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Umẹwaẹn: Journal of Benin and Ẹdo Studies, Vol.2, 2017

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SensemakinginBeninKingdomOralTraditions:RepetitiveRecallofActualandTraditionalEnmitybetweentheỌbaandtheOgiamiẹn

KathyCurnow ClevelandStateUniversity Cleveland,OH

Abstract

TheBeninKingdom’soralhistory,likeallhistories,highlightsselectedpastincidentsto

theexclusionofmost.Majorevents,especiallythoselinkedtospecificmonarchs,arelikely

candidatesforinclusion.Ọranmiyan’sfoundingofthecurrentdynastywasakeycataclysmic

event,alongwithhisimmediatedescendants’effortstoestablishthemselvesinthecity.These

incidents,unsurprisingly,arerememberedinsomedetail.Conflictsbetweentheautochthones,

representedbytheEvian-Ogiamiẹnline,andtheincomingroyalfamilyconstituteacrucial

aspectofthisdynasticbeginning.Subsequentbutfarlesscriticalclashesbetweenthetwo

partiesflaredupperiodicallyduringlaterreigns,buttheirretentioninhistoryislessexplicable.

Whyaretheselesserincidentsrecalled?

Humanabilitytorecollectchoicepasteventsisshapedbysensemakingandother

cognitiveprocesses.Particularcognitiveframeworksservetoorganizememorycreation,and

theircompositioncanensurethatcertaineventsnotonlyattaincontemporaneousprominence,

butalsoarelikelytosecureaplaceinhistoricalaccounts.InNigeria’sBeninKingdom,

ominigbọndivinationmayhaveprovidedsuchaframeworkforstoriesregardingthecontinued

conflictbetweenthepresentdynastyandtheEvian-Ogiamiẹnline.ItsOhunIghitancode

sentencespeaksto(amongotherthings)disputesthatareneverfullysettled,anditsveiled

Sensemaking in Benin Kingdom Oral Traditions

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languageappearstorefertotheinitialstrugglesbetweentheEvian-OgiamiẹnandỌranmiyan

lineages.Theframeworkitestablishedmayhaveservedasasignificantdevicethatensureda

narrativeofconflictcontinuedoverthecenturies.

Ominigbọndivinationandsensemaking

Agbọnkhọnyeomẹnẹrinmwinkevbekhọnyeukherhe.Thisworldfoughtforpalmfrondsandthespiritworldfoughtforsugarcane[codedsentenceassociatedwithOhunIghitan].

Humansinterpretandreinterprettheirworldthroughpatterns.Thesepatterns

sometimestakeonamoreenduringphase,becomingcognitiveframeworks.Suchmental

modelscandevelopintofamiliartropestothedegreethatnewincidentsmaybecategorized

accordingtotheseestablishedmentaldevices,whichcanoriginatefromreligious,literary,and

othersources.IncountriesimprintedbytheJudeo-Christian-Islamictraditions,Biblicaltales–

evenamongnon-believers–havebecomefixedstructuresthroughlengthycultural

bombardment,andcanactascognitive“magnets”thatattractandattachnewincidents.For

example,themillennia-oldstoryofCainandAbelstillresonateswhencasesoffratricidal

conflictoccur,evenwhenitscontemporaryechoeshavelittleofthepowerandimpactofthe

originalevent.Likewise,Shakespeare’scirca1595taleofRomeoandJulietprovidesan

attachmentpointforanylovethatdefiesfamilialresistance.

Thesekindsofstructuresarenotmnemonictools.Instead,theyactasmethodsof

organizingourobservations,ensuringsomenewincidentsbecomeattachedtoolder,already

fixedelements,strengtheningthecognitivestructure’slodestoneabilities.KarlWeick

articulatedthisorganizationalprocessthroughthetheoryofsensemaking.Aswerelate

ourselvestothegreaterworld,weshapeourexperiencesthroughmeaningfulpatternsthat


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resultfromsocialization.Thisprocessiscontinuous,remaininginconstantflux.Wereifythe

cuesweperceiveinretrospect,andwealsorecognizethatnoindividualcanachieveabsolute

factregardingpastevents—plausibilityissufficientasweconstructnarrativesofpersonaland

communityhistory.1ThetheoryemergedfromPiaget’srationalist-orientedpsychological

researchconcerninghowthemindprocessesrealitythroughstagesofcognitivestructuresthat

progressfromchildhoodtoadulthood.2Itthensplitintomultipledirectionsandrefinements.3

Sensemaking’sapplicationsrapidlyspreadtocommunicationswithincorporateandother

structures,4butsubsequentlydisciplinesasdiverseaslinguisticsandnarrativestudies

employedthetheory.Asacommunicationstheorythataddressestransmissionandreception,

itwouldseemtohaveparticularrelevancetooralhistory.Whiletheprocessofsensemakingis

universal,oneofitsunderlyingtenetsisthatitsconstructionsareculturallydependent.In

Nigeria’sBeninkingdom,sensemakingemergesasapossibleanalyticaldirection.Divination

mayprovidesomeframingdevicesforhistoricalcreation,increasingthelikelihoodthatthose

incidentsfittingintoestablishedconstructswouldberecalled.Onespecificexampleisthe

ominigbọndivinationverseabove,whichreferstoarememberedandrepeatedtension

1KarlE.Weick,SensemakinginOrganizations(ThousandOaks,CA:SAGE,1995).Sensemaking’simpactoncognitivescience,communicationtheory,psychology,andanthropologyareoutlinedinLauraA.McNamara,“SensemakinginOrganizations:ReflectionsonKarlWeickandSocialTheory,”March24,2015,EPIC:AdvancingtheValueofEthnographyinIndustry,https://www.epicpeople.org/sensemaking-in-organizations/2JeanPiaget,TheDevelopmentofThought:EquilibrationofCognitiveStructures(NewYork:Viking,1977). 3Somerelatedtheoriestakedifferentnames.MichaelCole’sworkinpsychologyandcommunications,forexample,stressestherolecultureplaysinshapingandcreatingthemindandcognition.Calledculturalpsychology,ithasthesamerootsassensemakingandhashadamajorimpactonpsychologicalstudies.SomeofhisextensivepublicationspertaintoWestAfricaandeducation.TheyincludehisbookCulturalpsychology:Aonceandfuturediscipline(Cambridge,MA:HarvardUniversityPress,1996).MaxVelmans’stheoryof“reflexivemonism”islikewiseacognateapproachthatdealswiththecriticalplaceofanindividual’sexperiencetohisconsciousnessandperceptions(UnderstandingConsciousness,2nded.[London:Routledge,2009]). 4GeraldR.SalancikandJeffreyPfeffer,“ASocialInformationProcessingApproachtoJobAttitudesandTaskDesign,”AdministrativeScienceQuarterly2:3(1978):224-253;KarlE.Weick,TheSocialPsychologyofOrganizing(NewYork:McGraw-Hill,1979).


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betweenẸdoautochthonesandtheirrulingdynasty.5

OminigbọndivinationisoneofseveralẸdosystemsthatinvokethesupernaturalworld

inordertointerpreteventsanddiscernacourseofcorrectiveactions.Itinvolvesatrained

specialist(ọboogwẹga)whoemploysanimplementconsistingoffourstrands,eachhungwith

fourhalf-podsoftheogwẹgatree.Hisworkwithaclientinvolvesaccessingtheoracleby

addressingitthroughtheuta,asmallimplement(oftenaboar’stooth).Theclientholdstheuta

infrontofthelipswhileaskinga(usuallyinaudible)question,andthedivinerthentouchesthis

tooltoeachseedpodhalf.Henexttossesthestrands,whichlandinfrontofhim,their16half-

podspresentedeitherconcavelyorconvexly.Possibleoutcomesare256innumber,and

combinationsofadjacentpairsofstrands(owaiha[owiha],or“houseofdivination”)arenamed

byacode.Heoftenrepeatsthethrowstoverifyorclarifyhisfindings,thendiscussestheresults

withtheclient,namingthecodeanditskeyassociatedsentence,thenfurtherinterpretingit

withsetstories.Toensurepositiveresults,aspecificsacrificeisusuallyavitalpartofthe

recommendedcourseofclientactions.TheanalogousIfadivinationsystemoftheYoruba,

whichcaninvolveeitherasinglestrand(ọpẹlẹ)ortheuseofadivinationboard(ọpọnIfa),

sacredpalmnuts(ikinIfa),andtapper(irọkẹIfa),isalsoemployedinBenin,butwithassociated

versesthatareindependentofYorubacontent.6Theominigbọnsystem,closelyrelatedto

surroundingstrand-throwingsystemsoftheNupe,Igbo,Yoruba,andothers,appearstobe

5ThispaperdevelopedfromresearchinBeninCitypriortoandinconjunctionwitha1997/98Fulbrightgrantforastudyofhowominigbọndivinationcanshedlightonhistoryandartthroughitsshapingofcognition.Furtherfieldworkandarchivalsupportviaa1994/95NEHCollaborativegrantandanSSRCsub-grantwasvital,aswasadditionalresearchinBeninin1992andfrom1996-2004.AlthoughthedivinationandcognitionstudywasnotfullycompletedduetoIkponmwosaOsemwegie’sillnessandsubsequentdemise,certaincriticalaspectswillbeincludedinanupcomingbookconcerningỌbaẸsigie’sshapingofẸdoartandculture.MyunmeasurablegratitudeisowedtoỌmọn’ỌbaErediauwa,hischiefs,priests,andcitizensforthesupportandencouragementofmyresearch.6C.OsamaroIbie,TheCompleteWorkofIfism(HongKong:DesignPrinting,1986).Multiplevolumesfollowedthisinitialbook.


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Benin’soldestdivinationsystem,7andincludesmanyreferencestoBeninhistoryinbothits

codesentencesandexplicatorystories.

TheOhunIghitancodesentenceaboveatfirstseemsahistoricalinitscontent–fresh

palmfrondsandsugarcanearenottime-bound.Theonlypublishedstorythatexpandsonits

meaninginitiallyappearssolelymetaphoricalaswell.AsrecordedbyEgharevba(whowasnota

diviner)andtranslatedbyJeffỌmọruyi,8thiscautionarytalecanbesummarizedasfollows.A

beautifulmaidenrefusedherparents’choiceofahusbandandbegantoliveasaprostitute.

Shesuccumbedtosicknessandherfamilydideverythingtheycouldtohelpher;finally,

however,theyabandonedher.Remainingatthejunctionbetweenthisworldandthespirit

world,shehidinahollowtreeandplayedtheflute.Forunexplainedreasons,thiscausedthe

warriorsofthetwoworldstofight.Ahuntercaughther,andtheangrywarriorsonbothsides

cutherbodyinhalf,buryingheratthejunctionofthetwoworlds.Therethespiritworld’s

denizenscutsugarcanefrondsandplacedthemonhergrave,whilethelivingwarriorsplaced

freshpalmfrondsthere.“Sotheylayafoundationthatthewarrioroflifeanddeadwillno

longermeetandfighteachotherforlife.”Egharevbawentontoexplainthatthethrowmeant

menshouldavoidcatchingdiseasesfromwomenorquarrelingwiththem,whilewomenshould

shunprostitutionandillnessthatwouldmakepeoplerejectthematthetimeofdeath.

“Women,quarrel,prostitutionandsicknessmovewithOhun-Ighitan.”9Becauseofthepaucity

7DarylPeavy,Kings,Magic,&Medicine(n.p:n.p.,2009),65-71;AimuEmovon,“IhaOminigbonDivination,”NigeriaMagazine,No.151,1984.1-9andVictorManfredi,“BeforeWazobia:Ominigbonandpolyglotcultureinmedieval9ja”(2012-2015),http://people.bu.edu/manfredi/BeforeWazobia.pdf;PhilipM.Peek,“TheDiviningChaininSouthernNigeria”inAfricanReligiousGroupsandBeliefs,ed.SimonOttenberg(Meerut,India:FolkloreInstitute,1982),187-205.8JacobU.Egharevba,IhaOminigbon[1936](BeninCity,Nigeria:Kopin-DogbaPress,1965);JeffỌmọruyi,“TranslationsofEgharevba1965,pp.90-168,”BeninCity,2015onVictorManfredi’swebsite:http://people.bu.edu/manfredi/Egharhevba1965.pdf.9Ọmọruyi,“TranslationsofEgharevba1965,pp.90-168,”BeninCity,Nigeria,2015,n.p.(undertheOhunIghitan


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ofpublishedinformationonominigbọn,itisworthnotingthatEgharevba’srelatedstoryisnot

necessarilytheonlynarrativeassociatedwithOhunIghitan.Storyuseisnotascodifiedas

Egharevba’stextmightsuggest;divinersmayhaveseveralstoriesintheirrepertoirethat

illustratethemeaningofathrow,andevensinglestoriescanvaryfromonedivinerto

another.10

IkponmwosaOsemwegie,whoconductedextensiveunpublishedresearchon

ominigbọn,agreedthatthiscoderelatedtoillness,particularlyskinandvenerealor

gynecologicaldiseases,butstressedthe“quarrel”componentofitsmeaning,statingthatit

referredtoadisputethatwouldneverbesettledcompletely.Healsoexpendedonthecode’s

sentence,statingthat“thedaytheyfoughtforsugarcaneandomẹn[freshpalmfronds],thatis

thedaytheyseparatedmanandspiritsintodifferentworlds.”11AsOsemwegienoted,thecode

heading). 10Personalcommunication,DarylPeavy,November9,2016,Akron,OH.Peavyisanominigbọndivinerwhohasstudiedandresearchedsincethe1990sinbothBeninCityandtheEsan/Ishanareas.11Personalcommunication,IkponmwosaOsemwegie,July6,1994.

Fig.1.TheaftermathofthebattleofẸkiokpaghaincludesthedestructionoftheOgiamiẹn’ssugarcanefronds.Ẹkiokpagha“battle”(TreatyofẸkiokpagha),BeninCity,Nigeria.Photographby

JosephNevadomsky,1979.EEPA2012-013-xxxx(batch2,binder2).EliotElisofonPhotographicArchives,NationalMuseumofAfricanArt,SmithsonianInstitution.


