by

Valerie Poulard

    There comes a time in everyone’s life to say goodbye to a beloved someone who had passed away.  Today and even a thousand years or more ago, it is customary for a funeral ceremony to be held on behalf of that person to express one’s sorrow and to paid respect to his/her memory.  All over the world a lot of different beliefs about the dead are common; some believe that when someone dies, they will get reincarnate and be reborn.  Another mutual belief is whether or not the dead gets saved and enters the gateway of heaven or be condemned to eternal hell, based one how good or how bad that person had lived his/her life. With all of those different beliefs going around, a lot of different methods and rituals are used to burry the dead and to perform the funeral ceremonies.  But despites all of those cultural differences between funeral rites, there still exist, one basic common idea.  A funeral is a chance to honor the person that had died and to bid them adieu.

    Through the exploration of the continent Africa many of the different beliefs about death and the dissimilar methods used to burry the dead are discovered.  Beginning with “the Republic of Benin …located in West Africa on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean ,” most of the people in the area strongly believe that the dead progresses to the spiritual world by traveling across rivers and mountains. (Matsunami, pg. 54). And the sort of funeral they have will ultimately determine whether or not their souls would be transformed into that of an ancestral soul.  More to the point, the people still pertain the idea that the deceased spirit process some sort of power over their lives, “…for example, lack of filial piety or bad relations between kin.  They hold to be true that these spirits lives in a world similar to theirs, where they sit and watch over their sibling and pass out punishment when there are needed (Matsunami, pg. 55). 

    At the time of someone’s death, the whole village can hear the loud and sorrowful wail from the house of the deceased.  A fortune teller would then be sent for to determine a proper “…date for the funeral and burial.”  A great number of rehearsals would be performed in preparation for the actual funeral itself.  And when the day of the ceremony finally arrived, hot water would be prepared to carefully wash the body, which is then “…wrapped in white cloth.”  The day is filled with a lot of singing and dancing, and as night approaches the mourners would celebrate with a lot of drinking, in an effort to enjoy themselves since the funeral day is regarded as a festive occasion.  The dead would “…usually be buried in the yard or in the hunt.” And the whole assembly would then part the next morning while visiting the cemetery, as the whole funeral occasions would be concluded with three-mouth mourning period (Matsunami, pg.55).

    Similarly the Mossi people of Burkina Faso believe in the dead who becomes there ancestors and watch over them.  Traditionally the deceased male would get buried in the left side of his compound while the deceased female is “…buried in household fields (Matsunami, pg. 56). Since within the community there’s a strong sense of unity, the funerals are an elaborate affair with local dances perform for a number of days. Food and other offerings would be brought by the mourners for the occasion.  Most people stay away from cemeteries since it’s generally thought off as a dangerous place to be (Matsunami, pg. 56). 

    In the western part of Africa , is the Republic of Cameron , where funerals are mostly held based upon local customs.  In the distant lands a funeral could go on for about a week, while the men would dance, covering their faces with a special mask.   There’s really no need for the death of a person to be reported to the government since “there is no family registry…” (Matsunami, pg. 56).  When the village hears the  sound of the drum, they know that a neighbor had died.  In other areas the loud cries of the relatives would communicate the news of their misfortune to the rest of the neighborhood. The body would be "... dressed in black clothes and blindfolded,” in preparation of the upcoming funeral.  The next male successor would wrap a piece of white clothe “…around his hip and accepts the mourner’s words of condolences.”  The invitees would gather around and dance while crying out “Ai, ya, a,” while “…holding a sword or large sticks and stones.” The female would sometime go so far as to “roll around on the ground, shouting “Ah-a” or Aha-aba” (Matsunami, pg. 57).  

    The festivities would go on for an entire day after the death, then the body would be taken out to “… a mound-shaped grave,” to be buried (Matsunami, pg. 57).  But the dead skull would have been taken out before-handed to be buried separately beneath the family’s house, and occasionally it would be taken out from it’s resting place to be offered food.  Immediate family members must show their respect by shaving off their hair and the wearing of “…blue or black mourning clothes.”  After a year or so after the funeral an extravagant celebration would be performed once again in the memory of their beloved (Matsunami, pg. 57).

    In Central Africa to, Congo , where “…the air is hot and humid year-round, the dead must be buried quickly;” and the funeral ceremony is than held the day after. Congolese people believe that the world of the dead is surrounded by darkness, therefore the body should be buried in the “…middle of the night.”  The funeral is performed by the chief of the village who then would prays to their gods and ancestors that the evil spirit that had stolen the deceased soul would not harm the village any further (Matsunami, pg. 59).

