WEBVTT - The Queen Mother Who Refused to Die 0:00:00.280 --> 0:00:04.640 Welcome to Noble Blood, a production of iHeartRadio and Grim 0:00:04.640 --> 0:00:10.200 and Mild from Aaron Manky. Listener discretion advised, Hey, this 0:00:10.320 --> 0:00:13.600 is Danish Schwartz. Just one quick personal note before we 0:00:13.640 --> 0:00:16.720 begin today's episode. I have a new book coming out. 0:00:16.800 --> 0:00:20.240 It is called The Arcane Arts and I wrote it, 0:00:20.280 --> 0:00:24.720 but it's actually by SD Coverly for two reasons. One 0:00:24.800 --> 0:00:26.680 because I co wrote it with a friend of mine, 0:00:26.880 --> 0:00:30.440 alternating chapters. I did the female point of view, he 0:00:30.560 --> 0:00:33.040 did the male point of view. And also because my 0:00:33.120 --> 0:00:35.479 last books were young adult and this one is a 0:00:35.479 --> 0:00:39.720 little sexier. So if you are a younger or teenage reader, 0:00:39.760 --> 0:00:41.600 this might not be the book for you, and I 0:00:41.640 --> 0:00:45.519 wanted to differentiate that. But if you are at all 0:00:45.560 --> 0:00:49.000 interested in a story about a graduate student and a 0:00:49.040 --> 0:00:53.720 professor delving into secret, forbidden magic at a grad school, 0:00:54.200 --> 0:00:56.480 please please look into the book, and if you can, 0:00:56.640 --> 0:00:58.160 it would mean the world to me if you could 0:00:58.200 --> 0:01:00.840 pre order. Pre Orders are kind of the number one 0:01:00.880 --> 0:01:03.720 thing you can do to help authors. It just shows 0:01:03.760 --> 0:01:07.160 publishers that people care about this book. So the book 0:01:07.240 --> 0:01:10.200 is The Arcane Arts. If you could pre order, and 0:01:10.200 --> 0:01:12.280 you're a fan of me and a fan of my writing, 0:01:12.440 --> 0:01:15.960 it would mean the world. Let's get into today's episode. 0:01:21.080 --> 0:01:24.520 The stakes were so high that as the hours passed, 0:01:25.000 --> 0:01:29.520 even a sacred shrine started to feel like a cramped cage. 0:01:30.400 --> 0:01:34.840 Idia had been hiding in a hallowed grove within the 0:01:35.000 --> 0:01:39.960 highest ranking chief's palace in Benin City. Since her son 0:01:40.680 --> 0:01:45.800 Essida had been crowned the ruler of the Edo people, 0:01:46.319 --> 0:01:50.240 or the Oba. It should have been a time of 0:01:50.400 --> 0:01:56.120 joyous celebration. Following years of planning and the death of 0:01:56.240 --> 0:02:01.120 the previous Oba Ozulua in fifteen oh four, or Idia 0:02:01.160 --> 0:02:07.040 had finally triumphed in making her son his successor. However, 0:02:07.160 --> 0:02:12.160 Idia was in grave danger due to the pesky custom 0:02:12.639 --> 0:02:17.400 of killing and Oba's mother once he officially began his reign. 0:02:18.280 --> 0:02:23.240 According to several studies of oral histories, this bloody practice 0:02:23.320 --> 0:02:27.400 had been carried out since the early fourteenth century in 0:02:27.480 --> 0:02:32.080 the kingdom of Benin. The question of why such ruthless 0:02:32.200 --> 0:02:37.519 sacrifices were made is fairly complicated. The short answer, as 0:02:37.639 --> 0:02:42.399 some historians posit, is that Benin chiefs wanted to prohibit 0:02:42.840 --> 0:02:48.120 influential mothers from exerting control once their sons reached the 0:02:48.160 --> 0:02:52.640 apex of the social hierarchy. The longer answer, as will 0:02:52.720 --> 0:02:59.960 explore shortly, incorporates far more nuance and context regarding Edo culture, spiritualists, 0:03:00.360 --> 0:03:05.880 and monarchical symbolism. As far as Idia was concerned. Though 0:03:06.280 --> 0:03:10.480 her son was the new Oba, and so like generations 0:03:10.520 --> 0:03:15.000 of royal mothers before her, she faced an immediate death warrant. 