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<div id="contentSub"><div id="mw-content-subtitle"></div></div> <div id="mw-content-text" class="mw-body-content"><div class="mw-content-ltr mw-parser-output" lang="en" dir="ltr"><div class="shortdescription nomobile noexcerpt noprint searchaux" style="display:none">Yearly celebration in the Kingdom of Dahomey</div> <figure typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Victims_for_sacrifice-1793.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ee/Victims_for_sacrifice-1793.jpg/250px-Victims_for_sacrifice-1793.jpg" decoding="async" width="250" height="215" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ee/Victims_for_sacrifice-1793.jpg/375px-Victims_for_sacrifice-1793.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ee/Victims_for_sacrifice-1793.jpg/500px-Victims_for_sacrifice-1793.jpg 2x" data-file-width="760" data-file-height="655" /></a><figcaption>Victims for sacrifice - from <i><a href="/wiki/Archibald_Dalzel" title="Archibald Dalzel">The history of Dahomy, an inland Kingdom of Africa</a></i>, 1793.</figcaption></figure> <p>The <b>Annual Customs of Dahomey</b> (<i>xwetanu</i> or <i>huetanu</i> in <a href="/wiki/Fon_language" title="Fon language">Fon</a>) were the main yearly celebration in the <a href="/wiki/Dahomey" title="Dahomey">Kingdom of Dahomey</a>, held at the capital, <a href="/wiki/Abomey" title="Abomey">Abomey</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-Yoder_1-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Yoder-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> These ceremonies were largely started under <a href="/wiki/Agaja" title="Agaja">King Agaja</a> around 1730 and involved significant collection and distribution of gifts and tribute, religious ceremonies involving <a href="/wiki/Human_sacrifice" title="Human sacrifice">human sacrifice</a>, military parades, and discussions by dignitaries about the future for the kingdom. </p> <meta property="mw:PageProp/toc" /> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Origins">Origins</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Annual_Customs_of_Dahomey&action=edit&section=1" title="Edit section: Origins"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Tradition amongst the <a href="/wiki/Fon_people" title="Fon people">Fon</a> in Western Africa, and among other ethnic groups, often had ceremonies in family lineages where all members of the family would gather for a feast, provide gifts to the eldest member of the family, and discuss issues pertaining to the family.<sup id="cite_ref-Bay-1998_2-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Bay-1998-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> As part of the religious <a href="/wiki/West_African_Vodun" class="mw-redirect" title="West African Vodun">Vodun</a> practiced in the area, gifts and sacrifices to the spirits and ancestors would also be given. King <a href="/wiki/Houegbadja" title="Houegbadja">Houegbadja</a> (<i>c.</i> 1645–1685) changed this widespread practice during his reign by making it so that sacrifices or gifts to spirits would have to be done by the king.<sup id="cite_ref-Halcrow_3-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Halcrow-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>King <a href="/wiki/Agaja" title="Agaja">Agaja</a> (1718–1740) further centralized the ceremonies under the king and the royal dynasty. Under Agaja, the Annual customs became the central religious ceremony in the kingdom, wide participation by most of the population was required, all family lineages were expected to provide gifts and tribute (sometimes considered taxes) to the ruler, and aspects of animal and <a href="/wiki/Human_sacrifice" title="Human sacrifice">human sacrifice</a> were added to the practice.<sup id="cite_ref-Monroe_4-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Monroe-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The traditional family lineage ceremonies were not allowed in the kingdom until after the royal ceremony was completed.<sup id="cite_ref-Bay-1998_2-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Bay-1998-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> After Agaja the ceremony grew larger, longer and more lavish by future kings. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Practice">Practice</h2><span 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href="/wiki/History_of_Benin" title="History of Benin">History of Benin</a></th></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-image"><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/Coat_of_arms_of_Benin" title="Coat of arms of Benin"><img alt="Coat of arms of Benin" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0d/Insigne_Benini.svg/70px-Insigne_Benini.svg.png" decoding="async" width="70" height="87" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0d/Insigne_Benini.svg/105px-Insigne_Benini.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0d/Insigne_Benini.svg/140px-Insigne_Benini.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="300" data-file-height="374" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-above hlist" style="text-align:center; font-size:92%; font-weight:normal; border-top:1px solid #aaa;"> <a href="/wiki/History_of_the_Kingdom_of_Dahomey" title="History of the Kingdom of Dahomey">History of the Kingdom of Dahomey</a></td></tr><tr><th class="sidebar-heading" style="background:transparent; border-top:1px solid #aaa; border-bottom:1px solid #aaa; text-align:center;"> Early history</th></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content" style="padding-top:0.3em; padding-bottom:0; text-align:left;"> <div class="plainlist" style="line-height:1.4em; padding-left:.3em; padding-right:.3em;"><ul><li><a href="/wiki/Great_Ardra" class="mw-redirect" title="Great Ardra">Great Ardra</a><div style="float: right;"><abbr title="circa">c.