Speaker 1: Welcome to Noble Blood, a production of iHeartRadio and Grim
Speaker 1: and Mild from Aaron Manky. Listener discretion advised, Hey, this
Speaker 1: is Danish Schwartz. Just one quick personal note before we
Speaker 1: begin today's episode. I have a new book coming out.
Speaker 1: It is called The Arcane Arts and I wrote it,
Speaker 1: but it's actually by SD Coverly for two reasons. One
Speaker 1: because I co wrote it with a friend of mine,
Speaker 1: alternating chapters. I did the female point of view, he
Speaker 1: did the male point of view. And also because my
Speaker 1: last books were young adult and this one is a
Speaker 1: little sexier. So if you are a younger or teenage reader,
Speaker 1: this might not be the book for you, and I
Speaker 1: wanted to differentiate that. But if you are at all
Speaker 1: interested in a story about a graduate student and a
Speaker 1: professor delving into secret, forbidden magic at a grad school,
Speaker 1: please please look into the book, and if you can,
Speaker 1: it would mean the world to me if you could
Speaker 1: pre order. Pre Orders are kind of the number one
Speaker 1: thing you can do to help authors. It just shows
Speaker 1: publishers that people care about this book. So the book
Speaker 1: is The Arcane Arts. If you could pre order, and
Speaker 1: you're a fan of me and a fan of my writing,
Speaker 1: it would mean the world. Let's get into today's episode.
Speaker 1: The stakes were so high that as the hours passed,
Speaker 1: even a sacred shrine started to feel like a cramped cage.
Speaker 1: Idia had been hiding in a hallowed grove within the
Speaker 1: highest ranking chief's palace in Benin City. Since her son
Speaker 1: Essida had been crowned the ruler of the Edo people,
Speaker 1: or the Oba. It should have been a time of
Speaker 1: joyous celebration. Following years of planning and the death of
Speaker 1: the previous Oba Ozulua in fifteen oh four, or Idia
Speaker 1: had finally triumphed in making her son his successor. However,
Speaker 1: Idia was in grave danger due to the pesky custom
Speaker 1: of killing and Oba's mother once he officially began his reign.
Speaker 1: According to several studies of oral histories, this bloody practice
Speaker 1: had been carried out since the early fourteenth century in
Speaker 1: the kingdom of Benin. The question of why such ruthless
Speaker 1: sacrifices were made is fairly complicated. The short answer, as
Speaker 1: some historians posit, is that Benin chiefs wanted to prohibit
Speaker 1: influential mothers from exerting control once their sons reached the
Speaker 1: apex of the social hierarchy. The longer answer, as will
Speaker 1: explore shortly, incorporates far more nuance and context regarding Edo culture, spiritualists,
Speaker 1: and monarchical symbolism. As far as Idia was concerned. Though
Speaker 1: her son was the new Oba, and so like generations
Speaker 1: of royal mothers before her, she faced an immediate death warrant.
Speaker 1: But the upholders of Edo tradition had never before tangled
Speaker 1: with a woman like Idia. She was reportedly brilliant, charismatic, beautiful, cutthroat,
Speaker 1: and exceedingly persuasive. She was both a devoted mother and
Speaker 1: a political visionary, and she was widely believed to have
Speaker 1: the most powerful weapon in her vast arsenal magic. Consequently,
Speaker 1: Idiot's hiding place was not the result of some sudden,
Speaker 1: impromptu escape. She had had ample time to plan, and
Speaker 1: her chosen hideout was a strategic one. The Sacred Shrine
Speaker 1: was aimed after Oshoon, a god of medicine, forests, and magic,
Speaker 1: and only those initiates of sufficient supernatural prowess were allowed
Speaker 1: to enter. The arrangement was certainly no long term solution,
Speaker 1: but if the exclusive refuge could buy Idia just enough
Speaker 1: time for the rest of her plan to come to fruition,
Speaker 1: she had a chance to not only defend her life,
Speaker 1: but to forever change the power, structures and generational rituals
Speaker 1: of the entire Benen Kingdom. Still with Idiot's fate hardly
Speaker 1: resting in her own hands at that point, that was
Speaker 1: all quite a big if if she could survive at all.
