AGÉ
allyGod
Agé is a deity of the mythology of the Fon, a people of the south of present-day Benin, the old kingdom of Dahomey. Son of the creator couple Mawu-Lisa, he figures among the vodun born of that primordial dyad. When the domains of the world were shared among the children of Mawu-Lisa, Agé received charge of the uninhabited lands, the bush and the wild fauna. He is thus venerated as the patron of hunters and the master of game animals and birds. His function attaches him to the space beyond the villages and the cultivated fields — that wild world which hunters must approach with respect and according to ritual rules. His figure remains briefly documented in the written sources, which mention him above all within the lists of the great vodun of the Fon pantheon, beside Gu, bound to iron, Sakpata, bound to the earth, and Hevioso, bound to the thunder. His cult belongs to the vodun practised in Benin and Togo.
Powers & Attributes
Role in the ROHO universe
Voice of the forest. AGÉ watches the spirits of the woods and negotiates with the hunters the respect of the places. Bound to the Fon/Eʋe pantheon.
Sacred Mask
An ancient ritual mask of fired clay, bronze and fossilised roots, engraved with symbols of hunting and nature, embodiment of the power of Agé
Era
Ancient cycle
Frequently asked questions
Who is Agé?
Agé is a vodun of the Fon of the south of present-day Benin, one of the children of the creator couple Mawu-Lisa. He is venerated as the patron of hunters and the master of wild animals and uninhabited lands.
What is Agé's domain?
Agé reigns over the bush, the spaces beyond the villages and the fields, as well as over the game, animals and birds. As such, hunters call upon him and honour him before their expeditions.
To which pantheon does Agé belong?
Agé belongs to the vodun of the Fon and the Ewe, in Benin and Togo. He counts among the deities born of Mawu-Lisa, beside figures such as Gu, Sakpata or Hevioso.
Related spirits
Sources and references
- Melville J. Herskovits, Dahomey: An Ancient West African Kingdom, 1938
- Suzanne Preston Blier, African Vodun: Art, Psychology, and Power (1995)
- Gilbert Rouget, Music and Trance: A Theory of the Relations Between Music and Possession (1985)