0:03:15.800 --> 0:03:20.480 But the upholders of Edo tradition had never before tangled 0:03:20.600 --> 0:03:28.000 with a woman like Idia. She was reportedly brilliant, charismatic, beautiful, cutthroat, 0:03:28.440 --> 0:03:33.360 and exceedingly persuasive. She was both a devoted mother and 0:03:33.520 --> 0:03:38.200 a political visionary, and she was widely believed to have 0:03:38.440 --> 0:03:45.000 the most powerful weapon in her vast arsenal magic. Consequently, 0:03:45.400 --> 0:03:49.320 Idiot's hiding place was not the result of some sudden, 0:03:49.440 --> 0:03:54.120 impromptu escape. She had had ample time to plan, and 0:03:54.240 --> 0:03:59.320 her chosen hideout was a strategic one. The Sacred Shrine 0:03:59.680 --> 0:04:05.360 was aimed after Oshoon, a god of medicine, forests, and magic, 0:04:05.840 --> 0:04:11.840 and only those initiates of sufficient supernatural prowess were allowed 0:04:12.000 --> 0:04:16.440 to enter. The arrangement was certainly no long term solution, 0:04:17.200 --> 0:04:22.320 but if the exclusive refuge could buy Idia just enough 0:04:22.360 --> 0:04:25.279 time for the rest of her plan to come to fruition, 0:04:26.040 --> 0:04:30.440 she had a chance to not only defend her life, 0:04:30.480 --> 0:04:35.480 but to forever change the power, structures and generational rituals 0:04:35.839 --> 0:04:41.039 of the entire Benen Kingdom. Still with Idiot's fate hardly 0:04:41.160 --> 0:04:44.240 resting in her own hands at that point, that was 0:04:44.320 --> 0:04:50.000 all quite a big if if she could survive at all. 0:04:50.800 --> 0:04:59.720 I'm Dana Schwartz and this is noble bloode. As some 0:05:00.000 --> 0:05:03.840 the Keen listeners may have noticed, there are many connections 0:05:03.880 --> 0:05:08.680 here to our previous episode Empires and the Benin Bronzes. 0:05:09.279 --> 0:05:12.360 This new installment will allow us to delve further into 0:05:12.400 --> 0:05:17.000 the life and legends of India, the remarkable warrior queen 0:05:17.080 --> 0:05:21.440 who inspired many of those exquisite works of art. It's 0:05:21.480 --> 0:05:26.000 also worth quickly clarifying a few terms. The Edo people 0:05:26.160 --> 0:05:30.560 are an ethnic group originating from the Edo Kingdom, which 0:05:30.640 --> 0:05:35.320 existed in different forms from roughly nine hundred AD until 0:05:35.360 --> 0:05:40.200 eighteen ninety seven. Edo states still exist in present day 0:05:40.400 --> 0:05:45.560 Nigeria and has been in City as its capital. Herein 0:05:45.640 --> 0:05:50.720 lies potential for confusion, since the Edo Kingdom is often 0:05:51.000 --> 0:05:56.080 called the Kingdom of Benin in oral histories and written accounts, 0:05:56.400 --> 0:06:00.200 but it isn't related to the Republic of Benin, the 0:06:00.360 --> 0:06:05.960 modern West African nation. According to scholars, the term Benin 0:06:06.400 --> 0:06:12.920 came from fifteenth century Portuguese traders mishearing the Edo word ubini, 0:06:13.480 --> 0:06:18.240 commonly translated to mean livable or land of the multitude. 0:06:18.800 --> 0:06:22.520 They referred to the kingdom and its people as Beni, 0:06:23.000 --> 0:06:28.760 which then became Benin around fourteen eighty five. Evidently, the 0:06:28.920 --> 0:06:35.120 terms Eto, Beni, and Benin were all used in Idia's lifetime, 0:06:35.279 --> 0:06:38.800 as well as by later generations of both African oral 0:06:38.920 --> 0:06:46.200 historians and foreign academics. Relatedly, most scholarship on the Kingdom 0:06:46.320 --> 0:06:52.520 of Benin relies on region specific oratards and artistic traditions, 0:06:52.920 --> 0:06:58.920 which have preserved information in very particular ways. Case in point, 0:06:59.400 --> 0:07:03.279 Many of the dates of Idia's life are difficult to 0:07:03.440 --> 0:07:11.600 pinpoint exactly, but major events have been memorably immortalized, especially 0:07:11.760 --> 0:07:18.280 regarding her unprecedented rise to power. As some legends have it, 0:07:18.720 --> 0:07:23.680 an oracle advised Idia's parents that she was destined to 0:07:23.800 --> 0:07:28.840 marry Oba Ozolua. Her parents were opposed to that fate 0:07:29.240 --> 0:07:34.240 and sought to prevent it by permanently scarring Idia's forehead 0:07:34.560 --> 0:07:40.160 with two large vertical incisions. Then, as a further deterrent. 0:07:40.600 --> 0:07:44.800 They got a priestess to infuse the wounds with medicinal 0:07:44.880 --> 0:07:52.120 herbs of potent supernatural power, but Oba Ozulua was impervious 0:07:52.160 --> 0:07:57.320 to that ploy. He became infatuated with Idia's charming nature 0:07:57.720 --> 0:08:03.240 and captivating dancing, and chose to marry her anyway, ultimately 0:08:03.280 --> 0:08:09.480 fulfilling the oracle's prophecy. Some historians and writers, particularly more 0:08:09.600 --> 0:08:15.360 modern African writers, claim this interpretation is flawed considering the 0:08:15.640 --> 0:08:21.040 life changing lineage, elevating wealth and power involved. They argue 