Speaker 1: I'm Dana Schwartz and this is noble bloode. As some
Speaker 1: the Keen listeners may have noticed, there are many connections
Speaker 1: here to our previous episode Empires and the Benin Bronzes.
Speaker 1: This new installment will allow us to delve further into
Speaker 1: the life and legends of India, the remarkable warrior queen
Speaker 1: who inspired many of those exquisite works of art. It's
Speaker 1: also worth quickly clarifying a few terms. The Edo people
Speaker 1: are an ethnic group originating from the Edo Kingdom, which
Speaker 1: existed in different forms from roughly nine hundred AD until
Speaker 1: eighteen ninety seven. Edo states still exist in present day
Speaker 1: Nigeria and has been in City as its capital. Herein
Speaker 1: lies potential for confusion, since the Edo Kingdom is often
Speaker 1: called the Kingdom of Benin in oral histories and written accounts,
Speaker 1: but it isn't related to the Republic of Benin, the
Speaker 1: modern West African nation. According to scholars, the term Benin
Speaker 1: came from fifteenth century Portuguese traders mishearing the Edo word ubini,
Speaker 1: commonly translated to mean livable or land of the multitude.
Speaker 1: They referred to the kingdom and its people as Beni,
Speaker 1: which then became Benin around fourteen eighty five. Evidently, the
Speaker 1: terms Eto, Beni, and Benin were all used in Idia's lifetime,
Speaker 1: as well as by later generations of both African oral
Speaker 1: historians and foreign academics. Relatedly, most scholarship on the Kingdom
Speaker 1: of Benin relies on region specific oratards and artistic traditions,
Speaker 1: which have preserved information in very particular ways. Case in point,
Speaker 1: Many of the dates of Idia's life are difficult to
Speaker 1: pinpoint exactly, but major events have been memorably immortalized, especially
Speaker 1: regarding her unprecedented rise to power. As some legends have it,
Speaker 1: an oracle advised Idia's parents that she was destined to
Speaker 1: marry Oba Ozolua. Her parents were opposed to that fate
Speaker 1: and sought to prevent it by permanently scarring Idia's forehead
Speaker 1: with two large vertical incisions. Then, as a further deterrent.
Speaker 1: They got a priestess to infuse the wounds with medicinal
Speaker 1: herbs of potent supernatural power, but Oba Ozulua was impervious
Speaker 1: to that ploy. He became infatuated with Idia's charming nature
Speaker 1: and captivating dancing, and chose to marry her anyway, ultimately
Speaker 1: fulfilling the oracle's prophecy. Some historians and writers, particularly more
Speaker 1: modern African writers, claim this interpretation is flawed considering the
Speaker 1: life changing lineage, elevating wealth and power involved. They argue
Speaker 1: that it's more plausible that Idia's parents would have wanted
Speaker 1: her to marry Oba ozol Lua. It's difficult to definitively
Speaker 1: say how old Idio was when she married or how
Speaker 1: she felt about it at the time, but deeper analysis
Speaker 1: of the event points toward Idia likely having been trained
Speaker 1: in the ways of the royal court. Likewise, she was
Speaker 1: probably aware that presenting herself in a mystical, intriguing manner
Speaker 1: would make her especially attractive to an Oba. Once the
Speaker 1: lively wedding celler abrations died down, Idia thrived in her
Speaker 1: new life at the Oba's palace, as shown by her
Speaker 1: clever maneuvering among the chief's officials and Oba Ozulua's other wives.
