The French word récade is a neologism formed from the Portuguese word recados, meaning “message” or “messenger. The word récade specifically refers to a type of object used in the Fon kingdom of Dahomey (seventeenth to nineteenth centuries ce, now part of the Republic of Benin). Récades often are axe- or crook-shaped staffs. Their handle is often made of wood and is roughly 50 cm high. The blade of an axe-shaped récade is often sculpted in the shape of a king or of a battalion's emblems, figures that often refer to quotes or proverbs (Fig. 1).
When used by royal messengers, the récade authenticated the provenance of their message. The word récade also refers to formally similar staffs used by priests of the Fon deity of thunder, So, also known by the names Hevios(s)o, Hevies(s)o, Hebios(s)o, Hebies(s)o, or Djis(s)o. These two kinds of object were also...