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Teacher's Guide for CALLIOPE ® African Kingdom of Benin

February 2005

Teacher guide prepared by: Leslie Anderson Morales.

The kingdom of Benin is many years older than the United States and some European nations. Its history has survived in its people's traditions and in the artifacts fashioned by craftsmen many generations ago. Some of its history is told in bronze plaques that covered the pillars of the courtyards in the Oba's palace.
Why do you think the people chose to create plaques to tell their stories instead of building monuments?
Benin City was one of the world's great cities in the 1400s and 1500s. European visitors were impressed by its cleanliness, broad streets, and elaborate layout. The city plan had religious meanings and reflected the complicated structure of society.
Take the point of view of a visitor or a resident (maybe even royalty!) and describe what you see as you walk through this mighty city.
The Oba has political, military, and mystical power. He is supposed to protect the people and lead the people. Benin's rulers laid out the city, organized the government, and established royal ceremonies.
  • Why do you think the tradition of royalty was successful in this culture?
  • What evidence do you have that support your opinion?
A change in national leadership is a momentous occasion typically marked by a celebration (or series of celebrations) rich with tradition. Benin's newly appointed Oba is installed in a royal ceremony. Every four years the newly elected president of the United States is inaugurated.
  • Describe what happens in each ceremony.
  • Why are certain traditions repeated each time this ceremony takes place?
Describe a ceremony that you or your family members have participated in.
  • Did it have religious origins, celebrate a personal accomplishment, or both?
  • Are holidays, ceremonies, and celebrations the same thing?
  • Explain your answer.
Bronze casters and ivory tusk carvers received their training in hereditary guilds. This meant that only the sons and nephews of craftsmen could become apprentices in the trade of their fathers and uncles.
  • How and why do you think this type of guild develops?
  • What are the advantages (and disadvantages) of a guild that controls access to the craft in this way?
  • Use one or two pages to present an argument in support of this practice or to change it.
An object's meaning can change over time. For example, cowrie shells were once used as a form of money, but some people now wear cowries as jewelry (bracelets, necklaces, hair ornaments).
Give an example of an everyday object whose purpose or meaning has changed over time.
If you grow up with mudfish (or pigeons), you know something about the creature's habits, behavior, and characteristics.
  • Make a list of the animals or wildlife that populate your neighborhood or community.
  • Describe each of these creatures.
  • Based on your knowledge of these animals, design a bronze plaque or elephant tusk or altar tableau to convey an idea or an event.
Portuguese navigators arrived in Benin during a time of great artistic and political development. The two cultures interacted more or less peaceably for more than 200 years. By the late 19th century, the British destroyed the Benin kingdom, an empire that had flourished for centuries.
What circumstances led to such vastly different outcomes involving two European nations?
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