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DUKAS_92934316_PPR
Folklore-Look
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DUK10068031_060
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_059
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_058
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_057
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_056
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_050
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_049
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_048
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_047
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_065
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_063
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_070
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_064
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_062
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_061
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_054
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_053
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_046
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_045
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_044
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_042
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 -
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_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_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_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_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_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_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_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_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_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_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_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_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_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_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_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_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_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_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_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_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_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_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_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_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_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_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 -