Speaker 1: As many tales illustrate, she was able to make her
Speaker 1: son an Oba despite seep odds. This required elite understanding
Speaker 1: in three key areas, politics, military strategy, and possibly the
Speaker 1: aforementioned magic. Idia's deft political moves were on display the
Speaker 1: day her son e Sigier was born. By all accounts,
Speaker 1: he should have been third in line to succeed his
Speaker 1: father as Oba. The first of Oba Ozulua's son was
Speaker 1: Oji Digbo, and then came Aruhuan, each born to a
Speaker 1: different wife, then came Idios son Acga. Coincidentally, Aruhuan and
Speaker 1: Acga were born on the same day, with Arohuan actually
Speaker 1: arriving first, but then almost immediately losing his place in
Speaker 1: the pecking order. The reason why is a subject of debate.
Speaker 1: Some versions of the story specify that Uruhuan didn't immediately
Speaker 1: cry as a newborn, which was taken as an omen
Speaker 1: that he was unfit to be a future Oba. Other
Speaker 1: iterations state that the line of succession came down to
Speaker 1: the fact that palace officials mistakenly reported to the Oba
Speaker 1: that Acga arrived first. Multiple prominent modern scholars argue that
Speaker 1: in either case, Idiot was in control of the situation.
Speaker 1: She purportedly held more sway at the palace than the
Speaker 1: other royal wives, and was championed by the spiritual community there,
Speaker 1: the members of which often oversaw medical matters, so knowing
Speaker 1: how critical the official birthing order was, Idia ensured that
Speaker 1: her son took precedence. This likely would have involved spreading
Speaker 1: concern about Auruhuan struggling to cry upon entering the world,
Speaker 1: or perhaps even entirely inventing that as a rumor. Later,
Speaker 1: when the Oba's three sons were young children, the firstborn,
Speaker 1: o g Diegbo, was seriously injured when playing with his brothers.
Speaker 1: He too, was then deemed ineligible to become Oba. The
Speaker 1: circumstances of the injury come across as murky, and it's
Speaker 1: unclear whether it was an accident or foul play. Regardless,
Speaker 1: signs point toward Idia swiftly capitalizing on oj Diegbo's misfortune
Speaker 1: before or the full extent of his physical limitations were
Speaker 1: known to install her son Asigie as the heir apparent.
Speaker 1: In terms of military expertise, Idia's contributions became legendary through
Speaker 1: violent conflicts when Asigie and Rawuan were young men. After
Speaker 1: Oba Ozulua died in fifteen o four, Asigie ruled Benin
Speaker 1: City and Arruan ruled Udu, the city he'd relocated to
Speaker 1: twenty miles away. He refused to accept Asigia as the Oba,
Speaker 1: and for years plotted to oust him. Aruhuan inspired ample
Speaker 1: lore himself, much of it centered on his jaw dropping
Speaker 1: physique and fighting skills. Many tales portray him as a
Speaker 1: fearsome giant capable of uprooting trees with his bare hands,
Speaker 1: but Isigie was reportedly more of a worldly, diplomatic and
Speaker 1: somewhat temperamental type. On the advice of his mother Idia,
Speaker 1: he cultivated foreign relationships, granting Christian missionaries and Portuguese ambassador's
Speaker 1: access to his realm. Due to Ecigie's lack of battle expertise, however,
Speaker 1: his mother knew he needed her help to repel a
Speaker 1: Rohuan's growing forces. Idia didn't merely assist her son with
Speaker 1: wise advice. At times, she purportedly assumed control of his
Speaker 1: armies and ultimately motivated them to defeat a Rohuan in
Speaker 1: a drawn out, bloody civil war. As other rivals then
Speaker 1: sought to capitalize on the chaos. Idia again helped her
Speaker 1: sons military to victory in the Ida War, with the
Speaker 1: most momentous of battles. Idio reportedly knew that morale and
Speaker 1: belief could be just as important as strength and skill,
Speaker 1: and the best way to inspire her side was through
Speaker 1: her knowledge of the supernatural. Over the centuries, many historians
Speaker 1: and historical accounts have underestimated or disregarded supposed magical prowess. Now,
Speaker 1: I personally am not saying magic is real, but the
Speaker 1: belief in magic played an immensely important role in Edo culture.
