I studied Sociology and Anthropology it is very wrong to refer to a king as "H***y Of Ife" as the tradition and culture demands he is entitle to marry many wives.

What is the traditional benefit of him having many wives?

In other words, what will happen to him if he doesn't have many wives?

immortalcrown:
What is the traditional benefit of him having many wives?

In other words, what will happen to him if he doesn't have many wives?

Tradition is Tradition so you can't stop it.
He is very free to marry many wives...

edet19892015:


Tradition is Tradition so you can't stop it.
He is very free to marry many wives...

What is your problem? Did I say the tradition should stop? Did I say he is not free to have many wives?

The post says his tradition demands him to have many wives, I simply ask why the tradition is so. I want to learn about the tradition.

If you know the answer, tell me. If you don't know the answer, don't try to change the topic.

immortalcrown:

What is your problem? Did I say the tradition should stop? Did I say he is not free to have many wives?

The post says his tradition demands him to have many wives, I simply ask why the tradition is so. I want to learn about the tradition.

If you know the answer, tell me. If you don't know the answer, don't try to change the topic.

The Ooni explained that he tried making some changes but he couldn’t. Maybe referring to his decision to keep to only one queen and have concubines, the monarch said of the traditional heritage of Ile Ife, “This institution is bigger than me, beyond me. People in this palace are more than 800, they are close to a thousand. There are some people who have been living in this palace for more than 60 years, while some have lived here for more than 80 years old. Some people are over 100 years old in this palace.

If I had my way, I tried to challenge it but it blew in my face but thank God I’m still alive. It’s an institution that is rich in heritage, culture, and tradition.”

edet19892015:


The Ooni explained that he tried making some changes but he couldn’t. Maybe referring to his decision to keep to only one queen and have concubines, the monarch said of the traditional heritage of Ile Ife, “This institution is bigger than me, beyond me. People in this palace are more than 800, they are close to a thousand. There are some people who have been living in this palace for more than 60 years, while some have lived here for more than 80 years old. Some people are over 100 years old in this palace.

If I had my way, I tried to challenge it but it blew in my face but thank God I’m still alive. It’s an institution that is rich in heritage, culture, and tradition.”

What you wrote here does not answer my question. But you must not answer the question. Rest if you don't know the answer.

immortalcrown:

What you wrote here does not answer my question. But you must not answer the question. Rest if you don't know the answer.

The tradition permits a king to marry many wives in order to expand the kingdom.

edet19892015:

The tradition permits a king to marry many wives in order to expand the kingdom.

Permit and demand do not have same meaning. The post says, "demand". I am not asking about what the tradition permits. I am asking about what the tradition demands. In other words, I am asking why the tradition demands the Oba to have many wives.

immortalcrown:


Permit and demand do not have same meaning. The post says, "demand". I am not asking about what the tradition permits. I am asking about what the tradition demands. In other words, I am asking why the tradition demands the Oba to have many wives.

My understanding of the marriage concept as it applies to the typical palace in Yorubaland is that marriage to a monarch is fundamentally different from marriage to ordinary mortals. Let’s start from the very idea of the divine nature of kings: Ekeji Orisa-Friend of the gods. This characteristic alone already indicates that no woman can expect to have equal status with a Yoruba monarch. That you are married to a spirit does not make you a spirit even though it grants you special privileges. Those privileges end where that of the monarch begins.

But the awe with which our kings were viewed may have less to do that this more or less superstitious conception of their nature and more to do with the traditions they uphold, the way they comport themselves, the sheer scarcity of their royal presence. You can’t be seeing a god every day on cable TV. A god is not and cannot be a social media sensation. Imagine a god with a social media handle? I think that the social media handle should be that of the Palace. When gods descend from their heavenly abode to interact with ordinary humans virtually on a daily basis, humans, by their nature, begin to see them as just normal people.

Familiarity breeds contempt.
Culturally, a king does not go about “toasting” women to become his wives. There are distinguished personages who understand the traditional process of acquiring wives for a monarch. Take note: wives. It is not culturally acceptable for a true monarch in Yorubaland to have one wife. That creates the danger of a competing power base. The wife can become a virtual opposition to the king. She becomes entangled in Palace politics not just as an important factor, but as potential competition to the ekeji orisa. If care is not taken, she is capable of organising a Palace coup to eliminate the king in extreme situations.
To avoid this unpalatable scenario, and also because a king requires many trusted wives to carry out a wide-ranging set of duties, he is encouraged, if not mandated, to take as many wives as possible. This diffuses the alternative power base and allows the king his peace.

When you are one of 15 or 20 wives competing for the attention of the ekeji orisa, the thought of ever challenging his royal authority will never occur to you. You are busy trying to please him, give him a child, cook for him, run his errands, prove your loyalty and when you have grown kids, protect and care for them.

