Local traditions and culture in Benin

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Cotton accounts for about 40% of GDP in Benin and is grown in the North. There is a large movement towards organic cotton production which is better for the health of the farmers and a few international organisations are helping to develop this. Traditionally cotton working was a man’s job but recently more smaller farms and co-operatives have been set up to benefit women.

I didn't have any problems or issues at all in Benin with safety. I didn't walk anywhere alone at night but I did take a few late afternoon walks alone with no hassle at all.
In Grand Popo I walked through the old town, by the river and along the beach and a few people stopped me to ask my name and a few other questions but that's all.
In Cotonou I actually walked down the main road by the port, because I wanted to get a photograph and here nobody bothered me at all.
In the hotels I also never had a problem or felt in a situaion where I wasn't safe. I'm not saying you should take risks, but I felt this to be a reasonably safe and friendly country.

Despite the variety and abundance of food I was offered, and tried, in Benin I never saw Duck on a menu. I even ate pigeon and saw guinea fowl offered.
When I asked why, in a country with so many lakes and rivers, Duck was not a popular dish I was told that Ducks are sacred and it is not common to eat them. If ducks are crossing the road, drivers will stop to let them across.
In a country where most animals are eaten or sacrificed for Voodoo you really would choose to be a duck!

There are many proverbs in Benin. They were used by the elders to educate younger people and pass down their wisdom of daily life. Historically the proverbs would be illustrations rather than written. The proverbs of the kings were shown on the top of their Asen, the metal poles they carried.
The proverbs are well documented in the museums - one of the best displays is the huge applique in the museum in the old Portugese Fort in Ouidah.
Some examples are -
PICTURE: A cat eating a fish. MEANING: Do not employ a cat to sell fish - beware of the self interest of those you employ to do a job for you.
PICTURE: 2 birds trying to put their heads into a small pot. MEANING: There can only be one captain of a ship.
PICTURE: A drum and an angry spectator. MEANING: If you invite the drummer don't complain about the music.
PICTURE: An egg. MEANING: Your words are like an egg. Once they break you cannot take them back so think before you speak.

Drums were, and still are to an extent, an important method of communication in Benin and West Africa.
The drums were used in all important ceremonies – Voodoo ceremonies, funerals, praising the kings and communication with the ancestors. As well as important events they were used for everyday communication, for example to warn of a snake in the village.
The drums were constructed to imitate the sounds of the languages of the Fon and the Yoruba tribes and could be heard for many miles around.
There are different types of drums of various sizes. The Soto drum is very tall and the drummer has to jump up to play it. It was used to tell people of a death. The bereaved played with the right hand for the death of his/her father and the left hand for the death of his/her mother.
The serpent God Dan, one of the most popular gods, has his own drum played in his honour.
You can see examples of Fon and Yoruba drums in the museums in Porto Nuovo and Abomey, and if you are lucky enough to see a Voodoo ceremony you can see them being played.

The Asen is the metal pole with a decorative top that the Kings used to carry with them and it represents the ancestors.
Every year in Porto Nouvo descendants of the kings gather in front of the collection of Asen and hold a ceremony in honour of the ancestors. Each King had his own special Asen with a motto which is represented in the decorative top of his Asen.
King Akaba’s motif was a chameleon representing getting to the top of the tree, King Tegbesu’s motif was a buffalo to say that nobody can remove his coat, King Agadja saw the Europeans arrive during his reign and his motifs were a hut, a calabash and a cross to say accept other religions but don't forget the traditional religion.

Young children, whose families practise the traditional religion, often wear a bead belt around the waist. Pregnant women also wear them.
Birth, Life and Death are central to the traditional religion and the belt protects the women and the unborn child while she is pregnant and protects the small children, when they are young, from misfortune and disease.
You can see some of the young children wearing them in the villages and there are some good examples in the museums.

The main tribe in Benin are the Fon who originally came from the South but now make up about 40% of the population and are spread throughout the country.
The Yoruba are the other main tribe of the South and they came from Nigeria.
In the North the main tribe are the Somba.
The map in the picture is taken from the museum in Porto Nuovo and shows all the tribes of Benin and their locations.