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sentence’sreferencetosugarcaneandpalmisfarfromageneralizedstatement.Italludestoan

incidentrelivedateverycoronation(Fig.1),anexplicitassociationbetweendivinationand

historythatNevadomskyfirstpublished.HeobservedthatthefinalbattlebetweenỌbaẸwẹdo

andOgiamiẹnatEkiokpaghamarketinvolvedbedeckingapavilionoftheformerwithfresh

palmfronds,whilethelatterwasrepresentedbysugarcanefoliage.Nevadomskysawtheir

confrontationasprimarilyasupernatural,ratherthanapolitical,struggle,stating:

Becauseoftheresistanceofthegodsofthesoiltoalienrule,thetreatyandits

conditions–theworldfortheOba,theunderworldfortheindigenousdeities–mustbe

renewedduringeachsuccessionifthelandisnottobecomeannoyed,bringingplagues

ofchickenpoxandothermaladiestothecity.Thus,thepreventionofcalamityseemsto

betheunderlyingessenceoftheTreatyofEkiokpagha.12Sugarcaneandfreshpalm

leavesasusedduringthecoronation’sẸwẹdo/Ogiamiẹnreenactmentdemarcate

bordersandamarkaconflict.ThesematerialsdonotappeartogetherelsewhereinẸdo

ceremonyororalliterature,makingidentificationofOhunIghitan’ssupernaturalbattle

betweenthespiritandhumanworlds’warriorswiththebattlebetweenẸwẹdoand

Ogiamiẹnlikelyandplausible.

DoesOhunIghitanintersectwithsensemakingand,ifitdoes,isthatnoteworthy?

Sensemakinganditsculturalpsychologycognateshavenotformedasignificantpartofan

12JosephNevadomsky,“KingshipSuccessionRitualsinBenin.3:TheCoronationoftheOba,”AfricanArts17:3(1984):55-56.NevadomskyaddsthattheẸdoassociateseven–theintervalofdaysthattakesplacebetweenthechallengingskirmishandthefinalbattlebetweenthetwoparties–withthingsmystical,ratherthanlegal.IkponmwosaOsemwegieexpandedonpalmfrondsasacureforskindiseases,noting“theyarethebestwaytocuremeaslesoranyskindisease—applyomẹnanditwillclear.Ifraffiaseedisburnt,thewaterisusedforskindisease.Topurifyfromsex,ordiseasefromprostitute,tieeggshellstoraffiabroomandpurifybycirclingitabovehead,liftingfeetalternatelyandsay‘Awua,getawayfrommybody’tobereleasedfromthedisease.Whenmeaslesorotherskindiseasesarerampant,theydanceẸkpo,”amasqueradethatusesfreshpalmfrondsasacostume(personalcommunication,July6,1994).


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analysisoforalhistoryinAfrica.Asapproachesthatconsidernodesofcultureandcognition,

theyhavethepotentialtoprovideinsightsintohowsocietiesconstructnotonlyhistory,but

culturemoregenerally.Akeyelementofsensemakingstructuresistheideaofrepetitionwith

variedcontent,resultinginan“active”structurethatcontinuestoshapethoughtandconstruct

memory.Inhisanalysisofcognitivesemantics,LeonardTalmyspoketothecreationof

narrativeonbothindividualandsocietalbases.Notingthatcognitivesystemsoperateon

organizingprinciples,hediscussedtheconceptionalpartitioningthatcanemergewhentime

andnarrativeareconsideredtogether,statingthat“thehumanmind...canextendaboundary

aroundaportionofwhatwouldotherwisebeacontinuumoftime,andascribetothe

excerptedcontentswithintheboundarythepropertyofbeingasingle-unitentity,”addingthat

the“contentsofaneventmaychangeoverthespanoftheevent,inwhichcasetheeventis

active,constitutingaprocessoractivity.”13

Assuch,the“activeevent”intheinstanceoftheOhunIghitancodeisnotrepetitionof

thecodesentence’selements,noritsexpositorystory,northeinitialconfrontationitself,but

ratheritisthe“disputethatisneversettled,”towhichthecoderefers.Anexaminationof

repeatedconflictsbetweenthemembersofthepresentdynastyandtheEvian/Ogiamiẹnlines

isnecessarytoassesswhetherOhunIghitan’sunsettleddisputeformedakindofcognitive

magnetthatencouragedtheattachmentofadditionalevents,ensuringtheirplaceinhistory.

BeginningswithEvian,Ogiamiẹn,Ubi,andẸwerẹ

ThebattlebetweenỌbaẸwẹdoandOgiamiẹnanditssubsequentsettlementmarked

thefinalphaseofthepresentdynasty’sconsolidationofBeninruleinthe14thcentury,a

13LeonardTalmy,“ACognitiveFrameworkforNarrativeStructure,”inTowardaCognitiveSemantics,vol.2(Cambridge,MA:MITPress,2000),431-432.


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processthatbeganinthelate13th/early14thcentury.14Atthattime,theformerOgisodynasty

diedoutsubsequenttotheexilesofitslastrulerOwodoandhisheirEkhaladerhan.15Political

vacuumandpotentialdisarrayinthecitythenknownasIgodomigodowasavoidedwhenalocal

mannamedEvian16becametheadministratorofarepublicangovernment.17InhisAShort

HistoryofEvian,EgharevbastatedthatEvianwasthesecondson(andthereforenottheheir)of

theEhọlọrn’Ire,oneofthethen-fiveUzamachiefswhoactedaskingmakersinBenin’searly

era.18HeexpandeduponthereasonsforEvian’spopularity.Ablacksmith,hewaspurportedly

responsibleforvanquishingtheman-eatingmonsterOsoganbythrowingared-hothammer

intoitsmouth.Hispatriotismextendedtothecreationofmedicinesburiedwithinthecityto

protectcitizensagainstwildanimalsandevil-intentionedstrangers.19

14Manyscholarshaveproposedvariousapproximatedatesofthemonarchs’reigns;theonesusedherearemyown,fromKathyCurnow,Iyare!SplendorandTensioninBenin’sPalaceTheatre(Cleveland:Curnow,2016),i. 15Becauseofthemachinationsofhisstepmother,theheirEkhaladerhanwastobeexecuted.Instead,hiscaptorsallowedhisescapeintoexile.SomeversionsofthestoryclaimhelivedouthisdaysinUghoton(JacobEgharevba,AShortHistoryofBenin.[Lagos:ChurchMissionarySocietyBookshop,1953,3]),whileothersstatehewanderedfurtherwestandwasacclaimedmonarchattheYorubacityofIle-Ifẹ.ThislatterversionwaselaborateduponbyEnaBasimiEweka,EvolutionofBeninChieftaincyTitles(BeninCity,Nigeria:UniversityofBeninPress,1992),8;byỌbaErediauwahimselfinnumerousspeechesandinhisautobiography;andbynumerousotherchieflyauthors.Itsoriginsareearlier;seefootnote91below.AfterEkhaladerhan’sdeparturefromBenin,hisfatherissaidtohavealsobeendrivenintoexilebyhissubjects,duetomismanagementofthestateandthekillingofapregnantwoman.16JacobEgharevba(AShortHistoryofBenin[1953],4)initiallyreferredtohimas“Evin-an.”17PercyAmauryTalbotfirstpublishedthisreferenceinhisThePeoplesofSouthernNigeria,vol.1[1926](London:Cass,1969),153.TalbotreferredtoOgiamiẹn,Evian’sson,asthe“pettychief”rulingwhenthenewdynastybegan;thenamesofEvianandOgiamiẹnfrequentlyhavebeeninterchangedinaccounts.JacobEgharevba(AShortHistoryofBenin,1953,5)statedthatEvianbeganasanadministratorofrepublicanrule,thennegateditbychoosingtoplacehisson,nicknamedOgiamiẹn,nextinsuccession.18JacobU.Egharevba,ABriefLifeHistoryofEvian(BeninCity,Nigeria:n.p.,n.d.[1970]),7.EgharevbastatedtheEvian-Ogiamiẹnmorningsalutationof“Laire,”sharedbytheEhọlọrn’Irefamily,confirmedtherelationship.AlthoughtherearesevenUzamatoday,theỌlọtọnandEdaikẹnpositionswereaddedduringtheseconddynasty. 19SeeJacobEgharevba,AShortHistoryofBenin,3rded.(Ibadan:IbadanUniversityPress,1960),6,fortheinitialmentionofthemonster,astoryrepeatedinhisABriefLifeHistoryofEvian,2-4.Inaddition,thelatteraddedadiscussionofEvian’smedicine-makingandthecity’sacclaimforhisleadership.


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Afterhispopularappointmentandserviceastherepublicancity’sadministrator,Evian

betrayeddynasticambitionswhenhesoughttohavehiseldestson,nicknamedOgiamiẹn20

(“Ogiemianmwẹnn’aga”[Itisvexatioustoserveaking],aphrasethatbecamehistitle),

replacehimasruler.In1951,ChiefOgiamiẹntoldR.E.BradburyofEvian’sdeathbedwishes

regardinghisthreesons,Ogiamiẹn,Ohevian,andOliha:“EvianorderedthatOgiame[Ogiamiẹn]

shouldbetheownerofthelandinẸdowhileOhevianshouldbeinchargeofIyekọgba.”Healso

proclaimedthat“hisseniorsonOgiame[should]inherithisposition.Evianpulledaparrot’s

featherfromhisheadandplaceditinOhevian’shair,andsaidthatafterhisdeathOhevian

shouldworshiphim.Olihawastobethesacrifice.”21AccordingtoEgharevba,theOliha

Ogiamiẹnwasmeanttoinstalltheruler,justastheUzamachiefknownasOlihawastasked

withinstallingtheOgisomonarch,whiletheOhenEvian(OhẹnEvian,orpriestofEvian),wasto

leadEvian’sworship.22

Somefactionsofthecity,23ledbytheUzamachiefs,soughttorestorethemonarchy,

andsenttoIle-IfẹforareplacementkingagainstOgiamiẹn’sadvice.PrinceỌranmiyanarrived

20Althoughthetitleholder,newspapers,andmostrecentauthors,includingEweka(EvolutionofBeninChieftaincyTitles,1992,8)spellthetitle“Ogiamiẹn”(withorwithoutthediacriticalunderdot),earlierwriterssuchasEgharevba(AShortHistoryofBenin,1953,5),HansMelzian(AConciseDictionaryoftheBiniLanguageofSouthernNigeria[London:KeganPaul,1937,135]),andG.A.Akinola(“TheOriginoftheEwekaDynastyofBenin:AStudyintheUseandAbuseofOralTraditions,”JournaloftheHistoricalSocietyofNigeria8[3,1976]:21-36)spelledit“Ogiamwẹn.”Theshiftapparentlyoccurredinthelate1970s,foritwasinplacebythe1979coronation(seeRoyaltyMagazine[BeninCity,Nigeria:BendelNewspapers,1979],1).Someauthorscontinuedtousetheformerspelling,however(DmitriM.Bondarenko,“Adventofthesecond(Oba)Dynasty:AnotherAssessmentofaBeninHistoryKeyPoint,”HistoryinAfrica30[2003]:65).21ChiefOgiame[Ogiamiẹn],June14,1951inR.E.Bradburyarchive,A66.Bradbury’sextensivearchivalmaterial,gatheredfromlengthystaysinBenininthe1950sand1960s,isdepositedattheUniversityofBirminghamLibrary,Birmingham,U.K.EgharevbaattributedtheappointmentoftheOgiamiẹnOlihaandOheviantoEvian’sson,thefirstOgiamien.22Egharevba,ABriefHistoryofEvian,6.Egharevba,however,statedthatOgiamiẹnappointedthebrothers,ratherthanhisfather.HealsolistedthesecondsonasOliha,unlikeChiefOgiamiẹnwhonamedtheOlihaasthethirdsonin1951.TheEvianshrineislocatedatFirstEastCircularRoadinBeninCity’sIkpokpanQuarter,wheretheoriginalEvianhomesteadstood(EkhaguosaAisien,Ẹlegbe,PrinceofBeninandtheOrhionmwonTerritories[BeninCity,Nigeria:AisienPublishers,2015],45).23Whilethecitywasstilldivided,theterritorywheretheỌbalivedwasknownasOre-Oghene(areferencetothe


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withsupporters,includinghisphysicianOgiefa,24forthatpurposebutwasblockedfrom

enteringthecityproperbyOgiamiẹn’ssupporters.25Duringhissojourn,heincreasinglybecame

irritatedbytheactionsofthecitizens,anddepartedafterimpregnatingachief’sdaughter.His

sonbecameỌbaẸwẹkaI,thefirstỌbaofthenewdynasty,thoughthecommunitiesunderhis

commandwerefew.Ẹwẹkaandhisfirsttwosuccessors,hissonsỌbaUwakhuahẹnandỌba

Ehẹnmihẹn,continuedtoliveoutsidetheinnercitywallsattheirUsamapalace.Increasingly,

however,theychafedattheattemptedcontroloftheUzamachiefstheylivedamongst,who

hadassumedtheprivilegesofequals.

Duringthisperiod,thesourrelationsbetweentheroyalistandrepublicanparties

eruptedoccasionally,yetasignificantinitialrapprochementtookplace.AccordingtotheChief

Ogiamiẹnwhoheldthetitlein1951,thisoccurredbeforeỌranmiyan’sdeparture,when

drummerswereperformingbeforehim:

Ogiame[Ogiamiẹn]heardthesoundofdrummersandinquiredwhatitwas.Hesent4mentofetchthedrummerswiththeirdrums.TheObawasbroughttohimtiedwitharope.Thedrumsweredoctor’sdrums.Whenhegotthere,hebeggedOgiamethatEwereshouldbeasubstituteforhim.Ewerewasthesenior

OoniofIfẹ),whileOgiamiẹn’sgeneralterritorywasUhunmwumIdunmwun(personalcommunication,IkpenmwosaOsemwegie,August10,1994).24ChiefOsumatoldBradburythattheoriginalOgiefawasanitinerantobo(ritualspecialist),aYorubatraditionaldoctorfromIfẹwhohadbeenlivinginBeninsincethetimesofthelastOgisoruler.WhensomeoftheẸdogrewtiredofEvian’srule,itwastheOgiefawhotraveledtoIfẹtobringamonarch(May18,1957,Bradburyarchive,BS.27).Nevadomsky,however,seeshim,aswellasotherEfaguildmembers,asanautochthonewhotakescareofashrinetotheland(“KingshipSuccessionRitualsinBenin.3,”1984,50),whileEwekacontradictshimself,firstsayingOgiefacamewithỌranmiyanfromIfẹ,thennotingthatOgiefaandtheEfaguild“weretheoriginalpeoplewhoGodsentwiththefirstOgiso”(EvolutionofBeninChieftaincyTitles,1992,30,74).DmitriM.BondarenkoandPeterM.RoesesupporttheviewthattheEfaandOgiefawereautochthones,reviewingtheevidencein“BetweentheOgisoandObaDynasties:AnInterpretationofInterregnumintheBeninKingdom,”HistoryinAfrica31(2004):105-108.25HisfrustrationswerecompoundedbydifficultieswiththeferrymanattheOviaRivercrossing,muchlikethoselaterinflictedbytheIsekherhewhoinitiallyrefusedtohelpỌbaẸwẹdocrossintoOgiamiẹn’sterritory(Egharevba,AShortHistoryofBenin,1953,10.Ina1967interview,thethen-OgiamiẹnreferredtoỌranmiyan’sarrivalasaninvasioninvolving“alongandbloodyfight”(October1967interviewinSpearMagazine,quotedinAkinola,1976,35-36).BondarenkoandRoeseseethisbattleasalogicalcontinuationofamorebasicstrugglebetweentheUzama(thencalledediọnẹvbo,or“eldersoftheland”)whosenttoIfẹwiththegoalofcontrollingthestateandtheEvian/Ogiamiẹnadministrators(“BetweentheOgisoandObaDynasties,”2004).


