Orisa Sakpata's earth Christine HENRY

Sakpata deity of Yoruba origin, is known wherever it was located one as god of smallpox and broader

eruptive and / or infectious diseases. But in Benin and Togo has developed a tradition that is also the voodoo

(deity) of the Earth. Our own investigations in Savalou (Middle Benin) did not show a strong link between

Sakpata and earth, except that, as elsewhere, it is for this deity, calling him "master of the earth. " This

article focuses on this issue, traces the origin of this assertion in the anthropological literature and tries to

understand what is the nature of the relationship of this deity to earth. Before entering the heart of the

matter, it is necessary to state some methodological precautions. The recent literature on voodoo focused on

two of their traits: their materiality and their relational nature 2 .Indeed, a voodoo exists only in the

materiality of the "body" located in a specific place that distinguishes him from other members of the same

class.His physicality is only one element of individuation. Its name, the legends about its creation and its

arrival in this place, the account of his deeds, currency addressed to him, are all characters personalize. But

in a given class or voodoo voodoo region does not exist in isolation, it has a place within a set. It is to

understand the hierarchies of these sets and logic that underlie that have tried many ethnologists sometimes

away many local classifications. Fon distinguish "voodoo countries" to Vodun of "voodoo lineage" h nnu Vodun or "voodoo clan" ak Vodun , and a voodoo Sakpata the class will be a "voodoo countries," while another will be a "voodoo lineage." According to another principle, Vodun is divided between "red

voodoo" hunv Vodun and "voodoo water" t Vodun. 's "red voodoo" fall into "voodoo top "j Vodun and "voodoo bottom " Vodun do but also "voodoo head" your Vodun and Acina. This second distinction concerns

the representation of voodoo in processions. The first, the "voodoo head" will be represented by a package

that will be worn on the head of a fan, while the second will be an elongated wood covered with fabric,

the Acina, which will be carried on the shoulders .

Finally, another type of political order under classification distinguishes between voduns between their "high

priests" vodnn some of which had been brought over by the royal or other local authority and held authority over their colleagues less higher in the hierarchy.

classifications of political order are obviously very different in different places and periods considered, while

the principles that govern the second criteria mentioned are relatively stable, and a voodoo Sakpata the class

will at no time and nowhere considered Vodun a "top" or "water." All Vodun the same class thus share

general features, which will be discussed here about Sakpata. Finally be noted that today in Benin, despite

the general decline of traditional religions, traditional temples Sakpata still rely amount of followers. This

deity is also included in many private family shrines and many of those healers Sakpata which is often

associated with modern Vodun (Goro, Mami Wata)

History

In the early writings on the kingdom of Danxome, the authors cite the Sakpata bind only to smallpox and

does not rank among the very important gods. Thus Skertchly 3 classifies it as a secondary deity who is

under the direct command of Atinmvodun atnm vodn "voodoo trees" and described his altars: "This national scourge [smallpox] is avoided by an oblong thing in the earth, divided into two equal parts, one of

which is planted fourshards of broken pottery planted at the top and the other shells. Another altar to this

god is an oblong pottery, painted in red on the right side and white on the left "(Skertchly, 1874: 471). He

noted that these altars are numerous and scattered in various palaces, it liaises with the fact that three kings

Abomeans succumbed to smallpox.

It is in the book The Ruffled that is reported for the first time a link Sakpata the land:

It is fetish soil (Akoungban Vodun). it is raised altars at crossroads entrance to villages or houses, if fate (F) Owner

has requested. These are tiny mounds, on which a pot of clay, drilled holes based regular 5 and laterite block mask

reminiscent of a smallpox. Is planted behind a thorny called Selo. (Le Herisse, 1911: 128).

The Ruffled presents voodoo adopting an "official classification" in nine colleges known to all religious

specialists he met. The Sakpata do not form a particular group, but are present in all colleges.

