ORHUA, a town in Uhumwode Local Government Area of Edo State is made up of quarters including Idimu Ore, Idimu Oghore, Ugo and Agor. The focus of this article is Idimu Igun, which is bounded on the South by Ogwa; on the east by Zuben Zuben; to its West by Ugo; and to its North by Iruekpen, an Ishan community.Oral traditional has it that Idimu Igun migrated from Benin. Idimu Igun consists of five large families namely Erimimian, Umweni, Ogbeide, Akhabua and Aigbogun. It is a compound name of Idimu and Igun. Idimu means quarters while Igun means Iron. Their major occupation is blacksmithing and farming. Igun could fashion farm implements like cutlass, hoe, rubber tapping knife and other household items.The vast land they have is for cultivation of cocoa and other cash crops like rubber and hard wood. It also grows foods crops like cassava, yam, plantain and fruits like banana, pineapple, orange, mango etc.Isohamen is a 3-day festival performed with the aim of cleansing the land and to acknowledge and appease the god of iron.This festival is peculiar to Idimu Igun in the entire Orhua and is usually celebrated between the end of November and early December when yams would have been harvested.Preparation before IsohamenIshohamen cannot be successfully performed without adequate preparation. The high point in the preparation is the celebration of Ukhun.Ukhun is celebrated to appease the god of the land of a bountiful yam harvest as well as preservation. So one week to Isohamen festival, Ukhum is celebrated.It starts with the harvest of yams and hunting for meat by men. The women also are not left out as they make preparation for firewood, water and soup ingredients.Then comes the celebration day they cook pounded yam with melon soup and carry them to the farm. With the entire family on ground where prayers are offered to the gods and the food is eaten by the entire family in the farm and thereafter return home amidst jubilation.Yams is celebrated in Orhua hence the saying 'Aman no gie' which literary means pounded yam the king of all food on return home after the Ukhun, the focus now is on Isohamen as the attention has shifted from the farm.Also, it is an avenue for people who have key roles to play in Isohamen to fortify themselves through prayers (Aromo) and fasting (Azimi).The festivalAs earlier mentioned Isohamen is a three day festival of cleansing, acknowledgment and appeasement of the god of iron it commences on Ora market day with cleansing and clearing of the environment. The Idi-Igun (shrine) is not left out. The environment wears a new look with a conspicuous red flag mounted at the side of the Idi-Igun (shrine) and Palm fronds (ejome) tied round the shrine.In the morning the chief priest from Ogheide family goes to the Idi-Igun (shrine) with Ikhure (Scepter of the chief priest). The elders from various families go in with him carrying various Iron materials. These iron materials serves as contact point. They drop them on the alter.In the shrine there is the breaking of the kola nut, which might come in three five or seven lobes, and when it comes in five or seven lobes it is celebrated. Then after this a dog is slaughtered and the blood sprinkled on all the iron materials brought amidst incantations by the chief priest.After prayers the elders go home with their iron materials, which shall in turn serve as a contact point to the various family shrines. Each elder now presides over activities at the family shrine (Igi-Igun).At the family shrine, members of the family present snails to the family Idi-Igun, the fluid from the snails is extracted and all the members of the family come in a procession and are anointed on their forehead amidst prayers by the elder. After this the, the elders now reconvene at the chief priest's house for eating and merriment.Then at night comes the cleansing and prayer session by women. Those qualified to partake in the cleansing include: married women to Idimu-Igun men, the first wife (in a polygamous setting), and wives who must have given birth to children.Those not qualifies include: - widows, unmarried, and those married without issue. The cleansing starts at 9:00pm and every participant brings a sizable piece of broken clay pot and a rope like piece of cloth, palm oil and lighter. The palm oil is put in the broken clay and the rope-like piece of cloth is soaked in the oil with a little part exposed which will be lit. Then another small piece of broken clay is held in the right hand to scoop oil to ensure that it is continuously burning.This lit pot is held close to the chest region by the left hand, while the right hand has a piece of clay to ensure that the oil is scooped to keep it burning. No body is permitted to be outside as the women start the procession they move from one end all through Idimu-Igun.The women would focus on their cleansing/prayer mission. They are not to step on any one in front or break their rank. So the chief priest's wife starts the prayer and they take their turn in prayer. As one leads others will be quiet and later chorus 'Ise' (Amen) at the appropriate time. This procession continues through Idimu-Igun to the house of the eldest Idegbe (Idimu-Igun daughter that is married to other quarters) she will receive the women and pray for them they turn back in same procession till each woman gets to her house.The second day of Isohamen festival is always an Iruekpen market day. It is a time for initiation of new members. The members enter the Idigun shrine and the chief priest will anoint their forehead with blood and pray for them. They will be told their do's and don'ts, for example: They must not engage in incest; Idimu-igun must not marry themselves; they must not steal from another man's farm; they must not marry a friend's wife (who is a widow); if they see that the iron trap of somebody catches an animal, it is either they inform the person or they take the animal to him; and no matter how pressed they may be, they must not defecate in another man's farm.'Mrs. Elijah discussed this topic with the National Museum Study Group, Port Harcourt recently
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