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Tribe Snapshots Fon |
| Location: |
Southern Bénin, Togo |
| Population: |
n/a |
| Language: |
Fon (Twi) |
| Neighboring Peoples: |
Asante, Yoruba |
| Types of Art: |
Aside from the botchio figures, much of Fon
art was commissioned by the royal court. Appliquéd
cloths were used in the past as a sort of royal
message board in the form of banners and wall
hangings displayed during public gatherings. This
colorful art form has gone through a metamorphosis
since the 1960s, and most are now produced for
the tourist market. |
| History: |
The Fon kingdom of Dahomey, which was ruled
by the kings of the Alladahonu dynasty for over
200 hundred years, reached its political and economic
peak between the early 18th and the mid-19th centuries.
After conquering numerous small coastal states,
the Fon monopolized the region's slave trade resulting
in phenomenal economic gains. The income helped
to support the wealth of the King whose power
was absolute. The Fon king was defeated by the
French in 1892, and in 1894 the area now known
as Bénin became a colony of France under the name
of Dahomey. |
| Economy: |
The primary cash crops in this region are yams,
cotton, and taro, but the Fon also grow sorghum,
sesame, millet, palms, maize, and okra among other
crops for local consumption. Although cattle are
kept as a signifier of wealth, they are never
milked. Markets are held every fourth day throughout
the region for the local distribution of agricultural
products and local crafts. Some hunting is done
by the men, although much of the meat is sold
rather than consumed by the hunter's family. |
| Political Systems: |
The King ruled from his elaborate court in Abomey
through an extensive administrative hierarchy
that was responsible for collecting taxes. Although
the Queen Mother technically outranked the King,
excluding one hand-picked son who was to be heir,
no other family members were allowed to hold political
office to help protect against palace intrigue.
Instead, various political offices were assigned
to ministers who represented the King throughout
the state and in international matters involving
Europeans. |
| Religion: |
Fon religion centers around the ancestors, whose
protection and benevolence is sought through yearly
offerings. During the height of the Dahomey Empire,
the royal lineage paid annual tribute to its ancestors
at a spectacular gathering known as the Annual
Custom, which culminated with the sacrifice of
about a hundred slaves and war captives. This
was only exceeded by the Grand Custom, which was
held after the death of a ruler. Among the citizens
of Dahomey offerings were often made to wooden
statues (botchio). These statues, which are still
carved today, are used by individual families
for protection and embody the well-being of the
village. The botchio are rubbed with palm oil
as a prayer to the ancestors, which results in
the polished look we have come to expect in similar
objects found in museum collections. |
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