The late Sir Ekhoesuehi speaks here about the migratory origin of the Benin people. He mentions the era of desiccation and how different people began to found settlements after a long period of migration in various parts of Africa. The earliest immigrants in present-day Benin met some aborigines who were dwarfs (Eseku). The immigrants are those families in Benin City today whose salutations are ‘Laiso’ and ‘Laidu’_. These people settled at Ugbẹkun and were first ruled by Ogiso. He goes on to state that the Ogiso kings were descendants of Evbabva _– God Almighty – hence they were related to Ethiopia and visited Ethiopia for pilgrimage. This Benin mythology was called Uhe. He sings a song narrating events that happened in the Ogiso harem while the king was away on a pilgrimage to Ethiopia.
(Duration of song 6:38 to Ogiso rie Uhe … gua mie! Ogiso rie Uhe … gua mie!
E ni bie omo, ni hanmwa ooo gua mie! Ne o bie okpia, a mue emila ne … gua mie! Ne o bie okhuo a gbe ekaen ye o obo … gua mie!
He then narrates how the pregnant wives of the Ogiso were all sent to their various homes while the monarch was away on pilgrimage. They all went home except one who had nowhere to go. This one later had a baby boy and the others all gave birth to female children. In their envy, they attempted to murder the child, but he was rescued by a palm-wine tapper (okpe n’bo udin). When the child was being rescued he sang:
Okpe n’bo udin ooo okpeee_ Okpe n’bo udin ooo okpeee Erha e rhie Uhe, gbe leee Ogiso rhie Uhe, gbe leee
_Ne o bie omo gie o khian, gbe leee _ _Ne o bie omo gie o khian, gbe leee _
As the story goes, when the Ogiso returned from the pilgrimage the hunter brought the male child to the palace. There was a dispute among the women claiming to be his mother. The chiefs then agreed that all these women should prepare a meal for the child, who will eat that of his mother. Arukho, the mother, was wretched so she brought the pieces of Uwawa (earthen pot) she used for cooking to prepare his meal. Other women bought expensive wares like bronze pots and prepared very delicious meals which the boy did not eat, he only ate that prepared by his mother. The Ogiso then rewarded her with a cow. But Enahen, the leader of the other women, still went ahead to kill the cow and reported to the king that Arukho had killed it, meaning that she had been ungrateful. Sir Ekhoesuehi said that kings’ wives in Igodomigodo were called Enahen, which was later changed to Oloi in the Ọba dynasty. When Arukho was being pushed a bird came and sang:
Ogiso O buoyen eku, Ta ya, e ta ya no ovbie oghene eee
Nahen no gbe emila, Ta ya, e ta ya no ovbie oghene eee