spiritualist in benin city

Larger gatherings were held for public demonstrations of spirit contact and psychic phenomena. Ewuare also rebuilt the capital (present-day Benin City), endowing it with great walls and moats. According to Bacon, the town was rife with "crucifixions, human sacrifices, and every horror the eye could get accustomed to blood was everywhere; smeared over bronzes, ivory, and even the walls." As reported by The Guardian, the walls were largely destroyed during the Benin Punitive Expedition of 1897, and no known trace of the walls remain in the modern Benin City. View the profiles of professionals named "Spiritual Healer" on LinkedIn. Vodun is the center of the religious life and has female priesthood which can be hereditary being passed down from mother to daughter. The client purchases ingredients as determined by the diviner, and the diviner prepares and executes the sacrifice, accompanied by sung and chanted prayer. Benin's constitution provides for freedom of religion which is also respected by the government. No solid information emerged. In halcyon times, Abomey was capital of the feared Dahomey Kingdom (Benin's former name). As reported by The Guardian, Benin city was virtually free from crime, and its residents never went hungry. The belief that the dead communicate with the living, as through a medium. Benin: A Country Armed With Powerful Spirituality Fundraiser TRACKS - Travel Documentaries 564K subscribers 979K views 11 months ago In human cultures in general, and perhaps particularly in. "The power of Mawa-Lissa (Voodoo's Supreme Being) sent Fa to earth as a medium to answer questions about the future," Yvette told me, also describing how the medium casts his beads into one of 256 positions that he then interprets as the word of his god. shouted Remi above the cacophony. 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. Here, members of the Bah' community are working together with their . Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Apostle Samuel E. Agbonifo 1970 -1992 . One of the most notorious of Benin City's sacrifices was Queen Iden, who was the wife of Oba Ewuape. Religious leaders suggested a human sacrifice would help restore order to the kingdom. Across Africa, the practice of divination is a way of knowing that is widely used and . Real changes may unfold in your life during the weeks after your sessions. His body was brought back to Agenebode where he received the Sacrament of Extreme Unction. Tempers rose. Her tomb is still displayed near the Oba market in Benin City. People come to diviners for a medley of reasons, ranging from physical ailments to social or spiritual troubles. Spiritualism in Benin is a religious movement based on the belief that departed souls can interact with the living. Residents also appointed judges or moderators to settle disputes and to maintain overall civility. Its door was firmly shut. The Slave Trade, Depopulation and Human Sacrifice in Benin History. Barefoot, I stepped onto a putrefying mound of candle wax, palm oil and the feathers and blood of sacrificed goats and chickens. The other form of Fa divination involves fadekwin, or the sixteen sacred palm nuts. 135 views, 6 likes, 0 loves, 2 comments, 2 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from Living Faith Church, GRA. About 17% of the population of Benin practices West African Vodun. May Brian Senior rest in peace until the day of the Resurrection. Those for whom materialistic ways of thinking have precluded belief in a life after death have been given a new hope of immortality. The sign is determined by the diviner and named aloud, solidifying the results. Mr Yaseen, a spiritualist with the highest level of Knowledge. The funeral Mass took place on 22nd March, 1954 at Holy Cross Cathedral. This is one of Beninese Voodoo's most explosive events, where departed ancestral spirits take the form of humans in order to impart wisdom and justice to the living. Brian served the Mass mindful of the fact that his father Brian, Sr. had also served Mass every day on board the ship, the Aureol, which had brought him to Nigeria in the company of many Irish missionaries. 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. And, hurrah, Voodoo-dolls were tucked into their sarongs, each representing the number of deities they individually worshipped. Later that afternoon, Yvette and I travelled byzemidjan(motorbike-taxi) to Manikpe Tolapata temple, ten minutes outside Porto Novo. McCawille in the cemetery on Wednesday, 10th March, to which all those local people who had helped in finding the grave were invited. The Republic of Benin is a West African country that is bordered by Niger, Burkina Faso, Togo, and Nigeria. Rituals, related to the Benin cosmic view form an intrinsic part of life. After two days in a taxi with a driver called Filbert, the coastal plain subsided to a rippling landscape of green bush and ochre roads, studded by granite hills. If you or someone you know is struggling with their mental health, drawing on spiritual energies or forces through spiritual healing in Benin can be extremely beneficial. Tel: 0044 2079 939 017. 