SECRET CEREMONIES OF ANCIENT BENIN EMPIRE
Emerging Evidence Ancient Japanese Originated In Benin
--Attorney Patryk Utulu

Objectively evaluated the Ancient Benin Empire is thousands of years old. At its height (1400 -1897) the Benin Empire stretched in wealth and influence across Western Nigeria to the outer tips of present day nation of Benin Republic.

Chief Solomon Osagie Alonge (1911-1944) was the Royal Photographer of the Royal Court of Benin Empire. Starting in 1933 and for over 50 years, he held an insider's view of palace life and secret ceremonies through Nigeria's transition from colonial rule to independence. His work made photography a new African art form. The world owes Alonge and his family a debt of gratitude for preserving priceless portraits of Africa. This photo history will be on exhibition at the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art, Washington, DC until September 13, 2015. I urge everyone to attend the D.C. exhibition and to follow it online.

Oba of Benin is universally revered. His throne is probably the only major traditional ruler position that has NOT recently been (appointed, selected, imposed or sacked) by Nigerian military rulers and politicians or disputed by rival royal houses. That is rare in Nigeria where nothing is sacred anymore.

Did you know that in 1897 the British Government deliberately burnt down Benin-City and looted most of the 1000-plus year-old wood carvings, and stone bronze sculptures of Ancient Benin Empire? Till date the U.K. Government continues to deny, dodge questions and come up with new excuses for not seriously searching for and/or returning looted priceless artifacts of Benin.

DID THE JAPANESE ORIGINATE FROM ANCIENT BENIN?

This should NOT be a shocking question. All humans (Japanese) originated in Africa from where they dispersed. It was 15 years that I first noticed what seemed like strange similarities between Benin (Edo) culture and Japanese culture. I have been researching and documenting dozens of such cultural similarities and the more I research it the less strange it appears that some ancient Japanese probably originated from ancient Edo people of Nigeria. I have talked to world-class forensic historians and archaeologists. Here is a sampling of the body of evidence collected. Consider them with an open mind.

From pre-history the Benin people are EDO people. The original name of Japan was EDO. The Edo founders of Benin Empire used to be ruled by the Ogiso (Kings of the Sky) dynasty. The Japanese call their emperors Sky Kings or (Sons of the Sun). Edos were a pure warrior clan. Japanese are a pure warrior clan. The Edo people of Nigeria were artists/sculptors/carvers of such infinite precision their ancient artworks still shock the human mind. Japanese art and artistry are globally recognized for immaculate precision.

We will publish dozens of cultural and physical evidence. Controversies will follow. Angry questions will be asked for scientific and racial reasons:

(1) Why do modern Japanese look different from Edos? The original dwellers of Japan were Ainu and Yamato peoples who were racially Asiatic. Until Yayoi warriors arrived, conquered them and named the place EDO. Till today the origins of Yayoi people is still disputed. No Japanese account identifies Yayoi as coming from any part of Asia. Yayoi is an Ainu word for invaders. Is it impossible that a band of Edo warriors (mostly males) conquered the place, took women of the conquered people for wives/concubines and over time their offspring looked exactly like the dominant indigenous population?

(2): What became of the Yayoi warriors? To answer this question one must ask another question: why was Japan the only Asian nation that had a clan of fighter citizens --Samurai Warriors -- (whose only occupation was war/conquest and who became lords and ruled other Japanese and subjugated them to farming and civil duties?) Is it impossible that the Edo warriors created the privileged class of fighters that the world came to know as the Samurai?

(3): How did they make the voyage? Easy. By water. The same way various peoples moved from Africa to Asia for thousands of years. After all the Benin Empire was both a land and river empire. Though the Capital (Benin-city) is inland the empire covered present day Warri (Ishekiri/Urhobo) area of Delta State.

There will be doubts...and questions. No answer will satisfy everyone but it is a beginning. Artworks and Archaeology are the truest form of evidence/pathways to ancient history.For now, just read and consider some (strange?) similarities between ancient Japanese artworks and ancient Edo (Benin) artworks. NOTE: We could NOT find these similarities with the artwork of any other Asian nation.

