Dankoli

Dankoli

The Dankoli shrine is the most powerful shrine in Benin and the birthplace of voodoo. No other shrine in Benin is as famous as the Dankoli shrine. The Dankoli shrine, unlike the other shrines, is not very special, just a rotting pile of blood, feathers, bones and a tree stump in the middle. It is home to a great and powerful deity, where the inhabitants talk to the gods directly. To make a request to the gods, a wooden tap must be struck in one of the two shrines. The Shrine is a couple, one a man and one a woman. While silently saying your request, red palm oil is poured on to your stake before you spit out a sip from your mouth of a specially made rum, this is done three times on a giant wooden penis that protrudes from the ground and the other two holes in the ground called "the twin". In addition to these, the gods need other special incentives; besides the stake, money and sacrifices are required, which are mainly made by slaughtering animals consisting of chickens.