calendar_month By topic
Farming calendar and months in Fon
For the Fon people, time is not abstract but dictated by farming cycles. Each month (sùn) is named after a specific task in the field (glè).
January to April: preparation and first rains
The word sùn refers to both the month and the moon, highlighting the ancestral observation of celestial cycles.
May to August: tending and growth
The farmer uses a hoe (alǐn) to clear the weeds. Beans (ayì) are central to the cuisine (ayikúnkpínkpán = bean purée).
September to December: harvest and harmattan
A living calendar
This farming calendar is not just a memory of the past: in the villages of southern Benin, the rhythm of activities still follows these traditional month names today.
Time according to the Fon
Learning the names of the months in Fon means setting off on a journey through the seasons of the former Kingdom of Danxomɛ, where each term describes a specific task of the farmer.
Fon culture is understood in the Fon language.
Proverbs, Vodun, the history of Danxomɛ: all of it is said first in Fon. 79 video lessons with a native speaker, from the first greeting to conversation — so you can listen to this culture without having it translated for you.
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- The Fon video course: see the program — 79 lessons with a native speaker from Cotonou, taught in French
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