Question 1: African religious ideas on death
Traditional African religions typically carry the beliefs of life after death, a world of spirits where gods also live. They believe in reincarnation, where the dead may return to their family lineage if they want to do something. The actors in Ghana’s fantasy coffin and dancing pallbearers industries are informed about many African religious ideas about death in their plays. They believe the deceased must be appropriately buried, so their spirits are at peace and take their place among the anticipated ancestors (Kanu, 2022). The celebration did according to the role of the deceased.
The right burial
To ensure that the ancestor rests in peace and safeguards the family, the “right” burial is done. It also prevents the ancestor from haunting and exerting power over the living. This belief originates from the African notion that life and death are a perpetuity of existence. If the deceased is not buried correctly, his/her ghost can remain in the world as the living and roam around, causing harm to the living (Molefe & Maraganedzha, 2022). As seen in the play, the actors carry the deceased’s body and dance while traditional music is played to give the “right” sendoff of the dead. Witches and sorcerers are denied the “right” to burial, denying them the honour of being part of the community of ancestors.
The continued profession in the spiritual world
It is believed that life surpasses death and that the dead will continue with his/her profession in the spiritual world, according to African religious belief. This is witnessed in the play when the actors use coffins representing the deceased’s occupation, hence the “fantasy” coffin. The coffins are designed to exhibit the fantasy of the deceased’s burial vision. For example, the relatives choose a lion design if the deceased was a chief in the community, as the lion is considered the ruler of the forest. A dead musician or journalist is honoured with a microphone-shaped coffin, while a deceased pilot is honoured with an aeroplane coffin.
Question 2: the values and skills relevant to life in the Fulani and Dogon societies
Life poses many challenges in its path—new life experiences help manage the problems encountered in life. Life skills comprise positive and adaptive behaviours that allow human beings to handle life’s challenges effectively. The Fulani community is known for its nomadic and pastoral lifestyle and decoration of objects like milk bowls. The Dogon is an ethnic group in Mali’s central plateau region. They are known for their architecture, mask dances, and religious traditions (Benjamin, 2022). The documentary “Love in the Sahel” reveals values and skills relevant to life by the Fulani and Dogon societies, including responsibility, obedience to culture and elders, caring and tolerance, and collaboration.
In the Fulani community, young men would go a far place with animals and return after eight months. A sixteen-year-old boy, Yiero Cisse, also made this journey, leaving his girlfriend and family behind. It was done for one reason: to feed their cattle. Bringing back healthy cattle was the right of passage of Fulani boys. Aissah, Cisses’s girlfriend, believes he will bring back healthy cattle as this is the only way for their marriage. Parents picked partners for their children, and boys who brought back unhealthy animals were unlikely to get girls to marry. This made the boys responsible, as they were expected to take good care of the animals. Girls also made their hair, waiting for the return of their boyfriends.
While at the grazing fields in the Sahel, cattle rustlers invaded the herders. Mosquitoes and ticks also attacked them. They would walk the whole day and hardly sleep at night. Hyenas were also hovering at night; they had to fire guns to chase them away. This forced the boys to adapt to hostile conditions.
The two communities live in the semi-desert region of West Africa. The drought forced them to settle around the lake. They plant different crops around the lake as it makes irrigation easier. However, elephants in that region also drink from the same water source. After drinking, the elephants invade the farms and eat the crops. Nevertheless, the farmers dig holes around the farms instead of killing them to protect their crops from elephant invasion (Benjamin, 2022). They also chase them at night using drums.
The Fulani community, being pastoralists, encounter many problems while searching for water and pasture for their livestock. The community shares the resources, and animals are grazed together. This sense of understanding and caring about one another’s livestock has created peace among the community’s people. Dogon community practised farming. The farmers offered pastoral fields for grazing and used the animals’ wastes as manure. This collaboration made survival easier.
In the Dogon community, every plant, rock and animal is considered a powerful spirit and must be respected. Everyone obeys this culture. They took care of the Nile crocodiles, feeding them meat. During dry seasons they ask the crocodiles for a favour. After two or three hours, it would rain in the village of Kamakan, a village Dama organized after a good harvest is celebrated. It was also feared because it held the threshold of death. During Dama, sacrifices are made to purify the village. Boys wore face masks during this event and were initiated to become men. They offered millet to the ancestors during the Dama event.
Question 3: Types of African marriages
Marriage ceremonies in Africa differ between countries because of the continent’s cultural and Religion variance. Marriage ceremonies in Africa depend on the faith of the people. Many African communities believe marriage is basically about procreation and providing for children. In the documentary “Will you marry me,” Rahel Girma, born and raised in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, is involved in a consanguine marriage. She fled after she was arranged to wed her father’s uncle. This decision ruined her relations with her family. After refusing to wed her father’s uncle, her family shunned her (Zvaiwa et al., 2022). Arranged marriages sound taboo to many people unless where the people involved share the same interests.
Polygamy is also demonstrated in this documentary. Sia Chenta from Konadaga, Mali, a mother of two children, is happily married to her husband, who is also married to another woman (second wife). Sia prioritizes her husband’s happiness over her own. Sia Chenta says polygamy is beneficial because they can share the housework. Although, the second wife disrespects Sia as she argues that she is the husband’s favourite. Furru, their husband, insists that both wives are equal to him.
Consanguineous marriages have social and cultural merits like reduced domestic violence, lower divorce rates, easy marriage arrangements, improved female autonomy, and low possibilities of hidden uncertainties. It also allows the transmission of cultural values and cultural continuity (Nyamache & Asatsa, 2022). However, low genetic heterozygosity caused by consanguinity results in increased susceptibility to infections like hepatitis in human beings.
In polygamy, there is a reduced rate of cheating. People with multiple partners have a lower motivation to cheat on their partners. Sharing of house chores and other duties is another advantage of polygamous marriage. However, polygamy is associated with problems like unhappiness and child neglect. Having many children makes it difficult to provide for their needs. Many children are, therefore, neglected, resulting in unhappiness in such families. In addition, providing for many partners and children causes financial constraints.
References
Benjamin Mattelem (2022). Love in the Sahel [Video]. fhttps://youtu.be/IdH1pgCDl1Y
Kanu, I. A. (2022). African Traditional Religion and Philosophy:: Essays on an Ancestral Religious Heritage. AuthorHouse. https://books.google.co.ke/books?hl=en&lr=&id=qrB7EAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PT7&dq=african+religious++ideas+about+death&ots=5eyXfod9os&sig=D1pIPzjl2Lxf-lNaIKLLXeB6GrI&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=african%20religious%20%20ideas%20about%20death&f=false
Molefe, M., & Maraganedzha, M. (2022). African Traditional Religion and moral philosophy. Religious Studies, 1-16. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/religious-studies/article/african-traditional-religion-and-moral-philosophy/2784C0BB3B489AEA8C7559B977DD7A7C
Nyamache, E. K., & Asatsa, S. (2022). THE ROLE OF AFRICAN TRADITIONAL MARRIAGE RITES ON MARITAL STABILITY: A CASE OF THE ABAGUSII PEOPLE, KENYA. Journal of African Studies and Sustainable Development, 5(3). https://acjol.org/index.php/jassd/article/view/2981
Zvaiwa, A., Kaputa, T. M., & Chaminuka, L. (2022). Types of Marriages and their Counselling in Bikita. The Fountain: Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies, 6(1), 141-155. https://journals.cuz.ac.zw/index.php/fountain/article/view/276
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