Ohen
| Ohen | |
|---|---|
 The mudfish legs on this figure of an Edo leader may represent Ohen's paralysis. | |
| 8th Oba of the Kingdom of Benin | |
| Reign | c. 1334 – c. 1370 |
| Predecessor | Udagbedo |
| Successor | Egbeka |
| Died | c. 1370 |
Cause of death | Stoning |
| Spouse | Elẹrẹ (according to oral traditions) |
| Issue | |
| House | House of Eweka |
| Father | Oguola |
| Religion | Edo religion |
Ohen was the eighth Oba ('king') of the Kingdom of Benin, reigning from c. 1334 to c. 1370. He succeeded Udagbedo and was succeeded by his eldest son, Egbeka. He was the third son of Oguola.[1] According to Anne Walthall, in oral tradition, it is stated that during his rule, Ohen oversaw 7 female weavers at the Benin Palace. Upon his discovery that the women had been selling royal cloth at public markets, he replaced them, permanently leaving royal cloth weaving as the responsibility of palace men.[2]
He became paralyzed after 25 years of rule. Following attempt to cover up his condition and its discovery by Iyasẹ Emuze, he had Iyase killed. Later, Iyase's chiefs stoned Obem to death with kaolin-coated rocks, either in reprisal for the Iyase's killing[3] or since his paralysis meant he lost the divine powers.[4]
References
[edit]- ↑ Egharevba, Jacob (1968). A Short History of Benin (4th ed.). Ibadan, Nigeria: Ibadan University Press. pp. 12–13. ISBN 9789781212390.
- ↑ Walthall, Anne (2008). Servants of the Dynasty: Palace Women in World History writer (1st ed.). Berkeley, California: University of California Press (published June 2008). pp. 251–252. ISBN 9780520254442.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link) - ↑ Curnow, Kathy (2017). "Sensemaking in Benin Kingdom Oral Traditions: Repetitive Recall of Actual and Traditional Enmity between the Ọba and the Ogiamiẹn" (PDF). Umẹwaẹn: Journal of Benin and Ẹdo Studies. 2: 19–20.
- ↑ Кирилл Бабаев, Александра Архангельская (2015). Что такое Африка (in Russian). Moscow, Russia: Рипол Классик. p. 420. ISBN 978-5-386-08595-7.
Further reading
[edit]- Egharevba, Jacob Uwadiae (1973). Concise Lives of the Famous Iyases of Benin. Kraus Reprint. Retrieved 15 February 2024.
