The Esan people ( Esan: Ẹ̀bhò Ẹ̀sán) are an ethnic group of south Nigeria who speak the Esan language . The Esan are traditionally agriculturalists, trado-medical practitioners, mercenary warriors and hunters. They cultivate palm trees, Irvingia gabonensis (erhonhiele), Cherry (Otien), bell pepper (akoh) coconut, betel nut, kola nut, black pear, avocado pear, yams, cocoyam, cassava, maize, rice, beans, groundnut, bananas, oranges, plantains, sugar cane, tomato, potato, okra, pineapple, paw paw, and various vegetables.
The Esans primarily speak the Esan language , an Edoid language related to Edo, Urhobo, Owan language, Isoko , and Etsako. It is considered a regionally important language in Nigeria, and it is taught in primary schools in addition to being broadcast on radio and television. The Esan language is also recognized in the Census of the United Kingdom. It is estimated that the Esan people who reside in Esanland number about one million to 1.5 million citizens in Nigeria, and there is a strong Esan diaspora.
The term Esan has been applied to the Esan people for thousands of years, and was used before contact with Europeans. It is believed by many historians that the name 'Esan' (originally, 'E san fia') owes its origin to Bini (meaning, 'they have fled' or 'they jumped away'). 'Ishan' is an Anglicized form of 'Esan', the result of colonial Britain's inability to properly pronounce the name of this ethnic group. It is believed that similar corruption has affected such Esan names as ubhẹkhẹ (now 'obeche' tree), uloko (now 'iroko' tree), Abhuluimẹn (now 'Aburime'), etc. Efforts have however been made to return to status quo ante.
Commercially, they have been engaged in the trade of farmed produce which they extracted from their rich soil bearing fruits such as rubber, mangoes, oranges, pears, yam, local rice, e.t.c. Like all Esan people, the people of Uromi value their children, male or female, this is why unlike some cultures; the bride price is very low. The payment of bride price is vital to the conclusion of marriage rite under Esan native law, which like any other customary law marriage in Nigeria.
Marriage rites of which they are varieties from monogamy to polygamy, to the betrothal, begins by fact-finding whereby the background of those intending to marry are established to be true and trustworthy. Followed by a lively exchange of cordialities between the families, Kola nuts and wine are presented. The OKA EGBE of the woman’s family would normally preside over the ceremony. Prayers are said and kola nuts broke at the family shrine.
Esan people eat pounded yam with ogbono soup, the native black soup, Owho ( oil Palm) soup and other Nigerian cuisines.
Until the westernization of things ushered in influences from Christianity and Islam, Esan traditional religious worship had many similarities to traditional Bini religion. And of course, this is due to the fact that the Esans originally hails from the Benin kingdom.
There are many deities of the Esan religion, and among them are:
Osanobua: the main Edo-Esan god. This name for God was brought over to Christianity and its missionaries, and thus the translation for God in Esanland is Osanobua.
Eshu: the Esan trickster god. This god is shared with Yoruba and Edo myth. The name Eshu was used as a translation for Satan by Christian missionaries.
Osun: the Esan god of medicine. This is where the surname Olokun, or son of medicine, originated from.
The Esan have prominent traditional rulers who keep order in a society where beauty and manners are intertwined. Despite the long-term impact of Christianity, the Esan are largely traditional and a large number practice traditional beliefs in the form of worship of ancestral spirits and other gods.
Esan are fun-loving people who have various festivities and ritualistic traditions.Their folktales and folklores serve as forms of learning and entertainment, like the famous Igbabonelimin. A large percentage of Esan are Christians , mostly Catholic and recently of other denominations. Esan has various dialects all of which stem from Bini and there is still close affinity between the Esan and the Bini , which leads to the common saying ‘Esan ii gbi Ẹdo’ meaning, Esan does not harm the Ẹdo (i.e. Bini).
Esan are great poets, writers, singers, carvers, farmers, scholars, storytellers, etc. The folklore and history of the Esan tribe is worth re-visiting and attempt should be made to research the various ways that the villages are related to the Ẹdos, and others who may have occupied Ifeku Island many years ago. The Esan heritage is unique despite the variation of dialects.
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