12

daughterofOgiefa.Ogiameconsentedanduntiedtherope.OgiamehadaseniorsoncalledUbiandEwerewasmarriedtohim.ItisbecauseofthismarriagethatalinkwasbroughtaboutbetweenOgiefaandOgiame.Theycalleachotherọtẹn[“mysibling”or“myrelation”].WheneveritisnecessarytopurifyOgiame’shouseasaresultofabreachoftaboos,orthewomenmadethehouseimpure,Ogiefawastheonewhoshouldcomeandmakethehousecool.26

Thesaying“Ogiamiẹnl'Ubi,Ogiefaigb’Ẹwerẹ”(“Ogiamiẹndoesn’ttakepartinUbi,andOgiefadoesn’ttakepartinẸwerẹ”)referstotheoutcomeofthisrelationship,whichwillbediscussedbelow.

Multiplevariationsofthisstoryexist,nonereferencingthesameruler.

Egharevbadoesnotincludeanyọbainhisversion,mentioningonlythatOgiefawas

playinghisdrumswhenUbi,Ogiamiẹn’sson,appearedandslashedtheinstruments.

Ogiefa’ssubsequententreatiestocontinuedrummingwereaccepted,and“afewyears

laterOgiefagavehisdaughterẸwerẹinmarriagetoUbi,thesonofOgiamwen,inorder

topleasehim.”27Osemwegie’sversionplacedthestoryinẸwẹkaI’sreign,statingthat

UbiwasthefirstOgiamiẹn’sgrandson,whointurnhadassumedthetitlefromhis

father.Hesaid:

OgiefawasoneofthechiefsthatcamefromIfewithmarbles[tocureẸwẹkafromhischildhoodspeechimpediment].Hehadthehabitofplayingtheighededrum,medicinedrum,everyevening.Normallyitisplayedtopurifyorpollutetheland.Forthepeopleplaying,itpurifies,butcanbeplayedagainstothers.Ubiheardaboutthedrum.HeleftoldBeninwithannoyancetodestroyit.HecametoOgiefa'shouse.WhenOgiefasawhowtoughUbiwas,andwithtroops,therewasnothinghecouldtelltheking.Ogiefadecidedtobringouthisdaughter.Hepreparedherverywell,andledsomedelegatestoUbi'shouse,saying“See,theotherdayyoucametodestroyourdrum,butwelikeyouverymuch,wewanttosettlethiscase,wewanttopresentthisladytoyou.”Hernamewas

26ChiefOgiamiẹn,June14,1951,Bradburyarchive,A66.The“doctor’sdrums”wereighede,playedbyritualspecialistsbeforedivination,duringmeditativetrances,forspecialdances,andtoinspiresoldiersbeforebattle(seePeavy,Kings,Magic,&Medicine,2009,71).27Egharevba,AShortHistoryofBenin,1953,6.


13

Akọnnosunwenkhẹn[“pumpkin-whiteteeth”],thedaughterofOgiefa.Shewasverybeautiful.WhenUbisawher,hisannoyancereduced.28

ThestoryabouttherapprochementbetweentheOgiefaandtheOgiamiẹnfamilies

presagesthereconciliationoftheroyalandrepublicangroups,withawomanbridgingthe

camps.OsemwegierecountedthatỌbaEhẹnmihẹnhadurgedhissonEfabọ(thefutureỌba

Ẹwẹdo) thatitwouldbeadvisabletoleaveUsamaandpushintoBeninCitypropertorule,

statingthathewouldpavethewaybyimprovingrelationsbetweenthecitydwellersandsome

oftheUsamapeople.Thequarrelbetweenthetwopartieshadcooleddown.Whiletherewas

stillsomeenmityandreluctancetoacceptthemonarchy,itwasnolongerpronounced.When

ỌbaẸwẹdocametothethroneintheearly14thcenturyanddecidedbothtoconsolidatehis

ruleandtoescapeUzamacontrol,theOgiamiẹnstillcontrolledthecityproper.29Evenper

Egharevba’sroyally-sanctionedaccount,ẸwẹdoaccomplishedhisgoalwithUbi’scooperation,

despitetheappearanceofcontinuedantagonism.30

Ẹwẹdo’sentryintoBeninandthecoronationreenactment

ỌbaẸwẹdoissaidtohavemetsecretlywithUbimultipletimes,promisingthelatter

expensivegiftsifhecouldenterthecityandassumegeneralrule.Ubiagreed,butcounselled

thiswouldonlybepossiblethroughsubterfuge,sincemanyẸdowerestillagainstthereturnof

28Personalcommunication,IkponmwosaOsemwegie,June18,1994.OsemwegieaddedthatAkọnnosunwenkhẹnwasnicknamedẸwerẹ,atermassociatedwithgoodfortune,becausetheẹwerẹleafgrewoutofhergrave,signifyingasafearrivalfortheỌranmiyanparty.Melzianreferstoheras“thedaughterofoneoftheOgi-efas,”adding“shewasthewifeofUbi,andaverykindwoman.Hence,hernamehasbecomeasymbolofgoodness.Thus,thereisagreetingoxi-Ewe[Eogodspeed!aluckyjourney!”AConciseDictionaryoftheBiniLanguage,1937,57.29Personalcommunication,IkponmwosaOsemwegie,June18,1994.30Egharevba,AShortHistoryofBenin,1953,10.ForadiscussionofpalacevettingandvariationsfromEgharevba’sfirstẸdolanguagehistoryEkherevbItanEdo(1933)tosubsequentEnglisheditionsin1936,1953,1960and1968,seeUyilawaUsuanlele,ToyinFalola,andJacobEgharevba,“AComparisonofJacobEgharevba's‘EkhereVbItanEdo’andtheFourEditionsofItsEnglishTranslation,‘AShortHistoryofBenin,’”HistoryinAfrica25(1998):361-386.


14

themonarchy.HeinstructedẸwẹdothattheyshouldmeetatthepointwheretheirrespective

domainsweredemarcated–opposingsidesofthestreamsintheferrymanIsekhere’sterritory.

TheỌbashouldannouncehisintentionstoenterthecitywhilecarryingacockwrappedin

whiteclotharoundhisneck.Ubiwouldrefuseentry,seizetheroosterandrunwithit,

instructingthatwarwouldfollowinsevendays.Ẹwẹdoshouldthenofferacow,agoat,some

people,anagbastoolandothergoodsifUbiwouldlethimpassandtakecontrolofthecityon

theseventhday.

Ẹwẹdofollowedtheseinstructions.31Therooster,itspresenceandclothindicatinga

sacrifice(perhapsinresponsetoominigbọndivination),wasdulysnatched,andUbifledwithit,

chasedbytheỌba’smen.“Hewassaying‘Ọgua,Ọgua,Ọgua’overandover–‘Thisplacehas

containedyou.’Ubithrewthechicken[whenhecametowherethecemeterywas].Whenthey

sawit,theylefthim.Thatbecamethepresentpalace.”32

Aftersevendays,bothpartiesweretomeetandbattleatẸkiokpagha,whereUbiwould

putupatokenfightandthen,asagreed,capitulate.Beforetheroyalpartyreachedthesite,

however,theysightedOgiamiẹn’sOlihaandkilledhim,givingrisetothesaying “Amahese

Ẹkiokpagha,agbeOlihaOgiamiẹn,”or“WehavenotyetreachedẸkiokpagha,butwehave

killedOgiamiẹn'sOliha."ChiefOgiamiẹn’s1951accountnegatedthisbetter-knownaccount.He

statedthatOgiamiẹnhadtoldẸwẹdothat:

onthedayofthebattle,Oliha-Ogiamemuststandbythefenceandsomeone[sic]mustmurderhim.TheheadwastobethrowntowardsIyase.TheIyasewouldrubhishandwiththebloodfromit[thatis,servehisrightarm],theneverybody[sic]wouldsaythiswasintruthawar.Byprivatearrangement,itwasnotOgiame’sOlihawhowasmurdered.Ewẹdosentsomeoneelseandafterhe

31ChiefOgiamiẹn,June14,1951,Bradburyarchive,A66. 32Personalcommunication,IkponmwosaOsemwegie,June18,1994.


15

wasmurdered,itwasproclaimedthathewasOliha-Ogiame.

Thisislikelyhistoricalrevisionism,butwhether20th-centuryinventionorfact,itdemonstrates

collusionandgoodwillbetweenthetwoformalized“enemies.”

AfterOgiamiẹn’sconcessionatẸkiokpagha(formerlyamarket,nowbySt.

Matthew’sChurch),aformaltreatywaswitnessed:

TheỌbaandOgiame,eachheldanukhurhẹandlinkedtheirrighthands.[Ogiame]said,“MydaughtershouldnotgototheỌba’serie[harem].Mysonshouldnotbemadeomada[palacepage]oruronisen.Mychildrenshouldnotbemurdered.Ifanybodycontravenestheselaws[he]shouldbekilledbytheseẹbo[medicines,charms].”TheỌbasaid,“Youmustadviseyourchildrennottomarryibẹriẹ[haremservants].OgiamemustnotkillEwẹdo’schildrennorkilltheOba’sibiẹriẹ.ThatneitherOgiamenorhischildrenshouldmarrythedaughteroftheOba.”Theyheldhands.OgiametooksomesandfromthegroundandputitinEwẹdo’spalm,saying:“Isellthislandtoyouandyourchildrenforever;thatanyỌbawhoreignsafteryoumustcomeanddividethelandwithmeagain.Hewhocontravenesthislaw,mustbekilledbytheseẹbo.”Ogiamedidnotrelinquishhisownershipoftheland.OnhissideofẸkiokpagha,eachỌbawhocomestothethroneisalsotosendanukhurhẹtoOgiametogetherwithstoolandthreemenandawoman.33

ẸwẹdoleftUsamapermanently,establishinghispalaceatthepresentsite.AsObayeminoted,

thegraveyardlocationwasstrategic,asitrelatedOgiso-era“ownersoftheland”tothenew

monarch,lendinghisrulethelegitimacyofthelocalancestors.34Despitethesurfaceamitythat

allowedOgiamiẹntoretainhistitleasachiefunderthenewmonarchy,Ẹwẹdoapparentlydid

33ChiefOgiamiẹn,June14,1951,Bradburyarchive,A66.34AdeM.Obayemi,"TheYorubaandEdo-SpeakingPeoplesandTheirNeighborsBefore1600,"inHistoryofWestAfrica,eds.J.F.AdeAjayiandMichaelCrowder,3rded.(NewYork:ColumbiaUniversityPress,1985),255-322.Nevadomskyconcurswiththisviewpoint,furthernotingthatoneofChiefOgiamiẹn’spraisenamesis“OvbiUghogioto,”or“theSonoftheGreatChamberofSoil”(“KingshipSuccessionRitualsinBenin,”1984,54-55;92),the“Chamber”referringtothegods/ancestorsoftheland.Anotherreferencetothemoccursinhispalace,whereOgiamiẹnhasasteppedshrinetoppedbyapot.ThisỌfieghenọyanowashrine“indicatesthatOgiameistheownerofthesoilonwhichhishouseisbuilt.”(ChiefOgiamiẹn,June14,1951,Bradburyarchive,A67).


16

notfullytrusthim,becausehesitedhisIsiẹnmwẹnrobodyguardinaquarteradjacentto

Ogiamiẹn’spalace.35

Indeed,thesetwopublicencountersbetweenChiefOgiamiẹnandỌbaẸwẹdoregularly

havebeenrelivedatcoronations.Thefirsttakesplaceatanerected“bridge”hungwithfresh

palmfronds(theriversOmiandOteghelethatonceformedanaturalboundarynolongerexist).

Afterthismorningchallenge,themonarchadvancestohispubliccrowning.Sevendayslater,

thenow-symbolicẸkiokpaghabattleoccurs.Aroyalheadquarterspavilionisdecoratedbyfresh

palmfronds(omẹn),whilesugarcanefrondsdemarcatetheOgiamiẹn’sside,recallingthe

ominigbọndivinationcode’ssentence.36Ogiamiẹn’ssugarcanerepresentsthespiritworld,the

ancestorsoftheland,whosegoodwilltherulersmustrepeatedlybuyatthecoronationand

placateannuallyattheUgieErhọbaceremonywhentheỌbasacrificesagoattothetree-

markedshrineintheancestralcourtyard.Atthebattle,theỌba’somẹnrepresentsthisworld,

anestablishedpoliticalreality.

35OsarhiemeBensonOsadolor,“TheMilitarySystemofBeninKingdom,c.1440-1897,”PhDdiss.,UniversityofHamburg,2001:103-104.36ForphotographicdocumentationofbothOgiamiẹnsequences,seeNevadomsky,“KingshipSuccessionRitualsinBenin,”1984andTamFiofiori,ABeninCoronation:ObaErediauwa(n.p.:SunaArt,2011).


