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DUK10054210_002
FEATURE - Äthiopien: Modische Recycling Accessoires
Ethiopian Tribe Recycles Modern Worldís Discards Into Fashion Accessories
The Daasanach are a semi-nomadic tribe numbering approximately 50,000 individuals who live in the Omo Valley in southern Ethiopia. In the past, the tribe roamed from place to place herding livestock around open areas according to the seasons and the changing availability of water. But over the last fifty years, having lost the majority of their lands, they have also grown dependent to agriculture. Like many tribes in the region, the Daasanach have moved to areas closer to the Omo River, where they attempt to grow enough crops to survive.
French photographer Eric Lafforgue has spent several years documenting the life and culture of these people, and how they have changed under the influence of modern manufactured goods. An interesting fashion trend amongst the Dassanach is their elaborate headgear, which they make from the strangest of materials bottle caps, wristwatches, hairclips, and other discarded pieces of plastic and metal.
The Daasanach spend months collecting bottle caps and scratching around for cash to pay for broken watches, which the women makes into jewelry and wigs. These are worn by both men and women, young and old.
Younger girls and children get the most basic version of the wig, while the oldest women are treated to the heaviest numbers with the most embellishment.
Men are only allowed to wear the bottle top wigs until they marry - after that, they create small clay headpieces decorated with a colourful harlequin pattern and enlivened with a feather, although the latter is only allowed after a hunt or a successful clash with an enemy.
The young men love to wear necklaces and earrings while the girls have bigger muscles because they do the most difficult work like carrying water, To prevent their headgears from getting spoiled while they sleep (apparently, they never take them off).
©Eric lafforgue/Exclusivepix Media (FOTO: DUKAS/EXCLUSIVEPIX)
(c) Dukas -
DUK10068031_004
REPORTAGE - Benin: Voodoo Zwillinge Tradition
Benin’s Living Dead: The Voodoo Twins Tradition
40% of the world’s twins are born in Africa. Benin’s Fon people have one of the highest occurrences at 1 in 20 births. The high rate of infant mortality and voodoo religion, Benin’s national religion, have begot some very particular practices concerning the deaths of one or both of these twins. In many other societies, twins are regarded as bad omens and often killed or abandoned at birth. However, in the Fon culture, twins have always been revered because Nana Buluku, voodoo’s androgynous creator of the universe, gave birth to twins. These twins in turn created the voodoo deities that run the world.
Once a twin dies, a wooden statue called the “hohovi” is carved, within which the spirit of the dead child is placed. These figurines are deified and treated almost exactly like the living children. For the Fon, twins are immortal. They continue to live even after their death, bringing blessings or misfortune depending on if there are either pampered or abused.
Three months after the birth of twins, if they are still living, the parents go collect gifts from other members of their community. If one or both of the twins die, then the mother carries the statues around between her breasts and walks around with a tray on her head, receiving alms for the twins. All donate some money or food. The mother may even take some wares on display at the market. If a woman is rich or powerful, then she sends someone to conduct this collection in her place.
In Bopa, a village situated on the banks of Lake Aheme in southern Benin, Dah Tofa and his wife reside. Dah Tofa, an educated man in his 60s, is a voodoo priest. His wife, who is around 40 years old, speaks only Fon. I ask for her name and she tells me the name she was born with, but this causes a bit of an incident. Her husband explains that she was supposed to say “Hounyoga”, the name of the voodoo goddess she worships whose name she took. Her husband tells me
(c) Dukas -
DUK10068031_023
REPORTAGE - Benin: Voodoo Zwillinge Tradition
Benin’s Living Dead: The Voodoo Twins Tradition
40% of the world’s twins are born in Africa. Benin’s Fon people have one of the highest occurrences at 1 in 20 births. The high rate of infant mortality and voodoo religion, Benin’s national religion, have begot some very particular practices concerning the deaths of one or both of these twins. In many other societies, twins are regarded as bad omens and often killed or abandoned at birth. However, in the Fon culture, twins have always been revered because Nana Buluku, voodoo’s androgynous creator of the universe, gave birth to twins. These twins in turn created the voodoo deities that run the world.
Once a twin dies, a wooden statue called the “hohovi” is carved, within which the spirit of the dead child is placed. These figurines are deified and treated almost exactly like the living children. For the Fon, twins are immortal. They continue to live even after their death, bringing blessings or misfortune depending on if there are either pampered or abused.
Three months after the birth of twins, if they are still living, the parents go collect gifts from other members of their community. If one or both of the twins die, then the mother carries the statues around between her breasts and walks around with a tray on her head, receiving alms for the twins. All donate some money or food. The mother may even take some wares on display at the market. If a woman is rich or powerful, then she sends someone to conduct this collection in her place.
In Bopa, a village situated on the banks of Lake Aheme in southern Benin, Dah Tofa and his wife reside. Dah Tofa, an educated man in his 60s, is a voodoo priest. His wife, who is around 40 years old, speaks only Fon. I ask for her name and she tells me the name she was born with, but this causes a bit of an incident. Her husband explains that she was supposed to say “Hounyoga”, the name of the voodoo goddess she worships whose name she took. Her husband tells me
(c) Dukas -
DUK10068031_028
REPORTAGE - Benin: Voodoo Zwillinge Tradition
Benin’s Living Dead: The Voodoo Twins Tradition
40% of the world’s twins are born in Africa. Benin’s Fon people have one of the highest occurrences at 1 in 20 births. The high rate of infant mortality and voodoo religion, Benin’s national religion, have begot some very particular practices concerning the deaths of one or both of these twins. In many other societies, twins are regarded as bad omens and often killed or abandoned at birth. However, in the Fon culture, twins have always been revered because Nana Buluku, voodoo’s androgynous creator of the universe, gave birth to twins. These twins in turn created the voodoo deities that run the world.
Once a twin dies, a wooden statue called the “hohovi” is carved, within which the spirit of the dead child is placed. These figurines are deified and treated almost exactly like the living children. For the Fon, twins are immortal. They continue to live even after their death, bringing blessings or misfortune depending on if there are either pampered or abused.
Three months after the birth of twins, if they are still living, the parents go collect gifts from other members of their community. If one or both of the twins die, then the mother carries the statues around between her breasts and walks around with a tray on her head, receiving alms for the twins. All donate some money or food. The mother may even take some wares on display at the market. If a woman is rich or powerful, then she sends someone to conduct this collection in her place.
In Bopa, a village situated on the banks of Lake Aheme in southern Benin, Dah Tofa and his wife reside. Dah Tofa, an educated man in his 60s, is a voodoo priest. His wife, who is around 40 years old, speaks only Fon. I ask for her name and she tells me the name she was born with, but this causes a bit of an incident. Her husband explains that she was supposed to say “Hounyoga”, the name of the voodoo goddess she worships whose name she took. Her husband tells me
(c) Dukas -
DUK10068031_034
REPORTAGE - Benin: Voodoo Zwillinge Tradition
Benin’s Living Dead: The Voodoo Twins Tradition
40% of the world’s twins are born in Africa. Benin’s Fon people have one of the highest occurrences at 1 in 20 births. The high rate of infant mortality and voodoo religion, Benin’s national religion, have begot some very particular practices concerning the deaths of one or both of these twins. In many other societies, twins are regarded as bad omens and often killed or abandoned at birth. However, in the Fon culture, twins have always been revered because Nana Buluku, voodoo’s androgynous creator of the universe, gave birth to twins. These twins in turn created the voodoo deities that run the world.
Once a twin dies, a wooden statue called the “hohovi” is carved, within which the spirit of the dead child is placed. These figurines are deified and treated almost exactly like the living children. For the Fon, twins are immortal. They continue to live even after their death, bringing blessings or misfortune depending on if there are either pampered or abused.
Three months after the birth of twins, if they are still living, the parents go collect gifts from other members of their community. If one or both of the twins die, then the mother carries the statues around between her breasts and walks around with a tray on her head, receiving alms for the twins. All donate some money or food. The mother may even take some wares on display at the market. If a woman is rich or powerful, then she sends someone to conduct this collection in her place.
In Bopa, a village situated on the banks of Lake Aheme in southern Benin, Dah Tofa and his wife reside. Dah Tofa, an educated man in his 60s, is a voodoo priest. His wife, who is around 40 years old, speaks only Fon. I ask for her name and she tells me the name she was born with, but this causes a bit of an incident. Her husband explains that she was supposed to say “Hounyoga”, the name of the voodoo goddess she worships whose name she took. Her husband tells me
(c) Dukas -
DUK10068031_038
REPORTAGE - Benin: Voodoo Zwillinge Tradition
Benin’s Living Dead: The Voodoo Twins Tradition
40% of the world’s twins are born in Africa. Benin’s Fon people have one of the highest occurrences at 1 in 20 births. The high rate of infant mortality and voodoo religion, Benin’s national religion, have begot some very particular practices concerning the deaths of one or both of these twins. In many other societies, twins are regarded as bad omens and often killed or abandoned at birth. However, in the Fon culture, twins have always been revered because Nana Buluku, voodoo’s androgynous creator of the universe, gave birth to twins. These twins in turn created the voodoo deities that run the world.
Once a twin dies, a wooden statue called the “hohovi” is carved, within which the spirit of the dead child is placed. These figurines are deified and treated almost exactly like the living children. For the Fon, twins are immortal. They continue to live even after their death, bringing blessings or misfortune depending on if there are either pampered or abused.
Three months after the birth of twins, if they are still living, the parents go collect gifts from other members of their community. If one or both of the twins die, then the mother carries the statues around between her breasts and walks around with a tray on her head, receiving alms for the twins. All donate some money or food. The mother may even take some wares on display at the market. If a woman is rich or powerful, then she sends someone to conduct this collection in her place.
In Bopa, a village situated on the banks of Lake Aheme in southern Benin, Dah Tofa and his wife reside. Dah Tofa, an educated man in his 60s, is a voodoo priest. His wife, who is around 40 years old, speaks only Fon. I ask for her name and she tells me the name she was born with, but this causes a bit of an incident. Her husband explains that she was supposed to say “Hounyoga”, the name of the voodoo goddess she worships whose name she took. Her husband tells me
(c) Dukas -
DUK10068031_039
REPORTAGE - Benin: Voodoo Zwillinge Tradition
Benin’s Living Dead: The Voodoo Twins Tradition
40% of the world’s twins are born in Africa. Benin’s Fon people have one of the highest occurrences at 1 in 20 births. The high rate of infant mortality and voodoo religion, Benin’s national religion, have begot some very particular practices concerning the deaths of one or both of these twins. In many other societies, twins are regarded as bad omens and often killed or abandoned at birth. However, in the Fon culture, twins have always been revered because Nana Buluku, voodoo’s androgynous creator of the universe, gave birth to twins. These twins in turn created the voodoo deities that run the world.
