AyäeyñWõbuá ayäeyñ sñâ nnäpa hüé adeáñ aâ ñsä baaküéyñ soá duaá wõ abusuæé neá kuroám. Ayäeyñ boaá yä amanneáñ aâ ñsoám boá pii adä. Ïkwaán aâ wõfaá soá yñá obä ayäe kyerñá neá mfeáñ aâ õdäieàñá, ne däbeàa, n'adwuáma, onäpa küé aâ õáyñá neá ne nyaámeàsoám. Ayäeyñ kñseáñ yñà kaá, nanáso ñkyerñá owuáfoõ bä braá aâ õbuáuàeñá. Abusuæfoáõ yä wõn täri de nwä noá guá aboáboáano. Sñ obä nyäni naá õwuá aâ, wõbõá no hyireá furaá no ntomaá fätaa. Saaá aára náso na neá naánaánom nyinaáa yñ. Saaá adeáñ yä kyerñá nkünimdäe.Obä wuá aâ, nnawõátwe akyä na wõyñá n'ayäe. Abusuæfoáõ neá adõáfoõ furaá kõáben, kuntunkunä neá ntomaá bäara aâ anä bäri anaáa anä yñá kõkõõá. Ntweneáe anaáa agoárõ neá asaá mpaá ayäeyñ aseá. Nea náti aâ wõyñá ayäe neá sñâ, ñnyñá sñâ wõdä awerñhoáõ nákü, na mámoám ñyñ akwankõgyaá kõá wäaàseá foáforõ muá. Akanfoáõ gyeádie neá sñâ, sñ onäpa wuá firi wäaàse aâ, õkõtoaá n'abrabõá soá wõ asæémaán. Eénti na mpanimfoáõ kæé sñâ: "Woáyñ paápa aâ, ñda w'anäm; bõneá náso da w'anäm" neá "onäpa wõ baabä kõá". Akanfoáõ gyeádie aâ wõwõá wõ asæémaán asetenaá hüé náti na wõsäesìe wõn hüé yñá obä ayäe. Saaá ahüsiesäe yä yä adä poá wõ adaákaá aâ wõdeá noá bñáto muá. Dñá aâ onäpa tätire bä däì beárñ aâ õteá aseá no, wõkyerñá sñâ, õwõ hüé kwaán sñâ õkõtoaá soá wõ asæémaán. (Nkansa Kyeremateng, 1996b: 41) |
Funeral
Funerals are regarded as social events which stress
the unity in a lineage and the town. They help to reaffirm cultural values.
The nature of one's funeral determines one's age, status, occupation, personality,
or religion, that is, the size of a funeral sums up a man's lifetime accomplishments.
Blood relatives shave and heap their hair at the house entrance. A great
amount is an honour to the deceased. Depending on the age of the deceased,
he and his grandchildren are smeared with white clay, or clothed in white
as a mark of victory.
Public funeral usually occurs a week after death
which relatives and friends attend in cloth of dark-red, brown, maroon
or ochre colour. Drumming and dancing are an integral part. The purpose
of a funeral is not to dwell on grief, but to look to the future and help
the dead pass into the other world.
Akan traditional belief is that life continues in
the next world (asaman). Whatever life is begun here continues in the other
world. Therefore there is a saying that (= the elders say): "If you do
good, it will continue like this (= it is in front of you); if you do bad,
it will continue likewise" and "The human being has a place to go". This
belief explains the elaborate provision the Akan make for the dead, even
in the coffin. Whatever a prominent member of the society on this side
of life, he was entitled to carry its specimen into the next world.
(Nkansa Kyeremateng, 1996a: 84-85) |