Sacred Trees of the Savè Hills Cultural Landscape

Andrew W. Gurstelle University of Michigan

University of Michigan Working Papers in Museum Studies Number 10 (2013) Museum Studies Program Charles H. Sawyer Center for Museum Studies University of Michigan Museum of Art 525 South State Street Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1354

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The University of Michigan Museum Studies Program’s series of “Working Papers in Museum Studies” presents emerging re- search from a variety of disciplinary perspectives, all focused on the multiple concerns of the modern museum and heritage stud- ies field. Contributions from scholars, members of the museum profession and graduate students are represented. Many of these papers have their origins in public presentations made under the auspices of the Museum Studies Program. We gratefully thank the authors published herein for their participation.

This paper is an elaboration of a talk presented as part of the University of Michigan Museum Studies Program’s “Issues in Museum Studies” lecture series on April 2, 2013. It is a product of research supported by a U-M Museum Studies Program Fellowship for Doctoral Research in Museums. Andrew Gurstelle is a member of the 2009 cohort in the U-M Museum Studies Program and is a Doctoral Candidate in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Michigan. Andrew can be reached at [email protected]. Sacred Trees of the Savè Hills Cultural Landscape Sacred Trees of Savè the Hills Cultural Landscape

Andrew W. Gurstelle In 2012, the Savè Hills Archaeological Research Project University of Michigan (SHARP) documented large, ritually important trees of five species in the Savè hills as part an archaeological reconnaissance survey (figure 1). Though clothed trees are the most conspicuous markers on the landscape, unclothed Introduction trees of the same species can serve a similar purpose. Some memorialize specific people and events, while others have Just outside the city of Savè in central Bénin, a footpath more generalized connections to the past. That trees can be follows the base of one of the many large granite hills for used as landscape markers is of little surprise. Their natural which the area is known. Low bushes and stunted trees occurrence, large size, long life, and propensity for unusual dot the hill slope, while farm fields stretch to the horizon growths and shapes make them well-suited for recognition. on the other side of the path. The path meanders along the Their literal rootedness ensures that they remain within the hill’s contours before coming to a clearing, approximately geography they are used to identify. This discussion of trees 10 meters in diameter. In the center of the clearing stands a identifies them with the cultural landscape of the Savè hills tree. The tree is tall, perhaps 30 meters in height. It dwarfs area—a landscape in which trees take on systematic and the stunted trees growing on the slope and the squat palm symbolically-charged meanings. In this paper, I describe and fruit trees in the fields. The roots of the tree jut out the use of trees among the Shabe Yoruba to mark historical at right angles from one another, buttressing the round and archaeological sites. I also comment on how this use trunk and branching canopy. As if the size of the tree and is contextualized within a cultural landscape, a term that its prominent position in the center of a clearing were not has come to take on important meaning for conserving enough to signify its strangeness, it wears clothes. biological, cultural, and archaeological heritage. Finally, I end by considering how an increased understanding of Wrapped around the tree is a large white cloth. The cloth sacred trees might contribute to heritage protection and is one meter wide and wraps about two-thirds of the way promotion in the region. around the tree, while the remaining gap is bridged by more narrow strips of fabric tied in a knot. The overall effect suggests that the tree is wearing an apron. Above this cloth Defining a Cultural Landscape is another piece, this one a sash of light blue, less than half as wide as the lower cloth. Both pieces are faded and dirty [A]s far as the eye can reach to the eastward are from continual exposure to the elements, though in certain three mountains of a conical form, all of which places there are distinct yellow and rust-colored stains. are of the same shape and height. I asked the Nestled in the roots below are fragments of pottery, bits caboceer1 the name of these mountains, but he of animal bone, and shards of broken glass. Beside these denied all knowledge of them, either by name or material markers, there is no sign nor symbol, not even a otherwise. I then asked several of my soldiers, nearby house or structure, which would suggest that this from whom I received a similar reply. It seemed tree is a historical marker commemorating centuries of a to me very singular, that a man should live changing cultural landscape. during his whole life so near any remarkable spot

Acknowledgments

SHARP is a collaborative effort with the people and institutions of the Savè hills area. We would particularly like to acknowledge the enduring support of Oba Adetutu Onishabe, Oyedekpo Ola-Amushu, the Office of the Mayor of Savè, and the Department of History and Archaeology of the University of Abomey-Calavi. Simon Agani, of the Univer- sity of Abomey-Calavi, and Travis Williams, of the University of Michigan, were instrumental to the success of the 2012 field work. This research was funded by a Fellowship for Doctoral Research in Museums by the University of Michigan Museum Studies Program, and by grants from the Department of Afroamerican and African Studies and the African Studies Center of the University of Michigan.

