Benin ancestral altars

The creation of ancestral altars serves to honour and affirm family lineage, celebrate the life and achievements of the deceased relatives, and preserve their memory through the display of symbolic objects placed on shrines. These objects placed on the altars strategically recount how the deceased fulfilled their social destiny and cemented the memory of their social identity. Typically the responsibility of establishing, decorating, and dedicating these ancestral shrines falls onto the eldest son, especially if the deceased is his father.The success of the altar in conveying that the ancestor fulfilled their social purpose plays a crucial role in determining the fate of their soul. If the altar does not effectively communicate this, it is believed that the soul will be condemned to wander between the spirit world and the realm of the living. However, if the altar successfully reflects the legacy of the deceased, the soul is believed to be able to enter the spirit world and, eventually be reincarnated. In addition to preserving the memory of the ancestors, these altars also act as a conduit for the deceased ancestors to communicate with and continue to guide the living family members from the spirit realm. == History of ancestral altars ==

The precise origins of establishing traditional ancestral altars remains unclear, due to the oral nature of the Edo culture. However, a 2008 publication by the Art Institute of Chicago theorized that the practice of creating ancestral altars most likely originated during the earliest periods of the Benin Kingdom. The Portuguese were on a mission to acquire natural resources and treasures as well as spread Christianity throughout new continents, when they encountered the Kingdom of Benin. In 1897, the Kingdom of Benin was conquered by the British and incorporated into a British colony that eventually became the modern nation of Nigeria. This episode is referred to as the Punitive Expedition of 1897. Oba Ovonramwen, who was crowned in 1888 as the thirty-fifth ruler in his lineage, was sent into lifelong exile. The British confiscated all of the objects from Benin City that they associated with divine kingship, and took the objects to London to be sold. The British believed that by removing all the sacred objects from the Kingdom it would break the ancestral power of the ruler in the eyes for the Edo people and the practice of human sacrifice would stop. In 1976, robbers stole the contents of these revived ancestral shrines and the ruler at that time, Oba Erwdiauwa (r. 1979 –2016), moved the ancestral altars inside the palace walls and replaced all the stolen contents. ==Commoners' ancestral altars==

The commoners' altar is a mud rectangle surmounted by a long row of rattle staffs, which reflect the activities of generations of senior sons. The staff finials depict a generalized ancestral head, devoid of any marks of status. One or more brass bells are placed in the center of the altar to be rung at the beginning of rituals. Occasionally, the senior son will add decorative elements that relate directly to his father's life. ==Chiefly ancestral altars==

Chiefly ancestral altars have a similar form to commoner's ancestral altars but are more highly decorated. Specific to chiefly ancestral altars is the wooden commemorative head, or uhunmwun elao, which represents the chief by accurately depicting the regalia of his rank. ==Royal ancestral altars==

In order to ensure dynastic continuity, a newly installed oba is responsible for creating an altar dedicated to his father and predecessor. Different from the commoner or chiefly altars, royal altars are made out of white clay and are in a round shape instead of rectangular. It is commonly believed that by being the one to succeed and give birth to the Oba the queen mother possessed supernatural powers. Centred on top of the round clay altars, these rectangular cast brass tableaus depicted a royal figure surrounded by attendants and court officials. Additionally, brass heads often have a hole in the crown into which carved ivory tusks were placed. Typically made out of wood, modified branches or twigs, rattle staffs were segmented wood staffs that had a hollow chamber with a trapped wood block that would rattle when shaken. ==References==