thus prepare the young people to fulfill that obli-
gation. In many African societies, prior to mar-
riage, the bride undergoes rituals that will
prepare her for a new role as a wife and mother.
Feasting, dancing, animal sacrifice, and blessings
are consistent elements of marriage rituals. These
rituals help create a bond between families. Such
rituals either accompany the wedding or are held
following it. They are conducted to offer prayers
for the welfare of the new couple and for the
blessing of fertility and children. During these
rituals, God and the ancestors are called on to
witness the occasion and to extend their bless-
ings to the couple.
Eldership
Elders, like young people, are considered to be
a full part of African communities. Although they
may be physically weak, they are considered in
Bântu and Akan societies, for example, to be a
powerful social force. They are spiritually strong
and wise enough to maintain the cohesion of the
community, but they are also able to build the
moral foundation of the community’s youth and
the generations to come.
In the case of the Akan, an individual becomes
an elder by first being selected by his or her
matrikin. The process involves the pouring of a
libation by the older members of the lineage for
the candidate who will become theEbusua pinyin
(head of the lineage). The elder, once chosen, joins
other lineage heads and officials to sit on a coun-
cil advisory to the ohene (king). Elders are
referred to asnana. It is important to note, how-
ever, that not everyone who bears the title ofnana
is an elder, but every elder is anana.
When Akan elders meet, prayers in the form
of libations are almost invariably said before any
proceedings take place. It is believed that when-
ever two or more elders convene (such an occur-
rence is referred to asNananom mpanyifo), the
ancestors (abosom) are present. The person con-
ducting the libation asks for the ancestors’ con-
tinued blessings and for protection, prosperity,
and happiness for the entire community. The
ancestors are offered the reasons for which the
meeting has been called and request success for
the endeavor.
Death/Return to the Spirit WorldAfrican religions present hundreds of myths
about the origin of death. There are no myths in
Africa about how death might be overcome and
removed from the world. However death is
thought to have originated, every time a person
dies, his or her death is due to a cause. The cause
of death is significant. Death can be caused by
lightning, trees, poison, drowning, warfare, and
various forms of accidents. When death is caused
by sickness, there are two broad types: normal
and unclean. The cause of death will determine
the rites and rituals that are to be performed.
The rituals and ceremonies associated with
death are many and complex. Because death
marks the physical separation of the individual
from other human beings, the funeral rites draw
attention to the permanence of the separation.
Meticulous care is given to the performance of
funeral rituals in order not to cause any offense to
the deceased or his or her family. Such care is not
taken for the funerals of strangers, thieves, mur-
derers, witches, and troublemakers or for those
who have died an abnormal or unclean death.
There are rituals for preparing the corpse for dis-
posal as well as for burial and the belongings to be
buried with the corpse. Rites performed at the burial
are intended to sever the links with the living and
ensure that normal life continues among the living.
Women, especially, wail and weep to lament the
departure of the dead person, recall the good things
that she or he said and did, and offer reminders that
the deceased lives in the spirit world.Becoming an AncestorAncestors are venerated; they are not wor-
shiped. Libation and the offering of food to the
ancestral spirits are rituals and rites performed to
express the esteem and feelings of hospitality that
people hold for their ancestors. These acts reflect
the firm belief that Africans generally have in the
existence of an unbroken relationship that exists
between the living and the Dead.
In West Africa, the Akan and Yoruba are among
those who believe that not everyone who dies
becomes an ancestor. There are conditions that
must be met. A person’s conduct in the world of the578 Rituals