</abbr><span style="white-space:nowrap;"> 1100–1724</span></div></li><li><a href="/wiki/Oyo_Empire" title="Oyo Empire">Oyo Empire</a><div style="float: right;"><abbr title="circa">c.</abbr><span style="white-space:nowrap;"> 1300–1836</span></div></li><li><a href="/wiki/Songhai_Empire" title="Songhai Empire">Songhai Empire</a><div style="float: right;"><abbr title="circa">c.</abbr><span style="white-space:nowrap;"> 1464–1591</span></div></li><li><a href="/wiki/Akwamu" title="Akwamu">Kingdom of Akwamu</a><div style="float: right;"><abbr title="circa">c.</abbr><span style="white-space:nowrap;"> 1480–1734</span></div> <div style="display: inline-block; line-height: 1.2em; padding: .1em 0;"><a href="/wiki/Atlantic_slave_trade" title="Atlantic slave trade">Atlantic slave trade</a><div style="float: right;"><abbr title="circa">c.</abbr><span style="white-space:nowrap;"> 1500–1800</span></div> <div class="plainlist" style="line-height:1.4em; padding-left:1.6em;"><ul><li><a href="/wiki/Dutch_Slave_Coast" title="Dutch Slave Coast">Dutch Slave Coast</a><div style="float: right;"><abbr title="circa">c.</abbr><span style="white-space:nowrap;"> 1660–1760</span></div></li></ul></div> </div></li><li><a href="/wiki/Kingdom_of_Whydah" title="Kingdom of Whydah">Kingdom of Whydah</a><div style="float: right;"><abbr title="circa">c.</abbr><span style="white-space:nowrap;"> 1580–1728</span></div> <div style="display: inline-block; line-height: 1.2em; padding: .1em 0;"><a href="/wiki/Dahomey" title="Dahomey">Kingdom of Dahomey</a><div style="float: right;"><abbr title="circa">c.</abbr><span style="white-space:nowrap;"> 1600–1904</span></div> <div class="plainlist" style="line-height:1.4em; padding-left:1.6em;"><ul><li><a class="mw-selflink selflink">Annual Customs</a><div style="float: right;"><abbr title="circa">c.</abbr><span style="white-space:nowrap;"> 1730–1904</span></div></li></ul></div> </div></li></ul></div></td> </tr><tr><th class="sidebar-heading" style="background:transparent; border-top:1px solid #aaa; border-bottom:1px solid #aaa; text-align:center;"> Modern period</th></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content" style="padding-top:0.3em; padding-bottom:0; text-align:left;"> <div class="plainlist" style="line-height:1.4em; padding-left:.3em; padding-right:.3em;"><ul><li><a href="/wiki/First_Franco-Dahomean_War" title="First Franco-Dahomean War">First Franco-Dahomean War</a><div style="float: right;">1890</div></li><li><a href="/wiki/Second_Franco-Dahomean_War" title="Second Franco-Dahomean War">Second Franco-Dahomean War</a><div style="float: right;">1892–1894</div> <div style="display: inline-block; line-height: 1.2em; padding: .1em 0;"><a href="/wiki/French_Dahomey" title="French Dahomey">French Dahomey</a><div style="float: right;">1894–1958</div> <div class="plainlist" style="line-height:1.4em; padding-left:1.6em;"><ul><li><a href="/wiki/French_West_Africa" title="French West Africa">French West Africa</a><div style="float: right;">1895–1958</div></li></ul></div> </div></li><li><div style="display: inline-block; line-height: 1.2em; padding: .1em 0;"><a href="/wiki/Republic_of_Dahomey" title="Republic of Dahomey">Republic of Dahomey</a><div style="float: right;">1958–1975</div> <div class="plainlist" style="line-height:1.4em; padding-left:1.6em;"><ul><li><a href="/wiki/1963_Dahomeyan_coup_d%27%C3%A9tat" title="1963 Dahomeyan coup d'état">Soglo coup</a><div style="float: right;">1963</div></li><li><a href="/wiki/1972_Dahomeyan_coup_d%27%C3%A9tat" title="1972 Dahomeyan coup d'état">Kérékou coup</a><div style="float: right;">1972</div></li></ul></div> </div> <div style="display: inline-block; line-height: 1.2em; padding: .1em 0;"><a href="/wiki/People%27s_Republic_of_Benin" title="People's Republic of Benin">People's Republic of Benin</a><div style="float: right;">1975–1990</div> <div class="plainlist" style="line-height:1.4em; padding-left:1.6em;"><ul><li><a href="/wiki/1977_Benin_coup_d%27%C3%A9tat_attempt" class="mw-redirect" title="1977 Benin coup d'état attempt">Mercenary coup attempt</a><div style="float: right;">1977</div></li></ul></div> </div></li><li><a href="/wiki/Benin" title="Benin">Republic of Benin</a><div style="float: right;">1990–<i>present</i></div></li></ul></div></td> </tr><tr><td class="sidebar-below hlist" style="text-align:center; border-top:#aaa 1px solid; border-bottom:#aaa 1px solid;"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Category:History_of_Benin" title="Category:History of Benin">Category</a></li> <li><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:History_of_Benin" class="extiw" title="c:Category:History of Benin">Commons</a></li> <li><span class="nowrap"><span class="noviewer" typeof="mw:File"><span><img alt="map" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/86/Africa_%28orthographic_projection%29.svg/28px-Africa_%28orthographic_projection%29.svg.png" decoding="async" width="28" height="28" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/86/Africa_%28orthographic_projection%29.svg/42px-Africa_%28orthographic_projection%29.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/86/Africa_%28orthographic_projection%29.svg/56px-Africa_%28orthographic_projection%29.