But during the 18th and early 19th centuries the kingdom was weakened by violent succession struggles between members of the royal dynasty, some of which erupted into civil wars. However, in recent years Brian Jr., who lives near Ennis, Co. Clare became friendly with Mr. Tajudeen Busari, a native of Nigeria, who has been living in Ireland for the past twelve years. The descendants of Benins ruling dynasty still occupy the throne in Benin City (although the present-day oba has only an advisory role in government). I wandered the city's caramel-coloured, sandy streets, noting sumptuous architectural landmarks such as the Portuguese Fort built in 1721 to administer slave transportations, and Afro-Brazilian mansions of emancipated slaves returning from the Americas. Recommended Benin, one of the principal historic kingdoms of the western African forest region (fl. Fr McCawille visited all three searching for any information about the whereabouts of the grave of the late Brian McCormack Snr. I was fleetingly disappointed to discover it was going to be another a Mami Wata ceremony - but not for long. In present-day Benin and Nigeria, Dahomey, a Fon kingdom founded in the seventeenth century, and Oyo, a Yoruba kingdom founded in the fourteenth century, were rival states. and never miss out again. From \"Today In Africa\"Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TRACKSTravelChannel/Content licensed from ZED Media to Little Dot Studios.Any queries, please contact us at: owned-enquiries@littledotstudios.com Iya,as it is popularly called by Binis, is the largest man-made earthworks in the world. Many of them exported their Voodoo culture to colonies such as Brazil and Haiti, and the longer I spent in Ouidah, the more the still thriving undercurrent of spirit-worship began to reveal itself. The spiritual world of Benin peoples is densely populated with spirits and ancestors. Company's registered office address is NO. In human cultures in general, and perhaps particularly in Africa, the landscape is the first shrine of tradition. However, upon further inspection, they realized there were clear patterns in the architecture and the actual layout of the city. Two brothers, Joe and Ger, and a sister, Eileen Irwin, still reside in Castlebar. Incredibly, he met one man who felt sure that in those days Europeans were buried in a cemetery close to the former Police Station. Dr. Guillory's upcoming book draws on years of archival research, ethnographic observation, and oral history interviews to . The palace, which was declared one of Nigeria 's UNESCO Listed Heritage sites in 1999, is an architectural wonder. Prior to the year 900, the location of today's Benin City was a dense and inhospitable rainforest. The messages that mediums claimed to receive were examined in order to build theoretical constructs for explaining how spirit contact could occur. From the sand dunes of Mauritania to the currents of River Senegal, to the Lions of the Beninese savannah to the spirits of the forests of Gabon, this series explores the origin, the nature and the survival of deep links between several populations in West Africa and their habitat.Each episode takes us to discover an emblematic landscape: the river (Senegal), the desert (Mauritania), the forest (Gabon) and the savannah (Benin). Some mediums worked while in a trancelike state, and some claimed to be the catalyst for various paranormal physical phenomena (including the materializing or moving of objects) through which spirits announce their presence. The kingdom of Benin (in present-day Nigeria) was plunged into a state of turmoil at the end of the fifteenth century when the oba (king) Ozolua died and left two powerful sons to dispute succession. It predates the use of modern earth-moving equipment or technology in these. Before the Mass Brian placed a laminated photo of his father and a card from his mother on the grave. Many divination practices are connected to religious traditions, but they are also used to glean insight into all aspects of daily life. Voodoo spirituality, known in Ghana as Vodun, is one of them. - People who are frustrated with chronic or recurring problems, - People who don't like to take medication, - People who have been in prolonged forms of treatment without much result, - People who are emotionally suffering and are unable to understand the source of their unhappiness, confusion, or anxiety, - Universal energy or spiritual force (non-religious) can be directed by intention, - When focused on the human body, via the aura (human energy field), it raises the spiritual vibrations of that person, improving health that allows your highest nature to unfold, - For optimum healing, repeated treatments are needed to overcome the bodys inertia. Spiritualism in Benin What is Spiritualism? spiritualist synonyms, spiritualist pronunciation, spiritualist translation, English dictionary definition of spiritualist. - Every human soul survives the death of the body and enters a spirit-world that surrounds This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/place/Benin-historical-kingdom-West-Africa, Art and Life in Africa - University of Iowa Museum of Art - Benin Kingdom, World History Encyclopedia - Kingdom of Benin, The British Museum - Benin: an African kingdom, Humanities LibreTexts - Kingdom of Benin (1180 CE 1897 CE), kingdom of Benin - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). According to Koffi Thomas Akossi, a diviner in Ouidah, Benin, a diviner is like a guide. 