PRAYER IN EDOLAND.
(ERHUMWUN VBẸ OTẸDO)
======================= Prayer is part of the Edo people way of life. The Edo people are born with prayer, this has been before the foundation of the kingdom in 40BC. Benin kingdom which is now part of today Nigeria, West Africa. The Benin kingdom is the second surviving kingdom on earth today, the people of the kingdom are called the edo’s before the West came which are made up of today Edo, Delta, Lagos, Ondo, Bayelsa,Ekiti and part of Kogi State.
Prayer is one of the oldest culture of the edo people and those who migrated from the kingdom. Prayer play a very important role in every family life and group activities, community activities and national activities.
Prayer is always offered when you receive visitors especially male visitors or you pay visit to friends,strangers, in-laws and families especially when drinks or kola nut are offer or both. This can be done at home, along the wayside and a certain designated place such as town halls, place of gathering, ancestral shrine…
The Edo people believe so much on prayers because is one ways they believe they can communicate with their creator; God (Osa), which they believe is the highest, their ancestors, their departed love ones, the gods of their lands and to make good wishes and blessings.
All events such as: marriage, naming ceremony, ordination into various age group or positions, festivals, farming and harvest season or time, meetings, before going on a journey, celebration of birthday and burial and remembering of departed love one all commence with prayers.
Prayers in Edoland are offers by the most elderly male or a Royal male personality in an event. In term of visiting someone at home the prayer is offer by the visitor no matter his age. During prayers individual names are called to assign special prayer for such person or names are called in groups to also receive special prayers. Prayers can also be offered; to the lands, crops, animals,seasons and time…,during special events. Before the prayer commence if kola nut is available it’s broken by the receiver and pass round by the most youngest male (female are prohibited to pass kola nuts), from the most elderly male to pick which then goes around by seniority among every one present to pick from the plate both male and female. Female also offer prayers especially if the event is a female event.Prayer are offer when drink, kola nut or both are offered or available, no matter the kind of drink offered or available, preferably alcoholic drink like gin (kakin) but the kola nut most be the pink color type which is regarded as the traditional approved kola nut for blessing, in the absent of it the yellow one can be use in order not to pray without kola nuts, prayers are followed by amen (isẹẹ or asẹ) during or at the end of every prayers. Prayers are also offers when gift are given sometimes without kola nut or drinks.
During the prayer some drink are poured to the ground sometimes with some pieces of kola nut as a symbol of respect to those in the spirit world this is only done by the elderly male who have no living father while those with father place the pieces of the kola in their big toe.
Doing the prayers, all the best wishes as the spirit leads are poured out to everyone present and non present; as far as the baby in the womb, if a pregnant woman or her husband is present, sometimes to the unborn children of a newly married couples and sometimes to those who have pass away if the event is related to them. Only the edo’s especially those that have a direct blood relationship with the aborigines of the edoland have the right to pray with kola nut in any given event they are present no matter their age except they give the most elderly person present the authorization to do the prayer if he feel or sees the most elderly person in the event knows about how prayers are offers in Edo land and also if such elder deserves such honour to lead the prayer in such event.
At the conclusion of all prayers, honour and praise are given to the king (ọba)of the Edoland by the person given the prayer by saying Long live the king (ọba gha tọ kpẹ re) by raising his right hand and we live long too (ma gha vbe tọ kpẹ re), then everyone present including the giver of the prayer will shout amen (isẹẹ).🙌🏾✊🏾🙌🏾
Written by: Osazee Ogbebor Imasogie.
Note: The purpose of this piece is to make everyone know that Christianity didn’t teach the Edo people how to pray or teach them to know God. The edo’s are closed to God maybe different from the Christian perspective.
Photo of Great Benin Kingdom map by: Great Benin Descendants (GBD).
Iyasẹ N'ọhẹnmwẹn Family 