In the book he devotes to Danxome, Herskovits, doing a small Copernican revolution about Sakpata strives

to demonstrate that voodoo is honored as a god of the earth and not as a god of smallpox. As Xevioso, the

god of Thunder, gives plentiful rain and punishes her by sending lightning Sakpata, god of the Earth, gives

grain and punished by smallpox, according to his informants qu'noncent and symbolic logic:

Sagbata that master of the earth, feeds people by giving them corn, millet and other grains of soil, punished 'by

bringing out their skin grains they ate'

(Herskovits, 1938 T.II : 131) 6

The Herskovits reasoning is based, in addition to link with cereals on a number of facts from currency and

myths. It was dangerous to say the name of Sakpata and preferred to discuss its title: "Master of the

earth"ayno , "king of the earth" ayx s, ; "king of pearls 7 "j x s, securities that are also in its currencies. Myths referring to the division of the world between the gods, after the couple Mawu-Lisa had

given birth, saying that the elder Sakpata fell the government of the earth (an honor which cost him a few

quarrels with his younger Xevioso, remained in heaven with her parents). This assimilation Sakpata with the

earth in a double aspect of nourishing soil and government of the people is compounded by how Herskovits

presents the voodoo Danxome. It dealt with separately deities related to royalty and distinguishes between

"gods" of "personal gods" and divides the first three pantheons: the sky, earth and thunder, according to a

logic that reflects poorly practices and local categories.

As The Ruffled before him, Herskovits noted that Sakpata has not always been in the odor of sanctity with

the kings of Abomey, and on several occasions, his priests were expelled from the city. Herskovits think that

as a mythological historical perspective, the kings of Abomey had feared Sakpata material. Three of them died

of the disease, many of their military campaigns were interrupted because their armies were decimated by smallpox. Nothing

is more natural, in his view, the kings of Abomey turn against god, moreover, his followers proclaimed king of

the earth, making shading their own power, "two kings can not rule in the same city, "said Fon proverb he

cites in support of his argument.

The thesis Herskovits Sakpata assimilating to the Earth and even to whether Sakpata can be considered a

"fertile mother" has not been criticized and was taken more or less restraint or enthusiasm authors who

succeeded him 8 . Side enthusiastic, Alfred M. Mondjannagni from the top of his dual authority geographer

and a native of Benin, is the one who contributed the most to sit and extend the area of the Kingdom of

Abomey in the whole of South and Middle Benin where Vodun (or Orisha Yoruba area) based on the

traditional system of thought. Mondjannagni first noted that for these populations peasant land is crucial,

explaining that "convents" Sakpata are as numerous and widespread in western countries aja in Yoruba

country to is in countries that mahi Xweda south north country. Forgetting that originally mahi assigned to

this deity is mentioned only for his Sakpata installed Abomey by the ancient kings, he decreed that "it is no

more of the country than elsewhere Mahi" (Mondjannagni 1977 162), but the Mahi gave him a special

importance because they inhabit stony hills and grow in difficult conditions. For him, as for Herskovits,

smallpox is a second award of this deity. "Little by little to mark the force and terror of Sakpata, it has also

identified smallpox. " (ibid.). Having thus bound the earth and Sakpata without further argument that the

performative force of affirmation, he comes to discuss the role of leaders of land, a concept which he takes in

the region " a very particular meaning and scope " (ibid). It describes very agreed the role of a head of land

and wrote: "This land chief who established the first covenant with the earth deity and that installed on this

earth deities of his group. " (ibid : 163).Most significantly, in his description of the functions of a head of

land, he never uses the name Sakpata but speaks of "the earth deity." And, indeed, it would be difficult to

find in this area a foundation narrative where the land or the "already" is embodied by Sakpata. Throughout

this area whose history has been marked by the Atlantic slave trade and the formation of slave kingdoms,

migration is the most constant foundation narratives.Conquest or collapse of the defeated, fleeing the war,

looking for easy to protect sellers of slaves is the storyline areas. And when the founder moved to an

unoccupied land (history or legend?) Divinity there is not a meeting Sakpata, but more often a voodoo in

Class of Aziza, the geniuses of the forest. For example, the foundation myth of the village that was to

become Porto-Novo said that three hunters who were resting away from home in the shade of a forest there

appeared a monster with nine heads sticking out of a mound. Divinatory consultation told them that this

monster was a deity who would become their favor if they erected a temple and often offered him a share of

the proceeds of their hunts. The three hunters that the alliance had made rich eventually settle permanently

in this place and founded the village of Aklon which is no longer a part of the capital of Benin.

