Emotan () was a market woman who traded in foodstuffs around the

Oba Market The Oba Market (also referred to as ) is an open-air market situated at Ring Road in the center of Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria. Its roots date back to the 15th century, making it one of the most historically significant markets in the region. ...

in the ancient Benin kingdom during the reign of Oba Uwaifiokun and Prince Ogun, who later took the name " Oba Ewuare the Great" after becoming the

Oba of Benin The Oba of Benin is the traditional ruler and the custodian of the culture of the Edo people and all Edoid people. The then Kingdom of Benin (not to be confused with the modern-day and unrelated Republic of Benin, which was then known as Daho ...

. She is the pioneer of the first day care centre in

Benin City Benin City serves as the Capital city, capital and largest Metropolitan area, metropolitan centre of Edo State, situated in Nigeria, southern Nigeria. It ranks as the List of Nigerian cities by population, fourth-most populous city in Niger ...

;

oral history Oral history is the collection and study of historical information from people, families, important events, or everyday life using audiotapes, videotapes, or transcriptions of planned interviews. These interviews are conducted with people who pa ...

said she assisted

Oba Ewuare Ewuare (also known as Ewuare the Great or Ewuare I), originally known as Prince Ogun, was the twelfth Oba of Benin, Oba of the Benin Empire from 1440 until 1473. Ewuare became king in a violent coup against his brother Uwaifiokun which destroyed ...

in reclaiming the throne as Oba of Benin after several years in exile.

Life

Emotan (real name Uwaraye), was born in Eyaen between 1380 and 1400. After the death of her husband, she constructed a hut where she attended to the needs of children. Emotan was instrumental in Ewuare's reclaiming the throne as Oba of Benin after she told him of a murder plot against him made by Uwaifiokun and some chiefs during his time in exile. Ewuare went on to appoint Emotan as the ''Iyeki'' (

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Culture, language and peoples * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England * ''English'', an Amish ter ...

: leader of the authorized ''Ekpate'' guild), a position given to someone with the task of enforcing market rules and checkmating security matters.

Deification

After the death of Emotan, Oba Ewuare deified her by ordering the planting of the sacred ''Uruhe'' tree at the same spot where she used to display her wares. He went on to make a

decree A decree is a law, legal proclamation, usually issued by a head of state, judge, monarch, royal figure, or other relevant Authority, authorities, according to certain procedures. These procedures are usually defined by the constitution, Legislativ ...

that homage must be paid to Emotan by persons who are celebrating any form of ceremonial gathering.

Emotan Statue

A life sized, bronze '' Emotan Statue'' was designed in honour of the legacy set by Emotan after two ''Uruhe'' trees, that were planted on separate occasions, fell. The

statue A statue is a free-standing sculpture in which the realistic, full-length figures of persons or animals are carved or Casting (metalworking), cast in a durable material such as wood, metal or stone. Typical statues are life-sized or close to ...

was designed by John A. Danford and was unveiled by Oba Akenzua II in cooperation with the British Colonial authorities on May 20, 1954. The statue is presently located at the Oba Market in

Edo State Edo State, Edo, officially known as Edo State, is a States of Nigeria, state in the South South, South-South Geopolitical zones of Nigeria, geopolitical zone of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. As of 2024, the state was ranked as the List of Ni ...

References

{{Authority control People from Benin City 14th-century births 14th-century Nigerian women 14th-century Nigerian people 15th-century Nigerian women 15th-century Nigerian people 14th-century women 15th-century women 15th-century deaths Deified women History of women in Nigeria African goddesses Medieval businesswomen