TRIBUTE

Idia was an ordinary little girl who had an extraordinary dream about a brave female warrior with magical healing powers. Curious, she begged her father to teach her how to be a warrior and her mother to teach her the art of magic and medicine. Little did she know that she would become the brave warrior in her dream as well as the first Queen mother of the ancient Benin Kingdom. This story of perseverance and courage to learn about the history of one of Africa’s most illustrious queens. The kingdom of Benin has indeed experienced so many reforms and development at different periods of its history. These reforms were not solely carried out by men but these were some outstanding women who made great impact in Benin. These great women who made immense contributions to the rich cultural heritage of the land of Benin cannot be over looked in the study of the kingdom; most prominent among them was Queen Idia the first female warrior that ever lived ¡n Benin kingdom. Idia was said to have been a very beautiful and strong-willed woman who had unusual super natural powers. She is described as an extraordinarily- power personality who continues to loom large in Benin cultural imaginations: she changed the status quo and made remarkable developments both in the political, cultural and social spheres of the empire. She is credited for being knowledgeable in esoteric and was also very strong in the use of occult powers. According to Osewengie Ebohon, “Idia was not an ordinary woman”