Land for the People, Land for the Gods: Property and Appropriation of Urban Space in Porto-Novo between the 18th and 19th Century

Land ownership in southern Benin in the 18th and 19th century is often considered an exclusive prerogative of the king. However, religious and political dimensions of land control are strictly intertwined and show us a more fragmented reality than what ancient sources describe. Vodun deities were used both as a way to justify control over the soil and as markers in urban space. The arrival of missionaries and colonisers in Porto-Novo fitted consequently into a system where land ownership was more articulated from what is generally claimed. They finally relied on the royal figure to introduce themselves into this context and justify their settlement.