As for authors who consider the thesis of Herskovits very sparingly, Pierre Verger, in a chapter on Sakpata

Shopona and its famous ... Notes, simply quote the argument above the informant of Herskovits about

cereal.Although, in the introduction to his book, Orchard has taken care to specify:

The importance of the earth element does not currently appear to be clearly expressed by a

particular cult, although the observation of rituals brings out the crucial role it plays in these

religions. HU Beier also thinks that "the ancient worship of the earth has almost disappeared

from the country Yoruba and was replaced by the present system of anthropomorphic Orisa . "

(Orchard 1957: 11)

Only the historian Edna Bay makes a criticism of Herskovits's argument challenging the fact that the three

kings whose death is attributed to smallpox actually died this way 9 . But it extends the idea of a rivalry for

power between kings and priests of Danxome Sakpata and wondered to what extent the allocation of royal

status Sakpata suggests that its shrines have been outbreaks of challenge to the legitimacy of the

dynasty. His thoughts are a continuation of questions which sees Finn Fuglestad Sakpata as king of the earth,

. a rallying point for all those (? many especially among indigenous) who were dissatisfied with

the order established by the Dahomey kings

(Fuglestad 1977: 513-14).

E. Bay notes that if, in Oyo Yoruba country, the deity associated with royalty is Shango (Xevioso in Fons) at Danxome is

Sakpata that is, but in a negative way:

Sakpata does not strengthen the royal power it opposes, aping royalty and expressing his

opposition to the royal lineage

(Bay 1998: 156).

but it does not elaborate this finding and concludes that

as the condition for which it is associated Sakpata was a danger and a cause of irritation, a

threat to the welfare of the kingdom, but never Sakpata nor its ultimate sanction smallpox, have

had the power to destroy the dynasty (ibid : 158).

However, it is quite strange that Sakpata which, as has been well said Pierre Verger (1957) and Paul Mercier (1962), seems

everywhere regarded as a deity of foreign origin came to embody at once the earth nurturing, controlling land and opposition

to the conqueror! These inconsistencies are enough to prove that this deity deserves reconsideration.

Sakpata disruptive

While noting simply, in the Herskovits online Sakpata that "God is the deep earth," Paul Mercier also notes, in

addition to the foreign origin of this deity, that many of the stories and legends are "disguised an undesirable

"(Mercier, 1962: 241). A tale of Fa collected Savalou highlights this design of a Sakpata maker disorder and

deduces his character as "foreign."

Abla is meji Sakpata. Before we did not say Sakpata they said Azon (az n "disease"). Azon and is in the bush. There

was a man, a slave buyer, who left Aja. On his way he meets the father and mother of Azon who sell him their

child. The buyer of slaves brought Azon in him and gives him a hoe and a plot of land to work. Azon but does not work,

it does not plow, no weeds and when given any kind of food he does not eat, he does not swallow as grilled corn. Time

passed and Azon still did nothing, his boss said, it was sent to the fields and it does not matter, what is it worth now?

And got angry, he hits Azon. Azon and said: Ouch! That is why now when the followers of Sakpata will be owned they

say Ouch! After Ouch had pushed Azon, all children two or three years began to have measles, and seniors have had

smallpox. So the whole village began to shake, everyone was worried and said, what's wrong? We must go to see

Fa! Fa and told them you have offended someone who is a voodoo. They asked but what person? Could this be the

slave who is in the house? Is this him? Fa and said yes. What should he do now? questioning the villagers. Fa said: We

found Abla meji must let him go. The villagers went to find Azon was singing a song:

The fire went to Aja

Aja It was on that set fire

Does Aja can do that to Azon?

When he had finished his song The village chief told him he could leave and go home. Azon then returned to her

parents and told his father as you sold me, I messed with them to return home. Since that time we called

Sakpata. After we started to prepare sheets and healing came. How Azon had behaved and had done all this mess

showed qu'Azon her father was not her children and should be separated from his brothers. So Aja got angry and gave

the child to Kajanu. Aja's not like Sakpata Sakpata is for Kajanu (Nagos originating Badagry)

In Ouidah, the most powerful god of smallpox, called Houessi is an ancient deity Xweda, including Christian

Merlo reported that the main temple was in Peda-Tori. When Agadja 11 conquered the city, the king wanted

to take Houessi and high priest (the Houessinon) in Abomey, but "came to Cana, the fetish was such a

'disturbance' qu'Agadja 'recognizing that Houessi was stronger than him 'gave him to return. " He adds that

Houessi, "which is a Sakpata (smallpox) is not less, himself a Dangbe, Dangbe-Houessi, spotted

python." (Merlo, 1940: 19)

If, because of the social disruption that would cause epidemics, it is easy to understand that the gods of

smallpox may be associated with ideas of disorder and 'noise', their connection to the land is much less

obvious.Contrary to Herskovits who does not hesitate to denounce what the error assimilation Sakpata the

only smallpox into the writings of the researchers who worked in Yoruba in Nigeria 13 , a track on the nature

of the "earth" which is associated Sakpata is provided by studies Shoponno (named Shopona Shakpana or in

different places) the Yoruba god of smallpox, which is generally accepted that his Sakpata are avatars. As his