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Copyright 2023 - Yasseen Spiritualist - All rights reserved. After communing directly with the powerful Dankoli fetish, a further half-day's drive north at Savalou, Filbert and I returned south for my last day in Benin. It was registered on 19 Jul 2016 and it's current status is unknown. Christianity is the largest religion in Benin, with substantial populations of Muslims and adherents of traditional faiths. For all of us gathered around the grave it was a rare moment of great celebration and intense joy. Top 10 Alcohol Consuming Countries In The World, Protestantism and Other Forms of Non-Catholic Christianity, West African Folk Religions and Traditional Beliefs other than Vodun, Eckankar, Baha'i Faith, and Other Beliefs. - Greater sense of connection to the Universe, - Stress-relief, such as lightening burdens. 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. Just like most nominal Muslims, some nominal Christians also practice traditional local religious beliefs. There are three major public cemeteries in Benin City. Spiritualism in Benin What is Spiritualism? Initially, Europeans who visited the city described it as "disorganized." VideoOn board the worlds last surviving turntable ferry, Indian officials wife distraught as his killer is freed, I didnt think make-up was made for black girls, Why there is serious money in kitchen fumes. Although spiritualist practices have been motivated by mere curiosity and fascination with the supernatural, they have also been driven by more serious concerns about the fate of the human soul. 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). In a shady woodland glade before the charred tree-stump fetish, adorned with jawbones, I hammered a wooden peg into the gooey shrine. Spiritual music, lyrics, and videos from Benin City, NG on ReverbNation The subject of Brians sudden death so far from home was scarcely ever mentioned over the years. R.I.P. the actual grave was located. As reported by BBC, their newly formed kingdom, Igodomigodo, was ruled by kings who were called Ogisos, or "rulers of the sky.". Brian began his quest for information about the whereabouts of the grave by contacting the Colonial Office in London. Women painting voodoo symbols in a Benin village (Shutterstock). Benin's Catholic hierarchy includes the Archdiocese of Cotonou which consists of the Dassa-Zoume, Lokossa, Abomey, Porto Novo Dioceses and the Parakou composed of the Natitingou, Djougou, N'dali and Kandi Dioceses. The city is also linked by roads to Sapele, Siluko, Okene, and Ubiaja and is served by air and the Niger River delta ports of Koko and Sapele. On a high, I headed north to Abomey the next day. i am a herbal Doctor and also a spell caster i cure people of their incurable disease and also i hel Dr Susan Oduwa voodoo and herbal temple | Bnin 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. A dancer at Benin Voodoo Festival (Shutterstock). Email powered by MailChimp (Privacy Policy, Terms of Use), Living traditions of, by, and for the people. The Benin Empire was ultimately destroyed during the Benin Punitive Expedition of 1897. He explained that diviners can save lives by solving both spiritual and physical problems. Spiritualist belief developed during the early decades of the movement. People wearing masks during the Egungun Ceremony, Benin (Shutterstock). The Gate of No Return in Ouidah, Benin (Shutterstock). The Guinness Book of Records noted Benin's walls were "the world's largest earthworks prior to the mechanical era.". Also basic to spiritualist practice is spirit healing. Among the precursors of spiritualism was the Magnetist movement, which had grown out of the magnetic healing theories of Franz Anton Mesmer. Brian, Sr. was born in 1917 into a family of 9 boys and 5 girls. Some Voodoo priests use herbs to cure the sick - and possibly to poison enemies. Masked participants of the Egungun Ceremony, Benin (Shutterstock). Black Past reports Benin City is once again thriving. At one stage he was told by one of the local church members that he was engaged in an impossible task. 13th19th century). Various chronic, recurring, or nagging conditions can be healed or greatly relieved by the more subtle processes of spiritual healing. A persons condition after death is directly related to the moral quality of his human existence. While we spoke, local television showed a wild-eyed man carrying a slaughtered goat's head in his mouth by its severed neck ligaments. Report this . Spiritual healing can be very empowering for the client, as there is a desire on the healers part to enable each person to heal themselves. Protestantism and other Non-Catholic Christians in Benin account for 16% of the population. The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes. 