married twin siblings of Nana Buluku
Nana Buluku
Nana Buluku is the Supreme Deity of the Fon from Dahomey.In Dahomey mythology, Nana Buluku is an androgynous deity creator of the Universe and all that exists in it...
, are the creator deities, occasionally combined as Mawu-Lisa, an androgynous deity. Lisa (or Mawu-Lisa) is the father of Dan.
Mawu-Lisa (or either separately), created the world and made it orderly, then made plant
Plant
Plants are living organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. Precise definitions of the kingdom vary, but as the term is used here, plants include familiar organisms such as trees, flowers, herbs, bushes, grasses, vines, ferns, mosses, and green algae. The group is also called green plants or...
s, animal
Animal
Animals are a major group of multicellular, eukaryotic organisms of the kingdom Animalia or Metazoa. Their body plan eventually becomes fixed as they develop, although some undergo a process of metamorphosis later on in their life. Most animals are motile, meaning they can move spontaneously and...
s and human
Human
Humans are the only living species in the Homo genus...
s. The entire process supposedly took four day's time.
- The first day, Mawu-Lisa created the universe and humanity.
- The second day the earth was made suitable for human life.
- On the third day, humans were given intellect, languageLanguageLanguage may refer either to the specifically human capacity for acquiring and using complex systems of communication, or to a specific instance of such a system of complex communication...
and the senses. - Finally, on the fourth day, mankind received the gift of technology.
Offspring-deities of Mawu and Lisa
The other gods were formed from the divine fecesFeces
Feces, faeces, or fæces is a waste product from an animal's digestive tract expelled through the anus or cloaca during defecation.-Etymology:...
of Lisa-Mawu (or both separately).
- Gbadu is a daughter of the pair, and
- Da and Gu are sons.
- Dan is a snakeSnakeSnakes are elongate, legless, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes that can be distinguished from legless lizards by their lack of eyelids and external ears. Like all squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales...
who assisted in the creation of the universe and currently supports it, with 3500 coils of himself above, and 3500 below, the universe.
When the myths were transferred to the Haiti, due to the African Diaspora, Dan became Damballah. Lots of Dahomean and other Western African culture art have a vertical snake motif; this is thought to represent the power of "God" (Mawu-Lisa or some other) being transferred to humanity.
Other gods
- AgéAgéAgé is a god of the mythology of the Fon people of Africa. He is the son of Mawu-Lisa. Agé is the patron god of hunters, the wilderness, and the animals within it.-References:*...
- patron god of hunters, and the wilderness (plus the animals within it) - Avrikiti - god of fishermen
- Ayaba and Loko - sister goddesses
- GletiGletiGleti is a moon goddess from the African kingdom of Dahomey, situated in what is now Benin.In Dahomey mythology, she is the mother of all the stars. An eclipse is caused by the shadow of the moon’s husband crossing her face....
- moon goddess - Gu - son of MawuMawuIn Dahomey mythology, Mawu is a creator goddess, associated with the sun and moon. In some myths, she is the twin sister-wife of the male god Lisa; in others, both deities are aspects of the same androgynous or hermaphroditic deity, Mawu-Lisa...
and Lisa, Gu is the god of warWarWar is a state of organized, armed, and often prolonged conflict carried on between states, nations, or other parties typified by extreme aggression, social disruption, and usually high mortality. War should be understood as an actual, intentional and widespread armed conflict between political...
and patron deity of smiths and craftsmen. He was sent to earth to make it a nice place for people to live, and he has not yet finished this task - Okanu - god of dreams
- Sakpata - god of smallpoxSmallpoxSmallpox was an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning "spotted", or varus, meaning "pimple"...
- Zinsu and Zinsi - semi-divine twin magicians
- Fa or Ifa - god of wisdom and knowledge
- NanaNana BulukuNana Buluku is the Supreme Deity of the Fon from Dahomey.In Dahomey mythology, Nana Buluku is an androgynous deity creator of the Universe and all that exists in it...
- goddess of fertility and creativity - Egberun - deities of prosperity and protection, also for seers and clairvoyance
External links
- Vodoun Culture Haitian Vodoun as chronicled by native Haitians
- Baba Alawoye.com Baba'Awo Awoyinfa Ifaloju, showcasing Ifa using web media 2.0 (blogs, podcasting, video and photocasting)