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Marriage in Edoland

a) Who are the Edos?

Discussing marriage in Edo land would definitely require a
definition of the Edos, especially in view of discussions that are taking
place
right now. Who are the Edos? Where are they located? Where did they
come from? A lot of theories have been propounded by different
scholars and academicians in this regard. Put briefly, the Edo-speaking
people are the people who founded an empire on the coast of West Africa,
stretching through the" whole of the then Midwestern part of Nigeria,
parts of the southwest region of modern Oyo, Ondo, Ogun, Ekiti and
Lagos states. The eastern end stretched across the Niger River into
the commercial region of Onitsha. It was bounded in the north by the
Igala kingdom now Kogi state on the confluence of the Niger and Benue.
This empire was bounded in the south by the Atlantic Ocean, and as far
west as the ancient kingdom of Dahomey, now known as the Republic of
Benin. This empire spilled into the Izon (ijaw-speaking areas) of Bayelsa
and River States of Nigeria especailly Ogbaland and DIOBU areas of modern
day
Port Harcourt and Ghana (the Gas). Remember that the second son of a
descendant the Enogie of Brass, in modern Balyesa state became the
Iyase of Benin. He is fondly remebered as IYASE NE OHENMWEN.

We should also note that those called Edos today have been called
several names in the past. Some of such names are Ogudugu, Igodomigodo,
Ile, and Ubini (Benin). There might have been other names. But for now,
two names-Edo and Benin are used interchangeably when discussing these
people. Of the name Benin, there have been debates over the origin of the
name. While some claim that it is derived from the Yoruba word, ILE-IBINU,
others claim that it is Nupe derived. But we are fairly certain that it is
the Itsekhiris,
a branch of the Edoiod group that told the white man that their overlord,
the
OBA-the king lives in what is now modern day, Benin City. The white man
wrote
it down as Benin City.

Chief Egharevba took a shot at the origin of the Edos. He simply
concluded and agreed with the theory of Rev Samuel Johnson, author
of the History of the Yorubas, who desperately trying to write the
history of the Yoruba with UNITY in mind, simply crafted the history of the
Yorubas in the form of the HAUSA/FULANI FLAG BEARER'S THEORY. Chief
Egharevba was probably influenced by the Eastern migration theory-all West
Africans migrated from Egypt or Middle East.

The Edo-speaking people of West Africa, especially in Southern Nigeria,
have lived where they are now, for THOUSANDS OF YEARS. The beginning
of Edo history is lost in antiquity-in a mythical time frame work. Edo
history did not begin from the 7th century A.D. People have moved in
and out. The Edo people people did not seem to have migrated
enmass from Sudan, Egypt, Babylon, or Greece. It is doubtful if they
even emigrated in waves. Chief Jacob Egharevba in chapter one of his
book BINI Titles (1956), quoted his source as P Amaury Talbot, "
According to P.Amaury Talbot in his Book " The Peoples of Southern Nigeria,"
Vol.II Chapter. Paragraph 6 and 7:" Considerably later, perhaps about the
seventh millenium B.C., a further wave of Sudanic Peoples began to pour in,
first the Edo ( Benin) and EWE (Popo) and then the Ibo, followed may be
about
the second millennium B.C. by the earliest Yoruba."  Then he gave his own
interpretation-" Perhaps in a more correct phrase, The Sudanese,
therefore come first-Yoruba, Popo, Edo (Benin), Ijaw and Ibo, then
the Semi-Bantu Ibibio, Ukelle and other tribes of the Northwest followed
by the Boki, Ekoi, and Bafumbu-Bansaw; and finally the Bantu."
It would seem that almost every African tribe came from the Mideast.