    Upon someone’s death in the tribe of Azande, “…the women of the neighborhood form a circle around the deceased; the men remain for the most part in another ring, whispering about the distressing event” (Matsunami, pg. 59). The burial expenses would fall upon the family of the dead one.  The body would be wrapped by a close family member “…in a cloth made of bark,” and must be buried in the same afternoon if the death occurred in the morning, and if it happened in the afternoon, someone would have to keep a all night long watch over the body, so it could be buried the next morning (Matsunami, pg. 59).

    Continue on with Ethiopia , the land that “…is bordered by the red sea, funerals are a bit different from the previous countries” (Matsunami, pg. 62).  After somebody had died, “…the body is washed at the home of the deceased and wrapped in muslin or calico, and then wrapped in woven coconut leaves.”  Afterwards the mourners would gather around the deceased and wail. The volume of the wail depends upon the closeness of the mourner to the dead, because the closer the relationship the louder the wail.  A procession would be held on behalf of the deceased; the starting point would be at the home of the dead one (Matsunami, pg. 62).

    If the ceremony was to be held by the “…Ethiopian Orthodox Church, an acolyte”… would lead the procession while carrying a cross or floor to bake bread for the Holy Communion during the funeral ceremony. The minister would then follow, “…the incense bearer, the coffin, the male mourners, and finally the women mourners. Along the way, the procession would stop, and “…the coffin is placed on the ground.”  The teary women would then start singing a song and the rest of the assembly would follow along.  Afterwards the procession would continued on to the church, “…where an ox is sacrificed, and then passes through the blood-stained churchyard to the cathedral.”  Then a mass would be held by the minister and the body would be buried (Matsunami, pg. 62).

    The funeral ceremony differs for different tribes, for instance in the Amhara tribe whenever an older person is in his/her deathbed, someone call a sharman would be called. “He gives last rites, and after death, assigns a burial ground in the churchyard” (Matsunami, pg. 52). The deceased body would then be washed, and then wrapped in something called a “shama”, and then be conducted to the church in order for the mass to begin.  Later on it would be carried to the nearest graveyard to be buried.  Days after the burial, “…when it is thought that the soul has the earliest opportunity to be freed from purgatory,” a funeral feast called “tazkar” is held.  But in the central highlands among the Dolze, a bamboo is build “…near their living quarters where they bury the corpse.” It is believed that as long as the spirits of the dead ones are cared for with respect, they would protect the current surviving family (Matsunami, pg. 62). 

    The “Gold Coast,” most commonly known as the “ Republic of Ghana ,” funeral ceremonies differ from most other countries base upon the fact that the funeral date differs “…from the day of the burial.  There’s even a case when the funeral was held five years after the day of the burial.”  Most of the expenses for the funerals are paid by the family of the deceased and the tribe would also offer some help in that certain area.  “On the morning of the funerals, drums are played and eulogies are sung".  Close relatives would circle the village three times, and afterwards the funeral party would begin.  The family is obligated to put “…orange-colored clay on their forehead and shoulders.”  The wife of the deceased must put “…palm leaves on her elbow signifying her deep relationship with the deceased.”  Any other family member must wear either black or red clothes in memory of the deceased (Matsunami, pg. 64).

    Within Ghana among the Lobi-Dagarti, expensive funerals are held for the elderly.  The ceremony can be prolonged for about three or four days, depending whether or not the dead one is female or male.  Animals would be killed to feed the grievers.  Among the Ashanti tribe, funerals are really important among the people. Upon the death of someone, the chief must be notified immediately.  If the preparations for the burial were started without consulting the chief, a fine must be paid with a sheep and some money.  “Mourners smear red clay on their foreheads and upper arms, or white clay over their entire bodies if they are of the family of a dead priest.”  When everything is ready for the ceremony, the women would start crying out loud and men would fire their guns.  Finally, food would be offered to the dead to eat, so he/she could be strong for his/her long “…journey into the afterlife” (Matsunami, pg. 65).

    In the newly formed country of Namibia , located in the southern portion of Africa , the Ouhima tribe, upon the discovery of a dead person, the family would surround the bedside and cries over their loss.  The body would then be taken by the back door of the house and be buried in the location designated by the chief.  The people would then cover the body with stones so that the animals wouldn’t disturb or eat it (Matsunami, pg. 74). 

    The graveside is chosen in a far off distance area since it is generally believed that the soul of the deceased lived within the grave.  It’s even said that if “…one point to the ground on his way home, the curse of death will capture him.”  After the burial, the wife and children and any other family member who had lived with the deceased would pack up their belongings and leave the house with everything else that had belonged to the dead one.  During the funeral a sheep would be killed as a sacrifices to the person that had died and feed to the mourners, but the stomach of the sheep stomach would be reserved for the next male heir in the family that would observed all of the responsibilities of the deceased one.  The successor was to keep the sheep stomach, that would be twisted with pleasant-smelling substances, around his neck until it decomposes (Matsunami, pg. 74).

