CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
THE ORIGIN OF BENIN
There are many versions of the origin of Benin or more appropriately the Edo people. Chief Dr. Jacob Egharevba account stated that many years ago, the Bini’s came all the way from Egypt to found a more secure shelter in this part of the world after a short stay in the Sudan and at Ile-Ife which accounts take no real cognizance of the culture which migrant people bring along with themselves to their new founded land. As a further proof that the Edo people do not come from Egypt, one may say that the Egyptian writing culture is significantly absent in the Benin (Edo) culture. The origin of the Edo people remains on Edo land and cannot have it origin from Egypt which lends none of her culture to the Edo. The nearest in form and style to Edo culture is that of ancient Romans whose law, culture, social and architectural forms compare in similar terms to the ancient Benin (Edo). This is not to say that the Benin’s migrated from Rome but it indicates that life springs up at different points on the earth surface and the Edo people cannot be excluded from such a natural phenomenon.
In short, no one can say where the people came from the Edo mythology says that Benin is the cradle of the world. It is believed that the Oba of Benin (King of Benin) owns the land as given to him by God Almighty. The Binis are the dominant sub-group of the total ethnic group know as the Edo the tribe of this ethnic group are among the numerous tribes that occupy Edo state of Nigeria as a result of migrations and various quarrels among them in the early century, some Edo’s le the kingdom this exodus explain the origin of several Edo’s tribe, including Ishan Owan Akoko –Edo Esako Urhobos etc. The local government areas which are predominantly Benin territory are Oredo having Benin City as its headquarters, Uhunmwonde having Eho as its headquarters, Ovia North East having Okada as its headquarters and Ovia South West having Iguobazuwa as the headquarters, Benin City is also known and called Oredo and it is the traditional headquarters of the Bins.
WHO ARE THE EDO PEOPLE
The Edo people of South Western Nigeria are divided into a number of sub-Units. The people of Benin occupied the heart land of the territorial patrimony of the Edo race and they constitute the people of Benin Kingdom. The principal town of the Edos is Benin City and it is the ethnic rally point of the Edo race from Benin City each of the ethnic sub-Unit drawn spiritual substance and derives her sense of racial identification. Benin is called Edo by its inhabitation. The Edo constitute the people of Benin Kingdom whose land is terminous with the present Oredo, Ovia, Uhunmwonde and Orhionmwon Local Government Area, a satisfactory explanation why this sub-unit came to be known by the name Edo is desirable as it will throw more light on those parts of our history which still remain obscure. The edos (Binis) do not call themselves by the genetic name of the race Edo and in some contexts Ivbie Edo.
The origin of the current name Edo is fully documented by chief Egharevba (1954) as follows: “Edo was a slave to the Ogiefa He saved Eware froma sudden death When he was about to be arrested by the chiefs. In orderto immoralise the name of his defied friend, Edo, for the good service he rendered him (Eware) changed the name of the city from Igodomigodo to Edo according to his friend’s name. The same individual that refers to himself as Ovbiedo (child of Edo) or Ovien Oba which literally means kings slave but in essence a subject of the oba (king) and so not served bounded individual as some European writers have interpreted the expression. The ovbiedo or ovien oba must specifically speaks of himself as a child of his village or his region of the kingdom in which he lives. The major regions are defined by the people in terms of the main rivers, this explain the description Iyeke Ogba (trans Ogba) Iyeke Ovia (trans Ovia) Iyeke Orhionmwon (trans Orhionmwon) and Iyeke Ikpoba (trans Ikpoba)
