Abstract
The meaning ascribed to death differs from one society to the other. This study adopts the descriptive method in unraveling the ritual of burial practices among the Ilaje people of Nigeria’s Niger delta. Based on linguistic similarities, Ilaje people are part of the Yoruba ethnic group of Nigeria’s Southwest area. Among the people, burial accorded to the dead is based on how the deceased died. The Ilaje groups death into five distinctive categories - death due to old-age, death caused by witchcraft or evil spirit, death through drowning by accident, death through curse, and death due to suicide. For the people, adult’s death has two layers of meaning: sorrow and merriment. We conclude that physical death is viewed as part of the continuum of life’s circle; it is the point when the dead pass to the realm of the ancestor who may be reborn into the family in the future.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Journal | Omega (United States) |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | E-pub ahead of print - 20 Aug 2024 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© The Author(s) 2024.
Funding
The authors would like to thank Mama Oluwatomisin Ibinuolapo, Ibironke Kikelomo Ibinuolapo, Mrs. Mary Omoruyi, Rev. Olaniyi A.M. Julius and all the people that obliged us information that enriched this study. Their contributions to the overall output of the research especially where they served as resource persons is appreciated.
Keywords
- ancestor
- burial
- curse
- death
- ethnic
- Ilaje
- spirit
