Ohen

Ohen
Black-and-white photograph of a small cast-brass crowned figure standing on two curving mudfish-shaped legs. The figure wears multiple neck rings and a patterned wrap, holds forked ceremonial implements in raised hands, and has star-shaped terminals at either side of its lower body.
The mudfish legs on this figure of an Edo leader may represent Ohen's paralysis.
8th Oba of the Kingdom of Benin
Reignc. 1334 – c. 1370
PredecessorUdagbedo
SuccessorEgbeka
Diedc. 1370
Cause of death
Stoning
SpouseElẹrẹ (according to oral traditions)
Issue
HouseHouse of Eweka
FatherOguola
ReligionEdo 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. 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.

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 or since his paralysis meant he lost the divine powers.

References

  1. ↑ Egharevba, Jacob (1968). A Short History of Benin (4th ed.). Ibadan, Nigeria: Ibadan University Press. pp. 12–13. ISBN 9789781212390.
  2. ↑ Walthall, Anne (2008). Servants of the Dynasty: Palace Women in World History writer (1st ed.). Berkeley, California: University of California Press. pp. 251–252. ISBN 9780520254442. {{cite book}}: More than one of |publication-date= and |date= specified (help)CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  3. ↑ 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.
  4. ↑ Кирилл Бабаев, Александра Архангельская (2015). Что такое Африка (in Russian). Moscow, Russia: Рипол Классик. p. 420. ISBN 978-5-386-08595-7.

Further reading