There is this popular belief held by vast majority of Edo people that the Oba of Benin does not travel out or sleeps outside the palace.

FACT CHECK!

Oba Akenzua 11 was the first Oba of Benin to visit the United Kingdom. He visited England on 5th October, 1950, with his wife, Queen Idada, on the invitation of the English monarch, Queen Elizabeth 11 who thereafter reciprocated the visit by making a stopover at the Benin Airport on 5th February, 1956, while on a visit to Nigeria.

How this story developed or grew wings to become a myth held widely by all sons and daughters of Edo i do not know when in history, an Oba had once travelled abroad, but this is fact! Being an Oba, Emir or Igwe does not confines one to a prison-like lifestyle where one can no longer socialise or go outside ones kingdom.

This clarification becomes necessary because very soon, some Professors and Mr/Mrs know-all of Benin Kingdom history would accuse the present Oba of violating customs and tradition whichever day he decides to travel abroad.

Don't be a fool.
Of course the Oba can leave his palace whenever he likes. He is a King not a prisoner. The talk about him not leaving his palace is misunderstood. The fact that he doesn't perambulate like the Yoruba Obas is what is worthy of note. Imagine how the Alafin of Oyo will carry all his wives and travel to the UK to snap pictures or how the Ooni of Ife will pose with YBNL crew and take selfies. Such travesty cannot take place where the Oba of Benin is concerned. If you reside in Benin, you will know for a fact that the Oba hardly leaves his palace unless on festivals and such, even then, he only moves around the King square and other palaces and Shrines in Benin. The reason for this is that the Oba is much too mighty to be seen moving about and that's why people throng out to catch a glimpse of the Omo n'Oba whenever he's out. Infact, the number of palace chiefs, chief priests, cultural troops and paraphernalia that move with the Oba will tell you the work involved. Of course he can visit the UK, Ife or wherever if he's invited officially but if he attends, he goes with all his Majesty. Oba gha tor kpe re.

Another strongly held myth states the Oba can hear any talk of subversion or insults thrown his way no matter the location or volume of the speaker's words.
FALSE.

There's also the one which states bats encircle the palace no matter what time of the day. The presence of bats are supposedly a show of his mythical powers. Although I schooled in Benin for a while even as a grown adult I'm still yet to confirm this.
MAYBE.
I strongly believe if true one can explain the phenomenon using science.

The myth abt the bats circling the oba palace in the daytime is very true. I've witness it more than once and i was amazed and spellbound.

Kingstone32:
The myth abt the bats circling the oba palace in the daytime is very true. I've witness it more than once and i was amazed and spellbound.

Time to play science advocate here.

Bats fly in circles at sundown in their caves or barns when they first get up .preparing to eat insects. Once they get their bearings and a quick snack , they also will make noises like "chirps" as they circle, for they locate prey by that sound (also called sonar ) not by sight. After the quick brief snack they will form a group & leave the safe resting place & go out to find good feeding spots, returning to the cave by first light.The flying patterns are by instinct to find them,for although the "old wives tale" states people are " as blind as a bat", that is not true; although they do have poor vision, their sonar is great & to quote another saying is "dead on target" .

Source: https://answers.yahoo(dot)com/question/index?qid=20090508194934AAgt2jw

Once again science has demystified juju.
It's possible livestock like horses and cows are reared in the palace or there normally is a high concentration of insects in the premises, lastly there might exist the presence of a bat cave. Due to mass illiteracy the average Nigerian would write it off as the Oba exhibiting occultic powers to which Edo elders would neither confirm nor deny.

Hahahahahahaha.

There are so many myths that Binis weaves around their Oba. While some are real, alot are just too overated.

Imagine someone arguing that Oba does not leave the palace as if the palace is a prisonyard for him

Live in Benin and you will know the supremacy of the Oba of Benin, he is the number 1 in Nigeria and the world entirely unlike the others who travel and always take picture with artist. Long live the Oba of Benin.

edosbro:
Live in Benin and you will know the supremacy of the Oba of Benin, he is the number 1 in Nigeria and the world entirely unlike the others who travel and always take picture with artist. Long live the Oba of Benin.

Mass illiteracy is the only reason he is held as God.