Once a twin dies, a wooden statue called the “hohovi” is carved, within which the spirit of the dead child is placed. These figurines are deified and treated almost exactly like the living children. For the Fon, twins are immortal. They continue to live even after their death, bringing blessings or misfortune depending on if there are either pampered or abused.
Three months after the birth of twins, if they are still living, the parents go collect gifts from other members of their community. If one or both of the twins die, then the mother carries the statues around between her breasts and walks around with a tray on her head, receiving alms for the twins. All donate some money or food. The mother may even take some wares on display at the market. If a woman is rich or powerful, then she sends someone to conduct this collection in her place.
In Bopa, a village situated on the banks of Lake Aheme in southern Benin, Dah Tofa and his wife reside. Dah Tofa, an educated man in his 60s, is a voodoo priest. His wife, who is around 40 years old, speaks only Fon. I ask for her name and she tells me the name she was born with, but this causes a bit of an incident. Her husband explains that she was supposed to say “Hounyoga”, the name of the voodoo goddess she worships whose name she took. Her husband tells me
(c) Dukas -
DUK10068031_043
REPORTAGE - Benin: Voodoo Zwillinge Tradition
Benin’s Living Dead: The Voodoo Twins Tradition
40% of the world’s twins are born in Africa. Benin’s Fon people have one of the highest occurrences at 1 in 20 births. The high rate of infant mortality and voodoo religion, Benin’s national religion, have begot some very particular practices concerning the deaths of one or both of these twins. In many other societies, twins are regarded as bad omens and often killed or abandoned at birth. However, in the Fon culture, twins have always been revered because Nana Buluku, voodoo’s androgynous creator of the universe, gave birth to twins. These twins in turn created the voodoo deities that run the world.
Once a twin dies, a wooden statue called the “hohovi” is carved, within which the spirit of the dead child is placed. These figurines are deified and treated almost exactly like the living children. For the Fon, twins are immortal. They continue to live even after their death, bringing blessings or misfortune depending on if there are either pampered or abused.
Three months after the birth of twins, if they are still living, the parents go collect gifts from other members of their community. If one or both of the twins die, then the mother carries the statues around between her breasts and walks around with a tray on her head, receiving alms for the twins. All donate some money or food. The mother may even take some wares on display at the market. If a woman is rich or powerful, then she sends someone to conduct this collection in her place.
In Bopa, a village situated on the banks of Lake Aheme in southern Benin, Dah Tofa and his wife reside. Dah Tofa, an educated man in his 60s, is a voodoo priest. His wife, who is around 40 years old, speaks only Fon. I ask for her name and she tells me the name she was born with, but this causes a bit of an incident. Her husband explains that she was supposed to say “Hounyoga”, the name of the voodoo goddess she worships whose name she took. Her husband tells me
(c) Dukas -
DUK10068031_051
REPORTAGE - Benin: Voodoo Zwillinge Tradition
Benin’s Living Dead: The Voodoo Twins Tradition
40% of the world’s twins are born in Africa. Benin’s Fon people have one of the highest occurrences at 1 in 20 births. The high rate of infant mortality and voodoo religion, Benin’s national religion, have begot some very particular practices concerning the deaths of one or both of these twins. In many other societies, twins are regarded as bad omens and often killed or abandoned at birth. However, in the Fon culture, twins have always been revered because Nana Buluku, voodoo’s androgynous creator of the universe, gave birth to twins. These twins in turn created the voodoo deities that run the world.
Once a twin dies, a wooden statue called the “hohovi” is carved, within which the spirit of the dead child is placed. These figurines are deified and treated almost exactly like the living children. For the Fon, twins are immortal. They continue to live even after their death, bringing blessings or misfortune depending on if there are either pampered or abused.
Three months after the birth of twins, if they are still living, the parents go collect gifts from other members of their community. If one or both of the twins die, then the mother carries the statues around between her breasts and walks around with a tray on her head, receiving alms for the twins. All donate some money or food. The mother may even take some wares on display at the market. If a woman is rich or powerful, then she sends someone to conduct this collection in her place.
In Bopa, a village situated on the banks of Lake Aheme in southern Benin, Dah Tofa and his wife reside. Dah Tofa, an educated man in his 60s, is a voodoo priest. His wife, who is around 40 years old, speaks only Fon. I ask for her name and she tells me the name she was born with, but this causes a bit of an incident. Her husband explains that she was supposed to say “Hounyoga”, the name of the voodoo goddess she worships whose name she took. Her husband tells me
(c) Dukas -
DUK10068031_052
REPORTAGE - Benin: Voodoo Zwillinge Tradition
Benin’s Living Dead: The Voodoo Twins Tradition
40% of the world’s twins are born in Africa. Benin’s Fon people have one of the highest occurrences at 1 in 20 births. The high rate of infant mortality and voodoo religion, Benin’s national religion, have begot some very particular practices concerning the deaths of one or both of these twins. In many other societies, twins are regarded as bad omens and often killed or abandoned at birth. However, in the Fon culture, twins have always been revered because Nana Buluku, voodoo’s androgynous creator of the universe, gave birth to twins. These twins in turn created the voodoo deities that run the world.
Once a twin dies, a wooden statue called the “hohovi” is carved, within which the spirit of the dead child is placed. These figurines are deified and treated almost exactly like the living children. For the Fon, twins are immortal. They continue to live even after their death, bringing blessings or misfortune depending on if there are either pampered or abused.
Three months after the birth of twins, if they are still living, the parents go collect gifts from other members of their community. If one or both of the twins die, then the mother carries the statues around between her breasts and walks around with a tray on her head, receiving alms for the twins. All donate some money or food. The mother may even take some wares on display at the market. If a woman is rich or powerful, then she sends someone to conduct this collection in her place.
In Bopa, a village situated on the banks of Lake Aheme in southern Benin, Dah Tofa and his wife reside. Dah Tofa, an educated man in his 60s, is a voodoo priest. His wife, who is around 40 years old, speaks only Fon. I ask for her name and she tells me the name she was born with, but this causes a bit of an incident. Her husband explains that she was supposed to say “Hounyoga”, the name of the voodoo goddess she worships whose name she took. Her husband tells me
(c) Dukas -
DUK10068031_055
REPORTAGE - Benin: Voodoo Zwillinge Tradition
Benin’s Living Dead: The Voodoo Twins Tradition
40% of the world’s twins are born in Africa. Benin’s Fon people have one of the highest occurrences at 1 in 20 births. The high rate of infant mortality and voodoo religion, Benin’s national religion, have begot some very particular practices concerning the deaths of one or both of these twins. In many other societies, twins are regarded as bad omens and often killed or abandoned at birth. However, in the Fon culture, twins have always been revered because Nana Buluku, voodoo’s androgynous creator of the universe, gave birth to twins. These twins in turn created the voodoo deities that run the world.
Once a twin dies, a wooden statue called the “hohovi” is carved, within which the spirit of the dead child is placed. These figurines are deified and treated almost exactly like the living children. For the Fon, twins are immortal. They continue to live even after their death, bringing blessings or misfortune depending on if there are either pampered or abused.
Three months after the birth of twins, if they are still living, the parents go collect gifts from other members of their community. If one or both of the twins die, then the mother carries the statues around between her breasts and walks around with a tray on her head, receiving alms for the twins. All donate some money or food. The mother may even take some wares on display at the market. If a woman is rich or powerful, then she sends someone to conduct this collection in her place.
In Bopa, a village situated on the banks of Lake Aheme in southern Benin, Dah Tofa and his wife reside. Dah Tofa, an educated man in his 60s, is a voodoo priest. His wife, who is around 40 years old, speaks only Fon. I ask for her name and she tells me the name she was born with, but this causes a bit of an incident. Her husband explains that she was supposed to say “Hounyoga”, the name of the voodoo goddess she worships whose name she took. Her husband tells me
(c) Dukas -
DUK10068031_066
REPORTAGE - Benin: Voodoo Zwillinge Tradition
Benin’s Living Dead: The Voodoo Twins Tradition
40% of the world’s twins are born in Africa. Benin’s Fon people have one of the highest occurrences at 1 in 20 births. The high rate of infant mortality and voodoo religion, Benin’s national religion, have begot some very particular practices concerning the deaths of one or both of these twins. In many other societies, twins are regarded as bad omens and often killed or abandoned at birth. However, in the Fon culture, twins have always been revered because Nana Buluku, voodoo’s androgynous creator of the universe, gave birth to twins. These twins in turn created the voodoo deities that run the world.
Once a twin dies, a wooden statue called the “hohovi” is carved, within which the spirit of the dead child is placed. These figurines are deified and treated almost exactly like the living children. For the Fon, twins are immortal. They continue to live even after their death, bringing blessings or misfortune depending on if there are either pampered or abused.
Three months after the birth of twins, if they are still living, the parents go collect gifts from other members of their community. If one or both of the twins die, then the mother carries the statues around between her breasts and walks around with a tray on her head, receiving alms for the twins. All donate some money or food. The mother may even take some wares on display at the market. If a woman is rich or powerful, then she sends someone to conduct this collection in her place.
In Bopa, a village situated on the banks of Lake Aheme in southern Benin, Dah Tofa and his wife reside. Dah Tofa, an educated man in his 60s, is a voodoo priest. His wife, who is around 40 years old, speaks only Fon. I ask for her name and she tells me the name she was born with, but this causes a bit of an incident. Her husband explains that she was supposed to say “Hounyoga”, the name of the voodoo goddess she worships whose name she took. Her husband tells me
(c) Dukas -
DUK10068031_067
REPORTAGE - Benin: Voodoo Zwillinge Tradition
Benin’s Living Dead: The Voodoo Twins Tradition
40% of the world’s twins are born in Africa. Benin’s Fon people have one of the highest occurrences at 1 in 20 births. The high rate of infant mortality and voodoo religion, Benin’s national religion, have begot some very particular practices concerning the deaths of one or both of these twins. In many other societies, twins are regarded as bad omens and often killed or abandoned at birth. However, in the Fon culture, twins have always been revered because Nana Buluku, voodoo’s androgynous creator of the universe, gave birth to twins. These twins in turn created the voodoo deities that run the world.
Once a twin dies, a wooden statue called the “hohovi” is carved, within which the spirit of the dead child is placed. These figurines are deified and treated almost exactly like the living children. For the Fon, twins are immortal. They continue to live even after their death, bringing blessings or misfortune depending on if there are either pampered or abused.
