African funerals and sociocultural change
Joël Noret Michael Jindra ulb.academia.edu bu.academia.edu
African funerals and sociocultural change
The ethnographic record indicates that disposal of the dead by leaving their corpses in the bush was once a widespread feature of mortuary practice in East Africa, practised by many Bantu as well as non-Bantu speakers. The following notes describe an interesting variation upon this practice, recorded (and still remembered) among different groups of Bantu speakers in what is now south-west Tanzania. Whereas most peoples known to have disposed of their dead in this way appear to have done so in any convenient spot away from habitation, the Sangu and others referred to below “threw away” their dead in particular sites designated for this purpose. These sites for communal disposal are recognisable by their common names and, though no longer used in quite the same way, are still feared through their association with death. [A French translation of this paper by Edouard Bugingo, 'Jeter les cadavres: Sites communs où sont déposés les cadavres au sud-ouest tanzanien dans la periode pre-coloniale, is posted here: http://notesandrecords.blogspot.com/2009/04/jeter-les-cadavres-sites-communs-ou.html]

It was Stephen Prothero who said in the introductory part of his book, titled Purified by Fire: A History of Cremation in America, 2001; that in every human society the living care for the dead. This care may include cleaning it, shaving it, dressing it, putting it on display, speaking to it, praying over it, caressing it, lavishing praise on it, offering it food, and otherwise facilitating its entrance into whatever, if anything, lies ahead. Closing the eyes and mouth of the deceased Straightening the limbs, covering the deceased, often with a sheet, placing a candle near the head of the deceased, opening the windows in the room (if weather is problematic, windows are opened briefly, then closed again), etc. When all is said and done, however, a dead body has to be disposed of, banished, so the living could continue with their task1. This statement is true of Africa, especially in Dikaka's tradition. It is in Africa where you will see the living fighting, staying hungry, and putting a stop to their activities to care for the dead, some Africans may even kill to secure the corpse of a loved one. In the African worldview, death is not the end of the journey, but a glorious beginning to join the ancestors. It is a belief that gives solace to hearts pinned in pain after the demise of a loved one. This work explores instances in the Bible where the funerary practices are done in relation to culture and identifies a common pattern, attempts an explanation of the meaning of burial and cremation in relation to Jesus and use that understanding to interpret the problem of cremation and give a concluding statement.

This essay describes (1) how mortuaries changed the Akan funeral culture of Ghana and (2) how that converged with the interests of relatives and hospital managers. Such a development would not have been possible, however, (3) without the money provided by well-to-do relatives staying abroad. Mortuaries enable relatives to stretch the liminal period between death and funeral as long as they want to while they prepare everything for a grand funeral. For hospitals, this new fashion means an attractive extra source of income, as the mortuary is more lucrative than its medical services. My observations derive from anthropological fieldwork in Kwahu, Ghana.

This paper investigates the effects of cremation on African traditional celebrations of the living dead in Kenya. The study examines bereavement and mourning practices in communities, with a particular focus on traditional modes of mourning, grieving, and remembering the living dead. According to the study, African traditions, the spread of Christianity, the influence of the Hindu culture, and Islamic beliefs all conflict with the changing culture that is slowly embracing cremation. The methodology for this study involved secondary data. The conclusion drawn from the study is that even as the scarcity of land pushes societies to consider the option of cremation, cultural and religious perceptions have painted the practice unethical and term it “un-African.” In Kenya, the majority of the population still opts to bury their dead in their ancestral homes in order to perform ritual and religious burial rites.

This study seeks to look at the impact of colonialism on the people of Umuna, a sub-unit of the Okigwi axis in southeastern Nigeria, with particular attention paid to the continuity and change that colonial rule wrought on the funeral culture of the people. Evidences gathered via secondary sources were thoroughly analyzed, and primary sources were equally adopted to augment shortfall in secondary sources. The study discovered that funeral practices among the Umuna people, before the coming of the Europeans was strictly in four basic categories which held great cultural significance for the people. Therefore, the study concludes that the Umuna people like others within Igbo society witnessed changes in their traditional funeral practices as they continued to hold to certain key aspects of that culture.