The African Leopard had from time immemorial been a beast of fascination for virtually all the ethnic nations of the Negro race, especially as dispersed all over the African continent.
The Leopard’s size and weight varies, varying with the ecological make-up of its habitat.
For the Savannah type, it’s fur is lighter in coloration, and possesses a less heavier body weight, making it smaller in size than its jungle or Rainforest counterpart.
And it’s the latter, the Rainforest species that were aplenty in the Benin country in the time past.
While the Ekpen’ nomenclature, was generally assigned to this fearsome beast by the Benins, it had other distinguishing appellations like ‘Atalakpa’ to differentiate the tawny fur type with its spotted visible rosettes from its melanenated counterpart, that’s the Black panther called ‘Obidon’ in the Benin, language
Coveted by many for its beautiful pelt, its notoriety for malevolence and fierce combativeness ,were the deterrence that kept at bay or curtailed the avarice of many.As the Benin say, ” Atalakpa mose vb’,okhian, sokpan ekho’ re man” meaning ” The Leopard commands an outward beauty but its disposition is terrible”.
Above all these the Leopard is an embodiment of strength, stealth, masterful deception and camouflage, the complete decathlon athlete of the jungle, it runs, it jumps, it climbs, it swims and it lifts prey heavier than it own body weight. These attributes are what instills the mystique of its vaunted invincibility, prompting the Benin saying ,”Ekpen n’ogb’emwin n’osore” meaning, “The Leopard that takes down preys much more powerful than itself.
Impressed by the magnificence of this noble beast, the Benin Warrior Kings of old appropriated it as the totemic symbol of their socioreligiopolitical powers
A totem which was a prerogative that was solely the Oba’s and for this reason, its conservation was decreed and instituted with the enabling taboos against its poaching by unauthorised individuals or groups. And It was at the pain of death to hunt or kill one within the perimeter confines of the ancient Empire, without the express permission of the Benin Emperors of the period.
And on the instance of a leopard falling prey to one’s trap in the jungle or one’s farmstead, it was obligatory to report such incident to one’s village or community head for onward transmission to the Empire capital of Benin during the period.
As the Benins saying goes, “Eno gb’Ekpen oghi mu’Egbe okhian notaen gha ri’Edo”
And It was part of the enforcement of this conservation policy that birthed the ‘Iviekpen’, a group of hunters stolid and adept in the esoteric arts, dedicated to noble art of the capturing and taming of wild Leopards.
Incidentally the knowledge and practice of the esotericism has had one long history of practice among the ethnic Benin, a universal thing among them that unlocked the uncanny abilities behind the successes they recorded in virtually every facet of their life’s endeavors.
Most especially in their wars, the control of the forces of nature and the mastery over the denizens of the fields and forests.
And the ‘Iviekpen’ conscious of the precarious nature of their enterprise, bearing fully in mind the fearsome disposition of the big felines employed a methodology that included the engagement of baits, charms and incantations .
It was an enterprise that demanded a long period of meticulous planning, as buttressed by this Benin saying, “Ai y’egb’okhirikhiri mu’Ekpen” meaning “One avoids impulsiveness in a Leopard hunt.
The first process was the subjecting of suspected favourite haunt of a leopard to a careful reconnoitre. That’s the forest areas, that host the cool and dry wooded sections where the sun’s rays hardly penetrate the dense over covering foliage, called ‘Ato’ in the Benin language.
Haven done this, they set about the preparation of an ambush zone aimed at catching the Leopard off guard.
A live goat is tethered with a strong twine to a stump parallel to its suspected track. The ‘Iviekpen’ conceal themselves in crouched position among the adjacent, with one of them carrying a live dog in his arms.
The purpose of the tethered goat is to attract a passing Leopard with its bleating, a phenomenon that naturally draw the attention of the feline, who curiously approaches the direction the bleating is emanating from. And as it crouches to pounce, the concealed ‘Iviekpen’ member throws the muzzled puppy, he’s been holding, directly in the path of its approach, an action that creates a momentary period of hesitation and perplexity for the Leopard. Acting swiftly and stealthily a second ‘Iviekpen’ member steps out of his position of concealment, he taps the beast’s head from behind and immediately starts intoning a string of powerful incantations which immediately induces a state of docile passivity on the dreaded beast.
It’s then bounded immediately with charmed twines to maintain the induced docile state and taken away to the
designated hamlets, far from human habitation for the taming process. After passing through the recommended period the taming and then brought to the kingdom’s capital of Benin City, along with other counterparts of it that had been exposed too to the same rigid regime of taming, to grace the great Emperor’s annual triumphant tour round the great city, during the Igue Festivals.
The inclusion of these tamed beasts in the Oba entourage during these tours, was to further instil in the empire’s populace the awe of Oba’s person, whom they regarded as the ‘Home Leopard’ of having under his subjugation, even the fierce ‘ king of beasts’ .
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