From: P. Obazee <pobazee@yahoo.com>
Date: 18 July 2010 01:16
Subject: Prof Osadolor on a Historiographic and Sociological Meaning of Edo O Isi Agbon ...
To: voicesofedowomen@yahoogroups.com, Ademola Iyi-Eweka <ogiso4me@yahoo.com>, edo-ciao@yahoogroups.com, edo-nationality@yahoogroups.com, Umagbae Association <Umagbae@yahoogroups.com>, BeninRoyalFamilyOrg <beninroyalfamilyorg@topica.com>, Edo National Congress in Americas <edonca@yahoogroups.com>, jbi8@cdc.gov, Edo Arts and Culture Heritage Institute <edoartscultureheritageinst.@topica.com>, edo-nation@yahoogroups.com, edo-voice@yahoogroups.com, Edo Global <edo_global@yahoogroups.com>
Cc: "joan.Osa Oviawe" <joanoviawe@gmail.com>, osamedeedosamwan@yaho.com, toyin.adepoju@googlemail.com
My Brother Osamede –
I'm hoping to catch up with you sometimes next month in your California base and reminiscent with you about the good ole days off Costain Road and our earlier days in the US.
I agree with Prince Ademola, and like him I decided not to jump into this discussion when it was recently posted to the net as a newspaper article. First, being a product of "mile 4-palmie consortium" in the late '60 and earlier '70 my honed skepticism of Nigeria journalism then remains irreverently prominent. So, as I read Nigeria press I'm measurably aware that facts may have been conveniently left out or facts conveniently enhanced to provide palpable appeal against many of our fellow Nigerians disdain for obtuse narratives - a smoothing of the less obvious effect, if you will.
Second, my sense of what Professor Osadolor is trying to construct based on the theme of his piece as reported by the newspaper article has more far reaching ramification than whether Oba Ovonramwen was actually in Brazil. What I read from the article is Professor Osadolor presentation was thematically about an Edo folklore, metaphor and metaphysical construct known as "Edo O Isi Agbon." My interpretation is that in an attempt to provide a historiographic and sociological meaning to the notation of Edo O Isi Agbon; Prof Osadolor, may have appealed to the paradigm known as "diffusion in a social structure" for his analytical backdrop. And if you care to read more on diffusion model in social science, for a beginner, see chapter seven (7) of Charles A. Lavine and James G. March " An Introduction to Models in the Social Sciences."
If my conjecture of what the motivation of Professor Osadolor thinking is, is correct, then drawing on the materials that asserted that Oba Ovonramwen may have been moved to Brazil and possibly died in Brazil does no harm paradigmatically. Moreover, Prof Osadolor remarks about language representation common to Edo language and some Pacific countries also does no harm to the construct of Edo isi Agbon as a subject matter in historiographic and sociological analysis when the model of diffusion is the work-horse.
Third, in my view, and my understanding of what Prof Osadolor piece was all about, which I take and I would have titled as "A Historiographic and Sociological Meaning of Edo O Isi Agbon - A Diffusive Model;" a falsifiable hypothesis about whether Oba Ovonramwen was actually in Brazil has less relevance in the investigation. Canonically though, Edo O Isi Agbon, as a model of social structure, programmatically becomes the object of interest that needs to be falsified in a diffusive model of language representation, history, and sociology of the people of Benin Kingdom.
I personally believe Prof Osadolor presentation should be seen in the context of diffusion in a social structure, and the role of Edo O Isi Agbon in the language representation, history and sociology of the people of Benin Kingdom, and not a thesis on the whereabouts of Oba Ovonramwen death certificate or grave or the connection in language between Edo people of Nigeria and people of Pacific countries.
That Oba Ovonramwen died in Calabar is less likely to be refuted, and that Oba Ovonramwen was linked to an African prince - Custodio Joaquim de Almeida, which lived in Brazil and died in 1935, is of interest as a subject of investigation on it on right. And my postulate on the later is Custodio Joaquim de Almeida is of an African origin, possibly left Badagry or Dahomey to Brazil, and given the connection between people of Badagry/Dahomey to Benin Kingdom one can not conclusively rule out the fact that Custodio Joaquim de Almeida may be related or may have held himself out as a relation to the Benin Monarchy.
Regards,
Philip.
To: edo-nationality@yahoogroups.com; Edo-Ciao yahoogroups <edo-ciao@yahoogroups.com>; Osamede Edosomwan <osamedeedosomwan@yahoo.com>
Sent: Sat, July 17, 2010 3:35:48 PM
Subject: Re: [edo-nationality] Fw: Re: Edo-ciao Re: [Edo-Nation] With Regards to Don Re-writes Benin History - A repost
Brother Edosomwan: My response to Philip Obazee has nothing to do with Prof Osadolor piggy-backing anybody. I personally welcome the continuation of the research. What I asked Philip to do was to tell the public-internet readers that the issue did not come out today. It has been here for over 10 years, at least some of us knew of that information and have written on it. It is an old news. The out burst of unnecessary commentaries on the research was disconcerting to me. Oba Ovonramwen is my great grand father. I am interested in what happened to him. If I were in Prof Osadalor's shoes, I probably will not make it public until I arrived at the conclusion. I have nothing against his work. So I reserve my comments . Greetings. And note that I read all your postings but hardly contribute nowadays. That is why I said Philip Obazee dragged me out again. My good people here have a way holding to my "ebuluku" which forces me to the pubilc glare on the internet. "Just trying to retire from it....laughing. ..hahaha" Ademola Iyi-Eweka --- On Sat, 7/17/10, Osamede Edosomwan <osamedeedosomwan@ yahoo.com> wrote: From: Osamede Edosomwan <osamedeedosomwan@ yahoo.com> Subject: [edo-nationality] Fw: Re: Edo-ciao Re: [Edo-Nation] With Regards to Don Re-writes Benin History - A repost To: edo-ciao@yahoogroup s.com, edo-nationality@ yahoogroups. com Date: Saturday, July 17, 2010, 1:47 PM ----- Forwarded Message ---- From: Osamede Edosomwan <osamedeedosomwan@ yahoo.com> To: Ademola Iyi-Eweka <ogiso4me@yahoo. com> Sent: Sat, July 17, 2010 11:45:27 AM Subject: Re: Re: Edo-ciao Re: [Edo-Nation] With Regards to Don Re-writes Benin History - A repost Philip/Ademola: I need some clarifications please. Is it the assertion here that Osadalor is simply piggy backing on some hypothetical inquiry constructs embarked on by you guys about a decade ago? And if that is the case could you please summarize the conclusions that you arrived at based on the results of your inquiry at the time because this whole thing for all practical purposes is beginning to lose the luster of intellectual creativity and bravado I had otherwise assigned to Osadolors's work when I first became aware of it. Finally, what factual conclusions can we draw with regards to the location and presence of Oba Ovonramwen's death certificate in Brazil. Wa obe vba ru, Osamede Uwensuyi-Edosomwan |
From: P. Obazee <pobazee@yahoo.com>
To: Ademola Iyi-Eweka <ogiso4me@yahoo.com>; edo-ciao@yahoogroups.com; edo-nationality@yahoogroups.com; Umagbae Association <Umagbae@yahoogroups.com>; BeninRoyalFamilyOrg <beninroyalfamilyorg@topica.com>; Edo National Congress in Americas <edonca@yahoogroups.com>; jbi8@cdc.gov; Voices of Edo women <voicesofedowomen@yahoogroups.com>; Edo Arts and Culture Heritage Institute <edoartscultureheritageinst.@topica.com>
Cc: joan.Osa Oviawe <joanoviawe@gmail.com>; osamedeedosamwan@yaho.com; toyin.adepoju@googlemail.com
Sent: Sat, July 17, 2010 1:13:56 AM
Subject: [voices of Edo Women] Re: Edo-ciao Re: [Edo-Nation] With Regards to Don Re-writes Benin History - A repost
My Dearest Prince Ademola -
No, I was not implying that you were hiding anything, and if it came across sounding that way; please accept my sincere apology. Yes, we did exchanged emails and telephone conversation about what were available at the time, which in your estimation was scant and limited to chapter XIX on page 40 of "A Short History of Benin, Ibadan University Press, 1968 " by late Chief Jacob Egharevba. Reference to "no much success" in my email was intended to reflect the lack of scope, and the dearth in the literature on materials about Oba Eresoyen.
As you correctedly noted we debated the issue of Oba Ovonramwen probably beginning in 2003 motivated in part by the claim in this URL (http://www.uq. net.au/~zzhsoszy /states/nigeria/ edo.html) that Custodio Joaquim de Almeida, that died in 1935 is related to "Oba IDUGBOWA OVONRAMWEN 1888/1914" as well as a photograph that was posted to Edocommunity@ egroups.com by a fellow from Brazil suggesting that the picture may have something to do with Oba Ovonroamwen.
1: Here is our email exchange in 2003 about this for your record:
------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- -------
From: Ademola Iyi-Eweka <aiyiewek@hotmail. com
To: philnet@ix.netcom. com
Sent: Wed, August 20, 2003 10:03:53 PM
Subject: Re: Question for you...
Philip:
I could not access this web site. By the way, there is not enough information about Oba Eresoyen in books, except what we have in Egharevba's book. Fieldwork in Benin City may reveal more.
Greetings.