Three months after the birth of twins, if they are still living, the parents go collect gifts from other members of their community. If one or both of the twins die, then the mother carries the statues around between her breasts and walks around with a tray on her head, receiving alms for the twins. All donate some money or food. The mother may even take some wares on display at the market. If a woman is rich or powerful, then she sends someone to conduct this collection in her place.
In Bopa, a village situated on the banks of Lake Aheme in southern Benin, Dah Tofa and his wife reside. Dah Tofa, an educated man in his 60s, is a voodoo priest. His wife, who is around 40 years old, speaks only Fon. I ask for her name and she tells me the name she was born with, but this causes a bit of an incident. Her husband explains that she was supposed to say “Hounyoga”, the name of the voodoo goddess she worships whose name she took. Her husband tells me
(c) Dukas -
DUK10068031_068
REPORTAGE - Benin: Voodoo Zwillinge Tradition
Benin’s Living Dead: The Voodoo Twins Tradition
40% of the world’s twins are born in Africa. Benin’s Fon people have one of the highest occurrences at 1 in 20 births. The high rate of infant mortality and voodoo religion, Benin’s national religion, have begot some very particular practices concerning the deaths of one or both of these twins. In many other societies, twins are regarded as bad omens and often killed or abandoned at birth. However, in the Fon culture, twins have always been revered because Nana Buluku, voodoo’s androgynous creator of the universe, gave birth to twins. These twins in turn created the voodoo deities that run the world.
Once a twin dies, a wooden statue called the “hohovi” is carved, within which the spirit of the dead child is placed. These figurines are deified and treated almost exactly like the living children. For the Fon, twins are immortal. They continue to live even after their death, bringing blessings or misfortune depending on if there are either pampered or abused.
Three months after the birth of twins, if they are still living, the parents go collect gifts from other members of their community. If one or both of the twins die, then the mother carries the statues around between her breasts and walks around with a tray on her head, receiving alms for the twins. All donate some money or food. The mother may even take some wares on display at the market. If a woman is rich or powerful, then she sends someone to conduct this collection in her place.
In Bopa, a village situated on the banks of Lake Aheme in southern Benin, Dah Tofa and his wife reside. Dah Tofa, an educated man in his 60s, is a voodoo priest. His wife, who is around 40 years old, speaks only Fon. I ask for her name and she tells me the name she was born with, but this causes a bit of an incident. Her husband explains that she was supposed to say “Hounyoga”, the name of the voodoo goddess she worships whose name she took. Her husband tells me
(c) Dukas -
DUK10068031_069
REPORTAGE - Benin: Voodoo Zwillinge Tradition
Benin’s Living Dead: The Voodoo Twins Tradition
40% of the world’s twins are born in Africa. Benin’s Fon people have one of the highest occurrences at 1 in 20 births. The high rate of infant mortality and voodoo religion, Benin’s national religion, have begot some very particular practices concerning the deaths of one or both of these twins. In many other societies, twins are regarded as bad omens and often killed or abandoned at birth. However, in the Fon culture, twins have always been revered because Nana Buluku, voodoo’s androgynous creator of the universe, gave birth to twins. These twins in turn created the voodoo deities that run the world.
Once a twin dies, a wooden statue called the “hohovi” is carved, within which the spirit of the dead child is placed. These figurines are deified and treated almost exactly like the living children. For the Fon, twins are immortal. They continue to live even after their death, bringing blessings or misfortune depending on if there are either pampered or abused.
Three months after the birth of twins, if they are still living, the parents go collect gifts from other members of their community. If one or both of the twins die, then the mother carries the statues around between her breasts and walks around with a tray on her head, receiving alms for the twins. All donate some money or food. The mother may even take some wares on display at the market. If a woman is rich or powerful, then she sends someone to conduct this collection in her place.
In Bopa, a village situated on the banks of Lake Aheme in southern Benin, Dah Tofa and his wife reside. Dah Tofa, an educated man in his 60s, is a voodoo priest. His wife, who is around 40 years old, speaks only Fon. I ask for her name and she tells me the name she was born with, but this causes a bit of an incident. Her husband explains that she was supposed to say “Hounyoga”, the name of the voodoo goddess she worships whose name she took. Her husband tells me
(c) Dukas -
DUK10068031_001
REPORTAGE - Benin: Voodoo Zwillinge Tradition
Benin’s Living Dead: The Voodoo Twins Tradition
40% of the world’s twins are born in Africa. Benin’s Fon people have one of the highest occurrences at 1 in 20 births. The high rate of infant mortality and voodoo religion, Benin’s national religion, have begot some very particular practices concerning the deaths of one or both of these twins. In many other societies, twins are regarded as bad omens and often killed or abandoned at birth. However, in the Fon culture, twins have always been revered because Nana Buluku, voodoo’s androgynous creator of the universe, gave birth to twins. These twins in turn created the voodoo deities that run the world.
Once a twin dies, a wooden statue called the “hohovi” is carved, within which the spirit of the dead child is placed. These figurines are deified and treated almost exactly like the living children. For the Fon, twins are immortal. They continue to live even after their death, bringing blessings or misfortune depending on if there are either pampered or abused.
Three months after the birth of twins, if they are still living, the parents go collect gifts from other members of their community. If one or both of the twins die, then the mother carries the statues around between her breasts and walks around with a tray on her head, receiving alms for the twins. All donate some money or food. The mother may even take some wares on display at the market. If a woman is rich or powerful, then she sends someone to conduct this collection in her place.
In Bopa, a village situated on the banks of Lake Aheme in southern Benin, Dah Tofa and his wife reside. Dah Tofa, an educated man in his 60s, is a voodoo priest. His wife, who is around 40 years old, speaks only Fon. I ask for her name and she tells me the name she was born with, but this causes a bit of an incident. Her husband explains that she was supposed to say “Hounyoga”, the name of the voodoo goddess she worships whose name she took. Her husband tells me
(c) Dukas -
DUK10068031_002
REPORTAGE - Benin: Voodoo Zwillinge Tradition
Benin’s Living Dead: The Voodoo Twins Tradition
40% of the world’s twins are born in Africa. Benin’s Fon people have one of the highest occurrences at 1 in 20 births. The high rate of infant mortality and voodoo religion, Benin’s national religion, have begot some very particular practices concerning the deaths of one or both of these twins. In many other societies, twins are regarded as bad omens and often killed or abandoned at birth. However, in the Fon culture, twins have always been revered because Nana Buluku, voodoo’s androgynous creator of the universe, gave birth to twins. These twins in turn created the voodoo deities that run the world.
Once a twin dies, a wooden statue called the “hohovi” is carved, within which the spirit of the dead child is placed. These figurines are deified and treated almost exactly like the living children. For the Fon, twins are immortal. They continue to live even after their death, bringing blessings or misfortune depending on if there are either pampered or abused.
Three months after the birth of twins, if they are still living, the parents go collect gifts from other members of their community. If one or both of the twins die, then the mother carries the statues around between her breasts and walks around with a tray on her head, receiving alms for the twins. All donate some money or food. The mother may even take some wares on display at the market. If a woman is rich or powerful, then she sends someone to conduct this collection in her place.
In Bopa, a village situated on the banks of Lake Aheme in southern Benin, Dah Tofa and his wife reside. Dah Tofa, an educated man in his 60s, is a voodoo priest. His wife, who is around 40 years old, speaks only Fon. I ask for her name and she tells me the name she was born with, but this causes a bit of an incident. Her husband explains that she was supposed to say “Hounyoga”, the name of the voodoo goddess she worships whose name she took. Her husband tells me
(c) Dukas -
DUK10068031_003
REPORTAGE - Benin: Voodoo Zwillinge Tradition
Benin’s Living Dead: The Voodoo Twins Tradition
40% of the world’s twins are born in Africa. Benin’s Fon people have one of the highest occurrences at 1 in 20 births. The high rate of infant mortality and voodoo religion, Benin’s national religion, have begot some very particular practices concerning the deaths of one or both of these twins. In many other societies, twins are regarded as bad omens and often killed or abandoned at birth. However, in the Fon culture, twins have always been revered because Nana Buluku, voodoo’s androgynous creator of the universe, gave birth to twins. These twins in turn created the voodoo deities that run the world.
Once a twin dies, a wooden statue called the “hohovi” is carved, within which the spirit of the dead child is placed. These figurines are deified and treated almost exactly like the living children. For the Fon, twins are immortal. They continue to live even after their death, bringing blessings or misfortune depending on if there are either pampered or abused.
Three months after the birth of twins, if they are still living, the parents go collect gifts from other members of their community. If one or both of the twins die, then the mother carries the statues around between her breasts and walks around with a tray on her head, receiving alms for the twins. All donate some money or food. The mother may even take some wares on display at the market. If a woman is rich or powerful, then she sends someone to conduct this collection in her place.
In Bopa, a village situated on the banks of Lake Aheme in southern Benin, Dah Tofa and his wife reside. Dah Tofa, an educated man in his 60s, is a voodoo priest. His wife, who is around 40 years old, speaks only Fon. I ask for her name and she tells me the name she was born with, but this causes a bit of an incident. Her husband explains that she was supposed to say “Hounyoga”, the name of the voodoo goddess she worships whose name she took. Her husband tells me
(c) Dukas -
DUK10068031_005
REPORTAGE - Benin: Voodoo Zwillinge Tradition
Benin’s Living Dead: The Voodoo Twins Tradition
40% of the world’s twins are born in Africa. Benin’s Fon people have one of the highest occurrences at 1 in 20 births. The high rate of infant mortality and voodoo religion, Benin’s national religion, have begot some very particular practices concerning the deaths of one or both of these twins. In many other societies, twins are regarded as bad omens and often killed or abandoned at birth. However, in the Fon culture, twins have always been revered because Nana Buluku, voodoo’s androgynous creator of the universe, gave birth to twins. These twins in turn created the voodoo deities that run the world.
Once a twin dies, a wooden statue called the “hohovi” is carved, within which the spirit of the dead child is placed. These figurines are deified and treated almost exactly like the living children. For the Fon, twins are immortal. They continue to live even after their death, bringing blessings or misfortune depending on if there are either pampered or abused.
Three months after the birth of twins, if they are still living, the parents go collect gifts from other members of their community. If one or both of the twins die, then the mother carries the statues around between her breasts and walks around with a tray on her head, receiving alms for the twins. All donate some money or food. The mother may even take some wares on display at the market. If a woman is rich or powerful, then she sends someone to conduct this collection in her place.
