[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

It may be useful here to have a basic description of Dahomey thus ~

Wikepedia Quote'' The History of the Kingdom of Dahomey spans 300 years from around 1600 until 1904 with the rise of the Kingdom of Dahomey as a major power on the Atlantic coast of modern-day Benin until French conquest. The kingdom became a major regional power in the 1720s when it conquered the coastal kingdoms of Allada and Whydah. With control over these key coastal cities, Dahomey became a major center in the Atlantic Slave Trade until 1852 when the British imposed a naval blockade to stop the trade. War with the French began in 1892 and the French took over the Kingdom of Dahomey in 1894. The throne was vacated by the French in 1900, but the royal families and key administrative positions of the administration continued to have a large impact in the politics of the French administration and the post-independence Republic of Dahomey, renamed Benin in 1975. Historiography of the kingdom has had a significant impact on work far beyond African history and the history of the kingdom forms the backdrop for a number of novels and plays."Unquote.

Below I include;
1. The Benin Tribal Map.
2. The Cave Drawing from at Mbafu Cave in the Lower Congo showing the Portuguese influence (see #20 above) in the cross format illustrating consecration of Don Henrique, son of King Alphonso the first of the BaKongo as the first Congolese Bishop in 1518." .
3. The quality of hand carved Ivory in the region thus the availability of artisans giving rise also to locally produced excellent Lion and big cat carvings common on Dahomey hilts.
4. A Knights Templar Fort adorned with A Cross probably Portuguese.

( The symbol of the cross within a circle is very ancient and has played an important part in the History of Humanity. The symbol can be found in many cultures and many places around the world. From the ‘Rosy’ Cross of the Rosicrucians to the American Indians’ “Sacred Hoop”, from the “Celtic” Cross to the symbol of certain tribes in Western Africa’s Burkina Faso and Ghana.)