Iken) and his second son Ezuwarha (who had become the ruler of Iyowa) became rivals and ended up poisoning each other causing Ewuare to go into significant mourning. In his sorrow, Ewuare passed a law prohibiting sex in the kingdom for three years which resulted in many members of the kingdom migrating to other areas. Ewuare overturned the law but because few migrants returned, he told all neighboring states to refuse to give entry to his citizens and developed the scarification practice to allow clear identification of their citizens. Contact with the Portuguese Ewuare was the Oba of the Benin empire when the Portuguese explorer Ruy de Sequeira arrived in 1472. It is unclear whether he went into the city, but contacts between the Portuguese and the Oba were initiated. This established limited trade between the two empires, to be expanded greatly starting in the 1480s. The king of Portugal developed a close alliance with Oba Esigie, who was the first Oba of Benin to have spoken Portuguese. Arts and celebration Ewuare greatly expanded the arts in Benin during his reign and was aided greatly in this through increased trade. Ewuare is generally credited with expanding ivory and wood carving in the empire and the creation of Bronze heads for shrines to deceased Obas. In addition, Ewuare began many of the royal decoration traditions involving coral. In both folktales and artistic representations, Ewuare is considered someone with significant magical powers. His herbal and magical knowledge is attested to in a number of significant art work from the era. Crucial in this is the creation during Ewuare of the Igue festival, which was originally celebrated as a festival to renew his magical powers. One oral history says that the date of the Igue festival was set initially to the marriage between Ewuare and a wife named Ewere. He is also said to have founded the Ugie Erha Ọba festival which honored the Obas. Death and lineage Details about his death are not generally known but Egharevba says that he was buried at Esi, near the town of Edo (Benin City). His first remaining son, Ezoti, died from assassination and his second son, Olua, ruled for a short period and was replaced when the uzama revolted. His third son, Ozolua became Oba around 1483 and ruled until 1514. The royal lineage from Ewuare would continue for multiple generations. References Obas of Benin