***PICTURES***
1. Oba of Benin, His Royal Majesty, Erediauwa I
2. Ancient Benin bronze artwork (at least 1000 years old) depicting warriors
3. Ancient Benin sculpture depicting an Oba of Benin and his subjects (notice the elongated cone on the headgear of the subjects)
*
4. Ancient Japanese sculpture of a palace subject (notice same elongated headgear cone like that of Benin? Did you notice BROAD African nose?)
5. Ancient Japanese Stoneware statues of the Wind God and Thunder God, Fujin. (did you notice the distinctly wide African nose and face?)

History is never truly lost. It just awaits a child of a new age to discover it.

Read, review, reflect.....

Patryk A. Utulu is a U.S.-based attorney and Strategic Communications Specialist
Global Defense Analyst and Global Events Commentator
Executive Vice President, Nigerian Diaspora-North America
Executive Director, The Center for Community Empowerment and Lifeskills, Inc.
[Rights Reserved 10082014. Copyrights Strictly Enforced. Fair Use Permitted].

story for the gods

I think the Japanese connection is too far a link to connect as postulated by the author. I'd rather link the Ogisos to the expelled ruling class of Asiatics in ancient Egypt (Kemet) called the HYKSOS. The mere similarities of these names (Ogisos - Hyksos) should be a subject of research. Could Ogisos be the offspring of these Asiatics? If this is true, this could place the arrival of the Hyksos into West Africa around 1500 BC and beyond. What does the Bini tradition say about this theory? Anyone in the house with opinions?

TonySpike:
I think the Japanese connection is too far a link to connect as postulated by the author. I'd rather link the Ogisos to the expelled ruling class of Asiatics in ancient Egypt (Kemet) called the HYKSOS. The mere similarities of these names (Ogisos - Hyksos) should be a subject of research. Could Ogisos be the offspring of these Asiatics? If this is true, this could place the arrival of the Hyksos into West Africa around 1500 BC and beyond. What does the Bini tradition say about this theory? Anyone in the house with opinions?

Well, Binis and Yorubas are essentially the same, and Yoruba griots mention their great migration from Egypt to the forest states of West Africa following ''a great war'' in Egypt in antiquity. Yoruba historian, Aderigbibe places this war as the Hyksos invasion of Egypt in the 1400s BC. There was a Hyksos king named Awoserre Apopi around that period. Very Yoruba sounding.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamose

My brother you are not far from the truth. History had it that ''Uneme'' brought blacksmith technology to the Benin empire and the weapons made by the Unemes were used by the warriors for their expenditures which led to the massive expansion of Benin empire. Today one of the very popular festival in Japan is Uneme Festival; Koriyama, Fukushim. Is this also a coincidence?

Replace "Benin" with "igbos" and watch this thread balloon to 12 pages....filled with pejoratives, insults and advice about "being ashamed of one's heritage."

TonySpike:
I think the Japanese connection is too far a link to connect as postulated by the author. I'd rather link the Ogisos to the expelled ruling class of Asiatics in ancient Egypt (Kemet) called the HYKSOS. The mere similarities of these names (Ogisos - Hyksos) should be a subject of research. Could Ogisos be the offspring of these Asiatics? If this is true, this could place the arrival of the Hyksos into West Africa around 1500 BC and beyond. What does the Bini tradition say about this theory? Anyone in the house with opinions?

Ijaws claim the Ogisos

TonySpike:
The mere similarities of these names (Ogisos - Hyksos) should be a subject of research. Could Ogisos be the offspring of these Asiatics? If this is true, this could place the arrival of the Hyksos into West Africa around 1500 BC and beyond. What does the Bini tradition say about this theory? Anyone in the house with opinions?

HYKSOS : Derived from Greek word Huksos; ultimately from ancient Egyptian words heqa khoswe, meaning "foreign rulers".

OGISO : Derived from Edo(id) words ogie iso, meaning "king of the sky".

Completely different words. Completely different etymologies.