0:08:21.080 --> 0:08:25.160 that it's more plausible that Idia's parents would have wanted 0:08:25.200 --> 0:08:30.440 her to marry Oba ozol Lua. It's difficult to definitively 0:08:30.520 --> 0:08:33.840 say how old Idio was when she married or how 0:08:33.840 --> 0:08:37.880 she felt about it at the time, but deeper analysis 0:08:37.920 --> 0:08:43.040 of the event points toward Idia likely having been trained 0:08:43.120 --> 0:08:46.720 in the ways of the royal court. Likewise, she was 0:08:46.880 --> 0:08:52.880 probably aware that presenting herself in a mystical, intriguing manner 0:08:53.240 --> 0:08:58.280 would make her especially attractive to an Oba. Once the 0:08:58.640 --> 0:09:03.319 lively wedding celler abrations died down, Idia thrived in her 0:09:03.360 --> 0:09:07.760 new life at the Oba's palace, as shown by her 0:09:07.880 --> 0:09:14.920 clever maneuvering among the chief's officials and Oba Ozulua's other wives. 0:09:15.559 --> 0:09:19.360 As many tales illustrate, she was able to make her 0:09:19.520 --> 0:09:25.719 son an Oba despite seep odds. This required elite understanding 0:09:25.840 --> 0:09:32.480 in three key areas, politics, military strategy, and possibly the 0:09:32.559 --> 0:09:38.800 aforementioned magic. Idia's deft political moves were on display the 0:09:38.880 --> 0:09:42.559 day her son e Sigier was born. By all accounts, 0:09:42.600 --> 0:09:45.600 he should have been third in line to succeed his 0:09:45.640 --> 0:09:51.000 father as Oba. The first of Oba Ozulua's son was 0:09:51.160 --> 0:09:56.760 Oji Digbo, and then came Aruhuan, each born to a 0:09:56.800 --> 0:10:05.040 different wife, then came Idios son Acga. Coincidentally, Aruhuan and 0:10:05.280 --> 0:10:09.319 Acga were born on the same day, with Arohuan actually 0:10:09.480 --> 0:10:13.680 arriving first, but then almost immediately losing his place in 0:10:13.760 --> 0:10:18.000 the pecking order. The reason why is a subject of debate. 0:10:18.720 --> 0:10:24.000 Some versions of the story specify that Uruhuan didn't immediately 0:10:24.120 --> 0:10:27.640 cry as a newborn, which was taken as an omen 0:10:28.000 --> 0:10:31.120 that he was unfit to be a future Oba. Other 0:10:31.240 --> 0:10:35.760 iterations state that the line of succession came down to 0:10:35.800 --> 0:10:41.040 the fact that palace officials mistakenly reported to the Oba 0:10:41.320 --> 0:10:47.439 that Acga arrived first. Multiple prominent modern scholars argue that 0:10:47.559 --> 0:10:51.520 in either case, Idiot was in control of the situation. 0:10:52.320 --> 0:10:55.880 She purportedly held more sway at the palace than the 0:10:55.960 --> 0:11:00.840 other royal wives, and was championed by the spiritual community there, 0:11:01.320 --> 0:11:06.559 the members of which often oversaw medical matters, so knowing 0:11:06.720 --> 0:11:11.800 how critical the official birthing order was, Idia ensured that 0:11:12.040 --> 0:11:17.120 her son took precedence. This likely would have involved spreading 0:11:17.200 --> 0:11:22.840 concern about Auruhuan struggling to cry upon entering the world, 0:11:23.400 --> 0:11:28.400 or perhaps even entirely inventing that as a rumor. Later, 0:11:28.520 --> 0:11:32.640 when the Oba's three sons were young children, the firstborn, 0:11:32.880 --> 0:11:37.680 o g Diegbo, was seriously injured when playing with his brothers. 0:11:38.280 --> 0:11:42.640 He too, was then deemed ineligible to become Oba. The 0:11:42.679 --> 0:11:46.800 circumstances of the injury come across as murky, and it's 0:11:46.880 --> 0:11:52.079 unclear whether it was an accident or foul play. Regardless, 0:11:52.360 --> 0:11:59.359 signs point toward Idia swiftly capitalizing on oj Diegbo's misfortune 0:11:59.720 --> 0:12:02.960 before or the full extent of his physical limitations were 0:12:03.040 --> 0:12:07.760 known to install her son Asigie as the heir apparent. 