Back in the early days of independence with a rise in infrastructural advancements to make Nigeria meet up globally, a set of construction companies were assigned to Edo villages. The villagers, not familiar with industrialization, had century-old trees unuprootable by hand. They chose to call the trees fallen gods and revered them as such. The construction workers came and drew plans which would involve removing those trees. The villagers laughed on hearing this, saying no humans on earth could oppose the gods. Two days later the trees were successfully felled using heavy machinery and the roads tarred. Guess what the villagers did? They started worshipping the construction workers, viewing them as gods in human form.

Another example is 2011 or thereabout when the present governor decided to expand roads by demolishing houses close to the roadside. A lot of Benin indigenes swore to the high heavens a lot of structures blocking the highways belonged to one supernatural entity or the other -- any interruption to their sustained _erection would surely bring death. Oshiomhole disgraced those entities by leveling down the structures and he's still alive, long enough to marry a beautiful foreign wife.

Illiteracy is the bane of the masses. If citizens were more educated we'd do away with these archaic beliefs. In modern times whenever the palace lays a law saying people should remain indoors for whatever _stupid reason it's common to see non-indigene UNIBEN students going about their day without care.

Kingstone32:
The myth abt the bats circling the oba palace in the daytime is very true. I've witness it more than once and i was amazed and spellbound.

There's nothing magical about that.

my secondary school - Kings college lagos had two trees that bats nested in and the bats were always circling the entire school compound.

Some are true while some are myths.
But really, the Oba hardly leaves the palace. It's rare.
They said whenever an Oba is crowned something strange must happen.
The day Oba EwuareII was coronated harmattan blew at least my side. I don't know if it was a coincidence o.
In Benin, the Oba has been deitified. That was how someone told me that Oba Akenzua never entered plane/car, that he will just appear at the said place. Imagine!
However, Oba gha to kpere, iseeee!

Nwanne and you believed the story that Oba Akenzua did not enter plane? So biko, how did he managed to get to Britain to visit the Queen abi na the Ogbonge Benin juju wey people dey talk say dem witch fit fly for afternoon carry am go?

Are u in Benin?

soonest:
Some are true while some are myths.
But really, the Oba hardly leaves the palace. It's rare.
They said whenever an Oba is crowned something strange must happen.
The day Oba EwuareII was coronated harmattan blew at least my side. I don't know if it was a coincidence o.
In Benin, the Oba has been deitified. That was how someone told me that Oba Akenzua never entered plane/car, that he will just appear at the said place. Imagine!
However, Oba gha to kpere, iseeee!

infoblaster:
Nwanne and you believed the story that Oba Akenzua did not enter plane? So biko, how did he managed to get to Britain to visit the Queen abi na the Ogbonge Benin juju wey people dey talk say dem witch fit fly for afternoon carry am go?

Are u in Benin?

Believe fire! How can I believe that one. M kana ami aka?

Hahahahahahaha. It's just that there seems to be too much mythical beliefs flying around in Benin sha.

What we must understand here is that the Edos. Know that the less you see something, the more the status and prestige of that thing increases and certainly any rumour that flies holds ground in the minds of the object. The Oba does not leave the palace except on rare occasions which have to be sanctioned by some ritual rites. The late Oba Erediauwa was said to have toured the country in his thank you visits to monarchs across the country 3 years after his coronation. There was a time the late oba was asked to appear before a court over some issues I think with the Esama of Benin who was so rich and powerful then, the Oba trekked from his palace to the court, the whole Benin stood still as he passed...this act made Igbinedion son loose the election in 1993 against Odigie Oyegun....The Esama had to beg, trust, the oba was a merciful king. The issue about the oba teeth not being seen is another stuff, I have seen his teeth, I think it is on few occasions. Everything has a limit, he can break certain laws sometimes, others he cannot. The fact is that, you won't see him at your party, except on rare occasion, I remember he was the one that commisioned ITV belonging to this same Esama. It is the way we carry our Oba that is the way he appears before others, if. We don't exault him, who will? And he does the things that makes us happy and proud so we are happy to brag about him any where we go.....

Edo people are Sudanese

GodIsFoolish:
Edo people are Sudanese

Seriously?