Natural Resources and Trade

Discussion Board Forum 4

Rhonda Ray

HIWD 320 Africa

Liberty University in Lynchburg VA 

Benin’s shores where once the departure point of slaves across the Atlantic. The wealth of the country took a huge turn after the Benin Massacre in 1897.

Despite the introduction of modern technology, automobiles and computers; and the transition to a democratic government Benin’s economy is still underdeveloped. Their export earnings rely entirely on products such as Maize, peanuts, yams, rice, pineapples, cashews, cotton, palm oil, cocoa beans, and coffee to countries such as Portugal, Italy, France, Thailand, Taiwan, and the U.S.[1]

Benin also trades with France, Korea, Japan, India and the Netherlands.  France is its leading source of imports.  Benin’s is rich in natural resources.  The country’s natural sources included chromite, low-quality iron ore, ilmenite, and titanium timber, cement, clay, gold, sand, and gravel. These minerals do not play a role in Benin’s economy.  

Benin Exports by Product 2016

The few tropical forests that are left in Benin contain iroko, teak, samba and other tropical hardwoods.  In the southwest and central areas of Benin, you will find a species of plant called Khaya grandifoliola or African mahogany. People in these areas use the bark and the seeds from the mahogany’s trees to produce an antimalarial remedy for the treatment of the P. falciparum parasite. Mahogany is also used for boat building, cabinetry, furniture and interior construction.

Benin’s mining sector produces a lot of minerals.  Minerals like gold that is found in the northwest part of the country.  It is produced from alluvial sediments by artisanal miners in the villages of Kwatena and Tchantangou, near the Atakora Mountains on the Perma River.[1]

Half of the electricity in Benin is generated by plants located in Cotonou, Bohicon, Parakou, and in Porto-Novo.  The other half is shared on the southern border with Togo at the Mono River Dam.[2]

Other Benin’s natural resources included oil, which was discovered in the Sémé field near Cotonou in 1968.  By 1986 these offshore fields were pumping 8,000 barrels of oil a day according to a report by Serge-David Zoueme but quit after 8 years.

[1]https://www.zamboanga.com/z/index.php?title=Benin

[2] https://www.zamboanga.com/z/index.php?title=Benin 

Religion and Origins

Discussion Board Forum 3

Rhonda Ray

HIWD 320 Africa

Liberty University in Lynchburg VA

Religion is a major part of the Benin culture.  Their constitution provides freedom of religion and it determins legal guidelines that goven religius practices.  

Beninese follow a diverse mix of Atheism, Christianity, Islamic and Methodists religions.  Many of these incorporate voodoo rituals in their religion.  

Voodoo is the ancient indigenous tradition of ancestor worship and animism that evolved in West Africa in the 17^th century.  Voodoo is a creole religion practiced by more than 30 million people in Benin.  

The religious cosmology of voodoo is centered around Mawu, a divine creator who bore 7 children with her mate Liza.  Each child was given a dominion over 7 different realms of nature.  Clergy are central to maintaining the moral and ancestral traditions.  

Various art forms like this figure of a little boy is called a bocioi.  It is a medicine ball that presents a supernatural being and can be activated thru specific rites.  They are designed to attract and hold powerful forces; the owner can then control, protect or harm people.  The sources of their power comes from the deity Papa Legba, the son of Mawu, who is the keeper of the crossroads and was given the gift of language.  He also enables believers to be possessed.  He works as a mediator between the living and the spirit world.  Myths have said that Legba was a trouble maker, equivalent to Loki in Norse mythology.  He would lay with corpes and was even accused of sleeping with his mother-in-law.  When asked why he simply stated that she layed in the same spot as his wife and he simply gave into the idea of his wife as he slept with her. 2

Beninese also believed that kings have powers to view the spirit world.  In the 20^th century, the Oba still carry on old traditions.  They bless and anoint their people during the Benin’s Igue Festival.

Here is a list of other gods and goddesses worshiped in Benin 1:

Age	God of animals. Revered by hunters in the savannah regions. Benin, West Africa
Age Fon	Revered by hunters he is the god of animals
Agwe	Mother of the sea Benin
Agwe	She is the mother of the sea
Aida Wedo	A goddess of the rainbow & fresh water Aida Cuedo, Aido Wedo, Ayida, Ayida Cueddo
Avrikiti Fon	Goddess of fisherman Benin
Behanzin	Fish god who was invoked by fishermen to ensure a bountiful catch. Benin
Behanzin Fon	The fish god
Bo	God of the Ewe people in Benin. He was a protector of warriors.
Dan	Goddess of order and the rainbow. Benin/Mahi
Dan	A goddess of order & the rainbow
Ebore	Sky god. Nigeria and Benin
Esu	The dark side of God. He is an independent entity and timeless. Benin/Yoruba
Esu Edo	A god of passage that stands at the gates of home of the gods
Gleti	Goddess of the moon Benin
Legba Fon	God of fate Benin
Loko	God of trees. Fon Benin
Loko Fon	A god of trees
Mawu	Goddess of peace, joy, motherhood. happiness, and the sky Benin/Fon
Mawu Fon	Goddess of the moon Benin
Nesu Fon	Tutelary god of royalty Benin
Ogiuwu Edo	The harbinger of death who is supposed to own the blood of all living things. Benin
Ogun Edo	A god of war that was sent to cut up the land to allow crops to the planted
Osandobua Edo	A benign creator god that controls prosperity, health & happiness
Sogbo	The god of thunder, lightning and fire. Benin
Sogbo Fon	A storm god of rain