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. Each of these corresponds with a du sign, which has a specific name and directs the diviner to a verse from the Odu Ifa, a body of divinatory literature that is typically passed down orally. Beninese worship a pantheon of Voodoo deities and with a good guide and a few financial inducements, authentic ceremonies can be witnessed all year round. As he told me about Voodoo's living dead we consumed Johnny Walker whisky. Female leadership and business management has been essential in the history of these churches. - These souls can communicate with the material world as spiritualists believe that Islam in Benin accounts for 24% of the population. 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. The book also alleges, "There is little doubt that human sacrifices were an integral part of the Benin state religion from the very early days.". On a side street in Mgomilite district, crowds assembled by an abandoned petroleum tanker. was then in Rome receiving his faculties as the Local Ordinary of Benin City. In Benin, Fa is predominantly associated with two ethnic groups, the Fon and the Yoruba. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). 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. Get the very best of Wanderlustby signing up to our newsletters, full of travel inspiration, fun quizzes, exciting competitions and exclusive offers. King Ghezo's intricately carved throne rests upon four skulls of rival chiefs while beyond all taste (amid fine Portuguese silks and British cut-glass decanters) is a royal flywhisk assembled from a human cranium attached to a horsetail. JOSEPH CATHOLIC CHURCH BENIN CITY (1941 - 2021) ST. . Animals are often sacrificed in order to bring good luck. Its numerous craftsmen were organized into guilds, and the kingdom became famous for its ivory and wood carvers. In addition, Brians cousin, who had spent some time in Kenya, advised Brian to contact the Society of African Missions (SMA) in Cork City. These gatherings evolved into the Sunday church services that became common in spiritualist churches in the 20th century. Define spiritualist. Some Egungun whirled like dervishes, green, silver and yellow capes creating spinning circles. Soon, 20 other women were doing the same; a lot of flesh for a modest Englishman. Although it was built after the Punitive Expedition of 1897, Benin's Royal Palace of the Oba is officially listed as one of Nigeria's heritage sites. However, Mr Oriafor graciously assured Fr McCawille that the grass would be cut the next day. According to the most recent 2020 estimate, the population of Benin is 52.2% Christian, 24.6% Muslim, 17.9 Animist and 5.3% follows other faiths or has no religion. Still, it was an enjoyable, melodious, almost gospel affair. He immediately alerted his mother and the extended family by phone to his discovery. In an attempt to bring her husband peace, and secure his position as Oba, Queen Iden offered herself to be sacrificed. Very early in the movement, however, sances featuring more spectacular physical phenomena were conducted, and mediums arose who specialized in such displays. This rivalry resulted in a high degree of religious and cultural exchange between the Fon and Yoruba, with Dahomey making a conscious effort to incorporate Yoruba art, deities, and cultureincluding Ifa divinationinto its existing set of beliefs. But a crushing defeat to the French in 1892 saw most Dahomian palaces razed and the empire destroyed. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. 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). The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user. Remi, a local guide, showed me the marketplace where slavers bartered 15 male Africans for one cannon. At The Tree of Forgetfulness, Remi explained how "slaves would circle nine times to magically forget everything, so they weren't sad in their new lives.". Between 2012 and 2017, the percentage of American adults who meditated rose from 4.1% to 14.2%, according to a 2018 CDC report. 