In Esan Tradition; Prince Doesn't Produce King But King Produces King.

Enijies & Chiefs of esanland

By Prince Kelly O. Udebhulu.

Many a time I have reasons to look in-depth into Esan tradition and have them in writing for our children and posterity.

I use primarily secondary materials from carefully organized articles from Esan historians and writers supported by my personal researches, interactions and experiences with some elders and kings of Esanland.

The Esan people in Edo state is a well organized, closely knitted and highly structured administrative authority under a trado-politico sovereign as one of the peoples who practice the centralized (Gerontological-based) system of ruler-ship besides the government of the contemporary society.

In Esan land, there are traditional laws and taboos that regulate all the daily activities of Esan people. Everyone must obey and offenders are punished severally in line with the existing social- economic laws of the land.

The final arbitration in some disputes like marriage and land is the Onojie (king).

However, for the purpose of clarity, before we proceed on this work, let's make some distinctions as regards the following pertinent questions.

*Firstly, is it customary for a grandson to bury a grandfather in Esan land, when there is a (are) direct surviving son(s)?

No! In Esan tradition, as regards kingship, it is the oldest surviving son that buries his father just as in family cases; it is the oldest surviving son that buries his father. And in case of a senior brother or sister's death, it's next of kin that buries their seniors. It is a taboo for either a senior brother or sister to bury their juniors. Note that Esan Customary Law expects the

Eldest son, morally, to make gifts out of the estate to some of his brothers and sisters next to him in seniority.

*Secondly, is there any way in our Esan tradition for a grandson to inherit the properties or throne of a man or king who has a direct son?

No! Under kingship or family case, it is a complete taboo. Esan tradition bestows it upon the living crown Prince to ascend to the throne after the death of his father. A grandson cannot ascend to the throne except if his father who was a Crown Prince before his death; buried his grandfather with some circumstances.

On the death of a holder of a hereditary title or kingship, the principal actor in the burial ceremony is the eldest surviving son or Crown Prince, though the other children may make contribution to help their eldest brother. It is the eldest son not daughter who performs all the traditional burial rites which of course, will end with the establishment of an altar for his deceased father; he succeeds to his fathers’ title and inherits the entire estate exclusively. Afterwards, coronation ceremony follows.

In Esan, it is only the traditional stool that is Hereditary with some few king maker's titles. That is, there is only one throne in a community, but many chieftaincy titles. Two thrones are forbidden by tradition and not all chieftaincy titles are hereditary.

Where there is no male child to inherit the throne, a brother or any other male paternal ( not maternal) relation of the deceased succeed to the title or throne after due confirmation by the elders of the immediate family and king makers but the deceased properties are shared among his female children. If the deceased made a grant of a gift to any of his children or other person while alive, such property ceases to be part of the estate of the person upon his death, and is excluded from those to be shared among the children.

But where the Crown Prince died before the king death, the next surviving younger brother to the dead Crown Prince takes responsibility and obligation to bury their dead chief or king, subsequently ascends to the throne traditionally. In another circumstances, where the king has only a crown Prince and other children are females; upon the death of such Crown Prince before the death of the king, as it is in Esan tradition, a female child cannot ascend to the throne because there is the myth that a certain family lineage produces the king and no other family does including a female child who is expected to marry outside the family. A brother or any other male paternal of the deceased king succeeds to the throne after due confirmation by the elders of the immediate family and king makers of the Esan community. Note that the first male grandson of the female child may perform the burial rites of his grandfather and pave ways for inheritance of the estate or properties but not the throne traditionally.

IMPORTANCE OF NEW BORN BABY'S NAMING CEREMONY AMONG ESAN PEOPLE.

Prince Kelly & new born baby

By Prince Kelly O. Udebhulu.

In Esan mythology, a new born child's naming ceremony is an event in which the child is given a name or names. Recognizing that a name is an identifier. Comparatively, one of the most important things in the life of every married person is to have a child or children. So much joy accompanies the birth of a child after a 9-month long journey. To the Esan people, a child is a gift from God, and the birth of one symbolizes the coming of good things into a family. "Omonigho" meaning a child is valued more than riches/wealth.

Occasionally, before the birth of a child, some names are jostled about but an important event or circumstance in the family or occasion in the community may be used to name a child born during such an occasion. But in practical Esan tradition, it was unusual for a man to think of a name before the child was born except in cases where the native doctor had already warned the parents that the name of the person that the baby was reincarnating must be given to it.

Esan people, being firm believers in reincarnation, often went to consult the oracle before the actual naming ceremony, either to receive the name of the person being reincarnated or for the child to take up the profession of the man when he was alive. However where this consultation was already made, the name was only known to the family and the child still had to go through the naming ceremony.

Traditionally, when a child is born by a young couple, the practice is to ask the grandfather or great grandfather to send a name. Although the parents of the child can give their own pet names to the child, the name given by the paternal elder of the family supersedes. However, during Christian baptism, Christian names can be added. Recently, Esan names have been used as Christian names.
The Esan traditional naming ceremony is held at the third traditional month after the birth of the baby. Notably, Esan has five days in a week; this means in lunar calendar, two months and half makes three months invariably ( A lunar calendar is a calendar based upon cycles of the Moon's phases-synodic months-, the details of when months begin varies from calendar to calendar, with some using new, full or crescent moons and others employing detailed calculations).

Primarily, family's elders and very close friends gather to pray to God for long life, good health and prosperity for the child and its parents. The elders present the family name to the father of the baby. Oracular consultations and divination may precede this phase. Later on, the main "naming" ceremony occurs. Although the family elders and friends (male and female) are present, the ceremony is usually a mainly female affair.

When all are seated with males on one side and females on the other side of the living room or compound, the mother who is gorgeously dressed for the occasion holds the child.
The eldest male representative of the head of the family says the opening prayers in Esan language with Kola-nuts and drinks. He breaks the nuts and shares them. Subsequently, the eldest female member of the family now takes up the remaining activities of the naming ceremony.

She will ask the mother of the child what she calls the child. The same question is asked seven (7) times. On each of the first six occasions the mother will give an unthinkable name to the child which the other women will reject. In response to the seventh (7th) question, the father of the child whispers the actual name to his wife, who then announces it publicly. In response, it will be greeted with blessings for the baby, and the those present will chorous: "O RETO (He or she will live long with it).

 Note that all Esan names have meaning and so this day was the appropriate day for relatives and friends or enemies to tell the parents what they thought of them. Anybody wishing to give a name carried the baby and did so. It was not Esan custom to give monetary presents by those wishing & to give-names; this obviously is a borrowed custom probably from other traditions outside Esan land.
Applicably, if the woman was still living where she delivered, outside her home, it was on this day she returned borne. That night custom decreed that she went to ' greet her husband with the baby' and she slept at Odugha!

It is interesting to know that on the day, particularly if she was the only wife, and not with her own parents, the woman had to begin to fend for herself: she could then go to the pond for water or farm for wood - early ambulation modern doctors preach to quicken involution.

Archaeologically, nothing like naming ceremony on the seventh day in Esan history and no husband touches a woman's food during her menstrual circle or after birth until she is dried though modernization influences nowadays.