Nigeria with its 36 states is blessed with various tribes and ethnic groups, with their respective languages, rich cultural heritage and traditions. Each of these tribes have their various festivals. But out of all the festivals, the IGUE FESTIVAL which means the king's festival stand out in Benin kingdom.
Igue festival is the most biggest and extravagant festival celebrated by oba (king) and the people of Benin city, Edo state Nigeria. It is celebrated every first fourteen days in the month of December to marks the end of the year and usher in the new year. We Benin people sees it as a thanksgiving ceremony for the outgoing year.
Igue festival brings good luck and it is the beliefs of we Edo people that the luck of our monarch is intertwined with the people over which the monarch reigns. The Oba is the embodiment of the Edo culture and his luck automatically becomes ours. So, we look up to him for leadership.
According to Bini history, the Igue festival has been celebrated for more than 1000 years and it is traditionally celebrated with much pomp and grandeur.
The festival usually begins with the anointing of the Oba's head with a native chalk. This signify purity.
The Igue festival, which is a period for offering thanks to the gods for sparing our lives and to ask for blessings, is also a period for offering sacrifices to some shrines in the king's palace to drive away evil spirits.
During this period, chieftaincy title holders display their Eben emblem in the Ugie dance as they appear in their traditional attire, according to the type of dress the Oba bestowed on individual chiefs during the conferment of title, while the Oba seats majestically in the royal chamber.
Ancestral gods are worshipped for protection and propitiation done in the various palace societies. The shrines are considered holy and therefore defied traditionally. The Oba (king)pays homage at the shrines and he is accompanied by some of his chiefs. Indeed, it is a period of merriment, rituals and dancing.
The festival is a combination of different ceremonies in relation to the Oba. The festival celebrates Ugie Iron which is to re-enact the victories of the past kings and in memory of all the ancestors. This is the most flamboyant of the ceremonies. The Oba is joined in this celebration by the people. He is dressed in full coral regalia and performs the ritual dance with the Eben (traditional sword) in honor of his father.
After the performances, the Oba then proceeds to pay homage to Oba Ozolua (the great warrior king of the kingdom). He then proceeds to offer prayers and ask for ancestral guidance during the ceremony, after which he is purified by the Ewaise guild. This ceremony is marked by a wonderful display of dance steps (Ugie, Esakpaide, Ohogho) by the elegantly dressed chiefs. And the Iloi (Queens) in their Okuku (hairdo). It is a rare occasion of their public appearance.
This includes the symbolic throwing into the air and catching of the traditional sword. There is a penalty if the swords fall to the ground.
Animals are slaughtered and the blood used to anoint the head, hands and feet of the Oba.
The festival is concluded with the Ugie Ewure ceremonies in This is a colorful and flamboyant event which involves the chiefs dancing in their attires to the palace along with their followers.
The Ewere leaf is used as a New Year gift to all Edo people. The Isologbe (happy New Year) greeting echoes around the city after the conclusion of the festival. Friends and family members gather at each other's homes to partake in the feasts that each household has prepared. We Spend the entire day partying, dining, and dancing.
Every burial or funeral ceremonies are put on hold in Benin kingdom during the celebration of the Igue festival. This is because Igue is regarded as a joyous occasion that should not be marred by any type of public sadness.
I love IGUE festival so much and I have attended it on two occasions. It is so unique that the practice still remains unchanged for over 1000 years. It has endured and continues to retain its main features despite modernization in all aspects of political, economic, sociological and technological development. The Benin Kingdom still pays so much attention to traditional matters because our tradition is supreme.
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