Animism, Spirits, and Funerals

A few weeks ago Ganga brought me to an animist funeral. It was quite the experience and very informative. It was like I was five years old again and asking “why, why, why?” It is a fascinating religion. I played “20 questions” the whole time we were there. The old man had died a few months back but normally people here wait until the cold season (December to February) to have festive funerals because they do not have money to throw a big party until after the harvest season has ended in December. But no worries. They do have a wake right after the person dies so the person does not have to wait to be buried. Anyhow, Ganga first shows me two elderly sitting on an animal hide pounding flat metal circular objects into the hide. I asked Ganga what was happening and he told me that the elders were looking for answers. I responded, “They are going to find answers by doing that?” Ganga replied yes and then told me while they do that ritual they seek out the spirits of their ancestors to explain why the person died. I then asked what sort of reasons the spirits would give as to explain why the person died. Ganga explained that sometimes the spirits say the person died of an illness, natural causes (old age), or that they upset the gods by transgressing. I probed him further and he explained that if a woman leaves her family compound to have sexual relations with a man whom she is not married to(whether she is married/single) that would be one cause. Another possibility would be if she received money for engaging in sex and with the money she received she bought beans or rice and fed it to a member of her family, which could be a reason her family member would die. Another explanation would be that if someone found money on the side of the ground they are either supposed to A) leave it there B) give it to the chief so they he can seek out the person who lost the money. If the person finds and keeps the money, they will die. I was like, “Ganga, the latter reasons do not even make sense. Do people actual believe those reasons or that the spirits talk to them?” He replied that it was their religion so they have to believe it—whether or not it makes sense. He also said that in Africa there are no autopsies so the majority of the time the people seek out answers through the spirits. I asked Ganga if the spirits ever directed the elders to kill an individual for committing a crime such as murder, rape, or theft. Ganga replied that the spirits never would make that decree but that the transgressor would be exiled from the community for ten years. However, for the case of rape, that is not forbidden or against the law according to the animists so the rapists go unpunished. By the way, the girl that was raped in one of my earlier blogs, there was no punishment for her rapist. The Chief (who happens to be animist) met with the two families and the rapist and his family asked the girl’s family to pardon him. The family did and so did the girl. So that was end of it. I told Ganga that I did not think the girl would have forgiven him and that she probably just said yes because that was expected of her. What was Ganga’s response? He suggested that he take me to her house so we could ask her if she forgave her rapist and why she did. I was “Ganga, no! We are not going to talk to the girl about her rape. She has been through enough without us bringing it up!” Sometimes it is hard to watch how culture, religion, and tradition conflict with the advancement of society or just things that seemed normal like rape 100, 500 years ago are still viewed in the same way. Instead of bringing in the gendarmerie (national police) to settle crimes/disputes most rural people have the Chief act as the judge. Anyhow, I have gotten off topic….after the funeral I asked Ganga what was the cause of the death of the man that had died. Ganga informed me that the spirits said the man had died of old age but that people should wary because a sorceress lives among them in the compound and will bring evil to her family. Hence, they should seek her out. At this point, I interrupt Ganga and am like, “Wait, Ganga. Wait. Everyone here says women are inferior and cannot live on their own/provide for themselves so how can the village exile the “sorceress” when they know she will die. Ganga concluded that it was her problem and not the village’s problem. However, if she or anyone else that had completed their ten year exile, they could return to their village and the villagers would welcome them with open arms.