Education and Religion in Colonial Benin

About the interview
Christianity in BeninWestern EducationFestivals (Palace Rituals and Ceremonies)

The Portuguese introduced Christianity and education into the Benin Kingdom in the sixteenth century. In this interview, the children of the late Ohen-Osa Idemudia Aisien talk about how their father underwent a Western education during the colonial period and how he became a chief priest of Holy Aro Osa Cathedral after it was revived in the 1940s by Ọba Akẹnzua II. This interview shows the connection between education and religion in Benin Kingdom as a legacy of contact and interactions with Europe. The order of worship at the Holy Aro Osa is also described briefly.

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Referenced in this interview

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