Boology: meaning and endogenous scope of a science. This is the theme that was the subject of a conference this Saturday, March 26, 2022 at the Houdégbé amphitheater of the Abomey-Calavi campus. It was led by Dr. Raymond Assogba, Sociologist-Anthropologist; lecturer at CAMES universities.
Despite the fact that Benin is the cradle of vodùn, it still struggles to integrate this practice into the center of development policies. However, several sources mention the good that could be done. Fortunately, in recent years, university professors have appropriated the cultural values of the country and have invented a discipline: boology.
Logically, boology is the science that studies Boo (which the settler translates as gris-gris). Dr. Raymond Assogba, the torchbearer of this science will say that “Boology is a panacea of Beninese existentiality; it translates the relationship to meaning that is the history of men, groups, cities and that of their occupation of space without omitting the relationship to the time of norms and values.
From then on, the object of study of boology is Vodùn, Boo and Fâ; a trilogy around which traditional Beninese beliefs revolve. Moreover, the Boo, a typically Beninese reality, is “first a knowledge, then a know-how, and above all a power” according to the speaker.
Having its roots in Benin’s endogenous tradition, which is considered negative, boology is often misunderstood and questioned. “We held this conference to remove doubt about boology as a science. Since it is an African and not a Frenchman or an American, people doubt it” said Dr. Raymond Assogba.
It should be noted that Boology is a science invented by Professor Jean-Marie Apovo. The latter has defended a State Thesis in France whose title is “Anthropology of Boo. Theory and practice of gris-gris”. Died since 2016, his legacy is entrusted to his best disciple Dr. Raymond Assogba. According to the conception of these two authors, boology is the way out of Africa’s development.
He affirms to this effect: “The science of Boology whose initiator is Professor Jean-Marie Apovo is the science that will be able to free Africa from its exploiters and oppressors. Since it is a science whose lung is the whole of our cultural values, in particular the ”Bo” which is called the gris-gris. Professor Apovo, before his death, succeeded in demonstrating through his thesis that the practice of “Bo” in all its dimensions is scientific and is capable of saving Africa and its sons. And this is precisely what we seek to perpetuate.
In any case, at the University of Abomey-Calavi, this science is already part of a training program for students who wish to acquire knowledge in this area. A laboratory has been created in this framework. We are talking about the Laboratory of Boology and Integral Development (LaBooID). This department is supported by the Ministry of Higher Education, which intends to “use endogenous values to build development,” according to Boologue.
