Emotan, whose real name was Uwarraye was a 15th-century market woman, revered by the Benin people for aiding Oba Ewuare in reclaiming the throne as Oba of Benin after he spent several years in exile.
Uwarraye was born in Eyaen between 1380 and 1400 and was a market woman who sold her market produce at the Oba market in the ancient Benin kingdom at a time of the rule of Oba Uwaifiokun and Prince Ogun, who went on to take the name “Oba Ewuare the Great” after he became the Oba of Benin
Although having no child of her own, after the death of her husband, she built a hut where she looked and took care of many children in her care. Children were sent to live with her to get knowledge of various trades.
This made her popular for her love for children, service to humanity and majorly the important part she carried out during the course of Prince Ogun’s (Oba Ewuare I) labouring succession following his time in exile.
She had informed the Oba of a plot to kill him which was made by Uwaifiokun and some chiefs during his time in exile.
Emotan and prince Ogun(Oba Ewuare I) devised a means to overthrow the usurper, Oba Uwaifiokun and as planned, her mole carried out a key role in assisting Ogun to reclaim his throne following the betrayal of his younger brother. Prince Ogun took a safety in Emotan’s humble home at the Oba market as it was the only place safe for him.
Emotan then became Prince Ogun’s eyes and ears in the city since Uwaifiokun had already overthrown Ogun’s rightful throne heir and aimed to kill him in a bid to retain kingship. Aware of Uwaifiokun’s plan to visit the ancestral shrine in order to make a sacrifice to the gods of his father to help him avert his sad reality. Prince Ogun who had been watching quickly ran towards his younger brother and stabbed the sword through him.
This move made the succession of Ogun undisturbed as he ascended his father’s throne without further challenge as the death of Uwaifiokun ended the problem of succession.
On his ascension to the throne, Prince Ogun took the title of Ewuare (Oworuare), meaning ‘the heat has abated’ or ‘the trouble has ceased’ and in turn appointed Emotan as the Iyeki ( leader of the authorized Ekpate guild), this position was installed on someone with the task of enforcing market rules and checkmating security matters.
After Ewuare’s installation as Oba, Emotan passed away and Oba Ewuare the great, gave a decree that she must not be forgotten, and in order to put this into mandate he remembered her by planting a sacred Uruhe tree by her grave which was the same spot she had lived. The Oba also passed that any titled man had to visit her grave to pay homage, as did all funeral processions.
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