17

Atthetimeofthecoronation,theỌbasendsOgiamiẹnanerhestool(Fig.2)ofthetype

priestsandchiefsactinginapriestlycapacityuse,aswellasanukhurhẹ(Fig.3).Talbot

remarkedthattheukhurhẹshaftincluded“fourpersonswiththeOgiameatthesummit

wearinghiscrowntoshowhisownershipoftheland.ThefollowinginsigniaoftheOgiamewere

imitatedbytheObba[sic]--thechairEkise,thesmallswordAkwoho,thefanZuzuandthe

leatherboxEkpoki.”37Colonialreportslistothergiftsfromthemonarch:

twomen,twowomenandtwoofeverykindofcattleandalsoshouldgivepermissiontotheOgiametorulebeyondtheboundaryatEkiokpagha.Uptothepresenttime...theprescribedgiftsaregivenandtheOgiameisgiven

37P.A.Talbot,PeoplesofSouthernNigeria.,vol.3[1926](London:Cass,1969),582.

Fig.2.TheOgiamiẹn’serhestoolbearsacarvedinscriptionshowingitisfromtheỌbaofBenin.PhotographbyKathyCurnow,1992.

Fig.3.ThisaltarintheOgiamiẹnpalaceincludestheukhurhẹthatwerecoronationgifts.Thefamily’sancestralaltarisseparate.PhotographbyKathyCurnow,1994.


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permissiontorulethoughitwouldseemthatsincethetimeofObaEwuaretheOgiamehasnotinfactexercisedanyadministrativefunction.38

Inturn,Ogiamiẹnmakespartofthethrone(ẹkete)fortheỌba,becausehisancestorwasthe

custodianoftheOgisothrone.39Theseexchangesmarktheinherenttensionbetweenthe

formerrulerandcustodianoftheancestorsofthelandandhisconqueror.Accordingtoapast

Ogiamiẹn,thetitletothelandisnotonlyresuscitatedateachcoronation,butwheneverthe

OgiamiẹnandtheỌbameet.RaymondTong,anEducationOfficerwithTheBritishCouncil,

wrote:

Heshowedusaparticularhandshake,whichoncertainceremonialoccasions,heandhisancestorshadalwaysusedwhengreetingtheOba.Whenshakinghands,thechiefasheadofhisfamily,mustplaceapieceofearthinthepalmoftheOba’shand.ThisistosymbolizethefactthatherecognizesthatthelandofBeninbelongstotheOba,andtonobodyelse.40

Althoughthisstoryappearstoconveysubmission,thegesturecouldalsobeinterpreted

asachallengeforownershipoftheland.AssistantDistrictOfficerH.F.Marshallequatedland

ownershipwithfertility,theOgiamiẹn,and“certainotherpersonswhorepresenttheoriginal

ownersoftheland,”observingthatsuchownership“cannot[sic]beacquiredeitherby

conquestorbypeacefulpenetration.”41Bradbury,too,spokeoftheoutcomeoftheẸkiokpagha

38H.F.Marshall,“IntelligenceReportBeninCity,”August12,1939,BeninCity,Nigeria,10.DennettalsomentionedthatOgiamiẹnruledthedistrictof“Sapoba”(presumablytheSakponbaRoadareanearhispresentpalace),astheOlihawasinchargeofUdoortheẸrowasinchargeofUselu(R.E.Dennett,AttheBackoftheBlackMan’sMind,[London:MacMillan,1906],182).39ỌbaErediauwa’sthronewasusuallycoveredwithwhitecloth,butitwasanenlargedẹkpokinbox,consistingofaninterlockingsetofcylinders,itstopandbottomprojectingcircles.Thisalsocanclearlybeseenon16th-centuryplaques,suchastheBritishMuseum’sAf1898,0115.23.ThisthronetypeisrelatedtothatofancientIfẹandsomeIgalasettlements,andseemstohaveoncehadasubstantialsouthernNigeriandistribution.InBenin,Ogiamiẹntraditionallymakesthethronebottomfrombark,whiletheIsẹkpokinleatherworkingguildmakesthetop(Exorugue,May22,1959,Bradburyarchive,BS243).Medicinepresumablyiskeptwithin. 40RaymondTong.FiguresinEbony:PastandPresentinaWestAfricanCity.(London:Cassell,1958),101.SinceTongworkedinNigeriafrom1949to1958,theOgiamiẹnhemetislikelytohavebeenthesametitleholderBradburyinterviewedin1951.41Marshall,“IntelligenceReport,”1939,11.


19

strugglesas“aritualdivisionofthelandbetweenthetwo.”42AtỌbaẸwẹkaII’scoronationin

1914,colonialcommissionerofBeninProvinceJamesWattobservedanaspectthatnoother

authormentioned.HisnotesontheẸkiokpaghatreatystatethatOgiamiẹn“returnedtomake

peacewiththeObaandsharedwithhimahandfulofearthretainingaportionasasymbolthat

heretainedapartofthelandforhimself.Termsofpeacewerearrangedandwiththis

reconciliationtheceremonyoftheinstallationoftheObaended.”43

Thesereferencestoaless-than-completeresolutionhavenotbeenmerelylipservice.In

adiscussionofikẹga(acowriestrandthatcanstandinforthearmorshrinestothearm)with

Bradbury,theOgiamiẹnmentionedthat,duringanunspecifiedtime,heworeminiature

machetesonhiswrist,thenthrewthemonthegroundatnight.“Whenpeopleseethemonthe

groundthenextmorningtheyknowOgiamie[sic]hasusedthemtofightfortheland,”44a

statementthathardlyseemslikeafullrepudiationofrightstolandownershiporofdutiesto

theland.Nonetheless,thetitleholder’scontinuedrelationshipwiththelandapparently

remainedpurelyritualratherthanpolitical.

Theforbiddenanditsoutcome AftertheỌranmiyandynastytookcontrolofthetotalityofthecity,the

Ogiamiẹnfamilyappearstohavedroppedoutofhistoricalviewforsometime,

resurfacingduringỌbaOhẹn’searly15th-centuryreign.Egharevbabrieflyreferredtoa

criticalincident,notingthatOhẹndevelopedparalysisafterabout25yearsofrule,and

thatIyasẹEmuzehaddiscoveredthisdespitethemonarch’seffortstodisguisehis

42R.E.Bradbury,TheBeninKingdomandtheEdo-SpeakingPeoplesofSouth-WesternNigeria(London:InternationalAfricanInstitute,1957),20.43ReportofJamesWatt,July30,1914.ArchivesoftheMuseumofMankind(nowreintegratedintotheBritishMuseum).44Bradburyarchive,BS.338.


20

condition.Angryabouthisexposure,theỌbahadtheIyasẹkilledatthepalace,and“the

peoplerosetoarms.”45Inretaliationforthedeathoftheirleader,thechiefsstoned

Ohẹntodeathwithkaolin-coatedrocks,urginghimto“eatchalk,”theonlyfoodthe

monarchissaidtoconsume.46

Therootofthestoryisthemonarch’sparalysis,oftenalludedtoinBeninartby

hisOlokun-likemudfishlegs.Ohẹnwasanxioustoconcealhisstatefromhischiefsand

subjectsbecauseablemisheddivinekingwouldhavebeenrejected,resultinginthe

monarch’sdeathorexile.Giventhebeliefthatcalamitousoccurrencesresultfrom

eitherhumanorsupernaturalagency,thecauseoftheparalysisiscentraltothestory.

ThoughEgharevbadidnotdiscussthis,thereareindeedunpublishedaccountsofits

genesisthatleadusbacktotheunsettledquarrelbetweentheOgiamiẹnandtheỌba.

Talbotreferredtoitin1926whenhespokeof“Awhen”andhis“disturbedreign”that

sawtherebellionofOgiamiẹnandtheUzama.47

Severaloraltraditionsrecordedatmid-century–notallinaccord–discussOhẹn’ssecret

romancewithawomanwholivedatUtẹvillage,acrosstheIkpobaRiver.Bradburynotedthat

OhẹnfellinlovewithawomantherewhosefatherwasapowerfulnativedoctorwhomtheỌba

fearedtooffend.Hethereforeonlymetherlateatnight.Duringonevisit,Ohẹnoverstayed.To

avoiddiscoveryandescapewithoutrevealinghimself,heorderedmaskscarved.Thesewere

wornby“somemenandtheobahimself,”andweretheoriginoftheEkokon’Utẹ

45Egharevba,AShortHistoryofBenin,1953,13. 46AproductofOlokun’srealm,kaolin(orhue),whichtheẸdocall“chalk”inEnglish,”isasymbolofrejoicing,purity,andallthingsgood.Palaceprotocolprecludescommentsaboutthemonarcheatingordrinking.47Talbot,PeoplesofSouthernNigeria,vol.I,1926,154.


21

masquerade.48Inavariation,OrhueỌmọrẹgbẹoh’OrigietoldBradburythatOhẹnhadnoson,

soadivinerinstructedhimtomarryElẹrẹ(sometimesreferredtobyothersasElẹyẹ),the

daughteroftheOgi’Utẹ,sothemonarchvisitedhersecretlyatnight.Inthisaccount,herfather

usedmedicinetoensureOhẹnwouldn’tawakenearly,thencaughthim.Subsequentlybothher

fatherandthemonarchdancedtothepalace,disguisedasmasqueraders.Elẹrẹlaterboreason

namedOgun,subsequentlycrownedasỌbaẸwuare.49Inathirdreport,ChiefEzọmọstated

thatadivinertoldthechildlessOhẹntomarryapost-menopausalwomannamedOnhẹrẹn.She

borehimasonnamedOgun,thefutureỌbaẸwuare.50ThisstorymentionedneitherUtẹnor

themasquerade.AfourthinformantstatedthatOhẹn’sparalysisresultedfrommedicinethe

husbandoftheỌba’sloverplacedalonghispathtoher,lamingtherulerwhenhesteppedon

it.51Whilethesestoriesareinconsistent,theycircletheassociationsofOhẹn’ssecretlover,the

Ekokon’Utẹmasquerade,Ohẹn’sparalysis,andthebirthofOgun.

WhydidtheidentityofOhẹn’sloverneedtobesecret?Howwashisparalysisgenerated

andwhy?WhywastheEkokon’Utẹmasqueradeassociatedwithsubterfuge?Whatwasthe

purportedimportanceofOgun’sbirth?Examiningeachquestionilluminatestheshortversion

ofthestory.TheỌbawasentitledtomarrynearlyanyonehewantedto,alreadywedornot–

exceptformembersofOgiamiẹn’sfamily,asoutlinedbythetreaty’sconditions.Paralysisisnot

traditionallyconsideredtobemerelyamedicalmisfortune,butrathertheresultofdirected

48Bradburyarchive,R6.49June28,1953,Bradburyarchive,U53.OrhueỌmọrẹgbẹoh’OrigieaddedthatElẹrẹhadfourbreasts,twotofeedthepeopleandtwotofeedtheroyalfamily,andthatthiswastheoriginofthemasquerade’sname,since“koko”means“feed.”EkhaguosaAisienrecordedsonglyricsfromUtethatincluded“TheQueenmotherendowedwithfourbreasts!WithtwoofthemshenurturedtheObafortheEdopeople!WiththeothertwoshenurturedtheEdopeoplefortheOba!”(Ewuare:ObaofBenin[BeninCity,Nigeria,2012]).OrhueỌmọrẹgbẹoh’Origie’sstatementthatElẹre’sfatheraccompaniedOhẹntothepalaceseemstobeamistake;unlikeotherversions,itdoesnotaccountforElẹrẹ’ssmugglingintotheharem.50AstoldtoD.U.Emokpae,Bradburyarchive,R.3.51Mr.Akagbosa,Bradburyarchive,R.5.


22

maliciousmedicine.AllversionsofthestorythatmentionEkokon’Utẹstresstheimpromptu

natureofthemasquerade,andtheneedtodisguisetheruler’spresencewithalover,bringing

usbacktothequestionofwhyshecouldn’topenlyentertheroyalharem.Ogun’sbirthandthe

secretlover’sassociationwithitmayprovidethekeytointerpretation.

EgharevbastatedthatOgun/Ẹwuarehadtwoelderbrothers,ẸgbẹkaandỌrọbiru,who

precededhimonthethrone,asdidhisyoungerbrotherUwaifiokun.Uwaifiokunhad

accompaniedOgunintobanishmentafterthelatter’sunnamedoffense,thenreturnedtoBenin

inadvanceandusurpedOgun’sthrone.52Twolatertwentieth-centuryaccountsaremore

specific.Oneexplicitlylinkedthelover,paralysis,themasquerade,andOgun’sbirthto“the

disputethatwillneverbesettled,”thatis,tothepalm/sugarcanedemarcationofrightstothe

land.Osemwegierecountedthat,despitetheẸkiokpaghaTreaty’sbanonmarriagebetween

theroyalandOgiamiẹnfamilies,Ohẹnresolvedtotakeabridefromthelatter.Hefeltthis

wouldfinallysettlethedisputeandanyquestionregardinghisdynasticrule.Becauseofthe

ban,heknewtheunionwouldhavetooccursecretly.HeheardthatoneofUbi’sdescendants,a

beautifulwomannamedElẹrẹ,53livedinUtẹvillage.Hesentgiftstoher,donnedadisguise,and

begansneakingoutofthepalacetovisitheratnight,accompaniedonlybyanọmadapageor

two.ThisnecessitatedcrossingtheIkpobaRiver.WhenOhẹnmetElẹrẹ,hemadehermany

promisescontingentupontheirmarriage.Althoughshesaiditwasforbiddenforadaughterof

theOgiamiẹnfamilytowedaroyal,Ohẹnconvincedher.Hisnightdisappearancesmade

courtierssuspicious.AfterdiscoveringOhẹn’sroute,theyreportedittotheIyasẹ,who

52Egharevba,AShortHistoryofBenin,1953:14.53AlthoughAisiengiveshernameasOvenmwen,healsoreferstooneofẸwuare’spraisenames:“Adagbafi,n’ovbiElẹrẹ”(“Adagbafi,sonofElẹrẹ”)(Ewuare,2012,5,9).


