EDO RELIGION

by

Segun Toyin Dawodu

segun@edo-nation.net
 
 
 
Like the Egyptians, the Binis believe in many gods and life after death. Their
religion grew up from many sources. Some gods and beliefs (or the guiding
spirits) of every family were inherited from the first people who settled in
Benin; Some were introduced by Obas, e.g. Ekoko, Awanuroho, etc, by Oba
Ewuare, and Orumworia by Oba Ozolua; others were introduced by priests
and religious thinkers, e.g. Osanughegbe by Okhionkpaimwonyi.
Those apart, the Binis also worship those phenomena they did not understand
in nature e.g. too much rain, too much sun, thunder, the sky, etc. Altogether,
they worship over 800 gods. These can be classified as follow:
DEITIES (ERINMWIN NOHUANREN)
HERO-DEITIES (IHEN)
SPIRITS OF THE DEPARTED (ERINMWIN N'OWA).
 
DEITIES (ERINMWIN NOHUANREN)
 
1. OSANOBUA or OSA - The Chief or Supreme God. The god of god.
He is also referred to as Oriole, Udazi, Akpama, Okodudu,
Oghodua andOhovba.
2. OLOKUN - The god Olokun is to the Binis as Athena is to the Greeks.
It is the god of the sea - giver of good luck, riches and children. It is
also called EZIZA. The Olokun worshipping is more for the women
folk. It is worshipped throughout the year; but its annual festival is
regular during which period, the priest/priestess and worshippers pray
for peace and plenty for the society, and the women pray for children
and money. Its worship is done with songs accompanied with drums
(ema olokun), maracass (ukuse) and gongs (egogo), to summon the
attention of the god. The Priest/Priestess or worshipper dances to
inspiration point and starts visionizing and telling the future.
3. OBIEMWEN - Mother of human beings. The goddess in charge of
child delivery.
4. OGIUWU - The god of death. He eats human flesh and human blood is
the fluid he drinks. Ofoe is his chief messenger.
5. ESU - Devil. The controller of coup d'etats. He is the god of hell. He is
the director of art, power, cunning and all knowledge. He is more
 feared and better served than the good God who is harmless. Any
misfortune is taken as his handwork.
6. ISO - Sky. Holder of lights and water.
 
HERO-DEITIES (IHEN)
These are men or women, some of whom turned themselves into some natural
features e.g rivers, ponds, hills, etc.
History holds them as mythical and semi-mythical figures of the past.
The Edos have many of them which they worship with reverence.
These deities have their cults or shrines at their locations of origin, ususally
village wide. Although several villages, in some cases worship one deity.
Some examples of such are:
 
  DEITIES Villages where worshipped

1 OKHUAIHE EVBIEKOI, IKPE, IKHUEN-NIRO, etc

2 EBOMISI UGO N'EKI

3 OGIERUMWANBO OKA

4 ORAVAN IRHIRHI

5 IZALOGHA ISI

6 AKE ISI

7 OVATO IGIEDUMA

8 OGAN EKHUAE

9 IREGHEZI EKAE

10 EZUKU OGAN

11 EKIORHO IYEKOGBA

12 IGBAGHON UGO N'IYEKORHIONMWON

13 EREDE USEN

14 AWANUROHO UROHO

15 OVIA UNUAMEN, UHOGUA, OGHEGHE,

OKHUNMWUN

16 EKOKO UTE

17 ERINMWINDE EGO
18 ORINMWIORIA UTEKON

19 ISE UTEKON

20 ERUMIAN AHOR

21 OKHUO ISI

22 IKHOKHO IGUOGHO, UGBAYON

23 OKPO OZA

24 ORUE OKA

25 ADABI ORA, BENIN-CITY

26 OVBO UZALA

27 OSA UZALA

28 EGBAEN IWU

29 ERUVBI UTEKON

30 ERHAN VB'IRI UGIEGHUDU

31 IREWE (Ebo n'uvunokuta) IYEKOVIA

32 ARO-ISO UGBEKUN

33 ERHUNMWOGBE UHI

34 IGBILE UGHOTON

35 ODIGHI EHOR

36 OZELA AYEN

37 EKPENEDE BENIN-CITY

38 ARENBO BENIN-CITY

39 EMIHE BENIN-CITY

40 EKHIBI BENIN-CITY

41 AGBAGHUZALE BENIN-CITY

42 EMOTAN BENIN-CITY
 
SPIRITS OF THE DEPARTED (ERINMWIN N'OWA)
This is the ancestral or lineage shrine.
When a father or a mother dies in Benin, the children make an altar aro-
erinmwin in his or her memory. It is here sacrifices are made. It is composed
of Ukhure - Staves, Eroro - Bell, and objects.
 
EBO (JUJU)
These are also deities - in their special class.
The deities listed in the first paragraph above also fit in here.
 
OGUN - god of iron and war.
OSUN - god of medicine and charms (worshipped by professional doctors)
OTO - Soil (Edion). The keeper of the peace of the land.