A mission to Gelele, King of Dahome, Vol. 2 (of 2)
Free
About
"A mission to Gelele, King of Dahome, Vol. 2 (of 2)" by Sir Richard Francis Burton is a travel narrative and ethnographic account written in the late 19th century. It chronicles Burton’s diplomatic mission to the West African kingdom of Dahomey, centering on royal ceremonies, the famed female military corps, warfare, religion, and the politics of slavery and sacrifice. The work blends eyewitness reportage with comparison to neighboring states and European practices. Readers should expect vivid, densely detailed depictions of ritual, military display, and court life filtered through a period European lens.
The opening of this volume plunges into the “So-sin Customs,” a sequence of state ceremonies in Abomey: Burton describes dances, fetish displays, and the King’s dramatic scattering of cowries that sparks rough-and-tumble scrambles, as well as ritualized visits to a shed of prisoners where pardons are theatrically granted. On the following day the Amazons perform, officers and captain
Source and licence
This work is public domain or openly licensed. The licence terms are published by the source.
How do I open it?
Use the Shopy 101 app to download it or read it in place. Anything you add to your library stays the same on every device.