Pictures of Materialism in the Benin Ecological Worldview: Eco-Critical Poems of Osemwengie Ero

Emmanuel Egya, in looking at the idea of African eco-criticism, considers it as

The Benin ecological worldview is a product of African eco-criticism and materialism. This is primarily so because the Benin people are not just Africans, but they demonstrate the ‘commonalities’ and ‘particularities’ that ‘exist in Africa’ (69), especially within the milieu of ecological, natural, cultural, spiritual, and social constructs. To put it in proper perspective, the Benin ecological worldview is connected with the response(s) of the Benin people to ecological materials, their way of thinking, comprehension, attitude, mindset (which is rooted in their belief system), and understanding of life. This is related to what Workineh Kelbessa sees as ‘environmental philosophy’. The critic goes on to state that ‘Environmental Philosophy accommodates metaphysical, epistemological, aesthetic and other related issues. It argues for a much wider, more comprehensive view of the relation of environmentalism to philosophy, culture, life and thought’ (‘Environmental Philosophy in African Traditions of Thought’ 312). The instructive thing about this viewpoint is that it controls the perspectives of the Benin people – social, economic, religious, and educational, as well as linguistic. Moreover, their conception and appreciation of materiality are shaped by the common view of Africans that within the materials in the environment lie the supernatural world of spirits, who share a relationship with the human world. This is what Paul-Kolade Tubi considers as the ‘traditional African approach to ecological sustenance’ (‘Afroecology of Traditional African Societies’ 311). This ‘approach’ not only stresses but shows the ‘proximity’ between the human and the non-human within the Benin Kingdom and its people. In fact, the royal status of the kingdom is inextricably tied to this worldview as it shapes their perspectives on the preservation and protection of the kingdom and its royalty as well as its majestic fame and relevance to the world. The Benin people of the Kingdom of Benin are the dominant Edoid ethnic group in Edo State, South-South Nigeria in West Africa. The kingdom has as its capital Benin City, which is also the capital of Edo State. As a kingdom, the present king is Oba Ewuare II – the Oba of Benin – who was crowned on 20 October 2016, becoming the 40th Oba of the kingdom. He is the supreme head and custodian of the traditions, culture, and customs of the kingdom. He is seen as ‘divine’ as he commands high respect and authority (Bradbury, The Benin Kingdom and the Edo-Speaking People of South-western Nigeria 40). In terms of their linguistic background, the Benin speak Edo, or Bini, which is one of the linguistic varieties of the Edoid language family spoken in the southern part of Nigeria. In 1897, the Benin Kingdom was invaded by the British army, with the subsequent massacre of the people and the destruction of parts of the country. That invasion remains one of the most pivotal events in the history and life of the Benin people and the kingdom.

Osemwengie Ero is a member of the Uzama N’Ihiron (The Seven Kingmakers) in the Great Benin Kingdom. He hails from the family of Ero, Benin City. He is a prolific poet and an outstanding promoter of Benin culture and history, as seen through his writings in the Edo language, such as Okha Edo (Short Stories in Edo), Ekhạrhạ Ẹdo (Poems in Edo) and so on. Ero gained his first and second degrees in Linguistics and the Edo language as well as the Language Art Curriculum at the Universities of Benin and Lagos respectively, in Nigeria. He is the Edobayokhae of Benin Kingdom – a chieftaincy title – conferred on him in 2010 by Oba Erediauwa of Benin. He is married and has children. A close reading of selected poems from Ekhaha shows his understanding of the Benin ecological worldview and sense of eco-materialism, as well as values within the context of African eco-criticism and, by extension, African sensibilities. The poems not only grant us insights into the philosophical intimations in African eco-criticism but they also astound our imaginations with the spiritual dimension rooted in the theory.

In the poem entitled ‘Okperhan’ (The Big Tree), Ero poetizes in a rather philosophical and spiritual manner the understanding of the Benin with regard to the efficacy of the eco-critical materiality of ‘Okperhan’. The poem is cast in the form of an apostrophe:

The picture of reverence for Okperhan’s protective personality is further stressed in the poem as the speaker expresses his profound appreciation for the ‘peaceful’ ambience that characterizes the ‘refuge’ of ‘the big tree’. The last line in the above extract encapsulates the depth of the speaker’s appreciation.

In another part of the poem, the speaker continues to paint pictures of the ‘the big tree’ as his appreciation mounts:

In the second stanza our auditory senses are stimulated to perceive the sonic characteristics of ‘the big tree’. The reader must slip imaginatively to the forest to apprehend the different sounds trees make as the wind blows through them. This ‘audible aesthetic’ from ‘sighing trees’, to quote the words of Celmera Pocock, strikes the human imagination and evokes the mystical dimension of nature (‘Sense Matters: Aesthetic Values of the Great Barrier Reef’374). In the context of this poem however, ‘the big tree’ becomes a mystical drummer whose low tunes are laden with ‘the fear of death’. Ero further heightens the sense of spiritual mystery in the poem’s atmosphere as the ‘shouts’ of ‘Ọkan’ (a big tree) is evoked as a metaphor for the ugborrirri (fear) that the ‘king of death’ exudes. By implication, there is a supernatural aura that is laced with the aural qualities of ‘Okperhan’. These aural qualities remind us of Barbara Holloway’s insight about the ‘the experience of sound in the natural world’ (‘The Tree and its Voices’ 1).