Ade
From: "Philip Obazee" <philnet@ix.netcom. com
To: "Ademola Iyi-Eweka" <aiyiewek@hotmail. com
Subject: Question for you...
Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2003 19:40:44 -0400
Prince:
I hope all is well with you and family. Check out this website:
http://www.uq. net.au/~zzhsoszy /states/nigeria/ edo.html and a reference is made to Custodio Joaquim de Almeida, which died in 1935 that is related to Oba IDUGBOWA OVONRAMWEN 1888/1914. I recalled we (edo-community' s e-group) received a photograph sometimes ago from a chap in Brazil that suggested that the picture may have something to do with Oba Ovonroamwen. ..and Custiodo Joaquim sounds Portuguese.. . Any thoughts?
Regards,
Philip.
------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ------
2: In attempt to verify the claim; here is my email exchange with Henry Soszynski the owner of the site:http://www.uq. net.au/~zzhsoszy /states/nigeria/ edo.html
From: Henry Soszynski <h.soszynski@ uqconnect. net
To: Philip Obazee <philnet@ix.netcom. com
Sent: Wed, August 13, 2003 2:46:05 AM
Subject: Re: NON EUROPEAN ROYALTY - EDO
At 07:06 12/08/03 -0400, you wrote:
Hello:
In your site http://www.uq. net.au/~zzhsoszy /states/nigeria/ edo.html, you have the following chronology for Oba Ovonramwen
Oba IDUGBOWA OVONRAMWEN 1888/1914 (deposed in 1897 by the British authorities) , married (amongst
◦ Prince Ehigie, eldest son, Enogie of Uwaan village.
◦ Oba AIGUOBASINMWIN EWEKA II (by Eghahe)(qv)
◦ Prince Usuanlele
◦ ?Custodio Joaquim de Almeida, died 1935.
Could you give me further references on Custodio Joaquim de Almeida, who died in 1935? Was Custodio Joaquim de Almeida related to Oba Ovonramwen? If Custodio Joaquim de Almeida was related to Oba Ovonramwen, how?
Thanks,
Philip.
Hello Philip,
The question mark against Custodio's name indicates, not only uncertainty regarding his position as a son of Oba Ovanramwen, but also his existence as well. I have been unable to find any further info on Custodio, I was hoping someone from the Edo Royal Family might see the page and provide further info. Unfortunately, I can't help any further.
Cheers,
Henry
3: Pursuing this claim (about Custódio Joaquim de Almeida) further at the time I ran into this more telling piece posted by Jose Luiz Pereira Da Costa to Africa Update (http://web.ccsu. edu/afstudy/ updtwin2k. htm):
The Mysterious African Prince of Porto Alegre, Brazil Research Notes by José Luiz Pereira da Costa, Porto Alegre, Brazil
An African gentleman who called himself a Prince, lived in my hometown, Porto Alegre, South Brazil, from the early days of the twentieth century until the year of 1935, when he died. Some old people know a bit about him including the following:
1 - He used to say that he was part of the Royal Family of Benin, overthrown by the British in 1897.
2 - In Brazil, he adopted the name of Custódio Joaquim de Almeida.
3. He used English as his language of communication
He was considered a wealthy man, at a time when Afro-Brazilians were very poor, living massively in slums. Indeed he acted as a rich person. Apparently he could afford the ownership of race horses at the local Jockey Club a place where then Afro- Brazilians were not admitted. People used to say, as well, that each month, until he died, he collected at the local branch of a London bank, a pension in sterling pounds.
If as historians claim, Oba Ovonramwen of the Benin Empire was exiled to Calabar (Nigeria), and died there in 1914; and, since the gentleman that lived here in Porto Alegre died in 1935, for sure, Mr. Custódio Joaquim de Almeida was not the overthrown Oba. But then, who was he? Was he a brother or a son of Ovonramwen, who left Calabar and moved to Brazil, and was rewarded with a pension for life? Note that during the nineteenth, and early twentieth centuries there were regular ships between Bahia, Brazil and the West Coast of Africa.
Jose Luiz Pereira Da Costa is an Afro-Brazilian Lawyer based in Brazil [dacostaq@cpovo. net]
------------ --------- -----
4: I recall I made several attempts to talk to Jose Luiz Pereira Da Costa about his historical note but I did not hear back from him.
I believe where we left it in 2004 is best summed by your email to Uyilawa, followed by my archival and translated historical notes and punctuated by Uyi's reply:
From: Ademola Iyi-Eweka <aiyiewek@hotmail. com
To: insbenst@hotmail. com
Cc: edonca@yahoogroups. com; edo-community@ yahoogroups. com
Sent: Mon, August 30, 2004 11:33:06 AM
Subject: [edo-community] Oba Ovonramwen being in Brazil
Uyilawa
I had the same doubt when the story first broke. I was then working on
theory that Oba Ovonramwen was murdered to pave the way for declaration of
the Amalgamation of Northern and Southern Nigeria in 1914. It has to with
the institution of Indirect rule which the British agents were introducing
to Nigeria. They were having some problems in Benin. Then I remembered what
they did to Jaja of Opopo who was exiled and permitted to return home ( even
with the opposition of British agents who sent him into in the first
instance still incharge) only to die in the ship bringing him back home. Was
Jaja of Opopo murdered? Was Oba Ovonramwen murdered or simply shipped off
to Brazil? I had posed this question to some members of the Royal Family
during the Centennial Celebration in 1997. They wanted me to investigate
and develop a paper on it. The photograph was taken aboard a ship. We have
the photograph in the family archives. But where was the ship going
to-Calabar or Brazil? I thought the photograph involved in this story was
that of the man who said he was an Edo Prince. I did not know that it was
the same old photograph. I saw it hanging in my father's living room as a
child.
Added to my suspicion is that there is a photograph in Rev Usuanlele ( the
Benin Baptist Mission) living room showing Oba Ovonranmwen' s drapped coffin.
Yet none of the people in the photograph knew where he was buried. Why would
the British agents take the photograph of Oba Ovonramwen's splendidly
drapped coffin and not let us know where he was buried? Is it because we may
find out that it was an empty grave site? The more I think about it, the
more my head swoon around. We are now hearing that M.K.O Abiola was
strangled to death although the goverment said he died of heart failure
after drinking tea.
Well, we will keep on investigating the story. We might have to travel to
Brazil for further enquiries.
Greetings.
Ademola Iyi-Eweka
------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---
From: institute for benin studies <insbenst@hotmail. com
To: philnet@ix.netcom. com; aiyiewek@hotmail. com
Cc: edonca@yahoogroups. com; edo-community@ yahoogroups. com; edo-nation@yahoogro ups.com
Sent: Tue, August 31, 2004 8:59:42 PM
Subject: Re: [edo-community] Oba Ovonramwen being in Brazil [Custódio Joaquim de Almeida]
Dear All,
Thanks brother Phillip for posting all the details on this matter( without the picture though).It helped to further confirm my doubts about the Prince being from Benin and Oba Ovonramwen.From the name AJUDA claimed as the hometown of the Prince, it becomes clear that it is not our own dear Benin of Nigeria.There does not seem to be any Benin community bearing that name or something similar.
I very much suspect that the Prince might have been from one of the yoruba polities bordering Dahomey. The document states that much:"originariamente, the Nagos more was concentrated in the called region Dahomei, today kingdom of Benin,whose king (Oba)calls Osanlele (111)" Since the change of the name of formerly republic of Dahomey to Republic of Benin in 1972, there has been this confusion of Nigeria's Benin Empire of the Edo people with Benin Republic of the Fon and other groups.I supect this to be the source of the confusion.
The name NAGO or ANAGO is one of the names used for some yoruba speaking groups during the trans atlantic slave trade era and is still used in the Americas Other names are LUKUMI and AKU. Since the Prince is said to be of Nago origin, he obviously was Yoruba.
The name OSANLELE might be a mispelt version of OSUALELE (or the full name-OSUALALEKAN) which is a Yoruba name too. It should not be confused for the Edo name USUANLELE (or the full name USUANLELENEFOVBEOTO ). Usuanlele was also the name of the third son of Oba Ovonramwen. He was a Paramount chief under the British and father of the Primate of Benin United Baptist Mission Reverend S.I. Usuanlele.Prince Usuanlele passed on in 1920.
There is yoruba-egun speaking community known as AJIDA near Badagry not too far from the Dahomey kingdom area and this might be the homeland of the Prince. What is not known is for now is whether AJIDA was part of or independent of Dahomey.Dahomey did a lot of trading with the Portuguese and the Brazillians and some Brazillians of African descent settled in Dahomey with a Family like Da Souza with branches in Lagos,Brazil and Cotonou today.With the struggle between the British and the French for control of these areas in the late 19th century, it is possible that this Yoruba Prince made a deal with the British to cede his territory to the British in exchange for a stipend in Brazil, as the documents portrays. This is not unlikely as a similar incident happened in Lagos where Prince Akintoye ceded lagos to the British in order to win their support for the throne in 1851.The British bombarded Lagos after failing to get a reply from Oba Adolo of Benin (who was the spiritual overlord of Lagos), drove out Oba Kosoko who fled to Epe, while another Prince Olojo moved to Benin where he was given residence in Ugbague area which became Known as Owa-Eko or Lagos street on account of his residence and Lagos traders that settled there with him.
