Dahomey, An Ancient West African Kingdom, Vol. 1 May 2026

Details the origins of the kingdom, which was founded around 1600 CE. It explores the "path of the leopard" origin myths and the migration of the Fon people to the Abomey plateau.

The book is a landmark anthropological and historical study authored by Melville J. Herskovits . Originally published in 1938, it remains one of the most comprehensive ethnographic records of the Fon-speaking people of present-day Benin . Overview of Volume 1 Dahomey, an ancient West African kingdom, vol. 1

Analyzes the structures of kinship, clanship, and secret societies that formed the backbone of Dahomean life outside of the royal palace. Details the origins of the kingdom, which was