Queen Idia is what we refer to in today’s lingo as Mother. She ate and left no crumbs. The Queen devoured. She slayed. She marinated in River Mother and Mother Lake. Idia was the baddest baddie before baddies were birthed. In fact, she invented badassery and retired it after she was done because nobody could ever.
In layman’s terms, she was one of the greatest women in Benin’s history. She was the wife of Oba Ozolua and the mother of Oba Esigie. At some point in her life, she became the first Iyoba of the Benin Kingdom. Below are 6 things you probably didn’t know about this force of nature, Queen Idia.
She Was the Mother that Mothered Your Mother
She was the first Iyoba of the Benin Kingdom. Her son, Oba Esigie, saw her greatness and instituted the title of Iyoba (Queen Mother), which he conferred on her. This title came with the Eguae-Iyoba (Palace of the Queen Mother) because.
Queen Idia Est La Strategiste
Pardon my bad French but Queen Idia played a significant role in the rise and reign of her son. Yes, she was a great warrior who fought relentlessly before and during her son’s reign as the Oba of the Edo people. But she also gave great advice, which ensure his buttocks fell on the throne.
She Danced Her Way to the Throne
I told you that Queen Idia was like no other. Yes, you can dance but can that make you a queen? Like a literal queen not the queen of 100 followers on TikTok. I mean, she first entered the royal household because Ozolua, the Oba from 1483 to 1514 saw her dance, and wanted to make her his wife.
A Womb Like No Other
Idia was known for her “womb of Orhue” – a phrase that meant that her womb defied all odd. The odds here were that her son, Esigie, was not first in line for the throne, rather he was originally third in line. But somehow, and against all odds, Esigie became Oba.
A Face That Slays
Queen Idia is the face behind the popular Uniben and ITV logos. Her face is so iconic, it had to be made into a sculpture to represent FESTAC, the national arts festival. Now, two variations of the original Idia ivory mask are currently at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and the British Museum in London.
What else did we miss about the great Queen Idia, leave a comment below.
Taking about Benin royalties, read about why they cover their mouths here.
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