This Mysterious Prince might have been mistaken as a Prince of Benin either because of the confusion over the change of name of Dahomey to Benin or he might have been a Lagos Prince who was proud of his Benin Kingdom ancestry like Prince Olojo Kosoko. But more investigation still need to be done to confirm or negate this conclusion.It can be started from the British consular office in Brazils records in the Public record office, London.
Uyilawa Usuanlele
------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- -
From: Philip Obazee <philnet@ix.netcom. com
Reply-To: philnet@ix.netcom. com
To: Ademola Iyi-Eweka <aiyiewek@hotmail. com, insbenst@hotmail. com
CC: edonca@yahoogroups. com, edo-community@ yahoogroups. com, edo-nation@yahoogro ups.com
Subject: Re: [edo-community] Oba Ovonramwen being in Brazil [Custódio Joaquim de Almeida]
Date: Mon, 30 Aug 2004 10:31:43 -0700 (PDT)
Dear All:
The first two notes below are by Jose Luiz Pereira da Costa. The other
notes were written in Portuguese and Google provided a raw translation.
What is evident in the notes about Custódio Joaquim de Almeida is a
claim that linked him to a kingdom in West Africa Coast. Custódio
Joaquim de Almeida had eight children, three sons and five daughters.
Among his descendants are Dionísio Joaquin Almeida, a retiree of the
EBCT in Porto Alegre and two daughters one living in Rio De Janeiro and
the other in São Paulo.
Regards,
Philip.
____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _____
The Mysterious African Prince of Porto Alegre, Brazil
Research Notes by José Luiz Pereira da Costa, Porto Alegre, Brazil
An African gentleman who called himself a Prince, lived in my hometown,
Porto Alegre, South Brazil, from the early days of the twentieth
century until the year of 1935, when he died. Some old people know a
bit about him including the following:
1 - He used to say that he was part of the Royal Family of Benin,
overthrown by the British in 1897.
2 - In Brazil, he adopted the name of Custódio Joaquim de Almeida.
3. He used English as his language of communication
He was considered a wealthy man, at a time when Afro-Brazilians were
very poor, living massively in slums. Indeed he acted as a rich person.
Apparently he could afford the ownership of race horses at the local
Jockey Club a place where then Afro- Brazilians were not admitted.
People used to say, as well, that each month, until he died, he
collected at the local branch of a London bank, a pension in sterling
pounds.
If as historians claim, Oba Ovonramwen of the Benin Empire was exiled
to Calabar (Nigeria), and died there in 1914; and, since the gentleman
that lived here in Porto Alegre died in 1935, for sure, Mr. Custódio
Joaquim de Almeida was not the overthrown Oba. But then, who was he?
Was he a brother or a son of Ovonramwen, who left Calabar and moved to
Brazil, and was rewarded with a pension for life? Note that during the
nineteenth, and early twentieth centuries there were regular ships
between Bahia, Brazil and the West Coast of Africa.
Jose Luiz Pereira Da Costa is an Afro-Brazilian Lawyer based in Brazil
Source: http://www.ccsu. edu/AFSTUDY/ updtWin2k. htm
____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________
BENIN, PORTRAIT OF AN ANCIENT KINGDOM, March 13, 2000
Reviewer: JOSE LUIZ P DA COSTA "dacostaq" (BRAZIL) -
See all my reviews Letter to Paula Girshick Ben-Amos, author of "Art,
Innovation, and Politics in Eighteenth-Century Benin." Your book, "Art
Innovation, and Politics in Eighteenth-Century Benin", is superb. I'm
not a reviewer so the much I can see is that you lead us, the reader,
easy and firmly across the ancient history of a Kingdom with her obas,
uzamas, ezomos, iyases, chiefs -- and give us a handy list of the obas
from Ehengbuda to Akengbuda, and teach us how they were, through the
art they left behind. You make ease to understand the Civil War and
different behave of various obas and chiefs. As well their relation
with the spiritual world. When you refer to Father Monteleone, and the
cloths "made in five or, at the most, six months" on pg. 41, using
Ryder, you touch in a subject that has connection with Brazil. In the
book "A enxada e a lança", (The Hoe and the Spear), the Brazilian
writer Alberto da Costa e Silva depicts a panel of Africa, before the
Portuguese's arrival (he starts his book on Africa's prehistory), and
refers (pg. 526)to Pano da Costa (Cloth from the Coast - Ijebu),
largely exported from Benin to Brazil on the first half of Eighteenth
Century. It seems, later on, when the slave traffic has ended, and
commerce between Bahia (Brazil) and West Coast was very strong,
industrialized Pano da Costa, produced in Brazil has turned itself into
a largely disputed merchandise all over the Coast, including in Benin .
And moreover, in your book you teach us how to see and comprehend the
bronzes, plaques, heads, in metal, ivory, clay and wood. Is all
absolutely perfect. If one want to have a spotless ideas, in 177 pages,
about the Kingdom of Benin, in your book one will find it. So, I indeed
have enjoyed your book.
José Luiz Pereira da Costa Brazil e-mail: dacostaq@cpovo. net
____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ __
Black Prince Lived in Porto Alegre - Part 2 ( Google Translated )
The before powerful Portuguese had if contented with one she has left
of the Guiné and with the Islands of Tomé and Príncipe. Are yielding
its ortalezas. The conditions so that the Prince of Ajudá did not offer
any resistance to the invaders, beyond for the respect to the life its
subjects, were of that it was exiled and never came back to its
domínios. E, as part of the accord, Great-Britain if compromised to
supply a paid monthly subvention to it in any part of the world where
it was, for intermediary of its consular representatives.
For which reason the exiled one chose Brazil, it is not known. Perhaps
for having here great number of descendants of the native slaves of the
Coast of the Mine - the calls "black color-mine" - or another one any
reason; its arrival our land was signed with happened in 1864, two
years after having left Ajudá. Initially it was fixed in Great River
later was for the interior of Bagé where he was known for keeping alive
the religious tradition of its people - with the practical one of that
now it is known as Row - besides showing knowledge of the curativas
properties of our medicinal flora, taking care of much sick people that
looked it, treating to minorar males by means of grass and prayers to
them of the African rites.
Of Bagé it was changed for Porto Alegre where it arrived in 1901 with
70 years of age. It was to live in the Street Lopo Gonçalves, nº498,
whose deep they gave for the Street of the Venezianos (today Joaquin
Nabuco), but soon that the prince who had adopted the Brazilian name of
Custódio Joaquin de Almeida - there installed, passed the street to be
preferred by the color people that he looked with this acercar itself
of the man who incontestavelmente, was a leader of its race.
There Custódio prince - as then he was called - initiated a new stage
of its adventurous life, surrounding itself in Porto Alegre of a worthy
apparatus of a true noble.
The family of the prince of Ajudá to the few was growing and she did
not delay to reach the number of 26 people, without counting the
employees in good amount.
The deep ones of the house where he liveed - with exit to the Street of
the Venezianos (Joaquin Nabuco, today) - served for its would
coudelaria, therefore possuía nothing less of the one than nine horses
of race - some mattering of England - which all the sundays disputed
races. To keep and to take care of these animals he had a selected
group of employees, jockeys, etc., under the direct supervision of the
prince, who if classified as "tratador".
Custódio prince had eight children, three men and five women (currently
still they are livings creature a man - Dionísio Joaquin Almeida,
employee pensioner of the EBCT - in Porto Alegre, and two ladies, one
inhabiting in Rio De Janeiro and another one in São Paulo) and for
these eight children, when small, kept four employees, one for each
two.
Its knowledge of Portuguese language were not very correct, however it
could fluentemente express in English and Frenchman, besides still
saying some dialects of the African tribes who had governed.
The parties the one that periodically took the effect in its house -
notadamente in the date of its anniversary - lasted three days with the
always full house of people, of the morning to the night, if it ate and
if it drank of the good one and the best one to the sound of the
African tambores that batucavam without stopping in those seventy and
two hours. In these days the prince received the visit from the people
most illustrious of the city, also of the president of the State,
Borges de Medeiros who, knowing the ancestry of that man on the color
population, went to congratulate it, perhaps more for reasons
politicians of whom for another thing. In those festividades the
attendance of ladies and gentlemen of the best society was certain
port-alegrense, beyond captains of the industry and commerce that of it
needed the support for the danger strikes and other impositions. The
finest drinks were imported directly of the Europe, especially for
those occasions special, even so they never lacked the tables of the
exiled prince.
The house of the prince always lived full of people, of visitors and of
people who it found in the streets and they asked for aid to it. It
ordered these people to embark in the covered cart where she was and
she took them for its residence where always she had place for plus
one. All were there until they wanted to go even so. Between that they
had lived much together time to the prince was a white, it makes
toothless of Germans deriving of Are Sebastião of Caí, that had made
medicine studies and in this way it assisted in the attendance the sick
people who continuously looked it in search of the remedies and the
"works" of the exiled African head.
For the severities of the winter Custódio prince gaucho adopted poncho,
even so he did not excuse the cap that marked its personality, not
leaving it nor when he visited the Piratini Palace where always he was
welcome and where he had superior orders of good attendance, and where
it many times used its prestige to obtain some thing that it was
requested for any member of its community.