   The hot and humid air of Nigeria is the home of many tribes such as the Ibo, Igede, and Iyala and so on. It is believed among the tribes of the east that “…the more music, dance, and ceremony that accompanies a funeral, the better the chance of the deceased making it into the afterlife.”  Consequently, esteemed members of the village are granted luxuriant ceremonies.  Before the funeral can take place “…a chicken is sacrificed over the slit drum that is to be played,” symbolizing the “…voice of the ancestors…” is the drum, “… and the sacrifice is said to improve its tone.  A burial clothe of the deceased is place in the meeting ground to represent his/her presence.” At some point of the rituals, “…the eldest son breaks a pot, symbolizing the release of the deceased into the afterlife…"  In the end  a diviner look beyond the world of the living to checks whether or not the deceased soul has trespass into the after life (Levy, pg. 67). 

   Funerals are a bit different for the Yoruba tribe of Nigeria , when a death occurs among their numbers “…the family and close relatives wash the body and paint it with red dye called “kam,” then they wrap it in a shroud.”  The dead body is held within his/her house for three days, while the family “…goes to ask the “papalao”, the minister of the “Egungun” (next world), for his instructions, and the body is buried, according to his decision, either under the deceased’s bedroom or in a "piazza" (grave).”  The clothes and food of the victims are buried with the body, “…to prevent any trouble in the next life.”  A memorial service must be held on behalf of the deceased no later than three days after the burial or a curse would befallen upon the family (Matsunami, pg. 75).

    Stopping at Sudan meaning “the land of the black people,” to meet the “…Berta who lives in the western part of Sudan …”  As someone dies, their bodies would put to rest facing south.  If the deceased is a man, the “gaqih” (the leader) bathes the deceased; but if it’s a woman the eldest woman would washes the body.  Afterwards the body is perfumed, and is “…wrapped in a white kaftan.”  The body is then transported to the grave to be buried by six men.  Often a great number of men would volunteer to perform this tasked since it’s considered extremely lucky to be among the six carriers of the body. The head of the body must be pointed “…south at all times, and the face must be turned toward Mecca .  Soon after, the village elder held a prayer and then the body is buried.  Afterwards the grievers are offered a “…meal of roasted mutton or goat prepared by the women of the family, and for three days after the burial, everyone joins the family in their mourning” (Matsunami, pg. 81).

    The grieving males in the family would sacrifice some animals and the female relatives would cook a meal.  The guesses would “…recite the Qur’an in chorus, led by the village elder.”  The analphabetic people would “…repeat the name of the god Du’a using the Islamic rosaries, and when they had gone trough each of the beads…” Later on they would repeat the word “Assalaam” seven thousand times “…in a ceremony called “Jaria,” which is believed to wash away the sins of the deceased.”  The people that recited all seven thousand times are considered to be blessed.  The “Jaria” would continue for seven days, and in the seventh day a simple ceremony is held “…for the peace and happiness of the deceased.”  The family must mourned for a period of six months, they cannot attend any parties or dress up for any occasion and the widow of the deceased is forbidden to live her house for four months and ten days.  The village may also grieve for a period of two months.

     Indeed, Africa contains a variety of different funeral rituals, but in the end it doesn’t matter how long , or how expensive they are.  What’s really important is that the family and friends that gathered for the funeral occasion had an opportunity to express there grief over their loss and to say a final goodbye to someone that was held in the greatest esteem by one person or the entire village itself.   In each little corner of the world that grief may be expressed differently, but it’s still the same; the sadness, the regrets, the may be’s, and the loss.   

    In observance to the above information, it is noticeable that no matter what country, area, state, or location of the death, most of the mourners just wants the deceased soul to rest in peace by performing those elaborate ceremonies in their behalf’s.  Even if they believe that their souls would be reborn into someone else’s or they would join the regions of ancestors that watch over and protects them from harm, they strive to ease the passing from life to death as best as they can.  

    Some people may accept that death is part of life, shed tears over the body in the funeral ceremony and accept what is and not spend all their times wondering of what could have been.  In general, what most people want is to make their peace with the dead, so they could go on with the serious matter of living.  Underneath all of the dancing and feasting, people are just trying to deal with the harsh reality that had befallen upon them.  Ultimately, all funerals are the same underneath, not matter how different it may seem physically and traditionally.  The profound sorrow can be found underneath all of the festivities and rituals.

Word count: 2,986

=================================================================================================

Work Cited

Levy, Patricia Marjorie.  Cultures of the World: "Nigeria." Marshall Cavendish Corporation, 1999).

Matsunami, Kodo. International Handbook of Funeral Customs.  Westport, Conn.: Greenhood Press, 1998.