Out of all of the research I did on Benin, my favorite was learning about the legend of Benin’s fearless female warriors, who inspired the Dora Milaje, the all-women army in the fictional African nation of Wakanda in “Black Panther.”
In the Kingdom of Dahomey, now in present-day Benin, there was an all-female army known as the Dahomey Warriors. The Dahomey Warriors were traditionally called the N’Nonmiton, which means “our mothers” in Fon, the language of the Fon people of Dahomey. Some European historians called them the Dahomey Amazons as they reminded them of the mystical and powerful all women’s army called Amazons in Greek mythology.
After we read about the Dahomey Warriors, and watched scenes with the Dora Milaje in “Black Panther,” we crafted our own metallic armor breastplate using a paper grocery bag, decorative items, and aluminum foil. It was a super easy craft, and looks very regal, just like the Dahomey Warriors themselves! The adornments on the clothing and armor of the Dahomey Warriors were symbols of distinction within the Dahomey military and can be found in several historical depictions of the Dahomey Warriors.
We also watched a beautiful presentation by Towara Benin of adjogan dance using the alounloun, a Beninese musical instrument. The alounloun is a stick with metallic rings attached, which jingle in time with the beating of the stick, established for the royal court in present-day Porto-Novo, the capital of Benin. It was initially a symbol of the king’s power that was later transformed into a musical instrument, and it became a tradition to use the alounloun to honor eminent officials in the royal court.
We ended our travels in Benin by eating homemade pureed black-eyed peas and viewing a portrait series entitled Girls by artist Denisse Ariana Perez. The pictures of the girl with the orange view were taking in Benin. It is so vibrant! Enache Nuwe, Benin! Cambodia is next!
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