1 UM Working Papers in Museum Studies, Number 10 (2013) Sacred Trees of the Savè Hills Cultural Landscape UM Working Papers in Museum Studies, Number 10 Number (2013) Studies, Museum Working in Papers UM of West cycle by typical aclimatic dictated is season agricultural The oil palm. and shea as such crops tree wild semi- and wild well as as vegetables, garden and cowpeas, peanuts, cassava, yams, African maize, include crops Common burnings. by controlled preceded fallow system a on cultivated intensively is Tchaourou. landscape The of of town the north the to run and Rivers, Okpara and Ouémé the of of confluence south the Savè, just up near rise abruptly hills The axis. along anorthwest-southeast running formations linear in domes of granite composed restricted, spatially quite are of hills the crests steep The relatively is flat. landscape Savè the hills name, its Despite 1993). (Martí of divination use Ifa (destiny), of concepts the beliefs in Eshu; and Shakpana Ogun, Shango, deities the and Oduduwa, king divine first the Olorun, being of supreme the veneration the practitioners: Yoruba have Nigerian also Shabe peoples with associated 1997). practices Religious (Flynn relationships economic and social well-established with border of Nigerian the side other the on communities to connections genealogical 1947; 1992a: 11). Martí (Parrinder have families Many of Yoruba adialect is language Shabe The Nigeria. in Yoruba with communities connections other have many area the in communities narratives, political from Aside of Yoruba Ile-Ife. at the center religious sanctioned be must who Onishabe, the monarch, of Shabe the rites installation the during directly most manifest is connection This 1994: (Adediran ultimately, Ile-Ife 91; 1992a).and, Martí Empire Oyo the from origin its on emphasis aheavy puts kingdom of Shabe the narrative historical overarching The Nigeria. and Bénin in Yoruba other communities with culturally and politically,closely linguistically, aligned be to continue and were people and kingdom Shabe The Shabe. autonym ethnic and kingdom of precolonial the adaptation aFon-language itself is Savè, which aname of city capital commune for the named are SavèThe hills raids. Dahomean the weather to allowed them and peoples Shabe the to refuge offered that hills those about elaborate to reticent were Duncan’s guides 1992a: 207). Perhaps (Martí prior years orthree two only area the into invasion an led had Gezo king Dahomean the as domes, conical foot three of atthe those living people Fon the well of were Shabe aware the truth, In landscape. of the feature only the Dahomey century nineteenth Fon of neighboring for were the of hill Oke Shabe the domes granite 1). large the (plate Indeed, landscape the of feature defining the to introduced it we in are and hills the Savèto reference written first the is passage brief This its name. (Duncan 1847: (Duncan name. its 38) oreven of place, the something knowing without ashe (spiritual power), and reincarnation; and the the and power), reincarnation; (spiritual and ori

