Image 17 of 71
The son of a King
Winner Shoot the Face
This boy is from the Taneka tribe in Benin. He is the son of a King. Boys remain in their father’s house and only move out after their first son is born.
When the father dies (buried inside the house), the elder son comes back in the house so that it is always inhabited by the oldest man in the family who is in charge, among other things, of watching the spirit of his ancestors buried beneath his feet.
The King and his family have different scars than the other families and only a King’s sons can be the next King.
Taneka means either " stone" or " great warrior".
They are a combination of different tribes: Baybe, Sourouba, Bariba and Gourmantche.
Historically this tribe exist since the 8th century; Bariba hunters came from North-Western regions and Gourmantche from Burkina Fasso.
Those areas were crossed by the cola road; very popular at the time ( going from Salaga in Ghana across the Atakora up to Kano and Port Soakin on the Red Sea).
In 1590 Al-Mansour's Marrocan army destroyed the Songhai Empire and occupied its capital city, Gao. The side of actual Mali. This invasion resulted in a Southern exodus.
Then early in 17th century, the Bariba kingdom of Borgou was formed. Some members of the royal family moved westward to found the kingdoms of Birni and a Kouande. That invasion pushed part of the population to seek refuge up the mountains. During the same period of the time, two other progressions happened: The Gourmantche and the Asshanti offensive slave hunting. The mountains then definitely became a refuse.
The tribe is composed of villages with well authorities. Benin, West Africa 2014
©Ingetje Tadros
Selected for National Geographic 'Daily Dozen' 12-11-2-14 Your Shot.
Winner of Shoot the Face- March 2014
http://shoottheface.com/winnersgallery.php
in TOP 25 BEST IMAGES OF 2014 Curious Animal Magazine http://www.curiousanimal.com/best-photos-2014/
When the father dies (buried inside the house), the elder son comes back in the house so that it is always inhabited by the oldest man in the family who is in charge, among other things, of watching the spirit of his ancestors buried beneath his feet.
The King and his family have different scars than the other families and only a King’s sons can be the next King.
Taneka means either " stone" or " great warrior".
They are a combination of different tribes: Baybe, Sourouba, Bariba and Gourmantche.
Historically this tribe exist since the 8th century; Bariba hunters came from North-Western regions and Gourmantche from Burkina Fasso.
Those areas were crossed by the cola road; very popular at the time ( going from Salaga in Ghana across the Atakora up to Kano and Port Soakin on the Red Sea).
In 1590 Al-Mansour's Marrocan army destroyed the Songhai Empire and occupied its capital city, Gao. The side of actual Mali. This invasion resulted in a Southern exodus.
Then early in 17th century, the Bariba kingdom of Borgou was formed. Some members of the royal family moved westward to found the kingdoms of Birni and a Kouande. That invasion pushed part of the population to seek refuge up the mountains. During the same period of the time, two other progressions happened: The Gourmantche and the Asshanti offensive slave hunting. The mountains then definitely became a refuse.
The tribe is composed of villages with well authorities. Benin, West Africa 2014
©Ingetje Tadros
Selected for National Geographic 'Daily Dozen' 12-11-2-14 Your Shot.
Winner of Shoot the Face- March 2014
http://shoottheface.com/winnersgallery.php
in TOP 25 BEST IMAGES OF 2014 Curious Animal Magazine http://www.curiousanimal.com/best-photos-2014/
