Another type is known for its ability to survive on land as well as in the water and this ability is perfect for illustrating the Oba as a divine king who can be part of the human and spiritual realms. There are two types of mudfish: One can give a powerful electric shock that is often used as a reference to the Oba’s immense power over his enemies. The display of the Oba’s power over land and water because of his connection to Olokun, the god of water, symbolises the king’s semi-divine power between the spiritual world and the kingdom of Benin. The symbolism of the Mudfish in the Benin Culture covers prosperity, peace, fertility, and strength.
The Mudfish (catfish) has a highly respected place in Benin culture, especially within the worship of Olokun. The Oba himself has a moniker as the “Home leopard” this making him a lord at home and in the forest. The leopard symbolises the complete harmony between two compelling forces – the menacing and the moderating – that, in Benin, it is believed every ideal Oba should possess. In one famous myth, the leopard is heralded for the balance between his strength and his reserve and moderation as a leader. How the leopard came to be a royal symbol, however, is a subject of debate. The leopard symbolised the Oba’s authority, the loyalty of his subjects, and high status. Tamed leopards would be seen walking behind the Oba during coronation and major festivals in the Benin Kingdom. The killing of this privilege animal is a crime for every other hunter in the Kingdom. Killing a leopard was a privilege of the Oba, who had his association of leopard hunters equipped with “special powers” which enabled them to kill these animals without losing their own lives. As “king of the forest,” his reputation is as great as that of the Oba. The tamed cats only have one lord the Oba Himself, who talks and commands them at will. In ancient times, it was said that tamed leopards were seen walking around the Palace of the Oba of Benin.
Among all the animals that hold significance in Benin art and spirituality, the leopard is the most revered. The leopard is not just another wild cat in Benin cosmology and Benin art. These creatures are the Leopard, the Mudfish and the Ibis (also called Bird of Prophecy).Īt the centre of all these mystic creatures and the importance they hold in Benin Culture, the Oba of Benin meditates as the intermediary between the world of man and the world of the gods. These creatures shuttle between the physical and spiritual realms of the Benin world.īenin cosmology is governed by three major creatures, and their dual role of spirituality and physicality is represented in almost every Benin Bronze art. A world of its original gatekeepers, a world of creatures that hold physical and supernatural significance and power for the Benin Kingdom. Its astonishing, intricate design (bronze artworks) had the global art market captured by a beauty so pure in its original form that the world couldn’t even believe that these pieces were made in Benin.īut far away from the Benin Bronze artworks, there was a world underneath the Kingdom. After the Invasion of the Kingdom in 1897, the world became exposed to the underlying beauty and strength which had held the influential ancient kingdom together for thousands of centuries.
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