Odigba: The Highest of Honors
Neck rings in Edo Culture
Welcome to the third of this year’s MA Quarterly Essay series, and Part 4 of an investigation into the symbolism of neck rings in African ornamental culture.
In Part 1, we examined the occurrence of neck rings in different African cultures.
In Part 2, we used proverbs and poetry to explore African beliefs about the symbolism and aesthetic appeal of the neck with the attendant connotations of power, vulnerability and beauty.
In Part 3, we focused on the the Zulu of South Africa to examine the cultural significance of neck rings their traditional culture.
In this essay, we turn our attention to the Edo of Nigeria to examine how neck rings act as an indicator of royal favor.
Brass-cast busts of Obas (kings) made using the lost wax method are the most well-known objets d’art from the Edo of Nigeria. The distinctive feature of these busts are their ringed necks, representing odigba, the circlets or rows of coral beads Obas wear around their neck and gift to worthy subjects.
The Edo: A Brief History
There are multiple stories about the origins of the Edo people. By one account, they have occupied Edoland in southern Nigeria since the beginning of time. By another account, they migrated to their present location from as far east as Egypt. In yet other accounts, the Edo people share a common origin with the Yoruba in the sacred city of Ile Ife. The best available evidence, however, suggests that the Edo (also known as Bini) trace their origins to migrants from the Niger-Benue confluence area in central Nigeria who moved south and settled in present day Edoland in the first millennium BC. By the 15th century, the Benin kingdom, as it came to be known, was one of the most powerful entities on the west African coast. Benin City, capital of the kingdom, so impressed European traders and administrators, they wrote numerous accounts detailing its size, layout and complex culture which included a stable system of administration, an organized army, and guilds for artists and craftsmen. Although the kingdom fell to the British in the late 1800s, the Edo people persist as one of the most visible ethnic groups in present day Nigeria where they are found mostly in Edo state.
Edo people are ruled by traditional rulers called Obas. Obas act as custodians of the people and their culture. Ewuare II, the current Oba of Benin is the 40th in a line of Obas dating as far back as the 11th century. Edo people organize themselves into villages, village groups and chiefdoms over which the Oba rules. Each of these units are headed by individual or councils of hereditary chiefs known as Onogie or Odiowere. According to tradition, Onogie and Odiowere settle disputes, regulate affairs, and organize labour and tribute collection on behalf of the Oba. The Edo a male-centred society with male rulers and a focus on patrilineal associations in the organization of families. However, women are respected and the Iyobas or Queen Mothers hold significant power, traditionally serving as royal advisors and Town Chiefs tasked with administering a portion of the kingdom for the Oba.
The arts and crafts guilds of the Edo people are well organized and renowned for their distinctive artistry. Within the guilds are groups like the Iwebo association which is responsible for maintaining the art and regalia of the Oba. The Iwebo association includes specialized artists such as the Iguneronmwori who are the guild of bronze casters, the Igbesanmwan who are the guild of wood and ivory carvers, the Onwina, the carpenters' guild, and the Onwina n'Edo, the weavers' guild. The Edo also have guilds for potters, blacksmiths, and more.
Copper, brass, bronze, gold, iron, and other metals, as well as materials like ivory, coral, clay, leather, and plant fibres are used in Edo ornamental art. As in other parts of the continent, in the past, copper, brass, and bronze were highly valued and almost exclusively used in the service of the Oba and the royal palace. Red coral sourced from the Mediterranean (or ivie ebo as it is called in the Edo language) occupies a special place in Edo culture.
Treasure from the Ocean
Red coral was introduced to the kingdom by Oba Ewuare who ruled from 1440 to 1473. He pioneered trade with the Portuguese, exchanging pepper, camwood, ivory, and cotton cloth for coral, copper and brass manillas, cowry shells from the Maldives and textiles from Europe and India. Red coral is a highly prized material in Edo culture because it is believed to contain the spiritual power (ase) of Olokun, Owner of the Sea, a deity venerated not only in Edoland but also by the Yoruba in nearby Yorubaland. According to Edo oral tradition, Oba Ewuare dove deep into the sea and travelled to Olokun’s court where he found the deity in a palace furnished with brass vessels, and decked in a tall red coral helmet crown, a thick red coral collar which covered his neck and lower chin and intricately wrought red coral garments. Upon his return to land, Oba Ewuare organized his royal court and its accoutrements according to what he saw in Olokun’s palace, adopting the deity’s coral and brass paraphernalia as his own. This folklore about how red coral and brass were introduced to Edo society is generally believed to be representative of Oba Ewuare’s contact with and commencement of trade with the Portuguese who arrived by sea and thus were initially perceived as messengers of Olokun.
The Highest of Honors
All red coral is owned exclusively by the Oba. Traditionally, the enisen who are junior members of the Iwebo association are tasked with carving, smoothening, and stringing red coral beads into odigbas. Odigbas can be stiff circular neck collars or lose necklaces. Obas gift odigbas to Iyobas and other chiefs, titleholders, and members of palace associations, with the requirement that they be returned to the palace when the recipient dies. Odigbas are awarded in solemn ceremonies during the coral festival and the quantity a person wears indicates their rank in Edo society, reason why Obas have royal regalia: crown, collar, robe, ornaments, and even shoes made entirely of coral. In the past, losing an odigba gifted by the Oba could incur a death penalty.
To the Edo, therefore, neck rings made of red coral beads are a symbol of favor especially as associated with the Oba who, traditionally, grants the right to wear them.
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