How Oranmiyan met Ogiso burial system
How Oranmiyan met Ogiso burial system but didn’t bring it to Oyo
The present burial tradition of any King of Benin who joins the ancestors is as old as the time itself. In fact, it didn’t start in the present day Edo state. It was continued by the descendants of Idu as inherited from their ancestors. One of these unique traditions is the long “sleep” of any Oba after his demise.
In Igala tradition, the sleep takes place 3 months, and if he doesn’t wake up again, the burial process will be done. This is the same in the Benin traditions. But even as Ogiso Owodo was the last to use the title of Ogiso as Oba (light denoting the new and highly anticipated fruitful era of a new King), title commenced from Oranmiyan or Eweka properly, the burial process in Benin remains the same.
In fact, Oranmiyan didn’t take anything to his new territory of Oyo. And that is why the burial of any Alaafin (King) of Oyo doesn’t take too long after his demise. In fact, it takes place after some days or weeks just like that of Ooni of Ile Ife, his father too, unlike in Benin kingdom which takes place in not less than 3 months. In fact, the last Alaafin; Alaafin Lamidi was buried on Saturday, a day after his death on Friday. In the same way, Late Ooni of Ife , Ooni Sijuwade was buried around after two weeks of his journey to the land of the ancestors.
Though, Oranmiyan met the tradition in Benin, he didn’t take it to Oyo, but instead continue the Oduduwa’s way of burial rites of burial after some days unlike Benin and Igala. This practice is ancient practiced in ancient Egypt kingdom where the Pharaohs will sleep for 3 months before burial. Like Igala, like Benin.