0:12:09.400 --> 0:12:15.240 In terms of military expertise, Idia's contributions became legendary through 0:12:15.400 --> 0:12:21.600 violent conflicts when Asigie and Rawuan were young men. After 0:12:21.840 --> 0:12:27.800 Oba Ozulua died in fifteen o four, Asigie ruled Benin 0:12:28.000 --> 0:12:32.960 City and Arruan ruled Udu, the city he'd relocated to 0:12:33.160 --> 0:12:38.679 twenty miles away. He refused to accept Asigia as the Oba, 0:12:39.040 --> 0:12:44.400 and for years plotted to oust him. Aruhuan inspired ample 0:12:44.480 --> 0:12:48.199 lore himself, much of it centered on his jaw dropping 0:12:48.360 --> 0:12:52.760 physique and fighting skills. Many tales portray him as a 0:12:52.920 --> 0:12:57.959 fearsome giant capable of uprooting trees with his bare hands, 0:12:58.400 --> 0:13:03.600 but Isigie was reportedly more of a worldly, diplomatic and 0:13:04.080 --> 0:13:08.560 somewhat temperamental type. On the advice of his mother Idia, 0:13:08.679 --> 0:13:15.240 he cultivated foreign relationships, granting Christian missionaries and Portuguese ambassador's 0:13:15.679 --> 0:13:21.800 access to his realm. Due to Ecigie's lack of battle expertise, however, 0:13:22.200 --> 0:13:25.360 his mother knew he needed her help to repel a 0:13:25.520 --> 0:13:30.920 Rohuan's growing forces. Idia didn't merely assist her son with 0:13:31.120 --> 0:13:36.040 wise advice. At times, she purportedly assumed control of his 0:13:36.280 --> 0:13:41.120 armies and ultimately motivated them to defeat a Rohuan in 0:13:41.240 --> 0:13:46.520 a drawn out, bloody civil war. As other rivals then 0:13:46.640 --> 0:13:51.520 sought to capitalize on the chaos. Idia again helped her 0:13:51.559 --> 0:13:56.800 sons military to victory in the Ida War, with the 0:13:56.920 --> 0:14:02.200 most momentous of battles. Idio reportedly knew that morale and 0:14:02.360 --> 0:14:06.160 belief could be just as important as strength and skill, 0:14:06.800 --> 0:14:10.720 and the best way to inspire her side was through 0:14:10.760 --> 0:14:19.000 her knowledge of the supernatural. Over the centuries, many historians 0:14:19.000 --> 0:14:26.040 and historical accounts have underestimated or disregarded supposed magical prowess. Now, 0:14:26.680 --> 0:14:30.280 I personally am not saying magic is real, but the 0:14:30.400 --> 0:14:35.480 belief in magic played an immensely important role in Edo culture. 0:14:35.960 --> 0:14:40.320 Those who allegedly dealt in sorcery and witchcraft were both 0:14:40.400 --> 0:14:45.080 feared and respected. Magic provided a path for engaging and 0:14:45.360 --> 0:14:52.359 enterprising individuals to gain influence, especially women. Female priestesses, diviners, 0:14:52.400 --> 0:14:57.160 and masters of the metaphysical reportedly commanded clout that was 0:14:57.600 --> 0:15:02.239 often equal to or greater than their male counterparts. Historically, 0:15:02.320 --> 0:15:06.760 there have obviously been countless examples of notable figures being 0:15:06.800 --> 0:15:11.480 accused of sorcery or witchcraft as a means of undermining them. 0:15:12.120 --> 0:15:16.280 This was certainly the case in multiple European cultures in 0:15:16.320 --> 0:15:22.080 the early sixteenth century, but interestingly, modern sources argue it 0:15:22.200 --> 0:15:26.160 was the opposite in Benin at that time. Instead of 0:15:26.200 --> 0:15:32.160 a charismatic woman having to passively endure slanderous paranormal labels, 0:15:32.520 --> 0:15:37.680 she could often proactively espouse a supernatural identity as a 0:15:37.720 --> 0:15:43.440 way to boost her social standing. Idia evidently tried to 0:15:43.640 --> 0:15:48.120 lean into that narrative as much as possible, and crucially, 0:15:48.640 --> 0:15:54.240 accounts that quickly marginalize her purported supernatural skills or dismiss 0:15:54.320 --> 0:15:59.520 them as irrational superstition often miss the most important part. 0:16:00.480 --> 0:16:04.840 Idia made everyone else around her believe that she was 0:16:04.880 --> 0:16:09.320 adept at magic, and the prestige she derived from that 0:16:10.000 --> 0:16:15.400 underpinned almost every move she made. A classic example of 0:16:15.440 --> 0:16:20.320 this was Idia's handling of a potentially disastrous juncture in 0:16:20.360 --> 0:16:24.960 the Ida War in fifteen fifteen. Fresh from their successful 0:16:25.080 --> 0:16:31.280 but very costly conflict with Uruhuan's forces, Oba Ascgia's army 0:16:31.520 --> 0:16:36.120 was depleted and exhausted as the soldiers then prepared to 0:16:36.200 --> 0:16:40.120 fight the invading army from the Ida Kingdom as it 0:16:40.240 --> 0:16:44.560 closed in on Benin City in Ibas, a bird often 0:16:44.600 --> 0:16:49.880 thought to be a dramatic omen, flew overhead, unleashing a chilling, 0:16:50.240 --> 0:16:55.400 loud squawk as CGA's diviners took this to mean certain 0:16:55.440 --> 0:17:01.040 defeat and advised him to retreat. But Idia had other ideas. 