23

contactedtheEhuaeofIkpoba,wholivedbytheriver.54WhenEhuaeknewitwasalmosttime

forOhẹntocross,heplantedadangerousmedicinecalledẹrọunderthebridge,andtheỌba

steppedoverit.Ehuaethenremovedthemedicine,becauseifOhẹnrecrossedituponhis

return,itseffectswouldbeneutralized.WhilethemonarchwasstillatUtẹ,hisenemiesalso

usedaban,aniron,staple-likemedicine,andnaileditsoOhẹnwouldoversleepatElẹrẹ’shouse

andbeexposed.TheỌbaindeedcouldnotberouseduntiltheabanwasremoved,andbythen

itwasdaylight.Howcouldhereturn,histreaty-breakingexposed?Hetookmaterialsfromthe

houseandimprovisedmasqueradecostumesforhimselfandElẹrẹ.Accompaniedbythe

emada,theydancedtothepalaceandaskedtoperformforthemonarch.TheIyasẹandhis

colleaguesweredelighted.ThebelievedtheỌbawasstillatUtẹ,andfelthisabsencewouldbe

revealedbythemasqueraders’request.Instead,thetwomasqueradersenteredthepalace,

Ohẹnfoundsubstitutestodontheircostumes,andthenheemergedtowatchtheir

performance.Elẹrẹpassedintotheharem,laterbearingthebabyboyknownasOgun.55After

sometime,thebridge’smedicineof“slowpoison”56setin,paralyzingOhẹn.Hisenmitywith

54Anenigmaticsayingprobablyreferstothisevent:“Ehuaen’Ikpobarueemwiny’okhoroogieokue”or“EhuaeofIkpobadidsomething.”Personalcommunication,IkponmwosaOsemwegie,July15,1994.55Personalcommunication,IkponmwosaOsemwegie,July15,1994.EgharevbaplacedẸwuare’smaternalnatalhomenearUdoatEsi(AShortHistoryofBenin,1953,19),wherehespenthislastyearsanddied,andreiteratedthisstatementinapersonalcommunicationtoPatrickDarlingin1977(ArchaeologyandHistoryinSouthernNigeria:TheAncientLinearEarthworksofBeninandIshan.[Oxford:B.A.R.,1984],155).S.B.Omoregie,however,believedẸwuare’smaternalvillagewasUtẹ(EmotanandtheKingsofBenin[London:Longman,1972]),asdoesAisien,whonamesEsiasthebirthplaceofẸwuare’smaternalgrandmother(Ewuare,BeninCity,2012,2).In1965,A.F.C.RyderraisedthepossibilitythatẸwuaremayhavebeenaforeignconqueror(“AReconsiderationoftheIfe-BeninRelationship,”JournalofAfricanHistory6[1,1965]:36),lateramendingthistosuggesthemighthavebeenstronglyinfluencedbynearbystates(BeninandtheEuropean1485-1897[London:Longmans,1969],8).In1980,RyderagainspeculatedaboutẸwuare,statinghisreign“suggestsawidespreadstruggleinwhichBenincameoutonthelosingside...fromcivilwarorexternalattack,”postulatinghemayhavebeenassociatedwithUdo(“TheBeninKingdom”inGroundworkofNigerianHistory,ed.ObaroIkime[Ibadan:Heinemann,1980],113,115).DespiteRyder’sreasoning,Ẹwuare’sintegrationintomanyaspectsandsourcesofBenin’soralhistorydonotsupportforeignbirth.56ThelateIneofIgbesanmwan,ChiefDavidOmoregiealsoattributedthepoisoningtotheromanticrelationship’ssubterfugeandthechiefs’annoyance:“ỌbaỌhẹnmetaladyandfellforher.Theyhadasecretmarriage.Anoldwomantoldchief[theIyasẹ]towatchout.Hepreparedanakinruwin(stroke)ọrọ(paralysis)umiọn(loselimbs'


24

theIyasẹincreased,thelatter’sattemptstocatchhimoutresultinginhisdeathbystoning.In

turn,thechiefs,bereftatthelossoftheirleader(theIyase)attheinstigationoftheOba,duga

disguisedpitunderthethrone,trappingOhẹnandstoninghimtodeath.

S.B.Omoregieconcurredwiththecertainaspectsofbothaccounts,albeitwith

variations.Inhisversion,Elẹrẹ’sfatherhadbegunmarriagenegotiationswithBenin’sOliha

whenshebeganmeetingOhẹnsecretly.Herfatherthendisguisedthembothwith“twoof”the

Ekokon’Utẹmasks–theimplicationbeingthattheyweretwoofmany,whichisnotthecase–

andusedthissubterfugetogainherharementrance.OmoregiedidnotlinktheỌba’sparalysis

withthisincident,nordidheassociateitwithIyasẹEmuze’scuriosity,agency,andsubsequent

murder,althoughhediscussedtheseincidents.Hedid,however,linktheẸdoreluctancefor

Ogun/Ẹwuare’srulewithhismotherElẹrẹ’sheritage,thoughheassociatedhernotwiththe

Ogiamiẹnfamily,butwithOgisoỌdọligie.57Theredoesnot,however,appeartobeany

marriagebanbetweenthepresentroyalfamilyandthedescendantsoftheOgiso,asthereis

betweenthemandtheOgiamiẹnfamily.Athirdindividual,ChiefOgiamiẹnhimself,didnot

capacity)ghadeoguoro(paralysisresulted).Personalcommunication,ChiefDavidOmoregie,August29,1994. 57S.B.Omoregie,EmotanandtheKingsofBenin,1972,1-4;23.PatrickDarlingreferstoOmoregie’saccountofẸwuare’sbirthresultingfromasecretliaisonwithEwere[sic]asoneofthe“morerecentrecordsoftradition,”butBradbury’sandotherearlierrecordsmentionedabove,dorefer,albeitinpart,tothisevent(ArchaeologyandHistoryinSouthernNigeria,1984,158-159).Otherauthorshavealludedtothemasquerade’sOhẹn/Elẹrẹaspect.AkeNorborg’smentionofEkokostatedits“cultisconnectedwithỌbaẸwuareandhismother”(TheMusicalInstrumentsoftheEdo-speakingPeoplesofSouth-WesternNigeria[Copenhagen:JespersenOffsetAPS,1992],119),andEkhaguosaAisienstatesthatthemasquerade“commemoratesObaOhen’scamouflageonhisreturntothePalaceafterspendinganightoutwithhislover,Elere[sic],”notingElẹrẹlatergavebirthtoỌbaẸwuare(“DancesandsongsofEdoLand,”inEdoCulturalVoyage,ed.ỌmọrọdiọnUwaifo[Lagos:HanonPublishing,2006],97).Herepeatstheseremarksin“DancesandSongsoftheBeninPeople,"inFromBirthtoDeath:ABeninCulturalVoyage,ed.S.O.U.Igbe,(BeninCity,Nigeria:NewDawnInternational,2009),155.Inalaterpublication,hementionsOhẹn’sparalysiswasduetoanadulterousaffairwithOliha’swife,itsdiscoveryresultingnotinpoison,butthelesssubtlepunishmentofbreakingthemonarch’slegs.Hethendisguisedhislameconditionbyappearingonathronemountedonthebacksoftwocrocodiles(Ewuare,2012,11).OsayọmwabọỌsemwegieẸrosaidmorecrypticallyofEkokon’Utẹthatits“cultisconnectedwithỌbaẸwuareandhismotherElẹrẹappearsonthisoccasiontoblesstheOba"(IguẹandOtherFestivalsinBeninKingdom[BeninCity,Nigeria:OsaneroConsultPublications,2003],26).


25

expanduponthesehistoricalevents,butallowedthatElẹrẹhadbeenamemberofhis

extendedfamily.58

WhiletheEkokon’Utẹmasqueradeperformanceincludesnoreferencestothe

monarch’sparalysisortheIyasẹ’smurder,itsimpromptubeginningsarerecalledbyacommon

saying:“Ekokoimwẹnihuanọvbehe”or“Ekokohasnosong.”Itsaccompanimentremainsa

simple,repetitiveverse:“Ogbeuvberreekpo”or“Nextyear,mayweseeyou,masquerade.”59

Whileitcanperformforvariousoccasionsinitshomevillage,itstillperformsannuallyatthe

palace.Inthe1990s,itusuallydancedonanOtuẹoccasionduringtheIguẹperiod.Osemwegie

recalledthatunderỌbaAkẹnzua,ithadoftenappearedearlyonthedayoftheỌba’sIguẹ.

Althoughthismayhaveoccurredattimes,theEkokon’Utẹmasqueradewasassociatedmost

frequentlywithOtuẹIgu’Ọba.60

Themalemasqueradercovershisfacewithstripcloth,whilethefemalewearsan

58Personalcommunication,ChiefOsaroboOkuonghae,theOgiamiẹnofBenin,July12,1994.59Personalcommunication,IkpenmwosaOsemwegie,July15,1994.Aisien,however,recordedanothersongfromJacobOkungbowa,oneoftheUtesingers.Itstranslatedlyricsinclude:“ThemotherofOgun,thesonofOhen,Irecognizeyou!MotherofEwuare!”Whilethissongispurportedlysungatthepalace,itslyricaldirectionaimssolelyatthemasqueraderrepresentingthefemale.ThismayindicateapraisesongusedatotheroccasionsinUtethatlatermigratedtopalaceperformances;otherwise,the“Ekokohasnosong”sayingwouldnothavearisen.60Onanoccasioninthe1990swhenIgu’Ọbawaspubliclyperformed,IsawthemasqueradersdanceatOtuẹIgu’Ọba.Inyearswhenthatceremonywasprivate,Ekokon’UtẹdancedontheOtuẹofUgieErhọba.IkpenmwosaOsemwegiesaidhehadseenthemasqueradersperformintheearlymorningofIgu’Ọba(personalcommunication,Dec.22,1994).ThosewhoassociateditwithOtuẹIgu’ỌbaincludedChiefUniọyen(Dec.22,1957,Bradburyarchive,R31),itspriest,theEkhureofEkoko(Dec.21,1958,Bradburyarchive,B4),andẸro(IguẹandOtherFestivals,2003,26).

Fig.4.BothEkokon’Utẹmasqueradersenterthepalacewiththeirattendants,includingayoungboyholdingthemasquerade’sukhurhẹ.PhotographbyKathyCurnow,1990s.


26

antelopemask(Fig.4).TheformerisknownasEkokoOgiowẹrẹ,adirectroyalallusion.The

latter’snarrowjawandloweredeyesaremarksoffemaleattractiveness,andthemasquerade

isevokedwhenpraisingwomen:“ỌruẹagbamwẹnvbeagbamwẹnEkoko”or“Herjawislike

theEkokomasquerade.”61LikeanumberofotherBeninmasquerades(Ovia,Ovbo,and,toa

lesserextent,Ododua),bothofthemasqueraders’headpiecesstressfeathers,acomponent

thatdifferentiatesthemfromthecostumesofmostneighboringethnicgroups.OntheEkoko

n’Utẹheadpieces,thetightly-packed,splayingfeatherbouquetsconsistoflong,darkplumes

toppedwiththetied-onredtailfeathersoftheAfricanGreyParrot,thelatterachoicethat

invokesthespiritworldfortheẸdoandtheYorubaalike.BothEkokocostumesalsoinclude

mirroredlappetsthathangfromthebackoftheheadpiece.Mirrorsusuallysuggestwaterin

Ẹdothought,andmayherereferencetheIkpobaRiver.Thecostumesareoflocally-woven

cloth,andbothperformerswearraffia-styleanklerattleslikethosewornbyOvia

masqueraders.Eachhasapriestwhosegendermatchesthatofhis/hermasquerade.Eventhe

priestesscarriesanada,amarkofhighhonorthatdenotespalacefavor.

Themasquerade’splaceintheIguẹceremoniesisnowfairlylow-key,itsaudience

sometimesnotevenincludingtheỌba,thoughitsdanceandprayersaredirectedtohisusual

placeonthedaisinẸwuare’scourtyard.Theeventitcommemorates,however,has

perpetuateditsappearanceformorethanhalfamillennium.Thatthisforbiddenunion

producedPrinceOgun(laterỌbaẸwuare)maybeoneofthechiefreasonsthelatterwasexiled

inhisyouth,hisveryexistenceabhorrenttothecitizensuntilallremainingoptionswere

61Personalcommunication,IkpenmwosaOsemwegie,July15,1994.AlthoughAisiennamesthemasqueradesasElere(female)andOrigie(male),hemismatchestheircostumewiththeirgender,attributingthecarvedmasktothemale(Ewuare,2012,7).Aisien,likeBradbury’sinformantOrhueỌmọrẹgbẹoh’Origie(seeabove),attributesthemasqueradesubterfugetoẸnogieofUte,thegirl’sfather.


27

extinguished.

Ohẹn’sparalysisiscommemoratedbythefish-leggedOlokun-likefigurescommonin

Beninart.62Otherassociationsbetweenhismaladyandsubsequenteventsarealsovisually

recalled.TheIneofIgbesanmwanstatedthatthecrocodileheadsthatappearattheỌba’s

waistoncertain16th-centuryplaqueswereamodeOhẹnbegan.Thevarietyofcrocodilewas

thesmall,moredociletypeknownasẹghughu,63aboutwhichitissaid,“Teẹghughubuarorua

nagba,”or“The‘alligator’willlookatyouandtieupitsmouth.”64Theanimalisusedin

medicinetopreventenemiesfromcreatingobstacles,aswellasmedicinedesignedtoparalyze

opponents.Ohẹn’suseofitmayhavebeenrelatedtoanattemptedcureforhislegs.His

reportedfoundingofthemajorOlokunshrineatUrhonigbemayhavebeenduetosimilar

efforts.65TheconsequencesofOhẹn’smurderofhisoverly-curiousIyasẹarereenacted

annuallywhenhigh-rankingchiefsgreettherulerattheIguẹcelebrationsby“playing”agesture

acrosstheirhorizontally-heldẹbẹnceremonialswords.Itsignifies“WhereistheIyasẹ?”His

returninggesticulationbeliesanyknowledge.

ẸwuareandthedistortionoftheUbi-Ẹwerẹstory

EgharevbanotesthatwhenOgunwasstillinhiding,hecametothecityandsought

refugewithOgiefa,whohidhimand“thenwenttotelltheOgiamwe[sic]andotherssothat

62Fish-leggedfiguresaremultivalentsymbolsinBenin.Theycanbeinterpretedasthesea/riverdeityhimself,asOhẹnwithparalyzedlegs,orasanyỌbainhisdivinestate.Besidesthedeificationmodeorthelatter,itservesasacautionaryimagetomonarchs,remindingthemthatunacceptablebehaviorsuchasOhẹn’shaveconsequences,includingregicide.63ẸwuwuappearstobetheshyCrocodyluscataphractusorMecistopscataphractus.Agbaka,thelargerandfiercercrocodilespecies,isalsowell-knowninBeninanditsenvirons.64Personalcommunication,ChiefDavidOmoregie,Aug29,1994. 65IkponmwosaOsemwegiesuggestedthatbecausetheparalyzingmedicinewasassociatedwithariver,Ohẹnmayhavesoughtamorepowerfulrivertoovercomeit.Personalcommunication,July15,1994.