Speaker 1: Those who allegedly dealt in sorcery and witchcraft were both
Speaker 1: feared and respected. Magic provided a path for engaging and
Speaker 1: enterprising individuals to gain influence, especially women. Female priestesses, diviners,
Speaker 1: and masters of the metaphysical reportedly commanded clout that was
Speaker 1: often equal to or greater than their male counterparts. Historically,
Speaker 1: there have obviously been countless examples of notable figures being
Speaker 1: accused of sorcery or witchcraft as a means of undermining them.
Speaker 1: This was certainly the case in multiple European cultures in
Speaker 1: the early sixteenth century, but interestingly, modern sources argue it
Speaker 1: was the opposite in Benin at that time. Instead of
Speaker 1: a charismatic woman having to passively endure slanderous paranormal labels,
Speaker 1: she could often proactively espouse a supernatural identity as a
Speaker 1: way to boost her social standing. Idia evidently tried to
Speaker 1: lean into that narrative as much as possible, and crucially,
Speaker 1: accounts that quickly marginalize her purported supernatural skills or dismiss
Speaker 1: them as irrational superstition often miss the most important part.
Speaker 1: Idia made everyone else around her believe that she was
Speaker 1: adept at magic, and the prestige she derived from that
Speaker 1: underpinned almost every move she made. A classic example of
Speaker 1: this was Idia's handling of a potentially disastrous juncture in
Speaker 1: the Ida War in fifteen fifteen. Fresh from their successful
Speaker 1: but very costly conflict with Uruhuan's forces, Oba Ascgia's army
Speaker 1: was depleted and exhausted as the soldiers then prepared to
Speaker 1: fight the invading army from the Ida Kingdom as it
Speaker 1: closed in on Benin City in Ibas, a bird often
Speaker 1: thought to be a dramatic omen, flew overhead, unleashing a chilling,
Speaker 1: loud squawk as CGA's diviners took this to mean certain
Speaker 1: defeat and advised him to retreat. But Idia had other ideas.
Speaker 1: She had joined her son on the battlefield, bringing along
Speaker 1: her own army. Although they too were weary and bloodied,
Speaker 1: Idia was not one to be undone by a portentous bird.
Speaker 1: Her solution, have the ibis shot as Cgia followed that advice,
Speaker 1: and he and his mother's combined forces went on to
Speaker 1: win their battle and defend their lands. According to some
Speaker 1: modern experts assessments, what may seem like a simple act
Speaker 1: actually speaks volumes about Idia's impact. Had anyone of lesser
Speaker 1: supernatural prowess, as Cigia included, suggested such a brash move,
Speaker 1: the soldiers likely wouldn't have supported it so enthusiastically. Only
Speaker 1: the most magically accomplished person in the realm was worth
Speaker 1: following into war after so confidently tempting fate to eat.
Speaker 1: Even more deeply understand how idiot commanded such a level
Speaker 1: of reverence, we must rewind back to fifteen o four,
Speaker 1: when she was hiding in that sacred shrine. She had
Speaker 1: already utilized her political, militaristic and supernatural savvy to great effect,
Speaker 1: but could these attributes help her pass the stiffest test
Speaker 1: of all, could she manage to save her own life.
Speaker 1: According to long standing tradition, Idio was supposed to be
Speaker 1: ritualistically killed since her son had officially become the sixteenth
Speaker 1: Oba of the Kingdom of Benin, But as many oral
Speaker 1: histories chronicle, she chose a strategic hiding place, an exclusive
Speaker 1: shrine in the high ranking chief's palace and an exclusive
Speaker 1: neighborhood of old Benin City. Although this meant she was
Speaker 1: basically laying low in the lions den, the exclusivity of
Speaker 1: the shrine and supposed help from an allied chief bought
Speaker 1: Idiot time. While her son, the new Oba, quickly changed
Speaker 1: the rules. He overturned the matricidal custom and created a
Speaker 1: new official title for his mother, Eaoba, which literally means
Speaker 1: mother of the Oba. Over time, the Eaoba was commonly
Speaker 1: condensed to one word yoba. This term has most often
Speaker 1: been equated to the role of queen mother in European monarchies,
Speaker 1: although some historians argue that the title transcended its derivation
Speaker 1: and that an Eyoba was more than just an oba's mother.
