Vodun of Benin, explained from the temple
Every entry is written at the temple of Sakété by Wêtê Agbonon, vodun priest and bokonon of the Fâ: signed, dated, and based on named sources. Nothing is sold here. The encyclopedia is written in French; 35 of its entries are already available in English.
35 entries published, 281 sources cited, 10 themes. Last updated on 1 November 2026.
Written at the temple of Sakété by Wêtê AgbononVodun priest and bokonon of the Fâ, at the temple of Sakété
Seen on France 24The next great gathering
The vodun festival, Friday 8 January 2027
With the day before, Thursday 7 January 2027, also a holiday, and the Vodun Days in Ouidah around it.
Word of the day
Nago
The Yoruba of Benin.
In the entry The Egungun, with 91 other words in the index
Start here
New to vodun? Five entries, in the order to read them.
Latest entries 35 entries published
- 035Haitian vodouHaitian vodou and its roots in Benin: the lwa Legba, Danbala and Ogou, its recognition in 2003, possession, and the joint Benin–Haiti UNESCO nomination.
- 034Voodoo and ChristianityVoodoo and Christianity in Benin: families that combine both, the census figures, the Ouidah basilica facing the Temple of Pythons, Mawu, and the tensions.
- 033The voodoo dollThe voodoo doll, a Western myth: its European origins, the confusion with Congo nail figures, and the real statuettes of Beninese vodun.
- 022Vodun, vodou, voodooVodun, vodou or voodoo? The word of Benin’s Gbe languages, its French, Haitian and English forms, the UNESCO bid, and the kinship with Haiti.
- 032What is Vodun?What is vodun, or voodoo? Benin’s religion explained by a bokonon: the vodun, Mawu-Lisa, priests and initiates, its moral code, its place today.
- 031Porto-NovoPorto-Novo, capital of Benin: Gun and Yoruba traditions, King Toffa’s royal palace, its museums, the Zangbéto and the Egungun, and its neighbour Sakété.
Frequently asked questions 185 questions, each with its answer
- Who is Legba in voodoo?Answered in “Legba”
- What is the Fâ?Answered in “What is the Fâ?”
- What is the Temple of Pythons in Ouidah?Answered in “The Temple of Pythons”
- When is the Benin voodoo festival in 2027?Answered in “The Benin voodoo festival”
- What are the Egungun?Answered in “The Egungun”
- Do vodun followers worship their ancestors?Answered in “Ancestor worship”
The themes 35 entries in 10 themes
One stroke for each published entry.
The pantheon at a glance from the creative power to the great powers
A simple reading, in four tiers. The four elements follow Benin’s presentation of vodun to UNESCO: a way in, without confining any vodun to a single function.
The origin
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Nana Buluku The primordial figure, mother of Mawu and Lisa in some traditions
- Mawu-Lisa The creative power: Mawu, the moon and the night; Lisa, the sun and the day
The vodun of the four elements
Passage and destiny
Other great powers
- Gou Iron, work and technique
- Mami Wata A figure of the waters, from another tradition
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Agassou The leopard ancestor of the royal lineages
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Thron The vodun of the kola, from the Ghanaian area
The vodun calendar the great public events
The ceremonies of families and convents are not announced in a public calendar.
- 8 January 2027The vodun festivalAnd the day before, Thursday 7 January 2027, also a holiday.
- 2 to 9 January 2027The Vodun Days in OuidahFourth edition, announced by the official website.
- August 2027Oro in SakétéEvery year in August, with closure periods set by municipal order.
- 2029The great outing of the Egungun of SakétéEvery three years. The last took place in 2026.
The A to Z index 92 words, taken from the glossaries
Each word is linked to the entry that explains it. Choose a letter.
Milestones from 1658 to 2026, six dates out of 28
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1658
A catechism, the Doctrina Christiana, is translated into the language of Allada: one of the oldest texts written in a Gbe language.
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1715
The Fâ is introduced into Dahomey, early in King Agaja’s reign, by a priest of Ifá from Ile-Ife.
Read the entry about 1715 -
1905
The Sakété revolt, the oldest insurrection against colonial rule in Dahomey.
Read the entry about 1905 -
1943
Bernard Maupoil publishes the reference study of the Fâ.
Read the entry about 1943 -
1996
First official celebration of 10 January, the festival of traditional religions.
Read the entry about 1996 -
2026
On 17 March, Benin and Haiti submit a joint nomination to UNESCO for their vodou.
Read the entry about 2026
Vodun on the map
The towns of vodun in southern Benin. A schematic map: the positions are those of the towns. See the full map
Knowing the names of the signs is not knowing the Fâ, just as knowing the alphabet is not knowing a language.
Every entry in English, by theme 35 entries
The vodun 9
Places 6
Rites & festivals 4
Societies 4
The Fâ 3
Images & myths 3
Trance, music & body 2
History 2
Ancestors 1
Vodun & society 1
How the encyclopedia is written
Direct observation
Each entry opens with what is done at the temple of Sakété, kept apart from the written sources.
Named sources
Important statements refer to their source: studies, archives, reference works.
Free reuse
The texts are under the CC BY 4.0 licence: reuse them, citing the source.
The most cited sources 195 references in the bibliography
- HERSKOVITS Melville J., Dahomey: An Ancient West African Kingdom, New York, J. J. Augustin, 1938, 2 vols.cited in 5 entries
- LAW Robin, Ouidah: The Social History of a West African Slaving Port, 1727-1892, Athens (Ohio), Ohio University Press, 2004.cited in 5 entries
- Juno7, « Le Bénin et Haïti unissent leurs forces pour faire inscrire les arts du Vodou à l’UNESCO », March 2026.cited in 4 entries
- MAUPOIL Bernard, La géomancie à l’ancienne Côte des Esclaves, Paris, Institut d’ethnologie, 1943.cited in 4 entries
- Banouto, « Inscription du Vodun au patrimoine immatériel de l’humanité à l’UNESCO : le Bénin renforce ses acteurs », 18 November 2025.cited in 3 entries
Method and corrections, in French
A mistake, a source to suggest? Write to contact@vodunbenin.org.