28

theymightarrestandpunishhim.”66HeescapedandeventuallysecuredthethroneasỌba

Ẹwuare.Ifoneinterpretshisparents’conjugalbreakingofthetreatyasinvitingdisaster,stories

ofẸwuare’sburningofthecity,thedeathofhistwoheirs,thepunitivemourninglawshe

instituted,hismurderousways,andhisdifficultiesengenderingadditionalsons67couldbe

attributedtothiscause.ThatẸwuare’spre-coronationconflictsinvolvedanallianceofOgiefa

andtheOgiamiẹnagainsthimagaindrawsattentiontotheappearanceofanOgiamienin

history,evenwhenOgiefawastheactorandtherewasnoclearreasontoincludeOgiamien.

Atsomepoint,Ẹwuareseemstohavetriedtosettlethe“unendingdispute”

ceremoniallybyinstitutinglinkedobservancesrelatingtoOgiefa’sdaughterẸwerẹand

Ọgiamiẹn’ssonUbi,thecouplethatfacilitatedtheinitialreconciliationbetweentheỌranmiyan

partyandtheindigenousrepublicangroup.Asmentioned,thismollificationisrecalledbythe

words“Ogiamiẹnl'Ubi,Ogiefaigb'Ẹwerẹ”(Ogiamiẹndoesn’ttakepartinUbi,andOgiefa

doesn’ttakepartinẸwerẹ).Ẹwerẹday,partoftoday’sextendedroyalIguẹcelebrations,

involvesbothaninitialUbisegmentandalaterẸwerẹphase.Thefirstemploysburning

brands68topurifytheland,withyouthsrunningthroughthestreetshouting“Ubirrie!”(“Ubi,

begone!),thenthrowingthesticksintotheiyamoat.ThisisareenactmentofthepursuitofUbi

duringẸwẹdọ’sinitialincursion,andadrivingofundesirablethingsfromthecity.TheẸwerẹ

phasefollowsimmediately.Youthspickẹwerẹ(ebẹẹwerẹwerẹ)leavesatthewatersideand

66Egharevba,AShortHistoryofBenin,1953,17.67Egharevba,AShortHistoryofBenin,1953,14-17. 68Thoughsmallpiecesoffirewoodcanalsobeused,theUbiritebeginswith“deadraffiabrands”(personalcommunication,IkponmwosaOsemwegie,July6,1994).AghamaOmoruyiconcursinhisdiscussionoftheBenin“moats,”notingthe“onlysurvivingceremonyisthethrowingofubipalmtorches”(BeninAnthology[Benin:CulturalPublications,1981],28).Heretheraffiaoftheroyalpartyresurfaces,recallingtheominigbọnsaying.Nevadomskypointsoutthatraffiaisusedinmedicinesforchickenpox(“KingshipSuccessionRitualsinBenin,3,”92),whichrelatesitsusetoOhunIghitanandhowthetreatypreventsskinandotherdiseasesfromaffectingthepopulace.


29

presentthemtocitizensassymbolsofgoodluck,thelatterplacingsmallpiecesoftheleaveson

theirforeheads.Atthepalace,membersoftheỌba’s“official”family,theIhogbeguildofroyal

ancestralpriests,offerẹwerẹleavestothemonarch,asdohisbloodrelations.Perhaps

significantly,theIhogbenotonlymedicinallyreinforcetheheadandbodyofthemonarchand

leadtheworshipofhisancestors,theyalsopropitiatethespiritsoftheland,i.e.,thepre-

Ọranmiyan,Ogiso-erarulers.

TheinstigationofthesedualceremoniesseemstohavebeenẸwuare’swayof

deemphasizinghisconnectiontohisparents’forbiddenmarriage.Osemwegiesuggestedthat

oneaspectoftheIgu’ỌbafestivalisthanksgivingthattheỌranmiyanpartysuccessfullyreached

Benintorule,andthattheUbi/ẸwerẹceremoniesemphasizetheinsultingandpursuitofUbi

alongsideadesiretobring“ourownwoman”home,hernicknameofẸwerẹsynonymouswith

“safearrival.”69OgiamiẹncannottakepartintheUbiceremonybecauseitwouldseemasifhe

celebratedhisancestor’scapitulation,and,inturn,OgiefacannottakepartinẸwerẹbecauseit

wouldbeacelebrationofthenecessityofpastaccommodation.

TheUbi/Ẹwerẹsaying’ssignificanceisnotconfinedtoeventsoftheearlyhistorical

periodortoẸwuare’scommemorationofthem.Itadditionallyactsasacheckonastorythatis

incommoncirculationtoday.BecauseofEgharevba’sAShortHistoryofBenin,mostpeople

nowassociatethedualceremoniesofUbiandẸwerẹwithataleaboutthreeofỌbaẸwuare’s

wives.EgharevbarecountedthatthemonarchmarriedUbi,theeldestofChiefOgiẹka’sthree

daughters,thendroveherfromtheharembecauseofbed-wettingandotherbadbehavior.He

subsequentlymarriedhersisterẸwerẹ,whoweptforthecompanyofanothersister,Ọyọyọ.To

stophertears,hethenmarriedthisthirdsisteraswell.Thisstorydidnotappearuntil 69Personalcommunication,IkponmwosaOsemwegie,June18,1994.


30

Egharevba’sthirdeditionof1960,andwasrepeatedinthefourtheditionof1968.70The

recountingoftheearlierUbiandẸwerẹ–theOgiamiẹnfamily’sUbiandtheOgiefafamily’s

Ẹwerẹ–remainedinbothoftheseeditionsaswell.Thattheoriginaltale,whichrelatedtothe

accommodationofsettlersbyBenin’soldguard,shouldbeshuntedasideinfavorofataleof

threewives,noneofwhomapparentlyboretheỌbasurvivingsons,iscuriousindeed.Only

womenwithmajorrolesinthecourtandkingdom,suchasEmotan,Idia,orIdẹn,tendtobe

rememberedbynameinBeninhistory.Thepoweroftheprintedwordseemsresponsiblefor

thepopularsupplantingoftheearlierversionofẸwerẹ’smeaning.71

CertainlythelyricsofthesongssungattheẸwerẹceremonyincludenoreferencesto

thesisters;instead,theyreferencehappiness,blessings,andpeace.72Whilethewordọyọyọ

appearsinoneofthesongs,Osemwegiestresseditreferredtotheshakingofbunchesofẹwerẹ

leaves,nottoaname.73TheceremonyofẸwerẹcontainsnumerousallusionstodynasticorigins

anditsfeaturedparticipantsaremembersofIhogbe.74Thatamajorceremonywouldcelebrate

thegoodorbadharembehaviorofwomenwhodidnotevengivebirthtomonarchswouldbe

extremelystrange;ifsuchafestivalweretoexist,theIbiwepalacesocietymemberswhowork

withtheharemshouldhavebeenitskeyactors.

70Egharevba,AShortHistoryofBenin,1960,18-19;Egharevba,AShortHistoryofBenin,1968,17-18.71Thetriplemarriagestorywas,however,incirculationinBeninbyatleasttheearly1950s,whenBradburyinterviewedChiefEsọgban(May2and3,1951,Bradburyarchive,A8).Inthelatter’srendition,however,UbiwasrejectedfromtheharembecausedivinerstoldẸwuarethatherpresencehadledtohisillnessandthatofmanyofhiswives,aswellastomanydeathsinthetown.TheremainderofChiefEsọgban’sversionwasveryclosetothatEgharevbapublishedin1960. 72FortheẸdolyricsandtheirtranslation,seeBenjaminObeghareIzu,“MusicandAssociatedCeremoniesDisplayedDuringUgie(Festival)intheRoyalCourtofBeninKingdom,Nigeria,”MAThesis,UniversityofSouthAfrica,2012,66-67.73Personalcommunication,IkponmwosaOsemwegie,July1,1994.74Curnow,Iyare!,2016,137-138.


31

Theofficialenemyandthe1897survival

Becauseofthepresentdynasty’sslowconquestofBeninCityandtheparttheOgiamiẹn

lineplayedinfirstobstructingandthencolludingwiththisdynasty,ChiefOgiamiẹn’sposition

remainsthatofaformalenemyoftheỌba.75Hedoesnotattendpalacefunctionsregularly,

nordoeshetakepartinmostceremonies.Hisappearanceatthecoronationforthetworitesof

historicalreenactmenthas,however,remainedakeyrole.BecausetheformerOgiamiẹnhad

diedbeforeỌbaErediauwa’s1979enthronement,hisadolescentson’schieftaincyinstallation

hadtoberushedinordertoallowhisparticipation(Fig.5).

Despite“official”enmity,notallỌba/Ogiamiẹnrelationswerecool.Indeed,ỌbaẸsigie’s

early16th-centuryrelationshipwithhisOgiamiẹnappearstohavebeenquiteclose,forwhen

themonarchquarreledwiththeUzamaN’IhinronandcreatedtheUzamaN’Ibietotakeover

75ThisisnottothedegreeofsomeonedeclaredtheỌba’senemy,anunenviablepositionthatinvolvespublicdisgrace,abanonpalacevisits,andburialrestrictions.Ratheritisakintocertainotherhereditaryrolesthatalludetohistoricalconflicts,suchastheOhẹnukoni,orhighpriestofỌkhuaihẹ.Ọkhuaihẹ,oneofẸwuare’smoststalwartandpowerfulfriends,wasbetrayedbyhimandgivenadomainasabribetoleavethecapital.TheOhẹnukonicomestoBeninonlyforhisinstallation,andthemerethreatofhisapproachingthecity’sborderresultsinpresentsbeingsenttoconciliatehim(personalcommunication,Ohẹnukoni,Sept.4,1995).

Fig.5.YoungChiefOgiamiẹn,RoyalPalace,BeninCity,Nigeria.PhotographbyChiefS.O.Alonge,1979.EEPA2009-007-0891.EliotElisofonPhotographicArchives,NationalMuseumofAfricanArt,SmithsonianInstitution.


32

someoftheirceremonialduties,heappointedOgiamiẹnoneofitsmembers.76Althoughthe

historiesofallOgiamiẹntitle-holdersandtheirrelationshiptothepalacearenotwell-known,

thepresenttitleholder,OgiamiẹnOsaroboOkuonghae,spokeofỌbaErediauwawithrespect

andcordiality.77

76Eweka,EvolutionofBeninChieftaincyTitles,1992,40.77Personalcommunications,ChiefOgiamienOsaroboOkunoghae,1992,1994,and1995.

Fig.7.OgiamiẹnOsaroboOkuonghaeseatedinfrontofhisfamilyancestralaltar,anoillamphangingoverhead.PhotographbyKathyCurnow,1992.

Fig.6.ExterioroftheOgiamiẹnpalacewiththeblocked-updoorwayfortheỌba,aswellasthemainentrance.PhotocourtesyJosephNevadomsky.ThebulkofNevadomsky’simagesareheldbytheEliotElisofonPhotographicArchives,NationalMuseumofAfricanArt,SmithsonianInstitution.


33

Thedepredationsofthe1897Britishinvasionresultedinextensivemetropolitandestruction,

includingdamagetomajorshrinesandhomesandafirethatconsumedmostofthepalace.The

onlymajorchieflystructuretosurvivetothepresentisOgiamiẹn’spalace78(Figs.6,7).Itsouter

wallincludesablocked-updoorway,openedonlyfortheỌba’sentranceduringthecoronation

period,79whileitswarren-likecourtyardstructureincludesnumeroussecularandsacred

corners.OnesuchistheshrineinwhatOgiamiẹnOsaroboreferredtoas“thetreatyroom,”

wherethemonarch’sgiftsatthetimeofhisinstallationarekept(Fig.8):apriestlystool(erhe),

ukhurhẹ,ekpokinbox,andanagbarectangularstool.Familymembersattributethesurvivalof

thebuildingandsomeofitsshrinefurnituretodivineinterventiononthepartoftheancestral

spiritsoftheland,whoprotectedthedescendantsofEvian,Ogiamiẹn,andUbi.

78TheẸdousetheEnglishword“palace”forthehomesofwealthyormajorBeninchiefs’homes;itismeanttoimplystatus,anddoesnothererefertoroyalty.79Personalcommunication,OgiamiẹnOsaroboOkuonghae,July12,1994.JosephNevadomskycallsthisblockedforecourtdoorurhoẹrinmwin(“doortothespiritworld”),sayingitisbrokenopenforancestralspiritstodepart(“AnEthnographicandSpaceSyntaxAnalysisofBeninKingdomNobilityArchitecture,”AfricanArchaeologicalReview31:1[2014]:68).Thosefamilymembersinanongoingstrugglewiththeroyalfamily(see“recentrecurrence”below)claimitspurposeisto“compeltheObaofBenintobowbeforetheOgiamiẹnwhenenteringthroughthe4ft.door”(OsaigbovoOsadolo,“OgiamienVsObaofBenin–Whatwillthecourtdecide?”EagleGateNewspaper,Sept.17,2016.http://www.theeaglegate.com/ogiamien-vs-oba-of-benin-what-will-the-court-decide/).

Fig.8.ChiefOgiamiẹn’s“treatyroom.”Theagbastoolisatfrontleft.PhotographbyKathyCurnow,1992.


34

TheNationalCommissionforMuseumsandMonumentsdeclaredthepalacea

NationalHeritageSitein1959.Nevadomskystatesitwashometoabout400peoplein1920,

butonlyahandfulwereresidentinitsharembythe1990s,leavingthemainhousea

monument,ratherthanlivingquarters.Aswasstandardforlargechieflydwellingsofthepast,

theharemisseparatedfromthemainstructurethatwasbuiltasaseriesofinterconnected

opencourtyards,withroomsarrangedaroundtheirperimeters(Fig.9).Ogiamiẹn’spalacestill

showstheintegrationofreligionanddailylife,withover30shrines,80dedicatedtosuchbeings

astheHighGodOsanobua,thedivinityoftheoceanandwealthOlokun,thedeityofmedicine

Osun,thepowerofthearm’saccomplishments,andseparatealtarstomaleandfemalefamily

ancestors(Fig.10).OneroomisdedicatedtotheShrineoftheGround.81AlthoughBenin

includesseveralshrinestotheground/earth(otọe),mostareout-of-doorsatsitesmarkedby

ikhinmwintrees;thisisnot.IsthistheGreatChamberofSoiltowhichthechief’spraisename

refers?

