Sagbate et Sakpata sont-ils la même divinité ?

Oui. Sagbate, Sagbata, Shakpata et Sakpata sont des transcriptions du nom d'une même divinité fon et gbe de la terre et de la variole.

Pourquoi associe-t-on Sakpata à la terre et à la variole ?

Dans la théologie fon, Sakpata reçoit la domination de la terre parmi les enfants de Mawu-Lisa. La variole et les maladies éruptives, qui marquent la peau, sont vues comme relevant de son pouvoir sur le sol et sur les corps.

Où le culte de Sakpata est-il présent ?

Il est vénéré chez les Fon, les Ewe et les Adja du Bénin, du Togo et du Nigeria, et se retrouve dans les religions afro-diasporiques du Brésil, comme le Candomblé, et de la Caraïbe.

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SAGBATE

ally

God

☥ SpiritFon/Eʋe →Dahomey — DahomeyElder

Gender: MasculineSign: variole

Sagbate is one of the transcriptions of the name of Sakpata, the deity of the earth and of smallpox in the Fon and Gbe pantheons of the area of the former Dahomey, today Benin, Togo and western Nigeria. In Fon theology, Sakpata is often presented as one of the first children of Mawu-Lisa, to whom falls the dominion of the earth. A feared and respected deity, he governs the eruptive diseases, foremost among them smallpox, and holds the power to inflict as well as to heal the ill. His cult, highly structured, is carried by specialised priests and unfolds into a whole family of variants, each endowed with its own specialities. Sakpata is venerated among the Fon, the Ewe and the Adja, and his cults were prolonged in the Afro-diasporic religions of Brazil and the Caribbean. Sagbate and Shakpata designate the same deity under different spellings.

Powers & Attributes

smallpox

Role in the ROHO universe

Voice of its pantheon. SAGBATE carries the memory of its tradition and weaves a thread into the Mabioni. Bound to the Fon/Eʋe pantheon.

Sacred Mask

An ancient ritual mask of sacred wood, old metal and black stone, engraved with symbols of smallpox, embodiment of the power of Sagbate

Era

Ancient cycle

Frequently asked questions

Are Sagbate and Sakpata the same deity?

Yes. Sagbate, Sagbata, Shakpata and Sakpata are transcriptions of the name of one and the same Fon and Gbe deity of the earth and of smallpox.

Why is Sakpata associated with the earth and with smallpox?

In Fon theology, Sakpata receives the dominion of the earth among the children of Mawu-Lisa. Smallpox and the eruptive diseases, which mark the skin, are seen as belonging to his power over the soil and over bodies.

Where is the cult of Sakpata present?

He is venerated among the Fon, the Ewe and the Adja of Benin, Togo and Nigeria, and is found in the Afro-diasporic religions of Brazil, such as Candomblé, and of the Caribbean.

Related spirits

MINONA HONSU IJIMERE DJI

Sources and references

Melville J. Herskovits, Dahomey: An Ancient West African Kingdom (1938)
W. J. Argyle, The Fon of Dahomey: A History and Ethnography of the Old Kingdom (1966)
Pierre Verger, Dieux d'Afrique : culte des Orishas et Vodouns à l'ancienne Côte des Esclaves en Afrique et à Bahia (1954)