The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1866-02-16
Human Sacrifices at Dahomey.

The Monitor publishes letter from
Whydan, which supplies details respecting
the festival of human sacrifices recently
held at Abomey, the capital of Dahomey,
before the King, and in the presence of all
his Court and great dignitaries of State
The 'ettel says:
"The King having announced to the
people thst in short time, to honor the
names of Agougoro, his ancestor, and
King GEO, his father, forty prisoners be-
longing to the rebel tribe of the Akankas
would be inundated on the markr place
at Abomey, with the usual ceremony {;
three days afterwards he decided that this
'aiG"'v"s Aood should be accomplished
one hour before sunrise. Many Europeans
VINO Wort Ill the luwn nau ali duuIeIfce OF
the monarch, and implored him to give up
the horrible sacrifice. The King had de-
clared that he could not suppress the ma
tional festival, but that in consideration
for foreigners, he consented to reduce the
number OF the victims TO twelve. On the
eve of the sacrifice he went to a great
shed, under which the forty prisoners
were secured to posts. He gave an order
that twenty-eight should be released, and
that they should be taken back to their
prison, and then addressed himself TO the
twelve others in order to announce to
them that next morning, in expiation of
the crimes committed by the chief of their
tribe, and to satisfy the shades of his faith
er and of his ancestor, they would be de-
capitated before the assembled people.
The unfortunate men heard the royal
speech with the utmost Indifference. -
The King added that two of them would
be executed with his own hand, then re-
tired. A short time afterwards arrived
Prince Bocu Sau, the Kings BROTHER
He chose two of the prisoners, announced
to them that they had been selected TO be
dispatched by his brother, but in order to be
admitted to such an honor, it was neces-
sary to purify their crime, stained bodies,
and that they must pass the night in the
great fetish temple, Frustrated before the
idols. On the next day, the prisoners were
led to the market place, their hands bound
behiud their backs. The King presided at
the ceremony, seated on large ivory
throne, surrounded by his Court, the great
digntaries of the Kingdom, and the min
istry. On the centre of the market place
was large silver vessel, intended to re-
ceive the blood of the victims. When
the, hour had come the King advanced,
took very thin sabre, and depressed lie
heads of the two prisoners he was about
to immediate. These poor wretches, on
the order given to them, were placed at
the edge of the vessel which was about TO
catch their blood.
At the conclusion of the first execution,
the crowd uttered enthusiastic shouts of
applause for full five minutes, after which
the King resumed his seat on the throne.
The other ten prisoners were executed by
the great fetish man, or high priest, who
picked up each victims head and showed
it to the people, whilst they uttered fero-
cious yells. When all was over the pop
nlace fell upon the bodies of the unfortu-
nate victims, which they cut into pieces,
and then drank their blood. The King
retired in great pomp, and caused the
.welve heads to be fixed on the walls of
lis palace. These monstrous scenes oc-
EUR three or four times year, and this is
he 18th century! Unfortunately, hui
nan sacrifices are not confined to the king
lom of Dahomey. They take place also
'ery frequently in the kingdoms of Ash
lntee, and Benin, also situated in Africa,
md in the same region as Dahomey.'