In Bopa, a village situated on the banks of Lake Aheme in southern Benin, Dah Tofa and his wife reside. Dah Tofa, an educated man in his 60s, is a voodoo priest. His wife, who is around 40 years old, speaks only Fon. I ask for her name and she tells me the name she was born with, but this causes a bit of an incident. Her husband explains that she was supposed to say “Hounyoga”, the name of the voodoo goddess she worships whose name she took. Her husband tells me
(c) Dukas -
DUK10068031_006
REPORTAGE - Benin: Voodoo Zwillinge Tradition
Benin’s Living Dead: The Voodoo Twins Tradition
40% of the world’s twins are born in Africa. Benin’s Fon people have one of the highest occurrences at 1 in 20 births. The high rate of infant mortality and voodoo religion, Benin’s national religion, have begot some very particular practices concerning the deaths of one or both of these twins. In many other societies, twins are regarded as bad omens and often killed or abandoned at birth. However, in the Fon culture, twins have always been revered because Nana Buluku, voodoo’s androgynous creator of the universe, gave birth to twins. These twins in turn created the voodoo deities that run the world.
Once a twin dies, a wooden statue called the “hohovi” is carved, within which the spirit of the dead child is placed. These figurines are deified and treated almost exactly like the living children. For the Fon, twins are immortal. They continue to live even after their death, bringing blessings or misfortune depending on if there are either pampered or abused.
Three months after the birth of twins, if they are still living, the parents go collect gifts from other members of their community. If one or both of the twins die, then the mother carries the statues around between her breasts and walks around with a tray on her head, receiving alms for the twins. All donate some money or food. The mother may even take some wares on display at the market. If a woman is rich or powerful, then she sends someone to conduct this collection in her place.
In Bopa, a village situated on the banks of Lake Aheme in southern Benin, Dah Tofa and his wife reside. Dah Tofa, an educated man in his 60s, is a voodoo priest. His wife, who is around 40 years old, speaks only Fon. I ask for her name and she tells me the name she was born with, but this causes a bit of an incident. Her husband explains that she was supposed to say “Hounyoga”, the name of the voodoo goddess she worships whose name she took. Her husband tells me
(c) Dukas -
DUK10068031_007
REPORTAGE - Benin: Voodoo Zwillinge Tradition
Benin’s Living Dead: The Voodoo Twins Tradition
40% of the world’s twins are born in Africa. Benin’s Fon people have one of the highest occurrences at 1 in 20 births. The high rate of infant mortality and voodoo religion, Benin’s national religion, have begot some very particular practices concerning the deaths of one or both of these twins. In many other societies, twins are regarded as bad omens and often killed or abandoned at birth. However, in the Fon culture, twins have always been revered because Nana Buluku, voodoo’s androgynous creator of the universe, gave birth to twins. These twins in turn created the voodoo deities that run the world.
Once a twin dies, a wooden statue called the “hohovi” is carved, within which the spirit of the dead child is placed. These figurines are deified and treated almost exactly like the living children. For the Fon, twins are immortal. They continue to live even after their death, bringing blessings or misfortune depending on if there are either pampered or abused.
Three months after the birth of twins, if they are still living, the parents go collect gifts from other members of their community. If one or both of the twins die, then the mother carries the statues around between her breasts and walks around with a tray on her head, receiving alms for the twins. All donate some money or food. The mother may even take some wares on display at the market. If a woman is rich or powerful, then she sends someone to conduct this collection in her place.
In Bopa, a village situated on the banks of Lake Aheme in southern Benin, Dah Tofa and his wife reside. Dah Tofa, an educated man in his 60s, is a voodoo priest. His wife, who is around 40 years old, speaks only Fon. I ask for her name and she tells me the name she was born with, but this causes a bit of an incident. Her husband explains that she was supposed to say “Hounyoga”, the name of the voodoo goddess she worships whose name she took. Her husband tells me
(c) Dukas -
DUK10068031_008
REPORTAGE - Benin: Voodoo Zwillinge Tradition
Benin’s Living Dead: The Voodoo Twins Tradition
40% of the world’s twins are born in Africa. Benin’s Fon people have one of the highest occurrences at 1 in 20 births. The high rate of infant mortality and voodoo religion, Benin’s national religion, have begot some very particular practices concerning the deaths of one or both of these twins. In many other societies, twins are regarded as bad omens and often killed or abandoned at birth. However, in the Fon culture, twins have always been revered because Nana Buluku, voodoo’s androgynous creator of the universe, gave birth to twins. These twins in turn created the voodoo deities that run the world.
Once a twin dies, a wooden statue called the “hohovi” is carved, within which the spirit of the dead child is placed. These figurines are deified and treated almost exactly like the living children. For the Fon, twins are immortal. They continue to live even after their death, bringing blessings or misfortune depending on if there are either pampered or abused.
Three months after the birth of twins, if they are still living, the parents go collect gifts from other members of their community. If one or both of the twins die, then the mother carries the statues around between her breasts and walks around with a tray on her head, receiving alms for the twins. All donate some money or food. The mother may even take some wares on display at the market. If a woman is rich or powerful, then she sends someone to conduct this collection in her place.
In Bopa, a village situated on the banks of Lake Aheme in southern Benin, Dah Tofa and his wife reside. Dah Tofa, an educated man in his 60s, is a voodoo priest. His wife, who is around 40 years old, speaks only Fon. I ask for her name and she tells me the name she was born with, but this causes a bit of an incident. Her husband explains that she was supposed to say “Hounyoga”, the name of the voodoo goddess she worships whose name she took. Her husband tells me
(c) Dukas -
DUK10068031_009
REPORTAGE - Benin: Voodoo Zwillinge Tradition
Benin’s Living Dead: The Voodoo Twins Tradition
40% of the world’s twins are born in Africa. Benin’s Fon people have one of the highest occurrences at 1 in 20 births. The high rate of infant mortality and voodoo religion, Benin’s national religion, have begot some very particular practices concerning the deaths of one or both of these twins. In many other societies, twins are regarded as bad omens and often killed or abandoned at birth. However, in the Fon culture, twins have always been revered because Nana Buluku, voodoo’s androgynous creator of the universe, gave birth to twins. These twins in turn created the voodoo deities that run the world.
Once a twin dies, a wooden statue called the “hohovi” is carved, within which the spirit of the dead child is placed. These figurines are deified and treated almost exactly like the living children. For the Fon, twins are immortal. They continue to live even after their death, bringing blessings or misfortune depending on if there are either pampered or abused.
Three months after the birth of twins, if they are still living, the parents go collect gifts from other members of their community. If one or both of the twins die, then the mother carries the statues around between her breasts and walks around with a tray on her head, receiving alms for the twins. All donate some money or food. The mother may even take some wares on display at the market. If a woman is rich or powerful, then she sends someone to conduct this collection in her place.
In Bopa, a village situated on the banks of Lake Aheme in southern Benin, Dah Tofa and his wife reside. Dah Tofa, an educated man in his 60s, is a voodoo priest. His wife, who is around 40 years old, speaks only Fon. I ask for her name and she tells me the name she was born with, but this causes a bit of an incident. Her husband explains that she was supposed to say “Hounyoga”, the name of the voodoo goddess she worships whose name she took. Her husband tells me
(c) Dukas -
DUK10068031_010
REPORTAGE - Benin: Voodoo Zwillinge Tradition
Benin’s Living Dead: The Voodoo Twins Tradition
40% of the world’s twins are born in Africa. Benin’s Fon people have one of the highest occurrences at 1 in 20 births. The high rate of infant mortality and voodoo religion, Benin’s national religion, have begot some very particular practices concerning the deaths of one or both of these twins. In many other societies, twins are regarded as bad omens and often killed or abandoned at birth. However, in the Fon culture, twins have always been revered because Nana Buluku, voodoo’s androgynous creator of the universe, gave birth to twins. These twins in turn created the voodoo deities that run the world.
Once a twin dies, a wooden statue called the “hohovi” is carved, within which the spirit of the dead child is placed. These figurines are deified and treated almost exactly like the living children. For the Fon, twins are immortal. They continue to live even after their death, bringing blessings or misfortune depending on if there are either pampered or abused.
Three months after the birth of twins, if they are still living, the parents go collect gifts from other members of their community. If one or both of the twins die, then the mother carries the statues around between her breasts and walks around with a tray on her head, receiving alms for the twins. All donate some money or food. The mother may even take some wares on display at the market. If a woman is rich or powerful, then she sends someone to conduct this collection in her place.
In Bopa, a village situated on the banks of Lake Aheme in southern Benin, Dah Tofa and his wife reside. Dah Tofa, an educated man in his 60s, is a voodoo priest. His wife, who is around 40 years old, speaks only Fon. I ask for her name and she tells me the name she was born with, but this causes a bit of an incident. Her husband explains that she was supposed to say “Hounyoga”, the name of the voodoo goddess she worships whose name she took. Her husband tells me
(c) Dukas -
DUK10068031_011
REPORTAGE - Benin: Voodoo Zwillinge Tradition
Benin’s Living Dead: The Voodoo Twins Tradition
40% of the world’s twins are born in Africa. Benin’s Fon people have one of the highest occurrences at 1 in 20 births. The high rate of infant mortality and voodoo religion, Benin’s national religion, have begot some very particular practices concerning the deaths of one or both of these twins. In many other societies, twins are regarded as bad omens and often killed or abandoned at birth. However, in the Fon culture, twins have always been revered because Nana Buluku, voodoo’s androgynous creator of the universe, gave birth to twins. These twins in turn created the voodoo deities that run the world.
Once a twin dies, a wooden statue called the “hohovi” is carved, within which the spirit of the dead child is placed. These figurines are deified and treated almost exactly like the living children. For the Fon, twins are immortal. They continue to live even after their death, bringing blessings or misfortune depending on if there are either pampered or abused.
Three months after the birth of twins, if they are still living, the parents go collect gifts from other members of their community. If one or both of the twins die, then the mother carries the statues around between her breasts and walks around with a tray on her head, receiving alms for the twins. All donate some money or food. The mother may even take some wares on display at the market. If a woman is rich or powerful, then she sends someone to conduct this collection in her place.