During every year where it never lived in Porto Alegre - 31 to all - it
kept ostensive correspondence with relatives or friends left in African
lands. From it received information there and daqui sends notice its in
hands for intermediary of marines who manned vapors come to our
metropolis carrying and taking merchandises. Also never the text of
these correspondences was known. Of incentive to its people for a
possible rebellion it was not. Therefore it wise person to be this
human impossible one. Moreover, England, in all the long period of its
exile, always fulfilled religiously what it are stipulated. Monthly the
local British consulate delivered a full sachet to it of sterling
pounds, whose exchange in mil-réis served to keep the small cut of the
Street Lopo, the numerous family, the aggregates, the employees, and
still they served to whom they looked it at the moments of financial
scarcities.
In the summer, in January, the program was known. Everybody for the
house of property of Custódio went Joaquin de Almeida , in the Beach of
Cidreira. The trip for the old health-resort was any sensational and
folclórico thing of. Although he was covered cart owner and he had
money to rent how many diligências wanted, the prince liked to travel
in carts pulled for oxen in the calm greater and the most incredible
slowness. E still more: the trip was done for stages in stroll rhythm,
stopping in many places where it was always waited with parties and
African religious ceremonies, much food and much drink, therefore all
knew that everything would be paid for the illustrious traveller. In
this way never the passage of Porto Alegre to the Cidreira was done in
less of one week. When only five days were expenses, considered a speed
record.
With the carts of transport of the passengers they followed other
loaded ones of provisions, also many bags of maize and alfalfa pack
sets of ten, to the cares of the employees, therefore the horses of
race of the prince also went to the sea banns. This, it as trainer and
tratador, made closed question.
The biggest party that the City Low already saw was when Custódio
completed one hundred years of age. In this day much people "well" were
to hug it in its house, and it, giving demonstration of its exuberant
vitality, mounted the horse without receiving any aid. By the way, this
it made until few days before its death, four years later.
In day 26 of May of 1936 Custódio prince died to the 104 years of
existence. Its velório and its burial, taking care of to the express
order of the deceased, were made inside of the African traditions with
much row and many "works", in intention of the deceased.
With it one of the quaint figures most impressive and of our city
disappeared, and much people were abandoned, therefore the paid
subvention monthly in pounds for the English government was
extinguished with the death of the prince of Ajudá.
____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ ____
1. The Historical Aspect: ( Google Translated )
With the arrival of the enslaved blacks, deriving of the some African
regions, they had arrived in port for here, some African etnias -
amongst them the etnia Nagô.
Originariamente, the Nagôs more was concentrated in the called region
Daomei, today Kingdom of Benin, whose King (Oba) calls Osanlelê III
(affectionately known in the half antropológico for Vô).
With the advent of the English invasion, in the beginning of the passed
century, Prince called Osanlelê the Sapatá Erupê arrived here , that
stops preventing the derrramamento of the blood of its people, made an
agreement with auto the English crown of exiling itself. In exchange,
the British crown would keep its family and its côrte in the exile.
The place chosen for Custódio Prince Joaquin de Almeida was Brazil,
specifically the Rio Grande Do Sul, arriving in port in Great River,
after Pellets and finally settling down itself in Porto Alegre, in the
street Lopo Gonçalves, quarter City Low. Taking an intense social life,
religious politics and. Still today the personal contact with a direct
descendant of Custódio Prince, its granddaughter is possible, Serafina
Princess and its children.
This brief exemplifica story the peculiriadade of the settling gaucho
for the blacks, differentiated good of the remain of the country,
therefore the great majority of the captive blacks was deriving here of
the nobility or warriors.
The Nagôs had suffered an ethnic miscegenation very accented which had
not to be a people given to deals them of the war, and yes of the
culture. They were adept craftsmen, experienced politicians data to the
some invasions that had suffered exactly in its native land before the
English invasion, when for some times practically they had been
decimated and the few that sobravam were obliged to migrarem for Africa
and neighboring countries stop with this, to absorb other cultures from
there and always resurging a more cultured people and to each migration
miscigenado with other ethnic cultures.
2. The Religious Aspect:
In the religious aspect the Nagô people still observes the cultural
inheritance of the African ancestry, mainly in the moving one to the
some practised rituals. Specifically in the Temple of Umbanda Nagô
Kingdom of the Orixás, this diversity more is observed. It has since in
this ritual it is the Exú (Exú-Bará) the connector link of the men with
the Orixás. In other rituals, Oiós; Bantos; Cabindas; Gegê; Jexás and
others, also other Nagôs ramifications, the Exú open the ways so that
the Orixás arrives in the world and takes care of the men.
3. The Orixás:
The Orixás African in its ancestral land was cultuados in approach
number of 650 deities, all they are characterized for bonanza in its
diverse regions of origin and always on facts to the telluric aspect.
Today they are cultuam in Brazil, basically eight Orixás of the sixty
and few brought by the ancestral blacks.
4. The Orixás more cultuados in the Nagô Ritual:
· Oxalá: the son of Olurum (God).
· Oxosse: gentleman of the bushes, sincretizado with Is
Sebastião.
· Ogum: gentleman of the weapons and guerrass, sincretizado
with Is Jorge.
· Xangô: gentleman of the justice, sincretizado with Is
Gerônimo.
· Ibeji: the infantile aspect, sincretizado with Is Cosme and
Is Damião.
· Exú-Bará: the plain land, the aspect of the street, without
sincretismo.
· Iemanjá: goddess of salty waters, sincretizada with Ours Lady
of the Navigators.
· Oxum: goddess of the rivers and waterfalls, sincretizada with
Ours Lady of the Conceição.
· Iansã: goddess of the winds and storms, sincretizada with
Saint Bárbara.
· Xangô Orixá de Nagô: son of Inaminã, without sincretismo.
5. Considerações Final
To conclude this briefing work, that it showed small parcel of wealth
of cults Afro-Brazilians I want to declare that I concentrated the
research in the Nagô nation, which had to the fact of that it is in
this nation that I was born and I was servant, in way such who, the
religiosidade started to be a sacred part of me and of that they are
mine brothers of faith.
All my paternal family, including my mother, is devoted of the
religion, pointed out the fact of that my paternal parents, uncles,
grandmothers and a cousin are initiated ready, who dedicate, by free
and spontaneous will, a valuable part of the life to our religion.
____________ _________ _________ _________ __
A Black Prince in Porto Alegre ( Google Translated )
They are João Baptist of Ajudá was a Portuguese ortaleza, in the Daomé,
long ago very populated for black Christians. It was constructed, for
order of king D. Peter II, to protect the important commerce that then
the Portuguese made in the Coast of the Mine, territory to the side of
the Atlantic Ocean, in the gulf of the Guiné. Daomé was colony of some
countries, until Great-Britain bought the part of the excessively
occupying ones, becoming Daomé entirely English property. The English,
then, had had to enter in agreement with the kings and black princes
who governed lands. One of these agreements resulted in the deportation
of an African king. With other governing, financial agreements had been
made, for accepted them, in order to prevent the slaughter of its
people. Between these, he was the prince of Are João Baptist of Ajudá,
that left its land in the Coast of the Mine. Reason is not known for
which the exiled one chose Brazil. Perhaps for having here great number
of descendants of native slaves of the Coast of the Mine, the calls
black color-mine. Initially, it was fixed in River Great e, later, was
for the interior of Bagé, where he was known for keeping alive the
religious tradition of its people, with the practical one that today it
is known as row. Of Bagé, it was changed for Porto Alegre, it adopted
the Custódio name Joaquin de Almeida and became a leader of its race.
Encircled for the nobility, it lived many years in Porto Alegre and it
conserved all the habits of origin and the rites of the African seita.
Died in 1936, to the 104 years, with it one of the figures most
impressive of the capital gaucho disappeared.
Prince Ademola , it is good to hear from you and I will call you to chat soon.
My Kindest Regards,
Philip.