0:17:01.560 --> 0:17:04.600 She had joined her son on the battlefield, bringing along 0:17:04.680 --> 0:17:09.080 her own army. Although they too were weary and bloodied, 0:17:09.480 --> 0:17:13.800 Idia was not one to be undone by a portentous bird. 0:17:14.400 --> 0:17:20.000 Her solution, have the ibis shot as Cgia followed that advice, 0:17:20.200 --> 0:17:24.439 and he and his mother's combined forces went on to 0:17:24.560 --> 0:17:28.439 win their battle and defend their lands. According to some 0:17:28.680 --> 0:17:33.119 modern experts assessments, what may seem like a simple act 0:17:33.560 --> 0:17:38.680 actually speaks volumes about Idia's impact. Had anyone of lesser 0:17:38.800 --> 0:17:44.320 supernatural prowess, as Cigia included, suggested such a brash move, 0:17:44.800 --> 0:17:49.520 the soldiers likely wouldn't have supported it so enthusiastically. Only 0:17:49.680 --> 0:17:54.160 the most magically accomplished person in the realm was worth 0:17:54.320 --> 0:17:59.920 following into war after so confidently tempting fate to eat. 0:18:00.000 --> 0:18:04.600 Even more deeply understand how idiot commanded such a level 0:18:04.680 --> 0:18:09.160 of reverence, we must rewind back to fifteen o four, 0:18:09.560 --> 0:18:13.400 when she was hiding in that sacred shrine. She had 0:18:13.440 --> 0:18:19.240 already utilized her political, militaristic and supernatural savvy to great effect, 0:18:19.800 --> 0:18:24.040 but could these attributes help her pass the stiffest test 0:18:24.160 --> 0:18:29.200 of all, could she manage to save her own life. 0:18:29.680 --> 0:18:34.000 According to long standing tradition, Idio was supposed to be 0:18:34.240 --> 0:18:39.560 ritualistically killed since her son had officially become the sixteenth 0:18:39.600 --> 0:18:43.600 Oba of the Kingdom of Benin, But as many oral 0:18:43.800 --> 0:18:50.439 histories chronicle, she chose a strategic hiding place, an exclusive 0:18:50.640 --> 0:18:55.320 shrine in the high ranking chief's palace and an exclusive 0:18:55.400 --> 0:19:00.359 neighborhood of old Benin City. Although this meant she was 0:19:00.400 --> 0:19:04.840 basically laying low in the lions den, the exclusivity of 0:19:04.920 --> 0:19:09.840 the shrine and supposed help from an allied chief bought 0:19:10.119 --> 0:19:15.000 Idiot time. While her son, the new Oba, quickly changed 0:19:15.119 --> 0:19:20.520 the rules. He overturned the matricidal custom and created a 0:19:20.680 --> 0:19:26.200 new official title for his mother, Eaoba, which literally means 0:19:26.400 --> 0:19:32.040 mother of the Oba. Over time, the Eaoba was commonly 0:19:32.080 --> 0:19:36.520 condensed to one word yoba. This term has most often 0:19:36.600 --> 0:19:40.560 been equated to the role of queen mother in European monarchies, 0:19:40.920 --> 0:19:45.639 although some historians argue that the title transcended its derivation 0:19:46.280 --> 0:19:50.240 and that an Eyoba was more than just an oba's mother. 0:19:50.720 --> 0:19:54.800 She was a unique type of ruler and spiritual leader 0:19:55.760 --> 0:20:00.080 Idia seemingly knew that so boldly offending tradition was a 0:20:00.359 --> 0:20:03.760 big swing, and that she needed a compelling way to 0:20:03.920 --> 0:20:08.320 sell everyone on the idea. That is where the legendary 0:20:08.560 --> 0:20:12.960 womb of or hue concept came in. Orhue refers to 0:20:13.080 --> 0:20:19.879 a ceremonial white chalk used in Edo culture to symbolize faith, goodness, 0:20:20.040 --> 0:20:24.680 and divine presence. Sometimes the word is translated to mean 0:20:24.880 --> 0:20:29.600 God is here. This reference to the divine is crucial because, 0:20:29.640 --> 0:20:34.000 according to custom, a prince went through something of a 0:20:34.119 --> 0:20:39.959 metaphysical transformation when becoming an Oba. He not only became 0:20:40.200 --> 0:20:43.800 the official leader of the Kingdom of Benin and its people, 0:20:44.280 --> 0:20:49.040 he essentially also became a spiritual focal point, akin to 0:20:49.160 --> 0:20:53.119 a deity. The longer answer to why an Oba was 0:20:53.240 --> 0:20:58.280 traditionally expected to allow the highest ranking chiefs to sacrifice 0:20:58.320 --> 0:21:02.200 his own mother pertain to that prior to her son 0:21:02.400 --> 0:21:07.520 being crowned, a mother exerted a natural maternal authority over him. 0:21:08.080 --> 0:21:13.159 This relationship was fundamental in preparing the future ruler, especially 0:21:13.320 --> 0:21:16.600 for a sigier who never would have become Oba otherwise. 