In Bopa, a village situated on the banks of Lake Aheme in southern Benin, Dah Tofa and his wife reside. Dah Tofa, an educated man in his 60s, is a voodoo priest. His wife, who is around 40 years old, speaks only Fon. I ask for her name and she tells me the name she was born with, but this causes a bit of an incident. Her husband explains that she was supposed to say “Hounyoga”, the name of the voodoo goddess she worships whose name she took. Her husband tells me
(c) Dukas -
DUK10068031_012
REPORTAGE - Benin: Voodoo Zwillinge Tradition
Benin’s Living Dead: The Voodoo Twins Tradition
40% of the world’s twins are born in Africa. Benin’s Fon people have one of the highest occurrences at 1 in 20 births. The high rate of infant mortality and voodoo religion, Benin’s national religion, have begot some very particular practices concerning the deaths of one or both of these twins. In many other societies, twins are regarded as bad omens and often killed or abandoned at birth. However, in the Fon culture, twins have always been revered because Nana Buluku, voodoo’s androgynous creator of the universe, gave birth to twins. These twins in turn created the voodoo deities that run the world.
Once a twin dies, a wooden statue called the “hohovi” is carved, within which the spirit of the dead child is placed. These figurines are deified and treated almost exactly like the living children. For the Fon, twins are immortal. They continue to live even after their death, bringing blessings or misfortune depending on if there are either pampered or abused.
Three months after the birth of twins, if they are still living, the parents go collect gifts from other members of their community. If one or both of the twins die, then the mother carries the statues around between her breasts and walks around with a tray on her head, receiving alms for the twins. All donate some money or food. The mother may even take some wares on display at the market. If a woman is rich or powerful, then she sends someone to conduct this collection in her place.
In Bopa, a village situated on the banks of Lake Aheme in southern Benin, Dah Tofa and his wife reside. Dah Tofa, an educated man in his 60s, is a voodoo priest. His wife, who is around 40 years old, speaks only Fon. I ask for her name and she tells me the name she was born with, but this causes a bit of an incident. Her husband explains that she was supposed to say “Hounyoga”, the name of the voodoo goddess she worships whose name she took. Her husband tells me
(c) Dukas -
DUK10068031_013
REPORTAGE - Benin: Voodoo Zwillinge Tradition
Benin’s Living Dead: The Voodoo Twins Tradition
40% of the world’s twins are born in Africa. Benin’s Fon people have one of the highest occurrences at 1 in 20 births. The high rate of infant mortality and voodoo religion, Benin’s national religion, have begot some very particular practices concerning the deaths of one or both of these twins. In many other societies, twins are regarded as bad omens and often killed or abandoned at birth. However, in the Fon culture, twins have always been revered because Nana Buluku, voodoo’s androgynous creator of the universe, gave birth to twins. These twins in turn created the voodoo deities that run the world.
Once a twin dies, a wooden statue called the “hohovi” is carved, within which the spirit of the dead child is placed. These figurines are deified and treated almost exactly like the living children. For the Fon, twins are immortal. They continue to live even after their death, bringing blessings or misfortune depending on if there are either pampered or abused.
Three months after the birth of twins, if they are still living, the parents go collect gifts from other members of their community. If one or both of the twins die, then the mother carries the statues around between her breasts and walks around with a tray on her head, receiving alms for the twins. All donate some money or food. The mother may even take some wares on display at the market. If a woman is rich or powerful, then she sends someone to conduct this collection in her place.
In Bopa, a village situated on the banks of Lake Aheme in southern Benin, Dah Tofa and his wife reside. Dah Tofa, an educated man in his 60s, is a voodoo priest. His wife, who is around 40 years old, speaks only Fon. I ask for her name and she tells me the name she was born with, but this causes a bit of an incident. Her husband explains that she was supposed to say “Hounyoga”, the name of the voodoo goddess she worships whose name she took. Her husband tells me
(c) Dukas -
DUK10068031_014
REPORTAGE - Benin: Voodoo Zwillinge Tradition
Benin’s Living Dead: The Voodoo Twins Tradition
40% of the world’s twins are born in Africa. Benin’s Fon people have one of the highest occurrences at 1 in 20 births. The high rate of infant mortality and voodoo religion, Benin’s national religion, have begot some very particular practices concerning the deaths of one or both of these twins. In many other societies, twins are regarded as bad omens and often killed or abandoned at birth. However, in the Fon culture, twins have always been revered because Nana Buluku, voodoo’s androgynous creator of the universe, gave birth to twins. These twins in turn created the voodoo deities that run the world.
Once a twin dies, a wooden statue called the “hohovi” is carved, within which the spirit of the dead child is placed. These figurines are deified and treated almost exactly like the living children. For the Fon, twins are immortal. They continue to live even after their death, bringing blessings or misfortune depending on if there are either pampered or abused.
Three months after the birth of twins, if they are still living, the parents go collect gifts from other members of their community. If one or both of the twins die, then the mother carries the statues around between her breasts and walks around with a tray on her head, receiving alms for the twins. All donate some money or food. The mother may even take some wares on display at the market. If a woman is rich or powerful, then she sends someone to conduct this collection in her place.
In Bopa, a village situated on the banks of Lake Aheme in southern Benin, Dah Tofa and his wife reside. Dah Tofa, an educated man in his 60s, is a voodoo priest. His wife, who is around 40 years old, speaks only Fon. I ask for her name and she tells me the name she was born with, but this causes a bit of an incident. Her husband explains that she was supposed to say “Hounyoga”, the name of the voodoo goddess she worships whose name she took. Her husband tells me
(c) Dukas -
DUK10068031_015
REPORTAGE - Benin: Voodoo Zwillinge Tradition
Benin’s Living Dead: The Voodoo Twins Tradition
40% of the world’s twins are born in Africa. Benin’s Fon people have one of the highest occurrences at 1 in 20 births. The high rate of infant mortality and voodoo religion, Benin’s national religion, have begot some very particular practices concerning the deaths of one or both of these twins. In many other societies, twins are regarded as bad omens and often killed or abandoned at birth. However, in the Fon culture, twins have always been revered because Nana Buluku, voodoo’s androgynous creator of the universe, gave birth to twins. These twins in turn created the voodoo deities that run the world.
Once a twin dies, a wooden statue called the “hohovi” is carved, within which the spirit of the dead child is placed. These figurines are deified and treated almost exactly like the living children. For the Fon, twins are immortal. They continue to live even after their death, bringing blessings or misfortune depending on if there are either pampered or abused.
Three months after the birth of twins, if they are still living, the parents go collect gifts from other members of their community. If one or both of the twins die, then the mother carries the statues around between her breasts and walks around with a tray on her head, receiving alms for the twins. All donate some money or food. The mother may even take some wares on display at the market. If a woman is rich or powerful, then she sends someone to conduct this collection in her place.
In Bopa, a village situated on the banks of Lake Aheme in southern Benin, Dah Tofa and his wife reside. Dah Tofa, an educated man in his 60s, is a voodoo priest. His wife, who is around 40 years old, speaks only Fon. I ask for her name and she tells me the name she was born with, but this causes a bit of an incident. Her husband explains that she was supposed to say “Hounyoga”, the name of the voodoo goddess she worships whose name she took. Her husband tells me
(c) Dukas -
DUK10068031_016
REPORTAGE - Benin: Voodoo Zwillinge Tradition
Benin’s Living Dead: The Voodoo Twins Tradition
40% of the world’s twins are born in Africa. Benin’s Fon people have one of the highest occurrences at 1 in 20 births. The high rate of infant mortality and voodoo religion, Benin’s national religion, have begot some very particular practices concerning the deaths of one or both of these twins. In many other societies, twins are regarded as bad omens and often killed or abandoned at birth. However, in the Fon culture, twins have always been revered because Nana Buluku, voodoo’s androgynous creator of the universe, gave birth to twins. These twins in turn created the voodoo deities that run the world.
Once a twin dies, a wooden statue called the “hohovi” is carved, within which the spirit of the dead child is placed. These figurines are deified and treated almost exactly like the living children. For the Fon, twins are immortal. They continue to live even after their death, bringing blessings or misfortune depending on if there are either pampered or abused.
Three months after the birth of twins, if they are still living, the parents go collect gifts from other members of their community. If one or both of the twins die, then the mother carries the statues around between her breasts and walks around with a tray on her head, receiving alms for the twins. All donate some money or food. The mother may even take some wares on display at the market. If a woman is rich or powerful, then she sends someone to conduct this collection in her place.
In Bopa, a village situated on the banks of Lake Aheme in southern Benin, Dah Tofa and his wife reside. Dah Tofa, an educated man in his 60s, is a voodoo priest. His wife, who is around 40 years old, speaks only Fon. I ask for her name and she tells me the name she was born with, but this causes a bit of an incident. Her husband explains that she was supposed to say “Hounyoga”, the name of the voodoo goddess she worships whose name she took. Her husband tells me
(c) Dukas -
DUK10068031_017
REPORTAGE - Benin: Voodoo Zwillinge Tradition
Benin’s Living Dead: The Voodoo Twins Tradition
40% of the world’s twins are born in Africa. Benin’s Fon people have one of the highest occurrences at 1 in 20 births. The high rate of infant mortality and voodoo religion, Benin’s national religion, have begot some very particular practices concerning the deaths of one or both of these twins. In many other societies, twins are regarded as bad omens and often killed or abandoned at birth. However, in the Fon culture, twins have always been revered because Nana Buluku, voodoo’s androgynous creator of the universe, gave birth to twins. These twins in turn created the voodoo deities that run the world.
Once a twin dies, a wooden statue called the “hohovi” is carved, within which the spirit of the dead child is placed. These figurines are deified and treated almost exactly like the living children. For the Fon, twins are immortal. They continue to live even after their death, bringing blessings or misfortune depending on if there are either pampered or abused.
Three months after the birth of twins, if they are still living, the parents go collect gifts from other members of their community. If one or both of the twins die, then the mother carries the statues around between her breasts and walks around with a tray on her head, receiving alms for the twins. All donate some money or food. The mother may even take some wares on display at the market. If a woman is rich or powerful, then she sends someone to conduct this collection in her place.
In Bopa, a village situated on the banks of Lake Aheme in southern Benin, Dah Tofa and his wife reside. Dah Tofa, an educated man in his 60s, is a voodoo priest. His wife, who is around 40 years old, speaks only Fon. I ask for her name and she tells me the name she was born with, but this causes a bit of an incident. Her husband explains that she was supposed to say “Hounyoga”, the name of the voodoo goddess she worships whose name she took. Her husband tells me
(c) Dukas -
DUK10068031_018
REPORTAGE - Benin: Voodoo Zwillinge Tradition
Benin’s Living Dead: The Voodoo Twins Tradition
40% of the world’s twins are born in Africa. Benin’s Fon people have one of the highest occurrences at 1 in 20 births. The high rate of infant mortality and voodoo religion, Benin’s national religion, have begot some very particular practices concerning the deaths of one or both of these twins. In many other societies, twins are regarded as bad omens and often killed or abandoned at birth. However, in the Fon culture, twins have always been revered because Nana Buluku, voodoo’s androgynous creator of the universe, gave birth to twins. These twins in turn created the voodoo deities that run the world.
