14 - In Remembrance of Slavery

Summary

Vodun, or Vodou as it is known in the Caribbean and the Americas, is the predominant religious system of southern Bénin and Togo. Domestic enslavement is the source of a Vodun complex known as Tchamba. This chapter begins with some general information about transatlantic and domestic slavery in this region. It introduces an example of domestic slavery via a landmark piece of African francophone literature. The chapter demonstrates how the visual within Vodun marks people and spaces as dedicated to the remembrance of slavery. It focuses on Tchamba Vodun shrines and temple paintings as primary documents, emphasizing the main iconographic symbology. The chapter then describes a new Tchamba spirit with contemporary meanings derived from the growing cognizance of the transatlantic slave trade. It presents two field stories, Couchoro's L'Esclave and tracing Tchamba roots, addressing present-day complications revolving around histories of domestic slavery.