Sakpata Shoponno receives the securities master of the earth, earthly king, king of the world, but it is also

called "hot earth." Various authors have noted the link Sakpata / Shoponno with heat 14 and the fact that

smallpox epidemics were particularly feared the end of the dry season. AD Buckley (1985) has attempted to

show that various statements 15 about Shoponno: that the wrath of God that is triggered when you pour

water on earth, it is not only responsible for smallpox, but also a kind of madness, and finally that it is

forbidden to drum and dance spreads when a smallpox epidemic, within a single paradigm of Yoruba thought

about difficult balance to be struck between secrecy and revelation. Follow his reasoning regarding the "hot

land". Studies show that as Buckley Yoruba designs the world is ruled by a structure of colors. The earth is

red, the sky and the rain comes in are white. Covering the redness of the earth, there is a layer of black soil

that hides from view when away from the cover, white rain mixes with the red soil, the soil is fertile. When,

as is common in the dry season, the fields are exposed to sun and warm wind, the red earth is no longer

hidden by the black soil cracks, whatever then the amount of rain that falls, the remain sterile soil. The

structure of the colors found in the design of the human body, as the darkness of the soil provides the

necessary discretion away from where the red earth and white rain may mix so fertile, black skin of the

mother provides shelter behind which the menstrual blood of the mother and the white seed of man can be

mixed to give a child. In a more general way, the body is designed as a mixture of red and white substances

in a black skin that conceals. Smallpox is the presence of red and white stains on the surface of the skin, in

terms of the paradigm of colors, red and hidden by black skin white were revealed. During the dry season,

when Shoponno threat, red earth already emerges from the muck, but the real danger comes from the red

earth mixed with water outside the black soil cover. Just like the red and white will mix with the soil surface,

red and white patches of smallpox will appear on the skin of one who has angered the god pouring water,

unless the soothes uttering the phrase "Forgive me, master outside. "The red and white are the colors

Shoponno, but they are also the colors of Ifa Orisha of divination. Continuing his analysis of other cities and

the parallel lines between Ifa and Shoponno, Buckley shows that if Ifa, is able to reveal this secret is a

dangerous way but certainly controlled and ritualized that restores peace and health Shoponno is a god who

shamelessly remains the world, the earth and human facades that hide their secrets, engaged in sterility,

madness and death.

Our own observations on the cult of Sakpata carried Savalou, like other commonly reported in the literature

confirm that this god is to understand this line of thought rather than in a Foodland designed by Herskovits.

The practice of voodoo worship is characterized by the possession in which the practitioner identifies with his

voodoo and plays, and a long introduction that allows the novice to learn the language, songs, dances that

characterize the god who was elected, and adopts a "second personality" in the words of

P. Orchard. Whatever the circumstances that led you to this or that person to become a follower of voodoo,

his initiation begins with the "death" marks the breaking of the novice with his old life.Generally, during a

public ceremony before the time of initiation, those of you who have been previously designated to become

followers will fall lifeless and will be brought into the "convent" hunkpm where their initiation begin. The cult of Sakpata has the distinction of staging public this "death" and a first resurrection prior to initiation. The

literature has many descriptions of this ritual which differs from one place to another by details16 . A few

days after the disappearance of the imptrante 17 , assistance meets on a square near the convent. Mottled

mat black, white and red was placed in a space devoted by several sacrifices. "Helpers" hundeva do pass the

"body" of the novice, wrapped in a shroud over the wall of the convent, the focus on the place and lay on the

mat. The "insiders" sakpatas kneeling massage the body with water where liturgical macerated leaves and

remove the shroud. Various devices (worms, rotten meat) are often added to the realism of the scene. The

"high priest Sakpata" sakpatan who presided over the ceremony harangue the novice, ordered him to return to life and called seven times. The body of the novice moves, the joy of the audience erupts. The novice gets

up staggering, she is supported by her companions. A procession is formed which brings her home to the

convent.The ritual will be repeated as many times as there are new followers.Commenting on a series of

photos that reveals a scene of this type, G.Rouget (2001) questioned extensively on the ideas of honesty and

deception, but the important question is not it, then all Vodun "kill" and "resurrect" their future followers in

secret convent, why Sakpata is it the only publicly revealed that voodoo that gesture? No consideration on

earth and fertility allows them respond while it becomes clear if we admit that the symbolism of Sakpata for

a game between secrecy and revelation.