Once a twin dies, a wooden statue called the “hohovi” is carved, within which the spirit of the dead child is placed. These figurines are deified and treated almost exactly like the living children. For the Fon, twins are immortal. They continue to live even after their death, bringing blessings or misfortune depending on if there are either pampered or abused.
Three months after the birth of twins, if they are still living, the parents go collect gifts from other members of their community. If one or both of the twins die, then the mother carries the statues around between her breasts and walks around with a tray on her head, receiving alms for the twins. All donate some money or food. The mother may even take some wares on display at the market. If a woman is rich or powerful, then she sends someone to conduct this collection in her place.
In Bopa, a village situated on the banks of Lake Aheme in southern Benin, Dah Tofa and his wife reside. Dah Tofa, an educated man in his 60s, is a voodoo priest. His wife, who is around 40 years old, speaks only Fon. I ask for her name and she tells me the name she was born with, but this causes a bit of an incident. Her husband explains that she was supposed to say “Hounyoga”, the name of the voodoo goddess she worships whose name she took. Her husband tells me
(c) Dukas -
DUK10068031_019
REPORTAGE - Benin: Voodoo Zwillinge Tradition
Benin’s Living Dead: The Voodoo Twins Tradition
40% of the world’s twins are born in Africa. Benin’s Fon people have one of the highest occurrences at 1 in 20 births. The high rate of infant mortality and voodoo religion, Benin’s national religion, have begot some very particular practices concerning the deaths of one or both of these twins. In many other societies, twins are regarded as bad omens and often killed or abandoned at birth. However, in the Fon culture, twins have always been revered because Nana Buluku, voodoo’s androgynous creator of the universe, gave birth to twins. These twins in turn created the voodoo deities that run the world.
Once a twin dies, a wooden statue called the “hohovi” is carved, within which the spirit of the dead child is placed. These figurines are deified and treated almost exactly like the living children. For the Fon, twins are immortal. They continue to live even after their death, bringing blessings or misfortune depending on if there are either pampered or abused.
Three months after the birth of twins, if they are still living, the parents go collect gifts from other members of their community. If one or both of the twins die, then the mother carries the statues around between her breasts and walks around with a tray on her head, receiving alms for the twins. All donate some money or food. The mother may even take some wares on display at the market. If a woman is rich or powerful, then she sends someone to conduct this collection in her place.
In Bopa, a village situated on the banks of Lake Aheme in southern Benin, Dah Tofa and his wife reside. Dah Tofa, an educated man in his 60s, is a voodoo priest. His wife, who is around 40 years old, speaks only Fon. I ask for her name and she tells me the name she was born with, but this causes a bit of an incident. Her husband explains that she was supposed to say “Hounyoga”, the name of the voodoo goddess she worships whose name she took. Her husband tells me
(c) Dukas -
DUK10068031_020
REPORTAGE - Benin: Voodoo Zwillinge Tradition
Benin’s Living Dead: The Voodoo Twins Tradition
40% of the world’s twins are born in Africa. Benin’s Fon people have one of the highest occurrences at 1 in 20 births. The high rate of infant mortality and voodoo religion, Benin’s national religion, have begot some very particular practices concerning the deaths of one or both of these twins. In many other societies, twins are regarded as bad omens and often killed or abandoned at birth. However, in the Fon culture, twins have always been revered because Nana Buluku, voodoo’s androgynous creator of the universe, gave birth to twins. These twins in turn created the voodoo deities that run the world.
Once a twin dies, a wooden statue called the “hohovi” is carved, within which the spirit of the dead child is placed. These figurines are deified and treated almost exactly like the living children. For the Fon, twins are immortal. They continue to live even after their death, bringing blessings or misfortune depending on if there are either pampered or abused.
Three months after the birth of twins, if they are still living, the parents go collect gifts from other members of their community. If one or both of the twins die, then the mother carries the statues around between her breasts and walks around with a tray on her head, receiving alms for the twins. All donate some money or food. The mother may even take some wares on display at the market. If a woman is rich or powerful, then she sends someone to conduct this collection in her place.
In Bopa, a village situated on the banks of Lake Aheme in southern Benin, Dah Tofa and his wife reside. Dah Tofa, an educated man in his 60s, is a voodoo priest. His wife, who is around 40 years old, speaks only Fon. I ask for her name and she tells me the name she was born with, but this causes a bit of an incident. Her husband explains that she was supposed to say “Hounyoga”, the name of the voodoo goddess she worships whose name she took. Her husband tells me
(c) Dukas -
DUK10068031_021
REPORTAGE - Benin: Voodoo Zwillinge Tradition
Benin’s Living Dead: The Voodoo Twins Tradition
40% of the world’s twins are born in Africa. Benin’s Fon people have one of the highest occurrences at 1 in 20 births. The high rate of infant mortality and voodoo religion, Benin’s national religion, have begot some very particular practices concerning the deaths of one or both of these twins. In many other societies, twins are regarded as bad omens and often killed or abandoned at birth. However, in the Fon culture, twins have always been revered because Nana Buluku, voodoo’s androgynous creator of the universe, gave birth to twins. These twins in turn created the voodoo deities that run the world.
Once a twin dies, a wooden statue called the “hohovi” is carved, within which the spirit of the dead child is placed. These figurines are deified and treated almost exactly like the living children. For the Fon, twins are immortal. They continue to live even after their death, bringing blessings or misfortune depending on if there are either pampered or abused.
Three months after the birth of twins, if they are still living, the parents go collect gifts from other members of their community. If one or both of the twins die, then the mother carries the statues around between her breasts and walks around with a tray on her head, receiving alms for the twins. All donate some money or food. The mother may even take some wares on display at the market. If a woman is rich or powerful, then she sends someone to conduct this collection in her place.
In Bopa, a village situated on the banks of Lake Aheme in southern Benin, Dah Tofa and his wife reside. Dah Tofa, an educated man in his 60s, is a voodoo priest. His wife, who is around 40 years old, speaks only Fon. I ask for her name and she tells me the name she was born with, but this causes a bit of an incident. Her husband explains that she was supposed to say “Hounyoga”, the name of the voodoo goddess she worships whose name she took. Her husband tells me
(c) Dukas -
DUK10068031_022
REPORTAGE - Benin: Voodoo Zwillinge Tradition
Benin’s Living Dead: The Voodoo Twins Tradition
40% of the world’s twins are born in Africa. Benin’s Fon people have one of the highest occurrences at 1 in 20 births. The high rate of infant mortality and voodoo religion, Benin’s national religion, have begot some very particular practices concerning the deaths of one or both of these twins. In many other societies, twins are regarded as bad omens and often killed or abandoned at birth. However, in the Fon culture, twins have always been revered because Nana Buluku, voodoo’s androgynous creator of the universe, gave birth to twins. These twins in turn created the voodoo deities that run the world.
Once a twin dies, a wooden statue called the “hohovi” is carved, within which the spirit of the dead child is placed. These figurines are deified and treated almost exactly like the living children. For the Fon, twins are immortal. They continue to live even after their death, bringing blessings or misfortune depending on if there are either pampered or abused.
Three months after the birth of twins, if they are still living, the parents go collect gifts from other members of their community. If one or both of the twins die, then the mother carries the statues around between her breasts and walks around with a tray on her head, receiving alms for the twins. All donate some money or food. The mother may even take some wares on display at the market. If a woman is rich or powerful, then she sends someone to conduct this collection in her place.
In Bopa, a village situated on the banks of Lake Aheme in southern Benin, Dah Tofa and his wife reside. Dah Tofa, an educated man in his 60s, is a voodoo priest. His wife, who is around 40 years old, speaks only Fon. I ask for her name and she tells me the name she was born with, but this causes a bit of an incident. Her husband explains that she was supposed to say “Hounyoga”, the name of the voodoo goddess she worships whose name she took. Her husband tells me
(c) Dukas -
DUK10068031_024
REPORTAGE - Benin: Voodoo Zwillinge Tradition
Benin’s Living Dead: The Voodoo Twins Tradition
40% of the world’s twins are born in Africa. Benin’s Fon people have one of the highest occurrences at 1 in 20 births. The high rate of infant mortality and voodoo religion, Benin’s national religion, have begot some very particular practices concerning the deaths of one or both of these twins. In many other societies, twins are regarded as bad omens and often killed or abandoned at birth. However, in the Fon culture, twins have always been revered because Nana Buluku, voodoo’s androgynous creator of the universe, gave birth to twins. These twins in turn created the voodoo deities that run the world.
Once a twin dies, a wooden statue called the “hohovi” is carved, within which the spirit of the dead child is placed. These figurines are deified and treated almost exactly like the living children. For the Fon, twins are immortal. They continue to live even after their death, bringing blessings or misfortune depending on if there are either pampered or abused.
Three months after the birth of twins, if they are still living, the parents go collect gifts from other members of their community. If one or both of the twins die, then the mother carries the statues around between her breasts and walks around with a tray on her head, receiving alms for the twins. All donate some money or food. The mother may even take some wares on display at the market. If a woman is rich or powerful, then she sends someone to conduct this collection in her place.
In Bopa, a village situated on the banks of Lake Aheme in southern Benin, Dah Tofa and his wife reside. Dah Tofa, an educated man in his 60s, is a voodoo priest. His wife, who is around 40 years old, speaks only Fon. I ask for her name and she tells me the name she was born with, but this causes a bit of an incident. Her husband explains that she was supposed to say “Hounyoga”, the name of the voodoo goddess she worships whose name she took. Her husband tells me
(c) Dukas -
DUK10068031_025
REPORTAGE - Benin: Voodoo Zwillinge Tradition
Benin’s Living Dead: The Voodoo Twins Tradition
40% of the world’s twins are born in Africa. Benin’s Fon people have one of the highest occurrences at 1 in 20 births. The high rate of infant mortality and voodoo religion, Benin’s national religion, have begot some very particular practices concerning the deaths of one or both of these twins. In many other societies, twins are regarded as bad omens and often killed or abandoned at birth. However, in the Fon culture, twins have always been revered because Nana Buluku, voodoo’s androgynous creator of the universe, gave birth to twins. These twins in turn created the voodoo deities that run the world.
Once a twin dies, a wooden statue called the “hohovi” is carved, within which the spirit of the dead child is placed. These figurines are deified and treated almost exactly like the living children. For the Fon, twins are immortal. They continue to live even after their death, bringing blessings or misfortune depending on if there are either pampered or abused.