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="550" data-file-height="550" /></span></span> </span><a href="/wiki/Portal:Africa" title="Portal:Africa">Africa portal</a></li></ul></td></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-navbar"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239400231">.mw-parser-output .navbar{display:inline;font-size:88%;font-weight:normal}.mw-parser-output .navbar-collapse{float:left;text-align:left}.mw-parser-output .navbar-boxtext{word-spacing:0}.mw-parser-output .navbar ul{display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;line-height:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-brackets::before{margin-right:-0.125em;content:"[ "}.mw-parser-output .navbar-brackets::after{margin-left:-0.125em;content:" ]"}.mw-parser-output .navbar li{word-spacing:-0.125em}.mw-parser-output .navbar a>span,.mw-parser-output .navbar a>abbr{text-decoration:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-mini abbr{font-variant:small-caps;border-bottom:none;text-decoration:none;cursor:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-ct-full{font-size:114%;margin:0 7em}.mw-parser-output .navbar-ct-mini{font-size:114%;margin:0 4em}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .navbar li a abbr{color:var(--color-base)!important}@media(prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .navbar li a abbr{color:var(--color-base)!important}}@media print{.mw-parser-output .navbar{display:none!important}}</style><div class="navbar plainlinks hlist navbar-mini"><ul><li class="nv-view"><a href="/wiki/Template:History_of_Benin" title="Template:History of Benin"><abbr title="View this template">v</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-talk"><a href="/wiki/Template_talk:History_of_Benin" title="Template talk:History of Benin"><abbr title="Discuss this template">t</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-edit"><a href="/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:History_of_Benin" title="Special:EditPage/Template:History of Benin"><abbr title="Edit this template">e</abbr></a></li></ul></div></td></tr></tbody></table> <p>The Annual Customs involved multiple elaborate components and some aspects may have been added in the 19th century. In general, the celebration involved distribution of gifts, human sacrifice, military parades, and political councils. Its main religious aspect was to offer thanks and gain the approval for ancestors of the royal lineage.<sup id="cite_ref-Monroe_4-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Monroe-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Another function of the Annual Customs was to raise money for the royal family and the kingdom as a whole. Based on the traditional customs of gift-giving to eldest members of lineage lines, the population of the kingdom provided gifts or paid tribute to the king.<sup id="cite_ref-Bay-1998_2-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Bay-1998-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The king would then display the riches as a sign of the accomplishments of his administration.<sup id="cite_ref-Yoder_1-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Yoder-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The wealth was provided and displayed not simply to enrich the kingdom but also to gain the approval of the ancestors.<sup id="cite_ref-Yoder_1-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Yoder-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> After the display, significant amounts of the gifts were redistributed to the population. </p><p>Since Dahomey was a significant military power involved in the <a href="/wiki/Atlantic_slave_trade" title="Atlantic slave trade">slave trade</a>, slaves and human sacrifice became crucial aspects of the ceremony. Captives from war and criminals were killed for the deceased kings of Dahomey. During the ceremony, around 500 prisoners would be sacrificed. As many as 4,000 were reported killed in one of these ceremonies in 1727.<sup id="cite_ref-5" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-Law-1997_6-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Law-1997-6"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>6<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-7" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-7"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>7<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Most of the victims were sacrificed through decapitation, a tradition widely used by Dahomean kings, and the literal translation for the Fon name for the ceremony <i>Xwetanu</i> is "yearly head business".<sup id="cite_ref-Law-1989_8-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Law-1989-8"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>8<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> In later years this ceremony also included the spilling of human blood from the sacrificed.<sup id="cite_ref-Monroe_4-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Monroe-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> There was also a significant military parade in the ceremonies that further displayed the military might of the kingdom of Dahomey.<sup id="cite_ref-Bay-1998_2-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Bay-1998-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>The Annual Customs also included a prominent structure for discussion and debate about public policy in the kingdom. In this respect, scholar John C. Yoder has argued that the customs "served a political function similar to that of parliaments in Western countries", although still far from the open contests in democracies.<sup id="cite_ref-Yoder_1-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Yoder-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The Great Council would convene at the annual customs and bring together important leaders from throughout Dahomey to discuss national policy. The Great Council included a large segment of the population and included women. Debate and discussion would be extensive; low ranking-officials could publicly rebuke high-ranking ones. In the end the king would end the debate by declaring consensus.