An Ethnographic Study of the Akan One Week Funeral Observation in Ghana: Making a Case for Its Stepwise Documentation

Abstract

Every society is culturally bound. Its tradition, values, norms are embedded in culture and language is the vehicle through which they are expressed. Language can be described as an identity of every human being. It is a natural endowment fund given to man for communication. One’s feelings are expressed through language via either the verbal or the non-verbal mode. As language exists with man naturally, so does death exist, and it is inevitable. In every culture the dead is honoured, as it is believed that they are not dead but have exited to the world beyond, where their ancient ones have been. Thus, the Akans hold the celebration of the dead in high esteem, and it is observed in three main phases, namely the one-week funeral observation, the main funeral rites and the family sitting. The focus of this study is the one-week funeral observation with the aim of stepwise documentation of the events that transpire therein. The research adopted Hyme’s Ethnography of Communication Theory for the analysis of information gathered. The data collection was a purposeful and a qualitative one that takes into cognizance surreptitious recordings (only) of the family gatherings, making observations and inquiries. The design of the study is a descriptive one that answers how the ‘One Week Funeral’ is observed among the Akans.  The data were collected in Kumasi metropolis (as it is the capital of the Ashanti Region, the seat of the Otumfo Osei Tutu) in Ghana, from September 2022-February 2023. Ten different family gatherings in relation to the one-week funeral observation were visited for the study, and it was observed that there were no variations in the procedural approaches used in the different occasions. The study revealed the following: in terms of linguistic expressions; the use of specialised form of proverbs, peculiar euphemism, strict observations of social norms of speaking, special personae, avoidance of code-mixing and code-switching. Also revealing were the stringent adherence of cultural values associated with the one-week funeral observation and the specialised use of graphological features of colours. The paper concluded that the one-week observation has enchanting cultural values. The stringent adherence of rules in all the gatherings connote positive effect of the occasions on the unity and mutual coexistence of family ties and communal living. These are regarded as part of the forces encouraging and entrenching peace and harmony among the Akans, which is believed to have transcended to the entire nation, Ghana, and might be part of the reasons for the relative peace and harmony Ghana has been enjoying over the years. The study recommended that, the event should be digitalised into ‘cybercem’ (that is cyber-cemetery), where all activities concerning funeral rites be documented for future reference.