0:21:17.080 --> 0:21:23.000 But as some scholars contend, this royal familial bond created 0:21:23.040 --> 0:21:26.080 a sort of paradox once a son took on a 0:21:26.280 --> 0:21:32.439 divine dimension granted. On a cynical practical level, many of 0:21:32.480 --> 0:21:36.400 the power hungry chiefs probably wanted an Oba's mother out 0:21:36.480 --> 0:21:40.040 of the way so she couldn't meddle in whatever schemes 0:21:40.080 --> 0:21:43.480 they were up to. But in a more macro sense, 0:21:43.840 --> 0:21:49.520 such a sacrifice purportedly rectified the philosophical issue of how 0:21:49.560 --> 0:21:54.639 a godlike ruler could possibly continue to coexist with his 0:21:54.880 --> 0:22:03.080 mortal mother and longtime superior, albeit in an extremely brutal way. 0:22:04.200 --> 0:22:10.200 Idia however, devised a simple and elegant solution. As scholarly 0:22:10.280 --> 0:22:15.320 analysis of edo legend has shown, Idia determined that if 0:22:15.359 --> 0:22:18.480 she couldn't live on as the mortal mother of a 0:22:18.560 --> 0:22:22.200 divine son, then she would just have to go through 0:22:22.440 --> 0:22:28.400 her own holistic transmutation. After all, Idia had allegedly been 0:22:28.600 --> 0:22:33.959 using the arcane arts since before marrying Oba Ozolua, and 0:22:34.080 --> 0:22:38.520 her magical abilities were rumored to have only increased since then. 0:22:39.400 --> 0:22:42.840 In the lead up to her son becoming the new Oba, 0:22:43.000 --> 0:22:47.760 Idia reportedly pushed the narrative that she and her womb 0:22:47.840 --> 0:22:51.800 of or Hue were so transcendent that she was able 0:22:51.880 --> 0:22:55.720 to birth a son who became a divine ruler despite 0:22:55.920 --> 0:23:00.640 numerous obstacles. In what now comes off like a savvy 0:23:00.680 --> 0:23:06.600 pr strategy, Idia also ensured that her contributions in advising 0:23:07.000 --> 0:23:13.200 Oba Ozulua, her husband uncertain domestic and foreign affairs, training 0:23:13.200 --> 0:23:16.720 his heir, and strengthening the position of the royal family 0:23:17.240 --> 0:23:21.399 were portrayed to both the nobility and the larger populace 0:23:21.720 --> 0:23:25.920 as being incredibly beneficial to the kingdom. Along the way, 0:23:26.040 --> 0:23:32.000 she constantly linked all of these feats to her magical prowess. Therefore, 0:23:32.160 --> 0:23:35.400 by the time Idia had to hide in a shrine 0:23:35.760 --> 0:23:39.359 while her son attempted to change the rules, the idea 0:23:39.480 --> 0:23:44.240 of her staying on as Iaoba seemingly came off as 0:23:44.520 --> 0:23:50.600 less unthinkably radical and more like a fittingly extraordinary destiny 0:23:50.920 --> 0:23:55.000 for an extraordinary woman. It still must have been a 0:23:55.160 --> 0:24:00.520 tense time, since all of Idia's royal mother predecessors had 0:24:00.560 --> 0:24:03.679 lost their lives, even though many of them surely had 0:24:03.960 --> 0:24:07.879 extremely close bonds with their sons. But whether it was 0:24:07.920 --> 0:24:12.639 the culmination of years of strategic maneuvering or a defining 0:24:12.880 --> 0:24:19.680 moment in her supernatural fate, Idia resoundingly prevailed. Oh and 0:24:19.840 --> 0:24:22.480 for good measure, she made sure that her new position 0:24:22.720 --> 0:24:27.720 came with her very own palace, one that annexed much 0:24:27.840 --> 0:24:31.560 of the one used by the city's highest ranking chiefs. 0:24:31.960 --> 0:24:36.000 Her would have been executors. To top it off, her 0:24:36.240 --> 0:24:47.520 lavish new residence included her beloved shrine. One of Idia's 0:24:47.600 --> 0:24:52.919 primary responsibilities and passions, as Yoba, was to commission beneen 0:24:53.040 --> 0:24:58.720 Citi's finest sculptors, weavers, and metalworkers. This gave her immense 0:24:58.800 --> 0:25:03.400 creative control over the artistic pieces that would represent her 0:25:03.400 --> 0:25:07.600 and her family to her subjects and to future generations, 0:25:08.200 --> 0:25:11.359 and so it seems unlikely that Idio would ever choose 0:25:11.440 --> 0:25:15.520 to prominently highlight any details of her rain or her 0:25:15.560 --> 0:25:18.960 son's rain if they recalled events or