Ashanti Death Ritual Essay

673 Words2 Pages

There are many countries with different cultures, religions and community with various behavior and ritual rite that often guide their action and belief when their loved one expired. African culture is often regarded as a tribe with rich culture. Ashanti tribe displayed some of the rich culture in Africa. This project will focus on Ashanti’s death ritual process and involvement of different group during the process. More insight will be given on this tribe belief, mourning and grief process during the funeral period. In Ashanti tribe, family and the mother’s side are most important to this particular group. This tribe believe that child often inherit their father’s soul while flesh and blood is received from the mother. “Instrument such as talking drums are used for learning the Ashanti language and spreading news and used in ceremonies. This instrument is very important to the Ashanti and there are very important rituals involved in them”. (Vollbrecht, Judith A., 1979). The community embraced the burial customs and death rituals as a whole not only family of the deceased. It is a significant event to whole community regardless of the family involved or affected. This tribe regard mourning as a way respecting the position held by the deceased among the family. “The female members of the family are with the individual while he is about to pass, in order to pour water on his throat for the journey that he is about to embark on. The kra, or undying spirit, needs this water to “climb the mountain” into the world of the ancestors”. (Vollbrecht, Judith A., 1979). All elderly person within the community of the deceased begin eight days fasting as soon as the whole community is aware of the death. This eight days fasting is a way the eld... ... middle of paper ... ...ced eight days after death and burial. Mourning and the grief process to the Ashanti are supposed to be emotional. “When someone is upset, they do not obey the rules. If they do, that shows they’re not really upset. If someone who is wailing and crying greets you or smiles when you greet them that shows that they are not really sorry”. (Vollbrecht, Judith A., 1979) As soon as the public funeral end, the community will end their fasting and return to normal life when the gong drum is beaten while the deceased family continue grief for another forty days and continue to wear the funeral cloths during this period. Deceased’s family meet again at the end of forty days to select the best person to inherit the deceased’s material belongings and take over the deceased’s duties, after this selection, then drink is poured by the family as honour to the deceased once again.

Show More
Related

  • Ompeh And Maru-Brihag Analysis

    442 Words  | 1 Pages

    In Africa, music helps define its culture by expressing emotions through each song. Drums play a very important significance in African culture; they are always present in ceremonies such as births, deaths, and marriages along with a ritual dance. Ompeh is an organized system with many rules and is performed by recreational amateur ensemble of singers and percussionists. Maru-Bihag is loosely structured, performed only by experts, and is used more for entertainment. In India, the sitar instrument is taken very seriously; a student must apprentice with a master for 15-20 years before being allowed to play this

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Horace Miner's Body Ritual Among The Nacirema

    1085 Words  | 3 Pages

    The goal of the anthropologist is to come to understand the beliefs and behaviours of the cultures around them, without judgement. When one scrutinizes Western rituals, we often have difficulty seeing the strangeness of our own culture. To understand those around us, we must first be able to understand ourselves. In this paper, I will attempt to critically summarize and analyze Horace Miner’s “Body Ritual among the Nacirema”.

    Read More

  • African Art: A Cycle Of Life

    1411 Words  | 3 Pages

    Many African cultures see life as a cycle we are born, we grow and mature, enter adulthood, and one day we will eventually die but the cycle continues long after death. In Africa art is used as a way to express many things in their society, in this paper I will focus on different ways traditional African art are used to describe the cycle of one’s life. Since Africa is such a large continent it is important to keep in mind that every country and tribe has different rituals and views when it comes to the cycle of life. It is estimated to be well over a thousand different ethnic groups and cultures in Africa today. Thousands of cultures in Africa see the stages of life bound together in a continuous cycle; a cycle of birth, growth, maturity,

    Read More

  • Tradition and Ancestry in Ishmael Reed's Mumbo Jumbo

    2229 Words  | 5 Pages

    Zahan, Dominique. The Religion, Spirituality, and Thought of Traditional Africa. Trans. Kate Ezra Martin and Lawrence M. Martin. Chicago: U of Chicago Press, 1979.

    Read More

  • Jewish Death and Dying

    511 Words  | 2 Pages

    There are numerous cultures in this planet today; however the Jewish view of death makes this culture unique from the rest. Jewish death and mourning rites have two basic principles: kevod ha-met, respectful treatment of the dead, and kevod he-chai, consideration for the feelings of the living. These two principles are highly regarded by the Jewish community (Kolatch 7-8).

    Read More

  • Cultural Relativism

    993 Words  | 2 Pages

    This idea talks about the different cultures three in particular; Greeks, Callatians, and the Eskimos. These three cultures are completely different from each other, the Greeks are very family oriented and believe that loved ones after

    Read More

  • Cultural and Religious Influences on Death and Grieving

    1710 Words  | 4 Pages

    "Grieving and death rituals vary across culture and are heavily influenced by Religion (Medscape)." Cross cultural beliefs, ceremonies, and rituals allow for the deaths of individuals to be encompassed in a more organized social order (Death and Dying, A sociological perspective). The religious rituals encountered are often influential in funeral arrangements and grieving behaviors. On a sociological level, we can interpret these things in a more objective way. I believe that in order to understand religion and culture: we must first understand the concepts that may be seen as highly influential. These concepts include religion and culture in association with social class, social norms, social reality, and class systems. The two religions I found most interesting were Hinduism and Buddhism.

