The name Ẹwẹka is a pure Edo name of the people of Benin kingdom which mean the following:
1). the family/lineage will never end
2). The empire/kingdom will never end.
Ẹwẹka derived it root from an edo ancient name Ẹwae which mean family/lineage and empire/kingdom. Ẹwae na ẹ ghi ka / Ẹwae ẹ ghi ka > Ẹwẹka. Every edo name go like this: Osi ọmọ ghi fo > Osifo, Ẹguae gha vuọn ọba ghọghọ yi > Ẹguaevuọn,… Let’s look at the two crisis or events that produce Ẹwẹka I and Ẹwẹka II.
Ẹwẹka I was a direct descendant of ọba Owodo the last ogiso of the ogiso dynasty of the Igodomigodo (Benin Kingdom-Edoland) land in the 12th century. Owodo died without knowing his only son Ikaladerhan was alive who he order his execution because of his first wife Esagho falsely reported against, when she came from the consultations of the oracle divination, that Ikaladerhan was the cause of the problem in the harem of the king.
Ikaladerhan was let go by the executioners because they know he was innocent. He was told never to returned to his father land again. When Owodo died without any other male child the throne was empty and administrator Evian was in charged of the leadership of the kingdom for a period of time.
There was a great power crisis to the throne in the land that moved few of those who know whereabouts Ikaladerhan to sent for him to come and take over the throne of his forefathers in order to end the power struggles. Ikaladerhan who was now very old sent his son Ọmọnọyan who later gave birth to a son which take the name Ẹwẹka during the marble game ( traditional consecrated marbles) brought before him as ordered by his father which mean this family/lineage will never end and this kingdom/empire will never end.
Many thought that the family lineage was ended but the reappearance of the ogiso lineage was a great light in the kingdom and the name Ẹwẹka stand as a degree that the family or the empire will never end, there will be an heir to the throne and the kingdom or empire will never end no matter how enemies will try.
Ẹwẹka II the son of ọba Ovoramwen who was deposed by the British and exiled in Calabar. The British invaded Benin kingdom in 1897, raided the city and burnt down the remains they looted to bring the kingdom to an end. But the Edo people resisted them and disobeyed their orders and declared them as enemies of the land including those (some of the indigenes who collaborated with them) whom they appointed to join them to run the affairs of the land. The war was fiercest to the points that many thought the king and his entire family was destroyed and taken into exile, for that no one to continue with the throne which his hereditary by the eldest male child.
In 1914 after the death of ọba Ovoramwen the British gave way for the installation of ọba Ovoramwen elder son who was hidden during the war unknown to many he was alive. He became ọba Ẹwẹka II who take possession of his father throne after ( the British) knowing that that is the only way the Edo people can accept to be governed. This name was taken the second time to let everyone know that this family/lineage will never end and this empire/kingdom will never end.
Revealed & Written by Osazee F. Ogbebor Imasogie. © all right reserved.
The purpose of this piece of revelation is to correct the anomalies that has been on historical space for a very long period put forward by some historians of non-edo extractions to mislead everyone who loved to study the history of Benin kingdom of the edo people. I urge every citizens of Edo Nation to stop joining others to spread the anomalies that the name Ẹwẹka got it root from Ọwọmika which some historians say is a Yoruba words and which they say it means; my hands has killed it. The most funny of it is that, this so called words by some historians has no Yoruba meaning in any available Yoruba dictionary or bear as a name by any Yoruba extraction both in and outside the communities. I will urge everyone to do findings about this new revelations and leave their comments on the comments space.
Like, share, comment and visit wordpress.com/block-editor/post/iyasenohenmwen.family.blog/225 If you enjoyed, learnt and convinced this piece has cleared the controversies of this name ẸWẸKA.
OGISO OWODO, ESAGHO AND IKALADERHAN SAGAS.
An extract from edoworld.net >ogiso Owodo list of ogiso in benin kingdom.
He had only a son called Ikaladerhan who was the hope of continuing the dynasty. Other women had no children. All efforts to make them have children failed. The wives led by the senior wife Esagho continued to clamour for children. Due to this pressure Owodo sent Esagho to an oraclist in company of his servants to find out the cause. The oracle claimed that Esagho was responsible for the barrenness of the women and unless Esagho was killed, the women would not produce children. On their way back Esagho begged for her dear life and asked the servants to tell Ogiso that the oracle held Ikaladerhan responsible and Ikaladerhan should be killed Esagho promised them fantastic gifts and also threatened that if they failed to abide with her instructions, she would lie to the Ogiso that the servants had an affair with her along the road The men knowing what Esagho could do became afraid and accepted. to change the message of the oracle. When they arrived Esagho told her husband and co-wives that Ikaladerhan was responsible .for their barrenness and unless he was killed no one could bear any child and they would remain fever barren. After much pressure, Ogiso Owodo agreed to kill Ikaladerhan, the only hope of the throne in order to have more children. This shows again how weak Ogiso Owodo was. However Owodo was depressed, but as a weak king, there was nothing he could do. He ordered Ikaladerhan to be executed. The executioners saw Owodo as a thoughtless father who would take decision without giving it much thought and weighing the consequences. They took pity on Ikaladerhan and freed him at a village called. Urhuokhokho along Ekehuan Ughoton road. They killed a chicken and used the chicken’s blood to rub their swords to give the impression that they had really executed Ikaladerhan. They let Ikaladerhan with the promise never to come back to Igodomigodo so as to save their lives from the hands of Ogiso Owodo They knew that it was not Ikaladerhan that the oracle recommended to be kill. kaladerhan purported execution are still remembered in a Benin song that; Ede , ne a khun Ikaladerhan Ame kaka maa rho Oven kaka maa yunmwun Ede susu aro vbe ne o khje Errio agbon vbe erinmwin vbe khie Meaning: On Ikaladerlian exile Not a drop of rain did fall And sun withdrew her ray The day was dull with grieving As it was set avenging. Ikaladerhan wandered away and stopped at Ughoton. The Olughoton or Okeavho took him and cared for him. He finally left when news reached him that his father was already aware of his presence in Ughoton. Three years passed after the purported execution of Ikaladerhan. None of .Ogiso Owodo’s wives was still able to become pregnant. Investigation then revealed that Esagho had master minded the whole story. She was killed. And an attempts were made to bring Ikaladerhan back but he refused to return.
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Iyasẹ N'ọhẹnmwẹn Family 