Ohen

Article summary

Ohen was the eighth ('king') of the Kingdom of Benin, reigning from to . He succeeded Udagbedo and was succeeded by his eldest son, Egbeka. Historical writings, oral traditions, and ritual performances associate Ohen's reign with palace conflict, disability, guild reforms, and the development of Benin ceremonial traditions. Benin court art depicts mudfish-legged royal figures that are often associated with Ohen, although scholars have also interpreted the motif more broadly as an image of divine kingship, Olokun-linked power, royal dependence on elite support, and warning against the abuse of monarchical authority. According to traditional accounts, Ohen became paralysed after many years on the throne and concealed his condition from the court by arranging for attendants to carry him into council chambers before chiefs arrived. His disability was discovered by the , a leading military chief, whose subsequent execution reportedly provoked unrest that ended in Ohen's death by stoning. Oral traditions and later scholarship connect these events with ideas about divine kingship, legitimacy, and political tensions involving the Ogiamiẹn lineage. Several modern studies associate Ohen's reign with the reorganisation of palace guilds, especially weaving guilds connected to the royal court.…

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