In reaction, the Edo nationalistic politician, Chief Oronsaye tried
to undo what he termed as Egharevba's damage. He too went overboard.
Chief Oronsaye taking the RELIGIOUS ROUTE, simply compiled what looked
liked fairy tales, without any proof whatsoever, and turned it into the
history of the Edos. Here is our comment about Chief Oronsaye's theory
in the introduction to OKHOGISO, A COLLECTION OF FOLKTALES FROM
BENIN, NIGERIA by Ademola Iyi-Eweka:
"This brings us to the question of who the Edo people are and where
they came from. Although some contemporary historians, tend to
associate the Edo people with the migration theory of people who
came from the Middle East, we have to point that there is no evidence in
Benin or anywhere else to support that theory. Again, Chief D.N.
Oronsaye, apparently using religious motifs, lumped the EDO with the
Greeks, Persians, Medes, Egyptians, Nubians, and the Sudanese. He
linked the Edo religion to the ZOROASTRIAN TEMPLE of ancient Persia,
the BROTHERHOOD OF BABYLONIAN( CHALDEA), the secret cults of
the 5th and 4th century B.C. Greece. There is the tradition that
Benin City is the CRADDLE OF MANKIND, the center of the universe, or a
place where the creator God sometimes came down in a chain ladder to get
involved in the affairs of mankind. This is shown in the title borne
by some chiefs. There is a sizeable group, though, who can trace their
origin to UHE which is identified as modern day ILE-IFE. They came with
legendary Oranmiyan ( Omonoyan), the father of Oba Eweka I between
1000 AD and 1200 AD." This group is represented by CHIEFS EDIGIN OF
USE, BAMAWO OF BENIN AND ELAWURE OF USEN. Infact Edigin is a
corruption of the yoruba word OLIGI/ADIGI-THE HEAD OF THE FIREWOOD
CUTTERS in Oranmiyan's entourage. They were left to take care of the
infant boy who became Oba Eweka I.

And we commented further: " We have to point out again that the
appearance of similarities between Edo religious thought and
practices to that of ancient civilizations of 5th to 3rd centuries B.C or
older time is most likely a mere coincidence. The Edo language according
to linguist belongs to the KWA group of the Niger-Congo family. The
greatest influence on Edo religious thought and practices could be
traced to the Portuguese, Spanish Roman Catholic Missionaries and
Europeam traders who were very active in Benin Religion, wars and
political systems between the 14th and 19th centuries A.D." Besides,
religious concept spread like wild fire. You do not have to be
conquered or occupied for neighboring communities to copy religious
practices of one another. You do not also need a wave of migration.
R. Bradbury, the author of BENIN STUDIES was right when he wrote the
following: " There are many villages in the Benin Kingdom whose
inhabitants have no tradition that their ancestors came from
elsewhere. Some informants speak vaguely of general migration from
the east and others trace everything back to IFE---a tendency which
may simply follow from the fact IFE is the accepted origin of the present
ruling dynasty. In Benin City, certain wards claim to have been on the spot
from the beginning, but of the remainder say that their founders came
from Ife as followers of the father of the first Oba or at a later date."

Therefore, despite the diggings by archeologists in and around Benin
City, none had said with certainty that the Edos came from Egypt,
Sudan or elsewhere. We have the EDO ORE ISI OGHE AGBON (Edorisiagbon)
school of thought and the UHE school of thought. The Mideast theory seems
like
an attempt to link the African tribes to the biblical ADAM AND EVE.

b) Matrimonial system.

For thousands of years, Edos have been getting married. It is unfortunate
that, there is no more powerful corresponding word in Edo lexicon than
ORONMWEN, that captures the meaning of the word MARRIAGE,
as in the anglo-saxon sense. The closest word we have is ORONMWEN.
All we have are descriptive phrases about marriage-" Okhia ye omo ye
oronmwen,"-he wants to give the daughter away in MARRIAGE."  Okhia
rie Okhuo,"- he wants to marry a woman. " Okhia romwen odo," she wants
to marry a husband. But sometimes an Edo man/ person would say, " Ma
khia du ugie oronmwen,"  we want to perform the festival of marriage.

