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Death Categories according to the Igbo people:-People are thrown into a bush/ thrown away if:Woman who died in laborA child with no teethSuicideDeath in the sacred monthTwinsBabies born feet firstBabies with upper teeth coming in firstLepers*bodies were thrown away in secrecy, and these people were given no official funeral or burial*these deaths were considered shameful-Woman death:Buried at the home of her sonIf she didn’t have a son, her body was thrown in a bush-Children death: Buried in their parents’ house*all of these rules were taken very seriously, and they were not broken under any circumstances.-funeral rites hold deep emotional attachment-celebrates life of the person if they had a prosperous life-chief burials are big in many clans-burials depend on social statusDeath of a chief:Chief is washed clean in death chamber (Oto Kwbu) and dressed finelyFamily and friends gather to his funeral and “wail” while playing drums to his ancestors (a sign to the ancestors that he is coming home to them)Widows and their children put on a play in chief’s honor for what ever he dida mourning for 10 months (all men and women shave off their heads, and women can’t cut or cover themselves until after the 10 months are complete)Pilgrimage to burial sites called “Aro Chuko”Once the 10 months have passed, it starts the Kopinai ceremonyAn image of the chief’s family is carved and placed in secrecy in the shrineDances, plays, and big feast, and rituals are made at this point in time.Common Funerals:For people other than chiefs, funerals differ depending on the person and cause of death. For the Ijaw, when an old, free woman dies: Buried with a dance and feast(similar to chief funeral) BUT no head dresses are allowed at a burial of a woman. Special only to men. When a younger, free woman dies, her family may give a funeral play in her honor, but this is expensive and therefore limited to the wealthy. Not a slave- buried at family's house, not husband's. When a man dies, cannons are shot to signal his death on the night of death, the morning, after the burial, at the families return to the house, the following afternoon, and then twice a day for the next six days.
Project by: "Haylee and the Emily's"Emily BovshowEmily CaseyHaylee Harden
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