From: Ademola Iyi-Eweka <ogiso4me@yahoo. com>
To: edo-ciao@yahoogroup s.com; edo-nationality@ yahoogroups. com; Umagbae Association <Umagbae@yahoogroups .com>; BeninRoyalFamilyOrg <beninroyalfamilyorg @topica.com>; Edo National Congress in Americas <edonca@yahoogroups. com>; jbi8@cdc.gov; Voices of Edo women <voicesofedowomen@ yahoogroups. com>; Edo Arts and Culture Heritage Institute <edoartscultureherit ageinst.@ topica.com>
Cc: pobazee@yahoo. com; joan.Osa Oviawe <joanoviawe@gmail. com>; osamedeedosamwan@ yaho.com; toyin.adepoju@ googlemail. com
Sent: Fri, July 16, 2010 9:11:43 PM
Subject: Re: Edo-ciao Re: [Edo-Nation] With Regards to Don Re-writes Benin History - A repost
Ovbioba brother Philip, I have no extra information on Oba Eresoyen than what late Chief Jacob Egharevba wrote in his book "A short History.of Benin." Therefore, I had nothing to send to you Prince Philip Obazee. I thought I discussed it with you on the phone or at one of the ENA convention when we met. I was not hiding anything. You should understand that I am the "pioner" (If I can say so) of writng Edo History on the internet. I started it in 1995. I reduced my postings when people like Nosa Idubor, Nowa Omoigui, Tina Iyare, Uyilawa Usualele, Oronsaye and now Naiwu Osahon got to the scene-and I am not in good health too. I am happy they did which was exactly my intention-get Binis out of their comfort zones and write their history. Philip Obazee, can you please tell readers on the internet that the issue of late Oba Ovonramwen and Brazil is not new to you or Prince Ademola Iyi-Eweka. We exchanged emails and some some websites addresses based in Brazil over 9/10 years ago. I also discussed it with some members of the family then. I took some courses in Portuguese. I have refrained from commenting so far so that the discussion will run its course on the internet because most of my document were stored in "hotmail folders" which was seized by the fellow who seized my email box and declared me stranded in London. I will comment on the work of Prof Osadolor later. But there is one good news or is it not and that is: The death certificate of Oba Ovonramwen is in Brazil?. But I want to make it clear people: The issue of late Oba Ovonramwen and Brazil was a follow up of a series of my postings on Edo-Community and the "old Naijanet" as I was being attacked by people mostly Yorubas and Igbos. Ovbioba Philip Obazee, thanks for dragging me out here before I was ready come out.Greetings Prince Ademola Iyi-Eweka Note: I am not subscribed to Edo-Nation or Edo-global. --- On Fri, 7/16/10, P. Obazee <pobazee@yahoo. com> wrote:
From: Tina Iyare <tinaiigho@yahoo. com> To: Edo-Nation@yahoogro ups.com; Edo Ciao <edo-ciao@yahoogroup s.com>; Edo Global <edo_global@yahoogro ups.com>; Edo nationality <edo-nationality@ yahoogroups. com>; Esan Community <Esan_Community@ yahoogroups. com>; Afenmai Forum <afenmai@yahoogroups .com> Cc: Osamede Wilberforce Uwensuyi-Edosomwan <osamedeedosomwan@ yahoo.com>; Toyin Adepoju <toyin.adepoju@ googlemail. com>; Lady Joan Oviawe <joanoviawe@gmail. com>; Joe Igietseme <jbi8@cdc.gov> Sent: Fri, July 16, 2010 11:13:54 AM Subject: [Edo-Nation] With Regards to Don Re-writes Benin History - A repost Edo, a great civilization part 4 Posted By: Nosa Idubor Oba Orhogbua (1550-1578 CE). When his father, Oba Esigie died, Orhogbua was in Europe. On arrival from Europe, the Bini insisted that he choose between being a Catholic priest and an Oba because he can not be both. The popular saying in Benin at the time was: ?Ai wo Oba, wo ebo,? meaning you cannot be king and be priest to a deity. Orhogbua chose to become Oba. The Bini had always considered their riverine territories the Iyekowa (backyard) of Benin land and for hundreds of years they controlled the entire area. It was the route through Ughoton water side that the land locked kingdom reached out or was reached from abroad, and increasingly so from Oba Ewuare´s era. The Bini called the route: ?ode ame (the riverine route, and would sometimes add: ?emwin n´omo yaru omo ode ame erokerhe,? (meaning: the underpinnings of the authority and prestige of the Oba of Benin, came through the riverine route). It was the revenue route from the outside world to Benin. Active trading with the Portuguese started in 1553, with the Edo offering ivory, palm oil, pepper, cloth, beads directly and slaves brought into her Ughoton port from surrounding territories under Edo Empire. The first guns came into Benin through this route, as did iron bars from Holland for the five blacksmith guilds, and the manila currency melted into raw materials for the exquisite Benin bronze masterpieces in all the leading museums of the world today. The cowry currency also came through the route to facilitate Edo´s economic buoyancy. The Ijebu towns all the way to Ikorodu, on the route, provided Benin with woven cloth, which became the major item of trading on the route with European traders, who re-traded the cloth at ports on the West African coast and the Congo, in exchange for slaves and gold. Of course, the Roman Catholic fathers brought the Bible with one hand and enslaved the natives with the other through the route. Oba Orhogbua enforced tribute payments from all parts of his Empire and in the 1550s conquered all the coastal lands, up to Lagos where he left a permanent garrison. The Benin maritime army was borne on river-craft flotillas. Orhogbua´s conquering expedition recognized the importance of Lagos Island, both as a military defence point, and a look-out post for traffic from around the world, intending to explore the interior of Africa from the West African coastline break that allows water to flow from the Benin River into the Atlantic Ocean. Ships from the outside world could penetrate into the bowels of Africa from there so the Island entry point was considered the perfect place to monitor and control the trade. Orhogbua occupied the Island, which he called Eko (meaning camp), by setting up the first human settlement there. Oba Orhogbua´s son was the first Eleko (Oba) of Lagos. From Lagos, Orhogbua explored the lagoon system to its farthest points through Dahomey, Togo, to the Volta River and Basin in today´s Ghana. Until the Biafran Civil War, it was believed even by opponents in war, that the Benin person was immune from drowning in the River Niger because of a covenant the Spirit of the river, (known by the Bini as Ohinmwin, and by the western Ibos, as Oshimili), had with Oba Ewuare. The Spirit always threw the drowning Edo person out of the water. Not servicing the covenant for hundreds of years, may have got the Spirit angry in modern times. The lagoon expedition introduced common salt (umwen) for the first time to Benin, displacing eventually, odoo, which was the Benin traditional salt. The sample salt acquired the name ´umwen´ because an Ishan servant of Chief Osague, asked to taste the salt, said in tasting it, that it was ?Obhen,? meaning, all right. Ekenika played a prominent role in Oba Orhogbua´s military campaigns that brought the Lagoon lands all the way to the Atlantic Ocean where it is known as the Bight of Benin, under the control of Benin. He was a commander in Orhogbua´s maritime army, and the first person to step on the uninhabited Island of Lagos. He beat back Aworis´ counter attacks from the mainland. The Aworis had noticed some discarded ebieba leaves, (used in wrapping food by the Benin soldiers), floating on the water. They were tropical forest leaves strange to the brackish mangrove swamplands of the lagoon so, they knew they had strangers in their midst and attacked from the direction the leaves were coming. Ekenika was rewarded with the title of Ezomo of Benin. The first person in Benin history to bear the title. Ekenika was set up at Uzebu quarters in Benin City by Oba Orhogbua, to closely monitor Benin´s most important route, territories and population, and to provide regular backing for the Lagos camp. Both Lagos and Uzebu habitations, therefore, came on stream at the same time. Uzebu was at the western outskirt of Benin, straddling the city´s gateway to the sea through Ughoton, the lagoon territories and people, under the control of Benin from that area, and opened Edo to Europe and the world. The Uzebu quarters served as training ground and store of weapons for the soldiers of the lagoon campaigns. The Portuguese would have lent a hand, particularly in the training and use of fire arms and cannons. Oba Orhogbua was virtually a Portuguese anyway. A very close relationship existed between Benin and Portugal at his time. Ezomo´s permanent residence or palace was at the heart of Uzebu quarters, as the commander of the Uzebu military camp. Ekenika´s Uzebu activities and campaigns triggered and influenced the development, origin and background of the controlling elite and names, of towns and cities along the Benin riverine route: Ijebu Ode, Ijebu-Mushin, Ijebu-Ife, Ijebu-Ugbo, Ijebu-Remo, Ijebu-Oro, Ijebu-Ijesha in Ijesha land, Ijebu-Owo in Owo land. There are strong family links between Ekenika and the nobles in all the territories of the Benin riverine route. The traditional head of Owo town for instance, bears the name Ojomo, the full title being Ojomo-Olude. The Obazuaye family in Benin descends from Ekenika and the Lagos branch of the family are the Bajulaiyes. The prominent Olisa clan in Ikorodu and Ijebu Ode are related to the Oliha, the head of the Uzama group in Benin. There are many more of such links with Benin around West Africa. The Ijaw kingdom of Ogba in Bayelsa state has a concentration of the descendants of the Ekenika´s, particularly in the village of Akabuka. The title, Alare Ezomo, was conferred on a prominent son of Uzebu quarters in Benin, in the 1930s, by Oba Akenzua II, emphasizing the strong family ties of Bini people with the Ijebus. All Ijebu Ode natives, describe themselves as Omo Alare. That is, the descendants of Alare. Alare is the ancestral deity of the Ijebu race and it is claimed that every thing an Ijebu person owns, money, land, property, belongs to Alare. This is the secret of the Ijebus´ relative ease at accumulating wealth. He can accumulate wealth but has no right to part with what belongs, in totality, to Alare. Oba Ehengbuda (1578 ? 