Eating Dog | National Geographic

in northern benin humans revere dogs for
their loyalty and bravery but here dogs
also figure in an unusual ritual every
four years the baser baby people
initiate boys into manhood the process a
series of ceremonies including
circumcision hinges on a sacrifice to
honor their ancestors and bolster their
sons courage the base re be kill and eat
a dog this year endo Tian will lead the
ritual the base re beloved dogs
especially dogs with brave hearts and
loyal spirits the very qualities people
here hope to absorb when they eat the
animals about welcome to mother the
soothsayer asks you to kill a dog so
that the boy won’t run away in fear
during the circumcision I’m Adam yeah
bye you know you want a go and whether
he we don’t give names to the other
animals are you her mother but we give a
name to the dog mother what a murder
because he is our companion this dog has
a name patience for four years patience
has had a good life with his owner Seiko
but Seiko has always waited the day of
reckoning I follow the tradition what
our ancestors did is what I do when we
bought patience we knew that we were
the fetish beneath the spreading baobab
tree stands the symbol of ancestral
spirit the fetish before villagers can
eat their share of dog they must be the
spirit with sacrifices ATM’s father will
begin the ceremony well he appears over
it with Miller narrow and chicken blood
the bird died clearly but patients must
live up to his name look up where the
ritual requires he be killed with a club
in some sacrifices suffering is what
makes it holy many in the village know
and like patience they’ll miss him
I’m sad to give the dog but it is my
sister’s who started the tradition
Etienne offers the dog’s blood to the
spirits out of respect he leaves a piece
of a tale boys awaiting circumcision
dance readying themselves to eat the
magic meat they believe will awaken the
spirits of their ancestors before an
audience of village elders Etienne
follows the preparation ritual well I
don’t know animal to the spirit Etienne
offers roasted meat when we run the
restaurant oils
young everyone in the village will want
a taste of the sacrificial meal when you
eat the dog you get good health so
everyone wants to take a little bit go
go
once the elders have eaten younger
villagers take their turn they hope the
dogs meat will give them the courage to
endure circumcision and now that the
initiation rite has begun the villages
dogs can rest easy at least for another
four years when the next ritual occurs