The Power of Women in West Kmt: Queen Mothers-gctid84443

[Kala Kambon]

The Power of Women in West Kmt: Queen Mothers                     by admin on Mar 10, 2011 • 6:20 pm 5 Comments
                 Wives of the Oba of Benin (Photograph by Joseph Nevadomsky)

 For West Kmt, one aspect remains consistent: the Kmtyw people  have a very different approach to power among women than the traditional  western conception implies.  When people in the West consider the  concept of equality between the sexes, they think of men and women  sharing equal roles in society.  However, in traditional West Kmtyw  culture, power actually lies in the dynamic differences between the  roles of men and women.  It is within these unique characteristics that  are distinctively male or female that the power emerges.
 This analysis of the power of women concentrates primarily on the  cultures of Benin and the widespread Yoruba people.  The power of women  is evident in much of the art of the Benin and Yoruba people.  Royal,  spiritual, and feminine aspects are all described here in the short  analysis of Benin Queen Mothers, the Yoruba Gelede spectacle, and the  roles of women in relation to men in Yoruba society.  Queen Mothers are  the epitome of power.  They are women who have reached one of the  highest positions of power.  The Gelede ritual celebrates the power of  women and offers some remarkable insight into the lives and natures of  powerful women.  The nature of women is also investigated in the art  depicting women in gender roles.  All of these provide a mere glimpse  into the concept of the power of women in West Kmt and the art that  depicts it.
 Benin is located between Nigeria and Togo in West Kmt.  The Yoruba  are found primarily in Nigeria, and scattered in places throughout the  regions of Benin and Togo.
 Queen Mothers of Benin
 One of the primary examples of female power in Kmt is the queen  mother.  Queen mothers have an extraordinary amount of power in Kmt.   They have sovereign power over their subjects, are independent, have  their own courts, and help the kings make decisions regarding the ruling  of the kingdom.  The queen mother is like a high ranking chief.
 The future king is usually chosen from the sons of the current king's  wives, so there is considerable competition to become queen mother.   According to tradition, the woman who gives birth to the king has unique  magical powers that she uses to aid her son during his rule, helping  him defeat his enemies and have a prosperous reign.  (1)  Although the  queen mother is not identified until her son is chosen as king,  it is  believed that she was selected and predestined to become the mother of  the king even before she is born. (5)
 Idia: A Benin Legend
 Pendant Mask: Iyoba, 16th century

 Queen Mothers were not established in the kingdom of Benin until the  end of the Fifteenth century when a great conflict between two sons over  the ascension to the throne threatened to destroy the empire.  Oba  (king) Ozula died and left the throne open to his two sons, Arhuaran,  who controlled the city of Udo, and Esigie, who controlled Benin City.   It is said that the mother Idia used her magical powers to help Esigie  win a war against his brother and also the neighboring Igala people, who  wished to take advantage of the Benin kingdom's state of weakness and  attack them.  From then on, the mothers of the kings were honored and  given powers and prestige in the government of the kingdom. (1)
 From the story, several of the traditions that surround the Queen  Mother can be derived.  Prior to the reign of Esigie, it was customary  to behead the mothers of the kings to prevent them from threatening the  kingdom by using their magical powers to either initiate a rebellion and  take over the throne, or harm the people in some way through the use of  witchcraft.  Esigie asked the Edo people (the people of Benin) to let  his mother live so that she could help him defeat his brother and save  the kingdom, and they agreed to let him establish her as queen mother  only if he was to never see his mother again. This eliminated direct  contact between the king and the queen mother and resulted in the  removal of the queen mother to her own palace outside of the capital  city in a village called Uselu. (1)
 This ivory pendant mask pictured here is actually an image of Idia,  the first queen mother.  It was usually worn by the king during  ceremonial occasions. The mask is hollowed out in the back, making it a  perfect container for holding medicines that can protect the king while  worn around his neck. The material used and the ornamental images carved  around the face all represent the elegance and wealth of Benin royalty.   The symbols of the Portuguese boast of the wealth of the Benin  kingdom, and also of their good relations with foreigners and with  ancestor spirits, because the Portuguese were thought to come from the  world of the dead, as they crossed a body of water and had white skin.   Also the symbols of the mudfish, which were thought to be very powerful  and spiritual because of their ability to both swim in water and "walk"  on land, decorate the mask, and associate the royalty of the Benin  kingship and power of the queen mother with that of the spirit world.  (2)
 Palace and Attendants
 18th Century Ivory Attendant carving, from the Court of Benin, Edo Peoples

