Dahomey folktales

Parchment-style illustration of Mawu-Lisa dividing realms among children, Dahomey folktale origin.

To Each Is Given His Dominion A Beninese Folktale of Mawu-Lisa

African Folktales·Beninese Folktales·Dahomean (Fon) Folktales·West African Folktales

In the beginning, when the universe was still fresh and the earth had not yet settled into its order, there was Mawu-Lisa, the great parent. Mawu-Lisa was one being with two faces. One face was Mawu, the gentle mother, whose eyes shone as the Moon and who ruled over the night. She was called Filawu. The other face was Lisa,

Parchment-style illustration of the first humans descending from the sky, Dahomey folktale origin.

African Folktales·Beninese Folktales·Dahomean (Fon) Folktales·West African Folktales

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 and a woman, radiant and purposeful, chosen to establish the first homes on earth. The man carried a wand, which he raised to the ground and

Parchment-style illustration of Sewanla holding Tetelidja’s tail by a river, Dahomey folktale origin.

Sewanla and the Talking Tail: A Thunder-God Origin from Beninese Folklore

Long ago, when animals and spirits still walked close with humankind, there

To Each Is Given His Dominion A Beninese Folktale of Mawu-Lisa

The First Human Family: Dahomey’s Sky-Born Ancestors

Sewanla and the Talking Tail: A Thunder-God Origin from Beninese Folklore

Banner