Dan Twins

Each country has a way of representing the twins. These twins correspond to the Fon people, who built cities such as Abomey, the historical capital city of Dahomey (currently Benin). A notable part of the Fon people’s society was their use of female soldiers in combat roles over some two centuries. The traditional Fon religion is Vodoun. According to this religion, the female Supreme Being called Nana Buluku, gave birth to Mawu (the moon) and Lisa (the sun), respectively the female and male aspects, often portrayed as the twin children of the Creator. Twins are believed to be magical, and if one should die, it represents bad fortune for the parents and the society to which they belong. The name of these twins comes from the word “dan”, which means money in the Benin language. The measures are an average of both figures.