Growing up with a large family was fun, especially when you get to grow up with grand parents. i grew up with my grandmother who so much believe in myths and superstitious beliefs, she tells us all kinds of interesting and scary stories of our culture(bini kingdom).
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She was jovial, kind and lovely. one of the story she shared when it was always Full Moon was the story of two princes which says Prince Idubor also known as arhuhan, was the son of Oba Ozoula and has a brother known as prince Osawe who succeeded Oba Ozoula and took the title of Oba Esigie while arhuhan was the duke of Udoh in ovia southwest local government a community in Edo state.
The princes were sons of the two wives of Oba Ozoula, queen Idia the famous face of the FESTAC mask was the mother of prince Osawe, while queen Orhomi was Idubor’s mother, Orhomi gave birth to Idubor few hours before Osawe arrived but because Idubor did not cry immediately after birth, Osawe who did was reported first to the king according to the Benin tradition.
However, by the time Idubor cried his mother quickly reported his birth to the king, but the king has already performed the proclamation rights of Osawe of queen Idia as the first son, this created bitter quarrel between the two brothers when they grew up as Idubor was very bitter that his younger brother was proclaimed the first son and the heir to the throne when it was supposed to be him.
Prince Idubor as the duke of Udoh refused to accept a subordinate rule to his brother Oba Esigie. He first tried to make Udoh the capital of Benin kingdom with himself as king; this resulted to battle of supremacy of the two brothers.
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According to a myth told, a last battle was to be held, prince Idubor told his son Onioni to stay at home and wait for his return and told his household when they hear the sound of the magical bell in his house, they should know he has been conquered.
At the war front, he saw a resemblance of himself without proper check he pierced the warrior with his spear, later he found out that the warrior he killed was his son Onioni whom he has earlier told to stay at home, and while he was returning home the magical bell was sounding and they all believed he has been conquered, the wife jumped into a lake.
When prince Idubor (arhuhan) got home he found out that his wife has jumped into the lake he also jumped into the lake.
According to stories, the lake has remained the untouched till today, as no one is allowed to step into it, they believe doing so a great calamity may befall, it also believed it is forbidden to kill or eat any animal around the lake.
After stories like this my grandma will ask us to look at the Full Moon and ask us to sing the usual song before we go to bed “I see the moon, the moon see me, God bless the moon and God bless me”.
This always made me anticipate for more stories every night and also made have a deep knowledge of my culture history