This is a story about one of the great Queens of the ancient Benin Kingdom, in Edo State, who sacrificed her life to ensure the Kingdom stood till this day.
She was Queen Iden, who according to Benin History, laid down her life for the preservation of the Kingdom. She was the courageous and loyal wife of Oba Ewuakpe who ruled the Benin Kingdom from around 1700AD.
History had it that she eventually sacrificed herself for the people. Ancient Benin folklore had it that between 1440 to 1473 AD, Oba Ewuare had prophesied that a time would come when the Benin Kingdom would experience bad times and his prophecy came to pass during the reign of Oba Ewuakpe.
According to the folktale, Oba Ewuakpe’s reign was not a good one, as a time came when his subjects started revolting against him. Eventually, his wives, servants and palace chiefs abandoned him, except for one of his wives, Queen Iden. Things were so tough for him that he had to relocate to his mother’s village, Ikoka, where the people also rejected him.
Disheartened by their behavior, he came back to Benin with Queen Iden as the only person he could rely on. Queen Iden decided to inquire of an Oracle to know the source of her husband’s woes and how to put an end to it.
According to the Oracle, the only way for normalcy to return to the kingdom was for a human sacrifice to be performed to appease the gods.
Queen Iden came back bearing the message from the Oracle to the King who was distraught because there was no other human being he could use, free or bond besides his wife, Queen Iden, and since his subjects were no longer loyal to him, it was impossible to get someone who was willing to do it.
It was then Queen Iden volunteered herself to be used for the sacrifice demanded by the gods. The idea was initially rejected by the king, until it became glaring that she wouldn’t back down, he eventually conceded and buried her alive on the spot near Oba market in the heart of Benin city.
However before she was sacrificed, she requested that her grave site be kept clean at all times and that no person should tread on her grave else such trespasser should be killed as a mark of respect for her, which was strictly adhered to, until the Benin invasion by the British forces in 1897.
As soon as Oba Ewuakpe conducted the sacrificial rituals, the kingdom started experiencing calm as prominent chiefs called for a truce between the Oba and his aggrieved subjects.
It wasn’t long before the entire kingdom was reconciled back and remained loyal to the royal majesty till the end of his reign.
The king told the subjects about the loyal sacrifice of his wife Iden, who gave her life for the kingdom. Her tomb still lies near Oba market, Benin city, at the spot where she was buried alive till this day.
