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Wtórny pogrzeb u plemienia Bimonkpom ludu Konkomba z Ghany

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Zimoń H.

Roczniki Teologii Fundamentalnej i Religiologii

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2009

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vol. 1

147-163

EN

The Konkomba, like other African peoples, do not consider the fact of death as immediate and final nor the dead person as either living or finally dead. Among the Konkomba, this transitory period between burial and secondary funeral lasts three or four years. The transitory period finishes with the secondary funeral, which lasts five to seven days. In a very expansive village of Sambul, including as many as 10 lineages and comprising about 95 homesteads, the secondary funeral took place simultaneously in eight lineages. The paper presents and analyses the secondary funeral in the lineage of Mpwando, where the author took part. This funeral lasted six days and was held between 26 April and 1 May, 1991. Comparing this secondary funeral of the Bimonkpom tribe in the village of Sambul with three secondary funerals of the Bichabob tribe in the villages of Nalongni, Sobib and Kumawa- teek, both similarities and certain differences can be observed in a number of customs and rites. Because of a large number of deceased people only in Sambul, divination rites were held on the second and third days. However, as a custom, divination on the third day in Sambul was more important, which confirms the significance of this day for divination among the Konkomba. A complete novelty in Sambul was visiting the market place by widows and accompanying persons in the evening of the third day. In the village of Sambul the widows did not visit the farm in the bush belonging to the oldest man or other older men, which is done in the tribes of Bichabob and Nakpantiib. In the tribes of Bimonkpom, Binalob and Bigbem, the widows visit the farm of the oldest man a few days after the burial. Shooting at a pole and a rooster in Sambul closes exceptionally the secondary funeral. Among the Bicha- bob the presentation and division of personal belongings of the deceased old men always ends the secondary funeral. The costly celebration of the secondary funeral, which requires a substantial financial spending on food and beer, is held in each lineage of Sambul every few years in remembrance of all who died since the last secondary funeral. It is only after the secondary funeral that a dead old man (or an old woman) can attain the dignity of an ancestor and his property (land, wives, sacred objects and power) is inherited and taken over via the mediation of the oldest member of the lineage by the dead person’s relatives who are his lineal descendants, that is brothers and sons, according to the principle of primogeniture. The secondary funeral finishes the transitory period of uncertainty, opens the way for the dead to the ancestors’ realm and confirms that older men and women have achieved the dignity of ancestors. From that time on, the Konkomba recall the deceased men and women together with other ancestors in the rituals that have home, lineage, clan and supraclan character performed in different life situations. In an attitude of respect and trust, they try - through their prayers and offerings - to gain the support and favour of the ancestors, who - as mediators between god Uwumbor and the living - take an active part in the life of the community and influence the fate of the living. The performance of different rites and symbolical activities of the secondary funeral emphasizes that the dead and the community change their roles and functions. The dead person is transformed from somebody who threatens the community to its guardian as a member of the invisible community of the dead. The secondary funeral ultimately finishes the mourning period after the dead, it confirms triumph of the community over death, emphasizes the value of life and leads the community through the hard crisis caused by the death of its members. Besides, the secondary funeral integrates the ethnic groups, helps the living people to accept the new status, and introduces them into the normal relations with the relatives and other people.

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Wróżbiarskie rytuały małego pogrzebu wtórnego u Ludu Konkomba z Północnej Ghany

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Zimoń H.

Roczniki Teologii Fundamentalnej i Religiologii

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2012

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vol. 4

227-240

EN

This article describes and interprets two divination rituals of the so-called small secondary funeral in the village of Kutuln. These relate to a bad death, which occurs when people die prematurely or inappropriately. Africans feel fear toward the dead who in life were bad people and those who died a bad death. The concept of a bad death for Africans presents their approach to life, the time of death and the moral evaluation of dead people, as a premature or unusual death is not accidental. A bad death explains the course of human life and has an impact on the burial of the deceased and his fate in the afterlife. Africans believe that those who die a bad death, do not leave the sphere of human life and do not pass into the land of their ancestors. People who die a bad death are deprived of a normal burial and extensive secondary funeral, and the living will never respect them and called upon them through prayers and sacrifices. Small secondary funerals among the Konkomba are limited to the divining rites, which last one day. The course of divination is similar in small and large secondary funerals. The initial phase of divination using 10 cowrie shells is decisive and important. During the long speech, Bingo, the main diviner or the master reveals and explains the causes of the bad death and propose preventive measures designed to remove ritual impurity and the propitiation of supernatural beings. The cause of death of the woman Mafimbi were quarrels and disagreements with her husband in the village of Bwana, caused by her lover Nbale. She would have happily married him, but her father did not agree to it. Her lover Nbale persuaded Mafimbi not to eat or drink in the home of her husband. The second case concerns the death of a nameless girl who died on the day of her birth because of quarreling parents: her father Bindifrim and her mother Ndodebu living in the village of Jinjinabi. Noteworthy is the attitude of dependence on help, during the divining rites, of the god Uwumbor, spirits of the Earth, clan protective spirits, gnome bush spirits, twin spirits, ancestor spirits, and especially spirits of dead diviners. Help from these supernatural beings is essential during the rites of divination, in order to properly explain the circumstances and causes of death of deceased persons. Divination by using three sticks as complementary only confirms the previously given causes of death. It should be noted that during these divining rites, small and large secondary funerals also have a didactic and moralistic dimension, because they teach people respect for tradition, preservation of social norms and moral order in the life of the individual and community.

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Dialog chrześcijaństwa z tradycyjnymi religiami afrykańskimi

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Zimoń H.

Studia Nauk Teologicznych PAN

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2010

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issue 5

249-264

EN

The Vatican council ii in its declaration nostra aetate and several other documents expressed a distinctly positive attitude of the church towards non-christian religions. three post-council documents devoted to a dialogue with the African traditional religions point out and express respect for the spiritual and religious values of the African people. Out of necessity, the following ones were chosen and discussed in brief: the Supreme Being, ancestor spirits, afterlife, morality, rituals. these values fnd their deepest justifcation in African traditional religions, which determine the identity of particular peoples and plays an extremely important role in their life. The religious attitude of Africans dominates in the world of notions, experiences and attitudes to life. Contrary to the views of some cultural and social anthropologists, religion can not be only considered as a social fact which plays defnite functions in a culture. Such an understanding of religion rules out its autonomy and does not fully appreciate its value and importance in the lives of Africans. As a fundamental creative power, religion is the “soul” or heart of culture. it integrates all aspects of culture, giving the latter an ultimate meaning. permeation of the economic, social and political life with religiouselements, together with the ritualization of all important events and aspects of community and individual life constitute a characteristic feature of African communities. Studying the spiritual and religious values of African peoples is recommended and necessary since these values are the basis of a fruitful dialogue with their cultures and religions, they serve to better proclaim the Good news among Africans and its inculturation in Africa.

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2 Roczniki Teologii Fundamentalnej i Religiologii

1 Studia Nauk Teologicznych PAN

3 Zimoń H.

2 2021

1 2010

Wtórny pogrzeb u plemienia Bimonkpom ludu Konkomba z Ghany

Wróżbiarskie rytuały małego pogrzebu wtórnego u Ludu Konkomba z Północnej Ghany

Dialog chrześcijaństwa z tradycyjnymi religiami afrykańskimi