Igodomigodo is the original name of the
Benin Empire used by its own inhabitants (nowadays known as the
Edo people of Nigeria).
According to Edo oral history, Igodomigodo was the name given to the kingdom by Igodo, the first ''
ogiso'' (King), who founded the first dynasty of what would later be known as the
Benin Empire (which existed from around 1180 until 1897 in the area of the present-day
Federal Republic of Nigeria (and not in the area of the unrelated, current
Republic of Benin
Benin ( , ; french: Bénin , ff, Benen), officially the Republic of Benin (french: République du Bénin), and formerly Republic of Dahomey, Dahomey, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east, Burki ...
)).
The ''ogiso'' era was replaced by the ''oba'' era, and the name of the kingdom was changed from Igodomigodo to Edo by
Oba Eweka I).
Replacing the era of the ''ogiso'', the ''oba'' dynasty was founded by
Eweka I, the first Oba (and child of
Oranmiyan). Eweka I renamed his empire Edo, and since then its people have been called
Edo people (or ''ovbi-ẹdo'', "child
enof Edo").
The current Oba,
Ewuare II, is the 40th Oba and 89th ruler of the dynasty started by Igodo of Igodomigodo.
See also
*
List of the Ogiso
This is a list of the independent Ogisos (Kings) of Igodomigodo, which was to become the Benin Empire, from 40 BCE to 1100 CE. The dating is based on the recollection made by Daryl Peavy of the oral traditions of the Edo people. The Ogiso were a ...
*
Benin Empire
References
{{Reflist
* http://www.dawodu.net/igodo.htm
Edo history