The Queen Mother Who Refused to Die

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the singer-songwriter behind the multi-platinum global hit, sticks season, and one of the biggest voices in music today. Talk about the mental illness stuff. It used to be the sting that I was ashamed of. Getting the talk about this is not common for me.

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the recent uptick in F1 romance novels, and plenty of mishab scandals and sagas that have made Formula One a delightful, decadent dumpster fire for more than 75 years. Listen to no grip on the I-Hart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Hey, I'm Dr. Maya Shunker, a cognitive scientist and host of the podcast, a slight change of plans, a show about who we are and who we become when life makes other plans. I wish that I hadn't resisted for so long, the need to change. We have to be willing to live with a kind of uncertainty that none of us likes.

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Welcome to Noble Blood, a production of I-Hart Radio and Grim and Mild from Aaron Minky, listener discretion advised. Hey, this is Dana Schwartz, just one quick personal note before we begin today's episode. I have a new book coming out, it is called The Arcane Arts, and I wrote it, but it's actually by SD coverly for two reasons,

one because I co-wrote it with a friend of mine, alternating chapters. I did the female point of view, he did the male point of view, and also because my last books were young adult and this one is a little sexier. So if you are a younger or teenage reader, this might not be the book for you, and I wanted to differentiate that.

But if you are at all interested in a story about a graduate student and a professor

“delving into secret forbidden magic at a grad school,”

please, please look into the book. And if you can, it would mean the world to me if you could pre-order pre-orders, are kind of the number one thing you can do to help authors. It just shows publishers that people care about this book. So the book is The Arcane Arts, if you could pre-order

and you're a fan of me and a fan of my writing, it would mean the world. Let's get into today's episode. The stakes were so high that as the hours passed, even a sacred shrine started to feel like a cramped cage. Idia had been hiding in a hallowed grove within the highest ranking chiefs palace

in Benin City, since her son, Essigia, had been crowned the ruler of the Edo people or the Oba. It should have been a time of joyous celebration following years of planning and the death

of the previous Oba Ozuila in 1504, Idia had finally triumphed in making her son his successor.

However, Idia was in grave danger due to the pesky custom of killing and Oba's mother, once he officially began his reign. According to several studies of oral histories, this bloody practice had been carried out since the early 14th century in the kingdom of Benin. The question of why such ruthless sacrifices were made is fairly complicated.

The short answer as some historians posit is that Benin chiefs wanted to prohibit influential mothers from exerting control when their sons reached the apex of the social hierarchy. The longer answer, as well explore shortly, incorporate far more nuance and context regarding Edo culture, spiritualism, and monarchical symbolism. As far as Idia was concerned, though, her son was the new Oba, and so like generations of royal

mothers before her, she faced an immediate death warrant.

But the upholders of Edo tradition had never before tingled with a woman like Idia.

She was both a devoted mother and a political visionary, and she was widely believed to have

“the most powerful weapon in her vast arsenal. Magic. Consequently, Idia's hiding place was not”

the result of some sudden impromptu escape. She had had ample time to plan, and her chosen hideout was a strategic one. The sacred shrine was named after Oshun, a god of medicine, forests, and magic, and only those initiates of sufficient supernatural prowess were allowed to enter. The arrangement was certainly no long-term solution,

but if the exclusive refuge could buy Idia just enough time for the rest of her plan to come to

fruition, she had a chance to not only defend her life, but to forever change the power structures

“and generational rituals of the entire Benin kingdom. Still, with Idia's fate hardly resting in her own”

hands at that point, that was all quite a big "if". If she could survive at all. I'm Dana Schwartz, and this is Noble Blood. As some keen listeners may have noticed, there are many connections here to our previous episode, Empires and the Benin bronzes. This new installment will allow us to delve further into the life and legends of Idia, the remarkable warrior queen who inspired many of those exquisite works of art. It's also worth quickly clarifying a few turns.

The Edo people are an ethnic group originating from the Edo kingdom, which existed in different

“forms from roughly 980 until 1897. Edo states still exist in present-day Nigeria and has been in”

city as its capital. Herein lies potential for confusion since the Edo kingdom is often called the kingdom of Benin in oral histories and written accounts, but it isn't related to the Republic of Benin, the modern West African nation. According to scholars, the term Benin came from 15th century Portuguese traders, mishearing the Edo word "ubini", commonly translated to mean "lifable" or "land of the multitude". They referred to the kingdom and its people as Benin,

which then became Benin around 1885. Evidently, the terms Edo, Benin and Benin were all used in idios lifetime, as well as by later generations of both African oral historians and foreign academics. Relatedly, most scholarship on the kingdom of Benin relies on region specific oratures and artistic traditions, which have preserved information in very particular ways. Case in point, many of the dates of idios life are difficult to pinpoint exactly.