definition, however, describes only a single episode or episode a single only however,describes definition, result.” the Sauer’s landscape cultural the medium, the area natural the agent, the is Culture group. by aculture landscape anatural from fashioned is landscape cultural “The (1925: landscape: of acultural classic formulation 6) closely Sauer’s of Savè matches the hills landscape The 1984). (Sayerreduced &Green severely have been numbers but their River Ouémé the in remain completely gone. are Hippopotamuses elephants as such mammals but larger area, in found still are ungulates small other and Antelope destruction. habitat and hunting from pressure to out due forced been has wildlife local the much of aresult, as and, years 60 over past the tripled than more has of Savè the hills population River. The Ouémé the to adjacent plantation SUCOBE sugarcane sponsored state the notably most exists, farming industrial some though farms, small-scale on by done hand is agriculture Most March. early to December from season adry and August— in respite by abrief November—punctuated to March late from extending season arainy with Africa, geography, and so cultural landscapes and their constituent constituent their and landscapes geography, cultural so and specific any with vary elements exact The landscape. of value the acultural constitute that societies human with associated elements distinct it the is perspective, From this 2003: (Rössler 11). world and communities indigenous to of value landscape the associative the emphasizes category each scale, in 2008: differences 86). Despite (WHC landscapes (3) and, cultural associative landscapes; (2) evolved landscapes; organically created intentionally (1) influences: and defined of anthropogenic intensity the on based categories graded three to according landscapes cultural convention defined revised The environments. and humans between dynamic recursive the recognize to statute international major first the Convention was 2003: World 17). 1992 UNESCO revised Heritage The (Fowler emerged two the between of interaction the understanding nuanced amore as blur to began landscape of elements a cultural and natural between distinctions academic the Toward century, of twentieth end the the long gone. already was by Sauer envisioned as environment primal the area, the in established were villages Shabe time By the practices. cultural shaping recursively landscape the and landscape the shaping practices cultural with of transformation, state acontinual in is landscape the that state to accurate it more is 2005). Indeed, &Hoelzmann Salzmann but see 2012; 1996; &Leach &Neumann Hohn (Fairhead factors anthropogenic of long-term result the itself is Savèthe hills characterizes that mosaic forest-savanna the that evidence some is There times. atdifferent and peoples different by again, and again transformed were and for centuries, occupied were Savè The hills ofmode transformation. 2 Sacred Trees of Savè the Hills Cultural Landscape elements must be identified, evaluated, conserved, and large specimens that would otherwise have been cut down interpreted on a case-by-case basis. for fuel and land clearance. The result is that the only large trees that remain on the landscape are those that were once How can the Savè hills be envisioned as a cultural associated with a village. landscape? What might the elements of a Shabe cultural landscape be? Prominent geographic landmarks should be The value of these trees have not been overlooked by included, such as hills, caves, valleys, and rivers. The large researchers and institutions interested in protecting granite domes that dominate the otherwise flat topography, natural and cultural heritage. However, the relationship the confluence of the Ouémé and Okpara Rivers, and the between trees and landscape in Bénin has been discussed small patches of forest hidden amongst fields of maize predominantly by conservationists concerned with and yams are part of the landscape. Modern settlements environmental preservation (Juhé-Beaulaton & Roussel should also be included, as they most obviously provide the 2003; Sokpon & Agbo 1999). Sacred trees and groves cultural side of the equation. The Shabe ethnic majority are often the only primary forest growth in denuded makes up most of the Savè hills population, but Baatombu, landscapes that have been intensively exploited for fuel Fon, Mahi, and Akan ethnicities are also found in the and agricultural land, as is the case in the Savè hills network of urban centers, villages, and farmsteads. The (Ceperley et al. 2010). Perhaps part of the reason that these nomadic Fulbe peoples are also part of the cultural mix of trees are not more widely discussed is that they seem too peoples and practices in the Savè hills. Historically they commonplace to be linked to important aspects of cultural passed through on their seasonal cattle routes, but over the heritage. Trees may also seem too ephemeral to be linked past 40 years they have started to settle in more permanent to long term processes of landscape change. Perhaps it is camps. More recently, immigrants from the Atacora region simply that trees are regarded by researchers and NGOs in the north of Bénin are also starting to settle in the area. as economic or ecological resources, not cultural objects. The configuration of landscape and culture extends beyond Whatever the reason, it is my aim to show that trees have a present-day geography and ethnicity, however, and so must central role in both modern religious practice and historical include a concern for cultural practices envisioned over and archaeological reconstructions of the Savè hills cultural a long time scale. Indeed, if the criteria for defining such landscape. a landscape is that it “creates monuments to the faceless ones, the people who lived and died unrecorded except unconsciously and collectively by the landscape modified Clothed Sacred Trees by their labours” (Fowler 2001: 77), then we must include Trees are featured in many African religions, and indeed those traces of past life that are still preserved in the they are a common religious symbol in every part of the present, as well as how those traces are incorporated into world in which they are found (Mbiti 1990: 51, 73, 92). the lives of modern communities settled on the landscape. Sacred trees are found in many communities in the Savè hills area of the Republic of Bénin. The sacred trees in Archaeological sites are the most obvious traces of the lived the Savè hills tend to be large, mature trees, the kinds past in the Savè hills. These sites are typically the remains associated with archaeological sites throughout Africa of ancient settlements, defined by scatters of broken (Darling 2008). There is a great amount of diversity in tools, pots, and animals bones. They are occasionally how trees are incorporated into religious practice (see complemented by ruined architecture, such as building Thompson 1993), but this study is primarily concerned foundations, post holes, clay floors, and defensive walls. with the practice of wrapping white cloth around the trunks Less overt than artifacts and architecture are the botanical of sacred trees. I argue that this practice is an important indicators of a sustained human presence. Large trees are part of how Shabe people create and maintain a cultural commonly associated with archaeological sites. Often landscape—a way of memorializing the past by caring for they appear along with artifacts and architecture, but trees in the present. occasionally large trees appear on their own without other material indicators of Fowler’s “faceless ones.” Babatunde Agbaje-Williams’ study (2005) of clothed sacred trees in Yoruba communities in Nigeria provides an The correlation of large trees with archaeological sites is excellent summary of why and how clothed sacred trees are not accidental. Trees are often planted when settlements created. One of the central conclusions of his research is are founded, and the trees are cared for throughout the that tying cloth around trees is closely associated with Ifa occupation (Darling 2008; Ogundiran 2012: 235-236). divination (Ibid: 158). An Ifa diviner, called a babalawo, By the time a settlement is abandoned, the tree is already provides the prescription for when and how to appropriately established and continues to grow. Widespread and durable clothe trees and how to conduct related ritual practices, prohibitions against felling certain species of tree protect