The origin of Yayoi culture has long been debated. Chinese influence was obvious in the bronze and copper weapons, dōkyō, dōtaku, as well as irrigated paddy rice cultivation. Three major symbols of the Yayoi culture are the bronze mirror, the bronze sword, and the royal seal stone.

In recent years, more archaeological and genetic evidence has been found in both eastern China and western Japan to lend credibility to this argument. Between 1996 and 1999, a team led by Satoshi Yamaguchi, a researcher at Japan's National Science Museum, compared Yayoi remains found in Japan's Yamaguchi and Fukuoka prefectures with those from China's coastal Jiangsu province, and found many similarities between the Yayoi and the Jiangsu remains. DNA tests conducted in 1999 support the theory that the origin of the Yayoi people was an area south of the Yangtze in china

I think the writer should do more deligence in his research before rushing to conculsion.
The Yaoyi period is a period that follows the Jomon period. Though the Ainus have been regarded as the premier "Aborigins" of the present day Japan, but research has shown that the country saw a wave of different groups, both from Korea, china, from the across the siberia and south east asia if you include Okinanwa in the mix. With the exception of the Okinawas, these groups became well mixed over the millenia to give what "appears" as a homogenious society.

Finally, one always finds a hint of black population all over the world, but attributing it to a particular locality south of the Sahara beside the great migration to other parts of the world at the height of their civilisation and or the dispersal from the Nile valley occasioned by the arab invasion seems very very far fetched

Seriously? Ha! Why are Japanese words written and pronounced like Igbo words. Let's start from there.

Radoillo:


HYKSOS : Derived from Greek word Huksos; ultimately from ancient Egyptian words heqa khoswe, meaning "foreign rulers".

OGISO : Derived from Edo(id) words ogie iso, meaning "king of the sky".

Completely different words. Completely different etymologies.

I'm sure you also did find out that the word "Hyksos" also means "Shepherd King". Take note that the word "king" is common to both words.

TonySpike:


I'm sure you also did find out that the word "Hyksos" also means "Shepherd King".

Yes, some scholars believe 'Hyksos' derives from 'heqa shishau' which means 'Shepherd kings" or "King of nomads".

But 'heqa khoswe' meaning "Foreign rulers" is the most generally accepted meaning.

In any case, the similarity in sound between Ogiso and Hyksos which you observed is hinged upon the sound 'so' in both words. If we can establish that the 'so' in both words mean different things, then I'm afraid your theory that both words are of the same origin crumbles.

In Hyksos, the 'so' is embedded in KhOSwe meaning 'foreign lands' or is a derived from a corruption of shishau, which refers to shepherds or nomads.

in Ogiso, the so is embedded in iso which in Bini means 'sky'.

Take note that the word "king" is common to both words.

The parts of the two words that mean 'king' do not sound anything alike:

In Ogiso, it is the og-part (ogie).

In Hyksos, it is the hy-part (heqa).

Different meanings. Unrelated words, most likely. Ogiso is as related to Hyksos as Hyksos is related to the pre-Borno So-So people.

What about similarities in art, Edo dynasty in Japan and the celebration of Uneme festival; mere coincidence?

Now this is interesting because outside Nigeria people say my name is Japanese and then I tell them I'm Edo and they laugh and say, Edo is the former name of Tokyo. And I'm thinking are you serious?? Then I find out later that Osa which means God in Bini means Head or Chief or Leader in Japanese. The I start to check other names and there are so many similarities. So many similar words, so many similar stories.

More research needs to be done to find whence this connection emanates from!

Ihuomadinihu:
Seriously? Ha! Why are Japanese words written and pronounced like Igbo words. Let's start from there.

Can you shut up for once? The thread deals with the connection between the ancient Benin and Japanese cultures. And I thought Igbos originated from Israel... Olodo.

aim5:


Can you shut up for once? The thread deals with the connection between the ancient Benin and Japanese cultures. And I thought Igbos originated from Israel... Olodo.

Who said Igbo originated from Israel? Everyone is free to contribute his opinion on this thread. Keep your foolishness to yourself!

