#abomey

[postcard-from-the-past]

Minister of the Colonies in Abomey, Dahomey, modern-day Benin

French vintage postcard

[dailystreetsnapshots]

Abomey, Benin

[2t2r]

Quelques portraits de Ella Williams alias madame Abomah la géante africaine, la plus grande femme du monde du début 20eme siècle

Nouvel article publié sur 2tout2rien: https://www.2tout2rien.fr/quelques-portraits-de-ella-williams-alias-madame-abomah-la-plus-grande-femme-du-monde-de-la-fin-de-19eme-debut-20eme-siecle/

Quelques portraits de Ella Williams alias madame Abomah la géante africaine, la plus grande femme du monde du début 20eme siècle

[kingonews]

TRAVAUX DU PROJET PADSBEE DANS LA COMMUNE D'ABOMEY CALAVI.

La Direction Technique de la SBEE Officiel informe son aimable clientèle que dans le cadre de la densification de son réseau dans la commune d’Abomey-Calavi, des travaux sont en cours ce mardi 11 juillet 2023 de 07h 15h et concernent la localité de Tori et environs. La SBEE rassure sa clientèle que les dispositions sont prises pour le respect strict du délai de coupure et présente toutes ses…

[puissantmaraboutvoyantorus]

rituel pour rendre une femme amoureuse de moi

rituel pour rendre une femme amoureuse de moi-En ce qui concerne la magie de l’amour, il n’y a pas de formule magique pour rendre une femme amoureuse. Cependant, il existe des rituels que vous pouvez effectuer pour attirer l’amour dans votre vie. La magie de l’amour est très puissante et peut être très efficace si elle est utilisée correctement. Si vous souhaitez rendre une femme amoureuse de…

[longliveblackness]

1937 Portrait of the only surviving female warriors, who had fought against the French in 1895, Abomey, Dahomey Kingdom, Benin Republic.

•••

Retrato de 1937 de las guerreras sobrevivientes que lucharon contra los franceses en 1895. Abomey, Reino Dahomey, República de Benín.

[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

[umlewis]

"Lewis Hamilton, seven-time Formula 1 world champion, came to discover Benin. He recently discovered the Dahomean origin of his ancestors." - august 13, 2024 📷 @.nouvelleaubefr / twitter google translated english transcript: "Hello to you and welcome to Cotonou! Lewis Hamilton, British Formula 1 icon, came to visit Benin. He came to discover the land of his ancestors. It was recently that this seven-time Formula 1 world champion British driver discovered his Beninese origins. On his arrival at the place of his ancestors, he was received by the king of Abomey. The historic city of Benin remains a land full of history. Lewis Hamilton came to connect with his ancestors by exploring his roots. He is the umpteenth victim of the triangular trade which has divided many Dahomean families in the past centuries. Lewis Hamilton adds his name to the long list of Brazilian, American, Portuguese, French and I forget Afro-descendants who are looking for their source, their identity. This moment is always full of emotion. This is Romuald Vissoh, from Cotonou in Benin, for Nouvelle Aube."

[kemetic-dreams]

According to Suzanne Preston Blier, who undertook a year of research in 1985–86 in Abomey and the nearby area, highlights the importance of remaining calm in contexts of difficulty and in life more generally.

According to Blier, Vodun means, "the idea of staying close to a water source, to not rush through life, to take time to attain tranquility." Her interpretation stems from two area diviners who maintain that its origins lie in the phrase "rest to draw the water", from the Fon verbs vo 'to rest', and dun 'to draw water', the stoic suggestion of "the need for one to be calm and composed" in the face of adversity.

[cognitivejustice]

Meet Dr. Enoch G. Achigan-Dako, professor of plant breeding genetics, at the University of Abomey-Calavi, Benin

Researching in the heart of African rural communities, Enoch Achigan-Dako is spreading the knowledge of crops with manifold potential uses in health, food security and biodiversity.

Raised in a single parent household, Enoch Achigan-Dako grew up in Benin watching his mother sell fruit and vegetables at her stall. One of her staple products was egusi melon, which is cultivated in Benin, Ghana, Nigeria, and Togo.

While egusi looks like a typical watermelon on the outside, and even has the same scientific name, Citrullus lanatus, once you cut it and taste it, the difference is evident. The inside is green, and the seeds of the egusi are edible, too, unlike watermelon seeds.

“I was confused when I was little when I saw that egusi, which has a bitter flesh, was called the same name as watermelon, with red and sweet flesh, and that’s where my curiosity started to flow,” says Achigan-Dako, a professor of genetics and plant breeding at the University of d’Abomey-Calavi.

Discovering the links between the two became the basis of his PhD. During his studies, he noticed that there was a very narrow connection between egusi and watermelon, which was thought to come from Asia.

The sisré berry story

It is fruits and vegetables like egusi that crop scientists have pinned their hopes on, as African traditional vegetables are found to be rich in bioactive compounds that have anticancer, antiviral, anti-tumour, antimicrobial and antioxidant properties.

These crops are underutilised, as they are only known in their specific communities, and these are the vegetables that could help in combatting disease in humans, too.

Also found in West Africa is the sisré berry, also called the ‘miracle berry’, which is used as a multi-purpose natural sweetener in the communities in the Dahomey Gap that runs through Benin, Togo, and Ghana and the Upper Guinea Forest. Achigan-Dako and his team believe the berry could be used to help prevent diabetes, a growing issue on the African continent.

"If you don’t share knowledge, if you don’t share what you have as most important in you, then there is no value in living – that’s my philosophy"

As a scientist and vice president of the African Plant Breeders Association, Achigan-Dako sees the ‘opportunity crop’ discoveries he makes with his team as vital when it comes to promoting vegetable biodiversity.

“Travelling across the continent and discovering people, practices and genetic diversity increased my knowledge of the continent and why we should continue safeguarding genetic resources,” he says.

[ptseti]

Akonhoun.

Akonhoun literally means the rhythm of the torso in the Fongbé language.

Akonhoun is both a rhythm and a festive traditional dance from southern Benin.

The dance is generally performed by men. They beat their torsos with their hands in a musical style. Akonhoun is widely played in Abomey.

It is most often performed at popular celebrations such as customary weddings, traditional christenings and burials.

BENIN & TOGO Tour dates

[friendswithclay]

Pottery Market — AFRICA DAHOMEY BENIN ABOMEY

[cosmicanger]

Black person carrying a massive sword dedicated to Gu; the god of iron and war

ca. 1950

Abomey -Dahomey, Benin

[kingonews]

BÉNIN: LE RECTEUR DE L'UNIVERSITÉ D'ABOMEY-CALAVI SONNE LA FIN DES FESTIVITÉS POST-SOUTENANCE.

À compter du 1er septembre 2023, l’Université d’Abomey-Calavi (UAC) adopte une approche radicale pour promouvoir la transparence et l’équité dans le processus d’évaluation des étudiants. Le Recteur, le Professeur Félicien Avlessi, a sorti une note de service interdisant strictement l’organisation de fêtes ou de tout autre événement similaire après les soutenances d’étudiants. De plus, une…