1604 CE). Ehengbuda ascended his father´s throne in 1578 CE. While his father, Oba Orhogbua, might be considered a water warrior who made his greatest impact in the lagoon territories, Oba Ehengbuda campaigned mainly on land in the Yoruba areas. All the warrior Obas, most times, personally led their troops to war. Oba Ehengbuda, while prosecuting his military activities in the Akure area, sustained burns which healed to leave scars on his body. This was systematized in the Iwu body marks which every Edo adult had to acquire to be able to participate in royal and court activities of the land. The markings also served to identify the Edo person for protection during the slave trade. Strong efforts were made to prevent Edo people from being sold into slavery. Edo people openly and actively encouraged and facilitated the escape of slaves from the holding centres in the kingdom and particularly from the Ughoton port. As a result of Oba Ehengbuda´s accident, the responsibility for leading the army in war was delegated to the Iyase. Chief Ekpenede, who was the Iyase at the time, became the number one commandant of the Edo army. He prosecuted several successful campaigns in Yoruba territories and concluded many treaties, including a major one with the Onakakanfo (the commandant) of Oyo, which demarcated the boundary in Yoruba territories at Otun town in northern Ekiti between the Edo and Oyo powers. At the ceremony marking the boundary, the two commanders stood at the boundary with backs turned by each, to their respective homeland directions, Benin and Oyo. The Edo General planted an ikhinmwin tree, and the Oyo General planted a palm tree of the spirit world, a high savannah date palm, unfamiliar to the Edo at the time. Because of the military feats of Iyase Ekpenede, and particularly with the conclusion of the Edo/Oyo treaty, which carried significant value, it was thought that Iyase could begin to habour ideas of his own, and could stage a coup against the monarch if allowed to return and live in the city with the Oba. The Iyase was, therefore, instructed to move to any town of his choice and not to return to Benin City. In the town he moved into, the Iyase enjoyed untrammeled power. Even tributes earmarked for the monarch ended up being hijacked by the Iyase, and as long as he was alive, no other Iyase was appointed in his place. Agban was the second Ezomo to be appointed after the demise of the first one, Ekenika. Agban´s reign straddled that of Oba Orhogbua and his son Oba Ehengbuda. His exploits were mainly in western Ibo land. The area was brought under Edo suzerainty from Oba Ewuare´s expansion of Edo kingdom´s era. Ezomo Agban´s military campaigns ran into difficulties at Ika town of Ogidi but he triumphed in the end and named the town ´Agbor,´ a corruption of Agban. His success and pacification efforts in the western Ibo territories were so impressive, he was almost being treated as the Emperor of the area by the Edo. He did not participate in the successful Ubulu-Uku war, however. That was left to Chief Imasan, the Enogie of Emokpaogbe to prosecute because it was triggered by the killing of Imasan´s daughter by the Oboros. On one occasion, while verbally presenting a war report to Oba Ehengbuda, thunder claps interrupted Chief Agban. Offended by the temerity, he decided to teach thunder a lesson. He arranged for a tall scaffold with a wide base, and reaching far into the sky, to be erected. He tied hundreds of calabashes filled with palm oil on the rungs of the scaffold from the base to the far flung tip and set the scaffold on fire with the intention of smoking the thunder deity out of hiding. Before the scaffold crumbled and fell, Benin City was visited by a hail of showers, followed by rain of large frozen ice blocks, and the mournful sounds, like the wailing of thunderstorm in distress, in the sky. Whatever was responsible, it was some consolation for a people that believe nothing is impossible to achieve. That in a nutshell propelled the stupendous height that Edo people reached in almost every field of human endeavour. In the Epe/Lekki waterways, while Oba Ehengbuda was two days away from an eight days journey through the lagoon to visit his Dukedom and military camp, Eko (Lagos), a freak storm hit the lagoon and capsized many of the river-craft in the royal float, including that bearing the monarch, and he died. Oba Ohuan (1604 1641 CE) was Oba Ehengbuda´s son. He ended the Eweka dynastic lineage. Powerful rebel chiefs established private power bases and selected Obas from among themselves. The selection process took the format of the Ihogbe picking an Oba from among their ranks and presenting him to the Uzama for crowning. This process produced a series of Obas, seven of them, with doubtful claims to legitimacy, thus seriously weakening the Edo monarchy. By the mid 17th century and extending well over the period of confusion about who reigns in Benin, the Portuguese, Dutch, English, French and other Europeans, had expanded the slave trade in the area so much that they were calling it the Slave Coast. The slave trade remained high in the area until 1840. The slaves were mainly war captives and were drawn from the entire area controlled by Benin all the way to the communities near the coast and to northern peoples such as the Bariba. The Atlantic slave trade had a destructive impact in Benin area, causing devastating depopulation around Benin and greatly militarizing the area. Oba Ohenzae (1641 -1661 CE), was the first of the seven Obas with doubtful legitimacy. His Ezomo was called Ezomo N´Ogun. Ezomo N´Ogun was the first person in the history of Benin to propitiate his own head, (that is to give thanks to the spirit of good fortune), with a live elephant. The incidence helps to demonstrate the demoralizing effect the slave trade had on African communities through deaths, kidnappings, sacking and disappearance of towns and villages, and the truncation of African progress and civilization. Only two other Edo personages have achieved Ezomo N´ Ogun´s feat of using live elephant in rites. Iyase Ohenmwen achieved it some 170 years ago and Oba Akenzua II pulled it off in February 1936. Servants sent by Ezomo N´Ogun to capture a live elephant, took 14 days to come home with one. While the richly garlanded elephant, restrained with strong ropes to the legs, arms and body, was being led in procession through the streets to the ritual site, an elderly man, watching from the safety of the verandah of his home remarked rather loudly: ?What is the cause of the rejoicing of these people over the fragment called life?? Dragged before the Ezomo for his impertinence, he pleaded to be allowed to explain himself and when allowed said: ?My Lord, what I mean is, what is the cause of the rejoicing of these people over the fragment called life when it is possible to capture an elephant within 14 days return journey in the jungle between Benin City and the bank of River Ovia? A feat that would have been impossible within such a short time during the time of Ezomo Agban.? The slave trade had gone on for about two hundred years at the time and had taken its toll on the populations and communities around the city of Benin, turning once lively and sprawling towns and villages during Ezomo Agban´s time, into a long stretch of thick jungle. The jungle was in fact, so close, it was within 14 days return journey from the Ezomo N´Ogun´s backyard in Edo kingdom. Elephants and wild lives were now the close neighbours of the Edo people who were not allowing themselves to be enslaved. Instead of punishing the old man as his persecutors had hoped, Ezomo N´Ogun thanked and rewarded him generously for his wisdom. The other six colourless Obas with questionable claims to the throne were Oba Ekenzae (1661 -1669 CE); Oba Akengboi (1669 -1675 CE); Oba Akenkpaye (1675 ? 1684 CE); Oba Akengbedo (1684 -1689 CE); Oba Ore-Oghene (1689 ? 1700 CE), who received a personal letter from Pope Innocent XII in 1692, encouraging him to remain a catholic. Oba Ewuakpe (1700 ? 1712 CE), was thrust into office by his father, Akenuzama, who had declined the offer to be king on the grounds of old age. The offer had been made to Akenuzam by the Ihogbe, after the death of his cousin, Oba Ore-Oghene, who had no heir. Oba Ewuakpe, whose birth name was Idova, but was hurriedly re-named Ehennegha by oracular directive before the Ihogbe presented him to the Uzama nobles for crowning, was too young, inexperienced and impatient. These led to a series of problems for him. His first problem was that he could not offer propitiatory rites at the Oba´s ancestral shrine as required by tradition because his father was still alive and not an ancestor yet. Then his mother, Ewebonoya, died at her Uselu palace, soon into his reign. To provide her with the level of comfort she had become accustomed to as Queen mother, he sacrificed humans, a great number of them, to continue to attend to her needs in the ethereal world. Edo people, appalled by the human sacrifice and blood letting, rebelled and laid siege on the palace, flinging its gates open. The palace staff and his hundreds of wives took flight excepting Iden, one of his wives, who refused to return to her parent´s home at Oka village. When the siege became too unbearable, the Oba escaped with Iden to his mother´s village, Ugolo quarters at Ikoka, by the side of Ovia River. His mother´s relatives spawned him and didn´t want him in their midst. The humiliation was so much, he cursed the people of Ikoka village and sneaked back to his palace. The palace was leaking badly from neglect, and weeds and crawlers had taken residence. He cleared some space for his wife and himself to stay to think of what to do next and lay their heads for the night. The following morning, Iden took the few articles of vanity she had, and sold them at the near-by Oba´s market. She used the money she raised, to travel to Agbor to recruit a reputable seer. The oracle recommended a make-believe ceremony and human sacrifice. Since they were not in a state to capture any human for the sacrifice, Iden talked her husband into allowing her to give her life to save the throne, as long as her grave would not be jeered at by passers-by and market women. Iden went to the market after closing hours, to collect discarded broken calabashes that had been used in selling oil, and thrown away leaves´ head pads. She collected dried shrubbery from the bush near-by. In the mean time, the husband was stripping the palace garden´s palm trees bare of dry husks and fronds, which with faggots, he tied into torches. The following night a huge scaffold of the palm fronds, torches and calabashes, soaring into the sky, was assembled and set on fire, with its embers and arches allowed to litter the palace grounds. The leaves´ head pads were strewed from the palace gates deep into the palace grounds, to give the impression that a lot of people had come to make deliveries at the palace. The aftermath of the ceremony was that it left the setting looking like a big event and merry making had taken place involving many people. The fireworks would have been noticed from far and near. For the final ritual, Iden wore what was left of her finery, and hand-in-hand with her husband, they walked quietly down Iwebo Street to the spot she had chosen as her final resting place. After Ewuakpe had tearfully and painfully dug the grave, she climbed gracefully into it helped by her husband, and laid down facing the direction of the palace. All along, he was crying and trying to talk her out of the project. She was adamant. To fill the chasm with sand, as he was asked to do by his wife, was the hardest task he had ever faced in his life. He started filling it slowly from the feet side, saving her asphyxiation till the very end when he would cover her face with sand. After the deed was done, he crashed on the grave, crying bitterly like a child, over what he had done. Esogban had noticed the fireworks in the