actions that she 0:25:19.080 --> 0:25:23.200 didn't feel legitimately proud of. For example, her decision to 0:25:23.400 --> 0:25:27.960 incorporate robust renderings of her forehead scars on a pair 0:25:28.000 --> 0:25:32.840 of expertly carved ivory masks seems indicative of a desire 0:25:32.920 --> 0:25:37.680 to proactively celebrate features that were iconic of both her 0:25:37.720 --> 0:25:45.080 appearance and her persona defining supernatural mythology. Ultimately, a great 0:25:45.280 --> 0:25:49.040 deal of Idiot's current legacy is based on the history 0:25:49.119 --> 0:25:53.600 of benin art her likeness was used in elegant brass 0:25:53.680 --> 0:25:59.639 sculptures which are often collectively and somewhat erroneously called the 0:25:59.680 --> 0:26:04.040 Bronze of Benin or Benin Bronzes, as well as ornate 0:26:04.200 --> 0:26:10.520 ivory masks, pendants, carved tusks, and other adornments for ancestral altars. 0:26:11.119 --> 0:26:14.320 As covered in more detail in our prior episode on 0:26:14.400 --> 0:26:18.480 the Kingdom of Benin. Many of these pieces were looted 0:26:18.560 --> 0:26:22.760 by the British military when they pillaged Benin City in 0:26:22.880 --> 0:26:27.120 eighteen ninety seven. To this day, many of these pieces 0:26:27.160 --> 0:26:30.600 have not been returned to the Edo people and continued 0:26:30.680 --> 0:26:33.920 to be held by entities such as the British Museum 0:26:34.280 --> 0:26:37.359 and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, 0:26:37.760 --> 0:26:42.000 despite repeated calls for them to be repatriated. Thanks to 0:26:42.119 --> 0:26:47.160 the fine craftsmanship and tumultuous ownership battle over these works, 0:26:47.640 --> 0:26:53.119 as well as the associated cultural legends, rituals, and commemorative dances, 0:26:53.920 --> 0:26:58.080 Idiot's face has become one of the most recognizable in 0:26:58.240 --> 0:27:03.600 African history. In addition to her image being preserved through art, 0:27:04.040 --> 0:27:08.800 her achievements live on within the title of Eoba. Thanks 0:27:08.800 --> 0:27:13.000 to her, the role became a hugely influential one, with 0:27:13.160 --> 0:27:17.600 subsequent eoba's acting as both queen mothers in an emblematic 0:27:17.680 --> 0:27:23.960 sense and political leaders with wide ranging official duties. According 0:27:23.960 --> 0:27:28.320 to some scholars, the paradigm shifting custom of elevating royal 0:27:28.400 --> 0:27:34.520 mothers to the position of eoba mitigated countless bloody succession crisses. 0:27:35.160 --> 0:27:40.080 Knowledgeable eobas helped ensure that power transferred smoothly from one 0:27:40.160 --> 0:27:43.639 leader to the next, especially if a new leader was 0:27:43.720 --> 0:27:50.320 particularly young and or an ioba needed to temporarily take charge. 0:27:50.800 --> 0:27:55.639 Quite the turnaround from victims of matricide to esteemed integral 0:27:55.680 --> 0:28:01.040 members of Benin's governance strategy. In some ways, Idio's physical 0:28:01.080 --> 0:28:05.240 features and the heightened myths about her became far more 0:28:05.280 --> 0:28:09.760 famous than her overall real life biography. On one hand, 0:28:09.800 --> 0:28:13.239 that seems like a shame. Leading historians have spoken of 0:28:13.280 --> 0:28:17.560 the need for more research and more appreciation for Idia 0:28:17.760 --> 0:28:22.320 the person and historical figure, not the myth. On the 0:28:22.400 --> 0:28:25.800 other hand, some scholars point out that it's worth considering 0:28:25.960 --> 0:28:30.600 these specific ways in which art and personal identity were 0:28:30.760 --> 0:28:36.480 historically embedded into Benen culture. Works of art were expressly 0:28:36.560 --> 0:28:41.280 intended to be coupled with engaging oral histories, and Idia 0:28:41.360 --> 0:28:46.880 herself seemed to have grasped the power of that pairing. Furthermore, 0:28:46.920 --> 0:28:52.280 to fulfill the dynamic role of Euba, Idia essentially had 0:28:52.320 --> 0:28:56.640 to relinquish some of her personal history for the sake 0:28:56.800 --> 0:29:03.480 of becoming a transcendent figure and constitutionally securing her son's 0:29:03.600 --> 0:29:08.520 power through a perceived divine connection. It's the same thing 0:29:08.600 --> 0:29:12.440 with most monarchs around the world. You stop being a 0:29:12.480 --> 0:29:17.479 person and start being a symbol. As author, historian, and 0:29:17.760 --> 0:29:22.719 artist in Kiu and Zegwu so intriguingly put it, quote 0:29:23.240 --> 0:29:28.960 on ascension to the office and Euba metamorphosizes into a boundless, 0:29:29.120 --> 0:29:34.160 fluid state in which she assumes, embodies, and becomes the 0:29:34.240 --> 0:29:38.560 collective histories of past occupants of the office as well 0:29:38.640 --> 0:29:44.320 as the spiritual mother of all edo people end quote. 