But major events have been memorably immortalized, especially regarding her unprecedented rise to power. As some legends have it, an oracle advised idios parents that she was destined to marry Oba Zola. Her parents were opposed to that fate and sought to prevent it by permanently scarring idios forehead with two large vertical incisions. Then, as a further deterrent, they got a priestess to infuse the wounds with medicinal herbs of potent supernatural power.

But Oba OZola was impervious to that play. He became infatuated with idios charming nature

and captivating dancing and chose to marry her anyway, ultimately fulfilling the oracle's prophecy.

Some historians and writers, particularly more modern African writers, claim this interpretation is flawed. Considering the life-changing lineage elevating wealth and power involved, they argue that it's more plausible that idios parents would have wanted her to marry Oba Zola.

the time, but deeper analysis of the event points toward idia likely having been trained in the ways

of the royal court. Likewise, she was probably aware that presenting herself in a mystical intriguing manner would make her especially attractive to an Oba. Once the lively wedding celebrations died down, idia thrived in her new life at the Oba's Palace. As shown by her clever maneuvering among the chiefs officials and Oba OZola's other wives, as many tales illustrate she was able to make her son and Oba despite steep odds.

“This required elite understanding in three key areas, politics, military strategy and possibly”

the aforementioned magic. idia's defts political moves were on display the day her son

a seagull was born. By all accounts, he should have been third in line to succeed his father as Oba.

The first of Oba OZola's son was Ojidigbo, and then came Aruhuan, each born to a different wife. Then came idia's son as seagull. Coincidentally Aruhuan and as seagull were born on the same day with Aruhuan actually arriving first, but then almost immediately losing his place in the pecking order. The reason why is a subject of debate. Some versions of the story specify that Aruhuan

“didn't immediately cry as a newborn, which was taken as an omen that he was unfit to be a future Oba.”

Other iterations state that the line of succession came down to the fact that Palace officials mistakenly reported to the Oba that a seagull arrived first. Multiple prominent modern scholars argue that in either case, idia was in control of the situation. She purportedly held more sway at the palace than the other royal wives, and was championed by the spiritual community there, the members of which often oversaw medical matters.

So knowing how critical the official birthing order was, idia ensured that her son took precedence.

“This likely would have involved spreading concern about Aruhuan struggling to cry upon”

entering the world, or perhaps even entirely inventing that as a rumor. Later, when the Oba's three sons or young children, the first born Ojidikbo was seriously injured when playing with his brothers. He too was then deemed ineligible to become Oba. The circumstances of the injury come across as murky, and it unclear whether it was an accident or foul play. Regardless, signs point toward idia swiftly capitalizing on Ojidikbo's

misfortune before the full extent of his physical limitations were known, to install her son as Sigea as the heir of parents. In terms of military expertise, idia's contributions became legendary through violent conflicts when Sigea and Ojidikbo were young men. After Oba Ojidikbo died in 1504, Sigea ruled Benin city and Ojidikbo ruled Udu. The city heat relocated to 20 miles away. He refused to accept Sigea as the Oba and for years plotted to house him. Aruhuan inspired

ample lore himself, much of it centered on his jaw dropping the Zik and fighting skills. Many tales portray him as a fearsome giant, capable of uprooting trees with his bare hands. But Sigea was reportedly more of a worldly diplomatic and somewhat temperamental type. On the advice of his mother idia, he cultivated foreign relationships, granting Christian missionaries and Portuguese ambassadors access to his realm. Due to Sigea's lack of battle

expertise, however, his mother knew he needed her help to repel Aruhuan's growing forces.

of his armies and ultimately motivated them to defeat Aruhuan in a drawn-out bloody civil war.