night and in the early morning hours, sneaked around the palace grounds to see what had happened. He found the palace compound littered with head pads etc., and felt betrayed that the king had won back favour, and people were providing services to the palace behind his back. He rushed home, threw his wealth chess open and assembled choice items that would please his king, and with servants included, he headed for the palace with his peace offering. In response to his solicitous voice at the entrance to the palace´s first vestibule, a lone voice from behind a slightly opened door reassured him that he was in good standing with the palace and that he was not an enemy of the Oba. Esogban left his offering where he was told to, and returned home happy with himself. When the Iyase heard about Esogban´s visit to the palace, he too rushed to make peace with the Oba. That was how Oba Ewuakpe regained his throne and the trust of Edo people. Iden´s grave is one of the stations, procession ceremonies in Benin City pay homage to today. To ensure that what happened to him would not happen again to another Oba, he decided to put in place a sound succession process. He felt that a period of tutelage was necessary before one becomes an Oba, and that the best way to guarantee this was the principle of first son succeeding his father to the throne. The bargaining chip of his Chiefs was that the principle should be extended to their own first sons and that the Oba should surrender his traditional inheritance right to their estate, to their own first sons. Ewuakpe agreed, and the principle has held again since, with minor skirmishes. Iyase N´Ode was Oba Ewuakpe´s Iyase. His military campaigns outside the kingdom were all successful. Iyase N´Ode is remembered in Benin oral history as a threatening foe and a very powerful magician, who could transform himself into an elephant in war or at will. He conquered many kings in Yoruba land to achieve for himself the status of ´Okhuen.´ There have been only two Iyase´s in the history of Edo kingdom who attained the status of ´Okhuen,´ (meaning conqueror of many kings). The other was Ekpenede during the reign of Oba Ehenghuda. With that status, they could no longer live in the city of Benin with the Oba for fear of their nursing the idea of coup. Both these Iyases who could no longer live in Benin City, chose to spend the rest of their lives in Uhunmwode district, close to Ode Ekhuarha, the gateway to the territories they had conquered and or were monitoring. It included Etsakor, through to Yoruba land of Ado Ekiti, Akure, Idanre, to Idah and Idoma, and Nupe-land in the north and Ukpilla and Ineme, where raw iron-ore materials were coming from. After Oba Ewuakpe´s death, a strong dispute broke out over whom was the senior of his two sons, Prince Ozuere and Prince Akenzua, born of different mothers. The Iyase N´Ode backed Prince Akenzua for the throne, but Prince Ozuere succeeded in gaining it. Oba Ozuere (1712 ? 1713 CE), was only able to serve for about a year because Iyase´ N´Ode´s candidate, Prince Akenzua, became Oba Oba Akenzua I (1713 - 1735 CE). Ehenua played a crucial role along side Iyase N´Ode in the fight to install Prince Akenzua as king. Oba Akenzua I, rewarded Ehenua with the title of Ezomo and made the title hereditary for the first time. He also for the first time promoted Ezomo to the rank of Uzama, the seven kingmakers of the kingdom, whose most junior member is the Edaiken. Other members of the Uzama are the Iyase, Oliha, Ero, Eholor N´ire and Edohen. Ezomo was the last title to join the group of nobles; most of the others had been members since the Ogiso era. Oba Eresoyen (1735 ? 1750 CE), had only just ascended to his father´s throne when trouble came calling. Commandant Willem Hogg, the resident Manager of the Dutch Trading Station in Ughoton, had for nearly a year been pleading with Eresoyen´s father, Oba Akenzua I, to prevail on the Benin Chiefs owing the Ughoton Dutch Trading Station, unsupplied goods on which they had received credit lines. Also, Holland wanted to be allowed to participate in the Ivory trade and break the monopoly the monarch had granted the British and Portuguese ships calling at Ughoton. Traders of the two countries were offering better prices for the commodity. The palace had seemed to Willem Hogg, unwilling to help the Dutch company recapture slaves who had escaped from the Dutch company´s dungeons at Ughoton while awaiting their evacuation ship from Elmina Castle on the Gold Coast, to arrive. Half-hearted promises had been extracted from the palace over the issue of the runaway slaves, against the overriding feeling at the palace that it was the responsibility of the Dutch to secure their purchases after taking delivery. These were the problems weighing on Willem Hogg´s mind when he decided to visit the palace to once more seek the help of Oba Oresoyen. In the presence of the Oba and chiefs, while discussing the issues that brought him to the palace, argument developed, leading to the loss of temper. The Dutchman got up from his seat, pulled out his pistol and shot at the monarch who was quickly shielded by his omada (sword bearer). The omada took the bullet intended for the monarch and died on the spot. Regicide had been attempted and murder committed, and in the confusion that ensured, Willem Hogg sneaked out of the palace. This incidence explains the reluctance of the Obas of Benin to be exposed to European visitors and why the British Capt. Henry L. Gallwey, Vice Consul for the Benin River District of the Niger Coast Protectorate and his delegation, suffered frustration and delays in March 1892, when they requested to meet with Oba Ovonramwen, to conclude a ´Treaty of Protection´ with Benin kingdom. It was the responsibility of the Ezomo to take remedial action against the Dutchman because security matters for Ughoton gateway were under his portfolio. Ezomo Odia was not at the meeting. He had sequestered on his farm for a little while because of misunderstanding with the palace over the issue of the runaway slaves who had mostly taken refuge at his farm. Most of the other runaway slaves were with other chiefs. This was why progress was not possible on the matter. Since the chiefs do not sell slaves, they did not feel it was their business rallying runaway slaves for the Dutch? That sums up the popular refrain on all lips at the time. To get Ezomo Odia to return to town, the oracle prescribed that all the princesses of the realm should pay a courtesy visit to Ezomo Odia. The princesses, on being told that Ezomo Odia was at his farm, when they arrived at Okhokhugbo village, braced up for the long journey through shrubs and narrow bush paths. At the farm, they met Ezomo Odia tending his yam crops. Before the Ezomo could ask, to what he owed the honour, all the princesses were down on their knees, between the yam heaps, to greet him and respectfully invite him back to the city. Ezomo Odia after making peace with the monarch at the palace went to Ughoton to arrest Commandant Hogg, who was brought to the palace grounds in a mouth-gag, with waist manacles. He was executed at the Ozolua Quadrangle. The two Dutchmen subordinate officers to Willem Hogg at the Dutch Ughoton station were not molested in any way. Six months after Commandant Hogg´s execution, on instructions from Elmina Castle, the senior of the two officers at the Dutch Ughoton station, one Herr Van Marken, who had taken over leadership of the station, visited the palace to make peace and facilitate the resumption of business between Benin and Holland. Eresoyen subdued Agbor rebellion; settled dispute in faraway Abor; built a house of money with walls, floor, paved with cowries. Oba Akengbuda (1750 ? 1804 CE), inherited his father´s throne and reigned for 55 years. His son, Prince Osifo, sent white hair from his head to his father to show he was getting old. The father sent back salt and native chalk, meaning life is sweat. Adesuwa, already betrothed to him by his Ezomo, was murdered by the Obi of Obuluku for refusing to be his (Obi´s) wife. This led to the Obi´s head being brought to Akengbuda. Oba Obanosa (1804 ? 1816 CE), was Prince Osifo, Oba Akengbuda´s son. There was a great commotion known as the ´Okpughe´ during his reign as Oba. As a handsome dandy, before he was crowned king, he felt he had a rival whose name was Osopakharha. The prince hated Osopakharha for his popularity, guts, flamboyance, and for what the prince described as his pretensions. The problem really was that they were look-alike young men, competing for influence and space in public esteem. Osopakharha was the son of the Esogban of Benin. The family lived at Ugbague quarters and there was nothing special about that. Osopakharha was the warlock of a witches coven known as Eniwanren-Aso (the Elders of the night). The prince´s parents were the patron and matron respectively of the coven. Even after Oba Akengbuda´s death, the prince´s mother, Iyoba Ose, remained the matron of the coven. Osopakharha hated the prince for hating him, and for trying to clip his wings as if he was his slave or underling. Before becoming Oba, against the strong advice of the king and queen, the prince kept threatening Osopakharha publicly that he would order Osopakharha´s death on becoming king. Most people took the prince´s threats against Osopakharha as unworthy of the prince and expected him to out grow it. The prince was generally highly regarded even by his elders who saw him as intelligent, wise and with great promise, and nicknamed him Obanosa, (Oba with the wisdom and attributes of God). He chose his nickname as his official royal name at his coronation. Not to be outdone, and perhaps to further provoke the king, Osopakharha immediately chose to be called Oba Aso, (meaning the king of the night). The king of the night continued to match the Oba in flair and grandeur in social space, and to make things worse, became the lover of Iyoba Ose, and was frequently at her palace at Uselu. The order to kill Oba Aso led to heavy street fighting, accompanied by a great deal of public posturing and bravado on both sides. Five thousand people died and all the streets adjoining Ugbague quarters were sacked, and for decades permanently deserted. Oba Obanosa took ill immediately after Oba Aso´s death and the source was oracularly traced to Iyoba Ose. Obanosa ordered that the Iyoba Ose be stoned to death with molded bricks of esorhue (sea chalk), at her Uselu palace in public view. Obanosa then rushed the minimum traditional burial rites required of him as the first son, to enable the mother´s soul rest in peace. A few days after burying his mother, he too died, as Osopakharha, the king of the night, had repeatedly warned would happen in these words: ?obo no biekhu, kevbe ekhu, era gba yowa.? Meaning, ´the hand that opens a door goes with the door in the direction the door takes.´ Oba Ogbebo (1816 CE). There was a strong tussle for the throne between the two sons of Oba Obanosa, Prince Ogbebor and Prince Osemwende, over who was the senior. Prince Ogbebor triumphed but ruled for less than a year. Oba Osemwende (1816 ? 