Xɛvioso (Maxi , Fon variously , or , Ewe , borrowed into Yoruba as ; variously rendered Xevioso, Xewioso, Hevioso, Hèvioso, Heviosso and Hebioso) is a god of thunder in Ewe and Dahomean religion. Death by lightning is considered a punishment in West Africa. Xɛvioso is just, he punishes without mercy. People killed by lightning cannot have a normal burial. The remains of a person killed by lightning are ritually burned, the bones are kept. In some regions of Benin, the body is displayed in front of a temple dedicated to Xɛvioso. A storm rich in lightning always brings with it some form of victim; proof is the black sokpe stones that people look for after a storm. According to the believers, they fall during the rampage of the thunder lord Xɛvioso. Sokpe stones contain divine power called àzě (aṣẹ).
In Benin, in connection with the Xɛvioso cult, ritual axes can be seen with one or more crescent-shaped blades attached to each other.
Celestial and meteorological phenomena
The primary and most direct manifestations of Xevioso occur within atmospheric storms. Traditional practitioners categorize the components of a thunderstorm as specific expressions of the deity's agency:
- Lightning (Soki): Viewed as Xevioso's primary weapon and sight. In theological terms, the sudden illumination of lightning is believed to expose hidden moral transgressions, sorcery, or perjury.
</references>