Status of the Anii Blacksmith in Central Western Benin: From the Precolonial Times to the 21st Century

Abstract

Around the African continent, blacksmiths occupy significant respect
in society. The blacksmith artisan benefitted from particular social
conditions and societal prerogatives. He maintains special ties with
other groups in the community. This paper discusses the social
status and societal value enjoyed by the Anii blacksmith from precolonial
to contemporary times. Methodologically, the data
presented in this paper are from documentary research and field
surveys. The results indicate that the Anii artisan occupied a place of
choice in the pre-colonial past. In addition, the analysis of the results
of field surveys, cross-referenced with the existing written
documentation, reveals that the iron artisans of the Pays Anii
enjoyed various prerogatives. These ranged from intervening in
conflicts to crowning village chiefs. The devaluation of the status of
these iron artisans was accelerated by colonial domination from 1895
and the fact of progressive globalization.
Keywords: Anii area, Blacksmiths, Social tatus, Colonization,
Globalization.
https://dx.doi.org/10.56279/sapj.v16.4