FON
The Fon people of present-day Benin are the
people of the Dahomey Kingdom, often referred
to by Europeans as Dahomeans. Their customs
and history have been well documented over the
past few centuries by the many people who visited
their land, as well as the Fon’s own oral histori-
ans. In addition to their great historical legacy, the
Fon are well known for their urban organization,
the history of their warrior women, and their reli-
gion of Vodu. This entry looks at their historical
background as well as their religious beliefs and
practices.
Origins of the FonDahomey was a well-organized kingdom that
coalesced in the 16th century, during which time
it was established as a monarchy by King
Tacoodonu, who conquered Abomey in the early
part of the 17th century. Historical accounts tell
us of the King of the Fon who gained control of
Abomey and took the throne by killing Da, the
king of Abomey. He murdered Da by slicing his
stomach open and burying him in the foundation
of his new palace. Hence, he named his new king-
dom Dahomey, which literally translates as “Da’s
belly.”
Tacoodonu was followed by a succession of
male monarchs who expanded the territory of
Dahomey that eventually led to the coast. The Fon
eventually extended their kingdom from the inte-
rior to the coast by conquering Allada and creat-
ing a direct trade route. In 1738, the Yoruba of
the Oyo Kingdom captured Abomey and enforced
a tribute on its King. The King of the Fon devel-
oped diplomatic relationships with the Ashanti,
and in 1827, the Fon monarch was freed from its
tribute to Oyo. The last ruler of the Damomean
dynasty was Glele, who is well described in
European history book as a fair humanitarian.
The King of Dahomey maintained strict con-
trol over trade in his kingdom and was meticu-
lous about information that was revealed to
foreigners. European visitors that entered
Dahomey were treated as prisoners until given a
pass to return to Whydah by the king. Europeans
relayed accounts of some of the Fon’s customs
that were often exaggerated. The kingdom of
Dahomey was well organized and boasted of a
huge population. It was composed of smaller city-
states that varied only in slight differences of
speech and names of deities.
Dahomey geographically consisted of Abomey
and its immediate surrounding area, with Abomey
as the capital. It was in Allada that monarchy
dynasties were passed down and where the Fon’s
royalty was crowned. Whydah served as the port
city of Dahomey and was a major entity in the
trade route that was established into the interior
of the region. European contact came at the end of
the 17th century, and Dahomey was finally con-
quered by the French in 1892 during the time
when the rest of Africa was being attacked by
European powers established during the Berlin
Conference of the late 19th century.Fon Cosmology
Like Fon society, the Fon universe is extremely
organized. The universe is informed by four differ-
ent cosmological elements, which manifest them-
selves in a hierarchical manner that is reflective of
the overlap that exists in social and religious life
of Fon society.Voduis the term that is all encom-
passing of the four elements of Fon spirituality:
worship of public gods, worship of personal or
private gods, ancestral reverence, andgbo(magic
or charms). The word originated with the original
inhabitants of Abomey.
When asked about the origins of the universe,
the typical Fon person will refer to Nana Buluku,
the deity who is the Supreme Being. Nana Buluku
bore two children, Mawu and Lisa. According
to the Fon, after God created the universe, she
removed herself from the dealings of men. Because
of this, humans have to resort to appeasing lesser
gods and goddesses for favors. Together, Mawu-
Lisa represents the pantheon of sky deities. Mawu,
who is the moon, has female attributes and repre-
sents that the element of “coolness” in Fon culture.
Lisa, the sun, has male attributes and is symbolic
of the fiery elements. By collective name, the two
deities represent a collective of lesser gods and god-
desses that make up the sky pantheon. According
to Fon belief, Mawu was given the task of creating
the world with the assistance of Legba, the trick-
ster, and Aido Hwedo, the snake.270 Fon