80Nevadomsky,“AnEthnographicandSpaceSyntaxAnalysis,”2014,68.81Nevadomsky,“AnEthnographicandSpaceSyntax,”2014,71.Nevadomskyanalyzesthespatialsyntaxofthestructure,comparingittotheroyalpalaceandearly20th-centurypalacesbelongingtootherchiefs,notingaconsistentaccessinequalitybasedongenderandotherfactors.FurtherdiagramsandphotographsoftheresidencecanbefoundinZ.R.Dmochowski,AnIntroductiontoNigerianTraditionalArchitecture,vol.2:South-WestandCentralNigeria(London:Ethnographica,1990),1.50-1.56.

Fig.9.JoeNevadomskydonatedthisscalemodel(hereshownwithoutitsrooftorevealinteriorspaces)totheMuseumofAfricanArtinNewYorkCity.PalaceModel,OgiamiẹnPalace,BeninCity,Nigeria.PhotographbyJosephNevadomsky,1995.EEPA2012-013-xxxx(batch2,binder9),EliotElisofonPhotographic


35

Recentrecurrence TheperiodicconflictbetweentheroyalfamilyandOgiamiẹnresurfacedduring

preparationsforthe2016coronation.Thepresenttitleholder,OgiamiẹnOsaroboOkuonghae,

traveledoverseastopursueagraduatedegreein1998andapparentlyremainedthere,

purportedlyoutoftouchwithhisextendedfamily.AfactionoftheOgiamiẹnfamilydeclared

himmissingandpresumeddead,withnoknownsonandheir.Theytookituponthemselvesto

notonlyselectanewOgiamiẹn,butinstallthistitleholderthemselvesonSeptember9,2015.

Thisfloutedtradition.SinceỌbaẸwẹdọ’stime,theOgiamiẹnchieftaincyhasbeenapalacetitle,

withitsinstallationconductedthere,themonarchpresiding.Thepreparationforand

“installation”ofthisfaction’schosentitleholder,hotelownerRichAriscoOsemwengie,a

prominentmemberofthePDPpoliticalparty,82wasaccompaniedbythepublicationofa

82AsJosephNevadomskynotedin“TheỌwẹgbeCult:PoliticalandEthnicRivalriesinEarlyPostcolonialBeninCity.”Umẹwaẹn1(2016):65,theproliferationofnationalmediaoutlets,education,politicalparties,andvarioustypesof

Fig.10.Fewchiefsarepermittedtoerectmaternalancestralshrineslikethese.Theirukhurhẹarealwaysmuchshorterthanthoseonpaternalshrines,andwoodenhensornamentthem.By1992,

onlyoneofthesefowlsremained,itsheadlosttotermites.Maternalshrine,HouseoftheOgiamiẹn,BeninCity,Nigeria.PhotographbyEliotElisofon,1970.EEPAEENG03335,EliotElisofon

PhotographicArchives,NationalMuseumofAfricanArt, SmithsonianInstitution.


36

periodicalcalledTheOgiamienTrumpet.TheSecretaryoftheEdoStateGovernment,Julius

Ihonvbere,condemnedthistabloidinapressstatementonSept.11,2015.Hedeclaredthatthe

publication,whosepurportedintentwasthe“unity”and“renaissance”oftheOgiamiẹnfamily,

used“abusivelanguage”andshoweddisrespecttowardsthemonarch.Ihonvbereinvoked

sectionsofthe1979TraditionalRulersandChieftaincyLawtostatethatself-proclamationof

chieftaincyortraditionalruleisacriminaloffence.83

OsemwengieandfivesupporterswereorderedheldonSept.16,2015,somemonths

aftersendingletterstothenEdaikẹn,EhẹnẹdẹnErediauwa,andGovernorOshiomhole.84Hislist

ofdemandsincludedrecognitionoftheOgiamiẹntitleholderasamonarchratherthanachief,

theappointmentofhisowntraditionalcouncil,acknowledgementofhis“UtantanBenin

Nation’s”boundariesinpartsofOrẹdo,aswellasIkpoba-Okha,Orhionmwọn,andUhunmwode

LocalGovernmentAreas(withassociatedpayments),aswellasgeneralreparationsof350

millionnaira.85StateAttorneyGeneralandCommissionerforJusticeHenryIdahagbon,

prosecutedthecase,referringtotheactionsasanattempted“traditionalcoup.”86Afewweeks

later,oneofOsemwengie’s“installers”waskilledbyabusthatstruckhimwhilehewassitting

nationalaffiliationshas“allowedforhistorical,andconflicted,oppositionstoreassertthemselvesinreinvigoratedandcollectiveformations.”Osemwengie’spartyaffiliationandmedia-spreadpronouncementssoundlyreinforcethisobservation.Hispoliticalpositioncountersthatofthecurrentgovernorandthegovernor-elect,insteadaligningwithformerPDPgovernorLuckyIgbinedion,sonofChiefGabrielIgbinedion,theEsamaofBenin,anEghaevboN’OrememberwhowasoftenatoddswithỌbaErediauwa.83JethroIbileke,“Chieftaincy:EdogovtwarnsOgiamienfamily,threatenscriminalcharges,”PMNews,Sept.11,2015,http://www.pmnewsnigeria.com/2015/09/11/chieftaincy-edo-govt-warns-ogiamien-family-threatens-criminal-charges/. 84ThelettersandtheinitialOgiamienTrumpetpublicationapparentlydatetoJune,2015,nearlyayearbeforeỌbaErediauwa’sdemisewasannounced,aseverebreachofBeninprotocol.SomeoftheparticularsofthelettersandtheTrumpet’sclaimscanbefoundinOsadolo,“OgiamienVsObaofBenin,”2016.OsemwengieandhisyoungerbrotherPatrickOsabohienwerearrested;athirdpersonwastobeincarceratedbutwasneverlocatedorjailed.85OsagieOtabo,“PopularBeninmanintroublefordaringOba,”TheNation,Sept.18,2015.http://thenationonlineng.net/popular-benin-man-in-trouble-for-daring-oba/.86SimonEbegbulem, “AllegedTraditionalCoup:Osemwingie[sic],othersincourtasBinikingdomrumbles,”Vanguard,Sept.22,2015,http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/09/rumble-in-bini-kingdom-osemwingie-others-in-court-for-alleged-traditional-coup/.


37

outsidehishome,87anactionattributedbymanytosupernaturalsanction.OnDec.11,2015,

theIyasẹofBeninledmembersofthepalaceEwaisẹguild(traditionaldoctorsanddiviners),the

Ihogbe(guildoftheroyalancestors),andadditionalritualspecialiststomultiplecityshrines,

cursingthepretendertotheOgiamiẹntitleandhiscohortsasOghianỌba,orenemiesofthe

Ọba.88

Forthepastyear,theescalatedfrictionhasplayedoutinthemedia.Palacespokesman

ChiefAyobahandiminishedtheimportanceoftheẸkiokpaghaTreatyandcalledtheOgiamiẹn

family“slaves”whosepalacewaslittlemorethan“acave.”89Osemwengie’ssupporters

retortedwithaccusationsthattheỌbawasmerely“atenant”ontheirland,furtherasserting

thatEvianhadactuallybeenamemberoftheOgisoroyalfamilyratherthananOgiso-era

chief,90aclaimnevermadebefore.Theywentontodiscreditthepalace’sassertionsthatthe

lastknownOgiso-eraprince,theexiledEkaladerhan,wasidenticaltotheIfẹdynasty’sfounder

Oduduwa,aviewpointtheyattributedtothelateỌbaErediauwa.WhiletheỌbadidpublicize

87MichaelEgbobawayewaskilledonOct.8,2015.OsagieOtabor,“PanicasParallelOgiamien’sInstallerKilled,”TheNation,Oct.9,2015,http://thenationonlineng.net/panic-as-parallel-ogiamiens-installer-is-killed/.88SimonEbegbulem,“BeninpalacechiefsraincursesonallegedOba’senemies,”Vanguard,Dec.15,2015,http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/12/benin-palace-chiefs-rain-curses-on-alleged-obas-enemies/. 89ChiefAboyahanstated,“TheObagoestherenotbecauseitistraditionalbutforformality.ItistorememberaneventwheretheOgiamiẹnsweredefeatedandcrushed”inGabrielEnogholase,“OgiamienplaysnopartincoronationofObaofBenin—Palacechief,”Vanguard,Feb.20,2016,http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/02/ogiamien-plays-no-part-in-coronation-of-oba-of-benin-palace-chief/.90Inarewritingofknownhistory,theyclaimthatEvianandthelastOgiso,Owodo,werebrothers.Osadolo,“OgiamienVsObaofBenin,”2016.Seealso“Don’tCircumventEkiokpaghaTreaty,OgiamienFamilyWarnsBeninTraditionalCouncil,”IPNNews,Feb.25,2016,http://ipnnews.info/dont-circumvent-ekiokpagha-treaty-ogiamien-family-warns-benin-traditional-council/.“Tenancy”claimsarediscussedinEromoseleEbhomele,“FamilyofLateObaofBeninareTenantsintheKingdom?”Naij.com,May,2016,https://www.naij.com/832915-controversy-crown-prince-eheneden-erediuwa-tenant-benin-kingdom.html.Interestingly,MondayWehere(alsoinprintas“Whewhe”),“directorofinformationandexternalaffairsforTheGreatOgiamienRoyalFamily”[Osemwengie’sfaction],whoisthepublisher/editor-in-chiefoftheOgiamienTrumpetandconsultantfortheEvianRenaissanceMovement,isapparentlyfromRiversState,withonlymaternalconnectionstoBenin.See “ThereCanNeverBeanObaofBeninwithouttheOgiamien”athttp://edonationsatelite.blogspot.com/2016/02/there-can-never-be-oba-of-benin-without.htmlandSimonEbegbulem,“CoronationofObaofBenin:ThreeSeniorAdvocatesofNigeriatackleOgiamien,”Vanguard,Sept.25,2016,http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/09/coronation-oba-benin-three-senior-advocates-nigeria-tackle-ogiamien/.


38

thishistoricalversion,hewasnotitsoriginator,forithadalreadybeenrecordedatleastas

earlyasthe1950s,whenR.E.BradburywasresearchinginBenin,91andreiteratedbyseveral

Ẹdoauthorsfrom1970to1973,promptinghistorianG.A.Akinolatoinvestigatetheirclaims

thatyearviaBeninCityfieldwork.92

Osemwengie’ssupportersevenassertedthepostponementofthecoronationfrom

SeptembertoOctoberof2016,duetoashiftinthedateofstateelections,wasactuallythe

resultoftheirowncourtcase’sdelay,implyingthattheEdaikẹncouldnotbecrowneduntil

theirdemandswereconsidered.ThreeSeniorAdvocatesofNigeriaquicklyrepudiatedthe

claim,notingthereschedulingwasduetopriorcourtengagementsandwasunrelatedtothe

coronation.93TheEdoStateGovernment’scriminalcaseagainstOsemwengiewasoverturned

bythestateHighCourt,andthegovernmentundertookanappeal.Thecontentiousness

continued.OsemwengiesoughtaninjunctiontodelaytheỌba’scoronationbecausethe

91Curnow,Iyare!,2016,178.AlthoughBradbury’sarchivesarepubliclyavailableattheBirminghamUniversityLibrary,theyarenotdigitizedandthereforeauthorssuchasBondarenko(“AdventoftheSecond[Oba]Dynasty,2003,68andAkinola(“TheOriginoftheEwekaDynastyofBenin,1976)attributetheEkaladerhanstorytoshiftingpoliticalgoalsinthe1970s.Thisalternativestory,however,existedatleasttwodecadesbefore.92Akinola,“TheOriginoftheEwekaDynastyofBenin,”1976,28-29,34.TheIhamaofIhogbeandotherchiefscorroboratedtheidentificationofEkaladerhanwithOduduwa,butAkinolastatedthatỌbaAkẹnzua,afterelicitingwhatinformationAkinolahadunearthed,respondedwith“Whotoldyouthat?”inapparentsurprise.AkinolaconcludedthathisowninterviewandasubsequentonewithanIbadanUniversitystudentindicatedtheỌbadidnotsupportthispointofview.Akinola’scontentionthatthisversionofthestoryresultedfromyouthfulchiefsandshiftsofpoliticalalliancesincontemporaneousNigeriamaybetrue,buthissuggestionthatitsnon-appearanceinearlyrecordingsoforalhistorysignifiesitwasnotincirculationthenemploysfaultylogic.MostearlycolonialhistoriesofBeninwereverybrief,excludingmoreinformationthantheyincluded;thatdoesnotnegatethecirculationofthosethen-unpublishedstories.BondarenkocarefullycomparedthethreeversionsofBenin’sseconddynasty’sfoundation—Yoruba,formerBeninpalaceversion,andEkaladerhan/Oduduwaidentificationinhis“Adventofthesecond(Oba)Dynasty,”2003.StefanEisenhoferhadpreviouslyevaluatedchangingversionsoftheOgisodynasty,theinterregnumandthenewdynastyin“TheOriginsoftheBeninKingshipintheWorksofJacobEgharevba.”HistoryinAfrica22(1995),144,butmistakenlystatedEgharevbahadlistednine“republicanrulers”precedingEvianandOgiamieninthe1936editionofAShortHistoryofBenin.93Ebegbulem,“CoronationofObaofBenin,”Sept.25,2016.AstorybyFaithOmorodion,“AppealCourtRulesinFavoroftheOgiamiens”appearedinEagleGateNewspaper,Sept.21,2016,http://www.theeaglegate.com/appeal-court-rules-in-favor-of-the-ogiamiens/.Thedecidedlypro-Osemwengiestanceofthisonlinenewsletterisself-evident,anditappearstocontainfewstoriesunrelatedtothecontroversy.ItssporadiconlineappearancesdatetoonlyMayof2016,anditcontinuouslyrepeatedlibelousaccusationsregardingtheroyalfamilyuntilSept.22,2016;noneappearedinOctober,2016.