As other rivals then sought to capitalize on the chaos, Idia again helped her son's military to victory in the Idat war. With the most momentous of battles, Idia reportedly knew that morale

“and belief could be just as important as strength and skill, and the best way to inspire her”

side was through her knowledge of the supernatural. Over the centuries, many historians and historical accounts have underestimated or disregarded

supposed magical prowess. Now, I personally am not saying magic is real, but the belief in

magic played an immensely important role in Edo culture, those who allegedly dealt in sorcery and witchcraft were both feared and respected. Magic provided a path for engaging and enterprising individuals to gain influence. Especially women. Female priestesses, designers and masters

“of the metaphysical reportedly commanded clout, that was often equal to or greater than their male”

counterparts. Historically, there have obviously been countless examples of notable figures being

accused of sorcery or witchcraft as a means of undermining them. This was certainly the case in

multiple European cultures in the early 16th century. But interestingly, modern sources argue it was the opposite in Benin at that time. Instead of a charismatic woman having to passively indoor slanderous paranormal labels, she could often proactively espouse a supernatural identity as a way to boost her social standing. Idiot evidently tried to lean into that narrative as much as possible. And crucially, accounts that quickly marginalize her purported supernatural skills

“or dismiss them as irrational superstition often miss the most important part. Idiot made”

everyone else around her believe that she was adept at magic, and the prestige she derived from that underpinned almost every move she made. A classic example of this was Idiot's handling of a potentially disastrous juncture in the eta war. In 1515, fresh from their successful, but very costly conflict with our Ruhuan forces, Oba as CGA's army was depleted and exhausted. As the soldiers then prepared to fight the invading army from the eta kingdom as it closed in on Benin City,

in Iba's a bird often thought to be a dramatic omen flew overhead, unleashing a chilling loud squawk. As CGA's diviners took this to mean certain defeat and advised him to retreat, but Idiot had other ideas. She had joined her son on the battlefield, bringing along her own army. Although they too were weary and bloodied, Idiot was not one to be undone by a portentious bird. Her solution have the Iba's shot. A CGA followed that advice, and he and his mother's combined

forces went on to win their battle and defend their lands. According to some modern experts' assessments, what may seem like a simple act actually speaks volumes about Idiot's impact. Had anyone of lesser supernatural prowess, a CGA included suggested such a brash move, the soldiers likely wouldn't have supported it so enthusiastically. Only the most magically accomplished person in the realm was worth following into war after so confidently tempting fate.

To even more deeply understand how Idiot commanded such a level of reverence, we must rewind back to 1504 when she was hiding in that sacred shrine. She had already utilized her political, militaristic, and supernatural savvy to great effect, but could these attributes help her pass the stiffest test of all? Could she manage to save her own life?

son had officially become the 16th Oba of the Kingdom of Benin, but as many oral histories

“chronicle, she chose a strategic piding place, an exclusive shrine in the high-ranking chiefs”

palace in an exclusive neighborhood of old Benin city. Although this meant she was basically

laying low in the lion's den, the exclusivity of the shrine and supposed help from an allied chief, but Idiot time, while her son, the new Oba, quickly changed the rules. He overturned the matricidal custom and created a new official title for his mother, EA Oba, which literally means mother of the Oba. Over time, the EA Oba was commonly condensed to one word, Yoba. This term has most often been equated to the role of Queen Mother in European monarchies, although some historian

argued that the title transcended its derivation, and that in Yoba was more than just an Oba's mother,

she was a unique type of ruler and spiritual leader. Idiot seemingly knew that so boldly upending tradition was a big swing, and that she needed a compelling way to sell everyone on the idea. That is where the legendary womb of Orhuay concept came in. Orhuay refers to a ceremonial white shock used in Edo culture to symbolize faith, goodness, and divine presence. Sometimes the word

“is translated to mean God is here. This reference to the divine is crucial because according to custom,”

Prince went through something of a metaphysical transformation when becoming an Oba. He had not only became the official leader of the kingdom of Benin and its people. He essentially also became a spiritual focal point akin to a deity. The longer answer to Y and Oba was traditionally expected to allow the highest-ranking chiefs to sacrifice his own mother, pertain to that, prior to her son being crowned, a mother exerted a natural maternal authority over him. This relationship

was fundamental in preparing the future ruler, especially for a CGA who never would have become

“Oba otherwise. But as some scholars contend, this royal familial bond created a sort of paradox”

once a son took on a divine dimension. Granted on a cynical practical level, many of the power-hungry chiefs probably wanted an Oba's mother out of the way, so she couldn't meddle in whatever schemes they were up to. But in a more macro sense such a sacrifice reportedly rectified the philosophical issue of how a god-like ruler could possibly continue to co-exist with his mortal mother and long-time superior, albeit in an extremely brutal way. Idiot however devised a simple and elegant solution.