What Sakpata shows what should remain hidden explicit also the insolence of sakpatas. Numerous authors

have noted that the songs sakpatas were often satirical and contained parts improvised as circumstances

where followers make fun of people who attend their dances. Pierre Verger was in the experience rating a

song where sakpatas mock him, saying,

when you come to a country you need to know to speak the language that he does not know yet

how it is curious to watch.

(Orchard, 1957: 244)

The sakpatas are also known to incorporate into their dance sequences where some of them, dressed in rags

and walking squatting, perform somersaults and roll on the ground by sprinkling dust. This, I observed

Savalou during annual ceremonies, is also described in Abomey Claude Savary and says this scene:

They [the dancers] and demonstrate that the voodoo Sakpata is the deity of the earth, the

image of fertility because it is the earth that men derive their food, but also the image of death

because that's where return men after death.

(Savary, 1976: 182).

The scene that I observed was a grotesque, posturing dancers were laughing assistance, and rather than evoking a deified

earth, I am tempted to see these dances in a grotesque reminder of prostration in dust that would run any Person in the

presence of the king, because, beyond the insolence Sakpata and his followers did not hesitate to denounce the absurdity of

power. The song already quoted statement by Pierre Verger in the colonial era, said that officials came together Europeans

and continues:

We believed that the government would tell us important words. It was in vain, the whites have

enjoyed watching us and shoot us. (Orchard, 1957: 244)

A Savalou people who attend the annual voodoo parties have the right to photograph or film the dances if

they bought a "license" (expensive) sold by the king, who is still regarded as the supreme head of all Vodun

of the city.Nevertheless sakpatas, despising the royal permission, oppose what the photograph and laugh

assistance by shining it on a small cardboard box for a singer photographer. A tale of Fa collected Savalou

reports:

Gu was with her child in a house on the road. There was also Sakpata who stood up to take a

trip with all her children. Along the way, as the rain threatened Sakpata and children, arrived at

the home of Gu, ask her permission to enter and shelter until the end of the shower. Then

Sakpata addresses Gu saying: Thank you, if it was not you, the rain would wet myself and my

children. Gu replied: That's what I did there that will make tomorrow I will not live. Sakpata

asks: What did you do? Gu said thatM t lofi [the king in the story of Fa] was forbidden to build houses for shelter, he is summoned to be tried and if it is not a secret, tomorrow, eight hours

will not pass without anyone to pick him up for the kill. Sakpata says he will stay with him and

tomorrow he will accompany his trial. At eight o'clock they came, there was a large crowd. Some

members of the royal family said he should dig a big hole and bury Gu because he did not follow

the law. Others said, should a fire and put it inside. M t lofi stood up and said: Whoever said that one should light a fire and put inside Gu has spoken, this is what we must do because, I have

made the law and Gu has not respected. We go get some wood! When M t lofi said that, everyone applauded. Sakpata then stood up and said: What Gu did for that we should

burn? Someone answered: The king shall construct for shelter and Gu did! Sakpata wonder if the

king is in a house, the same person responds: Yes, Mawu who gave him this right. So Sakpata

said: Is that the king has two heads to stay in a room when others are forced to stay in the

sun? What formalities must I meet for the right to shelter? That nobody touches Gu! The king is

responsible for his kingdom, but I am responsible for all the voodoo! So Sakpata asked Gu to get

up and stand in front of him, it is from there that everyone began to build houses to stay

inside.This is the good Sakpata did.

Sakpata shows that the king is naked, and reveals the power in his arbitrary as it can make the barren land

by exposing to view the secret mechanism of fertility. In this sense Sakpata has a connection to the land, but

not that many anthropologists believed Dahomey see.

The most fervent advocates of the theory of a god of the earth Sakpata generally claim that smallpox is a

second award of this deity while it is yet the only one reported in the ancient sources and the only remaining

in the Americas where slaves brought this god. And it has not lost its relevance.When in 1980. WHO declared

smallpox eradicated smallpox vaccination and suspended on a global scale, there were many in the medical

community Benin those worried about the power enthusiasts Sakpata found themselves becoming the sole

owners of the virus strain 18 . Despite the title of "master of the earth" which awarded him not to

irritate. Sakpata can actually be considered as in the villages where the founder of the lineage known among

his clan deities and managed to impose the cult of its own gods to the rest of the population. The many

contradictions and questions raised by the observation of rituals dedicated to her not solve or by Sakpata the

god of the earth, nor by making only one of smallpox. By cons, if, following the demonstration of Buckley, it

is assumed that Sakpata as Shopono Yoruba god who is angry when the secrets and reveals the hidden side

of things, smallpox, and the sterility of the land become two aspects of the same structure based on color

theory.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

AUGE, Marc The God Object, 1988, Paris, Flammarion.