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. Thanks to the kindness and co-operation of the Chief Executive of the Hospitals Management Board, Dr. M. A. Osumah, and the Secretary, Mr Ofure Oriafor, the grave was located. I raised my camera but several men with panic-stricken expressions warned me not to. Across Africa, the practice of divination is a way of knowing that is widely used and widely varied. Their faces were veiled by cowry shell screens. Stay tuned for more research and stories from the program. It remains an important source of palm kernels, palm oil, and lumber. People across West Africa, especially Togo, Ghana and Nigeria hold similar beliefs but in Benin it is recognised as an official religion, followed by some 40% of the population. Culturally diverse, Benin's people follow a diverse mix of Christian, Muslim and West African traditional beliefs. 6 talking about this. Posted By : / how do i access my talk21 email /; Under :eaglestone village lambertville, mieaglestone village lambertville, mi The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. It was a defining and joyous moment. Benin City, also called Edo, capital and largest city of Edo state, southern Nigeria. - Deepening connections with other people, - Seeking greater meaning and purpose in life, - Desiring to make the world a better place, - Asking deep questions about topics such as suffering and what happens after death, - Experiencing compassion and empathy for others, - Experiencing feelings of interconnectedness, - Seeking happiness beyond material possessions or other external rewards, - Less stress, even during difficult times, - Greater capacity to handle stress and stressful situations. He established a hereditary succession to the throne and vastly expanded the territory of the Benin kingdom, which by the mid-16th century extended from the Niger River delta in the east to what is now Lagos in the west. Benin City. 2. As reported by This is Africa, Benin's walls provided a border around the empire and boundaries for its villages for over 400 years before they were destroyed in the British invasion. 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 nuts are tossed and caught systematically, and their positions are recorded on the divination boards, which are covered in a divination powder made of the irosun tree, or another plant powder, such as bamboo. Unlike many western religious beliefs, Yoruba spirituality emphasizes living a good life; reincarnation is part of the process and is something to be looked forward to. That compound is now occupied by Edo State Hospitals Management Board. Support the Folklife Festival, Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, sustainability projects, educational outreach, and more. If an animal, typically a chicken or goat, is called for, its blood is spilled onto the altar of the vodun being invoked, along with other offerings such as palm oil, gin, flour, fruit, kola nuts, and even soda and candy. 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. A core belief of spiritualism is that individuals survive the deaths of their bodies by ascending into a spirit existence. Blood is a nourishing force, one that builds community as it is shared between and among humans and spirits. However, my next destination, Chatwin's occult capital Ouidah, promised something a little morenoire. Although the majority of the population in Benin City describe themselves as Christian, many also believe in the indigenous spiritual customs. As he paraded through a crowd, some people collapsed, shaking like fever-pitched evangelists on American TV. spiritualist in benin citypapa smurf tattoo. View Spiritual Healer's profile on LinkedIn, the world's largest professional community. Benin, one of the principal historic kingdoms of the western African forest region (fl. Chasing a screaming, scattering crowd was a creature maybe 7metreshigh, a masqueraded figure, totally black and oddly tubular. We passed coachloads of white-robed Christians fresh from celebrating the apparition of the Virgin Mary at Dassa-Zoume. Spiritualists sought to make contact with the dead, commonly through the assistance of a medium, which is a person believed to have the ability to contact spirits directly. It predates the use of modern earth-moving equipment or technology in these. - Every human soul survives the death of the body and enters a spirit-world that surrounds Porto Novo's ceremonial king no longer resides inside Honme's maze of red-earthen compounds. Frenzied drumming ushered the Egungun into the compound. Beginning in the 1100s, the Edo people were led by a series of Obas, which remain an important part of Benin City's leadership to this day. The priest later explained, ignoring my question about sticking pins into effigies of your enemies (shame, I'd prepared a list!). In a trance, they laughed and howled as priests blessed a pot of water.

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