Witchcraft in Classical Benin Spirituality
Oluwatoyin Vincent Adepoju
Compcros
Comparative Cognitive Processes and Systems
"Exploring Every Corner of the Cosmos in Search of Knowledge"
Devotional Spirituality and Witchcraft
It is true, as Steve Ogbonmwan states( see below), that Benin traditional religion is not identical with witchcraft, however witchcraft is defined.
He also states that witchcraft occurs everywhere.
I want to add that a discussion of classical Benin spirituality is incomplete without a discussion of ideas of witchcraft and magic, which, in my view, are central to the spirituality.
Ogbonmwan's summation of classical Benin religion is a focus on an aspect of its devotional and benign face.
Devotion implies reverence to a higher power who you request to grant blessings.
Praying to Witches
Interestingly, in classical Benin spirituality, people may also pray to witches.
Up till 2002, I used to observe an awesome okhan tree at the Ogba Forest Reserve festooned with various kinds of ritual implements, used to appeal for help to the witches from Benin and neighbouring places believed to congregate at the tree, according to a Benin traditional religion spiritual practitioner I once watched doing a ritual at the site.
Conceptions of Witchcraft in Classical Benin Spirituality : Ethics and Ontology
Witchcraft is understood as a complex phenomenon that may involve both good and evil.
These witches may be understood as human or non-human, terrestrial-living on earth or non-terrestrial-not living on earth, as summed up by the current Isekhure of Benin [chief priest of Benin] in a conversation I had with him.
The witches may also be understood to even be trees, as described in a conversation I had with him by Osemwegie Ebohon, a well known Bini spiritualist, a man who publicly describes himself as a witch.
Trees as Psychic Facilitators and Energy Sources
In fact, as I have personally experienced, trees can be very helpful in cultivating spiritual powers and such trees are well represented in Benin.
I suspect that Benin might be unique in containing such a concentration of such powerful trees within a space of such physical dimensions.
Other urban dwellers are likely to have cut down such trees to such a point that they are difficult to find, but up till when I left Benin in 2003, they were very visible in and around the city as protected sacred trees.
As I have experienced, such trees can help you travel from place to place and interact with other people similarly endowed without conventional means of transport, whether biological-your legs- or vehicles.
As I have experienced, such trees can enable you communicate with them-the trees- and this can be done from across distances where the tree and yourself are not physically visible to each other.
One might need to decide sooner or later, though, the path one takes- for good or evil.
In fact, rather than retreat from ideas of witchcraft on account of stigmatisation, it should be studied, as
Osemwegie Ebohon has been doing for decades and training people, to the best of my knowledge.
Deity Devotion and the Supreme Being Unified in the Human Person Benin spirituality also involves devotion to various deities, of whom the most prominent seems to be Olokun, the intelligence and power of the oceans.
Iro Eweka's fantastic essay on Olokun Symbols indicates a system of relationship between Olokun, Osanobua, the supreme being, and the Oba of Benin, whom I interpret as representing the human being in general.
----- Forwarded Message -----
From: Steve Ogbonmwan
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Tuesday, June 12, 2012 6:54 PM
Subject: Edo_Global. HAS EDO TRADITIONAL RELIGION CHANGED FROM WITCHCRAFT?
From: Steve Ogbonmwan Sent: Monday, June 11, 2012 4:28
Subject: [UMAGBAE] Re: Edo_Global. HAS EDO TRADITIONAL RELIGION CHANGED FROM WITCH CRAFTERY?
Hello Otoiheoma Egbe,
I have a lot of respect for you and
your comments on the list serve but on this occasion, you are wide off the mark but tactfully redeemed yourself by asking a question. A sweetener I would say for a bitter pill you are distributing.
The Benin Traditional religion is not 'witch craftery' as you have alleged.Witch craft dates back to ancient Egypt, in Persia, in Greece, in India, and the East generally where there was a definite place assigned to magic; which is the use of an unseen and powerful agency for the purpose of creating confusion, bestowing evil, taking revenge, and doing all the works of the old time "Devil."
For the above reasons witchcraft and black magic have a strong family relationship, so one can conclude that the arts they use are in many cases identical.
On the other hand, the Benin Traditional Religion is Ancestral worship and the worship of great men, warriors, achievers.
Every Benin family has an ancestral shrine represented by
an 'Ukhure' in the family compound where they call on the spirit of their ancestors for good harvest, pray for rains, fertility of the women, good health and before going to war for victory etc
Before calling on the Ancestral spirits, the Benins call on the Supreme God we call Osanobua (God the Creator of the universe), OSA nudazi, OSA no se na ga(God worthy to be worshipped) before calling on the names of the family ancestors. Benin people are extremely religious people.
The Benins say Osanobua kevbe which translate into God and.....
It is similar to when the Christians edify God by saying the God of Isaac, the God Jacob and the God of Abraham. There is nothing magical or witchcraft about it.
A lot of the commentators are unfortunately confused and aim to embarrass the Benin people on daily basis on these fora by spurring out lies and skewed information to make themselves happy, or embarrass our people.
Any
scholar who wishes to have information about Benin Tradition and custom he or she should obtain it from a reliable source not from these half true writers who knows next to nothing about Benin custom and tradition.
There is black magic and witchcraft in every tribe from Europe to America, from the Atlantic Ocean in south of Nigeria to the fringes of Sahel Savannah in the north of Nigeria. There are witch craft societies in Europe and members have characteristic wired look and mode of dressing and they are very proud of their religion.
Finally, my hope is that every Benin man or woman will strive to preserve the Benin Traditional Ancestral worship as it is way of life of our people just like Judaism is to the Jews, Hindu to the Indians, Islam to Moslem etc.
In this world of globalisation, we should preserve what is unique to the Benins or our culture may disappear altogether as we follow follow follow alien religion. Unfortunately
I am also guilty of this 'follow follow attitude' No matter what, I will always uphold the Benin Tradition and Custom.
I hope the above will satisfy your purpose.
SEO Ogbonmwan.
Sent from my iPhone
If we are only for ourselves what are our lives for? Make a difference; make the world a better place.
Dr Stephen E Ogbonmwan
__._,_.___
.
![]()
__,_._,___