BARBER, Karin, 1981, "How man makes God in West Africa: Yoruba attitudes: towards the Orisa , " Africa, 51 (3): 725-745.

BAY, Edna G. , 1998 Wiwes of the Leopard, Charlottesville and London, University of Virginia Press.

BUCKLEY, AD, 1985, "The God of Smallpox: Aspects of Yoruba Religious Knowledge", Africa, Vol 55, No. 2: 187-200.

FUGLESTAD, Finn, 1977, "Some thoughts on the history and institutions of the ancient kingdom of Dahomey and its neighbors," Bulletin of VIF AN, T. 39.Series B, No. 3.

HERSKOVITS , M. I, 1938, Dahomey: An Ancient West African Kingdom, 2 vols.New York, JJ Augustin.

ISERT, Paul Erdman, 1989 Travel to Guinea and the Caribbean Islands inAmerica. Paris. Karthala, [first French edition in 1793].

THE RUFFLES, A., 1911 The ancient kingdom of Dahomey, Paris, Larose.

MERCIER, Paul, 1962, Civilizations of Benin, Paris, Continental Corporation modern illustrated editions.

MERLO, Christian, 1940, "fetish hierarchy Ouidah," Bulletin of the IFAN. 2/1-2: 1-84.

MONDJANNAGNI Alfred Comlan, 1977, Campaigns and cities south of the People's Republic of Benin, Paris, Mouton.

ROUGET, Gilbert, 2001 Initiation Vodun, Saint-Maur, Editions Sepia.

SAULNIER, Pierre, 2002, The Sakpata voodoo god of the earth, SMA (Society of African Missions).

SAVARY, Claude, 1976, The symbolic thinking Fon of Dahomey, Thesis, University of Neuchtel, Geneva, Editions Medicine and Hygiene.

SERPOS TIJANI, A., 1993 (the re 1950 ed.), "Rituals" in Vodun, Paris, Presence Africaine: 87-94.

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NOTES

1 In the countries of the Gulf of Benin, but also in Brazil and Haiti.

2 On these issues see Auge 1988, Barber 1981.3 Skertchly was an entomologist, came to study the fauna of the coast of Africa, which was held against his will eight months in Abomey by King Glele. His observations are often accurate and relevant.4 In French in the text, unless otherwise indicated translations are ours.5 These pots with holes (ajalalazn) that characterize Sakpata altars are designed in ordinary life to carry embers or smoke fish.6 The translation of Pierre Verger (1957).7 These securities are not specific Sakpata "king of the world" and "king of gems" are also often used for Dan rainbow sky.8 is found in the book of Pierre Saulnier (2002) A brief review of the literature on ethnographic Sakpata.9 is Kpengla II (1775-1789), Agonglo (1789-1797) and Gezo (1858-1889).According to E. Bay Kpengla Gezo and would have died in the war, it had also registered smallpox in the face and had to be immunized against the disease. It is very likely qu'Agonglo was poisoned as a result of a conspiracy.10 P. Orchard reported that the founder of the kingdom Savalon had, during its migration, met Kajanu lineages that followed up by taking Savalou their patron god Sakpata Agbosu, which is still the main Sakpata city. (Orchard, 1957: 240)11 Agaja (1708-1728), King of Danxome who conquered the kingdoms of Allada and Ouidah.12 Merlo lists more that analysis, however, at no time does not indicate a link Sakpata or Houessi with the earth.13 "This confusion is particularly evident in the literature on Nigeria where researchers have struggled to understand the cult Shokpono the deity associated with smallpox but, as in Dahomey, is the god of the earth. , "He writes, (Note. T. II, p. 136)14 What also symbolize pierced pottery found on the altars of Sakpata.15 Buckley conducted research mainly in Ibadan, but it also uses a literature of a more general nature.16 Orchard View (1957), Savary (1976) Serpos Tijani (1993 [1950]).17 Today fans are mostly women.18 There is evidence that the former Dahomey knew variolation, technical they may be borrowed from the masters of the Atlantic slave who were practicing on the slaves they boarded. See Isert 1989 [1793

HistorySakpata disruptiveBIBLIOGRAPHYNOTES