39

Ekiokpaghabattleandtreatywerenotontheadvancecoronationprogram.Inanycase,since

theẸkiokpaghabattleanditstreatycustomarilyoccuraweekafterthemonarchisactually

crowned,thereisnoreasonitwouldhaveinterferedwiththeceremonyitself.Theappeals

court,however,rejectedhismotionand,onNovember17,2016,furtherupheldtheappealof

theEdostategovernorandtheBeninTraditionalCouncil,strikingdownOsemwengie’sclaims.94

Fromthebeginningofthiscontroversy,asecondblocofthefamilydeclaredthat

OgiamiẹnOsaroboOkuonghaewasaliveandwell,andthattheirfamilyhadenjoyedexcellent

termswiththeỌbaformanycenturies.TheyrepudiatedOsemwengieandtheOgiamien

Trumpetgroup,statingthatevenArisco’sclaimstofamilymembershipwerespurious.95The

familyreiteratedthesestatements,evenstagingananti-Ariscoprotest,andpledgeditssupport

forthecoronationandtheparticipationofeithertherecognizedOgiamiẹnOsaroboor“another

personthatjoinedintheburialoftheirfather.”96

ThecoronationofỌbaẸwuareIIhasrecentlyconcluded.Althoughthereenactingofthe

crossingofthebridgefromIsekhere’sterritory(completewithchicken)97tookplaceon

October20,2016,themorningoftheformalcrowning,thesubsequentẸkiokpaghabattleand

reconciliationdidnotoccur.ReferringtoOsemwengie,OgiamiẹnfamilymemberMoses

Igbinewekastated,"Someonecametostealthetitlefromus,sowecannothonourthe

94Alemma-OzioruvaAliu,“AppealcourtrejectsmotiontostopObaofBenin’scoronation,”TheGuardian,Oct.7,2016,http://guardian.ng/news/appeal-court-rejects-motion-to-stop-oba-of-benins-coronation/andSimonEbegbulem,“AppealCourtstrikesoutsuitagainstObaofBenin,Edogovt,”Nov.18,2016,http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/11/appeal-court-strikes-suit-oba-benin-edo-govt/.95Otabo,“Panic,”2015.96OgiamiẹnOsabo’ssistermadethisstatement,accordingtoAlemma-OzioruvaAliu,“Nigeria:OgiamienPledgesLoyaltytoNewBeninMonarch17DaystoCoronation,”TheGuardian,Oct.4,2016,http://allafrica.com/stories/201610040728.html.97TheBBCphotographedtheevent(http://ichef-1.bbci.co.uk/news/976/cpsprodpb/EC0F/production/_92013406_ts14.jpg),whileTheNigerianObserverreportedit(http://www.nigerianobservernews.com/2016/10/the-coronation-of-history-focus-on-oba-of-benin/#.WBLel-v3arV).


40

tradition."98Thecoronationprocessitselfisnotstatic;ithasincorporatedelementsfromother

monarchsovertime,includingincidentsrelatingtoỌbasẸwuareandẸsigie,andmayhave

droppedothers.ThedroppingoftheBattleofẸkiokpaghabecomesonemoreexampleofthe

Ẹdosaying,“NewỌba,newrules”(ỌbagherrieỌba,oghidọnmwọniyiọgbọn).

Interpretation:memoryorsensemaking?

TheperiodicconflictsbetweenmembersofthecurrentdynastyandtheEvian/Ogiamiẹn

line,subsequenttotheẸkiokpaghabattle,wereconsideredmeaningfulenoughtobecomepart

oforalhistory.Thisoccurredevenwhentheyseemminor,asinthecaseofOgiamiẹn’salliance

withOgiefaagainstỌbaẸwuare–certainlyunimportantcomparedtothekeyconflictreferredto

inOhunIghitan.Thecognitiveconstructthisdivinationcodeprovidednotonlyservedasakind

ofmagnetforevenpettyassociations,itbuoyedthelogicofcorrelationsmadewithoutbroad

support.Forexample,whenIkponmwosaOsemwegieandOgiamiẹnOsarobomaintainElẹrẹ’s

affiliationwiththeOgiamiẹnline,aclaimnotpreviouslypublished,itunderlinesthesignificance

oftheconstruct,“proven”ornot.Oncetheconstructwasinplace,episodescouldbe“filed”

there.BecauseOhunIghitansetupanarrativeframework,futurereferencestoconflicts

betweentheroyalandOgiamiẹnlineagesrequirednoallusionstopalmandsugarcane,norto

expositorydivinationtales;theyneededonlyamentionofthepartiesinvolved.Assuch,the

divinationcodeconstitutesan“active”sensemakingelement,itsstructureshapingthought

evenasitscontentvariesovertime.AsTalmystatedabove,itproducedanarrativestructure

thatboundslikecontentswithinafluidcognitiveunit.

98FemkevanZeijl,“TheObaofBeninKingdom:AHistoryoftheMonarchy,”Aljazeera,Nov.12,2016,http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2016/10/oba-benin-kingdom-history-monarchy-161031161559752.html.Atthetimeofthestory,thedoorwayremainedsealed,butthefamilystillhopeditwouldbeopenedforafuturevisitoftheỌbawiththetraditionalgifts.


41

Sensemakinginitiallymightseemrelatedtothepreoccupationwithmemorythathas

affectedpostmodernhistorians,anthropologists,andotherscholarssincethelate1980s.

HistorianPierreNora’scommentthat“Memoryisaperpetuallyactualphenomenon,abond

tyingustotheeternalpresent;historyisarepresentationofthepast”99soundsakinto

sensemaking’sconceptofthe“active”element.Memorystudies’interestinphenomenological

approachestoevents,100ratherthanthedocumentedfactsofhistory,alsoappearstorelateto

theexperientialcomponentofsensemaking.Ofthetypesofmemoryscholarshavediscussed,

sensemakingseemsclosesttotheconceptofcollectivememoryoriginatingintheworkof

sociologist-philosopherMauriceHalbwachs.Hepostulatedthatindividualmemoriesarebased

onsocialframeworksthatareinturnproducedbysub-groups,ratherthansocietyasa

whole.101

ThiscollectivememoryconceptcouldbeappliedtotheỌba/Ogiamiẹnconflictsin

severalways.HistorianLynnAbramspointsoutthattheactofrememberingisanactive

process,andeveninaccuraterememberingprovidesinsightintoaccounts,102suchasElẹrẹ’s

membershipintheOgiamiẹnlinediscussedabove.AnthropologistJohannesFabiandefines

collectivememoryinoppositiontopublicmemory,consideringtheformera“boundedand

closedterritory”forthesub-group.103ThistooconnectstotheỌba/Ogiamiẹnconflict.Although

theinitialbattlethatfinallyestablishedthedynasty’sruleinBeninmighthavebeenknownto

99PierreNora,“BetweenMemoryandHistory:LesLieuxdeMémoire,”Representationsno.26(1989):8.100DavidBerliner,“SocialThought&Commentary:TheAbusesofMemory:ReflectionsontheMemoryBoominAnthropology,”AnthropologicalQuarterly78(1,2005):199-200.Berlinersuppliesanexcellentoverviewofanthropologicaltreatmentofmemory,warningagainstaconflationofmemoryandculture/identity.101MauriceHalbwachs,OnCollectiveMemory(Chicago:UniversityofChicagoPress,1992).ThisvolumeisatranslationofHalbwachs’works,writtenbeforehis1945death.102LynnAbrams,“Memoryasbothsourceandsubjectofstudy:thetransformationsoforalhistory”inWritingtheHistoryofMemory,eds.BillNivenandStefanBerger(NewYork:Bloomsbury,2014),89,93. 103JohannesFabian,MemoryAgainstCulture:ArgumentsandReminders(Durham,NC:DukeUniversityPress,2007),94.


42

thegeneralpublicthroughcoronationreenactions,onlythoseinvolvedindivinationas

practitionersorclientswouldhearthecodedOhunIghitansentenceandassociateits

human/spiritbattlewiththepalmfrondsandsugarcaneofrepeatedmockẸkiokpaghabattles

andasmallercircleyetmighthavelinkedtheconceptofthe“disputethatisneversettled”with

theỌbaandOgiamiẹn.Thecodestructureandmetaphoricallanguagewouldhavebeenthe

provinceofintellectuals.Asfortherepetitivenatureoftheconflicts,historycreationand

keepingwaslessthesphereofeverycitizenthanitwasofcertaincourtiers.Someofthese

tendedroyalhistorygenerally,otherskeptonlytheirownfamily’sinteractionwithvariousỌbas

alive.HistorianMaryFulbrookdevelopedHalbwach’spostulationthat“rememberingagents”

withinsub-groupsweresignificant.104Herememorystudiesbreakdownsomewhatwhen

appliedtoỌba/Ogiamiẹnconflicts,inthatprecise“rememberingagents”aredifficulttoisolate.

Ominigbọndivinersalludedonlytothekeyconflict,althoughmultipleversionsofnearlyevery

otherclashpointtodiffusednarrativesources.Still,thenotionofcollectivememoryinvokes

process,asdoessensemaking.

Collectivememorystudieshavebeencritiquedforalackofhistoricityandexcessive

stressontheindividual,105aswellasfortheirfocusonmodernEuropeanstates,thingsnational,

theHolocaust,andWWII.Inaddition,ashistorianWulfKansteinerobserved:

Worksonspecificcollectivememoriesoftencannotilluminatethesociologicalbaseofhistoricalrepresentations...[s]omeoftheseproblemscanbeaddressedbyadoptingandfurtherdevelopingthemethodsofmediaandcommunicationstudies,especiallyregardingquestionsofreception.Forthispurposeweshouldconceptualizecollectivememoryastheresultoftheinteractionamongthreetypesofhistoricalfactors:theintellectualandculturaltraditionsthatframeallourrepresentationsofthepast,the

104MaryFulbrook,“History-writingand‘collectivememory,’”inWritingtheHistoryofMemory,eds.BillNivenandStefanBerger(NewYork:Bloomsbury,2014),14-15.105RickCrownshaw,“TheFutureofMemory:Introduction”inTheFutureofMemory,eds.RichardCrownshaw,JaneKilbyandAntonyRowland(NewYork:BerghahnBooks,2010),3-16.


43

memorymakerswhoselectivelyadoptandmanipulatethesetraditions,andthememoryconsumerswhouse,ignore,ortransformsuchartifactsaccordingtotheirowninterests.106

Kansteiner’ssuggestionsforfurtherhistoricalilluminationviacommunicationstudiesinvoke

certainofsensemaking’skeycontributions.His“threetypesofhistoricalfactors,”applyto

discussionsoftheunsettledquarrel:ominigbọntraditionsprovideaframingdevice,memory

makersexistinthepersonofpastcourtiers,andmemoryconsumersconsistofthosesamepast

courtiers,currentcourtiers,scholars,andarelativelynarrowswathofthegeneralpublic.

Sensemaking,then,whileitoverlapswithsomeaspectsofmemorystudies,ultimatelyremains

distinctfromthem.Itsobjectivediffers.Ratherthanprovidingamethodtoreframethepast,

sensemaking’spurposeistoidentifytheframeworksthatconstructnarratives.

Conclusionandquestions

ThelatestconflictbetweentheOgiamiẹnpretenderandthepalaceisunlikelytoreorder

theBeninKingdomradicallyinanyway,107butithasalreadyaddedanewchaptertothe

continuedcognitiveframeworkominigbọndivinationprovides.However,whotodaywill

recognizeandlinkthischaptertoanominigbọncode?OminigbọnpracticeinBeninCityitself

hasdiminishedsubstantiallyoverthepast.108Withwrittenratherthanoraldocumentationthe

newnorm,haveorwillthestructurescreatedbyincreasinglyobscureoralpracticesbecome

106WulfKansteiner,“FindingMeaninginMemory:AMethodologicalCritiqueofCollectiveMemoryStudies,”HistoryandTheory41(May,2002):180.107Osemwengie’ssupportersaccusedthelateỌbaErediauwaofhidingOgiamiẹnOsaroboOkuonghaeawayoverseastoavoidthereenactmentoftheẸkiokpaghaTreaty.Despitethisandothercalumniousandactionableaccusationsagainstboththelatemonarchandthemonarch-to-be,andthesesupporters’proposalthatEdaikẹnEhẹnẹdẹn’shalf-brotherAdabeappointedtothethrone(Osadolo,“OgiamienVsObaofBenin,”2016),theTraditionalCouncil,aswellasthestateandfederalgovernmentsandmostBeninsubjects,continuedtosupporttheEdaikẹn.HewascrownedsuccessfullyasỌbaẸwuareII,hisformalcoronationheldonOct.20,2016.108Itdoes,however,enjoygreaterpopularityintheEsan/Ishanregions.(Personalcommunication,DarylPeavy,Nov.17,2016).


44

irrelevant,theirmodesofmentalcompartmentalizationnolongerutilized?Almostcertainly.

Thecognitivemagnetthatwaspartofsensemakingforcenturieshaslostitsimpetusandmay

havealreadybecomeanagentofcollectivememory,replacedbycalcifiedwrittenaccounts.

Evenifdivination’sdeclinemeansthatanenduringsensemakingdeviceis,ineffect,now

demagnetized,ominigbọncodesseemworthyofadditionalhistoricalanalysis,nomatterthe

approach.Certainly,noteverycodereferenceshistoricalincidents,andmanyofthosethatdo

areapparentlyspecific,ratherthanepisodic.Nonetheless,therelevanceoftheOhunIghitan

codesuggestsotherowihamighteffectivelyyieldinsightsnotonlyintothepast,butintothe

cognitivesystemandworldviewthatproducedBenin’shistories.

ReferencesAbrams,Lynn.“Memoryasbothsourceandsubjectofstudy:thetransformationsoforal

history.”InWritingtheHistoryofMemory,89-109.EditedbyBillNivenandStefanBerger.NewYork:Bloomsbury,2014.

Aisien,Ekhaguosa.“DancesandSongsoftheBeninPeople.”InFromBirthtoDeath:ABeninCulturalVoyage,143-155.EditedbyS.O.U.Igbe.BeninCity,Nigeria:NewDawnInternational,2009.

---.“DancesandsongsofEdoLand.”InEdoCulturalVoyage,85-98.EditedbyỌmọrọdiọnUwaifo.Lagos:HanonPublishing,2006.

---.ẸlegbePrinceofBeninandtheOrhionmwonTerritories.BeninCity,Nigeria:AisienPublishers,2015.

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