3 UM Working Papers in Museum Studies, Number 10 (2013) Sacred Trees of the Savè Hills Cultural Landscape UM Working Papers in Museum Studies, Number 10 Number (2013) Studies, Museum Working in Papers UM that species from roles are these serve that trees large of Many the founders. for community’s by the cared and planted have to been thought are trees long these lives, their to due located; is tree the which in of community the 2005: 183).Williams Typically, founding event the is this (Agbaje- identity of notions community in prominently figures event that historic for an evidence as of trees function the to refers consciousness Historical trees. of clothed function third the is consciousness Historical community. the throughout observed, oratleast regulated, be can activities Public lessened. is witchcraft or activities spiritual for clandestine chance the trees, held sacred communally around areas these siting (Agbaje-Williams invocation 2005: 183).for spiritual By appropriate are areas proscribed certain only where binary, spatial asacred/profane geography. reinforce They a sacred of boundaries the signify also energy, clothed trees spiritual of use harness cloth to practical Beyond the trees. sacred by clothed served major function another is Territoriality 182). 2005: (Agbaje-Williams practices religious other in component a oras of medicine creation the in used be cloth can energized tree, a wrapping After energies. beneficial store to or energies harmful potentially dissipate to acts thus cloth cloth. The the to transferred partially is of spirit the energy the cloth, with of atree such trunk the By wrapping consultation. Ifa through identified be must tree the so and manifestation no outward is there atree, inhabit may spirits 1969). (Bascom spirits While of places powerful dwelling the as regarded often cloth. Trees are in wrapped be may trees that reason one is energy of spiritual Containment consciousness. historical and territoriality, containment, functions: related three serving as trees clothed sacred Agbaje-Williams (ibid: 182) able characterize was to species, and communities among practices and meanings specific the in 180). of deal variation agreat Despite (ibid: not involve did that eight cloth wrapping including purposes, for religious used species tree twenty-four found and Yoruba Nigerian communities twenty in use tree sacred investigated study His clothe trees. to choose practitioners reasons the describe and practice religious Ifa to related species tree sacred to identify first the Agbaje-Williams was communities. non-Shabe and Shabe ethnic both among area Savè the hills in widespread is consultation Ifa as trees of clothed sacred discussion for this of point departure good Agbaje-Williams’s area. a is Savè the hills out in study carried previously been has practice religious of this study 1993: 120), (Martí passing in no detailed mentioned been has trees impressive and large of particularly trunks the cloth around of tying practice the Though offerings. as such on autochthony and ancestors through its mnemonic mnemonic its through ancestors and autochthony on focused practice ritual into incorporated easily then is tree it. The with stood once that village for the in stand to comes old tree An activity. human past with associated are they because important are old trees particularly Accordingly, ritual. through magnified then are which attributes on way, take this In trees of atown. founding the or divination as such activities, involvement human with and investment human through quality this ascribed are They potent. spiritually not inherently Treesof are time. depth and investment human Agbaje-Williams describes: functions three all link that associations two are There effect.” “in all often are closely and are related three all that he references cases the from it clear is trees, clothed sacred of functions distinct three Agbaje-Williams distills Though abandoned. is village the if even grow to continue will tree the avillage, in established Once of tree. the growth initial the during exerted most is selective pressure mosaic. This savanna-forest surrounding the well but not do in grow environments, village in thrive important element of the Savè hills cultural landscape. cultural element of Savè the hills important most the perhaps are trees sacred Clothed trees. these as landscape the to connected and visual as are of past the (Ficus few representations Indeed, Agbaje-Williams described. odan that function consciousness historical the with associated below closely is described tree each sites, historic excelsa), and archaeology on focus fieldwork.of research my Because of my archaeological over course the encountered trees (Chlorophora of such asampling but rather area, the in trees of sacred iroko inventory exhaustive not is an this that note to important pentandra), vogelii), babuwe Ceiba laevis), Savè the hills: ways in similar in used also are by five Agbaje-Williams, prevalent the most of identified cloth wrapping in used species sixteen the Of 1993: plate; Martí 120). 1992a:2013 unnumbered (Martí May in Adetutu, Oba Onishabe, current by the described were tree of use this the about details world”—and the area—the Savè the hills in tree sacred clothed additional one to found was reference historical 2012. August and July A between communities Savè hills four in trees clothed sacred nine documented SHARP Savè the hills. in trees sacred on SHARP with my research to Inow turn mind, Agbaje-Williams’sWith in functions experience. historical and identity ofnotions group evoked be by also secular can village ancient and tree 2006: 110). (Schmidt association between association This and and ose/oshe (kapok, called called (kapok, (baobab, (baobab, araba Adansonia digitata Adansonia 2 by Agbaje-Williams, akoko iroko iroko

