Funeral

Ideas about Death

Generally speaking, there are several fundamentals to African funerals, although ethnic and aesthetic traditions differ. The first is that the spirit of the deceased person must be sent away without animosity from the earthly community. Africans acknowledge that the person no longer exists in Earthly form and must leave. Prayers said at death [Page 276]such as “Now we must stop thinking … about you, we bury you” … and “Oh! Father leave us, here is your stool” demonstrate this. However, the prayers continue, “We must stop thinking about you, give us everything that is good,” indicating that the living also need the protection and guidance from the newly departed.

Among the Yoruba, the part of the funeral called “Entering into a covenant with the deceased” includes a symbolic “slaying of the victim,” in which split kola nuts, provisions, and condiments are placed with the body. This is the time to say farewell and stress to the deceased that he or she is no longer an Earthly being and now must care for the family as a spirit. The deceased is not to harass anyone or engage in malicious or evil activities. Establishing that the death was indeed natural is an important rite in some funeral rituals. Among the Ndebele, the day after a person is buried, the son returns to make sure the grave is undisturbed. If it has not been disturbed, the usual funeral rituals continue. If it has, however, a diviner is consulted to determine the next steps.

Funeral Practices

Rituals for sending away the deceased address the handling of the body. In some cultures, the body is shaven, washed, and wrapped in clothing. In the past, the body could be wrapped in animal skins or even covered with bird feathers. The Ancient Egyptians are noted for their elaborate preparation of the body of the deceased. However, the Swazi are known to squeeze the fluids out of the body to slow decay. Among certain groups of Yoruba, clothing is put on the deceased backward so its soul can find its way back to the Earth to be reborn.

Among the Ndebele, if the head of the homestead dies, his body is passed through a hole in the wall, but not the door. This shows he is still part of the community. The body can be buried within the family compound, behind it, or where the person was born. Common taboos associated with burials are that it is best to avoid a funeral processional and that the body cannot be buried in cultivated land. The Dogon observe this taboo by burying their dead in caves high in the surrounding cliffs. They say that if a body is buried in the fields, the crops will not grow.

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