HONSI
allyHero
Honsi is, in the Fon folklore of Dahomey (present-day Benin), one of the two twin brothers he forms with Honsu. The pair belongs to the category of tales known as those of the terrible children, a genre of the Dahomean oral tradition in which young heroes accomplish feats through magic. In these narratives, the heart of the story rests on the twins' magical exploits, as they outwit trials and adversaries through supernatural powers. The figure of Honsi belongs to the importance granted to twins among the Fon and the Adja, where twin births are surrounded by a sacred status and specific rites, the twins being called hohovi, children of the Hoho. Scholarly documentation on Honsi himself remains very thin, limited to brief encyclopaedic notices drawing on the collections of Dahomean tales gathered in the twentieth century, notably by the Herskovits.
Powers & Attributes
Role in the ROHO universe
Weaver of the currents. HONSI watches over the flow of the waters and the fluid memory that binds the worlds within the Mabioni. Bound to the Fon/Eʋe pantheon.
Sacred Mask
An ancient ritual mask of vegetable ivory, amethyst and sacred wood, engraved with symbols of magic, embodiment of the power of Honsi
Era
Ancient cycle
Frequently asked questions
Who is Honsi in the Fon tradition?
He is a character of the Dahomean tale, twin brother of Honsu, known for the magical exploits the two brothers accomplish in the oral narratives.
Is Honsi a god or a spirit?
The sources make him above all a tale hero, not a major deity of vodun. He belongs to the terrible children genre of the Fon oral tradition.
Why do Honsi and Honsu go together?
Because they form a pair of twins. Among the Fon and the Adja, twins have a sacred status, and the tales stress their complementarity and their shared powers.
Related spirits
Sources and references
- Melville J. Herskovits et Frances S. Herskovits, Dahomean Narrative: A Cross-Cultural Analysis, Northwestern University Press, 1958
- Encyclopedia Mythica (pantheon.org), notice Honsi and Honsu