“that supports supports “that (Newbouldia (Newbouldia ). It is 4 Sacred Trees of Savè the Hills Cultural Landscape Savè (Idadu) to the Onishabe, said to descend from an autochthonous lineage predating the Baba-Guidai and Amushu dynasties Savè, locally called Idadu, is the seat of the administrative (Martí 1992a: 237; Adediran 1994: 43). Various kinds zone of Savè and the current capitol of the Shabe kingdom. of offerings are made at the shrines, though the primary In the courtyard of the Shabe palace is a large oshe tree, offering is water, as at the palace oshe. Offerings are made over 12 meters in diameter (plate 2). The tree is wrapped when prescribed by Ifa, though they are also regularly with a white cloth and regular offerings of water are made made by the hunters’ association to ensure successful hunts. to it, although occasionally other offerings are made, The clothed iroko is not thought to be very old, perhaps including kola nut, palm wine or distilled liquor, and cash. only 100 years. However, it is growing on the spot where a Liquid offerings are sprinkled onto the trunk or poured previous iroko fell, and that sacred tree was associated with directly onto the encircling cloth. Other materials may the founding of Savè by the Amushu lineage sometime in be placed at its base or tucked into crevices on the trunk. the seventeenth century CE. Similarly, the granite monolith Amulets are sometimes nailed to the tree according to Ifa is said to have been erected as a replacement following the prescription, but they are removed after their effect has death of another sacred tree as a replacement. The same transpired, leaving only the nails behind. The tree, thought spirits that inhabited the prior trees continue to live in their by palace occupants to be at least 300 years old, contains a replacements. Even when individual trees die, they can be powerful spirit that is responsible for the well-being of the reincarnated to fulfill the same functions. entire town, though it is most closely linked to the royal lineage. The palace compound enclosing the tree was built Perhaps the most important clothed tree in Savè is the after the destruction of the old palace in 1933, and was sited eponymous tree associated with the Idi-iroko market and at its present location specifically to contain this tree. Prior neighborhood: the iroko “that supports the world” (plate to 1933, it is likely that the palace grounds occupied a larger 5). This tree is not always clothed, but for special events portion of the Afin and Idi-iroko neighborhoods of Savè associated with the Onishabe it is dressed and becomes than it does today, and so this tree was probably associated the focus of royal installation rites. The tree that stands with the palace in the past as well (Martí 1993: 51). The today is a replacement, planted only several decades association with the Shabe palace and its suggested age of ago. It replaced a much older tree that was destroyed in 300 years coincides with the beginning of the Baba-Guidai the 1970s by a government administrator who claimed dynasty that overthrew the preceding Amushu dynasty the tree was infested with insects and posed a public around 1738 CE (Adediran 1994: 125). This sacred tree is nuisance (Martí 1993: 120). It is important to note that thus closely associated with specific events of the past that this destruction happened during the tenure of President legitimate claims to political authority in the present. Kérékou, who sponsored the widespread destruction of traditional religious institutions (Kahn 2011). That this Near the palace in the Afin neighborhood is another clothed tree was specifically targeted for destruction may signify sacred tree, set in an open courtyard facing a main road its importance in religious and political practices. In the through town (plate 3). This tree is an oshe and is wrapped past, the tree was an important geographic marker—a in a fashion similar to the oshe on the palace grounds. place for divinatory revelations, royal proclamations, and This oshe is home to a powerful spirit, but unlike the market activity (Martí 1992a: 53). Today, a daily market previous example, it is a benefactor to the Amushu group, a continues to be held near the tree. Royal use of the iroko lineage with competing claims to the monarchy. Despite its is returning after a hiatus following the previous tree’s setting near a busy road, the rituals involving the tree are destruction. The current Onishabe, Oba Adetutu, has conducted in private and are not meant to support the health revived a coronation ceremony in which the iroko is the of the community as a whole. While the palace oshe can be location for reciting royal historical narratives and donning characterized by Agbaje-Williams’s territoriality function the symbolic ade crown linking him to Ile-Ife. After of marking a sacred space, the same is not true of this tree. donning the ade and asserting his status as Onishabe, he It has a ritual function, certainly, but it is also a common leads a procession to Oke Shabe and the archaeological site space for day-to-day interactions among lineage members; of Fiditi—a fortified village occupied by those seeking to what Agbaje-Williams describes as a profane space. escape Dahomean raids. Interestingly, Oba Adetutu has linked this celebration to the Pentecost, blending royal and A third clothed tree is found in Savè in the Ainsen Christian practices into a syncretic conceptualization of neighborhood (plate 4). This iroko tree is part of a larger Shabe kingship. ritual complex consisting of the clothed tree, several shrines, and ogu tani, an upright granite monolith set a short distance from the tree. The tree and associated shrines all commemorate the office of Olu Osi, an advisor