At this juncture, it is important to state that there are some ‘big trees’ with cultural significance of protection that surround the Benin Kingdom. Ero paints pictures of these trees in the succeeding stanzas and their transcendental qualities. Hear him:

In a similar perspective, although rooted in a different position within the city, is the ‘Uloko ne Eyaen’. This ‘Okperhan’ is located at the Eyaen quarters, that is, beyond the Ikpoba axis of the Benin Kingdom. To quote Frank Obakhavbaye again, ‘the strategic significance of protection exerted by the transcendental forces of this “big tree” stretches from the Ikpoba River to the Eyaen quarters and beyond’. It is to be noted that the supernatural forces within these trees demonstrate a high sense of responsibility within their assigned territory. Looking at the language of Ero, we are informed in the poem that ‘Uloko ne Eyaen’ is an astute and disciplined ‘Okperhan’, one who conforms to the divine legal codes and authorities that demarcate territories in the beyond-human world. To further buttress the point of Obakhavbaye, ‘the Uloko n’ Eyean does not extend its transcendental and protective authority beyond the Ikpoba River into Benin City’. This sense of material intelligence and discipline within the Benin ecological world is crucial to our understanding of the vast possibilities and impossibilities embedded in the study of African eco-criticism.

In the succeeding stanza, Ero paints the material significance of another ‘Okperhan’. This time, he takes us into the ‘Ugha’ – the revered, sacred and hallowed chamber within the palace of the Oba of Benin – to visualize the ‘Okha’ tree maintaining an upright position. Now the language in this instance alludes to the authority of the Benin Monarch. The idea resonates with the fact that the Benin Crown stands sure and supreme as the Chief Protector of the Benin Kingdom. This is succinctly put by Mr Atoe Osabuohien (a 75-year-old retired School Principal from Urhonigbe area of the Benin Kingdom) this way: ‘Okha n’ Ugha kpagbe mudia vbe Eguaemato’ – which literally translates as ‘the Okha (tree) at Ugha is standing up at the shrine of the God of iron in the Oba’s palace’. The ‘Eguemato’ shrine is located within the ‘Ugha’ precinct of the palace and is considered as one of the most powerful shrines within the kingdom.

As the poem continues, the ‘Okha’ (tree) at Ugo – a Community at Ugoneki in the Orhionwon axis of the Benin Kingdom – is also cast as maintaining an erect position as it maintains a transcendental and protective shield over its district of authority. Ero further casts our minds back to the authority of the ‘Okperhan’ through the deft allusion to the ‘war of Akengbuda’ in the eighteenth century – in which ‘the Duke of Ugo’s’ acts of rebellion against the crown of Benin met the might and superior fire power of the Benin Royal troops, which led to the capture of Ugo and the Duke subsequently drowning himself in Igbaghon River.

In the concluding part of the poem, Ero switches his poetic attention to another ‘Okperhan’:

In addition, the ‘husband’ image in the second line of the extract is evocative. It strengthens the potency of ‘Akuobisi’, as well as stressing its valuable presence as an ingredient in the making of the ‘Ososomaye’ (charm). The might of the ‘Okperhan’ is further stressed in the third line as it is invested with the image of the privileged announcer that gives us the cheerful news about the new king. The poetic instance here catapults our imaginations to visualize the role of ‘Akuobisi’ in the choice of name for the heir apparent of the Benin throne. To quote Obakhavbaye again, ‘the journey to this place of announcement leads the Edaiken of Uselu to Useh Community in Benin City, where he engages in some spiritual sacrifices. The highpoint of his visit to the revered shrine is the point at which he (the Edaiken) engages with the ‘akhue’ (the seed from Mucuna urens) which is spiritually guided to hit the destined name of choice, ‘Ne ọ ye ogun ne Oba soyeye’.

Another idea in the poems of Ero that reverberates with the Benin ecological worldview and sense of eco-materiality can be seen in the poem entitled ‘Uki’ (The Moon). In the poem, the Benin understanding of the divine nature of the ‘Uki’ is underscored with poetic artistry. It reads:

In the case of ‘Uki’, Osaze is seen addressing ‘the moon’ in prayers. The language is laced with supplications and petitions concerning his innocence in his relationships with other people. His confidence is upheld in his call for ‘the moon’ to investigate his present and past actions in order to confirm his petition that he has never schemed ‘evil against any man’s child’, therefore ‘let no one destroy my child’. This sense of justice towards the might of morality in the spirit world dominates the ‘environmental philosophy’ of intercessory prayers by Africans and it resonates with the ‘African concept of morality and ethics’, to quote the words of Mbiti once again (214). As a matter of fact, Osaze’s quest for natural justice to prevail in his interaction with material beings dominates his prayers to ‘The Moon’ in the poem’s concluding lines:

In another poem entitled ‘Oven’ (The Sun), Ero relates in a rather philosophical manner the African eco-critical understanding of the solar image to humankind. The opening stanza of the poem reads:

In conclusion, the pictures of materialism in the poetry of Ero have extended our knowledge of the Benin ecological worldview of African eco-criticism. From poem to poem, one can see that the poet’s exposition of African sensibilities in eco-critical discourse reveals Benin’s eco-philosophical, ethical, and spiritual understanding of nature. As one with vast knowledge of the Benin royal institution, Ero takes his readers by the hand and shows them vivid pictures of materialism that pervade the Benin cultural landscape. He uses his poems to stress the connection between language, nature, culture, royalty, and spiritual materialisms. Our understanding of his poetic mastery registers the vast difference between Western eco-epistemology and African environmentalism as seen through the human and beyond-human world.