Julien Alapini

Julien Alapini (born August 28, 1906, in Abomey-Calavi; died February 26, 1970) was a teacher, writer, playwright, ethnographer, and politician from French Dahomey (now the Republic of Benin).

Julien Alapini
Personal details
Born	(1906-08-28)August 28, 1906 Abomey-Calavi, French Dahomey
Died	February 26, 1970(1970-02-26) (aged 63)
Nationality	Beninese
Occupation	Teacher, writer, playwright, ethnographer, politician

Biography

Julien Alapini attended primary school in Ouidah and then the École normale William-Ponty in Gorée (Senegal) from 1926 to 1929.^[1]

After graduating, he was appointed a teacher and later a school principal in several locations: Porto-Novo, Kouandé, Djougou, Savalou, Cotonou, Allada, Abomey, Covè, Parakou, Kouti, and Tori-Gare.^[2]

In parallel, he conducted ethnographic and linguistic research on Dahomey, approaching it as a Christian and admirer of French culture. Through two essays, Les noix sacrées. Étude complète de Fa-Ahidégoun, génie de la sagesse et de la divination au Dahomey (1950) and Les Initiés (1953), he aimed to continue the work of colonial ethnologists: to better understand the colonized to better govern them. As a devout Catholic, he denounced superstitions and fetishism, particularly the methods of divination such as the consultation of Fa.^[2]

Like other Dahomean authors, such as Maximilien Quénum, his work shows an "interpenetration of ethnology and literature." He studied entertainment, oral literature, songs, proverbs, and riddles^[2] and produced his own tales and plays.^[1]

In 1960, he was appointed Inspector of Education, then Minister of Education of Dahomey from 1962 to 1964.^[1] Retired in 1967, he died on February 26, 1970.^[2]

Selected publications

• "Note sur les Tam-tam dahoméens", L'Éducation africaine, n°101, 1938, pp. 50–56.
• "Notes sur les chansons dahoméennes", L'Éducation africaine, n°102-103, 1939, pp. 25–31.
• Contes dahoméens, Paris-Avignon, Les Livres Nouveaux, 1941, 135 p.
• Légendes dahoméennes, Namur, Éd. Grands lac, 1942.
• Les Noix sacrées : Étude complète de Fa-Ahidégoun, génie de la sagesse et de la divination au Dahomey, Monte Carlo, Regain, 1950, 126 p.
• Le Petit dahoméen - grammaire, vocabulaire, lexique en langue du Dahomey, Avignon, Les Presses universelles, 1950, 285 p.
• Les Initiés, Avignon, édition Aubanel, 1953, 252 p.
• "L'éducation africaine traditionnelle du Dahomey", L'Éducation africaine, n°38, 1956, pp. 51–61.
• Les Dahoméens et les Togolais au centenaire des apparitions, Avignon, Aubanel, 1959, 165 p.
• Acteurs noirs, Avignon, Les Presses universelles, 1965, 189 p. (theater^[3])