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spoonbender | profile | all galleries >> Galleries >> Babungo Death Ceremony tree view | thumbnails | slideshow

Babungo Death Ceremony

While we were in the area, there was a celebration marking the death of a prominent local traditional healer. We were invited by the Fon of Babungo and got to sit in the tents for Fons and other Notables. We were not in any way notable, but I guess as foreigners, they wanted to show us hospitality. It was an amazing celebration to say the least. We went two days in a row. There was a lot of drumming, dancing, drinking and shooting of some very badly made rifles, many of which backfired. It was loud, exhilarating, and I think in 2 and a half hours, I shot 800 photos. It was dusk and rainy, so not that many came out well. And even some of these suck, but it does give you a sense of the ceremony. I feel very lucky to have seen it. It's not the kind of tourists normally get to see, though we were told during the dry season, in December, January, February, there are cultural festivals to which tourists do sometimes come and events such as this are staged.
46.jpg
46.jpg
g1/31/233431/3/116611008.IpD9qUGo.jpg g1/31/233431/3/116611003.cnko7bJz.jpg This is the Fon, loading up. The dancers approach his tent, dance. He gives them a few francs, and then shoots his gun.
This is the Fon, loading up. The dancers approach his tent, dance. He gives them a few francs, and then shoots his gun.
g1/31/233431/3/116610994.vNyrlJBU.jpg g1/31/233431/3/116610990.zE4zABX6.jpg
Enormous sort of vibraphone, made of a tree trunk
Enormous sort of vibraphone, made of a tree trunk
g1/31/233431/3/116610980.4HXulGew.jpg g1/31/233431/3/116610975.Em4TTwiM.jpg Video taping, with my shitty little camera
Video taping, with my shitty little camera
Sareh and the Ju-Ju
Sareh and the Ju-Ju
Lots of gunfire
Lots of gunfire
Sareh menacing the Ju-Ju
Sareh menacing the Ju-Ju
The Fon
The Fon
g1/31/233431/3/116610949.9lGYJSOO.jpg g1/31/233431/3/116610946.eAKaNbh0.jpg g1/31/233431/3/116610943.Jn0pbxWG.jpg I was a big fan of the beaded masks
I was a big fan of the beaded masks
g1/31/233431/3/116610941.sk0PZvCy.jpg g1/31/233431/3/116610939.sEw0EP5O.jpg Nice trees
Nice trees
g1/31/233431/3/116610937.udNByarW.jpg g1/31/233431/3/116610936.rjMicfMC.jpg The motorbikes we spent much of our three weeks on.
The motorbikes we spent much of our three weeks on.
Sareh, Mona and the Fon
Sareh, Mona and the Fon
g1/31/233431/3/116610803.YXwXiOIH.jpg g1/31/233431/3/116610805.TFwUDyOq.jpg g1/31/233431/3/116610806.yDJWMaRN.jpg g1/31/233431/3/116610807.KqnJRgDz.jpg g1/31/233431/3/116610808.Bf2e1qKV.jpg
g1/31/233431/3/116610809.92UuihRg.jpg g1/31/233431/3/116610810.Tton3S0e.jpg g1/31/233431/3/116610811.QOLP7RhM.jpg The gunfire was nearly constant, and quite deafening
The gunfire was nearly constant, and quite deafening
g1/31/233431/3/116610814.hmyT4PPP.jpg g1/31/233431/3/116610816.wwjhQqha.jpg
g1/31/233431/3/116610817.rXMWKIy0.jpg g1/31/233431/3/116610818.TZh3XmTC.jpg g1/31/233431/3/116610819.2q2KEFo7.jpg g1/31/233431/3/116610821.EMxTfoqE.jpg g1/31/233431/3/116610822.ggUXSdKi.jpg g1/31/233431/3/116610823.MUarl5C2.jpg
g1/31/233431/3/116610824.KZXUJwZv.jpg g1/31/233431/3/116610825.WrWg9ssr.jpg g1/31/233431/3/116610826.jIDRWWTj.jpg g1/31/233431/3/116610827.GMI9ZOa8.jpg