5.6K views 2 years ago The GeoEx trip, "Mystical West Africa" visits Ouidah, in Benin, considered the spiritual capital of African voodoo. Its numerous craftsmen were organized into guilds, and the kingdom became famous for its ivory and wood carvers. Read about our approach to external linking. Get the very best of Wanderlustby signing up to our newsletters, full of travel inspiration, fun quizzes, exciting competitions and exclusive offers. The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user. Benin: City of tradition and culture - Vanguard News He spent the next two days with his friend, Tajudeen who is a Muslim, tidying up the grave and painting it. However, my next destination, Chatwin's occult capital Ouidah, promised something a little morenoire. In 2020, the Smithsonian Folklife Festival will feature a program about the West African nation of Benin and how communities connect to their environment through spirituality and traditional knowledge. Although rumors suggest a portion of one of the walls remains intact, hidden in the Nigerian bush, it is unlikely as there was no effort to preserve or restore any of the remnants left standing following the Punitive Expedition. Larger gatherings were held for public demonstrations of spirit contact and psychic phenomena. Juju - Wikipedia Frenzied drumming ushered the Egungun into the compound. They started to swop stories and mention of his dads death in Nigeria all those years ago nurtured in Brians mind the desire to locate his fathers grave. Roman Catholicism is by far the largest religious group in Benin and is followed closely by Islam and Vodun. However, just when it seemed unlikely that he would find the grave he wandered into Holy Cross Cathedral (where Brians Funeral Mass had taken place nearly 56 years before) compound to talk to some of the older members (parishioners), hoping that one of them might have some recollection of what cemetery was in use at the time. As reported by Google Arts and Culture, Oba Ewuape faced harsh criticism and rebellion from the kingdom and chiefs almost immediately after his appointment. Remi, a local guide, showed me the marketplace where slavers bartered 15 male Africans for one cannon. Nor does he take advantage of the royal bathhouse where two new queens were once prepared for the reigning monarch every 21 days, or the mysterious chambre noire where successive rulers consulted the spirits about their destiny. First National Spiritual Assembly of Nigeria, 1970. - Ramandeep Kaur Cheema. Contrary to the British troops' description of the Benin Kingdom, other visitors described the city as civilized and clean. Vodun majorly concentrates on spirits and divine elements that rule the earth, deities which govern human society and natural forces as well as spirits of individual trees, streams and rocks and defenders of a certain nation, clan or tribe. I raised my camera but several men with panic-stricken expressions warned me not to. For those who have lost their faith in traditional Christianity, spiritualists have offered a new religion based not on an ancient tradition but on facts that apparently can be observed by anyone. Benin: A Country Armed With Powerful Spirituality - YouTube The Non-Catholic Christians in Benin include Jehovah's Witness, Rosicrucians, Methodists, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Unification Church, Assemblies of God, Seventh-day Adventist, Celestial Christians, and Baptists. What Is The Difference Between Catholic And Christian? The residents also participated in Benin City's prosperous trade market. Ouidah's market sells grotesque ritualistic accoutrements used in ceremonies. : WELCOME TO EEK OF SPIRITUAL EMPHASIS | THURSDAY | 08-04-2021 His twosons, Paul, born in December 1951 and his younger brother, Brian, born in November 1953, just after his father had gone to Nigeria, were not old enough to fully understand the circumstances surrounding their dads death at the age of 37. The practices or doctrines of those holding such a belief. St. Joseph Catholic Church On a high, I headed north to Abomey the next day. A core belief of spiritualism is that individuals survive the deaths of their bodies by ascending into a spirit existence. Spiritual Healer - Native doctor - Self-employed | LinkedIn shouted Remi above the cacophony. Seated in a padded armchair, wearing a blue skullcap, white tunic and chequered sarong, his majesty recounted his royal predecessors back to 1620 and in the spirit ofentente cordialewe discussed subjects as diverse as the Channel Tunnel and Concorde's demise. Women painting voodoo symbols in a Benin village (Shutterstock). Each home was also outfitted with a well, which provided the family with fresh water. