Editorial
Destination: Benin, Africa. Tradition and Modernity- Part II
 One
of the things that hit me right away in Benin was the way tradition
was intertwined with modernity. Walking down the streets of Cotonou,
it's as ubiquitous to meet men and women draped in the traditional
booboo as to see them wearing jeans, the ultimate western attire.
This is of course a superficial example further biased by the implied
definition of modernity, which I seem to associate with western
culture. let's be careful here. In this particular context, let's
view modernity as opposed to traditional; modern Africa/traditional
Africa. By modern I characterize all these attributes
of African society that did not exist prior to colonization and
have been brought by the arrival of the Europeans. Wearing
jeans,  T-shirts
and pants are a blatant example of that. But there are countless
more examples of Africa's fusion of its traditional or pre-colonial
culture with the modern post-colonial ways. The result is the creation
of a continent with an incredibly flexible culture endowed with
the ability to ever reinvent itself.
 This
could be seen in Benin, our case study. That flexibility or union
of the old and the new can be seen at every level; from the political
organization of the country to the languages of the country to the
food. Benin is a democracy. The form of government is a republic
with an elected president (Mathieux Kerekou) a council of ministers
and a parliament. Knowing this fact, I was surprised to learn
that there were also kings in Benin.
 In
fact, there are two kings. They are the King of Allada and
the King of Abomey. Allada and Abomey are the historic centers
of the former glorious kingdoms of Allada and Dan’Homé respectively
. On trips to Allada and Abomey, I had the chance to meet those
kings. Going to Allada was a personal matter for me since I knew
that it was Toussaint Louverture's place of origin. As one of the
far-flung roots of Toussaint's giant tree I was somehow going home.
In Allada we were quite opportune to witness a traditional ceremony
preceding the arrival of the king and his court.  Our
visit to Abomey was somewhat similar to Allada. What we noticed
during both visits was the amount of respect and deference the population
bestowed upon those now mostly honorary kings. As it is, kings
are perceived as moral figures in Benin society. If the days
of the Dahomey kingdom are over, the heritage and legacy of the
past is cherished and honored in the personality of the kings who
maintain good relations with the official government, mediating
between the people and the government on certain matters. Many citizens
consider Benin's peaceful shift to democracy in 1990 as a miracle.
I wonder if the traditional kings played a role in assuring that
process. In our next segment, we will greatly cover the rich and
storied past of Benin and its former kingdoms.
 Religion
in Benin ties up past and present, traditional and imported. Benin’s
main religion is Vodun. Like most of West Africa, Islam is also
quite prevalent and is a fairly strong second to Vodun, while Christianity
is lagging. All three however coexist in a peaceful harmony and
varying degrees of syncretism. On one street in Cotonou, I  saw
a vodun temple right across from a very frequented Catholic church.
That is quite commonplace i was told. Many parishioners or adepts
are know to frequent both locations and that is perfectly okay to
most Beninese. There is no territorial division of the country based
on religious affiliation like you may see in former yugoslavia or
some other african countries.  Beninese
do not have religious quarrels for they believe that all are
trying to serve God wherever he may be and through whichever
cult they know. In two issues, we will cover religion especially
the traditional religion of Vodun and compare it to Haitian Vodou.
 Another
area where the Beninese connect the traditional and the modern is
through language. Benin has around 42 ethnic groups speaking
close to 40 languages. The most important ethnic groups are
the Aja-Fon and the Yoruba in south Benin. Colonization
has brought these ethnic groups into more and more contact with
one another. Cotonou, the most important city has become a melting
pot where dozens of languages can be heard.  Actually,
many people speak as many as four, five and even eight languages.
Merchants are forced by the necessities of their trade to be fluent
in as many African languages as possible. Naturally, it would be
impossible and impractical for all Beninese despite their multilingual
capabilities to speak 42 languages. Thus French has become the denominator
in Benin as it became one of the official languages of the country.
 In
the streets of Cotonou as in the official businesses, French is
the most common language. But that doesn't stop the Beninese from
shifting back and forth between their mother tongue and the imported
one.  Aside
from French, the most current languages in Benin are Fon and Yoruba.
Scholars hope that normal socio-economic factors will eventually
propel Fon as the language denominator in Benin.
This melting Pot of traditional and
modern constitutes an interesting tableau, an interesting dish of
european and islamic influences on a strongly local dish. Observing
Benin and other West African cultures from up close can be a very
emotional experience.
This is somewhat similar to looking at an array of infinite mirrors
and seeing reflections of self. Not just
flat optical mirrors but curvy, ondulating mirrors that peer into
one's mind extract memories, fears, feelings, knowledge, behavior
and experiences and reflect them through time, distance and infinite
levels of what-if all to project visions that are as similar as
they appear distinct.  Transformations
in Africa are not at-all too dissimilar to transforamtions having
taken place in Haiti, itself an ever-evolving blend of african,
hispanic, taino, european and lately north american.
In the next two issues of Alix's Corner,
we will explore historical kingdoms, the slave trade, beninese feelings
towards Haiti, and finally vodun and other related cults. Let us
continue then this exploration of Benin together. Stay Posted!
We invite you to write
us . As well, we open the discussion boards
to you (as they have always been). Come and share your experience,
thoughts, stories, questions with us.
 Facts
about Benin:
- Benin lies on the West Coast of Africa on 112,620 square
kilometers and is inhabited by 6,305,567 (July 1999 est.)
- In Benin there are more than 40 ethnic groups speaking 51 languages.
French is the official language. The other most important languages
are Fon and Yoruba in the South.
- Porto-Novo is the official capital; Cotonou is the seat of
government
- Benin was home to the famous 18th century kingdom of Dan-Xome,
meaning inside Dan's stomach.
- Most Haitians trace their ancestry to Benin.In particular Toussaint
Louverture's grandfather was a King of Allada (sic).
- Benin is the cradle of Vodou. Many of the Beninese vodou Gods,
such as Legba, Ogu, or Damballah, were transplanted to Haiti during
slavery.
- Religious syncretism characterizes Benin; there, Christianity,
Islam and Vodou cohabit peacefully.
- Benin is the birthplace of the
internationally famous artists Angelique Kidjo and
Djimon Hounsou (Amistad)
Additional Information
Books on Benin
Music and crafts
|