0:29:44.600 --> 0:29:48.040 And so to get the best overall sense of who 0:29:48.200 --> 0:29:51.880 Idio was, maybe it's worth trying to drill into the 0:29:51.920 --> 0:29:56.640 details in search of the realistic truth while also experiencing 0:29:56.680 --> 0:30:01.840 her story as intended across edo Ja generations by taking 0:30:01.840 --> 0:30:07.400 in the art and the myths along with the spoken legends. 0:30:14.200 --> 0:30:17.360 That's the extraordinary story of Idio. But stick around after 0:30:17.400 --> 0:30:20.960 a brief sponsor break to hear one more example of 0:30:21.040 --> 0:30:34.560 the first ever Yoba's superlative people skills. One interesting piece 0:30:34.640 --> 0:30:38.560 of how Idia and her son are depicted in contemporary 0:30:38.680 --> 0:30:41.840 art is that some of the art makes references to 0:30:41.960 --> 0:30:48.720 episodes in which Cga was mentally incapacitated briefly and his mother, Idio, 0:30:48.920 --> 0:30:52.560 ruled the kingdom on his behalf. According to a few 0:30:52.760 --> 0:30:57.320 historians and art researchers, Idiot's mission of trying to emotionally 0:30:57.360 --> 0:31:01.520 and behaviorally guide her son through bouts of what were 0:31:01.600 --> 0:31:06.800 described as quote madness or derangement could be considered a 0:31:06.880 --> 0:31:12.800 precursor to later forms of psychotherapy. It's once again fascinating 0:31:12.840 --> 0:31:17.200 to note that, in overseeing the crafting of royal artwork, 0:31:17.640 --> 0:31:23.680 Idiot chose to include visual references to her son's psychological struggles, 0:31:24.240 --> 0:31:28.560 especially given how mental health issues were stigmatized in many 0:31:28.680 --> 0:31:34.040 kingdoms at that time and through today. These creative expressions 0:31:34.120 --> 0:31:39.440 prove invaluable insight into a complex royal bond and Idiot's 0:31:39.520 --> 0:31:44.480 willingness to be fairly open about it. As Oba and Eoba, 0:31:45.040 --> 0:31:49.880 a Ciggia and Idia almost certainly authored sinister acts of 0:31:50.120 --> 0:31:55.800 violence and revenge. However, Idia's seemingly patient treatment of her 0:31:55.880 --> 0:32:01.400 son while he was mentally incapacitated reveals additional dimensions to 0:32:01.480 --> 0:32:07.480 their personalities and unique relationship. The sincerity and sensitivity that 0:32:07.560 --> 0:32:12.720 certain pieces of benin art reputedly signify stand in stark 0:32:12.960 --> 0:32:18.720 contrast to the hyperbolic depictions of many sixteenth century European 0:32:18.840 --> 0:32:23.080 visitors who were quick to write off Ecigie as the 0:32:23.120 --> 0:32:27.800 barbaric tyrant of a bloodthirsty society and his mother as 0:32:27.880 --> 0:32:34.120 the overly superstitious and or subservient queen mother. All to say, 0:32:34.240 --> 0:32:39.120 while Idia consistently used her political wisdom and magical aura 0:32:39.240 --> 0:32:45.120 to great effect, arguably her underlying emotional intelligence was every 0:32:45.160 --> 0:32:49.200 bit as crucial in preserving her life, her family, and 0:32:49.280 --> 0:32:54.520 her culture. That and her extraordinary knack for creating an 0:32:54.720 --> 0:33:04.680 entrancing tale. Noble Blood is a production of iHeart Radio 0:33:04.960 --> 0:33:08.400 and Grim and Mild from Aaron Mankey. Noble Blood is 0:33:08.440 --> 0:33:12.280 hosted by me Dana Schwartz. Writers for Noble Blood are 0:33:12.320 --> 0:33:17.080 Hannah Johnston, Hannah Zwick, Paul Jaffey, Natasha Laski, and me 0:33:17.240 --> 0:33:21.200 Dana Schwartz. The show is edited and produced by Jesse 0:33:21.320 --> 0:33:26.520 Funk and Nomes Griffin, with supervising producer rima Il Kaali 0:33:26.840 --> 0:33:30.920 and executive producers Aaron Manke, Trevor Young, and Matt Frederick. 0:33:31.440 --> 0:33:37.040 For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, 0:33:37.320 --> 0:34:12.640 or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.