Speaker 1: She was a unique type of ruler and spiritual leader
Speaker 1: Idia seemingly knew that so boldly offending tradition was a
Speaker 1: big swing, and that she needed a compelling way to
Speaker 1: sell everyone on the idea. That is where the legendary
Speaker 1: womb of or hue concept came in. Orhue refers to
Speaker 1: a ceremonial white chalk used in Edo culture to symbolize faith, goodness,
Speaker 1: and divine presence. Sometimes the word is translated to mean
Speaker 1: God is here. This reference to the divine is crucial because,
Speaker 1: according to custom, a prince went through something of a
Speaker 1: metaphysical transformation when becoming an Oba. He not only became
Speaker 1: the official leader of the Kingdom of Benin and its people,
Speaker 1: he essentially also became a spiritual focal point, akin to
Speaker 1: a deity. The longer answer to why an Oba was
Speaker 1: traditionally expected to allow the highest ranking chiefs to sacrifice
Speaker 1: his own mother pertain to that prior to her son
Speaker 1: being crowned, a mother exerted a natural maternal authority over him.
Speaker 1: This relationship was fundamental in preparing the future ruler, especially
Speaker 1: for a sigier who never would have become Oba otherwise.
Speaker 1: But as some scholars contend, this royal familial bond created
Speaker 1: a sort of paradox once a son took on a
Speaker 1: divine dimension granted. On a cynical practical level, many of
Speaker 1: the power hungry chiefs probably wanted an Oba's mother out
Speaker 1: of the way so she couldn't meddle in whatever schemes
Speaker 1: they were up to. But in a more macro sense,
Speaker 1: such a sacrifice purportedly rectified the philosophical issue of how
Speaker 1: a godlike ruler could possibly continue to coexist with his
Speaker 1: mortal mother and longtime superior, albeit in an extremely brutal way.
Speaker 1: Idia however, devised a simple and elegant solution. As scholarly
Speaker 1: analysis of edo legend has shown, Idia determined that if
Speaker 1: she couldn't live on as the mortal mother of a
Speaker 1: divine son, then she would just have to go through
Speaker 1: her own holistic transmutation. After all, Idia had allegedly been
Speaker 1: using the arcane arts since before marrying Oba Ozolua, and
Speaker 1: her magical abilities were rumored to have only increased since then.
Speaker 1: In the lead up to her son becoming the new Oba,
Speaker 1: Idia reportedly pushed the narrative that she and her womb
Speaker 1: of or Hue were so transcendent that she was able
Speaker 1: to birth a son who became a divine ruler despite
Speaker 1: numerous obstacles. In what now comes off like a savvy
Speaker 1: pr strategy, Idia also ensured that her contributions in advising
Speaker 1: Oba Ozulua, her husband uncertain domestic and foreign affairs, training
Speaker 1: his heir, and strengthening the position of the royal family
Speaker 1: were portrayed to both the nobility and the larger populace
Speaker 1: as being incredibly beneficial to the kingdom. Along the way,
Speaker 1: she constantly linked all of these feats to her magical prowess. Therefore,
Speaker 1: by the time Idia had to hide in a shrine
Speaker 1: while her son attempted to change the rules, the idea
Speaker 1: of her staying on as Iaoba seemingly came off as
Speaker 1: less unthinkably radical and more like a fittingly extraordinary destiny
Speaker 1: for an extraordinary woman. It still must have been a
Speaker 1: tense time, since all of Idia's royal mother predecessors had
Speaker 1: lost their lives, even though many of them surely had
Speaker 1: extremely close bonds with their sons. But whether it was
Speaker 1: the culmination of years of strategic maneuvering or a defining
Speaker 1: moment in her supernatural fate, Idia resoundingly prevailed. Oh and
Speaker 1: for good measure, she made sure that her new position
Speaker 1: came with her very own palace, one that annexed much
Speaker 1: of the one used by the city's highest ranking chiefs.
