Emotan (15th century) was a market woman who traded in foodstuffs around the Oba Market in the ancient Benin kingdom during the reign of Oba Uwaifiokun and Prince Ogun, who later took the name " Oba Ewuare the Great" after becoming the

Oba of Benin The Oba of Benin is the traditional ruler and the custodian of the culture of the Edo people and all Edoid people. The then Kingdom of Benin (not to be confused with the modern-day and unrelated Republic of Benin, which was then known as Dah ...

. She is the pioneer of the first day care centre in

Benin City Benin City is the capital and largest city of Edo State, Edo State, Nigeria. It is the fourth-largest city in Nigeria according to the 2006 census, after Lagos, Kano (city), Kano, and Ibadan, with a population estimate of about 3,500,000 as of ...

;

oral history Oral history is the collection and study of historical information about individuals, families, important events, or everyday life using audiotapes, videotapes, or transcriptions of planned interviews. These interviews are conducted with people wh ...

said she assisted

Oba Ewuare Ewuare (also Ewuare the Great or Ewuare I) was the Oba (king) of the Benin Empire from 1440 until 1473. Ewuare became king in a violent coup against his brother Uwaifiokun which destroyed much of Benin City. After the war, Ewuare rebuilt much ...

in reclaiming the throne as Oba of Benin after several years in exile.

Life

Emotan (real name Uwaraye), was born in Eyaen between 1380 and 1400. After the death of her husband, she constructed a hut where she attended to the needs of children. Emotan was instrumental in Ewuare's reclaiming the throne as Oba of Benin after she told him of a murder plot against him made by Uwaifiokun and some chiefs during his time in exile. Ewuare went on to appoint Emotan as the ''Iyeki'' (

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

: leader of the authorized ''Ekpate'' guild), a position given to someone with the task of enforcing market rules and checkmating security matters.

Deification

After the death of Emotan, Oba Ewuare deified her by ordering the planting of the sacred ''Uruhe'' tree at the same spot where she used to display her wares. He went on to make a

decree A decree is a legal proclamation, usually issued by a head of state (such as the president of a republic or a monarch), according to certain procedures (usually established in a constitution). It has the force of law. The particular term used for ...

that

homage Homage (Old English) or Hommage (French) may refer to: History *Homage (feudal) /ˈhɒmɪdʒ/, the medieval oath of allegiance *Commendation ceremony, medieval homage ceremony Arts *Homage (arts) /oʊˈmɑʒ/, an allusion or imitation by one arti ...

must be paid to Emotan by persons who are celebrating any form of ceremonial gathering.

Emotan Statue

A life sized, bronze '' Emotan Statue'' was designed in honour of the legacy set by Emotan after two ''Uruhe'' trees, that were planted on separate occasions, fell. The

statue A statue is a free-standing sculpture in which the realistic, full-length figures of persons or animals are carved or cast in a durable material such as wood, metal or stone. Typical statues are life-sized or close to life-size; a sculpture t ...

was designed by John A. Danford and was unveiled by Oba Akenzua II in cooperation with the British Colonial authorities on May 20, 1954. The statue is presently located at the Oba Market in

Edo State Edo, commonly known as Edo State, is a state located in the South-South geopolitical zone of Nigeria. As of 2006 National population census, the state was ranked as the 24th populated state (3,233,366) in Nigeria, However there was controversy ...

References

{{Authority control People from Benin City 14th-century births 14th-century Nigerian women 15th-century Nigerian women 14th-century women 15th-century women 15th-century deaths Deified women Nigerian women's history African goddesses Medieval businesswomen 15th-century African businesspeople