As scholarly analysis of Edo Legend has shown, Idiot determined that if she couldn't live on as the mortal mother of a divine son, then she would just have to go through her own holistic transmutation. After all, Idiot had allegedly been using the arcane arts since before marrying Oba Azulu and her magical abilities were rumored to have only increased since then. In the lead-up to her son becoming the new Oba, Idiot reportedly pushed the narrative

that she and her womb of Orhuay were so transcendent that she was able to birth a son who became a divine ruler despite numerous obstacles. In what now comes off like a savvy PR strategy, Idiot also ensured that her contributions in advising Oba Azuluah her husband on certain domestic and foreign affairs, training his heir and strengthening the position of the royal family, were portrayed to both the nobility and the larger populace as being incredibly beneficial to the

kingdom. Along the way, she constantly linked all of these feats to her magical prowess.

the idea of her staying on as Ieoba seemingly came off as less unthinkably radical and more like a

“fittingly extraordinary destiny for an extraordinary woman. It still must have been a tense time,”

since all of Idiot's royal mother predecessors had lost their lives even though many of them surely had extremely close bonds with their sons, but whether it was the culmination of years of strategic maneuvering or a defining moment in her supernatural fate, Idiot resoundingly prevailed. Oh, and for good measure, she made sure that her new position came with her very own palace.

One that annexed much of the one used by the city's highest-ranking chiefs. Her would have been

executors. To top it off, her lavish new residents included her beloved shrine. One of Idiot's primary responsibilities and passions as Yoba was to commission Benin city's

“finest sculptors, weavers, and metal workers. This gave her immense creative control over the artistic”

pieces that would represent her and her family to her subjects and to future generations. And so it seems unlikely that Idiot would ever choose to prominently highlight any details of her reign or her sons' reign if they were called events or actions that she didn't feel legitimately proud of. For example, her decision to incorporate robust renderings of her forehead scars on a pair of expertly carved ivory masks seems indicative of a desire to proactively

celebrate features that were iconic of both her appearance and her persona defining

supernatural mythology. Ultimately, a great deal of Idiot's current legacy is based on the history

“of Benin art. Her likeness was used in elegant brass sculptures, which are often collectively”

and somewhat erroneously called "the bronzes of Benin or Benin bronzes," as well as or "nate ivory masks, pendants, carved tusks, and other adornments for ancestral altars." As covered in more detail in our prior episode on the kingdom of Benin, many of these pieces were looted by the British military when they pillaged Benin City in 1897. To this day, many of these pieces have not been returned to the Edo people and continue to be held by entities such as the British

Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, despite repeated calls for them to be repatriated. Thanks to the fine craftsmanship and tumultuous ownership battle over these works, as well as the associated cultural legends, rituals, and commemorative dances, Idiot's face has become one of the most recognizable in African history. In addition to her image being preserved through art, her achievements live on within the title

of Ioba. Thanks to her, the role became a hugely influential one with subsequent Ioba's acting as both queen mothers in an emblematic sense and political leaders with wide-ranging official duties. According to some scholars, the paradigm-shifting custom of elevating royal mothers to the position of Ioba, mitigated countless bloody succession crises. Knowledgeable Ioba's helped ensure that power transferred smoothly from one leader to the next, especially if a new leader was particularly

young and/or an Ioba needed to temporarily take charge, quite the turnaround from victims of matricide to esteemed integral members of Benin's governance strategy. In some ways, Idiot's physical features and the heightened myths about her became far more famous than her overall real life biography. On one hand, that seems like a shame, leading historians have spoken of the need for more research and more appreciation for Idiot,

the person and historical figure not the myth. On the other hand, some scholars point out that it worth considering the specific ways in which art and personal identity were historically embedded

and Idiot herself seemed to have grasped the power of that pairing. For the more to fulfill

“the dynamic role of Ioba, Idiot essentially had to relinquish some of her personal history”

for the sake of becoming a transcendent figure and constitutionally securing her son's power through a perceived divine connection. It's the same thing with most monarchs around the world. You stop being a person and start being a symbol. As author historian and artist Inkiru in Zegwu, so intriguingly put it, quote, "on ascension to the office and Ioba metamorphicizes into a boundless fluid state in which she assumes embodies and becomes the collective histories

of past occupants of the office, as well as the spiritual mother of all Edot people." And so to get the best overall sense of who Idiot was, maybe it's worth trying to drill into the details in search of the realistic truth while also experiencing her story as intended across Edot generations by taking in the art and the myths along with the spoken legends. That's the extraordinary story of Idiot but stick around after a brief

sponsor break to hear one more example of the first ever Yoba's super-lative people skills.

