Religious Beliefs. In the traditional Edo view, the universe is divided into two planes of
existence: the visible, tangible world of everyday life ( agbon )
and the invisible spirit world ( erinmwin ) created by
Osanobua and inhabited by him, other deities, ancestors, spirits, and
supernatural powers. These are two parallel, coexisting realms; their
boundaries, however, are not inviolable, as gods and spirits daily intervene in
the lives of humans, and particularly powerful humans draw upon the forces of
the spirit world to transform daily experience. The creator god, Osanobua, is
rather remote; worship is more frequently directed toward the other deities,
who are his children. The most important of these—according to Benin notions of
seniority—is Olokun, his oldest son. Olokun, the ruler of the global waters and
the provider of wealth and fertility, is the most widely venerated deity in
Benin, especially among women who join local congregations to pray and
sacrifice for children. Ogun, the god of iron, is the concern of all who deal
with metal, including taxi drivers and mechanics. Other deities include Osun,
the power inherent in leaves and herbs, the special concern of herbalists;
Ogiuwu, the god of death; and Obienmwen, the goddess of safe delivery. Yoruba
deities such as Eshu, the trickster; Shango, the god of thunder; and Orunmila,
the deity of divination, have been incorporated into Edo religion.
Congregations of worshipers and shrines dedicated to these deities are found in
both the villages and the city, although Osanobua, Osun, and Ogiuwu had central
shrines and chief priests in Benin City only.
An urban-rural dichotomy of religious
worship was maintained through the exclusion of certain cults from the capital
city. Such cults were dedicated to culture heroes—once-famous warriors,
magicians, and court figures who came into conflict with the king. Fleeing from
the capital, they sought refuge in their home villages and were transformed
into natural phenomenona, mainly rivers. The villagers worship these culture
heroes as protective deities who are concerned with fertility and health.
Aspects of the human body are endowed
with spiritual power and often have shrines where they are propitiated.
Important among these are the head—the locus of a person's intelligence, will,
and ability to organize his life and that of his dependents—and the hand—source
of the individual's ability to succeed in life in the material sense.
When the Portuguese arrived in Benin,
they tried to introduce Christianity. In 1516 they built a church in the
capital city and taught the king's senior son and two important chiefs how to
read. Their efforts to spread the Christian faith were not successful.
Missionary efforts increased substantially with colonialism, and today there
are churches of every conceivable denomination in Benin City, including Hare
Krishna, and some missionary outposts in villages. Church participation
frequently occurs side by side with indigenous ancestral and herbal practices.
Religious Practitioners. There are two main categories of religious specialists: priest ( ohen )
and diviner/herbalist ( obo ) . A priest, who
can be either male or female, undergoes a long series of initiation rites
before specializing in performing a wide variety of ceremonies and
communicating directly, often through trance, with his or her patron deity.
Such priests can be found presiding over congregations in cities and villages,
as well as in the countryside. The diviner/healer, usually male, specializes in
some branch of magical activity such as curing, divining, handling witches, or
administering ordeals.
Arts. The Benin Kingdom is well known for its brass and ivory sculpture, which
is found in museums throughout the world. These objects were produced for the
king and the nobility by members of craft guilds in Benin City. Among the most
famous Benin works of art are the brass (often mislabeled "bronze")
commemorative heads topped by elaboratly carved ivory tusks that are placed on
the royal ancestral altars and the rectangular brass plaques depicting court
ceremonies and war exploits that used to decorate the pillars of the palace. In
the villages, devotees of local deified culture heroes perform rituals
employing a variety of different kinds of masks some of wood, others of cloth
or red parrot feathers, to honor these deities and appeal for health and
well-being.
SARAYA AUDU JOSHUA
KUW/U14/SLG/2004
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