5 UM Working Papers in Museum Studies, Number 10 (2013) Sacred Trees of the Savè Hills Cultural Landscape UM Working Papers in Museum Studies, Number 10 Number (2013) Studies, Museum Working in Papers UM Djabata’s “first-comers” as claim supports autochthonous presence its as community of modern the part important an considered yet still is town, main the from distance some site is The inhabitants. pre-Shabe with connected village of location aruined the site is This of Dikosha. site sacred the is of Djabata town modern the Outside Djabata of Oke Agbodo. crests the line still of which ruins the walls, stone with fortified was hill the when century, nineteenth the throughout Dahomey with wars the particularly histories, later to important also is hill The narratives. founding Kaboua in prominently figures which hill sacred the reference strongly they history, specific any not do mark trees the Though cowries. and of water offerings receives foot of trees atthe plate the A trees. the around built semi-circle cement by asmall enhanced is of space demarcation The realm. spirit the to conduit anew with Kaboua provide to created installation arecent is this that admits shrine and trees the maintaining for responsible specialist ritual the event. Indeed, historical an memorialize they nor do three, these in resides spirit no specific clothed trees, other Unlike of hill. the spirit focus. asingle into trees separate three effectively bringing akoko clothed small three with house ashrine is there settlement of main the outskirts the On town. the encircles that hill foot of the at sits granite Oke Agbodo,alarge Kaboua Kaboua alsoare offered. the to made offering common The tree. sacred first the to tended and initially town the founded ancestors his role because this chief obtained The for care. its responsible are lineage his chief and the though community, entire the to benefactor is a tree the inhabiting spirit personified the case, this In them. of effect personifying the has of trees clothing the of example an Agbaje-Williams’s that naming, assertion again”). come Yoruba the to idiom of 1911. in tree new railroad this likened chief of The Ouoghi of the construction the during destroyed accidentally was fell it when tree sacred previous the where spot the on old, but it growing is very be to not is thought tree current 6). The (plate Ainsen in tree the as story similar a very well. as Aclothed locations other in appears reincarnation tree of sacred theme The Ouoghi 3 (plate 7). A single wide cloth wraps around each, each, around cloth wraps wide 7). Asingle (plate The trees and shrine are used for venerating the the for venerating used are shrine and trees The babuwe Tunde is water, though money and cowries cowries and money water, is though is a common component in Yoruba in component acommon is tunde babuwe or reincarnation (literally “to “to (literally orreincarnation tree in Ouoghi has has Ouoghi in tree them. As stated above, trees themselves are not inherently not inherently are themselves above, trees stated As them. abandon to when prescribe also it can trees, clothed sacred establishing to crucial is knowledge spiritual While community. the in importance its reinforce to and of tree the history the recall help to residents mnemonic a as cloth serves it. The preserve also but it can trees, the power from spiritual extracts cloth. wrapping Cloth in wrapped be should trees which designating in history role the of highlight far so discussed examples the All Monka (Ceperley 2010: al. et 15). geography of sacred Djabata’s and conceptions history in figures prominently and resource acommunity as regarded is Dikosha of clothedtree, its Because tree. the to for offerings areceptacle as vessel serves ceramic 8). (plate A rituals commemorative and for offerings odan Aclothed 1987) area. (sensu Savè Kopytoff the hills to site of an ancestral village. site of ancestral an atthe tree 1992b: sacred the 192). maintain Eyin-Oke The (Martí kingdom Shabe the within lineages autochthonous eldest of the all group, Eyin-Oke the to closely connected is tree The bones. animal and cowries, fragments, bottle it: glass around ground the litter of offerings remains the of cloth and bands two with dressed is Savè. tree The of outside hills the around winding footpath by asmall reached be only can field that farm aremote in a clearing in It located is settlement. modern any from it far is trees, other Unlike unusual. quite is community the in status and However, tree. placement its for acloth-wrapped unusual 10). an is (plate paper tree The this Ibegan which with one the is Idocumented tree last The Shabe Oke deaths. their to personification the extending humans, as treatment judicial same the given are trees 1960). (Morton-Williams Clothed criminals executing and condemning role in played aprimary historically society Ogboni the that It noted be should down. cut it so was and adanger, posed tree the in spirit the that determined society Ogboni 2009, local in the festival Oro annual the During offerings. regular received clothed and recently, been until an with case the is This such. as treated be can and status mundane its to back reverts tree the no or longer needed, absent, dangerous, is spirit the that it determined is If by aspirit. inhabited be can that vessels are they Rather, potent. spiritually is maintained at the site and serves as a focus afocus as serves site and atthe maintained is oshe in Monka (plate 9). The tree had, had, 9). (plate tree The Monka in iroko , a species not , aspecies 6 Sacred Trees of Savè the Hills Cultural Landscape Countering the Eyin-Oke narrative, the Onishabe, Ola- Large trees are a vital part of the Savè hills cultural Amushu, and other traditional authorities claim the area landscape. The trees are also important parts of the local where the tree is growing to be empty of archaeological biological heritage, unique in size and age in an intensively significance. From their point of view, there were no cultivated ecosystem (Ceperley et al. 2010). They are also real villages prior to the founding of the Shabe kingdom important in the cultural heritage of local communities and therefore no possible historical consciousness exists for the important role they play in religious practices and to be commemorated. While the Eyin-Oke tree might group identity. Finally, they are also an important part of harness energies or demarcate spiritual boundaries, it is the area’s archaeological heritage. The trees are monuments not a material connection to the past. The archaeological to the lives of those who planted and cared for them and are evidence tells a different story. closely connected to the other material remains of the past.

