₦airaland Forum

Billyonaire:
Who cares to share his pop corn. Looks like the movie is about to begin....

I'm more than willing to share mine with you if you'll share your glass of wine with me!

*Grabs popcorn

MasterChen:
I posted on this thread lol. The mods delete the post

I was on a ban. I just came back

Welcome!

IbBarham:
Nice one OP.. I love this

I'm happy you do, thanks!

HughJazz:
No they wanted to develop it like lagos.

Donno about that dear, Kabiyesi never mention such!

0ntruth:
so long as no one has confirm it to be true,I see it to be superstitious.sorry if that offended your own believe .

Nah it didn't, I had to obey the rules jawe!

madridguy:
Thanks for sharing @ OP.

You welcome and thanks for reading!

0ntruth:
Why not take the risk and see things for yourself?who among them don try or confirm that superstitious?

I would, if i have a spare phone!
Besides, Nobody knows if it's superstition or not.

0ntruth:
Op good work,Please can you explain this part for me , If the king DIE on the battle field, so they will still expect him to come home and commit suicide again?

When the king goes to war or battle, if he doesn't conquer his enemies or die in the battle field. When he comes back home, the people expect him to visit THE ROOM OF DEATH (which is the tradition) to commit suicide as a sign of honour because he didn't win the war.

DaPuncline:
i love you.

Awwwn!

smithsydny:
Africa

Lol, African Magic!

Kemimarch16:
They can only see their husband for just 21 days out of 3years,is it by force to marry king

Lemme break it down. The king married 112 wives. So in order to satisfy them the best way he can, 2wives come to stay with him for 21 days after their stay another two comes (a turn by turn thingy) so before it gets to the turn of some of them it can take up to 3years

paranorman:
The real snake Island?! cool. you should have taken a secret camera joh. Blood of Jesus will protect you jare.

Secret camera, hmmm. THEY said if you take pictures where you're not authorised to, the pictures will disappear and your phone will go bad!

omolorlarh:
Two of his wives must die with him.This is serious yet women will happily get married to the king.

Back then it was a privilege, women do visit the king and request to be his wife and he would accept.

Cmoyor:
my friends and I will also love to visit... can u kindly brief me on how to go about that?

Get your travelling documents and cross the border!

Like I said before it was a palace before it was transformed to a museum in 1976 when the 25th king died (ROI DÈ GBEFFA- 1946-1976) he had nine sons and they fought for the throne creating bloodshed, people started trooping in to steal some of the artifacts. The Government of Bénin republic intervened and transformed it to a museum.

Kakamorufu:
do they need to sell them. it's part of their heritage now

My dear, it's for sale oh!

HDee:
So, cotonue guys are basically yorubas self..
Interesting

Not all of them, you'll find more Yoruba's in Porto-novo

hucienda:
e-battle looming here on No. 1 ...

interesting thread, OP.

Thank you!

paranorman:
interesting.. All these Yoruba inscriptions, cool.

I love travel a lot and I'd like to visit world heritage sites all over the world..

Was shown some of the Yoruba alphabet created by oduduwa but we weren't allowed to take pictures of it for some reasons best know to them.

Ouidah (the snake island) will be the next place I'll be visiting.

deepwater:
How did ojukwu enter their matter now?

Op said firstly inhabited by the Yoruba's and Hausas. And foreigners like ojukwu and his like came where to create Biafra ?!

Op don't be silly.

Yoruba's and Hausa's were the first to inhabit "AJASE" (which is a place in Porto-novo) when the civil war started the likes of ojukwu wanted to create Biafra in the same land ALJASE that gave them shelter.

Photo of a woman who makes clothes with threads in the museum

Artifacts sold in the museum, they're quite expensive tho especially with the exchange rate. Some of them are made from horns and tusks, don't know if it's cow, elephant or rhino!

6) ROOM FOR MEALS- In this room, only the queens who has gone through the sanctification of a specific blood ritual with the king are allowed to enter this room where the king eats his food on mat and not his chair.

7)ROOM OF DEATH - Only kings are allowed to enter this room. When the king goes for war/ battle and does not conquer or die on the battle field, the people expect him to come home and commit suicide as a sign of honour. When he enters the room he doesn't come out, the corpse is either left to decompose or disappear as the voodoo wishes but no one is allowed to enter. According to them anyone who enters will never come out! (wasn't allowed to enter or peep either)

A time comes when all the wives of the king (112) comes to the palace to dance for the king and the king inspects and choses only one who has danced to his satisfaction and marvelled him gets to spend the night with the him in his room to receive her prize from the king (you know what I mean huh)

5)ADJI OU AWALÉ - Some of us are familiar with the game called 'AYO' by the Yoruba's. A visitor of the king comes to play the game with him and ONLY THE KING WINS. No one is allowed to win the king I repeat no one or there'll be consequences.

When the time comes for the king to go for a long trip (Death) as they don't use the term "The king is dead" but they say "he has travelled"... Two of his wives are buried with him, they don't chop their head off or bury them alive but according to them, the women are given a liquid substance to drink (poison) from there they sleep and die!

4) PLACARD DES GRIS-GRIS - This is known as the power room of the king (AFRICAN MAGIC). When he wakes up or about to go for a battle he goes to the room to collect power to defeat his enemies.

We were asked not to take pictures as we entered the Palace museum, so I'll do my best to explain what lies within...

1) THE XWEDO (1688) - This is known as the protection of the king, saw some voodoo stuffs there, but according to the tour guide, sacrifices aren't made there anymore only at the private palace. But back then, the bathing's of the new borns took place there, conflicts were settled and sacrifices were made to the gods.

2) THE VISITING CORRIDOR - When the king has a visitor, the visitor waits in a corridor as the messenger notifies the king about his visitor the corridor accesses' the intentions and sincerity of the visitor and sends a message to THE CHAIN (No offence, but the chain looks like our Nigerian big generator chain that we use to avoid thieves from stealing our property).

3) THE CHAIN- The chain also tells the king when one of his wives sleeps with another man and her head will be chopped off as punishment and a warning to others.

unclezuma:
Wait is that person wearing a Ghana-Must-Go bag?

Noooo, lol!

I'll procede to my favourite part of the trip "THE MUSEUM" (We weren't allowed to take pictures inside the palace turned museum, but I'll post the ones I have) Please feel free to ask questions!

The museum which was once the first Royal palace of porto-novo. The palace existed from 1688-1976, was ruled by 25 kings over the years. The first king "KING TOFFA" had 112 wives but they never stay in the same palace with the king, he built a private palace for them. 2women are chosen to come stay with the king for 21days before they go back to the private place. After their stay another set comes to stay with the king for another 21days. It goes round until the 112 wives of the kings collects their share of kabeyesi's love in za oda room!
It takes 3years before some of them can see the king!

The Temple of the Olori Abesan and the 9 snakes

Controversy struck, back then when the first king of Ikoyi had to leave his Throne in Nigeria with his very pregnant wife and some of his followers, they kept moving until they got to Bénin republic Porto novo, Olori (the queen) went into labour and gave birth to 9 children (Abesan) the same day.
Her name changed from Olori to Olori Abesan. She became a goddess, and she's not allowed to kneel in front of a king or anybody. The king decided that there was no use moving anymore most especially with 9kids so they had to inhabit the land and name the throne ABESAN ONIKOYI because they didn't want to forget their Origin which is "IKOYI"
There are 9 snakes which is being used as a symbol of representation of the 9 children and a Lion is used to represent the queen!

unclezuma:
Wow... Ancient Dahomey

Exactly!