The Aziza of the Forest
In the forests of old Dahomey, people said small, kindly beings lived in anthills and silk-cotton trees, and taught hunters the use of fire.
What was reported
In the beliefs of the Fon people of Benin, the land of the old kingdom of Dahomey, the aziza are small forest beings who live in anthills and in the hollows of silk-cotton trees.
They are helpful to people who respect the forest. Hunters who met them might receive gifts of practical and spiritual knowledge, and stories say it was the aziza who first taught people how to use fire.
Explanations offered
The aziza are part of the Vodun religious tradition of Benin, still widely practised. Like the forest spirits of many cultures, they express respect for the wild and its knowledge.
- When
- Told for centuries
- Where
- Abomey, Zou, Benin
- Witnesses
- Fon tradition of Dahomey
- Status
- Legend
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.
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