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Some Egungun whirled like dervishes, green, silver and yellow capes creating spinning circles. Before long, Remi and I were pinned against a wall by a hulking Egungun. Benin, one of the principal historic kingdoms of the western African forest region (fl. I'd come to see two surviving Unesco-listed Dahomian palaces: the 19th-century mud-walled palaces of Kings Ghezo and Glele, both packed with wonderfully macabre artefacts. Divination practices typically conclude with a sacrifice. Megan Grabill is a research intern at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival and an anthropology and comparative studies major at Oberlin College. I asked him if he worshipped Voodoo? His son Esigie controlled Benin City, while another son, Arhuaran, was based in the equally important city of Udo about twenty miles away. The palace, which is centrally situated at the heart of the city, was erected by . Kings are ten-a-penny in Benin although, as museum guide Mireille explained, Benin's monarchy endured a hiatus during French colonisation in the 1890s and its 30-year flirtation with Communism. The Gate of No Return in Ouidah, Benin (Shutterstock). However, prior to 1897, the network of walls was nearly 10,000 miles in total length and enclosed more than 4.000 square miles of land. If they fail to work in unison, any one of these can place stress on the other parts so the healer, client and spirit all work in harmony to restore the proper flow of energy. Culturally diverse, Benin's people follow a diverse mix of Christian, Muslim and West African traditional beliefs. Just like most nominal Muslims, some nominal Christians also practice traditional local religious beliefs. Amid pandemonium, the lady serving my meal screamed, ducked under my table and grabbed my legs. In a trance, they laughed and howled as priests blessed a pot of water. I lost all my hopes getting rid of this . McGlinchy remained at the helm of spiritual affairs of the Parish until October 1978 when Fr. With this knowledge I headed to Porto Novo, a lagoon-facing former French colonial city of 350,000 people, 40-minutes drive from busy Cotonou, and on the flat coastal plain of south Benin's Voodoo heartland. Across the Atlantic, Fon, Yoruba, and other African systems of belief mixed with colonially imposed Catholicism, particularly by combining Roman Catholic saints and Fon vodun/Yoruba orisha, thereby enabling enslaved people to covertly continue their religious practices. A harmonious female choir sang beautifully and gyrated before the head priest who sat with an ivory cane beneath an inflatable Santa Claus. In 2016, the population of Benin City was estimated to be 1,500,000. Visiting a Voodoo Priest near Ouidah, Benin | GeoEx - YouTube The kingdoms prosperity declined with the suppression of the slave trade, and, as its territorial extent shrank, Benins leaders increasingly relied on supernatural rituals and large-scale human sacrifices to protect the state from further territorial encroachment. Religious leaders suggested a human sacrifice would help restore order to the kingdom. Spiritual guidance questions and answer sessions by Dr. James L. Thompkins and Dr. Leon Moss: Dr. Leon Moss : www.holy-tab: Spiritual: Iam Ubuntu: I am Ubuntu Ministry is available for the community for worship service. Fathers Conlon and Kennedy now live at the SMA House, Wilton, Cork. After the Mass he carried a memento from the grave and the candle used during the Mass back to Ireland with him. Email powered by MailChimp (Privacy Policy, Terms of Use), Living traditions of, by, and for the people. See the complete profile on LinkedIn and discover Spiritual's connections and jobs at similar companies. Historically, spiritualism was organized in small groups that conducted sances, or meetings for spirit communication. His two sons, Paul, born in December . As reported by The Guardian, the residents were likely active in the evenings, as the streets were outfitted with street lights fueled with palm oil. The Guardian reports residents kept their homes extraordinarily clean. AI chatbots 'may soon be more intelligent than us', Russia troop deaths hit 20,000 in five months - US, France May Day protests leave dozens of police injured, 'My wife and six children joined Kenya starvation cult', Cat-and-mouse chase with China in hotly contested sea, On board the worlds last surviving turntable ferry. was then in Rome receiving his faculties as the Local Ordinary of Benin City. Fa diviner Koffi Akossa uses chains of kola nut pieces and other materials to gain insight into clients situations. As part of the healing process, some healers use touch while others will have their hands a few inches away from the clients body or will simply sit opposite their client. Stay tuned for more research and stories from the program. Is climate change killing Australian wine? Brian McCormack and his friend Tajudeen Busari arrived in Benin City on Sunday, 7th March and visited the grave the next day. The Voodoo spiritual world consists of Mahou, the supreme being and about 100 divinities - or Voodoos - who represent different phenomena, such as war and blacksmiths (Gou), illness, healing and earth (Sakpata), storms, lightning and justice (Heviosso) or water (Mami Wata).
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