Three months after the birth of twins, if they are still living, the parents go collect gifts from other members of their community. If one or both of the twins die, then the mother carries the statues around between her breasts and walks around with a tray on her head, receiving alms for the twins. All donate some money or food. The mother may even take some wares on display at the market. If a woman is rich or powerful, then she sends someone to conduct this collection in her place.
In Bopa, a village situated on the banks of Lake Aheme in southern Benin, Dah Tofa and his wife reside. Dah Tofa, an educated man in his 60s, is a voodoo priest. His wife, who is around 40 years old, speaks only Fon. I ask for her name and she tells me the name she was born with, but this causes a bit of an incident. Her husband explains that she was supposed to say “Hounyoga”, the name of the voodoo goddess she worships whose name she took. Her husband tells me
(c) Dukas -
DUK10068031_026
REPORTAGE - Benin: Voodoo Zwillinge Tradition
Benin’s Living Dead: The Voodoo Twins Tradition
40% of the world’s twins are born in Africa. Benin’s Fon people have one of the highest occurrences at 1 in 20 births. The high rate of infant mortality and voodoo religion, Benin’s national religion, have begot some very particular practices concerning the deaths of one or both of these twins. In many other societies, twins are regarded as bad omens and often killed or abandoned at birth. However, in the Fon culture, twins have always been revered because Nana Buluku, voodoo’s androgynous creator of the universe, gave birth to twins. These twins in turn created the voodoo deities that run the world.
Once a twin dies, a wooden statue called the “hohovi” is carved, within which the spirit of the dead child is placed. These figurines are deified and treated almost exactly like the living children. For the Fon, twins are immortal. They continue to live even after their death, bringing blessings or misfortune depending on if there are either pampered or abused.
Three months after the birth of twins, if they are still living, the parents go collect gifts from other members of their community. If one or both of the twins die, then the mother carries the statues around between her breasts and walks around with a tray on her head, receiving alms for the twins. All donate some money or food. The mother may even take some wares on display at the market. If a woman is rich or powerful, then she sends someone to conduct this collection in her place.
In Bopa, a village situated on the banks of Lake Aheme in southern Benin, Dah Tofa and his wife reside. Dah Tofa, an educated man in his 60s, is a voodoo priest. His wife, who is around 40 years old, speaks only Fon. I ask for her name and she tells me the name she was born with, but this causes a bit of an incident. Her husband explains that she was supposed to say “Hounyoga”, the name of the voodoo goddess she worships whose name she took. Her husband tells me
(c) Dukas -
DUK10068031_027
REPORTAGE - Benin: Voodoo Zwillinge Tradition
Benin’s Living Dead: The Voodoo Twins Tradition
40% of the world’s twins are born in Africa. Benin’s Fon people have one of the highest occurrences at 1 in 20 births. The high rate of infant mortality and voodoo religion, Benin’s national religion, have begot some very particular practices concerning the deaths of one or both of these twins. In many other societies, twins are regarded as bad omens and often killed or abandoned at birth. However, in the Fon culture, twins have always been revered because Nana Buluku, voodoo’s androgynous creator of the universe, gave birth to twins. These twins in turn created the voodoo deities that run the world.
Once a twin dies, a wooden statue called the “hohovi” is carved, within which the spirit of the dead child is placed. These figurines are deified and treated almost exactly like the living children. For the Fon, twins are immortal. They continue to live even after their death, bringing blessings or misfortune depending on if there are either pampered or abused.
Three months after the birth of twins, if they are still living, the parents go collect gifts from other members of their community. If one or both of the twins die, then the mother carries the statues around between her breasts and walks around with a tray on her head, receiving alms for the twins. All donate some money or food. The mother may even take some wares on display at the market. If a woman is rich or powerful, then she sends someone to conduct this collection in her place.
In Bopa, a village situated on the banks of Lake Aheme in southern Benin, Dah Tofa and his wife reside. Dah Tofa, an educated man in his 60s, is a voodoo priest. His wife, who is around 40 years old, speaks only Fon. I ask for her name and she tells me the name she was born with, but this causes a bit of an incident. Her husband explains that she was supposed to say “Hounyoga”, the name of the voodoo goddess she worships whose name she took. Her husband tells me
(c) Dukas -
DUK10068031_029
REPORTAGE - Benin: Voodoo Zwillinge Tradition
Benin’s Living Dead: The Voodoo Twins Tradition
40% of the world’s twins are born in Africa. Benin’s Fon people have one of the highest occurrences at 1 in 20 births. The high rate of infant mortality and voodoo religion, Benin’s national religion, have begot some very particular practices concerning the deaths of one or both of these twins. In many other societies, twins are regarded as bad omens and often killed or abandoned at birth. However, in the Fon culture, twins have always been revered because Nana Buluku, voodoo’s androgynous creator of the universe, gave birth to twins. These twins in turn created the voodoo deities that run the world.
Once a twin dies, a wooden statue called the “hohovi” is carved, within which the spirit of the dead child is placed. These figurines are deified and treated almost exactly like the living children. For the Fon, twins are immortal. They continue to live even after their death, bringing blessings or misfortune depending on if there are either pampered or abused.
Three months after the birth of twins, if they are still living, the parents go collect gifts from other members of their community. If one or both of the twins die, then the mother carries the statues around between her breasts and walks around with a tray on her head, receiving alms for the twins. All donate some money or food. The mother may even take some wares on display at the market. If a woman is rich or powerful, then she sends someone to conduct this collection in her place.
In Bopa, a village situated on the banks of Lake Aheme in southern Benin, Dah Tofa and his wife reside. Dah Tofa, an educated man in his 60s, is a voodoo priest. His wife, who is around 40 years old, speaks only Fon. I ask for her name and she tells me the name she was born with, but this causes a bit of an incident. Her husband explains that she was supposed to say “Hounyoga”, the name of the voodoo goddess she worships whose name she took. Her husband tells me
(c) Dukas -
DUK10068031_030
REPORTAGE - Benin: Voodoo Zwillinge Tradition
Benin’s Living Dead: The Voodoo Twins Tradition
40% of the world’s twins are born in Africa. Benin’s Fon people have one of the highest occurrences at 1 in 20 births. The high rate of infant mortality and voodoo religion, Benin’s national religion, have begot some very particular practices concerning the deaths of one or both of these twins. In many other societies, twins are regarded as bad omens and often killed or abandoned at birth. However, in the Fon culture, twins have always been revered because Nana Buluku, voodoo’s androgynous creator of the universe, gave birth to twins. These twins in turn created the voodoo deities that run the world.
Once a twin dies, a wooden statue called the “hohovi” is carved, within which the spirit of the dead child is placed. These figurines are deified and treated almost exactly like the living children. For the Fon, twins are immortal. They continue to live even after their death, bringing blessings or misfortune depending on if there are either pampered or abused.
Three months after the birth of twins, if they are still living, the parents go collect gifts from other members of their community. If one or both of the twins die, then the mother carries the statues around between her breasts and walks around with a tray on her head, receiving alms for the twins. All donate some money or food. The mother may even take some wares on display at the market. If a woman is rich or powerful, then she sends someone to conduct this collection in her place.
In Bopa, a village situated on the banks of Lake Aheme in southern Benin, Dah Tofa and his wife reside. Dah Tofa, an educated man in his 60s, is a voodoo priest. His wife, who is around 40 years old, speaks only Fon. I ask for her name and she tells me the name she was born with, but this causes a bit of an incident. Her husband explains that she was supposed to say “Hounyoga”, the name of the voodoo goddess she worships whose name she took. Her husband tells me
(c) Dukas -
DUK10068031_031
REPORTAGE - Benin: Voodoo Zwillinge Tradition
Benin’s Living Dead: The Voodoo Twins Tradition
40% of the world’s twins are born in Africa. Benin’s Fon people have one of the highest occurrences at 1 in 20 births. The high rate of infant mortality and voodoo religion, Benin’s national religion, have begot some very particular practices concerning the deaths of one or both of these twins. In many other societies, twins are regarded as bad omens and often killed or abandoned at birth. However, in the Fon culture, twins have always been revered because Nana Buluku, voodoo’s androgynous creator of the universe, gave birth to twins. These twins in turn created the voodoo deities that run the world.
Once a twin dies, a wooden statue called the “hohovi” is carved, within which the spirit of the dead child is placed. These figurines are deified and treated almost exactly like the living children. For the Fon, twins are immortal. They continue to live even after their death, bringing blessings or misfortune depending on if there are either pampered or abused.
Three months after the birth of twins, if they are still living, the parents go collect gifts from other members of their community. If one or both of the twins die, then the mother carries the statues around between her breasts and walks around with a tray on her head, receiving alms for the twins. All donate some money or food. The mother may even take some wares on display at the market. If a woman is rich or powerful, then she sends someone to conduct this collection in her place.
In Bopa, a village situated on the banks of Lake Aheme in southern Benin, Dah Tofa and his wife reside. Dah Tofa, an educated man in his 60s, is a voodoo priest. His wife, who is around 40 years old, speaks only Fon. I ask for her name and she tells me the name she was born with, but this causes a bit of an incident. Her husband explains that she was supposed to say “Hounyoga”, the name of the voodoo goddess she worships whose name she took. Her husband tells me
(c) Dukas -
DUK10068031_032
REPORTAGE - Benin: Voodoo Zwillinge Tradition
Benin’s Living Dead: The Voodoo Twins Tradition
40% of the world’s twins are born in Africa. Benin’s Fon people have one of the highest occurrences at 1 in 20 births. The high rate of infant mortality and voodoo religion, Benin’s national religion, have begot some very particular practices concerning the deaths of one or both of these twins. In many other societies, twins are regarded as bad omens and often killed or abandoned at birth. However, in the Fon culture, twins have always been revered because Nana Buluku, voodoo’s androgynous creator of the universe, gave birth to twins. These twins in turn created the voodoo deities that run the world.
Once a twin dies, a wooden statue called the “hohovi” is carved, within which the spirit of the dead child is placed. These figurines are deified and treated almost exactly like the living children. For the Fon, twins are immortal. They continue to live even after their death, bringing blessings or misfortune depending on if there are either pampered or abused.
Three months after the birth of twins, if they are still living, the parents go collect gifts from other members of their community. If one or both of the twins die, then the mother carries the statues around between her breasts and walks around with a tray on her head, receiving alms for the twins. All donate some money or food. The mother may even take some wares on display at the market. If a woman is rich or powerful, then she sends someone to conduct this collection in her place.