Speaker 1: Her would have been executors. To top it off, her
Speaker 1: lavish new residence included her beloved shrine. One of Idia's
Speaker 1: primary responsibilities and passions, as Yoba, was to commission beneen
Speaker 1: Citi's finest sculptors, weavers, and metalworkers. This gave her immense
Speaker 1: creative control over the artistic pieces that would represent her
Speaker 1: and her family to her subjects and to future generations,
Speaker 1: and so it seems unlikely that Idio would ever choose
Speaker 1: to prominently highlight any details of her rain or her
Speaker 1: son's rain if they recalled events or actions that she
Speaker 1: didn't feel legitimately proud of. For example, her decision to
Speaker 1: incorporate robust renderings of her forehead scars on a pair
Speaker 1: of expertly carved ivory masks seems indicative of a desire
Speaker 1: to proactively celebrate features that were iconic of both her
Speaker 1: appearance and her persona defining supernatural mythology. Ultimately, a great
Speaker 1: deal of Idiot's current legacy is based on the history
Speaker 1: of benin art her likeness was used in elegant brass
Speaker 1: sculptures which are often collectively and somewhat erroneously called the
Speaker 1: Bronze of Benin or Benin Bronzes, as well as ornate
Speaker 1: ivory masks, pendants, carved tusks, and other adornments for ancestral altars.
Speaker 1: As covered in more detail in our prior episode on
Speaker 1: the Kingdom of Benin. Many of these pieces were looted
Speaker 1: by the British military when they pillaged Benin City in
Speaker 1: eighteen ninety seven. To this day, many of these pieces
Speaker 1: have not been returned to the Edo people and continued
Speaker 1: to be held by entities such as the British Museum
Speaker 1: and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City,
Speaker 1: despite repeated calls for them to be repatriated. Thanks to
Speaker 1: the fine craftsmanship and tumultuous ownership battle over these works,
Speaker 1: as well as the associated cultural legends, rituals, and commemorative dances,
Speaker 1: Idiot's face has become one of the most recognizable in
Speaker 1: African history. In addition to her image being preserved through art,
Speaker 1: her achievements live on within the title of Eoba. Thanks
Speaker 1: to her, the role became a hugely influential one, with
Speaker 1: subsequent eoba's acting as both queen mothers in an emblematic
Speaker 1: sense and political leaders with wide ranging official duties. According
Speaker 1: to some scholars, the paradigm shifting custom of elevating royal
Speaker 1: mothers to the position of eoba mitigated countless bloody succession crisses.
Speaker 1: Knowledgeable eobas helped ensure that power transferred smoothly from one
Speaker 1: leader to the next, especially if a new leader was
Speaker 1: particularly young and or an ioba needed to temporarily take charge.
