The Origin of Oduduwa [Izudowa or
Ekhaladerhan of Igodomigodo or Benin in Edo State, Nigeria and of the Yoruba people] #thread

Igodomigodo kingdom (The Key that Open the Key) is the historical first name of the now Benin Empire, as called by its own inhabitants.

Igodomigodo people were ruled by the Ogisos, Because the kings (Ogisos) of Bini are considered divine, they are worshipped by their subjects who speak to them always with great reverence, at a distance and on bended knees due to their high sense of spiritually.

The Ogisos are of the lineage of the creation God (Osanubua) whose youngest son believed by the Igodomigodo people and Yoruba people to have chosen a snail release endless stream of sand resulting in the emergence of land from the waters where he became the ruler of the Earth.

The kings had immense political powers, as ultimate judges in court matters, the deliverers of death penalty, the receivers of taxes and tributes, the regulators of trade, the nominal owners of the land of the kingdom, and principal custodians of customs and traditions etc.

The first Ogiso king was called Ogiso Igodo and his kingdom Igodomigodo capital was at Ugbekun. Ogiso Igodo's successor, Ogiso Ere, transferred the capital from Ugbekun to Uhudumwunrun.
Ogiso Ere was a very resourceful king.

He introduced the guild system of carpenters  and wood carvers, which eventually developed into the world celebrated wood works and bronze casting of Igun Street in Benin City.
Ogiso Ere also built the first ever Igodomigodo market known then as Ogiso market now Agbado Market.

Ogiso Ere, a lover of peace, invented the famous African kingship paraphernalia which includes the Ada (a sword of honour), Eben (a sword for dancing), Ekete (a royal stool), Agba (a rectangular stool) and Epoki (a leather box).

Ogiso Ere was succeeded by Ogiso Orire, maintaining the primogeniture (son succeeding his father) principle. The fourth dynasty on the death of Orire introduced the system of gerontocracy (the oldest person in the community rules).

The 23rd Ogiso extended the primogeniture rule to all his frontline chiefs known collectively as the Edion (Elders).
The Edion included Chief Oliha, Edohen, Ero, Ezomo and Eholo-Nire.  Ogiso Ibioye, another resourceful king introduced the use of cowries as currency to Igodomigodo

The last of the Ogiso kings was called Owodo. He reigned in the 12th century AD and had only one child (a male) despite having many wives. In attempt to unravel the cause of his wives' barrenness, he sent his first wife Esagho and three male messengers to consult an oracle.

The oracle named Esagho as the cause. To avoid the wrath and punishment of the king, Esagho threatened to lie to the king that the male messengers had carnal relationship with her (an act carrying death penalty), if they revealed the oracle's declaration.

The messengers connive with Esagho and told the king that the oracle fingered his only son, Ekhaladerhan as the cause of his wives' barrenness and that Prince Ekhaladerhan had to be killed to reverse the situation.

The king, angered by the development but reluctant to take the life of his only child, banished Ekhaladerhan and his mother to a place called Ughoton on the outskirts of Igodomigodo kingdom.

Three years after the banishment, Owodo's wives were still barren so he sent another set of messengers to the oracle. It was then that the truth about Esagho's treachery was revealed.
Esagho was executed as punishment and still the king's wives remained barren.

However, Ogiso Owodo, apart from his domestic problems, was not a very popular king and his execution of a pregnant woman for some misdemeanor, proved to be one offence too many for his subjects and frontline chiefs who banished Owodo from his throne. He took refuge Uhinwinrin.

When he died in Uhinwinrin, The death of Ogiso Owodo created leadership vacuum for the first time in Igodomigodo's history.
The people were not prepared to countenance a mere mortal from a non-Ogiso lineage ruling them. It had to be the God-son's first son or nothing.

It was during this period of confusion that the elders, known as Edionisen, including Chiefs Edohen, Ero and led by Oliha mounted a search for their banished Prince Ekaladerhan.
In the meantime, Ekaladerhan had set up a settlement he called 'Ilefe,' (meaning successful escape).

He changed his name to 'Izoduwa,' (meaning I have chosen the path of prosperity).
He brought more civilization and spirituality to the Yoruba People and became the spiritual leader of the Ifa divinity.

Izoduwa's new home, 'Ilefe' was in the heart of Yoruba land and because of his immense magic powers soon endeared himself to his Yoruba community which included some Uzebu (corrupted in Yoruba to Ijebu) who had followed him into exile from Igodomigodo, and treated him as a god.

The Yoruba corrupted his name Izoduwa to 'Oduduwa' and his camp, 'Ilefe' to 'Ile-Ife.'
The yoruba (who call The Creator, Olodumare), saw Oduduwa as a direct descendant, which he claimed as a result of his God-son lineage, although his banishment link with was kept as a Secret.

In fact, the Yoruba believed he was a deity from the sky as he claimed and accorded him great reverence as their leading ancestor.
Oduduwa's first son was by a Yoruba woman called Okanbi.
He named him Omonoyan ( precious child in Bini) which the Yoruba corrupted to 'Oranmiyan.'

To be continued on how the Igodomigodo people got the name Bini or Benin and how they got their first Oba....

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