Night of the Living Dead
What a bizarre country Benin is ! This is what happened last Saturday, when I was with Minna in Porto Novo:
First warning.
We were eating in a restaurant called Java Promo, where the waitresses were teasing and touching us as usual (women have the right to do that, unlike men). We were having a few glasses of wine with our French fries dinner, and feeling jolly and gay. It was already past 9pm, when one of the sweet waitresses approached us and asked whether we’re going to stay long. She continued that she doesn’t want to force us to go home, but that “tonight is not a good night to go out”, and that everyone should go to their homes around 11pm at latest. It was the night of ghosts (revenants), and it was especially dangerous for women – even more for foreigners – to stay outside. She warned that we might get beaten up if we stay outside and the ghosts see us…
Second warning.
We had another drink at our hotel “La Détente” before heading towards the night club “Feelings”. The staff of the hotel were also a bit suspicious about our going out: they asked if we hadn’t heard that this night was not a good one to go out? Again, we couldn’t be bothered and we continued our venture into the dark night…
Third warning.
The streets of Porto Novo are probably never too alive on Saturday nights, but that night they were practically empty. Minna started to doubt strongly this idea of going to a night club at all. Anyhow, we stopped again in a roadside bar and ordered Cokes. People in the bar asked (again) if we’re actually going to go out tonight and they added that we should enter some place quickly in order not to stay outside. The waitresses left home before midnight, and it seemed that we were the only women in that block at that moment.
Fourth warning.
Finally we arrived at the “Feelings”: the personnel were waiting for us outside. I inquired if we could see inside before paying, and with reason: there was almost nobody inside. We were feeling already a bit tired of all the walking, drinking and talking about the ghosts, so we decided to take a zemidjan back to the hotel. I waved to a motorcycle passing by, it stopped. It was not a taxi-moto, but the driver wanted to tell us something: “Maybe the people around haven’t warned you yet, but it is very dangerous for you to stay outside tonight. The ghosts will beat you, they might even kill you if they see you on the street!”. This gentleman was sincerely worried about our well-being, and not joking at all. So, finally we got a zem and returned to our bed safely. After a half an hour or so we began to hear some noise from the street: the ghosts were moving around in the town! I was seriously tempted to go out and have a peek at them, but Minna forbid me firmly…
What was all this then? I asked some locals and checked a few books afterwards. It was the night of the Oro, a secret society of Vodoun which is strictly reserved for men. When the Oro circulate in the town, it is forbidden for the uninitiated to see them, and everyone has to stay in their homes that night. The initiated have their own secret language, which reveals their belonging to the Oro. I was being told that if they had seen us out there, they would have asked for some money or indeed – beaten us with sticks. Nice, eh? I also heard an urban legend of a white woman who had wanted to know the secret of the Oro, and who had gone out that night. She had disappeared until this day…spooky! I suppose I have to start believing in ghosts, then – but only in Benin!
First warning.
We were eating in a restaurant called Java Promo, where the waitresses were teasing and touching us as usual (women have the right to do that, unlike men). We were having a few glasses of wine with our French fries dinner, and feeling jolly and gay. It was already past 9pm, when one of the sweet waitresses approached us and asked whether we’re going to stay long. She continued that she doesn’t want to force us to go home, but that “tonight is not a good night to go out”, and that everyone should go to their homes around 11pm at latest. It was the night of ghosts (revenants), and it was especially dangerous for women – even more for foreigners – to stay outside. She warned that we might get beaten up if we stay outside and the ghosts see us…
Second warning.
We had another drink at our hotel “La Détente” before heading towards the night club “Feelings”. The staff of the hotel were also a bit suspicious about our going out: they asked if we hadn’t heard that this night was not a good one to go out? Again, we couldn’t be bothered and we continued our venture into the dark night…
Third warning.
The streets of Porto Novo are probably never too alive on Saturday nights, but that night they were practically empty. Minna started to doubt strongly this idea of going to a night club at all. Anyhow, we stopped again in a roadside bar and ordered Cokes. People in the bar asked (again) if we’re actually going to go out tonight and they added that we should enter some place quickly in order not to stay outside. The waitresses left home before midnight, and it seemed that we were the only women in that block at that moment.
Fourth warning.
Finally we arrived at the “Feelings”: the personnel were waiting for us outside. I inquired if we could see inside before paying, and with reason: there was almost nobody inside. We were feeling already a bit tired of all the walking, drinking and talking about the ghosts, so we decided to take a zemidjan back to the hotel. I waved to a motorcycle passing by, it stopped. It was not a taxi-moto, but the driver wanted to tell us something: “Maybe the people around haven’t warned you yet, but it is very dangerous for you to stay outside tonight. The ghosts will beat you, they might even kill you if they see you on the street!”. This gentleman was sincerely worried about our well-being, and not joking at all. So, finally we got a zem and returned to our bed safely. After a half an hour or so we began to hear some noise from the street: the ghosts were moving around in the town! I was seriously tempted to go out and have a peek at them, but Minna forbid me firmly…
What was all this then? I asked some locals and checked a few books afterwards. It was the night of the Oro, a secret society of Vodoun which is strictly reserved for men. When the Oro circulate in the town, it is forbidden for the uninitiated to see them, and everyone has to stay in their homes that night. The initiated have their own secret language, which reveals their belonging to the Oro. I was being told that if they had seen us out there, they would have asked for some money or indeed – beaten us with sticks. Nice, eh? I also heard an urban legend of a white woman who had wanted to know the secret of the Oro, and who had gone out that night. She had disappeared until this day…spooky! I suppose I have to start believing in ghosts, then – but only in Benin!
Comments
Take care while travelling further in Africa so you'll return home safe in March.
//Ann & Kjell
I am glad to see that you survived the Night of the Living Dead!
Maybe by the time you get this you will be home. In any event, I hope that you are well.
Mää kaipaan Helsingiin, pakdat o siellä ja koti-ikvä kalvaa. Enää 4 viikkoa, joista yks viikonloppu Hgissä + Somerolla, ens viikonloppuna DE-keikka Riiassa ja sitten... Enää 2vkonloppua.
Tuntuu, että olen lomalla. Lähden huomenna Vilnaan.
Varovaisuutta, jooko!