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.
At about 5:40 pm the Oba took his turn to dance round the killed animals with his chiefs following and the crowd shouting "lyare lyare." The Oba took his exist immediately after the dance.
Chief Nosakhare Isekhure, later informed that the essence of the slaughtering of the animals is to solicit the ancestors' consistent intervention in their life as well as to give thanks to them for the gods blessings.
He went further to say that whatever was slaughtered was shared and given to people to eat. This he says to make everybody happy. "The essence of life is happiness and harmony" he added, "what we are doing is for happiness and harmony."
On the 25th December was the Ugie Emobo celebration. Unlike the other events which took place within the palace ground, this event took place outside the main gate of the palace.
The Oba sat in a temporary hurt made of red cloth and the Ogbelakas providing the music.
After the Ogbelakas had drummed for some time the Oba stood up and went to them, collected a Ivory gong which he beat as he danced with Chief Isekhure and Chief Uwague round the drummers four times.
Chief Isekhure gave the Oba the shrine_stick called Ukhurhe and the Oba collected the Eben from another Chief. The Oba holding both in his hands faced the ring road end of the palace as he prayed with the crowd saying "lyare lyare" amidst drumming and singing by the Ogbelakas.
The Oba accompanied by the Isekhure danced into the palace. When they got to the palace Chief Isekhure took turn to pray for the Oba.
Chief Obawmonyi Niegbelaka said that the dance by the Oba is to remember the ancestors. He went further to say that it is a remembrance of the war between Oba Esigie and Arhuanran the owner of Udo.
He said that the dance is a remembrance of the jubilation after Oba Esigie's victory.
The night proceeding the Igue Ewere which was the climax of the Igue festival was the Igue Edohia when every home in Benin between 7pm and 12pm performed their Igue.
The heads of the families give thanks to their heads for leading them safely throughout the dying year.
As early as five in the morning of Tuesday 28l December, the city of Benin was already in celebrative mood for the Igue Ewere as young men and women trooped out to the streets to take part in the traditional fire works meant to drive away evil spirits from the town before the new year rolls in.
The joyous celebrant who had gone to the nearest forest to collect the Ewere leaves were seen dancing along the streets, visiting every home putting the Ewere leaves, on people's forehead. The Ewere leaf is a symbol of peace, love and unity among the Binis.
The origin of Ewere festival has been traced to Oba Ewere. It was reported that when Oba Ewere was still Ogun and was haunted by the Binis, he fled to a bush on the way to Igogogin. He was nearly caught there but for the stray movement of some leaves which indicated that Benin warriors were still around. These leaves he later called the leaves of good luck.
Chief Nosakhare Isekhure equally informed that the Ewere festival also has to do with the wife Oba Ewuare married after Ubi who was not performing well as the harem.
He continued, the Oba then asked the Enogie of Ego bring another daughter of his to him. The daughter given him was called Ewere who started performing well in the harem bringing peace an blessing to the palace. Th Oba's prosperous marriage was celebrated annually throughout his reign and has since then been symbolize by the _Ebe_ewere_ which is exclusively used during Ewere festival.
Later in the evening at a celebration in the palace the Ewere leaf was presented to the Oba of Benin, Omo n'oba n'edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Erediauwa by the Ihogbes.
Before the Ihogbes came in the Osuma of Benin, Chief Ozigbo Esene in company of three other men had delivered a parcel of wrapped mat to the Oba as they offered prayers.
As the Osuma finished his rites he returned home immediately with his relatives singing and dancing as they left the palace.
The Ihogbes came in with the Ewere leaf led by Chief Nosakhare Isekhure and the lhama. Others carne in pairs with their Ewere leaves which they presented to the Oba as they pay homage.
This was immediately followed by a secret rite performed by the Ihiogbes and the Obas as a white cloth was used to cover the platform the oba sat in an exclusive manner.
With the rites over, the week long annual Igue festival finally came to a close with friends and well wishers of n the Binis been entertained.
But the question on the li of most observers is
whether the festival can survive the next millennium because of the influence of religion on the people.
An indigene, Osaro Ighodaro said that religion is a personal issue "but you can see the number of people from far and wide who are participating. So as they say the matter speaks for itself."'
He added that too much attachment to the culture cannot affect the industrial development of Benin Kingdom.
"Japan is a country that adheres to ancestral worship. but today you know what they are _ first class industrial power. So, 1 do not think anybody should bother about the aspect that Bini people are so attached to their culture therefore that it will affect industrial development.. He added.
Despite, the. reservation of some people about the continued survival of the festival due to religious influence, it seems some corporate bodies still believe that our cultural festivals like Igue should still be encourage.
At the just concluded Igue celebration corporate bodies like MTN communication gave material and moral boost to the festival.
Mr. Bola Akingbade, Chief Marketing and Strategy Executive of the communication company said they have been impressed with the support they enjoy from the people of Benin both home and away and that the only way to show appreciation is to identify with the Igue festival.
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