Between Authenticity and Nostalgia
The article discusses the Yoruba ancestor cult, which is located primarily in southern Benin, specifically in the region of Abomey. The article analyzes the Yoruba as a means of understanding how society interacts with the past. The article mentions “Yoruba authenticity,” nostalgia, and the ways in which social actors relate, in a non-monolithic way, to the past. The article gives a history of the region of Benin, which is located in western Africa. The article mentions “egun” or “egungun” cults, masquerades, shrines, identity, and authenticity. The article also references the Guèdègbe lineage and the artist Bernard Maupoil.
Noret, Jo#235?l1,2Email: jnoret@ulb.ac.be
[1]Research Associate, Fonds National de la Recherche Scientifique (FNRS, Belgium);[2]Member, Laboratoire d’Anthropologie des Mondes Contemporains (LAMC), Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB)