DEATH AND FUNERARY RITES AMONGST THE ABAKHOONE
Amongst the Abakhoone,
it should be noted, death always took a gender dimension.
A woman's corpse
was supposed to lie in state for two days with the burial taking place on the
third day. For a man, the corpse remained in state for three days and the
burial was on the fourth day.
On the day of the burial, the eldest son of the deceased was handed his father's spear. A bull was brought by the graveside. His son would then carry out a mock spearing of the bull. The bull would then be led away to be slaughtered.
After slaughtering the bull, the corpse was wrapped in the skin of the bull for burial. Normally, the most preferred colour of the bull for this function is reddish-brown in colour. In the event this was not available, then a blackish-brown bull (Known as “Rapenda” in Luhya) would be procured.
Polygamy was common amongst the Abakhoone. Therefore, a man used to build his special hut in the middle of the homestead. This hut was called "lichibi".
Since the Abakhoone believe that any mukhone is born a King, no dead mukhone was supposed to be rained on in death. Therefore, the Abakhoone buried their dead inside the house to protect the "King" from the rain. As a tradition, the Abakhoone are never buried with hair. Therefore, before burial, the corpse is ritually shaven to ensure that one returns to his ancestors in a clean state.
The Abakhoone came to Ebunambo from the west, where the sun sets. It is for this reason, during burial, the Abakhoone always bury their dead with the head facing west towards the sunset because it is believed the dead must return to whence they came. In modern Christian burials, the cross is always placed on the western side of the grave where the head is placed.
In the olden days, a mukhone man was supposed to be buried with his spear on his right side and his shield on the left. These weapons were supposed to help him defend himself against evil spirits in the next world, the world of the dead called Emagombe.
Besides the weapons, he would also be buried with a pot of traditional beer and food. Great Warriors were even buried with some hemp which they liked smoking when going to war.
On the day following the burial ceremony, the relatives of the deceased normally shave their heads and then they go to the river to bath. Thereafter, the mourners disperse.
If the wife has lost her husband, she will be required to spend three days sleeping in a makeshift shelter outside her hut. She is then allowed to sleep in her bed after the third day. If a man has lost his wife, he will be required to spend every night in a makeshift shelter on the veranda until he dreams about his deceased wife before he can be allowed to return to his hut.
On the fourth day after burial, the daughters of the deceased usually return with flour and chicken. They cook ugali with the chicken and eat together as a family.
Depending on the speed of mobilisation of resources, the daughters and sisters of the deceased will visit for a commemoration ceremony called ching'anyo. Here, the daughters will bring a bull while the sons prepare traditional beer and hire entertainers. People are invited from all over to come and be merry, eat, drink and dance all night in remembrance of the deceased.
This ceremony usually marks the end of the mourning for the deceased individual.
On the day of the burial, the eldest son of the deceased was handed his father's spear. A bull was brought by the graveside. His son would then carry out a mock spearing of the bull. The bull would then be led away to be slaughtered.
After slaughtering the bull, the corpse was wrapped in the skin of the bull for burial. Normally, the most preferred colour of the bull for this function is reddish-brown in colour. In the event this was not available, then a blackish-brown bull (Known as “Rapenda” in Luhya) would be procured.
Polygamy was common amongst the Abakhoone. Therefore, a man used to build his special hut in the middle of the homestead. This hut was called "lichibi".
Since the Abakhoone believe that any mukhone is born a King, no dead mukhone was supposed to be rained on in death. Therefore, the Abakhoone buried their dead inside the house to protect the "King" from the rain. As a tradition, the Abakhoone are never buried with hair. Therefore, before burial, the corpse is ritually shaven to ensure that one returns to his ancestors in a clean state.
The Abakhoone came to Ebunambo from the west, where the sun sets. It is for this reason, during burial, the Abakhoone always bury their dead with the head facing west towards the sunset because it is believed the dead must return to whence they came. In modern Christian burials, the cross is always placed on the western side of the grave where the head is placed.
In the olden days, a mukhone man was supposed to be buried with his spear on his right side and his shield on the left. These weapons were supposed to help him defend himself against evil spirits in the next world, the world of the dead called Emagombe.
Besides the weapons, he would also be buried with a pot of traditional beer and food. Great Warriors were even buried with some hemp which they liked smoking when going to war.
On the day following the burial ceremony, the relatives of the deceased normally shave their heads and then they go to the river to bath. Thereafter, the mourners disperse.
If the wife has lost her husband, she will be required to spend three days sleeping in a makeshift shelter outside her hut. She is then allowed to sleep in her bed after the third day. If a man has lost his wife, he will be required to spend every night in a makeshift shelter on the veranda until he dreams about his deceased wife before he can be allowed to return to his hut.
On the fourth day after burial, the daughters of the deceased usually return with flour and chicken. They cook ugali with the chicken and eat together as a family.
Depending on the speed of mobilisation of resources, the daughters and sisters of the deceased will visit for a commemoration ceremony called ching'anyo. Here, the daughters will bring a bull while the sons prepare traditional beer and hire entertainers. People are invited from all over to come and be merry, eat, drink and dance all night in remembrance of the deceased.
This ceremony usually marks the end of the mourning for the deceased individual.
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