    Read More

  • Jewish Death Essay

    679 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the Jewish faith, death is seen as a natural process. Jewish rituals surrounding death focus on showing respect for the deceased and consolation for the living. After death, the body is never left alone. The body is laid on the floor, covered, and candles are lit with the “shomerim” meaning “guards” watching over the body. Many Jewish communities have a burial society, called the chevra kaddisha (holy society), that clean the body and wrap the body in a plain linen shroud. The body can not be cremated or embalmed and autopsies are discouraged. Coffins are not required according to Jewish customs, but if one is used, there must be holes drilled into them, so they come in contact with the ground. The dead are placed in a plain casket and buried within 24 hours, before sunset, on the day of death. Jewish mourning traditions begin grief with the tearing of one’s clothing (Rich, 1996). Mourners “cut their clothing with a razor- on the left for a parent; on the right for a spouse, child, or sibling- to symbolize the tear in life that death has produced (cite textbook, pg 358).” After burial of the deceased, a healing meal is made for the family, which is followed by the next phase of mourning, known as shiva. Shiva is a seven day ritual in where mourners sit on low stools or on the floor, do not wear shoes, do not shave, do not work, do not bathe, have sex, or eat meat, and remain in the same clothes they tore at the time of death. Following shiva, mourners do not attend social gathering for 30 days, this is known as shloshim. If someone is mourning a parents death, the “shloshim” is expanded to one year (Rich, 1996).

    Read More

  • Bereavement: The Treatment Of Death

    797 Words  | 2 Pages

    Emotionally a person is sad and feels lonely without the loved one. This absence is felt in the anger the bereaved hold against the caring team in case of death due to illness, ironically it can cause relief to close ones as they have witnessed and suffered all way with the patient. Sudden death comes as a numbing shock to the person and very often there are a lot of anger again natural forces or god. In cases of sudden death there is a deep feeling of guilt as there are many unfinished business which could have been resolved, things left unsaid. Moreover, there is a constant need to hear, see and touch that person though dead and the bereaved feels helpless with regards to his own adjustment and self-care.

    Read More

  • Cultural Analysis On Death And The Afterlife

    1074 Words  | 3 Pages

    The concept of human mortality and how it is dealt with is dependent upon one’s society or culture. For it is the society that has great impact on the individual’s beliefs. Hence, it is also possible for other cultures to influence the people of a different culture on such comprehensions. The primary and traditional way men and women have made dying a less depressing and disturbing idea is though religion. Various religions offer the comforting conception of death as a begining for another life or perhaps a continuation for the former.

    Read More

  • Death And Dying Essay

    1240 Words  | 3 Pages

    The subject of death and dying is a common occurrence in the health care field. There are many factors involved in the care of a dying patient and various phases the patient, loved ones and even the healthcare professional may go through. There are many controversies in health care related to death, however much of it roots from peoples’ attitudes towards it. Everyone handles death differently; each person has a right to their own opinions and coping mechanisms. Health care professionals are very important during death related situations; as they are a great source of support for a patient and their loved ones. It is essential that health care professionals give ethical, legal and honest care to their patients, regardless of the situation.

    Read More

  • Music and Cultural Identity

    1236 Words  | 3 Pages

    Music played a very important role in the lives of people is diaspora communities. It served as a reminder for the immigrants of their homeland, which allowed them to proudly express their national and cultural identities. Diaspora refers to an international network of communities linked together by the identification of a common ancestral homeland and culture. People in these communities are no longer living in their homelands, with no guarantee of a return either. (Bakan, 19). Music played a large role in African diaspora communities. This was first started by the slave trades many years ago when slave traders traveled to the coast of West Africa to capture Africans and brought them back to the United States to be slaves on plantations. Slaves were more prone to loose a sense of their own culture because every new aspect of their lives was forced upon them, therefore they were undoubtedly forced to abandon their n...

    Read More

  • Chinese burial customs

    597 Words  | 2 Pages

    Many steps are taken when a family member dies. The first step is called the wake. The wake is where the coffin is placed on its own stand. If the family member dies away from home he or she is placed in the courtyard. If he or she dies at home they are placed inside the house. The deceased's coffin rests a foot high off the ground and is covered in gifts from the family. A self portrait or photograph of the deceased family member is also placed by the coffin. During the wake, the coffin is not sealed. After the wake is the funeral ceremony, which lasts over 49 days. If the family is wealthy, prayers ceremonies are held every 7 days for 49 days. The head of the family should be present for the first prayer ceremony and should also be present for the burial. After all of the ceremonies, the coffin is nailed shut. The family then makes their way to the burial site. It is tradition that the eldest son stays by the coffin. Next is the burial. At the gravesite, the coffin is taken down from the carrier and all family members must look away. Once the coffin is lowered, family members throw a handful of earth onto the coffin before the grave is filled. Then the 100 day mourning period begins. During this time, the family wears different colored pieces of cloth to signify their mourning.

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast Two Cultures

    1206 Words  | 3 Pages

    Every culture has several similarities and differences that impact the way they do things. Several of these cultures have distinct traits and traditions that make them differently from other cultures. I believe these differences make each culture different and unique. The two cultures that I have chosen to compare and contrast with each other is Kenya and India. In this paper I will discuss the similarities and differences in each of the culture’s families in context, marital relationships, and families and aging. These are important aspects of these cultures and to examine them will give me a better knowledge of both of these cultures.

    Read More

  • Essay About Mummification

    1873 Words  | 4 Pages

    ...ured for many that their loved ones survived the perilous journey through the Duat and reached paradise. The preparation of the body for this quest was vital because the physical body was the glue the held together all of the other important pieces of the human—shadow, name, Ka (spirit), Ba (personality), and Akh (immortality). Understanding the process of mummification also gives us further insight as to the importance of the afterlife in the culture of these people.

    Read More

More about Ashanti Death Ritual Essay

Open Document