1848 CE), who took over the throne from his brother, died in 1848, leaving his two sons, Prince Ogbewekon and Prince Adolor, with the problem of who was the oldest to serve as Oba. Oba Adolor (1848 ? 1888 CE), Prince Adolor won the battle and ruled until 1888. The leadership tussle surfaced again between the two sons of Oba Adolor, Prince Ovokhorhor and Prince Ovonramwen. This time, the battle was not as acrimonious as in previous times and was resolved in favour of Ovonramwen. Oba Ovonramwen (1888 ? 1914 CE). Oba Ovonramwen Nogbaisi was on the throne during the British invasion of Benin City in 1897. To prepare the grounds before the invasion, the British first sneaked military spies into Benin, to infiltrate the nation´s security system during the Igue festival, a period of acute spiritual sensitivity for Edo people, when their monarch goes into seclusion for two weeks for spiritual cleansing and cannot receive visitors. The spies were eliminated for their hostile acts. The British then sent a delegation to Benin in March 1892. The delegation was led by Capt. Henry L. Gallwey, the Vice Consul for the Benin River District of the Niger Coast Protectorate, supposedly to conclude a Treaty of Protection with Oba Ovonramwen of Benin. The British had deceived King Dosumu of Lagos to sign a similar treaty that ceded Lagos to the British in 1861. They forced the same kind of treaty on the Jaja of Opopo in 1887 to gain access and economic control of the eastern coast of Nigeria. Quoting Capt. Henry Gallwey, who after retirement became Sir Henry Gallwey, in a report on the 1892 visit to Benin, for the Journal of the African Society of April 1930, under the title: Nigeria in the (Eighteen) Nineties, he wrote in part: ?Any idea I may have had of being received by the king the day I arrived was very soon dispelled. After being kept waiting for three days, I sent word to say that I could wait no longer. To support my threat, every half-hour, I sent a carrier away with a load I did not require, telling them where to wait for me. This artifice rather worried the king, and he sent word to me asking me ?not to be vexed,? as my interpreters put it. However, that afternoon, it was arranged for me to have audience with the king. I accordingly donned my uniform and sallied out with my companions into the burning heat of the afternoon, a most unreasonable time of day at which to hold a palaver. I am afraid, however, that the kings of Benin were never renowned for their reasonable natures. In spite of these pinpricks, it was all very interesting and amusing, and I never gave a thought to the discomfort of being encased in a dress intended to be won at levees and such functions in temperate climes??.? After attempting to compromise the nation´s security earlier on, the British delegation could not be received by the Oba of Benin immediately they arrived because of the need to check out their real mission. When the Oba signaled readiness to receive the delegates, they were in ?encased dress intended to be worn at levees,? to the palace. In other words, they were in military uniform to the palace of an Oba who was weary of visits of Europeans. After the incidence of the Dutchman, Commandant Willem Hogg, who pulled a pistol and shot at Oba Oresoyen in 1735, while on a courtesy visit to the palace to discuss business matters with the Oba and his chiefs, Benin Obas became a little more careful about granting direct audience to European visitors. This is the genesis of the difficulties experienced by Capt. Gallwey while trying to have audience with the Oba in 1892. At the palace, the disposition and mannerisms of the visitors had to be carefully studied before the Oba could receive them, since they were in military uniform. Capt. Gallwey said the Oba was ?unreasonable? and then generalized ?? as all Benin Obas are wont to be.? He had made up his mind before the visit and was looking for excuses to set up Benin kingdom for British invasion. To emphasize that Benin was a special case to crack, the British rushed to force treaties on neighbouring territories. They attacked the Nana of Itsekiri, in their ´palm oil war´ in 1894 and exiled Nana to Ghana; attacked the Koko of Nembe in 1895, and the Ashanti Prempeh of Ashanti in 1896, to produce duress inspired spurious treaties to take control of the kings´ respective areas of influence. The British accused Oba Ovonramwen of lack of cooperation, and to look good in the eyes of the rest of the world, added ?human sacrifice,? as their reasons for launching their full-scale war on Benin in January 1897. The real reason for the British Expedition was that the British viewed the Benin kingdom as the main obstacle in their expansion drive into the agricultural interior of the West African coast from the River Niger. The war lasted for eight days from January to early February 1897, and went in their favour because of their big guns and cannons, which the Edo army did not have. After capturing the ancient city of Benin and slaughtering thousands of the natives in cold blood, to grossly depopulate the city, and the few survivors had escaped to farms and villages, the British ransacked the palace of the Oba, homes of nobles and chiefs, artistes´ workshops, and shrines, to rescue ?pagan art? and relieve Benin of the ?evil.? Then the British burnt the entire city down to the last house. Akin Adeoya in the Sunday Guardian of March 29, 2009, wrote: ?There was a great kingdom of Benin that lasted for centuries with a highly stable administration and a civilization that built great highways and produced works of such great significance that the British who invaded and ultimately defeated the Ovonramwen´s gallant forces, nearly went mad with envy that not all their Christian piety or civility could help them resist the urge to steal these works of art, which their own civilization could not rival. These works of art, till today, still grace the shrines of the British Empire and civilization, the British Museum.? The palace of the Oba of Benin, according to Joshua Utzheimer, 1603, was about the size of the German City of Tubingen.? This was razed down by fire by the British invading force, claiming to be on a civilizing mission. Is razing cities after the surviving few victims of their assault have surrendered, not the epitome of barbarism? Can anything be more callous than this? Oba Ovonramwen who could not be captured but who surrendered to the British in August, 1897, was exiled to Calabar (in south-east Nigeria), where he died in January, 1914. From accounts of members of the British army that invaded Benin City in 1897, we learn that the floors, lintels, and rafters of the council chambers and the king´s residence in the palace were lined with sheets of repoussé, decorated brass covered with royal geometric designs and figures of men and leopards. Ornamental ivory locks sealed the doors and carved ivory figurines surmounted anterior. A brass snake, observed for the first time by a European in the early eighteenth century, was still to be seen on the roof of the council chamber house. All of these, along with other invaluables, including precious works of arts, the invading British stole in the name of their king and country. What they could not steal or burn, they destroyed, including invaluable records of the Bini scintillating civilization, to allow their historians to falsify human history and African contributions. According to Prof. Akin Ibidapo-Obe in: A Synthesis of African law, ?the British stripped Benin of its pagan art treasure?..almost 2,500 of the famous Benin bronzes, valuable works of art such as the magnificent carved doors in the palace, were carried off to Europe for sale. Today, almost every museum of the world possesses an art treasure from Benin. It is important to relate the account of British brigandage and deliberate and wanton stealing of Africa´s invaluable art treasures to show that our culture was great and was envied. The tradition and way of life that spawned such great achievement was deliberately destroyed and history was falsified to justify the introduction of their obnoxious laws, some of which purported to forbid our traditional religion.? This is how Prof. Felix Van Luschan, a former official of the Berlin Museum for Volkerhunde, described what the British deviously called Pagan art of Benin; ?these works from Benin are equal to the very finest examples of European casting technique. Benvenuto Celini could not have cast them better, nor could any one else before or after him. Technically, these Bronzes represent the very highest possible achievement. ? Only a highly civilized nation could have borne the expenditure and facilities of such marvelous works of art, some of the best masterpieces in the history of mankind. When the Nigerian government requested to loan a replica of the Idia Ivory mask for use during the 2nd World Black and African Festival of Arts and Culture (FESTAC), held in 1977 in Lagos, Nigeria, from the British Museum of Mankind, the British authorities insisted on the Nigerian government depositing a sum of three million dollars before collecting the loaned copy. A 17th century Benin bronze head (nine inches high) stolen from the palace of Oba Ovonramwen, by the British invaders in 1897, was auctioned by Sotheby, New York, for US$550,000 in July, 2007. Despite the British abuse of Edo culture and marginalization of Edo history, the splendour of Edo civilization continues to this day to astound and excite the world. Benin artifacts are among the most exquisite and coveted in world´s history, and the kingdom of Benin remains famous for its sophistication in social engineering and organization. The Bini Obaship institution is still one of the world´s most revered apart from being one of the most ancient. Edo was incorporated into what the British called the Niger Coast Protectorate, later known as the Southern Protectorate, and after annexing Arochukwu (Igboland) in 1902, and Hausa Fulani emirates in 1903, merged what they called Southern and Northern Protectorates in 1914 to form what in now Nigeria. Oba Eweka II (1914 ? 1933 CE), ascended his father´s throne in 1914 and when he died, his son, Oba Akenzua II (1933 ? 1979 CE), took over. Between them, they restored a great deal of the tradition and dignity of Benin Obaship, and rebuilt, although on a smaller scale than the Ewuare palace, the grandeur, triumph, and supremacy, of Bini traditions. Large walled areas have now replaced the numerous compounds of former kings, with enclosed individual altars for each of the three immediate predecessors, and one general altar for the rest. Decorated sheets of brass adorn the rafters and lintels, and terra-cotta plaques recount the exploits of former kings. The current king of this great African kingdom and one of the most vibrant, colourful, and enlightened ancient civilizations in the history of the world, is Oba Erediauwa, Uku Akpolo Kpolo, the Omo N´Oba N´Edo (1979 CE ?).
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Joan oviawe
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