Ihuomadinihu:

Who said Igbo originated from Israel? Everyone is free to contribute his opinion on this thread. Keep your foolishness to yourself!

Isn't that what most of you say? Next thing you know you fools will say that Jesus was an Igbo man. Nothing you guys wouldn't do to feel special.

aim5:


Isn't that what most of you say? Next thing you know you fools will say that Jesus was an Igbo man. Nothing you guys wouldn't do to feel special.

Wouldn't you stop making a fool of yourself? Why so childish? Is this thread not doing what you accuse igbos off. Get a job and stop posting silly comments.

Ihuomadinihu:

Wouldn't you stop making a fool of yourself? Why so childish? Is this thread not doing what you accuse igbos off. Get a job and stop posting silly comments.

Your so sex.y when your angry. And I'm self made dear, contrary to your belief.

aim5:

Isn't that what most of you say? Next thing you know you fools will say that Jesus was an Igbo man. Nothing you guys wouldn't do to feel special.

something we say as jokes or say abuse each other is not the best way to go about any issues. We should try and putting more effort on research and share information on issues rather than insults.

Thanks

Ihuomadinihu:

Who said Igbo originated from Israel? Everyone is free to contribute his opinion on this thread. Keep your foolishness to yourself!

igbo origin is not the land they call Nigeria today Igbos migrated from the land mass that is called middle east today. Ari is a descendant of the biblical Gad.

Nagabros

kmariko:
I think the writer should do more deligence in his research before rushing to conculsion.
The Yaoyi period is a period that follows the Jomon period. Though the Ainus have been regarded as the premier "Aborigins" of the present day Japan, but research has shown that the country saw a wave of different groups, both from Korea, china, from the across the siberia and south east asia if you include Okinanwa in the mix. With the exception of the Okinawas, these groups became well mixed over the millenia to give what "appears" as a homogenious society.

Finally, one always finds a hint of black population all over the world, but attributing it to a particular locality south of the Sahara beside the great migration to other parts of the world at the height of their civilisation and or the dispersal from the Nile valley occasioned by the arab invasion seems very very far fetched

The land mass of the earth today wasn't always what it's today, ancient people tend to trace their roots the Edo people of Nigeria and Japanese people most have this strange connection between them because the human memory is more powerful than any man made gargets the Edo people our oralite which makes them a very ancient people. My research have shown that most people that call them self west Africans today are really not African their acessortors migrated into African.

Nagabros

PapaBrowne:
Now this is interesting because outside Nigeria people say my name is Japanese and then I tell them I'm Edo and they laugh and say, Edo is the former name of Tokyo. And I'm thinking are you serious?? Then I find out later that Osa which means God in Bini means Head or Chief or Leader in Japanese. The I start to check other names and there are so many similarities. So many similar words, so many similar stories.

More research needs to be done to find whence this connection emanates from!

No smoke without fire. There's DEFINITELY a connection. I've seen some really Nigerian sounding names belonging to Japenese people. Names like Haruna, Sambo, Ugo, Iheya, Obuchi, Ikeda, Chichi, Ofunato, Abukuma etc etc. No way that's a coincidence.

Wow this is interesting I just stumbled across this thread while researching Japanese indigo fabrics, from the Edo period.....but as a bottom line would not some kind of DNA testing reveal a connection, I am not a Dr ....but a recent social media video showed willing "contestants" exactly where they came from by DNA testing...

Historyworld031

Woodpeckerdesig:
Wow this is interesting I just stumbled across this thread while researching Japanese indigo fabrics, from the Edo period.....but as a bottom line would not some kind of DNA testing reveal a connection, I am not a Dr ....but a recent social media video showed willing "contestants" exactly where they came from by DNA testing...

I think that's the way to go

If any research is to be done is how the Japanese migrated from the ancient any contrary to this would be in denier

One thing that surprises me is if Japan, or all this powerful countries weren't known nobody would claim to have anything to do with them...funny!!! But let an unknown or known tribe or nation get developed all the world would rush to be linked with them.

Funny