Jimoh Babatunde
26 December 2008
THE best of the ancient Benin Kingdom as exemplified in her culture was at display at the just celebrated annual Igue festival.
Igue: The Oba of Benin with Chief Nosakhare Ishekure and other chiefs during one of the activities marking the festival. Below the Oba being offered the Ewere leafs
This year's annual Igue festival celebrated by the Binis of Edo State both home and abroad which started December 17 with Otue Ugie-erhoba climaxed with the Igue Ewere Wednesday.
Jimoh Babatunde writes on the significance of the festival to the Binis.
The annual Igue festival which is akin to the Christian's celebration of New Year is a combination of every activity of a Bini person in a year and it is celebrated annually by every reigning Oba and his subjects to mark the end of the Bini year and to usher in a new one with renewed hope for peace and prosperity.
During the festival, cows, goats, fowls among other animals were slaughtered to appease the spirits of the departed Obas and various gods of the Binis. It was also an occasion for the people to see the Oba dance.
According to Chief Nosakhare Ishekure, the Igue festival is one of the several festivals the Binis celebrate during this period.
"We have ceremonies which we call Ugie and Igue is just one item among the ceremonies we perform which normally starts with Otue Ugierhoba, a prelude to the Oba ancestral ceremony."
Igue and Ewere festivals which are the most colourful and crowd-pulling festivals are combinations of many festivals.
The just concluded celebration of the festival is a combination of nine events which span a total of fifteen days. The nine major ceremonies are: Otue Ugie-erhoba, Ugie-erhoba, Ugie Iron, Igue, Otue Igue Oba, Igue Oba, Ugie Emaba, Igue Edohia and Igue Ewere.
The history of this celebration could be said to be as old as the Benin Kingdom but its origin can best be traced to the 15th century.
Chief Ebohon once told this reporter that the history of the festival can be traced to when Prince Ogun (later Oba Ewuare) and his brother Uwafiokun were driven away from Benin Kingdom due to the high_handedness of their father Ohen. While in the bush certain things happened to him that he started making sacrifices to the gods of his head and appealed that if it were possible for him to become the Oba of Benin he would continue the appeasement.
Chief Ebohon added that Ogun that year used a leopard and python snake to make sacrifice and after he became Oba he enacted a law and it became the practice that every reigning Oba and the citizens of Benin Kingdom started celebrating Ugie ceremony.
The celebration kicked off with the Otue Ugie-erhoba when the Chiefs and their individual group of dancers came to the palace to pay homage to the Oba as well as pray for him as he prepared for the Ugie-erhoba.
The Ugie-erhoba according to Chief Nosakhare Isekhure is an occasion when the, Oba of Benin performs the anniversary of his ancestors - all the departed Obas.
"It is an occasion the departed Obas are summoned and we give them thanks for the achievement and their contribution to the development of man by those of us left on earth right now" he added.
Chief Nosakhare Isekhure went further to say that the Oba as the primal head and authority in Benin as well as the spiritual head of his people begins his Ugie celebration by recognising his ancestors and perform rituals to appease them.
The Ugie-erhoba also provided the chiefs the opportunity of renewing their allegiance to the Oba as they dance before the Oba with their Ebenas (scimitars).
As the Kingmakers (Uzama Nihiron) dances before the Oba, on their knees, wave their left hand at the Oba as if questioning him while holding their Eben downward with the right hands. The Oba who sits on the throne waves back to the Chiefs immediately with his right hand questioning at a particular chief.
This is said to be symbolic as Mr Wilson Evbuomwan later explained to me that an event took place in Benin at about 1369 AD in which the then lyase (Prime Minister) was said to have been killed on the order of the Oba of Benin for eavesdropping. Senior chiefs in Benin demanded to know what happened to the lyase while the Oba in turn demanded from the chiefs, the whereabouts of their colleagues thereby denying the allegation that he had murdered the lyase.
On Otue Igue Oba day, the Oba dressed in an all red attire called "Ododo" received homages from chiefs of various grades among who are the Obazuwa, Obarisiagbon, Ezomo and the Osulas.
These Chiefs who paid homages to the Oba were given kola. The Okposo, kola bearer took the kola to the senior chief - Oliha -and others in turn who came individually to pay homage to the Oba.
A major attraction of the Otue Igue Oba was the appearance of Ikoko masqurades from Ute village.
The masqurades thrilled the audience with beautiful spiritual dances as a way of paying homage to the Oba. Their appearance was said to bring peace to the Obas and the entire Benin Kingdom..
The Oba's Igue that followed was the day set aside for the Oba to thank his star, his divine self for the good health, prosperity and peace in his domain. So that at the end of the day he can carry on the task of leadership and kingship.
On that particular day the palace was agog with various chiefs coming into the palace ground with their relations and friends drumming and singing in readiness to celebrate with the Oba.
When the chiefs who had gone into the court yard came out in their full regalia of red the entire palace ground took on a new beauty. Their arrival and taking up of positions heralded the Coming of the Oba of Benin who dressed in an elegant beaded attire.
As soon as the Oba took his seat, himself, the queen and some palace functionaries were covered from the audience by the "Efas" guild led by the Ogieva of Benin as they perform a ritual. It was like an open secret rite.
After their rites, the Ihogbe chiefs were called to pay homage to the Oba. The Ihogbes, were led by Chiefs Ihama and Iskhure.
The highpoints of the day was when a baboon barrier carried by two palace functionaries or both edges was used to form a blockage the chiefs were expected to dance past as they pay homage to the Oba.|
It is said anybody who passes under the baboon barrier without a cap will die of headache.
These are the categories of chiefs called to pay homage to the Oba - Ukon ' Iwebo, Ukon' Iweguae, Ukon' Urherrie, the Ekhaemnee, the Eghaevbo n'ogbe and Eghaevbo n'ore.
Members of Eghaevbo nore which has Chief Gabriel Igbinedion, Esama of Benin and Chief Ekhator, Obasogie of Benin as well as Chief Igbe, lyase of Benin showed dexterities in the use of their Eben.
After the performance of the chiefs, the Uwague
of Benin, Chief Aiwerioba Oguigo finally opened the road by asking the baboon bearers to lower it after he has performed some rites.
With the paying of homages over, Chickens were brought in an open tray, four she goats and four cows.
The Chief Priest, Chief Nosakhare Isekhure then prayed for the Oba as he performed the Igue rites on the Oba, Chief Isekhure annointed the Oba's forehead and other parts of the Oba with white chalk. As he performs the rites the crowd was shouting "Awene" instead of the "Ise".
After the completion of the prayers and libation pouring, Chief Nosakhare Isekhure gave the go-ahead for the slaughtering of the animals.
The chicken were slaughtered first followed by the goats and the cows as they are killed by the Ehondons the blood collected in a flat wooden motal (Urue) was taken to the Isekhure who applied the blood on the Oba's forehead.
After the rites had been completed the Otan guild came to pay homage bearing an unknown object. The leader of the guild prayed for the Oba after him each member of the guild took time to pray for the Oba.
The tune of the music. supplied by the Ogbelaka group since the slaughtering started changed as a means of inviting the Oba to the exit for his dance.
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