Edo religion
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain how some of the Edo's religious beliefs are visible in their artwork.
Key learning points
- Some of the objects held by the British Museum can tell us about the Edo's religious beliefs.
- One brass statue is a head, decorated with animals, that was used during worship of the god Osun.
- Osun was the Edo god of medicine and magic and was believed to command the animals of the rainforest.
- The head represents how the Oba was believed to have magic powers like the gods; the birds represent prophesy.
- The snakes represent Osun's soldiers and the Oba's ability to use magic to destroy his enemies.
Keywords
Deity - a deity is a god, goddess or supernatural being that some people worship and believe in
Prophecy - a prophecy is a prediction of the future
Common misconception
The Oba in Edo society was merely a religious figure.
While the Oba did have significant religious functions and was seen as having a special connection to the divine, his role also extended to that of political leader, responsible for governance, justice, and maintaining order within the kingdom.
Teacher tip
Investigate what thunderstones are. Or recreate the statue of Osun's head from clay.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.The Kingdom of Benin began in the Century.
Q2.The rulers of the Edo people were called...
Q3.Which of these best describes female rulers in the Kingdom of Benin?
Q4.Oba was considered a great leader by the people of the Kingdom of Benin.
Q5.The Oba was regarded as divine, as it was thought that he had a connection to the...
Q6.At their palace, the Obas would meet with their officials and conduct ceremonies.
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.The Edo people believed that Osun was the god of...
Q2.A is a god, goddess or supernatural being that some people worship and believe in.
Q3.The British Museum currently holds a brass statue of Osun's...
Q4.The four birds on top of the British Museum's Osun statue’s head represent...
Q5.The snakes coming out of the nostrils of the British Museum's Osun statue’s head represent...
Q6.The thunder-stones on the head of the British Museum's Osun statue represent...
To help you plan your 6 history lesson on: Edo religion, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 6 history lesson on: Edo religion, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 2 history lessons from the Benin: Why have people argued about the Benin Bronzes? unit, dive into the full primary history curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.