Victor Nwoko
Among the Igbo, death and burial are ritualized events and processes in accordance with the trado-cultural cosmology of the people. In Igbo tradition, life is continuous and involves two spheres of existence: the physical world of the living, and the spiritual world of the gods and ancestral spirits which are in continuous communion and interaction with each other. Provisions are made by the people to ensure the cordiality of this communion and interaction.
Death is regarded as a physical separation, a transition from the world of the living to the world of the spirits. In essence, death is a ritualized passage into a new and higher form of existence. Acceptance into the ancestral world is not automatic. Hence, the highly ritualized and elaborate rites and worships associated with funerary ceremonies is believed to facilitate acceptance of the spirit of the dead and grants an honored place among the ancestors. Ancestral spirits are mediators between the community of the living and the gods. This is aptly captured by Opoku, K. A. (1978), “West Africa regards death not as the end of life, but as a transition from the present earthly life to another life in the land of the spirits … There is also a widespread belief in Africa that unless the proper rites and ceremonies are performed, the spirit of the dead person may not be able to join the ancestral spirits.” Opoku, K. A. (1978).Accra: FEP International. (pp.133-135).
Funerary rituals are not automatic among the Igbo. Funeral rites are given to people depending on the manner of death, age, sex, and status in the communities. The Igbo have both good and bad deaths. A good death implies death after a ripe old age and other parameters while a bad death implies death below this ripe old age or death by detestable diseases. For this reason, most of the funeral rituals are circumscribed with taboos.
Burial rites among the Igbo have two parts: the first part is primarily dedicated to the mourning of the physical separation of the dead from the living. It is characterized by the internment of the remains of the dead or a simulacrum following a short ritualized service. The departed may be interned with certain personal effects that will aid his/her journey in the spiritual world, and/or aid the reincarnation process. The second part of the rites called ikwa ozu is a lavish celebration of life that may take place on the same day as the internment or several weeks to several years after the internment. While the first part invites a sombre mood that is fitting for people paying their last respects to a departed one, the second is a festival of life meant to guide the spirit of the dead to his/her rightful place among the ancestral spirits. In the words of Parrinder, E.G. (1976), “The great aim of much time and expense is to ensure a proper funeral for the departed, so that his spirit may be contented in the world beyond, and will not return as a dissatisfied ghost to plague his family. Funerals are the last transitional rites, introducing a man into the world of spirit.” Parrinder, E.G. (1976). London: Sheldon. (p.95).
For many years now, the elaborate, colorful and heightened expenses associated with funerary rites have become a source of controversy in Igbo land. Many do not realize it is a part of our ritualized tradition from many centuries past. Today, the elaborate festivities are incorporated into Christian burials as Christianity has displaced the traditional religion as the dominant form of worship in Igbo land. Nevertheless, there are abridged versions of the funeral rites that are way less expensive and elaborate but also ensure the same goal: transition, acceptance, and honored place among the ancestors; or in the Christian era, a celebration of life worthy of emulation by others.
