Funeral Traditions Quiz: Mourning Stages and Dirges

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Questions and Answers

What are the four main stages in the process of 'taking a person and hiding him'?

Announcing the death, bathing the corpse, laying the corpse in state for community viewing, and burying the corpse.

Who typically performs the specific dirge announcing the death?

Older, postmenopausal women.

What is the symbolic significance of bathing the corpse?

It is supposed to prepare the deceased for the long journey ahead.

What is initiated before the bathing of the corpse?

Pouring libation to the ancestors. Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of singing several dirges while women bathe the corpse?

To deploy event-specific dirges and ask pertinent questions. Signup and view all the answers

What may be used to alert people of the death of a prominent citizen?

Talking drums. Signup and view all the answers

What are the two favorite drum musics mentioned in the text?

Otutuo and Opetresu Signup and view all the answers

What type of messages are beaten during the drumming in the signal mode?

No decodable, speech-based messages are beaten. Signup and view all the answers

How is the Akpafu dirge structured?

It alternates spoken and sung sections, accompanied by wailing, ululation, spontaneous shouts, cries of pain, and exclamations. Signup and view all the answers

What do some of the dirges code for?

Some of the dirges code generalized responses to death or tragedy, while others mark specific moments or events of the mourning period. Signup and view all the answers

What event does the midnight dirge announce?

The sighting of a 'morning star' Signup and view all the answers

What does the dirge 'Brebregors' symbolically nullify?

It symbolically nullifies everything uttered during the mourning period. Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of the symbolic erasure by the dirge 'Brebregors'?

To ensure that nothing sincerely uttered during the mourning period takes on grave consequences. Signup and view all the answers

What is the significance of the singing of dirges at the heart of the musical activities?

The singing of dirges serves as a vehicle for mourning, lamenting, and crying. Signup and view all the answers

What happens at the third stage of the funeral process?

The deceased is laid in state and people file past to pay their last respects. Signup and view all the answers

What is the characteristic feature of the drumming in the signal mode?

No singing accompanies it and no decodable, speech-based messages are beaten. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Funeral Process Stages

There are four main stages in the process of 'taking a person and hiding him'.

Dirge and Corpse Preparation

The specific dirge announcing the death is typically performed by the dzoggle.
Bathing the corpse has symbolic significance, which is purification.
Mourning is initiated before the bathing of the corpse.
Singing several dirges while women bathe the corpse serves as a form of emotional release.

Communication and Drumming

Drums are used to alert people of the death of a prominent citizen.
The two favorite drum musics mentioned are Adzogbo and Adzokpe.
During the drumming in the signal mode, messages are beaten to convey information.
Drumming in the signal mode is characterized by a distinctive feature: polyrhythmic beats.

Dirge Structure and Significance

The Akpafu dirge is structured around a series of coded messages.
Some dirges code for the identity of the deceased, their family, and their status.
The midnight dirge announces the event of the deceased being taken to the burial ground.
The dirge 'Brebregors' symbolically nullifies the deceased person's social identity.
The purpose of the symbolic erasure by the dirge 'Brebregors' is to separate the deceased from the living.
Singing dirges is at the heart of the musical activities, emphasizing the significance of music in the funeral process.

Funeral Process Details

At the third stage of the funeral process, the deceased is taken to the burial ground.

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Description

Test your knowledge of funeral traditions by learning about the main stages of mourning and the significance of specific dirges, such as the one sung by older women at the announcement of death. Explore the cultural practices related to funeral ceremonies.