16 Questions
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.
What is the purpose of singing several dirges while women bathe the corpse?
To deploy event-specific dirges and ask pertinent questions.
What may be used to alert people of the death of a prominent citizen?
Talking drums.
What are the two favorite drum musics mentioned in the text?
Otutuo and Opetresu
What type of messages are beaten during the drumming in the signal mode?
No decodable, speech-based messages are beaten.
How is the Akpafu dirge structured?
It alternates spoken and sung sections, accompanied by wailing, ululation, spontaneous shouts, cries of pain, and exclamations.
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.
What event does the midnight dirge announce?
The sighting of a 'morning star'
What does the dirge 'Brebregors' symbolically nullify?
It symbolically nullifies everything uttered during the mourning period.
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.
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.
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.
What is the characteristic feature of the drumming in the signal mode?
No singing accompanies it and no decodable, speech-based messages are beaten.
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.
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