 1http://godfinder.org/index.html?q=Benin

2Belcher, S.P. (2005). African Myths Of Origin (100-103). New York: Penguin Books

  

Cultural and Historical Significance of Benin

Discussion Board Forum 2

Rhonda Ray

HIWD 320 Africa

Liberty University in Lynchburg VA

Benin’s culture is certainly one of the most unique and interesting in all of Africa.  Its culture is as rich and diverse as its people.  There are many extraordinary historical sites and archaeological findings that tell a story of a great empire.   

Art

In the 17th century, slaves became the most important commodity and were traded for manufactured items.  

West Africans invented the smelting of copper, zinc ores and the casting of brass.  When the Portuguese arrived in Benin the trade of these metals encouraged the growth of brass dramatically and became one of the standard trade currencies.

Oba of Benin taken in 1897 by JA Green

After Benin took control of the slave trade between the Europeans and the inland people in the 19th century, the kingdom of Benin became wealthy.

The British were also hoping to expand their own trade and ultimately annexed Benin and turn it into a British protectorate.  But the natives discovered Britain’s other motives and killed their envoys.  In retaliation the British lead an armed expedition that deliberately torched all of the Edo Empire.  The king was captured and the maximum size and artistic splendor of the kingdom and its palace including wood-works, ivory, brass and bronze art was taken back to London and sold. The numerous brass heads, plaques, bells, rattle-staffs, and masks that were worn on the belts as emblems of office was the only historical evidence dating back as far as 1280.

The reception of these great wonders caused such a sensation that academic scholars were truly amazed at how these great wonders came to be without European influence.   

When traveling to Benin, you will need to obtain permission in Lagos.  The Oba’s Palace has stood in the place for 700 years.  It is located in the city center and there is where you can find everything from ancient artifacts that trace back to Benin Empire from the 12th century.   

Music

Rhythm and dance are deeply linked in Benin’s history. In ancient times the musical cultures of Benin could be heard at most compounds, festivals and religious gatherings.  This rock painting is one of the oldest extant to music and dance in Africa. 

Some of the earliest sources of African music are archaeological.  Musical instruments were made of vegetable materials, the oldest is the dúndún pressure drum. It was introduced in the 15th century in the Savannah region.6  Other finds related to music include the pellet and tubular bells, bow lutes, the long xylophone, idiophones and horns.  These are often used in ceremonial events.  Music and dance training begins at birth.   

Traditional dance in Benin is an expression of life.  There is no one on one partnering dance.  Dances are often segregated by gender; this projects empowerment of what it means to be a man or woman. 

Shoulders, chest, pelvis, arms, legs play a part in their music.  Dance combined with drums represent an underlying linguistic text that guides the rhythms in their movement.  

Dance	Description
Kpanouhoun	is more prevalent in the Department of the Atlantic. It is done during, wedding ceremonies, graduations or when a soon-to-be bride engagement is being annouced. It is done during, wedding ceremonies, graduations or when a soon-to-be bride engagement is being annouced.
Ogbon	a popular dance performed both during funeral ceremonies. It is a dance attributed to ghosts called “Egoungoun”.
Agbadja, Atchanhoun, Avogan	are dances that are performed in the Department of Mono. It is done especially during popular festivities and after a new harvest.
Avizinli	a dance only done at night, is performed during the wake of a funeral.
Gambada, Djaguidi, Cocoussi	is a very brutal and evil dance. They are reserved for insiders that are initiated as the moves are considered to be sacred.
Adjogan	is a royal dance performed by the princes and princesses of Porto-Novo during the festivities at the royal palace . The dancers only attach a cloth to the chest and hold an iron stick along which small metal disks are spinning and making chimes.
Kaka:	a dance that has a dual purpose: for rejoicing and/or for ritual dance. executed  with pieces of bamboo that is tapped against each other to get the rhythm. The dancer is also playing an instrument music which is made with bamboo.
Sato:	is executed only by fatherless and motherless civilians. The dancers move in circle around a large Tam Tam drum that exceeds the height of the man and try to type the head of the drum with the help of a curved and by jumping up.  It normally happens during funeral events.
Tipinti	is a dance that is performed during popular festivities. The dancers dress in little skirt made of beads with ankle bells. This dance is well performed by men than by women.
Kiaro	is a hunters’ Dance also known as the horse dance.  It takes place in the region of Borgou and is performed during the “Gaani”, the festival of Joy that takes place every year.

The most widely used instrument in Africa is the voice and in the last few decades of the 20th century, the developments of reggae and hip-hop have been popularized. This music is also shaped by changes in the ecology of the continent. When settlers interacted with the locals, they often adopted musical styles from them.  The country was home to a vibrant and innovative music scene, where native folk music combined with Ghanaian highlife, French cabaret, American rock, funk and soul, and Congolese rumba.  Choral singing style is also a reflecting blend of local and foreign influences.

