#Benin

[goldcoasthoney]

by visualsbyponzio

[jafar-panahi]

Dahomey (2024) 🇧🇯🇸🇳 a documentary by Mati Diop

[city-of-ladies]

"If there is one fact about the amazons that is indisputable, it is their consistently outstanding performance in combat. Not unexpectedly, practically the only author to cast doubt on this was Burton, for whom the idea that black females (not to speak of males) might excel on the battlefield was hard to accept: “The ‘Amazons’ boast themselves invulnerable, but readily retreat: an equal number of British charwomen, armed with the British broomstick, would - I lay, to speak Yorkishly— clear them off in very few hours.”Elsewhere he damns them with faint praise:‘The women are as brave as, if not braver than, their brethren in arms, who certainly do not shine in that department of manliness.”

The first inkling that the women soldiers of Dahomey might be first-class fighters comes from Labarthe’s informant who, in 1776, watched them perform shooting drills at Abomey and found them “very resolute”. By 1830, as Conneau learned at Whydah, their “bravery [was] a noted fact and [was] proverbial with the natives.” By the next decade the amazons’ reputation was established among Europeans too. At Cana in 1843 Freeman saw a “brigade” of them fire their guns. Not only did they shoot well, he says, but they “appeared totally void of fear”. The next year de Monléon remarked that the women had “often given striking proof of courage and audacity”. In 1845 Duncan saw amazon officers being rewarded for their “valour”.

Regarding the terror the women aroused among neighboring peoples, Chautard relates an anecdote from the 1880s. A group of amazons traveled from Whydah to Agoué, a port town beyond the kingdom near what is now Togo, perhaps as an escort for traders. The whole population crowded the town square to see the legendary ladies up close. The female “general” confronted the local male warriors and challenged the very best of them to a duel with swords to determine which sex was stronger. “In less than two minutes”, she boasted, “his head will adorn the tip of my sword!” To the shame of his sex, says Chautard, not one warrior volunteered.

The adjectives applied to the amazons over the decades were brave, courageous, valorous, valiant, fearless, intrepid, cruel, pitiless, merciless, implacable, relentless, bloodthirsty, fierce, ferocious, furious, audacious, impetuous, ardent, fanatic, disciplined, devoted (to the king), indomitable, redoubtable, formidable, vigorous, resolute, tenacious, determined, persevering. Often they were said to surpass their male colleagues — in valor, in intrepidity, in courage, in bravery, in cruelty, in discipline. “In this singular country”, Vallon reported, “the women’s army is accounted much more warlike than the men’s.” According to Bouët, there was no memory of any of the amazons fleeing combat whereas men had often been punished for doing it."

Amazons of Black Sparta: The Women Warriors of Dahomey, Stanley B. Alpern

[beyouatalltimes]

🇧🇯

[nishtakes]

Vodun Day, celebrated every January 10th in Benin, honors the ancestral Vodun religion, rooted in the veneration of nature, ancestors, and deities. Established in 1992, this day highlights a unique spiritual and cultural heritage through ceremonies, dances, and rituals, especially in Ouidah, the heart of Vodun. - NWE

[photography ©Julio Sacristan]

[thrdnarrative]

From Africa, With Love

We are dedicated to sharing the vibrant and multifaceted essence of Africa. Through our carefully curated media, we aim to show the intricacies of our African cultures, the resilience of our people, and the innovative initiatives shaping our future.

[omgthatdress]

Robe (Kansawu) and Trousers, from 3 Piece Royal or Noble Costume

Brooklyn Museum

Republic of Benin postcard, ca. 1900

[ghost-37]

[iamromao]

[weareravershq]

REMA | Fashion Photoshoot

[jafar-panahi]

Dahomey (2024) 🇧🇯🇸🇳 a documentary by Mati Diop

[have-you-been-here]

Ganvié, Benin

[rjeldridge]

Benin Dreams, 2023

[nishtakes]

The Aura of Vodun

[video ©kent_88__]

[thrdnarrative]

Benin royalty, particularly the Oba (king), often cover their mouths with a cloth as a sign of respect and to maintain their sacred status, as tradition dictates that the public should not see their teeth, signifying they do not eat or smile openly in public; it's considered a way to uphold the mystique and power of the monarch.

[friendswithclay]

Natitingou, Bénin, 1936

Ph by: Pierre Verger