Why One Does Not Displease the Diviner
Long ago, during the reign of a great king of Dahomey, when the land was dry and the skies withheld rain, there lived a
The Rule of Sky and Earth: Sagbata and Hevioso’s Boundaries
Long ago, Sagbata was not yet called by that name. He came from the land of Ananu, and his birth name was Azö. From
How the Vodun Came to Dahomey: Agadja and Hwandjelè
Long ago, in the kingdom of Dahomey, the world was without vodun. Life moved in strange cycles, pregnant women sometimes bore goats, and goats
Sagbata Stabilizes the Earth: Rain Restored and Balance Ensured
Long ago, when the Creator Mawu prepared to delegate the stewardship of the earth, a choice had to be made. Among the children of
Sun God Brings Iron to Man: Lisa and the Gift of Gu
Long ago, when the lands of Daomè, today known as Abomey, were still wild and untamed, Mawu, the Creator, sent Lisa, the Sun God,
The First Human Family: Dahomey’s Sky-Born Ancestors
Long ago, before the lands of Dahomey were fully settled, the first human family descended from the sky. From the heavens came a man
Sun God Brings Iron to Man: Lisa and the Gift of Gu
In the time when the world was still young, the gods looked down upon the earth and saw that men lived in great struggle.
Sagbata and the Battle for Rain: A Dahomean Fon Folktale
The world was young, and the children of the great mother Mawu awaited their destiny. She was the creator, the one who balanced the
Sogbo Becomes Master of the Universe: Water and Fire Over All
Long ago, when the Creator completed the heavens and the earth, she entrusted her children with the care of the world. Among these children
Kakpo and the Promise to Loko: A Vodun Tale from Tendjñ
In the early days, the tree called Loko was like any other in the forests of Tendjñ. Its branches stretched high, and its leaves