Speaker 1: Quite the turnaround from victims of matricide to esteemed integral
Speaker 1: members of Benin's governance strategy. In some ways, Idio's physical
Speaker 1: features and the heightened myths about her became far more
Speaker 1: famous than her overall real life biography. On one hand,
Speaker 1: that seems like a shame. Leading historians have spoken of
Speaker 1: the need for more research and more appreciation for Idia
Speaker 1: the person and historical figure, not the myth. On the
Speaker 1: other hand, some scholars point out that it's worth considering
Speaker 1: these specific ways in which art and personal identity were
Speaker 1: historically embedded into Benen culture. Works of art were expressly
Speaker 1: intended to be coupled with engaging oral histories, and Idia
Speaker 1: herself seemed to have grasped the power of that pairing. Furthermore,
Speaker 1: to fulfill the dynamic role of Euba, Idia essentially had
Speaker 1: to relinquish some of her personal history for the sake
Speaker 1: of becoming a transcendent figure and constitutionally securing her son's
Speaker 1: power through a perceived divine connection. It's the same thing
Speaker 1: with most monarchs around the world. You stop being a
Speaker 1: person and start being a symbol. As author, historian, and
Speaker 1: artist in Kiu and Zegwu so intriguingly put it, quote
Speaker 1: on ascension to the office and Euba metamorphosizes into a boundless,
Speaker 1: fluid state in which she assumes, embodies, and becomes the
Speaker 1: collective histories of past occupants of the office as well
Speaker 1: as the spiritual mother of all edo people end quote.
Speaker 1: And so to get the best overall sense of who
Speaker 1: Idio was, maybe it's worth trying to drill into the
Speaker 1: details in search of the realistic truth while also experiencing
Speaker 1: her story as intended across edo Ja generations by taking
Speaker 1: in the art and the myths along with the spoken legends.
Speaker 1: That's the extraordinary story of Idio. But stick around after
Speaker 1: a brief sponsor break to hear one more example of
Speaker 1: the first ever Yoba's superlative people skills. One interesting piece
Speaker 1: of how Idia and her son are depicted in contemporary
Speaker 1: art is that some of the art makes references to
Speaker 1: episodes in which Cga was mentally incapacitated briefly and his mother, Idio,
Speaker 1: ruled the kingdom on his behalf. According to a few
Speaker 1: historians and art researchers, Idiot's mission of trying to emotionally
Speaker 1: and behaviorally guide her son through bouts of what were
Speaker 1: described as quote madness or derangement could be considered a
Speaker 1: precursor to later forms of psychotherapy. It's once again fascinating
Speaker 1: to note that, in overseeing the crafting of royal artwork,
Speaker 1: Idiot chose to include visual references to her son's psychological struggles,
Speaker 1: especially given how mental health issues were stigmatized in many
Speaker 1: kingdoms at that time and through today. These creative expressions
Speaker 1: prove invaluable insight into a complex royal bond and Idiot's
Speaker 1: willingness to be fairly open about it. As Oba and Eoba,
Speaker 1: a Ciggia and Idia almost certainly authored sinister acts of
Speaker 1: violence and revenge. However, Idia's seemingly patient treatment of her
Speaker 1: son while he was mentally incapacitated reveals additional dimensions to
Speaker 1: their personalities and unique relationship. The sincerity and sensitivity that
Speaker 1: certain pieces of benin art reputedly signify stand in stark
Speaker 1: contrast to the hyperbolic depictions of many sixteenth century European
Speaker 1: visitors who were quick to write off Ecigie as the
Speaker 1: barbaric tyrant of a bloodthirsty society and his mother as
Speaker 1: the overly superstitious and or subservient queen mother. All to say,
Speaker 1: while Idia consistently used her political wisdom and magical aura
Speaker 1: to great effect, arguably her underlying emotional intelligence was every
Speaker 1: bit as crucial in preserving her life, her family, and
Speaker 1: her culture. That and her extraordinary knack for creating an
Speaker 1: entrancing tale. Noble Blood is a production of iHeart Radio
Speaker 1: and Grim and Mild from Aaron Mankey. Noble Blood is
Speaker 1: hosted by me Dana Schwartz. Writers for Noble Blood are
Speaker 1: Hannah Johnston, Hannah Zwick, Paul Jaffey, Natasha Laski, and me
Speaker 1: Dana Schwartz. The show is edited and produced by Jesse
Speaker 1: Funk and Nomes Griffin, with supervising producer rima Il Kaali
Speaker 1: and executive producers Aaron Manke, Trevor Young, and Matt Frederick.
Speaker 1: For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts,
Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.