<sup id="cite_ref-Yoder_1-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Yoder-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>In addition, when a king died, his successor would have to include a significant ceremony in his honor to finish the funeral rites. Until such sacrifices and ceremonies were performed, it was considered that the new king was not approved by the spirits of the ancestors.<sup id="cite_ref-Bay-1998_2-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Bay-1998-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Items associated with the Customs are preserved at the <a href="/wiki/Royal_Palaces_of_Abomey#Abomey_Historical_Museum" title="Royal Palaces of Abomey">Abomey Historical Museum</a>, in the <a href="/wiki/Royal_Palaces_of_Abomey" title="Royal Palaces of Abomey">Royal Palaces of Abomey</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-9" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-9"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>9<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Schedule">Schedule</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Annual_Customs_of_Dahomey&action=edit&section=3" title="Edit section: Schedule"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>By day, according to Yoder.<sup id="cite_ref-Yoder_1-5" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Yoder-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <ol><li>Procession from Cana</li> <li>Private receptions or levées</li> <li>Parade through Great Square, more petitions</li> <li>Historical songs sung by court singers</li> <li>Parade of the king's wealth</li> <li>Distribution of wealth, including slain captives</li> <li>King reviews troops</li> <li>Display of king's wealth</li> <li class="mw-empty-elt"></li><li value="9 to 16">More audiences</li> <li class="mw-empty-elt"></li><li value="17">Great Council starts to meet in the mornings</li> <li class="mw-empty-elt"></li><li value="25">Great Council meetings end</li> <li>Troops swear loyalty</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Dahomey_amazons" class="mw-redirect" title="Dahomey amazons">Mino</a> stage mock battle and slave raid</li> <li>Songs praising the kingdom sung by court singers</li> <li>Gifts given to officials for services</li> <li>Answers given to petitions</li></ol> <p>Officials largely spent their evenings building coalitions of political support.<sup id="cite_ref-Yoder_1-6" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Yoder-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="References">References</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Annual_Customs_of_Dahomey&action=edit&section=4" title="Edit section: References"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239543626">.mw-parser-output .reflist{margin-bottom:0.5em;list-style-type:decimal}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .reflist{font-size:90%}}.mw-parser-output .reflist .references{font-size:100%;margin-bottom:0;list-style-type:inherit}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-2{column-width:30em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-3{column-width:25em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns{margin-top:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns ol{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns li{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-alpha{list-style-type:upper-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-roman{list-style-type:upper-roman}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-alpha{list-style-type:lower-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-greek{list-style-type:lower-greek}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-roman{list-style-type:lower-roman}</style><div class="reflist"> <div class="mw-references-wrap"><ol class="references"> <li id="cite_note-Yoder-1"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Yoder_1-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Yoder_1-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Yoder_1-2"><sup><i><b>c</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Yoder_1-3"><sup><i><b>d</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Yoder_1-4"><sup><i><b>e</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Yoder_1-5"><sup><i><b>f</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Yoder_1-6"><sup><i><b>g</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1238218222">.mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit;word-wrap:break-word}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"\"""\"""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation:target{background-color:rgba(0,127,255,0.133)}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-free.id-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Lock-green.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited.id-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration.id-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription.id-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg")right 0.1em center/12px no-repeat}body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-free a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background-size:contain;padding:0 1em 0 0}.mw-parser-output .cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:none;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#085;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right{padding-right:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .citation .mw-selflink{font-weight:inherit}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}</style><cite id="CITEREFYoder1974" class="citation journal cs1">Yoder, John C. (1974). "Fly and Elephant Parties: Political Polarization in Dahomey, 1840-1870". <i>The Journal of