Tracing the African origins of Obeah (Obia): some conjectures and inferences from the history of Benin kingdom

Abstract

The practice of Obeah divination among people of African descent in the Americas has\nlong been established to originate fromWest Africa. But the place of origin has remained\na subject of speculation. The earliest speculated places of origin were the Akan and the\nneighbouring Popo. Most recent studies using demographic size and linguistic evidence\nhave concluded that Obeah originated from among the Igbo of the Bight of Biafra in\nNigeria. This paper disputes this conclusion and shows that demographic size is least\nrelevant and the linguistic evidence is faulty. It then argues that in spite of the marginal\nrole of Benin Kingdom, Obeah and its early practice are most likely derived from the\nEdo-speaking people of Benin Kingdom, Nigeria. It substantiates this with historical\nevidence and etymological inferences from the practice of slavery in the kingdom and\nits involvement in the Trans-Atlantic trade.