“Why hasn't a woman formally participated in a Formula One race weekend in over a decade?”

Think about how many skills they have to develop at such a young age? What can we learn from all of the new F1 romance novels suddenly popping up every year? He's still smelled of podium champagne and expensive friction. And how did a 2023 event called Waga Getting change the paddock forever? That day is just seared into my memory.

I'm culture writer and F1 expert Lily Hermann and these are just a few of the questions I'm tackling

on no grip, a Formula One culture podcast that dives into the under-explored pockets of the sport.

“In each episode a different guest and I will go deeper into the wacky mishab scandals and”

sagas both on the track and far away from it that have made F1 a delightful, decadent dumpster fire for more than 75 years. Listen to no grip on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. He struggles with mental health and body image and the fear of starting again after such a defining moment in his career.

I suck. Getting the talk about this is not common for me, right now I need it more than ever. Listen to on purpose, with Jay Shetty on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. You can have opinions, you can have like a strong stance and then there's your body

having its own program. I'm Dr. Maya Shunker, a cognitive scientist and host of the podcast a slight change of plans, a show about who we are and who we become when life makes other plans. We share stories and scientific insights to help us all better navigate these periods of turbulence and transformation.

There is one finding that is consistent and that is that our resilience rests on our relationships. I wish that I hadn't resisted for so long the need to change. We have to be willing to live with a kind of uncertainty that none of us likes. Listen to a slight change of plans on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

some of the art makes references to episodes in which a CGA was mentally incapacitated briefly

“and his mother idia ruled the kingdom on his behalf.”

According to a few historians and art researchers, idia's mission of trying to emotionally and behaviorally guide her son through about of what were described as "madness or derangement" could be considered a precursor to later forms of psychotherapy. It's once again fascinating to note that in overseeing the crafting of royal artwork idia shows to include visual references to her son's

psychological struggles, especially given how mental health issues were stigmatized

in many kingdoms at that time and through today, these creative expressions prove

“invaluable insight into a complex royal bond and idia's willingness to be fairly open about it.”

As Oba and Ioba, a CGA and idia almost certainly authored sinister acts of violence and revenge. However, idia's seemingly patient treatment of her son, while he was mentally incapacitated, reveals additional dimensions to their personalities and unique relationship. The sincerity and sensitivity that certain pieces of Benin art

repeatedly signify stand in stark contrast to the hyperbolic depictions of many 16th-century

European visitors who were quick to write off a CGA as the barbaric tyrant of a bloodthirsty society and his mother as the overly superstitious and/or subservient Queen mother. All to say, while idia consistently used her political wisdom and magical aura to great effect,

“arguably her underlying emotional intelligence. Every bit as crucial in preserving her life,”

her family and her culture, that and her extraordinary knack for creating an entrancing tale. Nobal blood is a production of iHeart Radio and Grimm and Mild from Aaron Manky. Nobal blood is hosted by me, Dana Schwartz, writers for nobal blood are Hannah Johnston, Hannah's Wick, Paul Jeffy, Natasha Lasky, and me Dana Schwartz. The show is edited and produced by Jessie Funk and Nome's Grippin, with supervising producer Rima Il Kayali and executive producers

Aaron Manky, Trevor Young and Matt Frederick. For more podcasts from iHeart Radio, visit the iHeart Radio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. , hey I'm Jay Shetty, host of the on-purpose podcast, my latest episode is with Noah Khan, the singer songwriter behind the multi-platinum global hit, stick season, and one of the biggest voices in music today. Talking about the mental illness stuff,

it used to be the sting that I was ashamed of. Getting the talk about this is not common for me, right now I need it more than ever. Listen to on-purpose with Jay Shetty on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Ready for a different take on Formula One? Look no further than no grip, a new podcast tackling the culture of motor racing's most coveted series. Join me, Lily Herman, as we dive into

the under-explored pockets of F1, including the story of the woman who last participated in a Formula One race weekend, the recent uptick in F1 romance novels, and plenty of mishab scandals and sagas that have made Formula One a delightful, decadent dumpster fire for more than 75 years. Listen to no grip on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, I'm Dr. Maya Shunker, a cognitive scientist and host of the podcast, a slight change of plans,

a show about who we are and who we become when life makes other plans. I wish that I hadn't resisted for so long, the need to change. We have to be willing to live with a kind of uncertainty that none of us likes.

having its own program. Listen to a slight change of plans on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This isn't iHeart Podcast. Guaranteed Human.