March 2006 photos

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Ok, so I'm going to use these pictures to walk you through the various stages/customs of funerals here. These customs are for traditional (pagan) funerals; Christian & Muslim funerals are different.

So, a person dies. He/she is immediately buried - just outside his/her home - in a tomb that looks like a big mound of dirt which is later plastered. The size depends on the person's wealth and status in the community (like if he was a chief). The picture below is an example.

A ceremony - known as the "washing of the room" - is performed within a week or so. During the ceremony, the area just outside the room of the person is washed with warm water and sheanut leaves. Just after the washing, everyone dances. Later in the day, several women in the community cook TZ (a local dish) and bring it to the funeral house - it's given to the family, elders in the community, and neighbors. Throughout the day, people in the community come to the house to offer condolences (with a gallon of pito) to the family. While this is sometimes called a funeral, it's not the "final" funeral - this will take place in years to come (when the family is able to save enough money).

So, in picture #1, I'm washing the room. There's lots of music and dancing going on around me (and they are throwing money at me). In picture #2, my friend Rose is dancing just after a room has been washed. In picture #3, I'm in a line of people who are all carrying food to the funeral house.

Around this time of year (March-April), final funerals are performed. Funerals are very expensive, so they usually combine them into one big one with a few activities taking place at each person's house. They last 12 days with different activities taking place each day. The main events all take place at the senior-most person's house.

Day 1: Everyone gathers around 8 or 9pm at the main funeral house to kick things off. In picture #1, each person who has died is represented by a clay pot and calabash - the men sitting in front (picture #1) are on guard. It's also on this night that they produce mass amounts of shea butter (picture #2). This is used the next day for ???. I debated putting this picture on the Internet, but a small fowl is sacrificed for each person (picture #3). People stay until daybreak dancing and drinking pito!

Day 2: Everyone gathers at the main funeral house in the morning (some are still there from the night before). Picture #1 are the widows of the men who have died. Plenty animals (goats, fowls, and a donkey) have been sacrificed and are ready to be cooked (picture #2). The meat will be given to each of the different families. The last-born male AND female get their heads shaved. If a man has multiple wives, the last-born of each wife gets his/her head shaved (picture #3).

Day 7: This is the 2nd big day when everyone attends. Basically, all the widows and daughters (and their close friends) cook TZ and carry it each funeral house. This doesn't even start until around midnight and doesn't usually end until day-break. Again, there is a lot of dancing and pito drinking.

Day 11: Everyone gathers mid-afternoon. Before each of the clay pots is thrown into a big pile and danced on (picture #3), people drink pito out of them in honor of the person who has died (picture #1). It's on this day that people perform different types of dancing. The men in picture #2 have dressed up for the occasion - I think they are supposed to be hunters. Again (see a trend?), there is a lot of dancing and pito drinking until day-break.

Day 12: Last day of the funeral. Everyone comes to each funeral house to offer condolences to the family. This is also the day that the children of the deceased who are Christian are prayed for by each of the religious leaders in the community (picture below).

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