The fields surrounding the clothed tree are dense with The promotion of heritage conservation is important for potsherds, stone grinding basins, and stone hammers. These the long-term conservation of large trees, clothed and artifacts are the kinds of materials expected at former unclothed, in the Savè hills area. Though current ritual village sites; similar artifacts were recorded at many former practices are often effective in protecting trees, changing village sites over the course of SHARP’s survey. As I have views on religion and increasing pressure on economic discussed, certain species of trees, including the iroko, resources are threatening this as a viable strategy on its are associated with villages. The common use of clothed own. Increasingly, ritual taboos on trees and groves are trees to memorialize ancient sites and the archaeological ignored in favor of the economic gains from logging evidence of a past occupation indicate that this tree could and farming. Often these violations occur because non- indeed be marking the site of a former village. The village Ifa practitioners do not feel compelled to abide by ritual itself has been forgotten - at least by the primary heritage prohibitions. The challenge of heritage conservation then institutions in the Savè hills - but others continue to use the is to articulate the value of these trees in new terms. By tree to link to a subaltern past. shifting the emphasis of conservation away from any particular religion toward a generalized conception of shared heritage, these impressive trees and their associated Protecting a Cultural Landscape cultural traditions may be protected. The close relationship between sacred tree species and Identifying individual trees, associated practices, and archaeological sites has important implications for cultural nearby archaeological sites is the first step of heritage resource management, heritage protection, and heritage conservation. Though Savè hills area communities are promotion in West Africa. The lack of basic research in often well-versed in the heritage and history of their own many areas means that archaeological sites and materials communities, their knowledge does not always extend to are often not identified nor inventoried. These sites are neighboring areas. There is little recognition that such a effectively unknown in any systematic way to government phenomenon is, in fact, widely distributed throughout the agencies or other organizations charged with protecting Savè hills and even elsewhere in Bénin and Nigeria. Calling cultural resources. The ability to quickly and efficiently attention to the commonalities of these large trees allows identify archaeological sites based on tree presence could them to be valued as heritage apart from any specific local potentially increase their protection. context, and thus valued by a larger population. In some cases, archaeological sites are already being Identifying other clothed sacred trees and assessing protected by local communities because of the presence potential threats to their conservation is an important goal of sacred trees. Sacred trees and groves are often situated toward understanding the Savè hills cultural landscape. on archaeological sites. Prohibitions on logging, farming, However, this landscape is undoubtedly made up of many and other destructive activities protect the trees and elements of which trees are just one. There may be other, effectively protect the underlying archaeological materials less well-known elements that interested parties want to as well. This is the case with an archaeological site that conserve. Conservation work on trees, as already initiated I documented near Ouoghi. The site is recognized as by environmentally oriented agencies and NGOs, can a former village occupied by ancestors of the Amushu therefore productively articulate their programs in a broader lineage. The archaeological deposits at the site are protected cultural landscape framework—employing the specialized from farming and logging not because it is an important skills of anthropologists, archaeologists, historians, artists, historical locale but because there is a large and ritually and architects in collaboration with local community and important oshe tree (plate 11), of course indicating a former religious leaders. village site.