The phenomenon of a “mono wife” who is celebrated on social media and decorated with the appurtenances of royalty which significance she may not even understand is alien to our culture and creates all kinds of problems. The biggest of those problems is that it opens up the monarch to constant competition from a woman whose understanding of marriage to a monarch lacks traditional depth. She is “one” Just like her husband, ( She is his “partner”. She can call the shots. Oh, maybe she also has his Prince in her grasp. Omo kekere o mo oogun, o npe ni efo…Okunrin kan bi igba.
Would this happen if there were a dozen pregnancies queueing up at the royal maternity?
I know I will be accused of male chauvinism. But mind you I am not preaching this lifestyle to regular folks. I am saying this is how our monarchs lived and thrived. And just if you make the mistake of thinking this is just a male thing, then please go read the story of Queen Amina of Zaria. Queen Amina took male companions the way the old Kings took wives, by royal command. And when she had exhausted them with her insurmountable libido, they were despatched to the nether regions. No man would walk away boasting of his exploits in Queen Amina’s oza room! So after all, it’s not just a man’s thing.

The long and short message of this homily this morning is simple: If your kinsmen are preparing to make you a king, don’t go there and start preaching the Christian ethos of one man one wife. The institution you are about to lead does not believe in that injunction. It has a different conception of marriage.

edet19892015:

My understanding of the marriage concept as it applies to the typical palace in Yorubaland is that marriage to a monarch is fundamentally different from marriage to ordinary mortals. Let’s start from the very idea of the divine nature of kings: Ekeji Orisa-Friend of the gods. This characteristic alone already indicates that no woman can expect to have equal status with a Yoruba monarch. That you are married to a spirit does not make you a spirit even though it grants you special privileges. Those privileges end where that of the monarch begins.

But the awe with which our kings were viewed may have less to do that this more or less superstitious conception of their nature and more to do with the traditions they uphold, the way they comport themselves, the sheer scarcity of their royal presence. You can’t be seeing a god every day on cable TV. A god is not and cannot be a social media sensation. Imagine a god with a social media handle? I think that the social media handle should be that of the Palace. When gods descend from their heavenly abode to interact with ordinary humans virtually on a daily basis, humans, by their nature, begin to see them as just normal people.

Familiarity breeds contempt.
Culturally, a king does not go about “toasting” women to become his wives. There are distinguished personages who understand the traditional process of acquiring wives for a monarch. Take note: wives. It is not culturally acceptable for a true monarch in Yorubaland to have one wife. That creates the danger of a competing power base. The wife can become a virtual opposition to the king. She becomes entangled in Palace politics not just as an important factor, but as potential competition to the ekeji orisa. If care is not taken, she is capable of organising a Palace coup to eliminate the king in extreme situations.
To avoid this unpalatable scenario, and also because a king requires many trusted wives to carry out a wide-ranging set of duties, he is encouraged, if not mandated, to take as many wives as possible. This diffuses the alternative power base and allows the king his peace.

When you are one of 15 or 20 wives competing for the attention of the ekeji orisa, the thought of ever challenging his royal authority will never occur to you. You are busy trying to please him, give him a child, cook for him, run his errands, prove your loyalty and when you have grown kids, protect and care for them.

The phenomenon of a “mono wife” who is celebrated on social media and decorated with the appurtenances of royalty which significance she may not even understand is alien to our culture and creates all kinds of problems. The biggest of those problems is that it opens up the monarch to constant competition from a woman whose understanding of marriage to a monarch lacks traditional depth. She is “one” Just like her husband, ( She is his “partner”. She can call the shots. Oh, maybe she also has his Prince in her grasp. Omo kekere o mo oogun, o npe ni efo…Okunrin kan bi igba.
Would this happen if there were a dozen pregnancies queueing up at the royal maternity?
I know I will be accused of male chauvinism. But mind you I am not preaching this lifestyle to regular folks. I am saying this is how our monarchs lived and thrived. And just if you make the mistake of thinking this is just a male thing, then please go read the story of Queen Amina of Zaria. Queen Amina took male companions the way the old Kings took wives, by royal command. And when she had exhausted them with her insurmountable libido, they were despatched to the nether regions. No man would walk away boasting of his exploits in Queen Amina’s oza room! So after all, it’s not just a man’s thing.

The long and short message of this homily this morning is simple: If your kinsmen are preparing to make you a king, don’t go there and start preaching the Christian ethos of one man one wife. The institution you are about to lead does not believe in that injunction. It has a different conception of marriage.

Is this how you answer exam questions in school?

I simply asked why the tradition demands the Oba to have many wives. Being a traditional demand means there are consequences for disobedience. My question is what are those consequences?

What is the consequence of an Oba not having many wives? Even if he must have many wives, aren't two or three wives enough?

I am not condemning him having many wives. I simply wish to know what will happen to him or his throne if he fails to have many wives, especially if he he fails to have more than 3 wives.

If you don't have the answer, rest. What you wrote is not senseless but it doesn't address the issue at hand.

immortalcrown:
Is this how you answer exam questions in school?

I simply asked why the tradition demands the Oba to have many wives. Being a traditional demand means there are consequences for disobedience. My question is what are those consequences?

What is the consequence of an Oba not having many wives? Even if he must have many wives, aren't two or three wives enough?

I am not condemning him having many wives. I simply wish to know what will happen to him or his throne if he fails to have many wives, especially if he he fails to have more than 3 wives.

If you don't have the answer, rest. What you wrote is not senseless but it doesn't address the issue at hand.

Nothing will happen to him...