African History</i>. <b>15</b> (3): 417–432. <a href="/wiki/Doi_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="Doi (identifier)">doi</a>:<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://doi.org/10.1017%2Fs0021853700013566">10.1017/s0021853700013566</a>. <a href="/wiki/S2CID_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="S2CID (identifier)">S2CID</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:162286376">162286376</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=The+Journal+of+African+History&rft.atitle=Fly+and+Elephant+Parties%3A+Political+Polarization+in+Dahomey%2C+1840-1870&rft.volume=15&rft.issue=3&rft.pages=417-432&rft.date=1974&rft_id=info%3Adoi%2F10.1017%2Fs0021853700013566&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fapi.semanticscholar.org%2FCorpusID%3A162286376%23id-name%3DS2CID&rft.aulast=Yoder&rft.aufirst=John+C.&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AAnnual+Customs+of+Dahomey" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Bay-1998-2"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Bay-1998_2-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Bay-1998_2-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Bay-1998_2-2"><sup><i><b>c</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Bay-1998_2-3"><sup><i><b>d</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Bay-1998_2-4"><sup><i><b>e</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFBay1998" class="citation book cs1">Bay, Edna (1998). <i>Wives of the Leopard: Gender, Politics, and Culture in the Kingdom of Dahomey</i>. 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"In the Belly of Dan: Space, History, and Power in Precolonial Dahomey". <i>Current Anthropology</i>. <b>52</b> (6): 769–798. <a href="/wiki/Doi_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="Doi (identifier)">doi</a>:<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://doi.org/10.1086%2F662678">10.1086/662678</a>. <a href="/wiki/S2CID_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="S2CID (identifier)">S2CID</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:142318205">142318205</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Current+Anthropology&rft.atitle=In+the+Belly+of+Dan%3A+Space%2C+History%2C+and+Power+in+Precolonial+Dahomey&rft.volume=52&rft.issue=6&rft.pages=769-798&rft.date=2011&rft_id=info%3Adoi%2F10.1086%2F662678&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fapi.semanticscholar.org%2FCorpusID%3A142318205%23id-name%3DS2CID&rft.aulast=Monroe&rft.aufirst=J.+Cameron&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AAnnual+Customs+of+Dahomey" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-5"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-5">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">R. 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Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2015-05-30</span></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=www.epa-prema.net&rft.atitle=Collections&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.epa-prema.net%2FabomeyGB%2Fcollects.htm&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AAnnual+Customs+of+Dahomey" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> </ol></div></div>    </div><noscript><img src="https://login.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:CentralAutoLogin/start?type=1x1" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="border: none; position: absolute;"></noscript> <div class="printfooter" data-nosnippet="">Retrieved from "<a dir="ltr" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Annual_Customs_of_Dahomey&oldid=1257187398">https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Annual_Customs_of_Dahomey&oldid=1257187398</a>"</div></div> <div id="catlinks" class="catlinks" data-mw="interface"><div id="mw-normal-catlinks" class="mw-normal-catlinks"><a href="/wiki/Help:Category" title="Help:Category">Categories</a>: <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Events_in_the_Kingdom_of_Dahomey" title="Category:Events in the Kingdom of Dahomey">Events in the Kingdom of Dahomey</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Annual_events_in_Africa" title="Category:Annual events in Africa">Annual events in Africa</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Ceremonies" title="Category:Ceremonies">Ceremonies</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:West_African_Vodun" title="Category:West African Vodun">West African Vodun</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Human_sacrifice" title="Category:Human sacrifice">Human sacrifice</a></li></ul></div><div id="mw-hidden-catlinks" class="mw-hidden-catlinks mw-hidden-cats-hidden">Hidden categories: <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Articles_with_short_description" title="Category:Articles with short description">Articles with short description</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Short_description_matches_Wikidata" title="Category:Short description matches Wikidata">Short description matches Wikidata</a></li></ul></div></div> </div> </main> </div> <div class="mw-footer-container"> <footer id="footer" class="mw-footer" > <ul id="footer-info"> <li id="footer-info-lastmod"> This page was last edited on 13 November 2024, at 18:00<span class="anonymous-show"> (UTC)</span>.</li> <li id="footer-info-copyright">Text is available under the <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Text_of_the_Creative_Commons_Attribution-ShareAlike_4.0_International_License" title="Wikipedia:Text of the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License">Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License</a>; additional terms may apply. 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