7 UM Working Papers in Museum Studies, Number 10 (2013) Sacred Trees of the Savè Hills Cultural Landscape UM Working Papers in Museum Studies, Number 10 Number (2013) Studies, Museum Working in Papers UM home. Savè the hills not do call themselves who even for those trees, large these value to reasons many are There intertwined. inherently worlds are cultural and of emblematic how natural the are trees clothed sacred Savè the hills, In opaque. most is culture and nature between divide the atwhich apoint create invoked to dually People are place and environment. and humans between relationship recursive the by defined is landscape A cultural Bénin. of area neglected often this in tourism increase potentially and experience tourist the enhance will of Savè the hills landscape cultural the articulating and Identifying Bénin. in tourism for heritage aframework provide will markers of completion the the that It hoped is refuge. providing of history and features natural for their receive markers to route along this chosen were Savè The hills Parakou. at route trade of trans-Saharan the terminal southern the to of Ouidah port coastal the from ran that routes trade follow historic the markers These underway. already were Savè in markers place historic construct to plans research, 2012 SHARP’s to well. as Prior recognition institutional receive to beginning is landscape cultural SavèThe hills topography. the just not landscape, of cultural the now tours include Savè hills the to of visitors itineraries The trees. the with associated sites archaeological and practices cultural the well as as patches, forest role ecological old-growth as their and trees of of biological the the visitors implications inform Guides show to tourists. landmarks as trees large incorporate to have started of hills the tours giving been who had guides three, all Combining heritage. biological cultural and conserve to efforts existing with heritage of archaeological conservation the coordinate to efforts increased sparked has Savè the hills in archaeology in level high ofThe interest history. oral sharing and analysis, ceramic sampling, auger mapping, satellite-assisted site through archaeological an documenting in participate to invited were bystanders and buyers, Market-sellers, investigations. site of the archaeological into transformed Savè in was day, amarket public wherein archaeology a in culminated workshops These locations. important of these awareness increase to order in sites archaeological identify to leaders community of with workshops a series We area. organized Savè the hills in heritage archaeological promote to Ola-Amushu and Onishabe the including institutions Mayor of of heritage Savè, local acoalition and the of Abomey-Calavi, University atthe Archaeology and of History Department the with partnered 2012, SHARP place. In taking already is goal Movement this toward 8 Sacred Trees of Savè the Hills Cultural Landscape

Figure 1. Map of Bénin with the SHARP study area in red (left) and distribution of clothed and un- clothed sacred trees in the SHARP study area (right).

Plate 1. The Oke Shabe hills outside of Savè.

9 UM Working Papers in Museum Studies, Number 10 (2013) Sacred Trees of the Savè Hills Cultural Landscape UM Working Papers in Museum Studies, Number 10 Number (2013) Studies, Museum Working in Papers UM Plate 2. Clothed Plate Clothed 2. Plate 3. Clothed ibabo/ose ibabo/ose , Afin neighborhood, Sav neighborhood, , Afin , Shabe palace compound, Sav compound, palace , Shabe è. è. 10 Sacred Trees of Savè the Hills Cultural Landscape

Plate 4. Clothed iroko, Idi-iroko neighborhood, Savè.

Plate 5. Ogu tani megalith and clothed iroko, Ainsen neighborhood, Savè.

11 UM Working Papers in Museum Studies, Number 10 (2013) Sacred Trees of the Savè Hills Cultural Landscape UM Working Papers in Museum Studies, Number 10 Number (2013) Studies, Museum Working in Papers UM Plate 7. Three clothed 7.clothed Plate Three Plate 6. Clothed babuwe akoko , Ouoghi. , Kaboua. , 12 Sacred Trees of Savè the Hills Cultural Landscape

Plate 8. Clothed odan, Dikosha, Djabata.

Plate 9. Cut and felled oshe, Monka.

13 UM Working Papers in Museum Studies, Number 10 (2013) Sacred Trees of the Savè Hills Cultural Landscape UM Working Papers in Museum Studies, Number 10 Number (2013) Studies, Museum Working in Papers UM Plate 10. Clothed 10.Plate Clothed iroko , Oke Shabe. , Oke 14 Sacred Trees of Savè the Hills Cultural Landscape

Plate 11. Unclothed oshe, near Ouoghi.

15 UM Working Papers in Museum Studies, Number 10 (2013) Sacred Trees of the Savè Hills Cultural Landscape UM Working Papers in Museum Studies, Number 10 Number (2013) Studies, Museum Working in Papers UM tree. single a as used practice in are they as summary, and analysis three 3. these Icount regardless of species. general, in aword it as tree for asacred described speakers what asked When 2. travelers. and merchants European to liaison asa acting officer military a Dahomean to isreferring it case, this In military. and civil both officers, African to describe trade Atlantic the during Europeans employed widely by ageneric term is 1. Caboceer Notes araba akoko referred to, many Shabe Shabe to, referred many as only one sacred tree in my in tree one sacred only as 16 Sacred Trees of Savè the Hills Cultural Landscape Bibliography 249:72-83.

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