Catholic choir rehearsing

Language

Beninese society is a French colony. The people are quite diverse having a total of 55 living languages, with 50 being indigenous.  There are 20 sociocultural groups in Benin which are associated with one or more of the ancient kingdoms.  The Fon (of the Dahomey kingdom) are the largest group. Their language is closely related to that of the Aja and Goun.

French is the most prestigious language in Benin.  All printed media is in French.  Fon and Yoruba are the most spoken in the southern part of the country; Nagot, Dendi, Bariba and Fulfulde in the north.  Many of the Beninese are polyglots, meaning multilingual.  About 36% of the population is illiterate.  Sign language, Spanish, and English is also studied by the Beninese.4 

Religion

The traditional beliefs and practices of Beninese are highly diverse and include various ethnic religions.  Roman Catholic Christianity was introduced by the Portuguese and has been active in Benin since the 16th century. 

During this time the Dahomey king had his son and two of his noblemen to become Christians and help the Portuguese build churches in Benin.  To this day, there exists a church along Akpakpava street that is patterned after this first church and called “Holy Aruosa.” This cathedral was destroyed during the British invasion in 1879 and it was forbidden for the people to worship Osanobua at the Holy Aruosa.8

In each church, a special seat is reserved for the Oba. Priests dress like the Roman Catholic priests and usually wear red caps.  Omo n'Oba n'Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Akenzua II, the father of the present monarch, rebuilt several cathedrals throughout Benin City, Onitsha, Umuahia and other areas. He is also responsible for starting the movement that returned a lot of the ancient artworks taken in the British expedition in 1897. 

n Benin, prayers are always concluded with 'Oba' khato Okpere - meaning ‘May the Oba live long’. Service at the church is conducted in Bini language. The Holy Bible is not used, they use the book of Holy Arousa; much of the preaching revolves around the Oba being God’s representative on earth and the need to be good while on earth. Baptism of new converts is done with ‘Igborhe’, white chalk.

Benin was also considered the “cradle of voodoo” and those who practice Christianity or Islam also incorporate Voodoo element into their belief.  Voodoo consists of 100 divinities given by the divine mother Mahu.  Here voodoo is not considered evil as depicted books and film.  These divinities represent different phenomena that govern the forces of nature and human society.  Their pattern of worship follows various dialects, practices, and rituals.  There are 440 priests and 900 members in the religious orders.  Other religious groups include Baptists, Methodist, Pentecostals, Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses.3

In the indigenous belief, ancestral remains are apart of the community after death.  Shrines are built and offerings “feed” them. Metal staff’s called the Asen are made for the deceased and kept in the family compound.5

Cuisine

There are five distinct geographic zones in Benin. In the south where the rainfall and vegetation are the heaviest, coconut palms grow on a narrow coastal strip broken by lagoons and creeks. In the north, a plateau of fertile iron clay soil interspersed with marshy areas supports oil palms. 

Beninese cuisine is known for its flavorful and exotic ingredients.  Fish and shellfish are popular in the southern parts of Benin; while goat, sheep, and chicken are favorites in the north.  Many people have mud stoves and pans, used for cooking and storing water.   In many Urban areas cooking is done outside.  Breakfast usually consists of leftovers and in the evening people go to the market. Beninese eat a variety of tropical fruits.  Their common cash crop is maize, a type of corn and the base for all the cuisine in Benin.¹  

Dantopkpa, the biggest market located in Cotonou, Benin, is a popular place to sample the local smoked, dried or fresh fish, palm wine and millet beer.⁵ It is about 20 acres and it is overloaded with fruits like tomatoes, avocados, oranges, mandarins, bananas, kiwi, and pineapples; meats like beef, goat, fish and bush rat; others include Bird’s eye red hot pepper, peanuts, rice and beans.²   

Sports

In 1962 the secretary of the IOC created the National Olympic Committee in Dahomey.  It consists of basketball, boxing, cycling, football, volleyball, and tennis. The most popular sport of Benin is football, also known as soccer.  Their soccer team is called Les Ecureuils; established in 1969 as Dahomey became The Republic of Benin.  They first competed in the 1972 Olympic Games and then in the Moscow games in 1980.  Handball and track and field are also popular in Benin but unlike football which is a male-dominated, these two sports allow females to participate.9



Source

¹ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Corncobs.jpg

² https://unseenbenin.wordpress.com/2014/03/11/street-food-to-try-in-benin/

³ https://www.revolvy.com/main/index.php?s=Islam%20in%20Benin&item_type=topic

⁴ http://www.worldatlas.com/articles/what-languages-are-spoken-in-benin.html

⁵ http://www.everyculture.com/A-Bo/Benin.html

⁷ https://www.britannica.com/art/African-music

⁸ http://www.nairaland.com/2817150/holy-aruosa-cathedral-church-oba-benin

⁹Jean-Jacques, Daniel. Frica: An Encyclopedia of Culture and Society [3 volumes]: An Encyclopedia of Culture and Society. Translated by Toyin Falola. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO LLC, 2016.