 Each queen mother in Benin has her own palace, specially built for  her.  She also has many court attendants, men and women called  ibierugha, that serve her.  They build their dwellings nearby her palace  so as to be in close proximity.  The young female attendants are  actually women who are given by their families to be cared for and  raised by the queen mother.  They are later given in marriage to either  the Oba or to important chiefs or political leaders to form alliances or  strengthen political ties.  These women generally are depicted as  naked, wearing nothing but a coral beaded belt and jewelry and a certain  hairstyle that mark them as virgins eligible for marriage.  This  position is, in a way, a rather powerful one, because these women are  educated and refined from living under the queen's care, often marry  powerful men, and even have the chance to become queen mother.  This  ivory statue is of a female attendant to the queen mother.  She is  wearing coral necklaces, bracelets, anklets, and waistband.
 Commemorative Altars
 When a queen mother dies, her son the Oba, commemorates her with an  altar, usually set up in a special compound or area dedicated to the  queen mother.  On this altar are placed items like cast brass heads and  altar tableaus that depict the queen mother in procession.  The current  king makes sacrifices to his mother at this altar during private annual  ceremonies.  These altars honor the high ranking queen as she held a  position of powerful authority and was vital to the survival of the  kingdom in her role as protector. (1)
 Although this altar pictured here is for a king and not a queen  mother, it resembles the altars typically set up to honor queen mothers.   Both altars contain similar objects.  The altar tableau can be seen in  the center, and it is surrounded by the brass commemorative heads of  the king. (2)
 Palace Altar to King Ovonramwen, (r. 1888-97), Benin (Nigeria)

 Brass Heads
 The head is very important in Benin culture.  The head is thought to  represent an individual's ability of realizing their own potential  destiny. (5) The cast brass commemorative heads are identifiable as  representative of the queen by the elaborate "chicken beaked" crown of  coral on the head, and also the coral necklace chokers.  These heads  change in style and structure over time.  
 The early commemorative heads have coral necklaces just around the  neck and a more naturalistic rendering of the face, but the later  commemorative heads have coral necklaces that extend to cover the chin  up to the mouth and more disproportionate features.  Also, the older  heads are lighter and have thinner walls, whereas the later heads have  thicker walls and are heavier to accommodate the extra necks dedicated  to the coral necklaces. (1)
 Queen Mother Brass Heads, Benin, Nigeria

 Descriptions
 Left: Queen Mother Head, c.1500-50, Benin (Nigeria), Brass, height 15 1/2″ (39 cm), British Museum, ukkk
 This is an earlier brass commemorative head, which possesses more  natural facial features as it has a smaller neck and proportionate  facial features.  Its walls are cast thinner than those of the later  brass heads.  This particular head is thought to be of Idia, the first  Benin Queen Mother. (1)
 Centre: Head of a Queen Mother (Iyoba),  1750–1800, Nigeria; Edo peoples, court of Benin, Brass; H. 16 3/4 in.  (42.54 cm), Bequest of Alice K. Bache, 1977 (1977.187.36)
 This is a later Benin brass commemorative head, and like its  predecessor it has the similar "chicken-beaked" coral crown and coral  necklaces.  However, it has a thicker cast and unlike the earlier  version, it has a longer neck and  is covered in these necklaces up to  the mouth.  The facial features are also less naturalistic, with things  like the eyes being emphasized. (1)
 Right: Head of a Queen Mother, Nigeria, Edo; Court of Benin, 18th-19th Century, Brass, iron; h. 20.5 inches
 This head is an even later commemorative head.  It still possesses  the same crown and necklaces, but the style is changed even more.  It  has an opening in the top so that elephant tusks may be placed there.   The neck is even longer and the figure possesses even more coral beaded  jewelry as shown by the number of necklaces and the style of the  headdress. (1)
 Altar Tableau: Queen Mother and Attendants, 18th century Nigeria; Edo peoples, court of Benin, Brass

 Altar Tableau
 This altar tableau, also called an urhoto, depicts the queen mother  and her attendants.  These tableaus were made to be displayed on the  altar of a deceased queen mother.   It is made of brass and portrays  many symbols of the queen's power.  
 Motifs like the elephant trunks and mudfish show the power of the  queen as the animals are associated with strength and with the spirit  world.  Also, her attendants carry the ceremonial sword and staff, the  queen mother's insignia.  
 The queen is larger in scale than her attendants, emphasizing her  importance, and also wears a crown and shirt made of coral beads, which  is significant because only royalty can wear such valuable clothing.   There is also the symbol of hands depicted on the tableau, which is  significant because in Benin culture, hands are a symbol of power. (1)
 Altar  of the Hand (Ikegobo), late 18th century Nigeria; Edo peoples, court of  Benin, Bronze; H. 8 1/4 in. (20.96 cm), The Michael C. Rockefeller  Memorial Collection, Bequest of Nelson A. Rockefeller, 1979  (1979.206.218)

 Altar of the Hand
 The right hand is a very important symbol of power in Benin culture.    The personal actions of an individual, as embodied in the symbol of  the hand, are a key component to the path or fate of the individual, as  it affects the degree of success someone may achieve. (5)
 The altars of the hand, also called ikegobo, therefore celebrate this  concept of success and power related to the symbol of the hand.  The  material the ikegobos are made out of varies according to rank.  Bronze  is reserved for royalty, meaning only the Oba (king) and the Iyoba  (queen mother) can commission artwork in this medium.  Other members of  society may commission altars of the hand to be made in wood. (5)
 This Altar of the Hand is one commissioned by a queen mother in the  18th century.  It depicts the queen mother in the center, larger in  scale than the other figures, and flanked by her young virgin  attendants.  Two of the attendants are carrying vessels upon their  heads, perhaps with offerings within them.  This piece of artwork shows  the power that the queen mother has through both the depiction of her  and her attendants, and the powerful symbolism of the hand that it  embodies. (5)
 Source: Queen Mothers