In Bopa, a village situated on the banks of Lake Aheme in southern Benin, Dah Tofa and his wife reside. Dah Tofa, an educated man in his 60s, is a voodoo priest. His wife, who is around 40 years old, speaks only Fon. I ask for her name and she tells me the name she was born with, but this causes a bit of an incident. Her husband explains that she was supposed to say “Hounyoga”, the name of the voodoo goddess she worships whose name she took. Her husband tells me
(c) Dukas -
DUK10068031_033
REPORTAGE - Benin: Voodoo Zwillinge Tradition
Benin’s Living Dead: The Voodoo Twins Tradition
40% of the world’s twins are born in Africa. Benin’s Fon people have one of the highest occurrences at 1 in 20 births. The high rate of infant mortality and voodoo religion, Benin’s national religion, have begot some very particular practices concerning the deaths of one or both of these twins. In many other societies, twins are regarded as bad omens and often killed or abandoned at birth. However, in the Fon culture, twins have always been revered because Nana Buluku, voodoo’s androgynous creator of the universe, gave birth to twins. These twins in turn created the voodoo deities that run the world.
Once a twin dies, a wooden statue called the “hohovi” is carved, within which the spirit of the dead child is placed. These figurines are deified and treated almost exactly like the living children. For the Fon, twins are immortal. They continue to live even after their death, bringing blessings or misfortune depending on if there are either pampered or abused.
Three months after the birth of twins, if they are still living, the parents go collect gifts from other members of their community. If one or both of the twins die, then the mother carries the statues around between her breasts and walks around with a tray on her head, receiving alms for the twins. All donate some money or food. The mother may even take some wares on display at the market. If a woman is rich or powerful, then she sends someone to conduct this collection in her place.
In Bopa, a village situated on the banks of Lake Aheme in southern Benin, Dah Tofa and his wife reside. Dah Tofa, an educated man in his 60s, is a voodoo priest. His wife, who is around 40 years old, speaks only Fon. I ask for her name and she tells me the name she was born with, but this causes a bit of an incident. Her husband explains that she was supposed to say “Hounyoga”, the name of the voodoo goddess she worships whose name she took. Her husband tells me
(c) Dukas -
DUK10068031_035
REPORTAGE - Benin: Voodoo Zwillinge Tradition
Benin’s Living Dead: The Voodoo Twins Tradition
40% of the world’s twins are born in Africa. Benin’s Fon people have one of the highest occurrences at 1 in 20 births. The high rate of infant mortality and voodoo religion, Benin’s national religion, have begot some very particular practices concerning the deaths of one or both of these twins. In many other societies, twins are regarded as bad omens and often killed or abandoned at birth. However, in the Fon culture, twins have always been revered because Nana Buluku, voodoo’s androgynous creator of the universe, gave birth to twins. These twins in turn created the voodoo deities that run the world.
Once a twin dies, a wooden statue called the “hohovi” is carved, within which the spirit of the dead child is placed. These figurines are deified and treated almost exactly like the living children. For the Fon, twins are immortal. They continue to live even after their death, bringing blessings or misfortune depending on if there are either pampered or abused.
Three months after the birth of twins, if they are still living, the parents go collect gifts from other members of their community. If one or both of the twins die, then the mother carries the statues around between her breasts and walks around with a tray on her head, receiving alms for the twins. All donate some money or food. The mother may even take some wares on display at the market. If a woman is rich or powerful, then she sends someone to conduct this collection in her place.
In Bopa, a village situated on the banks of Lake Aheme in southern Benin, Dah Tofa and his wife reside. Dah Tofa, an educated man in his 60s, is a voodoo priest. His wife, who is around 40 years old, speaks only Fon. I ask for her name and she tells me the name she was born with, but this causes a bit of an incident. Her husband explains that she was supposed to say “Hounyoga”, the name of the voodoo goddess she worships whose name she took. Her husband tells me
(c) Dukas -
DUK10068031_036
REPORTAGE - Benin: Voodoo Zwillinge Tradition
Benin’s Living Dead: The Voodoo Twins Tradition
40% of the world’s twins are born in Africa. Benin’s Fon people have one of the highest occurrences at 1 in 20 births. The high rate of infant mortality and voodoo religion, Benin’s national religion, have begot some very particular practices concerning the deaths of one or both of these twins. In many other societies, twins are regarded as bad omens and often killed or abandoned at birth. However, in the Fon culture, twins have always been revered because Nana Buluku, voodoo’s androgynous creator of the universe, gave birth to twins. These twins in turn created the voodoo deities that run the world.
Once a twin dies, a wooden statue called the “hohovi” is carved, within which the spirit of the dead child is placed. These figurines are deified and treated almost exactly like the living children. For the Fon, twins are immortal. They continue to live even after their death, bringing blessings or misfortune depending on if there are either pampered or abused.
Three months after the birth of twins, if they are still living, the parents go collect gifts from other members of their community. If one or both of the twins die, then the mother carries the statues around between her breasts and walks around with a tray on her head, receiving alms for the twins. All donate some money or food. The mother may even take some wares on display at the market. If a woman is rich or powerful, then she sends someone to conduct this collection in her place.
In Bopa, a village situated on the banks of Lake Aheme in southern Benin, Dah Tofa and his wife reside. Dah Tofa, an educated man in his 60s, is a voodoo priest. His wife, who is around 40 years old, speaks only Fon. I ask for her name and she tells me the name she was born with, but this causes a bit of an incident. Her husband explains that she was supposed to say “Hounyoga”, the name of the voodoo goddess she worships whose name she took. Her husband tells me
(c) Dukas -
DUK10068031_037
REPORTAGE - Benin: Voodoo Zwillinge Tradition
Benin’s Living Dead: The Voodoo Twins Tradition
40% of the world’s twins are born in Africa. Benin’s Fon people have one of the highest occurrences at 1 in 20 births. The high rate of infant mortality and voodoo religion, Benin’s national religion, have begot some very particular practices concerning the deaths of one or both of these twins. In many other societies, twins are regarded as bad omens and often killed or abandoned at birth. However, in the Fon culture, twins have always been revered because Nana Buluku, voodoo’s androgynous creator of the universe, gave birth to twins. These twins in turn created the voodoo deities that run the world.
Once a twin dies, a wooden statue called the “hohovi” is carved, within which the spirit of the dead child is placed. These figurines are deified and treated almost exactly like the living children. For the Fon, twins are immortal. They continue to live even after their death, bringing blessings or misfortune depending on if there are either pampered or abused.
Three months after the birth of twins, if they are still living, the parents go collect gifts from other members of their community. If one or both of the twins die, then the mother carries the statues around between her breasts and walks around with a tray on her head, receiving alms for the twins. All donate some money or food. The mother may even take some wares on display at the market. If a woman is rich or powerful, then she sends someone to conduct this collection in her place.
In Bopa, a village situated on the banks of Lake Aheme in southern Benin, Dah Tofa and his wife reside. Dah Tofa, an educated man in his 60s, is a voodoo priest. His wife, who is around 40 years old, speaks only Fon. I ask for her name and she tells me the name she was born with, but this causes a bit of an incident. Her husband explains that she was supposed to say “Hounyoga”, the name of the voodoo goddess she worships whose name she took. Her husband tells me
(c) Dukas -
DUK10068031_040
REPORTAGE - Benin: Voodoo Zwillinge Tradition
Benin’s Living Dead: The Voodoo Twins Tradition
40% of the world’s twins are born in Africa. Benin’s Fon people have one of the highest occurrences at 1 in 20 births. The high rate of infant mortality and voodoo religion, Benin’s national religion, have begot some very particular practices concerning the deaths of one or both of these twins. In many other societies, twins are regarded as bad omens and often killed or abandoned at birth. However, in the Fon culture, twins have always been revered because Nana Buluku, voodoo’s androgynous creator of the universe, gave birth to twins. These twins in turn created the voodoo deities that run the world.
Once a twin dies, a wooden statue called the “hohovi” is carved, within which the spirit of the dead child is placed. These figurines are deified and treated almost exactly like the living children. For the Fon, twins are immortal. They continue to live even after their death, bringing blessings or misfortune depending on if there are either pampered or abused.
Three months after the birth of twins, if they are still living, the parents go collect gifts from other members of their community. If one or both of the twins die, then the mother carries the statues around between her breasts and walks around with a tray on her head, receiving alms for the twins. All donate some money or food. The mother may even take some wares on display at the market. If a woman is rich or powerful, then she sends someone to conduct this collection in her place.
In Bopa, a village situated on the banks of Lake Aheme in southern Benin, Dah Tofa and his wife reside. Dah Tofa, an educated man in his 60s, is a voodoo priest. His wife, who is around 40 years old, speaks only Fon. I ask for her name and she tells me the name she was born with, but this causes a bit of an incident. Her husband explains that she was supposed to say “Hounyoga”, the name of the voodoo goddess she worships whose name she took. Her husband tells me
(c) Dukas -
DUK10068031_041
REPORTAGE - Benin: Voodoo Zwillinge Tradition
Benin’s Living Dead: The Voodoo Twins Tradition
40% of the world’s twins are born in Africa. Benin’s Fon people have one of the highest occurrences at 1 in 20 births. The high rate of infant mortality and voodoo religion, Benin’s national religion, have begot some very particular practices concerning the deaths of one or both of these twins. In many other societies, twins are regarded as bad omens and often killed or abandoned at birth. However, in the Fon culture, twins have always been revered because Nana Buluku, voodoo’s androgynous creator of the universe, gave birth to twins. These twins in turn created the voodoo deities that run the world.
Once a twin dies, a wooden statue called the “hohovi” is carved, within which the spirit of the dead child is placed. These figurines are deified and treated almost exactly like the living children. For the Fon, twins are immortal. They continue to live even after their death, bringing blessings or misfortune depending on if there are either pampered or abused.
Three months after the birth of twins, if they are still living, the parents go collect gifts from other members of their community. If one or both of the twins die, then the mother carries the statues around between her breasts and walks around with a tray on her head, receiving alms for the twins. All donate some money or food. The mother may even take some wares on display at the market. If a woman is rich or powerful, then she sends someone to conduct this collection in her place.
In Bopa, a village situated on the banks of Lake Aheme in southern Benin, Dah Tofa and his wife reside. Dah Tofa, an educated man in his 60s, is a voodoo priest. His wife, who is around 40 years old, speaks only Fon. I ask for her name and she tells me the name she was born with, but this causes a bit of an incident. Her husband explains that she was supposed to say “Hounyoga”, the name of the voodoo goddess she worships whose name she took. Her husband tells me
(c) Dukas -