Before 1897, girls were generally regarded as ready for marriage
between the ages of 15 through 18. Courtship can begin among the
individuals during the trip to the river to fetch water or during
the moonlight play-EVIONTOI. But sometimes parents actually go looking
for a wife or husband for their children. This led to the BETROTHAL
SYSTEM where marriage were conducted with or without the consent
of the individuals involved. Sometimes such betrothal, took place when a
baby girl was born. Suitors would begin to approach the parents by
sending a log of wood or bundle of yams to the parents of the child.
You are likely to hear statements such as -" Imu' Ikerhan gboto"-I have
dropped a log of firewood. When a boy decides to get married and the
parentshave accepted the bride as a prospective daughter-inlaw, messages
go up and down between the two families. This is called IVBUOMO-SEEKING
FOR A BRIDE. Series of investigations are conducted by both families-about
disease, scandals and crimes which may affect the families. The term of
the marriage which of course may include the DOWRY would be settled
in some families. Gifts for mother of the bride and IROGHAE- members of
the extended family would be part of the settlement. Then a date
would be set for the ceremony which would take place in the home of the
woman's family. This was called IWANIEN OMO in the old days The
go-between for the two families must be somebody well known by both
families. There would of course be a lot of merryment on the day of
marriage when the bride and the bridegroom are presented openly to
the two families. Kolanuts and wine are presented The OKA EGBE of the
woman's family would normally preside over the ceremony. Prayers are
said and kolanuts broken at the family shrine.

Rituals vary from family to family. The woman always sit on herfather's
lap before she is given away. Amidst prayers, laughter and sometimes tears,
the woman would be carefully hoisted on the lap of the OKA EGBE of the
bride's family. Many years ago, the woman would be sent to the bridegoom
house about thitrteen days after IWANIEN OMO and gingerly hoisted either
on her husband's lap or the OKAEGBE of his family. They are done
immediately nowadays in the home of the bridegroom. The bride, now
known as OVBIOHA would be led by her relatives to the husband's house
with all her property. Meanwhile the family and friends of the bridegroom
are feasting,drinking, singing and dancing while waiting for the bride to
arrive.
As the family and friends of the bridegroom awaits the OVBIOHA, messages
will arrive suggesting that there are UGHUNGHUN-barriers on the road. The
bridegroom has to remove the barriers by sending money to the party,
bringing the wife to him or else the wife will not arrive.
As they approach the house of the bridegroom, you can hear the echo
of OVBIOHA GHA MIEN ARO-ARO, meaning " Bride ! be proud/ the Bride is
proud." Arrival at the bridegroom's house is immediately followed by
the ceremony of IKPOBO-OVBIOHA-washing of the bride's hands. A bowl
of water with money in it would be brought out. A woman in the bride's
family, sometimes his senior wife would bring out a new headtie,
wash the hand of the Ovbioha in the bowl and dries her hand with the
headtie. Both the new headtie and the money in the bowl belong to
the bride.

A few days later, the bride would taken to the family altar and
prayers are said for her. She undergoes what is called the IGBIKHIAVBO
ceremony-beating of OKRO on the falt mortar. This would be followed
by a visit by the bride's mother-inlaw and other female members of the
family to the newly wed, if they are not living in the same house.
She would demand the bed-spread on which they both slept when they had
their " first sexual relationship" after the wedding. If the bed-spread
was stained with blood, the bride was regarded as a virgin and she would
be given many presents including money. If it is proven that she was not
a virgin, then the preparation for the ceremony of IVIHEN-OATH TAKING
ceremony would be set in motion. First, she has to confess to the older
women, the " other men " in her life before she got married. The husband
would never be told any of her confessions.Then, she would be
summoned to the family shrine early in the morning, without warning to
take an oath of FIDELITY, FAITHFULLNESS,TRUSTWORTHINESS, HONESTY
ETC, to her husband and family. This ceremony is the equivalent of the
oath people take in the church, mosque or marriage registry. Once the
oath taking ceremony is  over, she would be fully accepted into the family.
She immediately becomes married not only to her husband but to the family
and sometimes to the community.

Christianity, Islam and Westernization has already weaken the Edo
traditional system of marriage. The traditional ceremony, is sometimes
done the same day with many of the rituals avoided in the name of
christianity or Islam.

Many women would rather die than take the oath we described above.
It was the oath that kept our women out of prostitution for many years.
Edo women were regarded as very faithful, trustworthy, honest with
strong fidelity to their husbands. Neighboring tribes wanted them as
wives. It made divorce on the ground of adultery, less common in
those days. The scorge of prostitution which has eaten deep into Edo
women's life (as reported in the news media) should be placed on the
shoulders of Christianity, Islam and Westernization.

Ademola Iyi-Eweka

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