AYABA
allyGoddess
Ayaba is a deity of the mythology of the Fon of the south of present-day Benin, the old kingdom of Dahomey. She figures among the many children born of the creator couple Mawu-Lisa, the primordial dyad that organised the world and shared its domains among its descendants. Ayaba is associated with the domestic hearth and the fire of the hearthstone, that centre of the house around which family life is knotted and food is prepared. The sources present her as the sister of Loko, a deity bound to trees, plants and medicine. Her figure remains little detailed in the documentation, which mentions her above all within the lists of the vodun born of Mawu-Lisa, without a developed mythic narrative. Her cult belongs to the vodun practised by the Fon and the Ewe, in Benin and Togo.
Powers & Attributes
Role in the ROHO universe
Sentinel of the hearth. AYABA keeps the domestic thresholds where human life is woven. Bound to the Fon/Eʋe pantheon.
Sacred Mask
An ancient ritual mask of sacred wood, old metal and black stone, engraved with symbols of hearth, embodiment of the power of Ayaba
Era
Ancient cycle
Frequently asked questions
Who is Ayaba?
Ayaba is a deity of the Fon pantheon of present-day Benin, counted among the children of the creator couple Mawu-Lisa. She is associated with the domestic hearth and the fire of the hearthstone, heart of family life.
What bond does Ayaba have with Loko?
The sources present Ayaba as the sister of Loko, a deity bound to trees, plants and medicine. Both count among the vodun born of Mawu-Lisa in the Fon tradition.
What is known of the cult of Ayaba?
The documentation remains brief on her account. Ayaba appears above all in the lists of the deities of the Fon pantheon, without a developed mythic narrative. Her domain, the hearth and the hearthstone, attaches her to the domestic sphere.
Related spirits
Sources and references
- Melville J. Herskovits, An Outline of Dahomean Religious Belief (Memoirs of the American Anthropological Association, n° 41) (1933)